First place: The pink women’s bathroom in the Memorial Union

Being on campus all day means relying on the resources around you to provide meals, transportation and bathrooms—yes bathrooms. Coffee shops, couches to nap on, different snack options and a fireplace may seem to take precedence, but where do you go when it’s time to go?

The OSU campus is full of old and new buildings, some more kept than others, meaning the range of bathroom quality can vary from sparkling to alarming. Standing out amongst the endless beige bathroom stalls is the Memorial Union’s infamous pink bathroom. 

Pink bricks make up the interior walls, making for a surprising visit amongst entering. Along with the baby-pink finish is a speckled tiled floor using a darker color scheme. Since the MU is among the older buildings on campus, being built in 1928, the bathroom gives off the aesthetic of an old-time, antique design. 

Julia Porretta, a third-year interior design major, knows and loves the pink bathroom.

“Yes I’ve been to the bathroom many times,” Porretta says. “I took a selfie in the mirror for my birthday last year. Can’t beat the backdrop honestly.”

Porretta also enjoys studying in the MU’s main lounge on the first floor which features the same vintage feel. 

“I like sitting by the windows, especially in the fall when the leaves are changing.” Porretta says.

The Memorial Union is often considered the heart of Oregon State University’s campus. Nestled at the crossroads of Jefferson Way and 26 Street, the MU sits in between the Student Experience Center and Fairbanks Hall. 

If you’d like to find your way to the bathroom yourself, it is located along the hall of flags, right up the stairs of the main entrance. The MU is home to many unique attributes, including the mezzanine, a popular dining hall that houses Panda Express, Togo’s Sandwiches and more. On the same floor, you can find Off the Quad Restaurant, North Porch Cafe and even an express print and ship store. 

Mia Rabin, a third-year interior design major, also chooses the pink bathroom when in the MU.

“If I am in the building I’ll go to that one, I mean why not?” Rabin said. “It’s cute and a break from the boring, smelly stalls in the other bathrooms of the MU.”

As OSU progresses through the decades, new buildings pop up, each seeming to be more modern and sustainable than the last. The fact that the pink bathroom has maintained its charm after just shy of a century is worth recognition.