Nwanne Eke
Viewpoints Editor
On Nov. 27, 2024, Dr. Ally Louks, a University of Cambridge PhD candidate in English Literature, posted a photo of herself on X holding her dissertation. Her dissertation, titled “Olfactory Ethics: The Politics of Smell in Modern and Contemporary Prose,” examined the “morally exigent olfactory language in relation to disgust and desire effects.” Simply put, Dr. Louks drew on historical examples of smell-based prejudice and depictions of smell in fictional literature to understand the relevance of scent in society. This suggests that our previous understanding of smell or avoidance of offensive odor as an instinctual, protective mechanism is flawed, and that these practices are taught and shaped by societal and cultural norms which are heavily influenced by the prejudices we hold. Though she was subject to personal attacks and backlash from individuals unable to see the worth in non-STEM academia, I personally found her research topic interesting and have been counting down until its public release next week on Nov. 6, 2025.
That same year there were countless self-reports from celebrities, influencers and netizens who felt the need to share their hygiene habits, or lack thereof. From Jason Kelce saying, “What kind of weirdo washes their feet…” to Chelsea Handler admitting to skipping her legs when bathing, finding the running suds sufficient. It’s becoming alarmingly clear that hygiene practices vary widely and what some would consider ‘basic’ hygiene and proper shower procedure is ‘excessive’ to others. More recently, a woman named Eve Tilley went viral online for asking how many times a week the average person showers. Tilley herself admitted to showering twice a week, reasoning sensory issues such as lack of warmth post shower, displeasure at being wet and simply not wanting to wash her hair every time she showers. Following public disgust and criticism, Tilley decided to embark on a 30-day challenge in which she would attempt to shower everyday until showering became enjoyable for her.
While I think Brian Webb, Director of Campus Sustainability, is a valuable hire in his efforts to encourage and promote environmental stewardship, I believe it’s time to address the true bioterrorism on campus: body odor. Having a foul bodily odor is generally regarded by many as offensive, and I would go as far as to call it disrespectful and selfish.
I know that this statement may ruffle some feathers or encourage whataboutism that I honestly do not care to hear. As a neurodivergent individual, I am aware that executive dysfunction can make bathing and hygiene tasks mentally laborious for some individuals. However, if you choose to engage with society, you need to bathe everyday because air is free-flowing. The need to be constantly mentally stimulated and entertained should not start to bleed into personal hygiene. Showering doesn’t need to be fun. Your individual aversion to practicing standard hygiene impacts everyone else around you, and will shape the experience that you have here and in your post-graduate life.
Have you ever been in a class and someone near you smells so bad that you cannot focus on anything else? I have. Knowing all the resources on campus are there to be clean, it is simply unacceptable to be walking around smelling rank. As students here, we all have access to unlimited water in the bathrooms, free laundry (with instructions if you never had to do your own laundry prior to coming to college) and the C-Store, which sells a wide variety of hygiene products (bar soap, body wash, lotion, shampoo, conditioner, menstrual products, laundry supplies, etc.) all of which can be purchased using personal funds or with your flex dollars. Bathrooms on campus are also stocked with free menstrual product dispensers and Babcock Kitchen is home to the free mutual aid pantry that often has some of the same hygiene products as the C-Store.
Though it can be annoying having to wait for an available shower, washer or dryer, and sometimes you may not always ‘feel like it’, it has been proven that practicing good hygiene is beneficial for not only physical but mental wellbeing. I would find this characterization extreme but practicing good hygiene is simply a necessary evil. I’m not saying you need to start turning heads positively with expensive perfumes and colognes, but at the very least you should smell clean and neutral. We all have a duty to be respectful to each other’s noses which means everyone should be showering daily, brushing their teeth twice a day (or at least before you have to interact with people), applying deodorant and washing their hair regularly (based on your hair type). Let’s re-dedicate some of the time we spend consuming brain rot to learning and implementing proper hygiene practices. WASH YOUR LEGS!