People needing to take a restroom break on campus faced an unusual situation Monday.

Sara Wichtendahl, graduate student in art and design, changed many of the signs on restroom doors from “Men” and “Women” to gender-neutral and unisex designs as part of a research project.

“Over the past year, I’ve had a growing awareness of the problems with restroom spaces,” Wichtendahl said. “I wanted to open them up to people beyond gender boundaries.”

Every restroom in the Memorial Union, Ross Hall, Carver Hall, Beardshear Hall, Curtiss Hall, Parks Library and the College of Design Building was changed to unisex.

Wichtendahl cited several groups who would benefit from such a change, including families with small children, people with special needs and disabilities, transgendered and cross-dressers. Eventually, all public restrooms should be changed to unisex, she said.

The reactions she observed ranged from confusion to anger, and a few users verbally attacked her, Wichtendahl said.

The study originally received permission to span an entire week, but Wichtendahl said she was forced to remove the signs the day after installing them.

“I was told that I didn’t follow the proper channels to get permission,” she said. “I think it was probably due more to the huge volume of complaints.”

Bob Currie, assistant director of facilities services at Iowa State, offered a different explanation. He said the sample signs Wichtendahl sent to his department made no mention of gender-neutral designs or wording.

“They put up gender-neutral figures on the ladies’ restrooms, and that is not what they proposed to do,” Currie said. “I think – and rightly so – that the users of the restrooms were offended.”

Students had mixed reactions to the possibility of sharing restrooms with members of the opposite sex.

Jeremy Burdt, freshman in animal ecology, said although one of the reasons he came to college is to expand his horizons, he opposed the idea.

“I think visitors to campus would be confused and uncomfortable,” Burdt said.

Other students were more accepting of the idea.

“It wouldn’t bother me,” said Kelly Handegard, sophomore in health and human performance.