Head injuries, lost friendships and general awkwardness. No, I’m not talking about the life of a middle school boy. I’m referring to the dangers of glitter.
All around America, glitter is a popular decoration, cosmetic and way to make a bland object livelier. Guilford’s excessive use of glitter, however, has caused much pain over the years. Students should cut back on glitter use to avoid serious unintended consequences.
“I love glitter and think that it is a necessary staple in living a happy life,” said junior Colin Nollet in an email interview. “However, this is not an experience shared by most. For example, I am no longer allowed in a friend’s apartment because I left glitter literally everywhere, including stuck to the walls.”
No one wants to damage a friendship, especially because of such a silly thing like glitter. But what about potentially being rejected from a position?
“One morning, I woke up, and one of my roommates was standing at the door in a very creepy way,” said Darius Mangum ’15 in a phone interview. “She approached me and, while my head was on my pillow, threw a handful of glitter onto it. I pretended to be mad at her, but it’s only glitter. It’s not like she threw an explosive at my head.
“The problem is that it stayed in my hair for about a year. If I happened to have an important interview, it definitely would have affected my chances.”
You can repair a friendship, apply for a different job and eventually learn to avoid the pranks of your roommates. Brain damage, on the other hand, has long-lasting effects.
“I was in my suite, where we had glitter all over the ground,” said sophomore Mara Stewart. “If you put glitter on the ground, it becomes the slipperiest surface ever. Even though I was wearing shoes, I accidentally slipped, hit my head and gave myself a concussion.”
Outside of pranks and accidents, the general application of glitter produces many unintended consequences as well.
“Glitter does not leave your hair, it does not leave your face and it does not leave the ground,” said Stewart. “Rain, snow, a hurricane – you will never get glitter off of anything.”
So how does one go about fixing the glitter issue?
For one, I would advise students to reduce how much glitter they sprinkle in their hair, to be more careful when handling the shiny flecks and to stop pranking their friends. If an accident does occur, then one can sometimes remove it from the skin with some coconut oil and from the hair using olive oil.
In the end, a little glitter is fine, but going all out may not be the best idea.
