First-year student masters a fake "Masturbation Notice"

The “masturbation notice” posted in Ehringhaus Residence Hall turned out to be a prank rather than a plumbing problem.

On Wednesday, images of the poster, which contained UNC letterhead and the contact information for the Ehringhaus Community Office, began circulating throughout campus and Twitter as students reacted to the unusual signs located in the lobby of Ehringhaus, a first-year residence hall on South Campus.

The flyer read, “Masturbation in the showers and bathroom stalls is a violation of the Carolina Housing Code.”

The flyer convinced many Ehringhaus residents that the notice was true.

First-year Brandon Patrick, a resident of Ehringhaus, said he believed the poster.

“I’d rather not have a backup of semen in my shower,” he said.

But it turns out it’s not true. There is no such amendment in the UNC Housing Contract, according to Heather Davis, the assignments officer for UNC Housing and Residential Education, and there is not currently a buildup in the pipes caused by semen.

Davis said the notice was not released by them.

“It was a prank done by we-don’t-know-who to be funny,” she said.

Her response echoes UNC Housing’s tweet from Wednesday, which contained a GIF that said, “It wasn’t me,” in regards to the notice.

The flyers were taken down on Wednesday, and the Department of Housing and Residential Education sent an email Thursday to the on-campus residents of UNC.

“These signs were not authorized nor endorsed by Carolina Housing,” the email read. “Please disregard the notice.”

In addition, the flyer claimed that UNC “drains are not built to withstand semen.”

UNC Facilities Services could not be reached for a comment as the phone representative was “currently dealing with an emergency.”

When first-year Teddy Reese found out the notice was a prank, she said she was impressed.

“I did not know that was fake,” she said.

Logan Pratico, a first-year resident of Ehringhaus, said that he knows who made the flyers.

“The funniest part of it was that a lot of people seriously thought they were in violation to the honor code,” he said.

Although new to UNC, this prank is not new to college campuses. Duke University, Clemson University and The University of Miami have all had occurrences of fake masturbation warnings.

Each letter cites the clogging effects that semen causes and the costs associated with replacing the pipes — all found false.

So, the next time your sinks are clogged, resume activities as usual.

@cjheld

swerve@dailytarheel.com