Say you’re walking down the hallways during your ten minute break, on your way to fill your water cup and use the restroom. On the way, it seems like there’s no room to get by. You try to nicely say something, but they don’t seem to hear you. You end up shoving your way past everyone, but get dirty stares in the process. By the time you’ve gotten to where you needed to be, you have only a few minutes remaining the bell rings. 

   Sound familiar? This is an everyday occurrence in our school hallways. Students have the tendency to gather in groups during breaks in between periods, causing no walkway for other students and teachers to get to class. Most times, the only way to get to class is to push your way through, walk around, or just say a simple, “Excuse me.”

   Personally, speaking from a smaller person, it is extremely difficult to get through these groups of people because they sometimes don’t even see or hear you. Especially when kids are turning around with their backpacks on, it’s like getting hit by a bus. 

   All jokes aside, social studies teacher Enaye Englenton said, “It is frustrating to have five minute passing periods where you want to run to the bathroom, you want to run and go refill your water bottle and you can’t. Ideally it’d be nice if at least when people see other people coming they would just automatically make way.”

   Speaking for the sake of the faculty and students at our school, especially short people, it is hopeful that in the near future, the kids hanging around in the hallways will become more mindful of their space and move if they see someone struggling to get by. 

   “I’ve talked to the upperclassmen and I think that if they were more proactive in directing the younger students, because a lot of times it is the ninth and tenth graders who are doing this, and maybe tell them, ‘Hey you need to move to the side,’ but ultimately it needs to be a whole community, maybe talk about it at assembly, make a little skit to spread awareness,” quoted Engleton.  

   Being and coming from a junior, it has not been forgotten that we too used to crowd in the middle of the hallways during break, but as time went by and we all matured and learned on our own, we are more aware of our surroundings. Which is why it is now important to pass that knowledge to the younger class now rather than later.