The Hallway Conundrum

by Willa Garrelts

December 16, 2019

The doors open and people rush out. They are pushing and shoving just to make enough space to take a step. 

“It's like a subway car,” Fatima Rehimi (East Side 9th grade student) yelled over the noise. 

She’s not the only one that feels this way about the crowded third floor hallway at East Side. In a survey of 20 faculty members and students done on November 19, 2019, 100 percent of those surveyed said yes, the hallways are too crowded during passing time.

The crowded third-floor hallway affects students in three different ways. The first way is that it is extremely noisy. “It's not a social hour and people have classes to get to,” said a 9th grader at East Side. 

The second issue is that students are pushing and shoving. It can feel like you are in a mosh pit. I want to be able to walk through the hallway without feeling like I'm on alert every single second. 

Lastly, students report being late to class as a result of the crowded hallways. I know that I have been late and so are my classmates because we are unable to walk through the halls. “There are kids who actually want to get to class, unlike others who just stay there to talk,” said a 9th grade student at ESCHS. 

These issues show a change is needed in the hallways. East Side is not the only school working on how to fix the problem of crowded hallways. One solution can be found in many other middle and high schools, where they have a line down the middle of the hallway. These two sides have arrows directing students where to go, depending on the direction they are walking in. This system would not only be more organized but could also help students get to class faster. Helping students get to class on time will make sure that students don't miss any valuable material in class.

Speaking with principal Mark Federman, I learned that our building used to be an elementary school. This explains why the hallways are so narrow and they don’t have lockers. 

“I’m open to suggestions, if this is a conversation that students feel that we need to have.” Mark Federman East Side principal. 

It’s clear if you spend time in the hallways that this is a conversation we need to have. Students should not be late to class because the hallway is crowded. We shouldn’t have to push and shove to just walk a few steps. There are ways to solve this problem and people are ready. East Side, let’s make a change.