The hallways are supposed to help us get to class, not feel like traffic. Underclassmen and upperclassmen alike stand in the hallways, blocking people from getting to their classes. Freshmen should be taught hallway etiquette because clear expectations would make passing period faster and far less frustrating for everyone. While some people may argue that you should just “figure it out,” the reality is that, as the school becomes more populated, it will be harder for us to simply ‘figure it out’ if we can’t get through at all.

One of the biggest issues that freshmen don’t realize they do is stand in large, circular groups in the hallway. This forces people who are trying to get by to squeeze past their backpacks, sometimes having to push or shove other students. Freshmen and underclassmen will often walk with their arms linked with their friends, creating a wall of people that’s impossible to get by. They often suddenly stop to talk to their friends in the hall even if there’s a line of people behind them who are trying to get through. Many of these students also walk extremely slow, making it even harder to get to class quickly and efficiently.

A short lesson given during freshmen orientation would fit well with their introduction of Bishop Manogue, and would easily solve a lot of these issues. As new classes start rolling in, sooner or later everyone in the school will know hallway etiquette, and getting to class won’t be as much of a pain for our students. Freshmen aren’t the problem, it’s the lack of guidance. They don’t know what it’s like to try and get through crowds of slow walkers and big groups. Teaching them before they join the rest of the student population would fix one of Bishop Manogue’s most annoying places—our hallways.