Creative Writing

Surviving the Halls

For this writing, everyone in my class was each supposed to pick a topic that incoming freshman might have questions about in high school. Then, we were to write about the topic and kind of explain the do's and don'ts of the topic. Mine was a little cliche and not my best writing but I can say it's entertaining. Enjoy!

Often times, the major question for a newcomer fresh off the block, that is middle school, is what the passing periods in high school are like. Passing periods are crucial to the flow of a student's day, whether it will be rushed and unprepared or smooth and worry free. But, the biggest obstacle in the way that can keep a student from making it to class on time is the rapidly flowing river stream, that is the student body moving from class to class. However, there is nothing to fear, for here is a guide on how to survive the hallways of high school.

Inside Skutt Catholic, there happens to be only two and a half major hallways. Luckily, our halls are extremely wide due to there being so few. As comparison to other massive schools, we don't have a second level, or stairs, or series of crooks and bends and little hallways that branch off into even more confusing halls. Skutt's layout is relatively simple and to the point. That being said, the movement in the hallways is usually more spacious than it would be in other schools, but we do have a significant amount of people in one area, all of which are trying to get to one place or another. In addition, people at their lockers can often add to spacial issues in the halls.

Being the five minutes that they are, our passing periods are long enough that going from one class, to a locker, and then off to another class is possible, but they are short enough that students need to move quickly and efficiently. To move from class to class, new students must know the basic, social rules of walking in a crowded hallway. First, always stay on the right side. Often times there are people who think that they can fight the tide coming towards them, so they push through on the left side. This can easily disrupt the sound flow of the hallways and can tragically end with someone being trampled. The next rule to remember is to keep a safe distance between the people on all sides. Walking closer to friends is allowed, but the distance between those in front and behind should be a reasonable amount. Failure to give passing pedestrians personal space can lead to stepping on the backs of another student's shoes, or leaving such a big gap in between that others get frustrated when they are unable to pass and need to be somewhere quickly.

A good tip to always remember is to move quickly but not too quickly. Stay with the flow of the student body and don't ever stop in the middle of the hallway. On the other hand, don't move so quickly that running into people becomes a rude habit. Be patient, but not too patient. Patience is key in a crowded hallway, especially if time is an issue. Don't get frustrated and begin to shove through masses of people. Take a deep breath and proceed.

One of the biggest aspects in surviving the hallways is to use the technique of weaving. It doesn't matter what the body size or height may be, weaving through the halls is efficient for everyone and can lead to a successful passing period. Weaving consists of delicate foot placement, brisk bursts of speed walking, and slipping through the crevices of people. On the contrary, do not become one of the plowers. Those are the people who shove through the crowd mercilessly to forcefully make their way to their next class. This behavior may result in frustrated glares of contempt from passerby's.

Another helpful tip is to always look forward. Too often than not, students will have their eyes glued to their phone screens or ipads and neglect to look where they are walking. This can lead to carelessly bumping into a passerby or even veering into forbidden territory, that is the opposite side of the hallway. Always keep those eyes up and locked on the road ahead. And finally, the number of friends walking in a cluster is a constant issue. The best rule to follow regarding this topic is two and three people can walk side-by-side, but any number exceeding this is unacceptable. If the group consists of four or more friends, then create two or three rows of people behind one another so that bumping into others and blocking the hallway is prevented. All of these tips can easily be mastered with constant practice, and as the years go by, the fearful anticipation of cluttered hallways can and will be overcome.