The Swarm: Traffic Jam In The 400s

The crowded freshman hallway can make life difficult for any CB student or teacher.

Every one of us must clamber our way through this monstrous beast at some point in our high school career. Many must brave through the dangerous straight on a daily basis. But what exactly makes the freshman hallway such a problem? The Talon went to find out.

“Our [freshman] backpacks are too big.” Patrick Barnes (’17) complains to Talon.

But can oversized backpacks be the only cause for a ridiculously clogged hallway? Of course not!

“People socialize too much in large groups the whole width of the hall way, they should stay in their own area to the side.” Ben Slakey (’17) shares with the Talon

This is most likely the actual cause of such a crowded hallway. Yes, social interaction is important for the healthy development of any normal teenager, but it should not cause a problem for others in the environment around you.

So freshman, do us all a favor. Take your conversations and move them to more convenient places such as the cafeteria, the main lawn, the Mary lawn, the library, or anywhere else besides the middle of the hall way.

Misplaced conversations are not the only cause of a clogged hallway however. Many confused freshman scurry about unsure of which direction they should be taking for their next class. So how do we solve this?

“[We should get] arrows on the ground to tell people where to go” Remy Kirrene (’17) brilliantly suggests.

Arrows on the floors of the freshman hallway would smooth traffic with students no longer bumping into each other or awkwardly stepping around one another at the doorway.

Students are not the only people negatively effected by the cluttered hallway, teachers of the 400s also must overcome the sea of bodies every day, but how do they do this?

“It’s the same thing every year, as the students get more comfortable they spend more time in front of their lockers,” history teacher Ms. Stephanie Roybal says. “It’s a problem we teachers have become accustomed to.”

Bad habits are tough to break, but come on freshman! Find it in your young lowerclassmen hearts to make school more pleasant for everyone, students and teachers alike.