Hallway Headbangers

Amidst the thunderous chatter that echoes through the hallways of our campus, some students walk in silence and solitude as they tune out the world around them and turn up the tunes.

A growing number of students are putting in the iconic white Apple earbuds and enjoying the sweet sounds the music world has to offer as they stroll along towards class. It’s a two to three minute escape from the the rigid world of academia that CB presents to its students.

I have long pondered the question of what people could be listening to in the hallways. I went searching for their candid responses to the simple question: what are you listening to?

“Right now I am listening to Fall of Troy,” Dez Dumonchella (’17) shared after I had awkwardly stopped him in the hallway.

He went on to cite bands such as Avenged Sevenfold, My Chemical Romance, and System of A Down and other such metalcore bands as part of his “Walking from Class to Class Playlist”.

“‘Bleed It Out’ by Linkin Park,” our fearless Rally Chair Tommy Payne (’16) boldly proclaimed. “They’re my favorite band so naturally I listen to them all day and everyday-”

“I march to the beat of my own drum!” senior Valente Ariza (’16) rather rudely interjected.

Junior Lexi MacDonald (’17) was happy to share what she was listening to,

“Music.”

She delivered the word without even attempting to make eye contact with me. She didn’t break her stride and her body language screamed “don’t talk to me.”

Lexi is the living embodiment of what listening to music on the way to class is all about. Its an escape so you don’t have to worry about the test you just failed in Algebra last set and so you don’t have to worry about the horrors that await you in your upcoming English class.

Even as a self-proclaimed music aficionado, I do not listen to music as I’m walking from class to class. I much rather prefer to get my fill of the latest CB gossip as I eavesdrop on all the conversations going on around me. However, the tunnel vision that listening to music creates is just what some students need to make it from class to class.