Follow the Arrows- Please

Every person who enters the UACHS building has experienced the flow of traffic in the hallway. Students being packed like sardines, but still moving in a slight manner is about as typical of a high school experience as you can get. But it was not always like this, the upperclassmen claim that while the hallways have always been slow, they never halted the way they do now. 

This leaves students with the question of what is causing these sudden standstills? Junior, Patricia Gomes, blames socializing in the hallway for the abrupt stops. 

“I see people stop and talk to their friends all the time and cause traffic to build behind them. It’s frustrating- but what can I do?” Gomes said. 

 While a portion of UACHS students admit to socializing, they do carry on with going to their next class. Junior, Jimmy Burgos, feels that we should have some sympathy for those who socialize in the hallway.  

“I mean, we are all contributors. That’s the way traffic works, you can’t get mad at everyone,” Burgos said. “Some people are even scared to get into the staircase– so they just stand there and do not let people pass.”

   School Clerk, Sierra Bent, feels that the school is simply too small for all its students. 

“It definitely is congested (in the hallway), it’s a small school housing around 400 students, with only one staircase,” Bent said.  

With all the contributing factors making this issue, what are the solutions? Burgos proposes longer break times in hopes of not being late, and lightening the load in the hallway. 

“Longer break times would for sure help with not being late– but some students may abuse it, you know? Nonetheless it’s something we need,” Burgos said.

Although some students agree we need this, the question is how the school would implement this.

 “Would it take away from class time, or will we have longer school days if we increase the breaktime?” Gomes asks. “I’m all for it– as long as it does not add more to our day.” 

Additionally, students expressed frustration at their peers for not following the arrows to walk. Gomes thinks this is a major inconvenience when it comes to the staircase. 

“There are students walking up the stairs on the left side when people should be on the right, causing them to clash into those who were using the stairs properly. It’s irritating,” Gomes said.

The only way to combat this is for students to follow the arrows for an easy flow of traffic. The arrows are there for a reason, following them will also keep the social distancing problem at bay. Junior, Shymal Baber, has expressed apprehension regarding the lack of space in the school. 

“It is worrying how close we get to each other sometimes, but we are at full capacity. I know we’re just following what the state tells us, but it does not feel right,” Baber said.

So please– for everyone’s sanity, keep to the right and follow the arrows.