6th Grade Hall Issue

Date: 8/26 By: Jaselyn Garcia and Zoey Carter

As a new school year starts, the 6th graders are beginning their first year in EJHS. This year there is a new rule that 7th and 8th graders cannot go through the 6th grade hall to get to their classes on the other side of the building. There are so many reasons that this is unfair and a problem for 7th and 8th graders. These include problems that are created for the upperclassmen like tardies and wasted time. Why start this now?

Since this new idea of blocking off the 6th grade the hallway, more tardies will occur this year compared to last year. This is because if 7th graders or 8th graders have gym or PLTW they have to ask permission to go through that hallway just to get to a class. That’s crazy and excessive to have to ask permission to get to a class. Also tardies are being caused if you have band or choir. Those classes are on the other side of the school from where most of the 7th graders’ lockers are placed. Since this position 7th grader lockers, the 7th graders are taking longer to get to electives like choir or band since they cannot get through the sixth grade hallways. Five minute passing periods seemed long until this new regulation was put in place. They say you should be able to go to the bathroom between passing periods but since you’re already rushing then it makes it harder to find time during the passing period to be able to use the restroom. All these tardies are an inconvenience to the students and the teachers. It took us 51 seconds to go through the 6th grade hall and 1 minute and ten seconds to go the long way, and we were speed walking. That is not counting how fast you walk, crowds, slow walkers, people who stop in the middle of the hallway, and no locker stops. It sounds like a short amount of time but it can add up and cause problems.

People who are on crutches or have any sort of struggles walking around from class to class, especially in crowded places may find it harder to go the longer way since their injury slows them down. Yes, they do get to leave class a little early but once people start getting dismissed from class it slows them down even more. People who are injured may find this a major problem instead of a minor problem. We all find it easier to go through the 6th-grade hallway. Maggie Johnson, a 7th grader at EJHS, says, “Yeah, I was late to a few classes and I had a backpack so it slowed me down a lot and it was very difficult. It would’ve been a lot easier if they allowed me go through the shorter way. They only allowed me to go through that hallway one time and that was for lunch." Mr: Gallagher, an eigth grade teacher said, "I feel like it's probably an inconvenience for you guys which is frustrating but if you guys just think back to when you were sixth graders just think about how intimidating the 8th graders were they probably feel better being with just sixth graders plus it's probably less crowded back there.” We also interviewed an eighth grader about how they felt about it. She said, “I mean, I don’t really care. I don’t usually go through there anyway and if I have to media I go through the front hallway. I don’t usually go through so it doesn’t really affect me.”

The idea is well talked about with all of the 7th and 8th graders being very annoyed with every inconvenience it is causing them. We asked some 7th and 8th graders about how they feel, and the majority are not just upset with the restrictions but also the fact that it is a random year to start this policy and all the other grades never got this “special treatment.” It is not fair for everyone else and any grade before us. Every year we have plenty of problems like struggling to find classes and having the older kids crowd the hallway which helped teach us about the school and see the difference from elementary school to middle school. It also creates crowds in other hallways like the front hallway after classes like band, choir, and gym which is on the opposite side of the school away from most people's lockers, like mentioned before. Mr. Sparks, one of the P.E. teachers, "I think that now that it has been established, it seems to be working better. With the struggle in finding new classes in the crowded hallway combined with almost every 7th and 8th grader shows a bad example to the new students about being late when we are supposed to be role models to them.

This arrangement is overwhelming to most people and is only told to get worse. With teachers at almost every corner, certain classes that should take two minutes to get to are taking up to 5 or 6 which will not be acceptable as the year goes on. Those who have a broken foot, ankle, knee, or any part of the legs and have a boot or even some crutches are trying their best to get to class on time but shouldn't have to worry about which way they go. And it is very clear that this is very new to everyone but this either should have started a very long time ago or never existed in the first place. This rule is down right crazy and completely insane with the amount of useful walking that could be used in that hallway.