Students Running in the Hallways

Reporter: Ainsley Keller

As it is well known, there is a definitive rule against running in the hallways at GW. This rule was set in place so that students would not get injured. Nevertheless, many students show a blatant disregard for this rule and choose to run in the hallways. This imperative issue must be addressed immediately. 

I have had multiple experiences with students running in the halls. For instance, I was in the hallway a couple of weeks ago when a student ran right past me, jostled into me, and then ran off. A few seconds later, another student ran by as well. Like naive first-graders, they were chasing each other for some sort of game when they were supposed to be going to their locker or class like mature middle-schoolers. 

While I was previously aware that some students looked upon the school rules with disdain, this incident further brought it to my attention. I deplore this behavior, which is unacceptable in school. It is as dangerous as juggling knives in a preschool in terms of the possibility that someone might get hurt. 

Another time I noticed students running in the hallway happened a few months ago. Students were recklessly running through the halls between classes, and a teacher had to yell at them to stop. They listened but were smirking and looked amused at the teacher. 

I concur with the aforementioned teacher. Students racing through a crowded hallway like stampeding wildebeests are bound to crash into someone and hurt either themselves or someone else, and leniency should not be shown to someone who could get others injured, which is why I advocate for the no-running rule to be more strictly enforced. 

Some students wish to refute my argument by claiming they need to get across the building in a mere three minutes. However, it is possible to make the trip within that time slot. You can bring whatever you need to the previous class so you do not have to stop at your locker, and if you do not tarry before heading to class, you can make it on time. I have personally made the trip across the building many times without being late. 

A way to diminish the amount of running in the halls is to extend the three-minute intervals in between periods. Three minutes, while adequate if you speed walk and have all of your stuff for your next class with you, will not work for students who need to stop at their lockers. Just a single minute taken off of each class will not drastically impact the amount of learning that students have and will lessen the amount of running in the halls, so the optimal way to fix this problem will be to make the time in between classes longer. Moreover, any claims against this reasoning can be easily undermined, as one minute of learning loss can help prevent injuries that will take much longer than one minute to heal, and the safety of students should be more important than one minute of learning. 

To Dr. K, extending the amount of time in between classes will lower the number of students running in the halls and make the school a safer place. To the students running in the halls, do stop. If this goes on, someone will get hurt, and it could end up being you

   Done Reading? Check out our other articles!