There is nothing more frustrating than getting caught up in the hallway trying to get to your classes. 

Oftentimes making you late.

 Or simply overwhelmed. 

The hallway traffic can be a hit or miss. Sometimes it’s relatively easy to navigate through and other times it can feel like an eternity before you even reach the stairways.

Student Opinions

I consulted multiple students on the matter, and unsurprisingly, they had very similar answers. I asked Junior Sarabeth Belliveau her opinion on the hallway traffic here at Pentucket, and she said, “The hallway traffic is awful. It makes it hard to get to class on time.” 

Another student, Senior Justin Doucette, reported, “I am getting to classes late, getting stuck behind people, all because people believe they are the only ones in the hallway.” Additionally, Justin added, “If you are this person- stop.”

An insightful viewpoint was shared by Sophomore Molly Burke: “The hallway traffic requires tremendous mathematical calculations one must do mentally, and it takes time to master the art of getting people out of your way.”

Furthermore, I sent a survey out to students at Pentucket. Out of 45 students surveyed, 84.4% reported being impacted by the hallway traffic at Pentucket.

Multiple students also reported being late to class many times due to the hallway traffic. Not only does this personally affect those that are late, but it takes away from the teacher’s given class time and holds back the rest of the class.

What could be causing these hallway jams?

Hallway jams are inevitable to an extent, but what could be causing these extensive jams? I asked this question to my interviewees.

Sarabeth’s viewpoint was one I personally agreed with: “I think the main reason there is so much hallway traffic is that we only have 3 minutes in between classes. Everyone has to rush to get to their classes, especially if they’re going from the first floor to the third or vice versa.” 

Similarly, Junior Leigha Cignetti responded, “The short passing times make everyone rush to try and get to the main stairwells.”

One unique, but valid, perspective on the causes of hallway traffic came from Junior Zoe Dunn. She believes “it is caused by people standing in groups in the hallway. The groups often block the doorways and it’s hard to get where you need to go.”

List of other student opinions

As stated earlier, I surveyed 45 students here at Pentucket. While some decided to stay anonymous, many shared their experiences with me. Here are a few additional opinions that I thought deserved to be shared.

Sophomore Zach Bishopp says, “On my way home from a class on the second floor. There is a chokepoint at the staircase leading into the main dining area. It acts almost like a clogged artery.”

Sophomore Luke Zavinski says, “People just like to stop in the middle of the hallway without thinking of the people behind them.”

Junior Alyssa Persichetti says, “With groups of people crowding in a circle all talking to each other in the middle of a passing period, it is impossible to get around them and get to where I am trying to go.”

Lastly, Senior Ethan Fletcher says “[The hallways] make everything go slower- people can be late to classes without it being their fault. It angers me when there is a group of students not even going to a class just standing in a large group in the middle of the hallway;  which clearly blocks the hallway and makes it so the flow is stopped and just makes everything more difficult, which no one needs.”

What could we do to solve this problem?

Most, if not all of us, can relate to the frustration the hallway jams can cause. But as a student community, we have the ability to better the situation. 

I asked Leigha what she thought we could do to fix the problem, she answered “Maybe extending the passing period a little bit.”

Despite this being a good way to fix the problem in the long run, I want to know what we could do as a student body to fix this problem now. So, I asked an anonymous Sophomore what their thoughts were. They said, “I think if we all collectively start being cautious of our whereabouts in the hallways and start being mindful about how little space we have to get around during busy times, then we could all stop getting overwhelmed and frustrated with each other.”

As a whole, we have all experienced some sort of frustration from this issue. However, if we all collectively obtain an awareness of our surroundings, we may be able to fix it sooner than later. If you have questions or concerns about the current hallway situation here at Pentucket, I urge you to use your voice and connect with teachers or hall monitors to find solutions to help with the current circumstances.