When you set out to navigate the halls of CHS, what do you expect? Personally, I cross my fingers and hope for the best. Let’s face it: there’s a lot of people at this school, and people are unpredictable.
Sometimes someone will be going slow and keeping you from getting you where you’re going. Sometimes people will crowd in one spot and bring your walking to a screeching halt. Sometimes someone will be going just a bit slower than you, and to pass them you have to walk awkwardly fast. And sometimes, you’ll end up stuck behind the dreaded wall of five people, shoulder to shoulder, talking to each other and walking as slowly as humanly possible.
But it’s not just the people! Sometimes your classes put you in a situation where you genuinely cannot make it from one class to the next in the five minutes allotted. Here’s an example from my own experience: You have to go from concert band, in the band room above the cafeteria, to computer apps, in the CAVC next to welding and electronics.
If band practice ends when the bell rings, what do you do? Well, first you have to put up your instrument, then your chair, then your stand, and then? Then, you have a choice. Try to make one of the longest possible walks within the school’s campus, or get a pass for what feels like the twentieth time this week.
Students shouldn’t have to make this choice. Fighting against the clock each day just to make it to class is stressful! And what if you need to get something done between classes? Use the bathroom, get a bandage, take or leave your Chromebook to/from the Chrome Depot? That’s too bad- you don’t get enough time. So what do we do about it?
Well, what can you do to make your passing period easier? Well, if your class is right outside a busy hallway (as most are!) then always peek out the door before stepping into oncoming traffic. It sounds like the most obvious thing to avoid running into people, but if you’ve run into someone before, you’ll likely see why I’m saying this.
Also, if you have the option to take a less crowded route, take it! Go outside, take the weird staircase that goes from the first to second floor only, look for anything you want to avoid and avoid it. And don’t forget to get out the door as soon as you can!
These methods can speed up your trip between classes. But is it enough? Doing this won’t give you much more time to do things between classes. And even if you manage to make it between classes easier, that warning bell will still beep, letting you know that the next class is not far away.
So, to actually ask the question: Are passing periods long enough? I don’t think so! If I didn’t make it clear, I don’t think we have the time we need to go between classes and still have room to think. At the very least, a couple more minutes are in order. But of course, the student’s input is important here! So what do you think? Please, let us know!
