Whether you’re a freshman or a senior, every student at EHS has been exasperated at the abysmal state of our hallways. From minor annoyances to major blockages we’ve seen it all. Due to a small minority of students with the inability to think of anyone but themselves, every person at this school suffers lost time. This needs to stop.

First and foremost some ground rules need to be set.

Do NOT abruptly stop in the middle of the hallway, especially if it’s to talk to your friends. No one minds if you want to chat, but do so while hugging a wall. This should be common sense, but somehow students don’t realize that their impromptu gossip circle has forced those behind them to go around.

Do NOT walk on the wrong side of the hallway. Too many times I’ve seen a lone person parting an entire river of people like the Red Sea. Just like how we drive, students need to walk on the right side of the hallway. The only exception is when leaving a classroom, sometimes you must walk along the left wall until an opening appears to get over on the right, but past that, this behavior is unacceptable.

Do NOT block major entryways/doorways. At least if you’re in the middle of the hall people can go around, but no one can get by if you’re blocking the only point of access to a room or a staircase.

Do NOT try to cheat the system. Taking short cuts and cutting people off only leads to everyone losing time. Stay behind the person in front of you unless they’re moving insufferably slow. Pass with care. On the main staircase, two people can go up while two people go down. Just because you’re late doesn’t mean you get to worm your way in and make it a third going either way.

DO be mindful of others. At its core, the best way to solve this issue is to simply be thoughtful of other people and their intentions. Use body language to convey where you’re going, and read others’ body language. Let people in front of you. Notice if someone behind you wants you to move a bit faster and adjust accordingly.

While the hallway may sometimes seem like a rat-race, it’s really a team sport. The more we work together, the faster everyone will get to their destinations.