What’s Happening with Hall Sweeps?

For the past couple of weeks, there has been an increase in hall sweeps happening between classes. Before the next period starts, the intercom will announce that a hall sweep is happening, and after the bell rings, teachers are supposed to lock their doors and not let any late students in. Students caught in the halls are “swept” to the Amphitheater, where they stay until the bell rings.

According to senior Soli Witter-Kirkpatrick, the amount of hall sweeps has increased recently “because there [are] always kids out in the hallways … yelling and arguing, and teachers [and administration] are trying to cut back on that.”

However, after every hall sweep, you can still see tons of students walking around in the hallways. According to a poll on The Blake Beat’s Instagram account, 91% of students haven’t been caught in a hall sweep before.

“I think [hall sweeps are] a little [effective], but … I feel like some students … just [do] whatever they wanna do [anyway,” notes junior Leela Thaker.

According to this same Instagram poll, 80% of students think that hall sweeps are ineffective.

“Many people don’t care what happens to them when they’re caught in a hall sweep because … the consequences aren’t effective enough,” asserts senior Fathiha Sheriff. “[I’ve] heard a couple of people saying that … they don’t end up getting caught [in hall sweeps] anyway because there usually isn’t enough security in the hallways to … catch them in the first place.”

In conclusion, hall sweeps are a controversial measure that seem to be less effective than they should be. To avoid being caught in a hall sweep … well, go to class on time!