The bell rings, and the chase is on. Your adrenaline kicks in as you speed out of class, dodging hundreds of people in an attempt to get to your next period on time. You get to a stairwell, but to your disappointment, you find yourself waiting in standstill traffic to get up a single flight of stairs. You glance down at your phone, your heart beating out of your chest as you realize that there is only one more minute before the late bell rings. And today, you can’t be late. Why? Because there is a hall sweep. You finally make it up the stairwell and sprint to your classroom,  stepping in just as the bell rings. Whew, that was a close one. Thank god you weren’t late. Imagine what could have happened to you if you got caught in a hall sweep…says literally no one, ever. 

Now, let’s be honest here. Hall sweeps exist to scare us into submission in the hopes that we’ll start making it to class on time. But do they actually work? The only thing I really know about a hall sweep is that you don’t want to be late to class on a day when one is in effect. I’ve asked many of my friends, and no one seems to know what actually happens if you’re caught in a hall sweep. How are we supposed to care about avoiding hall sweeps when it’s not clear what the punishment is? It’s simply illogical to continue to use this system when many students have no idea what it involves.

Despite having been in several hall sweeps, I remain clueless as to what they actually entail. Just a few weeks ago, I was taking my time getting to my second period when I heard that there was going to be a hall sweep. For the first time ever, I saw a teacher shepherding all the late kids to a designated area. I was pretty shocked, having never seen anyone get called out for being late before. I didn’t know where the teacher was leading all of those students, but I knew that I definitely did not want to be caught in that mess. I put on a brave face, turned my music up louder, and strutted past the teacher and group of kids. Once I got several feet away from them, I slowly turned around. Sure enough, no one called me out of line because I was late. The teacher didn’t even notice me!

So there you have it, tigers. Hall sweeps are a total joke. If you’re having a fun conversation with your friend when the bell rings, don’t feel any pressure to end it. Getting to class early is definitely the best option, but don’t stress it if you’re late—I assure you, nothing ever happens.  •