The 2024 year has just begun, and the hallways are in the worst state they’ve ever been. In previous years, the hallway traffic has been famously terrible. This year, however, there seems to be an obvious increase in students struggling to maneuver through the traffic.

The challenging hallway situation is compounded by recent snowstorms, casting a frosty shadow over the school’s daily routine. As students make their way into the school they are faced with multiple challenges within Highlands halls.

With nearly 2,000 students attending Highland, the combination of unruly traffic related to our school population and weather-related challenges has created a perfect storm under our roof, making the daily journey through the hallways even more dangerous.

These dangers posed by the slush-covered hallways have escalated to a point where serious injuries become a significant concern for the Highland student body. The combination of unruly traffic and wet and slippery floors created by the slush increases the likelihood of slips and falls, potentially leading to severe consequences.

These wet and slippery conditions can result in students losing their footing, leading to injuries such as sprains, strains, or even more serious harms like fractures. The risk is particularly heightened during the rush to classes in the morning when typically the most students are navigating the hallways in a hurry to be on time.

Highlands attempts to maintain these apparent concerns has been to place mats in front and behind the weapons detectors in an attempt to mitigate the slush. However, with hundreds of students making their way inside, these do little to stop the potential dangers that present themselves. While the placement of mats are a commendable effort, it is evident that this measure falls short in addressing the scale of the issue. The sheer number of students entering the school renders the mats ineffective, as they quickly become soaked and lose their effectiveness in preventing slush from spreading further into the hallways.

As the current weather forecast predicts more snow in the coming week and rising temperatures melting snow, this problem will likely preval through the winter; which requires attention.

WHile heightening awareness about the risks associated with slippery conditions and the importance of appropriate safety measures is a must as we continue to experience the current weather conditions. A collaborative effort involving the school administration, staff is likely the only solution to the current problem at hand.