Enloe’s student body is over 2,500 strong, and with that comes ample foot traffic. To help you navigate the halls with the least amount of unwanted physical contact, here’s a list of the best not-so-secret ways to get around the school. Start minimizing your tardy passes so that tardy sweepers won’t know your name!
The Ramp Problem
The main problem is The Ramp. Located between the Atrium and the 1300s hallway, it is an utterly overused junction point, and students traveling between the East building and the West are rarely on time. The three main problems with The Ramp are the shoving, the trudging, and the unrelenting flow of bodies. If you push people in the halls, you are the villain and this article is not for you. However, if you’re tired of being pressed up against randos in the hallway, you are not alone. The creeping pace is a function of the hoards of people who use The Ramp every time the bell chimes, and the flood of people jamming up at the junction is only made worse when you can’t cross to the rest of the 1300s and are forced to stall. However, this dilemma is natural. The Atrium functions as the “heart” of Enloe High School, so virtually everyone from the Towers passes through the Atrium at some point in their schedule. The Ramp is located on the south side of the Atrium and is one of two possible pathways that you can choose when traveling between the Towers and the rest of the West Building. Forcing six hallways’ worth of students through two long, narrow, winding passages will lead to unmanageable traffic, but it doesn’t have to be this way. This article will bestow upon you the best ways to avoid using The Ramp, and other super smart shortcuts around the school. Enjoy!
1600s Exit
You enter the 1600s hallway from the atrium and turn to your right. There, you will find an exit door leading to an outdoor passageway behind the Media Center. It connects the Towers and the Breezeway, making this the prime shortcut for traveling to and fro betwixt the East Building and the West. However, beware of inclement weather and chilling winds that you may encounter while trekking behind the school. This shortcut lacks an overhead cover, so make sure you put on your raincoat and jacket if you choose to brave through the wind and rain. If you’re coming from the 600s instead, you can bypass the 1600s entirely by walking through the exit doors at the bottom of the side stairwell. Turn to your right and walk up the downtrodden dirt path with caution. This hill is slightly treacherous because of it’s steep incline, but you’ll end up right where you need to be.
Side Stairwells
To Enloe veterans, this “shortcut” might seem all too obvious, but upperclassmen have an obligation to look after the fledgling eagles and pass on words of wisdom. The side stairwells run through both Towers on each end of the hallways. They are particularly nifty if you’re traveling within the Towers and want to avoid the bustle of the Atrium and the main staircases. For example, if you’re coming from the 2700s and you’re trying to get to the 1600s, cross to the 2600s first and then descend to the 1600s to steer clear of the pushing pricks that pump through the Atrium.
Stairwell to the 2200s
Whether you know about this stairwell or not, its place on this list is deserved. This stairwell should be more popular, considering that it’s front and center when you walk through the doors to the main lobby. The opposite end of the 2200s staircase, however, is almost as overcrowded as The Ramp. Perhaps it’s just that the staircase is obscured by the wheelchair lift, or maybe it’s the unsettling little square windows that line the wall, but there’s a total of about 5 people who use this stairwell. Whether you’re trying to get to the 2200s, scamper over to the 1400 & 1500 hallways, or even bust outside to get to the East, these stairs are sure to be clear.
Band Hallway
For all the band kids and theater techs, this one’s for you. The West Gym Lobby swells with sweaty, stinky, stenchy students every afternoon when everyone swarms to the s-wall and the bus loop. However, it’s your lucky day. You won’t have to brush up against everyone else because if you turn the other way, there’s an exit which leads to a staircase facing the carpool loop at the end of the hallway!
Go Outside!
Last but not least, the ultimate shortcut is just to go outside. Even though you probably don’t want to, for fear of touching grass, traffic moves more smoothly and the air is much less musty. The total volume of traffic is similar, but the wider passages allow people to move faster. Use the path behind the library, the Breezeway, the carpool and bus loops, or even cut through the courtyard. Timing may take a while to perfect, but weigh the pros and cons of taking a few more steps outside or ragdolling down The Ramp like your roblox avatar.
Things to Avoid
Although it is recommended to take any chance you can get to go outside, there are some stipulations to be mindful of. Most exits are locked from the outside, so as tempting as it may be to walk behind the Towers to get from the far end of the 700s to the far end of the 600s, don’t do it. You WILL be locked out and forced to retreat to the main entrance. Additionally, don’t use the elevators. The oh-so-tantalizing magic transportation boxes seem to be the pinnacle of super smart shortcuts, but only if you want to be utterly inconsiderate. If you don’t NEED to use the elevators, don’t use them. It’s as simple as that. Some people rely on the elevators because they can’t use the stairs, not because they don’t want to. Crowding the elevators only puts students with mobility limitations at a further disadvantage. Last but not least, while shoving people doesn’t have real consequences unless they’re feeling confrontational, just don’t do it. The world doesn’t need another villain. Instead, use these super smart shortcuts and you’ll be punctual every time.
