With over four hundred new freshmen this year, the hallways have been more packed than ever. From getting to class at 7:55 AM to trying to leave the school at 3:00 PM, students are struggling to navigate through Saint Ignatius quickly. The stairs and campus itself can be hard to deal with for newer students, and the school has gotten more crowded during this hectic period.

As Sincere Williams ‘24 states, “I can’t deal with getting around this school anymore. The stairs here are inefficient, and so are the groupings of people everywhere. It gives me more things to worry about.” With five sets of staircases and each floor being the height of two flights, walking to class can be very difficult.

 Many students now also have to deal with rushing from the Immaculate Heart of Mary Center to the main school building. One senior, who had to make this trek said, “Needless to say, I did not make it in time.” Not only are the stairs a pain, but having to come from a completely different building gives you a new and more annoying problem. The five minute passing period leaves students with a very short amount of time to get to their next class, no matter where they are.

Students will also form groupings on the stairs and in the hallways, causing even more delays. Passing periods may seem to be a good place to meet with your friends, but this is far from the case. People standing still in any part of the hallways or stairs tends to cause major slow-downs and stops in those parts. 

While interviewing Mr. O’Connor, he dubbed one hallway in Ignatius, “The G58 Nightmare.” It can be hectic with people moving in multiple directions. When there’s only five minutes to get from place to place, and some students decide to block the way, the traffic jam gets bigger and more people end up late. Arriving late to class may result in a JUG from most teachers.

At the rate the Ignatius population is growing, it becomes increasingly difficult to do basic actions that were easier in past years. Five minutes to get to your class on the fourth floor is a greater struggle than ever. Passing periods can be more complicated to deal with than the class you’re struggling to get to.