Every school has a handbook with a certain set of rules everyone follows, but what about the unwritten ones? From sprinting through the halls to speeding through the parking deck, NAHS is filled with many unspoken social guidelines that are crucial to surviving, especially for freshmen. This is the unofficial guidebook consisting of seven important rules.
Three Floors? Your Legs Work. With 2,400 kids, eleven stories, and only eight elevators, making it from 2 to 11 can be the worst part of your day. Elevator etiquette is key: don’t call the elevator unless you are going more than three floors, don’t shove your way in if it is already full, and most of all, don’t overload the elevator. “People taking elevators to floors they could easily walk to slow everything down,” said sophomore Nolan Studdard.
Know Your Level: Floors by Grade. In the eleven story maze, each grade level has two floors to call home. Freshmen at the bottom on four and five, sophomores hang on six and seven, juniors take eight and nine, and of course seniors rule the school on ten and eleven. If you choose to hang out outside your floor you’re asking for dirty looks and people ‘accidentally’ bumping into you. Make sure you know your level and stay in your lane. “When underclassmen hang out on the top floors it clutters the halls,” said senior Alex Chalk.
Hallway equals Highway; No Slow Lanes Allowed. Speaking of lanes, the narrow halls are not a place to stop and talk. Everyone in the hallway has places to be so do not be a speed bump and move to the side. Make sure you treat the hallway like a highway. This means no sudden stops, no going slow, and definitely don’t block others from passing. “Dont stop to talk to your friends in the middle of the halls because I will run you over” said junior Jordyn Holman.
Noise Control: Keep Your Playlist in Your Ears, Not Ours. NAHS hallways are already loud and adding a rap playlist blasting from someone’s phone doesn’t make it much better. When roaming the halls or sitting in class keep the trendy tiktok sounds to yourself. Your music taste might be awesome but not everyone wants to hear it between classes. Earbuds exist for a reason, use them.“Blasting music in class doesn’t make you the main character,” said freshman Anya Johnson.
Go Big or Go Home: Spirit Isn’t Optional. Friday Night Lights is not just a football game but it’s a day to go all out and show your school spirit. Dressing up for games is not optional, it’s required. Showing up to games in regular clothes will guarantee stares from the entire student section as well as a “do they even go here?” Skip out on dressing up and you’ll stand out like a sore thumb. “If you’re not going to go all out then stay home,” said sophomore Sophie Crenshaw.
NAHS runs on more than schedules and caffeine but also these unwritten rules. These guidelines help keep the 11-story building from crumbling down. Follow them and you might just survive high school.
