This year, the halls at Joliet West have been more crowded than ever. Going class to class has been chaotic and the main hallways of the school, the downstairs B building hallways, are the most crowded.

The situation has gotten to the point that students will be at a complete stop while trying to maneuver through the hustle and bustle of the hallway. Many students find themselves late because there are so many people walking slowly.

Junior Julissa Herrera said, “The hallways at West resemble a maze. It is virtually impossible to get anywhere in the mess of students, some who are very rude and disrespectful. By the time you make your way to the less dense areas, you’re most likely already late to your next class.”

Herrera, along with many others, has a difficult time getting anywhere in the school because of this dilemma.

Accidentally bumping into someone can turn into unnecessary arguments. This can also lead to fights in the hallways, which is dangerous during passing period with hundreds of other students around.

With upwards of 3,000 students attending Joliet West, this population problem was bound to occur. A senior, Melissa Baloy, agrees that the hallways are too crowded. “The hallways make it so difficult for me to get to class on time, and out of the four years I’ve been at West I think this is the worst,” she says.

The classrooms at West have also been overcrowded. Many classes at West have been far over the comfortable limit for both students and teachers. In some classes, they are filled with over 30 students eager to learn, but only one teacher to provide them with material and instruction on a topic. The teacher-to-student ratio is off-balance in many classes, where some classes have less than 20 students and some have over 30.

This issue can be fixed with a better-placed balance of students throughout the school to make the traffic less prominent in one area. With many new students coming into West, this problem may only get worse, but with better placement of students in classrooms, this problem could be an easy fix.