After returning to school after fall break, a look of confusion fell upon students’ faces, according to Assistant Principal Andrew Ashcraft. They noticed that the “Ghost Hallway,” the hallway that connects the area around the freshman study hall room and the art hall, was blocked off, the vending machines previously located outside of the cafeteria were moved and the set up of the cafeteria was changed.

Ashcraft says a team of administration met during fall break to discuss these improvements for SHS. Ashcraft also says that although the changes may seem initially inconvenient, students will eventually become accustomed to them.

“I know it’s a new routine,” Ashcraft said. “(But), it’ll be a new normal for (the students). In a week or so what seems in their face will dissolve and then a month from now they’ll be like ‘Oh yeah, I like this route better.’”

According to Ashcraft, the cafeteria set up was changed so that administration can see more students in the cafeteria through the cameras. Another benefit he mentions is that there are more seats available to students.

Another change made to the cafeteria was the relocation of the vending machines from outside of the cafeteria to the freshman study hall room. This was done because students were congregating there, according to Principal Brian Knight. He says that students would gather at the machines with restroom passes from their teachers, but they had not gone to the restroom.

All of these changes, Knight says, have at least partially to do with safety.

“We are always looking for things or ways we need to do to make sure that the building is as safe as possible,” Knight said.

For example, the “Ghost Hallway” was closed because there were too many students using it to hide and skip class. Over break, administration decided that the hallway was mainly for adult needs, as it contains roof access, a dock elevator, custodial closets and breakroom and there are not any classrooms there.

With the closure of the Ghost Hallway, freshman Adrianna Cardoza worries that while getting used to the change she may be late to class. According to Cardoza, she will now have to use the main hallway because that is the only other way she knows how to get to class. Cardoza believes that the hallway should be opened back up and have an administrator monitor the hall.

“(The change is) honestly not my favorite thing that (administration has) done because although some people used it for bad reasons, I actually needed it,” Cardoza said.