Written by Kailey Romanos |

Passports are no longer just used for getting into new captivating countries, but rather for traveling through the halls. The Morgan School has introduced the new hallway passport to replace the hall pass. It is an area in the planner that students must use if they want to leave during a class. The pages where students sign out are now located in the back of the planner which has caused some ambivalent feelings. Both students and teachers have mixed emotions over the new system, which was newly enforced this school year.

The hallway passport was not warmly welcomed by the students of Morgan. One student, Judy Chicoine, gave her opinion on the new hallway passport. She said, “I do not like the new hallway passport idea because it is much larger than a normal pass. Also, carrying your planner everywhere you need to go during the school day is quite a hassle.” Many students agree with Judy, saying that they would prefer a hall pass because it is easier to carry. When being interviewed Judy also stated, “As a high school student it should be our choice whether we use our planners or not, but with the new passport, it is forcing everyone to keep and use their planners. Then, if we do lose our planners, we lose our passports- which must be repurchased if we want to leave the classroom.” The idea of having the passport located in the planner is not well liked by all, but it does keep more students in class.

Though many students do not like the hallway passport, many of the teachers have mixed emotions about it as well. When asked  how she felt about the new hallway passport, Mrs.Frydenborg, said that she does not like the new system because she feels it is unsanitary. “Students bring these passports into the bathroom with them, and before they leave I have to sign it- which means that I have to touch their planner which could have been on the ground or around other unsanitary places.” Many other teachers have said that they have noticed a decrease in hallway traffic because the new passport deters students from wanting to leave class. This could be viewed as a positive because kids are spending less time wandering and more time in class learning.

The new hallway passport system has brought some controversy to the school. There are mixed emotions on having the passport. It has cut down on hall way traveling during class, but has been not as warmly welcomed by the student body at Morgan. Overall, the hallway passport system will not be changing any time soon, but the old hall pass will be greatly missed by many.