For most high school students, the passing period is something of a relief — a welcomed, although short break to talk to friends, use the bathroom, or check social media.
But for Carlmont students with the F to U hall walk, the passing period is almost entirely the opposite.
It’s the endless walk, or for most people, the infinite run, from the F wing on one end of campus to the U hall on the other side. The walk seems impossible in the seven minutes given.
Many students describe the walk using a pejorative term derived from the letters of the buildings.
“I had the ‘FU walk’ my freshman year, and I was late almost every day,” said Adrian Fernandez, a senior. “If you weren’t packed up before the end of your first class, you wouldn’t make it to your next one before the bell. There isn’t enough time.”
Not only is the walk long, but it’s also tiring.
“I heard about the walk from my older sister when I was still in middle school,” said Anjali Mehta, a sophomore. “I didn’t realize how exhausting the walk would be until I had it last year and had to do it daily. There are too many stairs.”
Even though this particular walk is notorious at Carlmont for being difficult, many teachers do not take it into account when marking students for attendance.
“Teachers would understand why I was late coming from so far away, but they also didn’t see anything wrong with marking me tardy for it,” Fernandez said. “I was tardy to the classes from that walk for a full year. It added up.”
Biology teacher Camille Erskine gave her opinion on tardy students.
“I think for special cases like the F to U hall walk, a different policy should be put into place. I personally don’t mind if students are late, as long as they are trying. I am aware that unfair tardies from other teachers can add up,” Erskine said.
Although it is dreaded, the walk has become somewhat of a joke at Carlmont. For some, this eases the stress of doing it.
“The F to U hall walk was a relatable topic amongst kids in my classes. Every time I’d pack up, there would be someone complaining to their laughing friends about how far they had to walk next,” Mehta said. “The laughing and jokes almost made it more bearable because it was nice to know you weren’t the only one rushing all over campus.”
Some teachers, like Erskine, have sympathy for those with the walk.
“I hear students complain about the ‘FU walk’ all the time — almost every day. I feel particularly bad for students that make that long walk multiple times a day,” Erskine said.
While the F to U hall walk is undoubtedly a sore subject, it’s a cultural fixture at Carlmont, and most people take it in good humor.
