If you are a student at Albany High School and have been in the hallways after the bell has sounded, you are probably familiar with “sweeps.” Hall monitors look to see if you are holding a pass or agenda. If you are among the many that do not, then it is likely you will get swept.

Sweeps have been happening at Albany High School for the past few years. Early in the school year sweeps were announced during homeroom. After the first few weeks of enforcement, it seemed as if they were abandoned.

Sweeping is most consistent during the start of eighth and ninth period. The hall monitors begin their prowl a few seconds after the bell, locating students lurking in the halls. If a student gets swept, he/she is sent to the wrestling gym. The student is left to sit in the room with other students who have been swept for the remainder of that class period.

What are the benefits of a hall sweep? Rather than being sent to after school detention, students fall victim to in-school suspension. This intended punishment turns into a place where students socialize for nearly an hour in the wrestling gym. How does this system encourage students to be in class on time?

Could a student use hall sweeps to avoid a class? Do sweeps sometimes effect those who obey the rules and were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time? Are sweeps a successful method to keep the halls quiet and free of unneccesary traffic? These are just a few of the questions you can ponder the next time you find yourself in the wrestling gym.