Eleven floors of vertical concrete twist through the center of our school, allowing students to navigate the mountainous building. It seems simple at first; a helpful, dependable way to get around. But the stairwell is more than a mode of transportation, it’s a playground for rail sliders, a portal into chaos, and a place where friends emerge from corners – lighting up your day.
Tearing down the sleek silver railing, an unfamiliar human flies past you sideways, disrupting the peace and quiet on the stairwell. We have all been in this situation, scared for our lives in light of the unforeseen danger careening past us. On the outside, we seem mad, but deep down a childish feeling arises, urging us to try it too. The stairwell is our playground, free to us whenever we please.
If I’m safe from the rail sliders and alone on the stairwell, it seems wide enough. It’s actually quite peaceful. However, when it’s chock full during class transitions with our 2,000 + students, space is all but a fantasy. Having entered the pandemonium every day for the last two years, I’ve learned how to be calm in the chaos.
Personally, I have nothing against the elevators, but they are less than dependable; especially it seems, when I desperately need to get somewhere. Conversely, the stairwell is always going to get you to class on time, packed or not. Climbing more than three floors is never a luxurious experience, but if I’m in danger of being tardy – you’ll see me laboring.
Luckily we have never had a major environmental emergency, but the stairwell is the designated safe haven for classrooms with windows. As one of the only places sequestered from windows, it serves a fundamental role in the safety of our school.
Another aspect of the stairwell I take for granted is the wide array of friends I see whenever I ascend or descend. Getting the chance to see someone who I may not have a class with is a hidden perk of our eleven floors. Seeing a friend often leads to walking with the friend, and I owe that short interaction to our stairwell.
Whether it’s packed with people, serving as a playground, spawning friends from corners, or preparing me for life’s struggles; the stairwell offers us more than we think.
