No One Told You this, but Everyone Knows MRHS’s Hidden Rules.

By Isabelle K.

According to Wikipedia.com, unspoken or unwritten rules are behavioral expectations that aren’t directly stated but help naturally guide how people act within a group or society.

People rarely think of the unspoken habits, ceremonies, and rules at MRHS yet every day students and staff follow a set of silent traditions, from which side to walk on in the hallway to classroom etiquette to the pressure to either participate in class or follow the crowd and quietly listen. Though never directly written, these norms influence daily life just as much as official policies. 

When asked which “unspoken rules” were most popular, students and staff gave varied answers. But the most popular topic was hallway etiquette overall.

“The right side of the hallway is where you go forward, and the left side is going the other way—kind of like streets; wejust know which side to walk on,” said Danna C, a 10th grader. Students operate our hallways like streets or grocery store aisles without thinking. 

Many students also mentioned that almost everyone knows not to walk slowly in the hallways. “It’s just something we understand,” 10th grader Alyra F explains. Other less popular hallway rules mention not splitting the post, no excessive PDA and traditionally hugging and/or dapping up to say goodbye before class. Most people found the slow walking and farewell gestures most important to them personally.

Many people also felt that if they didn’t follow the rules, they would be considered “odd” or maybe even excluded from groups overall. Teal C, an MRHS 10th grader, remarks, “Also excessive PDA. If you do PDA that’s more than a hug or kiss, you get made fun of indefinitely.” Refinery29.com suggests that PDA often makes people uncomfortable because it shows vulnerability between a couple. This can relate to unspoken rules as a whole; those who don’t follow them are often unintentionally expressing vulnerability and being perceived as strange for not conforming. 

Many answers also involved classroom or social etiquette. 

“Group chats in friend groups too. Being left out of one with people you call your ‘main group’ means they probably don’t like you as much as you think they do,” explains sophomore Lyric D. She adds, “If you walk in late to class, act nonchalant/unbothered and don’t make it a big deal, or people will stare more.”

Other social etiquette trends included choosing one select friend group at the start of the year and sticking with them, not answering “too many questions” in class, and going to the library or auditorium during off hours. 

However, some people expressed concern with a few social etiquette rules. DECA teacher Mr. Van comments, “If you hang out with your friends all the time, you’re really missing out—a lot of business and industry after highschool is talking with people you may not be familiar with.” Later, going into further detail, Van added that students should branch out from their main group of friends and get comfortable talking to strangers, since that’s how connections and opportunities form. 

He also noted a lack of class participation, explaining students often don’t see the point in their school learning and developing self-opinions. Most students expect to be “fed” instead of “taught.”

 He feels students should reflect on their learning experience more through critical thinking. He explains students should get into the habit of finding out information through individual research, conflict, and looking at things from different perspectives and angles. He emphasizes that if they took initiative, students would absorb information better this way and maybe even retain it long-term.

Overall, students and staff agreed that MRHS could do more to improve or alter aspects of these rules. 

“I think we should make it a thing to maybe have signs for which way to go, and for everyone, if they see someone walking too slow, to be like ”don’t stop here.’” Alyra concludes that hallways should have some kind of clear, visual movement management to prevent traffic.

Danna M additionally feels MRHS should implement free sanitary products in the girls' bathrooms. “I went to this one k-12 school for volunteer work, and they had a nice little thing of products, and everyone respected that you either have some or you don’t—and if you don’t, grab some. It was fully stocked up,” adding that girls should tell eachother not to take more than they need to help enforce it as a rule. 

These unspoken traditions, ceremonies, and rules may appear harmless, but quietly they run the way students and staff move, speak, and even think at school. Whether structure or pressure, they shape the rhythm of MRHS even without words.