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Walking across campus is like the real-life version of the game Crossy Road: You have to avoid the bikers who ignore the dismount zones, not run into the squirrels darting across the walkway and attempt to not trip over the cracks in the sidewalks as you make your way across campus. It is an adventure as you face the obstacles standing between you and getting to your next class on time.

And then you have to deal with the biggest nightmare on campus: slow walkers.

They never used to be a bother. I usually didn’t notice them during high school or walking around the mall. Everyone was simply getting to their next destination at their own pace. But now slow walkers are the bane of my existence if I’m trying to get to my next class or meeting. 

“You can try to weave your way through the crowd, but you will just get stuck behind another group of slow walkers. Trying to avoid them while you walk on campus is fighting an uphill battle.”

Trying to get to class in 10 minutes is nearly impossible when you have to cross from The Oval to the Behavioral Sciences Building — not to mention if you have to take a couple flights of stairs in order to make it to the classroom. Now, pair that with the herd of slow walkers in front of you, and you can guarantee you will not make it to class on time. 

Slow walkers clog up the sidewalks, causing a traffic jam for students as they attempt to get to their next destination, especially with the renovation of the Andrew G. Clark Building blocking some of the sidewalks. Sidewalks are completely congested as students, professors and visitors alike attempt to navigate campus.

You can try to weave your way through the crowd, but you will just get stuck behind another group of slow walkers. Trying to avoid them while you walk on campus is fighting an uphill battle. Sometimes it is a bigger hassle to try to avoid them; sometimes it is better to resign yourself to the fate of traipsing behind the gaggle of people in front of you. 

In addition to their already slow pace, most slow walkers can be found staring at their phones as they make their way across campus. Instead of paying attention to the world around them, they are immersed in the realms of Instagram, TikTok or whatever text message they just received. Not only are they walking slowly, but they also have no sense of awareness of the world around them, which forces you to be the one to avoid them.

Having to deal with slow walkers can put you in a dismal mood — even more so than having to go to your least favorite class. They can put a damper on your day before it even begins.

So as you walk across campus, try to be mindful of others. Allow others room to pass you if they are walking faster than you, keep off your phone and pay attention to where you’re walking. Do not add to the population of slow walkers that already plague Colorado State University’s campus. 

Reach Hana Pavelko at letters@collegian.com or on Twitter @hanasolo13.