I miss carrying backpacks. Last year due to COVID students were allowed to carry their backpacks and I lived for it. There was never the frustration of leaving necessary materials in my locker and constantly needing to go back and forth from class to my locker; maybe it’s just because I’m unorganized, but with backpacks I can have immediate access to my supplies. You never had to go home and realize you left your textbook in your locker and deal with the stress of not being able to complete your homework.

Carrying backpacks also kept the hallways less crowded; with lockers people constantly stop and talk with their friends while huddled up around each other’s lockers, causing traffic in the hallways. We can all agree there is nothing more annoying than that. Also, with backpacks you can avoid that awkward interaction when someone is blocking your locker and you’re just standing there awkwardly waiting for them to be done talking with their friend.
They also helped students avoid traffic getting out of the parking lot. Say you had a class in the basement and you had to go to your locker before you could leave, tough luck, now when you’re leaving you’re trapped in by the mess that is the Benilde Senior parking lot. And you know none of those parents are gonna give you space to back out.

Though some may argue backpacks took up too much space in classrooms and people would constantly trip over them, honestly that is a personal problem to watch where you’re stepping. Students leave their other materials on the floor anyway and people still manage to trip over that. At least the backpacks kept all of your stuff together, anytime you trip over or drop your folders, papers go everywhere. Backpacks are clearly superior.