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.

I love my locker. Not having a locker last year absolutely killed me. Having somewhere to keep your lunch and your keys is top tier. Your locker gives you some time to kill; have you ever been in a situation where your classes are right next to each other and you don’t want to go and just sit? That’s awkward. Do you need an excuse to leave class that isn’t going to the bathroom? Go grab something from your locker. When you have your backpack, there is no escape. Backpacks take up too much room, especially in the smaller classes. It is so upsetting when your backpack gets all dirty because people keep accidentally kicking it.
Remember last year when you had nowhere to put your winter coat so you either didn’t wear one or carried it around? And don’t you dare try and say that you just put it in your backpack. We all know you didn’t. You couldn’t possibly put your coat in your backpack because you had all your notebooks, folders, lunch, water bottle, and laptop already in your backpack. Having a locker solves literally all of those problems.

Though it may be annoying having people crowd the main hallway trying to get into their lockers or crowding around a friend at their locker, that’s the high school experience. Locker crowding eventually becomes less of a problem as people begin to figure out proper locker etiquette.