ashlyn swain| staff writer
Scrolling through Amazon, junior Katelynne Corey was met with her dream backpack; the gray edition of the original black Jon Heart backpacks. The picture stayed on the screen for a split moment before Katelynne placed her finger onto the “add to cart” button. This was probably Katelynne’s favorite part of getting back to school. That is, until she found out about the new policy on campus.
When getting ready for the new school year, many students were shocked to find that transparency in backpacks is now a necessity. Many were upset at first, but clear backpacks seem to have become less of an issue to some. Others still have concerns.
“Yes, it does help somewhat, but, at the same time, I am worried that things could get stolen out of my backpack because it is clear and you can see everything I’m carrying in it,” junior Katelynne Corey said.
Being so exposed to the rest of the school, however, has created change for some.
“My backpack last year was pretty messy and I just sort of threw stuff in there.I feel like having a clear backpack has helped me keep it more organised because everybody can see all your stuff,” Corey said.
tudents have spent even more money on decorations for their backpack; hours upon hours used scouring the on eBay, Amazon and RedBubble, to find the perfect stickers, just to make backpacks more visually pleasing.
”I decided to decorate my backpack with some stickers that we’re selling in orchestra and online because stickers are fun. I basically just have a Johnson Orchestra sticker on it and some other weird things,” Corey said.
When it comes to decorating, sophomore Bryanna Carroll takes the cake.
“Okay so I have my cat stickers with the Star Wars theme because cats and Star Wars are, like, a match made in heaven,” Carroll said. “I have the name decal on because, you know, all clear backpacks look the same so I needed to be unique, and it’s in Disney font because Disney’s great. And there’s a “Make It A Great Day” sticker is there because, you know, you gotta be an optimistic kid.”
On the other hand, many students dismiss the problem as another rule that they just have to follow
“The thing about the clear backpacks is they’re really not much of a problem,” senior Steven Jacob said, “Granted, yes, they are a big change, but it doesn’t really impact me and how I learn.”
The school board was not very strict with what decorations may and may not be put on a clear bag, as not to smush the creativity of this generation.
“It’s no different than any backpack they would carry before… Some may have those decorations to sort of identify them, which is fine… the only time it becomes a distraction is if it is obviously something that is controversial,” Principal John Mehlbrech said. “And, so, just as long as it’s not impeding the visual sight, it is what it is… Don’t put a gun sticker, just stuff like that.”
