fhspress.com Mustang Stampede Foothill High School

Backpacks a necessary evil -- or are they?

Despite being heavy and bothersome, students learn to cope with lugging them to school and back home.

A couple of students walk the halls together with their heavy backpacks. Photo by Kat McDermott.

A typical backpack weighs a bit. This one tips the scales at 18.1 pounds. Photo by Kat McDermott.

By KAT McDERMOTT
fhspress.com Editor
Posted September 24, 2015

Almost everyone goes to school with a bag or backpack with their school supplies, but some students have to lug around instruments or gym bags for sports as well.

Some doctors and parents are very concerned about their child hurting their back because of the weight. Many students argue that they’ve become accustomed to carrying a backpack and there’s ways around carrying multiple bags.

“My backpack is not that heavy,” stated Aly Perez, a junior at FHS.

I weighed my own backpack and it weighed about 18 pounds, which may seem like a lot but most students get dropped off at school.

“I carry a backpack and a guitar to school, but I don’t care because I get a ride [to school],” explained Vincent Hibbard, another junior at FHS.

Hibbard continued to explain that students can drop off their instrument or gym bag at their first period teacher or any teacher that is okay with watching your bags. Perez and Hibbard both get rides to school, so they don’t have to walk very far with their bags.

Some students that walk to school just get used to carrying the weight year after year.

“I don’t find it as heavy as I did in the beginning of the year,” said Daniel Powell, a senior at FHS. “I walk to school every day with my backpack and I don’t find it heavy.”

So maybe carrying a heavy backpack doesn’t hurt your back, and there are ways to keep your instruments and gym bags safe without lugging them around. We all have our own shortcuts.

kat.mcdermott@fhspress.com

FOOTHILL HIGH SCHOOL fhspress.com SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA