Most of the incoming seniors at Naperville North look forward to the “senior backpack” phenomenon, where the seniors choose to wear children-themed backpacks. The backpacks are usually tied to a nostalgic movie or tv show from their childhood to honor their last year of school before graduation.
Unfortunately, this trend is only expected to last for a couple months due to the lack of durability of the backpacks. The straps rip off, the zipper breaks, or even the bottom will come undone from all of the weight inside the backpack. However, utility is not the point of these senior backpacks. Rather, they are meant to show who the wearer is on a personal level, as senior Leah Karamol pointed out.
“I think that everyone who has a backpack has one that represents them and it can also represent their humor […] you literally wear it until it breaks,” Karamol said.
There is a valid reason that these backpacks are not durable enough for high school students: they are designed and marketed toward elementary students. The backpacks simply cannot support the weight of multiple textbooks, notebooks, a Chromebook, and other necessities that high school students carry with them. Yet, Karamol continues her senior experience with her Adventure Time backpack.
“I loved having a senior backpack, and I felt like mine was unique because it had arms and legs on it and I was very recognizable with it,” Karamol stated.
The whole point of the phenomenon is to pride the fact that it’s a senior’s last year of school before they go off into the next phase of their lives. This trend can be seen as somewhat bittersweet, as seniors can find themselves reflecting back to their childhoods and the joyful memories that they bring. After the backpack breaks, or when a senior has enough of the fad, the students switch back to their original backpack, usually with popular brands such as Lululemon, North Face, Jansport and Nike. It seems as though the school year is almost at that point, but until it goes into full swing at North, senior Clara Hanson described her take on the senior backpack phenomenon.
“It’s just cool to see the senior class with funny backpacks because it’s just so random. It brings out a lot of their personality and even their humor,” Hanson said.
The variety of backpacks revive the nostalgic sense of character from the students, relating back to their preferences on childhood tv shows and movies. If someone has a Spongebob Squarepants backpack, it can be inferred that they preferred Nickelodeon over Disney as a child, a factor that may have shaped their individuality while growing up.
Senior backpacks are not meant to last forever, just like the different phases of life. Due to this, many students love the phenomenon. Students find enjoyment in looking around and seeing the different shows or games that people enjoyed growing up.