Page 41 of the Mayfield High School Student Handbook addresses the use of book bags in school, stating: “The use of any type of bookbag or backpack during the school day (7:30-3:00) is strictly prohibited.”

This needs to change.

While we are permitted to carry our supplies to and from school in a bookbag, students need to have the ability to use bookbags to carry our materials from class to class, for the benefit of us as well as our teachers. Being prepared, organized and punctual are all critical to a student’s success in high school, all of which would greatly improve with the use of something so basic: a backpack.

Personally, being prepared for class comes so much easier when I can have my bookbag with me, containing all the spare pencils, pens, notebook paper and any other necessities that I could possibly need. These things are easily forgotten between rushed locker trips, resulting in disoriented students and exasperated teachers – two things that definitely do not mix well.

Teachers are constantly writing pass after pass to give students permission to go to their lockers and recover forgotten books, papers, and Chromebook accessories. Anyone could see how quickly that would get frustrating!

Combined with the new (and much stricter) hall pass system, as well as the privilege of having Chromebooks, getting to your classes on time while having to go out of your way to your locker is harder than ever. I’m sure I’m not alone in my futile attempts to save time by carrying materials for multiple class periods at one time. More often than not, this ends with an embarrassing scene that involves turning a corner too fast and sending your supplies flying.

You can only carry so many textbooks at one time!

The introduction of Chromebooks this year is reason enough to allow bookbags. While Chromebooks do tend to charge very fast, their battery drains quickly after using them for multiple class periods a day. Being able to keep your Chromebook charger in your bookbag (along with any mouses, USB ports, headphones etc.) would drastically reduce the number of hall passes teachers write throughout the day.

Let’s go over the topic of scoliosis, the word almost every parent cringes at the sound of. I don’t doubt that you’ve heard it before, an anxious parent claiming that wearing a backpack will cause or worsen his/her child’s scoliosis, landing them in a life-long mess.

While a plethora of parenting websites swear that book bags are a ticket straight to a diagnosis of scoliosis, it may come as a surprise that there is actually no medical backup to support this popular claim. In fact, 80% to 85% of scoliosis in adolescents is what doctors describe as idiopathic, meaning that nothing external caused it (playing sports, wearing a bookbag, poor posture etc.), and no changes in lifestyle would have prevented it.

Though wearing a backpack daily will not cause scoliosis, there are precautions you can take to prevent unnecessary strain on the back, such as making sure to keep your bookbag on both shoulders and choosing one that is the right size for your body.

Sophomore Lara Núñez-Cerrillo said, “I have mild scoliosis, and carrying my books in my arms causes me to hunch over, resulting in extreme back pain, especially in my lower back and shoulders. Reintroducing backpacks would be helpful for me especially since they make me straighten up and position the weight in a way that’s much more bearable.”

Freshman Sophia Rogers also wants to see bookbags brought back into the halls. “For one thing, we will be able to not have to rush between classes as much. Instead of having to go to your locker after every single period, you can load your bookbag with the stuff you need for two or even three periods and really cut down on the amount of times you have to go out of your way to your locker.”

Though the backpack rule has been in effect for a few years, it’s been difficult for students to get adjusted – and it’s been heavily enforced. Unfortunately, it’s unlikely that the ban will be revoked so quickly, despite the fact that the ban on backpacks very well may be doing more harm than good.