Backpacks are Coming Back to EHS
By Hailey Clarkson
Following the tragedy on September 10th, new precautions were implemented to ensure nothing similar could happen again. One of these is the prohibition of backpacks in classrooms. On October 2nd, Dr.Artes sent an email informing parents, staff members, and students that backpacks must be kept in lockers beginning on October 6th. It was also noted that while tote bags and handbags were permitted, bags that included zippers or a drawstring were not. Almost a month after this rule had been implemented, many students are petitioning for the return of backpacks and are even bringing them into classes despite the regulation.
An unnamed junior, speaking out against the new policy, stated they do not see the point in the backpack prohibition. They detailed how their personal tote bag doesn’t fit everything they need and aren’t able to use their locker because the location is too distant and accessing it takes too much time. The junior emphasized the physical burden of the new requirement: “Hauling around tote bags is harder, inconvenient, less durable, and can’t hold as much,” they said. They also mentioned that their shoulder is hurting significantly and becomes sore by the end of the day due to carrying around a heavy tote bag. The student raised a critical point, believing that not allowing backpacks does not solve the core security problem. “Not having backpacks is inefficient, and even if we were to have them, the dog outside can smell through them. We also have to show our IDs before we enter the school. I just don’t think tote bags solve anything” Many students are echoing this student's concerns, leading to the current policy being revisited by the administration.
Mrs. Neumann, an English 10 and Geography teacher, is against lifting the backpack ban. Remembering the tragedy of September 10th, she worries that allowing backpacks again could compromise student safety. She does not think it's unfair to ask students not to have a backpack, noting that using a small bag can help teach students organization and responsibility regarding their necessary class materials. Mrs. Neumann firmly advises the school to maintain the current policy to avoid appearing incautious. “Our decisions look foolish and uneducated if we keep changing rules about backpacks,” she states. She acknowledges that parents and students want normalcy but insists the past is gone: “The past normal will never exist again. We can have a new normal, but we can’t go back to past normal” She concludes that strong security measures are necessary, emphasizing that there should be no limit to new precautions since the community was proven unsafe once before.
The controversy surrounding the post-September 10th backpack ban reveals a fundamental conflict between security and practicality. While the administration's policy, supported by Mrs. Neumann, prioritizes unlimited safety measures to establish a necessary ‘new normal’ and avoid appearing ‘“foolish,” students are focused on daily operational burden. The junior’s complaints about physical strain, scarce bag capacity, and inefficient locker access challenge the policy’s effectiveness, especially given existing security checks like ID scans and sniffer dogs. In the long run, the administration must balance the need for enhanced, visible security with the essential requirement for a functional and sustainable learning environment as they revisit the diverse regulation.