Seniors are ringing in the new school year with a recent trend of childish backpacks. From Paw Patrol to Dora The Explorer, the aspiring Class of 2024 brought their childhood nostalgia to life and onto campus. Most seniors purchased entirely new book bags while some brought even older carry-ons that lingered throughout their life and in this case, their wardrobe. “You get to show all aspects of yourself, you know, everybody has a different bag, everybody is able to express themself in a different way” explains Jalyn Randle, the senior who brought in a LadyBug backpack from SkipHop’s ‘Zoo Collection’. “I picked a backpack that I liked, from the movie Lilo and Stitch,” says senior Matthew Blackwood. “My backpack’s Dora, and my favorite show as a kid was Dora,” senior Abby Santos expresses.
When it came to the origin of the trend, no one could exactly put their finger on a clearer explanation than how the newest seniors “just kind of saw it from the year before,” as Abby says. She points out, “A couple friend groups last year did it and then.. I thought it was just going to be my friend group that did it, but everyone just took part.”
Beyond the 12th graders, even the administration staff was fascinated by how the trend gained such wide popularity. “Last year I saw some fun backpacks, but this year, everybody has a backpack like that!” the Assistant Principal, Alma Llamos, comments. Despite the mixed conclusions of where the trend began, it is a whimsical start to the new school year and perhaps an everlasting tradition to remain.
