By Madeline Swank

In middle school, students generally didn’t carry backpacks from class to class, and because of this, schedules were centered around lockers. When would it be best to drop off books? What books are needed for the next class? In high school, all but the occasional few carry their backpacks to every class.

“I carry my backpack to every class because I don’t have enough time to go to my locker, and I like having all my stuff with me,” said sophomore Sydney Haddon.

This leads us to the real question: Do students even need their lockers anymore?

One survey of 85 students showed that only 13% use their lockers, and 14% use them occasionally.

“On A days when I have a lot of books, I have a place to put them,” said sophomore Sarina Hoskins. Others, like freshman Maddie Dobscha said, “I like to use my locker to hold my coat.”

On the flip side, 73% of the 85 students surveyed don’t even use their lockers; 33% claim their lockers are “inconvenient” or “out of the way.”  

“[My locker is] too far away. It’s easier to carry [everything] in my backpack,” said sophomore Jessi Adler. “[My locker] is in the worst spot possible. I never go in that hallway!” added sophomore Erin Gladish. This seems to be the case for many students who are trying to get from class to class on time; if they don’t even go into that hallway, it might just be easier to carry all their books with them.

In addition, some students, like sophomore Trevor Hutchinson, would use their locker, but they find it “just too small.” For those students carrying bags from off-season conditioning, the lockers may not be large enough to hold all that gear.

So, what can the school do to improve this low locker usage turn-out?

Senior Caroline Hayden thought students should be able to choose their lockers on a “first come, first serve” basis. Sophomore Madison Borgel suggested, “Assign ones closer to the scheduled classes,” while senior Andrew Lee said, “Make them bigger.”