Every day, by 12:30 PM, the hallways surrounding the cafeteria overflow with backpacks. By the time class starts up again, however, the usual shouts of, “Wait, where’s my bag?” “Is this one mine?” and “I think someone took my backpack!” flood the school as students embark on the relentless search for their bags.
“I think lunch is just hard,” says Lily Saal (Form VI) who admits that she misplaces her bag at least once or twice a week after lunch. But with so many students facing the same dilemma, is there any real solution to this daily backpack epidemic?
The issue stems from the sheer volume of students in the cafeteria and the short window of time between lunch and the start of the next class. The hallways quickly fill with backpacks as students drop them off, often absentmindedly tossing them into the ever-growing pile or leaving them in areas where they might not be easily seen. With only five minutes to get to class, many students don’t give themselves enough time to conduct a thorough search for their misplaced bags. As a result, the anxiety around lunch and its aftermath only increases.
“I think the biggest problem is how chaotic the hallways get right after lunch,” says Eve Kaplan (Form VI).
(Source: Hazel Baldwin)
While searching for lost bags might seem like a minor inconvenience, it has raised serious safety concerns. According to Caitlin Neidow (Form VI), the FSG’s Secretary of Public Spaces, the issue is more than just misplaced belongings. Facilities management told Neidow that they view the backpack pile-ups as a fire safety hazard.
To address this, according to Neidow, facilities is considering a new plan: installing (more) hooks in the hallways adjacent to the cafeteria, allowing students to hang their backpacks individually, making them more visible and less likely to become buried in piles, which would improve the search process and alleviate the potential safety hazard, giving students clearer pathways and keeping the hallways more organized.
Another twist in the backpack conundrum is the phenomenon of accidental backpack-swapping. “It happens all the time,” says Kaplan. “Especially after assemblies or lunch, when everyone’s just grabbing the first backpack they see. It’s not like anyone’s trying to steal anyone else’s stuff.” The problem is compounded by the fact that so many students use similar, often identical backpacks, which increases the likelihood of mix-ups.
Saskia Sommer (Form V) found a creative solution to this problem. Instead of using a standard backpack, Sommer carries a distinctive tote bag. “Carrying a bag that is not a typical backpack makes it very easy to locate after lunch or assemblies. Tote bag in hand, I now accompany my friends on the search for their backpacks, grateful I made an effective bag choice!” she says.
Some students have developed their own strategies to avoid losing their backpacks altogether. Many report leaving their bags in specific, consistent spots – such as on window sills, on certain benches in the commons or even in their dean’s offices – where they know they will be able to easily retrieve them. While these methods can help, they also come with their own set of challenges.
“I used to leave my bag next to the door to the middle school bridge, but I noticed that other people started doing the same, and I couldn’t always find my bag when I came back,” says an anonymous Form III student who continued to say, “If everyone starts using the same place to leave their bag, then it defeats the purpose, you just end up with another mysterious pile of bags.”
The quest for a simple solution to the backpack epidemic remains elusive. While improvements like additional hooks in the hallways may help address some of the logistical challenges, it’s clear that the problem is multifaceted. Changing the culture around how students store their bags could make a significant difference, whether through a school-wide initiative to encourage more visible and individualized backpacks (Seniors’ kids backpacks, wya?), or through continued collaboration between students and staff to ensure that the hallways remain safe, organized and functional.
For some students, like Sommer, the answer may lie in just finding a bag that stands out enough to make it easy to spot in a crowd. For others, the solution may involve adjusting habits or finding a more reliable spot to stash their bags. Whatever the solution turns out to be, one thing is clear: the search for a lost backpack is a daily challenge that has yet to be fully solved.
In the meantime, students will continue to search frantically after lunch, hoping that today is the day they’ll remember exactly where they left their bag.
