Amid the sea of black and neutral-toned backpacks, multicolored and cartoon-covered kiddie backpacks add a pop of color and a nostalgic flair to campus. “Senior backpacks” — children’s backpacks worn ironically by seniors — are a growing tradition at many schools, including Portola High.
Characters such as Spider-Man, Disney princesses and Lightning McQueen can be seen on seniors’ backpacks around campus, most students picking their backpacks based on their favorite childhood shows and icons, according to senior Keerthana Pillai.
“I loved the show on my backpack, Winx Club, so much as a kid,” Pillai said. “I thought it’d be really cute to relive the memories in my last year of K-12.”
While relatively recent, the trend has gained fast popularity through social media over the past few years, as many high school students across the country have joined in with their own backpacks, according to the LAist. The abundance of variety for personalization and sentimental value draw seniors in to participate, according to senior Sarah Aljazzar, who brought a Scooby-Doo backpack.
“I saw on my For You page all these senior backpacks in this trend, and wasn’t sure what to do initially,” Aljazzar said. “Then I saw that they had Scooby-Doo backpacks on my For You page, and was like, ‘Oh my God, I have to do this.’”
Many have collaborated with friends, coordinating or doubling up backpacks that match or follow a theme as they pay homage to their school years as they close a chapter of their life, according to senior Marcus-Andoni Le.
“My friends were doing a Sesame Street theme, and they invited me in,” Le said. “So I decided to do a Cookie Monster backpack.”
As seniors begin a year filled with lasts, the backpacks are not only a nostalgic reminder, but a chance to showcase their personal flair and partake in whimsy that won’t always present in the adult world — a lighthearted tradition that future classes are sure to continue, according to senior Brissa Medina.
“I think [senior backpacks] are a good idea,” Medina said. “You can express yourself and start conversations with people about your backpack. You can see so many cool backpacks and how people grew up with those characters.”
