Everything but the kitchen sink
Spirited bring unusual carriers instead of backpacks for Red Ribbon Week
Hippies and cowboys who dressed up Tuesday found their daily hallway commute a little more cramped than usual Wednesday as they shared elbow room with strollers, shopping carts, and a popcorn machine.
Students left their backpacks at home in favor of toting creative carriers for their school supplies to celebrate Anything But a Backpack Day as part of Red Ribbon Week.
Student Council borrowed the theme idea from viral TikTok videos of Rigby High School students in Idaho retaliating against a school district ban on backpacks by bringing alternatives like toy wagons and microwaves.
The dress-up day theme drew some laughter from administrators.
“The students who are doing it right are cracking me up,” assistant principal Stephani Alvarado said.
Jacob Norman: Car Door
Senior Jacob Norman brought a car door that fell off his father’s car.
“I keep hearing people whisper the word ‘door’ in the hallway,” he said.
Erica King, COW Cart
“I got the cart from my English teacher,” King said. “I was running errands for her and people thought it was my backpack. When I told her, she was like, ‘Here, I have an extra one’ and gave it to me.”
King used the COW cart for four class periods before giving up as the clunky cube hit the vulnerable shins of students. She was also told by the administration to return the cart to her teacher.
Students congratulated her in the hallway, but most were asking the question, “why?”
“I would absolutely do it again,” King said.
Tyler Allen: Hobo Sack
“I think some students were interested in it, but none would directly talk to me about it in the hallways,” senior Tyler Allen said.
Allen repurposed a towel tied to a stick as his backpack for the day to carry his pencils, binder, and notebook. Though strategic navigation was needed to place the long pole in his car, he reported no trouble in steering the large sack through the halls.
Heavyn Carter: Barbie Toy Car
Carter borrowed her sister’s toy car, dragging the plastic vehicle with a string through the hallways. The car rolled over her foot a few times and made excursions down the stairs in her arms.
Bethany Wood: Desk Drawer
Wood wanted a backpack-alternative that was practical, easy to carry around, and unique. She put her desk drawer up for the task.
“Surprisingly, it was way lighter than I thought it would be,” Wood said. “My parents laughed at it and asked me why. People at school said it was pretty smart, and they haven’t seen it before. So, I think overall, it was a win.”
