Imagine a student lugging around all of their textbooks – and their computers on top of that. The use of lockers for students at Bak was discontinued three years ago, but every once in a while, students’ backpacks get a little too heavy, to the point where it becomes a thing students dread carrying from class to class.

Lockers were discontinued due to COVID-19. Though most COVID-19 measures are no longer in place, the locker policy still stands.

Bringing back lockers would be beneficial to students and their grades. Carrying so much weight can contribute to back and neck problems. According to the National Library of Medicine, students carried, on average, over 15% of their own body weight, which caused biomechanical and physical adaptations that could increase musculoskeletal injury risk.

Having lockers would also benefit the school environment by giving students and parents peace of mind that their valuables are safe. It’s not so rare that students pack up in a hurry to get to their next class, and something important falls out of their backpack, such as a phone. Having a locker in this case, would be advantageous.

Opposing viewpoints say it takes too much time to get books in and out of lockers and to get to and from class. However, if students hustle to class and keep the talking between friends at a minimum, they should be able to make it to class on time. Also, students could practice swiftly inputting their locker combinations in a matter of seconds.

Critics say that students may hide things they should not have in lockers. These students should be punished separately. The whole school, including students who do not take advantage of this privilege, should not be deprived of lockers.