By Kyle Arechiga & Hilda Rico

Senior year is the most memorable year of a student’s pre-graduation life. It’s filled with loads of activities, events, and memories, but it’s also the final year where students can truly embrace being a kid. However, many seniors are so focused on college applications and staying consistent with their classes, that they find it difficult to enjoy their last year of adolescence. Despite this, one-way seniors show their inner child is by displaying it literally. GHC seniors show off their childhood memories by participating in the “senior backpack” trend, wearing the backpacks they would have worn in elementary school. 

Once senior year is over, students face the reality of adulthood, and that reality cannot be ignored. The carefreeness they’ve experienced as a kid will disappear, often making the transition into adult life difficult. These nostalgic backpacks are a visual reminder to enjoy their childhood before this happens.

Look around campus, and you’ll see many seniors fully embracing this spirit by sporting Hello Kitty, Ninja Turtles, Disney princesses, and many other childish backpacks. Some even light up.

“For me, it’s just kind of scary to think about the concept of growing up,” senior Madelyn Cutenese said. “I have all of the things to do to get ready for the rest of my life, so for the rest of this year I want to reminisce.” 

The type of backpack they’re wearing, whether a Spider-Man, Barbie, Spongebob, or Monster High backpack, helps seniors embrace a part of their childhood before moving on to the next chapter of their lives. These backpacks remind seniors of their favorite childhood shows, characters, or memories. It plays a role in who they are or the individuals they’ve become. The reality is that seniors are closer to being 21 years old than seven, so it’s reasonable why they want to hold on to their youth for just a little longer. Their last year of high school is especially seniors’ last attempt to live out their adolescence to the best of their ability before going into adulthood.

“The backpacks represent our youth and it gives the nostalgia of being young again, as it is our last year of experiencing that,” senior Nathan-Alexander Manriquez said. 

 Child’s backpacks allow seniors to go out in style before they graduate.  Most high schools are full of students wearing name-brand backpacks such as Jansports, FJALLRAVEN KANKEN,  Hershel, or Lululemon. They’re always neutral colors like black, blue, and red but the “little kid” backpacks encourage seniors to show off their playful sides. These childhood backpacks are brightly colored, light up, and can depict certain characters on them. Their aesthetic alone reminds seniors to reminisce about their childhood interests. 

“Yeah, this year, I got a different bag, I was tired of the old one,” senior Thomas Bedolla said. “This year, I got a pretty pink backpack. It’s Hello Kawaii Kitty!”

The final year of high school is filled with both excitement and anxiety, however, the seniors at GHC have been able to find a unique way to connect their childhoods with their newly founded adulthood. Seniors across campus participating in the “little kid” backpack trend can give themselves credit for reaching their senior year of high school after 12 years of schooling. At the same time, they can appreciate what it was like for them being kids.