From unique keychain-covered backpacks to trendy tote bags and purses, students at Andover carry around their class materials in a variety of ways, whether to optimize convenience or reveal their distinct personalities. This week, The Phillipian interviewed students about their backpacks and what they loved about them.
Adrian Perez ’27
“My dad got [this bag] for me last summer… It has really cool features, and I liked it enough to not go bag shopping again. It’s really durable and it’s got a lot of time left… My bag’s really cool in the sense that it’s more like a sack — it closes by twisting the top and using buckles instead of zippers. It uses these many layers and a water-resistant material. The bag is super strong, and it’s water resistance is really great for rainy days.”
Sophia You ’26
“Collecting keychains is a hobby of mine. Each keychain is from a different place and holds its own memories, so I like to decorate my bag with them and make it look unique. I have a lot of fun memories with it… All the keychains are from different places: some are Europe, some from Japan and China, and some are from here in the U.S.”
Maggie Fulop ’26
“I thought [the bag] was pretty and… it has bows and pearls, so it functions as both a bag and an accessory. It’s not functional… It’s not meant to carry heavy things, so the straps keep loosening, and it sags a bit. But it looks cool and matches my outfits, so it’s more of a fashion statement.”
Giuliana Cardinale ’25
“It’s pretty unique just by looking at it… It’s Monster High. I’m using it because it’s Senior year, and it’s just a funny tradition to have these funny backpacks. My friends call me ghoul, so that’s how I ended up choosing this backpack in particular.”
Larkin Techentin ’27
“[The bag I have] makes me feel more put together, but I also don’t carry a lot around with me because I just use an iPad for notes, so I don’t need a full backpack. They’re also really durable and stylish, so I really recommend them.”
Nneka Ezeike ’26
“Over the summer, I used a purse a lot, going about my day-to-day life. So, I started wanting to wear a purse for school as well, since I got so used to it over the summer. It’s a Kate Spade bag, and I bought it over the summer to use it like an airport bag. I just like how sturdy it is, and it’s just comfortable to carry around in school, since I don’t carry around a lot.”
Julia LaMarche ’25
“I have the Polene Cyme bag in Camel… I picked it because it is big enough to hold my laptop and all my books, and it has a little pouch that comes attached to it… It’s a good fall neutral, and it’s really good quality… When I’m looking for my bag in [Paresky] Commons, no one else has it, so it’s easy to find. There’s also magnets on the side so you can make it bigger or smaller, and I always have it on the bigger setting cause I carry a lot of stuff around. It’s convertible. There’s a lot of straps and stuff, so you can make it a shoulder bag or an elbow bag, and it clips so none of your stuff falls out.”
