March 12, 2012
By JOEL HULSEY | Ranger Reporter
To a wild animal, hiding is means of survival. To a group of zombie-survivor-wannabes, staying smart is the key to survival. To a group of lost hikers stuck on a mountain, with the abominable snowman following their trails, sticking together is their chance at survival.
For a college student, however, backpacks not only serve as a survival kit, but also as a safe haven.
From schoolbooks to pens and laptops to iPods, the typical college student heavily relies on a sole piece of fabric that can carry a semester’s worth of stress and craziness.
“I sometimes put my phone in my backpack to create less of a distraction,” said Tony Chavez, a radiology major.
“I carry a few things from my class, pens, pencils and a highlighter,” said Zach Stebbins, a general studies major.
Stebbins said he also carries magazines and his daily planner with him.
“It’d be hard holding all the books in one hand,” he said.
Most students believe that if their backpacks were taken away during a week of classes, college life survival would be near impossible.
“If I had classes like my brother is taking, no,” said Andrew Boybrochers, a general studies major. “I’d have to be organized.”
Despite the rough wear-and-tear a backpack goes through, AC students seem to carry a high reputation of keeping the same backpack for months to years.
“I’ve been using this one for about six months, “ Shi-Shu said, a pharmacy tech major.
“I’ve only had one backpack and it carried me throughout high school,“ Boybrochers said.
While textbooks and basic writing utensils are a chunk of the population of a backpack, items such as cellphones, laptops, fandom pens and wildlife have been known to sit in the mix.
“I’ve carried a R2D2 pen before,” said a student who wished to remain anonymous. “I actually have the pen with me now.”
Stebbins carries many Arabic chick tracts with him daily, which are Christian gospel-tracts, famous for using a comic book form.
The Backpack Value
The cost of the typical AC student backpack can be divided into two sections: basics and the optional.
Basics: the pens, pencils, notebooks and schoolbooks section of a backpack. This varies, based on the number and type of classes taken, where the textbooks were purchased and how many even use a textbook.
Average cost: $250 -$300
Optional: The technology center. Gadgets of every sort have been made for years and years, and this is nothing but personal preference.
Average cost: $0 – $2,000
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