Lockers line the halls at Carl Sandburg High School, but most students don’t seem to use them.
Despite spending their days amongst endless halls of lockers, student’s main complaints are about time and location. A survey conducted on Google Forms highlights deeper insights into how students use their lockers.
“Lockers are honestly just decoration for the school walls at this point,” wrote Lily DeFrates, in an open comment section.
About 66% of the 126 respondents say they use their locker zero times a week; taking the time to use a locker isn’t worth it for many students. In a school so big with classes so far, an even further locker isn’t the most enticing option, let alone it being a possibility.
To remedy this, some students have taken to sharing lockers with a friend if their locker is in a more convenient location than their own. Others said they wished they could use their lockers and that they had the time available to do so.
In contrast, students who use their lockers comment on how practical it is, relieving them from carrying around an extra load. Most of these students are involved in extracurriculars like sports and will leave their sports bag in them, or use it for personal items like coats.
Only a few students use it for items related to school assignments. “I feel bad that people have inaccessible lockers because I think it’s really convenient,” said Brooke Novosel, a senior who’s used her locker throughout her time at Sandburg.
Having been involved in various activities, Novosel often uses it for her extracurriculars. She said that using her locker freshman year helped her to continue to utilize it; though, coming from middle school, she expected to use it more often. However, as a senior with a parking spot, she did comment on how that helps her with time management, being able to control getting to school a few minutes early, and not being rushed to leave right after.
The overall hesitance to locker use appears to be convenience, especially regarding location. Students may have better or worse accessibility as their schedules change from year to year. Low locker usage appears not to be from a lack of willingness, but rather a lack of ability.
