Once the center of social interactions at school, lockers not only stored books and personal belongings, they provided a place where a student could express personality through decorations, take a quick breather and talk to friends they may not see in class.

Students are no longer able to experience the luxury of using lockers and instead rush and face issues regarding their property and health.

Currently, students keep all of their belongings in backpacks. Though some argue that at least this way the items are kept with the student, this is not always the case, and it is not a safe place for personal property such as cellphones and house keys.

Backpacks have zippers that can allow easy access to the student and to others, whereas lockers have combinations that are kept private and reduce the risk of property being misplaced or stolen.

Picture this scenario: you are in the media center and need to use the bathroom. You leave all of your things near your seat, being unable to take them with you, and leave with the uncertainty of the safety of your belongings. Sure enough, you return and find something missing and begin to panic.

Now think about how different it would be if you had a locker. You wouldn’t be held responsible for being careless when you inform administration and the chances of your things being taken would decrease. Plus, you could leave the room knowing that your property is secure.

Back problems are also a major concern resulting from carrying books for every class even when they are not needed. In an Aug. 9 article, “Back to school: How to lighten the load of heavy backpacks” on miamiherald.com, a study found that 25 percent of teens suffer from backpack related back and neck pain and at least 14,000 children are treated for backpack related injuries every year.

Constantly carrying the weight could lead to problems with posture and more severe long-term injuries. Lockers could literally lift the weight off your shoulders and prevent the “pain in the neck” backpack problems.

Being a new senior from New Jersey, I feel that I carry more and socialize less than I did at my old school. Rushing makes it difficult for me to concentrate, let alone meet and converse with new people.

I suggest increasing the time between classes to 10 minutes. Students, my advice to you is to take advantage of lockers and start using them more often. Not only would you gain their benefits, but you would also have more time to enjoy them. What could hurt? Definitely not your back.