by Brett Parsons
This article was inspired by Ms. Armstrong when she commented in our English class about how crazy we were about our pencil cases. So I talked to some people about their pencil cases and girls are very dependent on them and have a system that works really well for them.
Gina Egan, 10
Describe your pencil case.
Very very large and extensive.
What do you keep in it?
I keep highlighters, various pens, pencils, extra lead, scissors, glue, and lip balm.
What is your favorite part about it?
My .38 gel piolet pens.
Is there anything you would change?
I don’t like the design.
How long have you had it?
One year, it’s been a big transition, last year I had a very small one. It’s a big change.
How do you feel when you leave it at home?
I never. Nope. If I do, I have an extra pencil case in my locker.
Camryn Parsons, 9
Describe your pencil case.
White and black, white with black poka-dots I believe, its medium sized not one of those suitcases some people claim to be pencil cases.
What do you keep in it?
The good kind of pencils, you know what I’m talking about, about 8 pens each of a different color, some white out because I make a lot of mistakes, and a glue stick that I never use.
What is your favorite part about it?
There’s a lot of things, probably the size because I have some excess room but not too much.
Is there anything you would change?
Make it a magnet that goes to my book bag so I would never forget it.
How long have you had it?
I just got it over the summer. It’s a newbie!
How do you feel when you leave it at home?
I feel like an idiot; I feel really mad with myself. There are so many bad things that happen when I leave it at home: the color coding in my agenda get’s off, I ask to borrow pencils and they give me a REAL pencil—I cannot write with those! When I forget mine I feel like I left my life at home.
Sophie Clark, 10
Describe your pencil case.
Perfect, Vera Bradley, and purple brown and green.
What do you keep in it?
An abundance of pens, 3 yellow highlighters, and sharpies.
What is your favorite part about it?
I like the hole in the corners and it can fit a lot of stuff and my keychain.
Is there anything you would change?
No.
How long have you had it?
3 years.
How do you feel when you leave it at home?
I feel terrible about myself and I don’t do it often anymore, but when I do I cry inside.
McKenna Ritter, 12
Describe your pencil case.
Sort of a cylinder, it has elephants, drums, and Africa on it and it’s red, green, and yellow.
What do you keep in it?
Post it notes for English books, one good black pen, majority mechanical pencils, one random black pencil, sharpie pens, and a pipe clear used to describe protein structure.
What is your favorite part about it?
That I bought it from this family in Senegal who were selling all their goods to us.
Is there anything you would change?
Stronger zipper. I’m afraid its going to break.
How long have you had it?
For like a year.
How do you feel when you leave it at home?
Helpless because people don’t like sharing pencils.
Claire Yohann, 10
Describe your pencil case.
Navy blue, gold Gesu letters, lots of writing on it.
What do you keep in it?
Pencils, pens, erasers, highlighters, and two flash drives.
What is your favorite part about it?
All the cute messages on the side.
Is there anything you would change?
I mean, it could be a little neater.
How long have you had it?
Since like 2nd grade.
How do you feel when you leave it at home?
Very disappointed in myself because it bothers me when people ask me to borrow pencils.
Kate Snow, 10
Describe your pencil case.
Blue. Meshy. That five star one literally everyone has.
What do you keep in it?
Pens. Lots of pens. 0.7 mm Pilot pens. Black, red, green, and blue. Highlighters, sharpies, a glue stick, erasers, mechanical pencils, spare lead, and sticky notes. Etc. It’s fantastic.
What is your favorite part about it?
Highlighter stains make it special. Highlighters leak, this is a real problem. I have highlighter all over many of my belongings.
Is there anything you would change?
More pockets.
How long have you had it?
Since August.
How do you feel when you leave it at home?
I don’t. I’m amazing at remembering things.
Isha Lele, 10
Describe your pencil case.
Nonexistent. I just carry around one pencil.
What is your favorite part about your system?
I’m not super obsessed over it, like everyone else; I’m not picky, and nobody asks me to borrow a pencil
Is there anything you would change, about your system?
I would add some highlighters, jk one highlighter because I always leave those at home, and colored pens that I also leave at home, which is a bad idea.
How long have you had this system?
In 8th grade I had an elephant in my locker and had a TON of pencils. But then people kept on taking them or asking for some and I couldn’t be like no (even though I wanted to say no), so I switched to the 1 pencil method my freshman year. I’ve been happy ever since.
How do you feel when you leave your single pencil at home?
No I would never- I survive on that one pencil. I lost one pencil that was pink and now I have a blue one- catch me in the hall the rest of the year with that pencil.
HB IN RETROSPECT 