Written by Anahitha Raffe Sofia
I walk into the building with my huge, suitcase bag (totally recommend by the way - saved me from hours of back-pain agony) and walk through the scanners which predictably beep (I swear to god its the stupid suitcase handle things it's been beeping the entire year and even though all the teachers at the scanners know that they choose to force me to walk all the way inside to dig through my bag and discover…surprise surprise! Nothing at all.) Since my stupid handle is going to set off the beeper anyways, around the time second semester started, I had stopped taking my chromebook out (I think the person who checks the bag understands btw).
I enter the building today as usual and my bag beeps and I go inside to get my bag checked but am met with a different person for bag–checking. This person reaches out and pulls out my chromebook, saying I had to take it out and that's why it beeped. I try to explain but she isn’t having it (commend the dedication to the responsibility though). Then she digs some more, commenting on how my plastic water bottle won't beep and my folders shouldn't either) before letting me go. I zip up and tell her to have a good day when she drops the randomest bombshell that has left me completely flabbergasted (one of my favorite words! Was waiting for the day I could use this in an article).
“No metal binders anymore. Don’t forget. No binders.”
“Do you mean we need to take it out when we go through the scanners?” I try to get clarification, smiling through the unease I feel because she surely couldn’t mean…
“No more metal binders next year. Don’t forget. No binders at all. Only the plastic folders”
NO MORE METAL BINDERS??? IN HIGH SCHOOL??? WHEN WAS THIS ANNOUNCED??? Is all my brain is screaming in a loop as I look back one last time and start climbing the stairs, a pit of dread in my stomach.
Now dont get me wrong. I love my folders. I actually have one for every class, color-coded (you say nerd I say organized). I was even going to write an article at the start of the year praising the wonders that are folders and why everyone should make the switch (they hold everything, are much lighter and thinner, and are colorful! What more do you want?).
All of this was before precalc started second semester. I looked on with horror as just 2 units passed by and the exact same make of folder that managed to hold the contents of entire AP classes and content-heavy classes like HBS started showing signs of the strain a 5 page packet every class tends to put on a flimsy plastic folder. After the small metal prongs finally gave up the ghost and snapped clean off one fateful day, I had to admit defeat and transfer to the contents to a 1.5 inch binder (curse that binder it has taken much blood from my trying to get other stuff and snagging on my cuticles because ITS JUST SO FAT WHY IS IT SO FAT AND SHARP).
The moral of that story, however, is this - folders aren't enough to hold the content given in some classes. Before you say “Oh Anahitha! Just leave the older material at home!, ” no, I can’t. In many cases, the units are connected and you are required to go back and access a previous unit’s material. In this case, you just need a folder. People also just like the sturdiness of metal binders which flimsy plastic ones can't give. They want to organize units with tabs, which you can’t do with plastic folders. There are a million other reasons why one would want to use binders, but the summary is that they are an integral part of high school life and not everyone can cope with plastic folders. They aren't going anywhere.
Would this just be another unexecuted thing such as the idea of mandatory clear bags that terrorized AK students in 2022? Or would we actually be forced to comply this time? Is this the death of the big fat metal binders? Or will they prevail? Only time can tell. What do you guys think about this? Did anyone else hear about this? Or did the bag-checking person accidentally spill the beans? Let us know!
Edit 8/25/24: It came true guys :(
Atleast you can say that you got the news from us super early and were prepared?
Jokes aside, AK did provide us with some great alternatives to the metal binders which might just do the trick - so wipe off that sweat from the thought of stuffing a year's worth of notes in a tiny paper folder! Here are the links below:
Are they kinda more expensive? Yes. Do they also have metal??? Yes. Will I be investing in them my senior year? Probably not. However, it is nice to have alternatives!
On that note, have a great school year everybody! <3
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