The Art of The Locker
Written by Daphne Bryant
I was disappointed when I got to middle school and all of the lockers were the same boring shade. I was even more disappointed when I found out students weren’t allowed to decorate them, and that this restrictive rule would persist even into high school. Where was the fun in that?! Did all of the teen movies and TV shows just lie to me?
Well, apparently there are schools in the United States that don’t stifle their students’ self-expression. All it takes is one Pinterest search to discover a plethora of colorful lockers adorned with celebrity posters, patterned stickers, bows, fabric, spray paint and anything else a kid might decorate their personal space with.
See, there’s an art to the locker. Of course its primary purpose is to be a secure space for belongings; the locker requires a code to unlock, and keeps items safe and organized. But for some, the locker is also a unique little universe, a sanctuary that resides in their school buildings. When you decorate your locker you get to personalize it to your tastes. Pop punk fan? Stack your favorite Avril Lavigne and Paramore CDs at the bottom. Obsessed with horror movies? Hang plastic spiders from the ceiling and put up a Monster High wallpaper. Have a crush or partner? Tape their sticky notes and love letters on the front, for everyone to see. With lockers you can claim your territory, share your creativity, and retreat to a place where all of your favorite things and people are right there.
This is one of the only things in school that a student has complete control over. I guess I’m sad that I missed out on that. For most of my life I was not an aesthetic or put together kid; it’s not like I had cute Polaroid photos to put up and I didn’t own whiteboards or sparkly pens. Still, maybe school would have felt less shitty if I could’ve celebrated this timeless ritual.
For me, lockers were always just convenient. It’s where I stored binders and backpacks. It’s where friends met me after class. In another world though, my locker would’ve also been my safe haven. A pick-me-up on a hard day, a chance to experiment with my style and an opportunity to check out other people’s hobbies and find shared interests. Unfortunately, people just weren’t vulnerable like that, not at SCHS. They valued sports over the arts, but maybe that’s changed. I hope it has. I also hope that one day I can get a locker for my future house and decorate it however I want.
