Though many argue that discrimination does not exist at Stanford, the straps of segregation still sit upon the shoulders of some students in the form of a debilitating segregation between those who wear the ragged JanSport and those who sport the prominent red Nike backpack.
The division around campus is apparent, as the common student can be seen shuffling to the back of the Marguerite past the glaring white
swoosh marks, is forbidden from drinking from the “athlete-only” kegs at SAE, and often shrinks away from the burning cardinal glare of the newly implemented “red backpack” seating in Arillaga dining. Though we have long endured this division, we must not be discouraged and cannot allow the red bag to break our backbones. Change will come.
We must wait for a day where we will not be able to distinguish Stanford students by the color of their backpacks. Yet in our endeavor,
we must remain patient. We cannot seek to further our inferiority with the ugly black club sport bag. And most importantly, we must not seek violence, for they are much bigger and stronger. So for now, we shall wait. Wait for a future when the JanSport and the Nike bag can coexist in harmony on campus and when the wind of freedom can truly blow.
