The locker number, tape, wrapping paper, a little sign, and a few pictures are all you need to wish your best friend a happy birthday. However, some people struggle to arrange and execute the perfect plan.
The biggest problem that Townsend students tend to face when tackling locker decorating is finding an ideal time to do it. Freshman Farah Haq said, “I found [locker decorating] quite stressful because [of] the restrictions of when we are allowed at the lockers.”
Assistant Principal of Organization, Health, and Physical Education Ellen Fee stated, “Seniors can decorate whenever they want… [for underclassmen,] the morning is actually a bad time. If you can get a teacher to sit with you while you’re decorating, that’s a different story, but otherwise the best times are during lunch if you’re quiet or after school.”
Cutting background paper and arranging pictures can be difficult to do at home. In order to make sure that your efforts don’t go to waste, make sure that your decorations fit the 34.5 by 9.5 inch dimensions, with a 4.5-inch handle on the left side. For those who have been less fortunate, it is 34.5 by 6.5 inches if you were assigned a skinny locker.
Throughout Townsend Harris’ history, hallways have sported locker decorations of all types, though it’s generally agreed that pictures are an absolute must. Junior Afrida Khalid noted that a well decorated locker has “lots of pictures, inside jokes, and something that stands out.”
Many go for a minimalist aesthetic, settling for a few pleasing group pictures mounted on the locker with tape. Some do the opposite and use additional materials like wrapping paper, polaroids, fairy lights, and hand drawn pictures.
Others take a more comical route, attaching some of their favorite funny (and not so flattering) photos of their friend. For those who choose this route, be sure to consider how your friend will feel about the picture up for all to see. If you think they’d be up for the laugh, go for it!
No matter how they choose to decorate and despite any challenges they may face, both the locker decorators and owners always tend to appreciate the final product. Sophomore Victor Shemper stated, “I absolutely loved the experience. It was not only a further bonding experience with the owner, but it also allowed me to express my creativity on a locker.”
