An evolutionary phenomenon is occurring at North Atlanta:

the entire student body is slowly morphing into turtles. Trained zoologists have been observing the transition of perfectly upright human beings to hunched over, disfigured, turtle-like creatures. The cause? Backpacks. We’re talking bone breaking, spine crushing, hip-bending backpacks.

Every morning students shuffle awkwardly into the building under the stifling weight of five textbooks, four binders, three workbooks, two pens, and a partridge in a pear tree. The American Academy of Pediatrics states that a person’s backpack should not weigh more than 10 to 20 percent of their weight. However, many North Atlanta students carry so many excess pounds on their backs that they should be required to wear the following sticker: “Warning: Overloaded truck: stay 200 feet back. We are not responsible for flying debris or books.”

Sophomore Kate Breedan struggles with her hefty bag. “It’s a constant balancing act,” she said. “If I lean backward even a bit, I feel like I’ll fall over and most probably die.”

A heavy backpack actually forces a person into a forward lean, and this leads to the rounding of the upper back. From there we get a forward head posture with an extended neck, and all this makes it difficult for muscles and ligaments to hold a body up. Pediatricians are quick to remind that differences in physiology could lead to differing degrees of bodily damage. WebMD recommends that students wear backpacks on both shoulders, that the straps should be snug, and that heavier books be placed closest to the back.

Junior Emerson Leonaitis is a poster child for worried chiropractors. So great are her daily school-based burdens that she lugs around a duffel bag that weighs around 35 pounds and that includes her books, binders, and many other items including a flashlight and her always-available toothbrush. “If I wanted to, I could easily go to the airport and travel anywhere I wanted with only my duffel with me,” she said.

The school year is in full swing and sometimes it feels like with all the tests, quizzes, and homework constantly assigned to us that the weight of the world is on our shoulders. But Warriors are advised to not let that great weight be literal. We should all lighten up our backpacks.