By Helen Wilson
The great debate continues—backpacks or totes? Another year at Youth and Government, another round of passionate delegates defending their bag of choice. But beyond the debate itself lies an even bigger question: What’s actually inside these bags?
With YAG rules preventing delegates from returning to the hotel during the day, everything they need from 9 AM to 5 PM must fit on their shoulders. After talking to numerous delegates, one thing became clear—these bags aren’t just accessories; they’re survival kits.
When it comes to packing, delegates tend to fall into three categories: The Overprepared Delegate, stocked with everything from extra pens to an emergency snack stash; The Minimalist Delegate, carrying only the absolute essentials; and The Chaotic Delegate, whose bag contains loose papers, an uncharged laptop, and at least one mystery item they forgot they packed.
Alice Neelon, a fourth-year delegate and Presiding Officer, has a strong stance on the matter. “Totes are the obvious choice,” she declared. A peek inside her bag revealed a collection of essentials many delegates can relate to: “A large water bottle, my computer and case, Dr. Pepper, a bill book, my charger, safety pins, lip balm, my name tag, my wallet, and a Parli Pro script.”
On the other side of the debate is Chop Miller, a first-year delegate from Camp Seafarer and Seagull, who prefers a backpack over a tote. “In my camera bag, I carry my camera body and two lenses. In my laptop bag, I have my Mac and my iPad,” Miller explained. As a member of the Media team, extra preparedness is key, and his setup reflects just that. But his bag also holds a special surprise: “In the top part of my camera bag, I keep a 3D-printed platypus named Enrique.”
Whether packed to perfection or barely holding it together, every delegate’s bag tells a story. One thing’s for sure—at YAG, what’s in your bag matters just as much as the bag itself.
