Spill My Backpack with Vansh Chopra

Vansh Chopra with his backpack. Photo by Stella O'Connor.

Some students carry notebooks. Some students carry folders. Vansh Chopra carries hamsters and sidewalk chalk.

At first glance, his black Lululemon backpack looks normal enough. Then you open it.

The first thing you notice is that Vansh appears to be fully prepared for any dental emergency. Inside are both toothpaste and a toothbrush, because apparently oral hygiene waits for no one. Alongside those are hand sanitizer, lip balm, lemon mints, multiple bottles of eye drops, a timer, a PowerPoint clicker, and a piece of chalk whose purpose remains a mystery.

The next thing you'll notice is what isn't in his backpack.

Folders? None.

Notebooks? None.

Pencil case? None.

Instead, Chopra’s entire academic career seems to be supported by a single binder containing exactly one sheet of paper: notes for AP Lang. While most students spend late August stocking up on school supplies, Vansh appears to have decided that one page was all he really needed.

Then we arrive at the technology section.

Most students carry one school provided laptop. Vansh regularly carries two. For a brief period, this seemed like an unbeatable accomplishment. However, he has officially been surpassed by Teo Tagavilla, who reportedly carries three laptops in his backpack. This has sparked what can only be described as Bellevue's least necessary competition – a fight to see who can carry the most school-issued laptops.  And of course, alongside those two laptops Chopra carries four laptop styluses, two for each laptop… obviously! While some students compete in sports, others compete in seeing how many electronics they can fit into a backpack.

To finish things off, Chopra carries a bottle opener keychain dedicated entirely to his Diet Coke habit. Some people carry lucky charms. Some people carry family photos. Chopra carries a tool specifically designed to help him access caffeine.

Overall, Vansh's backpack tells the story of someone who has completely abandoned traditional school supplies. Somehow, despite carrying basically nothing academic except one sheet of paper, along with lugging enough random items around to stock a convenience store, he continues to make it through the school day and is even graduating two years early. Whether that's thanks to preparation or luck is still up for debate.