Unpopular opinion: I hate purses. They’re way too small to hold everything I need; they’re hard to match with my outfits; and they’re often way out of my price range. I always end up needing to take an extra bag anyway. More often than not, I find myself reaching for my tote bag instead. In fact, I have a pile of at least ten totes sitting under my bed.
It seems that my love for tote bags is not an original experience. Tote bags have taken over Fordham’s — and every other college’s — campus. Backpacks and purses are being replaced with tote bags, and what started as a practical way to carry books and groceries has become an accessory. Whether it’s packed with school supplies, snacks or just a random assortment of free samples (guilty), tote bags have officially stolen the spotlight.
“Tote bags just make sense. They level up your look and carry everything. They are stylish, useful, and way cooler than stuffing my pockets or a bookbag,” said Jadir Wells, who is a junior at Rutgers University.
But what’s in a tote? What do Fordham University students carry with them? In this piece, we’re diving into what’s inside five Fordham students’ totes, and let’s just say it’s totes revealing.
Student number one is yours truly, Sarah Boumlouka, FCRH ’25.
In my tote, I carry a water bottle, headphones, blister band-aids, lip gloss, random receipts, sunglasses, many free samples (Electrolit bottles, Feastables and Micellar Water), keys with hand sanitizer and pepper spray and a portable charger (but strangely, no cable?). I also carry a second tote bag to hold my prayer mat and clothes because, as a Muslim, I try to pray my five daily prayers on time no matter where I am. Fun fact: My portable charger is almost never charged, but I bring it anyway “just in case.”
Student number two is Cindy Liu, FCRH ’26.
In her tote, Liu has powder, a case for her glasses, lip gloss, Aquaphor, her laptop and Kindle, a claw clip, hand sanitizer, a small bag for organization, peppermints and a small wallet and coin purse. Fun fact: Liu notes she is in pajamas because that was the dress code!
Student number three is Rachel Servidio, FCRH ’26.
What’s in Servidio’s tote? A trail mix snack, a Hello Kitty DS, a Sonny Angel, her iPad and phone, a camera (with a pocket she made herself!), a wallet, her lip gloss and lip liner, perfume, keys, two soy sauce packets, sunglasses and her AirPods. Fun fact: Servidio’s DS is the same one she has had since she was seven, and it still works perfectly!
Fordham student number four is Babagbolaga Sogbetun, FCRH ’26.
Sogbetun’s tote contains his lip gloss and lip balm, hand cream, a phone charger, his keys, Altoids, his laptop and a notebook. Fun fact: Sogbetun notes that even though he brings his notebook, he never brings a writing utensil with him, and instead always asks other people for one.
The fifth student is Sofia Semper, FCRH ’26.
In Semper’s tote, you’ll find a book, bobby pins, lip gloss, a notebook and pen, gum, cranberry juice, lotion and hand sanitizer. Fun fact: Semper hand-stitched buttons that are the shape of the Hungry Caterpillar onto the front of her tote!
Evidently, tote bags have claimed the role of backpacks and purses on campus. They are practical, stylish and the perfect casual tool for carrying essentials. Even purses in similar forms to tote bags have been popular. Coincidence? I think not.
But beyond practicality and style, tote bags have become a canvas for personal expression. It’s not just about what we carry; it’s about what it says about us.
“I think we’ve seen a shift in the way tote bags are used,” Servidio explained. “They’ve become a way to communicate interests. For instance, my tote is Harry Styles merch, and I’ve connected with many people who recognized my tote and shared the obsession. They’re not just fashionable or useful; they connect people.”
Tote bags and their contents reveal a lot about a person. From my tote bag, you begin to learn I have a slight hoarding problem. From Servidio and Semper’s, you learn they are crafty. From Liu’s, you learn she loves reading and from Sogbetun’s, you learn he is organized and takes lip care seriously. A purse doesn’t scream the level of personality a tote does, and a backpack is definitely not as fun.
As a self-proclaimed purse hater — sorry, purse lovers — I’m all for the growing tote bag trend. They’re fun, and, most importantly, spacious and decorative enough to easily express who we are. And, of course, there’s the added bonus of carrying a seemingly bottomless pit that can hold everything we need (and probably a few extra things we don’t).
