When students walk into school nowadays, they are suddenly surrounded by hacky sacks flying left and right. Students at Westford Academy have recently started playing hacky sack throughout the school day, turning hallways and free periods into gathering spots for students looking to relax, socialize, and take a break from the stress of classes. What started as a small activity among friends quickly spread across the school as more students joined in.
WA students seem to have turned to hacky sack during the past couple of weeks in order to make fun and try to pass the day faster by hanging out with their friends.
According to Dean Betsy Murphy, it’s not hacky sack that is the problem, it is that students are playing it in school.
“I love hacky sack, I always have. The problem is they have never been allowed in school unless it’s in the gym or outside, so it shouldn’t be played in the school,” Murphy said. “If a teacher allows kids to play it before the bell rings, that is up to the teacher, but leaving class to go play hacky sack somewhere else in the school is not what we have in mind.”
Sophomore Logan Caldwell, a student who loves to play hacky sack, believes that it is helping kids make it through the school day with a happier attitude.
“I believe it is allowing kids to progress through the school day with ease,” Caldwell said. “It started up quickly because kids needed something to get rid of stress and to feel better during a long and tiring school day.”
Freshman Alexia Towne does not participate in hacky sack but does not believe it is interrupting class and believes it is a good way to blow off steam.
“I don’t see how it disrupts classes if a teacher allows it during downtime. Obviously if it’s an inappropriate time and the teacher tells you to stop, then you should. Everything works like that and if you keep playing it like that then hacky sacks aren’t actually the problem,” Towne said. “As someone who’s never played, nothing at school has changed for me. I think it started up so quickly because a lot of people really enjoy it. I don’t think people would play if it wasn’t fun, so it must be making them happy.”
Freshman Nicole Goupil also enjoys playing hacky sack in her free time because she believes it helps her and others relieve stress and have fun with their friends.
“I started playing hacky sack far before the trend started up. I played with my sister when we were younger because it was one of the few things we would not fight about,” Goupil said. “I don’t see a problem with people playing it in school because nobody is getting hurt and I agree that it is a fun activity.”
Alexia • May 20, 2026 at 9:16 am
fabulous writing