When looking across desks in any classroom, a million different manners of customization can be seen. One of these trends that has recently picked up steam is bumper stickers. Students sticker bomb surfaces — making it one of a kind. Whether it’s a laptop or a Nalgene water bottle, students school-wide use stickers as a way to show off their personality and interests. If a student shows interest in the outdoors, they may cover their water bottle in stickers from the national parks they have visited. If they love classic movies and 80s pop culture, they may plaster their laptop with quotes from “The Goonies” or “Pretty in Pink.” This school year, a water bottle is just as much of a water bottle as it is a conversation starter.

Savannah Greathouse

Starting her sticker collection over five years ago, senior Savannah Greathouse purchased her first sticker oriented water bottle in eighth grade.

“It showed up on my Pinterest feed one day and I just thought it was super cool how people decided to express themselves by putting stickers of their favorite brands or the places that they’ve been,” Greathouse said. “Then with my water bottle, I thought it’d just be a different way to express myself.”

Greathouse collects stickers for two different bottles, following two separate themes. Her first water bottle is lined with brands and aesthetically pleasing stickers. The other water bottle is covered with stickers from her adventures with friends and family.

“They’ve been all over with me, wherever I have traveled,” Greathouse said. “This one actually went to Hawaii with me and so I just think they’ve been a sort of a travel companion.”

Greathouse has stickers from national parks she’s visited, her family vacation to Hawaii, along with ones she’s been given by friends and family.

“I have one for K-State. It came from my sister and I just really like it,” Greathouse said. “I’m really excited about it because that’s where I’m going to go to college and I think it really shows people ‘Hey, I’m really interested in this school and this is where I want to go.’”

Greathouse said she considers herself a sticker addict —constantly on the prowl for new stickers wherever she goes.

“I feel like wherever I go I need to buy another sticker and immediately when I walk in a store I’m like, ‘I’m going to buy a sticker from here,’” Greathouse said.

Merritt Ellis

Over a year ago, after receiving her laptop, sophomore Merritt Ellis began collecting stickers for her laptop cover. Ellis said she is always on the lookout for new stickers and tries to find stickers that both fulfill her aesthetic as well as represent her personality and interests.

“They also add to external personality as well,” Ellis said.

Ellis said her stickers often work as conversation starters.

“There are always people that comment on them when I get my laptop out,” Ellis said. “[They say] how my stickers are cool and they talk to me about them and ask questions about which stickers mean what.”

When looking for a new sticker, Ellis said she looks for small stickers that match with the rest of her laptop but aren’t too big or too expensive.

“I love shopping in general, so just like going on Redbubble there’s some fun and funny stickers that I like,” Ellis said. “My favorite is either my ‘Stranger Things’ sticker or this KU one. I like them because they are two things that I love, and I love all of the show and Netflix ones because people always come up to me and they’re like ‘Oh, I love that show;’ and it makes an automatic connection.”

Gallery • 4 Photos

Merritt Ellis shows off her favorite water bottle stickers. Merritt said she selects the stickers based on her favorite things and stickers she thinks are pretty. Her water bottle features stickers including Michael Scott from “The Office.”