Girls and Beauty

[Skanky Vamp]

I found this interesting and thought would pass it along...

Senior girls at Trinity Academy high school in Wichita, Kansas, have started off the school year by covering up the mirrors in their academy’s restrooms. What were reflective vanity surfaces are now obscured by a blanket of notes highlighting the importance of beauty from within. The writings comprise quotations from popular songs, F. Scott Fitzgerald, the Bible and modern sayings such as “people are like Oreos…the good stuff is on the inside.”

Here's how the girls bathroom looks and closer examples of the quotes:

The part that interests me is that it has "divided the school", with some former students saying that:

"even efforts like this—meant in part to remind adolescent girls that they’re not defined by boys—carry strong undertones. I get that it’s trying to be positive about the girls...but it feels to me like they’re papering over the mirror because they can’t go all out and ask the girls to wear paper bags themselves. Believe me, I grew up in this culture, and being told ‘your beauty should not come from outward adornment!!!’ just sounds like even MORE exhausting shaming and policing... leaving that culture has given me significant mental health gains.”

Other than the fact that you cant use the mirror if you wanted and it's vandalism... how do YOU see it?
Is it a positive thing or does it contribute to the problem?

 

[GwenRaiden]

I think it's really preachy and condescending. I'd hate that if it were my school.

 

[Ethan Reigns]

"You are valued" sounds a lot like "Your call is important to us".

Adolescents are used to being hated and being lied to and this sounds like both - forcing the students to come up with slogans they don't really believe and not being permitted to see themselves as other see them, because after all, children are the product of sex and religious schools have hammered it into everyone's head that sex is evil and therefore, students are so evil that they should not even look at themselves.

 

[Skanky Vamp]

forcing the students to come up with slogans they don't really believe

But no one forced them to do it. It was their senior day thing that a group decided to do, and then everyone started to do it too.

 

[The Bronze]

Well the irony made me laugh. I take the message to be "how you look is less important than not being a dick". The method of spreading this message is to rather dickishly inconvenience people.

 

[ILLYRIAN]

And yet in 5 years or so they might buy a gun, will they choose which one by the look of it, or for the fact it can kill.

And no one forced them to do it? - peer pressure.

 

[white avenger]

I just did a quick check, and, apparently, Trinity is a co-ed school. I wonder if the mirrors in the boys' restrooms are covered over as well, or do they think that the obsession with physical appearance is confined only to the female of the species? It's been my experience that teenage boys are every bit as concerned with how they look as girls are.

 

[Mr Trick]

Well I agree with the idea that of course beauty is more than psyical appearance and that girls should not be judged on that, but I do agree that this comes off as very preachy too and not really relasitic. The only thing is we don't know for sure if the girls were forced into this or if they were just sent the task and chose their own messages so without knowing that I'm not going to comment further.

 

[Mr Trick]

I just did a quick check, and, apparently, Trinity is a co-ed school. I wonder if the mirrors in the boys' restrooms are covered over as well, or do they think that the obsession with physical appearance is confined only to the female of the species? It's been my experience that teenage boys are every bit as concerned with how they look as girls are.

Yeah but boys are not told that such things could effect their career prospects or that they have to dress a certain way to be accepted. That gender in-balance still exists I'm affraid.

 

[Mr Trick]

@GwenRaiden Just responding to the correspendance😉 I will shut up now and head to bed😀

 

[Skanky Vamp]

Yeah but boys are not told that .. they have to dress a certain way to be accepted.

Sure they are.. more than just dress but the way they style their hair too.

 

[ILLYRIAN]

I take it that is the girls washroom as stated, did boys put the brown paper over the mirror?
Oh for the days when I went to school as the only reason we went in the ' bogs ' was to have a ciggy.
Well, maybe not the only reason.

 

[brinkster130]

I think it's a bit kitschy. And I doubt those inspirational quotes and whatnot will be thought about once the paper is removed.

 

[Buffy Summers]

I think it'll take about five minutes for people to start writing rude things on it. It's a well-intentioned idea but probably won't end up being taken the way it was meant.

 

[ILLYRIAN]

Maybe people have started writing on it already, (not rude things though) could it be that the message God loves you !!! was written by God herself?

 

[Fuffy Baith]

I don't even think my high school had mirrors in the bathrooms. Just metal plates where you could see a vague reflection of yourself. I assumed the mirrors had been taken out due to vandalism. While I get their intentions, I don't like it. What if someone needs to clean off their face or has food stuck in their teeth, and now they'll never know and people will still make fun of them probably.

 

[ILLYRIAN]

Vaguely on topic.
Getting food stuck in your teeth (not your teeth, your as a generalisation) is one of those great mysteries of life, even if the person has never eaten cabbage in their life guess what is stuck in the persons teeth? I won't even begin to contemplate the reason why it is always the front teeth that are affected.

 

[laianna]

I guess I'm against the norm but I think this is sweet. Yeah, the bible quotes especially are preachy, but for a bunch of high school girls to willingly cover their mirrors and support each other like this would bring a smile to my face if I used this bathroom. And honestly, I think everyone spends too much time in front of the mirror these days... Boys and girls, both. Too much time taking selfies, too much time filtering photos to look unrecognizable, too much time scrutinizing their supposed flaws.

I've noticed since I've stopped looking in mirrors every time there's one there (a difficult habit to break; it seems like it's human nature to watch your reflection if you have the option) I feel more confident and less concerned with my looks. I think this is great for high schoolers... And I don't think girls are more vain than boys, but I do think due to media targeting young girls more severely, girls are more insecure in some ways and more focused on their looks. It's nice to see all of these quotes about women's beauty coming from inside rather than from physical attractiveness.

Yeah it could get annoying after a while but honestly I applaud these girls. I could have used a project like this in high school. You look expecting to see your imperfect reflection and instead you're greeted with the support of your peers telling you you're beautiful.

 

[Blaze]

This coming from teenage girl, ya I think it's a positive message. I was expecting everyone to start writing stupid shit, and even if some of the stuff on there is really preachy, I think this is better than girls bullying each other. The fact that everyone got involved in this shows that at least on some level, the girls at this school have the goal of supporting each other. As long as the kids aren't hurting each other, I'd rather they go around doing things like this than vandalizing and bullying.

 

[GwenRaiden]

I just hope the same attitudes are practiced away from the mirrors. Girls and boys alike. And that the message isn't forgotten when the paper comes down. That's what counts; changing mentality and showing daily in your attitude that looks aren't everything.

Personally, from my own cynical point of view, if this happened at my high school, what, 13 years ago, it would be lit on fire, ripped up and generally destroyed. Teenagers rebel and this would be no different. I highly doubt every girl in my old school would have got together to do this kind of project, not everyone cares at that age about these issues nor would they appreciate the message. It wouldn't be "cool".