The Mighty Fingers team recently
traveled to Edmonton Canada, the third of fifteen projected locations on the
project. Though I was unaccustomed to the icy temperatures, Edmonton had
countless warming coffee shops to welcome any foreigner. Edmonton also had a
vibrant art scene and plenty of enthusiastic girls who made the trip smooth and
successful. I had a chance to interview a few local girls and ask them a few
questions.
Because of the biting cold that
lasts a good amount of the year, girls usually do
indoor activities so when I asked “What do you and your
friends do for fun?” Most of them had answers like playing video games and
listening to music with friends. One overwhelming obsession amongst most of the
girls is the boy band, One Direction. One
Direction is wildly popular everywhere modern pop exists but the young
girls of Canada seem to be extra taken by the band.
When we
asked the girls for symbols that represent inspiration and passion, this Mighty
Fingers location transformed from a project focusing on the power of girls to a
giddy powwow discussing cute boys. Though I understand why girls are inspired
by boys I wanted to encourage them to step away from that obsession for just a
second and think about themselves and their own power. We discussed how a dedicated
focus on their own talents could not only bring personal empowerment, but might
also get them closer to some of those other “inspiring” elements they crave –
like boy bands. For instance, a good writer could apply for press passes to
concerts like One Direction and get a chance to interview the performers. It is
not bad to spend time gossiping about boys and high school drama, but it is
important to make sure that they are keeping tabs on their personal goals and
putting in the time and work necessary to reach them .
HOW and WHY
a girl chooses friends offers a bit of insight on what she values, and how
those values might guide her future. When I asked the girls how they choose
their friends they all seemed to have similar responses that regarded things like
clothes, personalities, and similar interests. In most first world countries
this seems to be the case but each place has a little twist that offers
originality. For Edmonton it was the lac of illegal substances. When I asked
this question in the US, drugs and alcohol have been a prevalent influence.
Many girls say they “stay away from the girls who do drugs” or some girls have
even confessed to making sure they “hang out with the people who can throw a
good party with drinks and weed” but nothing of that type was ever mentioned in
Canada.
“I look at what she wears or I see
if she is pretty.” Said a twelve-year-old girl. “If they like One Direction
clothes I’ll be friends with them” A little excessive talk about boy bands and
clothing is always better than drugs. “I like everyone, if they are nice to me,
I will be nice to them” said another.
After hearing what brought the
girls of Edmonton together I was interested to hear what usually caused
friendship difficulties and drama.
“When my friends and I get in
fights its always about boys or popularity,” said a high school girl. I know
many high school girls that tend to get worked up over these things and hold
grudges for a long time.
“If two girls like the same boy
they will hate each other” said an Edmonton girl. There are little rules that
all girls are expected to know and follow, the term that bounces around the
high school hallways for these rules is “Girl Code.” If any of these strict
rules are broken, girls are sure to start an uproar, which causes many girls to
become enemies and many to form new friendships as they rally and take sides.
Canada seemed to be very similar in
the youth social setup as the United Stares. No matter where you are, the high
school fish pond can seem rather small. I’m looking forward to the Ocean of
collage, and the professional world that follows.
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