-Giving Our Girls the Edge

GIVING OUR GIRLS THE EDGE

by Lynique R.

Girls need empowering and motivating. That was the message to I.E.K.H.S girls who participated in a forum called “Giving Our Girls the EDGE” on February 8, 2011 in the school’s cafeteria.

“Do not go down in the mud with a pig just because they’re comfortable there,” said opening speaker Pastor Lillette George, who told the young ladies in the audience to “know yourselves, make wise choices, tell the truth of who you are, and love and celebrate yourselves to the fullest.”

She told students that the foundation they build today will build their house for tomorrow. At the end of her presentation she left them with three other tips:

• Understand that “I am the best at being me”
• Know that if I allow the action of others to make me react, I’ve given them control over me
• Believe that if I only live up to the standards that God has set for me, I have a better chance of being successful
• After Pastor George finished, Jenniya T., a 10 th grader, stood and said, “Thank you for coming; those were very powerful words.”

Following the main speaker, students were randomly divided up into groups by colors and sent to various classrooms for small group workshops.

Ms. Nora Williams, a former cosmetology teacher at Kean High, spoke mainly about the way girls should maintain healthy hair and keep it from breaking and falling out in the future. She also discussed the types of shampoos and conditioners females should use and the importance of using a treatment every two weeks to prevent damage to the hair. Ms. Williams owns a hair salon named Nora’s Beauty Palace located on 1st Street.

In another session, Mrs. Desiree Lambertis spoke to young ladies about the dangers of drugs and alcohol. “Drugs affect you socially, mentally, and physically,” she said. “Your social health is affected when no one wants to be affiliated with a drug addict. Your mental health is affected because most drugs affect your ability to think clearly. They also make you hallucinate--seeing things that are not actually there.

“Drugs affect your physical health,” she explained, “because of the excessive craving of the drug makes you want it more and more so you spend all your money on buying drugs and nothing to eat, so you constantly lose weight. Drugs make you appear to be older than you actually are.”

Mrs. Lambertis left students with her definition of a drug --“Any mind or mood altering substance is a drug.”

In another workshop, Mrs. Alda Maduro-Fielteau, a Kean High Foods and Nutrition teacher,discussed good manners at the dinner table. She talked about how the table is set. (At a formal dinner, you always start with the utensil that is furthest from the plate on the right or the left. )

She strongly advised the young ladies to, “Wait until the host tells you to be seated, and place your napkin in your lap.” She discussed how to have pleasant conversations while enjoying your meal with others, and how not to slurp your drink or soup. Chewing loudly is definitely a no-no. She suggested ordering boneless meats while at a formal dinner because it is much easier to cut.

Coming to the end of the day, all the female students and teachers at Kean rejoined for lunch in the cafeteria which was decorated beautifully with white tablecloths and gorgeous center pieces.

After everyone was seated, each table was called one-by-one to get their lunch. On the menu were meat loaf, stewed hamburger, veggie strips, mashed potatoes and a tossed salad. The beverage served was fruit punch.

After lunch a speaker from the Antilles School, Mr. Chris Teare, discussed the importance of us doing well on the SAT/ACT and in high school classes. He said having good grades might be enough to get into a good college, but some colleges do look at your SAT/ACT scores for acceptance. He gave us a variety of websites that could help prepare students for the SAT’s, such www.collegeboard.com

Last, but certainly not least, was a FASHION SHOW!!!

Teachers showcased appropriate and inappropriate attire. The five categories were clothes for church, job interviews, a first date, evening wear, and makeup.

“The girl’s conference was a good program to have, but I feel with better preparation and better choice of speakers, it could have been much better,” said one 11th grader.

But Shellece, another junior, had a more positive reaction. “The girls’ conference really does give girls the ‘EDGE’ they need to be successful and empowered,” she said.