2010: WHAT I LEARNED

Snow fun~, originally uploaded by HannaDonato.

I just took a moment to crack open my window and invite some of the snow in as an after Christmas guest. Up on the east coast, mother nature has given us a white blanket to clean the slate a-new to mark the end of the year.

Gazing out at the snow as it tumbles from roof to roof aimlessly, the last breath of 2010 whispers to the beat of the blizzard. This entry was supposed to be a list of New Year's resolutions, Girls in the Hall style. Instead, it turned into what I have learned this past year. 2010--you broke my heart, gave me the idea to start this blog and connect with girls around the country, shocked me with both the humanity and cruelty around the world, helped me fall in love again, and showed me that I am capable of so much more than I ever thought possible. Life threw lesson after lesson at me in the high school of life, and I am a better person for it. I am sure that a lot of you have had the same experiences. What I scribbled down along the way:

It's ok to get mad.... I have spent so much of my life bottling up my feelings in an attempt to be ever cheery. I realized that I can indeed be a good person and get upset sometimes, and it's a-ok. So often girls are taught to not get upset, and it is time we break that pattern.

Be brave..... The high road is hard sometimes. Climbing it often means courage and more work. Being kind to everyone at school, popular or not, takes strength. In order to reverse the bullying epidemic, it takes all of us--one by one--to take a stand. You could change someone's life by a hello or smile in the hallway each day.

Make time to play....... With all of the things on a girl's to do list, "time to just have fun" usually doesn't rate all that high. With exams, college applications, dealing with family, stressing about friends/boys/you name it, we all need to take a little time to breathe.

Volunteer.... It is so easy to get swept up in to the huge soap opera that is social hour at school. Think about all of the time you spend sending texts or calling your friends with gossip. What if you all took some of that time and bettered the planet? Find something that you like--tutoring, spending time playing board games at a senior center, taking care of stray pets, etc.--and you will discover that the person who gets the most out of giving your time is YOU.

Unabashedly Us.... I am a girl of paradoxes. I love to lip gloss and sneakers. I can't throw a football to save my life, but love to watch the game. I can be the life of the party, but sometimes get so shy I want to blend into the wallpaper. Each day I learn more things about myself, and have learned to embrace all of my quirks. After all, without them we would all be the same.

Don't rush.... In our attempts to make it to the next stage of life and all of the energy that we put into the possibilities of the future, don't let the present get swept away like the snow.

Bring on 2011!

GIVING BACK

the whole world in her hands., originally uploaded by Liz. :).

How are you spending your winter break? With the holidays upon us, Girls in the Hall wants to highlight some volunteering ideas where you can really make an impact and show the world what this season really stands for. Take a break from the mall or baking Christmas cookies to give a gift to the world. Here are our favorite ideas:


1) Donate. Donate Donate.
Reach out to your local shelters and food pantries to see what they need--canned goods and warm weather clothing are often in great need . Start a drive around your neighborhood and give free services like babysitting, car washing or lawn care to those who donate.



2) Give a toy.
Thousands of kids need help to get gifts for Christmas that so many of us take for granted. Check out Toys for Tots to see what what you can get, or hit up bookstores like Barnes and Noble to give the gift of reading.


3) Take some time.
Contact a local nursing home or shelter and see about spending some time there. Play a game, organize a dance or just sit and talk. You will learn a ton and have a powerful time that puts perspective on the season.


4) Fundraise.
Bake cookies or do crafts and sell them to go towards your favorite Holiday charity. Our favorites are Holiday care packages from Service men and woman over seas. Click here to check out their site.

5) Love to cook?
Whip up your favorite Holiday recipe and send it on over to a food shelter or hunger organization. Call 'em first to make sure they take homemade items.


6) Get fit and contribute.
Look on your community calendar to see what walks and races are coming up in your area and raise money for a good cause while walkin' off the pumpkin pie calories.


7) Love animals?
Buy and ask around for dog/cat supplies and drop them off at your local animal shelter.


Check your online city government website for other ideas to give back this season! Also, make sure to keep on volunteering year round--the world doesn't just need help on the holidays!

DANCES 101

prom., originally uploaded by Renee Rorer..

Last month, a fellow Girl in the Hall shot us an email about a hot topic: Dances. There are some of us who day dream about them during English class, hoping the crushes who fill our heads and notebooks will ask us. Some of us dread the thought of spending the night dressed up at the gym and would much rather stay home with a movie. Others of us have had our fill. With so many girl-ask-guy dances coming up this winter, we thought we would take a stab at answering all things D-A-N-C-E.

1) What do you do if you get asked?
Well, that depends on who asks. Just remember, regardless, the guy doing the asking is indeed sticking his neck on out by posing that question into the ether. You gotta respect a dude who can put everything on the line by asking. Our advice is, follow your gut and don't be afraid of a little surprise. That guy you have never talked to who asks you to that dance may just end up being your high school sweetheart, a good friend, or, at the very least, a fun memory down the road. If you really, really, really don't wanna go with the guy who asks, remember to let him down easy and treat him with kindness. Be open to the unexpected, ladies. That being said, if you find this guy off putting in a safety kinda way, always FOLLOW YOUR GUT!

2) What to do if you don't get asked?
First off, it is a-ok. Second, have you thought about doin' the asking? My senior year, I asked the cute guy in drama class to a dance and we ended up dating. He hadn't thought about asking me and I went for it. The worst that can happen is they say no and you move on over to the next option. This is 2010, after all. Personally, some of the best dances I ever attended were with a group of my closest friends. We didn't have the pressure of awkward convos with our dates and just danced our faces off and laughed.

3) Girls Choice Dances: What to do?
There are so many answers for this that you have to look at what you want out of the night. Do you want to go for it and ask your crush? Go with a guy friend you know you will have a blast with dancing it up? Be part of a group of girls that forgo the dates? Only you know the answer to this. Do want you want!

4) How should a girl with senioritis cope with the dance question?
Our short answer: High school only comes along once in a lifetime (unless you are Billy Madison, of course). The thought of another prom, Sadie Hawkins or homecoming may make your eyes roll, but one day you make look back and wonder where the dancing days have gone. You don't have to spend all of your allowance on a way pricey dress and stress over asking your crush---instead, swap dresses with friends or scour thrift stores and all go stag. Then, the pressure of the event goes away and it is all about being with your friends for that precious moment in time called being a girl. Enjoy it.

Got any other dance questions? Drop us an email! girlsinthehallblog@gmail.com

TEEN INK

TeenInk, originally uploaded by Starting Artists.

Are you an aspiring photographer? Poet? Lobbyist? Novelist? At Girls in the Hall, we are big on exploring opportunities that showcase and reward creativity. Therefore, one of our favorite new websites is Teen Ink, which is solely comprised of writing and art by and for teens. Click here to check out their website with a list of exciting contests, aimed to a myriad of talent categories. You can even win super cool prizes, like cash or have your photo featured on the cover of an issue! Let us know if you enter.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Young women sitting at green grass and kepping pumpkin., originally uploaded by Massonforstock. 

Kurt: What are you going as for Halloween?
Brittany: I'm going as a peanut allergy.
-GLEE, ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW EPISODE

Ah Halloween. The chill is in the air, people are carving pumpkins like nobody's business and costumes are being created from the fabrics of imagination.

We love Halloween, and not just for the candy corn. We think of it as a childhood friend we can still cling to, remembering all that elementary school excitement of thoughtfully picking out exactly the right disguise, wearing your costume to school, proudly showing it off door-to-door, and then dumping all of the candy out in a heap on the kitchen floor. That solitary chance to be someone else or something else for a night--just one night--holds the mystique that lasts a year.

A lot of teens enter a great debate in prep for this glorious holiday--no, we aren't referring to Charlie Brown's search for The Great Pumpkin--but the question of trick-or-treating. How old is too old? When does it become not cool? In my opinion, any way to get free candy and dress up at the same time is a win-win, regardless of what grade you are in, but maybe that's just us. If we find the Great Pumpkin along the way, we'll be sure to give Charlie a call too...

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

For the Love of Red, originally uploaded by bheuer.

The imagination imitates. It is the critical spirit that creates.
-Oscar Wilde

A cacophony of noises fill the brisk air of fall, exclamation marks of possibility to my ears. The breeze has started to clip, the urgency of another year is breathing its last season before the holidays will transform into the next.

I haven't written in a while because life has gotten away. Well, that's partially true. Most of it is (confession) I haven't known what to say. I have something to share, but no idea how to say it or really what it is. I've been alone pondering my thoughts, dreams and crushing devastations.

Everything once was easy. As the kid running around my neighborhood, usually as the ringleader of shenanigans, I could tell anyone what I felt like sharing--my parents, teachers, friends. Then, I started to grow up. Sometimes I would just want to tell my parents I loved them, and we would get into fights. Curfews, boys, grades, anything really, would set us off on a downward spiral of yelling against each other. I went from the elementary school safety of raising my hand in class, or just being proud of knowing the answer, to being careful to not be pegged as a nerd. My friends and I would fight over stupid stuff, and then write notes or text instead of talking it out. Then I would cry. I pretended they were angry tears, but mostly it was because I was sad; sad that the glimmer of ability I had to communicate was suddenly buried deep inside of me.

After dabbling in many outlets (all of which taught me something about myself and what to share with the world), I have gotten my voice back.

As I walked around today, my ipod plugged in, thinking about the bittersweet beauty of fall, I realized it was time to write again. It was time to get back to being a Girl in the Hall. The new chill in the air woke me up after these few weeks of being away. I realized we are all at our best when we are creating. Whether it's being in the school play, debate team, running cross country, cheering at a Friday night football game, art class or scribbling in a notebook, we are all at our best when we are creating. Over the years, I have found that I see things in words, and when I think of it that way, conveying my thoughts to the world becomes a ton easier. It's nice to be back.

We wanna know... How do you create? If you haven't found what gets the spirit of your imagination going, enjoy the journey.

UNABASHEDLY ME

suffer = love ?, originally uploaded by -Misconception photography [--☮--].

We are strong girls. We are smart girls. We are crafty girls. All of us Girls in the Hall are a combo of readers, writers, leaders and dreamers. Then, boys come in to the equation, often mixing everything up inside the hallway of our minds.

Troy and Gabriella... Darcy and Lizzy B.... Zach and Kelly... Edward and Bella... Hermione and Ronald... Romeo and Juliet (Ok, not them, that ended badly)... We want to fall in love a la a Taylor Swift song with our crush. We spend way more time than we like to admit pondering all of the options and thinking about wearing his letter jacket, high school ring, you know, whatever is the norm in your neck o' the woods.

The truth is that lust/like/love isn't a pretty storyline in the sitcom of your life. It is complicated. Case in point: You can't talk to the camera via giant old school cellphone like Zach on SAVED BY THE BELL or randomly break into karaoke song to confess your undying love as shown by Troy and Gabriella in HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL. There are no TWILIGHT Edwards roaming the earth who can turn you into a vampire to seal the pact of eternal love.

Through the years, I have dated my best friend, a guy on the football team, and that endearing nerd in the front row of biology class. All of them have taught me so much about myself. Even though I am (often called) outspoken and cheerfully outgoing, I discovered that when it came to boys and dates, I would chameleon myself to get boys to like me. The normally grounded girl that I am hovered on a mental gray line of being myself and being the girl I thought the boy (insert names here) wanted. Shockingly, it wasn't working out so well. The real me wanted out.

Then, the light bulb moment happened. I could appreciate a boy's interests without losing myself in the process of falling for them. It is indeed possible to support someone's love of STAR WARS or golf without adding those to my list of Facebook interests. Moreover, I learned that I need to be unabashedly me. I will fight and debate until pigs fly about causes I love (which is code for stubborn as can be). I hate bad grammar. I love both show tunes and football games (and often forget to use my indoor voice when singing along off key or cheering for my team). I am most comfortable wearing both lip stick and a tshirt. No matter how hard I try, I will never master AP physics (but will always be able to write an amazing AP English essay) or be able to run the fastest mile in gym class (but am always down to cheer for my friends while they get the best times). Quite simply and for good or bad, these things are me. I am juxtaposition of complexities, and that's a-ok.

Don't get me wrong, I am still looking and wishing for my Troy/Darcy/Zach/Edward/Ron (pick your fave). I just know that when he does show up, I can be swept off of my feet without losing "me" in the process and that just feels right, kinda like the beginning of my own "...love story."

A VOICE FROM ACROSS THE GLOBE

1/52 - I've got the whole world in my hands, originally uploaded by Little Thoughts.

We here at Girls in the Hall often get caught up in our own worlds. Fights with parents, boys breaking our hearts, and bad grades fill the halls of our minds, making us forget about the other towns, states and countries that comprise the rest of the globe.

In an effort to bridge that gap, Girls in the Hall plans to highlight several stories and reports of girls around the world. As a lot of us gathered our supplies, cell phones and car keys to head back to another year of school over the past couple of weeks, devastation struck the nation of Pakistan. Moonsoon rains have caused catastrophic floods that have killed more than 1,600 people, stranded thousands more, and ruined homes, crops and roads.

In our research about this tragedy, we came across a fascinating and devistating account of the floods written by 17 year old Pakistani Sher Bano for the New York Times. Click here to check it out. Sher is a courageous writer, detailing her own personal family accounts of the floods as well as acting as a voice for the nation as a whole.

Also, at the end of the article is a list of outstanding charities working to help the people of Pakistan. My friends and I plan on saving our allowance, watching a film on TV this weekend instead of going out to the movies, and holding off on our weekly trip to Starbucks, so we can make an impact in helping people like Sher and her family by donating to one of these charities. They are so far away, but hopefully close in our minds.

THAT FIRST DAY...

Day 296, originally uploaded by Nalzz.

Being a new kid on the first day of school was as common place to me as breaking in my new sneakers for the year (which were always a notch off from the "must have" ones of the season) or deciding whether I would pack my lunch or brave the mashed potatoes in the cafeteria. There were always so many question marks. Would I make friends fast? Would I like my teachers? Would there be a boy who I liked who actually liked me back? The answers were yes, most of them, and sometimes.

After being an aficionado of the first day for many schools (I went to three high schools), I realized the secret. Being fearless. You know in your heart that you are one talented girl, whether it is that you can run the heck out of a track match, know how to take your keyboard and hammer out a great poem, or can do the best Justin Beiber impression. If you have the courage to let others see the light inside and the magic that comprises the awesomeness of you, the bubble of a new year can hold boundless possibilities.

At my second high school, I was transferring in from a huge school across town to a tiny school that most of the students had been going to since they were in kindergarten. It was daunting--I felt like a tiger (ok, let's be honest--a monkey) at the zoo on display for all of the school to observe. I made it through the entire day without incident (phew!). Then disaster struck. I knew two people in the entire school and hadn't seen my friend Kelly the entire day, and we had plans to hang out after school. Picture this:

The bell chimes letting me know I have gotten through my first day unscathed. I smile to myself in victory, hold my head up high and swim like a salmon in a pack headed to the quad, where the rest of the students are spilling out. A lot of them are still glancing in my direction, wondering who this random girl is who has joined their ranks. I tighten my backpack straps since my bag is filled to the brim with all of my books. Then, as I am standing there doing my best to look totally chill despite the feeling of barf in my stomach that still hadn't disappeared, Kelly sneaks up behind me and grabs the little notch on the top of my backpack that you use to hang it up. I topple over backwards, and end up face up, unable to move because I am lying on the huge stack of books attached to my back. Moreover, since the straps were tightened, I can't even slide out to run away....

Quite simply in recap, I was a sophomore turtle who was stuck with my shell flipped over. The entire quad went silent. I made a flash decision as my friend Kelly awkwardly helped me up (I almost took her down in the process), turned to the crowd that had amassed (who were preparing to laugh in my freckly face), and... took a bow. I closed my eyes for a moment of calm before the storm of potential social reprecussion, terrified that the thirty seconds which had just transpired had royally screwed me for the rest of school, and then I heard laughter... and cheering...and applause.

It was the moment when I realized, if you give yourself a break, others just might too. I have taken that turtle shell memory with me at the doorway of each new beginning in my life... My senior year of high school, my freshman year of college, and so much more. Cheers to the possibility of new beginnings, new books and new adventures.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Some People Never Change,, originally uploaded by Stand By Me Photography// Alisha Marie.

"My parents keep asking how school was. 

It's like saying, 'How was that drive-by shooting?'

You don't care how it was, you're lucky to get out alive."

-Angela (Claire Danes), MY SO CALLED LIFE

It is that time of year.... Back to school shopping has commenced, and our Jansport/LL Bean/Walmart backpacks are filled to the brim with notebooks that will soon be doodled all over with our signature flowers, hearts and crushes' names. Some of us look forward to another year of clubs, games, school, parties and boys. Others of us dread the thought of gym class, exams and boys (they go in both categories). Some of us are just plain old conflicted by the hope of all a new year could be, and the terror of what potential humiliations may lurk around the unknown corners of a new grade.

Who knows what on earth this coming year will bring? We certainly have no idea... Isn't that part of the fun?

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Night Painting, originally uploaded by stuttgart_san.

"So you lie there, holding your breath
And it's strange, how soon you forget
That you're like stars,
They only show up when it's dark,
Cause they don't know their worth."
-Anna Nalick, SHINE

I have felt invisible. I have felt that the only person who gets me is mom, and sometimes felt that no boy would love me if I knew how scared and shy I was inside. One of my favorite things to do, and always has been since I can remember, is to spend hours staring up at the speckled sky. As a teen, the stars were my friends-- I would look out through the window of my room and tune the world out, focusing only on the sky. All of those stars, the moon, the horizon--they reminded me that I was a tiny part of something bigger and it humbled me. These moments of solidarity in my life have always been a solace for my thoughts and dreams. I admire the boundless freedom of the night sky, and that during the day, you can just look up and know that all of it is there underneath the vale of sunshine---just hidden from view. It makes me smile.

It has taken me a long time to understand why I love the stars so much. Now, when I feel invisible or misunderstood, I look up and know that there is a star inside of me and it is my choice whether I let the world see it. I think about my amazing friends and how lucky I am that I get to see the stars that live inside of them. My friend who gets nervous at parties, but makes the best cupcakes I have ever tasted... My friend who is one of the best people I have ever met, but constantly worries that she is annoying... My friend who desperately wants to know her folks love her, but they never say it... Every day I am more thankful for the constellation of my friends, and know that together, we can all learn to shine.

BELIEVING AGAIN

Purple Wings Silhouette wallpaper, originally uploaded by gbrummett.

I remember a time when I felt immortal. I thought Peter Pan was real and that, if I looked really closely, I'd be able to see the fairies of Neverland out my airplane window. My little sister was the first mate as we fought pirates and pretended to be princesses. Those pirates never had a chance against us. We didn't need help, but we always dreamed who our prince would be to whisk us away from the kingdom of suburbia.

I was determined and ready to conquer the world. Then, I grew up. The confidence of my kidness turned into teenage trepidation. Suddenly, the walls of my high school were much more enormous than the world had felt as a child. I went from being the kid that could take on anyone in tetherball to being a girl who tried to get in and get out--visible to invisible in the flash of a few precious years of innocence gone by.

There was time when my weight didn't matter, I liked my freckles, and proudly showed off bruises from climbing trees. What do you think would happen if we all took the things that we hated about ourselves and kicked those thoughts to the curb? We are all still those fierce pint sizes princesses, if we are brave enough to let them show. Maybe next time I'm on a plane, I will look extra hard at those clouds in the sky. I think I believe in fairies again, at last.

GETTIN' OFF THE COUCH

summer, originally uploaded by kt*stry.

Is the stickiness of summer causing you to be glued to your couch? Are you and your friends telling time by episodes of SWEET SIXTEEN on MTV? I think we discover some new ways for us to all enjoy the air conditioning that don't just involve TV marathons or long naps that rival how long we actually sleep each night. A lot of girls have told us that it's hard to find something to do on a teen's budget. So, Girls in the Hall, let's fight the complacency of the couch potato revolution and get off that couch and into...well, something more fun. Here are our top 10 hang out ideas to enjoy our time together without breaking the bank:

Do you think ice cream is the ultimate summer treat? We definitely do. Invite your pals over on the condition that they each bring their favorite ice cream toppings, the weirder the better. Then, you just provide the ice cream and let the creative sundae building ensue! Your bowl will be a canvas for culinary creativity.

When was the last time you sat down to play a good old boardgame, no batteries or gaming systems involved? Scrabble, Apples to Apples, Monopoly, get 'em all out. Or, have your friends each bring one and play them all one at a time. Have each person bring a prize in an unmarked bag, and then, as you go through the games, the winner gets to pick out one. Cheesier prizes make for better stories.

What is your favorite childhood movie? Dust off those DVDs from when you were little and pop 'em in. Remind yourself--and your pals--just why you heart MARRY POPPINS, THE LITTLE MERMAID or THE SANDLOT. You make love them even more the second time around. Bonus points if you get popcorn and share your favorite movie snacks.

Want to switch up your style? Have you friends come over and bring a box of items they want to donate of clothes, accessories, etc. Then, everyone can mix and match from each other's items. The necklace you want to get rid of may be your friend's favorite accessory in your wardrobe.

Host a dinner party where your friends bring the food. Tell them to each bring a recipe courtesy of your mom or dad. In asking 'rents for treasured family recipes, you just may learn something about your history (and get to eat something yummy too). Then, if you all are feeling it, share the recipes with each other. Dinner parties aren't just for adults anymore. It's affordable and delish.

Organize a volunteer-ation with your friends... Spend a weekend working with Habitat for Humanity in your area building houses, helping out at a rec center for kids or an animal shelter. You all will have a great time together and feel good helping out.

Remember when you were a kid and you couldn't wait for the weekend when your BFF could sleepover? That's the beauty of summer--you get the weekend all season long! Go back in time and invite your friends over for a slumber party. Play Girltalk (remember those fake zits?!), raid the refrigerator and tell ghost stories.

Can't afford to hit up the GAGA concert this summer? Rent a concert DVD of your favorite band, invite your friends over, and crank up the volume (maybe not too loud, so the neighbors don't freak). Singing along is a major bonus.

Who in your group has a pool? Go to the dollar store and stock up on luau items--- grass skirts and tiki drinking glasses a bonus. Pretend you are on a black sand beach in Hawaii or enjoying the surf in LA. It's nice to pretend get away. No pool? No problem. Have everyone pitch in and buy a kiddie pool--kick it old school.

Get outside. Take a game from the days of recess like kickball or four square and set up a match. You might be surprised how competitive your pals get over a silly game.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

..Finally, originally uploaded by Nas _.

"Count to ten... Take it in. This is life before you know who you're gonna be."

-Taylor Swift, FIFTEEN

In the past couple of weeks and the days to come, including as I type this right now to all of you, many Girls in the Hall around the country are putting on caps and gowns getting ready to grab that coveted diploma from the Principal's hands. It is the end of the school year. As we dream of this day coming, we all envision the grandeur of what being a high school graduate on the other side will feel like. The freedom of the future shines as a bright spot manifested in this piece of paper called a diploma. We wonder... Where will we be in five years, ten years and beyond? What career path will we carve out for ourselves? Who will we marry? What parts of the world will we explore? What signature will we stamp on the world?

Mostly, our minds drift to the overall question that encompasses all of the details that will comprise our future--"who are we gonna be?" We meander through different phases--All in the span of my year of being fifteen, I know I went through a flannel wearing phase of Kurt Cobain obsession (Me: Mom, can I dye my hair black with cool aid? Mom: Absolutely not!), an attempt at embodying the ultimate tennis champ (I even got a purple racket for my bday, that ended up being donated after gather dust in my closet months after), and a dabble with getting into technology with being VP of the tech club (today, I freak out when my iphone doesn't turn on and am usually told it was because I let the battery die). There are probably many more identities that I tried on in the metaphorical dressing room of high school that year. What I did I find out? The answer is that, I am still all of them--that alternative music loving, clumsy wannabe jock, technology interested (though challenged) girl.

The funny thing is, I always thought that one day my identity would just emerge, after I had left the halls of school. The glorious joke of discovery is on me. I still am finding out, every day, who I am. Last year, I wrote a book, started a jewelry business for fun and allowed my hair stylist to give me bangs after swearing them away when I was, you guessed it, fifteen.

I am set in my beliefs of leading my life with kindness and an open mind. These are things that I value, and have always valued, to my core of being. As for the rest of it, I will spend every day of my life happily discovering what makes up who I am while figuring out how to take it all in. I wouldn't have it any other way. So, Girls in the Hall graduating now, congrats and best wishes for a lifetime of learning who you are gonna be.

SAFE AND SOUND

For those who read our last post about Abby Sunderland, the sixteen year old sailor lost at sea earlier this week, we wanted to report that she is safe! To follow Abby and read more about her rescue, click here to check out her blog.

ABBY'S STORY

309794 S.O.S. Help Abby Sunderland, all boaters ALERT ! (Internet), originally uploaded by godisinusall (unfocused ).

Abby Sunderland

At Girls in the Hall, we are constantly doing research about all things that apply to being a teen girl. Therefore, we were fascinated by the 20/20 show last Friday, which profiled teens with ambitious goals and asked the question, "How young is too young?" There was the teen who, with parental permission, risked his life climbing Mount Everest last year on a quest to be the youngest hiker to see the world from the the highest peak on each continent. And so on. The story that touched me most that night was the dream of Abby Sunderland to be one of the youngest to sail across the world by herself. At 16, she embarked on her journey hoping to edge out a girl very close to her in age in Australia who had already started the journey. Abby's interview was fused with contagious passion for the art of sailing, something she had done since she was tiny. I was torn between admiration for Abby's determination and enthusiasm, but scared for her with the risk she was going to undertake. Regardless, her courage, determination and warm smile were infectious when watching the interview. Her parents in the interview clearly loved and cherished their little girl, but I couldn't understand how they would let her go thousands of miles into the fire of the ocean on a small boat. Over the past few days, I have been playing ping-pong in my head with this conundrum, trying to figure out my stance. Are quests like these noble aspirations to be granted permission by parents, or are they allowing teens to masquerade as adults in a world of dangerous cotton candy dreams?


This entry was going to be all about not letting your age as a teen get in the way of dreams, but also knowing when waiting is better. Originally, I wanted to take the question straight to you--how young do you think is too young?


Then, a friend I had been talking about this topic with sent me an article this afternoon. I sat at my computer, tearing up. A wave of shock and nausea overcame my core. The news broke today that Abby Sunderland is missing at sea. As of this evening, the signal from her boat indicates that it is drifting with no word from Abby. I am going to now channel my thoughts and energy to be one of the millions who will be hoping for her safe return to her family on solid ground, and hope that in my shifting on the thoughts of this blog, you will be moved to do the same. She is one of us.


For updates on Abby Sunderland, click here for CNN's Blog.

A GIRL IN THE HALL ON THE FRONT LINE TO STOP BULLYING

Jonna at her school's Anti-Bullying Petition Signing

After this Girls in the Hall post  back in April, where we first discovered the fantastic organization Pacer Center's Teens Against Bullying, we spoke with Julie Hertzog at the Pacer Center about interviewing a teen who has played a role in the movement to stop bullying in our schools. Girls in the hall, meet Jonna. She is on the Pacer Center's Teen Advisory Council, and even started an anti-bullying movement in her school. Jonna epitomizes what Girls in the Hall is all about. To sum it up, she rocks. Here's our interview:

First Name: Jonna
Age:13
City, State: Chaska, MN

What does Pacer Center's Teens Against Bullying do and what inspired you to join up with them?
Our goal at Pacer Center Teens Against Bullying is to end bullying everywhere.  When Pacer had a meeting up at the MN capital, I went with my mom. ( I have a little sister with special needs)  I was the only kid that went so they asked me to speak.  After I told them how I was trying to change things at my school because I want to make things better before my sister gets to  middle school,  some  people gave me their cards with their contact information.  One of the people who gave me their card was Julie Herzog.  She asked if I would be intrested in joining the Teens Against Bullying advisory council.

What would you say to girls out there reading this who are victims of bullying?
That bullying is not cool!  That they are not alone.  That it happens to more kids than they realize.  That I have been bullied, too. That my advice to you is to tell someone and have them help you talk to the person who is bullying you.  They can also go to the website www.teensagainstbullying.org for some ideas.

Some Girls in the Hall have emailed us to say that they want to stand up against bullies at their schools, but are afraid of what could happen to them. What do you think are the best ways for girls to take a stand against bullying at their schools? What should a girl do who is friends with a bully? 

I think you need to tell a parent, counselor or principal and have them help you. You have to stand up for what you believe in and what is right.  I think that when you stand up for something you believe in that most people respect you for taking a stand.  Get your friends involved, too.  Your true friends will back you up and support you.  If you have a friend that is a bully, you need to confront them and tell them to stop.  If they won't stop then I wouldn't hang out with them anymore.

We heard that you did a petition signing campaign at your school. Could you tell us about the petition and how you did it? Was it hard?
Well the first Teens Against Bullying meeting I went to  we could bring a petition for the Students to sign at our school. So the Monday of the awarness week all the Home rooms did a anti-bullying activity.So every morning on the announcements we would say a fact about bullying.  Then at lunch students would sign the petition to end bullying. I got about 230 signutures. After they would sign the petition they would get a little dye-cut that they would get to put their name on it and then we would hang the dye-cut in the front window of our school.  It was not too hard and kids were really willing to sign it.

What suggestions do you have of ways girls can take a stand in their communities, like you did in yours?
Well I think they should talk to a student coucil advisor, counselor or principal and try to get things started in your school.  Get involved.  Stand up for what you believe in and stand for others if you see it happening to them.

Since online bullying is a new terror to many teens in our country, what tips do you have on how to combat it? Don't get involved with it! If you get a bad email or text then tell an adult.  Don't participate it any of it.  Be careful who you give your information to. 


How can Girls in the Hall get involved with Pacer Center's Teens Against Bullying?
Contact someone who works with pacer and tell them that you want to get involved or visit www.teensagainstbullying.org.

Are there any other things that Girls in the Hall should know about bullying and how to help end it? Bullying can be teasing, name calling, starting rumors about someone, hitting, pushing, shoving.  It can be anything that is mean spirited to a person.  But you can put an end to it.  If you are against bullying then do something about it.  Talk to your school and try to get something started.  If you get one person to stop bullying you can change someones life.

Want to get involved in your community with anti-bullying movement? Become one of Pacer Center's Teens Against Bullying or email us at girlsinthehallblog@gmail.com. Girls in the Hall hearts the Pacer Center and will continue to post updates on activities with them  and how you can get involved. 

WAITING FOR HER, A Poem

Teenage Secrets, originally uploaded by {peace&love♥}.

WAITING FOR HER
by Anonymous Teen

I found a girl
From a distant shore
That wants to be with me

We hope to be together
Our love turned into lore
I struggle to believe it

I can only be assured
When she is outside my door
When I can hold her in my arms

So that in the future
When I look at the days of yore
I know I was destined to be happy

One of our fave readers is Anonymous Teen, a great guy who blogs from the United Kingdom and always gives Girls in the Hall the guy perspective on issues. He posted this poem the other day and we thought all of the Girls in the Hall would appreciate it.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Summer girl, originally uploaded by shanti929.

“If you vote for me, it will be summer all year round.”
Summer Wheatley (Haylie Duff), NAPOLEON DYNAMITE

Don't we wish this were the truth? I wait for summer with baited breath through the leaf changes of fall, the chill of winter and the hope of spring. Most of us long for the hot days of summer as we count down to the final bell ring of the school year.


I hope that your summer is filled with the adventure that all Girls in the Hall deserve. What are you most looking forward to? A trip some where exciting? Being able to sleep until noon? No homework? Whatever it may be, we look forward to hearing about it. Personally, the gift that this summer gives me is time to reflect on the past months about what Girls in the Hall has grown (and is growing) to be and to write more on here about issues you all care about. I love that we have readers from all of over the world, and that we will continue to grow our awesome base of teens who get what we are about. I know you are all out there, and I am so thankful. Cheers to flip flops, friendship and the future!

WHAT'S UP WITH THAT?

138.365, originally uploaded by epicfailer.

Most of us have seen it. That teacher who always calls on the guy sitting next to you, even if you raise your hand before him. The boy who gets better shifts at work when he started a couple of months after you did. What is up with that? We all want to scream out that it is 2010!


Sadly, women still make an average 7% less than men in the same field of work. Why am I bringing this up on Girls in the Hall when most of us are years away from joining the working world? It seems like a minor issue compared to all us girls have to deal with in the challenges of the halls of high school. I'm raising this issue to all of you because it starts NOW. Here's an example to throw out there. Have you ever looked at your report card or sat in an algebra or geometry class, feeling like you were hopeless at math? In fact, statistics show that small children, regardless of gender, have virtually the same performance levels in math. However, as we go through school and the jokes about girls being bad at that specific subject are bantered around, girls' math scores generally drop compared to guys'. How's that for sabatoge? We are subtly told what we should and shouldn't be good at, and those terrible confines echo in our subconscious. So, Girls in the Hall, this issue really started when they put the pink bows on our heads as babies way back when.


Don't get me wrong, I adore wearing lip gloss, having painted toe nails and also hope to go to Lilith Fair this summer. I enjoy scouring thrift stores with my friends for that perfect vintage dress, and also being one of the few girls I know who will raise my voice in debates with guys about football. My favorite journeys are getting lost in novels with stars like Elizabeth Bennet and Bella Swan. Quite simply, I love being a girl, and all of the character traits that define what being a girl means to me. Some girl friends of mine hate sports, some love them. Some look forward to any chance to dress up, some would rather live in jeans. Some love science, some music. You get the the picture. Each of our unique and wonderful versions of being a girl make up a thread in the powerful fabric of womanhood.


How can we shine the lights of what our identity is within our gender, and also break this pattern? Too often, when we do acknowledge such unfair situations, we are labeled--shockingly by women, not just men--as (gasp) feminists. Most people don't know that there are a lot of degrees of feminism ranging from the radical to the passive. What pops in your brain when you hear the word "feminist"? Did words like "manhater" or worse automatically go off in your brain? Check out this interesting post on feminism.com about teens and feminism. Once again (surprise, surprise), society doesn't give teens the whole story. Most of us are not educated in any scope about feminism until we are in our college years, long after we have been thrown on the front lines of this battle in some way.The real truth is that most feminists want equality for women in compared to men while embracing our womanhood. One of my identities as a girl is indeed a feminist. When someone yells, "Feminist!" at me in a debate on this topic, I smile and say, "Thanks."


I know that one day it will happen. There will come a time when "throw like a girl" won't be an insult, we will have the milestone of a female president, and each girl can go to school and not worry that the classmate next to her is getting special treatment because he's a he. As we go from being girls in the hall to women on the sidewalks of the world, we will get us there.

THE FIRST JOB

americandream, originally uploaded by binkybink.

With the freedom of summer often comes the responsibility of the rite of passage called the ubiquitous summer job. As a teen, I worked at Hallmark (those collectors take their Christmas ornaments in July very seriously!), a smoothie store (for years, the only thing I could whip up in the kitchen was a frozen fruit concoction), and a stint as a nanny (don't even get me started on that one--I have pretty much blocked the experience).


While I joke about these gigs, they actually taught me a lot more than some of my classes ever did. Not to mention the great stories that I have from those experiences... There was the time that my HS best friend and I went to prom and then worked the morning shift at Hallmark together, deliriously giddy from lack of sleep with our hair in a disheveled semblance of the previous night's updo. When I pull those photos out they still send me into fits of laughter. But, I digress.


Often, it is hard for teens to find that first job. People see your age, or that you don't have working experience, and look the other way. We want to scream, "Look at me! Take me seriously!" I remember before I landed the Hallmark gig, I handed out two hundred resumes, shaking hands of countless managers who looked at my age and waved me out the door. Dry cleaners, restaurants, grocery stores--oh the frustration! When I did finally get the call to come in, I jumped up and down and screamed with joy. I finally was a working woman, and I often found salvation in my job each summer as I escaped the boredom of the seasonal heat to air conditioned purpose. The people that I met while at these jobs were an added bonus. At Hallmark, the football coach at school was a very serious ornament collector (shocking!) and scores of grandmothers came in as regulars and asked for my help to pick out just the right birthday cards for their relatives. I gotta say, I loved the heck outta that job.


In our research, Girls in the Hall came across this great site to help you get a jump on finding your own job to make memories. We Got a Job helps teens find jobs in their towns. Check 'em out and let us know where you end up.


Gotta a great summer job story? Comment on here, we want to hear it!

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Of Dreams and Dances, originally uploaded by Heather - Infiniti Photography - MI Wedding Photog.

Ordinary life is pretty complex stuff.
-American Splendor

For most of us, high school is a time of extreme transition filled with rights of passage. Sweet sixteens, finally getting that long coveted driver's license, prom (or rebellion against it) and, finally, graduation are things we all experience. We anticipate the totem poles of American teenagehood, and then life hits fast forward and we find that we have eclipsed them.

I have a secret promise with myself that I started a long, long time ago. I'm not sure when I first made this pact, or where I picked the idea up from. Whenever I reach one of these milestones, I find a moment for myself and "make a memory." I first breathe in with my eyes closed, absorbing the smells and sounds of where I am. Then, I open them and take in the colors, objects and most importantly, the people surrounding me. I remember the smell of the sea air on a cruise when I was fourteen and had my first kiss, the noise of the drums at my first football game, the flowers on the corsage my date gave me for my senior prom, and the exact look on my parent's faces when I walked across the stage at graduation. I also have made memories of the hard times--my house becoming thimble sized as I drove away to move to another state my senior year, holding my grandmother's hand at fifteen for what I knew would be the last time at the end of her fight with brain cancer, and the tears staining my sister's face as she went through her first heartbreak.

These are some of the snapshots of my ordinary life that I have recorded in complex detail over the years. When the birthday presents are gone, the dance corsages have been thrown out, and the graduation money has been spent, these memories--and the people in them--will always be with me, to conjure up at a moment's notice. So, now you know my secret. When I write to all of you about my experiences, I start with closing my eyes and remembering all of the details I have stored in my brain's address book of memories. Each part of each experience floods back to me, and I feel like I am there, once again. As you have your own unique experiences for the ordinary moments that make life so incredible, I challenge you to pause, take it all in, and make your own memories.I think it is the best gift we could ever give ourselves, don't you?

STAND OUT & TAKE A STAND AGAINST THE DROP OUT CRISIS

{ Backing to school is much cooler with a new pair of convies ! ,,, originally uploaded by B a r ش a.

As most of us go through high school, we are told to keep our eyes on the prize--we focus on the doors we'll open to the future when we exit the door of our high school for that final time with diplomas in hand. What if your future was so uncertain that you didn't know how you were going to get through the next day, week, month or year of high school?


Did you know that almost one in three teens doesn't graduate from high school in the US? Yeah, we were shocked and saddened to hear that too.


Finally, someone is giving a voice to those who can really help solve the problem because they get it--teens. America's Promise Alliance has partnered with AT&T to create MY IDEA, a program that gives grants to teens with the vision and drive to help end this crisis. Teens who have an idea on how to help solve the problem and want to be a leader in their community in this fight should apply.


On a national level, 20-25 teens from anywhere in the country will be awarded grants ranging from $10-20,000. Teens who live in areas where the drop out rates are skyrocketing like Chicago, Houston, Indianapolis, Jackson, Louisville, Nashville, New York, New Orleans, Oakland and Washington, D.C, will be eligible for local grants of $500-$1500 to focus on city based projects. So, regardless of where you are in the country, YOU have the power to fill out the application and have your ideas heard!


So, what are you waiting for???? Click here to learn more about the program and apply to stand out and stand against the drop out crisis. If you don't have an idea yet, that's ok! Check out their links on the site to create one. Get creative--think about what would most help you if you needed a boost to get through high school. A mentor who you could meet with regularly to help keep things in check? A study center for free tutoring? A program where after school employers work with teens to make sure they have enough time for school? More school supplies? The possibilities are endless, and we know that our Girls in the Hall will come up with some great ideas. If you need a sounding board for your idea or are unsure about whether or not to apply, let us know--we want to help you help your peers.The deadline is June 11th, so get movin'!


If you apply, we want to know! Reply to this post with a comment, or email us at girlsinthehallblog@gmail.com.