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I know I said I would update on Friday, but things were a little crazy that day (it was a Catholic Underground weekend). Plus, today I have video clips for you!

I think I can honestly say that I have never been so nervous to get dressed before. I kept putting on outfits thinking–Am I modest enough? Okay, now am I fashionable enough? LOl, it was starting to get ridiculous. I told this to the team that night, and apparently they all felt the same way!

The first session was entitled “What Statement Do My Clothes Make?” given by my friends Maggie and Laura (aka Lals). They were both extremely nervous, but in my opinion did an AMAZING job. There were a few points during the night when I looked around the room and it was completely silent, and it wasn’t because the girls weren’t paying attention, it was because they were really listening to what was being said.

The following is a clip of Lals giving an example of the worth of a woman using earrings as a metaphor. I have a pair of pearl earrings that I love dearly because they were a gift from my mother for my debutante ball. I only wear them on special occasions and always make sure I put them back in the box after I’ve worn them. Then again, I’ve got super cheap earrings that I lose all of the time. In this clip, Lals asks the girls that if we take care of material things in such a manner, why don’t we take care of and cover our bodies? (Skip ahead to :12)

The discussion groups were the highlight of the night. All of the girls were very insightful and very honest and open, which actually sort of surprised me given that I had a camera in their faces all night.

In this clip, one of the participants who is a native from Peru talks about the first time she went to a mass in America. It’s funny, but kinda sad:

We had some youth ministers in the audience who gave us some great advice that we will utilize in the coming sessions. One of the surprises of the night that we weren’t quite prepared for was the age range of the girls, 12-18. If you have ever taught kids, you’ll know that is a humongous range, and we want to make sure all of the girls are comfortable and feel like they’re opinions are being heard.

All in all, the session went really well and I’m looking forward to this Thursday. In the next session, Megan will be giving a talk on manhood and womanhood, which I am sure is going to provoke some nice discussion.

In other news, we have almost finalized the list of designers for the fashion show, and I’ll post that as soon as I get the green light. Also, if you are interested in bringing the program to your neck of the woods, just let me know and we will most certainly work with you.

~Rebecca