After school, girls kicked off Girls’ Night In with a pizza party in the cafeteria and got to hang out before starting some creative activities. Once on the second floor, students could choose from a variety of activities, including bracelet making, bookmark decorating, ornament coloring, candle making, floral arrangements, and more. After, they cozied up in the commons to watch a movie, the girls ultimately voting on Clueless, while sharing snacks and sweets. 

Yet, that is only a very surface-level description of Girls’ Night, why it is run every year, and what it’s really about. It has stronger principles than at first glance, and the chosen movie always relates to those. The movie often highlights” some struggles in it or things that women struggle with…on the daily basis, and [the girls can] then reflect back on it,” said Mrs. Jessica Healey, Director of Student Life and organizer of the event. For instance, this year’s showing of Clueless emphasizes some of the challenges of being a high school girl, and maybe having to worry about appearance, popularity, grades, love, friendship, etc. Similarly, some of the other movie options were Princess Diaries, Wicked, Mamma Mia, and more, all of which would have also acknowledged those issues.

The crafts the girls did also had a deeper purpose. Mrs. Healey pointed out how,” sometimes it's just making our hands busy while our minds think…I think sometimes when you are doing something physical and creative, it especially helps you to think about the things that have sort of been bothering you and things that you need to process,”. Basically, these bond-building activities helped some girls physically relax while being able to let their minds wander in a healthy way to some of their own internal emotional problems, without leaving the supportive environment surrounded by friends, classmates, and kind teachers. 

In all, Xaverian’s 4th Annual Girls’ Night In was a hit again! Thank you to Mrs. Healey and all the other teachers who came to help make it such a special and memorable night.