Schools

Keeping Chivalry Alive: Girls Learn Their Worth at International Christian High

The boys at International Christian High School dedicated an entire day to pleasing and pampering the girls at their school.

The teenage girls of International Christian High School in San Leandro received a lot more than store-bought Valentine's Day notes and a box of candy conversation hearts from the boys at school yesterday.

About 20 young men, who were dressed to impress, surprised 21 lovely ladies in grades seven through 12 by rolling out the red-carpet treatment for them.

From escorting the girls to class and holding their bags to opening doors and serving them lunch — an air of chivalry filled the campus on Feb. 14. For the first time in the school's history, these gentlemen dedicated the entire day to pleasing and pampering the girls at school.

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"We teach it every day, but today was kind of their opportunity to actually show it," said Principal Victoria Beardsley.

For some of the upperclassmen like 17-year-old Camden Lorenzo, the bigger picture outweighed the fact that it was Valentine's Day.

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"This isn't really a special day," he said. "This is how men should treat women 365 days a year."

A Day These Girls (and Guys) Will Never Forget

Beardsley said the girls arrived at school not knowing what was to come — everything was planned and prepared within a day.

"The girls were in shock and kind of awkward, which is exactly why we needed to do this," she said. "They need to expect this kind of behavior and not settle for anything less."

A line of dapper gentlemen welcomed the girls as soon as they arrived at the school parking lot. They immediately exchanged the girls' backpacks for goody bags and escorted them to the multi-purpose room, where the girls got to kick back on comfy couches and enjoy several chick flicks on a giant projector.

"It was so precious that I wanted to cry as soon as I walked in," said Carina Alvarez, 16.

The pampering continued as Beardsley and a few school staff members took the girls across the street for manicures at Perfect Nails & Spa.

Upon their return, the young women were then seated in the school dining area — which the boys decked out in zebra-printed table cloths, candles and flowers. They were served a spaghetti feast and sipped sparking grape cider from plastic champagne flutes.

Before the girls could even open their mouths to ask for something such as a napkin or drink refill, several boys were already at hand, ready to fulfill their requests.

"It's almost overwhelming because not a lot of guys treat you like this nowadays," said 17-year-old Angelina Luster with a smile as one boy placed a cupcake in front of her after clearing away her finished dish.

Seem like an over-the-top operation for just a few high school boys to pull off? Not according to them.

"We probably could have done more if we had more time," Lorenzo said.

Beardsley said the day was meant for the boys just as much as it was for the girls. She said she didn't have to teach these young gents much in treating the ladies with respect — it was just a matter of getting over what wasn't common practice among today's generation of teens.

"[The boys] want to give them the right kind of attention," Beardsley said. "The way they talk to them, the way they view them, the way they treat them — the boys took an informal vow to not treat [girls] the way the rest of society does."

For most of the girls, like 17-year-old Marie Kaurasi, the day was appreciated more than many of the boys will ever know.

"It made us feel special and helped us realize our worth," she said. "Most girls will never experience this and I'm glad we did."

Who Needs a Boyfriend When You Have All This?

Yesterday's events proved to be a tough act to follow by the few female students who do have boyfriends. However, many said it was also a reminder on how they should be treated by them here on out.

"I told [my boyfriend], 'You need to top what happened and if you don't we have a problem,'" joked 17-year-old Charmaine Key.

Though many of students do not currently have boyfriends, the thought of being single on Valentine's Day didn't matter to them.

"You feel really special and loved," Luster said. "Being here was my Valentine."

The students giggled over how one girl even posted on Facebook: My school is better than your boyfriend.

However, for 17-year-old Will Runion, no matter how much the boys did that day or any day going forward, he still feels like more can be done.

"This gave me a different perspective on how to show your appreciation [toward women]," he said. "When you think you're doing enough, you're not."


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