I crack the door and a loud squeak follows. The blinds are still lowered and both girls in bed. I begin to ask questions, nervous if the questions will surprise them. Of course I reminded them that if they felt uncomfortable to not hesitate to say so and you don’t have to answer the question. So “ what was your typical weekday in high school in NYC?” I remembered my mom sometimes driving me when it was cold or I had to go in early, but she would be hesitant since we bought the house so close to the school so I could walk. Likewise Emi also had to walk 10 blocks to get to Spence, everyday passing the same doorman. She did have a bus option, but rarely used it since it would take must longer. Liv’s, on the other hand, school was on the West side so she had to cross the city every morning in order to get there usually taking a cab or having a parent drive her and her 2 friends.
Thinking about it what usually inhibited me from walking on some days was that I was too slow in the morning when dressing, packing, and eating. Emi and Liv luckly both had uniforms which they loved. “I wore my gray skirt everyday and it allowed me to wake up 30 mins before I had to leave!”
“The gray skirts were distinct for my school, at lunch there would be a gray skirt table and paid uniforms at another table, it was segregated.”
She had brought up another point I was interested in, lunch. I would always bring my own food to school since our cafeteria was nothing to brag about. We had the option as we were older to go off campus for food but that required a car, and usually more time than a lunch period provided. It was much more common in the city to go out and eat. Not necessarily sit down, but either grabbing something from the next-door supermarket or just grabbing a sandwich and sitting in Central park. This was one of Emi’s favorite things about living in the city since Spence is so close to the park.
Even though liv’s school was not as close to central park, like Emi’s, she would still on nice days take advantage of it by walking through it on the way home from school. Usually she would get home around 5pm because of the fact she either had yearbook after school, or would walk the dogs. Or maybe go home directly to take a nap. I would always have sports after school and usually would get home around 6:30. Emi had a similar situation, she would dance at school until 6, but had 4 friends that lived in the same area so was able to walk home with them afterward to either grab dinner with them or at home. Usually it was just her and her mom at home, or sometimes her mom’s best friend would join. Emi’s older sister was at college during the school year. Unlike Liv’s who would somethimes have to cook for her little sisiter since both of her parents worked and often weren’t home for supper. But of course there are those nights of exceptions were they would order in or had the house cleaner there that day and she would make something.
The mood in the room was relaxed and I was interested in not only their daily life, but what the city had to offer for some fun for kids our age.
“What did you guys typically do on weekends?”
Both girls had the same answers, since they actually had met before emory through mutual friends, since the city private school bubble was so tight. Both would hang with friends, house parties, or maybe go to a bar. On the weekends all the schools mixed, “so if there wasn’t a Trinity party, I knew I could go to another school’s party” said liv. The single sex schools had got to know each other from mixers they had in middle school.
This was funny to me that on weekends all girls would associate with one another, but during the week for lunch they would be separated at different tables in the same café.
Having this large connection of people was great for when Emi and Liv decided to come to Emory since they could find their future classmates also from NYC.
There was something that I was missing in this interview that I didn’t know how to ask. I wanted to know more about what its like for a girl in particular to grow up in New York. Where there social pressures and standards to live up to, trends to abide to? What were must have for girls?”
- Supergas
- Bloomingdales
- Metro card
- Bagels and lox on Sunday’s
This brief list encompasses a lot- where to be seen (bloomingdales), what to wear (supergas), how to travel, and a trendy food which is a must have splurge.
Thinking about it what usually inhibited me from walking on some days was that I was too slow in the morning when dressing, packing, and eating. Emi and Liv luckly both had uniforms which they loved. “I wore my gray skirt everyday and it allowed me to wake up 30 mins before I had to leave!”
“The gray skirts were distinct for my school, at lunch there would be a gray skirt table and paid uniforms at another table, it was segregated.”
She had brought up another point I was interested in, lunch. I would always bring my own food to school since our cafeteria was nothing to brag about. We had the option as we were older to go off campus for food but that required a car, and usually more time than a lunch period provided. It was much more common in the city to go out and eat. Not necessarily sit down, but either grabbing something from the next-door supermarket or just grabbing a sandwich and sitting in Central park. This was one of Emi’s favorite things about living in the city since Spence is so close to the park.
Even though liv’s school was not as close to central park, like Emi’s, she would still on nice days take advantage of it by walking through it on the way home from school. Usually she would get home around 5pm because of the fact she either had yearbook after school, or would walk the dogs. Or maybe go home directly to take a nap. I would always have sports after school and usually would get home around 6:30. Emi had a similar situation, she would dance at school until 6, but had 4 friends that lived in the same area so was able to walk home with them afterward to either grab dinner with them or at home. Usually it was just her and her mom at home, or sometimes her mom’s best friend would join. Emi’s older sister was at college during the school year. Unlike Liv’s who would somethimes have to cook for her little sisiter since both of her parents worked and often weren’t home for supper. But of course there are those nights of exceptions were they would order in or had the house cleaner there that day and she would make something.
The mood in the room was relaxed and I was interested in not only their daily life, but what the city had to offer for some fun for kids our age.
“What did you guys typically do on weekends?”
Both girls had the same answers, since they actually had met before emory through mutual friends, since the city private school bubble was so tight. Both would hang with friends, house parties, or maybe go to a bar. On the weekends all the schools mixed, “so if there wasn’t a Trinity party, I knew I could go to another school’s party” said liv. The single sex schools had got to know each other from mixers they had in middle school.
This was funny to me that on weekends all girls would associate with one another, but during the week for lunch they would be separated at different tables in the same café.
Having this large connection of people was great for when Emi and Liv decided to come to Emory since they could find their future classmates also from NYC.
There was something that I was missing in this interview that I didn’t know how to ask. I wanted to know more about what its like for a girl in particular to grow up in New York. Where there social pressures and standards to live up to, trends to abide to? What were must have for girls?”
- Supergas
- Bloomingdales
- Metro card
- Bagels and lox on Sunday’s
This brief list encompasses a lot- where to be seen (bloomingdales), what to wear (supergas), how to travel, and a trendy food which is a must have splurge.