Girls are walking into the bathrooms at Penn Manor this year and are seeing notes aimed at raising their self esteem.
Written simply with a marker on Post-it-type notes, messages have been seen on bathroom stall doors that say, “you are beautiful,” “believe you are beautiful,” and “you are so much beautiful!”
Although the author of the notes is anonymous for the moment, it may be someone who was inspired themselves by a similar campaign to promote a healthy lifestyle for adolescent girls.
Dubbed “Operation Beautiful” by its founder, Caitlin Boyle, a 26-year-old from Charlotte, N.C., said on her website that she strives to help women stop the negative talk about themselves and other girls.
Boyle started her healthy lifestyle blog June 2009. She also started the posted note trend which has spread to many public schools and bathrooms across the country and, since this year, includes the walls of Penn Manor.
Other notes in Penn Manor’s girl’s bathrooms read:“You are so much beautiful” and “God Loves You.”
As for the author of these notes, that still remains a mystery as does the amount of the amount of girls in Penn Manor who’ve seen the notes so far. But as for the ones who have, it seems that the message is getting through.
“It’s a good idea, because high school girls are always down about themselves,” said senior Mikah Farbo.
Other girls may have not seen the notes but said they would appreciate the message.
“It would probably make me smile,” replied Ella Perry.
“I would probably be surprised, especially since there’s always negative things written in the bathrooms,” Elana Hart responded.
Compared to last year’s problem with nasty and demeaning messages, which was covered by a story in Penn Points,https://www.pennpoints.net/?p=1375 the messages in Penn Manor’s girl’s bathrooms this year are a lot more positive.
Whether its one person or more, posting these notes around Penn Manor proves a positive attitude can “stick” to others.
By Sarah Garner and Robert Henry
Kendal Phillips contributed to this story