A medley of harmonies and instrumentals radiated throughout the courtyard during lunch Friday, Jan. 5, when Girls Empowering Girls hosted an open mic event. About 10 students from grades nine through 12 performed at the event.
GEG sent out an email to all students prior to winter break with information and a sign-up sheet. This is the second year GEG has organized this event. The club also hosts other annual events such as International Day of the Girl Child.
Junior Lili Franks has been on GEG since her sophomore year. She said GEG aims to foster creativity on campus through events, including the open mic.
“We want to support the girls at Archer, and we thought it would be a great idea to bring art into it and use this event as an opportunity to support the arts at Archer,” Franks said. “It seems like a lot people really enjoy it and find really amazing ways to express themselves. It is a great way to showcase and support people’s hard work.”
Junior Gemma Wyles said she has had a love for music since she was young. She is currently working on her own music and is a student of School of Rock, a music school that is teaching her how to fine-tune her musical talents. Wyles has been a member of bands in the past and has performed at several venues, including Whiskey a Go Go on L.A.’s historic Sunset Strip.
Wyles has also been a part of the music program at Archer since she was in sixth grade, participating in a cappella and choir. During the open mic event, Wyles performed an original song called “Blackened Lungs,” which she wrote about how her house smelled like something was on fire.
“It was amazing to be able to collaborate with GEG and support some of the other artists in the community. I loved seeing musicians who I haven’t really seen present their skills and show up for the community,” Wyles said. “The atmosphere was really supportive. It’s a great time. Everyone who shows up is really engaged and excited to see people playing.”
Members of GEG brought in sweet treats for participants and audience members to enjoy. Sophomore Quinn Evans-Agard watched the performances and said she enjoyed the atmosphere in the courtyard.
“It’s very nice to see Archer girls come together in the beautiful courtyard and to hear singers and songwriters share their beautiful songs,” Evans-Agard said. “It’s very nice bringing in the new year and connecting with community back from break.”
Franks said GEG hopes to continue to uplift students throughout the rest of the year through upcoming events and new traditions.
“We started this thing called ‘GEG affirmations,’ where we go around on a daily basis affirming girls,” Franks said. “We want to help them feel their best self and feel amazing coming into school each day to learn.”
