Eliza

Eliza is one of the "popular girls". She was interviewed along with two other friends, and talks frankly about how she feels others see her and the other members of her clique. What follows are some excerpts of the interview, with some additional comments which do not appear in the "Cliques: Behind The Labels" program.

"People consider us to be snots because we live in a wealthy area and our call then is kind of designer clothing. When we were freshmen, people used to call us models-- but once people started to know us better they realized we're not like that. We all look the same. I can't say we are ugly, but we became the pretty group of girls and that's what it basically comes down to".

"I'm mad because people don't want to come up to us and make friends with us and talk to us, because they think we're going to be a certain way, which is totally not true. They don't look at what we really are and what we really have inside of us, and that kind of hurts because they don't want to give us a chance. I guess that's what I resent the most about being known and popular in school: it's that people do shut themselves off to me and my group of friends. And it hurts. It makes me feel like I have to prove myself to them: I have to prove that I am a good person …we have to try harder".

"I think that people should not resent us for what we have because everyone has inside them to be what they want to be. You know what I mean? I think that you have to accent what you have and that's what we do [and] I understand why people want to be popular. It's because they want to be accepted by everyone. I think people who aren't popular have to realize that it's not that exciting. Nothing more exciting happens when you're popular. You just hang out with your friends just like you would if you're not popular".

"I remember when Juli played the guitar at Earth Day Festival and I was like "Ooh, my God her voice", so talented because she was doing something that's recognizable: she was taking something out of herself. When you don't open to people, when you don't tell your feelings, when you don't let people in, then people won't like you..."

" I think anybody can be popular if they're outgoing and if they show their talent because that's what awes people. It's personality. And it wasn't her looks, it wasn't anything about that. It was her talent and her voice, that just what she did was beautiful, and being brave enough to get up there. You see what I'm saying, the whole looks thing? There's nothing you can do about that that's gonna exist forever and ever".

"You have to respect yourself and find what you have inside you that makes you a great person and accentuate it, and that's what's going to make anybody beautiful. It's just in high school, it takes a long time for you to figure that out, 'cause you're tying to find your own identity and you don't really know what your identity is. But I think now that we're seniors, I'm kinda getting a clear idea of who I am inside and what my identity really is".

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