Romana

As in previous years, Southgate Study Center in Houston, Texas, held its Avanti seminar for girls beginning their high school years. The program, which relies on the cooperation of professionals from the Houston area, aimed at providing practical experience in methods of exchanging ideas.

Great interest was expressed in the sessions on the cultural message of the media. Using real life situations, participants learned to detect methods of manipulating public opinion in advertising, images and commentaries. The session on critical evaluation involved the analysis of a movie. Participants were asked to identify the moments in which each of the characters in the film made a life-affecting moral decision.

There were also sessions on how to prepare to choose a career and on selecting productive summer activities. Another popular session was that on friendship and dating.

What the students most appreciated was the opportunity to consider in depth the true meaning of freedom. One girl commented: “I enjoyed learning how to make decisions wisely. Although one does not see the results immediately, if God is involved in a decision, the final result will be happiness.”