Collective Memory

For our Digital History class, we were asked to look at several collective memory projects, such as the Memory Archive, 9/11 and the Hurricane Katrina collective. We were also invited to think about a memory bank or collective experiences, that we would like to turn into a website. For me, this proved to be very difficult, as I wanted to think of something all encompassing and nation bonding as the Memory Archive or the Hurricane Katrina website. I soon found out, that I really don’t have a large, shared memory outside of those presented. Perhaps I am too young, or perhaps Canada has been fortunate enough not to have such horrible, nation-unifying events like 9/11. I started to think about my strongest and most powerful memories, such as: the death of Princess Diana, my love for Jordan Catalano, the death of Kurt Cobain, the chills of Twin Peaks, my first real kiss, the Brit battle over Blur and Oasis, my first 'grown-up' job, etc…. All of these memories would create interesting and gripping memory banks, but instead, I decided to pick a topic that tormented me for years, I call it…

....Kilts, Clashes and Capital!

I would like to start a collective memory project recalling the horrors and nuisances of all-girls private school. Now, the school I attended will remain nameless (who knows what future employer has an extremely fond memory of this institution), but it would be interesting to see if other women look back on their single-sex education as unfavourably as I do. Such topics spring to mind: etiquette classes, bomb threats, forced synchronized swimming, unexpected bloomer checks, pageants, flashers, white ‘purity’ gowns for Graduation, extreme awkwardness with the opposite sex, vicious dodgeball games, cliques, super cliques, loners, mean girls, that one male math teacher, the 'cool way' to wear knee socks, penny loavers, doc martins, itchy tights and obsessive Diet Coke consumption! There are a lot of memories to share, and maybe some group therapy to be had.