When she is not dressing for comfort instead of making impressions, Ville Platte High’s Gabrielle Thille enjoys, what she calls, old school Hip Hop while going to El Charro with her friends.
She recently answered questions about what issues she and her friends face today.
Question: How big of a role does social media play in your life? Are most of your friends and schoolmates on social media?
Answer: I wouldn’t say that social media plays a big role in my life but, it does play a minor role. Most of my friends and I all have social media of some sort. It is one way for your friends to see what you are doing and see what they are doing, as well. Personally, I post pictures of events in my life for my family to see what has been going on when I cannot see them. It is hard to see family members and friends through the pandemic but, social media gives us the opportunity to stay connected.
Question: What fashion style best fits your personality? What are the fashion trends in your school?
Answer: For the most part, I dress more for comfortability than to impress. Meaning on a day-to-day basis, I normally wear a t-shirt with either shorts, leggings, or sweatpants. If I am going out with friends, I will wear jeans and a cute top with my hair done and makeup applied. Due to strict guidelines that we have to follow at school, there are not many trends. Students all wear the same uniforms, clear or mesh backpacks that all look the same, and solid-colored masks; it leaves very little for originality. If students did not have these guidelines, two trends I know for sure would be hoodies/pull-overs and crocs. Wearing this would most definitely be a trend at my school if they were allowed.
Question: What do you and your schoolmates like to eat? Is health a concern for you?
Answer: In Ville Platte, our main go-to is El Charro. Some days we get a group of friends to meet there with each other for a good laugh after school. Honestly, health is not much of a concern for me. I eat what I want when I want and not a thought crosses my mind as to if I should be eating it or not or how much I eat. Every adult I know has told me to eat while I can because once you get older, you gain weight just off the smell of food.
Question: What are your typical beauty/grooming habits? What kinds of products do you use?
Answer: I really do not have many beauty habits. Every morning, I get dressed, brush my teeth, and put on deodorant and perfume. I just wake up and walk out the door the way I looked when I woke up. Rarely, I put my hair up or even put on some mascara, depending on my mood that day. However, I do wash my face and moisturize every night with Burt’s Bees which is a brand for sensitive skin. Sometimes I will use curling gel in my hair to boost my curls when they are looking a little rough.
Question: Do you have a job? Do most of your schoolmates have jobs? Where do you/ they work? Does your work interfere with school? What are you saving your money for?
Answer: I work at Super Snow in Ville Platte as well as two of my friends. Working at the snowball stand is an easy, fun job. We work enough to have a little spending money But it doesn’t take too much of my time so that we can’t still enjoy summertime with friends. The hours are flexible and with an understanding boss, my work never interferes with my schoolwork. We are open from 2:45-6:30 on weekdays so I am always able to complete my schoolwork before having to go in for work. It is important to have a good boss and a flexible job schedule for a high school student. Especially since I am taking dual enrollment courses. I am currently saving money to pay for insurance for a car and other fun activities that my friends and I am looking forward to doing this summer, such as going to the mall in Lafayette and Lakeview every weekend.
Question: What genre of music do you and your schoolmates like? Who are your favorite bands/artists?
Answer: I would have to say our taste in music is more or less eclectic; we listen to everything, but whenever we are just riding around listening to music we like to listen to old hip hop music from the early 2000s. Our favorite artists from that era would be Hannah Montana and Katy Perry. Other than that we listen to whatever is currently on the radio.