Teen Fakes Pregnancy...

[SuzySunshine]

...for senior project.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42706243...and_parenting/

Teen fakes pregnancy as school project

Six-month-long fake out was part of a social experiment for the 17-year-old's senior project



By Associated Press



KING5 KING5
updated 4/21/2011 2:17:20 PM ET 2011-04-21T18:17:20

• YAKIMA, Wash. — A Yakima High School student faked her pregnancy for the past six months as a social experiment for her senior project.

Gaby Rodriguez revealed she was not pregnant Wednesday by taking off the belly bundle in front of a stunned student assembly that ended with a standing ovation.
Her presentation about rumors and stereotypes is part of her about the perceptions of a pregnant student. The 17-year-old will present her project in May before she graduates.
The Yakima Herald-Republic reports only a handful of people knew Gaby was faking, including her mother, boyfriend and the principal. They helped keep the secret from some of her own siblings and her boyfriend's family and students and teachers.

So I have to admit when I first read this I thought it was brilliant and would be curious to see her final report. However when I read the comments one person pointed out that they thought it was bad to have not told the boyfriend's parents and I can see that point of view too.

Thoughts??

[diggitydot]

I agree, BF's parents should have been in the loop. Other than that -- brilliant.

[peggyfromwastate]

That's my hometown!!! And there is no Yakima high school. So I'm not sure what high school she goes to, but yeah. Yakima is also famous for having the 3 convicts escape our prison during daylight by just walking past numerous layers of security. They literally walked out. We are also known for being the source of mad cow in the USA. We are a really happening place.

[diggitydot]

One of the communities we could potentially end up living in due to DH's WA state health services scholarship is Yakima.

[peggyfromwastate]

One of the communities we could potentially end up living in due to DH's WA state health services scholarship is Yakima.

Diggitydot... Yakima is a small town, but it has a lot going for it. Believe me. If they try to put you in some of the other small towns (like Mattawa, Ephrata (but that's where the megalottery winner was living!!)) then watch out seriously. Yakima has a community theatre, a symphony (my mom plays on it-- oboe), and pretty good health care (Memorial Hospital NOT the other one.) Anyway, feel free to PM me...

[peggyfromwastate]

Here is a more complete story of this. But it's long, probably not of huge interest to people who don't know the area like I do... She went to Toppenish High School, which is on the Indian Reservation but in Yakima County. The high school is heavily hispanic (the article states the number-- I think 85% but I am not sure).

http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories...eotypes-rumors

Anyway, my take is that this was a bad idea. I applaud her for sticking with her plan... But I can not get over how she lied to the boyfriend's family and her siblings.

Some of you know that I got pregnant at 19. I wasn't in high school, but my younger brother was. Everyone knew about my pregnancy in my high school though. Yakima is a small town. Teen pregnancy, especially for an honor roll, going somewhere kid is a big deal. There would be countless people worried for her, disappointed, upset... These are just the bystanders. The friends, the teachers, the former teachers...

But the lasting damage of this experiment is to her own family and the boyfriend's family. I know how traumatic my pregnancy was for everyone in my family. My siblings were definitely all affected by it. I don't think that they would appreciate being treated as research subjects in the name of my senior project.

I showed this article to Dh, and he and I are on the same page about that. Not appropriate, and should not have been approved.

If she was determined to do this senior project, she should have gone to a different school where she wasn't known, and set up the charade there, with her family and the boyfriends' family all in the know. Then she could focus on the rumor mill exclucively within a school setting. There is only one high school in Toppenish, and so she would have had to go to another school, but there are others within 20 minutes or so. I'm sure she drives, and she could have done that... Even then, the rumors would have gotten back to her home school, though. But I just can not get over how she deceived the family, including her own siblings (older brothers! And older brothers might have a bone to pick with the guy who knocks up their younger sister... Especially since the boyfriend was 20 and she was 17)...

So that's my feeling...

[diggitydot]

Wow. I'm glad you found a story with more detail. DH and I were both raised in rural WA towns and I completely get the interconnectedness (Ha! I'm making up my own words now!) of small-ish towns. Sibs and parents not being in the loop is not a good idea, but I still think her experiment with the societal ramifications is interesting. Poorly laid out, but interesting nonetheless.

I may pick your brain about the Yakima area. DH and I are both from the west side of the mountains. He spent a lot of time over in Wenatchee/Omak/Leavenworth, but neither of us are intimately familiar with Yakima. And your mom being in the symphony is of HUGE interest. DD1 currently attends a performing arts high school and is VERY concerned about her prospects in a much smaller school district. Does the symphony have any youth programs?

OK, sorry -- end hijack.

[SuzySunshine]

Peggy thanks for the other article. While I agree it was an interesting experiment I agree that she should have told her boyfriend's parents. The siblings I could see either way, its not really going to directly affect their lives. But I think the "grandparents" should have been in the loop.

[Vanquisher]

I got married at 19 and pregnant at 20. I tried to get pregnant at 20. I've always been ahead of the curve. I don't think it affected my brother or sister at all.

Anyhoo, I would be FURIOUS if my son's girlfriend did this and I was out of the loop. The amount of emotional angst and turmoil would be huge. I feel that her whole family and her boyfriend's family should have known that she was faking. It's a good experiment, but I don't approve of how it was implemented.

[PrincessFiona]

Wow. If the principal new my son's girlfriend was faking a pregnancy and let her (and my son) put me through that for 6 months, I'd be beyond livid. Fooling the student body is one thing ... A set of parents? Holy crap. It would take years off of my life. My son would be moving out to live with his German Oma!

[DCJenn]

The experiment itself was flippin' brilliant but it was stupidity to not tell the BF's parents- unless HE, the BF thought they'd blow it. He was in on it too, after all.

J.

[GrayMatterWife]

I would be FURIOUS if my son's girlfriend did this and I was out of the loop. The amount of emotional angst and turmoil would be huge.

Your fury could turn into a lawsuit. Intentional infliction of emotional distress, among other potential causes of action.

Setting aside the issue of whether this was an appropriate senior thesis and about a half-dozen weaknesses with the premise of her project, what a shockingly selfish thing to do--to not include all the intimately affected people. It is some kind of irony that this girl was doing a project to make her more aware of the experience of others.

[PrincessFiona]

I agree gmw. The principal really set himself up too as the condoning adult associated with the school. Yikes.


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[Mrs. MD, Esq.]

The superintendent approved it too...I agree it was messed up not to tell boyfriend's parents. I would be livid.

Perhaps there were extenuating circumstances with the boyfriends parents. Also, he was a legal adult, right? So as far as the school's obligation, or even authority to inform, the parents didn't really come into play.