Antonella is seventeen. She lives in Milan with her parents and her little brother.
Her mentor Ian teaches behavioural studies in Aberdeen, which is exactly what Antonella wants to study once she's done with school. Over the last few years she has read a fair number of books on the subject, one of her absolute favourites is Dan Ariely. |
It was a TV documentary she saw at the age of twelve that triggered her decision.
She knew straight away "I want to know how people think. How they make decisions, how they're influenced. I want
to know all about the conscious and subconscious stuff on our minds!" Meanwhile, she's already a junior expert on bias.
She knew straight away "I want to know how people think. How they make decisions, how they're influenced. I want
to know all about the conscious and subconscious stuff on our minds!" Meanwhile, she's already a junior expert on bias.
The documentary was about blind auditions.
For the first time Antonella realized just how biased people are in daily life and what it takes to counteract. The negative aspects of bias particularly affect women and people of colour. Bias may favour a certain age group, someone with better looks or less weight, an applicant with a specific social background and many others. No wonder that blind auditions have helped to raise the percentage of female musicians in orchestras considerably! And back then, a passionate twelve-year old Italian girl with two very close girlfriends of African descent thought: "We should be doing this with tests and exams in school too." This became an "idée fixe" with her. |
So, how about blind tests and exams in schools?
Her mentorship with Ian began in the summer of 2020. That's when both - just as the rest of the world - were quite hopeful that they would soon be able to lead a normal life again. Well, as we know, the lockdowns and restrictions were here to stay for a long time yet. And one lunchtime, just before Christmas 2020, Antonella said: "I am so thoroughly fed up with living like this. It feels like I have food, but it has no taste. I need to do something to put some spice back into my life!"
And her little brother, ten years old and always cheerful, said what he always said, many times a day: "Do some crazy shit!"
And her little brother, ten years old and always cheerful, said what he always said, many times a day: "Do some crazy shit!"
"Alright!", she decided. "I will." And she sat down to write to Ian.
"I want to talk about something crazy, I wonder what you think." She went on to explain her idea about blind tests and exams in school. "If it was possible to make this the standard procedure even in orchestras that had been all male for so long, surely it ought to be worthwhile to discuss this for our school systems!"
"I want to talk about something crazy, I wonder what you think." She went on to explain her idea about blind tests and exams in school. "If it was possible to make this the standard procedure even in orchestras that had been all male for so long, surely it ought to be worthwhile to discuss this for our school systems!"
Ian, to her delight, said: "Let's do that! That's the kind of crazy shit I love best. This has the potential to become something really big, you know! It may not be a top priority for the STEM subjects, but it certainly ought to be in the arts and languages. Frankly, I often felt unfairly judged myself.
In my own schooldays I noticed this many times - if the personal chemistry between teacher and student is right, the results will be fine too. We all know how subjective an essay can be rated. And I also know - that's just as relevant - how much it can hurt to be accused of being biased as a teacher. So - yes, let's tackle this!" Antonella and Ian decided to dive into the matter together, to talk to friends, peers and colleagues about it, start an online dialogue on the Global Natives network and then turn this into a professional project. |
"After all, we have", said Ian, "this mission to make the world a better place!"
Aye, you may think now, this is not really "crazy shit" at all, but you may acknowledge that it is a good idea.
Think again and imagine you were a teenager in lockdown - without a network, without a mentor, without kindred spirits: Who would pluck up the courage to tackle something this big, aiming to have a global and lasting impact?
So here's the definition of CRAZY SHIT we like best:
"Crazy shit is slang for anything weird, wild, wayward, way out there, and, occasionally, utterly wonderful."
It's only been a few weeks since then and there is enthusiastic support from teenagers, university students, educators of
all levels and parents too. Antonella's idée fixe strikes a chord with everyone. And her life has plenty of spice in it again.
The Bolder Bonds project supports such "crazy shit" - little brothers an' all - and would love to see more of it!