What if all popular songs were about chastity and purity? This was the question raised for seniors in their latest theology project.

Seniors in the Lifestyles class were challenged to purify heavily sexualized songs. They were required to rewrite the lyrics, then film a correlating music video. The project allowed students to utilize acquired technology skills and apply their knowledge.

Senior Alexia Nono said, “The video made us use skills from other classes, not just religion, so it was helpful. It was also fun because we were able to record ourselves singing and dancing to our new songs.”

The project was included in the theology class to encourage the course’s lesson of chastity.

Lifestyles teacher Leilani Asuncion-Tagupa said, “Many times when students do written assessments, they don’t keep the material they’ve learned. This project was a way for students to apply their knowledge and remember content. It also promised to be really fun. The videos I’ve seen so far have been really creative and very funny. I have enjoyed them, as have all of the classes. ”

Songs ranged from “Anaconda” by Nicki Minaj to “Let’s Talk About Sex” by Salt-N-Pepa.

Senior Erica Freitas said, “It’s important to see how music affects societal expectations and perception of women. The project allowed us to experience this first-hand and see what changes could be made. From recreating my song, ‘Blurred Lines,’ I learned how difficult it is to find pure messages in society and how uninteresting we make wholesome messages seem.”

Many students found the project to be eye-opening.

Asuncion-Tagupa said, “The project allowed students to really engage with course material and society in general. From what I’ve heard, students had fun and learned a lot while producing a video. Everyone benefited greatly.”