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Fun Without The Sun
Local BBYOers sing, dance and save the world during Regional Convention.
MARA REINSTEIN SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
C
PHOTOS BY BI LL HANSEN
lub Med versus the Jew- Regional Convention, held this
ish Community Center? week at the Maple-Drake JCC.
It's no contest. So said the
Michigan Region's BBYO Ex-
hundreds of Michigan ecutive Director Arnie Weiner
B'nai B'rith Youth Organization called their decision a wise one.
teen-agers who passed up their
"Convention is an awful lot of
chance to bask in the warm glow fun," he said. "So many kids tell
of 80-degree weather. Instead, their parents that they want to
they chose to attend the biggest stay home over vacation just to
— and literally, the coolest — go to it."
programming event of the year,
With its theme "BBYO Saves
the World," the event set one of
its goals as strengthening spirit
through competitions that show-
cased individual and chapter
skills, ranging from physical con-
tests like track, swimming, vol-
leyball and ping-pong to
academic ones like a quiz bowl
and extemporaneous writing.
Highlights of the con-
vention included the cheer,
song and talent-show com-
petitions. Chapters created
an original Michigan Re-
gion-flavored cheer, mak-
ing up a song about BBYO
to the tunes of radio clas-
sics. Selected chapters per-
formed a talent show
Monday at Congregation
Shaarey Zedek in front of a large
audience of students, parents
and BBYO alumni.
"Cheers, songs and talent
shows are the best because
everyone participates," said co-
coordinator Tracy Weiss, a mem-
ber of Ahavah BBG. 'They're an
to watch, and they have a lot of
energy."
As always, convention dele-
gates participated in a commu-
nity service program, making
more than 1,000 sandwiches dur-
ing Tuesday's Peanut Butter &
Jellyathon. They were donated to
the Pontiac Rescue Mission.
BBYOers enjoyed several new
convention events this year. One
was the AZAJBBG Separates
Program, which had regional ex-
ecutive boards demonstrating
how delegates could program in
their various folds, such as sis-
terhoods and recreation, athlet-'
is and social action groups.
Participants also dueled in the
first annual Board Game Chal-
lenge.
Some new incentives were
added to old favorites.
The winner of the AZA bas-
FUN page 12
Left:
Team "Funk AZA" members Marc
Weiss, Michael Bagdade, Adam
Docks and Brian Newman won
the first round of Quiz Bowl. They
ponder another question.
Right:
At center, Julius Grinfelb of
Canada enjoys a light moment
during the Quiz Bowl.
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