continued from TT1

advice column

Dear

real-life answers for high-schoolers facing the real world.

Editor's Note: We're happy to introduce an advice column for teens by teens.
Send your questions to kcohen@renmedia.us . She will forward them to Aver.

Dear Ava,

r

Kuianu members perform at the talent show; the chapter won the BBG Most Distinguished

Chapter award.

I am in eighth-grade and soon will be starting high school. Everyone keeps
warning me about peer pressure and how it is a big problem in high school.
What is peer pressure anyway? I don't understand how it will even affect me
because I feel as if I am smarter than that.

Anonymous

with new moves because what may take up 30 seconds in the act takes about
an hour to choreograph and teach," said Adam Bussell, 17, of Farmington
Hills.

Greenberg members worked on the show at least once a week for about
three months to plan out and learn the entire act. For many chapters, prep-
arations also include rehearsing lyrics or musical instruments. Although
tensions often rose as the show neared, cooperation and patience were
essential to success.
Once the chapter finishes the nuts and bolts of the act, the members usu-
ally meet the week of RC for a dress rehearsal. At this stage, members step
into their costumes for the first time. In my case, I squeezed into a skintight,
somewhat revealing dress — an experience I obviously wasn't used to.
Finally, the act seems to come together. Performers master their moves
and look the part. Everything seems to fall into place.
Before the show, chapters gather in a Temple Israel hallway, decked
out in costume. This year, it would have been easy to spot the colorful
creatures of the Lion King, toys from Toy Story, Israeli soldiers, '50s greasers,
guys in dresses, characters from Mulan and Harry Potter and, of course, the
"wedding guests" from my chapter.

Dear Anonymous,
You will know peer pressure when you see it.
lb"
Peer pressure can consist of doing drugs, drink-
40%
ing, cheating on tests, bullying and many other
real-life situations. It is hard to tell when peer pressure is heading your way; how-
ever, you can avoid it. This may sound cheesy, but just say, "No!" — especially if
what your friends want to do goes against your sense of right and wrong. You will
be tempted because others are joining in and you want to be part of the crowd.
Just know that if your friends are really who you think they are, then don't worry
about their opinion because they will still be your friends even if you don't want
to participate. You have to realize that every typical teenager faces peer pressure.
Always remember to be secure with yourself and stay strong. You won't feel the
need to "join in" if you stay confident in who you are as a person. In the long run,
you will be proud of yourself.
xoxo, Ava

Frankel Jewish Academy sophomore

Stephanie Curhan displays a gift she

wrapped for a student at the Reyes

Center, a preschool in Detroit. Students

in Mindy Robert's Spanish classes have

been donating Christmas gifts to

children there for several years.

The glue on Israeli postage

stamps is certified kosher.

teen2teen staff •

hotline: (248) 351-5144 • kcohen@thejewishnews.com

Reporters Chaviva Bluth, Molly Grossman, Hannah Korelitz, Avi Mendelson, Avielle Movsas, Jamie Rashty, Stephanie Schulman (Akiva

David Banooni of Bloomfield Hills and Brandon Klein of West Bloomfield, both 17, as the

Hebrew Day School, Southfield); Yona Isaacs, Gabriella Ring, Claire Sinai (Berkley); Nechama Tawil (Beth Jacob, Oak Park); Madeleine

Gonte (Birmingham Groves); Rachel Gorosh, Emily Schottenfels, Mara Stein, Rachael Vettese, Rachel Wein (Bloomfield Hills Andover);

Blues Brothers backed by Shapiro AZA members

Hills); Jillian Apel, Tamar Brown, Abbie Ginis, Polina Fradkin, Emily Goodman, Helene Glickman, Rachel Goutman, Heather Grossman, Jes-

Finally, the music starts and the audience roars. It's the opportunity
to wow the judges and electrify the crowd. It's the moment to act a little
crazy, leave usual comfort zones and embrace the embarrassing costumes
and dance moves inevitably involved.
"So much work and time was put into the act — more than I could've
everimagined," saidAlec Shapiro, 14, ofFarmington Hills,
who participated for the first time. "Being a part of it was
a feeling I'll never forget."
Talent show winners were Savage BBG and Jolson
AZA;RC2010's MostDistinguished Chapters were Kulanu
BBG and Shapiro AZA.

Sam Gringlas, 17, is a junior at North Farmington

TT4 teen2teen January 20.2011

High School.

sica Kahn, Rachel Klein, Noam Saper, Talia Schechet, Lexi Smith, Zoe Soble, Maddy Soltz, Sara Weinfeld, Samantha Zwick (Frankel Jew-

ish Academy, West Bloomfield); Rachel Hollander, Ari Weil (Harrison, Farmington Hills); Daniel Chandross (Hillel, Farmington Hills); Mayer

Schneider (home schooled); Rachel Berlin, Sam Gringlas, Elie Neuman, Nate Strauss (North Farmington); Rob Pasick (Novi); Jordana

Hoffman (Oakland Earlyl College, Farmington Hills); Lily Grier, Liza Kohlenberg (Orchard Lake Middle, West Bloomfield); Batsheva Honig

(Walled Lake Northern);Liz Nagle (Walled Lake Western); Jennifer Finkel, Abigail Jankelovitz, Heather Rosenbaum (West Bloomfield); Liza

Kohlenberg (West Bloomfield Orchard Lake Middle School); Mackenzie Coden (West Bloomfield Walnut Creek)

Photographers I Jessica Avery Polk (Frankel), Colton Graub (Cranbrook-Kingswood )

supervising staff

Chief Operating Officer I F. Kevin Browett
Editorial Director I Robert Sklar

Creative Director I Deborah Schultz
IT Director I Deanna Spivey

Executive Editor I Keri Guten Cohen

Teen Consultant I Jon Layne

umaloNf usTA

Abby Hyman (Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood); Mari Cohen (Community, Ann Arbor); Emily Zussman (Detroit Country Day, Beverly

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