metro >> on the cover
Do You Know
What Your Teens Are Up To?
It's 10 p.m.
Young people's concerns prompt a look at JCC Teen Center's public dances.
Staff Report
Detroit Jewish News
Editor's Note: This staff report contains
no actual names because teens and
parents asked for anonymity. The intent
is not to stop Teen Center parties
or activities, nor to fault the Jewish
Community Center. Our goal is to make
parents aware and to keep teens safe.
"A drunk girl stumbles into me on the
dance floor, slurring a confused apology
before careening her way to the other
side of the room. Two minutes later, I
watch three security guards escort her
out of the building Taking a break from
dancing, Igo to get myself a glass of
water.
"After having my behind pinched by
anonymous males on two separate occa-
sions, I find a seat on the outskirts of the
dance floor. The guy on my right reeks
so strongly of marijuana I myself begin
to feel lightheaded, and the almost-hor-
izontal couple to my left seem to have
forgotten they are occupying a public
space. Guess where I am, reader. A club?
A bar? A music festival? Wrong wrong
and wrong again. I cordially welcome
you to a Saturday night dance at your
local West Bloomfield JCC's Teen Center."
— Rachel
(not her real name), a local teen
T
eenagers and dance parties are a
natural combination, so it is no
surprise that hundreds of teens
flock to the dances held several times a
year at the Wagner Teen Center, adjacent
to the Jewish Community Center in West
Bloomfield.
What is unexpected is the presence of
teens who appear to be high on drugs or
alcohol, or who overdo public displays
of affection.
The Jewish News learned about the
unexpected teen behavior at these danc-
es from Joel (not his real name), a local
teen who has attended these dances and
expressed his concerns in an email to IN
editors. He echoed Rachel's observations
about teens that seemed to be drunk
or high, and said he smelled marijuana
when he used the restroom. He also
was disturbed by how many non-Jewish
10 June 7 - 2012
teens were at a -dance he attended in the
winter, estimating that the number of
non-Jews was almost double the number
of Jewish attendees. He said he observed
several cars in the parking lot with cru-
cifixes hanging from rearview mirrors.
Rachel guessed the number of non-
Jewish teens comprised about 25 per-
cent of the total number of attendees
the night she was there.
These teens — and perhaps some of
their parents — were expecting attend-
ees at the dance to be Jewish and likely
were not aware the JCC does not restrict
most of its events according to religion.
According to Tal Siegmann, director
of the JCC's Teen and Youth Department,
the JCC policy is that non-Jews can-
not be excluded from membership or
participation in its various classes and
programs, including preschool and day
camp. He added that there is no viable
way to determine how many teens at the
dances are Jewish.
Siegmann says the periodic dances
held during the academic school year
were instituted to give teens a safe,
supervised environment and a place
to gather to meet each other. They also
provide another use for the JCC's well-
appointed teen center, which opened in
2009.
(These dances are not to be confused
with the various youth groups and orga-
nizations that hold private events there
for their members. The teen center also
can be rented for private parties.)
Siegmann said the staff is aware of
past problems at public teen center
dances and has numerous security mea-
sures in place to prevent problems such
as those described by Rachel or Joel.
In addition to private security person-
nel and a parking lot patrol provided by
the West Bloomfield Police Department,
parent volunteers and JCC staff mem-
bers serve as chaperones. Siegmann said
there are usually 12 15 adults at each
dance, which is an increase from past
years.
"We are trying to be proactive
Siegmann said. "The adults are con-
stantly roaming, and anyone who is
acting inappropriately is escorted out.
Some kids have driven away after seeing
the police cars in the parking lot."
-
Parents React
Marla (not her real name), the parent of
three local teens, has trepidations about
allowing her kids to attend teen center
dances. She remembers an evening last
winter when a dance fell on the same