TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Leslie Agee, Brookwood High School sophomore, never expected to be at a mall, frozen, unable to shop.
But as a member of the University Mall Teen Team, freeze modeling is just one of the fun activities that Agee participates in. Agee, who is vice president of the group, has been on the Teen Team for three years, and was on the junior team two years before that.
“It’s fun,” Agee said of the experience. “You have to stand in a window for 30 minutes and you can’t move. We eyeball the little kids.”
During the school year, the Teen Team puts on fashion shows at the mall, handles promotions such as handing out coupons, staffs mall events, fairs and festivals, and also does outside community service when members have the time and the option.
“They are ambassadors for the mall and they also staff a lot of the events that we have going on usually targeted for kids,” said Rebecca Royen, assistant marketing director for University Mall.
The University Mall Teen Team is recruiting teens for next year’s team now, and applications are due April 23. Auditions will be held the following week, Royen said.
The team, which has 35 members this year, is open to girls and boys.
Teen team activities are, to an extent, determined by members, Royen said.
If there is something a member is interested in supporting, the team tries to get on board when possible.
In addition to doing things such as dressing up for Santa’s arrival, the team also volunteers with groups like United Cerebral Palsy of West Alabama and The Salvation Army.
Auditions are group auditions, which means teens will be asked questions in groups, and applicants are also asked to give a two-minute presentation or performance for a panel.
“We try to make it comfortable and not too nerve-racking,” Royen said. “If you draw in your free time, you can show us stuff that you draw. It can be anything. We just ask that it’s something that expresses their personality or creativity. We’re just trying to get to know a little bit about the candidates that we can’t see from their applications.
“There is a lot of responsibility that goes with it. We’re looking for dependable, responsible, initiative takers to be on the team.”
Royen said teens who apply should be serious about the commitment and make sure they have the time.
“We may get a great candidate that we just think is overcommitted and have to turn them away,” Royen said. “We look for people with kind of a good balance.”
Agee found out about the team from a friend and said it’s “a lot of fun.”
“You do the freeze modeling and fashion shows and stuff, as well as community service, and that looks good on college applications,” Agee said. “It’s a great self esteem builder, getting out in front of people and modeling those clothes. It takes a lot.”
But the best part has nothing to do with dressing up in nice clothes, Agee said.
“You meet a lot of friends, and that’s great,” she said.
State and Nation
Freeze models feature teen fashion in Tuscaloosa
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