by Davy James, Staff Writer
Tyra Banks may not be coming to South Brunswick anytime soon, but teen fans of her show, “America’s Next Top Model,” can still get a taste of what it’s like to participate in the competition.
The South Brunswick Public Library will hold a modeling competition for teens in grades eight through 12 beginning in April.
”We like to do teen programs that involve pop culture to try and bring more people into the library,” said Young Adult Librarian Saleena Davidson. “We did a Project Runway competition last year so we’re going to try and do a top model competition this year.”
The models will be asked to pose for an artistic shot, a close-up face shot, appear in a commercial for the library and do a runway show wearing something dressy and something casual.
The competition will have a preliminary round in which contestants will be randomly assigned to dress in stereotypical high school clothing styles, such as goth, skater punk, jock or hip hop. Contestants will bring in their own accessories for their assigned role.
After the preliminary round, a runway show will occur, with an American Idol-style panel of judges critiquing the contestants. Audience votes will determine the winner. The judges will include a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology and the South Brunswick High School student who won the library’s “Project Runway” competition.
The goal of the competition is simple: to get teens to visit.
”We’re hoping to bring in teens who don’t necessarily come to the library,” Ms. Davidson said. “We like to try and hold events that aren’t just about reading and appeal to a teen audience. We try to keep the library relevant for local teens and show them we’re not just a stuffy place with books.”
Registration begins on April 17. Registration is limited to the first 15 teens registered and ends May 1. The preliminary round will be models only from 6 to 8:30 p.m. on May 6. The runway finale will be open to the public from 2 to 4:30 p.m. on May 9. The top three finishers will receive prizes.
For more information or to register in-person, by phone or e-mail, stop by or call the Information Desk at 732-329-4000, ext. 7286, or e-mail at southbrunswickteentalk@yahoo.com.
