Sugar suggests teen version of 'Apprentice'

A line of teenagers strings along the side of the building and stops at the corner as each one waits in anticipation. Once at the front of the line, the wait ends; the doors of the club open. The area inside is dark with special lighting effects, a stage, some tables and about two hundred teenagers dancing or mingling in crowds.

These types of teen events that mimic the typical clubbing scene are growing increasingly popular in the Bay Area. Nightclubs like The Abyss and restaurants like Illusions Fayrouz Dining and Entertainment have held teen club nights in the past and are becoming routine as the number of interested teens grows.

The Abyss on California Ave., typically a nightclub for the 21-and-over crowd, holds teen nightclub events known as "Glow" nights on special Sunday nights when there is no school on the consecutive Monday and is open every Sunday night during the summer. Junior Eric Jones first heard about The Glow from his friends.

"It's a good way to meet new people," Jones said. "It's basically a school dance, but better because there are a lot of new people. Around 200 to 300 people usually go. Also, it has the best DJs around and sometimes there are even live performances."

Although some consider The Glow to be a great socializing opportunity, others feel differently. Junior Jessica Cruz, who currently attends Foothill Middle College, did not get a good impression of the teen nightclub.

"I used to go regularly, but I don't really like it anymore," Cruz said. "The music isn't that great and it is a bit extreme."

The Glow advertises a special guest DJ performance from Wild 94.9, a local radio station. However, Cruz said that the music is different from songs played on the radio and is disappointing.

Junior Ashraf El Gamal has also attended a Glow Sunday before and like Cruz found it to be extreme.

"It seemed like the people there were desperate and weird," El Gamal said. "There are people just making out all over the place and it was kind of intimidating."

Inside, there is a bar, a dining area, a main stage and a smaller stage with cages on top of it. However, many of those features are unavailable when the club is open as The Glow.

The bar sells only non-alcoholic beverages and both the eating area and the cages are off limits. The Glow is designed for teenagers with ages ranging from 14 through 17 with a few restrictions.

A current form of identification is required to enter and once inside the club, students are not allowed to leave and return.

Although the club's capacity is 1,000 people, individuals have the option of buying pre-sale tickets to ensure a spot.

Tickets bought before 7:30 p.m. cost $5. After 7:30 p.m., tickets are sold for $20. Glow nights are held from 7 p.m. to 12 a.m.

Another place for local teen club nights is Illusions Fayrouz Dining and Entertainment, located on 260 S. California Ave. Similar to The Glow, teen nights at Illusions, known as the "All-Peninsula Under 18 Parties," are not the restaurant's primary concern, as Illusions is regularly a Mediterranean restaurant. In general, students agree that Illusions is better for a teen night.

"I've been to Illusions before and it was a lot better [than The Glow], mostly because a lot more people that I knew went," El Gamal said.

Sophomore Silvia Maraboli attends