The peer counseling class will publish the third edition of their annual magazine, BLISS (Beauty, Love, Intelligence, Servant and Strong), for junior high and high school girls, Sept. 12. Peer counseling students continue to produce the magazine to reach out and influence the younger girls of the school.

Molly Sargent, girls’ counselor, began BLISS in ’06 to minister to a larger audience of preteen and teenage girls.

“We brainstormed in class one day and realized there were only two types of magazines for girls their age, Seventeen and CosmoGIRL!, which focus on appearance and dating,” Sargent said. “Meanwhile, Christian magazines are often so preachy that they lose girls’ interest. We wanted to create something in between.”

Ani Paparigian, ’09, contributes to the magazine in an effort to encourage her younger peers.

“The reason we make the magazine is to show young girls that they are beautiful no matter what,” Paparigian said, “and to encourage them not to gossip or spread rumors. We are all daughters of God.”

Taryn Brown, ’08 alumna, says she learned about service while in peer counseling and working on the magazine.

“Last year was my first year doing (the magazine),” Brown said. “I joined because I thought it would be a fun way to reach out to people and be there for them.”

Each girl designs a page for the magazine, with topics ranging from fashion advise to music.

“I love that I got to do the craft page,” Paparigian said. “It was hard to choose what craft item to write about, so I went with something that is currently in fashion.”

Sargent admires the girls’ determination to create the magazine.

“The girls in this class have done an amazing job of working on this,” Sargent said. “We feel the need still exists for BLISS. It’s still a great way for the students to express good morals and be a mentor to the younger kids.”

For more information, visit Krissy Dembach’s May 19, ’06, article, BLISS creates positive image or e-mail Molly Sargent.