On Saturday night, when 27 Milton Academy seniors invited Milton–area senior citizens to campus for a senior-senior prom, Milton Academy’s Thacher room came to life.
Senior citizens from three area senior residences, Winter Valley, Unquity and Fuller Village arrived on campus in a bus chartered by the Academy’s community service program. Students meeting the bus offered their arms to the evening’s guests and welcomed them inside for a night of fun and laughter.
The seniors and the seniors, both dressed in their Sunday best, gathered around white-clothed tables to enjoy light fare and conversation. Many hit the dance floor while music from the ‘30s, ‘40s and ‘50s, as well as some of today’s top hits, played in the background.
“Before the senior-senior prom, I danced like I had two left feet,” explains Ross Reilly, “ but that night the ladies taught me the polka, waltz and jitterbug. We were cutting up the rug all night; now I’m a pro on the dance floor.”
Those who didn’t dance enjoyed the camaraderie. One woman, a French war bride, was thrilled for the chance to converse with students in her native language. Others shared stories and compared notes on what life is like or was like as a teenager.
Pam McArdle, class dean, said the experience was wonderful. “The students were amazing, they were welcoming and made their guests feel comfortable. They were amazed at what they had learned that evening and how much fun bridging the generation gap could be.”
Pam and fellow class dean Juan Ramos hope the senior-senior prom will become a Milton tradition.
