Greeks hold 'Senior Prom' at nursing home

The senior prom is one of the fondest memories to look back on as people grow older. The good music, dancing with a date and bowls full of chips and punch all come back when reassurance is needed in life. Greek members from two houses at IU decided they wanted to bring those good feelings to their community.\nThe brothers of Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity teamed up with the sisters at Alpha Chi Omega sorority to put on a 'Senior Prom' for senior residents Sunday afternoon at the Beverly Health Care Center. The occasion is familiar to Greek philanthropy, but the event came along with a different twist. Sophomore Brennan Boland, philanthropy chairman for the fraternity, conceived the idea of a senior prom to give back to the community in a more enthusiastic way.\n"We wanted to do something other than … the boring community service that people don't like," Boland said. "I wanted to do something that people would get involved in and have fun with."\nBoland got the idea from a community service event held at his high school in South Bend. He quickly sent word out to sororities on campus and got an eager response from sophomore Kristen Arnold of Alpha Chi Omega. The dance, which lasted about two hours, was dressed up with prom decorations and balloons as classic oldies music filled the room. \n"A lot of them are in wheelchairs and can't dance, but they get out here and tell their stories of when they were our age, and they just get a kick out of just watching us," said Boland.\nBut Arnold insisted the seniors were taking full advantage of the event. \n"They're getting kind of crazy," she said. "I don't know, maybe they'll wear us out."\nBecause the elderly are often forgotten at nursing homes, Boland said he wanted to reach out to them the most and added that he couldn't believe how receptive they were to the students.\n"There's one lady in a wheelchair that can't dance, but she was so excited because she doesn't get any visitors, and she just thinks it's the greatest thing in the world to have us all here and have somebody to talk to."\nResident Sheila Sigern, who danced despite being restricted to a wheelchair, has been at the center for four months for rehab and gleamed when asked to describe what the young men and women had given her.\n"Oh my, we don't have nothing to do hardly, and everybody has been really good to us," she said. "And I think they've enjoyed their selves, too."\nSophomore Kyle Klinger said the event wasn't just about giving memories to the community, but also about gaining something for himself.\n"It's rewarding to make these people's day," he said. "You get to listen to their stories and learn a lot about history because they've got a lot to say. It just makes you feel good. It brightens their day as well as my day."\n-- Contact staff writer Aishah Hasnie at ahasnie@indiana.edu.