Ramapo College students joined Allie Shapiro, the Coordinator for Community Engagement in the Civic and Community Engagement Center (CCEC), on a service trip to the Mahwah Senior Center on Friday, Feb. 14. The seven students assisted in running the center’s Valentine’s Day Party, bringing together close to 100 Mahwah senior citizens for a festive celebration.
The Ramapo College students worked with staff and other volunteers at the center to prepare a fondue-smorgasbord for the seniors. Those in attendance received bowls filled with chocolate fondue, accompanying a variety of “dippers,” such as cinnamon-coated apple slices, bread, broccoli, pretzels and other sweet fruits, including strawberries and pineapple.
The event served as an alternative opportunity from the CCEC’s usual service partnership with the center, “Technology Tutoring at the Mahwah Senior Center,” where Mahwah seniors are able to bring their technology questions and concerns to a group of student volunteers and learn basic technological literacy, such as how to create photo collages or set up social media accounts.
“The Civic and Community Engagement Center has partnered with the Mahwah Senior Center since the spring of 2022,” Shapiro explained. “Over the summer, I began chatting with Nikki Van Harken and Ali Duroy– our staff contacts at the senior center– about expanding beyond technology tutoring. I let them know that if they ever had any events or programs that needed some extra hands, that they could give us a call. And they did! As a professional staff of two, the Senior Center team greatly appreciates volunteers to help run their large-scale events, such as their End-of-Summer Party, Halloween Party, Valentine’s Day Party, and more.”
The event also included a physical element — dancing. Ramapo Alum Rob Johnston ‘15 DJ’d the event, keeping both the student volunteers and Mahwah seniors on their feet, enjoying upbeat Salsa music, fan favorites and many classic hits, including Frankie Valli’s holiday-appropriate “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.”
Ramapo College students spend the last hour and a half of their trip dancing and entertaining the seniors, all while learning a few tricks from the seniors, as well. If you’ve never learned the Electric Slide, you were sure to learn at the Valentine’s Day Party!
This service opportunity did a lot more than assist in running the party, it also allowed students to build intergenerational connections with generations that they may not usually have a lot of exposure to.
“Though I acknowledge that not even close to all of the students at Ramapo fall into the 18-24 age-range; many do,” explained Shapiro. “Often, intergenerational connection on a college campus looks like interactions with staff, faculty, and administrators. Though, within these interactions, there tends to be inherent roles and dynamics we fall into. Don’t get me wrong— these interactions are still valuable, but I believe opportunities like those that the Senior Center facilitates with us are a change up for the normal day-to-day for a college student.”
Shapiro adds that these few hours of intergenerational and community interaction — outside of RCNJ — can be a nice way to brighten your day. Especially for students that may be living away from home — or if living at home, having less time to spend with family.
She emphasized that people of all ages have a lot to learn from each other and that these opportunities provide a platform for teaching and learning, all around. Students get to share their technological knowledge, stories about their studies and the Ramapo College experience with local seniors.
“Our local seniors get to share stories of their families, their wisdom on all sorts of topics, and are obviously learning about technology or enjoying a fun celebration in the process of it all,” said Shapiro.
sglisson@ramapo.edu
Featured photo by Sarah Glisson
