Seniors and Students to dance the day away at “Prom” The young and young at heart will come together for an afternoon of food, music and fun at Loyola College’s 17th Annual Senior Citizens’ Prom on Sunday, Feb. 18. The event takes place from 1- 4 p.m. in McGuire Hall on the College’s North Charles Street campus. This year’s theme, “An Evening in Roma,” is inspired by the Frank Sinatra song of the same name. McGuire Hall will be transformed into a fine Italian restaurant, while the food will include pasta, biscotti and pizzelle cookies. Music will be provided by Mr. Dance Band, a 19-piece ensemble specializing in Sinatra and other standards. Even the event favors, picture frames designed to hold the Polaroids taken of guests during the event, will reflect the Prom’s Italian theme. As always, the Prom will end with crowing of the King and Queen, the man and woman voted most spirited and enthusiastic. The two step forward to receive their crowns, which they keep, and for a spotlight dance. Since its establishment in 1990, the Prom has helped Loyola students form connections with the area’s elderly citizens, encouraging friendships as well as volunteer opportunities. “It’s also a great way to get the senior citizens out of their residential communities to interact with younger people and enjoy something they don’t normally get to do,” says Vittoria DiProspero, ’08, one of the student coordinators of the Community Service Council (CSC), the Center for Community Service and Justice program that plans the Prom. To make it easier for seniors to attend the Prom, the CSC arranges for shuttles to take them to and from from several local agencies, including Gallagher Mansion, Keswick Multicare System, the Loch Raven Senior Center and St. Elizabeth’s, as well as area residents who sign up for the Prom as individuals. More than 100 senior citizens attended last year’s Prom. Throughout the afternoon, most of the excitement is found on the dance floor, where guests join in classic dances like the jitterbug and learn some newer steps demonstrated by Loyola students. “They can’t stay still,” says Marie Goff, ’08, the other CSC coordinator. The Prom is one of many events coordinated by the CSC, a gateway program designed to encourage College students to engage in service opportunities. Often, students volunteer for a one-time event like the Prom and decide to volunteer at an agency for the elderly on an ongoing basis. For information on attending, or volunteering at, the Prom, please e-mail the Community Service Council at csc@loyola.edu or call 410-617-2989. | 
