A night under the silvery moon
Senior citizens, St. Michaels students come together for night of dancing

Rueben Hubbell, Kyle Anderson and William Bradley hang out on the dance floor at Villa Guadalupe on Friday afternoon during the Senior Citizens Prom. This was the first year the event was held. — © 2009 Gallup Independent / Brian Leddy

Copyright © 2009
Gallup Independent
By Elizabeth Hardin-Burrola
Staff writer

GALLUP — Friday evening at Villa Guadalupe brought new meaning to the idea of a senior prom.

Yes, the music was loud and the dance floor was crowded.

There were disco lights, paper stars, and a big silver moon made out of foil to go with the evening’s theme of “A Night Under the Silvery Moon.” Out in the hallway, local photographer Bill Noe took photos of happy prom-goers on a park bench set up under a decorated arch.

The girls were pretty with their dresses and corsages, and the boys were handsome in their dress pants and pressed shirts. The students’ youthful energy and exuberance lit up the room like the Christmas lights that twinkled above.

But this was no ordinary senior prom for the students of St. Michael High School. They had actually already had their prom earlier this month. This was a senior citizens’ prom, and it brought the residents of Villa Guadalupe, Gallup’s assisted living facility run by the Little Sisters of the Poor, together with sophomores, juniors, and seniors from St. Mike’s in a happy mix of music and camaraderie.

Staff members and residents came up with the prom idea as a way to celebrate the facility’s year-long 25th anniversary celebration, explained Daryl Shack, the activities director for Villa Guadalupe. Teachers and students from St. Michael High School were enthusiastic about the idea, Shack added, and the evening’s DJs — the Play Button Assassins from Zuni — donated their services.

“It’s just coming together, it’s so awesome,” said Shack, who had to move into the kitchen to talk over the loud music.

“We hope to make this an annual event.”

According to Joan Levitt, an English and journalism teacher, and Katie Christensen, a social studies teacher, almost 50 students signed up for Friday’s senior citizen’s prom. The students, all members of the National Honor Society or the student council, were assigned “dates” from Villa Guadalupe, and spent the evening eating dinner with their partners, taking prom pictures, and dancing.

And like at almost all dances, it took a few brave couples to get the party started. Before long, the dance floor was filled with teens and senior citizens — some with wheelchairs, walkers, canes, and even oxygen tanks — dancing to a funky mix of contemporary music and golden oldies like “The Twist,” “The Locomotion,” and “YMCA.”

“Our students are doing a phenomenal job,” Levitt said.

“They have such a respect for elders.”

Emma Boisselle and Jason Curley, both graduating seniors from St. Michael High School, helped organize the event.

Boisselle said she became interested in volunteering at Villa Guadalupe after her own grandmother, Arletta Hartmann, moved into the facility last July. Curley, the president of St. Mike’s National Honor Society and the student council, said he supported the prom idea because it offered students a way to give back to senior citizens.

“I’m going to encourage next year’s (students) to do the same,” Curley said.

Bobby J. Smith Jr. and Jim DeWeese, two residents of Villa Guadalupe, gave brief interviews during breaks from the dance floor. Smith, from the Navajo community of Cousins, located south of Gallup, said he used to repair shoes and saddles before an injury pushed him into retirement.

DeWeese, who worked for many years in the newsroom of the Gallup Independent, admitted he was having a great time.

“It’s just great to have young kids here,” DeWeese said. “It’s so nice to see girls dressed up and looking like girls,” he added.

“I think they’re happy to be here,” DeWeese said of the teens.

“It’s fun,” agreed Kurtis Silversmith, a sophomore at St. Michael. “Everyone’s having a good time.”

Two girls who thought the evening might prove to be boring admitted they were actually having a great time. Megan Baez and Corey Holyan, both juniors, said the dance at Villa Guadalupe was better than their school’s prom because the Play Button Assassins were playing such good music.

And it wasn’t just the teens who were enjoying the music.

One elderly woman from Mariano Lake, paired with high school junior Chelsea Garnenez, was grooving to the music while she hung onto her walker. Hartmann pointed out another fellow resident, a woman who rarely ever talks, who was out on the dance floor, dancing to song after song.

Sister Monica, a member of the Little Sisters of the Poor, stood surveying the happy crowd. “They’ve been talking about this for days,” she said of the residents. “I think it’s wonderful for both sides.”