On Tuesday February 26th, the Life Course Scholars held a dance event for the seniors at the Casa de Manana living community in La Jolla. I was a part of the planning committee for the event, which was rock 'n' roll themed. To be honest, I wasn't sure how to feel about planning this event after seeing how luxurious Casa was during our first visit. I didn't feel like the seniors at Casa needed events like this because they are already wealthy and privileged living there. This was reflected in the planning process. Our planning group had minimal tasks to complete for the event compared to the West Center prom planning group. Other than selecting the decorations and setting up the raffle, the staff members at Casa de Manana handled the rest. They had all the resources to do so.
Despite being skeptical leading up to the dance, I enjoyed the night and was really glad to see the seniors enjoying it too. There was a live band that kept the energy up throughout the night (though with a questionable setlist of oldies). I greeted folks as they came in and handed out raffle tickets, so I got to see many of their faces light up as they walked in and saw the decorations, photobooth, and even when receiving a raffle ticket. My favorite part was seeing some of the seniors wearing photobooth props like oversized glasses and leis throughout the whole night, and taking photobooth polaroids with the other Life Course Scholars. The turnout was a lot higher than I expected, so it was a pleasant surprise to see the room nearly filled. The dance floor, to be brutally honest, was a little awkward because most of the seniors were sitting down instead of dancing. It was an effort to get some of the couples to dance but they said they enjoyed watching us dance. Everyone seemed to be having a good time where they were which is still a success. All in all, I think it was a successful night and I'm really looking forward to the West Center prom next weekend.
Despite being skeptical leading up to the dance, I enjoyed the night and was really glad to see the seniors enjoying it too. There was a live band that kept the energy up throughout the night (though with a questionable setlist of oldies). I greeted folks as they came in and handed out raffle tickets, so I got to see many of their faces light up as they walked in and saw the decorations, photobooth, and even when receiving a raffle ticket. My favorite part was seeing some of the seniors wearing photobooth props like oversized glasses and leis throughout the whole night, and taking photobooth polaroids with the other Life Course Scholars. The turnout was a lot higher than I expected, so it was a pleasant surprise to see the room nearly filled. The dance floor, to be brutally honest, was a little awkward because most of the seniors were sitting down instead of dancing. It was an effort to get some of the couples to dance but they said they enjoyed watching us dance. Everyone seemed to be having a good time where they were which is still a success. All in all, I think it was a successful night and I'm really looking forward to the West Center prom next weekend.