By Aubrey Hastings
Student Life Editor
The most valuable thing you could ever give to another person on this earth is your time. It is always the heart’s most desired gift to receive, and one that is entirely non-refundable. Giving of yourself in order to put a smile on another person’s
face is the most rewarding experience you will ever have.
The members of the Washington College Service Council know this lesson well and live it even better. They are an organization involved with service projects on campus, within the Chestertown community and beyond.
On Saturday, Feb. 12, the Service Council held their second Valentine’s Dance for the local retirement community Heron Point. Junior Sarah Franklin was the head chair of this event, in collaboration with the staff of Heron Point. The dance was open for all WC students to attend, as all Service Council projects are.
WC Service Council President Jesse Schaefer said, “Extending service into the community is one of the four levels of service which we commit to, but I hesitate to call this a service project because it is one of the easiest events to put on and really benefits both parties equally. The residents at Heron Point are so gracious; they love to host and always provide us with the wisdom to put our exuberance to good use. When we approached them with the idea last year, they were very enthusiastic and supportive. Without the support, on both financial and conceptual aspects, the event would not be such a success.”
The dance was a huge success in large part to the great turn out of WC students who came out ready to embrace the Heron Point community with open arms. The response students received by simply being there was truly overwhelming. I imagine if you tried to bottle every “thank you” uttered from residents that evening, there would not be one large enough to contain them all.
“I could never thank you all enough for being here and doing this on your Saturday night. You know it really means a lot to all of us to have you here; you all bring life into this place. Some of us here look forward to this night for weeks because of what you bring to us,” said Anne, a Heron Point resident. It was quite a wonderful sight to behold. Young men from WC dressed in their best, bow ties and all, flower in hand, asking the older women if they would be willing to give them this dance. Young ladies were eagerly accompanying the residents who were just happy to watch the dance floor, and share a story or two to a listening ear. Resident couples well into their golden anniversary years took the dance floor in heartbeat.
Throughout the night, the Service Council awarded residents with rewards such as best dancer, which went to Anne, who fearlessly tried even the “electric slide” and the “chicken dance” with the beat of WC Students. There were several residents there who could not physically stand and dance because of their wheel chairs. However, the WC students did not let this hold anyone back from the spotlight. They organized a dance line where students stood on each side while others would push the residents down the middle aisle as everyone cheered them on.
At the end of the night, no one’s name ended up in lights but even the grandest of “thank you’s” meant little compared to the opportunity to see the faces of the Heron Point residents light up. If you were to ask any of the students there why they even went to Heron Point that night; without a doubt they would say, “just to see them smile.”
Senior Leah Sbriscia said, “This activity is great because it unites generations, and Heron Point really loves to have us come. We truly enjoy sharing this special night with the residents of Heron Point.”
The stories told were timeless and priceless. You left compelled to look in the mirror and could not help but think about time, as the residents would come up to you individually and tell you about a time when they were 20, and how it felt like only yesterday. As the saying goes, c’est la vie … such is life.
For more information on how to get involved with the WC Service Council or for future volunteering opportunities contact: Jesse Schaefer at jschaefer2@washcoll.edu or Leah Sbriscia at lscbriscia2@washcoll.edu. It is never too late to get involved.
February 18, 2011
Volume LXXXI Issue 15