Seniors Celebrate at Intergenerational Prom

Whether it was reminiscing about high school proms of the 1950s and '60s, or experiencing the prom for the very first time, members of the Ellington Senior Center got to celebrate on Friday – and brought an infusion of the new century with them.

Approximately 40 people, including senior citizens from Ellington, Tolland and Vernon, in addition to intermediate, high school and college students, all decked out in their finery, converged on the  for an evening of finger foods, music and dancing and the crowning of the prom's “king and queen,” Bill and Paula Jacobsen.

“We wanted a senior prom to combine our senior days [in high school] back in the '50s and '60s with what kids are doing now with their prom – it's intergenerational,” said Hal Tibbetts, president of the Better Age Club. “They can see a lot of things we do are similar.”

It was Tibbetts who originally brought up the idea of holding a senior prom at the senior center – the question sparked a bit of nostalgia for center director Erin Graziani, who remembers seeing pictures from a senior ball, held at Ellington High, around the time she took the directorship in Ellington. Back in 1985, Mary Frances Murphy, Ellington's municipal agent, did have a senior ball at , Graziani recalled.

“I remember seeing it in the town report,” Graziani said.

The ball, she believes, only continued for a short time. When Tibbetts asked about having a prom at the senior center, Graziani's thoughts went back to that 1980s time frame.

“I wanted to do something with the student intern we had,” said Graziani. “Part of her assignment was to work with Hal [Tibbetts], Pat [Stoughton] and me and get the students involved at the high school. At the same time, I was getting calls from freshmen, sophomores and their parents for community service. The next intern finished the project to connect the two groups together.” 

Starting with the Class of 2013, EHS students will need 30-40 hours of community service in order to graduate. Sophomore Luke LaBranche has been volunteering at the center for more than a year.

“They told us about the idea and they asked us to help (with everything from the food, decor, and event programs,” he said.

Two student musicians – Ben Tempelman and Justin Graziani – also provided music via drums, keyboard and piano, to entertain prom-goers.

, in the midst of its planned to the Shops at 30 in Vernon and at the height of prom season, graciously donated tuxes to the male students who wanted to wear a tux to the event.

Students helping with this event, which included a number of planning meetings, will walk away with at least 15 hours of their service done, said Graziani.

Junior Meaghan Maguire doesn't need the community service hours, but helped out at the prom anyway.

“I did it more because I was helping out here with a few other things,” she said, including the holiday bazaar and organizing a different project at the center.

Out on the dance floor, Ellington residents Amelia and Adam Kurpat had a moment in the spotlight, as they had the floor to themselves for one dance. Amelia's pink gown twirled gracefully with each spin she took. For Amelia, this was her very first prom. She didn't attend her prom at Rockville High School in 1955.

“I didn't start dating until I was out of high school,” said Amelia, who grew up in Vernon. “I used to enjoy the dances in the gymnasium [with friends]. We learned how to dance in gym class,” she added.

“When I went to a prom in 1956, we had to dance 12 inches apart,” said Tibbetts, holding up a ruler. “And no one ever paid any attention to it!”

For history buffs, Ellington did not yet have its own high school in the 1950s. According to Appraisal Vision Assessments, the school wasn't built until 1964.

Some of the seniors attending Friday's prom went to Rockville High School, when it was still located at the Sykes Building in Rockville Center. At the time, students from Vernon, Ellington, Tolland and Somers attended RHS, until each town built its own school.