For LEAP students, volunteering at the Walker County Senior Center has become a familiar—and much-enjoyed—part of our community involvement. Our visits tend to follow a comfortable routine: arrive around 9:30am, play Bingo, move on to cards and other games, converse with the congregants, and then enjoy lunch together.
Wednesday’s visit followed much of that routine, although there were a few surprises along the way.
As usual, Bingo was the first order of business. LEAP students helped call the games, sat with congregants, and participated in the friendly competition that invariably accompanies Bingo at the Senior Center. As we have learned from previous visits, Bingo may be a game, but that does not mean it isn’t serious business! And, in a first, Professor Yawn even took his turn calling Bingo, before turning it back over to the pros.
After Bingo, the group spread out for cards, conversation, and Wii games. These activities are fun, of course, but they also provide the larger purpose behind our visits. Sitting around a table playing cards—or simply talking—gives students an opportunity to get to know people they might not otherwise meet. The conversations range from families and careers to Huntsville history and current events, offering a form of intergenerational learning that goes well beyond the classroom.
This week, however, we added a new sport to our repertoire: balloon pickleball.
With balloons substituting for pickleballs, the game provided a slightly slower—but no less entertaining—version of one of the country’s fastest-growing sports. The fun even prompted the Senior Center Director, Stacey Loll, to give it a go–turns out she has a heck of a backhand! And while the balloons occasionally had minds of their own, that only added to the fun and laughter.
Brittlyn had particular fun with the “sport,” managing to be both a participant and a scorekeeper, an intriguing conflict of interest.
We also had the opportunity to see a familiar SHSU face, Dr. Kevin Randall, whose daughter participates in the Senior Center’s Wednesday activities. Seeing Dr. Randall was another reminder of something we frequently discover while volunteering: Huntsville is a wonderfully interconnected community, and our paths often cross in unexpected places.
Eventually, games gave way to lunch, conversation continued, and another Senior Center visit came to an end.
The activities may be similar each week—Bingo, cards, games, conversation, and lunch—but the people ensure that no two visits are quite the same. And that is precisely why we enjoy coming back.
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