Since 1992, the Adult Health and Development Program has united Nicholls students with senior citizens from the community for exercise and new life experiences.
“The program encourages students to interact with diverse populations and to encounter a different mix of people on a normal basis,” Angela Hammerli, the director for the Adult Health and Development Program, said.
Hammerli said the program starts off with giving the members an education lecture by the nursing faculty or physicians on topics such as blood pressure, diabetes and stroke prevention. Then, the senior citizens do warm up exercises with the students. After warm up, the senior citizens are allowed to pick out of two slot times to participate in different activities. This year the program has fun activities planned for the senior citizens such as recreational games, weight lifting, yoga and even chair aerobics.
“Health and PE 492 is a stress relief class that you look forward to at the end of the day. It is an awesome program that teaches college students how to intertwine with the older generation,” Doris Savoie, General Family and Consumer sciences senior from Thibodaux said.
The program is also in conjunction with the Lafourche and Assumption Councils on Aging. Both of the agencies send senior citizens in their parish who are interested in participating in the program. They also help provide equipment and refreshments.
“It is a fantastic program that the senior citizens love and look forward to attending. This is part of our wellness program and the success rate of the senior citizens who have attended has been tremendous,” Rosa La Molasion, the director of the Assumption Council on Aging, said.
According to Hammerli, the program is joined with the College of Education as part of the department of teaching education. Denis Alfred, higher education administration graduate, who took Health and PE 492 as a student and Health and PE 499 as a supervisor, has also served as a volunteer and graduate assistant. Since Zannis retirement Alfred now acts as a teaching graduate assistant for the course.
“I saw the class needed volunteers, and after I took the class I fell in love with the program. The class helps to teach students responsibility. The students are also able to get know the life experiences of the senior citizen they are paired with. Relationships are made and everyone involved in the program bonds together like family,” Alfred said.
According to Hammerli, Marie Zannis, associate professor of Health and PE, and Millie Naquin, instructor of Health and PE got the idea for the program back in 1992 by traveling to the University of Maryland.
Ever since then, the program has been held every fall and spring semester. The program is coupled with Health and PE 492 and is open to all majors. The prerequisites for the class are Math 101, English 102 and the completion of 30 hours.
“It is a fabulous program and an experience you will never forget. It is a good idea for students to be involved with the elderly because you do not realize most of them still have their youth on the inside. You can have a bad hair day all day but by the end of this class you will leave with a smile,” Connie Rivet, general family and consumer sciences senior from Raceland, said.