Club Spotlight: S.M.I.L.E

By Dante Cabral

Asst. Features Editor & Circulation Manager

Are you interested in making a difference in the lives of elders? Then the S.M.I.L.E Club is definitely for you.

The S.M.I.L.E. Club stands for “Students Making an Impact in the Lives of Elders.”

The club has been around since 2016. While it is a club on campus, its mostly known for it’s involvement at the Jewish Senior Services Home, on Park Ave, in Fairfield, Conn.

The club consists of about 30 members. Most of the members are majoring in the health field, but there are some who aren’t majoring in anything health related.

Club meetings are held at nine o’clock every other Tuesday night, in UC 107.    

The club meetings are usually spent planning out things to do when they make the trip to the Jewish Senior Services Home, as well as planning upcoming events.

“We come up with ideas on what to do when we are at the Jewish Senior Services Home, such as ‘Bingo’ and ‘Arts & Crafts,’” said junior Mariel Rondinelli, who is CO-President of the club.

Rondinelli is majoring in speech and language pathology and joined the club at the start of her sophomore year.

She joined the club because she gets joy out of going and visiting the senior citizens at the Jewish Senior Services Home.

“Visiting them always put a smile on my face. I hope to brighten the days of the patients every time I visit,” said Rondinelli.

The club has gone under a lot of changes since Rondinelli joined.

They have incorporated new events such as a fundraising, by selling bracelets. The club hopes to incorporate a new idea that they have been trying to develop for quite some time.

“We hope to have a prom themed event with the Jewish home towards the end of the semester,” said senior Baylee Kelly, who is also a CO-President of the club.

Kelly is a geriatrics health and wellness major at Sacred Heart. She has been a member of the club since it first began in 2016.

“I have been able to not only watch the club grow and play an active role in the Jewish home, as also see the growth of the students here on campus. This is very exciting because I have a true passion for the elderly.”

The advisor to the club is Professor Linda Melodia, who is a professor in the health science department. Melodia also teaches a geriatric health and wellness class on campus.

Students can find out more information about the club through Rondinelli, Kelly, or Professor Melodia.

Inforation about S.M.I.L.E  is also under the clubs section.

To be involved with the club, students should attend the biweekly meetings as they take place, as meeting attendance is essential for the club involvement.

“Considering that we are a small, fairly new club, we are still experimenting on ways to encourage involvement. It is truly a fun club to not only to be a member of, but also, I enjoy being the club’s President,” said Kelly.

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