Passing the Dominican tradition to the next generation, senior Macie Lafonta lights the candle of her eighth grade little sister Olivia Icamina at the 2018 Induction ceremony in September in the Sister Ambrose Reggio Gym.
After four years, members of the class of 2019 passed the torch, or rather, the candle, to their little sisters, the class of 2023.
Seniors inducted the eighth grade into Dominican High School on Sept. 20 in the Sister Ambrose Reggio Gym. At the New Student Induction, eighth graders became part of the Dominican legacy through a traditional candle ceremony with their senior big sisters. Inductees also received a Veritas shield pin and a Dominican pennant to reflect their newly-inducted status.
New Student Induction is a celebration of new students and the beginning of their journey through DHS. Welcoming 204 new eighth graders, 17 new freshmen, and 2 transfer students into the Dominican community, this year’s ceremony did not disappoint.
Senior big sisters led their Dominican little sisters through their first school ceremony, and for some Dominicanites, the experience was a family affair.
Sharing the newfound bonds of the Dominican sisterhood, senior Savannah Bay and eighth graders Emma and Isabella Bay celebrate their welcome into Dominican and their shared love of the school’s heritage
During the induction ceremony, seven members of the senior class passed the candle to their Dominican little sisters as well as their biological sisters. Senior Savannah Bay shared this year’s induction with not just one, but two sisters, twins Emma and Isabella Bay. For Savannah, induction was an emotional experience.
“After living with them my whole life and watching them grow up, it’s kind of surreal to watch them enter Dominican,” said Bay. “Seeing them every day and getting to help them through the same things I’ve gone through over the years has bonded us in a completely different way.”
Passing their flames, seniors shared a unique induction experience with their sisters. For senior Kayla and eighth grader Emma Cook, induction united them in the Dominican heritage.
“I really liked passing the candle and that I got to do it with my real sister,” said Emma.
United in the Dominican legacy, newly-inducted eighth grader Emma Cook and her sister senior Kayla Cook show their Dominican pride after the New Student Induction ceremony.
The family legacy associated with induction is clear, and for DHS, it means welcoming the next generation of “believing thinkers and thinking believers” into the Dominican family. Induction also allowed alumnae to share the tradition with the next generation of their daughters or granddaughters.
“Induction is this formal process of bringing a new student into the Dominican community, so for families that are multi-generational, new members being inducted into the community seals the bond in a sense,” said Mrs. Jill Cabes (’87), Vice-President, Dominican Catholic Identity.
As always, New Student Induction highlighted the traditions and legacy of the Dominican sisterhood. For all those becoming part of the legacy, induction welcomes them into the Dominican sisterhood. For biological sisters, the passing of the candles roots them in Veritas, providing them with a Dominican bond that surpasses family ties.
- Vivian Palmer