StMarysDominicanStar

“One year ago, I sat in my desk waiting for my name to be called…”

On April 5 and 6, DHS students listened to these words from the present E-Board officers while anxious candidates hoped to be elected to next year’s E-Board. After two days of voting, Dominican students chose their E-Board representatives for the next school year.

Presenting the 2018-2019 Executive Board: President Cappy Elvir, Vice President Olivia Singleton, Secretary Lizzy Bourg and Treasurer Maggie Latham.

During the voting process, these candidates sat nervously in their homerooms just moments before student council announced who next year’s officers will be. “The mystery of waiting was fun, but it was also very stressful,” said incoming president Cappy Elvir. “I can’t even describe the feeling I experienced after my name was called. I’m pretty sure my cheeks are permanently sore from grinning so much.”

Many emotions filled the school on election day. “It’s nerve-racking but also exciting” said Ms. Erin Baker (’95), student council moderator. “It’s the end of one E-Board’s time but just the start for a whole new group.”

Accompanied by cheers and kudos, the newly elected E-Board members made the traditional run through St. Mary’s Hall. “Running down the halls was amazing!” said incoming treasurer Maggie Latham. “Seeing everyone so proud of me warmed my heart.”

The E-Board will be working all summer long to prepare for the year ahead. “I hope to bring new things to DHS and use my creativity to unite all of the grades,” said vice president-elect Olivia Singleton.

Outgoing vice-president Cole Pittman wishes the best for next year’s E-Board. “I hope next year’s E-Board really takes hold of this amazing opportunity they’ve been given,” said Pittman. “I hope they go with any crazy idea they think of and embrace the fun year ahead because it’ll be over just as fast as it started.”

• Kathryn Valldejuli

SHARK!!!– Dominican students Briaunna Galey, senior, and Em Fluellen, junior, slice open a shark to experience first-hand what they have been learning all year in their Biology II class.  In April, Mrs. Janine Koenig’s (’82) and Mrs. Madelyn Maldonado’s (’09) Biology II lessons transformed their students into shark dissectors.

According to Mrs. Koenig, the best way to learn all the adaptations of a perfect predator is to feel, see and smell all of it.  “Dissecting is one of the best ways to bring a textbook lesson to life,” she said.

Since 2010, Biology II students have cut, examined and studied sharks each year.  From this lesson, students “improve dissecting skills and realize how vertebrates without a boney skeleton work,” said Mrs. Koenig.

Two types of dissections include virtual and actual.  At DHS, Biology II students have virtually dissected frogs, and students have watched videos of these procedures as well.

The virtual exercises are beneficial but “are not a replacement for actually doing the dissection,” said Mrs. Koenig.  Biology II does the actual shark dissection because “it involves more senses therefore helping the students better remember the dissection and information,” she added.

“The shark dissection is by far my favorite because sharks are serious predators,” said senior Grace Brown.  “It is really cool to see the inside of them and how they work.”

• Brooklyn Comeaux

With the help of a little magic and a lot of hard work, the Sister Ambrose Reggio Gym transformed from a basketball court into faraway kingdom as Dominican presented Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella.

In the play Cinderella with junior Camryn Wisniewski in the title role, Ella lives with her step-mother and step-sisters. Her step-mother, Madame – played by junior Madison Lewis – and her step-sisters – played by seniors Dana Heck and Annalyse Nelson – treat Ella like a servant.  However, things start to change for Ella after a chance encounter with Prince Topher. In the end Cinderella and Prince Topher fall in love and are married, just like the fairy tale.

Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella is based on the Cinderella fairy tale but adds a modern twist. These twists include an election for a prime minister and the addition of a revolutionary in the story line.

The cast for Cinderella ranged from eight graders to seniors and had all levels of play experience. “Playing Cinderella was one of the most rewarding experiences that I’ve had in all of my years of acting. I caught myself beginning to act like the character even off-stage,” said Wisniewski.

This year’s cast consisted of 33 Dominican students and 5 boys from other local schools. Mrs. Rosalie Abadie, director, and Mrs. Marcia Peyton (‘78), assistant director, led the cast.  Cinderella marked their 23^rd year of directing the spring musicals at Dominican.

 

According to Mrs. Peyton, putting on a musical “takes a village.” A production like Cinderella has many components, and students have a large role. Students made up both the crew and orchestra.  Several DHS students worked as choreographers, as well. This year, three student choreographers helped Mrs. Kelsey Vogt Napier, choreographer, with the exciting dance numbers. They were junior Cappy Elvir and sophomore Bryce Leonhard, who both had featured roles in the ensemble, and Nelson, who played Ella’s step-sister, Charlotte.

Cinderella was one part of the annual Fine Arts Festival held in April.  Alumnae Hall was decked out in artwork courtesy of students in Art II and III.  Visitors enjoyed the paintings, sketches and multi-media works of art in Alumnae Hall as well as the artistic scenery on stage. .

The stage became a magical kingdom, thanks to the crew. The crew is the “unseen force behind the production,” said Ms. Angelle Caffery, scenery and stage crew director. They create the sets that form scenes and transform the SARG.

Their job does not end with the sets; it also extends to helping run the show. They help with backstage business, scene changes and lighting. From the painters to the light board operators, the crew helps create the mood and atmosphere that allows the actors to perform their best.  While the crew creates the look of the stage, the orchestra play the music that makes Cinderella come alive.

The live orchestra that performs the score of Cinderella is under the direction of Ms. Brenda Castillo, musical director. Making up the live orchestra are students from Dominican as well as other local schools. Dominican is one of the only local high schools to have a live orchestra in their performances.  “Having a live orchestra helps to make the play more realistic and less robotic,” said Ms. Castillo. “The orchestra reacts to the performance as it happens to create individual ‘moments’.”

Wisniewski agrees that the live orchestra creates a symbiotic relationship. “Without the talents of every single person involved, this show wouldn’t have been possible,” she said.

By: Paige Dawson

What do you want to be when you grow up?

Sitting in class at school, we may not think about our future careers. However, little do we know that we will all be future doctors, lawyers, teachers and other professionals. Our high school years prepare us to become successful women, and this year at Career Day, students got a glimpse of future career possibilities.

At Dominican’s annual Career Day held on Mar. 21, dozens of professionals, including 30 DHS alumnae, shared their expertise about a range of diverse careers. Students attended informational sessions in where each guest speaker offered advice and insight on his or her profession. Presenters included a pediatric emergency doctor, a social worker, a pharmacist, an air force colonel, attorneys, marketing professionals and more.

“I like that I can share my experience as an active duty member,” said Air Force Colonel Jeannine Ryder, Commander at Keesler Air Force Base Medical Center. “I love that this program allows the students to understand the broad spectrum of opportunities and to see what their passion is.”

For more than 20 years, Dominican has held Career Day to inform students about what their futures may look like. This year, each guest speaker taught the students about what education they need to pursue their desired profession and what will benefit them most in the future.

Graphic designer Ms. Victoria Roberts (‘12) showed students her work from print to digital design, including her involvement with brands such as Perlis and Disney. “Don’t just do the bare minimum,” advised Ms. Roberts. “Take the risk and put your own spin on it.”

Lessons learned on Career Day helped students to begin to think about what they’d like to study in the future and possibly to choose as a profession.  “I loved meeting successful alumnae who once stood in my shoes,” said junior Olivia Singleton.

One presentation that especially struck the students was Colonel Ryder’s life lessons. Some of her words of wisdom included “work ethic will always vault you to the top, grow where you are planted and it’s about the team, not individual efforts.”

Gaining insight from successful professionals helped all DHS students to have a better understanding on what they’d like to work toward in the future. “I came out of Dominican with a strong background,” said attorney Anne Raymond (‘87). “I entered college prepared and driven.”

As students saw, the possibilities are endless. Career Day captured a wide range of opportunities and potential paths. “I love seeing the students get so excited about visiting their desired careers. It’s important for them to be exposed to so many professions,” said Mrs. Suzanne Ladmirault, guidance counselor.

“Career Day allowed me to venture into prospective professions and see what best fits my likeness,” said junior Elena Bateman. “I hope the whole school was influenced in the way I was.”

• Kathryn Valldejuli

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No challenge is too big or too small for a Dominican girl. No matter what it may be, students are ready to conquer any goal that is set for them. The annual canned food drive, however, brought out the inner competitor in everyone in the Dominican community, and DHS proved that there really is no “I” in team.

 

On Feb. 28, Campus Minister Ms. Claire Gallagher announced the impressive achievements of the 2018 Canned Food Drive for Second Harvest Food Bank. Cheers rang throughout the halls when students and faculty learned they had surpassed DHS’s challenging goal of 21,000 cans  – and by a lot. The grand total came in at 30,352 cans – a record for Dominican.

 “I got really involved in the canned food drive this year thanks to the motivation from [my religion teacher] Ms. Delgado,” said senior Bridget Adam. “Over the two-week course of the canned food drive, I made it my priority to buy and collect as many cans as possible.”

In past years, Dominican has used one to two trucks to pack the food for Second Harvest. This year’s drive yielded the use of three trucks, illustrating the largest donation from DHS.

The food donations are vital to those community members in need. One in five households in Louisiana is at risk of hunger. Come springtime, Dominican donates food to Second Harvest to ensure that families all over South Louisiana are fed. With Dominican as its largest school contributor, the non-profit food bank is ready to tackle hunger this summer with an additional 30,000 cans to distribute.

Every year, DHS students wait anxiously for the faculty to reveal the theme for the annual Canned Food Drive. At the Justice Awareness Mass on Feb. 20, students enjoyed watching their teachers dance and sing to “Can’t Stop the Feeling” from Disney’s Trolls, kicking off the canned food drive and its friendly competition.

“I feel like the music video fostered awareness for the canned food drive and built up our community at Dominican,” said Ms. Gallagher. “It shows the school that community outreach is not only rewarding, but can also be fun.”

The competition is not the only thing that drives students to give so generously. Each religion teacher motivates students to raise awareness for the canned food drive in hopes of donating the most cans.

Senior religion teacher Ms. Aline Delgado believes that if she can touch her students’ hearts, God does the rest.

“I try to make it real and personalize it and once it becomes contagious, I can step back and watch it flourish,” said Ms. Delgado. “As a teacher, you have to make it real.”

Due to the outstanding effort of the Dominican community, approximately 25,000 pounds of canned and boxed food was raised, which will produce over 20,000 meals.

“The outcome of this year’s canned food drive was another great reminder of our dedicated community at DHS,” said Ms. Gallagher. “No matter what we ask of the school, we always get an overwhelming response which is extremely inspiring.”

• Claire Dinwiddie

 

 

Bringing their routine to life, the Color Guard performs their “Hills and Valley’ routine on Mar. 24 at the Thibodaux Civic Center in Thibodaux, LA. The team received 3^rd place for this outstanding performance and returned home proud with their bronze medals.

Since the fall, the coaches and team have been preparing their “Hills and Valleys” routine.  They have designed the stage, costumes and props to go along with the music to convey their message. “The show ‘Hills and Valleys’ was all about God in our lives and showed the joy of having Him with us through every low and high point in our lives,” said senior Kristen Tholen, Color Guard captain. “We conveyed this through our choreography and physical ramps that we used as props. It was a great concept because it touched each girl in a different way.”

With this astounding performance, the team placed 1^st at D’Iberville High School in Biloxi and 2^nd at Dutchtown High School in Geismar. Other accomplishments this year include placing in competitions at Denham Springs High School and WGI Pensacola Regionals.

“Their job is to convey their characters to the audience and to make the audience feel something,” said Mrs. Amy Triche Ferguson, coach. “They ultimately understand that they serve a greater purpose than just themselves.”

“We became so close as a team this season,” said Tholen. “There were a lot of tears from the seniors, due to the fact it was our last performance, but it was a beautiful moment. I was so touched to be a part of it.”

Watch the following video of “Hills and Valleys” to be inspired.

• Kathryn Valldejuli