Kyle Morgan
Senior Induction 2017
On Thursday, October 26th, the class of 2018 had their induction ceremony. The seniors assembled in the Lawrence Room over in Rosary Hall. I sat down with Christine Dilts who is a part of the Senior Experience Committee to discuss this event. It was a fun night full of friends, food, and music.
The Senior Induction Ceremony can be described as a “rite of passage” for the seniors by Christine. She goes on to say that it is a moment for the seniors to stop and take a look around and take notice of their accomplishments so far and acknowledge the friends they made along the way. Most of the seniors have spent the last 3 years together. They went through the ups and downs that come with the college experience. For them to celebrate making it this far together is an accomplishment in itself. As the seniors walked in they were greeted with a buffet style dinner and desserts. After the dinner was completed they started the ceremony. Sister Barbara said a blessing to the seniors as they got their senior pins. The seniors turned to the person next to them and pinned each other as part of the ceremony. This was a great moment for the seniors to come together as a group. After the pinning ceremony the senior class president addressed the class of 2018. She had some great words of encouragement for her fellow classmates. At the end, they raised their glass of champagne and celebrated.
We also saw speeches from the President of the College, Sr. Mary Eileen O’Brien as well as Mary McHugh who is the Director of Alumni Affairs. All the speakers had a congratulatory tone as they wish the best for the seniors this year and years to follow. After all that the seniors finally had a chance to let loose and party. They had a DJ who got the seniors involved in some fun dances. Even some of the faculty were dancing. The students also had a great time in the photo booth. With many silly props for the students to pose with, they spent a lot of time taking photos. It was a great environment for the students to relax and not worry about school. Senior year is stressful enough worrying about trying to graduate and the pressure of going out into the real world. It was good for them to have a night to relax. When I talked to many of the seniors they all gave me mixed vibes about graduating. One senior, Hannah Ameen, told me that she is uncertain if she should smile or cry. Christine Dilts even joked around by saying that some of the seniors look at this year as “the beginning of the end.” As their time at Dominican University is coming to an end, they are starting to reflect on the friends and memories they made. This was the first of a few senior events throughout the year. It was a great turnout and a successful event.
