Maya McFadden Photo
Jessica Reid passes the flame to freshman Zaporia Satterfield.
Albertus Magnus’s Class of 2024 was passed a virtual torch from the senior class as the college found a way to continue its traditional convocation candle-lighting tradition to kick off a school year marked by a pandemic.
The college celebrated its 95th convocation ceremony on Monday in the Hubert Campus Center. A group of 11 made up the virtual ceremony.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the other members of Albertus’ second-largest incoming class could not gather for the ceremony. Instead, a virtual ceremony was broadcast to students. They virtually watched a lineup of student and staff speakers offer them words of encouragement and inspiration to start off the semester.
Senior Sophia Obertello and junior Jessica Reid passed on the torch to first-year Zaporia Satterfield. Satterfield accepted the lit candles representing gifts of wisdom, understanding, knowledge, counsel, courage, humility, and wonder on behalf of the class of 2024 of the Catholic private liberal arts college, which was founded by the Dominican Sisters of St. Mary of the Springs.
After each candle lighting, the group recited, “Holy spirit. give us your gifts.”
Graduate student Alicia Delambida presents class banner to Zaporia Satterfield.
Graduate student Alicia Delambida presented Satterfield with the class banner to be hung in the campus center for the next four years. The green banner represents the new class’s Dominican pillar of community. The community pillar stands for harmony, growth, and saftey.
In previous years the senior class would line up with the new college community members and light each new student’s candle. The candle’s flame represents a passing of knowledge and education, said President Marc Camille.
Satterfield is a legacy student whose mom graduated from Albertus in 2009. “With Covid I thought we wouldn’t have many things like this. It’s exciting” Satterfield said.
“Even though your class pillar, community, may seem challenging during these current times, it is so important to focus on building our Albertus community up for the better,” said student government President Jessica Reid.
Psychology and Human Services Professor Carol Huckaby presented the convocation address. Huckaby advised students of the power of knowledge. She discussed the historical denial of education to oppress women and African Americans.
“This college was founded in a time of challenge,” said Camille. “This college does not shy from challenge.”
Camille too recalled the history of access to education. The Dominican sisters traveled East in 1925 to seek out an education that was not offered to women said Camille.
Camille encouraged the new class to embrace the new challenges brought about by Covid. Camille shared the importance of tradition, opportunity, and repsonsiblity: A tradition of passing on the torch of knowledge.The opportunity to take on new challenges. And the responsibility to continue studies in hard itme.
The tradition continued for the class of 2024 as they were passed the torch, lit their flame, and joined the Albertus community as fearless falcons.
