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Faculty and students plan “Passing the Legacy” service

New welcoming ceremony stresses spirituality, brings initiation full circle | by ROSIE HODES

Seniors and freshmen took part in a new ceremony today designed to embrace freshmen into the STA community, according to President Nan Bone. The ceremony, entitled ‘Passing the Legacy,’ included reflections by Bone, principal of academic affairs Barbara McCormick, and senior class president Caroline Thompson. Also, each senior presented a freshmen with a St. Teresa of Avila medal, a short note and a prayer card.

Seniors learned about the ceremony yesterday at orientation and it was a ‘surprise’ to the rest of the school today. According to Admissions Director Roseanne Hudnall, the special prayer service has been evolving over the summer and was not finalized until last week. She believes this type of initiation will continue to evolve and become part of STA’s tradition.

‘When there’s a group of people passionate about something, that’s how a tradition starts,’ Hudnall said.

Hudnall was passionate about adding a spiritual element to the process of welcoming freshmen into STA.  For a few years she had thought about incorporating some sort of spiritual commencement (a key piece she felt was missing), but had trouble doing so. Hudnall was excited to learn that Bone had the same ecitement for making the welcoming process come full circle.

‘That’s what an education at STA is all about,’ Hudnall said. ‘Developing all sides of a student ‘“ spiritually, academically and socially.’

In the past the welcoming process has been mainly social through ‘Frosh Fest’ ‘“ a week of activities between Little Sisters (freshmen) and Big Sisters (selected upperclassmen). Senior class secretary Kelsie Fiss said it is important to have the ‘silly’ aspect of ‘Frosh Fest,’ but that it can be exclusive because not everyone is involved.

‘Now it is the whole school welcoming them,’ Fiss said.

Fiss also said the ceremony is a good way to help the bond between seniors and freshmen.

‘As a freshman the seniors are so cool in your eyes,’ Fiss said. ‘Hopefully they see us as a less intimidating force. [The ceremony] shows them our softer side.’

Fiss, along with the other class officers president Thompson, vice president Brady Essmann and treasurer Kylie Hornbeck, helped plan and organize ‘Passing the Legacy.’ They chose a color of ribbon for the medals and decided on green because it represents the new beginning the freshmen have the opportunity to embrace. They also discovered that green represents ‘legacy,’ which Bone believes is very important for freshmen to understand.

‘We want to stress the history that these freshmen are walking into at STA,’ Bone said.

Bone and Hudnall agree that this year is perfect timing to emphasize the legacy of STA because the ceremony featured ‘A Century at Windmoor,’ STA’s 100th year at the Windmoor campus, as a theme. McCormick spoke about the oldest bell in Kansas City, made in approximately 1850, that sits in the first floor hallway of the M&A Building. The bell represents WHAT

According to Hudnall, incorporating a serious side into the welcoming process is a good way to give freshmen the feel of a Christian environment from the beginning, which she believes is rare and special quality.

‘I see [spirituality] on a daily basis,’ Hudnall said. ‘In [students’] kindness and interest towards our community. This ceremony is a way to begin with a firm foundation in a church setting.’

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