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Second Harvest Canned Food Drive
Dominican Annual Canned Food Drive Collection Totals 67,178 for Second Harvest Food Bank
Monday, March 8, when the last donation was counted for St. Mary’s Dominican High School’s 22nd annual canned food drive, it was a record-breaking 67,178 donations for Second Harvest Food Bank.
Coordinated through the school’s Office of Dominican Catholic Identity, the competition was inspired by the theme song, “You’ve Got a Friend in Me,” from the animated film, Toy Story. “You’ve Got a Friend in Dominican” was the rallying theme and each class level was assigned a character from the film.
Seniors took 1st place with donations totaling 16,413. Freshmen were in 2nd place with 12,119; 8th Grade, 3rd place, 12,036; Sophomores, 4th place, 9,944; and Juniors, 5th place, 5,596. Student donations totaled 56,108, surpassing its goal of 25,000. Alumnae joined this year’s drive, collecting 11,070 that went beyond their 5,000 goal.
“Recognizing the extraordinary needs in our community, the St. Mary’s Dominican High School community responded and surpassed previous canned food drives’ goals,” said school President Dr. Cynthia A. Thomas. “This annual drive is one of several projects that reflect our school’s pillars of community and service. Dominican students and alumnae are called to embody those commitments. Their collaboration demonstrated in an impactful way how they answered that call.”
For sophomore Isabelle Tran, it was the first time she served as the Campus Ministry Service Officer, a position she said allowed her to get more involved not only with her grade, “but with my school as a whole. My fellow sisters here at Dominican were already aware how important canned food drives are, but we were even more motivated this year after seeing the strain that COVID-19 has put on our Southern Louisiana community. We knew this year had to be the best that it could possibly be.”
Since 2011, Dominican has donated 187,920 pounds of food to Second Harvest Food Bank. On average, 500,000 people receive food from Second Harvest Food Bank every month – double the number they served before the pandemic.
“We are so excited about this huge effort by the ladies of Dominican, which will help thousands in our community,” said Ms. Natalie Jayroe, President and CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank. “As an affiliated ministry of the Archdiocese, it’s especially meaningful to us when another partner in the Church delivers such an impactful gift to those we serve.”
As both a teacher and an alumna, Casey Lefante ’00 says she is “always impressed with the way our students step up to the challenge. Having the alumnae participate in the canned food drive was special because it represented what it means to be part of the Dominican community. We live out the pillars of prayer, study, community, and service not just when we walk the halls of Dominican, but also in our daily lives as alumnae. It was a pleasure to work with the students to create such a successful food drive for our community.”
When alumna Janet Emig heard about the invitation for alumnae to participate in the drive, she immediately spread the word to fellow members of the Class of ’75 and others she knew would want to help. “When the cause is so important and benefits your community, it’s easy to get involved and get others involved as well,” she said. In addition to direct food drop offs at the school, cash donations via Venmo and the school’s donation link came in quickly. Emig added a special shout out to Kristen Preau Moore ’01, “our very own Jambalaya Girl, who stepped up in a big way with 21 cases of Jambalaya mix and Debra Davis Hymel ’79 who helped me haul 6,000 cans of vegetables from Breaux Mart. I wouldn’t hesitate to do it again next year, but the cans have to be lighter!”
Second Harvest Food Bank is an affiliated ministry of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, a member of Feeding America, and a United Way Partner Agency. It leads the fight against hunger and in building food security in South Louisiana by providing food access, advocacy, education, and disaster response. Providing food to more than 700 partners and programs across 23 parishes, it is the largest charitable anti-hunger network in the state.
Assisting the school’s Office of Dominican Catholic Identity, Student Council members helped collect donations during a one-week drive with grades 8th through 12th competing in the class Color Challenge. The 8th Grade won the challenge, with seniors in second place, and freshmen taking third place.
Donations of baby formula, diapers, wipes, pull-ups, and bottled water, collected by Dominican students, supported families with babies and young children in the Lake Charles community while recovering from Hurricane Laura. The donations were given to the Louisiana Right to Life office that delivered them to the community. On August 27th, Hurricane Laura made landfall in southwest Louisiana as a Category 4 and caused extensive damage in Lake Charles.
January 11-15 was the first Kindness Week at Dominican, organized by members of the Student Council E-Board in loving memory of Kendall Alfortish, Class of 2019. Her tragic loss was the inspiration of a week of joy and kindness.
Kindness Week was an initiative to encourage kindness among school community members and in our world in the new year. Daily themes encouraged kindness to oneself and to others. Student Council members sold handmade TPWK (Treat People with Kindness) bracelets and “shout outs” during morning and afternoon announcements to raise funds for Kendall’s Krewe, an organization founded in memory of Kendall, to support the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s mission to save lives and bring hope to those affected by suicide.
Monday – What does Kindness Mean to You included a homeroom kindness activity as students prepared for the week. On Tuesday, Show What Kindness Means to You, students reflected on what kindness means to them and shared with friends and teachers by displaying their definitions on their nametags. Wednesday’s theme of Be Kind to Yourself included a $1 dress down day and encouraged students to visit the “Take What You Need” board for some motivation at the start of the new year. When an anonymous donor gifted Dominican’s Robotics team with 100 school backpacks, with the request to give them to a group of students that would benefit from them, the team did not need to look far.
“We have students in grades 8th through 12th who are in Robotics, and service is an important part of who we are. The Peace Center was a perfect connection for this special and generous gift of school backpacks,” noted Robotics moderator and coach Mrs. Crissy Giacona, who also teaches science at Dominican.
Opened in 2014 as a neighborhood outreach organization for people of all ages, the Peace Center is walking distance from Dominican. Among the center’s services are tutoring for children, computer training, job readiness, and senior meals.
Kindness Week
Thursday’s focus was spreading kindness to others. Students were encouraged to send virtual inspirational messages to five friends and to encourage recipients to do the same. The week concluded with a message of positivity for the year ahead. Other highlights included taking a polaroid picture in front of a butterfly mural, created by Student Council Executive Board Treasurer Carrie Madden, and popcorn sales, Kernels for Kendall’s Krewe.
During the week, Student Preachers planned their reflections and prayers in a way that focused on a different aspect of kindness each day. Topics included what it means to be kind, showing kindness to others, being kind to yourself, a meditation on those who have showed us kindness and how we have showed kindness to others, and staying positive. Student preacher Gracie Bott also created a "Be Kind to Yourself" meditation and reflection based on Isaiah 43 that was available for students during adoration during lunch on Wednesday.
Proceeds from Kindness Week’s fundraising events were donated to Kendall’s Krewe for suicide prevention.
Adopt-A-Family
St. Mary’s Dominican High School’s annual Thanksgiving Baskets drive collected donations from homerooms, clubs, athletic teams, alumnae, and community partners, providing 108 Thanksgiving baskets that fed more than 1,000 people. “This was a community effort, thanks to the support and work of many,” said Mrs. Jill Cabes, Vice President of Dominican Catholic Identity.
Dominican alumnae donated 34 baskets and money for the purchase of 20 turkeys. St. Rita Catholic Church and Mary Queen of Peace Catholic Church contributed 80 turkeys, for a total of 100 turkeys. Leidenheimer Bakery donated 100 bags of pistolettes. Representatives from Xavier University helped with organizing the day, providing Dominican use of their Community Center. The Peace Center, the social worker at St. Rita Church, and Gert Town neighborhood representatives coordinated recipients of the baskets and turkeys. Total Community Action (TCA) donated the trucks for pickup and transport. Mr. Terry Scott, owner of McDonald’s on Carrollton Avenue, donated breakfast and lunch for all of the workers.
The spirit of Christmas filled Dominican’s halls with the annual Adopt-A-Family activities. There were 160 individuals adopted through Catholic Charities programs that included Immigration and Refugees Services, Food for Families, and Health Guardians. Also adopted were 40 people from the Metro Advocacy Center, a shelter for women and children, and ten people from the neighboring St. Rita's school and church community. Gifts were provided by religion classes and through donations from school personnel. Teachers shopped for the St. Rita families and wrapped the families’ gifts. Campus Ministry officers organized the gifts. Students from all class levels helped the Dads Club members load their vehicles for delivery to all recipients.
Easter Cheer
For Easter, 35 residents at the Pine Street Apartments received Easter baskets from their neighbor, St. Mary’s Dominican High School. Contributing food items and sweets to the baskets were the Ecology Club, Robotics, Students for Human Dignity and Diversity in Action, National Honor Society, and National Art Honor Society. This is the sixth year for the inter-club service project under the direction of Campus Ministry. Every recipient also received a ham from the Peace Center. “The Peace Center does outreach to the Pine St. Apartments across the street from our campus and recognized the need for their residents to have a nice meal for Easter. Many live alone and do not have families or resources to have a nice meal otherwise,” said Ms. Claire Gallagher, Dominican’s Campus Minister.
VIRTUAL DANCE LESSONS FOR SPANISH CLASS
The Sr. Ambrose Reggio Gym was the classroom for students in Mrs. Claudia Vallejo’s Spanish class when guest speaker, Colombian dance instructor Juan Esteban Lopez, connected virtually from his studio in Medellin, Colombia. Students followed his instructions from warm-up to learning Salsa steps and other lively dances. Mrs. Vallejo invited other students in the gym to join her students for the unique class experience.
PAPER AIRPLANES GO THE DISTANCE
Weather conditions were perfect for 8th and 9th grade students who were studying motion in Mr. Ryan Reuter’s Physical Science classes. Using the campus quad as their lab, each student tested her handmade paper airplane’s speed and distance. The speed was calculated by measuring the distance the plane traveled and the time it stayed airborne. Their outdoor lab gave plenty of space for students to maintain social distancing. Students returned to the classroom and used the speed formula to calculate their results.
SCIENCE CLASS GETS A CLOSER LOOK
After completing the textbook chapter on circulation, Mrs. Crissy
Giacona’s 8th grade science class observed their teacher dissect a deer heart as part of review for an upcoming exam. Using a camera to film the dissection and link it to a whiteboard, students could observe from their desks. “Using the whiteboard was the best way for all students to watch safely from their desks while we practice social distancing,” said Mrs. Giacona. 34 | The Torch - 2020-2021
LESSONS IN DISPUTATIO Veritas In the 8th grade level religion classes taught by Mrs. Jill Cabes, students applied their understanding of disputatio during a week of debates on a range of topics that included Do Cats or Dogs Make Better Pets to Should School Uniforms Be Required.
“All of the students were engaged and throughout the week learned to practice active and attentive listening, as well as use respectful language during their responses. The Rules of Disputatio are to never deny, to seldom affirm, and to always distinguish,” said Mrs. Cabes. “We were able to experience the rules in a practical way rather than as merely an abstract concept. This will help the students with communication and dialogue throughout their lives.”
During the first nine weeks of the school term, the class had covered the history and traditions of the Order of Preachers, including highlighting several Dominican saints. “The concept of disputatio is tied to the Dominican order because it was used in the universities during the time of St. Thomas and St. Albert,” explained Mrs. Cabes. “Even St. Dominic and other friars used the practice of peaceful public debates about theological topics to arrive at a deeper understanding and to uncover truth. I wanted the students to be able to practice the art of disputatio because it involves respectful dialogue with others who hold opposing opinions. This is not modeled very much for our students in politics and on social media, so I wanted to dedicate class time to allow the students to really practice and participate in disputatio sessions.”
The challenge for students to identify objective reasons to support their position was an important part of the exercise. “I wanted to challenge them to think more logically, critically, and to use reason rather than personal feelings and emotions to promote their position,” their teacher shared.
She added there was time given for each student to be able to defend a particular side of a position to provide the students with a solid experience and foundation of the practice of disputatio. “This will allow us to engage throughout the year in disputatio sessions on other topics that will arise during the curriculum. I don’t plan to assign everyone a topic as I did during this week, but we will definitely utilize the skills that we learned throughout the year in classroom discussions.”
CUTTING EDGE CREATIVITY
After a week of developing ideas and designing ornaments in Illustrator, Ms. Lauren Guidroz’s Digital Graphic Arts class continued their creativity in the STREAM™/Robotics Lab where they used the laser cutter to cut and engrave their designs into wood. Designs included The Grinch, elves, and snowflakes. This is the second year the Digital Graphic Arts class incorporated the laser cutter for their end of fall term class.
ENGINEERING CLASS USING STATE OF THE ART DIGITAL TEST EQUIPMENT
The Tektronix Digital Oscilloscope is the latest, state of the art equipment students are using in Mr. Kenneth Lannes’ engineering class. In addition to using it to look at electrical signals, the class uses the oscilloscope’s integration features, monitoring and saving accelerometer data and displaying it on the SmartBoard in an EXCEL file.
MOLE ACTIVITY A LESSON IN CREATIVE CHEMISTRY
Students in Mrs. Theresa Maquar’s chemistry classes were creative with a mole/mol assignment. The mol symbol is the unit of measurement for the amount of substance in the International System of Units (SI). It is defined as exactly 6.02214076×10²³ particles. The assignment was for each student to create a mole from a given pattern. For their moles, they created an identity and a birth certificate, complete with their mole’s mass in grams. “They used the measurement of mass to complete mole problems which was a good review for the exam. The assignment added some fun to the review process,” said Mrs. Maquar.
DOMINICAN IS FIRST CATHOLIC SCHOOL WITH UNO’S ENGINEERING DUAL ENROLLMENT
St. Mary’s Dominican High School is the first Catholic high school in the New Orleans area to have dual enrollment for Introduction to Engineering in the Louisiana University System via University of New Orleans (UNO). The course work addresses civil, mechanical, and electrical engineering, plus naval architecture. Students completing the course will receive three credit hours that are fully transferable to any accredited university.
Introduction to Engineering addresses several college-level topics: electrical circuit analysis using multi-mesh theory, alternating current impedances and circuit analysis, shear and bending moment diagrams, internal combustion engine efficiency, and basics of naval architecture, to name a few. Dominican is in its third year of offering an engineering course that averages 31 students each year.
Mr. Kenneth Lannes, Dominican math teacher and Adjunct Professor at UNO, calls the dual enrollment with UNO “a big step for Dominican and shows the commitment and vision of the administration. When I considered a career change to teach full-time, I talked to three other schools in New Orleans about starting an engineering program. Dominican was the only school that did not have an opening, but said, ‘Don’t go anywhere else, we’re going to save a place for you.’ We both had the same vision and it has come to pass.”
UNO’s Assistant Dean of Engineering Kim Jovanovich, who holds the Chevron USA Endowed Professorship in Electrical Engineering, co-developed with Lannes the course, Introduction to Engineering. In addition to earning transferrable credit hours, he said dual enrollment orients students to college-level coursework, preparing them for their college years.
The gradual increase of high school students taking engineering classes mirrors a national trend, noted Jovanovich. In 2009, only 18 percent of females comprised the total population of bachelor engineering degrees graduates. In 2017, it increased to 21.3 percent and the following years was 21.9 percent.
UNO’s College of Engineering offers a broad selection of degrees through the Ph.D. level. The College of Engineering has four departments: Civil and Environmental Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering.
ROBOTICS TEAMS RECEIVE AWARDS AT LOUISIANA REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Dominican’s robotics teams, the Valkyries and the Ultraviolets, that took FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology Tech) Challenge awards at the March 20th Louisiana Regional Championship competition.
The Ultraviolets took first place in the Design Award and third place in the Control Award. The Design Award recognizes design elements of the robot that are both functional and aesthetic. The Control Award celebrates a team that uses sensors and software to increase the robot’s functionality in the field.
The Valkyries team was awarded third place in the Motivate Award. This judged award celebrates the team that represents the essence of the FIRST Tech Challenge competition through Gracious Professionalism and general enthusiasm for the overall philosophy of FIRST and what it means to be a FIRST Tech Challenge Team.
St. Mary’s Dominican High School students (from left) Alexandra Amato, Ashley Barron, Bakhit Cuccia, Isabelle Anderson, Elizabeth Mobley, and Camille Truxillo earned wins in Senior and Junior divisions at the 2020-2021 Propaganda Tournament held virtually by the New Orleans Academic Games League. Dominican’s Academic Games club moderators and coaches are Mrs. Janis Dabney and Mrs. Monica Haag.
Dominican Ultraviolets – Back Row (from left): Coach Crissy Giacona, Isabella Sachitano, Mia Reyes, Madeline Pourciau, Caroline Alleman, Caitlyn Dumas, Charlotte Raymond, Tess Baker, Emma Plaisance, and Coach Kenneth Lannes. Front Row (from left): Audrey Wild, Sydney Raymond, Elana Perriott, and Daja’h Saul.
Dominican Valkyries – Back Row (from left): Coach Crissy Giacona, Rachael Tatford, Ashley Alexis, Pricilla Martinez, Elisabeth Amato, and Emma Ernst. Front Row (from left): Meredith Kononchek, Isabella Roberts, Morgan Tebbe, and Cecilia Cangelosi.
ROBOTICS TEAMS WIN AT FIRST® TECH CHALLENGE (FTC) QUALIFIER
Dominican’s two Robotics teams received several awards at the FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC) Qualifier competition, held remotely due to pandemic health guidelines.
The Valkyries won the Judges Choice Award. This award is optional and may not be given at all tournaments. During the competition, the judging panel may meet a team whose unique efforts, performance, or dynamics merit recognition, but does not fit into any of the existing award categories.
The Ultraviolet team took first place for the Collins Aerospace Innovate Award. The award celebrates a team that thinks outside the box and has the ingenuity, creativity and inventiveness to make their designs come to life. They earned 2nd place for the Think Award, given to the team that best reflects the journey the team took as they experienced the engineering design process during the build season. They also won 3rd place for the Inspire Award that is given to the team that embodies what it is to be a FIRST robotics team and is a team that others can look up to as a role model. Dominican Robotics coaches were Mr. Matthew Foss, Mrs. Crissy Giacona, Mr. Kenneth Lannes, and Mrs. Madelyn Maldonado.
SENIOR DIVISION
Elizabeth Mobley – 1st Place; Ashley Barron – 5th Place
SWEEPSTAKES COMPETITION Elizabeth Mobley – 1st Place overall
PRESIDENTIAL COMPETITION Elizabeth Mobley – 1st Place
Dominican’s Senior Division Team of Ashley Barron, Bakhit Cuccia, and Elizabeth Mobley placed 1st in the Presidents Tournament.
CURRENT EVENTS Bakhit Cuccia – 2nd Place; Alexandra Amato – 5th Place
PROPAGANDA COMPETITION
Dominican’s Senior Division Team of Ashley Barron, Bakhit Cuccia, and Elizabeth Mobley scored 2nd Place overall.
JUNIOR DIVISION
PRESIDENTIAL COMPETITION
Dominican’s team of Isabelle Anderson and Camille Truxillo placed third as a combination team with Jesuit and Holy Cross.
Front row (from left): Eliza Miller, Kaitlin Dawson, Abby Mandella, Remi Layne Hernandez, Addison Blackwood, Reese Macicek, Reiley Macicek, Catherine Greco, Carlie Bujol, and Katelin Obletz. Back Row: Cameron Osborne, Mia McCann, Samantha Baker, Anna Thomas, Olivia Bartlett, Claire Adams, Maddie Pearce, Megan Robichaux, Madison Robichaux, Claire Oster, Molly Moran, Trinity Harvey, Lily Duplantis, Maggie Miller, Adelaide Rodrigue, and Brooke Babin.
DEBS CAPTURE STATE WINS
The award-winning Dominican Debs brought home several wins from the American All-Star Louisiana State Dance/Drill Team Championship held in Lafayette.
JAZZ STATE CHAMPIONS
First Place – Choreography Award & Technique Award
POM STATE CHAMPIONS
First Place – Choreography Award
Hip Hop State Overall: Third Place Game Day State Overall: Third Place
DIVISION 3:
Jazz: First Place Pom: First Place Hip Hop: First Place Game Day: First Place
SENIOR SOLO CATEGORY: First Place – Katelin Obletz Third Place – Reiley Macicek
JUNIOR HIGH SOLO CATEGORY:
First Place – Addie Blackwood Fourth Place – Megan Robichaux
HIGH SCHOOL DUET CATEGORY:
First Place – Katelin Obletz and Reiley Macicek Second Place – Kaitlyn Dawson and Eliza Miller
JUNIOR HIGH DUET CATEGORY:
Second Place – Megan Robichaux and Maddie Pearce
HIGH SCHOOL ENSEMBLE CATEGORY:
First Place – Addison Blackwood, Brooke Babin, Carlie Bujol, Trinity Harvey, Reiley Macicek, Katelin Obletz, and Adelaide Rodrigue
SPEECH AND DEBATE TEAM TACKLES COMPETITIONS
St. Mary’s Dominican High School Speech and Debate team posted wins at the Louisiana High School Speech League (LHSSL) February Classic. Competition was virtual due to current pandemic health guidelines.
Dominican sophomore Shania Raimer won first place in the Advanced Lincoln Douglas debate. She competed under the resolution “states ought to ban lethal autonomous weapons” and for each round of debate was assigned a position for or against.
Team captain Isabella Paul, a junior, placed second in Original Oratory. She chose the topic, “The Zombie Effect.” In her presentation, she explained how social media can be addictive, why that addiction is harmful, and suggested ways to use social media without letting it have a negative impact on those who use social media.
The LHSSL is dedicated to promoting speech and debate competition in secondary schools in Louisiana. The league is open to any public, private, parochial, and independent school in Louisiana for students in Grades 9-12. It sanctions speech and debate tournaments throughout the school year, hosted by members or affiliates and conducts a State Championship tournament in the Spring.
At the March 13 weekend Louisiana District Tournament, the freshmen Public Forum Debate team of Sahithi Koneru and Imad Siddiqui qualified to be one of two teams advancing in their event to the nationals.
At the event, they debated both for and against on the topic, “Resolved: On balance, the benefits of creating the United States Space Force outweigh the harms.” They also qualified to represent Louisiana at the National Speech and Debate Tournament that was held online June 13-19.
SOPHOMORE SHANIA RAIMER MAKES ALL-STATE SPEECH TEAM
At the Louisiana Tournament of Champions, St. Mary’s Dominican High School sophomore Shania Raimer earned a place as one of eight students on the All-State Speech Team in the Lincoln Douglas Debate. Her debate topic was, “Resolved: The United States Ought to Guarantee Universal Child Care.”
Dominican Speech and Debate coaches were Miss Kristina Plunkett and Mr. Andrew Cerise. Moderators were Mrs. Anna Brannin, Mr. Cameron Hahne, and Mr. Adam Naquin.
Members of St. Mary’s Dominican High School’s band and choir received honors from the Louisiana Music Educators Association (LMEA). Dominican Fine Arts Department Chair Ms. Brenda Castillo was the director of the choir and band.
LMEA Instrumental Solo and Small Ensemble Assessment Festival
Ensembles that received Superior Rating are, (from left): Nicole Tran, Jessica Mora, Julia Badinger, Lisette Gowland, Lauren Giardina, Amy Englehardt, Cindy Nguyen, Isabella Brockway, Heather Engelhardt, and Catherine Mansfield. Not pictured: Olivia Higgins.
Solos receiving Superior Rating – Faith Bass, Lauren Giardina, Madeleyne Isla, Kathryn Fine, Brooke Lambert, Rebekah Brockway, Camille Truxillo, Sahithi Koneru, and Molly Glas. Not Pictured: Meredith Kononchek
District VI Senior High Honor Band – Isabella Paul and Olivia Higgins. District VI Junior High Honor Band – Kathryn Fine and (Not Pictured) Krystal Fernandes.
LMEA All-State Senior High Honor Women’s Chorale – Samantha White. LMEA AllState Senior High Honor Mixed Choir – Kathryn Fine and (Not Pictured) Mia DiGiovanni.
Dominican students with their Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica membership certificates are: Front Row (from left): Isabella Cordova, Caroline Lavie, Hallie Cao, Rhea Bawa, and Chloe Tufts. Middle Row: Janelle Ulloa, Tori Mire, Amani Mohamed, and Alyssa Hightower. Back Row: Bryce Perkins, Carol Bujol, Reese Dawson, Elizabeth Plauche, Baileigh Goines, and Caroline Blais.
Dominican students received 2021 and 2020 certificates of membership into Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica, Chapter Las Adelitas. Nine members were inducted this school term and 24 students last year. Spanish teacher Mrs. Claudia Vallejo was the club moderator. The chapter name, Las Adelitas, was selected by the students in honor of the women who participated in the Mexican Revolution as commanders, soldiers, and nurses. Spanish Honor Society membership requirements include: enrollment in an upper-level Spanish class (Spanish III and Spanish AP); completion of at least three semesters of Spanish (former Spanish III students and Spanish AP students can be eligible as Associate Members); an overall GPA of 85% or higher; a cumulative Spanish average of 3.5 or higher from all previous courses founded. The Spanish Honor Society, founded in 1953 by the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese, is for the students at North American secondary schools. The Society’s motto is, “All Together.”
The 2020 inductees were Camille D’Arensbourg, Rhea Bawa, Marist Bourg, Carol Bujol, Hallie Cao, Reese Dawson, Jayla Domino, Ella Edwards, Amy Engelhardt, Taelor Foret, Elizabeth Latimer, Avery Lirette, Claire Oster, Kelsey Major, Abigail Mandella, Isabella Paul, Bryce Perkins, Elizabeth Plauche, Kate Rooks, Abrial Suarez, Hayley Torres, Nicolina Totorico, Chloe Tufts, and Janelle Ulloa.
Inductees for 2021 were Caroline Blais, Isabella Cordova, Rowan French, Baileigh Goines, Alyssa Hightower, Caroline Lavie, Tori Mire, Amani Mohamed, and Zoe Toups.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Prior to Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, observed on January 18, Students for Human Dignity & Diversity in Action gathered on campus for lunch and reflection. The day is celebrated to honor Dr. King by following his example of serving and helping others. Since 2019, the organization has done an annual visit to Dooky Chase’s Restaurant that included a serving of the restaurant’s signature creole cuisine and history lessons. However, due to the Coronavirus pandemic, this time lunch from the restaurant was brought to campus.
At the luncheon, member Samantha White, the organization’s chaplain, gave a blessing and read the following prayer: Lord God, You led your chosen people from slavery in Egypt to the freedom of the Promised Land. We ask you to lead our community from any enslavement to hatred, ignorance, fear, racism, injustice, or anything else that prevents us from being the community of love and respect that you want us to be. We remember with gratitude today the witness of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and we ask that we have the courage and determination to follow his example in battling injustice and living the Gospel of love. Help us, Lord, to make ever more the community you want us to be. Grant all this through Christ our Lord, Amen
During November, the Catholic Church in the United States celebrates Black Catholic History Month to remember, honor, and celebrate the gifts Catholics of African heritage bring to the Church. Black Catholic History Month started in 1990 when the National Black Catholic Clergy Caucus of the United States decreed that there needed to be a time set aside to acknowledge and appreciate the accomplishments of Black Catholics. At Dominican, members of Students for Human Dignity & Diversity in Action shared their reflections about some of the Black women and men who are celebrated for their contributions.
Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month
During a campus luncheon, the last special event of the year, the Students for Human Dignity & Diversity in Action observed Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month with food from the Asian infusion restaurant, MoPho. Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month is a celebration of Asians and Pacific Islanders in the United States. In the Greater New Orleans area, the largest Asian population is Vietnamese.
The featured guest speaker at the Students for Human Dignity & Diversity in Action’s last official meeting of the year was Councilwoman Cyndi Nguyen, the first Vietnamese/Asian member of the New Orleans City Council. After coming to America, her family settled in New Orleans. A fan of the singer Cyndi Lauper, she chose Cyndi as her American name. During her youth she would frequently get into trouble, but her parents’ determination for their daughter to have a Catholic education, led to their decision to send her to a convent out of state. She holds a bachelor’s degree in social work and a master’s degree in organizational management.
In 1997, returning to New Orleans to be close to her parents and grandparents, she worked as a Social Service Coordinator for Versailles Arms Apartment, a 400-unit affordable housing development. Her vision was to create a space where people of different ethnicities and cultures could live and build a strong community together. She started a nonprofit organization to guide and transition marginalized communities into mainstream American society. Her election on November 18, 2017 to the New Orleans City Council was historic, becoming the first Asian American elected to the council. Her election made her the fifth Asian American to be elected to a major political office in Louisiana. She serves District E that includes New Orleans East and the Lower Ninth Ward, culturally diverse communities. The Torch - 2020-2021 | 39
Earth Day was April 22! There was no trash too small to escape collection from Ecology and Stewardship Club members who signed up for time slots to clear the campus quad of any signs of debris.
Robotics
During a visit from two female guest speakers with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Robotics Club learned about FBI STEAM professionals who have backgrounds in STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, in conjunction with Arts and Communications. The agency’s STEAM team includes biologists, chemists, cryptologist/cryptanalysts, data communications systems analysts, document analysts, electronics engineers, forensic scientists, electronic surveillance/operations technicians, mathematicians, mechanical engineers, photographic technologists, physical scientists, public affairs specialists, visual presentation specialists, and writers. The combination of technical assets with creativity and advanced communication skills equates to innovative, practical ways for the FBI to manage high-tech threats. The speakers talked about their career paths and how every case is unique in their work as a digital forensic examiner and an FBI agent. At the end of their visit, they took questions from the students. 40 | The Torch - 2020-2021
Drama Club's Lenten Presentation
Marking a first as a video production, St. Mary’s Dominican High School’s annual Lenten Assembly presented the Stations of the Cross to the Dominican community in student reflections, music, and song. Filming inside school buildings and on-campus grounds was completed in three days. The student video production was streamed to classes prior to the Easter break. Directors were Mrs. Rosalie Abadie, art teacher/Drama Club head moderator, and Mr. Cameron Hahne, French teacher/Drama Club co-moderator.
Several factors inspired the production which marks its first time as a video. “After using the same format for several years, we had begun thinking of ways to change the program,” shared Abadie, adding that the COVID pandemic was a major influence. Writing the script, Abadie said her goal was to show “how the Stations of the Cross do affect us as a school community and, therefore, I wanted it to reflect a school day and the advance of time.”
The video opens with a call to prayer by Principal Carolyn Favre. The first station begins with a student entering campus through the back gate. The following stations take the audience through the school and closes with the seniors leaving campus via the back gate. Also highlighted are school support groups – “our Simons and Veronicas,” noted Abadie. “The stations are further enhanced with beautiful songs and instrumentals by our very talented students.”
Everyone who participated in the Lenten Assembly was willing and patient to venture into a production they had never done before, learning new songs, and staying late after school. “They seemed to feel the story of the Passion through students’ eyes,” said Abadie. “We were deeply affected because it was a lot of work, but so much fun watching it come together and trying something new. We also had a deeper appreciation of our students and their talents.”
