If I had to explain Candlelight to someone who wasn’t familiar with it, I would tell them that it’s sort of a rite of passage, maybe an initiation, for every new student here at Albertus. It’s sort of like Orientation, but instead of explaining the school and our life here like Orientation does, Candlelight welcomes us to the school community. It defines the sort of life we should lead while we’re here, and even after we graduate. Candlelight is a common experience for every student here at Albertus. It’s one we all share, one that binds us together. When we first came here, we were students on a campus. Candlelight is meant to give us a broader perspective, to show us that we are a part of a community as well. That community is one that we’re meant to be involved with – and it’s one whose values we are meant to identify with and share.
The ceremony isn’t just about community, however. Candlelight is also about giving us a broader perspective on what our college education will do for us. With its emphasis on truth, honor, and service, Candlelight shows us that the point of college isn’t just to learn. Yes, our studies in the classroom are extremely important and are the basis for our time here. But if we walked away from the college with an increased store of knowledge and nothing else, it would be a waste. I would tell an outsider that Candlelight is about finding something to identify with. The words spoken at Candlelight are meant to inspire us, to make us feel a connection to the College, and to make us see the importance of its ideals. Candlelight is an opportunity for us to realize the importance of service, integrity, and honor in our lives.
Candlelight in the Community
I think the most obvious way that Candlelight can have an impact on the community is simple. We, the students being welcomed to Albertus, are part of the community. Whatever we take away from the ceremony we take into the community, whether we’re aware of it or not. If even one remark from Candlelight stays with a student and affects their actions off campus in even a small way, the community has been affected. If a student decides to help someone near their home because of a comment made about service at Candlelight, the community has been helped. If a statement about honor kept another student from cheating in a competition, the community has been bettered. These may be small things, but they allow Candlelight to spread outside Albertus.Sheridan McNamara ’17English Major
Class of 2017
Stratford, CT.