Konosioni Inducts New Members with Candlelight Tradition

Celine Turkyilmaz, News Editor|February 28, 2019

Konosioni’s class of 2020 was officially inducted on Monday, February 25. The 26 members were addressed by the departing class of 2019 Konosioni members.

Twenty-six members of the class of 2020 were inducted into the Konosioni Senior Honor Society in a ceremony that took place in the Colgate Memorial Chapel on Monday, February 25.

The ceremony began with speeches by senior Keyra Jimenez, who serves the Vice President of the Konosioni class of 2019, and Colgate alumnus Rodney Agnant ’14, who served as a member of the honor society in 2014. Members were officially inducted into the honor society by setting a candle aflame and adding it to a candelabra.

In her introduction, Jimenez discussed the selection process for the Konosioni class of 2019.

“When the Konosioni class of 2018—our bigs—were selecting us, they were looking for movers, shakers, doers. A group with a strong sense of duty,” Jimenez said. “Those who could take the groundwork being laid and build a vision for a different kind of Colgate.”

Jimenez discussed the main takeaway she received from her time in Konosioni.

“Leading in a room full of leaders can get really hard,” Jimenez said. “We represent a wide range of values, perspectives and experiences, which can be a source of frustration, but is also what makes Konosioni so great.”

Jimenez said that the Konosioni class of 2019 was excited to welcome the class of 2020 to join Konosioni’s 85-year legacy.

“I am confident that we have chosen incredible human beings who will fight for their convictions, act with intentionality and focus on building and sustaining a community not just at Colgate, but beyond,” Jimenez said.

Junior Hannah Adkins also expressed eagerness at beginning her time with Konosioni.

“I am so incredibly excited and humbled to have been inducted into Konosioni. The members of our new class are some of the most inspiring and impactful people on campus and I can’t wait to [learn] about leadership from all of them,” Adkins said. 

Jimenez said that the class of 2019 has sought to honor the diverse spaces held on campus and to embrace a fresh take on traditions such as the Torch- light procession.

“We each light the path in whatever way makes sense to us, in whatever manner we’ve learned to love, lead and guide,” Jimenez said.

Jimenez expressed her belief in the importance of the different kinds of leadership Konosioni members exhibit.

“Not everyone stands at the front of a room and makes a speech to lead,” Jimenez said. “Some of us lead quietly, through kindness, through commitment to empathy and honesty, and that’s where this class of Konosioni comes in.”

Rodney Agnant ’14 delivered an address that spoke to his experiences being a part of the Colgate Christian Fellowship and Konosioni.

“There was a little flame inside me that said the work I do here is important. The community I serve is important,” Agnant said. “I want to do that work with faith, with commitment.”

Agnant said that he believes the key to Konosioni is the reminder it provides of this flame and this light within everyone.

“Sometimes receiving this reminder is the difference between a dream deferred and a dream realized,” Agnant said.

Junior JJ Citron reflected on her induction into Konosioni.

“After induction, I’ve been able to spend time with Konosioni members from the class of 2019 and learn about their experiences,” Citron said. “With this wisdom, I am looking forward to working with members from my own class on projects in the upcoming year.”

Konosioni stands as a peer selected group of 26 students who have been recognized for their outstanding leadership, dedication and preservation of tradition. The mission statement of the honor society declares that members promote philanthropic efforts and inspire a connection to Colgate’s campus and the surrounding community by providing an interface between students and the Hamilton community.

Contact Celine Turkyilmaz at [email protected].