Welcoming new Americans

221 people earn the right to take Oath of Citizenship

Submitted

A Naturalization Ceremony was held Wednesday, March 11 at the Payne & Mencias Palladium at Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel.

Prior to the ceremony, the Indiana Wind Symphony and the Indiana National Guard Band played patriotic songs in front of red, white, and blue background lighting.

The proceedings were opened by the courtroom deputy. Applicants were asked to stand as their country of origin was called; 221 applicants from 48 countries were in attendance.

All applicants stood as the Honorable James R. Sweeney II of the United States District Court, Southern District of Indiana, administered the Oath of Citizenship. Following the National Anthem, Judge Sweeney delivered remarks and interacted with the applicants, discovering the three tallest were all 6-foot-3. He learned the shortest amount of time to receive citizenship was seven months, while the longest took 58 years. The youngest new citizen, age 19, then led the Pledge of Allegiance.

Additional remarks were given by Jeffrey McDermott, CEO and President of the Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts, and David Burian, from the office of Congresswoman Victoria Spartz. Dianne Powell, from the office of Senator Todd Young, and Abdul Alsaad, from the office of Congressman Andre Carson, also spoke and both shared that they are Naturalized Citizens.

A flag that had been flown over the U.S. Capitol was presented to the oldest new citizen, Champaben Patel, 82 years old. Judge Sweeney gave his final remarks, followed by the playing of “The Stars and Stripes Forever.”

Each new citizen was called to the stage, one at a time, to receive their Certificate of Naturalization along with other handouts from the represented offices.

The Horseshoe Prairie Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution was honored to represent the DAR at this large ceremony during America’s 250^th birthday year. Chapter Regent Amy Holzum, Carmen Clift, and Robin Sullivan presented each new citizen with an American flag. As each new citizen descended the stage, Pam Bollier, Jenny Ward, and Shirley Hutchison gave them a Stars and Stripes gift bag filled with patriotic-themed items including a pencil, pen with an attached bookmark, stickers, mints, and a pocket-sized copy of the Constitution, which was provided Rep. Spartz’s office.

As each new citizen left the auditorium, Billie Jones and Melissa Scheidegger distributed bookmarks with the Preamble to the Constitution and fliers with DAR scholarship information.