2 Index
News Opinion Student Life Mini-Feature Feature Health & Lifestyle A&E Sports Backpage
Editors-In-Chief
News
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Anna Busse Cassie Busch
Copy Editor
Carolina VonKampen
News Editor
Daniel Pape News Assistant Quinlan Moran News Writers Carolina VonKampen Maria Efting Nicholas Mlodzik
Opinion Editor Bryan Banowetz Opinion Assistant Peyton Rosencrants Opinion Writers Hannah Gibbs Brennan Graeve CJ Lampe Morgan Noonan Gina Reiman Chloe Strief Ben Valentine
Student Life Editor Jenna Fenske Student Life Assistant Colette Miller Student Life Writer Lauren Lutgens
Mini-Feature Editor Anna White Mini-Feature Assistant Ameena Challenger Mini-Feature Writer Rachel Brady
Feature Editor Megan Lynch Feature Assistant Robbie Thinnes Feature Writer Mary Esker
Health and Lifestyle Editor Ansley O’Brien Health and Lifestyle Assistant Hannah Chute Health and Lifestyle Writer Molly Vipond
Arts and Entertainment Editor
Xavier High School
14 Saints attend Christ Our Life Conference On September 22-23, a group of 11 Xavier students and three teachers attended the Christ Our Life Conference at the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines. It was a conference filled with Mass, music, and world-renowned speakers. The overall purpose of the Christ Our Life Conference was to inspire souls to seek eternal life by presenting the Glory of Christ to all in attendance. According to one of the attendees, the conference did just that. “The conference didn’t sound like the most exciting way to spend your Saturday, but I was surprised,” junior Grace Winker said. “It really was a great experience, and I had a fun time!” There were many events that took place throughout the weekend. Mass was celebrated to both kick off and end the conference. Both days included
multiple speakers from around the world. One of the speakers at the conference was John Pridmore, who recently spread his message to Xavier. He spoke about how God changed his life from being a London gangster to now being a devout Christian. Another key speaker was Immaculee Ilibagiza, a Rwandan genocide survivor. She detailed her situation in which she hid in a bathroom for 91 days from machete wielding killers. Her message was one of unconditional love and forgiveness. Other highlights of the conference included vendors who promoted faith related causes, music by the Praise Band, and a concert by Steve Angrisano, a musician who weaves storytelling and music throughout his performances. Theology teacher Sue May
Some of the Xavier students who attended the conference pose for a photo. Mrs. Wagner Photo had a positive experience. “I gained so much from attending the conference,” May said. “It was a day of renewal and inspiration for me and offered many avenues for deepening my faith. I felt renewed and re-energized spiritually and have a more fervent desire to be that light of Christ in the world since attending.” There are plans for another Christ Our Life Conference in 2014. Maria Efting News Writer
John Pridmore speaks to Xavier students On September 24, John Pridmore, ex- London gangster turned Christian, spoke at Xavier. Pridmore was born and raised on the East Side of London. Pridmore’s parents filed for a divorce when he was ten. At the age of 13, Pridmore started stealing and later was locked up in a detention center. Pridmore dealt with his pain through fighting and began running with the people who ran the organized crime in London. Pridmore had a conversion after nearly killing a man. He realized that even though he had everything, he was still empty inside. Pridmore realized that this emptiness he felt was because of his lack of faith, and he started living a Christian life.
Pridmore began working with troubled youth in New York, and briefly worked with Blessed Mother Teresa. He talked with prisoners who were members of the notorious gang the Bloods. Within a few years, Pridmore started speaking at parishes, school, prisons and conferences all over the world. For the past 17 years Pridmore has brought the message that “if God can love someone like me, God can love anyone” all over the world. He spoke in Sydney, Australia for the World Youth Day to an audience of 400,000 young people along with Pope Benedict XVI. Pridmore also spoke to child soldiers in Liberia who fought in the Liberian Civil War.
Pridmore is the author of three books. His first book, From Gangland to Promise Land, is about the trials that he faced as a gang member. All proceeds from books and talks go to the charity Mary’s Meals and to the community house in Ireland where he resides. In October, Pridmore will be speaking in North Dakota and in the United Kingdom. For more information about Pridmore, visit his website: http://johnpridmore.yolasite. com/. All three of his books as well as DVDs/CDs of his talks can be ordered through the website.
Hannah Gibbs Opinion Writer
Maddie Smith Arts and Entertainment Assistant Emma Hunt Arts and Entertainment Writers Lauren Van Hoeck Payton Janney Meghan Gerke Ashley Pudil
Sports Editor John Ingwersen Sports Assistant John Richardson Sports Writers Alex Fox Connor Collins Shannon Mulcahey Kyle D’mello Lizzy McWhinney
Backpage Editor Nicole Draker Backpage Assistant McKenzie Potter
Business Hailey Sojka
Distribution Brennan Graeve The Xpress Bi-weekly Xavier High School 6300 42nd St. NE Cedar Rapids, IA 52411 Volume 15 Issue 3
Next Classes: (Marion) November 26 December 8 & December 17 - 31
(Cedar Rapids) November 5 - 16 & December 17 - 29