The Year in Review Co-Curriculars
Volunteer Programs
Choir
Through the pandemic, hundreds of St. X students gave thousands of hours to serve food to the homeless, play games with young adults with developmental disabilities, work in nature preserves, remotely mentor younger kids and clean up yards of neighbors in need of a little extra help.
It’s no secret that this year has been a challenge for education institutions around the world. Amidst these challenging times, the St. Xavier Choirs were able to safely and joyfully continue to make music! While rehearsals and performances looked quite different than usual, Ensemble X and X-Men, choirs had strong showings throughout the year.
Mission Trips
Fifty St. X students went on weeklong trips to Appalachia in September to April. Even in masks, the bombers chopped wood, dug ditches, planted crops and repaired homes in underserved areas. This summer, over 130 students signed up to carry the tradition of giving up a week of their summer in service of others. Food Drive
Despite everything, 2020 was the best year for the annual Canned Food Drive on record. Freshman and sophomore homerooms collected 75,410 pounds of food – over 10,000 more pounds than 2019. Juniors and seniors collected and delivered to 25 local food banks. Because of the impact of the pandemic, more Cincinnatians than ever went to food banks for the first time.
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St. Xavier High School Magazine Summer 2021
In August, Ensemble X hosted auditions and selected 28 talented young men to represent our top tier musicianship. Together with X-Men, the choir program put on a virtual production of their season opener in October titled “Brothers in Song”. Through recording sessions, audio editing, and videography these young men were able to produce a cohesive concert in unique ways during a pandemic that has barred many choirs from singing. At long last, May 11 brought the first live performance in 14 months. Performing a concert titled “The Journey Home,” X-Men and Ensemble X featured a repertoire delving into our personal concepts of “home.” Whether home be a physical location with family, an emotional place within your heart, or a spiritual home with God, St. Xavier choirs were happy to again call the stage home. This performance welcomed back to the stage alumni of the longstanding St. X choral tradition to join in on the performance of the Ensemble’s familiar tunes. The concert was outdoors in the beautiful Seasongood Pavilion in Eden Park next to the Cincinnati Art Museum, allowing for a COVID safe performance that was free and accessible to the community to enjoy.
