by Tommy Gruber ‘14
Tradition is an important part of life at Saint Ignatius. However, one tradition has been overlooked. For the past four years, several students St. Ann’s Parish (now Communion of Saints) have been involved in a wild tradition: a seven mile walk back to their homes in beautiful Cleveland Heights. Jacob Rossi ‘14 came up with this tradition in the summer of their freshman year, and made the first trip with classmates Dominic Gideon, Ben Lamb, Mike Kowalski, Josh Brower, and Jeff Foerg after a freshman football practice. Participation has flagged in the years following that first, fateful journey. But Gideon has made up for it by continuing the tradition.
For the first three years, the group walked across the Carnegie Bridge, observing the sights and sounds of downtown, and stopping to feast at Hot Sauce Williams on Carnegie Avenue. This year, however, Gideon and Lamb were the only ones able to make the pilgrimage. They decided not to walk, but to run, and finish strong in their homegrown tradition. Although they did not have their annual feast of gourmet fried chicken from Hot Sauce Williams, the trip created a sense of closure for Gideon.
Gideon told of serious discussions of Cleveland with his chaps, to stories of listening to the city’s locals, such as “Dolla Bill,” talk about their own experiences. Some may wonder why they do this. “It really helps my gluteus maximus,” Gideon answered the hypothetical pessimist. “And I get a chance to see the beautiful, safe streets of Cleveland.”
Gideon wishes to keep this tradition alive, and is calling out to all Communion of Saints alumni to continue the tradition. The walk only takes about two-and-a-half hours, but the memories of the eventful journeys last much longer.
