by Dominic Gideon ‘14
This past Thursday, twenty-five Ignatius students joined about 270 other Catholic high school students to take part in the Respect Life Day downtown. The day comprised of mass at the cathedral, a march down the streets of Cleveland to Public Square, and then finally a rally with high school speakers to talk about pro-life issues. The event was organized by Catholic Schools for Peace and Justice, a social justice networking organization in the Cleveland Catholic Diocese. 
The most impactful part of the day for the students was the rally when their peers went up on an impromptu platform next to the Moses Cleveland statue and spoke out on a wide range of pro-life topics. There were speeches on abortion, disabilities, the death penalty, and other social issues on which the Church takes a stance. “The rally was a great experience for all of us,” said David Mooney ‘15. “It really helped us see how important [these issues are].”
The speakers were a varied group of people who all “brought their own insights,” as Mooney said, giving students different lenses and perspectives to see the topics. There were also some students who brought very personal ties to the topics on which they spoke. Josh Foreman, a fully blind student from Holy Name, talked about his life and his positivity toward his disability. Another student, Lake Catholic junior Connor Robinson, gave an emotional speech on suicide. Robinson’s speech was a powerful witness on the topic and reflected on the recent death of his brother, Michael.
These powerful messages enlightened, inspired, and moved many high schoolers, giving them a reason to be glad they took part in the event aside from taking a day off of school.
