St. Francis Xavier University

The X-Ring

What does your X-Ring mean to you?

Image - X-Ring My X-ring makes me feel like I'm part of a large family. Anywhere you go in the world, if you meet someone with an X-ring, you are automatically welcomed! You share stories of your times at X and of the people you've meet.
Bobbi MacEachern '95

The X-ring for me represents an experience only a person with their own X-ring would understand. When I look at my ring I see a school with spirit, a school with outstanding academics, a place where everyone was welcomed, and it makes me happy that I was a part of that and that I continue to represent StFX.
Jennifer Foshay '02

My X-Ring is a constant reminder of the time I spent at St. F.X., of people I met who are important to me and of memories that I will always cherish. It is both a symbol of achievement and of the path that has lead me to where I am in life. Perhaps most important of all, though, is that it is a connection to something more than just a school - to a family of people who are always proud to call themselves Xavierians and who welcome fellow X-Ring bearers with wide smiles and open arms.
Jim Lane Jr. '00

My X ring means I have family all over the world. It brings us all together and facilitates a strong connection among people who may not have otherwise made that association. No matter where you go, if you find the X ring, you've found family!
Stephanie Curtis Sood '86

My X ring has been on my finger for almost 47 years. It represents for me, the essence of St FX - spiritual, intellectual, emotional and physical - that imbues any individual who is privileged and fortunate to study, pray and play at one of the greatest universities in the world!
Redmond Curtis '58

The X-Ring is a symbol of all those things that are good in my life: a confirmation of my earliest memory of advice from my grandmother that "If you don't have something good to say, don't say anything at all", a reminder that somehow X found me and that I didn't find it and my life is better for that, a reminder of the first time I met my wife in MacPherson Room 147, and finally that family is everything...don't ever forget it.
Gary Doucette '85

Wearing an X ring means:
A sense of pride
A special bond of friends
A recognized University
A topic of conversation
It's amazing how recognizable a ring can be. In a crowded room it can be spotted a mile away, and then it's so easy to carry on a conversation with the other wearer..,...what year did you graduate....what did you take...etc. There is so much pride in wearing the ring and so much pride in the University. StFX is not just a university. It's a community where friends gather. That's more than any other university can boast!
Linda Mombourquette '81

My X Ring is a constant reminder that I'm a small part in a much bigger family of people that shared a common experience. One that has taught us to try and make a difference in the world. It's a symbol that bonds us together and causes total strangers to strike up conversations and discuss common memories. No matter what town, city or country I visit I have had total strangers come up and speak to me about their life as an X grad. Even those that did not go to X recognize the ring and want to strike up conversations. That kind of response in this a day and age of fast paced A to B, don't stop for anything mentality, says a lot. That the experience was so strong that total strangers will stop whatever they are doing to speak with someone they have never met, and that might be 20-30 years in the age difference, and have a short conversation about their lives, is, I think, a rare occurrence. These occurrences are stimulated by the X Ring.
Paul D Fraser '82

I see my Xring as a symbol of my accomplishment, my experiences and friends at X.
Colleen Kennedy '92, '94

My X-ring means a fulfillment of a dream, wonderful memories of the past and hope for the future.
Mary Jessie MacLellan

I received my Engineering Diploma in 1975 and went on to receive undergraduate and masters degrees from Northwestern University, and a PhD from Mc Gill University. I never once thought about replacing my X-ring with one from one of those schools. Not only is the X-ring the most striking and unique compared to others (perhaps owing to its simplicity), but as my wife Linda and I travel around the world on business or pleasure I am proud to wear this representation of my first class home town school.
Greg Fraser '75

Since moving to Ireland 6 months after my graduation, I have often been question as to my ring and the meaning behind it. It reminds me of the family I left behind in Canada and the many good friends I still have back there. It is a constant reminder of the long and lengthy process one goes through to graduate. But, mine to me means always having a common bond with those friends. There my thoughs in a few words.
Seán M. Gibson

I graduated in 2001 and moved away from Nova Scotia for my job. The only two pieces of jewelry I wear are my watch and my x-ring.
I am the only one in my family to go to university, so my x-ring reminds me of how proud my family is of me for going this far and having the courage to move away from everything and everyone I've ever known. It also reminds me of the connection the Xaverian family has, since I even run into strangers on the bus or in a restaurant who ask me which year I graduated :-) There are a surprising number of people in Ottawa (and at Statistics Canada) who came from X.
Olivia Brown

My X-Ring will always be memories of the friendships I began at St. FX, amazing people who continue to be a part of my life, and my introduction to international development work, especially when I'm sitting miles away in Africa, trying to explain the concept behind the ring to new friends.
Gwynneth Wong '99

When I look down at my hand and see the ring I am flooded with memories of my friends from X, times on the Orientation Committee, sleepless nights of frantic papers, walking up those library steps, working at the alumni office and loving every minute on that campus. My X ring means hard work, self discovery and the foundation of the person I am now. It also means treasured friendships, laughter, and belonging. It is truly my most treasured possession.
Erica Rose Day '03

My X-Ring goes on my finger before I go out the door every morning. It is a constant reminder to me of the person I have become by being a part of the Xaverian family. The 8:15 classes Monday morning and 2:15 labs every Friday afternoon, hockey games, Frosh week, exams, The Inn, BurMac, Moe's food, Christmas Ball, Graduation and most of all, my friends. And everytime someone notices my ring and says "I wish I had an X-Ring, too" I smile because I know that I have those memories of life at X and I wouldn't trade them for the world.
Carolynn Côté '03

I am currently travelling in Central America. This weekend I met a group of volunteers, retired teachers, from BC who had completed a project on a finca in Guatemala. They saw my ring and told me about meeting Sean Riley and a group of students who are working in a small Guatemalan village. They were really impressed that StFX was doing this. We talked about Coady Institute (which they knew) and about StFX's legacy in community development. They were impressed with Sean, and that the university president was so young and so involved in this project. Only an X-ring could bring this kind of connection at a street market many miles from home.
Judy Haley '74

My X-Ring signifies graduation from an institution that:

placed big emphasis on the importance of the little man in its social philosophy
encouraged the exercise of Christian principles in all human affairs
broadened the intellectual horizons of thousands of students (rich and poor alike)
and had those great Varsity X-teams of the 1950s

Leo A. MacDonell, '54, '57, '75

I received my X ring in 1972 and I still have my original ring. I only take it off to clean it. It means so much to me. It has become a family ring: my father, brothers and now my children.
Patsy MacDonald '73

For me it represents a personal achievement, as well as proud membership in a warm and welcoming family made up of alumni, faculty and current students. I have had people ask about the ring when travelling. I have also had it recognized in places I would never have thought it would be. It has acted, all unintentionally, as a recognition point of common experience in business meetings and social gatherings. It is a striking symbol of continuing academic quality and social friendship I am proud to wear.
Dean Milner '78

The year I graduated, 1982, gold was selling for approx $800 an ounce and "X" rings were a cost that many of our graduating class felt they could not afford. My father, also Clyde Nunn, graduated in 1928 and was a member of the StFX Board of Governors for over 20 years. His ring had sat quietly in a box for 12 years following his death in 1970. I was given his ring as a graduation gift by my mother and I wear it proudly as a reminder of accomplishment and camaraderie with the "X" family.
J. Clyde Nunn '82

My X-ring reminds me of the good times and great friends I've made. It means that a little hard work and a lot of play was worth it! No matter where my life or career takes me, I'll always have 'family' around! ...And I wouldn't trade that for the world!
Tracy Matthews '04

My X ring is as much a part of my body as the spirit of St. F.X. is a part of my mind and soul. Both are constant reminders of ;who I am, where I came from ,and what I am doing here.
Tom Concannon '58

I often am asked here in the States what is the significance of the "X" ring and I proceed to tell that individual about Saint Francis Xavier University, Nova Scotia, my family and friends in Canada. As an American, I use the "X" ring as a lead in to enlighten Americans about the life and culture in Nova Scotia, the Maritimes and Canada. I learned alot about the need for community iservice here in the States from my exposure to the Antigonish Movement. Fond memories of a less complicated life and times, with emphasis on friends and fun, while obtaining a first class education, are what the "X" ring means to me.
Steve Ferraro '73

My X ring represents a sense of loyalty to my fellow Xaverians and to StFX as an institution. It is a symbol that transcends generations, geography, and differences to tangibly unite the Xaverian family.
Rita Gillis '99

The X-Ring is a symbol of truth, integrity, and goodness. It reminds me daily that I am part of the Xaverian Family and that this family stands for empowering others and making us believe we are indeed "masters of our own destiny."
Kim Dickson '78, '79

What does your X-Ring mean to you?

X-Ring Stories

Ordering an X-Ring