Important Dates at Quigley Catholic

May 1   -   Senior Mass @ 1:30 PM

May 16 - Honor Convocation

May 20 - Golf Outing

May 22 - Choral Concert

May 23 - Senior Banquet

June 2 - Graduation

June 3 - School Picnic @ Kennywood

June 4 - Last Day of School

A.  Cabaret

B.  The Emigrants

C.  Sounder

D.  The Godfather

E.  Deliverance

Which movie won the Oscar in 1983?

A.  E.T.

B.  Gandhi

C.  Tootsie

D.  The Verdict

E.  Missing

What was the top Billboard song in 1983?

A.  Billie Jean

-Michael Jackson

B.  Flashdance

-Irene Cara

C.  Beat It

-Michael Jackson

D.  Every Breath You Take

-Police

E.  Down Under

-Men at Work

Answers at the End of the newsletter.

The silver anniversary of the Quigley Catholic Mock Trial team has proven to be a memorable one. The undefeated 2013 Quigley Catholic's Mock Trial team will be packing their bags and heading to Indianapolis, IN to compete in the Mock Trial Nationals in May 9-11.  The team is led by Mr. Tim Waxenfelter a 2012 Pennsylvania High School Speech League Hall of Fame Inductee and coach for all 25 years, and Attorney advisor, Ahmed Aziz.  The team won the school it's 7th State Mock Trial Championship;  a state record.  The next closest school is the team they defeated in the finals, Greensburg-Salem, coming in with four state championships. While this feat is impressive no matter the circumstances, what makes it even more remarkable is that there is no school size classifications in these Mock Trial competitions. Quigley Catholic competes against schools with much larger student enrollment and has defeated them all this year.  

To get a chance at the State Championship, the team had to compete against 11 other Beaver County schools to move onto Regional competition.  In the County finals, QCHS defeated Blackhawk HS in the semis and then Beaver HS in the finals.  They then moved on to Regionals and defeated Butler HS in the semi-finals and then Warrren HS allowing them to move  on to States.

There were 311 teams in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania all vying for the spot of State Champion.  They were whittled down, through regional competitions, to get to the State Mock Trial Championships in Harrisburg on March 22-23.  Twelve teams ultimately made it there and competed against each other until Quigley Catholic was the last team standing.  They competed twice on Friday, March 22nd and again on Saturday, March 23rd.  You can watch the Mock Trial final on the PCN (Pennsylvania Cable Network) website by clicking on the designated link below.

This year's fictitious criminal case for the competition was "Commonwealth v. Tatum Zillias" 

 

The developer was racing to get a low-cost housing complex finished to earn a $25 million bonus and disregarded safety measures and conditions.

 

In the Finals, the QCHS team took on the burden of being the Defense.  The attorneys during the finals were George Burnet (Sophmore),  Kaye Burnet (Senior) and  Anthony Kuntz (Junior).  The witnesses were Shelby Wasil (Senior),  T.J. Belsterling (Freshman) and  Jarek Ingros (Senior).  

 

This year's QCHS Mock Trial participants are:

Macy Jaskiewicz, Anna Marie Lovre, J.J. Hrechen, Jarek Ingros, Shelby Wasil, Nick Core,  Kaye Burnet, Anthony Kuntz, George Burnet, T.J. Belsterling, Kate Straatmann, Emily Cronin, Austin Kuntz.

Quigley Catholic's Mock Trial team will be heading to Indianapolis to compete in the National's on May 9-11. Last year, 49 teams competed for the coveted championship.  This year's case material will be loosely adapted from one of Indiana's worst tragedies that occurred 50 years ago - an explosion of propane tanks used to warm popcorn.

We wish the team safe travels and best of luck at Nationals!  Our prayers will be with you.

Some links about Quigley's Mock trial team can be found below.

National Mock Trial Championship Website 

 

 

 

 

 

Ciao!

I'm Cara Koshut, a graduate of Quigley Catholic's Class of 2011.  I am in a five-year masters program at Duquesne University for Speech-Language Pathology. This semester I have chosen to study abroad at Duquesne's Italian campus in Rome, which happened to be the most wonderful, historic time for the Catholic church.

Upon arriving in Italy the first of February, we were informed that every Sunday and Wednesday Pope Benedict performs a blessing for the general public from his apartment window in St. Peter's Square.  Realizing my birthday, February 10^th, fell on a Sunday, I immediately knew how I would be spending my birthday.  On that day, my two friends and I departed campus making our way to Ottaviano, the metro stop for the Vatican.  We purchased rosaries and religious items before arriving at St. Peter's to get blessed by Pope Benedict.  The blessing started promptly at noon, and the Pope appeared  from the second window on the right in a building of St. Peter's.  People started cheering and clapping with sheer delight of seeing him.  The blessing was said in multiple languages, making everyone feel very much apart of it all.  Lasting about 20 minutes, I still felt so grateful to be in the presence of our Holy Father.  Not many can say the Pope blessed them on their 20^th birthday!

The following day I heard the stunning news of the Pope resigning, which hasn't happened in 600 years!  I was shocked, as was the rest of the world, but knew his decision was made with the grace of God.  Italians showed a vast arrange of emotions, making it very interesting to be here in Italy during the transitional phase. There were several unknowns, like when conclave would begin or who the next Holy Father could be.  We did know that Pope Benedict was resigning February 28^th, and there was a Papal Audience being held in St. Peter's Square for the general public Wednesday, February 27^th.  My professor for Intercultural Communications obtained tickets for our class to attend since it was during our normal class time.  There was a huge crowd, as to be expected, but we were able to get seats because we had tickets.  Pope Benedict spoke in 10 different languages, and it really was a beautiful, and certainly an intercultural, experience!

Many of us were concerned that we would miss the conclave because we were leaving for spring break March 14.  God must have heard our prayers, because conclave started unexpectedly early!  On March 12, black smoke came out, announcing there was no decision made on the new Pope.  People began to make bets as to when it would be.  Some said Thursday, I said Friday, and many said Saturday.  The next day, people who did not have class went to St. Peter's Square from 10 to 1 and again from 3 to 6.  On Wednesday, people were going to St. Peter's after class because it ended early at 5.

 

  

I decided to go for a little for the experience, but I had a huge midterm the next day and did not want to stay long.  After about an hour, my friend, Kayla, and I decided to leave because our final was very early the following morning and we needed to study.  This was such a hard decision, I would obviously want to be there more than anything, but I am here for school and I couldn't forget that.

Once back to campus, we went to our rooms to gather our things to study.  As I was heading to my room, I passed Alexa who was checking twitter to see if anything happened.  She looked down at her iPad and yelled "WHITE SMOKE!!!" 

At that moment I felt such a mix of emotions, regret for leaving, nervousness if I would make it back or not, and happiness that we had a new Papa.  Immediately Kayla, Alexa, and I ran out the door and started sprinting.  We ran about a mile and a half, meanwhile I was getting calls and texts from everyone and their brother expressing their excitement.  Running on adrenaline, I couldn't stop even if I tried.  It was not an option getting to St. Peter's in time.  We hopped on a bus and I had my dad update us from the states as to what was happening on that special balcony in Vatican City.  It seemed like we were okay, but we had to get off the bus and run the rest of the way.  The traffic was insane and people were flooding the streets.  We jumped the metal rail in St. Peter's and walked in just as the Cardinal came out!  He greeted the crowd and started with a prayer.  The thousands upon thousands of people were silent, waiting and listening to every word he said.  The curtains were then drawn back, and Papa Francesco emerged!!  Everyone was cheering and yelling out "Papa!".  People of every nationality were hugging each other and joining hands.  Many began to cry and reach up toward our new Holy Father.  I have never felt such an emotional pull to something.  As soon as Pope Francis walked onto the balcony, my heart was so full of love.

I would never trade my memories an experiences with Pope Benedict and Pope Francis for anything in for the world.  Since the day Papa Francesco emerged, I have seen him at the Stations of the Cross at the Coliseum and on Easter Sunday. To say I am lucky is an understatement.  I have had the most wonderful, incredible, and unforgettable semester.  As I look forward to the few weeks I have left here in Roma, I am so sad that it has come and gone so fast.  I am very blessed for this opportunity and I would encourage anyone to come and visit Rome, or to study abroad.  My faith in God is stronger than ever, and I have grown so much from this experience.  I look forward going back to the States and carrying these moments forever in my heart. There's no place like Rome...

• Quigley Catholic's 2013-2014 tuition has been set and there will no change from the previous year's cost.  The tuition will be as follows: $8,200 for Catholic students, $9,200 for Non-Catholic students and $9,800 for International students.

• It is now easier than ever to make a donation to Quigley Catholic.  You can now make a donation through the website using PayPal.  With a PayPal account you can pay directly from your bank account or a credit card.  It is up to you.  PayPal offers you a safe and secure transaction. Go to Donate to QCHS now! and give back to the school that has given you so much.  If every alumnus would make a donation of at least $10 a year, that would be very helpful in allowing Quigley Catholic to move Faith Forward!

If you have driven down Route 65, on Route 19 in Wexford. near Beaver Valley Mall or many other places in the tri-county area, you would be hard pressed to miss the new Quigley Catholic billboards (as seen above) promoting the school.  Along with words and a Quigley Catholic banner announcing our "Top 50" Catholic High School designation, you will also see a picture of a pretty, young lady who is now the "Face of Quigley Catholic."  

We thought it would be nice to introduce her to you and ask her some questions about Quigley Catholic and herself. 

Q. Did you know when they were doing the photo shoot that you were going to be the "The Face of Quigley Catholic."  If not, how surprised were you to find out that you would be on area billboards and featured in other parts of the campaign?

A.  My favorite thing about Quigley is getting to know everyone. I really like how at Quigley, everyone knows everyone, even the teachers, and it feels like a big family.

Jay Fyda

QCHS 2013

Festivities for the All-Stars included team scrimmages on April 17^th, a Recognition Dinner at the  Pittsburgh Marriot North on April 18^th and the Classic games on April 20^th at Geneva College's Metheny Fieldhouse.

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

A.   I grew up on Pittsburgh's North Side.  I am the son of  the late James S. McLane Sr. and the late Rita Callahan McLane.  I had a brother, the late James S. McLane Jr.

 

I attended Annunciation Catholic Grade School from 1954 to 1962 and was greatly influenced by the Sisters of Saint Joseph.  I attended North Catholic High School and graduated in 1966.  At the time it was an all boys high school, and the faculty was made up of all male teachers, a majority of which were Marianist Brothers.  Discipline was the core of the curriculum in those days.

 

I attended the University of Notre Dame and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering degree.  Words cannot begin to describe the experience of attending this outstanding institution.  I later received a Masters of Arts in Teach from Duquesne University  in 1973.    

 

I've been married to my lovely wife , Janet, for 38 years.  We have four outstanding children.  Ryan (36 years old) who is a Junior High School Principal in Ohio, Brendan (34 years old) is an Nuclear Engineer for the Department of the Navy in Washington, D.C., Darren (32 years old) who is a Pharmacist in Pittsburgh, and our daughter Shannon (30 years old) who is a Medical Technician and Consultant for a heart monitoring equipment company.  My wife and I are the proud grandparents of four adorable granddaughters.  They are     Kaydence, Molly, Macie and Maura.  Their ages are 9, 8 , 4 and 2 respectively.  We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of a grandson in June.

 

 

Q.  Would you tell use how you came into teaching at Quigley Catholic?

 

A.  In late August of 1971 I had an Industrial Engineering job pending with Crucible Steel Company.  Due to a labor conflict with their employees, the company could not hire me until it was settled.  So I was relaxing and biding my time.  On a Thursday evening in late August I get a call from Mr.George Sprys, who was one of my teachers in high school.  We attended the same church and he lived in my neighborhood.  He knew I was not working and told me of Quigley Catholic High School needing a short term Math and Science teacher.  The headmaster had  just been appointed and had not found a permanent instructor to meet his needs.  Mr.Sprys was a friend and past colleague of the headmaster, and he told him of my background.  Mr. Sprys suggested that I interview for the opening, and I politely told him that I was not interested.  He then told me that I should get interested because he had told the headmaster that I would be there for an interview Friday afternoon.  The interview went well, and I made it clear that I would only be available until my engineering job materialized.  I figured that there was no way they would offer me a job with that stipulation.  That night I get a call informing me that the job was mine for the taking along with the J.V. Basketball coaching position.  The following Tuesday was the first day of my 42 year teaching career. The rest is history.  I fell in love with teaching and lost my aspiration of being an Engineer. I enrolled at Duquesne University where I attended night school and summer school in order to obtain permanent state certification to teach.  Because of the engineering curriculum I had gone through, in a little over a year I became certified to teach Mathematics, Physics and General Science.

 

 

Q. What has been your favorite subject to teach and why?

      

A.  I guess I would have to say Honors Physics.  It allows me to show students why things happen the way they happen in the world around us.  It is a unique subject in that it enables you to use mathematics to explain and model physical phenomenon

 

 

Q.  You have had many students pass through your classroom, but in your career at Quigley Catholic, is there one student or a few that have stood out in your memory.  If so, can you tell us who and why?

 

A.  Every student is special in their own unique way, and I remember students for various reasons.  One person who I will never forget is Joe George.  I taught him all four years, coached him in Basketball for four years and was the moderator of Student Council of which he was a member.  He and Ed Jennings were Co-Presidents their senior year 1974-1975.  I told him I was going to claim him as a dependent on my tax return.  

Another student that will always be a fond memory is Darryl Jones.  He was the forerunner of Urkel of "Family Matters".  Both as a student and as a Basketball player I took him under my wing.  He wasn't the best of either, but I demanded that he give me "his best".  Darryl has developed into a strong and courageous man.  He is presently the Chief of the Pittsburgh Fire Department.  I am proud to think that I was a positive influence on his life.  He has told me that if not for attending Q.C.H.S. he would  not be in the position he is in today. 

 

 

Q. In the academic awards ceremony that the school has every year, you give an award to a specific student.  Can you tell us how this tradition came about, and what criteria you use when choosing the recipient each year?

 

  

Q.  My kids came home and told us that you were once Quigley Catholic's Basketball coach.  Can you tell us what years you coached and how was that experience?  Who is the best player that you coached?  

 

 

A.  A successful businessman and owner of some type of small company.

 

 

Q.  What do you do for fun when you aren't teaching and during the summer.

 

 

 

Q. Your sense of humor is notorious.  Do you use this to help get through to your students or do you use it to get through the day with your sanity?

 

 

 

Q.  If there was one piece of advise you could pass on to your students each year, what would that be?

 

A.  Love, learn and smile.  Be nice to people and they will be nice to you.  Love and you will be loved.  If you don't learn something every day you should stay in bed.  Work at whatever you do to the best of your abilities and you will be successful.  You will never accomplish things if you don't try.  Laugh because laughter is the best medicine for most things.  And if you don't have something nice to say then keep quiet.

 

 

Q. You have been teaching at Quigley Catholic for awhile.  Can you tell us what the school and your experiences teaching at the school means to you.

 

 

This year at Quigley Catholic was no different than other schools across the country where the inviter tries to make it impossible to say "NO."  Quigley Catholic had it's share of creative invites.  This year, QCHS has seen a grandiose display, a scavenger hunt, role playing and, as you would expect, the use of modern electronics to invite the person they wish to spend the evening with.  So we thought it would be fun to tell you about four such invites that took place this year.  We will only use first names to protect the innocent and maybe save some embarrassment.

Andy and Jackie

The first one that got the Prom asking going this year was the most grandiose and was the brain child of Andy. Andy wanted to make the "Ask" made known to all of the Quigley Catholic students and also wanted to make sure the target of his invitation would not miss his request.  What did he do you ask?  Well, he decided to line the driveway entrance to the school, (You know, where everyone has to drive by to get there) with individual signs.  Each one had a specific and simple word on it.  As you drove down the driveway the signs went as followed:

Jackie...will...you...go...to...the...Prom...with...me...Andy!  

This was a gesture that no one could miss, especially the one that it was intended for.  Well, that is unless they weren't coming to school that day.  Here it seems that some of the kids knew that Jackie wasn't suppose to be at school that day and they were feeling bad for Andy and his gesture.  Although Jackie was later than usual, she did come to school that day and saw here "Ask."  So was this a successful "Ask?"  Yes it was.  We hope their Prom night together was as memorable as the invitation.

Matt and Adehl

The next "Ask" we will cover is a bit different than the others. This one was between a boyfriend and a girlfriend.  Now, you would think that if you are already a couple, there is no "Ask" required.  While that may be true in some cases. it is better to be safe than sorry.  This time was a much more subtle, yet impressive approach.  Matt and Adehl have been dating for a few months and it was assumed they would be going to the Prom together.  But, Matt was taking no chances.  You see Matt had a leading role, Michael Feldman, in this year's musical and practice for the play had already been going on for awhile. So as any good actor wants to do, he needed to work on his lines.  One evening when Adehl was at Matt's house, he asked Adehl if she would help him read his lines for the musical.  Of course, being the nice girlfriend, she obliged. Well, you see, Matt threw a little curve ball into the mix by re-typing the script to make it look identical to the original.  If you saw the musical, you know that Michael Feldman asked Tiffany Houston to the William Ocean High School Prom.  Well, in Matt's version of the script, he changed the wording so that it was him asking Adehl to the Quigley Catholic Prom.  Of course, we know the script had Tiffany saying yes, but what would Adehl say?  Well the answer is a big "YES!"

So, as you can see, there are different ways to perform the "Art of the Ask" and they can all be successful with a lot of thought, planning and proper execution.  It is hoped that these 4 couples and all of those that attended this year's Prom had a great and memorable time!

This Quigley High School Prom picture and program came to us from Terry Onderik, Class of 1971. 

The Prom was held on May 14, 1971.

Prom - O'Connell Auditorium (euphemism for the QCHS gym!)

Post Prom - Horizon Room (Old Greater Pittsburgh Airport when Pterodactyls still landed)                                                                   Prom Picnic (North Park, Terry thinks)

We did receive another Prom picture from Mr. McLane, but it wasn't one of him at his Prom.  It was from the Quigley Catholic Prom of 2000.  In this picture you can see Mr. McLane bracketed by Andy Quinn, Doug Mickel and James Taylor.  If we didn't know better, you'd think Mr. McLane was one of the students in this picture.  That year's prom was held at Crewser's  which used to be in the Strip District and the theme for the evening was "Moonlight on the Water."  Many thanks to Mr. McLane for sending us this picture.

Seeing we didn't get an overwhelming response for Prom pictures, we decided to a little bit of digging through the 1973 and 1983 yearbooks.  You know, the classes that will be having reunions this year. So here are a few pictures to bring back some memories.

The picture on the right is from the crowning of the King and Queen during the 1973 Junior-Senior Prom.  The theme for that evening was "On the Threshold of a Dream." The Prom Queen pictured here was Esther Pellegrini and the King was Anthony Branchetti.

These two Prom goers are unknown to us at this time.  The picture had no caption in the yearbook, but we thought is was fun to see the fashion of the early '70's.  We do have to wonder just what the color of the tuxedo jacket was.  I am making an educated guess that is was powder blue.

The Prom Court featured, left to right, Rob Fitzgerald (Prince), Vicki Esoldo (Princess), Lisa DeSalle (Queen) and                                                    Al Dinello (King).

We hope you enjoyed this blast from the past and if you have any pictures you would like to share with the newsletter, please feel free to forward them with a description and the year it was taken.

The new fencing on the softball field

Since our last newsletter, QC-FORCE's Grounds Committee has been "Making the Best even Better". The Grounds Committee procured and installed temporary outfield fences on both the Softball and Baseball fields.  The fences are removable so that they will not interfere with the Soccer field surface.  

 

The Building Committee is currently in the planning stages is the painting of the girl's locker room area in updated school colors and retouching of the lockers and the hinges.

 

The Hospitality Committee is always working towards there next event.  Plans are already in the works for next year's Tailgate scheduled for September 7th and Rocktoberfest planned for the fall.

 

QC-FORCE will also be sponsoring a New & Freshmen Parent Reception at La Casa Narcisi Winery in Gibsonia.  The event will take place on Saturday, September 14, 2013.  The reception will allow these parents to meet and mingle with other new parents and also meet with "Seasoned Parent" who will be there to welcome them and answer any questions they may have.

 

For anyone that has participated in one of the projects completed during the past year and if you did not receive your QC-FORCE long sleeve t-shirt, please contact Scott Calligan at scottcal1@zoominternet.net so that arrangements can be made to get your t-short to you.

 

QC-FORCE: Making the Best even Better

QC-FORCE is a support organization made up of  parents, alumni, students and friends of Quigley Catholic.  We are charged with supporting the school through various projects that otherwise would not be taken on do to manpower and budget constraints.  It is a great way to get involved and "Making the Best even Better."

 

If you are interested joining or would like information about one or more of these committees, Building, Grounds, Publicity or Hospitality, please contact Scott Calligan at scottcal1@zoominternet.net and I will be more than happy to answer any questions.  

QUIGLEY CATHOLIC HALL OF FAME

 

In an effort to acknowledge the significant work, accomplishments, and involvements of its alumni, Quigley Catholic High School is seeking nominees for the Hall of Fame.

 

Nominees must have graduated from Quigley Catholic, St. Veronica, or Mt. Gallitzin High School and have demonstrated significant contributions to their church, school, community, and/or country in areas such as (but not limited to)

• professional achievements
• church/religious involvement
• community service/civic involvement
• educational achievements
• honors/awards
• personal accomplishments

while exemplifying Quigley's mission statement which seeks to  "form faith-filled and competent Christians, who contribute to the common good of their church and their world."

 

Nomination letters must include as much detailed information as possible, particularly in the areas listed above.

 

A committee of five will vet all nominations and narrow the field to three finalists who will then be asked to submit a personal essay explaining the role that a Quigley education has played in his/her attitude and accomplishments.

 

Upon approval of the selection by the appropriate diocesan officials, the honoree will be feted at the annual Gala where the award will be presented.

 

Nominations can be sent to:

 

Quigley Catholic Hall of Fame

c/o Mr. Michael Rubino

Quigley Catholic High School

200 Quigley Drive

Baden, PA  15005

 

This is a new area we would like to fill each and every newsletter.  We are looking for up to date information about all of the alumni of Quigley Catholic.  This is where you can share what is going on in your life, such as marriage, new additions to the  family, moves, promotions, etc...  Please feel free to forward any of this information to the me at scottcal1@zoominternet.net and we will try and include it in our next newsletter.

Below we have an update from the whole Baker family.  Dave Baker is the Boys' Varsity Soccer Head Coach at the school and is the leader of a true Quigley Catholic household.

Dave Baker - Quigley Class of '75, (Saint Vincent's '79) Managing Director and CEO of the national HR consulting firm - Human Capital Advisors, Inc.

 

Married to:

Patty Taormina Baker, RPh - Quigley Class of '75, (Duquesne University School of Pharmacy '80) Director of Reporting and Analytics, Walgreen's, Chicago, Il

 

Parents to:

Dave Baker - Quigley Class of '99, (Notre Dame - Chemical Engineering '03), Manager of Engineering, Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Station, a division of Constellation Energy.  

Dave is married to Sarah, Registered Nurse, their first son - Joshua Lawrence

 

Brian Baker - Quigley Class of '05 , (University of Dayton - Civil Engineering '09 ), Civil Engineer, Michael Baker Engineering.  Brian is engaged to Alyssa, (University of Dayton, B.S. and M.S.), Teacher

 

Maria Baker - Quigley Class of '07, (Duquesne University School of Pharmacy '13), Pharmacist, Rite Aid Pharmacy.  Maria is engaged to Matt, (Gannon University), Client Service Manager

 

Jared Baker - Quigley Class of '11, (Saint Vincent's College, Business Management), Research Analyst Intern, Human Capital Advisors.  Jared is dating Quigley Grad Kelsey Farrand - Class of '11, (Saint Vincent's Psychology and Sociology Majors)

 

Thanks to the Baker family for getting us up and running in the Alumni Corner.  Once again, we would appreciate any information you can provide us about yourself and what great things are happening in your life. 

Quigley Catholic: A Beautiful Place

 

As the rush of the recruiting season has passed and another solid class of Freshmen are planning to become part of the Quigley Catholic, I started thinking to myself about why families make the choices they do for their children's education and just what Quigley Catholic has to offer.

 

When choosing a path for our children, we all have different criteria in what we are looking for and what we want a school to offer to our children.  It is not always an easy choice to make.  For some it is cost, for others it may be sports.  We are all different in what we desire our children's school to be.  Far be it from me to question anyone for the choices they make.  We all need to do what is best for our individual families.  Still, I asked myself, why someone wouldn't choose to send their child to Quigley Catholic when compared to other schools in the area.  Quigley Catholic has been recognized as a "Top 50" Catholic High School for several years. Their latest SAT scores are the highest in all of the Beaver County schools and among the highest in the Diocese. The academics are as good as, and in most cases, better than any school in the area. The sports teams are competitive and the sport grounds are receiving nice reviews from the visiting teams.  Last year, our graduates were offered $88,000 on average from the colleges and universities they applied to. 

 

What is it that makes other schools, private or public, more appealing to some families?  The only thing I can come up with is that Quigley Catholic's appeal is not superficial, it is the beauty that is felt once you are part of the school.  By being part of the Quigley Catholic family, you can then truly understand it's true beauty. Next year's new Freshmen students and transfers, along with their families are only beginning to experience the beauty that is within the walls of Quigley Catholic.

 

Quigley Catholic's beauty is not "skin deep."  It is much deeper than that.  Some people either don't see this or chose not to see this.  There are newer and shinier schools, schools with better playing fields, schools that have celebrities involved to increase their profile or school's that can offer exotic foreign languages.  But, I will challenge anyone that questions just how beautiful Quigley Catholic is on a deeper level. 

 

Some have suggested that QCHS doesn't have as many extracurricular activities as the other schools. But, I believe they aren't looking at the whole picture.  First and foremost, Quigley Catholic's mission is to prepare our children for their next step into higher education and they do it very well.  But, Quigley Catholic students do get involved in whatever activity that is going on at the time.  Nearly half of the school was involved in this year's musical. This is the norm; not the exception.  Many of the students are involved in one or more sports.  What can you say about Quigley Catholic's Mock Trial team and Forensics?  They take a backseat to no one.  Then there is PJAS, the Q-Review newspaper, Italian Club, Art Club, Campus and Music Ministry just to name a few.  On the surface it might appear there isn't much to do at Quigley Catholic, but if you dig deeper you will find plenty.   

 

Before I go further, I feel I need to give you a quick background on myself so that you know where I am coming from.  My wife and I have two wonderful children that attend Quigley Catholic at this time with one soon to be moving on to college.  I became involved with the 2011 Quigley Catholic Gala Committee and then even more involved with the formation of QC-FORCE.  I have remained actively involved since then.  Up and to that point, I was a parent on the outside looking in.  I was pleased with my daughter's education and had no complaints.  I was complacent in my involvement with the school.  However, once I became involved and spent time with the people who are molding our children and with other parents through the Gala and QC-FORCE, I realized just how beautiful Quigley Catholic really is.  It's not the brick and mortar, the not so attractive light green roof or even the great gym that makes Quigley Catholic a beautiful place; it is what is inside of the building that makes Quigley Catholic beautiful.  It is the students, the faculty, the administration, the alumni and the parents that make Quigley Catholic beautiful.    

 

If you get to any spend time at the school, you will see smiling, bright students, faculty, administrators and on the days they are there, parents.  During Basketball season, Forensic tournaments and the annual Musical, you will find people meeting in the Q-Caf� to catch up and share stories.  At Quigley Catholic you will find parents, faculty, administration and students giving of their time and talents to improve the school.  If you look deep, you will see a group that works practically year round to put together the annual Gala.  If you attend an Open House you will see smiling and personable Student Ambassadors guiding prospective families through Quigley Catholic's hallways and classrooms and hear them sharing their high school experiences with pride.  You see teachers that give of their personal time so that their students can participate in Mock Trial and PJAS.  Quigley Catholic's beauty is not "skin deep."  In fact, if you only look "skin deep," you may not find anything out of the ordinary about the school.  It is once you look deeper, look into the soul of the school, you will find what we all know is there.  One of the most beautiful places we could ever be a part of. 

 

Deep down, deeper than the eye can see, Quigley Catholic is more beautiful than one would ever guess when looking from only the outside in.

Co-Editor: Scott Calligan

 

 

 

What movie won the Oscar in 1973?  Answer:  (D)  The Godfather

What movie won the Oscar in 1983?  Answer:  (B)  Gandhi