Clubs & Organizations

The COHS Art Club serves as an informal venue for creating crafts centered around the holidays. Members create various crafts, with past projects including a wall-size mural in the school. Art Club members have also painted chairs with unique designs, which were later auctioned off at COHS’ largest fundraiser, the Hawk-tion.

The Cardinal O’Hara Chess Club, like all clubs, is plenty of fun. Their motto is, “Be a thinker, not a stinker.” The club meets every Wednesday in the DOJO. In addition to club meetings, players may participate in the Annual Chess Tournament in January, and join the Chess Team versus other schools, one Wednesday per month.  

COHS Chess Tournament
The Cardinal O’Hara Chess Tournament is open to all Chess Club members, and from there, an invitation-only format, based on need and interest. The tournament is single-elimination, complete with player rankings, narative write-ups, match-ups, analysis, “Vegas Odds,” and write-ups from the games. The tournament will be held after school February through March. Participants must be available to play their games as the schedule dictates. No prizes- it’s all about bragging rights!

Guidelines for the tournament may be downloaded here.

For the current Power Rankings, click here. 

COHS Chess Team
The COHS Chess Team had plenty of fun last season, “on the road.” The team consists of 8-12 players, based on availability, not skill. There are no practices nor requirements, other than attendance and enthusiasm at each meet. The teams travels to other schools once per month,  on a Wednesday, from 3:30pm – 6:30pm. Rides to each meet from COHS are provided and food is picked up on the way. This year we will be teamed up with the Masterminds, traveling with Mrs. O’Donnell Ms. Scheuneman and their players. Players may alternate monthly, one week playing Masterminds, the next Chess.  Chess players are guaranteed at least one game (play 2-3 games per match)!

For more information about meets, visit http://www.nychess.org/league/

The Drama Club is a student-run organization that works toward creating an active interest in the theater arts program at COHS. The club provides an opportunity for students to be involved in the production of live theater, including acting, direction, and audio/visual.

Student members of the drama club will have the opportunity to experience many aspects of a theater production through workshops and presentations.  The drama club will produce and promote the school musical and other school theater productions.

Drama Club Goals & Objectives:

• Promote the theater & arts program at COHS through word-of-mouth, posters & fliers, and student performances                    
• Attend presentations and workshops taught by theater professionals
• Participate in fundraisers with the purpose of attending live, local theater productions in the spring
• Assist with production of the school musical (ie selling tickets, promotions, ushering, costume/make-up, etc)

The drama club meets twice a month in the library. Listen to the morning and afternoon announcements for more information about club meetings.

Speakers& Workshops:

• Buffalo State College Theater Department
• Shea’s Performing Arts Center 
• Ghostlight Theatre Company
• Niagara Regional Thatre Company        

The Good Samaritan Club is dedicated to making each individual aware that they can make a difference in the life of other people. By assisting organizations throughout the community through donations of food, clothing, money, personal care items as well as time and talent we are able to spread our Franciscan values to others.

• Some of the activities that we are involved with are dress downs for Thanksgiving and then going into the community and assisting with the preparation of dinner.
• Organizing our school giving tree, each we adopt families at Christmas time to provide gifts and other items they may need.
• We hold a yearly PB & J Day… peanut butter (and Jelly) & jeans day…. We collect the food as well as a slightly worn pair of jeans to be donated to one of the local shelters.
• Pi Day! On 3.14 we have a pie contest! Faculty, staff and students are encouraged to make a pie (homemade)… the pies are judged… awards are given and slices are sold during lunch … proceeds to benefit one of our local food banks.
• During Lent… we have a jellybean contest. $1.00 a chance for a large jar of jelly beans and gift card. Money raised goes to a teen shelter
• Dress down for our veterans with money sent to a veterans program not federally funded
• Pizza party at the end of the year…. With Franciscan smiles for a job well done!

The Model U.N. is an academic simulation of the United Nations that aims to educate participants about civics, effective communication, globalization, and multilateral diplomacy. In Model U.N., students take on roles as foreign diplomats and participate in a simulated session of an inter-governmental organization.

The Model UN Club holds a mock session every spring at the University of Buffalo simulating the actual United Nations General Assembly. Students represent their chosen nations’ viewpoints on world issues, then discuss, debate, and vote on resolutions with other WNY students. Over 70 area high schools attend this event, which teaches the students how to better interact with others, how to express their views (and support them factually), how to improve their public speaking & get their information across in a timely manner (2 minutes or less per talk), and lastly, how to form alliances with other schools/nations to amend/edit these world issue resolutions.

The Model U.N. Club includes members from from grades 9 through 12, who develop important teamwork skills while gathering information and presenting. 

We have represented North & South Korea, Poland, Germany, Ireland, France and Spain in recent years.