Archbishop Ryan High School

Archbishop Ryan High School
Archbishop Ryan High School
	File:Rightright.jpg
Location
	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Information
School type	High school
Motto	© Archbishop Ryan
Founded	1966
Enrollment	approx. 2450
Campus	Urban, 35 acres
Color(s)	Black, Red, and Gold
Mascot	Raider(Men), Ragdoll(Women)
Affiliation	Franciscan, Roman Catholic
Website	http://www.archbishopryan.com/

Archbishop Ryan High School (often called Archbishop Ryan or simply Ryan) is a Roman Catholic high school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Archbishop Ryan is the largest Catholic secondary school in the city of Philadelphia.

History

The doors of Archbishop Ryan High School opened for the first time in 1966 as a co-institutional high school with separate administration and faculty for each side of the school. Founded under the jurisdiction of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Archbishop Ryan was the twenty-eighth archdiocesan high school to be founded. Although both young men and young women could attend Archbishop Ryan, the school was divided according to gender, providing separate classrooms, teachers, cafeterias, and gymnasiums for boys and girls. In 1989, the Franciscan administration decided to unify the school, making the entire school coeducational.

Ryan was the twenty-eighth archdiocesan high school, the sixth begun by John Cardinal Krol, who continued the tradition of furthering Catholic education in the Philadelphia archdiocese. The 35-acre tract on Academy Road accommodates a spacious school building, and outdoor athletic fields as well as parking areas. The original design by architects, Dagit Associates, eased the merger. The central shared facilities of auditorium, library media center, and chapel serve the coeducational student body. Ryan draws students from all across the Philadelphia area extending into the surrounding suburban areas.

Notable Alumni

Frank Wycheck, class of 1989, retired NFL Tight End, Washington Redskins and Tennessee Titans, star at the University of Maryland.
Christopher Ferguson, class of 1979, pilot of the Atlantis space shuttle in September 2006.
Ray Staszak, class of 1980, the first Pennsylvanian to play in the NHL.
Jonathan Loughran, actor
Patrick Murphy, class of 1991, member of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania's 8th Congressional District.
Tom Filer, class of 1974, Major League pitcher from 1982-1992 for the Chicago Cubs, Toronto Blue Jays, Milwaukee Brewers, and New York Mets.
Dennis M. O'Brien, class of 1970, 137th and current speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Has represented Pennsylvania's 169th Legislative District in Northeast Philadelphia since 1976.
Mary C. Young, 2006. President of Archbishop Ryan's Most successful Mock Trial team from 2004-2006. She also was editor-in-chief of the underground satirical newspaper Hoya Sexa under which she used the penname Dorian Hastings. Intellect and beauty surpassing hers has yet to be found at Archbishop Ryan. Mary is spreading her legal and intellectual talents as a member of Fordham University's Mock Trial Team.
Nicole Fortuna, 2006. A seemingly diminutive individual who was actually quite assertive, intellectual, and talented, Fortuna was editor-in-chief of the award winning newspaper the Ryan Review which has realized far less success in her absence. Nicole continues to write for the university newspaper at West Chester University.
Julianne LeGierse, 2006. Perhaps one of the most involved students in Archbishop Ryan history, Julianne managed the extremely difficult job of NHS president while also holding the position of president for the TV studio. Julianne was also an active member of the Mock Trial Team and a smiling cynicist. Julianne literally held keys to the school and was known for pretty much running things. Julianne is a member of a sorority as well as ROTC at the University of Pennsylvania.
David Kirby, 2006. Vice-President of NHS, Dave, while often neglecting the not-so-glamorous duties of NHS, was known for his stunning skills as Gaston in the school's unparalleled production of "Beauty and the Beast." David was one of the few boys placed in the top 10 of Archbishop Ryan's rankings. An extreme intellectual with a penchant for creating useful "drills," David is pursuing business at Drexel University.
Victoria Fleck, 2006. Arlene Brickman said she possessed a "quiet brilliance," but most Ryan Students would say that this NHS Secretary and Hoya Sexa editor was simply "hot." Victoria's cynicism and apathy along with her supreme intellect have not been matched at Ryan. It is highly unlikely that anyone will have legs that nice again either. Victoria was known for a complete lack of knowledge of any Ryan students whom one would not consider smart and now assists Ryan's reputation by attending the University of Pennslvania as a medieval history major.
Niki Patel, 2006. This NHS Treasurer has probably made you cry. Along with being extremely bright and ambitious, she is just plain mean, irritable, and assertive. The National Honor Society of 2006 owes its existence to Niki's hard work and ability to be unfairly treated by the club's moderator.

Student Body

Ryan's students, ranging from ages fourteen to eighteen, generally reside within the city of Philadelphia. With a large and diverse student body, Archbishop Ryan attracts students from Philadelphia and its suburbs.

Academics

One of Archbishop Ryan's main attributes are its extensive and broad academics. Offering many fields of study, Ryan offers a variety of studies such as English, Social Studies, Mathematics, Natural and Physical Science Studies, World Languages (French, Spanish, Italian, Latin and German), Business, Technology, Religion, Music, and Fine Art Studies. Coursework is required in the fields of English, Social Studies, Mathematics, Natural and Physical Science Studies, Religion and World Languages. The top three tracks, AP, 1, and 2, are designed for college bound students and are college preparatory classes. Track 3 classes, while still for college-bound students, are taught for the average student and Track 4 classes are basic secondary school classes. Ryan also includes a special education program called Bonaventure. Limited numbers students are admitted into the program which gives additional training to students with diagnosed learning disabilities.

Sr. Alice Hess, IHM, is Ryan's premier mathematic teacher. She has been honored by Who's Who Among American High School Teachers, PA Speaker of the House Dennis M. O'Brien, President Bill Clinton, the Toyota Foundation, as well as being named one of the nation's top educators by USA Today. A teacher of AP Statistics and AP Calculus, Sr. Alice achieves a 100% rate of passing and an 80% rate of the highest score, 5. The Archbishop Ryan Varsity Mathletes, led by Sr. Alice since the early 90s, have won the past seventeen Archdioscean titles.

Athletics

The competitive boy's sports of Archbishop Ryan include Baseball, Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Ice Hockey, Indoor Track, Lacrosse, Outdoor Track, Rugby, Soccer, Swimming, and Tennis. The competitive girl's sports of Archbishop Ryan include Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country, Field Hockey, Indoor Track, Lacrosse, Outdoor Track, Ragdoll Cheerleading, Raider Cheerleading, Rugby, Soccer, Softball, Tennis, Volleyball and Swimming.

Extracurricular Activities

With a variety of extracurricular activities, Archbishop Ryan emphasizes and stresses the importance of involvement and participation in the school and community with almost 90% of the student body participating in after school activities and sports. The school boasts well over 60 clubs with everything from Board Game club to a Fashion Design club.

Notably, the Archbishop Ryan Marching Raider Band is recognized as one of the most successful competitive marching units on the Atlantic Coast, having captured 2 conference titles and many local and national championships in its long and storied history. Historical and alumni information on the band can be found at the Archbishop Ryan Marching Band Alumni Website, while the official website for the band is at the Archbishop Ryan Marching Raider Band Website.

Ryan's Drama club is highly recognized as an extremely talented group of young men and women. In the past few years the actors of the club have done everything from Les Miserables to Beauty and the Beast to Peter Pan[1] to The Pajama Game. Among some student favorites are Grease and Footloose. Ryan's Drama club has been recognized by several organizations for their dedication and talent.

External links