It’s always “a great day to be a Golden Hawk” when that means fall activities were back in full swing at Bethlehem Catholic for the 2021-2022 school year. All Becahi students enjoyed a complete in-person return to school on the last day of August following the annual New Family Barbecue Aug. 22 and the opening day for freshmen and transfer students Aug. 30.

The fall sports teams fared well against the other schools’ teams in the area. The field hockey team enjoyed a ride to district quarterfinals under the leadership of senior captains Emilia Lieb, Brooke Sodl and Kara Vasquez. In addition, Sodl was named to the EPC Second Team and will continue her field hockey career at Moravian University next year.

The girls soccer team, captained by seniors Teighan Boyle and Sarah Talpas and junior Emily Pepe, made it to district semifinals. Boyle and sophomore Summer Hill were named to EPC teams as well.

The boys soccer team won the first round of district playoffs against Salisbury 7-2, featuring a long-distance goal by senior Peter Martinez.

After a regular-season record of 13-4, the girls tennis team placed second in district competition after a final match at Lehigh University. Junior Cara Magliochetti placed second in district singles, and Magliochetti and senior captain Taylor Adams also placed second in the district doubles tournament.

The girls’ volleyball team arguably had the most successful season so far, with a record of 15-5 and a victory in the district championship Nov. 4. Senior MacKenzy Ruggiero made the EPC First Team, and junior Kyla Rodriguez made the EPC Third Team. The girls continued to the first round of the state tournament Nov. 9 at home.

Other extracurricular activities have also been quite active this fall. The Golden Hawk Marching Band marched in the Bethlehem Halloween Parade Oct. 31, and Bethlehem Catholic Theater has been rehearsing for the fall play, “Death by Design,” which will premiere Nov. 19 at 7 p.m. with other showtimes Nov. 20 at 7 p.m. and Nov. 21 at 3 p.m.

The Scholastic Scrimmage team has won its first and second-round matches against Catasauqua and Whitehall that will be aired on PBS in the coming weeks.

The debate team is also practicing hard for their remaining two debates, after a relatively successful run in the first three, especially since most of its speakers are new to the team.

Becahi’s charity and service organization, The Movement, recently sold over 450 dozen Krispy Kreme doughnuts to fundraise for its yearly Lock-In to be held in 2022 to support Sassy Massey Smiles Foundation and other causes. For the month of November, The Movement will be giving back to the community through item collections and acts of service, especially for veterans because of Veterans’ Day Nov. 11. In addition, the Fall Encounter Retreat for juniors and seniors was held at the Malvern Retreat House Oct. 25 to 27, and the school-wide day-long retreat was held at Bethlehem Catholic Nov. 1 during school hours.

The advent of the new year also brought honor to some of Becahi’s most respected students. On Sunday, Oct. 24, the top 10 scholars for the classes of 2022, 2023 and 2024 were recognized at a ceremony in the auditorium for the students and their families.

On Oct. 27, the Sursum Corda chapter of the National Honor Society at Bethlehem Catholic inducted its new members with a full ceremony that also included the members inducted in 2020. Throughout the year, these students and others will serve as role models for their peers and assist them with whatever they need, like through the National Honor Society’s tutoring program.