The first COR event of the school year was held at Queen of Peace High School in Burbank, IL, on Thursday September 30, 2004.

Students from across Chicagoland filled the Little Theater for a sprinkling-ritual and prayer led by Christie Billups of Notre Dame High School for Girls.

Students then watched the performance of a play called MORE THAN YOU CAN SEE. The cast were from Queen of Peace High School. The 8 actors presented stories of teens who were judged on surface appearances and stereotypes. The play revealed the truth that we are a lot more than what can be seen from surface appearances.

MORE THAN YOU CAN SEE was written by Megan Carney and developed frorm real-life stories of high school students who insist that they are more than they can see. These true stories dealt with race, culture, ability and disability, sexual orientation and physical appearance.

After the play, students broke into small groups for break-our discussion sessions and their responses to the play and its themes. The students explored their own experiences in relation to the play's themes and also unpacked the message of each of the characters in the play and their powerful messages.

The discussions continued as the students and teachers adjourned to the cafeteria for supper.
The evening ended in a final prayer service. Each discussion group of students presented their own prayerful conclusions to the whole assembly :

"We are so much more than
you can see. We are ......"
Because you are more
than you can see, we will ......."

The gathering included students and faculty from 21 schools in the Archdiocese of Chicago. There were over 130 participants in this COR Play-Supper-Event. There were some requests by teachers for a touring performance of the play at their own location in the future.

"We've revealed secrets to you"

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"I am not the owner of a perfect life"

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"I never felt that I could ask anyopne in my family about it"

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"Stupid labels. I'm so much more than that"

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"Sometimes I catch these looks like I shouldn't even leave the house or something"

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"Maybe because I was a young African American girl, they thought it was okay to act like that"

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"I used to want to be normal"

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"They called me a "Freak" and said I was a disgrace to society"