Liberty High School (Bethlehem, Pennsylvania)
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Liberty High School is a public high school located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in the United States.
Liberty is one of two public high schools in the Bethlehem Area School District; Freedom High School is the other. Liberty is attended by students from Bethlehem, Fountain Hill, Freemansburg, and Hanover Township.
In the 2005-2006 academic year, 2,784 students attended Liberty High School, making it the largest of Bethlehem's two public high schools.
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[edit] History
Liberty High School was opened in 1922. Originally named Bethlehem High School, it was located in the geographical center of Bethlehem.
[edit] Athletics
The school's athletic teams compete in the Lehigh Valley Conference, which also includes high schools from Allentown, Easton, Emmaus, and other Lehigh Valley locations. Liberty's primary athletic rivalry is with Freedom High School, its cross-city Bethlehem rival. The two teams compete each year for "The Bell". The team that wins the most head-to-head meetings between each school in each sport retains "The Bell". Liberty has held "The Bell" for over 17 straight years.
[edit] Football
In 2005, the Liberty football team, coached by Tim Moncman, won the PIAA East football championship and placed second in the Pennsylvania state finals (losing in the finals to McKeesport Area High School).
[edit] Grenadier Band
The Liberty High School Grenadier Band is a 240-member band with a long, successful tradition as one of the nation's premier high school bands. Modeled after the the band of the Coldstream Guards, the LHSGB is the only American high school band to have performed with the Guards in concert. They take a trip to England every four years, as well as places like Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.
[edit] Scholastic Scrimmage
Liberty High School traditionally has faired well in Pennsylvania's Scholastic Scrimmage contest, where Pennsylvania high schools compete against each other in an academic trivia contest. Liberty has won the contest three times (1980, 1984, and 1991) and placed second four times (1989, 1993, 1995, and 1997).
[edit] Notable alumni
- Chuck Bednarik, former professional football player, Philadelphia Eagles, and Pro Football Hall of Fame member.
- Pete Carril, former assistant professional basketball coach, Sacramento Kings.
- Alexandra Chando, actress, As the World Turns.
- Jonathan Frakes, actor, Star Trek: The Next Generation.
- Mike Hartenstine, former professional football player, Chicago Bears.
- Gary Lavelle, former professional baseball pitcher, San Francisco Giants.
- Rev. Barry W. Lynn, political activist and executive director, Americans United for Separation of Church and State.
- Paul F. McHale, Jr., Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Security and former Member of Congress.
- Billy Packer, college basketball television sportscaster, CBS.
- Sheetal Sheth, actress, Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World.
[edit] Renovations
Liberty High School has undergone numerous renovations since it was first built. The most recent began in 2005 and is expected to be completed by 2009 at a cost of $60 million.
