Freedom High School (Pennsylvania)
Encyclopedia
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Bethlehem is a city in Lehigh and Northampton Counties in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 74,982, making it the seventh largest city in Pennsylvania, after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Erie,...
, in the Lehigh Valley
Lehigh Valley
The Lehigh Valley, known officially by the United States Census Bureau as the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ metropolitan area and referred to locally as The Valley and A-B-E, is a metropolitan region consisting of Lehigh, Northampton, Berks, and Carbon counties in eastern Pennsylvania and...
region of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Freedom is one of two public high schools in the Bethlehem Area School District
Bethlehem Area School District
The Bethlehem Area School District covers the City of Bethlehem, the Boroughs of Fountain Hill and Freemansburg and Bethlehem Township and Hanover Township in Lehigh County and Northampton County. The district operates two High Schools, four Middle Schools and sixteen Elementary Schools as well as...
. It is located at 3149 Chester Avenue, Bethlehem Township.
The total student population is around 2,000 students. Its main rival is Bethlehem's other public high school, Liberty High School
Liberty High School (Bethlehem, Pennsylvania)
For schools with similar names, see Liberty High School.Liberty High School is a public high school located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in the United States....
. Their other rival is Bethlehem Catholic High School which is also in Bethlehem.
The mascot of Freedom High School is the Patriot
Patriot (American Revolution)
Patriots is a name often used to describe the colonists of the British Thirteen United Colonies who rebelled against British control during the American Revolution. It was their leading figures who, in July 1776, declared the United States of America an independent nation...
. School colors are black
Black
Black is the color of objects that do not emit or reflect light in any part of the visible spectrum; they absorb all such frequencies of light...
and gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
.
The principal for the 2010-2011 school year is Michael LaPorta. Assistant principals vary according to grades.
Freedom High School holds football games and other sporting events at Bethlehem Area School District Stadium
Bethlehem Area School District Stadium
Bethlehem Area School District Stadium or BASD Stadium for short, is a multi-purpose stadium for both Freedom High School and Liberty High School. The stadium seats up to 13,600 and can occupy up to 15,000 in the standing section. It is one of the premiere multi-purpose stadiums in Pennsylvania....
.
History
1960s- 1967 - Students at Liberty High School who are scheduled to attend the new High School pick the Patriot as the future Freedom Senior High School mascot along with the School Colors of Black and Gold. Freedom Senior High School opens as a for grades 10-12 for the fall semester of 1967. Joseph McIntyre appointed first FSHS principal. FHS Patriot Marching Band created.
- 1968 - First FHS class graduates.
1970s
- 1970 - FHS Patriot Band plays in the Orange Bowl Parade.
- 1976 FHS Patriot Band plays in the Rose Bowl Parade
1980s
- 1983 - FHS becomes a high school for grades 9-12. First year coach George Kazakos leads the FHS Soccer Team to a Pennsylvania State Title.
- 1987 - FHS Gymnastics team wins the Pennsylvania State Title.
1990s
- 1994 - New Science Wing of the school opens up with 11 new science, biology, chemistry, and physics classrooms
2000s
- 2002 - FHS joins the Lehigh Valley ConferenceLehigh Valley ConferenceThe Lehigh Valley Interscholastic Athletic Conference is an athletic conference consisting of 12 large high schools from Lehigh and Northampton counties in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania, in the United States...
. FHS Girls Tennis wins the PIAA State Title. - 2006 - FHS New Gymnasium, aerobic room, fitness center, and renovated Natatorium open for the winter 2006-2007 athletic seasons. New Business Wing of the school completed.
- 2007 - Michael LaPorta appointed FHS principal. New FHS cafeterias open in the fall semester.
- 2009 - First color yearbook.
Academics
Freedom's Scholastic ScrimmageScholastic Scrimmage
Scholastic Scrimmage is a high school quiz bowl game show airing on WLVT-TV and WPSU-TV , and is hosted by Karen Walton and David Price respectively....
team has turned in several first and second place finishes in the Lehigh Valley region. The team placed first in 1980 and 1989 and second in 1981 (losing to Emmaus High School
Emmaus High School
Emmaus High School is a public high school located in Emmaus, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The school serves grades 9 through 12 in Pennsylvania's East Penn School District in the Lehigh Valley region of the state....
) and 2005 (losing to Allentown Central Catholic High School
Allentown Central Catholic High School
Allentown Central Catholic High School is a private, parochial school located at 301 North Fourth Street in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the United States...
). In 2007, Freedom went undefeated in the Lehigh Valley Conference regular season, losing to Liberty High School in the East Division championship. The team defeated Allentown Central Catholic High School for third place in the conference. In 2008, the team advanced to the quarterfinal round of "Scholastic Scrimmage", where they lost again to the Liberty Hurricanes, on a disputed last-second ruling that is still under review. Along the way, they only defeated other teams.
Freedom's Math Team also had many successes under their belt, including placing in the top three in at least two of the three events at Bloomsburg Math Competition since 2006. Two Freedom students, Eashwar Rangarajan and Yiran Lin, were also chosen to join the Lehigh University
Lehigh University
Lehigh University is a private, co-educational university located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of the United States. It was established in 1865 by Asa Packer as a four-year technical school, but has grown to include studies in a wide variety of disciplines...
chapter of the American Regions Mathematics League
American Regions Mathematics League
The American Regions Mathematics League , is an annual high school mathematics team competition held simultaneously at four locations in the United States: the University of Iowa, Penn State, UNLV, and the newly added site at the University of Georgia. Past sites have included San Jose and at Duke...
, a prestigious mathematics competition.
In 2007, senior Isha Himani Jain placed first in the Siemens Competition, one of the two most prestigious science competitions in the United States.
Athletics
The school has received considerable attention as the starting point for the career of Dwayne Johnson, famously known as "The Rock" and one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time. At Freedom High School, Johnson participated on the school's football, wrestling, and track and field teams.Freedom competes in the Lehigh Valley Conference
Lehigh Valley Conference
The Lehigh Valley Interscholastic Athletic Conference is an athletic conference consisting of 12 large high schools from Lehigh and Northampton counties in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania, in the United States...
in the District XI
PIAA District 11
District 11 of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association is an interscholastic athletic association in Northeastern Pennsylvania. District 11 is one of the PIAA's 12 athletic conferences and comprises mostly high schools within the Lehigh Valley and a few surrounding counties. Member...
athletic division of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association
Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association
The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, Inc. is one of the governing bodies of high school and junior high school sports for the state of Pennsylvania, United States....
, one of the most competitive athletic divisions in the state. It holds the record for the most Lehigh Valley Conference championships in boys volleyball.
In boys athletics, Freedom is known for its historically successful golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
, ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
, soccer, baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, and volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
teams.
In girls athletics, Freedom is best known for its historically successful girl's basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, cheerleading
Cheerleading
Cheerleading is a physical activity, sometimes a competitive sport, based on organized routines, usually ranging from one to three minutes, which contain the components of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and stunting to direct spectators of events to cheer on sports teams at games or to participate...
, tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, and volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
teams.
The FHS football, soccer, and field hockey teams play their home games at Frank Banko Field at Bethlehem Area School District Stadium
Bethlehem Area School District Stadium
Bethlehem Area School District Stadium or BASD Stadium for short, is a multi-purpose stadium for both Freedom High School and Liberty High School. The stadium seats up to 13,600 and can occupy up to 15,000 in the standing section. It is one of the premiere multi-purpose stadiums in Pennsylvania....
, which is recognized as one of Pennsylvania's premier all purpose stadiums. The stadium comfortably seats 13,600 and can accommodate up to 15,000 in the standing room section.
Their most recent championships include:
- The cheerleading squad, which won the 2007 Jamfest and became National Champions. The 2008 Freedom Varsity Cheerleading squad has also won the District XI Cheerleading Championship.
- The 2007 footballAmerican footballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team won the 2007 District XI Eastern Conference Championship. - The ice hockeyIce hockeyIce hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team won the 2006-2007 LVSHL (Lehigh Valley Scholastic Hockey League) championship. - The baseballBaseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
team won the 2007 inaugural championship of the Pride of the Diamond baseball league.
The Freedom Patriot Band
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
in the Orange Bowl parade, in front of a national television audience. Under the leadership of current band director Michael Moran, the Freedom Patriot Band has performed at the Outback Bowl
Outback Bowl
The Outback Bowl is an annual New Year's Day college football bowl game played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. The event was originally called the Hall of Fame Bowl from 1986 to 1994 until being renamed in 1995 for its new title sponsor, Outback Steakhouse...
in Tampa, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
. In 2004, the Freedom High School Patriot Marching Band performed at the Boscov's Thanksgiving Day Parade in Philadelphia.
The Patriots turn in several all district band members each year (from Freedom High).
In March 2008 the Patriot Band performed in both the Limerick and Dublin St. Patrick's Day parades. In Limerick, the band won Best Uniform and won Best International Band. At the Dublin St. Patrick's Day Parade, the band was honored with the award for Best Overall Band.
FHS Planetarium
Freedom High School is home to Bethlehem Area School District's only Planetarium. It is operated by astronomy teacher Bill Safranek, who is an alum of Freedom High School, and a teacher there since 1987. The Planetarium provides instruction for second, third, and eighth - 12th grade students in the Bethlehem Area School District. The Freedom High School planetarium and astronomy clubs also make use of the only BASD planetarium. Planetarium visits may be arranged by contacting Safranek at the school.Construction
FHS Theatre Company
Freedom High School is well known for its high quality theatre company. Their most recent projects were Little Shop of HorrorsLittle Shop of Horrors
Little Shop of Horrors may refer to:* The Little Shop of Horrors, a 1960 film directed by Roger Corman* Little Shop of Horrors , a 1982 musical based on the 1960 film...
, performed in November 2011, and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical with lyrics by Tim Rice. The story is based on the "coat of many colors" story of Joseph from the Hebrew Bible's Book of Genesis. This was the first Lloyd Webber and Rice musical to be performed publicly...
, which was performed in March 2011.
The company produces two plays per year and participates in a local awards show called The Freddy Awards
The Freddy Awards
The Freddy Awards, also known as the Freddys, are an annual recognition of outstanding high school musical theatre in the Lehigh Valley area, including the Northampton County and Lehigh County in Pennsylvania, and Warren County in New Jersey...
. Since the Freddys began in 2003, Freedom has been nominated for Best Musical and performed at the ceremony 6 out of the 7 years. The performances include: Dance at the Gym (West Side Story), Crapshooters Ballet (Guys and Dolls), I Got Rhythm
I Got Rhythm
"I Got Rhythm" is a song composed by George Gershwin with lyrics by Ira Gershwin and published in 1930, which became a jazz standard. Its chord progression, known as the "rhythm changes", is the foundation for many other popular jazz tunes such as Charlie Parker's and Dizzy Gillespie's Bebop...
(Crazy For You), Anything Goes
Anything Goes
Anything Goes is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The original book was a collaborative effort by Guy Bolton and P.G. Wodehouse, heavily revised by the team of Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. The story concerns madcap antics aboard an ocean liner bound from New York to London...
, Honestly, Sincere (Bye Bye Birdie), and Jitterbug (The Wizard of Oz). Both Crazy For You and Anything Goes received 14 Freddy nominations. Bye Bye Birdie garnered 16 nominations, breaking Freddy records. Crazy For You still holds the honor of receiving 8 Freddys, the most received to date in Freddy history. The Wizard of Oz garnered 12 Freddy Award Nominations.
Awards include:
2003: "Best Performance by a Featured Actor" - Tim Sampson(West Side Story)
6 Other Nominations- Best Leading Actor (Erich Jones), Best Supporting Actress (Kate Christopher), Best Supporting Actor (Adam Chisnall), Best Production Number (Gee, Officer Krupke), Best Featured Dancer (Tim Sampson), Best Musical
2004: "Outstanding Choreography" (Guys and Dolls)
10 Other Nominations- Best Supporting Actress (Lauren Zito), Best Chorus, Best Production Number (Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat), Best Orchestra, Best Dancer (Mariel Letourneau), Best Duet (Tim Sampson and Lauren Zito), Best Stage Crew, Best Scenic Design, Best Costume Design, Best Musical
2005: "Outstanding Scenic Design," "Outstanding Costume Design," "Outstanding Chorus," "Outstanding Choreography," "Outstanding Featured Dancer" (Andy Truscott), "Outstanding Male Lead" (Andy Truscott), "Outstanding Production Number" (I've Got Rhythm), "Best Overall Musical" (Crazy for You
Crazy for You
Crazy for You is a musical with a book by Ken Ludwig, lyrics by Ira Gershwin, and music by George Gershwin. Billed as "The New Gershwin Musical Comedy", it is largely based on the songwriting team’s 1930 musical, Girl Crazy, but interpolates songs from several other productions as well...
)
6 Other Nominations- Best Orchestra, Outstanding Lighting Design (Vince Rocioli -LD, Ryan Hay-ALD), Best Supporting Actress (Mariel Letourneau), Best Small Ensemble (Josue Rivera, Jose Gonzalez, Alex Shuck), Best Stage Crew, Best Leading Actress (Julie Boring)
2006: "Outstanding Featured Performance" (Brittany Stahlberg) (Into the Woods
Into the Woods
Into the Woods is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. It debuted in San Diego at the Old Globe Theatre in 1986, and premiered on Broadway in 1987. Bernadette Peters' performance as the Witch and Joanna Gleason's portrayal of the Baker's Wife brought acclaim...
)
7 Other Nominations- Best Orchestra, Best Costume Design, Outstanding Lighting Design (Ryan Hay), Best Small Ensemble (Alex Shuck & Justin Glessner), Best Scenic Design, Best Stage Crew, Best Leading Actress (Kristin Stachina)
2007: "Outstanding Performance by an Actor" (Drew Stonesifer) (Anything Goes
Anything Goes
Anything Goes is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The original book was a collaborative effort by Guy Bolton and P.G. Wodehouse, heavily revised by the team of Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. The story concerns madcap antics aboard an ocean liner bound from New York to London...
)
13 Other Nominations- Best Orchestra, Best Costume Design, Outstanding Lighting Design (Ryan Hay), Best Chorus, Best Small Ensemble (Amanda Kostalis, Alex Shuck, & John Andreadis), Best Supporting Actor (Alex Shuck), Best Scenic Design, Best Choreography, Best Stage Crew, Best Production Number (Anything Goes), Best Actress (Christine Stehly), Best Leading Actress (Amanda Kostalis), Best Overall Musical
2008: "Outstanding Performance by an Orchestra," "Outstanding Chorus," "Outstanding Stage Crew," "Outstanding Production Number" (Honestly, Sincere), "Outstanding Featured Performance by an Actor" (John Andreadis) (Bye Bye Birdie)
11 Other Nominations- Best Costume Design, Best Performance by an Ensemble Member (Karly Kaschak), Best Lighting Design, Best Performance by a Supporting Actress (Elena Zervos), Best Performance by a Supporting Actress (Alison Christopher), Best Performance by a Supporting Actor (Zachary Gibson), Best Scenic Design, Best Choreography, Best Leading Actor (Nick Conti), Best Leading Actress (Amanda Kostalis), Best Overall Musical
2009: "Outstanding Production Number" (Munchkinland Musical Sequence), (The Wizard of Oz)
11 Other Nominations- "Outstanding Performance by an Orchestra," "Outstanding Chorus," "Outstanding Achievement in Costuming," "Outstanding Performance by a Male Ensemble Member" (Cameron Benda), "Outstanding Achievement in Lighting," "Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role" (Nick Conti, Cameron Benda), "Outstanding Achievement in Scenery," "Vic Kumma Award for Outstanding Solo Vocal" (Alison Christopher - Over the Rainbow), "Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Lead Role" (Alison Christopher), "Outstanding Overall Production of a Musical"
Notable alumni
- Afa Anoa'i, Jr.Afa Anoa'i, Jr.Afa Anoa'i, Jr. is an American professional wrestler of Samoan descent. He is best known for his work in World Wrestling Entertainment, where he competed on its Raw brand under the ring name Manu.-World Xtreme Wrestling:...
, professional wrestler. - Lisa BoscolaLisa BoscolaLisa M. Boscola is a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate, representing the 18th Senate District which includes portions of Lehigh, Northampton and Monroe counties. She is in the Democratic Party.Boscola is a resident of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania...
, Pennsylvania State Senator. - Dwayne Johnson ("The Rock"), actor and former professional wrestler.
- Daniel Dae Kim, actor, LostLost (TV series)Lost is an American television series that originally aired on ABC from September 22, 2004 to May 23, 2010, consisting of six seasons. Lost is a drama series that follows the survivors of the crash of a commercial passenger jet flying between Sydney and Los Angeles, on a mysterious tropical island...
and Hawaii Five-0