the bethel park campus-style high school 1959-2011 september … times newsletter.pdf ·...

BPHS campus as the last cam-

pus high school in Pennsyl-

vania, until it is torn down in

2012 to be replaced by athletic

fields and parking lots to sup-

port the new Bethel Park High

School, which will open across

the street from the current

campus in January 2012.

In the 1960 Beacon Yearbook,

the first one published from the

new campus, the students

wrote, “First, and most obvi-

ously, the character of a school

is evidenced by its buildings.

Our buildings are long and low

with strikingly modern design

and vivid patterns of color in

unexpected places. Precise

geometric figures characterize

all the buildings; there is the

towering cylinder of the boiler

room smoke stack, the triangu-

lar cornices crowning the circu-

lar library, and the rows of

hemispherical domes that

cover the ceiling skylights. The

wide-spread plan of the build-

ing enables us to distinguish

proudly between the upper

campus and the lower campus.

Our buildings are high on a hill,

a new school overlooking a

rising community in a new dec-

ade.”

In 1956, the Board of School

Directors purchased an 80-acre

plot on Church Road, known at

that time as McCormack Farm,

and plans were drawn to create

a campus-style high school to

replace the too-small, one-

building school that was lo-

cated on the current site of the

Bethel Park Community Center.

In the fall of 1959, sopho-

mores, juniors and seniors

moved to their new six-building

campus, which consisted of

two academic buildings, library,

auditorium/cafeteria, physical

education building and boiler

house, at a cost of $4.1 million

for construction and equip-

ment.

The new Bethel Park High

School was dedicated on Octo-

ber 23, 1960, but the campus

would not grow to its current

size until nine years later.

Phase II of the construction

was completed in 1964 with

the addition of another aca-

demic building and the indus-

trial arts building. Phase III was

completed in 1967 with the

construction of the fourth aca-

demic building and a 6,300

seat football stadium and

track, three tennis courts,

seven basketball courts and a

baseball field, as well as addi-

tions to the library, cafeteria

and physical education build-

ing. Ten classrooms were

added to Buildings 2 and 3 in

1969.

In June 1994, a 26 month, $20

million renovation included

new roofs, ceilings, terrazzo tile

and carpeting, site work, paint-

ing, elevators, plumbing and

HVAC, as well as renovations to

the gymnasium/swimming pool

and industrial arts building. All

renovations were completed to

the eight buildings by 1996.

Even though it was not the first

Bethel Park High School, the

eight-building Bethel Park High

School will probably be the

most memorable, because of

its campus configuration. Only

one other high school in Penn-

sylvania—Harriton High School

in the Lower Merion School

District near Philadelphia—was

built as a multi-building cam-

pus in 1957, but that school

was replaced in 2009 with a

one-building school, leaving the

We Will Always Remember...

Past Times at Bethel High

The History Of The High

School

The campus is the fourth Bethel

Park High School. In 1906, the

school district converted one of

the classrooms in a three-room

school house on Mollenauer Road

(Bethel School near Mine Three)

into a high school.

In 1908 the first stand-alone Be-

thel High School was erected at

the corner of South Park Road and

Park Avenue, a building which is

still standing today and is home to

the School House Arts Center.

In 1927 a 10-room grade school

was constructed near the high

school on Park Avenue (the current

site of the Bethel Park Community

Center) and when enrollment at

the high school level outgrew the

original high school facility, the

high school students swapped

schools with the younger students

in 1934.

What’s In A Name?

In 1960 the Borough of Bethel

changed its name to Bethel Park

to avoid confusion with another

Bethel located in northeast Penn-

sylvania. However, the school

name did not change automati-

cally with the town name. The new

campus high school was called

Bethel Senior High School until

1964, when “Park” was added to

the school‟s name. Around 1996

“Senior” was dropped and the

school is currently known as Be-

thel Park High School.

Freshmen attended the campus

beginning in 1964 but were ex-

cluded again beginning in 1976.

Ninth graders returned to the

campus in 1985 and have re-

mained since.

The Bethel Park Campus-Style High School — 1959-2011 September 2011

From the 1960 Beacon:

Most importantly, a school

means education. Correspond-

ing in time with the new build-

ings is the newly expanded

curriculum offered by Bethel

High school to better the edu-

cation it provides.

Here we outrank many schools

by offering three years each of

four languages, two-year

courses in chemistry and phys-

ics, in addition to a one-year

course in biology, various ad-

vanced math studies, an ad-

vanced course in English com-

position, several specialized

courses in speech, reading and

journalism, as well as the stan-

dard English and social studies.

Bethel offers, too, extensive

training in the various commer-

cial and business fields. But

education includes extracur-

ricular activities as evidenced

by the addition of two national

honorary societies in the past

year.

Bethel, the community, is ex-

panding every year, and Be-

thel , the high school, is ex-

panding with it.

behavior was a reflec-

tion on the national

political happenings of

this time, such as, the

assassination of Presi-

dent John F. Kennedy

and the Viet Nam War.

The students of the

1960‟s, for the first time

in history, openly voiced their

frustrations and opinions

against the older generation.

Bethel Park was no exception.

However, the students did have

The 1960s at BPHS as de-

scribed in the 1981 Beacon:

As Bethel rocked and rolled into

the 1960‟s. the average stu-

dent changed considerably.

New fads such as mini skirts,

bell bottoms, hula hoops and

crew cuts flooded Bethel Park‟s

campus.

It was a time when teenagers

broke away from conformity.

Their protests were evident in

dress, music and general life-

style. This change of student

their good times. Although tur-

bulent, the 60‟s will be remem-

bered for its many con-

tributions to society.

The 1960s


What is life at Bethel? Is it

dancing at a Friday night

dance? Is it walking between

buildings on a brisk fall day?

It might be hearing the rain on

the roof and for a fleeting mo-

ment being glad you‟re in

class...or it might be feeling the

rain between classes and being

glad you can enjoy it for a few

minutes. Life at Bethel could be

enchanting evenings at a semi-

formal...good friends...quiet

moments when you need to

think.


1960’s Highlights

First Principal— Mr. Robert Owsiany, a

new Principal for a

new school

# of Graduates in

the Class of

1960, the first

graduating class from

the new high school:

242

New Traditions: Beatnik Ball

Telerama

New Clubs: Future Nurses of

America

Leathercraft Club

Photography Club

Future Business

Leaders of America

Mechanics Club

Electronics Club

Vernissage

New Sports: Boys Swimming

Boys Cross Country

Girls Gymnastics

Some Things

Never Change…

In 1967 the Beth-

ettes retired their

batons in favor of the

now-famous shakers,

but the uniforms have

remained basically

the same over the

years.

The 1970s at BPHS as de-

scribed in the 1981 Beacon:

The 70s was a time of great

change for BPHS, just as it was

for the rest of the nation. The

early 70s had the same spirit of

rebellion that the 60s were

remembered for.

During this era there was a

great deal of self-evaluation.

Students became skeptical and

their belief that they could

change the world was severely

challenged.

At the high school, the students

exerted their civil rights. For

example, the student body was

victorious in changing the

school‟s programs. They had

won the right of an honor study

program, the right to drive to

school, the freedom to change

the curriculum and the freedom

of an open campus.

But as the 70s progressed, a

more conservative attitude

arose within the school admini-

stration. Slowly, each of these

privileges were revoked and the

curriculum headed to a “back

to basics” program.

In addition, there were many

events that affected the lives of

Bethel students. For example,

the 52 Americans were taken

hostage in Iran for 444 days

during 1979, 80 and 81. To

show BPHS support, they paid

tribute to the brave Americans

every day at 12 noon by ringing

the school bell.

On a local level, Pittsburgh‟s

sports fans rejoiced in the victo-

ries of the “Super Steelers”

capturing the Super Bowl four

times during the 70s. Also, the

Pirates, known as “The Family,”

clinched their way to the 1979

World Series and proved that

Pittsburgh was “Some Place

Special.”

In honor of these two great

sports teams, the students

declared a day of Black and

Gold throughout the school.

As the late 70s came to a close,

the Bethel Park School District

encountered its first long teach-

ers‟ strike.

While the strike dampened the

year for some, the school

events continued to make last-

ing memories of their high

school year.

The 1970s will be long remem-

bered by the students for its

discos, long gas lines, interna-

tional tensions, test tube ba-

bies, designer clothes, Star

Wars and its unique contribu-

tions to this remarkable era.

day, including the Psychology

Club, Chess Club, Coin Club,

The student clubs of the 1970s

reflected the interests of the

Radio Club, Last Resort Club,

Monopoly Club, Flat Earth Soci-

ety, Future Secretaries of Amer-

ica and Astronomy Club.

Social events in the 1970s

included the Sadie Hawkins

Dance, Christmas Dance, Sock

Hop, Sweetheart‟s Dance and

Campus Carnival.

The 1970s also saw the crea-

tion of several girls sports

teams, including volleyball,

swimming, tennis, softball, golf,

track and cross country.

Boys ice hockey had its

inception in the 1970s

as well.

The 1970s

Other 70s Memories

September 2011

The t-shirt says it all: The BEST

Girls are from BETHEL PARK!

Bobbing for apples at the 1970 Sadie Hawkins Dance

Enrollment

The 1970s showed

the largest enroll-

ments in Bethel Park

history, with the 805

graduates in 1977

comprising the larg-

est graduating class

(according to the

BPHS Records De-

partment).

In 2011, 425 stu-

dents graduated, with

99.5 percent of them

either continuing their

education at two and

four year colleges

(94%) or business/

technical schools

(5.5%).

Head Principals

Of The BPHS

Campus

Robert E.

Owsiany — 1959-

1967

Edward A. Strall

— 1967-1967

Thomas K.

Walters — 1976-

1985

Thomas R. Moses

— 1985-1991

Lawrence A.

Bukowski, Ph.D.

— 1991-1996

Thomas A. Hisiro,

Ed.D. — 1996-

2001

David A. Helinski

— 2001-2006

Zeb Jansante,

Ed.D. — 2006-

present


Cafeteria food, going to class,

and new attendance regula-

tions are all part of student life

at Bethel Park High School.

Each day we come, walking,

driving or riding a bus to be

with our friends and to learn.

We are offered so much in

school—the Arts, Sciences,

Math, Languages, History. New

classes like Theatre Arts and

Imaginative Fiction are being

added, giving us more opportu-

nities to meet new people.

Crowded bathrooms, small

lockers and dirty desks are

things we are forced to deal

with. But they seem

small in comparison to

what else is offered. A

growing electronic library,

new computer lab and

countless activities are

there for our use and

benefit.

We are one of few

schools that have an

open campus exposing

us to rain, wind, snow

and sun. Racing from Gym to

Building 2 is a normal part of

the day.

We have classrooms with walls

and those without, a variety of

teachers, and out-of-date film-

strips. Growing Zones and a

D.J. with rock-n-roll music have

been added this year.

With all of this surrounding us,

it‟s easy to see that being a

student in Bethel Park is the

Best Times of Our Lives.

‘Fixer Upper’ Plan Not

Enough

Locked Bathrooms

Present Problems

Is the Campus SAFE?

Activities Fees Initi-

ated for ‘81

Taking SATs? Don’t

Panic.

Here are some headlines from

the 1980 editions of The Cam-

pus Courier Student Newspa-

per:

Lunch Prices Soar

Lack Of Response is

Sad

Athletics Need Every-

one’s Support

The 1980s

History Loves To Repeat Itself

Other 80s Memories

The curriculum included some

interesting offerings such as an

Independent Living Relations

Class, which held a Greek Or-

thodox Mock Wedding, with the

reception catered by the Gour-

met Cooking Class.

Girls soccer was added to the

athletic offerings in the 19880s

and the clubs reflected stu-

dents‟ interest in pop culture,

with the Rubick‟s Cube Club

and EPOCH (Europeans for the

Preservation of Our Cultural

Heritage). The International

Monopoly Parliament also met

after school to compete in the

game of Monopoly, with their

main purpose to teach “a need

for responsibility and how to

finance money.” In addition to

the intellectual benefits of Mo-

nopoly, the students also met

to “have some wild

and crazy times.”

Graduating classes in the

1980s declined from more

than 700 students in 1980 to

479 in 1989.


The Bethel Park

High School

Alma Mater

Oh Alma Mater,

Bethel High

All hail to thee.

We sing thee praises

every one

With love and loyalty.

From atop the

summit‟s brow

Keep a watchful eye.

We‟ll always love thy

colors true

Our Bethel High.

Bethel Victory

On Bethel High

On to victory

March down the field

Show them all your

might

Fight! Fight! Fight!

Wave banners high

We‟re all for thee

March, right on down

the field to Vic-tor-y!


There is always something hap-

pening at Bethel Park High

School.

The school year is filled with fun

and entertaining activities.

Homecoming kicks off the year

with a week of unforgettable

events.

In the following months there

are plenty of opportunities for

students to get involved.

There are dances, plays, musi-

cals, competitions and ceremo-

nies honoring the students.

Most of these activities are

planned and arranged by stu-

dents. They are an excellent

opportunity to have fun and

meet new friends.

When we work together, Bethel

Park students can accomplish

anything we put our minds to.

We were together from the be-

ginning and will be together to

the end.


It is a time to remember the

first step you took onto the

campus as a freshman and how

things have changed since

then.

Looking back you see the

friends you made and the fun

you had together.

The events you will never forget

are the great times at football

games, concerts and dances

along with the not-so-great

times when you pulled all night-

ers and took final exams.

The bottom line is that you all

did it together. You laughed

together and cried together,

won together and lost together.

The 1990s

Other 90s Memories

the SGA Volleyball Tournament

and the ever-popular Man of

the Year dance competition,

which debuted in 1991. The

Goofy Awards began in 1995

and still continue today.

Issues such as drunk driving,

brought about the creation of a

SADD group in the 1990s, as

well as a Newcomers Club to

welcome new students to cam-

pus.

Activities included the Club

Coca-Cola Dance, Colonial Day,

Twin Day and Mardi Gras Week.

Traditions which had their in-

ception in the 1990s and still

continue today include the

Cheerleaders annual Fashion

Show to benefit Make-A-Wish,

September 2011

Proud of Our

Athletic Teams!

STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

TEAMS:

Boys Swimming —

1981, 1982, 1986,

1987, 1988, 1989,

1995, 1996

Ice Hockey — 1997,

2000, 2001, 2002,

2005

Girls Swimming —

1981, 1987, 1998,

1999

Cross Country — 1985

Baseball — 1988

Boys Soccer — 1994

Fencing — 1999

WPIAL CHAMPIONSHIP

TEAMS

Boys Swimming —

1963, 1966, 1967,

1968, 1969, 1973,

1976, 1981, 1982,

1983, 1984, 1985,

1986, 1987, 1988,

1989, 1990, 1991,

1992, 1993, 1994,

1995, 1996, 1997,

1998, 1999, 2000,

2002

Girls Swimming —

1974, 1975, 1976,

1977, 1978, 1979,

1980, 1981, 1982,

1985, 1986, 1987,

1988, 1998, 1999,

2000, 2005, 2006,

2007

Rifle — 1976, 1977,

1979, 1990, 1999,

2000

Boys Cross Country —

1964, 1966, 1984,

1989

Baseball — 1985,

1987

Boys Basketball —

1989, 2007

Boys Soccer — 2006,

2009

Wrestling — 2009

Football — 2008

Boys Golf — 1987


When we look back on our high

school years we‟ll see how we

were all together.

How each one of us overcame

several obstacles like alarm

clocks, clubs, sports, applica-

tions and finals.

We‟ll look back on the good

times we‟ve shared with friends

and classmates and how we

supported each other when we

needed it.

We can reflect back on what we

did and be proud that we made

all our efforts count.

When we get older and look

back at the days of our fresh-

man year, it will remind us of

how much we grew; knowing

that our high school careers

were achieved with support,

unity and friendship.

The 2000s

Other 2000s Memories

Trees, partici-

pation in the

American

Cancer Soci-

ety‟s Relay for

Life, a Dance

Marathon for

Darfur and a

backpack

drive for or-

phans in Zim-

babwe.

Girls lacrosse

and boys

inline hockey

are two of the

newer sports students have an

opportunity in which to partici-

pate.

The curriculum has expanded

to over 200 classes to prepare

students for college and be-

yond. Curriculum offerings in-

clude Sculpture, Advance Web

Design, Entrepreneurship, Nu-

trition, Prenatal Development

and Child Care, Transportation

Power and Energy Systems,

and Democratic Leadership, 18

Advanced Placement and 30

Honors courses. In addition to

the “basics” of English, Math,

Social Studies and Science, the

district also partners with local

colleges and universities to

offer classes on-line and

classes that carry college credit

for successful completion.

School spirit is still celebrated

with events such as Sprit Week,

Fall Games, Homecoming Tail-

gate, Parade and Dance, Senior

Appreciation Day, Man of the

Year, the Goofy Awards, Tel-

erama and more.

Throughout the decades the

faces and events have

changed, but one thing re-

mains—the unquenchable spirit

of Bethel Park High School

students.

Bethel Park time-honored tradi-

tions continue into the 21st

century from decades back,

including the Homecoming

Parade. Tributes to the past

now include a 70s Dance and

an 80s Dance.

Activities have changed with an

eye toward community service

and making the world a better

place, with Christmas Giving

Past Times at Bethel High Student Responses

to Questions Asked

in the 2005

Beacon:

Why or why not is the

Black Hawk a good

representation of our

school?

“The Black Hawk is

tough and intimidating

just like us. We always

have good teams.”

— Jacobus Blick

“Because unlike the

„Panther‟ or „Blue Devil,‟

a Black Hawk can fly

high and proud above

the rest.” — Jeremy

Benson

“The Black Hawk is a

good representative of

our school because it

symbolizes bravery,

leadership and

strength.” — Christie

Solomon

“The Black Hawk is

good because it is fear-

less, determined, un-

stoppable and that is

exactly what Bethel

Park is.”

— Amy Zoeckler

You know you‟re from

Bethel Park when…

“You wear black and

orange at least once a

week, not just around

Halloween.” — Kelsey

Dawson

“On a rainy day you sit

through class soaking

wet.” — Brett Moorman

“You hear the sound of

the morning announce-

ments from down the

street.” — Briana Pickett

“I remember Paul Mochnik

(Senior English Teacher) jump-

ing up on his desk, brandishing

his rubber-tipped pointer and

screaming at a student who

had dared to voice a literary or

grammatical error! Best and

coolest teacher I ever had!”

—Regis O’Donnell, Class of

1960

“For some individuals, any first

day of school would be the

same. For others, the initial

day of school would be termed,

„unique.‟ Such was the first day

of school in the fall of 1964.

This day would mark a new era

for the students and staff. Our

entering class (1967) would no

longer act as the „top dogs‟

from the Park Avenue Junior

High School, as we assumed a

„middle of the pecking order‟

position on campus, as fresh-

men and sophomores stepped

on the campus for the first

time. But we quickly adjusted to

the quirks of the campus amid

fair and foul weather, narrow

walkways, a 7-period instruc-

tional day, Team Teaching of

Geometry in the Large Group

Instruction Room, 6-week grad-

ing periods, visits to the Foreign

Language Lab in Building 1, an

undefeated football squad, and

a lengthy interruption of classes

on a cold, damp morning due to

a prank phone call. What an

adjustment to life on campus!

“One always knew Thursday

meant meatloaf, mashed pota-

toes, salad, pudding, roll/butter

and milk in the cafeteria for

lunch—all for 30 cents!

“I was fortunate to perform the

role of Captain von Trapp in

Bethel Park‟s first musical, „The

Sound of Music‟ in 1967. This

was a memorable experience

made more remarkable, since I

couldn‟t wear my glasses on

stage, had to learn to dance

and strum a guitar, which was a

great stress inducer to some-

one who was visually chal-

lenged, possessed minimal

rhythm and no talent for playing

a musical instrument.

“As a former teacher and ad-

ministrator on campus, I recog-

nized and remembered similar

issues to the ones we encoun-

tered in 1964. The obstacles of

time-management, weather-

related interruptions (snow, ice,

lightning), 9-week grading peri-

ods, multiple renovations, con-

structing schedules, extra-

curricular activities and gradua-

tion taught us an important

lesson. No matter the number

of buildings, the students of

Bethel Park High School were

blessed with outstanding, sup-

portive instructors who „planted

a seed,‟ challenged, motivated

and encouraged us to achieve

and aspire.”

—Glenn Hughes, Class of 1967;

Social Studies Teacher 1972-

1991; Assistant Principal 1991-

2005 (which included stints as

Interim High School Principal

and Athletic Director)

dances that were held after

every Friday night home game.

I remember Summer Band

Camps and Band Trips. (But it‟s

probably best that I don‟t say

what I did on some of the band

trips!)

“I will also never forget the

Physics Labs where we studied

blowing up hot dogs in the mi-

crowaves, and then had to go to

McDonald‟s for lunch because

not only did we blow up the hot

dogs, but we also blew up the

microwaves!

“During my senior year I left

school early every day to go

work at the hardware store—you

know how I love the hardware

store! I told Mr. Evey I could

“My Bethel Park High School

memories are many. I had very

happy days there—from March-

ing Band to all of the social

activities. But I think my best

memories are the teachers.

They helped to make me who I

am today. From Science with

Mr. Carter to Band with Mr.

Streator, to Math with Mr. Falce

and Mr. Grove, American His-

tory with Colonel Mazerov and

all of the Tech Ed classes.

There were many days in those

early years that I just didn‟t

want to go to school, but once I

got there, the teachers made

me glad I went.

“I looked forward to the Friday

night football games and the

come early because it was part

of a new work release program.

But on the day Mr. Andrejko, my

Principal, came in and found

me working instead of being in

class...well, let‟s just say there

wasn‟t a work release program

at the time.

“I‟m sure I would not want to re-

live my high school years. I am

very happy where I am in my

life. But I will never forget those

years. I will always have the

friends I made, both with staff

and students, and I will forever

be thankful for the great memo-

ries.”

—Andy Amrhein, Class of 1978,

now owner of Evey Hardware

1960s Memories

1970s Memory

September 2011

A Look to the Future…

On Saturday, September 12,

2009 a Groundbreaking

Ceremony for the new Bethel

Park High School was held

on the practice field across

Black Hawk Drive from

where the current school is

located.

The new Bethel Park High

School will be home to 94

classrooms, a 1,300 seat

auditorium, a 2,350 seat

gymnasium, eight-lane swim-

ming pool, large group in-

struction room/small thea-

ter, television studio, band

room and cafeteria with a

connecting outdoor court-

yard, where students can eat

lunch and also enjoy music/

theater performances.

The new school will provide

students with a safe and

secure environment, ena-

bling the District to support

its educational philosophy

and deliver a world-class

educational program that will

help students to prepare for

their futures.

Classrooms will be outfitted

with technologies that will

allow for flexible use and

interactive instruction. The

new school will provide an

environment that fosters

collaborative learning, to

actively engage students in

the learning process.

Once the new Bethel Park

High School is scheduled to

open in January 2012, the

old campus will be torn down

and replaced with athletic

fields and parking spaces,

but the spirit of this great

campus will forever be re-

membered by those who

learned and worked there.

I went and walked around the

empty campus one recent

evening, and the structures

seemed mundane, not worth

crying over. What I recalled

were vivid moments in these

places: talking in a Building 1

biology lab on the day RFK

was assassinated, laughing

with Mademoiselle Young in

French class in Building 4,

standing at my locker in

Building 2 as I realized the

top of my ear was frostbitten,

working on the class plays,

discussing Look Homeward,

Angel in Mr. McCulley‟s class,

(The following are excerpts

from an article which ap-

peared in the September

2011 issue of Pittsburgh

Magazine.)

They‟re going to tear down

my old high school. Not this

month, but if all goes as

planned, they‟ll start razing in

2012. A new big monolithic

building is almost ready just

across the street from the old

gym, and students move in

around the end of January.

Then the old Bethel Park High

School gets demolished.

going to the office when a

vice principal informed me

that a “foreign” cigarette had

been found in the boys‟ room

and that my Brazilian ex-

change brother was sus-

pected. I remember spending

countless hours in Building 4

with classmates and Mr.

Mochnick, culminating in an

after-school suburban Pitts-

burgh production of Dylan

Thomas‟s Under Milk Wood in

our experimental theatre

400.

Wonderful, important times.

More Memories

1980s Memories “Here are a few memories on

behalf of Cathy (Fitzgerald)

Muscato, Lisa (Fuchs) Roth-

haar, Judy Melvin and my-

self.

“Since our high school days

were well before the text-

message era, the four of us

got a locker together in

Building 2 and used it as a

place to leave notes for each

other, along with a few books

and belongings.

“Besides the Musical, the

most fun we had—hands

down— was going to Friday

night football games. We

were avid Marching Band

followers and even went to

cheer them on at the away

games and in the most

frigid of temperatures

(Thank goodness for hot

chocolate!). The highlight of

every halftime was the

Band playing “Hot Time”

marching away from us,

then turning and blaring

“Bethel Victory” at 10,000

decibels while stretched

from end zone to end zone,

marching towards us. Lisa

went so far as to actually

marry a Marching Band

member and is now the

mother of four, three of

which are now Band Geeks

in their own right!

“Other fond memories of the

campus include: having your

hair freeze going from swim

class at the Gym to history in

Building 2 in the middle of the

winter; the big hype about dedi-

cating the “Bell Tower” that

turned out to be a “Bell Box;”

having the water main or elec-

tricity go out and be sent home

from school; senior pranks that

put large objects (a VW Beetle!)

in the Building 4 Courtyard;

hanging out a TON in the Band

Room and the Campus Courier

Room; and painting scenery

back stage for the Musical.”

—Gina Fleitman, Class of 1980

School’s Out Forever at Bethel Park


As a school has many faces,

so it has many feet.

Thousands have traveled

daily on the walkways of

Bethel. Each who has walked

here has made an individual

impression. As distinctive as

fingerprints—no two leave

the same mark behind.

All mark the way for less

experienced travelers...soon

to be forgotten but never

erased completely.


Time to Say Goodbye

We‟ve walked this campus a thousand times

We‟ve had our good days and our bad.

Soon we‟ll hear our last bell ring—

Always remember the fun we‟ve had.

We‟ve gone hoarse at football games,

We‟ve cheered and cried some, too.

I‟ll always cherish in my mind

The time I‟ve spent with you.

We‟ll keep in touch in the days to come

But no matter how hard we try

We can never go back to the good ole days

So it‟s time to say good-bye.

—Michele Bogotay, Class of 1986

So it‟s people and incidents

and predicaments that I re-

member. The buildings them-

selves don‟t seem to matter.

But losing important places

where we grew up can be

disheartening, and I know I‟ll

always think I learned more

here because we walked

between classes. We left

here ready for college.

— Rick Sebak, Class of 1971

Past Times Committee

Vicki Flotta

Zeb Jansante

Kristen Normile

Katey O‟Donnell

Regis O‟Donnell

Nancy Aloi Rose

Chuck Stover

Debi Taylor

Judy Volpatti

Special Thanks To:

Bethel Park Board of School

Directors

Bethel Park Custodial/

Maintenance Staff

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