The bleak midwinter has indeed brought a dull lull to Liberty HS. Final exams, which were set to occur Jan. 8 and 9, ended up being pushed back by two weeks. The state's Keystone Exams, which are tests that are for biology, English, and algebra, took place the week in between. Because the Keystone tests' dates were set in stone, finals happened Jan. 23 and 24. To add to snow days, these tests gave four-hour delays to anyone who had previously taken the test and met standards.

There is, however, one group at Liberty that has managed to avoid some of the brisk winter weather. This group is none other than the Liberty HS Grenadier Band. The band, of course, travelled out to gorgeous southern California to perform in the 125th Tournament of Roses Parade. As if the band was not dedicated enough, Assistant Director Allen Frank, in addition to his duties spent the trip as his honeymoon. The Grenadier Band has been especially grateful to have him and his wife as part of its family.

While performance and repute are some of the band's highest priorities, having fun is also up there. Freshmen band members Ben Sanchez and Juliana Potts both said they loved it and were so excited to have the experience of a lifetime.

"The trip really opened up our eyes to us being one of the best bands in America," Potts said. It is really a spectacular opportunity when high school students can simultaneously combine passion for music and passion for traveling.

The band stayed in a great hotel in Long Beach. After undertaking 7 different flights, which were out of different airports, the Grenadiers hopped off safely at LAX. The band dined at such places as Bubba Gumps, Rusty's on the Santa Monica Pier, and even had a formal dinner at The Aquarium of the Pacific. For that night, men wore shirts and ties, and the ladies dresses. The officers of the band even gave a nice reflection before the meal. A visit to the area would not have been complete without spending a day in Disneyland and one in Universal.

Members of the band certainly took time to let loose after months of preparation. The Grenadiers proudly presented their field show at Bandfest, where they even were able to watch the show of an Alaskan Band. We all shared a laugh as it was announced that the only high school band in Alaska held nine consecutive state championships (one for every year of its existence). After an evening dance party to celebrate the new year, the band was up at "Oh dark stupid" as Director Kevin Long would say.

With new tunics from England, the Grenadiers were not fully dressed without their smiles. Though the smiling stopped as the parade commenced, there was no lack of onlookers who tried to get members to break uniform. Even with yells of "Smile! It's OK!" and signs lying about the length to the finish, the musicians held their concentration in the heat as if playing for the Queen herself. And that very well may be because the Queen of the Tournament of Roses and her court happened to be on the float in front of them.

Coming home, it was quite the shock for many as we stepped out of the terminal into 2 degree darkness. The Grenadier Band is proud to have represented Bethlehem and its ideals of success and hard work.