You go to that school with no upperclassmen? The new school? Is it weird being so small?  

All those questions are becoming irrelevant as Liberty starts off the 2016-2017 school year with a full class.

With Holt having 1,710 students and Timberland 1,658 (as of Aug. 23 according to Director of Human Relations, Mary LaPak), Liberty doesn’t fall much behind with 1,261 student enrolled.

In Liberty’s inaugural year, there were 291 freshmen who only used the 100 hallway that held their lockers and most core classes. The freshman class was really familiar with one another and didn’t have a whole lot of paths to take to get to their other classes.

“It was a lot smaller the first time, so it still felt like 8th grade, but now it feels like a real high school,” senior McKenzie Meyer said.

When the school opened in August 2013, it was a goal to make the first day unique and more fun and exciting. That’s when the pep rally, bridge walk and shortened classes tradition started. With the building still being in progress, there wasn’t a whole lot of space and some of the areas were blocked off due to construction.  

“I really wanted to go upstairs, but we couldn’t and I was disappointed because like the teachers said, ‘Oh, we’ll take you on a tour upstairs’… they never did. I loved the bridge walk, we got free food, like free breakfast. The assembly was amazing and we didn’t do anything, so that was even better,” senior Ryan Sinkler said.

With the growing population, Liberty is now officially a real high school. The upperclassmen are slowly getting used to the adjustments.

“Freshman year the hallways were completely empty and now it’s like hard to get to your classrooms because it’s so busy,” junior Noah Willison said.

The incoming freshmen see Liberty as any other high school and are getting the full experience as to what it is like being the underdog in a school full of students.

“There are a lot of people here,” freshman Hailey Forck said. “When I walked in I couldn’t really get through the doors because there was so many people here.”

After hearing the reputation Liberty once had regarding it’s size, some freshmen are shocked by the large population and crowded halls.

“I like totally underestimated the amount of people here. Honestly, I still thought most my classes were going to be in one hallway, until I got my schedule and I’m everywhere,” freshman Allyson Fox said. “It was a little overwhelming, I wasn’t expecting that many people to be in the hallway at one time and there was a lot of jostling in the hallway, like people running into you and trying to get to your class on time with people walking in front of you is a lot trickier here.”

As the school fills with unfamiliar faces, the freshmen come in feeling welcomed which was a goal from day one, making Liberty a school of kindness. Inviting the freshman in with open wings causes their first days to be less scary; especially coming into a full high school.

“Liberty is more like a family here.” “I’ve had everyone talk to me, and it’s just been really welcoming,” freshman Annalisa Kercher said.