The Bison – December 20, 1991

Smoking is an ever-present problem at BHS.

A national survey taken of America’s teenagers has reported that 32 percent of them smoke cigarettes.

Smoking has been proven to lead to such health ailments as lung cancer and high blood pressure.

The most dangerous element of cigarette smoking is carbon monoxide, a tasteless, odorless gas released by smoke.

The main reason people smoke is their addiction to it. What leads to addiction to smoking is the stimulant nicotine, one of the hundreds of chemicals inhaled from cigarettes.

There are many reasons for starting, however.

Some start smoking for the simple reason that they want to. Many, however, start because their friends pushed them into it, or they just didn’t want to feel left out.

Smoking can be disrespectful to those who don’t smoke, especially if they avoid it for health reasons.

“People think it’s okay,” said sophomore Jill Scott. “They don’t have respect for other peoples’ rights.”

While it may be very easy to start and continue smoking, one of the bad aspects is that of trying to quit.

“Smoking is really a bad habit, it’s one of the worst habits you can get into,” said Scott. “I know a lot of people who smoke and say it’s really hard to quit.”

People avoid smoking for many of reasons: some for the simple reason that it’s dangerous.

Ninety percent of new smokers are students. One solution suggested is more strict rules for sellers of cigarettes.

It has been proposed that cigarette machines should be supervised better, or banned completely. A possibility for stores would be losing their license if they were caught selling cigarettes to minors.

At BHS, smoking is restricted. Smoking is not allowed on campus, not even in the teachers’ lounge.

“Smoking is really a bad habit, it’s one of the worst habits you can get into. I know a lot of people who smoke and say it’s really hard to quit.”

Sophomore Jill Scott

A survey taken of the US has shown that 32%, about one third, of teenagers smoke. Four percent reported using chewing tobacco. A similar survey of BHS showed similar results. Many of those who didn’t smoke cited that smoking was “evil” and bad for their health and others’ around them.

The US Senate has just finished up it’s latest session. Two major bills affecting teens came before the full Senate for debate.

Senator David Durenberger and Senator Paul Simon from Illinois introduced the “Financial Aid for All Students Act of 1991.” This makes an equal and non-biased student loan system that allows up to $70,000 to be available to anyone needing it for a college education, regardless of income.

“As long as you work hard, you should get the opportunity [for a loan],” said Durenberger.

This system is based on a 25 year repayment on post college income.

“People at lower paying jobs pay back less at a time than people at higher paying jobs,” said Durenberger.

“I think it’s a great idea because then more people would be able to get a college education,” said freshman Amy Stadtlander.

This program would also save an estimated $2.7 billion a year. This also means that the Pell Grants, another form of scholarship, would increase by $600 per year.

“I’d like it for me, and it would definitely improve education in America,” said senior Brett Nyholm.

Another positive to this system is that more people will be able to attend college despite the high tuition costs, which have risen 12 to 13 percent in recent years.

“It really sounds too good to be true!” said senior Grant Ingersol.

Studies have shown that the average cost for each child in the 21st century will be more than the average cost of their homes. More loans and tuition help will definitely be needed.

Another main issue brought up at the session was that of abortion.

The major point was whether or not the family planning clinics should be allowed to counsel pregnant women on the pros and cons of abortion and other options to consider, such as adoption.

In 1988, the Supreme Court put into effect the “gagrule” which stated that if a family planning clinic is federally funded, its staff may not counsel, or even mention abortion as a medical option.

“There are no easy answers to the problems people face,” said Durenberger.

Senator Paul Wellstone tried to overturn this ruling, stating that violating the rights of medical personnel by preventing them from giving adequate advice to the patients was against the first amendment.

A number of students object to the counseling because of their objections to abortion.

“To me it just seems wrong,” said freshman Erik Lundeen. “There’s a little person inside of you; killing it would be murder.”

Many students, however, favor the option.

“It’s the woman’s right to be able to decide to have the child or not,” said freshman Stacy Collins.

Most students agreed that the clinics should be allowed to counsel the women.

“If you don’t know who to go to for advice, they should be there to help you,” said junior Michelle Caylor.

National Honor Society is planning many activities for the coming months.

The most recent activity was the pictures with Santa. The dates for this were set for December 10, 11 and 12. The activity grossed $90. The cost was two dollars per picture and the proceeds were donated to local charities.

"It’s a charity organization," said senior Carmen Blair. "We don’t keep the money we earn."

Other activities planned are a possible Winter Carnival and a Blood Drive in March. Specific dates have not been set.

The Winter Carnival is still in the planning stage, so nothing is certain for the present time. It is probable that it will run a week. There may be mod activities, and a winter sports night has been proposed, with possibly ice fishing, skating, and snow sculpting.

NHS is also planning a snow shoveling project. They are making a list of members to be distributed to churches and other organizations so elderly and handicapped citizens can call and have their driveways shoveled.

"It feels good to help people," said junior Joe Bacik. NHS helps the community in many ways. The shoveling is a community service and the proceeds of other projects go to charities. Other services are the food drive and blood drive.

"The food drive was very successful," said counselor Mary Lynn Leff. "The high school is the food shelf’s best supplier. Without our contributions, it wouldn’t have worked this year."

Others agreed that the food drive was a success.

"It was great, seeing the competition between the classes and to see the students get fired up," said junior Julie Fiedler.

Aside from the planned activities, there are other requirements for members. Each month, members are requested to perform some form of community service on their own, whether it be helping with church Sunday School, helping another with jobs they are unable to do, sharing musical talent with senior citizens, or any number of things.

Each member is also required to serve on some of the activity committees throughout the year and be respectful of property and of others.

The projects planned by NHS are only as successful as the student participation makes them. The students and community have shown great support for the organization, which is what makes NHS as successful as it is.

A BHS student is playing in the Super Bowl.

Senior Emily Gervasio is a violinist with the Minnesota Youth Symphony. The orchestra will be playing at the Super Bowl on January 26.

The youth orchestra will be playing live at the Metrodome during half-time, but what will be heard on television was recorded last Saturday.

The orchestra rehearses an hour on Saturday mornings, which leads to pressure at times.

"Most of the time, it’s more stressful than school," said Gervasio.

Despite the stress, being in the orchestra does have its rewards.

competed in any team sports, she feels that she is gaining good teamwork skills from the orchestra.

"The orchestra is a lot like a team," said Gervasio. "We all have to work together."

Gervasio’s mother is a member of the Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra and a violin teacher. Her mother’s director is also the director of the youth symphony, which is what persuaded Emily to audition for it.

Music plays a big part in Gervasio’s life, and possibly her future, too. Although she enjoys music, she doesn’t see any practical application for it.

"It’s a big commitment, but it’s not a lifetime commitment," said Gervasio. "I’d like to pursue it in college, too, but not for my whole life."

Taking such a large part in music can mean sacrificing much time. Even though Gervasio hasn’t

Over the years, there have been many suggestions in changing the way the High School scheduling is done. Recently, more and more people are finding the idea of flexible scheduling more practical and efficient.

With this system, which was developed in the 60s, is not clearly defined because it meets the needs of the school and is never the same program twice. With new scheduling, there could be more classes, and more time to work on extensive projects, science labs for an example.

"[The class length] would be determined by how long you need to work on the project," said assistant principal Lloyd Styrwoll.

There would be many advantages to this system of scheduling.

"Students in a flexible schedule have unscheduled time. Most kids are responsible enough to handle this, but there are some that would get into trouble," Science teacher Boyd Emmel.

It would be very nice to have a two hour lab. When you’re working on projects, you don’t want the time to be broken up," said science teacher Charley Kiefenheim.

There are disadvantages to this program, too.

"The teachers would need to be retrained on how to use the blocks - you don’t want to sit through two one hour lectures," said Styrwoll.

There is also the concern that having kids walking around the halls with more free time on their hands could create problems.

"Students in a flexible schedule have unscheduled time. Most kids are responsible enough to handle this, but there are some that would get into trouble," said biology teacher Boyd Emmel.

There may be a "J- term." This would be a four week period, most likely in January, where students could take classes that normally wouldn’t be offered.

Save the world. Three words that our country seems to enjoy saying but, not interested in following in our own land. We can’t forget those few people that breathe, eat, and sleep these words.

Then, there are those people that say these words but, look the other way when asked to participate in an "earthy" activity. Our country as a whole definitely acts in this manner.

We love to preach about what is the right thing to do and how everyone should go about doing it. Yet, when it comes down to doing something for our country, we look around for someone else to carry it out.

One illustration of this involves the tropical rain forests. Even though they are in a different hemisphere, we Americans pay more attention to them than our woodlands in our own country. The woodlands are being cleared at astounding rates. We are not saying that the rain forests aren’t a concern but, we should "practice what we preach."

This does not necessarily always refer to environmental issues, either.

For example, when news of the Romanian baby crisis hit our country, we were worried. Many babies would die unless there was some way that we could help. So, being the good Samaritans that we Americans are, we rushed over, adopted those babies and saved them from starvation. We should feel proud that we were able to help but, what about the unadopted children in America? The Romanians aren’t going to adopt them in return.

It’s true that some of the world problems threaten the world as a whole to a greater extent, and some of the problems effect us and could hurt us in the future.

The point we are trying to make is that we have similar problems in our country and we’re just ignoring them. Before we complain about others, we should find out if we have the same problems, and solve our problem before we complain about theirs.

Dear Santa,

My name is Cally and I’m nine years old.

My mom doesn’t have a job and we don’t have much money. She didn’t finish high school because she had me at age 16.

I just wish my mom could go back to school so she can get a better job to allow us the privilege of buying food and clothes.

When I go to school, the other kids look at me like I don’t have feelings. They tease me and treat me like last week’s trash.

Santa, if I was given just one wish for Christmas, I’d wish to switch places with one child who doesn’t know what it’s like to be me...

What if this was you? How would you feel? Most of us could not imagine what this life is like.

Today is the day you go to the local food shelf with your mother. This to "you" is like going to the mall.

Your menu doesn’t contain much and the variety is limited. This week’s food consists of canned items such as soup, baked beans and for a treat, one can of peaches. This the only food that you know of and it’s stretched to last until next week!

You can’t imagine it, can you? Didn’t think so, but that’s OK, because I couldn’t either.

But there are people out there who live like this!

We take things for granted that people in, let’s say, Ethiopia would cherish. Like the fact that we are alive.

We take life for granted just as we do our food and clothes. We expect our essentials to ALWAYS be there.

What about those who don’t have these essentials? What can we do?

We are at that season of the year where "giving is better than receiving". But, it’s not just Christmas or Thanksgiving that people need food, clothing and housing, they need it all year around!

If you have extra clothes, coats, or other items that could be of use to the poor, donate them to the Salvation Army or a local church.

Try to put yourself in their position. Most of us could not begin to imagine what it’s like to be in a situation such as Cally’s, but we can make it easier for them to face. All we have to do is sacrifice a few of our own selfish wants.

What do leather jackets, money and candy all have in common? Give up? They’ve all been stolen from lockers at BHS.

Lockers are no longer a safe place to keep anything that has more than a five dollar value. Anything more expensive is at high risk of being stolen. (Okay, your $45 math book is probably safe, at least until someone who hates math finds it.)

Here on The Bison we’re wondering why anyone keeps a lock on their locker anymore. The best reasons we’ve come up with is that the principals sympathize with you if you get something stolen from a locked locker and it’s sometimes harder to break into a locker with a lock on it. We say sometimes because some of the lockers open regardless of whether or not there is a lock on it.

Why haven’t those lockers been fixed? Does it cost too much money? Is the administration putting the safety of students possessions low on their list of priorities? These are questions you have to ask yourself when you hear of something being stolen out of a locker.

The Bison has put together a list of ways to rid our school of crime.

The first thing you can do is be honest. If you know or strongly suspect someone stole something, report them. If you don’t report them, some day you could become their victim. And obviously, don’t steal anything yourself.

Keep your locker locked and don’t give away your combination to all of your friends. The fewer people that know your combination, the fewer people who can enter it and steal things from it. Even if your locker doesn’t lock, the sight of a lock discourages most would-be thieves.

Finally, complain about the defected lockers. The more you complain, the higher priority it gets, the faster the repair work. Remember "The squeaky wheel gets the grease." Now is the best time to start complaining. The sooner you start, the sooner they’ll fix the lockers, which means less will be stolen.

All of the honest students should join together and stop the locker thieves from attacking again. Or, you can go home without your new coat on a sub-zero degree January day.

Remember, this is the United States of America -- it’s your given freedom to complain about things that aren’t right in society. So, don’t let the criminals stop you, instead, stop them.

Save the world. Three words that our country seems to enjoy saying but, not interested in following in our own land. We can't forget those few people that breathe, eat, and sleep these words. Then, there are those people that say these words but, look the other way when asked to participate in an “earthy” activity. Our country as a whole definitely acts in this manner. We love to preach about what is the right thing to do and how everyone should go about doing it. Yet, when it comes down to doing something for our country, we look around for someone else to carry it out. One illustration of this involves the tropical rain forests. Even though they are in a different hemisphere, we Americans pay more attention to them than our woodlands in our own country. The woodlands are being cleared at astounding rates. We are not saying that the rain forests aren't a concern but, we should “practice what we preach.” This does not necessarily always refer to environmental issues, either. For example, when news of the Romanian baby crisis hit our country, we were worried. Many babies would die unless there was some way that we could help. So, being the good Samaritans that we Americans are, we rushed over, adopted those babies and saved them from starvation. We should feel proud that we were able to help but, what about the unadopted children in America? The Romanians aren't going to adopt them in return. It's true that some of the world problems threaten the world as a whole to a greater extent, and some of the problems effect us and could hurt us in the future. The point we are trying to make is that we have similar problems in our country and we're just ignoring them. Before we complain about others, we should find out if we have the same problems, and solve our problem before we complain about theirs.

Dear Santa, My name is Cally and I'm nine years old. My mom doesn't have a job and we don't have much money. She didn't finish high school because she had me at age 16. I just wish my mom could go back to school so she can get a better job to allow us the privilege of buying food and clothes. When I go to school, the other kids look at me like I don't have feelings. They tease me and treat me like last week's trash. Santa, if I was given just one wish for Christmas, I'd wish to switch places with one child who doesn't know what it's like to be me... What if this was you? How would you feel? Most of us could not imagine what this life is like. Today is the day you go to the local food shelf with your mother. This to “you” is like going to the mall. Your menu doesn't contain much and the variety is limited. This week's food consists of canned items such as soup, baked beans and for a treat, one can of peaches. This is the only food that you know of and it's stretched to last until next week! You can't imagine it, can you? Didn't think so, but that's OK, because I couldn't either. But there are people out there who live like this! We take things for granted that people in, let's say, Ethiopia would cherish. Like the fact that we are alive. We take life for granted just as we do our food and clothes. We expect our essentials to ALWAYS be there. What about those who don't have these essentials? What can we do? We are at that season of the year where “giving is better than receiving.” But, it's not just Christmas or Thanksgiving that people need food, clothing and housing, they need it all year around! If you have extra clothes, coats, or other items that could be of use to the poor, donate them to the Salvation Army or a local church. Try to put yourself in their position. Most of us could not begin to imagine what it's like to be in a situation such as Cally's, but we can make it easier for them to face. All we have to do is sacrifice a few of our own selfish wants.

What do leather jackets, money and candy all have in common? Give up? They've all been stolen from lockers at BHS. Lockers are no longer a safe place to keep anything that has more than a five dollar value. Anything more expensive is at high risk of being stolen. (Okay, your $45 math book is probably safe, at least until someone who hates math finds it.) Here on The Bison we're wondering why anyone keeps a lock on their locker anymore. The best reasons we've come up with is that the principals sympathize with you if you get something stolen from a locked locker and it's sometimes harder to break into a locker with a lock on it. We say sometimes because some of the lockers open regardless of whether or not there is a lock on it. Why haven't those lockers been fixed? Does it cost too much money? Is the administration putting the safety of students possessions low on their list of priorities? These are questions you have to ask yourself when you hear of something being stolen out of a locker. The Bison has put together a list of ways to rid our school of crime. The first thing you can do is be honest. If you know or strongly suspect someone stole something, report them. If you don't report them, some day you could become their victim. And obviously, don't steal anything yourself. Keep your locker locked and don't give away your combination to all of your friends. The fewer people that know your combination, the fewer people who can enter it and steal things from it. Even if your locker doesn't lock, the sight of a lock discourages most would-be thieves. Finally, complain about the defected lockers. The more you complain, the higher priority it gets, the faster the repair work. Remember “The squeaky wheel gets the grease.” Now is the best time to start complaining. The sooner you start, the sooner they'll fix the lockers, which means less will be stolen. All of the honest students should join together and stop the locker thieves from attacking again. Or, you can go home without your new coat on a sub-zero degree January day. Remember, this is the United States of America -- it's your given freedom to complain about things that aren't right in society. So, don't let the criminals stop you, instead, stop them.

Your menu doesn't contain much and the variety is limited. This week's food consists of canned items such as soup, baked beans and for a treat, one can of peaches. This is the only food that you know of and it's stretched to last until next week! You can't imagine it, can you? Didn't think so, but that's OK, because I couldn't either. But there are people out there who live like this! We take things for granted that people in, let's say, Ethiopia would cherish. Like the fact that we are alive. We take life for granted just as we do our food and clothes. We expect our essentials to ALWAYS be there. What about those who don't have these essentials? What can we do? We are at that season of the year where “giving is better than receiving.” But, it's not just Christmas or Thanksgiving that people need food, clothing and housing, they need it all year around! If you have extra clothes, coats, or other items that could be of use to the poor, donate them to the Salvation Army or a local church. Try to put yourself in their position. Most of us could not begin to imagine what it's like to be in a situation such as Cally's, but we can make it easier for them to face. All we have to do is sacrifice a few of our own selfish wants.

For many students, college is lurking in the near future. Seniors are in the process of applying to perspective colleges juniors are deciding which avenue of post secondary education if any, to pursue.

There are several important things in which you must do to prepare for college.

Colleges look at grades and the choice of classes one takes to see whether or not their requirements are filled. The requirements for classes are three years of English, math, science, and social studies. A foreign language is preferred, but not necessary. Good students who show potential on tests, but lack the language, are usually admitted regardless. By 1994, the requirements will change, then including a foreign language.

Private schools tend to demand more from students, in order to eliminate over sized classes, because of limited space on the campus.

Schools also take into consideration, the number and types of extra curricular school activities a student participates in, to see how well rounded students are. A well rounded student is involved in both academic and sports activities.

Another step in preparation for college, is to take the ACT or SAT test in your junior year. BHS uses the ACT test, because it is more commonly considered in the Midwest.

The ACT has four parts: English, math, science, and a section containing reading, literature, and social studies. The scores from each part are averaged together into one final score, 1-36.

The SAT, or Scholastic Aptitude Test, is similar to the ACT. This test consists of two parts, math and English. There are separate scores for each part, ranging from 200-800.

Each college has a predicatement score you must achieve on the tests, in order to attend that college. As an example, St. Cloud State has an ACT number of 25, meaning you must achieve a score of 25 or better to attend school there.

To study for either the ACT or SAT, there are many study guides available in libraries and bookstores. The PSAT is a warm up test that is available for people to take in their junior year.

Another help when preparing yourself for college is "to be the best student you can be," said counselor Mary Lynn Leff.

During college planning time, a counselor can be a very helpful person to consult with.

The counselors are there to help one decide what is best for them, and to help plan for it accordingly. They have created a "how-to" pamphlet on choosing, and preparing for college, entitled "Senior Guidance Bulletin."

The "Guidance Bulletin" consists of 13 steps. The first eight are for those going to college, the middle section contains information on other options, and the final ones are information on post secondary education in Minnesota. Suggestions for college bound athletes are also included.

Listed below are brief outlines of eight steps.

Step 1

A list of deadlines for taking tests and applying for college.

Step 2

What to ask when visiting with college representatives. This will help one gather information about perspective colleges.

Step 3

Lists to help choose the right college. This will help one decide what to look for in a college.

Step 4

Five questions to ask oneself to narrow down ones choice of colleges.

Step 5

Tips on how to visit the colleges. This will help to better ones decisions about the school.

Step 6

How to apply for the college.

Step 7

Dates for the ACT and SAT tests.

Step 8

A small list of selected colleges and their prices.

Throughout the years, high school seniors have gone on to higher levels, bringing with them feelings, emotions, and aspirations. Anxiety with new experiences of college.

"I guess I was kind of scared. I didn't know what I was getting into. I was also kind of glad to get it out of the house," said Jason Scherber, a college freshman at St. John's University.

There can also be apprehension when leaving home, and to head for new areas of learning.

"I'll miss my friends and family," said senior Jason Beckfeld.

Teachers at BHS also have feelings about aspirations for today's seniors.

"I hope they [seniors] enjoy it [their college year] as much as I

For many students, college is lurking in the near future. Seniors are in the process of applying to perspective colleges juniors are deciding which avenue of post secondary education if any, to pursue. There are several important things in which you must do to prepare for college. Colleges look at grades and the choice of classes one takes to see whether or not their requirements are filled. The requirements for classes are three years of English, math, science, and social studies. A foreign language is preferred, but not necessary. Good students who show potential on tests, but lack the language, are usually admitted regardless. By 1994, the requirements will change, then including a foreign language. Private schools tend to demand more from students, in order to eliminate over sized classes, because of limited space on the campus. Schools also take into consideration, the number and types of extra curricular school activities a student participates in, to see how well rounded students are. A well rounded student is involved in both academic and sports activities. Another step in preparation for college, is to take the ACT or SAT test in your junior year. BHS uses the ACT test, because it is more commonly considered in the Midwest. The ACT has four parts: English, math, science, and a section containing reading, literature, and social studies. The scores from each part are averaged together into one final score, 1-36. The SAT, or Scholastic Aptitude Test, is similar to the ACT. This test consists of two parts, math and English. There are separate scores for each part, ranging from 200-800. Each college has a predicatement score you must achieve on the tests, in order to attend that college. As an example, St. Cloud State has an ACT number of 25, meaning you must achieve a score of 25 or better to attend school there. To study for either the ACT or SAT, there are many study guides available in libraries and bookstores. The PSAT is a warm up test that is available for people to take in their junior year. Another help when preparing yourself for college is 'to be the best student you can be,' said counselor Mary Lynn Leff. During college planning time, a counselor can be a very helpful person to consult with. The counselors are there to help one decide what is best for them, and to help plan for it accordingly. They have created a "how-to" pamphlet on choosing, and preparing for college, entitled "Senior Guidance Bulletin." The "Guidance Bulletin" consists of 13 steps. The first eight are for those going to college, the middle section contains information on other options, and the final ones are information on post secondary education in Minnesota. Suggestions for college bound athletes are also included. Listed below are brief outlines of eight steps. Step 1 A list of deadlines for taking tests and applying for college. Step 2 What to ask when visiting with college representatives. This will help one gather information about perspective colleges. Step 3 Lists to help choose the right college. This will help one decide what to look for in a college. Step 4 Five questions to ask oneself to narrow down ones choice of colleges. Step 5 Tips on how to visit the colleges. This will help to better ones decisions about the school. Step 6 How to apply for the college. Step 7 Dates for the ACT and SAT tests. Step 8 A small list of selected colleges and their prices.

For many students, college is lurking in the near future. Seniors are in the process of applying to perspective colleges juniors are deciding which avenue of post secondary education if any, to pursue. There are several important things in which you must do to prepare for college. Colleges look at grades and the choice of classes one takes to see whether or not their requirements are filled. The requirements for classes are three years of English, math, science, and social studies. A foreign language is preferred, but not necessary. Good students who show potential on tests, but lack the language, are usually admitted regardless. By 1994, the requirements will change, then including a foreign language. Private schools tend to demand more from students, in order to eliminate over sized classes, because of limited space on the campus. Schools also take into consideration, the number and types of extra curricular school activities a student participates in, to see how well rounded students are. A well rounded student is involved in both academic and sports activities. Another step in preparation for college, is to take the ACT or SAT test in your junior year. BHS uses the ACT test, because it is more commonly considered in the Midwest. The ACT has four parts: English, math, science, and a section containing reading, literature, and social studies. The scores from each part are averaged together into one final score, 1-36. The SAT, or Scholastic Aptitude Test, is similar to the ACT. This test consists of two parts, math and English. There are separate scores for each part, ranging from 200-800. Each college has a predicatement score you must achieve on the tests, in order to attend that college. As an example, St. Cloud State has an ACT number of 25, meaning you must achieve a score of 25 or better to attend school there. To study for either the ACT or SAT, there are many study guides available in libraries and bookstores. The PSAT is a warm up test that is available for people to take in their junior year. Another help when preparing yourself for college is 'to be the best student you can be,' said counselor Mary Lynn Leff. During college planning time, a counselor can be a very helpful person to consult with. The counselors are there to help one decide what is best for them, and to help plan for it accordingly. They have created a "how-to" pamphlet on choosing, and preparing for college, entitled "Senior Guidance Bulletin." The "Guidance Bulletin" consists of 13 steps. The first eight are for those going to college, the middle section contains information on other options, and the final ones are information on post secondary education in Minnesota. Suggestions for college bound athletes are also included. Listed below are brief outlines of eight steps. Step 1 A list of deadlines for taking tests and applying for college. Step 2 What to ask when visiting with college representatives. This will help one gather information about perspective colleges. Step 3 Lists to help choose the right college. This will help one decide what to look for in a college. Step 4 Five questions to ask oneself to narrow down ones choice of colleges. Step 5 Tips on how to visit the colleges. This will help to better ones decisions about the school. Step 6 How to apply for the college. Step 7 Dates for the ACT and SAT tests. Step 8 A small list of selected colleges and their prices.

Throughout the years, high school seniors have gone on to higher levels, bringing with them feelings, emotions, and aspirations. Anxiety with new experiences of college. "I guess I was kind of scared. I didn't know what I was getting into. I was also kind of glad to get it out of the house," said Jason Scherber, a college freshman at St. John's University. There can also be apprehension when leaving home, and to head for new areas of learning. "I'll miss my friends and family," said senior Jason Beckfeld. Teachers at BHS also have feelings about aspirations for today's seniors. "I hope they [seniors] enjoy it [their college year] as much as I ..."

What is financial aid? Am I eligible? Who do I talk to to find out how to get it? These are the many questions students ask when considering financial aid for post graduation education. Financial aid is money awarded to students who are in "need" of financial assistance in order to attend a college or a technical school. This can be in the form of local, state, and federally funded grants, loans, scholarships, or work study programs.

Within the Buffalo community alone over $35,000 has been raised to send local students onto a higher education. "Financial aid will give me the opportunity to go [to college]," said senior Don Klick. To determine the degree of eligibility for financial aid, a FFS (Family Financial Statement) must be completed by the parent and student. Four primarily considerations are: on your parent’s income, the size of your family, and your parent’s assets. "You have to have a need for it," said Richard Bakken, a counselor at BHS. How much money your parent’s are required to pay will be calculated and that figure will be subtracted from the total tuition fee. The remaining amount of money needed will hopefully be covered by some form of aid. There are other things that will help you to get financial aid. Two of them are, performing exceptionally well in extra curricular activities and maintaining an above average grade. "My grades and my extracurricular activities [are what will help me receive financial aid]," said senior Robbyn Olson. The high school has helped inform students that are juniors and seniors by, putting up posters around the school and having additional information meetings for interested parents and students. This year the meeting is to be held January 13, 1992 at 7:00 pm in the BHS library. "Financial aid can make all the difference in the world. Going to college or not," said senior high counselor Mary Lynn Leff. One of the reasons for financial aid being so vital is that on an average a student going to a four year public college and living on campus can expect to pay around $6,750 annually. If you plan to attend a private school under the same circumstances costs may be around $13,200 per year. "It [financial aid] will help me go the type of school I want, without it [I] could never afford it," said Tabbut. For more information about financial aid you can speak to your high school counselor, in the counseling office or a college admissions office.

The new assistant head coach for the Buffalo hockey team has returned to his hometown and alma mater after five years.

Blain DeCambaliza graduated in 1986 from BHS and was very active throughout his high school career. He participated in hockey, golf, cross country, tennis, intramural soccer, and he was also a football manager. He was elected senior class president, was a Homecoming candidate, and was chosen “Best Looking in 501’s” in the Tatanka Hall of Fame.

Last year, DeCambaliza assisted Chris Bonnel, former junior varsity hockey coach, with the J.V. team, as part of one of his college classes. This year, his reasons for coaching are financial.

Members of the team enjoy having DeCambaliza as an assistant coach.

“It’s great having Blain as a coach because he’s easy to talk to, he speaks to us, not at us, and he helps us a lot,” said senior Ryan Reid.

DeCambaliza’s coaching skills are appreciated not only by the team, but also by the coaches.

“I’ve worked with Blain for only a short time, but he relates well with the players and is very positive. He also has a lot of energy, as most young coaches do,” said coach Ed Saxton.

Head coach Carl Davis agreed that it is wonderful to have DeCambaliza back on the team.

“He’s dependable and has always been a good role model. It’s nice to have former players come back and coach because of their background experience. It also helps to build continuity,” said Davis.

DeCambaliza recently graduated from St. Cloud State University with a degree in Elementary Teaching (grades 1-6). Before attending St. Cloud State, he went to a community college in Florida, North Hennepin Community College, and Mankato State University.

Before graduation, he was quoted as saying, “I feel post-high school education is very important and one should have some idea of which field of employment they would like to pursue.”

DeCambaliza has gone from defense on the hockey team to the assistant coaching position, and he hopes to begin teaching somewhere as soon as possible.

“I don’t know if I’ll be here next year, but I sure would like to teach in Hawaii,” said DeCambaliza.

With all of the snow from the Halloween and Thanksgiving storms, the Bison Ski Team is preparing for yet another challenging season.

The team started practice on Monday, November 11 at Powder Ridge to prepare for their first meet of the season against Hopkins and Orono at Buck Hill on December 17.

In preparation for the upcoming meets, the team has on-snow practice two to three times a week and dryland practice on the other days.

“I think the practices are pretty hard,” said junior Adam Burling, “but they are necessary if want to excel.”

The dryland practices include such exercises as sit-ups and running, with much time spent in the weight room working on leg and abdominal muscles.

The on-snow practices are spent working on perfecting starts and on balance during runs. All of them are held at Powder Ridge.

Coach Rick Toso has made many goals for the team. One includes “being more competitive in the Lake Conference.” The Lake Conference consists of such schools as Edina and Minnetonka.

Most state finalists come from those schools.

Even with this challenge, the team’s spirits are staying high.

“We have a lot of returning veteran skiers and some new skiers, so it looks like this will be a very good season,” said junior Kathy Larson.

Members of the team have set many personal goals for themselves in order to make this a good season.

“I’d just like to try to help everyone and make sure they improve and don’t go backwards,” said sophomore captain Erica Lundsten.

Other members agree that they need improvement on their times.

“My goal is to improve my racing times from last year, and to just have fun,” said junior Joe Bacik.

The team has high expectations and believes that this will be their best season yet.

“With the new skiers and the returning skiers, I think we will have a very promising season,” said Burling.

Ah, winter is here. The snow, the sledding, the snowmobiling, the shoveling (ugh!) But one thing is certain. With all of this early snow, the snowmobile trails are going to be packed.

Many students in District 877 own and ride snowmobiles. This means that there will be a lot of snowmobile traffic, just by minors alone. Add this to the rest of the citizens in the district that ride snowmobiles, and you get a pileup.

This is where the safety factors come in. Most snowmobile riders wear helmets, a key to remaining safe. But even with helmets, a majority of snowmobile deaths involve collisions between snowmobiles or collisions with stationary objects, such as trees and road signs.

Another danger with snowmobiling is going across frozen lakes and rivers. Snowmobiles need six inches of ice on the lake before they can safely get across. Four inches of ice is need to walk on a lake safely, and 8-12 inches for an automobile, depending on its size. Many people and vehicles fall through the ice on lakes and so do snowmobiles. Check all ice before going out.

During the weekend of December 7, a pickup truck went through Lake Pulaski. The driver would have been killed if the snowplow on the front had not snagged the unbroken ice, which kept the truck from sinking deeper.

Location is another factor that is considered in snowmobiling. Many snowmobilers drive in the ditches and on public property, which is perfectly okay as long as there aren’t any “No Snowmobiling” or “Snowmobiling Prohibited” signs. Snowmobilers that go on private property without the owners permission are the ones that make me angry. It is trespassing against the law. Be sure to get the owners permission before you go on his/her property!

Be careful, have fun, and take the proper precautions when snowmobiling. Make this an enjoyable time for everyone. Have an enjoyable holiday vacation and we’ll see you next year.

Tasha Nelson, a former BHS student and Minnesota slalom ski champion, has now set her eyes on Albertville, France, site of the 1992 Olympic Winter Games.

Nelson started skiing at three years of age and entered competition around age 9. She joined the BHS ski team in 1987 and won the state slalom skiing title the following season.

“I knew she wanted to win [the championship] really bad,” said Sharon Nelson, Tasha’s mother. “She had achieved one of her goals and I knew that was what she wanted to do.”

Nelson transferred to Straton Mountain, Vermont, two years ago so that she could receive better training and experience, specifically in the giant slalom. Nelson practices two hours every day on the ski slopes.

“The slalom practice she could get here [Minnesota] but she needed the training in the giant slalom,” said Mrs. Nelson.

On Monday, December 2, Nelson also started racing to improve her chances of going to France on February 8. According to Mrs. Nelson, each racer gets a certain number of points, which is decreased based on the outcome of each run. As a racer lowers their number of points, they increase a team level. The highest level team will be go to France.

“Every race she has now through January. If she does well, there is a chance that she can go [to the Olympics,” said Mrs. Nelson.

Although Nelson is no longer a student at BHS, classmates and faculty are behind her in her quest to go to the Olympics.

“She deserves anything she gets because she has worked so hard,” said junior Stacy Stadlander, a close friend of Nelson’s. “She’s done more than a lot of people would ever think of doing.”

Others agree that if anybody deserves to be in the Olympics, Tasha does.

“She had a quiet confidence,” said science teacher Julie Swaggert. “She didn’t have a big ego that pervaded everyone.”

If Nelson does not make it to the Olympics in February, she has several more chances at getting on the team. After the 1992 Winter Olympics, the Games will be switched to the even years that the Summer Olympiad does not take place, in order to let some athletes compete in both. Nelson, being only 17 now, has a good chance of going to the Olympics in 1994 and again in 1998.

“A lot of the skiers that have gone to the Olympics are in their twenties. I’m sure that in two years she can beat the Olympics,” said Mrs. Nelson.

Best wishes to Nelson can be sent to: Tasha Nelson, c/o Straton Mountain School, Straton Mountain, VT 05155.

Coverage of the Winter Olympics will be broadcast on WCCO-TV Channel 4 (CBS) from February 8 through 23.

After being in practice for nearly a month, the BHS gymnastic team is rapidly improving.

The team has been practicing several hours each day, five days a week since November 18 in preparation for upcoming meets.

Although practice plays a role in how successful the meets, fan support also has a major impact on team members.

“It helps to have fan support, because it makes you want to do better,” said junior Liz Engvall.

Most members agree that they do better under pressure.

“It really helps to have them cheering you on because you’re under a lot of stress,” said freshman Cassie Loberg.

Attitude is another big factor in determining how well the team does. According to freshman Kelly Grossinger, a positive attitude is definitely not something the gymnastic team lacks.

Another strength that the team has is that there are a lot of new people that have joined since last year. The new members should help out to balance the senior members that were lost.

Unfortunately, many new members are not as experienced.

“If strong members are put out (due to injuries) we would miss them, because we’d need their strength,” said Engvall.

The gymnastic team has set goals for this season to help them focus on improving themselves.

“Some (goals) are to get better scores and get in the record book more than last year,” said Grossinger.

Today, Dec. 20 ..... Gymnastics host Spring Lake Park 6:30*
th Grade Boys B-ball hosts Columbia Hts. 4 P.M.
Varsity Boys Basketball at Mpls. Southwest 7:30
Wrestling at Spring Lake Park (SLP) 7:30*

Saturday, Dec. 21 .................... Hockey at Cooper 5:30/7:30

Dec. 23, 30 - 31 .... J.V. Hockey at Elk River Tourney 1 P.M.

Dec. 26 - 28 ........ Varsity Hockey at Blake Tourney 3 P.M.
Girls B-ball at White Bear Lk. Tourney 8 P.M.

*NOTE: SLP games may be postponed due to the strike.

Some people have great difficulty speaking to an audience. The BHS Speech team, however, thrives on the experience.

With a jump from 10 members last year to 35 this year, this may be a challenging season.

The team will be competing at about eight meets this year. Many goals are already being set.

"I want them to do the best they can; try and do better than the week before," said Speech coach Dave Alto.

This is Alto's second year coaching the Speech Team at BHS. He has his own personal goals for the team.

"This year I want to win the Conference," said Alto.

Alto feels that speech is an individual thing. What the person puts into speech is what they get out of it.

How good a member wants to be is their decision and the level of quality they reach depends on what the person wants for themselves.

Some freshmen that have joined the team have realized that they have reached a new level of competition. One change is the subjects that they have to choose from, which vary from the junior to senior high level.

Along with speaking, another category is drama. In this category the participants act out stories.

"I wanted to be in drama to learn more about serious acting because most of my roles have been humorous," said senior Laurie Miller.

Duet Acting, performing drama with another team member, is no longer in the senior high curriculum as it is in the junior high, posing some problems for the new freshmen.

"It’s easier to do a speech with another person because it makes you feel less nervous," said freshman Jason Poirier.

Most people join speech to feel at ease when they are speaking in front of a group.

In addition to learning how to speak in front of people, making new friends and having fun, the members learn to be more responsible; going to two half-hour practice sessions a week.

Different from sports schedules, the speech meets are always on Saturdays. The members are allowed one meet that they don’t want to attend, and any other absences require a note explaining why they were unable to attend the meet.

Responsibility is the key to making the speech meets. Learning not to oversleep is one of the many things speech members have to overcome.

Jason A. Chalupnik, one of the senior members of the team, said that this year he would like to take his experiences and help out younger members of the team do what he did last year, placing first in the North Suburban Conference in the Serious Poetry Tournaments.

The BHS Knowledge Bowl team is heading into the season with 30 members, of which 12 are returning from last year. These members are split into three teams which compete in the tournaments.

Being in Knowledge Bowl benefits its members in many ways.

"It gives me a lot of knowledge of trivial things," said sophomore Emily McPheeters.

Knowledge Bowl meets three times a week, once during mods and twice after school.

A Knowledge Bowl tournament consists of five rounds of questions. The first is a written test and the rest are oral. Each round contains 60 questions. The winner of the tournament is the team that has the most points overall.

There may be anywhere from 15-30 teams at the competitions. These teams are then split into groups of three for the oral rounds.

A maximum of 15 members can be taken to a tournament, so the members that attend tournaments will be chosen by their attendance to practices and dedication.

"It’s going to make [members] more competitive," said McPheeters.

Even though there are many returning from last year, inexperience is the team’s most prominent weakness.

"Theoretically, we have just as much of a chance to be competitive as anyone else. Any other team faces the same problems as we do," said advisor Peggy Pasche.

A point which Pasche feels is an advantage is that this year’s team has so many members.

"Having so many to chose from should make our number one team stronger," said Pasche.

The main goal for many of the members is to finish well in the tournaments.

"I think that we have a good chance of placing in the top half of all of our tournaments, but my ultimate goal would be to place in the top three and earn a trophy," said Pasche.

You and your class choose us to represent your class. We help to better your four years at BHS... and yet, many of you don’t even know what the Student Council does.

Sometimes, the student body tends to take advantage of the services and things that the Student Council provides, such as: organizing events for homecoming week, organizing the Sadie Hawkins dance, heading the freshman orientation, helping with the work on the levy referendum, maintaining the pop machines, and the list goes on.

Ms. Raymond’s room is a busy place during our Monday mods meetings. You are invited to come and attend the meetings anytime, but if you wish to speak, please come and inform Ms. Raymond ahead of time so that she can put your name on the agenda.

Each member must also maintain a set amount of points each quarter to stay on the council. There is also a chance for those who go "beyond the call of duty."

Grant Ingersoll is the president of not only the BHS Student Council, but also president of the Eastern Minnesota Association of Student Council as well.

In addition to this, many take part in other committees. We have representatives on the Advisory Senior Citizens Committee (Sarah Harper), School Board (Andy Gorrill), Leadership Council, District 877 Curriculum Advisory Committee (Sally Lundeen, Nicole Miller, and Carmen Blair), and the Food Council.

If you have any suggestions, comments, complaints or ideas, please contact any of the student council members. We appreciate your input.