The Bison – February 27, 1987

Students against driving drunk (SADD) is expanding in the United States, as well as at BHS. SADD is trying to get their goal of not drinking and driving across to students and parents.

The Buffalo SADD chapter officially started October 31, 1986. There are presently four members. “At SADD meetings we work on ideas to make students aware of the problems of driving drunk. We make posters and work on fundraising goals,” said SADD member Charlie Linquist.

SADD is striving to get their main goal across to students; the goal of not driving drunk. SADD, in no way, condones drinking by those below the legal drinking age. “SADD encourages all young people to obey the laws of their state, including the legal drinking age. “Students are the ones we must reach to be successful. Students make decisions for themselves. Hopefully, SADD will help them make the right choice,” said John Haack, SADD advisor.

The “contract for life” is a contract that both students and parents sign agreeing to call for a ride if they, or someone they are riding with, have been drinking. The contract works both ways. When agreeing to call home for a ride, the other person agrees to discuss the issue at some later time. The goal of the contract is to keep students and parents from driving drunk.

Roseanne Privitera, the chairperson from the Grand Junction, Colorado chapter of MADD came to BHS on Wednesday, January 28 to speak about drinking and driving and her personal experience with a young drunken driver who “slaughtered” her daughter.

“She had a very important message to spread and made a moving presentation,” said Junior Nathan Blair.

SADD has big plans for its future in Buffalo. “A sober cab service or another means of transportation is a good prospect if the funding is right. Plans are being made for more guest speakers in the future,” said Linquist.

For any students interested in joining SADD or learning more about it, contact one of the SADD members or Activities Director Nancy Bergert.

There are three questions concerning the future of the Suburban West Conference, that remain unanswered. 1) Where does Buffalo stand? 2) Who can Buffalo invite to get eight schools in the conference again? 3) Is time on the road still a major concern of Buffalo coaches?

This is what is happening as of January 29th: Glencoe has applied to the Wright County Conference; Orono doesn’t know if they want to stay in the SWC or not; Monticello is undecided on whether to remain in the Wright County Conference or move to the SWC; and Chaska and Shakopee, in 1988, will move to the Missota Conference which currently includes: Prior Lake, Lakeville, Northfield, Benilde-St. Margaret, New Prague, Holy Angels, and Red Wing.

Basically, Buffalo has two options. One, apply to the Missota Conference and suggest two divisions of five schools each, according to distance or; two, try to rebuild the SWC by inviting Litchfield, Waconia, and Monticello.

“Decisions will have to be made this month,” stated Activities Director Nancy Bergert. “We have to get a commitment from others in the conference.”

At this point Buffalo is leaning toward rebuilding the SWC.

In January, Minnesota congressmen and representatives were asked to enact a curfew that would affect many students at BHS.

The curfew would prohibit 16 and 17 year-olds from driving between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. without parental or employer consent in the form of a note.

This bill was proposed and is being pushed by State Senator Don Frank. His argument is based on the opinion that if 16 and 17 year-olds are kept off the roads after 11:00 p.m. the state will in effect be protecting them from drunk drivers.

Crashes in states with such curfews have been reduced by as much as 69 percent.

Opposition to this bill is evident in many high school newspapers around Minnesota. The AhLaHaSa of Albert Lea views the details of the curfew as questionable. "It is common for out-of-town sporting events and other school activities to cause students to return home quite late. Consequently, driving home after many activities would mean breaking the law."

The Southerner of South High, Minneapolis, also reasons why the curfew may not be the answer to the problem of night-time crashes. "Restricting late night driving privileges for any specific group would reduce (accident) rates greatly for that group."

The basic idea of the proposed curfew, to reduce teenage deaths due to automobile accidents, is accepted by both newspapers.

To voice your personal opinion on this issue, you can write a letter to the editor to The Bison, or as The Southerner suggests, "contact Senator Frank and let him know it."

They have never been interviewed by the Journal Press. They have never been written about in the Minneapolis Star and Tribune. Even the Bison has failed to publicize them.

Until now.

Little attention is paid to the sports managers of BHS. However, they each feel they are a part of their respective teams.

"Is anybody changing?" calls Mary Zumbusch as she and Amy Hance, two of the four wrestling managers, enter the boys locker room to fill water bottles, just one of the more intriguing duties of a manager.

The duties included in managing wrestling are mopping mats after practice, filling water bottles, timing, and taking stats. "It gets hectic sometimes," said Zumbusch about taking stats. Both Hance and Zumbusch enjoy being managers because they get a chance to meet new people. Hance added, "I enjoy going to tournaments because it gives me a chance to meet new people and travel to different towns."

"The team appreciates having him, he is proud to be a manager, and he likes the job," said Assistant Coach Keifenheim, about the hockey manager John Reich.

John "Killer" Reich enjoys being a manager because it makes him feel like a part of the team. "It’s a real fun time, and I’m too short for basketball, so I thought I would keep active and be a manager." Being the only manager for the hockey team, Reich certainly keeps busy. His tasks include filling water bottles, helping with first aid care, carrying ice for injuries, repairing broken laces and sticks, and opening the locker room for the players between periods. If something is forgotten during a game, Reich climbs over the plexiglas to go and get the missing equipment. "Climbing over the plexiglas is the toughest thing I have to do," said Reich.

There is one manager that is really an unsung hero. He is Jim Hess, assistant to the girls gymnastics team. Hess demonstrated gymnastics skills Gymnastics Coach Martha Driscoll, and was recommended by BHS graduate Sheila Johnson. Hess plays the part of spotter for the team. Hess feels that he is more a "helper" to Coach Driscoll, rather than a manager. Spotting the gymnasts in their routines sometimes puts Hess in an awkward situation. "Sometimes it embarrasses me," said Hess. The "it" is the hands-on duty required of a spotter.

Managing is strictly on a volunteer basis. Wrestling managers Zumbusch and Hance went to Head Coach Gerry Bakke to become managers. Reich was invited to see Assistant Coach Keifenheim and later that night he was on his way to Litchfield with the team. "They even had a bag lunch for me," said Reich.

BHS managers are awarded for their services to the team in the form of letters. The wrestling managers receive one letter per year.

Although none of the managers interviewed wished to pursue managing as a career, they are still a valuable asset to any team to which they belong, and worthy of any attention given to them.

Of the 150 groups that applied, the BHS Concert Band was one of the three or four groups to receive the prestigious honor to play at the Minnesota Music Education Association (MMEA) Convention.

The MMEA is an annual convention held in St. Paul. This year it is at the Radisson Hotel on February 12. It consists of high school and college students exhibiting vocal and instrumental performance from a ten state area.

After a five year collaboration of the Instrumental Music Department, the two groups are breaking new ground in their first year ever of participating at the MMEA Convention and the only band with TMH (trainable mentally handicapped) students attending.

Twelve TMH students will be accompanying the Concert Band with their percussion instruments in three pieces of music. "Maintaining a foster relationship between special need students and the main stream body and providing a meaningful musical experience are the main reasons for combining the two groups," said Joan Thielman, the speech clinician for the TMH students.

The Concert Band has been preparing for the MMEA Convention since fall with daily practices. Mr. Mohwinkel said, "We are well prepared for it. I feel we will do a good job."

International Club will be sponsoring and International Day, which is sometimes referred to as a "mini festival of nations," by club members, on Saturday, March 28. The doors will open at 11:00 a.m.

There will be eight to ten different foreign food booths.

The folk dance program will start performing at 1:00 p.m. The folkdancers include Latvian and Romanian dancers and cloggers will also perform. One group of musicians will be Scottish Bagpipers.

International Day is free and open to the community.

International Club offers "exposure to the world and foreign cultures" stated German teacher and Club advisor Maija Zaeska. She added that it’s a great way to "get to know foreign exchange students."

Following the Japanese style of Participatory Management, the BHS faculty uses early dismissals on the second Wednesdays of the month to discuss new ways of governing the school.

The extra time has helped the staff develop goals and objectives through the Education Effectiveness Program. The staff elected Sharon Barsness, Charley Keifenheim, Laurie Raymond, Karen Rebischke and Principal Nick Miller to help the faculty select characteristics that BHS could incorporate into its atmosphere.

Of the nine characteristics found in a successful school, the team chose School Climate, School Site Management, and High Expectations as the focus of their work. The staff then brainstormed for new and creative ideas in each of the three areas. Next, the staff broke into groups, depending on individual interest, and created plans of action to insure meeting their goals.

One of the main apprehensions of the staff towards this process is their fear that they "don’t think it’s going to happen," said Kip Wold, BHS Science teacher. But yet Allison Grorud, BHS French teacher, cited the holiday tree in the front foyer and the addition of the couches as evidence that positive changes have occurred.

An innovative idea posed by the Scheduling/Registration group proposed having mods at the end of the day, making for less disruptive early activity dismissals, along with increasing student study time, Cindy Khalil, BHS Social Studies teacher explained.

The faculty finally has time to organize effectively and make decisions democratically. In the future, they would like to increase the amount of input by secretaries, custodians, and students.

Fifteen BHS seniors are taking advantage of Governor Perpich's Access to Excellence program. Although they are seniors, they are not seen in the hallways of BHS. They are college students.

They receive a college education without paying tuition and receive both college and high school credit for their classes. Perpich didn't forget anything 4 except what it is like to be a senior in high school.

Homecoming. Sno-Daze. Senior class picture. Senior skip day. Cheerleading. Student council. Scholarships. Awards. Prom. Gallery. Parties. Spirit stick. Dances. Cheering for the Bison.

Instead, they encounter dorm life, college courses, independence, hours of studying each night, and a different atmosphere.

Seniors who stay in high school have the opportunity to experience college, also. Next year.

Of course, the tuition will not be paid for these students. But they also did not sacrifice their senior year. They are seniors.

The money used to pay these tuitions come from the state. Minnesota spends part of its money to send high school students to the college of their choice: public or private. This money is generated through taxes. Furthermore, school districts lose state aid for every student in this program. Is this fair?

Besides depriving the state of money, it also deprives students of a senior year. Ten years from now, will the participants in Perpich's program regret their decision? Will they thank Perpich then? Will they be sorry they missed their senior year?

We, The Bison, do not presume to be qualified to answer these questions. We do doubt that all of the students will be glad they participated in the Access to Excellence program.

We caution juniors and sophomores thinking about going to college their senior year to seriously consider what they will have to give up.

The cost of losing their senior year is too great for some seniors. Being a senior is a rite of passage in a person's life. To bypass this rite of passage forces students to mature faster. Students grow up fast enough in high school. Everyone should be a senior.

In mid-December of 1986 the Central Committee of Minnesota's D.F.L. party made a decision that it should be ashamed of.

They called for President Ronald Reagan's impeachment for what, if any, major role he played in the Iran Arms Scandal and for "crimes against the people of the world".

Up to the time I wrote this column, I saw no real grounds for his impeachment. So far, the only thing the President has been found to have done wrong in the Scandal is not notifying Congress. To impeach a president for not informing Congress of a minor arms deal would be like sending someone to the electric chair for a parking violation.

As for the accusation of "crimes against the people of the world, =9 I assume they are talking about the invasion of Grenada and Reagan's support of Nicaraguan Contras.

Is it a crime against the people of Grenada and to try toreturn Nicaragua to their peoples instead of a small group of persons who were never voted into office but stole it by force from, in many cases a democratically elected government?

Is it a crime of the world to try to stem the growing influence of the Soviet Union in world affairs?

Is it a crime to send aid to the Mujahedin in Afghanistan after their nation was stolen from them by the most land hungry nation on Earth?

Is it a crime to return the nation of Gradas and try to return Nicar-
agua to their peoples instead of a small group of persons who were never voted into office but stole it by force from, in many cases a democratically elected government?

Impeachment is not the answer and the political grandstanding and irresponsibility demonstrated by the Minnesota D.F.L. Central Committee is not the answer either.

Ronald Reagan is receiving deserved critisism for the Iran Arms Deal. A major question to be answered for this generation is how much trust can we give to either President Reagan or the Democratic Party.

I read the Dec. 5 editorial regarding the decision on the informed consent law with interest.

I think we have come full circle in this society when I read an editorial written by an adolescent, about adolescent rights, expressing what that editorial expressed. I am not so concerned about the free choice vs. antichoice issue, my concern is about the way in which young people regard themselves in respect to individual rights and decision making. There was a time not long ago when teen (adolescents), were crying to be heard, to be considered worthy of making their own decisions, to vote, to dress as they thought appropriate without dress codes in our schools, to cut and wear their hair as they wished without ridicule or suspension.........

I think it is interesting that at a time when educational leaders are saying that our students are no longer learning higher level thinking skills or learning to express themselves as well as students before them, adolescents label a decision made by a responsible and well schooled adult as "adolescent". The term seems to be regarded and used as a label for something undesirable by someone or a group of persons that are in fact adolescent.

It only seems to me that District Judge Alsop is attempting to preserve the precious rightss of a group that is sadly vulnerable.

After glancing at the calendar one may notice a popular day approaching, Valentines Day. This is the day when young lovers come out to play and public displays of affection run rampant in the streets or in this case, the halls of BHS. While roaming these sacred halls, one can’t help but observe a vast amount of hand holding, hugging, kissing and various other actions which show the affection of the people involved. But if one is not a direct participant, these actions tend to gross the innocent bystander out.

After witnessing a fair or unfair share of the displays of affection a question may come to mind: “How far is it acceptable to go in public?”

“Holding hands and kissing are fine, but groping is going too far,” agreed one couple after being interrupted.

As an innocent bystander Karen Friederichsen stated, “In school I don’t think a couple should go farther than holding hands and being together.”

Mrs. Swenson expressed a similar view, “I draw the line at holding hands in high school. Anything more than that is unacceptable.”

After that quote about hand holding and kissing, a look into the names given to a kiss seems appropriate. Over the years kissing has been called a little sugar, a smooch, sucking face, a smackaroo, a buss and a smack.

It has also been seen in the form S.W.A.K. (sealed with a kiss) on the outside of letters and the XOXO on the inside of a letter which, in a round about way, could be considered a kissing cousin of the S.W.A.K.

Now that it is clear what a kiss is called, it seems a good time to find out what it does. Basically, it swaps spit and passes germs especially when a person is slipped the sacred tongue. This in turn may curse you with the kissing disease, mononucleosis. But, on the brighter side, kissing is a form of showing affection. It is a caress with the lips. So, for beginners, don’t be afraid to kiss, not everyone contracts mononucleosis from kissing.

Finally, here are some questions or rules, which everyone must answer themselves. For those people who are new to the mating game, here is a revised list:

1. Who breaks the kiss, the initiator or the selected participant?
2. Is it appropriate to kiss with eyes open or closed?
3. How long should a kiss be?
4. And finally, the most important of them all — When does it go from “just kissing” to making out?

(HINT: A hickie is a sign that a kiss has gone too far.)

“Love is not ambitious, is not self-seeking, is not provoked; thinks no evil” (1 Corinthians 13:5)

Valentines Day conjures up images of stolen kisses, and candy hearts. Of Cupid, that naked gremlin who spears the hearts of the young and the unsuspecting.

Valentines Day also provokes memories of bygone romances, of first loves, and first kisses.

It’s hard to think of teachers as having first loves or first kisses.

According to Leroy Erickson, one of the biggest problems of the first kiss is “to figure out which side of the face your nose went on so you didn’t meet her right smack straight on.”

Sharon Barsness related a story about her first good night kiss on her back steps. “I slipped on the ice and broke his glasses. He had to explain the absence of his glasses the next day in class.”

Several teachers didn’t want to have their romantic memories published. Laurie Raymond replied, “When one gets to be my age without being married, one does not celebrate Valentines Day.”

“My first kiss,” reminisced David Robinson, “I remember, happened in a hay loft. She and I were eighth graders, and pretty naive. Her name was Hershey and that’s probably one reason I still love chocolate.”

Many of the teachers interviewed felt their feelings on love were too personal for publication. They didn’t want to kiss and tell.

This just may promote the concept that the best kisses are the chocolate ones.

Good Morrow! Tis
St. Valentines Day
All in the morning bedtime,
And | a maid at your window,
To be your valentine!==

The above quote is taken from William Shakespeare's Hamlet. He describes the custom of some unmarried Italian women of getting up before sunrise to stand by their windows and watch for a man to go by. They believed that the first man they saw would marry them within a year.

Other countries have different beliefs and ways of celebrating Valentines Day. In the United States and Canada children celebrate the day by exchanging valentines with their friends. Schools will often have classroom parties. Older students hold Valentines Day dances and parties. Men often send their wives or sweethearts boxes of heart-shaped candy and flowers.

In Great Britain, children sing special Valentines Day songs and receive gifts of money, fruit or candy. Years ago in the town of Norwich, a young suitor would secretly leave a basket of gifts on his loved one's door. Then he would knock on the door and run away.

In Italy, people from certain areas get together and share a large feast.

In Denmark, people send pressed white flowers called snowdrops to their friends. Danish men also send a type of valentine called a gaek-kebrev (joking letter). The sender writes a rhyme but does not sign his name. Instead, he signs the valentine with dots, one for each letter of his name. If the woman who receives it guesses his name, he rewards her with an Easter egg on Easter.

There are several beliefs as to how Valentines Day began. The most famous is from the Roman festival of Lupercalia. It was held on February 15. During this celebration priests sacrificed a dog and several goats in the Lupercal, a cave in the Palatine Hill. Two men then ran around whipping women with the sacrificed goats hides. The women took the blows because they believed the whippings would make them more fertile. Many writers from that time linked the festival of Lupercalia with Valentines Day because of the similar date and the connection with fertility.

In the past, people followed several customs on Valentines Day. Most were connected with beliefs of romance or choice of a mate. An old English superstition warned that it was bad luck to bring snowdrops into the house before Valentines Day if unmarried girls in the home hoped to be married before the end of the year.

Single girls had many ways of learning who their future husband would be. They would write all their boyfriends names on little pieces of paper and roll them separately in small pieces of clay. Then they'd throw them into water. The first one to rise to the top was supposed to contain the name of her true valentine.

Some unmarried girls pinned bay leaves to their pillows on the eve of Valentines Day. They pinned one leaf to the center of the pillow and one to each corner, and believed they would see their future husbands in their dreams if the charm worked.

In Derbyshire, England, young women circled the church 12 times at midnight and repeated the words:

8*T sow hempseed
Hempseed
I sow
He that loves me best
Come after me now.=9

After that their true valentine was supposed to appear.

Some young ladies rose early on Feb. 14, looked through their keyhole and hoped to see two objects. If only one object was seen, she supposedly had little chance of getting married that year.

In some places, an unmarried girl would strike her forehead with a folded rose petal. If the petal cracked, the girl knew that her valentine loved her.

When a girl finally married, she could no longer take part in romantic Valentines Day customs. The poet Robert Rerrick wrote of the bride:

She must no more
a-maying
Or by rose buds divine
Who'll be her valentine.

As St. Valentines Day draws nearer, many people have memories of bouquets of flowers, boxes of candy, hugs, kisses and most of all, love.

Almost everyone has been interested in someone of the opposite sex, but how many can say that they have actually been in love?9

What do the words in love mean? According to anonymous juniors and seniors, love is most commonly known as "total trust and dedication,99 or "strong feelings that cannot be explained towards another person.99 But other students saw the words in-love in a different light, such as "Love makes the other person's faults invisible.99 *Your heart rate increases and your speech is impaired.99

In a poll taken by Th Bison, 80 percent of the juniors and seniors said they had been in love,9 while the other 20 percent said either "no" or they "weren't quite sure yet.=9

I was with the same girl for one and a half years. It was worth it because I know what it's like to be with a person for lengths of time,99 stated a junior about what it's like to. be in love.9 Here is another view, "I was happy all the time, and felt as. if I was walking ona cloud.=9

An important outlook on being in love was stated in this quote: "I realized that he wasn't perfect, but the most important thing is he's my friend.99

Along with being in love most people have also had the experience of infatuation. According to The Bison poll, surveyed students felt infatuation meant "sheer, lust, a physical crush,99 or "when you think you're in love, based only on looks.=9

Finally, infatuation was most thought of as "puppy love" by the students.

Everyone is their own individual, and each person has their own wants and needs. Most also have preconceived notions of the ideal love. One student summed up most comments by saying "As long as you enjoy that person's company, and see them for who they are, they are ideal for you, and that's all that matters.99

Students are growing and beginning to reach inside each other to find the true treasure that each person has.

As for being in love,9 will students look back on their high school years and laugh, or have they realized what the two words really mean?

In many sports competing at varsity level isn't always possible. Often, the coach chooses who will compete on varsity. This isn't true when it comes to wrestling under Head Coach Gerry Bakke.

“This is one sport that the coach doesn't decide the line-up,” explained Coach Bakke. The process by which the “line-up” is chosen is a system called challenge matches.

Challenge matches give the best qualified the chance to wrestle varsity. The method of choosing who will wrestle varsity is done by a set of matches. The challenger must win the first match in order to continue the challenge, or else wait until the next scheduled challenge. If he wins this match, he must go on to win two out of the three matches to compete on varsity.

The "B" squad team is also doing well. Bob Olson stated, “This is the strongest team we've had in years.” They went undefeated in the first four dual meets and have been contenders in tournaments.

Two proposals being considered by the school board will give the Bison the extra edge in competition, the bond issue and new conference arrangement.

The lack of space in the current wrestling room can cause injuries and that scares Bakke. The addition of a larger wrestling room would solve many of the problems. It would also give those who enjoy weight lifting more space.

The new conference arrangement, that would move Monticello to Suburban West Adding Monticello would give the Bison a “tougher dual meet schedule,” said Bakke.

Squeaky tennis shoes. Dribbling spheres. Asking questions. Listening to answers. Covering your man. Passing into the post. The Varsity Boys Basketball team is at work.

This year's Boys Basketball team has faced adversity. Injuries to Senior Russ Jundt and Junior Dean Holm forced changes in the starting line-up. Junior Tony O'Flanigan broke his leg, which will sideline him for six weeks. Head Coach Don Wermager said, “I don't remember ever having so many injuries at once as long as I've been here.”

Despite these injuries, the team strives to keep its positive attitude intact. “I am pleased with the attitude of this team. They say adversity brings out the best in people and that is certainly evident here,” said Wermager.

The team's positive attitude enables them to improve and learn from mistakes. “The kids are still enthusiastic and want to improve,” added Wermager. Each player spends, on the average, 12 to 14 hours on basketball each week. This includes both practice time and game time.

Junior Bart Casperson describes a typical practice. “We shoot a lot of free throws, work offenses vs. defenses and prepare for certain players we will face,” said Casperson.

Casperson feels the players are also working better as a team. The team has also worked on and will continue to work on ball-handling and passing the ball.

Wermager's expectations are “that we improve and that we will be competitive.” Casperson hopes “that we will be in the Conference race to the end and have a .500 season.”

Defeat is a word that is not a stranger to the Boys Basketball team. Casperson said, “I think about a loss after the game and the next day. Then I put it out of my mind and think about the next game.”

Casperson reiterated the positive attitude the team has when he said, “I like to play because it's a challenge and I like to compete. It's like an addiction. You never get enough of it.”

Just before practice Monday afternoon, star discus thrower Dirk Brawn, visits the coach. The coach hands him an unmarked bottle. The bottle contains anabolic steroids.

A fictitious scene, sure, but it is one that happens every day in nearly all colleges in America. The point made is that the use of steroids is an increasing problem in all sports.

Steroids were first used only as a medicine for children that grew and developed at a slow rate, and for people recovering from major surgery.

Steroids work by enlarging muscles and repairing tissues. They also develop male sex hormone characteristics. Today’s technology allows us to make steroids artificially. This is good news for the people that need them as well as for the black market drug dealers who sell the prescription drug illegally.

The government has laws against the sale of prescription drugs without a license.

In most states it’s a misdemeanor offense. Along with the government, most major athletic associations have rules against the use of steroids.

The I.A.A.F., which is the world governing body for track and field events, cross country, and the Olympics, has a total ban on the use of steroids and other possible performance enhancing drugs. Some of these drugs are quite common such as caffeine, nicotine, and some non-prescription cold medicines.

The reason there are so many problems at major track and field events, which can result in disqualification and the loss of any awards, is because people don’t know what is allowed and what isn’t allowed, explained head cross country coach Jeff Olive.

In the National Football League steroids can only be used for medical reasons. However, the NFL has made no effort to enforce this rule. In a Sports Illustrated interview, when two NFL team doctors were asked when a football player would use steroids for medical reasons they couldn’t name any.

“I’ve never had anyone in high school that wanted to use steroids,” said assistant football coach Gerard Rohl.

But steroids are in the area. Coach Rohl said that a few of the weight lifters at the Buffalo Health Club use steroids. He also estimated that 50 to 80 percent of the body builders in some of the metro area health clubs use steroids.

The obvious reason athletes use steroids is to receive their physical benefits. Benefits such as gaining 30 to 80 pounds in muscle mass, which gives an athlete much greater strength and speed. Some of the other physical benefits for both men and women are kidney and liver diseases, greater chance of heart disease, hypertension and sterility in men. Some other benefits for women are masculine muscles, deepened voices, permanent facial hair and menstrual irregularities.

But wait! There’s more “benefits.” These “benefits” affect your brain and behavior. While on the drugs a person experiences increases in self esteem, sex drive, appetite, explosive violence and hostility, mental intensity, energy, tolerance to pain and a desire to train intensely. One also experiences an inability to accept failure or poor performance.

With all these negative “benefits” from steroids it is hard to see why people use them. They definitely have no place in the high school. Along with probably killing yourself sooner, not too many high school students could afford the habit. Besides, who wants a hostile high school version of Hulk Hogan roaming the halls anyway?

Missing the Met by just one game last year, a loss to Wayzata, the Bison Hockey team will look forward to another shoot at Sections.

“We’ve had the taste of almost making it to play at the Met and I think this is the year it’s all going to come together and we’re going to do it,” said Senior defensemen Jeff Melby.

Though the team would like to play at Met Center, their main goal, at this point, is to win the conference.

“Our main concern is winning the conference and just getting there. What ever happens after that, happens,” said Junior Steve Bengtson.

“If we take first in the conference, our playoff picture looks easier,” said Senior Captain Troy Florell.

Most of the players attribute the team’s success so far, to a strong defense. Head Coach Carl Davis, however, said that the success of this year’s team could be attributed to “the players attitudes.”

He added, “When they know how hard they must work to win they do.”

As Coach Davis said, teams that win work harder than teams that lose.

This year’s Bison team does work hard. They have a morning practice and they practice after school from 3:30-5:30. And, they are winning. As of February 5th they have a conference record of 6-2-0 and are 11-4-2 over-all with recent victories over 18th ranked Washburn, 7-5; and a shut-out against Mound, 1-0. The team is working for a conference championship and after that, to play a couple of games at Met Center.

Gymnastics: An art in which the body is the canvas, the mind is the paint brush, and competition is the means to display it.

The beauty of this art is that “it’s infinitive,” said Coach Driscoll, “you can always do new things.”

Freshmen Amy Johnson agrees, “There’s so many new things to learn. There’s never enough time at practice. We run out of time before energy.”

The art also has its frustrations. “Falling off the apparatus when you’re so close to having the trick,” said Driscoll, is a big frustration. Along with this comes injuries, the inconvenience of having to move equipment each day. This usually takes at least half an hour; taking away from practice time.

The majority of the team consists of freshmen. Their art requires adjustment. “It’s a big step for them going from junior to senior high,” said Driscoll. While in junior high, practice was often only three days a week. “Judging is a lot harder on varsity, it’s more accurate,” added Freshman Julie Gustafson.

The athletes are very analytical of their art. They are quick to respond to what their strengths and weaknesses are. Johnson realizes that if she is to improve she must remember to straighten her legs and point her toes more and also concentrate to run faster to the vault. Freshman Rocky Gullickson will work for a more solid beam routine.

Extra time and money is put into the art for many of the gymnasts. They compete in club teams during the off-season.

Of her club experience Gullickson says, “It’s stricter, you’re pushed more.”

“The club has special qualities and the high school team has special qualities. It’s nice to get some of both,” said Johnson. However, they both agree that more support is felt on a high school team.

Gymnastics is more than just a way to occupy their time after school. While speaking of their goals their faces show enthusiasm. Their goals are long range, but concrete.

“Back handspring on beam,” said Johnson. Gullickson’s goal is “to go to state when I’m a senior.” Gustafson lists, “a sukahara on the vault, back walk-over on beam and a back tuck on floor.”

What drives these athletes to practice a routine over and over again?

Driscoll knows what it is. She sees it in their faces during competition. “Every time they hit a routine, stick on the vault or don’t fall off the beam.” That’s what keeps their art motivating. “I’m encouraged by the fact that I’ve already seen a lot of improvement,” concluded Driscoll.

Valentine's Day is that one special day of the entire year when you're supposed to love the person you're with to a dizzying extreme. Worrying about why this happens just on one day of the year, and who started it, and why, and wondering ust who is this person I'm holding hands with anyway can obviously produce confusion, bewilderment, and perhaps acute neurosis. Suddenly, it's February fourteenth. You have to ask yourself soul-searching questions like Do I really love him/her?99 "What should I wear?99 "Is it true?9= 4 "Could it be?9 8*Will it last?9 "What should I wear?99 You have to ask yourself these questions, because it's the Law of Valentine's Day.

Let's put lovers aside for now. They already have enough to worry about. What if you don't have anyone on February fourteenth? What are you supposed to do 4 ignore it? Let's just see what the Neurotic's Handbook says about this delicate matter.

The people in the singles scene are looking for companionship, understanding, and love, to be sure, but first and foremost they are searching for the perfect opening line. Unfortunately, there is no such thing as the perfect opening line; there are merely good ones and bad ones, and the good ones sound rehearsed while the bad ones just sound bad.

They belive, quite correct-ly of course, that without the opener there can be no further discourse. What they don't seem to realize is that even a great opening line in no way guarantees that the ensuing conversation will be any good at all.

In any case, here are a few typically neurotic opening lines:

1. Do you know anything about ingrown toenails?=9
2. "I hate this place, don't you?99
3. "Oh! I'm sorry, I thought you were someone elsex
4. "Careful! I've got poison ivy on my arm. see?=
5. Do you mind if I put © my crutches here?99
6. Vell, vell, vell...=9 (humorous German accent)
7. Do you know if there's a post office around here anyplace?9=9
8. "Boy, it's nice to sit down. Do you like to sit down?=9
.
9. "Do you by chance know what time it is? In China?=9
10. "Where did you get them shoes?99 (humorous bad grammar).

About thirty percent of this year's graduating class will go on to a _post-secondary option.

It is a low percentage compared to the metro area but not compared to the state of Minnesota,9=? explained Mary Lynn Leff, one of the school's counselors.

Leff attributed the low 8 numbers to the reflection of the people in the community. _ Art colleges Families look at education values differently. Leff also added that this wasn't the re-flection of the high school.

The most attended col-leges are the small Liberal which offer more individual attention to the students. _ St. Cloud is the second most favored. The school is known for its location and large size. Tuition fee is estimated at $1500. The cost for room and board runs $4500 to $5000 a year.

The third most popular is North Hennipen Commun-ity College. Its tuition fee is the same as St. Cloud's at $1500. Although room and board are not available, it of-fers low cost housing and is nearby. Anyone, not nessa-sarily a high achiever, can be accepted.