The Bison – January 31, 1986

"There was no alternative," stated senior John Sunvold. "I excel at things that interest me."

Sunvold and another senior, Eric C. Nelson, decided to take their case to the school board after being denied Independent Study (IS) courses on technical grounds.

Each received the courses through a board vote, Nelson with a 7-0 vote and Sunvold with a 5-2 vote.

Sunvold was denied his request on the basis of his grades, which were too low to meet the required B average for an IS course. Nelson had already taken the maximum two semesters of IS allowed.

"I didn't think they (the administration) would be so unreasonable," said Nelson. "There was no disagreement on whether or not I would benefit."

Nelson is using his IS course to study mythology and advanced Latin this semester, while Sunvold's deals with the stock market.

After having their IS applications rejected by Vice Principal Mark Minkler and Carol Salaba, the two discussed the matter with Superintendent Darrell Miller, who also expressed a negative opinion.

Miller "felt the guidelines were reasonable," and pointed to the need to follow regulations.

After that, Nelson and Sunvold decided to take their case to the school board. Sunvold called individual board members before the meeting, to explain his situation.

After asking for a place on the December agenda, the two gave their presentations to the board.

"I explained the whole case," said Sunvold. "Everything spoke for itself."

Eric "I had a little IS because it was obvious that I would benefit. I deserved it." As he put it, "Independent Study is a right, not a privilege. When it's obvious that a student would benefit, there is no reason he shouldn't be permitted to take it."

Some, such as Sunvold's IS advisor, Gerard Rohl, "think they carried it a little too far. The reason we have guidelines is so we can best advise students."

But Nelson sees it a bit differently; "When there's no alternative, the school board must be involved."

And as Sunvold put it, "It would have to be pretty important; I wouldn't bother the school board with minor things. First you should try every option you have."

Miller notes that although a sort of precedent was set, the school board would certainly judge future cases by a student's individual merit.

"The administration was following the policy, and that was not changed."

However, both students said they would like to see IS requirements changed in the future.

Said Nelson, "I hope other students see that students do have power and voice."

"I can't remember ever having the entire cast receive All-Conference ratings," said Director Clark Swenson.

"In 1976, eight of the nine people in the cast received All-Conference, but I believe this is the first time for the entire cast to receive such honors." Swenson added, "I can't really say how well we'll do in sub-regional or regional competitions. I've spent so much time with the play and have been too close to it to be objective. You never know how well you'll do until you're judged."

Sunvold, who plays a teasing old man in the play, said, "We have four solid actors and solid sets. If we made the right cuts, perform well, and people understand the play, we should do well."

Swenson said he picked "Seascape" as this year's play because "it's unusual and I think it says something about people in general. It's a worthwhile play and has lasting qualities. I also like the playwright, Edward Albee. Experts say he is the best American playwright since the early 60s. I have done his plays in the past and have enjoyed them very much."

"It's a different play," added Paripovich, a bossy lizard in the play. "It's not what the audience expects and they may be shocked. But if they try to unearth it, I think they'll like it."

Much time is devoted to practicing in front of a mirror at home. I try out different voices and movements of the face. "I spend about two and a half hours a day on the average for One-Act, plus having to memorize lines," added Paripovich.

Swenson says he spends a lot of time deciding which play to use. "Usually I start reading plays in the summer. I order plays I think might work and reread many of them."

Choosing a play is the hardest part.

Stated Sunvold, "I spend a great deal of time on One-Act. Usually I practice about two or three hours a night plus practicing, and the general character of the person, collaborated with and Mary Leff, the other advisor to NHS."

All four cast members of this year's One-Act play, Seascape, received All-Conference awards in the Suburban West Festival, as well as region honors, boosting the One-Act to state.

The cast members include seniors Gary Boisclair, Gina Kettenacker, John Sunvold, and junior Michelle Paripovich. Senior Tim Uecker designed the sets, along with Swenson and former Buffalo graduate Tom Cornell. The beach set, according to Swenson, adds a lot of vertical movement and vertical action. This is especially evident at one point in the play where Boisclair leaps over Sunvold's head. Costumes of the lizards were designed and made by senior Michelle LaVigne.

"The crew spends much time on the play, too," said Swenson, "but it varies for each crew. For example, the make-up crew usually doesn't spend as much time on the play as the set crew or the stage heads. But a great deal of time is spent by everyone on the play."

--- During dress rehearsal, the four main characters from the one-act play, Seascape, discuss wide-ranging topics from evolution to sexual behavior.

The National Honor Society (NHS) is more than just an extra curricular activity it is a service that benefits the community," stated Karen Rebischke, an advisor to NHS.

So far this year NHS has been involved in many activities including organizing the food drive, pictures with Santa, Christmas caroling, participating in a NHS State Convention, and volunteering in a Community Ed. program for helping the elderly called Rent-a-teen.

Later in the school year NHS is planning to sell hot chocolate in the mornings and arrange a project called Penny Thursdays where students may donate change in classrooms. All proceeds from these would in turn be donated to the Gillette Children's Hospital. A 100 dollar pledge has already been made to the hospital but Rebischke hopes that the students at BHS can exceed this pledge.

All thirty-two members of NHS were chosen carefully according to a set of criteria, which contains scholarship (having above a certain limit of honor pts.), leadership qualities, past service to the community, and the general character of the person, collaborated Rebischke and Mary Leff, the other advisor to NHS. Leff characterized NHS members as leaders in a positive way. Most members are also involved in other school related activities.

Rebischke and Leff both agreed that to them, most NHS members view themselves positively and that the participating members receive satisfaction and a sense of caring for people, considering what they do for the community.

Although being an advisor to an active group means giving extra time and effort, both Leff and Rebischke agree that it is worth it to have the chance to "get to know the kids better."

Homework, meetings, and schedules have one thing in common: All are part of a school board member's life. Made up of eight adults who live in the district, the school board meets every three weeks to make decisions on issues that affect area students.

Discussing anything from school effectiveness to co-curricular activities, these people work together to keep the schools running as smoothly as possible. The key to effective look out according to treasurer Judy Rose, "is in how the question 'Are the students learning what we wanted them to when we made up the curriculum?' is answered."

If the students aren't learning what is necessary, the school board must look at what is wrong and try to find a solution to the problem. In addition to approving the curriculum, the school board also has control of money. The distribution of state funds among the many programs and personnel is also discussed. Buffalo doesn't receive as much money from the state as other schools because funding is based on student population. According to director Dave Murdock, "We've been lucky because we've had a fairly stable enrollment in the past few years."

Senior Gary Boisclair is the student liaison for BHS. A non-voting member, Boisclair is the link between BHS students and the school board. At each meeting, time is set aside for Boisclair to give a report regarding student concerns at BHS. "You really have to know what you're talking about to hold the members' attention," he said. Time is also set aside at each meeting for issues to be brought up by students and parents. According to director Tom Plaisted, "Being a school board member takes a lot of time."

Before going to a meeting, Rose says, "You read everything sent to you so you are well informed." To be well informed means to know as much as possible about the issues on that evening's agenda. Not as much money as other schools receive from the state because funding is based on student population. According to director Tom Plaisted, "Being a school board member takes a lot of time."

Have you heard the latest news? If not, you're not listening to 1360 KRWC AM every Saturday morning at 11:10. Adam Gislason and Dan McNeil, both seniors, are involved in their own radio program as part of their independent study in Journalism.

McNeil commented, "Anything people need to know goes on the air. We get the scoop on anything from juicy gossip to hard-core news." The best thing about this radio show is it doesn't drag on with the weather and Reagan's recent proposal; this show deals with only school news from BHS. Gislason features mainly in sports. "I usually highlight the scores and events of the previous week and then lead in on the events of the upcoming week." Gislason and McNeil say it's not hard work and it helps to develop skills for their future careers and gives them experience in speaking up-front. Right now, these students are stressing student involvement by coming to the students for news.

"We're always looking for good news, features, whatever's happening, we want to know," says McNeil. As for most new hobbies and interests, it was hard getting started. It took a while for them to get a schedule to work and to find the news quickly so they could get as much on the air as possible. Gislason and McNeil don't get paid for their work. Gislason says, "That's just the thing, it's not work, it's actually fun. All we can do is try to make things interesting and try to get more students involved."

These two "Johnny Fevers" are looking for some juniors to train in for next year and also some 3rd quarter applicants to start out this year. Their schedule goes somewhat smoothly. Monday through Wednesday, they go about digging up information and interviewing students. Thursday they usually record the show. "Everything is pre-recorded," says McNeil. Then Saturday comes air time. Gislason says they have to give a lot of credit to the radio manager. "It took a lot for him to train us in," says Gislason, "and it's really nice of him to take that time to do it." Their goals are to gradually become bigger and better. McNeil comments, "We can always look back and remember we started something and we also hope it will carry over from year to year." Their show lasts about 15 minutes every Saturday, but in the future, they hope it will last about a half hour. Finally, Gislason says, "we're definitely not professionals, but all we're there for is student involvement, public informing and mainly a good time!"

Have you got your date for prom? If not, you still have time. The junior officers are still planning for prom. "We want to make sure that the work with the dance will be done, but it's still in progress," commented Friese.

The BHS Student Council has originated morning announcements from various classrooms. The announcements are being broadcasted through the school intercom.

Many students have complained, due to the announcements being too hard to hear. "I have given the announcements to the band, the reader can hear," says Lundstrom.

In addition to the announcements, several teachers have expressed concern about student involvement. The Student Council is the best way to get students involved in the school.

It has been brought to the attention of The Bison that plans to eliminate the senior banquet are in progress.

The administration, along with junior and senior class advisors, have made the decision that the four year tradition is too much of a risk to continue.

The administration feels that the banquet tradition is not worth replacing. Seniors now have the chance to be together for the final time at the All Night Graduation Party, which was the main purpose of the banquet. The administration claims they can't take promises of good behavior into account as they did last year. Instead, they told the Senior class officers to come up with a new tradition. They haven't.

The speaker contracted for the banquet, Mark Scharenbroich, has not been canceled. Instead the administration has proposed, along with faculty senate approval, to have him speak at an Academic Excellence banquet where the department heads would choose students from each grade level to attend based on their academic abilities. The Academic Excellence banquet is not replacing the Senior banquet. It is a reward for those students who excel in at least one department of the curriculum. If it is decided to replace the tradition, it is up to the students and their class officers to come up with a suitable replacement.

The Bison believes that the Student Council's plan to read the morning announcements over the P.A. system is a sensible decision and should be supported by students, teachers and administrators.

The primary reason The Bison supports this plan is because it ensures all students the opportunity to hear the daily announcements. Secondly, this plan saves class time. Teachers are now able to do morning paperwork, such as recording attendance and handing out memos during this time, thus allowing more time for student learning.

Finally, other benefits of having the announcements decision reviewed could be improving accuracy and student participation with the announcements. The Bison asks that BHS students and faculty approve and support the Student Council's plan to read the morning announcements over the P.A. system.

Heavily breathing, heart beating at a feverish pace, puffs of steam being expelled as they warm up—no, it's not a typical Friday night in the school parking lot, it's BHS cross country runners gliding across the frozen tundra in order to keep up their conditioning.

Many students have taken to running outside, even in the worst weather conditions. Some run twice a day, although the majority run after school. Temperatures as low as 20 degrees below zero and windchills under 40 below haven't hindered these dedicated athletes' training. Some of these questionably sane runners are Junior Jonz Norine, Junior Bret Nelson, Senior Trent Graf, Senior Teresa Masters, and Sophomore Sheri Ruter, among others.

"If you slack off in your training in the winter, it's like starting over again in the spring." stated Nelson. "After a while you don't notice the weather much," he added.

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Safety precautions are a must in these bone-chilling conditions. The students wear stocking caps, gloves, sweats, tights, long underwear, scarves, earmuffs and any other article of clothing that provides adequate warmth. Road conditions are another factor. There are many slippery roads and sidewalks, so extreme caution must be used while pounding the pavement. Hopefully these endeavors will assist us in our 1986 track season, but one thing is apparent. Buffalo should claim the most physically fit patients in the insane asylum.

Have you been to a pepfest lately? Did you get the uneasy feeling called boredom? Did you notice the low number of students attending?

If you're like most of the BHS population, you probably have. There are complaints rumbling around the school about this year's pepfests, and one of the key phrases is "What about the spirit stick?"

According to the students, they don't want to sit on the bleachers for 25 minutes and watch the cheerleaders (although they do a very nice job). They want to yell. "There is no reason to get hyped up if you can't use your lungs," one sophomore said, and many people agree with it.

It has come to my attention that some of the administration feel that BHS shouldn't have "class competition", and, instead, be one big happy family. Thus the "year cheer" was discontinued at the beginning of 1985. Since then, students agree, pep rallies aren't worth the effort to walk to the gym.

I feel that BHS does have spirit, and the traditional way to show it was by yelling as loud as you could for your graduating year. What better way to rouse the Bison spirit than with loyalty and allegiance to your class? Now selected staff members have cut off more than a decade of BHS tradition, for yet unknown reasons.

We wouldn't necessarily have a "spirit stick". Instead, just carry out the cheer and name the winner. This eliminates any class from having anything that can be physically taken away. One class will have the knowledge that they were the most spirited and the other classes can think they were. I would suggest that instead of banning something the whole school enjoys, that an alternative, yet similar practice be tried. I sincerely hope the person(s) responsible for banning the "year cheer" will reconsider their decision and help bring back the pep to our BHS rallys.

Survive!!

A Minnesota winter? Layer your clothes and then layer them again. Tug on your parka and zip it. Breathe. Pull your cap down over your ears. Now, trudge over to the door. Turn the doorknob. Take courage. The temperature is up to 28 below zero and the windchill is only 50 below. Now start chanting, "I am a Minnesotan, I am a Minnesotan"... Now ask yourself, why?

Winter, which officially began December 21, is the season of seasons. It brings with it: the question "Cold enough for you?", the vision of snowshovels dancing in our heads, and a shortage of NyQuil at the local supermarket. At BHS, winter plays a key role in the life of a student. Students start asking questions of their teachers like, "Do you have any jumper cables?" or "Do you have any Kleenexes?" Seniors begin to look like Eskimos and each day freshmen look more and more like Mrs. Paul's breaded fish sticks. Sharing Chapstick with your fellow classmates becomes a favorite pastime. School prayer increases "please, just one more snow day."

The envied ones come home from vacations as brown as a Hershey's Kiss. Only in Minnesota. There are several keys to survival. Junior Sheri Jensen commented, "Having a spare tire in your trunk and someone who knows how to put it on. The first time I had the car, it was 16 below zero and I had a flat tire."

In order to survive, one needs to keep his sense of humor intact. Winter calamities: Some equate winter with the word boring. Several BHS students have learned the secret of fighting boredom. Senior Katie Friesen feels "taking a trip to Tahiti" helps. Winter becomes more bearable when they produce a good laugh. An optimistic attitude or the unshakable "looking on the bright side" helps you believe that the temperature will rise above zero. Another junior added, "Sitting in front of a fire with a good book, a teddy bear, and a man." Whichever technique is used, it should be practiced everyday. The season that thickens our blood to the consistency of Heinz ketchup is more than half over. Some of the skiers, hockey players, and snowmobilers will shed a tear. But, don't worry. Winter will come again... soon. Only in Minnesota.

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Photo Poll: "How do you curb the mid-winter blahs?"

Sophomore Ana Karypia: "I turn the oven on to broil, stick my head in, and try to get a tan."

Senior Bath Kind: "I play with my golf clubs."

Senior Steve Markve: "I take my dad and his credit cards shopping."

Junior Russ Jundt: "I go to discotheques and listen to The Bee Gees or eat microwave ice cream while watching channel 23 videos, listening to The Cure."

Winter, the lethal enemy of cars and drivers alike, creeps on the scene, armed with the bite of its winds. With its pristine, peaceful landscapes and majesty of magnificent formations of ice and snow which must surely hide how to the beast which is coming, to be reckoned only in memory.

The BHS pucksters added another conference win to their record, by plucking Chaska Hawks 4-1 Tuesday night at the civic center.

The Bison put together an impressive showing, with scoring by Charles Frump, Blaine Decambaliza, Troy Florell, and Mark Thomson while senior goalie Chuck Wilson held the Hawks scoring to one point.

The victory moved the Bison up the ranks toward first place in the Suburban West Conference and a chance at state. The team faces-off against the Eagles at Eden Prairie for the second time this season hoping to improve their standing.

Senior Goalie Chuck Wilson attributes the teams success to a well balanced team. Junior Darin Hahn also cites the team's quick, aggressive play and teamwork. "Things are starting to click."

But success this year has not been easy. "We started slow," said Junior Jeff Melby, "but we began to put some pucks in the net and winning a few games."

The key for the Bison hockey team for a successful end of the season is to continue to come together and play strong defensively, according to Hahn. Both Hahn and Wilson predict a 14-6 overall record at the end of the regular season and tallying a conference record of 10-2.

The Icemen play their last game of the 1986 season against Lakeville, at the cow barn, February 13, at 7:30. Sectionals begin February 18.

The Bison grapplers' overall record shows signs of struggling but their conference record is pleasing. "We're young and inexperienced," said Coach Gerald Bakke. "Our losses have been to teams rated in state."

The Bison are currently 3-3 in matches overall and 3-1 in conference. Coach Bakke says that our wrestling squad simply needs more experience. B-squad wrestler Aaron Stueve said, "Injuries are definitely a problem." Three varsity wrestlers have had to stop wrestling because of injuries, "but the individuals who are still with us are getting better." Sophomore Scott Ferris won the Osseo tournament unbeaten with a record of 8-0. At 119 pounds, Junior Jeff Habisch defeated the highest rated wrestler in Buffalo can't lift its own body weight. Bakke also said that Ben Desmarais at 132 pounds is starting to really come on and that Pat Meister, along with Jeff Sherber, has won some very tough matches this year.

On January 28th, the Bison will be at Monticello to take on the Redmen. Bakke and Stueve both agree that Monticello is going to be tough to beat. Bakke rates the Redmen first or second in the region. "Monticello beat Hutchinson, to whom we lost, 54-2. They've killed everybody!" exclaimed Stueve. "We'll have to get our team back together and restabilize."

Coach Bakke said that "the secret to winning will be in the hands of the lightweights, with some upsets in the middleweights." So if you're wondering about our wrestlers going to state, you needn't worry yet. There's still a good chance that we'll see their purple jerseys appearing at the St. Paul Civic Center.

With the current weight room policy Buffalo is settling for second best.

Although seasonal sports teams use the weight room now more than before, Buffalo's weight program still remains inadequate for two reasons: the weight room is too small, and not open all year for off-season athletes to train.

Buffalo has the necessary weights needed for a good conditioning program, but not the space in the current room. Activities director Nancy Bergert understands the facilities are too cramped and comments, "It's a dilemma that can't be solved."

A problem that can be solved is the amount of time the weight room is open after school for off season athletes to train. Currently the room is open Monday through Thursday, but it won't be for long. When the spring and fall sports seasons come, the doors will close to non-season athletes. The reason is best summed up by coach Gerald Rohl, "We want as many people out for as many sports as possible to develop great athletes and great people."

Thus, the weight room is closed to assure that as many people go out for sports as possible so they can become better people. This attitude is meant to help people, but it is hurting the off season athletes. According to the figures, nearly 45% of the school athletes are being denied the opportunity to become better athletes and improve their team.

Many coaches believe that if the weight room was open year round, people would drop out of sports to train and specialize for one sport. If 5% or even 10% of the athletes do that, isn't it better than 45% of the athletes not training at all? Besides shouldn't it be up to the players and not the coaches, whether or not to lift during the off-season?

I understand the seasonal teams use the weight room, but not two hours at a time everyday. A schedule could easily be made out so both parties would train.

The weight program is progressing slowly. You can see it as the seasonal teams continue to use it, and in the new weight lifting board which has been put up. According to Rohl, "to promote upper and lower body strength in high school kids." What better way than to keep the weight room open year round can Buffalo promote weight lifting. Then Buffalo will keep its ailing weight program from lagging behind other schools.

This year's girls gymnastics team is aiming for high team goals, as well as high individual goals.

"We are all working hard and have a lot of potential. Our main goal is to stay and work together as a team. On the other hand, we all set our separate goals no matter which level they're on. Some set goals to get their back handsprings accomplished on the beam, and others would just like to get them on the floor," stated junior Cheri Johnson.

With most other sports, there are two teams, junior varsity and varsity. On this year's team, however, there isn't a set varsity team according to one of the captains on the team, Shelly Dietering.

"This year we have all been practicing together, and I don't think that we will have a junior varsity and a varsity team, but rather just a combined team. The spots on the varsity team can change from meet to meet because of the improvement throughout the season."

So far this season, the gymnastics team has spent some grueling hours of practice after school. These practices haven't been piece-of-cake, 3-5 practices after school every night, but rather 4 to sometimes 7:30 at night, which doesn't leave much time for anything else but homework and sleep. They also practice Saturdays in "blocks" for one hour at a time.

But the long tiring practices seem to be having an effect on the team as a whole. Johnson added, "we have had some very tough conditioning this year and so far, our workouts have been long and exhausting. But I think that we can get used to the odd hours after awhile."

This year's team is much different than last year's team, as Dietering and Johnsson state, "They're showing a lot of team unity and togetherness. We are working, and there aren't any complaints, a few moans during conditioning, but really no complaints."

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Vaulting through the air Cheri Johnson tries for a perfect 10.

The girls basketball team will play their last game of January tonite at 7:30 in Shakopee against the Indians, who in a previous game beat the Bison 60-44.

"We'll have put forth an excellent effort in order to win," said girls basketball coach Pete Specht.

After losing their center, Lori Aksteter, to an injury, the Bison will put Tanya Quast in at center.

"We're going to have to be ready for Shakopee's court press," said Specht.

Some skills the Bison are working on are: playing as a team, instead of working individually trying to win a game; changing defenses in the middle of the game without calling time outs (for example, the coach would give a signal from the sidelines and the players would switch to a different defense). They would also like to use what is known as player to player defense.

The Bison lost to Mound on January 25th but they did come closer to winning in this game, losing only by 3 points, the final was, Buffalo Bison 45, Mound Mohawks 48.

"At this point we're in 8th place in the conference. We expected to be about 4th or 5th, but we're at least beating the teams below us in the standings," Specht stated.

"I think our record will end up being half and half, having the same number of wins as losses," said Senior Chris Erickson.

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Against Chaska, Stacey Carver attempts a jump shot.

Picture the scene: The Bison netters down by two, time running out—10, 9, 8, Tom Topp whips the ball up court. 7, 6, 5, the Bison are unable to penetrate inside, 4, 3, 2, in desperation Troy Meidinger launches a shot from outside the perimeter, 1, nailing a winning three point shot at the buzzer. This is a possibility for the future.

An optional rule allowing a three point shot was being considered for high school basketball in Minnesota. Bison coach Don Wermager believes the shot will be tried within the next five years, but does not like it for two reasons.

"I am not an advocate of long shooting, and it will open up the court, giving the big guy more room and allowing him to be too overpowering."

Meidinger would like to see the new rule because it will be a challenge, and "It can help you if you're down by a couple of points in the end."

"We are close and competitive, but close is not good enough." According to Wermager this season "hasn't gone so well. They have been working hard, but their timing and shooting hasn't jelled."

The cagers have not been playing consistent four periods of ball. The team, according to Dave Sarvie, plays hard but runs out of gas at the end to lose by one or two points.

"We are real close and competitive," states Coach Wermager, "but close isn't good enough." Wermager went on to say the team needs to play more aggressively and make more happen. Meidinger believes the team needs to work on "concentration, intensity and teamwork. It's not just one person."

The B squad is under the new management of Coach Kevin Schmeling. Schmeling has five years head coaching experience at Rockford, as well as two years at Ceylon. He echoed Wermager's concern for intensity and cohesiveness.

According to sophomore Bart Casperson, the team depends on "strong rebounding on both ends of the court, and equal scoring by all players with more strength of the bunch."

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Taking the final shot in regulation, senior captain Tom Topp sends the game against Glencoe into overtime. The game ended in double overtime with a Glencoe win, 51-46.

With three albums already under their belts, Dokken has firmly established themselves with bands like Motley Crue, Ratt, and Quiet Riot in a category that could be best described as "Pop Metal" (a cross between Journey and Iron Maiden). The band is on the rise and their albums are getting better and better as they come out. Their first album, Breakin the Chains yielded one hit, the title track. Their second album, Tooth and Nail produced "Into the Fire", "Just Got Lucky" and "Alone Again." Their third album, Under Lock and Key hasn't received any airplay as of yet, but it is certainly no exception to their past albums and should produce many hits.

Some of the albums "hot spots" are, "It's Not Love", "Jaded Heart", "Unchain the Night", "The Hunter", "Lightning Strikes" and "Will the Sunrise." Another quality of the album is that the songs don't all sound alike, which was one of the major downfalls of Ratt's new album. The album has a veritable collage of sounds ranging from the brash "Unchain the Night" to the more mellow "Will the Sunrise." This shows the bands versatility and adds character to the album.

The band has seen a variety of members, ranging from Juan Croucier of Ratt to Jake E. Lee of Ozzy Osbourne. But now with their current line-up since their first album Breakin the Chains, the band is going places. The present line-up includes: singer and band founder, Don Dokken; guitarist, George Lynch; Under Lock and Key bassist, Jeff Pilson; and drummer Mick Brown. This combination seems to be the ticket to success for them. But still, the band doesn't seem to be getting all the credit they deserve. For example, Ratt's Out of the Cellar album had one radio hit, "Round & Round", but was a huge success. Dokken's album, Tooth and Nail had three hits, and the album was just plainly better than Ratt's Out of the Cellar. Yet they haven't recieved the recognition they've earned and deserve. Another thing the band has going for them is how quickly the band's style is evolving. Just in the short period of time between the albums Breakin the Chains and Tooth and Nail you can see more variation of songs, like ballads, etc. which gives each song a sense of individuality. Though Dokken isn't a household name yet, the band's diversity and tenacity should be their saving grace for the future.

I'll tell you right now, the following story isn't at all humorous. Sometimes (a very few times, let's hope) it's better to think than to laugh.

The man in the off-white linen suit stopped in the middle of the wide clay road. His brow bunched together and formed several lines on his forehead, he frowned a little. His eyes were large and worried, as though he had just felt a pain he shouldn't have.

Listen: It is said there is a point in the universe where all other points exist. From this one point, the entire planet of Earth is visible all at once; all the oceans and mountains, the farmers with their monstrous machines or sickly mules, the cities with their buses and parks and shops and criminals and laws, women clutching children or giving them away, men shaking hands with other men or killing them, the wild animals and the tame, the building constructors and destroyers, and money changing hands or being hoarded away. A teenage girl listening to the Beatles and thinking she should do her homework. A lonely man dying in jail, looking upward to the rusty ceiling, because if he looks down his cellmate would see his tears. Twelve geese flying overhead on a cloudy day, a small boy looking up and laughing, pointing at them. A raccoon hurrying to cross a road at night, caught in headlights, smashed to bits a few seconds later, a sick feeling in the stomach of the driver: A dark-haired boy riding a horse in a sandy field, skillfully checking the horses every liquid movement, perhaps imagining they are the only two creatures on the planet as the sun makes longer and longer shadows behind them. A teacher says something about humanity that is outrageously true, a girl smiles because it's the only important thing she's learned so far. A surgeon peeling off his gloves and heaving a heavy sigh, pivoting on his heel and leaving the operating room, glancing around him, telling the parents the operation failed. He is sorry...

All the hungry children, computers, insane asylums, schools, toy factories, secret spots, capencil gardeners, courthouses, monuments to various forgotten people... The man in the off-white linen suit on the clay road saw all of these things at once. He had come to the point in his universe where all other points were. The man in the off-white linen suit fell down very hard on his knees and began to cry.

BHS has added a new sport to its curriculum—downhill skiing. The advisor for this new program is Nancy Bergert.

"It's been very hectic because there is so much to do, and I think that as the years go on, it will become even more hectic," said Bergert.

Since the Suburban West Conference doesn't offer skiing competitively, a conference had to be found in order for BHS to compete. Eden Prairie also had this problem a few years ago. They joined the Lake Conference, the same option we chose. Two private schools, Blake and Breck, had to withdraw from the conference in order for BHS to enter. "Being in the Lake Conference doesn't bother me," said Sophomore Brad Lucas.

"It's really fun competing against good high school teams. It gives us something to work for."

Skiing is a very expensive sport. Full participation cost is roughly 400 dollars compared to the regular 175 dollars other athletes pay for a whole season. "Initial response to this was very good," Bergert added, "but many dropped out when they realized the expense. In spite of this, several are still going out."

"It would be nice to have the school pay for some of the expenses. With fewer expenses, the team will draw more members," said Lucas.

All coaching and practices are done at Powder Ridge, which contributes to the high cost. But people have fun getting involved to help with the cost. "Nancy Schroeppel has been a key parent with this new program. She organized ski packages and the transportation needed for the drive to and from Powder Ridge," added Bergert.

This new sport has a long way to go, but its future does look very promising. Aside from regular practices and meets, the team will compete in an invitational meet on January 31st at Welch Village.

A new change has taken over the computer room. It is called the Corvus Hard Disk System. This new system advances BHS's technique of storing information and lessens the old tasks of separate floppy disks for each computer. With a simple command it controls the entire computer room and Computer Science room. Librarian Marcia Paulsen commented on the advantage this new system gives to teaching. "It's a great help for keeping track of memory without all the separate disks to look after. Kids don't have to carry around disks, which decreases the risk of erasure or theft. With the new system, the kids can just save what they want onto the disk and not have to worry about their programs' safety."

The new hard disk method proves a problem for some, since the system is so new. Buffalo is one of the first schools to use the Corvus system, and in some cases this causes a problem. Senior Kristy Weber, who often works with the system, said, "Frequently, programs will erase for no apparent reason. Nobody has found an explanation yet, and some people are worried about the safety of their programs."

Along with the new hard disk system, twenty computers were added to our school this year. Fifteen were added to the Computer Science room, which enables each student to have their own computer to work on. Five were added to the main computer room adjoining the library.

Reye's syndrome has been found to occur in children and may cause serious damage to the liver and brain. It can occur rapidly and even after a child seems to be recovering from a viral infection.

When Reye's syndrome is diagnosed in a child, it is often after they have had a fever, vomiting, and other symptoms. The disease can cause swelling in the brain and liver damage.

Parents should be aware of the symptoms and seek medical attention immediately if they suspect their child may have Reye's syndrome. Early diagnosis and treatment are crucial for preventing serious complications.