The Bison – March 16, 1990

The acceptance of a teacher’s resignation was the concern of a special District #877 School Board meeting on Friday, March 2. Social studies teacher John Haack, whose resignation was accepted, has taught at the BHS and the BJHS, for 20 years, and has been tenured. (This means he has been employed by the district for at least three years and approved by the Board of Education, upon recommendation.) He received a letter of deficiency at the end of last year and, as of February 26, 1990, resigned.

“After 20 years, it’s kind of rough to sit around and [discuss the resignation], but it’s in the past,” said Haack. “I’ve had really good years, my best years were teaching sophomores’ American history...but I was unable to get back into that routine.”

Among the Board’s discussion was the settlement cost of $38,765, which includes $3,513 for the continuation of health insurance, dental insurance, and life insurance coverage along with $1,000 for seeking new employment.

The resignation will go into effect on June 7, the last day of the 1989-90 school year.

With his settlement, Haack is thinking about going back to college to earn his master’s degree. He is presently considering going into teaching at the college level.

The School Board also voted to repeal the proposed termination of an unnamed teacher. At the time of the original disclosing, the board was unable to release the name of the teacher because the information was considered private personnel data to which he was protected by the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act. District #877 is still bound by the Data Practices Act in regards to releasing information about the reasons for the proposed termination.

Curriculum Director Susan Haagstrom described the Teacher Tenure Act, saying that a tenured teacher who is subjected to termination, can not be dismissed without probable cause.

The termination is a two-year process, beginning by voicing of concerns by the students and parents that the teacher may be having and attempt to correct the problem(s).

Possible grounds for termination range from inefficiency, neglectful duty, conduct on becoming a teacher, or other grounds that may prove the teacher unfit. If the condition(s) do not improve, then a letter of deficiency is presented to the teacher, and further efforts are made to improve the problem(s). If the teacher still is found to have these problems, the School district may propose to have the teacher terminated, or insist on a resignation.

Haack told “The Bison” that he appreciated the fact that he had a lot of teachers backing him, especially the teachers’ union. He also added that he valued the fact that many former students and parents have come up to offer words of encouragement and support.

The Civil Rights Movement will be honored by District #877 next year, when January 21, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day will be designated as a student (K-12) holiday and a teacher (7-12) workshop day. The School Board voted to have the holiday on a 6 to 1 vote in favor of having MLK day off.

Idella Ziegler voted against having the day off because she thought students would not celebrate the day by honoring Dr. Martin Luther King.

“We had so much pressure,” said Clerk Tom Plaisted, “And the Bison wasn’t too nice to us either!”

Pressure from teachers, students, and parents, was the most often cited reason for the holiday.

“I don’t think we voted for the right reasons. I don’t think students would go down to the Capital and celebrate MLK day,” said Chairperson Judie Rose.

“However, we had a minority parent at the meeting and they felt strongly about having the holiday. She said her child would celebrate MLK day at the Capital,” Rose said. “You have to look at it from the other viewpoint too.”

To make up for the loss of a school day, the School Board also voted to cut Presidents’ Day weekend down to three days, losing the Friday beforehand.

Next year will be the first time, since 1987, the year the day was named for King, that District #877 has had Martin Luther King, Jr. Day off.

After one month of arguing and debating, the 1990 Prom Committee finally came up with what they think would a good theme and colors.

The juniors that make up the prom committee, decided that “Sail Into The Night” would be this year’s theme for prom.

“We had to come up with some kind of theme that wasn’t too mushy,” said Junior Class President Natasha Hance.

And the colors they decided on were silver, white, and metallic green.

“We just picked the colors that we thought would look nice together and were different from the years before,” stated junior Brenda Larson, one prom committee member.

The prom planning committees had a difficult time deciding, and the process was slow.

Several factors slowed the process for the prom committee. Democracy and compromise seemed to be the biggest drawback. Many people were allowed to give input, and when all the ideas were finally gathered, compromising took a long time and was difficult.

“I’m glad we finally got the theme and colors out of the way,” said junior Kris Spike. “Now we can get down to the real stuff.”

Prom will be held at the St. Cloud Convention Center overlooking the Mississippi River.

Prom pictures will be taken by Lunderby’s Photography. Several backgrounds will be offered.

“I think it’s a good idea to have different scenes for the pictures, that way you can make your own choice on what you want and they won’t be the same as everyone else,” said senior Nicky DeMars.

HSNG- A nationwide anti-prejudice campaign is asking students not to tell or tolerate racial jokes. The crusade, called A World of Difference, is supported by an amalgamation of civic organizations and corporations. It offers high schools a program that encourages students to read about different cultures and take an anti-prejudice pledge. Among the promises kids make when taking the pledge is "I will not listen to any ethnic jokes, racial or religious slurs or put-downs of any person or group."

When the cost of eating there went up ten percent, students at Apponequet Regional High School boycotted their cafeteria. Prices were raised to compensate for a supposed $5,400 in losses from food spoilage caused by a freezer breakdown in December. However, Student Council President Beth Brooks says that wasn't the students' fault and they shouldn't have to pay for it. The boycott ended when Philadelphia-based ARA Services, the company that supplies food for the school cafeteria, agreed to award two $500 scholarships to graduating seniors beginning this year. The price hike will remain, but ARA has agreed to give students seven days' notice of any new increases.

A survey asking students about their feelings on homosexuality was cancelled at Arlington Heights High School after two teachers complained about its content. Among the questions posed was "Have you ever thought you were a homosexual?" The questionnaire was written by journalism students, and the results were published in the school paper, Jacket Journal. Angela Sweeney, managing editor of the paper, calls the survey's cancellation censorship. "This goes against everything we've been taught in journalism class," she states.

Staff Writer Amitee Aid Dorothee Delaporte, a friendly part of France in Buffalo, works in the French department helping the French teachers with some of their paper work. This, however, comprises only part of Delaporte's task here. Coming to BHS to learn, as well as work, she attends Novel and Speech classes to touch up her English. She also helps teach lessons and assists with questions that students and teachers may about the French language and culture. "It's a good experience for us as teachers to get practice in speaking French," said French teacher Kristen Osterberg. "It's a big adjustment but I like to travel and the people I meet are interesting," said Delaporte. Currently Delaporte is residing at the home of senior Paula Johnson. "I don't mind living with other families because it helps me understand the people and culture of America," said Delaporte. Delaporte said she enjoys it here but she says she would like to be able to do more. "I have friends that are in other countries doing what I am doing, but they are involved with the students more on a regular basis," she said. In July, Delaporte plans to be back in France, where she hopes to finish college and become a foreign language teacher.

Staff Writer Knowledge Building, an academic competition where participants answer trivia questions and attempt to better themselves with an increased knowledge of various topics. There are a mixture of seniors, juniors, sophomores, and freshmen on the team. A participant doesn't have to be skilled in every subject or topic, but they do have to have a specialty area and be semi-versed in all-around trivia. "They ask really hard questions, one's that you wouldn't get in school, and you answer them. The object is to get the most points," said sophomore Deana Eisler. The team plays against other schools in the surrounding area, including: St. Cloud Apollo, St. Cloud Tech, Apple Valley, Annandale, Elk River, and Prior Lake. This year the team competes in two conferences. "We are doing pretty well this year. We have a stronger team than last year, and we are more practiced due to the two conferences," said junior Amy Oberdeck. Advisor Kristen Osterberg said, "This season has been a lot of fun. We saw ourselves improve, both in ranking and in competition skills." "Though we are losing six good seniors, next year's team will start with experience," said Osterberg. This is Osterberg's first year advising Knowledge Building; in the past, English teacher Judy Jacobson and EAGLE advisor Pam Thompson coached the team. The team practices against themselves twice a week, and occasionally against other schools. Some of the topics covered include: geography, history, authors, grammar, sports, math, common sense, and pure trivia. The questions range from: "If you are standing in Pakistan and you go east, what is the first body of water you will come to?" to "What American company produces the most women's underwear?"

Scholarships offered

Scholarships Seniors attending post high school education have many opportunities to help with funding by applying for scholarships.

The U of M Twin Cities campus is offering scholarships in the College of Agriculture, the Institute of Technology, and the College of Natural Resources. The awards range from $1000 to $3000 and are based mostly on merit and teacher recommendations.

The Colleges of Saints Catherine and Scholastica are offering scholarships to high school seniors based on academic credentials and non-classroom activities.

Out of state colleges offering scholarships are Buena Vista College and Clark College, located in Iowa, Marquette University in Wisconsin, and Northern State University in South Dakota. Also, scholarships are available at technical institutes and organizational scholarships are also available to students who wish to pursue those fields.

Tatanka commended

The award winning Tatanka has yet again won another award to add to it's long list of accomplishments. The 1989 BHS yearbook, with the theme, "We've got a certain kind of cool," has been recognized as one of the top two percent of all yearbooks printed last year by Taylor Publishing Company. Taylor is the leading publisher of school yearbooks.

Each year, Taylor judges all of the yearbooks it produces for excellence in cover design, theme development, page design, copywriting and special page design. The Tatanka was selected for excellence in Theme Development.

"These yearbooks go through a rigorous selection process," said Bruce Gerrity of Taylor's marketing department. "This year we looked at more than 8500 yearbooks from across the country. We can choose only 150 books, so our standards must be extremely high."

Third Quarter closes

The third quarter of the 1989-1990 school year ends on Friday, March 23rd. Conferences for 7-12 are scheduled for Tuesday, April 3rd and Thursday, April 5th.

Six Bison editors are among the hundreds of journalism students attending the national journalism spring convention in Seattle, Washington, at the end of this month.

"I think it will be a lot of fun meeting all those students from different places," said junior Kerry Lynn Koch.

The National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA) and the Journalism Education Association (JEA) are sponsoring the convention, on March 29 to April 1, 1990. Newspaper, Yearbook, photography, and Desktop Publishing skills will be covered.

Participants attend seminars, learning sessions, and group discussions, and have the option of taking special one-on-one classes with experts or professional journalists. Critiques and contests are also part of the schedule.

"It will be a great experience. I think we will do well at contest, since we have a lot of good people going," said junior Leslie Jahnke.

Most of the fifty states will be represented at the convention.

"Our biggest competitors, Albert Lea, will also be attending the convention. We are joining them out in Seattle and together we hope to represent Minnesota with a good showing," said sophomore Jason Chalupnik.

Besides learning journalism skills, the convention centers around seeing the city and the chance to meet other student journalists.

"We'll all enjoy ourselves, but learn also," said Koch.

The group started planning for the trip in early December. The students ran into a few problems, including the lack of advisor and high expenses. And according to one member, many telephone calls were made to find the cheapest air flight out. Activities Director Nancy Bergert assisted the group with scheduling an advisor and the Seattle hotel accommodations.

"This trip has been very hard to put together. I never realized what an undertaking this would be," said Chalupnik.

Last school year both the Tatanka and the Bison attended the fall convention in Washington, D.C.

Approximately seven million dolphins have drowned over the last thirty years because a tuna fishing technique employed by the tuna industry to obtain tuna for the school and other consumers.

Schools of tuna swim underneath dolphins and tuna fishers use this to their advantage, encircling the dolphins and thus the tuna with fishing nets. Entrapped in these nets, the dolphins suffocate.

Public outcry to this practice led to the passage of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, which ordered the tuna fishing industry to reduce the number of dolphins inadvertently killed over a period of years. The law also mandated finding fishing techniques that would not endanger sea mammals, but provided insufficient funding.

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) lowered the quotas annually until 1984, under pressure from the fishing industry, Congress amended the law, providing for 20,500 dolphin deaths a year indefinitely.

The tuna served at BHS has been processed in Puerto Rico, an American territory, and complies with the 1972 law. The district does not use much tuna, according to FoodService director Marilyn Hall, usually less than a case month.

However, the death of any dolphins to obtain tuna disturbs some students.

"It's just awful that they would do that," said senior Sally Miller.

Other students do not perceive a problem with the tuna industry killing dolphins.

"I don't see what the big deal is," said senior Julie Sorheim. "God put animals on the earth for people to use."

Five o'clock in the morning. Travelling on a bus as far as 80 miles. Delivering a well memorized speech. Not many people would consider it an ideal Saturday.

But for a small group of students, Speech participants, it is.

"Speech allows me to learn new ways of improving my speaking skills through the reactions of others," said sophomore Carmen Blair.

The different categories in speech are humorous prose, serious prose, humorous poetry, serious poetry, great speeches, creative expression, storytelling, extemporaneous speaking, drama, original oratory, and discussion.

The Speech team is in its fourth year at BHS. This year, reading teacher Ed Saxton is advising.

In a speech competition, students are given ten minutes to warm up, depending on the number of draws. Then students are ranked in first to third place, and the rest are ranked fifth.

At the end of three rounds, the students with the lowest added up number of ranks go on to a final round. In the final round, the best speech makers compete for top honors. The schools with the highest average of finalists receive trophies.

After months of soliciting jelly and candy to neighbors and relatives, the Band and Choir students finally reap the fruitful rewards.

"It's great to think that selling sausage and cheese can actually get me to Chicago," said junior band member Jennifer Riebeling.

On April 26-31, the Concert Band and Concert Choir will travel to Chicago and stay at the Ramada O'Hare Hotel. The trip consists of the usual sightseeing, a one day music festival, and a concert.

"I am really excited about Chicago because I'v never been there. I only get as far as Iowa," said choir member, junior Heather Bakke.

Some students are excited at the prospect of performing.

"I want to play in the Festival on Sunday. I think it would be a great experience," said band member, junior Bill Zimmerman.

"Everything has been going well. I am not really looking forward to anything special happening on the trip. It's something I do every two years, and it's all pretty routine," said band director Rolf Mohlwinkel.

To combat the problem of tardiness, several teachers adopted a strategy developed last year by Social Studies teacher Susan Sodeman. At the beginning of each quarter, students received a number of passports which they could turn in anytime they came late or had to leave class. After the student used all his or her passports, the student could still leave, but at the cost of five points. Evidently, this program has gained only limited acceptance. For now, principals must patrol the halls at passing time, reminding students still in the halls that they should go to class before it starts.

We believe the student body should be responsible for their own learning, passing time, and restraint. The administration stresses the atmosphere of acting like adults, that students should learn to make intelligent decisions by using critical thinking. One must take into perspective the age old question, how important is punctuality in the process of learning? Perhaps we should just let students be tardy, or let them skip.

Their day of reckoning will come when they are faced with college or their first job. In college, one must already have developed the quality of self-regulation: a student could skip every class and go party instead, but when it comes time for finals they'll be up the proverbial creek. And what factory supervisor is going to shake their finger at a chronically late employee and hand them a small pink slip? No, it will be THE pink slip for them--tardiness will not be tolerated on the job.

However, punctuality is something that must be cultivated from within, not forced upon from without.

Basically, there is no one solution to the tardy policy problem. But we feel that to truly prepare us for the "real world," we need to begin learning how to deal with responsibility in addition to the usual curriculum.

While we search the universe for other intelligent beings, we continue to 'massacre a terrestrial intelligence.

We have ignored these other sentient beings too long. The Bison will ignore them no longer and attempt to convince others to join in our battle to stop the slaughter of this intelligent race of creatures.

We speak, of course, about the dolphin.

The battle for their continued life has spilled over into the BHS cafeteria.

For reasons unknown, dolphins follow schools of yellow tuna and are snared and drowned in the commercial tuna nets.

They die because it would be less convenient to catch tuna any other way.

Many quickly point out that dolphins are animals. We do not dispute this. However, like man, they are not beasts, for they show compassion, a definite sign of intelligence. Historians have chronicled these acts for thousands of years.

Dolphins have been recorded as going out of their way to save humans from drowning. Unlike domestic animals, they preserve life because not because they have been trained by us to do so, but for the sheer value they place on it. We should do the same.

Boycott tuna at school and at home. We can act locally to affect a global problem.

Every time the school offers us tuna, we are faced with an important moral decision. We can ask our parents, relatives and friends to join us in this boycott. Most importantly, we can ask the Student Council to recommend that tuna not be serve in the lunch room.

We must act now or the dolphins will join their cousins, the whales, down the road to extinction.

I think Igor and Quasimodo must be related...but then, what do I know.

I’ll tell you what I know.
How wide is truth? What bugs the moon? How does time feel? Who discovered elevator muzik? And how do those Russian guys pick-up chicks?

Why plastic? Why indeed.

Later:
Coming out of the cave in the mountains, the man looked at the oaks, streams, clouds, daisies, and holsteins different than you or I would.

Instead of a slab of granite, the man would see a pile of rocks, sand, and dust. A black layer of oil would take the place of a field covered with flowers. This man saw things as they truly were, and though they were ugly, they were the most beautiful sight to the man. As a child he saw decaying corpses where there should be people. His house was full of rusty cans and soot where there should be furniture.

He hated, however, plastic--with a passion. He could stare at its greasy, non-porous veneer and see exactly what everyone else saw. Bright and multicolored, clear, black, translucent. Every shape, shapeless; every color, colorless; every texture, textureless.

The art of Artificial.
He wanted to tear it apart, melt it, break it into tiny pieces.

But it remained as a Frankenstein terrorrampagingthroughthenight-blind with fear and science.

Coming out of the house in the city, the man looked at things in the normal American way; instead of an empty lot, he saw a high rise and an easy way to make money. Instead of people poking down the street, he saw potential customers. This man did not see birds or animals or wildlife. To him, this was ugly and a waste of time. He loved only one thing with a passion--plastic; it would last a lifetime and hundreds more after that.

The animal, coming out of his hole in the ground, did not understand why the world around him was being torn apart. Large yellow sacks hung over the earth, belching grey smoke, uprooting trees and sod, driving him back into his hole. A second later, a bottle tumbled through the opening into his warren. It gave off a strange odor--the creature backed away teeth bared and back arched.

Plastic.

Editor-in-Chief The best way to learn, is to learn by doing. That's the way the real world works. You live, you make mistakes, and you learn. In the real world, nobody holds your hand, nobody makes your schedules, no one rings a bell to tell you when to eat, read, or take a test, and nobody gives you a tardy for being late to your doctors appointment or work. The real world takes self-discipline, which must be learned, but cannot be taught. Tardiness can be an important indicator for employees and colleges, but poor timing alone cannot be sorted out of a deficient GPA. The current policy allows teachers to subtract points from a student for being late. A more practical method would be to record tardiness for future reference. The real world takes self-discipline. -this high school does not. The tardy policy falls short of teaching responsibility, and through domination of students time management, actually encourages indifference to self-improvement. Color me abnormal, but I think this school could function quite well without the use of a tardy policy. In the real world, there are negative consequences for poor timing, but they rarely take the form of a tardy slip. When class is missed, the student forfeits the opportunity to learn some important information. The loss of this information will come out eventually in the form of a low quarter grade, or an unsuccessful job interview. It is time to ask why students should be in class on time. If it is desirable to learn, then an undesirable outcome is to not learn, which is punishment in itself. The current tardy policy is superfluous, and should be replaced with a less restrictive, record keeping policy.

Business Manager Well, it's been a quiet week in Lake Wobegon. Opps. Wrong column. Forget all of what you've heard about the BHS wrestling team. It's all a lie. Prepare yourself for the truth. I have been undertaking the dubious task of being a manager. I don't know why I became a manager: A severe fever or a vision of Elvis made me do it. The day I enlisted, I plead momentary lapse of reason. Maybe it was a brain tumor. It may also have something to do with me being the daughter of the most famous wrestling coach in the universe: Gerry "The Body" Bakke. My dad. First off, the BHS Wrestlers are the State Champs. Not third place. We were robbed by bad reffing. Secondly, they wear Singlets--not tights. Next, they do not roll around on mats with other guys. They strategically overcome adversaries using strength and skill. They ain't pumpkin-pushers or bisket bashers. Real sports don't dribble, pass, crawl, or play with sticks. Most importantly, they ain't anorexic. Of course, some truth cannot be told. Tournament time stories are not fit for adult ears. Over the last two years that I've been manager, I don't think the wrestlers, and their disciples, the cheerleaders, even knew my name. But during tourney time, victory brought us together. The Cheerleaders were awful gal-darned nice to me. They took me shopping for makeup. I didn't buy any. What I spent on pizza, they spent on Este Lauder. One wrestler set up a prank wake-up call at 7:30. That sounds pretty late now, but after staying up till 2 am, take it from me--it's early. Something like: "Clarence, are you ready to go ice fishing?" "Whaa?" "Fishing Clarence. You know: The rod, the reel, the ice, the challenge, the fun?" "Whaa?" "Turn up the hearing-aid, Clarence." "I...ughf,...nerghfff,...think you got,...um,...the wrong planet." The prank phone call made me feel like I was part of the team--accepted. No kidding! Winning at tournaments is like a mass hug, high-fiving David Letterman, and picking six at the Kentucky Derby all rolled in one. Or visiting the birth place of Herbert Hoover with my brother, Eric the Great. But the truth is... in my next column. But that's another story. No kidding. P.S. The offer still stands for prom, guys. 100 points in exchange for a date with great personality--and no diseases. And if Clarence is out there, you won't be the one that got-a-way if you want to take my dad up on the offer.

To the Editor: While the final results of the changes taking place in Eastern Europe and within the Communist Empire remain unpredictable, the magnitude of these events carry the promise of a more secure and tranquil future for every student...indeed, for every American. The global implications of this upheaval may have a profound and lasting effect on our daily lives and should not be observed casually, or without proper notice. Some of the political pundits and self proclaimed international "experts" are missing the point. Suppose you were deprived of the freedom of speech, of movement, of assembly, of the right to go to church, or the right to leave the country, and the right to a job other than that specified by the state. Furthermore, any infraction of these conditions could result in severe punishment, and a serious infraction could result in your being executed. Suppose then, in addition, you received a fair wage but faced a chronic food shortage, and little else to boot. No wonder the anger-no wonder the outrage of these people. The human spirit, however beleaguered, will not endure these conditions forever. How will all of this end? We do not know. We do know the course of history is changing and the United States and the free world stand to be the beneficiary. As Thomas Jefferson wrote over 200 years ago: "The transition from despotism to liberty is not made on a teatherbed."

To the Editor: Concerning your article about the Basic English class: Yes, I have spoken with some of these students, and I consider them just like any other student--equals. I'm try to make clear that I'm not putting down their class or them as individuals, but I don't like the way they cut down Advanced Placement English students. The statement "They're all over-achiever and only take the class to impress other," is false. It may be for some, but I don't think it is fair that you assumed all. Most of us took the class because it's a good pre-college course. Just about everybody I know in this class is planning on a four year college. Just because we took a hard course during our senior year doesn't mean we need to be considered as goody-goodies, and that we only do things to impress others. You're wrong there! And, by the way, what's wrong with being an over-achiever? Then the statement about us not having jobs and our parents handing all of our money to us, you're assuming "all" again and making a false accusation. No, not a lot of us work 40 hours a week, as some of the Basic English students do. But we're the ones putting in time after school for practice and games. Also a majority of us work on top of that. The Basic English student that I talked to that worked 40 hours a week, was working so much to pay for his high insurance cost on a vehicle, because of a DWI. Yes, some of you may work more than us, but let's weigh all the factors. It equals out to different priorities. I understand where the Basic English students are coming from, but the next time they make statements about the Advanced Placement students, don't assume "all" and check to make sure your information is correct. Melissa Etzel Senior

Letters from students, teachers and other readers are welcome and encouraged. Your views are important to our readers. For publication, letters must bear the writer's signature and must be submitted to this paper only. Form letters and copies will not be printed. Letters may be edited for length and language. Turn in all correspondence to the Bison Room or room B-5 in Mr. Robinson's care.

The editors and staff of The Bison would like to commend the District 877 School Board for their prompt reaction to student views. The Board members, in considering the schedule for the next school year, have granted students day off in recognition of Martin Luther King. The message this can send is that Martin Luther King day means more than National Aardvark week. It says that the school board is committed to listening to the students. We recognize their concern and we appreciate being consulted. A day off carries weight, and students out of school will spend time considering why the holiday is important, something much more valuable than lip-service. It also sends a second message: Students do have a voice.

While we search the universe for other intelligent beings, we continue to masscare a terrestrial intelligence. We have ignored these other sentient beings too long. The Bison will ignore them no longer and attempt to convince others to join in our battle to stop the slaughter of this intelligent race of creatures. We speak, of coarse, about the dolphin. The battle for their for their continued life has spilled over into the BHS cafeteria. For reasons unknown, dolphins follow schools of yellow tuna and are snared and drowned in the commercial tuna nets. They die because it would be less convenient to catch tuna any other way. Many quickly point out that dolphins are animals. We do not dispute this. However, like man, they are not beasts, for they show compassion, a definite sign of intelligence. Historians have chronicled these acts for thousands of years. Dolphins have been recorded as going out of their way to save humans from drowning. Unlike domestic animals, they preserve life because not because they have been trained by us to do so, but for the sheer value they place on it. We should do the same. Boycott tuna at school and at home. We can act locally to affect a global problem. Every time the school offer us tuna, we are faced with an important moral decision. We can ask our parents, relatives and friends to join us in this boycott. Most importantly, we can ask the Student Council to recommend that tuna not be serve in the lunch room. We must act now or the dolphins will join their cousins, the whales, down the road to extinction.

Columnist I think Igor and Quasimodo must be related...but then, what do I know. I'll tell you what I know. How wide is truth? What bugs the moon? How does time feel? Who discovered elevator muzak? And how do those Russian guys pick-up chicks? Why plastic? Why indeed. Later: Coming out of the cave in the mountains, the man looked at the oaks, streams, clouds, daisies, and holsteins different than you or I would. Instead of a slab of granite, the man would see a pile of rocks, sand, and dust. A black layer of oil would take the place of a field covered with flowers. This man saw things as they truly were, and though they were ugly, they were the most beautiful sight to the man. As a child he saw decaying corpses where there should be people. His house was full of rusty cans and soot where there should be furniture. He hated, however, plastic--with a passion. He could stare at its greasy, non-porous veneer and see exactly what everyone else saw. Bright and multicolored, clear, black, translucent. Every shape, shapeless; every color, colorless; every texture, textureless. The art of Artificial. He wanted to tear it apart, melt it, break it into tiny pieces. But it remained as a Frankenstein monsterrampagingthroughthenight-blind with fear and science. Coming out of the house in the city, the man looked at things in the normal American way; instead of an empty lot, he saw a high rise and an easy way to make money. Instead of people poking down the street, he saw potential customers. This man did not see birds or animals or wildlife. To him, this was ugly and a waste of time. He loved only one thing with a passion--plastic; it would last a lifetime and hundreds more after that. The animal, coming out of his hole in the ground, did not understand why the world around him was being torn apart. Large yellow plasticshugged over the earth, belching grey smoke, uprooting trees and sod, driving him back into his hole. A second later, a bottle tumbled through the opening into his warren. It gave off a strange odor--the creature backed away teeth bared and back arched. Plastic.

To get the EMA and TMH students to interact with the mainstream students, members of Youths Association of Retarded Citizens (YARC) do such things as watch movies, bowling, play card and board games, swim, cook and eat pizza with these students. They do one such activity every month after school and during three mods a month.

The members of YARC have many reasons for wanting to help the EMA and TMH students interact with other students. Most join because of personal experiences with these students.

"When I was in Student Council, I went to a winter activity they had and I wanted to work with the TMH and EMA students," said Dennis Boehme.

The group helps the TMH and EMA students have role models and tomake friends. Some students have more trouble with others, however.

"I always felt strange when I heard we were supposed to be modeling things like brushing your hair to them," said senior Eric Bakke, a former member of YARC.

Any student may join YARC by attending any of their Wednesday meetings. More members could be used for Handicapped Awareness Week, coming up in April. A few students, although never in YARC themselves, appreciate their efforts.

"I think it's beneficial to both the handicapped and the mainstreamed students," said junior Amy Oberdeck. "Both learn valuable communication skills and learn to understand those that are different."

YARC is advised by Rita Fashing. She encourages students to come to any of their Wednesday meetings and get to know the YARC kids better.

At Functional Industries the workers do a myriad of things. The atmosphere is very much like a small factory. Anything from underwear to car tools, the opportunity for employment is there for anyone who needs it.

Just ask the people who work there.

"I enjoy it, I think it is important to work fast," said worker Dana Campbell.

"We don't get paid as much if we goof around," said Jim Gustafson.

"We try and break our own records by working harder," said worker Kevin Birkholtz.

They get paid once a month. The wage is a "piece wage," which is determined by the ability to work, and you get so much per piece you do, like packing boxes.

After she graduates, Campbell would like to get a different job, such as working at a bakery because she likes to cook. Birkholtz would like to work at a restaurant, such as McDonalds.

To help them learn about independent functioning, they fill out forms with their teachers, go to the bank, and do all their errands.

Functional Industries gives a comfortable home and work atmosphere to people who might not otherwise have a chance at a career.

Before 1973, the "special" in Wright County had no place to go out into the community and earn a living. That has all changed. In 1973, Functional Industries began incorporating these people into the real life work force.

It started out in the old...

Before 1973, the “special” people in Wright County had no place to go out into the community and earn a living. That has all changed. In 1973, Functional Industries began incorporating handicapped people into the real life work force. It started out in the old Ford Lake schoolhouse by a group of interested parents led by Arvin Bonk. Within half a year, Functional Industries outgrew its contents and moved to its present location north on Highway 25 in Buffalo.

Functional Industries is a nonprofit, private organization, funded by 52% of the work they do themselves, plus the other 48% from government funding and donations. This year they have a 1.5 million dollar budget. Functional Industries helps mentally handicapped people find a job in the community.

Functional Industries staff circulates through the community looking for work for the students.

They are not paid a regular wage, rather, a “piece wage” which is designed especially for a person’s ability.

The wage is fair, and is enough for that person to live comfortably in the community by themselves or in a group home. An example of the piece wage would be packing hats in a box, and for every hat they box they get a dime. Some people would be able to pack one hundred or more hats, whereas someone else would only pack five.

Their wage is specifically designed for the person’s ability. The students start out working in the community by having a helper go with them, and stay with them as long as it is necessary to help them learn the job, and then they are on their own.

When students see the TMH (trainable mentally handicapped) students filling the pop machines in the mall, that is only the first small step, a beginning to the work they can accomplish at Functional Industries.

Take Tabitha Armstrong, for example. She graduated from BHS in 1987 and now works at McDonalds as french fryer and a general cleaner.

The people at Functional Industries consists of 70% mentally retarded, 20% mentally ill, and 10% physically handicapped. That adds up to about 250 people plus 45 staff members.

Once in a while, a company is prejudiced against them, simply because they don’t think the handicapped person can do the job.

This discrimination is based on fear and that they just don’t know what they can do. Connie Wahlstrom, chairperson, said “They say ‘those people’ can’t work here because they won’t be able to do the work. We’ll how are they going to know if they don’t try? If they won’t budge, we try another place, but I boycott those companies after that.

Connie Wahlstrom finds her work at Functional Industries “very rewarding” and has worked there for 15 years. “The people are the biggest bonus.”

The people at Functional Industries are the people who work there.

They help themselves, appreciate their efforts.

“I think it’s beneficial to both the handicapped and the mainstreamed students,” said junior Amy Oberdeck. “Both learn valuable communication skills and learn to understand those that are different.

YARC is advised by Rita Fashing. She encourages students to come to any of their Wednesday meetings and to get to know the YARC kids better.

To get the EMA and TMH students to interact with the mainstream students, members of Youths Association of Retarded Citizens (YARC) do such things as watch movies, bowling, play card and board games, swim, cook and eat pizza with these students. They do one such activity every month after school and during three mods a month.

The members of YARC have many reasons for wanting to help the EMA and TMH students interact with other students. Most join because of personal experiences with these students.

“When I was in Student Council, I went to a winter activity they had and I wanted to work with the TMH and EMA students,” said Dennis Boehme.

The group helps the TMH and EMA students have role models and tomake friends. Some students have more trouble with others, however.

“I always felt strange when I heard we were supposed to be modeling things like brushing your hair to them,” said senior Eric Bakke, a former member of YARC.

Any student may join YARC by attending any of their Wednesday meetings. More members could be used for Handicapped Awareness Week, coming up in April. A few students, although never in YARC themselves, appreciate their efforts.

“I think it’s beneficial to both the handicapped and the mainstreamed students,” said junior Amy Oberdeck. “Both learn valuable communication skills and learn to understand those that are different.

YARC is advised by Rita Fashing. She encourages students to come to any of their Wednesday meetings and to get to know the YARC kids better.

At Functional Industries the workers do a myriad of things. The atmosphere is very much like a small factory. Anything from underwear to cart tools, the opportunity for employment is there for anyone who needs it.

Just ask the people who work there.

“I enjoy it, I think it is important to work fast,” said worker Dana Campbell.

“We don’t get paid as much if we goof around,” said Jim Gustafson.

“We try and break our own records by working harder,” said worker Kevin Birkholtz.

They get paid once a month. The wage is a “piece wage,” which is determined by the ability to work, and you get so much per piece you do, like packing boxes.

After she graduates, Campbell would like to get a different job, such as working at a bakery because she likes to cook. Birkholtz would like to work at a restaurant, such as McDonalds.

To help them learn about independent functioning, they fill out forms with their teachers, go to the bank, and do all their errands.

Functional Industries gives a comfortable home and work atmosphere to people who might not otherwise have a chance at a career.

Staffwriter

“Find a list of banned books and read them all,” is one of Mark Twains most famous quotes. Censorship is a process which limits access to books and materials based on value judgements or prejudices of individuals or groups. The act of censorship may be accomplished by suppression of use, removal of books or materials from the library or classroom, and limiting access to library and instructional materials.

“One of the dangers of censorship is backing off from great works of literature,” said English teacher Jack Harlan. Many of the teachers at BHS use books that are controversial in many other high schools across the country. Some teachers purposely teach books that are on censored lists. These books are used to make the student aware of the language of ideas and thinking.

“People wouldn’t have written the literature if it wasn’t meant for learning,” said junior Grant Anderson.

English Teacher Joel Squadrini uses 1984 and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, two frequently censored books, in his novel class because he feels that the books do not push any philosophy on the students. He also likes to use these books because they are graphic and appear pessimistic, when actually they are not.

Another English teacher, Harlan, uses The Grapes of Wrath in his Advanced Placement English class. He feels that what the book itself has to offer far out weighs the chances of ever being questioned. He has never had parents question the literature he uses, however he has had one student question The Grapes of Wrath because the book took the Lord’s name in vain. Although he offered her an alternative assignment, she still read the book because she felt that she might learn something from it.

Most students have read Lord Of the Flies used in World Literature, a required sophomore class. This book is one that is questioned most often by parents, but we still do not seem to have any objections in our school. Most of the objections in our cases were in regards to the use of cannibalism, violence, and sexual suggestion.

English teacher Denise Wahlin-Fiskum is one who uses the book. “The story shows what human beings are capable of doing and I think that everyone should be exposed to it,” said Wahlin-Fiskum.

School policy states that it is the responsibility of school personnel who select the books to place principle above personal opinion and reason above prejudice in order to cover the needs of all students for a complete education of all students.

Librarian Marcia Paulsen has the decision of which books should be allowed in our school library. She finds it difficult to choose books because you have to be sensitive to the needs of all students, but also decide to what extent.

Although BHS has had a good record, one student did challenge two books in 1984. The student, a junior at the time, filed against What I Really Think of You and Foster Child, for religious reasons.

The student wanted the books removed because she felt they were religiously biased, and did not tell both sides of the story. After going through Paulsen, she filed a formal complaint. Although she wanted the books removed, she said she would accept a balancing out of the literature.

Paulsen felt the books were in no way offensive, and that a balance would not work because you would have to apply it to every other book in the library, which would be impossible.

Almost all material that is questioned by teachers or parents belongs to one of five categories: religion, racism, sexism, ideology, and profanity/obscenity. Because of the easy access to the materials, it is not surprising that they confront them.

“Censoring books makes people want to read them more,” said Senior exchange student Bridgette Henderson.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
The Diary of a Young Girl (Anne Frank)
Black Like Me
Brave New World
The Catcher in the Rye
*Deliverance
*The Electric Kool-aid Acid Test
A farewell to arms
Go Ask Alice
The Good Earth
The Grapes of Wrath
A Hero Ain’t Nothing But a Sandwich
If Beale Street Could Talk
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Johnny Got His Gun
*The Learning Tree
Lord of the Flies
*Love Story
Manchild in the Promised Land
My Darling, My Hamburger
Nineteen Eighty-four
Of Mice and Men
On Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Ordinary People
Our Bodies, Ourselves
The Scarlet Letter
A Separate Peace
Slaughterhouse-Five
To Kill a Mockingbird

* No longer in our library due to wear
Source: Battle of the books

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
The Catcher in the Rye
The Grapes of Wrath
Lord of the Flies
Nineteen Eighty-four
Of Mice and Men
Ordinary People
The Scarlet Letter
The Diary of a Young Girl (Anne Frank)
If Beale Street Could Talk
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Cat’s Cradle

Driving hazards were broadcast. After-school activities were canceled throughout the state. Students were told to go home, with one exception. Both the Willmar and Buffalo basketball teams had the pleasure of staying for practice to get in gear for the March 8 sub-region game at Willmar. Unfortunately, it only worked for the Cardinals. This birds won 85-56. Although they did not go on to regions, the team had a comeback season. The season mid-way stood at 2 wins and 7 losses. "The year was frustrating at first. We didn't have a very good record and there seemed to be too much pressure on us," said Jason Topp. With the changing of coaches, a new team attitude was carried out on the court. "We were relying too much on individuals and the coach more than each other, but when the coaches changed, so did that attitude. We started working as a team," said captain Troy Foede, senior. When coach Pete Specht joined the team, he set a few goals: to win one region game, to regain the team's confidence in play against conference next season as well as the rest of this one, and to win half of the games. The question still remaining is will Specht be the boys basketball coach for the 90-91 season? "The way things look now, I don't think I will. But that could change," said Specht. The Bison rounded out the year with 9 wins and 11 losses, as well as getting revenge on a certain rival, Mound-Westonka. The Bison beat them twice in the season: 65-54 and 60-44. The Bison came back to take the conference title for the first time in 12 years. The team's strength was their strong defense. "When you play against bigger and tougher schools, you need a strong defense to get the ball away," said Specht. The Bison are only losing one starter to graduation, leaving them with the other four veterans. Being in the North Suburban Conference next year could be tough. Mounds View, the number one team in the state, is in the NSC along with other competitive schools. However, it does look promising. "I think we had a real strong team this year," said Specht, "Everyone stood out in different ways, which should help a great deal in the conference next year. I think the Bison will do real well."

Yet another Bison record was broken in this school year. After winning the first Conference meet, the Bison came in 6th place in regions out of eleven teams, having five individuals advance to region finals. Cara Schwan advanced on the bars and the floor exercise, Stacy Stadtlander on the vault and the beam, Kristi Howey on the beam and the floor exercise, and Brooke Kincaid as an all-arounder. This is the most gymnasts Buffalo has had in the region finals in a long time. Gymnastics is a difficult sport along with all of the other sports but it also requires a lot of skill and practice everyday which takes up most of the gymnasts' free time. The gymnasts practice three hours a day, everyday and some of them don't get home until around eight o'clock and by that time, they have to eat, do homework and go to bed. "Three hours is a big chunk of time with all the homework," said senior Kelly Gamache. Practice makes perfect and in order to be perfect or close to perfect, the gymnast need lots of practice. "It does take up a lot of time but I like it and it's worth it," replied sophomore Joy Syzsrke. The conference meet this year was a success and next year will be different considering the new conference. "There will be a lot more competition because all the teams are really good and we'll improve more because of all the competition," said sophomore Jodi Goodin. The North suburban conference consisting of Elk River, Columbia Heights, Fridley, St. Francis, Torticno Grace, Irondale and Moundsview could be quite a challenge for Buffalo. "I think it's going to be real different, they aren't organized in the same way we are and there will be many changes," said coach Martha Driscoll. Many young gymnasts are advancing into the senior high next year and only one varsity senior will be leaving the team. Therefore, the team has a good chance to do well next year. Since the team has done really well this year, it can be expected that they will do even better next year. "You couldn't ask for a better season!" stated Junior Jeni Veches.

Coach Gerry Bakke has sent yet another team to state this year. The Bison Wrestling Team, under the direction of Coach Bakke, took third place in the AA division at the Minnesota State Tournament on Saturday, March 3. Jason Birr and Tom Olson won the individual championship matches in their respective weight classes. Jason Scherber also placed fourth in the 160 lb. weight class.

This is the second consecutive year that the wrestling team has won the Region 2AA Championship. They beat Willmar 35 to 23 on Friday, February 23 to go to the State Tournament. “I knew we had a shot [in the State Tourney],” said Bakke. “Last year we were good, but this time I knew we could win some matches.”

The fan bus down to the tournament on Thursday, March 1 was filled with happiness. It was fairly quiet, but the smell of victory lingered in the air. The fans were looking for the championship but they knew it was going to be tough. “We can beat Grand Rapids and I feel when we wrestle tomorrow, we will wrestle Apple Valley,” said freshman Frank Birch. “After that, the final will be against, probably, Simley. It’s still gonna be tough but we have to pull together.”

Before the match against Grand Rapids, Coach Bakke was asked how the Bison would do in the tournament. “I think we’ll do good,” he said as he watched the mat. Grand Rapids jumped out to an early 11-3 lead before the Bison got into it. Jason Birr pinned his opponent, making the score 11-9 in Grand Rapids’ favor. After the pinfall, however, Birr got overexcited, taunting his opponent. The team lost a point, giving Grand Rapids a 3-point lead. Bakke got furious and went into rage, yelling at the team to get working.

Jess Nowak the pinned his man, giving the Bison their first lead at 14-11. The two pins were then followed by wins by Rob Triplett and Dusty Ordorff. Tom Olson added another pin, sending the Bison into a 27-11 lead with four matches left. Jason Scherber clinched the victory just as he had in Willmar, winning 6-4 and giving the team a 19-point lead. Tony Mies, Paul Wright, and Jared Mutterer all lost their matches but it was over and the Bison won 30 to 27, sending them into the semi-finals against Apple Valley.

The match against Apple Valley was anything but close after the first five matches. Valley had a 15-3 lead going into the sixth match. But the Bison battled back again. Wins by Triplett, Nowak, Ordorff, and Olson gave the team a 17-15 lead. Scherber tacked on a pinfall, making the score 23-15 with only three matches left.

“We can still win this!!” yelled Bakke. Unfortunately, Tony Mies and Paul Wright were both beaten, tying the score at 23-23. It all rested in the hands of junior Jared Mutterer, who was in his first year with the team. Mutterer was pinned by his Apple Valley opponent with 1 second remaining in the second period. “Both the kids and I knew we could beat Apple Valley. We had a shot,” said Bakke. “I figured I had to give it everything I had,” said Mutterer. “It was for both me and the team.”

The next match was against Simley, who had won the tournament 3 times previously. After Simley won the first match on a pinfall, the Bison won the next 5-in-a-row, giving them a 16-6 lead about halfway through. Simley won the next match but the Bison countered with a pinfall by Ordorff and a technical fall by Olson, giving the Bison an 18-point cushion. Simley won the next match but Tony Mies clinched the third place victory, winning 4-3. Paul Wright also won, and Mutterer lost on a pinfall. The final score was 34 to 18. “I feel real good about the third place finish. I really felt great coming back against Simley because Simley was really outstanding in the light-weights and up to 140, they’re state champion,” said Bakke. “They only beat us one match: an eighth grader. So up to 140, we had won five out of six matches. It was unbelievable.”

In the individual championships, both Olson and Birr won, giving them the state titles. Olson defeated Jens Henrikson of Anoka 6-1 and Birr beat Jason Schultz of Apple Valley 12-6 in a revenge match. Schultz had beat Birr 5-4 in the team semi-final match. Jason Scherber also came in fourth, losing to Chad Holm of Grand Rapids in the third place match. The title match for Olson was the last of his high school career. After his match against Simley, he was asked about his championship match later that day. “Just go for it all,” he said, breathing heavily from the team match.

The two championships were the fourth and fifth for Bakke in his 13 years at Buffalo. They also set Bakke’s record for the number of championships in one year. Jason Scherber also came in fourth, losing to “That’s a record for the Bison. This is the first time the Bison have had two state champions in one year,” said Bakke. “And also to have a fourth place finish in Jason Scherber, that was great. I’ve only had one other team in Iowa. I had a year where I had two seconds and two thirds but I’ve never had that high a finish in my coaching career.”

The team will be losing Nowak, Olson, and captain Jamie Stevens for next year’s season. However, with the amount of letterwinners on the team, the Bison should have another great season. “It’s gonna be hard. We’ve worked hard and we’ve got our dream and we’re going for it.”

Controversy set in among the fans on Sunday during the “Welcome Back” Pep-fest. After the team presented the third place trophy to Superintendent Darrell Miller, Miller mentioned that one hour after Bakke got his head shaved by the cross-country team. Miller introduced him to the Rotary. “I thought I heard him say to the Rotary people 'I'our wrestling team goes to the state, I’ll wear earrings for the rest of the year’. And I wasn’t the only one that heard it,” said Miller. Bakke admitted to saying it but said he would’ve worn two if we had gotten six individual champions and he was debating to wear one earring if we had two or three. Later on, Bakke put on earrings for a photographer.

The team is looking forward to next year. And Coach, I’d go with a gold cross earring. It’s the rad thing, I hear.

Being satisfied with a below .500 record makes the girls basketball team unusual.

Instead of dwelling on their record, the team prides themselves on their team unity and overall closeness, a state all teams claim to strive for and one this team seems to have achieved.

“As a senior, I’ll miss the team unity and friendships I’ve made over the past four years,” said team captain Cami Dixon.

Before every game this season, the team set goals and accomplished many of them. The game against Christ Household of Faith serves as an example. The team wanted to stay close and succeeded in doing so.

“Our record doesn’t reflect our team spirit and accomplishment of many team goals,” said sophomore Leslie Anderson.

Although at peace with their record, the team has hopes for a more victorious future. With only two Seniors, the young team expects to do well next year.

Next year Buffalo will contend against the teams in the North Suburban Conference and will endure a strenuous schedule, but next year’s returning players affirm their ability to compete.

“We have a tough conference next year, but I’m confident with hard work we’ll be able to be highly competitive,” said junior Cristen Holtorf.

Baseball

Enthusiasm among fans and players has baseball looking forward to the 1990 season.

This years players are looking forward to a better season, with five returning letter winners from last year, and a lot of juniors coming up. “It looks good, we have a lot of talent to fill the many open positions,” said Senior Nick Uecker.

The possible goal of the team is to win conference. “This year looks average, and we should be able to win the conference. Next years North Suburban will be tougher because we don’t know much about their baseball,” said Josh Leal.

Softball

With baseball goes softball, and the players and fans are excited for this years season. “The team looks promising, we work together well and have a great team unity. Our fielding will be our strong point, while our hitting will need work, this years conference does not look very hard to win, and I don’t know much about North Suburban softball,” said Missy Etzel

“It should be harder next year, but we should give them competition,” said Junior Shelly Lafave.

Track

The new coach brings a new attitude.

The Bison track team begins this season with a new coach, as Ed Saxton will take over the duties held last year by Boyd Emmel. “I really don’t know what to expect,” said Ed Saxton. He does know he wants to put more of an emphasis on weight training. “When a person uses the weight room, he/she will have to sign in, and will be under supervision by a coach. You can’t just go in and screw around,” says Saxton.

Many track individuals expect a change in the team attitude. “Because of more experienced juniors and seniors, and a new coach, I think there will be a more serious and competitive atmosphere,” said junior Jason Minnick. “The whole team will have a new attitude,” said senior Kelly Gamache.

Golf

“Boys golf looks hopeful, and could be a state contender,” said senior Darren Gourley. Gourley also said, “the team will have lots of team unity, leadership by everyone, and contribution by all, especially the upcoming sophomores.

Girls golf also resumes with hopeful expectations this year. “This year should be harder with the loss of some great players from last years team, we will need to fill these spots and gain a senior leadership in order to have a good season,” said senior Julie Hammer. Expectations are high, and excitement is in the air for this years golf season for both girls and boys.

Tennis

Last year the Bison tennis team was one match from moving on to regions, losing 4-3 to Eden Prairie. This year, with six out of ten returning players, the hope to build on that performance.

“This could potentially be our best season ever,” said coach Charlie Keifenheim. The team has a possible outside chance at state.”

Keifenheim said senior Adam Cohen, who is one of the top players in the state, should win most, if not all of his matches, and seniors Eric Johannes and Mark Lindquist would win most of theirs too. But the real key to success is the doubles teams. Keifenheim said the doubles must win most of their matches, because “to beat any good team you must win at least two of the four doubles matches.”

“We have a shot to beat Hutch for the first time ever,” said senior Eric Johannes. Beating Hutchinson, along with getting to regions for the first time are some of the goals for this years team.

"This year looks average, and we should be able to win the conference. Next year's North Suburban will be tougher because we don't know much about their baseball." Baseball Enthusiasm among fans and players has baseball looking forward to the 1990 season. This years players are looking forward to a better season, with five returning letter winners from last year, and alot of juniors coming up. "It looks good, we have a lot of talent to fill the many open positions," said Senior Nick Uecker. The possible goal of the team is to win conference. "This year looks average, and we should be able to win the conference. Next years North Suburban will be tougher because we don't know much about their baseball," said Josh Leal. Softball With baseball goes softball, and the players and fans are excited for this years season. "The team looks promising, we work together well and have a great team unity. Our fielding will be our strong point, while our hitting will need work, this years conference does not look very hard to win, and I don't know much about North Suburban softball." said Missy Etzel "It should be harder next year, but we should give them competition," said Junior Shelly Lafave. Track The new coach brings a new attitude. The Bison track team begins this season with a new coach, as Ed Saxton will take over the duties held last year by Boyd Emmel. "I really don't know what to expect," said Ed Saxton. He does know he wants to put more of an emphasis on weight training. "When a person uses the weight room, he/she will have to sign in, and will be under supervision by a coach. You can't just go in and screw around," says Saxton. Many track individuals expect a change in the team attitude. "Because of more experienced juniors and seniors, and a new coach, I think there will be a more serious and competitive atmosphere," said junior Jason Minnick. "The whole team will have a new attitude," said senior Kelly Gamache. Golf Boys golf looks hopeful, and could be a state contender," said senior Darren Gourley. Gourley also said, "the team will have lots of team unity, leadership by everyone, and contribution by all, especially the upcoming sophomores. Girls golf also resumes with hopeful expectations this year. "This year should be harder with the loss of some great players from last years team, we will need to fill these spots and gain a senior leadership in order to have a good season," said senior Julie Hammer. Expectations are high, and excitement is in the air for this years golf season for both girls and boys. Tennis Last year the Bison tennis team was one match from moving on to regions, losing 4-3 to Eden Prairie. This year, with six out of ten returning players, the hope to build on that performance. "This could potentially be our best season ever," said coach Charlie Keifenheim. The team has a possible outside chance at state. Keifenheim said senior Adam Cohen, who is one of the top players in the state, should win most, if not all of his matches, and seniors Eric Johannes and Mark Lindquist would win most of theirs too. But the real key to success is the doubles teams. Keifenheim said the doubles must win most of their matches, because "to beat any good team you must win at least two of the four doubles matches." "We have a shot to beat Huth for the first time ever," said senior Eric Johannes. Beating Hutchinson, along with getting to regions for the first time are some of the goals for this years team.

We all know a picture is worth a thousand words but the 300 words of my story come out backwards. So, here's about 5 thousand words worth of pictures from this last seasons tournaments.

Junior Emily Casperson just missed this rebound to the height of the opposing team (above).

Trouble on the boards is eminent for senior Darren Gourley who intended to check a Minnetoka player but was then hit by two more Skipper players (top). Spectators come in all sizes, shapes, and heights. This little boy's basketball fan peers intently at the action on the court in the postponed conference game against Hutch (left). Preparing to complete his match, Junior Rob Triplett takes a final shot of water (center). Uuooff!--Driving into a Willmar forward, Junior Pat Larson plows his way to the basket (right).