The Bison – March 20, 1992

Recent statistics show that when ranked among 15 different countries, the US students placed 13th in Science and 14th in math. This was based on tests conducted on 13 year old students.

“Math is very important, especially to my parents, but I think the math teachers should find a more fun way of teaching math so that kids want to learn,” said freshman Amy Bokusky.

Other students echoed similar feelings on this subject.

“It’s sad, because we have the resources to do better than that, but we’re not taking advantage of it and we’re letting ourselves fall behind,” said senior Tricia Hegge.

It is difficult to tell when the U.S. began to lag behind in these areas.

A staff member of Representative Gerry Sikorski stated that studies in the early 1980’s showed the need to do more with education, especially in the math and science areas.

It seems that one factor

A bill is being considered in the Minnesota legislature to restore students’ freedom of expression.

In 1988, the U.S. Supreme court faced the case of Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier, which dealt with the suppressing of the first amendment of the Constitution for student publications.

Some feel that just because of the Hazelwood decision, school officials aren’t obligated to censor newspapers.

The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the district, giving school officials the right to censor material thought to be controversial, biased, or unsuitable for immature audiences for “pedagogical purposes.” Articles dealing with pregnancy, birth control, and divorce are some of those censored.

Some argue that such material is confronted in everyday life, not just in newspapers.

“People are going to say what they want to say, and if they can’t say it in the newspapers, they’ll just find other ways to say it,” said senior Kim Weivoda. “They think we shouldn’t know this stuff, and we will know it, even if it’s not in the paper.”

Recently, a bill has been proposed by Minnesota Senator Allen Spear and Representative Ann Rest. It has been given a hearing in the Senate and has moved into full committee, but Representative Bob McEachern has refused a hearing in the House of Representatives.

The bill will not give students unrestricted expression rights. It only serves to restore things to how they were before the Hazelwood decision.

A petition had been initiated by senior Jason A. Chalupnik and senior Jennifer Streigal, editors-in-chief of The Bison and the Tatanka, to be sent to McEachern.

“It gives more freedom to students. You should have your first amendment rights anytime, even in high school,” said Streigal.

Minnesota isn’t the only state which has acted to preserve the rights of student publications. Five other states have passed similar bills counteracting the Hazelwood decision.

Opponents of the bill claim that the newspapers are paid for by the district and it’s taxpayers, and should thus reflect the views of everyone in the community.

One fear is that the districts risk being sued in cases against student publications. The fact is that student newspapers have never been brought up on charges of libel in the state of Minnesota.

Defenders of the bill claim that stories which may appear to some as biased or sexist merely reflect the views of the students and are intended to stimulate the thinking of, rather than offend, the reader.

Some students fear for the last week of the semester, and the finals that come with it. Some teachers do not require finals, not even to graduate.

Some students like finals. On the other hand many don’t and they would like to change the regards of test taking.

“I don’t think all classes should have finals, because it’s too much stress to study for all of your tests,” said senior Jodi Goodin.

Some students think finals are better for students and some don’t.

“I think they can be worse, because sometimes they don’t cover what you have learned,” said senior Dave Benkowski.

All students have different opinions about finals. Some think the tests are too

Becoming too involved leads to mismanaged time. Page 5

Special needs students find place in society. Page 6

Look out Siskel and Ebert, here come Ernesti and Ludwig. Page 12

Most of you are aware of the Student Council convention held at BHS. Unfortunately, you probably have no idea what we did.

As a selected group to represent your school, we feel we need to share what went on at the EMASC (Eastern Minnesota Association of Student Councils) convention on February 26.

We had three main objectives; to vote on next year's executive council, add new amendments to our constitution as needed, and to pass or fail proposals.

The executive council consists of four elected students. They are a President, a Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Delegate-At-Large. Buffalo holds two seats now: junior Deb Theis was elected as next year's President and freshman Matt Gorrill, Delegate-At-Large.

The two amendments proposed at the convention were passed. They are:
There shall be one middle level/junior high representative serving on the EMASC.

Each executive officer, in good standing, shall receive a $25 scholarship to be applied to state leadership activities, such as MASC summer workshops and national and state conventions. The scholarship will be given out of the EMASC treasury and will be activated for the officers elected and serving in 1992-93.

A large portion of our day was spent debating on proposals. If passed, these proposals are then brought up at the state convention to be voted on.

In total, there were 13 proposals, and seven of those were passed. Those that passed were:
That a condom dispenser be placed in both male and female bathrooms in all public schools in the state of Minnesota.

That air conditioning not only be inserted into Administration and other offices, but the whole building as an equal.

That all state meetings and task forces concerning the discussion and investigation of Outcome Based Education have, seated on the committee, one metro area student and one greater MN student chosen by the committee.

That EMASC lobby the MSHSL (Minnesota State High School League) vote against allowing the coaches to coach their sports during the summer.

That a bi-partisan popularly elected student position be added to each school board in the state of Minnesota.

That the state of Minnesota require math and science through the 10th grade.

That one week be set aside each year in Minnesota public schools to study minorities and how they have played an important roll in our history.

In addition to that, we also had an activity to share new ideas with other schools and present them to the whole convention.

We would like to thank everybody who put time and effort into making this year's convention possible.

From of April th until April 14th, the Concert Band and Concert Choir from BHS will be attending and performing in the Gateway Music Festival in New Orleans.

Throughout the year, the Concert Band and Choir have been fundraising for the trip, getting the $290 it takes to bus there and back, pay for the hotel, and other sightseeing expenses. The only thing students have to pay for is meals.

“Money’s the hard part. You have to pay for it yourself and it gets hard when you have to pay for college, your car, ect.,” said senior Sheri Moon.

There are many advantages of going on this trip, consisting of many different activities. The members get to hear other choirs and bands from around the country, and spend some time in New Orleans.

Some of the things that the Concert Choir is doing to prepare for the trip includes putting together a 20 minute production called “Creation”. They are also planning on using some of the songs they are performing in the March Concert, and the big group festival in New Ulm at the end of March.

“As we perform more, we’ll get better and raise it to a new level,” said Choir director, Michael Walsh.

Concert Band will be performing three selections already picked from this year’s concerts, including “The Hounds of Spring.”

This is also going to be a learning time for the Band and Choir members. They will learn to get along with one another and build stronger friendships, something that many feel will make the band and choir work better together.

“I hope they can grow closer together and become cohesive with one another,” said Band Director, Rolf Mohwinkel.

The music department plans a trip once every other year, sometimes a shorter distance then to New Orleans, but always a learning and memorable experience for the students.

After four meets, the Buffalo Speech team, according to the majority of the members, is doing exceptionally well, earning many trophies and ribbons.

Coach Dave Alto has a very optimistic outlook for this meet.

“It’s very tough competition, but if each person does the best job they can, I’m happy,” said Alto.

Most of the members have equally high expectations.

“We have a great team, but we have a lot of work to be the best,” said junior Jill Dobis.

The third meet, at Glenco, produced even more awards. More than half of the team received awards. Quite possibly, after Regions, the team can look ahead to State. To compete in the State competition, Buffalo members must place first or second.

“It’s amazing to sit in the auditorium and hear the team receive the third place trophy!” said senior Carmen Blair.

Since Speech has started, it has helped many people get over their fear of talking in front of groups, a necessary tool in the future.

“You will find yourself in front of people very often, and this is great practice,” said freshman Tammy Schmidt.

EDUCATION
Continued from Page 1

could be the amount of time spent in school compared with other countries.

“This is often cited as a deficiency,” said a staff member for Senator Dave Durenberger. “We might need to rethink the traditional way of education because only a short part of the day is utilized. We are moving more toward outcomes in education. We need to tailor to meet the needs of all students.”

In order for the US to pull up its scores in the math and science areas, a number of things need to be done.

“It is a combined effort. We need parental involvement, but also students need to take responsibility and hit the books. There are also state and federal programs for higher education making grants and loans more available,” said Sikorski’s staff member.

There seems to be a possible link between the deterioration of education and family life in America.

“In some foreign countries, the mom is home and when the children come home from school at five o’clock, it is time to do two or three hours of homework and the mom sits and helps them. It is a family thing where everyone gets out the homework to work on. I don’t think it is like that here,” said Superintendent Darrell Miller.

Recently, legislation has been introduced and some already approved, to improve education in the U.S.

“Representative Sikorski sponsored a bill introduced last spring to give the parents time off from work for their students’ after school activities because studies have shown that students of the involved parents do well in school,” said Sikorski’s staff member.

There is also a bill going through congress that addresses more opportunities for women in math and science departments. It stresses wider opportunities and encourages the women involved to pursue careers in these departments.

After a very successful region competition, Odyssey of the Mind will be attending the State competition, hoping for a shot at the World Finals.

Odyssey of the Mind is an activity that tests your academic problem solving, and creativity skills. There are two different sections that the members must compete in; long term problem and spontaneous. In long term problems, there are about six different categories to choose from. The Buffalo team chose to do “Alice in Ommland”, a skit, that is a take-off of “Alice in Wonderland”. The team started to prepare in October, making sets, costumes, and writing the play. In the first competition, they received a first place rating from the judges.

“In [spontaneous], the team receives a word and then tries to think of as many words that go with the word as possible- it’s hard though, your mind goes blank,” said freshman Marie Zimmerman.

On April 11, at Armstrong High School in Plymouth, Buffalo will compete in the state competition.

“To win the state competition, we need to do very well in spontaneous. We do well in the skit,” said Joel Prazak.

If the team, consisting of juniors Tara Zahler, Sarah Julius, Jill Bartos, Tammy Zimmerman and freshman Marie Zimmerman, win state, they will advance to the world finals in Boulder, Colorado sometime in May or June. In the finals, there will be teams attending from countries all over the world.

“We’ve been up against some pretty tough competition, so we are up for the challenge,” said Bartos.

Among students and staff, hopes and expectations concerning Prom ’92 are exceptionally high this year. People have their own hopes and predictions for the prom.

“I would hope we get more people to come,” said science teacher and prom committee advisor Julie Swaggart. “I’d also like to see something like a dress exchange.”

Jennifer Heath summed up what most students hope for.

“I hope that we have a good band/music, that the colors are nice, and it’s at a decent place,” said Heath.

Prom is being held at the same place as last year, the St. Cloud Civic Center, with Grand March preceding, here at BHS.

As far as school tradition goes, the prom usually comes up in May, this year it falls on the ninth. It is also the same price as last year, $25 for class dues and $15 to get in. This year’s theme is “Reflections in the night” and the chosen prom colors are Midnight Blue and Metallic Silver.

There is also the issue of going with or without a date. Some people miss out on prom because they can’t find a date or don’t want a date or don’t have the money, but they really want to go. There’s always the choice to go “stag” or you can go with a group of people as friends, guys and girls. (For the people that aren’t planning to go, this is the least of their worries).

“I’d like to see people go more as groups like six people instead of just couples. I’d like to see more people make it a big thing,” said Spanish teacher, Pam Ramstad.

Another thing that concerns people about the prom is that attendees have fun, but most importantly, they go about prom safely.

“At prom time, the staff is always concerned about something happening because of poor judgments,” said Principal Nick Miller.

Around prom time there’s a lot of accidents that happen every year. People can’t prevent all of them, but it doesn’t hurt to be alert or cautious.

FINALS
Continued from Page 1

long, hard, and boring and some have studied and aced their tests.

“I don’t think they should be so close to the end of the year,” said sophomore Tyler Anderson.

Finals are not considered any worse than pop quizzes, because you can study for them. Students can’t study for pop quizzes. The only negative thing about finals is that many teachers choose the same day to test and that can be hard, if all of your classes are having them.

Finals are sometimes hard and they can be very long. Some finals take up to three days.

Teachers vary the amounts of influence that finals scores have on students’ overall grades.

“The finals I give are for me to see how much they learned. I don’t really count that much of it for a grade it’s more for me,” said Spanish teacher Pam Ramsted.

Assistant News Editor

After a very successful region competition, Odyssey of the Mind will be attending the State competition, hoping for a shot at the World Finals.

Odyssey of the Mind is an activity that tests your academic problem solving, and creativity skills. There are two different sections that the members must compete in; long term problem and spontaneous. In long term problems, there are about six different categories to choose from. The Buffalo team chose to do “Alice in Omerland”, a skit, that is a take-off of “Alice in Wonderland”. The team started to prepare in October, making sets, costumes, and writing the play. In the first competition, they received a first place rating from the judges.

“[In spontaneous], the team receives a word and then tries to think of as many words that go with the word as possible- it’s hard though, your mind goes blank,” said freshman Marie Zimmerman.

On April 11, at Armstrong High School in Plymouth, Buffalo will compete in the state competition.

“To win the state competition, we need to do very well in spontaneous. We do well in the skit,” said Joel Prazak.

If the team, consisting of juniors Tara Zahler, Sarah Julius, Jill Bartos, Tammy Zimmerman and freshman Marie Zimmerman, win state, they will advance to the world finals in Boulder, Colorado sometime in May or June. In the finals, there will be teams attending from countries all over the world.

“We’ve been up against some pretty tough competition, so we are up for the challenge,” said Bartos.

Staff Writer

Among students and staff, hopes and expectations concerning Prom ’92 are exceptionally high this year. People have their own hopes and predictions for the prom.

“I would hope we get more people to come,” said science teacher and prom committee advisor Julie Swaggart. “I’d also like to see something like a dress exchange.”

Jennifer Heath summed up what most students hope for.

“I hope that we have a good band/music, that the colors are nice, and it’s at a decent place,” said Heath.

Prom is being held at the same place as last year, the St. Cloud Civic Center, with Grand March preceding, here at BHS.

As far as school tradition goes, the prom usually comes up in May, this year it falls on the ninth. It is also the same price as last year, $25 for class dues and $15 to get in. This year’s theme is “Reflections in the night” and the chosen prom colors are Midnight Blue and Metallic Silver.

There is also the issue of going with or without a date. Some people miss out on prom because they can’t find a date or don’t want a date or don’t have the money, but they really want to go. There’s always the choice to go “stag” or you can go with a group of people as friends, guys and girls. (For the people that aren’t planning to go, this is the least of their worries).

“I’d like to see people go more as groups like six people instead of just couples. I’d like to see more people make it a big thing,” said Spanish teacher, Pam Ramstad.

Another thing that concerns people about the prom is that attendees have fun, but most important, they go about prom safely.

“At prom time, the staff is always concerned about something happening because of poor judgments,” said Principal Nick Miller.

Around prom time there’s a lot of accidents that happen every year. People can’t prevent all of them, but it doesn’t hurt to be alert or cautious.

BHS seniors finalists for Merit Scholarships

Seniors Carmen Blair and Noel McPheeters are among half of the top one percent of American High school seniors taking part in the National Merit Scholarship Program. The semifinalists were named in September, and the finalists were just named.

McPheeters and Blair are two of the few Merit finalists that Buffalo has had in many years. When they graduate, McPheeters is planning on attending Duke University or St. Thomas University, and Blair is considering Gustavus Adolphus College, or Luther College.

Graduation celebrated

The annual all night graduation party will be held on commencement evening, June 5, 1992.

The cost is $30.00 per person, and those attending are encouraged to pay the fee as soon as possible, although it may be paid up the night of the party.

No guests are allowed, those attending must be a member of the 1992 graduating class.

Notices were sent out in the mail, and if a person did not receive one, or lost theirs, a copy can be received from Marge Zrust, in the school office.

District School Board meeting to take place

The next District #877 School Board meeting will be on Monday, March 30. The meeting will be held at Montrose Elementary School, at 7:00 P.M., and is open to the public.

FINALS

Continued from Page 1

long, hard, and boring and some have studied and aced their tests.

“I don’t think they should be so close to the end of the year,” said sophomore Tyler Anderson.

Finals are not considered any worse than pop quizzes, because you can study for them. Students can’t study for pop quizzes. The only negative thing about finals is that many teachers choose the same day to test and that can be hard, if all of your classes are having them.

Finals are sometimes hard and they can be very long. Some finals take up to three days.

Teachers vary the amounts of influence that finals scores have on students’ overall grades.

“The finals I give are for me to see how much they learned. I don’t really count that much of it for a grade it’s more for me,” said Spanish teacher Pam Ramsted.

Among the many issues that our state legislators will battle out this session, there is one that will directly hit home to all students: whether administrators should have the right to censor material from high school newspapers. I am proud to say that at BHS our Journalism Departments do not need to worry about censorship. The reason we are so fortunate, is we have an administration that believes in the freedom of press. They believe when given the opportunity to be responsible journalists, students will carry through. To the administration of BHS... I commend you for this stand! This bill has been sponsored by Senator Allen Spear and Representative Ann Rest in the House. It is also supported by the Minnesota High School Press Association. Its House number is HF 2007 and in the Senate SF 1875. In order for the students to understand this issue, I am devoting the rest of my column to answering a few questions in regards to this bill. Q: Why do we need this legislation? A: Since the Hazelwood decision there has been a sharp increase in censorship across the country and in Minnesota. In the 1988 Hazelwood versus Kuhlmeier decision the U.S. Supreme Court destroyed high school journalism standards and values that had taken 20 years of hard work by advisers to teach. The decision gave school authorities broad, sweeping rights to censor content they felt unsuitable in student publications. Q: Is this legislation a new, revolutionary concept? A: No. The 1988 Hazelwood case was a 5-3 Supreme Court decision, but it overturned more than twenty years of the public forum theory. As apart of that concept, students were largely responsible for content, no matter how controversial or political. But advisers taught students to manage that responsibility. Q: Don't commercial publishers routinely restrain their editors, reporters and photographers? A: No. That's a persuasive misconception. If a publisher refuses to allow creative independence for the journalists on his publication, then those journalists would probably refuse to work in such a repressive environment. Q: With this legislation, who is responsible for a student newspaper? A: Student editors are responsible for the content. Qualified advisers are responsible for training and instruction, and they are responsible for restraining libel, obscenity, and substantial disruption to the school process. Advisers and administrators keep the responsibility for time, place, and manner restrictions -- how frequently can a newspaper be published? By what printer? At what price? With what budget? With what type of distribution in the school? Q: But who is the publisher of a student publication? A: If you are referring to the content of the publication, the student editors are responsible. If you refer to restraining libel, obscenity and substantial disruption, then advisers are responsible. If you refer to time, place, and manner restrictions, then advisers and administrators are responsible. Q: Will students have any restrictions with this bill? A: Yes, very important ones. This bill isn't a license for student anarchy. With this legislation, qualified advisers educate their students on professional journalism standards. They counsel their editors on leadership skills. They can restrain libel, obscenity, and substantial disruption to the school process. Q: Should students have so much responsibility and power? A: YES. If you believe in educational accountability, then students should have these responsibilities. How can students be taught to handle complex issues if they can't discuss them in open student forums, like newspapers and yearbooks? According to the Hazelwood decision, Freedom of the Press is guaranteed only in certain situations by the Constitution. Let's stop that reasoning.

Honestly, if we told you that all the answers to today's English test is at the bottom of this page, how many of you would look and cheat? Okay -- so we don't all have a million hours to study and we aren't all super geniuses. We can't ace every test presented to us. We don't ALWAYS do as well as our friends. We know those statements are true. But some students aren't happy with that. Well, this is a problem. Being creative smart people, some students searched for and came up with a solution. Cheat. Cheating has become a big problem at BHS. Some math teachers are requiring that all work be shown to get credit for an answer. Other teachers, for example English teachers, don't have that option. The only option they have is to give a different test to each student. But they can only write so many tests on one subject. So cheating persists. That means cheating is now the problem that has to be solved. On The Bison, we've had enough of “it only hurts you if you cheat.” That's partly true, but not totally. It isn't true that “cheaters never prosper.” Cheaters, of course, do better on tests, therefore they get better grades, which means they get into better colleges, better jobs, and so on. True, they hurt themselves, because left on their own they can't do anything, but still, they get better test scores than non-cheaters. As honest students, you have to protect yourself and your life and keep cheaters from hurting themselves. The best way is to tell a teacher if you know someone is cheating, whether it's on a regular basis or an occasional test panic. You can't keep pretending you don't notice your friends cheating and protect their guilt. We're almost positive that any teacher you tell is willing to keep your identity a secret. Think about it, it can't hurt you. Once the cheater is caught, why don't you be a good friend and invite them to study with you before the next test? If they've been cheating long enough, they've probably forgotten how to study. If you're still wary about telling on a friend, don't look at it as tattling. Think of it as helping them learn.

Have you ever looked at someone's calendar (maybe even your own) and wondered when that person sleeps, because they're involved in so many activities? This is a common problem with many students at BHS. They want to be in activities with all their friends, so they join as many activities as humanly possible (or sometimes more than that.) By doing so, they fill all of their time with practices, competitions, homework, etc. There are students who fall asleep in class. If they're that tired, they shouldn't be in school. They obviously can't be learning much. They should reconsider their priorities. The Bison isn't saying that joining more than one extra curricular activity is bad, but you have to manage your time. You should only join as many activities as you can personally handle. You shouldn't be joining so many that you never have time to do your homework. Since the problem of joining so many activities applies to so many of you, we have another problem we'd like to address. You need time to take a break. So, after school, you do your homework and watch all the TV shows you just can't miss. That leaves mods as mental break period. However, The Bison was wondering what mods really is supposed to be. We found it in our student handbook (page 84 if you want to look it up.) “Study mod is a structured period of time that allows students the opportunity to explore areas of educational interest. . . this study mod will be a supervised and quiet study period.” If that is actually what mods are supposed to be, then why do we hear complaints from students such as “why won't you let us play cards in here during mods?” Since when are card games and gossiping areas of educational interest? (Yes, they are areas of interest, but educational is the key word here!) We all enjoy taking a mental break in the middle of a busy day. However, The Bison feels that you can do this in a more educational way. Read a book, go to the gym and participate in an activity, or write a poem or story. The opportunities are endless. We can hear your next argument already. “I want to socialize with my friends.” We have nothing against that. But rather than wasting time playing cards or gossiping, get involved in an educational activity with your friends. School is not a place to become sociable, make friends, and have fun, although they are the benefits of coming here. You're here for one reason: to become educated. It is your job to fit your friends and fun into education without disrupting your learning. It is also your job to make learning fun. Playing poker during mods isn't the only way to have fun in school. Trust us.

DEAR EDITOR:

What has this school become?

Why should there be rules for what we say and wear, i.e. Concert T-Shirts (Sex, Drugs, and Drinking)?

In the 60’s, people stood for what they believed in, but why today are people afraid to face the truth? In our school paper, we know how great students have been, how GPA’s are important, and in the mornings when Ms. Bergert comes on we know how the gymnastics team did the previous night! In the halls, all we see are preps and geeks, we hear words like slut, bitch, pansy, and loser. We get in trouble for the clothes we are wearing, for standing up and writing what we believe is right. Isn’t that what our parents taught us, to stand up for what we believe in? When I was growing up, my mom always said that if I felt that something was wrong, I should stand up for what I believe in and say how I felt.

Maybe my friends and I may look different, act different, and dress different, but why should that make a difference in how we are treated? If I choose to wear a T-shirt with a naked baby on it or a naked woman on it or even with a weird saying on it or a picture of death, it doesn’t mean that I am a Satan worshipper and I am not suggesting the use of drugs or sex. I am just wearing what I want. Just because Mr. Miller wouldn’t wear an Ozzy shirt and finds it offensive, that doesn’t mean that I can’t wear it because he doesn’t like it.

If a person wears a shirt and another interprets it as “You’re a Satan worshipper” and says “We don’t want your kind here” or “We don’t want that kind of profanity in our school.” That is like saying “You’re gay, we don’t want you here” or “If you don’t cut your hair and trash your earring we can’t hire you!”

Sure, I can see them opposing the destruction of desks and maybe swearing in halls, but telling us what we can and can’t wear, and telling us what we can and can’t write about, that’s breaking our Freedom of Speech.

Junior
Christi Micka

Functional Industries works for handicapped

By Christina Carlson
Staff Writer

At Functional Industries, Incorporated, special needs students get a chance to develop and maintain the skills necessary to meet the demands of a work environment.

“It helps prepare them for the real world,” said special needs teacher, Jane Keefe.

Functional Industries, Incorporated is a private, nonprofit corporation located in both Buffalo and Cokato, Minnesota. It was located at first, in an old school house in Crawford and run by an interested group of parents. Later the building out grew its residence, and they moved to the building where it is currently located, Highway 25 in, Buffalo.

The purpose is to provide training and employment opportunities to mentally disabled persons in order to earn an income. The program is based on the belief that every individual should be provided equal opportunity to achieve his or her maximum potential.

“The work is designed according to their ability,” said Keefe.

Their earnings and salary plans are based on established piece rates and employees are reviewed every six months. A piece rate is especially designed for that individual, based on the persons' ability. The wage is made to pay them per item rather than per hour. The pay is quite fair for the person with special needs, so that they can live comfortably in the community. The students start out with a helper at their side, or as long as is needed to learn the job. Then after that, they work on their own.

Their jobs consist of packaging, assembly of common items, collating, janitorial, sewing, ground maintenance, and work crews.

“The tasks are actually factory work, like assembling and packaging,” said Keefe.

They get monthly pay checks instead of weekly, so the paychecks come the last day of every month. Then, they learn to manage and bank their money through the program.

When “normal” students sometimes see TMH, (trainable mentally handicapped) students filling the pop machines in the mall, that is often the first step to this process of beginning to the work at Functional Industries.

“The kids really like it out at [Functional Industries]. We have about 14 students working off and on for Functional Industries, depending on if they have work for them or not,” said Keefe.

The people that work at Functional Industries are catagorized as, 70% mentally retarded, 20% mentally ill, and 10% physically handicapped.

Functional Industries has its own funding sources, such as: Minnesota Division of Rehabilitation services, United Way, County Social Service Agencies, private contributions, and organized contributions.

“We need more money for staff systems, and to supervise the students and to teach and coach them, it's all like job training,” said Keefe.

Staff Writers

Special needs students, at times, may seem different from the rest of the student body, but they really have the same needs and frustrations as everyone else.

“I get frustrated when people bud in front of me in the lunch line,” said junior Angie Weller.

Some special needs students get involved in the mainstreaming, or inclusion, program. This means that they attend a regular class, just the same as most students.

There are some requirements for getting into the program. First, instructors ask themselves, “can their needs be met?”. Then, the environment and the surroundings need to be checked in order to assure that their special needs will be appropriately met.

Teacher involvement often determines the success of the program.

“I’m open and receptive, because I think it’s good for their self-esteem,” said biology teacher, Dave Fiedler.

YARC was created about ten years ago with the intent of bringing the special needs students together with the mainstream students.

Another objective was to make mainstream students more aware of the special needs students, and to show that they are more alike, than different.

“YARC fosters friendships with students not exposed to each other before,” said special education supervisor Carla Finke.

People in YARC feel that it takes patience and understanding to be in the group. It is often necessary to devote much free time with people who have needs.

“I always thought it would be fun to work with special ed kids,” said freshman Tamara Schmidt.

As with any activity, there are some drawbacks to the program.

“Some of the things the class does are too technical. We do more group projects and hands-on type things to keep from getting too heavy,” said Fiedler.

Getting out and developing new friendships gives more experience to come in contact with others.

“I like to work with the other kids. They make me feel a part of the group,” said Jamie Ellefson, a special needs student.

Not only does this give the special needs students a chance to experience new friendships, but others learn something as well.

“It takes a lot of time and patience to work with them. I will remember this for a long time,” said Mandi Bratsch.

Mainstream students don't always understand what the special needs students are like, and what special activities they do.

“I guess I just wanted to get to know them better, and to actually do things with them,” said junior Deb Theis.

Along with the friendships and learning, brings an outcome, that will keep expanding and change the way thinking is done.

“I love [biology], it’s awesome! I liked everything, because Mr. Fiedler knows about animals and science,” said special needs student, Corey Scholl.

YARC and the inclusion of students in the mainstreaming program brings together the students that normally would not be together.

On March 13, starting at 5:30 PM, BHS hosted the Area 7 Special Olympics swim meet.

There were 85-100 participants from all over the seventh district. Some of the towns that participated were: Cambridge, Princeton, Milaca, St.Cloud, Chisago Pine, Rocori Public Schools, and Buffalo.

The swimmers competed in races such as: 15 meter floatation, 25 meter free style, and 100 meter unified relay, or other similar races. The swimmers were allowed to be in two individual events and one relay.

The nine Buffalo athletes that are competing were: Joel Arens, Julie Buttenhoff, Kathy Carlson, David Lee, Loni Staples, Matt Strieck, Angie Weller, Jed Oliver, and Mary Way. They were coached by Lori Curott and Judy Loberg.

Athletes were put into divisions according to age, sex, and their ability. Area coaches send in the athletes' times from practices and the division takes place from there.

“When the coaches are making teams for the next season, they ask each person in the special needs program, whether or not they want to be on the aquatics team.

When it comes to state competitions, the coaches have to choose a person who will be mentally and physically ready for the competition.

“The athletes are chosen not just on ability, but whether or not they are able to handle themselves and their behavior.”

Coach Judy Loberg

The athletes are chosen not just on ability, but whether or not they are able to handle themselves and their behavior.

Events such as this, enlist many: friends, parents, volunteers and staff to show their support, and encouragement to the special athletes.

“I like to see the athletes set goals for themselves, so they can improve on their swimming skills or their endurance. I've seen them increase their confidence from being able to do something they didn’t think they could do,” said Curott.

“YARC fosters friendships with students not exposed to each other before.”

Carla Finke,
Special Education Therapist, YARC Adviser

“The kids really like it out there. We have about 14 students working on and off for Functional Industries, depending on if they have work for them or not.”

Jane Keefe,
Special Needs Teacher

On March 13, starting at 5:30 PM, BHS hosted the Area 7 Special Olympics swim meet. There were 85-100 participants from all over the seventh district. Some of the towns that participated were: Cambridge, Princeton, Milaca, St.Cloud, Chisago Pine, Rocori Public Schools, and Buffalo. The swimmers competed in races such as: 15 meter floatation, 25 meter free style, and 100 meter unified relay, or other similar races. The swimmers were allowed to be in two individual events and one relay.

The nine Buffalo athletes that are competing were: Joel Arens, Julie Buttenhoff, Kathy Carlson, David Lee, Loni Staples, Matt Strieck, Angie Weller, Jed Oliver, and Mary Way. They were coached by Lori Curott and Judy Loberg.

Athletes were put into divisions according to age, sex, and their ability. Area coaches send in the athletes' times from practices and the division takes place from there.

When the coaches are making teams for the next season, they ask each person in the special needs program, whether or not they want to be on the aquatics team.

When it comes to state competitions, the coaches have to choose a person who will be mentally and physically ready for the competition.

“The athletes are chosen not just on ability, but whether or not they are able to handle themselves and their behavior.” Coach Judy Loberg

“The athletes are chosen not just on ability, but whether or not they are able to handle themselves and their behavior.”

The athletes are chosen not just on ability, but whether or not they are able to handle themselves and their behavior away from their families, said coach Loberg.

Events such as this, enlist many: friends, parents, volunteers and staff to show their support, and encouragement to the special athletes.

“I like to see the athletes set goals for themselves, so they can improve on their swimming skills or their endurance. I've seen them increase their confidence from being able to do something they didn't think they could do,” said Curott.

At Functional Industries, Incorporated, special needs students get a chance to develop and maintain the skills necessary to meet the demands of a work environment.

“It helps prepare them for the real world,” said special needs teacher, Jane Keefe.

Functional Industries, Incorporated is a private, nonprofit corporation located in both Buffalo and Cokato, Minnesota. It was located at first, in an old school house in Crawford and run by an interested group of parents. Latter the building out grew its residence, and they moved to the building where it is currently located, Highway 25 in, Buffalo.

The purpose is to provide training and employment opportunities to mentally disabled persons in order to earn an income. The program is based on the belief that every individual should be provided equal opportunity to achieve his or her maximum potential.

“The work is designed according to their ability,” said Keefe.

Their earnings and salary plans are based on established piece rates and employees are reviewed every six months. A piece rate is especially designed for that individual, based on the persons' ability. The wage is made to pay them per item rather than per hour. The pay is quite fair for the person with special needs, so that they can live comfortably in the community. The students start out with a helper at first, or as long as it needed to learn the job. Then after that, they work on their own.

Their jobs consist of packaging, assembly of common items, collating, janitorial, sewing, ground maintenance, and work crews.

“The tasks are actually factory work, like assembling and packaging,” said Keefe.

They get monthly pay checks instead of weekly, so the paychecks come the last day of every month. Then, they learn to manage and bank their money through the program.

When “normal” students sometimes see TMH, (trainable mentally handicapped) students filling the pop machines in the mall, that is often the first step to this process of beginning to work at Functional Industries.

“The kids really like it out at [Functional Industries]. We have about 14 students working off and on for Functional Industries, depending on if they have work for them or not,” said Keefe.

The people that work at Functional Industries are categorized as, 70% mentally retarded, 20% mentally ill, and 10% physically handicapped.

Functional Industries has its own funding sources, such as: Minnesota Division of Rehabilitation services, United Way, County Social Service Agencies, private contributions, and organized contributions.

“We need more money for staff systems, and to supervise the students and to teach and coach them, it's all like job training,” said Keefe.

Special needs students, at times, may seem different from the rest of the student body, but they really have the same needs and frustrations as everyone else.

“I get frustrated when people bud in front of me in the lunch line,” said junior Angie Weller.

Some special needs students get involved in the mainstreaming, or inclusion, program. This means that they attend a regular class, just the same as most students.

There are some requirements for getting into the program. First, instructors ask themselves, “can their needs be met?”. Then, the environment and the surroundings need to be checked in order to assure that their special needs will be appropriately met.

Teacher involvement often determines the success of the program.

“I’m open and receptive, because I think it’s good for their self-esteem,” said biology teacher, Dave Feidler.

YARC was created about ten years ago with the intent of bringing the special needs students together with the mainstream students.

Another objective was to make mainstream students more aware of the special needs students, and to show that they are more alike, than different.

“YARC fosters friendships with students not exposed to each other before,” said special education supervisor Carla Finke.

People in YARC feel that it takes patience and understanding to be in the group. It is often necessary to devote much free time with people who have needs.

“I always thought it would be fun to work with special ed kids,” said freshman Tamara Schmidt.

As with any activity, there are some drawbacks to the program.

“Some of the things the class does are too technical. We do more group projects and hands-on- type things to keep from getting too heavy,” said Fiedler.

Getting out and developing new friendships gives more experience to come in contact with others.

“I like to work with the other kids. They make me feel a part of the group,” said Jamie Ellefson, a special needs student.

Not only does this give the special needs students a chance to experience new friendships, but others learn something as well.

“It takes a lot of time and patience to work with them. I will remember this for a long time,” said Mandi Bratsch.

Mainstream students don't always understand what the special needs students are like, and what special activities they do.

“I guess I just wanted to get to know them better, and to actually do things with them,” said junior Deb Theis.

Along with the friendships and learning, brings an outcome, that will keep expanding and change the way thinking is done.

“I love [biology], it’s awesome! I liked everything, because Mr. Fiedler knows about animals and science,” said special needs student, Corey Scholl.

YARC and the inclusion of students in the mainstreaming program brings together the students that normally would not be together.

BHS is bursting from the seams. The hallways are getting so crowded that getting to class alive is a daily challenge faced by students. It can be frustrating -- and take a long time.

“You have to be fast at your locker to make sure you get to class on time” said freshman Marie Zimmerman. “Other wise you could get caught in a traffic jam and be late.”

One of causes is the narrow halls and all the students entering the halls from classes after the bell rings. Every one wants to get out of their class and into the hallways to meet with friends before going to their next hour.

“The A and C hallways should be bigger,” said sophomore Lisa Aro, “You end up stopping all the time, because too many people are coming out of classrooms after the bell.”

Another cause of the problem is groups of friends that gather to talk by their lockers between classes.

“They should remove all the lockers from the A hallway,” said senior Jennifer Heath.

Whatever the solution, action will need to be taken before this building bursts.

Two sports-related issues have come before the student council. The Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) and the North Suburban Conference are going through changes that will affect BHS athletes.

The North Suburban Conference is splitting into two conferences. On Thursday, February 27, seven of the ten North Suburban schools, including Buffalo, voted to pull out of the conference, leaving Irondale, Elk River, and Mounds View. The change will take effect in the 1993-94 school year.

The seven schools that pulled out will form a new conference in 1993-94. The seven will also ask Monticello and/or Cambridge to join the conference, in order to get the preferred minimum of eight schools. A name has yet to be selected for the new conference.

“It may make the conference a little more competitive,” said Carl Davis, varsity hockey and J.V. soccer coach. “I think that in all the athletics, it’s going to give us the opportunity to have realistic goals of winning the conference.”

However, Davis mentioned that there might be a drawback to creating a new conference.

“[The break-up] may make the conference a little more competitive. It is going to give us the opportunity to have realistic goals of winning the conference.”

Carl Davis, Hockey and Soccer Coach

BHS athletes is a new proposal before the MSHSL Representative Assembly, allowing high school coaches to coach in a league, provide private instruction, and coach in local practice sessions during the summer. Summer is defined as the fourth Friday in May through Labor Day.

However, coaches are not allowed to coach their own athletes at a camp or clinic. A vote on the bylaw is scheduled for April 28.

“I think it would be all right. It would be fun just being able to do sports in the summer,” said student council member Luke McLain.

McLain was concerned, however, that the amount of free time for student athletes might be cut.

“I wouldn’t want [to practice] too much, because it would take away from our summertime,” said McLain.

At the Eastern Region Student Council Convention, hosted at BHS, 25 sophomores, 25 juniors, and 25 seniors were polled on the issue. The final result was 42 for the bylaw, 33 against. The results were sent to the MSHSL Representative Assembly.

Preparing for the region wrestling competition, the BHS wrestlers set their final goals and strived to meet them.

On February 21 and 22, the Bison wrestlers competed individually for the region title. The team sent 13 members to Hutchinson, with seven receiving awards. Sophomore Aaron Buckley and junior Frank Birch placed second, qualifying them for the state tournament. Junior Jim Kath placed third in his weight class, while senior Chuck Hickman and freshman Chuck Ordorff placed fourth. Senior Mike Mutterer and junior Mike Mies placed fifth.

Coach Gerry Bakke prepared each team member for their matches with enthusiasm.

“I try to be very honest with what we need,” said Bakke. “I tell them, it’s not who wins or loses, it’s how you win or lose. It means the same to me if they lose a big wrestler than winning when expected.”

Knowing what Bakke expected, the team members performed well enough to place them fourth out of 13 teams as they advanced to the Region 2AA team tournament.

“I think he expects us to give everything we have and also to be a leader and to show leadership as well as setting an example. He will be happy with that,” said Hickman.

As the tournaments approached, the team members focused on dieting, and practices.

“The practices [were] getting harder. We [were] running more and we [were] focusing on what we wanted,” said senior Brian McNulty.

The support wrestlers received at home and away strengthened their desire to compete well.

“My parents come and make me want to wrestle better. There’s a will to win,” said Mutterer.

There are many things that this year’s team has learned. Many members will often call this year a rebuilding year, after losing about three-quarters of the team to graduation. This year’s wrestling team and their performance was characterized in three words by one team member.

“Young, outgoing, and rebuilding,” said Kath.

AS THE REF COUNTED OFF SECONDS, junior Jim Kath racked up points as he tried to pin an opponent during one of his matches at the region tournament at Hutchinson. He pinned his opponent seconds later. Kath placed third in his weight class at the meet.

Being on the wrestling team has many advantages and disadvantages. One disadvantage for team members is having to lose weight to meet their weight class.

In addition to having to lose weight, they also have to keep up with school, adding to the stress on their bodies.

The situation of losing weight has to do with where the team needs a member to beat, and fairness to wrestlers. If one wrestler has to lose more weight than another, they would have a disadvantage.

Some wrestlers say that it is easy to cut weight. They just dehydrate their bodies the day that they weigh in.

“You might have to cut 10 pounds at the beginning of the season. It depends on where they need you to be,” said freshmen Shawn Bakke.

Being on varsity also has its problems, compared to junior varsity. Junior varsity members have the advantage that they don’t need to lose as much weight because the restrictions are more lenient.

“When you’re on J.V., you don’t have to cut as much. It’s not as vital as when you’re on varsity,” said Bakke.

Getting ready for their second year on the all-weather track, the Bison track team is preparing for competition in North Suburban Conference. About 120 students have signed up for the team.

Coach Ed Saxton feels that middle distance running, 400 and 800 meters, will be improved from last year.

“This year we have another coach, which will be a plus for us,” said Saxton.

The team will be hosting four meets this year. Saxton hopes to host a fifth. Both Buffalo and Hopkins are battling to hold the True Team sectionals.

The soft ball team is looking forward to a respectable season with only two more years in the North Suburban Conference.

Many softball players feel that their performance near the end of last year's season will rub off on the team this year.

“If we keep up the motivation, we'll have a good team,” said senior Becky Antl.

One thing that the team needs to improve on is putting aside personal problems on the field. Antl said that a new program of always complementing teammates is successful.

“As a team, we come together,” said Antl.

After last year's rain-soaked second place finish, the baseball team is looking for another successful performance.

The team, which went 9-5 last year, has lost seven starters. However, the team has eight seniors returning.

“There are a lot of teams that lost some good players last year,” said coach LeRoy Erickson. “The team expects to do well by placing in the top half of the conference. Erickson expects Irondale to repeat as the conference champions, but he is optimistic about Buffalo's chances. [We have to] play together, play hard, and not play for individuals,” said Erickson.

“We're going for it all,” said senior Chad Bornes. Bornes said that both teams need to be consistent to have hopes of winning the championship.

“We need strong performances all the way through [the season],” said Bornes.

With many seniors returning to play, the boys' and girls' golf teams are looking to win the conference championship.

Last year, many boys' teams in the conference lost key seniors to graduation. The Bison feel that this will be their chance to win the title.

With above normal temperatures melting the snow off the ground, the boys' tennis team can get an early start this spring.

This will be the first full season of use on the new BHS tennis courts, which were finished late last fall.

“We'll have the new tennis courts which will be nice. Hopefully, we can do well,” said coach Charley Keifenheim.

Despite a losing record, the Bison boys' basketball team went into the region playoffs with high hopes.

This year, the Bison had a 5-16 record at the end of the regular season. Five teams in the North Suburban Conference are ranked highly in the state.

However, after those five, the Bison led the rest of the group.

“We've done well defensively and we've shown teams that we can really play,” said sophomore Justin Kassulke.

The height of the players has been a problem all season, but they are eliminating it by working on the basics.

“We just keep working on the fundamentals of the game,” said head coach Neil Fletcher. “We keep working on executing as team.”

The spirit of the team has remained high because of their position in the standings, even though they have only won 25 percent of their games.

“Everybody is really pumped all the time,” said Kassulke.

Going into the playoffs, the team feels that they can do well. According to Fletcher, the region has few teams with an even record this year. Because of that, the team is preparing, both mentally and physically.

“We'll try to win as many games as we can and play as long as we can,” said sophomore Troy Duzer.

As for next year, Fletcher is very optimistic about how well the team will do.

“The future's so bright that we gotta wear shades,” said Fletcher.

GOING UP FOR THE JUMPER, senior Ryan Mattson took a shot in the first region game against Hutchinson on Thursday, March 12. The Bison lost to the Tigers 76-59, ending their season.

BHS has a new sport among the ranks of athletic events. The Bison danceline has been classified as a sport to meet state requirements for equality in the number of boys' and girls' sports options.

A Student Council suggestion box last year produced several interests in forming a danceline.

When the idea to form a danceline was first introduced at a meeting last March, there were between 30 and 40 girls interested in the activity. After some thinning out, it boiled down to only 15 girls.

Fund-raisers, such as car washes, were held throughout the summer to pay for the materials and accessories needed for their costumes.

Practices, which are often held at night or after-school, include critique sessions, stretching, and repeatedly rehearsing the steps.

“[It was] primarily seniors, so I don't know if it will continue. There haven't really been any other interests.”

Nancy Bergert, Activities Director

things together,” said senior Maudie Louisiana.

Anybody who is willing to make the commitment to the squad can participate.

“[Right now it's] primarily seniors, so I don't know it will continue,” said Activities Director Nancy Bergert. “There haven't really been any other interests.”

According to Louisiana, a lot of imagination and hard work by the dancers went into forming the danceline.

“[It was] interesting getting to know people who wanted to make the effort and stick with it,” said Louisiana.

While athletic teams are competing, the Bison cheerleaders are on the sidelines rooting them on.

“The purpose of cheerleading is two-fold. We support the team and raise school spirit,” said coach Carla Finke.

To be a cheerleader, one should possess many qualities. Tryout judges look for people that show responsibility, open-mindedness, assertiveness, and having a generally pleasant attitude.

The cheerleaders practice in their squads once a week with Finke. Many of the squads also have additional practices. They work on stunts, cheers, jumps, and dance steps.

This year, Finke started having pool workouts to help strengthen cheerleaders' arm and leg muscles. Some cheerleaders also lift weights on their own and some go to summer camps to get ideas of what cheerleaders from other schools do differently.

To letter, cheerleaders can have no unexcused absences, they must assist in planning pepfests, and take part in promotional or special athletic activities like parents' night games.

Like most athletic teams, cheerleaders face problems they have to address and deal with throughout the year.

“It’s hard to show school spirit when some fans aren't into it and they refuse to be enthusiastic,” said freshman Kim Myhre.

Cheerleaders also feel that they face the problem of being stereotyped by others.

“People think that cheerleaders are dumb and they have no emotions and that's not true,” said junior Rachel Sherman.

“It's hard to show school spirit when some fans aren't into it and they refuse to be enthusiastic,” said freshman Kim Myhre.

“V-I-C-T-O-R-Y! THAT'S OUR BISON BATTLE CRY!” The boys' basketball cheerleading squad encouraged the team, despite losing to Hutchinson on Thursday, March 12.

The boys of summer are back, or are they? Jack Morris is gone, headed to Toronto because of money. Even Puckett's three million per year looks like a drop in the bucket now. Why, even the Chicago White Sox are paying Bo Jackson $100,000 even though he is having hip replacement surgery and might never play again.

My big question is: why are baseball players receiving $5 million or more per year when America is in a recession?

Guys, go make sure you have your morals straight. Then talk to the general manager about your small salary.

While athletic teams are competing, the Bison cheerleaders are on the sidelines rooting them on. “The purpose of cheerleading is two-fold. We support the team and raise school spirit,” said coach Carla Finke. To be a cheerleader, one should possess many qualities. Tryout judges look for people that show responsibility, open-mindedness, assertiveness, and having a generally pleasant attitude. The cheerleaders practice in their squads once a week with Finke. Many of the squads also have additional practices. They work on stunts, cheers, jumps, and dance steps. This year, Finke started having pool workouts to help strengthen cheerleaders' arm and leg muscles. Some cheerleaders also lift weights on their own and some go to summer camps to get ideas of what cheerleaders from other schools do differently. To letter, cheerleaders can have no unexcused absences, they must assist in planning pepfests, and take part in promotional or special athletic activities like parents' night games. Like most athletic teams, cheerleaders face problems they have to address and deal with throughout the year. “It's hard trying to show school spirit when sometimes fans aren't into it and they refuse to be enthusiastic,” said freshman Kim Myhre. Cheerleaders also feel that they face the problem of being stereotyped by others. “People think that cheerleaders are dumb and they have no emotions and that's not true,” said junior Rachel Sherman.

The boys of summer are back, or are they? Jack Morris is gone, headed to Toronto because of money. Even Puckett's three million per year looks like a drop in the bucket now. Why, even the Chicago White Sox are paying Bo Jackson $100,000 even though he is having hip replacement surgery and might never play again. My big question is: why are baseball players receiving $5 million or more per year when America is in a recession? Guys, go make sure you have your morals straight. Then talk to the general manager about your small salary.

Track Getting ready for their second year on the all-weather track, the Bison track team is preparing for competition in North Suburban Conference. About 120 students have signed up for the team. Coach Ed Saxton feels that middle distance running, 400 and 800 meters, will be improved from last year. “This year we have another coach, which will be a plus for us,” said Saxton. The team will be hosting four meets this year. Saxton hopes to host a fifth. Both Buffalo and Hopkins are battling to hold the True Team sectionals. “As a team, we come together,” said Antl. Softball The softball team is looking forward to a respectable season with only two more years in the North Suburban Conference. Many softball players feel that their performance near the end of last year's season will rub off on the team this year. “If we keep up the motivation, we'll have a good team,” said senior Becky Antl. One thing that the team needs to improve on is putting aside personal problems on the field. Antl said that a new program of always complementing teammates is successful. “As a team, we come together,” said Antl. Baseball After last year's rain-soaked second place finish, the baseball team is looking for another successful performance. The team, which went 9-5 last year, has lost seven starters. However, the team has eight seniors returning. “There are a lot of teams that lost some good players last year,” said coach LeRoy Erickson. The team expects to do well by placing in the top half of the conference. Erickson expects Irondale to repeat as the conference champions, but he is optimistic about Buffalo's chances. “[We have to] play together, play hard, and not play for individuals,” said Erickson. Golf With many seniors returning to play, the boys' and girls' golf teams are looking to win the conference championship. Last year, many boys' teams in the conference lost key seniors to graduation. The Bison feel that this will be their chance to win the title. “We're going for it all,” said senior Chad Bornes. Bornes said that both teams need to be consistent to have hopes of winning the championship. “We need strong performances all the way through [the season],” said Bornes. Boys' Tennis With above normal temperatures melting the snow off the ground, the boys' tennis team can get an early start this spring. This will be the first full season of use on the new BHS tennis courts, which were finished late last fall. “We'll have the new tennis courts which will be nice. Hopefully, we can do well,” said coach Charley Keifenheim.

Despite a losing record, the Bison boys' basketball team went into the region playoffs with high hopes. This year, the Bison had a 5-16 record at the end of the regular season. Five teams in the North Suburban Conference are ranked highly in the state. However, after those five, the Bison led the rest of the group. “We've done well defensively and we've shown teams that we can really play,” said sophomore Justin Kassulke. The height of the players has been a problem all season, but they are eliminating it by working on the basics. “We just keep working on the fundamentals of the game,” said head coach Neil Fletcher. “We keep working on executing as team.” The spirit of the team has remained high because of their position in the standings, even though they have only won 25 percent of their games. “Everybody is really pumped all the time,” said Kassulke. Going into the playoffs, the team feels that they can do well. According to Fletcher, the region has few teams with an even record this year. Because of that, the team is preparing, both mentally and physically. “We'll try to win as many games as we can and play as long as we can,” said sophomore Troy Duerr. As for next year, Fletcher is very optimistic about how well the team will do. “The future's so bright that we gotta wear shades,” said Fletcher.

BHS has a new sport among the ranks of athletic events. The Bison danceline has been classified as a sport to meet state requirements for equality in the number of boys' and girls' sports options. A Student Council suggestion box last year produced several interests in forming a danceline. When the idea to form a danceline was first introduced at a meeting last March, there were between 30 and 40 girls interested in the activity. After some thinning out, it boiled down to only 15 girls. Fund-raisers, such as car washes, were held throughout the summer to pay for the materials and accessories needed for their costumes. Practices, which are often held at night or after-school, include critique sessions, stretching, and repeatedly rehearsing the steps. “Right now it's primarily seniors, so I don't know if it will continue. There haven't really been any other interests.” Nancy Bergert, Activities Director. Anybody who is willing to make the commitment to the squad can participate. “[Right now it's] primarily seniors, so I don't know if it will continue,” said Activities Director Nancy Bergert. “There haven't really been any other interests.” According to Louisiana, a lot of imagination and hard work by the dancers went into forming the danceline. “[It was] interesting getting to know people who wanted to make the effort and stick with it,” said Louisiana.

This movie, Medicine Man, has drama, humor, romance, adventure, great scenery, an excellent plot, and great acting. Robert Campbell (Sean Connery) is researching the cure for cancer in the rainforest. Campbell is the medicine man the Aborigines he lives with, he took over this position from serving a child Alka Seltzer for an upset stomach.

Campbell’s relationship with the Aborigines is really tight, especially when outsiders appear. He especially latches on to the kids, hitting balls into the forest and giving them chocolate covered ants as a reward. Dr. Rae Crane (Lorraine Bracco) is his research assistant from the Bronx. As Campbell and Crane work together they discover a crucial factor in their work, Peak 37.