The Bison – October 17, 1990

“Feed me!” screams a larger-than-life plant in the musical, “Little Shop of Horrors.” An annual activity, BHS presents a multi-act play for the community. This year, the musical, “Little Shop of Horrors” will be performed on November 8-11 in the Buffalo Junior High auditorium. “We chose this musical because some other schools were having it,” said music director Michael Walsh. “This play is fun and neat to do; it’s different.” In order to perform the play, due to copyright laws, BHS must rent the official plant, and this posed some early complications. The directors ran into problems locating the plants. After assuming that the plants would be rented from Mankato State University, the directors discovered that the plants were sent to another school. More searching yielded results when the plants were available from the University of Minnesota-Duluth. The story-line is based upon a plant, a cross between a venus fly trap and an avacado, which starts out small and “innocent”, but grows into an enormous man-eating plant. “The largest plant weighs anywhere from 100 to 150 pounds,” said junior Rob Kruck. The smallest is controlled by hand and the largest has a person inside controling him. There are four major female, and four major male, roles in the play. “Every one has a major role in this play,” said Walsh. The main charctors are: Student Director: Sheri Moon, Audrey: Caroline Whitiker, Seymour: Shawn Hjelmeland, Plant voice: Rob Kruck, and Plant movement: Holly Mattson. The cast has been practising after school and evenings since auditions, and the crew has been constructing sets and props. “We have an excellent cast this year. The smaller cast makes it easier because there isn’t that many people to work with,” Walsh said. “The person that has “Audrey movement” probably has the hardest part because they can’t see and they have to know every one elses line,” said freshman Shiwaun Robinson.

Oil supply decreases, consumers pay the price By Jason Chalupnik News Editor It’s been 77 days and U.S. troops still in Saudi Arabia, and the price of gasoline continues to rise. On August 2, 1990, Iqari forces, under the command of President Saddam

Since the deployment of troops by President Bush, many Minnesotan’s have felt the effect of their loved ones being sent over to U.S. bases and camps in the Middle East. “It’s good that he’s over

The National Honor Society induction ceremony will be held in the mall, on October 29, at 7:30 pm. The ceremony will consist of the introduction of the officers, a welcome to the new members and a guest speaker. Refreshments will be served afterward. To qualify for NHS, students must meet specific requirements. Outstanding academic abilities, good character and a positive attitude, are among the qualities that students must exhibit. Prospective members must also display good leadership skills and participate in community service. In the academic area, students are required to maintain a 9.2 or higher grade point average. Teacher evaluations are also among the criteria. “If you’re a gifted person, that is gifted intellectually, gifted with personality, and gifted with leadership ability, the greater those things are, the more you are expected to contribute,” said co-adviser Mary Lynn Leff. In past years, NHS has been responsible for several events including: the early spring Red Cross blood drive, the Thanksgiving/Christmas food drive, the collection of warm clothes for the needy, and Christmas events such as Christmas caroling and pictures with Santa Claus. NHS also sponsors a dance, the fund-raiser for the state-wide service project. The best thing about NHS, said senior Eric Deutsch, is that “it feels good to be involved, to be active.” “It’s a great experience, I wish everyone could be in it. It’s a great way to help others, and it’s fun too,” said President senior Jennifer Reibeling.

The BHS Bands will be holding their first concert of the year on November 13, at 8:00 pm, in the mall. This musical performance will consist of many pieces, including selections preformed by the marching band at the Home-coming football game, as well as numbers performed by the Freshman, Varsity and Concert bands, in total numbering almost 200 members.

“I select the music according to the ability of the students,” said band director, Rolf Mohwinkel. Throughout the concert, short solos will be presented, although they haven’t been assigned yet.

“It’s hard to start a new piece of music, but it’s great after a concert, when everyone comes up to you and compliments you,” said percussionist, freshman Tricia Hibner. Only practicing during class time, preparation for the upcoming concert is limited.

French horn player, junior Joy Szarcke commented, “It can get really frustrating with practice and everything, then there’s a point when it all comes together.”

“We’ll just use what we have in class as rehearsal time,” said Mohwinkel.

The fall marching band is the only band that doesn’t have a scheduled class time to practice.

“Marching band is fun. It’s a lot of work, but it pays off,” said junior Tina Tabbut, french horn player.

Concert admissions will be $2 for adults and $1 for students.

Coming and sharing, the Student Care Committee (SCC) has provided a service to BHS for the last four years.

“Our main purpose is to give presents, such as balloons or cards to students who are sick, injured, or have just recently lost a member of the family,” said advisor Karen Swenson.

BHS students are asked to inform SCC if a friend or relative has been sick for over one week.

The group had a recycling program, but it was cut.

“It was so messy and the students didn’t put all their cans in the recycling baskets,” said Swenson.

Due to this cut, rumors began to circulate.

“When students heard that the recycling project had ended, they thought the group had too,” said Swenson.

Right now the group is discussing ideas for this year’s fund-raisers. They will be selling flowers for Valentine’s Day and Maybaskets for May Day, as in the past.

SCC also has community service projects.

“We like to try to find out what we can do for society,” said Swenson.

SCC also remembers BHS students by posting a birthday list, located on the window, next to the daily horoscopes, in the counselors office.

Hussein, pushed their way through Kuwait’s oil fields and positioned themselves near Saudi Arabia’s border, ready to attack at any time.

On the following day, President Bush embargoed all trade with Iraq and froze the nation’s assets in the U.S., froze Kuwait assets in the U.S., but declined to rule out military intervention.

At the same time, the United Nations Security Council condemned Iraq’s actions, and insisted on an immediate withdrawal of all forces.

Around August 13, the Bush administration said that the U.S. would use force to stop any ship, including those carrying food, or any other various kind of supplies.

The U.S. and other allies started sending naval forces to make up an armada of more than 50 major ships. These ships were positioned to enforce a blockade on Iraqi commerce.

On August 17, President Bush called up thousands of military reservists to be sent over to the Persian Gulf.

During the final weeks in August and the majority of September, many nations around the world started sending troops to join the U.S. military in Saudi Arabia. Egypt and Morocco were among of the first countries to send troops. France was next, vowing to send warplanes, tanks, helicopters, and 4000 troops, after Iraq raided Western diplomatic compounds in Kuwait.

At the same time, Soviet Foreign Minister Edward Shevardnadze, spoke out against Hussein, calling his actions "an act of terrorism," and "an affront to world order." He also added that the Soviet Union might support the United Nations Security Council’s military action, if diplomacy didn’t work.

Finally on September 26, President Bush announced plans to sell five million barrels of oil from U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserves to curb "intensive and unwarranted speculation in oil futures."

If the U.S. would enter into war with Iraq, some analysts say that the price of oil could be driven to $60 to $65 per barrel, making gasoline consumers pay up to $2 per gallon.

Monthly oil prices have nearly doubled since Iraq invaded Kuwait. The market adjusted to the loss of supplies from Iraq and Kuwait by driving the price per barrel to over $25.

Once the threat of war started to increase, oil once again started to increase in price, to over $35 per barrel. Currently crude oil prices are approaching $40 per barrel.

Demars said she’s glad that he’s over there because it’s “nice to know that somebody is there for America.”

Although Demars said she hadn’t spent much time with her cousin, she misses him more than she thought. Her cousin was drafted about one month after he was married and was told of his assignment two days before he had to leave. Demars writes letters and her family sends gifts to Saudi Arabia although she says they’re “sure he’ll never get it.”

Keeping track of the ever-changing atmosphere in the Mideast is often difficult. Demars’ parents try to stay in touch with recent happenings. Demars said that although she doesn’t pay much attention to what’s going on, “I still miss him.”

there,” said sophomore Kasey Demars about her cousin who is currently stationed 52 miles from the Kuwaiti border.

Senior Jeanette Zinda has two family members involved with the military. Her uncle has already been involved in the Iraqi situation, and her brother has recently joined the Armed Forces, although he is not currently stationed in the Middle East. Zinda’s family has a military background, so she said they weren’t too surprised when they were informed of their assignments. However, Zinda said that she is experiencing “shock for my uncle and fear for my brother.”

Zinda has also been receiving letters from her relatives. She said that she has been afraid of never seeing her uncle again.

“It’s tough,” she said, “It’s really scary for me.”

Zinda said that her concern has led to her paying more attention to news about the Middle East conflict.

The brother of Senior Lori Anne Johnson recently re-enlisted in the Navy for another three years. She said that he joined for “an education and to find himself.” According to Johnson, her brother regrets his decision to re-enlist, and she said, “It doesn’t make me very happy.”

If the Gulf crisis heightens, her brother’s ship, which is one of the biggest cruisers in the Gulf fleet, will be the first to enter combat. Johnson said that the fear of that happening has resulted in her watching television news more, reading newspapers, and keeping up with current events. She also said that her brother’s presence in the Gulf has reconfirmed her belief in the importance of seeking a peaceful, non-military solution to the crisis.

Her brother’s absence has also led to changes in Johnson’s family routine. Laughing, she said, “I do all the work now.”

Daily announcements may often are ignored, lost in the shuffle of classroom activities. However, on September 20, Principal Nick Millermade an announcement made lasting impression on many students and faculty members. He announced the death of 1990 graduate Chris Trontvet.

The announcement brought profound reactions from friends of Trontvet.

“It’s hard when you hear about death in school,” said senior Jim Jondahl. “I just sat there. I took care of my friends first, then worried about myself later.”

Senior Jason Scherber agreed that dealing with death is especially difficult when the person was someone close and close in age.

“Death is hard to deal with,” Scherber said. “You mourn about it, but you just try to think about the future and the positive things that will come.”

Even those not personally involved in a tragedy often recognize the affect a death on those around them.

“It’s like a piece of your heart goes with the person that died,” explained Christine Rose, German foreign exchange student.

Most students agreed that talking with friends or counselors was the best way to deal with the grief from a sudden death.

“It’s not very easy. You cry a lot and lean on your friends. Talk about it and don’t keep it inside,” said senior Missy Hulet.

Counselors opened up the conference room to help students work through the aftermath of the sudden announcement. Counselor Mary Lynn Leff agreed that the contact between students as they were grieving was especially important.

“We (the counselors) provide a place for students to come,” Leff explained. “We listen and don’t talk much. We let kids be with kids.”

Some students recognized that dealing with such overwhelming news may take time and continued support.

Junior Leslie Knudsen said, “It’s hard for me to realize a person is dead and that you’ll never see them again. You feel kind of guilty and are always thinking ‘Whatif?’ or ‘What else could I have done?’”

First Quarter closes; Parent/Teacher conferences planned

First quarter will be ending on Wednesday, October 31, 1990. Parent/Teacher conferences will be held Monday, November 12th from 5:30 - 8:30 pm, and then Thursday, November 15th from 12:30 - 3:30 pm. and 5:30 - 8:30 pm.

Next District #877 School Board meeting scheduled

The District #877 School Board will be meeting on Monday, November 5. The meeting will be held in the Junior High Library, at 7:30 pm., and is open to the public.

The Peer Helpers group has been with BHS for four years now. The group includes 33 members from the junior and senior classes. These students met over the summer to attend training sessions to sharpen their listening skills and their self-confidence. They also used this training to build confidence in the people they help.

Peer Helpers have many responsibilities, including ninth grade orientation and providing counseling and role model help for the primary, intermediate, and Montrose school systems. Out of school, they are involved in Big Brothers and Big Sisters along with tutoring students. The student and helper will meet when ever they can get together.

Students interested in becoming a Peer Helper must be nominated by their class as a sophomore or junior. Nominations are taken during the spring for the following year. Nominees who receive three or more votes are contacted by the administration. According to several Peer Helpers, the nominations are not considered a popularity contest because members are chosen from various “cliques” throughout the school.

“I take a lot of pride in my position, being that I was elected by my peers,” said junior Sheri Moon.

The weight of taking on other people’s problems may seem overwhelming. “What you have to keep in your mind is to take care of yourself first,” Moon said.

Mary Leff is the adviser of Peer Helpers. If a peer helper discovers a problem they aren’t sure they can handle, they will refer them to Leff or other counselors.

“I would like the student body to know that if they would like to talk with another kid in confidence that we have a group of kids who are trained to be good listeners,” said Leff.

“Peer Helpers is going to be an important program in the future, a neat program for the 90’s” said senior Julie Tombers.

Senior Jeanette Zinda has two family members involved with the military. Her uncle has already been involved in the Iraqi situation, and her brother has recently joined the Armed Forces, although he is not currently stationed in the Middle East. Zinda’s family has a military background, so she said they weren’t too surprised when they were informed of their assignments. However, Zinda said that she is experiencing “shock for my uncle and fear for my brother.”

Zinda has also been receiving letters from her relatives. She said that she has been afraid of never seeing her uncle again.

“It’s tough,” she said, “It’s really scary for me.”

Zinda said that her concern has led to her paying more attention to news about the Middle East conflict.

The brother of Senior Lori Anne Johnson recently re-enlisted in the Navy for another three years. She said that he joined for “an education and to find himself.” According to Johnson, her brother regrets his decision to re-enlist, and she said, “It doesn’t make me very happy.”

If the Gulf crisis heightens, her brother’s ship, which is one of the biggest cruisers in the Gulf fleet, will be the first to enter combat. Johnson said that the fear of that happening has resulted in her watching television news more, reading newspapers, and keeping up with current events. She also said that her brother’s presence in the Gulf has reconfirmed her belief in the importance of seeking a peaceful, non-military solution to the crisis.

Her brother’s absence has also led to changes in Johnson’s family routine. Laughing, she said, “I do all the work now.”

Daily announcements may often are ignored, lost in the shuffle of classroom activities. However, on September 20, Principal Nick Millermade an announcement that made a lasting impression on many students and faculty members. He announced the death of 1990 graduate Chris Trontvet.

The announcement brought profound reactions from friends of Trontvet.

“It’s hard when you hear about death in school,” said senior Jim Jondahl. “I just sat there. I took care of my friends first, then worried about myself later.”

Senior Jason Scherber agreed that dealing with death is especially difficult when the person was someone close and close in age.

“Death is hard to deal with,” Scherber said. “You mourn about it, but you just try to think about the future and the positive things that will come.”

Even those not personally involved in a tragedy often recognize the affect of a death on those around them.

“It’s like a piece of your heart goes with the person that died,” explained Christine Rose, German foreign exchange student. Most students agreed that talking with friends or counselors was the best way to deal with the grief from a sudden death.

“It’s not very easy. You cry a lot and lean on your friends. Talk about it and don’t keep it inside,” said senior Missy Hulet.

Counselors opened up the conference room to help students work through the aftermath of the sudden announcement. Counselor Mary Lynn Leff agreed that the contact between students as they were grieving was especially important.

“We (the counselors) provide a place for students to come,” Leff explained. “We listen and don’t talk much. We let kids be with kids.”

Some students recognized that dealing with such overwhelming news may take time and continued support.

Junior Leslie Knudsen said, “It’s hard for me to realize a person is dead and that you’ll never see them again. You feel kind of guilty and are always thinking ‘What if?’ or ‘What else could I have done?’”

Three is the charm. That’s what The Bison feels on this subject. After three years of begging for some action on the intersection of Highway 55 and 3d avenue, a solution has not been met.

Talk about a stoplight has been thrown around. There are three stoplight areas on the stretch of highway between Rockford and Maple Lake. Three. And one of them is in Buffalo. One set of stoplights at the intersection of Highways 55 and 25.

Some officials say that putting a stoplight on the 3rd avenue intersection is too close to Highway 25, and even bigger traffic tie-ups would result. There is also talk on a stoplight by the Cenex and Tom Thumb intersection.

What about when WalMart comes? Will traffic tie-ups result at three pm when school is let out? What will happen there. Some kind of traffic controller will have to be placed there, but when?

The idea of having an overpass has also been discussed. But by the time the officials decide to build it, automobiles will be obsolete.

The Bison wonders how many people must get into accidents on this dangerous intersection. Is there a certain quota of cars that must be wrecked before action will be taken?

And how about insurance? How many thousands of dollars must be paid out on collision and no-fault insurance before the intersection is made safe?

How many times must the police be called out to make an accident report? How many times must an ambulance be called to the scene of an accident to borne away the wounded bodies of an accident?

How many times does it take? Does a death have to result from an accident before action is taken?

How many times?

The Bison feels that all human life is precious. The Bison fears for the student body and others who must travel this intersection every day to get to school. The Bison wants safe travelling for all.

The Bison wants action taken, and the vicious slaying of the beast called the intersection of Highway 55 and Third avenue. We want a safe intersection.

Americans loves baseball, hot dogs, Mom, and apple pie, but we especially enjoy making money and playing war games.

It’s true, look at the financial basis of America, capitalism, where you get what you pay for and you work to get where you are. Of course, the main objective is to acquire more wealth than anyone and everyone else.

As for war games, seems we all at one point in our lives, played with a GI Joe figure, or dressed Ken Barbie in a Navy outfit and pretended he was patriotically going off to “war”. Ring a bell? Or how about the more recent craze: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?

Well, so much for petty examples, how about the meat of today’s crisis? Yes, the Persian Gulf-Saddam Hussein-oil crisis.

Gas stations across America have decided to leave their gas-price-sign ladder at the foot of the sign, since it is a waste of energy to walk around to the back shed every morning, get the ladder, raise the ladder, change the price, collapse the ladder, and store ladder in the shed, just to repeat the whole ritual the next morning.

As the price sky-rockets, and experts predict $2 a gallon by winter, gas companies are practicing capitalism at its greatest: rob the consumers of all they possess without killing them.

Does it ever occur to you that perhaps this Saddam Hussein thing is just a very clever and VERY profitable money-making scheme?

Perhaps an Exxon executive is just slipping him a few measly million to act tough and be photogenic to the press and the American consumer.

Hmmm.

And what about these real-live GI Joe figures that are being sent over now? Where do they fit in this world-wide game of monopoly? Are they really going to protect Boardwalk (that is Saudi Arabia) for those that have no imagination), since Park Place (Kuwait) has been brutally inhabited by the Iraqi military men who refuse to pay rent?

The nation’s newspapers run headlines exclaiming that war is closer, and that we should all prepare. Thousands of men and women, every day, receive papers stating that their skills are required and that they must report to base or camp for a short training session before leaving for the Persian Gulf--immediately sometimes.

How long will they be stationed there? Is it just a show-of-force? Will war break-out? Will they actually be fighting? Are we just acting on our selfish, capitalistic instincts? Is Saddam Hussein a real threat? Will it be another Vietnam?

Vietnam should be a lesson in itself. If we are going to fight, let’s not fight haphazardly. If we are going to war, let’s declare it. If our servicemen are going to die, let’s have a good reason.

A good old-fashioned war game is not a good enough reason. A pinch in our pocket-books is not a good enough reason.

Think about it.

Fall is upon us once again. My parents will wake me out of my deep Sunday slumber to drag me along to watch the colored leaves along the Saint Croix River Valley. I always complain, but secretly, I love to see the scarlet, gold, and cadmium leaves floating freely from the trees. I also love road tripping down to Mankato every Sunday to bring Eric back to college. There’s some feeling about the Minnesota River Valley that puts me into some euphoria. Especially that blue house in Saint Peter. Those of you who go to Mankato know what I’m talking about.

I finally realized this year that people may die, wars may rage, and Gilligan may get off the island, but the seasons always change. The transition may be a slow or quick metamorphosis, but one season will die, and another will take its place.

Stephen King wrote a book called Different Seasons. Each story in this book has a direct connection with the season the story takes place. One of my favorite movies, Stand By Me, was based on a story called The Body. If you liked the movie, read the story. It’s much better.

WINTER

I have never liked winter too well. I am a winter baby, (my birthday is January 14 in case you are feeling altruistic) and I can’t stand my birthday because I think I am getting old. I try telling that to my 50 year old parents and they laugh.

All little kids love winter because that fat guy in the red suit comes. No, not Uncle Bob that no one likes to talk about, but Santa Claus. Christmas bores me now because I never get what I want. I don’t think a BMW is too much to ask for.

Winter is a waste to me because everything is dead and depressing. It’s a season for sitting in your room with the electric blanket on high, reading The Catcher in the Rye. I get a lot of reading done in the winter, which is good because I usually get Spring Fever around wrestling tournament time.

SPRING

I like spring. Spring, to me, is a beautiful time of year. I love walking in the dying, soft snowbanks in bare feet, which is usually why I get a raging case of bronchitis around that time of year. I also like the rain and fog. I used to walk down to the lake and pretend to be lost in the fog. (I stopped that activity when I tripped over a log and fell in the lake.) I like driving in the rain and fog because I think someone is going to jump in front of the car or I’ll drive off a cliff or something. Nothing exciting ever happens to me when I drive.

The sound of rain on the roof is a peaceful sound. I always lay in bed listening to the cadence of the raindrops. If you have a leaky roof that’s another story.

Spring is life. The trees leaf out, and the lakes open up. I am always excited when the first robin comes back. You know for sure spring is here when the robins come back. The best part about spring is when the lilacs bloom. The air is filled with the heady, intoxicating perfume, and I could get drunk from just sitting under the lilac bush.

Spring is over when you hear the roar of the first lawn mower roar in the quiet spring afternoon. I hate lawnmowers, especially when they wake me up.

SUMMER

Summer is nice, but eventually bores me with the sameness. I usually work, waiting on crabby people who want to know where the pepper is kept. The precious little time I do have to myself is spent at friends’ houses. I spend so much time there I practically could pack up and move in. I am not much for beach blanket bingo or fun in the sun because I am afraid there will be a hole in the ozone layer and I would be the first to fry. Also, around July I get ready to go back to school. I won’t be doing that next July. (At least not Buffalo)

FALL

Here we are at fall once again. If spring is birth, summer is life, and winter is death, fall is most certainly dying. There is no doubt about it. The grass dies and turns brown, the leaves die and fall off, and all of the crops are harvested. Fall is beguiling. Fall is a beautiful time of year. If fall is so beautiful, does that mean dying is beautiful? Or is change beautiful? I’ll never know. This is depressing, so pretend it’s spring or summer.

I often wondered if I could stop the changing of the seasons. Now that I think about it, I really don’t want to. I decided that you can’t mess with Mother Nature.

But if you find a way, be sure to tell me.

Fall is upon us once again. My parents will wake me out of my deep Sunday slumber to drag me along to watch the colored leaves along the Saint Croix River Valley. I always complain, but secretly, I love to see the scarlet, gold, and cadmium leaves floating freely from the trees. I also love road tripping down to Mankato every Sunday to bring Eric back to college. There’s some feeling about the Minnesota River Valley that puts me into some euphoria. Especially that blue house in Saint Peter. Those of you who go to Mankato know what I’m talking about.

I finally realized this year that people may die, wars may rage, and Gilligan may get off the island, but the seasons always change. The transition may be a slow or quick metamorphosis, but one season will die, and another will take its place.

Stephen King wrote a book called Different Seasons. Each story in this book has a direct connection with the season the story takes place. One of my favorite movies, Stand By Me, was based on a story called The Body. If you liked the movie, read the story. It’s much better.

WINTER
I have never liked winter too well. I am a winter baby, (my birthday is January 14 in case you are feeling altruistic) and I can’t stand my birthday because I think I am getting old. I try telling that to my 50 year old parents and they laugh.

All little kids love winter because that fat guy in the red suit comes. No, not Uncle Bob that no one likes to talk about, but Santa Claus. Christmas bores me now because I never get what I want. I don’t think a BMW is too much to ask for.

Winter is a waste to me because everything is dead and depressing. It’s a season for sitting in your room with the electric blanket on high, reading The Catcher in the Rye. I get a lot of reading done in the winter, which is good because I usually get Spring Fever around wrestling tournament time.

SPRING
I like spring. Spring, to me, is a beautiful time of year. I love walking in the dying, soft snowbanks in bare feet, which is usually why I get a raging case of bronchitis around that time of year. I also like the rain and fog. I used to walk down to the lake and pretend to be lost in the fog. (I stopped that activity when I tripped over a log and fell in the lake.) I like driving in the rain and fog because I think someone is going to jump in front of the car or I’ll drive off a cliff or something. Nothing exciting ever happens to me when I drive.

The sound of rain on the roof is a peaceful sound. I always lay in bed listening to the cadence of the raindrops. If you have a leaky roof that’s another story.

Spring is life. The trees leaf out, and the lakes open up. I am always excited when the first robin comes back. I know for sure spring is here when the robins come back. The best part about spring is when the lilacs bloom. The air is filled with the heady, intoxicating perfume, and I could get drunk from just sitting under the lilac bush.

Spring is over when you hear the roar of the first lawn mower roar in the quiet spring afternoon. I hate lawnmowers, especially when they wake me up.

SUMMER
Summer is nice, but eventually bores me with the sameness. I usually work, waiting on crabby people who want to know where the pepper is kept. The precious little time I do have to myself is spent at friends’ houses. I spend so much time there I practically could pack up and move in. I am not much for beach blanket bingo or fun in the sun because I am afraid there will be a hole in the ozone layer and I would be the first to fry. Also, around July I get ready to go back to school. I won’t be doing that next July. (At least not Buffalo)

FALL
Here we are at fall once again. If spring is birth, summer is life, and winter is death, fall is most certainly dying. There is no doubt about it. The grass dies and turns brown, the leaves die and fall off, and all of the crops are harvested. Fall is beguiling. Fall is a beautiful time of year. If fall is so beautiful, does that mean dying is beautiful? Or is change beautiful? I’ll never know. This is depressing, so pretend it’s spring or summer.

I often wondered if I could stop the changing of the seasons. Now that I think about it, I really don’t want to. I decided that you can’t mess with Mother Nature.

But if you find a way, be sure to tell me.

Somehow, our eyes glaze over and our ears shut out the truth when someone mentions “drinking and driving,” the most deadly combination that people ignore.

We all have heard of the Bob Dylan song, “Blowin’ in the Wind.”

Let me refresh your memory:

“How many roads must a man walk down,
before you can call him a man?
Yes and how many seas must a white dove sail,
before she sleeps in the sand?
Yes and how many times must the cannon balls fly
before they are forever banned?
The answer, my friend,
is blowin’ in the wind.
The answer is blowin’ in the wind.”

But I’m singing a different tune today. My words read something like this (use the same melody, feel free to sing along):

“How many roads must a drunk drive down,
before you will call him a drunk?
Yes and how many graves must be dug for the drunk,
before you realize one’s yours.
Yes and how many victims must die on the road,
before the people implores?
The answer, my friend,
is blowin in the wind.
The answer is blowin’ in the wind.

How many youth must a beer bottle kill,
before our society sees?
Yes and how many cars must be driven astray,
before drivers hand over keys?
Yes and how many times can we turn our heads,
before we respond to the pleas?
The answer, my friends,
is blowin’ in the wind.
The answer is blowin’ in the wind.”

--Okay, so I’m not destined to be a songwriter--you all breathe a sigh of relief, I know--but I do feel strongly about this situation.

One verse in the original sums it up:
“How many times must a man look up,
before he sees the sky?
How many ears must one man have,
before he can hear people cry?
How many deaths will it take till he knows,
that too many people have died?
The answer, my friend,
is blowin’ in the wind,
The answer is blowin’ in the wind.”

To me it seems obvious: if you are driving, you don’t drink; if you are drinking, don’t drive. It is a mystery to me that some still mix that up.

Perhaps I haven’t been blunt enough. Perhaps I haven’t pulled enough heart strings. Perhaps my plea will go on ignored. But before you let everything I have said go in one ear, and out the other, look on the previous page, at another’s testimony, written in grief and disbelief.

I think it’s pretty self-explanatory.

As a senior it is my job to reflect. And share some of my wisdom with my fellow students.

O.K., stop puking in your shoes.
If I have learned anything in the last four years it would have to be how a desperate person survives a dance--believe me I am an expert. Not once have I gone dancing with a date -- come to think of it I haven’t even had a date. But that’s not important now. The dance starts, your mind filled with the thought about that tall dark handsome man who is going to sweep you off your feet. Then cold hard reality slaps you in the face as you enter the mall and he is dancing with Vanna White (names have been changed to protect the guilty). Egad! A slow song starts to play.

This is a perfect time to go get a drink.
Shut up. I meant water or pop, you morons. I am not a juvenile delinquent.
Well, anyway, by this time the love fest should be over, and dancers now are boogying to some rap tunes of 2LiveCrew. These guys are the Shakespeares of the 90’s.

Not!
No kidding.
At this point in the evening I was sitting on top of the lockers (Sh. don’t tell the principals) my head bare and my shoulders cold. I was weary of seeing old Vanna stealing my Knight in shining armor. I decided to go rip off a layer of clothing--here is another idea -- come in layers so every time you have an annoying slow song you can do something productive.

As I was taking my Salamander River Bible College sweatshirt into the coat room I saw something shiny. It was a crown. Not just any crown. The crown. I picked it up, and it started saying “put me on” so I did (sorry Emily). I don’t even know how it looked on me because there was no one around. This, my friends, is what I call poetic justice. Finally I had the crown and there is no one around to see me. You’ll have to take my word for it (sorry Emily).

No kidding.
I’ve been thinking- hey stop laughing. We should bring back Sno-Daze or March Meltdown. Why not? Let’s bring back tradition. We had a bonfire why can’t we have Sno-Daze? Of course we would need a royal court. I could be persuaded to volunteer.

But if we can’t have Sno Daze, there is only one alternative.
Herbert Hoover Week.
Monday: Roaring 20’s Day. Tuesday: Stock Market Crash Day. Dress up as your favorite insider trading expert. Wednesday: Jump out the windows day. Thursday: Breadline day. Friday: Herbert Hoover look alike day, and at night, a bootlegging contest. We’ll see who can drive up to Canada with a truckload of moonshine fastest without getting caught. The winners get the Spirit Jug.

Well, I’ve made my point. Anybody interested in Sno-Daze come to the next Herbert Hoover meeting. But that my friends is another story.

No kidding.

BISON: HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT GERMANY BECOMING UNITED?

Christine: “It’s great, I like it. It’s wonderful!”
Johannes: “No, it’s not so great. I heard that in the next five years it’s going to cost $750 billion, so it’s also negative.”
Christine: “Maybe they could find another solution. My real dad was from East Germany. When he was little there was only one Germany. I know a little bit about the life there. I’ve seen pictures, and I know of family from there. I think it’s really great!”
Carolin: “I really don’t know what I think about it. It’s OK. It’s great but there are many problems. My mom wrote me that it’s a vacation day now. There is no work, no school, no nothing. Just wait a little bit more.”

North Dakota, or South Dakota, and this is the part of the U.S. I know least about. Cornfields, I thought of the movie “Children of the Corn”. The big difference for me is that I live in the middle of Stockholm. It’s our capital. When I got here my host-sister said there were about 5,000-6,000 people living here. I remember the morning that I got here, the rooster woke me up. Before I came here I spent a week-end in Waterloo, Iowa, with my Area Representatives, they were talking about Minnesota, and how they talk with a strange accent and that Minnesotans and Iowans tell a lot of jokes about each other.”
Carolin: “I didn’t know it was Buffalo, MN. They just wrote Buffalo. I thought I’d go to Buffalo NY, there was no Buffalo, MN. I don’t want to go to NY, with the industry and dirty air. I called my family in Buffalo, they said MN. They have highways and a farm-4 acres. When I came here I saw a swimming pool in the yard, and I said I would like it here.”
Christine: “I’m glad I was not in a big town, but I’m not on a lonely farm somewhereeither. This is like my town, I like it here.”
Maria: “When I first knew, I first thought, ‘where in USA?’ I had to go look at a map. It looked cold, with a lot of snow.”
Vicky: “Before I came here, I didn’t know anything about Buffalo, except that it’s really cold. All the people talked about it being cold, but when I got here it was really warm. I asked where the cold was, they said, ‘You just wait for winter’. I really like it. I didn’t think a lot about it, I just went.”
Kaori: “When I looked at a map, there were lots of lakes. I like it here. I like the cornfields.”
Ani Jatta: “When I came here they said it would be just like Finland. Many, many lakes, and cold. When I left it was really cold, but it has not been cold yet here. It has been hot. It is hotter here than it is in Finland. I called my friends in Finland, they said it was freezing there. I told them I had been water skiing a week ago. It’s a little town, but there are so many people in school. It’s pretty nice so far. Places are far from my house and I have no car to get there. There are really nice people here.”
Latzi: “I heard about all the lakes. I like it because I like to fish.”
Johannes: “I knew I would come here but I wanted to go somewhere that is warm and is bigger. Buffalo is not exactly what I wanted, but I like it here.”
Bridget: “I was very worried because I couldn’t find it on a map. But I think it’s a great place and I’ll definitely come back to visit.”

BISON: WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BHS AND YOUR SCHOOL BACK HOME?

Ditte: “We never have pep-fests or school teams. We had a basketball team but it was so serious. We have one class and those are the only people that you see. We have to take English for eight years and other languages too. We don’t have sports in school. You don’t call the teacher by first name here.”
Maria: “You only have five minutes between the lessons. You run to your locker and then back to the next class all day. In Sweden the lessons are only 40 minutes, and here they are 50. We have sports outside school. You have extra credit here. Teachers will give you time before a test to study.”
Vicky: “In Mexico the schools have classes in different houses and there are gardens between them. We have different classes on different days. Some schools have sports. We may have one hour free and then you have a class, you can go home and come back. It is big because we have gardens. It is bigger here though because of all the classrooms, teachers, and students. You have machines to teach here. There are televisions, movie screens, and projectors. The teachers give you the papers, you have everything. In Mexico all we have is the teacher, the blackboard, our books, and notebooks. It is very different. It would be so easy to cheat here, when you sit by each other. We call teachers by their first names.”
Ani-Jatta: “We only have one class and you have the same people in that class. Here, the desk and the chair is connected. I don’t like that. When you get up the desk goes with you. Cheating would be easy to do here. The teachers test your honesty. The schools are smaller in Finland.”
Christine: “I get out of school at 1 p.m. and then I can do what I want, it is your free time. We have more subjects. You have different classes on different days, and I go to school every other Saturday. We don’t have sports in school, only sport lessons. Here you can buy sweatshirts that say ‘Buffalo,’ we don’t have that. We have to take other languages. English is in fifth grade. Latin or French are in seventh, and another in ninth.”
Johannes: “You have classes just for just for fun. Here you get graded for Indoor-Outdoor. It’s more fun for me. We don’t have that much room or money in Berlin to play some sports. In Germany the classes are so serious.”
Kaori: “They are more strict at home. If you drop something like an eraser during a test, you cannot pick it up, the teacher does. We wear uniforms, and we can’t wear any jewelry or make-up. If you have long hair you have to put it in a braid.”
Carolin: “All the teachers are really nice. They help me a lot. It’s all really nice, I like it. We call our teachers by their first names. They don’t mind.”
Bridget: “I was at a private all girls school. It was a lot stricter. School here is more fun.”

BISON: DO YOU HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE LANGUAGE DIFFERENCES?

Latzi: “It’s hard for people to say my name. They think they say it right but it sounds different to me.”
Kaori: “We don’t have an alphabet. It’s hard to explain our language. There are thousands and thousands of symbols. You only have 26. We have different symbols for letters or words.”
Ditte: “Language is a problem. I teach my host family a little bit of my language every Saturday. No one can say my name right. People have the same kind of mouths but the sounds that come from it are totally different. Some words are different. What you call erasers, we call rubbers. One day in class I asked a guy if he had a rubber that I could use. He looked at me strangely and said ‘Oh, you mean eraser’, after I explained what I meant.”
Vicky: “Language is a little different. Some words are pronounced differently than what I learned. In Mexico when somebody sneezes, or we want to say we are sorry, we say ‘salud’. Here some people do not say anything.”
Ani Jatta: “No one in the U.S. can say my name right yet. Sometimes people say the opposite of what they really mean. We do that too, if something is really good, we say it is really bad. We swear more than you do. It’s not such a big deal. It’s not bad, it’s OK.”
Johannes: “In the foreign language classes, like German, what you are learning is not real German. It’s just the English translation.”
Christine: “Americans say ‘stuff’ all the time.”
Bridget: “I didn’t but everyone here does. They all tease me about my accent whenever I talk.”

BISON: WHAT IS THE STRANGEST QUESTION YOU HAVE BEEN ASKED SINCE YOU HAVE BEEN HERE?

Carolin: “Probably, do you have cars in Germany? Do you have dishwashers in Germany? Have you ever seen a cow? Do you know how to swim, or have you ever seen a swimming pool? They are just stupid questions. We have the same things that you do.”
Christine: “Do you have cars in Germany? I asked them if they thought if I lived behind the moon.”
Ditte: “They asked me what kind of language we spoke in Sweden. They asked me if we spoke German, like German was our native language. I said we had a language of our own. One guy when he heard me speak English, he asked if everyone in Sweden speaks English. Then he said so everyone speaks English all the time in Sweden, like at home, ya know?”
Vicky: “Somebody asked me if we had make-up for the girls. They asked me if we have horses or cars. People think we still wear the big hats, but it is the same here as it is there.”
Ditte: “People here are amazed when they hear that we have Coca Cola, McDonalds, and even Pizza Hut.”
Kaori: “They ask us if we have an alphabet, not just the little drawings.”
Latzi: “Do you have water? Do you have McDonalds? People think we live in sand houses with the cows. I told them we have cars and CD’s and airplanes.”
Johannes: “Are there hamburgers in Germany?”
Ani Jatta: “Someone here asked me how I liked their accent. I said what accent? I didn’t notice one.”
BISON: WHAT IS YOUR OPINION OF WHAT AMERICANS ARE LIKE?

Ani-Jatta: “Americans talk loud all the time. They don’t stop. When they travel, they always have cameras. They always say hi, how are you, even if they don’t know you. They ask this whenever they see you.”
Vicky: “The tourists always

BISON: HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT GERMANY BECOMING UNITED?

Christine: “It’s great, I like it. It’s wonderful!”

Johannes: “No, it’s not so great. I heard that in the next five years it’s going to cost $750 billion, so it’s also negative.”

Christine: “Maybe they could find another solution. My real dad was from East Germany. When he was little there was only one Germany. I know a little bit about the life there. I’ve seen pictures, and I know of family from there. I think it’s really great!”

Carolin: “I really don’t know what I think about it. It’s OK. It’s great but there are many problems. My mom wrote me that it’s a vacation day now. There is no work, no school, no nothing. Just wait a little bit more.”

BISON: WHAT WERE YOUR FIRST REACTIONS WHEN YOU HEARD YOU WERE COMING TO BUFFALO?

Ditte: “I heard I was coming to either Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, or South Dakota, and this is the part of the U.S. I know least about. Cornfields, I thought of the movie ‘Children of the Corn’. The big difference for me is that I live in the middle of Stockholm. It’s our capital. When I got here my host-sister said there were about 5,000-6,000 people living here. I remember the morning that I got here, the rooster woke me up. Before I came here I spent a week-end in Waterloo, Iowa, with my Area Representatives, they were talking about Minnesota, and how they talk with a strange accent and that Minnesotans and Iowans tell a lot of jokes about each other.”

Carolin: “I didn’t know it was Buffalo, MN. They just wrote Buffalo. I thought I’d go to Buffalo, NY, there was no Buffalo, MN. I don’t want to go to NY, with the industry and dirty air. I called my family in Buffalo, they said MN. They have highways and a farm-4 acres. When I came here I saw a swimming pool in the yard, and I said I would like it here.”

Christine: “I’m glad I was not in a big town, but I’m not on a lonely farm somewhere either. This is like my town, I like it here.”

Maria: “When I first knew, I first thought, ‘where in USA?’ I had to go look at a map. It looked cold, with a lot of snow.”

Vicky: “Before I came here, I didn’t know anything about Buffalo, except that it’s really cold. All the people talked about it being cold, but when I got here it was really warm. I asked where the cold was, they said, ‘You just wait for winter’. I really like it. I didn’t think a lot about it, I just went.”

Kaori: “When I looked at a map, there were lots of lakes. I like it here. I like the cornfields.”

Ani Jatta: “When I came here they said it would be just like Finland. Many, many lakes, and cold. When I left it was really cold, but it has not been cold yet here. It has been hot. It is hotter here than it is in Finland. I called my friends in Finland, they said it was freezing there. I told them I had been water skiing a week ago. It’s a little town, but there are so many people in school. It’s pretty nice so far. Places are far from my house and I have no car to get there. There are really first thought, ‘where in USA?’ I had to go look at a map. It looked cold, with a lot of snow.”

Vicky: “Before I came here, I didn’t know anything about Buffalo, except that it’s really cold. All the people talked about it being cold, but when I got here it was really warm. I asked where the cold was, they said, ‘You just wait for winter’. I really like it. I didn’t think a lot about it, I just went.”

Kaori: “When I looked at a map, there were lots of lakes. I like it here. I like the cornfields.”

Ani Jatta: “When I came here they said it would be just like Finland. Many, many lakes, and cold. When I left it was really cold, but it has not been cold yet here. It has been hot. It is hotter here than it is in Finland. I called my friends in Finland, they said it was freezing there. I told them I had been water skiing a week ago. It’s a little town, but there are so many people in school. It’s pretty nice so far. Places are far from my house and I have no car to get there. There are really

The American Association of Teachers of German (AATG), is an exchange program which allows student between the ages of 16 and 18 to travel to Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany. It also permits Germans from that area to stay with an American student for the same amount of time.

This counter-action took place last year, in Buffalo. Felicitas Licha, stayed with me from August 24 to November 27 of 1990. I traveled to Wageuasal, Germany on April 10 of this year.

The first couple of days were, may I say, HELL. I had such a hard time understanding any words. All I could say was “ja” and “nein”. Now of course, I’m exaggerating a little, but that was how I felt. But the friendliness of the Germans helped me feel a little more at home. People would come right up to me and say, “Hey, aren’t you that Ami?” Ami is short for American, that’s the nickname they use.

I had hard time adjusting to the lifestyle of the family I lived with, but the friends I met made the adjustment easier to cope with.

School was very difficult, some of the teachers made fun of me--they didn’t think I could understand them. But the more time I spent paying attention, the more I understood. I started to feel like a part of the class.

This is where the confusion began. I never had the same class each day. I just couldn’t memorize my schedule on day, and use it for the rest of the year. It was constantly changing. Believe me, it’s quite embarrassing coming late to class, and then realizing it was the wrong class.

The most interesting part about school was the teachers. The don’t care about students the way American teachers do. They come to class, teach what they are paid to teach and leave. Nothing more.

Another interesting trait of these schools was the way they separated the students. Mentally retarded or handicapped students were isolated from others. I never once saw a MHPerson in public.

The way Germans are at our age is quite unique. They are given a lot of responsibilities at a very young age. They are allowed to go out until early the next morning, most girls use birth control by age 14, their studies are at an American college level, and they handle their own expenses. Plus, they are able to drink at the age of 16. Alcohol is there when they want it, but they never drink and drive. Another point is that you hardly ever see a pregnant teenager in Germany. Their knowledge of politics is quite obvious and their honesty is very blunt. A German will tell you exactly what they think of you to your face.

During the exchange I had the chance to travel to: London, France, Munich, the Baltic Sea, but Berlin had the biggest affect on me. We saw the Berlin Wall. So many things started going through my mind, I couldn’t believe it. So I took out my chisel and hammer and pounded away.

If you are interested in being an exchange student, take my advice, do it! Information can be obtained from a foreign language teacher.

Continued from Page 7

Johannes: “You watch more TV here.”

Vicky: “People watch more TV here, it’s on all the time!”

Ditte: “There are no commercials in Sweden.”

BISON: COMPARED TO HOME, HOW DOES TV DIFFER?

Johannes: “You need the sun-glasses on, and say ‘look at this, look at that! It’s just so beautiful’. They say hi, how are you? hundreds of time, all day.”

Ditte: “They are always so nice.”

Ani-Jatta: “Yes, if you become pregnant, you just call the doctor and he just takes it away.”

Ditte: “What about Japan is abortion legal there?”

Kaori: “Abortion? No we don’t have very many teenage pregnancies.”

Maria & Vicky: “We have a lot!”

Ani-Jatta: “We don’t actually call them teenage pregnancies in Finland. We think it’s really good, by 17 or 18 people think, ‘Oh, how cute’, they think, ‘Soon they will be a mother!’. They usually take care of their babies. Every guy in Finland has condoms, and the girls have pills, that they keep in their wallets. In school teachers will even give us condoms if we don’t have them or are too afraid to go out and buy them. If you ever need them, just ask the nurse. Every lesson, even math or history they said some thing about sex. If you don’t know something, you just ask and they will tell you. We know what we are doing and take responsibility for it. Here, if someone has sex they will be avoided in school.

Vicky: “It’s something we can’t talk about with a lot of freedom. I think it’s like a taboo. I think we have a lot of teenagers that get pregnant, because they never talk about it. I think it’s different because I learn about sex in a classroom with just girls, no boys. Sometimes the Fathers teach us.”

Johannes: “Girls take birth control pills. You use condoms.”

Ditte: “If you need pills, you get them. You don’t need to be any certain age. They feel it’s up to yourself. Parents don’t mind. We had a Biology teacher that taught sex education for a couple of weeks. We talked about condoms. He brought out a model and every student in the class had to go up in the front and take a condom and practice how to use it. That’s not what we usually do. The teacher said if a guy cannot put it on and the girl becomes pregnant, she suffers not the guy. That’s why the girls were taught how to put them on.”

Christine: In Germany you have to be 16 and then you can go to the doctor on your own, without the voice of your parents. In Germany I’m used to talking about sex because you learn the basic things. I learned some in fourth grade and some in ninth.

Kaori: “We don’t have much teenage pregnancy.”

Latzi: “I think sometimes Hungary’s in the east, but in this case Hungary’s in the west. So I can’t... There are lots of old fashioned people and ideas.”

BISON: HOW ARE THE GOVERNMENTS DIFFERENT?

Ani-Jatta: “In Finland we don’t pay a doctor’s bill. If you are a young mother you don’t have a job or haven’t gone through your school or anything, the government will pay you every month for the child. We get money from the government all the time, but we have high taxes. It’s step by step. The more you get, the more your taxes will be.”

Johannes: “It’s not like the Americans think that Europeans pay that much taxes. Taxes is 60%. You can earn as much as you want and it will never go over 60%. I asked my host father how much taxes he has to pay and he listed all the taxes, but I figured out that it’s about the same or maybe a little bit less. It’s not that much different.

Ditte: “You never pay more than 60% in Finland either.”

BISON: DO YOU WANT TO MAKE ANY FINAL STATEMENTS?

Christine: “I like it here, and I’m glad to stay. I like this, it’s not so serious.”

Vicky: “It’s so friendly.”

Carolin: “It’s so open-minded.”

Ditte: “It’s just great here, I’m glad I got here. I love the people and my family, it will be hard to leave.”

Vicky: “I’m really, really happy and lucky to stay here. I really like it. I come from a big city; I’m looking for peace. Everything you have here is more peaceful, not so fast. People here think it’s boring, I think it’s just great. I like everything.”

Kaori: “I don’t speak a lot of English, but it’s interesting for me to see those people, this school. I like to be here.”

Ani-Jatta: “I like it this far to be here but I don’t know. When I have spent my ten months here, then I can tell you what I like. There’s a lot of nice people here, I like it. They look at your face right away.”

Latzi: “It’s O.K. It’s more European than other big cities. I like to fishing.”

Johannes: “I can’t say whether or not I like it. The people always smile, but it’s kind of a mask. I don’t want it to sound that I don’t like it here. I like it, but it’s just a feeling.”

The Bison Tennis team is ending their season with one of the best records yet! “If this team isn’t the best, they are tied for the best record in Buffalo Tennis History,” said coach Charlie Kiefenheim.

Not only has the team surprised their coach, but themselves as well. “We as a team, have improved a lot,” claims junior Shelly Baudier. Freshman Nicole Bahneman agrees, “I think we’ve improved tremendously and we continue to improve.”

The Varsity team ranks second in the North Suburban Conference with seven wins and two losses. The Junior Varsity team ranks third in the new conference.

A lot of individuals and doubles teams have had excellent seasons. Personal records have been achieved by many players. Kristine Nelson ended the season with thirteen wins and three losses. “This is her first year at number one singles, which is pretty hard to achieve,” said Charlie Kiefenheim. Lisa Erickson has also had an outstanding season with fourteen wins and one loss. She had a perfect record up until her last match. Nicole Bahneman and Erica Lundsten have also had an exceptional winning season.

In doubles, Krista Brown and Sara Kjellberg had ten wins and five losses and Christy Sueker and Noelle McPheeters had eleven wins and one loss.

The attitude and positive thinking of this team has given them strength and a hope to make it to state in the next two years. “It’s a nice goal to have,” said Emily Casperson, team captain. Many others agree that in the next two years, they would be worked up enough to get to state.

“The effort and maturity level is great! I hope we can maintain this attitude so that the players don’t turn sour on us,” remarked Kiefenheim. Overall, they have had an excellent year and they hope to keep it going in the years to come.

The swim team at Buffalo Senior High may not have a great record, but senior member Jeanette Zinda said, “For a new team we’re doing good. Coaches from other schools ask us how long we’ve had the team, and are surprised when they hear we’re a second year team.”

Varsity Captain, junior Jen Striegel commented, “We lack experience, because we are a fairly new team and we don’t have the experience that other teams have, but we push ourselves.”

“I think we [the swim team] should get more support,” said freshman Lisa Marvin, “Maybe next year, we’ll start winning.”

Everyone seems to think that the team will last and grow because, as coaches Merry and Renee Schneider put it, “The team has motivation, interest, and is entertaining.”

“One of the reasons I’m on the swim team is, because I have always loved swimming and I was in the swim club before the swim team was even started,” said senior, Mary Krautbauer.

Jen Striegel said, “The team is full of spirit, has a lot of effort, and is very supportive of each other.”

For freshman volleyball players, good teamworking skills are essential. “In order to make it work, we all have to work together,” said Katie Kettenacker. Ann Beyer concurred, “Our team is friendlier on the court than any other and it really helps.”

“I think that with both of the teams there was a lot of movement and talking, but there were still errors,” commented Linda Kraines after the game against Hill-Murray last Thursday.

They ranked fourth at the Buffalo Invitational and attribute their success to their positive attitudes. “All of the players have good attitudes, especially during games,” said Sara Lewis, team manager. Sharalee Strand added, “We play hard and don’t give up.”

One of their team goals is to develop better coverage in defense. Linda Kraines wants the players to acquire better passing skills and take more initiative. She also said that with off-season playing and more intensity, the volleyball players will be a strong varsity team in the years to come, but for now, they are just concentrating on this season. Tasha Quast said, “We hope to keep having a good season and win more than fifty percent of our games.”

Cross Country goals and expectations are high this year. “I think our boys will place second in the region or go to state,” commented Gerald Bakke. He also hopes to have a boy place higher than sixth in the state. For the girls, Coach Bakke would like to see someone make it to state.

The cross country members are also optimistic. Making it to region is a goal for many of them. Some members also feel that Cross Country is more demanding than other sports, but it pays off. Junior Don Klick commented, “Cross Country makes you internally tougher.”

The Cross Country team faces many problems. The biggest being physical injuries. “We started the season out good, but we’re losing a lot of people to injuries,” said sophomore, Julie Fiedler. Gerald Bakke also feels that he has less control over the team, because during practice, they aren’t in a room or on a field, but spread out over miles.

Another concern expressed was that of the size of the team. “We have a lot of fun and people don’t realize this. It’s a myth that we go out and run ten miles everyday,” claimed coach Gerald Bakke. Other members agreed, “The reason I like Cross Country is, because the people are so nice,” said sophomore, Stacy Krause.

The girls are presently ranked eleventh in the state and third in the conference, after St. Francis and Moundsview. Bakke stated that it would be easier to win the region, than it would be to win the conference.

The boys agree that the new conference is very competitive. “It’s tough, but is a challenge that will better us,” remarked junior, Joe Tscholl.

Goals are already being planned for next year. Bakke hopes that the team will have more depth and have more solid runners with hard work and dedication.

The ninth grade football team presently has a record of four wins and one loss, and is tied for first place in the conference with Spring Lake Park and Moundsview.

“They lost their first game on Thursday, but they’re determined to play better,” said coach Jack Brady.

Most players will tell you that they are in football for the fun of the sport, but Cameron Barry elaborates, “I like being outdoors and being a part of the team.”

The team is working very hard practicing every night after school, except the nights that they have games.

“The only problem is the small amount of players, only 30 out of such a large class,” commented Jack Brady, “We really don’t have the depth that we need. A few injuries could hurt us.”

The football team is working hard to be the best in the conference.

“Our goal is to try to beat the record set by earlier teams,” said Nathan Klatt.

“What makes this team run is positive attitude,” commented coach Pete Nunnik.

One of the three major goals of the team is to learn varsity offense and defense.

Another goal is to play everyone on the team.

Last but not least, they want to reach their potential.

Of all the adjectives you could use to describe the team, lazy is not one of them. “They play really hard when the whistle blows,” said coach Jack Brady.

Barry seems to reflect the feelings of the whole team when he said, “My personal goals are to make myself a better football player, and to have fun.”

A football player completes a pass, the crowd cheers! The echoes ring out for miles and the fans walk away hoarse. The volleyball team wins a match 15-0 against the division leaders and two parents are heard clapping mutely off in the vast expanse of bleachers.

All right, I’m a tad over-dramatic, but it’s close to the truth. Besides Jam the Gym, girls sports go practically unnoticed.

Have you ever noticed that tennis matches can be watched for free? It’s probably because they would make the same amount whether or not they charged a fee. Nothing.

Why are girl’s sports so unpublicized? It’s not because they are less exciting. Let’s analyze this. Would you rather watch a piece of brown vinyl being tossed back and forth or see hundred dollar pieces of fiberglass smash-ing brightly colored tennis balls? Makes you want to say... Hmmmm.

Now, I’m not slamming football. In fact, I’m a hypocrite. I go to football games, but I’ve never been to a volleyball match, besides the one I covered for this paper. I’m just saying that if you go to their games, you could go to others, too. Start a swim team fan club. People could wear nose-plugs and wave swim caps. So, what do you think? Does this non-sporty, overly critical, sleep-lacking sports editor have a point (this question is rhetorical, please do not feel free to come up to me and share your unwanted opinions?)

The track. Wait--don't stop reading, I know you've had stories jammed down your throats about it and I know that perhaps it's been pretty much drilled into your brain, but there is still a bit more to say about it, my opinion.

Even when you read the headline to this piece, you probably sighed, turned blue, and rolled your eyes. I know, one more story, and you'll probably suffocate.

Well, it's complete. It's a lovely patriotic track--red, white, and blue--but it's not totally patriotic (there's yellow in it, too.) You know, as long as we were going to paint the track a weird color, why not the school color, purple? Why, you want to know? It's because blue doesn't show up on purple, and yellow clashes. Think about it, it's probably true.

It opened Monday, October 1st, yet, we've been running on it for physical education for approximately two weeks, what's the delay? Couldn't they have planned the opening ceremony long before the track was finished?

Yes, the track improves your running. I improved six seconds from my last year's time in the mile. I still failed.

Now, after reading this, you probably think that I despise the track. Actually, I think it's pretty o.k., but the things I mentioned are true and we've got to keep up the tradition of mentioning the track. Besides, how else can I fill up space?

The only thing I can say is: Relax, be happy, it's finished, and you shouldn't have to read about it forty more times-minimum.

The ninth grade football team presently has a record of four wins and one loss, and is tied for first place in the conference with Spring Lake Park and Moundsview.

“They lost their first game on Thursday, but they’re determined to play better,” said coach Jack Brady.

Most players will tell you that they are in football for the fun of the sport, but Cameron Barry elaborates, “I like being outdoors and being a part of the team.”

The team is working very hard practicing every night after school, except the nights that they have games.

“The only problem is the small amount of players, only 30 out of such a large class,” commented Jack Brady, “We really don’t have the depth that we need. A few injuries could hurt us.”

The football team is working hard to be the best in the conference.

“Our goal is to try to beat the record set by earlier teams,” said Nathan Klatt.

“What makes this team run is positive attitude,” commented coach Pete Nunnik.

One of the three major goals of the team is to learn varsity offense and defense.

Another goal is to play everyone on the team.

Last but not least, they want to reach their potential.

Of all the adjectives you could use to describe the team, lazy is not one of them. “They play really hard when the whistle blows,” said coach Jack Brady.

Barry seems to reflect the feelings of the whole team when he said, “My personal goals are to make myself a better football player, and to have fun.”

A football player completes a pass, the crowd cheers! The echoes ring out for miles and the fans walk away hoarse. The volleyball team wins a match 15-0 against the division leaders and two parents are heard clapping mutely off in the vast expanse of bleachers.

All right, I’m a tad over-dramatic, but it’s close to the truth. Besides Jam the Gym, girls sports go practically unnoticed.

Have you ever noticed that tennis matches can be watched for free? It’s probably because they would make the same amount whether or not they charged a fee. Nothing.

Why are girl’s sports so unpublicized? It’s not because they are less exciting. Let’s analyze this. Would you rather watch a piece of brown vinyl being tossed back and forth or see hundred dollar pieces of fiberglass smashing brightly colored tennis balls? Makes you want to say... Hmmmm.

Now, I’m not slamming football. In fact, I’m a hypocrite. I go to football games, but I’ve never been to a volleyball match, besides the one I covered for this paper. I’m just saying that if you go to their games, you could go to others, too. Start a swim team fan club. People could wear nose-plugs and wave swim caps. So, what do you think? Does this non-sporty, overly critical, sleep-lacking sports editor have a point (this question is rhetorical, please do not feel free to come up to me and share your unwanted opinions?)

"After the boys of summer have gone." Don Henly put it best. To some, a relief.

Gone are the 90 degree days, the melting ice cream, Wally the Beer Man, all the things that we cherish.

Baseball, for example, is a symbol as true as mom and apple pie

For the Minnesota Twins, a long season soured by losing streaks and injuries. Yet, many die hard fans made it "Dome Sweet Dome."

The Chicago White Sox ended an eighty year tradition of playing in Comiskey Park. The field of dreams, where greats such as shoeless Joe Jackson used to roam, will meet the fate of the merciless wrecking ball.

As fall blows upon us we all dream of that super bowl victory for the Minnesota Vikings. But already into the season, the outlook is not that promising.

Just around the corner is Halloween. Fall scenes, corn shalks, scarecrows, and pumpkins can be seen around Buffalo.

Of course tiny ghouls and goblins will take to the streets. A hot costume idea for this fall may be the corpse of Laura Palmer or maybe a grumpy old man. Of course there is always the old ghost routine for those less adventurous.

From the home office in Nashua, Iowa.

10. It gets dark at two in the afternoon.
9. Layer of dead flies cover your window sill.
8. No more reruns.
7. Pumpkins mysteriously multiply on your doorstep.
6. Annoying acorns.
5. No more suntan lotion scum on the lake.
4. Football, football, football.
3. Friends bearing rakes and leaf blowers. (Beware!)
2. Phlegm globbers in the drinking fountain.
1. Mass Bambi and Daffy Duck serial killers on the loose--and it's legal.