The Bison – October 6, 1995

RESPECT: Reaching Expectations Sports Performance Education Competition Talent; this was the theme for Homecoming 1995.

Homecoming week was held from September 24 to September 30 this year. The Homecoming colors were royal blue, black and white.

The week was kicked off with the Homecoming King and Queen Coronation held on September 24. This year's Homecoming Royalty includes: third runners-up Robbie Holmquist and Gerice Olson; second runners-up Sam Lynch and Kelly Dunn; first runners-up John Ireland and Jennifer Felger; and King and Queen Paul Schaefer and Elicia Drake.

"It was really unique listening to the class histories," said senior Elicia Drake. "It was cool spending the time with old friends that we don't usually see."

Each day of the school week had a different theme, and special mod activities were planned for some days. Each sport had their own homecoming game throughout this week. Also, during passing time, the student council played music over the loudspeaker.

"Music in the halls was my favorite aspect of homecoming because it made passing time more eventful," said junior Kirsten Thompson.

Monday was Get Up and Go and Bad Hair Day. Students were supposed to wear their pajamas to school and not fix their hair that morning.

"Get Up and Go Day wasn't as big of a deal as everything else, because it was held on a Monday," said senior Tennille Popelka.

Tuesday was 70s Day. Students dressed up in bell-bottoms and clogs, polyester, leisure suits and got out those peace signs and flowers. Gladiators was the mod activity that was held on Tuesday. That night was the Volleyball team's Jam the Gym Homecoming match.

"70s day was fun! People were dressing up in clothes that their parents wore when they were our age," said Thompson.

Wednesday was Class Colors Day. This year the colors were distributed as follows: Seniors-black, Juniors-white, Sophomores-red, Freshman-brown and Staff-blue. The mod activity this day was: Comedy Olympics.

"I liked Comedy Olympics because everybody understood and could relate to it," said senior Melissa Christianson.

Thursday was Country Day. Students wore cowboy boots, cowboy hats and country music was played in the halls during passing times. Thursday night there were many sporting events. Beginning at 4pm was the cross country Invitational held at Buffalo Heights. Beginning at 6pm was the Swimming and Diving meet. At 7pm was the varsity soccer team's Homecoming game.

"There should have been more mod activities, because there [at the mod activities] everyone shows their true school spirit," said Popelka.

Friday was Purple and White Day. Students wore face paint and purple and white clothes. That night was the varsity football game.

The Homecoming royalty was introduced during halftime and the fall marching band performed a pre-game and halftime show. After the football game, Fun Night was held. Among the activities at Fun Night was a volleyball tournament. Many students played in this tournament.

"Purple and White Day was my favorite because I like seeing how all-out people went for school spirit," said Thompson.

The Homecoming Dance was held on Saturday at 7:30pm. "The dance was fun because they played good music," said sophomore Sara Rebischke.

The Buffalo Senior High School's multi-act play Wait Until Dark, a mystery, will perform November 9 - 12 at the Buffalo Junior High auditorium. Tickets will be $2 for students, and $3 for adults.

Auditions were held September 18 and 19. Over 40 people showed up to try to get one of the seven roles. Some may consider seven parts to be small for a multi-act play.

We're trying to get a spring play,= said director Tracy Hagstrom-Dahl. It makes it easier to have plays [with a small cast].=

Another multi-act play would let more students get involved.

The entire play takes place on only one set, a basement apartment. The set will have a complete kitchen and photo lab.

The set will be pretty detailed,= said Hagstrom-Dahl. Many people will be needed to work on it.=

Hagstrom-Dahl has directed over eighty plays. This is her fourth year directing for Buffalo. She thinks that this play should be a crowd pleaser.=

Tt has been a while since Buffalo has done something other than a drama or musical,= said Hagstrom-Dahl. Buffalo hasn't done a mystery since before I was here.=

The play is about woman named Susy Hendrix who lost her sight in a recent car accident. Her husband, Sam, is out of town. A lady that Sam met wants him to deliver a doll full of drugs to a little girl. Sam has no clue about the hidden drugs, and he can't find the doll when the lady comes to pick it up.

When Sam leaves town Susy is left alone in their apartment. A group of criminals shows up and tries to earn Susy's trust so they can take the doll without her knowing what's in it.

Wait Until Dark was written by Frederick Knott. It has been made into a movie, starring Lee Remick, Audrey Hepburn, Robert De Vall, and Stacy Keech. The show has also been performed on Broadway.

That is one of the play's qualities. It can be done by high school students and on Broadway as well,= said Hagstrom-Dahl.

Cast

Susy Hendrix........ Heidi Bakke
Sam Hendrix..... Jeremy Lostetter
Mike Talman....... Pete Jacobson
RoOat.............. Jeremy Hance
Sgt. Carlino.......... Russ Pruitt
Gloria............. Betsy Whittlef
Patrolman 1........ Ryan McCallum
Patrolman 2...... Jason Geoffrion

It doesn’t matter where you live; racism isn’t selective in that way. It lurks in the inner city and permeates small communities like Buffalo. It isn’t always as obvious as SKIN HEAD spray-painted on the sidewalk, just across from the coveted rock; or JEW scratched into the dust on the famed football car.

It is all around us at BHS. Everyday. And we at BHS live with it, ignoring it, hoping it will go away. But it won’t, because ignorance is the reason it is here. The students who choose to participate in making a mockery of the Jewish faith have to realize that what they say may be taken to heart by anyone who hears them.

The Bison feels that recent slurs aimed at Jewish people cannot go unnoticed just because the percentage of Jewish people in the school district is insignificant. Randomly calling a classmate, teacher, teammate or administrator a Jew misjudgement, they should not in turn be called a Jew Lover.

It may sometimes be hard to accept differences in religion, and that is fine. But publicly voicing your ignorance and/or indifference just to put down someone else is not only offending to others, but damaging to yourself. It would be so much more superior to acknowledge the difference and respect it for what it is, a difference.

It has been brought to The Bison’s attention that some of the people mocking Jews are the athletes that represent our school. This is not to generalize that all of the people observed are athletes, or that all athletes are at fault. This is to point out that they are our ambassadors. They travel to other schools which results in more contact with diversity in a school-controlled en-

Photo by Molly Warner
be exposed. We, as a school, should expect tha is not appropriate. If someone should stand up to the ridicule and comment on the person's they represent BSH well and treat their oppo- nents better then they treat their own classmates. school.

t just an example of the antisemitism that is happening in our school. It is hard to notice when you are driving by. So stop and take a look at the curb on your way out of

I have been approached by several students who wanted to know why I am wearing ties this year instead of the T-shirts and tennis shoes that have made up the majority of my wardrobe for many years.

It is probably obvious that I have a new job assignment this year. My job title is Administrative Assistant, which is very similar to being an assistant principal.

I have only been on the job for a few weeks and can report that most of the new challenges that I have faced have been rewarding experiences.

Buffalo Senior High is well known throughout the state for excelling in many areas. At the beginning of each new school year we have even more positive role models. When this happens so many other things go right, including discipline, attendance, school pride and spirit.

The positive role models and what they do is what makes the job of an assistant principal or administrative assistant a lot easier.

Advertising Policy:

The Buffalo Senior High School newspaper, The Bison, offers advertising to businesses and organizations on the basis that we can refuse any ad.

The Bison makes it a general practice of not accepting ads from mortuaries, liquor stores, bars, etc.

The Bison tries to draw the attention of the potential buyer so that they will not only read the advertisement, but act on the offer.

The Bison assumes full responsibility for advertisements containing misspelled words or incorrect information and will negotiate with any advertiser in case of a complaint.

Billing Policy:

The Bison will issue a statement totalling the purchase made, along with an issue of the publication in which the purchased advertising space is found in the mail.

The advertiser has 30 days from the date of the statement to pay.

If payment is not recieved within this allotted time period, a 5% service charge will be added per month to the amount due..

Letters to the Editor:

We want to hear your comments, questions, and concerns! If you wnat to let us know what you think, write us a letter! All letters will be printed in full if deemed appropriate by the Editor-in-Chief.

Simply address them "To the Editor" and drop them off in the Bison room, A-2, or Leanne Turnquist's English Room, D-3. To assure publication of a letter, it must be submitted at least one week prior to the distribution date.

Any letter may be shortened or edited if the Editorial Board deems it necessary.

Join the Bison:

It's not to late to join The Bison. Positions are still open for staff writers, photographers, and editor's assistants. The Bison is a great opprotunity to learn how to write for the future.

Listen to the daily announcements for future interest meeting dates, or talk to Darcy Fischer in room A-2 or Leanne Turnquist in room D-3.

Suggestions Welcome:

There is now a suggestion envelope located outside of the Bison Room (A-2). If you have any story ideas, comments, questions suggestions, letters to the editor, etc. leave them in the envelope and a member of the editorial staff will read them.

Everyone is encouraged to express their opinions. Everthing will be read, and all suggestions will be considered.

Beep... Beep... Beep... 6:17 Monday morning. Your alarm goes off just as Ed MacMahan is about to knock on your door with a $10,000,000 check.

Sound familiar?

After hitting the snooze button countless times, you hear your mother screaming at the top of her lungs, suggesting it’s time to get up.

Time to start the routine.

You go through all the morning rituals, fighting with your family over the bathroom, making the long journey to school. Finally you arive at school, only to find a 6-foot-11-inch, 350 pound third year senior snoring in front of your locker.

Any of this ring a bell?

Ah, the bells. The next six and a half hours of your life are controlled by bells. This goes on until 2:50 when, finally, we’re free! Unless of course you’re in a sport or activity. Or actually have a job. Plus you’ve got to find time for homework and, hopefully, some kind of social life. And if you're really lucky, maybe you even have a few spare minutes left for sleep before it’s time to get up and start the routine over again.

Face it -- we are all routinized. (If this word confuses you, you obviously haven’t had Mr. Rohl for World Studies.) Day after day we follow routines, sticking to second hands and bells, until we’re like revolving doors, going from one duty to another. And we don’t dare try to change the routine. Ignoring the “starting bell” or not waiting for the “dismissal bell” for the simple reason of changing our routines could lead to detention (which could also become a routine if you do it often enough, which would kind of defeat the point.)

Don’t get me wrong; I’m not saying we should all come to class late just to “upset the routine” (although if you feel you must alter your routine, try going to class early!). I can see why we need bells and schedules to keep us from living in a world of total chaos. But where do you think the phrase “TGIF” came from? We get so caught up in schedules and routines, we need the weekend to relax and unwind.

So, until the teachers find a way to alter their routines, or maybe even let us walk through the halls without little pink passes (a favorite of mine), I guess we’ll have to live with being routinized.

Then it’s off to the “real world” and there are never routines in the real world.

Yeah, right.

I’m sure that you’ve heard of the Shannon Faulkner story. A young woman wants to get into an all male military school. What happens? They have to let her in. The supreme court says that everyone has the right to the same opportunities. She then drops out after suffering heat exhaustion on her first exercise. All of this time and money spent for nothing. No gain at all. There can be no discrimination.

That is the catch phrase now. You see it everywhere you go. The Faulkner case is just one of the many that follow the recent trend.

The headlines were “Faulkner finally has a chance” and “Faulkner wins battle”. All praising her for her heroics and determination. All for nothing. It seems that she forgot to keep in shape so that she could actually compete once she got into the school. Oops. Still, she is praised for breaking the gender barrier. Yeah, breaking it just for the sake of making the headlines.

Maryland, a girl tries out for the high school football team. If they don’t allow her to play, she could sue them for sexual discrimination. They allow her to play. On the first scrimmage, she gets hurt. She is now suing the district for $1.5 million on grounds that no one told her “of the potential risks of serious injury inherent in the sport”. Now come on, if you aren’t ready for what you’re getting into, then you shouldn’t be trying for it.

At the same time, men are touted for trying to gain their rights back. All of the rights that have been lost due to women trying to gain theirs. Case in point, a man tries to enter the Bruegger’s Run for the Bagels, a local race that is for women only. When he tried to enter, they told him that it was for women only. When he complained about his rights and that women have rights to be in male competitions they still said no. He then sued to have his rights given back to him. When they finally said that he could enter the race, the event was then canceled. Those in charge claimed that they didn’t want the hassle. Yeah, right. The headlines for that were “All-woman race halted after suit” and “Lawyer says ‘equality’ was aim”. All pointing out that the man was at blame and that it was all his fault that the race was not going to take place.

Why is it that rights are only a one way street? Why not a two way street? Is it just that one sex has to gain and surpass the other to feel accomplished or is it that they just get greedy and need to have more rights than anyone? I feel that it is a one way street and it is a long one. One that isn’t going to stop for a long time.

Everyone dislikes that annoying busy signal when you call someone. Most of the time you get the busy signal when the other person is on the line talking to someone else. Not in this school. This year all the teachers got voice mail. The voice mail is to help teachers get all their messages. Since voice mail was placed in the school, the phones have not worked right. There have been people working on the system, but the phones still do not work.

I do not enjoy talking to someone when I get cut off in the middle of my conversation. In my mind that is rude. I also do not like it when all you get on the phone is a busy signal when you try to call someone. No one can call the school either and get through. They also get a busy signal just like us. They do not work like us.

When are these phone lines going to work? I would like to know. I don’t see how it takes so long to fix a phone.

Until the phones work, maybe we should stop trying to use them. We all know they don’t work. Maybe if we stop using them they’ll work. Yeah, right, maybe in a hundred years.

In many small towns it seems that more and more teenagers are drinking alcohol as a pastime. As I involve myself in conversations, I hear many reasons why minors drink. “There’s nothing better to do.” “It’s fun.” “It takes you away from all your problems.” Is that why so many people at Buffalo High School drink?

Every where you go, you here about a great boozer that happened over the weekend. Some people are offended by this, but it does not bother me. I don’t see why it would bother someone. It has nothing to do with you.

It is very easy for minors to purchase alcohol. In 1992, 17 out of 38 restaurants and bars, and 14 out of 21 liquor stores in Bloomington sold alcoholic beverages to under-age customers recruited by the police. Buying liquor themselves is sometimes not an option for drinkers, so they find a willing, legal-aged person to purchase their beverages.

Teenagers consume 1.1 billion cans or bottles of beer each year. That means that every person in our school would need to drink 195.9 cans or bottles of beer a year. That’s just beer! There’s also hard liquor, mixed drinks and wine coolers. That’s a whole lot of alcohol we’re drinking!

Some professionals like doctors and psychologists think that advertisements influence us to drink. I would not go drink a product just because I saw some commercial or billboard telling me that if I drink that product I will become “cool” or “worry-free”. One commercial that sticks out in a lot of people’s minds is the Budweiser Beer commercial. The frogs croak out “BUD-WEIS-ER” while sitting on lily pads in a pond. Are they suggesting that whoever drinks their beer will suddenly turn into a frog and start croaking this now, famous chorus? I disagree, and I am sure that many of you do too, that a reason for drinking is definitely not the advertisements we see all around us.

No one can make you drink if you don’t, and no one can stop you from drinking, if you do drink for whatever reasons you have. It is your life and your decision to drink or not. Every time you drink, remember that there may be consequences that follow. Most importantly... DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE.

Artisitc activities at Buffalo Senior High

JAZZ ENSEMBLE
This group focuses on perfecting their talents as jazz musicians, practicing regularly, as-well as performing at concerts.

PEGASUS
This is BHS' literary magazine. It is an annual publication which publishes poems, short stories, art, and prose written by BHS Students.

THE BISON
This is the school newspaper. It comes out seven times a year and is written and laid out by BHS Students.

TATANKA
This the BHS' award-winning yearbook. It is also written and laid out by students.

MARCHING BAND
In this activity, students perform during parades, competing for awards and trophies.

ONE-ACT PLAY
This activity is asmall production for which students spend many hours practicing, and eventually compete as a team.

FALL PLAY.
This is an annual production which students practice and perform for the entire community.

CONCERT CHOIR
The students involved in this activity must audition to be in it. The concert choir puts on several concerts each year.

CONCERT BAND
Students involved in concert band also must try out for it. This band puts on several concerts as well as going on trips.

Buffalo High band students, faculty BHS sir continue pursuing artistic beat
By Kathy Jones
Staff Writer

Joining band and/or choir can be a big commitment in Buffalo Senior High. Playing an instrument is not done just in band, but also practiced at home, and some even take or give lessons.

I joined band because I wanted to broaden my intellectual horizons,= said junior Sam Habeck, and I'm glad I did be- Cause it really has given me an education beyond the blackboard.=

Some students' reasons for joining band are very intense. A few students joined band simply because they got the opportunity to meet some great new friends.

I'm glad I became part of the band because I like music and to be challenged, and [also got to meet great friends,= said sophomore Jamie Jensen.

Choir students have similar reasons for being involved in the vocal aspect of music.

Tike choir and I joined because I like the fact that I can sing and have fun with it,= said senior Melissa Christenson. I've always been interested in music.=

For others, choir is a choice that comes almost as second nature.

T vealways been in choir, and Ic&n'tplay an instrument so I need to have something to do with music. {it's alot more fun than people think,= said junior Sarah Burchett.

Playing an instrument or having a singing talent does not just affect the students at BHS. Teachers also play instruments, and French teacher Jennifer Johnson has great talent in the music department.

T started playing piano when I was 6 because my mom made me, and then I started moving on to

By Colie Gorton
Staff Wr

Over 400 students are involved in the music program at BHS. Many people wonder why it's So popular.

Music is an important fact to everyone, in everyone's life,= said band director Lee Kjesbo.

Many students agree that music is found everywhere.

T like the fact that music is all around me, whether it's show music or actual singing,= said senior Melissa Christianson.

Music study involves various techniques, like AP theory, band instruments; playing flute, oboe, harp and sultry.

I like to play the instruments because they are a great stress release,= said Johnson.

One student found that the primary reason she joined band eventually developed into a love for music.

T started in band because my friends made me be in it, but now I am happy I did because I like the variety of activities I can be a part of,= said sophomore Melissa Daniels.

The opportunity to be able to be involved in extra-curricular activities seems to be an important part of the whole musical experience for many people.

I'm glad for it because I now can be in marching band,= said freshman Jenny McCoy.

Band and choir are not simple little slacker classes. People actually go out and have fun and learn and participate in many other activities. It's not just sitting in a classroom singing or playin gan instrument.

Staff Writer

There is only a handful of literary extremists, nonconspicuous specks among the countless peers. Their schedule is based upon four year college requirements but every available nook is crammed with English electives. They juggle demanding and difficult classes, work a part time job and yet still pursue an ever fleeing dream.

I write to have enough money so I can write independently without having another drone bee job,= said senior Amanda Falkowski-Scott.

It is a mystery how today's youth gets sucked into this void of mental wanderings, producing a chaotic barrage of poetic scribbles with no end in sight.

T have a whole dresser full of poetry, short stories, some one act plays, most just to give me the experiences so I = said Falkowski-Scott.

But it is a writer s desire to write, perhaps an urge that grows deep within the dark realms of one's subconscious like a malignate tumor.

Writers write mainly to sort out their own thoughts and feelings,= said English teacher Jack Harlan. The motivation to communicate separates them from the journalists and the doodlers.=

Some write to teach others to write, raising a whole new generation of bookworms for own after I discovered I like to read a lot, so I tried to find out if I could write stories on my own,= said English teacher David Robinson. I did some

T tried writing on my own. I figured I wanted to see if I could teach.=

Some wish they could write, perhaps set aside some quality computer time from their everyday work and family lives.

Every summer I tell myself that I will submit some stories but it hasn't happened of yet,= said English teacher Vicki Cary.

Many just don't have the kinetic energy to survive the unhealthy habit of doing all nighters, surviving off coffee and junk food while madly scribbling away in the frail light of an IBM.

I don't write as often as I should,= said Robinson.

I always have a million excuses and not enough drive to follow through. I guess it's being plain lazy.=

Perhaps itis better thata writer is born only when the moon is blue. If writers were a dime a dozen, the evergreens would be turned into office supplies and papers would fly through deserted streets as everyone meditated at their desks with pencils in hand.

Itis utterly futile to guess what initiates

This fall, the play that is being performed is called Wait Until Dark. It is a mystery which promises to be quite entertaining and suspenseful.

There are seven characters in the production.

Those cast include: junior Heidi Bakke as Susy Hendrix, sophomore Jeremy Lostetter as Sam Hendrix, junior Pete Jacobson as Mike Talman, sophomore Jeremy Hance as Roat, senior Russ Pruitt as Sargeant Carlino, sophomore Betsy Whittlef as Gloria, junior Ryan McCalium as Patrolman 1, and sophomore Jason Jeffrion as Patrolman 2.

Wait Until Dark will be performed at the Buffalo Junior High auditorium beginning on Thursday, November 9 at 7:30pm. There will also be performances held on November 10 and 11 at 7:30pm. The last performance will be held on Sunday, November 12 at 2pm.

Many students spend a lot of their spare time drawing, painting, and going to movies or concerts. People feel they can be more creative on their own time. Better quality is produced.

When walking through the school, one may see numerous paintings along the hallways. The paintings were created by seniors in Studio Art. To enroll in Studio Art a student must have three prior years of art classes.

Many students love to attend concerts. Most concerts take place all year long.

Most concerts are held at the Roy Wilkins Auditorium, located in St. Paul. The only concert in Buffalo High School is Battle of the Bands, which usually takes place in the spring of the year.

Last year's concert was boring because the bands lacked in quality,= said senior Jon Doe member Shane Loberg.

Many students that attended the concert also agreed with the comment made by Loberg. Those not pleased with quality were comforted by the very loud speakers echoing off the dome of the mall.

The music the bands played was pretty good for the young bands they had," said senior Ryan Noeker.

There are other types of music groups in BHS. The curricular choir department includes concert, treble and varsity choir. When students consider the great diversity in BHS' music department, the first thing many think of is the marching band. The marching band plays at several sporting events during the year.

This is going to be the funnest year for band,= said senior drum major Adam Kauffmann.

The band traveled to many locations this summer: St. Cloud, Alexandria, Monticello and St. Louis to name a few. Most band members agree that the St. Louis trip was the most fun.

When people think of the arts in BHS, one should remember that there are many types and forms to consider. Most would say it's wise to always keep an open mind when attending different events.

The Buffalo swimming and diving team has improved each year since it first started seven years ago, and each year they have set their goals higher. Swimmers and divers, although very different, work individually to achieve their common goals of helping the team win and advancing to sections, then state.

The divers team goals are to score as many points as possible for their dives during the meet.

This year, there are 12 divers, but only six spots three on JV, three on varsity.

All of the divers have three individual goals: to master their current dives, to dive in a meet and to reach the section cut-off score of 155 twice. Becky Steen and Nicole DeMott have already qualified for sections, and there are other divers who are very close to filling Buffalo's remaining two spots at sections.

My goal this season is to help divers place as high as they can in all their meets,= said coach Dee Gnerre.

She also wants to bring the four divers she is allowed to Sections, and bring any or all of them to state.

The swimmers goals for the season are the same as the divers in that they also want to send as many swimmers as possible to sections and state.

For most of the swimmers, the practices are very hard, but it pays off during the meets.

4

Four swimsuits, hairy legs, death practices, no sugar, no fat, fast times; swimming is hell," said sophomore Erika Rhode.

Nevertheless, they stay focused and determined to work their hardest.

Swimming and cross-country are a lot alike, but swimming is a big challenge. You need to learn four different ways of moving yourself, and you need to use all of your coordination and skill, even when you're exhausted,= said junior Corin Nelson.

Swimmers and divers also have individual goals of beating school and pool records and placing in the top 10 at sections.

Both swimmers and divers feel that fan support is important to the success of the team.

T think that both swimming and cross-country deserve more recognition from their peers,= said Nelson.

The swimming and diving teams hope to see many fans at their next home meet, which is on October 17 versus Spring Lake Park, St. Anthony.

The ball sails past the goalie and slams into the back of the net. The crowd goes wild and the Bison realize that they have just won the game.

The season has been long and grueling thus far for the Bison soccer team, in what can only be described as a rebuilding year. It started in late August with the promotion of new head coach Scott Greenwood from his former C-squad position. Old and new strategies have come together to create a more well rounded team on defense and offense.

Returning coaches are Greenwood, and Gregg Adler on JV. New C-squad coach is Wendy Hidde.

On the sidelines it has been interesting watching the team pull together and actually work as a team,= said senior Brian Drahota.

During one of the first Bison losses the team realized they needed to improve, and it hurt the team because it seemed like they were doing much better in practice than they actually did in the game.

In the following games it became apparent that team unity was up.

Tt's exciting because I used to be in soccer and I like to see the quick ball handling skills used by some of the Bison offense and defense. But most of all I enjoy the way Buffalo is so aggressive against other teams,= said sophomore Brian Moon.

The soccer team flies down the field in hot pursuit of the ball that will eventually score the game winner. The Bison Soccer team is giving it there all in this rebuilding season.

The girls team is more ready to win state than the boys team because they have a lot of returning experience, said Wade Demmer.

Since the boys team in the past have not been as good as the girls they want to prove to everyone that they can go to State.

The first meet was held at the state of dreams.

The girls team is ranked number ten in the state.

We have a shot at doing better,= said Fiedler.

The boys team has a good chance to take the number two spot in regions.

We are among the top five teams for the number two spot for regions,= said Demmer.

The girls are ranked number eight in the state.

The athletes are constantly fighting to beat their personal best times.

Again Fiedler took first for the girls.

For the S Vv team senior things people.

We have a chance to go because the teams are tough and we have got stronger,= said Fiedler.

The first meet was held in the state of dreams.

This year we have more experience and we are working harder,= said Demmer.

The girls are still working to improve their times and place higher in the state rankings.

The boys continue to push themselves and hope to make a strong run toward state.

A hush comes over the crowd as the ball is served, returned and slammed across the court again. The final bounce of the ball exemplifies the win for the girls tennis team.

“All of us work together. There’s lots of encouragement. The group helps with individual goals,” said junior Nicole Zwieg.

It could be the encouragement, or it could be the strong team players, but nothing compares to the tremendous sense of unity that encompasses the team.

As in any sport, the attitude that accompanies the talent is what makes winners. If a team believes in what they are doing, they will succeed in what they do.

“The team has exceeded my expectations. I thought it would take a miracle to beat St. Francis, but we did it,” said varsity coach Charlie Keifenheim.

The goals of the tennis team have made them think more competitively. They’re already better than last year with a 2-2 record in the conference.

“I’m sure if you talk to the rest of the team it will be almost the same. We want to do better in the conference, which we’ve done compared to last year. If we continue to improve and get in top form, hopefully we’ll go on past regions or to state,” said Keifenheim.

At the beginning of a season a team usually doesn’t know where it’s headed. The start of this season has looked pretty good. The new players and long seasons off make for many variables in the readiness of a team to compete.

“The start of the season looked good. I think that some players practiced and worked hard over the summer. It was a solid beginning,” said senior captain Erica Henry.

Some are looking forward to a final season on the Buffalo Bison girls’ tennis team. Emotions can run high as the season nears a close and reflections of years past loom clearly in the mind. Goals are set higher, and expectations are peaked.

“It’s fun, but it’s also sad because it’s my last year. It just makes you work harder,” said Henry.

Good tennis players have to have certain skills, because, as in any sport, not everyone is an all-around perfect player. Each player is known for a strength, and each is counted on for her individual contribution to the team score.

“To be a good tennis player I think the only thing you need is dedication,” said senior captain Alicia Bader.

Photo by Chrissy Kohnen
Erica Henry puts all her emotion into returning a ball to her opponent. Bison tennis has improved over last year's team.

The Bison football team has compiled a 2-1 record, having lost a close, hard-fought game to non-conference rival St. Cloud Apollo 37-13, defeating Spring Lake Park 17-7 and shutting out Fridley 28-0 in the first Bison shutout in a long time.

The season opener came to the Bison as more of a wake up call then a football game. The Bison were thoroughly trashed in front of their home crowd to an unrelentless Apollo team. The Bison have four returning starters on defense but still handed 323 rushing yards to a strong Apollo running game, and did not attempt a pass throughout the game.

Despite the Bison’s first unimpressive showing they did however make up for it in the next two, leaving the opponents clueless for a combined Bison score 45-7. Buffalo’s steadily improving defense handed Fridley a shutout and a 0-3 record. Almost equally impressive was the showing at Spring Lake Park, where the Bison held the panthers to 105 rushing yards and just 7 points. With this rapidly improving defense, fans can look forward to seeing another impressive year ahead for the Bison.

One of the main reasons for this year’s outstanding outlook is that the Bison have thirteen starters back from last year’s 4-5 team. They are co-favorites along with Totino-Grace to win the North Suburban Conference. Totino is probably the best match for the Bison in their regular season. A Bison win would put them alone at the top of the conference with a 3-1(3-0) record.

During the Fridley game Bison running back Rob Holmquist broke the school’s all-time rushing record which was quite a feat.

The Bison faced a tough opponent in Totino-Grace and lost a hard-fought game in the fourth quarter, the final score was 34-14. The score doesn’t tell the whole story. The Bison allowed Totino only 20 points through the first three quarters of play; other teams usually average 45 points a game. That puts the Bison with a 2-2 mark halfway through the season. Three of the last four games are at home; maybe the two games lost will be the last games lost!

“They aren’t any different than the Buffalo kids in the fact that their parents give their time and energy to watching and coaching them in play, but on a larger scale they are different. I don’t know how long the Osseo-Maple Grove system has been around, but it’s been around longer then Buffalo’s.

The point of this, and there is a point- the point is that you can’t get too discouraged because our team isn’t the best, our team hasn’t had forever to develop, compared to other schools. Osseo has been around for: what seems like forever,

As steel from the rampant gunshots fills the frigid air, hunters go out to bag their annual limit of ducks. Now that the temperature is cooling down, and the leaves are showing off their fall colors, ducks everywhere are starting their yearly-migration to the South through our area waterfowl migration routes.

The 1995 duck hunting season opened on September 30. As a new rule this year, the season will last a full 50 days. The last opportunity for hunters to reach their limit will be on November 18.

Many feel that hunting is a good way to fill up the family freezer. Not only that, but it’s more interesting than going to the store.

Of course there are various other reasons people like to hunt.

"Man has been hunting for thousands of years, why stop now," said freshman Joe Harper.

Hunting also provides time to spend with family and friends, enjoying the great outdoors.

The number of ducks shot in one season is one of the main reasons why this season has been lengthened. If there were fewer ducks the season would be shorter.

Some people hunt for pleasure and don’t use the ducks, depleting their population. Not all ducks that are shot get picked up; many ducks fall to places where they cannot be reached.

Whether it is duck, deer, grouse, pheasant or whatever you may be hunting for; most people agree hunting can get expensive, not just cash-wise, but time-wise too -- there are only so many weekends during the season.

This writer believes that limits and season lengths will continue to fluctuate with the shift in the duck population, just as they have in years past. Duck hunting has been a fast growing sport, and it will continue to grow in the years to come.

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When I moved, I knew a lot more about the Osseo/Maple Grove system than I do now. But then again, before, I thought it was playing sports. Come on from Maple Grove, the high schoolers supposedly use a random person to plow through the powder snow. Beyond that, the players were said to have exactly one coach for every eight players and two parents and two practices a week.

Unlike professional or high school soccer in our area, the suburbs bring players the distinct innocence and joy once had by many kids. Sooner or later, one has to learn to deal with these kids of experiences and requirements like budgets, endless hard-to-labor, and a vacation schedule. Today, with all junior varsity players, the kids get on the line in the end, the field goes on with a beating game plan. Mother and father however soon play from their bench to cheers, and great goals can keep at the same time. Majority of kids have been involved in more than one coach. Mother, father, or maybe even a family member with all has a schedule instead of a the time. Only every player is one person, and many of them are now into baseball, basketball or soccer, and many more are on the schedule. What goes around comes around.

They aren’t anything to cry about. They’re probably the best in the North Suburban Conference, and in some people’s eyes, even the best in the state. I suppose when parents have done their homework and kids are actually learning the game, the teams end up pretty good.

The Bison and the teams are all great sports. Not because they are the best, but because they are kids like the rest of us; kids who have gotten better, who are not afraid to play and who love the game. They may not be ranked first, but they have come a long way.

Minnesota high school juniors and seniors flocked to the National College Fair held at the Minneapolis Convention Center on September 28 and 29.

A Minnesota College Fair was also held at St. Cloud State University on Thursday and Friday October 5 and 6.

At each fair, students were able to gather information, talk to admissions representatives and put their name on mailing lists.

“There are so many colleges there and so much information; it was overwhelming,” said junior Megan Wilson.

College fairs are only one source of information that high school students use in deciding what type of post-secondary education they will pursue.

“If you have high grades, colleges from all over the country will send [information] to you,” said senior Chrissy Kohnen.

According to a booklet entitled Your Future Is Here, available in the counseling office, September is the time for seniors to write for or pick up applications.

Other information is available through various computer technology. Minnesota Career Information System and Aid Sort are computer programs available for student use in BHS’ IBM computer lab.

“MCIS, Aid Sort and library books are all good sources,” said counselor Gloria Rose.

Students have access to much information.

Counselor Mary Lynn Leff said that there is a lot of information and misinformation to be sorted through.

For many students, the process of choosing a college involves personal preferences as well as factual information.

“A big part is knowing whether you want to go to a public or private school, and then what your beliefs and standards are,” said Kohnen.

Feelings about particular colleges as well as sentiment relating to students’ lives seems to play a large part in choosing a college.

“Students should ask themselves ‘who am I’ and ‘what are my needs and goals’,” said Rose. “Leaving home, [your college] major, friendships and sometimes a significant other are all issues in choosing a school.”

Whether attending an ivy league school or a local state college, nearly every student cannot afford to pay for their entire education without the help of financial aid.

“I’m not going to college unless I get scholarships,” said Kohnen.

Your Future Is Here suggests that students pick up the Family Financial Statement or Financial Aid Form from their counselor in December, and complete the form by January.

“One statistic I read said that 97 percent of the money [you’ll get] will come from a financial aid form called the FFS,” said counselor Nick Bakken.

Seeing for themselves what a college is like can be a final decision maker for many students.

It is suggested by the timeline that college visits be made in March or earlier.

“It’s important to visit the campus, because you’ll be spending four years there,” said Bakken.

There are many who feel that while the college search demands effort, the present demands that high school also recieve some attention.

“I do my best no matter where I am,” said senior Wade Demmer.

Getting up early in order to march on the field before school in front of most of the arriving students is only part of the commitment involved in fall marching band.

The 1995 fall marching band involves 105 BHS students. After a full summer of marching, The Herd had their field marching debut on September 15. The band performed on September 29 for Homecoming and will end their season on November 13 at the Fall Collage concert.

Most of the members of the fall marching band also participated in the busy, summer marching program. Band director Lee Kjesbo was pleased with The Herd’s eighth competitive year. The band members kept busy with performances at eleven parades as well as involvement in the finale of the Buffalo Community theater’s performance of The Music Man.

The highlight of the summer for many was the band’s trip to St. Louis. The Herd marched in two parades and was awarded second place in the St. Louis Veiled Prophet parade. At Webster Groves, St. Louis the band took first place for the best musical group. The trip included visits to a Six Flags amusement park, a visit to a riverboat dinner theater and a Gateway Arch view of fireworks as well as many other activities.

Shifting from summer to fall has meant some changes in the band. The directors for fall band are Billy Soden and Kjesbo. The new drum majors are junior Steve Minkler and senior Adam Kauffmann.

“Marching, conducting and leadership skills play a big role [in what is required to be a successful drum major],” said Kauffmann.

Both drum majors mentioned that being a drum major was a goal for their high school career.

“The role of drum major requires personal dedication towards having a good band,” said Minkler.

The band rehearsed at 7am three times a week, and once after school every week until Homecoming.

“I have a great deal of respect for students practicing in the morning, because it shows their dedication,” said Kjesbo.

The band relies heavily on support from the community.

“We appreciate so much the good wishes and support of the businesses in the community, as well as the support of the school board and the administration,” said Kjesbo. “The very large band program that we have at BHS could never happen without all these pieces of the puzzle coming together as they do here in Buffalo.”

Most band members agree that marching is both a lot of work and a lot of fun.

“The practices are intense and require a lot of discipline,” said senior Betsy Olson.

Even though the season is short, the band performs for many people. Most band members agree it's fun to perform for so many people.

“The marching band’s success is not how well Steve or I do, but how well the band does as a group,” said Kauffmann.

Photo by Charlotte McCarty

Performing in the football pre-game show on September 15, pictured here are members of The Herd: senior Jenny Fiedler, freshman Katie Heino, freshman Jesse Cassady and freshman Jenny McCoy.

Buffalo High School will be going through two important changes in the next few years: a move to a new building and the start of a block schedule system.

According to principal Nick Miller, the new building is on schedule.

“We’ve got the concrete foundation poured, the grass seeded and the parking lots paved,” said Miller. “We’re going to try to move during winter break [of next school year].”

Many people say that the new school will be nicer than our present high school.

“[It will be] very nice,” said Miller, “not an elaborate school, but with a beautiful, beautiful auditorium, and a very pleasant environment, with lots of windows and natural light.”

After the move, the old building will be remodeled as a middle school for grades six through eight.

A new block schedule is likely to start next year and will be quite different from BHS' current system. A booklet written by the school defines it as “having at least part of the daily schedule organized into longer blocks of time”.

In the new block schedule, each day would be divided into four class periods instead of the current six, with each period lasting about one hour and 25 minutes. Classes that used to require a full year will take only one semester, and current one-semester classes will be one quarter long. There will be one long block for the lunch period, and passing time will probably be ten minutes.

Some schools that will soon have block schedules include: Willmar, St.Peter, Blaine, Albert Lee, Coon Rapids, Bemidji, Bloomington Jefferson and Bloomington Kennedy.

“The faculty is] very positive,” said Loberg. “Every faculty member is on a committee and has studied various issues for a year.”

Some feel that there may be major benefits that could come from this change. There will be more electives, a greater variety of instructional methods and a slower pace during the school day, which could help students concentrate on their classes.

However, others feel that there are some problems. There will be more make-up work, problems in holding the attention of some students and modification of teaching methods. It’s also possible that MODS would be cut out.

Music programs especially would need to be changed. The opinions of music directors in schools that have block schedules are split between having full year programs, which would require two out of eight class periods, or splitting one block between music and other classes.

“A lot of music programs have seen their numbers [of band students] decline,” said band director Billy Soden.