The Bison – September 18, 1992

Students and adults all over the United States are feeling the effects of our current state of economy in many different ways.

Some feel that the recession may actually prove to helpfud to society. “I’ve realized that a lot of our economy depends upon the consumerism of Americans, and in the long run this recession might be good for our country. If Americans in general have less to spend, they would end up consuming less of the world’s resources over time,” said senior Cortney Collins.

The current state of the national economy has caused some students to change their views of the United States’ financial policies.

“I’ve lost faith in our government’s economic policies,” said junior Kim McFadden.

Inflation has caused the prices of gas, clothes, food, and many more essential products to rise. Thus, people are spending less and saving more, which causes employers to lay off additional workers.

“The recession has affected me, because I buy a lot of my own clothes, and they have become more expensive because of inflation,” said sophomore Jessica Klarstrom.

Adults who are unemployed tend to look for jobs wherever they can find them. In our current job market, this sometimes means washing dishes, bussing tables, or other tasks that are typically classified as “teenage” jobs.

“Employers are more likely to hire an adult with a family to support than a teenager who wants a new engine for his car,” said Elo.

Some students are now willing to accept poor working hours along with lower pay, just to have a place to work.

Many teens feel that their current job is not their first choice of employment, and would willingly change some conditions of their working place.

“I’d like it if there was a law passed that only allowed people older than eighteen to work later than eleven at night,” said Senior Tracy Hansen.

According to the Minnesota Department of Human Rights, it “...is an unfair employment practice for a labor organization, because of age, to discriminate against a person with respect to hiring, tenure, compensation, terms, upgrading, conditions, facilities, or privileges of employment.”

Some students feel that age discrimination may be present in the work place.

“I think at some places people consider you more experienced if you are older, so you are able to start with a higher wage than someone younger than yourself,” said junior Jay Rassat.

Some feel the recession is not due to one element, but a series of causes and effects that are interrelated.

“If people are laid off or are expecting to be, they become stingy with their money, and the less money they spend, the fewer jobs there are available. This results in the domino effect, which is why we are in a recession,” said junior Andre' Hance.

Many students feel that the recession does not affect them. In an adults' world, the economy is thought to have little impact on a teenager's existence.

“The recession has not affected me to the point where it is noticeable,” said senior Brad Elo.

Some students are getting up earlier than usual to come to BHS for the Zero Hour classes that started this fall.

“I didn’t have enough time to take the class with my full schedule,” said junior Nori Heino.

This class is designed to help the students who want to take keyboarding class, but don’t have the time in their schedule during the day.

“I wanted] to learn how to type better and it doesn’t fit into my class schedule,” said sophomore Stephanie Fix.

The class is offered both semesters at 7:20 am until 8:15 am, and is taught by Gerald Melby in the Business Computer Lab.

Students found out about the class from the morning announcements and by receiving a letter in the mail.

The sign-up sheets were located in the counselor’s office and available on a first come first serve basis.

“Our number one goal is to present the best educational opportunities for the students,” said Principal Nick Miller, “and I believe we are doing this by offering the class.”

This class will be used as a trial class and if it works, more may be added.

The class was first offered to seniors, juniors, and sophomores.

Students joined for many different reasons. Some thought it would help in other classes or activities.

“[I took this class] to learn how to type better, mainly for the yearbook,” said senior Kimberly Feilen.

Miller believes that the students will benefit in many ways from the class by having more opportunities.

Miller is open to the idea of offering more classes out of the regular school hours, and has accepted the idea of having Zero Hour Classes on a Saturday.

The BHS marching band has just completed its fifth successful season of competitive marching, winning seven first place awards, and two second place awards.

This year, ‘The Herd’ had some help from a new assistant director: Jen Kiffmeyer, a student at the University of North Dakota. She spent a large amount of time with the band, writing and teaching routines for the flagline members.

“She was a good leader and a valuable addition to the band,” said director Lee Kjesbo.

Kiffmeyer has a musical background, since she was a MARCHING BAND

“Something old, something new, Bison Homecoming 1992”, is the theme for the week of September 20-25. The colors chosen for this year are black, teal, and silver.

Student Council has planned many events and activities for this year’s Homecoming. “This year, the hard part was scheduling the activities. We wanted to get all the sports teams involved, but it was hard to juggle the schedule to include a home meet in each sport,” said senior Deb Theis.

Homecoming week will be kicked off with the crowning of the Homecoming king and queen. The coronation takes place on Monday, September 20, at the Junior High.

Other evening events include: a swim meet, a soccer game, a tennis match, the Varsity football game, with the marching band and the parade of Homecoming Candidates at half-time, fun night, and a dance.

Fun night is going to be sponsored by PCN (Parent Communication Network) and will offer one or more of a list of activities pending approval. The list includes such activities as: Bingo, karoke, and volleyball.

The dance on Saturday is a semi-formal dance, but students are not expected to come with a date.

The mod activities are: a pep rally for the Herd, Buffalo gladiators, Bison Bingo, and the traditional Pepfest on Friday.

In addition to the planned events, each day has a theme where students dress accordingly. Starting on Tuesday, students are to dress in country style clothing. On Wednesday, each class dresses in the same color. Seniors wear black, juniors wear blue, sophomores wear red, freshmen wear orange, and faculty wear purple. Thursday’s theme is “hats and shades” and Friday is purple and white.

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member of the All State band for five seasons.

“Jen was quiet, but gave a definite boost to the band and lots of new ideas,” said senior Nan Davis.

There were other new additions to the band this year as well. More flags and a new streamer line were introduced.

“We put the streamer line in because there were too many kids and also to add more color to the band,” said Kjesbo.

The general opinion of the streamer line was accepted by most students and they thought that it was a good idea.

“It was a nice addition to the band. It helped us look like a unit instead of separate parts,” said senior Julie Fiedler.

There were 137 members in total for this season, with the sophomores being the largest group at 45.

“It was the best season we’ve had so far- I’m really looking forward to next season,” said Fiedler.

Some felt that the age difference of members affected the band in a positive way. The freshmen learned responsibility and more musical skills from the sophomores, juniors, and seniors.

“Our goals were reached, we performed at a high level, and the kids learned as a group to work hard and have pride in their efforts,” said Kjesbo.

“A large group can’t function without the cooperation of everyone. Our goals were reached, we performed at a high level, and the kids learned as a group to work hard and have pride in their efforts,” said Kjesbo.

Some highlights of the season were the Aquatennial Torchlight and Alexandria parades. Two first time accomplishments for the group were having the color guard take class champion at Foley, and the percussion taking class champion at Alexandria.

“Alexandria was the best! We’ve come so far. The freshmen were really good and caught on very quickly,” said Davis.

Project Eagle is a new program at BHS. The project will assist in the mounting of an immature bald eagle which was found dead in a trap near Albany, Minnesota.

An immature bald eagle is a young bird that looks like a large black hawk, because it has yet to develop it’s white plumage on it’s head and tail.

“It’s plumage is really nice, it will make a beautiful addition to our school,” said biology teacher, David Fiedler.

To raise the five hundred dollars that it will take to get the permits from the U.S. Government and the fee for the taxidermist, Fiedler is heading a recycling project.

Project Eagle asks student cooperation to recycle pop and juice cans to help aid in the project.

The stuffed bird will be first displayed in the office, then moved to the trophy case in the front foyer. It will eventually end up in the Biology and science areas.

Mary Lynn Leff, adviser for the Peer Helpers.

Training is given to Peer Helpers to help them understand what their job is and how to do it.

“Peer Helpers go to a retreat every year, to find out how to help others get through their problems, and learn how to be a friend to people through meetings and discussions,” said senior Beth Husom.

Peer Helpers are there to provide support and understanding to their fellow students.

“Some Peer Helpers tutor, and work in the DARE program also,” said Husom.

Freshman orientation for this year was given on Tuesday, September 1, by the Peer Helpers, NHS, Student Council, and the Class officers.

The orientation started off with a meeting in the gym for students and parents. The students were then broken up into small groups, each group headed by group leaders.

The group leaders gave the newcomers helpful hints and information regarding high school procedures. The leaders then took their groups on tours of the school, and led them back into the mall for ice cream and socializing.

DARK stars Annabella Sciorra as a psychiatrist with a very kinky patient (Debra Unger). Unger sees Sciorra regularly and tells her about the many different ways that she has had sex with this one certain guy, like we really care. Sciorra starts fantasizing about this one certain guy and Unger in her dreams, nothing like separating your work life from your home life. Trying to sort everything all out, she ends up getting tangled in a web of murder. And of course, Sciorra falls in love with someone we are supposed to consider the bad guy (Jamey Sheridan). If you enjoy a good murder/love/mystery than this is the movie for you. But if you have any common sense, you will spend your money on something else

T2 fame Edward Furlong, as a boy whose mother has just died. Afterwards, Furlong and his father move to Ludlow, where the Creeds lived and died in the first movie. But, unlike PET SEMATARY, this one was not written by Stephen King, and it shows. Furlong gets involved with the famous furry final resting place and believes that if his mother is buried there, everything will be alright. But, if everything turned out alright, then there wouldn't be a movie. If you like the blood and guts kind of movie, then this is one you'll definitely want to see

COOL WORLD stars Gabriel Byrne as a cartoonist who gets pulled into the animated world he created during his prison term, or thinks he created. Some of the Cool World inhabitants think that their world would exist whether or not Byrne continues to draw for it. Kim Basinger stars as Holli Would, and the name says it all. Holli's motto: "I just want to be real" and she will do anything to succeed, even if that means breaking Cool World rules. The rule: "Noids do not have sex with doodles." Brad Pitt, a Noid, is the man out to stop her, and he gets exactly what he deserves.

HONEY, I BLEW UP THE KID is the sequel to the 1989 HONEY, I SHRUNK THE KIDS and even stars the same characters. Very creatively done, by Disney, this summer movie will reig when brought out on videocassette. Rick Moranis stars as the same quacky dad, only this time he enlarges the baby, and even his wife. But, he starts out the movie trying to build an enlarging machine, and ends it with using the shrinking machine to enlarge his wife. Confusing? See the movie. If you missed in the movie theater, check it out in the video stores.

stars Madonna and Geena Davis as players in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, created in 1943. The league started when all of the male baseball players were off fighting the war, that's World War II for those of you that don't know. Directed by Penny Marshall, and co-staring Tom Hanks, this movie is a comic look at girls playing baseball. This is definitely a great summer movie.

We have seen a lot of movies this summer and “Raising Cain” is one of the best. Containing intelligent horror, you will never touch the back of the seat once during the film. The movie instantly grabs your attention with the first appearance of Cain. John Lithgow stars as five of the main characters. Carter is the family man of the movie. Soon after the beginning, his wife has an affair and he seeks help. Cain comes to the rescue, trying to help Carter in a way he feels suitable. But Cain ends up hindering Carter more than helping him. Carter's father is supposedly dead. He has performed mind altering experiments on children, and plans on doing more. Josh is a very quiet little boy, and doesn't appear too much during the movie, twice to be exact. Margot is the protector of the children and we never really see who she is, only impersonations of her.

This is a very well done screenplay involving incredible acting.

Bob Roberts
School Ties
Mr. Saturday Night
The Last of the Mohicans
Out on a Limb
Crossing the Bridge
On the Wanderer
Swoon
The Living End
Glengarry Glen Ross
The Public Eye
Sneakers
Jumpin' at the Boneyard
Johnny Stecchino
The Lover
Where the Day Takes You

The Mall of America is not all it's cracked up to be. There is a lot of wasted space and some stores that won't last and will be gone in a year or two. But for those stores that are there now, the following reviews are provided (The reviews express the opinions of the columnist).

Hologram Land-there are a lot of things to see, but the lighting is bad and after awhile you get a headache.

The Body Shop-conscious of the world environment, this store is a natural.

Perfumania-very interesting, but not a good store if you have horrible allergies.

Bead It!-great for those people that enjoy making their own beaded jewelry, also offers imported beads from other countries.

Strictly Sunglasses-fun store to check out the latest styles in sunglasses, after awhile they all begin to look the same.

Mi Casa-an interesting market shop, sells south-western clothing at very reasonable prices.

Knott's Camp Snoopy-for an indoor theme park, it is quite remarkable but compared to theme parks in general, the rides tend to be very tame and costly. The ticket system is highly technological.

General Cinema-contains 14 small theatres, has a large selection of current movies, and nice acoustics, but you end up paying more than usual ($6).

Oshman's Super Sports USA-the largest sports store around, you'll find everything you need in a large variety of sports and recreational activities. You can test equipment, but you usually have to wait in a long line and the store is generally very crowded.

Warner Bros. Store-has a large selection of many unique and different pieces of Warner Bros. merchandise.

Bloomingdale's-the smallest department store is also one of the most disappointing, being both pricey and unpractical.

Filene's Basement-a somewhat upscale TJMaxx, offering more expensive brands at reasonable prices.

Sox Appeal- only selling socks, this store is high priced and somewhat trendy.

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Pop Rock 101.3 KDWB
1. The End of the World - Boyz2Men
2. Please Don't Go - KWS
3. Have You Ever Needed Someone So bad - Def Leppard
4. Baby Baby Baby - TLC
5. Shake That Body - Techno Tronic

Country K102 KEEY
1. Mary - I Feel Lucky - Chapin Carpenter
2. Billy Dean - Billy the Kid
3. Could've Been Me - Billy Ray Cyrus
4. Boot Scootin' Boogie - Brooks & Dunn
5. What Kind of a Fool I Am - Leeroy Parnell

Gentlemen, start your engines! Driving a car can be a lot of fun, but you must also see the flip-side, the responsibility. Those of you who drive have probably met some really... well, “interesting” drivers while on the road. There are two kinds of drivers: the ones who just annoy you and the ones who break the law. The annoying ones usually drive WAY below the speed limit, especially when you’re in a hurry. They’ve been known to drive 15 miles per hour on a highway. While people like that may get on your nerves, they usually pose no threat to others (unless they happen to be on I-94 where the minimum is 45). Then, there are the reckless drivers. Almost everyone has had some experience with reckless or simply careless drivers. Sometimes, the crime can be as small as passing in a ‘no passing zone’ or not making a complete stop at every stop sign. There are, however, even worse drivers who break the laws and threaten lives daily. These people act like they own the road and have no consideration for others. While everybody at some point in their lives will end up behind these considerate drivers (or even worse, in the same car), everybody has to understand that they just don’t realize how they drive. Most people think they drive normally, but truthfully, a lot of people drive like they are the ‘ruler of the highway’. How many of these are familiar to you? •Tailgaters: the idiots who put a magnet on your bumper so that they can turn off their engine and waste your gas. •Bright lighters: those terrific folks who follow you all the way home with their brights glaring into your mirror, blinding you. •Speeder: the inconsiderate person who come up behind someone who isn’t going as fast. When they are right on your bumper will slam on their breaks, flash their headlights at you, and lay on the horn. They aren’t concerned with the fact that you might already be speeding, it is just that you aren’t speeding enough. •Honker: the person who is behind you at a stop light and honks when you aren’t moving the second the light turns. Well, sorrrrry-y! Like they’ve never taken a cat-nap waiting for the light to turn green! •Butters: another type of idiot who will go as far as they can at top speed in a lane that is ending, or in a construction zone. They then force their way into the line of cars that has been patiently waiting for what seems like hours. This causes everybody to stop and wait even longer because someone refused to merge when they had a good chance. People have to realize that traffic and any other laws exist for a reason. Drivers need to take other personalities and lives into consideration. Give others the right-of-way some of the time.

Where do teens get most of their knowledge on current events? From the news briefs in the middle of their favorite TV show. Rarely do teens pick up a newspaper to read. Oh, yeah, you do read the newspaper. The sections you go to are usually the comics, the advice, and the sports. In The Bison, you guys probably just read the sports to find out how your favorite Bison team has done. If you’re interested in the feature topic, you may read that. You read the Entertainment section and then maybe the Editorials. The News section is totally skipped unless a headline catches the eye. That’s rather disappointing to the editors and writers who work so hard at putting together a quality NEWSpaper. We’re not here to put together a quality FEATUREpaper, or SPORTS-paper. The news is the reason a newspaper is put out. You can’t get all the news from the newsbriefs on TV. They generally don’t mention the subjects that concern District 877 and BHS. What television newscasters say about teenagers isn’t necessarily the views that your fellow classmates have, they’re usually views of teenagers from big cities. The News section in The Bison is not there for your health or for our health, it’s there to inform you of things that can affect your life. The things that don’t show up on the TV screen between Beverly Hills 90210 and In Living Colour.

The Bison’s sole purpose is to inform high school students of issues that affect them. It is our responsibility that the news we print is accurate and unbiased. The Bison will print a correction statement if a mistake is found. The correction statement will run in the following issue. The Bison will strive to clearly name their sources and only print news that is beneficial to the whole student body. Instead of printing a slanted story, The Bison hopes to present both sides and let the readers draw their own conclusions. Only news will be published and will appear in a non-biased manner. The Bison will resist any and all attempts at censorship either before or after publication. All contents an The Bison’s editorial pages reflect the students opinion’s on major issues. This page serves as a outlet for students, allowing them to voice their feelings. Editorials state the opinions of The Bison editorial stall. Columns are singed and reflect the opinion of the writer. The Bison encourages students to write letters to the editor and express their opinions. The right to decline or shorten a letter to the editor is reserved by the Editorial Board. Advertising policy The Buffalo Senior High School newspaper, The Bison, offers advertising to businesses and organizations on the basis that the Advertising Supervisor can refuse any ad. The Bison makes it a general practice of not accepting ads from moriutaries, liquor stores, bars, etc. As a service to businesses, 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.

Have you ever noticed how fast the rest of the summer goes after you get your school schedule? It seems like two days between getting your schedule and the first day of school. In reality it's about a month, or one third of vacation time.

One day, you're just sitting there, and the mail comes in. The next day you're school shopping for the best buys on filler paper. Then you're going the first day of school.

Let's slow down and take a closer look at this hectic time. You get your schedule. Suddenly, your telephone rings off the hook with people that want to know who you have for what, and when you have it. People, who are almost perfect strangers are calling you, and telling you how they wish that you could have gotten together with them sometime over the summer. When you hang up the phone you run to your yearbook to identify them, and try to figure out when and where you met them.

Soon after you get your schedule, all your friends are going school shopping in the Cities. Then you go out shopping for all your school supplies.

School shopping is one of the things I dislike doing the most.

I've basically broken it down into three different kinds of shopping. First is school supplies, second, clothing, and the third, and my most hated, is shoes. I absolutely hate shoes, and I don't like supply shopping, anymore.

Once school shopping is done, it's just a matter of days before school starts.

You find yourself writing for what seems like the ten millionth time your likes, your dislikes, how you spent your summer, and what you're looking forward to doing this year.

All the sports start. Then you go to the different workshops for the academic things that start in the fall.

You wake up one morning, and you realize that it's the first day of school, and you have nothing to wear. What's even worse is that your bus comes in ten minutes, and you still have to shower.

After the first week, you think about your summer, and it seems like such a long time ago. You can't imagine what it would be like to have summer vacation all over again.

Finally, you realize that it's over. You're back in school, and you can't do anything about it. All you want to do is to crawl back into bed and sleep for another five minutes.

Yawn...

Warning: Reading this column while walking on a narrow ledge over 300 feet above ground can be dangerous to your health. Just how dumb are we? Did you really need that warning at the beginning of this column? I doubt it. You should realize that it's dangerous to walk on narrow ledges while you are previously occupied.

Maybe we are that dumb. There are directions and warnings that are all over that, to me anyway, are directing or warning us of the obvious.

I have a dictionary of "Definitions not to be found in any other dictionary." In it, there is the definition of the word "idiot box." It says that it's the box in the upper-right-hand corner of an envelope that says "Place Stamp Here." Like we can't figure it out for ourselves.

Or up in the area of the return address. Most of them tell you where to put your name, address, city, and state. Doesn't it make you feel like an illiterate person? I would hope you all know what order your address goes in. Besides, if you can't figure that out, you probably can't read, either, so telling you where it goes won't help.

Many frozen foods have the first direction saying you should take the food out of the box. If you're going to forget to take your food out of the box, you're probably going to forget to read the directions, too. (Be honest, how many of you don't read the directions at all, except to find out how long to cook it?)

My favorite is the warning on those car window shade things. (You know what I mean, those cardboard things that you put in your front car window to keep the sun from shining in and heating up your car while it's parked.) It reminds you in large, bold letters to remember to take it out of position when you start to drive. Like I wouldn't notice it was there. It just sort of obstructs your vision out the front window.

Do vendors think we're that dumb? We're not going to notice the obvious? Or was it someone's ingenious idea to make money doing easy work?

Why don't they give us the warnings we want? Like "Warning: you're going to be ripped off if you buy this item. Not responsible for damages."

Maybe this computer should carry a warning telling me that it could cause an unusual amount of stress on the person using it. Or telling me that when I get mad and try to beat the insides out of it, it may electrocute me and probably wreck the computer beyond recognition.

But the warning I could use is one that should be attached to every morning--"Warning, today the computer will shut down just before you save a major change."

The photographs you need to send this paper to press will not turn out. And at least two staff members will quit. Have a nice day.

Maybe we should all have warnings on us saying, "The contents enclosed can break under pressure. Has been known to get violent. Meet, talk to, whatever, at your own risk." That way no one could sue us if we hurt or killed someone, because they were warned we could get violent and whatever they did was at their own risk.

The whole purpose of warning labels is to keep people from suing the company that makes the product. So if everyone carried warning labels, no one could sue us, right?

It isn't likely that anyone will ever seriously put these labels on a product. Especially a morning. Who knows what's going to go wrong?

Granted some warnings are needed, because the results are not so obvious, and some are unnecessary if you use common sense.

I think that common sense is not so common anymore. That's why these dumb warnings come up. People are trying to get rich from suing someone.

You know, the wall doesn't have a warning label on it telling me it's dangerous to bang my head on it. So I'll do it, and then sue the school, the company that made the wall, the construction crew that built the wall . . .

I think I'm getting too creative. And that could be dangerous. I'll stop now before I find out there's no warning on the top of the IDS building saying it's dangerous to jump off of it . . .

So, until homecoming is over and my voice has recovered from cheering, good-bye!

I don't care what anybody says -- summer causes dajm bramage -- I mean, brain damage. See what I mean?

It's all over the place and is nearing the epidemic stage. Where did this invisible menace come from? How can it be stopped? Where's Superman when you need him? Oh, yeah, the comic book writers are going to let him die. Don't worry too much, because they just might bring him back. After all, he's from another planet. Life and death might mean something different.

My own personal studies have found a number of factors contributing to summer brain damage (SBD). These include: getting out of thinking practice by not taking tests constantly; excessive tanning- this is especially dangerous since it has been known to fry brain cells - too much shopping, which has the double effect of emptying your wallet and your mind at the same time, and guy watching which stimulates the hormones and decreases brain power; and finally Soap operas!

These thrilling epics leave you on the edge of your couch while cramming your mind full of plots about long lost relatives who are married to the mother's uncle's cousin's daughter's dog's former owner. The overwhelming effects of these activities is a deadly combination.

Diagnosing SBD is simple. Just look for excessive drooling, vacant stares, lack of intelligent conversation, and an inability to concentrate for more than two milli-seconds.

But don't give up hope! It's not too late to cure yourself. There are two effective treatments. One of which is winter. Six months of the white fluffy stuff will do just about anyone in.

Then, there is the first test of the year. In most instances this will automatically restore your brain to working order. A smack in the face from reality usually does.

If neither of these treatments work, a no fail cure is a good dose of higher algebra administered for 50 minutes daily for two semesters minimum. If nothing else you will be bored back into reality or you'll start daydreaming through class and never come back to real life.

To avoid falling into the fatal trap of SBD in the future, leading a totally boring life is required. If this doesn't appeal to you, be prepared to suffer annual relapses of SBD. Not to mention taking those million extra semesters of higher algebra. Well, at least you'll learn higher algebra really well.

Personally, I think that I would rather suffer through the side effects of SBD for the rest of my life. It's either that or sleep through the winter when I could be suffering from winter brain damage. But that is a different column which you probably hope you never read, right?

And probably hope not to.

The number of teens known to have ever tried alcohol is at its lowest point in 13 years, but last year in Wright County six minors were caught drinking and driving. “A lot of them just don’t think about what they’re doing,” said Dorthy Stuhr of the Wright County Juvenile Community Service and Restitution Office. As a result of being caught drinking and driving, teens can lose their licenses for six months or until they turn eighteen depending upon their age and prior record. They will also be required to undergo a chemical dependency assessment, which will determine whether or not they are in need of treatment or are better suited for another type of rehabilitation. “Most kids don’t care,” said one sophomore girl. “At least not until something happens to them.” Out of eighteen fatalities last year in Wright County six were due to alcohol related accidents, that is a 25% overall increase from 1990. “It’s pretty hard to live with the fact that you were driving under the influence and caused another human being harm or even worse, death,” said Stuhr. Some of the measures being taken to prevent teens from drinking and driving are DWI (Driving While Intoxicated) and DUI (Driving Under the Influence) prevention classes, that are taught by Terry Dehmer of the Wright County Sheriff’s office at the local high schools. “Some people believe that education has a lot to do with the decrease in alcohol related fatalities,” said Dehmer. Television commercials showing the potential disasters of drunk driving sponsored by groups such as MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) are another way that society attempts to keep people from driving while under the influence of alcohol. However, some believe that the hundreds of millions of dollars that are spent each year by major beer corporations on advertising that show drinking as a positive thing, overwhelm all other attempts to portray the down side of drinking. “I think it confuses most people the way beer corporations use stars,” said sophomore Lisa Eatas. “I think kids lean toward them.” This confusion has led to half of the nation’s teenagers in grades 7-12 having had at least one drink in the last year. “I think that there are two ways to stop them. One is being sent to a mortuary and seeing what happens to people who are in accidents. The second is to stop them in accidents themselves,” said the sophomore girl.

Drinking has it’s many consequences, from legal consequences to parental problems. Letting people drive who are drunk can sometimes lead to one of the worst consequences, killing somebody else or yourself.

Nobody can deny that there isn’t peer pressure in life. Students are pressured throughout high school. Alcohol can be one of the pressure points.

Some types of consequences of drinking are: legal, social, academic, physical, and parental. Not all of the consequences apply to minors.

LEGAL CONSEQUENCES
“If kids are caught driving when they’re drunk, they should suspend they’re license until they’re 18 or five years, whatever is longer” said senior Adam Burling.
The consequence of being caught drinking varies. First, the minor is sent through an alcohol assessment. After this, the judge will give any of the following that are appropriate: community service, educational programs, license suspension. Sometimes a fine is imposed, which for a first time offense is $75 and each offense there after doubles. All offenses are reported on their record.
“It’s up to the judge (to decide the necessary punishment),” said Minneapolis police officer Walter Carlson.
Some people believe that these rules are senseless and should be changed.
“Nothing should happen. There should be no drinking age,” said junior Dawn Chesley.
SOCIAL CONSEQUENCES
The social consequences are based mostly on peer pressure. The aspect of drinking or not drinking is a personal choice, but sometimes problems can occur due to peer pressure.
“Being perceived as an alcoholic by your peers can sometimes be a social consequence,” said Burling.
Peer pressure can sometimes cause people to do something that they will regret later.
“Don’t do it just because of your friends,” said senior Brandie Zierke.
ACADEMIC CONSEQUENCES
Academically, drinking can cause many problems. It may cause people to fall behind in school and get poor grades.
“Sometimes you worry more about drinking than going to school,” said Zierke.
PHYSICAL CONSEQUENCES
The physical aspect of drinking can cause damage to your body as well as to your mind. Drinking can contribute to cirrhosis of the liver and other hazards to the body.
“It can get to be a vicious circle, ending up that you don’t even care about school anymore,” said Burling.
PARENTAL CONSEQUENCES
Drinking can cause problems throughout the whole family. Sometimes with parents finding out, it can be the worst thing for a person who is trying to hide their drinking from their family, especially their parents.
It’s different between all parents. Everybody has different rules for teenagers who drink. What one person’s parents say can be different from another’s.
“If the parents think it’s a problem, they should get advice from a specialist about where to go for help,” said Burling.

BHS has a new assistant principal on staff this school year. He will be taking over Lloyd Styroll's position.

Tom Hoffman comes to BHS with much experience on his resume. He was a middle school principal in Buffalo Lake-Hector. From 1982-84, Hoffman was a teacher in Montana. From 1984-89, he was a teacher in Hutchinson, MN. He was a Special Education Administrator in St. Cloud from 1989-92.

Through his career in the educational system, he has felt that the students and teachers like school.

"[I] want to continue the presence of academic excellence and create an atmosphere where learning can be fun and exciting," said Hoffman, "social relationships and co-ed extra curricular activities are important to student growth."

Hoffman has a Bachelors and Masters degree in Special Education. He also has a Masters and a sixth-year degree in Educational Administration.

Hoffman has a wife and three children. His wife, Krista, is a full-time homemaker. His children are Quin, who is five years old; Logan, who is three; and Thea, who is five months old.

Hoffman's family has a cabin in northern Minnesota. He likes to golf, read, and spend time with his family.

He has taken the position of Styroll, whom many students liked. Some are hoping that Hoffman will be like him.

"I really liked Styroll. I'm hoping that Mr. Hoffman is like him," said sophomore Dawn Deleski.

No matter how they feel about Styroll, most are keeping an open mind about Hoffman.

Senior Sarah Harper said, "Styroll was my favorite principal, but I hope Hoffman will make some new changes."

Prior to teaching at Foley, Hagstrom-Dahl taught in Wilmer for five years after graduating from Concordia Moorhead.

"Buffalo has a fine reputation in the theatrical department," said Hagstrom-Dahl. She attended Dassel Cokato High School, and currently lives in Dassle with her husband and six week old daughter.

As the curtain rises on a new season, an unfamiliar face appears in the BHS Drama Department.

Tracy Hagstrom-Dahl comes to BHS from Foley High School where she taught for seven years and has just concluded her 52nd musical, "The Sound of Music."

Making a big splash this year at BHS are the two new swimming coaches.

Debra Stevens, the new head coach, and Fred Mische, the new assistant coach are training this year's swimmers.

Stevens attended Coon Rapids High School and later went to Bemidji State University. She has been coaching or swimming for the past 16 years.

In high school, she swam for three years, gaining All State honors, and was also an All Conference swimmer.

She accepted the coaching job at BHS because it is closer to her home in Coon Rapids than her previous job.

"Everyone is helpful from the swimmers, to the custodians, to the parents, I feel very welcome and am not nervous at all," said Stevens.

Mische teaches science at BJHS, the Area Learning Center, and Maple Lake.

He was involved with the Peace Corps, and in January returned from Fiji where he was teaching.

He has not swum competitively, but enjoys the sport.

"It is a learning experience for my competitive side," said Mische.

This year, the freshman aren't the only new faces to be seen around school.

Tracy Hagstrom-Dahl, English, Scott Palmer, Social Studies, Phyllis Jackson, Special Education, Kathleen Gordon, Spanish, and John Donohue, Industrial Education, all make their debut at BHS this fall.

Gordon is from Maple Grove, Minnesota. She enjoys coaching, and she used to coach girls' basketball.

"The administration believes in teachers," says Gordon. Jackson likes travelling and outdoor activities. She spent some time teaching in smaller schools in Iowa.

Palmer also coaches football. He chose Buffalo because it was "the best of two worlds." He likes the fact that Buffalo is near the metro area, so it is easy to go to a Twins game or do city things, yet it is generally a rural community. He tries to teach by giving students a chance to get involved, and prefers activities and projects to giving lectures.

"I'm fascinated with history," said Palmer, "and I want to convey the fascination."

Do you remember the first time you walked through the Senior High doors, and realized that you weren't just an "eighth grader" anymore? You were one of the freshmen, the new kids in the school.

Reminiscing about their first day at BHS, upper-classmen are remembering the first time walking through the halls seeing all the older students.

"[I remember] walking into the halls, and I thought, 'Whoa!'," said senior Jennifer Meyer.

Freshmen often seem to try to impress the upper classmen by dressing nicely or acting in a certain way. Most upper classmen think it's superficial, and could care less. A few may try to intimidate freshmen, though.

"My advice to freshmen is don't worry about the upper classmen, because they're just putting on an act," said junior Karl Deutsch.

With all the upper-classmen in the halls, there are ways to prevent getting pushed around.

"Stay out of the seniors' way," said senior Dan DeWolfe.

Many students said they felt a little confused on their first day. The pressure of finding classes, remembering teachers, and remembering locker combination was a bit much for some. After awhile, though, it usually becomes easier that students don't know why you worried about it in the first place.

"The freshmen are all kind of like field mice looking for somewhere to hide on their first day at BHS," said English teacher Jim Wilcox.

Everybody was new to the school at one time, and we all had different feelings. Some things can never change.

The Bison football team began its 1992 season under new head coach Gerard Rohl, who replaces Kevin Schmeling.

The District 877 school board named Rohl as Schmeling’s successor at the June meeting, after voting not to renew Schmeling’s coaching contract. Rohl said it was great to be the head football coach after working with the football program for 13 years.

“I’ve got some great coaches to work with,” said Rohl. “It’s going to be a great year.”

Several players said that having Rohl take over as coach would help the team in several ways.

“He’s got a lot of players doing stuff they’ve never done before, like working out in the weight room,” said senior Wes Asleson.

One of the changes that Rohl has made is a platoon system where players specialize in certain areas.

“I think Rohl has made quite a few great changes,” said senior Sean Spaungel. “It was time for a change and Rohl gave us the change we needed.”

The team began practice on Monday, August 17, with 21 seniors reporting. The first game took place on Friday, September 4, against Mounds View.

“Everyone’s got a great attitude, looking forward to making the playoffs, and having a lot of fun,” said Asleson.

The football team is again looking to win a Homecoming game. This year, the Bison take on Centennial. Both teams have identical 1-15 records for the first two years in the NSC.

“Homecoming is just another game,” said Spaungel. “We’re looking to win all our games. The fact that we’re playing Centennial makes it a little easier.”

Overall, Rohl is not concerned with how the team does as far as the team record, but is more concerned with how hard the team works.

“Winning is an outcome, not a coincidence,” said Rohl. “If you lose, it’s because you haven’t worked hard enough. No one coach can do anything by himself.”

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT. The Bison football team, under coach Gerard Rohl, practices for the upcoming game. The team will be playing at Fridley tonight.

The Bison varsity volleyball players are preparing for another season in the North Suburban Conference.

Many members of the team conditioned beforehand to ensure that they would be ready.

“I went to Junior Olympic Volleyball and went to open gym to stay in shape,” said junior Katie Kettenacker.

A basic practice consists of conditioning, movement and skill drills, scrimmaging, and specializing in what needs the most work. Becoming consistent and being aggressive were stressed as the key elements for a successful year.

This year, the team has two captains that guide them. According to the coaches, the captains influence and help the younger players as positive role models.

“We need to just take one practice at a time and give it all we have got,” said senior co-captain Stacy Stadtlander.

Winning is not everything for the team. However, the team would like to win some key games.

One challenge for the team is to win the first game of regions. In the past two years, they have lost at the first region tournament game.

“Columbia Heights is the powerhouse team we will compete against this season. We are concentrating on maintaining a positive attitude, having team unity, and a winning record,” said junior Tasha Quast.

The team has started practices and stressed working together in order to win.

“We are mentally preparing to play strong so that we are ready. Hopefully, we will become a close-knit bunch and play as a team,” said coach Dennis Axel.

“GO, BISON, GO!” yell cheerleaders at a practice before school starts. Cheerleaders began practice and attended clinics even before school started.

Working on the basic skills of soccer, the BHS soccer team has started their second season at the varsity level.

“We’ve have been working on basics and we’re trying to improve everyday, but we are still young,” said head coach Mishau[n] Ahmad. “We are trying to have a team that builds a circle, where the older players teach the younger players by getting both to interact with each other. But, we are low on seniors which makes that circle difficult.”

“We have been working on basics and we are trying to improve every day, but we are still young.”

Head coach Mishau[n] Ahmad

The coaches have set high expectations for their soccer players. This year, a new set of social requirements were set for the team.

Meeting academic standards, conducting themselves in a respectable manner, and not using alcohol or other chemicals were a few standards mentioned in a letter to each player.

“We have been working harder than in the past on our personal soccer skills for better results later,” said junior captain Cory Schwitalla.

Each season brings with it new goals and hopes for the current team. Hopes for a successful season continue, but new hopes for the team development and encouragement between players leads the list of goals.

“I, of course, want a positive winning season and want the players to continue working on their skills. I want them to reach as high as we can (in level play),” said Ahmad.

When the coaches decide to divide the players into varsity and junior varsity, they take the 10th, 11th, and 12th graders and evaluate them by demonstrating skills, game knowledge, modification, competitiveness, and commitment. Once they are chosen for their teams, they are evaluated every two weeks and given the chance to move up or down.

The Bison soccer team hosts Columbia Heights on September 19. The J.V. game begins at 12 p.m., with the varsity playing at 1 p.m.

The Bison girls’ tennis team is setting up for another year of competition. Their record as of Sept. 11 was 4-3, including a 7-0 sweep over Chaska on Thursday, August 27.

This year the girls’ tennis team has set many goals, including making it to state.

“My goals for this year are to improve every time, be competitive, and go to state,” said coach Charley Kiefenhiem.

Personal goals away from the team’s goal can be very important to help keep the team as competitive as possible.

“I would like to play every match real hard and win as many matches as I can,” said senior co-captain Allison Lohmann.

To prepare for each meet, the team goes through mental preparation and conditioning sessions.

“To prepare for a tennis meet, we work on physical conditioning and skills. We also play some games to practice,” said Kiefenhiem.

The team members feel that working as a team at practice is important, because they work harder.

“We really work as a team instead of individually. [We are all] working hard at practicing,” said junior Amy Brown.

Some practicing is done individually, but most feel that when the team is together, they work together.

“As a team we come together and work really hard,” said junior Natasha Christian.

Everybody has their favorite thing about the team, whether it be the spirit or how well they work together.

“The team this year has great spirit and are really happy,” said Kiefenhiem. “They get along really well and work hard.”

The Bison cross country team hit the roads as they began preparing for another season.

Many people have a misconception about the amount of work the team does at practice.

“People have the idea that we are out there killing ourselves by running ten miles a day,” said coach Gerry Bakke. “That’s not true. We tailor to the runners and work from there.”

Bakke stated that the team is always working to be better.

“We work hard and we are not ashamed of what we do,” said Bakke.

Becoming physically strong and fit is important. Team members have to visualize running and mentally prepare for each race.

“The coaches help us a lot and make practice easier,” said freshman Jenny Fiedler.

Competition is a big element for the runners. At the same time, some people want to get to know each other.

“I want to have a good year as a runner and at the same time still just hang out and have a lot of fun,” said senior Mike Manthey.

The runners have gone to state several times in the past years and are hoping to go again this year.

“I do not think we get the recognition we deserve for going to state so often,” said Bakke. “It seems that in order for the cross country team to get noticed, we have to make it to state. However, if an individual goes to state, we all go to state.”

Students are returning to their fall sports and activities. Many have already been participating in their sports for several weeks. Quite a few of these students participated in summer activities in order to stay in shape.

Many students participated in the summer conditioning program at BHS. There were several basic activities for all the students that took part.

“We lifted weights, did some running, sprints and long distances, and worked out in the pool,” said senior Karyn Bakken, who is a member of the volleyball and track teams.

Several of the students said that they would participate in the program again next year.

“It helps a person stay in shape during the summer,” said sophomore track member Stacy Dubbeldee. “It keeps you fit for sports.”

Others participated in other activities to stay in shape. Senior Chris Lund, who is in basketball and baseball, was a member of the Buffalo American Legion baseball team, he participated in basketball leagues in Mound and St. Cloud, and went to a basketball camp at North Dakota State University in Fargo. Lund also helped coach a little kids basketball league.

Another activity that BHS students take part in during the summer is the summer soccer league, sponsored by the Buffalo Soccer Club.

Several volleyball players went to a Junior Olympic program to improve their skills.

Many other students took part in local softball leagues.

It was a busy summer for BHS students, both in jobs and athletics. Several athletes stressed that working out in the summer was a must in order to be ready for school sports.

Heading into another season, the Bison swim team is getting used to two new coaches.

Many of the Bison swimmers feel that the new coaching staff will be a positive addition to the team this year.

“Compared to all of the earlier coaches, they’re the best we’ve had so far,” said junior Lisa Marvin.

According to the coaches, Debbie Stevens and Fred Mische, the team is full of good swimmers. They also feel that the swimmers accepted them well and treat each other fairly. The swimmers appear to have the same feelings toward the coaches.

“I feel that we have qualified coaches that will benefit the team,” said junior Jennifer Meister.

Others members agree that the new coaches have been a major part of the team.

“So far they’ve been really helpful and know what they are doing. It should be a great team this year,” said sophomore Emily Tessmer.

The coaching staff has been replaced every year since the team began four years ago. At first, many on the team were disappointed at having a new coaching staff again.

“At first I was apprehensive, but they’re really fun to be around,” said sophomore Lindsay Mattson.

Most of the freshmen just joining the team feel they are benefiting from their experience with Stevens and Mische.

“It’s not like I expected. I thought it would be boring, but it’s not that bad,” said freshman Anna Tessmer.

Team members enjoy how supportive the coaches are, and how they want the entire team to improve.

“It seems as though the whole team is satisfied with the new coaching staff for many reasons. Some enjoy the stress put on technique, others appreciate the support. Many of the swimmers are happy with how Stevens and Mische let everyone work at their own level.

“They are very encouraging and full of support. Their enthusiasm for the team and the season will be helpful in making this year the best one yet,” said Tessmer.

As you have probably all heard by now, Mr. Rohl is the new head coach of the football team.

This is a very good choice in my opinion. Mr. Rohl is liked by the students and the players. He is a very friendly person, and he can be very strict when he has to. This football season should turn out well.

But can he win a Homecoming game? This is the big question. Buffalo has not won a Homecoming game for many years. Last year’s 35-0 Homecoming pounding of the Bison by Elk River may have been the final reason the school board did not renew Mr. Schmeling’s coaching contract.

The schedule looks to be on Buffalo’s side this year. The football squad takes on Centennial, the only team that Buffalo has beat in two years. In 1990, both teams were 0-7 going into the final game against each other. Buffalo defeated the Chiefs 16-0 on a cold and wet night (only a handful of fans showed up because of the weather). In 1991, both teams were again 0-7 going into this game. But this time Centennial took vengeance, pounding the Bison 33-0.

What will happen this year? Will Coach Rohl be able to pull the troops together for the Homecoming victory? Will the weather be horrible, which has been to Buffalo’s liking the past two years? Or, will Centennial come out on top this time, giving the Bison yet another Homecoming loss?

If Buffalo wins, heads will turn. Mr. Schmeling is sure to get pounded by the critics if Coach Rohl leads the team to victory.

If Buffalo loses, it will be said that ends up getting criticized. The coach is always blamed if his team loses a game, especially Homecoming.

Either way, it is not going to be good for Schmeling or Rohl, depending on the result of the game. But this year, I have a strange feeling that Buffalo is going to win a Homecoming game.

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With all of its spectacular shops, services, food and entertainment, spending a day in Mall of America is a treat. With its high-tech computer games, Knott's Camp Snoopy has much in common with the thrilling roller coasters and other attractions found in the world's most famous theme parks. They could provide much relief in the cold winter months.

Young adults can find excitement on the fourth
floor. Those who enjoy the nightlife from the New Orleans style "Fat Tuesday" to the country music of Nashville, can enjoy themselves on the dance floor, and the clubs are always available.

Sports fans can just about find all tastes and styles. For example, the mall has an enormous amount of sports-related stores. "Everything's a dollar" abound.

Families can find plenty to do. Mall of America is Oshkosh's Super Store, Oshkosh's chance to try something new.

Many shoppers are available for shopping to try equipment, including batting cages, a bouncy ride, and even more.

Once the only thing that people could do in the Mall of America is visit. It is a massive mall that is the largest in the U.S. second only to a mall in China. However, getting lost in the mall is easy. With the different styles and atmosphere of the various shops, finding one's way is easier than people expect. Malls and services are also available to those who might need them.

Although it may not be everyone, the Mall of America is something that everyone should see at least once.

ROCKETING TO THE SKY: The LEGO imagination Center showcases large LEGO sculptures reaching high. LEGO! Explorers go up and down all day carrying loads of shoppers.