The Hoofprint – April 19, 2004

Senior Ryan Ebeling talks to a worker from the Red Cross as he gives blood during the anual blood drive hosted by National Honor Society. Students who were over 17 and at least 110 pounds were able to donate.

Every year, around 150 students and staff of Buffalo High School give blood to help those in need. Prior to the actual drawing of blood, participators must go through a rigorous checklist of personal questions and a test of their own red blood cell to plasma ratio. This vital fluid of life that was collected on March 12th 2004, will be stacked on the shelves of hospitals and used to help anyone who may need it.
"Kids like the opportunity to do something right and to help in a way that doesn't take that much effort," said Vicky Cary, NHS-advisor and ringleader of the blood drive, "Most kids have known people in accidents or in a situation where donated blood was needed."
The annual NHS-hosted Red Cross Blood Drive gives BHS-attendees that are at least 17 years of age, weigh over 110 pounds, and meet any other requirements that are needed. There are countless other motives that drive participators to give back in the form of blood, and there are even more that drive those who meet the requirements to sit out.
"I didn't donate because I didn't want to give anyone else my blood," said Senior Dan Averbeck,

A former Buffalo High School student wakes up and prepares for the first day at his new school. He gets his homework ready, wolfs down breakfast, and leaves an extra 20 minutes early so he can get to St. Michael/Albertville High School on time. This isn't a reality yet, but it is a reality BHS students could be facing if the school doesn't meet the requirements for the newly integrated No Child Left Behind policy. One of these requirements is a statewide test, and this has the Buffalo school system concerned.
"The federal government has mandated that the state put together an accountability package, and for us, that means state tests," said Buffalo High School Principal Dr. Nick Miller. "The government thinks every student should be able to pass, whether they are severely handicapped or just moved here from a different country.
The reality is most of these kids won't be able to."
Special Education Coordinator for the Buffalo School District, Gary Blake, agrees.
"Idealistically, the plan is great. Everybody wants every child to pass," said Blake. "But realistically, it doesn't work."
The test that will determine the quality of Minnesota schools is the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment, or MCA. If a school doesn't meet certain requirements based on these tests, there will be repercussions that will dramatically affect the school.
The two largest requisites are: Adequate Yearly Progress, which means that a consistently increasing percentage of students must pass the test each year; and also 95% attendance on the test day. Failure to adhere to these standards means placement on a "Needs Improvement" list, budget cuts, and ultimately, the government can take control of the school.
The creator of the plan, President George Bush, explained the consequences in a recent speech.
"After a period of time, if schools don't improve, then a parent can send their child to another public school or a charter school, at the failing school's expense," said Bush.
These repercussions have the school worried.
"Our school's results from the tests will be published in the local newspapers, and if our school hasn't met the requirements or is behind other schools, the public is going to see that," said Miller. "That means that new families interested in our schools, colleges, and current members of the district will all be judging our school."
The Special Education department is worried about other factors as well.
"This really sets up a problem for our department," said Blake. "There's always a certain level of accountability that Special Ed. Has to meet, and now there's added accountability that adds more to the stress and problems."
President Bush believes that the program will help schools center on helping higher needs students in succeeding.
"The whole purpose is to take the federal money and focus it on Title 1 kids, and on teachers, and on reading curriculum-it's to make sure we meet the objective, make sure we meet the high standards that we believe are necessary," said Bush.
Blake agrees.
"The plan puts our department on the same playing field as all teachers and gives us a way to become unified in our concerns," said Blake.
Principal Miller thinks the same, but still holds his original argument.
"It causes all schools to reevaluate what we do and gives us a good opportunity to see if we're teaching what we need to," Miller said. "But when we look at the bigger picture, the plan just won't work."

On Saturday April 17th, Junior Kirsten Johnson competed at the State Speech Meet. The state competition was held at Centennial High School with the first round beginning at 8:30am.

"I hear there is a lot of talent at the state meet," said Johnson. "Personally, all I am really going to the state competition for is to do my best and to buy a sweatshirt".

Johnson competed in the Creative Expression category. Students that participate in this category write their own speech and act it out by themselves. Johnson's speech is called "Smiling with my Eyes." It is about a burned and disfigured 13-year old girl who gets treated cruelly by other people, especially those at her school.

During the sections meet at St. Cloud Tech on April 5, Johnson placed third in both semifinals and finals, qualifying her to move on to State.

Juniors Corrina Swanson (Drama), Marissa Evans (Original Oratory), and Mady Ellingson (Extemporaneous Reading), and Seniors Elsbeth Krumholz (Drama), Jason Olson (Humorous), and Andrew Schmidt (Creative Expression) all advanced to the semi-final round.

As a team the group made a fairly strong showing despite its relatively small number of competitors at each meet. Twenty-seven students registered this year. Some highlights for the team were placing third out of 20 schools in the limited entry division at Centennial and placing third among the medium entry schools with fifth place overall out of 27 schools at Sauk Rapids.

• SPEECH

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Once your picture is taken by a camera phone, it could be in the inboxes of five people you don't even know.
Schools and businesses all over the country are starting to ban camera phones. That usually means normal cell phones too, because it is so hard to tell the difference. Imagine being in a locker room with a camera phone, and you see why people consider this to be a problem. New phones have an integrated camera, so no attachments are needed to take a picture of sensitive information.
"Camera phones are getting better as technology advances,"said Senior Jeff Klarstrom. "The picture quality is getting high enough that you can pick out individual details."
These camera phones are not yet a problem at BHS since Buffalo is a small city. It takes a while for technology to catch on.
"Camera phones are fun, but they are a waste of money," said Senior Danielle Lewis.
Out of 100 students surveyed, only 20 owned a camera phone.
There is new technology being developed that blocks the camera portion of the phone. While this is a great idea, many businesses and schools would rather ban phones than pay money for the new technology.
Imagine accidentally leaving your phone in your pocket, only to get fired because of it. Camera phones are just starting to be widespread; this dilemma is just getting started.

Senior members of Team One concentrate on a question after buzzing in. Team One will represent BHS at the State Knowledge Bowl Meet tomorrow in Brainerd. Photo by Megan Quinlivan

The team also competed in the National Forensic League at Detroit Lakes during the first few days of spring break. This is a meet which lasts for two days and has an entirely different format then the regular speech meets. Members of this society have the opportunity to compete at a Nationals tournament. They can also earn different ranks according to however many points they receive during the regular meets. On the Buffalo team, however, Kory Bonnell in Original Oratory was the only competitor to make it to semi-finals.

Speech consists of 13 different categories in which students compete against and speak in front of a small group of fellow speech members. All categories except for Dramatic Duo are single person speeches in which each competitor gives a memorized eight minute speech that they interpret according to their category's rules. These categories range from the most common categories such as Drama and Humorous to Creative Expression and Original Oratory (in which participants write their own speeches) to Extemporaneous Reading, Great Speeches, and Discussion. All categories have their own style and set of rules.
Students had to practice at least once a week with a Coach or Captain. Near the end of the season a decision was made to also have group practices in which students practiced once a week with other team members and a Captain. Captains this year were Seniors Elsbeth Krumholz, Andrew Schmidt, and Zach Schmitz and Junior Corrina Swanson. The team also welcomed two new Coaches this year: Sheri Larson and Brenda Lizbach.

During a normal speech meet competitors had to meet early every Saturday morning and compete for three rounds against many other high school speech teams in classrooms where the meet was being hosted. Typically, rounds lasted for an hour and ten minutes with 5-8 competitors on average in a round. Sometimes meets allowed "double-entries" in which competitors could compete in two different categories instead of one. Most meets also consisted of a final round in which the top seven competitors were put in a round together, each of these finalists were given an award.

Will students know what to do if they hear the piercing noise of a gunshot? Will they duck and cover, run to a classroom and find shelter? Our school is now getting ready for such a situation.
The first practice lockdown involved everyone to turn off cell phones and sit on the floor waiting for a principal to say the drill is over.
Five months have passed and the school is still gathering information to make the lockdown as effective as possible. Meetings have been held with schools around the area and the Rocori High School principal shared some facts about how a real lockdown works, giving a small information booklet to each of the schools. Rocori learned how students react to the chaos and that rules just deteriorate and they forget what to do. Lockdowns are not mandated but are strongly advised by schools that have had this tragic event happen. The lockdown is so complicated that the principals are still gathering information to try and prepare everyone for the worst.
"We want our plan to evolve into the best plan for us in Buffalo High School." Said Assistant Principal, Mr. Rick Toso.
Parents, teachers and students are all notified before a practice lockdown is activated to avoid surprises. To create a safer environment, a Safe School Team, including the sheriff, deputy, school administration, and others, was assembled. They say a lockdown is a pro-active activity that helps people know what to do when or if there is a shooter in the school. The practice lockdown is about as long as a fire drill, however a real lockdown would take hours. After the lockdown the principals are open to any questions and concerns teachers or students may have.

"I think the procedure is bad because now the shooter knows right where we'll be," said Junior Hannah Berndt.
These concerns are found in students who are worried that the lockdown is not as affective as some may see. This plan is evolving and problems are bound to be found. To be safe, there have to be precautions because no one knows what may happen in the future. Prevention is also a great priority and everyone must help.

Decisions, decisions. Black or white, taffeta or satin. Stars up above or sand down below. As students rush to the prom shops, trying on dresses or tuxes, Class Cabinet Members are calling for potential vestibules, picking a theme and ordering the party gifts. Months are spent preparing for a few hours, which is to linger in the minds of many who promenade there.

Every Monday before school, the Junior Class Cabinet meets to discuss and decide the destiny of the prom. Location is a main issue for the students and their parents. Soon after last year’s prom Ms. Tracy Hulley, Ms. Nancy Eilynck, and the administration made a decision on where some potential sites would be. Some factors that went into these choices were the cost, driving time, and whether or not to have dinner served at the dance.

“We try to keep the driving distance down to an hour,” said Hulley.

When asked, parents expressed their concern about driving conditions, wanting their kids to be relatively familiar with the roads, and that they want their teens to be enjoying their prom rather than driving all night.

The class dues and ticket sales easily settle the cost issue. On the other hand a lot of thought is put into whether or not they should serve dinner at the dance. There are two or three places within an hour’s drive that do not serve dinner. The Medina Ballroom was the best site for this year. Many hotels also offer their facilities and include dinner, but students want to go to their own choice of restaurants, to create their own memories.

“Not having the dinner at the dance gives people an opportunity to go out on their own,” said Junior Maria Camargo.

It has the largest dance floor in the upper mid west, equipped with air cushioned floors for hours of dancing that is easy on the feet and knees. The romantic persona creates a great atmosphere for this year’s prom. Students will also be able to use the alleys for cosmic bowl.

“The lanes also will be open for use by the general public,” said Jill Schmitt, from the Medina Entertainment Center. “Alcohol will be served at the bar that is connected to the bowling alley. If requested, managers and security guards will be available to keep an eye out for students who do not want to be hassled by other bowlers.”

May 7, the day before prom is hectic not just for the prom goers, but also for those who put it together. The eight students that make up the Junior Class Cabinet and the supervisors will trek out to the Medina Ballroom to start their day of decorating.

“The major events you’ll remember for a long time,” said Camargo, “but the whole night in general you’ll remember for about a few months.”

Over five months of planning and lay out are for one night enjoyed by countless students only to be swept up and torn down until next year.

Finally, its fourth-quarter and senior privileges are here and ready to begin. For all seniors, there was a free "Senior Breakfast" held on March 30. This time it was used to explain why seniors get privileges during the last quarter of the year and exactly what they are. The breakfast also gave Dr. Miller a chance to talk with students. The sponsor's of the "All Night Grad Party" also talked to seniors about the graduation party, which is held after the graduation ceremony on June 4, 2004.

April first, two days after the "Senior Breakfast", was the start of "No AAA during fourth-quarter for seniors." This is a chance for the school to show seniors that they are unique and that they deserve a reward for their hard work throughout the years.

"We feel that they [seniors] are leaders in the school, and that they deserve to be treated differently," said Assistant Principal Julie Swaggert. "They've earned their privileges and this is a way to give something back to them."

There are, however, ways that seniors can loose their AAA privileges. If anyone is caught misusing their AAA pass, such as lending their pass to an underclassman or parking in an area they aren't supposed to, they will lose their privileges.

"Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen," said Chris Schraenbroich, mother of former Buffalo High School student Tim Fisher. "Tonight we raised 1839 dollars for Janine Swanson."

Swanson, who's been battling Leukemia, received the money after the charity benefit on Sunday, February 15.

When asked what she would do with the money, Swanson said "Every time I go to the hospital it's a 500 dollar co-pay, so most of the money will go towards that."

"I think it's like... an awesome thing that they're making a positive difference. And what better way to do it than in music? It's something everyone can relate to," said Senior Angelica Montantes.

"Honestly, we just started doing it for exposure and then people started expecting us to be a... charity band. And it's a great thing if you can play to that many people and make a difference for good," said Junior Ryan Gaskill of ToasterHead. "All in all I'd say we've raised six to seven grand."

Bands putting on the shows included Shades of Control, Toasterhead, Blood Root Mother, Davern Avenue, Echoed Life, Chaser, Allies in Chaos, and Surreal.

ToasterHead and Davern Avenue are already planning on doing another show next year at the Medina Ballroom, and are considering doing more shows for Swanson.

The great spectacle of America choosing its President is underway. Amidst the ongoing situation in Iraq and an ever-growing fear of terrorism, the Democratic Primaries and Caucuses have already wound down. Our new democratic candidate, John Kerry, is now sprinting toward the Presidential nomination. The media coverage during these elections is immense, putting each candidate under extreme scrutiny. But still, an underlying opinion is surfac- ing. We don't care.

The interest level at Buffalo High School is minis- cule at best. Sixty-four percent of students cited low interest. While a barely representational four percent claimed a high interest in the race.

"A lot of people aren't interested because they can't vote," said Freshman Niles Hickman.

This lack of interest has translated into a general loss of enthusiasm in the student body. Sixty-two percent of stu- dents were unable to name three Democratic Presidential candidates. The long selection process has also seemed to bore some. The last primaries do not take place until June 8th in Montana and New Jersey. Other things like Strong Republican ties make students lose interest.

"I wouldn't vote for any of the candidates," said Freshman Ashley Groenke, "I don't like Democrats."

President Bush, who was unable to win Minnesota's electoral votes in the 2000 election, now seems to garner respect at BHS following his first term. Sixty-six percent of students said they would vote for President Bush regardless of the Democratic candidate. This high turnout seems to down-play the importance of the primaries and caucuses while going against national polls.

"I think President Bush will win," said Freshman Jason Hohl, "so there will be no real impact."

Many students see a President Bush victory in November as an event which would cause the entire process to lose all purpose.

Both sides continue to campaign relentlessly, attempting to get their points across. Some, though, have differing opinions of the can- didate's motivation.

"Candidates are really just interested in publicity," said Junior Tyler Erickson.

Whether publicity driven or not, politicians have, are, and will continue to spend millions of dollars in an attempt to garner our interest. Even with this, an overwhelm- ing trend is surfacing. The majority of BHS students just don't care.

Now I know what you're all thinking, "Here comes another kid griping about the MCA test. 'Oh, I don't want to take the test! I'm lazy!'" Well you know what? You're fairly correct because griping is exactly what I'm going to use to waste this chance to let my own lack of a voice be heard.
It's not a big secret by now that a few people in my junior class were less than pleased with the mathematics test we just took. Of course, you say, there is always going to be a group of people to complain about any test, but this one seemed to chap my hide a little more than the tests in the past did. Right off the bat I was a little irritated by the hype the test was given. It was made very public that this test was "extremely important" and that I should take it seriously. Why you might ask? Well, school pride was a big issue. I guess it has a lot to do with how our school looks compared to other ones. It also makes an impact on our transcripts, so I hear. These are all fine reasons, but I soon after became aware of some "consequences" that would come into effect should someone oppose the almighty MCAs.
Several teachers informed me that possible consequences, including the loss of our senior privileges next year - as well as being denied access to the senior prom - may be implemented if students blew off the test. Now correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't remember those being addressed on the loud speaker, do you? I'll admit, I could really care less about my senior privileges or prom, but I'm willing to assume that some people just might. That's why I think that the situation could have been handled a little more professionally.
Now these are very petty things, I mean, they don't really affect anyone, but do any of them really provide an incentive to try as hard as you can on the test? I didn't think so, certainly not when I watched my senior peers march out of school early on practice day. Certainly not when the notion crept into my head that some of my friends who may not have given 110% on the test last year were snuggling warmly in their big comfy beds, while we sat through 160 minutes of math problems. I mean, I love math as much as the next guy, but when I am required to decide which time on a regular clock makes a 20 degree angle it has become a tad bit ridiculous. I don't want to sound ignorant, or intolerant, but there were a lot of terms and ideas on that test that I had never seen before, ever. By the end of the two plus hours of sitting I was less concerned with making the school look good, and more concerned with getting the hell out of that chair.
So what can I say, I'm a big whiner. I'm sure most of you probably enjoyed the test, and wanted to go again afterwards. I don't have any grand ideas on reforming the test, but I've always wondered why they don't just document our learning from the hard material we produce in class. The tests we already take, the quizzes, the projects. Do they not represent my mental capacity enough?
I'm told that the results from such an act would not be standard, and that it just wouldn't work. Well you know what? For someone who is anything like me this system does not work. How can my intelligence be rated by a test that does not reflect the information that I've been taught? This census was about as standard for me as a pop quiz in a random issue of Cosmo. Whoever is running the show here needs to realize that all material in school is taught in different ways depending on who is teaching it. They need to understand that standard testing is simply impossible because there is no standard anymore, only multiple perspectives regarding similar subjects. They need to hear this, and know that the only cranium factor that they're influencing for me is the size of the vein in my forehead.

As I grew up in, Burnsville Minnesota, the first six years of my life, I was exposed to many fish deaths due to fishing trips and things of the sort. Early in my life I discovered that taking care of fish was not one of my specialties. A series of experiences had taught me this, ranging from killing a fish by feeding it too much, to getting the hook caught in the back of the fish's throat when I went fishing.
The most horrific fish demise that I have ever caused was when I was in about 7th grade. My family had just bought two beautiful goldfish. They were so cute. (They were so gold and fish-like. They were goldfish.) We triumphantly brought them home like one might bring home a gold medal. There they swam in their little plastic bag.
We all took turns holding and admiring those two fish. "Oh look," someone would cry, "the fish just made a bubble!" We were all so excited and amazed that we owned two breathing, living fish. We bought them food--but not just any kind of food--special food. Food made especially for goldfish. Our goldfish deserved the best. We bought them spring water and a clean, shiny bowl. We poured glittering, decorative stones into the bottom of the bowl and filled it with the clear water. We then placed our sacred fish into the bowl. There they swam, side by side, in the perfect world we had created for them.
After we had gotten done watching them for quite some time, one of us stated that they were starving and they needed food... quickly! We placed a couple flakes of this special food into the water and waited. The fish continued to swim around, purposely ignoring the generous offer of food. "What are you doing?" I thought. "Eat!" So we put a couple more flakes in (because if the fish sees that there is more food, of course they will eat it.)
Soon, the top layer of water had a pretty good amount of food on it. They still ignored it, so we left uninterested in their eating habits. We still said hi to the fish, after a couple of days, and petted them. (Because if you don't pet them, they won't feel loved.)
We also continued to pour in the food every day. After about a week we noticed that one of the goldfish wasn't looking too good. So we petted him a little more, gave him more food, and talked to him.
The next morning he was dead. Our poor, little beloved fish. It just wasn't the same without him. No longer could I wake up and watch him swim around in his cute fishy way. I could never watch a cute bubble float up from his mouth.
No, there was only one goldfish left. We still loved him, but he was all alone. We had to find some friends for him. So we thought, and we thought, "Where could we find some more fish?" All of a sudden we had a brilliant idea. The lake! We lived near a lake, and we could set him free and he would have friends and be happy.
So that's what we did. We let our little fish go, and commented on how much he had grown in the past week. I still don't know if he survived, but I hope he did. My family continued to buy fish, but could never seem to keep them alive. So when my dad suggested that we buy a fish aquarium and put in exotic fish, I just shook my head sadly and smiled. My heart goes out to all of those poor fish that are sold daily to Americans. I don't think their life span is that great. Maybe it's just my family that can't seem to keep them alive. I'll never know what killed the goldfish. Was it because we petted him too often? Too much food? Too little of a bowl? Not enough friends? I will never know, but I don't think that it would be wise for me to buy any fish in the near future.

On yet another leg of his colossal tour, Bob Dylan (and his band) showed up to perform for a packed house on March 10, 2004 at the Roy Wilkins Auditorium.
Dylan played songs from his most recent creative effort "Love and Theft" while sprinkling in classic tunes throughout the set like "Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again". He later dusted off "Like a Rolling Stone" and "All Along the Watchtower" for his first encore and "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35" for the second.
The crowd was a very diverse melting pot of generations, and it was on its feet the whole time.
Dylan was backed by a solid and unique band. Equipped with two drummers (George Recile and Richie Hayward) the band had a very thunderous sound. Guitarists Larry Campbell and Freddy Koella made the music shine with some impressive guitar work.
Aside from the occasional meandering improvisation from Koella, his lead work was very powerful. Tony Garnier filled out the bottom end of the soundscape on bass. Unfortunately, Bob mostly played keyboards and sang but he did spice things up with some soulful harmonica.
This is Dylan's third area performance in seventeen months. He is definitely a regular home state performer.
The sold out crowd of 5,899 just couldn't get enough and they just keep coming back for this living legend.

Lord of the Rings: The return of the King, Finding Nemo, and Pirates of the Caribbean, these are just some examples of movies in the past year that inspired action figures, toys, and continual chat during and well after, their release. But no movie has created as much controversy as Mel Gibson's new film: The Passion of the Christ.

From the western shore of California, to the eastern tip of Maine, it inevitably sparks conversation. It didn't skip by Buffalo. On February 25, the day of its release, our hometown Cinema did not fail to fill with anxious residents preparing to be among the first to view the film.

Using 30 million of his own dollars, Gibson created a film that scarcely compares to any film done before. Unless the viewer speaks fluent Latin, subtitles are the only way to keep up with the context of the film. This aspect did not seem to dampen the affect for viewers.

"It gave more of a picture of what Christ went through for us," said Junior Randy Vidmar. "It made me appreciate what Jesus has done for me."

The film focuses on the last twelve hours of Christ's life. Gibson said that this was the pinnacle of Christ's sacrifice.

"It was really touching," said Freshman Krystal Anderson, "It made me appreciate Christ a lot more because now I've seen what he went through."

The movie created enough controversy to earn Gibson an interview on ABC with Diane Sawyer. The interview focused on his new film, and the accusations of anti- Semitism.

Offended Jews accused Gibson and his film of being anti-Semitic by blaming the Jews for the death of Christ. They fear the affect the film will have on Judeo-Christian harmony.

"Personally I thought it was a really good movie, it had people talking and freaking out for weeks." said Senior Angelica Montantes. "Any movie that has that much power is a good one for me! It was gory. But I still enjoyed it."

While 95% of students shared satisfied reviews, the film did not intrigue others. Although religion and beliefs served as the main reason students went to see the film, this same aspect deterred others from seeing it.

"It doesn't look interesting," said Senior Dan Bebugs, "I'm not into movies that deal with religion and have sub-titles."

Although 23% of students actually attended the film so far, most students claimed they lacked the time or money to go. Of those who had not seen it 35% showed interest or intent to see it in the future.

Bang!
The gun fires as athletes shoot out of the blocks, marking the beginning to another year of track and field. With the 2004 spring sports underway, the track team is looking to get off to a record start. The team first met on March 15 when they discussed future goals and introduced the captains to the rest of the team. Coaches and captains alike shared their exceptionally high expectations for the team's success in the upcoming season.
"We are really looking forward to this season," said senior captain Mitch VanBruggen. "We have a lot of talent returning from last year. We are focused and we know what we want to accomplish."
The team struggled last year compared to the team's previous seasons where the returning talent offered experience and leadership to a much needed group of newcomers. This year's group is focused on winning the North Suburban Conference and getting as many participants to State as possible. This will not be an easy task with the competition within the conference continuing to produce record times.
"Irondale is the team to beat this year," said head track coach Scott Palmer. "They won the North Suburban Conference in both boys and girls last season."
Although the competition is looking as good as ever, Buffalo has always relied on its knowledgeable coaches and their expertise to set new athletes off on the right foot. With a balanced staff working with both the Track and Field aspects of the team, Buffalo is confident that they will go far. Palmer and Jason Karn navigate the runners while Mary Bremmer coaches jumpers and Doug LaPlant instructs the throwers.
"Ms. Bremmer has really helped me with my jumping over the years," said Senior Robert Klatt, "and off season sports like basketball have kept me in shape."
With new talent providing a fresh start and experienced captains and seniors leading the way, the track team hopes to have a successful season for Buffalo regardless of the sloppy handoff from last season.
-Matt Muntifering

Staff Writer
The Buffalo Boys Golf season is in progress. Players look forward to the sport for its laid back pace and challenge.
Practice began March 15th and will run until early June. The coach and players alike look forward to the upcoming season, eager to return. Since last season the team has only lost one senior.
"Returning this year as the leaders are Senior Chris Nelson and Sophomore Zach Braun," said Coach Charlie Keifenheim. "They divided time between the second and third spots on Varsity last season and have always maintained low averages."
The team is hoping for a great outcome with all of their meets.
"I'm looking forward to the meet at The Ponds," said Junior Paul Olson. "Last year Varsity took last at the meet and it really hurt."
After a meet the team has bonding time at Wendys.
"There is a lack of tradition, besides the eating competitions," said Senior Nelson.
"The one tradition we have is the Wendy's 99 cent Value Menu Challenge," said Olson. "The idea is to try and eat everything on the menu."
Above: Sophomore Zach Braun focuses on the ball as he takes a swing during practice.
Right: Junior Quinn Hoffmann follows through as he watches his shot sail. The team practices at a driving range at least once a week.
Photos by Anna McCarty

Name: Jordan Anderson
Grade: 11
Spring sport: Tennis
"I plan to continue playing in college if I make the team because it's fun and good exercise."
"He is one of 3 returning letter winners and will be counted on as a junior and captain to show leadership," said Coach Jeff Lindstrom.

Name: Heidi Schmidt
Grade: 12
Spring Sport: Adapted Softball
"You wouldn't think of softball as a special Olympic sport. We may have different rules but it's basically the same. It's fun and it's a way to connect and get to know a lot of other people."

Name: Zach Braun
Grade: 10
Spring sport: Boys Golf
"My favorite memory from golf is winning the conference tournament last year at Monticello."
"Zach began playing varsity golf as an eight grader and last year as a freshman, he contributed to our team score at nearly every match. Zack is very consistent and has a great attitude for the game," said Coach Charlie Keifenhiem.

Name: Olivia Graham
Grade: 9
Spring sport: Softball
"My favorite softball memory is last year when, for sections, they asked me if I would play varsity. The one inning I played I struck two girls out and fielded a grounder to get the third out."
"She worked her way up to varsity as an eighth grader. She is very dedicated, works hard, as a lot of talent and a lot of potential," said Coach Brian Harapat.

Name: Katie Mahlberg
Grade: 12
Spring Sport: Girls Golf
"My favorite memory from golf is of Anne Elsenpeter. She was walking to get her ball, tripped over a yellow hazard rope, and did a face plant into the mud."
"Katie has outstanding leadership skills and we look forward to her ability to guide our team this year. She has shown good skills on the golf course and we look forward to her positive attitude with our golf team," said Coach Riti Sanderson.

The Buffalo Bison Varsity Baseball program is in full swing, under the direction of a new head coach and only three returning varsity players.
The team started the season 0-2, but it looks to improve by building up the new players' confidence and establishing connections between teammates during the game.
"It's been what I've expected so far," said senior Eric Mills. "It will take us a while to find our team chemistry, but when we do we'll be doing really well."
New head coach Mike Beilke and a lot of incoming player talent has kept the team optimistic.
"We have good pitching that will carry us a long way," Mills said, "and I like the coaching staff - they know what they're doing, and I think everyone is turning their games around because of it."
Even after a shaky start, the team has high hopes for the rest of the season.
"Our team is still developing because there are a lot of new players, but it looks like we'll be able to improve," said senior pitcher Randy Bethke.

Top: Junior Derek Bauer retreats back to second base by Junior Jason Weber after attempting to take third.

Bottom: Junior Brett Andrews runs from a tag by Junior Wes Christ.

The District 877 school board announced on Thursday, February 5 that they have chosen a new superintendent to start in July of 2004. Jim Bauck will be starting as the new District 877 superintendent. after this school year. Bauck has been in the field of education for over 25 years and has been a superintendent for 11.
"We felt that after everything was said and done, that Jim was the best fit for our district," said school board chairperson Rolf Mohlwinkel in a press release from the district. "He will bring great energy, enthusiasm and experience to the position."
Bauck did not have a great deal of knowledge about our school district except that he liked the environment of our schools, solid district reputation, and great community support. He would like to maintain and improve the school district.
"Until I get there, it is yet to be determined," said Bauck.
Bauck has served in the position of superintendent in Owatonna for nine years.
He also served as superintendent in Lakeville for two years.
"I really enjoyed my time in Owatonna," Bauck said.
Owatonna district has 15,000 students and 700 staff.
Buffalo has about 5,000 students and 600 staff.
A secretary in Owatonna said, "We certainly will miss Jim. He's a good guy."
Dr. Jim Bauck
Bauck's wife works in Owatonna as the health services coordinator and they "definitely" plan on moving to Buffalo.
One of the achievements that has been in Owatonna since Bauck started there according to Bauck is that, "We [the district] have been able to maintain and improve the quality of the school district and get community support on bond issues."

On November 2, we the people will be asked to elect a President. We'll be asked to put our lives and future in the hands of someone we think is smart and confident, a leader for the people. The hard part though, is deciding who to choose.
"I want to vote because I want to be a part of my government," said Freshman Megan Czanstkowski. "I don't want to not know anything because the choices they make concern everyone, not just themselves."
There are two leading candidates running for our vote. They are Republican President George W. Bush and Democratic Senator from Massachusetts John Kerry. Both are significantly popular across America which brings us back to choosing just one.
"I think every vote counts and I want to vote for who I think should be president," said Sophomore Amy Frisvold.
Bush is currently the 43rd President of the United States of America. He was born July 6, 1946. He served in the Air National Guard and graduated from Yale. While in office, he has raised standards in public schools, signed a tax relief to provide rebate checks and lower tax rates, declared the War against Terrorism and increased pay and benefits for the military. He is still working to save and strengthen Social Security and Medicare. Previously he was Governor of the state of Texas.
"I am very happy with the job Bush has done," said Junior Kris Lane. "Everything important that he has promised he has come through with. I would trust him in any decision he made."
John Kerry, born December 11, 1945, also graduated from Yale. He was in the Navy and served in Vietnam. He then continued his studies and graduated from Boston College Law School and was the top prosecutor in Middlesex County. In 1982, he became Lieutenant Governor, and in 1984, he ran and was elected to serve in the US Senate. He was re-elected in 1990, 1996, and again in 2002. Now serving his fourth term, he believes in reforming public education, protecting the environment, and strengthening the economy.
"He seems to show good leadership quality and his opinions and views are different from President Bush," said Senior Nicole Kollm.
After surveying Buffalo High School students, Bush pulled ahead with 51%, followed by Kerry with 30%. While these students have decided, 18% still had no clue as to who they would vote for.
"I would vote because one vote can make a difference," said Sophomore Michael Bennett.