The Hoofprint - What is Success - Issue 2 - December 1, 2011

Inside this issue:

From There, To Here: Career Paths that Directed Our Teachers

Fulfilling her Teenage Dream: The Story of a Belly Dancer

Fate vs. Choice: Who Cares? Jill Hanson: 13th Fastest Runner in the World

Among dozens of other messages on the school monitor, one especially caught students’ attention. It was the first GLOW (Gay, Lesbian, Or Whatever) meeting, that 24 BHS students attended. The meeting took place in the classroom of English Teacher David Robinson during AAA on Friday, October 28.

During the meeting, the group discussed a name change and has officially decided on GSA, which stands for Gay-Straight Alliance.

“We felt the name [GLOW] was unclear,” said Robinson, “We want people to recognize our organization as an alliance.”

Some of GSA’s goals are to support students, teach, reach out, and provide a safe place for equality among all students. GSA would like to create a web presence, such as a Facebook page, to help better advertise who they are. They are also preparing for the Day of Silence, where students will stay sieltn throughout the school day in support of LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) rights. This school year The Day of Silence will be on held April 20, 2012.

“I’m optimistic about overcoming homophobic discrimination,” said Robinson, “We want to promote a positive school climate, and I think homophobia tends to undermine that.”

With this photo of Junior Maddi Herzfeld, Sophomore Emma Rodelius embarked on a 365 Photo Project. She plans on posting one photo each day on her Tumblr Blog. Rodelius is one of a handful of students taking on a 365 Challenge.

“I know that it’s going to kill me to have to get a picture done every day,,” said Rodelius, “but hopefully I will improve a lot and a lot.”

Globally-Minded Student Activists (GMSA) is holding a talent showcase Friday, December 16th to raise money through UNICEF for Somalia. Unicef is an organization dedicated to helping sick and hungry children across the world.

“We thought this would be a fun way to get help for the people of Somalia.” said Sophomore Lillian Smith, a member of GMSA.

To participate in the showcase, however, you do not need to be a member. Sophomore Erica Hoops is performing “Halo” by Beyoncé with Sophomore Emma Hage and Junior Julia Bothun.

“We didn’t prepare at all.” said Hoops. “Literally, the morning of the audition Emma and I still didn’t know what we were going to do. We found a three-part harmony to Halo, and then we found Julia.”

The trio only practiced their song twice before auditioning in the black box after school.

Though many students auditioned, only seven acts will perform. These acts include singing, tap dancing, a skit, and a drum solo. There will also be a silent auction and an art gallery present at the showcase. The event is free and is open to anyone in the community.

On the night of Friday, November 4, Diversity Studies teacher Todd Manninen took ten of his Diversity Studies students on a field trip down to the Mid-Town Global Market, located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The point of taking a trip with some his students to Uptown was so that they could smell, hear, and taste diversity by experiencing all the different cultures close to home.

“It’s one thing to learn about a different culture by reading books about it, or watching a movie or slide show. You know, the boring stuff, but this trip gave the students a real life perspective at what diversity looks like,” said Manninen.

The class drove through Hennepin Avenue and went to a deli in a Muslim community. The Pumphouse Creamery on Chicago Avenue was a popular place for the students to eat at because it’s a local business who only use natural, organic ingredients in their ice cream. Shelvy Santoso, a foreign exchange student from Indonesia experienced the Twin Cities for her first time in the three months since she has been living in the United States.

“My first sight at seeing the cities was incredible, and once I got to explore the city all I could say is how diverse it really is here,” said Santoso.

This trip with students down to the cities was a first for Manninen. He wanted the students to feel like it wasn’t a project for class, but a personal experience for themselves. Some of the cultures the students experienced were Latino, Somali, Asian, and Muslem/Middle-Eastern.

“The class really enjoyed the whole experience, especially all the different types of food they got to eat,”said Manninen. “I plan on going on another trip because we live so close to the cities and a lot of the students have never ever experienced different cultures before. The true goal is to get the real experience.”

Founded by Sophomore Michael Schuermann, the Film Group had its first meeting on Wednesday, November 9. Students met in D-101, Mr. Hanson’s room to discuss the inaugural meeting of the Film Group. They started planning what they’re filming, sharing ideas and talking about who they need for jobs.

“We need cameramen, people who know how to use a microphone, and people who are fluent in Windows Movie Maker,” said Schuermann.

The Group’s members discussed what kind of projects they’re planning to make, including documentaries, short films and possible music videos. The Film Group meets every other Wednesday in D-101.

The results of the November 8th election are in: 2,475 people voted to pass the school levy referendum, while only 816 voted against it. The levy is worth $2.6 million to Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose public schools.

“Just to give some perspective, if the levy would have failed, it would have been the equivalent of 50 teaching positions needing to be cut,” Director of Fi­ nance and Operations Gary Kawlewski said, “Of course, that’s not where all of our cuts would have come from. That’s just to give the numbers some per­ spective.”

This referendum was put on the ballot one year in advance; if it hadn’t passed this year, it would have been up for re-vote next November. The levy is a ten- year fund, so it won’t have to be voted on again for several years. Another ten-year levy was passed two years ago and will go up for vote again in eight years. However, even with both levies passing, state funds may not be enough to provide for our district in years to come.

“The way things are looking right now, state education funds won’t keep pace with our incoming costs,” Kawlewski said, “Even keeping levies in place, we’re still going to have to look at ways to make sure we can keep the same levels of programming that we have now.”

Levies, as Kawlewski put it, “buy our district some time” while state legislature figures out more effective ways to fund education and as our district financial offices work out a financial plan that can offer as many curriculum options as they currently do.

“The levy passing was a fantastic thing for our community to do to show support for schools,” Kawlewski said, “Having said that, though, we’re not out of the woods yet. In the long haul, we’re not going to have a lot of incoming state funding, but we’re go­ ing forward in as good a position as any public school can right now.”

If you ask almost any BHS student about substitute teachers, chances are you will hear a lot about Scott Thayer

“Thayer is by far my favorite teacher,” said Junior Drake Wholenhouse “I love the relaxed attitude he’s always got, not to mention his stories.”

Thayer went to college at North Dakota State University on a basketball scholarship. He also went on to earn five teaching majors in English, science, chemistry, biology, and physical education. After college he had a small teaching job and coached football and basketball. He left, however, to sell athletic equipment to local high schools and sports teams. He did this for six years.

“I felt I was on the road too much,” said Mr. Thayer “Family was more important than the money, so I went back to teaching.”

For the next couple years Thayer held a couple jobs teaching English and social studies at different schools before moving to Kimball, where he taught seventh to eighth grade English for thirty two years. He was also a Driver’s Ed teacher and Girls’ and Boys’ Varsity Golf coach.

Thayer has been substitute teaching since 1995. He substitute taught at many different schools such as Kimball, Annandale, St.Micheal, and Becker, but he especially liked Buffalo. He now only substitute teaches at Buffalo.

“I feel respected here and I agree more with how this school is run,” said Thayer

Thirty faces peer through the glass window into the World Languages resource area as Senior Danielle Doncaster jingles her way to the center of the room. She’s decked out in her eight-piece belly dancing costume, including a twenty-five yard skirt and feather-covered bra, which she later reveals cost more than $200 total. Calmly scrolling through music archived in her email by a specific artist unavailable on the internet, she seems completely comfortable with the fact that the people around her are taking pictures of her, videoing her––or simply staring.

“Strange stuff can happen when I belly dance,” said Doncaster, “I’ve had a lot of different and weird reactions, but most people are fine with it. I’m used to it, too, I guess, but I mean, people can still act weird.”

Doncaster has always wanted to become a belly dancer, but filled her life with modern and jazz dancing until she discovered her dream could become feasible.

“About three years ago, I saw a belly dance troupe perform, and kind of forgot about it.” said Doncaster, “Then I saw them perform again a year later and thought to myself, ‘This is something I really want to do.’”

She joined a local belly dancing troupe called “The Dance Caravan” and practices around four hours a week––seven or more if they perform. She’s belly danced everywhere from a senior center to the Renaissance Festival––their biggest, and most important, performance. When asked the ages of the others in her troupe, she laughs.

“I have about thirteen other moms,” said Doncaster, “I’m the youngest at seventeen, and the oldest is fifty-seven. My duet partner is closer to my age, twenty-two, but she’s really blond and tan while I’m dark-haired and pale. We make an interesting pair.”

The group is always on the lookout for new talent.

“We don’t have any guys, but we’d love to,” said Doncaster. “Put that in the paper––that we’re looking for guys and that there are classes in Monticello.”

In addition to a duet, she also has a solo and several group pieces performed with her whole dance troupe. Sometimes the group members will pull people from the audience to dance with, but don’t feel that their style is being cramped.

“I love the idea of belly dancing as an art form, it’s truly unique.” said Doncaster. “I definitely think of myself as an artist, just a different kind. There are too many mediums to label art as a singular thing––it’s continuous.”

People can be cruel. We judge on differences, but what is really considered different? Is it appearance, personality, or is it how we cope with being different. The way I see it, appearance is what everyone sees first, and appearance seems to be what everyone considers different.

I’m Asian American, and I was born with Glaucoma that caused retinal detachment in my eyes, meaning I can’t see as well as others and I am going blind in time. Does that mean I’m different?

I’m still walking, still talking, still learning in school, and I still live a normal teenage life. I can’t see with my eyes, so I see with my heart. I don’t like it when I see people being excluded, discriminated, made fun of, or used because they are different.

We are all surrounded by different types of people around the world. There are people with lifelong diseases, people who can’t walk, see, or hear. There are people of different races with different skin colors, different languages, and of different sizes. It’s these differences that make the world we all share more interesting. Without fat, what would skinny be? How would we know what short is if there weren’t tall people? If everyone was blind or deaf, we wouldn’t know what seeing or hearing was. If everyone was the same, I think life would be very boring, but it’s the people who have these differences who are the ones that are treated differently.

When I see others who are treated differently it’s hard for me to stand up for them, but I try because I hate to be the one who just stands there while it happens. Treating someone else unfairly because they are different won’t get anyone anywhere. Sure, you might get away with calling someone a name, and doing something mean, but how would you feel if someone else did the same to you? I know I don’t like it, and I’ve been through lots of it.

I don’t expect anyone to understand me, or anyone else, but I ask that you try. Try to notice how hurtful a single word can be when combined with a hurtful tone. Try to notice how hard it is for different people to live when they are treated unfairly all the time. I don’t like being treated differently, so I think I speak for a lot of people when I say that differences shouldn’t matter. Though the world has people who are different, and people who are scared to be different, we are all supposed to be equal. So it’s okay to be different, because no one is normal or perfect.

It’s 2:20 and students begin to head off to after- school activities, work, or home. Learning is over for all but a small dedicated group of students packed into the Bison Room. All are concentrated on the screen projecting a professional journalist giving advice to the students present.

Staff on the Hoofprint, on Yearbook, or in one of the journalism classes recently have been using Skype to video chat with a variety of successful individuals that are famous within the journalism world. Whether they are writers, journalists, or radio personalities, the sessions allow high school journalists to learn from successful people and to pick up ideas about to become more successful as writers, editors, and designers themselves.

“I think high school journalism is the greatest thing in high schools,” said Journalist Scott Winter “It is the most complicated stuff that anyone does in school. If you are willing to do that, especially outside of class, it makes you great. Everyone has hopes and dreams, and you should chase that dream, but you should also chase journalism. If you don’t make it as a doctor, you could be a medical journalist. If you don’t make it as an actor, you can be an entertainment journalist.”

Winter is a five year Professional Journalist, 10 year High School Journalism Teacher and now a Journalism College Professor at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Through his experience he has been very successful in his life and had much to teach the students.

“You have to write like a bulldozer. To start writing your story right after an interview so everything is fresh in you mind, they go back and make the changes, and also to do something everyday,” said Winter, “Something must be due every day. Periodic deadlines. Procrastination sucks. Make interview notes due one day, make papers due another. People who miss deadlines don’t get in the paper. You are only as good as your weakest story.”

Another person who was Skyped is Professional Journalist Bobby Hawthorne, who wrote the textbook used in the Journalism One classes.

“Be persistent, and don’t be a coward,” said Hawthorne. “Wake up and start seeing all the amazing stories around you. If you’re not asking questions that your readers may care about, you won’t be able to write good stories.”

Bestselling author Patti Digh taught about how to be a successful writers.

“Actors can’t hold two intentions at the same time on stage,” said Digh “If they are in the play ‘Hamlet’, they can either warn Hamlet or get the audience to love them, but they can’t do both at the same time and do either one of them honestly.”

The Hoofprint Staff also had the chance to get guest speaker ESPN Radio Personality and BHS alumni Phil Mackey to speak in person at a Work Night. He talked to them about the importance of having a variety of skills, like writing and speaking, instead of just one, especially when looking for work in the competitive world.

“This sounds so dumb and cliche, but there is no definition of success,” said Mackey, “You define your own success. It isn’t what other people think success is, its what you want to do. You set your own goals and once you meet them that is success. You might have to look at other people to set goals for yourself, but you have to climb that ladder yourself to rise to success.”

From left to right: Counselor Kristen Lane worked as a consular in Saudi Arabia where she learned about colleges in other countries. “You get to see a world that is in every way opposite of ours. I worked as a consular in an American school in Saudi. I think that experience has changed my knowledge and background in schools.” Counselor Peggy Zimmer previously worked in college admissions. “I think it’s helped me because I’ve been on the other side of the table and also understanding the in’s and out’s of how kids apply for financial aid.” Spanish Teacher Daryl Boeckers is in the process of getting his PHD. He studies the art and science of how to teach. “What I study helps me train teachers to become more effective teachers.” Science Teacher Dan Schneider has used his experience working with the Department of Natural Resources, seals, and manatees in class. Math Teacher Marcia Bauman worked as an engineer before she became a math teacher. French Teacher Jason Swanson lived in France for six months in 2001. “I think it has helped me because a good 70 to 80 percent of what I pull from when I teach is my experience.” Social Studies Teacher Evan Ronken taught summer school and directed a social studies camp to help him become a more successful teacher. “I think it helps because it helps me teach students on different levels.

Math Teacher Marcia Bauman was a software engineer for fifteen years before she started teaching. First she worked for the department of defense in San Antonio, Texas for five years and then got married and moved back to Minnesota to be an engineer for ten more years. Being a teacher wasn’t originally a part of her life’s plan.

“When my daughter was two and a half she had a brain tumor, and I quit working as an engineer because she had years of therapy to go through. When she started school I volunteered as a para in Monticello,” Bauman said

Her Alma matre, The University of Minnesota, reached out to Bauman to see if she would want to get a masters degree in teaching. She decided to take them up on the offer and since then she has worked at BHS for six years.

“I think it’s been exciting for me to to go into the school system because you guys are at a great age where you’re starting to make decisions about your future,” Bauman said, “I really do believe that the more math and the more knowledge you have opens the door to a lot of opportunities.”

Her career as an engineer has influenced Bauman as a teacher. Many of the problems she teaches in class are ones she has had experience with in the real world.

“I think its made me a better teacher because in many cases I’ll get ‘When am I ever going to use this?’ and I can tell them how. It’s nice for me to be able to say this is where the information is applicable,” Bauman said.

Like Bauman, Science Teacher Dan Schneider also had previous jobs that makes him a more successful teacher. He got his wildlife biology degree at the University of Minnesota and then had jobs with the Department of Natural Resources. He did two, six month rounds of field research. The first one, in 1980, was with manatees. He was part of a group that put collars on them and followed them to gather information. There was very little known about Manatees, so the information they gathered was dedicated to the scientific wealth of knowledge. The second round of research was done in 1982 and 1983 with seals. Their job was to find out what was happening with all the Crill in Antarctica now that their predators, whales, were being killed off.

“It provided me with opportunities to do research, which is something that I can share with my class,” said Schneider, “Most people think science is just test tubes and beakers. It helps me to show that there are other ways to do it besides labs.”

Schneider uses the research he has done as a way to show students real life applications of what they are reading in their text books.

“I think it helps because my students know that I’ve at least done science outside of teaching it, and it gives me credibility,” Schneider said, “I can give them at least one of my experience’s as an example of science.”

In a world as wide as ours, filled with limitless potential, so many of the movers and the shakers of the world today have lived highly profitable lives, yet their legacies are devoid of any substance–these are the people we strive to be like?

Achievement is more than the accumulation of dollar signs, it is leaving behind an idea, or something that inspires and improves the people that surround you. This article is not to dissuade you from seeking wealth, however, but to say that, instead of seeing money as an ends view, one should see it as a tool to achieve fulfillment. The Hoofprint has dedicated this issue to the students and teachers of BHS who have gone out and experienced something greater. Some failed, and failed miserably––others took one try––but their actions, whilst achieving and how they used the experience afterword’s, shows the meaning of success.

It all starts with a mission in life, some goal that drives your motives. It can be lofty as curing a wasting disease, or as simple as trying to raise a family right, but it must be a focused ambition to see through. There will be a time when you attempt to accomplish that goal when it seems like fate itself is stacked against you, and everything will begin to fall apart. It is at this critical point that the achievers are set apart by their willingness to persevere through the ordeal. Fate is, after all, just the weight of circumstances.

In a perfectly balanced world this would be enough, but that is not the case. Some attempts will never come to the satisfying conclusion we crave, no matter how much effort goes into it. Achievement is a definite measure of outcomes however, effort perseverance and they legacy the attempt leaves can be just as meaningful. Giving up should never be the option though, because resignation leads to personal stagnation.

These seem like extremely difficult concepts, but think of the hardest class you’ve ever taken. When you reached a problem that couldn’t be solved immediately did you skip it and move on? Perhaps even cheat? School is about setting you up so when life throws everything it can at you, the tools to solve those problems are at your disposal. Use this time now to better yourself so you will be ready for the challenges ahead.

The biggest enemies to progress are the limitations we set on our own ability. People look up and see an imposed ceiling of their own design that signifies success and strive to get there, but if they do they stop. When you look up see that the ceiling is unlimited, and as long as you continue to put your effort into your goals you will climb higher and bring those around up with you. Just give it a try and take the steps to go beyond just existing to actually living life.

How does one define success? Some say it’s scoring the winning goal for your team, and some say it’s the feeling you get when your essay earns a perfect score. For me, scoring goals and earning good grades are great achievements, but I would like to set my sight on something more than that. Yes, I feel excited when I score a goal and get a good grade, but are those the achievements we set our sights on as the highest form of success?

I believe that the greatest “achievement” someone can receive is the gift of everlasting life from the Heavenly Father through His Son, Jesus Christ, which no amount of goals or grades can begin to compare with. God shows us His love for the world; my favorite verse, John 3:16, simply states the greatest example of giving: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish, but have Everlasting Life.” (KJV) This gift cannot be bought or earned; it’s God-given. Romans 10:9 tells us how we can achieve this: “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (NIV) This “achievement” is different from others in many ways: first, you cannot earn everlasting life; it’s a gift. We cannot compete for it, work for it, buy it, sell it, nor can we alter it. God doesn’t automatically give everlasting life to the athlete with the most trophies, or the student that aces every test. You have to put your trust in Him and the Lord every day, and truly believe in His word in your thoughts, words, and actions.

It’s easy to get caught up with comparing yourself to others, always wanting to be the one saying “Look what I did!” Everlasting life is different than an achievement made by man because you cannot boast about receiving the gift.

When you achieve something, it’s good to stop and think, am I doing this for myself, or am I doing this for the Lord? What is your motive? Success gives you a great feeling, but success with the Lord can deliver much more happiness and joy into your life. When you do things unto Him, God gives us the strength to persevere. Isaiah 40:31 tells us this: “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (NIV)

What does God say about success and achievement? Matthew 16:26 gives a message to all of us trying to succeed as much as possible, even if it means changing who we are: “What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” (NIV) This verse is a great wake-up call. Look at some of the well-known celebrities. Yes, they have “achieved” fame and fortune, but do they have God? Or do they turn to Jesus to give them strength to spread his Father’s word, though there is a chance they could be rejected by society? They “have the world”, but where has their soul gone?

Life is full of achievements, so it’s our job to make sure we do things unto God and Jesus Christ. With them, we can accomplish much more than by ourselves to God’s glory.

Are our lives predetermined, or do we collectively determine our destiny through the choices we make? This question has stumped people around the globe for centuries, and there are opinions as varied as your meal options at Chipotle. Personally, I believe that the issue is not necessarily black and white, and it is the discovery process that will help us realize the answer.

On one side of the spectrum lie the determinists, those who believe that our destiny has been outlined for us by genetics, a higher power, or the laws of physics. There are no real choices because everything is fixed; the “choices” you make are predetermined by your psyche, by God, or by a mathematical formula. In 1814, a French mathematician and scientist named Pierre-Simon Laplace articulated a revolutionary idea: What if there was an entity that knows all facts about every event, past and present, and understands all natural laws that govern the universe? If those physical laws were known, then the creature could theoretically use its knowledge to predict the future, down to the tiniest detail.

The other side believes that our destiny is completely up in the air. We have the power to choose the paths to pursue in life, to choose one thing over another, and to say yes or to say no. There are infinite numbers of possibilities in life that can be altered by simple choices, such as what to eat for lunch or which classes to take next year.

Humanity is determined to find a hard and fast answer to the “fate versus free will” debate. People have wrestled strongly with this concept because we believe that there has to be just one answer to the question, and once we figure it out, we can live in peace. However, I believe that the actual answer is not the important issue here; it is the process of how we reach a conclusion that will teach us the most.

I believe that life is the sum of all our experiences. Only through experience, experiment, success, and failure can we truly become wiser people. Regardless of whether you believe that everything is fixed by a higher power or that there are an infinite number of choices we are all able to make, it’s important to remember to keep an open mind and that life is not only about the end results: it is about the process and the journey.

As I sit on the edge of the airplane’s door, my legs dangle 8,000 feet above the ground. I am firmly––almost painfully––strapped to Dan, a man I met thirty minutes ago.

Dan is now in charge of whether or not I survive. Looking at me, he yells, “Ready to jump?” I nod, and yell back, “Ready to jump,” and grasp the straps of my harness. This is it, I think. Then we fall out of the airplane, and we soar.

I’ve always defined success by an A+, performing well on stage, or some sort of acceptance; I thought success was to be dictated by someone else. Skydiving and the process getting there helped me realize that ultimately, I am the one that judges my success--not a teacher or peer.

Skydiving has always been on my bucket list. In September, I had an epiphany: in less than a month, I would be eighteen. I could legally gamble, vote--and go skydiving.

After some research, I became hopeful. Skydiving didn’t have to be a dream any longer; it could become actuality. The only problem I could anticipate was my parents. Though society would recognize me as a legal adult soon, I was still living in my parents’ house and had to abide by their rules. My mother lives by two rules: the Ten Commandments, and no skydiving. The thought of asking them if their baby girl could jump out of a plane was daunting at best, but I refused to let the fear of failure stop me.

I cooked dinner for them and showed them a Power Point presentation on skydiving. I was professional and to the point, and asked if the weekend was enough time to think my proposition over. They agreed it was, but by Monday, I was nervous. When my parents and I sat down for dinner, I asked if they had reached a decision, and they glanced at each other.

“We’ve decided,” said my dad, “that you can go skydiving.”

My mind was a huge exclamation point. I jumped up, hugged them, and then immediately updated my Facebook status. In the following weeks, both my sister and dad decided that they wanted to join me in my adventure, so on Sunday, October 30, eight days after my eighteenth birthday, all three of us were signed up to jump.

We arrived after an hour-long trek to Wisconsin. After a fifteen minute “informational” video, we were fitted in jumpsuits and harnesses then sent out to the airplane. It was a cold, cloudy morning and besides a few wry comments from our instructors about how they “hoped the parachutes worked”, it was quiet. The pilot arrived and we stepped into the tiny plane.

We straddled a bench, and were strapped to our instructors as we began our ascension to 8,000 feet. Suddenly, the door was raised and the four solo jumpers ahead of me leaped from the plane into nothingness.

Though I should have been terrified, I was unafraid. Dan and I waddled our way over to the edge and after securing harnesses, and instead of the jarring sensation of falling, we gently slipped through the air.

For eight seconds, I experienced the most transcendental feeling of liberation––of freedom. Then Dan pulled the parachute and we floated and spiraled our way to the ground.

It wasn’t until I was unchained from my new best friend and on the ground that I realized it was over––but I didn’t feel sad. I only felt in awe of my accomplishment: I was officially a master of the sky.

I can no longer measure success by how others measure their own. My vision of success is wildly different from others, even those of my closest friends, and by reaching this goal of mine, I realized that one person can make things happen.

Success isn’t what is on a syllabus, or what future parents have planned for their children. For me, success is an idea that grows bigger and stronger until it comes true, leaving me with a powerful memory that I accomplished something I believed in.

Hearts pumping and legs burning, the Cross Country team has worked hard to up their game throughout a season of fast paced races. The season began with smaller invitational meets leading up to major races. First came the Conference meet, and then Sections, and finally the State meet.

The Mississippi 8 conference meet took place in St. Michael on October 13th.

The Boys Varsity team had an excellent race day with their top five runners finishing in the top 20. Junior Dan Pettit took third place overall. The Girls Varsity team had a good race as well, finishing with a strong third place. Many of the runners turned in their best personal times and as the team looked forward to the Section meet, the runners’ focused on personal achievements.

“If the girls and guys go out there and run their best, I’m happy,” said Assistant Coach Jamie Kendall, “That’s all that matters to me.”

Freshman Claire Pearce was looking forward to her first time running on the Section team.

“It’s exciting to be on Varsity, but also really hard,” said Pearce, “I’m going to try my hardest, but I don’t really know how it will turn out. I’m just hoping for the best.”

For Junior Rachel Thaemart, the Section meet was a chance to finish the season strong. “I’m going to just go out there and enjoy my last race of the season,” said Thaemart, “It should be a good race.”

Senior Avery Schottler is glad to be part of the Section team for this season. “It’s about time; I’ve worked really hard to get here,” said Schottler.

At the Section meet on October 27th, the girls took 5th place, and the boys took 8th place out of the 15 teams competing. The top 2 teams and top 10 individual runners qualified for the state meet. Sophomore Hayley Downing finished 9th and was the only Bison runner to qualify for the Class AA State Championships on Saturday, November 5 at St. Olaf College in Northfield.

“At first I thought I got 11th so I was upset and crying. Then Assistant Coach Dave Knutsen told me I’d made it.” said Downing, “State went well. I prayed for peace and to feel good, and God did just that. I wasn’t even that nervous right before the race--I just know that the harder I work, the more God is glorified, so that is my motivation.”

Looking ahead to the 2012 season, the boys and girls Cross Country teams will be working hard to improve their performances. With only a few seniors graduating from the teams, the future looks bright for next year.

“I ran the first Women’s National Championship Marathon in two hours and fifty minutes,” said Cross Country Coach Jill Hanson, “the thirteenth fastest in the world for that year.”

While watching TV, Hanson saw Katherine Switzer (a student from Syracuse University) running the male-only Boston Marathon of 1967. Switzer signed up as “K. Switzer” so the race officials wouldn’t know she was a woman. Two miles in, the race director jumped off his golf cart and attempted to pull her out of the race, but she ran on. Switzer’s bravery inspired Hanson and sparked a career in athletics that started in college.

“At that moment I said to myself, ‘I’m going to run the Boston Marathon someday.’ At the time, I thought it would be just another idea that would go straight to the back burner, but I guess not,” said Hanson.

Hanson had forgot about her dream of running the marathonuntil her husband, Dan Hanson, came home from work one day and said, “Let’s run a marathon.” So they formed the “Watertown Striders” along with a family friend. They planned to run 18 miles on their first day of practice, but Hanson was the only one to complete it.

“We didn’t even know what we were doing,” said Hanson, “Dan and I just went out and ran every day before school, since we were both teachers.”

“The Watertown Striders” trained every morning until they were running 100 miles a week. They had only a few marathons under their belts when the first women’s national marathon was being held in Minnesota, and Hanson ran. She took 5th place with an outstanding time of two hours and fifty minutes. This time ranked her as the 13th fastest female marathon runner in the world that year.

Now, Hanson is retired from teaching physical education at the middle school, but her passion for running is just as alive as ever. She still runs and bikes every day, and keeps an active lifestyle and continues coaching cross country as she has for the past 25 years.

“Swimming is more than a sport of the individual. It is the challenge of the character, the strength of spirit, and the hope of the future.” -Unknown

“My mom called me a fish,” said Senior Maya Bolduan. “Swimming in pools and lakes was my favorite. I even wished I was a mermaid.”

Senior Megan Sandberg has been swimming since first grade. She started Wave and joined Buffalo Start Line Team in seventh grade. Sandberg has been swimming with many of the other senior girls since third grade including Kristen Olson, Annika Bordak, Taylor Schweisthal, Sam Marketon, and Becca Skelly.

“It’s great knowing all of them so long! We grew up together and know what each other are capable of. We know each other’s times and cheer when we do better,” said Olson.

The seniors have spent many times together, through good and bad. In all of their practices and meets they all are working toward one goal: win conference.

“We’ve been wanting this ever since 2005 when we won the last time. The energy was just electric when it happened and everyone was just screaming. It was so

A student is being prosecuted by a lawyer and leaves from the stand with a cold sweat, but isn’t in any trouble. Why? Because he’s in Mock Trial. The Mock Trial season started practice on Monday, October 31, and the Knowledge Bowl season starting later, on November 21, with an informational meeting.

“I joined Knowledge Bowl because it’s fun,” said Freshman and Knowledge Bowl member Ryan Bowers, “It also shows off how intelligent you are.”

Bowers was in middle school Knowledge Bowl for the past three years. His first highschool meet is in January.

“I’m excited to be able to skip school for Knowledge Bowl,” said Sophomore and Knowledge Bowl member Daniel Minor, “It also looks good on a college application.”

Members excitment wasn’t limited to achedemic acknowledgement, though. Sucess is on the line but can’t be taken for granted.

“I’m excited about winning,” Bowers said, “but even if we have good team players it doesn’t mean anything for sure.”

Imagine waking up every morning, but having it remain dark after opening for eyes. For Sophomore Michelle Lee, blindness isn’t a “what-if” question, it’s her reality. Lee’s life changed forever from the day she was born. Diagnosed with glaucoma, her vision has slowly been fading away. Because glaucoma increases the pressure in the eyes, it causes damage to the optic nerve, making it impossible to carry visual information to the brain.

Lee is completely blind in her left eye due to a surgery performed by an inexperienced doctor, but a messy blur remains in two-thirds of her right eye. The other third is a series of bright lights.

“I can see bolder colors like red and black. It depends on the background. Yellow and white are really hard to see when they’re together.” said Lee.

Signs of blindness began to appear in Lee’s right eye between sixth and seventh grade. “I was made fun of mostly in middle school,” said Lee, “I had to wear really thick glasses. And then when I got here, people grew up. I’m getting used to it.”

Getting “used to” blindness is no easy task. Since seventh grade, Lee has gone through several major adjustments. She no longer takes her tests by herself. Lee’s para professional, Mrs. Simonson, states a test question, and Lee replies with her answer.

Shopping remains fun, but the method of picking out clothes has changed. Lee feels the texture of a shirt, and if she can’t determine the color, she’ll ask someone. Lee will picture it in her mind. If she likes what she sees, she’ll buy it.

It’s a bit impossible to join school sports, but Lee participates in activities like Mock Trial, Cultures United, and Impact Leaders. She continues to play the piano and is teaching herself to play guitar.

“I’m equal to everyone,” said Lee, “The only thing I don’t have like other people is perfect vision. I still get good grades, love music, and have a Facebook. My computer talks to me and has a super, big, big magnifier.”

Lee is achievement personified. One of her goals is to eventually get a guide dog. To do this, she has to be efficient in braille and an expert cane traveler.

“I don’t really like to use my cane,” said Lee. “When I first got it, I named it Rusty since I wasn’t very good at it. Now I can find every room in this school okay.”

Lee also has to be really comfortable with her senses. “Just the other day,” said Lee, “I could hear a marker writing on the wall in another room. Hearing isn’t much of a problem for me. My sense of smell is pretty good, too.”

Despite all of her accomplishments, Lee’s biggest frustration is when people label her as “different.”

“Sometimes I don’t get accepted the way I am. Don’t be afraid to talk to me. Just say your name if I don’t recognize your voice. I won’t get offended by anything you do or say,” said Lee.

Blindness changes everything and nothing in a life. And although conquering glaucoma one step a time requires an endless amount of bravery and patience, Lee continues to pave her way through life with blinding success.