The Hoofprint - Issue 1 - Fall 2024

As the warm weather lingers for a few more weeks, many BHS students will try their best to soak up the last of...

For the 40th anniversary, the Minnesota State Bar Association, or MSBA, has done something different...

Welcome to the first print edition of the 24-25 school year! Thanks to our dedicated and excited staff of writers, photographers, and editors, we are able to create the amount of quality content that we have. Every BASE meeting is filled with our staff readily awaitng their next assignment. We love brainstorming new ideas for content and we are always cut off by the bell that ends our 25 minutes together for the week. This has already been a succesful year for The Hoofprint and we’re looking forward to sharing this and our next two print editions with you! Enjoy!

Editors-in-Chief Ava Peterson and Ella Kragerud

Photography and Visual Media Editors Ellie Lange and Hailey Hathaway-Oxley

Photography and Visual Media Staff Miliya Chenvert, Gavin Dupont, April Galle, Ven Estrada, Gavin Collins, Jacob Macheel, Nicole Wittke, Doint Herman, Haily Drewes

Staff Writers Kilayna Thompson, Charliese Sorsoleil, Madeline Krinke, Addilyn Gerads, Ben Diethelm, Madison Tabbut, Kumail Akram, Evelyn Winger, Kelcie Bode, Henry Umhoefer, Rosary Gilbertson, Bridgette Sturgeon, Emily Larson, Sophia Chapman, Charlotte Lambert, Laurinda Adabla, and Greta Winger

Copy Editor Daniel Jungwirth

News Editors Dalinda Gravely and Sydney Hoffman

Culture Editors Jayde Hallman and Karsyn Zumbusch

Activities Editors Kate Miriovsky and Rylee Tetrault

Opinions/Voices Editor Basil Lefebvre

Spotlight Editors Emmerson Breyer and Ella Goodsen

Sports Editors Adler Neu and Rose Lamberts

Social Media Editors Audyn Molesky and Gavin Anfinson

Social Media Staff Miliya Chenvert and Elly Kohls

Games Editors Ven Estrada and Rainer McCallum

The top four canidates are elected to their spot on the BHM School Board. The winners on November 5 were Adam Bjorklund Amanda Lawrence, Mike Honsey, and Angela Greig.

Fatality awaited Buffalo Community Theater from October 25-November 3 during their production of Agatha Christie’s Murder On The Nile. Filled with tension, suspense, and shock a conspiracy of “Who did it?” passes through the audience.

The cast of the show brought together in late August, finally showed their talents over the length of two weekends. Just in time for spooky season, a murder mystery was the perfect play to put on for the town of Buffalo along with its neighboring communities. Where the characters conspire against one another, the actors and crew were anything but that. Filled with a great community to get this show together.

“It was a very collaborative environment that welcomed a lot of growth within the community,” Lizzy Plaisted, one of the tech/crew members said

Harboring a good place for all to partake in, those involved created a dynamic allowing for a wonderful show.

Bringing community together is important, and the BCT found a way to bring in those from all areas to put on a show for them. By interest of a murder mystery they presented welcoming, seriousness, and fun all in one for a few nights and matinees. Their next show will be put on by littles for a production of The Newsies Jr.

October’s School Board meeting addressed a number of topics, but the public comment section of the meeting was largley concerned with life at Parkside Elementary.

Community members, including parents, former staff members, and a substitite teacher addressed the board during the public comment portion of the meeting. They shared that increasing teacher turnover and staff leaving the district have resulted in crammed classrooms, exhausted workers, a lack of substitutes, and harsher learning environments for students. They suggested that a large contributor to these issues could be emerging behavioral concerns being reported throughout the elementary student body.

The speakers said that these issues have affected students, teachers, and parents alike. The community members shared that students are increasingly acting out in more severe ways, leading to an array of problems. The former staff member explained how students are not getting the education they need because of other students’ misbehavior. The expectation of these elementary teachers is to carry on with their classes the best they can if one child is outwardly distracting the class with their actions.

In efforts to have an inclusive environment and to comply with state regulations, teachers are discouraged from from removing misbehaving students from the classroom. They may be allowed to evacuate the rest of the classroom if necessary, but the must limit exclusion of individual students. The public comments asserted that, instead of creating an inclusive environment, these obstacles have only created more distractions to the learning process.

The speakers suggested that teachers can’t discipline students to the extent that they believe they should be allowed to, and therefore they do not feel supported in their decisions and opinions on how to keep their students safe, and learn effectively. They petitioned the school board to increase efforts to support staff in meaningful ways.

The school board did not comment on this issue because board members do not respond to public comments as a matter of policy. The speakers hope that this will become a topic that drives further conversation.

Later in the meeting, the board shared the district’s projections for student enrollment at all levels for the next several years. The October enrollment numbers this school year have dropped drastically since this time last year. The BHM schools enrollment number is concerning for the district’s financial picture, as the numbers were projected to be higher. It did not come as a surprise to the board when they heard the report because they anticipated a continued decline in enrollment over the next several years. The drop in number of students could result in budget and staffing reductions at buildings throughout the district.

Bison Boys Soccer finished their historic season with an emotionally tolling loss to the Bemidji Lumberjacks in the Section 8AA Finals. Seeded first in their section the Bison dominated lower-ranked opponents.

The exceptional season went beyond what was happening on the field. According to Captain Elliot Elton ‘25 comparing it to last year, there was a dramatic shift in team culture, causing an improvement in on-field performance.

“We are all friends outside of soccer which helped propel us to success. We don’t take constructive criticism personally which made it easier for us to grow,” Elton said.

Despite the many successes of the season, the boys also faced their usual Lake Conference challenges, along with injuries, which forced the team to adapt.

“This year we thought we would be able to hang with top teams like Edina and Wayzata, but it didn’t go well,” Cayce Peterson ‘26 said. “I feel like we could have done better against some of those big schools, especially Edina, if we hadn’t had so many injuries.”

For Peterson, the injury aspect is personal. Peterson tore multiple ligaments in his knee, including his ACL and meniscus, along with fracturing his tibia, which resulted in him missing the majority of the season.

“It was hard to sit there on the bench knowing I can’t do anything about how the team is playing, especially if we were losing,” Peterson said.

Though Peterson was stuck on the bench during the intense Section Finals finish, he did not miss out on the emotions felt by team members.

“Losing was sad because it was the last time I’d get to play with the seniors,” Peterson said. “It was frustrating knowing that it was a really sloppy game. If we had been playing our best we could have hung in there and even gone to state.” Peterson said.

The Bison Girls Soccer team ended their historic season last Tuesday night in the section-final game against the STMA Knights.

The game was tied 0-0 for 80 minutes, with goalie Emma Marzean saving 5 shots on goal. The team’s well-thought-out passes made it difficult for STMA to get a hold of the ball.

The game went into overtime. With just 3 minutes remaining on the clock, a goal from Saint Michael ended the game and the season for the Bison.

It was an emotional night for the players and many fans who came to show their support.

The team was just one goal away from the state championship. For seniors like Hannah Braun, it was their last high school soccer game.

“Honestly the last game felt like a disappointment, because it ended on such a stupid note,” Braun said. “[STMA] scored and then the game was over, my entire season was over. It felt so unfinished. My coach always talked about leaving our legacy on Bison Girls Soccer, but it felt like we didn’t even complete that legacy because it ended so quickly. All the work we had put in throughout the season and all the games we had won amounted to nothing because of that final loss.”

Although the season’s ending may have been upsetting, the 2024 season stood out from previous years, leaving players confident about next year.

“The team has come together this year,” offensive player Courtney Kotish ‘27 said. “We have grown as a team on and off the field. This team is the best it’s ever been and I think the same for next year with a bunch of girls still being on the team and a good group coming up. It makes me so excited for next year.”

The Bison ended strong, with an overall score of 11-1-5, putting them in 4th place in the Lake Conference.

The Girls Swim and Dive team doubled in size this year, going from twenty to forty athletes in one season. To achieve these numbers, athletes and coaches worked to advertise the team, with special efforts towards Maple Lake athletes who don’t have a swim and dive program.

“I originally joined diving as a joke to get out of cross country,” Ashley Gaffaney ‘25 said, a diver from Maple Lake. “ I ended up liking the team so much I stayed.”

The team also had many seventh graders join for their first season. There is no longer a middle school team, so the high school team took in the seventh and eighth graders who were left behind. Last year was the High School’s first tme merging with the middle schoolers, so the team has already adjusted to the new additions.

Along with team growth, there has been individual growth and progress in team success. The team has a positive outlook for future seasons as they work to advance their abilities.

Being in the Lake Conference has been hard for the swim team. Not only is it hard to compete in skill, but it is also hard to compete with teams double and triple their size. With these new athletes, they are getting closer in size to in Lake Conference like Minnetonka and Edina each with over eighty participants.

With sections coming up on November 8th and 9th the top four swimmers and divers of each event will go on to represent Buffalo. The team has the potential to send girls to state this year after the section meet. Representing the dive team at sections will be Captain Kate Miriovsky ‘25, Gaffaney, Jaqueline Prybil ‘28 from Maple Lake High School, and Calma Larson ‘30 who is homeschooled. Prybil and Larson are first-year divers who will be competing at sections.

“I’m really nervous, but also excited. [Sections] is a big meet and it’s my first time competing.” said Calma Larson ‘30.

The Bison return Miriovsky from last year’s section meet, but all four of this year’s divers are competing with the goal of advancing to section finals.

“I’m really excited…it’s my last [section meet],” Miriovsky said. “I’m also really nervous, I have to make it count.”

The team placed fourth overall at the 8AA Section Meet in brainard. “We had several lifetime bests and a bunch of time drops. I’m really proud of the girls for how far they’ve all come,” said Captain Ava Peterson.

The team is sending two swimmers to the state meet Nov 14-16: Avery Lowe ‘26 in the 100 Butterfly, and Emily Larson ‘27 in the 100 Breaststroke. To qualify for State, swimmers must place in the top two or meet a State qualifing time. Lowe placed first in the 100 Meter Butterfly with a time of 59.02 and Larson placed fourth with a State qualifing time of 1:07.29.

BHS Esports is back for its second season ever this winter. Last year, the team made it to the State competition in their debut year. They hope to succeed in competitions again this year and create a bigger and more positive presence in Buffalo. So far, the team has been faced with stereotypes and negative opinions about gaming and struggles with finding sufficient funds for competing. The Esports advisor, Business Teacher Dwight Monson, keeps the team enthusiastic against these obstacles. BHS is the third school where Monson has founded an Esports team. He started the team because he felt that BHS didn’t offer many extracuricular activities for students who weren’t interested in arts or athletics. “I think there’s a group of students that don’t have a place to fit in most traditional activities,” Monson said. “I wanted to provide something that fits their interests, where they could be part of a community. I’m pretty good friends with people who run the Minnesota organization, the league that we play through. So, I reached out to them, and I talked with Mr. Guida about how we can advertise this and we found some students that were interested right away to help me get the word out.” Since the activity was only formed last year, there isn’t much funding provided to the Esports team. Monson and the team have had to do fundraising and rely on donated money. “This year, the school helped us pay our registration fee, but we don’t have funding for computers or any of those types of things,” Monson said. “Last year, we asked community members for support and we had a local business that donated money. I think we don’t have funding because it’s so new. There’s a lot of people that don’t know what it is, and there’s a lot of people in the community and certain teachers that have stereotypes about what it is. People have difficulty valuing it because they don’t understand it.”

The MSBA, the organization in charge of Mock Trial and its case each year, typically alternates between a civil case and a criminal case each year. This year was due for a civil case but since it’s the 40th anniversary, they decided to do a second-degree murder case. For the 40th anniversary, the Minnesota State Bar Association, or MSBA, has done something different than usual for this year’s season. They released a sneak peek for this year’s case, in which four colleagues go camping in the boundary waters and one of them is found dead floating in the water. Was it a brutal homicide or a calamoutis accident? The 24-25 case came out 3 days later than the original set date the details were supposed to. “It’s not usual that the case is delayed so long.” Varsity 2 coach Heather Eld said. “Usually by the second or third week in October, we have the current year’s case materials.” This year’s case is the state of Minnesota vs Koren Noble. Noble is accused of murdering one of the other campers in their group, Addison Rogers-Nelson. After one of the other members becomes injured, Nelson and Noble are left alone at the campsite. Nelson inquires about his return on investment in Noble’s company while on a canoeing expedition. One of the witnesses was a fellow camper at the same campsite who heard arguing and Nelson was found dead in the water the next morning. Nelson’s death was concluded to be due to “blunt force craniocerebral injuries.” Members of the Mock Trial team are ecstatic for this year’s season. “It’s a second-degree murder, so it’s a pretty high-stakes case,” said Adler Neu ‘26. “It’s so rare for us to get a case like this, so we’re really excited.” Varsity 1 coach, Jason Swanson, also has a good feeling about this year’s season. “This looks to be a very interesting case, and I think there’s enough information that it’ll be a good and fulfilling season.”

As the Theatre Department prepared for the musical production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, technicians worked behind the scenes, diligently constructing the grandiose set required for this extravagant, and at times overwhelming, musical. Despite their crucial role, their efforts frequently remain in the shadows, overshadowed by the more visible performances of the actors. As the technicians tackle the challenges of preparing the set for The Hunchback of Notre Dame, they face hurdles beyond what’s visible on opening night.

“The biggest challenge is that the actors need to use the set during the day,” Student technical director Jacob Bull ‘25 said. “We can’t be painting and working on it while the actors are fiddling on it.”

Bull said one particular aspect of the set required special attention.

“The railings – we’ve had to redo those about seven times, and different sizes are needed for each railing. They’re good railings, but damn.”

The scale of this year’s show marks a departure from the productions of recent years, in particular Footloose in 22-23, and The Wind in the Willows in 23-24. The Hunchback set is pushing the department’s limits in both creativity and construction.

“Last year, we had five different scenes that we could move in and out that were smaller,” Veteran techie Tuuli Youngquist ‘26 said. “This year, we just have one big thing that is going to be used for everything. It’s not as movable—there’s just one big thing.”

Youngquist also highlighted the challenges in building a single, massive structure.

“[The set] went up a lot faster than last year and the year before simply because it’s only one thing,” Youngquist said. “We’re running out of wood fast since we need a lot of big pieces. Since it’s taller, it’s also more dangerous to build and work on.”

Beyond the demanding work, the tech crew has created a close-knit, supportive community. For Anna Utsch ‘28, who went to St. Francis until high school, joining technical theater helped ease the transition to high school.

“I love [theater tech]. It’s helped me make a lot of friends and made coming to high school way less scary because I know a lot more people now—especially you two,” Utsch said, smiling at Youngquist and Bull. “You’ve just decided to adopt me.”

According to BHS theater technicians, theater tech offers a welcoming space where creativity, teamwork, and friendship flourish—inviting anyone willing to dive headfirst into the world behind the scenes, drilling and painting, to be part of something truly unforgettable.

Congratulations on reaching such a pivotal stage in your life. We know how much work you’ve been putting in, both in and out of school, all in order to tailor yourself into the perfect applicant for our university. Or was it to better yourself as a person and become a more well-rounded individual? Nevermind that.

We’re here to tell you to relax, sit back, and enjoy the ride from this point on. You’ve already done all the hard work. Now, all you have to do is fill out a series of forms exposing every intimate detail of your life, worldviews, and financial situation, and you’ll be on your way! Remember, our application process is holistic, so no single detail about your application will make or break our admission decision. In fact, no details actually matter. It’s more of a vibe we feel from you. We think that’s the most fair way to go about it.

Listen, we know college can be expensive, but we want to create a future where every kid, no matter how financially prepared, can give us their money. For this reason, we’re going to offer you a little more than that other college you’re considering. We also value students who are spontaneous and live life on the edge, which is why 90% of our students have acquired more college debt than the GDP of a small country. Now that’s some outside-the-box thinking!

Don’t forget about scholarships, either. If you take a look online, you’ll find long lists of scholarships, each one even more specific than the last. What’s that? Oh, you’re not a first-generation descendant of 19th-century lighthouse keepers who also has a documented interest in origami? Don’t worry. You can also enter a huge, no-essay, non-merit-based lottery—er, we mean scholarship contest. Tens of thousands of kids enter, and a tiny random selection wins. That could be you.

So, dear applicant, as you embark on your quest towards higher education, remember that we’re not just an institution—we’re a business that’s here to maximize the value of our brand. Every dollar you spend on tuition and fees supports crucial initiatives like adding imported marble floors to our administrative offices. Education is an investment, and we’ll make sure you pay a premium for every single moment. Because that is the college experience.

Sincerely, Every University

It was the night of the breast cancer-awareness football game, and the entire student section was decked out in pink in support of the movement. All except for one—a single blue dot in a sea of pink. That was me, front and center. I was totally out of place. I had arrived early, to empty stands. It was only as the waves of pink-clad students filed in around me that I realized I had made a big mistake. My face grew hot. Suddenly, I was desperate for anything pink. A hoodie. A t-shirt. A feather boa. I even considered buying the overpriced eyeliner stickers one woman was hawking. You might be wondering, “how did this disaster come to be?”

As I began my senior year, like many others, I wanted to be more involved. Go to games, dress in-theme, and participate in other traditions for the senior class. There was one problem: I don’t have Instagram. Perhaps my whole blue ordeal could have been avoided with the app, but I feel its downsides outweigh its few benefits. As it stands, it’s been impossible to find times and dates for events like senior sunrise and themes for sporting events without the help of friends on the app.

Last First Day shirts, a staple of senior tradition, are another example of these Instagram-exclusive announcements.

“We weren’t able to order shirts until the last minute, and then we had to go to the shop to buy the shirts because we had no one telling us what was going on,” Sufi De Young, ‘25 said. “I’m still very bitter about that.”

Even for those who have the app, it can be frustrating. Many student-run or school accounts are disorganized.

“I can never find accounts because the names are weird and don’t have a specific algorithm to them,” Jayde Hallman ‘25 said.

The lack of pattern and connection between accounts makes it difficult to find relevant information.

Downloading an app shouldn’t be a prerequisite to participating in Buffalo High School’s senior traditions, especially if the app has been proven damaging to young people’s mental health. TIME reported, in 2017, “Instagram is the worst social media network for mental health and wellbeing, according to a recent survey of almost 1,500 teens and young adults.”

The survey TIME references explores social media’s effects on wellbeing, including anxiety, sleep, depression, body image, and loneliness. It later notes that “social media has been described as more addictive than cigarettes and alcohol, and is now so entrenched in the lives of young people that it is no longer possible to ignore it.”

Why, then, if we’ve long since recognized its faults, do we continue to rely on Instagram for school-related news? It’s not the only way to make announcements, and it shouldn’t be. Something as simple as putting a few posters up around the school or getting on the monitors or the morning announcements would get the job done. Instagram can be a useful tool, but it shouldn’t be the only way that we as a student body stay informed.

Each year, BHS welcomes students from other cities, states, and even countries. While moving to a school so far from home can be scary, many new students from urban areas and with families from as far away as Cameroon and Liberia have adapted to Buffalo, some over the years and others over only a few weeks. While they have found staff members and classrooms to be welcoming, hostile comments and lack of diversity have made for difficult moments.

Faith Dahn ‘26 moved to Hanover after living in Alaska for four years; born in Coon Rapids, Dahn is used to the cities where she spent her childhood. Dahn’s family is originally from Liberia, and throughout her lifetime she’s lived in many states, as a result of her dad being in the military. Returning to Minnesota from Alaska, she was startled by the demographic differences between the Twin Cities and Buffalo.

“I’m very surprised that there’s not a lot of Liberians here,” Dahn said. “Minnesota is like Liberian-topia and I’ve only met two [in Buffalo].”

According to a 2020 story by Minnesota Public Radio, the Twin Cities is home to the largest Liberian population in the US. The relative absence of this community in Buffalo brought Dahn to connect with two Liberian-Americans at BHS; cousins Treasure Lee ‘28 and Haven Jackson ‘28, who have similar stories and a shared heritage.

Hailing all the way from New York City, Lee has found it difficult to adjust to the rural side of Minnesota.

“I moved here from New York because it was too expensive,” Lee explains. “Moving so far away is not easy. In New York, I had all my friends and school was actually fun. It’s so quiet here and it’s just boring to me.”

Lee isn’t alone in this transition. Jackson, her cousin who is from the Philadelphia, says she is used to Minnesota, as she’s already spent a few years in the snowy state. Jackson has lived in many Minnesota cities since her initial move. Before coming to Buffalo, Jackson lived in St. Paul.

As Jackson has spent quite some time in Minnesota already, the cousins assume they have the process of navigating this new school on lock. Jackson has been to multiple schools in Minnesota already, so it’s nothing entirely new. At least, that’s what she thought before the both of them entered Buffalo High School for the first time, experiencing a huge culture shock–- different from any other school she’d been to.

“Everything is unfamiliar to me. I don’t know what the culture here is or what it’s like,” Jackson said. “The last school I went to was a Hmong school. The food was different and it was a lot more diverse than here, too. I’m glad I’ve made some friends here who are in the same position as me.”

Dahn, Jackson, and Lee are all of Liberian descent. From their time spent in larger cities, they are accustomed to being in melting pots of different cultures and ethnic groups. BHS has a minority enrollment of just 12%, the remaining 88% being white. Minority students oftentimes find themselves in racist predicaments when in predominantly white environments.

“There was one time me and my cousin were on the bus, and we were walking to the back seat,” Lee said. “Some boy came and said, ‘Yeah get to the back’.

“Like, oh, okay!” Lee said sarcastically. “Just disrespect me like that, okay!”

While they’ve noticed that classrooms at BHS have been rather tolerable, spaces like the lunchroom, or school buses have held students who are bold enough to make crude and unnecessary jokes or comments.

“Yeah, [students] just be saying crazy stuff on the bus,” Jackson said. “One time, I overheard this conversation and this one boy was saying how he didn’t like dark girls.”

The two girls have noted that many students will use places where adult supervision is less prioritized, like the bus or the lunchroom, to crack hateful jokes and comments. Dahn, Lee, and Jackson are aware of what comes with being Black in a predominately white school but look to a brighter future for BHS.

“We know there are a lot of rude comments that are brushed off as jokes, so I just hope the school will at least make an effort to embrace us and make us feel more comfortable and seen in a way,” Lee said.

“Personally I haven’t had any bad or racist things happen to me at Buffalo, only at my old school, which was in Alaska,” Dahn said. “I only hear about the experiences that other people have been through.”

Whether these experiences happened first-hand or were just witnessed, many BHS students have stories to share about ill-mannered people and experiences.

As the warm weather lingers for a few more weeks, many BHS students try their best to soak up the last of the heat before the long, cold winter that lies ahead. However, this can be difficult as students are at school most of the day, only getting outside if they have a class such as physical education. This leaves some students to wonder why we don’t take advantage of the outdoor spaces BHS has to offer. One of the most obvious spaces in the building is the courtyard, which is rarely used in their classes. Arilynn Olson ‘27 is among many students who wish they could use the courtyard more. “I’ve haven’t used the courtyard even once while I’ve been here,” Olson said. “I wish there were more opportunities to go outside, especially with how nice it has been this fall. I feel like it is barely used and it’s just like a cute little courtyard just collecting dust.” With such a nice space in the middle of the school that doesn’t seem to be utilized, students start to wonder what the purpose of the courtyard even is and why classes don’t go there. Principal Mark Mischke explained that the courtyard was originally built for a few main purposes. “One of the things that the courtyard was built for originally was to create natural light for people to see every day when they’re walking down the hallways to and from the cafeteria,” Mischke said. “Another reason it was built was for classes to use and for kids to use it. There’s two art rooms over there and they both have doors right into the courtyard, so I think one of the intentions was for those classrooms to be able to use it as a workspace.” Although it may seem like the courtyard is an off-limits space, Mischke explained that he is also not sure why the courtyard isn’t used more. “I don’t know how many teachers really understand they can use it,” Mischke said. “I just don’t know if they feel the courtyard is off limits or what, but I’ve never told them they couldn’t use it.” Besides for just being used for classes, some students wish that the courtyard could also be used for other things. “I think maybe it would be nice to have an outdoor BASE time there,” Olson said. Madeline Jackson ‘26 has similar thoughts. “It would be really nice to get outside. In class you are always cooped up and it just gets to be a lot of hours inside every day,” Jackson said. “I think classes could go outside for a short break every once in a while, or go there if they’re doing work that could be done outside like reading, or go out for even like lunch.” While lunch in the courtyard is probably not a realistic option, the administration is open to utilizing it more in the future and helping students get outside. “We try to keep trash in the cafeteria,” Mischke said. “So that’s part of the reason we don’t have kids eat in the courtyard. We don’t have garbage cans in there that we’d be moving in and out with the custodians, but we’ve been open to having kids go outside, and get some fresh air after they’re done eating.” Despite many students wishing for more time outdoors to clear their minds during the school year, it has not been a common request. “On the north end of the building, we’ve let kids go out to the benches in the past, and we’ve just had somebody go out to observe or supervise,” Mischke said. “It’s interesting because, since Covid, it feels like that hasn’t been a commonly asked request.” Although the courtyard has recently been scarcely used, administration is open to looking for ways to utilize the space if students are interested in using it more. “I like the courtyard a lot and I’m definitely open to suggestions of how we could use it more,” Mischke said.

Liam Payne, a former member of One Direction, died at the age of 31 after a fall from a third-floor balcony at a hotel in Buenos Aires. His shocking death struck a chord with many individuals, adults and teens alike, around the world. Payne’s passing led to an outpouring of heavy grief but has also sparked controversy online as details have come to light about who Payne was as an individual. Just weeks before his death, Payne received criticism from fans online for displaying inappropriate behavior at Niall Horan’s Bueno Aires show in October. On October 14, Payne’s ex-fiancee made allegations on a podcast about her relationship with Payne, calling it ‘toxic’. Regardless of these allegations and the controversy surrounding Payne’s personal life, his impact on music and his positive influence over a generation of fans remain undeniable. From chart-topping hits with One Direction to his solo career, Payne’s work shaped the soundtrack of many students’ lives, creating memories that will allow him to always live on.

A sports-obsessed high school student, struck by a sudden stroke of inspiration, decides one day to take a step away from the student section at a game, pick up a camera, and begin documenting the moments through photos. However, these photos don’t end up finding their way to a newspaper or the yearbook; this amateur photographer decides to begin an Instagram account to share their dreams.

Buffalo High School is no stranger to student sports photography, but the field has grown greatly, pioneered by Charlie Jerde ‘23 and others in years prior. Now, two major figures are making a name for themselves: Ben Krinke ‘25 (krinke_visuals) and Brody Jonasson ‘25 (brojo_media). Both have different reasons for picking up a camera, and a different eye for the perfect moments, but each has been striving in their own way to carve a path for sports photography both at BHS, and beyond.

For most of his life, Jonasson played baseball, but just before freshman year, he fell out of love with the sport. His connection with his teammates still meant a lot to him, so Jonasson found himself looking for other opportunities to stay involved with the activity. “My way of getting back to hanging out with the team was to pick up an old camera that [my mom] had laying around,” Jonasson said. “I got [to a game], took some pictures, and I realized, ‘This is really fun.’ The players loved it. Everyone loved the results of it, and then I thought, ‘Maybe I just want to keep doing this.’ Ever since then, I kind of just stuck with it.”

To continue taking photos and get some experience under his belt, Jonasson started photographing any events he could.

“I’ve done just about anything you can ask me. I’ve done senior pictures, family pictures, football games, ice hockey,” Jonasson said. “You name any sport, and I’ve just about done it. I’m all over the board.”

Creativity has been a major motivation to Jonasson as he has built his brand. Photography gives him a great outlet to express himself.

“I’ve always been a creative person compared to my two siblings, or even my parents. I’m not good at expressing myself by drawing or writing, but once I picked up a camera, I felt like I could get as creative as I want,” Jonasson said. “I feel like when you’re trying to paint something super creative you can come out with something that only you think is cool, but when you’re taking pictures, I feel like you can do this cool angle, this cool camera trick, and other people are blown away with it too, just because it’s something they’ve never seen. Photography gives me a way to express how I’m feeling, too. You can show all sorts of emotions through pictures.”

For Ben Krinke, his passion for photography started in a class. As a writer for the Tatanka Yearbook, Krinke was sent to take photos of multiple events, one being basketball. Even after the photo deadline for basketball had passed, Krinke continued to take photos of the sport. He began to use these photos for personal use.

Courtney Kotish ‘27 is ranked number one in every female max-out leaderboard at BHS. She’s been lifting at BHS for the past three years, and in that time, the work she has put in to become the best athlete possible has shocked both coaches and peers alike.

Austin Youngmark, health teacher and lifting coach at BHS, noticed Kotish’s drive early on in her career.

“My first impression of Courtney when she first started lifting was that she was very young,” Youngmark said. “She came in right away in ninth grade and started working right away. She worked extremely hard and just never stopped.”

As only a sophomore, Kotish managed to earn her spot at the top of the weight room leaderboards. Her records stand higher than any other girl in all of BHS.

“I never really knew that there were leaderboards until my freshman year. When I found out there were leaderboards, I didn’t think anything of it. I never really thought that I was going to even be on them,” Kotish said. “When the leaderboards were printed and put up on the wall and I saw them I was so shocked that I was even on any of them.”

After doing gymnastics for years, Kotish decided it was time for a change. This winter, Courtney will be the only girl on the Buffalo Girls Wrestling Team. She started her wrestling journey last winter at STMA High School through a program called GRYND Wrestling.

“This summer I got to travel with the wrestling team to Wisconsin Dells and stay there for a week. It was a really helpful and fun experience that shaped me as a wrestler,” Kotish said. “It was my first time being with the boys and they were so welcoming and nice. The camp taught me a lot of helpful things to be successful in the sport. When I go to GRYND Wrestling I get to bond and hang out with other girls that are in the sport from other schools in MN.”

Kotish has been training for her upcoming season in the weight room and through many wrestling camps with the Buffalo Wrestling team. Through her hard work and continued commitment to self-improvement, Kotish has shown her strength, perseverance, and work ethic time and time again both within and outside of the weight room.