The Hoofprint – February 14, 2013

Everything in The Hoofprint begins with a thought, conversation, or quote. “What’s your favorite Valentine’s Day memory?” “The Notebook’s acting is terrible and the story is shallow.” “SSR wasn’t happening. It turned into ‘tweet time’.” The ideas come from writers, photographers, editors, designers, and you. Once one person speaks up, the rest of the staff weighs in. Staffers team up and put tremendous energy into these projects. Writers scour the lunch room looking for interviews. Photographers attend each game, meet, and competition. Page editors and designers browse magazines and the Internet for inspiration. Editors try to manage the chaos and motivate others. The Hoofprint is not made for a grade; we aren’t a class. We do it from the Love of the sports, activities, students, and teachers here. We do it because we Love photography, writing, and editing. Most importantly, we do it because we care about the school and want to uncover and highlight the stories here at BHS.

Since we knew issue five would be distributed on Valentine’s Day, we decided to entitle it “Love”. Love takes many forms. It can be the bond one class makes with their teacher or the relationship between the AAA improv leaders. It can even be the story of a beloved teacher who shows no signs of slowing down, even after 50 years of teaching.

We welcome you to explore new definitions of Love throughout this issue. After all, the only reason you are currently reading this magazine is because of the love each staffer has for making The Hoofprint.

Teachers are working on constructing a new program for seniors next year that would change the way seniors look at school.

“It is a unique year-long, inter-disciplinary course,” said English Teacher Vicki Cary.

Senior Academy is an opportunity for seniors to gain three high school credits simultaneously. To make this course work efficiently, three teachers are involved. Cary, along with Social Studies Teacher Brigitta Bergquist and Business Teacher Rebecca Karna are the teachers involved in Senior Academy.

The classes that are being taught in this course are CIS Writing/ College Prep Writing, College and Career Prep and Communications Technology, and Economics and Cultural Studies. Students will have to meet certain requirements in order to get into Senior Academy.

Students have to be in the top forty percent of their graduating class to be in each of these classes except CIS Writing. Students have to be in the top twenty percent of their graduating class. Students who meet the requirement for CIS Writing will receive four college credits through the University of Minnesota.

The units covered in Senior Academy are Educational and Career Exploration, Cultural Perspectives, Data Interpretation and Analysis, Evaluation and Reflection, and Service Learning.

Students will be required to participate in a Service Learning course, in which students will be doing internships and volunteer work. At the end of the year, students will be doing a capstone that demonstrates what they have learned through the year and their capstones will be presented to the public.

To make the course work for schedules, Senior Academy will be offered first and second block during first and second quarter, first block during third quarter, and fourth block during fourth quarter.

The goal of this course is to allow students to connect their education to their lives and the communities in which they live in.

Recently, students and staff members at BHS had the opportunity to partake in this year’s RAVE week. RAVE week, ‘RAVE’ standing for Respect and Value Everyone, has been an event at BHS for two years now and it seems to become more influential in the school environment each year, but according to Student Council Advisor Evan Ronken it isn’t to where his students want it to be.

“I don’t think it affects the school environment enough yet. My hope is that it will be mainly a positive thing.”

It may seem obvious that the week would have a positive impact, but Ronken worries it might cause some tension.

“I think that this could be a way to get important discussions out there, but a little bit of tension can be a good thing, especially if it leads to a discussion and I could see that playing into the week even if it wasn’t planned,” said Ronken.

While Ronken leads the Student Council, he says the idea for the week was really the student’s.

“We went to a regional student council conference last fall and part of those conferences is always idea sharing with other schools, and one school had “Everybody Loves Everybody” Week and a couple of students thought it was a really cool idea, so we brought it back and formed a committee,” said Ronken.

Initially, the council liked the idea of calling the week “Everybody Loves Everybody”, but tweaked it to better fit Buffalo High School.

“We talked about how ‘Everybody Loves Everybody’ would probably not go over well at Buffalo since it’s not a tradition like Homecoming,” Ronken said, “so someone on the council came up with RAVE.”

They kept at work and eventually RAVE week was ready to go. The first year was pretty slow compared to this year, but Ronken and the Student Council hope it will become more relevant as the years progress.

“Last year, [the council] was just trying out some cool ideas, but there wasn’t anything that really united the week. This year they came up with the colors and having a focus on each day, I thought that was a good way to tie the week together. I also think they did a better job in getting groups involved.”

According to Ronken, RAVE will continue to be a yearly event as long as the students are behind it.

“The students like the idea that [the week] focuses on being positive and encouraging, and not all students are going to be on board with it, but if enough people are I think the right message will get out.”

“SSR wasn’t happening. It turned into tweet time,” said Junior Emma Rodelius. Buffalo High School implemented SSR (Silent Sustained Reading) in March of 2005 to increase reading ability among students. When the 2012-2013 school year began, administrators noticed that the value of SSR was decreasing. The staff came together to discuss possible alternatives, and decided to introduce a time that offers students more specialized opportunities during the last twenty minutes of the day. They also put together a long list of possible names to replace SSR, and gave the student body a chance to voice their opinion by casting votes online. The winner was Bison Time.

“I was involved in the design of SSR eight-and-a-half years ago, so I’m still a bit defensive about its demise,” said Social Studies Teacher Todd Manninen. “But this time should be about engagement and hopefully passion.”

Manninen offers his past students a discussion-and-debate-based Bison Time as an outlet for them to analyze social issues and news topics. English Teacher Joel Squadroni also offers a discussion- based Bison Time for students to analyze philosophical material in the form of literature, short stories, and YouTube videos.

“We’re going to start out with a series of readings about gun control and hold discussions about gun control,” Squadroni said. “It’s similar to what I’ve been doing for the last few years. Three years ago they [administrators] asked for some teachers to try a few different things, so I went from Silent Sustained Reading to a discussion- based class.”

Many teachers focus their Bison Time on subjects that aren’t offered as classes at BHS. Math Teacher Emily Greeley leads her students through Yoga and Stress Relief during Bison Time.

“I wanted to educate students on positive ways to deal with stress because I don’t believe we do enough of that in our current culture,” Greeley said.

Bison Time offers students a change of pace and a chance to explore their interests in a positive environment.

“I’m just hoping that they have a chance to broaden their ability to discuss ideas,” said Squadroni. “More than anything, it’s an open-ended place for [students] to discuss things that are on their minds that they might not have time to do in classes.”

If you’re reading this expecting me to tear The Notebook to pieces today, here it is. I hated The Notebook. I thought it was abysmal, dull, and an all-around waste of any sane person’s time. The acting was terrible, the story was shallow, and even the cinematography couldn’t pull off anything notable. This film is horrendous. Avoid watching this abomination at all costs.

Alright, now that we’ve got that out of the way, we can get to the review for everyone else. I was genuinely surprised by this film. That’s not to say it was perfect in any way, nor is it implying that the movie blew me out of the water. However, I can say that I enjoyed The Notebook. It was much better than I could’ve ever expected. Which is something I had never expected to say.

Set in the 1940’s and the modern age, the story follows Noah, the charismatic lead played by Ryan Gosling, and Allie, the sheltered young woman portrayed wonderfully by Rachel McAdams. This budding romance is something that quite easily pulls you in, albeit with a large amount of predictability. This predictability is where the movie falters a bit. Many of the important “plot twists” are foreseeable from the first scene of the movie. In fact, I even guessed the final few lines of the movie close to perfectly. That doesn’t speak much to the overall quality of the narrative. Surprisingly, even with the overabundance of cliches, the film has enough merits to keep it from drowning in the onslaught of current romance films.

The first and most notable aspect of the film is the acting. Gosling and McAdams hit it out of the ballpark with this one. The lines are delivered with fervent emotion and the chemistry between the two is entirely believable. While the physical acting side of things can be a little over the top, it’s not too surprising looking at the genre we’re in. The older couple is played by James Garner and Gena Rowlands. While well-acted, these parts are notably less entertaining than the part of the movie set in the past. In fact, the movie would’ve been much improved if they would’ve just cut out the future part entirely.

Cinematography, for the most part, is delightful. There’s never an awkward camera shot or a weird lighting choice. Everything just looks great. As I said earlier, the modern part of the movie is less beautiful than the 1940’s section, but it still looks rather good. Specifically notable shots are the boat scene, and the scene in the rain. While the latter of the two is rather cliche, both scenes were shot in a much more artistic way than the rest of the competition. This is where the movie really shines.

All in all, The Notebook is a fair film. The older couple bogs everything down quite a bit, and the plot can be very predictable, but the other performances and camera work pick up the slack. While there are better romances out there, you could do much worse than choose The Notebook for your Valentine’s Day date. While there are better romances out there, you could choose much worse than The Notebook for your Valentine’s Day date

On the brink of advancing to the State Festival on Saturday, February 2, the One Act Play was disqualified from competition. The cast and crew of the Magically Marvelous, Wonderfully Wacky, Seriously Silly Center Ring Circus earned a Star Performance at Conference, a Sub Section victory, and only had to win the Section competition to advance to State.

The Section performance was their best yet. The audience was very into the play; laughing and clapping. They expected First Place until the official results came in. The cast learned that they were disqualified for soliciting an audience response.

“There’s a rule in the One Act system that says plays cannot ‘solicit audience response’. What it is referring to is that you cannot call out and have them respond,” said Director Tracy Hagstrom Durant.

According to Hagstrom Durant, the way the judges perceived this rule was wrong. The One Act has gone to State four times in five years.

“I was super sad, because I know the rules and it’s my 33rd year. When you have a program that successful, people will sabotage you. People are sick of us winning,” said Hagstrom Durant.

Anyone who has been through sixth grade, probably remembers the quarter-long process of trying all of the instruments. The memories of sixth graders from now on are going to be different. Music Exploratory was cut.

“Music Exploratory was a class for all sixth grade that allowed students to try instruments in the orchestra and band,” said middle school music teacher Mary Soden-Welliver. “They were assessed on how well they were able to play each instrument and which one fit the student the best. Students were also able to explore some singing during the exploratory class. At the end of the quarter, students would choose to sing in choir, play an instrument in band or orchestra, or be in a general music class.”

For the class of 2019, there wasn’t much time to come up with a replacement.

“Last June we sent out some information. The elementary school music teachers had the students take the same test; listening skills test and make some choices and the kids had one night to try out the instruments,” said middle school music teacher Terri Svec.

Students in future classes will also have some new ways to find their instrument.

“For the 2013-14 school year what we’re doing is creating some smaller ensembles which are going on tour to the elementary schools so kids actually get to see the instruments and hear them,” said Svec. “And then we will go back in March and do some playing tests to help them select and then we get them registered in the spring. Hopefully by the end of May we will have all the playing tests done and have all of the fifth graders registered for either band, choir, orchestra, or music discovery.”

Movies: Valentine’s Day The Notebook The Vow Texas Chainsaw Massacre The Lucky One

Candy: Chocolate Conversation Hearts Reese’s Hershey Kisses Swedish Fish

Restaurants: Olive Garden Applebee’s Papa Murphy’s Heart Pizzas McDonald’s Cooking at Home

Flowers: Roses Tulips Lillies Daisies Carnations

To be determined this year. - Senior Britta Oden

Softly crying, alone, watching ‘The Notebook’, armed only with a box of tissues and my favorite Nickelback album. - Freshman Cole Shuherk

I received unexpected flowers from both my parents at school from anonymous names and they didn’t know they both sent them to me. - Senior Taylor Eakins

“I see no reason to retire,” said Math Teacher Carlton Urdahl, “But I guess I’ll have to quit some time.”

Although he’s been teaching since 1963, Urdahl has only began to consider retirement this past Fall. Retirement would mean more free time for him, but he believes that the three months of Summer he has now are enough. For the past three years, he has spent those summers in Guatemala.

“I’ve traveled a lot, and I like doing what I want to do. During the summer I get to do what I want to do and still teach at the same time,” Urdahl said.

Another reason Urdahl hasn’t stopped teaching yet is because of the students he’s had over the past 50 years.

“I have had some outstanding students that I’ve been able to connect with personally,” Urdahl said. “One thing the students have taught me is patience. I feel like I need to teach and teach the lesson until it’s completely learned.”

Urdahl’s passion for education began in elementary school, when he decided he wanted to be a teacher. Students and staff have asked him about retirement for the past decade, but he enjoys teaching too much to stop.

“I suppose I could retire any time I want to,” Urdahl said, “but I just really like teaching so I keep doing it.”

As you look around the school, you may see couples holding hands, kissing and laughing; publicly showing their affection for each other. But, is that affection true?

High schoolers are still young, and there is still a lot about life they have yet to discover, whether they are a freshman or a senior. That includes finding the right person, and not rushing into it.

Many students will look around at couples and think “I wish I was in a relationship.” However, some are too desperate to be in a relationship, and they take whoever they can get, and don’t question whether or not they love the other.

“Romance in high school seems more about finding yourself and figuring out what you want, rather than finding that one person that means the world to you,” said Sophomore Samantha Beckman. “When the relationship is over, there is always that new obsession you are into, and the process starts all over again.”

Oftentimes, a high school relationship is based off of false love, which is when someone truly thinks that they are in love with someone, but in reality, it might just be that they are afraid of being single. This is often the reason that if a couple breaks up, they’re sad, but move on or get back together quickly.

“High school romance helps with future romances, but it’s pointless because you should be mainly focused on high school and school work” said Sophomore Kristin Jurgens.

“Definitely the boats,” Junior Eli Larson said. “That was the highlight of my freshman year.”

Within a single block, hundreds of paper boats were named for book characters, inside jokes, or whatever current event was discussed in English Teacher Laura Hauer’s classroom. Failed math tests, post-it notes, and old science worksheets became the S.S. Bombtastic, S.S. Scout, and the S.S. Taliban. Unknown to Hauer, her students hid boats in crates and tissue boxes that were then placed in lockers and ceiling tiles.

“It really all started when [Junior] Cameron [Sonju] taught me how to fold,” Junior Evan Gangl began. “Afterwards, I taught [Junior] Bill [Otten], then [Junior] Jade [Thornton] began naming them, and eventually everyone was taught. I just thought we should do this during class and make millions of these things and give them to her at the end of the year.”

The class collaborated to make dozens of boats out of old assignments.

“She knew that we were making them, but I don’t think she knew that we were making that many,” Otten said. “I probably made 30 every day, on average. I could have made more, but I couldn’t do it all the time or she might have made us stop.”

A pointless mission to most, this was the project of the year.

“We really didn’t have a purpose for the longest time. We just wanted to make boats. It was a good class. It wasn’t out of boredom; we just wanted to see how many we could make.” said Gangl.

Otten said, “I did it because it was fun.”

The boats remained in the ceiling and locker until the last week of class when they were presented to Hauer, who was amazed, but not surprised.

“Nothing beats the look on Hauer’s face when she found out we had over 500 paper boats for her,” Otten said.

“I was amused,” Hauer said. “Throughout the year, I saw them making the boats during class, but I never would have guessed that they had kept all of them. I knew that if they had thought that this was special enough to keep and give to me, I would someday return the favor.”

The next year, she did. One day, the sophomores walked into David Robinson’s English class and found the boats scattered around the room.

They laughed as they went through them, remembering every name. Upon seeing that, Robinson began to understand the connections the class had made with their former teacher and each other.

“There’s that sort of human connection they make with everybody that comes into their bubble,” Robinson said. “It’s like they absorb them right in and are very accepting. There is a real earnestness in the relationships they make with people. They make a big effort to stay connected.”

After the final bell, a group of students meet in the sophomore wing, talking, laughing, and debating. They split into six groups and answer 30 questions together, knocking heads until finally they come up with a consensus. They bring out the green tap strips, and then the real fire starts. Each team has to go against each other, and against the clock. This unusually bright family is Knowledge Bowl.

Practice is every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday after school. Question after question prepares everyone for game day. Questions range from geography to riddles. Each member has their own important role. Without all four members in a group working together, nothing could be accomplished. On the day of the meet, the team manages to push out the right answers, despite the nerves rushing through their veins.

Meets involve fast, on-the-spot thinking against a large number of different teams. “Meet days are really intense; everything is moving fast and slow at the same time, and you never know where you could blow everything,” Sophomore Johanna Butler said.

It’s 9 a.m., and everyone’s getting into the written part of the contest, careful not to waste any points. Next comes the judging of that round, followed by four oral rounds. Judging goes by rooms. The best go to Room One and the worst to Room 20.

Each member has the chance to speak their mind, making sure they say the right thing. Say the answer too loud, and it’s fair game to another group. Don’t speak out, and you could risk it for the entire team.

When all they are given is a blank answer sheet and three teammates, members have to produce answers quickly. There is no room for mistakes. At the end of the day, members wait anxiously to see who will bring home the trophy. Even if they get crowned “the best,” everyone is considered a winner. Not only do they get a great experience, but they also get a chance to show off their strengths and create lasting relationships and memories to last forever.

Love of art, expression, and comical entertainment. This is the common bond between Improv Leaders Senior Devon Bainey, Sophomore Joshua Campa, and Senior Justin Huhn. Draped behind the thick velvet curtains of English Teacher Melissa Bertsch’s classroom is where their personalities ignite and their friendships fuse.

“There is never a dull moment. Watching our classmates collaborate on stage is what we live for,” said Huhn. “The mix of the participants dictate whether the performance is funny for the audience, but for Devon, Josh, and me, it’s always funny- we make it funny!”

During Improv, the leaders first present a game, then they monitor the performance from the crowd and make suggestions. Even when the performance isn’t funny and the room gets awkward, the leaders make ‘That’s What She Said’ jokes and laugh along from the sideline to keep flow.

“We all have similar senses of humor, but they are a little different,” said Campa. “Devon likes dry humor, Justin likes stupid humor, and I laugh at things most people wouldn’t. In the hallways and in class we love to give each other grief but we all know that no one is serious. If you didn’t know us, you’d probably call the Bullying Hotline.”

Improv isn’t the only common love between the three buds. Huhn and Bainey play lacrosse and hang out around four times per week. They also all participate in the Comedy Sports League after school with Bertsch. Not only that, but Campa and Bainey are in Visual Tech together and are partners making a fun music video together. But perhaps the strongest bond of them all is their love for their teacher and advisor, Ms. Bertsch.

“We all love her. She is the coolest teacher ever. We’re the leaders, but she’s the reason the show happens, and I guess you could say she’s why we’re all friends,” said Bainey. “She let’s us get away with some pretty funny stuff. She draws a line, but it’s more lenient than most teachers. It can get pretty weird in there.”

With two games left in the year, boy’s hockey already has three more wins than last season. After losing to the Monticello Magic on February 2, they have five wins and two losses in conference and are currently in first. The last time that they won conference was in 2009. Since then Buffalo has yet to put out a winning season.

“We have a younger team that isn’t as experienced but more disciplined,” said Senior Joe Hayes. “I feel that if we win conference we will play better in sections because we will have more confidence.”

This season compared to last shows a big difference in how Buffalo, as a team, has improved.

“We have played better because we have a lot of chemistry on the ice,” said Junior Justin Laven. “The players and coaches have really stepped up their game.”

The Bison have one more game against Cambridge-Isanti. A win against them would clinch a conference title.

When Seniors Nick Engfer, Connon Mann, and I decided to put on toga’s. Mann accidently spilled his chocolate pudding all over the front of his robe. He looked like Jesus.

Katherine Rooney Rensselaer Polytechnic Institution

Lindsay Rothke University of Connecticut

Emily Spier North Dakota State University

Kylee Zumach University of Wisconsin-Madison

Girls Basketball Player Jerika Decker is one of the two seniors playing varsity basketball this year.

Girls Hockey Player Emily Varner has shot 10 completed goals so far this season.

Boys Swimmer Gunner Schwanke used to hate swimming but just stuck with it and is a top swimmer.

Boys Hockey player Cale Ehresmann doesn't let his stick touch the ground until it's game time.

Boys Basketball player Peter Cassady plays NBA Street Volume Two before every game.

Gymnastics Michaela Perz tore her ACL for the second time in her High School career.

Freshly baked brownies Sophomore Shelby Klingelhoets

Sweet pea perfume Freshman Rachel Bertram

Freshly cut grass Sophomore Dan Werner

Lasagna Junior Joey Parker

Wild citrus sunflower perfume Junior Michaela Perz

The Ocean Freshman Abby Munstertieger

Vanilla Junior Breanna Heuton

Cranberry mandarin candles Freshman Max Jude

Question asked by Jay Mason

Is love beyond the exterior? Yes... and no. Love at its base is beyond the exterior. It is easy to love something that looks good. Even though someone may look bad does not mean that they are incapable of being loved. We all know the phrase don’t judge a book by its cover. You may be more intrigued to read a book with a well thought out and interesting looking cover but less likely to continue if its content is not good. If love was based on how well someone looks we would not have couples that are in their 60’s and 70’s.

Love is not always permanent. The University of St. Augustine estimates that in the USA, 40% to 50% of all first marriages end in divorce. You may wonder if love is even worth the time to look for. Yes, love has many boosts for you mentally, but also physically. It can help boost your immune system and actually improve physical appearance.

On the other hand, love may start due to a visual appearance and grow into more. It is in your genes to reproduce with someone who looks like they will bring you strong offspring that will be more likely to survive. So not everyone you would deem as superficial has something personal against ugly people. The strongest, smartest animals will be most likely to survive, making the fittest and the smartest deemed most attractive. Studies show that both men and women will, on average, rate someone with higher income more attractive than those with lower income. With fashion becoming a bigger part of our society everyday, most people gauge the fiscal situation of those around them by how well dressed they are.

This brings us back to the initial question: does love go beyond the exterior? In my opinion, yes. Love most definitely goes beyond looks. Initial love and lust come from appearance. Once you understand someone, you are much more likely to make an educated decision on whether or not they are right for you.

“I often stress myself out juggling my priorities,” said Junior Tiah Marr. “Setting five minutes aside to steady and focus my breathing helps keep me sane.”

Meditation is an age-old tradition in which one focuses on the sensation of breathing and becomes hyper-aware of their surroundings, heightening every sensation - even the ubiquitous sensation of gravity. Meditation as a whole can be used as therapy for anxiety, depression, temporomandibular joint disorder(TMJ), general misanthropy, high blood pressure, and sleep apnea and insomnia. Despite its expansive benefits, meditation - especially the Kundalini school of meditation - has been disregarded by the majority of healthcare and society as a “hippie tradition” that requires incense, tea, and any multitude of hallucinogenic drugs. Many people find that these can improve meditative experience, but none are of vital importance. One is encouraged to personalize their own meditative practices with what relaxes them - perhaps music of one’s choosing, or dimmed lights and a soft blanket.

“Usually, I burn incense and sit cross-legged on the floor with the lights off,” said Senior Cullin McEachern. “It brings me a sense of enlightenment.”

Enlightenment, in the meditative sense, is being able to reach a level of consciousness in which you are able to dissolve your ego, attain inner peace, and recognize and actively experience a universal love for humanity. Many in meditative practice note remarkable and undeniable sensations of joy and love. In meditation, you are asked to look within yourself and evaluate your existence from the perspective of a clear, relaxed mind.

“At midnight on December 21, I saw a lot of white light and static between my eyes,” said McEachern. “I experienced strong feelings of euphoria and profound realizations of love and insight.”

The body has seven energy centers--otherwise known as Chakras--all of which serve specific purpose. There’s the Root Chakra, Sacral Chakra, Solar Plexus Chakra, Heart Chakra, Throat Chakra, Third Eye Chakra, and the Crown Chakra, all of which climb the spinal column respectively.

Through meditating upon these chakras, people report heightened sensation, increased creativity, and visual and auditory hallucinations. The pineal gland--a minute sac between the hemispheres of the brain-- produces melatonin, serotonin, and extracts of dimethyltryptamine, a naturally occurring substance that produces powerful visual, auditory, and sensual hallucinations.

The pineal gland is particularly active during sleep and meditation, with dimethyltryptamine producing vivid dreams and hallucinations.

“The power within your own body and mind is astounding,” said Marr. “Life really is what you make it.”

Everyone knows what it is; the app with the trademark yellow background and white ghost. Snapchat. This app seems to be fading off, but students still had a lot to say about the controversies of this seemingly harmless app.

Snapchat is a smartphone app that allows people to take pictures of themselves and send them to someone with a set timer. Some pictures are cute, some odd, some ugly, and some inappropriate. Snapchat just came out with a new iOS feature where users can take videos of themselves. Could people be abusing this privilege?

“Snapchat can be very dangerous,” Junior Danielle Odeen said. This may be true, but others think Snapchat, like anything, can be a good thing if used in the right hands.

“I think there are a lot of responsible kids that can handle it and use it for the right reason, but it can be taken out of hand,” Sophomore Bo Bauman said. Other kids may think Snapchat is another source of sexting.

“Mostly, people just use Snapchat for innocent fun,” said Junior Michael Wegter. “Of course I think some people do things that would be considered inappropriate, but those same people would be doing it with another medium if Snapchat wasn’t around.”

To many students Snapchat is a thing of the past.

“Snapchat was fun for like two weeks, but really it’s just annoying now,” said Odeen.

Just like all phases, Snapchat hit Buffalo High School hard and has seemed to be fading off slowly, but surely. What will the next popular app be?

“It is wonderful working with him,” said Social Studies Teacher Nicole Gmach. “Being able to spend more time together and being able to help each other with ideas for our classes is one of my favorite parts.”

Psychology teacher Chris Gmach and Nicole Gmach both teach at BHS and have been married for five years. Mr. Gmach had been working at BHS for almost ten years when Mrs. Gmach got hired. With the help and matchmaking skills of other staff members, they started dating that Winter.

“We had some help from friends and fellow co-workers to meet. We ended up going out to dinner for our first date,” said Mr. Gmach. “We dated for a bit and it took me awhile to get to the point of proposing.”

Mr. Gmach proposed to Mrs. Gmach after dinner one evening. They had already chosen the rings and passed out their “Save the Date” cards to other teachers the following day.

“We had already gone shopping for rings to pick one out, so I knew he had the ring. We went out to dinner at Sunsets in Wayzata on a Thursday evening and, after our meal, he took the ring out and asked me. The waitress was really excited for us and gave us some free dessert,” said Mrs. Gmach. “Then the next day at school we didn’t tell anyone until lunch when we were all together with our “lunch group” of teachers. We had a card for everyone at lunch that day with a “save the date” and engagement announcement.”