The Hoofprint – February 7, 2008

As spring rolls around and the time for students to pick their classes for the upcoming year approaches. Many seniors choose to be a teachers’ assistant (TA). A TA helps out the teacher in any way they need, like making copies. Some students choose to be a TA because it will look good on their college application, while others do it because they believe it requires less effort.

“At our school being a TA is often thought of to be a class that you can catch up on homework that you did not do the night before, or just a time to take a break during your busy day. But administration said that this year will be different,” said Senior Allison Laven.

Although administration is making sure that students are staying busy, senior TAs still seem to have down time.

“We still have a lot of time when we have nothing to do,” Senior Jill Marketon, “but we are allowed to go anywhere as long as we have our name tags on.”

On January 28, the Knowledge Bowl team traveled to Monticello for the first portion of the Mississippi 8 Conference Meet and placed first with a total of 101 points.

Buffalo had three teams competing, Buffalo 2 placed 5th and Buffalo 3 took 15th. Zimmerman claimed 2nd with 77 points giving Buffalo a 24 point lead heading into the next competition.

The Conference Meet breaks into two competitions where both scores affect your overall placement.

“We have a steady lead over our conference,” said Coach Peggy Pasche. “It will be hard for another team to catch up with our score in the second round.”

The next and final round of the conference competition takes place on February 26th in Zimmerman.

Senior Ingrid Leask heads to Anchorage on March 7-16 to compete in Nationals for Nordic Skiing. Along with 20 other girls and 21 boys, Leask will ski for the Midwest against eight other regional teams in four races.

This accomplishment follows a successful ski season and precedes a lifelong goal for Leask.

“I still wake up in the middle of the night and go ‘oh my god, I’m going to Nationals!’,” said Leask. “The thought of wearing that uniform . . . it brings me that much closer to my dream of skiing for the United States in the Olympics.”

A student gets on the bus after school. Its snowing and the wind is fi erce. His house is only a few miles away so he’s not worried. Plus, the school didn’t cancel so he knows he is safe. On another bus, a student walks aboard and looks cautiously out at the weather. He lives over 35 minutes away. With the rate the snow is falling and the wind is blowing, he is unsure when he will get home, or worse, if he’ll make it home at all. Some students who go through the long distance commute, are starting to get worried. Now that the seasons have turned to Winter, the recent snowstorms have made the students question the safety of driving from so far away. “Its a long way to school,” says Freshman Cherise Beggs, a resident of Dayton. “In situations when the roads are too dangerous, you worry about getting to school.” The students wonder why, in many of the recent weather cases, school has not been cannceled. The snowstorms that occurred in early December even caused a school bus to go into the ditch. “It was scary to see that bus,” says Beggs. “What if that would happen to our bus on the way home?” Weather conditions aren’t only a concern to the students. Bus drivers constantly have to worry about getting their passengers safely where they need to go. “I remember one day, a few years ago there was a huge ice storm,” said Bus Driver Gary Sticka. “There was a steep hill absolutely covered in ice. I was going slow, but I knew I was going to have some trouble. Sure enough, we ended up fi sh-tailing down the entire thing. We went past the bus stop, and past a small intersection about a half a block away.” Sticka remembers the kids screaming. “It makes you wonder what the district was thinking.” The choice of keeping a school open relies on many different people. The superintendent of the school makes the fi nal decision. Then they contact the district offi cials, who then contact the weather reporters to post the decision on television. If the rare decision comes up that school should be canceled during school hours, the super attendant must notify everyone on the staff and the bus companies. “It’s diffi cult to do,” said principal Rick Toso. “We would need to make sure all the students eat and have someplace to go before they can leave. Then, we need to make sure we have enough buses to come and get the students. Sometimes the buses have other routes and it’s more complicated.” If school does close during regular school hours, sometimes the buses won’t have the time to pick up the students. “It all depends on how many routes you have,” says Sticka. “If you are driving all day on a regular basis, with little or no break time, when school closes during school hours you’ll have a mess. Either the school would have a sub-driver come or the students would have to stay until the regular school day ends.” Regardless of whether school gets canceled or stays open during a winter storm, bus drivers know they have to be careful when they drive. Students that travel long distances or short distances will make it home, no matter the weather. “Of course, this is Minnesota! When it comes to the weather, it means a whole lot less than it might in other states,” said Sticka.

Finding a teacher may seem like an easy task, but not all teachers are lucky enough to occupy a classroom. “It’s a little confusing for students as to where to fi nd me in the morning, during, and after school because I move around the building so much,” said Math Teacher Marcia Bauman. Eight teachers are currently without classrooms. Since the high school is so large and still growing, there are not enough rooms for every teacher to have their own classroom. Although most of the teachers did not choose to be on a cart, they all endure the daily trials of being on wheels. These classroom nomads are often seen in the hallways with their most noticeable feature, their classroom cart. While storing their materials on their cart, the teachers go from classroom to classroom in between blocks as often as every block. “I don’t have time to talk to students after class because I have to rush off,” said German and Spanish Teacher Jodeen Fitzgerald. In accession to constantly moving from place to place, the classrooms themselves can present a challenge. Since they share a room with another teacher, they can not display any of the work their students do. The larger projects can also pose a problem to fi t on the cart in addition to their regular supplies, but with experience comes learning. “From day to day, I change what I bring to fi t what we do in class,” said Social Studies Teacher Nicole Gmach. Going through halls with a cart full of supplies can prove more diffi cult than actually getting the supplies to fi t on the cart. Hallways consist of a very rough fl ow of students, and things fall off and people are occasionally run over. “I occasionally run into people, on purpose,” said English Teacher Kelly Barrick. Whether it be by staying out of the way of Barrick’s cart of doom or helping pick things up after they fall, students are relatively helpful. Cooperative students try their best to make this necessary evil work. However, like most things do, being on a cart has its benefi ts. “We are lucky enough to see a lot of students while we are out and about versus being localized in one classroom,” says Bauman. In the end, Buffalo teachers and students are helping to make this work. It is required for now. Perhaps someday the classroom wanderers will have their own room. Until then, the students and teachers will be doing their best to make it work out.

Sour memories from last year’s missed opportunities still lingered even after their championship clinching win over Princeton last Thursday.

“We should have won last year too,” said Junior Captain Luke Marty. “But since we lost to Cambridge and they [Rogers] beat them we only tied. That was frustrating.”

While big differences between last year and now are difficult to see on the surface, little things contributed to the team’s new found dominance.

“The team is a lot deeper this year,” said Senior Captain Jon Zitur. “Scoring isn’t as big an issue now.”

Along with improved depth at the offensive positions team chemistry has proven much stronger this year than in years past.

“It seems this year we have a lot less drama,” said Aslesen. “The new guys have been great at integrating too.”

With the Conference Championship under their belt Aslesen has high hopes for the future.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if we made it deep into Sections. And you never know, we could go to State.”

“We have three solid lines,” said Senior Matt Leaf. “We have a lot of expierence and depth.”

“This year we are a lot better offensively,” said Marty. “We can score all over the place.”

“Our team’s motto this year is never satified.” said Senior Captain Rob Aslesen. “We aren’t going to give up.”

With an undefeated record and a State Championship to defend, members of the Mock Trial team are turning their sights to the Section Tournament. Their goal is to make it back to State.

“The fi rst 13 matches don’t matter. To go to state, you need to do well at sections,” said Graham Wyatt.

In sections there are fi ve matches, the fi rst two are guaranteed, after that if you keep winning, you move onto the next round. Other strong schools in the section are St. Cloud Cathedral and St. Cloud Christian, who also have a chance to participate in State.

Although the team lost strong senior members from last year, their goal remained to work toward State one step at a time. The team individuals have to do a lot of work just to make it to state, a goal of that took time out of the student’s after- school life.

“We have practices three days a week after school. Then we once had practice on a weekend, and we constantly practice, practice, practice on our own at home,” said Jacob Westman.

With hard work and dedication, this team is successful, and will take benefi ts with them regardless to if they make state or not.

“Mock Trial doesn’t just teach the members legal skills,” said advisor Laurie Raymond. “It gives them the skills of public speaking, good argument skills and gives the kids and opportunity to open up.”

The Mock Trial team has been arguing the case they received at the beginning of October from the Minnesota State Bar Association. They are given a witness statement and assign people to play those witnesses in trials. They prepare for an opening statement, which is fi ve minutes long, they have a cross- examination and closing arguments. This year the case is a civil forfeiture, which means it involves a case that deals with the government’s ability to take properties that are involved in illegal acts.

“We prepare for both sides, and scrimmage. It helps you know the strengths of both arguments,” said Wyatt. “We’ll fi nd a great idea for the defense, and that will also help us with the other side of the case as well.”

Mock Trial is currently fi rst in sections with a 2-0 record and +50 points. The points are determined by how much they beat the other teams by. Depending on their wins and losses, they can have up to 3 more meets in sections.

On January 8th Junior Captain Miranda Speckel reached the 1000th point milestone in high school basketball against Cambridge-Isanti.

Entering the game, Speckel was 4 points shy of the milestone as a shooting guard, only scoring 23 points in the game prior to the achievement.

“I was expecting to achieve it in the Cambridge game,” said Speckel. “It was always my goal to make it and then I scored 22 points against them.”

Speckel started playing Varsity Girls’ Basketball as a freshmen and averaged 14 points per game. Then increased her average to 17 points as a sophomore, and currently has a 19.8 average for this year.

“Miranda has worked incredibly hard to get to this point,” said Junior Hannah Rohl. “It fi nally paid off for her.”

The Bison trailed early in the game and then after the 1000th point was scored the team ran onto the court for celebration.

“It gave us a confi dence boost during the game,” said Speckel. “Then we came back to win the game.

Speckel leads the team with 297 points this year with a 46% fi eld goal average. The next game is tonight against Princeton at 7:30.

“This really is a major individual achievement, and to get it in the junior year is uncommon,” said Coach Scot Sorenson. “It just shows how consistent she has been.”

“This is a great individual award for Miranda, but we have to give the team credit as they really helped her to get open and make shots,” said Sorenson.

The Arts Magnet Showcase was Thursday, January 19. The show was created for students to show off their pieces of artwork.

Students in the program used many forms of art such as paintings, sculptures, acting, and even power points to express their interests.

“Not only does [the variety] show the theatrics aspects of the program,” said Sophomore Cora Fox, “it also shows the visual types of art like painting and ceramics.”

Variety wasn’t the only technique the students used, they also used their: creativity, inspiration, and interpretation to give their art pieces a personality.

“We tried to give the giant a red neck trucker appearance,” said Sophomore Nick Ingerson. “[We created it] for the reenactment of Jack and the Bean Stalk.”

The showcase held great importance for the teachers and students to convey their vision to the viewer.

“It’s important for the students to show off their artworks,” said Fox. "We spent so much time on that thing. We made him for a reenactment of Jack and the Bean Stalk."

With the new cell phones after winter break and over half the student body with iPods, the teachers are on alert for students breaking the school rules.

“I’ve texted during class before,” said Sophomore Amanda Pederson, “I don’t do it a lot though, so I’ve never gotten caught.”

Students fi nd ways to use them with out being noticed, even though they know that their cell phones and iPods are not allowed in classrooms.

“The rule is the same as last year,” said Assistant Principal Matthew Lubben. “If you look in the manual, they’re the exact same, word for word; We just put more emphasis on not having them out during class. We want more consistency.”

While many students are able to avoid being caught, teachers still discover the occasional cell phone/iPod user, often letting them off with no more than a warning.

“I still text during class,” said Sophomore Kate Stensing. “I just have to hide it better now. One time last year I was texting during class, then before lunch the teacher asked me if I had a phone; I told her that I did. She didn’t take my phone away or anything.”

For some students their electronics can be distracting to during class time.

“It distracts me from learning,” said Senior Jenifer Pohlkamp, “and paying attention.”

Throughout classes many teachers still occasionally allow cell phones and iPods in their classrooms.

“During work time I have no problem with iPods,” said Business Teacher Rebecca Burrell. “But only during work time, because I have a lot of kids who can’t multitask. It’s too hard for them to focus. I have a lot of quiet work time in class, so if listening to them helps them work, then its fi ne with me.”

When teachers fi nd cell phones or iPods in class, they are to turn them into the office and they will hold them until their parents come get them. But not all teachers do that.

“I hate cell phones in class, but if I see one I fi rst give a warning,” said Burrell. “Sometimes forget that they aren’t supposed to have them. If I see them again then I take them and they can come get them at the end of the day.”

These procedures would not be needed if the students would follow the rules and be more respectful.

“I can see why teachers get upset when people text and cell phones go off during class,” said Pederson. “That would get annoying to me if I were a teacher. I think most kids have enough respect towards the teachers to put them away during class.”

“It’s called Blues, and it’s about what it would be like if all of a sudden, you were homeless. It looks at all the reasons that people become homeless; not that your automatically a drug addict or a drunk, but that there are a lot of reasons that people end up in that situation... Come without a stereotype of what it is to be homeless, just come in and be able to watch and absorb.” -Director Tracy Hagstrom- Durant

“T is has been a really diff erent experience from being in the fall musical; its been less jumping around and dancing and prancing and all that, and more about developing characters.” -Sophomore Wesley Miller

“My character is Aggie, and she’s a crazy old woman, who’s homeless, of course. She has mental issues... and I’m onstage the whole time so I just have to sit there and stay in character the whole show.” -Senior Rachel Smude

“I like [being on stage crew] a lot because I feel like I’m actually contributing, like I’m a part of it... the play is sending a message and it’s actually meaningful. I love it- it gives me goose bumps every time I watch it.” -Junior Hannah Frost

Buff alo High School’s rendition of Blues received fi rst place at their sub-section competition . They went on to place second, coming in only one point behind Dassel-Cokato.

“T is play takes something you see everyday, and even though you can’t relate in the sense that you’ve experienced those things. you can relate in that you’ve seen them. But I think that you can really feel the emotion in the things that people say and it helps you relate.” -Junior Hunter Otis

“Goodbye America, Hello France!”

That’s what the twelve students traveling to France this spring break are saying. Students educated to at least French 2 have the opportunity to eat, breathe, and live French life. For the fi rst three days the students will be staying in Paris, the city of lights. The following seven days the students will stay in Renes, a city on the west coast of France. They will be shadowing a host brother or sister around, experiencing what they do everyday and even going to their school.

“The highlight I believe for the trip will be able to show a small amount of students things I can not show in the classroom,” said French teacher Jason Swanson. “So that’s what I’m really excited about.”

For some the home stay might interest them the most, to others it might be Paris. While the home stay can very well educate you, all students have their own agenda.

“I’m looking forward to the home stay,” said Senior Anna Frenette, “because you learn the most with the family.”

If the students want to travel on the trip, they have to sign a contract; if broken, they will be sent home immediately. All the rules on the contract apply to the U.S laws. Since the drinking age in France is six-teen they must follow the American law, twenty-one.

“Some of my concerns are there might be a culture shock,” said Swanson. “ An overreaction of language and culture.”

Even the tiniest misconceptions can be misunderstood when traveling to a new culture. The amount of culture shock can be taken in differently depending on your point of view.

“ If you are open to it, it wont be so severe.” said Swanson.

Studying ahead of time is one easy way to prevent culture shock, just by learning the basics of the language. It also helps the experience.

The cost of the trip this year is $1,900 per person. It’s non-profit education based program, focused on immersing the students in the language and culture. The trip includes air fair, hotel cost, some but not all meals, and what ever the host family provides.

“It is a good cost for what it is, but i am willing to pay for it,” said Anna Frenette.

The students will experience many cultural differences with their host families. While in France they will experience their Easter break. The students will be able to observe the different ways the world celebrates Easter through the eyes of the French. That can not be simulated in any classroom environment.

The family’s know that the students will not completely be able to speak the language fl uently. Although there encouraged to try, the family will help them out.

“Fluency of language and culture takes many years, said Swanson,”So when in doubt, observe and follow the culture your in.”

All surveys consisted of three pages with questions ranging from family life to political ideologies. A total of 286 students were surveyed; 74 Seniors, 82 Juniors, 68 Sophomores, and 60 Freshmen. All graphs were created in Mircosoft Excel® and used as template on Adobe Photoshop and InDesign. All data and layout work was completed by Brad Palmer.

"Which state would you most/least want to live in other than Minnesota?" Each student chose their favorite and least favorite state to live in. Each positive vote gave the state a point while negative votes subtracted from the state’s overall score

When combined Alaska and Hawaii rank 2nd

North Dakota and Iowa tied for last among all voters

2% of students voted for Minnesota even though it wasn’t a choice

New Mexico, Michigan, Indiana, W. Virgina, Maryland, New Jersey, Vermont, New Hampshire and Oklahoma were not voted for or against

20% of all students voted for Colorado

Washington placed 5th among all voters

1/5 Freshmen thought Africa, South America, or Europe were countries

43.2 the average age of a student’s father

50% of boys preferred the Xbox 360 to all other game systems

Super Bad vorite movie from 2007

Bourne Ultimatum Boys’ favorite movie from 2007

“What political issue is the most important to you?”

30% of all students were either politically undecided or apathetic

3:1 ratio of extremely conservative girls to boys

Junior Boys made up the most of all liberal voters

63% of Senior girls choose the War as the most important issue

Abortion ranked highest among underclassmen girls

More Senior Boys voted for immigration than any other group

Students were able to vote for their three most important issues. A number one ranking gave the issue three points, a two received two points, and a three was awarded only one point

Learning new words, improving speech and physical therapy are some of the activities that the students in special education partake in on a daily basis. There is no set curriculum for the students in the special education department.

“Every student is at a different level in their learning abilities,” said Special Education Teacher Amy Jenson. “All of the the students have there own individual things to work on.”

As I sat in to observe the special education department I saw many different things, one of the fi rst things I noticed was the alphabet lining the wall. I sat in on their current events session and as the students took turns reading I noticed that underneath each word there was a picture to help them if the student reading didn’t know a word or needed help to fi gure out some words.

The special education students go on many different kinds of fi eld trips and have many hands on activities going on throughout the day. The students made brownies for one of there activities. Jenson went over with the students the basic instructions and ingredients needed to make the brownies.

“What is the very fi rst thing we do before we start baking?” Jenson asks the students. “Which one is bigger tablespoon or a teaspoon?” Jenson goes on to ask the students similar questions to prepare them before they start baking.

For the students in the special education program, there are extra curricular activities to be involved in. Some of those activities include adapted softball, and Special Olympics swimming and bowling.

“I’m going to coach the Yankees when I get older, with Mrs. Robinson” said Sophomore Joe Kemna.

During their daily schedule, the students partake in physical activities such as walking, working on adapted bicycles, and stretch exercises. Another part of their day is working on functional skills. Physical therapy takes up most of their day; the goal of this is to build them up to be as independent as possible and as self suffi cient as they could be living with their disabilities.

Working in the Special Education program might not always be the easiest job to have, every once in a while there is a struggle that everyone involved needs to get through together.

“One time a girl in the program pulled my hair so hard that I had waves in my scalp for three hours,” said Speech Pathologist Janelle Munson.

Even though at times there may be struggles the teachers work with the students to develop everyday life skills.

“I have a great experience coming into work everyday,” said Munson.

There are 18 teachers and teacher aids in the special education department and 253 students. The teachers work with the students to improve articulation, fl uency, vocabulary, grammar, and social language. Everyone involved with the special education program works with each other like a team to help each other get through everyday struggles and each their futures.

“I really like the people I work with,” said Munson. “I also like the kids, they rock.”

As teenagers, we often times fi nd ourselves with a parent sandwiched in the middle of what we call our “love life,” and we never understand why. At most high schools, teenagers struggle with a lack of trust from their parents’ fear of them experimenting with drugs, alcohol, sex, and being with someone older then them. But at our school, I’ve noticed something else also comes into play from time to time: religion.

To me, religion has never really been an issue with the guys of whom I choose to date; Catholic, Lutheran, it never really mattered. In fact, it was something that never even crossed my mind until I started to like a Laestadian Lutheran. We hung out almost everyday for two weeks, he came and saw me when I was sick with mono, and called me almost every night. I thought it was amazing, and that everything was going better then I could have ever possibly thought it could.

That is, until he told me that his parents had a problem with us being together and we couldn’t see as much of each other. At first I was really upset, and couldn’t understand why there was a problem. I started blaming myself for the way things were going, and then I realized that I wasn’t doing anything wrong. I was being judged by people I didn’t know, based on my religious beliefs. I did nothing wrong, other than be a Catholic. After many nights of talking, fighting, and crying with him, I was finally starting to see that we came from two different families, two different religions, and two different ways of life. If we were really going to make things work, we would eventually have to face more then just his parents’ disapproval of us.

Parents shouldn’t be able to control who we choose to like, and if we’re lucky, even fall in love with. Two teenagers coming from two opposite worlds and lifestyles can still make things work. We are at the age where finding ourselves is crucial. What parents don’t understand, is that judging someone based on their religious beliefs is like judging someone by their hair or eye color. We know who we are compatible with, and if we make mistakes and fail, we need to get back up and try again. Parents should also respect and trust us enough to understand why we fall for the people we do. If we could help who we liked, I think that we would. Parents need to let us figure out what we’re doing wrong so that we can try to change, and see what we eventually want in a relationship. Ultimately, we will fail at relationships if we are sheltered by our parents. Only we know what we want, and parents shouldn’t try and change that.

Over the few months that this boy and I have been together, we have constantly been faced with situations and people that have made our relationship all the more difficult. We still fight about his parents, but when you care about someone, you just need to work things like that out. We haven’t completely failed; nor have we accomplished breaking the religious walls wrongly constructed around us, but it’s something that we will continue to try and do.

Even though I’m being judged, I know that I’m fighting for something much larger than that. My journey may end with a broken heart, but the fight for this will always be worth it. I sometimes have to remind myself that I’m only a teenager, and that relationships now are special. Sometimes they’re temporary, but the memories of them will last a lifetime.

We would like to reply to a December 20 issue of the Hoofprint article, entitled “Diverse Societies.” As the senior class leaders of Cultures United, we felt hurt by the article.

At first when we read it, we thought nothing of it, seeing as some of the clubs talked about were new. We figured that was the point of the article. Once we started reading more, it was obvious that that was not the case. Students Stepping Up and Pegasus were included, and we know that they are not new clubs.

It hurts that Cultures United, although it has been around for three years now, was not included because it is not a club that many people have realized exists. We are a group of students who are working at making this school more open to diversity. Anyone who wants to be in it can be; there are no boundaries as to how many may join. As the senior leaders, we want to see this club grow with more members and activities. If it is not publicized, we are afraid that it will end once we leave.

Something else that was brought to our attention as we dug on this subject was that Cultures United is not in the student handbook either. It has been a fight to make this club what it is, and when things like this article and the student handbook happen, we feel it is a major step back in our progress. It is great that other clubs are being recognized, because clubs are good things for students to join. We just would like to voice our concern on this topic. There were others not included as well, and we hope that this will help them have a voice.

When I was really little I was watching a football game with my dad. The other team had scored

So he yelled out a curse word, and then a lttle bit after that I said it too. So that was my first word. Watch out for what you say around little kids, cuz they’re like sponges and they’ll soak it up.

-Senior Ethan Arnold

When I was little I was extreamly afraid of hair cuts, I was deathly afraid of the buzzer. It’d make me cry. Its really scary when your little, cuz when your little its like when your at the salon and the lady turns on the buzzer its like BZZZZZ your ear is gone! Watch out for buzzers when you’re little.

-Senior Kyle Nybakken

In third grade, I was determined to lose all my teeth. So I just about every other weekend, I’d get together with my friend and we’d think of ways to rip out each others teeth. One morning I came home and I had 4 teeth out since the day before. So I learned I had a good pain tolerance, but take your time growing up.

-Senior Andrea Johnson

I was in preschool and I really liked this boy. I tried to give him a kiss on the check but he ran away crying to his mom. I was scared of boys till the 6th grade. I thought if I’d kiss a boy they’d run away. So don’t kiss boys when your really little.

-Sophomore Samantha Schaefbauer

Alright, well in preschool, you know how boys chase girls and girls chase boys because they both have cooties. I ran away form this girl and tried to hide in a tunnel. She had one friend block one side and she crawled in the other while her friend blocked it after her. Then she kissed me on the check and ran away. I was crying because girls had cooties and I thought I had cooties.

-Junior Kaleb Stevens

I was at my grandma’s house when I was 7 or 8. I had watched the movie Urban Legend with my older cousin. When it was done I went upstairs and was really scared because I thought someone was going to get me, that’s what the movie is about. My dad had me watch cartoons till I fell asleep. I learned to not watch scary movies when you’re little.

-Freshman Sarah Frost

I had to pick up my little brother and I was already mad about something and not paying attention to my driving. My dad was parked behind me and I backed into him four times in a row. Each time I retried I thought I could back around it. His car was fine, my car was dented and scratched. I learned to watch where you back up!

-Senior Rebecca Ernhart

I was on my way to school and I was already late, I went around a dirt road S-bend and my back end slipped out and went into the ditch, then my truck followed and rolled one time over and landed in its wheels, so I drove back out and went to school. Don’t rush to get places and respect your vehicle and what it is capable of.

-Junior Nathan Engfer

During the spring of 2007, when a stressful and exhausting hiring process produced no ac- ceptable candidates for a perma- nent replacement for Dr. Miller, Superintendent Jim Bauck turned to Rick Toso. Toso, who did not apply for the position, graciously stepped into a temporary posi- tion.

Mr. Toso served the school during one of its most trying moments. Through the failed referendum and the subsequent budget freezes, to the painful de- cisions about teacher reductions and course changes, Toso remained steady as a posi- tive representative of our school.

Although he could have chosen to remain more comfortable in his former position, letting someone else deal with these painful issues, Mr. Toso chose, as he has chosen for his entire career, to act in the best interest of the school. For this he deserves the highest admiration and respect from all students.

After 28 years of dedication to the community, Toso has accomplished more than he is recognized for. Besides his brief stint as principal, he was an award- winning Assistant Principal, a distinguished health and phy-ed teacher, a coach to many athletes, driver’s education instructor, and even a bus driver.

As the search for a new principal begins yet again, the focus continues to be on stabilizing our future. Handling any sort of financial downfall is a challenge to anyone, let alone someone in his first year. Toso, along with the rest of the administration, has done a great job at preserving our way of life at Buffalo High School; they’ve managed to hold onto the block sched- uling for at least one more year, and while there will be staff reductions later this year, they will not be crip- pling.

When the school board and superintendent make their final decision about a new principal, they need to keep the desire for stability at the forefront of their concern. At the beginning of next year, half of our stu- dent body will never have had the same head principal for more than one year. To upperclassmen, the recent administration shuffles don’t seem like a big deal; however, in the stress-filled atmosphere that is high school, administration bal- ance and consistency play a very important role.

While many teachers and even the superintend- ent would have liked to see Toso continue for another year of transition, we now have an opportunity to find a selfless leader like Mr. Toso, or Dr. Miller before him, who is able to make a long-term commitment to the future of our district.

We need someone who can maintain the positive and respectful atmosphere of the school, but also under- stands the current situation our district faces. Without this style of leadership, we face a greater danger than a lack of resources. The cli- mate that Toso projected can bring our school through these difficult times.

“Miller was amazing and Toso carried that on this year; students should be able to have a close relationship with their principals. So, we should have a say in the decision. They don’t have to listen, but it will affect us. It’s our future.”

Junior Celeste Lundgren-Laws

“Its nerve-racking to think of all the big changes going on next year. I just hope the new principal is understanding and helps us out.”

Senior Griffin Trevino

“Toso was kind of thrust into this position. You know, he becomes principal and then the referendum fails. It’s a lot of responsibility to fall on him.”

Freshman Becca Bjork

“It hasn’t really changed much since Miller left because Toso has maintained the school and its traditions. I think it’s really sad that he only got one year. He deserves recognition because he’s done such a great job throughout the years.”

Sophomore Greta Hagstrom-Dahl

“I was hoping we’d be able to squeeze a little more time out of him,” said Superintendent Jim Bauck.

As Principal Rick Toso announced his retirement at the end of this year, ending over 30 years of working in education, Bauck, among many others, continued to express disappointment in seeing him leave.

“After being in so many roles throughout his years, Toso has been so visible for so long,” said Art Teacher Jon Holtz. “Toso knew our system - he knew what made this place tick.”

Familiar to the system and the history of the school, teachers agreed that Toso’s choice to step in was the right one.

“I actually sent the district an e-mail right away. I thought, ‘quit this mumbo-jumbo’ and put Toso in,” said Science Teacher Kip Wold. “He knows the system and people respect him. He knows what he did and why he did it.”

As the possibility of change caused a stir of emotion, staff and students prepare for the potential adjustments.

“I think kids will be just fi ne,” said Holtz. “I don’t think they’ll even realize the changes that are happening because they adapt so well. It’s a good place to be and you can tell that because of the lack of panic even during such changes.”

With the levy failing and another principal change, confi dence must be found in specifi c elements controlling the school.

“It’ll be interesting to see what changes,” said Social Studies Teacher Brigitta Rettman, “ we have a number of good leaders supporting us through these changes. I think all of our administrators have good potential. [Administrative Assistant Bob] Driver, [Assistant Principal Matt] Lubben, [Assistant Principal Brandon] Prell, they all have a lot of the similar values.”

Similar values: a desired quality in administrative roles, whether hired from within or outside the school district.

“I’m pretty nervous about who’s going to step up here, who’s going to take that leadership and continue keeping the school awesome,” said Toso. “That person has to work hard. They have to be well informed about our success and really weigh in determination.”

Though confi dence is strong in the hiring process for the next principal, teachers and students fear the upheaval of the school’s current standards.

“We don’t need fi xing,” said Wold. “If we get an unknown in here, it could possibly tip our worlds upside down.”

“We’ll hire somebody who has a vision,” said Holtz. “It will be somebody that wants to stick around for awhile and will provide some stability for the whole school.”

Security, most feel, has been justifi ed due to the rigorous steps and process as a whole.

“Last year we ran some characteristic surveys,” said Bauck “We talked to students, faculty, staff, parents, the community and everybody in between. I think we’ll be able to use that data because it’s still very relevant.”

At this point, the position has been posted and District Administrators will soon do fi rst round interviews.

“We even bring in an outside consultant as well as parents, students, and staff. When we have those chosen people in place we will do some site visits,” said Bauck. “The team will visit the fi nal candidates working in their environment. All the while I’ll be monitoring the whole process, but I don’t get completely involved until the very end when I do my own interviews. We’re hoping to have the entire process wrapped up by Spring Break and hopefully somebody announced by late March, early April.”

As the selection process fi nalizes, the end of the year will follow, bringing Toso’s fi nal thoughts of himself and his career at Buffalo High School.

“What a blessing to love what you do. As I look back I have had a tremendously rewarding career,” said Toso. “Soon the administration will take on the task of controlling the school. It was really sad to realize they don’t need me anymore. It’s just, at the end of every year, I’ve realized I will always want one more year.”

With ratty clothes and trash thrown all over the stage, the performance started with a small glowing flame.

“The play deals with homelessness in America, and is brought to date with foreclosures; and how you don’t think it will happen to you,” said Senior Emily Carlson.

The fi rst performance of the “Blues” one act play was held at Monticello High School and was against other high schools in the conference. The performers were judged on stage picture, time, diction, judges’ preference and acting. They had ten minutes to put up their set and get everything in a ten foot by ten foot square, and then they had fi ve minutes to take it all down.

Unlike at sub-sections the actors were judged by the directors of the others plays that were being performed that day.

“At sub-sections and sections, each judge ranks the shows fi rst through however many teams competed. Each judge ranks every school and the school whose rankings add up to the smallest number receives fi rst place. For example, if judges give us one, one, and two for rankings, our total score is four.” said Senior Mariah LaQua. “At conference and state we are judged by ‘stars.’ In order to star you have to have two out of the three of the judges decide that your performance deserves a star. Starring is all based on the judges opinion of your performance.”

The actors starred at their fi rst performance at Monticello High School. This lead the ensemble to a fi rst place victory at sub-sections and a second place win at sections.

In 1992 Tracy Hagstrom-Durant overtook the position as director of the One Act play. Their success was immediately taken to a new level. Since Hagstrom-Durant took over, the One Act has had numerous conference and sections wins, with four state appearances and three state wins. Not only have the trophies multiplied in the display case over the past years, but so has the activity’s popularity. With only twenty participants allowed to take part in the performance, the competition has increased along with the number of students auditioning for the play.

“It is harder to get into the one act play than a musical with sixty people because it is competition,” said Junior Philip Rossin. “It all depends on the size of the cast and how many people try out, and it seems like there were a lot this year.”

The small cast means that only those with the most talent and dedication make it into the show.

“We get really close, closer than a family, said Rossin. “People with the best skills make it in and that is always more fun.”

“Nerve-wracking and competitive, One-Act is one of the hardest theatre programs to perform in. You can only do so much, but really it’s a whole group effort, it’s all about the ensemble. I thought that Sections was our best performance, and I’m glad we saved our best for last. We can’t go to State every year and I’m glad to see that Dassel-Cokato is going.” - Senior Emily Carlson

Every year a new generation graduates school, and must go on to seek their future. But what happens if they don’t know what they want to do, where they want to go, or how they’re going to get there?

“I’ve been thinking about going to Argosy,” said Senior Kari Morrell, “but I’m not sure yet.”

Colleges across the U.S. are trying to help with all the indecisions. Every year, colleges send out brochures, pamphlets, and/or postcards to hundreds of thousands of students nation-wide.

“I receive mail from colleges almost everyday.” said Senior Brianna Barker.

Every student surveyed said that they do receive mail from colleges, but while some students found the information to be very helpful, and some found it not helpful at all, most were somewhere inbetween.

“I fi nd the information helpful,” said Senior Alyssa Tryggeseth, “especially if there are rally days or tours that we can attend.”

These brochures, pamphlets, and postcards give students an idea of what the college has to offer, where it’s located, and how students can request more information or even visit the college.

“I’ve gotten to visit a couple of colleges,” said Senior Logan Carlstrom, “to see what they’re like and if they’re what I’m looking for.”

On a typical college visit, you meet with an admissions counselor for an overview of the college, including information on student life, what the college offers, the different costs, the admission process and more.

“When I went [on a college visit] I was told what to expect, and had a guide show me around the campus.” said Senior Abby White. “They answered all of the questions that I had.”

Visiting colleges and receiving mail from colleges obviously make students think about moving on to that next stage of life. However, whether or not they are ready for that stage varies from student to student. Some students can’t wait to move on.

“I can’t wait to graduate,” said Morrell, “and fi nally live on my own.”

Others fear the change, and some are unsure about the idea.

“I’m excited to be more independent,” said White,” but I’m also going to be sad to leave this part of my life [high school] behind.”