The Hoofprint – January 3, 2007

“I think I was born to be a principal, and I was born to be the principal of BHS.” -Principal Nick Miller

The annoucement came on a bright winter teacher workshop day. At the faculty meeting, the administration mulled over the school budget, rehearsed the procedure for the following week’s lockdown, and at the end, Principal Nick Miller had a more personal message for his staff.

“I think I was born to be a principal. And I was born to be the principal of BHS.”

With those words, Miller began the announcement of the end of his 22-year career.

“I was really, really nervous. Not nervous about whether I was making the right decision because I had already processed it in my mind with my wife, but I think it went really well.”

The staff anticipated the move, but still let out a collective gasp following the announcement, which garnered a standing ovation after Miller concluded his remarks.

“People were very, very supportive. It was a little emotional for all of us, I think. You really can’t do this and just call it a job. It’s a calling. It’s kind of like the Clergy. It’s a calling. And, so the people are pretty emotional. We’re pretty tied to what we do. This has been my life for a long time. This is my life.”

But understanding the “calling” Miller felt, and the staff reaction to his departure, requires a journey to a time before the iconic principal.

1984

“Kids were out of control,” said English Teacher Judy Jacobson. “Everyday there would be food fight of some kind. I was Junior Class Advisor at the time, and we had a banquet in the mall. And that night, it broke out into a total food fight. The former principal was there, and he couldn’t stop it, and I just walked out, because I couldn’t stop it.”

Food fights were common in pre-Miller BHS.

“There was a huge food fight in the mall,” said Math Teacher Carlton Urdahl. “I remember it was the day we had spaghetti. I was in the office talking to one of the assistant principals, and she said ‘Hey, there’s a lot of noise out there. I better get out there.’ And we went out and kids were literally throwing spaghetti. The floor was just covered. You could hardly walk across the whole floor without stepping on spaghetti. I mean, you just couldn’t do it. And I remember the principal at the time got out and stood on his chair and said, you know, ‘If this happens again we’re going to cut out the food service’—just made all kinds of threats about what they were going to do. And yet, when it was all done with nobody was punished because nobody saw the kids initiate it. So nothing was done about it. And kids knew they could do this. Unless you could actually see who started it, no one would get punished.”

Before Miller, there wasn’t necessarily fire where there was smoke.

“We even had a case,” said English Teacher Joel Squadroni, “where a kid had a cigarette in his hand, but since the teacher didn’t see the cigarette in the kid’s mouth—and the kid said, ‘Well, I was just holding it for someone’—we played those kinds of games. Teachers were all assigned bathroom duty, so we had to go in and check stalls to see if kids were smoking.”

Students grew especially rowdy toward the end of the school year.

“End of year,” said Jacobson, “there were fire crackers set off in the mall, there were chairs being thrown across the hall, there were fights breaking out everywhere—really bad, dangerous things happening, and nobody could control it.”

The lack of control stemmed from a collapse in punishment.

“Those years prior,” said Urdahl, “there was really a breakdown in discipline. There was very little discipline that was carried out. There were a lot of threats made, but nothing was ever done about them. There were a lot of problems in the school, just a lot of things wrong. Teachers were very unhappy.”

Inevitably, the anarchy of the building detracted from education.

1985

“The school lacked a sense of order,” said Squadroni. “And because of that I think the efficiency that wasn’t there eventually had an effect on what we were trying to do.”

In an attempt to restore that efficiency, the staff formed the Faculty Senate, a confirence of teachers aiming to deal with the school’s problems.

“The administrator knew that he was not going to be re-hired here,” said Squadroni, “that his contract was going to be terminated. So it was at that point that we felt that, kind of as a lame duck, there were a lot of things popping up that weren’t given the kind of confrontation they needed. So the Faculty Senate was kind of a defense mechanism to keep a lid on things. Basically we said, ‘Well, if we can’t expect that the administration will necessarily deal with these things somebody has to.’ The Faculty Senate was to keep us together until we got somebody in here who would lead the place a little better.”

“He knew he was on his way out and basically abdicated his role as leader of the building,” said English Teacher David Robinson. “So to pick up the slack, and being a democracy we set up the Faculty Senate. We basically usurped power, but we had to do it.”

The Faculty Senate solidified unity among teachers.

“We just had to get together to stand together as a staff,” said Jacobson. “Because we weren’t getting the support from the administration. The administration was kind of stagnant, and we knew we saw things that needed to be done, and we decided as a staff we had to deal with them. And we did.”

Overall, pre-Miller BHS, with its insurgent governments, food fights, and frequent bathroom-smoking seems almost surreal compared to the school today.

“You just can’t imagine what it would be like,” said Urdahl. “The difference today and what it was then is so great. It’s almost unbelievable in a sense. To me, this school is run so well. I mean, you have your problems, but they’re just minor when you think about how it used to be. That’s why I’m so pro-Miller. I saw what happened, and I see that the things that go on now are just so minimal.”

“He came in and he had easy shoes to fill because the shoes were pretty much empty,” said Robinson.

During the committee interview process for BHS’s new principal (likely to be repeated in choosing Miller’s successor) Miller instantly impressed the members who recommended him for the job.

“I just remember Julie Swaggert going back saying, ‘If they don’t hire this guy, they’re stupid,’” said Robinson. “She was saying that about Nick.”

What Miller promised in his interview, he followed through on with sweeping school climate changes.

“He just changed things so much,” said Urdahl. “And he did it in a style that was very strict, but very fair. He never picked on a certain group of kids and said, ‘You’re always bad; therefore, you must always be in trouble,’ and things like that. Whoever needed discipline, they got it. And kids learned that. And things changed so rapidly. It was like day and night.”

Miller was never afraid to put the nails to the small number of students who misbehaved.

“It didn’t take me long to figure out we had some serious behavior issues,” said Miller. “So I spent a lot of time disciplining the kids that needed to be disciplined. What had happened in the past, I heard, was, in response to misbehavior, often the administration would punish the masses. It’s kind of a weak way to deal with it. So I went to the core. And it meant I suspended a lot of people, threw a lot of people out of school, had some major, major issues that I dealt with—some pretty tough guys. But on the flip side, we just constantly praised and verified the majority of our students who did it right.”

Urdahl remembered some of the first students Miller disciplined.

“The first kids that were caught were suspended right away,” said Urdahl. “They were given three-day to five-day suspensions. And they were not your typical rowdies either. It was some pretty nice kids. And they were suspended. And word got around. ‘These kids got suspended!’ I mean, it was something so simple as that. He just enforced what he said. You have to have rules. Might not have a lot of them. But the ones you have you enforce.”

In Miller’s early career changing the educational environment dominated his job.

“Mr. Miller’s big push was school climate,” said Robinson. “If the place feels good, then it is good. And it sounds really fuzzy-headed, but it’s true. You can walk into school and feel like it’s academic, like it’s loving and caring—that’s what you need to have. If you don’t have that feel, then what is it? It’s not a school. And I think his emphasis on school climate and how it feels—I think that was the big change, the big turn-around.”

Miller soon realized that the best way to prevent disobedience was to win important battles, and avoid small ones.

“It seemed when I looked at the student handbook when I interviewed for the job, that there was just a rule—‘Don’t do this! Don’t do that! Don’t do that!’—and I thought, ‘Geeze, students here, I bet, think they can’t do anything.’ And there were detentions, and Saturday detentions, and all kinds of stuff. And I think it was fairly revolutionary, but as we sat together with the staff we said, ‘Why don’t we back off, and try to build relationships with our students?’ And I said to our staff, ‘Let’s talk about what’s important to us.’ Is it important to us if a kid has a cap on? Is it important if they have a backpack? Is it important if they have a nose ring, or purple hair, or Mohawk hair? Or is it important to us that they treat each other with dignity and respect, and that we treat them with dignity and respect, and that every student who walks in that front door feels welcomed and feels like somebody cares about them?”

As the amount of disobedience decreased, Miller started promoting the transformation that had taken place.

“When he fi rst got here he had some real ideas about how things should be,” said Squadroni, “and he stuck with those. But more and more he saw that working with the staff, and making connections with the staff, and utilizing that information to promote the school was much more benefi ciary. So I think fi rst it was, ‘We have to get some sense of order,’ but I think once that was done it was, ‘How do we go out and promote this idea that we’re doing good things here?’ So that kids come in with the idea that ‘Hey, good things are happening here.’”

But for Miller, forming connections with the staff wasn’t just a matter of utility: it was a part of his personality.

“He was very open to ideas,” said Urdahl. “He never really came in with the idea that he was going to be the only person who made decisions. He asked a lot of people things. And he just wanted to know what people thought. If he had ideas, he’d run it by people to see how they’d react to it. He was an administrator who knew how to make other people feel like they were a part of it. That’s another reason he succeeds. It’s not top-down. It’s kind of a collaborative idea.”

And for that collaboration Miller knew to hire well.

“Leadership is really complex,” he said. “I had decided to surround myself with teachers that are smart and assertive. Some principals or leaders like to hire weak people they can boss around. If you know a lot of our teachers, they don’t like getting bossed around, and I don’t boss them around. I’m looking for their opinions so that we can move together. So you surround yourself with brilliant people. That to me is the key to leadership.”

**The Future**

“A good school has to have a good principal,” said Robinson. “If there’s a good school, it’s a good principal. No two ways about it.”

With his retirement, Miller ended an era that most teachers want to continue.

“He’s going to be missed,” said Urdahl. “I mean, I’d hate to be the guy taking his place, because he’s done such a tremendous job.”

With no heir apparent some teachers feel anxious.

“There is huge trepidation,” said Robinson. “He is leaving some big shoes to fi ll. How the school runs. I know some teachers for whom this is fearful. A lot of teachers haven’t known this school without Miller, never been in a school that had a bad administrator. And now, we don’t know what’s going to happen. And that’s very unsettling.”

But other teachers feel confi dent that the atmosphere Miller helped to create will persist in his absence.

“I don’t think it’s going to go back to what it was,” said Urdahl.

But even optimism doesn’t shield staff and student concern about his replacement.

“There’s so much good that goes on in this building,” said Jacobson, “as far as budget matters, teacher support, staff devel-opment, teacher autonomy, the schedule—I like what’s going on in the school right now. We’re very teacher-friendly and very student-friendly, and my concern would be that someone might come in and disrupt that.”

Still, Miller feels confi dent that his replacement will be a good one.

“I think everybody’s apprehensive when there’s change,” he said. “But I would say, embrace it as opportunity to take it to the next level. I mean, this is just my infl uence here, and I see it as a real opportunity to fi nd a really strong candidate. The reason I wouldn’t be concerned is this is a very desirable job in the state of Minnesota. People know about Buffalo, Minnesota. People know this is a great school. It’s going to encourage very strong candidates. And now the key will be fi nding a person that would fi t in with what’s established here, and then getting a good idea of what their vision is to take it to the next level. I mean, you’ve had 22 years of Nick Miller stuff, and even if people would view that as a positive experience, organizations need changes. And I think this is an opportunity for the school district to look at a chance to take it to a different level.”

A key part of Senior Privileges, the ability to leave the building before AAA, will begin on Monday, February 26, Principal Nick Miller announced.

Miller explained that the decision to move the date forward from April 9 was because seniors will not be able to leave early on SSR days during fourth term. The change was approved by the school board and enables seniors to leave early on as many days as last year’s class.

The administration will meet with the senior class at 7:50 a.m. on Tuesday, February 20, to explain the policies and expectations of the privilege. At this meeting, seniors will receive an identifi cation card that they will need to show to be able to leave the building early.

The annual Senior Breakfast will be held in March.

January 2007 was the one year anniversary of the Bison Activity Center (BAC). Within the last year, students, teachers, families, and the community have been able to use the new activities center both during the week and on the weekends.

“The Activity Center has given us and the student’s space to participate in a safe environment.” said Physical Education Teacher Kris Declerk-Thompson, “The space has allowed more kids to participate. It helps them stay in their target zone, and lets us have more students in a class.”

Beyond the classroom, the activity center is also open on the weekends, for leisurely workouts on the track, family sports outings, and keeping up with everyone’s favorite sports. Saturdays are usually made up of little kid basketball, soccer and baseball clinics. Every Sunday the BAC is changed from a tennis court to a basketball court and back again, to support all of the sports teams that are practicing.

“I’m always on the track after school, I am even here on the weekends with a bunch of other teachers for Volleyball on Sundays,” said Thompson. “My kids are in sports here too, baseball clinics, basketball games. It’s all indoors so everyone can practice in the winter or during bad weather.”

Through out the year, the center has benefi ted many, including all the new intra-mural teams that more than 45 to 50 students participate in. With a variety of different activities including, dodge ball, badminton, volleyball, DDR, there is something for everybody, and space for everyone.

“We have an amazing facility and its something we are very proud of,” said Thompson.

With registration approaching on March 9th, new classes placed have been on the list of courses offered.

Some additions to the 2007-2008 Registration Guide include General Statistics, CIS Spanish V, Journalism II and a few dance classes.

With more than 184 courses to choose from, eighty-eight percent of students remain happy with the amount of classes.

New to the math department next year, Basic Statistics, a course taught by Math Teacher Joel Peterson will differ from the AP Statistics course available. It will cover basic statistics concepts, and students will look at real world stats and collect data.

“I think it’s great for those who are looking for future education and know they are going into a fi eld with statistics,” said Peterson. “I’m excited about it.”

Peterson hopes that offering a Basic Statistics course will help attract more students to the subject.

“AP Statistics might scare people off,” said Peterson. “This course is less rigorous, so maybe more people will become interested in taking it.”

CIS Spanish V will join the list of foreign languages. Taught by Spanish Teacher Daryl Boeckers, the two-quarter elective, entirely in Spanish, will focus on and study culture.

“It’s another opportunity [for students] to hone their skills in Spanish,” said Boeckers. “It furthers their ability to use higher order thinking and almost dream in Spanish.”

The class will give students a chance to write Spanish compositions, complete with prewriting, rough drafts, fi nal drafts.

“I don’t know who in their right mind would take Spanish V,” said Junior August Williams. “I know I wouldn’t. But I guess it’s cool to have it for the people who want to and are good at it.”

Journalism II follows up the Journalism elective. English Teacher Ryan McCallum’s face lights up when talking about his new class.

“It’s a class I’ve been wanting to do for three years,” said McCallum. “A class that I’ve always wanted to take.”

With a focus on news media, students go beyond writing for the paper. Other subjects incorporated into the class include audio and video related projects, and web publishing.

“I really am excited because it is an opportunity for students to do what they like and are good at with other people who are as serious about it as they are,” said McCallum. “It’ll be in an environment of respect and trust.”

The dance program underwent a few changes. Intro to Dance remains an option, but Ballet Boot Camp does not. Dance I and II split into two separate types. Students can choose from Dance I and II: Tap & Jazz Technique, or Modern & Ballet Technique.

“The classes grow as people hear more about it,” said Dance Teacher Carla Bode. “Even the guys can take it. They can improve their dance skills, and meet girls at the same time.”

Many students express genuine gratefulness towards the school, with 65 percent of students ranking the course selection as eight or higher on a scale of one to ten.

“People take for granted all the classes this school offers, and shouldn’t complain as much as they do,” said Sophomore Meghan Novak. “I appreciate how many classes they offer to us. It allows us to excel in any certain area we want, and I think it’s great.”

Band director Lee Kjesbo has been named The Music Educator of the Year in Minnesota. He will receive his award at the ceremony in Minneapolis on February 16, 2007. He was nominated by various staff members to get this award.

Kjesbo has been a teacher at Buffalo High School for 35 years. He is greatly appreciated by the students and staff members for the good work and effort he puts into his teaching.

“I’ve never seen a teacher that puts that much effort into helping us as he does,” said Senior Zach Triplett. “He makes learning so much easier and is very helpful to us.”

“Mr. Kjesbo is very passionate about his teaching” said Principal Nick Miller. “He has dedicated a lot of his time. He is a leader to his students. Some have become band directors as well.”

Not only does he put all his effort into helping his students but he also helps the district music teachers with their teaching and directing.

“Mr. Kjesbo has set up a gathering for all the new Wright County band directors to get to know each other,” said Music Teacher Scott Rabehl. “The reason for the gathering is so that the new band directors will feel welcome and know that they have someone to go to for help and for teaching advise.“

Kjesbo said he feels very fortunate to be able to teach in Buffalo.

“My co-teachers and the BHS music department make my day fun I truly enjoy teaching with them,” said Kjesbo

Kjesbo likes working in a district were he can have fun and also teach at the same time.

“I want to thank the people who nominated me; also, thanks to district 877 for supporting my teaching years and also to the band students who have fi lled my band room and make teaching music so much fun,” said Kjesbo

On Tuesday, January 30, students and teachers took part in the fi rst whole-school lockdown of the year. The lockdown represents a change in philosophy about how the police and school will handle an “active shooter” situation.

Under the new procedures, teachers have less to do and the local police play a larger role in quickly securing the school and neutraliz- ing any shooters within the fi rst few minutes of a situation.

While most staff members saw this as a successful lockdown, some students questioned the effetivness of the procedure. “I didn’t think it was very effective because I was in a small room and I could see perfectly out the window,” said Sophomore Kevin Larson.

Laws have changed requiring schools to do fi ve lockdowns each year. The lockdown plan has changed since the school’s fi rst one. Now, all classroom doors are locked, but the pod doors into the hallway are unlocked so police can get to the classrooms faster.

“At this time we are working to try and fi nd what works best,” said Assistant Principal Rick Toso. “This is only stage one.”

The Buffalo Police Department and school offi cials will continue to work together to make the procedure more effective.

Staff and students of district 877 are feeling the effects of the new policy passed this summer by the District Transportation Committee (DTC).

It states that “notes from par- ents” are to no longer be accepted by bus drivers.

Students must have a signed per- mission slip from the school princi- pal, and they are only to be used in emergencies.

“There was so much switching and getting on different buses that it overwhelmed the bus drivers and turned into a safety hazard when it came to elementary kids,” said Principal Nick Miller. “But when it came to things like Homecoming week and students that didn’t drive and lived out of town wanted to get ready at friends houses, we weren’t sure what to do.”

The proposal of possibly having three different policies, one for each level of education, came up at one of the DTC meetings but it was de- termined too complicated to actually carry out.

“I think that they should have three different policies,” said Senior Kate Dehmer.

“Elementary kids should have principal permission, along with something similar for middle school, but I think that high school kids can make the call for themselves.”

The student awareness of this new rule is still very low at this time and faculty is doing its best to get the word out. Efforts have been made to alter the policy, but at this time it will remain the same for at least the rest of this school year.

The stolen mouth pieces from the band depart- ment have been found or replaced. There were a total of four mouthpieces missing. All of the instruments from which the mouthpieces were stolen were school owned instruments.

“For the longest time we thought Rabehl was playing a joke on us because he has been known to take kids instrument’s if left out,” said Senior Elias Krumholz. “When the concert rolled around we all kind of gave up and they ordered us new ones.”

Until the new mouthpieces came in, students shared with others. Each new mouthpiece cost around fifty to sixty dollars to purchase.

“Since they couldn’t find my mouthpiece I ended up getting a new one, but it isn’t as good as my other one,” said Krumholz.

At the beginning of the year band students are given lockers and keys to put their instruments in through- out the year. When locked, the lockers should keep their instrument safe from being taken. Band director Scott Rabehl said he has told students count- less times to lock their lockers so theft doesn’t oc- cur.

On February 25, drum line hosts its fi rst invitational in the main gym at 9:00 a.m. The team has held several weeks of practice and participated in two previous competitions to perfect their performance. In their home gym backed by parents and friends, the team will face a panel of judges who will give constructive criticism regarding the performance--watching for the slightest break in attention as the team marches in sync to the beat set by their own instruments.

“We do a lot of marching and standing at attention,” Said Sophomore Benjamin Stevens, “and the drums (which are about 25 pounds) start feeling pretty heavy after awhile. We joke that soon our back abs are going be stronger than our front abs. But that feeling after a [competition]--after you‛ve put in 30 or 40 hours of practicing straight marching--there‛s a sense of pride because you made it through those six minutes.”

“This is my fi rst year in drum line,” said Sophomore Faith Sandberg. “I thought it‛d be a little intimidating, but it‛s a pretty fun group. Once when we were practicing the box drill, I was marching backwards and I tripped over a cymbal and fell over: bass drum and all. But they made sure I was okay before they started laughing. Our practices are fun, but at the same time we know when to get serious.”

“In drum line, there‛s a lot more moving and its more choreographed than marching band. The hardest part is moving with your instrument, because you have to look like you‛re not working very hard. Drum line‛s a lot of work but its also a lot of fun,” said Senior Derek Magee. “We‛ve got all ages and different levels of experience this year, but we‛ve put things together faster this year, so I think it‛ll be a solid show.”

In kindergarten students believe that the opposite sex has cooties. But after hormones strike, they start to develop interest around the time that they enter into middle school. Once in high school more sparks begin to fly and pretty soon couples are flooding the hallways. Seventy-nine percent of students polled were allowed to date before the age of 16. And of those 79%, 74% have had less than five relationships.

Counselor Kristen Lane believes students date in high school because it’s natural. In teenage years they start building foundations for future relationships.

Attraction is vital when developing a relationship. People have certain qualities that they are looking for when they begin the selective process of finding a dating partner.

“He has to be cute,” said Senior Kelsey Finnvik. “He can’t smoke, has to be respectful, and must get along with my dad.”

Once in a relationship, couples realize that maintaining the balance of the relationship isn’t always easy. They experience ups and downs, and inevitably those bumps in the road can be the explosion needed to destroy the relationship.

“Over the course of a year I see around 80 to 100 students that need help solving problems in their relationships,” said Lane. “Sometimes a partner feels that they are not able to communicate and they want to express how they feel; but they are unsure of how to go about it. In order for couples to maintain healthy relationships, they need to communicate, listen to each other, and still remember to be their own person while in the relationship.”

Age is also a factor in the outcome of the relationship. Dating someone who is a different age can have both pros and cons.

“Dating older can be positive because the couple can balance each other out,” said Lane. “But they may also have different friend groups that do not mesh, and they will graduate in different years.”

“The con with dating younger can be that you will always have to pick your date up,” said Finnvik. “Because they won’t have their license when you want to go on a date.”

There are differences in dating today compared to dating at an older age.

“Individuals are more settled in who they are when they get older,” said Lane. “They are able to look at different qualities of what they want in a relationship, and there is a big maturity growth.”

Many students feel that a relationship lasting over three months is a long time, while others feel that it’s average. Others feel that a couple that has dated for over a year has been together a long time.

But when graduation time rolls around, the question of whether or not a couple will stay together results in mixed feelings. Some students believe that the relationship can and will last, while others remain doubtful.

“It won’t work if the couple doesn’t follow each other and grow together,” said Lane. “Times have changed, and people go in different directions. It ends up making the relationship more difficult to maintain.”

“Sometimes they do and sometimes they don’t,” said Senior Heather Kachel. “People change and grow, sometimes together and sometimes apart.”

“So one time in middle school I really liked this guy, for about a week. You know how middle school relationships are. I asked him out, and he said yes. About six hours later, he dumped me online. I was not expecting that. I was so flipping mad that I didn’t talk to him for a few months.” Sophomore Lauren Luffey

“I had a thing with this chick for about a month. We were really hitting it off. She didn’t live in town, but came every two weekends to visit. The weekend closest to Valentines Day, I had a massive plan to ask her out when she came over. I was going to take whipped cream and put “will you go out with me?” across my torso. When the whipped cream didn’t work because it kept falling off, I thought about using ketchup or mustard. Then I remembered that that’s disgusting. I took cake frosting and used that instead. I prepared everything; I made a spaghetti dinner, got her flowers, I did everything. I called her and told her to walk in. I was lying on the couch so she could see me and so she could read my torso right away. She was all happy and screamed. She said yes, so I gave her the flowers and we ate dinner. After dinner, I got out my guitar and played a song that I wrote for her. It ended up being expensive, but it was worth seeing the joy in her eyes.” Junior Brendan Brophy

“My boyfriend of three months dumped me a couple days before Valentine’s and was dating a different girl by the day of Valentine’s. It was totally unexpected. I was shocked, heart-broken, and dateless on Valentine’s.” Junior Abby Johnson

“I was at work night for yearbook and someone told me I had a note on the board. The note said to go look for a certain card at Cub Foods. I thought that it might be someone I know that works there, but when I asked if anyone there knew who wrote the note for me, no one did. When I found the card, it had another note in it telling me to go to Applebee’s and ask the hostess “how’s the pasta?” When I did that, she gave me another note telling me to go to Country Inn and ask if they have a hot tub. Then, they gave me one that said “go home.” I got home and my mom told me to go downstairs through the porch. We have a spiral staircase that goes down to our deck and on every other step, there was a little candle. On the floor of the deck, it said “Date me?” written in candles.” Junior Chelsey Trogstad

February 14th is Valentine’s Day. On this day people around the world show their love for one another by giving fl owers, cards, and chocolate. Students will come to school and fi nd candy hearts and couples showing their love for one another.

“Valentine’s Day is a day to tell the special people in your life how much they mean to you,” said Senior Calleigh Brown. “Kids here think it’s a really big deal, but what else do we have to get excited about at this age?”

“Paper hearts, cupid, candy hearts, and love. That’s all I think about when I hear the words Valentines Day,” said Freshman Kira Abbot. “It’s my favourite holiday; you should spend it with the people you love.”

“I’d have to say that some boy swept some girl off her feet enough for them to start a day of pure love,” said Freshman Chris Zumach.

In elementary school, a Valentine’s card box would be made and a whole day would be dedicated to making crafts, eating candy, watching movies, and opening up the Valentines.

“Now that we are in high school we don’t spend hours decorating shoe boxes,” said Sophomore Eddie Pena. “It’s basically the same as any other day except with some decorations; although, it’s always one of the best days ever. Just because everybody is always happy and nice. It’s cool.”

Everyday, student couples show their love for one another.

“On Valentine’s Day, you see three times as much PDA as you normally do,” said Zumach.

Whether in a relationship or single for Valentine’s Day, there’s always someone by you’re side to share that day with you. Friends, family, or that special someone.

“Either way it’s more fun in a relationship, but it is defi nitely not required as long as you have your friends,” said Brown.

About one billion cards and over fi fty million roses are sold each year worldwide on Valentine’s Day. Seventy-three percent of people who buy fl owers are men, while 27 percent are women.

“My most memorable Valentines Day is when I was in second grade. I forgot I had chocolate in my back pack, it melted,” said Junior Alex Johnson.

“Back in 10th grade I was dating this chick for a week and we went to one of our friends’ house. I wanted to take her outside for a walk and just talk and then kiss her, but she broke up with me. It sucked because I liked her a lot.”

“I had a girlfriend from out of town. We met through a friend. At first we did that whole thing where we looked at each other a lot. Then I fi nally worked up the courage to ask her out. We did a lot of fun things together like going to movies, and clubs. But her birthday was coming up and I had no idea what to get her. But then after some thought I decided to basically get her everything I’ve gotten for my ex girlfriends; earrings, necklace, chocolate and a dozen roses. We made dinner plans and the night before her birthday. But then she called me and told me she had cheated on me. I was devastated, so I ate the chocolate.”

To Whom It May Concern and the Hoofprint Journalism Staff: When fashion magazines are constantly showing young women barely dressed with so little weight that you can see their bones under their skin, how are we supposed to inter- pret that? Anna Frenette in the last edition of The Hoofprint said in her article “Striving to be Skinny” that this is a posi- tive infl uence, and that it makes women want to strive to reach lower weight goals. I on the other hand see it in a totally different light. When girls are constantly being submitted to im- ges of females who are on the covers of the magazines that we read, it affects our ways of thinking. We look up to them as role models, if they’re in magazines for the way they look, we think, why shouldn’t I look that way? A model’s average Body Mass Index (BMI) is 16. The range that any healthy female should be in is between 18.5 and 24.9. That is the range where you will be least likely to get sick or die. Just this past fall, a Brazilian model starved herself to 88 pounds and died of anorexia, she was only 23 years old. Models are entirely too thin to be representing America. It does an injustice to the women of our country to say that this is what we stand for; eating disorders, so that we can look like we’re wasting away. Spain has made it a requirement for their mod- els to have a minimum BMI of 18. They fi gured out that the infl uence the models have on young girls’ perception of fashion and ideal bodies is not what they want for the women of their country. They’re aiming for healthier-look- ing models and getting away from the sickening stick thin look. The unhealthy image and what its giving to the public is a national health risk. It is promoting thinness, and young women don’t always know how to go about losing weight. They develop an eating disorder, or over-exercise. They might form their own diet, or choose one that is not right for them. Girls our age don’t exactly know how much is enough. They look at themselves in the mirror and see that they’re bigger than the women they see on TV and maga- zines, therefore they think they need to lose weight. It is a very unhealthy and dangerous process. The ideal woman back in former times was a re- spectable woman who had curves and skin on her body. It was not some overly thin girl who starved herself and had no curves because she weighed so little. Yes, obesity is a major problem, and yes, it’s growing at a quick rate, but the girl who develops a disorder of some sort to lose weight isn’t helping herself anymore than if she were over- weight. If a girl feels that she needs to do something about her weight, she should consult her doctor. A doctor will tell you what you should weigh and how to go about doing it. Women’s plus size markets make up a large part of clothing sales, but plus sizes are not the same as they used to be in the past. Plus sizes used to start higher than they do now. So by lowering the size they start at, there’s going to be a larger amount of females that are going to have to shop in plus sizes. Historically, it is written that the Saint Peter said this about our appearance: “Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God. This is how the holy women of old made themselves beautiful.” Why not try to be like the women of older times, not con- suming our minds with the concerns of our outward appear- ance and wasting ourselves away by trying to become thin enough to meet society’s standards. If I were to look up to someone, it would not be a model. I don’t even bother to try to keep up with what’s go- ing on in the lives of the rich and the famous, why would I care to have a fashion model as my role model? If I were to want someone to look up to, to help me reach lower weight goals; I would choose someone who is in good physical condition, someone who is fi t and not starving herself to lose weight. The media plays a big part in infl uencing the teen- age girls of America. TV, newspapers, magazines, and movies are all examples of infl uential media. By the time girls are at the age to read fashion magazines, they should be old enough and wise enough to know how to handle the pictures and the articles. They should know that the pictures may be altered, and that even if they’re not, it is not even remotely healthy to be that skinny. They should know how to take care of themselves, and yet, it is proven over and over again when girls are treated for eating disorders. One in three girls have an eating disorder. Why do you think that is? Is it because their parents or friends are telling them not to eat? Sometimes yes. But most of the time, it’s because the media is claiming that girls need to look a certain way and be a certain weight. They are telling us that were all supposed to look alike, when in reality, no two women are alike and our differences and unique characteristics are what make us special and stand out. If the fashion magazines are what’s hurting us, why not hurt them? I know this is highly unlikely to happen, but would it be wonderful if we could make a difference in what we read and see? Why not stop supporting them by not purchasing their magazines and hit ‘em where it hurts? It would show that we are about what we read and see, and we don’t want to see women who are starving themselves and hear about the trash that they put in the articles. To have a positive effect on what the media portrays to us would be an amazing feat, because right now, it is defi nitely not a posi- tive infl uence. So obesity, weight loss, and the way the media af- fects us are all problems that we need to deal with. If the models started having realistic weights, and people were healthier, and we could somehow infl uence the media to stop presenting trash to us, it would make life a whole lot easier. So, what are we going to do about it? Take a stand in your opinion and express your thoughts and help make this a better place for the women of the next generation to grow up in.

As Principal Nick Miller announces his retirement, students should remember to thank him for all the hard work and dedication that he has shown over the last 22 years.

When Miller came into his job, the high school had a discipline problem. Instead of punishing the whole school for the actions of a small number of students, he stressed the importance of building a relationship, not only with the staff, but also with the students. He chose to enforce the rules that protect the safety of students, but not the rules that serve no other purpose than to impose limitations.

The relationships he builds with staff and students exceeds the expectations placed on most principals because it takes extra time and effort that most aren’t willing to take. Miller is a fixture at all school events. Whether it’s the Fall Play, the Variety Show or a football game, Miller can be found showing his support.

In the course of the Hoofprint’s history, Miller has never censored an article in this newspaper, even ones that go against his policies. He has never turned a reporter away from his office, often spending over an hour with them, answering every question completely and honestly. His belief in the paper goes beyond the support he shows it in the morning announcements.

For that, the Hoofprint staff would like to thank Miller in trusting our judgment in the content that we publish. Despite our criticism about administration, Miller was the ideal principal for our school and for this publication.

The search for a new principal will begin shortly. The Hoofprint staff encourages the school board to look for a candidate who leads in the same way that Miller has over his tenure at this school. The only way to pick a principal that is right for the entire school is to create a focus group of students that is a part of the process of choosing the next principal. With this, the students will feel obligated to pick someone they feel treats them and understands them like Miller does.

Even though the rest of the school year will be spent searching for a new principal, students should not forget to thank Miller for his dedication and hard work. The Hoofprint staff would like to wish Miller the best of luck after his departure and to thank him the tremendous gifts he has given BHS through his dedication and respect over the past 22 years.

A five-year-old asks her Mom for a Barbie doll. Her Mom says “no”, and the little girl throws a tantrum. She starts yelling, screaming, crying and jumping up and down. After about 5 minutes of her Mom trying to calm her down and saying “no you don’t need it,” she fi nally gives in and says “oh alright, I’ll get it for you.” Immediately, the girl stops crying.

I know I am guilty myself of asking for things I really don’t need and could live without like everyone else. In reality we don’t know how good we have it. If the superficial items we ‘re buying were taken away from us, would it really change our lives? If you lost your Prada purse would your life lose its meaning? No. We don’t realize that in a blink of an eye we could lose everything just like that.

Recently, my Aunt, Uncle, and cousins had a fi re unexpectedly burn their rental house that they were living in on Lake Minnetonka. They were left with nothing but the clothes they had on that morning when they were trying to get out. My Aunt lost a $500,000 book collection. That didn’t affect her as much as all the baby pictures she lost, all the clothes they had, and all their furniture and electronics that they lost.

People don’t realize how well we have it. Most people have a house or trailer home to live in and one or both parents to live with, where as others are left with nothing, no house, no family....nothing. Or maybe they have a house with a loving family but aren’t quite as fi nancially stable as others so they may not be able to afford a new outfit once a month or twice a month like most people may be able too.

So next time you think you need that cute outfit at Hollister or those shoes at Journeys or a new snowboard at the Youth Shelter Supply, just think, do you really need it? Or do you want it because you think you need it? Because some people would kill to be able to have something half as nice as what you’re about to get.

Hi, I’m Oily Face, and I’ll be your U State tour guide today! How’s everyone doing? That’s great. So, today we’re going to take a look around campus and see the wonderful environment here at U State.

Okay, on your right we have the dining hall. We dine here. Uh, yeah-and as we continue down Dead White Guy Avenue we’re going to see the French Silver Grass lining the sidewalk here imported from, like, Europe.

Funny story about that actually. When U State’s fi rst Dean, Carl Johnson, came here to what would become the U State campus during the revolution, he stole the grass seeds from a British Artilleryman. So when he got a grant from the state to build the college here, he had his slaves start by planting the silver grass, and the rest of the campus was built around it. Like the grass, students are at the heart of a U State education.

On your left, you see his name is on the library building, Johnson Hall. What was that? Oh yeah, all the banners and stuff--they’re planning a celebration here later tonight. New campus record: 5 hours pot-free. Going to be fun. Anyway, so yeah, Johnson Hall is where you get your books.

At the right here is the Student Health Center. That’s for if you’re sick or something. We’re going to be taking a right now onto Dead White Guy Parkway to go see the dorms. Up ahead is the Office of Admissions. But don’t be afraid--everyone who bribes gets in. No, no, no, just a little U State inside joke. The head of admissions is Steven Johnson. You can see his parking spot right there, and to the left of that is his freshman mistress’ parking spot.

Over here is the Johnson Multicultural Learning Center. Part of our commitment to diversity. I don’t know exactly. I don’t think a lot of kids actually go there.

Anyway, so here we have Johnson Dorm, named after our second Dean, Charles Johnson. Oh, watch out there. Yeah, sorry folks--gotta walk around the keg. Oh no, I’m sorry. Don’t worry. Happens all the time.

Oh, that’s my phone. I have to answer this, sorry. What? No I didn’t. What do you mean she saw us? I never even talked to that girl. I swear. Well Jaimee’s full of crap. No, I would never do that to you. You know I’ve never done that. Well, yeah, but I was in a very vulnerable position then.

Hey guys look, I actually have to go now. Yeah, so... you’ve pretty much been around, seen everything. U State’s a great place. Just go around back to Dead White Guy Boulevard. There’s a bus there. Bussing is how we get around campus, part of our commitment to a green future. And, uh, bye.

In the bitter air of the ice rink, two opponents face each other as the puck drops. While both struggle to gain con- trol of the puck, one opponent “hooks,” or snags the other’s stick, and receives a penalty for the action.

In the past, referees may have overlooked this type of call, but this season’s new emphasis on rules eliminates con- troversial actions like hooking.

“Almost any physical play is a penalty even when go- ing for the puck,” said Freshman Francie Varner. “Players are just worried about taking a person off the puck.”

The crackdown on the rules isn’t the only difference on the ice this year. Other changes include Ray Dahlof, the new girls varsity hockey coach.

“He is smart and has a lot of good ideas,” said Junior and Captain Mikayla Mahoney. “Our skill level is not up to par for what he wants us to do, though.”

Other players agree.

“He just came from 10 years of coaching boys hockey,” said Sophomore Brianna Wachter. “It’s a big jump from boys hockey to girls hockey, and I think he’s still getting used to us.”

The varsity team also works with several new players in attempt to strengthen the team.

“There are a lot of girls that are young and inexperi- enced on the team this year,” said Mahony, “but we don’t have big shots, and we get along without drama.”

Players also had views on the weaker side of their over- all playing.

“We’re not very good at handling the puck,” said Wachter. “We’ve also gotten a lot of penalties. Some of the girls get frustrated and it gets taken out on the other team.”

Although a few athletes lack in experience, strengths present themselves among the weaknesses.

“We have pretty good team speed and goal defending,” said Dahlof. “The girls want to get along and work well to- gether.”

Despite all of the changes, the team has high hopes for the rest of the season.

“One of our goals is to win the Mississippi 8 Confer- ence,” said Dahlof. “We also want to get to the fi nal four teams which will take us to the semi-fi nals.”

With both ambitions still in the making, achieving the win of the Mississippi 8 Conference is daunting to some.

“After losing to Cambridge and St. Michael, I don’t think our chances are that good,” said Wachter.

However, the girls will continue to try their best throughout the rest of the season.

“We defi nitely have to step it up,” said Var- ner, “but I think we can do it.”

In their third offi cial year, the Buffalo Dance Team has taken on a new identity.

Under the leadership of new coaches Lyssa Lovejoy and Tara Bickerstaff, the BDT have become the “Show- Stoppers.”

“I knew the team needed a coach,” said Bickerstaff. “I wanted them to be successful, and I knew that I had the ex- perience to help them.”

The ShowStoppers are hard at work trying to improve at every competition. The team practices Mondays, Tues- days, and Thursdays from 2:45 to 4:45 unless they have a competition, in which case they shift to all-week practices. The practices consist of conditioning, stretching, and drill- ing of the routines.

Prior to each competition Lovejoy and Bickerstaff hold tryouts. They look for execution of the routine, timeliness, symmetry, and the energy needed to perform.

Girls who don’t fulfi ll the requirements are cut and not allowed to dance at the next competition.

The ShowStoppers are performing two routines this year: Jazz Funk and High Kick. Both were choreographed by the team and fi nalized with a vote.

“Jazz Funk has different skills like turns and leaps,” said Junior Jenny Personette. “High Kick is more about precision, height, lines, kicks, formations, and basic togeth- erness.”

Besides competing, the ShowStoppers also perform during the Varsity Boy’s Basketball half times.

“The competitions are way more intense,” said Sen- ior Captain Katrina Cordes. “At half time, you have your friends there and you’re not being critiqued. Students don’t know what to pick at because they are not professional judg- es. Even if we screw up, the students still think it’s cool.”

The school’s support of the dance team has been im- proving every year. The team hopes to gain more respect and support in the future.

“The support from the school is getting way better,” said Junior Captain Paige Brummer. “Finally the school is discovering that we work hard and actually are a sport.”

But some students are still on the fence when it comes to the dance team.

“I like the girls on the team but not the dancing,” said Junior Caitlin Werder.

“Their moves are too stiff, not my type of dancing, and the costumes are ugly.”

Even with the criticism from their peers, the team puts aside their personal issues for the benefit of team.

“We all get along,” said Junior Bobbie Weitzel. “We hold personal stuff back because we are a team. If we don’t like somebody we won’t say it.”

However, with every obstacle comes growth. The ShowStoppers have been very successful this season. They are currently ranked fourth out of seven teams in the con- ference, and they are determined to compete in sections on February 3.

“We want to do the best that we can do,” said Person- ette. “We want to improve from competition to competition. I fi gure that if we give it our all and don’t hold back, then we will have no regrets. Even if we don’t place, we’ll still be happy.”

Already, the ShowStoppers are planning ahead and set- ting goals for next season.

“The girls are going to be doing more conditioning,” said Lovejoy. “And every year the offi cial rules change so we all have to adapt; but we are also we hoping to have guys join the team.”

Lovejoy and Bickerstaff are pleased with the Show- Stoppers’ accomplishments so far this season.

“No matter how much we ride the girls, they all deserve to be here,” said Lovejoy and Bickerstaff. “We love them like our own kids. We are absolutely proud of them”

Arms tangled and locked together, bodies straining against the mat, both wrestlers concentrate on the task at hand, trying to out-maneuver one another and gain the upper-hand.

The boy’s wrestling squad has competed at 12 competitions so far this season. With each competition, Head Coach Paul Arens hopes to make new records and increase player’s scores for the season.

“Our goals for the year are to continuously improve,” said Arens, who teaches Physical Education at Buffalo Community Middle School. “We want to be ready for the end of the year and qualify as many individuals as possible to the state tournament.”

Besides the goal to improve the team with each meet, individual wrestlers set their own goals at the beginning of the season to obtain.

“Personally for me, I’d like to make State. That’d be a great accomplishment,” said Junior Carter Vogt. “But I also hope the team does well and ends with a decent record, too.”

Many wrestlers are often seen running around the track in the BAC or on the elliptical machine, wearing layer upon layer of clothing. They’re “cutting weight”—trying to burn off those extra ounces or pounds so they can make their weight range. Wrestlers are required to maintain “Minimum Wrestling Weight” (MWW) of 7%-10% body fat.

“[Cutting weight] isn’t something I really like,” said Vogt. “I think it sucks. But I keep working out, and I keep watching what I eat. It’s just part of wrestling.”

Some wrestlers find it easier to stay within their designated weight range. They stick to pre-planned meals and follow an agenda when working out to keep from gaining extra weight.

“To be successful in wrestling, most people will have to cut some weight,” said Arens. “The biggest problem weight cutting causes in high school is that wrestlers don’t know how to correctly cut weight. We try to teach our wrestlers the importance of a diet that will allow them to lose weight but keep them able to compete at a high level. We win because we are in better shape than our opponent.”

The wrestling season is around 21 meets not including State. On average, that’s about two meets per week. Besides competitions, wrestlers practice two-and-a-half hours every day, with the occasional morning practice. These practices include live wrestling, weight lifting, and a lot of conditioning. The wrestlers, along with coaches, are quick to describe their season: intense.

“You just do what you need to do for the sport,” said Senior Ray Heinkel. “It’s mind over matter. You work hard even though you’re tired.”

Despite tiring workouts and exhausting practices, wrestlers still find time to lay back and enjoy time spent with each other.

“Meets are fun,” said Junior Daniel Maghrak. “Every time Brady Wagner wins, he comes off of the mat doing ‘Raise The Roof’. We goof off a little to try and relax.”

Humor aside, wrestlers stay serious about their sport and their training. They all hope to become successful in wrestling, and believe that wrestling will help them outside of the sports world as well.

“Winning is the best thing about wrestling,” said Heinkel. “Just knowing you managed to out-technique someone is a great feeling. But I’m learning all of these other different things and skills too, and they’ll help me be more knowledgeable in the future.”

Paging through the 07-08 registration guide on a quest to fit their schedule, students realize what influences the drive to sign up for a specific elective class.

“I didn’t have any other classes to take, and my mom didn’t want me to take an easy class,” said Senior Nicholette O’neill, “so I figured she’d be fine if I took Astronomy.”

Junior Michael Lundebrek said his older sister Ann helped him make up his mind.

“The classes I took this year were greatly influenced by my sister. For my science credit I chose chemistry and I’m taking physics next year.”

As some students followed their parent’s or sibling’s advice, other students took their classmates’ opinions into consideration.

“People said [Landscaping] was fun,” said Sophomore Rene Pylka, “it looked interesting.”

Discouraging opinions, or advice to not take a certain elective, would only be proven by students who registered and found out for themselves.

“My friends said not to take Journalism because they assumed there would be a ton of homework & writing to do,” said Sophomore Tom Polzine, “But really I get to write about what I want and get plenty of time to complete assignments.”

Other students enjoyed the class, but felt the teacher made the experience even better.

“I liked learning about stars and the universe [in Astronomy], said Junior Katrina Isch, but Cox makes it fun. He gets us involved.”

Deciding if the class could live up to students’ expectations was another factor in signing up for the following year.

“I knew we would talk about certain things in Teen Issues, said Senior Megan Kelly. “But I didn’t think we would go so far in depth. Each person has their own feelings and beliefs, so you get to learn more about people with a different perspective.”

The school offers a variety of electives while continuing to add to the list. But as students look through their registration guides, the brief descriptions might not give the class justice.

For English9, the registration guide states the following: This course is centered around process writing and multi-genre literature. The writing study focuses on the writing process and the creation of numerous five-paragraph essays..

However www.bhs.cc/think not only includes a more detailed, explanation, but also important projects, materials needed for class, ‘other information’ and a quote from an English9 teacher herself, Judy Jacobson. Teachers wrote and submitted the information for this site, also known as B.H.S. Wiki Project. A more clear, but more expensive route would entitle each course a full page of explanation. When students decide their class schedule, they do not use The Wiki as a resource. If they were to use it, a student would know what’s ahead of them, or what the class will emphasize on.

“For Novel, I use 7 of the 15 books I list in the course summary, said English Teacher and English Department Chairperson Joel Squadroni. “I change the ones I use every year, so looking at The Wiki could give the student a better idea of what’s ahead.”

However, Squadroni, as well as other numerous teachers feel that students rely on each others opinions instead of the course description.

“More kids take a class by reputation, then reading the course description,” said Squadroni.

A crowd stares as the hands twist and turn the 3x3x3 cube. The flurry of colors stops and there sits the solved puzzle, a dif- ferent color on each of its six sides. And someone invariably exclaims, “How do you do that?”

There are over 43 quintillion different possible confi gurations. Solving a cube by twisting and turning is not enough; simple as well as advanced algorithms are used to solve a Rubik’s cube. The cube was invent- ed by Erno Rubik in Budapest, Hungary in 1974. Originally called the Magic Cube, it was released in the U.S. in 1980.

“I was walking through Target, when I saw a Rubik’s cube and I’m like ‘Hey, I a l w a y s wanted t o learn how to do that.’ said Senior Andrew Burns, an avid cuber, “So I bought it and then got really frustrated and didn’t sleep that night, but I solved it.”

Though luck is involved, Cubers use al- gorithms, a series of rotations, that will lead to the solution. Algorithms also increase the speed in which a person can solve a cube. A cube today comes with an instruction man- ual that includes a basic algorithm. Memo- rizing an algorithm, and practicing continu- ously, helped Sophomore Tom Polzine to master the puzzle.

Competitions are held around the world for speed cubing. The fi rst world champi- onship was held in Budapest, Hungary on June 5th, 1982. The leading world record of 10.48 seconds is held by Toby Mao of the United S t a t e s .

Burns’ best time for cubing is at 34 sec- onds. The number of moves are important to cubers as well.

“Ideally it takes about 40 moves.” said Burns, “Zbigniew Zborowski of Poland can solve a cube in 28 moves.”

Erno Rubik set out to develop a three dimensional object that would continue to be one whole and which would be more of a mental challenge than any puzzle before it. Others have tried. Over 60 self-contained, 3D puzzles with various geometries and moving parts, came to market between 1981 and 1984. All of them derived from the orig- inal Rubik’s Cube.

“I cube because once I fi gured it out it’s just something I can do when I’m bored or watching TV. Plus it really impresses peo- ple,” said Senior Eli Krumholz.