The Hoofprint – June 2018

THE HOOFPRINT

Buffalo High School Buffalo, MN Issue 3 June 2018

Buffalo High School,

Everyday you get up, get dressed, eat breakfast, then go to school. At school, you attend one class after another. After school you may go to an extracurricular activity or head home to do homework, and on and on this cycle goes. The reason you care keep this schedule is because you put the life in the efforts to have a normal school experience. However the list is what the future is about. The purpose of Buffalo's staff is to explain the effort, students have at BHS rise with the immense passion, and goals that we get up in the morning.

To find this effort, we the Hoofprint first had to find out what people that were passionate about. On the corner, you would have noticed five Buffalo students who lined up their lockers. The lines lead to symbols, which represent their interests, and the lines represent the efforts it takes to reach them. Natural ability is not the only necessary component to being able to have success; however it is not enough to reach one's desire attempts. It is effort that someone puts into things that ultimately leads us to find success in our goals. That is why the choice to focus on in the effort, because the journey of reaching our successes is usually overlooked in our society.

As you go through this issue of the Hoofprint, you will see over themes of effort present is all of our stories.

In the walk out story, you will see the effort BHS did to address school safety in order to follow through with the commitment of having a safe environment for students. Another story is the effort put into fundraising, specifically what is needed to build a funding relationship and the work related to maintain it. One take for example the stories about music. Arts, theater, and extracurricularism remains and the determination and process that goes into them. Or the other note, our story about decreasing effort in Seniors as they prepare in the stereotypical senior slide brings a new perspective, where effort might be lacking to things outside the BHS environment.

With a community made of individuals with different values, the one thing that can connect us to each other is the effort we put into things that matter most to us. We the Hoofprint Staff, hope you are inspired by this issue to recognize your endeavors and keep striving higher in whatever is important to you.

"Continuous effort - not strength or intelligence - is the key to unlocking our potential."

- Winston Churchill

Ella Shuherk

Jack Oistad

BENJAMIN KIERNAN
"I made sure I got off my lazy butt and filled out the forms on time to get my senior pass. With my extra time, I usually hangout with my friends or get to work early. It's nice being able to get out of the parking lot fast."

MARCUS DURRE
"I don't have my pass because I abused my senior privileges by skipping Triple A before fourth quarter. To get my senior pass, I have to slug in Triple A for two full weeks. So far, I've been successful."

SOFIA NIKULA
"All I had to do was show up, on time through out my high school years. I usually just go home early with my pass. I'm glad I don't have to wait around anymore for Bison Time."

Everyone knows about the infamous “senior slide,” but what exactly causes the very senior’s really taking to maximize their high school experience?

Students see senioritis and up on a senior slide, many others take steps to avoid it. Kayce Lambert is a senior who is taking advanced placement and college-level classes to keep herself motivated.

“I’ve kept motivated because I want to go to college and having hard classes now will help me in college. If you work hard now you’ll have a lot of time to relax later,” said Kayce Lambert in an interview.

The senior slide can be avoided, and even if steps are taken to prevent it, sometimes the senior slide is inevitable.

“You’re senior before you plan to, don’t take the class like it’s all over you and you’re done. Just plan to be prepared for the rest of your life,” said an anonymous student.

As you go through high school the difficulty of your classes can change. Whether they get harder or easier depends on the person.

“I’m taking more easy classes just to relax for this last year. I’ve had a lot of classes that are GC in the past couple years so I’m just taking a easy this year,” said Susan Olbert.

Some students thought about the danger of your senior year, wanting to be informed. Most seniors have plans for what they want to do after high school, but hobbies help remind high schoolers can be scary.

“Graduation will hit you a lot sooner than you think it will. This entire school year has gone by so fast. It feels slow at first which does make the senior slide be so careful of that, and at least look at your grades because if you don’t you could miss things,” Hannah North ’18 said.

“Though graduation may seem to come sooner for some people, seniors would have preferred to graduate earlier. [Honestly, if you’re already finished up for your credits and have internships and you’re not paying any bills or support grades or early]. It gives you time to relax and figure out what you’re going to do for the rest of your life. [But there’s always that senioritis that hits you the hardest in the spring of your senior year. The longer you wait to get your life together the more you’re going to regret it later.”

“Graduation will hit you a lot sooner than you think it will. This entire school year has gone by so fast.”

- Hannah North

When entering High School, you are bombarded with a lot of decisions right away. But the biggest decision you have to make is how to balance it all and make the most of what the school can offer.
A lot of high school students play a sport or participate in other activities. But some students may focus more on their sport than their work due to outside the school.
“I plan on playing in college, and I work on academics just as hard as I do on sports. I feel I like to work much more dedicated to sports,” Logan Geissinger said.
According to Universities.com, 55% of students in High School play a sport. The whole idea of playing a sport is High School is to support academies first and then have fun and be a part of a team. But most players say that above all everything sports comes first.
“I’ve been in the same people might be putting sports first, but I do think that school is what might be more important to be as important as sports.
Some people may only care about athletics in sports in needs to work hard to make sure that they achieve academics. Someone who may do well in school but can be great in a sport might focus more on the sport because it clicks to them.
“I personally think that students are concentrating on sports more so than academics,” Jayden Viera said. “While I do agree that sports have their benefits, I also think the way students are neglecting their grades makes it so there are more cuts than those things.”
Even though there are people that may focus on sports, there are also people that don’t participate in other activities so they can be fully attending the school work. While this is a good way to focus on sports in life, it is still a major opportunity. Activities can lead to social time you might get not in other students.
“Sports can bring a lot of valuable friends into your life, as well as good life lessons, such as teamwork and working hard. I think sports and academics should be taken in equal moderation, as focusing on one can bring both positives and negatives,” Viera said.
Everyone has something they like to focus on. But the best way to do it is to make sure you don't lose control of your grades, and try to take active in your community and participate with others.

AVID students going through high school, many students’ goals in the graduation and admittance of their choice. Most high school districts don’t teach you the organization skills and proper preparation of how to be successful in high school, and essentially college, but the AVID elective program does.

AVID is a 9-12 class that is offered at Buffalo High School that helps students to be college-focused learning and preparing for more in their futures. AVID teachers help students with organizational skills, preparing for college essays, study skills, and the application process for colleges. AVID’s mission is to prepare students for college and careers by providing them with strategies that lead to success.

AVID students at Buffalo are taught various skills to help in their journey to college. The course includes note-taking strategies, time management, organization, study groups and tutorial sessions. The AVID classroom also contains a college and career board with information and deadlines to help students stay on track during the college application process.

“We don’t really know what it is, but it’s for anyone if you’re struggling in a certain area, and it will definitely help you with note taking and organization,” said Melanie Dumas.

AVID meetings are held once a week during the school day. The focus for AVID is to make students more ready and organized for their future. AVID also focuses on college readiness and acceptance and how to go through the process of applying.

AVID students have guest speakers come in to talk about college life and experiences as well as representatives from different colleges and universities to help students understand their options. The program also helps students with scholarship searches, application essays, and preparing for standardized tests.

Students in AVID are encouraged to take advanced classes and participate in extracurricular activities to enhance their college applications. The emphasis is on building the skills and confidence needed to succeed after high school.

“AVID prepares students for becoming a better student and not just in the classroom but also outside of it,” said a student AVID leader.

AVID at Buffalo continues to work with students in preparing for their futures by giving them the tools and support needed to pursue higher education and career goals.

When entering High School, you are bombarded with a lot of decisions right away. But the biggest decision you have to make is how to balance it all and make the most of what the school can offer.
A lot of high school students play a sport or participate in other activities. But some students may focus more on their sport than their academics by the time they reach school.
"I plan on playing in college, and I work on academics just as hard as I do on my sports," said Lila Lynn an incoming senior about her viewpoints. "Some teammates feel like sports will take away their focus and grades. I think the key is to have a strong balance."
According to Lorna Somerset, 55 of students in High School play a sport. The whole idea of juggling a sport in High School is to put your academics first and then have sports be a separate part of your life. But sports may be taking their own priority.
"If you think that some people might be putting sports first, just focus on school. You will get time to have the sports," said Ms. Somerset.
Some people may worry about their ability in sports to be more than just average but still have good grades. Someone who may do well in school but can do great in a sport might focus more on the sport because it clicks in them.
"I personally think that students are concentrating on sports more so than academics," Jayden Vierra said. "While I do agree that sports have its benefits, I also think that a very students are neglecting their grades make it to where the more down the road."
Even though there are people that may focus on sports, there are also people that don't participate in other activities so they can be fully active during the school week. While this is a good way to have more opportunities, it is also a reason why many students can be left to not do well in school because of their dedication to sports. "Sports can bring a lot of valuable things into your life, as well as good time management, a focus on health and work ethic. A kid can do most of these things when time is devoted to academics as well," Ms. Somerset said.
Sports and academics should be taken in equal consideration as sports can be something they do for enjoyment and for the better way to see if it is to make sure you don't lose control of your grades.
In order to stay active in your community and participate with others.

08 HOOFPRINT

BE PROUD

MODEL BEHAVIOR

WORK HARD

Doing What's Best for Kids

When thinking about school, the first thing that comes to minds is ‘what should be changed in the school.’ The different memories like school days in other to ensure the well being of students often goes unnoticed. These programs can be called Admin’s Cure, and are all intergral to the success of a school. One of the most recent programs is to respond to school wide issues at WHS in a part of AVID, and it is something that teachers use in order to increase their practices in their classroom.

“One of the programs that we have been incorporating is the AVID program and AVID Electives, which is an acronym that stands for Writing, Inquiry, Collaboration, Organization, and Reading,” said Mrs. Bowman.

Mrs. Bowman is a math teacher that, like all teachers in the building, incorporates the WICOR strategy into her teaching.

“I try to look at the different aspects of the WICOR strategy; to insure that our students have the opportunity to do inquiry and look at problems and investigations in mathematics and applications before we implement them and provide them with methods,” said Mrs. Bowman. “We try to give as much opportunity as we can for students to develop their own understandings.”

A similar program to AVID is the Arts Magnet program. Both programs give a level of consistency to kids who learn in ways different than they traditionally methods used.

“The intent for the AVID program, as well as the Arts Magnet program, is the idea of creating a situation where we don’t miss any kids,” said Mrs. Mischke.

Kids who are in the Arts Magnet program learn through artistic inquiry. Mrs. Johnson is an Arts Magnet teacher who teaches the general biology and the arts infused personal biology courses.

“The program provides Arts Magnet students a community of peers who understand how their brain works and how their creative process works,” said Mrs. Johnson. “They grow with those people and they help each other out. It doesn’t feel like we’re lost if we’re the only ones that feel that way or one of three.”

The Arts Magnet program gives students an opportunity to learn and excel in a path that is not often offered in most high schools.

“The ones the Arts Magnet kids can try general biology class, those kids do well. They’re just bored. They don’t find the work as valuable as it would be in the Arts Magnet classes,” said Mrs. Johnson.

AVID and the Arts Magnet programs are two programs that help to offer a range of beifits, and community in a large school, and both are considered forms of Admin’s Cure.

The spring survey is also a form of Admin’s Cure, where the administration collects data from students. The data goes through many people and is evaluated thoroughly.

“One of the data has been collected through their student survey is the first group to take a look at the new data in the BLT, or the Building Leadership Team. They are the first ones to gather that data and look at every single avenue. Once they get all of that mapped out, they put the emphasis on where there’s been growth and where there are red flags,” said Mrs. Eds. “They are the first ones to see how things have changed since the last time students were surveyed.”

Changes are made to the school in order to satisfy the results of the survey. One of the more recent changes is the integration of the four school moots.

“We’ve been emphasizing model behavior, work hard, be nice, be proud. Those four pillars are the ones we have had a lot more consistency,” said Mrs. Eds.

That language across the last several years has resonate with our students,” said ED. “I don’t know of the school that is able to see students want to show tolerance towards each or at least one of those four qualities.”

The student survey sets Buffalo apart in the way that the administration looks at and evaluates the school and gain a better understanding of students needs.

A lot of schools don’t have goals like Buffalo’s. Set goals, they have goals for ACT scores, MAP scores, and graduation rates, which are important. But and part of our whole goals are to teach our perception of our whole school. We hope our students are proud of the school environment and content. Whitmore, Mr. Edwards and Artman’s Class, and Mrs. Mischke, have all pursued a form of Admin’s Cure to better the culture and the environment in our school.

“There are all forms of things to help our students feel like they matter and can make a difference,” said Principal Mark Mischke. “I ask every single one of the teachers if they want kids to like them, and I want them to says yes. Not because I want them to be friends with the students, but you do learn better from people that you like.”

Principal Mark Mischke

Many actions are taken in order to make Buffalo High School students feel like their opinions and voices matter and make change throughout the school. Admin’s Cure helps to ensure that all students and faculty throughout.

Finding your passions can be a difficult process for some.
However, that was not the case for Audrey Gregory ’19, a BHS junior who found her passion quickly.
"It started with an interest in small things, and then it turned into a love for details," Gregory said. "I was always drawn to the way light would hit a surface or the little textures in everyday objects. When I finally picked up a camera, it felt natural. It was like I could capture what I saw in a way that words couldn't."
Gregory described how photography allows her to explore the world and express herself.
"Photography is my way of making sense of the world around me," she said. "It’s a form of storytelling without words. Every photo is a moment I get to hold onto."
Some students found their passions through family influence.
"My dad taught me how to build things when I was little," said Ben Matthews ’20. "I started making small projects with him, and it developed into a real interest in engineering and design. Now I spend a lot of my free time working on robotics and building prototypes."
Others discovered their passions later in life.
"I didn’t start acting until high school," said Lauren Patel ’18. "I was always shy, but a friend convinced me to try out for the school play. I was terrified, but once I stepped on that stage, something clicked. I felt alive. Acting has given me confidence I never knew I had."
Students also spoke about passion as a form of escape and personal growth.
"For me, music is everything," said Carlos Rivera ’19. "Playing guitar helps me forget about stress and focus on something I love. It's therapeutic."
Faculty members noted the importance of supporting student passions.
"Encouraging students to pursue what they love is crucial," said Ms. Thompson, a BHS teacher. "When students are engaged in something they're passionate about, they perform better academically and emotionally."
The article concluded by emphasizing that passions can change and evolve over time.
"It’s okay if your passion changes," Gregory said. "As long as you keep exploring and trying new things, you’ll find what makes you feel alive."

On March 26th, students walked into Buffalo High School at the beginning of the week, expecting nothing out of the ordinary, nothing other than a replication of every other school day. Little did they know the lockers, classrooms, and hallways were to be filled with color and positive phrases.
It was unknown when students walked into the school exactly who the creators were and why they did it. No student stepped up to announce responsibilities and explain who had been posting or where to. The anonymous person who stood behind Post-It notes mystery.
Junior Danielle Bottiger spent a night at school earlier this month counting every locker and classroom in the school, making sure to not miss a single door. In hopes of carrying out a plan that would spread positivity and make friends week a little better, she worked one night with the accidental wonder a little over thirty friends, juniors, and a lot of supplies. Juniors Lauren Smith, Elizabeth Martinez, Megan Reins, Anastasia Hensel, Sam Paschal, Madeline Hill, Emma Hill, Anna Elser, Collins Knox, Mackenzie Wondra, and Mackenzie Fladung assisted Bottiger in her undertaking. In total 2,000 colored Post-It notes were able to be organized in unique positive phrases and posted all over the school in preparation for finals week to help brighten up the stressful last days of the quarter.
"Finals week is stressful and I had a bunch of fun making these, it took a long time but I thought a lot of people would be happy about getting them, having them up. I got to run around the school," Bottiger said.
Bottiger and Saylor revealed Google was a huge help with the phrases. With over 2,000 things to write, they admitted they repeated a few quotes, and some of them were just to lighten the mood of those walking by.
"Some of them were funny like 'you have nice feet' and other ones were just 'have a nice day' or 'I'm glad you exists'," Bottiger said of some her favorites.
On a survey with 31 students, 86.5 said the Post-It notes had a positive effect on their Monday and 73.5 said they felt "very" or "somewhat more ready" to do their studies after seeing the positive sentences scattered near their lockers for the whole event.
"The Post-It notes provide a new source of motivation," sophomore Alexis Nichols said in her response to the survey.
"For me I know it helped me continue on with my day when I felt a very rough patch. The post its were always encouraging and supportive everyone. I walked into each locker and they had a different message. It was a really great way to spread the love in the lockers in the special and hallway as well as the music area. I've tried to go around and read them all during the week, and it's a nice spot of color in our ordinary lives. It also was an awesome surprise on Monday to see all of the colors all over the school. It honestly felt better when I heard them during my day."
The group of about 11 spent about half a day on making sure they had the correct amount of Post-It notes to see more would be the goal.
"It spent 14 hours making them and I think the average person can spend about 10 to eight hours on it and then an hour to hang them up," Bottiger said. "We made 2,088 Post-It notes and then we were like, okay, we're just going to do one more stack and then we're going to be done, so it was definitely over 2,000."

On March 14, students nationwide made a movement to unite a 'walk-out' at 10:00 am. They made an effort to speak out and to stand up for students that died in the Parkland High School shooting in Florida, and for those who are at risk of gun violence. However Baltics High School chose not to participate in the national movement. Instead of leading a walk-out, administration chose to have an assembly that raised awareness about student safety, which was considerably a walk-in. Administration introduced the idea of a 'day of silence' with the beginning of the week, which included the idea of faith based prayer during the day. The assembly was 17 minutes long and the other half of the student body attended periods like the bell schedule, there was a chance for 17 chairs in the middle of the gym to show respect and recognition the lives lost in the Parkland shooting.

Although the assembly was the main focus in the school safety week, there were multiple events that were held throughout the week to promote school safety and belonging. On Monday, there were various types of lock down drills held throughout the day. There was a soft lock down, a regular lock down, and a lock down during passing period. Students attended parent meetings and/or the local town during passing times just to stand outside were unfamiliar as to what they would do if a situation were to occur. The school needed to go into lock down while in the hallways, the Wisconsin during AAA. The School Board administration came to MHS where they would listen to students and staff talk about their thoughts on school safety. To finish off the week, during Friday AAA Minnesota House of Representatives, Marion O Neill, and State Senator, Bruce Anderson, came to have a meet and greet with the students at Buffalo High School. The safety week emergency instructions were very helpful to many students, as it ensured the safety of MHS students and how who have control of our laws and abilities and helped students feel more comfortable with what do do at school if a dangerous event were to occur. It eased the minds of those students who took the Parkland shooting and applied it to how it may affect them during their school day.

“I mean they’ve talked a lot about school safety. We did do a couple more lockdown drills, but we never really discussed what would really happen if there was a shooter situation, what would the people’s opinions on gun laws were. In my personal opinion, you can have your guns, but we do need to discuss the gun laws because there have been so many shootings as of lately that when this past shooting happened, it was just like ‘oh, it’s another shooting’… and [we’ve] been so desensitized to it.”

“What I would do is I would engage the threat. What that means is I have my bullet proof vest behind the cabinet, and if there was something going on in Tower C, I would go to Lower C. [My question is] If you carry a gun, you have to be ready to shoot someone with it… would I ever want to? Obviously not, I hope I never have to take my firearms out of it’s holster. But would I? Let me think, I against 1900? Then I wouldn’t have a problem with it.”

“I think it was comforting for students to know that the community’s doing something about it now, or they’re talking about it other than just putting it away,” Green said. “With the school safety aspect I think it’s a very responsible way to approach this kind of thing because the whole point is to be aware of kids with different opinions. But I hope we take this assembly and we put it into action.”

Staff Writer

For those not in the program, Arts Magnet may seem like an "easy A." It's a common misconception that the program offers an easy way out for students. However, that rumor is far from the truth.

Marsha Bricklen '20, a sophomore at HBS who dropped the program in the beginning of the year, explained her opinion of the "easy A" and compared it to a regular class. "I disagree with it because when it was in the program, it was not an easy A. I felt like I actually had to work harder than I do now not being in it," said Bricklen. "I could see why people would think it is because it is arts-based, but it's not an easy A. You just have to work harder in other areas, like working harder on your art project rather than your essay."

The grading system for the Arts Magnet program is different than that of an average class.

"You are graded on your proposal and you have to really go in depth on what you're doing," said Teacher. "You have to write out a sheet of what you did and then you have your proposal. If you did a painting, why did you do a painting? Why? Last year I spent six months in my class painting to finish what you want the viewer to take from it. It's project based, so you really have to put a lot of focus into your project."

Katherine Wagner '19, a BHS junior in the Arts Magnet program, explained the idea of the program being seen as an 'easy A.'

"I definitely disagree with that. In all of the classes you still have to learn, show what you can learn, and show that you understand what is trying to be taught to you," said Wagner.

"I don't see where the work has impacted her life. 'I think it has made me a better person and the opportunities from the program have helped me in learning how to be more confident in what I do. The program has given me an opportunity that I would not have gotten otherwise.'"

Although some students have felt overwhelmed, many still find the program to be beneficial. The Arts Magnet program allows students to pursue their passions while challenging themselves academically. The dedication and effort required demonstrate that it is not an easy route, but rather a unique educational path that demands time, energy, and artistic focus.

Hoping to get an answer for his chronic headaches, Blake Trout ’21 went to get an MRI when the results came back. They were worse than anyone could have imagined. The scan revealed a golf ball sized tumor located behind his brain stem, which he later learned was causing his headaches.

Trout was later sent to University of Minnesota Twin Cities for further testing and treatment. He had two operations and the tumor had returned, where it was determined to be cancerous.

“I feel bad,” Trout said. “Not horrible, just crushed for where I came at the time. I felt very alone and misunderstood while in high school.”

But that didn’t stop Trout from living his life as a normal student. He competed in wrestling and was a three-sport athlete for high school.

Trout’s cancer fight began at the Mayo Clinic, where he would receive radiation as part of his treatment.

“It was our way to stay positive,” said Tracy Sanner, Trout’s mom. “We were trying to keep him as normal as possible.”

After several radiation treatments and surgery, Trout finally received the diagnosis he and his family had been waiting to hear: benign. Trout returned to school, where he began to resume normal life.

Trout said that even with the good news, he was never the same. He still experiences headaches and went through physical therapy.

“Every day I said, ‘I’m going to get better,’” Trout said. “It’s still a struggle but I’m getting there.”

Trout’s parents, Jeff Trout and Tracy Sanner, stood by their son’s side the entire journey.

“Blake has taught me to be a better person,” Sanner said. “I promise to love my life always knowing what we have been given and how much love we have to give.”

Even though Trout has been finished with Trout’s recent second grade treatment, he said that from time to time he still experiences some lingering effects. The doctor’s final prognosis was optimistic but emitted caution for the future.

Trout’s friends have helped him stay positive during this time. Trout said his friends have helped him get through the darker days.

“Even when things were rough I could always rely on my friends to get me through it,” Trout said.

Trout credits his family for being his backbone and support system.

“Family is the most important thing you have,” Trout said. “I could not do this without them.”

Trout said he hopes to continue to play sports once he is fully recovered. In the future, Trout wants to study psychology and work with children who have been through similar traumas.

“Being able to help others who have been through what I’ve been through would mean a lot,” Trout said.

Trout’s story is one of resilience, bravery and hope. Despite the diagnosis, he continues to push forward and look toward the future. He has not let his experience define him.

word cloud: funny kind strong fighter energetic supportive brave