The Hoofprint – March 20, 2008

On March 7, the PAC filled with hundreds of students who showed up to donate their blood for the National Honor Society’s annual Blood Drive.

So many students took advantage of the opportunity to give that some were even turned away as the available spots quickly filled up.

The thought of the needle prick and the pint of lost blood left some students feeling uneasy.

“There were a lot of nervous people,” said Senior Michelle Rinas. “[Senior] Sara Marquette couldn’t do it because her iron was so low, but she was trembling while she waited.”

Others were unaffected, even curious as to how the process worked.

“I watched them put the needle in me,” said Rinas. “That was cool, and it didn’t hurt much.”

While students lay on the gurney, their friends or “floaters” from NHS stood nearby giving their support.

Most students finished giving blood within ten minutes. Those who felt unwell were told to rest and were kept under observation. Others headed over to a table filled with snacks like cookies, granola bars, or chips in order for them to regain their strength.

Yet some did not feel the affects of the donation until later in the day.

“I was fine at first,” said Senior Ben Rodriguez. “Then I got to fourth block. My teacher probably talked for about four minutes, and I was so tired my eyes just closed.”

The drive was led by doctors from The American Red Cross with all donations going to the organization.

Seniors Brett Johnson and Timothy Kruse received the Eagle Scout rank, the highest level of honor in Boy Scouts of America.

Johnson, who has been involved with Boy Scouts since kindergarten when his dad got him started, stayed in it because he had a good time.

“I have the most fun camping,” said Johnson, “it’s different every time.”

Boy Scouts have been around since the early 1900s, and it currently has over five million members. The Eagle Scout rank is given to only about four percent of all boy scouts.

“It’s a huge stepping stone for me, since it’s been 10 years in Boy Scouts. It’s a step from youth to adulthood,” said Kruse. “I feel more independent now that I have it. I feel like I’ve got something big accomplished. It’s one of my long-term goals that I’ve had since I was a kid, and with the help of my dad, I got it done.”

To earn his award, Kruse worked with the American Red Cross to organize a blood drive at the Buffalo Evangelical Free Church. Making fliers and addressing a congregation, he worked to get 86 people to donate 56 pints of blood. He also set up the location and provided food for the donors.

Many scouts go on to live a life of success, guided by the principles of hard work they learned in Boy Scouts. Out of the 12 men to walk on the moon 11 were Boy Scouts, including two Eagle Scouts, Neil Armstrong and Charlie Duke.

“I would recommend boy scouts to anyone,” said Johnson, “because you get to do things you don’t do all the time.”

Tonight from 6 - 9 p.m., The Arts Magnet program is sponsoring a Spring Dance in the cafeteria.

“Adrian Jimenez will be DJ-ing the event. He is a sophomore here at BHS,” said Junior Arts Magnet Chairman Graham Wyatt.

With fewer restrictions, a homegrown DJ, and relatively cheap ticket prices, the turnout is expected to go over well.

“The dance doesn’t have a dress code,” said Wyatt. “Its a non-formal dance, and tickets are only five dollars.”

Imagine walking to class and hearing the sound of gun shots. People screaming, with idea where to go or what to do. No one knows what’s happening. In this situation there is no right or wrong answer for what to do; decisions must be made quickly.

“I would have feelings of being worried, frightened. I would be scared for my friends, my teachers, and my life, ” said Sophomore Sydnei Cooper.

When two students went on a rampage at Columbine, they left 12 students and a teacher dead and wounded 23 others before committing suicide. The Columbine Massacre lasted only an hour but left its mark on the nation forever.

Most students and teacher try not to picture the massacres that happened close to home. Rocorri High School had a shooting, and only 18 months later the shooting at Red Lake occurred. Neighbouring schools like Eden Prairie and North Dakota State University (NDSU) also had scares recently.

“It’s more up to the students, there’s not much adults can do,” said Senior Ashleigh Norris. “Students should start treating others with more respect.”

Most of the school shootings that have happened are a result of bullying. In Columbine and Virgina Tech Massacres the responsible gunmen were merely students pushed too far.

Depression has been reported as a cause as well. In 1979, Brenda Spencer killed two people and wounded seven, and when asked her reasoning, she stated she didn’t like Mondays.

When the bully is a teacher or someone not involved in the school, one wonders if students could ever really be safe. Since the epidemic became a huge issue, students began practicing lock downs and other techniques to prepare for these situations. “We have come up with a blueprint for the situation. We have attacked every angle at which this can be prevented,” said Principal Rick Toso. “There’s an entire crisis manual plan for everything, but its almost impossible to prevent this: to many what-if’s. Students need to be aware and do the best job they can.”

During tragedies like this, hard decisions must be made.

“I would make sure all my friends were either with me or already out before I left,” said Junior Zach Mellon.

When asked what students can do to prevent school shootings, the most common answer was treat others with respect.

“Since elementary school we all learned and remembered one simple quote that always stuck in our minds: ‘treat others how you want to be treated’”, said Junior Heather Wangstad.

Walking down the halls, there is no way of knowing whether or not someone is plotting a shooting, or if someone is armed. Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold plotted the Columbine Massacre for more then two years. Now all we can do is learn from the past for what precautions to take in the future.

In Darfur it seems history is repeating itself. Murders, rapes, bombings and forced displacement have all become part of this so called ‘ethnic cleansing’ ran by the government. So far 400,000 civilians have been killed and 2.5 million have been forced to move out of their homes and into refugee camps. Throughout the past five years, the situation has only gotten worse.

“I don’t think people really care, or know how they can help,” said Journalism Teacher Kelly Barrick. “I also feel that if people don’t experience it [Genocide] fir st hand, they are apathetic to it.”

The conflict in Darfur all started in 2003, when two rebel groups launched an uprising against the Darfuri government. In return, the government created militias against the civilians. The main rebel group, the Janjaweed, are trained by the government and supplied with weapons. They attack the civilians’ villages with full arsenal bombings, destroying and burning their homes and villages. During these attacks many civilians hide in their homes or take shelter under trees. After the attacks the Janjaweed surround each village and go into homes, murdering, robbing and raping women. Those who survive are forced to move to refugee camps, leaving these people with nothing. The reasons behind these attacks are unclear. But some say it is because of religious or cultural differences between the Sudanese and Darfuri people.

“To solve the issues in Darfur, government action is vital,” said Junior Hannah Birkeland. “But while they’re still figuring out what to do, people are starving, being tortured, raped and murdered. We want to send aid to those people who are so patiently waiting to be saved. We want the world to know what is going on.”

A group of students and staff are helping with the Save Darfur events. They organized a benefit on May 18th, with a presentation on Darfur, performances by students and graduates, and a silent auction. All of the proceeds go to Darfur.

“The goal is to make people aware that the problem is still ongoing by raising awareness,” said Special Ed Teacher Jason Geoffrion, “because how many of us would be like ‘I’m going over there?’ We’re doing what we can to help from our community.”

Students are welcomed to attend informational meetings during AAA. Any participation would be appreciated.

“It’s really important for students to find something they’re passionate about. Something that’s beyond themselves, even if it’s not Darfur,” stated Geoffrion, “And become open minded to the fact that other people have problems and we can do something about it.”

Every year there’s the boy in the Zeppelin T-shirt who falls asleep in class on a regular basis; the seat next to the girl who smells like smoke but you know she doesn’t; or a class with the quirky, long winded freshman who never does the homework but has no trouble in class. These students may seem careless, but the truth may lie deeper.

Living in poverty puts a strain on a person’s emotional and physical needs. Education is essential for a comfortable future, but issues related to poverty can make it diffi cult to succeed in high school.

A concern is a lack of nutritious foods at home, so the school provides 181 students with free or reduced-price lunch.

“When you come to school hungry, it effects the way you learn,” said School Social Worker Lynn Andrews.

Studies have shown children who eat healthy score better on standardized tests, behave better, and show decreased hyperactivity.

The money the school receives from the government also helps pay class fees, summer school and sport fees for students on the free/reduced lunch program.

It’s more than nutrition that effects a students learning ability when everyday is a battle. When basic survival needs are not being met at home, school often falls on the back burner.

“I can see if you’re pretty much raising your siblings and working it would run you down,” said Junior Lauren Luffey

Poverty takes an emotional toll as well. According to a study done in the late 90s, the main reason children in poverty don’t go to school is because of inadequate clothing, poor personal hygiene, or they become ill.

“We live in a consumer-driven society, people living in poverty can’t afford more than what is needed and end up feeling different,” said Counselor Gloria Rose.

“I judge on fi rst impressions,” said Junior Heather Wangstad. “I know I shouldn’t but that’s what happens.”

Our culture is quick to judge someone by their clothing or where they live. Children are taught to judge people for safety purposes, but all too often it carries on into adulthood.

Some people view government programs for low income families as escape routes for lazy or uneducated people. Others see hard working members of society who grew up in poverty, and are still struggling to get out of it.

“I don’t think poverty is always a choice,” said Senior John Ulfers.

The poverty rate has continued to rise for that last four years, but as a community there are small things you can do such as volunteering at the food shelf. Get involved with a cause on a global scale and visit endpoverty2015.org.

It’s 2am, and it’s the morning that a World Studies project is due. Overwhelmed with sports, work, and school, the three weeks given to complete the project haven’t been enough. For students like Sophomore Emily Marston, this scenario is a familiar one. “It was a pain in the butt trying to manage everything,” said Marston, who plays tennis and works at Lakeridge Nursing Home. “I had practice and school all week, then tennis all Saturday, and then work all Sunday. I was completely swamped. I barely kept my head above water. The only way I passed my classes [that quarter] was by getting help from the older girls on the team.” In these cases, teammates and co-workers become best friends, as all undergo the same exhausting situation. “You immediately bond with your fellow players and workers,” said Sophomore Drew Maas, who plays football. “There’s no way you don’t. You’re all out there together on the fi eld, pouring your heart out. You’re all at your job, doing the same, exhausting routine. You bond in your hatred for the coaches and practices and you bond in your exhaustiveness. You bond in all that pressure.” Pressure comes from all sides for these students: parents, coaches, managers, teachers -- even from the students themselves. “There are always things that coaches expect of you,” said Senior Rachel Grave, a basketball and softball player. “And there is always that pressure from them to perform well. Parents, too. My parents put a lot of pressure on me: my dad in sports and my mom in school...but I also think I’m the one who puts the most pressure on myself.” Considered to have extremely high demands in general, with work and daily schoolwork, stress seems unbearable. “You could be killing yourself from the inside out, trying to keep it all in,” said Junior DeAnne Bechtold. “You would worry that you were hurting the team if you were tired. But you had to be tired, because you had been worried the night before about your grades and had stayed up late to do them. And you stayed up late because work had gone so late. And you were late to work because of practice. I felt like, if I didn’t do well enough, I’d be such a huge disappointment for everyone. And no one ever wants to be a disappointment.” To avoid disappointment, students have stepped up to the plate and have taken a greater responsibility for themselves. Junior Emily Adams organizes her plans in a way that it’s almost certain they won’t overlap. “School comes fi rst,” said Adams. “Then sports, then work. When I’m on the court, I’m thinking only about basketball. When I’m at school, I think only about school. I’m too busy at work to think about anything! I just do my best, and that’s all I can do.” For some, it’s hard to differentiate between school, sports, and work like Adams. “I’d be at school and I’d be tired,” said Maas. “And I’d be at football and I’d be tired. And I’d be at work and I’d be tired. Sensing a pattern? I ended up quitting my job because I felt like a zombie all the time. When I quit, I all of a sudden got hit with a bunch of free time. With that free time I could actually do all of my homework and spend time with friends and actually sleep. It felt great. I don’t want to go back to that stressful life again. I felt too overworked, too underpaid, and I never felt like I received enough respect – that was the deal breaker for me. Everyone needs respect.” Yet maintaining a job during school and during the sports season promotes organization and responsibility. “I don’t think it’s hard to maintain a job during a sporting season,” said Adams. “You just have to balance everything out. Be organized and don’t be overworked. If you can’t handle it, wait to fi nd a job out of season. But remember: you need to be prepared for the future. This is the best way to take responsibility for yourself.”

As the world becomes more prone to giving, our parents’ children are being taught to give as a second nature. Food and blood drives, Pennies for Patients, and other volunteer opportunities are a part of the student life. Almost every month, another charity arises to help the underprivileged. “I always try and contribute to all the charities at school,” said Senior National Honor Society member David Pallesen. “But I’m not always the best at remembering.” Transforming giving into learning is taking over in schools across America. The knowledge that millions of people live less fortunate lives affects the effort students show in helping others. With whole television shows dedicated to see who can give the most, doing good is now becoming a part of the American culture. “It’s important to help others in need. Helping others is a way you can show that you care,” said Pallesen. “Especially in situations where someone cannot help themselves.” The benefits that come along with helping others are life changing and will always last. According to http://www.pitt.edu, in the year 2000, 90 percent of American households donated on average 1,623 dollars to nonprofit organizations. “While I was working with orphans and underprivileged children in Guatemala, I saw how grateful they were towards me,” said Junior Rachel Olson. “You definitely get back what you give.” Schools now have many groups whose time is dedicated to volunteering: National Honor Society, Students Stepping Up, Student Care Committee, and various other groups like the One Act cast. “I personally am a very fortunate person,” said National Honor Society Instructor Sara Varner. “If I have the opportunity to give to someone in need it always makes me feel great to help out.” Whether the donation is as small as a pair of socks or as large as millions of dollars, every donation makes a different in someone’s life. “When you give to people it makes you feel like a whole other person,” said Olson. “Everyone should participate in every charity they hear of.”

The effects of November’s failed referendum, until now, consisted of abstract numbers including, but not limited to: increased class sizes, parking fees, and the cut of intramurals. These numbers became personal in early March with a new statistic: the quantity of teacher contracts to be terminated. Terminated teachers must spend the remaining months of the school year under the constant reminder that, next year, they will not teach here. The failed referendum, which lurked behind numbers previously, now presents itself in the form of leaving teachers as well as department chairs who must decide what their department must cut and how to fi t more students into each of their classes.

Due to the lack of community support of education, the district has been forced to adjust spending. While nothing has been fi nalized, the teachers who may be affected have already been notifi ed. Although student enrollment continues to rise, the concentration of teachers must decrease. At a time when the district should be allowing additional education positions, it has become mandatory to diminish them. Every teacher that leaves will cause a ripple to the people around them: their students, their family, but also their colleagues.

For some, the concern lies with students who won’t be educated to the fullest potential. What is often forgotten however is the concern of a teacher, who now must fi nd a different way to support their family. The quality of a student’s education is not just the teachers responsibilty. Students will have to support each other in order for things to be successful.

The teachers at District 877 have been preoccupied with the budget of the 2008-2009 school year since last year when a budget freeze was implemented. With drastic changes occurring to our faculty, the teachers still continue to teach. They persist at their job even though their lives are beginning to transform. Such major adjustments cannot help but affect the style in which they teach. The Hoofprint understands the nerve- nwracking position in which the teachers and their colleagues are currently facing. We encourage your continuous quality of educating the students as well as coaching a sport or activity.

The students, however, have not yet began to realize the personal consequences, and may not until next fall when they return to walk the halls and attend class. The simplicity of the absence of quality instructors will be felt in more ways than just increased class sizes. Though losing intramurals and paying fees to park is a negative experience for students enrolled at Buffalo High School, changing a career path and losing colleagues is a much more diffi cult strife.

Hunting is quite a controversial subject these days. Some claim hunters kill innocent animals and destroy the environment. The truth of the matter is, hunting saves the environment and animals in the long run.

Without the crucial population control the hunting population uses, widespread disease would affect most every species in the U.S. Diseases like bovine tuberculosis (BTB) and chronic wasting disease (CWD) would infect huge populations of whitetail deer, mule deer and elk throughout the United States.

Over population also creates problems like starvation. Even in areas where there is an established hunting community, starvation can be a problem among animals like deer. Animals will always breed the same way, year after year, generation after generation and when their populations get too great, the competition for food will ultimately drop the population slowly but surely. Starvation takes weeks to kill an animal. A bullet or arrow wound decreases the amount of time it takes to drop an animal.

In Minnesota, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) sets a limit on how many deer one hunter can take in specific areas to keep the population balanced. Generally, the deer herds in the northern part of MN are too great and CWD and Bovine TB are easily spread throughout the animals. In some of these areas, up to five white-tails can be taken by one single hunter in a year. In the designated “TB Zones,” special hunts are held every year just to keep the populations balanced and try to minimize the spread of this horrible disease.

Even though they work hard and help control populations and disease, hunters are prosecuted for making animals suffer. We hear things like “if you shoot an animal and it runs away with a hole in it and lives for 15 minutes before it dies, you’re doing nothing but taking a life and making the poor thing suffer.” While that may be true, nature in its own self is just as unforgiving. Dying of old age or disease will make an animal suffer much longer than 15 minutes, or however long it may take for that animal to die.

If you observe the hunting tactics of the majestic bald eagle or red-tailed hawk, you will see the same effects as people with rifles and shotguns. I’ve seen both of these amazing creatures hunt and kill animals in the wild, it isn’t a quick and painless process, but it needs to be done for their survival and for their prey’s general population.

I once got an opportunity to watch a young red-tailed hawk named Bob as he hunted the way Mother Nature intended him to hunt. He sat high in a tree as a cotton tailed rabbit meandered along though the field he was watching. He just sat there and watched patiently. As the rabbit got closer and closer, he watched more intensely, waiting for the opportune moment. Just when I thought he’d never take his prey he took flight. He didn’t go far, just as far from him tree as his lunch was. Bob pinned the little rabbit to the ground with one claw around its neck in an attempt to sufficate it. The rabbit kicked and squirmed in fear and pain, but couldn’t get away. Bob ripped and tore at the fur and flesh of the rabbit while it was trying to wiggle free. 15 minutes later, the rabbit’s chest finally stopped heaving and Bob was able to eat.

That whole story was a true event, the true way nature is. I can’t imagine the terrible pain that rabbit went through as Bob picked at it as it died. The same can be said about the pain felt by an animal with an arrow stuck through both of its lungs. I can, however, be sure about one thing. If there where no humans hunting and keeping animals population in check, the populations of those animals would sky rocket in as little as three or four years and most of those animals will die a slower and more painful death than they would by a hunter.

The band program at Buffalo has given our school nothing but a great name. Other schools look up to our program and frequently compliment us. A band director from Zimmerman high school even asked us to record a piece that he had composed so that he could send it to the professionals to get it checked out. Band dominates every sport in this school, yet we’re the first activity to get cut. Why cut an activity that only gives our school a great reputation?

When our band goes to contest, other schools stay just to hear us play. Different band directors visit our school to watch us practice. How many coaches in the area come and watch Buffalo sports teams practice? One band director from Wilmer high school even compared us to rock stars, saying that we deserve to belong to a better conference because we’re too good for this one. How many times do you hear that about our other teams?

Band is a huge part of so many students’ lives, and now that another year has been stolen from elementary schools, our program is going to suffer greatly. The brains of students at the elementary level are still going through one of the biggest growing periods of their lives. Scientific evidence shows that music at that age can help develop skills in school and everyday life.

“It is very interesting,” said Dr. Laurel Trainer, professor of psychology, neuroscience and behavior at McMaster University, Canada, and Director of the McMaster Institute for Music and the Mind in an article by Softpedia News. “Children taking music lessons improved more over a year on general memory skills that are corre-lated with nonmusical abilities such as literacy, verbal memory, and mathematics than did the children not taking lessons.”

Children and Buffalo High School need this program to keep going strong. Losing another year will only make a program decline musically that band teachers have worked on making incredible for years. If we want our school and music department to succeed and keep bringing a great name to our school, the program should not be cut. There are far less important things to consider cutting than the number one program in our school.

Multitasking is part of the average student lifestyle. There never seems to be enough time in a day for the majority of the student body. However using this skill behind the wheel could be critical. Distracted driving is the main cause of teenage accidents; the number one cause of death for ages 15-19.

“I drive stick,” said Junior Zach Mellon. “I’ll be ... eating, changing gears, and steering. I also fiddle with the radio. I have a scan button; I’m always scanning for stations.”

Eighty-five percent of students said they use their phone behind the wheel. In 2006, Minnesota passed a state-wide law prohibiting anyone under the age of 18 to use a cell phone while driving. The fine for breaking this law can be up to $250.00. Even hands free cell phones are extremely hazardous, especially to inexperienced drivers. Students who use cell phones (hands free or not) while driving are four times more likely to get into a serious crash according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

“It’s [the cell phone law] for a good cause, I still do it though, they’re just trying to reduce accidents,” said Junior Nathan Engfer.

Cell phone distraction causes 2,600 deaths and 330,000 injuries every year. An 18 year old driver on a cell phone has the same reaction time as a 70 year old driver not using a cell phone, instantly aging a large number of young drivers.

“It’s the conversation that’s distracting, not the cell phone,” said Drivers Education and American Experience Teacher Devin Davidson, “Especially talking to a boyfriend or girlfriend in a heated conversation. It’s equivalent to being drunk.”

The National Highway Safety Traffic Administration reports that the most preventable accidents are ones where the driver is engaging in activities that takes their attention away from the road. These activities include; talking with other passengers 81%, playing with the radio or CD player 68%, eating or drinking 49%, and using a cell phone 25%.

“I rear ended a teacher once; my sister was in the passenger seat. I was looking at a different car that my friend was in, turns out the teacher was turning,” said Junior Seth Sorenson. “I was only going 25mph, so it wasn’t that bad.”

A car with three or more passengers is four times more likely to get into an accident than a car with just one passenger. Approximately 60% of students at BHS have two or more passengers in their vehicle. Wisconsin has reduced their teen’s fatal crashes by 20% by prohibiting 16 year old drivers from carrying more than one passenger.

“My tip is to not use your cell phone, especially text messaging,” said Davidson. “Limit the number of kids, students, pals, buddies, chumps in your car, and don’t listen to rap.”

“The majority of all serial killers are what, Zach?!” asks Social Studies Teacher Gerry Bakke as he points to a student in the back row. The class is quiet except for Mr. Bakke’s breathing as he gazes over his glasses at Zach waiting for an answer. “Ummm, most serial killers are white males?” answered Zach.

“Touchdown Bingo!” Mr. Bakke immediately says - his most famous line. It’s what he says every time someone answers a question right in his class, while raising his little arms above his tornado head of hair and displaying a big, wide, gangly smile. One can’t help but laugh when in his class.

Mr. Bakke has been teaching long before any of us were born – so he’s defi nitely experienced in what he does. If your parents attended Buffalo High School, they could have very likely had the Bak as a teacher. Some may think that since he’s been teaching for so long, he must be an “old-school” teacher. This couldn’t be further from the truth, however. Bakke enjoys what he does so much, that at times he turns from a teacher into a preacher – belting out his words of wisdom.

One doesn’t need to actually be in his class to hear everything he says, though. Students who have classes next door to Bakke are able to hear his entire lesson through the walls (he gets really excited at times). He is an extremely animated teacher who gets his message across by any means possible – which most of the time is yelling loud enough to disturb surrounding classrooms.

“Sometimes I have to compete against Mr. Bakke. It will be quiet and then all of a sudden he will just yell something. My class always laughs when he does it and I have to get their attention back to what I am teaching. But that’s why students want to take his classes,” said Business Teacher Jennifer Kremers.

Bakke isn’t like the ordinary teacher. In fact, he isn’t even close to the ordinary teacher. One can see this the second they enter his room - if you can call it a room. Water bottles, papers, movies, books, and only God knows what else is strewn about the room. There are fallen stacks of old movies about Jeffery Dahmer, Maralyn Manson, and Helter Skelter in the far corner of the room below the TV, sitting on endless piles of newspapers two weeks old. He has to become Sherlock Holmes whenever he wants to even type on his computer as his keyboard seems to be lost (actually, it’s just lost in the sea of papers covering his desk). It’s a miracle he can even keep track of his things, let alone keep track of student’s grades.

With that said, Mr. Bakke is still one of the most intriguing individuals one will ever meet. He doesn’t teach in the traditional way of notes and worksheets. He doesn’t teach you by telling you what you need to know, but rather by showing you – showing through skits, movies, real-life examples, stories, and encounter groups for example. He gets his point across in a way that won’t be forgotten. Whether that’s crawling over tables, jumping up and down pulling his hair out, or running around the room (he does things like this daily in class), he makes sure his lesson is passed on to his students. Bakke is the type of teacher one will always remember, not only because of how interesting of a person he is, and how well he can relate to students. He uses vocabulary that teenagers can understand. This is why students enjoy taking his classes. They can understand him so well, yet have fun in his class at the same time. Being able to understand, learning through real-life examples, and having fun all at the same time – what better way to learn?

“In Bakke’s class, there’s never a right or wrong answer,” says Senior Jack Thompson. “The right answer is what you believe in as a person. Nothing in his class crosses the line, and he always lets everyone put their two cents in.”

Social Problems and Minorities are two such classes that Bakke teaches which are only available for juniors and seniors. Senior Danni Hauer has taken both of these classes and has had, lets say, interesting experiences to say the least.

“All you do is discuss about certain issues in his class. He gets you to come out of your comfort zone, but he never goes too far. He once got right in my face during class when he was telling a story and I could feel his breath. He gets crazy sometimes, but he always finds a way to get the most out of his students.”

Even though Mr. Bakke may seem like the totally opposite portrayal of a teacher at first glance, those who know him will tell you that not one student ever leaves his class without truly learning something important. Bakke takes pride in what he does – he takes pride in being able to allow students to see things from all points of view. He gets inside your head and gets you to think in ways one has never thought before. Bakke’s classes are a must-take and experiencing him as a teacher is vital – Touchdown Bingo!

T is spring, the Concert Choir, Concert Band and BHS Orchestra students are taking their semi-annual trip. T eir des- tination is set to be New York City. Every other year, the music department goes on a road trip to perform around the U.S. “T is trip is a tradition for us,” said Choir Director Michael Walsh. “We’ve been doing it every other year for 24 years now.” Not everyone wanted to go to New York. At the beginning of the year, the Con- cert Choir, Concert Band and BHS Orches- tra made a list of possible destinations. T ey then discussed the options, narrowing it down to three choices that where common among all the groups. Af er that, the stu- dents did a fi nal vote between New York, New Orleans and Washington D.C. “I wanted to go to Kansas,” said Senior Ryan Dougherty, “but the other people in Concert Choir shot that idea down.” In the 24 years the music depart- ment has been going on these trips, they’ve travelled all around the U.S. New York has always been a popular destination. “T e bands and choirs have gone to New York several times,” said band director Scott Rabehl, “but have also gone to New Orleans, Chicago and Nashville. Students who go on this trip will have the opportuni- ty to do a number of things with their Friday night, which is a supervised free night. Go- ing to a Yankees game, going to a mall and of course seeing a Broadway show are all op- tions for their Friday night free time. “I’m going to see the Phantom of the Opera on Friday night,” said Senior Taylor Evans. “It’s going to be pretty sweet.” It won’t be all free time while the groups are in New York, though. T e groups will be putting on performances and playing at a music festival. “We believe it [the music festival] serves as a good motivator for being better performers,” said Walsh. “We’ll hear other choirs, not just the same ones from Minne- sota.” Besides the free time and the perform- ing, the groups will spend much of their time seeing the city and going to historical places. “As a group we will see Ellis Island,” said Walsh. “We think it’s a historical place that we should all have a chance to visit. Of course we’ll also be seeing the Empire State building and Radio City music hall.” T e music department tries to make the trip available to anyone who wants to go. Students fundraise throughout the year to be able to raise as much of the $650 cost as they can. Students who can’t afford to go, even with the help of fundraiser, won’t be lef behind. T e music teachers believe that no matter what a family’s income, every student should be able to go. Help funds are avail- able for those families who can’t budget the trip. “I worked at Dan and Jerry’s for one of the fundraisers so I could get the last bit of the trip paid for,” said Dougherty. “I also sold some stuff when we did our first food sale fundraiser.” Not all students are able to go, even with the help of fundraising and funding from the music department. Some chose to stay because they have the money, but are saving it for other trips they’re taking with family or friends. “[Instead of going to New York] I’m going to Finland for my brothers wedding,” said Junior Brandon Laho. “I think it’ll be cooler going out of the country than just to New York.” T e directors of the Concert Band, Choir and Orchestra want this trip to be a good learning experience as well as being a fun time to get to know other people and see more of the U.S. “One of the main reasons we’re going on this trip is to provide bigger and better venues for our students to perform in,” said Rabehl. “We’re also going to play for higher stakes than just our local friends and fam- ily watching our concerts. When you travel with a team like this, the team as a whole becomes more cohesive and bonded. Choirs sing better together and bands play better when they get these experiences.”

Imagine there is only one person on stage. The only one that needs to be impressed is Director Tracy Hagstrom-Durant, and she expects their best. With the play on the line actors are pressured to perform. With palms sweating and hearts pounding, adrenaline begins to kick in and they perform to perfection. Auditioning for a play can be an extremely stressful experience, especially when the competition is intense. Out of the 40 or so people that tried out, only nine ended up with a part in the spring play. Actors have to be on their toes and make sure that they do their best or they could end up watching from the audience. “The hardest part is being able to choose a character or personality while reading a script that you have never seen before,” said Junior Nicole Groenke. “It’s very difficult,” said Sophomore Wesley Miller. “A lot of people who are trying out are very good so it is very competitive.” Not very many people will get a character in the play so you have to work hard and compete against your peers. “It’s hard,” said Groenke, “and it can sometimes be discouraging if one of your friends gets a part and you don’t.” During tryouts, actors usually do a “cold reading” of the script. A cold reading consists of reading a script that nobody has seen the script before the tryouts. “The hardest part of tryouts is getting the script for the first time, and trying to get all the lines right,” said Senior Emily Carlson. The play is called See How They Run. It is a classic English comedy by Philip King. See How They Run is set in England about 50 years ago and the humor of the play is mostly created by the actor’s actions or even their placement on stage. “It’s a comedy and I think it’s just supposed to be fun,” said Carlson. “But it’s a British comedy so it will be really hilarious. Most of the actors have tried out for many plays in the past. “I love acting,” said Junior Brandon Aldrich, “and being someone else for a while.” Most students could not get parts, despite their best efforts. Miller was among those that did not get the part but he will keep trying and not give up. “I hope I get into the next one.” Miller said. “I was discouraged when I saw that I did not get the part, but you have to get over it and say I’ll do better next time.”

“Every week we do a team-building exercise. They help teach us how to rely on each other and work together as a team.” -Junior Elizabeth Logas

“In yearbook, there are so many groups of people that you would see outside of school, but in yearbook class, it’s like those different groups don’t even exist. There’s no boundaries; people are just cool with each other.” -Junior Brad Palmer

“I really like work nights. Everyone’s rushing to get everything done, but we still find time to have fun.” -Senior Sam Lefebvre

“We have three quarters to put together a book; most people don’t realize it takes so much time and effort on our part and that we’re so proud of it when it’s finished.” -Senior Emily Carlson

“Yearbook is so fun because the people are not just your classmates; they become like your family.” -Junior Chris Lundquist

No one knows what a new head coach will bring to a sports team. But next season the volleyball team will have a good idea of what to expect in a new leader.

Laurie Zumach, who has been the assistant volleyball coach at Buffalo for five years, will replace Dennis Axel as Head Coach. Axel stepped down from his coaching career at the end of November, but is still employed at BHS as the Equipment Manager.

Axel began coaching volleyball at Litchfield High School in 1979. While employed in Litchfield, he coached Girl’s Basketball, and Distance Track & Field. After nine years, he took a break and only coached in the off-season, but came to BHS a couple of years later. Nine years after that, his daughter Lisa got the oppor-tunity to play volleyball at the University of Minnesota and Axel took four years off to sup-port her then came back to coach volleyball for five years.

As his last season came to an end, Axel finished his career record at BHS with 249 wins and 129 losses.

“My biggest goals weren’t always wins and losses. They were to teach players how to play the game funda-mentally correct. The years that I did that were the years that we won the most.”

While Axel focused on teaching the essential skills of the game, he envisioned, but did not succeed at one goal.

“If I have one regret, it’s that I never took a team to state. We were close two times though,” said Axel.

Zumach hopes to take a more aggressive approach to begin the next season.

“I’m ready to push these kids hard with a competitive mindset,” said Zumach. “I want everyone to come and work hard, and get better.”

With her experience next to Axel, Zumach should fit into the position of head coach with ease. She has coached volleyball in Buffalo for close to 20 years, starting right out of college. Zumach has only been in the background for varsity volleyball and next year will be the first year that she takes over as head coach.

There may be a few changes next season, but not many because of the fact that Zu-mach has coached at BHS in previous years.

“We’ll have a deeper bench. I’m ready to sub people in if someone’s not doing their job,” said Zumach.

Junior Catherine Mattson predicts what will change next season.

“I kind of wish I had the same head coach all of my years, but I don’t think too much will change because she’s been here for a while. There will be an aggressive tryout next year. Younger girls might step up. It will be more of ‘who’s got the skill’ than who has been here for a while,” said Mattson.

More weight training is another possible change for the upcoming season. During the off season, Zumach coaches a 12-year-olds Junior Olympic team out of Maple Grove. She is learning many volleyball specific exercises to help with verticals and arm strength.

Axel didn’t always include weight training in his practices, but he still taught the skills and qualities needed to be successful. Axel mentioned that he has always thought of him-self as a volleyball teacher and not a coach.

As Axel hands the position over to Zumach, she is ready to continue the legacy that Axel left behind.

“I am very lucky to have coached with these girls before. I know them. He [Axel] has settled me down a little bit with yelling, I will be calmer because I worked with him. He was a good communicator,” said Zumach.

With last year’s seniors gone, the track team will need the un- derclassmen to undertake their responsibility.

“Every team loses seniors but than younger runners have to step up and take over,” said Head Track Coach Scott Palmer.

Last year the track team fi n- ished 4th in state, and 1st in con- ference.

“We are counting on our senior captains for the Boys,” said Palmer, “Brandon Or- dorf, David Palleson, and Ryan Bares, and for the Girl’s team we are depending on Kayla Christ- offersen, Jenna Samuelson, and Ingrid Leask to step up and take over the seniors’ spot from last year.”

Both coaches and students agree that replacing the seniors from last year is important in this year’s season.

“Even though we lost impor- tant seniors last year we still have many good athletes returning,” said Ordorff.

For younger students to move up and replace the previous seniors, they need to improve on their own. In order to improve on their own they need to practice not only in school but also outside of school. To do this, athletes can participate in weightlifting, aero- bics, running outside of school, and strength and conditioning.

“During the winter I run a lot to get prepared and stay in shape fortrack,” said Junior Zach Mel- lon. “I have my own training that I put in for myself.”

Although track can be very intense, students return every year. It can be very enjoyable for the students that are involved in it.

“My favorite part of track is the meets and that you get a chance to hang out with friends, and they’re fun and very relax- ing.” said Ordorff.

Some students enjoy the track meets and others like it because there is team companionship.

“The best part about track is how much of a team sport it is, but it’s an individual sport at the same time. I love all of the sup- port the team gives each other,” said Christoffersen.

The fi rst track meet will take place March 22 away at the Uni- versity of Minnesota at 9:00 a.m.

A janitor is one who attends to the maintenance or cleaning of a building, according to dictionary. com. What makes up a Janitor? How does one become one? What is the difference between a janitor and a custodian? According to the same web site, a custodian is a person entrusted with guarding or maintaining a property.

While these two job types sound the same, custodians tend to have a higher sense of respect, get paid more, and have more responsibilities in general, compared to a janitor. Depending on the area of employment, custodians have more responsibilities and are required to have training and licensing in CPR and Boiler Operations.

“I had to get my Boiler license to be able to go upon the pay scale,” says Custodian Jana Russell, who prefers to be known as a custodian rather than a janitor.

“I think it sounds more respectable than janitor.”

But on the fl ip side, Pat Pawelk doesn’t care whether or not he is called a janitor or custodian. When people hear the words janitor and custodian, they think that they are the same thing. But in actuality, they aren’t. Janitors tend to do more busy work like washing windows and picking up garbage, while a custodian is working in the boiler room and fussing with pipes and wires.

Working as a custodian, there are many highs and lows that come with the job. Many don’t like the dress code, while others don’t really mind it.

“I feel like a gas station attendant,” said Russell.

“Wearing a uniform is easier for people to spot you or pick you out in a crowd if you need something when in need,“ as Pawelk puts it. This is a positive thing for wearing a uniform, and the main reason also. Only during the school year do they need to wear their jeans and gray collard shirt. During the summer the custodians are able to wear what they want, but the work load is much harder. They take out every piece of furniture out of the room, clean every light fi xture; clean every desk, each inch of wall and fl oor space. They also mow the lawn and keep the outside looking pretty.

With every positive, there usually comes a negative. Being a custodian means having to pick up random students lunches, even the food they don’t digest. While working everyday and having a routine to follow, some days accidents can happen. For Custodian Jana Russell, hers involved a scare with the lunch ladies. One day she was fi lling up a mop bucket in the kitchen, she got distracted and left the water running. The next thing she knew the lunch ladies were freaking out and fl ooded the kitchen.

“I was so embarrassed,” said Russell, “I cleaned it all up and went home.”

Not only do they clean and clean, they enjoy the students and the fun activities that come with the job. For Pawelk, that would include playing basketball and volleyball in the student teacher games, and dressing like a chicken on superhero day. With all the work these custodians do, we should feel lucky to have such hard working people trying to keep our school clean. They do so much work that most students over look and take for granted.

Students rush in and out, waiting to be taped up, grab a bag of ice or start working with the elastic bands. It’s a busy place to be after school before sports practices begin. There is one boy here who needs help stretching his lower back. While Athletic Trainer Kris Savaloja begins to instruct him on what to start doing, she is also filling the whirlpool so a girl can give her ankle a cold water bath. Then a couple young girls come in to get a bag of ice from the machine. This is a typical day in the Athletic Training room.

Savaloja has been working at Buffalo High School for 11 years. She not only works at the school, but has a job at Sister Kenny’s outpatient rehab clinic at the Allina Hospital, working there 9-2 before heading to her office in the Phy. Ed. hallway. Her day job is much more scheduled and like a desk job than the chaos brought her way at the school.

Whether working with athletes before practices or games, or attending a sporting event, she has always got to be ready to assist. She knows students by name and helps them with many different injuries.

“I have worked with Kris all of my high school career,” said Senior Brandon Ordoff. “The first couple years were mostly minor sprains and sore spots, but the last two years she has been even more helpful. She has helped me to work my knees back to full strength after having two big surgeries.”

“I love to see the kids get back in the game and excel after an injury. It is rewarding for me because I get to help first hand and watch how hard they have worked to get there,” said Savaloja.

Paying attention to each kid that walks in, Kris will work to find the problem, and if that is not possible with the situation, she will always give suggestions as to what can be done temporarily to help. Some kids like to visit even if they don’t have a question or injury.

“I visit Kris almost everyday,” said Senior Kyle Willetts. “I come before and after practice to talk and drink Gatorade.”

To some, she is more than just a trainer.

“Kris wants to know about your personal life as well as why you are there. She is like another student and is really easy to have a conversation with.” said Ordoff.

Even after working two jobs between 9-5 most days, a few nights Savaloja is required to attend sporting events. If two events are on the same night, the collision sports are the highest priority; so football and hockey come first. After that, contact sports including basketball, wrestling and gymnastics are next on the list. But with the winter season over, this time of year Savaloja mostly deals with off-season athletes and helps with muscle injuries from Track and Field members.

There is always something new and different going on each day in Savaloja’s office. This is what she enjoys the most about her job.

“It’s not the same all the time; I love the variety each day brings. Also, meeting a lot of new, awesome kids each day is great.”

Before landing a job as an Athletic Trainer, Savaloja earned her Bachelors Degree at Gustavus Adolphus studying Athletic Training Biology for four years. She then went on to get her Masters degree at the University of Arizona in Exercise and Sports Science.