The Hoofprint - Issue 6 - March 2014

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The last few weeks leading up to Spring Break can be difficult for students. During class, daydreams of palm trees and sandy beaches consume a lot of students’ minds. Others look forward to late nights with friends and sleeping in till noon. It also means that third quarter is ending. The snow will start to melt, and Summer will quickly be approaching. For a few Seniors though, Spring Break marks the end of their high school career.

“It hasn’t hit me yet,” said Senior Rachel O’Connor. “I have eleven days left of high school for the rest of my life.”

Seniors like O’Connor have chosen to graduate early. Their last day of high school will be March 20. While their high school career will be over, they will still be able to attend prom and walk in graduation.

“I’m glad I get to come back for all the fun stuff. I’m graduating early so that I can work more and get money for college next year,” said O’Connor. “It’s kind of scary. There’s a chance I may never see some of these people again.”

With school days flying by, O’Connor is reminded every day of the choice she made. She admits that she’s excited to be done with school, however, it’s making her realize how much her senior classmates mean to her.

In this issue of the Hoofprint, we focus on a lot of people who are achieving greatness. On their road to greatness, they stop to appreciate those around them. Take Freshman Hunter Brings and Freshman Joshua Muntifering for example. They went to state for swimming. Making it state in any sport as a freshman is an amazing feat. They did it with confidence, as well as appreciation for their teammates. Both admit that without their team, they wouldn’t be where they are today. O’Connor is also on her road to greatness and did it with the support of her classmates. We hope that this issue of the Hoofprint shines on people who appreciate the impact others make in their life.

On February 24, students of BHS poured into Buffalo Gun club to sign up for the first trap team affiliated with Buffalo High school. After jumping through many hoops and talking with the school board, Buffalo High school now has an official trap team.

Activities Director Tom Bauman said, “We are getting a [trap shooting] team this year because we have a lot of good shooters in the school, and [because] a lot of other schools are starting to pick it up.”

Mark and Sally Stevens, who were a driving force behind the effort to make a trap team, also happen to be coaches. They travel around the U.S.A. and talk and teach at coaching seminars and gun shows.

“We will do our best to make you a better shooter,” said Stevens.

There are also junior coaches. These coaches include Senior Patrick Macnab, Senior Spencer Wilson, Senior Kurt Potter , and Junior Max Hartman. All junior coaches have passed Level One coaching classes that require sixteen hours to complete.

All students planning on shooting for the Buffalo High school trap team must attend BHS and have obtained their Minnesota Firearms Safety Certificate.

To sign up to be on the BHS trapshooting team, you need to go to the Buffalo Gun Club (South East of Target in Buffalo on Highway 55) and register before March 16. A maximum of forty five students can be on the team.

Winter sports are coming to a close and for Freshman Mateo Johnson this means one thing, getting back on his bike. Dirt biking has been a part of Johnson’s life ever since he was three, and he’s eager to return to the track this upcoming spring.

“Dirt biking is my favorite thing to do,” said Johnson. “I’ve ridden my whole life, and I have yet to get sick of it.”

Riding in the off-season proves to be difficult here in Minnesota. However, Mateo goes to far extents to practice and stay sharp. Competing at a national level and winning multiple races requires a big commitment to the sport, and Mateo has just that.

“During the winter I go to an indoor track known as ‘The Sandbox’ in Wisconsin,” exclaimed Mateo. “We usually go a few times a month.”

Racing is by no means an inexpensive sport. It’s not only the cost of the bike that’s factored in, it’s also the travel costs, hospital visits, and time commitment that all can take a toll on a person’s check book. Despite 12 broken bones, owning over 20 dirt bikes, and the constant travel, Mateo’s family is completely supportive, recognizing Mateo may have a future in dirt biking.

“It can be exhausting at times with all the travel, but it’s a fun environment to be around,” said his sister, Junior Sammy Johnson. “I’ve made tons of friends at the track that I look forward to seeing every year, not to mention some hot guys too.”

When you think of a classroom, happiness probably doesn’t always come to mind. However, in Math Teacher Emily Greeley/Haugh’s classroom, it’s a different story. Greeley teaches algebra 1.5, geometry, trigonometry and, architectural geometry. Greeley makes it her goal that every student leaves her classroom happy.

“I believe that it is a choice to be happy. I try to never be negative and I want to always have a positive impact on the world. If I was in a bad mood I wouldn’t show it,” said Greeley. “I don’t want to ruin someone else’s day because of my bad mood.”

Students don’t always agree with their teachers or necessarily like them.

“I know that I learned best when the person I was being taught from was caring and respecting. By knowing that, I show my students respect and I show that I care. I always want to remain positive,” said Greeley.

Maintaining a good attitude is not always an easy thing.

“I’m very fortunate to have been raised the way I was and I know that there are some kids who are not given that fortune, so I just am always thankful for that,” said Greeley.

Once your lunch tray is empty it’s time for extras. Making the choice for deliciousness isn’t always that simple. Chips are $0.75 cents or there are apples with caramel for a $1.50. What about cookies for $0.65 cents, or fruit with dip for a $1.50? Why is unhealthy food less expensive than healthier food? Is it easier for students to choose the unhealthier items because it costs less?

In the à la carte section at Buffalo High School, healthier foods, such as fruits and veggies, cost as much as $.85 cents more than some of the unhealthier food options. The cost difference is around the same in the real world, like at grocery stores and convenience stores.

Lunch Lady Lisa Dohrmann said, “It’s the decisions you have to make, at the store the healthier food is going to cost more, just like it does here.”

If the prices for healthier foods went down, would that be an incentive to students to choose the healthier items?

“If the fruit was $.65 cents and the chips were a $1.50, oh yeah, it would be a quick and easy decision to go with the healthier food,” said Senior Cassie Bunkers.

Senior Bailey Veches said, “Although it is my parents’ money, not mine, I still think I would choose the healthier food because it costs less and I know its better for me.”

Could dropping the price in healthier foods in the à la carte line change your habits?

It’s a rule at BHS that when a school day is cancelled, any after school activities are also cancelled. This usually involves athletic practices and club meetings, but on Friday the 21, another event was pushed back. It was the staff showcase.

The tenth annual staff showcase, to be exact. “The district scholarship fund had been looking for ways to increase the scholarships available for students,” explained Music teacher Michael Walsh. “I was aware of another district [Osseo] which had been doing something similar for about 30 years called the ‘Wastebasket Revue’. It seemed like something we could do, too.”

This year’s showcase is named the Talent Olympics II. To promote the event through elementary students, “We had a torch run through each of the elementaries,” Walsh explained.

The show that the students were told about, was set to take place on February 21, but Mother Nature overruled the original plans. Even if school policy didn’t demand that the show be cancelled, Walsh thinks it was probably for the best. “I wish we hadn’t had the snow cancelled, but there is no way we would have had much of an audience or even been able to get all the acts here on Friday with the weather and the roads the way they were,” said Walsh.

The showcase was planned in advance, meaning that the performers would have time to clear their schedules. This only applied to the date it was scheduled to fall on. “We don’t have every single person, but that we had enough in every act to be able to do the show is exciting,” said Walsh.

The showcase serves multiple purposes, hitting more than one bird with a singular stone. “We [the staff] hope it is fun for students to see their teachers on stage, we hope that people feel good about supporting scholarships for BHS seniors, and we hope that people are entertained,” said Walsh.

As the cold winds whip and the winter days drag on their seems like there is nothing to look forward to besides spring. In an effort to fight the winter blues, NHS and the track team put together Snow Week which features dress up days and fun after school or triple a activities. The week usually ends with a dance. With Snow Week wrapping up, many students were left with the question “What happened to the dance?!

Unfortunately, this year there was no dance. For many years, the dance has been a success and a good time for students. However, last year had some complications when some students abused the privilege and acted inappropriately, causing the dance to be cancelled this year.

“We had some issues last year with the Snow Daze dance,” said Track Coach Scott Palmer.“Some people not having appropriate behavior, but also attendance kept diving throughout the years.”

“I like when students have something do at school,” said Activities Director Tom Bauman, “and I can honestly say, I wish students were more responsible. A few kids can just ruin it for everyone, just because we had to tighten things up a bit, and I wish that never would have happened, but I would not be opposed to having a dance next year or any other year.”

Fortunately though, the problems at the dance last year will not hinder the plans of other upcoming events.

“This will not affect future dances, like prom,” said Bauman. “Kids get that we are really tight at prom, almost like you are going through an airport.”

The Snow Daze dance was not just for fun but it was also a lucrative fundraiser and it will be difficult to make up for the lost money.

“It was a good fundraiser for the track team,” said Palmer. “We definitely relied on some of that money, so we will have to be creative and come up with some other ways to fund what we need for this season.”

With an undefeated season and a hardworking team, the Mock Trial team earned a spot at state along with 10 other schools in Minnesota. The Buffalo Varsity Team is anticipating a great outcome.

“This is very exciting, I think we have a really good group of people going this year,” said Senior Presley Rumsey.

The team has six seniors, which is more than they have ever had. The senior leadership and the overall connection between teammates drove the team to a Section title.

“Our team is awesome, We have really good dynamics with each other,” says Rumsey “We pull our strengths together in a sense, We are good together.”

Although the team feels that they have a shot at winning State, they are nervous for some competitors.

“From what we know now, the Nova Classical Academy may be our biggest competitor because they won the state tournament last year,” said Varsity Coach Evan Ronken

The State Tournament was held on March 11 at the St. Louis County Courthouse in Duluth. For results, check out hoofprint.net.

Buffalo Knowledge Bowl won the Mississippi 8 Conference meet held at BHS on Thursday, Feb 27. For the nine years that the Mississippi 8 has been in existence, Buffalo has never lost the Conference title.

Buffalo Varsity Team 1, Senior Aaron Hamann, Juniors Ryan Bowers and Jon Thielen, and Sophomore Jacob Nosbush, won the competition with 112 points, 17 points ahead of second place St. Francis.

“[The meet] went very well,” said Nosbush. “We are [still] getting better at working together, finding each other’s strengths and weaknesses, and knowing who to go to for which questions.”

Team 2 also had a strong showing, placing fourth out of 24 teams in the competition.

The sub-regional competition in St. Cloud is on March 17, with Regionals on March 20, and if they advance, the State competition on April 10-11.

Varsity and concert choir headed to Dassel on Monday to compete against other schools. Out of all the possible ratings they could get; Superior, excellent, good, and what our school calls “thanks for coming” both choirs got a superior rating, which is the highest any group can get.

“I was surprised at how well we did” said Sophomore Lydia Jagodzinski. “I never expected we’d get a Superior Rating.”

After practicing their songs for a little over a month it was time to show the judges what they could do. Judges then evaluated them and gave tips on how they could make themselves even better than they already are.

“It’s nice to see other kids our age perform. The judges were very helpful” said Sophomore Solveig Nelson.

The BHS competitive cheerleading team formed four years ago. Over the course of those four years, they’ve been working hard toward their goal of heading to Nationals. Last year, that goal was accomplished, and it was met this year as well.

“We decided to do something different from Florida this year, so we went to a local Nationals in Wisconsin Dells. We worked extra hard during the months beforehand because we knew we would have a better chance of placing,and we did,” said Senior Captain Lainy Von Bank.

On Friday, February 14, the team left for Wisconsin to compete at Wisconsin Dells. They competed at the well known competition, Duel in the Dells. Having competed nearly flawless routines both Saturday and Sunday, the varsity team took first in their division, which consisted of three other teams. Being their last competition of the season, the girls were happy to end on such a good note.

“The competition as a whole was a great way to end my five years of high school cheerleading,” saud Vonbank. “It was a fantasic year, and I’m going to miss all of the unique personalities on the team.”

“The Triangle Factory Fire Project”, this years one act play, placed in the Section five AA finals and went to State on February 13, 2014. The judges awarded the cast with the Star Performance rating. This is their first Star Performance rating since 2005. The One Act play has made many appearances at State throughout the years.

“I have gone to State before,” said Senior Michael Capps. “We went my freshman year and sophomore year. I am excited that I got to go again in my senior year, because I wanted to be able to go to State at least once more since we got disqualified last year.”

“Starring at State is the best you can do. That was just an incredible experience,” said Senior Katie Miller.

Rules for a one act play are that you have to cut down the original script to 35 minutes or less, that you only have ten minutes to set up, ten minutes to take down, and the set has to be in a ten by ten square.

“The cutting of the script is the hardest part, because we have to cut out lines and figure out which is the best to keep,” said Capps.

It was not only a Star Performance for the performers, but the audience thought it shined as well.

“It was really awesome, because there were people that played more than one character and they seemed like a different person,” said Senior Autumn Miller. “It was also really moving, because when I think of One Act I think of comedy mainly, but it was more of a dramatic sad type of show, so that really changed the emotions and everything. I was leaning off my chair like ‘what is going to happen next’ kind of thing.”

With the 2013-14 school year entering the second semester, “senioritis” is falling upon the senior class. Many seniors plan to attend college this upcoming fall but they are not going in alone. While some colleges pair you up based on a list of qualifications some seniors are taking matters into their own hands.

“UNI has this Facebook app that allows you to post roommate listings. You create a bio for yourself and just start talking to people!” Senior Whitney Nyholm explained, “This other girl and I started talking to each other and we agreed to room, it was really easy.”

Nyholm isn’t the only one who has tested the social media match up waters, Senior Hunter Fonkert is open to the idea of finding a roommate online…but he is skeptical. “ I haven’t found one I like, but people message me on Facebook all the time asking to be roommates” Fonkert has some interesting encounters to say the least, “This one guy messaged me and told me he performs his rap music down at clubs in Minneapolis, I didn’t think we were a good match so I declined. He was a tool.”

While most people meet up on Facebook or Twitter, there is actually an organized website specifically for matching you up with compatible roommates. https://www.roomsurf.com/. The way it works is you take a survey and roomsurf matches you up with people of similar responses that plan to attend your school. With most colleges having a requirement to live on campus their freshman year, looking for a good roommate isn’t a bad idea!

For BHS Junior Max Hartman, Olympic Trap Shooting isn’t too far fetched. Hartman is training for an Olympic qualifier in the summer.

The Olympics weren’t on his mind when he first started trap shooting. He definitely wanted to do well when he started, but he was thinking it would be more of a hobby than a serious sport. Little did he know he had a special talent.

“My grandfather got me into it,” Hartman said. “He said that since I quit baseball, I couldn’t sit on the couch all summer.” This was what really got him into trap shooting, especially enjoying it because of the bond it created with his grandpa.

Trap shooting is where you have one shell in the gun, and you have a clay disc (trap) flung out in front of you and you shoot it down. You do this until you miss, and the good shooters can get up to 100.

“I was trying to get 20 targets when I first started, that was the main goal,” Hartman said. But now he is starting to shoot up to 100 targets. One can say that he has really stretched his goals.

One thing these athletes need to really do is practice. Practice for this sport isn’t easy, as in the winter you need to find an indoor gun club. It isn’t cheap either, as you have to buy all of your shells. This doesn’t keep Hartman away, though.

“I shoot from 50 to 200 rounds in a practice. In the winter I go once a week, and in the summer it’s four to five times a week,” said Hartman. He said he will keep doing what he’s been doing to train for the Olympics.

A lot of people would try and take the easiest classes they can in high school just to get those four years of school over with. But others try to take as many CIS and AP courses they can. It’s a wonder that those students would choose to take the difficult path through high school when there is a much more clear, enjoyable, and easier road they could go down. Taking hard classes not only gives the students more work but also makes it harder to get A’s and sometimes even B’s.

“Some students will find themselves in a situation they haven’t fallen in before in high school. A lot of times I have students coming to me and saying ’I always had A’s and B’s and I have like a C in your class and I’m really upset or I’m really concerned about it’”said CIS chemistry teacher Charley Keifenheim.

The CIS and AP courses at the high school are the same or similar to the course you would take if you were taking it at the sponsoring university and it shows through the material presented in the class. CIS courses in high school have the same textbooks and lessons as the college or university, but AP courses can be just as complex.

“I tell them it’s the calculus of music. Calculus is hard, music theory is hard,” AP music theory teacher Michael Walsh says.

In AP Music Theory, the students do a lot of listening, such as hearing a musical example and having to identify the different musical elements in the piece such as the chords without sheet music to help them. They also have to sing different parts of music as they see it on a page. The class is not easy in any case. Senior Katie Miller says “It’s really hard to keep up.” But that doesn’t mean the class doesn’t have its benefits.

“I think taking that level of a class is very rewarding. It helps you get better.” Miller says.

This is the same for most of the other CIS and AP classes.

Junior Jennifer Allen, a student from CIS College Algebra, said “I think it’s a little bit [more motivating] because there’s a bigger reward at the end. You get college credit and you don’t have to do it again in college.”

The extra motivation of college credit motivates students to work harder than usual.

“They are getting college credit, they have that extra motivation of working a little bit harder and doing a little bit better,” said CIS College Algebra teacher Stacy Eggers.

The extra effort gives the classroom a more positive attitude towards learning with students that are willing to work extra hard for an extra reward.

“You tend to get students that are really good students. They tend to have the really mature attitude, like they are going to work hard and they know that they can get college credit for it. It’s a lot of money to get college credits so they are motivated to do well,” Keifenheim said.

“Many of the students have taken other AP or CIS classes so very often there are students that have taken several of those classes. So they’re very sharp students. It’s A and a few B students, but mostly A students,” Walsh said.

We live in an era where what you say online is just as powerful as what you say in person. With the increasing influence and size of the Internet, social media websites are being taken more seriously. These sites (Twitter, Facebook, Ask.fm, etc.) are now being used to screen students and possible employees by school administration, parents, and employers. Though most users have cleaned up their profiles and have become more thoughtful about what they post, others still post what could be considered inappropriate and possibly damaging to their future. Even with a clean profile and having a filter on their posts, there is still the risk of misinterpretation. The problem is that words on a screen don’t portray the traits that a face-to-face conversation would, like tone and body language; this can make it easy to misunderstand what someone’s really saying. Reid Sagehorn, a former Rogers High School student, was recently the victim of this. He responded to a question on Ask.fm about “making-out” with a teacher, with two simple words: “Actually yeah.” What was meant as an innocent, sarcastic joke was suddenly blown out of proportion when the school administration came cross it and dealt out a seven-week suspension. The National Honor Society student had a series of panic attacks immediately after hearing the news, and overhearing a police officer speaking of a felony did not help. Although agreeing that he should be held accountable, most students and parents were outraged and protested on Twitter and outside of the school with signs displaying “#FreeReid”. The charges were recently dropped after widespread opposition and lack of an actual crime. “Sarcasm doesn’t belong on the Internet. One bad interpretation …” said Sagehorn. He seems to have learned his lesson.

School staff aren’t the only people using social media to satisfy their curiosity. Around 91% of employers admit to using social media to screen applicants, with Twitter being the most popular. These “screenings” have a significant effect with about 28% of applicants not getting hired solely because of a dirty profile and inappropriate posts. Even the NFL has used this strategy by putting possible draftee’s Twitter accounts under a tight watch. The Minnesota Viking’s released a statement saying that up to eight players they thought about drafting have been “red flagged” solely because of their profile. They decided that the potential talent and skill were not worth the drama it could cause.

All these stories raise the same question: Is it reasonable to judge someone based off of a social media account? I agree with the majority of people who say yes, but only within reason. A school’s effort to press felony charges on a two word tweet is ridiculous, let alone the fact that it’s out of their jurisdiction. However, looking through public posts to determine if someone is a good candidate for a job or position is reasonable. If they willingly decide to post about illegal or inappropriate things, then they also have to expect the possible consequences. Our generation and the ones that follow will all have to face the issue of maintaining the image they want and being ready for what comes with it.

When BHS students register for their first high school classes, they’re told that it is “recommended” that they register for one of the three foreign language courses offered at the high school, and most students do. It is said that most colleges look for at least two years of a foreign language, but these classes can add a lot of stress to an already busy schedule.

Sophomore Elijah Driver has taken Spanish through level three. “There’s too much homework,” said Driver, “and you have to study super hard for the oral exams.”

Spanish class sizes tend to be big, and this poses another problem. “[With] so many kids, it’s hard to get one-on-one time with teachers,” said Driver.

The benefits of taking challenging language classes are reaped in the form of improved studying skills, and an ability to understand how languages work, as a whole. The classes require some students to step out of their comfort zones.

“You have to be brave in order to examine your language through the eyes of another language and culture,” said French teacher Jason Swanson, who also attests that a new language is a skill that requires practice. “You have to develop it like any other skill; like an instrument, or a sport.”

Some students have what it takes to step up to the challenge of learning a new language, while others struggle through the most basic level that the school has to offer. “It comes down to the individual student,” said Swanson. “It will be less stressful for students who have a natural knack for the language, but it also requires a certain amount of trust between the instructor and student to ensure success.”

The classes may be difficult, but some students genuinely enjoy learning a new language.

“If anything, it takes stress away from my schedule. The atmosphere is always super fun!” said Sophomore Callie Liska, who is currently taking Spanish IV, “but I know that a lot of kids don’t deal well with it, and they can’t wait to get out.”

Foreign languages have their pros and cons, but students should never take on more than they can handle.

The thing about public displays of affection, commonly called PDA, is that, because it is public, everybody can see it. Some people try to avoid these displays while maneuvering the already busy high school hallways. Perspective plays a big role in how you feel about PDA, and there are various perspectives on this topic. Some people partake in PDA, and others are disgusted by it. If you are the one who is doing it, then you may feel different about it than someone who has to observe it.

“PDA is okay if you are in a relationship, but if you aren’t then it is kind of weird,” said Freshman Sadie Menth.

Boyfriend of Menth, Freshman Sam Dahmen also agrees that it is fine and that he isn’t affected when people view his PDA. “I don’t care what other people think, so it doesn’t make a difference to me,” Dahmen said.

On the other side of the viewpoint, people who have to witness PDA share opposite opinions.

“PDA is definitely not my favorite thing,” Freshman Rachel Linzbach said. “It is kind of personal, and you should keep it between you and your significant other, not the whole world. I’m sorry to people who do it, but I do not want to see you making out in the hallway.”

There are different ways people react when they witness PDA. Some just walk away, and others say something.

“I usually confront students that are doing it by saying ‘gross!’ or “vomit, I just ate!’” American Experience teacher Devin Davidson said. “PDA in the hallway is really gross and students sometimes take it to far, so I try to embarrass them.”

People who are performing PDA not only draw attention to themselves, but they also succeed at making other people feel uncomfortable. Even though it may seem fine to you, it’s not amusing to anyone else.

“I’m definitely not crazy about it,” said Physical Education teacher Nick Guida. “I know that people want to show affection towards each other, but there is a time and a place for that, and school is not that time or place.”

When watching the Buffalo High School dance team practice, you may notice a unified team with a black-haired girl. She is technical with her movements, dancing center stage. She may seem like just any other dancer on the team. However, Senior Yuka Nakazaki came to America this past August from Yamaguchi, Japan, through the Youth for Understanding Exchange Program.

She began dancing when she was just a little girl.

“My parents recommended me to start dance when I was eight. I started out dancing with the Miyazaki Ballet School and to the International Ballet Academy when I was 11,” said Nakazaki.

Back in October, she auditioned for a role as a dancer in her favorite musical, the Phantom of the Opera, and landed the part. During the performances of the musical, participants were judged by professional adjudicators. One of the adjudicators specifically mentioned Nakazaki, saying her movement suggested a wonderful embodiment of the music-very fluid and strong, yet graceful and controlled.

She did not audition just because it was her favorite musical.

“I wanted to challenge [myself by trying] something new. It was not so difficult, and I had a really great time,” said Nakazaki.

While Nakazaki was still rehearsing for Phantom, she earned a spot on the Buffalo Dance Team. Kaitlin White, the dance team coach, has known Nakazaki since October, when a friend of hers also trying out for the team asked if she could audition as well.

“I knew going into her audition that she was a foreign exchange student,” White said. “I was excited to meet her, and I was hoping that she would be a good addition to the team.”

There are no dance teams in Japan. She chose to be on this team to join more activities and, of course, because she likes to dance.

“It’s not easy, because practice is hard, but I don’t feel it because I like dancing and I wanted to be there,” said Nakazaki.

Though some people would believe that coaching a foreign exchange student would be hard due to the language barrier, White disagrees.

“I, personally, don’t see the language barrier very much. Sometimes it does come with words that probably don’t translate the same, but dance is more in the body. She can watch something and replicate it. She is just a joy to have. She is always a positive presence and such a hard worker,” said White.

Some students would probably say juggling schoolwork, dance class and dance team is difficult, but Nakazaki disagrees. Though she loves dance and enjoys performing, there have been times when she has felt like quitting.

“I often felt that way because I’m not talented and there are many wonderful dancers in the world. But I want to keep dancing as one of my hobbies because I like dancing,” said Nakazaki.

This love of dancing meant she wasn’t willing to take a break from it during her ten month visit in the U.S. Here, she would accomplish another dream.

“I’ve been to many countries and seen different cultures. It was interesting for me to meet many people and learn new stuff. It was my dream to be an exchange student,” said Nakazaki.

Even though she will be leaving in a few months for home, she has already left a noticeable mark on the students and teachers of BHS.

“She is the most sweetest person you will ever meet and she is such a hard worker. She always puts forth her very best effort and is such a beautiful dancer,” states White. “I will miss seeing her at practice with a smile on her face. Even when she was tired or sore she would always have a smile!”

When you hear the words ‘pit bull’, do you think of danger? Social Studies Teacher Lacy Schramm doesn’t. To her, a pit bull is “the best thing ever.” Lacy and her husband, Jake Schramm, have been rescuing pit bulls for over four years and are now the directors of an organization called ‘Save-A-Bull’ (SAB).

Lacy has worked with pit bulls for years. She started fostering in February of 2010 with Save-A-Bull. Since then, she has taken in over 30 pit bulls. After years of saving dogs, Lacy and Jake have become the directors.

“Instead of moving directly to adopting a second dog, we felt that we could provide homes for dogs still looking for their family,” Jake said.

Jake and Lacy started fostering because they wanted to add another dog to their family. A friend suggested to foster. They thought it was a great idea to temporarily add another dog to the family. Fostering was free, and all they had to do was take care of the dog until it was adopted. Jake and Lacy have been hooked ever since.

Pit bulls can often be misunderstood. Lacy says there is bias of them almost everywhere, and many states have created laws to protect the breed. Seeing a void in rescue efforts, the Schramms became more involved.

“The previous director asked us if we would be willing to take over the rescue. We have more than doubled the size of the rescue and are now one of the biggest pit bull rescues in the state,” Jake said.

People have come up with a theory called the ‘locking jaw’. This means a pit bull will bite a person and not let go. Their jaw will ‘lock’ shut.

Lacy commented, “They were portrayed poorly. If they’re in the wrong hands and not cared for properly, then they can become dangerous.”

Even though there are many circumstances with biting, they will still make the headlines on the news, and many people become afraid.

Lacy stated, “They’re really a good family dog, but because they’re big and strong, and they can be bred and raised to look huge and kind of intimidating, they become the dog of choice for some dangerous people.”

Many people hear the word pit bull and associate it with dangerous fighting dogs.

“Most people have never met a pit bull, or if they have, they never knew it was a pit bull and they just have a negative idea because that’s what they hear in the media.” Lacy said

Jake added, “[Owning a pit bull] has been a great experience. We have dedicated a lot of time into training, so that our dogs are well behaved out in public.”

Jake said, “She [Lacy] is very affectionate and loving to all of the dogs that come into the rescue. When a new dog comes into our house, we follow a “plan” for introducing dogs that we have developed over time.”

In the last year, the rescue has taken in over 200 dogs.

In 2013, Lacy had to make a very hard choice to put down four dogs.

“Working in rescues, I have to decide if a dog’s adoptable or not,” she said. “It’s only like one or two percent a year, but every once in a while there’s a dog that I have to put down, and it is the hardest thing in the world.”

Despite having to deal with heartbreaking situations like these, there are definitely upsides to pit bulls.

Lacy says, “They love to cuddle on the couch, and they give so much love. They’re the happiest dogs. Their tail goes like crazy and it always looks like they smile.”

For the second year in a row, Freshmen Joshua Muntifering and Hunter Brings got the chance to go to state for Swim and Dive. Muntifering went for the 200 Individual Medley and 100 Back, while Brings went for Diving. Muntifering finished 22 in the 200 IM and 23 in the 100 Back. Brings finished 18 in Diving.

At State, the boys were able to cheer each other on as they competed.

“It was a great bonding time with Josh Muntifering and Jordan Dick, who came as our manager,” said Brings. “It was just a fun experience.”

In the off-season, Muntifering and Brings are planning on doing a lot of training to prepare for the next Swim and Dive season.

“I swim with the Sea Devils, which is a club in St. Michael,” said Muntifering. “We swim 6 days a week.”

Brings takes a slightly different approach to training in the off-season.

“I haven’t done anything [in the off-season] in the past couple years,” said Brings. “I’ve only played baseball. This year I’m looking into a couple clubs, one in Indiana and one in the Twin Cities.”

Something Muntifering and Brings have in common is the inspiration from their older sisters, who are 2013 graduates.

“I watched my sister for a couple years. I think is why I’m good at it,” said Brings. “As I watched her, I picked up on things that she did. It helped a lot after watching her for like four years.”

Muntifering and Brings’ goals are set high for the years to come. After not meeting their goals this year, they are determined to achieve them in the next three years. By Muntifering’s senior year, he hopes to make top eight, while Brings’ goal for senior year is to make top three.

After over two hours of play time and five overtimes, the Boys’ Basketball Team earned a thrilling 83-75 win over St. Cloud Tech to advance to the State Tournament. Students and fans rushed to the center court after the win to celebrate with the team.

“It was the best game I have ever seen,” said Senior Danielle Odeen, “but it was also the scariest game I have seen.”

The team entered halftime trailing by nine, 28-19. They couldn’t get all the quality shots they needed and their nerves led to some rushed possessions.

”Our team missed a lot of easy shots in the first half. That was our biggest downfall,” said Senior Sam Ortmann. “We just had to get back to how we were playing in the beginning of the year.”

“I just think we were playing a little timid and scared in the first half,” said Senior Collin Olmscheid. “Probably because everyone was kind of nervous.”

With the gym being so loud you couldn’t even hear yourself think, it pushed the boys even more to get the win. “It sounded like we had about two times more fans,” said Ortmann. “It motivated me in the beginning of the game when they just announced the teams. Our fans were a lot louder, I thought that was going to set the tone for the whole game.”

They started to come back in the second half. The team pushing it into the first of many overtimes and the crowd got louder and louder as the game went by.

In the fourth overtime, St. Cloud’s Andy Foley, who had scored 29 points, fouled out.

“Momentum changed when he fouled out,” said Olmscheid. “We had the momentum already and then we were all pretty fired up about it. It was kind of the turning point for us.”

The turning point of the game was in the middle of the fifth and final overtime when Ortmann had a steal and a layup to break a tie and give the Bison a 77-75 lead. St. Cloud didn’t get closer than two points after that.

“The moment I realized this game was ours is when [Junior] Jonathan Senger got a steal,” said Ortmann. “They had to foul and he made two free-throws that put us up by four and sealed the deal.”

Many seniors are getting ready to pack up their bags and leave home soon, but for Senior Maria Hanson her route is a little different.

“This upcoming summer I hope and plan to go to the city of Quetzaltenango, Guatemala; the country’s second largest city,” said Hanson.

While there, she plans to stay with a host family and attend a Spanish immersion school.

This wont be Hanson’s first time to the beautiful country though. Last summer, she and a group of other missionaries went on a mission trip to Momostenango, Guatemala. While there, she helped the community and hung out with the kids.

Following her mission work she vacationed in Antigua, Guatemala to vacation and site see.

“What can I say,” Hanson notes. “I fell in love with Guatemala.”

Although bravery was a clear characteristic, Hanson said she wasn’t always in good spirits.

“The night before I left, I was freaking out. I almost didn’t want to go anymore. I don’t know exactly what I was afraid of either. You hear a lot of horror stories of things happening to people when they are in 3rd world countries,” said Hanson.

While in Guatemala Hanson got the opportunity to hike up and around volcanoes (some active), see exotic beauty in the nature, and make connections with amazing people.

“When it was time to leave, the village threw us a farewell party. There were a lot of goodbye hugs and tears. A lot of them had nothing and yet they were the kindest, happiest people I’ve ever met,” said Hanson.

Now that Hanson is back in Minnesota, she is working on getting her CNA licence and preparing for her future in the U.S. She plans to attend Concordia, Gustavus, or St.Bens next fall for Nursing. Despite her enthusiasm for her plans at home, she definitely has plans to get back on a plane soon.

“I would love to travel to more countries,” said Hanson. “Exposure to other cultures is interesting and fun! It get’s you out of your comfort zone and teaches you about the world around you.”

According to www.shorttermmissions. com short-term mission trips drew in 1.6 million Americans to foreign fields last year. With America having over 1,000 mission organizations.

“I think that everyone should have the experience of doing mission work. It doesn’t have to be in another country or through a church,” said Hanson. “I love the feeling of helping others and want others to feel that.”

Hanson says she intends to keep ties with the people she has met and impacted in Guatemala and hopes to visit as much as possible.

Doing things without limitation can be a good thing, if it doesn’t stop you to pursue what you want; including when financial pressure comes into play. Going to a different place and exploring the world is always filled with mixed emotions. In late summer, with decisions to make, Cristina Aliu, from Spain, chose to spend her upcoming school year being an exchange student.

“When I first landed here I was wearing a sweatshirt and long pants and boots. I was wearing those clothes expecting it to be really cold and it turned out to be hot,” said Aliu.

We all have goals and goals are what drive us to reach higher and be better. Aliu’s goal was to be an exchange student.

“How I became an exchange student was I won a scholarship through Rotary, an organization. In order to get it, I had to work hard to get good grades. Over one thousand people from all over the country applied for it, but only two hundred students were selected to get chosen. There were eighty spots in total to go to the United States and Canada and the rest of them went to other countries. I saved a lot of money by getting the scholarship and I only had to pay for a plane ticket, health insurance, and a monthly allowance that my organization (Rotary) gives me,” said Aliu.

Being 4,306 miles away from Spain, Aliu has had to learn to live without the dependence of her parents. You could say she has had a ‘growing up’ experience.

“I’ve learned to be independent and be without my parents. When I was at home I always depended on my parents for money and now like I have to organize my money every month. Then use it wisely, I have to make it last the entire month. I also don’t get to see my family for basically a year. So I’m learning that they’re not always going to be there, not always going to be right at my side for everything,” said Aliu.

There are 196 countries and seven continents on Earth. With that said, there many minorities in the world. Minorities with different traditions and settings, so there is no surprise that culture here in Minnesota is different for Aliu, vis versa.

“People here are more open than people you find out in Spain. I feel it would be harder for someone new if they went there and tried to make friends, because everyone is already in a “group” of friends; they’re not that open towards new people,” said Aliu.

Our school spirit is shown during homecoming week. It is also shown in sporting games and other events that students participate in. This passion we have for our school is a little different than Aliu’s school in Spain.

“I enjoy the school spirit. I don’t have homecoming or prom in my home country. School there was boring, because we had six hard classes a day which we basically went to school for six hours, take like two or three tests a day, then go back home. While here, its really fun with sports to do after school,” said Aliu.

Every country has a different school system, requirements, and ways of doing things.

“My birthday was in November. I turned sixteen, so if I was a student enrolled here I’d be a sophomore, back home I would be a junior. For me, as an exchange student, I’m a senior,” said Aliu.

When Minnesotans think of snow falling for the first time each year, positive and negative words come to mind.

“Well for me it wasn’t the first time I saw snow, because we also get some in Spain, but I was happy, because there was a lot of snow and we don’t get that much,” said Aliu.

Getting on the back of a horse at the age of one, Freshmen Cadyn Luedemann was hooked right away.

“My mom and sisters rode [horses], and so it was not really a decision I made. They put me on a horse and the rest is history,” said Luedemann.

When participating in a sport we have a coach that is there to help us learn, practice, and perfect our skill in the sport. For Luedemann she has one of the best coaches a girl could have… her mom!

“I started barrel racing when I was five,” said Luedemann’s mother, Maren Luedemann, who is also an equestrian enthusiast. “The moment I put Cadyn on one of our horses it was a challenge to get her off, it’s her life, but the love for horses seemed to come from within her.”

Besides competing Luedemann also contributes to three varsity sport teams.

“I play soccer, basketball, and track, so it can be hard to fit in riding. After practice I’m really tired, so it’s hard to get the energy to ride,” said Luedemann. This has not stopped Luedemann though. With her determination in mind she finds at the end day her achievements.

“I’ve won two state championships. For both of my state titles I rode my moms horse, which we raised at our barn. The experience was amazing and definitely one of the most rewarding moments. It was so amazing because not only was it my first state title, but also a first for the horse,” explains Luedemann.

Maren claims there is one obstacle Luedemann has to overcome to be successful with competing at such a skilled level that she is at.

“Mental toughness is key when wanting to be the best, and that’s exactly what Cadyn is striving for. She has to overcome her own mind, she is competing against the same level of skilled competition that I am, and she’s only fifteen!,” said Maren. Maren credits and praises Luedemann’s hard work for her success in barrel racing.

“I can honestly say I have not come across a more dedicated, hardworking person in my life. Cadyn works most of us to the ground. She has no problem getting up at three a.m. to go prepare the horses. It’s just the way she is,” explained Maren.

Luedemann has learned the values associated with becoming victorious.

“Dedication and commitment are two words that describe Cadyn,” said Maren. “She knows what it takes to win and she’ll do whatever it takes to get there.”