The Hoofprint – March 23, 2007

“We might be smaller, less athletic, but we’re five guys playing as one.”

“Confidence is the name of the game,” said Senior Jessica Heap. That confidence is what helped Mock Trial win at the State competition on March 13 and 14. “We’re confident at what we do. We have our stuff down pretty well,” said Senior Alicia Berg. “If you’re not confident, you’re going to suck,” added Heap. Although it was the state competition, it was run just like any other. “Buffalo walked in first. There were two tables of witnesses that sat behind their lawyers,” said Heap. “White Bear Lake took the left table. Time keepers sat in the jury boxes. Judges walked in and everyone stood up, it’s common courtesy. Judges went through the rules and how it would go. Prosecution started, and then the defense gave their speech.” Buffalo competed 20 times this season, and was undefeated, but even winning every completion up to that point didn’t guarantee a win. “They were a really good team too,” said Berg. “They nailed our witnesses. They were, like, dead.” “This season could not have gone any better, in my opinion,” said senior caption Collin Tierney. “We won every single completion, and we improved every single time. The team wanted to go as far as they could. In the beginning, we had trouble with commitment on the JV team and we had to find new members but we got through it.” Mock Trial is exactly what it sounds like, a Mock Trial. Over the summer, the Minnesota Bar writes a fictitious case. The team receives it at the beginning, then practices it until the season is over. “For the witnesses, Mock Trial isn’t much different than a play. The lawyers are more the debaters,” said Senior Captian Chris Robert. “The lawyers need to be really confident, so that the judges are convinced even if the argument stated was made up by a lawyer. You have to make it sound good enough to believe.” In the beginning of the season, they host tryouts for seven positions: three witnesses, three lawyers and one time keeper. As the season goes on, the team members can switch positions to make the best team to give the best performance. “This is the most of the team based activity. We need everyone at the same level,” said Robert. “We all came together at state. With the amount of time practicing together we just clicked. And we got to the point where we could see what’s coming before it happens.” Mock Trial practices two days a week, and three days a week before state. The team will compete in the National High School Mock Trial Championship May 10-13 in Dallas. Although the team argued the same case all season, the case for Nationals Championship will be new. “I don’t have the slightest clue what to expect for nationals. Judge Dehn told us that the other teams from all over the country are more aggressive than Minnesota schools and not as polite,” said Tierney. “We were also told that the judges are more subjective and less tolerant. We just have to be prepared for the worst and to be as flexible as we can.”

Senior Matt Piram was walking out to his car, after school when he saw an orange boot around his tire. Not wanting to get Parking Lot Attendant Aric Bethke, or pay the ten dollars to get it removed, he decided to take it off himself, and leave the parking lot before Bethke could even get outside.

“I kept forgetting to get a parking permit; I really didn’t think it was that big of a deal” said Piram, “I had two warnings before I got the boot.”

This year, Bethke has already put on eight or nine boots on student cars.

“I had five or six of my friends lift the car, we put the spare on and drove to my friends house” said Piram.

They then deflated the tire, took the boot off, and put the old tire back on.

“The next day I gave the boot back to Bethke and he considered it stealing, since I left the parking lot with it.”

Piram was then talked to by two principals and Bethke. His punishment was two AAA’s of picking up the parking lot, and no driving to school for a week.

“I don’t think I should have been punished at all, I got the boot off myself and didn’t need them to do it” said Piram, “Bethke told me it felt like ‘two fingers in the face.’”

Still, students wonder why we need permits at all.

The parking permits are mainly used for “security reasons.”

“How would you police students if someone is parked across three parking spaces?” said Bethke. “We’d have to get it towed, that costs $200, and then we’d have to deal with even bigger problems”

Cars that don’t have permits are recorded.

“It makes sense that every car should be accounted for” said Math Teacher, Stacey Eggers, “and the [parking permits] are free.”

Students can get parking permits at the office for no fee, but if students forget to get the permits and display them in their cars, they will get two warnings and if they still don’t get a permit, they will get a boot, which costs ten dollars to take off.

“Kids that don’t have them are lazy”, said Bethke, “and have disregard for authority.”

“Mainly I forgot,” said Senior Alex Henrichs. “I didn’t know that I’d get a boot on my car. If I had known I would have got one right away.”

“ W i t h the permits being free,” said Bethke, “the students don’t take them seriously enough.”

J u n i o r A n d r e a P a r s o n s , thinks the school should have taken a different method with the permits.

“Bethke is just making more work for himself, having to go through the hassle of putting on boots and giving out warnings.” said Parsons. “Students know they are lazy, Bethke could have just handed them out to us.”

Many students don’t know why not having a parking permit will get them a boot.

The permits are used to identify cars, see if students are supposed to be there, if someone leaves lights on, or even at times, when a car is left turned on.

“I had no sleep the night before, I was just spaced out” said Junior Brad Johnson. “A teacher came in second block and told me my car was on. When I got back, the radio was on, and the car was warm.”

Johnson had left his car running from roughly about 7:40 in the morning, until about 9:30.

“I wasted a quarter tank of gas,” said Johnson. “Good thing I left my doors unlocked, or that would have been bad.”

Parking Permits aren’t just a problem with students; they are also a problem with teachers.

“The staff is lacked about their permits” says Bethke, “[but] I usually know whose car it is”.

“I display mine proudly on my window” said Eggers.

The staff likes playing practical jokes with the boot.

“They played a joke on me, put a boot on my car so I wouldn’t leave school,” said Eggers.

For instance, if a car’s lights were left on, or even an engine still running, it would be left on all day if not for the parking permits.

You see it everyday in the media. The controversy over the leadership of the nation. It makes sense, then, that people are beginning to think about the presidential elections in 2008.

Many juniors and seniors will be able to vote in the elections. The question is, who will they vote for? It is over a year and a half away but already eighteen people, according to historyguy.com, have already declared their candidacy. With each candidate having to raise approximately 100 million dollars, this election is bound to be the most expensive in the U.S. history. Beyond all of the money, commercials, and debates the election, for students, is about change.

“America is ready for a change,” said Junior Briana Lubben. “I’m sick of old white guys trying to run this country; we need someone to shake things up.”

The elections on November 4, 2008 could decide more than just who will become the 44th president of the United States, but also if this will be a turning point in this country’s history. U.S. Senator and Presidential Candidate Hilary Clinton, along with U.S. Senator and Presidential Candidate Barack Obama are candidates in the running for President. It’s currently the first time a woman and an African American have both been in the running.

“It’s really cool that we have lots of candidates to choose from,” said Junior Brendan Brophy. “We could possibly have a woman or an African American president in 2008, that’s really exciting.”

Some people find it exciting while others find it disturbing. Of 200 students polled, 27 percent said they would be troubled if a woman was elected president.

“If you look around, a lot of countries have female and minority presidents,” said Lubben. “I think it would show we are growing as a nation.”

68 percent of students said if a candidate was qualified for the position they would vote for them.

“I vote with someone who’s a public servant above being a politician, someone who really cares about what’s best for the people as a whole instead of doing what the party wants. They do whatever they feel is necessary to better the country,” said Brophy.

Taking these qualities into consideration, who would you vote for in the 2008 elections?

“I’m voting for John McCain because he votes not for his party, but for his morals,” said Senior David Lehman. “I also know that if Clinton won I’d move to Canada because I don’t think she is the right woman to be president.”

If all students could vote, Hilary Clinton would carry 24 percent of the votes among all the possible candidates to become the first female president in U.S. history. Close behind would be John McCain with 20 percent, and Barack Obama with 11 percent. Less than one percent voted for other candidates, while 44 percent remained undecided as to who would win their vote.

It may seem like an eternity away, but before long campaign adds will be seen on screens in living rooms across Buffalo and the U.S. as Americans must decide who will lead them from the white house.

“It doesn’t matter what race or gender wins, only that they are able to successfully lead this powerful country,” said Lubben.

Senior Josh Ortmann broke the thousand-point barrier for his career in basketball, during a home game January 11th in the first play of the second half. Ortmann scored a three-point shot to put him up to 1002 points for his four years on the Buffalo Varsity basketball team.

Immediately after the shot, the game was stopped long enough for Head Coach Nick Guida to present Ortmann with that game ball, and the rest of the team to congratulate him. Then with a new ball, the game continued.

“There are a lot of different philosophies when it comes to how much recognition is enough during the game for Josh,” said Guida. “It’s nice to stop and recognize that person, but it’s a team sport, and the whole team helped him get there. We really celebrated behind closed doors and got all the guys involved. The whole team should be proud.”

Ortmann is the leading scorer for the team, but his teammates have helped him become such.

“I was excited when I finally got 1000 points,” said Ortmann. “It’s been a goal of mine since my freshman year, but the guys’ goal that night was to get me the ball. They helped me reach my goal, so it wasn’t all me. That made it way better.”

Josh is the first in 32 years, and only the third player in Buffalo High School history to score over 1000 points throughout his Varsity career. Mark Tiemann was the one of the last players to score over 1000, and he was also the record holder at 1231, until Josh beat that.

“In that last game I knew I had to score five points to get the record,” said Ortmann. “It’s not really something I thought about during the game, but obviously it was in the back of my mind. I ended up scoring 19 points that game, so that was good.”

Last week the Buffalo Speech Team competed in the National Forensic League’s Northern Lights District Tournament. With the meet finished the speech team, Coached by Math Teacher Grant Popp and Cokato Historian Mike Worcester, concluded the first half of its long, January-through-April season.

“Speech is a public speaking activity governed by the Minnesota State High School League,” said Worcester. “Speech encompasses a variety of types of speaking with 13 categories that are all different in some form from each other.”

But even with the long season, most members don’t feel overwhelmed by the time commitment.

“Speech isn’t very time consuming,” said Captain Senior Karen Baker. “I can have a job, hard classes, and speech, because it only takes up a half-hour of my five-day week and my Saturdays.”

During the week, the half-hour practices generally resemble a normal speech tournament round with members performing their speech for their coaches and receiving feedback. Coaches offer advice on how to improve the speech: What should be kept, cut, emphasized, or downplayed—besides working on the “little things.”

“Speech is a total package activity,” said Worcester. “We make the students practice really hard. They rehearse things that may seem strange and silly at first, like getting up from a table and walking to speak, but they soon realize that the little things are important.”

From an outside perspective speech meets may seem like “organized chaos,” as Worcester likes to refer to them.

“At a meet there are 600 to 700 people all scattered about trying to find speaking rooms,” said Worcester, “but underneath it all is a level of organization. If you have never watched a meet it may seem jumbled, but after awhile you will realize that the meets are actually run like a well-oiled clock.”

To win, speakers have to properly assess the competition.

“The hardest parts of speech are getting a good score from judges, knowing your competition, and being able to be better than they are,” said Baker. “It’s tough because some people are really good, some are really bad, and others are simply liked more by the judges.”

But aside from competition, speech also provides members with lifelong skills.

“Speech is a way to gain confidence in your speaking ability via simply getting in front of people in an environment that is comfortable,” said Junior Nathan Raatz. “You get to learn a lot about how to present yourself, be aware of how you are speaking, and how clear you are.”

“We measure success not just by ribbons and trophies but by how well the kids learn skills that they can take with them after high school,” said Worcester. “We teach them skills like poise in front of a group, being able to think quickly on their feet, and communicating effectively. All of these are skills that they can use for the rest of their lives.”

In doing this the speech team maintains fairly low visibility in the school atmosphere. The members split on whether or not that’s a good thing.

“I never hear anything about the speech team,” said Baker. “We don’t get praise because nobody knows about us.”

However, some, like Captain Senior Mitch Biermann don’t mind the lack of publicity.

“It’s really not a big deal to me,” said Biermann. “I don’t really care whether people know about the speech team or not. If I think about it, I never knew how the football team was doing, so why should they know about how the speech team is doing?”

Lack of support, or just enough—the speech team looks forward to the second half of its season.

“The school should be proud of their speech team,” said Worcester. “They are wonderful representatives of the school and district. They always represent with class and politeness, and that isn’t something that you see very often.”

Bus Driver Tammy Otten was driving her route when she was faced with an emergency. “I was coming up on a house and a gentleman flagged me down,” said Otten. The man was asking if she knew CPR. A man and his 19-year-old son and his 19-year-old friend had been in their car when the man had a heart attack. The car was maneuvered into a drive- way but nobody knew CPR. Otten performed CPR on the man until help arrived. “It seemed to take forever,” said Otten. The man did not sur- vive, though Otten was reassured that nothing more could have been done to save him.”

The man flagged Otten down hoping that, as a bus driver, she would be able to help. Otten is just one of many bus drivers workin in District 877. Bus driver Donna Derosier started driving because of a challenge. “Somebody said to me, ‘you’re a terrible driver, you won’t pass the test,’” said Derosier. That was 27 years ago and Derosier is still driving a bus today. By now, she knows the techniques to handling a school bus. “You have a larger vehicle. Larger turning radius,” said Derosi- er. “A lot oftimes you have to take up the whole road to avoid taking out a stop sign.” Derosier thinks that some kids don’t appreciate their bus drivers enough. “Some kids think bus drivers are the bottom of the pole,” said Derosier. “They don’t respect the job.” Sandy Jeske used to drive a bus for four years and thinks that it’s a hard job. “It’s very difficult,” said Jeske. “The children today have no respect for elders.” The kids do make the job hard- er, according to Bus Driver Karen Uecker. “A kid mooned the car behind me,” said Uecker. “I’ve had to break up a fight ortwo.” There are factors, other than the children, that make the job dif- ficult. “I don’t like winter,” said Derosier, “but on days when it’s really hard to drive, school is can- celled or two hours late.” The kids make the driving more important, though, according to bus drivers. “There are a lot of little lives sitting behind me,” said Uecker. “I’ve got to take care of them.” Bus drivers may be under ap- preciated due to the fact that peo- ple often don’t think driving a bus would be harder than driving a car. “There are all those people behind you making noise,” said Uecker. There are kids, though, who do appreciate their bus drivers. “It’s just like any other job,” said Freshman Chris Zumach. “They’re adults and you should re- spect them.” Sometime the kids that ride the bus even realize that their bus driver may not receive the respect they deserve. “Most people think that people who drive buses didn’t go to school or get the careers they wanted,” said Zumach. “So they kind of got the second choice.” And then there are the rules of the job that can make it more dif- ficult. The bus company, Laidlaw, has regulations concerning how the drivers do their job. If a bus driver has a moving violation (such as speeding) in their bus, they are fired and if they get in an accident it is investigated to see whose fault the accident was, or whether the driver could have done anything more to prevent it. The driver has to go through retraining whether or not the accident was their fault. If it is determined that the accident was their fault they could be laid off, and if the accident was preventable by the bus driver, they could still be considered at fault. Laidlaw is different from other bus companies in requiring more training than some of them. Laid- law requires a minimum of 35 hours of training but usually 40 or more for a new driver with no expe- rience. Other bus companies gener- ally don’t require as much. At the bus training for district 877, they watch videos of different traffic situations, safety and more. They also have safety directors who do instruction in the bus. “I would say Laidlaw is on the top end as far as requirements go,” said Tammy Otten. Otten used to train bus drivers for six years. “I truly believe, to the best of my knowledge that out of the surround- ing districts that Laidlaw trains the most,” said Otten. “Laidlaw has 64 bus routes in our school district. There are 46 big buses, 10 spares, eight vans, and 10 small buses. There are about 70 drivers for our school district.

“I like the other bus drivers,” said Derosier. “We’re like a big family.” The drivers have to fill their bus up with (but not pay for) the diesel fuel that they take. The buses hold 60 gallons and usually need to be filled up around every other day, though some need to be filled up every day. The buses always have to have at least half a tank of diesel in case of an emergency evacuation at a school. The drivers also have to sweep and clean their buses and check them before the route to make sure that everything works, such as lights, tires, fans, wipers, brakes, emergency windows, etc. “Most of the drivers get up early,” said Derosier. “I have to get up at 5:30.” Derosier considers herself lucky because she if able to keep her bus at home. If the drivers have a place to park the bus off the street, they are able to keep it at their house, otherwise they have to go to the bus garage to pick it up. Sometimes bus drivers who live in town try to keep their bus at home in their driveway, but if there is a complaint, then they have to keep it at the bus garage. The buses are retired in our school district after 10 years, but that can differ in other school dis- tricts based on what they put in their contract. After the buses have run for 10 years, either they can go to another district where they can run longer or they can be sold. Bus drivers could potentially drive their bus until after most people reach retirement age if they could pass their physicals and get their license. According to the state, it would be discrimination to have an age maximum. If someone applies to be a bus driver, Laid- law looks at any tick- ets they might have. They’re not allowed to have three violations in three years. Derosier thinks that her job as a bus driver makes her a better driver in a car. “You learn what to watch for around you,” said Derosier. Uecker thinks that driving cars and buses are similar in theory. “No matter what you’re driving you have to be really aware,” said Uecker. Despite sometimes having naughty kids, sometimes having bad weather and sometimes being under appreciated, Derosier likes her job. “I do like the job,” said Derosier. “I like to drive.”

Every week school bus drivers submit reports that list how many hours they worked, how much gas they used, and how many miles they traveled that week.

Bus Drivers maintain their respective vehicles. Every morning they carefully inspect them and minor repairs are made by the driver.

Bus drivers start working as early as 5:30 a.m. or earlier.

In 2002, Buffalo High School received extra money after passing a district wide levy referendum asking for financial support. The money we received was used towards providing equipment and supplies to all of the schools in the district. The district has been able to manage their money carefully and “stretch” the money as far as they could. Now, the extra money the district once obtained is beginning to run low. As a result, the school district has decided to freeze the budget for the 2007-2008 school year. A budget-freeze is much different then a budget-cut, in the sense that a “freeze” will not lay off any teachers nor cut any classes or extracurricular activities. A budget freeze means that the current spending level will remain intact for the next school year. The effect of the freeze will hardly be noticeable, aside from the fact we are unable to add any new classes or purchase any (or limited) new equipment or supplies for the schools’ departments.

Although this does not seem like an obvious threat to students or their educations, it very well could be. In November, there will be another vote taking place to try to provide the schools in the district with money to operate. If the levy referendum does not pass, the whole district will find itself in a financial crisis, which may result in the laying off of teachers or cutting extracurricular activities and (or) extended day classes. With next year’s freshman class being one of the largest to pass through Buffalo, it would be distressing to cut any faculty members on programs. Right now Buffalo’s student per faculty ratio is 17.2 students per one faculty (including all faculty, not just teachers.). If we were to cut merely 5 teachers and add 66 extra students next year, compared to this year; our student per faculty member would rise significantly.

Students have the opportunity and duty to help inform their parents about the importance of the November 2007 levy referendum vote. Also, this year’s seniors play a very important role in Buffalo’s future. Although they may not be in school next year, they will have the ability to vote which could affect the results of the referendum. Everyone in the school plays a part in Buffalo High School’s future. Asking questions and learning more information on the budget freeze will only benefit our students and staff.

“I wish I could just sleep un- til I was eighteen and skip all this crap-high school and everything- just skip it.” -Little Miss Sunshine

Why is high school the worst years of our lives? I thought they were the best. I mean, that’s what everyone else says. High school sweethearts, parties, friends, sports, gossip, preparation for col- lege, everything happens in high school. So how is it that 9th-12th grade are the worst years ever? Oh yeah…

Exhibit A; the high school relationship. Consisting of; PDA in the hallways, tacky nicknames, occasional flowers, cute little messages in your locker, jersey sporting and etc. Sometimes these relationships go as far as saying the three most dangerous words ever, “I love you”. If you ask me, that’s pretty risky to say while in high school, considering the average relationship lasts four months. Ouch. Looks like “love” lost its way. Anyone who has been through a breakup in high school knows it hurts significantly more than it did in Middle School. I know my comfort zone in middle school after a breakup was usually the next clos- est guy. Unfortunately, feelings are more complex in high school, and a bad breakup can leave someone tainted for months or possibly years. Even though it is just high school, being hurt feels just the same.

Another one of high schools oh-so-amazing features is drama. Hate to love it, love to hate it. Drama is the quick- sand of high school. You can walk around it and avoid it, but the first step you take into it, you’re sucked in. The saddest part of drama is that you don’t have to fall into it. It finds a way to pull you in. Then there’s all the secret work behind drama. Usually consisting of, A) an event of some sort. B) People involved (true or not, if their name is heard they are now implicated). And C) the people who start it all. These people I like to call The Bottom Feeders. Everyone knows people like this. They are high school paparazzi; searching for any screw up, embarrassing moment, or fault of any sort to share with the whole student body. Everyone has been a victim of drama and rumors. I know I have been the topic of conversations a few times, and as much as I wish it never bothered me, I’m human. Words hurt, and some of them I will never forget.

And then we have the whole school experience itself. Even though I have been in school most of my life, I still haven’t gotten used to it. Five days a week we wake up (at an insane hour I might add), go to school, rush to class, attempt to stay focused, go home, work on hours of home- work, relax (if lucky), head to bed and get ready for the same routine tomorrow. For me it’s a perpetual battle keep- ing up in school academically. I often lose my motivation to do homework or even try in school. But in the end I force myself to do it anyway. While it’s hard enough mak- ing time for homework, it’s overwhelming now in high school where sports and jobs are big factors. I give lots credit to people who can balance all these and maintain good grades.

I hate to say it, but grades and commitment in high school do have an affect on our future. Oh no… I used the F-word. The Future. Where do you want to go to college? What are your future goals? What do you want to be when you grow up? Back in Elementary school I could answer that question in seconds. I miss when racecar driver, fire fighter, and princess were the only professions we knew of. The future is a scary thing because no matter how much you prepare yourself for it, you still never know what will hap- pen. High school can provide one idea about your future. If you fail out of high school, life is going to be difficult. If you excel in high school, life may be just as difficult but you increase your chances of success.

High school is the breaking point for a lot of teenag- ers. I know I’ve hit rock bottom more than a few times. The pressure is unbearable. School itself seems impossible, friendships are fragile, the opposite sex is either your friend or enemy, and no matter how hard you try, happiness and stability seem out of reach. The only motivation I have for high school is the fact I am one day closer to escaping it.

Everyday is a battle of some sort. You against your friends, against academics, sports, teachers, and even you against yourself.

Freshmen year I was a hopeless case. I had shallow reasons behind a lot my actions and choices. I only acted the way I thought I was “supposed” to. I thought I had to be in with the upper classmen, be popular, go to all the parties and date a star athlete.

Right before sophomore year, I realized how sick I was of faking my lifestyle. I was tired of having all the friends in the world, but not feeling like I could truly trust any of them. After that, I stopped faking friendships. I stopped going to events that put me out of my comfort zone. My social life came to a screeching halt. Now, I hang out with a small crowd of people, my weekends are usually dull, and I’m still struggling with school and grades. But by letting go of all the unnecessary stress I had in my life I am finally understanding who I am and where my priorities are.

I don’t have the answers to everyone’s problems, nor do I have the answers to all of mine. The only advice I have to offer is that sometimes distance can be a life savor. It’s hard to recognize the problem or even think of a solution when you are enclosed by it. Distance gives you the chance to look at everything with an outside perspective. It may not work for everyone, but it has definitely helped me.

High school still sucks, but all the suffering and tor- ment we experience will teach us some of the most valuable lessons in life. Challenge yourself to learn what you can from them.

Even before my already certain thoughts were justified with a simple pink (+) sign, I had my mind made up. My mind spent five silent weeks on nothing but this decision, through each option I found just one answer for myself: abortion was the only thing I could do at this point in my life. I withhold my name for fear of discrim- ination, not because I am ashamed. I do not want to become the one labeled, the whore that got knocked up and took the easy way out of her consequences. The fact is that abortion is, by far, prob- ably the hardest thing to live with. Imagine you had sex once, just once, and although you thought the protection to be effective, your physical symptoms be- came more than just a paranoid thought and now you sit crying, alone, in a small suffocat- ing bathroom with a simple stick that marks the turning point of a once uneventful life. You are pregnant, at the age of 16. Imagine having to tell your parents and see the look on their face. Your innocence has just been ripped out from under you and everyone has been affected. I see three options: 1. Keep it. Go through the nine months of pregnancy, have a baby at the age of 17 and start a fam- ily. 2. Adoption. Again, a person would have to go through that entire nine months only to give the baby away, but you at least have the comfort of knowing it will have a possibil- ity of growing up and having a good life. 3. Abortion. For a teenager, that decision has the ability to rip them apart. This is why my stance stays strong on Pro-Choice. I think every person should have the choice. Although having an abortion doesn’t enhance one’s life, going through a nine- month pregnancy does more damage than good. Through morning sickness, the usual pressures being a teenager and complications during the pregnancy and the actual birth, a pregnancy proves as a very unhealthy situa- tion for any girl so young. I had already thought about it, before everything even started, and personally I never thought I could have an abortion. Things change. I don’t believe people are really able to make the decision until they are presented with the problem. I had it calculated down to the day. I figured that a person can probably hide the fact that they’re pregnant given the fact that most women don’t really show until after the first couple trimesters. With seven months left of school I figured the timing was perfect. I wouldn’t even show until the summer and have at least three months to finish my preg- nancy, have the baby and, inevitably, give it up for adoption. Is it worth going through all the mental and emotional pain of becoming a possible outcast? I may manage to hide a fat stom- ach, but how does a person hide a child? I would have to face the crowd of judgmental students in my senior year strolling a cart with once hand and a baby bag in the other. I couldn’t keep it. However, why would someone put their body through so much pain, just to give the baby away? That is my baby; I will keep the first one I ever have. The selfish, teenage part of me echoed in my head, telling me that having a baby, either way, would ruin my life. The only choice I was left with was abortion. I understand that someone’s point of view in that abortion is morally wrong, whether it is against religious or personal beliefs. Good for them. People make mis- takes; let them deal with the consequences they choose for themselves. One month later I still look back. I’ve tried hard to forget, but at times when a cer- tain song comes on the radio, a picture on the TV screen reminds me or when my mind wanders away, that is all it takes back to bring me right back down. It was the hardest thing I have ever had to do and when it comes to abortion I continue to stand for Pro-Choice. Not because I want everybody to terminate that which could become a beautiful life, but merely because a person should be able to continue the freedom that this country has always promised. Let people do what they will. My life has changed. Call me a mur- derer if it makes you feel better about your- self, but I do believe that if that life had been meant to touch this world, it will find a way.

Standing beneath the heat of the lights, pulse racing, palms sweating, a group of young performers standing on stage will attempt to wow the crowd of their peers.

This year claimed the third annual Battle of the Bands and included a wide array of genres.

“[We are expecting] anything,” said Senior Kory LaCriox. “From Screamo to Jazz Ensemble.”

“A mix of Grunge Rock, Alternative, and Death Metal,” said Senior Jared Downs of Crypts of Highgate. “A lot of heavy stuff mixed with some light melodic touches as well.”

The contrast between bands was evident as The Stuff took the stage.

“We are very versatile in our music taste,” said Sophomore Brandon Aldrich of The Stuff. “So our music sounds mostly like New Age/Rock/Alternative/ Experimental. [We sound like] Pretty-Boy Rock.”

The artists on the bill included Blood Root Mother, Crypts of Highgate, The Flatline Chorus, Electric Joy Ride, The Stuff, Funk Boot Conception, The Remnant, and Calculust and the Derivatives.

“I was actually surprised that there were so many bands there,” exclaimed Junior John Kreitlow. “They were all really good, and I’m sure one or two of them could get recording deals if they continue with it. It’s good to see that the bands were everything from Ska to Death Metal. They weren’t the typical high school bands trying to be the next Led Zeppelin. Each had their own unique sound.”

Playing in a garage for a few friends to performing for an audience of peers can be a big change. For most people it would be a nightmare, but for a musician it seems to be a way of life.

“I love being on stage,” said Senior Andrew Melchert of The Flatline Chorus. “I don’t feel any [pressure.]”

The vibe of the crowd and pressure that is received by the band goes hand in hand, affecting the overall performance of the band.

“It depends on how prepared we are and the mood of the crowd,” said Downs. “Any band performs better with a lively crowd because it makes it fun, and overall, that’s what making music is all about; expressing yourself, and having a blast while doing it!”

For musicians, music is a way of life: a form of self expression. So whether you take it seriously is really up to you. After all, as Aesop once said, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”

“We are true musicians, in the sense that we don’t make our music to please people,” said Junior Benjamin Sibley of Funk Boot Conception. “We just play what makes us happy and what we really feel for, and when people see that, they are inspired.”

Clad in the striking red of St. Cloud State University, security guards stood poised to keep order inside the halls of Hallenbreck Hall—arms clasped tightly over their sternums, faces void of any hint of celebration. They appeared confident in their abilities to quell the growing tide of anticipation swelling within the raucous crowd. They never had a prayer.

As the final seconds of the Section 8AAAA championship game slipped away, the dam broke. Throngs of Buffalo fans rushed mid-court. Bursting through the bewildered line of guards, they swarmed their victorious team and reveled in a victory that was 76 years in the making.

With a 60-53 win over St. Cloud Apollo, the boys’ basketball team clinched their first state berth since 1931. From the onset the game took on a tone of restless intensity that stretched from the players to the soon-to-be hoarse-voiced fans.

“They announced [Apollo’s] starter and you heard their crowd cheer and it got you going,” said Coach Nicholas Guida. “But then they announced Erik [Olson] and you just flinched at the noise level. It was an awesome feeling.”

Early on, the large contingent of Buffalo fans watched anxiously as hot shooting staked Apollo to an early lead. The Bison remained undeterred.

“They hit every shot early but we’re still only down five,” said Senior Captain Darrin Olmschied. “At that point we’re pretty confident. We’ve taken their best shot and we’re still in it.”

Buffalo responded with a suffocating brand of defense, regaining the lead and staggering Apollo with a balanced offensive attack. The run forced Apollo into taking a timeout, further amplifying the Bison fan base.

“Having that big of a crowd makes you do a little something extra,” said Olmschied. “After we got that first lead everybody hit the huddle with so much intensity. We knew it was our game.”

The game in itself served as a microcosm of the entire season. The Bison were considerably smaller, some may even say less athletic, outgunned. Yet as they have proven all season, height and brawn alone do not win basketball games.

“We get everyone involved, and when everyone is involved you can’t stop that,” said Senior Captain Josh Ortmann. “We’re able to basically ‘out-together’ people. We might be smaller, less athletic, but we’re five guys playing as one.

Senior Captain Karl Olson found the achievement hard to grasp, even as he stood with his arm extended after putting all doubt to rest with two late free throws.

“That was the icing on the cake. I held that follow through for a couple seconds,” said Olson. “I just kept saying over and over, ‘did that really happen’. The feeling was just sick. Ever since I’ve been playing varsity basketball this has been my dream.”

The motto of the 2006/2007 Boys’ Basketball team is “Together”. And after 36 minutes of sweltering, breakneck basketball, the team was together. Together with their fans, their school, their community. Together at mid-court, making everyone forget about a 76-year drought.

Some people are talking in the chairs that are set up in front of a 12ft by 12ft cage with a steel floor and lexan side panels that could stop a bullet. The whirring of an electric motor as it spins the hardened tool steel bar of the 15 lb. robot, Humdinger, at 4,500 rpm is the only sound coming from that cage. The buzzer sounds and Humdinger charges straight for Rugburn Reloaded. There is a huge crashing sound as Reloaded is thrown into the side of the cage. Another hit from Humdinger sends Reloaded flying again. Reloaded tries to spin up its weapon but it was bent in one of the hits. About two minutes into the fight, a puff of smoke comes out of Rugburn Reloaded. 30 seconds later, smoke starts pouring out of Reloaded and quickly fills the cage.

“At first we were just bumping into each other,” said Eric Mueller, one of the members of Team Dunwoody. “He got us up in the air a few times and the blade got locked. The driver left the weapon on which stressed the batteries because the motor was stalled and was drawing more current then the batteries were designed for. When batteries are discharged at a really fast rate they get hot. The heat melted the plastic in the robot which caused the smoke and it got so hot that it de-laminated the carbon fiber.”

“Before the fight we were worried that Rugburn might beat us because of the position of his weapons, if he got a lucky hit. We gained confidence after the first hit and we were relieved when smoke started coming out of Rugburn because our belt started slipping,” said Junior Matt Gallagher, driver for Team Booyah.

Team Booyah consists of five people and five robots. Their 15 lb. robots are Humdinger, Jostler 2, and Azzz Chewer; their 3 lb. robot is Firefly and their 120 lb. robot is Lunatic.

“I started building/designing robots in 2001 after Adam first saw them at the Minnesota State Fair,” said Gallagher. “My favorite fight was at the May 2006 state event when our 120 lb. robot, Lunatic, beat the undefeated, 2 time national champion Falcon.”

Team Booyah is currently ranked in the top spot in the Midwest Robotics League with Humdinger, who has a record of 21-2.

The robots take time and money to build.

“We spent hundreds of hours on Humdinger alone,” said Gallagher. “There is about $1,500 in Humdinger and in Lunatic there is about $2,000 or so.”

Changes are always being made to the robots.

“We plan to put on a full front wedge to pop a shell spinner or under cutter in the air,” said Gallagher. “Our favorite things to use in the robots are overly powerful weapon motors and big weapons, titanium, and S7 tool steel. If we had unlimited money we would buy titanium armor, Li-Poly batteries, and a machine shop.”

The members of the teams do take something from this, not just the fun of destroying things.

“I’m getting lots of mechanical experience, tons of CAD software experience, and we get to design bots in 3D CAD before they are built,” said Gallagher.

“This is the perfect ways for students to use their skills in a fun, competitive way,” said Deb Holmes, director of the MRL.