The Hoofprint – May 26, 2005

The Senior Class Cabinet along with members of janitorial staff put up a sign counting down the last ten days of school. The sign was hung in the senior hallway to count down their last ten days of their high school career. Photo by Katie Robinson

Yet another school year is just about over. Thursday will be the last day of the 2004-2005 school year and the last day these students will be walking the hallways of BHS. So how will it be remembered? The yearbook.
Tomorrow the yearbook will be distributed. Though the yearbook is filled with memories. It takes a lot of work to put it all in one book.
Yearbook
Continued on page 6

Recently, a survey, taken by 262 students at random revealed that the majority of students are satisfied with their overall experience at Buffalo High School.
The survey polled students on a variety of topics; from school lunches and AAA to perceptions about teachers and administrators in an effort to judge how-
Voices
Continued on page 2

The school year is coming to a close and senioritis has kicked in, not only for the seniors but for all of the school. The students of BHS have been counting down the days since fourth quarter started, posting the days left in every classroom. The students are anticipating having a day to sign yearbooks and hang out with friends. A majority of them just want a day to hang out and relax as a reward for going to school all year.
I think we should have a water balloon fight, turn the stairs into giant
End of Year
Continued on page 3

Buffalo experiences another cloudy day, with signs pointing to rain. The rainy weather has affected BHS with cancelled sporting events and a delayed construction process.
Photo by Kim Dougherty

Students at Buffalo High School
Derek Swart
Journalism Staff
Alabama lawmaker Gerald Allen recently introduced a bill to ban books from public schools dealing with what he calls the "homosexual agenda." In layperson's terms, this means the banning of all books with gay characters, or by gay authors.
It is pretty obvious that this is blatant hate-mongering, but like everything, censorship comes in degrees, and how much is too
Censorship
Continued on page 4

Teachers are qualified enough to work here.
Teachers have concern for a student's progress.
Teachers show an in-depth knowledge of teaching.
Students had an average rating meaning that they were moderately satisfied with their experience, and 67 percent of the surveyed are either satisfied or very satisfied with their experience at BHS.
They were asked if they agree or disagree with the statements by circling numbers one through five, one meaning strongly disagreeing with the statement, and five meaning strongly agreeing with the statement.
A group of 262 BHS students were given a list of statements and asked for their reaction.
They were asked if they agreed or disagreed with the statements by circling numbers one through five, one meaning strongly disagreeing with the statement, and five meaning strongly agreeing with the statement.
Another statement that was featured in the survey was whether the administration listened to the wants of the students. Forty percent of the students that voted chose the number three, the average rating on the survey. The next highest choice was 27 percent; students chose that they agreed that the administration listened to the overall wants of the students.
After the outcome of this survey came back, there was only nine percent that are not satisfied with their experience at BHS.
Homework is a big part about life at BHS and 77 percent of students are satisfied with the amount of homework they receive.
"The worst part about BHS is all the homework, there is so much to get done and I just think that there are way too many hours spent on homework," said Ankerfelt.
"The school is so fun, it is so big and there is so much to get to know.
If I could change anything about the school, I would make it bigger, so I would make next year more fair for the Juniors because they don't get as many senior privileges, I would be angry if I were them," said Senior Amanda Lafayette.
Some seniors are even thinking about the underclassmen as they graduate.
"If I could change anything about the school, I would get rid of AAA, I'd rather attend school here than somewhere else," said Junior Amy Goemer.
Students generally agreed that teachers are concerned about students and that they are qualified to teach here.
Despite the issue of school safety dominating discussion recently, the overwhelming majority of students feel safe in the district. Fewer than four percent of students felt unsafe in this school.
Overall the experience is so great, said Freshman Courtney Ankerfelt.
"I don't think that anyone gives it for any reason; seniors passing, lack of privileges or just not paying attention as long as it's what you want to be here for it should be a good experience," said Junior Allie Robasse.
"Choir is my favorite part about the Art Department," said Freshman Allie Robasse.
"I feel just calm when I am in choir, it is so easy and it is really fun," said Freshman Allie Robasse.

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(The page contained a survey results table and additional sidebar elements including statements with disagree/agree scales and percentage results which belong to the above article and are included here verbatim as part of the body.)

Voices
Continue from page one
Some students said they are satisfied with the school and district.
Another statement that was featured in the survey was whether the administration listened to the wants of the students. Forty percent of the students that voted chose the number three, the average rating on the survey. The next highest choice was 27 percent; students chose that they agreed that the administration listened to the overall wants of the students.
Students think that there should be some changes going along with the new part of the building in the school.
"If I could change anything about the school, I would get rid of AAA, I'd rather attend school here than somewhere else," said Junior Amy Goemer.
Some seniors are even thinking about the underclassmen as they graduate.
"If I could change anything about the school, I would get rid of AAA, I'd rather attend school here than somewhere else," said Junior Amy Goemer.
Students generally agreed that teachers are concerned about students and that they are qualified to teach here.
Despite the issue of school safety dominating discussion recently, the overwhelming majority of students feel safe in the district. Fewer than four percent of students felt unsafe in this school.
Overall the experience is so great, said Freshman Courtney Ankerfelt.
"The school is so fun, it is so big and there is so much to get to know. If I could change anything about the school, I would make it bigger, so I would make next year more fair for the Juniors because they don't get as many senior privileges, I would be angry if I were them," said Senior Amanda Lafayette.

Survey Highlights
"Fewer than 4 percent of students feel unsafe at Buffalo High School. Seventy-one percent of students said that our Hoofprint is necessary."
"91 percent of students feel the teaching staff is qualified to work here. 92 percent of the students feel safe in BHS."
"Only 9 percent of students are dissatisfied with BHS."
"The majority of the school is satisfied with the homework they receive."
"Most students agree that the library is adequate."

Journalism Staff
"Good morning everyone."
Some kids listen. Others only half pay attention while chatting and dinking around with their pals. Others still don't even bother to pull themselves out of their sleep-filled stupor, their utter lack of motivation the result of being out of bed at the ungodly hour of 7:45 a.m.
What would a day in school be like without the announcements? Imagine, no one starting the day over the intercom telling one and all about how one of the sports teams won (or lost), about upcoming school plays, etc. No slide show on the monitor, no informative voice asking for a list of so-and-so's to come to the office a minute before the end of class (often getting cut off by the bell). What would happen?
"The whole world would go into a deep depression," said Sophomore Samantha Polski, with a laugh.
But do many students even pay that much attention to the announcements? Apparently, it depends.
"The few kids who do are integrated with the school," said Junior Nathan Altenberg.
As someone who is not involved with any activities, he is not particularly attentive to any announcements given.
"I don't care about the school," said Altenberg. "I'm here because of necessity."
It seems as if many kids don't believe they should care about the announcements because they are not involved in school activities.
"That bothers me," said Math teacher Peggy Pasche. "There are some things every student needs to hear."
Whether or not one is involved in the school does not necessarily mean that no one pays attention to what the administrators are trying to say, though. When it comes to the monitor, "It's fun to look at when you're really bored and your teacher won't shut up," said Polski.
That may be a positive for students (finding an escape from their studies), but not for educators. One of the cons of having the monitor on during class time is the fact that students watch the TV instead of paying attention to their lesson.
"I shut them off only if I think students are not paying attention to me," said Pasche.
She also believes that the administration does a good job in representing all the factions of school life like music and sports. Others think on a more basic level when deciding what the school does well with its announcement system. Altenberg claims that the best thing the system does is showing the lunch menu.
When it comes to more pressing issues, like student activities, the verbal announcements are seen as the system that gives the most important information relating to the school.
"They want to make sure everybody hears," said Pasche.
It may be tough to think of ways that the announcements could be improved, but some come up with unique ideas. Altenberg suggests that they could show cartoons or movies behind the slide show of messages on the monitor to liven things up. Polski goes beyond convention, "They could have action figures and super heroes do the announcements on the roof," said Polski.
Seeing as these methods are not likely to be tried out in the near (or even distant) future, it looks as if the current system of updating students is here to stay. At least it seems like an improvement from the old way of distributing information: typed messages given to teachers every morning to be read aloud and posted in the classroom.
As important as school announcements may be, it seems that students just don't care and there doesn't seem to be a way to make them want to "be in the know." Certainly some things don't help the cause, like the fact that sometimes the monitor slide show is motionless a majority of the day or whether it is, according to Polski, "Because we have quiet monotone speakers [over the intercom], which make the announcements uncool."

Journalism Staff
Every year there is a new group of freshman who don't know their way around the school and don't know to much about the high school.
Freshmen come to the high school with excitement and a sense of uneasiness: One of the uneasy feelings is the thought of being in a school of older kids that are mean and all they want to do is beat you up.
Hazing in Buffalo is not as common as you think it would be. Eighty-nine percent of juniors and seniors said that hazing is not a problem. Most seniors said that when they were younger that they didn't get picked on.
"I don't think hazing is a problem in are school," said Senior Mike Lund.
Everyone from the junior to the senior has different views about hazing and a lot of it depends on where you are at in high school. Many people say that as soon as you cross the line of verbal abuse then its hazing.
"When I was a freshman my brother and his friends gave me the freshman paddle," said Senior Eric Johnson.
Upperclassmen don't really talk to the freshman and wouldn't try any thing like giving a swirly to a kid they don't know. If they did they would probably get in trouble by the school or the police would get involved. Then there could be a lawsuit on your hands.
"I have never been hazed before but once I saw a kid getting stuffed in a locker though," said Junior Dane Grunerud.
Eighty percent of upperclassmen said if they saw a freshman getting hazed they would only stop it if the situation got out of control.
"If it was upper class hazing like beating up a rich kid, I'd join in, otherwise no," said Grunerud.
Most upper classman have there own reasons for not telling a teacher or try to stop hazing if it was going on.
"Older kids haze freshman because were incredibly hot and they don't realize it, so we need to shove it in their faces and they need to kiss our butt," said Junior Amanda Minor.

Journalism Staff
Menards will be built along Co rd 134 and Hwy 55. The city of Buffalo has just passed the work permit and construction will be underway this summer.
Some students are not looking forward to the new addition.
"It will be nice to have all the services close by," said Junior Ted Peterson, "but it will suck if Buffalo turns into this huge developing town."
The new strip mall by Wal-Mart and the expansion of both Wal-Mart and Target, were only the beginning of what changes are to come to Buffalo.
"Buffalo is getting a ton of major corporations," said Senior Kori Bonnell, "It's like a mini Maple Grove."
Some students think the addition to Buffalo will be a good change.
"I think a lot of people will shop there," said Sophomore Darrin Olmscheid, "It will also bring more people, and more money to the town."
Menards doors are scheduled to open up by the summer of 2006. Employment opportunities should start being offered sometime next spring. So get ready to "save big money at Menards."

Continued from page 1
comes in degrees, and how
much is too much?
"I've had people complain about things," says BHS English teacher and Theatre Director Tracy Hagstrom. "I did a show about a kid who was dying from AIDS, and we also did the Laramie Project [a play regarding the murder of Matthew Sheppard, a gay man] and there were some complaints."
But people have problems with more than theater productions.
The BHS library has become a target as well. A book has been recently challenged by a parent, but the complaint was withdrawn soon after. BHS librarian Todd Manninen declined to identify the parent.
"A lot of people who are authors are just willing to push the envelope a lot more," says Manninen. Manninen is a new acquisition of the district this year. His clipped accent indicates his hometown in Northern Minnesota, as do his manners, known as the Minnesota Nice.
"A person who wants to censor a book has good intentions," he said. "People usually object to content more than language. We have a lot of adult books now, in addition to young adult. There is more content now."
Concern over the arts stems mostly from misinformation, or misunderstanding.
"When I do a project about HIV or AIDS, I don't mean that people should have unsafe sex," says Hagstrom.
But the worlds of Oceania, Eurasia and East Asia are still quite a ways away. "I've never had a book formally challenged, not in four years," says Manninen, "I've had more people object to magazines than books."

“Drugs and drinking are a problem because there is nothing to do in this town and drinking breaks the ice,” said an anonymous junior.
Drugs and drinking are a problem in Buffalo.
Statistics say that 43% of people ages 10-19 that live in the Buffalo area have tried or still do drugs.
Drugs can be a problem because peers see or hear other people talking about doing drugs and may feel like they should do them to fit in.
“I do it because it is fun,” said an anonymous junior, “really just for entertainment, like something to do.”

Drugs and alcohol cost money and that is what gets teenagers into trouble. “I never had any money for the important things,” said an anonymous sophomore. “Alcohol cost me about $30-$40 a weekend,” said an anonymous junior. “My pot costs me around $30 a dime because it is some good stuff and my cigs cost me $50 a week.” Others found different ways to get money to support their addiction.
“I kept stealing from my parents and people I loved,” said an anonymous senior, “just so I could get high.”

“I regret many things in my life but I do not regret ever doing drugs,” said an anonymous junior. “People telling me not to do drugs makes them want to do them even more than before,” said an anonymous junior.

Parents are supposed to help kids with their problems and show them the right path but some parents of BHS students don’t do that.
“My parents don’t really care that I do drugs and drink,” said an anonymous freshman.

Stereotyping is a big thing and sometimes people think that people that do drugs are “gothic” or “mean” but this freshman is neither, “I’m not going to change,” said an anonymous freshman.

Teens around Buffalo are finding themselves being wrapped up in drugs and alcohol. When teens do this they can get caught and arrested, go to jail or rehab.

Jail and Rehab
There are many high school students who have either been in jail, arrested or in rehab. They have many different places where they do drugs. Most do it on weekends at parties; it can be a stress reliever for most teens.
In rehab they give random UA’s (Urine analysis test). They make kids in rehab read books to try and help them realize that they have problems. Doctors are also there to try to help the teens out. Although they try hard rehab is not always successful.

“My parents sent me to rehab and it only made things worse,” said an anonymous freshman, “because I started to do more drugs after rehab.”

There are many things people get arrested for. People who have possession of drug paraphernalia is a class A misdemeanor. If caught, they face up to one year in jail and a $2,000 fine. You’d think if this would happen to someone they’d realize that they should be more careful with what they’re doing and who they hang out with.

“I don’t regret ever starting,” said an anonymous freshman, “sending me to jail won’t change my mind.”

Rehab tries to make people realize that when they have problems going to drugs isn’t the answer. Rehab helps teens find goals; it works for some teens but for others, when they’re in rehab they say that people telling them not to do drugs don’t help. “I don’t want to stop because it is fun,” said an anonymous freshman, “and I don’t care if I go back to rehab, it did nothing for me to begin with.”

For some, going to jail and rehab didn’t teach them a single thing. But for some students who have been in jail or rehab it did help them realize that they were better off without drugs when they finally realized the horrible things that drugs can do to you.

“I never really thought drugs were that bad until I went to jail and my whole family fell apart,” said an anonymous senior.

Some high school students regret ever doing drugs but a lot still don’t.

“I’ve done a lot of stupid things in my life,” said an anonymous freshman, “going to rehab and jail didn’t help anything at all and it never will.”

In European countries, sports are completely separate from school, and as far as I am concerned, that wouldn't be a very bad idea. In fact, that would be an excellent idea. Sports and exercise have nothing to do with a person's education.

Sports should be done outside of school in separate organizations. Right now I am being forced to take a physical education class, because I do not have enough physical education credits necessary to graduate. When in this school district did it become important to be able to run and know how to play pickle ball. So necessary, in fact, that it becomes required. The only semi-educational part of physical education is when you learn about your muscles and your heart rate and other useless information. Is it hard, or wrong, to put that into Health class? Put the educational part of physical education into Health class, and let the bodybuilding dullards who can't touch their face take physical education.

Sports should be the exact opposite of what is supposed to be taught in high school. In high school we are supposed to learn things that will be useful to us when we grow-up, not learn how to serve properly in Badminton. I don't know about you, but I don't know many Professional Badminton players, let alone any badminton tournaments or play-offs.

People that focus their life on sports will not be getting respectable jobs. They will be digging graves or selling french-fries their whole lives. Physical education is not helping students get jobs or learn. It is encouraging them in an area that they won't get far in. There are too many people out there who think they are going to become professional football players, but the truth is they won't.

I fully support people who like to play sports, and I think it is a great pastime, but when you only take physical education classes in high school, you are not learning what everyone else is. You are setting yourself up for a failure in life. Save your football and your soccer for after school and let this out of shape video-gamer learn that he needs to learn.

There is something wrong with actors of today. I'm going to call it heart.

It seems that today's actors don't care whether they give a good performance. All they seem to care about is getting that fat paycheck in the mail.

I recently went to see the first epic of the summer movie season, Kingdom of Heaven. I was looking forward to seeing this movie, mostly because it was directed by Ridley Scott. His works include Gladiator, which won the 2000 Oscar for Best Picture.

However, I was very disappointed in the decision to cast Orlando Bloom as the main character. His acting was laughable and I felt cheated out of seven dollars. With Bloom, the movie fell short of my expectations.

Overall, the quality of today's actors is very dismal. They are nothing compared to the actors of yesterday. I sat down recently and watched Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Robert Redford and Paul Newman are a winning combination. There just aren't any acting duos anymore. There doesn't seem to be any actors today that even come close to the level of these actors.

Today's actors seem more worried about looks than acting a part. Collin Ferrell, Orlando Bloom, and Johnny Depp all fall into this category. I haven't seen one quality film from the three of them, with the exception of Pirates of the Caribbean. I just rented Phone Booth, with Ferrell in it and I was very disappointed. Half-way through the movie I shut it off. I couldn't stand it anymore. They just don't seem to hold up to the classic actors like Clint Eastwood, Steve McQueen, and Marlon Brando. Maybe it is a lack of quality scripts, but if they are any good at acting, they should be able to deal with it.

Movies just aren't what they used to be. I'll brush off an old classic, like The Godfather. It seems if I want to see a quality movie, I have to visit Mr. Movies and pick up a classic.

Continued from page 1
"There is no easy part to making the yearbook. It's all stress," said Senior Allie Houfer.
"There are not a lot of easy things. Headlines are probably the easiest for me," said Junior Jeffrey Gilmer.
Like they say, "Don't judge a book by its cover." The cover of the yearbook is a big part. It reflects what's on the inside. The editors get ideas for the cover a lot of different places like DVD covers, posters, or magazines.
"We all talked about it for a long time and as the theme progressed we just talked it out," said Senior Brooke Sandahl.
The yearbook staff gets a start on the books on February of the previous year. They finish the yearbook on March of the year the yearbook will be distributed.
During these 13 months, the staff has become like a family. But like a family they all have their differences.
"Working with the editors is the hardest part. Working with other people can be difficult," said Junior Kimberly Dougherty.
"Chemistries don't mix well together and every opinion is different."
The preparation for the yearbook can be a handful. The editors and staff get really stressed out when things don't go as planned.
"McCallum gets really antsy and that's the first sign that people need to work harder. Work nights are difficult," said Dougherty. "It's fun seeing people stressed out."
"There are background interviews. There are interviews in general. Then there's actually writing the story which is the hardest part," said Houfer. "You have to fix every mistake. We have to put them on spreads. That's about it."
Only the editors know about the cover and the theme. The rest of the yearbook staff will find out two weeks before the yearbook comes out. While the rest of us twitch in anticipation the school will have to wait till tomorrow to find out. So why the big secret?
"It builds up suspense," said Gilmer. "It's something everyone has done."
"In the beginning the editors, as a group, choose if they want to keep it a secret or not. This year they chose not to tell," said Senior Monica Kowalke. "It makes it suspenseful and people are excited. Keeping it a secret makes it more interesting."
When the day finally comes for the students to see the yearbook, it is so worth all the stress and the troubles the staff goes through to make it happen.
"The yearbook is like a bible for the high school," said Dougherty.
Senior Editors Courtney Zinter and Gretchen Otness sort through and alphabetize yearbooks in preparation for Student Appreciation Day. Nearly 1400 books were sold. Photo by Justin Leeper

“family” restaurant? Even something as simple as walking from your car to the inside of a local grocery store, people are forced to pass through the disgusting smell of cigarette smoke. Many of these problems could easily be solved by outlawing smoke from public places where non-smokers travel everyday. The government of the state of Minnesota is finally realizing the stupidity of allowing people to smoke in public places. Just a few weeks ago a vote was taken by officials on enforcing a smoking ban in Hennipen county and other areas of Minnesota, making it illegal to smoke in or on public property. It is really fair that young children, adults, and elderly be forced to breathe the air filled with harmful poisons like carbon monoxide, cyanide, and many others while eating dinner in a [unreadable]. A sign posted at the entrance of Perkins announces the restaurant is a soon-to-be smoke-free environment. Currently Wright County does not have a smoking ban for public [unreadable].

Professional athletes nowadays are getting to be out of control with all of their drug use and misbehavior. Randy Moss is one a few well known professional athletes that always finds trouble whether it is running down a traffic officer with his vehicle, or even being caught with a joint. But nothing happens to him but a little fine. Then we have Onterrio Smith failing two urinalysis tests and then getting caught with the dried urine and the Wizinator. Athletes caught using some sort of drug. Steroids, marijuana, crank, crack, and other illegal actions should not be tolerated. Any average Joe who gets caught for drug use would no longer get a second chance when they get a black mark on their record. So why can't the pros lose their job? Is running someone over not enough to get rid of someone? What would it take to terminate a professional athlete? Todd Bertozy cross checked a player from the opposing team and broke his back and received a slap on the hand and a one year suspension. When will enough be enough?

Bertozy "I had something red stuck in my braces and everyone was staring at me. I finally asked them what they were looking at and they told me. It make it even worse because I couldn't get it out." Catlin Werder Freshman "I fell down right before my name got announced at a hockey game." Alex Rixe Sophomore "I was sitting in class when all of a sudden my lady friend came up to me and told me I had some objects that were hanging out of my crotch that shouldn't have been." Ryan Knott Senior "I took a line drive in my mid-section and it almost knocked me out." Mr. Matt Lubben Assistant Principal "My most embarrasing moment for the year that I can think of was being taped up and I had to race Mr. Bakke around the classroom in Minorities." Keith Saunders Junior

Early Saturday morning, I walk into a petite salon. It smells faintly of hair products and nail chemicals from the night before. Chatty hair stylists rush about as they finish the preparations for the big day ahead of them. Along with the familiar classic and modern day decorations and the shelves full of hair and nail products, the women have set up prom decorations and a snack table complete with a cooler of soft drinks.

On this day Personal Touche opened at seven o'clock, earlier than it's usually time at eight o'clock on Saturdays. All six hair booths and all four nail stations were occupied by a stylist that day. As all the women finished preparations for the day, they all began to talk eagerly about what the day would bring as they waited for the first prom goers to arrive.

A couple minutes before opening, the first group of girls arrived. There were four of them, a group of friends who seemed to have planned their appointments in sync. The girls were greeted by the smiling faces of the hair stylists and quickly offered refreshments. After the girls happily accepted the offer, they all sat down and began to look through style books and describe their dresses to their stylists. The girls were on a mission that day to find the perfect up-do to compliment a perfect dress for a perfect day. And they would not be the last to embark on the mission.

As time went on that day more and more teenage, prom going girls arrive. This charming salon, which usually had plenty of room to walk about, was now filled with single and groups of girls all full of high expectations for the night. There was soft country music playing in the background to add to the comfort of the salon, although most did not notice it over the excited chatter. Mothers also filled the salon with bright flashes as they tried to snap every moment of their daughter's day.

Then, through the midst of all the teenage girls, an older woman had arrived to the salon and was clearing her appointment at the front desk. She did not have a teenage daughter with her; this appointment was for her.

"Okay, so for today you have a waxing, manicure, and up-do set up for you," said the secretary. "We will start you off with your manicure."

The woman eagerly went with her stylist.

Although this woman seemed to be in her early 40's she fit right in with the giddy teenage girls. As she received her manicure, she told memories of her prom to a blonde girl receiving her manicure and to the two women who were doing their nails.

Thirty minutes later, when the woman's nails were done, she was escorted to the back of the salon to the waxing room. She reappeared 15 minutes later with fresh, groomed eyebrows. As she thanked the stylist for the "terrific work", she eagerly went to the front of the salon and grabbed an up-do book. She carefully looked through the pages looking for the perfect up-do. When she came to the end of the book she turned over to the girls beside her and asked their opinion of what up-do they thought she should choose. The girls cheerfully helped the woman to make her decision as a stylist appeared and told the woman she was ready for her.

The woman got lost toward the end of the stations and in between a row of four girls. About an hour later when the woman's up-do was finished, she and her stylist were still chatting about their topic of choice as they walked up to the cash register. The woman had chosen a classic twist up-do with some locks of curls hanging down. She paid for the morning's work and with a big smile she thanked her stylist. As the woman began to walk away, her stylist called, "Have a good time at the movie night tonight with your little boy!"

Up do's seem to be the popular thing among teens for prom. Going to the salon isn't just a thing for teens though. Photo courtesy of BRIDES

Every school day at 5:30 am, there are ladies working in the kitchens of Buffalo High School, running and preparing the day's lunch. They are the lunch ladies of BHS, and by 10:40 there are at least 15 of them piling food onto students' lunch trays. While the students know that their duty is to provide them with food, they don't know the secrets of the kitchen, the stories of the lunch ladies.

"The broccoli and cheese and chicken wild rice soups were in my cook book for years," said Head Lunch Lady Jean Bryant. "Only recently did I decide to try them. I changed the recipe from serving 6 people to 350 and put it on the menu. The students loved it."

Not only have the lunch ladies altered the menu, but they have also altered the way kids eat lunch. Getting stomachs.

Everyday, students have a friendly grouping of peers following their provides daily weather and jokes. "The funniest part of my day is when the kids read the jokes to their friends," said Lunch Lady Lynnette Neumann. "It's funny to hear them talk about it and laugh. They get so disappointed whenever there isn't one."

The lunch ladies not only place a patty onto students' lunch trays, they listen to students' reactions.

"I was serving egg rolls one day," said Lunch Lady Susan Karels-Brown. "And a kid said he wanted a new one, that its size made him uncomfortable. I laughed so hard."

The ladies chose to work in school kitchens because they enjoy their daily work, not to mention the vacations.

"I love working with kids and food," said Neumann. "And I also like being off in the summer."

The students' age range and maturity were what drew the lunch ladies to a high school cafeteria.

"I like this age group," said Karels-Brown. "This school is very good. I don't think I've ever been treated so polite."

The lunch ladies had good things to say about the students at BHS. All of the comments were based on how polite and well-mannered the students are.

"The students are very nice," said Neumann. "I'm so very impressed by how nice and polite they are. I was not expecting it."

Even during breaks, the lunch ladies plan to cook with the possibility to add to the menu, "I love trying new recipes," said Bryant.

RING! RING! It's a Lil' Jon ring tone interrupting the class. The cell phone is taken out of the student's bag, with a cover that is full of colors and shapes expressing the owner's creativity.

"Hello. Hello? Hello?! I can't hear you, what? What? Oh this weekend at his house? Sounds pretty sweet, I'll be there after work. Who will all be there? Okay. Well, I gotta go, the teacher doesn't look happy."

From 7:45 a.m. until 2:20 p.m., the rule at Buffalo High School is to have all cellular telephones turned off and in your locker; no one can use them during class time. Why, a person may ask? It's for that awkward silence in the middle of class when there is an occasional snore from the person in the back of the class sleeping in their own drool. That person who's sleeping gets woken up suddenly and rudely, not from a teacher but someone's phone going off at full volume in the middle of the teacher's lesson. Not just any ring tone, today for that person who had the cell, it was a country song they listened to in their friend's car a few days ago on the way to school. So when they got home, or were bored in the computer lab they went online and downloaded it for a dollar or two. As teachers get flustered with the constantly ringing of phones in their class throughout the day, students in that class who are now awake and not acting like they were paying attention to the teacher anymore, are looking around to see who's phone is going off and all wonder who is calling that person and why. That person gets called "Hollywood" and to get off their phone.

As a person walks throughout the hallways of BHS, during all times of the day, mostly through passing time and at the end of day, they can see almost every other person with a phone attached to their hand and glued to their ears. Those people are walking down the hallways or with a bunch of their friends and trying to make plans for the rest of their day. Also with students getting most criticism about the cell phone crisis in BHS, many teachers also have a cell phone on them in some way. In their purse, in their pocket bulging out making it clear as day that they have a cell phone, or even attached to their hip and are telling students if they see the phone that it will be withheld from them for the rest of that class or day. In some parts of the school, a person can see an occasional person getting mad at their phone, or whoever is on the other line and after they hang up, the phone is thrown.

The Bus: A ride to variety

I like having a cell phone on me, keeps me company when I'm driving," said Junior Dave Harri. "It's nice to have if you need to call someone during passing time, but in class it is annoying when people's cells go off."

As a student sits in class, looking around the classroom and see over half of the student population with a cell phone on them. Some students who just have a regular, just-out-of-the-box regular cell phone are amazed to see all the new ways a teenager uses their phone for. The ideas range from just a regular non-flipping phone to a flip phone with a built in camera with glued on "bling-bling" on the cover to show off their phone when they whip it out in school to make calls.

The most usual thing a person will see when looking around carefully is right as the bell rings people have their phone up to their ear making phone calls to parents or friends and making plans for the future. Another noticeable thing was when someone would bring up the Red Lake shooting. That cell phones came into the discussion on how when BHS has a lockdown drill to prepare if something like that ever did happen, that all students and the teacher would have to put all cell phones on the teacher's desk or in the drawer, which many were against. They were against it for the reason that they would want to make phone calls. If anything did happen, they would want to call their parents and others would call the authorities which would tie up the emergency lines.

As years go by, and more things happen in the world, some good and bad, the use of cell phones increase and people who own a cell phone get younger and younger. Most people always have their phone on them in some sort of way, mainly to get a hold of someone in case there was an emergency. So consider this, why do you use your phone, and see where it is.

Cell phones are a popular thing at BHS, reception on the other hand, is not. Photo courtesy of Annie's Costumes

A Minneapolis bus rolls to a stop and swings open its doors in front of Nicollet Avenue. Climbing aboard, I deposit $1.25 into the whirring machine which spits out a Metro Transit Card and find a seat in the back. Since the bus is no longer considered "safe territory," my dad sits next to me, bored and thumbing through a copy of "The Ultimate Guide" by Douglas Adams. And so began my day of riding a Minneapolis bus and observing the people on it.

Everyone keeps to themselves at all costs by either staring blankly ahead at the oncoming traffic or at a fixed point on the floor. This becomes painstakingly obvious when, at the next stop, a man with long hair and beard, bellbottoms, and Starsky and Hutch shades boards the bus. He would be the epiphany of the aging hippie were it not for the huge J-Lo hoop earrings which adorn his head. Gazing around, I look to see if anyone else thinks this is weird, but no one seems to have even acknowledged his presence. I follow the example and gaze down at my notebook. The bus veers on.

Snow continues to fall outside, amidst the apple blossoms that line the streets of the city, reflecting the jumbled atmosphere of the bus. People of every walk of life (except for those with cars) are represented here. A Pakistani man chats idly away on a cell phone as an older woman attempts to put on lipstick, shoving the tube up her nostril every time we hit a bump in the street. An eccentric Caucasian man daintily takes off his leather gloves and proceeds to pour sanitizer over them, and yuppies talk in excited whispers about the new Walker Arts Center. Despite all these fascinating people, my dad and I have to get off at the Calhoun Beach apartments and walk back to Hennepin Avenue to catch a ride back.

When we get there, we wait at the bus station for transportation back to Nicollet. Standing next to me is an old guy wearing a bowler hat pulled tight over his bald head. Tucked into one side of the hat is a Metro Transit Card and on the other is taped a lime-green rubber lizard. He's bouncing on the balls of his feet as he hums to himself under his breath. My bus pulls up to the curb and I get on with lingering thoughts on where the old guy is going and what had happened in his life that had inspired him to wear that hat.

Aboard this bus is a new group of faces with new eccentricities, yet I'm beginning to feel as though I've seen it all before. Rap music can be heard blaring from someone's headphones, and the hacking cough of a person who has long suffered the effects of emphysema racks the bus. A gaunt and hallowed shell of a human being pops a stick of gum into his mouth and I look in horror as it has just occurred to me that he has no teeth. Two flamboyant men get off, hand in hand, as an African American woman wearing the highest stiletto heels ever conceived by the laws of physics gets on.

More and more stops are made and the faces begin to bleed together. So many lifestyles, varying ethnicities, and levels of insanity ride the Minneapolis bus, that to take it all in seems impossible. I notice myself involuntarily staring at the floor in an attempt to shut it all off. All the humanity that is just a hair's breadth away, all the confrontations of the people that are alive in this city is overwhelming.

Finally, the bus comes to a halt—at Nicollet Avenue. My dad and I get off in a mix of relief and exhaustion, overcome by the waves of reality that seem so surreal. "Wanna get a cup of coffee?" my dad asks, eyeing a Dunn Bros. across the street. "Definitely," I answer.

For many students as well as adults that live in larger cities, a car would be close to impossible to have to go back and forth to the various errands. This is a story that brings together the various people that use public transportation. Photo courtesy of USA Transit Systems

There are so many questions that one always wants to ask a cop...Do you always eat donuts?...Do you need to pullover a certain amount of people each month?...What is the dumbest excuse you've ever heard somebody say to you to get out of the ticket? These questions seemed to have been pointless to ask on this particular day. May 6 did not start out as an ordinary day for Officer Jennifer Almeida. Instead, she had to begin her day knowing that one of her comrades had fallen victim of a shooting during an undercover job in St. Paul. It's hard to imagine having to perform one's job with the death of a fellow member of the police force on one's mind, knowing that it could have been any one of the thousands of men and women that help to protect and serve our society. However, Officer Almeida proved to be able to do just that and also continue with her commitment to the day we were scheduled to spend together when I had the opportunity to ride along and see first hand the trials and tribulations of the life of an officer. For the most part cops take calls all day. When you see them driving down the road more than likely they are responding to a call and not seeing if you are going over the speed limit by 2 mph. Some calls are more interesting, knowing that I can be a factor in making difference in somebody's life, but it's hard when you can't convince them to change their mind. After sitting down for break at Perkins, we responded to our first call which was going to the neighborhood bank to deal with a car that had been parked there since May 2. Officer Almeida ran the plates to see if the car had been reported as stolen, which it had not. She informed the bank personnel that the car had not been stolen, and since it was a private parking lot, there was nothing she could do, but advised that it could be towed. While she was recording in her daily log, I got the chance to track peoples' speeds while we sat by Buffalo Lake. Almeida knew the good spots to sit and catch the speeders, somewhere where she was unnoticeable. "Speeding is most common, and what I am most likely to write a ticket for." She received a call saying that there was a young child running around with no parental supervision. When we arrived at the scene, we gave the door a little knock. A woman of generous proportion answered the door. She was not surprised to see Officer Almeida. We were permitted to enter the premises and Officer Almeida was able to determine if the residence was suitable for children. She agreed that it was and the child was back inside and under supervision once again. Officer Almeida hears many lame excuses from the people that she pulls over to try and get out of a ticket. However one stood out among the rest as the worst. "A woman going 50 mph in a 30 mph zone said she 'had to get her grandchild down for a nap.'" The ride along with Officer Jennifer Almeida was an experience that I both enjoyed and will never forget. I have developed a new respect for those working hard in law enforcement to keep our cities safe for fellow Americans. "I like going to medicals and help the ambulance and EMT in suicidal situations," said Officer Almeida. "I like going to medicals and help the ambulance and EMT in suicidal situations."

As the Class of 2009 walked into the High School for their first tour of the building, they looked lost and scared. "Weren't we just here?" one said as he wandered into a new resource area. Not many talked, they all looked nervous. They were all looking around like they have never seen anything so big.

They were looking everywhere. They really paid attention the first ten minutes when they went through the freshmen and sophomore hallways. They looked in the classes and explored where they were going to be living in next year.

"There are so many things that are different from the middle school to the high school," said Eighth grader Johanna Comee. "Some of the main changes are going to be the number of classes a day and the fact that in the middle school we have terms and next year we will have quarters."

There are many people that said that getting lost in high school is one of their biggest fears of their freshman year. That's not the only reason some of the Eighth graders are scared of coming to the high school though.

"Some of my fears for next year are getting lost and failing classes," said Eighth grader Jared Topp.

There is a lot to look forward to when the class of 2009 comes to the school next year. They bring new faces and new personalities. It's not all about the new school for them, sometimes it's the friends sometimes it's the cliques.

"There are a few things I am looking forward to when I go to the high school one of them are better the better lunches and bigger variety of food," said Eighth grader Aimee Cote. "Another reason is bigger variety of hot guys. I also really believe that when we go to the high school that the cliques that we have here are going to change. People will become friends with other people in other groups and everything will change for some people."

There are a lot of differences from the middle school to the high school. Here at the high school students can wear hats, and clothing restriction aren't as tight, students attend four classes whereas the middle school has seven. Classes are eighty minutes long at the high school compared to forty-five minute classes at the Middle School.

"The high school students have more freedom then we do here at the middle school," said Eighth grader Ashley Elsen. "Some of their freedoms are the clothes they can wear. They don't get busted for too skimpy close, the staff at the high school is more lenient to people there. All the rules are more lenient too."

As people started pouring into the Performing Arts Center, the excitement grew back stage. Once the seats were filled, the lights were turned off and the faint sound of a drum beat started back stage.
On May 7, District 877 schools, the community education, the district office, and district services performed their talents for the citizens of Buffalo, Hanover, and Montrose. They came together for the first annual District 877 Staff Showcase, No Act Left Behind.
"I wanted to share my talents, and it is something I enjoy," said Spanish Teacher Connie Crocker who performed Middle Eastern dance. "Middle Eastern dance is very popular and it opens eyes."
The tickets cost was five dollars for students, eight dollars for adults, and thirty dollars for the special seats. About $5000 was raised and sent to the District 877 Foundation. This program awards students scholarship to a college.
"The thing that convinced me the most about participating was that the money was going to student scholarships," said English Teacher Denise Wahlin-Fiskum who sung "Field of Dreams."
The musical acts consisted of a rap, singing solos, singing groups, an instrument band, a rock band, an instrument trio, a flute solo, and Middle Eastern dances. The comedy acts consisted of juggling, a skit of classroom sounds, a game show skit, and part of the Napoleon Dynamite dance.
"The superintendent in a tutu was my favorite part," said Sophomore Deirdra Vander Grift. "It was nice to know that he has a sense of humor."
During scene changes, Mike Quady, master of ceremonies, entertained the audience. He made jokes about his wife, he talked about how high gas prices are, and he added humor where otherwise there would be silence.
Quady and District 877 hopes that this showcase is the first of many more to come.
"I think the showcase will become an annual event," said Sophomore Lauren Rohlin, "because a lot of people like to see their teachers or coworkers performing."

Doesn’t it seem kind of "crazy" that people can actually believe they are seeing something that isn’t really there? What about the people who believe they are hearing certain voices. Some of these people have mental illnesses and they need to seek medical attention. A place they could go is mental health facilities, which are hospitals that help the mentally ill.

Gayle Kubista is a registered nurse and a clinic educator at Hennepin County Medical Center. She has worked there for 26 years.

"I really like working with people who have mental illnesses," said Kubista.

The hospital is a short stay hospital. The patients come in and there is a 72 hour watch. The doctors decide if they need to be hospitalized or not.

"They come in on their own, the police bring them in, or a family member can bring them in to get help with their mood," said Kubista. "They can voluntarily stay at the hospital, but mainly it’s against their will. Denial is a part of the illness."

The hospital has 86 beds. Average number of new patients a day is six. Patients leave to go home everyday too.

The maximum stay is about three months. After that, the patients get discharged to the community. There are boarding houses, like Andrew’s Board and Care, where they can stay and take medications.

The patients have to have one of the three psychoses to be admitted into the hospital. They are, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or depression. They can have additional illnesses. Some examples would be personality disorders, sociopathic, or chemical dependency.

"We can only really treat schizophrenia, depression, or bipolar. Those are really the only ones medications respond to," said Kubista.

The patients don’t have a certain routine they go by. They can go to a minimum of two groups a day. The nurses and a doctor talk to them at least once a day. They see psychologists, but not daily.

"Some could be depressed and crack-cocaine addicts and are usually very tired so they just lay in bed all day," said Kubista.

Patients have a lounge at the hospital where they can go and eat or hang out with the other patients.

"Everyone has street clothes and the patients all go to the same group," said Kubista. "People get to be good friends."

One thing that this hospital has that not a lot of other hospitals have is a smoking room. There is an outdoor vent so they can smoke.

They have regular hospital rooms and regular hospital beds.

"In their rooms, they have absolutely nothing they can hang themselves on, they don’t have hangers, but they do have closets," said Kubista.

Occasionally people do try to "slip out" of the hospital.

"People from jail who have committed a crime and are in the hospital because they have tried to commit suicide after are less likely to break out because they know they will get in huge trouble," said Kubista. "But people who have tried to commit suicide try to get out because we won’t let them commit suicide."

Some patients are allowed out of the hospital to do normal social activities. As they get better they can start going on supervised walks, or they can go to baseball games, the zoo, state fair, and also art museums.

"It’s either A - they can’t leave the hospital, B - one can leave the hospital, or C - they can, but it has to be with a nurse," said Kubista. "They have to be back at a certain time, the nurses are pretty flexible, but they can’t stay anywhere overnight."

One thing I was curious about is if they operate on the patients for their illness.

"They don’t do that anymore, some hospitals are starting to experiment more though with that," said Kubista. "They operated before they had medications."

The doctor and patient decide together when it’s a good time to go home. There is an aftercare program for them too. They decide if it’s safe to be around other people.

The cheers grow louder as the lanky red head bounds on stage, "string dancing" and flirting shamelessly with the camera. This has been a daily ritual for Conan O’Brien, host of Late Night with Conan O’Brien for 12 years now, which has attracted audiences of all ages to his show every night.
"His beginning dance is hilarious!" said Senior Anna Briesemeister. "It’s original."
Forty-one percent of BHS students rated Conan O’Brien as their favorite Late Night TV host.
"Conan is probably the funniest man alive," said Junior Mike Muntifering.
The reasons fans have for enjoying the show vary greatly among students at BHS.
"He is clever," said Junior Alex Dooley. "And he is very sexy."
Not only do the students enjoy Conan himself, but the skits in the show were also popular.
"The Walker Texas Ranger Lever was so amazingly funny," Dooley said, "and yet so simple."
However, 13 percent of students rated Late Night with Conan O’Brien their least favorite late night talk show.
"He tries too hard," said Junior Jason Fellows.
Although popular among most students, Conan O’Brien still hasn’t proven himself to one vital person.
"This show is a whole new kind of crap," O’Brien stated during a recent show.
Monday through Friday, Conan is on every night at 11:30 pm following Jay Leno for Late night shows. Photo courtesy of NBC Studios

I heard that Fib Bibble once
Kari-Lynn Naytsin
Journalism Staff
Doesn’t it seem kind of “crazy” that people can actually believe they are seeing something that isn’t really there? What about the people who believe they are hearing certain voices. Some of these people have mental illnesses and they need to seek medical attention. A place they could go is mental health facilities, which are hospitals that help the mentally ill.
Gayle Kubista is a registered nurse and a clinic educator at Hennepin County Medical Center. She has worked there for 26 years.
“I really like working with people who have mental illnesses,” said Kubista.
The hospital is a short stay hospital. The patients come in and there is a 72 hour watch. The doctors decide if they need to be hospitalized or not.
“They come in on their own, the police bring them in, or a family member can bring them in to get help with their mood,” said Kubista. “They can voluntarily stay at the hospital, but mainly it’s against their will. Denial is a part of the illness.”
The hospital has 86 beds. Average number of new patients a day is six. Patients leave to go home everyday too.
The maximum stay is about three months. After that, the patients get discharged to the community. There are boarding houses, like Andrew’s Board and Care, where they can stay and take medications.
The patients have to have one of the three psychoses to be admitted into the hospital. They are, bipolar disorder, or depression. They can have additional illnesses. Some examples would be personality disorders, sociopathic, or chemical dependency.
“We can only really treat schizophrenia, depression, or bipolar. Those are really the only ones medications respond to,” said Kubista.
The patients don’t have a certain routine they go by. They can go to a minimum of two groups a day. The nurses and a doctor talk to them at least once a day. They see psychologists, but not daily.
“Some could be depressed and crack-cocaine addicts and are usually very tired so they just lay in bed all day,” said Kubista.
Patients have a lounge at the hospital where they can go and eat or hang out with the other patients.
“Everyone has street clothes and the patients all go to the same group,” said Kubista. “People get to be good friends.”
One thing that this hospital has that not a lot of other hospitals have is a smoking room. There is an outdoor vent so they can smoke.
They have regular hospital rooms and regular hospital beds.
“In their rooms, they have absolutely nothing they can hang themselves on, they don’t have hangers, but they do have closets,” said Kubista.
Occasionally people do try to “slip out” of the hospital.
“People from jail who have committed a crime and are in the hospital because they have tried to commit suicide after are less likely to break out because they know they will get in huge trouble,” said Kubista. “But people who have tried to commit suicide try to get out because we won’t let them commit suicide.”
Some patients are allowed out of the hospital to do normal social activities. As they get better they can start going on supervised walks, or they can go to baseball games, the zoo, state fair, and also art museums.
“It’s either A - they can’t leave the hospital, B - they can leave the hospital, or C - they can, but it has to be with a nurse,” said Kubista. “They have to be back at a certain time, the nurses are pretty flexible, but they can’t stay anywhere overnight.”
One thing I was curious about is if they operate on the patients for their illness.
“They don’t do that anymore, some hospitals are starting to experiment more though with that,” said Kubista. “They operated before they had medications.”
The doctor and patient decide together when it’s a good time to go home. There is an aftercare program for them too. They decide if it’s safe to be around other people.

Many people have a fear of change. Just being away from home and one's personal comfort zone can make high school students scared of going to college. They may also have a fear of not liking college, find classes difficult, or getting a bad roommate. There are many more fears and doubts about college. Through research for this story, I experienced a day of being a college student at Bethel University. I visited the Department of Business and Economics and sat in a class called Principles of Management. My experience gave me a feeling of what college is really like.

When I first walked into the classroom it felt like it was a more sophisticated atmosphere in which people acted more mature than in high school. The first thing I noticed was the front wall was painted a magenta color and the carpet matched. The next thing was that there were two brown chalkboards on two of the walls and the chalk did not erase easily. The room smelt a little musty and like chalk. The room was comparable size to the bison room at BHS but there seemed to be fewer students.

"Lets see if any of my students will show up today, we had a test on Friday and no assignment due," said professor Bethany Opsata to the class.

The lesson in the Principles of Management class was on team building. I learned all of the steps for building a successful team. They are forming, storming, norming, and performing. The professor gave the class a new assignment, which was due on the next class day. The assignment was to write a faith paper that had to be 8 pages or longer. A speaker came into class to talk about studying abroad and I learned that Bethel has 9 programs for studying abroad.

"I highly recommend studying abroad. I went to Ireland and I had a blast," said Alisha, a senior.

The students in class seemed very tired. A lot of the students were wearing sweatpants and sweatshirts. I also saw quite a few students with wet hair. Most of the students would use pens not pencils, and I also saw a couple students with laptops. When the professor was teaching her lesson, everyone was silent. All I could hear was the air conditioner, the professor writing on the chalk board and every little step she took. I had noticed that the professor talked loudly when it wasn't even necessary because the class was being respectful and very quiet.

When the professor would ask a question to the class, everyone would just sit there and not respond. I did notice that there was only one student answering all of the questions. He was very talkative and had a Spanish accent. The professor asked the class if they could give her examples of team building that had worked and also that didn't work. Then, more students started responding. A few students shared and then that was the end of her lesson and class was over.

Walking around, I noticed that students would tend to sleep on the couches in the lounge and resource areas. When I went to lunch, the professors and staff eat in the same dining room as the students. The cafeteria is carpeted where students sit down and eat. The most popular lunch that day was chicken fingers.

There are always a lot of activities going on at Bethel. I saw people shopping at the Bethel store. I also noticed many students seemed to be in a hurry. Some students would keep active by running or playing catch outside by the lake. I also saw many students doing homework. Quite often students seemed to be worried about homework and would ask the professors for help.

"I would put academics first then your sport," said senior Peter Kenow.

As we were leaving the parking lot I realized that I was very tired. College appears to be difficult and more serious than high school. However, students seemed to enjoy the experience and independence of being in college. After a long day, I discovered that I'm glad that I am in high school now.

No—this is not cute.
This is the just ridiculous, a third-grader wrote.
Monday, May 4 I went back to kindergarten.
"This is where we put the name tags," said Emilee VanTassel.
"In the morning Mrs. Knoss puts them out at the table so we know where to work."
And work they did. Around 8:40 a.m., kids that went up to my waist performed their everyday routines. Busily scurrying from stacked square cubbies, the kindergarteners carried their tool trays to their place at one of the work tables.
After a few pencil fencing matches and misspelled words, they all started to gathered upon the enlarged carpeted stairs meant for seating little people. Miranda delivered the daily weather report, it was as follows:
sunny, cold and
it's spring and
there is also 20 days of school left.
By this time of the day,
I had noticed
that
I had an admirer. A little boy with sandy-blonde hair constantly smiled at me. As he did, he revealed a mouth full of tiny little baby teeth.
I laughed when I confirmed that none of his wallet size paper school pictures were velchroed to the tooth chart on the wall. The tooth chart was made out of white construction paper and it held about 15 little pictures. Each student taped their picture to the chart when they lost a tooth.
Next on the agenda was continued work time. Kindergartner's finished observing their tadpoles.
"Our new froggy they grow their back legs first," said an excited observer.
The kids kept journals of the progress of the tadpoles growth and then came to share their writing and drawing with me.
The beloved milk break still holds a place in the busy schedule of a day in kindergarten. Megan passed out her birthday treats, a Kellogg's rice crispy bar, to everyone in the class as we sat against the familiar cool brick wall. She proudly wore two new neon-colored birthday buttons on her purple summer dress.
Somehow, I seemed to forget about the art of the single file line. The first person in line arrogantly leads, while the others try to impress by standing up straight and "shushing" anyone who is talking. Sometimes, when the teacher isn't looking towards the back, the little rebels squiggle back and forth, breaking the symmetrical balance.
The single file line followed Mrs. Knoss from milk break to the sunny, cold, spring time weather where they were unleashed to the playground.
I was summoned to push the tire swing and had to decline an invitation to play superheroes with a group of boys. But that was okay because Batman and Spiderman were already taken anyways.
As the day came to an end story time commenced, Mrs. Knoss read a book about dandelions. As she read each page with about five words for every picture, my mind began to wander.
I thought about how fast those ten years had gone since I was tentatively listening during kindergarten story time. I wondered how these three foot five kids around me would be categorized into the stereotypes the media and American society have created.
As the students packed their tote bags, they lined up against the wall.
That same little sandy-haired, baby-toothed admirer blew me a kiss.
I laughed at this and waved good bye. If I could conclude anything after my visit to the younger years let it be that this kid definitely has some "lady-charmer" potential.

It's that time again. It's getting warmer and the days are getting longer. Seniors are also getting bombarded with questions like: are you going to college, where are you going to go, what are you majoring in, and what are you going to do with your life? Seniors have many options, like go to a 4 year college, or a 2 year technical college, just getting a job, or possibly even joining some branch of the military. Most of Buffalo High School seniors are going to a four-year college. About 80 percent of BHS seniors polled had already decided to go the four year route. Some students have found four-year colleges outside the state.

"I am going to the University of Wisconsin: Madison," said Senior Leah Brown. "I can't wait to get out of here. I will probably miss seeing people everyday, but other than that I'm excited to go."

Although it's not the most popular, some students are going to attend a 2 year technology college. About 10 percent of the BHS students polled are planning on attending a technical college.

"I am going to St. Cloud Technical College," said Senior Jesse Holm. "It's cheaper and I want to do something with computers, probably something with Information technology."

Some students don't see the hurry to rush into college. A few BHS seniors are taking some time off before starting college.

"I'm going to France," said Senior Zach Pecarina. "I am going for fun, I have always wanted to go to France."

Pecarina isn't also said he is going to a four-year college eventually.

"I am going to Spartan College," Said Pecarina. "I am going to get an Aeronautics associate degree."

You would see dead bodies in the water and on the ground. At some of the sites we landed at - sites that were hit pretty hard - you could smell rotting vegetation and flesh.
From his vantage point in his 20,000 pound SH-60B Seahawk helicopter, Matt Zarracina, a 1997 Buffalo High School graduate, could see entire villages wiped out, bodies lining coastlines, and a world shattered by a tsunami.
"My first reaction to seeing the area hit by the tsunami was amazement more than anything else," he said. "It was hard to comprehend the level of devastation and destruction. It's difficult to describe. It was as if everything that had existed along the coast had been erased."
Zarracina, a Naval Aviator and graduate of the Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland, departed for South East Asia just two days after a devastating tsunami shattered villages and lives throughout the region on December 26. He flew humanitarian missions in an international effort with the United States military, providing assistance to the people of the islands.
"I hope that people saw what I believe is the true spirit of the American soldier," Zarracina said. "While it may be hard for some people to understand, the American military exists to save lives. Sometimes saving lives involves taking lives - sometimes it involves the exact opposite.
I sincerely hope that this effort demonstrated to everyone who witnessed it the flexibility of our military and the compassion our service men and women possess. I think that it is something very few people recognize and it's a special quality unique to our volunteer service."
Although he was surrounded by death every day during his month-long service in the area, Zarracina forced himself to look beyond it.
"At times, I found the sights and smells a little disturbing, but there is a big difference between seeing a dead body and watching someone die," he said. "So from a trauma standpoint, I don't think that aspect of the mission had an overwhelming negative affect on anyone. As far as dealing with that aspect in general, most of the time you were so focused on the mission at hand that you just didn't pay much attention to that facet."
Most of Zarracina's missions involved dropping off supplies - food, water, or comfort items like soccer balls - while his helicopter hovered above groups of stranded people in a procedure called a spot drop. It was during one of these drops where Zarracina came face to face with the people he was sent across the world to help.
"One day we were heading to a location that had been passed to us from a previous aircraft for a drop," he said. "Along the way, we noticed a group of about five people stranded along the coast, with nothing around for 20 miles. We marked the position and proceeded to the previously briefed site. We made our drop, but held onto a 40-pound bag of rice and a 20-gallon jug of water. We then headed for the marked position, it took us a little while to find the small group, but we eventually located them. We were able to land on a piece of a road with palm trees scattered around it, just big enough to fit our helicopter. Once we touched down, they ran up and I'll never forget the look of pure joy on their faces. In all likelihood we were the first people they had seen in about six days. Right before we lifted off, the other pilot with me said, 'We're the reason they're alive.' That stuck with me. It was a special feeling."
While people in America watched the relief efforts on television, they were inundated with stories of grief and loss. However, Zarracina was surprised to find joy in the area.
"A lot of people have asked me if it was really depressing when we would land, seeing everything up close and personal. I found the experience quite the opposite. Everywhere we would go, people were so overjoyed to see us that you couldn't help but feel good too. One site we landed at, people ran up with some coconuts and a big bag of what looked to be pure honey. They wanted to give something back to us, and I thought that was really neat and indicative of the general sentiment as to how we were received."
Despite the joy expressed by the people who received aid, the most depressing aspect of the mission for Zarracina was the realization that he could not help everyone who needed it.
"The toughest part was having to turn people away, regardless of the reason, and seeing the reaction of friends and family members as we would leave, not being able to take someone they cared about. I'm sure they didn't know the conditions of the hospitals in Banda Aceh, forcing us to be selective with respect to whom we could take. I'm sure that they didn't know that for security reasons, we couldn't take anyone back to the ship, even if we were just getting gas. At first, it was almost gut wrenching, but you had to set your emotions aside and realize that the rules were implemented for very good reasons. However, these situations really only occurred in the first week of the operation, so I would like to think that most everyone that needed help eventually did get it."
In Zarracina's eight years of military experience, this mission has been his most rewarding endeavor.
"I'd say this experience has been the most profound moment in my life to this point. It was a pleasure and an honor to serve with my peers and the people we helped in Indonesia. As a pilot, you're always hoping for something to happen during your aviation career that you can hang your hat on. I can say that now. Few people ever get to experience something of this magnitude in any career, let alone aviation and that's pretty cool."
BHS students 'Gave It Up' to help tsunami victims - abstaining from luxuries and donating the money to disaster relief - while the military was providing direct relief. This type of effort, according to Zarracina, can be just as important as assisting the people in person.
"I think in a general sense, people can and do experience something like this everyday. Anytime you are afforded the opportunity to use your skills and abilities to help those in need, you are, in effect, accomplishing exactly what we accomplished in Indonesia. While I'm grateful for the media coverage during this operation, I think too many people get caught up in thinking that to make a difference you need to do so on a grand scale. That's the wrong approach and for the wrong reasons. You may never be presented with the chance to be a hero in the eyes of many. But you always have the chance to be an everyday hero to the people you care about and work with everyday, and you should take pride in that."

There is something intriguing about a three, by five, by three foot cube in the movie store. On top of the walls sit two large house plants, whose dark green color clashes with the brighter green shelves that make the walls. The two cardboard cut outs of Disney movies that sit on either side of this area seem to be hiding what's really on the shelves inside the small area like a dirty little secret.

A middle-aged man, wearing faded jeans and a jean jacket in almost the same shade of denim, looks around nervously as if to see if any one is watching him before entering the adult film section at his local movie store. As he shuffles through the movies, his eyes dart quickly from film title to film title, and in a mere five minutes he has picked out two movies to take home with him for the evening.

Not long later, in a quiet moment, the store owner quickly takes a stack of the adult films that have been returned throughout the day and puts them back on the shelves in their proper places.

A teenage boy and his girlfriend, who are probably not old enough to actually rent the x rated films, giggle and laugh obnoxiously as they clumsily try to look through the films on the shelf with both great interest and embarrassment. "Oh my God, look at this one," the girl whispers as she flips through the selection in a hostile manner. The boy, with her open toed sandals, grunts noisily as she goes through the selection, giggling, and if blushing.

Later, a grungy looking woman, wearing sweatpants, a baggy T-shirt, and a pair of sandals, rummages through the films with wide eyes and laughs loudly with wide eyes.

A well dressed mother in her 30s rushes to scoop up her toddler as he wanders too close to the area for her comfort. "Let's not play over here, honey," she says though a nervous chuckle to whoever might be watching, and perhaps judging.

A slightly overweight man, about 35 years old crouches down in a secretive way that seems to make everyone in the store nervous. He emerges about half an hour later, and without a word, leaves the building empty handed.

An elderly man leaves his classy looking wife in another area of the store, while he looks through the films in a serious manner. A few moments later he tells his wife, "Nothing looks very good today."

Maybe it's knowing that behind the short walls is something not traditionally socially accepted, or perhaps it's the mystique of having its own walls, but something draws people to those cheap green shelves, and scares them away at the same time.

Over 28 years ago, George Lucas made a movie with fictional characters and alien species—wookiees, wampas, and jawas—calling it Star Wars and taking the nation by storm. Lucas now concludes the legendary saga with the sixth installment, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, hitting the big screen.

"I'm really excited for Episode III," said Sophomore Cameron Olson. "It's cool because it completes the saga and you can buy all six of them at the same time when it comes out on DVD."

"I'm not really excited about Star Wars," said Junior Emily Kesky. "It's going to be sad because all the Jedi die and evil prevails. It's never cool when evil prevails. People who are evil are just a bunch of stupid heads."

The Star Wars movies have captivated the minds of millions of people since 1977. People camped out in front of theaters weeks before the movie came out, obsessing over certain characters.

"My favorite characters are Obi-Wan [Kenobi] and Mace Windu," said Junior Alex Fredendall. "I like them because of their skill, and knowledge of the force, and they kick major dark side booty."

"Darth Vader is the best guy because he's the biggest and blackest dude in the whole entire Galaxy," said Junior Tim Stueve.

Ever since the story started, people fantasized about being in Star Wars. They've dreamed about being Han Solo with a wookiee sidekick, a Storm trooper in the greatest battles in the entire galaxy, a Jedi Master, or a Dark Lord of the Sith.

Lucas's creations fascinate people. The Jedi represent the light side of the force and use their powers to keep peace in the galaxy; the Sith represent the dark side of the force and use their powers to help themselves and run chaos through the entire galaxy.

"I'd rather be a Sith," said Junior Erik Rogness. "Being a Sith would be way cooler because the dark side is more powerful and you can do a lot more powers like force lightning. I've always wanted to force lightning somebody. You know, just give them a little shock."

"I think I'd want to be a little bit of both," said Sophomore Sam Gorton. "If I had Jedi powers or Sith powers I could get away with anything, so I'd probably rob banks and give it to some charity or something."

The Star Wars experience has been a blast and now the Saga finally comes to an end. We see the fall of the Jedi Council and the rise of the Galactic Empire, Anakin Skywalker turned to the dark side, a gigantic army of angry wookiees and tons of butt kicking lightsaber duels.

Plastic lightsabers were sheathed and cheers and applause erupted as the lights dimmed and the words Star Wars: Episode III, Revenge of the Sith scrolled across the screen.
The sixth and final installment of the Star Wars series, and the third of the prequel trilogy, was one of the most anticipated movies of the year, and for committed Star Wars fans, it was a long awaited, though bittersweet, day. But did it live up to the Star Wars legacy?
The first two prequels, The Phantom Menace, and Attack of the Clones, left many fans dissatisfied. This could be blamed on a number of things, including that George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars, directed the prequels as opposed to hiring someone else to direct as he did in the original trilogy, with the exception of A New Hope. Also, some people complain that through the sea of visual effects, the movies have lost their "Star Wars feel." Revenge of the Sith did have many special effects, which is mainly battles and space scenes, but it also did a good job of mixing the modern effects, including camera angles and computer-animated characters, with old-trilogy-style things too. The ships were less streamlined, the Vader suit closely resembled that of Episode IV, and the 80's-style ship interior and lights appeared in Vader's ship at the end of the movie. Overall, it transitioned from the newer streamline look to the old trilogy style quite well.
Many people who were disappointed by Episodes I and II expected no more from the third. However, it ended up far exceeding the expectations of the general public.
Revenge of the Sith is the only episode to have a PG-13 rating, and for good reason. Few parents would feel comfortable with their young children watching scenes where a main character burns to a crisp or unsuspecting children are slaughtered. The movie contained many scenes of extended violence, and it was definitely the most depressing of the series, but it also allowed the audience to feel the gravity of the events in the movie.
As the Jedi were swiftly wiped out, the Sith took over the Republic, and future heroes came into existence, the stage was set for a new hope to return after years of the turmoil caused by the revenge of the Sith.

Lucas's techies can beat up your techies
Commands, orders, and talks with green clone officer in the Battle of Kashyyyk, green, frog-like Yoda does. On Kashyyyk Yoda meets up with friend and fan favorite, Chewbacca. Fully animated scenes like this make up over 60% of the movie.
ANIMATION DOMINATION
Amphibious invasions are difficult enough to pull off in our day, and in Star Wars, doubly so. Aside from the digitized droid arriils inability to take down the digitized clone army, the movie packs 40 minutes of animated footage. Are we watching a cartoon?

RISE, LORD VADER!
Palpatine revives Anakin Skywalker into the classic Darth Vader form. "More machine than man," Obi-Wan Kenobi says of the new get-up in Episode III, the same movie where Vader fulfills the prophecy that he will bring balance to the force.
MAY I TAKE YOUR ORDER?
Palpatine issues orders through hologram to his brainwashed clone army. Order number 66 programs the once loyal clone troopers to attack their former Jedi commanders. The brainwashing order is just one small part of Palpatine's planned Jedi purge. All photos used with permission.
...in all its PG-13-rated glory
SOME LIKE IT HOT
Traitor Anakin Skywalker takes a dip in a pool of molten lava courtesy Obi-Wan Kenobi, who, in the same battle, slices off a leg and an arm. Skywalker writhes in pain as Kenobi walks away, otherwise [unreadable].
Soon after the lava incident, Supreme Chancellor, and soon Emperor, Palpatine saves his favorite apprentice, replacing his hacked off limbs and creating a new shell for the melted flesh.
PRETTY PICTURES
Lucas's techies can beat up your techies
Commands, orders, and talks with green clone officer in the Battle of Kashyyyk, green, frog-like Yoda does. On Kashyyyk Yoda meets up with friend and fan favorite, Chewbacca. Fully animated scenes like this make up over 60% of the movie.
ANIMATION DOMINATION
Amphibious invasions are difficult enough to pull off in our day, and in Star Wars, doubly so. Aside from the digitized droid army's inability to take down the digitized clone army, the movie packs 40 minutes of animated footage. Are we watching a cartoon?

The music department has many traditions—marching band's overnight, the traditional robes adorning the choir, the lullaby concert orchestra puts on annually—but it all comes down to Showcase, the very last concert for seniors.
"The highlights of the Showcase concert for me will be that it's my last showcase concert," said Senior Erik Mattson, "and showing off to the community that much more for that last big band."
Showcase concert features the Concert Band, Concert Choir, the Orchestra, BHS singers and Jazz I.
The Showcase concert has always been a time to properly congratulate and thank the seniors for the many years that they participated in the music program.
Showcase features a slide show of all the graduating seniors, plaques commemorating their work in the BHS music program, and multiple other awards voted on by music students for the lucky seniors.
"We do the showcase concert to thank the seniors for the many years, and lots of hard work, that they put into the music program," said Band Director Lee Kjesbo.
Showcase is the only time in the year when the top music groups at BHS are together on the same night. The concert ended with a joint piece performed by the three groups called Festival of Freedom.
"I'm most looking forward to the joint piece," said Senior Kirstin Bjorge. "I think that will be fun, to hear it all put together."
With tears in their eyes the seniors looked into an audience on their feet and knew it was their night. For some seniors it will be the last time ever performing on the stage at the Performing Arts Center.
Feelings of the concert were mixed, as the audience filed out, the seniors taking their final bow.
"I think it went really well," said Senior Sarah Saunders, "but the senior slide show was really sad."

On July 16, 2005 J. K. Rowling releases the sixth installment of the Harry Potter books, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
Meanwhile, diehard fans of the series continue to wait another month and a half for the next installment. Like its predecessors, Half-Blood Prince received plenty of media attention. However, some fans lose faith in Rowling.
"I'm thinking that the author doesn't know where she is going with this crap" said Sophomore Matt Jonhson.
The books receive much praise and criticism for their high popularity.
"I like it, but I think its way bigger than it should be," said Junior Maria Squadroni, "There are many other fantasy series of equal value"
"I think that Harry Potter is dumb, because people get so worked up over nothing," said Sophomore Rachel Lemay, "It's childish."
In 2001 Warner Brothers released the first Harry Potter movie. Students differ on which format of the story they prefer.
"I love Harry Potter," said Freshman Kayla Ronnie. "The books are really awesome but the movies really suck."
"I like the movies better because I can see them," said Sophomore Alyshia Buskey. "I hate the books"
"The books are way, way, way better than the movies," says Freshman Taylere Peterson. "I cannot, cannot wait for July 16."
Harry Potter isn't the only popular fantasy book. For some, old school fantasy still rules.
"I'm not a big fan, I haven't read them," said Junior Aaron Anderson. "I'm a Lord of the Rings guy."
With Potter's popularity some young women develop crushes on the film's stars.
"Harry Potter is so hot," said Junior Amy Frisvold, "I'd make out with him"
"Harry is getting ugly. Actually, he's always been ugly, but not Tom, I mean, Draco," said Peterson, "He was kinda... eh when he was in the first movie, but in the third movie... wow. Did you know that he's 6'1", and that he drives a BMW? Tom is pretty much the only reason why I even watch the movies, besides wanting to gripe and moan about all the mistakes the directors make."

A look at the world of videogame arguments

With each new gaming system comes new capabilities allowing more variety in games, often causing arguments over the best style or genre.

"I hate games with annoying voice-overs," said Senior Ryan Finke. "If I am going to be spending forty hours on an RPG where the main character has a squeaky voice, I'm not going to play that game."

Usually gamers play to do something that they can't do in real life, like using magic, lasers, or stabbing zombies.

"I hate sports games!" says Senior Patrick Johnson. "It doesn't make sense to be someone playing a sport when you could be the person doing it."

Some players argue about game types, arguing over the best games, consoles, system, multiplayer or single player settings, control, music or behavior during game play in gaming cafeterias, bedrooms and on the bus. "Halo gave me a reason to get together with friends and play," says Senior Ryan Finke. "If I'm going to be playing a game it doesn't have to be huge; it's more about the people I'm with."

Gamers say games let you do something that you can't do in real life, like moving fast, hearing strange sound effects and being someone else.

"I hate sports games!" says Senior Pat Rich. "You don't make sense to play something on TV; it's more fun to do something like John playing games because you get recreation." [unreadable]

Many gamers find games can be cooperative, competitive and a way to meet new people. Some players appreciate the focus, faster reaction time and better hand-eye coordination that video games can develop.

Some gamers use games to relax and escape daily stress. Others say the competitive nature of certain games can cause arguments and heated debate over which style or system is superior.

A gamer’s perspective varies: some players like simple, classic games, others like complex, story-driven systems. The gaming community is diverse and passionate about their preferences.

Journalsim Staff
With the National Football League gearing up for the 2005 season, many are wondering what the beginning of the new season will hold. With Randy Moss no longer sporting the purple and yellow uniform he made famous, but now silver and black, people are starting to ask questions: will the Minnesota Vikings be hurt because of his trade to the Oakland Raiders, or was this something to benefit from? Only 37% of Buffalo High School students polled feel that this trade will hurt the Vikings this '05 season.
Although in return, the Vikings received the seventh pick out of the draft overall, students are beginning to wonder if they made good use of such a huge reward for letting go of Moss. The Minnesota Vikings picked up Troy Williamson, a graduate of South Carolina, to become the new wide receiver for the Vikings. But will he be able to take the pressure from the fans, coaches and teammates to become "the next Randy"?
"I'm stepping into my own because I'm my own person, so nobody can compare me to Randy Moss," said Williamson at a Star Tribune press conference. "I'm Troy Williamson. Believe me, Minnesota will get to know that when I get up there."
Erasmus James, a defensive end from Wisconsin, was their pick at 18 overall, bringing the Vikings a new taste for the defense.
Although, the Vikings still have a few defensive issues. With the weak-side linebacker Dontarrious Thomas coming back for a second year, and Corey Chavous also returning, the Vikings are ready to work hard in training camp to up these guys' performance.
The Vikings will not be suffering offensively this year, since they have always been strong in this area. "If the National Football League only focused on the offense, we'd be number one easily," said Freshman Josh Franke. "But then you bring in our defense, and that's where the problems start."
With Daunte Culpepper returning as the star quarterback, and Michael Bennett, Onterrio Smith and Mewelde Moore all competing to be the number one quarterbacks this season, they're sure to get an even better performance out of all these guys this year.
"We have excellent players on our offensive football team, and I'm a pretty good offensive coach," said Coach Mike Tice at a Star Tribune press conference. "So we're going to find a way to move the ball and score points. We're still going to be a good offensive football team."
But what about a kicker?
The Vikings never did draft a kicker for the 2005 season, they did pick up Mississippi's Jonathan Nichols, as an undrafted free agent, meaning he was never chosen as any team's draft pick.
Even though the Vikings haven't been the greatest team in the past few years, 79% of Buffalo High School students say they will watch the Vikings more this season, to see how the team does with the new draft picks. "It'll be interesting to watch this year," said Freshman Kyle Willetts. "I'm hoping Tice made the right choices by drafting who he did, but the only way to find out is to watch."
With the preseason kicking off August 12, the Vikings are sure to start off strong, and ready for anything. Even if it means eventually bumping into Moss sometime down the road.

Journalsim Staff
At the beginning of this year's baseball season, the league stated that they were going to enforce a stricter drug and steroid testing policy. The reason, to catch these monster like things coming to the plate and crushing baseballs to pieces. For years, we watched as players who started out as twigs to a few years later looking like Hercules. There has to be a reason for this and for some reason I don't think it is all weight lifting if you know what I mean.

Now that we see the testing is in full force, the "big" stars (pardon the pun) are not producing. Let's take Barry Bonds for an example. Now that he can't use steroids to keep him healthy, he now is injured for the season. If I gave you a picture of Bonds from his rookie year, you probably wouldn't even recognize him he was so small. Another thing unusual about Mr. Bonds is that even at the age of 42 he is still, or was still crushing baseballs. Most players usually start trailing off around their mid 30s but Bonds broke the single season homerun record at the age of 38 with 73.

Let's look at another player named Jason Giambi. This guy has arms the size of some people's legs. Now that he can't use those performance enhancing drugs, we can start to see the actual Giambi. His batting average is only around .200 and the Yankees wanted to send him down to the minor leagues because he is so bad right now.

How about Sammy Sosa? The same thing with him also. He can't stay away from injuries either now that they started testing for steroids. All I have to say is that the steroids are now catching up to the stars. Good luck frauds.

It's come to that time of year again. People yelling, screaming, name calling, cheering, and sports fans going crazy. Yep, its stadium proposal time again in Minnesota.

The Minnesota Twins have reached an agreement with Hennepin County to build a 42,000 seat, open air stadium in the warehouse district of Minneapolis right next to the Target Center. The total cost for the whole project, including roadwork and site preparation, would cost $478 million. The Twins' owner, Carl Pohlad would pay $125 million and the rest would come from a local 0.15% tax increase or 3 cents on every $20. Many disagree with this proposed tax increase though.

"There are many other ways to spend three cents on twenty dollars, like education," said English Teacher Vicky Cary.

There are also people that are just worn out by all these proposals.

"As long as the stadium allows a mother and father and kids to go there for a reasonable price," said counselor Gloria Rose.

Hennepin County decided not to go with a referendum, but just let the elected officials make the vote, which led to an uproar from many people. County and Team officials don't want residents to vote on it, saying it would kill the deal.

"We elect these officials to make these decisions," said science teacher Paul Anderson. "So the referendum the next time up should be if these officials should be re-elected."

The stadium proposal right now does not include a retractable roof, which a lot of people would prefer to be on it because of the type of weather Minnesota receives. If a retractable roof was added after the stadium was built, it would cost an extra $100 million which would have to come from a state tax increase.

The Hennepin County officials voted 4-3 to send a Twins stadium proposal to the state Legislature. If the Legislature has time to vote on it and pass it, the vote would come back to the Hennepin County officials for a final vote. If the proposal is passed the stadium could be ready for the opening day of the 2008 or 2009 season. The last Twins home game in an outdoor stadium was at the Metropolitan Stadium on September 30, 1981.

Lacrosse, the oldest sport in North America, was invented by Native Americans centuries ago. It's been a favorite pastime of boarding schools in the eastern states of the U.S. Yet the love of the game has just recently swept the west in what has become the fastest-growing sport in our country.
Students at Buffalo High School are no exception to the popularity waves spread by Lacrosse.
"More and more people join every year," said Freshman Matt Rygg. "There are like 50 kids on Varsity and 35 on J.V. - last year there was like 20."
Different motives have fueled students to join the Lacrosse Team. Some were intrigued by the high intensity of the sport while others just wanted an opportunity to hang out.
"A whole bunch of my friends were playing it and it seemed interesting," said Freshman Matt Raush.
More seasoned players hold goals in mind for the younger students on the team and the future of Lacrosse in Buffalo.
"Mostly our goals as upper-classmen are to get the younger kids involved in Lacrosse," said Senior Mike Christianson. "We haven't had the opportunity to take it as seriously because when I started playing, the team was just being put together. I mean we started out with like 20 guys on one team, and now look at it."
Buffalo Lacrosse players live for the intensity and adrenaline-rush they experience on the field, whether it is in practice or a game.
"I like the contact in Lacrosse. It's a pretty fast-paced game with a lot of running," Rygg said. "We're all pretty lighthearted about the whole thing, though, and we don't get ticked off at each other if something goes wrong."
Lacrosse, as a sport, has grown by ten percent annually since 1994. Two professional leagues have been established in the United States, and Michigan has recently recognized it as a school sport. Teams and players are popping up all over the country. Yet it's still an uphill battle for those who love the game.
"A lot of our goals now are to get Lacrosse school-sanctioned in Minnesota," said Christianson. "It's a community sport right now, so there's no going to Sections or State or anything. Also, I'd like to see it grow more fan-wise and start up a couple of middle school and ninth grade teams. We've done a lot, but there's a lot left to do."

As she makes her way to the tee-with golf club in hand-she attempts to remember the tips for a perfect swing. Swing back, swing slow, and swing through.

The Buffalo Girls Golf team seems to be blessed with great swings this season. Led by Senior Captain Lindsey Kennedy. The rest of the varsity team includes: Sophomores Laura Ackmann, Kate Dehmer, Ellen Pokorney, and Freshman K.C. Kane.

At each meet there are seven teams competing. This season the Bison have taken six first place finishes. Their single second place happened at a conference meet at the National Youth Center in Blaine where they took second place behind Spring Lake Park. Twice this season the girls have broken the school’s record. The most recent was Tuesday May 10 at the National Youth Golf Course in Blaine with a 174.

Other achievements this season was Kane and Kennedy receiving the medalist honors at National Youth Center, Purple Hawk in Cambridge on May 3 and again at the National Youth Center on May 10. Monday May 23 the team traveled to Pebble Creek in Becker to finish the NSC finals. The girls took the conference with Kane, Kennedy, Dehmer, and Pokorney earning All-Conference honors. The team also took Academic All-Conference.