The Hoofprint – November 15, 2007

Junior Sam Munoz was involved in a car crash on Highway 12 Tuesday, October 9. Munoz lost his life after several days in critical condition at the Hennepin County Medical Center. He was taken off life support Sunday, Oct. 14 after his brain activity had stopped.

Sam, 16, his mother Kris and siblings Amanda, 13, and Josh, 12, were in the crash around 5:20 p.m. They were travelling from Waverly to Howard Lake when a head-on collision with a truck occurred. Sam’s father, Terry, was the only family member not in the car during the accident.

Sam enjoyed playing soccer and baseball, and was very active in his church and youth group. For information on how you can help the Munoz family visit, www.sbsyouth.org or www.caringbridge.org/visit/munoz .

We all know that there are two college-acceptance exams: the ACT and the SAT, but what we might not know is the difference between them.

“The ACT is more common in the Midwest, whereas the SAT is more for the east and west coasts,” said Counselor Mark Jones. “The ACT is accepted by more U.S. colleges.”

Buffalo High School hosts the ACT test in October, January, April, and June. It is recommended that if students take one test, it is better to take the ACT, as it’s more regional.

Any student planning to attend a 4-year college or university should take the ACT and/or SAT, because it is required by schools. It is recommended that students take it during the spring of their junior year, because of the content of the test.

Spanish Teacher Sara Varner and Social Studies Teacher Brig Rettman entered the school year as teh new advisers for National Honor Society (NHS).

After seven years of being National Honor Society advisors, former Physical Education Teacher Kristen Declerk–Thompson (now Assistant Principal at Becker) and English Teacher Vicki Cary steped down. In search of a new advisor, Activities Director Tom Bauman sent out an e-mail to the teachers. Varner replied, believing the position would be an opportunity for her to work with students outside of the classroom.

With any new switch in advisors there will be some changes made to the program.

“Our plan for this year is to decide what activities to keep and what activities to get rid of,” said Varner “also we are in the process of finding new activities and service projects.”

For more information watch the monitors or contact Varner in room A-211.

At 30 kids per class, three classes per term, four terms per year, for 39 years, Social Studies Teacher LeRoy Erickson has taught some 14,400 students and counting.

After almost four decades of teaching, Erickson received the Leadership in Education Excellence Award. “It’s very humbling when you win something like this,” said Erickson “I thought ‘Oh no, I don’t think it should be me. There are lots of other teachers that should get it.’”

Both modesty and humor have developed within his many years of teaching.

“He’s funny and a really good teacher,” said senior Eric Patnode “He’s got a good wry sense of humor and handles things really well.”

Whether in his ending years or first years, students find Erickson and his teaching to be memorable.

“I remember him being a very young and serious teacher,” said Library Para Judy Loberg, “not like he is now.”

Trough his forty years of teaching Erickson, unlike many teachers who change their subject, continued his loyalty to the social studies department.

“I always enjoyed social studies in school,” said Erickson “I love current events and looking into the background as to why to its going on.”

Tough he took pleasure in the subject he taught, Erickson also enjoyed being able to contribute to the younger community as well.

“Working with young people has helped me get through the 40 years of teaching. Your body gets older but your mind stays young,” said Erickson “Kids are so worldly but so naive on the same thing.”

As the year continues to go by and Erickson sees his teaching career come to an end, plans for the future keep him busy.

“I’m retiring this year, I’ll still be a substitute teaching, do some painting, shingling and fix a door here and there,” said Erickson

The crowd cheers and whistles while the fi nal seconds tick away on the fi rst televised hockey game in Buffalo history.

The Boys’ Hockey team just came away with a victory against the eighth ranked team in Minnesota, the Duluth East Greyhounds. In order for the Bison to win they needed to play a fl awless game, and that’s exactly what they did.

This year holds some of the same challenges that occurred last year.

This years schedule includes three of the top-ten ranked teams Moorhead, Edina and defending state champions Roseau. They also play Minnetonka and Cloquet, another two elite teams in Minnesota. A schedule fi lled with tough teams, it poses a test for the 13-10-4 record the Bison hold.

“I love playing the tough games. It’s really a good way for us to judge ourselves, and put our name on the map,” said Senior Captain Jon Zitur. “We are trying to make ourselves into one of the top teams in Minnesota.”

The team plays with two conferences, the Classic Lake and Mississippi 8 Conference. The Classic Lake Conference consists of fi ve highly ranked teams including Wayzata, Minnetonka, Armstrong, Edina, and Hopkins. Buffalo doesn’t belong to the Classic Lake Conference however.

“We know we’re a good team, and if we can stay right with some of the top teams in the Classic Lake Conference, we know we have the ability to be right up there with them,” said Junior Zach Blaisdell

Playing higher ranked teams helps prepare the Bison for the Mississippi 8 Conference Championship.

“The conference isn’t going to be as tough as it has been in past years. I think if there’s any year for us to win it, it’s this year,” said Senior Captain Rob Aslesen. “The conference is within reach this year.”

After winning the conference a team heads to the Section and possibly the State Tournament. But the Bison will need to get past Roseau or Moorhead in order to make it.

“We have high expectations for this season. We think we can be in the Section Finals, with the talent and experience we have,” said Blaisdell.

A lofty goal to win the conference and the section fi nals, it may be in reach for the Bison. This season looks promising, with plenty of tough competition for the team.

But now the players must wait for the 07-08 season to begin when they drop the fi rst puck on November 23 at the Wayzata tournament.

“I think it should be a pretty big year for us. We’ll have to wait and see what happens,” said Aslesen.

“I have to eat a 6-inch BMT sub from Subway and then eat it before the meet,” said Sophomore Maggie O’Donnell. “I can only do one practice start, and then two minutes before my 200 IM, I take my inhaler. Then I listen to ‘Heart of a Champion’ by Nelly. Then [Senior] Justine Houfer gives me a big hug and [Eighth Grader] Anika Bordak says, ‘I believe in you’. Then I can swim.”

Surrounded by habits that become routine to people for a certain event; these habits are known as rituals. People start their habits by thinking that the certain routine they choose will prepare themselves more for the event mentally and hopefully they will do better at the event.

If it helps one time, why not try the same routine again? Once a swimmer becomes convinced that the routine they carry out before their meet is what really makes them perform better, it becomes their own ritual.

“I eat Subway before I swim,” said Junior Kalyn Kaminski. “The day of the swim meet, I drink two bottles of vitamin water for hydration. Right before I swim the ‘100 Back Stroke’, I have to listen to ‘Remember the Name’ by Fort Minor three times. If it’s only two and ½ times, we have a problem.”

Sometimes, different rituals are performed depending on which race the swimmers are doing.

“I leave my parka on until the heat before me has done a 50,” said O’Donnell. “Then I quickly put on my goggles (all while listening to ‘Remember the Name’ by Fort Minor) and Justine gives me my hug and Anika says ‘I believe in you’ and if any of that goes wrong, I fail miserably.”

There are also rituals that the entire team performs.

“The team likes to cheer and it annoys me,” said O’Donnell. “Justine or [Freshman] Linnea Palleson has to flush the toilet when Coach walks in to the locker room to give us our ‘pump-up’ talk. We try to make it awkward for the coach.”

Whether bringing the team together or making teammates uncomfortable, memories of traditions or rituals impact the swimmers.

“Every time we go to Grand Rapids, something bad happens to Maggie and I” said Kaminski. “Two years ago, we were walking outside and saw a 50-year-old man skinny dipping in the pool, and last year, a drunk guy broke the dead bolt trying to brake into our room and Justine saved us.”

Runners take your marks; this plays over the loud speaker as he anticipates the start of the race. The adrenalin rushes through his body just waiting for the race to begin....

Zach Mellon ran in track for 4 years and cross country for 3 years prior to this year. He recently placed 28th in the as the Bison’s sole repersentative at the State Meet.

“The reason I got into running was because in eighth grade during the mile, Mr. Mejelde told Tyler Pierce and I that because we broke a seven-minute mile, and that if we joined track that we would for sure place fi fth in track,” said Junior Zach Mellon. “He lied to us, there is no way in track that a 6:50 mile would even get fi fth place.”

Zach has ran in over 80 meets and has raced all over Minnesota and even out of state for Track Nationals in Indiana.

The State Meet for track takes place at Hamline University. St. Olaf holds the State Tournament for cross country. Last year, Mellon competed in the 800 meter and won the State Title for track. He also took part in the 4 by 8 relay team with Ray Heinkel (‘07), Senior David Pallesen and Junior Kevin Hayes and received third in the State Meet. In the 4 by 4 relay team took seventh as a team with Mosic Greenprice (‘07), Ty Greenprice (‘07) and Junior Taylor Vick.

“I believe running is a God given talent and I hope my running is a witness” said Mellon “I’m so grateful and it was sweet to see how it all paid off. I was really excited because I knew I hit the national qualifying mark.”

The cross country practices are normally 2 and a half hours long and they fi gure they run over 40 miles a week.

Track practice usually consists of speed training.

“During track you’re normally not in pain only during the runs, not after,” said Mellon. “But cross country is a whole different story sometimes we have to do nine-mile runs and you can defi nitely feel it the next day.”

Mellon has made it to state every since he was a freshman.

“I lost two races in eighth grade, but it did mean anything to me,” said Mellon. “But now I’m addicted to running. In the winter the coaches try to get me to take off two weeks but I can’t. I have to run.”

The coaches for cross country are Jill Hanson and David Knutsen. There’s only a handful of runners participating in this year for cross country.

“We work really hard but we still make time to have fun,” said Mellon. “We play this sweet game. As we were running by the tennis courts one day during practice we found four tennis balls. It took a while for us to fi gure out what we were going to do with them. We fi gured it out though there are 10 of us so the two people that don’t want to play throw the four balls into the corn fi eld and then the eight runners run out to fi nd the balls and the four people who don’t fi nd a ball we take this really thick weed and whip each other with it. I think I still have marks from it.”

The state meet was on Saturday, November 3 at St. Olaf University. Zach went to state for the third year in a row now and placed 26 out of 164 participants.

“I’m really excited,” said Mellon. “Normally I just do cross country for track but this year I wanted it for cross country. I had a really strong section performance. I can’t wait to race again.”

“I am very scared for the classes after us and what will be cut and how the cuts will affect the music program.” -Senior Libby Quatier

“We are dealing with budget cuts from the failed referendum and one of the things that was on the list was the elimination of fifth grade instrumental music. Our concern is that eliminating that program will end up impacting the quality of the program overall.” -Choir Director Michael Walsh

“The Save the Music program is basically a way for the community to show their support for the music here at BHS and to show that they dont want it to change. It will hopefully get people to understand that music is important so we’ll get to keep the programs for our music education.” - Junior Emily Bischoff

“I was in Ceramics I and I really enjoyed working with three-dimensional form, and I’ve always wanted to throw a pot on a wheel my whole life. My favorite project was probably the teapot, mostly because its functional and you can use it everyday.”

~ Senior Rebecca Popp

“We’re selling (our slump bowls) at the auction for the Munoz family, to help them get their house up to code.”

~ Senior Rachel Miller

1. Teapot and cups by Senior Rebecca Popp 2. Umbrella slump bowl by Senior Amanda McKown 3. Teapot and cups by Rachel McIntosh

Meth Education and Drug Awareness (M.E.A.D.A) has been around for three years, but do people really know the impact that this program has made in the community? With all the positive improvements it made on the Buffalo community, the program moved from city level to county level. Even with the program spread throughout Wright County, Buffalo currently has the most involvement possible.

With themes changing sporadically through the years of this program, some themes have been meth kills, drugs destroy, and now this year the focus is prescription and over the counter drugs (OTC) abuse. With the current theme they hope to reach out and get people to know what’s happening with OTC drugs. There is a DVD coming out with Doctor Walsh hopefully making an appearance in this movie. He wrote a book recently called “NO, Why Kids Need to Hear It and Ways Parents Can Say It.” This book is another way to say no to drugs, and with the success that Walsh has had. Having his views and thoughts out in the open will hopefully put a step by step view on drug abuse, and to get right to the point that we have always searched for.

Current freshmen had started Students Improving Attitudes program while they were in sixth grade. With their involvement in this program since middle school, they have a pretty good inside look at how things work and the differences they make.

The twenty-four people on the Wright County M. E. A.D. A. Committee have meetings every month to fi gure out what is going on throughout each cities community. Students Improving Attitudes also take care of and plan the big events by making the brochures and the upcoming DVD.

For more information on Meth prevention visit www.meada.org or call 763-682-7713.

Walking into the Bison Activity Center (BAC) on Thursday, October 25th or Friday, October 26th, one wouldn’t find a gym class playing floor hockey, instead, one would find half of the freshman class, a few teachers, a handful of Junior and Senior leaders, and two guest leaders.

Those two guest leaders, Jamie Zuel, who went by Zuel, and Tara Carroll, came from Youth Frontiers, a Minneapolis-based organization that puts on retreats, such as the respect and courage retreats, for schools all over the country. This is the second year Youth Frontiers has put on the respect retreat for freshmen.

“The goal of the respect retreat is to raise awareness of building respect within our school community,” said assistant principal Bob Driver. “and it aligns perfectly with our district’s quest of anti bullying.”

The retreat was an all-day event full of games, small-group discussions, Tara singing/guitar playing, and Zuel’s lessons, and more.

Throughout the day, Zuel focused on three main lessons.

Respect yourself. Zuel’s first lesson was an important one for everyone. He talked about how almost no one totally respects themselves. He used one example in particular he called “three wrong.” He talked about how many students would get a test back and see that they got 97 out of 100. But instead of seeing the 97 they got right, they would only see the 3 they got wrong.

Respect Others. For Zuel’s second lesson, he gave the students a lesson focusing on the about twenty percent of students who disrespect others. For this lesson, he told a story about his sister. In middle school and the beginning of high school, his sister was a really happy girl, who had a really good singing voice, so she was in choir, along with lots of other activities. Then in her freshman year, someone called her “fat” to be mean, but it wasn’t true. However, she took it seriously, and her self esteem plummeted, and she started taking diet pills and not eating. Luckily, after a few months, Zuel caught on and helped her out, but it took her 10 years to be fully sure of herself again. The lesson to be learned here is that one comment can change someone’s life, and disrespecting another person, even if it’s just once, can ruin their life.

“I think that Zuel’s last lesson was the most important one,” said Senior Leader Amanda Miller, “most people think that just not disrespecting people is enough, but it’s not.”

Stand up. Just as Zuel’s second lesson focused on the twenty percent of people who disrespect others, his third lesson focused on the other eighty percent. The eighty percent of people who don’t necessarily disrespect others, but just stand there and watch it happen. He shared another story involving people who chose not to stand up for someone who was being disrespected. While they weren’t the one’s doing the disrespecting, they did nothing to help the person who was being disrespected. What he was trying to get across to the students that not disrespecting others isn’t enough in itself, you have to stand up for those who are being disrespected.

At the end of the day, students had the chance to go to the middle of the large circle of students and say an apology, an opinion, or anything like that, as long as it was respectful, of course.

Respect yourself. Respect others. Stand up.

So R-E-S-P-E-C-T isn’t just an Aretha Franklin song; it’s a virtue, an important one.

If all the music and artistic teachers left, the school would be so much more... robotic.

- Junior Jacob Dooley

Guitar Hero 3 has been something a lot of students and even teachers have been eagerly awaiting.

“I’ve been peeing my pants waiting for this game since I destroyed all the songs on the fi rst and second one,” said Junior Joe Wagner.

T ere are some new features, such as the new wireless guitars, boss battles, and the all new battle mode.

“I look forward to the fact that I’ll be able to play with my brothers [with the new online capability],” said English Teacher Ryan McCallum. “With the previous game, it got to the point where we would fi re up the game, and then call each other and say ‘Killer Queen, Ready, Set, Go!’” Now that it’s out, some are a bit disappointed.

“I think Guitar Hero 3 is a step back from the second version. I’m playing it more out of obligation than enjoyment,” said McCallum. “T e gameplay is improved, but the songs are worse. I’m thinking about selling it, because I’m already thinking ahead to Rock Band.”

Others would disagree, some enjoyed the game.

“Amazing,” said Wagner. “I’m on the battle with the devil right now, but some inconsiderate people have to take away from my precious Guitar Hero time so have to wait to fi nish it.”

For some, the disappointment just continues.

“Online play is predictable,” said McCallum. “Talented players prey on beginners and, if you’re on the diffi cult levels, you can expect to play the same song over and over again. T e songs that the majority of people choose to play are so lame that it’s not even worth it to play online right now unless you’re playing with someone you know. T at will probably improve over time, though.”

T is game is a challenge for even an experienced player.

“I had to do it on hard mode because the battle with the devil on expert is too hard for me right now,” said Wagner.

Some think that this game could have been better and others think it was one of the best games ever.

“Guitar Hero is the best game ever,” said Senior Kyle Willetts. “Because it is something both guys and girls can enjoy.”

“Jacob wanted to show the world he loved his son To make it clear that Joseph was the special one So Jacob bought his son a coat A multi-colored coat to wear.”

In the biblical story of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat the three Ladies in Ivory, played by Senior Rachel Smude, and Junior Amanda Burgdorf and Sophomore Mandy Haggen, set the mood for the school’s fall musical.

“We need three narrators because it’s really task- ing on a highschooler’s voice with it being such a large part,” said Smude. “So it’s separated into three. Some- times, we have solos; other times we sing together. We’re like the Dream Girls, except we’re not black.”

Joseph is the largest production that the school has ever put on. There are a total of 40 cast members, 29 of which are middle school students. There are also ten members that have never been a part of the school’s theatre productions.

“I don’t feel that the large cast is different from previous years,” said Junior Brandon Aldrich. “But [Director] H-D feels it’s more diffi cult to keep every one in line because of the large cast. The Freshmen are very immature, and they come in not knowing what we do here.”

“This is my fi rst show,” said Junior Hannah Bir- keland. “I really like to dance and I love to sing in choir. It’s a lot of fun because there’s so much going on [on stage].”

There are only a few spoken lines in the two-act musical, the rest of the lines are sung in the 18 differ- ent songs.

“I love performing,” said Aldrich, “because that’s what I want to do later in life. I want to major in vocal performance.”

From the girls falling for “Elvis”, to Potaphar’s wife trying to seduce Joseph, to the brothers plotting against Joseph; the climax in this musical is never- ending.

“[The musical] is mostly ridiculous,” said Senior Steve Sulliven, “but it’s like really jazzy and colorful and bright. I really love music, so I enjoy it.”

Tonight, November 15, is opening night, the show starts at 7:30 in the PAC, and the doors will open at thirty minutes prior. Tickets are available at the door, and cost fi ve dollars for adults and three dollars for stu- dents. The show will also be playing November 16 and 17 at 7:30, and on Sunday, November 18 at 2 p.m.

“Well if you like music and visual entertainment,” said Sulliven, “this musical is a must see.”

“Well, I’m not much of a dancer but I love danc- ing to “Seven Fat Cows” because it’s just really fun and a really great song, it’s so upbeat. I just love it, love it, love it! -Senior Emily Carlson

“I’m not in the musi- cal but I read the Bible everyday and this story is among one of my fa- vorites. Noah’s Ark comes in at number one.” -Senior Ethan Arnold

“Joseph is a classic story that everyone knows. Te musical is very enjoyable and I encourage everyone to go see it tonight.” -Senior Logan Walsh

“iPods and phones are by far the most stolen items,” said Assistant Principal Matt Lubben. “If the stolen items don’t get turned in then they are most likely sold.”

With growing technology students realize it becomes easier for students to steal items and sell them on the internet. EBay, Amazon and Craig’s List are a few web sites that allow people to sell used and stolen items without the buyer knowing where it came from.

“Kids should really just leave their valuables at home instead of carelessly leaving them in unprotected places,” said Lubben. “By doing so, they tempt other students to easily steal their belongings. With that action comes punishment.”

With theft becoming more common, administrators are undoubtably familiar with the procedure.

“First, the victim of the crime comes to my office and fi lls out a theft report listing where and what item was stolen and who could possibly be involved,” said Lubben. “Then we interview the people the victim suspected and if that doesn’t result to anything, then, we check the cameras. When we fi nd the culprit we prosecute. We hand it over to Officer Glenda Ridley and the police.”

The concern about theft grows as the products students bring to school continue to shrink, but students agree it may not only be the thief at fault.

“I think if a kid is flaunting their new iPod or cell phone and not keeping it in a safe place,” said Senior Rachel Miller, “then it is their fault that it gets stolen.”

Though students agree that what is brought to school becomes their responsibility, some put all blame on the thief.

“I don’t think it’s the victim’s fault for their items being stolen because they are not committing the crime,” said Junior Kristina Bergstrom, “It is just morally wrong.”

With temptations surrounding the student body, some give in and others follow the rules.

“Students should be responsible for their own things,” said Freshmen Autum Konalke, “but if someone finds something they should give it back. It’s the right thing to do.”

As a student-run publication and a forum for student expression, the purpose of The Hoofprint is clearly stated on page two of each issue. The intent of our publication, though sometimes misunderstood, is to tell the stories of the students of the school and the world they live in. Often, the message is positive. However, there are sometimes issues and events affecting our students and community that need to be addressed. With that said, these events and/or issues will not always be positive and something everyone agrees with. However, nothing is ever published with the intent to distract from the learning environment, disrupt the pleasantness of the school day, offend students, parents of students, or go against the mission of the administration.

Individually, students who find offense in articles, opinions, graphics, or even captions should find their voice in the midst of it all. There will always be differences in opinions. For teachers, thank you for understanding and allowing us to distribute and have our paper displayed in your rooms for students to find. Thank you for understanding that a high school paper is important. When we do our job best, we promote a positive democratic enviroment by treating students and issues with honesty and respect. Also, again we encourage not only students, but anyone to get their voice heard and submit any opinion columns or letters to the editor.

For the most part, our school’s administration has always been very clear and thoughtful regarding the content of every issue for the publication. However, as it happens in the real world, there have been times editors and members within the community have disagreed about the content in the paper. What we ask is for the opportunity to be a voice for the students, nothing more. The Hoofprint has and always will be for the students by the students.

Educating our students and community through the content in the paper is what drives us to continue publishing. Mutual respect has always played a huge role throughout every aspect of our school. Between the faculty, students, and editors, we all should be able to work together to create these ideas and bring them beyond paper. This is the only publication that belongs to the students of this school.

Students, staff, parents, and administration are all welcome to be a part of our paper every issue. If you have a problem, an issue to comment on, or an idea for a story, get your opinion out there. We have never turned down a letter to the editor.

The United States of America; what a cruel joke. Every Tuesday morning when fi rst block rolls around, the announcement comes over the PA: “Hi, my name is <name>, and I invite you to stand, face the fl ag, and join me in saying the Pledge of Allegiance.”

And everyone stands like clockwork, save for a student in the back. Then the question comes: Why don’t you stand for the Pledge?

What people don’t seem to realize, is when they stand for the Pledge, they’re standing to salute a lie. I’m not saying America isn’t a decent country. We are a republic after all, one nation under God and all that. But what strikes me as odd is how people seem to think we’re some sort of ‘indivisible’ nation that dispenses liberty and justice like Steven Seagal dispenses bad martial arts fi lms.

Think about it. Would an indivisible nation have problems with gangs poppin’ caps in each other? How is ‘liberty and justice for all’ present when an ordinary man can be convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison, but a football player will get off easy simply because he’s just that - a famous football player?

Another example: the methamphetamine fi asco at Hazel Park Middle School Academy. Other than the student who initially brought the stuff to school, no one has been given more than a suspension. Even though many students here are still under the age to be tried as adults, I have a sinking feeling that if a student brought meth to school and said it was candy, anyone who used it, even by claim of ignorance, would have a sentence greater than, “We’re just going to suspend you for a while” shoved in their face.

The prior arguments considered, can the students who don’t stand for the Pledge truly be considered ‘unpatriotic,’ or are they just one step ahead of everyone else? Now, I won’t tell you that you should not stand for the Pledge. If you want to be another automaton, be my guest. Just remember - the next time you feel the need to ask someone why they aren’t standing for the Pledge, ask yourself why you’re standing for a misrepresentation of what was once a great country.

The average salary for a major league baseball player for the 2007 season is $2,944,556. That is just the average salary. Alex Rodriguez, the second highest paid player in Major League Baseball, rakes in $22,708,525 this season. The average NFL player salary in 2006 was $1,400,000. Drew Brees, the second highest paid player in the NFL made $22,000,000 in 2006. It does not make sense that a person who plays a game for a living earns that much money.

Professional athletes do not need millions and millions of dollars to, as the “great” NBA player Latrell Sprewell said, “Feed my family.” Yeah, just in case he couldn’t do that with the $6 million or so he was already making. If you were wondering, the average player salary in the NBA is $4,900,000. Anybody who plays a sport can easily get by on less then $5 million, a lot less.

What makes even less sense is that the average salary for the NBA and the MLB is more then the NFL. Football is a very violent sport, and many NFL players have lasting health p r o b l e m s . This ranges from knee replacements and hip replacements to neck injuries and concussions. Larry Morris, a former NFL star, suffered multiple concussions throughout his playing days in the NFL and had numerous others in college. Morris was the MVP of the 1963 NFL championship game, was named to the 1960’s all-decade team, and was captain of both the football and baseball teams at Georgia Tech.

The problem? Morris doesn’t remember any of this. He can’t sign his name, complete basic hygiene tasks, and sometimes even struggles to dress himself. Morris is 73 years old and has full-blown dementia, apparently caused by the concussions. If a player has the danger of having to deal with problems like this down the road in their life, they should be paid more than the players in the NFL and NBA, who really don’t have a whole lot to worry about when they retire, except maybe which fi ve-star hotels to stay in on their numerous vacations.

The bottom line is that players get paid too much. In pro football too, the players are paid too much, regardless of the dangers. Even a top doctor, who has a person’s life in their hands, is not paid as much as most pro athletes. It is just not necessary. There are plenty of other places money could go rather then into the pockets of a greedy athlete.

As students in District 877, we don’t usually see things like education dramatically splitting voters. We usually see the community as a major supporter of the things we do. However, after looking at the levy results from the district-wide vote on November 6, the majority of voters sent the message that supporting what the district does is less important than the thought of rising property taxes.

Voters come to the polls to voice differing opinions, which is the main goal of a democracy. This time around, those differing opinions represented three large divided portions of the voting population.

Group one: “I voted ‘No’. I own a home and don’t particularly want to pay more taxes,” said a middle-aged man on his way out of the polls.

Group two: “I think it’s the administration’s problem. We shouldn’t have to pay $200,000 a year for two principals. And I really wouldn’t like to pay an extra $420 a year on my property taxes,” said a disgruntled middle-aged woman.

Group three: “I think better education is what makes our town. More people will move in, we will have a better industry and a better community. It just works all the way around,” an elderly women said on her way back to her car after voting. “I definitely voted ‘Yes’.”

“I believe one of the great things in our community is our education,” said a parent of a current student. “Everybody has their opinion. And for some, education probably isn’t a priority in their life.

But wait! Isn’t Buffalo comprised of smart, selfless individuals who wish only the best for their children and community? How could such a crucial component to education be voted down? The truth is Buffalo didn’t vote the first and most important question down. With a count of 2171 ‘yes’ and 1872 ‘no’, Buffalo was the only of the three cities of District 877 to approve the question, although the vote was still narrow.

The scene at the Middle School contained many voters from the elderly demographic. White-haired couples helping each other to the voting booth in wheelchairs or walking canes was a persistent theme on that Tuesday afternoon. Many assumed this played a factor in the failure of the levy.

Former Principal Dr. Nicholas Miller took time out on his way into the middle school gym to share his opinion.

“Education is the best investment you can make,” said Miller. “Young people pay for social security and support the elderly community; it is the job of the older population to support the younger kids.”

The most important question of the levy, Question One, failed by only 139 votes. The staff of the Hoofprint hopes the district can try a special ballot this Spring to ask the first question again. This will send a message to the community about what we value and need most. Concerned voters, including more of our very own seniors, could fill those 139 votes that fell short this time. Although the climate here is gloomy now, with the chance of a special ballot next Spring there is still hope.

Buffalo Bison Football quarterback coach, Todd Bouman, was recently signed out of the free agency to the Jacksonville Jaguar’s NFL team. Bouman was a new coach this year and made an immediate impact on the team. A former Minnesota Vikings player, he brought many new ideas to the Bison, especially to the quarterbacks and wide receivers.

Bouman was contacted by Jacksonville during the Bison’s playoff game on Tuesday, October 23. “He had to leave to pack for Jacksonville,” said Junior Brooks Bielke. “They just called him during the game.”

As he was close with many of the players, Coach Bouman promised everyone that he would keep in touch on how everything was going. His flight was at 6:45 the following morning, and he had a workout with the Jaguars later that evening. Things went well; he had a great workout and was signed the next day.

While the players and coaches hope for the best for Bouman, they would love to have him stay and coach.

“I will miss him so much” said Junior Taylor Vick.

He is currently a back-up quarterback in Jacksonville, wearing the Number 4 jersey. After the season, he will be back in the free agency, and he hopes to be picked up once more by Jacksonville or another team.

Senior Nathan Rasmusson

“The larger class sizes, and less time [to work] will cause a downward spiral."

Junior Elizabeth Logas

“I’m pretty worried that I wouldn’t have as much time to work on stories if I have seven classes a day. It would be hard to get everything done."

Junior Philup Rossin

“The activity fees will be jacked up, but I just hope [being in Theatre] doesn’t feel much different."