The Hoofprint – November 18, 2004

Two high school students sit down to talk with their parents about their report cards. The boy hands his report card to his parents first. His parent's eyebrows rise as they look at the grades. The boy has mostly 'C's with a 'B' here and there. When the girl hands over her report card she has A's and B's.
This is a national trend and has found its way to Buffalo High School. There are more girls than guys in Yearbook, National Honor Society and many other leadership-oriented activities. Females are the dominant gender academically.
In 2002, after the first term, 73% of guys had a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 9.0 or less. That would be a B+ or less. Guys had a school wide GPA of 7 that would be a B-.
"Guys could experience more success if they take school more seriously and develop a more goal-oriented life," said Gifted Education Coordinator Brian Harapat. "Setting goals helps people focus on their dreams and what they can and will become. People just go through the motions, and they base their decision on what other people are doing. It's tough to be a leader. A lot of people are uncomfortable and they're uncomfortable with that much attention. Sometimes it's not cool to be involved, and it's not accepted by your peers. They don't want to rock the boat. A dangerous amount of males are content with mediocrity or put their hopes in athletic careers. The irony is that a very small percentage of people get an athletic scholarship, and of those that do even fewer amount get into the NFL."
After first term in 2002, only 52 percent of females had a GPA of a B+ or lower. While 48 percent of females had at least a B+, and 12 percent of them had a GPA of an A+. The GPA over last year was more alarming. Of the males over the Achievement

Next year there will be changes for the incoming ninth and tenth graders. This month, applications for the new Arts Magnet School will be sent out, and next year ninth and tenth graders will have a chance to be a part of this program.
The Arts Magnet Program (AMP) is aimed and designed for students that are interested in the arts. There are 4 strings of Arts in the program: Visual Arts, Performing Arts (Dance, Music, and Theater), Literary Arts, and Media Technology. These will be assorted around the usual, but art infused, classes such as Math, Science, Social Studies, and English. The program will draw students from other districts as well as students from BHS.
Art Teacher Sheri Tamte, the coordinator of the AMP, said that it is a chance for students to "pursue their passion." It will also "create a community where students can feel like they aren't alone."
The AMP will be located in the Tech/Business center, and there is the possibility of a computer lab being devoted to the Media String. The teachers that will be a part of the program include English Teacher Dave Robinson, Math Teacher Stacey Nordgren, Science Teacher Ed Cox, Business Teacher Mark Olsen, Art Teacher Jen Follstad, Music Teacher Scott Rabehl, Theater Teacher Melissa Bertsch, and Physical Education and Dance Teacher Martha Driscoll-Nelson to list a few.
Students will not only learn from an artist's point of view, but they will also be introduced to new forms of art and learn how to give and receive criticism. Along with teachers, students will receive lessons from outside artists. Poets and dancers will come for a couple of days out of each term.
There will also be the opportunity for additional after school classes, like a garage band, song writing, fibers and glass bead art, and Tech Theater. If the activity is successful, there is the possibility that it will be added to daily class time.
The 120 students that will have the chance to be a part of the arts program will be picked in a lottery process. Students who receive a brochure and application can fill out an application if the program interests them.
The AMP brochure explains, "On January 27, 2005, a professional company with expert experience in the lottery process will enter the applicants into a computer and will randomly select students for the program."
On the week of February 15, the parents will be notified if their child was chosen. "We're going to be bursting at the seams," said Tamte.

Test after test is passed down the rows, no noise, but the harmonious scratching of Number two pencils. It is not a college classroom, not a high school, and not even a middle school. The sights and sounds are that of elementary children. They are being tested to find any gifted talents and abilities. This process continues up into middle school, but with each passing year the emphasis on the Gifted Education Program grows weaker. Gifted Education is not a required service in Minnesota. Funding for the program is usually the first thing to go when money gets tight. "It's really frustrating," said senior Zach Pecarina, President. "They don't think of the other side of the spectrum." A fully staffed Gifted Education Program is rare in a high school environment and drop out rates in gifted education students are higher then average. "Without the enrichment program gifted students learn to become satisfied with mediocrity," said Gifted Education Advisor Brian Harapat. Starting in November of last year Buffalo High School has taken the steps to make school more challenging for gifted students. The Gifted Education Enrichment Advisory Committee, in short GEESAC, was added to the Gifted Education Program. GEESAC is a student-based committee that plans how the Gifted Education Program is run. "Students can be more involved, have free expression, and take control," said junior Jessica Minke, Secretary. The members help design opportunities that can be incorporated into the program. Small field trips, the forming of new clubs, and community service projects are all discussed within the meetings. A lot of the opportunities are mainly student run. Clubs must have an advisor, but students design it. "The clubs can really develop leadership skills and social skills," said Pecarina. The clubs are open to anyone within the school, however, not all options are. Independent studies are reserved for gifted education students only. The facilities could not accommodate everyone, so the numbers are limited. The students who choose to do independent studies pick their own area to study and plan their own course, with the help of one teacher who is familiar with the area of study. A teacher and counselor approve the plan and at the end of either nine or 18 weeks a final project is presented about the students studies. "Independent studies allow students to have opportunities that the school may not provide," said junior Forrest Olinger, Vice President. In order to make more opportunities happen a full-time staff and an actual room is now available to the gifted program. Harapat is now working directly with 171 students within the program. "He's doing a really good job with it," said senior Monica Kowalke, "I think it's nice we have a full-time person to help us now." Although there is an advisor for the gifted education program the hopes are that the students will start to take hold of the program and start to become more active in the whole district. "At most schools students are given options," said Harapat. "At Buffalo High School our students have the opportunity to create their own options and that's what the enrichment program is all about."

Between wrestling, gymnastics, and basketball, winter drumline has managed to push its way out of the shadows and into the spotlight to become school sponsored.

Winter drumline has been at the school for three years as an unofficial activity. On Monday, September 20 it became an official school activity.

"I'm ecstatic, I think if people work hard, they deserve recognition," said Activities Director Tom Bauman.

Being school sponsored will affect drumline immensely.

There will be funding from the school to affect the instructor, uniforms, and busing.

Students will also be able to earn a letter.

"You can consider it as community and it's nice to have support from the community," said Drumline Instructor Kurt Kissinger.

In previous years the school has tried to make accommodations for drumline and although the facilities and equipment were limited, they were really pushing for it.

"Before the drumline was just borrowing the equipment," said Bauman. "Now we have a right to use it."

There is a process involved with getting an activity sponsored.

First a request is put into the school board.

Then a proposal is made and the area of interest is studied.

The request for drumline to be sponsored was made in February with the help of parents and administration.

"It's a lot to do with the great parents we have," said Drumline Instructor Andy Lundstrom. "They were really pushing for it."

Winter drumline is a visual combination of audio and visual.

Students play percussion instruments while they carry out drill moves to impress judges and entertain the crowd.

"At first I was nervous, because I had no idea what I was doing or what it was going to be like, but everyone made me feel very welcome and helped me when I needed it," said junior David Harri.

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Drumline Continued on page 11

The construction has begun here at BHS and with the new expansions and changes, the cafeteria area will be affected as well. According to Jean Bryant the Food Service Manager we can expect big changes in the next year. "Construction will basically move the existing wall at the posterior end of the school outward, and expand our [cafeteria] area out to kind of a 'T' shape," said Bryant.

Among the changes there is a café-like option available for kids who want a snack after school. "We want to have something for the kids who maybe have sports or work and they want to have something for later," said Bryant. "It won't be anything fancy, maybe like an a la carte line so students can buy a sandwich or crackers or whatever they need."

The number of students that attend Buffalo High School is continually increasing, and so is the amount of people in the cafeteria. "We're a little crowded at the moment and I know [the students] feel it the most. We're constantly asking kids to move over when they're waiting for a pretzel or soup or whatever it is, but then they crowd into the other lines," said Bryant. "With the new expansion we hope to add a couple of lines, and provide other menu options for the students and basically gain some space."

Director of food service Marilyn Splinter says that construction may not begin immediately. "Right now we're feeding kids and staff, construction might have to wait a year or two. Possibly over the summer, I don't really have any for sure deadlines yet, but I think students can expect this area to be very different by next fall," said Splinter.

With the whole school changing, the cafeteria's new look will add to its space and efficiency. The new cafeteria's face-lift is only part of the massive construction that began this October.

There are many paths that can be taken when going through life. One of the most important is choosing a career. Some want to be doctors or zoologist, and need to know how to get where they want to go. Jobs for Minnesota Graduates is a class that helps students decides what's right for them. Taught by teachers Dave Macalena and Aaron Evans this class is offered to all towa students.

"They're cool teachers," Said senior Craig Ness, "the class is very teamwork oriented, and hands on."

The class covers job communication, filling out job applications, collage applications, interviews, job skills, and many other things to help students with finding the right job and getting it.

"We talk about our values and growing up," Macalena said, "I think this class really helps with understanding the changes after high school."

Though it is an elective class, it is more advanced than the old Horizons program; taking the useful material and making it more understandable by tying it to life. There isn't much homework, and it is very active.

Jobs for Minnesota graduates could really give some pointers on how to achieve goals in careers. This class is help on the next step of life.

Students Michelle Smith, Rayla Boman, and Katie Mielke work on a project in Mr. Macalina's JMNG class. JMNG is an elective class that goes beyond the old Horizons class.

Photo by Kyle Anderson

Of the males over the whole year, GPA went down for three out of the four grades. Only the juniors increased their GPA by the end of the year.

Females, meanwhile, had two classes increase their GPA over the year. Statistically, girls are out performing guys, and teachers and administrators have been challenged to analyze and solve the problem in hopes of closing the achievement gap.

"The achievement reflects what is expected and the change has to start at home," said Harapat. "Parents [need to] start caring about education and not let [their kids] take the easy way out."

According to administrators, there may be more than one way to fix the Gender Achievement Gap.

"Principal [Nick] Miller has spent a lot of time with students at the lower grade levels, encouraging them to succeed," said Assistant Principal Matt Lubben.

The students have a very different opinion on why the girls have a better GPA than guys.

"Guys get lower grades because it's 'uncool' to be smart, like girls care about the way they look to others more," said senior Nicole Olson. "However, girls don't care about grades like that."

"Girls make their homework and school stuff more important to care about," said sophomore Laura Hannam. "They take more thought about what they're doing."

"Boys tend to slack off to be 'bad ass' and create an image for themselves," said sophomore Laura Hartneck. "And girls don't have to do that, so they pay attention and work harder."

People had some different ideas on how long it will take to fix the Gender Achievement Gap.

"It can happen instantly, I don't think that females are smarter," said Harapat. "Girls as a stereotype play the school game better and hand in assignments. With guys, it's a minus. A lot of guys like mediocrity."

"Mr. Miller has started this with the freshmen meetings and we'll continue to work on it," said Lubben.

Students have different ideas about if there is anything that can be done to help males achieve more.

"Guys could study and look more into their homework and schoolwork to get better grades," said sophomore Anne Laho.

"Have guys and girls work together more. If the girls help the guys they will do better," said sophomore Samantha Polski.

Not everyone has the same idea though.

"Encourage them the benefits of being involved with school-and they might enjoy it more," said junior Becca Menough.

The following information has been provided by BusinessWeek and was written by Michelle Conlin.

In all of the elite and Ivy League schools there are more girls than guys. The ratio is about 60-40, girls-guys. Now even more girls vote than guys. This has been a big reversal from the way it was before. Before guys were the dominant sex academically wise. From kindergarten to graduate school girls, are becoming the more dominant sex academically. Also from his first days at school a normal boy is already developmentally 2 years behind girls in the areas of writing and reading.

I think that deep down, I knew it was impossible for such an obscure, unfamiliar candidate like John Kerry to dethrone Bush. (In fact, this article was written on October 28th.) The Democrats lost the election, and as the phrase goes, we've withdrawn to lick our wounds: There is, however, hope for a coming offense. Deep inside their cozy concrete shelters, the Democrats have been hunkering down for one of the most controversial issues since Abortion: Gay rights. The president's attempt to federally ban gay marriage and put a stop to civil unions is ironic, taking the power to do this from the states, something his platform doesn't generally like. It cannot and will not be ignored. I have researched and read enough editorials and letters to the paper on this issue that I can confidently say this future battle is in the bag. Max Boot, in his opinion piece entitled "The Right Can't Win this Fight," published in the Los Angeles Times on May 20, 2004, said, "How do I know? Simply by looking at the arguments being advanced by both sides." I have laid out an extensive--yet relatively short--explanation of the arguments being presented by the opposing side of gay marriage, and a rebuttal concerning the arguments supporting it.

Homosexuality is an abomination. This is according to, among other places in the Bible, the Leviticus. I've often swatted this statement out of the equation, due to my apathy toward what a book written 2000 years ago does or does not permit. There is a separation of Church and State, mentioned in an entirely meaningless, irrelevant thing in our Constitution called the First Amendment, and for those who do not take literally the text of a holy book, there is nothing in the above statement that makes homosexuality a wrong or detrimental thing. Nevertheless, it occurred to me that people usually get married in churches...

As profoundly solid as that idea appeared, there was one hole, called a Government-sanctioned Marriage (as opposed to Church-sanctioned). For the record, our nation indeed was based off of values explained in the Bible and Torah. Neither of the books were, however, the foundation of all of our Constitution, which was written by a very questionable Agnostic named Thomas Jefferson. (Try wisdomquotes.com, under Agnosticism/Atheism for confirmation of this.)

Homosexuality is Perverse. It amazes me just how many people can be so ignorant on this subject. There are many theories, and at this point, no one has any hard facts that can prove homosexuality is caused by one single event or chemical imbalance in the brain. However, something known as the Human Genome Project has revealed very credible evidence that homosexuality is partly because of inherited genes, which places it far from perverse, or unnatural; rather, many mammals show homosexual traits on a similar basis to humanity. According to recent studies conducted by The Register, an online resource library, eight percent of domestic rams demonstrate homosexual tendencies. This is almost parallel to the amount of homosexuals we have at this time in both our American and global population (around 10 percent), and it is therefore logical to assume that a similar percentage has been around since the beginning of our species. Primates like the bonobo monkeys, who are openly bi-sexual toward one another in the wild and regularly practice sex regardless of gender, are undeniable examples of how homosexuality is a naturally-occurring anomaly.

Civil Unions are okay, but the tradition of Marriage must be perserved. On the outside, this makes a lot of sense. Why go through all this trouble to change the definition of marriage? (...why go through all this trouble to make sure the definition is not changed, Mr. Bush?) The answer seems so simple, but it's much more complicated than that. In late April, 2004, Minnesota Public Radio hosted a debate on a randomly-selected topic, which just so happened to be gay marriage. One of the two speakers in support of gay marriage brought something to attention that many just aren't aware of: Civil Unions grant each partner approximately 30 rights; Marriage grants each partner approximately 300 rights. I checked it up on the internet, and thanks to Scribbling.net, realized he was dead wrong. Marriage grants 1,049 federal rights. Let's compare those some 30 rights with these 1000+ rights. Which number amounts to more? Starting from the top of the list at hrc.org's list of rights

Walking into a public bathroom these days, it seems like the world of germs is being battled with every advancing technological thing that can be thought up. From washing your hands, to drying them, or flushing the toilet, it is more like a task done for you.

Washing your hands used to be a thorough process taught to you from infancy. The basic ways of personal hygiene are presented with basic steps.

Now a bathroom is place that provides basically, a "touch-free" area. When you go to the bathroom and slide into the stall to do your business, after finishing you would usually reach for the lever and push down to flush the toilet. Now it automatically does it for you. Nothing to touch.

Or what about washing your hands? Push the button for a little soap to fall in the palm of your hand and then proceed in placing your hands underneath a faucet. The water is automatically provided for you with little to no effort in a germ-free way.

Drying your hands has always been a two way option supplied only by one in each bathroom. The "touch-free" dryer, simply where your hands are placed underneath it and the warm air is rushed to service your cold, wet hands. Or the other method with the paper towel. No longer is cranking on a lever required, actually all that is needed is to place your finger in front of a sensor and the paper towel is dispensed for you.

With all this hands-free ways that provide you with a germ free enviroment are sure to improve the health risks that are being plagued upon each person everyday. Our society is a supporter of the increasing trend of a germ free and healthy enviroment.

With the promotion of lysol commercials and such, you get a glimpse of the hard core facts of how many germs you come in contact with and how to prevent them. This just seems to be another step in their right direction for healthier future.

Two o'clock comes around, everyone tries to find where to go for AAA. Have you ever thought to yourself where do all these people go and what they are actually going to do with there 20 minutes we are given. Don't get me wrong these 20 minutes can be helpful, but how often do you actually go for help?

In reality yes you are supposed to go to what class you may be struggling in or a class where you may have simply missed a day of and get help from that teacher. Most of the time you go get help is when a teacher tells you that you have to come to his/hers AAA.

The average high school student is in the phase where you like to hang out with your buddies and talk. In most cases you do that to waste the absolute slowest 20 minutes of your life or so it may seem. So you have to question yourself "do I really work during AAA?" Most likely 5-10 days during the entire school year you actually do.

The AAA I attend almost everyday it is like seeing snow fall on a hot day in August if someone is sitting there reading, doing homework, or anything productive what so ever. I just sit back and listen to everyone socialize on what the "main event" for the weekend is, or what is going on after school that day. It's not often when you hear a high schooler talking about mathematics, social studies, none the less any subject that revolves around school. It just wouldn't seem right if that is what everyone discussed every AAA.

What would be nice, is if teachers or the administration would just let us out of school at 2:00. Many high schoolers have jobs and it would be nice to have a little time after school. Going from school to work can be highly stressful considering most of the hours start at 3/4:00. Cutting AAA could also help with Buffalo High School athletes. Allowing more time for them to do other things by getting out of practice a little bit earlier. Being involved in school sports can become way overwhelming. The only downside to those solutions that many may not like is starting school a little bit earlier.

What 20 minutes could do 20 divided by 4 equals 5. Just think of 5 more minutes during your lunch. Now that would be nice especially for the High School students that attend vo-Tech.

Knowing that we will more than likely continue to have AAA. Just think next time you are sitting there aimlessly starring at the clock. Just what exactly you could be doing in those 20 minutes?

Every Saturday morning kids all over America jump out of their beds with one goal in mind. They run to get their cereal and nearly spill their milk in the rush. Why out of all the days of the week are kids raring to go Saturday, when usually they stay in bed as long as possible? Saturday morning cartoons of course. Every week they come without fail, but every year the quality of the shows becomes poorer and poorer. Thinking back on the days of "Doug" and "The Angry Beavers", I realize these classics that were once so important to daily life are now canceled or redone. A good show today is rare. The colors seem to be getting brighter and sharper with each episode, but the content is getting dimmer. "Doug" is no longer a Nickelodeon production, but belongs to Disney. There is no longer episodes like the classic "Doug bags a Neematoad," the episode in which Doug first moves to Bluffington. Disney tacked on the words "Brand Spanking New" to the title and changed the show.

Even the greatest classic cartoon of all time, "The Loony Toons," have changed drastically. More and more spin-offs are being done. Daffy Duck isn't in his forest arguing with Bugs about what hunting season it is, he is in space with Porky Pig as Duck Dodgers, fighting Marvin the Martian. Baby Looney Tunes even have their own show now.

There is nothing horrible about any of these shows. Not every show from when I was younger was a winner, look at "Rocko's Modern Life" for example. "Duck Dodgers" is enjoyable to watch, but the problem with a show like that is it is pushing other shows out of the way: Rarely does a classic "Looney Tunes" show air and shows like "The Angry Beavers" are gone. These great shows are fading away and pretty soon the next generation won't know about them. It is inevitable change, but to watch the process is a sad thing. It is watching childhood memories disappear and being replaced by something that holds no value in one's heart, except to the younger children who will watch the new cartoons and make them their memories, an ongoing process that will never quit.

Continued from page 4
from the top of the list at
hre.org's list of rights that
marriage contains and that
civil unions do not...
Hospital Visitation Rights--
same sex couples can be denied the right to visit
a sick or injured partner or make medical
decisions concerning their partner; Health -
Insurance--many employers do not include
unmarried partners in their health coverage (of
course, this could also be solved by creating a
government-controlled health insurance sys-
tem, as they did in Canada); Spousal Privilege--an
unmarried couple can be forced to testify against one
another in court, using evidence they do not want
revealed; Inheritance rights--pretty self-explanatory;
Estate Taxes and Income Taxes--only one partner can
own property the couple is living on, and expenses are
not shared between partners; Family Leave; Pensions; Nursing Homes;
Home Protection; Retirement Savings; Social
Security Benefits... the list goes down quite a ways. In
what way are people less valuable than a "tradition?"
Gay Marriage grants
homosexuals extra rights.
I like this argument,
because it's neither true nor
very witty. The claim is that
homosexuals can get married to
a partner of the opposite sex; therefore, they
still have the legal right to get married. That may be
true, but if gay marriage is legalized, no one receives
any extra rights at all. If a heterosexual person wanted
to, they could marry someone of the same sex. It goes
both ways.
It is constitutional law that
the legislator cannot make
an amendment or refrain
from changing a law that
people are attempting to
amend if there is no compelling reason to do so. The
idea here is that the opponents of gay marriage have
failed to come up with a compelling reason as to
why over 1000 marriage rights should be denied to
10 percent of our nation's citizens. Personally, I think
28 million people are more important than preserving a
"tradition" as old and meaningless as slavery. There is
no way to calculate if gay marriage will lead to other
"evils of the world," like Beastiality. The Right can't
win this fight.

There is nothing horrible about any of these shows. Not every show from when I was younger was a winner, look at "Rocko's Modern Life" for example. "Duck Dodgers" is enjoyable to watch, but the problem with a show like that is it is pushing other shows out of the way: Rarely does a classic "Looney Tunes" show air and shows like "The Angry Beavers" are gone. These great shows are fading away and pretty soon the next generation won't know about them. It is inevitable change, but to watch the process is a sad thing. It is watching childhood memories disappear and being replaced by something that holds no value in one's heart, except to the younger children who will watch the new cartoons and make them their memories, an ongoing process that will never quit.

This is stupid, I'm never going to use this! For most students this isn't an unfamiliar phrase. It makes some wonder if it is just a few classes that seem impractical or if school altogether does little to prepare students for the future.

Some classes teach things that can't be used now and maybe not even later. Teachers will say that it's not about what the class is teaching it's about the techniques that are learned by studying the subject. Algebra for an example teaches a different way of problem solving and thinking. The techniques that students learn in this class can be applied to almost anything unlike the subject of Algebra itself.

School is where most kids learn to read and do basic math; two skills that are used daily. English classes teach proper grammar and work to expand vocabulary which helps: students become more intellectual. School teaches students how to learn so if there is something a student wants to know more about they are capable of finding out on their own.

Students learn how to deal with all kinds of people. They learn about themselves by discovering what they are good at, what they enjoy and who their friends are. School tries to teach students how to respect people of all cultures and beliefs.

There are classes that inform students about the past and future. One of these classes is History which introduces students to the past and informs them of previous mistakes so they won't be repeated in the future. Another one is Personal finances which teaches students how to manage money and run a check book.

School offers hands-on classes like family and consumer science classes and shop. These classes teach skills that will be directly applied to life. Physical education shows students how to be healthy and physically fit. It also teaches students about muscles and proper stretches while introducing a variety of sports.

One problem with school is that some of the practical stuff is taught to students when they are in middle school. These things include welding, sewing, cooking, and wood working. This isn't necessarily a good idea because how many 12-14 year olds really care about that kind of stuff? By the time students develop an interest they are already in high School and are concentrating on courses that will help them if they decide to go on to college. Some students are afraid to take hands on classes in High School because they aren't required. They feel that only the students that are good at the subject will take the class and they will be the only rookie.

High school in particular, gives students lots of choices. If a student wants to start college early they can go post secondary. Work programs and other opportunities are also offered to benefit students if that's what is right for them. School shows students their options and does it's best to help students figure out what they want to pursue.

Vocational classes are a great opportunity for students. If you are questioning the significance of school vocational classes are a good way to get rid of the "School is a waste of time" blues. The classes are targeted to teach students about a certain occupation they are interested in.

Music students may have to choose between band/choir and vocation because these classes take place during second and third block. They are allowed to skip a semester of music if they talk it over with the teacher but it can be a hassle. Some of these students are really dedicated to music and don't want to give up any time. That doesn't mean that they don't want to do vocation, they just don't want to make the sacrifice.

There is a plus side and a downside to school but for the most part school really does prepare students for their future. A big part of what students get out of school depends on the student's willingness to do their best and explore their options. It's up to the student to take advantage of the opportunities that are in front of them.

School can only do so much, the students have to do the rest. In the end we are responsible for ourselves. Where we end up someday is up to what we do now. Good habits will be essential to students and school does it's best to teach students them.

From American Idol to Survivor almost every evening there can be a reality television show found playing on some network. These days there has been an explosion of reality moments on the small screen creating a new wave in the world of people's living rooms.

When the television was first developed families would gather around to watch a regular half-hour show about family values and good old-fashioned humor, but now when you turn on the television there is no way to escape the new moments of supposed reality.

Most of the reality shows now I wouldn't consider reality, such as The Simple Life, Blind Date, Surreal Life, etc. Because in these shows the reality isn't real, they create the drama amongst themselves in such a way that none of their created happenings would actually occur.

Then there are the "pretend romance" shows like the Bachelor/Bachelorette phenomenon, For Love or Money, Joe Millionaire, Temptation Island, Average Joe, the list goes on. These poor examples of reality also give a new meaning to the television viewing of today.

As an American, I admit that I, too, was part of its audience in the beginning, became wrapped up in the "love" developing between the two people on screen. It would almost be the perfect way to meet the person of your dreams, a good story to tell the grandchildren. But it seems as if the magic stops when the cameras finish rolling, because no couple has made it through the pressure of the media within about two months (with the exception of Ryan and Trista.)

However, there are some shows that have earned my respect because of a reason for being on the air. I do like the shows Fear Factor, Donald Trump's The Apprentice, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, Trading Spaces are a few examples. They all have a reasonable plot, a good amount of suspense, and among other things I have come to enjoy some, not all, of the reality shows taking up the time on our television sets.

There's no way to prevent new reality shows from airing each season, but maybe the reality show "fad" will soon fade, but for now we still watch as these shows continue on.

Marcelle Kasper
Staff Writer
"This is stupid, I'm never going to use this!" For most students this isn't an unfamiliar phrase. It makes some wonder if it is just a few classes that seem impractical or if school altogether does little to prepare students for the future.
Some classes teach things that can't be used now and maybe not even later. Teachers will say that it's not about what the class is teaching it's about the techniques that are learned by studying the subject. Algebra for an example teaches a different way of problem solving and thinking. The techniques that students learn in this class can be applied to almost anything unlike the subject of Algebra itself.
School is where most kids learn to read and do basic math; two skills that are used daily. English classes teach proper grammar and work to expand vocabulary which helps students become more intellectual. School teaches students how to learn so if there is something a student wants to know more about they are capable of finding out on their own.
Students learn how to deal with all kinds of people. They learn about themselves by discovering what they are good at, what they enjoy and who their friends are. School tries to teach students how to respect people of all cultures and beliefs.
There are classes that inform students about the past and future. One of these classes is History which introduces students to the past and informs them of previous mistakes so they won't be repeated in the future. Another one is Personal finances which teaches students how to manage money and run a check book.
School offers hands-on classes like family and consumer science classes and shop. These classes teach skills that will be directly applied to life. Physical education shows students how to be healthy and physically fit. It also teaches students about muscles and proper stretches while introducing a variety of sports.
One problem with school is that some of the practical stuff is taught to students when they are in middle school. These things include welding, sewing, cooking, and wood working. This isn't necessarily a good idea because how many 12-14 year olds really care about that kind of stuff? By the time students develop an interest they are already in high School and are concentrating on courses that will help them if they decide to go on to college. Some students are afraid to take hands on classes in High School because they aren't required. They feel that only the students that are good at the subject will take the class and they will be the only rookie.
High school in particular, gives students lots of choices. If a student wants to start college early they can go post secondary. Work programs and other opportunities are also offered to benefit students if that's what is right for them. School shows students their options and does it's best to help students figure out what they want to pursue.
Vocational classes are a great opportunity for students. If you are questioning the significance of school vocational classes are a good way to get rid of the "School is a waste of time" blues. The classes are targeted to teach students about a certain occupation they are interested in.
Music students may have to choose between band/choir and vocation because these classes take place during second and third block. They are allowed to skip a semester of music if they talk it over with the teacher but it can be a hassle. Some of these students are really dedicated to music and don't want to give up any time. That doesn't mean that they don't want to do vocation, they just don't want to make the sacrifice.
There is a plus side and a downside to school but for the most part school really does prepare students for their future. A big part of what students get out of school depends on the student's willingness to do their best and explore their options. It's up to the student to take advantage of the opportunities that are in front of them. School can only do so much, the students have to do the rest. In the end we are responsible for ourselves. Where we end up someday is up to what we do now. Good habits will be essential to students and school does it's best to teach students them.

It's 3:00 in the morning, and he's standing outside in below-zero temperatures, sweating from the heat of the smoldering ash he's up to his ankles in. Only an hour ago he was sleeping, although it seems like days. He hears shouts of excitement, and looks up to see the last shoots of flame flicker out. Cheers erupt from the crowd that has gathered around. Suddenly, about ten news crews armed with microphones and video cameras get in his face, and questions are blurted from every direction. This is a night in the life of a Buffalo firefighter.

Many people don't realize how much work goes into a volunteer fire department. Fire Department has 34 firefighters, all of which are working hard all day, every day to make sure no one gets hurt.

"There is a lot of excitement involved in this job," said firefighter Brad Zitzloff. "You never know what is going to happen next. Everything is very unpredictable and we can be called anytime, day or night."

The job of fighting fires can be very nerve-racking as well.

"It's scary not knowing [anything] until you're facing the task at hand," said firefighter Mike Brings. "Although having the other firefighters right next to you helps."

Each one of the firefighters has their own opinions about the best and worst things about fighting fires. They love what they do definitely overrules the disappointments.

"Knowing you are helping the community. My favorite is doing fire safety. The looks on kids' faces when you say hi to them," said training officer Todd Rathbun. "You give them a hat or a teddy bear, and they love you for life. They look up to you."

The Buffalo Fire Department displays its respect and admiration for their counterparts that made the ultimate sacrifice on September 11th.

After 15 years of being on the Buffalo Volunteer Force, Barfknecht stated he is still training on and off.

"It never stops," said Barfknecht. "I still have to attend some basic training courses."

Most people think that anyone who willingly goes into a burning building must be crazy.

These men all have a reason for what they do.

"My dad was on the Rockford Department," said Rathbun. "I was in Explorers from the time I was 15 to the time I was 19. I joined the Rockford department 15 years ago. I was on that for six and a half years. I took a break when I moved, and joined the Buffalo Department four and a half years ago."

Others have more personal reasons.

"It's something I've always wanted to do," said Barfknecht. "As a kid, I knew I wanted to fight fires."

Buffalo Fire Department averages 250 calls a year. The majority of these are fire alarms accidentally set off. Others include grass fires and car accidents, although it varies with the time of year.

Volunteers work 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 52 weeks a year to keep the city safe.

"If I were to give advice to someone seriously considering going into firefighting, it would be to watch your rear," said Rathbun. "Just kidding. I'd say 'go for it.' Take it slow at first, until you're sure it's what you want to do. Then hit the road and go. If you want a lot of action, go full time."

"The most disappointing thing about doing this job is seeing kids play with fire," said one firefighter. "We can do lots of things to inform them, they still do it. The curiosity scares me."

"There is nothing more rewarding than helping people," said Barfknecht. "Being there - it's their darkest moment and just knowing I'm helping them get through it, that's the best thing about doing this job."

I approach a group of students in the hallway with my pen and paper ready. They immediately become nervous and break into a profuse sweat. Their eyes are everywhere except on me, and for a moment, there is nothing but silence. They look up at me for less than a second, cry out "Nothing!" and bolt.

I push them out of my mind and assume the surveys I handed out will give me the information I need for my feature story.

A few days later, surveys are in, and I'm anxious to read them. As I skim through each one, however, I become afraid of what I find...

I started to notice the situation when I read the responses to question Five: "Do you have any notable experiences that have happened on a Saturday Night?" Senior Kirsten Johnson writes: "Nope--" The line after the word triggers my suspicion. If it would have just been her, I would have ignored the signs, but others supported my growing fear.

My dear friend, Senior Amanda Lang writes: "None that I'm at liberty to say!" Then I come across surveys from sophomores with replies such as, "None that I can say!" or "Uh... I don't know!"

I know what you all are thinking. You're thinking that they just don't want to talk about their Saturday nights, or that we have more methamphetamine addicts in this school than originally projected. That does seem logical, but explain Seniors Jared Walhowe and Frans Jensen, and their response: "None that I can remember."

It seems to be the same as what I have already gathered in the aforementioned answers, but it is implying that something notable has happened in the past on a Saturday night.

If this isn't enough to convince you that something strange is going on, keep reading. My choir buddy, junior Becca Menough writes: "Hmm, one night, hmm... no, not really!" senior Rachel Ebeling, who is a very outspoken and friendly girl, writes: "None that I could mention." Even Sophomore Katie Blizel appears to be in on this with her answer: "Umm... no."

Clearly, something has been happening on Saturday nights! Something dark and mysterious. What it was, I still had no idea.

Clues started to appear in the stack of surveys. Students were trying to warn me. Sophomores Holly Lohse and Paullina Lang write: "Don't be out after curfew."

Weird things began to show up, almost as if they were foreshadowing what's to come. Sophomore Brent Muhonen writes: "I shot a deer, and I need a life! Help me, please!!" Junior Megan Redlin writes: "Hot tub confessionals! Flaming pandas!"

Suggestions were offered. Sophomore Eric Mietz writes: "I'm not going to answer, but I land tricks a lot and eat." The part about landing tricks and eating was really bizarre, but appeared to be helpful.

Then the spies were introduced. Sophomore Joe Crawford said, "I go to Marci's Dog Grooming, or sleep in a tent out of the Kasper residence with Erica Vergin. I go to a friend's house sometimes, usually something different every week." A new place every week? My best friend partners with him?!

There's more. Brace yourself for what you are about to find out. Senior Nick Jergensen... His entire survey was about sleeping! Of course! He becomes tired after the hunt and has to recuperate for the next one.

The final piece of the puzzle was the head of the scheme. All of the evidence pointed to the only possible person behind this Saturday night conspiracy--Senior Michelle Moen. Her survey says: "We own..."

It appears that lots of students are in on this. Some have chosen to keep quiet for fear of what leaders like Michelle will do to them. Others reach out to the uninformed. Spies learn everything about their victim so they know just how to get them. Hunters rest for the next event. Some land tricks and... and... eat food to stay alive!

The fearless witnesses scream "Flaming pandas!" On Saturday nights, the students hunt the most dangerous game.

I am to be this week's victim, and the survey says: You could be next!

Sweaty palms, shaky voice and a million things running through her head the first morning of her new job. What to wear? Did she remember everything? Math teacher, Stacy Nordgren was actually calm the first day of her career as a new teacher. No sweaty palms, no shaky voice, and maybe just a thousand things running through her head. "I was more excited than nervous," Nordgren said. The school welcomes her and nineteen other new teachers to the staff this year. But the school wasn't the only one doing the choosing, BHS was the only one she applied to even though she just bought a house in Monticello. "I like the area, I heard that Buffalo was a great school district and I wanted to stay close," she said. Nordgren grew up nearby and attended Rockford High School, so she is not entirely new to the area. She was very involved in her high school and is therefore involved at BHS. She was a part of the National Honor Society, the Student Council, Cross Country, Basketball, Track, Softball, Golf, and Band among others. "Like every activity possible, I was in," she said. "Be involved, don't waste any opportunities." Nordgren teaches math and will be coaching the Junior Varsity Girls' Basketball team. A graduate from the University of Minnesota, Morris, and a starter all four years on her college basketball team, she is well qualified for her job. "I got my major in math, my license to teach, and I took classes so I could coach," she said. Thanks to the students and staff, Nordgren's first year of teaching has been very exciting and encouraging. "It's been wonderful, two thumbs up, everybody's fun to work with." Nordgren loves her job and literally could not think of another occupation she would rather have. "I love people, so I love working with a bunch of people everyday and getting to know the students," she said. Many students mirror the feeling and have responded well to her teaching. "She cares about her students more. She understands more of where you're at," said junior Kelly Ross, who has Algebra two with Nordgren. "She's the most energetic teacher I've ever had, and it makes you get more involved." Even though her experience has been wonderful thus far, Nordgren has had a few "outtakes" in her fresh career at Buffalo High School. "I have had so many things happen, I could tell like twenty stories", said Nordgren. After talking it over with a fellow teacher, she decided to tell the story of the very early days of her new job and the staff's unavoidable first impression. "We had a week where it was just new teachers and to get to know each other, they made a video of us and we had to tell about ourselves. The guy who was interviewing us said to just stop when I'm done talking and he'll edit it. I thought everything went well. The day comes when we're showing these to the district and at the end they had outtakes. Mine was the longest and most embarrassing. My face is up on the screen and I have this blank look on my face and my lip is curled up and I'm like, 'I think that's all I'm supposed to say.' It was bad, everybody was laughing, and now people tease me," said Nordgren. Since it has only been a few years since Nordgren was a student in high school she has some advice for the people here. "Say 'thank you.' People appreciate knowing what they do is helpful," said Nordgren. "Just smile and have fun."

My daughter and I were on a plane in Brainerd, Minnesota in January and 40 degrees below zero and she was wearing a skirt, shirt, and an alpaca coat, which was supposed to be warm. When we got out of the terminal, we slipped and that made for a nice visit to Minnesota. Spanish Teacher Bjorklund has progressed many ways since her tragic welcome two years ago. She currently lives in Buffalo and has two children. Bjorklund is passionate about teaching. She is the first teacher I remember to speak English as her second language. "I recall my history teacher, she was so smart and looking up to her," Bjorklund said.

Staff Writer

There are 20 new teachers this year. One of the new adults in the building is Counselor Mark Jones, a 30-year-old Rugby player who loves spending time with his family.

Jones works with kids whose last names are in the beginning of the alphabet. He has a lot of respect for the building and all of the people in it.

He came to Buffalo from White Bear Lake where he was notified of this job due to one of our current Buffalo has introduced Jones into a new teachers, Mike Beilke.

"I told him that Buffalo has a great staff," said Beilke. "I saw a bottle lying on the floor in the hallway and before I could get there to pick it up a student bent over and picked it up for me."

"They're polite and they seem to respect the building," said Jones.

Jones worked at White Bear Lake for 5

Having a lot of kids to deal with in

I got off the plane in Minnesota. It was -5 below, and I had on a t-shirt, high heels which was supposed to be fine when we walked in, but I slipped and fell on the ice welcome to [unreadable] her Maria [unreadable]ssed in many welcome 13 years as in Monticello donate about her teacher at BHS her second lan- guage teacher being [unreadable] to her. I didn't have my degree, but when I came to the United States I just wanted to teach everyone Spanish, so I went to school," said Bjorklund.

Bjorklund was also inspired as a child by playing teacher, and teaching typing in Peru.

Bjorklund went to St. Cloud State University and got her Masters degree in social and human relations. She would like to go back and get her Doctorate. But of course, she has another life besides school.

"I have a big family at home. I miss my family and the whole sense of being there," Bjorklund said.

The last time Bjorklund went to visit was in 1997, when she went to Cuzco with her family.

Bjorklund's welcome back the second time was much more pleasing than when she first arrived 13 years ago.

Mid-terms have come and gone, with little or no anxiety among Buffalo High School students. It's a different story for CIS or PSEO participants, instead of a grade slip or pat on the back, college courses generally demand an exhaustive mid-term exam. These undergraduate advancement opportunities are not for the faint of heart.

"CIS and PSEO, in my opinion require a high energy, committed student, that's responsible with his/her time," said Guidance Counselor, Gloria Rose. "Both are very viable programs varying to the need of the students."

College In the Schools and Post-Secondary Enrollment Option are programs offered at Buffalo High School; but PSEO students attend college outside of district 877. PSEO was first offered at BHS in 1985, and since then the program has improved and expanded to benefit students who desire a challenge and have exhausted their high school resources. Most students who choose PSEO commute between college and home, or college and high school.

A PSEO schedule can be arranged in a variety of ways to best suit the student but there is no guarantee that the most convenient schedule will be attained. Also, though the state will pay for a student's tuition and any of the college course expenditures, it will not supply the gas money needed to get to and from campus. Some colleges will allow only seniors to live on campus, but all domestic expenses are the responsibility of the student, such as room and board. PSEO students are eligible for music programs but are not allowed to participate in any college sport.

All colleges evaluate the abilities of each student interested in the Post Secondary program. Anoka Ramsey Community College, for instance, requires a test be taken on math, writing skills, and verbal skills. Only the subjects that are passed on the test will be given as an option for the student to enroll in. The Post Secondary program should not be taken lightly by the student because it will not be taken lightly by the college considering the applicant. Some colleges will even interview the potential students; others need only the transcript.

In order to be eligible to attend PSEO at the college of the student's choosing, usually juniors must be in the top 30 percentile of their class, whereas seniors need only be in the top 20 percent.

"I do think it will be harder for a junior," said Rose, "going straight into college after only your sophomore year of high school is tough. In my opinion, you should be a highly motivated, organized and responsible student to try this program."

The PSEO program does not have some of the limitations of the CIS program. Although college credit is achieved by both, students can only take the CIS classes that are offered at the High School. Accordingly the credits available for one year of CIS could be less than the credits available through PSEO.

"PSEO gives you more options; you can get more done," said Janice Olsen from the Admissions office at Crown College. "It really depends on the student, it depends on how much you like high school, if you're bored, or you think you're ready for the challenge offered through PSEO, then definitely do it."

Students also gain the experience of a college campus environment, expectations of professors and a possible year of college finished by the time of their official high school graduation.

The CIS option was first offered in 1986. Back then there was only one course offered in a total of ten schools. This year, 28 CIS courses are offered in 62 Minnesota high schools.

"This is the kind of program that has grown nationwide," said CIS Writing and English teacher, Vicki Cary.

One of the good aspects of the CIS program is that the teachers and surroundings are familiar. CIS is only a mental challenge whereas PSEO challenges the student both mentally and emotionally. With CIS the student can get a feel for the demands of college without as much strain and responsibility.

"CIS allows you to be at your own high school in a more nurturing environment," said Rose.

PSEO is often uncharted territory; the quality of the professors at the college is a gamble.

Just one more obstacle and the game will be won.
The hardest level is coming up, but victory is close. The picture is starting to break up and becoming distorted. If only it would hold on just a little longer. A long beep is released from the system and the screen starts flashing different colors. The game is lost. The only thing to do now is take out the cartridge and start blowing in it, desperately trying to clean it out.
Although the original Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) can have frequent melt downs out of 100 students polled 60 percent still think it's better than systems of today.
"Less emphasis was placed on graphics," said junior Alex Dooley. "It was more fun that way."
Technology has come a long way since the days of Nintendo with the creation of new graphics in 3D and stories now offer multiple twists and turns.
"I didn't like running around with block people, the graphics are much more up to par now," said junior Erik Rogness. "What was awesome then, is mediocre now."
The gaming industry has come a long way since the days of NES. Controllers that were designed to fit in the hand with comfort quickly replaced the small rectangle controller.
"You can concentrate on a level instead of doing so many things at once," said junior Nick Abel.
Less buttons were offered on the basic NES controller, a tool to play the game and occasionally throw at the game when it would break down.
"It can't save, it shorts out a lot, and sometimes it doesn't even start," said senior Mitch Grittman. "The games are really cheap though."
Games that once sold for over $30, now sell for under $10. They can be found at places like Gamestop and on multiple Internet sites. Super Mario Brothers 3 can be bought, pre-owned, for $14.99 at Gamestop. It grossed over $500 million in America alone when it was first released.
"It was the definitive platforming game," said senior Nick Costanzi. "It expanded upon Super Mario 1 and it's probably better."
In the short time between Super Mario 1's and Super Mario 3's release technology had expanded. Super Mario 3's graphics were innovative compared to previous games. Continuing on from where Super Mario 1 left off, Super Mario 3 kept the same basic concept. King Koopa had taken each of his kids to eight different worlds. Each world was filled with different stages to work through. Each stage was filled with different items to collect.
"It created a challenge, powers," said freshman Jackie Laughery. "You couldn't do things without the powers, so you had to get the powers."
Whether it was searching for a whistle or dealing with technical problems, NES can still be found in houses today.
"It just reminds me of the days you get home from school, rush downstairs and stay fixated to your television till your mom made you come upstairs for dinner," said senior Nick Costanzi.

Whether driving, practicing, studying, or just having fun, teens all need to have a means to support themselves. For some, that means a job, others depend on an allowance or generous parents.
Of over 100 students surveyed, 50 percent of students said they rely on an after school job to support themselves. The other half of teens said they relied on their parents for spending money. One third of students have been allowed to use their parents credit card to make personal purchases.
"I like that my parents let me use their credit card," said junior Marissa Hornvedt. "It makes my life less stressful, and then when I'm not studying, working, or at one of the extracurricular activities I do, I can enjoy myself."
Some students have a different mindset. They like to work and feel more independent with their spending.
"I like to pay for my own things," said senior Alexis Garner. "It's an independence thing."
While BHS students may be perceived as spoiled, the 59 percent of students disagreed with that assessment. Only 27 percent of students admitted to being spoiled.
Adults and kids alike all have responsibilities that they deal with. Sometimes their responsibilities make them feel like they might never get ahead that they are always planning for something and it never comes.
"Sometimes I feel like I'm not going to get ahead," said Garner. "I work so much, but I don't have that much money."
Driving can be a large added expense to anyone's bill. There is gas, insurance, payments, and maintenance to consider when buying a vehicle.
Of the 44 percent of surveyed students who have their license, 17 percent got a car as a gift, 24 percent paid for all or some of a car, and 3 percent don't have a car.
"I'm glad I got a car as a gift," said Hornvedt. "Then I have an automobile that I can count on."
As students continue to embrace their increasing independence, their reliance on money rises. With each rite of passage and every new milestone, students found ways to earn the money to support their lifestyles.

Drumline existed in previous years as an independent activity.
Even before rehearsals start, preparations are already being made. The instructors must arrange the musical score, which is the longest step. There are three instructors this year, Kissinger, Lundstrom, and Heidi Lord. It takes over 50 hours for each instructor to complete the arrangement. They must take all the instruments in the score and transfer them to a percussion instrument. The instructors must create different levels of difficulty in the music for various students.
"They'll never be given what they can't handle," said Kissinger.
The music they will be performing this year is three selections from the group Dream Theater. They will be "Take the Time", "Universal Mind", and "The Mirror."
The instructors must also arrange the drill, which is the marching maneuvers. They must obtain a floor mat, backdrops, and uniforms. Rehearsals start in early November and shows start in February.
"Drumline takes more commitment and more time than a normal winter activity," said Kissinger.
Shows are performed in school gymnasiums over Minnesota. Regional drumlines are judged.
"It's an experience like none other," said senior Pat Rich. "It kind of gives you a sense of pride."
The tentative date for the Buffalo home show is Sunday, February 20.
The instructors are hoping for a minimum of 25 people to join drumline. Being school sponsored could get people who didn't know about drumline before to get involved. Anyone who is interested can join drumline.
"Join it knowing you're going to have fun, but also knowing you're going to have to be dedicated," said senior Megan Bethke.
If more interest is shown in drumline it may help it to stay around as a school activity for years to come.
"It's great for kids," said Bauman. "They like it, they're having fun."

Grand Theft Auto: Cornfield Edition
Take a trip to pristine Kansas as you speed away from the police going up and down miles and miles of... flat land. Watch out, though, blow up your car and another won't be seen for hours. Supports: 1-4 players, online connectivity, and combine jacking.

Grand Theft Auto: Red, White and Blue
Visit our nation's capitol as you plan an assassination plot against the most powerful man in the federal government: the chief lobbyist for the NRA. Also, have fun running down puppets (legislators) in the capitol rotunda with your stolen limo from the President's motorcade. Supports: Tagging historical monuments, writing "Ben Dover" on The Wall, and stealing Supreme Court Justices' dentures.

Grand Theft Auto: Des Moines
Oh no! Timmy Thompson's gone stole your bike! That ain't keen! Go spit on his hamburger at the local malt shop. Supports: Curfews, prostitutes with ankle-long skirts, and American Graffiti.

Grand Theft Auto: Animal Cracker Farm
Play as young Russian hood Vladimir Putin as you and your comrades seize up political turf in the motherland. But don't forget to bust some caps in your rivals; otherwise you'll have to do it all over again. Supports: Media "content control," erecting large statues of yourself to combat terrorism, and killing all those who whisper "putting," and chuckle, as you walk by.

Grand Theft Auto: Amsterdam
Spend hours looking at your hands wondering—if you are, like, a little atom in one gigantic universe—if there are, like, miniature universes on your fingernails, man. Supports: The munchies and staying up late watching Alice in Wonderland, over and over again.

Grand Theft Auto: Salute to Hazing
Roam the halls of the U of M campus with a large paddle in hand as you initiate young pledges. But remember, lay off the date rape, otherwise you'll get ratted out like your homie Bill O'Reilly. Supports: Psi, omega, and lambda.

Grand Theft Auto: BHS
Enjoy waiting for hours at the intersection of Hwy 35 as the left turn light stays on red. Don't run it, though, otherwise the fuzz will give you a talking-to on why it don't matter if no one's coming from any direction for miles. Supports: FCA, FFA, AAA, and PDA.

In San Andreas CJ, for the first time, can recruit fellow gang members to his cause, like in the drive-by pictured above. The following games in the series will also contain new features.
Screenshot used with permission

A high-school age student reluctantly steps into the movie theatre with her little sister. Today she must take her to a movie. The frustrated student quietly asks herself, "How did I get myself into this, I am too old for animated movies?"

Whether she is a child or an adult what makes animated movies popular?

For some students animation brings out the child within and other students favor the timeless themes.

"I like a good mixture of animated movies, I like the classics some of the newer ones are geared toward the adults," said junior Eva Walsh. "I think that it is sometimes good to be a kid again."

A majority of students surveyed agreed the popularity of animated movies comes from their timeless themes.

With Shrek 2 (3rd), Finding Nemo (12th) and The Lion King (15th) in the top 15 all time box office domestic grosses and numerous box office records broken, the popularity of animated movies continues.

"I watch animated movies because it is fun to get away from reality and they have a story line that isn't real," said freshman Melissa Nash.

Some students believe that animated movies serve as an escape from reality while others feel they form a connection with the character.

"Animated movies are not real in the visual sense, there is always fantasy," said Walsh.

"Like in Finding Nemo, it is fun to put voices to things that normally don't have voices. But they are real in the human sense, a lot of characters have likeable personalities which is fun to watch."

With the recent success of Pixar's newest animated movie Shark Tale ($119,755,948 as of 10/20/04) and the upcoming November releases of The Incredibles, The Polar Express, and The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, some students believe the popularity of animation depends on the audience.

"I think it depends on what kinds of people are targeted," said sophomore Alyssa Danielson. "Finding Nemo wasn't directed so much toward little kids, it was directed toward the older groups, too."

Coming out of the movie, the student thinks about the fun and excitement she experienced throughout the movie. Now she must leave the theatre. And as she puts the car in drive she thinks, "I really connected with the characters. Animation can teach lessons to audiences both young and old."

The girls lace up their shoes and prepare themselves for the match ahead of them. They begin a match that will determine whether they will become North Suburban Conference Champions. The Girls Varsity Tennis team faced their first conference title loss last season after winning four straight conference titles. However, after a summer of camps and lessons, they came back and reclaimed the title NSC champions.
"I think the reason we are conference champs is because everyone works off season," said Freshman Dana VanBruggen. "We have a lot of determination and work hard."
After their last conference game against Monticello was won, 5-2, the girls knew they had taken the title. "After we won it was kind of surreal," said Senior Co-Captain Courtney Zinter. "It was exciting."
To add to the air of excitement, it was the last season in the NSC for the girls. They ran undefeated (6-0 and 12-6 overall) the whole season, beating their toughest opponent in the conference, Totino-Grace. "It's like we went out with a bang," said Senior Kendra Tregaskis.
Along with being the last year in the conference, it was the last season for the four seniors on the team, Tregaskis, Zinter, Molly Keifenheim, and Co-Captain Stacey Naumen. "As a senior, kind of as a leader, you feel proud of your whole team," said Tregaskis.
As the seniors leave for college, they leave the leadership up to the underclassmen. "There are still a lot of good people coming up in the ranks," said Keifenheim. "We have a strong team and they know there's going to be harder things to come."
STMA is no stranger to the girls.
Next year will present new challenges for the team. They will enter into the Mississippi 8 conference where their hardest opponent will be Saint Michael-Albertville, STMA. "They are an up and coming team," said Coach Charley Keifenheim. "It's going to be a battle."
The team took to the courts on Tuesday, October 12th in hopes of defeating STMA and achieving success and going to the state competition. Although hopes seemed high, the girls who had beat STMA earlier the season in a non-conference game now lost in sections 3-4.
"We went to the game being over confident," said Junior Kelly Ross. "We talked too much about going to state before we accomplished the steps to get there."
The tennis team being undefeated this season found it difficult to overcome this loss. "It was a close game all the way through," said Zinter. "There were a lot of emotions and crying, some even threw things. It's hard when you want something so badly."
Although the season drew to an end the team already starts turning their thoughts towards the future. "I think everyone is excited they (STMA) will be in our conference, because it's a challenge," said Freshman Dana VanBruggen.
Along with gaining the NSC title this year, the girls also gained friendships. "The team is great. They give us a lot of encouragement," said Naumen. "It's cool to know that we don't need fans there, because the girls are there cheering from the sidelines."
With the NSC title in their possession and a whole new title to pursue next year the girls hang up their uniforms to wait for the season to come.
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Dana Vanbruggen won section finals and advanced to state. There, she was eliminated after the second round.

It’s early in the morning and the girl's soccer team is collecting outside the high school anticipating the long ride to Duluth. The team goes up to Duluth every year at the beginning of the season. "We go up to Duluth and play two games and spend the night in the hotel," said senior Amanda Sandusky. "We play games and then we walk around Duluth." The Duluth games are not part of the conference games. "It was fun playing Totino this year," said Sandusky. "A few years ago we lost 22-0 and this year it was 0-0 until there were 35 seconds left in the game, then they scored." The overall record for the team was four wins, 13 losses and two ties. Despite the record the coach said the team improved. "We beat teams in our conference by more than one point, but we did not lose to any one in our conference by more than one point," said coach Sally Geisler. They leave early in the morning and stop on the way up for breakfast. "The bus ride is long, but it's fun," said senior Caitlin Ehlenz. "We play trivia games." The team is in the North Suburban Conference which includes Rogers, Spring Lake Park, Totino Grace, Cambridge, Monticello, Irondale, and St. Francis. The section games were held on October 16. The team lost the first round of the single elimination tournament to Brainerd.

It’s early in the morning and the girl's soccer team is collecting outside the high school anticipating the long ride to Duluth. The team goes up to Duluth every year at the beginning of the season. "We go up to Duluth and play two games and spend the night in the hotel," said senior Amanda Sandusky. "We play games and then we walk around Duluth." They leave early in the morning and stop on the way up for breakfast. "The bus ride is long, but it's fun," said senior Caitlin Ehlenz. "We play trivia games about the coaches on the way up." The Duluth games are not part of the conference games. The team is in the North Suburban Conference which includes Rogers, Spring Lake Park, Totino Grace, Cambridge, Monticello, Irondale, and St. Francis.

"It was fun playing Totino this year," said Sandusky. "A few years ago we lost 22-0 and this year it was 0-0 until there were 35 seconds left in the game, then they scored."

The overall record for the team was four wins, 13 losses and two ties. Despite the record the coach said the team improved. "We beat teams in our conference by more than one point, but we did not lose to any one in our conference by more than one point," said coach Sally Geisler.

The section games were held on October 16. The team lost the first round of the single elimination tournament to Brainerd.

The girls swimming team has put the final touches on a phenomenal season. After starting out well with some early wins in the season, the team pulled together to drop their times and win meets in order to finish strong in the North Suburban Conference and send several swimmers to State.
"We're a team and we act like it, if we want it real bad, we'll get it" said sophomore Kailee Trogstad.
These girls have tough practices that include swimming on average 7000 yards a practice, conditioning is key in this sport.
"When you're done with practice you hurt and your tired but it's a good hurt" said sophomore Katie Pooler.
The girls say they win because they work as a team even with the loss of six seniors last year this season they still stay a close family.
"We all get along." said senior Captain Lindsey Kennedy "there's more love then hate this year, which was a problem last season. Everyone is more positive and having fun."
Swimming has not really had as many supporters compared to sports like football and volleyball but attendance seems to be rising with every passing year.
"Swimming will always be one of those sports that people don't really care for, until people see how hard swimming really is," said Pooler.
"Each year the crowd grows by a couple people," said sophomore Sarah DeVore.
The State Tournament will be held on November 22-24. Participants will include Sarah DeVore, Kate Higley, Justine Houfer, and Alyssa Danielson. They will be competing in the 200 and 400-yard freestyle relay. Higley will be swimming the 200 and 100 freestyle. DeVore will compete in the 200 and 500 freestyle. Sophomore Danielson will swim the 50 and 100 freestyle.

With 40 seconds left on the clock and the score tied at 1-1, Senior Co-Captain Darby Ursell took one last kick at the ball to make Buffalo Boy's Soccer history. After defeating Elk River 2-1 the boys had won sections and were ready to advance to state.
Soccer has been at Buffalo for over a decade, but this was the first time any team had ever gone to state.
"My favorite memory was beating Elk River to win Sections," said Senior Zach Pecarina. "Elk River had beat us 7-1 in our first game and going into it we knew we had improved, but we also knew that they were better than us, so we had to give it our all."
From being the last in the conference to being the first in the sections, Buffalo had made some definite changes in the way they played compared to last year.
"We exceeded our expectations," said Senior Co-Captain James Huff. "It's not that we did something that we couldn't do, we just finally realized what we as individuals had to do."
The season may have ended with a section victory, but in the beginning of the season things were different.
"It was bad," said Ursell. "Kids wanted to give up and didn't really want to play. It was hitting us really hard."
"We realized that we couldn't each be our own team and we had to work together," said Pecarina.
"I think it took a lot longer than it needed to, but we had to figure it out and once we did it went a lot better."
With the team operating together and a game ahead of them Coach Jeff Lindstrom gave them six words to think about: "First card, first foul, first goal." The team was at state and ready to face Park Center.
"It was crazy," said Ursell. "I've never seen so many fans at a Buffalo soccer game."
With fans cheering around them and rain pouring down from above the team lost 0-4.
"When we lost we felt really disappointed. Like you get that far and you want to go farther, but getting that far in itself is an accomplishment," said Pecarina.
By winning sections the team gave themselves a history and next year's team a challenge.
"We left Buffalo with a reputation. We left next year's soccer team with somewhat a burden," said Huff. "If they put the heart that we put in this year, they should be fine."

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"At the college, it's relative to the teachers and classes whereas here you know the classes and the teachers," said Rose. "You will always be at risk with PSEO. You don't know who you'll get for a professor."
CIS classes are closer to home, less gas money, and there is less risk of a car accident.
These classes are worth any extra work for the end result of a diploma and college credit. CIS prepares the student better for college than normal high school credits because it is college material.
"They're hard classes but they're the ones you're going to use," said Abbie Hermerding, a former CIS student of BHS, who is currently enrolled at Bethel University. "The positives far outweigh any negatives there could possibly be."
At first the classes may seem overwhelming, but they are not typically as stressful as real college courses, yet the student still earns the credit. Students don't regret taking the classes.
"It's worth it; it's challenging but it's not insurmountable. You just have to work hard," said Hermerding "...I would recommend it to anyone who is considering taking a CIS class."
86 percent of students earned an 'A' or 'B' in their CIS-administered University of Minnesota course, not because it was easy but because the class requires hard work and most students who take the classes are dedicated.
"I can push them to do more stuff," said Cary of the students in her CIS classes.
The student who considers taking CIS classes should be willing to work hard for the credit.
"There's not going to be a lot of hand-holding in these classes. You've got to know what you're getting into," said Cary. "You really have to be focused and have time management skills."
Neither PSEO nor CIS classes are the right choice for everyone. The student must examine their needs and capabilities.
"I think it's perfectly appropriate for some people," said Cary of CIS classes.
Both programs are a great asset to any student who decides to participate in them. The most important thing to consider when looking at these two programs is whether or not it's right for the individual. These programs are not available as an easy way out of high school, or just "free college," these options are accessible to students who are willing to step up to the challenge and transcend their own expectations.

“There’s a handful of rookies that came in as unknowns with talent and are now running varsity,” said Head Coach Jill Hanson. One rookie, Senior Trisha Steen, was new to cross country but knows what she’s doing on the course. As the girls’ number one runner for the majority of the season, Steen helped the girls step it up a few notches from last year.

In a position where it would be easy to drag your feet, these first year runners really stepped it up. Literally. Driving hard up and down the hills of the cross country course, this group of rookies showed everyone what they are made of.

The boys cross country team enjoys bonding time before practice. Of the members of the boys team, senior Dan Fadgen advanced to the state meet. Photo by Rachel Ebeling

“Trisha’s a leader to our team,” said Junior Captain Amanda Trossen. “She helps us out and acts like a captain.”

As Steen led the girls team, Senior Dan Fadgen filled the guys’ top spot. But not too far behind, another rookie, Junior Max Hanson, seemed to be getting the hang of things. After running well on the track team’s distance team, Hanson decided to give cross country a shot and the team is glad he did.

“Max pushes people in practices and the meets,” said Senior Captain Dan Fadgen. “It really helps the team out.”

Other rookies like Sophomore Lucas Rogness on the guys team and Freshman Jenna Samuelson, Freshman Ingrid Leask and Junior Chantal Brown on the girls also contributed to the varsity team this season.

“All of our rookies have really added to our team,” said Trossen. “They have helped us to build a strong core that we can build off of.”

With so many new members on the team, Coach Hanson decided that the motto for the year would be TEAM which stands for Together Everyone Achieves More. Focusing on sticking together the girls cross country team supported each other. Support played a major role in how well the team did this season. Photo by Rachel Ebeling

“We have come a long way with our bonding as a team,” Coach Hanson said. “It’s important in cross country to stay together as a group. It’s needed for races because everyone counts on each other to come through. They really need to stay connected for the team.”

The team counting on each individual to do his or her part may make the nerves fly, especially being the new guy, but Max Hanson thinks otherwise.

“It’s nice being a rookie because there are no expectations or pressure on you,” said Max Hanson. “At the meets I’m not as nervous so I run better.”

Each individual effort contributed to the teams’ results. The girls finished the conference race with fourth place and the guys team ran away with first place and a conference championship. At the section meet the girls took 11th and the guys took fifth while Fadgen advanced to state.

Volleyball captures Conference championship

Bridget Ehrenberg
Staff Writer

The varsity volleyball team is now conference champions. The game is made of passes, sets, and spikes. Often there are competitions between players to get better and improve what they need to work on.

This year's team has done better than many of the teams in the past. This year the girls are conference champions, and are working their way to state. They are seated third in sections and have a mission to get to the top.

"I think we've played well at times," said Varsity Head Coach Denis Axel. "Well enough to win most of the time."

The conference has weakened in the last couple years due to many rival teams loosing [losing] some of their key players.

At the same time, the Bison have improved their game by working more on basic skills to better their standings at sections.

"I just feel that we are better, and more experienced," said Varsity Assistant Coach Lori Zumach.

The varsity team has two outside hitters that are willing to take control of the court at anytime and boost the spirit of the team when the girls are down. Senior Rossie Hammer and Junior Ashley Allen are the two that all younger players look up to.

"It showed me that if you put your heart into something you can do it," said Junior Allen, when talking to her about how volleyball influenced her life.

Volleyball is not only a game of competition it is a game of intelligence and being able to react quickly. It is a game that a team has to work together to be successful at. Volleyball has to come from the heart, body and mind for a team to do well.

Senior Rossie Hammer gives the opponent a dose of hammer time. Hammer received the Metro Athlete of the week. Through there constant teamwork the team managed to pull out a great season. Photo by Rachel Ebeling

The team showed great determination and teamwork throughout the season which led them to win the conference championship. The leadership from the senior players and the energy from the younger players combined to make a strong unit.

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The Buffalo High School production of Picasso at the Lapin Agile opens tonight. This year, new Director Erin Walsh has chosen to use three separate, short plays instead of just one multi-act production. The first is about three monkeys typing into infinity in a laboratory, presuming they will eventually produce Hamlet. The second is about Phillip Glass, the minimalist composer who attempts to buy a loaf of bread in a bakery, and the third play features Picasso and Einstein meeting in a Paris café in 1904 along with a third mysterious time traveler and glimpsing the future. Most of the cast members have been acting for a while, some for their whole lives.

"I moved here in fifth grade and my parents thought it would be a good way for me to meet people," said Junior Tim Schmidt, who has been acting for about 6 years. "And it was."

Everybody in the cast has grown close. During their rehearsals there is an air of respect between the actors on stage and during quiet times, as they sit still and watch the people on stage intently.

"Oh yeah, look at us," said senior Kayleen Dougherty. "We love each other."

A lot of the cast members are new this year and have added plenty of new enthusiasm and freshness. Even though there may be some bad points to bringing someone new into acting, most of the changes made with new people are positive.

"There are a lot of new, first time actors and actresses this year," said senior Jamie West. "It's different to see how the chemistry changes with different people, of course all good. It's really nice to see it go so smoothly."

Although the cast has changed over the years, the reason for choosing them has remained the same. The talent and commitment shown at an audition is what makes them wanted by the director at auditions.

"I don't really consider them lead roles, but I guess there are people with more lines," said Walsh. "I was looking for people willing to step outside the box and show me something more."

As well as choosing the roles, Erin Walsh also had the job of picking the plays they would act in. She finally decided on the three short plays.

"I chose the first play, with the monkeys, because I saw it and loved it," said Walsh. "The second, because it looked weird and un-do-able, and the third because I read it when it was first published by Steve Martin, who is a great banjo player, and because I like its off-beat look and optimistic view."

This year is Walsh's first time directing for the Buffalo High School. Actors said her new technique is very different from previous directors. Also, there are a few conflicts with her and the schedules needed for rehearsals that have caused unique situations. All are usually waiting for Walsh before rehearsal starts.

"This year there's a conflict with Erin because she works at a different school so she gets out later and she has to drive here, so practice starts later and goes longer. Getting used to a new director and different teaching style -- it's tough having someone new," said West.

While Walsh says she loves working as the director, she admits that having to turn some people down is one of the hardest parts of the acting process for her.

"I don't like having to have auditions and not be able to cast everybody," said Walsh. "But that's the only bad part."

The cast of characters has worked on becoming their role under Walsh's direction.

"If the character is hard, like you have to be an ax-murderer and you don't know how to be an ax-murderer, it's frustrating to be," said one cast member. "The pressure and trying to memorize your lines is hard," said Sophomore Aaron Anderson, "but when you do, it's really easy and you can really get into your character."

As characters developed and grew, sometimes students blurred the line between the play and reality.

"I like watching the growing of character, you see someone, and you see them be themselves as someone else, and you see them grow into their characters," said West.

"I like acting because I guess I'm kind of shy when I'm just talking to someone," said Schmidt. "But when I'm pretending to be someone else it's really easy."

"I like acting because you get to be a completely different person," said senior Kory Bonnell.

Everybody has their own reasons as to why they love to act, express themselves in a very unique way, and be on stage in front of everybody while they are someone else. When you're on stage expressing yourself there's bound to be some moments that you will remember forever.

"As a Freshman I was cast in a play as a daughter and a Russian boy. I had costume changes from boy to girl five or six times," said West. "Changing sexes for a play when I had to tape my boobs down to look more like a boy was a very memorable experience."

Even though there are some rocky moments, for the actors on and off stage they all know it's worth it and are still extremely motivated to keep going. Many of them are very much inspired by certain people or happenings in their life.

"My dad really inspired me, he just recently passed away," said Dougherty. "He drove me to my first audition, but this is the first time I've ever actually gotten in."

Either way, one can clearly see that they all have a passion for acting. Everything they've gone through, good and bad, can definitely be something to learn from and all the actors give great advice to someone just starting out.

"Just stay loose, don't care what other people say. Be comfortable, if you're not comfortable with yourself then other people won't be comfortable watching you," said Anderson.

"Have fun with it. Embrace the fact that it's a completely different person," said Bonnell.

Everybody has something special they love doing, but until you find it there's always something you can turn to in hope of finding what you may be good at.

"Theater is one of the most inviting and will accept anybody to participate, sports you have to be in shape," said West. "With Theater there are so many things people can get involved in, costumes, make up, set up. If you really want to be involved you can."