Hygrell has had a special way of doing his picture day since 1997. Every year, he wears the same blue denim button-up shirt.

“The shirt was just a cool thing back in the day, that was the trendy fashion,” Hygrell said. 

Many teachers and students at Buffalo High School await seeing him on picture day to see if he will keep his button-up for another picture.

“If I were to show up to picture day without that shirt, it would be a letdown,” Hygrell reflected. 

Teachers are often seen laughing and playing around with Hygrell about wearing the shirt, but that doesn’t deter him.

“Some people find it really kinda cool, and then there are others that find it kinda disturbing that I’m still wearing the same shirt from over 20 years ago, stains and all,” Hygrell said.

When he went and got the shirt over two decades ago, he actually got two of the same shirts. One long sleeve and one short sleeve. Back in the day, it was his ‘go-to item’.

If Hygrell could go back in time and change his shirt, he said he would “probably pick one with a little more flash” and with a “little brighter colors”.

With wearing the shirt for so many years, some may be perplexed as to why the shirt isn’t worn out, has stains, or how it still seems to be brand new.

“It makes its sacred journey to school in a bag, I wear it for pictures, I take it off, put it back in the bag, and change,” Hygrell claimed. 

Despite all of the memories associated with the iconic denim button-up shirt, which is only seen once a year, Hygrell plans to wear it for many more years to come.

Growing up, Bauman always thought he was going to be a teacher. He also wanted to be a coach like his dad. Bauman went to school at St. Cloud State University where he took some general education classes. He then transferred to Bemidji State University, soon then transferred back to finish school at St. Cloud State.

“I wanted to be a teacher and a coach,” Bauman reflected.

When he first started working in a school, he taught second grade. He then moved to the middle school teaching sixth-eight grade. Later on, Bauman took a long-term substitute teacher position teaching higher Algebra here at Buffalo High School. 

He then returned to Buffalo Community Middle School in 1999 where he took the job as an assistant principal.

“Many students don’t know I was a ‘Mr. Hayden’,” Bauman said, in reference to Middle School Assistant Principal John Hayden.

Regularly, Bauman’s job consists of “capricious occasions” and plans that are moving targets. The day is never certain.

“You can have everything planned out, and then you can have somebody who tests positive for COVID, or you can have something that all the sudden a team might be quarantining that we are playing,” Bauman said. 

When nothing seems to be going the right way, Bauman has always been there to lift the spirits and energize everyone across Buffalo High School. Some students here use Bauman’s enthusiasm to make a great start to their day.

“I’ve had people say, ‘Your morning announcements kinda fire me up too’,” Bauman said.

The history behind his class “Fire-Up” catchphrase comes from his Dad. Bauman said he woke up every morning to his dad exclaiming, “Fire up! Get out of bed!”

Bauman said that not every day is going to be a good day. He said that all you can do is approach the day, and try making something special.

Assistant Principal Nick Guida will be taking over Bauman’s position next school year. One piece of knowledge that Bauman would pass onto Mr. Guida is, “You can always tell parents and kids that you wish the best for them because that’s genuine. And you’ll do really well in the chair if you’re genuine.” 

As Bauman exits with the class of 2021, he feels as connected to the class of 2020 as he does to the class of 2021. 

“I’ll remember the class of ‘21 as much as I’ll remember the class of ‘20,” Bauman said. “They dealt with it but you guys have been the ones that have persevered through it.”