Hygrell is a Biology/Science teacher at BHS who loves finding ways to keep his class involved in science while also being interesting. Students love the tangents alongside their curriculum lessons, but the days of fart science are coming to an end.

On April 8th, Hygrell announced to his students that he will be retiring this year. After 34 years of teaching, he told his students that it’s time for a new chapter in his life. He’s ready to experience and explore more life while he still can, and on an open schedule. 

Through all of his years of teaching, Hygrell has expressed that science is a part of everyday life, so it’s important to learn about it. He has taught every type of science class at BHS, and has spread his influence to all sorts of different kids, hoping to challenge them, bring the science world to their eyes, and help them to learn and understand it. 

Many students who have had Hygrell or just know him probably know that he loves to go hunting and fishing. Currently, his work schedule only allows him to go on weekends. Hygrell is looking for more time to do the things he loves, and see more of the world than just the high school.

“I want to visit all of the National Parks and especially Yellowstone in the winter, not to mention all the parks in Alaska,” Hygrell said. 

Although he is ready to set out on adventures in national parks and more, Hygrell explained that he will miss the student body the most. He loves to see every student’s unique story, and is fascinated by the fact that students live very interesting lives outside of school.

“So many students do things outside of school that go unnoticed on a daily basis,” Hygrell said. “It has always been fun to hear their story and learn what makes them unique.” 

Although he’ll miss the students, he will not miss many things like the increasing work load, meetings, and emails that had to be taken care of on a day-to-day basis. Teachers do a whole lot more than what is led on to be believed. Hygrell says, “I do not think most people understand what is asked of educators on a daily basis, and how physically and mentally taxing it is on a person day after day.” His dedication and his many years in the job go to show how strong and persistent he has been within the education system.

That being said, he still hopes the best for the teachers and his department. He wants them to strive and help push students to see the importance of science, how it applies to everyday life, and how they can use it because, as Hygrell often quotes, “Without science, life would be boring! Science Rules!!! as Bill Nye would say!”

In the end, it’s hard to see teachers go, but Hygrell has a whole world in front of him to explore. He hopes his teaching made an impact on how students see the science world, but he’s excited to see all of what is out there. If he ever needs a pick me up, Hygrell says, “Maybe I’ll sell minnows, or find a job where I only work on Monday and Tuesday.”

The Night Out for Music concert has historically been the biggest music department fundraiser. Last year, they raised over $15,000. They do not reach this by at-the-door ticket sales, but by free-will donations and the silent auction. Bidding opens the day before the concert, so you can still bid on things you might want even if you can’t attend the concert. 

The silent auction generally includes themed gift baskets made by music department students and others, student artwork, some signed pieces, etc… It is all done digitally through BIDPARTNER.NET/NOFM, so you can keep checking your bids even during the concert. Keep your eye out for the goodies you want because bidding closes at intermission. At the end of the concert, you can pick up the things you bought or it can get to you another way if you are not there. 

Concert Starts at 7:30 pm and is completely free of charge. All are welcome and encouraged to show up.

“I think there were a lot of no shows, so that kind of brought it down a lot. People did all this work, and then they didn’t show up. That was kind of disappointing,” said Carter Robertson ’26.

11th and 12th graders were able to get up close with different careers, not just ones they were assigned to in the morning. The fair was held in the Main Gym during fourth and fifth period. Seniors were supposed to go during fourth block and juniors fifth block. Teachers that had a lot of seniors during fourth period ended up bringing their whole class, including underclassmen, and the same for classes with a lot of juniors during fifth period. This let students from every grade have a chance to meet with the different representatives.

“It was a good opportunity for like-minded students to come around and plan for your future,” said Princess Hart ’26.

There was an assortment of different jobs and after-high-school options for students; this included, but was not limited to, cosmetology, counseling, healthcare, military and law enforcement, colleges and secondary education, agriculture, carpentry, and city jobs. Stations for everyone were included, each student should have been able to find at least one booth that interested them.

Carlson, an adored teacher for many here at BHS announced to all his students he was indeed leaving the school. There were tears in his student’s eyes while they were walking away from class but for Carlson, an opportunity was given. “When a door opens you just have to walk through sometimes,” said Carlson.

He still cherishes his students and hopes they can continue singing and loving music. He made his family here, but now it’s time for one of his own.

“When the rubber hits the road, the opportunity to have a family is way sooner by moving and teaching in another district,” said Carlson. Although he’s saying his goodbyes, he’s never gone for good. “I will always cheer for the bison… It’s like home,” Carlson said.

It’s not easy for anybody to make the decision to leave and to make a sacrifice, but for these teachers, it wasn’t something that came easy. Questions for themselves, and thinking about the whole of things. 

“Do I renew my license, or do I change things up?” said Erika Clifton, an English and AVID teacher at BHS.

Every decision has its parts to it for Clifton, there were many she had to look at, including her license to teach. Teaching is a heavy career to go down and Clifton took it from her very own angle.

“Ultimately, I kind of took it as a blessing in disguise,” said Clifton, “it requires a lot of out-of-school time, and I had given up a lot of family, and friends time to do it.”

Clifton gave a lot of her own time to these students, not because she had to, but because she wanted to. She really showcased how much she enjoyed her time at BHS and that her teaching wasn’t always about learning.

“I teach because I love teaching students and I like connecting with them,” Clifton said.

For some, it was new families, a different opportunity in life, or a bit of a change, but for some, it can also be that the things they’re working on from afar would be much better if they were present for it. 

Mike Knutson, an orchestra and band teacher at BHS found that what he was doing would be much more efficient if he could be physically present for it.

“I want to be in a place where I’m working on it every day with my students in real-time,” said Knutson.

He presented a positive community throughout the music department at BHS, where he only hopes for them to get great teachers moving forward.

“The students almost always talk about the music department, not my band, or my orchestra, things like that,” said Knutson.

His farewell from the high school is only in the best interest of the students.

“I hope that the cohesiveness of the music department can continue,” Knutson said. 

Hearts touched, lives changed, but one thing remains the same, the impact all the teachers have made in people’s lives, and students’ lives. Not just the three stories depicted above have made a difference, but it’s all around, schoolwide. It includes a multitude of other teachers saying goodbye so students have the chance to say hello.

New to BHS, there was a change with Advisory from doing Character Strong to video lessons. Different from everyone else, freshmen have not experienced the old curriculum.

Jillian Pack ’26 has successfully finished over half of her first year with the new Advisory lessons where she gets to focus on fun, but sometimes she can’t meet her needs. “It’s a lot of fun,” Pack says, “but when I want to get work done it’s hard.”

Every Advisory is different. Some can be the opposite of what Pack experiences. Faith Schmidt ’25 doesn’t feel so positive about hers. “It’s just kind of boring, and I don’t really like my Advisory,” Schmidt says.

Although upper-classmen have had more time to be in Advisory than Freshmen or Sophomores, they still-with the most recent years of inconsistency-have finally gotten into the swing of it. “I have just gotten a good community,” says Bode Russell ’24. “I like that I have time, but still less because of the lessons,” Russell says.

Now the ones whose first year of high school was over a screen. The students who have a span of fewer than three months left of their high school careers. Which means they are on the last stretch of Advisory. Gavin Juenke ’23 shares his thoughts on what he has had for almost four years. “My teacher is cool, but most people don’t pay attention,” Juenke says. “The lessons have been good, but people don’t care,” Juenke says.

Last, but most certainly not least, teachers. The ones who while we have been experiencing it all, they have been here every step of the way. Ashley Lostetter, a FACS teacher, currently has juniors, and she’s sharing her experience as a teacher in Advisory. “The legitimate reason could be helpful, but with my 11th graders, I am just getting to really know them.” Lostetter says. “Independent relationships are there whether it’s related to the lesson or not,” Lostetter says.

All the opinions and different perspectives about something people all have in common here at BHS can never be shared through 5 people, but it’s a start to hearing voices from a wide range of the school.

“It was more of a team,” Avery Russek 26’ said. “Everybody likes everybody and everybody was one.”

Everyone working and advancing their skills together brought what was previously assorted theatre students into a team. This year’s crew featured two freshmen. 

“The seniors were super inviting, and they never got cocky,” Russek said.

Bury the Dead was not among the three schools that received a Starred Performance Rating at the State Festival. 

    If you’re struggling with depression or know someone who might be feel free to contact these numbers.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
National Hopeline Network: 1-800-442-4673.

    BHS used to have a “Giving Tree” where students would grab an ornament that would suggest what to buy for the kids in need. While the students loved it, parents and adults gradually grew less fond of the idea of the tree. The tree thought to represent Christian imagery became a complaint that pushed to have the tree taken down. 

    Many religions use the spruce tree or branches as part of their representation, but a tree itself does not have to be specific to a religion. Mason Davis ‘24, a non-religious affiliated junior, has thoughts about our idea of the Giving Tree having another chance.

“There’s been so much divisiveness and hate at school in the last two years,” Davis said, “and having something where we can give to others is a great idea.” 

    People tend to think of Christmas when they see an evergreen or a spruce tree. The one BHS previously had for their Toys for Tots drive didn’t push any religious beliefs. It represented the toy drive to give to the kids that don’t get things for the holiday season. It was argued otherwise and complained about until there wasn’t a tree to have or represent the toy drive. Now all that is left are a few posters due to the controversy.

   However, according to the MN Government Holiday Guidelines, secular holiday decorations are allowed in public workplaces. The Supreme Court case of Allegheny v. ACLU states that things like trees are categorized as secular decoration, which technically does allow us to put something like The Giving Tree up at school.

By this time of the year, most of us are in a routine and do the same thing every day. It can get repetitive and put people in a bad mood. When we’re little, this time of the year can be one of the most magical and memorable parts of our childhood. As we get older the magic can get lost in the stress of the school year. Bringing back the Giving Tree would put people in a cheerful mood and make people more aware of the opportunities we have to give back to our community. 

      Here at BHS, our Toys for Tots drive is one of the only times of the year we give, but there are very few things we are doing to reach out about it. We want more people to know about this because it is for a really good cause. It doesn’t matter what religion you are a part of and what you choose to believe in. Giving back can not only make your holiday season better but help all those children in need of something during this time of the year. The only advertisement for this is a few posters in the halls. We are so used to our routines, that putting a small poster on the wall isn’t going to do much. People walk past the posters every day and don’t care to take notice of them. The only way for it to be more known is to make a big difference in people’s daily lives and break their routines. They don’t even make any announcements about the campaign during the morning announcements. That just shows how unimportant this is to our school and says a lot about the values people have here. 

     In a world where culture, opinion, and beliefs are always changing it’s important to try to be inclusive and make sure everyone’s voice is heard. The easiest way for us to achieve that inclusivity is to be as neutral as possible. Using a spruce tree is simply to hold our cards of suggestions for gifts, and with the tree being big, bright, and green, it appeals to the eye. Reaching out to more people with the display of the tree helps advertise our mission.  We will stray away from decorations, lights, and tree toppers to keep the religious idea out of the picture.

      A survey done by www.pewreasearch.org shows that 81% of non-Christians celebrate the Christmas holiday. Although 65% of Christians say it is religious, almost all non-Christians according to the survey say it’s a “cultural” event rather than religious. Most senior citizens say it is a religious holiday. With the results, we have seen in the younger generations it has become more of a cultural meaning where we spread the cheer of winter, love, and giving. 

       It could be argued that Toys for Tots is a religious-based operation, but in a world that is growingly selfish, and self-centered, the goal is not to push religion to the audience. The main value of  Toys for Tots is to bring joy and give to those who need it. In times where there can be little positivity and a winter gloom, something that has a positive impact on others could create a happier environment no matter what your stance on religion is. We know that giving isn’t just going to help others. We get that little burst of serotonin and feel those tingles of joy when we know that others feel good about something we voluntarily did. A study was done in 2010 by www.esu.edu relating to giving back. In a short overview of the study, giving makes us happier, especially when we freely decide so.

The importance of bringing back the tree is not about spreading religious beliefs, but rather more gift-giving and helping those in need.  Along with the schedule change, they had to get rid of clubs like SCC or AAA that are student-giving services because there was no time to run those in the morning. Having a second chance for a new and improved Giving Tree would let BHS have an opportunity to give back to the community again while staying neutral based for everyone in our community. The action of giving is an important moral to both of our lives, and our hope is to have others start feeling the same and spread the joy of giving. 

Being on Varsity Football was something that changed how Pederson felt about the team he was on. Having people on a team with him that were the same size as him was something new to Pederson.

“It felt weird to be the tallest person on a team every year,” Pederson said, “being on varsity made me feel like I fit in with the others, size-wise.”

Pederson’s Varsity Football season isn’t the same as other Varsity season experiences. Kami Moser ‘26, a shy hockey player, joined the varsity girl’s hockey team very young. For Moser, it wasn’t about her size that changed how she felt. It was easy for Moser to achieve what she wanted when the team was there to make her feel good. 

“It feels good,” Moser said, “I wasn’t really nervous because I knew most of the girls, it was a real confidence booster, and made me feel very proud of myself,” Moser said. “Reagan Wurm [‘23] really helped me feel more comfortable and welcomed,” Moser said “She really goes out of her way to make sure everyone is included and feels like they are a real part of the team.” 

In Moser’s season, a good teammate has helped her transition into the Varsity Hockey team, and feel involved even as a freshman. For others, joining a team might not always be like Moser’s. In Pederson’s experience, the team has brought on his inspirational aspect of being a freshman on Varsity Football, and he pushes others to go for their dreams just as he did. 

“If people think your dreams are crazy,” Pederson said, “show them what crazy can do.”

Moser and Pederson, though different people, had a similar experience. Both are very happy they got the opportunity to meet new people, and make their dreams come true. Hopefully, they inspire you to do the same.

In class, Curry jokes about becoming TikTok famous, but he says that he’s actually trying to build connections with students whose lives are increasingly lived online.

The students in Curry’s second-hour class – who have encouraged him to make videos – continually ask Curry if he is going to blow up and get “TikTok Famous”. Curry stays humble and casually laughs it off.  

@michaelcurry1975 #ukraine #russia #putin #war ♬ original sound – Michael

However, Curry says there’s a lot more meaning behind his TikTok than fame. 

“It’s not necessarily about getting famous for me,” Curry said. “It’s more about building relationships with students in different ways, and in an environment other than the classroom.” 

While Curry does this for his own fun and for the students, the newness of the platform raises questions about what he can and can’t do. A Wired Magazine article in 2022 outlined the fine line that teachers have to be aware of on TikTok. While some teachers in the article had thriving professional accounts, one teacher was reprimanded by their school board after posting a “semi-viral” TikTok video including her, a coworker, and a few students.

Currently, BHS Schools doesn’t have a rule on social media platforms or “befriending” students for teachers, but the BHM School Board discourages teachers from having Social Media interactions that have a basis in student-teacher relationships.

In person, Curry’s classes begin with the sounds of joyful connections and loud welcomes. His classes start with conversations instead of diving into the curriculum. It’s Curry’s way of interacting with the students outside of TikTok.  

“I really do it to have that connection with some of the kids that you normally wouldn’t have a connection with,” Curry said. “If the kids weren’t into it, I probably wouldn’t do it.” 

@michaelcurry1975 I’m him #football #L ♬ BILLIE EILISH. – Armani White

Curry says he aiming to make a change and use his TikTok platform to influence that change. He says he strives to bring the students to a closer-knit community through a series of TikToks that Curry has posted at school events like games or simply in the hallways before school.

With videos such as “Street chats with Curry”, where he interviews people about a “Question of the Day” that is also featured in the classroom, he wants kids to be comfortable talking to him. Curry has emphasized a safe place for every student and wants his students to know they can go to him. 

“I think that the more comfortable you feel in an environment the better the space will be,” Curry said, “the safer you feel, the more you’ll feel okay to share your opinions.”

Curry says he wants to be respected as a teacher just as much as a creator. Curry highlights the importance of boundaries since the account was created. 

“There’s a fine line between being a teacher and being a buddy,” Curry said. “You don’t want to push those boundaries.”

Curry has worked for a better student-teacher environment and relationship in hopes to make BHS a better place for everyone. The jokes about Curry being “famous” have been quite the conversation starter, but the real meaning behind his journey on #TeacherTikTok sparks a new one.