The male Hall of Fame Candidates are Jack Leipholtz, Jack Lanners, Brandon Maatz, Luke Lichtenberg, and Dami Omole. The female candidates are Amanda Krinke, Tori Herda, Lucy Johnson, Mya Tiernan, and Maggie Hermanson. 

One senior male and female leader who made a positive impact on BHS are selected into the BHS Hall of Fame. The students are selected by a vote amongst all staff members. According to Assistant Principal Nick Guida, these students are “phenomenal people” who embody the core values of BHS: Be Nice, Be Proud, Work Hard, and Model Behavior. 

“I think that the students that end up as finalists for Hall of Fame are very well-rounded individuals,” Guida said. “They generally have made an impact across BHS in a multitude of ways. From academics to extracurriculars, these individuals have excelled in every aspect of their BHS experience.”

Now that the finalists have been announced, staff members will vote on two candidates to win the Hall of Fame awards for 2020 and have their pictures placed in the front entryway of the school. 

¨I am definitely proud of myself. I’m usually a pretty busy person– besides quarantine canceling a lot of my activities– so I was excited to hear about it, knowing that I had put a lot of work to get here,” Lanners said.

“I was really shocked at first because I forgot about the hall of fame amidst being in quarantine, but I’m so honored because all the nominees are amazing leaders so to be in a group with them is incredible,” Hermanson said.

When BHS students first heard the whispers of schools closing due to the COVID-19 pandemic late third quarter, their reactions were mixed. Some students worried about their families. Others were concerned about their grades. However, a large number of kids high fived and celebrated a prolonged Spring Break. 

Just over a month later, Governor Tim Walz announced that students will not be coming back to school this year. For many students, with the glow of Spring Break behind them, the situation still doesn’t feel real. 

“I was really really devastated to hear that I won’t be able to have any game days for lacrosse and see my school friends,” Victoria Viteri said. 

Junior Ethan Hansen echoed this feeling of loss, saying “my initial reaction was that I’m going to miss my biggest season of baseball because I am being recruited by D1 schools so that was my biggest fear right there is that I wouldn’t be recruited but they changed the recruiting rules since the corona.”

Department of Education Commissioner Mary Ricker discussed her sympathy for these students in a press conference detailing the closures, stating, “My heart is really heavy today with this announcement because of how badly children want to connect with their friends and their educators in their school settings.” 

Despite the heartbreak that comes with being unable to play the sports you love, see the people that shape you, or, for seniors, sit on the BHS steps for the last time, students are finding ways to preserve. 

“I will finish strong and remain positive that we will come back in the fall,” said junior Kate Graham.