The majority of the pictures on the account are funny and usually embarrassing. If someone doesn’t want their picture on the account, they can simply DM (direct message) the account, and they will take the picture down, as stated in the account’s description. Currently, the account has 597 posts, and the most recent ones are slideshows of multiple people in each post. Many people don’t really care for the account though.

When asked how he felt about being posted on the account, Eli Carter ‘27 commented “I’m not a fan of it, but it’s kind of fun.” Sophia Clarke ‘25 says, “It’s funny when people use it, but it degrades teachers and students. It also invades people’s privacy and isn’t as fun as it used to be.” The account isn’t just posting students anymore, but are now crossing the line into BHS staff members. Many teachers didn’t even realize that they were on this account and found it very inappropriate and rude.

 Many other students have been affected by the account but aren’t mad at the person who owns the account, rather their own friends who are sending pictures in without permission. With almost none of these posts having the subjects consent to be posted, this is in violation of the student handbook which states: “students are prohibited from photographing, recording or making any electronic record of other students, staff, or visitors without express consent of the individual that is the subject of the recording, photographing, or electronic recording them in anyway.”

The owner of the account requested to remain anonymous. When asked why they started the account they said, “I saw someone else do it for a different school and I decided it’d be fun to make one for ours.” In the beginning, the creator didn’t think the account would take off like it has, “I thought that at most I’d have around 100.” A small number of the creators’ friends know they run the account, but no one has tried to get them in trouble. The creator also stated: “Originally it was just for fun, and my friends and I would post people who we thought were cute.” When asked if there had been any pictures that were too inappropriate that they couldn’t post on the account and their responded “Yeah, there’s been a lot, and a lot of photos that would be too mean to post as well.”

Wright-Tech is a specialized program that offers various fields, allowing students to participate in high-level learning during the school day. These opportunities can lead to internships and college credits. Buffalo seniors in this program leave at 9:58 and arrive at Wright-Tech within 10 minutes. When students arrive at their Wright-Tech class, they only have an hour of work time remaining. Due to the lack of time given, students often feel rushed and pressured to complete their work. Students from other districts have a little over two hours of work time, over double what Buffalo students have, leaving them frustrated and feeling behind.

Fabian Maldonado ’25, a Delano student studying welding at Wright-Tech, says, “Wright-Tech for Delano gets 2 hours of class to work on projects and takes up our 1st and 2nd-hour classes (6 classes a day). Even though Wright-Tech is taking up two of my classes, I haven’t had any issues with grades or feeling behind this year in [any of] my classes.”

Buffalo’s new schedule caused Wright-Tech students to lose BASE Time. BASE Time is a 30 min period for students to sign up for teachers to get some work done, help with assignments, retake a test, etc., instead of coming before or after school. Losing this time can cause grades to lower, students to have to go out of their way for retakes or extra time, causing extra stress.

“If I still had BASE Time, my grades would be at least a letter grade higher,” said Buffalo student Joshua Froberg ’24. “I wouldn’t have to worry and make plans to come in before school to take a test I missed. Even now, I wish we had BASE Time and more time in Wright-Tech. It still is helping me with my future career in the Marine Corps.”

Interestingly, Buffalo is the only school in Wright-Tech that has received many complaints about the lack of time; like Froberg, it can be a real challenge to boost grades within the limited time frame provided by the school.
“If we had more time in Wright-Tech, I could take my time instead of rushing to get things done,” said Welding Student Colton Borden ‘24. “Compared to the other schools, it feels like a consistent catch-up game, but you never win.”

The main problem for BHS Wright-Tech is the time. Students only get an hour of work time for Wright-Tech, which takes up second hour and BASE Time. This caused Students to feel rushed, stressed, and even a lower grade average. Students hope that BHS doesn’t damage Wright-Tech by lowering class time. “I want to have fun when I’m learning,” Borden said, “Instead, I’m thinking about if I mess this weld up, I’m screwed.”

The classrooms down this hallway are home to shop teachers Troy Hanson, Benjamin (Wad) Wadamacher, Kurt Konsela. They teach classes that range from introduction classes like Intro to CAD (Computer Aided Drafting), to college-level classes like CIS Auto Service and Maintenance. Students from every grade are able to take shop classes, although some are limited to sophomores and up. 

“I have taken sheet metal fabrication and automotive engineering so far, I’m looking forward to other shop classes,” said Nolan Russell ’27. “I take shop classes because you can learn more to help you out with a later career that you may want to go into.” 

Many students don’t know about all of the shop classes BHS has to offer. Because students are required to take so many core (English, Science, Math, Social Studies) classes, they don’t want to take shop classes. Students tend to get their required classes done first instead of trying out electives.

“It’s something different everyday,” remarked metal shop teacher Wadamacher. “It’s not a textbook curriculum so chapter one isn’t day one and chapter 49 isn’t day 49. There is a high demand right now for any type of technical field via auto mechanics, plumbers, welders, blue collar type jobs and shop classes give you some of those necessary skills.” 

BHS doesn’t require any sort of shop class to graduate, so a lot of people don’t take any or only take a couple. 

“I do think [shop classes] will benefit me because it teaches you a lot of neat things that you can do without having to hire someone. Like if you had your own welding machine and you needed a little piece of metal welded you could do it yourself,” comments Scott Husom ’24. “I think people should take more shop classes. There’s really no reason that it’s going to be a bad thing for you. Unless you know that’s not the path you’re gonna go down in life, I would say shop classes are a great option.”

With the change to trimesters and a five hour schedule,  the number of classes per year changed from 16 to 15, leaving one less spot for electives, including shop classes. Teachers are urging students to take the time to try new things, like a tech ed class. 

“I find that it’s enjoyable because you get to see students produce something and learn new skills,” said woods, robotics, and technology exploration teacher Hanson. “For the most part, it’s enjoyable. It’s challenging at times because you get students with so many different skill levels coming in. You’ll always learn something new in class, from measurement, to how to use tools and technology. Just getting that comfort level with things that you might use later in life is important.” 

On Friday, March 17, 2023, Governor Walz signed the Free School Meals bill into law. This legislation provides a free breakfast and lunch to students who receive meals through their school’s participation in the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program. This meant that students in the BHM school district would have access to free breakfast and lunch throughout the entire school year.

“In October 2022 we sold 2,630 breakfasts and 18,516 lunches. October 2023 we sold 7,674 breakfasts and 22,850 lunches,” said Susan Karels-Brown, the Nutrition Services Manager at BHS.

With more meals having to be made in 90 minutes instead of the previous 120 minutes due to the shift to trimesters, it causes a big rush for the cafeteria staff at BHS. 

“It’s busy. There’s not a lot of time to restock and wash tables but we are doing our best with the time we have,” said Christina Bruce, a Nutrition Services Assistant at BHS.

It also affects the teachers quite a bit, especially those who have A and D lunches.

“With the change in the lunch schedule it makes me have to teach 5 more minutes each day for third hour the whole year,” said Physical Education teacher Austin Youngmark who, along with the rest of the Phy Ed department, has D lunch. “[At the end of the school year] it’s an extra 14 hours for third hour vs fourth hour [for teachers].”

Teachers changing their lunches to accommodate tests has proven to be an issue for lunch staff as they don’t know how many students will be in each lunch. But, when classes that have B and C lunch don’t change their lunch they have a break during the test, leaving more opportunities for cheating. Students with C lunch return to their classes with an awkward amount of time (18 minutes) before the bell rings, leaving little to no time to do anything new. This would also mean they would have about 40 minutes to take a test before lunch if their teacher didn’t change what lunch they had, but wanted to prevent cheating during the break.

“We look at the numbers of students in each lunch, what they ate last time we had that menu item, and plan accordingly so we are close in numbers but don’t run out or have to throw things away,” said Nutrition Services Assistant Courtney Wychgram. “When teachers change the lunches of their classes and don’t let the kitchen know it throws off the numbers and makes it harder for us.”

Everyone is doing the best they can with the new schedule and its challenges. These challenges are everywhere, including the lunch room. The nutrition staff are working hard everyday to give students the nutritious food they need, even with the new changes and obstacles.

After living in Buffalo for five years, Indie Earth CEO Aleah Tucker noticed that Buffalo both needed and wanted a more inclusive space that gave younger people more things to do. She noted that “people in the community have been very nice about [this space] for the most part, and that’s been really exciting.”

Music listening can often be a closed-off world, but Indie Earth found a way to appreciate the perspectives of beginners while also giving experts and avid fans a place to share their knowledge and experiences. 

Tucker explained that the wide variety of merchandise found in her store represents her various hobbies and professional interests.

“I am an audio engineer by trade,” Tucker said, “so I wanted a place that, just, more aligned with what I wanted to do in my future. … We didn’t have a plant shop in Buffalo, we didn’t have a record shop in Buffalo, I would like both. So, I just did it myself, and now here we are.”

The mixing of plant and record shop aesthetics is also hinted at in the name of the store itself.

“The ‘Indie’ refers to [the fact that] this is an independently owned record store,” Tucker said.

While small businesses are not new to downtown Buffalo, they are a big deal in the record world. Artists like to support these businesses by giving them access to exclusive merchandise like early releases of albums, or bonus songs you can’t find anywhere else. Indie also has a more personal meaning, as Tucker mostly works with indie artists.

“[Indie Earth is] part record shop, part plant shop, and then after hours, we’re a recording studio.” The main record room is fit with soundproofing that doubles as a listening and recording space for artists.

The use of the Earth and globes in the company’s marketing includes a double meaning as well. Not only is the shop eco-friendly, but to Tucker, “the two most important things on Earth are life — plants, and music”.

Tucker said that plants represent life, and music fuels life for many.

While plants are a visual focal point for the store, the cultural focal point comes from the music — specifically the music-listening nights.

“We do [music listening nights] all the time,” Tucker said. “Sometimes there’s snacks, there’s always some pins and merch. We really just get together. . .  We play the album really loudly and it’s a really fun time.” These nights are perfect for anyone who wants to celebrate or discuss an artist that is important to them — sometimes in costume. “It’s kind of like a book club, but music,” Tucker said. 

These nights show off Indie Earth’s true purpose which is, according to Tucker, “To create a space where people can come in and talk about the music they love, and experience the music they love, in an environment that’s not going to judge them for it.”

For updates on future listening nights or special merch launches, check out @indie_earth_ on Instagram.

“I’ve wanted to be King ever since I saw Ovie Mayo win last year,” Gorton explained. “I thought it was cool how his friends basically got him there. Then I emailed Mischke about how to become Homecoming King, and he told me [about the process].” 

Gorton’s younger brother, Jenner Gorton ‘27 played a big part in his advertising campaign.

 “He was pestering a lot of people, like, a lot,” Gorton said. “I got people coming up to me yelling at me because of how annoying he was, but he said he got at least 40 people to vote for me.”

Another pillar of Gorton’s strategy was making posts on the BHS Snapchat story. His marketing campaign featured photos of himself with heavy filters and promotional captions reminding students of how much time was left to vote and that they should strongly consider voting for him.

A few days before voting closed, Gorton announced that he was going to get a tattoo if he won the vote. “I thought people were going to think it was funny if I won,” Gorton said, “but when I got the idea for the tattoo, things were a little more serious, I guess.”

Despite his consistent efforts, Gorton didn’t have very much confidence in his victory until the moment he stepped out on stage. 

“I thought Reese Hollins was going to win,” he said. “I heard so many people say that Reese was going to win. When that crown was hovering above my head, I was so nervous. I think I saw a video [of the moment] and I was tapping my shoes and whatever.”

When the crown landed on his head, a crowd of his friends and family lept from their seats to congratulate him. 

“My mom is really hyped for me,” Gorton said, “for the Homecoming King part. She thinks I’m a little silly for the tattoo, and when I told her I bought [the tattoo gun], she wasn’t upset, she was concerned.”

With the machine ordered, as well as several “practice skins” to perfect his technique on, Gorton hopes to carry out his promise this weekend. 

“It’s gonna say the year and then homecoming king and then above it a little doodle crown,” Gorton said.

He hears footsteps; the lid is opened, and he pops up and shoots his target right in the chest. 

This is what it took to get an elimination in this year’s Buffalo High School 2023 Nerf War.

Valli was a part of the team “Nerfers in Paris. “They led all teams in eliminations with 29 kills throughout the competition, Valli having 11 of them. Valli’s team finished off the victory yesterday night, beating out 40 other teams.

“After that first elimination, we just got a taste for blood and the frenzy started there, “ said Valli. “ We will win this whole thing, no doubt about it. Lock it in“ .

Valli and his teammates, seniors Karson Peters, Sam Kugler, Colin Field, Max Zook, and Lex Pregchaus, were extremely confident in their ability to take home the title. This did not mean that they were shoe-in winners though; many things could’ve still gone wrong and gotten them eliminated.

Peters is tied with his teammate Valli for eliminations with 11. He knew the risks of becoming a high profile target, and had to watch his back through it all

“You have to break some truces if you want to survive, you can’t trust anybody,” said Peters. 

He broke multiple “truces” to get eliminations, including an elimination that consisted of him jumping off a boat to hit his opponent in mid-air on a wakeboard. Some may say that it seems cheap or petty, but when there was a $1,000 cash prize, the Nerfers in Paris were willing to do anything.

“Sometimes you have to risk being eliminated to get an elimination,“ said Peters. 

Just a week ago, he was victorious in a “Shoot Off “with Nathan Tromm ’23. It was by far the closest Peters had been to being eliminated. “At this point, it’s more than a game; we have fought too hard to lose. “

Other teams knew just how big of a threat the Nerfers in Paris were. The last remaining team consisted of Eli Tiernan, Sam Schaeffer, and Max Barton, and they didn’t go down without a fight.

“I camped outside their houses multiple times,“ said Grady Guida ‘24. “My team was forming alliances to try and take them down. 

But with the onslaught of eliminations and Nerfers in Paris’ wildly aggressive tactics, time ran out to stop the Nerfers in Paris.

Many people seem to be hesitant to enter the teaching profession because of all the negatives they hear in the media. Some of those negatives are long hours without worthwhile pay, students becoming increasingly disrespectful, excessive student phone use while trying to teach, and working on getting students back on track after Covid.

“The negatives that I am hearing on Social Media do scare me,” says Ashley Wesolowski ‘23. ”I’m nervous about having so much anxiety and being burnt out, but I think the positives outweigh the negatives and I can learn strategies to help myself.”

Educators Rising acknowledges the struggles of current teachers and takes into consideration what it could be like for teachers in the future. When the club meets they discuss ways to help interested students prepare for how to handle the challenges that come with being a teacher.

“It’s all about balance and how you can find time for yourself so you don’t get burnt out like a lot of teachers do,” says Tia Thomspon ‘24. “Which I think leads to the fact that teachers don’t want to be teachers if they can’t find that equal balance of workload and being able to be with their family and have time to themselves.”

The media may stress the negatives about teaching, but there are also positives that Educators Rising seeks. The club’s advisor, Tara Rosh, finds fun opportunities for the students to serve the community. Serving the community helps the students to learn about working with different ages of people that aren’t just students ages. This leaves the opportunities open for working with all ages if they do decide to become a teacher. For example, the group made tie blankets for an animal shelter and is doing Project Prom for senior citizens.

These students are proof that teaching isn’t a dying profession. These people are excited to work with kids and help them reach their full potential.

“There are so many things I love about the idea of teaching. Like how you can have a part in shaping a child’s life and getting to watch them grow. I really like the perspective Educators Rising gives and the activities we do to understand children and people better,” said Wesolowski.

Next year Crosland will be swimming at the collegiate level for Luther College in Decorah, IA. Going to college was already going to be a big change for Crosland, and losing the sport that she’d done for most of her life wasn’t a part of the plan.

“I’ve always wanted to swim in college just because I knew that I wouldn’t be ready to be done competing,” said Crosland.

According to Zoe Hiers ‘23 another aspect of competing at the collegiate level isn’t just continuing to be challenged, but doing it for the team aspect. Hiers is joining the swim team at Concordia College in St. Paul. Just knowing that there’s a supportive team willing to lift you up can make moving into a new situation a little easier.

“I’m looking forward to being part of a team atmosphere again,” said Hiers, “and just knowing that I’ll have a team that’s really supportive is going to be great and it calms some of the worries about making friends in a new place.”

For Crosland, making sure that she felt like she had a team that had her back was a very big deciding factor. She wanted to make sure that she fit in with the team and the coaching staff.

“I leaned towards Luther,” Crosland said, “because I enjoyed hanging out with the team a lot more than others. They seemed a lot more involved in getting to know me.”

According to Hiers, the memories made by having a good time with teammates last longer than the ones of winning a race or swimming at a meet.

“I loved the fun holiday practices we did,” Hiers said. “We always had fun sets to swim and we really grew as a team during those practices.”

Crosland and Hiers are both very excited to start a new chapter in their lives and are looking forward to making memories with their new teams.

On average, Prestidge spends about $500 a month on her expenses. She said that paying her own way with major expenses motivates her to have a good work ethic.

“I was 15 years old when I bought my first car with my own money,” said Prestidge. “I saved money and nannied for a whole summer. My parents basically financed it for me. When I turned 16 I got a job to start paying my parents back.”

“I just recently bought a new jeep. I had to take out a loan to help pay for it. I put a grand down for it, but other than that I am paying $300 a month for it. I have to pay for my gas, which kinda sucks because the jeep gets 14 miles per gallon. If something happens, I have to pay for the repairs. The one thing my parents do pay for is the insurance, and I am grateful for that.”

When Libbee Mattson ‘24 turned 15, she knew that the baton of expenses was getting handed down to her. She decided she was going to start working at Parkview Care Center 25 hours a week to make sure her expenses are covered.

“I bought my first car when I was 15 and it was in full cash,” said Mattson. “I had no help paying for it. I had money saved up from babysitting for three years.”

“For my current car, I just bought new tires, a headlight, a battery, and windshield wipers. I also pay for my gas and when I need oil changes I just do it myself. My parents pay for half of the monthly insurance and I pay the rest.”

According to Statista, the number of teens that have a job and are enrolled in school is 17.6%. At its peak in 1998, 31% of teens had a job during the school year. Jack Henry 24’ is a part of the 17.6% that has a job during the school year.

“I have a hand-me-down car but I am still grateful,” said Henry. “Besides that, my parents don’t give me any money. I have to pay for my own stuff and everything else that I want. To be able to pay for all the things I have had a job since I was 15 and I use my money sparingly. I still go out and do things but I try to save a good amount.”

“Of course, I wish I could have more of my parent’s money but I know that I learn way more this way having to keep track of money and overall money management,” said Henry.

Some parents may think it is cruel to make their kids pay for everything, other parents think they are teaching a lifelong lesson.

“I think it is a good thing my parents are making me pay for this stuff,” said Mattson. “It teaches me the value of money, independence, responsibility, and appreciation. I have a reason for the things I buy because it is the money that I worked for. Most parents aren’t going to hand their kids everything their whole lives. I learned a good work ethic at a young age.”

“I think my parents are trying to raise me so I know how to manage money…” said Prestidge. “It teaches me the value of money, to be grateful, and to have a work ethic.”