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.”

Nurse Schultz explained that a group of chemical health and medical professionals, including BHS’s drug and alcohol counselor Lillian Carver and the drug free community coordinator Rachel Nelson, teamed up with MEATA (Mentorship Education And Drug Awareness) to propose the idea of Anti-Vape kits. They brought this idea to BHS’s chemical health committee, which consists of Schultz, Nelson, Carver, Assistant Principal Ed Cox, and a few high school teachers. Once the idea was approved, MEATA provided a grant that allowed BHS to provide these kits without straining the school’s budget. 

Quitting is typically most effective when there is a set plan in place. Assistant Principal Ed Cox explained that when developing the kits they looked into what the best practices were. “If we’re giving kids these resources, how do we try to increase the chance that it’s actually going to work? That continued dialogue with a chemical health professional [and] with the school nurse is important.” Because of this, students who reach out for one of these kits will be required to meet with a CMMHC counselor twice. The first session is to introduce the student to the kit and explain why it is important, and the second is a follow up appointment meant to help out said student by giving them additional resources as needed. If a student needs more help to quit, more appointments will be made available to them. 

One large question students may have is if their request for a Anti-Vape kit will remain anonymous. According to Cox, if a student asks their counselor for help, that information will only be shared with the school nurse and potential chemical health professional because they do the actual distribution of the kits. “From a confidentiality piece it’s all people that work in confidential situations all the time, and they know the best practices there.” Cox stated. He went on to further explain that “The only way [administration] would know is if it starts with us. . . When kids get in trouble, say for vaping or whatever, we talk to them about, you know, do you feel like you’re addicted, what supports do you need, things like that. And so, sometimes, that might be an opportunity that comes out of that conversation, so then of course we would know, but otherwise no.”

Each kit includes a water bottle, educational materials, fidgets, cessation resources— which can include anything from statistics on the benefits of quitting to helplines to contact in times of need—, and mints/gum. Mayo Clinic found that by chewing on gum or hard candy, such as mints, it is easier to resist tobacco cravings by satisfying the oral fixation. In fact, anything you can do to keep the body active, including simple things such as fidgeting, can help the mind lessen the grip nicotine has on it. “The urge to use, when someone is quitting, may last like 30 seconds and then go away,” said Schultz. Anything that can distract a student for those 30 seconds is incredibly useful in the quitting process. Mayo Clinic also found that focusing on the health benefits of quitting is one of the best ways to overcome addiction. While it may seem frivolous to give someone already interested in quitting resources on why vaping is harmful, this is actually one of the most successful methods. “There’s a lot of different aspects to quitting,” Schultz explained, “There’s making the plan, and then there’s throwing away the products and getting some support. . . we put in the kit materials such as a plan, and how to identify strategies to deal with your triggers, and helpful ideas for that.” Other side effects of quitting include headaches, sweating, hunger, and fatigue, which is why it is imperative to stay hydrated. 

Anti-Vape kits are a new practice to BHS and so it is hard to speculate what their effectiveness will be, especially since the reach of these kits is much larger than the hallways. “It’s not just kids who are using at school,” Cox explained, “I think we all know that there are kids that are using that need help that probably never use at school.” Those kids are still struggling and therefore are deserving of a helping hand. “It’s an important issue, and so we’re trying. We’re trying to make things right, and trying to make an impact on it.” Schultz had a similar perspective, saying that “we aren’t anticipating large volumes of bags going out.” She went on to say that “that isn’t our intention. . . we want it to be for those who want to quit.” For many years, the proposed solutions have focused on catching students. This new system shows a change in thinking and focus on support. 

Some may argue that the best way to help a teenager get clean is to punish them for vaping in the first place. However, many teens that are addicted to vaping would like to quit, but lack the resources to make this dream a reality. The National Library of Medicine discovered that of the 54.2% of young people who would like to quit vaping, 33.3% had attempted to quit in the past year. Without support, these attempts are less likely to succeed than with support. This has proved to many that the best way to lower e-cigarette usage is to support young people’s attempts at quitting, rather than demonize them for falling into addiction in the first place. Many students are also tricked by marketing into thinking that vaping isn’t unhealthy. “If there’s a low percentage of a chemical the industry doesn’t need to report it,” explained Schultz. This allows many vapes to be advertised as ‘nicotine free’, while still containing addicting levels of nicotine. “I just see it as these kids who are maybe wanting to experiment or see what it’s like. Maybe after they do this a few times they become addicted and then they are just having a hard time stopping,” she later added. Schultz also explained that, developmentally, teenagers are more likely to have the urge to experiment with new things which is why they have been targeted the most by these large tobacco companies. 

One of the most effective ways to quit vaping, according to Mayo Clinic, is to have people willing to help you do so. By implementing Anti-Vape kits, BHS is hoping to do just that. “Our number one goal is for kids to be healthy,” Cox explained, “There are consequences for breaking school rules, but if a student is coming to us for help, it’s not a consequence situation. . . it’s a situation where we are there to provide help.” He added that he would like to assure any student who might be afraid to come forward that there will not be any punishment for doing so. “I can tell you very strongly that nobody’s going to get a consequence if they voluntarily come forward and say, whether they’re talking to an assistant principal, or talking to a school counselor, or talking to the nurse, or talking to a teacher. . . We’re not in the business of just catching kids and trying to give consequences. . . our goal is to help kids and also to run a school.” For Schultz, addiction is not something that can be solved with an in-school suspension.“ As a nurse and as a medical provider, I have to look at the situation of any kind of addiction as a medical concern and not something that is punished,” she said. “If some student came up to me just like, ‘hey I’m thinking about quitting. I need some help and support.’ I’m not going to say something that is going to be need to have like a questionnaire first. It will just be ‘Sure let me help you out with this!’.” Anyone considering asking for help with addiction can rest easy knowing that, according to Cox, “if a kid is asking for help, we’re going to provide help, they’re not going to get a consequence for that.” 

If a student has any questions on Anti-Vape kits, or would like to know more about them, they can talk to any school counselor, school nurse, or chemical health professional in the building.

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.”

The community service requirement is also the largest reason people drop NHS, according to Mrs. Cox and Mrs. Leach, who head Buffalo’s NHS chapter. “I think people get over-scheduled. They just have too many things going on, a lot of activities, or they’re working, and they’re trying to maintain good grades in their classes,” Cox said. “Sometimes people take on too much, and they need to figure out where they need to reduce some of their responsibilities in order to stay balanced.” “It is a really big time commitment,” Leach added, “40 hours is a lot to commit to”. 

For the people who do join, the stress of the 40 hours tends to weigh down on them. “The time management aspect is very stressful for me,” Alex Budde ‘24 explained. McKenna Peterson ‘24, agreed with this sentiment, stating that “It’s stressful because I always feel like I’m behind on my hours. I have 27.5 hours, but I still feel like I’m behind”. Along with this stress, many students feel like colleges don’t care about being a part of the NHS as much as they used to. “I don’t feel like I’m getting as much out of it as I thought,” Peterson said.

While being a part of the NHS can be stressful, it can also be incredibly rewarding. “NHS obviously has aspects that are both helpful and stressful,” One NHS junior said. “There are traits that NHS has helped me develop, such as leadership and responsibility.” This junior isn’t alone in their experience. “The experiences themselves showed me a lot of new perspectives,” Budde remarked. “What goes into more management parts of an event, or what goes into running something like a thrift store.” Peterson added that NHS “Taught me how to learn through doing something.” She also explained that being in the NHS has led to her stepping out of her comfort zone and allowed her to be more social. “To me, It’s more helpful than stressful because, without it, I wouldn’t be as social as I am.” 

Service is, according to Mrs. Cox and Mrs. Leach, the point of doing NHS. “I really like trying to create awareness in each individual student about what they can contribute to their communities,” Cox said. “It’s engagement, and it’s leadership, but, to me, I feel like it can become so personal to students.” Leach contributed to this idea, saying that “It gives the opportunity to our student leaders to explore how they can become leaders in other ways. . . They don’t know they have the ability to change the world. [NHS] is kind of a place where they can foster that and help it grow.” Leach also hopes that students will “take that experience with them and when they graduate to do good things as leaders when they’re out of school as well.”

Grace Panek ‘23 was a part of the NHS for her junior and senior year and has taken the lessons she learned from this time along with her to college, despite not receiving a scholarship from the NHS. “From being involved in NHS, the greatest thing I took away was the importance and impact of giving back. The overwhelming amount of gratitude that was received from small acts of service that I did throughout volunteering events was very rewarding.” Now she does small acts of kindness on a daily basis to spread that joy to others. “College can be challenging and random acts of kindness can really turn someone’s day around, and I can attest to this.” Panek has also joined a local charity organization at her college which helps provide for less fortunate moms. “We make birthday decorations, treats, and gifts for a young child who may not otherwise have the opportunity to have a stereotypical birthday celebration,” she said. “I have always loved being involved in something my whole life, therefore NHS did not spark my interest for volunteering, but it did inspire me to continue doing it.” Panek isn’t alone in this either. Lydia DesMarais ‘23 continues to volunteer at blood drives near her. “If I had not done NHS, I believe I would be less open to search for those volunteer activities.” DesMarais said. “NHS has taught me that service is important and that it’s enjoyable.” 

Many students have saturated schedules, but for those who have the time, NHS has proven to be a helpful resource. “It’s worth it if you have free time that you want to fill. If you are very busy, or get stressed out easily, it isn’t worth it, but if you have free time then this is a great way to spend it.” said Peterson. Budde also found that it’s “incredibly rewarding to find the time [to volunteer] within a busy schedule.” One NHS junior added that “If you have the time and want to help others, it’s not stressful.”

Students should make themselves aware of the NHS requirements and potential benefits and stressors before making a decision on whether to join. “I knew that it included volunteering, but I had no idea before I joined that I had to get 40 volunteer hours.” Peterson shared. “I don’t regret joining NHS, but I wish I had asked more people about it first so I knew fully what I was getting myself into.” Of all the people interviewed, both NHS members and non, no one regretted their decision. NHS can be an incredibly rewarding experience or an incredibly stressful nightmare. The worth of the NHS depends on how much a student values the opportunity to provide extensive acts of service and, of course, how much time they have to provide those services.

Singers Harrison Klaphake ’24, James Nelson ’24, Ellie Cassady ’25, Hope Schmitz ’24, and Xander Sabinash ’24; Flautists Malika Gallus ’24, Maggie Bertsch ’25, and Kiera Mcgorry ’25, along with clarinetists Lexi Zheng ’24, Oliver Holt ’24, and Anna Wuollet ’25, all submitted an All-State or MMEA (Minnesota Music Educators Association) audition last year. They were all accepted into the Minnesota All-State 2023. Each year hundreds of students around Minnesota submit their auditions hoping to be accepted. Having 11 students from the same school participate is an honor. 

Student musicians spend months preparing and practicing for their auditions. 

“I practiced almost every day or every other day, whenever I was free. Usually, I wanted to practice because I really wanted to get into the band and I knew I had to be really good at the music. It was never really a chore for me,” said Anna Wuollet.

Her hard work was rewarded when she and her musical peers were handed official-looking envelopes from band director Scott Rabehl and former choir director Zachariah Carlson.

“During band, Rabehl handed us each an envelope that had our names on it. Inside it said ‘Congratulations on getting into the MMEA Honor band!’ At first, I was shocked because I didn’t expect to be accepted, but then I was happy and really proud of myself and everyone else who got in, said Wuollet.

After being accepted, students pay a fee and mark off a week in August for the All-State camp. Students attend this camp for five days, where they learn their music, make connections with fellow players, and learn more about what it means to participate in All-State. 

“The camp was a lot of fun, it was my first sleep-away camp, you had to live in a dorm room for a week without air conditioning and it was a little hellish but fun. It was different to do band for eight hours a day with a huge band — our band here is pretty big, but the all-state band is about 100 kids,” said Lexi Zheng.

They’ve waited, practiced, and prepared for months for their concert at Orchestra Hall in February, but the idea of playing at Orchestra Hall still doesn’t feel real for some.

“I think it’s really crazy that we’re going to play in the same building that the pros play in. I’ve been there for field trips with Tri-M and it’s so cool to think that I’ll be on the same stage,” said Zheng. “I feel pretty ok about the concert. My technique has increased since the camp from playing, but I haven’t sat down and played the music in a while. I might be a little rusty but I think it’ll be fine.”

Orchestra Hall is one of the most prestigious performing art centers in the United States, and definitely in Minnesota. To play at Orchestra Hall is a huge honor and something most Minnesota musicians only dream of. This dream is coming true for these 11 students.

One Act is judged on a scale from 1 to 6, with each judge ranking all six competing shows on that scale. Buffalo started their season strong with a perfect 1-1-1 score. “I am confident but very nervous for it because, just like any other performance, I get nervous before showing it to people.” said lighting designer Jojo Nosbush ‘24. One Act is especially difficult for lightning and sound crew because each school has a different set up. “I don’t pre program the lights and have to light the stage on the fly.” She added. Freshman Gutherie Lostetter was confident in Buffalo’s ability to do well. “I think we have a really good foundation for a show,” she said, “ and if we all work to improve the show little by little, [I] just think we’ll do really well.” 

The culture of One Act is arguably more important than the actual competitions. “Everyone is being polite and helping people out if they need it.” Said assistant director Drew Elo. “It’s like, hey don’t have a chair we forgot it. All right, well we got plenty of chairs!” “Everyone is super nice and supportive, and we all work together to improve the show.” Said Lostetter ‘28. Because it’s so small “we all bond differently than we would in a place or musical.” Added Nosbush ‘24. 

Even though Buffalo isn’t competing at state, the cast and crew have learned lessons they will carry with them in the future. “I have learned that I can do things even if the circumstance is weird and different.” said Nosbush ‘24. Lostetter ‘28 has learned “to improve myself and take criticism well.” 

Buffalo will attend state this Thursday and Friday as alternates for section champions STMA.

This change was introduced to students and their families through an email sent on Friday, January 26. The email explained that there would be a Registration Night on Thursday, February 8th for students and a parent to come in and sign up for their classes. 

As news of this substantial change caused a flood of emotions from students, based on confusion and lack of awareness of the topic. Some students were immediately opposed to the idea of only one night to decide how their whole school year would go. 

“I think the councilors are going to have a lot of appointments from people who want to make changes,” said Sufi DeYoung ’25. “One night is not enough time, I like to think about it and talk to my counselor and parents to figure it [schedule] out. It’s important to me and I’m making decisions for my senior year so what I choose matters.”

Advisors were to introduce the idea on Monday, January 29th, during that same week. Students currently enrolled in a social studies class would have a “meeting” led by a counselor discussing how to register and what needed to be ready by February 8th. Students not currently enrolled in a social studies class would get the same information from a BASE time meeting on Thursday.

At the base, a counselor walked students through classes they could take next year, GPA, CIS courses, and their educational path afterward. With additional classes being added for next year the counselors at BHS  made requirements and limitations clear for each new class. 

Each grade (except Seniors), got a sheet of paper to fill out the classes they wanted for next year and have ready to bring to registration night. But the burning question remained unanswered: “What is registration night and is it mandatory?”

“The evening is going to have a couple of things. There is the practical registration night, all of our teachers are here that night, and there are actual open course discussions,” said BHS Principal Mark Mischke. “The teacher would be at the school for the first 45 minutes. You can talk to each teacher about the classes you would want to take next year. The teachers can explain their courses, what they teach, and more requirements for the class. After you speak with the teachers, your advisor will do a registration session with you and your parents.”

Communication of the registration night was slowly sent out to each family during the start of the idea of registration. It wasn’t until the last week of January that it started to be projected into advisories, emails, and letters about registration night.  

Is it mandatory?

Yes and no, if you and your family have an opportunity to make it to the night, then give it a try and make a plan. If you can’t make it to the night, then there is also another opportunity to register for your classes in your advisory on Friday, February 9th. 

On Monday, your Advisory will be competing on Kahoot. On Tuesday, you can sign up for a meditation BASE, which will be held by Mrs. Ortmann. On Wednesday, there will be a drawing/games BASE in room F101. Thursday has Feelings Bingo, with $10 Starbucks gift cards for those who win, also in room F101. Lastly, during Advisory on Friday, your teacher will collect donations for the non-profit Make a Wish. 

Along with that, we also have dress-up days throughout the same week. Monday is monochromatic, Tuesday is cozy sweater day, Wednesday is Camo day, Thursday is Denim day, and Friday is PJ day. 

After the school week itself, the Bison Ball takes place. It’s on February 10th, from 7pm to 10pm, and the same rules carry over from Homecoming. You must have your student ID or Infinite Campus open and ready for identification. Bags are not allowed, but if you choose to bring a purse, that is fine. Should you leave the dance, there is no re-admission, and no admission will be taken after 8:00pm. Entry costs $10, which you can pay at the door or online.

Chyanne MacKenzie ‘25 avoids the girls restroom during five-minute passing time because vapers overrun the bathroom. MacKenzie has to hold off on personal things so these girls can finish hitting their vapes.

“I am never able to find time to use the bathroom during passing time,” said MacKenzie. “There are so many girls just sitting in the stalls vaping, taking up the whole passing time. Usually it’s fine and I can wait, but when I’ve already had to wait through my last hour to go it becomes an issue.”

For the students who vape, they find that vapes are a necessary part of a day at school. Some say that they use easy-access E-Cigarettes to calm them down and prepare them for upcoming assignments and tests.

One senior said,  “When I do it at school, it is most likely because I have a test or a stressful class coming up and I use it to calm me down. That’s all I need it for, but some kids can’t last more than eight hours without it.”

According to Results from the Annual National Youth Tobacco Survey | FDA, “More than 1 in 4 (25.2%) of current youth e-cigarette users use an e-cigarette product every day.”    

Another student at BHS says, “Every time I go to the bathroom there always tends to be a group of 4 or 5 girls. It has even caused the administration to hang up signs on the bathroom stalls telling the students to only have one person in a stall at a time.”

Administration has recently added a vape detector that functions similar to a smoke detector to some bathrooms. With the new laws regarding smoking, the BHS school officer doesn’t deal or withhold information about kids under 21 vaping. 

To reduce the number of students vaping at school, Assistant Principal Ed Cox said, “We’ve just been experimenting the most with students in the bathroom. We recently have been trying out smoke/chemical detectors. We get a notification every time a chemical is detected in the bathroom.” 

Whether it is vaping itself or encountering awkward experiences in the bathroom, most high schools struggle with students vaping. Administrations are putting in effort to prevent this issue. Not only is it affecting the students but the staff too.

“She is so sweet,” said Makayla Rademacher ‘25, LaBelle’s close friend and — according to Makayla — surrogate sister. “I loved being in a class with her and just learning more about her.” When the fundraiser was scheduled, Rademacher was sure to spread the word. “I have been telling all my friends to come, the whole music department told everyone about the fundraiser.” 

Labelle said she “felt excited” when she found out that Culver’s would host this fundraiser. As she spoke from her seat of honor, a corner table decorated with heart balloons, she smiled from ear to ear. According to Natalie, many of her friends were able to make the trip out to support her. 

Not everyone at the fundraiser knew Labelle personally. “I like to support everyone,” shared Margaret Greenhagen ‘24, “It’s easy. I get food and she gets money. It’s a win win.” Greenhagen also added that she would love to get to know Labelle more as well. Jacob Bull ‘25 shared this sentiment. “It’s a very big heart condition, and I know it would mean a lot,” he said. 

Events like this one make the upcoming surgery feel more and more real. “She’s been very nervous,” Rademacher mentioned, “but also excited that she has the ability to get a new heart and to be able to do the things that have been limiting her.” What she’s been looking forward to the most? “[Being able] to go to Sky Zone!” Labelle exclaimed. 

For more information or to donate visit: http://nataliesheart.com/.