When Dylan Buhl and I sat down so that he could tell me about his trip to Swaziland, Africa I didn’t think much of it. I thought it was going to be a simple interview where I could just write down a few simple points and be done with it. Too my surprise it was the complete opposite. Dylan was unbelievably excited to talk about it. “I loved it. I want to go back,” he told me.

Dylan went to a town called Bulembu. He went on a mission trip through Missions Discovery. Their job was to go and help out. When they arrived in Bulembu each person was assigned a family. Buhl was assigned a family with 6 boys; the youngest being 3 and oldest being 15. Although they had family’s to spend time with, they all had individual jobs as well. After a hard day of work each student would go and spend time with their assigned family during the evening. They all had jobs to do while they were there; Buhl’s job was to build fences. “We want the cows to stay out and the little ones to stay in!” he said. Another group helped paint the infant houses. These were just a few things though; Buhl told me that they need help in other areas also.

You are probably asking; where is Bulembu, and why do they need so much help? Bulembu is a town in Swaziland. It was run by a mining company, but when the company closed their doors in 2001 Bulembu was left with no jobs; it was abandoned. Bulembu is now a place that is over taken by HIV/ AIDS; which in result has left Bulembu to become an orphan town.  38% of Swazi citizens have AIDS.  This is the highest infection rate in the world. The UN has done studies and has discovered that around the year 2050, Swazi people will be non-existing. Thankfully with the help of missions and other helping organizations these numbers are now changing. There are about 120,000 orphaned kids in Swaziland. Although many kids have “aunties” (women who take care of a set of children in a home and get paid for it), many do not and have to fend for themselves.

How would one speculate, the difficulties and struggles others In our world go through with out doing the research or asking questions? When Buhl first arrived in Bulembu he talked about how nice everyone was.  Although many of them lived in poverty they were very welcoming and kind. Living in America is something we take for granted. We fail to realize how lucky we are, and how many people in other parts of the world would do anything to have what we have every single day. It was interesting, listening to Dylan talk about how amazing and life changing his trip was. It almost makes you disappointed in yourself for being so non- appreciative.  I am typing, I have an Arizona ice tea sitting near me and this morning I got up to a delicious breakfast. I got a nice hot shower and I got to dry my hair with a hair dryer. Sometimes I am guilty of acting like I would die without these things, not realizing that there are children, like in Belembu, that have nothing.  Not even a pair of shoes.

                Please, note that this is not a guilt trip. This is something that is important and needs to be brought to our attention. Swaziland, Africa is not the only place on earth where there are children in need. Poverty, is everywhere and there are many steps we can take to help and make our world better. Dylan traveled with  Missions Discovery, but there are so many other organizations that one can choose. So if you are looking to make a difference, to change the world, you have the resources to do it. As Buhl talked about, it changes your life in a positive way!

If those who attended the Veterans Day celebration at Park High School in early November noticed changes in the ceremony, they need only look as far as retired Chief Master Sgt. Kathy Roby.

Roby joined the Air Force Junior ROTC program in September as an aerospace instructor. One of the changes she made to the Veterans Day ceremony two months later was to add a cordon of Junior ROTC cadets saluting veterans as they entered the school and assembled to go into the ceremony together.

Roby, 54, retired from the Air Force for seven years, said in an interview that she’s always wanted to be an aerospace instructor for ROTC.

“We’re lucky to have her,” said aerospace instructor and retired Lt. Col. Larry Brockshus.

Roby began her Air Force career as she graduated high school. Living in Excelsior, on the west side of the Twin Cities, she felt she needed structure in her life.

“I wanted to be part of something,” she said.

After basic training, she was an aircraft electrician “turning wrenches,” she said.

Though she doesn’t think of herself as a pioneer for women in military service, she might fit that description.

A year before she enlisted, women hoping to sign up for the Air Force were given evening gowns to wear as part of the qualifying process.

When Roby enlisted, the evening gown stint was over.

“I was a woman in a man’s field,” she said. “We were all new in a different way. We were breaking ground so we got tough.”

The situation motivated her to “make rank,” where she could make changes.

But the Air Force has come a long way in a short time, according to Roby. The first female fighter pilot flew 14 years ago and now those who are openly gay and lesbian can serve.

She was one of 14 women to make “chief” and did it in 18 years, a shorter time than others achieve the rank.

The first female chiefs were 1 percent of 1 percent of the Air Force.

“The Air Force was changing,” she said.

In service, she’s been at bases in California, Alaska, Michigan and Germany, where she met her husband.

At the end of her enlisted career, she was command chief master sergeant in charge of discipline and “well-being” of 4,000 enlisted personnel.

“I’m a very humble person,” Roby said. “So many women have gone before me such as those who flew planes in World War II.”

She retired from the service and took over as director of the local humane society in Minot that was $60,000 in debt.

Again, plowing new ground, she was hired as director. A year later, the society was $20,000 on the plus side.

“You start over and rebuild with people,” she said, but in three years she was ready to move on to her next task.

Always somewhere else when her immediate family celebrated important events, she decided it was time to move back to Minnesota and get reacquainted with her father, who was ill, and two brothers.

In time, her father died, but Roby felt she had spent meaningful time with him as the main caregiver.

In starting another career as the first female aerospace instructor at Park, she said she is “so proud” of the way cadets and officers conducted themselves this year at the Veterans Day cerebration.

“This was their chance,” Roby said.

The Park High School senior took the ACT test this fall for a second time. He believes he got one question wrong out of 215 multiple-choice questions, and that was good enough for a perfect ACT score of 36.

“Apparently they rounded up — which I’m happy for,” the 17-year-old said with a smile.

The perfect score put Alverson in esteemed company. Only 28 Minnesota high school students scored a 36 on the ACT last year. Alverson is not the only District 833 student to earn the top score this year. Woodbury High School senior Erika Storvick also posted a 36 on her ACT. However, school officials said they do not recall the last Park student to get a perfect score on the college preparatory exam.

Storvick and Alverson were introduced at a recent District 833 School Board meeting.

“It’s neat to get that kind of recognition,” he said.

Alverson recognized there was room for improvement after he took the ACT a first time last spring and scored a 33.

“Quite a few people thought I was crazy for taking it again,” he said of the nearly four-hour exam.

He took an ACT prep class, but did not think it helped him much because it offered only basic testing advice, such as the importance of not leaving any answers blank.

“I learned that wonderful skill,” he said sarcastically.

After that, he “pretty much crammed” the week before the test, studying books and online materials.

The Park senior was feeling good about the second exam but didn’t expect a 36.

“Then I got those results and I was really quite ecstatic,” he admitted.

Alverson said he had planned to apply to Gustavus College and the University of St. Thomas, but realized the perfect ACT could open many more doors. Now he’s also applying to the University of Chicago, Columbia University in New York and Stanford University in California. He hasn’t visited those schools yet.

“The parents said if I’m accepted, then we can tour,” he said.

Alverson wants to study math or physics, but does not have a career picked out yet.

“It’s entirely possible when I’ll get to college I absolutely hate it and I’ll become a (veterinarian) or something,” he joked.

There may never be anything quite like it again.

This fall, the Park girls soccer program fielded five sets of sisters – 11 girls in all – enough to form a full soccer team on their own.

Longtime Park head coach Greg Juba said the camaraderie between the girls created a special aura on the Wolfpack this season.

Despite starting a number of underclassmen, Park improved upon last year’s 6-7-3 record, going 12-4-1 in 2011. The Wolfpack finished second in the Suburban East Conference and was ranked 10th in the final Class AA regular-season poll.

“For a lot of reasons, our motto last year was ‘We are family,’” Juba said. “We brought out the song and played it all the time. It seemed to carry over to this year, where we had all the sisters with us and we seemed to work very well together. It helped having those sisters. We feel there was special stuff happening because of it.”

All three of Park’s captains – seniors Megan Diamond, Mo Castro and Rachel Kothe – have sisters in the Park High School girls soccer program.

Castro, a central midfielder, and her ninth- grade sister Maddy, an attacker, both played for the varsity team. Rachel Kothe, an attacker, played alongside her sister Lindsay, a midfielder and defender, on the varsity team. Diamond, who was injured this fall, wore the green and white along with her sophomore sister Erin and freshman sister Annie. Erin played on the JV team and Annie played on the B-squad for the Wolfpack. Also, twin sisters Annie and Carlie Williams each started on the varsity team as freshmen. Annie played a pivotal role as sweeper and Carlie played central midfield. Sisters Marta and Jenna Swenson also played for Park this year. Marta, a senior, was injured in 2011. Jenna, a sophomore, started for the varsity team as a defender.

“You have all these girls that are sisters and it’s kind of cool,” Juba said. “They may play on different squads, but they all helped each other out on the practice field. We try to do a lot of things as a program, too.”

There were many occasions this fall when Mo and Maddie Castro, Rachel and Lindsay Kothe and Annie and Carlie Williams were all on the field at the same time.

“It’s nice having my sister on the team, because she knows me so well and knows how to talk to me, especially when I get frustrated,” Mo Castro said. “It’s nice to know she has my back.”

Mo said she and her sister get along very well and they both relished the opportunity to play together.

“I know it means the world to her,” Mo said. “It’s my senior year and our last chance to play together. We were both super excited when she made the team. We’re best friends.”

Megan Diamond said she has played with her sisters before for the Cottage Grove Athletic Association. She said they have a special connection on the field.

“It’s really nice playing with them, because we almost don’t have to talk, we just know where we are on the field,” Megan Diamond said. “It’s really fun to experience that.”

Though Rachel Kothe began playing soccer since she was 4 years-old and Lindsay Kothe started playing soccer when she was 5, the two girls had never played on the same team before this fall.

“I thought she had a chance to make the team,” Rachel Kothe said. “When she was named to be on varsity, I was super psyched about it.”

The year started with Rachel showing Lindsay the ropes as part of Link Crew – a program that pairs seniors and freshmen at Park – along with soccer practices at the end of summer.

“On the first day of school I was really nervous,” Lindsay Kothe said. “She helped with that. With soccer, I was really stressed out and scared to play varsity, but she’s a good soccer player and she’s taught me to be a better one.”

In addition to soccer, Rachel and Lindsay – the only two sisters in the family – also both play basketball and track, so there will be a lot more time to bond this year.

“It makes my senior year so much more fun,” Rachel Kothe said. “I get to spend way more time with my sister before I leave for college next year. We’re going to be playing three sports together this season. It’ll be fun. We really have to like each other. ”

            On April 8, 2010, a crowd of students and staff waited outside the door of Park Square.  Three green ribbons stretched across the door, waiting to be cut by the planners of the school store.  

            For over five months, the Econ Club has been planning Park High’s first ever school store.  “We started planning about the beginning of October,” said Mr. Hyland, one of the economics teachers and advisor of the Econ Club.  “It really started with deciding the furniture and then the product, as well as the Econ Club.”

Gradually, items began to be added to the store: beverages, candy, t-shirts, and even a cash register.  The windows read: “Park Square—Opening Soon.”  Students began to wonder if the store would open before the end of the year.  And it did, on April 8.

            At 8:00 AM, Mr. Hyland began the ceremony.  First to cut the ribbon were three underclassmen:  Shauna Meyer, Alec Taft, and Tyler Verhey.  The second ribbon was cut by two upperclassmen, Matt Struve, ’10, and Anthony Gockowski, ’11.  The final ribbon was cut by the two students behind the school store: Jared Kean, ’10, and Luis Ortega, ’10. 

            As soon as the third ribbon was cut, the crowd rushed into the store, where the ribbon cutters/workers handed out green, black, and white beads to celebrate the opening.  Teachers and students filtered in and out throughout the morning, buying t-shirts, candy, and most importantly, Arizona Tea. 

            “We hope to break even by the end of the school year, pay for the things we’ve bought, and make a profit by next year, first time,” Mr. Hyland stated.  By the time they begin to make a profit, the money will go to help entrepreneurs in third world countries start their own businesses through a site called Kiva.org.

            Students seem excited for the opening of the store as well.  “We have a place so you don’t have to go anywhere else to get breakfast,” says Maddie Sockness, a senior.  “I forget breakfast sometimes.”

            One deal that the store offers is the coffee mug.  It is $15 but you can use it at the Coffee Bar, which is located in the concessions stand, to receive discounted coffee.  But that isn’t the hot seller.  “My favorite product would have to be the $0.25 Blow Pops,” says Mr. Hyland.  “I didn’t think they’d sell.” 

            So rummage around your house for loose change and head down to Park Square!

Venture Crew 781, which is open to teenagers ages 14 to 21, has many exciting activities planned for this upcoming summer that new and prospective members are welcome to attend. In the month of April, the crew plans to have an ultimate Frisbee tournament and go to a scuba diving workshop. In May, the crew will attend Star Camp, a council wide campout to celebrate the Boy Scouts of America 100^th anniversary, which is a once in a lifetime opportunity.

The summer activities really begin in June however, with a trip to Gardner Dam for a weekend where members will get to go kayaking on the white water rapids. After taking a short swim test, members will be able to learn how to kayak with a trainer and by Sunday, the members will get to test the rapids on their own. Other summer activities include Bay jammers, which is a weekend trip to Menominee Michigan where Venture Crews from around the Midwest compete in various aquatic activities including Bucket Brigade, logrolling, and a sandcastle building contest. The weekend also features running for Bay jammer royalty, a semi formal, and a lip-synching contest.  This year’s Lip Jam theme is “Songs you love to hate”, and the multiple crews will each come up with a routine for their chosen song to perform.

The crew has also participated in a variety of other fun activities in the past including going to a shooting range, having lock-ins, and playing Frisbee golf. In addition, for students who need volunteer hours for the IB Program or National Honor Society, Venture Crew offers a variety of volunteer opportunities throughout the year. The crew has participated in Toys for Tots, Scouting for Food, and host holiday parties for a special needs troop.

Venture Crew 781, which meets every other Monday at All Saints Lutheran Church in St. Paul Park, is in dire need of younger teenagers to join. Starting in the fall, half of the crew, which currently consists of about 15 members, will be going off to college, leaving few members to hold the group together. Therefore, in order to continue this beneficial organization, new members are urged to join. The crew welcomes new members at all times of the year and is open to all youth in the community. Venture Crew is a fun, unique, and enjoyable organization that is definitely worth trying for all high school students.

Throughout the year of 2010, the Boy Scouts of America has many activities planned to celebrate the centennial. They compiled a list of special merit ribbons that aid in the ultimate celebration and highlight five important values of scouting: Leadership, Community Service, Character, Achievement, and Outdoors.  By completing a variety of tasks that involve each skill, such as participating in Scouting for Food, the youth can earn special ribbons to compliment a special Centennial Patch.

In addition, on the weekend of May 21-23, the Northern Star Council, which contains troops in Cottage Grove and St. Paul Park, will host a council wide campout deemed StarCamp.  This once in a lifetime celebration will take place in Stearns Boy Scout Camp and is open to all Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Venture Scouts, and Explorers.  Scouts will spend the weekend participating in various games and activities that will highlight the history of scouting and celebrate the elements that make scouting unique.

However, for those not involved in scouting, there are several opportunities to engage in the festivities.  On the weekend of May 15, a traveling Boy Scout exhibit, called Adventure Base 100, will arrive at the Mall of America.  This fold out exhibit will be traveling across the country from January to November and features a museum about the history of Boy Scouts, a rope course, and a video about Scouting.

At Park High School, several students honored the 100^th anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America by wearing their troop uniforms on February 8, an act that is normally restricted by the organization.  These students, including Boy Scouts and Venture Scouts, wore their shirts and brought recognition to the significant day.

“Since my uniform is green and it is also Park pride day it was really convenient to wear my crew shirt today,” stated one Venture Scout during the Snow Week pep fest.

                Since 1910, the Boy Scouts of America has had over 2 million Eagle Scouts, which is the organizations highest award. Several students at Park High School have earned this prestigious award including senior Brian Panek and junior Brody Weber.

                The impact of Boy Scouts on the community of Cottage Grove is extremely evident.  Through community projects such as Scouting for Food and various Eagle projects that have taken place at churches, parks, and the Armory, the city has grown to be a kinder, beautiful place.  Scouting has been a key part in the past 100 years to making communities better and will continue to do so for many years to come.

               The transition from Park High School to Winona State University was an exciting one. I remember being so pumped for the dorms, though in retrospect I have no idea why. Walking up to the skyscraper that is a dorm for the first time, pushing a cart stacked 5ft high with all of my most important belongings, and feeling unbelievably excited for the move in. Once I entered the bare room, I realized this was now home, for the next year anyway. It was so empty and white! My paintings and pictures couldn’t wait to hop on those walls. It was my first home away from home, and I had to make it mine.

                Starting to unpack was a nuisance just because I didn’t know where to put all of my junk. There was a closet, a couple shelves, a bookshelf, a bed, and a desk complete with it’s own chair! I brought a plant to place on the desk. My boyfriend had bought it for me as gift the day before I left. My mother helped me unpack my clothes and books. Before we knew it, I was all moved in! My parents gave me a hug and went off to help my twin brother move into his dorm across campus.

             There I was, in my new home. It was over 100 miles away from where my parents were, and that was the best knowledge. On the other hand, it was 100 miles away from where my boyfriend was. That left me feeling conflicted. I was excited to be here, and very lonely as well. I knew that I didn’t want my relationship to end just because of distance, so we didn’t separate like many do. I would rather know that he is still mine because we have such a strong connection and I wouldn’t be able to find anyone else like him again. So all of you that are worried about long distance relationships, just know that mine has been a cinch. However, that’s something you will have to figure out on your own.

                Along with leaving my boyfriend behind, I left many close friends as well. I was looking forward to meeting new people, but found myself asking, “Would I be as close to them as I was with my high school friends? I hoped to not get too involved with the girls that partied way too often and way too much. That lifestyle would be hard to be around. Since I’ve been here, I have seen those types of girls and it is sad to see how carelessly they live. Maybe they are just expressing their freedom in their own way. Maybe those girls may have been really reserved in high school, but now that they are on their own they are taking it to an extreme level because they can. I don’t know, I can’t read minds. Just take this advice: find friends that you have something in common with. It will be very easy to find comfort at college if you meet people you actually connect with. I’m glad I chose to come to Winona State University. I made good friends here, ones that I see myself being around for many years to come.

Photo: Erin Gibb’s actual dorm room at Winona State University