The Buffett Bugle
Edition One 2017
Students in this course participate in all areas of the production process, including planning, interviewing, photographing, editing, and computer layout design.
We are excited to bring you our new online format of The Buffett Bugle. Our Advanced Media class is working hard on their special edition, We Are Buffett where you will learn more about our amazing staff and students.
Meet Mrs. Krebs
Selfie! Mrs. Krebs engaging with journalism students after an interview. As an administrator, she builds relationships by asking students about their hobbies and personal interests.
By: Ashlynn C., Calvin D., and Tatiana J.
Mrs. Krebs sat at her round table with her hair half down as she smiled while she answered questions about her life. Mrs. Krebs is the 8th grade Dean of Students at Alice Buffett Magnet Middle School and is an energetic and honest person. She moved from North High to Buffett Middle School during the 2017-2018 school year because of her love of middle school students.
Krebs likes Buffett a lot and appreciates the family-like atmosphere. Krebs said, "I love it so far. Being at Buffett feels like a family and everyone has each other’s back." Krebs stated that she has not felt like this at a job in a long time.
Students and staff are very welcoming, and Mrs. Krebs already had amazing stories about the students. "Everyone is welcoming, and it is fun to start having those conversations and getting to the fun stuff", said Krebs. The administration is like a family, and she feels like the new administration works well together.
As the Dean of Students, Mrs. Krebs does a lot with student discipline. Krebs said, “It can change you and that student's relationship.” Mrs. Krebs explained student relationships and how it affects students saying, "There are two folds. First it is best if you have a relationship with the kid, and second it is being fair with the kid."
Mrs. Krebs is also a mom, she misses being with her baby and wants to see her more. Krebs said that the hardest part is that her daughter does not wake up early enough in the morning to see her before she heads off to work. Her daughter goes to bed before she gets off from her night classes. Being a mom is new and exciting for her. "It is kind of awesome. It is fun seeing her learn and try to crawl", said Krebs.
Mrs. Krebs learned she is not a person who is wired to be at home. She likes working in an environment with kids and was ready to come back to school after maternity leave. Although she is a working mom, she likes to spend time with her seven month old baby. She enjoys playing different games with her daughter and making her laugh. Mrs. Krebs has apps on her phone to help her daughter mentally develop. As a wife, she likes to spend time with her husband. She also enjoys going to Husker games, and she likes reading.
Mrs. Krebs tries to balance life, work, and home. The hardest part is when she does not get a lot of sleep. She is not only a mom, the Dean of Students, but a graduate student herself. Mrs. Krebs is going back to school to earn her Ed. D. She said, "It is hard to get enough sleep and be ready in the morning after night class and evening school activities."
In high school, Mrs. Krebs wanted to be a teacher. Krebs said, "I had a tough time, so teachers had an impact on me. Teachers were my role models." Like her teachers, Mrs. Krebs is leaving a positive impact on Buffett students.
Alternative Seating and Health
By: Aniah W. and Kira S.
A tapping foot, a tapping hand, these are all signs of being restless in class. Students are desperate for a way to let out their energy at school. Instead of sitting for extended periods of time throughout the day, students should take several breaks, to refresh and take the time to refocus.
The more students sit, the more their body wears down. This results in inactivity, which causes fewer calories to be burned, muscles to weaken, and even circulation of the blood to slow. Many people feel differently when they sit too long. Mary D., 8th Grader, said, "I feel restless, and like I need to get up and move."
As time goes on, physically your body does not adapt to sitting for extensive amount of time. "I feel my muscles are tight and I do not feel as active. I am sore, sometimes my head hurts, and I feel lazy," said, 5th grader, Alijah W.
“Sitting too long makes a difference because it does not provide enough circulation. If you get up and move, it helps you focus and energizes yourself," according to 8th grader Aniah W's mom. Increased activity means increased focus and productivity. To help better yourself, plan brain breaks with your teachers and try to find more ways to stay active.
“I think that teachers have developed wonderful ways to change up positions with alternative seating and using frequent brain breaks. Even changing focus of activities to help with keeping focus,” said Nurse Boyer. However, more could be done to get adults more active during the day. As a result, kids are more productive.
Different types of seating have impacted students in the learning environment. “Yes, most of the time it is positive. They allow students to move around and be more comfortable,” said Buffett teacher, Ms. Peacock. Alternate seating results in more calories burned, using up more energy, improving metabolism, gaining motivation/engagement, and having more oxygen flow to the brain.
Feeling tense throughout class can give a negative vibe throughout the day. As long as you are inactive, less blood is circulated, muscles become tighter, your organs do not function properly, and your bones do not receive as much blood and nutrients.
Buffett Adding New Sports
By: Alexis C., Sarah L., Kassidy T., Taylor G. and Grace J.
Brian Tracy, a motivational speaker said, “You can accomplish virtually anything if you want it badly enough and if you are willing to work long enough and hard enough." Mr. Heber is an example of someone who worked hard and did not give up during the process of adding a new sport; even though, there were many obstacles. Heber is the reason why Buffett has a lacrosse team. Many students gave input on what other sports they want added at Buffett Middle School.
Buffett has nine total sports, basketball, football, wrestling, swimming, cross country, track and field, lacrosse, volleyball, and soccer. Many students still wish for more sports to participate in throughout the school year. At school, students were interviewed for their input on adding a sport. Some students suggested sports like bocce ball, bowling, boys' volleyball, girls' lacrosse, and baseball or softball. Each student had their own reason why adding the sport was a good idea. Avery, a student in 8th grade said, “I think Buffett should add a men’s volleyball team to make the school seem more diverse.” Mr. Heber is the boys' lacrosse coach. Heber said, “A girls’ lacrosse team here at Buffett would be awesome.” A girls' lacrosse team was added in October.
Although most students thought it would be a good idea to add a new sport to Buffett, one student disagreed. Ostoma, a 7th grader, thought Buffett already has enough sports to offer. He said, “I think it has too many sports to begin with; why do people need this many sports?” The student made a valid point for the students at Buffett who think there are already plenty of sports to participate in at school.
The process of adding a sport is more complicated than it may seem. Some difficulties include finding students to participate in the new sport and getting equipment for all the players. The process could take a couple years, too. In fact, Mr. Heber worked on adding the lacrosse team for about two and a half years before it became an official sport at Buffett. Mr. Heber said, "Mrs. Prine and Dr. Ortega were a big support to me and allowed me to go out there, make my mistakes and learn from them. They let me try to do something new and be innovative."
Many students at Buffett find the idea of adding a new sport intriguing. Though some students think adding a new sport is not necessary. Creating a new team can be exciting and have challenges. There are many different aspects a coach needs to consider before starting a new sport. “Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway,” said Earl Nightingale, an American radio speaker and author.
The Buffett volleyball team celebrates their win against Marrs Magnet.
Team Aspects
By: Megan C., Payton R., Maddie V. and Taya B.
This photo essay was created using digital photography and photo elements. Our group then edited the pictures using iPhoto. We took photos of cross country practices, boys' football games, and girls' volleyball games. We went to cross country practices after school at Buffett, the boys' football game vs Monroe, and the girls' volleyball game vs Davis. We wanted to capture what it's like being on a team in different moments of each sport.
Being on a team teaches you many life lessons that you wouldn't get as a kid otherwise. Being on a team teaches you teamwork, how to deal with frustration, and helps you deal with stress. When you're older, having team work skills will be very important for when you have a job and have to work with others. At Buffett being on a sports team is very common so we wanted to share the story of what it's like to be on one. We hope this photo essay encourages other people to look at these pictures, see how positive it is to be on a team, and maybe encourage them to join a team.
Teamwork and Success
By: Blake O., Brody B., and Jose H.
Football offers players the opportunity to be a part of a team, use team building skills, and use straining exercises in order to be successful. Football is the only sport where strategy is key and one of the main reasons the team will win. The Buffett football teams are made up of diverse players, each with stories about they got started playing and their experiences.
Varsity player Sean S., 8th grader, played football for three straight years. He first started playing with the Junior Burke Bulldogs football team. Sean learned many skills that helped football players like him realize responsibility and how to be part of a team. Sean has an upbeat attitude when it comes to upcoming games. He realized that to be successful he must be both physically and mentally fit. Sean said, “Nutrition plays an essential role that will determine your success in practice and most of all the games.”
Varsity player Jake G., 8th grade, was very eager to discuss his experiences with football. He started his football career on the Junior Varsity team his first year, and he worked his way up to Varsity his second year of football. The question asked, “What type of expectations do your coaches have for you and other players”? Jake said, “My coaches are rather strict when it comes to their high expectations for us. They want us to keep our grades in check, not eating or drinking anything that will sabotage ourselves on game days, and in general just coming to every practice ready to face the dedications that really any sport we take time into takes.”
Junior Varsity player Wesley F., 8th grader, has played football for a total of two years, and each year was spent with the Buffett football team. Wesley is fully aware of what his coaches want him to do during and after practice, which includes stretching muscles that are aching. Wesley F., said, “He makes us run a lot around campus, the fence, and sometimes on the football field. In the end, I think it is the satisfaction of feeling the body work itself into exhaustion that makes it all worthwhile.”
Shaun A., 8th grader, is undoubtedly one of the tallest players on the Varsity football team and is very passionate about the sport. He is very involved with football and friends inside and outside of school. Shaun began his football career with flag football and in 6th grade started playing tackle football. He has played a form of football for eight years.
Caden N., 8th grader, is a very experienced football player who started playing the sport long before he started attending Buffett Middle School. He started playing football when he was six-years-old. Caden is familiar with the challenges that a sport like football will bring to his life, but he knows to be successful in team-building sport. He said, "Everyone must put in the effort when playing."
Dylan B., 8th grader, is a one of the most talented linemen on the Buffett Varsity football team. He puts effort and emotion into each practice. He experienced true joy when the team wins, and true sadness when they lose. He said, “If we continue putting 100% of effort into our plays, we will dominate the field.”
Nolan G., 8th grader, was injured early on in the football season, which limited his field time. He remained an encouraging part of the team. Nolan only had good things to say about his team. He said, “We’re starting off with a solid defense and offense, but I think if we keep showing up to practice we can keep up a pretty decent season.” Even now, when the season is already over, Nolan reflected on his team and experience very fondly and is excited for what high school football will bring.
William F., 8th grader, provides insight into how the Buffett Junior Varsity football team tried to better themselves each time they played. At first, William was rather disappointed that he did not make Varsity, but after a few games, he grew accustomed to his fellow teammates and his coaches. They played hard, communicated with each other, and most of all they shared the love of football. “I’ve been playing football since 5th grade, and improved my skill throughout my time with several different teams," responded William.
Recovering from Disaster
By: Luca D.
As the hurricane approached the child, he could slowly feel the wind pick up as water droplets dropped on him and everything around him. One hour later, their whole house could have been gone, swept away by winds able to destroy anything in their path. Everything they knew could be demolished in an instant. This was and still is the reality of many were affected by the most recent hurricanes.
A large part of deaths and injuries from hurricanes came from standing water. It is a major problem with all hurricanes. The water can overflow drain pipes, destroy bridges and cause other problems. Mr. Tingelhoff stated some of the main problems after hurricanes is standing water. He said, "Standing water gets mixed with sewage and other chemicals making that water more unhealthy than other water. Water also hides dangers that are unseen to the eye. Standing water can also be breeding grounds for insects that can carry diseases."
Puerto Rico was almost destroyed by hurricane Maria. A very controversial topic is how the United States handled repairing the damaged territory. Many argue that the mainland U.S needed to help prior to the hurricane in Puerto Rico. Another argument is that all territories and states should be treated equally. Mr. Daugherty, a social studies teacher on Team 8B said, “Poverty is a huge problem in Puerto Rico and their debt is a huge obstacle. I do not see the White House helping as much as they are willing to help states such as Florida, Louisiana, and Texas.”
Many tech companies offered Puerto Rico a completely new and revamped power system. Mr. Daugherty said, “Corporations have been talking about helping to rebuild infrastructure in Puerto Rico. We will have to see if actions follow the talking.” Many things can happen with the future of Puerto Rico.
Many problems occur when hurricanes strike, including deaths, damages, sickness, budget changes, power outages, and sewers overflowing, which makes dealing with hurricanes very dangerous and hard. Luckily, with volunteers and better warning systems, more lives can be saved.
After the storm had settled, the child saw everyone around him, crying, devastated by the houses that are gone, seemingly disappearing with no trace besides a couple of wood splinters. This reality is very true, and everyone needs to encourage rebuilding and support in dire situations.
Aniah W.
"I really enjoy making the newspaper creative and something for the reader to look forward to. I've also discovered I like helping my peers edit what they have worked on so far."
Kira S.
"I like working with other people and coming up with new ideas for articles. At first this was difficult, but now we all are getting the hang of it."
Luca D.
Team 8B
Tell Us What You Think!
Ms. Winter - Bugle Advisor
Email: jessica.winter@ops.org
Website: buffett.ops.org