Buffalo High School

Audiences have the opportunity to enjoy one of Buffalo High School’s more ambitious theatrical undertakings when the fall musical, “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” opens this week. 

More than 85 students have worked diligently since mid-September to prepare four performances, including 7:30 p.m. shows Thursday through Saturday, Nov. 14-16, and a 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday, Nov. 17.

“I really enjoy when we have an idea about a show, read through the synopsis and then make it come to life,” said sophomore Stage Manager Margot Miller. “Just sitting here watching each scene come together, I think it’s really magical."

After a recent run of musicals that tended toward the lighter side of life, the Buffalo High School Theatre Department is leaning into a darker, more complex challenge with next week’s opening of “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.” 

Four performances are scheduled, with 7:30 p.m. shows Thursday through Saturday, Nov. 14-16, and a 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday, Nov. 17.

“Our goal is to teach our kids and help them grow, so we were looking for something that would really stretch them,” said Director Tracy Hagstrom Durant.

Dozens of Buffalo High School students recently enjoyed a hands-on, behind-the-scenes opportunity to explore careers in the medical field at Allina Health Buffalo Hospital.

The Oct. 14 “Scrub Club” event featured the emergency department, and included the chance to visit with ambulance and Life Link helicopter crews, short talks by various staff members about their career paths, and hands-on opportunities to practice CPR, suturing, splints, bandaging, and even intubation.

“I came because I just like learning about things in the medical field,” said BHS sophomore Ireland Morris. “I think it’s fun, and you never know what kind of situation you might need these skills in. It’s what I want to do when I’m older, so it’s exciting to be able to look into it now.”
 

BHS is hosting five exchange students from Europe this year.

They are Juliette Homans and Leeloo Smets from Belgium, Marta Lippolis from Italy, Emile Rebotier from France and Boldizsar Vamosi of Hungary.

The group has been getting acclimated to their new surroundings through the start of the school year. 

“I love the atmosphere and the people in this school,” said Lippolis, who is enjoying cheerleading in addition to her school work. “The people are kind.”

Although more than 1.3 million students compete for National Merit scholarships each year, few advance beyond the first step of taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test due to the highly selective nature of the competition.  

Earlier this month, however, two Buffalo High School seniors learned that they ranked among the top 1% of students in the national pool, qualifying them to become semifinalists for a National Merit scholarship.

They are no strangers to academic success, but Jayde Hallman and Julien Kariniemi said the news was still surprising.