Grisel Gonzalez
Assistant Editor
  Meet Giulia Tessaro, who temporarily left her home country, Perugia, Italy, to submerge herself in the American way of life as a foreign exchange student in Idaho Falls. 
  Giulia Tessaro  dove into the many differences she has noticed between the United States and Italy. Some of these differences include: the United States serves bigger food portions, the roads are bigger, and the neighborhoods are bigger. Schools in Italy do not allow students to choose their classes or switch classrooms. Instead, the teachers move from class to class to teach. Not only this, but there are no school dances, and school lunch is not served. Tessaro touches on the fact that she does miss her family and friends back in Italy; however, she is getting used to everything in the states. Tessaro mentions that the first few days were difficult because switching languages from one day to another is not easy. She talks about at times feeling frustrated because expressing herself is hard when she cannot find the right words. Her favorite memory this far has been her visit to Yellowstone National Park with her host family.  She mentions, “we had so much fun, and we took our first picture together.” My favorite thing about Idaho [is] the people because they’re very nice.” There are various things that Tessaro still wishes to experience in the U.S.; however, she mainly wants to visit New York. Tessaro decided to come to the U.S. because she “wanted to experience a new culture and also because it has always been [her] dream to come here.” Her parents were tremendously supportive of her decision, and she mentions, “I could never be thankful enough.” Lastly, Tessaro's piece of advice to other students contemplating going through the foreign exchange student program is “do it even though it means staying away from your love[d] ones, for sometimes in a country where you know no one, you won’t regret it! It’s a lot of fun, and you will live a unique experience that will be with you forever.” Even though it may sound intimidating at first, it is worth taking a plunge for an incredible experience!

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Ash Merritt
Editor-in-Chief
  Bonneville High School (BHS) gains a new staff each school year. This year BHS has a multitude of new staff, one of them being Ms. Sarah Crume. She is a math teacher who keeps her classroom light-hearted and engaging. 
  Before Crume accepted a position at BHS, she taught as a substitute teacher for numerous schools. She subbed for Mrs. Minton, an old math teacher, last school year. Crume had taught geometry and Algebra 2 while Minton took a trimester off to care for her newborn. Crume has always wanted to teach, and “now that [her] kids are at school, [she has the] freedom to actually go for it.” She now has the opportunity to follow her passion and teach math to her students. Ms. Crume has been to a multitude of the high schools as a substitute, and each had their own specialties; however, she loved BHS more than anywhere else. She goes on to explain that “it’s [one of her] favorite school[s] to work at. Bonneville is the most welcoming and [has a] homey feeling.”Having been a substitute teacher before, Crume is eager to be in her own classroom which she can structure to her liking. Now that she has her own room, Crume explains that she does “like having that freedom to kind of do what [she does] best and set [her room] up in a way that is enjoyable.” She is assigned a room to decorate and fill with motivational posters and knickknacks of her own this year. Crume says the biggest thing a teacher can do is be “flexible because [they] never know what the day is going to bring.” She claims that a teacher needs to be able to read the room and “tweak things just a little bit.” A teacher could tweak the lesson or be ready for a day where their students are not productive; furthermore, she believes a teacher should be ready for the difficult and easy days that come with teaching students.

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Journey West 
Staff Writer
  As the school year gets up and running at Bonneville High School (BHS), returning students might find a few new faces teaching and helping this year. One new staff member at BHS is Megan Lloyd, who teaches Spanish and history. 
  Lloyd is from Monument, Colorado and came to Idaho to attend Brigham Young University in Rexburg. Lloyd completed her student teaching at Rocky Mountain Middle School, which is part of the reason she decided to teach at Bonneville.
Lloyd’s classroom is located in room 105 in the history department. Since she graduated in December 2023, Bonneville is the first school at which she has taught. When asked why she teaches at BHS, she replied, “because it's ““the best school.” Lloyd says that she teaches history because she loves history and that it is important to learn about the past so we can learn from [it].”Llyod chose to teach Spanish because she learned it in Mexico before attending BYU”-”I. Lloyd said that Spanish is an important language to learn because “it is one of the most spoken languages in the world.” Not only this, but she believes it helps people get better job opportunities and to get a better understanding of different cultures.
  What Lloyd absolutely loves about Bonneville High School is all of the students and teachers. She appreciates that everybody works towards success and students are willing to help with most problems. A fellow student had told me that Llyod is “pretty chill and a terrific teacher.” New and returning students make sure to welcome Ms. Lloyd to the BHS staff!

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Natalia Vega
Staff Writer
   Bonneville High School (BHS) has hired many people throughout the years. For the 2024-2025 school year, BHS has hired a new ceramics teacher named Katelynn Stanworth. She teaches Ceramics 1, 2, 3, and AP. 
   After Stanworth received BHS as her student teaching placement, Principal Justin Jolley suggested that she apply for the open ceramics position. Stanworth went to school at Brigham Young University-Idaho; she is currently student teaching as well as teaching full-time. Student teaching is when an education major teaches under the supervision of a certified teacher in order to qualify for a degree in education. While it may be challenging to balance work, university, and more, Stanworth said having this opportunity had been nice for her. Before getting hired, Stanworth planned on student teaching under BHS’ old ceramics teacher, Ms. Meagan Schrey. Looking forward to the rest of the year, Stanworth is most excited about the “little successes.” Her biggest strength in teaching is being knowledgeable about what she is doing, so she can help her students! Fortunately, Stanworth’s knowledge will help her find more success than failure in the classroom. So far, her experience at BHS has been exceptional thanks to excellent students and a supportive staff. Stanworth is proud of how her classroom is set up; her room is always tidy and as clean as possible.   
  With so much practice throughout the years, Stanworth can confidently say the wheel is her favorite ceramics tool. Because ceramics can be so relaxing, she always feels like she can “go with the flow.” On the other hand, Stanworth’s least favorite part about ceramics is anything that has to do with coils, which is rolling out clay into long, thin pieces because it is messy. Although Stanworth is not sure about how long she will stay at Bonneville High School, she is enjoying working with all of her new students.

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Linken Newman
Staff Writer 
  In its 70+ years of being a school, Bonneville High School (BHS) has been through some staff,  but who’s the new ones? These include Ms. Kristin McDaniel and Mr. Casey Faulkner, who are both the new assistant principals.
  Mr. Faulkner came from Rocky Mountain Middle School where he was a science teacher for the green team. He was known for giving different students nicknames, but he can not do that anymore because of the law. Passed requiring parents to give consent for students to use names other than their legal name He was born in New Mexico and lived in Arizona for a good portion of his life. Afterwards, he went to college first in Arizona, and then at Northwest Nazarene University, “I was born in New Mexico and after a few years moved to Arizona where I was for a long time, until I moved here.” He has been in Idaho falls since near the start of his teacher career.
   Faulkner has been in education around 16 years, and this is his first time being a principal. He does not have any actual plans despite that, but he does want to show people what BHS has to offer and how incredible it is. So far with his time at this school, he enjoys the people and his co-workers the most. His old coworkers would describe him as a positive man and never having a bad day. He does not lose his temper very easily and never snaps or gets mad at kids.
 Faulkner has always enjoyed teaching, even though he wanted to be an underwater welder for some time. However, he did not want to do this for long because he noticed an underwater welder's lifespan. He entertains many students when they are wandering the halls, and he will joke around with them. Faulkner has definitely worked hard to be a good teacher at his old school and help students when they need it. He will do his best to be a really good principal and help more kids!

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Brielle Loveland
Staff Writer
  The 2024 school year just started at Bonneville High School (BHS), and the school has a new assistant principal.
 Kristin McDaniel, who came from (HHS), has already had an amazing start at Bonneville. Ms. McDaniel attended multiple colleges and taught in the HHS social studies department, mostly history and AP psychology. She moved around to a few colleges for financial reasons and to find what she really enjoyed. McDaniel explained that BHS and HHS are very different in terms of size and friendliness. She stated that Bonneville students are more cheerful and are always willing to help. McDaniel said she has really enjoyed the school year so far because "the staff here is great," and they have "laughed a lot [and] had a lot of fun." She is most excited to know new students and to see how joyful the school is compared to Hillcrest.
  In her free time, McDaniel enjoys spending time in nature. When she is out of school, she enjoys razor riding, camping, and “anything outdoors.” She lives with her boyfriend and her four dogs, whom she loves dearly. Her favorite holiday is Christmas; however, she is not a fan of the cold weather. During Christmas, gift giving is her favorite because she "likes[s] watching people's faces when they get things and open gifts. Ms. McDaniel is ready for the school year and what is to come at Bonneville High School!    

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Charles Aicher 
Staff Writer
  The 2024-2025 school year is underway, and the boys' basketball team is starting their new season under a new head coach. Mr. Cortland Hengel, one of the new history teachers at Bonneville High School, is the new head coach for the boys' basketball team. 
  Hengel grew up in Idaho and played a variety of sports growing up. Until he reached high school, he played basketball for his amusement. Hengels' inspiration to coach stems from his grandfather, who was a coach and principal. Hengel states that his grandfather is “one of the biggest center pieces of [his] life.” Hengel says that he chose to be a coach because “there's competition, and it's a lot of fun. I love coaching more than I love playing. I love seeing kids improve on their skills. It is awesome to see as a coach.” Before a game, Hengel tries to remind his athletes that there are some days where you're nervous because you never know what's going to happen.” Hengel’s goal is to win the state championship, so trying to improve every day is important. However, he believes he can make it as amusing as possible for the athletes. Hengel’s style of coaching is “commander style and cooperating style,” which means he likes to guide the team while assisting them along the way.    
  Since his grandfather is from San Antonio, Hengel enjoys watching the NBA's San Antonio Spurs. Hengel's grandfather was a huge piece in his life for many reasons. While Hengel's father was deployed to Iraq for three years, his grandfather took care of Hengel, his mom, and his sister. During Hengel's childhood, his grandfather made it a goal to take him to games, field trips, golfing, and more. Hengel's grandfather began his coaching career and teaching at Sandpoint High School in Sandpoint, Idaho in 1954. Taught and coached for decades around Bonners Ferry, Sandpoint, and Moscow before moving down to Meridian. Hengel's grandfather was always patient and would give him advice when he was struggling, even when Hengel first started coaching. Hengel’s grandfather always wanted to make the games he could, whether Hengel was playing or coaching. In the month of June, Hengel moved to Idaho Falls to begin coaching and teaching. In the same month, his grandfather passed away at the age of 96. Hengel says that “it meant a lot to me to be following in his footsteps and to be lucky enough for this opportunity to be here at Bonneville.”

Brooke Wagner
Advisor
  Imagine building a dream home full of secret passageways, loft nets, and a cupola. In 2020, Asher Montaño, staff writer for The Bonneville Buzz, and his family decided to begin building their forever home. The family has experienced a multitude of highs and lows over the last four years, but the home is guaranteed to be the perfect place for their ever-evolving family.
  Having moved from place to place, the Montaño’s have had their fair share of homes and apartments; however, each never truly fit their needs. The family decided to build a new home because they have lived in a variety of places that “didn’t agree with them.” Whether they needed more space, more access, or more options, pre-built never felt like home. Carina Montaño, matriarch and building designer, struggled with the idea of living in a busy, bustling community that did not meet her farm-without-the-farm idea. Avoiding the cookie cutter housing edition lifestyle, the family felt that building was the best option. After inheriting a plot of land in Idaho Falls after the passing of his grandfather in 2020, Asher Montaño and his family broke ground and began building their forever home. Having spent the last four years on the project, the family hopes to finish in the near future.
  Fortunately, the new build has given the family more opportunities and freedom to each have their own space. There will be bedrooms for everyone, including multiple master bedrooms and bathrooms. Mother Montaño stated she “would not go small” with the build. The family also plans to build separate-entrance apartments to rent as passive income. Besides space for everyone, the new home will feature secret rooms and secret tunnels! The second-floor bedrooms will have passageways to connect the bedrooms, similar to a Jack-and-Jill bathroom. According to Asher Montaño, there will also be a slide and possibly a hammock. In his room, there will be a one-way mirror that opens to Mother Montaño’s bedroom, so she can easily “bug” him from the comfort of her own room. With plenty of square footage and custom characteristics, each Montaño member can create their own haven. Although he is excited for the move, one of the biggest things Montaño will miss is “the neighborhood.” Although living in a more remote, isolated area can be serene, he will miss the sociable aspects like being able to walk down the road to a friend’s house.  
  Although the last four years have been full of excitement and execution, the family has faced a variety of challenges while building their new home. According to Asher Montaño, one of the biggest hurdles has been using lumber purchased from local hardware stores like Lowes and Home Depot. The wood warps much easier than traditional construction lumber. Besides construction concerns, the family has faced some community backlash regarding the project. Building a new home comes early mornings and late nights full of equipment and supplies being used; some neighbors have complained about the noise. Besides that, Asher Montaño noted that his mother has received significant feedback from some community members about the project. According to Montaño, when people “see a woman trying to build her house,” his mother is often greeted by unsolicited comments and unhelpful feedback. 
  Having moved from place to place, the Montaño family knew exactly what their dream home needed to include. Although building a new home comes with its own challenges, the family has made plenty of new memories in the process. Asher Montaño, having learned plenty from this adventure, claims he now has the skills and knowledge to build his own home in the future, but he would rather “get a job that makes [him] more money.” Although he understands he can “do hard things,” he would rather let this build be a one-time event. Like building this house, when facing challenges, Asher Montaño’s words of encouragement were“[you] just gotta keep doin’ it.”

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