If a student wants to get in touch with nature, they have many opportunities at BSM. Some examples are clay shooting or hunting, both of which are a good way for people to go outside and enjoy nature. In order to do these activities, students are required to get a firearm safety certification. BSM has an opportunity for students to get their certificate. This program run by science teacher Mr. John Porisch. He uses his passions for hunting and fishing, to get kids out into nature and to educate students about how to properly use a firearm.

To join the BSM clay target team, which is in the spring and coached by Porisch, students must go through the process of getting a rearm safety certificate. To become certified, students must go to the website Huntercourse.com and go to the Minnesota tab. They will then watch a set of videos and complete quizzes. They then schedule a field day where they will go to a club where a certified firearm instructor demonstrates safe and proper gun handling and plays out real life scenarios that people could possibly face in the field. “Over nine percent of current youth go to the website… and the other ten percent they take a traditional course where they would meet a couple hours a day for several weeks,” Porisch said.

Having certification entails that they are allowed to purchase a hunting license in Minnesota, as well as most other states. It is also for those who want to use weapons in activities such as the clay target team. After getting a certificate, Porisch takes the certified students in mid-to-late March to Minnetonka Sportsmans Incorporated, a field for clay shooting and free range shooting in Mound, Minnesota. There, they will have an opportunity to shoot. “It will be an opportunity for me as a coach to show them the lay of the land,” Porisch said.

Porisch decided to grant students the opportunity to get a rearm safety course due to his love of hunting and the outdoors. “I incorporate something that I love to do, hunting and fishing and being outside, and my other passions which is being with kids and teaching. It’s an opportunity to share the things that were taught to me…The trend in Minnesota and throughout the country is that a lot of the youth are finding other things to do and my purpose is to show them some of the nature type things to do,” Porisch said.

There are many benefits to getting certified. It allows students to participate on the team allows them access to shoot, and have hunting privileges. For those who are interested in joining the team, all that is needed is to get in touch with Porisch and get certified. Senior Patrick Van Hove has gotten certified and has found it beneficial. “Without it [I]wouldn’t be able to be on the clay target team, I wouldn’t be able to hunt using a rifle,” Van Hove said.

What Porisch loves about being in charge, letting students get certified, and starting this team is that he is giving students an opportunity, especially for those who wouldn’t be able to without this. Porisch hopes it is making it easier for students to follow through with it. “I want to make it one step easier or closer to eliminate excuses. So I’m here in the building I can provide the support behind the scene… I also wanted to create a safer environment because you know the kids and people can ask questions all day if they want,” Porisch said.

Overall, the main purpose of the rearm safety program is to educate people on the safe and proper ways to handle a gun. “The more people you educate to do that will I hope the less we have people making bad choices with guns by having accidents with them and leaving a bad stereotype of guns,” Porisch said.