Spartan Banner | Fall 2016

Volume 56, Issue 1 • Fall 2016 Brookfield East High School 3305 Lilly Road • Brookfield, WI • 53005

spartan banner • fall 2016|1

Editor’s Note

GETTING THROUGH & GETTING UP Pushing through adversity creates unity amongst diversity

As I’m writing this, it’s 5:00 the night before we go to print. Within the past 5 minutes I’ve had 10 people enter a room (which was supposed to be a quiet space) asking me for advice. Unfortunately, I have been forcibly banned from helping anyone until I have finished this letter to you, the readers.

We have one page completely done, half of the cover, and no masthead. Most articles are just getting a final look through now, editors are antsy, and my hands are shaking from the sugar high induced by the multitudes of Starbursts I’ve consumed trying to get through this evening. A song which I believe is called Screamer is playing off of the SMART board. How fitting. Talk about challenges.

In case you haven’t noticed, our publication has officially made the transition from newspaper to magazine. To a layperson, this may seem like an undaunting, relatively simple task. Short story: It’s not. Finding people to write, keeping organized, ensuring your staff stays motivated, and working with color (it’s harder than it sounds) are just some of the problems we face daily.

Amazingly enough, we managed to corral dozens of high school students and get them to take the time to write about the community, real problems affecting real students. We somehow have more than enough material to fill our pages. Even as I type, there are twelve extremely dedicated editors working diligently to ensure our final prod-

THE BANNER STAFF 2016-2017 EXECUTIVE TEAM

ANNA SIPEK Editor-in-Chief MRS. LINDSAY SKATRUD Adviser ANA AGAPITOVA NAMITHA ALEXANDER KATIE ANDREWS ELIZABETH GOBLIRSCH CLAIRE HILDEBRAND SIMRAN KHUNGER

uct is up to the standards of journalistic excellence the Banner intends to maintain for our readership.

This, our first magazine, focuses on challenges. Something universally relatable.

Nerds, jocks, skaters, and freaks. Regardless of who you are or what you do, we can all agree that challenges are the one thing uniting us all. So whether it is the challenge of planning your life after high school or adapting to polarized political candidates or the unbearable stress of it all, let us remind ourselves that behind every great triumph is a tribulation. Behind every great innovation, a problem solved.

So, I give you both triumph and tribulation, challenge and success.

Someone just came into the room to ask me another question. Hold on a sec- Looks like I gotta get out there.

Anna Sipek

BELLA PETROPOULOS NIKHITA SANTEBENNUR NATALIE SCHMIDT MARGARET SLAVINSKY ADAM STORCH BRENNA VERHEYEN

DESIGN TEAM LISA CHU MARIA KORKOS KATIE POLLOCK LIZ RITCHIE

MIA SCHLIDT ANNA SIPEK MARGARET SLAVINSKY ADAM STORCH

STAFF JOURNALISTS Luke Anderson Ava Barker Sam Barnes Deepali Bhalla Alexia Castillo Megan Daniels

Eva Gapinski Emma Gapinski Alex Garvens Emma Jester Bella Koch Aaron Liu Alex Maier

Shloka Nambiar Matthew Peterman Olivia Russo Arjun Shreekumar Navya Tarikere Turner Tushaus

MISSION STATEMENT

The Spartan Banner is an open forum of student expression that aims to inform, enlighten and entertain the students of the Brookfield East community.

While the student body is the primary audience, the staff recognizes the publication is read by faculty, administrators, parents and the Elmbrook community. The Spartan

2 | spartan banner • fall 2016

Banner staff reserves the right to write about interesting and relevant material at a local, regional, national and worldwide level.

As decision makers for the publication, staff members strive to adhere to the qualities of professional journalism with emphasis on skills defined by the Journalism Education Association.

About the Cover: The photographer, Adam Storch, placed the two halves of a broken pencil in Simone’s mouth to show the angered reactions students can show in response to challenges. The model, Simone Hoff, has lipstick on her teeth to highlight the focus students have on challenges, forgetting other aspects. Students become more insensitive and stressfully focus on challenges, distancing themselves from others.

20 THE EVOLUTION OF HIGH SCHOOLERS Each grade level faces consistent challenges.

04 LEARNING 101

20

All learners are not created equal.

06 MORE STRESSED THAN EVER Brookfield East students struggle to keep up.

22 CHALLENGES AFTER HIGH SCHOOL East alumni confront post-grad trials.

10 EAST ATHLETES TELL ALL

Spartans discuss challenges of the Fall Sports season.

06

18 TEENAGE VOICES MATTER Joining a movement is difficult when opportunities seem absent.

08 POLARIZING POLITICAL BELIEFS Controversial presidential election causes voter strife.

spartan banner • fall 2016|3

LEARNING 101 Eva Gapinski

H

ave you ever wondered what skills come easily with each learning type, what they struggle with, or curious about your own learning type? Sometimes people try their best to learn something, but just can’t grasp it. Instead of giving up, try looking at the information in another way; get a new perspective. Most of the time someone doesn’t understand something, it’s not because they’re not smart enough, but because it’s not presented in a way their brain best learns.

This is why 100 Brookfield East students were given short, five question, free response surveys during excellence period measuring their learning type, grade point average, and their best and worst school related skills. Throughout this survey, students were asked to provide whether they were visual learners, kinesthetic learners, auditory learners, or if they preferred learning by reading and writing. Their responses provided a sample of which types are most common in Brookfield East.

However, it’s important to note that a sample survey has multiple opportunities to lead data astray. For example, any freshman who took the survey does not yet have a grade point average to document and multiple students found themselves unable to choose a specific learning type, hence an unidentified learning type section. These examples combined with level of class difficulty persuade the grade point averages; so, keep in mind that while these numbers accurately represent the surveyed hundred, they do not necessarily represent the entire school population who identifies with such types.

4 | spartan banner • fall 2016

VISUAL The first learning type is visual learning.

They prefer visual means such as maps, graphs, and charts to remember and understand given material. Within visual learning are three techniques: retention, reading comprehension, and critical thinking. Retention simply means that visual aids paired with auditory explanations provide the best results, while reading comprehension and critical thinking utilize graphic organizers to enhance student learning. These techniques provide both confirmation in visual learners and tricks to improve learning.

Within the sample of Brookfield East students, visual learning is the largest category with fifty one percent of surveyed students.

This large group holds a mean GPA of 3.8, one of the four learning types’ highest.

These individuals reported their best skills as note taking and test taking, while their worst are writing essays and public speaking.

These results fit well with what’s known of visual learners due to availability of color, picture, and other visual representations in notes and tests.

KINESTHETIC Kinesthetic learners are the second largest group with thirty percent of surveyed students. Kinesthetic learners require hands on learning with manipulative materials. However, there are four subcategories of kinesthetic learning: doodling, emotion based, hands-on, and whole body. Doodlers may find themselves using drawing techniques, webbing, story mapping, or mind mapping, while emotion based kinesthetic learners will utilize debating tactics, role-playing, and designing. Hands-on learners find interest in building, math, and clay manipulatives, full body learners utilize puzzles, body mapping, and computer technology.

This thirty percent has a 3.7 average GPA, finding themselves best at note taking and public speaking, and worst at essay writing and test taking. It is of little surprise that note taking and public speaking, two skills allowing for plenty of mapping and physical movement, take the lead. These skills can be found easy for their leeway in execution, while essays and tests have limited opportunity to put kinesthetic skills to use.

AUDITORY Second to last in popularity among students with a mere eight percent is auditory

learning. Auditory learning is dependent on both speaking and hearing and is generally the most commonly used in classrooms.

Auditory learners will most often find themselves reading out loud, enjoying and contributing to class discussions, and tend to study in groups where they can repeat the information for confirmation and understanding.

These learners, though with a very low percentage, find themselves at the top of the GPA list, a 4.0 as their average. With the surveys, public speaking and note taking were the best and worst respectively, making it perhaps the most obvious outcome.

READING-WRITING Lastly, the minority stands in the fourth group, those who prefer methods of reading material before later copying it down in the form of notes, the read/write learners.

This repetition of reading and writing is combined with lists and reworded charts.

It’s a lot of work, no doubt, but to this seven percent simply minimize distraction, add a quiet area, and they’re set.

With an average GPA of 3.7, read/write learners tie with kinesthetic learners in not only GPA, but best skills as well. Read/ write learners believe note taking to be their best skill, while an unclear assortment, ranging from homework to paying attention, as their worst. Note taking is a skill these learners seem born to strive with as it’s not only necessary for many classes but is how they learn best as well. However, this seven percent has difficulty with classroom based material, which may partially be due to common classroom distractions such as loud noise.

While teachers play a part in opening the different material’s appeal to multiple learning types, it’s ultimately up to the students to find ways to understand material. Mr. Bramschreiber, an AP Psychology teacher here at Brookfield East, tries his best to incorporate visual, auditory, and kinesthetic methods in each lesson. This variety appeals to many students as it involves speaking, listening, visual aids, and hands-on activities.

Overall there’s a lot to learn from your own learning type and from different learning types as well, but not everyone knows their learning style. Not knowing how you best learn can be difficult on not only yourself, but your grades too.

TAKE THE QUIZ! 1. What do you do when given an infographic to study?

A) Trace the arrows with your fingers or imagine yourself in the infographic itself B) You do just fine looking at it C) You find it confusing D) You feel the need to write it all down for yourself 2. How would you rather understand a math problem?

A) Using pieces you can move and touch B) Watching a video C) Hearing your teacher explain it D) Writing down each step 3. How do you study?

A) Keeping yourself busy by pacing or staying active B) Using lots of color C) Speaking the information out loud D) Making flash cards 1. I remember best if you A) Stay active or use your hands B) Have a picture C) Repeat the information out loud or in your head D) Write it all down 4. I like teachers who A) Use hands on activities B) Use charts, graphs, and pictures C) Give lectures D) Require note taking 5. How would you prefer to be given directions?

A) Walking through the directions out loud or in your head B) A map C) Speech D) Written 6. What do you remember best about new people you meet?

A) What you did with them B) What they look like C) What they sounded like or who they talked D) Their name Results: Mostly A’s: Congratulations! You’re a kinesthetic learner!

Mostly B’s: Congratulations! You’re a visual learner!

Mostly C’s: Congratulations! You’re a auditory learner!

Mostly D’s: Congratulations! You learn by reading and then writing!

spartan banner • fall 2016|5

MORE STRESSED THAN EVER: BROOKFIELD EAST STUDENTS FEEL THE BURDEN OF ACHIEVING EXCELLENCE Ava Barker

T

he typical day of a high school student: waking up sometime before seven AM, rushing out the door to go to in early morning club meeting, then a full eight hour day of classes filled with accelerated honors and AP level courses and stress.

6 | spartan banner • fall 2016

juniors and seniors begin thinking about college, stress builds up and can lead to unhealthy, unbalanced lives.

This model is representative specifically of students at Brookfield East. Brookfield East is recognized throughout the community as well as by the Wisconsin Department of Instruction, as one of the best high schools in the state of Wisconsin.

Due to its high rankings, students are constantly competing against each other in the fight for special recognition and attention, as well as to live up to the expectations of their teachers, parents and peers.

In such a competitive environment where education is highly esteemed, not only are students expected to achieve academically, they are pushed to their limits in areas like musical performance and athletics.

The pressure to succeed and please others weighs on the minds of students, and as a result, their mental health deteriorates as they feel the effects of stress and anxiety build up.

While the physical aspects of many students lives can be draining and too much to handle, so can the mental pieces. Students at the end of their journey through high school are constantly maturing and learning how to be responsible adults while developmentally trying to figure out who they are, what they want to do, what their goals are for the future and how they are going to accomplish them. All of it combined is a big load for anyone to juggle.

After school ends, quickly changing for a two hour long sports practice, then rushing to a job, working for several hours and finally coming home to have dinner at 9:30 pm.

To end the day, the student must complete all of their homework and studying for the night.

In a survey of freshmen through seniors at Brookfield East High School, 74.6 percent of students reported that they were moderately to extremely stressed, with the main cause of their stress being schoolwork, as 62.3 percent stated.

This level of stress was found to be directly correlated with those enrolled in AP and honors level courses, as well as the time each night that students do homework.

By the time this is done, it is well past midnight. Finally, the student goes to bed exhausted. In less than six hours, the cycle begins again. Day after day hundreds of students live with this lifestyle as the norm.

Over time as school gets more difficult, and

Additionally, 43 percent of these students reported feeling the effects of stress, anxiety and depression at least four times a week or more. Of these students, 60 percent participate in four or more extracurriculars, with 4 percent participating in ten or more.

Overall, the truth of the matter is that students are simply over programmed. They are already stressed enough when it comes to having multiple upper level classes, making school alone a 50-60 hour a week commitment. Once a job, clubs and sports are thrown into the mix, leading a healthy and balanced life is just another inconvenient thing to worry about. This often causes serious health problems like mild to severe depression, obesity, diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure, to name a few.

To alleviate some of these effects related to having an unbalanced lifestyle, students and their families must learn early on to strike a balance unique to them. Brookfield East has made this a priority by instituting HUB. As Mrs. Schneidewent, the school psychologist said, “the mission of HUB is to support each student’s academic, social and emotional development to be their best possible self.”

As for stress management outside of school, by weighing priorities and deciding what is most important to accomplish both short term and in the long run, by utilizing outlets such as meditation and exercise in order to destress, as well as by planning ahead and accounting for social times and when things need to get done, students will be able to create a healthy and sustainable lifestyle that works for them.

In conclusion, high school is a busy and exciting time of great development both mentally and physically for teenagers. During these years, it is important to remember that nobody’s life is perfect and that no one has it together all the time.

The best thing that teenagers can do to help themselves is to develop a balanced lifestyle that will facilitate the establishment of a good work ethic, efficiency in various forms of work and a good mental health foundation, all of which will be beneficial in college and beyond.

spartan banner • fall 2016|7

Polarizing Political Beliefs How and why the 2016 presedential election is so contreversial in the Brookfield East community Alex Garvens

Are politics important for a high school student? Typically, most high school students would say no; however, everyone seems to have an opinion about the Presidential candidates this year. With good reason, the two candidates, Secretary Hillary R. Clinton for the democratic party and Donald J. Trump for the Republican party, are very polarizing.

You will hear proud republicans disavow Mr. Trump, which is odd, but perhaps understandable. The issue that takes much more precedents is how supporters of each party feel about the opposite party. Many people say this and I’m sure you have, too, “if *insert candidate here* gets elected I am going to move to *insert country here*” Most people will probably not follow through on those bold statements, but it is something to think about. Is that fair? Are the candidates really that awful? Is this even really that different from past elections?

8 | spartan banner • fall 2016

Mr. Coffey, an AP US Government and AP US History teacher says, “No, politics has become a bloodsport, the way the parties act towards the other in this sort of fashion

has been reoccurring since 2000 with the George Bush and Al Gore election; Trump and Hillary are just the latest version.” But to most students, the way the candidates are treating each other is brand new.

A Brookfield East junior said, ¨Clinton is a liar and a criminal,” however she also said, “If I could vote, I would vote for Clinton.

She knows what she is talking about and she has a lot of experience as a politician.”

This goes back to my question; Are politics important to a high school student? Again, Mr. Coffey shed some light upon the topic, when posed the question, if politics are important for high school students, he said “I think it is in the sense that the high school student body now, will in just a couple of years be voting and influencing the direction of the country. So I think it is important that students can get informed about the subjects, they know how the constitution works, what liberties they are granted, and what laws there are.”

Why is this? Is this a last resort possibly?

Maybe they dislike the opposing candidate so much so that they would vote for the opposite party even though the candidate is not necessarily appealing.

With that in mind, it seems as if the student body is generally uninformed about the current political situation and the factors that led it into being the way it is.

Now this is not a criticism, it is unlikely that the majority of any student body has a full fact checked base of information on the Presidential election of 2016 and the ones that have preceded it. But one thing that is worth mentioning about this analysis, high school students profess that they do not care about politics, but they all have an opinion on Trump and Hillary.

In interviews of high school students and adults, people tend to find the two candidates very controversial. Several Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors said that Trump is so controversial because he has a big mouth with a lot of things to say, and he doesn’t tend to be politically correct.

These same students found Hillary controversial because she is a woman - the first with a big chance to win - and because she is seen as untrustworthy; students have cited a number of scandals from the past decade or so.

In all cases the students were critical of both candidates, oddly enough that didn’t seem to affect their “voting” decisions.

A Brookfield East senior said, ¨Trump is unfit for the job because he is a businessman and not a politician,¨ however he also said, “I would vote for Trump because he’s a businessman and could help pull us out of debt, or lessen where we already are. Also, anything that he would try to pass wouldn’t work because of congress.”

One piece of evidence that was found in the several questionnaires could possibly talk to that issue. For most people, Trump and Hillary were not people’s ideal candidates. For Trump supporters, most people said Ben Carson or Ted Cruz as their ideal candidates from the primaries. For Hillary supporters, every person said they would prefer Bernie Sanders from the primaries.

It is rather odd that many people seem to oppose both candidates, and yet they were the candidates that the mass has chosen.

Will people move away from the country if their candidate doesn’t get elected? Hopefully not, but one way or another people are going to have to learn how to overcome this challenge, and whichever way the election goes at least a third of the population will seriously have a challenge to face.

Some have claimed that this election could lead to a mass succession of states, like in the American Civil War when the South seceded from the North. When this claim was presented to Mr. Coffey, he thought it was unlikely, “the conditions of the election aren’t necessarily worthy of a French Revolution type of rebellion.”

The Civil War claim of succession is particularly far fetched, but if the candidates perform as awfully in office as people seem to assume, anything is possible.

The future of this country is uncertain, as is the outcome of this election. One thing that is for certain, is that many will have to learn how to adjust.

Whether it be violent and aggressive, a public recall, or even just learning how to cope with it, the effect that this election will have on the citizens of the United States will be interesting.

spartan banner • fall 2016|9

Learn about how they got involved with their sports, challenges they face, and what makes them some of Brookfield East’s most successful athletes.

Interviews Courtesy of Deepali Bhalla and Aaron Liu

10 | spartan banner • fall 2016

Girl’s Tennis: Emma Corwin Tell us something about your history with this sport- how long have you been playing tennis? What events are your best? What got you started in this sport?

I have been playing tennis my whole life. When I was a baby, my dad would sit me in his lap, hold my arms and practice the motions, forehands, backhands, serves. I have grown up around the sport because my entire family shares the same love for the game.

What made you stick to this sport?

I used to be very competitive with my older brothers. Who was the fastest? Who could eat the most? Who could hold the longest straight face without laughing? Who was the tallest? They were both so successful with tennis at a young age, so I wanted to be like them, try and catch them, try and pass them. Then I started getting pretty good, I stopped doing it for the competition.I started doing it for myself.

There was a day where my coach asked me if I like tennis, and I really hadn’t ever asked myself that before, but once I realized the answer to that question I knew I was suckered into the sport wholeheartedly.

What has this sport taught you? How have the qualities or habits that you learned from this sport influenced your academics and other areas in your life?

This sport has taught me how to take responsibility for my actions. To own every mistake and boost every good shot. There are no excuses.

Also, this sport has taught me how to lose. I hate winning a match and for my opponent to act like I had just gotten lucky or they hadn’t played well. When I lose, I do it with integrity and complain about it later. I have learned to respect myself and respect my opponents. spartan banner • fall 2016|11

Girls’ Swimming: Leah Westcott and Zoe Woods Tell us something about your history with this sport- how long have you been swimming? What events are your best? What got you started in this sport?

Leah: I joined the sport when I was either 7 or 8. I joined swimming because my sister was swimming with Elmbrook Swim Club. And I thought that if she was doing something, I had to do it, too! For high school season, my best events are the 500 free (20 laps freestyle continuous) and the 200 IM (2 laps per stroke). I mostly swim distance freestyle and during Club season (Elmbrook swim club) I swim the 400 IM; which is when I swim two laps of each stroke (totalling 8 laps), continuous.

Zoe: I joined when I was 8. My mom basically forced me to join because my sister was swimming and I was pretty upset when she told me that. I was doing the pre-competitive camp while crying! But I am glad that I didn’t back out of it. My best events for both Club and High school seasons are the 100 free (4 laps), 50 Free, and the 100 backstroke; sometimes even the 200 backstroke and freestyle.

What are some kinds of stereotypes you think people have about swimming and how do you want to respond towards such stereotypes?

Leah: It’s sad to say, but a lot of stereotypes that people have about swimming are true in some cases. Everyone’s like, ‘big shoulders and very strong’- which is a good thing! And then big appetites and sleeping all the time which is true to some extent. But one thing that bugs me is when people always come up to me and say, ‘Leah you’re next Michael Phelps, aren’t you? You’re gonna go to the Olympics!’ And I would love to say that, but that is very inaccurate! People watch the Olympics, but they don’t watch the high school and collegiate swimming, so they don’t know the difference.

Zoe: People should come to support the East Swim and Dive team at the swim meets! They are free!

12 | spartan banner • fall 2016

Boys’ Volleyball: Chris Freedy Tell us something about your history with this sport- how long have you been playing volleyball? What events are your best? What got you started in this sport?

I’ve been in this sport since freshman year. I have been in this sport for 3 years now. My friends introduced me to this sport and I needed a fall sport to play.

What would you say are the greatest challenges you face?

The greatest challenge is that you gotta make yourself better every time.

When you step out on the court, you gotta put 110% every time. You need to develop trust and reliance among your teammates. It takes a lot of practice to overcome the physical challenges of this sport. You gotta show up to practice and [actually] practice. Team reliability can be improved by supporting your teammates and cheering them on even if they make mistakes.

What are some kinds of stereotypes you think people have about volleyball and how do you want to respond to such stereotypes?

They believe that this sport is usually for girls and you need to be tall to play.

There are a lot of division one schools that have men´s volleyball teams and it is an olympic sport, so it’s not only for women. Short people need to play because they are the people in the back row. Its essential to pass the ball to the front line.

Why is middle blocker so difficult?

You run from one end to another, helping the inside. Then, you’re constantly running around and blocking the ball.

spartan banner • fall 2016|13

Boys’ Cross Country: Greg Schuh Tell us something about your history with this sport- how long have you been playing volleyball? What events are your best? What got you started in this sport?

I’ve been doing cross country since sixth grade and all through high school. I’m best at the 5K. I chose cross country because I sucked at anything with coordination.

What made you stick to this sport?

I realized that it was a lot of fun. I have a lot of friends doing it. 3.

What would you say are the greatest challenges you face in cross country?

I love running in general. It keeps me fit and I like the competition. Cross country is also one of the most mentally tough sports. Physically [I have] never had an injury. Most of it is a mental game/sport.

How do you overcome these challenges or cope with these problems?

You just gotta keep going. Eventually, you’ll get to the point where it won’t hurt anymore. You just gotta push on.

What has this sport taught you? How have the qualities or habits that you learned from this sport influenced your academics and other areas in your life?

It has taught me self discipline. Being the team captain, this has taught me leadership. I’ve developed physically a lot. I do better during the sport season because I feel like more pressure of doing well in academic and maintaining the cross country team.

14 | spartan banner • fall 2016

Girls’ Cross Country: Julia Olenchek Tell us something about your history with this sport- how long have you been playing volleyball? What events are your best? What got you started in this sport?

Okay! So I started running cross country freshman year not only because I wanted to stay in shape for my other sport (Nordic skiing) but, because of the team. The people are the reason I run. I have never met a more supportive, kind, dedicated, and genuine group of people. Also, cross country is a sport that teaches you how to push yourself and work hard for something you want, which are such valuable skills.

What made you stick to this sport?

I like the discipline that it involves, as well as the feeling of accomplishment after running a 5k as hard as you can every week. Furthermore, I absolutely love running with people that work as hard as my teammates do and having such a supportive coaching community.

What are some kinds of stereotypes you think people have about cross country and how do you want to respond towards such stereotypes?

Okay well one stereotype people have is that not everyone can run cross country Answer: FALSE! Anyone can run, it comes down to your mental strength, not your body type or fitness level. Anyone can run a 5K if they set their mind to it.

What has this sport taught you? How have the qualities or habits that you learned from this sport influenced your academics and other areas in your life?

This sport has given me the opportunity to push myself and learn about how powerful your mindset is not just in running, but with academics and other areas of life as well. The team has helped me grow as a leader and has given me such positive people to spend my time with as well.

spartan banner • fall 2016|15

Girls’ volleyball: Gretchen Bruhn Tell us something about your history with this sport- how long have you been playing volleyball? What events are your best? What got you started in this sport?

I started in fifth grade. I also played setter, libero and right side, but now I just play right side. I watched my sister play and I always wanted to get started.

What are some of the challenges you have faced?

I broke my ankle twice and got two concussions. Those are a bit of a setback. Oh, and I sprained my ankle. It’s kinda hard watching everyone play and I´m on the side just watching. Just injuries and that kind of stuff. Let’s just say I had the worst game. I´m terrible but like you’re able to come past that.

What has this sport taught you? How have the qualities or habits that you learned from this sport influenced your academics and other areas in your life?

It taught me to be positive. Teamwork helped me with team chemistry and helped me to be able to work with anybody. My mental strength has improved and I finally accepted the fact that I do have a bad game. It pushes you to get your stuff done. You procrastinate but not when I have volleyball. When I have a sport, I have good time management.

So what are some challenges you have faced in being the captain?

People look to me when they have problems and people can get mad at me for addressing other people’s problems. You take responsibility of the people on the team.

16 | spartan banner • fall 2016

Boys’ Soccer: Chris Reed Tell us something about your history with this sport- how long have you been playing volleyball? What events are your best? What got you started in this sport?

I’ve been playing soccer for 10 years. I play right midfield.

What made you stick to this sport?

You run a lot and [it] keeps you in shape. I like the competition, too.

What are some of the challenges you have faced?

Going to practice everyday after school and trying to understand Coach.

Some problems during the game are working together as a team and staying calm.

What are some kinds of stereotypes you think people have about cross country and how do you want to respond towards such stereotypes?

That we are all good looking. I’d like to respond by saying that you’re right.

What has this sport taught you? How have the qualities or habits that you learned from this sport influenced your academics and other areas in your life?

It has taught me to never give up no matter how far behind you are and this has helped me through school and life in general. If you do bad on a test just dust yourself off and do better the next time.

spartan banner • fall 2016|17

Teenage voices matter Students struggle to find place in national movements Arjun Shreekumar

18 | spartan banner • fall 2016

Pain, anguish, anger, and sorrow - sentiments shared across communities over the last five years. America’s racial divide has been a prominent issue in the social sphere, from as early as the civil rights movement to the status quo, and has played a major role in political and social movements.

This diversity has proven to be a problem in recent history, as disunity has been the group’s prevailing characteristic over the past three months. Recent killings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile reignited the somewhat stagnant movement, but this time with a violent twist.

A product of this widening gap is the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. By the movement’s supporters, it is lauded as one of the most influential protest groups of all time. Its critics label it a highly polarizing power, only serving to exacerbate violence and rising tensions between communities.

Protests in Dallas escalated to the point of murder, as a gunmen with a vendetta against white cops killed five officers and injured several others. As recent as last month, protests erupted in Charlotte, North Carolina, after the shooting of Keith Lamont Scott.

The Blue Lives, All Lives, and Black Lives Matter movements have been gaining traction with the election cycle and have played an unexpected role in politics. Law enforcement mechanisms have evolved into a voting issue for American citizens, and a major point of contention between parties. Left-leaning public figures tend to side with Black Lives Matter, whereas those who lean right generally prefer the All Live Matter/Blue Lives Matter line of argumentation.

Tensions are rising dramatically, and the movement is struggling to contain its members, frantically preaching a message of nonviolence and peace. Critics of the movement capitalize on this trend of violence, and are making their cases against organization in the form of counter-movements.

Both of our esteemed Presidential candidates follow these alignments, with Hillary Clinton supporting BLM and Donald Trump supporting ALM. Both have used the issue to garner support on each side of their respective isles, and to accentuate differences in attitude.

The sentiments of anti-BLM protestors have taken two forms: All Lives Matter and Blue Lives Matter. The former is a response to the concept of BLM as a whole, whereas the latter is a refutation of the police brutality faction of BLM.

While all three of these movements have strong factions of supporters, there is a definite lack of student activism. This can provide significant inertia, as adolescents often serve as driving forces behind social change.

The shooting of Trayvon Martin on February 26, 2012 marked the first instance of controversy, and would catapult America into a new era of dissent, protest, and violence. After deeming Martin suspicious, Florida resident George Zimmerman initiated a fight with the teen, eventually shooting him fatally.

The lack of evidence involving either party, and Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” laws rendered the police incapable of taking any action on behalf of Zimmerman or Martin.

This inaction of the Florida State Justice Department sparked rage amongst groups on both side of the aisle, those in the Trayvon camp creating the BLM movement.

Since then, the movement has made a shift of focus onto police brutality - the use of unnecessary or excessive violence when dealing with civilians. Names like Michael Scott, Eric Garner, Freddie Gray, and Sandra Bland have been rallying points for thousands of activists across the country. These unarmed Black citizens have died at the hands of police officers, further enraging those apart of the movement.

The increasing rate of incidents has seen a corresponding increase in protesters, and a diversifying of ideology. Initially a group of like-minded individuals, BLM now contains a wide variety of protesters, ranging in anger, passion, and preferred methods of conveying a message.

Neither of these movements have an organization behind them, but have made their marks as significant social movements. While BLM advocates empowerment of Black individuals, the All Lives Matter movement provides the argument that we should be looking towards the equality of all lives instead of focusing equalization on Black communities.

The latter of responses, Blue Lives Matter, has been particularly relevant in the past months, as incidents of police-protester conflicts have increased at a seemingly exponential rate.

The phrase “blue lives” is used in reference to police officers, or those working in law enforcement. Thus, as the name would suggest, those who defend a Blue Lives Matter ideology attribute increased aggression to the protesters rather than the police. The most recent killings of police officers by protestors only add to the strength of this movement,

and have greatly contributed to the popularity Blue Lives Matter has today.

Even if students want to get involved, the opportunities are limited, if existent at all. Supporters of BLM, Seniors Lani Moesch and Riley Gillespie, expressed this frustration, explaining that there isn’t any means through which Brookfield East students can participate in the movement.

There are no organized efforts from any of the movements within Wisconsin, but rather some spontaneous marches and protests in some of the bigger cities.

Instead Moesch and Gillespie suggest that we offer verbal support of whichever movement we endorse and spread the word about the troubles our country faces today. This can take the form of posts on social media, posters around school, or even just initiating discourse amongst peers.

spartan banner • fall 2016|19

THE EVOLUTION OF HIGH SCHOOLERS Alexia Castillo

FRESHMAN

A new development, transition, and a new experience all together. Harder classes, a different grading scale, more clubs, and many new people are just a few of the many obstacles you will encounter freshman year.

It can take some time getting used to the demanding coursework and new teachers.

Being exposed to new people, or even the same people can make it hard to find your group of friends.

Many freshmen have difficulty finding their niche because you don’t always stick with the same friends from middle school. Though joining many clubs is a good way to meet new people, it’s important not to spread yourself too thin.

20 | spartan banner • fall 2016

SOPHMORE

Sophomore year of high school is a lot less intimidating now, but there are still many obstacles you can face. Possibly starting a job, AP classes, driver’s ed, and sports are just some of many commitments that you may have to balance. Doing so can be extremely stressful because of the limited number of hours in each day.

Keep track of assignments in a planner and be sure to plan ahead for larger tasks. This means doing small parts several days before the deadline instead of cramming. Join new clubs later on in high school as it could result in finding more personal interests and gaining more experiences. Ultimately, the key is to not bite off more than you can chew.

JUNIOR

SENIOR

Junior year: Being an upperclassman can have its perks, but there are also many obstacles ahead. Preparing for the ACT and SAT consumes lots of time and effort. You may have trouble studying for these on your own, so getting a tutor or signing up for tutoring classes can really help.

Senior year is quite a hurdle for many students due to senioritis, but you must avoid it like the plague. It can be very hard to do this when you don’t know what you want to do with the rest of your life. Not knowing what college you would like to attend or what you would like to study is half the battle.

Keeping up with advanced classes, juggling work and school, and trying to get everything on your college resumés is a challenge that many people cannot face alone.Though junior year is the most crucial year that colleges look at, it is best to keep your focus and relax because these challenges will soon pass over. Just remember, to keep your grades strong and don’t give up.

You can talk with your guidance counselor, your teachers, and your parents for help. Applying for college is a small task with big results. Make sure to follow the deadlines for the application process because most schools do not accept late applicants. Overall, senior year is supposed to be fun. So, enjoy your last year here.

spartan banner • fall 2016|21

challenges after high school Turner Tushaus

22 | spartan banner • fall 2016

“S

o what are your plans after high school?” This is a phrase students all probably hear way too much for their liking. The ending of one’s high school career can be a very scary, an exciting, and/or a depressing experience. A considerable amount of pressure is put on the youth of America to make something of their lives. Times are definitely changing and people are becoming less narrow minded about several new lifestyles and less traditional ideas. Despite this, young adults still seem to be expected to follow a certain trend; go to college, get a job, get a house and make a family...

There are many challenges future high school graduates might face when they start their journey into “the real world” no matter how prepared they may think they are. Nadia Vogel, a former Brookfield East student who graduated last year and is attending UW Milwaukee, said that her first week of college was extremely stressful and she was not prepared for it at all despite being in AVID for all four years of high school. AVID is a global organization that is meant to prepare all students for college or any postsecondary schooling and it impacts more than 1.2 million students around the world. AVID uses research based methods to prepare students and still couldn’t fully ready Nadia for all aspects of college.

The sudden independence, remembering deadlines and “3 times the workload” was definitely something she had to get used to quickly. She also said that “if there is one piece of advice I would give to seniors it would be to try your absolute hardest to plan out [your] homework very rigidly so that you will also be able to put time aside for yourself. Otherwise, surely you will go crazy.” She is currently working part time at Starbucks and volunteers at the Next Door Foundation, which promote teaching kids to read at younger ages, and at Artworks for Milwaukee, which works with high school interns to develop their working skills in art. With all these jobs Nadia is forced to constantly work on homework between her classes and then a few hours at night. She usually saves weekend homework for Sunday which she always ends up regretting and is a habit that several students seem to have.

Nadia says that college is slowly forcing her to become less of a procrastinator. She believes that, “It just takes time for everyone to figure out what works for them and what stresses them out the least.“

Not everyone is doing as much right out of highschool like Nadia, but different paths seem to fit different people. Another previous student of Brookfield East, who was a successful wrestler with a positive win loss record, a cross country runner with a record time of 17:21 and a student with a 2.97 GPA is doing this and is definitely facing some problems with life.

Charlie* had high hopes to go to a 4 year college but his bright future was majorly set back by very real and unfortunate life problems. Charlie’s high school drug habits

“

a warning which didn’t help her confidence in social situations. It took her some time to realize that what she was doing wasn’t making her happy and that she didn’t have to keep going. She decided to drop out to focus on what made her happy and to figure out what she wants to do.

Haley believes that a break after high school can be very beneficial and it has helped her a lot with her happiness and mentally and emotionally preparing herself to move forward with her life. Haley has just returned from a trip across a few countries in Europe which she paid for with money made from waitressing at Parkside 23. She met her friend in England and flew to Paris with her. She planned out the whole trip herself and got many valuable experiences she couldn’t have gotten if she was going to college.

The highlights of her trip were being able to speak French, which she studied in high school along with Spanish, in a real life setting and successfully traveling to another country alone without getting lost or kidnapped.

Your happiness is so much more important than doing what you think you should be doing.

”

became more than just a “fun time” and he became addicted to several different prescription drugs which began to be a ruling factor in his life. To add to Charlie’s troubles, he is facing a handful of felony charges for multiple accounts of credit card fraud which could send him to jail and got him kicked out of his house.

Now, Charlie is working at a grocery store and is trying to keep his life together. He has a rather negative outlook on life but he is managing to keep himself happy by spending time with his friends and his girlfriend. It is important to remember that no matter who students are inside the walls of Brookfield East, the real world is not an easy place to survive in and no matter who they are, life is going to hit them all hard.

Another former student, Haley Tushaus is also taking a break from school after her first semester at the University of Minnesota. She got straight A’s on her first semester but wasn’t satisfied about other major aspects of college. She was really missing her home and didn’t feel like she fit in with the social scene of a university. Her friends were out partying and drinking but she didn’t feel like participating and then felt left out. The one time she did drink with friends she was caught by campus security and got

Haley rushed into college without nearly enough mental and emotional preparation and then realized that what she was doing was making her unhappy. She wishes that she would’ve thought more about what was going to make her happy, before she quickly started college. She ended with: “If you know what is going to be best for you, that’s all that matters because you ultimately deal with the consequences of your decisions.

Your happiness is so much more important than doing what you think you should be doing. No matter what you do there are going to be struggles and you’ll be annoyed and just want to be done, but figure out what makes you [the] happiest and just run with it.”

Ultimately, we are all going to face challenges and confusion in life. All of us will end up in different places with different lives and hopefully being happy in our own different ways. *This name has been changed to protect the identity of our source. spartan banner • fall 2016|23

Follow us:

@spartanbanner

24 | spartan banner • fall 2016

www.spartanbanner.com