Breaking Boundaries
Volume 58, Issue 1 • Fall 2018 Brookfield East High School 3305 Lilly Road • Brookfield, WI • 53005
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Editor’s Note
THE BANNER STAFF 2018-2019 EXECUTIVE TEAM
Breaking Boundaries The start of a new year always begs the question of what has changed around us. After all, the only constant is change. That is exactly what the staff and I investigated these past nine weeks. Many students have switched their alarm clocks to 6am, retaught their stomachs to have lunch at 11:30am, and seen the colors of leaves shift, but what else is different? Have any big boundaries been broken? Our staff uncovered that students have been participating in trailblazing activities, whether it be heavily advocating for political beliefs around the state (pg. 6-7) or creating meaningful art on school walls (pg. 4). Even the school is implementing systemic changes like a new district logo (pg. 18-19) and security measures (pg. 16-17). Members of our community are breaking the mold. I mean, quite literally, students are crossing geographic boundaries (pg. 12-15). It is easy to get stuck in a mundane routine as we begin a second term of school, and lose sight of the new opportunities around us. As you flip through these pages, you are discovering the new ways that people in your community have been making their unique mark. I hope you find the stories in this issue inspiring enough to stay dynamic throughout the year, and consider breaking some boundaries.
Editor-in-Chief NAMITHA ALEXANDER PRINT DIRECTOR EMMA JESTER DIGITAL DIRECTOR ARJUN SHREEKUMAR DATA DIRECTOR BERA DEMIRBILEK NEWS EDITOR VIVEK SRIVASTAVA FEATURES EDITOR CATHERINE DING LIFESTYLES EDITOR RISHAV KUMAR SPORTS EDITOR RUCHENG PAN STAFF JOURNALISTS Ananth Bhat Ariana Collins Elenore Cornelie Sophia Finn Elizabeth Gardner Emma Hitzemann Mason Kelsey Maddie Miller Sabryna O’Brien Anna Ohde
Elizabeth Redmond Ali Riaz Henry Rousseau Henry Russo Viktor Sakman Carter Shulick Jack Shulick Shagun Singh David Turicek
Adviser MRS. LINDSAY SKATRUD MISSION STATEMENT
Namitha Alexander
The Spartan Banner is an open forum of student expression that aims to inform, enlighten and entertain the students of the Brookfield East community.
Editor-in-Chief
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 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.
Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor may be submitted to spartanbanner@elmbrookschools.org. Please specify what topic or article you are addressing and limit your letter to 200 words. Include your name and preferred method of contact. We reserve to right to edit for length and clarity before publishing your submissions. Please submit your letters in a timely manner.
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Putting New Life Into East’s Hallways
4
Unity Through Respect, Skill Building Through ARCh
5
The College 8-10 Application Process Debunked
MIDTERM ELECTIONS AND EAST INVOLVEMENT
6-7 11
S.E.E.D CLUB TACKLES RECYCLING REBUILDING BASKETBALL
22-23
ADVENTURES OF A LIFETIME
12-15 East Employs New Safety Precautions
16-17
A New Face for Elmbrook
18-19
Freshmen Take on Varsity Sports
20-21
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Putting New Life Into East’s Hallways Unity Through Respect, Skill Building Through ARCh Students are expressing their creativity through murals that are being painted throughout East’s bleak hallways. Written By: Carter Shulick
Photographed by: Allie Keith
New this year at Brookfield East, the halls are alive with art displays and murals of different shapes and sizes. One does not have to look far to find a collection of creative works, be it on the walls, in the art gallery, or even in classrooms.
Instead of giving up on the project, the two became even more determined to display their art in the school. With a new location in mind, they set to work over the summer. Spending countless hours designing, planning, revising, and painting, Halada and Mistrioty created the sprawling work just outside the cafeteria.
With such major and evident changes, many students are wondering how these pieces came to be. Last year, the Spartan Union’s Business Leadership class ran a contest to create a new piece of art for the coffee shop. After a committee anonymously reviewed a number of entries, the artwork of Erin Halada (12) and Katina Mistrioty (12) was selected to be put up in the school. Initially, the Business Leadership class tried to turn the courtyard into a more social space, the mural being the first step in this process. Unfortunately, Halada and Mistrioty ran into some hiccups along the way. The brick on the outside of the school was not suitable for painting on, and any mural put up would have to deal with problems of weathering and upkeep. So, a new plan was devised. 4 | spartan banner • fall 2018
In the end, their hard work paid off. The message “Be Brilliant” speaks out to the students, faculty, and community members that pass by the mural. Halada and Mistrioty believe in this message, “to tell people to be different, be unique, be your own person”. The hallways are becoming more bright and vibrant, a stark contrast to the cream and navy walls of the school. About a decade ago, a renovation of the school used a more neutral color for the walls throughout the school. Unfortunately, this process covered up most of the murals that were already in place on the walls of the school. But, as of a couple years ago, a revival of art at East has taken place, with more art and murals popping up everywhere. The painting in the English hall and the mural in the choir room have been the first steps
Designed by: Zoë Brown in creating a more lively environment at our school. With the addition of Halada and Mistrioty mural the hallways have been more alive than ever. The duo have many prospects for the future of art at Brookfield East. They hope to be able to paint another mural sometime in the near future using extra supplies from their first project. Principal Andy Farley also encourages students to keep an eye out for more mural contests in the near future, giving students (artists and non-artists alike) a chance to express their creativity. He believes “hallways can be like museums” and that “Katina and Erin’s certainly tells a story”. Moving forward, Brookfield East will be adding more exhibits to its hallways, allowing the students of the time to leave their mark in the school’s history.
Written by Sophia Finn Designed by Allie Keith
The Association for the Rights of Citizens with handicaps (ARCh) has an extensive record of community service, evident in the range of groups it’s aided. The methods its members use to meet their goals, as well as the skills they gain in the process, are intentional and effective. The mission of ARCh is education-based. They provide information on topics such as anti-bullying and the prevention of disabilities such as fetal alcohol syndrome and shaken baby syndrome. Muralidharan Govindarajan (MGR), Ada Huang, and Antony Amala are all juniors and members of ARCh. Barbara Gommermann is the club’s advisor. Her responsibilities require facilitating Brookfield East’s involvement in ARCh, but not directly leading meetings; the organization aims to be as student-driven as possible.
“The ARCh program at East is encouraging students to expand their comfort zone and grow their leadership skills through acts of respect.” scripts and organizing events. “Elementary schoolers and middle schoolers … look up to us as high schoolers.” says Govindarajan. The approach to older audiences differs. They instruct said adults on how to address children with the subject matter that ARCh covers. Huang says the presentations tend to be more mature. The club utilizes performances to get their message across, explains Amala. When adults see the members putting on serious skits, “they’re just engrossed. It just strikes the meaning in deeper”. Huang emphasizes that these performances are about teaching respect. When the audience ”can see it and see what situation could happen” the consequences and solutions feel more real.
“It’s just respecting everyone … just understanding others” as Huang describes ARCh. “‘Difference” is a very broad term. You can have different definitions about that, but just support everyone.”
While doing good for society, the members of ARCh grow as well. “Every meeting we do, every presentation we do, every event we do, you just earn more skills every time,” explains Huang.
The club speaks to everyone from schools to businesses. However, younger audiences tend to be the most receptive.
The presentations bolster members’ public speaking along with their confidence. Behind the scenes, they practice writing
Amala shares, “I personally stutter a lot when I talk in public … being in ARCh has helped me ease that a bit. I’m much more confident when I speak in public.” Leadership is something ARCh prioritizes for its members. Govindarajan explained how every member of ARCh can use their individual talent to lead the club when it is needed. Gommermann favors the club’s activism through education, as “there’s a lot of negativity in our society right now. And I just think it’s a really good opportunity to do something to change for the positive.” This change is a community effort. The Brookfield East chapter typically meets every other Sunday, but joins with other schools to perform at events, one of which occurred as recently as this past spring. Govindarajan concludes with, “spread the value of respect and understanding, no matter what political side you’re on. That’s something that’s universal.”
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Midterm Elections and East Involvement As Midterm Elections come to a close, East students share their experiences and thoughts on the political climate. Written by: Elizabeth Gardner Designed by: Emma Jester
Israel, France, and Mexico all have something in common. They, along with 22 others, have a higher voter turnout rate than the United States by the thousands. There are exceptions though. At a few points in history—the civil rights and women’s suffrage movements, for example—the general public has voted in record numbers for the candidates they thought best for the country. With so many passionate Americans, the 2018 midterms was one of these landmark moments in history. Before, the November elections were set to the backdrop of a turbulent but energized political atmosphere—division over the “Me Too” and Black Lives Matter movements, Judge Kavanaugh confirmation hearings, gun control, and the president had voters across the political spectrum ready to cast their ballots. The fate of our elections rested on young, fresh-faced teenagers ready to make an impact. Whether a political speaker, event, or elections caused an interest in working in politics, some of our own students at Brookfield East helped Get Out the Vote, many not even of voting age. Emma Hitzemann (12) found her ideology in the 2016 election. She explains that “it was around the time that...every teenager is figuring out what they believe in”, so she asked herself: “do I believe in what my parents believe in or do I want to branch out?”. Hitzemann interned for Julie Henszey, the Democratic candidate for 5th District State Senate who she describes as focusing on “diversity”, “getting more women at the table”, and “[electing] new people”. Similarly, Erin Sankey (12) worked on the Randy Bryce campaign, Democratic candidate for 1st Congressional District. Her most exciting experience was hearing Bernie Sanders speak at one of Bryce’s rallies— hat he made the trip from Vermont for a local Wisconsin candidate made the event feel really special.
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Seniors Lauren Hoffman (left) and Natalie Sankey (right) snap a photo at Burleigh Elementary School after voting in their first election.
Dylan Spoerl (12) has had a slightly different experience with politics. Rather than being mobilized by the past elections, Spoerl got involved in politics by studying key figures in history such as Winston Churchill, Abraham Lincoln, and Enlightenment
philosophers. He chooses to listen to “independent political creators such as the Ben Shapiros… rather than a manufactured news source”. In particular he pays attention to the issues of healthcare, immigration, and military spending; much of his support is determined by those core debates. Anna Ohde (12) also strays from the regular path of party politics by supporting candidates “if they have a group of certain things that I can identify with”. Like Spoerl, Sankey, and Hitzemann, Ohde plans on pursuing political science in college and beyond, so working on campaigns is something that interests her. In fact she would consider the idea of being on the trail her “default”. While this group of seniors may agree on key issues in the country, they all have different outlooks on how the midterms affected the national atmosphere. Spoerl, for example, sees these elections as “a contribution to the deterioration” of politics because with them comes “groups getting involved in mud-slinging”.
Hitzemann remarked that the results surprised her, as there was a “huge mix” of winners and losers. Democrats managed to take the state executive branch and Republicans maintained their control of the State Senate and Assembly—Hitzemann thought the branches would “go one way or another.” While Spoerl understands that “the party [he] wanted to win didn’t”, he does not take the new administration as a total loss; he explains that Walker was “not his favorite governor“ to begin with. One of the main concerns Americans express coming out of the midterms is that nothing will get done in a split Congress. Sankey sees this “division” as a good thing. Instead of one party controlling all branches of the government, “everybody [gets] something”. She argues the situation at hand encourages cooperation rather than exclusion. Hitzemann has hope for the country moving forward, as “[people] like John McCain, a Republican, [were] huge on crossing the aisle”. With fresh faces in Congress, bipartisanship, in her eyes, is more than possible in American politics.
While Ohde is unsure on what the candidates or election could do, she believes that turnout is bound to increase, that “the current atmosphere [is] making sure that a lot more people will be voting this time around”. Sankey views the issue from a different perspective. She believes that the party in power inevitably suffer losses because all the country’s issues are considered a “reflection of [the] party”. She adds that “these midterms will definitely be a reflection of the president’s job”. Olivia MacGillis (12) stresses that regardless of who people support, they must “keep an open mind”. Whenever making an argument or holding a position, one should “question and really think about it”. Following up a week after the election, the seniors offer different takes on the results. As she hoped, Ohde believes that “everybody got their voice heard” during this election cycle. Regardless of the outcome, she was “just happy that people actually went out and voted”.
Anna Dresang (12) after exercising her right to vote. spartan banner • fall 2018|7
the college application proccess
debunked Written by Ariana Collins Photos by Stephanie Taylor Designed by Allie Keith
Senior Spartans tell us their honest feelings about where they are at with college applications.
Interested in math and engineering, Billy Huang (12) is applying to schools with strong computer science programs. “I’m kind of stressed with the application, but I’m excited for the college I’m going to.” (upper left)
“What college am I going to go to?”, “How will I pay for it?”, and “Are my grades high enough?” are the questions Brookfield East seniors are asking themselves as deadlines for college applications approach. The college application process can be intimidating, especially if students don’t have parents or siblings who went through it. However, the staff of Brookfield East is more than willing to help students during these chaotic times. Mrs. Michelle McKenna, a school counselor who offers help and advice to students concerning college applications, said that often students come in asking for help concerning schools they should apply to. When applying, McKenna describes three different types of schools: reaches, matches, safeties. She explains that a reach school is one where the student’s, “ACT and grade point average might not be aligned with what schools are asking for.” A match is a school where the applicant
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would fit perfectly with and a safety school is a school “based on your ACT and grade point average that you would be a good match for.” Safety schools, then, are the schools a student knows they will get into given their academic performance club activities, and personal hobbies. McKenna concludes that if the student is honest with themself about which school fits into each category, they will not be as disappointed if not accepted to their preferred college. She also explained that selecting colleges requires students to think about a lot of different factors such as pricing, location (in-state vs. out-of-state), campus size, majors offered, etc.. So when students come in for advice, she often discusses these factors and helps them decide what is best for them. When it comes to actually applying, many schools offer an early decision option where students can apply to college early and are
accepted earlier than usual. Applying early increases the chances for students to be accepted because of the space available. Early applicants generally need to get their applications in by November 1st depending on the school. For example, the University of Madison’s early admission deadline is November 1st, while its regular admission deadline is February 6th. McKenna and Mr. Jeff Ortman, an English teacher who is often consulted for college application essay advice, simply suggest to start preparing early. Ortman explained that the best course of action is to “do as much of [the application] over the summer or the previous summer” as possible. He continued that if seniors wait they become overwhelmed trying to balance school work and college applications. McKenna also suggests to start researching schools early. She explains it is important to know the specifics of each college’s application.
“I’m just still confused at what I wanna actually do,” says Jackson Pickerell (12). Unsure of his major, he is focusing on his current tasks: graduating high school, and getting a good ACT score.
While some have long list of requirements, others don’t require you to have any letters of recommendation but others do.” Knowing exactly what is necessary helps students budget their time and make the most of their summers. Many students want to know what colleges are looking for and what they are looking at when seeing students applications. McKenna describes the process as a holistic one. This means admissions boards look at an applicant’s entire profile rather than just single essays or scores. This is not to say that such aspects of the application do not matter, rather than what is most important is doing things “that you’re really passionate about or that mean something to you. It’s not like you’re checking off boxes and saying okay I’m in five different things but I’m not doing anything in those activities.” In fact, some colleges stress this holistic process to the extent that they have become “test-optional”. This means they do
Almost done with most of her applications, Anna Dresang (12) is less stressed than earlier this month, but she still explains, “My feeling is just pain.”
not require ACT, SAT, SAT Subject Test, or AP Exam scores, nor will they look down upon those students who choose not to submit their scores. A growing trend, notable universities like the University of Chicago, George Washington College, and Wesleyan College have all declared themselves test-optional. If a student is trying to distinguish their application in non-academic ways, Ortman recommends they write truly honest and personal essays. With so many experiences to draw upon, the best applicants often describe events that describe a “view of who they are, a component of who they are what their personality is.”
than the what. One essay that left a mark on Ortman discussed a student writing about her fascination with legos as a child - she’s applying to engineering programs. That connection was “really powerful” to Ortman, as colleges are looking for “something from the heart that has voice and passion and expresses who they are”. Both Ortman and McKenna stress that students should seek help when applying to college. The process is stressful and confusing but the staff at Brookfield East is trained and interested in helping out. Go to the writing center, ask teachers to read over essays, go to counselors for advice, prepare for college applications early, work hard, and it will pay off.
One of the places most difficult to do this is the “why this college” prompt. Here, Ortman finds that students fall back upon generic answers like “It’s a good program in the area I’m interested in”. Instead, he suggests answering more from the heart, discussing the why rather
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Ready to get a degree in actuarial sciences, Chris Bitz (12) is already accepted into UWWhitewater through the on-site admissions process at Brookfield East. “I was in there for six minutes, and I was accepted in four.”
S.E.E.D Clubs Tackles Recycling at East Written by Elizabeth Redmond Designed by Ian Brown
With a student population of roughly over 1,000 kids, Brookfield East produces lots of waste. S.E.E.D club formed this year to tackle that waste and try to encourage students and faculty recycle as much of it as they can. “I wanna go overseas to a college nobody here cares about,” says Maryam Biyabani (12). On her own, Biyabani has been researching how to apply to international schools because she finds that Brookfield East’s college resources are more focused on schools within the US.
Desana Alvarado (12) finished applying to UW Oshkosh, Ripon, Milwaukee and Madison, but she doesn’t feel relieved yet. Alvarado says, “Really anxious just kinda waiting (for a decision), and I guess that’s the worst part is not knowing.”
The November 1st deadline for early college applications can feel rushed for Nikhita Santebennur (12); however, she adds, “All the seniors are struggling together, so I know we can pull through this.”
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Experts often argue that if everyone were to recycle in their homes, much of climate change could be solved, or at the very least slowed down. What, then, would happen if large institutions like schools doubled down on their recycling efforts? That is what the Students Encouraging Environmental Development (SEED) club is trying to find out. Newly formed this year, the organization aims to educate students about ways they can help protect the environment. One of the major obstacles SEED has found is the lack of knowledge most have when it comes to Brookfield East’s recycling policy. There are many rumors claiming both that East recycles and that it does not; one of the club’s main tasks is to put that debate to rest. Zoe Barany (12) from SEED clarifies that “the myth is not true, and [East] do[es] recycle. We recycle, and we recycle bulk items like paper, tin, aluminum, etc.” Setting misinformation straight is the first step toward students understanding how important their actions are.
Outside of recycling, members of SEED have a number of suggestions to be more environmentally friendly. The first is bringing reusable bottles and containers to school rather than using disposable items every day.
On a larger scale, students can carpool to conserve gas. Because so many East students drive, halving the amount of gas emitted would have a big impact on our local air quality, explained another SEED member.
“We recycle, and we recycle bulk items like paper, tin, aluminum, etc.”
The club’s core message is that even small acts every day matter, that “it’s really just the little things that help in the long run”.
Another suggestion is to take full advantage of the school’s resources, like the bottle filler attached to most water fountains in the hallway. One member recommended simply bringing tupperware lunch containers and utensils.
To spread this information, members of SEED plan on stopping in classrooms - most likely during an upcoming excellence period - and giving students the basic knowledge that East does in fact recycle and that people should be paying special attention which bin they dispose their waste in. Informing students is only the first phase in the club’s plan for the future. After everyone is on the same page, they hope to engage in larger projects involving the school to make waves not just within the student body, but the larger Elmbrook community.
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the Adventure of a Lifetime
For two weeks in June, different foreign language trips took place all across the world. Students learning Spanish went to Spain, students learning French went to France, and students learning Mandarin went to China. They had the opportunity to immerse themselves in the host-country’s culture, be it through food, activities, or sight-seeing. More than 50 language learning students chose to attend these foreign language trips and contributed the following pictures to share their experiences with those at home.
Spain
Written by Shagun Singh Designed by Allie Keith
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El Escorial, Spain The monastery, located in Madrid, was built in the 16th century as a monument to Spanish monarchs. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984, and has remained a popular tourist destination since. Photo courtesy of Arnav Tripathi spartan banner • fall 2018|13
Juniors Juliet Sawicki, Alison O’Brien, Rebecca Raynier, and Rachel Martin wave to tourists above as they float along the Seine river in Paris. Photo courtesy of Allie Keith
Shanghai, China
The students on the China trip stopped at a lake outside of Beijing. Photo courtesy of Bella Rosa
Paris, France
Gazing out of the Oriental Pearl Tower observation deck, students had a clear view of most of Shanghai, including the Shanghai World Finance Center, Shanghai Tower, and Jin Mao Tower. Photo courtesy of Luc Megal
Great Wall of China “I saw the [Great Wall] and was like, wow. That’s a cool picture, so I took it.” - Jack Browne
Granada, Spain Photo courtesy of Arnav Tripathi
Beijing, China Temple of Heaven, Beijing, China Senior, Bella Rosa, made a new friend outside the Temple of Heaven, a complex of religious buildings built in the 15th century.
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Seville, Spain Waiting around for other students, Anshul Tripathi snapped this photo outside Seville Cathedral.
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East Employs New Safety Precautions In an attempt to prevent violence and potential threats to students, Elmbrook Schools adopts Raptor. Written by Ananth Bhat Designed by Zoë Brown Photographed by Arjun Shreekumar In today’s day and age discussing school safety is a glum yet necessary discussion. Not only to ensure the safety of students from school shooters, but also from threats beyond students to make sure that each and every base is covered. Raptor is the apparent solution to this issue as it ensures student safety from sexual predators who arrive unannounced to a public or private school. It is the solution that is currently being deployed across schools in the Elmbrook School District to ensure the safety of every student from kindergarteners to high school seniors. Why was Raptor picked? According to
Dr. Hansen, the school district had a concern with their visitor management, as it felt lacking and weak. Visitors were initially given a sticky badge with the letters “Visitor” across their chest and there was no way of making sure whether or not “the people visiting our school has the appropriate background to be in our school.” So they looked at a variety of options to streamline the communities concerns. “One was to make sure that the people visiting our school has the appropriate background to be in our school. Second was to help our office staff administration know who was in the building and where they were supposed
to be. Third was to track and log who came and when they left. That’s why raptor was selected.” The procedure to conduct the background check is as simple as each and every visitor is instantly screened against the registered sex offender databases in all fifty states through a simple swipe of their drivers license. Mr. Farley then said that, if the visitor shows up on sex offender database an administrator escorts them out and “a message is sent out to every guidance counselor and administrator.” This assures that if the visitor gets violent the situation can be brought under control
If they are not detected on the database and are cleared from being a sexual predator, they are given a badge which holds a picture of them and their intent for visiting as well as the room number they will be visiting. This is to make sure if they do have any hidden intent they can be easily identified by concerned students and teachers. Not to mention the process is quite time efficient, as according to Mr Hansen, “The first visit is the most time consuming visit.” Taking around 3 to 5 minutes. From thereon the process is way quicker, ensuring that it is efficient. However, certain students have expressed concerns regarding Raptor. Alex Maier (11), stated that “this doesn’t sound like it’s adding any protection for students. It [is] just like an extra layer of hassle that doesn’t protect against any actual violence that would harm students.”
“This doesn’t sound like it’s adding any protection for students.” He saw it as a mere publicity stunt with a superficial layer of protection.
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Erin Sankey (12) concurred as “there are other safeguards in place that restrict sex offenders from coming to schools. For example they cannot be within a certain radius of the school. In addition you also don’t need to be a sex offender to be dangerous. There are other people who are dangerous who are not on the sex offender registry.” When further discussing Raptor, Sankey and Maier were concerned with the school’s communications department as Alex Maier had never heard of the Raptor Security system and it being put in place. Moreover Sankey said that she had heard it from a fellow student and “would like to hear about it from the school.” This sparked a conversation that took a different direction regarding communication strategies. This is important because the Elmbrook School board makes many decisions regarding finance, education, security changes, renovations throughout the school district, etc. It would be wise to inform students, teachers and parents of the decisions made during these meetings so that if the community disagrees with the decision made, the school board can be made aware of it and the community could be more involved in the decisions that affect their children. Hence, a better communications strategy involving security changes, finance, education etc could be better known via text messages or email.
When Mr Farley was questioned for an answer regarding this topic he stated that “as we develop more tools to make our environment safer we will send more information. We will have a better communication strategy with students.”
“We will have a better communication
strategy with students.” For now, Raptor is an extra layer of security to keep students safe from a threat that might occur as it is better to be safe than sorry. Furthermore it is quite a cheap security system as it takes $1600 for initial installation, $480 of which is for a yearly subscription to the service, ensuring that the costs do not weigh upon too heavily on the school budget. The Raptor Security system has received great praise from other school districts that have employed its use. Time will tell how wise of an investment the new security system will turn out to be in our school district.
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A New Face For Elmbrook To keep up with changes in every aspect of the district, Elmbrook Schools redesigned their logo to represent their values. Written by Anna Ohde and Viktor Sakman Designed by Zoë Brown Just in time for the 2018-2019 school year, Elmbrook revealed the district’s new “Alchemist” logo. This has been the first logo change in fifteen years. Changing the logo had three primary objectives: 1. Find our identity. 2. Simplify our identity. 3. Express our identity. The total projected cost of developing and launching this logo is $15,000. The operation for the new logo began on November 2017, and concluded on May of 2018, when students noticed the new logo on the top-right corner of their school email page. The term “Alchemy” is used to describe the transmutation of the Earth. Alchemists leave their mark on the community by enthusiastically embracing challenges and rising to the occasion. Even though Elmbrook has been using the same logo for the last decade and a half, there has never been an official tagline. The District Administration wanted to change
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this, so they started experimenting with several new logos for the district. Many of the tested logos appeared to have no significant impact on the community, so administration was inspired to develop a new, memorable, impactful logo.
“The district intends to have the logo to serve as a decision making guide.”
surveys about branding were conducted with focus groups consisting of staff, students, parents, alumni and community members. After collecting feedback, several tagline options were developed and additional surveys were conducted. Finally, the ‘become what’s next’ logo was presented to our district leaders and the Board of Education for approval. This tagline has a different meaning for every person that sees it. After doing a presentation of the new tagline in Mr. Seaman’s marketing class, students described the tagline as an invitation, not an expectation; an invitation for students to continue achieving excellence beyond high school graduation, not an expectation to be better.
District administration hopes the new logo and tagline will allow students and staff to connect the district to the community easier, not seeing them as two separate entities.
“The brand overall is about breaking new ground and helping people be their best.” “The district intends to have the logo to serve as a decision-making guide. The brand overall is about breaking new ground and helping people be their best” is how Chief Strategy Officer Chris Thompson explains the new logo.
The Alchemist logo is here to change lives for the better. The new “prestigious” symbol shows Elmbrook’s best qualities, and evoking a sense of admiration, achievement, and respect for success, without displaying arrogance. When asked about the goals of the new logo, Thompson responded, “we want our district brand to reflect the outstanding work and achievements of our students and staff. We feel the new logo and tagline better represent the quality and commitment to excellence that our community has come to know and expect of us.” He continued, “there will be several changes over the course of the 2018-19 school year. We converted our website to the new colors and brand in August. Our Annual Report to all community families will reflect our new brand and tagline. Simple, but visible, changes include changing the logo on all district vans, new marketing materials for High School Open House night in October, or Kindergarten Information Night in January will be updated. We are also updating and developing new board and community presentation templates that incorporate the logo and color scheme,
to help strengthen our brand in the community.” These goals are very evident among teachers. Mr. Coffey, a teacher at Brookfield East for twenty-four years, noticed that the logo came at a time that Elmbrook has become far more prevalent in the workforce, “I believe the administration is trying to draw attention to the new program, like LAUNCH, and show how connected the district is to the real world.” Some teachers had a different perspective. Mr. Cramer, who has been teaching at East for two years stated: “I think the administration wants to show that Elmbrook is a district that’s willing to change as change is needed… The new logo places an emphasis on preparation for students’ future rather than on the here and now.” Regardless of perspective, both teachers noticed Elmbrooks main goal with the rebranding: prepare students for the future, not just the present.
The quote “become what’s next” became a district tagline of the district after several
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FreshmEn Take over Varsity
Another student with history in her sport is freshman Olivia Mcsorley (second from left) who’s on the varsity golf team. She “started golfing at around 6 or 7”, participating in junior golf programs to develop her skills. Although she loves golf, Mcsorley agrees it is hard to make up for all her school work and still perform at a high level. During the off-season, she practices often so she can maintain her level of play.
Written by Elenore Cornelie Designed by Allie Keith
There is no time to learn the needed organizational skills students are thrown right into the mix. Much of the difficulties of varsity sports come from just “trying to keep up”, says Krill. Throughout the season, Krill has developed her tennis game, but she’s also grown as a person. Playing at a high level and interacting with upperclassmen has
forced her to mature, to learn how to “adapt to new things”. Over the last few months she has really “bonded with a lot of the teammates, it’s definitely been a growing process.” For Krill, tennis abilities run through her family as her parents and brothers all play tennis. One of her brothers, Robert Krill, is currently on the Wisconsin men’s tennis team. Because she has been around tennis for so long it is “kind of in the genes.”
Photo by Jay Lo
Margaret Krill (9) is a freshman on the varsity tennis team. She has been honing her skills from a young age, starting the sport when she was 3 years old. One of the hardest parts of starting at
a high level is balancing tournaments and practices with school work.
Photo by Allie Keith
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Photo by Angela Graf
Similarly, Brady Frey (9), a freshman on the varsity football team, also has strong Badger ties - his father played on the Badgers football team for one year. Furthermore, his dad has 7 siblings who all played football. Frey can draw on his dad’s football experience and often goes to him for help. His dad has taught him a lot about attitude and effort and how to “deal with pressure in school and sports”.
That is one of the main factors she thinks contributed to her early success. If you consistently work hard and show progress, “you’ll have a chance on varsity”, Mcsorley encourages.
Photo submitted by Maddie Krogwold
For many high school students, playing a varsity sport is the ultimate goal of their athletic career. Spots on a varsity roster are rare, often filled by upperclassmen. However, select athletes dive straight into the deep end, joining a varsity team during their first year at Brookfield East.
Part of what makes all the work worth it is the family environment of the team. Because they have more high school experience, the upperclassmen were ”very supportive and helped her out with homework”.
Unlike his fellow varsity athletes, Henry Irwin (9) has not always focused on soccer. He started playing from a young age, but has experimented with other activities before deciding to go all in on the sport.
Being a freshman, there are a lot of responsibilities to the team. Everyone counts on the new members to complete tasks to prepare for practices and games, and if they don’t, the whole team runs.
After trying baseball, basketball, and tennis, Irwin found that he really enjoyed “going after a ball and trying to score”. So, he picked soccer and has been making waves since.
Irwin is thankful for his experience on the Varsity soccer team. He especially appreciates how he “got to know so many older kids and I had really good relationships them before school even started.”
What connects these athletes is their passion and dedication. Not only do they demonstrate exceptional skill at their sport, but they are willing to put in hours of work to achieve their goals. Even if everything does not go perfectly the first time, they are willing to adapt and persevere. In Krill’s words: “It’s a growing process”.
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Rebuilding
After the head coach of MANY years stepped down last season, Mr. Saxton and Ms. Sayles teamed up to revamp the program at a different angle. The Brookfield East girls basketball program has started the process of rebuilding, and with a new era comes a new coaching staff: Mr. Tyler Saxton, the new Varsity head coach, and Ms. Lindsay Sayles, the new Varsity assistant coach. Formerly an assistant coach, Saxton has taken the reigns from Mr. Goodman, who stepped down after last season. Adjusting from assistant to head coach has given Saxton an opportunity to mold the team in his own creative vision. Now in full control, Saxton finds he can “incorporates more of what [he] sees versus falling in line with the vision that was created.” At the same time, his level of responsibility has increased dramatically with the new position. He must now run the team himself, but he has had some good lessons to learn from. Under Goodman, Saxton realized the importance of running a detail oriented team where all aspects and angles of the game are considered. Saxton’s basketball experience runs deep. Not only does he have previous years of head coaching experience, but he also played the sport himself at Maryville University.
Written by Ali Riaz Designed by Allie Keith
Basketball
He thinks his tendency to view things uniquely comes from his experience there. Because he is a “short guy that’s not very athletic”, Saxton had to develop strategies from a “different type of angle”. Experience alone, however, is not enough. Saxton has learned important lessons from several coaches - most notably, Coach Rux, the head of our men’s basketball team. In paritcular, he has learned that “nothing happens overnight” - every new skill takes time to sink in. Saxton understands that he needs to “develop relationships with the kids and empower the kids to make choices, decisions, and allow them to fail.” Making that
happen, he argues, comes down to culture.
for him”, she hesitantly signed up.
He finds that if you can develop players and have fun “no matter what your offense and defense is, you’ll be very successful.” Also important is how one defines that success.
She does not regret it. Playing on the team was “a wonderful experience”, giving her a “whole different path going forward.”
More than just winning on the scoreboard, Saxton believes that the growth is what matters. Every game, regardless of outcome, “contributes to the the process of getting better”. Along with Saxton’s new position comes an increased role in the Junior Spartans women’s basketball program. He plans on taking an active approach, attending practices for students of all ages during the season. Along with attending practices and games, Saxton has also been meeting with all of the Junior Spartans coaches, from first to eighth grade, in order to make sure they’re on the same page. Saxton and the other coaches are developing “skills in third and fourth and sixth grade so that when [the girls] get to high school they’re playing at a high level.” Of course, being on the same page is most important between Saxton and assistant coach Sayles. She began playing basketball at a very young age when her father signed her up to play in a local league. Sayles found she was a natural at the sport, in large part because of her height. Growing much faster than other children her age, Sayles was literally head and shoulders above her teammates. Although the game itself came easy, Sayles did not wish to continue playing through middle and high school; problems with the other girls made her grow to dislike basketball.
Sayles ended up enjoying basketball so much that she looked for ways to stay involved after graduating school - the most natural of which was coaching. She began coaching freshman women’s basketball, but found the workload to be overwhelming as she also worked towards a Master’s degree. With her coursework complete, Sayles was ready to jump back into the game this year. Now a more seasoned teacher and coach, Sayles has insights she thinks will contribute to the team’s success. For one, she believes each member of the team “needs to learn how to work well with others”, a process she knows will take time. Teamwork takes perseverance to develop, Sayles explains. One cannot “just walk out and expect players to believe everything you say because you’re a coach”. Rather, the coach has to show players their potential and clearly communicate how fun working together can be. Although developing chemistry is a tall task, Sayles has the advantage of being a teacher at our school. She sees team members everyday, giving her an “extra connection” with the girls. Clearly, to both Sayles and Saxton, the idea of family is extremely important. In the head coach’s words, “Basketball is one big family. We’re all together,” “Whether you’re a fourth grade girl in junior spartans, or you’re a varsity senior, we’re a part of the same team.”
After her father “begged [her] to try, just
Mr. Saxton began his basketball career at a very young age. 22 | spartan banner • fall 2018
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