Spartan Banner | February 2016

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Spartan BaNNER Volume 55

February 2016

Issue 6

WHAT’S INSIDE! Meet the Candidates, p. 2 Learn who the major candidates are and their supporters at East.

New Wristband that tracks your feelings, p. 3

Learn how you really are feeling throughout the day.

Effects of Caffeine, p. 4 Discover side effects of feeling the buzz of caffeine.

Results from the DYW competition, p. 5

Winners from the distinguished young women competition reveal details from the event.

Essay becomes opportunity to make global difference By Philip Klinker, staff writer (photo credit Adam Storch, staff photographer)

In English 1o Honors it is common for students to pick a major issue in a foreign country and to write a research paper outlining the problem and possible solutions for it. However, students both current and former have done little with this assignment, compared to what Hana Siddiqui did for her paper this year. Hana’s issue was education (specifically for girls) in Pakistan. Of all the countries in the world, Pakistan has the second most children out of school, ⅔ of which are girls. One main reason for this is the presence of the Taliban. The Taliban is a radical, fundamentalist, terrorist organization that controls swaths

of several countries. One of their goals is to prevent women’s education, which they view as an affront to God. To begin, Hana went to her teacher, Mrs. Ryan, for help in writing an introduction to her essay. Hana revealed that she had relatives back in Pakistan and that her grandfather owned land that has a new, all-girls school on it. Mrs. Ryan mentioned that a real life connection like that could make for a good introduction paragraph. Hana would go on to write a spectacular essay and would win her class’s essay presentations. The prize for this is a donation to a charity for relieving the problem the win-

ner wrote about. Hana chose to donate t0 the very school that is on her grandfather’s land. Mrs. Ryan says that the real life connection Hana has was a once in a lifetime opportunity to have a student’s work in class make a difference on the other side of the world. It is an opportunity to show every student that they can make a difference. Not only were collections for money and school supplies made in all of Mrs. Ryan’s classes, but also several other classes in the school. The school supplies are badly needed and the money will go towards various scholarships and a breakfast program. For some girls at

the school, the lunch it gives is the only meal they have all day so the breakfast program is a godsend. The scholarships can be used to sponsor a student for her entire education or several for a shorter amount of time. The money would also go to families who would be forced to send their kids to work without financial support. Hana chose this cause because in our country education is a given for many children. However, in Pakistan it is a rare privilege. It gives us some perspective. It shows us how fortunate we are to have what we do and encourages us to not take it for granted. Mrs. Ryan has said, “My hope

would be that with the money and supplies sent over that they can have a sustainable start. That they feel the support of their western counterparts. Beyond the money I hope that they can find trained and compassionate educators to work with the young girls and end the vicious cycle of a lack of education.” At the end of the fundraiser $1,423 and hundreds of school supplies were collected. Both Mrs. Ryan and Hana would like to thank countless students, teachers, and parents for their generosity. They have touched the lives of young girls who, with their assistance, will receive the education they deserve.

Black History Month: a look into past celebrations By Emma Barbian, staff writer

Every February, the United States celebrates the history of African Americans. Black History Month became officially, nationally recognized in 1976. Prior to this, it was known as Negro History Week, which began in 1926. In the same year, historian Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History dedicated the second week of February to

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be celebrated, as it coincided with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. Emphasis was placed on educating children in public schools about African American history. The first event was only partially successful, and many were hesitant to embrace the idea. Three years later, in 1929, media began publicizing the event, making it

more widely known and popular. This time it was met with a warm welcome. There was a significant increase in interest in black history, including the creation of black history clubs and a greater incorporation into classrooms. One of the most prevalent African Americans in US history is Martin Luther King Jr. King played a major role in the Civil Rights Movement,

spanning from 1954 to 1968. He is best known for his nonviolent approach to civil disobedience, and for his “I Have a Dream” speech, given at the March on Washington in August of 1963. His career as an activist began with the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott. In 1964, King received the Nobel Peace Prize for his work to eliminate racial inequality. Up until his assassination in April

of 1968, King strove to achieve racial justice. In his honor, Martin Luther King Jr. Day is celebrated every year on January 18. This February, remember those who fought for equality, for justice, and for peace. Remember the people like Martin Luther King Jr who dreamed of a better world.

Spartan Banner — February 2016


News

The 2016 Presidential election is right around the corner. It’s looking to be a competitive race in both parties, and people aross the political spectrum are quite passionate about their candidates. This is true even in our own school. Here’s what various members of the Brookfield East community had to say about their candidates of choice... Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton:

A former First Lady, US Senator, and Secretary of State, Ms. Clinton is arguably the best-known of all the front-runners from both parties. She has received criticism from both sides of the political aisle--some fellow Democrats feel she is too hawkish and too close to Wall St., while Republicans frequently bring up the Benghazi embassy attack that occurred on her watch and her e-mail controversy. Still, Ms. Clinton has plenty of supporters who view her as experienced, tough as nails, and someone who can get things done.

”I’m waiting for a woman... President.” --Michael Arndt, Sophomore

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Senator Ted Cruz:

Since 2013, Mr. Cruz has been the junior Senator from Texas. He is arguably one of the more staunch conservatives in Congress, and he has pledged on numerous occasions to attempt to undo various things passed by the Obama administration, such as the Affordable Care Act and the Iran Nuclear Deal. He also vows to scale back or get rid of various governmental organizations, such as the IRS, but at the same time believes in expanding certain things, such as the defense budget.

“As the most conservative of the Republican candidates, he would be a good change for America.” --Bella Petropoulos, Sophomore

Senator Marco Rubio:

Since 2011, Mr. Rubio has been the junior Senator from Florida. He is generally considered the most “establishment” of the GOP frontrunners. Though generally a strong conservative on most matters, he can still be more moderate on certain issues, such as immigration reform. This latter position has caused him to fall out of favor with the Tea Party wing of the GOP that brought him to power, but even in spite of that, the young Senator still has plenty of support to boast about.

“He doesn’t come off as overly conservative, and I agree with him on social issues. He eems like a nice young fellow, and I think this would help him get things done.” --Suzy DeGuire, Senior

Senator Bernie Sanders:

Also a former mayor and congressman, Mr. Sanders is currently serving as Vermont’s junior Senator, a role he has had since 2007. Though he’s the longest-serving Independent in congressional history, Senator Sanders is seeking the Democratic Party nomination. He does not shy away from the label of “democratic socialist,” which has earned him praise from some, and scorn from others. He has long been a champion of many progressive issues, arguably the most notable being campaign finance reform. To show his commitment to this cause, Mr. Sanders has refused any and all campaign contributions from Super PACs.

“It seems like he stands up for what he actually believes in, while others just tell people waht they want to hear.” --Kellie Stein, Senior

Mr. Donald Trump

A businessman and former reality TV show host, Mr. Trump is the only major candidate running who has never been in the government. While some would think this makes him “unqualified,” others admire this “outsider” quality. In other words, Trump can be a divisive figure. Trump is arguably most passionate about immigration reform, but he has also talked extensively about other issues such as tax reform. Trump claims that he’ll “make America great again.”

“I think he can restore America back to its former glory. As a businessman, he can surely get the economy back in shape.” --Ashlea Kielar, Senior

Spartan Banner — February 2016


Technology

You feel; it feels too By: Brenna Verheyen, staff writer

Want to turn off the kitchen lights from your car? There’s an app for that. Want to track your fitness progress and how many steps you take? There’s an app for that. Want to read your emotions on your phone? Now there’s an app for that too. The FeeL is the first ever wristband designed for emotional tracking. The FeeL tracks your emotions through the Autonomic Nervous System by measuring your Electrodermal and Cardiovascular variations. The FeeL was designed to aid in emotional awareness, which plays a major role in mental wellness and alerts the wearer when stress levels are too high. The Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) can be divided into two major branches, the Sympathetic and Parasympathetic nervous systems. The Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) is increased when people feel excitement, stressed, or are surprised. The Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS) is almost

the opposite of the Sympathetic, increasing when the body needs to calm down and relax. The PNS can be activated by a heavy meal, yoga, and deep breathing. The FeeL wristband also uses Heart rate, skin temperature and movement to collect data. In addition to collecting reliable data, the FeeL wristband is technologically advanced like Fitbit. Special sensors on the inside of the FeeL wristband collect data from GSR (Galvic Skin Response), BVP, Temperature and movement. The wristband uses a USB cord, Bluetooth and is completely waterproof. Although it’s still a prototype, the FeeL wristband has broken many technological barriers and will be used as an aid in phycological studies.

All you need to know about FBI v. Apple

BE Key Club makes memories By: Elizabeth Goblirsch, Executive Editor and Mary Slavinsky, Editor-In-Chief

Last month Key Club held an ipod drive for alzheimer’s and dementia patients. The proceeds were distributed to patients facing this condition throughout the Brookfield community. Danny Smerz, the president of Key Club explains that “Mrs. Graesser’s dad suffers from dementia, so when we learned about her close association, [Key Club Officers] saw it fit [to]hold an iPod drive.”

Mrs. Graesser is one of the advisors of the club, along with Mrs. Kassens. Various apps available on ipods also aid in maintaining memory capability in elderly patients, making ipods an important donation item. The drive was successful, collecting about ten iPods and monetary donations. Smerz commented that “although this was just our first year, we greatly appreciate the contri-

butions from other students and hope to receive more support next year.” If anyone is still interested in joining Key Club, meetings are held on Tuesday mornings at 7:25 in the excellence center. The next big event coming up for Key Club is the Red Cross Blood Drive, which will be held on March 8.

By: Anna Sipek, Editor

Apple has refused to comply with federal orders to decrypt San Bernardino killer’s iPhone 5C, after the FBI demanded access on February 16th. The court case has led to major debates between the right to privacy and the privilege of security, but for many the details of the case are unclear. Here’s all you need to know about FBI v. Apple.

the phone ( and therefore gain access to whatever is on the phone), all Apple products require a specific Apple signature for access to be granted. The FBI’s internal hacking system does not work on systems running iOS 8. Enter: Apple.

How did this start? In December 2015, in San Bernardino, California, two American citizens Tashfeen Malik and Syed Rizwan Farook shot and killed 14 people outside of San Bernardino County Department of Public Health before shooting themselves. Though the attack has yet to be claimed by any terrorist group, the FBI has reason to believe they were connected with other terrorists. Farook’s cell phone may provide have information which could take down future terrorist plots.

What has the court ordered Apple to do? Originally, the issue was brought to US Magistrate Judge Sheri Pym who required the company “provide reasonable technical assistance.” Put simply, Apple was ordered to to change the settings for iOS 8 to a setting which would permit an unlimited amount of replies, making access eventual. This type of program is referred to as a “back door,” which was traditionally used for programmers to get back into their systems. Thus far Apple has avoided such software because of the security threats it posed.

Why haven’t the authorities opened the phone yet? The phone is protected by a 4 digit passcode. Now, the FBI could force itself into the phone by trying all possible combinations, however, it is programmed to erase all data after ten passcode entries. Though it is possible for the FBI to de-encrypt

Why is this case important? The case is a battle between ssecurity and freedom. How much does a country give to ensure their safety? How much government is too much. FBI v. Apple will likely set a precedent for the future of technological privacy battles, regardless of the outcome.

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Spartan Banner — February 2016


Trouble in your cuppa jo? By Margaret Slavinsky, Staff Writer

By Nikhita Santebennur, Staff Writer

Super snacks: a guide to healthy eating

Advice

Walking through the lunch line, one often walks right past the salad bar and goes for the pizza and fries. Then, instead of grabbing milk or water, they see a cold, sugary smoothie, and grab that too. Pretty soon, the tray has a nice sizable plate of not necessarily the healthiest food. While a diet like this is acceptable when eaten in moderation, how can we eat healthily to balance this diet? Some say that eating a salad to balance it will do, but a salad comprised of only lettuce will not help as much as some people think. It is important to understand the benefits of different health foods and how to incorporate them into our lifestyle. Always a healthy option, fruit contains many an-

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tioxidants and vitamins that strengthen things like your immunity as well as clear up acne. While many have heard of fruit and its benefits, there are certain fruits that are considered superior because of all the things they contribute to the body. Berries, especially blueberries are grouped into the “superfoods” category for many reasons. They contain excellent sources of fiber, vitamin C and vitamin K which will help with prevention against cardiovascular disease and immunity deficiencies. In addition to that, the vibrant blue and purple pigments in blueberries are caused by phytonutrients. Phytonutrients are special nutrients, different from vitamins, minerals and carbohydrates. They actu-

ally benefit the cellular communication in the body, which overall benefits the muscles along with tissue and organ systems. There are other nutritious foods that you can eat daily and still be just as healthy. Some of these include, avocados, tomatoes, kale, salmon, oats, walnuts, bananas, black beans etc. There are so many healthy foods, it is almost impossible to avoid them and eating more will definitely improve the health of your body. Guacamole,for example, tastes delicious with chips, tacos, burritos and much more! But have you ever thought of the health benefits of eating the fruit behind the tasty dip? Avocados are rich

in vitamin K, C, B5, B6, and E; important to radiant skin, teeth, and hair. They are also loaded with extremely hearthealthy fatty acids. These fatty acids, one being oleic acid, can make a real difference in the health of your heart. A tasty leafy green with high health benefits is kale. Kale is an excellent snack since it contains no fat and is high in fiber. It can be salted, baked and eaten as kale chips, as well as in various salads. It contains high quantities of iron, potassium and vitamin K. With the numerous healthy foods surrounding us day to day, it is crucial to consume the many key nutrients from these healthy but tasty foods.

Many Americans have coffee as part of a daily routine in the morning. Some get up and start a fresh pot of coffee, while others may make a run to a coffee shop on the way to work or to school every day. According to a survey by the Huffington Post, 52% of coffee drinkers would rather have coffee in the morning than have time to take a shower, and over $4 billion is spent on importing coffee every year in America alone. Few even realize how much coffee can affect a person. Although coffee does have some advantages, it also has major disadvantages. The Smithsonian states, “regular caffeine use alters your brain’s chemical makeup, leading to fatigue, headaches, and nausea if you try to quit.” Once the coffee is in your body, it is taken into the small intestine, absorbed, and released into the bloodstream. Because of the way coffee is made, it can dissolve in your blood, and go into the brain. The caffeine, once in the brain, can fit into a compound called adenosine, which normally makes you tired. The caffeine helps wake you up by fitting into that receptor. Most Americans are blissfully unaware of how caffeine affects them. Caffeine can cause headaches, heartburn, high blood pressure, and sometimes nausea. However, even though drinking coffee has many bad side effects, it can also have some good impacts. It can increase your mental abilities, reasoning skills and memorization. High school kids drink coffee to try to stay awake during the day due to the late night studying after school. This may help them in the short term; however, long term, it may not be the best option for the students. When students have caffeine at night, they will be able to study longer, but they will not be able to sleep. The caffeine keeping them awake, then causes them to be even more tired the next day and they will need more coffee to keep them awake. The cycle then repeats. Ava Barker says, “[Starbucks] is a stress-relief. It’s a reward for getting through the week.” Her favorite drink at Starbucks is a caramel macchiato. Another student states, “They make sugary drinks which I myself cannot make at home.” These students enjoy getting Starbucks to get the sugar and caffeine rush throughout the day.

Spartan Banner — February 2016


Feature

Participants in the distinguished young women’s contest pose pre-competition. The girls showed off their fitness, talents, speaking skills, and academic achievements that night, receiving scholarships for their performances.

East places in distinguished women’s competition By Michelle Lazar, staff writer

Distinguished Young Women is an annual event open to all junior girls from the Brookfield, Elm Grove, and Waukesha areas. As a result a majority of the girls are from Brookfield East or Central, but some are from other schools such as DSHA. This means that junior girls have the opportunity to meet girls from other schools and form new friendships. The program is normally divided into the three local categories of Elm Grove, Waukesha, and Brookfield. This program serves as a competition to find the one person who embodies the spirit of each community and can serve as a representative for said communities. Therefore, each girl only competes with girls from the same community. Since the competition is held at Brookfield Central High School, Mrs. Ellen Linnihan is in charge of the program. Distinguished Young Women serves as a scholarship competition and offers girls scholarships for their accomplishments. The program is divided into the following: a fitness routine, a talent, an interview, an academic evaluation, and a self expression piece. Awards are given out to the winner of each individual category as well as the overall

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winner. The fitness category judges each girl’s fitness and overall healthy lifestyle. The talent category is a chance for each participant to showcase any of her talents. This year talent entries included: a karate routine, a variety of monologues, and musical pieces. Anything that the participants deem a talent can be used in this portion of the competition. During the interview question girls are interviewed by a panel of judges for about ten minutes. The judges ask a variety of questions in an attempt to better understand each candidate. Question topics vary from hobbies to current political issues. While this may sound like a very scary process, the interview is relatively easy as all you’re doing is talking about yourself. Yet another category is academics. Your score for this section is determined through your GPA, your SAT/ACT score, and any academic clubs you may be in. The final category is known as self expression. In self expression you are given a question the day of the competition, normally in the morning, and then you have to present your answer on stage winners are those who win the majority of the categories. Runner-ups are also selected in the off chance

that the local winners cannot make it to state. After the local competition occurs, state, and eventually nationals are held. If you put the time and effort into the program you’ll experience amazing results. Not only are the awards amazing but also Distinguished Young Women offers many wonderful experiences to you. For instance, the winner of the Brookfield local competition this year was interviewed on Fox 6 News. The competition also gives partial or even full scholarships to certain universities for local and state winners. Overall, Distinguished Young Women serves as a wonderful platform for junior girls to express themselves and showcase their talent. It also is a wonderful way to find a representative of each community. Distinguished Young Women highlights the enormous amounts of talent each community has and offers each girl a chance to showcase their true selves. To see names of winners, go to the Brookfield East website. Winners of the DYW competition pose for pictures after reciving awards. Photo credits Michelle Lazar.

Spartan Banner — February 2016


Sports

Brookfield Stars Headed for Stardom! When the Banner was sent to print, the most recent playoff game for the Stars was Friday, Febraury 19 at 7:00 PM at the Mullet Ice Center against Arrowhead high school. East lost in the post-season game against Arrowhead.

Brookfield East sophomore, Eric Sinson, skates towards the puck in the 2-1 win against Kettel Moraine. The Stars have had a moderately successful season with a final regular season record of 12-9-2. They advanced to the first playoffs of the season with a game against Grafton on February 16th. Grafton had a regular season record of 4-16-0.

Brookfield East junior, Grady Gibson, skates with the puck along the blue line in the offensive zone during the Stars’ 2-1 win against Kettel Moraine which took place on January 9, 2016 at the Ponds in Brookfield.

Photo Credit: Adam Storch

Photo Credit: Adam Storch

BEHS athletes sign letters of intent By: Mary Slavinsky, Editor-in-Chief

Abby Gregg will be playing soccer at Northern Illinois University.

Brookfield East’s soon-to-be college atheletes assemble in the Field House for signing. They will be representing their colleges in a variety of sports, including volleyball, soccer, and football. Photo credit: Mary Slavinsky

Mike Caliendo will be heading to Western Michigan to play football.

TC Swittel is planning to play football at Michigan Tech

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McKenna Scott will be playing volleyball at UW Oshkosh Arianna Banks will be playing soccer at Loyola University Chicago.

Spartan Banner — February 2016


Humor

Woes of a Brookfield East student Brought to you by Anna Sipek and Mary Slavinsky

IF you’re wearing

IF you ate pizza for

adidas shoes and have econ third block...

lunch today, have a math test during 2nd block, and wear glasses...

you will find true love within the next 50 years.. Congratulations. May Your lives together be a neverending honeymoon.

If you eat a banana every day for the next 30 years of your life...

you will have a steady diet of potassium.

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you will find money at a McDonald’s drive thru in due time, I cannot say how much, but nevertheless, you’ll find it .

Horoscope A new addition to the Spartan Banner, the horoscope section is brought to you by the most experienced and talented astrologist at Brookfield East High School, Madame Sansvrai. Read the horoscopes at your own discretion, but be warned, predictions have been known to come true...

If you enjoy having an

apple with your lunch every day, and have a one-term class first block... you will find the missing 18 ½ minutes of the Nixon tapes behind the third brick from the right on your west basement wall. Turn them over to the federal government at your earliest convenience.

If you have dreadlocks...

terrific things will happen to you.. Venus and the earth chakra are out of faze, so I don’t know what, but it’ll be terrific.

Spartan Banner— February 2016


Opinion

Elizabeth Goblirsch Executive Editor Simran Khunger Michelle Liu Mark Maier Anna Sipek Editorial Staff Mrs. Skatrud Staff Adviser Brenna Verheyen Philip Klinker Michelle Lazar Emma Barbian Margaret Slavinsky Nikhita Santebennur SAFE Club Writers Adam Storch Photographer Wendy Chu Cartoonist

As

the

official

student

news

publication of Brookfield East High School in Brookfield, WI, The Spartan Banner strives to inform the BEHS community while providing a forum for student opinion and expression. The Spartan Banner staff welcomes letters to the editor, guest columns, and story ideas. Submissions must be signed. Staff reserves the right to refuse libelous or obscene material and may edit for length or clarity. Send 3305

submissions Lilly

Road,

to Brook-

field, 53005 or via email at: thespartanbanner@gmail.com. Each issue of The Spartan Banner can be viewed online at

thespartanbanner.com.

The Spartan Banner

@SpartanBanner

SpartanBanner

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By SAFE Club Black Lives Matter (BLM) is a movement to uplift black people and unite the black community. Although the investigation by the prior editorial on the movement is appreciated, the resulting article was problematic and limited. The first claim the editorial makes is that the statistics on the BLM website are inaccurate and misleading. Though we respect the judgments expressed by the editorial, SAFE (Social Advocates For Equality) club would like to point out some major forgotten statistics. According to the United States Census Bureau, whites make up about 63% of the US population and blacks are only 13%. If the police killings were proportionate based on the racial makeup of our country, we would expect roughly 63% of people killed by police to be white and 13% to be black. However, in the Washington Post article that the editorial cites, it states that of the 800 people killed by police this year, half (or 50%) were white and a fourth (or 25%) were black. These numbers are far from the projected statistics previously mentioned, clearly highlighting the startling race-based disproportionality. Above all, BLM works for equality. The disproportionate number of blacks killed by police officers is just a small part of the racial inequality remaining in the US today.

The editorial’s second claim is that black on black murder is a larger issue than police officers killing blacks. While the editorial is correct in saying that there is a high murder rate between blacks, it fails to explain why the murder rates are so high. We agree that black on black murders are a huge issue, but we do not approve of using this topic to distract from discussions about police brutality. To address that briefly, we want to remind readers that research studies consistently show a link between crime and poverty. A great resource for more information on this concept can be found at www. poverties.org. The high poverty rates found in black communities lead to high crime rates, including high murder rates, in those communities. BLM works to ensure equal opportunity for blacks which will hopefully break down the racialized poverty and, in turn, the racialized crime that plagues our nation. Third, the editorial suggests that the BLM movement is hypocritical because it defines itself as a peaceful movement even though some protesters have been known to shout aggressive and threatening chants while at the protests. We are disappointed that the words and actions of just a few outliers are allowed to speak for an entire movement. Many of the BLM marches

and protests have been peaceful, although the media often distorts and only portrays the negative outliers of BLM. The media’s misportrayal of BLM is yet another example of racial inequality in our country. Finally, the editorial says the black minority’s poor reputation is “developed by black people and neighborhoods”, which is why a police officer is more likely to shoot black people, not because of institutionalized racism. It is hurtful, frustrating, and unfair to suggest black people choose the negative stereotypes that are placed upon them. Even if the editorial did not intend to indicate that black people choose these stereotypes, the article suggests the behavior of blacks results in the formation of these stereotypes. All of this is problematic because it denies the existence of the real cause of the negative stereotypes black people face. The real cause is institutionalized racism which is defined as systemic practices in our government, laws, courts, schools, and more that result in unfair treatment of a group based on the group’s race. Although the days of obvious and legal discrimination are over, racially unfair policies and practices still exist on a large scale. These policies and practices significantly disadvantage people of color and continue the cycles of poverty and lack of opportunity that

people of color face. Consequently, privileged people often easily, and inaccurately, form the assumption that poverty is a result of life choices, and stereotypes are formed. Just because many white people cannot see institutionalized racism, does not mean it does not exist. SAFE club encourages readers to consider multiple perspectives, and conduct personal research before making judgments against organizations such as BLM. BLM has gained a large following from not only black people but white people too, and people from many different communities including the LGBT community. BLM’s growth is because its mission is just and wide-reaching. We as a nation need to look deeper and discuss the root causes of the racial inequalities in America today; though before we do, we have to admit that they exist. We recognize that the editorial does not intend to offend and that the claims express a popular opinion. This is why we as a club felt it was necessary to respond. We hope the readers begin to look beyond what they have previously learned and discover a variety of perspectives. Then, instead of placing judgment, listen to those affected. “Rallying protests and trending hashtags” may only get us “so far”, but in a time of deep rooted systemic racism, they are all we have.

By: Wendy Chu, staff cartoonist

Mary Slavinsky Editor-in-Chief

Black Lives Matter: good intentions. Period.

Senior Year, Senior Tear

Spartan Banner Staff

Spartan Banner — February 2016


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