Spartan Banner | Winter 2017

UNTOLD Volume 56, Issue 2 • Winter 2017

High School spartan bannerBrookfield • winterEast 2017|1 3305 Lilly Road • Brookfield, WI • 53005

Editor’s Note

THE BANNER STAFF 2016-2017 EXECUTIVE TEAM

Untold: The Secrets of Our School In this era of technology, we are constantly bombarded by the media. Always, we see the same stories from different sources. And, you really can’t get anywhere without hearing the endless tragedies of the American landscape. War, poverty, violence, all litter our headlines.

While these stories are without a doubt compelling, they’ve always felt a little out of my depth. As a suburban teenager, I’ve never felt more disconnected than when reading about the world’s events. The stories are just too big. The people in them are larger than life, and rarely are they someone we know.

There’s an old quote: it’s amazing how everyday the amount of news that happens in the world fits exactly into a newspaper. Our lives, however, happen outside of the average newspaper.

This term’s theme, Untold, is an effort to bring back the news to the people and places we know or, at least, we thought we knew. Whether it be the teachers we see day after day (page 10), but never really got to know, or the couples we all silently judge for PDA ( page 18), their stories are here.

This issue gives a voice to the people we don’t hear about.

To those struggling with their mental health (page 20).

To the urban explorers (page 4). And most importantly, readers, to you.

Anna Sipek Editor in Chief

Editor-in-Chief ANNA SIPEK

Copy Editor BELLA PETROPOULOS Advertising Manager MARGARET SLAVINSKY Photo Editor ADAM STORCH Social Media Manager BRENNA VERHEYEN Content Editors ANA AGAPITOVA NAMITHA ALEXANDER KATIE ANDREWS ELIZABETH GOBLIRSCH

CLAIRE HILDEBRAND SIMRAN KHUNGER NIKHITA SANTEBENNUR NATALIE SCHMIDT

DESIGN TEAM LISA CHU MARIA KORKOS KATIE POLLOCK LIZ RITCHIE

MIA SCHILDT 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

Adviser MRS. LINDSAY SKATRUD 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 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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FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

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04 Urban Exploration: an escape from social standards

Anonymous students reveal their journies of Urban Exploration.

06 Multiculturalism: Brookfield East’s story

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09 East’s LGBT+ talk self-discovery Learn about the LGBTQ community in your school community.

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18 Love(less) in Brookfield East

Couples from each grade reveal their secrets for a lasting relationship

12 Bosnia to Brookfield Learn about Mrs. Hot’s escape from Bosnia as a young adult.

20 Subjected to stigma

Look into the lives of people who suffer from mental health issues and their day to day experiences.

Explore the lives a students from different cultural backgrounds.

14 Secret Agent to Senora

08 Brookfield East’s students challenge district committee

22 How cliques are 16 Jamming to JavaScript helping our generation

Learn the untold lives of the people who do so much for our school.

Discover Mrs. Wick‘s untold story of her personal experiences.

Get a look into the life of Mr. Cradall before he began teaching career

The inside scoop of how different students view social groups at Brookfield East.

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Urban Exploration: Turner Tushaus

Liz Ritchie

On a Friday night close to midnight an unnamed BEHS student was at an abandoned apartment building by the Iron Horse Hotel in downtown Milwaukee. He and two of his friends started by climbing two stories up a building to get to a fire escape and then the three of them walked up the shaking fire escape to get to the roof.

When they arrived on the roof there was a door that he opened with his foot and after that he found two bricks that he used to open three more doors on the way down the stairs. Then there was a big factory floor with huge elevator shaft and a door next to it. He then opened that door leading to another staircase against an apartment building still in use.

From there, he was able to get into the backs of people’s closets and “that’s where [he] found [his] wrench.” After that, they headed to the lobby of the neighboring building where they snapped some photos. When they returned to the abandoned building they spotted an ATV in the garage of the building through a hole in the ground so they headed down, where they found the ATV along with the keys. After a little joy ride with the ATV around the garage, three men in construction uniforms walked out of the adjacent building.

The student then pulled one of his friends under a trailer and whispered to the other one to get down. The men came in and found a backpack that one of the explorers had left out in the open. The men then yelled and asked whoever it was to show themselves. The student’s friend stood up 4 | spartan banner • winter 2017

an escape from social norms and standards

to claim his backpack and one of the men grabbed him by the shirt, and said “if I ever see you here again, you’re gonna end up in one of those dumpsters, kid.”

There was no mention of the police being called which made it questionable that the men were legitimate construction workers.

So the student and the other friend waited, “[wrench] in hand ready to knock him out if they tried anything but they just escorted him off the property.” The men continued to search the building for about an hour and when the explorers had a chance they made a break for a fence hanging over the Milwaukee river, got over it and sprinted through a large clearing to get back to their car, where they met back up with the other friend. “I got home safe and sound at around 3am.”

This small group of high schoolers is part of a growing population of people who call themselves “urban explorers”. Urban exploration is the exploration of man made structures, usually abandoned or unseen buildings and places that have begun to succumb to the process of urban decay.

The same Brookfield East student from the story above who is an “up and coming” urban explorer describes urban decay as “nature taking back what we (humans) have destroyed.”

Thrill and danger are definitely part of what attracts young people to partake in urban exploration but it’s also an escape from social norms and standards. “We go to these places and we can do [stuff] not usually

accepted in normal civilization,” the Brookfield East student explained. “It’s definitely not worse than drinking and popping pills every weekend like a lot of kids do.” Urban explorers usually get into exploring just by having an eye for unusual places that society has turned its back on. “I find a place and I just want to know its story first hand, you’d be surprised by how much you can find out about a place just by entering it and looking around.”

Despite all the fun to be had in the exploration of interesting places there are some obvious dangers. For example in June of 2015 a 19 year old girl (roommate of a former BEHS student) fell to her death inside of a 30 foot grain elevator while trespassing in Minneapolis. A girl’s life was abruptly ended because of her desire for adventure and danger and there are many other stories like hers.

Here in Brookfield there are very rarely incidents of people exploring abandoned properties and no reports of serious injuries as the cause of such explorations. Nonetheless, more explorations occur in places closer to big cities like Milwaukee where there are higher poverty rates and more abandoned buildings.

According to Brookfield Police Officer, Captain Thomas A. Vento, these abandoned buildings are often in a state of demolition which means they usually have exposed wires and nails, unsafe stairwells, poor lighting, and even exposed or missing areas in the floor. “If someone were to be explor-

ing and find themselves seriously injured, easy access to medical care would be very difficult.”

Additionally, Captain Thomas stated that anyone who is caught exploring an abandoned property could be charged with criminal trespass, disorderly conduct, prowling and criminal damage to property just to name a few. He also added: “my first advice is don’t do it. I can’t think of an instance where this is being done legally so it is the answer I am obligated to provide.”

His second piece of advice is to “Go back to Pokemon Go!”

“ You’d be

surprised by how much you can find out about a place just by entering it and looking around.

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MULTICULT Brookfield E Multiculturalism. Many of us are familiar with this term. It comprises of various things: language, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, age, etc. You don’t have to change yourself to fit into the multi-cultural crowd- because you are already a part of it. There is no set mold designed for this group, because uniqueness is the key element that defines this crowd. Brookfield East is filled with cultural diversity, if one chooses to look.

us learn it.” For some, being multi-cultural impacts social life. Being part of another culture introduced Caroline to many people, resulting in her having “a very diverse group of friends from both in school and outside of school.” Meanwhile, some like Nikhita don’t experience any difference or effect.

“My culture has not impacted my social life very much,” she says. “It does not dictate who I’m friends with or who I spend time with.”

Each person has a different experience and level of interaction with their culture.

Some, like junior Caroline Lieu, are very well versed in their second language and greatly involved with the various cultural festivals and celebrations. “I speak Vietnamese at home, and I find that knowing another language makes learning a third or fourth language a bit easier,” Caroline says. On the other hand, there are people like Nikhita Santebennur, a sophomore, who are still able to embrace their culture without needing to be as well versed in the language or specific rituals. “My mom and dad would speak Kannada (language native to the Indian state of Karnataka) around the house growing up,” says Nikhita. “But they never formally taught it to us or made

While referring to festivals, they both seemed to celebrate their cultural holidays.

Caroline isn’t restricted to only celebrating Vietnamese holidays, like Lunar New Year and the Moon Festival. “I am also able to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas ...I’m exposed to traditions from both the American culture as well as my own culture at home,” she adds. Even though Nikhita doesn’t celebrate many, one of her favorites includes Diwali, the Festival of Lights.

“Diwali is especially fun since we get to light sparklers and fireworks with family,” Nikhita says. Caroline will be passing her culture on to her kids as well, acknowledging that it “may be difficult, because the only Vietnamese influence they would have will be at home...and my kids would be much more

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exposed to American culture at school.”

Nikhita agreed that she will make sure they know and understand their background, but firmly stated that “it will never be forced on them,” as she wants them to be able to follow or believe whatever they chose.

Of course, there are many other different views and ways to celebrate cultures within the student body, and not all of them are represented here.

Despite the already sizeable amount of cultural acceptance at East, both of them seemed to agree that they still combat racial stereotypes at school. Nikhita hasn’t faced direct prejudice, but she knows that “it is always there...If I’m smart or good at something, people might reason it’s ‘because she’s Indian’ and not because I have genuine interest. I want to be seen as an individual, and not grouped by the stereotypes that follow.” Caroline shares the same thought, as she often receives comments about how her race affects the grades she gets. “It is expected that we get good grades easily and that we don’t have to work for them,” Caroline says. “But there are also other stereotypes for my race. For example, if you are a female and an Asian, you are a terrible driver. Another one is that they all

LTURALISM: d East’s Story assume Asians only want to be doctors or engineers.” Many share a similar sentiment with Nikhita when she says that she wants to be looked at as an individual and not be grouped by her ethnicity and the stereotypes that follow.

A fresh perspective on the diverse culture of East was brought by Gi, a transfer student from Brazil. “Everything here is very different from Brazil. There’s a lot of cultural diversity in Brazil because of the way it was colonized..in my school everyone is pretty much Brazilian, which is a mix of Portuguese, Africans and native Brazilian.”

She also adds that there are “a lot of people that are from different countries and ethnic backgrounds.” Gi draws similarities between the cultural environment between East and Brazil, and finds them pretty similar in the approach and treatment towards different cultures, noting that “East is very diverse. It is cool to see so many different cultures in the school.”

One of the French teachers, Madame Kosmider, especially loves learning about cultures and languages - whether it be through travelling or by talking to her students that also speak multiple languages at home. She

started her journey in the French language while she was in high school, and wanted to take Spanish as well, but was discouraged from doing so. “To learn about a culture is by going there, or if you can’t go there you can talk to people from there, and ask questions,” Kosmider says. “In general people are also interested and very open to sharing about their culture as well. It makes the world feel smaller.” Kosmider encourages everyone to take multiple languages as well.

Kosmider has interacted with multiple cultures and languages over several years, and highly suggests taking at least one foreign language at the high school level.

Although all of them acknowledged the good level of cultural awareness and acceptance at East, they agreed that there is still room for improvement. Gi admits that more awareness about her culture would be great, as Brazil is itself such a big country, with “a lot of culture in every part of it.” This can be facilitated with cultural events or nights, as suggested by Nikhita.

These “can be open to anyone interested, where they can learn more about different cultures.” Caroline thinks that awareness is grown over time. “Maybe in history classes, movies or documentaries can be shown to

Deepali Bhalla Margaret Slavinsky

students about other cultures while they are learning about a time period to expose them to other cultures in history as well,” she says. Meanwhile, Kosmider promotes it everyday. She asks her students “about where they are from and about their heritage in class,” and she tries to celebrate them in every way.

Many assume that having such a diversity in American society may lead to increased racism, stereotyping, social conflict, or loss of culture. But most of these fears are triumphed by the numerous benefits: improved interaction, social awareness, expanded thinking, self and social growth, intellectual advancement, and many more, something that Madame Kosmider sees in her classroom every day. There is an enormous potential in the power of diversity, and the existence of each culture should be celebrated and embraced today.

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BROOKFIELD EAST STUDENTS CHALLENGE DISTRICT COMMITTEE Arjun Shreekumar “The Teaching and Learning staff works collaboratively with teachers and administrators to ensure success and growth for all,” states the mission statement of the Elmbrook School District Teaching and Learning Committee. The committee – headed by Assistant Superintendent of Teaching Dr. Dana Monogue – was created in a recent reconstructing of the school board hierarchy, an effort made by Superintendent Mark Hanson to optimize the efficiency of policymaking deliberations ranging from the significance of AP scores, to the effects of youth behavior on gains made in the classroom, though some students have their doubts to its efficiency.

My Global Voice, an organization at Brookfield East was founded to increase student participation in community matters.

They sent a number of students to observe meetings held by the TLC to get a more accurate understanding of the behind-thescenes workings that go into our education.

The October meetings covered the district social studies curriculum, the physical education requirement, and the scores yielded from the recent cycle of state testing, while the November meeting covered AP exam results, the Youth Risk Behavior survey, and additional social studies curriculum changes.

Two representatives, who attended the meetings, James Arndt and Colin GrayHoehn, expressed concern with the train of thought adopted by the committee members. They were worried that the discourse involving especially pertinent issues such as suicide and depression was artificial, and didn’t begin to solve for the root cause of these issues. Arndt pointed specifically to the Youth Risk Behavior survey as an area of apprehension. Conducted during HUB, the survey aimed to identify areas of behavior where students were deviating from the norm, ranging from bullying, to drug use, to sexual activity. The resulting data highlighted a few points: 10% of 8th grade students have at one point made a plan to commit suicide, 30% of 12th grade students have consumed marijuana at least once, 33% of seniors have had sex, and 28% of 8th grade students have been cyber bullied.

A significant portion of the November 8 | spartan banner • winter 2017

meeting was dedicated to analyzing this data, and discussing the implications that it may have on the student body. Arndt argued that “the administrators ought to focus less on the small things,” such as rates of sexual activity, and instead shift their focus onto an increase in self-deprecating behaviors. He believes that areas involving drug abuse and depression are significantly more far-reaching, and should accordingly receive more attention.

Gray-Hoehn had similar concerns, and proposed increased student participation as a solution. As leader of My Global Voice, he appealed to the committee to change their meeting time, so as to better accommodate students’ schedules. Past president of the TLC Kathryn Wilson responded with appreciation of the group’s effort, but with an inability to change meeting times.

Citing difficulties in coordinating meetings between the already-existing members, she told Gray-Hoehn that the committee would be unable to move the meetings after school, or to some other accessible time.

This only contributes to Gray-Hoehn’s belief that as it stands, the committee is not taking student input into consideration nearly as much, and that their proceedings would be much more effective and beneficial with student voices heard more. The district’s success only “serves as a shield; people like them more, and there’s less scrutiny.” breeding complacency that prevents sweeping reform from being passed.

Students would provide a fresh voice to overcome the resistance that veterans of the

system inevitably have when dealing with age-old issues.

Ms. Fellmeth, who presented at the November committee meeting, had some insight that might serve to assuage students’ worries. She explained that some of these concerns can be dealt with by “looking at the school board’s [mission statement],” because “board members are not supposed to provide solutions, they’re supposed to oversee. [Her] expectation is that they have a pulse on the community that [she] may not have.”

While the committee should be discussing ways to solve problems, their role is to deal with the practicalities of policy-making; whether a proposed solution falls within the jurisdiction established by district guidelines, or how that solution would affect the teaching and learning of students in Elmbrook.

Because the TLC meetings are not the medium through which solutions are created, she instead suggested that concerned students contribute advice at school board meetings. This would also mean that the TLC has no real obligation to reschedule to accommodate the schedules of students or teachers, as school board meetings are designed for that specific purpose.

Unfortunately, the fundamental issues that Arndt and Gray-Hoehn hold with the committee of ineffective dialogue and lack of student participation still stand.. If adolescents want to take charge of their educations, their path starts here.

He said that the feeling associated with transexuality and bisexuality is just the same as being straight or cisgendered.

Coming out of the closet isn’t to seek any kind of attention; it is just a way for people to be proud of who they are. In his own words, “It feels mostly regular. Other people are usually the ones that makes LGBT kids seem weird. The fact that some revel in the social expectations of their sexuality doesn’t make them attention seekers, it just makes them proud to be who they are….I realized that I can only really relate to [male] characters and that I couldn’t see myself growing older without transitioning. I had a lot of gender dysphoria that I didn’t recognize as such until I became more educated on the topic. I think it’s really important to educate yourself on topics like this.”

EAST’S LGBTQ+ TALK SELF DISCOVERY Alex Maier

“The fact that some revel in the social expectations of their sexuality doesn’t make them attention seekers, it just makes them proud to be who they are.”

Though he has found solace in the LGBTQ+ community, discrimination occurs within the group as well in the form of biphobia. This happens because the said person is “too straight” to be in the gay community, but also “too gay” to be in the straight community. Many look at one person’s experiences and assume that’s how everyone’s journey of self discovery is like.

The truth is, their journeys are as various as the people themselves through both gender and sexuality. A bisexual female, when asked the same questions, stated she does feel comfortable with herself. She had never really experienced discrimination based on her sexuality. She also mentioned that she wanted to try and help people understand the concept of bisexuality or if they don’t, Dustin* identifies as a transgender who uses he/him pronouns. He says he, sexually, understand how she feels as a person. identifies as a pansexual. He described Junior, Katie Pollock is a straight, cis girl, pansexuality as a sexually attracted feeling to someone that one thinks is an attractive and considered an ally of the community.

She feels she will never understand what person, no matter what gender. When I it is like to be a part of the LGBTQ+ asked about how if felt to be a pansexual transgender male, he responded saying that community, but she wants to try to empait is a natural feeling and that these ways of thize with them. Pollock stated that even though she is an outside member of the expressing himself is what feels right.

LGBTQ+ community, she still wants to help in any way she can. “I feel like many While Dustin feels comfortable now, his path to understanding of himself was long straight people think that just because they are straight they can’t help the LGBTQ+ and tiresome. At first, he thought he was bisexual, then a lesbian, then genderqueer, community, but they can go to events and and then finally he got to where he is today. show support.”

His parents accept that he is pansexual but We as humans can make judgements of do not acknowledge having a transgender people we don’t understand but we can also child. try to help mend the gap between people.

Another transgender student in our school* The only way for anyone to understand another person is to try and see things had differing experiences from Dustin’s. through different perspectives.

To start off, this person prefers he/him pronouns and sexually identifies as bisexual. *Names have been changed for the privacy People come from all different walks of life. A person’s race, gender, or sexuality can change how a person can live their lives based off their own personal views or the views of their peers. Many people with similar ideals form groups to try and support each other while creating awareness.

The LGBTQ+ community is one of these groups for people to find comfort. Not only do we hear about the people in this group as individuals, but we also hear about their victories and defeats as a whole. So, this is the true story of an average LGBT+ person at Brookfield East; their life experiences and their struggles.

of interviewees’ identities

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how you he 10 | spartan banner • winter 2017

So, w did u get ere?

Day in day out, you pass them in the halls. You see them everyday during class, 180 days a year. They are the backbone of the school. Regardless of who you are, we can agree teachers are a fixture in a students life.

And, as teachers dedicate their lives to students, it doesn’t always occur to us teachers have lives too. Outside of school they have friends, family. After all, they are just people.

While some of you are patting yourselves on the back for remembering the fun facts from their beginning of the year introductions, their hobbies, or their kids’ ages, you’re still missing the full picture.

Each and every one of Brookfield East’s teachers has a unique back story, a past life they have yet to reveal. Here’s an inside look:

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Emma Jester

Adam Storch Not everyone’s life is an open book, especially for Mrs. Hot. Though students only know her as an English teacher at East, her story holds a very interesting past.

She was 29 years old when she was living in Bosnia during the war. She was born in Europe and had lived all of her life there.

According to her interview, Mrs. Hot stated, “I witnessed the beginning, but luckily we escaped.” The “we” she was referring to includes her husband and her first born child.

She spoke of how the war “...creeps in on a society” and made the comparison to boiling water, each bubble being a conflict or sign of war in an area. “It is like water boiling, you don’t see all the bubbles at once; you have a big bubble here and little bubbles all around.”

During this time, she was living in a small apartment with her family in the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo. She explains that her and her family didn’t have the luxury of having lots of land like the United States.

She explains that people seemed to live like ants in boxes.

Mrs. Hot wasn’t always a teacher. She started working at a travel agency in Bosnia.

When the war started, people from other parts of the country started swarming into the company asking for plane tickets in an attempt to escape the madness and chaos.

She can’t remember making any conscious decisions, things were happening so fast that she didn’t have time to feel anything or think rationally.

After escaping war torn Bosnia, she and her husband got into the car and just drove.

They eventually ended up in Turkey for three years where she had her second child.

Her first teaching job took place at the International School in Turkey teaching

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English, and her husband was an engineer.

They decided Turkey was not the place to stay and wanted to go somewhere safer. After three years of living in Turkey, the Hots applied for refugee status and were granted visas to come to the US. Mrs. Hot was 32 when she came to America and it was already her third time starting her life over. She describes the move to another new country as putting their lives into suitcases again and coming here.

Elaine Klatt, a senior this year, had Mrs. Hot for 3 out of 4 of her years at Brookfield East and she has come to love learning from and about her. “She expects a lot from you, and she celebrates with you when you rise to the challenge,” says Klatt. These are admirable qualities that high school students look for in a teacher of theirs. “Mrs. Hot is truly an amazing woman. A lot of students dislike her or say she is mean because she expects hard work from them, but in my experience, she has never been anything but wonderful. She has always been a fantastically caring, empathetic person, and she values each of her students as individuals.

She is fun-loving, outgoing, and inspirational in every way. She is comfortable with herself and says exactly what she thinks - no euphemisms allowed.”

After learning about Mrs. Hot’s past life experiences living through war in Bosnia, Klatt says, “knowing more about her life doesn’t change how I see her as a teacher; it changes how I think of her as an individual.” Mrs. Hot’s story shows that our experiences influence us. If we get to know someone better, we might dig up some inspiring stories.

I a i h

“

Insert quote [The War] is like water boiling. about interestYou don’t see all theexperience bubbles ing at once. here.

“

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Emma Jester

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Adam Storch

SECRET AGENT TO SEÑORA Señora Wick, a Spanish teacher at Brookfield East and Central high schools, has not only used her vast Spanish skills to teach.

In fact, her past language application would surprise and fascinate many. Unbeknownst to many, Señora Wick used to be an undercover agent.

she would have to work couldn’t realistically be continued while raising children. She worked mostly nights, mostly weekends, and didn’t have a whole lot of protection back then.” Señora Wick says “It was super interesting and challenging, it just wasn’t for me [because of] those reasons.”

Before becoming a teacher, she worked undercover in the Justice Department Division of Narcotics for 18 months. She said that she has only ever had two jobs: being a teacher and being an agent. Sixteen years ago, she worked as a bilingual special agent where she did undercover drug buying and selling. She worked in the law system prosecuting those criminals. Sra. Wick says, “It’s probably an experience I will never really forget.” It taught her to multitask, strengthened her Spanish skills, and showed Señora Wick’s love of adventure and fun that students see in the classroom. But what made her stop this job so soon?

Señora Wick enjoys her teaching job in the fact that she can have continuing relationships with her co-workers, be in a less stressful environment, and have more flexible hours that allow time for her family.

However, her sense of adventure has not changed. According to one of her Spanish I students, her sense of fun is reflected in riddles, partner projects, and interactive enrichments of the Latin American culture.

Señora Wick tells us that the job was not a realistic one to keep. Her decision was greatly influenced by having children. First of all, the dangers of the job were too great.

This job would hinder the safety of her and her children. Secondly, the crazy hours that

Another one of Señora Wick’s Spanish I students stated that she was fascinated when Señora told the class her interesting story.

“It’s honestly amazing that she wanted to return to teaching after having such a cool job”. Señora Wick’s language and multitasking skills from her undercover job carry over to her current teaching job. Her story shows that we carry our skills learned from experiences with us for life.

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JAMMING TO JAVASCRIPT Aaron Liu

Margaret Slavinsky

Mr. Crandall is well known throughout the school for his keen knowledge in computer science and rambunctious humor. Vasiliy Agapitov, a junior, says “He’s a chill teacher with an amazing personality and unique taste in music. It’s impossible to dislike him, and is a master at computers and coding”.

But before he began to pursue the art of computer science, he was a skilled bass guitarist for the Indie Rock band Ecoteur.

Mr. Crandall was the youngest of four in his family. His family comes from many generations of studious teachers, which is where he drew his inspiration to become a teacher. During the third grade, his mother made him learn the piano, which helped him master the recognition of notes and chords needed for the bass guitar. As time went on, he began learning the guitar then following that, his brother forced him to play the bass guitar. He played throughout the long years of middle school and high school, heightening his skill and deepening his love for music and bass guitar.

Ecoteur specialized in indie music which was, as Crandall explains, “pretty progressive at that time”. Crandall and his band first toured around Wisconsin, then the midwest region, and even traveled as far as the east and west coast. They performed in many different venues such as the CBGB and The Knitting Factory, both of which were popular nightclubs for rising musicians and bands of the 70’s and 80’s.

Ecoteur even had the chance be the opening act for the Violent Femmes, a well known folk rock band from Wisconsin, when they toured across the globe. When asked about which destinations stood out to him, he simply responded “Luxemburg was fun”. The band performed in small clubs 16 | spartan banner • winter 2017

throughout London which Crandall thought was “an opportunity to see the world, you know, and to perform music and have fun with that”.

There were challenges along the way, including homesickness. The band itself had problems during tours, just like a long road trip between a mischievous brother and a crabby sister. These problems are common during long tours, but Crandall explained “once you get on stage, and you play, [the problem] dissipates”. Their performances cure the homesickness and heal the bonds between band members. As time went on, families start to form, and as a result, Crandall separated from the band to take care of his newly born daughter. Many people have asked him why he left,“it’s, it’s pretty rough.

It’s Rock and Roll, man”.

He enjoyed teaching and wanted to encourage people to follow your dream, but also have a plan to back up on if anything goes wrong. He and his brother continue to play together, and occasionally he plays with his friend Kirk McFarlin, the drummer for Ecoteur, and the rest of his band.

When asked about fame and what he thought of it, Crandall answered with a perfect response. “The fame only lasts on the stage. When you’re on the stage, you’re a different person. Like an athlete, when you’re on the stage performing, that’s when everybody’s in envy of that. But they’re just regular people. Once it’s over and the lights went out on the stage, you just pack your bags and go to the next venue”.

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Love(less) in Brookfield East Maria Korkos and Mia Schlidt

One question: Do you consider your relationship as “death do us part” or is this one of many?

All over Brookfield East you can spot the classic high school couple. But, what makes that couple so classic? How do these relationships stay together through the emotional rollercoaster that high school already is? Some students go through relationships like seasons of Friends on Netflix. Others last years. By entering the inner thoughts of 6 students at Brookfield East, the term “relationship” has been defined.

A relationship, as defined by Google, is an emotional connection between two people.

Through extensive research, two couples, seniors Eric and Meg, and juniors Victor and Bella, have been chosen as examples of “power couples” in our school. These people have maintained their relationship through many months and have challenged the socially accepted thought that high school relationships do not last. Here are a few tips that can help even the most troubled couple make it the distance.

According to the couples, balance is the key 18 | spartan banner • winter 2017

element of a successful relationship. There are two components, time management and communication, that complete the equation.

Both couples that we interviewed explained ways they manage their time. They describe how they control their time by doing homework together, study together using FaceTime, participate in similar sports, and partake in the same classes. Therefore, they can spend time with each other without feeling compelled to spend every waking minute.

They also allude to the fact that communication is key to a successful couple.

Although being in a relationship sounds great, the students who are not committed have a strikingly different view. The two students interviewed were senior, Raejion Rembert and junior, Harriet Huang.

a couple should do whatever they want, but must keep in mind their fellow students.

Similarly, Harriet and Raejion agree that the most important aspect in a high school relationship is managing time and to not send mixed signals.

Almost all people can agree that PDA (Public Display of Affection) is a major sign of a relationship. The couples participating in these actions may be too consumed in the relationship to notice everyone’s faces when they walk by. Harriet calls it her “No. 1 pet peeve” and ends that question with the hashtag “#hateit.” Likewise, Raejion agrees it is “grody.” Regardless of these opinions,

One of the major reasons Harriet is not in a relationship is because she simply does not have time (but she does have time for Prom). On the other hand, Raejion states he is single because “Now I do what I want.”

On the whole, both ended with a happy sentiment agreeing that high school sweethearts do exist. Raejion would also like to

56%

of students think high school relationships can last. add that he is now in a committed relationship and has learned from these tips.

Throughout the life of a preteen and teenageer alike, the “relationship” has been a major aspect in the decision making of the individual. However, a sixth grade and twelfth grade partnership differ greatly.

The relationship has evolved through the years and the definition tweaked. In middle school, a “date” was sitting next to your guy/girl during STP, and it was scandalous if you were seen together at the park after school. In the awkward teenage transition year commonly known as “freshman year,”

the idea of a relationship can be far fetched with the absence of a car and a license. You can’t define yourself as being in a relationship because your mode of transportation is your parents, and that’s just embarrassing. Finally, the upperclassmen can have a full time relationship with the use of a car, money from jobs, and for some, the freedom of being an adult.

Both the singles and ready-to-mingles and the power couples all agree that high school sweethearts and true love do exist. However, their ideas towards high school couples differ immensely. The singles agree that

PDA is an unforgettable scene in school and that a serious relationship takes communication. Likewise, the power couples show that commitment and time management is key in maintaining a high school relationship.

To understand high school relationships even beyond Brookfield East, watch the movies: Pretty in Pink; Ferris Bueller’s Day Off; Sixteen Candles; and of course, High School Musical.

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Eva Gapinski Lisa Chu 20 | spartan banner • winter 2017

The labels of abnormal psychology, mental health, mental illness change like fads, silly bands and fashion trends, ranging from the more scientific to the more insulting in a matter of minutes.

Said without a thought, these labels alter impressions, emotions, and lives: lives of people with difficulties many cannot comprehend. Perhaps it is this incomprehension influencing the false stereotypes of these individuals.

Although numbers can be impersonal and mental health isn’t just statistics, about 20% of teenagers in the United States have diagnosable mental health disorders. Whether good or bad, mild or severe, you or a friend, mental health is a phrase related to and feared by many.

Mental health disorders should not be a feared subject. This is a change long overdue.

Thanks to two Brookfield East students, both well-rounded in academics, athletics, and clubs, volunteering to share their stories, a chance is provided to understand their struggle and how the stigma surrounding their respective diagnosed disorders has impacted their daily lives.

The first individual, wishing to stay anonymous, elaborates on their diagnosis of depression in seventh grade and the struggles surrounding it.

Depression is a condition in which one often feels a great sense of prolonged sadness and withdrawal to a point where it becomes hard to function in everyday life. While it’s normal to feel sad every once in awhile, depression and many other mental health disorders are characterized by the inability to function and participate as one normally would in everyday activities. “[The diagnosis] did kind of anger me though, like I had to have another person confirm what I was feeling in order to make my feelings valid,” they admit. The process of diagnosis can be traumatizing, relieving, or, much like said individual experienced, angering; and it is just that, a process.

But even with depression, every day provides a new experience. “Your brain

attacks you. All the time. It makes you overthink stuff and you get really anxious and sad about stupid stuff.” It’s these constant attacks making typical days not so typical. Usually, the day continues with unproductiveness and a lack of interest in homework and studies, letting the day tread on in continuing exhaustion. On their worst days an immediate sense of dread prevails in every step. However, just like everyone else, the bad days don’t necessarily cancel the good days anyone without depression would consider normal.

Anyone can admit their struggles as difficult, but it can be hard to understand how random, frequent and troublesome these attacks on the brain can be.

Upon questioning, they explained how something as simple as breaking a pen led them to a full fifteen minute breakdown. “I started telling myself really awful stuff that I knew wasn’t true, but

Another student who was diagnosed with anxiety in seventh grade admitted they didn’t even know anxiety was a disorder before experiencing the symptoms first hand.

For this individual, diagnosis was a smooth transition with a positive reaction and a large leap in the right direction. “I felt better since I knew the reason of why I was having such a hard time with everyday life and that there were ways to help me.”

Anxiety brings about a different everyday experience than depression and while intensity varies from person to person, this student offered their own account of struggle. A typical day may involve an unfortunate, random panic attack where even breathing becomes a difficult task, and the mood swings and long-lasting panic attack with similar symptoms.

I had to have another person confirm what I was feeling in order to make my feelings valid.

I couldn’t stop,” and that’s just it: one can’t help it. Depression, or any mental illness for that matter, doesn’t just stop on it’s own.

This student admitted school has been a large obstacle, believing, “today, [people] care more about the big, red letter grade [students] get on a test or paper than what the stress is doing to the minds of students.”

Ultimately, the most important reminder for those with mental health complications is the outlook. “I don’t let depression define me,” the student revealed, believing strongly in staying positive. “It has made me very aware of human emotions and has made me very careful of how I treat people because you never know who deals with what.”

While this student now remains fairly accustomed to the symptoms and no longer lets their anxiety define them, that newly exposed seventh grader dealt with a major setback in self-confidence. A lack severely due to the negativity surrounding such misunderstood disorder.

“We need to change the stigma against mental illnesses by raising awareness and educating ourselves.

It is more prevalent than people think,” says Mrs. McKenna, guidance counselor at Brookfield East.

There are many stereotypes revolving around those with mental health disorders, but these people shouldn’t be treated like they are lowly or different, but rather unique and important just like everyone else. “Treat others the way you want to be treated,” says Mr Lippold, another counselor at East.

Overall, mental health is a topic in dire need of discussion and understanding. It’s not about numbers or statistics, but people. It won’t change with a snap of the fingers either: it’ll take time, patience, and most importantly persistence. Mental illnesses are not setbacks and neither are you. spartan banner • winter 2017|21

How cliques are helping our generation Matthew Peterman Emma Jester When people hear the word “clique,” they might think of Mean Girls and the betterthan-thou “plastics.” The plastics stereotype is that they don’t hang out with anyone else other than their own group, and usually look down upon others. Naturally, people don’t want to be the bad guy or girl, and thus hate thinking of themselves of belonging to a clique. While Mean Girls over exaggerates this idea of a clique, in a sense, that’s what it really is; a group of people who almost exclusively hang out with each other and inadvertently excludes others.

This may seem like an awful thing for our culture to have, but, for many, they are a necessity. As Jack Schulick, a sophomore, puts it, “I think that having a close friend group is important. Building close relationships with your peers is important.” Having friends groups are good.

In fact, many, like Jack, say that groups are important for self- acceptance. Of course, people with similar hobbies, habits, manners, interests, etc., tend to get along better, 22 | spartan banner • winter 2017

and therefore have stronger friendships.

The byproduct of this is unintentional exclusiveness found in many groups, where characteristics and interests don’t match.

These friendships, especially the ones in high school and going into college, can transform a person into what they’re going to be like for the rest of their life. Often times, people remember fondly of the friendships they had in high school, and take nostalgia on the things they did.

However, as Schulick later mentions, “When you only spend time with the same group, you miss out on spending time with new people who’s company you may enjoy just as much.” If one doesn’t branch out and connect with other people outside of their friend group, they might miss opportunities and experiences that they didn’t know they could have.

Sometimes, people want to be more popular and seem cooler. This can lead to some poor decisions that can take time away

from a person, which they just can’t get back. Bobby Buehler, a freshman, says, “We make sacrifices and, most of the time, poor decisions just to meet those wants [to be popular], and that hurts ourselves and others around us.”

Once a friend group forms, they can be lifelong friends, depending on the circumstances of when and with which people they were formed. Friendships take time to develop and strengthen. Therefore, the longer a person is friends with someone, the better the relationship is.

What separates people into groups can vary widely, from personalities to characteristics, to hobbies, and even intelligence.

Like-minded people think alike, and therefore group alike. These reasons for separation can also determine what the overall group will be like. If they are athletes, they will typically be more competitive and energetic. If they are artists, they will typically be more creative and relaxed.

Additionally, certain groups inherently mingle with other groups. As Buehler said, “Star football players and just ‘jocks’ in general seem to be very compatible, for lack of a better word, with the popular people.”

Often times, people fit into several different groups due to a broad range of interests.

Other reasons people go with and mingle with certain groups lie in deeply rooted, almost involuntary stereotypes. Though some try hard not to, it is natural to label certain people as “emo” or “stoner” or “jock”. As long as they aren’t used derogatorily, these labels are fine. They signify to a person who they could be friends with, or oftentimes, who to stay away from.

In terms of the relationship between friend groups, it is nothing like we see in movies like Mean Girls, where the popular girls treat everyone else like nothing. Most agree that at Brookfield East, and in life, people treat others with respect and courtesy. While there are definitely instances of bullying and harassment, people don’t go out of their way to put others down. Most of the time, people stick to themselves and try to be polite.

However, whenever there is drama, either within or between groups, there is obviously bitterness and harsh feelings, but it almost never gets out of control. Generally, people go their separate ways and leave the issue alone. Part of growing up is apologizing and moving on, which mostly everybody is very good at.

While some don’t like the idea of people being separated into groups or “categories”, it is a natural occurrence that defines our personality and shapes our character.

As long as we have emotions and other people, cliques will be a part of our lives at some point or another. As Alyssa Meurer, a senior, points out, “I don’t think [cliques] can or will change. It seems like a thing that happens in high school as everyone finds their identity and seeks attention and gets wrapped up in drama.”

In the perspective of life, the idea of cliques seems to almost exclusively exist in high school. In reality, there are always some version of cliques in every phase in our life because we have a natural tendency to stick to people that we like. Cliques are a part of human nature that better us every day.

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