Volume 57, Issue 3 • Spring 2017
spartan banner • spring 2017|1 Brookfield East High School 3305 Lilly Road • Brookfield, WI • 53005
THE BANNER STAFF 2016-2017
{ Editor’s Note }
EXECUTIVE TEAM
Editor-in-Chief ANNA SIPEK Editors
ANA AGAPITOVA NAMITHA ALEXANDER KATIE ANDREWS ELIZABETH GOBLIRSCH
f all the things we are attracted to ... beauty, money, fame... information is by far the most powerful.
fingers.
Technology has made the facts and figures we so long for increasingly available. Any data you’ve been looking for rests at the tip of your
While the ever increasing abundance of dirt on our favorite celebrities has no doubt kept us in the know, it also brings about a sort of resignation. We accept what is put in front of us. And in that we lose our power. This issue, Between the Lines, intends to rise above this acceptance. Regardless of how unimportant this information seems. We refuse to accept the phone zone (page 6), the website blocks (page 16), and inflation of grades (page 4) for you. We hope that with these stories you discover a new side of Brookfield East. We hope you continue to look beyond the information just provided for you. And mostly, reader, we hope that you continue to read in between the lines.
SIMRAN KHUNGER BELLA PETROPOLOUS NIKHITA SANTEBENNUR NATALIE SCHMIDT
STAFF JOURNALISTS Ava Barker Sam Barnes Deepali Bhalla Alexia Castillo Megan Daniels Bera Demirbilek Emma Gapinski Alex Garvens Emma Jester Bella Koch Maria Korkos
Aaron Liu Andy Lucas Alex Maier Erin Malloy Matthew Peterman Olivia Russo Emma Schaetz Mia Schlidt Morris Seaton Arjun Shreekumar 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.
Anna Sipek
Editor in Chief FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA 2| spartan banner • spring 2017
IN THIS ISSUE:
{ 04 09 12 16 22
I Just Want an A
18
Consider how the growing demand for a 4.0 affects grading.
Art and Its Interpretations Find out how students use art to express themselves.
Consumed with Consumption Discover the secrets behind Brookfield East’s cafeteria.
Blocked Explore the negative concquences of blocking websites.
An innovating new way of taking classes Investigate Elmbrook’s new learning program, Launch.
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“
A
I just want an
Arjun Shreekumar
Grades have an unprecedented weight in modern society. Colleges filter students by GPA, employers are attracted to the honors on a diploma when hiring, parents use report cards to measure their children’s success, and many high schoolers use grades to derive selfworth.
Never before has America placed such emphasis on grades, pressuring students to constantly exceed expectations. Accordingly, more attention needs to be payed to the intricacies of the education system as we 4| spartan banner • spring 2017
” .
fine tune it to meet students’ needs. With an increasing demand for “A’s”, school districts across the country have encountered rising rates of grade inflation. Teachers - who most easily empathize with the plight of their students - often take to artificially raising grades in the hopes of giving children a fighting chance in the post-secondary world. Many of these teachers establish guidelines for bumping grades, and generally make these known to students at the beginning of their classes.
When surveyed, a majority of Brookfield East teachers fell into this camp; 78.9% have adjusted grades, whereas the remaining 21.1% have not. The teachers were asked a variety of questions, ranging from whether or not they have bumped grades, to what effect bumping has on the district. Those who have adjusted overwhelmingly responded that they reserved it as a last resort measure, only to be used in unique circumstances. Such circumstances included an extended sickness, one outlier grade, or teacher error. A few also argued that a student on the brink of earning the next letter grade (e.g a 92.4 or 84.3) could earn a bump if they demonstrated sufficient effort.
Students, being on the receiving end of adjustment, tend to express similar views. Sophomore Hunter Clarkin corroborated the views of the teachers, saying that a bump may be warranted when a student either misses school, or is subject to a situation out of their control. He furthered that adjustment may have a negative impact on the school district, creating a false image of high GPA’s. Hunter pointed out that “When more students earn A’s, the school may earn recognition it doesn’t necessarily deserve,” an opinion shared by fellow sophomore Ruchi Shah, who said that allowing adjustment without strict rules allows subjectivity to enter what should be objective. Many teachers voice this view, and most use it as a justification to avoid adjustment. Among those who have not adjusted grades, this was the most common reasoning. Teachers are concerned about misrepresenting the achievement of students, creating unreasonable standards that are impossible to meet. They take a different approach to preparing children for the real-world. Instead of bolstering a resume, they make students put in the necessary work to earn the grade they desire.
While they didn’t cite it as an immediate concern, the fact that professionals in the area of education reform recognized the problem is in itself significant. As such, the school plans to take the recommendations to heart and reevaluate the way it standardizes the grading scale.
This discrepancy in opinion has caused problems for students. Senior Tatiana Babikova was put in a position that many of the aforementioned teachers would seemingly argue warranted a bump. She did well for the duration of the Medical Terminology class she was taking and consistently earned A’s on tests and assignment, but underperformed on the final exam. Her final grade was a 92.27, yet no change was made.
“
Insofar as the difference between grades was a few tenths, French teacher Mrs. Mann said, whether a student earns an “A-” or “B+” is merely a product of “the vagaries of mathematics”. The general line of reasoning amongst this majority is clear: grade adjustment ought to be saved for extenuating scenarios, but can be earned in those situations through a consistent work ethic.
es”, as “there is an opportunity of grade inflation.”
Students who receive bumps will not be ready for what orchestra teacher Dr. Haney calls “the harsh realities of college and the adult world,” a world without artificial methods to increase performance. If high school is meant to prepare young adults for further academia and the work force, it seems logical to simulate those worlds to the greatest extent possible.
78.9 % [of Brookfield East teachers] have adjusted grades.
Students and teachers must work together to create a set of rules to regulate adjustment. While teacher discretion remains the final arbitrator, a standard upon which all teachers function would serve to minimize inflation, or at least allow the district to properly take adjustment into account when assessing its progress. We must shed more light on the topic and remove inconsistency from the system that shapes so many of our peers’ lives.
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Sophomore Annie Corbett, on the other hand, was able to get her grade adjusted when she earned what would have been a “B+” in Honors English 9 when the teacher factored in the hard work she put into her homework and assessments. While neither of these approaches was necessarily right or wrong on behalf of the teachers, some level of consistency must be maintained to equalize our grading system. Educators on both sides of the aisle recognize that adjustment is a problem. Most recently, the accreditation team that assessed Brookfield East as a school mentioned adjustment in their suggestions for improvement. Amidst a sea of praise, they recommended that the school better utilizes data collected in the classroom, be it through test scores or through other means, to shape curriculum and schedules to suit the needs of students. According to principal Mr.Farley, they also recommended that we “norm our grading practices within departments and common cours-
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iPHONE YOUR BIGGEST STALKER Erin Malloy
H
ave you ever wondered how much your iPhone tracks about you? How does it know where you are going once you step in a car and how long it will take you? How does it predict how much sleep you will get? Apple iPhones have advanced apps that keep track of daily life such as Calendar, Health, Reminders, and Clock. The Health app tracks physical activity, nutrition, sleep intake, heart rate, and much more. Using a motion processor, the Health app is able to count steps and flights climbed by the iPhone user, something that many people buy fitness watches for. The motion processors installed in iPhones are called Apple M7, M8, M9, and M10. They collect sensor data from other devices installed in iPhones such as accelerometers and compasses. One of the most successful parts of the Apple Health app is that it can collect data from other fitness apps. For instance, it can collect data from a running app and track how many miles a student runs each day. Another advanced app that tracks data about a student’s daily life is the simple Calendar app. It not only functions as a portable calendar, but it can also send alerts to make sure that the student is on time to their event. This app automatically tracks
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how long it will take to drive to an event, and it will notify the user when to leave. This is why and how iPhones know where students are going and how long it will take them. Furthermore, all Apple iPhones have a Reminders app. The Reminders app is a helpful way to make a to-do list because it causes alerts to come into the student’s iPhone at a specific location and time. The location is extremely specific, and, when the reminder is set, the student can decide whether they want to be reminded as they arrive at or leave the location. A map is shown to let the student pick the exact point on the perimeter of the location that they want an alert. Finally, a simplistic yet helpful app on Apple iPhones is the Clock app. Beginning in iOS 10, Apple added a new feature to Clock called “Bedtime”. It allows the user to set an alarm for certain days of the week, so they do not have to turn it on or off every night. Hence the name, “Bedtime” also asks the user for the amount of hours of sleep that they hope to get, and it sets a bedtime in correspondence with the wakeup time and the desired amount of sleep. An alert is sent to the students before their designated bedtime to guarantee that they get the sleep they need. Ultimately, these four apps on iPhones, as
well as others, track daily life and health of the iPhone user. They require the user to enter certain information, and then they use that information to collect data for alerts. Many of these iPhone statistics affect students at Brookfield East on a daily basis. A handful of students ranging from all grades were randomly surveyed about how often they use their iPhone and what apps they use. 50% of the students responded that they use their iPhones for 3-4 hours each day. Because of apps like Clock and Calendar, an iPhone knows more about their owner based on the amount of time the owner spends on it. Only 8.3% of BEHS students said that they use their iPhone for less than one hour in a single day, which shows that most of the student body spends a lot of time on their phones. However, more of the surveyed students use Reminders, Calendar, and Clock more than they use Health. 75% of students use their iPhone as an alarm clock to wake them up in the morning, 54.5% use the Reminders app, and 50% use calendar. These statistics show that iPhones know the schedules and whereabouts of many students at Brookfield East. Most students with iPhones track their activities, to-do list, and amount of sleep on their phones. Although phone use is prohibited multiple times throughout the school day, students at Brookfield East High School use their phones roughly 3-4 hours each day, and part of that time is at school. These students may not realize how much their iPhone tracks about their school life or life at home. Using apps such as Clock, Reminders, Health, and Calendar on iPhones would keep the student body more organized with events and commitments.
Today 8:17pm
Did you know that 50% of East students use their phones for 3 to 4 hours a day!!! Yea and 8.3% of East students use their phones for less than an hour a day Even when we aren’t on our phones, they’re collecting data such as location, physical activity. time, and way more. The phones use this data for apps like Health and Reminders They do this using built in features like the compass, accelerometer and GPS tracking Thats super useful. This explains how my maps app tells me how many minutes away from my house I am, because it tracks my current location and compares that to my home address. Yea true. iPhone technology is truly amazing
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BROOKFIELD EAST WEIGHS IN
Students Talk Phone Zone Mishaps Emma Jester
“ I don’t think [the phone zone] is effective because students are responsible [for] their phones, [but] if the student is distracting the teacher has the right to take it.” - Corey Hughes, sophomore
“ I understand there’s a need for students to ‘disconnect,’ but that should come at my choice and not from a teacher forcing me to give up my personal property.” - Riley Gilespie, senior
“[I agree with] Mr. Saxton. He believes you’re responsible for paying attention...if you miss something it’s on you.” -Mahika Mohan, 8| spartan banner • spring freshman 2017
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ore often than not, we have our phones close enough that we can easily reach for it. We feel that we need it to maintain a state of happiness, achieved when dopamine is released in the brain. According to an article from Psychology Today, “dopamine controls the pleasure systems of the brain.” The ‘high’ students may feel when checking their social media or otherwise on their personal electronic device can even be compared to the same high an individual may feel with food, sex, or drugs. Many adults globally consider our generation to be addicted to our phones, but are they really wrong? Most teens build a sense of attachment with their cell phone because it can be used to get out of awkward situations or can provide a simple and quick distraction. “How am I going to stay connected to the rest of the world 24/7?” is a common question students ask themselves daily. On a smaller scale, many students use their phones in class as an escape from a subject they might not particularly enjoy, but there is not a school mandated policy on how teachers should or shouldn’t discipline students that are on their phones during class. It is evident that the inconsistency of classroom phone policies throughout the building is actively causing distractions to students during class. Junior Morris Seaton, when asked why he feels distracted by his phone in class, said, “It’s not that I care that my phone distracts me, I know it distracts me [but] I’m happy it distracts [me]”; a perfect example of the effect dopamine has on students. He said that he knows some of his teachers have a phone policy, but that doesn’t mean he follows it. Junior Ana Agapitova, says that “having phone policies has made [her] more effec-
tive at being sneaky. [She has her] phone out the same amount of time in classes where the teacher doesn’t care at all and in classes where [the] teacher will take [her] phone away. If there’s a strict policy [she] just make[s] sure to use it when the teacher is not going to notice.” While student opposition has been strongly voiced against the ‘phone zone,’ most teachers do have a phone policy for their classroom. It seems, however, these policies have not been fruitful. Surveyed students either disagreed with the policy or simply didn’t follow it. Many teachers stated that they allow students to use their phones when participating in research, Kahoots/Quizlet Live, independent work time or at the end of class, but require students to keep their phones in a “phone zone” or “phone jail” when not in use. Which has left some students asking: What’s wrong with simply keeping it in your backpack? “The “phone zone” policy makes me so angry,” states senior Riley Gilespie. “It tells the students that there is no trust before we even get the opportunity to come in. I understand there’s a need for students to ‘disconnect’ but that should come at my choice and not from a teacher forcing me to give up my personal property. Plus it doesn’t actually teach lessons about the cost of being addicted/overly invested in one’s phone.” This was brought up in other interviews as well. Sophomore Corey Hughes thinks that “...[the phone policy] is not effective because students are responsible of their phones and if the phone is distracting the teacher has the right to take it away, but I don’t think that should be the case for every student to have to put their phone in a phone jail.”
{ Exploring Nuances in Interpretation Deepali Bhalla
A
picture is worth a thousand words. This common and overused phrase is easily overlooked and taken for granted. When stopped to think about the true applications of this phrase, one can’t help but “interpret” a piece of art. Interpreting artwork can never be defined or limited. There shouldn’t have a set “rubric”, per say, for reading a piece of art and identifying what it means to you. However, this interpretation can be impacted or shaped by different life experiences and individual perspectives. Most artists can agree when it is said that art is meant to convey something. Art is a form of communication, and like many other forms of communication, it speaks out to inform or educate, stand for an issue, identify a theme, tell a story, and much more. Spartan Banner had the chance to interview Brookfield East artists and Scholastic Art award winners Emma Barany and Mary Beth on their favorite work of art made by them. The next step came in comparing and contrasting what message their fellow Spartans took away versus what the artists intended to communicate.
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{
HOW DOES THIS ART WORK MAKE YOU FEEL? 1. IS THE MOOD OF A: a) excited b) rushed c) nonchalant d) eager
2. DOES A DEPICT: a) ice-skating nostalgia b) first experience c) an everyday event d) a first date 3. WHAT MOOD DOES B PORTRAY? a) morbidity b) power c) hopelessness d) anger 3. IS THE ARTIST BEHIND C MOTIVATED BY: a) liberalism b) political expression c) uncertainty d) freedom of speach
4. WHAT IS THE MOOD OF C? a) deeply upset b) humor c) concern d) excitement
If you answered mostly... As: You have similar ideas to the majority of people. Cs: Your point of view is similar to that of the artist. 10| spartan banner • spring 2017
A Henry It’s 5:01!
B: Tobi Body Horror C: The United States of America
erica
A B C
Senior Mary Drabiszczak’s motivation behind this piece stemmed from her two very close friends, George and Henry, with whom she skates with. The boys are “basically like [her] brothers” and she cares about them a lot. However, “they constantly get bullied about their involvement in the sport, so [she] wanted to create a body of work that empowers them.” She hopes to raise awareness of “male involvement in seemingly ‘feminine’ sports”, and to combat stereotypes surrounding it. Drabiszczak doesn’t have a set mood for this piece since she wanted people to get “whatever they could out of the painting, and relate it to themselves.”
Senior Emma Benedict’s work is supposed to represent “a lot of the hopelessness” she feels, pertaining to what little control she has to her life, thoughts, and emotions. She is in a “constant struggle where [she] feels pressured to be happy”, even when she is not. Bottling things up is her coping mechanism, so she has “ a hard time expressing how she feels to other people”- even if she wants to tell them, so as to not “burden” them. Overall, she wants to express that she isn’t very good at talking about her feelings.
Junior Emma Barany’s work, “The United States of America,” can be found on Vimeo channel under ‘Emma Barany’. The main purpose behind this piece was to “express her feelings on the night of the 2016 election” and to present the different “political circumstances that [she] has witnessed firsthand” and not to start political conflicts with anyone. Even though Barany knows that our district is widely conservative, she felt the need to explain her views, concerns, and experiences as a liberal; saying that even if most don’t agree with her, they can “at least understand the work that went into [her] piece.” spartan banner • spring 2017|11
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Nikhita Santebennur
T T
he high school cafeteria: a long line leading to below average quality he high school cafeteria: a long line leadfood, with soda and various junk foods populating the shelves. ingusual to scene below average with After decades of the reoccurring over andquality over againfood, in high school cliché movies,soda the negative surrounding caf-populating the andstigma various junkschool foods eterias has only greatened. However, a real high school cafeteria may be shelves. After decades of the usual scene refar more complex and ever changing than we thought, like our very own occurring cafeteria, here at Brookfield East. over and over again in high school
cliché movies, the negative stigma surrounding school cafeterias has only greatened. However, a real high school cafeteria may be far more complex and ever changing than we thought, like our very own cafeteria, here at Brookfield East.
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STUDENT CAFETERIA FAVORITES
Cool Ranch Doritos Sugar: 1 g Sodium: 180 mg Fat: 8 g
Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookie Sugar: 9 g Sodium: 55 mg Fat: 4.5 g
The Brookfield East cafeteria is currently managed by Vicki Kain, in charge of guiding and overseeing food preparation in the cafeteria. Cheryl Piel, the food and nutrition service director, works with others to decide what foods to bring to the district. The buying of food is a complex process for the cafeteria, beginning with the bidding of 14 school districts. The district then decides on a school bid pricing for foods where they “buy the best products for the best prices”, says Piel. A large majority of the meals offered by the school come from Performance Foods, a company based in Minnesota. The items either come fresh or frozen, always prepared in the school kitchen. Kain refers to East’s kitchen as a “working kitchen”, where meals are never brought in ready-made. Other items in the cafeteria, for example, dairy products, come from Prairie Farms, a Wisconsin-based dairy company. Piel also spoke of trying to “get as many local farms as we possibly can” involved in our school food. She also spoke of receiving root vegetables 14| spartan banner • spring 2017
Miss Vick Sugar: 1 g Sodium: 1 Fat: 13 g
and fruits in the fall, and even spinach and lettuce when possible.
snacks, and other sugary foods to populate the shelves.
However, some students are still unhappy with these meals. David Turicek, a sophomore, always brings his own lunch, calling the school lunch “unhealthy” and saying that “It’s never been good”. Another sophomore, Megan Bingenheimer, asks for “ better quality vegetables and a larger variety of vegetables” in the cafeteria.
While these sugary items may satisfy the student body, they do not pave the way for a healthy diet. The cafeteria does not carry soda; however, they do carry many processed foods including Pop Tarts, large muffins, donuts, ice cream, cookies, cakes etc. Some of these packages have labels, but many kids are unaware of the high sugar, sodium, and fat content in these foods.
After the switch from the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) dietary guidelines to the American Dietary Association guidelines, the cafeteria was able to serve a greater variety of foods, as the new guidelines were less strict than the USDA guidelines. Peil stated how the switch was a “challenge, financially” but that they “are willing”. After complaints of the old USDA lunch program from students, the district decided to listen to the complaints, and improve. This allowed for a few healthy additions like the new salad bar and grab and go lunches. However, this also allowed for new desserts,
For example, one Kellogg Pop Tart contains 17 grams of sugar, 5 grams of fat and 170 milligrams of sodium. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) dietary guidelines, one package of 2 Pop Tarts already accounts for close to 70% of recommended daily sugar intake for adults. Yes, it is easy to just avoid eating Pop Tarts, but this is merely one example of the high sugar, high sodium foods in the cafeteria. Many of the beverages served also contain extremely high quantities of sugar. Numerous studies, including one conducted by Harvard Medical School, have stated that
Jack Links Tender Bites Sugar: 3 g Sodium: 300 mg Fat: 0.5 g
s Vickie’s Sea Salt gar: 1 g dium: 120 mg : 13 g
eating too much added sugar over time may lead to heart disease, type 2 diabetes and many other metabolic diseases. Additionally, a study at the University of California Los Angeles, found that “Eating a high-fructose diet over the long term alters your brain’s ability to learn and remember information.” This is particularly concerning, seeing that a large quantity of our student body may consume more than the recommended amount of sugar each day through their school lunch. Furthermore, with the switch to the new guidelines, not only was there a change in the types of food, but there was an increase in pricing that many kids around the school are starting to notice. Brenna Verheyen, a junior, spoke on the topic saying that “just because [she] lives in Elm Grove, does not mean [she] has endless pockets of cash.” This is unfortunate, because the cafeteria’s increased pricing was the result of an attempt to satisfy the student body. Kimberly Leupold, Brookfield East’s Health
Scooby Fruit Snacks Sugar: 10 g Sodium: 25 mg Fat: 0 g
teacher, spoke of how the problem is not the main meal they offer, but the “junk that they sell”, saying that “it isn’t that the healthy options aren’t there,” but that “we just have such high fat and high sugar content food [in the cafeteria].” This aligns with Kain’s statement about the cafeteria bakery making “what sells best”. If students are mostly buying sugary foods, that is what the cafeteria will supply. Though the phrase ‘everything in moderation’ is well known, how many students or faculty, actually read the nutrition labels on the packaging? Leupold went on to say how “high school students need choices, but why not provide choices that are healthy and help students meet and perform at the best?” Finally, we must decide who is responsible for the health of the student body. Is it the responsibility of the cafeteria to limit unhealthy foods, and promote healthy choices? Or is it the responsibility of the individual, that must consciously choose the healthier items for their own well-being?
The answer is simple: it is both the responsibility of the cafeteria and the individual. While the cafeteria is responsible for promoting and providing good quality, healthy food, the individual is equally responsible for their health by choosing the healthier options. And if people consume healthier items, this will only encourage the cafeteria to bring in healthier options. If people are unhappy with the food they are receiving, the cafeteria encourages students and faculty to tell them so. On the Elmbrook Lunch program website as well as the app, School Menus by Nutrislice, not only do they have nutrition information, but a way to leave reviews and comments. The truth behind the Brookfield East Cafeteria is complex. It has its positives and its negatives. But most of all, it has the ability to change, to improve. The cafeteria cannot improve without the student body directing it. A healthier Brookfield East begins with students making the right choices each day. The cafeteria will provide what the students want, and unless students want healthy options, this change may not be seen. spartan banner • spring 2017|15
by minors and students, e-mail, hacking, personal information, and access to harmful material - the most topical policy.
Matthew Peterman In 2000, U.S. Congress signed into law the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA), which was the first step to establishing restrictions to internet access in schools. The bill gives discounts and subsidies to school districts for internet access. In return, those school districts must meet the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) requirements on internet safety policies and technology security, which were established in 2001 and updated in 2011. These policies address things like access
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The Elmbrook School District is under the regulations of the CIPA and the FCC. According to District Policy 6177.1, the district receives subsidies from the government for internet access. In return, “[t]he Board of Education expects that the District will meet the requirements of the law in order to protect children from offensive Internet content.” This district policy references Wisconsin state legislature including Statute 118.125, which maintains the confidentiality of student records; and Statute 118.258, which allows each district to prohibit a student
from using electronic devices in school. Even if the district was not receiving subsidies from the E-Rate program, they would likely enforce restricted access. According to Dan Scott, the Director of Technology at Elmbrook School District, “Filtering provides a way to allow access to online resources, while providing a barrier to content that is obscene or potentially harmful. It also allows for us to provide a more education centered approach by limiting potential distractions in the classroom allowing the teachers and the students to focus on learning.” As many know already, the internet contains an immense amount of content that is far too inappropriate for school. When asked
what constitutes a website to be blocked, Scott said, “[W]e question whether the content is harmful, how does it fit in our policy, and what impact will it have on the education experience.” However, there are a number of websites which some say are not inappropriate at all for school, and can, in fact, be detrimental to education. While many may debate on what website content makes it blocked, Tim Vrakas, a senior, argues that restricted access is fundamentally unnecessary. “It wastes money, it interferes with school, it is easily circumvented. It trains students to be dependent on the filters instead of developing self control.” Vrakas says that the district might not even
be on the E-Rate system anymore, therefore making it unnecessary that the district meets CIPA regulations. If the district owns the internet infrastructure, the district doesn’t need CIPA funding, according to Vrakas. Vrakas thinks that students should not rely on filters to shield them from content and must develop self-control. In the real world, such as in college, there are no filters. He says students need to be prepared for the freedom that comes with a computer and internet access. “In real life, college students with no self control just spend all day everyday in their dorms on the computer,” says Vrakas, “The district should focus on education, not control.”
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Victor Calvo poses with his tattoo he both designed and gave to himself. 18| spartan banner • spring 2017
Tattoos Grow As Outlet of Artisitic Expression Turner Tushaus Self expression as an aspect of education is becoming more and more relevant in modern schools like Brookfield East. A specific form that is growing in popularity with each new generation is tattooing. Several students at BEHS have decided to use their bodies as a canvas to bring this unique form of art to life, but because of tattoo laws in Wisconsin, no one under the age of 18 is permitted to get a tattoo. Students, like 17 year old Victor Calvo, don’t let these laws stop them from getting tattoos. Calvo has 4 tattoos on his body; an x on his elbow, a smiley face on his wrist, a UFO on his ankle, and a fish with legs on his thigh, all of which he performed on himself with his own sterilized needles and black india ink. This method of DIY tattooing is known as “stickand-poke” and is done by sticking a sterilized needle into india ink and then poking it into your skin multiple times to create your desired design.
Calvo described the process of his largest tattoo (the fish) as painful at first but “after a couple hundred pokes, the pain went away and it became very easy and painless.” He also has never had any problems with infection. Calvo’s parents were expressly against tattoos so he decided to hide them for as long as possible. They eventually found out, but were apparently “far more understanding about it” than he had expected. He added that when he turns 18 he wants to get a red octopus wrapping around his forearm because “Octopuses are my favorite animals, and have many talents.” There are students who go a more legitimate route in order to get ink under their skin, like Aubrey Prey. She has “My beautiful Auby” tattooed over her heart. She got the tattoo just before the decline of her grandpas health due to cancer because she wanted to remember “him as a happy, healthier guy!” Prey’s parents were, and still are, very supportive of the tattoo. When asked about the negative stigma surrounding the society of tattoos, a tattooed senior at Brookfield East Eleana Felker believes that “there is less in our generation and more in older generations. I think years ago having a tattoos was seen as taboo but now I know a lot of people with tattoos and the disapproval comes more from people thinking you will regret it later.” Regrets often arise when individuals enter the workplace. Many jobs have rules against visible tattoos; for example, neck, face and hand tattoos are not allowed in the army. However the amount of people with tattoos is increasing greatly, and Prey pointed out that “our generation will have tattoos and it’s something companies might have to cope with.”
that may prove an increasing tattoo tolerance. Bramschreiber says that inside school this principal retains a professional reputation by wearing a suit that covers all of the tattoos, but the impressions received outside of school where his tattoos are visible may be extremely different. Imagine the reaction of Brookfield East’s students and parents if Mr. Farley decided to get two arms full of body art. Although the principal of BEHS doesn’t have two full sleeves, a significant number of staff members have tattoos. According to a survey, about one fifth of the staff has at least one tattoo. One of these is English teacher, Mr. Smith. He has a tattoo of a cross on his back shoulder that carries a deeper meaning than merely his religious beliefs. The tattoo was hand designed by Smith’s sister in law, as were similar tattoos that are on both of Smith’s brothers. Each of the tattoos is different in their own way but share the same basic theme of the strong bond Smith and his brothers have. Bramschreiber also sports a religious tattoo on his right bicep saying “let go, let God.” He explained: “I have to remind myself what I can and can’t control.” Many people get tattoos as constant reminders of values they wish to have present in their daily lives. Bramschreiber also said that once he completes his current workout plan he plans to get an outline of Wisconsin on his ribcage as a reward to himself and a reason to show off the results from his workout plan. Tattoos, like most art forms, have been criticized and disregarded throughout history, but the current generation seems to be witnessing a shift in public opinion that could create a more accepting and creative society.
Body art seems to be moving away from being a subculture and entering its place in pop culture. According to social studies teacher Mr. Bramschreiber, a principal in the Waukesha School District has full sleeves of tattoos on both of his arms, something spartan banner • spring 2017|19
Emma Benedict, Senior
“Tattoos, like most art forms, have been criticized and disregarded throughout history, but the current generation seems to be witnessing a shift in public opinion that could create a more accepting and creative society.”
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Taylor Bramschreiber, Social Studies Teacher
Aubrey Prey, Senior
Mike Vandenbush, Custodian
Lindsay Skatrud, English Teacher
Kelly Antoniewicz, Art Teacher
David Smith, English Teacher spartan banner • spring 2017|21
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Alex Garvens LAUNCH is a new program for Seniors and Juniors starting the 2017-2018 school year, through CAPS, or the Center for Advanced Professional Studies. To start off the first year, there are 3 stems that one can access: Global Business, Business Analytics, and Future Teachers of Elmbrook. This program is designed to offer students hands-on experience in a field of their interest. Breaking away from the typical Lecture-StudyTest style of student engagement in the classroom, LAUNCH provides collaborative opportunities. These opportunities include group- lead research, group projects, and meeting with local businesses. All stems of LAUNCH will still contain many components of an average class, with lectures. The difference, though, is that LAUNCH will apply the knowledge of the component courses through collaborative activities, as opposed to tests. This program is strongly recommended for a Junior or a Senior who has a 3.3 - 3.5 GPA but hasn’t taken any AP Classes. The first 3 strands all include AP classes within the classes. It is also strongly recommended for those who share a general interest in the stems offered. As Mr. Ische, a student counselor, states, “you don’t need to be necessarily passionate about the subjects. If you share a general interest, you should seriously consider applying.” LAUNCH is a commitment to makethe classes are taken all year. For Global Business, it is two blocks, while the other two stems are a single block. It’s fair to be skeptical in making such a bold commitment- it takes up a large portion of your schedule and demands attending the same classes with the same people every day. The program will make up for this though. According to Mr. Ische, “these programs will appear on a transcript as the regular component courses, but under the LAUNCH
program it will distinguish students from their peers.” The classes will take place off campus. This is because East students will co-operate with students from Central as well. LAUNCH is not an East or a Central program, but rather a cohort program, and putting it off-location between the two schools solidifies this. This process benefits those involved, as they embrace new situations with people they may have never met before. The classes offered are Global Business, Business Analytics, and Future Teachers of Elmbrook. The first two classes are obviously built for those who possess an interest in business endeavors in the future. The Global Business contains the two AP Economics course offered at Brookfield East and at Brookfield Central; AP Microeconomics and AP Macroeconomics. While the Business Analytics stem offers studies and applications in the AP Statistics course. The third is for those interested in a teaching career, and will teach principles of development, psychology, and tactics to give a better understanding of what teaching is like. The classes may be taught by teachers in the designated fields from BEHS and BCHS, as well as other professionals in the field. LAUNCH is also beneficial for social reasons, not just the purely academic, and integrating students from Brookfield Central is one benefit. Those interested in any of the designated stems should apply. For seniors, this program is the last opportunity to have an experience quite like this one as a high school student. One does not have to be passionate or a die hard enthusiast of the subject to enjoy and receive the benefits that LAUNCH can offer.
2017-2018
2018-2019
Global Business: (2 Information and Blocks all year) Technology: ● AP Micro and Macro Econom● AP Computer ics Science ● Writing for Re● Multi- Media search Production ● Business Strategy Business Analytics: (1 Block all year) ● AP Statistics ● Business Strategy Future Leaders of Elmbrook: (1 Block all year) ● AP Psychology ● Careers in Education
Project Based Engineering: ● AP Physics ● Engineering Design and Development
2019-2020 Biomedical:
● AP Research ● Biomedical Innovation
Medicine and Healthcare: ● Foundations of Medicine ● Medical Research ● CNA Licensure ● Exploring Health Professions
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