Spartan Banner Volume 55
March 2016
Issue 7
WHAT’S INSIDE! Domo Arigato Mr.Roboto, page 3
Find out which club made it to finals and how they got there.
Getting that 5, page 4
Discover the best techniques to ace your AP Exams
Meet Colin, the Senate Page, page 5
Learn how one East student spent a whole semester working for high profile politicians
Lunch system scrambles By Anna Sipek, Editor
Cassidy Wilke and Cassandra Haessly, Brookfield East freshmen, study in preparation for the up-andcoming civics exam. The civics exam is comprised of 100 questions “that are identical to the 100 questions that may be asked of an individual applying for US Citizenship.” Starting with the class of 2017, the WI Act 55 will require all high school students to pass the civics exam, correctly answering 60 out of the 100 questions. Photo Credit: Mary Slavinsky
Educators doubt civic exam’s veritability By Tim Vrakas, Staff Writer
Are you cut out to be a good US citizen? Try to answer these three questions: #1) When do we celebrate Independence Day? #2) What is the capital of the United States? #3) Who was the First US President? Hopefully you didn’t have to think too hard about those. As many of you know, these three questions were among the one hundred on the new Civics exam, which students must pass in order to graduate, starting next year. While this new requirement seems sensible enough, many students, educators and officials feel this new initiative is both inadequate and unnecessary. The new requirement was included in the 2015-2016 state budget bill, which outlined the requirements for the exam. Students must take take a “test” composed of the one hundred questions used on the US citizenship naturalization test. Of these, students must get six-
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ty questions correct. There are no state funds to administer this test. (That means no billable hours for teachers to teach the content.) Each district is responsible for writing, administering, and grading these tests, and the state has no involvement. Because the law is non-specific about what counts as a test, schools are free to come up with their own policies. With no resources to teach material, Elmbrook has taken the convenient way out, attempting to make the test as easy as possible. They have adapted the 100 short-answer questions into multiple choice format, in the form of an online Canvas Quiz. The quiz has no time restraints and can be taken repeatedly. Furthermore, no supervision and free access to the internet mean that this “exam” is starting to sound a lot more like an assignment than a test of proficiency. But it gets better. As stu-
dents quickly discovered, the “test format” includes one more tool to help get the job done. There is no study guide, but one in not really necessary since every answer is choice “A.”Whether this was an oversight, or just a way to quickly fulfill the graduation requirement is unknown. Given the lack of educator input and funding, it’s possible that the strategy is just to get it over with and pass every student in one excellence period. However, as the law is admittedly vague, perhaps this is a fair response, given the negative feedback the new requirement has gotten. Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (WDPI) spokesman Tom McCarthy said in an email that the agency opposes this additional test for students, which they feel is unnecessary. The Wisconsin Association of School District Administrators has echoed this, saying that adding a
graduation test heightens concerns about over-testing. This sentiment can be found close to home as well. In an interview, Patrick Coffey, veteran East teacher for AP US History, expressed his concerns. “I really am confused as to how it came about, why it came about, and who developed it.” He made clear, however, that he was in support of civics as a graduation requirement. “I have nothing against proficiency, but I just don’t know if this process measures that.” How long this new test will last, and its role in helping to educate students remains to be seen. But until then, you had better hit the books. Now, why are there 50 stars on the US flag? I can never remember... But I know the answer is A!
The Elmbrook School District deviated this year from Michelle Obama’s school lunch plan after nearly a year of waste. According to the district head of nutritional services, Cheryl Peil, the school was in need of a change; “We used to have students complaining they weren’t getting enough food. Parents would call in asking why their child was sent home hungry.” The new plan lunch plan allows students to consume larger portion sizes while staying within federal health guidelines. With this new plan, there has come a considerable shift in the cafeteria. “Not only are kids eating more, but they have a greater variety to choose from, [as well],” stated Peil. New additions to the cafeteria include a smoothie machine, dessert bar, and coffee machine. Students are no longer required to take a fruit or vegetable, which usually found their way into the trash.“We want kids to eat what they want,” and by allowing students to choose, the school effectively curbs waste and maximizes profit. Unfortunately, the eatwhat-you-want plan comes with its downsides too. Vicki Kaine, kitchen head at Brookfield East high school stated “ Nothing has changed from last year except the a-la-carte items.” As most students stock up on these sugary, fat heavy foods offered to supplement their meals, the lunch goes far beyond regulations set by the government for both caloric and sugar intake. Some argue the Elmbrook School District has taken a step in the wrong direction, sacrificing quality for quantity.
Spartan Banner — March 2016
News
Funds for special needs
By Emma Barbian, Staff Writer
The Special Needs Scholarship Program gives children with disabilities funding to attend school. This applies to both public and private schools in Wisconsin. Here are the quick facts: -The funding is not based on a bias toward public or private schools, religious or nonreligious. It is designed to aid families in getting their children the best education possible. -Participating schools must meet state and federal nondiscrimination policies . -Children have to be evaluated for a disability before they can qualify for a scholarship and must be reevaluated every three years. As it is currently, both public and private schools can deny special needs students through open enrollment based on limited resources. With the Special Needs Scholarship Program, disabled children are only allowed to be denied due to lack of space, not because of insufficient funding or resources. It gives special needs children the opportunity to get a proper education through the aid of government funding.
Why do students hide political opinions? By Mark Maier, Editor
Contrary to popular belief, the word “privacy” does not appear in the Constitution. There are, perhaps, aspects of privacy in the 4th Amendment, and some would say that it’s one of the implied rights retained by the people, courtesy of the 9th Amendment--but it’s not explicitly mentioned. As such, the government frequently takes liberties. Though we’re certainly not living in George Orwell’s 1984, where Big Brother watches your every move and sends the Thought Police your way if you get out of line, we don’t have a perfect level of privacy in our country. Policies like the Patriot Act and NSA surveillance make this pretty obvious, but this is also a natural consequence of the growth of technology, namely social media. When it seems like we’re constantly being watched and listened to, people in our society are becoming more prone to self-censorship. One realm where this is especially obvious is political beliefs. This is not purely speculation or a view based on emotion. We at the Spartan Banner have had direct experience with this occurrence. It came during last month’s issue, in an article we had about the 2016 presidential candidates. As you may remember, each candidate’s photo and description was
accompanied by a picture of and quote from a student that supported them. While getting participants to go along with this ultimately happened, it was not an easy process. Many students were reluctant to discuss their political beliefs at all. A more common trend, however, was that students could give a wide range of reasons for supporting a given candidate, but then didn’t want their words to be published. For instance, one student, who requested to remain anonymous, told me a plethora of reasons for his support of Bernie Sanders when I posed the question of who his preferred candidate was: he’s the most committed to campaign finance reform, his “socialist” policies are really not as scary as they’re made out to be, he’s been consistent in championing progressive causes for decades, and so forth. I may be a bit biased in saying this, but it was truly impressive to see how passionate this student was about their candidate, and how extensively they could give reasons to support Senator Sanders. However, this lengthy praise was followed by the quote, “I don’t want to have my name published because it would cause backlash from my family.” This student wished to remain anonymous in this article for similar reasons. To have a full understanding
of why people are sometimes reluctant to express their political views, we decided to get a teacher’s perspective as well. Mr. Bramschreiber, a social studies teacher here at Brookfield East, could sympathize with the student’s fear of backlash. “In recent years, politics has gotten far more argumentative,” he said. “People are so entrenched in their political views that they can’t kindly disagree, and sometimes equate one’s ‘bad’ political views with them being a bad person.” This begs the question, who is at fault for us not wanting to be open and honest with each other because it may lead to unpleasant exchanges? While it may not be fair to lay blame on any one source, Mr. Bramschreiber had some ideas. He continued his earlier thoughts by saying, “Politicians are usually not cordial towards each other, and this polarization may rub off on their constituents.” It’s interesting to note that the reluctance of the aforementioned student to express their views about Bernie Sanders occurred in spite of the fact that Sanders is quite popular among young people . According to CNN, in the New Hampshire primary alone, Sanders received nearly 90% of the vote from voters aged 18-29. As such, it was no surprise when we found more sup-
porters for Sanders than any other candidate when trying to develop last month’s article. In short, supporting Bernie Sanders would not get one ostracized in a high school setting, and yet many of his supporters were reluctant to share their views. Imagine how Hillary Clinton’s supporters in our school must feel. Unlike Senator Sanders, finding supporters for Secretary Clinton was by far the hardest thing about last month’s issue. Do they really not exist, or are they just afraid that if they decide to express their support, they’ll be met with hostility? They may truly be small in number, but surely some are out there! We may never know how many there truly are, however, because they may remain silent. It’s unfortunate that this seems to be an increasingly common occurrence. But once again, is this just a natural symptom of a society that doesn’t have a clear valuing of privacy? Is it inevitable that when it seems every one of our moves is being tracked, we decide to make fewer of them? It seems that as more things in this world come about that are supposed to bring us together, we choose to close ourselves off.
Spartan Union pioneers hands-on learning experience By Madeline Mihm, Staff Writer
think in a number of ways our school leads, and it is an honor that people are trying to capture our idea.” Both Mr. Farley, and business teacher, Mr. Seaman credit the Union’s success to gracious donations from the community. As Mr. Farley states, “ the majority of that room was donated by the Brookfield East community.” In terms of numbers, over $60,000 worth of supplies to build the shop came from past graduates and members of the community, and that in combination with multiple grants Brookfield East student Nina Galang serves customers at the Spartan Union. and a loan from the district, The Union has made a great profit and continues to serve students during first minimized the debt many and fourth blocks, befor and after school. suspected the school to be in. Photo Credit: BEHS Yearbook staff Donations came from alumni companies including Belter The Brookfield East the school community for its Corp, Epstein Architecture, school community buildt a innovation and contribution Drexel, and Steinhafels. The coffee shop to improve col- to the recent effort to improve proceeds currently go towards laborative learning at the high collaborative learning in high the Business Leadership class, school, made possible through schools. Brookfield East is now a class made specifically for generous donations and Mr. a model school, with many the Union, and DECA, a busiFarley’s inspiring visions for neighboring districts looking ness club at Brookfield East. this school year. to follow in their footsteps. Diana Lor, a student The Spartan Union As Principal Andrew Farley manager at the coffee shop, has become an attraction in of Brookfield East explains, “I emphasizes how fun it is both
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to work at the Union and just hang out. “You get to know the student body” she says, explaining how the atmosphere is “very chill and fun.” The Spartan Union is currently open before and after school, as well as during first and fourth block, making the space available for classes to use as a learning center. They are changing up the menu constantly Lor explains, stating “I feel like any company would have to adjust for profit and interest.” The coffee shop always seems to be buzzing, and with promotional weeks coming up such as senior week, where seniors get a discount on their drink, the shop is sure to be even busier in the next few weeks. The coffee shop is just the start of a growing trend in high schools to change up learning spaces and encourage collaborative learning. Farley, like many other educators, is inspired by the college culture, “where it is atypical in highschool, it is typical in college to have these collabora-
tive spaces” says Mr. Farley. He hopes to continue to grow these unique spaces with full support from the superintendent and school board. Some of these projects include an update to the library, incorporating outside spaces, and creating a sort of “genius bar” for students. Of course, it all depends on the money, but based off of the success and interest in the Spartan Union, Farley’s dreams for the future may just come true. When a state representative visited the union a few weeks back he asked the superintendent, “why doesn’t Brookfield Central have this?” and in response the superintendent explains “Brookfield Central doesn’t have Farley.” It seems that having strong leadership, lots of support, and big ideas is working for Brookfield East, and many are inspired to do the same, changing the way students learn one collaborative learning space at a time.
Spartan Banner — March 2016
Technology
East Robotics Club competes at FIRST Stronghold By: Paige Christie, Staff Writer
FIRST robotics team 2202 BEAST Robotics competed last weekend in Kansas City, Missouri for the first time this season. Teams were from Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Wisconsin. This year’s challenge is FIRST Stronghold. The goal of this challenge is to weaken the tower by throwing boulders (foam balls) into it and weakening the defenses (obstacles in the middle of the field) by driving over or through them. There are 3 robots on each alliance that have to work together to complete the challenge. Each match is 2 minutes and 30 seconds. The first 15 seconds of the match is autonomous, meaning that the robot follows a pre-programmed code. Then, the rest of the match is tele-operated, meaning our driver controls the robot around on the field to complete tasks. FIRST is a non-
profit organization that has teams all over the world. Our team 2202 BEAST Robotics is a combination of students from both East and Central. The robotics team is about more than just building robots. We have various sub teams that take care of different portions of the team. These sub teams include mechanical, electrical, programing, business, construction, strategy and other temporary sub teams. During the summer, we have introduced summer camps for elementary school students. We have a website, YouTube channel, Facebook and Twitter page. The competitions are always very high energy. It’s like a large sporting event, with lots of excitement. The students, mentors and families sit in the stands watching the match. There is the pit area where we fix our robot and show off our team with banners and trophies. The most exciting part of the competition is the finals. The top 8 ranked teams are captains
and choose their alliance to compete with for the remainder of the competition. The team who makes it through the quarter finals, semi-finals and comes out victorious in the finals gets to go on to the World Championships hosted in Saint Louis, Missouri. There is more than just robots at the competition. There is a variFIRST Robotics competitors overlook the arena, where Team 2202 is about to compete. ety of awards yourPhoto Credit: Kellie Stein team can win. One working hard to get this award student can win this award by of the most prestigious awards is the Chair- this year. We shared many being nominated by their team man’s Award. To be eligible for new things our team is doing as a junior in high school. the award you have to present during the presentation, such FIRST Robotics welyour community outreach and as starting two new summer comes high school students of camps, mentoring two FLL other aspects of your team to any age and of any expertise. teams, and various types of judges who award the team The 2016 preseason will begin community volunteering. Anwho they feel has exemplified this October. other award that can be won the mission of the FIRST organization. Our team has been is Dean’s List. An individual
Dan, Dan, the physics man gives perspective on AP’s By:Michelle Liu, Editor, and Anna Sipek, Editor
What is your favorite How did you first get interested in making videos?
Photo credit: A+ Physics Dan Fullerton, writer of East’s AP Physics textbooks and founder of A+ Physics.
Students in Mr. Zeidler’s AP Physics class first semester are familiar with Dan Fullerton’s work. Spartan banner got an exclusive interview with Fullerton. Why did you decide to pursue a career in science? In high school I enjoyed math and science classes, and figured engineering was a good career that could tap into my interests and would be financially and emotionally rewarding. Once I had set my mind on engineering, I never looked back. Well, at least not until I started teaching a graduate course at Rochester Institute of Technology, and caught the teaching bug.
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During my first year teaching high school physics, I found that I spent roughly an hour a day re-teaching lessons to students who had been absent the previous day. It didn’t take too many months before I realized there had to be a more efficient use of time for both the students and myself. I thought that if I could make a short summary video of the key points of the lesson, I could likely shorten up those impromptu “catch-up” sessions considerably, leaving more time to develop better lessons, hands-on activities, and experiences that would improve my overall teaching. Are there any projects you are pursuing right now? Can we expect another edition of AP physics essentials? My project work has slowed quite a bit in the past six months or so due to a back injury, but I’m starting to get back into the swing of things. I have a project list that I’ll never completely clean up, but there are ongoing minor updates to all the books (printon-demand technology allows me to make minor changes quickly and easily without full new editions), I have a long list of videos I want to revise,
a (slightly) shorter list of videos to create from scratch, an APlusPhysics website that continues to grow, and I’m also working with a team of master physics teachers to create a compendium of lab activities consistent with the various physics courses taught in high school. Why did you decide to write your own physics textbook? A few years after I started making videos, one of my students, Emily, mentioned that I should put all my notes together into a review book. She thought that having easy access to all the information in a book would be very helpful to her. I laughed and ignored her for a while, but she was relentless, and eventually convinced me that it wouldn’t be such a bad idea. I wasn’t really a fan of the book we were currently using in our class, and thought a book written the way I would want a book organized, as a student, focusing on the basic concepts and problem solving steps, could be quite valuable. My books aren’t designed as a standard textbook replacement, but rather as a “flipped-classroom” type resource to provide students the basic introduction to a topic, so that when they come to class, we have more time available for those active learning experi-
ences that are more fun, more engaging, and more effective. What do you think of the flipped-classroom system? I love the flipped-classroom model in some respects, though there are also drawbacks. I love its potential for taking some of the routine direct instruction pieces of the traditional classroom and allowing students to undertake those at their convenience, and the way it opens up classroom time for active learning experiences. Plus, when students are doing problem practice, I like being in the room to help when they get stuck. On the downside, I think it sometimes gets a bad reputation from instructors who expect students to “learn by video.” That, I don’t believe, is very effective at all. More importantly, it doesn’t sound like much fun. The key to an effective flipped classroom is using that extra classroom time effectively and providing students opportunities to actively engage with the content. Since many students often find physics to be the most challenging to learn out of the sciences, do you have any particular tips for helping students succeed in learning physics? Physics is something you do, not something you know. Suc-
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cess is all about trying, and failing, and learning to fail productively (learning something every time you fail). It’s about perseverance, and beating your head against the wall until the wall gets soft, and having the fortitude to get back up and do it again. All metaphorically speaking, of course. Please don’t hit your head against the wall. Drywall repair is miserable. I have little kids -- I know. Also, recognize that you have TONS of resources around you to help you. Use these Information Age resources to help you succeed. Even more important than learning physics content is learning how to teach yourself -- a skill you’ll use the rest of your life, regardless of your career path. Do you have any advice for students looking to go into a career in science? Find something you are passionate about, and go after it with everything you have. You’ll be spending roughly half of your waking hours in your career -- so find something you enjoy and try it out. If you don’t enjoy it, try something else. Opportunities abound -- take advantage of them. Second, learn how to communicate effectively, in both written and spoken forms. Nobody will care how brilliant you are or what tremendous work you’ve done if they don’t understand [it].
Advice
Reimagining education By Namitha Alexander, Staff Writer
Beloved shoes bad for feet? By Nikhita Santebennur, Staff Writer
Shoes are essential for an outfit to be complete, and the typical Converse, Vans, Keds and UGGs are just a small portion of shoes that are the must haves for many young adults. However, while we sport these shoes almost everywhere we go, we must ask, are these really helping our feet...or hurting them? Along with being fashionable, these shoes have another thing in common: they all have an extreme lack of arch support. Podiatrists all over the world have spoken of the importance of arch support in shoes since the human foot has a natural arch and needs support when walking on flat ground. Converse shoes, for example, have an extremely flat insole and with constant use, the arch of the foot could actually collapse and the ligaments in the bottom of the foot can over stretch. So what is the result? The painful condition
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plantar fasciitis. This condition causes the ligament connecting the heel to the bone to become inflamed or swollen, which induces pain after prolonged walking or activity on the feet. Even more stress on the ligament could result in tears. Furthermore, lack of support for the feet has even been linked to lower back pain. The feet can cause a number of problems for the rest of the body such as the knees, hips, back and joints when not supported correctly. That is why it is so crucial to have a stable and sound support to the foot, which flat shoes like Converse don’t provide much of by themselves. It is disappointing to know that some of your favorite shoes are not healthy for your feet, but fear not, for there are many steps you can take to improve your arch support without getting rid of all your cute shoes. An important thing to remember is to wear
flat shoes in moderation. A few days a week is fine, but as days increase, the risk of hurting your arch increases. Do not be afraid to wear sneakers every now and then or even supportive sandals. Some brands of supportive sandals are Teva, Oofos, Chaco and Birkenstock. Another option could be to wear orthotics or gel inserts with arch support inside your flat shoes. With inserts, you could keep wearing your typical flat shoe, but have some support in there too. Lastly, while having the right support in the feet is crucial, body posture is one more important thing to remember. Try to keep the back straight whenever possible with the shoulders back, not rolled forward. Next time you decide to spend all day wearing your Converse, remember to think about your foot and how imperative arch support really is to ensure a life with little to no pain in the foot, knees and back.
4+3=? Simple enough. There’s one right answer to this question; 4+3=7. On a test in school, these are the types of questions that are asked. Granted, as the years progress, the number of terms increase and the quantities become more complex. Nevertheless, on the test in any subject, the student is only asked to produce one right answer. Let’s rephrase the question. ?+?=7. What’s the answer now? The possibilities are endless. Due to such variability, students don’t see these types of questions on tests. Here is where there’s a fork in the road. There are two paths going in different directions. The K-12 world and the real world. A disconnect is present between the educational world and the professional world creating burdens on young people when they dive into the 21st century workplace. In school, we accumulate more methods to finding these ‘one right answers’ which supposedly will lead us to a position where we can be successful in the professional world. However, which job description mentions the need for these ‘one right answers’? The very phrasing of questions are different from the education world and the real world. In the practical world, people are asking for results. A salesman is asked to produce a desirable number of sales. An engineer is asked to produce a desirable product. A plumber is asked to produce a desirable toilet. A student is given the means and then asked to figure out the ends; while a professional is given the ends and then asked to figure out the means. This is the gap between what a student learns in school and what they need to do in the workplace. A puzzle builder blindly analyzes the shapes of the given pieces to slowly piece together a picture that they will only understand until it is completed. Schools currently produce puzzle builders. A quilt maker, on the other hand, has the end goal in mind, as they exhaust any resources available, every last scrap of cloth in any shape or size, to make a product that is useful, fuzzy and warm. The ideal worker is a quilt maker.
Schools need to produce more quilt makers. The material for these quilts are available in schools. They just need to be angled at the right degree. Instead of 4+3=?, schools need to ask ?+?=7 so that teachers can elicit the creative spark in students’ minds. It’s such a simple switch. Students need to be proactively reflecting on the material that they are receiving. They need to ask themselves and others, “how can I creatively use the knowledge I gained in class for the practical world?” Puzzle builders may have been enough in the past, but in this new generation filled with technology, humans need to become quilt makers in order to truly succeed and contribute in the advancement of the 21st century society. In the digital age, computers will always beat humans in a puzzle building competition, spewing out facts and numbers at the speed of light. However, humans will always be the reigning champion in the creative skill needed to make a quilt. Humans will be needed to innovate new methods in order to reach bigger goals. These methods will not be straightforward; that’s why only people can accomplish this task. Brainstorming one hundred different methods to finally discover ‘idea number 101’ that is the most efficient, reliable and unique. All that needs to be done is that the education system needs to look through a new lens. Students should learn the current curriculum not because they will use it in the their job (computers have us covered there), but because they will need to create new methods, like the old ones, to solve new problems. Students should reflect upon their assignments and wonder how this information can be applied to new industries to create innovations. Teachers need to facilitate this type of learning by phrasing the questions differently, asking students to find means, not ends, not answers that Google would provide someone with. With this change, young people will become quilt makers who can creatively progress the future society.
2+2=4 4=
endless opportunities
Spartan Banner — March 2016
Feature
Colin Gray-Hoehn talks politics and life as a Senate page
By Aditya Jhaveri, Staff Writer
whom I worked in the Senate Page Program, Senate Page School, Democratic Cloakroom, and many other offices were incredibly intelligent, hardworking, and experienced people who generously shared their perspectives and knowledge with me. From these conversations I was exposed not only to different political belief systems, but also to different ways of life, different interests, and different backgrounds. This diversity of thought and experience was probably the most significant challenge and benefit I experienced as a Senate Page. Q: What did a regular day look like for a Senate Page? Collin Gray-Hoehn spent his fall semester working as a Senate page. As part of the program, he attended the State of the Union Address. Many of his friends back in Brookfield snapchated his photo while watching him on tv.Photo Credit Bashar Zaidat
This past semester, junior Colin Gray-Hoehn was able to take up a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity working as a Senate Page in Washington DC. Q: [What is] the Senate Page program? A: The first Senate Page worked for Senator Daniel Webster, yet as times have changed the program has evolved. Today the Senate Page Program is an established program within the office of the Sergeant of Arms of the U.S. Senate. Each academic semester the program is open to 30 high school juniors from around the country. Senate Pages’ work includes delivering correspondence between Senators’ offices, the Senate chamber, and legislative offices; distributing legislation, amendments, and records of votes; preparing the Senate chamber for daily sessions; and setting up Senators to speak. In addition to the “job” of being a Senate Page the experience includes a challenging school and the opportunity to live in our nation’s capital. Q: Why did you to choose the Senate Page program? A: For me serving as a Senate Page was an incredible opportunity to see our government at work, meet bright students with a passion for government and politics from around the nation, develop a professional skill set, and explore Washington, DC. While the role of a Senate Page is often demanding, the relationships I built and the experiences I enjoyed were tremendous.
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Q: How was the application process? What did it consist of? A: The Senate Page Program is unique so far as Senate Pages are selected through the offices of specific Senators. For me this meant I reached out to the offices of both Senator Ron Johnson and Senator Tammy Baldwin as I began the process of applying. The staff of both Senators was exceedingly helpful, and I deeply appreciate the friendliness and guidance they extended to me as I applied. The specific application requirements varied between offices, yet consisted of a written application and an interview process. A significant portion of my application was the letters of recommendation and references I received from people who were generous with time and talent. A number of teachers within the Brookfield East community were instrumental in my application and I am very grateful for the time they dedicated on my behalf. As a result of the hard work so many people contributed for me I received a nomination from Senator Tammy Baldwin. Q; What networking and connections has the program opened up for you? A: My time as a Senate Page helped me realize that the people who were most important to me as a Senate Page and will have the greatest influence on my life moving forward, were not the renowned and accomplished people I met, but rather the people I worked, studied, and lived alongside side day in and day out. My fellow Pages and the individuals with
A: The life of a Senate Page is based almost exclusively on the calendar of the Senate. Thus, the length of classes, the workday, and just about everything else varied on a daily basis. A typical weekday, however, broke down roughly as follows: 4:50 AM Wakeup 6:15 AM School day start 8:45 AM School day ends 9:00 AM Report to work 10:00 AM Senate convenes 7:30 PM Senate Adjourns 8:00 PM Return home 8:30- 10:30 PM study 11:30 PM Head to bed Q: Were you able to maintain regular school? What classes? What standardized tests? A: While working as a Senate Page I also attended the Senate Page school. The Senate Page School was an enriching and challenging learning environment. The school had only 30 students and four teachers; class sizes, therefore, were between six and eight students. Small classes and fantastic teachers and administration helped to offset the abbreviated school day. Nonetheless, the classes were typically fastpaced and discussion-based with significant amounts of outside of class study. During the work day I was often able to complete several hours of coursework and would finish my work for the next day each night upon returning home. During my time as a Senate Page I studied English Composition, American Literature, Political Science, and Physics. I also completed the PSAT/ NMSQT at Page School just like juniors do here at Brookfield East, and other standardized testing at local high schools in DC.
Q: During your stay what did you learn in the field of politics? Is politics as corrupt as some perceive it?
Q: State of the Union address: What impact did hearing Obama first hand have on you?
A: The State of the Union address was a highlight of my time as a Senate Page. I was honored and privileged to be able to hear President Barack Obama’s final State of the Union address. Experiencing that moment in the House of Representatives chamber with the President, the Supreme Court, the Cabinet, “POLITICIANS, LIKE ANY- the Senate, and the ONE ELSE, ARE PEOPLE” House was incredible. For me the State -Colin G.H. of the Union involved more than heareach day hoping to make a ing President Barack Obama difference. I think it is easy to speak--it was a powerful illusfind flaws in our government tration of the entirety of our from a safe distance where one government. is not responsible for actually accomplishing or changing Q: Interacting directly anything. The process of ac- with politicians must give tually governing, however, is you a sense of their world. by its nature imperfect. While What differs in our underimperfections are often most standing from the world readily recognized, I think the as opposed to how a polivalue of those in government tician views the world? A: Politicians, like is seen by how much works correctly and efficiently, and is anyone else, are people. Their jobs may be different, but therefore never discussed. they have many of the same Q: In your daily sessions concerns and experiences as what became monotonous everyday any other American. and what was unexpect- I do not believe that simply ed? being a politician changes a politician’s understanding of A: Each week I spent an aver- the world. Rather, I think poliage of 10 to 15 hours in class ticians have incredibly diverse and 40 to 60 hours working. understandings of the world As a result of the sheer num- that are grown by information ber of hours I spent in the the average person may not Senate Chamber it was easy to access to. lose sight of how special each moment was. Fortunately, it In the future what do you was also impossible not to be imagine for your political, blown away at least a half doz- school, or extracurricular en times a day by the events ventures? unfolding before my eyes, the beauty of the Capitol, or the A: Returning home to Brookuniqueness of this time in my field and Brookfield East has been a complicated transition life. on many levels. In addition Q: What are your com- to rejoining the Brookfield ments for the presidential East community, I left behind race that continues on? the Senate Page community. Thus, coming home has been a A: Regardless of your political two part whirlwind of change. beliefs or which candidate you Serving as a Senate Page, howsupport, I think what is most ever, changed my perspective, important is being aware and and gave me time to “pause” active. I encourage anyone of my life and assess what I had voting age to find the candi- done up to this point and for date they believe will do the what reason. In the few weeks most good for our country and I have been home, however, I vote. I encourage everyone to have been focused on catching stay informed of not only pres- up with schoolwork and the idential politics, but also state, many people I missed. Moving country, city, and even school forward I hope to incorporate board politics. It is amaz- the knowledge and experiencing how much information is es I gained as a Senate Page available to us, and I believe into my daily life and whatever as American citizens we have ventures that entails an obligation to each other and to ourselves to be aware of the actions of our government and be active in supporting the policies and candidates we believe in. A: Throughout my experience as a Senate Page I was overwhelmingly impressed by the good work done in the Capitol. From the custodial and food services to legislative aides to Senators, the people whom I met were hardworking, passionate, and who went to work
Spartan Banner — March 2016
Sports
BOYS TENNIS about to serve up aces As the 2016 season approaches, the Brookfield East boys’ tennis team is anxious to get underway. After hard work in the offseason, the Spartans are excited for this year’s prospects and are confident they will have success. The team did lose some key players from the previous year, including former doubles state champion Henry Termuehlen, captain Jimmy Engelhart, Tyler Kendler, and Tim Langlois. These players made up half of the doubles lineup and a quarter of the singles, so their shoes will be tough to fill. However, senior Doug Francken believes “We have a lot of guys who are ready to step up.” Billy Andrae, a varsity member in 2015, is
By David Horneffer, Staff Writer
expected to be a major contributor to the doubles lineup. Sophomore Alex Fisher will also help fill the void in either doubles or singles, and a number of players from the highly successful 2015 varsity reserve team will certainly benefit the team. Returning starters include Nathan Sobczak, Joe Adams, Robert Krill, David Horneffer, Patrick Krill, and Doug Francken. They led the Spartans to the WIAA State Semifinals in 2015, and many of them contributed to East’s first state championship in over 30 years the prior season. While there are a number of formidable teams including last year’s state champions, Marquette, the
boys still believe they have as good of a chance as anyone. “I really think we compete with anyone”, said senior Billy Andrae. The schedule does not start out easy, as in just the first two weeks they will take on a highly-ranked Middleton team, the number one team in Minnesota, and Marquette, who is the preseason number one in Wisconsin. Other key matches include an April 26th date with University School, a May 3rd showdown with Brookfield Central, and the Conference and Sectional tournaments in the middle of May. Come out and support the Spartans at their home matches this season!
UPCOMING GAMES April 5nd.....
April 9rd.....
April 12th.....
April 13th.....
April 14th.....
Page 6
4:00 at West Allis, Girls Varsity Track GMC Championship 4:30 at BEHS, Girls Freshmen Soccer 4:30 at BEHS, Girls Varsity Softball 4:30 at BEHS, JV Softball 8:00 at BEHS, Boys JV Track GMC Championship 10:00 at Waunakee High School, Girls Freshman Soccer 12:00 at Waunakee High School, Girls JV Soccer 12:00 at BEHS, Girls JV Track GMC Championship 4:00 at BEHS, Boys Varisty track 4:30 at Frank Lloyd Wright Middle School, Girls JV Soccer 4:30 at West Allis Athletic Complex, Girls Varsity Soccer 4:30 at BEHS, Varsity Softball 4:30 at BEHS, JV Softball 3:30 at Songbird Hills Golf Club, Boys JV Golf 4:00 at Middleton High School, Boys Varsity Tennis 4:00 at Middleton High School, Boys JV Tennis 4:00 at BEHS, Girls Varsity Track 4:30 at BEHS, Freshman Softball 3:30 at Songbird Hills Golf Club, Boys Freshman Golf 3:30 at Menomonee Falls High School, Boys JV Track 4:30 at Hamilton, Varsity Softball
BEHS Cheer team poses after winning WACPC Regional Champions. Photo Credit: Claire Lukas
Cheerleading wins State: makes history By Claire Lukas, Staff Writer
Perseverance. One of the most important lessons an athlete can learn, whether it be from an injury, a season, a coach or a teammate. It is also one of the toughest lessons to learn, and boy did the cheerleading squad learn it. Their season started in May of 2015, and, it started well with 12 girls on the Varsity team, all with high hopes of winning state at the end of February. Throughout the first few months of the season, a couple members of the team quit and one got injured. Everyone was nervous, but, Coaches Amy and Cheyenne Fischer assured the team that they could drop into the ‘Super Small’ division and do just as well as they had planned. As the season progressed things were looking up for them. In January, they took home the gold at Brookfield Blast, hosted by Brookfield Central (a very sweet victory.) Now, having 9 girls on the team, everyone was seen as very precious cargo. Just days after their victory at Central, the only sophomore on the team, Mia Bergstrom, tore her ACL at practice, a week before regionals. Perseverance came into play immediately, but so did a second tragedy. Jamie Keith (11), flyer and smallest girl on the team, suffered a concussion at practice. And no, it did not stop there either. Junior Claire Lukas came down with a case of mono, leaving her weak and tired, but still able to compete. Captains Sierra Fischer (12) and Madi Mc-
Donald (12) had to step in as leaders (and team moms) to subdue the team’s distress. Eventually, the squad decided they still wanted to take on regionals. Turning to JV, Jenessa Maager (9) and Abigail MacVane (9) were pulled up to Varsity. After a week of blood, sweat, tears, and dysfunctional practices, they headed out to regionals, miraculously pulling out a victory. Coaches cried, parents cried, team members cried. After the struggles of the season it looked like they had a shot at state. Luckily, nobody was hurt the week before state. Friday, February 26th, 9 girls, 2 injured girls and 2 coaches headed up to Madison. For the 3 seniors it would be their last competition, and a memorable one. Going through warm ups, nerves were high, and everyone wanted to know if they could pull it off. The performance was near perfect and “blew Appleton West (our biggest competitor) out of the water,” according to the Spartan cheer moms in attendance. When it was time for awards all the teams went onstage; only the top three3 places were called. When it came to D1 Super Small every girl on our team was praying to not be called for 3rd or 2nd place. They weren’t. For the first time in Brookfield East history, cheerleading had won state! And for the first time in the team’s history every girl learned how to persevere.
Spartan Banner — March 2016
Humor
Horoscope
If you are the twelfth person to pick up a copy of this issue...you will win... absolutely nothing. Congratulations, I guess.
Hi there! This is Madame Sansvrai, back again for another horoscope. Did you miss me? Of course you did! Many of my predictions turned out to be true last time--most likely. Don’t fact-check me on that, just take my word for it. Would I lie to you? Of course not! So here are some more highly accurate predictions for time to come.
If you are wearing sandals during the next time Halley’s Comet is visible... you will, at that moment, be on a path to happiness forever.
If you ate Froot Loops If your right arm is If you can bench press at for breakfast this slightly longer than your least 115 lbs... morning, and there left arm... you will be a highly coveted right hand man/woman for when I take control of the universe one day. If you’re were no blue ones in you will always find an open register at Walmart. interested in the job in advance, come see me for an InThere may still be a line, though. terview at MCDONALDS ON aPRIL 31ST your bowl... it is a sign that you need to make changes in your life. Get on it!
Woes of a Brookfield East student Brought to you by Anna Sipek and Mary Slavinsky
Page 7
Spartan Banner— mARCH 2016
Opinion
New Voices for our voices By Editorial Staff
The First Amendment states “Congress shall make no law...abridging the freedom of speech.” This right should not stop when students enter school. New Voices, a piece of legislation waiting to be passed, guarantees this right for all students. Current law entails that school districts can censor student media as they please. In the Elmbrook School District, students are grateful to have a protocol that allows student voices to be heard. Not all students are so lucky. In these districts, protocol must change. The New Voices legislation must be passed, because it would guarantee freedom of press in all schools, regardless of school handbooks. The full title of the Legislation at hand is the John Wall New Voices Act. According to the Student Press Law Center, the legislation states that school administrators cannot censor any “school-sponsored media” at public schools and colleges, so long as the content within it is not: libelous or slanderous, in violation of someone’s privacy, in violation of any law(s), or presenting a clear and present danger. This legislation has
already been passed in North Dakota. In fact, before being signed into law last April, the legislation was approved unanimously in the state legislature. There’s no reason we in Wisconsin can’t do the same. In fact, because of the protection that this legislation gives to fundamental rights, it is imperative that we pass it. In the past, court precedent has sided with school administrations. One example of this is the case of Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier. A piece published in Hazelwood East High School’s student newspaper featured an article regarding the impact of divorce on teen pregnancy. Upon review of this piece, the principal refused to let them print it, and the students took it to court on the grounds that their First Amendment rights were violated. Imminently, the Supreme Court decided that the principal’s decision stood, and that schools have the right to censorship. In the case of Schenck v. US, the Supreme Court set a precedent that the government could only restrict free speech if it presented a “clear and present danger.” Perhaps it was once believed that school papers fit this description, but times have changed. More emphasis is on
the ideals of free speech than ever before. The New Voices Act is a manifestation of that change. Its implementation will represent a new era of student journalism unobstructed by trite limitations and open to the true potential of student expression. Protecting student voice is absolutely critical. This is, in part, because students are directly affected by choices the school board makes. While the board usually makes changes for the betterment of the student body, they won’t know for sure unless students have an outlet through which they can give feedback. One function of school newspapers is to ensure that students have the opportunity to voice exactly what policies they support and
Don’t worry, be happy By Wendy Chu
oppose. If this right is limited arbitrarily, our school system would be suppressing the voices that are so essential to the improvement of America’s educational system. So even from a standpoint of self-interest, school districts should get behind the New Voices legislation. The New Voices legislation is the key to truly improving student rights. It must pass as soon as possible.
To gym, or not to gym? That is the question By Sarah Bachmann
Every student at Brookfield East high school is required to have at least three credits of physical education. More than 80% of East students also participate in a high school sport. PE has long been a part of the school curriculum, but as more students participate in sports, and the academic demand of colleges is increasing, the question of whether gym credits can be fulfilled by playing a high school sport is a debate in many schools. While the discussions of using sports partici-
pation to replace PE courses have occurred, there are few schools that are taking such action for a number of reasons. Not only would giving students the option of no gym class require a major cut in courses and staffing, but it could also cause scheduling issues in the event that the athlete does not make the team. Many supporters of physical education also argue that the material learned in a gym class cannot be compared to the skills learned in a sport. While sports do give an opportunity to be fit and
Spartan Banner Staff Editor-In-Chief Mary Slavinsky Executive Editor Elizabeth Goblirsch Editorial Staff Simran Khunger Michelle Liu Mark Maier Anna Sipek Adviser Mrs. Skatrud
Page 8
Staff Namitha Alexander Sarah Bachmann Emma Barbian Paige Christie Wendy Chu David Horneffer Aditya Jhaveri Madeline Mihm Nikhita Santebennur Adam Storch
healthy, the skills learned in PE teach a variety of ways how to stay healthy throughout life. Although there is a difference in playing a sport versus taking a gym course, and the scheduling of the athlete could be difficult, offering a study hall for athletes in place of a gym course could benefit both the student and the school. By cutting down on the number of gym teachers, the school saves money for other areas in need. Also, to ensure that the “physical” aspect is being fulfilled, there could be a sheet that
the coach would sign off on to ensure the student is participating to their fullest ability. Athletes constantly struggle with the stress of balancing school and their sports. With practice running at least 2 hours a day for 5 days a week, offering a study hall in place of a gym class, especially with block scheduling, would help to alleviate that stress. Having a study hall available would also make athletes more willing to take rigorous honors or AP courses, which could save them money in the long run by earning college cred-
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its while still in high school. In order to have high school sports count as physical education credits successfully, the scheduling problems would need to be sorted out, along with solid guidelines on the qualifications of this option. However, if this policy were to be implemented at Brookfield East, it would save the school money, and alleviate athlete stress.
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Spartan Banner — March 2016