Spartan Banner | May 2016

The

Spartan Banner

Volume 55

Issue 8

Junior Prom creates lasting memories By: Margaret Slavinsky, staff

Prom took place on Friday, May 6th for all Juniors attending Brookfield East High School. Juniors who go get to prepare all day for it, and it is also a senior skip day. The excitement leading up to prom builds and builds for the juniors and others who have the privilege to go. This year’s prom theme was “James Bond.”Prom took place at the Wisconsin Club.

Brookfield East has been using the Wisconsin Club for over 20 years. We got involved there because back in the day, a parent signed BEHS to be the only high school that is allowed to use the Wisconsin Club for prom.

A highlight for the night was that the students were able to take pictures on the balcony, which they were unable to do in previous years.

The students were unable to use the balcony before, because the students could have the chance of falling off. It was to avoid the issues of possible accidents and for the students safety.

The DJ had a photobooth on both sides of the room for students to remember their night.

Students were also able to take pictures at local places around the Wisconsin Club before the dance started.

Students recalled that the DJ “had good transitions” and played excellent music such as Backstreet Boys and Instinct.

According to Mrs. Kane, the DJ was all inclusive, and he provided lighting, decorations, and, as stated before, unlimited usage of the photo booths. Half of the students said they loved it, and half said they did not.

Kids were dancing nonstop and they stayed until they end, so the DJ was overall very good. The three food options were chicken, beef, and a vegetarian option.

Junior Adam Storch stated that the chicken was good; however, it was “a bit over seasoned.” Another junior, Anna Sipek, said that the Vegetarian Fantasia was also favorable.

All prom goers were very excited;

however, the excitement level rose for those who were on Prom Court. The court included Zoha Aman, James Arndt, Jay Van Ert, Maria Seubert, Michael Staff, Alexis Ormsby, Megan Fleming, Logan Huck, Gerry Hartman, Riley Hughes, Emma Corwin, Steven Degarmo, Steward Gildea, and Michelle Lazar.

The prom king and queen titles were awarded to Michael Staff and Alexis Ormsby. This year’s prom was no let down for the class of 2017, and many younger students are looking forward to their chance to experience this same excitement.

Prom king, Michael Staff, remembered that “[He] loved prom, especially the mac-n-cheese at Post Prom”.

His highlights of the night included “dancing with [his] friends, dining in fancy attire, and getting hypnotized”. He states that the “coronation was just a small part of the memorable experience”.

When asked how he felt about being crowned king, he responded “I was shocked more than anything, to be

honest. I never really expected my peers to vote for me for Mr. Beast, much less Prom King, so it was a surprise when they called my name and shoved the crown on my head. I just wish that Alexis Ormsby was there to share our crowning together.”

Some changes that are happening to prom are that it is going to be on April 22 which is a Saturday rather than a friday.

The club is offering the same deal for a saturday as they would for fridays. It was previously on a friday, because they offered times based on easter and spring break. Offered the same friday price deal on a Saturday.

This year there were 269 kids going to prom, and out of those, 26 non BEHS students attended. Overall, it was an honor to be allowed in the Wisconsin club, and it is an honor to be the only high school allowed at the club. It is a beautiful location and a great place for juniors to have prom.

WHAT’S INSIDE! College Decisions, page 4-5

Find out next years plans for the graduating seniors

Two seniors continue their tennis journey, page 6

Read about David Horneffer and Patrick Krill, who are going to play collegate tennis and are leading the tennis team to victory this season.

Students comment about the purpose of the spring fling, page 8 Learn how a student wants to improve the spring fling experience.

Top left: Sofia Cafaro and Eleni Tongas, make goofy faces for the camera in the photobooth. The photobooth was provided by the DJ and was a hit throughout the dance.

Photo credit: Mrs. Kane Top middle: Junior Mo Polyak and her date, freshman Ricky Rivas, have fun with the photobooth during Prom by holding up fake mustaches. Photo credit: Mrs. Kane Top right: Couple Maddie Sabinash and Jake Mierow have dinner together before the dance starts and pose for camera with happy faces. Photo credit: Mrs. Kane Bottom left: Prom court assembles to take a picture and is thrilled after announcement of King and Queen, Michael Staff and Alexis Ormsby. Photo credit: Mrs. Kane Bottom right: Alexis sent in a picture of herself from the hospital in her Prom dress and the Queen’s crown that was sent to her to be put with the picture of Prom Court along with a video of her that was shared during the dance. Photo credit: Trish Ormsby

Page 1

Spartan Banner — May 2016

NEWS

Blocking algorithm disrupting lives of students

By Jacob Frasch, staff

Elmbrook School District students are upset that the district input an updated program this fall to automatically block more sites and applications that were not considered valuable for education.

Following the recent expansion of blocking that includes popular applications like Instagram, Snapchat, and Netflix, students have been experiencing the increased monitoring of websites on the school internet and wifi.

Contributing to this increase in blocking, the Elmbrook School District implemented a new update to the monitoring system at the beginning of the 2015-2016 school year to address the issue of increased chromebook use throughout the school, and more students using school issued devices for personal use.

The main outcry for lifting of different blocked sites comes directly from the students. Issues of research and restrictive wifi access cause students to use their own data on their phones. This can turn into a nuisance, especially for

those limited with data. In an interview with senior Justin Allen, he highlighted the fact that issues of distraction make him see why the school blocks different apps, but there are ways around that including access to data or a VPN network.

Despite combating distractions, Justin stated in response to hindered research and school work due to the blocking system, “I was researching gambling for AP Lang and I could not access the website because of the system. There were multiple websites that I wanted to use, but I could not access them.”

Through this interview, the common complaints of frustrated students came out over the hassle of blocking, even if the district does so for a positive reason.

According to Joanie Rueth, a teaching and learning coach at both Elmbrook high schools, the system of blocking websites and different applications is based off an algorithm that singles out certain hit words that are deemed in-

appropriate and not essential to school.

Despite false accusations of individual sites being blocked, the algorithm system is what is established and has been in place for the past several years. As this blocking system is a fluid process that continues today, noting the the recent blocking of GroupMe, there is a process in place that allows requests to unblock different sites.

When following up on the teacher’s perspective of blocking, Mr. Crandall outlined his classroom experience as a computer teacher at Brookfield East and Central as not affected by school restrictions as most resources his students utilize don’t push the limits of controversial words or topics.

He stated that issues of restrictions all stemmed from what class you are in. Different subjects require more intensive research, leading to the possibility of increased blocked sites. However, the blocking of CBS Sports during March Madness still hits home

with Crandall, an avid college basketball fan.

Upon learning of a blocked site, there is a system in place for requesting the unblocking despite most students not fully understanding the process. Both Joanie Rueth and Mr. Crandall explained how there is a website where teachers, and only teachers, can submit a ticket stating why they need access to a certain site and how it would serve an educational purpose.

Indirectly, students can go to a teacher for help to send in a ticket as they are not allowed to do so themselves.

Once submitted, the District Central Office will examine the application, headed by the Director of Technology Dan Scott. Talking to higher administration or contacting Mr. Farley may speed up the process according to Mr. Crandall, but nothing is guaranteed.

Another resolution to the blocking problem came from Brookfield East’s librarian Ms. Matz. She understands the benefits of protect-

ing young people from child pornography and violence, and that under the law they must for those under 18, but restricted information does disrupt her assistance in research. Unaware whether or not a licensed librarian was on the committee making restriction decisions, Ms. Matz proposed the idea of a workstation or alternative set of computers to allow students access to blocked websites and material. Overall, the common emphasises was that all decisions and regulations run from the central office.

Internet restrictions at Brookfield East follow the newest version of the Children’s Internet Protection Act adopted in May of 2014.

The district deems filters and monitoring systems necessary for the protection of minors district wide, despite conflicts over different age groups. This clash of competing interests between students and administration will surely continue as we advance technologically with increased use of the internet.

East takes third in “Rockets for Schools” competition

By Tim Vrakas, staff

“ASO, Launch Control requesting airspace clearance.” “Launch Control, ASO reports airspace clear.” “Launch control, begin countdown.”

Concluding a successful season, the Brookfield East rocketry team spent the 6th and 7th in Sheboygan at the Midwest regionals Rockets for Schools Competition. Their project, an 8 foot tall, Class J Rocket, was successfully launched from Spaceport Sheboygan, climbing over 6000 feet, and returning for a safe splashdown. The team’s science project included a payload that recorded data on a mysterious atmospheric phenomenon, earning the team their name “Dark Lightning.”

Dark Lightning produces radiation that poses serious health risks to airline passengers. Finishing 3rd, the Brookfield East team faced a last minute upset by Lomira High School. The rocket and project will be on display in the art gallery throughout the next few weeks.

(Above) Tanay Gummandi poses with the rocket the team put together for the competition. Photo credit: Riley Brien (Right) The team’s class J Rocket successfully launches into the skies of Sheboygan at the Midwest Regionals Rockets for Schools Competition. Photo credit: Riley Brien

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Spartan Banner — May 2016

Feature

Above: Julian, who just finished a solo, earns a standing ovation. The young accomplished musician is constantly traveling to national and internation competitions, and delights many with his performances.

Photo credit: Julian Rhee Left: Julian Rhee before an orchestra performance, focusing on his piece. Since a young age, Julian has been a dedicated performer at MYSO and the Music Institute of Chicago, and at the Brookfield East Orchestra.

Photo credit: Julian Rhee

Julian Rhee continues to dazzle regional audiences

By Natalie Schmidt, staff

Julian Rhee, known by many as the “violin child prodigy”, is a Sophomore at Brookfield East.

He’s made great achievements, and continues to earn awards and scholarships and compete in international competitions for his amazing talent.

We asked him a few questions about his road to success and what it’s like to be the violin star.

Spartan Banner: When did you start playing violin?

Julian Rhee: When I was five

years old.

SB: Who or what got you interested in the violin?

JR: My sister started violin first. I heard her playing and wanted to play, too.

SB: Where do you play?

JR: At Music Institute of Chicago, MYSO, and the Brookfield East orchestra.

SB: How often do you practice?

JR: Every day for two hours.

SB: What are some challenges to playing violin?

JR: It’s hard to motivate myself to practice sometimes because sometimes I want to hang out with friends but I can’t because I need to practice at home.

SB: What are some of the awards you have won?

JR: Last year, I went to Washington DC to compete at the Johansen International Violin Competition. Last summer, I went to Ohio to compete at the Cooper International Violin Competition. I went on tour

with MYSO this past summer to Austria and Hungary.

for yourself in violin?

SB: What is one memorable moment from playing violin?

JR: I’m not sure yet, but burger flipping at Culver’s is definitely an appealing career choice.

But in all honesty, I have no idea what I’m going to do.

JR: Last week I played my violin for my English class and on the final note that I played, the bow ripped off a part of my violin, and it was pretty crazy.

SB: What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

JR: I like hanging out with friends, playing games, and watching TV.

SB: What do you have to say to kids who are thinking of playing violin?

JR: They should definitely do violin. Just do it if you love it.

Violin is better than cello!

SB: Do you envision a future

BEAST Robotics 2022 competes internationally

By Paige Christie, staff On March 26, BEAST Robotics qualified to go to the For the Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) championships by winning the Wisconsin Regional. The championship was held April 27 through the 30 at the Edward Jones Dome in downtown St. Louis.

The event hosted 900 teams from 39 countries, with more than 20,000 students and over 40,000 attendees, and even boasted the attendance of U.S. Chief Technology Officer Megan Smith, NASA Administrator Major General Charles Bolden, U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen, Michelle D. Johnson, and well-known artist will.i.am. The venue was of such size that it was not uncommon to see event supervisors driving through the building on Segways, the invention of FIRST founder Dean Kamen.

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The championship encompasses four FIRST programs: Junior FIRST Lego League, FIRST Lego League, FIRST Tech Challenge, and FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC).

This year’s FRC game was FIRST Stronghold, in which teams breached defenses and threw “boulders” to capture their opponent’s tower. Approximately 600 FRC teams attended this year, divided into eight fields set up in the arena. After 125 qualifying matches, the top eight ranked teams on each field choose three other teams for their alliances, which compete to be the champion of their field.

The winning alliances then go on to compete for the title of world champion, as well as the chance to visit the White House and meet the President.

The atmosphere at Champion-

ships is electric. As mentor Deborah Oakes mentioned, “The amount of energy in the stadium is palpable. The students are truly passionate about robots.” From the team spirit in the stands to the performances on the field, you can sense the pride that the students take in FIRST. BEAST was exhilarated to go to Championships again, after attending for the first time in 2014. The past three years have spelled out great success for the team, with wins at the Wisconsin regional in 2014 and 2016, and placing second at the Wisconsin regional in 2015.

Between matches, students had the opportunity to talk to and learn from other teams, attend panels led by prominent figures in STEM, explore the city, visit the fa-

mous Gateway Arch, and talk to representatives from STEM companies across the country.

BEAST placed 52nd on the Carson field, and its students are determined to return to the Championship next year and do even better.

(Above) BEAST Robotics Team 2022 members haul their robot out to the pit. The robot competes in approximately a two minute game, where it works with other robots to “breach” the opposing team’s defenses.

Photo Credit: BEAST Robotics

Spartan Banner — MAY 2016

Feature

SENIORS: Where are they going?

The school year has been long and rigorous, but finally it is coming to a close. Spartan Banner has compiled a list of the post-secondary plans for the class of 2016. The decisions shown are based on information provided by the Guidance Office on May 12. The map below depicts the amount of students going to each state, with states of darker hues having a greater amount of students. We wish the best of luck to the Spartans of 2016!

OHIO

MINNESOTA

UNDECIDED

Ohio State Univer-

University of Minnesota

sity

Megan Albert

ILLINOIS Loyola University

Joshua Diels

Zachary Negley

Cartier

Erica Gabrich

Tabitha Rhee

Wendy Chu

Chicago

Barry Henderson

Chandler Schlafer

Jacob Frasch

Banks

Olivia Houterman

Mary Slavinsky

IDAHO

Hutson

Kendra Bisping

BYU-Idaho

Jacob Jahnke

Dominic Cafaro

Emilie Stauffer

Molly Kenton

Zane Houlihan

Grace Kusch

Northwestern

Ryanne Martin

Anthony Kajuch

Jasmine Sanchez

Bridget Sheehy

Jacob Taylor

Columbia College-

Nikola Tsakonas

Chicago

Sarah Werking

Demetra Stavro-

Nicholas Krueger

WASHINGTON

Dominic

Bailey

University of Washington-Seattle

Arianna

poulos

William Bowers

MONTANA

Aurora University

Montana State University

Travis

David Braun

Trinity International

Styer

Mario Carr

IOWA

University

Thor Holmgren

University of Iowa

Sarah Parr

Celine Basham CALIFORNIA

Lauren Janoska

Fashion Institute Design and Mer-

Kellie Stein

chandising

Kevin Hill

Karli Redmann

Upper Iowa University

California State University- Long

Brandon Cole

Beach

Lisa Browne Victoria Lange Miami

University

Ohio Alexander Glynn Cedarville University Stephanie

How-

land Case Western Reserve University Serena Lai Bowling

Green

State University Timasia Mack Cleveland

State

University Mariah Miller Kenyon College Connor Rumpit

Iowa State University NEBRASKA

Amie Kusch

John Conway

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Joseph

Sarah Drozdowicz

Abolt

INDIANA

University of Bloom COLORADO

Alexander Roe-

Metro State University of

MISSOURI

schen

Denver

Washington University-

Ball State Universi

Sydney Garcia

St.Louis

Matthew Szews

University of Colorado-Boulder

Alexandra Ahrens

Ellen Mahoney

St. Louis University

Christopher Shrawder

Barlow

Kendall

KENTUCKY

Regis University-Denver

Berzin

Rolands

University of Kentucky

Alexandra Shore

Abigail Guenther

Elise Kreger

Cory Thiesen

TENNESEE

St.Louis College of

University of Tennessee Donovan Lutz

Pharmacy

Kelsey Davis

Andrew Zhang

Bellarmine University

MILITARY Samuel Lutynski Jarrod Renner MISSISSIPPI

Victoria Schieble

University of Mississippi Camille Cross TEXAS Texas Southern University FLORIDA

Arteyshia Smith

Saint Leo University LOUISIANA

Brooke

Tulane University

University of Central

Marina O’Brien

Florida Abigail

Heller

Weisse

:

UW-Eau Claire

UW-Stout

Gabriella Alioto

Lauren Arndt

UW-Oshkosh

Mary Benetti

Erika Her

St Norbertt College

Nicole Hughes

McKenna Scott

Emily Berens

Mitchell Koppel-

Elana Spanuello

Aidan Collins

mann

Olivia Twitchell

Molly Perkins

Heather Wehse

Working

UW-Green Bay

Alex Winghart

Maria Pitrowski

Audrey Bohl Noel Buczek

UW-LaCrosse

UW-Steven’s Point

Kathleen Charnesky

Zachary Breider

Matthew

Gabriel Haupt

Nicholas Davies

Smrz

Alverno College

Jacob Huntington

Megan Dehn

Oliver Pulsifer

Breanna Boynton

Claudia Lemberger

Jamie Edenharder

Isabella Moreno

Sydney Sikes

Colin McCall

Sydney Jahnke

Michael Mandella

Carroll University

Kameron Schmor

Ryan Lynch

Emily Magyar

Sierra Fischer

Madeline Mihm

Logan Kerstetter

Jessica Nell

John Zwicki

Frank Mistrioty

Jennifer Nuetzel

Alexandar Plavsic

Kayla Richardson

Jakob Smith

Cardinal Stritch University Emma Barbian

MICHIGAN

Michigan State University

Emily Uhen

Calvin College

Douglas Francken

Alexander Werchowski

Quinn Hyndiuk

Christian Staples

Madison Area Technical

Bridget Haessly

Kettering University

Michigan Tech

College

Samuel Neumann

Oskars Berzin

Thomas Swittel

Breanna Hayes

Waukesha County Technical

Western Michigan

University of Michigan- Ann

Pachia Thao

College

University

Harbor

Nina Lor

Kaitlin Bero

Michael Caliendo

Akaash Tumuluri

MSOE

Cara Farrow

University of Michigan

Elena Fayle

Claire Davis

Eric Furstenberg Patrick Griffin NEW HAMPSHIRE

Meghan Kane

Dartmouth College

Diana Lor

David Horneffer

Allyse Martin UW-Platteville

Jack Leonovicz

NEW YORK

Samuel Putnam

Tyler Parker

Brigitte Schmit

Laura Peterson

Milwaukee Institute of Art

Andrew Rakers

and Design

Rensselaer Institute

Nick Winghart UW-Milwaukee

Jesse Norman West Point Military

MASSACHUSETTS

UW-Whitewater

Joseph

Academy

Boston College

Meredith Gustafson

Cameron Allen-Aylsworth

Alexandria Bullen

Megan Lappe

Kerwin Hackett

Stephen Andrusko

Renee Julga

Elliana Ashcroft

Andrew Bullen

Madison Bell

Emily Leong

PENNSYLVANIA

mington

Madison McDonald

Mount Mary University

Gloria Grzybowski

Elizabeth Smurawa

Alyssa Hults

Alexis Gutowski

CONNECTICUT

Brittni May

Ashley Johnson

Trinity College

Emma Larson

Louise Kiekhofer

Alexandra Sinson

Concordia University

Haley Kress

Temple University

Bryant and Stratton

Bridget Dalton

Jennifer Lor

Paul Weiskopf

College

Thomas Stueckroth

Kenneth Lor

University of Pittsburgh

Jasmine Schneider

Marquette University

Ian Lynch

Jake Damico

UW-Waukesha

Sara Manjee

Jack Malzewski

Community College

Marqualya Booker

Meghan Malloy

Maighread McAvoy

of Baltimore County

Katherine Cobb

Kathryn Linhart

Kaileigh McManus

Jalyn Byrd

Mark Dietze

Nicholas Ladewig

Brady Perkins

US Naval Academy

Noah Fricker

Luisenrique Aranda Beyer

Timothy Reddy

Celeste Fohey

Brendan Hanneman Elizabeth Noel

Josef Rock

Ashlee Hirth

Robert Oleson

Shazia Shergil

Natalie Hubbard

Margarita Rivas

Alexandria Silver

Trevor Ricci

Jacob Roy

Nathan Sobczak

MARYLAND

ity

NORTH CAROLINA North Carolina State University Tessa Guldan

SOUTH CAROLINA Coastal Carolina University Matthew Beyer

Adams

Duke University

Thadd Sapa-Kotlarek Daniel Smerz

Jack Spaltholz

Malcolm Vetter

Bridget Trimble

Alydia Stangle

Rebecca Young

Pachia

Niyaz Nurbhasha

Vang

Ryan Vento

Aurora Ross

Nadia

Vogel

Mai Der Yang GEORGIA Georgia Southern University Cairee Carrington

STUDYING ABROAD

Finland Michelle Liu

Japan Sophia Van Den Elzen

UW-Madison

Haley Knight

Mackenzie Rhoten

William Andrae

Zachary Kielar

Kilee Robertson

Isabella Auger

Ashlea Kielar

Angela Schmidt

William Bartkowski

Tomer Korabelnikov

Alison Schultz

Ellen Bruhn

Patrick Krill

Matthew Schmude

Suzanne DeGuire

Hannah Lein

Mark Stack

Erin Ditter

Kristin Leong

Hannah Stewart

Lance Dismukes

Andrew Lesar

Andrew Swietlik

Jacob Dwinell

Sydnee Livingston

Alexander Tallmadge

Nina Galang

Mark Maier

Konrad Temlitz

Alexis Falci

Gabby Medved

Sophia Ulschmid

Nina Galang

Mitchell Mikulsky

Benjamin Wellman

Caitlyn Greuel

Holly Muth

Rachel Werking

Victoria Hansen

Lucas Moyer

Jordan Wilhelm

Jessa Hansen

Lilia Mortenson

Kaila Widmann

Ella Hyndiuk

Calvin Osinga

Emma Woods

Sara Kalupa

Cooper Olson

Vincent Zimmermann

Hannah Kolt

Andrew Olsen

Ryan Kolsch

Luke Profio

Sports

No l0ve on the courts for these winners

By Michelle Liu, editor

having that team aspect is fun and I really like our team. I don’t really have a least favorite part. I wouldn’t play it if I didn’t enjoy it, [though] training can get a [litlle] taxing sometimes on certain days.

SB: What is your most vivid memory from your four years on the team?

Patrick Krill, captain of the Boys Varsity Tennis team, returns the ball at the tournament against Marquette last year. Photo credit: Gary Porter

Patrick Krill is the captain of the 2016 Boys Varsity Tennis team. Krill sees tennis as an incredibly unique sport, as it is like boxing in the sense that it involves “two individuals head-to-head, probing for weakness and attacking it.”

David Horneffer is one of the highest ranked singles players in the state. He loves Darrmouth College and is excited to attend it this fall.

SB: When and how did you start playing tennis?

PK: I started playing when I was a few years old at the Western Racquet Club. My parents were members and brought me along whenever they played tennis, and it just took off from there, as I loved the sport from the beginning and I’ve basically been on a tennis court my whole life.

DH: I became interested in tennis from my parents. They got me started, probably at the age of three, because both of them were players for their whole lives.

SB: What are your favorite and least favorite aspect of tennis?

PK: My favorite part is that it’s all on you. You’re 100% accountable and can’t blame [your results] on anyone else- it’s such a mentally tough sport. It’s just you versus one other person, so I like that a lot. I don’t like how sporadically you play. Your sharpness can change on a whim. You can go from playing well one week to playing terribly the next.

DH: I’d say my favorite is going to tournaments-- I really enjoy the competition… and high school tennis, because

PK: My individual state title. [is my most vivid memory].

When I won state as a sophomore with Henry Termuehlen in doubles-- that was my most vivid memory ever. That match is still [embedded] in my mind.

DH: I have lucky tennis shirts, but other than that, I try not to think about it too much because it’s better for me just to stay relaxed.

SB: What are your post-high school plans?

PK: I’m going to UW Madison.

I hope to study business and play club tennis there. They have a really good club team, so I’m excited for that.

DH: I am going to Dartmouth probably to study economics and play Division 1 tennis.

Career-wise, I’m not sure yet.

SB: What are some other things you like to do other than play tennis?

PK: I love hanging out with friends and our team is notoriously good at hacky-sacking…

Every tournament we go to we always bring hacky sacks and we’re known for having them around the state and the midwest.

DH: I like doing other sports for fun, like basketball and indoor soccer, and I’m also interested in politics.

David Horneffer swings hard at one of the tournaments the BEHS Var-

DH: Winning Team State and beating Marquette in the semifinals of my sophomore year is probably my most vivid memory. They had won the previous seven years, and we finally broke through, so that was pretty awesome.

SB: Is there anything in particular you do to prepare for a tournament or match? Or anything superstitious?

PK: I always drink a lot of pedialyte or water, [just] to stay really hydrated in order not to go through the amount of cramping that goes on in tournaments. [As for] superstitions, whenever I’m playing in a match, if I win a point, I always use the same ball over and over again when serving.

That’s probably as superstitious as I get.

BEHS Fastpitch: Softball team growing exponentially

By Nikhita Santebennur, staff

Above: The BEHS Softball team, which has grown rapidly the past few years, poses after victory. Photo credit: BEHS Athletics

“Indoor baseball,” “kitten baseball,” “diamond ball,” “mush ball,” and “pumpkin ball” are all words to describe one game: Softball. A sport played by countless girls all over the country, it was first

Page 6

created in 1887 Chicago as a way to play baseball indoors to pass the time.

Today, softball is one of the most popular sports in the America, and it is estimated that around forty million

Americans engage in at least one softball game each year.

Since softball can be played both indoors and outdoors, games are year round and involve people of all ages.

Brookfield East’s team is just one of the many high school softball teams in the country.

However, just a couple years ago, Brookfield East’s Softball teams were struggling for members. According to one upperclassman, “this year, the numbers of players on the freshman, junior varsity, and varsity team have skyrocketed.

The current total members from the combined teams are over 30 members, which is significantly higher than previous years.”

This sudden spike in growth of members is can be traced back to freshmen.

For the freshman on varsity, the season has been “fun but intimidating.” As freshmen, they were able to test out many different posi-

tions on the field and figure out what positions work best for them.

The season has also been “pretty intense” with all of the rigorous practice, but this has only helped them develop the ability to “push [themselves]” as well as “get better because of the environment.”

Everything is a learning experience. Whether they are at a game or at practice, softball has given them the opportunity to improve their skills as well as bond with teammates.

When asked what advice they have for incoming freshmen, they agreed that incoming athletes should “do their best” and “play softball if ... they they want to learn.”

Brookfield East’s softball team has had varying degrees in number of players in the past, but with this year bringing in a whole new sweep of freshmen with different skill levels and abilities, the

team has a new kind of hope.

Softball captain Haley Knight noted that “the freshman have contributed to the team through their determination and willingness to make adjustments. Some of [them] like Bella Moss and Julia Vitale have found their place in the outfield where their speed and strong arms are well suited. Hannah Maney has shown her determination on the mound when the team is behind in games and she continues to strike batters out.”

Knight also stated that she’s seen “the softball program transform from a team to a family… [focusing on] team bonding.” These freshmen have the ability to build the team into something it has never been before over the next four years, and people are excited to see what the future will hold.

Spartan Banner — May 2016

Humor

Summer rejection causes grief for students

By Lisa Chu, staff

Woes of a Brookfield East student

By Mary Slavinsky, Editor-in-Chief, and Deepali Bhalla, staff

AND FOR ALL YOU HATERS...

Page 7

Spartan Banner — MAY 2016

Opinion

Why Sanders is the only one who can stop Trump

By Mark Maier, editor

The fact that I think Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont is the best candidate that’s been in this race is no secret to anyone by this point. However, not only do I think he is the best candidate because of his moral character and policy proposals, but I also think he is the best candidate from a strategic point of view.

Of course, the establishment media is commonly dismissive of Bernie, saying things like, “A crazy-haired, relatively unknown, self-described socialist winning? Fat chance! What’s next, pigs flying?”

Ok, that quote is made up, but you get the idea--they like to portray Bernie Sanders as unelectable. Nothing could be further from the truth. Up to this point, Bernie has won 20 contests in the Democratic race, and come close in several others--against someone with possibly the most money and name recognition in the entire race.

He has also consistently been not only beating Donald Trump in general election polls, but he’s been beating him by larger margins than Hillary Clinton. Bernie also has great favorability ratings, is generally viewed as hon-

est and trustworthy, and has the highest approval ratings of anyone in the Senate. He is also very well-liked among Independents and young people, both very large and important blocs of voters. Clearly Bernie is electable in his own right, but he is also electable in comparison to his primary opponent.

Nearly everything I just said about Bernie is the exact opposite for Secretary Clinton--she has terrible favorability ratings, she is not generally viewed as honest and trustworthy, and she is, by and large, despised by Independents and young people.

For a while the Democratic establishment had sat comfortably despite all this, as Donald Trump had fared even worse in public opinion polls; even though Clinton did not do as well as Sanders in general election polls against Trump, she was still beating him by fairly large margins.

This is no longer the case.

Indeed, in many recent polls, Clinton is now winning by very slim margins, or even narrowly losing to Trump, while Bernie is still consistently beating him

by double digits. If her performances in the Democratic races of this year and 2008 are any indication, she can only go down from here.

Statistics aside, however, there are also many cards Trump can pull against Clinton that he simply can’t against Sanders. For instance, Trump may respond to accusations of racism by saying, as he once recently did, that Clinton essentially started the notion that Barack Obama was “not a real American” when she released a photo of him in traditional Muslim garb during her 2008 campaign.

Bernie Sanders has no such record that Trump can pivot towards to distract from his own misdeeds.

Trump can also call out Clinton for supporting various free trade agreements that have sent or will send American jobs overseas, but can’t make this same criticism against Sanders. I could go on and on, but the most important criticism Trump can make against Clinton that he can’t against Sanders is this: she is bought. Not only can Trump bring up how this is true in regards to how much money she takes from, say, the

big banks, but he can also use personal anecdotes to prove his point. Indeed, Trump has given money to Clinton’s campaigns before, and in exchange she’s done things like go to his weddings.

Bringing this up would frame the election as puppet vs. puppetmaster, and the puppetmaster will win, because at least he has a mind of his own. Perhaps you may disagree about what would come of this hypothetical scenario I’ve laid out, but the best way to deal with the scenario is to guarantee the fact that it won’t be encountered. Having Bernie Sanders run against Donald Trump is the only way that will happen.

As much as I’ve had to talk about so far, there’s still the elephant in the room I’ve yet to mention: Clinton’s email scandal. No matter what anyone may try to tell you, this is not a “security review,” but rather a criminal investigation, since the FBI only does criminal investigations.

Am I saying for sure Clinton is a criminal? I don’t know, I’ll let the FBI find out.

But considering that there’s an investigation against her at all, let alone one that’s been

as long as this one has, her being a criminal is certainly a possibility. She may very well be indicted--I can’t say when, or assess the likelihood, but it would be stupid to pretend this doesn’t exist and is no big deal. Even if the FBI doesn’t indict her, however, they may still release damning information when the full details of their investigation are made public.

Furthermore, Clinton still has yet to release her infamous transcripts of speeches made to Wall Street that she promised she would release a while back. What if those leak during the election? One-third of Bernie Sanders supporters have already made the “Bernie or Bust” pledge, and thus will not vote for Hillary Clinton, no matter what--that number will likely increase once we find out what was said in those speeches, if we do. In short, making Hillary Clinton the Democratic nominee is a recipe for disaster.

If Democrats, liberals, and progressives want success, however, there is only one way to do that: making Bernie Sanders the nominee.

Bernie Sanders is the best candidate to face Donald Trump.

Spring Fling: exclusive or inclusive to students?

By Katie Andrews, staff

In this day of constant snapchatting and social media use, staying connected with friends from other schools is something most students at East tend to do daily. This also means that when fun school events come around, like the end of the year Spring Fling dance, East students are eager to bring their friends from outside of East . Unfortunately, Brookfield East has banned all non-East students from attending the dance.

This is not only unfair to the students, but also an economically bad decision. When students from other schools come to our dances they help us raise money by buying their tick-

ets. The option to makes Spring Fling bring a friend from each year a lot more another school is also fun,” says Central a way to garner more sophomore Jessie ticket sales from East Dombrowski, “A lot of students themselves, my friends wouldn’t some of which would even go if they weren’t not attend the dance able to bring their at all if they couldn’t friends that don’t go to bring a friend.

Central.”

Many stu Many supporters of an dents are also anall East student dance gry over the fact say that the process that Spring Fling of allowing students doesn’t allow stufrom other schools is dents to bring Tess Harold, Zane Houlihan, Jimmy Fischer, Joel Osin- too difficult and time friends from other ga, and Anni Hartay pause for a photo before return- consuming. Though schools. In fact, ing to the dance floor. Photo credit: Mary Slavinsky and some paperwork is Brookfield Central Simran Khunger involved, a majorallows students ity is filled out by the from other schools same dance policies we do. students themselves to their Spring Fling dance “The fact that we get to bring and then checked off by adand they follow many of the friends from other schools ministration. Others say that

Spartan Banner Staff Editor-In-Chief Mary Slavinsky Editorial Staff Elizabeth Goblirsch Simran Khunger Michelle Liu Mark Maier Anna Sipek Adviser Mrs. Skatrud

Page 8

Staff Ana Agapitova Namitha Alexander Katie Andrews Deepali Bhalla Paige Christie Lisa Chu Jacob Frasch Claire Hildebrand Isabella Petropoulos Nikhita Santebennur Natalie Schmidt Adam Storch Margaret Slavinsky Brenna Verheyen Tim Vrakas

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an East only event allows for students to make connections outside their everyday school routines, but this could still easily occur while students from other schools are in attendance. Non East students are also a great way to meet new people and make new friends outside of our school.

The sophomore class officers discussed all of these ideas in a meeting with Mr. Farley, who told them that it will be a Spartans only dance.

Class officer Rose Dundun says that she and the other officers did remain hopeful as Mr. Farley had an upcoming meeting with Central’s principal where he said he would discuss Spring Fling.

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Spartan Banner — MAY 2016