The
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Volume 54
October 2015
Bloated brains beg for a break By Mary Slavinsky, Editor-In-Cheif
At Brookfield East, the average student takes difficult, rigorous classes. Many students now take multitudes of honors and AP classes, increasing the already heavy workload of the college applicant. But are those extra GPA boosts really worth it? “In the best possible scenario, it could save you a year of tuition,” says Steven Goodman, an education consultant and college admissions strategist for TopColleges.com. A relatable situation for all students is practice after school, then a club meeting, a football game, and getting home at 9:00 just in time to start homework. On average, students complete three and a half hours of homework. The next day, another club meeting in the morning and then classes and maybe a test. This intense schedule creates many problems for high school students.
The sleep aspect alone causes great concern. Students usually stay awake because they have to finish homework. The Center for Advancing Health (CFAH) found that a mere eight percent of teenagers sleep the necessary amount. The organization also found that the alarming average hours slept was only seven hours and fifteen minutes--a full two hours less than the minimum sleep needed for teenagers. The lack of sleep can really take a toll: groggy sleepy feelings are only immediate effects. Long term problems include an increased risk of heart disease and increased blood pressure. Also contributing to long term health problems are the increased stress levels in teenagers. Schools promote achievement in classes, in sports, and in standardized tests, which put huge pressures on students to succeed. In fact, on average, teens re-
ported their stress level was 5.8 on 10-point scale, compared with 5.1 for adults. Norman B. Anderson, the APA’s (American Psychological Association) chief executive and senior vice president, says, “it is alarming that the teen stress experience is so similar to that of adults. In order to break this cycle of stress and unhealthy behaviors as a nation, we need to provide teens with better support and health education, at school and at home, at the community level and in their interactions with healthcare professionals.” While his attempt to solve this problem is honorable, it is wrong. The problem at root is pressure from classes. The problem cannot be handled after the stress has taken root, an issue that can only be addressed by reforming the school system itself. Obsessed with their goals, students will do any-
others to do the same. Later that evening, seniors posted about the incident in their Facebook group. This alleged statement was met with blatant disregard as the Seniors continued to observe the spirit day as planned. Dozens of both male and female students came to school adorned with clothing traditionally of the opposite gender, accessories and all. No punitive measures were taken. The day has always caused an uproar amongst
students. Many laughed and smiled. Overall the school seemed to enjoy the humor associated with it. “I’ve always loved cross dress day,” one student said “it’s one of the best things to see the people you’ve grown up with in a way you never have. The silliness, it’s my favorite part.” However, the laughter was not universal. A handful of students throughout the school protested, arguing it not only mocked the transgender community, but reinforced
Issue 3
What’s Inside:
A Cure for Cancer?-pg 2 A Flash of Football-pg 4 Boys’ Cross Country-pg 5 Poll on Winter Sports-pg 5 Fall Musical Preview-pg 6 APUSH Course Changes-pg 7
thing to achieve. Madison Holleran, a freshman at University of Pennsylvania, committed suicide because of her 3.5 GPA. She felt such intense pressure to succeed that she felt this was the only way out. Her case is not isolated. Students have way too much pressure to succeed -- they have unreal expectations for themselves brought on by school systems. Huffington Post found that about 8 percent of today’s U.S. teens suffer from some type of diagnosed anxiety disorder, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Anxiety has also been on the rise among children and young adults since at least the 1950s. APs were instituted in the 1950s after the Russian spaceship Sputnik persuaded schools to think the math and science programs were not at a high enough level. Now, they contribute to severe health issues.
Brookfield East has decided to further increase the stress level in students. The block schedule yields intense periods of AP learning. Teachers have to shove information into students in order to get the class finished in time, which leaves no time for the information to be learned. Only a great deal of memorization and stress. Excellence period can potentially cause further issues to arise, as it takes 7 minutes off of each class period, removing 7 minutes of time for AP and honors classes to get through difficult curriculum. Stress levels of students are climbing to dangerous heights, and the endless worry over GPAs and standardized testing is ultimately making the issue worse. The highly competitive atmosphere in which most classes function may have devastating consequences, which are already beginning to show. in academic institutions and programs throughout the US.
negative stereotypes they have fought so hard to dissolve. School is a place where students are meant to grow and feel positive about themselves, they declare. To feel uncomfortable or persecuted because of what one wears or how one dresses is something no student should ever have to go through. Schools around the US including Brookfield East’s sister school, Brookfield Central, have taken action. Starting this year, seniors at Central
are no longer allowed to plan Cross Dress or Gender Bending spirit days. “The goal of a spirit week is for all students to have fun and enjoy themselves,” states Brett Gruetzmacher, the Central’s principal, to continue would ultimately result in” hurt feelings and unnecessary offense.”
Gender bender fender bender creates tension By Anna Sipek, Photo Editor Ah, the freedom of a miniskirt. The comfort of a baseball cap and khakis. Cross Dress Day has been a part of Brookfield East culture since long before our student body was born, but is this longtime tradition coming to a violent halt? Rumors have been circulating the school after administrative officials, Mr. Farley, and Ms. Schenk, reportedly told individual members of the senior class to refrain from cross dressing and encourage
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news Science and Technology Cancer. An illness that gives and takes. It brings pain, desperation, grief and an increase in faith. It nips at one’s confidence, strength, hope, -- and hair. For years and years, many have thought that the cure for cancer will be one of the most challenging and rewarding discoveries of this era. Scientists may have just stumbled upon the answer while trying to find a cure for another deadly disease: malaria. Essentially, the effort put into the cure of one disease could lead to the cure for another disease. An illness that is responsible for about 450,000 deaths a year, Malaria leaves millions survivors’ lives with prolonged suffering. There is much research currently going on to eradicate this deadly disease, especially with the
Maybe malaria can cure cancer By Namitha Alexander, Staff Writer leadership of the Gates Foundation. Malaria is a bloodborne disease caused by a parasite. Mosquitoes carry the disease and spread it to other humans through bites. Scientists have been digging deeper into a boggling symptom of Malaria: if a pregnant woman contracts this disease, she will have a miscarriage within a few days. However, when examining the unborn fetus, scientists found that the embryo had been growing normally. Scientists then discovered that the placenta was attacked by the Malaria parasite. Upon further testing, researchers discovered that a specific protein in Malaria attaches to a carbohydrate in the placenta and kills the cell. The placenta is an organ that begins from a few cells, but grows to weighing
two pounds extremely quickly. That rapid growth characteristic is eerily similar to that of cancer tumors. Even more fascinating, scientists have found an interesting link. The same carbohydrate found in placenta is present in most of the cancer cells too, but not any other normal cells. That discovery was like the cancer cell identifying itself with a label. Scientists injected mice with multiple types of cancers and tested their hypothesis. Then, they injected some of the mice with Malaria proteins and added a cancerkilling toxin as well. They wanted to see if the Malaria proteins would attach themselves to the carbohydrates in cancer cells, like they did with the same carbohydrates in placenta cells. The results were astonishing. The Malaria proteins located the cancer cells,
attached to them, and along with the toxin, the cells were killed with up to ninety percent success of cancer elimination in the mice. So, surprise! Scientists unexpectedly just found the cure to cancer using another deadly disease called Malaria. So now everyone lives happily ever after, right? Well, not so fast. Tons of research still needs to be done to make sure this treatment is safe for humans. Nothing is crystal clear yet. For sure, this cure won’t work for pregnant women, because it will destroy their placenta. It will take at least four years for the solution to gain approval for experimentation on humans. After that, who knows how long it will take for this treatment to hit the market. Let’s wait hopefully on the success of the great effort.
While the news is great, we should realize that medical research takes time to see the potential. In fact, thousands of discoveries made in cancer go nowhere due to the potential side effects. It is a long journey for the ultimate cure to emerge for most diseases. Remember, Tu Youyou, the winner of this year’s Nobel Prize for Medicine, was recognized for her work in Malaria that she conducted forty years ago. “I wish cancer just got cancer and died.” I guess we may be able to change that saying to, “I wish cancer just got malaria and died.” There’s a new burst of hope that this phrase may not be needed soon. These past few discoveries may have been an accident. But this may just be an accident everyone can forgive.
second year law student, has already blazed the trail. Kalupa worked under Dr. John Hawks for her senior thesis, A comparative study of type II and III Fc gamma receptor immune genes in Homo Sapiens, Homo Sapiens Neanderthalensis, and the Denisova through the utilization
of a bioinformatics approach. By research on these genetic differences, Kalupa may have actually figured out the reason Homo Neanderthalensis died out: a compromised immune system that contributed to increased susceptibility to modern diseases like tuberculosis. Kalupa proves that
Anthropology, the study of humanity, is always looking for more researchers. Check out the American Anthropological Association for more information.
Throwing it back to...us? By Sarah Kalupa, Staff Writer What do you have in common with an ape-like species that may have lived up to three million years ago? The practice of burying the dead -and a genus. The new proto-human Homo Naledi was discovered last September in a burial chamber in South Africa. Classified in the same genus, Homo, as the modern human, the species contains many similar features to the species Homo Sapien. From the fifteen skeletons discovered, a complete hand of Homo Naledi was pieced together, showing an analogous structure for its hand to the modern human’s hand, but reportedly carrying a more curved appearance. Additionally, the skulls of the two species are almost identical but the Homo Naledi would have had a markedly smaller brain, comparable to the size of an orange. Even the feet of Homo Naledi are striking: arches indicate that the species may have even walked upright on two feet. So what does this mean for the study of human evolution? “A very important discovery,” Professor Chris Stringer of the National History Museum states. The scientific community raves that the discovery of this new species provides an additional link in the chain of human evolution. The discovery even has distinct links to our own states. Dr. John Hawks of the University of Wisconsin-Madison was one of the excavators and leading researchers on the site of discovery in the Rising Star Cave, South Africa. “We really expected when we started that we were there for one skeleton, and that was going to be super important,” Hawks reported to Isthmus News. Due to the amount of remains
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discovered, and the range of ages and genders among the sample, Professor Lee Burger of Witts University tells BBC news, “We are going to know everything about this species. We are going to know when its children were weaned, when they were born, how they developed, the speed at which they developed, the difference between males and females at every developmental stage from infancy, to childhood, to teens, to how they aged and how they died.” The question remains, however, of how the skeletons actually got to their location. The fact that the bones were carefully buried in a sheltered cave suggests that the Homo Naledi actually practiced the ritualistic burial of the dead. “The fossils were excavated from soft clay-rich sediments that had accumulated in the chamber over time; it also appears that the bodies were intact when they arrived in the chamber, and then started to decompose.” The resultant paper from the excavation, Geological and taphonomic context for the new hominin species Homo Naledi from the Dinaledi Chamber, South Africa, states “Most of the evidence obtained so far is largely consistent with these bodies being deliberately disposed of in this single location by the same extinct hominin species.” The evidence pointing to the burial of the dead among the Homo Naledi suggest a certain sophistication not found among other proto-humans, making scientists question what it really means to be human. Want to learn more? Want be the next to discover a new ancestor of the entire human race? Turns out Nicole Kalupa, Brookfield East alumna and current UW-Madison
Photo Credit: National Geographic
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news
European migrants in crisis By Sean Glatch, Staff Writer
While many are aware of the political instability in the Middle East, Africa, and Central Asia, fewer realize the disadvantaged plight of these regions’ refugees. European policies and immigrant deaths in Europe have led to crisis and prompted widespread debate on how refugees should be handled within the EU. With millions of asylum applicants and immigrants flooding Europe since 2000, the interests of the immigrants have come into conflict with the interests of European governments. The origin of this socalled “European Migrant Crisis” is complicated. While immigrants from Libya and Syria are seeking asylum from civil war, the influx of refugees from Kosovo and Bangladesh is fleeing poverty and searching for job opportunities, culminating in the greatest European immigration since World War II. Although the media is quick to point out that Eu-
rope’s strug“While these measures have against refugling econgees in Europe omy won’t good intentions, they put refugees at is daunting. handle these In Greece and a severe disadvantage.” immigrants, Italy, a majorit fails to recity of citizens Mediterranean Coast. While ognize the difficulties that believe that immigration has these measures have good in- had a negative impact on their these refugees face. First one must look at tentions, they put refugees at a society, and many nations how immigration surges have severe disadvantage. would like to see limits on imIn 2015 alone there migration. affected European policy. The Schengen Plan, a controversial have been more capsizing and Further, many want open-border treaty signed by ship captures than the past ten to see immigrants assimilating twenty-six European nations years combined, a result of an- into European lifestyles, which to enable passport free travel, ti-immigration policies which is arguably an attack on other was recently undermined by seek to eliminate illegal im- cultures and beliefs. Since several states such as Germa- migration but instead attack many of these immigrants’ ny, Slovakia, and France. Na- harmless refugee ships. Thus homelands are currently factions not wanting to receive the question arises: what con- ing cultural decimation due these refugees are violating the stitutes illegal immigration in to terror and civil war, the plan by reenacting border con- Europe? Despite protections cultural priority should be fotrol policies, an action which from the Schengen Plan, anti- cused on these refugees since is catastrophic to the fate of immigration sentiments in Europe already hosts a strong these immigrants. The Medi- Europe are at the root of this immigrant population. This terranean search-and-rescue plan’s violation, which sug- opposition to immigration is plan Operation Triton, estab- gests that the illegality of the heightened by claims that imlished in 2014, similarly takes situation is at the fault of Eu- migrants will put a strain on preventative measures when ropean policy, not the fault of the economy and increase nait comes to naval immigration the immigrants. tional crime rates. But again, Similarly, the attitude into Italy and the European this is due to a conflict of pri-
ority. When European governments consider immigration a strain on their nation. They are failing to consider these immigrants’ motivations. Families attacked and burdened by homeland conflicts won’t flee to another nation to take advantage of that nation, they seek to live the life that their motherland cannot provide. When one realizes this motive is among a majority of those seeking asylum, the issue becomes less political and more racial. The heart of the conflict is not the effect of the refugees, it is the effect of European immigration policies. While nations could easily opt for an open immigration reform, unfounded racial attitudes prevent giving protections to these refugees. The European Migrant Crisis is a crisis founded upon European unwillingness, which is not on the fault of the immigrants themselves.
Gender bender fender bender creates tension By Anna Sipek, Photo Editor
CONT. FROM PAGE 3 He acknowledges students never had “the intention to hurt,” but whether intended or not it is the job of the school to protect students from discrimination at all cost. Thus, administration set unwritten rules, guiding students towards days deemed less offensive and more “appropriate” for school grounds. If any students de-
cide to rebel, they will be promptly asked “to go to the bathroom and change.” When asked how he would differentiate between students who were cross dressing for the day and those that simply had a different style, or crossdressed on a regular basis Gruetzmacher had little to say. The regulation will remain in effect indefinitely. Proponents of Cross Dress Day argue regulations like these are oppressive. It has never been about the LGBT community, they argue, but instead the satirization of gender stereotypes in our society. Furthermore, schools forbid-
ding cross-dressing amongst their students might actually do more harm than good, some claim. If the school bans a day for deriding a certain culture will they inadvertently advertise those stereotypes as true? Will they cause tension or resent between those who are for and those against? Mr. Farley weighs in on the issue. “We want students to be open to the diverse needs of the student body.” Within Brookfield East, there are many opinionated students who see the Cross Dress Day on opposite sides of the spectrum; “this is an invaluable lesson on perspective.” He
asserts the student body must concede other opinions and ask themselves “is there a better tradition we can form [which] respects transgender students?” Overall, “the spotlight [on the transgender community] is growing, and students should be able to feel a sense of belonging, a sense of welcome.” Leaning towards a different spirit day is not “ a criticism on s eniors, on students; it’s a well intentioned school culture building, [but] sometimes the unintended consequences” need to be addressed. Despite all of this, administrators assert there are
no plans to cancel cross dress day, per say. Instead administration will work together with the students to decide what it believes is best for the school. “We want student voice to drive our responsiveness to all kids, [and] to use student feedback to mold our school community.” It seems the future of Cross Dress Days is in the hands of the classes to come, hanging amidst the political and social ideals of a new generation of thinkers.
Thank you challenge inspires citizens By Emma Barbian, Staff Writer
In the wake of numerous murders of police officers across the country, some determined youths are stepping up. Brothers Ethan and Trevor Plumley, boy scouts from Texas, came up with a challenge of their own in response to the shooting of a deputy in their area. The idea is to shake the hand of a police officer and capture it on video, then challenge five other people to do the same. The purpose of this undertaking is to change the views many people have about their local law enforcement officers. In another part of the country, ten-year-old Savannah Solis started a project of
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her own. After hearing about two officers being shot in New York, she began sending hundreds of thank you cards to police departments, along with candy or homemade cupcakes. She’s challenging others to do the same or to make a similar gesture. Due to the reputation so many law enforcement officials have gotten after videos of riots went viral, communities often don’t feel safe. The officers who have received a handshake or a thank you card are all glad there are kids who are challenging popular opinion. Some of Savannah Solis’ thank you cards have brought even the most stoic officer to
tears. The gesture doesn’t have to be large; even the smallest of things are making a big difference. While most police departments tend not to accept unpackaged food items, there is an almost limitless amount of ways to show your support. The Thank a Police Officer challenge has grown much larger than the project of two scouts; in a skeptical society, it’s the change that officers have been waiting for. Photo Credit: thankyouchallenge.org
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SPORTS The football season has been good for the Brookfield East Spartans. It has just finished the regular season at 8-1, tying for the second best record in school history, also making the playoffs for the sixth year ina-row and for the eighth time in school history. Finishing second in the conference, the team is heading into the playoffs with a No. 5 seed. The game will be on Friday at Whitefish Bay. Proud to announce that the team averaged 380 yards per game, the team ended the season with a total of 3418 yards so far. The running back Sam Santiago-Loyd has 1520 yards overall and has an average of 169 yards per game
with 9.2 yards per carry. The quarterback TC Swittel has 613 rushing yards and 420 passing yards this year for a total of 1033 this season. Will Schmidt is the leading reciever with 186 yards on the season and 14.3 yards per reception. Mitch Mikulsky is leading the defense with sixty-six tackles. Collin Rhoten and Caleb Wright are tied for most sacks this year with five a piece. It’s fair to say that the team has been very successful this year and it’s hoping to continue that success in playoffs.
Spartands headed to playoffs By Dominic Cartier, staff writer
Swim team ready to make a splash at sectionals By Nikhita Santebennur, staff writer The Varsity swim team has had a wonderful first season filled with fun and excitement. Though early morning practices are difficult to say the least, they have proven integral to the team’s success. United by their various victories,the Spartans ranked highly amongst other talented teams, including Brookfield East’s long-term rival: Brookfield Central. A notable win and favorite event for coaches and swimmers alike, the Conference relays were an important victory for East. Emotions ran high during the meet as Central and East were neck and neck in points, this final race would determine the winner of the entire meet. The girls screamed to support their teammates, and they pulled through. The victory was long awaited, eluding the team for many years. With a last minute three point win over Central, there was a great sense of togetherness. Co-captain of Varsity swim, Elise Kreger, emphasized this sense of unity: “ We are very tight knit, since we spend so much time together and are always pushing each other to work hard at practice.
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We also have carbo-crams and other team building activities to strengthen our camaraderie. It’s cool to be at a meet and know that every single swimmer on our team will have her teammates cheering for her.” These activities, one swimmer attests, aid both new and returning members in preparing both mentally and physically for upcoming tournaments. The dive time has also done well this season. The three Varsity divers, Ellen Mahoney, Reegan Tiltmann and Lizzy Oliver have competed well and scored valuable points for the team. Although new to diving this season, all three have represented the team proudly. Coach Rose stated during an interview that he “respects their efforts,” and finds it “fun to have divers this year.” East is looking forward to some exciting meets this season including the Varsity/JV Conference and Sectionals. Both meets will challenge East’s biggest competitor: Brookfield Central. So, the burning question racing through many a swimmers mind remains, what chance does Brook-
field East have? Will they be able to crush their opponents once again or will they fall short? Coach Rose thinks that the team is “well matched,” and that it is “like competing against your sister.” Similar teams, well matched skill levels and just a few meets to go all indicate one thing: the final result is still up for grabs. However, results aren’t just the flip of the coin, the difference between this year and previous years is phenomenal. “ [ We have a] young team, but a very good team,” one which can bring pride to the halls of Brookfield East.
Brookfield East swim team preforms exceedingly well in their swim meet Photo credits: Adam Storch, staff photographer
Overall the season has started off strong and the swimmers and divers are preparing for the big Conference meets during late October and November. The swim team is looking forward to the support of the student body as they face their opponents. Cheering or even a simple good luck goes a long way to motivate the swimmers. Hopefully you will come and cheer them on at their next meet!.
Spartan Banner — October
SPORTS
Girls tennis takes conference By Sabrina Zhong
Top : Brookfield East Cross Country Runners passing the finish line at record times. Bottom: Varsity runs through rough terrain at their tournament. Left: Donovan Lutz pasing up his opponenets. Photo Credit: Donovan Lutz
The Brookfield East girls varsity tennis team has ended their season with a bang. First they earned first place in both conference duals and their conference tournament. Then they recently won the sectional tournament, handily beating out rivals such as Brookfield Central and DSHA with a first-place sweep of the singles spots and a strong showing in the doubles flights. This win allowed the team to advance to Team State, and secured places at Individual State for many team members. Individual State qualifiers were Emma Corwin, Carly Wolff, and Emily Horneffer in singles and Bella Auger, Hannah Lein, Maria Korkos, and Sabrina Zhong in doubles. At Individuals, all matches were highly competitive. Wolff fought hard but lost in a tough first-round tie-breaker against Stoughton. Corwin and the Auger-Lein team both reached the round
of sixteen before falling to highly-seeded players from Eau Claire Memorial. The Spartans (17-7) play at the Nielsen Center for Team State the weekend of October 23, hoping to finish their season strongly. Their first match is against Manitowoc Lincoln (13-3).
By Anna Sipek
GYMNASTICS 8%
Boys varsity cross country running after state
Kara Delleman, 11 “ Gymnastics requires grace and elegace. Gymnasts can be so agile.”
By Stuart Guildea, Guest Writer
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in for the season, though some have managed to recover. Senior Andy Swietlik returned from an injury which plagued him for much of the season. At the McCarty Park tournament, healthy and hungry for victory Swietlik won the junior varsity race. The team continues to remain hopeful for the next few races, with Conference and Sectionals right around the corner. On Saturday October 24 WIAA Sectionals are held at Mitchell Park. High rankings at this meet could be the team’s ticket to state. The varsity runners have worked tirelessly to qualify for this tournament, held at Wisconsin Rapids on the 31. Whether they compete at state or sectionals, the team is excited for the meets yet to come. Please, come out and support the team.
Photo credit: Sabrina Zhong
Student’s weigh in: Winter’s most exciting sports BASKETBALL 38%
Thus far, the men's cross country team has had a fairly successful season. Performances have been solid from the top down, as many new and returning members have continued to drop time throughout the season. Senior Donovan Lutz has led the way for the team, running a personal best of 16:25 for the five kilometer race at the Racine Case Eagle Invite a few weeks ago. Stand-out freshman Bennett Hanson has also put forth an outstanding effort, running just under the eighteen minute mark this past week at Tendick Park. He hopes to continue to drop time in the upcoming competitions. Unfortunately, the team has been privy to injuries and illnesses hindering a few much needed individual performances. Sprained ankles, broken legs, and knee injuries keep many a runner
Girls Tennis team smiles for rhe camera after their win.
CURLING 12% Andy Lucas, 11 “I just like the team aspect of it. The teams are very close to each other, so there are a lot of different people coming together. It’s like a family.” WRESTLING 5%
What winter sport are YOU most excited for? Carlos Lopez, 11 “Wrestling is a more physical sport. I think it’s pretty interesting.
Tim Reddy, 12 “Most people haven’t seen curling, but it’s worth it because there is so much drama involved. Curling is the most fun sport ever.” ICE SKATING 9%
LUGE 5%
SKIING 23%
Sean Keiper, 11 “It’s a pretty cool sport. It’s fun to do. I really like to watch it.
Hunter Clarkin, 9 “ It’s fast and dangerous. It’s like bobsledding without protection. You really don’t have any control.”
Abby Weisse, 12 “I Like it when people do the jumps and twirls. I don’t really know much about ice skating but it looks cool. Sometimes people fall downs and that’s funny.”
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aRTS & CULTURE
Photo credit: Adam Storch
BEHS Drama Department brings you broadway hit: The Music Man! By Ava Barker, staff writer This winter, the Brookfield East Drama Department will take audiences back in time to the 1957 stage version of “The Music Man!” When the musical was first brought to television in 1962, it was a smashing success, and BEHS students will bring the excitement to the Sharon Lynne Wilson Center this December. This musical follows a traveling con artist by the name of Harold Hill (played by sophomore Bennett Shebesta) who is told that River City, Iowa is one of the hardest cities to persuade in the US. However, he is up for the challenge of convincing the locals to buy his items. Over the course of the musical he sells
“The biggest challenge so far has been not having another director to bounce ideas off of.”
instruments to the town people, promising to organize and direct a future city band. Hill’s intentions are far from pure, though, and he plans to flee town with the fortune he made ripping people off. However, his plans are disrupted when he catches a glimpse of Marian (played by junior Riley Hughes), a librarian who easily sees through his act. He develops feelings for her, as well as doubts about his own future as a con artist. By curtain’s fall, Marian will have turned Harold into a respectable gentleman whom the town loves and respects. Although this may seem simple, a show like this
doesn’t just “come together.” There are cast members, directors, and crew personnel who all put in countless hours to make the production happen. According to Mr. Schneidewent, it feels like opening a small business each year at this time. From August to December, he must be the producer, director and educator for the students and commu-
nity. For example, he works out ticket sales and other logistics, directs and develops all of the artistic components to the show, and makes sure that everyone is on track. This also includes casting of characters and acclimating students new to the drama department to how things work. Some students come in with extensive experience and fit their parts in the show perfectly. However, others come in with little knowledge of theater and have to build from the ground up their dance, vocal, and acting skills. Mr. Schneidewent is also an educator for the students by providing them with valuable
lessons and a great learning environment. While a typical show in the past years would have two co-directors, Mr. Schneidewent is alone this year. He stated that “the biggest challenge so far has probably been not having another director to bounce ideas off of.” He continued, “Last year our strengths really complimented each other and we worked well together.” However, he is confident that everyone’s hard work will pay off. The Music Man will run from December 3-5 at 7:00 PM and December 6 at 2:00 PM at the Sharon Lynne Wilson center. Tickets went on sale October 19.
Alexander Hamilton drops some beats By Sara Kalupa, staff writer Every single student at Brookfield East has probably had the experience of sitting, bored out of their mind, in class at least once during their entire high school experience. Stereotypically, in history classes, all teachers are confronted with the same question: how does one teach without boring students to death? Lin-Manuel Miranda, writer and creator of the hit musical Hamilton, provides a solution: put it in a rap. All joking aside, the lyrics of the musical are metrically genius. Skillfully combining raps with historically accurate information, Miranda’s Hamilton will make any history teacher proud. According to the New York Post, the Hamilton soundtrack is actually rivaling rap albums on the music charts, and was able to attract 2 million Spotify streams in the first week of its release. In the early workings of the musical, Miranda gained considerable recognition and even a performance at the annual white house poetry
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jam. After this opportunity to perform for the president, Miranda honed his craft further, creating a hip-hop musical encompassing so much information that if sung in the tempo of any other musical genre, would take four hours to perform. The musical, timing in at just over two hours, encompasses founding father Alexander Hamilton’s rise and fall from prominence in the Federalist Party, beginning from his immigration to the US and ending with his duel to the death. That’s right, Hamilton was actually legally murdered: in the words of Miranda “It’s in your history book, check it!” As a work of musical theater, Hamilton is critically acclaimed. The Wall Street Journal states “Hamilton is the best and most important Broadway musical of the past decade,” lauding its imaginativeness and its creativity. The Chicago Tribune reviews that “Hip-Hop and Founding Fathers are dazzling in Hamilton,” reflecting not
only the excellent music but also the racially diverse cast, which was comprised of mostly black and Latino performers. The New York Times simply reports “Yes, it really is that good.” It won the 2015 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical and seven other Drama Desk Awards. Deserving of the rave reviews, Hamilton accomplishes what few history books, documentaries or reenactments have ever managed to do: humanize the historical figures. Miranda manages to make Alexander Hamilton a relatable character that the audience can connect to and admire. The musical follows the lives of real people-- not just mere historical figures. What one takes away from the musical will not be the facts blandly presented in history books but the accomplishments and failures of the people it represents. By this fact, the musical is not simply entertainment-but art. Hamilton playbill design Photo cred: ticketmaster.com
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aRTS & CULTURE
BEHS welcomes new faces Story and photos by Adam Storch, staff writer With the new school year comes a host of new teachers being added to the staff of East.
Page 6 far left: Sophomore Bennett Shebesta; middle: Junior Riley Hughes and Senior Cameron Schmor; right: Bennett Shebesta; Page 7 above: Stage manager James Arndt
A PUSH towards conservatism? By Anna Sipek, photo editor
As of the 2015-2016 school year, College Board has redesigned Advanced Placement United States History, or APUSH, for the third time since 2010 in an effort to pacify conservative criticisms. In April of 2015, the Scholars Concerned About Advanced Placement History met and drafted a letter addressing their concerns of “ an arid, fragmentary, misleading account of American history.” The group insists that the 2014 framework gave too much “special attention” to the formation of separate gender, class, and ethnic identities within the United States instead of focusing on the real “encompassing theme”: American Exceptionalism, the belief that America is and always has been inherently different from other nations. American Exceptionalism. It’s quaint, yet duplicitous. Nowadays this phrase is most associated with neoconservative intellectuals who use it to highlight the greatness of the American way of life. Thus, they postulate that because America is exceptional, other countries should strive to be “more American.” Some may say this is nothing but a hearty dose of nationalism. Who doesn’t like waving a flag every now and then? The problem with the concept of American Exceptionalism is the fine line between exception and superiority. What started out as nationalism can quickly cascade into the pits of discrimination, a dangerous place to be. This danger has been il-
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lustrated most notably in Nazi Germany, the South American Spanish colonies, and during the age of American slavery. Focusing on this idea of American Exceptionalism promotes a skewed view of history, a view where America is and always has been different, better. This is not to say that the same is not true of a history based purely on liberal ideals. History is seldom unbiased; as the saying goes, it is written by the winners. Propaganda runs wild. The media is partisan. And it has been this way for years, it is human nature to judge based on experiences. Instead of imposing others beliefs on their students, educators should encourage students to analyze sources themselves. Allow students to interpret history with their own values. The College Board in particular, who has supported critical thinking in other classes, should not have been so swayed by the arguments of extremists. Moving forward, they should focus less on the popular opinion and offer learners an opportunity to draw conclusions from primary source documents. Supply students with the tools they need to find their own truths. To continue slyly imposing ideas of exceptionalism is a crime against students, the college board is certainly above. So please, members of both the left and the right, stop using my education for your political agenda.
Taylor Bramschrieber is a new history and psychology teacher. Q: What are you most excited about with coming to BEHS? A: The students. The students seem to be very energetic and very highly motivated. Q: Where did you teach before you came to BEHS? A:Waukesha North High School. Q:Why did you choose to teach History and Psychology? A:I’ve always wondered why. Why things happen and I always was asking questions in school about why things happen which led me into the social studies, and looking at the world, and asking why things are the way that they are. Q:What is your favorite food? A:Sushi. Definitely sushi. Q:What is your favorite movie? A:The Dark Knight
Lindsay Skatrud is another new English Teacher at Brookfield East. Q:What are you most excited about with coming to BEHS? A:Everyone else is equally excited about BEHS and that is cool to be able to with both students and staff who are excited and happy to be at school everyday. Q:Where did you teach before you came to BEHS? A:I taught at Janesville Craig High School. Q:Why did you choose to become an English Teacher? A: I thought that English had much more gray area, and there could be bigger life discussions than other content areas. Q:What is your favorite food? A:My favorite food is mozzarella sticks. Q:What is your favorite movie? A:My favorite movies are Wedding Crashers and The Shawshank Redemption.
Ryan Koch is a new member of the math department of Brookfield East. Q:Where did you teach before coming to BEHS? A:I taught eleven years at West Allis Hale High School. A:Why did you choose to teach Math? A:I had a high school math teacher who really peaked my interest in math and I enjoy working with students. I did a summer coaching job where I really enjoyed working with students. Q:What is your favorite food? A:Pizza especially Ian’s Pizza. Q:What is your favorite movie? A:Bad Boys 2.
David Smith is one of the new English Teachers at Brookfield East. Q:What are you most excited about with coming to BEHS? A:I am most excited about being able to work with such a great staff and work with the students who have a reputation of being very bright and engaging which has already shown through. Q:Where did you teach before you came to BEHS? A:Last year I taught at Oak Creek and the year before I did some subbing in the Elmbrook district and student taught at Greenfield High School. Q:Why did you choose to become an English Teacher? A:I have always enjoyed being able to use my own creativity to prove a certain point and argue for certain things, and I think being able to justify your own stance by looking at evidence has always been very rewarding. Q:What is your favorite food? A:Steak. Without a doubt. Q:What is your favorite movie? A: Either Super Troopers or A Night at the Roxbury.
Emily Paproki is a new Spanish teacher at Brookfield East. Q:What are you most excited about with coming to BEHS? A:So far Brookfield East has been a really fun school to be at, and the students are all really eager to learn. I have had some really awesome colleagues. I look forward to getting more involved here. Q:Where did you teach before you came to BEHS? A:I was at Pius XI for three years and Greendale for three years. Q:Why did you choose to become a Spanish teacher? A:Spanish has always been really interesting to me. In high school I really enjoyed learing it, and when I was in college I had lots of opportunities to travel. Spanish for me has always been a way to see new places and meet new people. Q:What is your favorite food? A:My favorite snack food is popcorn Q:What is your favorite movie? A: I really am a fan of Pitch Perfect.
Mary Mann is a new French teacher at East. Q: Where did you teach before coming to East? A: I taught at Central, and I still teach there. Q: Why did you choose to teach French? A: I fell in love with the French language and culture, so I decided to teach French even though I studied history and am certified to teach it. Q: What is your favorite food? A: I’m a foodie, I like any food that is good and well-prepared. Q: Out of all the places you’ve been to in France, which one has been your favorite? A: The south of France. I love Paris as well, but I studied in Aix-en-Provence before, so it’s very special to me.
Spartan Banner— October 2015
Editorial Spartan Banner Fashion: Checking the facts Staff By Brenna Verheyen, Staff Cartoonist Mary Slavinsky Editor-in-Chief Elizabeth Goblirsch Executive Editor Simran Khunger News Editor Anna Sipek Sports Editor Michelle Liu Arts and Culture Editor Mark Maier Editorial Editor Anna Sipek Photo Editor Mrs. Skatrud Staff Adviser Namitha Alexander Emma Barbian Ava Barker Dominic Cartier Stuart Gildea Sean Glatch Sara Kalupa Nikhita Santebennur Adam Storch Sabrina Zhong Staff Writers Brenna Verheyen Staff Cartoonist Adam Storch Staff Photographer As
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Page 8
Let’s tone down sensationalism By Mark Maier, Editorial Editor
There is a conventional wisdom on the Internet known as “Godwin’s Law,” coined by a man named Mike Godwin in 1990. This law states, “As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches 1.” Is this parallel being drawn because a person involved in the discussion is a jackbootwearing skinhead with a copy of Mein Kampf in their hand, and several swastika tattoos on their face? Well, no. Usually “You’re a Nazi!” translates roughly to “I don’t like your opinion!” It wouldn’t be so bad if this only occurred in online forums, but Godwin’s Law can be applied in a number of different scenarios. One of those scenarios is politics. In this context, if there aren’t direct comparisons to Hitler, then there can be buzzwords that are supposed to invoke a Hitler-like connotation. Perhaps the most common one is “socialist.” This term has been thrown at President Obama throughout his presidency, but people who threw
it at him tend not to know what it really means -- they just know it’s bad! It’s easy to say that people who hurl this word out at him are just racists who don’t want to say something much worse, and while those types of people are out there, let’s just observe this in a vacuum. It’s not wrong to have objections to President Obama’s policies, but screaming “SOCIALIST!” as a means of objection is just a cop out made to avoid debating actual issues. Instead of debating what President Obama actually believes in, discussion becomes about whether or not he adheres to a label that was given to him by a person who probably doesn’t know what it actually means. It’s no wonder Congress is experiencing record-low approval ratings. Now. what do we do when a self-described socialist US Senator and presidential candidate like Bernie Sanders comes along? Is it OK to make Hitler comparisons then, as some people have done? No. Sure, it’s true that “Nazism” is a shorter way of saying “na-
tional socialism,” but this is just a label. Furthermore, the socialism part isn’t as important as the national part. Indeed, Hitler’s intense nationalism is something that makes him more commonly associated with fascism, which is on the complete opposite end of socialism on the political spectrum. But even if Hitler was commonly associated with socialism, Sanders still shouldn’t be compared to him, because they have very different ideas, despite their common label. Sanders wants to draw inspiration for his policies from countries like Denmark, Sweden, and Norway--we can debate all day on whether or not this is a good idea, but nonetheless, this is what he believes. He is not out to take over the world, create concentration camps, or commit genocide because he believes himself to be racially superior. Also, continuing on that thought, Bernie Sanders is Jewish, so calling him a “Nazi” is not only wrong but also incredibly insensitive, especially since he has grandparents who were murdered
during the Holocaust. Perhaps people who have called the Senator a “Nazi” don’t mean any personal offense, but the best way to avoid something like that is to not erroneously use the label in the first place. Mark Twain once said, “Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself.” While this statement may not be universally true, sometimes it’s easy to see why such a cynical statement would be made; Godwin’s Law in action is just one of many reasons. Presidential election day is about a year away, which is quite a long time. We’ve had a decent number of Nazi comparisons made so far; if Mr. Godwin is right, then this is only the beginning. We may never see this nonsense end completely, as political issues can be debated for generations. But if we are all informed and responsible voters, then it won’t be hard to get beyond labels, thereby minimizing Nazi comparisons in discussion, and allowing for more policy comparisons.
Spartan Banner — october 2015