Spartan Banner | Spring 2018

Coloring Outside The Lines Volume 57, Issue 3 • Spring 2018 Brookfield East High School spartan banner • spring 2018|1 3305 Lilly Road • Brookfield, WI • 53005

Editor’s Note

Coloring Outside The Lines When the staff and I discussed our theme for our spring issue, it was strange to think about spring. It seemed as though the dreary snow would never end. We went through the same mundane routine each day.

I began to think that if spring wasn’t going to bring us its colorful natural beauty, it was up to us to bring color to our lives. As students, we often do this through self-expression: through outlets like music, art, and writing.

Not only did we begin this issue in the midst of a snowstorm, but in a social storm as well. Recent events throughout the country had turned our world upside down, as opposing opinions swirled and clashed around us. This storm turned our world black and white; there were only two ways of thinking. But how do we, as teenagers, bring color back?

How do we remind ourselves of our humanity? We use creativity to color outside of the lines, to go beyond these restrictions of a clashing world.

As a staff, we worked to understand how the students of Brookfield East use creativity to push the limits and find our united humanity. From the distinguished artists (pg 11) to the students who have their own bands (pgs 12-13), we examined how our school’s creativity has changed throughout the years (pgs 14-15).

I hope that these stories encourage you, reader, to color outside the lines.

I urge you to find your own form of expression to summon the spring after the storm.

Natalie Schmidt

Editor-in-Chief

THE BANNER STAFF 2017-2018 EXECUTIVE TEAM

Editor-in-Chief NATALIE SCHMIDT PRINT DIRECTOR NAMITHA ALEXANDER ONLINE DIRECTOR ARJUN SHREEKUMAR SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR EMMA JESTER ADVERTISING DIRECTOR AARON LIU DATA DIRECTOR SIMRAN KHUNGER NEWS EDITOR ARJUN SHREEKUMAR FEATURES EDITORS AVA BARKER MIA SCHLIDT LIFESTYLES EDITOR MARIA KORKOS SPORTS EDITOR KATIE ANDREWS DESIGN TEAM Will Astley Zoe Brown Natalie Gomez Rishav Kumar Isabella Moss

Emily Nelson Larissa Pasquini Josie Stanlick Stephanie Taylor

STAFF JOURNALISTS Ananth Bhat Victor Calvo Ariana Collins Bera Demirbilek Catherine Ding Langston Ford Alex Garvens Bella Koch Erin Malloy

Rucheng Pan Sanju Peddagoria Matthew Peterman Julia Sales Emma Schaetz Allison Schmidt Shagun Singh Atal Sundararaman Alena Wadzinske

Adviser MRS. LINDSAY SKATRUD

Mission Statement The Spartan Banner is an open forum of student expression that aims to inform, enlighten and entertain the students of the Brookfield East community. While the student body is the primary audience, the staff recognizes the publication is read by faculty, administrators, parents and the Elmbrook community. The Spartan Banner staff reserves the right to write about interesting and relevant material at a local, regional, national and worldwide level. As decision makers for the publication, staff members strive to adhere to the qualities of professional journalism with emphasis on skills defined by the Journalism Education Association.

Letters to the Editor

Letters to the Editor may be submitted to spartanbanner@elmbrookschools.org. Please specify what topic or article you are addressing and limit your letter to 200 words. Include your name and preferred method of contact. We reserve to right to edit for length and clarity before publishing your submissions. Please submit your letters in a timely manner.

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Six year old Macey Mathia was given a piece of paper with a black circle and three colored markers. We asked her to color outside the lines.

Cover designed by:

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Table of Contents

East Renovates Athletic Facilities Tennis courts and softball diamonds receive major upgrades for next season.

pg. 5 East Renovates Athletic Facilities

pg. 8-9 Spartans on Spring Break

pg. 11 Emma Barany and Isabel McClain Receive the Scholastic Art Award

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Due to the many athletes and the high interest in sports at Brookfield East, the Elmbrook School District plans to renovate all athletic facilities. Beginning this year, Brookfield East is remodeling their tennis courts and softball diamonds.

pg. 10 Fighting Springtime Allergies

pg. 7 Schmidt Wins Herb Kohl Student Excellence Scholarship

pg. 14-15 Unlimiting Creativity

Alena Wadzinske

pg. 6 Students Attend Badger Boys and Girls Programs

pg. 16-17 Spartans Shine on the Forensics State and National Stages

“The district and school board recognizes… the positive effect of these activities on students, schools, and the community,” Mr. Westphal states. Impacting most students, sports allow students to relieve stress and spend time with friends.

These are valuable benefits Elmbrook hopes to encourage by renovating the athletic facilities.

Emma Jester

These facilities need to be in top condition for the athletes who are dedicated to their sport. Michael Stanaszak has played tennis for four years, the past three at Brookfield East. “I like the sport and I like to play with people that are on the team,” Stanaszak states.

Renovations on the softball field will give it a much needed face-lift. A new paved area around the fields allows more comfort for spectators, along with two new scoreboards. Improved dugouts will increase practicality for softball players during their games. New pitching mounds will create the opportunity for athletes to practice and improve.

In addition to renovating the softball diamonds, the tennis courts are also experiencing upgrades. The renovations will fix-up the nine original tennis courts, and add a tenth tennis court. Upgrades include a new Tennis Plaza and Gathering Pavilion, creating a place for teams to meet and award medals. Additionally, new lights will extend playing time for athletes.

pg. 12-13 Brookfield’s Newest Record Label The current tennis courts are in very poor condition, so students are eager to play on the newly renovated courts next year.

pg. 18-21 Spartan Athletes Take On Spring Sports

Matt Staff

Renovating these facilities is not cheap: it will cost around $1.8 million to replace the tennis courts and softball diamonds.

However, with the support of programs and fundraising efforts, along with proper budgeting, it can be done.

The renovations on each athletic facility will hopefully increase spectator attendance and interest in softball and tennis. Maddie Krogwold, a junior and six year softball athlete, is excited for the renovations. “I think people will attend more because the fields will look a lot nicer and there will be good seating,” Krogwold agrees.

The softball diamonds are not much better than the tennis courts. The nets above the back fence have gaping holes and the fields are almost impossible to play on after it rains.

Without worrying about injury, the athletes can experience the proper challenge of their sport, and enjoy the game.

With new renovations, Brookfield East can now proudly host tennis matches and softball games with renovated and upgraded facilities. For the Elmbrook School District, improving athletics affects individual athletes and spectators, and is worth every cent.

All tennis and softball athletes are excited to practice and play on the new courts and fields.

Previously, the softball fields and tennis courts were in rough condition. As the oldest facilities, the poor conditions jeopardized student athlete safety. The tennis courts were cracked and slippery, and the softball diamonds were covered in weeds.

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Students to Attend Badger Boys and Girls State

Seven Spartans will go to Ripon and Oshkosh to learn about the state government and leadership in politics.

Julia Sales

The week long process includes many activities such as sports, orchestra, band, choir, and journalism. After three days, the students will start campaigning for governing roles and a schedule will be handed out with their plans for government.

One of the attending juniors, Megan Bingenheimer, explains that the process is made as realistic as it possibly could be; participants elect their own leaders and do

many other things like, “draft bills, look at the legislation process, and what it’s like to be a congressman.”

Bingenheimer and fellow junior Matt Staff are excited to be a part of this event after hearing about it from their counselors.

Both are interested in a government related career and hope to experience what it is like to be in a state leadership role.

Staff believes that the program will help him understand his career prospects and “whether [government politics] is actually what [he] wants to do.”

Furthermore, the Badger program is a great opportunity for those who want to experience something new and authentic.

Bingenheimer believes “it helps people

Schmidt was granted $10,000 for leadership ability and extracurricular excellence.

Jack Schulick

gain a new appreciation for government, which is not as simple as people think it is.”

Brookfield East senior Natalie Schmidt is one of this year’s recipients of the Herb Kohl Student Excellence Scholarship! The Student Excellence scholarship awards $10,000 dollars to Wisconsin seniors who demonstrate leadership, citizenship, community involvement, and academic achievement.

The program will help students shape their ideas of what it is like to be involved in business and leadership roles by carrying out basic laws and procedures used by the state of Wisconsin.

Schmidt and two other students from Brookfield Central, Sophia Sun and Alena Huang, were among 100 students awarded the scholarship. She only had positive things to say about the experience.

Emma Schaetz Emma Jester

The Badger Program is a way for junior students to dig deeper into the world of government and leadership.

Now in its 75th session, the program is taking seven participants from Brookfield East to come together with other schools to simulate a 51st state.

Natalie Schmidt Honored With the Herb Kohl Student Excellence Scholarship Emma Jester “I viewed it as a great opportunity,” said Schmidt of the scholarship.

“An opportunity to use all my hard work and accomplishments in high school to help pay for college.”

The process certainly is not an easy one. Applicants require multiple letters of recommendation from teachers, administrators, and outstanding community members, as well as a personal essay to be considered for a slot for the Student Excellence scholarship.

According to Staff, “[The Badger program] gives good experience and can teach some good values and help people mature a little bit.”

“I had to think wisely about how to present myself,” said Schmidt. “But I really enjoyed my high school experiences and had a lot to say.”

Rachael Behling, Isabella Moss, Solomon Stewart, David Mbele, and Jacob Wadzinske are the other students selected to represent Brookfield East this summer.

It was that same love of school that Schmidt thinks helped award her the prize in the end.

When asked if she had any advice for underclassmen worried about college and scholarships, Schmidt offered a pearl of wisdom: “Work hard and live life to the fullest. At the end of the day, it’s the memories of your experiences that matter, and whenever you’re able to use those experiences towards applications or scholarships, go for it!”

Two students from Brookfield Central, Alena Huang and Sophia Sun, and one teacher from Swanson Elementary, Pam Kania, also received this scholarship.

Any students interested in the Herb Kohl Student Excellence scholarship should go to http://www.kohleducation.org/studentexcellence/ for more information.

“If I had to guess, it was was probably for the passion I had for the activities on my resume...perhaps they recognized that genuine enthusiasm in my essay.”

“I would definitely encourage anyone interested in the scholarship to apply,” said Schmidt, recommending it for “anyone who is interested in an opportunity to offset the cost of college.”

Allison Schmidt Megan Bingenheimer and Matt Staff are two of the seven Brookfield East Spartans heading to Madison this June for Badger Boys and Girls State. They are both incoming seniors and have somewhat of an interest in pursuing government as a future career.

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WASHINGTON D.C.

Morgan Wood

Ariana Collins

Spring Break Travel Rucheng Pan

Zoë Brown

Have you ever wanted to travel the world? Look no further! Below is a beginners guide to where Brookfield East students spend their vacation time. From walking the National Mall in Washington D.C. to strolling past the Hollywood sign in LA to riding the London Eye in England, students here really enjoy taking a break! It is obvious that Brookfield East students know how to travel, so take their advice the next time you want to leave.

Anya Winberg

Tabitha Czarnecki

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Jenna Wilson

LOS ANGELES What to do: Los Angeles is one of the most visited cities in all of the states. Take pictures with the Hollywood Sign, Walk through Hollywood Boulevard What to eat: There are so many restaurants throughout Los Angeles, including the multiple food trucks that line the streets of L.A. Something cool in Los Angeles: “Met Logan Paul and was in one of his vlogs” - Jenna Wilson

FLORIDA What to do: There is such a wide variety of attractions in Florida. They range from family-friendly attractions such as Disney World and Universal, to the many Florida beaches. “Disney World” “universal studios” “south beach” “any beach really” “a cruise” - Ariana Collins What to eat: “Lots of good food, especially Mexican food!” “Butterbeer at Universal Studios” Something cool in Florida: “Harry Potter in Universal

What to do: Travelers loved the National Mall, which is filled with dozens of free museums and monuments; including the National Air and Space Museum, Washington Monument, and the Smithsonian Museum of American Art. “We just walked around the National Mall, looking at all the museums.” - Alyssa Jonas What to eat: “Georgetown Cupcakes” - Tabitha Czarnecki “Dinner Cruise, was really fun and we were able to interact with other people, same hotel” - Morgan Wood Many DC dinner cruises tour the Pontiac River provide amazing views of iconic D.C. sights at night.

A unique thing about DC: Spring break occurred during the National Cherry Blossom Festival in DC, where all the cherry blossom trees were in bloom. “Cherry blossom trees were really cool, since we went during the season.” - Morgan Wood

LONDON What to do: “London Bridge, London Eye, See the Big Ben, the Tower of London, seeing the chain gong of the guards, walk in the parks with smaller palaces in them” - Anya Winberg What to eat: London is really well known for their fish n chips.

“We tried to eat the more common things like fish and chips and their Sunday dinner which was made up of a lot of different things.”

A unique part of London: “they were really neat, and it was cool seeing people drive on the other side of the road.”

ITALY What to do: Italy has such a rich history.

Throughout Italy are many historical locations such as the Colosseum, the Vatican Museums, and the Florence Cathedral.

What to eat: Italy is known for a variety of foods, ranging from pizza to pasta, to gelato to tiramisu.

A unique thing about Italy: Pompeii, which is almost exactly like it was hundreds of years ago.

- Jenny Austin spartan banner • spring 2018|9

Fighting Springtime Allergies Allison Schmidt

Veteran Allergy-sufferers offer advice on how to get through the end of the school year while keeping good health.

Spring: the season after winter and before summer in which the weather warms, flowers and other vegetation begin to bloom, and the chirping of birds fills the air.

Get a dehumidifier; it helps reduce pollen and other allergy stimulants in the air.

Get saline spray; saline nasal sprays function a lot like Neti pots, but many people find them easier to use.

It helps moisturize dry or irritated nostrils and relieve nasal congestion.

Eat [local] honey; it contains bee pollen that wards of allergies.

Interestingly as well, raw honey made from the same flowers around you will strengthen immunity to pollen allergies where one lives.

Well, even if this isn’t quite the definition of spring in Wisconsin, it is the season that brings forth a dreaded concept: hay fever.

Also known as allergic rhinitis, hay fever is very common, with over 3 million cases in the US each year. When spring comes about, our immune cells react to pollen and release histamine, a chemical that causes fluids to leak into tissues.

Basically, this is what causes annoying allergy symptoms, such as nasal congestion, red eyes, sinus infections, and itchy throats.

At Brookfield East, many students deal with symptoms like these. Zack Long, sophomore, rates his allergies (from one to ten) at a nine. Along with his whole family, he has suffered from hay fever ever since he was born. “Hay fever really sucks,” Zack says. “It makes you feel sick wherever you go.

And it never really ends.”

To prepare for allergy season, the health room always makes sure to be equipped and ready for the “really bad cases.”

So the real question is: what can one do to relieve symptoms? There are nine easy tips and tricks to use in the springtime:

Incorporate garlic; this superfood is an antihistamine substitute and natural antibiotic that fights viruses, infections, and allergies.

Eating garlic every day will immensely boost one’s immune system. In addition, garlic removes allergens completely from the bloodstream. An easy remedy is to peel and chop a few cloves of garlic and mix it with honey. WARNING: this may taste very strong.

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Eat a good amount of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds; these have antioxidants that help battle inflammation and control allergies.

Rishav Kumar Steam it up; not only does a steam facial feel relaxing, but it also flushes out mucus and moistens dry nasal passages.

To achieve this, simply pour boiling water into a bowl or other container and inhale deeply through the nose for 5-10 minutes.

Drink peppermint, chamomile, or green teas; they have natural antihistamines, preventing inflammation. They also contain menthol, which is a decongestant.

Use eucalyptus oil; this oil contains citronella, which helps cleanse the body of harmful toxins and microorganisms acting as allergens. It has anti-inflammatory properties as well, and opens up the lungs and sinuses.

Take probiotics and multivitamins; supplements and probiotics optimize the immune system and boost vitamins to help fight against bacteria and pollen.Citrus fruits- “An alkaline body results in better balance and immune function. Limes and lemons boost your immunity levels because they contain with vitamin C. If you drink lemon water the whole day, it rids your body of all the impurities.

Go in for pure lemon water without any refined sugar.

Spartans Receive Scholastic Art Award Emma Barany and Isabella McClain were nationally recognized for their talents in animation and illustration.

Sanju Peddagorla

James Barany

Namitha Alexander “The freedom you have to communicate with others...figuring out how other people might perceive your work,” explains Emma Barany regarding her opinion on why she enjoys art.

Barany, a senior at Brookfield East, along with Isabel McClain, freshman, were both recently recognized for their artwork by the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, a program that celebrates the talent and innovation of inspired teens from around the nation.

This year, Barany was awarded two silver medals for her animation portfolio and a single animation, while McClain also won a silver medal in the drawing and illustration category.

While Barany was very excited to receiving her awards, she remains humble and “cautiously optimistic because...being a scholastic winner does not mean your work is always the best...more of a motivator.”

As for the actual artwork, Barany had plenty of inspiration, explaining that her single animation was “politically motivated, pertaining to the 2016 election,” a topic that surely stirs up a variety of thoughts and emotions, and one that she harnessed to create a masterful piece.

Her portfolio, on the other hand, was more based on her interest in the “forms of rotoscope, stop motion animation, and hand drawn animation,” displaying a unique balance between humor and solemnity.

The Scholastic Art and Writing program began providing opportunities in 29 different categories for presentation, publication, and scholarships in 1923, and has since expanded greatly.

With praise from such a significant program, Barany has some big goals for her future, including plans to attend “an art school to pursue animation….be involved in the storyboard process...as a career.”

Brookfield East has a very diverse art department, and its success is largely due to the many creatively gifted and art-loving students. Barany, along with several other art students, claims that art has “always been a part of [her] life. It’s a calming factor… [she] can come at different problems with an artistic perspective.”

However, the abundance of talent at East is also due to the very inspiring teachers and mentors. Barany credits her ingenuity to Jason VanRoo, “[her] art teacher for three years. He taught [her]...how to do good critiques, how to always strive for a deeper meaning, and how to personally push [her] work.”

Regardless of who or what motivated these students, their artwork speaks for their amazing talent, and continues to inspire everyone, from educators to future generations.

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Brookfield’s Newest Record Label East students channel their musical passion into local music.

Alex Garvens and Emma Jester Emma Schaetz Namitha Alexander

Everyone loves music. Whether in a movie, in the car on the way to work, before school, while exercising, or during a school dance, the right song can create the perfect mood. Some take their passion beyond just listening, creating music themselves or honing their talents on an instrument.

Here at Brookfield East there are many musically inclined students looking for ways to pass the time and express themselves. One of these musicians is senior Victor Calvo, who started a band last year named “The Eternal House Guests”, set to release a new album in early May. Calvo explained his process of putting together a song: “It is pretty simple. When I think of an idea - usually at school - I will go home and try to figure out what I was thinking and then I will record it immediately”.

The Eternal House Guests is one of a handful of BEHS solos, duets, and quartets that will be 12| spartan banner • spring 2018

included on a 2018 compilation album alongside Seniors Jill Genova and Eric Powell under the moniquer One/Cent (1%).

“It has always been one of my favorite hobbies.”

Powell started this project last year with Ethan Bütt, Riley Hughes and David Bayne. “They came up to me in choir one day and they had the idea to make this album and they wanted my help because I know sound pretty well.”

The first 1% album, released in 2016, featured

artists such as Brookfield East alumni Lauren Arndt, Steven DeGarmo, Gerry Hartman, Logan Huck, Riley Hughes, and Alyssa Meurer. Powell and Genova are in the process of producing the third album to date.

Powell has been exposed to sound engineering for about five years now, and you can usually find him in the sound booth during tech week for all of our school drama productions. “They knew I had [my own] recording equipment and stuff, so they asked for my help.”

He also does audio and video on the side for his church and various events within the community.

“It has always been one of my favorite hobbies.”

The initial process was pretty informal, Powell explains. At first, the group would meet at coffee shops and discuss the details behind producing an album - the artists to be featured, the kinds of musical diversity needed, and social media publicity.

“Going into the second album we produced, we wanted to to be more diverse.”

Distribution specifically was one of the most important issues to sort out. Choosing to release the album on iTunes wouldn’t be a smart marketing decision, as online sales are prone to illegal sharing and pirating. Instead, the group decided to individually sell CD’s, which Powell argues are “just as good for business [and] making profit”.

Another detail to figure out was recording.

Most of the tracks on the first album were created in Powell’s basement, but Bütt also had a connection at a radio station downtown and some of the tracks were recorded there. “It was really cool [to use their studio]” says Powell.

Most of the tracks on the first album involved solos, duets, and groups. “Going into the second album we produced, we wanted to to be more diverse.”

One/Cent opened up the audition process from close friends to anyone they could reach. A Google Form was spread around school and “it wasn’t as much of an audition form as it was a ‘form of interest’ for new artists.”

After receiving a number of responses, the producers went through all of the candidates and contacted those they thought would be the best fit for the new album. “We got a couple of the same people, but we also got some new people.”

Now there are a number of genres and types of ensembles featured on the album, with the Eternal Houseguests bringing an alternative feel to the sound.

All of the artists had a meeting together with the producers and signed contracts. The next step was to send in a voice recording of their song and then from there the producers would schedule all of the artists for their individual recordings.

After the success of the first album, the group worked to distribute profits among the musicians, a process they are continuing with the third rendition.

Powell said he didn’t think there was going to be a third album, but Genova approached him in late March and said “Hey, you should revamp the 1% album again.” The rest is history.

Since March, the Genova-Powell duo has been working tirelessly to get the album released before school ends. Because they started late, the two were on a strict time schedule; tracks had to be recorded in as little as three weeks to leave time for pre-orders and advertising.

“Hey, you should revamp the 1% album again.”

This project has been a huge deal for the two.

When asked what life skills he has learned from doing this process three times now, Powell says “[I’ve learned] time management, how to improve my sound recording and editing skills, how to manage artists, and new techniques that I’ll be able to take with me.”

Powell will be attending the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for film production and audio engineering.

He doesn’t know if there will be a fourth album, since both of the producers are headed to college next year. To try and pass on his knowledge, Powell wants to bring in a younger student onto the team and show them the ropes, although he is not sure.

Nearing the end of his Brookfield East sound career, Powell is thankful for the experience One/Cent has given him.

“It has been a pleasure to work alongside Jill, and all of the talent involved with this album.

It has truly taught me a lot, and has been a great experience overall.”

Be on the lookout for new music from the talents of Brookfield East High School and support your fellow students and community.

The One/Cent album will be available late-May/ early-June and hard copies will be $10. spartan banner • spring 2018|13

Unlimiting Creativity

Mr. Ortman, has been teaching English at Brookfield East for 23 years. He told the Spartan Banner about the upcoming plans for the MakerSpace that he has been designing in room 203. This room used to be the English Office, but over the summer it has made some serious transformations to become a creative space for students to have access to, whether it be academically driven or not.

“It’s more for those students who have a unique vision in what they want to do and what they want to create.”

The space isn’t going to be limited to English students, though. “Right now it’s earmarked for English, but we anticipate opening it up,” says Ortman. “[With] some of the funding we got, the agreement was that we would, at some point, probably involve social studies.” Additionally, Mr. Ortman’s long term goal is to “locate other rooms like this throughout the entire building and make them accessible to students.”

Emma Jester

Jeff Ortman and Matt Staff

Zoë Brown

Years ago, Brookfield East looked much different than it does today. The risers, where the choir students now stand, were the bleachers that avid basketball fans would fill every Friday night. The Excellence Center, where juniors now toil over ACT and SAT preparation, was where the band would spend countless hours practicing for Solo and Ensemble. Endless murals that infused life into the school were replaced with bleak high school hallways filled from end to end with lockers.

start in the Spartan hallways a lot differently than most of us do. Many major landmarks within the building were in different locations than they are now.

At some point in the last decade, our view on creativity was changed. It feels as though, when the major renovations happened, we limited students’ outlets for artistic expression. In an effort to revitalize Brookfield East’s artistic fervor, students and teachers at our school are working together and making efforts to change that.

When asked whether or not she remembers murals being on the various walls throughout the building, Doepke says “at the end of the senior hallway, there was a big beautiful mural right there. There was one next to the library [and] one in the science hallway that had Newton depicted and some other sciencey stuff.”

Ms. Doepke has been teaching choir at East for the last 18 years. She remembers her

But why would we paint over the beautiful art that was these murals?

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Room 201 next door currently resides as a computer lab, but isn’t used much throughout the day except for during the video production class fourth block.

“Computer labs are quickly [becoming] a thing of the past — there’s no need for them.” When asked what he predicts will happen to this space, Mr. Ortman said “at

“The gym had a balcony and it was where the choir, band, and orchestra rooms are now.”

She said the chemistry rooms were once art rooms and the business hallway was freshman biology.

one point, we actually discussed combining the two and making a huge space. That would involve a lot in terms of structurally knocking the wall down, but Mr. Farley seemed optimistic.”

Mr. Ortman seemed disappointed when he told us about his experience with the murals Brookfield East used to have. “We had beautiful murals, and we painted right over them. I think the students had painted them in the 80s. There used to be whales and sea creatures down by [the] science hallway — some really stunning images — and we just painted right over them.”

The MakerSpace in room 203 has been completely designed by Mr. Ortman, and he is reaching out to students for help. “I have about $1500 to order art supplies and I talked to Ms. Broge about this — I don’t know what to order.” Ideally, he wants to make this a space where creativity is encouraged and practiced frequently.

“I have students right now that I offer them an optional project, and if they have ideas and need the space, I let them go in there and work.” The use of this space is drastically increasing and it has had a fairly positive result thus far.

she just thought of some general ideas of murals she thought the school should have.

The mural on the large empty wall in the MakerSpace is going to be a person in black and white, but all of the thoughts inside their head and eyes, “basically everything that matters in a person” says McClain, will be in color. “I think this mural has a lot of symbolism to creativity and how we express ourselves and how we’re all different. We think that is really what should matter: what you have to offer the world, and what you think and how you feel about certain things, and not so much what you look like.”

So the next time you find yourself walking down the English hallway, be sure to peek your head in the door of room 203 to see the mural in its early stages of progress.

McClain tells us “I know it is going to be a diverse space, so I think it’s better that it didn’t have a central theme like reading, writing, or anything like that.”

We also conducted an interview with freshman Isabel McClain. She said she didn’t know where the MakerSpace was, so

“It was the principal at the time. He wanted nice, clean, industrial looking hallways,” says Doepke. “There was no color in this building, everything was beige. It wasn’t until Andy Farley [became] principal that he brought in red and blue and started putting quotes on the walls. It was clean, but it was also really sad.”

It seems as though this leaves Mr. Farley to thank for livening up the school once again when he became principal in the fall of 2013. It was much needed, considering the effects the renovations had on students, as Ms. Doepke told the Spartan Banner.

“It used to feel like a lived in space, versus [now] just this brand new kind of sterile environment where there is no energy.

I think that for a couple of years [the renovations] took the energy level [out] of the students.” spartan banner • spring 2018|15

Spartans Shine on the Forensics State and National Stages Forensics team members recount their experiences and explain what public speaking means to them.

Shagun Singh and Catherine Ding

Michael Maier

Namitha Alexander

Whether it’s waking up at 5AM on a Saturday morning to attend a meet, or staying countless nights after school to practice their pieces, each member of forensics brings the dedication and talent needed to make our forensics team at Brookfield East successful.

A widely known and popular club, forensics is offered at Brookfield East with many young adults striving for excellence in speech and acting.

“I forgot my line and I couldn’t get back on track.”

These students have the opportunity to choose from 17 different speech or interpretation categories. The head coach, Steve Sexton explains that it is an interscholastic activity that many 16| spartan banner • spring 2018

competitions amongst schools across the state.

A student will choose a category, prepare their speech/piece, and compete at about 10 different meets each season. The East team also competes in national qualifier tournaments and sends kids to nationals every year.

Newcomer to the team, Amoolya Selvaraj, freshman, took the season by storm when she qualified for the national tournament of the Catholic Forensics League (CFL’s) by placing first at the qualifier meet.

Selvaraj qualified in the category of oratorical declamation, an event where participants interpret a speech written by someone else. She was amongst the 13 speech and debaters who will travel to Washington DC this May to compete.

As a freshman Selvaraj explains the tournament was , “pretty exhilarating. It’s kind of surreal qualifying. I was hoping to qualify, but making first in the room was a really cool experience for me.”

However, the road to success wasn’t easy.

She recalls an embarrassing moment from the beginning of the season,

Other than self confidence, Sexton believes that forensics helps with teamwork, writing and researching, all crucial skills needed in today’s world.

“I was performing my speech, and I started out great, but then, like 3 sentences in, I forgot my line and I couldn’t get back on track. It was really awkward, and everyone was staring at each other which didn’t help”.

With the help of great coach, the team was able to have an incredible year. There was a state championship in Duo Interp, 13 students qualified for the CFL National Tournament, and 6 qualified for NSDA Nationals. Along the way there were many first place finishes at local tournaments.

Nevertheless, she managed to get back on track and her season ended up being very rewarding. Other than qualifying for nationals, she made finals at every meet she participated in this season.

Reflecting on the season, she admits she has learned a lot from the forensics experience, “Speaking skills are crucial for everything. Job interviews, even for college.” While Selvaraj has accomplished much in her freshman year, she looks forward to growth over the next couple of years in forensics.

“Speaking skills are crucial for everything.

Job interviews, even for college.”

What this forensicator, as well as the rest of the team, have in common is their great coach and mentor, Steve Sexton (aka Senor).

As a former high school forensicator himself and a retired high school history and economics teacher, Senor is equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to make the East forensics team as talented as they are.

He explains that one of the reasons he has developed a passion in coaching is that he had “a very positive experience” when he was coaching in high school, and that he would love to pass it on. In fact, both he and his wife are coaches, “giving [them] a chance to share [their] passion”.

Coaching, like anything else, has its ups and downs. Senor explains that “being around students keeps me young and I genuinely like to interact with them. East has some amazing students who make coaching a joy.”

However, with the busy lives that require juggling academics and extracurriculars, students “sometimes forget to meet deadlines and I have to chase after them.

But this is a small price to pay compared to the positives”.

“East has some amazing students who make coaching a joy.”

Senor mentions how he has “great hopes for the future of the program.” However, this doesn’t mean the team can’t improve; both the team members and the coach hope next forensics season will be even better.

Forensics, however, isn’t just about adding another medal in your room; one of Sexton’s main goals is increasing students’ self confidence.

He explains that public speaking has a massive impact on participants after they leave high school, as regardless of career, “you will need to work with others and need to be able to present your ideas confidently and in an organized manner”. spartan banner • spring 2018|17

Spartans Dominate Spring Sports

Will Zimmerman Katie Andrews Though golf is not always seen as a game played by teenagers or kids, senior Will Zimmerman has been playing since he was just six years old. Over his eleven years of playing this sport, Will has learned about patience and honesty, two very valuable life lessons.

Brookfield East has continued its athletic excellence as seasons close out for the year.

Emma Jester

Anna Gaskell Shagun Singh Anna Gaskell is a sophomore at East who has been playing fast pitch since she was 13 years old, her hard work gaining her a spot on varsity as a freshman last year. That team managed to beat Central in conference play and in the first round of regionals, which is no easy task and something this years team hopes to build on.

Anna also makes time to play basketball and participate in Best Buddies while juggling school, friends, and family, saying “softball has helped [her] learn about grit and to keep on believing.” Furthermore the lessons she learns from softball help her in life too.

Anna isn’t the only one on the team and she has created a special bond with each one of her teammates. Anna mentions how “softball is fun because of the new people that you

get to call family by the end of the season”.

The great relationships Anna is able to have with all of her teammates is because of “the atmosphere that is always positive” which she loves.

While softball is a team sport, Anna has many individual accomplishments as well. A highlight of her season last year was when she “was playing second base and made a double play as well as catching a pop fly to get all three outs that inning.”

While Anna is talented player in softball, she still has a few more years to grow and hopefully become a captain like her sister Emily. All the hard work Anna Gaskell has put into softball has made her a crucial underclassmen on this year’s team.

Christopher Minchk

Patience is extremely important to golfers both while actually playing and training, as golf is “one of the hardest sports to become good at.” Without patience, a golfer would not be able to handle themself throughout all eighteen holes, while still thinking of and actually playing their strategy to win. Honesty is just as important as this patience, as “cheating is the worst thing you can do” while playing golf.

Catherine Ding

Laura Gaskell The challenges that Galang have faced has allowed her to apply skills learned on the field to real life. From soccer, she has learned to become a strong communicator and leader. Even more, she’s learned about “how to work with teammates who aren’t the most cooperative,” helping her when working with other peers.

Aaron Liu

But sophomore year, Bauer took a different route. After Coach Steiner saw Bauer land a backflip successfully, he immediately recommended him to try pole vault. Pole vault became Bauer’s strongest event in his high school career.

Bauer practices hard whenever he can.

Vaulting over a bar may seem bland, but Bauer notes that he faces new challenges everyday. He states that he also had difficulty in the beginning but explains that “Just when 18| spartan banner • spring 2018

you think you’ve lost all hope, everything seems to fall into place”. To support that, Bauer added that he snapped a pole when he first started. He adds “you get worse before you get better”.

Emma Schaetz

His greatest accomplishment took place this season, where he took first at the State indoor track meet. He never thought about the possibility of winning at the meet since he was seeded third coming in, but little by little, things leaned his way until he jumped 14’ 6” to take home the gold. His fighting spirit was inspired by Mondo Duplantis, a pole vaulter in Louisiana, telling him to never give up.

Bauer continues to work as hard as he can.

His goal for the season is to make 14’ 9”, which he nearly reached, but fell just short at the indoor state track meet. When asked about how he felt that day where he won, he said “I’ve never felt more proud to wear a East track jersey up on the podium.”

What Will does love about golf is “striving to be the best [he] can” while improving his game. He describes the feeling of birdie, or finishing one stroke below par, as simply “amazing.” As for preparing for a big event, Will prefers to just listen to music, think about how he wants to golf that day, and not get stressed too much. Hopefully this approach continues for this East golfer as he enters his senior season this spring.

Mia Galang

Cameron Bauer Many middle schoolers in Pilgrim Park join track to test their athletic abilities. But for some, like senior Cam Bauer, it was where many started their high school track career.

It wasn’t obvious which route the future pole vaulter star would take. Bauer started off at the triple jump beginning of the 8th grade track season. His jumping would take him all through freshman year, where he also picked up hurdles as well.

The major thing that frustrates Will about being a golfer is that he plays in Wisconsin, which means he is extremely limited by the weather. In a perfect world he would be able to play all year around, like they do in other parts of the country. Instead, Will tries to get out on the course as much as possible throughout spring, summer and fall.

Twelve years ago, junior Mia Galang started playing soccer. Today, she is still playing this popular sport, as the goalie for the Brookfield East Girls Varsity Soccer team. What has kept Galang playing for all these years are the unique aspects of soccer.

Jack Browne

enough”. She also makes sure to do homework and study whenever she can squeeze the time in.

Other than soccer, Galang also is a varsity golfer in the fall and plays club basketball in the summer. Her favorite sports depends on the time of year, but for now you can catch her on the East soccer field.

Lots of work and preparation goes into this sport for Galang, including “icing, stretching, and watching what [she] eats so [she] can have enough energy everyday.”

It doesn’t stop there though, as she has to run, bike, and lift weights on the side.

While soccer is already a huge commitment, Mia also has to balance school on top of all of it. She advises, “anything is possible if you want it

“I think the speed and ever-evolving part of soccer is what made me fall in love with it. I like having those new challenges that force me to grow and adapt as a player.”

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Liliana Galvan

Tom Piotrowski Katie Andrews

Katie Andrews A lot of athletes come into high school knowing exactly what sports they will be competing in through their four years, however, this wasn’t the case for senior Liliana Galvan. If her friend Caroline hadn’t dragged her to hurdles their freshman year she never would have found what she has spent the last four years doing. Today hurdles continue to be her main event, with Liliana mainly running the 300 meter hurdles.

Besides her love for hurdles, what has kept Liliana coming back to track has been the big team atmosphere. Each year the girls track team has become large and larger, with this year being the larger than ever before. Though track is technically an individual sport, with this team “you’re never actually alone because there’s always someone cheering you on or someone for you to cheer on.”

Senior Tom Piotrowski began playing lacrosses seven years ago, a rare feat in Wisconsin, where the sport is still growing.

One of the reasons he fell in love with the sport was competition, saying the he “loves competing in practice and in games.”

Another one of her favorite aspects of the track team is the chance to support and meet so many new underclassmen. Liliana loves to welcome the younger girls just as the upperclassmen brought her into the team when she was just a “newbie.”

When prepping for big meets, Liliana makes sure to always drink a lot of water, eat as healthy as possible and get as much sleep as she can. Her favorite snacks to bring to a meet are apple slices and pretzels. Snacks are just a few of things she always makes sure she packs, as well as bringing at least four pairs of socks to each meet, just in case of emergency. If there is one thing that is known about what is surely going to be an exciting track season for Liliana, it’s that she’ll definitely have enough socks.

Emma Schaetz

Mia Schlidt Have you ever been in that situation where you haven’t played a sport until high school, but have an inkling to try it out because it looks like a blast to play?

Maria Korkos

For Andrew, tennis is a family sport.

Starting at the age of 7, he began playing tennis by following his parents footsteps.

He also shares his tennis passion with his three brothers. Being a triplet, Andrew also gets to share his entire high school career with two of his brothers, Colin and Jonathon. This makes tennis even more special for him and his family, especially with the success all three of the sophomores had last year as freshmen on varsity.

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From his childhood and on, Andrew continued working in and out of season.

This included practicing 4-5 times a week at Western Racquet Club and training in the gym. His hard work has paid off as he now plays as the number one singles for the varsity tennis team fairly consistently, a great accomplishment for a sophomore on a very talented team.

This team is one of Andrew’s favorite part about playing tennis for East. The cheering and friendship of his teammates is something he cannot get out of season.

And although tennis can seem like a gentleman sport, one of Andrew’s favorite personal story of playing tennis is when he dislocated someone’s shoulder by hitting them with a tennis ball. Watch out boys!

This being his senior season, Tom is excited for it to be the first year of lacrosse, both girls and boys, being a recognized club sport at both Brookfield East and Central. The addition of lacrosse as a club sport increases the exposure of lacrosse to even more kids, something Tom, like most lacrosse players, feels passionately about. Though he’ll be graduating this year, Piotrowski is still excited about the growth of the Brookfield lacrosse program in the coming years.

Hana Siddiqui

Andrew Knutson The Brookfield East Boys tennis team is known for its talent and charisma, as well as a rich tradition of success. One of the leaders of the team this year is sophomore Andrew Knutson, who looks to continue the streak of Brookfield East tennis greatness.

Matt Staff

With lacrosse being a growing sport in this area, most people don’t know that there are two types, box and field. Field is the more common and recognizable type of lacrosse, and what our school teams play. Though Piotrowski plays both types, he prefers box, or indoor, lacrosse. Simply because it is “faster and more physical” and he is able to play the entire game, even as a defensive player. Field lacrosse is a more spread out game, with defensive and offensive players staying in their respective positions and only midfielders traveling between.

Whether he is playing box or field lacrosse, Tom doesn’t have much trouble balancing both lacrosse and school, shown by his commitment to play lacrosse at Indiana Institute of Technology in Fort Wayne next year.

Emma Schaetz

Emma Schaetz

the transition to such a new sport for her.

Hana has been playing lacrosse for 3 years now, and she switches between two positions, high defense and low defense, also known as as general in the zone defense the varsity team plays. This general position means she has an important part in leading the defense, as she has the whole field positioned in front of her. This season Hana’s experience is especially important, as the rest of the starting defense is made up of three sophomores and a junior goalie.

With lacrosse being played in a unique Wisconsin spring season, you never can predict the weather leading to games in a whole range of temperatures. Hana fondly remembers the instances where her and her teammates had to train in frigid cold temperatures, and even had to play a game in Franklin two years

ago where it snowed, remembered by the girls on the team as the “blizzard game.”

Although she isn’t pursuing lacrosse in her college years, Hana will always the remember the memories and friends that she created throughout her career in a sport she never expected to play.

Hana Siddiqui had those exact thoughts, so her sophomore year she tried out for the girls lacrosse team. Her experience as a competitive field hockey player helped

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