Spartan Banner | Winter 2018

Volume 57, Issue 2 • Winter 2018 Brookfield East High School spartan banner • Brookfield, winter 2018|1 3305 Lilly Road • WI • 53005

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Editor’s Note

The Human Experience The mural at the end of the English hallway says “You never really understand a person until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.”

As I stood looking at the mural, I knew what our Winter Magazine theme would be: the Human Experience.

So when the Banner staff met to discuss our theme, I explained that we’d do just what the mural said: climb into the skin of other people at our school. As human beings, we often judge what we see on the surface. But I challenged the staff to dig deeper. We’d get to know people up close, and get a glimpse of what it’s like to walk a day in their shoes.

We wanted to know what it’s like to volunteer in Key Club (pg 5), or what it’s like to work at our school (pg 8). We worked to understand the experience of the twins (pg 16-17) and athletes (pg 18-21) of Brookfield East.

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

Emily Nelson Larissa Pasquini Josie Stanlick Stephanie Taylor

STAFF JOURNALISTS

As you open these pages, you are climbing into the skin of people at our school, and getting a glimpse of their lives. So I challenge you, reader, to dig deeper and step into their human experience.

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

Natalie Schmidt

Editor-in-Chief 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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This Issue Contains..

5 6 7 8-9 10-11 12-13 14-15 16-17 18-21 4| spartan banner • winter 2018

BEHS Adopts Universal Access Bathroom

After a long debate, the Elmbrook School District moves to give increased access to bathrooms.

The Key to Change in Brookfield

Key Club members branch out beyond Brookfield to volunteer in Milwaukee.

Success in Latin

Latin Club returns from their succesful trip to the WJCL State Convention with new awards and officers.

Elmbrook Keeps Weighted Grades

After months of discussing the role of AP classes in GPA’s, the district decides to maintain their current policy.

Nike, Adidas, and Lululemon - Fashion Trends in Brookfield High school is a time for students to find their own fashion sense, a task that can be difficult with many popular trends.

The Heroes of Our School

Mrs. Waffenschmidt, Athletics Secretary, explains her interesting past and long history with Brookfield East. Sandy Dekarske, member of the Food Service staff, describes her love for her job and Brookfield East as a whole.

Fighting the Prejudices of Special Education

East’s Best Buddies chapter is working to break the stereotypes surrounding Special Education

High School Musical or High School Myth?

Many teens enter high school with expectations from movies. East students discuss how their fantasies compare to the real deal.

The Brookfield Bubble

How does the Brookfield experience compare to that of other cities?

The Dynamic Duos of the Senior Class

The senior class has an unusual number of twins. Many have unique perspectives and stories about growing up together.

Athletic Stars of Brookfield East

Winter sports athletes detail highlights from their seasons and favorite memories.

The Key To Change In Brookfield Erin Malloy

Taking initiative in volunteering on January 13th, Brookfield East’s Key Clu traveled to downtown Milwaukee to help out with an organization named Mr. Bob’s Under the Bridge.

Club member, concluded from her experience that Mr. Bob’s Under the Bridge was different than other local volunteer groups.

For the first time, she could help people who had nothing.

The girls both stated that volunteering can positively impact everyone’s day to day experience and the world would be a better place if everyone helped out even just a little bit.

Mr. Bob’s Under the Bridge, an organization founded by Bob Burmeister, meets every Saturday morning at Kosciuszko Park in Milwaukee to distribute basic necessities to homeless men, women, and children.

One word Stapel used to describe the experience was “rewarding,” as it impacted both the people who are homeless and the volunteers. She also noted that after the volunteering that she became “more aware of [her] surroundings” because the people she helped were only 30 minutes away from Brookfield East.

Tetzlaff also pointed out that volunteers provided hope for the future for some underprivileged folks because they realized that there are people who are willing to help them.

Volunteers came back to Brookfield with a new outlook on their human experience.

In Milwaukee, the club members were briefly introduced to the other volunteers before getting to work. They laid clothes out on tarps and filled hygiene packages to give out to everyone who came.

Haley Stapel, junior and three-year Key

Olivia Oberheide and Mara Tetzlaff, freshmen, also volunteered that day and said that the whole experience made them much more grateful for everything they have and where they live. Oberheide described the scene as “eye-opening”.

Students in Brookfield often don’t realize that people in need are only minutes away from school. Volunteering allows people with exposure to help those with different circumstances, positively changing the human experience for members in all parts of the community.

Success In Latin

Arjun Shreekumar Brookfield East has a history of excellence in foreign language, with our Latin program producing consistent achievements and success.

Every year, students interested in the language travel to Madison for the Wisconsin Junior Classical League’s state convention.

There, participants compete in a number of events and activities to explore Roman culture, literature, and history. This year, Brookfield East had a remarkably impressive performance, winning a number of these competitions and placing third in terms of qualitative points.

One of the main categories East competes in is Certamen - a Latin quiz bowl of sorts.

For the second year in a row, BE had three teams making it all the way to the final round in their respective divisions. The novice team, composed of Dustin Laufenberg, Madeline Rickert, and Teddy Zuniga-Meyer, went as far as to win in the Level 1 competition.

Laufenberg had a particularly outstanding performance in other areas of the convention as well, and he placed in fourteen out of 24 events, winning four and ranking high in the rest. This overall excellence earned Laufenberg fifth place in the convention sweepstakes, beating out over five hundred other delegates.

This year, two students Brookfield East students were elected to positions of the new executive board. Aayush Agrawal, sophomore, is assuming Zhong’s mantle of Secretary, and will be “taking notes on the monthly meetings and helping the historian create a promotional video” in the months leading up to next year’s conference.

Another key part of the WJCL convention is the process of electing the executive board for the following year. Those elected to the board are primarily responsible for running the following convention, but also address general student concerns and pursuits of classics on the national level.

Shloka Nambiar, junior, clinched the spot of Parliamentarian in a close election. Her main duties entail “managing the constitution and run the voting process for next year’s candidates.”

Sabrina Zhong, senior, currently serves as the WJCL Secretary. For the convention, Zhong was mainly responsible for the details, as she “prepared name tags for every delegate, ran general assemblies, and stayed up until five in the morning on the last day packing ribbons for each school.”

Nambiar continued that her key takeaway from convention was not the prizes or positions, but the bond she formed with her fellow Latin enthusiasts. She prizes “the community that we built, especially because we all have very different interests yet we come together to celebrate Latin.”

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Elmbrook Keeps Weighted Grades Arjun Shreekumar “Get a good GPA, do lots of extracurriculars, and study hard for the ACT’s”. Colleges expect exemplars in each of these three aspects of high school life in their applications. The most important is of course the GPA, or grade point average, as it supposedly shows how intelligent and perseverant an applicant is.

As such, many high schoolers place high value on their grades and how they are reflected in their GPA. Amongst those striving to further separate themselves from the rest of the pack, Advanced Placement classes serve as a vital part of their transcript. At Brookfield East, each AP A earned as a term grade adds an extra 0.5 to a student’s GPA - a difference that can really add up. Even further, Youth Options and LAUNCH allow students to take college courses and learn vocational skills to boost their curriculums.

Because there so many possibilites through Youth Options and other similar programs, Elmbrook has not been able to evaluate the merits and difficulty of each class, preventing them from adding certain courses to the list of those approved as “weight-worthy”.

Zoe Brown As more students take advantage of the block system and take advanced classes, many express frustration regarding which classes add to GPA’s and which don’t.

Last year, a student who believed their Youth Options classes ought to have been weighted brought this issue to the School Board, opening a discussion on the system as whole.

Allison Malnar, School Board Member from District I, explains that one possible solution was the abolishment of the weighted grade system as a whole, because “many comparable school districts have done away with weighted grades, while some benchmark districts still have the weighted system.” Further, most colleges only consider unweighted GPA’s, thereby rendering the weighting useless in terms of admission.

Jian Sun, School Board member of District III, acknowledges these arguments, yet he believes weighted grades should stay nonetheless.

Sun explains that with more AP and Youth Options classes, “you are more likely to get scholarships. Furthermore, the credits you earn through

AP [classes] you can transfer to colleges, allowing you to finish early.” He contends that this is good for students, families, and the communities alike, and that they reflects well on the school district’s performance.

At the height of this discussion was a School Board Meeting on December 5th, where a number of community members expressed their support for weighted GPA’s, urging the Board not to ditch the system.

Ultimately, the district decided to keep the current system in place, allowing students to earn GPA bonuses for qualifying classes.

While there was no change in policy, Malnar was appreciative of the community involvement in this decision. She said that “it was only because of feedback from high school students that this policy could be addressed”, and that “it was the willingness of parents to show up to Board Meetings that shaped [the decision].” Students can feel confident that they have control over their academic careers and that they are indeed the driving force behind their human experience.

BEHS Adopts Universal Access Bathrooms Alex Garvens A new district wide process regarding bathrooms has been implemented in hopes it will be more inclusive for the student body.

Starting this year, all bathrooms previously reserved only for teachers are now student inclusive.

The district’s goal is to create universal access spaces, defined as private, single-use bathrooms designed for a variety of purposes. One of the main student groups this policy potentially helps is the transgender population at Brookfield East.

A student of the graduated 2017 class, Nora Zimdars believes that “this compromise completely avoids the main issue at stake.” She argues that these small changes 6| spartan banner • winter 2018

After a long debate, the Elmbrook School District moves to give increased access to bathrooms.

are just distractions, preventing any real progress.

Zimdars’ position comes from her history with the school district and bathrooms: in 2016 she tried to make bathrooms gender free with little success, starting a discussion with the issue being tabled for the future.

The District’s main intent with the process was not necessarily to address transgender concerns, but to address a variety of concerns. In the words of Director of Student Services Tanya Friedrich, “we just want to make sure we are being more inclusive of everybody and honor everyone’s individual needs, it’s really not about one thing.”

Principal Andrew Farley further elaborated that the District “has had special requests [from community members] to have greater access to individual stalls for a number of reasons.” They aim to help individuals with disabilities, with wheelchairs and for individuals with personal privacy concerns.

Brookfield East is more than just a school, as East is host to a plethora of non-school hour activities, mostly sporting events, designating East as not only a school but as a community center as well.

This new process is being adopted in almost any school being built and in order to meet realistic modern concerns BEHS has begun adapting it as well.

Nike, Adidas & Lululemonld East

Fashion Trends at

Brookfie

Shagun Singh & Catherine Ding Fashion trends and trendsetters exist in high schools all across America. In Brookfield East especially, fashion is a major part of the everyday lives of students. Trends are constantly coming and going, and with that comes the pressure to stay on top of things while trying to manage school.

To some, fashion is very important, but even to those who aren’t as invested, fashion still holds influence in their lives, especially trends.

Sydney Munnagle’s (9) favorite trend right now are sweaters and vans “especially for this time of year… now that it is getting cold.” She states this to be “a go-to any day.” This proves to be true.

If you take a look around the halls of Brookfield East, street sneakers are a staple.

Rafael Li (11) notes “Supreme… and expensive shoes are taking over guy’s fashion.” Furthermore, “brands being pushed forward by rappers” are especially popular right now. Exhibit A: Kanye West’s yeezys. This expensive trend struck the nation, and Brookfield East hard. You can find them at adidas for a cool $400.

Fashion trends at Brookfield East and around the community are mostly influenced by what we see in the media. Social media influencers such as Kylie Jenner and Gigi Hadid advertise different trends which soon blow up.

For instance, Mrs. Hoffman, the advisor of the Brookfield East Fashion Club notes that many items are on trend currently. She observes that “the biggest fashion trend [she] see[s] taking over is athleisure wear.”

Emma Schaetz Emily Nelson

This is the term used for athletic clothing used for regular days. This holds true, as brands like Nike, Adidas, Lululemon, Athleta, and more can be seen everywhere in Brookfield East. However, these items were not always popular, as trends do come and go.

Items like Lululemon headbands, combat boots, and Ivory Ella shirts have been in the spotlight in past years but are no longer as prevalent in Brookfield East.

While some students still wear these brands, other items have started to gain more popularity.

While trends can be fun to follow, pressure to dress like everyone else creates a stressful atmosphere, especially at East.

Take a look around, many similar styles and brands walk these halls as we do.

Munnagle notices that “[students] feel that they have this need to follow [trends] in order to be ‘in’ but… it doesn’t really matter and no one judges.”

Li also thinks that trends do not always have the most positive effect, as “now kids are just trying to get designer stuff.”

Mason Kelsey sports Patagonia, another popular brand.

feel cute for a day.” Many students love wearing what they feel is comfortable.

Munnagle and other students feel that fashion trends are fun to follow and makes school a little more exciting.

Fashion is an integral part of high school for many students. As our culture and lifestyle changes, what we perceive as “fashionable” changes. Many students will agree that they look at trendsetters and fashion trends when deciding what to buy.

However, Brookfield East students believe that everyone has a different sense of style and following that is what is most important. Clothing is an important aspect in how teens today express themselves.

For many, keeping up with the latest styles expresses their trendy personality.

For others, their fashion stems from the idea of channeling a hipster vibe.

Regardless of the style or trend, fashion plays a major role in the everyday life of a Brookfield East student - and in the world around us.

Mrs. Hoffman offers advice, saying “it is important to figure out what looks great on you and wear that.” She also adds, “classics are things you should spend your money on and trends should not be where you spend a lot of money.”

Overall, Mrs. Hoffman believes that fashion should be about expressing oneself, and not following what everyone else is doing.

For instance, Munnagle “like[s] to style clothes together and mix things up to spartan banner • winter 2018|7

Heroes of Our School

Namitha Alexander

Emma Schaetz

Zoe Brown

Sandy Dekarske, member of the Food Service staff, describes her love for her job and Brookfield East as a whole.

love my job,” she exclaims.

The management staff treats DeKarske well, so she is glad to work with them.

When it comes to preparing the food, “they let me be creative and do what I want to do.”

Moving from station to station, Sandy DeKarske makes fresh sandwiches, salad, pizza and more.

As the bell rings at the start of lunch time, DeKarske “cook[s] what needs to be cooked and serve[s] what needs to be served and then cashier[s]. We do everything.” she says.

DeKarske is part of the Food Service staff at Brookfield East High School. She was in need of a job, so a family member who worked in the district got her the position which DeKarske happily took.

“I absolutely love it here. For real, I really, really love my job,” she exclaims.

“For real, I really, really 8| spartan banner • winter 2018

DeKarske also points out that her coworkers are incredible to work with. They have gotten very close over the years yielding a great work environment.

“It’s a family. We sing; we have fun.”

“It's a family.

We sing; we have fun.”

Not only are the adults great to work with, but DeKarske also enjoy the students.

Whether it be while cashiering or serving food, she ensures students engage in conversation with her.

“I make them interact with me ... to know that … we are people too.”

Though some students can get out of hand

or angsty when they do not have money in their lunch account, DeKarske estimates that 99% of her student interactions are positive.

Though DeKarske has a busy professional life, she also manages a family with a husband and two kids. She also spends a lot of time with her great nieces and nephews.

“I love them. They are like my grandchildren.”

DeKarske also goes out with her friends, and she enjoys playing darts every Tuesday.

Though often gone unnoticed, DeKarske and other food service staff put in a lot of effort to prepare the food students and teachers enjoy at Brookfield East.

Arjun Shreekumar Mrs. Waffenschmidt, Athletics Secretary, explains her interesting past and long history with Brookfield East.

Most students walk down the hallways and pass offices without a second glance. Very few know the faculty behind the desk nearly as well as they may know their teachers or counselors, and even fewer stop to talk to these adults or make an effort to get to know them.

Mrs. Cheryl Waffenschmidt is one of these many employees, serving as Brookfield East’s Athletics Secretary. She is in charge of handling the details of most things involving sports, be it getting students’ clearance cards to hiring event workers for home events. Her responsibilities entail “whatever it takes to run the athletic department” - a daunting task with quite the workload.

passion for education. After serving in that capacity for nine years, Mrs. Waffenschmidt interviewed for and was hired to the position of Athletics Secretary, the job she holds today.

Because she has served in Elmbrook for such a large period of time, Waffenschmidt has observed the ebb and flow of changes at Brookfield East and noted what has caused changes in student-teacher interactions.

She hasn’t always been involved in sports, however. After getting her degree in education, Waffenschmidt ran both a Burger King and a liquor store with her husband.

After a few years, she began to volunteer in her son’s classroom at Burleigh Elementary, where one of the teachers recommended she pursue a job in special education.

[Students] should feel free to ask the faculty about anything they need.

Then, in 1989, Waffenschmidt began to teach in the Elmbrook School district as a Special Education Assistant, reigniting her

they should feel free to ask the faculty about anything they need.

“That’s part of our job,” she says. “If we didn’t like kids, we wouldn’t be here.”

“That's part of our job,” she says. “If we didn't like kids, we wouldn't be here.”

Waffenschmidt believes that the rapid development and introduction of technology has completely changed the Elmbrook experience, be it for better or worse. One one hand, she thinks that technology has given students freedom: they can access information much faster than before, and have much more ability to collaborate and build cooperative skills.

On the other hand, Waffenschmidt thinks that communication has been greatly hindered by the onset of personal technology. She’s observed that “some kids [can’t talk to each other] because they are on their cellphones all the time.”

It is here that Mrs. Waffenschmidt has some advice for students who don’t approach the administrative and office staff. She wants all the students at Brookfield East to know that

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Fighting The Prejudices of Special Education East’s Best Buddies chapter is working to break the stereotypes surrounding Special Education.

Bera Demirbilek Will Astley Rishav Kumar Having a history charged with discrimination, the United States is constantly a political battleground for activists, bystanders, and those under the influence of a harmful bias. Most recently, individuals with disabilities are making a comeback by fighting back the negative, false stigma against them through various events and inclusion based activities.

At Brookfield East, we challenge such viewpoints daily, whether through clubs or administrative efforts. Best Buddies International is a nonprofit organization dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Best Buddies empower individuals with disabilities by helping them form meaningful friendships with their peers, secure successful jobs, live independently, improve public speaking, develop self-advocacy and communication skills, and feel valued by society.

The Best Buddies Club’s President 10| spartan banner • winter 2018

history of legislation concerning special education. here at Brookfield East, Corey Hughes, explains how inclusive the Best Buddies environment was first-hand: “If you’re not a peer buddy or a buddy, you can be an associate member, [which] is someone who comes to all of the meetings and events but just doesn’t have a one-to-one pairing with a buddy.”

Hughes has found that “students at BEHS have always been respectful to[wards] other students with disabilities, although with Best Buddies we help[ed] students with IDD [get] more involved in the school and feel welcome.”

However, to truly understand and liberate society from negative stigma surrounding disabilities in a vast educational setting, it is essential to understand how the Special Education branch of Brookfield East works and the

Like most discriminatory practices in the United States, discrimination against students with disabilities was counter acted with federal legislation, most notably the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

A special education teacher at Brookfield East, Mr. Matt Olejniczak confirms, “the First Generation [of the Americans with Disabilities Act] was passed in the 1950’s, and another bill was passed in 1990...every student that has a disability is entitled to an Individualized Education Plan.”

Likewise, Ms. Lauren Conlin, another special education teacher here at Brookfield East, stressed that the importance of the ADA in a public-school setting was to “meet the needs of all students.”

Subsequently, The Americans

with Disabilities Act not only ensures education for disabled students but also guarantees multiple rights for the disabled.

For example, some of these basic rights include equal employment opportunities, nondiscrimination in public facilities, and accessibility to various telecommunications for individuals with hearing disorders.

Within education, Individualized Education Plans currently play a key role. If you’re wondering why education of specialized students and conventional students is not often integrated, the Individualized Education Plan, also known as an IEP, is one of the main reasons.

working in the Spartan Union, receiving job coaching, and helping out the Brookfield East community as a whole by handing out papers and assisting with office work.

different services and transition programs, and with the help of the school counselors, a lot of our students are able to be successful once they graduate.”

However, while some IEP students might have a completely alternate schedule, Ms. Conlin points out that “most people would not know if a student had an IEP or not; [IEP’s] could be just ten minutes a few times a week.”

While IEP programs are quite successful and overall are adored by families and teachers alike, there are definitely problems with the IEP program that still haven’t been solved.

Mr. Olejniczak explains, “an IEP figures out, for a student who has a disability, what the student’s strengths are and what areas a student needs to grow in.”

This process is grounded in goals that are set for each student by parents and a team of teachers who figure out the plan of action for that specific student, and what role the school will play.

Throughout these meetings, each student’s team develops a schedule for that particular student. Some of these schedules involve ‘Alternate Curriculums,’ which means the student isn’t required to meet the guidelines of most students, but rather are held to a different set of standards.

Alternate Curriculum schedules are set up differently from the schedules the majority of students at Brookfield East receive. Some activities a student on an Alternate Schedule might engage in are

Corey Hughes (Junior) is president of Best Buddies Club. She works hard to connect the whole student community.

Ms. Conlin elaborates that the most successful cases are “when students meet their goals [and] transition into whatever they want to do after high school.” She continues to list of some of the pathways her students have taken which have been “getting into college, or getting into a job right away.

There’s [also] a Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) which is an awesome resource which helps students, once they graduate, find jobs!” Overall, Ms. Conlin notes that “through the

Yet again, Mr. Olejniczak hits the nail on the head while explaining the issues in the IEP program, particularizing that, “there is a lot of prejudice against kids who have disabilities, it’s a civil rights issue a lot of times.” Unfortunately, there isn’t a direct solution to eliminate a false, negative stigma that radiates prejudice against a certain group of people.

However, the best way to solve the issue would be to create a “more inclusive [environments] for kids with and without disabilities to be more interactive together, [and to generate] more peer relationships.”

Ms. Conlin also remarks that since her high school days (which weren’t too long ago), “there is a lot more awareness on disabilities, and there is not as much of a stigma.” She credits this improvement to various awareness organizations and clubs, such as Best Buddies.

At Brookfield East, we constantly challenge stereotypes and, indeed, those in the Special Education program constantly showcase their ability to be influential and adept members of society. Regardless of the current global political climate, change begins close to home. spartan banner • winter 2018|11

HIGH SCHOOL IN REEL LIFE Maria Korkos

Emma Schaetz

Natalie Gomez

High School (pronounced hi skool). Noun.

A failed experiment in preparing young people for the adult world.

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Do you believe in it? Are we all living the same experience as everyone else? Or do we all engage in something unique? High school has become so much more than just a place to learn. Entering Brookfield East is like entering a world within the real world.

And in this bubble, ruled by Lululemon and Homecoming Court nominations, we wonder, is that all there really is to high school?

We’ve all seen the movies. Whether in romcoms or dramas, high school is a common setting for films. And we all know the predictability of them - the guy gets the girl, the jock scores in the basketball game, and basically everyone gets into an Ivy League college.

We all know perhaps the most celebrated high school film: Mean Girls. Classic. Hilarious. Real? In a school full of stereotypes and cliques, Cady accepts expectation and then defies it. Throughout the film, high school is portrayed as a series of awkward moments, intense stereotypes, and hilarity.

Only at the end does the unexpected happen. The world is finally “at peace” when the main characters forget their perceived stereotypes and follow their own path. But how much do students at Brookfield East align with the typical?

Three students put forth their opinions on the realm of high school: seniors, Hunter Thomas and Nora Berens; and freshman, Emma Lo. All three students walk the same halls, but see the school in extremely different lights - one cynical, one optimistic, and one too young to be fully developed.

When asked how much he thinks Brookfield East students align with stereotypes, senior Hunter Thomas gives our school a solid 8/10. “You can’t do what you want or be who you want at this school,” he finds, “without someone looking at you like you’re crazy.”

As an aspiring professional DJ, Hunter takes anything but the expected high school path. Although his work and personal life necessitate that he interact with many people daily, he keeps only a few close

friends. Constantly defying stereotypes, he urges everyone to as well. “Everyone here [at Brookfield East] wants better… they can make one person laugh or change their opinion on you to get the attention on them.”

In many respects, this opinion is similar to those shared in classic teen films. We may know the girl who gossips to gain the trust of the most popular clique. Or perhaps, the boy who changes his personality to get the girl. But these people are fake. Characters who should only exist in high school movies...but do they? You decide.

On the other hand, active member of Latin Club, Stage Manager of the school musical, and Homecoming queen, senior Nora Berens, believes something completely different from Hunter. Nora gives our school a score of 3 on the stereotype scale. She claims, “East defies most stereotypes… although we have groups and cliques of students, they don’t follow the typical ‘Breakfast Club’ stereotypes. ” She ends her statements with #GeekIsTheNewChic.

A classic 80’s film, “The Breakfast Club” features a set of 5 misfit students who come from all walks of high school. One princess, one jock, one basket case, one nerd, and one criminal. Sure, we have some of these. But they are not the only elements that defines our school.

As far as high school relationships go, Nora thinks they defy the the standard outlook as well, stating, “love wins, man.” But, she would also like to add, “if those couples that populate the English hallway could stop swapping spit on my route to first block, I’d appreciate it :).”

Many high school movie plots would argue our teenage years are a time to party, stay out late, and find yourself. However, it is not always like this. For many, weekends are time for jobs, sports, and family affairs. In fact, you can find Nora babysitting on the weekends. That’s right ladies and gentlemen, our Homecoming queen is not out on a Friday night, but in, watching Disney

channel with children; but making money nonetheless.

As we cross the school building, sophomore Sam Steigerwald stands silently by his locker. Overall, Sam has a pretty bland outlook on High School. On the stereotype scale, Sam gives the school a neutral 5. Although an avid movie watcher, spending most of his Friday nights “relaxing at home and watching tv,” he has not seen the classic, High School Musical. Therefore, he had no prior expectation for what High School would bring. Pertaining to relationships, Sam believes “they should be kept outside of school.” All in all, Steigerwald is passive towards high school and believes that life is not like a movie.

Finally, Emma Lo puts forth her interpretation of the high school world. Emma has no license. No job. And no friends. Just kidding! But she is only a freshman, so she does not have the luxury of a car. So, Emma’s weekends are mostly spent at home, “chillin alone in [my] basement.”

Although this seems contrary to popular culture’s view on high school life, she may have one of the most common. In our world of Netflix, binge watching either alone or with friends is a common pastime.

Concerning high school relationships, Emma has only one comment, “I don’t know much about them,” but she would like to ;). Overall, Emma thinks high school is boring. She even stays neutral on the stereotype scale, rating our school a 5. The only justification: “because no one likes freshmen.”

So, are we typical? Or unique? Is high school really just a failed experiment? It would seem not. In the end, we are all together for four years that define our personality. We grow up together, become adults together, and spend 8 hours together for five days a week, all in a dynamic environment that challenges, entertains, and nurtures us. Both sides can argue whether or not our high school is stereotypical, but no matter the opinion, we really are all in this together.

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Allison and Christine Brankle, fraternal twins, are different in many ways. Christine plays soccer, while Allison plays tennis. They have different friend groups.

Even though Emily and Natalie Rouse are fraternal twins, some teachers get them mixed up. They’re competitive about their grades, and always stay honest with each other. They’re going to different colleges, but are still close.

Ana Agapitova and Vasily Agapitov, fraternal twins, are very close. Ana cooks him dinner and drives him to work, and Vasily babysits their younger brother when Ana is busy. They enjoy having AP Gov together.

The Dynamic Duos of the Senior Class Rucheng Pan

The senior class has an unusual number of twins. Many have unique perspectives and stories about growing up together.

In the United States, only 3 percent of births are twins. At Brookfield East, however, we set a new standard. Our senior class alone has 11 sets of twins, which makes up 7 percent of the grade.

Eleri and Dalani Mackay are going to college together next year to play hockey. They didn’t plan on going to the same college; however, when they were looking at various programs, they realized “we were looking

for some of the same things.”

Having a twin has helped them on the ice as well as off the ice. They said it was “nice having someone with you when you struggle.” Both take the same classes; they don’t just help each other, they also build up each other’s confidence.

On the other hand, most people can’t even tell seniors Emily and Natalie Rouse are twins. Once, Natalie brought coffee for Emily, and Mr. Rose asked her, “who’s that?” Emily had to tell him she was her

Emma Schaetz

Stephanie Taylor twin and Mr. Rose didn’t believe her at first.

On the flip side, some teachers have completely mixed Emily and Natalie up. In one of their classes, Natalie received her twin’s grades.

The sisters say one of the best parts of having a twin is “having someone push you.”

They both take around the same classes, so it becomes a competition over who can receive the best grades. As for the future, Emily is thinking in-state while Natalie wants to go out-of-state.

“nice having someone with you when you struggle”

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When asked the typical reaction when others find out they’re a twin, they say incredulity and awe are typical reactions.

Another thing they like about being a twin is the honesty that comes with it. Most friends

Delani and Eleri MacKay, identical twins, challenge each other in hockey. They take the same classes, which allows them to support each other. This duo will continue playing together at the same college.

Makenna and Victoria Berry aren’t sure if they’re identical or fraternal twins- their DNA test results were unclear. Makenna is a lefty, while Victoria is a righty. This year, they took each other’s ID photos. They probably won’t go to the same college, but will keep in touch.

Matthew and Edward McKibbin, fraternal twins, go everywhere together.

They like always having a friend, but hate having to share everything.

After Edmund joined robotics, Matthew followed his lead, and they’re enjoyed being in it together.

one of the best parts of having a twin is “having someone push you”

their love for drawing keeps them on their toes.

are too nice to point out someone’s flaws; however, they’re completely honest with each other.

Another set of twins, Anna and Ella Mortensen, feel that having a twin isn’t much different from having a regular sister.

There’s no twin telepathy or anything like that, so they get annoyed when people say “I wish I had a twin”.

Having a twin comes with lots of competition- especially in academics and drawing.

Since they’re interested in the same field of study, this means lots of comparing. And

Anna and Ella Mortensen, identical twins, have been a team since they were little.

They used to lift each other out of their cribs.

Now, they challenge each other in school to do their best.

While they have the same friends and go everywhere together, they do have different interests. One plays guitar, and one plays piano. And “Anna is the weirder twin”.

Though they don’t have twin telepathy, they did have a secret language when they were younger. If they wanted to get something out of the fridge, they’d “figure out a way to not say any words, but know exactly what

they’d “figure out a way to not say any words, but know exactly what the other meant”

Justin and Abel Christiansen, identical twins, are very close. People get them mixed up frequently, but they have their differences. Justin is better at track, and they have different friend groups. They are very competitive with each other.

People still get Everett and Patrick Cartier mixed up, even though they’re fraternal twins. Everett says he’s smarter and shorter, while Patrick is goofier and better at sports.

The Cartiers came up with their own secret language when they were younger.

the other meant.” They’d also “lift each other up to get out of our cribs; just like a team.”

Looking ahead, the Mortensens see each other staying close. “If we grow up and have kids, we know we’ll be super close aunts to the kids.”

The twins in the senior class have different experiences- some are very similar, while others are totally different. But all of the twins push each other to do their best.

“Anna is the weirder twin”

Jan and Michal Wodnicki are both competitive and challenge each other in academics. Michal is more outgoing, and they have different friend groups. They enjoy planning funny pranks together.

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Allison Schmidt How does the Brookfield experience compare to that of other cities?

For many of us, it is hard to imagine going to a school less privileged, either with an unproductive environment, zero access to technology, or the need for security that checks you for weapons and drugs every morning. Here, in the Elmbrook School District, we are very fortunate to learn in such a great school among great people.

“I’ve gotten so many opportunities at Elmbrook that I know I would’ve never known of or been able to reach if I was still going to Milwaukee Public Schools.” These are the words of senior Rose Dundun, who transferred from Milwaukee Spanish Emergence School to Dixon Elementary in 4th grade.

Some of those people within us, however, have not been in the Elmbrook school district as long as others. Their unique experiences can offer new perspectives on different schools outside of Elmbrook.

Her life changed drastically because of the much different, yet advantageous, education in the Elmbrook district. Right away, she noticed that Dixon taught in English, which was different from the Spanish

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Stephanie Taylor Emma Jester medium at MPS. She also noticed better lunches, personal lockers, and no security check.

Rose still remembers the experience of her first day at Dixon. “On the first day, my mom and I stood outside looking for the intercom or security guard to get in. I already had my backpack unzipped and was ready to be checked. We just stood outside for a while waiting, until someone came out and told us we could walk in. So, shockingly, we just walked on in.”

Another special aspect of the Elm-

brook school district, she observed, was the very safe and caring environment. “My voice is heard and if I have questions I know I can ask and the teachers will answer. I see that Elmbrook is really centered around students’ individual needs and aspirations, which gives reason to our success as a district.”

John Leclaire, sophomore, transferred here last year from Brookfield Academy. Different from his old school, BEHS has block scheduling, a lot more people, and a lot less stress put on his shoulders.

To keep him going, John has his friends, saying how “it’s nice knowing more people so I don’t have to be with the same peers every day for the entire day.”

From New Berlin West High School, Shannon Coryell is a new transfer this year. She says that her education, peers, and teachers are a big improvement from before.

“There is such a cooler vibe here. I feel like my teachers are my friends, and that everyone supports each

other. Unlike before, I actually want to be here and learn because the environment is so uplifting.” Shannon thinks the Spartan Union is another great aspect to BEHS because “ it’s an amazing space that helps people learn and gives everyone the option to work in a different environment.”

Shannon also describes the negatives of her old school that made her transfer.

“The schedule was awful; there were color days instead of A-B days, which made it difficult to keep track of all my classes. It was also super cliquey compared to BEHS.” In addition, Shannon reports, her peers bad behavior during class made the environment hard to learn in. She felt that it was hard to learn from some teachers and limited her growth as a person and student.

learn and interact while still having fun.

Want a Farley t-shirt? We got it.

Want to go get a coffee? Head right downstairs to the Spartan Union.

Want to ask a question? Go to one of many teachers ready to help in any way they can. Want to join or start a club? Talk to an administrator and it’ll happen. School is part of our journey; and BEHS definitely speaks to our success at the end.

Although school can seem like a drag most days, BEHS makes up for all the homework and testing with a productive, safe, and caring environment that truly helps people spartan banner • winter 2018|17

ALTHETIC STARS OF BROOKFIELD EAST Winter sports athletes detail highlights from their seasons and favorite memories.

Zoe Brown

Lexi Penney

Emma Jester

Larissa Pasquini

Lexi Penney gives insight on her athletic and social experience through Brookfield East and Central’s Gymanstics Team.

Brookfield East sophomore, Lexi Penney, has been competing in gymnastics for eight years. Taking home the first place trophy for Balance Beam at WIAA D1 Individual State in 2017, it’s safe to say gymnastics is one of her fortes.

In addition to being on the diving team and pole vaulting team in the Spring track season, Penney says she’s “not really good at sports except for the acrobatic stuff, so [she] was drawn to those [sports] specifically.”

other sports with her friends from the gymnastics team, saying she’s “with them a lot and they’re always there supporting [her].”

Penney describes her routine on meet days as similar to her everyday routine, except that she packs up all of her gymnastics equipment and brings it to school.

When asked whether or not it was her first instinct to join the gymnastics team as a freshman, Penney says “I was really against joining [the team], but over the summer during a track camp, Eleni Tongas and Allie Bullen talked me into it.” She further explains that “through gymnastics in general, your team and coaches become like your second family.”

When asked about what emotions she experiences before she competes, Penney said: “I don’t get nervous anymore, but I used to.

I like when people come to watch towards the end of the season because we feel a lot more prepared, since we’ve been doing our routines a lot longer.”

Common and irritating, injuries are not unusual for avid athletes like Penney. “I’ve been in a boot three times, I broke my nose once, I’ve rolled my ankle a lot and I actually just hurt my knee.” However, Penney doesn’t let her injuries get the best of her.

Deepening her relationship with some of her teammates, Penney insightfully continued by stating that she competes in multiple

“It is frustrating because I have to watch everything, but it’s kind of nice sometimes because I can catch a break from all of the

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intense training.”

That intense training is just what she will be doing this season as she continues to work towards another trip to state, and hopefully more time spent on the podium this year, for both herself and her team.

Mia Schlidt Stephanie Taylor

Molly DeValkenaere

Molly DeValkenaere reflects on her success on the Girls’ Basketball Team

Senior Molly DeValkenaere has been playing basketball since she was in the fourth grade and began with playing for Junior. Spartans.

season, DeValkenaere has now surpassed 600 career points and 300 career rebounds, and these stats continue to grow.

Molly said she “got inspiration for starting this sport when [she] heard about and saw memorabilia of her mom playing basketball throughout high school.” Her mom’s experience at Pius XI, a school with a storied girls’ basketball program, and the state championship she won there in 1995, has ignited the flame for Molly’s own career, and has allowed her to succeed in a multitude of different ways.

As a team-selected captain, DeValkenaere’s importance extends well beyond just points and rebounds, and she will be looked to as a leader as the postseason approaches. She hopes to lead this year’s Brookfield East team to the same level of success her mom had when playing at Pius, a state championship.

DeValkenaere didn’t stop after her first year of Jr. Spartans, playing from the fourth grade until she entered high school, with many of the same teammates she is now playing on the varsity team with. After making junior varsity as a freshman, DeValkenaere has spent the rest of high school on varsity. As she has continued over her senior

Katie Andrews

DeValkenaere has now signed a letter of intent to play basketball at Purdue University Northwest with a full ride scholarship.

This commitment displays the hard work, long nights, and discipline she has put in to have this success.

However, DeValkenaere has also spent a lot of her time playing on four different select teams outside of Brookfield East, all a part of the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU). DeValkenaere’s previous teams were Wisconsin Impact and both existing teams of Prestige.

Lastly, and to close out her career, she has played for 1 on 1 Milwaukee the last two summers.

Carolyn Esswein

Aaron Hicks

Aaron Hicks recounts his favorite parts of playing on the Brookfield Stars Ice Hockey Team

Senior Aaron Hicks started playing organized hockey at just five years old. He fell in love with the sport after watching his older brothers and “wanting to play just like them,” and his favorite part of the sport is still the fast pace flow he first saw as a little kid.

Hicks currently plays on the Brookfield Stars, the co-op of Brookfield East, Brookfield Central, Sussex Hamilton, Wauwatosa East, Wauwatosa West, Menomonee Falls, and Catholic Memorial high schools.

Hicks doesn’t mind playing with teammates from so many different schools, as “it’s not that big of a problem because [they] all grew up playing together.” The chemistry he has been able to build with his team throughout their childhoods, and his four years of high school, is one of his favorite parts of playing for the Stars.

This symbiosis was on full display in one of Hick’s personal favorite parts of his senior season so far, an end-of-the-game fight against Greendale. Stars fans were able to see Hicks and the team “not only win the game, but also win the fight.” Fights and big hits on the defensive end are two of the things he’ll miss the most at the end of his hockey career.

the Stars.

As for hockey after high school, Hicks has tentative plans to play club at either the University of Kansas or the University of Nebraska. Right now, though, he is focused on working with his Stars teammates to reach their goal of making State at the end of this season.

For Hicks, his senior season has been his most productive of his high school career. He has spent the whole season as a major player on defense for the varsity team, and hopes to help contribute to a long playoff run for spartan banner • winter 2018|19

Michael Poker

Katie Andrews

Stephanie Taylor

Michael Poker describes his journey to the Spartan Boys’ Basketball Team Sophomore Michael Poker began playing basketball in the Junior Spartans program in elementary school, becoming teammates and friends with fellow sophomore Sam McGath. The two brought their chemistry as teammates to East last year as they both made varsity as freshman, and now play huge roles on one of the best basketball teams in the state.

Poker has seen huge improvements in his game between his freshman and sophomore years, becoming an even more integral part of the the team this year. Though upperclassmen Patrick Cartier and Thomas Francken’s outstanding play have been a defining factor of the team’s success this year, the consistency of Poker at the guard position has been an underrated aspect of this year’s team.

The biggest signs of improvement from the sophomore can be seen in his offensive

David Holzem

Aaron Liu

game, where he is averaging more points per game, as well as already making seven more three pointers this year than last season. He even scored a career high 23 points against Wauwatosa East earlier this season.

Instead of focusing on his own achievements, Poker has stayed humble and put his attention towards the team’s “main goal of winning the state championship.” With a state ranking well within the top five, this goals seems to be in reach.

As for any individual goals he does have for this season, Poker mainly hopes to help the team reach state, but also wants to prepare himself “to play at the next level in college,” whatever level that might end up being. Fortunately for the Spartans, and his summer team Ray Allen Select, Michael Poker is still only a sophomore with a very bright future ahead.

Amy Fischer

David Holzem clears up some misconceptions about wrestling and recalls some high-stakes matches.

Senior David Holzem started wrestling at a very young age. It was tough for him at first since wrestling is a combination of both brute strength and very specific techniques.

His father, a great wrestler himself, has been his coach since he was young. His strong wrestling prowess was evident when he made varsity as a freshman.

Throughout his wrestling career in high school, his best season is winning the regional championship, placing second in sectionals, and going to state, all in his junior year. He also won the annual tournament at Marquette twice in a row, which is a notably tough tournament. For his weight class, David has been ranked in the top twenty of the state of Wisconsin all year.

Much of the sport is misunderstood. Holzem explains that wrestling isn’t at all as easy as other people perceive it to be.

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When asked about the difficulty of the sport, Holzem explains “When you use all of your strength against all of someone else’s, it is really tough to go for six minutes as hard as you can.” As well as balancing both “strength and technicality,” as Holzem states.

Unpredictability also plays a big part in wrestling. David recalls the match to win regionals last year as “tough, but fun.” With 20 seconds left on the clock, despite his one point lead, his opponent had a takedown on him, which put him one point behind.

With the last few seconds ticking away, David does the one thing he can only do in this limited time span: the reversal. The buzzer sounded, he won, and the fans cheered and flooded the mat. David continues to train and work hard to continue his passion throughout college as well.

The regional success of last year has pushed him to have an even better year this season.

Holzem is working towards more postseason success in his senior season, especially an even higher placing at state.

Katie Andrews

Ellen Hill

Huy Doan

Ellen Hill goes through the Brookfield Glaciers’ outsanding season in Girls’ Ice Hockey.

Following the footsteps of her older brothers and father, Ellen Hill started playing hockey at four years old. Improving every year, Hill is now a senior competing for the Brookfield Glaciers, the high school co-op that hosts girls from thirteen different high schools. She is also the only Brookfield East athlete on this year’s team.

As a captain for the team, Hill is more proud of how the team has improved over the season than her own personal achievements. Her proudest moment of the year has been their victory over the University School of Milwaukee in the championship game of the USM tournament. Hill called it “a huge accomplishment for the team,” as they haven’t beat USM in five years.

After high school hockey is over, Hill plans to continue playing intramural hockey at the University of Minnesota-Duluth because she “loves the sport and wants to

Matthew Peterman

keep doing it, but college hockey is a huge commitment.”

Not only is Hill an important part of the Glaciers, but come spring she will also be a captain on the girls varsity lacrosse team, another sport she has played since she was young. Just like in hockey, she is an offensive player that will be looked to for her senior leadership and ability to score goals.

But before she heads to the lacrosse field,

Matt Staff

and eventually college, Hill hopes to keep improving her hockey skills, while also learning new things in order to help the Glaciers continue to have a great year.

Will Grintjes

Will Grintjes discusses the bonds he has formed over his time on the Brookfield Barracudas Swim Team Senior Will Grintjes started swimming in the sixth grade while looking for a sport to play.

“I tried out a bunch of sports before, and I was never really good at anything and I was like, ‘You know what, I’ll just try swimming out!’ And it ended up working pretty well and I really [liked] it,” says Grintjes.

After starting out with the Elmbrook Swim Club, Grintjes switched to the Schroeder Swim Team in his sophomore year and currently swims for the Brookfield Barracudas, a combined team of Brookfield East and Brookfield Central.

His favorite events are the 100 meter breaststroke and the relay races. Grintjes says that the Barracudas’ season is going very well, as he’s won almost every race with his relay team.

As for post-secondary opportunities, Grintjes said that he is still deciding if he wants to swim in college: “I love the sport, but I feel like it’s just a whole other level when you get to college. It becomes a lot more of a commitment and almost like a career entirely when you’re in college, and I don’t know if I would have the time for that.”

over the years. His teammates are people he’ll “always be friends with,” as he doesn’t think he “could do the sport without them.”

Whether or not Will goes on to swim for college, he looks back on his swimming career fondly, especially the friends he has made spartan banner • winter 2018|21

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