Volume 61, Issue 2 • Winter 2020 Brookfield East High School 3305 Lilly Road Brookfield WI • 53005
Editor’s Note
Finding a New Identity “Vivek, did you know we have never had a person of color as the cover of the magazine?” - Bera “Indeed, Bera. We must self-introspect on ourselves and re-discover our identities at a fundamental level.” - Vivek That’s why as Editors-in-Chief, we analyzed our past magazines and noticed that there was a lack of diversity within our stories. People of color make up about 27% of the student body at Brookfield East, and we wanted our publication to reflect the beloved diversity of our school. Along the way, we were not sure what direction our search would take us. However, we stayed on our path, in a sincere effort to redefine and bring into light the experiences of all students. To get to this new vision, we had to find a new identity. As a publication, we have looked for ways to redefine the way we reach students. The majority of our staff has been focused on revitalizing the online publication, (www.spartanbanner.com/) to broadcast breaking news events in real-time for the student body. Our social media has taken creative risks in design and made student body coverage a priority to make every Spartan feel apart of every moment. You can watch this idea manifest in our surroundings through the stories in this edition of the Spartan Banner as teachers and students are challenging the school curriculum in order to make it more representative of our diverse community (pg. 4), the racial gap in Advanced Placement classes is examined by our writers (pg. 8), our school’s mental health policies and initiatives are reflected upon (pg. 10), and as we take a look into one of Brookfield East’s most prominent athletes (pg. 14). As you delve through these pages, we challenge you to look through a different lens, take time to appreciate the differences among students, and strengthen your understanding. It can be difficult, complex, and never-ending, but this process is necessary for growth. Vivek Srivastava & Bera Demirbilek
The Banner Staff 2019-20 EXECUTIVE STAFF Editors-In-Chief Vivek Srivastava Bera Demirbilek Print Director Rishav Kumar Online Director Sydney Munnagle Advertising Director Tessa Jester Social Media Director Maddy Tabaska Data Director Ido Korabelnikov Features Editors Maddie Miller Shagun Singh Lifestyles Editor Rucheng Pan News Editor Jordynn Balducci Sports Editor Catherine Ding Staff Journalists Will Staviski David Jia Henry Irwin Amanjot Kaur Elizabeth Redmond
Rose Knachel Sophia Finn Ariana Collins Anant Jhaveri Emily Zhang
Design Team Audrey Hameister Elizabeth Redmond Spencer Harris David Kernan Advisor Mrs. Lindsay Skatrud
Mission Statement The Spartan Banner is an open forum of student expression that aims to inform, enlighten and enternain the students of the Brookfield East community.
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 the right to edit for length and clarity before publishing your submissions. Please submit your letters in a timely manner.
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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 tby the Journalism Education Association.
Finding a New Identity Issue
Table of Contents VOLUME 61, ISSUE 2, Winter 2020
04 08 10 14
A Culture for Change
With over 20% of the Brookfield East student body descending from a non-European background, many people have noticed a lack of diversity in the social studies curriculum. Today, some are discussing why that needs to change.
Gifted and Talented System: A Gateway Towards Racial Division in Education At Brookfield East and schools across the nation, there is a racial disparity in education particularly in AP classrooms. The gap is enforced through several factors, from social reasons to systematic issues. There are currently several efforts, both individually and through Brookfield East’s Equity Team to decrease the race gap in education.
An Open Letter to the School Board
Mental health is currently a major issue in high schools around the country. Brookfield East has taken steps in improving mental health among students with StopIt and Hope Squad. These programs have led to controversy between administration who claim the programs are effective and bring awareness to mental health and some students who argue the measures taken aren’t successful.
Donovan Hunt: The Story Behind The Athlete Donovan Hunt was Brookfield East’s star running back in the 2019 Division 2 State Championship in football, was selected for Wisconsin Football Coaches’ Association All-Star Game and has received numerous offers to play football in college. He joined the Spartans as a junior after transferring from Wauwatosa East High School.
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BROOKFIELD EAST A CULTU
E G N A H RE FOR C
• Writer: Jordynn Balducci • Designer: Spencer Harris • Photographer: Erica Chen
With over 20% of the Brookfield East student body descending from a non-European background, many people have noticed a lack of diversity in the social studies curriculum. Today, some are discussing why that needs to change.
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E
history books, the literature we read, or anything educational despite all the great minds from places I’m from.” For most, freshman year passes in a blur. From beginning to end, it’s a whirlwind of endless confusion between a new schedule, new teachers, and even some new classmates. Some of the only stability amongst the seemingly chaotic experience is found in the single core class that every freshman must take: World History. The ninth graders file in and sit down in their respective awkward ways on that first day, uncertain about what the next eighteen weeks will hold for them. Unfortunately for some, like junior Aya Galang (11), the experience will be less than satisfactory. “If we’re talking world history, we should be learning about the entire world,” Galang said. “And that’s not what’s happening.” A child of Filipino and Peruvian parents, Galang expresses her familiarity with being counted out of the headlines of conversations both in and outside of an educational environment.
With a total of eighteen different social studies class offerings at Brookfield East, Galang finds it disappointing that none of them have a focus towards cultures outside of European context. This predicament ultimately frustrated her to a point of action. Galang, along with a group of other students of ethnically diverse backgrounds, have pioneered the formation of a club called History and News in Color (HNC). “It’s a board of student representatives, all of color, that aim to educate our student body on modern news events that are affecting people of color due to the underexposure in our curriculum,” says Galang.
change hasn’t been made yet to the social studies and history curriculum. One of the World History teachers, Ms. Lindsay Sayles, explained some of the exact factors that have prevented the shift many students are looking for from taking place.
Under-represented groups in many social studies curriculum include: Latino, Asian, Middle Eastern, and Indian.
HNC has put together two presentations so far, both of them having been displayed during Excellence Period, the daily thirty minute block of time dedicated to student choice use. In their presentations, multiple slideshows are lectured through by specific groups of students whose cultures are currently under-represented by the history curriculum. These groups consist of Latino, Asian, Middle Eastern, and Indian representation. Topics they have covered during their presentations so far include events like The Congo War and Operation Condor. The powerful sentiment of these slideshows are the first hand accounts shared by the students with family members that experienced these events during their lifetimes. They take the opportunity to inform audiences that attend about “news” they have lived their whole lives knowing, given that it’s part of their heritage. And although the HNC presentations are currently focused on educating on war in various areas, Galang has plans to shift that in the future.
Aya Galang is a junior at Brookfield East. She is the founder of HNC, a club promoting the education of cultures all around the world. “It [is] pretty hard to go on your whole entire life never seeing yourself, not only on television or in the media, but also in school.” says Galang. “I don’t see myself in the
“I want to take the focus off of tragedy,” says Galang. “There are some very bright minds, both from the past and in modern society that are overlooked because they are from an area experiencing a lot of violence or conflict.”
20% of BEHS is of Non-European descent.
With the large group of students in HNC and the even larger group of students attending their presentations, more and more people are beginning to raise questions as to why significant
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“The main obstacles preventing change have a lot to do with the state making sure everyone is getting the same education,” says Sayles. The state of Wisconsin has standards set with expectations of information to be taught by each individual grade level. The Elmbrook School District takes these standards with the certain pieces of information the state requires, and with it, they design documents called UBDs, which stands for Unit By Design.
peans dominated them rather than celebrating the accomplishments of other areas of the world,” says Sayles. Multiple classes discuss African history by introducing them in the period in which the Columbian Exchange was taking place, during the era of Imperialism. A few history classes cover information related to the Middle East, but
none of them have any in depth units dedicated to Asian history. To Sayles, the fact that these topics and studies about different areas of the world aren’t amongst the educational requirements is concerning. “I actually worry sometimes that we’re not fully preparing you for the world youŕe entering,” says Sayles. “You guys live in an increasingly globalized
“UBDs are created within groups that combine all levels of teachers within the district, so when they do a curriculum rewrite, they have elementary through high school all come together to determine what’s going to be taught,” says Sayles. In order to make changes in the curriculum, the staff is gathered for a long and tedious review process of the course content, and must align the progression of information being taught in each grade to the best of their ability. Because of this, there is not a lot of room for changes to be made simply. “I think it is the exact same world history class that I was taught when I was in highschool,” says Sayles. “Except for we used to call it Western Civilization, which I think is a more accurate reflection of what the class is. It completely revolves around Europe, which isn’t a true portrayal of World History.” Despite not entirely having a lot of power to bring extensive change into the current curriculum, Sayles communicates her understanding and agreement with student’s frustration concerning the significant lack of content covering history outside of Europe. “To make it even worse, I feel like the only time we talk about certain other areas of the world, look at them in the context of when Euro-
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Ms. Sayles has been teaching at Brookfield East for nine years. She teaches both core and AP classes, working with students of all grade levels.
“I actually worry sometimes that we’re not fully preparing you for the world you’re entering,”
world, and the fact that we only teach you our own roots and not the roots of other areas leaves a lot of unknown on the table.” For Galang, the experience is a little more emotional and personal when it comes to putting heavy attention solely on European history. “For example, we learn about the Holocaust in great detail, and it’s an extremely tragic event. But taking all the time to study that while completely ignoring similar events that have happened in Asia sends a pretty painful message to those of us that consider it our family history,” says Galang. “The millions of people that died stack up to an equal amount of horror as what happened with Hitler, but the lack of attention Asian history gets at our school doesn’t project it that way.”
“Talking about more truths is something that is definitely on my wish list of change for the future.” With the next curriculum rewrite not on the schedule until the spring of 2021, staff and students alike have quite a bit of time to thoroughly think through what changes they’d like to see in coming years. If there’s one thing that’s been clearly agreed upon by both groups, it’s that more information about areas outside of Europe and caucasion history is desired in the standard curriculum. “Everyone deserves an equal amount of representation in an educational environment,” says Galang. Whether it be adding more history-based elect-
tives containing a focus on Asian history or altering the curriculum to include more topics that cover religions outside of Christianity, Sayles believes that the the opportunity to make a difference lies heavily in the hands of the students. “If there are things you want to be learning about that you think are purposeful, I encourage you to use your platform to talk about it, because you are what will drive this change.”
In addition to increasing the representation of Asian history, there are a few additional changes Sayles would wish to see at some point in the future. “[In World History], we do a reformation unit and teach about Chritianity, but we teach about no other world religions,” says Sayles. “There’s also pretty much nothing that we teach about the populations native to the Americas; colonizing and killing with smallpox is essentially what the curriculum boils down to.” Even though there are two classes dedicated to teaching specifically American history (20th Century and AP US History), teachers find it difficult to work information about the native populations into the curriculum. This is because both classes are heavy on content that took place in the 1900s, after the time period in which the natives had thrived in America. Additionally, teaching about the native Americans would include discussing how they were removed from their original homes, something that does not depict American history in a kind light. “A lot of public education centers around creating you to be a nationalistic American Citizen,” says Sayles. With this sentiment comes the fact that the brutality of people like Christopher Columbus is not exposed to students until ninth grade, after they have spent years celebrating him as a hero figure. “A lot of social studies classes talk about all the good parts of our communities and positive things about our heritage,” says Sayles.
Ms. Sayles strongly believes that the opportunity to make a difference lies heavily in the hands of the students. Spartan Banner • Winter 2020 7
Gifted and Talented System: A Gateway Towards Racial Division in Education • Writer: Elenore Cornelie • Designer: David Kernan • Photographer: Elizabeth Redmond
At Brookfield East and schools across the nation, there is a racial disparity in education particularly in AP classrooms. The gap is enforced through several factors, from social reasons to systematic issues. There are currently several efforts, both individually and through Brookfield East’s Equity Team to decrease the race gap in education.
A group of juniors at Brookfield East were discussing how they struggled to understand how anyone would graduate without an honors diploma (6 or more honors and AP classes). Jenny* (11), an African-American student sitting next to them, said, “I’m not graduating with honors. I’m only taking 2 APs,” said Jenny. “I’m not smart enough for that.” Somewhere along the path of Jenny’s education, something convinced her that higher-level courses were not for her, and that same issue is why a major racial gap persists in AP classrooms. According to the New York Times, “African-Americans, for example, represented just over 14.6 percent of the total high school graduating class last year, but made up less than 5 percent of the A.P. student population who earned a score of 3 or better on at least one exam.” There is not only a racial gap in simply gaining access to AP classrooms but a gap between who succeeds in them. Black students represent 8.8 percent of exam takers and 4.3 percent of exam takers who earned a 3 or higher on at least one exam. Hispanic/Latino students represent 25.5 percent of exam takers and 23.6 percent of exam takers who earned a 3 or higher on at
Brookfield East follows the national trend as black students represent 3.6% of the Brookfield East population and only 1% of all AP Exams. Hispanic/Latino students represent 5.7% of the Brookfield East population and 4% of all AP Exams. Brookfield East has attempted to decrease the racial gap in education. The Equity Team has been working towards a solution for months. One of the bigger issues is overcoming stereotypes that exist in education today. Jaden* is an Asian-American junior at Brookfield East. There are several stereotypes surrounding Asian-Americans regarding education. Among them include the “tiger mom” stereotype. “It’s kind of annoying because I feel like everyone thinks I only do certain activities or take certain classes because my parents make me, and it’s really not like that,” said Jaden.
“I choose the classes I want to take.”
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that belief is more a stereotype. The Equity Team, composed of Brookfield East staff and faculty, has recently been looking into racial disparities. Many students and administrators place pressure on the students to succeed. They believe it’s the students’ responsibility to enroll in advanced classes and succeed. However, the educational system plays a big role in enabling the students into those classes. The school needs to offer opportunities and inclusive classrooms for all students. “There’s a lot that the school and teachers can do to help make AP environments more inclusive for students. All students of all backgrounds,” said an Equity Team member.
“There’s a lot that the school and teachers can do to help make AP environments more inclusive for students.” Having taught AP classes for over 25 years, Mr. Patrick Coffey highlights the disparity but mentions it is beyond a racial gap, it is an economic gap. He notes many of his students come from higher socioeconomic statuses with stable family lives.
least one exam. *Disclaimer: Jaden, Jenny, and Jackie are all names used for anonymity due to the personal information revealed through these interviews.
It’s easy to assume the high rates of participation among Asian and White students are simply because of parental pressure, but
Brookfield East High School, 2019
In CollegeBoard’s AP Report to the Nation, it noted that only 27.5% of AP Exam takers qualify for free or reduced lunch compared to the 48.1% of high schoolers in the United States.
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Furthermore, less than 50% of 275,864 low-income public school students who took an AP exam passed their exam. Oftentimes, socioeconomic status is directly correlated with academic performance. Jackie* is a Chapter 220 student who identifies as low-income. She says she wants to take honors and AP classes at some point throughout her high-school career, but she contemplates taking one because she works more than 30 hours a week. “I know APs and honors have a lot of homework. I don’t get time for that. The bus takes like 45 minutes then I gotta get to work,” said Jackie. Coffey also notices how underrepresented minorities are often outcasted in AP classrooms. The statistics also support this. At Brookfield East, the average Asian-American in an AP class takes around 3 AP courses a year and the average White AP student takes around 2.5 APs a year. This suggests that most AP classrooms are composed of relatively the same students. For a student who does not have friends that are taking AP classes, it can be extremely difficult to take the jump and enroll in an AP or honors class. Students are naturally inclined to take the classes their friends are enrolled in.
But it’s not as simple as they’re only facing exclusion from their classmates, they may also get some ribbing from their friends. “It was difficult socially because they’re taking a class that’s outside their comfort zone with all White/ Asian kids, and then they’re going to their friends who aren’t taking these classes [...] and they (the friends) would criticize these kids. They have to be exceptionally strong, to hold their own against their own friends,” said Coffey.
That’s another one of the reasons holding Jackie back from Honors and AP courses. As underclassmen and juniors are scrambling to complete their schedules for next year, she often discusses potential classes with her friends. She says her friends often discourage her from taking AP and Honors courses in exchange for a study hall, or an “easy class.” Furthermore, the racial gap in honors and AP classrooms is perpetuated by the Gifted and Talented system administered throughout the district’s middle and elementary schools. The Gifted and Talented program consists mostly of Caucasian and Asian-American students. Granted, the title of being gifted and talented doesn’t really mean much but is a morale booster. It gives the students a sense of confidence in their academic abilities. In high school, this translates to an increased likelihood they will enroll in more rigorous classes as they are confident in their abilities to succeed in them. “I definitely felt like I would be prepared for honors classes when entering high school because I had Honors Geometry in 8th grade, so I felt like if I could take a high school level honors class in middle school, I definitely could succeed in honors classes in high school,” said Jaden. “I never thought I was stupid, but you know, there was a class of ultra-smart kids
Collegeboard, 2013
that I wasn’t part of, so I didn’t really think I was smart,” said Jaden when asked how she felt Gifted and Talented Program affected her course choices in high school. “I thought I was average, so in high school, I didn’t sign up for those honors classes because those were the classes all the smart kids were taking and they’re way smarter than me.” Coffey added on. It’s apparent the racial gap in honors and AP classrooms is not an issue that appears in high school but has been perpetuated and upheld all the way from kindergarten to where we are now. Pre-AP classes are being added to middle school curriculum, and even Elmbrook’s elementary schools are segregated with 3 categories of math and various reading “levels.” “The gap begins in elementary school. I don’t know if they still do it, but they have colors for different reading groups, but you know it’s for the smart kids- and that starts early on,” said Coffey. “And all of a sudden, you aren’t a smart kid. ‘Oh, I don’t want to take those classes, those are all the smart kids. I’m going to hang here with the regular kid.’ The gap is tough. Race has a lot to do with it. I would say it’s not entirely that, but it’s a lot.” In CollegeBoard’s AP Report to the Nation in 2015, the racial disparities in education are widely shown. Only 1 state in the United States has closed the performance gap for African-Americans. As district administration talks about Elmbrook shifting to a minority-majority district within the next decade, the racial divide in AP classrooms will be an important issue to follow, if it’s even an issue as the district integrates.
Collegeboard, 2018
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An Open Letter to the School Board • Writer: Amanjot Kaur • Designer: Audrey Hameister
• Photographer: Erica Chen
Author’s Disclaimer: One of the students interviewed has requested anonymity, due to her personal history with depression and suicide. She will be referred to as “Alex”. Mental health is currently a major issue in high schools around the country. Brookfield East has taken steps in improving mental health among students with StopIt and Hope Squad. These programs have led to controversy between administration who claim the programs are effective and bring awareness to mental health and some students who argue the measures taken aren’t successful.
Brookfield East is, in many ways, an av-
erage suburban high school. Its current issues are the same as those riddling schools across the nation. With more students growing tense and depressed, and the clear divisions between different groups within the school, East is not immune to the cons of American high schooling. The school board is trying to solve this with their programs to address mental health. This new mental health agenda has led to controversy over its effectiveness and whether or not it correctly addresses mental illness. Fighting for mental health is not as simple as one procedure. Knowing this, Brookfield East has created several programs to help those with mental illnesses. For example, the school has a psychologist, social worker, four guidance counselors, and an administration trained to help students with mental illness. East has made several steps towards mental health support. Some methods include partnerships with local mental health groups such as NAMI, Prevent Suicide
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Wisconsin, and the Community Conversations program to meet up with local families, faith leaders, and medical providers. Other methods include apps used to promote student transparency and safety, such as StopIt, which helps students anonymously report issues and reports can even be spread to law enforcement if necessary. Since it began being used at East in 2018, StopIt has gained around 108 reports on mental health and school violence. Now, East has joined schools from around the country in implementing Hope Squad, which assigns certain students as “beacons of light” for those struggling with mental illness. Associate Principal Fellmeth and School Psychologist Aimee tSchneidewent further elaborate on the scope of the mental health outreach efforts. Schneidewent said “the main reason why we chose Hope Squad is because it’s a peer program…it’s a bridge to trusted adults because some of those students aren’t getting
to the adults.” Both Schneidewent and Fellmeth agreed that it can be incredibly difficult for students to comfortably reach out about serious matters regarding their mental health, and this is why they believe the school’s agenda is progressive and effective. However, some students with mental illnesses disagree and question the actual success of the district. For example, Alex has dealt with depression and a history of suicide attempts. When asked about how the school has helped her cope with her depression, she said, “If I have a problem, I could sometimes go to teachers. Alex claims that she has seen students get away with treating kids with serious mental health issues rudely, and teachers turning a blind eye. “I feel like they don’t care, or they take it out of proportion, which doesn’t help… it escalates it,” said Alex. She believes it should be the administration who is reaching out to students. Alex said, “these kids are in their hands the majority of the time… and it’s scary how [mental illness] can lead to so
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much rage and hate to the point that [students] are going to kill. Sometimes I feel that teachers don’t do their best.” In addition, she didn’t even know East had a psychologist and social worker until after her attempts. That venue for help wasn’t made aware to her. Alex also emphasized that she appreciates the school’s attention towards mental health, and never felt attacked or belittled by Brookfield East, but rather disappointed. “The groups that are supposed to be helping with mental health don’t take action,’’ said Alex. The students on the Hope Squad see it completely different. From their insider perspective, most students on the Squad have become deeply involved in the mental health community in the Brookfield area, and believe that the new mental health agenda at East is making major strides. “Not only do [we] provide resources, so we know people to ask in the school administration, but it also teaches us coping skills… because we also have to deal with a lot of dark things,” said Hope Squad member, Claire Peplinski (10). One of the difficulties of being a student body of communication for mental illness is the dark and difficult nature of the subject. Many students that do reach out have gone through traumatic experiences, and this can be emotionally exhausting for the members. For this reason, the Hope Squad is taught how to personally cope with these experiences to prevent personal involvement and enhance their ability as an avenue to reach out. The Hope Squad uses QPR training, otherwise known as Question-Persuade-Refer, and this teaches them the exact strategies for how to direct struggling students towards help. With this training, students are also taught how to set boundaries. For example, Hope Squad members aren’t supposed to talk about their personal experiences while someone is asking for help. This training is also offered to all members of the district at a once-a-month meeting, and Schneidewent claims that the district has a goal of QPR training at least one member per household.
However, even attempts like the Hope Squad have some flaws. Some students who deal with mental health struggles point to the Squad’s lack of diversity and informal selection process as one of the reasons why students are so conflicted on its effectiveness.
In reality, there isn’t any other quantitative measurement Elmbrook has for measuring the effectiveness of their programs. This limits the ability to actually determine success of programs to purely subjective measures.
For example, the whole student body picks Hope Squad members, despite a statistical average of only 1 in 6 of students having mental illnesses, according to National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). Secondly, there are only two people of color on the Hope Squad, and there seems to be a lack of diversity representing the groups who need Hope Squad the most.
Other students point to these flaws being at the fault of the administration, claiming the resources that Hope Squad directs students to aren’t helpful. Students aren’t chosen based on prior experience, knowledge, or awareness on mental illness, and it’s not meant to be their job to provide the specific help. “There’s only so much we can do,” said Peplinski. “Our effectiveness is based on who needs help, and what they need help with.”
1 out of 6 students have mental illness, National Alliance on Mental Illness, 2020
Another issue is that Hope Squad forces schools to leave the selection process up to peer votes. The school claims peer selection has proven through statistics to be the most effective mental health outreach method. “There’s data to show that there were a couple of schools that did not follow the regulations of being student-nominated and it did not go well… they’re not as successful,” said Schneidewent.
“They’re not as successful” At the same time, mental health is a difficult genre to measure. There’s no definite standard of measurement. “I don’t know if there’s a measure we could quantify [the effectiveness of the program], ” said Fellmeth.
Claire Peplinski (10), a member of the HOPE Squad poses for a picture.
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Certain tasks can be more to bite than what Hope Squad can really chew. In moments like this, the difficulty of working with the Staff and Administration can be a hindrance, regardless of who is selected. Students also believe that Hope Squad markets itself in a way that can be discomforting to students. Alex agreed with this sentiment. When asked about programs for helping those with mental illness, she claimed she had never reached out to StopIt or Hope Squad, because she isn’t aware of who’s on it, if they can really be trusted, and doesn’t feel like the Squad has painted itself as effective or trustworthy. Peplinski believes that Hope Squad is better than what it’s coming across as. She saw Hope Squad differently. “I wish Hope Squad wasn’t called ‘the eyes and ears of the school’, because it makes [us] sound creepy,” said Pepilisnki. Despite these disagreements, it has become clear that mental health awareness is becoming a new point of focus in the East Administration, and for good reason. The mental health struggle among students is clear, with several students needing help and a person to reach out when life gets difficult.
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Teen suicide rates nationwide, US Department of Health, 2017
The School Board’s efforts are definitely worth praising, as strides to promote self-care and awareness have reached a new high point in the district. However, the success shouldn’t hold schools back from seeing what they can do to make things better for students struggling. As administrators, staff, teachers, and leaders, it is their responsibility to look out for what can be done more effectively, and ask the students for advice because they know first-hand what it’s like to experience mental illness as teens. Taking into consideration the criticisms from students could help find solutions to diversity and selection issues in Hope Squad, along with letting the Administration know what needs to be prioritized and looked into. As members of the Hope Squad, the opportunity should be taken seriously so that there will be no more need to be effective because students can find the reliable help they need. Attacking mental health stigma, however, falls on the students. Students need to actively listen, point out avenues of help, take threats seriously, and be open-minded, because it is better to be wrong than to lose a life. It’s by working together as Brookfield East citizens that the school can ensure safety and security for those who need an extra hand.
Sincerely,
Amanjot Kaur Resources: BEHS Hope Squad Instagram/Twitter: behs.hopesquad/@BEHSHope
School Psychologist:
schneiai@elmbrookschools.org School Social Worker: breesp@elmbrookschools.org REDgen: http://www.redgen.org Prevent Suicide Wisconsin: www.preventsuicidewi.org HOPELINE: Text “HOPELINE” to 741741 NAMI Waukesha: www.namiwaukesha.org National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255 The Trevor Project: http://www.thetrevorproject.org
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DONOVAN HUNT
The Story Behind The Athlete • Writer: Vivek Srivastava
• Designer: Maddy Tabaska
• Photographer: Tracey Hoover
Donovan Hunt was Brookfield East’s star running back in the 2019 Division 2 State Championship in football, was selected for Wisconsin Football Coaches’ Association All-Star Game and has received numerous offers to play football in college. He joined the Spartans as a junior after transferring from Wauwatosa East High School.
Hunt charging forward to make a play against Menomonee Falls.
hard the class I would take it and challenge myself to the core because if you aren’t willing to bet on yourself no one else will.” Donovan Hunt (12) posing with the State Championship trophy in November 2019.
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OVERCOMING CONFORMITY IN SCHOOL
ettling with average outcomes has never been an option for Donovan Hunt (12), a senior running back at Brookfield East. A true example of academic and human excellence, Hunt’s spirit for challenge is rooted in his desire to prove himself as a student. “I always used to be placed in the lowest reading group growing up. There were three groups and I knew I could read at a higher level,” Hunt said. At the age of ten, Hunt challenged himself by improving his reading and writing skills to the point where he felt he was on par with other students. Often times it was apparent that he was smarter than the other kids in his group and it was not helping him.
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“I knew I could read at a higher level, so one day I switched the books for the groups. I took the medium book and I proved to the teacher that I could easily read it,” said Hunt. “After being constantly subjected to lower groups my whole life, I have always pushed myself to take harder classes because when I was younger I was always told to not challenge myself and be complacent with the system.” Hunt continued this journey of academic rigor throughout high school. He recounted several instances of peers being shocked when he would enroll in higher-level classes. After taking several Advanced Placement (AP) and Honors Classes, he noticed nobody like him were in those classes. “I have been the only black kid in an advanced class my whole life. I feel like it is because so many black kids have the same experience I did but fell inline instead of opposing it,” said Hunt. “So no matter how
Taking higher-level classes sparked an interest in history and advocacy for Hunt. He highlighted several Socratic seminar-style discussions in his AP Language & Composition class that had thought-provoking conversations on historical precedent and race. “Being in a class like AP Lang had a more aware group and it allowed for more social-cultural interactions,” said Hunt. “History shows us why things are like how they are. The underlying processes of social systems can be understood.” As a founding member of History & News in Color, Hunt has had the opportunity to learn more about other cultures and share his interpretations of Black History. In conjunction with listening to other people’s stories, playing sports allowed him to travel all over the country. Those experiences have been really fun and you meet different people and see new elements of culture “Getting to learn about other cultures like Hispanic and Asian has been really eye-opening. Those experiences have been really fun and you meet different people and see new elements of culture.”
“If you aren’t willing to
BET
Hunt sporting a bucket hat back in 2015 while holding his 8th Grade Championship Trophy.
on yourself
NO ONE ELSE
will.”
THE EARLY DAYS IN FOOTBALL
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unt’s journey in football began when his mom enrolled him in a youth football league in Milwaukee when he was in third grade. He quit after one week because there was no contact involved and he did not know the kids in the league.
Hunt (right), tired, walking off the field after a rough game back in 6th grade.
“Whenever I would go to the bathroom these kids would throw rocks at the beehive next to the bathroom,” said Hunt. “I used to get upset because the bees would always chase us and they would do wild stuff.”
Hunt (left) posing with a friend after practice.
Hunt would revisit the game when he entered fifth grade through the Jr. Raiders program. The contact opportunities and friends made all the difference. “Playing football with them was fun. We won the championship in 8th grade,” said Hunt. It was through Jr. Raiders he would notice Brookfield East and the depth of talent they had at a young level. “I played on the Jr. Raiders team and that’s how I knew Brookfield East was always good.”
Hunt and his team showing their parents their brand new trophy after winning the 8th Grade Championship Football Game.
As Hunt continued to play he realized it was something he wanted to do all year long. “My friends were playing football in the spring and that sounded cool, so I tried to join. After Coach Shane hit me up over text when I was in 8th grade and I joined 7-on-7.”
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TAKING STEPS FOR THE NEXT LEVEL
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unt would play for Milwaukee’s The Show, Wisconsin’s only nationally ranked 7-on-7 leagues. Coach Shane would elevate Hunt to a higher level as a player. Having played at the collegiate level for Indiana University, Shane introduced Hunt to a higher level of football thinking and elevated him to the next level. “All the coaches I had up until that point were not up to par with my knowledge of football. 7-on-7 opened my eyes to the complications of football because my coaches before were teaching me the basics.” In his freshman year when he first arrived at Wauwatosa East, he went up to a senior and began on playing him one on one in coverage as a drill. It was at that point he knew 7-on-7 had prepared him to compete at that level. “They really helped me as a player and helped me set up recruiting,” said Hunt. “Some people have trouble with exposure and bad grades.” Hunt credits 7-on-7 for his increase in exposure as he currently holds five collegiate Division 1 football offers. Being from Wisconsin can be detrimental for players because colleges don’t recruit the area heavily. “We went on a team visit to Indiana and the Indiana coaches confused Minneapolis and Milwaukee because they don’t recruit in Wisconsin,” said Hunt. “I thought it was weird that he didn’t even know where the city was.”
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Hunt leaping in triumph into the endzone to score against the rivals, BC Lancers.
Perhaps Hunt’s favorite story of Wisconsin being underrated in Football is when his team played against a team coached by Deion Sanders at the 7-on-7 National Tournament. “After we played his team he said, ‘ Y’all play well, where you from’ and we said Wisconsin and he goes ‘Wisconsin? They play football in Wisconsin?.’ It’s kinda funny when we see that reaction from people because people don’t realize how underrated and disrespected our state is,” said Hunt. The Show, and similar programs, have elevated the recruitment game for players in the Midwest. “We get people from all walks of life and different parts of the state. Like we got people from Kenosha, Racine, and places I can’t even name,” said Hunt. The Midwest Boom is a team in Chicago that turned Chicago into one of the top ten cites for recruitment. When they expressed interest in Hunt he immediately turned them away. “I started playing with Shane right away and did not want to leave for a rival team,” said Hunt. “One of their coaches told me to play for them, but I didn’t want to betray my team.”
“I didn’t want to betray my team.”
THE DECISION FOR COMING TO BROOKFIELD EAST
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unt’s first encounter with Brookfield East would be in fifth grade when he would come with his parents to pick up his brother, a football player for Brookfield East. “I would show up in my Jr. Raiders jersey because they would play on Friday nights and we would play on Saturday mornings,” said Hunt. “It was funny because my brother always used to tell me that I would end up going to Brookfield East, even back then.” After leading the state in kick return yards, Hunt’s mom purchased a home in Brookfield and that is when he had to decide if he would stay at Wauwatosa East or come to Brookfield East. He and his dad would watch every Brookfield East football playoff game that year to determine if Brookfield East was the right program. “I remember thinking about the one team we could not beat during Jr. Raiders and it was Brookfield East,” said Hunt. “I knew Brookfield East was the better team to play for.” Hunt would make his final decision to come to Brookfield East a week before August football practices started and immediately after AAU Nationals for the track. “I texted Sam [Mcgath], [Michael] Poker, and [John] Champe that I was coming,”
said Hunt. “I just knew all of them because we played sports together since fifth grade.” Knowing teammates ahead of time would Hunt transition and get a feel of the team. “I went to a track meet my sophomore year and I saw Sam [Mcgath] and he kept asking me if I was gonna end up coming to Brookfield East.”
Hunt trampling over a Lancer while his eyes are on the end zone.
When he came to those summer practices he was surrounded by a group of seniors who would help him transition in school. “My senior friends gave me rides from practices and helped me transition well with their friendship,” said Hunt.
The football team after winning the Division II State Title in November 2019.
CREATING LASTING RELATIONSHIPS AT BROOKFIELD EAST
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hen asked about his most significant outcome from moving to Brookfield East, Hunt immediately highlighted the relationships he had developed. “I would say the unexpected friendships I have are what has impacted me,” said Hunt. “If you told me two years ago that some of my friends were on the debate team I would have been shocked.” At Wauwatosa East, Hunt was associated more with athletic kids. He would continue to maintain relationships with athletes at Brookfield East but not limiting other interactions. Outside of his friendships, Hunt mentioned that his conversations with Coach Lehman have caused him to become a better person thanks to his good life advice. While it is clear Hunt has had a spectacular impact on athletics at Brookfield East it is apparent that his journey as student and individual will be one that will resonate with the Brookfield community. Coach Farley giving praise to Hunt after coming out after a play.
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