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RIVERSIDE-BROOKFIELD
Vol. 41, No. 9
@riversidebrookfieldlandmark
New P&R head in Brookfield
@riversidebrookfield_landmark
March 4, 2026
@RBLandmark
Page 3
D208 student walkouts carry consequences But one parent says students have a constitutional right to protest By GREGG VOSS Contributing Reporter
both individual and team play in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, the latest game in Nintendo’s crossover fighting series, in what Welch described as an “unprec-
Like all U.S. citizens, students at Riverside Brookfield High School have certain freedoms guaranteed under the Constitution, including First Amendment rights of freedom of speech and assembly. But departing campus during a school day in the name of those rights carry consequences, according to principal Dr. Hector Freytas. In a letter delivered to parents and students in February, those consequences are outlined for students, including being assessed an unverified absence that can’t be cleared by a parent or guardian. Students leaving during a test or quiz won’t be allowed a makeup, and they won’t be permitted back in school for the remainder of the day or for after-school activities. For seniors, leaving could also result in losing a final exam exemption, a privilege students gain by achieving a high grade in a given sub-
See ESPORTS on page 8
See WALKOUTS on page 12
PROVIDED BY MEGAN WELCH
From left, Megan Welch, Camden Truesdale, Daniel DeHoyos, Julian DeHoyos, Declan Gibbs, Matthew Feeney and Daniel Malave pose for a photo at their tournament at Bradley University. Gibbs is the team’s highest-ranked solo player while the others played as a crew.
Esports find a home at RB
‘This is their space,’ coach Megan Welch says of her students By STELLA BROWN Staff Reporter
Megan Welch, the coach of Riverside Brookfield High School’s esports team, said her team has grown from nothing
to a fierce competitor within the Illinois high school esports community in under two years. Last month, the team competed in a tournament at Bradley University, where they took home the first-place medals for
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