THE RETURN OF THE EYE

By: BHS Features Staff

January 29, 2025

Heritage is important for many reasons because it shapes who we are, and it is a part of who we are. It shows people what we value and can also bring people and families together. Most importantly, it provides clues about our past and shows how our society has evolved. It allows us to examine our history and traditions, see ourselves in different ways, and explain who we truly are.

The word tradition comes from the Latin word “tradiare,” which means to hand over, transmit, or deliver. Traditions mostly consist of practices or rituals that are passed down from generation to generation. It is not just about getting something passed down; it is about the joy of feeling included and a sense of belonging to cultural roots.

Brooklyn’s ethnic population mainly includes people of White descent (61.9%), along with Hispanic descent (15.5%), African-American descent (10.1%), and Asian descent (8.7%). 

Heritage is an important part of everyone, so we decided to interview some staff members about their heritage to learn more about their different cultures and traditions.

*Mr. Larson (Swedish, Danish, and a healthy dose of German): “My great-great-grandparents came from Sweden and Denmark. At the end of the 19th century, many people from Scandinavian countries settled in Minnesota, and my grandparents were one of them. When they moved out West, my grandparents took big fishing trips to Idaho, Montana, Washington, Canada, and Alaska, and they smoked and pickled the salmon they caught. My favorite food is smoked salmon because it’s the one I remember the most. But for the German side, it is pork and sauerkraut. A custom that my family does is potlucks, one of the biggest feasts that comes from my family.”

*Miss Harkelroad (Italian): “My grandfather was 100 percent Italian. He came from a village called Alvito. I would love to visit home and see where he and his eight siblings lived. I love hearing about their life in Italy because of the strong family bond, and they loved cooking and having gardens. When I think of the food they had, I just think of homemade red sauce. My mom got the recipe from her aunts and uncles and passed it down to us, and having the sauce cook for hours made the house smell good and reminds me of family. The traditions mainly center around food, so when we get together, we tell stories and just eat well.”

*Mr. Roegiers (Dutch): “I am mostly Dutch. I remember my great-grandmother making authentic Dutch food when I was younger. My favorite, for example, is oliebollen. Olliebollen is fried dough with raisins, and you dip it in cinnamon sugar. I didn’t do any traditions or customs, but my grandmother used to tell me that they used to put wooden clogs out.”

*Mrs. Velez (Dominican): “I was born in NYC. My parents were born and raised in the DR. My ancestry goes all the way from Congo in Africa to Spain in Europe. My cultural favorite food is green plantains, fried, mashed, and boiled; it doesn’t matter because they are all absolutely delicious! My favorite holiday is Dominican Independence Day, and my favorite tradition is gathering as a family to dance and cook food together.”

*Mrs. Huang (Taiwanese/Chinese): “I am originally from Taiwan. Taiwan is a free country, and we can elect our own government. Chinese culture is the same in both places. My favorite food would be steam buns. I use a bamboo steamer to make the food. It is very light and healthy. My favorite tradition is Chinese New Year’s Eve, having dinner with family, and the elder generation will give money in a red envelope to the younger generation as a gift to encourage them to do better. If the kids do better in school, they can get more money in their red envelope. This is a way to encourage the kids to do better and to do well.”

*Mr. Taylor (African-American): “I am African-American. I’m not too sure of my full background. When you ask me about my favorite food, I would have to say that my family is eating anything that involves a pig. My personal favorite is eating pig’s feet. It’s kind of self-explanatory, but it’s like eating hotdogs with hot sauce and seasoning. My grandma and I also love to eat chitlins. A big thing in my family is religion and the church. They are important things to me because my family is Baptist Christian. My grandfather owned a First Baptist Church.”

*Miss Matthews (Puerto Rican): “I am half Puerto Rican. My grandparents were born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and moved to New York. My mom wasn’t born in Puerto Rico, but her first language was Spanish. My favorite foods are pastelillos and rice and beans; the rice and beans are cooked differently than the normal Mexican way, and in pastelillos, you can put a meat turnover like chicken beef or corn beef. They are similar to empanadas, and I love drinking guava juice. Because I grew up half white and half Hispanic, the amount of unconditional love was overwhelming. Hispanic families are close and loving which can sometimes get overwhelming. My favorite memory is when we would go to church on Sundays and all pack into one car with four people in the back and three people in the front, and I liked to listen to my abuela sing because I love Spanish music.”

*Mr. Rademaker (Irish): “The heritage I do the most with is Irish. My family came from Ireland to Canada in the 1830s. After living in Canada, they moved down to Vermont and back up to Canada. Then, my grandmother left Canada and moved to Cleveland because it was a good place to work. My favorite cultural food is fish and chips. I think it’s really good, but it is also a standard thing to eat in Ireland. They have what they call chip shops, and they mainly sell fish and chips; it is like our fast food. My favorite custom is eating taytos, a kind of potato chip you can only get in Ireland. They are very good to the point where everyone is stuffing their face with them. People like them so much that when they finish the bag, they just toss them. You can find a lot of the bags on the ground in Ireland.”

Thank you to everyone for sharing with us your background, your traditions, and of course, your go-to cultural dish.

As we are halfway through Heritage week, now is a great time to embrace your own heritage. Be proud of where you came from, who you currently are, and who you will become.

{Information for this article sourced from The United States Census Bureau, The Heritage Council, and Air Combat Command.}

By: BHS Features Staff

January 22, 2025

A tribute to a man who paved the way for future generations is necessary for all to read and hear on a regular basis. 

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was born into a family of pastors, thanks to his grandfather, James King. MLK’s father was a pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church after James King passed it down, and from 1960 to his death, MLK, Jr. was the co-pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church with his father, Martin Luther King, Sr. 

MLK, Jr. attended segregated schools throughout his life and graduated high school at 15-years-old. He then went to Morehouse College to get his Bachelor of Arts Degree. His father and grandfather both graduated from Morehouse College, as well. He decided to go to Crozer Theological Seminary for theological studies. At Crozer, he was elected president of a predominantly white class. After he got his Bachelor of Divinity Degree, he attended Boston University where he was awarded a Doctorate in Theology.

King was always a strong advocate for civil rights for African Americans. He became a member of the executive committee of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Due to his Christian faith and teachings, MLK led many nonviolent protests and movements in the late 1950s and 1960s. His goal was to achieve equality for all African Americans in the U.S. and to eliminate all violence. He also led many other nonviolent protests against poverty and international conflict. He believed that everyone was born equal in the eyes of God. 

In 1955, MLK established the Montgomery Bus Boycott. This movement was to stop using buses because African Americans were forced to sit at the back. After roughly 380 days of boycotting, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that segregation was unconstitutional. 

In 1964, MLK was the youngest person to win a Nobel prize, at only 35-years-old. His lecture “Letter from Birmingham Jail” won a Nobel Peace Prize, and his “I Have a Dream” speech are a few of his most-favored accomplishments. His many achievements are taught worldwide in schools, and his teachings are often studied by scholars. MLK is the only non-president to have a holiday celebrated nationally to  honor and memorialize on the Great Mall of our nation’s capital.

On April 4, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was unfortunately assassinated. He was shot by James Earl Ray while on the second floor of his hotel room, standing on the balcony. 

The third Monday of January is a day to honor all that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. accomplished. He fought for the equality and peace of all colored people and is still a big influence today.

“We must learn to live together as brothers and sisters or die together as fools,” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

{Article is sourced from Nobel Prize, The King Center, Stanford University, and National Archives.}

By: BHS Features Staff

January 15, 2025

Although frigid temperatures have invaded Northeast Ohio, the first few weeks of 2025 have gone by smoothly. Typically in the new year, people make resolutions, but most do not stick to them for more than two weeks. Usually by late January/early February, old habits rear their ugly heads.

For today’s focus, we will review the most popular resolutions from those who decided to make them, even if they might not last much longer.

*Number 1: Save More Money

Most people have issues with spending habits, so deciding to save money instead of impulse-buying can relieve some stress. You won’t have to worry about whether you will have enough money for necessities, but in a week, you will more-than-likely be impulse-buying random junk all over again. Stay off of Amazon!

*Number 2: Eat Healthier

Eating the right foods can drastically improve your health and help you lose and maintain weight. A balanced diet will ensure that you will become healthier and not have to worry about as many health problems. Then again, Super Bowl Sunday is coming up, so this resolution will quickly be sent to the backburner. Buffalo wings, anyone?

*Number 3: Exercise More

Most people want to get fit from all of the junk food that they ate during Christmas and New Years. So, they decide to start going to the gym more or just use exercise equipment in their homes more often. Let’s face it, memberships and home equipment will be gathering dust in about a month.

*Number 4: Lose Weight

After celebrating Thanksgiving and Christmas, gaining weight is inevitable. Losing weight is a popular New Year’s tradition, but many do not. Losing weight can help improve health if done correctly and will give you something to brag about…until you ultimately end up on the couch, eating a tub of ice cream while binge-watching a TV show that went off air in the early 2010s.

*Number 5: Spend More Time with Family/Friends

Spending time with family and friends is always nice when they aren’t swamped with work. Having a good break from a stressful job or school is a good way to prevent yourself from burning out. This only matters if your family and friends aren’t swamped with their work, too, so good luck with making those plans because you are going to need them. Let’s face it, didn’t we all spend enough time with family and friends over the holidays? Do we really need more?

Are you the one-to-two week resolution follower, or are you the exception and continue with new and better habits for the long-term? Many people don’t keep their New Year’s resolutions to the point that there have been set days for when people drop them. “Quitters Day” is on the second Friday of January, while “Ditch New Year’s Resolution Day” is on January 17, this upcoming Friday. 

Don’t be a loser, and keep your resolutions. If you don’t have any resolutions, then set some to prevent laziness.

Let’s face it, the resolutions mentioned above will make you a better version of yourself.

{Information for this article is sourced from Austin American-Statesman.}