THE RETURN OF THE EYE

The King of Pop

By: BHS Features Staff

April 29, 2026

Who do you think of when you hear the title King of Pop? Simple, it can only be Michael Jackson.

Known as the King of Pop, Michael Joseph Jackson was a best-selling American singer, dancer, songwriter, and philanthropist. He is considered to be one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. He influenced generations of artists with his blend of Pop, Rock, and R&B. Jackson’s music videos for “Beat it,” “Billie Jean,” and “Thriller” were groundbreaking and became MTV staples in the 1980s and are still frequently viewed today.

As a child, Jackson became the lead singer of his family’s popular Motown group, The Jackson 5. He began his professional singing career at the age of five by joining his brothers’ group as a backup musician before emerging as the lead vocalist. Later on after the group began succeeding, Jackson began his solo career while still performing with The Jackson 5. From here, off-the-charts his career went.

Michael Jackson was incredibly successful and is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time.

So, why did we just provide you with background information on the King of Pop? The movie Michael was just released on April 24 and is currently in theaters nationwide.

If you are a Jackson enthusiast or do not know much about him and his life, buy a ticket to see why Micheal Jackson was nicknamed the King of Pop, along with seeing his many accomplishments and everything that he had to persevere through.

Happy viewing!

(Information sourced from Rotten Tomatoes.)

Art Articulation

By: BHS News Staff

April 28, 2026

One more week of April. Hooray!

Not only are OSTs wrapping up this week, AP exams are coming up faster than you think. Once again, prepare accordingly, do your best, and finish strong. You got this.

Now, onto the news. This past Friday, An Evening With was held at the Early Childhood Center. It consisted of many great swing and Latin tunes from the Brooklyn Jazz Ensemble. Prior to those big band charts, the Brooklyn Chorale performed. The Singing Storm was split into two groups for the evening, and songs by The Four Tops, The Ronettes, and more were sung beautifully on this night of musical splendor. The Jazz Ensemble followed the singing with their own brilliant performance. A job well-done to all who performed.

Moving along, National Art Honor Society President Riley Cummings created five pieces of art titled Trouble Cleft, Overworked, Unobtainable, Meaningness Wellness, and Director’s Note. Her most revered piece was Overworked, showing her exhaustion throughout high school. She accomplished this with her multi-layering technique, sitting at a lunch table with a gloom all around her. The frame of the photo, however, is glimmering. The inspiration behind this piece was inspired by her exhaustion throughout her life, one which she wanted to express. She wanted to pinpoint what was making her feel this way in a metaphorical way and often being overwhelmed by everything in life. Great job, Riley.

Next, the Student Council is preparing for Teacher Appreciation Week. Next week (May 4-8), students will honor teachers for their hard work and dedication to BHS students. Thank you teachers for all that you do.

Finally, the PBIS field trips are coming up soon. Every student who won Student of the Month is going on a field trip to Swings ‘N’ Things. Additionally, Honor and Merit Roll students, earned from the third quarter, will be having a picnic. The picnic will be held at the stadium this year. Dates for both events will be coming soon.

Good times are upon us with many great activities to come. And who can forget that Summer is quickly-approaching, too? Finish strong, BHS!

Here is the calendar for late April and May.

April 28: Polaris Career Fair
May 4-8: Teacher Appreciation Week
May 7: Spring Concert
May 22: Prom
May 22-23: Post Prom
May 29: Graduation

Have an amazing final week of April, Hurricanes!

{To stay updated with the Brooklyn City School District, make sure to click here.}

Senior Spotlight: Elias DeLeon

By: BHS Senior Spotlights Staff

April 27, 2026

Chosen for this week’s Senior Spotlight is Elias DeLeon. Elias is chill, hardworking, and intricate. He has been in Brooklyn since preschool and works part-time at Sam’s Club. In his free time, he likes to hang out with his friends and play soccer. After graduation, he plans to pursue a career in HVAC. A fun fact about Elias is that he has visited four different countries.

Q: How has Polaris affected your junior and senior years?

A: “Polaris has given me good work experience.”

Q: What made you choose the HVAC field?

A: “My grandfather has been doing HVAC for a while now, which made me want to get into it.”

Q: What made your senior year different from your first year of high school?

A: “This year was way easier.”

Q: Give your best piece of advice to incoming freshmen.

A: “Get everything done early in high school.”

Q: What is the latest time that you have gone to sleep on a school night?

A: “Three o’clock in the morning.”

Q: If you had to describe your high school career using one song, what would it be?

A: “Probably ‘DtMF’ by Bad Bunny.”

Q: If you could make your own holiday, what would it be called?

A: “Chemistry Day so that Mr. Roegiers can be happy.”

Q: Out of your entire school career, what teacher has been your biggest inspiration and/or influence?

A: “Mrs. Berg. She gave good advice on college and future plans.”

Thank you for your participation in this week’s Senior Spotlight, Elias. Good luck in your future HVAC career as well as the final month of your senior year.

Rapid Fire: Mrs. Sullivan

*ELA Teacher*

By: BHS Staff Profiles

April 24, 2026

Q: What is one grammatical error that bothers you the most?

A: “Wrong use of the plural apostrophe S.”

Q: How long have you been a vegetarian?

A: “Eight years (mostly vegetarian).”

Q: What is one book everybody should read?

A: “A book titled Educated.”

Q: Do you wish you could exclude bad students?

A: “No one should be excluded.”

Q: Land or Sea?

A: “Land if it’s the beach.”

Q: What is your favorite Shakespeare play?

A: “Romeo and Juliet.”

Q: What is the most stressful class you teach?

A: “AP Seminar.”

Q: What is your most memorable student moment?

A: “When we collectively ‘kill’ Lenny in Of Mice & Men.”

Q: Who is your favorite Guardians player?

A: “Jose Ramirez.”

Q: What is one thing that you will never do?

A: “Not take vacations.”

Have a wonderful weekend, Hurricane Nation!

Is This The Year?

By: BHS Sports Staff

April 23, 2026

The Cleveland Cavaliers have been consistently in the playoffs the last few years, but they have not had much success seeing as they have not made it to the Eastern Conference Finals in this era of Cleveland basketball. In fact, their last conference finals appearance came in 2018. Could this year flip the script?

Cleveland finished the regular season with a record of 52-30, 12 fewer victories than last season. Their final clip earned them the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference.

Their trade deadline acquisitions have made a huge impact with James Harden (20.5 points per game), Dennis Schroder (8.2 points per game), and Keon Ellis (8.3 points per game along with one steal per game).

The Cavaliers first round matchup is a bit of a familiar foe from the 2018 second round, the Toronto Raptors. Our Canadian friends finished with a record of 46-36 and went 4-0 against the Cavs in the regular season.

But so far, the Raptors dominance has not carried into the playoffs. In Game 1 hosted in the 2-1-6, it started off very back-and-forth, but a highlight was Max Strus hitting a buzzer beater lay-up to end the first quarter. At the end of the first half, Cleveland led 61-54.

The Cavaliers continued to do well in the second half as they powered their way to a Game 1 victory, 126-113. Donovan Mitchell led the way with 32 points, Strus had 24 points off the bench, and Harden added 22 points and 10 assists.

In Game 2, the Cavs were led by their big three of Mitchell, Harden, and Evan Mobley. Mitchell had 30 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists. Mobley had 25 points and 8 rebounds, and Harden poured in 28 points in a 115-105 victory.

With a 2-0 series lead, the Cavaliers are riding high as they shot very well from the field in these first two games and really came out strong defensively in both second halves.

Game 3 will be played tonight in Toronto and will be streamed on Amazon Prime Video. Tip-off is at 8:00.

Is this finally going to be the year where the Cavaliers get over the hump, like they did in 2016? We sure hope so!

To keep up with the Cavaliers playoff run, click on the Cleveland Cavaliers website.

Regarding Brooklyn athletics, here is the upcoming schedule for the Hurricanes.

April 23: Baseball vs. Harvey (5:00)
April 23: Softball vs. Euclid (5:00)
April 24: Baseball @ Euclid (4:45)
April 27: Baseball vs. Cuyahoga Heights (4:30)
April 27: Softball vs. Independence (5:00)
April 28: Baseball @ Cuyahoga Heights (4:30)
April 29: Softball vs. Fairview (5:00)

Go Cavs and Canes!

{For up-to-date events and schedules, visit Brooklyn Hurricanes Athletics.}

Sazón Boricua

By: BHS Features Staff

April 22, 2026

From Mexico to Italy to Japan: What will be the final destination? Simple, we will be landing in none other than Puerto Rico.

Sazón Boricua is a casual Nuevo Latino restaurant located on Memphis Avenue in Cleveland, specializing in authentic Puerto Rican cuisine. In a welcoming atmosphere, their food focuses on traditional dishes like mofongo, tostones, and carne frita. Known for its vibrant flavors and generous portions, this restaurant is well-regarded for providing the true taste of the beautiful Caribbean.

With many menu options to choose from, Sazón Boricua is highly recommended for two of its authentic and signature Puerto Rican dishes: Burrifongo and Monfongo.

Burrifongo is a Puerto Rican-style fusion dish that acts as a burrito, using mashed green plantains as the wrapper instead of traditional tortillas.Typically filled with varieties of meat such as steak, chicken, pork, or seafood, it often includes plantain-based mash, peppers, onions, cheese, and mayo-ketchup. It is cited as a speciality and the house’s best-selling dish.

Monfongo is a traditional Puerto Rican dish made primarily from fried green plantains that are mashed together with garlic, salt, and traditional olive oil or butter. Chicharrón (Latin American bacon) is mashed into the mixture to provide a savory, crunchy contrast with the plantain. At Sazón Boricua, Monfongo is available in several varieties that includes stuffed chicken breasts or shrimp.

Located within minutes of Brooklyn, this is a great spot for those with big appetites and salivating palettes. If you are doubting Sazón Boricua’s quality, just take a look at the picture above.

With the highlights of authentic cuisines coming to a close, give El Palenque, Stancato’s, Tokyo, and Sazón Boricua a try. Support local establishments and enjoy!

Disfruta!

{Information sourced from Sazón Boricua.}

April Showers Bring News Flowers

By: BHS News Staff

April 21, 2026

April is showering us with news and tests. Many tests will be completed by the end of this month with Science OSTs taking place today and Thursday. Also, today officially marks less than 30 days left of school for everyone but seniors. Seniors have 19 days remaining. Since the end of the year is right around the corner, keep up with grades and complete all assignments. No regrets heading into the Summer.

Speaking of OSTs, with ELA, History, and Government in the books, there are still more to go. Taking time to review and getting an adequate night of sleep will prove crucial to high scoring. Below are the remaining dates for state testing.

Biology: April 21
Science 8: April 23
Algebra I: April 28 & 30
Math 8: April 28 & 30
Geometry: April 29

Moving along, the group under the spotlight this week is the Yearbook class/club. The students in Yearbook go around taking pictures at different Brooklyn events. This varies from sports to other school and community events. Simply, this class is responsible for putting the yearbook together. If you ordered a yearbook from last year, make sure to see Mrs. Bader to get your copy.

This serves as a reminder that Prom money and guest passes are due to Mrs. Holko this Friday, April 24. Prom will take place at Windows on the River on Friday, May 22. Be responsible and anticipate this wonderful event.

Seniors, your local scholarship applications are also due this Friday to Mr. Ross. You can’t win scholarship money if you don’t apply, so get those applications in sooner than later.

Finally, as the cold weather is hopefully behind us, get out and support our Spring sports teams. They would love to see you out in full force.

Here is what is coming up for late April and May.

April 24: Prom Money & Guest Passes
April 24: Local Scholarship Applications
April 24: An Evening With (Music & Art)
April 25: Polaris Field Trip
May 7: Spring Concert
May 22: Prom
May 29: Graduation

Have an outstanding week, fellow Hurricanes!

{To stay updated with the Brooklyn City School District, make sure to click here.}

Senior Spotlight: Lauren Atanacio

By: BHS Senior Spotlights Staff

April 20, 2026

Chosen for this week’s Senior Spotlight is Lauren Atanacio. Lauren is quiet, smart, and polite. She has been in Brooklyn since preschool and works part-time as a babysitter. In her free time, she likes to hang out with friends and play soccer. After graduation, she plans to attend Kent State University and pursue a degree in Nursing. A fun fact about Lauren is that Bad Bunny is her favorite musician.

Q: What is a moment from high school that you will never forget?

A: “Going on the Europe trip.”

Q: What made your senior year different from your junior, sophomore, and freshman years?

A: “It was more stressful.”

Q: What is something about high school that people don’t talk enough about?

A: “People don’t talk about mental health enough. Personally, I don’t think high school is as stressful as some people say, but I definitely think maintaining stable mental health should be talked about more.”

Q: With graduation in about a month, what is your main focus?

A: “Keeping up with my grades and not falling behind.”

Q: If you could relive one day of your life, what would it be?

A: “My soccer senior night.”

Q: If you could be any superhero, who would you be?

A: “Spider-Man. Climbing things and swinging on a web seems so fun.”

Q: If you could have any exotic pet, what would it be?

A: “A monkey because they are cute and small.”

Q: Out of your entire school career, what teacher has been your biggest inspiration and/or influence?

A: “My biggest inspirations/influences have been Mrs. Sullivan and Mrs. Bader. Mrs. Bader has always been easy to talk to and gives very good advice. Mrs. Sullivan was the best teacher who set me up very well academically.”

Thank you for your participation in this week’s Senior Spotlight, Lauren. Good luck in your future Nursing career.

Rapid Fire: Mr. Meehan

*Math Teacher*

By: BHS Staff Profiles

April 17, 2026

Q: What food would you like to try for the first time?

A: “Monkey Brain.”

Q: Did you always want to be a math teacher growing up?

A: “No.”

Q: Do you plan on moving to a smaller house?

A: “No.”

Q: If you could choose, how many days a week would students go to school?

A: “All of them.”

Q: Early bird or night owl?

A: “Early Bird.”

Q: Summer or Winter?

A: “Equal.”

Q: Least favorite topic to teach?

A: “Thinking Skills.”

Q: How do you feel about retirement?

A: “Very good about it.”

Q: Would you rather have a pet duck or a pet goat?

A: “Goat.”

Q: Have you always been good with numbers?

A: “Yes, when I focused.”

Mr. Meehan, enjoy your soon-to-be retirement.

Huge Comeback Propels Victory

By: BHS Sports Staff

April 16, 2026

On Monday, the Hurricanes baseball team (1-2) took on one of their Chagrin Valley Conference rivals, the Trinity Trojans (0-1-1). The Hurricanes dropped their last two conference games against the Beachwood Bison after winning their season opener against the Euclid Panthers. The Trojans, on the other hand, tied John Hay in their season opener but lost their conference opener to Independence, 43-0. Yes, you read that score correctly.

Senior Zander Rolon started on the mound for the Hurricanes, and the Trojans plated one run in the top of the first after a walk, a stolen base, a passed ball, and an RBI single. In the bottom of the first, sophomore Matt Kenderes walked and stole second, and sophomore Mason Vega drove him in with an RBI double. After Vega advanced to third, Rolon then walked, and Vega scored on a passed ball to give the Hurricanes a 2-1 lead after one frame.

In the top of the second, the Trojans drew a walk and a hit-by-pitch to lead off the inning. A bases loaded walk then tied the game. In the bottom half after a lead-off walk by senior Nathan Phillips, he advanced to third on a wild pickoff and later scored on a passed ball. After two, the Hurricanes had a slim 3-2 lead.

In the middle innings, the Trojans got their offense going with two runs in the third and two in the fourth, and the Hurricanes’ bats went silent, getting shutout for the next three innings. Trinity held a 6-3 lead after five innings in stunning fashion.

In the top of the sixth, the Trojans tacked on another two runs to make it 8-3, but senior Jacob Collins got the final two outs to prevent any further damage.

When the bats needed to get going, the Hurricanes relied on an unlikely source. Instead of Jobu from the movie Major League, the Hurricanes counted on the fans to get them going, mainly senior softball player Nicolle Thomas Garcia. Freshly off of her recent court appearances, she was present at the ballpark to help spark a rally.

Sure enough, sophomore Bentley Cox belted a lead-off double, Kenderes walked, and both runners moved into scoring position. Both then scored on a Vega two-run single, who later moved to third on a single and an error. This was just the beginning as walks, hit-by-pitches, and wild pitches pushed the Hurricanes in front as senior Ryan Gardner scored the tying run and Phillips scored the go-ahead run. However, this wasn’t it. The Hurricanes added two more runs on wild pitches, and Rolon drove in two more with a single. Just like that, the Hurricanes held a 13-8 advantage going into the seventh and final inning.

Vega went to the mound to close it out, and while he gave up two runs, he was able to lock things down as the Hurricanes completed the comeback victory.

Final Score: Brooklyn 13, Trinity 10.

Rolon finished his start with 2.2 innings, giving up three hits and three earned runs, while walking six batters and striking out six. Kenderes manned the middle, pitching 2.2 innings and giving up two earned runs, while walking five batters and striking out six. Collins pitched 0.2 innings without giving up a hit or a run and was credited with the victory.

Congratulations, boys!

The baseball team will be back in action today as they travel to Medina Christian Academy. First pitch is at 5:00.

Here is the upcoming schedule for Brooklyn Hurricanes Athletics:

April 16: Baseball @ Medina Christian Academy (5:00)
April 17: Baseball @ Trinity (5:00)
April 18: Baseball @ Wickliffe (10:00)
April 20: Baseball @ Fairview (4:30)
April 20: Softball @ Trinity (5:00)
April 21: Baseball vs. Fairview (5:00)
April 21: Softball @ Independence (6:30)
April 22: Softball vs. Beachwood (5:00)

Go Canes!

{For up-to-date events and schedules, visit Brooklyn Hurricanes Athletics.}

Tokyo in Brookpark?

By: BHS Features Staff

April 15, 2026

When one thinks of Japan, certain aspects come to mind such as Godzilla, Anime, Pokemon, Shohei Otani, and Mr. Miyagi. Additionally, when it comes to Japanese cuisine, Shinto seems to be the most popular and recognizable restaurant. However, did you know that a local restaurant is receiving amazing reviews for their authentic Japanese food? It goes by the title of Tokyo Japanese Cuisine, located on Tiedeman Road.

Tokyo Japanese Cuisine features authentic and fresh Japanese food. The restaurant opened in 2025 and is a highly-rated, casual spot that offers (to name a few) sushi, sashimi, and ramen. Additionally, many dinners incorporate fresh seafood and flavorful broth.

Open every day of the week except Tuesday, Tokyo Japanese Cuisine provides both dine-in and take-out options, featuring an extensive menu.

One of the most popular dishes is the famous lobster tail. While ordering the lobster tail, one can order a variety of sides from which to choose: Fried rice, grilled vegetables, grilled shrimp, white rice, or sushi. Patrons can also make this a meal, which comes with fried rice, grilled vegetables, and four shrimp.

Their most traditional meal is the custom ramen bowl that can include chicken broth, vegetable broth, or pork broth. To top the ramen, options include egg, pork, seafood stir fry, and a bunch more to choose from. Need to wash down the ramen bowl? Special drinks to quench thirst include their famous milk tea, fresh fruit tea, and cucumber water.

Tokyo Japanese Cuisine provides a little insight into authentic food from the Empire of Japan. Since the drive to this restaurant is within five minutes, why not give it a try and sample it for yourself?

Tanoshimu!

{Information sourced from Tokyo Japanese Cuisine.}

SPRINGing Back To News

By: BHS News Staff

April 14, 2026

The final stretch is here, and we hope that everyone enjoyed their 10 days off and is ready to finish this school year in a strong and memorable fashion.

Today starts the Post Prom ticket sales for all who are interested. Post Prom this year is at Fun ‘n’ Stuff, and there will be fun activities with laser tag, go karts, mini golf, etc. Post Prom takes place on Friday and Saturday, May 22-23, from 12:00-4:00 a.m. Tickets cost $15 per and will be available during lunch hours until April 30. Remember, you do not have to attend Prom to be a part of Post Prom.

Next, Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither was the music department. As a result of the auditorium renovations, the upcoming “An Evening With” concert will take place at the newly-renovated Brooklyn Early Childhood Center on April 24. It will feature the Singing Storm, the Brooklyn Jazz Ensemble, and also art from the National Art Honor Society. The concert will begin at 7:00. Showing up before the start time is recommended as this event is usually thoroughly-attended.

Moving along, the club under the spotlight this week isn’t really a club but more of an extracurricular class. The BHS band is practicing for their annual Spring concert, which is also their final performance of the year. However, this year’s concert is going to be a little different than prior concerts since the auditorium and band wing are currently being remodeled. This year’s concert will be held in the BHS Gymnasium on May 7. If you are interested in joining the band next year, please see Mr. Sullivan for more information.

Onto something that all students dread for the year: OSTs. Students are going to be finishing up their OSTs throughout the month of April for their core classes. Test-takers, make sure to be prepared by getting a good night of sleep, eating a good breakfast, and making sure that your chromebook is charged. Most importantly, believe in yourself. Good luck to all students.

Below is the upcoming OST schedule.

History: April 15
Government: April 16
Biology: April 21
Science 8: April 23
Algebra I: April 28 & 30
Math 8: April 28 & 30
Geometry: April 29

A special congratulations to junior Ben Denovchek for successfully predicting the winner of Mr. Holko’s annual March Madness Challenge: The Michigan Wolverines. With this achievement, he will be granted a gift card to a restaurant of his choosing.

Finally, there are only 36 days left until Summertime. Seniors, you only have 26 days remaining and that is if you are required to take finals. In the meantime, get those post-graduation plans set in stone. Finish strong!

Outside of the testing dates mentioned above, here is the limited calendar for April and early May.

April 24: An Evening With (Jazz & Art)
April 25: Polaris Field Trip
May 7: Spring Concert

Have an outstanding Spring week, fellow Hurricanes!

{To stay updated with the Brooklyn City School District, make sure to click here.}