Chosen for this week’s staff spotlight is Mrs. Allman. She has spent her entire teaching career of 22 years in the Brooklyn City School District. She has many stories and has made a major impact in the lives of many. In her free moments, she loves to spend time with her family and most-notably go to the beach in the Summertime. One fun fact about her is that she loves hang gliding.
Q: What is your favorite subject to teach?
A: “Math.”
Q: What is your most memorable teaching moment?
A: “Field trips are always something that is very enjoyable, especially going to the zoo. I remember going to the zoo with the kids in the Springtime.”
Q: How do you keep students engaged in your lessons?
A: “Things have changed a lot since I started. Making sure we’re doing different activities like hands-on activities, games on their Chromebooks, small groups in math…so they’re always switching rotations. They go from one station to another.”
Q: What are some of your favorite units to teach?
A: “I love teaching multiplication in math; it’s my favorite.”
Q: In your opinion, what is the most important quality that a teacher should have?
A:”Patience.”
Q: What was the most significant life lesson ever taught to you?
A: “Being understanding of others and seeing their viewpoints.”
Q: Where is your favorite place to travel?
A: “Outer Banks.”
Q: What is something good to know heading into adulthood?
A: “To have perseverance in whatever you’re doing, to be able to finish the task that you’re given, and to be able to deal with setbacks that happen because they happen to everyone, no matter how successful you are.”
Thank you Mrs. Allman for allowing us to interview you. Enjoy the rest of this school year.
Winter sports have come to a close, and our Hurricanes, full of great student-athletes, have had memorable, record-breaking, and successful seasons.
First, the bowling team had success in its first season after a multiple-year hiatus. In the North Royalton Invitational, freshman Adam Cowper averaged a game score of 223 and made the Top 6 bowlers.
Additionally, Cowper and senior Jillian Treska advanced to the districts and had impressive showings. Cowper tied for 17th out of 91 bowlers, and Treska placed 26th out of 82 bowlers.
Outside of their success, Cowper and Treska were not the only great bowlers on the team, as the team, as a whole, won the 2022-2023 Warfield Trophy. Senior Naomi Tarver also earned a trophy for the highest number of pins covering a weekly average. Treska also earned three awards: High Series, High Average, and making the league’s All-Star team.
Great job, Brooklyn bowling team!
Next, the girls’ varsity basketball team finished with an overall record of 15-8 and a conference record of 6-4, tied for second place in the Chagrin Valley Conference (Metro Division).
This team was a great combination of seniors, juniors, and sophomores. Even though they finished with the same record from a year ago, the girls immensely improved from last year
In the sectional semi-final, OHSAA playoffs, the Lady Canes hosted their rival, the Independence Lady Blue Devils. Simply, the Hurricanes played their best game of the year, beating Indy 49-37. After advancing to the sectional final, their next playoff game proved to be challenging for the Lady Canes. They fought hard the entire game but ultimately fell to 19-3 Keystone 54-49, ending the Lady Canes’ season.
Seniors Shariah Gailes, Genesis Caraballo, and Delaney David were the key players this season as they did a great job leading and mentoring their younger teammates. Their efforts were noticed as all three will be playing in the CVC All-Star Game on March 12 at Independence High School with a 2:00 tip-off.
Gailes had a monster, senior season. This year, she hit two huge milestones: 1,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds. She also broke the single-game scoring record by dropping 43 against the Brookside Cardinals. All of these records and accomplishments earned her First Team All-CVC and First Team All-District.
Caraballo and David both had great seasons as well and earned Second Team All-CVC and Honorable Mention All-District.
Caraballo had some thoughts on this season: “I felt like I did a good job helping the team and getting the ball around and doing the best I could do. I feel like we collectively improved as a team by passing the ball around and being a family. The connections made will last forever. It was also really awesome to play in the Hoosiers gym and having a good time in the hotel afterwards.”
As Caraballo mentioned, a memorable game for the Lady Canes was when they did indeed travel to Indiana to play at the famous gym from the movie. Hoosiers. The Lady Canes beat Wellington, 49-46. What an awesome experience!
Unfortunately, their season is over, but so much was accomplished. This year’s girls’ team will be one to remember.
Finally, the boys’ basketball team improved from a 12-12 record last year to a 15-8 record this year. This was the varsity boys’ first winning season in the last 15 years, showing an extreme competitive nature. This year, the senior class shined, helping the basketball program improve and grow.
The major improvement was evident this year on the defensive side of the ball. On their five-game winning streak at the end of the year, the Hurricanes held their five opponents to less than 50 points, including holding the number two seed (Cuyahoga Heights) to 43 points. A clear emphasis in the boys’ defensive work paid dividends, and this helped to accumulate more wins and to improve the overall team chemistry.
Senior Jaiden Basinger surpassed 1000 points to become one of the seven boys in the school’s history to reach this milestone. Basinger also earned First Team All-CVC and Second Team All-District. Senior Randall Fields also earned Second Team All-CVC and Honorable Mention All-District. Junior Jaiden Ramos also made Honorable Mention All-District.
The Hurricanes had some huge wins at the end of the season, beating (and getting revenge) on their county rival Cuyahoga Heights, giving the Red Wolves their second loss in 19 games. The very next night, the Hurricanes knocked off the 12-7 Columbia Raiders.
A sectional final loss to Canton Central Catholic ended their season.
With great performances from all of our student-athletes, this year’s Winter sports season was one to remember. Congratulations to all teams and players,
As March has arrived, so does the beginning of Women’s History Month.
In 1987, March became the month used to celebrate women and is used to celebrate the accomplishments and achievements of women from all over the world. This month is also used as a reminder of all of the struggles and discrimination that women have faced to be where they are today.
The celebration of women began as a local celebration in Santa Rosa, California. The Education Task Force of the Sonoma County California Commission on the Status of Women planned and executed a Women’s History Week celebration in 1978. The organizers selected March 8-14 to be known as Women’s Week. Over time, the celebration caught the attention of many and began to spread throughout the country, with places all over the world using this week to celebrate the achievements of women.
In 1980, a multitude of women’s groups and historians led by the National Women’s History Project successfully lobbied for national recognition. In February of 1980, former President Jimmy Carter issued the first Presidential Proclamation declaring the Week of March 8, 1980, as National Women’s History Week.
As time went on, former presidents continued to proclaim a National Women’s History Week in March until 1987 when Congress passed Public Law 100-9, designating March as Women’s History Month. Congress passed additional resolutions requesting and authorizing the president to proclaim March of each year as Women’s History Month. Since 1995, each president has issued annual proclamations designating the month of March to women and women only.
Each year, Women’s History Month is given a theme by The National Women’s History Alliance. The 2023 theme is “Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories.” This theme recognizes “women, past and present, who have been active in all forms of media and storytelling, including print, radio, TV, stage, screen, blogs, podcasts, news, and social media.”
As we go through the month of March, the BHS Features Staff will be highlighting some of the world’s most influential and inspiring women from all walks of life. To kick off the month will be Coretta Scott King, followed by Jennifer Doudna and Phoebe Schecter, only to conclude with Chien-Shiung Wu.
We hope you enjoy Women’s History Month.
{Information for this article can be found on History.com.}
These next couple of weeks, we will be catching up with our upcoming Sister Act groups: The Crew, Pit, and Cast. They will all be featured as they prepare for their opening night performance on Thursday, March 23.
This week, the Crew will be featured.
When it comes to the Crew, there is sound crew, light crew, design crew, and building crew that students participate in, depending on their interest and skill level. The entire Crew has been hard at work since last Fall to make sure that everything is ready for opening night and for the duration of Sister Act.
Here is a little interesting background regarding the Crew. In 2001, 22 years ago, the musical Grease came back. At that time, there were only four people on the Crew. Currently, there are 45 students working in the Crew for Sister Act.
So, why did students join the Crew, and what specifically is the Crew currently working on for Sister Act?
Freshman Morgan Maul: “It sounded fun, and I really like art. The plays are really cool here. I work mostly on designing the sets and stuff. I also do a little bit of building, too.”
Sophomore Anna Leigh Mulhall: “I decided to join the crew to work with people and to also get more of a point-of-view of what you do in the play. Last year, I worked on objects. This year, I work on painting and sound boards.”
Junior Julia Gill: “I joined in ninth grade because I found interest in theatrical design and wanted to keep doing it. Not only did I enjoy building but I also enjoyed the environment and the people.”
Senior Halie Beane: “I joined the crew because it was just something new to try. Somebody else was in it and was talking about how great it was. I work mostly on design and building.”
All students involved in the Crew meet everyday after school for a couple of hours in preparation for opening night. They are working really hard, and we cannot wait to see the sets and hear the quality sounds from this upcoming musical.
In other news, the SAT and PSAT are tomorrow. A few test tips that may help:
-Answer the questions you might know first.
-Eliminate the potential incorrect answers.
-Underline important parts of the questions.
-Double check your answers.
-Try to stay calm.
-Get plenty of rest this evening.
Finally, Parent-Teacher Conferences are scheduled for this Thursday, March 2; there will be no school on Friday, March 3. On Thursday, the Brooklyn School is having a Book Fair, and it will be open during Parent-Teacher Conferences. Grab your books fast!
Have a great week, Brooklyn!
{To stay updated with the Brooklyn City School District, make sure to click here weekly.}
Chosen for this week’s Staff Spotlight is Mrs. Melanie Lowe-Fleischer. This is year 21 for her in the Brooklyn City School District. Prior to working at Brooklyn High School, she taught for two years in another district. In her free time, she enjoys going on hikes and watching movies with her family. She also likes to bake and has recently found interest in doing Qigong. A fun fact about Mrs. Lowe-Fleischer is that she is the oldest sibling of eight.
Q: Where did you go to college?
A: “I went to Ohio State University for my undergraduate degree. Growing up, I was a fan of the culture and the athletics. As a kid, my dad always took us to football games and basketball games. I loved the atmosphere and the freedom of a big school. I remember knowing from a young age that I wanted to go there.”
Q: What inspired you to become a health and physical education teacher?
A: “I went into the major wanting to be an elementary Physical Education teacher. I wanted to give kids a good experience with Physical Education. One thing I figured out along the way is that I like to teach high school health, too. I always liked it because it was a fun outlet, and it can always be constructive.”
Q: What are some of the activities that you like to do with your health class students?
A: “For health, I love doing the CPR unit. I also really enjoy the discussions and the conversations that happen in health between the kids with improvement and self discovery. I also love the organ donation unit, too.”
Q: What is your favorite sport?
A: “To play would be volleyball and to watch would be specifically Ohio State football. I also love walking and hiking as well.”
Q: How do you motivate your students to participate?
A: “For physical education, I try to encourage their friends to encourage them because most students don’t want to look like a fool in front of their friends. I tend to rally through peers. Another way is just simply showing them how to properly do the activity. They eventually realize that it isn’t the end of the world to participate.”
Q: Describe your family.
A: “I have three kids. My two sons are in college, and my daughter is a senior in high school. My mom is a big part of what we do. She lives close by. I’m really close with two of my brothers who live in Columbus. When we get together, we like to play board games, cards, and jackbox. Sometimes, we go hiking at Hinckley, and we also like to watch Marvel movies!”
Q: Orange juice or apple juice?
A: “Apple juice goes with more, but I do like orange juice when I’m in the mood.”
Q: What are some of your favorite, healthy foods?
A: “I love raspberries, cherries, oranges, honey crisp apples, broccoli, and tomatoes.”
Q: What is your biggest pet peeve?
A: “The constant arguing with students. I realize it’s how students communicate, but it drives me crazy! I also have a lot of respect for people who own up to their mistakes, so I suppose another pet peeve of mine is when people don’t own up to their actions and take responsibility for what they do.”
Q: What sport would you compete in if you were in the Olympics?
A: “Badminton or volleyball.”
Thank you so much, Mrs. Lowe-Fleischer, for your responses as well as allowing us to interview you. It was a pleasure talking with you. By the way, Mr. Holko took issue with some of your answers, but he said that he would take the high road this time. 🤣
Taking place in Salt Lake City Utah, expectations were high for this year’s NBA All Star Weekend.
Starting off the All Star festivities was the Ruffles Celebrity Game. The Celebrity Game rosters included the Miz (WWE superstar), Calvin Johnson (former NFL player), Albert Pujols (MLB player), Jesser (content creator), DK Metcalf (NFL star), 21 Savage (rapper), and many more.
DK Metcalf was the star of this celebrity game with multiple explosive dunks and leading Team Dwayne with 20 points and 10 rebounds. There were also good laughs out of this game when Richard Jefferson played and also refereed. Another comical moment was when Guillermo Rodriguez (ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live Correspondent) took his best shot of the night, which resulted in a Wedgie.
With a couple seconds left, Team Dwayne was up 81-78, but the Miz sank a half-court shot to tie the game, but it was quickly waved off and did not count.
Right after that came the Jordan Rising Stars contest with these four teams: Team Pau, Team Joakim, Team Deron, and Team Jason.
In the first round, Team Pau got an easy victory against Team Deron, and Team Joakim got the victory against Team Jason. Team Pau kept their momentum going in the finale against Team Joakim led by Jose Alvarado, who hit the game winning three-pointer. Because of Alvarado’s amazing performance, he won the Rising Stars MVP Award.
The first event of the NBA All Star Saturday was the Kia Skills Challenge. The teams for this year were Team Jazz consisting of Jordan Clarkson, Collin Sexton, and Walker Kessler; Team Antetokounmpo with Thanasis, Alex, and Jrue Holiday; and finally Team Rooks featuring Paolo Banchero, Jabari Smith, and Jaden Ivey. The Antetokumpos could not manage to win a single game, ending in last place with zero points.The Rooks were only up by one game, and Team Jazz (the home team) took first place with 400 points.
Going into the second round, the elite three-point shooters were left. Portland Trailblazer star Damian Lillard took care of business as he had a rhythm with every shot. He put up and ended with 26 made baskets, beating out Buddy Hield from the Indiana Pacers. With all the pressure on Tyrese Haliburton, he was up next and he could not find his rhythm, and Damian Lillard won the three-point contest.
Next was the 2023 NBA Dunk contest. The dunk contest roster was Trey Murphy III (Pelicans), Kenyon Martin Junior (Rockets), Jericho Sims (Knicks), and Mac McClung (76ers). The contest started off with Murphy III who got his ball stolen by teammate Jose Alvarado, who then threw him an alley-oop off the glass to complete a 360-dunk. Next was Sims who completed a self alley-oop off the glass and dunked it with half of his arm in the hoop. Martin was next and received an alley-oop off of the side of the glass with a reverse dunk. Then McClung, who jumped over two people, did a reverse dunk to finish the first round in major fashion.
In the second round, it was Martin’s turn, and he did a double-clutch, reverse dunk. Murphy III was up next and did a fake, two-handed, reverse dunk, which was pretty cool. Sims followed this up with practically the same dunk, but this time, he grabbed a paper net with the numbers “50” for his score. McClung finished the second round with a 360-reverse, moving the ball up then down. It is no wonder why he received some high numbers from the judges because he was quickly becoming a crowd-favorite.
Murphy III started off the third round with a between the legs alley-oop followed by a windmill. McClung was up next, and he jumped over someone, double-clutched, and reverse dunked. The crowd went absolutely crazy! Murphy III then went again and did a 360-reverse windmill, getting the crowd on their feet. It was McClung’s turn again, and he decided to throw on his high school jersey for his last dunk. He did a 450-reverse dunk, and the crowd could not handle it anymore. They went crazy, and everybody was on their feet for this once-in-a-lifetime dunk. Even the announcers said, “It’s over!” After his dunk, the winner was decided, and it undisputedly went to the 76ers’ very own, Mac McClung.
Finally, what we have all been waiting for, the All Star game. However, instead of drafting a few days before the game, the NBA decided to go playground basketball style and draft right before the game. It was Team Giannis versus Team Lebron this year, and the Greek Freak came prepared with an entire book of notes, while James just had a piece of paper. Here were the results of the draft: Team Lebron had some great picks, Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic paired together, along with Kyrie Irving. Team Giannis also got who he wanted, having three-point winner Damian Lillard and his teammate on the Bucks, Jrue Holiday. He also got our very own Cleveland Cavalier Donovan Mitchell and Boston Celtic Jayson Tatum.
After a great performance from Post Malone and 21 Savage, the 2023 All Star Game started. “Head Coach” Giannis Antetekumpo got an early dunk to start off but quickly fouled Doncic to go to the bench, as his wrist was injured, and he did not want to risk further injury.
The first quarter was back-and-forth with some highlight plays from James and Tatum. The opening period ended in a tie, which meant each team received $50,000 to their charities.
However, the second quarter was different, as Team Giannis took charge of the game, easily cruising by Team Lebron for a second quarter win.
Throughout the entire first half, there was little-to-no defense played, allowing for high scoring from both teams, with Team Giannis leading 99-92 at the half.
The halftime performance showed famous Nigerian artists including Burna Boy, Tems, and Rema doing an Afrobeats-themed crowd-pleaser.
After a stunning halftime performance, the all stars were ready to finish the game, and Tatum, especially, was electric, scoring 27 points in the third quarter, breaking the All Star record. Team Giannis went on to easily earn $100,000 dollars towards their charities. The third quarter was also filled with highlight plays but still little defense.
The fourth quarter is where Team Giannis closed out the game, but Team Lebron had one last run in them. The first team to score 182 points was the winner, and by the time Team Giannis was three points away, Mitchell and Tatum tried lobbing halfcourt shots, but it was a three-pointer dagger by Lillard who ended the game.
The All Star game ended with Tatum being the MVP, shattering the record with 55 points. Other great performances were from Mitchell, who had 40 points, and Boston Celtic Jaylen Brown, who dropped 35.
This was a great All Star weekend from Salt Lake City, Utah.
Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett is an African-American immunologist. She is an Assistant Professor of Immunology and Infectious Diseases at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the Shutzer Assistant Professor at the Harvard Radcliffe Institute. Dr. Corbett is considered one of the medical heroes from the Covid-19 pandemic, helping to create one of the very first preventative vaccines for the virus.
Dr. Corbett was born on January 26, 1986, in Hurdle Mills, North Carolina. She was raised by her mother, Rhonda Brookes. She grew up in a very large and extended family with step-siblings and foster children.
At the age of 9, “Kizzy’s” knowledge was advanced, and her middle school teachers began placing her in advanced classes that continued all throughout her schooling. In high school, Dr. Corbett realized that she wanted to pursue a scientific career, and as part of an American Chemical Society-sponsored program called Project SEED, she spent her Summer breaks working in research laboratories, one of which was at the University of North Carolina’s Kenan Labs with organic chemist James Morkin.
Finally in June of 2004, she graduated from Orange High School in Hillsborough, North Carolina.
After high school, Dr. Corbett was an intern at Stony Brook University in Gloria Viboud’s lab where she studied Yersinia Pseudotuberculosis Pathogenesis.
Later, she attended the University of Maryland where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences (2008) and Sociology (2014). She also received a PhD in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of North Carolina.
Dr. Corbett has 15 years of expertise studying the Dengue virus, the Respiratory Syncytial virus, Influenza viruses, and now, the Coronavirus.
With many degrees under her belt and a wealth of knowledge, Dr. Corbett led one of the top research teams for the recent Covid-19 pandemic. She was among the first team to begin researching and studying the virus’ bacteria.
Dr. Corbett was the scientific leader of the National Institutes of Health Coronavirus Vaccines and Immunopathogenesis team at the Vaccine Research Center. Her team can be acknowledged and credited for their discovery of the Covid-19 vaccine, marking one of the biggest turning points in the global pandemic.
Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett is a hero and an inspiration to all who aspire to work in the medical profession. With all her achievements as an African-American woman, she gives hope to women and children of all colors, ethnicities, and backgrounds that any dream can be achieved with tenacious effort.
We hope that you enjoyed our features for Black History Month. Next month, we will feature women as we celebrate Women’s History Month.
In the past couple of years, Brooklyn High School has turned into a mural haven. Now, the Brooklyn School finally has its first mural.
The Brooklyn School PBIS committee asked the National Junior Art Honor Society to paint a Kindness Tree in their main hallway. Although the mural is not fully-completed, its appearance is a welcoming sight.
This Kindness Tree is used to recognize students who show kindness towards one another; this echoes the theme for the school year: Kindness.
Brooklyn students will be given “leaves” of recognition to place on the Kindness Tree throughout the remainder of this school year.
The NJAHS students who worked on this mural are seventh graders Calissa Schillinger, Jackie Rodriguez, and Maryam Al-Baghdadi. The eighth graders include Kendall Lewis, Maryam Raad, and Gracie White.
Students were also asked to do their own versions of the Kindness Tree on smaller pieces of paper. Their creativity is terrific, and the multiple colors bring light and energy to the hallways.
Nice job to everyone involved.
In other news, for students entering Kindergarten in the 2023-2024 school year, the Kindergarten Informational Meeting will be on Wednesday, March 15, from 6:00-7:00 p.m. in the Brooklyn Field House.
Parents can park in the Blue Lot located off of Behrwald Avenue and enter the building through door #5. For information regarding Kindergarten Registration, please visit the New Student Registration page.
Finally, mark your calendars! BHS’s Drama Club will present Sister Act to the school and community from March 23-25. Tickets will be sold in the auditorium for $10 per.
See you next week for more updates, Brooklyn. Have a great week!
{To stay updated with the Brooklyn City School District, make sure to click here weekly.}
Chosen for this week’s Staff Spotlight is Mr. Darren Tome. Aside from Brooklyn, Mr. Tome has worked in education for a number of years. His previous stops include Cleveland and Lakewood, totaling fifteen years all together. Some hobbies he enjoys doing in his free time include hiking, exercising, bike riding, and keeping up with TV shows. A fun fact about Mr. Tome is that he did theater as a child and acted in many plays.
Q: What do you enjoy most about working with children who have special needs?
A: “It’s very rewarding to try to help them because they need a lot of assistance, so I just try to help along in the learning process as much as possible, making sure their goals are met.”
Q: What is something that is most misunderstood about working in your position?
A: “A lot of people think that working with special education kids is easier than it really is. Also, maybe the challenges aren’t what they think they are or even how hard it can be if their learning process is different than other students. Most people know schooling from their own experience. They see it differently and don’t necessarily realize the type of challenges these children have.”
Q: What kind of working environment do you work best in?
A: “I like to be in a fun-working environment; we have Ms. Kay, and she’s fun. Mrs. Marsico is a lot of fun, too, and these kids are great. They love to joke around which really helps.”
Q: How do you go about helping your students?
A: “You have to understand what it is they’re trying to accomplish, so you need to know the end goals before you even start.”
Q: What is the most challenging part about being a student aid?
A: “The unexpected challenges when kids are having a rough day. Their behavior is gonna be a little off. Sometimes, the technology isn’t cooperating, and other days where everybody is a team, maybe you’re just not all on the same page.”
Q: What are you looking forward to the most about this upcoming Spring?
A: “I love Spring, and I also love to be outdoors. I’m looking forward to the weather because I love when it gets warm out. I love baseball, and I love going to baseball games. I look forward to going to some of the Guardians’ games. We have some rental houses in New York right now. I will probably take a few days off.”
Q: What is your favorite fast-food restaurant?
A: “I don’t eat a lot of fast food, but I think probably Chick-fil-A. Even though you have the line (it’s always very long), I think it’s worth it. I try to limit the amount I eat, not more than a few times a year. When I don’t feel like cooking, I get it.”
Q: Are you happy with the Chiefs winning the Super Bowl?
A: “I was rooting for Philadelphia only because the Chiefs are kind of one of our rivals. Philadelphia really isn’t. Honestly, other than that, I really didn’t care. I watched it, but I just want to see a good football game. It’s not like your hometown team where you are devastated when they lose.”
Q: If you had the power of teleportation right now, where would you go?
A: “A Caribbean Island for sure. I would go to Fiji, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and Hawaii.”
Q: Would you rather explore outer space or the bottom of the ocean?
A: “Probably the bottom of the ocean, just from all the videos I’ve seen on the Discovery Channel. All of the interesting species and creatures and the shipwrecks that they haven’t even discovered yet I find to be pretty cool.”
Thank you for letting us interview you, Mr. Tome. It was great getting to know you and getting to know a little more about you, especially about your ideal vacation destinations as we deal with this frigid, Cleveland weather. Enjoy your three-day weekend!
Last night, the Brooklyn Hurricanes hosted the Independence Blue Devils in the first round of the OHSAA state playoffs.
The Lady Canes were the 11-seed coming into this matchup, and the Lady Blue Devils were the 13-seed, so this matchup was perfect for prime time. Both teams split the season series, 1-1. The most recent matchup between these two teams was played at Independence two weeks ago where the Lady Canes were defeated, 47-34.
Coach Jon Holko and the Lady Canes had the perfect game-plan and came into this game confident, and the Student Section was filled with “Beat Indy” shirts. The atmosphere was electric!
Brooklyn started by winning the tip-off, but Independence managed to recover the ball for the first points of the game. The Blue Devils had multiple turnovers thanks to a tenacious Brooklyn defense, and the Lady Canes used this to their advantage as senior Shariah Gailes scored the first basket and shortly after recorded an And-1 bucket to tie the game at 4-4. Fellow senior Genesis Caraballo later hit a three-pointer and was fouled, completing the four-point play. Independence, though, quickly bounced back to regain the lead at 10-8 as the first period concluded.
The Lady Canes started off the second quarter with another Caraballo three pointer, but Independence went on a 7-0 run to take a 17-11 lead. The Lady Canes needed a response as they trailed by six, and they did just that with a layup and a big three-pointer to cut the deficit to one. This caused Independence to call a timeout with the score being 17-16. The stoppage in play did not stop the Lady Canes’ momentum because with collective team effort, they took a 28-21 lead with just seconds to go before halftime. A miracle buzzer-beater for the visitors gave the hosts a 28-23 lead with half of the game in the books.
All game, Brooklyn’s and Independence’s student sections went back and forth, so when the girls came out of the locker room, fans from both teams were fired up and ready to see how this clash unfolded.
Coming into the third quarter, Independence looked like they had early momentum, but Brooklyn quickly shut down any chance of momentum with several free throws and a steal/layup from senior Delaney David to give the Lady Canes a 35-25 lead. Gailes then hit a driving layup to respond to a previous bucket from Independence. The Lady Canes were getting it done inside; however, the Blue Devils ended the period with a mini 5-0 run. After three, Brooklyn led 37-32.
The final quarter: Who had eight minutes left with effort and execution? Answer: The Lady Canes!
Gailes scored right away, and the stifling defense held the Blue Devils in check. The Lady Canes ran a very patient, motion offense and hit timely baskets, including an And-1 from sophomore Jade Riedel. When the final buzzer rang, the gym erupted with the Lady Canes defeating their rival by a score of 49-37.
Brooklyn knocked Independence out of the playoffs and ultimately won the season series, 2-1. Gailes led with 21 points, Caraballo had 11, and David added 10.
What a great team win for the Lady Canes in front of an electric crowd.
The Lady Canes will now advance to the sectional final and travel to Keystone High School to take on the Lady Wildcats this Saturday, February 18. Tip-off is at 1:00.
Travel out to Keystone to watch our Lady Canes attempt to earn a district birth.
Victor Jerome Glover is an African-American astronaut from the NASA class of 2013. He was also the pilot on the first international flight of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft. Simply, Glover is known to inspire many with his brave and unique space missions.
Raised in Pomona, California, Glover was born on April 30, 1976. He graduated from Ontario High School (California) in 1994 and then went on to earn his Bachelor of Science degree in General Engineering at California Polytechnic State University in 1999. After college, in 2009, he became a member of the Air Force, where he earned a Master of Science in Flight Test Engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School.
Glover always knew he wanted to be an astronaut, so he began preflight training in Pensacola, Florida, and completed his advanced flight training in Kingsville, Texas, earning his wings of gold on December 14, 2001.
He was selected in 2013 as one of eight members of the 21st NASA astronaut class. In 2015, he completed Astronaut Candidate Training, including scientific and technical briefings, intensive instruction in International Space Station systems, spacewalks, robotics, physiological training, T-38 flight training, and water and wilderness survival training. Very extensive training but he was successful in reaching his goals.
Finally in November of 2020, the now NASA astronaut Victor Glover launched his first spaceflight and became the first black astronaut to live on the International Space Station as part of a long-duration mission.
Glover married Dionna Odom in 2014, and they now reside in California with four children, all girls.
Glover inspires students from all over to chase their dreams. He is a great example of determination. Through all of the struggles and trials, he accomplished his dreams and nothing less. He continues to spread his message all over, showing people that dreams are possible when the effort exceeds the initial thought. Astronaut Glover even spoke to students from space about how to stop issues like racial discrimination, domestic violence, and drug use to reassure them of a better future on planet Earth.
Victor Glover is just one of the many African-American inspirations. He reached for the stars and so can you!
[Information for this feature can be located atNASA.gov.]
Happy Valentine’s Day! Now, let us catch up on the past week.
Last week, there was a “Guess The Staff Member Contest” with old pictures of teachers throughout the high school. This encouraged students to be more involved with school activities while also having fun guessing which staff member was whom.
Each student had the opportunity to fill out a form with their best guesses. The top three students to guess the most correct staff members would receive a $10 Starbucks gift card.
The winners of this contest were announced last Friday: Gianna Kos (8th grade), Grace Paul (8th grade), and our very own, Malak Chafki (9th grade).
In addition to the contest, recently, some of Mr. Kasper’s Murals class finished the main pillar in the front entrance hallway.
“Mr. Hare gave us a request that we decorate the pillar with phrases of support for the students who walk into the building,” stated Kasper.
Sophomore Brianna Boone and freshmen Anisha Monger, Yasmeen Issa, and Chassidy (Cody) Wilson each worked on one side of the pillar.
Boone worked on the sports side of the pillar and knew that its completion would take time: “It took a lot of time because I had to make sure the stripes looked good. I had to make sure it looked like an actual sports ball. It was very tedious but worth it.”
Monger worked on the side with the multiple suns: “First, I made my preliminary sketch, and I worked out the sizing for everything. I played around with the sizing and next, I showed Mr. Kasper for approval, and he helped me with everything. I love the final product.”
Issa worked on the cheerleaders’ side: “I freehanded and it took a lot of patience. The cheerleaders were almost identical, and I had to make sure the lines were straight. I introduced the idea of drawing the cheerleaders, and it turned out great.”
Wilson worked on the side with band instruments: “I did it based off of the band instruments and off of what Mr. Hare wanted. I worked really hard to try to incorporate the school’s pride, and I believe that I succeeded in this feat.”
The students’ work is admired by their peers and the staff. Next time you walk by the pillar, you will fully be on board, too.
Have a great week, Brooklyn!
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THE RETURN OF THE EYE 