Staff Spotlight: Señora Delia Velez

*Spanish Teacher*

By: Morgan Blechschmid and Chloe Rojak

September 9, 2021

Welcome, Señora Delia Velez!

Señora Velez is the newest Spanish teacher at Brooklyn High School. Previously, Velez taught in the Painesville School District for one year and then spent the last ten years at Brunswick High School. She is very in-depth with her teaching style, and she has established techniques to allow her students to memorize and understand Spanish words, phrases, and the language as a whole. The all-around environment surrounding Velez is very welcoming, positive, and filled with excitement. 

Q: What do you do in your free time?

A: “I like to spend time with my family, craft, and go to Target!”

Q: Why did you want to be a teacher?

A: “My dad was a teacher as well as my grandma; teaching has always been my childhood dream.”

Q: What are your thoughts about Brooklyn High School so far?

A: “Very welcoming: The kids seem excited about a new teacher in the building. My coworkers have also been super helpful. Brooklyn High School feels like a family.”

Q: If you could choose any other subject to teach, what would it be?

A: “I would teach Art because I like to craft.”

Q: What is your favorite season?

A: “My favorite season is Fall.”

Q: Outside of being hired here at BHS, what was your Summer highlight?

A: “My favorite part of summer was going to Bethany Beach!”

Q: If you could go on vacation anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

A: “I would like to go to Spain, so I can visit all the historic places.”

Welcome to the Hurricane family, Señora Velez. We are so proud to have you represent the Blue and Gold. Cheers to a great year!

Lady Canes Smother the Trojans

By: Jaiden Basinger, Jose Nazario, and Tyler Elzholz

September 7, 2021

Last Thursday, the girls soccer team hosted cross-town rival the Trinity High School Trojans in an early-season battle. The girls played really well and dominated from start to finish, sending the Lady Trojans home with a 9-1 thumping.

In the first half, the Lady Hurricanes started off with a goal from junior Emily Gerry, which was the first of her eventual hat trick.  After this first goal, the confidence was contagious and overflowing. Fellow junior Delaney David, who also had a hat trick, scored all three of her goals in the first half, while senior Jaida Dominguez scored once as the Lady ‘Canes went into the half winning by a wide margin, 7-0.

It was a first half of dominance, a great balance of aggressive offense and a stout defense.

In the second half, the Lady Hurricanes did not slow down and continued to play great with two more goals from freshman Iasbella Lottig and junior Andriana Rodriguez. Although the Hurricane defense was stellar, the Lady Trojans did find a way to get on the scoreboard, but the game was already in the bag for the host Hurricanes. 

With the win, the Lady ‘Canes improved their record to 4-1.  Nice job, girls!  Way to represent the Blue and Gold in fine fashion.

{For information on upcoming games and season schedules, please visit Hurricanes Athletics.}

The Thunderbirds Come to BHS

By: Alaysia Curry and Daylun Armstrong

September 7, 2021

On May 25, 1953, the Thunderbirds were born as the Air Force’s official air demonstration team. 

At schools across the country, the team takes time to interact with students, but for the last two years, they could not due to the global pandemic. However, they are back in schools educating young minds. 

The Thunderbirds performed their annual air show in Cleveland this past weekend (September 4-6), but before this, they decided to stop by Brooklyn High School last Friday morning to talk to the senior and junior classes about the behind-the-scenes of what they do.

There is a lot of work, schooling, and training to become a part of the Airforce (Thunderbirds). Many enroll in the U.S. Air Force Academy which is extremely selective. 

The U.S. Air Force Academy is a four-year program which allows students to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in science. 

As a Thunderbird, one does not necessarily have to become a pilot in order to contribute to the team. There are so many other roles that keep the show going, such as being a DJ (controlling the music and effects at shows), paperwork/administration, helping to design choreography (Last weekend’s show was their first show redesign in 38 years.), and so much more that makes the show run smoothly and to ensure everyone’s safety. 

The Thunderbird team discussed the importance of resilience, failure, growth, and how all of that made them stronger not only as people but as a team (family as they called themselves).

*FUN FACTS:

  • Home base is located in Nevada. 
  • They made three gas stops (in mid-air) on their way to Cleveland. 
  • They tested their planes over the Cleveland Burke Lakefront Airport.
  • In the 1980s, there was an ongoing joke about the number five solo pilot plane always being upside down, so the Thunderbirds began to stick with it and started using it often in their brochures.

On behalf of BHS, we would like to thank the Thunderbird team for taking time out of their morning to come talk to us and for continuing to bring their one-of-a-kind air shows to Cleveland.

{For information, visit The United States Air Force Academy and The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds.}

Senior Journalism Tribute

By: Valery Warner, Ariana Rojak, and Aiden Nelson

June 4, 2021 

As the 2020-2021 school year wraps up, we would like to give a shout-out to our three senior journalists: Ella Fowler (two-year journalist) and first-year writers Kelsey Bruzek and Brittney Corrado. 

During their time in journalism class here at BHS, these three have done an excellent job in creating and publishing new articles, being team players and leaders, and representing Hurricane Nation in fine-fashion.

Fowler will be heading to Tri-C for two years and then transferring over to Cleveland State University for a degree in Early Childhood Education.  Not only a journalist, she is an Honor Roll student and longtime member and contributor for the girls soccer team.

Bruzek will be attending Bowling Green State University to major in Exercise Science. During her high school career, she was heavily involved in soccer, basketball, and leadership programs.

Corrado will be attending Tri-C with an interest in becoming a social worker and child psychologist. She has been a part of the AVID program for five years and an Honor Roll student throughout her high school years. 

Ladies, thank you so much for being wonderful classmates and leaders.  We wish you nothing but success and happiness as your next chapter in life is about to begin.

Also, congratulations to the entire class of 2021 for all of your achievements and accomplishments.  You have represented Hurricane Nation very well, and your diploma is earned.  Best of luck in all future endeavors.

Last but not least, thank you to everyone in our community for reading our articles and for helping us grow our platform throughout these past two years. We will be back next Fall with more articles to share. 

Have a great and safe summer, everyone!

Jenna Young Leaps Over Expectations

By: Tyler Elzholz and Jaiden Basinger

June 4, 2021

Last week, Brooklyn’s very own Jenna Young won regionals in high jump with a jump of 5’6”.  The next step for Young was the state track meet in Columbus, Ohio today (more on her results later in this article).

Only a sophomore, Young stated the following: “There are a lot of emotions going through me at this moment, but the biggest one would be how excited I am to compete at the state level. I am really excited and nervous about what is to come.”

She is also using this experience to not only focus on track but her other sports as well.

“My hope is that this sets the tone for how I prepare, how I study, and how I can continue improving in all aspects of my life, not just athletics.  There is always room for improvement.  I thrive off of competition, and with a good supporting crew, I believe that this will help me to achieve greatness in the track meet and throughout my life in general.”

So, what happened to Young today at the state track meet? Well, she was able to finish out her season coming in second place overall in the entire state of Ohio with a personal-best jump of 5’6”.  The winner jumped 5’7”.  So close to first place but such an honor and a tremendous story.

Congratulations, Jenna!  Your success today impressed your hometown, and we cannot wait to see what the next two years have in store for you. You have made Hurricane Nation extremely-proud!

Go Canes!

Summer Music Festivals

By: Laila Schwin and Alisha Bains

June 4, 2021

Although the coronavirus is still a persistent issue, concerts and music festivals are making a comeback this summer. Policies and practices in relation to public safety are varying, but all events are making an effort to keep people safe while allowing them to participate in the events that have been postponed and cancelled throughout the past year. 

There are many different events coming back this summer in Ohio such as the Great Lakes Burning River Fest, the Wonderstruck Fest, and the Country Fest Ohio. All of these events are enforcing social distancing and are at limited capacity to accommodate those restrictions.  However, they are back, and it is wonderful to be trending towards normalcy once again.

The Great Lakes Burning River Fest includes a music festival and environmental protection endeavors. The event is held in June every year to commemorate the 1969 Cuyahoga River fire, which occurred on June 22 of that year. The profits gained from the event are mostly-donated in support of keeping the Great Lakes and all of Ohio’s waterways safe and clean. Information for the festival has not been solidified for this year, but donations for the event are still contributing to the Burning River Foundation. The festival has also started a part of their event as a silent disco where everyone wears individual headphones for their music experience while still together in a crowd.

The Wonderstruck Fest is going to be very big this year. They will be presenting Cleveland’s Biggest Concert Event in more than a year. It will be taking place this July 24-25. The Wonderstruck Fest (formerly known as LaureLive) also found a new home this year and will be based out of Lakeland Community College. They have some really well-known and trending artists in their lineup this year like AJR, Walk the Moon, Portugal The Man, Ricky Montgomery, and Noah Cyrus, to name a few. 

Country Fest Ohio is a perfect getaway; it has great country music, swimming, and camping. This music festival is three days long and is taking place June 16-19 at Clay’s Park. They have many outdoor activities including a waterpark. Twelve concerts will take place and stars such as Chris Young, Brantley Gilbert, Thomas Rhett, Blake Shelton, Justin Moore, Kip Moore, Mark Leach, and many others will headline the stage. The water park resort at Clay’s Park includes water slides, zip lines, ring swings, and a sand-bottom lake which is wonderful for a relaxing experience.

This summer is sure to be very exciting with these music festivals opening back up. Many amazing performances will be seen and will surely be better than ever because of the long break. 

Go treat yourself to some fun in the sun.  Have a wonderful summer, everyone!

{Information was retrieved from Burningriverfest.org, Wonderstruckfest.com, and Thecountryfest.com.}

Staff Spotlight: Mr. Hare

*BHS Principal*

By: Morgan Blechschmid and Danielle Shehee

June 4, 2021

Mr. Brian Hare is our principal here at Brooklyn High School. This past school year has been Mr. Hare’s first year as principal, previously serving as the assistant principal for two years. His main focus is to find ways to help students get more involved with extracurricular activities, to keep our school safe and in order while allowing students to express themselves, and most importantly, to get students to believe in their academic abilities. Mr. Hare was chosen for this week’s staff spotlight because of his successful first year as the leader of our high school. 

Q: What are your goals as principal for next year?

A: “I would like to improve our academic achievement and our student participation in events around the school.”

Q: What has been your favorite part about working with the staff and students at Brooklyn High School?

A: “We have great kids and staff here in Brooklyn. My favorite thing about working at Brooklyn High School is our everyday interactions in the hallways and getting to talk to our students and staff.”

Q: What is the most challenging part about being a principal?

A: “Managing time and being efficient.”

Q: What advice would you give to a new student coming to Brooklyn?

A: “I tell any new student I meet that you can be whoever you want to be in Brooklyn, and it is a great place to be able to have a positive impact.”

Q: How would you go about dealing with a stressful situation?

A: “I try to take a deep breath and consider the situation from all different perspectives.” 

Q: If you could choose to live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

A: “I would love to live on an island near a town or city. I love the water and would love to create an off-the-grid project.”

Q: If you could meet any celebrity, who would it be and why?

A: “I would like to meet Kenny Lofton; he was my favorite baseball player growing up.”

Q: What are your hobbies and interests?

A: “I love to sail, read, and go for hikes with my dogs.”

Mr. Hare, thank you! We appreciate everything that you have done for the students, and we are looking forward to all you have in store for us in the near future.  Enjoy your summer on the water!

Virtual Game Night

By: Alisha Bains and Laila Schwin

May 28, 2021

Let’s Roam’s Virtual Game Night makes it much easier and efficient to have fun because it has taken up the challenge to help people explore, discover, and play through one-of-a-kind video platforms. Let’s Roam has combined all kinds of games to play; embedded video-chat software is also used to communicate with friends, too.

People have been increasingly-disconnected from each other because of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has made public meet-ups and group game nights difficult. Let’s Roam is providing a solution by allowing people to connect for these friendly game nights and trivia events that they have been unable to attend the past year. 

These events are five rounds of team games. Partakers can choose different-themed games such as Trivia, Pictionary, and Charades, with more options being added on a regular basis. 

The built-in games and video software make it easy to access all parts of the experience in one place and to connect with a large group of family and friends. If you do not have a large group to join up with already, Let’s Roam also hosts drop-in nights for people to play. 

Current scheduling for these virtual events (in Cleveland) is between May 28 and June 2; more dates will be scheduled and available down the road. Access to these events is completely free, so as long as you have a device to join in, the fun will be had. 

Extended and open access to Let’s Roam can also be bought for $19.99 a month as a membership fee, which gives you the ability to use Let’s Roam at any time with a larger group of people without limitations. 

There are sure to be plenty of wonderful game night experiences with Let’s Roam. Whether it is the new embedded software for video chat or all of the different games, this new event makes it much easier, efficient, and safer to play games with your friends and have a fun and memorable experience.

{Information for this article was retrieved from Thisiscleveland.com and Letsroam.com.}

Memorial Day Celebrations

By: Tyler Elzholz and Jaiden Basinger

May 28, 2021

There are many fun games to participate in when Memorial Day rolls around. Many have their own traditions and ways to celebrate this holiday because it is a time when families get together to give thanks to those who served and did not make it home, reflect, eat, and play.  

So, what are the most popular Memorial Day games? According to Our Family World, the following ranked as the top five. 

  1. Potato Sack Races: When you think of potato sack races, you think of a kids’ game, but it is not just for kids; adults can participate, too. You need a good pillow case and enough room for you to jump all over the place to destroy your opponent(s). 

  1. Cornhole: Many people know it as “bean bag toss”. The goal is to get the bean bags inside of the hole or land on the board. The front ends of the two boards must be 27 feet apart. If you get the bean bag on the board, the team will receive one point. If the bean bag lands in the hole, the team is awarded three points.

  1. Horseshoes: The goal of this game is to throw the horseshoe and make it wrap around the pole; the game goes up to 21 points, similar to cornhole. The closest horseshoe to the stake gets one point. If you have two shoes closer than any of your opponents, your team gets two points.

  1. Giant Jenga: You can make this game by yourself with 56 planks of wood measuring at 8x3x2 feet. You play the game just like the mini version where you take a plank off of the stack and put it on top without knocking the tower down. If you knock the tower down, you lose and have to restack the tower.

  1. Giant Twister: For this game, all you need is spray paint as the same colors of a twister board, a giant piece of cardboard with holes cut out, and a spinner board. Use the spinner, see the chosen limb (hands or feet), move to the chosen color, and do not fall over. This game is really comical when multiple individuals are on the board at the same time.

Now that the top five Memorial Day games have been explained, we decided to rank our top five, too.

*Jaiden Basinger’s top five Memorial Day games:

  1. Cornhole: As mentioned before, this game is a really fun game to play, and my family always plays this game and has a great time while doing so. I truly like the game because it brings out teamwork with your teammate because if he/she does not do well, then victory will not occur.
  1. Kan Jam: The game is two cans across from each other about 50 feet apart. You are trying to toss a frisbee inside the slot that is created in the can. When you throw the frisbee and it is close enough for your teammate to help, he/she can help by pushing the frisbee towards the can. 
  1. Basketball: Who does not love and enjoy a little hoops competition?
  1. Frisbee: In my family, we make each other run after the frisbee because we are not very good at it, but it’s still fun and entertaining.
  1. Sand Volleyball: Volleyball on sand?  Sign me up!  My cousins play volleyball, so it is not easy trying to beat them. 

*Tyler Elzholz’s top five Memorial Day games:

  1. Cornhole: My family likes to play tournaments and see which two family members are the “best in the family”. It is a good time, especially towards the end when the last two teams are fighting for the win. 
  1. Football: My uncles and I usually play against each other with my cousins; it is competitive and more fun than actually trying to win. Although, at times, it does get a little out of control with the little ones, and we end up shutting it down. 
  1. Kickball: The whole family gets involved with this game. We set up bases around the backyard, similar to a baseball diamond. Someone from each team is alway the pitcher; this is the person who rolls the ball to home plate. If the ball is thrown at you or if you are tagged with the ball, you are out! 
  1. Kan Jam: Jaiden and his family like to play this game as well. It is a rather simple game and fun for the whole family, although my family likes to make things difficult and push the cans really far back to see if we can play the game that way. Overall, this is one of my favorite games to play.
  1. Basketball: I am usually the only one in the family who enjoys getting shots up, so I challenge my uncles frequently. It is usually a short, fifteen-minute game to 11. Most of the time, I win, but on occasion, they win a game or two. 

On behalf of the entire Brooklyn City School District, Hurricane Nation hopes that everyone stays safe and enjoys their time with loved ones over this upcoming, three-day weekend. 

Most importantly, though, we must remember those who were lost while actively-serving our country. This price, we can never repay, and those who perished will never be forgotten!

Prom is Back!

By: Valery Warner, Ariana Rojak, and Aiden Nelson

May 26, 2021

This Friday (May 28), Brooklyn High School’s 2021 prom will be held at Windows on The River, a classic ballroom great for this year’s theme: The Enchanted Forest. 

Brooklyn typically alternates prom venues between The House of Blues and Windows on The River as both do a wonderful job of making prom memorable for students and faculty. 

When students arrive (approximately 130 of them), they will have the chance to tour The Greater Cleveland Aquarium on their way to the ballroom. Everyone will be required to wear a mask while walking through the aquarium, moving around the ballroom, and dancing.  However, students will be permitted to remove their masks while eating and drinking at their tables.

During a portion of the dancing section, the 2021 Prom Court will be announced, and immediately after, the king and queen will be revealed.

When the bash on the river concludes, students will then travel to Fun ‘N’ Stuff in Macedonia for Post Prom, which is organized and run by BHS parents. 

A big thank you to seniors Alonah Jackson, Ella Fowler, Daniel Ileana, and Jamari Walker as they have been the student planners for this year’s event.  Another shout-out goes to Mrs. Jacinta Bader because she is volunteering to take pictures for this year’s yearbook, and the arrival photos will be taken by the scenic Cuyahoga River. Hopefully, it will not catch on fire (historical reference of the Burning River).

For more information or details regarding prom, please contact senior class advisor Mrs. Jacalyn Holko.

Prom is back, and the senior class gets to go-out in style.  Enjoy the evening, have fun, be safe, and live it up!

Staff Spotlight: Mrs. Ralph

*Teacher: English Language Arts*

By: Morgan Blechschmid and Danielle Shehee

May 26, 2021

Mrs. Jaclyn Ralph was chosen for this week’s Staff Spotlight. Mrs. Ralph is a grade seven, ELA teacher here at Brooklyn. First, she is known for her fun yet educational ways of teaching.  Secondly, she has an extremely-kind personality. Third, she always motivates her students to stay on-task and to stay attentive when learning new content. Finally, along the way, her students might even learn a few organizational skills because she excels in this category. 

Q: How has being a teacher impacted your life?

A: “I am lucky to work with such an incredibly-supportive group of educators who truly care about their students and one another. We celebrate each other’s happy moments and support each other through the hard times, too, both professionally and personally. I know that if I need help with a lesson, a strategy to help a student be more successful in my class, or just an ear to listen to me vent, my fellow Brooklyn teachers will be there for me.”

Q: How do you overcome a situation that has you feeling down?

A: “When I am feeling down, I love to put on my favorite music and distract myself. It’s hard to be upset when your favorite song is playing! I find that usually when I have had time to step away from a situation and then come back to the problem, it often isn’t as bad as I first thought.”

Q: What is the bravest thing you’ve ever done?

A: “I don’t know if it counts as being brave but beating stage four cancer was definitely one of the hardest things I have ever done!”

Q: What do you like most about being a teacher?

A: “There are many great things about being a teacher, but the top things that come to my mind are these: I like that no two days are ever the same, I love when a student has a great day and is excited to tell me about it, and I always enjoy hearing what my former students are doing in their lives after they leave me.”

Q: What is the most valuable lesson you have learned?

A: “There’s always something to be grateful for in your life.”

Q: How do you think you have impacted your students?

A: “I HOPE I have given them a space where they feel safe being themselves and where they know they are cared about. If a student has found a book they enjoyed in my class when previously they ‘hated’ reading, that is a bonus!”

Q: Have you ever considered a different career path?

A: “If I wasn’t a teacher, I would love to help people organize and declutter their homes.”

Q: What are your hobbies?

A: “I enjoy reading, swimming, baking, and watching British TV shows like Downton Abbey.”

Thank you Mrs. Ralph for taking the time to respond to these questions. We are so fortunate to have you back with us in Brooklyn!  We love the fight inside of you, and we cherish the memories from your class.

Design a site like this with WordPress.com
Get started