THE RETURN OF THE EYE

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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:

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.

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.

Basketball: Who does not love and enjoy a little hoops competition?

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.

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:

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

Spring Sports Senior Spotlight

By: Ella Fowler, Kelsey Bruzek, Tyler Elzholz, and Jaiden Basinger

May 21, 2021

Spring, senior athletes were recognized at the varsity softball game this past Tuesday. Seniors from baseball, softball, and track were invited to walk on the softball field with their parents and families to be recognized for their accomplishments and commitment to Hurricane athletics.

The baseball seniors recognized were Jimmy Gray, Adam Coyle, Zachary Villard, Joe Boreako, Dominic Barry, and Tyler Steele.

The softball seniors recognized were Devyn Rothman, Alyssa Sariego, and Madison Meehan.

The lone track senior to be recognized was Domenick Fowler.

To all of the Spring, senior athletes: Congratulations! Your dedication and hard work will certainly be missed. Continue striving for greatness, and never settle for less than what you are capable of.

Hurricane Nation thanks you for representing the Blue and Gold. Best of luck in all future endeavors.

Go Canes!

Cleveland’s Lakefront Vision

By: Brittney Corrado, Laila Schwin, and Alisha Bains

May 21, 2021

Over the past few years, many attempts have been made to make plans for the restructuring of Cleveland’s lakefront areas. This time though, the city has found its plan.

The vision for the lakefront comes from the owners of the Cleveland Browns, Jimmy and Dee Haslam and a team they hired for the planning of the lakefront modifications. The plan is also receiving support from city council president and Cleveland mayoral candidate, Kevin Kelley. While there have been numerous plans in the past, Kelley believes that this one may be the best. The reason is because there is a private sector buying into this one rather than just having a public plan, changing the ability to make this new plan occur and to be successful in the long-term.

The Cleveland Browns have worked directly with the city of Cleveland by going through a visioning process that has been in play over the past two-plus years. After research and consultation with city planners, landscape architects, and stakeholders, Cleveland is looking forward to taking the next, big, exciting step with hopes of transforming pedestrian walkways that would increase the number of natural public spaces available to everyone in Cleveland’s North Coast Harbor area.

The city has applied for funding with the Ohio Department of Transportation. This funding will allow the city to conduct numerous studies and assessments before locking this plan in place.

According to Andrew Gribble from the Cleveland Browns: “Under potential plans, a one-of-a-kind land bridge will be constructed to run from the roof of the recently remodeled Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland and over Route 2 and the train tracks that currently prevent full connectivity and walk-ability between Downtown Cleveland and its destination spots along Lake Erie, including the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Great Lakes Science Center, and FirstEnergy Stadium.”

The walkways will be lined with trees and other green spaces that will include multiple entries and exits. An increased parking lot will also be added which is much needed.

The Haslams are working closely with Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects, Osborn Engineering, AoDK Architecture, and CallisonRTKL to make these plans become a reality very soon.

The plan, once enacted, will also allow for further development and more businesses along the lakefront, and if all goes according to plan, this lakefront vision could become a reality by this August. It is a beautiful layout, and it would greatly-enhance our beautiful city.

For all Clevelanders, it is about time!

{Information for this article was retrieved from Clevelandbrowns.com, Cleveland.com, and WKYC.com.}

Staff Spotlight: Mrs. Frate

*Teacher: Math*

By: Morgan Blechschmid and Danielle Shehee

May 18, 2021

Mrs. Sherrin Frate is a very well-respected math teacher here in the Brooklyn City School District. She currently teaches Pre-Algebra and Math 7. She is best-known for being charismatic in her teaching style as well as persistent with her expectations. She continues to make a great impact on her students, she always makes sure that her students are fully-understanding the material and concepts, and she never leaves a student behind. Mrs. Frate has guided so many of her students toward the road to success, and this is why she is the perfect choice for this week’s Staff Spotlight!

Q: Where did you grow up?

A: “I was born in Mayfield Heights but moved to Parma when I was three. I still live there with my husband and three children.”

Q: Where did you go to college?

A: “I went to Cleveland State University for both my undergraduate and graduate degrees.”

Q: What made you choose to be a math teacher?

A: “When I went to college, I was studying to be an elementary teacher, but we had to pick an area on which to focus. I wanted to pick reading because I love to read, but my advisor said since I did well in math that I should choose math because not many people were choosing math. I was skeptical at first, but that was the best advice I was ever given. Though I didn’t always like math, those who know me know that I love it now.”

Q: What do you find most interesting about math?

A: “Math is all around us. You use it everyday, sometimes without realizing how much you need it. Also, though there can be more than one way to solve a problem, there is structure in math.”

Q: How would you describe yourself using three words?

A: “Understanding, animated, outspoken.”

Q: What advice would you give to a student who struggles with math?

A: “Math takes time and perseverance. It doesn’t come easy to everyone, but anything worth doing takes time. And of course, SHOW YOUR WORK!”

Q: What is your most memorable teaching moment?

A: “When students come back and tell me that they didn’t like math before but that I helped them learn to like and understand it.”

Q: How do you deal with a stressful situation?

A: “Family, friends, chocolate, and coffee.”

Thank you, Mrs. Frate! You are a wonderful teacher and person, and Hurricane Nation is extremely-fortunate to have you leading our students in mathematics and in life.

Welcome Home, Coach!

By: Valery Warner, Ariana Rojak, and Aiden Nelson

May 18, 2021

The Brooklyn boys basketball program is welcoming back a familiar face. Next year, Jeff Shepherd returns to lead the Hurricanes once again.

Coach “Shep” returns to Brooklyn where he previously coached the boys basketball team from 1998-2008. During this time, his teams won four consecutive conference championships in the old MAC 8.

Current BHS Athletic Director Jim Verba is excited to have Shepherd back.

“Jeff’s ability to challenge and motivate student-athletes, as well as his presence in the high school, will be huge factors in the program achieving success.”

Shepherd has a lot of coaching experience with previous stops at North Royalton, Strongsville, Brunswick, North Olmsted, and Wellington. He comes back to Brooklyn with a proud and experienced coaching record, and he hopes to rebuild and bring a positive future to the boys basketball program.

However, he is not just focused on basketball; he wants excellence in the classroom, too.

BCSD Superintendent Dr. Theodore Caleris believes that Coach Shepherd will have the same impact in the classroom as he will on the hardwood.

“We are fortunate to have Jeff coming on-board as an Intervention Specialist at Brooklyn High School next school year. Jeff’s passion for kids will be felt both inside and outside of the classroom for years to come.”

Coach Shepherd is ready to embrace the challenges that lie ahead, and Hurricane Nation is ready to welcome “The Prodigal Son” back into the Brooklyn family.

It is great to be a Brooklyn Hurricane!

{Link: Additional Reference}