THE RETURN OF THE EYE

Staff Spotlight: Mr. Becker

Athletic Director

By: Morgan Blechschmid and Chloe Rojak

November 18, 2021

Chosen for this week’s Staff Spotlight is Mr. Michael Becker! Mr. Becker is the new Athletic Director and the Brooklyn Digital Learning Academy coordinator here at Brooklyn High School. Prior to Becker’s transition to BHS, he spent the past eighteen years in the education field, holding a number of different positions. We are honored to have Mr. Becker as the newest member of Hurricane Nation.

Q: How has your first year been being the athletic director at BHS?

A: “It’s been great and a lot of fun. We have had a lot of success this year so far in our Fall sports season. The girls soccer team posted the best record in school history. Our boys football team went to the playoffs. I’ve greatly enjoyed meeting all the student-athletes and coaches.”

Q: What are the pros and cons of being the athletic director of a small school?

A: “Pros are that you get the opportunity to meet and get to know everyone involved in the athletic department. I also get the opportunity to see the majority of the student-athletes daily since we’re all on the same campus. It’s really easy to connect with everybody. I don’t think I would have the same opportunity at a big school. I honestly don’t know that I have any cons for the time being.”

Q: How challenging is it to balance the role of athletic director and BDLA coordinator?

A: “It’s challenging some days. But luckily, I have the support of all the administration and all of the teachers. They’ve helped to make that an easy transition for me.”

Q: Where were you employed prior to BHS, and how many years were you there?

A: “I spent the last six years with constellation schools as a principal, assistant principal, and athletic director. Prior to that, I served as a teacher and a high school football and baseball coach for Groveport Madison Schools in the Columbus area from about 2004-2015. This is my eighteenth year overall.”

Q: Your thoughts on Miami University?

A: “Choosing Miami University (Oxford, Ohio) was one of the best decisions I made in my life. I had some of the best times of my life there.”

Q: Have you ever coached before? If not, what would be your favorite sport to coach?

A: “I’ve coached high school baseball and middle school basketball. My favorite sport to coach is definitely football. Football has been my favorite sport since I was a little kid.”

Q: What do you like to do in your free time?

A: “In my free time, I enjoy spending time with family and friends. I enjoy walking my dog. I enjoy attending live sporting events. I actually also enjoy yard work as well.”

Q: Outside of the Hurricanes, what are your favorite teams to root for?

A: “The Notre Dame Fighting Irish, the Cleveland Browns, the Cleveland Guardians, and the Cleveland Cavaliers.”

Welcome to the Hurricane Family, Mr. Becker!

Veterans Day Assembly

By: Alaysia Curry and Daylun Armstrong

November 16, 2021

The Brooklyn City School’s Pre-K through Grade 7 building hosted an assembly last Thursday (November 11) to honor Veterans Day. Local veterans were invited to the assembly to talk to staff members and students.

Kids were asked that if they had any family members who were veterans to make stars that would represent them. Seventh graders and National Junior Honor Society gave presentations about Veterans Day, too.

Pictures were then shown on a slideshow recognizing teachers and students whose family members are veterans. Brooklyn School staff members, who served in a branch of the military, were also recognized and honored.

Tributes were shown along with the famous “Taps” being played by senior Evan Chong and sophomore Zach Messeri.

After “Taps,” music was then played as the audience sang along. Touching speeches were given, and students got the chance to talk to some of the veterans before the conclusion of the assembly.

The Brooklyn City School District would like to thank all of the families and veterans who attended the assembly and to express gratitude for their service.

Girls Basketball Preview: 2021-2022

By: Jaiden Basinger, Tyler Elzholz, and Jose Nazario

November 16, 2021

After coming off of a 5-9 season, the girls basketball team looks to bounce back in a strong fashion.

The girls basketball team is excited about this season, especially after the hiring of Head Coach Jonathon Holko. Coach Holko used to lead the boys varsity program from 2010-2016. His assistant coaches are Miss Kristen Field (former varsity girls coach) and Miss Rebecca Byndas.

With many key players returning from last year’s team, Coach Holko has high hopes for this year’s squad.

“Our goals are to build a family atmosphere and to be an ultra competitive team. These girls are listening, they’re learning, and they’re giving everything they have to get better. Our motto is 1% better everyday, and I’m seeing that to be true to this point.”

The team is led by senior leaders Gwendolyn Spaliatsos and Savannah David, along with a junior class of Genesis Caraballo, Delaney David, Melaine Fernandez, Shariah Gailes, and Jenna Young. Sophomore Desiree Gailes will also play a crucial role with this team.

Savannah David is also optimistic about this year.

“I’m excited for something new and fresh. Not only something new but I’m excited for what the season is going to bring us because we already see improvement in practice, and we just started! I have a great feeling that this season is going to be great.”

The girls are currently practicing and preparing for their season opener next Tuesday, November 23, at Brookside High School. The first home game is on Tuesday, November 30, against Richmond Heights High School

We wish the girls basketball team great success this year.

Go Canes!

For Winter sports schedules and more information, visit Brooklyn Hurricanes Athletics.

Staff Spotlight: Mr. Rademaker

Teacher: ELA

By: Morgan Blechschmid and Chloe Rojak

November 11, 2021

Chosen for this week’s Staff Spotlight is Mr. Ken Rademaker! Mr. Rademaker is an ELA teacher here at BHS. This year marks number 22 for him at BHS, too. He is known by many of his students for his ability to balance out the role of being the fun and easy-going teacher as well as the strict and focused teacher. One thing is for certain, though: He is really funny!

Q: How many years were you in the television news industry, and what were your responsibilities?

A: “I worked in TV news for 14 years, and I did a lot of things, but being a producer is something I did most significantly.”

Q: What is your favorite part about being an English teacher for upper-level students?

A: “I think my favorite part is seeing when students really get something, especially when it’s kind of a difficult concept or something they haven’t done before. It’s rewarding when they can figure out how to evaluate evidence and breeze through more difficult concepts. It’s great to see them kind of master the difficult stuff and just do it on their own.”

Q: What is your favorite content to teach and why?

A: “I like teaching literature from the 1950s to the present time because a lot of it is really weird, and I like weird stuff like that. It’s funny because the kids think it’s weird, too, and I just tell them, ‘Yes, it’s supposed to be weird!'”

Q: What are some of the most interesting memories from all of your travels?

A: “One of the most interesting memories from one of my travels was getting tear-gassed at the riot in Paris. I had absolutely nothing to do with the riot. I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time; it was not fun but very interesting! Another interesting memory was seeing the running of the bulls in Spain.”

Q: With all of the places that you have traveled to, what are your top three? What is the ultimate bucket-list location for you?

A: “My favorite is Ireland, then after that Paris, and then London. Saigon, Vietnam, is a place I really want to visit. I want to go there because they have great architecture and great food.”

Q: What are some of your favorite sports teams to watch?

A: “I strictly have four teams I watch and those are the Browns, the Indians, the Cavaliers, and Ohio State.”

Q: Describe yourself in three words.

A: “Ready for adventure!”

Mr. Rademaker, you are the best!

Native American Heritage Month: Jim Thorpe

By: Valery Warner and Laila Schwin

November 11, 2021

The 100-Year Dispute for Jim Thorpe's Olympic Golds - The New York Times

James (Jim) Francis Thorpe was the first Native American in the United States to win an Olympic gold medal. He was a member of the Sac and Fox Nation, specifically a Sauk community, and lived on their native territory in what is now the state of Oklahoma. His given name at birth was Wa-Tho-Huk, which translates to “Bright Path”. Thorpe’s birth date is unknown as he never had a birth certificate, but it is widely believed that his birthday was either May 22 or 28, 1887.

Thorpe spent nearly his whole life boasting an extensive and successful athletic career in various sports. These sports included both college and professional football, basketball, baseball, and track and field. His most notable success was his participation in the 1912 Summer Olympics, during which he won gold medals for both the pentathlon and decathlon.

Thorpe started out his lifetime of athletic achievements at Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, where in 1907, he joined the school’s track team. He later went on to join the football team at the school where he excelled. Between all of this, he also played baseball, lacrosse, and participated in competitive ballroom dancing. After his time in the Olympics, Thorpe signed with the New York Giants (now known as the San Francisco Giants) and played baseball on the team from 1913-1919. In 1915, he also joined the Canton Bulldogs football team, helping them win three championships. Later on, he would play with six different NFL teams. Throughout this, he continued to be a part of various different professional baseball teams such as the Cincinnati Reds and the Boston Braves (now the Atlanta Braves).

Thorpe’s athletic career hit a low point in January of 1913 when he was retroactively stripped of his amateur status and both of his Olympic medals. There were strict rules around the Olympics at the time, dictating that all athletes had to hold an amateur status, not having played on any professional or paid sports teams prior to the Olympics. The removal of his medals was widely considered to be a potential act of discrimination against Thorpe as the AAU and IOC broke their own rules to strip Thorpe of his medals. A formal protest had to be made within 30 days of the closing ceremony of the Olympics to hold any value. However, this was still used against Thorpe over six months after that deadline had passed.

Sweden 1912: Thorpe's Olympic Moment - The New York Times

Thorpe eventually had his Olympic medals reinstated on January 18, 1983. Given that Thorpe passed away nearly 30 years before this, the medals were reinstated to two of his children, but he was recognized as a co-medalist for both events despite being the sole winner.

Throughout his life, Thorpe was married three times and had a total of eight children. He married his first wife Iva Miller in 1913. They had four children: James, Gale, Charlotte, and Frances. Marriage number one ended in divorce in 1925. In 1926, Thorpe married his second wife, Freeda Verona Kirkpatrick. Together, they had four sons: Phillip, William, Richard, and John. Marriage number two ended in divorce in 1941. In 1945, Thorpe married Patricia Gladys Askew who he was with until his death in 1953.

Upon Thorpe’s death on March 28, 1953, his wife sold his remains to a small town in Pennsylvania in exchange for having the town renamed after Thorpe. The town is now known as Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, where his body still currently remains. Through the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, there have been several legal battles, brought on by Thorpe’s children, throughout the years to allow Thorpe’s body to be brought back to his tribe and land in Oklahoma, although none have been successful thus far.

Overall, Jim Thorpe has left a lasting legacy for both himself and his tribe through his outstanding athletic career and legacy that many consider to be the best, all-around athlete of the 20th century or perhaps of all time.

{Information for this article was retrieved from Biography.com and Wikipedia.}

Boys Basketball Preview: 2021-2022

By: Jaiden Basinger, Tyler Elzholz, and Jose Nazario

November 9, 2021

After coming off of a dismal 1-15 season, the boys basketball team is looking to bounce back for an exciting and successful 2021-2022 campaign.

The optimism for this team revolves around the return of Head Coach Jeff Shepherd, who came back to Hurricane Nation this year. Coach Shepherd had a lot of previous success at BHS and is looking to take this current team to the next level, too. Alongside Coach Shepherd is Coach Cory Neale, who is the all-time leading scorer in Brooklyn Boys’ Basketball History.

With a lot of key returning players, Coach Shepherd has high hopes and expectations for this team.

“I’m excited as the kids are working hard. I believe they’re buying into what we want accomplished. I don’t have expectations about winning; I have goals of changing the culture/program. I want this to be a positive experience for everybody in the program. I hope they’re engaged and excited and want to be a part of a group that helps turn things around,” said Shepherd.

This team returns a lot of seniors and juniors, along with some sophomores who will contribute as well. Talent and depth will be present, but the boys know that team chemistry means more than talent.

The boys are currently in the middle of their preseason practices with a couple of scrimmages coming up, but opening night is quickly approaching. The Hurricanes open up the regular season at home against Hearts for Jesus on Monday, November 29.

Good luck, boys!

For schedules and more information, visit Brooklyn Hurricanes Athletics.

Mentoring: A Bright Future Awaits

By: Alaysia Curry and Daylun Armstrong

November 9, 2021

Do you remember that one mentor who went out of the way to provide you with guidance, direction, and assistance to help shape your future?

Here at BHS, seniors in the College and Career Planning class are involved in a very beneficial mentoring program. Students chose a teacher, coach, or someone who they felt would help them prepare for their future and beyond.

Each month, students meet with their mentors to discuss topics of life, goals, future plans, and sometimes just to have a simple conversation.

This program is led by teacher Mrs. Jacalyn Holko, and her hope is to encourage students to create conversations about their futures and whatever paths they take to get there.

“Students have the chance to hear real-life perspectives on how their mentors reacted to setbacks, manage daily stress, and set goals, all while giving them advice to help them navigate through their senior year and beyond,” stated Holko.

How do the students feel about this mentoring program?

“It is a genuine environment where you can really be open and get guidance without the bias or pressure of being overly-professional. It gives us an opportunity to talk to adults that we’re comfortable with and discuss things like college, scholarships, and help us build a plan after high school.” – Karalynn Lorenzo

“It’s a way for us to get advice from people who have actually experienced it, and it shows us steps that they went through and what to do and not to do. My favorite thing is feeling like I have someone I can talk to who will not judge me and helps me decide my future.” – Angelina Edelburg

“I think it’s an important program for us to have because a lot of us are confused on what to do for college. It gives us a set time and person to talk to in order to have some guidance. My favorite thing about the program is having someone to talk to and to ask questions about whatever I’m confused on.” – Lexi Smeznik

This program works in the present for the future, and we are very appreciative that it is offered here at BHS.

Thank you Mrs. Holko and chosen staff members for guiding us through our last year of high school and beyond.

Native American Heritage Month

By: Laila Schwin and Valery Warner

November 5, 2021

November 1, 2021, marked the beginning of National Native American Heritage Month in the United States. November has been nationally-recognized as Native American Heritage Month by presidential decree since 1990, although the history of the month can be traced farther back to individual states and the efforts of many Indigenous people.

This month is set to honor the contributions of all Indigenous people within the United States who have made major impacts within our country and have been so often forgotten. Their achievements have been overshadowed by discrimination with a near exclusion of their way of life. This month is also meant to highlight the struggles of Indigenous people in the present day and the fights for their rights that are still ongoing in terms of land sovereignty, access to necessities, and the prevalence of violence against their people.

The history of observance for Native American Heritage Month is relatively-recent on the national scale with prior observances being within individual states and usually confined to a single day. The origins of the observance can be traced back to around 1915 when the Congress of the American Indian Association designated the second Saturday of May to be American Indian Day.

The fight for recognition and observance for Indigenous people continued within that year with Red Fox James, a member of the Blackfoot tribe, riding on horseback throughout the country to get state approval for a day to honor Indigenous people. He presented the White House with 24 state endorsements that he had gained during his travels, but his efforts fell on deaf ears. Other efforts toward gaining observance for this month occurred afterward but only to recognize single days on a state-by-state basis, starting in 1916 with New York.

It took until 1990 for national recognition to be gained when President George W. Bush designated November of that year to be National American Indian Heritage Month. Nearly every year since then, November has been recognized by the president as some form of Indigenous heritage month.

While there are many Indigenous people, both past and present, to be honored within the history of this country, a few notable and less recognized ones are as follows:

Sequoyah
John Herrington
Ben Nighthorse Campbell
Susan La Flesche Picotte
Wilma Mankiller
Allan Houser
Jim Thorpe

This is in no way a complete list and cannot encompass all of the influential, Indigenous people throughout history, but it is a starting point for recognizing the contributions that these people have made.

Perhaps, we can all take some time this month to support and recognize Indigenous tribes and communities and reflect on the original owners of the land that we now stand upon.

Information for this article can be found at Native American Heritage Month and United States Senate.

Staff Spotlight: Mrs. Cipriani

Teacher: Choir and Music

By: Morgan Blechschmid and Chloe Rojak

November 5, 2021

Chosen for this week’s Staff Spotlight is Mrs. Kimberly Cipriani! Mrs. Cipriani has been teaching here at Brooklyn High School for the past fourteen years. She teaches a wide range of different age groups; she is a choir teacher for the older high school students and a music teacher for the younger students. She is also well-known for leading Brooklyn High School’s Drama Club and Show Choir, as well as instructing the school plays. Speaking of which, this year’s musical was just announced, and the Drama Club will be performing the Disney classic, Matilda.

Q: Why did you want to become a music teacher?

A: “I come from a very music involved family; a lot of my family members were music teachers. I started singing and performing when I was little, and music soon became a passion of mine. I wanted to bring that passion, as well as experience, into the classroom and share it with my students.”

Q: What has been your all-time favorite play to lead and instruct?

A: “Probably Beauty and The Beast. I performed Beauty and The Beast professionally and toured for about three and a half years, so the play was very special to me. When I put together the choreography for the high school play, I tried my best to combine the original choreography that I did with the national tour, as well as putting my own twists and critiques on it. Although the choreography for the play was modified, it was still very special to me to be able to share such an amazing play experience with my students.”

Q: How would you describe your experience as a music teacher at Brooklyn High School?

A: “It’s very fun because I’ve gotten to teach all different ages of students. I teach anywhere from kindergarten all the way up to twelfth grade. It’s always fun to watch all the different age groups grow and progress.”

Q: What makes Brooklyn special?

A: “Since Brooklyn is a small school, everyone seems so close, and for the most part, everyone seems to support each other, especially in the Drama Club. It’s fun to see everyone working together. Although Brooklyn is a small school, it’s still definitely a major, community-building experience for everybody.”

Q: What do you like to do in your free time?

A: “I like to listen to a lot of audio books, I like to work in the garden, and I also like doing yoga.”

Q: Who or what developed your interest in music?

A: “Probably my mom because she was a piano and choir teacher, so from a very young age, I was exposed to the art of music.”

Q: What is your favorite genre of music? Favorite musician or band?

A: “I like 80s music, specifically Journey. I actually went and saw Journey in concert twice!”

Q: If you could take an all-expenses paid trip anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?

A: “Probably to Paris. I just like French culture as well as the different variety of foods and what not.”

Thank you for allowing us to interview you, Mrs. Cipriani. We appreciate all that you do for the music-related programs here at Brooklyn High School. We cannot wait for Matilda!

Matilda

By: Alaysia Curry and Daylun Armstrong

November 4, 2021

The Brooklyn High School Drama Club unveiled their 2022 Spring musical, the 1996 Disney classic: Matilda!

This film tells the story of Matilda, who is a very gifted girl and forced to put up with a crude, distant father and mother. Agatha Trunchbull, who is a terrifyingly-strict bully, happens to be the principal at Matilda’s school. However, when Matilda realizes she has the power of telekinesis, she begins to defend her friends by fighting back from Trunchbull’s and her parents’ wrath.

When asked why Matilda was chosen for this year’s play, Mrs. Kimberly Cipriani (Play/Musical Coordinator and BHS Choir teacher) responded: “I chose Matilda because I wanted to get younger students involved, and it is a fun one that we haven’t done yet. We lost a large number of seniors last year, and we need to rebuild a little bit.”

Pictured above is the Crew from last year’s play Freaky Friday, led by Art teacher Mr. Christopher Kaspar. He is “excited to see the group working together again from start to finish on this year’s play.”

If you are interested in joining the cast, pit band, or crew, auditions for cast are November 3-9. For questions about the pit band and crew, see Mr. Kaspar and Mr. Sean Sullivan.

This will be a lot of fun.

Disney’s Matilda is coming soon!

Historic Playoff Run Comes To An End

By: Jaiden Basinger, Tyler Elzholz, and Jose Nazario

November 4, 2021

This past Saturday, the Brooklyn Hurricanes traveled to Elmwood, Ohio, to take on the Elmwood Royals in the first round of the OHSAA state playoffs.

Reaching the playoffs for the first time in school history, the Hurricanes quickly realized how difficult playoff football was. The Royal’s offense started fast by scoring on an 80-yard touchdown run. After an ensuing Brooklyn punt, the Royals offense added another score, putting the Hurricanes in an early 14-0 deficit. The Hurricanes finally got on the board with a Jacob Sullivan 56-yard touchdown run making the score 14-7. However, the Hurricane defense could not stop the Royal’s high-powered offense, as they added three more touchdown scoring drives. After the first quarter, Elmwood led the Hurricanes 35-7.

In the second quarter, the Royals were still in full control of the game as their offense did not let the foot off of the gas scoring four more touchdowns, increasing their lead to 63-7. The lone, second quarter bright spot for the Hurricanes came when Sullivan connected with Jaiden Basinger on a touchdown pass. The score at the half found Elmwood up big, 63-14.

In the second half, the Royals substituted in their younger players, and both teams failed to score another point.

Final Score: Elmwood Royals 63, Brooklyn Hurricanes 14

It was not the ideal or desired result, but these boys learned a lot and accomplished a historic feat as a team.

Congratulations to all of the seniors for making the playoffs for the first time in school history!

Staff Spotlight: Mrs. Bloam

Teacher: Elementary

By: Morgan Blechschmid and Chloe Rojak

October 28, 2021

Chosen for this week’s Staff Spotlight is Mrs. Dawn Bloam! Mrs. Bloam is currently an elementary teacher in the Brooklyn School teaching fifth grade. Bloam is best-known for her ability to teach her students efficiently as well as effectively. Her past students are beyond grateful to have had her as one of their early teachers. Our hope, as the years go on, is that she continues to make a great impact in so many lives.

Q: If you could teach a higher or lower grade, what grade would you teach and why? What is your favorite subject to teach?

A: “I think I would teach 2nd grade. I have taught 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade. If I was going to switch grades, I would want a fresh start. The curiousness of the younger students intrigues me. My favorite subject to teach is Language Arts. I love how literature can take you anywhere.”

Q: If you could make any changes to the Brooklyn City School District, what would you change and why?

A: “If I could change something about our school, it would be to restore wonder and joy to all children in every grade!”

Q: If you were not a teacher, what career path would you have chosen?

A: “I would have chosen the medical field. I always thought being an anesthesiologist would be interesting.”

Q: What are the positives of being a teacher?

A: “The biggest positive of being a teacher is the feeling of accomplishment when you ‘see’ a student get your lesson.”

Q: Are you interested in any sports? If so, what are your favorite sports to watch and your favorite teams to root for?

A: “The sport that interests me the most is volleyball. I love to play it and watch it. Also, I watch all the Cleveland teams and root for them regardless of how they’re doing.”

Q: What do you do in your free time?

A: “In my free time, I enjoy reading, boating, and camping. I love being outdoors and in my flip flops.”

Q: In three words, how would you describe yourself?

A: “Three words that describe me are Assertive, Determined, and Passionate.”

Q: What advice would you give to the current senior class as they embark on their upcoming journeys?

A: “Falvia Weedn said it best: ‘If one dream should fall and break into a thousand pieces, never be afraid to pick one of those pieces up and begin again.’”

Thank you so much for your time, Mrs. Bloam. We miss and appreciate you!