THE RETURN OF THE EYE

Yearbooks for Sale!

By: Valery Warner, Alisha Bains, and Brittney Corrado

January 15, 2021

ON SALE NOW! Brooklyn High School’s 2020-21 yearbooks are available for pre-order online. This is definitely a year to remember, and there is no better way to do that than by purchasing your very-own yearbook.

For $65 ($3.25 online fee), you get 168 pages of the most memorable times this year. Yearbooks can be purchased online (right now) with this Link or by check/cash at a later date.

This year’s yearbook offers more than any version published before. Included are the new senior superlatives, and for an additional $9.95, you can personalize your yearbook with your name on the cover with up to four symbols.

If you are looking for opportunities to be featured in this yearbook, make sure to check your class of 2020-2021 Google Classroom for announcements on how to email your pictures to Mrs. Bader before the deadline.

For any questions on how to be a part of the yearbook or how to purchase a yearbook, contact Mrs. Bader.

“Despite being online and hybrid, this year’s yearbook class has risen to the challenge,” stated Bader.

Do not waste your opportunity; purchase your yearbook now!

Staff Spotlight: Mr. Kaspar

*Teacher: Photography and Art*

By: Morgan Blechschmid and Danielle Shehee

January 15, 2021

Mr. Christopher Kaspar is a Photography and Art teacher here at Brooklyn High School. One of the classes that he teaches is a Murals Art class in which students are shown how to paint murals. Their hard work is always displayed on the walls of classrooms and offices around the high school, including in our very own Mr. Holko’s room (sports paintings). Kaspar is known for not only being a teacher but for being in charge of our theater program’s crew ensemble as well. Kaspar and the crew work months at a time to set up, build, and prepare the sets for the Spring plays performed in the auditorium. Because of his talents and expertise, Mr. Kaspar was chosen for this week’s staff profile.

Q: What made you want to be in charge of the crew?

A: “I was asked if I had any experience with theater set design when I was first hired. I said, ‘Sure!’ In that, I worked as a crew member for a production company in downtown Cleveland. We started with four students, and now, we cap it around 30.”

Q: How do you deal with a stressful situation, whether that be with the crew or just in general as a teacher?

A: “I just try to plow through it. With 20 years of experience in the crew, I have come to see a lot. The hardest time was to pull together all the students and put on the only production of Newsies (last year when the pandemic hit). I had a job to do, and it was very difficult, but I did what I had to do. We got it done.”

Q: How has the pandemic affected the crew and your students who do theater?

A: “We had to stop recruiting for new members this year. We took in a few people from the theater class, but that was it. We also have had to break the groups into small pods where we ask for just a few people to come on a particular day.”

Q: What is your favorite subject to teach?

A: “Math.” {Editor’s note: I believe there is a touch of sarcasm with this answer.}

Q: What inspired you to become an art teacher?

A: “I knew that I wanted to be around art from early on in life. My goal was to go to art college, move to New York, and become a famous artist. When reality hit and I needed a job, I worked as a photographer, and I taught at the Beck Center in Lakewood. After that, I got the teaching bug. I went back to Cleveland State for my teaching license, and the rest is history.”

Q: What impact do you feel like you’ve made on your students and their art and photography skills?

A: “This is hard to tell. There have been times where my classes are appreciated as a break in the day. Others have gone on to art school or started their own photography business. So, I like to think that I make a positive impact.”

Q: What is your favorite memory from the crew?

A: “It is always the same. Saturday night at the closing curtain. All the stress, all the excitement, all the work, all the pizza (in a normal year) comes to an end. I love to see the faces of the students and the pride that they have and the knowledge that they have just accomplished something special, and they know that they did it all.”

Q: How many years have you been teaching?

A: “23 years.”

Q: What advice would you give to a student who is interested in joining crew in the future?

A: “ I always say that it is important to get involved early. It is more likely to get into crew for the first time as a freshman as opposed to an upperclassmen. I would like to get a person to be in the crew for four years as opposed to just one or two. Any one interested in joining would have to fill out an application to be considered.”

Thank you, Mr. Kaspar! Keep up the good work.

Ice-Cold Lady Canes Struggle

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

January 12, 2021

After returning from a long break, the Lady Hurricanes basketball team hosted the Cuyahoga Heights Lady Redskins in a pivotal, early-season CVC contest this past Saturday.

Coming into the game 0-1 with an earlier loss to Independence, the Lady Canes were looking to even their record and to secure their home floor. Unfortunately, the script did not go as planned.

Early in the first quarter, sophomore Shariah Gailes got the Lady Canes on the scoreboard with a quick bucket and a free throw. However, the Lady Redskins answered back with three quick three-pointers. The Lady Canes offense went scoreless, and the quarter ended with a score of 9-3 in favor of the Lady Redskins.

In the second quarter, Gailes converted another bucket with an “And one!” Also, junior Jaida Dominguez got into the scoring column by converting a late steal into a fast break layup. But, that was all that the offense could muster up as the hot-shooting Lady Redskins took a 19-8 halftime lead.

Cold shooting and costly turnovers doomed the Lady Canes in the third quarter as they were outscored 14-0. Tess Conroy of Cuyahoga Heights was on a hot streak hitting almost every shot to increase the lead to 33-8 at the end of the third.

Lady Canes’ freshman Ashlyn Dyson began to heat up in the fourth quarter, but the deficit was too large to overcome. The Lady Redskins finished the game with a 42-17 victory.

Coach Urig and his girls will go back to work, learn from their mistakes, and prepare for another home contest tomorrow night against the Richmond Heights Lady Spartans. Tip-off is at 6:00.

Good luck, Lady Canes!

Cleveland Metroparks 5K Trail

By: Ariana Rojak, Laila Schwin, and Aiden Nelson

January 12, 2021

Are you looking for a way to support the scenic and beautiful Cleveland Metroparks? Or maybe, you just want some exercise? Well, you can do both in the Cleveland Metroparks Virtual Centennial Trail 5K event that is going on now.

This virtual 5K is a socially-distanced/isolated event that gives you all the fun and support of running without the risk of getting covid.

When initially signing up, you have to pay $15 to reserve a spot. Then, you get to pick from walking, jogging, sprinting, or running the 5K. At the completion of this, you will receive hot chocolate and a medal that can be picked up at Merlin’s Wharf, which is near the trail that you take for the event.

This virtual 5K benefits the Cleveland Metroparks, specifically in the trails fund.

While most of the dates for this event have already passed, you still have the opportunity to sign up for January 13, 14, and 18. It is recommended that you sign up at least a couple of days in advance to ensure that you receive an available time that fits your schedule. The times are between 6:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. on those selected dates.

All scheduling can be done through the events page on the Cleveland Metroparks Website.

Centennial Trail 5K showcases stunning downtown views

A waiver must be signed in advance in order to participate.

Also, because this event is socially-distanced, it gives you an amazing chance to take a moment and view the beautiful Cleveland Metroparks and to see exactly where the contributions go towards. By signing up, you have the option to run either the suggested course or any trail of proper distance within the Metroparks, so the possibilities, experiences, and views are countless and there for the taking.

We hope that everyone is staying healthy, and if you participate in this event, enjoy it to the fullest extent because the Cleveland Metroparks is available for all.

Back to Hybrid

By: Valery Warner, Alisha Bains, and Brittney Corrado

January 8, 2021

Yesterday, students returned to school in the 2020-2021 hybrid schedule. This is the second time this academic year that students have been in the building for in-person learning.

BCSD Superintendent Dr. Ted Caleris gave some insight into this transition back, yet again.

“We need to make sure both students and staff are safe when we come back. I am hopeful that we will be able to sustain our Hybrid Schedule throughout the spring,” stated Dr. Caleris.

No changes have been made to the current hybrid model, which is the same as it was during the first go-around.

The protocols, at this time, are that masks will continue to be required while on district property, six-feet of social distance between each person, wiped down furniture after each period, and separate release times.

As students who attend BHS, breathing in the masks and keeping an acceptable distance does get stressful at times; however, the benefits of being in class and interacting with other students and teachers is well worth it. The little things make a big difference!

In hopes that life goes back to “normal” very soon, stay safe and healthy, everyone.

Let us make the best of this school year!

Staff Spotlight: Mrs. Maysey

*Teacher: Grade 4 Language Arts and Social Studies*

By: Morgan Blechschmid and Danielle Shehee

January 8, 2021

Mrs. Adrienne Maysey is a Language Arts and Social Studies teacher at the Brooklyn School. She has been teaching for a total of sixteen years; this year is her sixth year of teaching here in the Brooklyn City School District. Maysey always makes a positive impact on every student she teaches, and her past students remember her as being fun and understanding. For these reasons, Mrs. Maysey was chosen as this week’s staff profile.

Q: Where did you go to college, and why did you choose that school?

A: “I went to Bowling Green State University. I wanted to go there because they were known for their education program, and I wanted to be a teacher.”

Q: Where were you born, and where did you grow up?

A: “I was born and raised in Strongsville, Ohio, but I currently live in North Ridgeville.”

Q: What are some of your hobbies?

A: “My hobbies include reading, cooking, being outdoors, and hanging out with my kids and my husband.”

Q: What made you want to become a teacher?

A: “I wanted to become a teacher because I always struggled with math and could never understand it, no matter how hard I tried. I had a fourth grade teacher, who instead of helping me, would embarrass me in front of the class for not understanding what we were learning. From that point on, I knew I wanted to be a teacher, so I could help kids who struggled with learning be successful.”

Q: What was most difficult for you when you first became a teacher?

A: “When I first became a teacher, the most difficult thing for me was that a lot of what you have to do as a teacher isn’t taught to you in college. For example: Classroom management, paperwork, and how to handle student trauma were all learned through experience, not from a textbook.”

Q: Would you ever teach any other grade level?

A: “I have actually taught 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th before, but 4th grade is my favorite grade to teach.”

Q: What is something that makes you the happiest about being a teacher?

A: “What makes me happiest as a teacher is having students write or tell me that I have helped them in some way or made a positive impact on their life.”

Q: How do you go about a stressful situation?

A: “When I am in a stressful situation, I like to talk to my friends and other people in order to get a different perspective. Sometimes when I am stressed, it is hard to see the bigger picture, so it helps to hear someone else’s viewpoint of the situation so that I can solve the problem.”

Q: How would your students describe you?

A: “I think many of my past and present students would describe me as their ‘school mom’ because I am always willing to listen, help out, or give comfort when needed, all while having high expectations for their learning and success.”

Thank you so much, Mrs. Maysey! We appreciate you and have fond memories of your class. Keep up the good work.

The Return of Winter Sports

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

January 5, 2021

With the Brooklyn City School District going remote this past December, winter sports were put on hold. The teams were not allowed to participate in any type of competition, including practice.

As of now, Brooklyn sports are back and ready for action. Each team has set its goals for the year and is ready to compete.

Scott Urig, girls’ basketball coach, stated that his plan is to control the controllables and get better one day at a time.

“Just like any other year, we play the games on our schedule. We control the controllables,” said Urig.

The girls’ basketball philosophy is E+R=O. “We cannot control the events that happen. We can control our response to the event. Our response to the event helps to shape the outcome. We control the controllables.”

Switching to wrestling, home workouts, running, and staying in shape are the things that Coach Ray Mass is doing to keep his wrestlers in shape.

“{A} shortened season is not good for the wrestlers, so trying to keep in shape is important because with going into no tournaments where you can wrestle up to five matches a day keeps you in shape, and right now, that’s not happening,” stated Mass.

The first wrestling match is at Beachwood High School at 6:00 on Thursday, January 7. This is a quad meet, and as of now, there will be no spectators allowed.

Coach Jerrod Karl of the boys’ basketball team plans to help his players succeed by focusing on conditioning and their team’s strengths.

“The pause took away a lot of instructional time for learning the plays. We are focusing on our athleticism and length to create turnovers and fast break points early in the season. As we continue to practice, we are trying to catch up on development of the playbook and work on timing of the plays,” an optimistic Karl stated.

Although the season that is going to be played is different than usual due to COVID-19 protocols, it is necessary to keep everyone as safe as possible.

“The shortened season is unfortunate, but given the circumstances, we should be happy to play at all. We were eager to face some of the non-conference teams we scheduled this year, but we have unfinished business within the conference. At this point, the players seem excited just to see another team and compete,” said Karl.

With all of the uncertainty and pushed-back start time, Karl is optimistic about what is to come.

He said that “The players have done an excellent job with all the adversity they have faced. The pause has set us back, but our goals stay the same.”

Finally, the hockey team will continue to practice and play intra-squad games in order to stay sharp until the time comes for them play an opponent from another school.

The Greater Cleveland High School Hockey League disbanded the conference format, and teams are on their own to schedule games throughout the year.

While this greatly limits the amount of opponents, it does allow for Coach Mike Wrost to pick and choose opponents and game times. This will help in managing pandemic-related issues for the remainder of the season.

“Even if we only get to play a limited number of games, we hope to play in order to salvage a season for the seniors. Morale on the team has been great, and the senior class has remained positive,” stated Wrost.

We wish our Winter sports teams good luck as they begin their new seasons. The Hurricane family is excited to watch each team succeed and bring home some wins.

Go Canes!

New Year, New You?

By: Aiden Nelson, Ariana Rojak, and Laila Schwin

January 5, 2021

Welcome 2021 Wishes Stock Video - Download Video Clip Now - iStock

Happy New Year, and welcome to 2021!

It is safe to say that 2020 was a rough year for a lot of people, so hopefully, this year can be better in comparison. This year, as we continue to have restrictions because of the coronavirus, is a good year to take some of your free time at home and devote it to really keeping to some new year’s resolutions. The possibilities for resolutions are endless and can be anything from personal to basic to even more impersonal. No matter which category your resolutions may fall into or if you have not quite made any yet, resolutions are a good goal for self-improvement.

Historically and up to the present day, resolutions have been a large, noted part of ringing in the new year. Surprisingly over time, they have not really changed that much.

According to Go Skills, the top five resolutions of all time are as follows:

Exercise more
Lose weight
Get organized
Learn a new skill or hobby
Live life to the fullest

How do these top five compare to those of last year? The top five resolutions of 2020, according to YouGov, were as follows:

Exercise more
Save money
Eat healthier (lose weight)
Reduce stress
Get more sleep

Certainly, these are some important and common goals, but 2020 was a fairly tough year, and it definitely made it harder to keep up with those for many people. So, the question remains, what are your top resolutions for 2021?

New Year New You - Hays Academy of Hair Design

If you have yet to make a new year’s resolution, the following quotes may inspire you to do so. We thought it was important to include these quotes because we believe that a little wisdom from some of the people who we look up to for encouragement will give us some hope for 2021.

First, from Dr. Seuss: “You’ll never get bored when you try something new. There’s really no limit to what you can do.”

Secondly, from Musician Beyonce: “In our perfect ways. In the ways, we are beautiful. In the ways, we are human. We are here. Happy New Year’s. Let’s make it ours.”

Finally, from Author Helen Rowland: “You will never win if you never begin.”

Lastly, we each came up with one new year’s resolution that we want to accomplish this year.

*Aiden: Exercise more and eat healthier.

*Ariana: Do good in medical school.

*Laila: Save money.

Please comment below on what your new year’s resolutions are as we would love to hear from you.

Again, Happy New Year’s!

Staff Spotlight: Miss Heiple

*Teacher: English Language Arts*

By: Morgan Blechschmid and Danielle Shehee

December 18, 2020

Miss Holly Heiple is a sixth grade Language Arts teacher and the Student Council Advisor at the Brooklyn School. Heiple is a caring teacher and enjoys seeing the interaction between her students, as well as being able to interact with them herself. She has a very joyful personality and loves bringing a positive attitude to her classroom in order to help her students become comfortable with working together.

Q: What is your favorite part about being a teacher?

A: “One of my favorite parts about being a teacher is getting to see my students grow up and mature! Now that we are all on one campus, I get to see former students in the hallways and assemblies. I also love sharing my love for reading. It’s so wonderful when I can inspire a student to try a book, and they end up loving it! Plus, my students are always recommending good books to me! I get to know a variety of different series that way.”

Q: What are the pros and cons for you with online learning/teaching?

A: “Online teaching has its pros and cons, of course. There have been advances in technology for teaching, and this really gives everyone the opportunity to try some of them out. One of the advantages of online teaching is that it has allowed students to feel much more confident about speaking out and participating. I think it doesn’t feel as though they are in a large group of people when you are in the safety of their own space. On the other hand, I miss the real interaction you can have with a student by sitting down next to them to go over work or offer help. Another con is that it forces students and staff to just sit for way too long! I’m used to being able to walk around my classroom when I’m teaching and having my students up and moving to work with partners. Of course right now with social distancing, that hasn’t been happening in the classroom anyway.”

Q: If you could choose another career, what would it be and why?

A: “I don’t know that I would want any other career than teaching, but I do have a lot of hobbies. I love technology, so I am teaching some older adults how to use their computers with helpful programs like Quicken and Zoom. I love horses, so I would like to teach children how to ride and take care of them. I love gardening, painting, and doing crafts, so that may be fun to teach others as well.”

Q: Who has been your biggest inspiration? Why?

A: “One of my biggest inspirations as a child was my kindergarten teacher. When I was in sixth-grade, she used to let me come in early before school to help her set up her classroom. I also used to draw posters for her classroom and help tutor some of her kids during my lunch/recess break. As a beginning teacher, my biggest inspiration was my principal. She was always helpful and kind. She knew how to talk to people to help them grow as individuals.”

Q: What are some life goals you want to achieve?

A: “One of my lifetime goals is to travel to many different countries. I have been to many countries in Europe, but I have never been to Ireland, and I would love to see the castles. Also, I want to see Machu Picchu and the Great Pyramids! Some day! Meanwhile, I am working on getting my PhD. See, even grown-up teachers go to school!”

Thank you, Miss Heiple! We hope that you have a great Christmas vacation and a terrific start to the upcoming new year.

National Junior Honor Society

By: Valery Warner, Brittney Corrado, and Alisha Bains

December 18, 2020

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As 2020 wraps up, the Brooklyn School’s National Junior Honor Society takes center stage.

The National Junior Honor Society was founded in 1929 and has been a program in the Brooklyn City School District ever since. Students are invited to apply for this prestigious honor based on their grade-point averages from the first and second quarters during sixth and seventh grade. With GPAs of 3.5 and higher, students can fill out an application listing their awards and accomplishments throughout the years. Many of these students are involved with extracurricular activities such as sports, band, and the spring musical as well.

Additionally, a big part of the honor society is giving back to the community. These students dedicate their time to volunteer for noteworthy causes. To be accepted, students must be well-rounded.

The final step is writing an essay as to why being a part of NJHS is vital and important.

In a normal, non-covid school year, the NJHS is responsible for morning announcements and helping with activities around the school such as the book fair, elf shop, field day, etc. Students also help with community events like the bike rodeo, Fall fest, and the spaghetti dinner fundraiser. In the past, they even assisted with recycling projects.

In May of 2021, the new recipients will officially be inducted into the NJHS with a ceremony. Hopefully, the ceremony will be different and back to “normal” as last year’s group was unable to have a traditional event due to covid. However, 2020 members were recognized in other ways to commemorate their achievement.

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If you are interested in joining or want more information on the National Junior Honor Society, please contact Sherrin Frate, who has been the coordinator for 20 years.

Our Top Five Christmas Movies

By: Laila Schwin, Ariana Rojak, and Aiden Nelson

December 15, 2020

Christmas movies are a yearly tradition for many people, and they provide a general sense of cheer during the holiday season. There are some classics that it seems people just keep coming back to and plenty more recent ones to enjoy for the Christmas spirit, too.

With that, we are giving our personal, top five rankings of the best and most enjoyable Christmas movies of all time.

The top five movies that we ranked from one to five are as follows: Home Alone, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, A Christmas Story, The Santa Clause, and A Christmas Carol. The reason why we chose to rank them this way is because we felt that these movies were not only great Christmas movies but also very funny movies.

Home Alone received the top spot in our list because it is undeniably one of the most well-known and well-loved Christmas movies of all time. It is a classic that most people know or have seen but one that is so good that you can keep going back to it regardless of how many times you have seen it. It has undeniable quality as a Christmas movie, a family movie, and a comedy.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas took second as another well-known Christmas movie that simply everyone can enjoy. It is an important movie when considering how it addresses Christmas being a commercialized holiday rather than being about the actual religious holiday and just the importance of family anymore. Even when addressing this, it is still full of great humor.

A Christmas Story takes third as a classic Christmas movie full of old-school comedy. It is also an important part of this list as much of it was filmed right here in Cleveland.

Watch A Christmas Story (1983) | Prime Video

The Santa Clause takes fourth as yet another classic, Christmas comedy. It also tells a generally-heartwarming story and is enjoyable for anyone as a family film.

The Santa Clause was supposed to be really dark, according to Tim Allen

Last, and certainly not least, is A Christmas Carol. The short story and all film adaptations are wonderful representations of the meaning of Christmas and the cheer that the holiday brings. While it certainly is not as lighthearted and humorous as the previous ones, it earns its place for morals and represents a better meaning of Christmas.

A Christmas Carol (2004 film) - Wikipedia

While not everyone agrees on these rankings in a concrete way, we think this list is a good step into well-known and generally-fun Christmas movies.

Feel free to let us know what your top five Christmas movies are in the Leave a comment section.

{Editor’s note: Nothing beats National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.}

“Ho, Ho, Ho! Merry Christmas, Clark!”

The Rematch: Browns vs. Ravens

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

December 15, 2020

Last night, the Cleveland Browns were looking to create more divisional separation from the Baltimore Ravens. Unfortunately, they found themselves on the short-end of the scoreboard in a Monday Night Football classic, falling to the Ravens 47-42.

In the first quarter, the Browns were able to get a jump on the Ravens early with a Nick Chubb touchdown run. However, the Ravens did not hesitate in responding with Lamar Jackson faking a handoff and running it into the end zone for a touchdown to knot the game at 7-7.

In the second quarter, after a Browns’ missed field goal, the Ravens answered the Browns defensive mistakes with another touchdown run, this time from Gus Edwards. The Browns then put an impressive drive together, capped by another Chubb touchdown run, tying the score at 14-14. After a couple of changes in possession, Jackson rushed for another touchdown, giving the Ravens a 21-14 halftime lead.

To begin the third quarter, the Ravens once again found themselves in the Browns’ end zone for another seven points, expanding their lead to 28-14.

In their next possession, the Browns responded with Kareem Hunt scoring to cut the deficit to eight points (after a missed PAT by Cody Parkey). Another Ravens touchdown (but a blocked PAT) gave them a two-touchdown lead heading into the fourth quarter.

This is when the game got very interesting. Trailing 34-20, Baker Mayfield threw a strike to Rashard Higgins resulting in a wide-open touchdown. Instead of going for one, Coach Kevin Stefanski went for two points and converted, trimming the deficit to 34-28. After getting the ball back and an ensuing long drive, Mayfield ran it in from five yards out to give the Browns a 35-34 lead with six minutes remaining.

Nearing the two-minute mark, the Ravens marched down the field and scored on a pass from Jackson to Marquise Brown (plus a two-point conversion) giving the Ravens the lead once again, 42-35. In less than a minute, the Browns responded yet again with a Mayfield 22-yard pass to Hunt, who dove into the endzone for the score. After a good PAT, the game was tied at 42-42.

Even with just a minute remaining, Jackson worked his magic and drove the Ravens into Browns’ territory to set up Justin Tucker’s game-winning, 55-yard field goal with only two seconds remaining. {Note: The extra two points came from a lateral-crazy safety as time expired.}

Disappointing loss? Yes! However, the Browns showed fight and offensive firepower, two traits that have not been seen much in the past 20 years.

Even with the defeat, the Browns’ record stands at 9-4, and they still have a really good chance to end their playoff drought, which goes all the way back to 2002.

Some other good news includes Nick Chubb being voted the team’s 2020 Ed Block Courage Award recipient and Myles Garrett winning the team’s 2020 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award.

The Browns are back in action this Sunday (December 20) as they travel to New York to face the Giants. Kickoff is at 8:20 p.m.

Go Browns!