THE RETURN OF THE EYE

TAKING TRINITY DOWN

By: Morgan Blechschmid, Jonathan Drake, and Lexi Jenkins

February 18, 2020

This past Tuesday, the Brooklyn Hurricanes varsity basketball team faced off against the Trinity Trojans for their last home game of the season. However, this was not their first time going up against Trinity; they played them on the road in early January and lost 70-57.

The starters were Tristian Peggs, Maceo Pytel, Tyler Elzholz, Jamiar Tate, and Stephen Slawinski. Notable players who put forth amazing efforts throughout the game were freshmen Calvin Gore and Jaiden Basinger.

The first quarter started strong. The Trojans connected on the first basket of the night, followed closely by Basinger nailing a three-pointer as the first score for the Hurricanes. Pytel also scored a layup in a solid, beginning effort. The final score of the first quarter was 14-8 in favor of the Hurricanes.

The second quarter carried on similarly to the first with a lot of back-and-forth tempo. Both teams carried themselves well and had a great defense but also managed to knock down timely shots as well. Basinger made another three-pointer about halfway through the quarter, and Gore hit a layup towards the end. Pytel also contributed more buckets for the Canes as they went into halftime with a 36-26 lead.

Freshman Anthony Starr, “I thought the team played great. We came out from the start wanting to win this game no matter what.”

At the beginning of the third quarter, Gore attempted to jump and score a basket but slipped and took a hard fall to the ground appearing to have injured his hip. He stayed there for a few moments but got back up with only a small look of discomfort and continued playing just as hard. Shortly after the fall, Gore scored three more points as the Canes closed out the third quarter, leading the Trojans 53-37.

During the fourth quarter, the intensity picked up as the Canes were determined to close this one out. Our student cheering section made sure to keep our team’s spirits up by cheering loudly throughout the game.

About halfway through the quarter, after much encouragement from the students, senior Elliot Loy checked into the game and quickly scored a point. There were many fouls called for both teams, leading to an abundance of foul shots. The final score of the game was 72-57 with the Hurricanes sealing the revenge.

Basinger led the Hurricanes scoring effort with a game-high 26 points. Pytel added 18 points with Gore adding 15 points.

As the last home game for the Hurricanes, this victory meant a lot for everybody including the students. The Hurricanes persevered and played their hardest.

Make sure to come out and support the boys as they begin tournament play on Tuesday, February 25 at Warrensville Heights High School. Tip-off is at 7:00.

Good luck, boys!

Staff Profile: Mr. Ross

By: Daylun Armstrong

*School Counselor*

*Why did you decide to become a teacher?

“I became a teacher because my happiest moments in school when I was younger was when I was involved in music, and I wanted to give other students the same opportunity to express themselves. I then became a counselor because I enjoy giving advice and being someone people can trust to talk to.”

*How do you deal with a stressful situation?

“Keep my calm, focus on the solution, and then stress out after the fact.”

*What is your most interesting, high school memory?

“I got the lead in the spring musical and had to learn how to tap dance.”

*If you could have a different job, what would it be?

“Chef or Broadway actor because I love to cook and watch people eat my cooking, but I also love to perform and bring joy to other people in a live theater because I like to have that interaction with the audience.”

*What was your funniest, teaching moment?

“When a mouse came into my classroom (deathly afraid of rodents) and I had to call my principal to come remove it.”

*What was your biggest setback in life?

“The struggles of having children with my past marriage but having my children now makes the gift of life (and them) much more special.”

*If you could change one thing in the school, what would it be?

“The apathy of certain students and some staff.”

*Do you have any advice for the students of Brooklyn?

“Enjoy the benefits of living in a small town and a small school district, and it does not matter what you do in the future as long as you have a plan.”

YEARBOOK THEME: “THE ROARING TWENTIES”

By: Izabella Hotz and Destiny Cannon

February 20, 2020

This year, the yearbook will be created by a class for the first time ever. Led by Mrs. Jacinta Bader, Mrs. Joanne Becker, and the students, they are putting together the yearbook by taking photos, advertising, and deciding on layouts.

This class seems to be starting the trend of student-led classes being introduced to BHS, along with the journalism class. Both classes enable students to become independent and responsible for their own work as well as to help them develop teamwork skills.

The students are also developing skills in marketing, selling, and advertising, as they need to incorporate all three to get the yearbook to sell.

The goal of the class, according to Principal Bill Wingler, is ”to create a yearbook that’s student-led and student-edited so that it truly represents what the students believe should be in the yearbook”.

He also wants the yearbook to be “giving a good picture of what’s going on at the high school”.

Wingler told us that his inspiration behind these classes are based upon his high school experience, saying: “I’m not a good ‘sit-and-listen’ person. I don’t like lecture-based instruction. I feel like a good percentage of students aren’t engaged in the classrooms. So, next year, we are adding seven-to-nine new classes with the same idea [student-led, active].”

So far, the yearbook class has been photographing most events and outings involving the high school, such as sporting events, the International Festival, etc.

The class has been working extremely hard to put the yearbook together, but the biggest factor is the price. Right now, the yearbook’s pricing was driven down significantly through their use of advertising, which required students to contact local businesses about advertising opportunities.

Bader said that “ …it took us [the class] a while to figure out the programming, but now, it is all getting put in place. It is awesome; we are using the theme of ‘The Roaring Twenties,’ and everything is really coming together.”

The class, while simple in theory, occupies a lot of time between design, unity, theming, and advertisements. There are a few newer features this year, such as senior quotes and advertisements created for local businesses.

The length of the yearbook will also be much different, and Bader mentioned that it will be 168 pages long, which is up from around 70 pages last year.

Overall, this class has been extremely productive and definitely student-led. At many other schools, the teachers and faculty make the phone calls and most of the big choices, but here at BHS, it is all about student decisions.

One of the many fliers around the school for the yearbook

The yearbook will be available for $43 through April 16, $48 from April 17-May 25, and then $59 from May 26-June 3.

If you have any questions or would like to purchase a yearbook, please contact Mrs. Jacinta Bader at (216) 485-8100, ext. 8503.

International Festival Brings Planet-Sized Fun

By: Gino Pallotta, Ariana Rojak, and Danielle Shehee

February 18, 2020

Last Wednesday, Brooklyn High School held the annual international festival with so many students celebrating different cultures.

This is BHS’s fifth consecutive international festival.

The beginning of the school day started normally, as the first two classes were regular, but in third period, all of the students were called down to the auditorium to watch the parade of nations.

The parade of nations started with an assembly, introducing all of the different cultures being represented.

During fourth period, cultural trivia games were played. After that, the groups got together and went to the four different stations.

Station one was international cooking where many staff members made food. Mr. Ross made Italian pasta, Ms. Narouze made stuffed grape leaves, Ms. Barber and Mr. Verba made crepes, Mr. Rademaker made an Irish dessert, and finally, Mrs. Jones made Swedish meatballs.

Freshman Jenna Young making an Irish dessert

Station two was the African-American presentation, talking about the importance of respecting African-American culture and its roots. Games were played to help those involved get a deeper understanding of the topic.

Station three were the country presentations where students walked around with a “passport” book and had to write three facts about 12 different countries of their choice. These countries had presenters who gave out information to write down.

Lastly, station four was dancing. Many students learned how to do many cultural dances; the tango and salsa were crowd favorites.

Science and ESL teacher Mr. Len Piechowski (event organizer) answered a few questions on the importance of this festival.

*How can the festival be a benefit to the students?

“We are living in a world that is becoming more and more global, and it is important for us to compete with other people in the world and also learn more about other people’s cultures.”

*How has the festival changed over the years?

“It has gotten bigger with more participants and more exciting and fun activities. It started off with just my ESL students, but it has grown to more of the other students as well.”

Thanks to Mr. P and the other staff members, as well as all student participants, for making this day possible.

Boys Basketball Team Wins On Senior Night!

By: Ella Fowler, Serena Barile, and Delaney David

February 14, 2020

The Hurricanes beat Lake Ridge Academy 83-56, and it was even more special being that it was senior night.

Dean Day, Elliot Loy, Jamiar Tate, Tristan Peggs, and Adiel Sanabria-Cruz were the seniors recognized prior to the game in front of their family, friends, and home crowd.

“I was happy that we could send our seniors out on a positive note. I’m glad we won the game in the fashion that we did because that is a memory our seniors will probably never forget,” Coach Jerrod Karl on the excitement of the victory.

The first quarter was a rocky start for the Canes with Lake Ridge taking the lead 19-2 early on. Although the first quarter ended with a score of 19-11 in favor of Lake Ridge, the Hurricanes were determined to come back.

The second quarter went much better for the Canes as they battled back to even the score at 31-31 at the half. They were able to knot the score with efficient offense and pressure defense.

In the second half, the Hurricanes played their best half of the season, clicking on both sides of the ball. Outscoring Lake Ridge 31-14 in the 3rd quarter set the tone for the fourth quarter (21-12) as they continued to step on the gas for a dominating and memorable win.

Freshman Jaiden Basinger led the scoring with 23 points. Fellow freshman Calvin Gore added 20 points and 7 rebounds. Sophomore Tyler Elzholz scored 13 points and grabbed a season high 17 rebounds, and senior Tristan Peggs scored 11 points and added 4 steals.

Karl added, “Everyone in our program did their job! We were communicating on defense, we were in the correct spots on the press and in the helpside, and we were able to capitalize on the turnovers and convert those into transition points.”

Their next game is against Trinity, and according to Karl, “We cannot live in the past and be satisfied with the result from Friday night. Our goal was to win on senior night, and we accomplished that. Our goal now is to win two games in a row. The only way we do that is to carry the momentum that we have and clean up some of the mistakes on offense.”

The home game against Trinity is at 7:00 on Tuesday, February 18.

Savannah’s “Before the Light”

By: Haley Schaldach and Alaysia Curry

February 18, 2020

One of BHS’s students, sophomore Savannah David, was selected into the Ohio House of Representatives Student Art Exhibit for her photography.

The Ohio House of Representatives Student Art Exhibit is a gallery that is geared towards students in Ohio to encourage creativity and talent. All 99 districts in Ohio are represented, and each piece of art selected will be held on display for one entire year at the House of Representatives.

This year, art teacher Mr. Chris Kaspar chose four different photos that he believed would be good candidates for the contest. He then went to two different teachers (one art teacher and the other was a random teacher) to seek their opinion on which photo should be sent in.

Both of the teachers voted on David’s photo to be sent into the contest. The photo was then sent to the Ohio House of Representatives and was later confirmed that her work was selected for one of the exhibits.

When asked how she created her photo, David responded, “I created this picture by having all of the lights off in the auditorium and my friend sitting on the overview stage with another friend standing over her with a flashlight. There was a small crack in the door, which was the slight line of light leading up towards her feet.”

David titled her photo “Before the Light” because of the light that leads up to her friend’s feet that seems like a heavenly light leading her out of the darkness that is surrounding her. The name just seemed to fit her photo perfectly.

With a lot of hard work and multiple tries to perfect her photo, the recognition that David received is well-deserved.

Congratulations, Savannah!

The Hurricanes Defeat Cuyahoga Heights in a Thrilling Game

By: Normeze Rivera, Jessica Strimpel, and Anayah Flowers

February 13, 2020

The Lady Canes pulled off a thrilling win against Cuyahoga Heights last night by a score of 28-25.

Genesis Carballo scored the first point of the game. Not long after, Shariah Gailes made a three-pointer. Then, Jenna Young made two shots and gave the Canes a four-point lead. As time winded down, Carballo then finished the quarter with a layup.

The first quarter ended with a score of 11-3 with Brooklyn in the lead.

Marshay Smith started the second quarter by scoring two points. Caraballo then made both of her foul shots. Gailes ended the quarter making a layup, adding to the Hurricanes’ halftime lead with a score of 17-11.

In the third quarter, the host Redskins came back, scoring seven unanswered points, which left the score 18-17 for a while as both teams went through an offensive drought. Kelsey Bruzek, however, ended the scoreless spell by knocking down two free throws, giving the Canes a slight edge on the scoreboard, 19-18.

In the final quarter, the Redskins came out hot scoring seven points, but Caraballo knocked down a three-pointer to trim the deficit to three. Shortly after, she scored another two points.

The game then came down to pressure free throws (made by Caraballo and Gailes) and defensive stops, and the Hurricanes excelled in both phases holding onto the conference victory, 28-25.

“This team has been making remarkable improvements from the beginning of the year. It was fun watching this team grow up throughout the 22 [regular season] games. To see their hard work and effort pay off tonight, on the road, against a very well-coached team, makes me proud,” stated Coach Urig.

He also added: “Playoff basketball is a game where every possession matters, and for most of the game today, every possession mattered. We played a very disciplined team, and we were patient enough to win…We did the little things and that’s something that’s going to give us confidence moving forward.”

Gailes stated what this season has taught her: “I feel like when people see freshmen, they think of us as an underdog, and when four freshmen made varsity as well as starting, people took us more seriously.”

With the completion of the regular season schedule, the Hurricanes will begin their playoff push on Saturday, February 22, as they travel to Lutheran East.

WOLVERINES ARE TOO HOT TO HANDLE

By: Morghan Blechschmid, Jonathan Drake, and Lexi Jenkins

February 10, 2020

Last Monday, the Brooklyn Hurricanes boys varsity basketball team faced off against the Lincoln West Wolverines. The starting Canes were Tristan Peggs, Tyler Elzholz, Maceo Pytel, Jaiden Basinger, and Calvin Gore.

The Hurricanes were off to a good start in the first quarter, having scored twice within the first minute. The first bucket was made by Elzholz. However, the Wolverines made a comeback and scored three points soon after. Pytel knocked down a three-pointer, which led to a tie between both teams. Later, Basinger managed to score on a buzzer-beater ending the quarter trailing the Wolverines 19-18.

In the second quarter, there was a moment when the referees had to get involved when a member of the Wolverines got pushy with Basinger. This incident somewhat set the tone for the Wolverines as being the playground bully in which they asserted their will on the Canes and outscored them 26-10, thus taking a 45-28 halftime lead.

Freshman Anthony Starr said, ”We can improve by boxing out better and less team turnovers, and really if we stop those [turnovers], I think we can be successful.”

The third quarter was very similar to the first with a lot of back-and-forth tempo, and there were also many fouls called on both teams leading to an abundance of foul shots.

Still in the third, an incident occurred where two players from both teams were jumping up to grab the ball, and they collided and fell to the floor; the Hurricanes were whistled for the foul, much to the disdain of the home crowd. However, the Canes kept pace with Wolverines, only being outscored in the quarter by one point 19-18.

Heading into the fourth quarter facing a 64-46 deficit, the Canes could not get enough defensive stops and offensive baskets to complete the comeback.

As the final horn buzzed, the Wolverines walked out with an 81-59 victory.

Starr said, “At first, we got off to a slow start, then we got the game to a close score at the beginning of the second quarter…then came the third quarter, and we all started strong but let go of the gas and eventually, they made their run, and we couldn’t bounce back from it.”

The next game for the boys will be this Friday, February 14 at 7:00 p.m. against Lake Ridge Academy.

It is a home game, so make sure to come out and support our boys!

Staff Profile: Mr. Timas

By: Jessica Strimpel

*Computer/Business Teacher*

Q: Why did you decide to be a teacher?

A: “I did it because I felt my third year in college that I was headed towards being a computer major. I just felt a calling to help in a bigger way, and I thought teaching would be a good way to do that.”

Q: How do you deal with a stressful day?

A: “If it’s really stressful, I’ll go for a hike or a long drive.”

Q: What is your most interesting, high school memory?

A: “For our senior prank, my class and I made paper dummies of different teachers. We then set up a living room inside the courtyard. The dummies had different messages of what they taught; it was really funny.”

Q: If you could change your career, what would it be?

A: “I guess it would be something in the computer field.”

Q: What is your funniest, teaching memory?

A: “When I was a first year teacher, I was teaching at a Catholic school, and I was all excited and full of energy. A couple of the kids tied a string across the doorway, and I came bouncing in, and I tripped over the string. It was pretty funny.”

Q: What was your biggest setback in life?

A: “I don’t view anything as a real setback. I think everyone goes through hard times, but each hard time you go through is a learning moment.”

Black History Month: Mary Beatrice Davidson Kenner

By: Valery Warner, Jaden Majewski, and Daylun Armstrong

February 11, 2020

Before Mary Beatrice Davidson Kenner, many had to deal with the discomfort and inconvenience of using cloth pads and rags during their menstrual cycles. Due to racial discrimination, Kenner’s invention (the sanitary belt) was overlooked and not implemented until 30 years later.

Born to a family of inventors in North Carolina on May 17, 1912, Kenner always had a desire to create something new.

After her high school graduation in 1931, she attended Howard University but sadly was forced to drop out due to financial pressures.

This did not stop Kenner as she still found a way to create and improve the world around us.

She took on odd jobs (babysitting and finally as a federal employee). Eventually, she saved up enough money to make the first patent for sanitary napkins.

Her idea sparked interest in the marketing world, but as soon as the investors found out that she was African-American, all interest was lost. With lost interest came lost hopes and dreams for Kenner.

With the loss of money and dreams, she still did not give up hope. She was inspired in her daily life to continue inventing.

Kenner eventually filed five patents in total, more than any other African-American woman in history.

Never recognized or paid for her numerous inventions, Kenner still had a positive outlook and never felt the need to create anything for money or fame; she created them out of love, for the craft, and for the common good of human beings (though she should have been paid and given credit and recognition for her work).

Unfortunately, Kenner died at the age of 93 on January 13, 2006, but it will never be forgotten that she believed that anyone could make a difference with their inventions and improve today’s world.

People today can thank Mary Beatrice Davidson Kenner for creating a product(s) that not only makes life easier but makes that time of the month a little bit easier as well.

JESSIE HERZFELD OPENS EXHIBIT WITH ILLUSIONS AND VISIONS

By: Izabella Hotz and Destiny Cannon

February 7, 2020

This past Friday, artist Jessie Herzfeld opened her first solo art exhibition at the Art On Madison gallery with her collection named Illusions and Visions. The atmosphere was nice, and snacks were provided along with refreshments.

This collection is composed of poems by the french poet Rimbaud that she actualized into mixed media works. Each piece uses quite a few different mediums, including but not limited to paint, pencil, and stamps.

Overall, each work was visually appealing, and although complex, they followed the poems perfectly, depicting moods,themes, and visuals that were expressed in Rimbaud’s poems.

Each of the paintings was done twice, once with the french poem and another time translated into English, as she said she wanted everyone who sees her work to be able to fully enjoy it. She also displayed the concept art for certain sections of her works.

Concept art displayed in the gallery: *Off With Her Head*

Concept art displayed in the gallery: *Animals*

Concept art displayed in the gallery: *Man Who Chases You*

Characters and creatures found in the paintings were also displayed and sold, as well as full sizes of the works. Overall, the collection was clearly well-thought out and made with great care.

We asked Herzfeld how she wanted people to interact with her collection, and she told us, “I want them to engage with the poems in a way that they might not otherwise…having people slow down when they engage with it so that they’re really using their own imagination.”

She also explained that her collection was a way for her to express things in a dreamlike and fantastical way, which definitely opens up the imagination of anyone who sees her work.

Her advice for aspiring artists is, “Keep working at it, and don’t worry if what you’re doing is different than what you think things should look like.”

Viewing the gallery was a lot of fun, between the amazing narratives and the bold imagery. There were lots of things to look at and find in each painting, which did cause us to slow down and truly appreciate the art and the poems together.

Herzfeld did a fantastic job of marrying poetry and visual art in this collection, giving lots to discover and ideas to explore.

This collection is on display at the Art On Madison gallery located at 14203 Madison Avenue in Lakewood through Saturday, March 7.

A Night to Shine

By: Haley Schaldach, Savannah David, and Alaysia Curry

February 7, 2020

“A Night to Shine” is an event that is geared towards those with disabilities to ensure that they will have the night of their lives.

This gathering is sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation and is hosted in over 655 churches throughout 24 different countries. It also takes place the week before Valentine’s Day.

Tebow wanted to help people who were disabled to make sure that they were treated just like everyone else. This foundation has impacted many, and the volunteer numbers continue to rise.

As Tebow was growing up, he visited a village where he met a boy named Sherwin. Not knowing, in the moment, the extent of the impact, Sherwin was born with his feet backwards, and everyone in his village said he was “cursed”. Tebow helped this boy and then realized that this is what he wanted to do forever. It was his calling!

“That’s why in 2010, I was so excited to create the Tim Tebow Foundation to bring Faith, Hope, and Love to those needing a brighter day in their darkest hour of need,” said Tebow.

Last Friday, some students from BHS volunteered to help at the event hosted at the Cuyahoga Valley Church. Around seven volunteers from our school, along with organizer Miss Kristen Field, assisted in this amazing event by being buddies to guests who attended.

Before the dance began, each guest was announced by name into the dance room where they walked down a red carpet to receive their boutonniere or corsage.

After being announced, each person was served a wonderful dinner along with tasty desserts. At the conclusion of their meals, the guests received their crowns and began to move on to other activities.

While the dance was going on, there were different activity stations. These stations included the following: karaoke, photo booths, dancing, makeup, shoe shining, and limo rides.

These activities helped provide lifelong memories for everyone involved.

This night was dedicated to those with special needs to help them remember how unique and loved they are.

We would love to share this great time with everyone, so please, volunteer your time next year.

Just one star can light up a darkened sky. So too can one smile!