A YEAR WITH BERLIN PRIDE Riley Kern ‘25 May 23, 2023
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
TABLE OF CONTENTS LETTER FROM THE EDITOR (2) TABLE OF CONTENTS (3) THE BEST JOB TO HAVE (4) HARD NEWS ARTICLE (8) THE MYSTERIES BEHIND A MODEL (5) COLORADO PHOTO ESSAY (6) COLORADO PHOTO ESSAY (7) RUCKUS PIZZA REVIEW (10) FRESHMAN SUPERSTAR (11) A CHRISTMAS CLASSIC THAT IS WORTH THE WATCH (9) EDITORIAL CARTOON (12)
THE BEST JOB TO HAVE Many know Mrs. Kristy Poehler as a beloved secretary, but to her seven kids, she is a hard-working mother. Before she became known to Berlin, she worked a job as the mother to her four biological children. Although it may not seem like much, being a single parent is overlooked, and the experience holds many troubles and successes. “It’s still the best job I ever had, and is the thing I am most proud of,” Poehler said. Even after she had substitute jobs in Westerville schools and Olentangy schools for three years, a secretary job at Berlin, the belief of going into the medical field, and many jobs as a teacher, her fifteen years as a stay-at-home mom was the experience with the most rewards. Not only did it have the most rewards, but it also held the most difficulties. “And for some reason that night I had picked it up and it got me through the first year,” Poehler said. Poehler suffered a tragic loss after her husband of many years unexpectantly passed away. With the multiple gifts and words of wisdom that she received, a simple book with positive words and thoughts is what helped the most. After the loss, Mrs.Poehler was left to raise her many children alone, and without a job at the time. Through this journey, she learned and grew in many unexpected ways. “Kids teach us sometimes,” Poehler said. Mrs.Poehler was left shocked and scared after her oldest daughter came home with news that she was enlisted in the military. With expectations of college, Mrs.Poehler believed that this was the wrong decision for her daughter, although later on, she came to find out that it was actually the best. Her daughter learned many new things and saw the world while enlisted in the military, and this made Mrs.Poehler realize that she still had more to learn.
THE MYSTERIES BEHIND A MODEL @drewwarner Drew Warner is a busy 10th grade student at Berlin who is involved with girls lacrosse and cheerleading. Along with these extracurricular activities, Warner has a life behind the scenes as a model. With this journey under her belt for more than seven years, Drew holds many experiences and off ers a look into her life outside of school. “I started modeling in 5th grade for Abercrombie and Fitch, but I took a little break in between then and really started my career this year,” Warner said. Even at a young age, Warner knew what she wanted to do. Her favorite part was the opportunity to try on all of the clothes that no one had seen before, not even online. At such a young age, Warner had to learn many new things about this world that overall developed her into a better person. “I’ve learned to be confi dent and to not have an opinion about the clothes that I am wearing,” Warner said. When people are constantly evaluated by judges who are staring at their body and what they have on, it’s tough. Warner found a source of confi dence from this critique, especially with her height. She’s learned to be confi dent with her body, and saw that her height has helped her succeed in this world. Without her height and confi dence, she’s not sure where she would be now. “I don’t really remember any of the designers that I tried on, but I got signed with MMG NY models.” Warner said. Th is past month, Warner got to have a once in a lifetime experience at New York fashion week. New York fashion week is an annual series of events where international designs are shown to buyers, the public, and the press, and here, Warner got to model many unique designs. Her favorite part was the fashion and the new people that she got to meet, along with the new agency she signed with, MMG NY models. “I love them, but they are in New York so they are kinda far away. I got signed with them the week aft er New York fashion week, around mid september. I was very excited.” Warner said. It had been a dream of hers to sign with an agency since she was very young. She never would have thought that a trip to New York would change her life in such a drastic way.
Colorado Captured Riley Kern ‘25 A Mile Long Drift Two teamates, Taylor Novak ‘25 and Ellie Clark ‘26 are seen on fl oats in a rocky river in Colorado. “Th e water was so cold, I was really hoping our tube wouldn’t fl ip,” Clark said. Sunset over a Soccer Match A big crowd is gathered in the home arena of the Colorado Rapids who are versing LA Galxies, a rival of the Rapids. A sunset was in the horizon to celebrate the last day of a national tournament held close to the fi eld. A Hike up the Mountains Columbus United’s 07 Girls soccer team visits Colorado Springs with downtime in between their games. Claire Walden ‘25, Elise Buckerfi eld ‘25 climbed to the top on the rocky hill. Rockin’ at the Amphitheatre A scenic concert is getting set up at the Colorado Amphitheatre where many known artists and bands play in the rocks. “I wish we could have stayed to watch them play, it woud have been really cool,” says Josie Budic ‘25.
To Practice with a View Th e famous Colorado mountains are seen by the Columbus United 07 Girls soccer team while they practice from their games a day before nationals. “It made practicing so much more fun,” said Josie Budic 25’. A Trip to Time Travel Aft er their week at Nationals had ended, Josie Budic 25’ and Elise Buckerfi eld 25’ take a trip back in time at Lookout Mountain Park. Th ey had on old timey outfi ts that were off ered by the museum. Th e Celebration of a King With a “crown” on his head, Alex Bechtol, the Columbus United Girls 07 coach, is celebrated by the team for taking them to Nationals. Bechtol held a card in his hand that holds thank you notes from each of the players. A Rainbow says Goodbye A rainbow is seen over a southwest airplane in the Colorado airport, while people begin to board the plane. For the Columbus United soccer team, it was a nice sight to see before they leave.
CHAOS IN CALIFORNIA Over the weekend on Saturday, January 30, a fatal shooting occurred in California. According to VOA news, 4 people wounded, and 3 were killed at a multimillion dollar rental home in a high-end neighborhood in Los Angeles. Being the 6th mass shooting in California, the incident occurred around 2:30 in the morning in the Beverly Crest Neighborhood, one known for its high quality. There are currently no suspects, but three of the shootings occurred inside a vehicle, two of the victims being transported in an ambulance, the others taken to the hospital with a private vehicle. Iyana Hutton, 33, Nenah Davis, 29, and Denty Sims, 26 were all the victims left dead from this terrible accident. We know that the other four were in critical and stable condition. The home where the shootings took place is known as a quiet, mid-century home where it is not likely for such an incident to occured. There is no information regarding whether the house had any noise or just basic complaints against it, which could have led to the violence. The three that were in the vehicle died due to the gunfire that was shot at the vehicle. The others left in stable or critical condition were outside of the car when the shooting was taking place. Cops confirmed that it was a gun battle where the victims were shot and it was not an active shooter incident like many incidents in cAlifornia had been in the past. The home that was being rented is often rented out for parties, so police are investigating neighbors for any complaints. If any information is found on the shooting, police want you to call LAPD’s Robbery Homicide Division at 213-486-6890
RUCKUS PIZZA REVIEW A CHRISTMAS CLASSIC THAT IS WORTH THE WATCH When you think of Christmas, what comes to your mind? Santa and his reindeer, opening presents on christmas day, making cookies with your family, and even sledding on a snow day could be a few exciting activities that you participate in during the magical month of December. In my opinion, the best part of Christmas is the timeless and classical Christmas movies that I watch every year. With the countless fi lms that we all love, Home Alone has a special place in our hearts. Home Alone Stars the 8 year old actor Macauly Kulkin who plays the role of Kevin McCallister who has been forgotten at home, and is the center of the saying, “Kevin’s not here!” Home Alone was aired in 1990 and created by the director Chris Columbus, with the help of the writer John Hughes. It was instantly popular among parents and children, and had an overall theme to be careful what you wish for when Kevin’s family seemingly disappeared the morning aft er he had wished he lived alone. Home Alone has been nominated for countless awards such as the Best Music Award, the BMI fi lm award, the British Comedy Award, the Golden Globes Award, and many more. Not only is Home Alone loved by critics, but it is loved by us. Home Alone opens in chaos. A large family is crammed in a house that the McCallister family decided to host for the night before a big family trip to Paris. With as many people and children inside the house, destruction, fi ghting, and messes are bound to happen. Blamed and tormented by his family members, Kevin is the main source of this chaos and is sent upstairs to be locked in for the rest of the night by his mother Kate McCallister, played by Catherine O’hara. Frustrated with his situation and “annoying” family, Kevin wished he lived alone and says he doesn’t want a family. Th e next day, aft er the power in the McCallister house goes out, the family sleeps in and is scrambling to leave the house in time. In all of this rush, Kevin is left at the house while the rest of his family is on their way to Paris. Th inking that his wish came true, Kevin is able to enjoy his “new” life without a family and without any rules. Th is is until two house robbers Harry, played by Joe Pesci and Marv, played by Daniel Stern threaten to break into the house. Kevin is faced with many hilarious obstacles to keep the thieves out, adding to the plot of the movie. My Favorite part of the movie has to be the scene of Kevin when he creates an illusion to keep the robbers out. He uses mannequins, cardboard cutouts, and blasts christmas music to make it seem like the house is full of people and having a party. Th is scares the thieves, and they don’t come back till later in the movie. Overall, I would give the movie a 4 out of 5 stars. For children, this movie is perfect, and of course I love it because it is a classic. Although, some scenes and ideas do seem a little childish and not realistic during the movie, but again, Home Alone is targeted for children. It had a great theme to appreciate your family more, and also was hilarious watching Kevin keep the thieves out. Home Alone has been a part of many family’s Christmas traditions for years. Although the spin off s of Home Alone aren’t nearly as good, all we need is the original Christmas classic. So, if you are looking for something to do on the holidays, watch Home Alone with your family and drink some hot chocolate.
RUCKUS PIZZA REVIEW If you are looking for a fun, casual restaurant with countless different foods to choose from, Ruckus Pizza Restaurant is the place to go. Although located in North Carolina, Ruckus has perfected its menu and its recipes. Their slogan, “We got something for everyone,” is more than true with their countless items such as sushi, pizza, wings, salads, and even tacos. Even though I wouldn’t recommend the 8-hour drive just to visit this restaurant, if you are ever in the area, Ruckus is a must. Ruckus is located in four areas; Costco Plaza Apex, Mission Valley Raleigh, Park West Morrisville, and Tryon Village Cary. This series of restaurants were created around 15 years ago by the owners Robert, Ashley, Amy, and Ryan who wanted to create a restaurant that fitted them at the time, “Fresh out of college and ready to have a good time”. They believe that their restaurant is a place for great food, great music, and a great time. When I received the menu, I was overwhelmed with all of the options. There was food from all different types of cultures such as the Tulum sushi roll or the Brisket Tacos. The reviews for all of the food were off the charts, but after I had just played my final soccer game of the weekend, I wanted something unhealthy and simple. Along with most of my team, I ordered the Chicken finger appetizer for my main meal. This appetizer is served with a choice of dipping sauce and a basket of fries. Knowing that there were a lot of us and that our food would probably take a while, I also ordered the Ruckus Nachos appetizer as my actual appetizer and it is served with queso, their famous chili, tomato, onion, lettuce, pico, guacamole, and sour cream. And finally, as my drink, I ordered a diet Coke. The Nachos were my favorite part of the night. I was shocked when I saw the mountain of chips and sauces that appeared at my table. The creamy queso was layered throughout the stack, with the chili and other condiments piled on top. I wanted to save my appetite for my main meal, so I had my teammates help me finish the giant pile of nachos. The chips were both perfectly crunchy and a little soft from the queso, guacamole, and chili. The guac and queso added saltiness while the chili was a little sweet which balanced out the meal perfectly. Although I couldn’t really taste the tomato, onion, lettuce, and pico, they still added to the already delicious meal with the different textures and the little flavor that I could taste. I would rate this Appetizer five out of five stars, and if I ever visited again, I would get this as my main meal. Even though my main meal came out very late, it was still delicious. I was one of the last to get my plate, so the mouth-watering smell and appetizing look of the chicken and fries made me excited to eat. I instantly dug in when my meal came, and I went straight to the fries. They were perfectly crispy when you bit into them, and almost tasted like mashed potatoes on the soft inside. Although, the chicken did not live up to the rest of my evening. It was almost a little hard and chewy, but it was still very good, and would order again if I got the chance, which gives it a four out of five stars. This dine-in restaurant offers an amazing experience with a beautiful outside dining patio and also offers many fun events such as a current event coming up on December 13 where you can dine with Santa. I loved the staff, and even with my giant team and all of our parents asking for food, the waiters and chef were able to get our food out in a great time, still having that quality factor. Overall, I would rate Ruckus Pizza Restaurant a five out of five stars because of the delicious food, and fun dining experience. If you are ever in North Carolina, use this website ruckuspizza. com.
FRESHMAN SUPERSTAR A few months ago, high school soccer teams from all across the state participated in an OHSAA statewide tournament where Sadie Thompson, a freshman on the Olentangy Orange soccer team, participated. “My parents put me into soccer around 5 years old, but I wasn’t that serious with it until I was 11 since it was mainly my parents that were coaching me,” Thompson said. With the privilege of playing varsity in this tournament as a freshman, Thompson had to develop her skills very young. She moved to the club Columbus United, where she still currently is, after Thompson realized that she wanted to become more serious with soccer. As a girl born in 2007 girl who plays with girls older than her, Thompson heard a lot about the difficulties and expectations of highschool soccer from her club teammates. She felt that she was more prepared going into highschool as a freshman with the advice given to her from her older friends. “My favorite part about Olentangy Orange Soccer is how we are all so close and nice to each other,” Thompson said. Even though Sadie made the JVA team during the season, she was invited to play up with varsity for the OHSAA tournament. Here, she found that the upperclassmen and more experienced girls were very kind and helpful, which Thompson claims helped add to their success throughout the season. After the regular season ended, the girls began to practice for their first tournament game against Central Crossing High School, where they won at a home game. Sadie shares that they also played Franklin Heights, Worthington Kilbourne, and Olentangy. After they also won all of these games, the undefeated team became District Champs. “The feeling of winning against Olentangy was one of the best feelings I’ve ever had. All the hard work paid off,” Thompson said. However, Orange couldn’t let it get to their heads because they still were in the tournament, their next game against Berlin. Berlin and Orange already played during the season where they had a close 5-5 game, which ended the match in a tie. Sadie said that this game would mean a lot for not only moving on to the next round, but for each and everyone of the players. “My favorite part of the whole season was playing and beating Berlin, especially since I knew a lot of the people we were playing against,” Thompson said. After a full 0-0 game that went into a Penalty shootout, Orange continued to move on in the tournament after a hard earned win. Next up, was the State Semifinals. “That night we drove around 2 hours to play against Cincinnati Seton. Funny thing was, the field was in a neutral area so one of us didn’t have to drive further. They also had one of the biggest student sections I had ever seen,” Thompson said. This was the game that would have taken them to the finals, and where they would finally have the chance to be State Champions. After another full match of a tied game, the game goal for Seton was scored with a chip above the goalie’s head. Although it was the end of the road for Orange, they still had a memorable season full of wins and record breaks. “I loved playing with Orange. It really opened me up to a new level of soccer and new friends. I definitely grew as a person and a soccer player at the end of the season,” Thompson said. At the end of the day, Thompson was more than happy to have been a part of the long journey. She wishes they could have made it further, but is excited to take it there next season.
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