The Bridge

Vol. 2, Issue 1 September 8, 2014

The Bridge 2 Vol. 2, Issue 1

Senior Spotlight: Hallelujah Assefa

By Fre Bentz

This school year OBI is doing something new by letting each

class elect class officers. Students were able to vote for one presi-

dent, one vice-president, one secretary, one chaplain, and two class

representatives for grades 9-11, with the seniors being allowed

four representatives. Everybody is looking forward to how things

are going to change.

The winners for the president spots were Chloe Zika for the

freshman class, sophomore Omar Perreira, junior Alexander

Quarshie, and senior class president Tucker Parkhouse.

Class of 2018 president Chloe Zika explained that she hopes to

make some differences for her class. She stated, “Even though we

are the youngest class in high school, I will try to make them inde-

pendent.” The class of 2016’s president, Alex Quarshie, explained

that at first he was nervous to run for office. “At first I was scared

because I saw who I was running against, and she was a tough

competition,” Quarshie commented.

Senior class president Tucker Parkhouse explained that he want-

ed to be class president because “there’s so much potential in our

class, and I wanted to be the one to bring it all together. Our class

needs someone good to represent them. I feel like I could be the

one.” He also said, “I think there’s a lot of sepa-

ration in our class. As a president, I will bring

everybody as a whole. I always feel like you are

never going to do anything unless you believe

you can!”

Miss Alysia Davidson is one of OBI’s new teachers. She is teaching Middle

School science. OBI was blessed with 15 new staff members for the 2014-15

school year.

The votes are in: classes elect 2014-15 officers

New school year brings new staff members

By Madison Stewart

For the 2014-2015 school year, OBI is very lucky to have

gained quite a few great new staff members. Fifteen new staff

members have been pouring into the school since late last spring,

and are all serving in various areas.

Four new teachers were added for the 2014-15 school year.

Mrs. Tara Mills is one of these new teachers, and she teaches in

the math and health departments. Mrs. Mills is from Oneida and

found out about OBI when she went to school here as a day stu-

dent. She is a 2007 graduate. Mrs. Mills says that she was interest-

ed in working here because ever since she went to school at OBI

she has just loved it. So far Mrs. Mills says that she is loving her

job at OBI.

See NEW STAFF p.2

NEW STAFF cont.

The dormitories have also seen several new additions with

new house parents joining the team. Ms. Amy Woolbert is a

new house parent in the girls’ dorm. Ms. Amy is from Georgia,

and she says that she was eager to become a house parent

when a friend told her about the job. Ms. Amy says that she

loves kids and feels like OBI is where God wants her to be. So

far, Ms. Amy says that she loves spending time with and get-

ting to know the girls in the dorm.

Clockwise from top: Fresh-

man Chloe Zika, senior

Tucker Parkhouse, sopho-

more Omar Perreira, and

junior Alex Quarshie were all

elected the presidents of

their class.

By Spencer Montgomery

Hallelujah Assefa is from Ethiopia and is

starting her second year at OBI. She has been

involved with Student Council and has

worked in the Grill. Last year in the Grill she

was a cook, but this year she has been pro-

moted to the cashier.

Hallelujah has a dream of going to Florida

International University or a culinary school.

She would love to open up an Ethiopian/

Italian restaurant in the future. Hallelujah

said, “I’m looking forward to this next year

and am ready to graduate.”

Hallelujah Assefa

works as a cashier

in the Grill as part

of her Career Path-

ways assignment.

Some of the

“new” faces

around campus

are actually just

returning staff in

new places.

When Mr.

Smalley left the

Grill for the class-

room, Rachel

Gorman (left)

was happy to

take over.

The Bridge 3 Vol. 2, Issue 1

Volleyball spikes into a new season By Aisha Biyo and Spencer Montgomery

Volleyball season is starting again, and there have been many changes in the team and coaching staff. Coach Craig Smalley has joined the team as assistant coach this year. Coach Brian Baker, who is serving in his third year coaching the volleyball team, comment-ed, “The team is significantly smaller this year due to new fall sports such as golf and girls’ soccer.” Coach Baker also shares one of the team’s biggest strengths: “Their willingness to work hard and to learn and work together.” Baker added, “They’re good at encouraging one another.” He says that some of the challenges they’re facing are “a lot of new players since the lack of players due to girls’ soccer, learning how to play to-gether as a team, and the heat in the gym. Returning player, junior Chinonso Ibe, is starting her third year on the team. She is on varsity and says her biggest strength would be spiking the ball. Her fa-vorite aspect of volleyball would be “being so close to the net, so I can spike it.’’ Sammie Forko, a freshman on varsity, says her strength would be spiking as well. When asked if they thought they would win any games, both Coach Baker and Forko said, “Yes, a lot.”

The Bridge 4 Vol. 2, Issue 1

New sports, new coaches: OBI athletics see changes

on and off of the field By Noble Zika

The boys’ soccer team has a new head and

assistant coach. Dan Chambers is the assistant

coach, and To-

mas Clark is

the new head

coach. Coach

Clark is from

Shelbyville, and

this is his first

time coaching

soccer. He was

excited when

he heard he

was the new

head coach. He

said he knew

the guys who

were returning,

and he was

ready to get to

work. Coach

Clark also said,

“We are young

and still learning what it takes to win at the

varsity level, but we are talented, and I expect

us to be competing for region by the end of

the year. I like my team.”

Senior Paulus Teshome, from Ethiopia, has

been playing soccer for 14 years. He says,

“Coach Clark is perfect; he knows what he is

doing, and everyone on the team acknowl-

edges his skills.” He also thinks that if the

team puts their hearts and minds into it that

they can go far enough as to win

regionals. Senior Sam Elendu,

from Nigeria, has been playing

soccer for two years and says,

“Coach Clark is very smart and

has great knowledge for the game

of soccer.” Elendu is also expect-

ing the team to win regionals, get

in great shape, and have fun do-

ing it. Junior Alex Quarshie, from

Ghana, has played soccer for

about three years. He says,

“Coach Clark is a very tough

coach who runs us a lot and

wants us to be faster than any

other team we play, and I think

that he is doing it to make us bet-

ter in the future and go as far as to

win regionals.”

Cross country has been an im-

portant part of the OBI sports pro-

gram for many years. They now have a new

head coach, Mr. Jeff Kelsey, and assistant

coach Mr. Steve Grant. Coach Kelsey is from

Chicago, Illinois, and he ran cross country for

five years in high school, one year in college,

and seven years in the Army running team

NG/RC. He coached cross country at OBI for

two years in the 90s. Coach Kelsey comment-

ed, “I feel the team can go to state and maybe

next year place in state.”

Golf was at OBI 12 years ago, and now it is

back with a boys’ and girls’ team. Mr. Todd

Parkhouse is the head coach, Mr. Tim

Cochran is the assistant boys’ coach, and Ms.

Amanda Roberts is the girls’ assistant coach.

Coach Parkhouse has played golf for 33 years,

and he has coached one season in Ocala, Flor-

ida. He also ran junior golf programs in Illi-

nois. He said, “I was very excited for the op-

portunity to coach golf here at OBI. I was

aware we had a team 12 years ago but was

not aware that this was the first girls’ golf

team ever at OBI.” Coach Parkhouse is hope-

ful that the team will improve, commenting,

“We are improving day by day and have

many talented players. If they stick with the

game and return, our teams will be much

stronger next season.”

By Fre Bentz

OBI finally has a girls’ soccer team after ten years of waiting. Not

only are the girls on the team excited, but the coaches are as well.

They have Mrs. Kirbee Parkhouse as the head coach and Mrs.

Michelle Barnes as the assistant coach. All the girls are eager to start

t h e

season

a f t e r

p r a c -

t ic ing

f o r

t w o

weeks.

T h e y

h a v e

played

t w o

games

so far

and have

an 0-2

record, but all the girls played well. Everybody on the team is rooting

for a good season. The team this year hopes “to show everybody that

soccer is not a man’s sport and influence other girls to join,” ex-

plained senior player Gabriella Tsappi.

This is coach Parkhouse’s fourth year coaching at OBI but her first

year coaching soccer. She also said, “I think we are going to have a

great season. We have several girls that have a good background in

soccer, some with natural athleticism, and some newer players.”

Coach Parkhouse explained that she wanted to be the girls’ soccer

coach because “I love soccer,

love to watch, love to play. I

want the girls to have the same

chance to play as much as the

boys do. There are just too

many, and they really don’t get

the playing time they deserve

for all the hard work.” Gabri-

ella Tsappi played on the co-ed

team last year and decided to

play on the girls’ team this

year. She commented, “My

goals are to inspire people, and

the team has a good chance to

do that.” Mardorie Flahn, a

sophomore who was also on

the team last year, explained

that she is excited about the

team “because I have never

been on a girls’ soccer team, so

it’s a good experience. We are

the first soccer team in ten years, so hopefully other people will be

inspired as well.”

A decade later...girls’ soccer is back

Junior Maria Stamatis plays full-

back on the girls’ team.

Bang Bang by Jessie J, Ariana

Grande, Nicki Minaj -Jordan Risper

(sophomore)

Flawless (Remix) by Beyoncé, Nicki

Minaj -Aster Kidus (sophomore)

0 to 100 by Drake -Jamark Cox

(junior)

Don’t Tell Em by Jeremiah -Noel

Brown-Woodson (junior)

Am I Wrong by Nico & Vinz -Kayla

Mattingly (senior)

Fancy by Iggy Azalea ft Charli XCX

-Madison Kehler (junior)

Cocoa Butter Kisses by Chance the

Rapper -Omar Perriera (sophomore)

2 On by Tinashe -Paris Obike (junior)

I’m not the Only One by Sam Smith

-Halle Assefa (senior)

0 to 100 by Drake -Sam Elendu

(senior)

Rude by Magic! -Erin Cushman

(freshman)

Stay With Me by Sam Smith -Tolu

Sola-Adeyemi (senior)

King of the Fall by The Weeknd

-Jordan Wisdom (senior)

Survey conducted by Aisha Biyo

OBI is excited to have its first girls’ soccer team in 10 years.

The volleyball team gets ready for the serve during their first home match against

Jackson County.

Summer Survey: “What was your favorite summer song?”

This is Coach Clark’s first year coaching

soccer. He previously served as a boys’

house parent but has now moved into the

classroom as P.E. teacher and onto the

playing field.

SPORTS STATS

Boys’ Soccer 3-1-1

Girls’ Soccer 0-2

Volleyball 2-4

The Bridge Staff

Fre Bentz—Editor-in-

Chief

Spencer Montgom-

ery—Assistant Editor

Noble Zika—Sports

Editor

Aisha Biyo

Kirsten Frazier

Madison Stewart

Mrs. Noel Cordle—adviser

The Bridge 5 Vol. 2, Issue 1 The Bridge 6 Vol. 2, Issue 1

Around campus...

Ashley Booher and baby Max Cartwright!

In the hall: Paris Obike, AJ Shackelford, Grant

Zika, Jordan Wisdom, and Jeremiah Taiwo

What? After school:

Talia Geerlings and

Chloe Zika

Veronica Nwahiri and

Tucker Parkhouse (TV)

enjoying a dinner date!

Filmore Smith (FJ) striking a pose before class!

Vanessa Quarshie and

Jeremiah Taiwo enjoy-

ing the Grill!

Chinonso Ibe ordering food in the

Grill while Halle Nadew is working

AJ Shackelford and Jor-

dan Wisdom take a break

from the strains of the

senior life to grab a bite in

the Grill.

Time to eat!

School Day Photo Break!

On the court & field