Student Life

Junior cheerleaders become World Champions

Kennedy Rhodes flies in the air during her routine in front of the 2023 Worlds sign.

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Senior Sages: Where do you see yourself in five years?

“Probably owning my own business.” – Briana Almanzar
“I see myself getting a house and living in it, and having a nice car and a pretty girl.” – Furqan Ehsan
“Hopefully, I’ll be back here at OBHS teaching as an English and Film teacher.” – Mikayla Stepper
“Definitely playing professional soccer.” – Cesar Silva
“I see myself graduated from Rutgers and starting a new job in New York City.” – Shriya Shrestha
“In five years, I see myself preparing to the the bar exam hoping to pass and become a lawyer. I see myself with multiple internships and trying my best to make a living as a lawyer.” – Jordon Redford
“Graduated college, working with my first teacher job, and working on earning my master’s degree.” – Jenna Ferro
“In five years, I see myself working in New York City for JP Morgan Chase as a financial analyst.” – Joseph Pacas
“Graduating University of RI and hopefully persuing something that I love.” – Amanda Feldman

Student Survey: How do you feel about the AP exams?

“I’m taking the AP Government and Politics exam and the AP Comp exam. I’m pretty nervous, but I’m studying hard, so it’s not too bad.” – Aaron Bain
“I’m taking AP Chemistry, AP Calculus, AP CSA, AP Government, and AP Lang. Some exams I feel ready for and others I’m not sure. The whole month of April has been stressful so far.” – Nesha Immanuel
“I’m taking exams for AP Gov, AP Chemistry, AP Lit, AP Statistics, and AP French. There are a lot of exams, so I do feel overwhelmed at times, but I feel prepared for most of them.” – Sandeep Kaur
“I’m taking AP Lang, AP Calc BC, AP Gov, and AP Comp Sci A. It’s stressful to count down the days, but hopefully the studying I’m doing will pay off.” – Roland Dillon
“I am taking AP Chem, AP Lang, AP Comp Sci A, AP Gov. I feel confident about Chem and Gov, and a little stressed about Lang and Comp Sci.” – Priya Rana
“I’m going to be taking the AP Psychology and AP Composition and Language AP exams, I’m nervous about the preparation process, but I’m feeling more prepared.” – Astrid Uddin
“I am taking AP Lang, AP Calc AB, AP Bio, AP Comp Sci. For Calc and Lang, I am feeling pretty confident. Bio and Comp Sci is harder for me.” – Maria Petrova
“I am taking the AP Chem and Lang exams, and I’m honestly a bit nervous. I did work hard and study all year, but sometimes you still get that feeling that things won’t go your way.” – Joana Junaid
“I am taking Gov and Lang. I feel confident about the Gov exam, but I feel I could use more practice for the Lang exam.” – Rani Shah

Student Survey: What is your favorite class?

“My favorite class is English because I love my teacher(Mrs. Makovec).” – Madison Thompson
“Personal finance because I made a lot of new friends in there.” – Amelia Malolepszy
“Gym because I get to relax and chill with my friends.” – Armon Soto
“Science because I love my teacher, Mrs. Cotugno.” – Violet Marucci
“AP Lang because my friends make it fun and engaging.” – Vasanth Kumaravadivelu
“My favorite class is Cooking because I love to make stuff, and all my friends are there.” – Mikayla Pugh
“Gym because I like the freedom and basketball.” – Munvy Francois
“AP Lang and AP Pysch because they are fun, but it is also a nice challenge.” – Samantha Zino
“Choir because it feels like a home again after losing our teacher.” – Mikayla Huff
“Business Management because Mr. Tiplady is a great teacher.” – Christopher Burns
“My favorite class is English because I have a lot of friends, and I love my teacher(Ms. Tosonotti).” – Sydney Kirschner
“My favorite class this year is AP Chemistry because of all the fun labs we do and my friends are in my class.” – Darriyah Jackson

Senior Sages: What advice would you give underclassmen about managing athletics and academics?

“My best advice is to always stay on top of your work, and if you ever have down time during a class, use that as an opportunity to finish up any assignments you need to do. ” – Gretchen Polst
“Don’t put too much time outside your life with other things besides school and sports. Becoming a student athlete means excelling both in the classroom and outside.“ – Joe Pacas
“My best advice to underclassmen balancing school and sports is to always remember that academics must come first! I would suggest not putting off assignments to the last minute.” – Malvina Sullivan
“Agendas and routine are the best ways to make sure things don’t get forgotten and there’s an allotted time for each respective priority.” – Shereef Elithy
“My biggest tip for managing both school and sports would be for students to keep an agenda or checklist of any assignments or tasks that they need to complete.” – Leena Tran
“I would advise them to avoid procrastination and to use the weekends wisely.” – Ashley Chui
“I would say to make sure you set aside time for school after practice and to always communicate with your coaches.” – Jenna Ferro
“Do your homework as soon as you can…don’t procrastinate, that is literally the worst thing you can do.” – Mikayla Stepper
“I would say the number one thing is to know your schedule and your limits. Make a schedule and stay on top of your work.” – Pujan Desai
“To plan out your day. Set a time frame for you to do schoolwork after school and sports.“ – Natalie Mikucki.

Student Survey: What electives do you plan to take next year?

“I’ll be taking accounting because it provides useful insight on money budgeting.” – Fatima Imran
“I’ll be taking culinary arts and automotive services because it’s interesting and I want to go into trades.” – Massimo Quagliariello
“I’ll be taking clothing design and child development three because I love fashion and children.” -Rayanne Ebuen
“I’ll be taking ceramics and woodworking because I like to be creative and do hands on activities.” -Christopher Goggins
“I’ll be taking fashion merchandising and clothing design three because I want to pursue a career in fashion.” -Valerie Catacora-Lopez
“I’m taking engineering because it’s interesting and useful for college.” – Rrezart Hasangjekaj
“I’ll be taking psychology and culinary arts because I like to cook and want to become a psychologist when I get older. ” – Hailey Cosentino
“I’m taking culinary because I like to cook and eat various kinds of foods.” – Travis Osei-Asante
“I’ll be taking medical terminology and peer because I would like to pursue my career in the medical field and engage with others in peer. ” – Fatima Velija

Students get in the Halloween spirit

Mckenzie Cuffie focuses on her English work despite being in full corpse bride costume.

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Dr. Sasso looks on as Kerri Letizia and Katie Ponath lip sync and walk through the courtyard surrounded by the American Red Cross Club.
The class of 2022 dances on the Hudson River. The boat contained three floors and access to the roof top for a beautiful view.
Students pack the dance floor as the night of homecoming continues.
Isabella Taylor and Makenna Heslin dance in the court yard.
Students gather in the courtyard to celebrate the first homecoming in two years.
“The staff did an amazing job setting up, and the court yard looked insane” – Elen Khachatryan (pictured: Jaclyn Casey, Emma Jordan, Sabrina Huezo, Elen Khachatryan)
Senior advisors Mr. Alspach and Mrs. Tuckman pose for a photo.
The cast of the fall comedy gathers together to take a group picture for right before their first tech week rehearsal.
Ajay Singh, Sam Tropea and Emily Stein run through a scene for the dress rehearsal of the fall comedy.
Makayla Pugh, Mareena Panjabi and Daniel Ferraro freeze while playing Red Light, Green Light, as Luke Babst exits after being eliminated.
Alyssa Penn pushes the ball up the center of the field, past East Brunswick players, in a GMC Tournament game.
Morgan Nelson dribbles the ball upfield against Middletown South in the first round of the NJSIAA Tournament.
Senior Dominic Wong pulls both his books and Samuel Ozersky across the cafeteria on Anything but a Backpack Day.
Thomas McAleavey (23) scores his first touchdown of the season against Monroe.
Lilly Zanfini moves to block a Middletown South players kick near the sideline in the first round of the NJSIAA Tournament.
Senior Owen Haughney (7) leads the team onto the field for the Pink Out game as the crowd cheers.
Brady Cavallaro (10) protects the ball while trying to turn the corner on a running play against Sayerville.
Emma Jorden, who led the team in assists, drives the ball towards the goal.
Connor Hobson walks to get his prize with Micheal Tribbiani after winning a round of bingo.
Freshman Ariella Lazoja gets low to control the ball the ball in a tight dribble.
Julia Garron and Victoria Lobrow keep pace with a competing South Brunswick runner.
Club member Courtnee McFarlane writes messages on post-it notes to promote the Operation Smile.
Khadeeja Khan and Paullyn Asumadu work together to wrap a gift for the Giving Tree, which is a collection of gifts for Old Bridge families who can not afford gifts for the holidays.
Diego Diaz-Navas stands atop a ladder to hang a string of light-up stars from the ceiling.
An array of English books are stacked to create a Christmas tree.
Juniors David Keefe and Eldon Reynoso practice on the track at Lombardi Field by racing alongside seniors Jordan Lea and Riley Appleton.
Victoria Krol dribbles the ball down the court in a ball-handling drill at practice.
Junior Leena Tran looks to reverse the ball to point guard Gabrielle Walker in the first half against St. Thomas Aquinas.
Junior Malvina Sullivan drives hard to the basket in the second half against Matawan.
Junior Leena Tran, Jersey Sports Zone Central Jersey Game Ball winner, drives to the basket past a Matawan defender.
The whole varsity team huddles before the tough match-up against Red Division leader St. Thomas Aquinas. Coach Alec Alspach said, We look forward to every opportunity to compete, this group is special they are Old Bridge born and raised doing things OUR way.”
Junior Gabrielle Walker pushes the fall up the floor on break away after forcing a turnover against St. Thomas Aquinas.
Senior Payton Alcorn, the team’s second leading scorer and top 3-point shooter, holds her follow-through after putting up a 3-point shot.
Sophomore Savannah Gomez follows through after releasing her and watches it start down the lane.
Seniors Payton Alcorn, Sabrina Huezo and Lauren Rosenberg pose for a picture following their Senior Night win.
Senior Lia Vendel says, “Our team has so much positive energy around it and the atmosphere is just like a family.”
Leah, Megan Hussey, Melissa Neglio, Lily Shay, Megan Casper, Toni Montgomery
The referee raises Miller’s hand in victory. Miller quickly pinned her opponents in both the semi-finals and finals.
Coach Anthony Lanzafama and his team honor the National Anthem before his last Pink Out game as Head Coach of the football team.
Senior Dan Fishman uses a T-bar tilt against his opponent, whom he beat with a 12-0 major decision.
Tyler Sagi
Junior Phyllis Goodridge, whose group finished second against East Brunswick in the 200M medley relay, swims the butterfly.
Logan Schroeder watches the puck pass behind the goal, ready to make a save.
Sophomore Michael Pellicciotta glides across the ice preparing for the next play.
Sophomore Jacob Piotrowski, who swam in two individual races and two relay races in each meet, swims the backstroke.
Abigail Ressler, Victoria Lobrow, Gianna Tuso and Julia Garron run side by side warming up before practice.
Toni Montgomery and Victoria Lobrow take over the stage to sing “Never Say Never” by Justin Bieber.
Isaac Goldin, Nicholas Cleary, Nathan Pitts and Daniel Goldin jam out at their first public performance at the OBHS Talent Show.
Kara Letzia, Kaitlyn Uccello, and Kerri Letizia make the most of their time singing together on stage.
Angelica Zapantis works the register in Shop-Rite during period three lunch.
Daniel Fishman, who qualified for states by winning three out of five matches over two days in regions, goes for the leg to improve his position on his opponent in districts.
Junior Robert Orzol, who qualified for regions by winning two of three matches in districts, prepares to engage in hand-fighting with his opponent.
Junior Tyler Sagi walks of the mat after pinning his district quarterfinal opponent in just 46 seconds.
Kyra Jarrett and Kaien Russell take a break from their meals to sing along and appreciate the music at the event.
Jimela Duah and the rest of the Afrobeat performers circle around Precious Osuji as she dances.
Dr. Sasso serves food to Nusraat Chowdhury, one of the student performers.
Christopher Palmiero, as Billy, stands tall at the end of their performance, with Christina Scotto and the other dancers holding feathers around them.
Ireland Pouliot stands in a pose at a home football game.
Sophomore Melanie Mc Gowan grips her pom-poms during a performance at a girls basketball game.
Captain Robert Obdyke, who led the team in digs, bumps the ball forward in a game from last season.
Jeremy Smith and Blake Krapf work together to block a shot in a match against the Piscataway Chiefs last season.
Head Coach Andrew Hopman speaks to his players in a huddle between sets.
Senior Katie Chow plays the marimba as she practices to prepare for the regional competition.
Soham Agrawal dips Sravya Sankisa as part of their partner dance performance.
Gabby Walker, who scored 16 goals last year, looks to pass to the center of the field as she prints past the defense.
Vice Principal Sally Fazio, Madam Harpreet Malhi, Mrs. Magnolia Kortland, Ashley Chan, Farhana Momo, and Rumaisa Rehman gather to pose for a picture.
Nicole Engebos, Angelina Weber, Danielle Toth, and Anahita Keiller pose around Carolyn Hauser and her teacher of the year sign.
Robert Obdyke, dressed as Elsa, sings “Let It Go” to Scott Beverly while Connor Hobson throws “snow” on him to recreate one of Beverly’s legendary pep rally performances.
Jaya Singh smiles at the crowd as she prepares to distribute an award to one of the winners at the FBLA State Leadership Conference.
The students in the Unify Generation class and Brooke Chlebowski hold up signs in support of Lisa Tonnisen winning ESP of the year.
Lisa Tonnisen keeps score at the Wizards game with a group of her Play Unify and Unify Generation students sitting behind her.
Captain Robert Obdyke bumps the ball forward against the Hawks.
David Flores sets up Jeremy Smith for a kill against on Senior Night against J.P. Stevens.
Kasey Loughlin, who struck out 11 batters in the Woodbridge game, windmills into her delivery.
Brittany Campbell, Zoe Milonopoulos, Alyssa Santiago, and Ava Pullano meet in the pitcher’s circle to support Kasey Loughlin, the team’s dominant pitcher, after she gave up a rare big hit against Woodbridge.
Jayden Jones, who has a .414 batting average, stands in the batters box and awaits the pitch.
Zoe Milonopoulos, who leads the team in hits(21), runs(15), and RBIs(17), drives a ball to right field in the win over Woodbridge.
Senior second baseman Alyssa Santiago gets ready to throw the ball to first base to get the runner out.
The crowd cheers as seniors William Kennedy and Lillian Adelfio lead the Play Unified team in a lap around the court.
King Arthur high fives Victoria Failla in the front row of the bleachers as he hypes up the crowd.
Kayleigh Pitts and Ilana Pazzani sing the National Anthem as part of the open ceremony before the game.
OBHS graduate and elementary physical education teacher Michael Caiazzo watches from the ground as yet another Wizard dunks.
Alec Alspach shares a moment with the Harlem Wizards defender as he brings the ball up the court.
Dr. Vincent Sasso dribbles the ball on the wing, looking for an open shot.
Kelly Higgins and Lauren Rosenburg, Play Unified participants, climb the bleachers to sell concessions to the fans.
Athletic Director Daniel Dimino watches as one of the Wizards takes flight for an awe-inspiring dunk.
Project Unify members Kyle Bassit, Gabrielle Miller, and Kyle Janks help Teresa Buonomo and Diane Michael of SEPTA and Swoop from the Wizards announce the raffle winners during halftime of the game.
Joseph D’Amico and Alec Alspach lead the crowd in a rendition of YMCA.
Sameer Hashmi and Victoria Krol work retail at the Lollipop Shop stand in the library.
Isabella Newsome walks through the courtyard, on the way to find more eggs.
Ashley Marie Tecarro-Steward and Khushi Parekh smile as they find an egg hidden in a tree.
Senior Jada Garcia, who contributed three goals and an assist against East Brunswick on Senior Night, celebrates with her family.
Joey Grotkopf
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Brooke Buckley, who scored three goals against East Brunswick on Senior Night, walks through the tunnel formed by the underclassmen.
Senior Samantha Bennett caption poses with her family before the Senior Night game, which the team won 13-4, clinching the Red Division Regular Season Championship.
Junior defender Gretchen Polst looks to clear the ball as she cuts across the field in front of Ciera Pelliciotta.
Sophomore midfielder Jessica Chin faces an East Brunswick player in a draw during the 13-4 victory over the Bears.
Junior Malia Cuffie rises over a hurdle at a meet against South Brunswick.
Victoria Lobrow, Julia Garron, Gianna Tusso, Alyssa Garron, Emily Walz, and Abigail Ressler run in a pack early in a race against South Brunswick.
Sophomore Kaien Russell bends herself over the bar in a high jump at Lombardi Field.
Alexandra Mironescu and Samar Raju pose together in front of the city skyline.
Sophomore Kyle Morrison reaches back to prepare for a forehand smash.
At Bridgeton High School, ROTC performs the Unarmed Regulation Drill.
Junior Aleks Kolodziej rises to serve the ball against J.P. Stevens on Senior Night.
Freshman attendee Samantha Prado-Roberts holds her canvas steady and concentrates on painting the top of her picture.
Robert Kennedy puts his arm around Coach Matthew Donaghue while Coach Robert Weiss and athletic director Daniel DiMino stand alongside Melissa Neglio at the GMC Sportsmanship Award Banquet.
Kenneth Browne sprints into his approach for the triple jump.
Ryan Christensen, who leads the team in goals and assists, dodges a St. Joseph defender and uses his body to shield the ball.
Harlow Matara plays the marimba alongside Aaron Bain. Both students played in the Music in the Parks Competition.
Junior Sara Brennan, junior Zach Mondano, and freshman Braeden Appleton bang away on the tenor drums during their performance.
Indoor Percussion team smiles for a picture after placing second in the WGI Championships.
Juliano Pereira, recipient of the Ronald Regan Association Scholarship, poses with Mayor Owen Henry, Town Council President Mary Sohor, Councilwoman Debbie Walker, and Councilwoman Anita Greenberg-Belli.
Sophomore shortstop Zoe Milonopoulos, who is hitting .570 and has an on base percentage of .987, throws the ball to first base against East Brunswick in Round 1 of the GMC Tournament.
Senior Third baseman Brittany Campbell gets in ready position as the pitch is delivered
Martina Catalanotto and Juliana Guarrera
Alyssa Santiago and Alex Reyes share a dance with the floor to themselves after being crowned Queen and King.
Kaya Canikligil, Alexa Garofalo, Liliana Barbato, and Shreya Parkeh excitedly walk toward the entrance of the Ocean Resort and Spa.
Faith Cheung walks into prom while holding up her dress to keep it dry.
Steven Updegraff welcomes the crowd to a night of song.
Ilana Pazzani conducts a piece entitled “Running Home to You’ as Shaye Walker, Roginey LaFortune, Julia Reste, Flynn Mbogoni, Makenzie McGowan, Kayla Stolte, Chiara Ansioso, Julia Reste, Olivia Elia, and Tara Stillman sing along.
Juliana Segura prepares to launch the ball.
Jada Garcia cuts in front of the goal and fires a shot high, hoping to get it past the goalie.
Vendel poses for a picture after setting a Greater Middlesex County Conference record for the 100-yard breast stroke.
Steven Gajewski, Robert Obdyke, Michael Schoenberg, and Nick Martinow walk through the route of the lib dub during the first practice run.
Danny Maichin, Patrick Doran, Chris Palmiero, Lauren Rosenberg, Isabella Taylor, Ilana Pazzani, Natalie Torchia Brianna Salica, Kayleigh Pitts, and John Valazza take a picture in front of Cinderella’s castle.
Sophomore pitcher Frank Papeo stares his target down and he winds up to deliver a pitch.
Senior William Kennedy gets in ready position at first base as the pitcher delivers the ball.
Mikayla Huff poses with a sign she made as she waits for the lip dub to start.
Christina Chiofalo and Anthony Taranto, who introduced and began the lip dub, practice their part in one of the run-throughs.
Julia Rowen, Emily Stein, and Alex Nardone dance and sing in feather boas as they walk down the hallway leading to the auditorium.
Frank Papeo and Gabriella Malanga ride in the Automotive Technology convertible while lip syncing.
Vendel quickly takes a breath while swimming freestyle down the lane.
Adonis Mercado runs the length of the field after catching a long touchdown pass.
Patrick Doran, Taylor Williams, Nora Conklin, Lauren Rosenberg play spike ball outside by Project Adventure.
Joseph Pupo winds up to throw a green dodgeball at the other team during the dodgeball tournament in the back gym.
Tej Mistry, Tiffany Li and Tiffany Yang perform a fan dance as part of the entertainment at the Lunar New Year Festival.
The entire group of freshmen who attended the trip pose for a picture in front of the Shawnee Mountain facilities.