February 2011 by The Blue and Gold

The Blue and Gold

Green and Yellow

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Malden High School Volume 96 Edition 5

Our 96th Year February 2011

Malden High School Swim Team

Brittany McFeeley Head Copy Editor

Sophomore and The Blue and Gold reporter Amalia Quesada Nylen swims in a meet. Full article on page 19. Photo by Sharon Lee.

Revolutions in the Middle East

In This Issue: MBT-C+ at Best Page 4 Somali Pirates Page 8 Republican Congress Page 9 Monthly Profile Paul Marques Page 12

Catherine Poirier Copy Editor

s of late, the Arab Republic of Egypt has been in complete chaos. Starting Jan. 25, 2011, protesters started demanding that President Hosni Mubarak step down from his title, and the people got what they wanted three weeks later. In 1952, the Egyptian people, with the help of the military, overthrew the ruling monarch. After doing so, the new government created the Constitution of the Arab Republic of Egypt. Under Article 75 of their constitution, the president “must be an Egyptian born to Egyptian parents and enjoy civil and political rights. His age must not be less

than 40 Gregorian years.” Mubarak falls under all of these rules, so why are the people protesting his presidency? The 82 year old president is a former commander of the Egyptian Air Force, and served as Vice President for six years before assuming the Presidency on Oct. 14, 1981. Mubarak was the longest running Egyptian President; he was in command for 30 years. Egyptian democracy has been far from perfect during the 30 years Mubarak has reigned. He has only kept the presidency this long mainly due to corruption and continued on page 6.

Pink Out Charity Dance Page 13 Boston Globe Art Awards Page 15 Boys Track Page 21 Australian Open page 24

n Feb. 6, 2011, one did not have to watch ESPN highlights to find out the winner of Superbowl XLV; plastered all over Facebook and Twitter were the recurring statuses announcing the Green Bay Packers’ win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Weeks before the biggest game of the NFL season, experts announced their predictions on who would walk away with the Vince Lombardi Superbowl trophy, and out of the ten experts that voted, half were in favor of Green Bay, the other five leaning towards Pittsburgh. After five-time Grammy award winner Christina Aguilera fumbled the National Anthem, players from both teams were ready to play one of the most important games of their football careers. About half way into the first half, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers connected with Jordy Nelson to put Green Bay on the board first; after the extra kick by Mike Crosby, Green Bay was up by seven. With less than four minutes in the first quarter, Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger threw the first interception of the game. The pass, intended for Mike Wallace, was picked off by Nick Collins, who ran it for 37 yards into the end zone. After another extra kick, Green Bay was on top 14 to 0 by the end of the first quarter. continued on page 24

Opinion 2-5 World News 6-9 Local News 10-15 Entertainment 16-18 Sports 19-24

Editorials

The Blue and Gold February 2011

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Malden High School

The Blue and Gold 77 Salem St. Malden, MA 02148

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF João Nascimento Nidale Zouhir MANAGING EDITORS Brittany Foley Alexandra Mathieu HEAD COPY EDITOR Brittany McFeeley ONLINE EDITOR Omar Khoshafa HEAD LOCAL NEWS WRITER Cristina Peters HEAD WORLD NEWS WRITER Dan Holmqvist HEAD ENTERTAINMENT WRITER Reginah Sanyu HEAD SPORTS WRITER Alfonse Femino HEAD OF BUSINESS Alexander Gennigiorgis HEADS OF PHOTOGRAPHY Lauren Benoit Sharon Lee HEAD OF SPECIAL PROJECTS Kayla Bramante COPY EDITORS Haley DeFilippis Catherine Poirier Megan Kelly Natalie Fallano Paige Yurek Joshua Kummins REPORTERS & PHOTOGRAPHERS Rebecca Broomstein Kaela Bryan Freddie DiPhillipo Johanna Lai Kristen Leonard Jacob Martino Vicki Ngan Amalia Quesada Nylen Timothee Pierre Amanda Rosatone Joel Stevenson Lesley Ta ADVISOR Ryan Gallagher Established in 1915 Check out our online edition: http://www.maldenblueandgold.com/

Learning from Egypt

eb. 2, 2011: President Barack Obama praised Egyptians who used “their creativity, talent and technology to call for a government that represented their hopes and not their fears.” Protestors in Egypt had just coerced President Hosni Mubarak into stepping down from his 30-year presidential role, hopefully ending an autocratic regime defined by its poor economy, corruption, and limited speech. The Egyptian population was indeed crafty when it came to mobilization: three years ago, activists had already created several pages on Facebook to gather support and coordinate protests against Mubarak’s regime. One can see why Obama would find this a particularly ingenious route to revolution, for the President himself made heavy use of social networking websites like YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook to capture the 2008 presidential campaign. If the internet, particularly social networking websites, has the power to galvanize entire masses into action and have their feats be ingrained in the pages of history books, I wonder why, as a student in a high school where resources are so plentiful, I do not have full access to such tools. There are several reasons why I argue for the complete liberation of internet use on campus, and all of them have as foundation the ideas that the internet’s irrefutable necessity in our daily lives has deemed access to the Web a right—not a privilege— and that technology is inherently beneficial to learning, provides greater resources to both teachers and students, and if used efficiently, can better prepare the individual for our increasingly electronic future and even benefit the environment. My Advanced Placement World History class runs almost entirely on laptops, which allows us to write at a faster pace, and thus cover more of the never-ending AP curriculum before the test in May. Using the Internet in class also allows us to not only conduct research for history projects but also gives enough time to be involved with the Model UN initiative AP World History classes are currently involved in. It proved difficult, however, to research the impact of HIV and AIDS in Cape Verde when every URL with the word “sex” in it was blocked: in school, I was unable to access any website that spoke of sex education in Cape Verde, and more tragically, I could access few websites that spoke of sex education in general. When the internet has such strong limitations on campus, both students and teachers suffer from the censorship. In this case, although my

Editorial Policy The Blue and Gold is an open forum for student expression. It is produced by students for the school and the community. The views presented in this paper are not necessarily those of the advisor or the school administration. The views presented in the editorials are those of the editors-in-chief or guests. The goal of The Blue and Gold is to inform and entertain students as well as the community regarding issues that we feel are important. We strongly encourage readers to respond to material printed in the form of signed letters to the editors. No libelous, malicious, defamatory, obscene, or unsigned material will be printed. The Blue and Gold reserves the right to edit the letters. Names may be withheld upon request. Not all letters will be printed. Although The Blue and Gold appreciates the support of advertisers, we may refuse any advertisement that violates the above policy or that promotes products questionable to student use. Any correspondence concerning this publication should be directed to Mr. Ryan Gallagher’s room in C339 or to his mailbox in the main office.

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AP World History teacher was attempting to take advantage of the laptops in class, my research came to a halt due to the restrictions currently placed on the school’s internet access. It is also worth noting that there most likely exists a huge disparity between the content that is blocked in school and the content that is blocked, or rather, not blocked at home. Social networking sites, YouTube, and pornography are, for example, unfiltered in most households, and although I am in complete agreement that pornography does not provide any educational content, blocking every URL with the word “sex” in it, and thus every topic that falls under the umbrella of the word “sex,” is largely ineffective. Such blind restrictions without supplemental education leads students to seek the forbidden fruits in their households, leading them to indulge in irresponsible Web surfing. In a more liberal internet setting, students could be held accountable by their teachers for the content they access online. Teachers now have access to YouTube, a website that epitomizes the conflict between school administrations and the Internet. Thanks to YouTube, I learned how to use optimization, a crucial math skill for my online math class junior year. It was also magnificently useful when preparing for my AP Spanish Language exam last May. Websites like YouTube are used by billions, and thus contain rich information and a wealth of educational resources; not to mention that they are often used components of online classes offered at the school. To restrict websites like YouTube is, in a way, to restrict learning; more gravely, it is to undermine my maturity and underestimate my intellect, my ability to discern what is appropriate and what is not. A student’s computing skills should be cultivated, groomed, and not hindered by over excessive filters. Malden High School, and in fact, most other schools, stand for exactly the best the Internet has to offer: diversity of both people and ideas, along with education, connection, and communication about and with the rest of the globe. MHS has the opportunity to show the tremendous power of the Internet in communications and learning to its students, to teach what is responsible and productive Web surfing. If steps are not made towards some browsing reform, teachers can continue to expect cell phone lights shining on their students’ faces as they sneakily access Facebook under their desks.

João Nascimento Co-Editor-in-Chief

Corrections: - Page 5: Graphics by Sharon Lee + Megan Kelly. - Page 10: David Kirby’s poem “Broken Promises” is spelled incorrectly. - Page 21: Junior Mario Sforza’s last name is spelled incorrectly in the wrestling article. - Page 22: In the Swimming article, Coach Paul Divincentis is spelled incorrectly. - Page 24: Senior David Germain’s last name is spelled incorrectly in the boys track article. - Page 24: On Feb. 12, 2011, it is a GBL league meet, not an invitational.

Corrections to the editor can be submitted to theblueandgold@gmail.com

The Blue and Gold February 2011

Opinion http://www.maldenblueandgold.com/

Letter to the Editor

Anne D’Urso Rose Malden Reads Committe Member

new community reading program has come to Malden and all MHS students are invited to take part in Malden Reads: One City, One Book. This community-building initiative is based on a model that has been done in cities and town across the country, starting in Seattle in 1998. The idea is to get the entire community reading the same book selection, afterwards encouraging participating in book discussions,

cultural performances, s o c i a l e ve n t s , and related activities based on the themes of the book. Not only does this program promote reading, but, more importantly, it is intended to build community connections between people of all ages and backgrounds in the city. The selected book for this year is The Soloist by Steve Lopez. It’s a true story of a writer for the Los Angeles Times who meets a homeless man playing emphatically on a two-string violin on the disparaged streets of Skid Row. It turns out that the man, Nathaniel Ayers, is a brilliant musician who once attended Julliard, at the same time as conductor Yo-Yo Ma. One of the few African Americans at the prestigious conservatory, Ayers eventually dropped

out due to his mental illness, schizophrenia. When Lopez encounters him, Ayers is alone, suspicious of everyone, and deeply troubled, but glimmers of his musical brilliance are evident. An unlikely friendship between the two men forms and Lopez’s column ignites an outpouring of interest and support from his readers, eliciting donations of fully intact violins, and even a cello. As Lopez tries to get Ayers off the streets, into a more stable situation, and with opportunities for him to further his musical career, he finds himself navigating the complexities of our country’s mental health system, and squarely facing the grim reality of Skid Row. Although Ayers’ life changes for the better through their relationship, Lopez’s own life is changed even more profoundly in this story of friendship, perseverance, and the redemptive power of music. MHS students have already played a big role in this project. The initial design for the Malden Reads logo was created by junior Vivian Le as part of a logo contested initiated through the art department. Members of the MHS band will be playing classical music as part of the kickoff event, to be held at the Malden Public Library on February

24 and MHS drama students will be doing readings from the book at this same event. Thanks in part to a grant from the Malden High School Alumni Association, the high school library has plenty of copies of The Soloist available to students. Librarian Ms. Musilli will be offering book discussions and blogging activities related to the book. One of the many events offered through the program will be a journalism panel featuring Boston Globe columnist Kevin Cullen, a former MHS student. We hope that any student interested in media and journalism will attend this event. There will also be a culminating event held in the Jenkins Auditorium in April. Billed as a “Community Performance” by and for all ages, it will express the themes from the book through short performances of music, song, dance, poetry, spoken word, and dramatic skits. Try out for a role on stage or just attend the performance! For complete information about the Malden Reads program, visit the website at www. maldenreads.org. Anne D’Urso-Rose is the Assistant Director of Malden Access Television, a trustee of the Malden Public Library and a member of the Malden Reads: One City, One Book committee.

Opinion

The Blue and Gold February 2011

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MBTC+ At Best Alexandra Mathieu Managing Editor

his winter was one of the worst the city of Malden has seen in a while. The snowfall, unlike in previous years, was not spread across all three months of winter but instead was concentrated solely in the month of January. Schools left and right were cancelled for several days and those parents and students who had to drive to their destinations found navigating the streets to be a rather tedious task. Yet, for those days in between the storms when school was in session, many Malden High School students found themselves speechless as they were left in the cold by the bus. To be fair, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s subway system is one of the most comprehensive around. The real aggravation lies with the MBTA’s bus system. Its untimeliness, disregard of its passengers, and rude bus drivers have become intolerable this winter. First, it is time to address the lax timeliness of the buses. Buses arriving later than the time indicated on a bus schedule are nothing new. After all, one has to factor in the number of passengers en route, the kind of traffic on the road, and, yes,

the weather. A passenger knows better than to expect a bus to arrive on time. However, when the bus is ten minutes, fifteen minutes, twenty minutes late, it is easy to get aggravated very quickly. With the weather conditions, one can understand, though most certainly does not have to like, why the bus is arriving late. However, Massachusetts is known for its snowy winters, something that the MBTA buses and drivers should be better prepared for. Also, when the roads are clear and there is only snow on the sidewalks, there is no excuse why a bus that is supposed to arrive at 7:05 a.m. does not come until 7:20 a.m. Now on the MBTA’s website is a “Customer Bill of Rights” which states, “If your service is delayed more than thirty minutes, your ride is on us. We guarantee it.” In order to get a complimentary ride, “you must submit a claim within 10 days of the delay occurrence by filling an online claim at www.mbta.com or by mailing an On Time Service Guarantee Claim Card,” as written in the Customer Bill of Rights. Although this may seem like a reassuring statement, this is not as great as it sounds for one reason: the passenger is already late! A complimentary ride will not change the fact that several students arrived to

school late because the bus could not avoid the morning traffic. It would be great if the bus drivers could explain to the principals and bosses that it was their fault that a busload of passengers was late, but clearly they don’t. Besides, what good is a complimentary ride if that bus will be late as well? Moving on, the second point to address is what happens when the bus that is late, finally does show up. Now this bus not only has to pick up passengers who were waiting for it to begin with, but also passengers who are waiting for the next bus. Do the math: initial passengers plus new passengers equals an overstuffed bus. This is not much of a problem for those who wait at the bus stops near their bus’ departure points, but it becomes one major problem for those who live farther down the bus’ route. After all, a bus does have its limit. So what does a bus driver do in such a situation? The driver has one of two options. The first one is probably the one that makes the most sense: He/she drives past the waiting passengers, leaving them to wait for another bus. Pros are that the passengers already on the bus are happy and will arrive to their destination in some timely fashion. Cons are that those left waiting are angry, cold, and miserable.

The second option involves going past the bus’s capacity and cramming in as many passengers as possible. Pros are that everyone is on the bus and on their way to their destination. Cons are that the passengers are squished and the driver is frustrated at the passengers who are unable to squeeze in “behind the yellow line”. For those that are unfamiliar, the yellow line is a line on the ground that passengers, for their own safety, are not supposed to cross. At this point, the bus drivers are shouting at passengers for something that the passengers cannot control. Seriously, if the bus arrived on time, there wouldn’t be so many people on the bus and the driver would not have to scream. MBTA buses are not always this bad. In fact, Malden is one of the few cities that are lucky enough to have a fairly reliable public transportation system. All of the MBTA’s problems though, stem from its buses’ occasional tardiness. Once the MBTA decides to look into this issue, then more passengers would feel as if their tax money was being put to good use. However until then the MBTA will continue to be the bane of many MHS students’ time in high school.

The Blue and Gold February 2011

Opinion http://www.maldenblueandgold.com/

Making Sense of the 2010 Census Dan Holmqvist Head World News Writer

fter nearly one year, 635,000 temporary jobs, 14.5 billion dollars, and 308,745,538 people, the results of the 2010 Census have finally started to trickle in, as state population counts and demographics are becoming available on the official US 2010 census website: 2010. census.gov. But what exactly is the relevance of all this data and why is it so important to American governance? The census is mandated by the US Constitution, which states in Article 1 that “Representatives shall be apportioned among several states according to their respective numbers.” After the first census was taken in 1790, each member of the House of Representatives was responsible for a constituency of 34,000 people; today, that number has burgeoned to 710,000 people. In its over 200 years of existence, the census itself has also undergone important changes; last year, for instance, the census accounted for illegal immigrants as well as samesex couples, demographic groups traditionally avoided in the past. The primary focus of the census is to aid the US government in the apportionment process, where the 435 seats of in the House of

Representatives are distributed “equally” among states according to their respective populations. By law, each state is required to have at least one US representative. The number of additional representatives each state receives is calculated according to the method of equal proportions (also called the Huntington Hill Method). However, given the boundaries of individual states, issues relating to the accuracy of results, and other possible errors, all states are not necessarily granted “equal” representation. The census merely provides a rough estimate for reapportionment. Washington, for instance, will add one representative as a result of the US census and each representative of that state will represent only 675,337 people. Massachusetts, on the other hand, will lose one representative as a result of the US census, and each of the nine remaining Massachusetts representatives will represent 728,849 people. The census is mandated by the US Constitution, which states in Article 1 that “Representatives shall be apportioned among several states according to their respective numbers.” After the first census was taken in 1790, each member of the House of Representatives was responsible for a constituency of 34,000 people; today, that number has burgeoned

to 710,000 people. Every ten years, these decennial censuses, by determining the number of seats each state is allowed in the House of Representatives, also provide states with the framework for redistricting, the process by which states redraw their electoral district lines. However, throughout Amer-

Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke, Acting Deputy Secretary Rebecca Blank and Census Bureau Director Robert Groves release the first set of 2010 Census data at a news conference on December 21, 2010. Picture courtesy of census.gov. ican history, this process has lead to licans would become the majority. widespread gerrymandering. Ger- This, according to some, marginalrymandering is a practice of political ized the power of the constituents corruption where certain members living in the old district. In 2006, of a state government, who have the Supreme Court ruled that the control over the redistricting pro- most of the Texas redistricting was cess, manipulate district boundaries Constitutional, except for District in order to aid a particular political 23, which it eliminated because it party, to over represent or under was found to be an act of racial gerrepresent a targeted demographic rymandering. group, or to ensure political reelecBesides reapportionment, the tion for an individual politician. census is also used to calculate the In 2003, for example, the state of amount of of certain kinds of fedTexas was accused of gerrymander- eral spending to be allocated to each ing, after it had changed the district state, in addition to identifying deboundaries of a mostly Democratic mographic trends and shifts within county in Austin, separating it into certain states and within the country three new districts where Repub- as a whole.

Speak Now, Speak Loud Lesley Ta Reporter

ullying: The destruction of one’s ability to function properly mentally, emotionally,and physically,” explained one Malden High school student. This degrading act is an international epidemic - and only recently it has been brought to the media’s attention. Phoebe Prince’s tragic suicide sparked the outrage of students and parents. Her death began the revolt of the silenced victims of abuse and bullying everywhere. Earlier this year, all MHS staff were issued a bullying prevention and intervention packet.This packet contained a presentation stating many facts about the emotional and mental state of victims and bullies. According to the packet, entitled, Bullying and Cyberbullying Prevention for Educators, bullying today is not the same as it was two generations ago. The characteristics of the aggressor and victim and the intention of the attack have changed. “I think bullying is a very significant problem that affects the entire school community,” explained MHS adjustment counselor Rachel Gelling. An upperclassman at MHS shared, “I was targeted for a year on Facebook and in school. These girls were immature and tried to

Recently, Malden High School and surrounding districts have increasingly looked at bullying as a serious issue, especially in light of technological changes and new social media. intimidate me. They wanted me to be more nice to them and to do what they wanted,” adding that she eventually overcame them by realizing that, “They were mad because I had better grades and supportive friends. After the incident, I didn’t care what anyone thought of me. I wasn’t going to let the next four years of high school be ruined. I have a better future than them, and they wanted to ruin mine.” The packet also mentions that today, bullies are often “popular” and are high up on the student population hierarchy, as opposed to a few generations ago, when bullies were not often “popular” and victims were easy prey. With technological advancements, the spiteful behavior has gravitated online. Boys tend to menace on gaming sites while girls harass on social networking sites. A few months ago, a scandal erupted on a popular social networking site, targeting MHS students with malicious, false accusations. One victim of this incident stated, “Pictures of me were posted on the fan page. I was labeled as ugly,” adding that, “People just want to ruin your reputation. They want to throw out your name.” Perhaps cyber bullying is so

popular because it is easier to destroy someone’s life by hiding behind a screen than going face to face. Studies show that 79 percent of teenage girls and 62 percent of teenage boys chose cyberbullying because they do not see the victim. “Blame Facebook,” agreed the interviewees unanimously. One MHS student revealed, “I saw Formsprings saying ‘Come bully me.’ It’s horrible.” Another student claimed, “I feel like we’re all ignorant unless you find the truth. Sometimes immigrants can be ignorant, so people think its OK to make fun of them in English. That’s just wrong.” MHS is known widely as one of the most diverse schools in Massachusetts, and with the variety of cultures mingling, there is bound to be conflict. One student expressed solemnly, “ There is so much diversity that people experience different cultures. People are absurd when they think there is a basic stereotype of each race.” A different MHS student admitted, “I got into a lot of fights for three years here. People just don’t like me. I wasn’t going to back down, so I fight back.” Three out of the five people interviewed for this article agreed

that there is a popularity and clique problem at MHS. “I noticed that everyone is trying to do something different to stand out more, but it might not be for the right reason,” stated one girl. “Girls talk nonsense, spreading rumors and gossip. They want to be recognized for what they say.” However, there are punishments in place for bullying. If a student is caught bullying someone, there are potential fines, time out of school, and jail time for the most severe cases. MHS Principal Dana Brown declared, “The faculty and staff will not tolerate harassment or bullying, and we will work with students, staff and community members to make Malden High a safe place.” Bullying may not stop, but the experiences spoken should be an example for the future. There is always help, and there is no shame in speaking. Justice will be delivered, but in order to have it delivered, you must first speak up about it.

World news

The Blue and Gold February 2011

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Revolutions in the Middle East

Egypt

Tanks rolled into the center of Cairo, Egypt where thousands of people gathered to call for the resignation of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, January 30, 2011. (Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times/MCT)

continued from front page. manipulation of the system. For years, the Egyptian Constitution would not allow multiple candidate elections due to the People’s Assembly, a group that has most of the control over the presidential election. This was until 2005, when a change was proposed by Mubarak to the rarely disagreeing parliament, for a multi-candidate election. However, the president had already ensured his candidacy for that turn through the same parliament by a direct election referendum. Members of the president’s party also had gone to poorer parts of Egypt, giving people money in return for votes in favor of Mubarak. Millions of Egyptians were fed up with Mubarak’s corruption of their country, and they took to the streets in protest, hoping to stop him from running in the election again. Tens of thousands are gathering in Tahrir (ironically meaning liberation) Square in Cairo, Egypt. Protests started off peacefully, with Egyptians gathering, chanting, and praying in the square, things did escalate quickly however. Those who are in support of the Mubarak took to the streets as well, opposing the protesters, and sparking violence. In response to the recent events, Egypt seems to have cut off all communication to the outside world for its people. Streets leading into Cairo and other major cities have been closed; train services have been stopped as well, hoping to calm down the scene. This effort has seemed unsuccessful due to the increased number of protesters. On Jan. 25 they blocked Twitter, and a day later the Egyptian government blocked Google, and Facebook. Shortly after this they upped the attack on communication by blocking the Internet entirely; additionally Blackberry and SMS texting were blocked. The country was a black hole, the ban put into effect across the entire republic. As if this was not bad enough, multiple landlines in Cairo, and cell phone service in the country were down as well. A 4 p.m. curfew was imposed as well, although armed forces did not seem to be doing much to enforce it. People across the world are trying to do all they can to help Egyptians. On the popular blogging website, Tumblr, a post circulated that helped Egyptians bypass the block on the Internet by using a different numerical IP address to access Twitter, Google, and Facebook. Another solution has a French ISP that offers free dial-up access. It is still unknown as to how

this message is going to actually reach those in the cut off country, but they hope it will. A few weeks later, on Feb. 2, 2011 the government turned the Internet block off, allowing the people to access the World Wide Web. Antique Egyptian artifacts are being affected by the protests as well. All 100+ pyramids have been closed during this time for their safety and preservation. The Egyptian National Museum in Cairo was raided on Jan. 28, 2011 by protesters in Tahrir Square. Looters destroyed a few artifacts from the museum, the most prestigious of them being a statue of King Tutankhamen. Dr. Zahi Hawass was furious about the ordeal, telling National Public Radio that those who did it were “ignorant people. They have no education. They are criminals.” He also stated that those who protected the museum during the raid were real Egyptians, protecting their heritage. Hawass added that the army did not show up for hours later, and are now covering every corner of the Cairo museum. On Jan. 31, 2011, President Mubarak made a television appearance across the country. He stated that he would not be stepping down immediately, but he would not be running for reelection in September. “This dear nation ... is where I lived, I fought for it and defended its soil, sovereignty and interests,” said Mubarak. “On its soil I will die,” he finished. The President had been urged by many other political figures, including President Barack Obama, to not go for reelection. Obama and Mubarak have been talking throughout this entire ordeal, the other day the two had a 30 minute phone conversation. Obama demanded the transition of power to the new president, whomever it may be “must be meaningful, it must be peaceful, and it must begin now.” Egyptian officials hoped Mubarak’s announcement would satisfy the people and calm down the cities once again. Despite their hopes, more gun shots were fired on Feb. 2, 2011 right before midnight, leaving a few injured. Violence erupted even further in the next few

hours. The Egyptian military had to bring in tanks to suppress the crowd, but the protesters did not back down. In fact, even more strikes had started since then. Thousands of workers went on strike on Feb. 10, 2011 demanding higher wages. Streets were continually getting worse, especially with the escape of hundreds of prisoners from jails. Protesters are not happy with waiting eight more months until Mubarak steps down: they want immediate action. The death toll now stands at over 100, and there are over 2,000 injured people. Mubarak followed up his previous announcement with another on Feb. 10, 2011. This one sent mixed signals to the people, hours before his speech, the military made an announcement in Tahrir square. Military officials had just met, and they claimed that “all the protesters’ demands would be met,” and that Mubarak would indeed step down. Thousands more gathered in the square to rejoice, and watch as Mubarak was supposed to resign from his office. They were in for a surprise when the president refused to step down or leave the country. Instead he handed over his powers to Vice President Omar Suleiman, but he still will retain some influence over the government. It was unclear whether Mubarak had given up any actual authority; he still remained in the palace and held the rights to request amendments to the constitution, and to dissolve parliament or the cabinet, among others. The confusion sent the crowds into an even more chaotic frenzy, chanting “Leave! Leave! Leave!” they are now asking the military to step in to push Mubarak out. The military kept true to their statement three days later when history repeated itself. With the help of

the military, Mubarak was ousted on Feb. 13, 2011. The same government that the people and the military helped to build was now the one being dissolved. Parliament has been ejected from their seats, and the constitution is now suspended. The Supreme Council of Armed Forces is currently appointing a committee that is going to propose progressive changes to the suspended constitution. Since Mubarak has officially stepped down, Defense Minister Hussein Tantawi is leading a council of generals who are running the country. In the days they have been in charge, a sense of normalcy has returned to the country. Feb. 14, 2011 was the first day back to work for most of the country, the streets have been opened, and traffic has been running smoothly through Cairo. To fill the vacant government seats, Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq is reviewing candidates accepted by the public. Military officials are working day by day, but at a fast pace, in order to please the Egyptian people. Two questions remain – who will take his place in September? No one knows who will be running for the presidency in September. Some are worried that the Muslim Brotherhood are keeping a close eye on Egypt, and that they will exploit the situation.

The Blue and Gold February 2011

WORLD NEWS http://www.maldenblueandgold.com/

The Egyptian army was in the streets of downtown Cairo, Egypt, on Saturday, January 29, 2011, as citizens celebrated the news of changes in the government’s structure. The army was present, but no riot police. (Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times/MCT)

A man leaves a looted shopping mall as demonstrations continued for a sixth straight day, January 30, 2011, in Cairo, Egypt. (Carolyn Cole/ Los Angeles Times/MCT)

The standoff in Cairo, Egypt in Liberation Square continues, with thousands of protesters remaining throughout the day on Saturday, February 5, 2011, and into the night with some sitting in front of army tanks. (Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times/MCT)

A group of protesters pray in downtown Cairo, Egypt, as demonstrations continue, January 30, 2011. Protesters massed across Egypt for a sixth straight day to demand that Egytian President Hosni Mubarak resign. (Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times/MCT)

Yemen Brittany McFeeley Head Copy Editor

s Egyptian protests fill the streets of Cairo, similar uprisings are beginning to occur not too far away in the poorest country in the Arab world, Yemen. Like Egypt, Yemen protesters want their president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, to step down after a 32 year regime. Despite his new announcement that he will not go for re-election in 2013 or turn power over to his son, protesters were still unhappy with the success (or lack

Tunisia Kayla Bramante

Head of Special Projects

early 219 people have lost their lives in the month long Tunisian protests against their government, and president, Ben Ali. These protests began when groups of people were found outside of the presidents holdings. They were coming together because some social networking sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, had recently been completely shut down. A big part of the groups were unemployed college students who were enraged about the need for jobs and accused the Tunisia family of self enhancement, or making things better for themselves. When the police arrived at the scene, they were found using billy clubs, guns and tear gas

The standoff in Cairo, Egypt’s Liberation Square continues, with thousands of protesters remaining throughout the day on Saturday, February 5, 2011, and into the night. Men form lines in front of the Egyptian Army troops near the Egyptian National Museum. (Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times/MCT)

thereof) during his presidency. Out of the staggering number of people living in Yemen, which adds up to 23,495,361 as of July of 2010, only 54 percent are literate, making it difficult to spread the message about the protests. According to CNN, the protesters who are educated hope to spread the message to tribal leaders, who will hopefully support them. Although many oppose the President’s rule in Yemen, there is also a group of supporters for President Saleh; they, on the other hand, believed that he was fulfilling his duties as president. In response to the Tunisian President and his wife fleeing country of Tunisia (due to the

protests occurring there), President Saleh has made some concessions in his government to benefit the people of Yemen. He hopes to lower the income tax, raise soldier salaries, and provide food for the poor. On Feb. 3, 2011, or the “day of rage,” both groups of protesters, 20,000 of them anti-government protesters, gathered near Sanaa University, at Yemen’s Capital in Sanaa. Fortunately for police, the opposing groups never crossed paths, even though only one kilometer (.62 miles) separated them. The police sent away the protesters armed with chunks of wood, but that was the extent of the dangers that occurred in Sanaa, and by lunch time, it was

all over. As protests fill the streets, fear fills the lives of those living in Yemen. Due to the extremely high unemployment rate of 40 percent, and an outrageous poverty rate of 45.2 percent, many believe that the youths of their society are becoming involved with al-Qaeda. One group, named Zaidi Shiites, are located in the northern part of the country. Some experts believe that in order to kept the peace, President Saleh has about six months to fulfill his promises, before Yemen turns into turmoil. Not all is lost for Yemen, since Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak stepped down from office over Valentine Day weekend.

against the protesters. A gang set a synagogue on fire and this was the first attempt of protest from the Jewish. Military officials were seen sniping people from afar and throwing rocks at the protesters. Later that day there was a nighttime curfew sent out throughout Tunisia. There were many people found leaving the country to secure the safety of themselves and their families. Typically in Tunisia, there is a large middle-class, a huge gender parallelism, and lovely Mediterranean beaches. Tunisia also has a constraining region of police states. The citizens of Tunisia have accepted the surveillance and continuous uses of torture for a long period of time, and recently there has been a lack of jobs and a huge public resentment against the government. During this uprising, the president and his wife were found leav-

ing the country, and there are now arrest warrants on the two. These protests have led to the president making a decision to end his term and opened the door for other candidates. What Tunisia is looking for with the new government system is to enhance the amount of women’s rights like making men go to court if they plan on filing for a divorce. The Tunisian rebellions were also the cause for the uprisings in Egypt; as well as in Yemen and in Jordan. Back in Tunisia, the government has been trying to stabilize the country by assuring that if Ali is out of office, the hope for democracy can become a reality. On Feb. 13, 2011, one thousand people were found escaping Tunisia and were found on an Italian island. Because of the sudden mass of people going to Italy, they have blocked incoming boats and Italy’s president

is meeting urgently to find a solution to the problem. However, they have not taken action yet. While the Middle East is in battle with their autocratic governments, what is the rest of the world doing to help out the protests? There have been several rallies in Toronto and Boston to support both Tunisia and Egypt. There have also been other attempts to support Arab in different countries around the world and in some parts of the United States. There has also been some support on Twitter for Egypt. The people in Egypt told everyone to change their location to Cairo to confuse the government. Some people at Malden High School have also done this to show their support. So next time you log into twitter you can think about Cairo and how you might be interested in showing them some love!

World News

The Blue and Gold February 2011

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Blackwater Profits From Somali Piracy Amanda Rosatone Reporter

ecent news of Somalian pirates attacks may be linked to a bigger issue than most people think. The Somalian pirates is just one example of the Blackwater Company at work. Blackwater is a secretive security force that sends United States occupational officials undercover in countries in the Middle East such as Iraq. It is said that in Iraq on Mar. 31, 2004 the war turned, when there was an incident involving four U.S. occupation officials and their true identities were revealed. They were ambushed, killed, and then dragged through the streets; two of the Blackwater employees were hanged above the Euphrates river. Once the Bush administration heard about this ambush they planned an immediate revenge attack, adding fuel to the fire. There were many cases where the morals of the Blackwater company were severely questioned. Some main concerns were what laws run Blackwater, when asked in a house hearing about contractor immunity from Iraq government system Erik Prince, founder of Blackwater, stated that “[my] understanding is yes.” This basically means that if any Blackwater worker were to commit what would be seen as a crime, they

would not be less likely to be penalized because simply they work for Blackwater. Today, the Blackwater company will now choose to leave Iraq on their own. So far, Blackwater has collected several million dollars from tax payer funds, Jeremy Sachill, a correspondent World map locating piracy-prone areas, with charts showing percentage of hijackings that were done by from The Nation, Somali pirates in 2010. South Korea successfully saved a crew from Somali pirates. MCT 2011 stated in one of his many Blackwater informational ter have to do with the Somalian Schaill stated that “[the pivideos. Some members of Congress pirate attacks? In essence they really rates] very seldom commit acts of believe 40 cents of every dollar spent do not have an effect yet, although violence, kill anyone, or brutalize on the Iraq occupation went to the Schaill stated that Blackater recently anyone,” and that the pirates only company. Considering this company had a meeting with shipping com- attack the ships to hopefully collect works so secretively, some members panies discussing the proposition ransom money. Somalia is a very of the US government cannot prove of Blackwater protecting the ships poor place and the pirates attack the anything about the company but from pirate attacks. The shipping ships because the ransom money they continue to do research hop- companies were aware of the reputa- will improve these individuals’ ing to find connections to the war. tion Blackwater had gained through economic circumstances and living According to Jeremy Schaill, au- the incidents in Iraq but desperate standards. Somalia is originally a thor of “Blackwater: A Rise of New times call for desperate measures. place that has a lotof tuna fishers but Worlds,” Blackwater accomplishes Shipping companies are willing due to the crashing economy, busiso much due to a CIA group called to work with Blackwater because ness regarding exporting had not Total Intelligence Solutions headed they cannot run the risks of pirates been at it’s best. The only solution by Jake Hofer Black. attacking the ships and stealing pre- they have found thus far is to steal So what exactly does Blackwa- cious cargo. money.

Airport Security Not Unlike That of U.S. Paige Yurek Copy Editor

ecently in the United States, an increase in airport security, including controversial screenings before boarding a plane, has become a necessity due to terrorist attacks such as 9/11 and other failed plots that target airline infrastructure. An ocean away in Moscow, Russia, a similar situation occurred. On Jan. 21, 2011 in the late afternoon, 35 people were killed at Domodedovo airport, leaving around 100 others seriously injured. Channel Six News Online reported that Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is confident that the bombing was in fact a deliberate terrorist attack. “Considering the location and other indirect indications, this was a well-planned terrorist attack aimed at killing as many people as possible,” stated Medvedev. “All instructions have been issued, we have an algorithm for this kind of emergency effort in our country because we know firsthand what terrorism is. We have introduced special security measures at virtually all transport hubs.” Medvedev continues to say that the airport itself should be held responsible for security failure, stating, “The airport is good, everyone recognizes that, it is new and modern. But what has happened shows that there were clearly breaches in security, and everyone who makes

Airport bombing in Moscow leads to an increase in security. decisions here, including the airport management, will answer for this.” Nearly a week after the attacks, Chechen warlord Doku Umarov took credit for the acts and threatened to send more attacks on Rus-

sia stating in a video posted on an Islamic Rebels site, “God willing, these special operations will be carried out in the future. There is no doubt of this, as we will have hundreds of brothers who will be ready

A bombing victim is wheeled by paramedics from Domodedovo International Airport. An alleged suicide bombing attack rocked the arrivals area killing at least 31 people, and injuring more than 200 in Moscow, Russia on January 24, 2011. (Itar-Tass/Abaca Press/MCT)

to sacrifice themselves.” In the past year, Umarov took credit for having sent bombings to Moscow three times. His reasoning, being that he will “not stop until the Caucasus is Islamic and free.”

Diagram of Moscow’s Domodedovo Airport, where an apparent suicide bomber killed and wounded dozens of travelers; includes list of recent terrorist attacks in Russia. (MCT 2011)

The Blue and Gold February 2011

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Republicans in control Republicans are gaining power in congress. under their influence, what’s in store for U.S? Vicki Ngan Reporter

urrently holding 47 seats in the Congress, House GOP, or the Republicans, have the majority in the House of Representatives, with Republican John Boehner as the Speaker of the House, who is second in line for presidency. From Ohio’s eighth congressional district, he is the influential leader of the House of Representatives. With the Republicans in power, what will they do? Budgets cuts are one of the major issues America has to face. The U.S. has a debt of almost 14 trillion dollars, and contrasting sharply with Obama’s policies the last two years, the Republicans want deep cuts in the federal budget where as Obama has proposed a spending freeze. Pressured by the Republicans and trying to find a balance, Obama had announced his plan of setting budget cuts back to 2008 level, set to begin on Feb.14, 2011. House GOP wants to reduce spending and be more conservative, as well as getting Americans to reduce the unemployment rate by starting to work again. Recently though, Obama has made a proposal of cutting 1.1 trillion dollars in the federal budget within ten years throughhis five year freeze in non-security funding spending, and an increase in taxes, and funding for selected education. In NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Boehner disapproved Obama’s plan because it was “going to continue to destroy jobs by spending too much, borrowing too much, and taxing too much.” Opposing Republicans are against the idea, arguing that this is not enough, and insist on deeper cuts. They call for cuts in hundreds of programs, even targeting elimination of Americorps and Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Although it might seem nice that our debt will be decreasing over the years, a matter of public safety arises. According to economists, thousands of fewer immigrants will be detained and of those thousands, there is the possibility of terrorists smuggling in. In addition, there might be as many as 2,700 Federal Bureau of Investigation agents removed, making the chance of catching criminals be lower than before. And not only is it safety, but there will be poorer conditions of schools and around 200,000 kids will be dropped from head start. A commonly predicted raise in unemployment can be seen in the picture too, though Boehner disagreed. He claims that the crisis will “bring greater physical responsibilities here in Washington D.C. and some of the uncertainty and allow jobs to be created in America.” Over

this long term goal, it is predicted that our economy will slowly recover. Along with budget cuts, other subjects have been brought up. On March 23, 2010, Obama signed a health care bill put into law, guaranteeing medical insurance for millions of Americans and stopping their abuses, which will be put in full effect by Jan. 2014. Since then, attacks have been made at this Affordable Health Care Act, or Obamacare, with Republicans deeming parts of the law as unconstitutional and claiming that it will kill small businesses with health care costs. On Jan. 20, 2011, the House voted 253 to 189 passing a resolution to repeal the act with the help of more than a dozen Democrats, though the bill was not able to pass in the Senate, and it looks unlikely that Republicans will be able to completely repeal Obamacare. Currently, Republicans are working on alternatives for replacing and destroying Chart looking at the favorability ratings and recognition ratings of 13 potential GOP 2012 some parts of the act. presidential candidates. Chicago Tribune 2011 Some of those proposals include allowing interstate sales seems that the Democrats’ chances are Sarah Palin, Mitt Romney, and of health insurance and restricting of holding the Senate has gotten Mike Huckabee. Palin was Alaska’s federal abortion funding, which difficult. With several seats up for first female governor, and its youngcontrasts from Obamacare where takes, Democrats will have to de- est too. Romney was Massachusetts’ people will be able to buy cover- fend 23 seats while GOP will need to former governor. Starting off with age through a state exchange. They defend 10. With four more seats, Re- a three billion dollar budget deficit also plan to take out the unpopular publicans can obtain control of the when he entered office, he had a 700 1099 tax provision that requires Senate. Already, five senators have million surplus by 2004 and was able businesses to file a 1099 tax form announced they won’t be running to cut taxes by the end of his term. identifying people for whom they for re-election in 2012, with three And as for Huckabee, he was the have to pay 600 dollars or more in of them identifying themselves as former governor of Arkansas and prior to his political career, he was a year for goods and merchandise. Democrats. Will this affect the 2012 a Southern Baptist Minister. Each Dealing with Obamacare piece by presidential election as well? Some with their own strong points, they piece and providing ideas of their prominent and possible Republican are a possible challenge to Obama’s own, their goal is to lower the cost of health care and respect the patient- candidates running for president re-election in 2012. doctor relationship. But as good as the idea sounds, the Republicans have yet to come up with a fully detailed measure. While the some claim the effects of Obamacare will hurt our economy, cut jobs, and increase taxes, GOP’s recent ideas will be putting insurance companies in control, as well as raising prices on prescriptions for seniors. As they pursue solutions to these problems, the Republicans will have an opportunity of holding the majority in Senate soon. With 2012 elections drawing closer, it

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The Blue and Gold February 2011

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Taxes and Malden: Frenemies Kaela Bryan Reporter

Malden and Massachusetts as a whole have recently dealt with money issues in forms such of taxes and budget cuts. One plan to deal with the economy was Question 3, an initiative that proposed a change to the Massachusetts sales tax. A “yes” vote would have reduced the sales tax from 6.25% to only 3%; a “no” vote would have made no changes to the tax. The decision was a tough one to make for many people, and it’s easy to see why: should people try to save a few bucks here and there, or should they keep the money flowing into their children’s education and the building of new roads and bridges? Question 3 would have amounted to a whopping decrease of $2.5 billion in state revenue -- without that money, how would police officers, construction workers, teachers, and firefighters be paid? On the other hand, people claimed that the initiative, once passed into law, would not only create approximately 32,000 jobs, but it would also aid in consumerism because fewer people would feel the need to travel to New Hampshire for the lesser sales tax. However, the initiative did not pass into legislation, as most people thought that the tax money is essential to fund education and construction. Most people seemed to agree that, even if it is sometimes difficult to hold their own and provide for themselves and their families, it was worth giving more money to fund their children’s valuable education. Among other things, they approved of the plows coming by to clear the streets of snow. Top Left: Malden Public Schools superintendent. Sidney Smith speaking in his office. Photo courtesy of WickedLocal.com. Bottom Left: Adam Weldai posing in a park, courtesy of WickedLocal.com. Kaela Bryan Reporter Megan Kelly Copy-Editor Kristen Leonard Reporter

o it is common knowledge, that the national economy is taking a hard hit these days. Terms like “deficit,” “budget cuts” and “government spending” are flying around with increasing frequency lately, and most people are trying to develop ways to limit spending. These words can be very scary for a ntcity’s government. Like many cities and towns across the coury, Malden is being affected by the economic situation that also has a very threatening name: the Recession, which has been plaguing America’s and the world’s economy for over two years. Budget cuts are on the lips of almost everyone, and they are becoming the talk of the town rather than a hushed murmur here and there. The Malden Fire Department has faced drastic staffing changes because of budget cuts: ten firefighters were laid off; two lieutenants were demoted; and one entire station was closed. But the money crisis doesn’t stop there: budget cuts are not only affecting tax payers, but now our public schools, too. Being a part of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Malden is supplied by the state government with Federal Funding,

and that is now cut. Governor Deval Patrick’s state budget was expected to be cutting local state funding by 5%, meaning that Malden would have received $1.97 million less. After Governor Patrick released a new budget proposal on Jan 26, 2010, the school council could breath a sigh of relief because money would be given to the city funds. Federal funding spent this year for math and literacy programs that will not be available next year is about $587,834, and for special education programs it is $777,625. Money for any stabilization funding, a federal program established to combat and avoid reductions in education and other necessary public services, will be cut as well: an estimated $1.09 million will be lost. But perhaps there is a sliver of hope for our schools. Part of a plan to reorganize Malden’s money was to close Forestdale Elementary School, resulting in around 30 to 35 layoffs. However, Adam Weldai, School Committee Representative of Ward 5, the area which the Forestdale School is located, was excited to share the news that Forestdale wouldn’t have to be closed; “When we were expecting a 5% cut to local aid, we ended up being given a substantial boost of almost 4.5 million in local aid for schools from the Governor.” Though the State Senate and House of Representatives still have to vote on the Governor’s new budget meaning that the expected 4.5 million could be shrunk down

considerably, “Although I’m realistic and I know that type of funding will never make it to the final process, I’m optimistic that the end budget will not have the schools being cut nearly as much as we were planning for,” Weldai continued. Gary Christenson, Malden mayoral candidate, suggests to

advocate to our local legislators Donato, Fallon, and Smith along with Senator Clark keep our children’s best interest safe from large budget cuts and to keep the intended money from being “diluted to other departments for it to have its intended effect.”

The Blue and Gold February 2011

LOCAL news

Monthly Candidate for Mayor: Profile: Paul Deborah Fallon Marques

Sharon Lee

Head of Photography

amous at Malden High School not only for his delightful morning and afternoon announcements encouraging students to “be on time or be early!” but as Paul Marques, a teacher, an advisor, and a friend to the students and staff of MHS. Marques currently teaches Math Lab and Computer Programming, with previous experience teaching all levels of math, from Algebra to Calculus. Not only is he a teacher, but also advisor of National Honor Society, B-Boy Break Dance Club, co-advisor of the Class of 2012, fill-in instructor for the Yoga Club, as well as advisor and founder of the Ski & Adventure Club. Prior to becoming a teacher at Malden High School, Marques grew up in Somerville, Massachusetts, where he attended Somerville High School. After he went on to study at UMASS Boston. Since then he has taught at several other schools such as Chelsea Middle School, Peabody High School, and the Gifford School. Marques looks back on the “most exciting thing [of his life] as being the one time he got chosen to be a contestant on the game show The Price is Right. In April of ’98 Marques went through a 10 second interview process, where they interviewed all eligible contestants and made their pick. For Marques, it was his lucky day. One of Marques’ favorite interests is skiing. As a teacher at Peabody High School, he invented the Ski & Adventure Club and carried over the interest 12 years ago when he became a teacher at MHS. The very first time Marques went skiing was at the age of sixteen with his older brother and his friends in Stowe, Vermont. To this day, he still goes skiing on average five to ten times per year. His love for skiing has motivated him in inventing the Ski & Adventure Club because he “likes to give that experience to others.” When it comes to his hobbies he enjoys anything outdoorsy, physical, and full of adventure. As an avid adventurer, he also recalls the one time that he went skydiving as the most adventurous thing he has accomplished. Although it was just once, Marques says that would love to try it again. Marques has found his very own mentor at MHS, Brunelli House Principal Thomas Mahoney. To Marques, Mahoney is “excellent” and “more as a friend, than a boss.” As a mentor himself, Marques is always there for his students. One of Marques’ programming students, senior Raymond Yang, admires Marques, who he describes as “serious, [but] always has his squirt gun ready in case someone is not paying attention.”

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Lauren Benoit

Head of Photography What makes you want to be mayor of Malden? Are you anxious about the large amount of responsibility? The need for significant change in the way that we respect our city workers, respect the voice of our citizens, involve citizens in government and re-prioritizing our government’s agenda - and knowing that I can bring about these changes through the help of citizens...through partnering with citizens to share ideas and implement resolves to economic and other challenges - those are reasons for why I am seeking the Office of Mayor. I am excited about the possibility of serving as Mayor because of the responsibility and the knowledge that this is an opportunity to change the direction of government and how it interacts with the people of Malden. It is my belief that we can effect change in our community spirit and instill a renewed faith and trust in government through new leadership, my leadership as an advocate for people, in this position.

Councillor-At-Large Deborah Fallon recently announced her newest mission; to run for the Mayor of Malden. Photo from: http://debformalden.info/

How have you been active in the City of Malden in the past years? At Malden High School, I have facilitated domestic violence prevention programs to students enrolled in Health Classes, and I have been involved in the visitor reading programs, career days and Citizen Schools forums, including at various K-8 schools. I have had the privilege of serving on several Boards of Directors for nonprofit organizations that serve our community including the Bread of Life and Massachusetts Reserve Police Officers Federation, Inc., and I have been a member of Malden organizations including the V.F.W. Ladies Auxiliary Post 639, Zonta Club of Malden for which I served as Chair of their Legislative & Advocacy Committee, Friends of the Malden Public Library, and Malden Access Television for which I serve as a co-host on “The Malden Zone”. I am also active in my church, the Immaculate Conception Parish, where I have run support groups for victims of abuse since 1996. As Councillor-At-Large, I have been honored to work with community members to create new groups that serve our residents, including the Malden Roundtable for Nonprofits, the Malden Women’s Commission and citywide, quarterly community meetings that focus on various issues and seek public input on matters of education, public safety and health. As the Founder of the Malden nonprofit organization Portal To Hope, which award winning agency serves people whose lives have been impacted by domestic violence and related crimes, I have had the unique opportunity to provide direct care services to victims and their families and educational outreach to the community for the purposes of reducing recidivism of domestic violence crime. I have also facilitated youth programs in partnership with Malden High School, the Malden YMCA and Malden High School including an “11th Grade Summer Internship Program” and “Erin’s Project” - a program that was awarded by the AVON Hello Tomorrow Fund for its work in empowering young women impacted by family and/or teen-dating violence. Coming from a very active family within the city of Malden, do you feel that it gives you an advantage? I am blessed to be the daughter of wonderful parents and the sister of siblings who all have contributed to the Malden community. Certainly, to have witnessed the hard work of my parents - their activism and volunteerism in our community - is ingrained and has led me to know the value of helping our neighbors to succeed, supporting community programs and initiatives that improve our community life and remaining active with government. Being from a close family and watching my father, who served as an Assistant City Solicitor, School Committee Chairman and Mayor of Malden, while I went through the Malden Public School system helped me to better understand, at an early age, the personal sacrifices that are made when choosing a life of public service, the political culture and the value of public service. Most importantly, I developed a great love, just as my parents did, for the people of Malden and a desire to help ensure the best possible quality of life for every member in our community. What would you like to change about the city of Malden? Many things, beginning with rebuilding our community spirit - rebuilding our neighborhoods from the ground up. I’d like to see government be more responsive to and inclusionary of the people who live in our wonderfully diverse community, and I’d like to empower people to become active and get involved in government. I’d like to redirect governmental priorities. In other words, I’d like to re-prioritize our spending to ensure that essential services, such as public safety and public works are adequately staffed, that our teachers have the tools and support they need in the classroom and that students are afforded opportunities to achieve the same, wonderful education that I received when I went through the Malden Public School system. As I continue to connect with the grassroots, new ideas that people have are what I hope to collaborate on and implement in the way of improving our city livability. Lastly, as I have been working to do as Councillor-At-Large, I will continue to work on restoring the public’s trust in government. Would you change anything to the Malden Public Schooling system? Having visited one K-8 school, I witnessed leaks where children are studying and our teachers/administrators are working. This is an unacceptable environment to me when students and teachers are exposed to structural problems, as it creates an added safety worry that as an elected official we should be guaranteeing is immediately resolved. I would also promote the good work being done by administrators, teachers and students at various schools and encourage a school environment that is a “community” school program model - which is important for communities of wonderfully diverse backgrounds like Malden’s to ensure that even parents achieve education (e.g., ESL) through innovative measures.

INTERVIEW HAS BEEN CONDENSED AND EDITED

The Blue and Gold newspaper will interview any candidate in this election. If you or someone you know is running for Mayor of Malden in 2011, please contact The Blue and Gold at theblueandgold@gmail.com and we would be glad to set up an interview.

The Blue and Gold February 2011

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Anh Dam Wins MHS Competition Rebecca Broomstein Reporter Q: How do you feel about winning the Poetry Out Loud school competition as a freshman? A: I thought being a freshman meant I had no chance of winning but I realized that it’s not the rank that matters. It’s your performance that determines how capable you are. Q: Do you have a history with the art of poetry? Is it something that you have practiced before? A: I don’t have any history with poetry. I’ve never even tried to recite a poem before, but this competition gave me a chance to test myself to see how far I could go and what I’m good at. Q: Have you always enjoyed poetry? A: Yes, I have. I always loved poetry ever since I created some of my own. Although the poems I wrote were mandatory for English class, it was really fun to write them and poetry gets through me. I can feel the emotions from poems and relate it to my life. Q: Could you name each of

your poems, and at which specific sub-competition you recited them? A: For the semi-finals I recited “Life in a Love” by Robert Browning and for the finals I recited “Broken Promises” by David Kirby. Q: Why did you choose these poems? Do any of them have some sort of sentimental meaning to you? A: I chose these poems because they appealed to me. I can understand the feelings conveyed in the poems but I’ve never experienced it before. Since they both contain a meaning of love and pain, I think almost anyone can connect to the topic regardless of what relationship they are in. Q: How did you prepare for the recitation of your poems? Did you receive any help from a friend, a family member or a teacher? A: I would go over every line and try to convey every piece of feeling from the text using my voice. I repeatedly try different ways to recite each part and pick out the best way. From there, I recite the poem over and over again until I memorize the whole poem including how strong or soft my voice should be at certain parts. The only help

I received from was my English teacher, Ms. Day. She showed the class an example of how we should be reciting our poems and what we needed to have a good performance. From the example, I was able to understand how it was done. Q: If you could describe the entire experience for you, how would you? A: The entire experience for me was unforgettable. I did something I’ve never done before and those times when I performed were the best and most exciting ones. When I was standing up there looking at everyone reciting the poem, I felt like I was sharing the speaker’s emotions to the world.

Freshman, Ahn Dam recites one of her two poems in the school-wide POL competition. Q: What advice Photo by Rebecca Broomstein. would you give another it won’t turn out well. You should student participating in know your poem so the emotions this competition? A: Don’t freak out. When recit- you put into it will flow along and ing your poem, think of it as if you that creates a feeling strong enough are the speaker of your poem. If to reach your audience. you think of it as memorizing then

Dance Raises Money for Breast Cancer Joel Stevenson Reporter

here is no better feeling than supporting a cause while having fun at the same time. The exact feeling as students as well as teachers alike, came together to put on the Pink Out Charity Dance. Though the dance was formerly the sole idea of Malden High School’s Key Club, they decided to partner up with coexisting clubs to help get the word out, with president of Key Club Andrew Chen stating, “The dance was Key Club’s idea in order to fundraise for a charity. We asked BCAC and Red Cross if they would like to collaborate in order to get more attention for this dance to make the event larger that it was originally.” In addition to the extra hands, the representatives of Key Club decided to donate all the proceeds to BCAC, which go to the Susan G. Komen Fund, earning the dance its name: “Pink Out.” The Pink Out Charity Dance being the first successful school dance in a while, there was a bit of anticipation to see how sales would go. Tickets were sold every lunch starting on Febrary 7, 2011. A steady flow of tickets were being sold each and every day, and by Friday there were around 140 students in attendance, foreshadowing the success

of the night to come as stated by the Key Club advisor Escovitz, “Things are looking pretty good around 140 kids are going, [we have] free food, [and a] great DJ; it’s going to be a great night.” When the clock rounded sixthirty, students began to assemble to be checked in. Friends met, compliments on one’s attire were handed out all around, as student readied themselves for a good night. At the stroke of seven the party had begun. DJ Kevin Casera set the mood for the night as he played hit songs including “Walk it Out” by UNK as well as “We Don’t Speak Americano” by Yolanda Be Cool and DCUP. With everyone jumping to the music, there was fun for everyone. After a few songs were Juniors Justin Pham, Samuel Zeiberg, and Stanley Chan enjoying a meal at the played, the announcement of Pink Out Charity Dance. Photo by Joel Stevenson. food was presented to the crowd. A mad dash was made to café A, As the night continued, rumors one, and, as secretary for the Key where students and teachers alike of principal Dana Brown doing Club Carolyn Lam expressed, “phegot a chance to take a break from the the dance move the Dougie were nomenal.” dance floor, with the option of foods questioned. As DJ Casera ended With over six hundred dollars including hot dogs, chips, pizza as one song through a cross fade of raised for Susan G. Komen, the night well as candies. “It was a chilled another, students applauded as they was a huge success, as stated by by atmosphere,” stated junior Henley heard the hit song “Teach Me How sophomore Prayush Pokharel, “Best Theodat. To Dougie” by Cali Swag District night ever, no matter what anyone For round two, students made and saw Brown come out of a circle says.” their way back to café B where they Dougieing. Pretty soon, everyone danced to their content while club had joined in. officers in café A helped to clean up With laughter and new dance and accommodate those who wantmoves learned, the night came to a ed to take a break from the party. close. It was a great time for every-

The Blue and Gold February 2011

LOCAL news http://www.maldenblueandgold.com/

Festival Lights Up The New Year

Snow Days Prolong the School Year Kayla Bramante Head of Special Projects

A young girl dancing to the song, Happiness of the Universe, at the 14th Annual Lunar New Year Celebration with other Yuan-Ji Dance Group of Boston performers. Photo by Catherine Poirier. Sharon Lee Head of Photography

fter years of merging Asian cultures within the Malden community, the Malden High School Asian American Club has done it again. On Saturday, Jan. 29, 2011, the 14th annual Lunar New Celebration commenced the year of the rabbit in the traditional Chinese calendar and the year of the cat in the Vietnamese calendar. This year’s celebration took place in the new Jenkins Auditorium as opposed to its location last year, which was the cafeteria due to the renovations of the auditorium. “The auditorium really attracted a larger audience and allows performers to have a nice space to showcase their Keri Gilligan performing a solo dance to Girl With An Umbrella. talent,” stated Asian-American Photo by Catherine Poirier. Club Advisor Phuong Ho. To support the production of the Lunar New Year celebration, the club gained much support from the featured MHS students themselves off. Beyond the students community especially from their like B-Boy Break Dance, performed participating in the event, sponsors including Malden Asian by Airbound, and the annual fash- the Asian American Club is Pacific American Coalition (MA- ion show. The fashion show was also grateful for the support PAC), Gary Christenson for Mayor, comprised of over 25 students from from individuals like Princithe Chinese Culture Connection all grades who dressed in tradi- pal Dana Brown, Study Hall and several others contributors. The tional outfits as they strutted across Paraprofessional / Publicity sponsors provided assistance to the the stage. To mix in both American Director Paul Famiglietti, club whether it was monetary and/ and Asian cultures, each group of Great Wall Center’s Exor material needs. Without the spon- models would act out parts of well ecutive Director Richard sors, it would have been impossible known fairy tales, like Goldilocks Cheng, and many others to have made the performance open and the Three Bears, Beauty and the contributing to make the show possible. Each and to the public at no cost as well as Beast, and Cinderella. Hopes for the following year every year the MHS Asianserve meals after the show. are primarily to get more student American Club never fails to With double the number of acts involvement. The Asian-American unite the culturally diverse performing in this year’s celebration, a total of 20 acts truly presented the Club always welcomes students to residents of Malden for the roots of Asian culture. There were join, whether it is to perform in the commencement of Chinese New Year, and of course, ala variety of acts from the popular show or join the club. Devotion and countless hours ready leaving them excited dragon dances and Kung-Fu to the traditional opera singers and folk of planning from the committee for next year’s performance. songs. Several of the acts, in fact, since September has really paid

ith all these snow days, one would think that walking to and from school would be a breeze. Fact of the matter is, the walks are only a breeze if you are walking in the street and a car drives by. The city’s sidewalks are so packed with snow, slush, and ice, it is nearly impossible to even find them. But with all these snow days, might Malden High School students and teachers be in school till the end of June? Or even spending our Saturdays in school? Can we kiss April vacation goodbye? Just how much money is the snow costing the city just in paying employees to plow our streets and shovel our sidewalks? According to a Boston Globe article, Mitchell D. Chester, the commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education, sent an informative email to all the Malden schools, where he stated that all snow days must be made up, with no exceptions. Aside from going to school on Saturdays or eliminating April vacation, the schools could consider shortening or getting rid of February vacation, cancelling professional development days, and going to school on Good Friday along with the added days in June. To support the contract stating that the year cannot be extended after June 30, 2011, another idea to consider when cancelling vacations is that many families plan vacations that may not be refundable. Thus, cancelling a vacation or going past the 30th could stir up the city and cause lots of controversies. Malden’s superintendent Sidney Smith says that the vacations are not likely to be cancelled, explaining that “We would need to have 5-6 more snow days” for this to become a realization for the city of Malden -- an instance that seems unlikely in light of recent weather forecasts. Another problem with having all these snow days right in the middle of the year could effect the results of students taking MCAS or other standardized tests. The test date comes fast, and some schools may be unprepared or at a disadvantage because all the material that could be tested may not be completely covered. Many districts are seeking a one to two week delay on the testing to allow more time inside the classrooms. However, no one is quite sure what will happen next. Aside from the schools, the snow storms this year have been so extreme that they have cost the city over one million dollars in snow removal. It is said in the snow ordinance of Malden that, “The owner, occupant or agent in charge of any land or building abutting a paved sidewalk in the City of Malden shall make said sidewalk safe and convenient for public use by removing any snow or ice accumulating thereon or by otherwise make the same safe by covering with sand or other suitable substance.” It also states that if this is violated the violator can receive a fine up to $200. However, often this law goes ignored, possibly threatening the safety of Malden residents. So what happens next? “Everyone should keep their fingers crossed and hope for NO SNOW!” exclaimed Smith.

The Blue and Gold February 2011

local news http://www.maldenblueandgold.com/

BOSTON GLOBE ART AWARDS Thupton Jigme

Alison Nguyen Rebecca Broomsein Reporter

enior, Alison Nguyen, was awarded a silver key and honorable mention in the Boston Globes Scholastic Art and Writing Awards for her two art submissions. The names of her pieces are “Lunch,” a quick sketch of a jug, hiding two pairs behind it, and “Fall Bounty,” a stilllife of a vibrant pumpkin and a basket containing two apples. The still-life used for her silver key winning piece, “Lunch” was “aesthetically pleasing” to her; a “stroke of luck,” she describes it. “Fall Bounty” was inspired by the fall season. Nguyen is currently taking AP Studio, and is taught by Alicia Fine. Because she is a senior, this is Nguyen’s fourth year taking a high school art class; she has taken extra classes outside of school, as well. Her favorite thing about art is the concept behind it. She likes that the artist can “transform a blank piece

Tony Zhao

of paper into something out of their own mind.” Nguyen’s initial interest in art was Manga- a type of Japanese comic book illustration- which she had learned from older brother. Her favorite kinds of art are traditional still-life, using charcoal, and drawing cartoons with an ordinary homework pen.

Paige Yurek Copy Editor

or his realistic mixed media piece, “Plane Board,” Senior Thupten Jigme won an honorable mention Boston Globe award. Jigme has been drawing for a long time, since he was a young child living in India. When he came to Malden High School and took art classes, Jigme stated that he gained more interest in the arts. For his win, Jigme

Tracy Tran his former Freddie DiPhillipo studio one Reporter teacher Maryann alden High School freshS e a g e r man Tracy Tran, received the who e Golden Key award from the Bospraised as ton Globe, for her drawing titled, “a great t e a c h e r “Knotted Paper.” Tran stated that w h o her art teacher Mary Ann Seager, t a u g h t helped her create her drawing, as [him] a lot. she worked with her. After completZ h a o ing the drawing and submitting it to recalls first the Boston Globe, Tran was excited g e t t i n g when she heard the news that her interested artwork had won such a notable in art in the sixth g r a d e , when he switched out of his music class into an art one, and “continued to draw up and into high school.” He is not currently taking art, due to not having room his schedule, but plans on taking studio 3 next year. As of right now he wishes to continue in art during high school but not after. The award gave him confidence ‘’to continue with art and work harder at it,” stated Zhao.

Natalie Fallano Copy Editor

ne of the four recipients for the Boston Globe Award was current junior Tony Zhao who won a gold key and silver key award for two of his drawings from last school year. One of the drawings is called “Lefty”, which he explained “a self portrait drawn when looking in the mirror, and using the left hand.” The other drawing called “Broken “Zhao explains to be of “a broken tricycle turned on an angle.” He was both surprised and excited when he was told that he won. Zhao credits

stated, “It feels great to have received this award for my art work ‘Plane Board.’ I truly enjoy drawing and painting so I am very happy to have won this award.” To create this piece, Jigme’s materials consisted of acrylic paint, ball point pen, and a clipboard. “The school assignment was to make an art work on an alternate surface, so I thought if I drew a paper on a clipboard that will confuse viewers’ eyes. But only paper won’t be interesting so I decided to paint a paper plane on top of it.” With a single glance at Jigme’s artwork, it would appear to be just a clipboard with paper in it, along with some pens and a paper airplane, plain and simple. Take a closer look and one will find that the paper is not real, and neither is the paper airplane, nor the pens. They are actually painted on Trompe L’Oeil style, a technique involving visually realistic imagery to create the optical illusion that the depicted objects are three-dimensional.

award. Although Seager sparked inspiration within Tran to create her artwork, she worked independently and diligently on her piece, and was “very pleased with the result.” Being a freshman, it is unusual for one to achieve such a high renowned award, yet Tran has proven that it is possible. Her dedication and love for art is clearly expressed through her piece, demonstrating the great potential that she holds to continue creating such remarkable artwork.

Want to see individual pieces in full color, along with slideshows of many events and sports? Visit our website, www.maldenblue andgold.com!

The Blue and Gold February 2011

Style THE

MHS

http://www.maldenblueandgold.com/

“ABOUT ALL YOU CAN DO IN LIFE IS BE WHO YOU ARE....

Crystal Araiza

Matteo Pocobene

Q) Do you think you have style? A) Yes, I think that I have style. Q) How would you describe your style? A) Wannabe-hipster. Enjoying the way you dress is essential to the hipster movement. Q) Where do you get your style from? A) I close my eyes and pick things out of my drawers…so I guess my drawers… Q) Why do you think that it is important for one to be themselves? A) It depends on who you are. If being unique makes you happy, then be unique. If blending in makes you happy, then blend in. Q) What is your favorite thing to wear? A) Bracelets!! Q) If you could change anything about yourself, what would it be? A) I wouldn't change anything about myself-- I'm far from perfect but i wouldn't want it any other way. Q) What is your favorite trend? A) Indie hipster! (laughs) Q)If you could give advice to someone who is scared to show their personal style, what would it be? A) Be yourself, and dress whichever way makes you happy- those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind. Q) What is one thing you can't leave the house without? A). My feet!

Q) Do you think that you have style? A) I think I have style. Q) How would you describe your style? A) I is more like a wanna be hipster. (while laughing) Q) Where do you get your style from? A) I think that my style is unique. Well not too many people dress like I do. I just kind of see stuff I like and throw it together. Q) Why do you think that it is important for one to be themselves? A) It shows who you are and it shows that we are not 100% the same. Q) What is your favorite thing to wear? A) Sweaters. They are really comfortable. You can mix comfort and style. Q) What is your favorite trend? A) Hipster-Indie fashion. It strays away from the typical idea of a teenager. It mixes different styles together. Q) If you could give advice to someone who is afraid to show their personal style, what would it be? A) Don’t worry about having others judge you because there is no correct way to dress and you should choose whatever you want.

Reginah Sanyu

positive thing. Even if one is a terrible singer, no one will sing as terrible as you. We all cannot hit notes the way Christina Aguilera does although the only thing that we can all do is not to fumble lyrics to the National Anthem. That is the thing with fashion. It gives us a chance to be ourselves. Although we can all wear the same shoes, there are individual ways we wear them. Everything one puts on sends a message and that is why the right outfit can increase self confidence. Fashion is an individual statement of expression which is to peek into a personality. The clothes on runways are always extreme. Unless you are Lady Gaga, these looks will not be worn by anybody in their right mind on the street. People especially women try to emulate the high fashion on the runways, trying to look like the models which usually causes low self esteem and eating disorders. The sad truth is, whatever happens on the runway is just an act. Those models are doing that job and they get paid for it. For one to wear a dress worn by a model

Carli Bellmer

... SOME PEOPLE WILL LOVE YOU FOR YOU. MOST WILL LOVE YOU FOR WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR THEM, AND SOME WON’T LIKE YOU AT

ALL.”

From left to right: Sophomore Crystal Araiza, Junior Matteo Pocobene, and Sophomore Carli Bellmer.

Q)Do you think that you have style? A) I’d like to say I have style haha Q) How would you describe your style? A) I dress according to how I’m feeling. I’m a huge girly girl so dresses and anything feminine make up my style. I like being a girl and dressing “girly” lets me express it. Q) Where do you get your style from? A) My style is influenced by celebrities and even people I see everyday in the halls. If I see someone wearing something cute I’ll remember it and most likely not copy it but make it my own. Q) What’s your favorite thing to wear? A) My favorite thing to wear is high waisted skirts. I’m short so I can’t wear certain things in fear I’ll look frumpy. Jeans are always too long for me and high waisted skirts are flattering on everyone, especially on petite people. Q) What is your favorite trend? A) Boots. I’m a huge fan of uppercalf boots with an authentic, equestrian feel to them. Q) If you could give advice to someone who is afraid to show their personal style, what would it be? A) If someone is afraid to show their personal style, they may not have found what theirs truly is. I experiment with different styles everyday. Don’t be afraid of what other people think because people will always judge you. Be proud you’re more bold than they are. Experiment and mess around with different trends and styles. When you find your own personal style you won’t be afraid to show it.

Fashion: An Escape From Reality

Head Entertainment Writer

ashion is more than the fancy clothes and the glamorous life. Fashion influences people to take chances, giving a chance of self expression. The phrase “be yourself” is commonly used in situations where one has to make an impression. Which seems kind of ridiculous because if one cannot be themselves, in that case that can they be? “She is fake,” “she thinks that she is better than everyone”. Those are the reactions a person who gets the confidence to be themselves gets. Let’s face it; we are controlled by the world around us. The way we dress, what we listen to and how we treat others: Like dolls. At the same time as the world is trying its hardest to make life difficult, it is important for one to be honest to themselves. There is reason why we are all different. Each one of us offers something unique to the world, a thing that nobody else can give. It does not have to necessarily be a

on the runway, one does not have to look like them. There is no need to say “if only i was skinnier i would wear that dress”. Models, runways are just a way for designers to show off their recent crazy ideas. Why does everyone try to look like those models? Why not embrace personal beauty? We are all different: some are skinny; some have curves while others are short. That is what beauty is. No one should loose esteem just because they cannot look like a model. It is one thing to try to lose weight just to stay healthy and be happier however, it is another thing to loose weight just to look like one of the models. If that is the case then you are abusing your body because that “ideal look” is meant to sell a product. Fashion should not be blamed for this false advertisement; the media is responsible for that. One can still wear what they admire and at the same time feel comfortable in their bodies. That is fashion giving permission to wear whatever they desire unless you care about what people think. Which is very impossible not to but you cannot control what

other people think of you. in the words of actress Melina Kanakaredes, “Do not be embarrassed of who you are, they are going to judge you no matter what you do” other people should not tell one what to do because when they say that your boots are last season, the next thing will be your hair. It is not a fashion law that redheads cannot wear red or short people cannot wear long dresses. it is about comfort and as long as one feels comfortable wearing something, that is all that should matter. And when one does not feel comfortable in the clothes they wear maybe because they got it just because someone else had it, the next time shopping, do not buy anything that you could not see yourself wearing. It is understandable that we all try to look our best but this world is a ridiculous place, inner beauty would be found in a more perfect sane world. It is still good for one to be themselves because at the end of the day, all one has is themselves.

The Blue and Gold February 2011

Entertainment http://www.maldenblueandgold.com/

Haley DeFilippis Copy Editor

ustin Bieber: a 16 year-old heartthrob that has the ability to sell out Madison Square Garden in 22 minutes. Before the release of his documentary/musical film entitled Never Say Never, most already made up their mind over him. With Justin Bieber, there is no in between. You either adore him, his music, his success, and his hair or you dislike him and the “girly voice” and earpiercing swarm of girls that comes along with him. However, Never Say Never portrays the story of a kid from a small town who never gave up and ultimately achieved an accomplishment only stars such as Michael Jackson could do-selling out Madison Square Garden in New York. Never Say Never is focused around a 10 day countdown to Bieber’s MSG concert and includes home movies and behind-thescenes footage that will give anyone who watches the movie respect for Bieber. Bieber is ordered throughout the movie by his mom to do everyday “normal” things. He cleans his room and he does his homework and simultaneously handles his responsibilities as an international

star. The film enlightens his rise to fame and his normal childhood living in Canada. Video clips of his famous YouTube videos are portrayed throughout the movie and show how it leads to his present manager, Scooter Braun, finding him. Braun, who became a big brother to Bieber, never gave up on him despite being turned down several times. Everyone endlessly told Braun the only way Bieber would make it was if he “went through the Disney or Nickelodeon machine.” The two kept at it and started Bieber off small and performed in shows with crowds of 40, then 100, then hundreds. The movie reveals how Bieber ultimately got his contract after he sang Usher’s song “U Got it Bad” to the artist himself. Usher, who believed in Bieber from day one, still acts as a mentor to the 16-year-old. Never Say Never is heavily focused on Bieber’s fans. Millions of videos of girls singing and dancing to his songs are portrayed at the same time to emphasize the insane amount of fans he has. The movie also includes a slow-motion scene of the movie where Bieber does his infamous hair flip, which sent the audience in the theater into squeals and laughs. Bieber fans are extremely attached to him, as if the shrieking, crying, and fainting girls in the

Could you Be the Next To Catch Bieber Fever?

Never Say Never...

Justin Bieber in Paramount Pictures’ “Justin Bieber: Never Say Never.” (Courtesy of Paramount Pictures/MCT) movie did not make it clear enough. What’s more, Bieber’s fans range from three years old to grown, adult women. As portrayed in the movie, they all feel a certain “ownership” over Bieber since they discovered him first through his YouTube videos. The audience especially enjoyed the concert aspect of the documentary. Throughout the movie, glimpses of the anticipated show at the MSG are portrayed to the audience. Factor in his hit songs such as “Baby”, “One Time”, “Overboard”, “One Less Lonely Girl”, and “Never Say Never” and a 3-D screen and the

audience definetely got the concert feeling. In the end, regardless of the subject matter, Never Say Never is an inspiring story of how any person can accomplish their goals and dreams under any circumstances if they do not give up. Many question how much Bieber can actually accomplish and how long he will continue to uphold his fame and success. However Bieber, as portrayed in Never Say Never, has an undeniable drive in him that will allow him to make his dreams into reality.

Controversy Catherine Poirier Copy Editor

ajor controversy has been sparked over MTV’s new adaptation of Skins. The show originally premiered in the United Kingdom on the channel E4 in Jan. of 2007. Skins UK received mostly positive reviews from critics, with the exception of a few claiming it depicted teens stereotypically and unrealistically. Reception of the show otherwise led it to the popularity it holds now over seas. With the start of its fifth season and third cast in Jan. 2011, Skins UK has become one of E4’s most watched shows and has been recognized for many television awards. In 2008 it won the award for Best Drama at the Rose d’Or ceremony, in the same year the show won Best Drama Series at the British Academy Television Awards. At the BAFTA ceremony in 2009, Skins won the Phillips Audience Award, and recently in 2010 the show earned a nomination for Outstanding Drama Series at the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Deformation Media Awards. In addition to that, the production team has won numerous awards as well. Criticism in the UK has been nothing in comparison to that in the

United States. Why is the show being perceived so differently? After Skins US’ air on Jan. 17, 2011, over six sponsors canceled their advertisements, not wanting their companies to be affiliated with the show’s “racy” topics. One major reason the show is getting so much hate is the ages of the cast members. The ages of the cast range from 15 to 19 years old, many are saying the scenes are they are filming are inappropriate for their ages. Much of the show is based around a party lifestyle, including drugs and sexual content. The Parents Television Council is pushing to get the show off the air completely, saying it is “the most dangerous television show for children that we have ever seen,” for its show of what could be considered “child pornography,” which it is not, there is nothing shown on the show that could make it that. The show aired with 3.3 million viewers, the second episode’s ratings dropped a tremendous 50 percent, clearing displaying America’s reaction to Skins. It is strange to think that the same show, except with differently named characters and some changes to the plot, could have such contrasting reception. As a viewer of both series, America is over reacting to Skins US. The American version of Skins is completely censored in comparison to Skins UK, and it is taking

away from the plots of the show. Skins is a drama, meant to entertain and exaggerate teen lifestyles, and to cover the “controversial” topics it involves. Skins is also aimed at a more mature teen audience, children of this age are not going to be influenced by the acts on the show. Adults are making the teen generation to seem completely naïve. If children too young of age are watching the show, parents should know enough to turn it off, because that is not the audience Skins – from the UK or the US – is aiming for. MTV is still airing the show despite the negative feedback from some; a little controversy is always a good thing, right?

Junior Maya Rogers: “As a general rule, I dislike just about everything on MTV. It sounds like they just keep getting more and more desperate to get attention, so they produce shows that are just about shock value and controversy.”

MHS STUDENTS’ REACTON TO SKINS

Sophomore Will Lombard: “Don’t watch it, but the commercials make it look like [pornography]. I cannot wait until it gets canceled.”

Senior Jenna Delaney: “10 PM on Mondays is convenient for me so I do not care about being mainstream and watching the US version. I really like it because it is kind of controversial, which is much more realistic than a lot of shows. Teenagers go to parties and have messed up families and have sex and do drugs, so it hits closer to home than other shows in the past.”

Entertainment

The Blue and Gold February 2011

http://www.maldenblueandgold.com/

Academy Awards 2011

Best Picture: Nidale: 2010 was a rough year for film -- not even the independent genre could redeem the somewhat mediocre selection of movies that were released, though a few blockbusters (Inception, namely) transcended expectations and actually forced the audience to think about them. That said, The Social Network was both critically and popularly acclaimed and seems to be the favorite for this category. Joao: 2010 was indeed disappointing, but I think we came out of it with a couple of gems. The indies Black Swan and Blue Valentine were for me amongst the best of the year, even better than the box office megahits Inception and The Social Network. With that said, Black Swan, for its remarkable combination of acting, directing, and writing, deserves to walk away with the statue, but as the Academy continues to be criticized for their disdain for blockbusters, The Social Network keeps its spot as the favorite to win the Best Picture race.

Best Actor: Nidale: For his charming performance of the stammering King George VI, Colin Firth deserves the Oscar he missed out on for A Single Man last year. No other nominee in this category even compares to Firth’s realistic depiction of a speech impediment, and Firth is the favorite for the win -- one of the few winners who will actual deserve the award. Joao: After being snubbed last year for A Single Man, Colin Firth deserves this Oscar more than ever. The King’s Speech was undeniably one of the best movies of the year, and within it, the viewer watched three Oscar-nominated performances. Even with so much talent within a film, Colin Firth was able to outshine his costars and the rest of the Oscar competition. Best Actress: Nidale: Though Nicole Kidman gave a surprisingly emotional performance in Rabbit Hole, and Michelle Williams was heartbreaking in Blue Valentine, no one else comes close to Natalie Portman’s depiction of a ballerina crazed by the need to be perfect in Black Swan. Portman, always a reliable actress, delivered the best performance of her life, managing to create sympathy for her character even as she danced herself to death. Joao: The only performance that can even come close to Natalie Portman’s this year is Michelle William’s for Blue Valentine. Both women were able to carry the movie superbly, and both performances were heartbreaking in their unique way. It was excruciating to watch Williams fall in and out of love, but even more so to watch Portman’s descent into madness. Portman takes the edge here, and the level of her performance was miles ahead of the other women in this category. Best Director: Nidale: Perhaps the biggest snub of the year, with Christopher Nolan not receiving his well-deserved nomination for The Dark Knight in 2008 or Inception in 2010, is the Best Director category. As it stands, Darren Aronofsky deserves the nomination for both the subtle and obvious parts of Black Swan, which, though a very blatantly sexual psychological thriller, managed to create a main character who was relatable despite her clear insanity. Joao: As you know, I believe that Inception, much like Dark Knight, was not as great as the public or the critics made it out to be. Though I agree that Inception was remarkably entertaining, Darren Aronofsky deserves the statue for Black Swan. He’s overdue after creating solid film after solid film. But David Fincher will most likely take the prize for The Social Network.

The Blue and Gold February 2011

Sports http://www.maldenblueandgold.com/

Swim Team Goes to States

Pink-Out Game Raises Money and Hopes

Cala, Poirier, and Bryan. Alfonse Femino Reporter In addition Head Sports Writer he Malden High School swim to this extremely his year, the annual pink-out team’s season is close to the fin- important meet, there are six boys basketball game was a large ish with only one more meet. This who success, as a substantial amount of meet is the GBLs Invitational Meet people money was raised, awareness grew, against Somerville High School at qualified for the sectional compeand all in attendance had a great the Kennedy Elementary School. time. This is the last meet that the 2010 tition: Quesada Nylen, Poirier, Fundraising for at the game was MHS Swim team will have as a team. Cala, Bryan, a huge success. The money could not Their record for the normal swim Cong, and Senior have been raised, however, if it was meet record is 7-2. However the Tri-Captain Sanot for the hard work of members of team is doing better this year. This mantha Saggese. the Breast Cancer Awareness Club. record means that the swim team is Cala will The BCAC is a club that works to basically making progress. raise money for breast cancer, and to On Feb. 4, 2011, the day of the be competing in the 200 medley spread about breast cancer, because, GBL meet finally came for the MHS relay and the 200 according to club vice- president swim team. On that day, the team senior Deanna Smith, “If we can get brought home more metals than freestyle relay. Poirier will be more people to know about breast they brought last year. Sophomore competing in the cancer, more people will take action and The Blue and Gold member 200 medley relay. and do something to help.” Catherine Poirier once again became Cong will be Members of the club, including the 100 yard breaststroke champion competing in the senior Smith, and Junior Eliezer Her(she first won her title last year as a 100 butterfly, the nandez, as well as others, showed freshman) for the girls, with a time up hours early to set up booths and of 1:19. Senior Jackie Tran also came 100 backstroke, and along with decorations for the game, in which in first for the 100 breaststroke for Cala and Poirier they sold items ranging from pink the boys. Freshman Bestine Cong water bottles to white and pink penwon in two events, which were the the 200 medley relay and the 200 cils, with all of the proceeds going 100 yard backstroke and the 100 Junior Eddie Lee prepares to dive into the water in a freestyle relay. towards both the club and breast yard butterfly. Senior tri-Captain meet against Somerville High School in the Malden High cancer organizations around the Bryan will be and The Blue and Gold member School pool. Photo by Sharon Lee. country. Fans also had the opporKaela Bryan won the 200 yard Indi- competing in the 200 medley relay tunity to purchase a fifty-fifty raffle vidual Medley in 2:33 and came in and the 200 freestyle relay. Quesda Head coach of the MHS Swim 2nd place in the 100 backstroke in Nylen will be competing in the 200 team, Paul DeVincentis, explained, ticket from club members, with the 1:09. Freshman Phillip West came in freestyle relay along with Bryan, “For a swimmer to qualify for sec- chance of winning various prizes. 2nd for the 50 yard freestyle. Sopho- Cala, and Cong. Saggese is an alter- tionals, they have to reach a certain Once again, all of the money raised more Caitlin Cala came in second nate for the members who qualified time to go to the Sectional Meet.” from the fifty-fifty raffle is to go to raising awareness and finding a cure for the 100 butterfly. Sophomore and for the sectionals. DeVincentis is proud of his team, for breast cancer. The Blue and Gold member Amalia This is the first time in four especially since “they have been The night started off with the Quesada Nylen came in third place years that female members of the working hard during this season.” football team’s head coach Joseph for the 200 Individual Medley. The MHS Swim Team qualified for secFeb. 13, 2011, the Sectionals 200 yard freestyle relay came in 1st tionals, so this is a very important Meet at the MIT (Massachusetts Papagallo singing the national anplace for the girls, which included meet for the girls since it was their Institute of Technology) in Cam- them before the game. As a gesture Cong, Quesada Nylen, Cala. The first time competing in sectionals. bridge was the day that the girls has of appreciation, the referees wore 200 Medley Relay came in first place Sectionals is the meet that is re- been waiting for, and good news the pink breast cancer symbol on the backs of their uniforms. “It would with a time of 2:07, with Cong, quired to qualify for states. was brought home. Cong qualified have been great if the players wore for States in the 100 back- pink like in college and professional stroke the 100 butterfly. games, but it was still a success in The 200 Medley Relay the end,” stated Smith. And that is team recieved tenth place, exactly what it was, as the efforts the 200 freestyle relay team of the club led to nearly $200 by the placed 12th out of 30. All of end of the game. them have qualified for the The first half of the game was state meet, a great accom- hard fought between the players plishment for the girls. The from both MHS and Somerville state meet is what they are High School. Members of the team, preparing for as of now. including senior Ryan Donovan, The state championship Teddy Francois, and Vernon Sainvil, meet will be on Feb. 20, along with sophomores Rodney 2011 at Harvard Univer- Morton and Jerome Belle played nosity. ticeably well throughout the entire Compared to last game. The second half was a differyear’s record, which was ent story, however, as the Somerville 6-3, the team has done sim- High School Highlanders were able ilarly. But with the seniors, to build a sizeable lead, and run who make up half the away with a victory. team, leaving next year, it Despite this, the night was far is currently unknown on from a disappointment. The BCAC how well the team will do. was successful in their attempt to But with upcoming and re- raise a large amount of money, but turning members, there is more importantly, they were able to hope that there will be an- raise awareness and increase knowlSophomore Caitlin Cala using the backstroke manuever in a swim meet a against other chance to have more edge of Breast Cancer, an act that Somerville High School at the Malden High School pool. Photo by Sharon Lee. winners next year. will have a far more lasting effect than a donation. Johanna Lai

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The Blue and Gold February 2011

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Girls track makes history

Amalia Quesada Nylen Reporter

he girls track team without a doubt has had one of their most successful seasons ever this year, ending their season with a record of 3-1. Having already an accomplished cross country season, it was predicted that their success would continue into the indoor season. The predictions were in fact proven to be true, and the girls progressed through the season dropping personal times and defeating teams such as Cambridge, Medford, and Everett. “This is the girls’ best indoor season in over a decade, easily”, states head coach David Londino. With their hopes and spirits at an all time high, the team had only one more meet left against Somerville, their toughest and most talented opponent they face every year. Their hopes were hurt a little when the team lost to Somerville on Wednesday, Feb 9, but they definitely are not giving up. Over the past couple of years, the boys team has been a role model in some sense to the girls team and their success have pushed the girls to strive for those same accomplishments. “I think the girls have seen the praise and attention given to the boys teams over the past couple years and have wanted that too. They definitely earned some respect this season”, Londino opinions. Embracing the outstanding success they have already had this season and working hard, with the consistent standouts from The Blue and Gold member senior Alexandra Mathieu, senior captain Cynthia Antenor, The Blue and Gold member sophomore

Lauren Benoit, The Blue and Gold member junior Haley DeFilippis, and sophomore Haley Dowdie, the team dominated at GBLs. The girls came in second place overall at the Greater Boston League meet, snagging a few medals individually to bring back home as well. A few to mention were Benoit, who took second place and qualified or the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association at 1:45, DeFilippis took first place in the 1000 at 3:23, and lastly the 4x800 relay, that has a chance of qualifying states and a place in Malden High School history in the outdoor season. “I hope everyone can run their personal best and there would be no regrets for the girls because we all tried our best”, states sophomore Iris Feng. After the MIAA state meet on Feb. 18, 2011, the girls will look forward to a promising outdoor season. “The outdoor season should go equally well if not better considering athletes can compete in two events, unlike indoor which allows just one”, reveals Londino. With two successful seasons under their belt and one left to go, the girls track team is making history as this year progresses. Top: The girrls 4x800 relay, (left to right) The Blue and Gold member sophomore Lauren Benoit, sophomore Iris Feng, sophomore Haley Dowdie, and The Blue and Gold member junior Haley DeFilippis. Right: Senior Jessica Vo ahead of the competition. Botom Right: Senior Cynthia Antenor jumping hurdles. Photo courtsey to: Lauren Benoit, Haley DeFilippis, and Sharon Lee.

The Blue and Gold February 2011

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BOYS TRACK FINISHES SEASON IN IMPRESSIVE FASHION Haley DeFilippis Copy-Editor

few short years ago, Malden High School’s boys track team was accustomed to losing to strong forces in the Greater Boston League such as Somerville and Cambridge. However in the past year, the MHS boys have become a powerhouse in the league. Ending the 2010-2011 season with a 4-1 record, Malden High School’s boys track team unfortunately did not live up to their expectations to win another Greater Boston League title in the regular season, however they grasped the biggest win at the GBL meet on Feb. 12, 2011. During the regular season, t h e y dominated o v e r h i g h schools Everett, DightonRehobeth, Medford, and Cambridge, but missed the last duel meet win by a mere two points to Somerville High School. Both the indoor track season 20092010 and outdoor track season 2010 resulted in a co-championship shared between MHS and SHS. MHS also grabbed hold of the 2010 cross country championship. Because of their close meets in the past, tension built between the two rivals and it became clear through individual performances that both teams shared a common goal: a GBL title. Knowing SHS was all that stood between them and another championship, the Malden boys approached the meet with intensity and determination. Captain Patrick Keough stated “some things went our way and other didn’t. It was going to be an extremely close meet no matter what and it proved to be so.” Notable events throughout the meet included performances from several of the boys. MHS took five out of nine first places with senior captain David Germain and senior Tyler Williams tying in the 50 me-

ter hurdles, junior Yusuf Mohamed (1000m), Andrew Terenzi (mile), Patrick Keough (2 mile), Germain (high jump). Despite that SHS only took four first places, they won more second and third places than MHS. Both teams were neck and neck the entire duration of the meet, with a 42-39 Malden lead going into the relay. Despite the three point lead, the 4x400 SHS rely team is one of the fastest in the state, and won them the meet. Head coach David Londino expressed “If Malden and Somerville competed ten times we’d end up splitting the ten meets five a piece. It’s one loss. We still consider ourselves the best team in the GBL and look forward to the challenges posed by teams like Somerville and C a m bridge. T h e competition is good for the league and good for the sport.” T h i s b e c a m e evident at the GBL meet, when the coaches emphasized the importance of individual achievement to achieve its goal, and that’s exactly what happened. The Somerville loss helped restore the hunger the team had before goi n g undefeated in indoor, outdoor, and cross country. The loss provoked the team to strive for the win at the GBL meet. Two outstanding performances that stood out were Germain’s 6’ 4” high jump performance, when just two weeks ago he could not jump higher than 5’6”. Also, the 4x800 meter relay team set a new GBL record and qualified for the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic

Left: junior Yusuf Mohamed gets set to start the 4x400 relay. Above: senior captain Andrew Terenzi passes off the baton to senior captain Kelvin Tsang in the 4x400 relay. Photos by Sharon Lee. Association. Terenzi, junior Kevin Chan, Keough, and Mohamed ran a record time of 8:28.71 and broke the previous record of 8:34.13, set by Peabody in 2006, by 5.42 seconds. Despite that the regular season finished, an impressive amount of MHS boys are now preparing for the MIAA state meet. Some include senior captain Kelvin Tsang (high jump and 300m), Germain (high jump and hurdles), Mohamed and Keough (1000m), senior captain Andrew Terenzi (mile). Mohamed stated his expectations at the MIAA state meet are “nothing but first” and that “being state champ would be nice.” Keough, who was originally a twomiler for his first three years of his running career, is excited to race in the 1000m at states because he never imagined himself in that event. He stated “if you told me last year that I would be qualifying for states in the 1000 I would have called you crazy.” With the 2010-2011 season is coming to a close, the boys have already expressed excitement for the outdoor season, when they plan on achieving another GBL title. Germain stated “that’s just what true champions do-they come back better than ever.”

STATE QUALIFIERS 55M HURDLES David Germain (8.29) Tyler Williams (8.30) in 300M Kelvin Tsang (37.17) 1000M Yusuf Mohamed (2:36.36) Patrick Keough (2:42.10) 1 MILE Andrew Terenzi (4:39.17) HIGH JUMP David Germain (6’ 4”) Kelvin Tsang (5’ 10”) 4x800M RELAY Andrew Terenzi, Kevin Chan, Patrick Keough, Yusuf Mohamed (8:28.71)

FEB. 18, 2011 AT THE REGGIE LEWIS CENTER IN ROXBURY

Sports

The Blue and Gold February 2011

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GYMNASTICS, A Brutal Battle Joshua Kummins Copy Editor

he Malden High School gymnastics team has struggled to accomplish positive final results in its meets during the season, but overall the improvement throughout the season has made all of the team’s struggles worthwhile. The team lost two meets against rival Medford High School during the final two weeks of January by a combined 2.6 points, because of injuries and illness that the team has suffered all season. “Gymnastics can be a dangerous sport,” explained head coach Katie Bowdridge. “Injuries have always been a part of the sport.” For those that do not know, an individual can receive up to ten points per event in gymnastics, with tenths of a point being deducted for mistakes that the judges look for. Injuries, which have included mostly severely sprained ankles on the balance beam, have plagued the team throughout the season. Bowdridge explains that a balance beam is only four inches wide, so falls are common when gymnasts are learning their basic skills. Bowdridge says that the team “did not have the required four scores” on the beam in order to win the event against Medford, but beat

them on the floor, vault and bar events. Younger gymnasts, including freshman Justine Rose, have provided strong depth to the team, with Bowdridge stating simply, “They are doing great!” Rose has suffered ankle problems during the season, but has still come through with strong performances. The team competed at the Greater Boston League meet on Feb. 4, 2011 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, with several gymnasts putting out strong performances. Junior Alana Casey led the team by placing in the top four on vault, bars, beam, and floor events, while placing third in the all-around category. Bowdridge emphasizes that she is “very proud of all the gymnasts on the team,” adding that they “are dedicated and [have] worked hard all season.” The new members have made vast improvements over the course of the season and if the gymnasts work during the offseason, Bowdridge says that there could be some good competition for spots next year. The team has had a strong season on floor and vault events, but Bowdridge states that beam is the team’s weakest point, mainly because of its inexperienced members,

Senior Stephanie Dervishian awaits the competition at the Greater Boston League meet at Massachusetts Institutite of Technology on Feb. 4. Photo by gymnastics coach Katie Bowdridge. many of who have not been on a Senior Stephanie Dervishian beam before. The beam is only four agrees that the team has been “moinches wide and it is a big challenge tivated to try hard [and] focused on for a new or lower-level gymnast to not giving up.” Dervishian is the do a cartwheel on the beam, which only senior on the team and attends is the skill needed for competition. the Northeast Metropolitan RegionJunior and The Blue and Gold al Technical High School. member Joel Stevenson, sophomore Next year could be a promising Andrew Phu, and junior Jonathan season, as virtually the entire team Silva have contributed to the success will return for another year. The on the vault events. All three placed exception is the team’s lone senior, during the GBL meet in the event, Dervishian. Leaving the team is bitincluding Phu’s first-place finish in tersweet for her. She described the the novice category. “They have the experience as “sad,” but says she basics,” Bowdridge said. “It’s just a will still be back to support and visit matter of cleaning up the skills.” the team after graduation.

Wrestling Team Lacks Manpower Alexander Gennigiorgis Head of Business

he Malden High School wrestling team is preparing for the individual part of the season, which includes sectionals and possibly state championship qualification. Head coach and MHS English teacher Jeremiah Smith is interested to see the individual part of the season due to the fact that MHS has done well in that category than the team part of the season. One main highlight the team achieved this season was a win over a team that won by 12 points in their previous meeting and, also, the team has to cope with not having a wrestler from every weight class which deducts major points in each meet. Not having enough wrestlers to fit each weight class this season made it hard for the team to succeed over the course of the season, leaving the team with a 1-15 record, because each weight class not filled counts as a forfeit for that weight class, which deducts about 15 points. Luckily, the lack of a full roster only affects the team part of the season. The team has a long and decent history of individual achievements due to the high level of work ethic each wrestler on the team has put in over the past few years and this year is not so different. This season, the team had some

very talented upperclassmen. These seniors, including Warren Sharpp, Andy Chao, and Christian Rizzo, were large contributors to what success the team had. One thing that almost always poses serious problems in high school sports is the graduating of senior classes. As expected, the team will have to cope with the loss of the talent next season. Although the team has struggles immensely with the lack of man power needed to compete in such a competitive division one league, coach Smith and the rest of the team feel as though they have enough depth in their underclassmen, as well as ability to recruit within the city of Malden Public School systems to lay the base for a strong team in the next few years. For instance, there are several juniors wrestlers, including juniors Mario Sforza and Nick Fox that will be looked upon in the future to be key members on the team, and feared competitors through out the Greater Boston League, and the non-league schedule. Coach Smith stated in order to train for the sectionals, he will focus on simple things such as stance, conditioning, and maneuvers. Training is vital in every sport. Wrestling in particular is extremely challenging on the body, and requires great training and endurance. However, unlike other sports, wrestlers have to constantly deal with keeping themselves in their weight class,

Senior Shawn Castro struggles to break his opponent’s hold as they grapple during an MHS wrestling team practice. Photo by Reginah Sanyu. which requires both constant training, but also maintaining of the food diet, and discipline to keep the body healthy. Also, due to the high intensity and heaping level of adrenaline in a wrestling match, wrestlers must consume only the nutrition required in order to compete. Not doing so may lead to fatal effects. Unsafe practices, such as crash diets and rubber suits, have been banned by many coaches and trainers, including MHS, in order to keep their athletes healthy. Wrestling, for those who do not know, is a martial art that consists of

grappling and goes back to the years before the Iliad was written. It is one of the most physically challenging sports ever to be played. The basic goal for every wrestler in every match is to maintain a superior position over their opponent. In other words, a wrestler must attempt to make their opponent submit or they must attempt to pin their opponent. Greco-Roman wrestling, which is the style of wrestling MHS participates in, is considered an international discipline. Next year will be a new year for the MHS wrestling team.

The Blue and Gold February 2011

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Young Talent Claws Through GBLs, Builds Experience With Every Game

Jacob Martino Reporter

he Malden High School boys basketball team came into this season not knowing what to expect. Unfortunately, it is not going the way that the team would have hoped for, as the boys have a 3-7 record and a disappointing record of 0-4 in the Greater Boston League. With a losing record at this point of the season, it does not look like the team will qualify for the state tournament like it did last year. In order for the team to make the tournament, it must win its next 10 games. This task will be difficult due to upcoming games against Cambridge Ringe and Latin High School and Everett High School for the second time in the season. Sophomore Rodney Morton stated, “It is going to be hard, but I think we can do it. We all know what we have to do and we are confident that it can happen.” The disappointment of the season has been noticed by both the players and the coaches thus far. “We are not happy about the losing record,” stated head coach Don Nally, explaining how his vision of the season is not exactly what he hoped. He continued, “but the kids are working very hard and they

have been a pleasure to coach all year,” expressing that the development of the team not only as players but as students and as people is essential to its growth. Underclassmen such as Morton have proved themselves to be strong contributors to the team. “Since we are the young guys on the team it makes us want to try harder to show people what we got. And, it makes us more confident for next year and so on,” he explained. Similarly, the team came in possession of a freshman named Bryan Mitchell. For any varsity team to have a freshman Senior Teddy Francois scores on Minuteman High School boys basketball. Photo by make the roster is a rare Reginah Sanyu. occurrence. When the freshman member of the team. looked upon to help out the varsity is on a competitive team in an exAssistant coach David Larry team in the future seasons. tremely competitive league such also commented on the prowess Although the team and the as the GBL, than there is truly of the underclassmen on the team. seniors are not having the season something special about the player. “We have a lot of good sophomores, they hoped for, there is no doubt No freshman player has made a Rodney [Morton], Jerome [Belle],” that there is some good coming varsity basketball roster at MHS demonstrating that the team is cer- out of something not so good. The since Breno Giacomini in 2001, who tain to have some promising talent younger players are gaining experiis currently a tackle for the Seattle in the upcoming seasons. The junior ence every single game, the veteran Seahawks. Although Mitchell is not varsity team further shows how the seniors are making memories that on the starting five for the team, he team will be strong in the future, as will be forever, and as a team, the finds ways to contribute, and will be the team has a winning record, and unity is growing stronger as the sealooked upon in the future as a key some very good talent that will be son winds to a close.

Girls Basketball Strives for title Joel Stevenson Reporter

ith the start of each home game, audience attention is directed to the varsity players as they make their way on the court. The games begins after a quick pep talk by coach Wayne Bartolucci to get the girls ready to play. With the season underway, the team is hoping to go for the gold this year. Their current record stands at 6-10. With twenty games in total, the team only has five more games left to play this winter season. To qualify for GBLs, the girls need to win at least four more games. Junior Commie Ayuk mentioned, “I think we can do it, we have seven games left, I have strong beliefs; as [the] season progresses, we have been getting better.” Senior captains include Fillette Lovaincy, Samantha Bonvie, and Francesca Richardson. Lovaincy, Bonvie, and Richardson have been playing on the varsity basketball team since their freshman year, allowing them to build a chemistry together both on and off court. The three have also had the same ups and downs, and gone through similar obstacles in their basketball careers at Malden High School, contributing to their combined success and leadership abilities when they work together. “[They] always keep us positive, even when we are not doing so great. They keep us going,”

stated junior Kiara Amos. The three continuously work at practice and in games to encourage and motivate the team, no matter how the season is going, further showing the leadership and determination of both the captains and the rest of the team. With high hopes in mind, and crunch time looming, every member of the team, captain, starter, or back up, has to really start focusing on their responsibilities, and everyone has to focus on coming together as a team and overcome any adversity that might appear in the remainder of the season. “We need to improve on our communicating on the court, and by working together, we don’t always like the situations, sometimes we just have to adjust.” expressed junior Commie. With minor adjustments, the team can over go all the way to GBLs and maybe after that, the state tournament. On Feb. 8, 2011, the girls basketball team fulfilled a task that is always anticipated and very difficult to do for any MHS athletic team; they beat Everett High School. Throughout the whole game, MHS maintained a distance of about nine points over EHS, and kept the comfortable lead the entire game, resulting in an impressive 51-39 win over their rival. The team has been rattled a bit from the start, but they are a whole as stated by Co-captain Fillette Lovaincy, “We want to win and we are going to do everything we can to

win. this year has been a bit up a n d down, but we h a v e b e e n fighting through it, and winning would be the i c i n g on the cake.” T h e y are determined to go all the way. With only four games left the team is going have to work hard to pull off GBL’s as stated by Coach Bartolucci, “We made it a little tougher on ourselves… mathematically they are there, but we’ll see what happens.”be the icing on the cake.” They are determined to go all the way.

Top: Sophomore Bridget Furlong drives to the net with help from teammates senior Melisa Cadet and junior Kiara Amos. Bottom: Senior Francesca Richardson jumps to take a shot.

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Djokovic and Clijsters capture Australian Open Title Natalie Fallano Copy Editor

or a couple weeks every January, the kangaroos and koala bears take runner up to what draws people to the sunny vacation spot of Australia. This is due to one of the four most famous majors in all of professional tennis, the Australian Open, takes place in Melbourne. On Jan. 12, 2011 the tournament began with 128 arriving on both the men’s and women’s draw, after a short off season, eager to make a good first impression for the tennis season. On the men’s side the 24 year old Spaniard, and current number one in the world, Rafael Nadal was the favorite to win it all after just capturing his first US Open title in early September. Known for his speed and one of a kind top spin, he was at the top of his game, especially now that he acquired a new and improved first serve, just recently mastered during the US Open. On the women’s side 27 year old former number one and current number two, Kim Clijsters of Belgium was the favorite. Back in mid summer 2009, she came back from retirement after having a baby, her daughter Jada, and won the 2009 US Open unseeded and with a wild card, as well as just recently winning the 2010 US Open. For the Americans, it was not a successful launch of the year, at least on the women’s draw Serena William, who has won five Australian open titles including 2009 and 2010, did not compete this year due to a foot injury she sustained in July. Her sister, Venus Williams, retired from her third round match due to a leg injury from her previous match, which she is calling the worst of her career. With two of the best women players in history out of the picture, no American women reached the fourth round for the first time since 1973. Meanwhile, six foot nine giant John Isner lost in the third round to Croatian Marin Cilic in a long four hour and 33 minute match. Andy Roddick, famous for having the fastest serve in the game, reaching up to 155 mph, lost in the fourth round to Stanislaus Wawrinka of Switzerland, in a quick 3 setter, 3-6, 4-6 3-6. The only American success was the dynamic duo of the identical twins doubles team, Bob and Mike Bryan who won the championship for the fifth time with a final of 6-3, 6-4, The biggest upset of the tournament took away every tennis fan’s hope of another famous Federer vs. Nadal showdown. Nadal’s quest for his fourth consecutive major was ended abruptly by an injury in his quarterfinal match against fellow Spaniard David Ferrer in three sets. The open featured impressive performances by underdog players who made it far in the tournament like Miles Raonic of Canada, new-

The Blue and Gold February 2011

Above: Belgium’s Kim Clijsters goes for a shot against China’s Li Na during the Women’s Final of the Australian Open. Clijsters defeated Li Na on Saturday, January 29, 2011. Below: Serbia’s Novak Djokovic hits a forehand shot to Switzerland’s Roger Federer during their men’s semi-final match of the Australian Open on Thursday, January 27, 2011. Djokovic won, 7-6, 7-5, 6-4. (Corinne Dubreuil/Abaca Press/ MCT). comer Bernard Tomis of Australia, and Alexandr Dolgopolov of the Ukraine. All three are ranked over 200, but were able to defeat some of the top ten seeded players in the world. History was also made on the women’s draw by 30 year old veteran player, who won last year’s French Open, Francesca Skiovoni of Italy. She played a nearly five hour match against Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia, the longest women’s match in majors history, winning 6-4, 1-6, 16-14. At the end of two weeks of play, the men’s players left in the draw were number five in the world, Andy Murray of Scotland and number three in the world, Novak Djokovic of Serbia, who was fired up after defeating number two in the world, Roger Federer in the semifinals, who is considered by many to be the greatest tennis player to ever live. Murray had an easier road to the championship with Nadal being knocked out early and after he easily defeated Ferrer, as well as Dogopolov. Murray was no match for Djokovic who was eager to win a slam after losing to Nadal in the final of the US open. Djokovic played confidently and collectively with a consistent first serve, six aces, and 26 winners. From the beginning to the end of

the match Murray looked defeating, playing with not nearly as much intensity and hunger as Djokovic. Murray left the court knowing this was his third slam final in which he did not leave triumphed, but runner up once again. Djokovic who played outstandingly well, won his second Australian open title after three victorious quick sets of 6-4, 6-2, 6-3. Ninth ranked in the world, Li Na of China walked onto Rod Laver Arena looking for her first slam title after recently defeating number one in the world, Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark in a three setter in the semi final. Clijsters could not even compete with Na in the first set, who was absolutely crushing the ball and hitting angle shots right on the lines. But Clijsters, a laidback and calm veteran did not throw in the towel. She came back to twin the next two sets by mixing it up and hitting all her signature shots, power strokes down the line and incredible inside out backhands. Her experience and composed mental game came in handy in the end, helping her make an unbelievable comeback of 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, lasting just under 2 hours. After the usual trophy ceremony, both Clijsters and Djokovic both walked off the court with a smile, a title, and two million dollars in their pockets.

Green and Yellow, continued from front page Starting off with the ball in the second quarter, Roethlisberger was able to drive his offense down field enough for Shaun Suisham to kick a field goal, finally putting up numbers for Pittsburgh. After a few more minutes passed in the quarter, Pittsburgh was in possession of the ball on Green Bay’s 49 yard line, when Roethlisberger threw another interception, caught by Jarrett Bush. As usual, Rodgers annihilated Pittsburgh’s defense and threw an additional touchdown pass, this time to Greg Jennings for 21 yards. With the extra kick, Green Bay was up 21 to three. But this time, Roethlisberger was able to make it down the field without turning the ball over, and connecting with his favorite receiver Hines Ward for an eight yard touchdown pass. After Suisham’s extra point, Pittsburgh was still trailing behind Green Bay by 11 points at the end of the half. Going into the second half, it was obvious that Green Bay was in control, ending the first half with a score of 21 to 10. Despite the score, Green Bay took some serious hits, when wide receiver Donald Driver was sent into the locker room for an ankle injury. During the half time show, the Black Eyed Peas put on a spectacular performance with their bright and colorful costumes and hundreds of back up dancers performing on the football field. Tables turned in the second half, when Pittsburgh put up an additional seven unanswered points. Green Bay was quiet during the third quarter, failing to score. The only touchdown was made by Steeler Rashard Mendenhall for eight yards. Suddenly, it seemed as if Pittsburgh finally showed up to play. But, with only 11 seconds left in the third quarter, Packer Clay Matthews forced a fumble, which was recovered by Packer Desmond Bishop. With possession in the fourth quarter, Rodgers was able to successfully lead his team down the field. A short pass to Jennings led him eight yards into the end zone. After the extra kick, Green Bay regained control of the game with a score of 28 to 17. However, Roethlisberger was able to act under the pressure and throw a touchdown and two point conversion to tighten the gap between the scores. During the next possession, Rodgers was able to bring his offense down field, but only able to settle for a field goal, widening the gap to six points. Many thought that Roethlisberger would be able to make one of his infamous comebacks to win the game, but on fourth down with three yards to go, he threw an incomplete pass that ultimately ended Pittsburgh’s chances at a Superbowl ring. The Green Bay Packers were able to clinch the game after taking two knees in the victory formation to expire the play clock, ending the game with a final score of 31 to 25.