February/March 2016 Blue and Gold

Hands Free Driving: page 18

Are the Oscars Too White? pg 5

Scholoastic Art and Writing Awards pg 15

The Blue and Gold

Presidential Primaries pg 10

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77 salem street February-March 2016

The Key to JV’s pg 24-25

pg. 19

pg. 41 pg. 20-21

pg 45

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pg. 44

pg. 12-13

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Volume 101, Edition 6 & 7 / 8 February-March 2016

Editorial

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Malden High School

What the World Needs: Listen

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

Staff Print Editor-in-Chief Lucia Quesada Nylen ‘16 Print Managing Editors Cassandra Reyes ‘16 Manale Zouhir ‘16 Web and Mobile Apps Editorsin-Chief Emma Ceplinskas ‘16 Andrew Cogliano ‘16 Head Copy Editor Nicholas Bramante ‘16 Web & Mobile Apps Managing Editor Jasper Haag ‘16 Art & Design Editor Ashley Leung ‘16 Multimedia Editor Chaimae El Adlouni ‘16 Heads of Local News Felicia Fallano ‘17 Julia Parker ‘17 Heads of Sports News Tatyanna Cabral ‘17 Tenzin Dorjee ‘17 Nedlam’s Corner Karina Matos ‘17 Lead Reporters Abdul Ali ‘16 Alexis Brown ‘16 Liam Elliott ‘16 Marly Loreus ‘16 Haley Mallett ‘16 Megan Downer ‘18 Leila Greige ‘18 Ana Bia Kerr ‘18 Anna Powers ‘18 Lead Photographer Meghan Yip ‘18 Lead Videographers ryan huynh ‘16 Stacey Wong ‘16 Samuel Martinez ‘18 Staff Artist Ziqi Zeng ‘16 Reporters Gabriella Onessimo ‘17 Tatum Skiffington ‘17 Christina Appignani ‘18 Ryan Hames ‘18 Alysha McDevitt ‘18 Ymanika “Monica” Nicolas ‘18 Nada Tuffaha ‘18 Cameron Witham ‘18 Jesaias Benitez ‘19 Neden Bernadin ‘19 Vivian Dang ‘19 Joanna Li ‘19 Cedrina Missamou ‘19 Abhishek Rana ‘19 Sydney Stumpf ‘19 Ailin Toro ‘19 Kristy Yang ‘19 Advisor ryan gallagher

The Blue and Gold February-March 2016

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“If we were supposed to talk more than we listen, we would have two tongues and one ear.”

- Mark Twain

here is nothing in this world that bugs me more than being cut off before I finish speaking. (I mean, besides Donald Trump and terrorism and stuff, but that’s besides the point.) It’s rude, it disrupts my train of thought, and it’s just plain annoying. When someone cuts someone else off, they’re basically saying “I don’t care about what you have to say because what I have to say is more important so I have the right to interrupt you.” Unless you are cutting me off to tell me that you won the lottery or that Kim Kardashian liked your photo on Instagram, it can probably wait.

Now, I admit that I am guilty of doing this myself sometimes. When I notice it, I get really frustrated with myself. Why did I need to cut that person off when I could have easily just given them a second to finish? The answer is because I am usually too eager to wait to give my response, or because I think I have a really funny joke in response (which probably isn’t as funny as I think it is). It still bothered me, though.

Like I do with all things that bother me, I started to examine why. There is no way I’m going to change every single person that has a habit of interrupting others, so it would probably be easier to just make myself more accepting. So I wondered why it is just so irritating when someone cuts me off.

And it’s because I love to talk! I do. I could talk all day, I have so much to say. If I am around someone I like to talk to, I will never run out of things to talk about. Have you heard about that story in the news?

Did you hear so and so’s new song? Let me tell you all about this documentary I watched last week.

And why do I like to talk so much? A question I still can’t answer. Maybe I’m self-centered, maybe I like the sound of my own voice, maybe I’m just human. Talking is something every human does every day...to each other, to ourselves, in our sleep, under our breath. But the fact is, I talk too much and you probably do too. We humans love to talk about ourselves more than anything else. And who could blame us? We spend 24 hours a day with ourselves, everyone is a little bit self absorbed; our worlds truly do revolve around us.

But as a society, I think most of us need to learn how to shut up a little more often and listen. Seriously listen. Developing powerful listening skills is such an important tool in communication, and without it, you

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.

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will be missing out on a whole other part of life you rarely expose yourself to.

I know. It’s way more fun to talk than it is to listen. I know you’re bursting with stories about what happened at dinner yesterday, and you just can’t bear to listen to a classmate blab on and on about Zayn’s new album for another minute without telling. But the sad truth is, what you have to say is probably not that important. I have made it a goal to utilize my two ears more than my one mouth from now on. It’s a bit of a process filled with constant reminders, but I have learned a lot from it. I’ve learned that when we listen more, we not only learn so much more about people, but we also show them that we care about them and value what they have to say. Face to face interaction is so powerful. Paying attention to tone, body language, and verbal signs are all part of being a good listener.

There’s a reason sarcasm doesn’t travel well through text--a problem I struggle with every day--and it is because speaking, and true communication, is more than just saying words.

It’s important to pay attention to those around us. I can’t even count how many times I’ve tried to have an honest conversation with someone, but they were too busy on their phone to mutter anything more than a “yeah”. At dinners, parties, even during classes.

It’s not just teens, by the way. I love my mom, but I admit sometimes even she is way too into a Candy Crush game on her iPad to listen. I promise, your technology will always be there. The story you’re holding in will always be there to tell afterwards. Maybe try writing it down so you don’t forget it. It might be worth it to actually try to listen this time.

So next time you are having a meaningful conversation with someone, try two things: first, don’t just hear them, listen to them. Hearing and listening hold two completely different meanings. Listen carefully and attentively, like they are about to reveal a valuable piece of information, like they are about to tell you the meaning of life. Then, take a second before you respond to let them finish their thoughts. This way, you not only avoid stepping on their words, but you also give yourself time to really think about what you want to say. You own every thought that escapes your mouth, so let every word you say be worth it.

Manale Zouhir

Manale Zouhir Print Managing Editor Class of 2016

Note for our readers: The Blue and Gold Staff has decided to combine Editions 6 and 7 (February and March) of the 101st volume, hence the length of this paper.

The Blue and Gold February-March 2016

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The Blue and Gold February-March 2016

Hang in There, America!

Nicholas Bramante Head Copy-Editor

W

hatever you think of all the candidates running in this year’s presidential election, one thing is for sure: whoever gets elected, it won’t be the end of the world. Now while this may seem like a point that’s somewhat obvious, it is something that needs to be reiterated due to the polarizing nature of the race to far. There’s no disputing that there is a vast difference between candidates such as Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump, or Hillary Clinton and Ted Cruz; due to this, the supporters for each usually find themselves at very opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of how they believe the county should be run.

Full disclaimer:I love to joke about moving to England as much as others in the wake of a particular candidate getting into office, but in all seriousness, it isn’t the end of the world. Whoever gets in, and whatever ideas they bring into the Executive branch, we as young U.S citizens and ultimately (even if it sounds corny,) the future of the United States, have to be able to work with our president to accomplish great achievements for the U.S, one way or another.

While some, including myself, may be reluctant to want to work with or hear out particular candidates, it’s important to remember that in a democratic republic such as the United States, nothing stops progress more than a lack of cooperation. It wasn’t too long ago that a lack of cooperation between just branches of government caused a government shutdown in 2013, costing the U.S an estimated nearly 24 billion dollars. If just a lack of cooperation in government can do that much damage, a lack of cooperation between a large sum of the U.S populace and the government would likely result in nothing less than more damage for the U.S. This doesn’t mean that we should just give up our ideals either, even if they’re in conflict with what the future President is pushing for.

If history has taught us anything it’s that eventually progress forward will always win, at least in the lense of American history. If the president attempts to push back that progress, for example fight the Supreme Court’s decision on same-sex marriage, it is the duty of U.S citizens to of course fight that, in whatever political and peaceful ways we can.

Ultimately it is still the people of the United States that hold the real power when it comes to the future of our country. The point being, while it’s fun to suggest a mass exodus in the U.S if any particular candidate gets in, it’s our duty as citizens to work with our government and each other, to further progress in the U.S regardless of who the president is.

The Blue and Gold February-March 2016

Opinion

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Are the oscars too white?

Sydney Stumpf Reporter

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he lack of diversity in the media, and more specifically, the Academy Awards, is putting a strain on our country’s morals, ethics, and the fight for racial equality. Malden was in the top 15 diverse high schools in Massachusetts, declared by Boston. com in 2013. Students of Malden High School are not unaccustomed to diversity, but Hollywood still is.

In recent news, beginning with Jada Pinkett Smith’s boycott, the Oscars have been deemed, by just about everyone, to be racist because of the lack of diversity. Celebrities like Danny DeVito, Matt Damon, and even this year’s Oscars’ host Chris Rock have commented on the lack of diversity. Matt Damon called it “shameful and embarrassing.” DeVito blamed the Oscars controversy on the fact that as America, “We’re a bunch of racists!” Host Chris Rock rewrote his opening monologue to address the racial controversy through comedy and “#OscarsSoWhite” jokes, which might actually get the Academy’s attention and push for change.

The idea of the Academy awarding actors for being black, in the future, instead of genuine talent has been brought up. Actor Michael Caine had this “advice”: “Be patient.

Of course, it will come. Of course, it will come. It took me years to get an Oscar.” Though he may have a point if talking about one actor in particular, (possibly Leonardo Dicaprio?), speaking for an entire race is an extreme. Minority actors should not need to wait years for an Oscar.

White actors did not need to wait “years to get an Oscar”, why should every other actor need to wait?

All twenty of the acting award nominees are white, and with hit movies like Creed, Straight Outta Compton, and Concussion, all starring black men, it begs the question, “Why weren’t they nominated?”

Even Sylvester Stallone had a place on the nominees list for “Actor in a Supporting Role” for his part in Creed, but were Michael B. Jordan and Tessa Thompson even consid-

Some of the tweets attached to the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite. Many Twitter users have used Twitter as a platform to express their anger towards the oscar nominees.

ered? What about the director Ryan Coogler? Were they overlooked because of race?

It is clear there is very little racial diversity expressed in award shows, stripping deserving actors and directors of their awards.

Although some of the past year’s top movies starred black leads, in all, the representation in the media of minorities, is still very low, which may be contributing to the lack of representation in the Academy Awards. According to UCLA’s Bunche Center for African American Studies, in 2013 alone the minority population was 37.4%, while representation as lead actors was at 16.7%, meaning they were severely underrepresented in movies. 83.3% of the lead actors were white. Could this be a side effect of Hollywood’s underlying racism, too? #Oscarssowhite was a trend on Twitter with everyone from celebrities to teenagers and adults were expressing their complaints of the Academy’s racism, which really shows how this affects just about everyone. Everyone feels the unjustness in the matter.

MHS students are not exempt from feeling the unfairness from across the country. “It’s not fair,” Freshman, Novia Li states. “It’s unfair.” Senior Christian Quezada suggested that “we [..] show our diversity to the world and represent America as the multicultural [society] that it is, [through] the entertainment and media.” The views of students attending MHS reflect the idea of diversity in the U.S., unlike the Academy, which does reflect modern America as a whole.

A NEW OUTBREAK OF SENIORITIS Jasper Haag Web Managing Editor

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enioritis is starting to appear in full force, and while many seniors may feel that it set in earlier than the second semester, the de facto start comes when the last college application is sent in and the first semester ends. The idea that many cling to is that with the applications done, and the midyear grades finalized, there is no more pressure on them to perform, as their college decisions are now totally out of their hands.

For the most part this is true; colleges will not be able to tell that you skipped all of your English assignments or stopped studying for those math tests when deciding to accept or deny you. But that certainly doesn’t mean that you are home free.

More and more colleges are choosing to rescind acceptances to students at the end of the school year when final transcripts are submitted and second semester performance is poor. The news may be terrible, but it is certainly not shocking. Colleges have so many applicants to choose from, and thus no reason to accept students who are so apathetic about their work that they don’t even finish on at least an average note.

Even so, colleges send out letter

after letter informing new graduates that they have lost their opportunity to matriculate at that school, leaving them without options and in an extremely precarious position.

That isn’t to say that the end of senior year shouldn’t be enjoyed, and that seniors shouldn’t loosen up as they near the end of their high school process. In fact, it is probably one of the best times to do so. But it should not get to the point that your future is put at risk. Rather than checking out and completely ignoring the work that is being assigned, put out enough effort to maintain your grades, and decide how invested you are in the material that you are covering. For the rest of your life you will get to choose how you spend your time, and learning how to prioritize it now is a valuable skill. Also, maintaining a decent work ethic is necessary for college, so it can only benefit you to do so. So go out, enjoy yourself and your life, and make sure that you are covering your bases at the same time so that you aren’t blindsided by something such as losing your acceptance to a college.

Opinion

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The Blue and Gold February-March 2016

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The Power to Change the World Jasper Haag Web Managing Editor

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ome of the first computers were created with the intention of solving specific mathematical problems or making the rote calculations that were often done by mathematicians and workers more manageable. Over time, the technology has improved immensely, and as a result we are able to enjoy computers as devices of entertainment and luxury rather than labor. But underneath the hood of your personal machine, the number crunching power remains and is more potent than ever before, because the basic arithmetic operations that are used to run any application or process are constantly being improved in an attempt to gain more performance for day to day use.

For the everyday user, much of this potential is put to waste during normal use because the programs that are being run are not intense enough to fully utilize the power that is available to them. This means that for a huge number of computers, the potential to do useful work during the day is put to waste. Yet there remain a huge number of mathematical and scientific prob-

lems that need to be solved and which require massive amounts of computational time and power, the same sorts of the problems that the original computers were setting out to solve.

Alone, the resources of an average desktop computer may be of little help in solving these problems, but today, every device is connected to the internet, and thus to every

other device. What scientists and mathematicians have realized is that with this network, they can distribute the work among many machines and tackle the problems much more quickly than they ever could have before. In fact, there are dozens of projects that currently employ this tactic and which are always looking for more help in their efforts.

Personally, I have my computer

Photo from Wikimedia.

searching for large prime numbers, because I find the topic quite interesting personally (and the $3,000 cash reward for finding one is quite alluring). But many options exist in many fields, all of which share the common trait of being passive applications that efficiently use the wasted resources on your machine to help significant problems facing science and mathematics. Some are even interactive, such as foldit, which allows users to help solve complex protein folding problems that pop up in biology and medicine by folding proteins themselves in a game.

These projects often seem like wastes of electricity because of their scale, but many successes have been had in the past. The Great Internet Mersenne Prime Search, which I donate my computer power to, recently discovered the largest known prime number of all time. And in 2011, foldit users helped to solve a problem regarding an enzyme involved in the reproduction of HIV in just 3 weeks.

So take a look at the options that are out there, take your pick, and help solve some of humanity’s unsolved problems.

Money Makes the Campaign Go Round Submitted by senior Terrica Dang.

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f you are interested in taking up a career in politics, a good place to start might be to take part in a campaign. Here, you’ll find the true meaning of civic participation, despite the long days, stress, and pressure. Campaigns are made up of three things: time, people, and most importantly, money.

Candidates are nothing without a good lawyer and a strong finance chairperson. These people not only advise the candidate during their campaign, but they also are in charge of all fundraising, campaign spending, and campaign laws. Candidates constantly need money in order to continue on the campaign trail and get their names on the ballots. In order to get this money, they need to get donations from their supporters. These donations can come from individuals or groups of individuals. However, these groups and individuals can only provide each candidate a certain amount of money and they are forbidden by law not to give them anymore money after a certain amount.

Candidates are also given the option to accept a certain amount of tax payer’s money to run their

campaigns. The federal government sets aside a budget for each candidate and the candidate can choose whether or not they want to use that money. With that said, as soon as a candidate dips into their fund from the government, they are limited how much money they can receive from other sources. For this reason, candidates don’t want to dip into their government fund, they would rather get as much money as they can from their donors.

One of the reasons why so many people claim they support Donald Trump is because he stated over and over again that he isn’t being bought by anyone; that he isn’t being controlled or influenced because he is using his own money for his campaign. On the Democratic side, Bernie Sanders is also making a stance on his campaign financing, saying that he is funded only by the people and not big political groups that may create influence him like other candidates have done.

One of the biggest debates during the campaign season is whether or not campaigns need to be regulated in order for every candidate to have a fair chance of winning the

seat that they are running for. Some Americans believe that yes, regulations need to be put in place because without them, only the elite are able to run for office, leaving others behind because they can’t afford it.

Others believe that it is the right of the candidate to use their money however they want because, well, it’s their money. However, just like almost everything else in the politi-

cal world, nobody knows what the answer to this conflict. The most important takeaway from this week’s article is that money is a HUGE aspect in these campaigns and without them, candidates wouldn’t be able to do anything. Next week, we’ll be discussing the people and groups behind these dollar signs and just how much power they have. Stay tuned.

The Blue and Gold February-March 2016

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Opinion

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The Blue and Gold February-March 2016

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Have you Ever Heard of a Break?

Cassandra Reyes Print Managing Editor

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s it just me or is life going at 100 mph? I feel like a million different things are being thrown at me from a variety of directions and I don’t know which one to focus on first, or how to focus on just one.

I didn’t know senioritis was a real thing, until now. In September, I was on fire, ready to bang out senior year. Then, I realized what I had just entered wasn’t any normal school year. This was my last school year at Malden High School. This was the year I had to apply to college and decide where the rest of my life was headed. Here I am, months later, admitting to you that I’m completely worn out.

Don’t get me wrong, leaving MHS will be hard. But I’m tired of the routine, like many seniors probably are. (Hopefully no underclassmen are tired yet!) As of today, there are 80 days left until graduation

(yes, I have a countdown app) and I am ready. It’s nothing that I particularly don’t like about MHS. In fact, I love my school and I look forward to coming here every day. I’m just exhausted with the same routine that all high schoolers deal with, not just us Golden Tornadoes.

Even over school vacations students are drowning in assignments.

Or how about this. This year, on one of our very few snow days, my phone buzzed and I checked it only to be disappointed. It was a notification for assignments my teacher had put on Google Classroom. This is nothing personal about my teachers either. It’s just the nature of our country. We move too fast. We don’t get any time for breaks or rest. Even on a snow day, assignments need to be turned in by 11:59 p.m. via Google Classroom. (I was a fan of our school’s new savvy technology system until this happened.)

If it isn’t an academic demand, there’s always something else to fill up what could be free time. It’s nice tuning into something you’re pas-

sionate about in high school, I actually recommend it. But be ready to take on that responsibility and sacrifice what could have been free time.

Whether it be working on the print edition or going to a class officer meeting, I find my afternoons fairly booked. For a majority of students, work or sports, or both, play a factor in their daily lives as well.

It’s almost alien-like to have no extracurriculars at MHS. Some people may suggest to just focus on school, but that’s very un-American.

In our country, you’re encouraged to be actively involved in your community. Extracurriculars gives us outlets to put our energy and time into, instead of being lazy or engaging in nonsense, which is why I understand the encouragement of all the seniors at Freshman Orientation to find new people for the cheerleading team, robotics club, and the countless other MHS activities. But this, something meant simply for enjoyment, sadly turns into another responsibility and another slot to fill on your resume.

To be honest, I just want a new routine. Actually, I need it. I’ll most likely be feeling this same way four years from now, but for the time being, I just need a new routine.

My mind needs to be refreshed with a different curriculum, different schedule, different campus, different classes. It’s not that I’m expecting college to be a breeze, I’m expecting it to be harder. I know I’ll still have to face the nerve-wracking exams and manage my days for hour long homework assignments, but I’m ready for a new challenge in a new environment.

In closing, I take responsibility for some of my weariness. I’m the one who decided to read 206 pages of a surprisingly good book in two days even though we had two months to read it. So yes, I, and many other seniors suffering from “senioritis,” could make things easier for ourselves if we didn’t procrastinate so often, but all we’re asking for is a real break every once in awhile.

advanced classes, it is not uncommon to hear a student groan “when am I ever going to use this in real life?” I hear this about three times a week in every class, to the dismay of my teachers, who have seemed to run out of answers. The truth is, the teachers probably don’t know when you’re going to use this in real life.

And neither do the students. Until they do. That’s why it’s so important. The books we read in English class often have deeper meanings, and allow us to see the bigger picture, relating to themes that often imitate real life. The equations we learn in math--well, actually, I haven’t thought of a good explanation to how I can use calculus in the real world just yet. But listen, I’m getting there; the answer’s out there, I’m sure of it.

“Knowledge is power” may seem like nothing but an overused saying, but there is truth to it. Seriously -- there is no tool more beneficial to us than knowledge. Education is so important yet so underrated.

It constantly baffles me how there are people fighting for their right to learn how to read in other countries,

while here I am, complaining about essays and homework. I’m only human; just because I understand the value of learning doesn’t mean I don’t need a break every once in awhile. Sometimes I feel like I’m just memorizing facts in order to take a test, then immediately forgetting them in order to make room for the next unit. In fact, if you asked me about what I learned in a class last year, I probably couldn’t tell you.

Once I took those AP exams, I was completely checked out In America, every kid is given such a powerful opportunity for the first 18 or so years of their life--and that is the opportunity to learn for free. Why is it so constantly taken for granted? Learning is so enriching. It should be an experience that is sought after, and exciting.

Instead, students are constantly overwhelmed with lengthy assignments and exhausted by due dates.

This is not the fault of the students, or the teachers. Maybe we have lost the value behind education since it became all about numbers and test scores. Most kids are either running themselves dry trying to ace stan-

dardized tests and get high scores for college, or have given up because they feel discouraged or hopeless.

I am so grateful that I have been granted the opportunity to pursue my education beyond high school, and that I will be attending college next year to further my pursuit of knowledge. But maybe we can ease off on the pressure we put on kids to be a perfect 4.0 GPA, 2400 SAT, 36 ACT carbon copy. We are so much more than those numbers. Maybe if there was less of a push for students to fit a certain standard in order to be admitted into a high ranking college, there could be more of a focus on the actual content. Then, students could be more engaged in what they’re learning rather than what grade they get. I’m not saying what we learn isn’t important--it absolutely is--I’m just saying that there could certainly be a change in the way we learn it. Knowledge truly is power, we just sometimes forget that when we’re up at 3 am trying to cram in some study time before a big test.

The Power of Knowledge (And Why It’s So Constantly Taken For Granted)

Manale Zouhir Print Managing Editor

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t wasn’t until I was watching the Democratic debate recently, while I was listening to presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders discuss the environment, that it hit me. Hydraulic fracturing-a topic I had recently covered in my science class--is more than just a unit that I had to memorize to pass another quiz. No, it’s much more than that. What I am learning in class, contrary to popular belief, is actually beneficial to my life. Because my teacher had us sit through a documentary on fracking, read a chapter on it, and apply it through homework and assessments, watching the debate was so much more engaging. I could actually formulate opinions on which candidate I sided with, and felt much more confident about what was going on. If someone had asked me what fracking was a few months ago, I would’ve given them a funny look and assumed it was a new slang term or dance move.

In high school, especially in

The Blue and Gold February-March 2016

Opinion

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Evolution on Steroids Leila Greige Lead Reporter

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t the heart of the technological society that characterizes the United States lies an unacknowledged paradox. Although the nation increasingly depends on technology and is adopting new technologies at a breathtaking pace, we are not equipped to make well-considered decisions or to think critically about technology.

Technology is a product of engineering and science. Science has two parts: a body of knowledge about the natural world and a process of enquiry that generates such knowledge. Engineering, too, consists of a body of knowledge and a process for solving problems.

Science and technology are tightly coupled. A scientific understanding of the natural world is the basis for much of technological development today. Technology is the process by which humans modify nature to meet their needs and wants. An especially critical area of knowledge is the engineering design process, of starting with a set of criteria and constraints and working toward a solution–a device, say, or a process–that meets those conditions; manipulating one’s genes.

Genetic engineering is the process of manually adding new DNA to an organism. The goal is to add one or more new traits that are not already found in that organism.

The ability to change an organism’s genome is very controversial, especially when it comes to the impact it has on human beings.

Human genetic engineering is but one aspect of the overall field of Human Biotechnology. It is the most fascinating aspect of Human Biotechnology with the power to improve everyone’s quality of life, healing all of our genetic diseases permanently. We will soon be able to improve our mental, physical, and emotional capabilities. We’ll be able to introduce regenerative functions natural in other animals, increase longevity, and ensure a healthy diversity in the human genome.

It carries the promise of enabling humanity to survive a wider range of environments on alien worlds ensuring our long term survival.

Because of how complicated the human genome is and how

much information it carries, you can virtually change anything about a person by messing with their genes, from how tall they are to what skin color they have. This could potentially, in an extreme case, change our species. There are outcomes that are both positive and negative to this science. Senior Efran Himel addresses the topic at hand. “One of the biggest current issues about gene manipulation at the moment is the big question about it, because especially in the United States there’s this constant debate about abortion and stem cell research and things of that nature. There’s a moral question of should we be able to “play God” or something along that ballpark. It seems ethically questionable… how much should we alter in babies to our needs?” Another issue is the huge risk that comes with this new science. How do we know how much is enough? “It’s basically uncharted territory” says Himel. “It’s a fairly new science in the sense that we don’t know how far we can take it and we don’t know what we can do, because of that there can be unforeseen side effects.”

We want to know if we should be putting people at this risk.“People who have more resources can easily, if the technology is perfected, can get better gene manipulation technology for their kids then for people who don’t have that. This can lead to a massive divide in society between people who have these superior genes that cause them to be physically better than everyone else because of the fact that their genes have traits that can make them smarter or stronger and all these other traits that can give them an advantage in life. It will force other people to try to keep up, those who can’t will be left in the waste.”

Another factor is deciding what type of laws should be set place for this. It puts countries at an arm race, nations could be competing with each other with a different race of human beings. China is more open to gene manipulation and nations like the U.S and being forced to compete.

On the positive side, this is more of a necessity. It can potentially lead to the end of many diseases and

problems that people encounter.

According to an article from MIT technology, (as it was previously mentioned) scientists in China say they are the first to use gene editing to produce customized dogs. They created a beagle with double the amount of muscle mass by deleting a gene called myostatin. They messed with the genes of dogs and basically found a way to counteract muscular dystrophy and those dogs ended up getting super strong and shredded because of the genes they manipulated. It’s great that we can come back and resolve these issues people deal with. It also allows parents to give their kids a head start.

“Is it necessarily wrong for a parent to want to give their kids an advantage? There can be an effective way to give your child a better chance in the future because of the fact that they have all these benefits.”

Genetics determine a lot about us. “Psychopaths are gene based.

Maybe somewhere along the future they can find the gene that associates people with the lack of empathy then, as a parent, you find out your child has a strong chance of becoming a psychopath... but we can get rid of that. Can you not blame a parent for not wanting that” expresses Himel.

Those children who have these genes will cause their children to inherit the same genes. After generations of doing this, people wouldn’t even be human anymore. It could lead to a super race, although the path leading to it could be messy.

“It’s basically putting evolution on steroids.”

The reason for science is to understand the world around us. For not addressing gene manipulation anyways is basically saying no to curiosity and exploration of different ideas. “Human beings have always been hard wired to be curious.

There’s always going to be someone who wants to see how far it can go and how far we can take things. We want to understand it.”

“In my opinion, I don’t think it matters whether or not it happens because it’s kind of an inevitability based off the fact that human beings are always striving for more and right now it’s something that we need. I think gene manipulation will be used to make great strides in curing human elements and problems and lead to ways of vastly improving ourselves. I was born with 6 fingers. It’s just an example, and It’s not something I’d want my kids to have. It’s something that will happen eventually. The important thing is how can we regulate, moder, and understand and also brace society for it so that it’s a much cleaner transition.”

This science is something we can explore because it’s this part of innovation and technology that we haven’t seen yet, despite the moral issues and despite the backlash of gene manipulation, “it will definitely be one of those great game changes, especially in humanity.” It could potentially lead to great leaders and thinkers save millions of lives. “The best thing to know is that it’s coming, and you should learn about it and understand it. It will happen in your lifetime.”

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Super Tuesday Results Predict Presidential Candidate Frontrunners Haley Mallett Lead Reporter

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uper Tuesday, this year on Mar. 1, 2016, is the most important day of the primary election season with the largest amount of delegates at stake.

The people of 12 states and one territory, including Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, and American Samoa, participated by going to the polls to vote.

These primaries and caucuses followed last week’s elections in Nevada and South Carolina that put Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump at the top of their parties. Anything is possible on Super Tuesday, but according to the polls, Clinton and Trump are on the road to winning the nomination.

In order to win the nomination for the Democratic Party, 2,383 delegates are needed. This is a combination of pledged delegates and superdelegates.

Superdelegates, unique to the Democratic Party, are allowed to support any candidate for the nomination at the party’s national convention in July of 2016.

Before Super Tuesday, Clinton had 544 delegates, and Bernie Sanders 85, both a combination of pledged and superdelegates. Although, super delegates can change their pledge anytime before the convention, causing the numbers to slightly shift overtime.

Only 1,237 delegates are needed to win the Republican Party nomination because the party does not have super delegates to contribute to their overall numbers. Trump had 82 delegates before Super Tuesday, followed by Ted Cruz with 17, Marco Rubio with 16, John Kasich

with 6, and Ben Carson with 4.

Both parties still have a long road ahead of them. Even with twelve more states and one territory’s votes casted, it is still easy for the remaining states to completely

For the Republicans, Trump is leading with 316 delegates, followed

by Cruz with 226, Rubio with 106, Kasich with 25, and finally Carson with 8. Carson, following Tuesday’s results, alluded to suspending his

The presidential election frontrunners Republican Donald Trump, left, and Democrat Hillary Clinton, right, are pictured. Photo provided by @CNNSitRoom. flip the leaderboard. Although this campaign saying he sees “no path was not the case for Super Tuesday.

Clinton and Trump were the overall winners of Super Tuesday.

Clinton won in seven states and America Samoa, and Trump in seven states. Even though nationwide wins were predicted for both of them, Sanders won in four states, Cruz in three, including his home state of Texas, and Rubio in one.

In the Democratic Party, Clinton now has 1,034 delegates, and Sanders 408, again a combination of pledged delegates and super delegates. Currently 457 super delegates have pledged to vote for Clinton, and 22 for Sanders, but to reiterate, they can change their minds at any given moment up until the convention.

forward”, but has not yet officially announced its’ suspension.

The road to the nomination is looking great for Clinton and Trump as they continue to gain the support and votes of Americans all over the nation. Although, the fight for the nomination will not be easy for Clinton against her opponent Sanders.

Clinton was seen campaigning with her husband, former President Bill Clinton, in Boston on Tuesday the 1st. The race between her and Sanders was neck-to-neck, but ultimately she won Massachusetts with 50.1% of the votes. The numbers from the Malden polling centers were very similar to the state’s: Clinton defeated Sanders by only a dif-

ference of 178 votes (Patch). Trump on the other hand, won in Malden with more votes than the other four candidates combined.

Even though Massachusetts does not have a population size like California that awards a much larger amount of delegates to the winning candidates, Clinton and Trump were still excited about how well they performed in The Bay State.

Trump are on the road to winning the nomination.

The next set of upcoming elections is on Saturday, Mar. 5, and then Sunday, Mar. 6. States and territories voting over the weekend include: Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Nebraska, and Puerto Rico.

Elections will continue all the way into June. The Republican nominee will be determined after the last set of elections on Jun. 7, 2016, but the nominee from the Democratic Party will not be until the party convention in July when superdelegates will finalize their pledge to either Clinton or Sanders.

The schedule for the remaining primaries and caucuses through June can be found here. Remember, if you are eligible to vote, then vote.

If you have not registered to vote, you have until Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2016, twenty days before the general election, to do so. All you need is a valid driver’s license, learner’s permit, or non-driver ID issued by the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles.

Voting is a not only a right we have, but a privilege as Americans.

Be a part of the voice of the people and exercise your civic duty, especially when it comes down to electing the next commander-in-chief.

MHS Hosts Mock Presidential Primary Elections

Haley Mallett Lead Reporter

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n Tuesday, Feb. 23, Malden High School’s AP Government teachers, Greg Hurley and Rick Tivnan, ran a mock primary election for students to vote in. The election ran through all periods of the day in the library and auditorium with official ballots, private voting booths, and an electronic counting machine. A week from Tuesday, on Mar. 1, Massachusetts’ primary election will take place as part of the nationwide “Super Tuesday,” the day many states in the country hold their primary elections.

Back in October, the government teachers and students ran

their first mock election of the year for Malden’s Mayor, CouncillorsAt-Large, and non-binding ballot questions. There was a large turnout then, but it was not nearly as successful as this week’s primary election. Read more about October’s local government mock election at MHS here.

The following day, the results were in! Mayor Gary Christenson was one of the first to break the news over Twitter:

BREAKING NEWS: Sanders and Trump come out on top in Malden High School Mock Presidential Primary Election! #civics — Mayor Christenson (@MayorOfMalden) February 24, 2016

As Christenson said, the winners of the mock election were Bernie Sanders on the Democratic side, with 645 votes, and Donald Trump on the Republican, with 88 votes.

Hillary Clinton followed Sanders with 226 votes, and then Martin O’Malley, who has suspended his campaign, with 23 votes. For the Republican Party, Ted Cruz received 32 votes, Marco Rubio 27 votes, and Ben Carson 16 votes.

Candidates who suspended their campaigns include Jeb Bush, Carly Fiorina, Mike Huckabee, and Chris Christie. Collectively they received 28 votes, ranging anywhere between 2 and 14 votes individually. Fourteen students voted “no preference.”

This election was held at the perfect time: only a week away from Super Tuesday. Will MHS’s results be a reflection of the people’s?

Massachusetts historically tends to be a more liberal leaning state.

FiveThirtyEight has predicted that Hillary Clinton has “an 82% chance of winning the Massachusetts primary” by statistically analyzing the polls (FiveThirtyEight). The Republican winner has not been officially predicted yet, but the likelihood of Trump winning is high after his streak of wins across the country.

But with that being said, anything is possible, and the people will have to wait until the winners are calculated and announced for Massachusetts on Tuesday night.

The Blue and Gold February-March 2016

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The Senior Panel Offers Advice to the Freshman Class

11 Follow @_humansofmhs on Instagram to see the students of MHS shown in a different light!

Ailin Toro Reporter

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n Mar. 7, 8, and 9, 2016 the annual senior panel was held in the Jenkins Auditorium.

Seniors at Malden High School gave advice during the panel to freshmen. The panels were divided by house and freshman were excused from missing their 7th and 1st period classes.

There was a group of chosen seniors that talked about their experiences at Malden High School.

Although the panel was mainly run by the seniors, the house counselors were there to guide them through asking questions.

On Tuesday Mar. 7th, Ann O’Connor, the Jenkins and Brunelli House counselor, guided the panel. The first question was a general one asking what the seniors wished they could have known before senior year. The seniors answered that they had wished to have been involved in what they wanted, instead of what they thought they should have done.

Another piece of advice the seniors offered was to be actively involved in school activities.

This includes but is not limited to volunteering, joining sports teams and clubs, or creating new clubs.

The seniors next addressed grades, stating that mistakes and failure are a part of high school but they will not be the worst things in the world. Mistakes help to drive people to work

harder if viewed as motivation rather than a set back.

Then they each talked about the clubs that they had joined and enjoyed throughout their four years. Some clubs mentioned were Unified Sports, Computer Club, Robotics, and Malden Against Cancer. Some students also mentioned their enjoyment from sports they played and their regrets that they didn’t play for all four years at MHS. Senior Kaitlyn Gibson stated, “It was fantastic to see so many seniors willing to share the positive and negative parts of their high school careers to allow the freshmen to stand on their shoulders and build off their knowledge.” In addition, senior Kelvin Chengbo commented that “the seniors enjoyed telling their stories and the freshmen seemed to be really interested in what they had to say.”

The seniors closing words reiterated the importance of attending school events as well as pursuing their personal interests rather than to bandwagon certain activities. Chengbo mentioned that “the most important thing that [the freshmen] took away from [the panel] was to explore all the opportunities offered at MHS.” Overall the panel was an effective way for freshman to be informed about their upcoming years at MHS.

Saturday, March 19, 2016: Mock AP Science Exam for all science classes at Malden High School

On Friday, March 25, there will be an early dismissal due to Good Friday.

The rotation is 4,5,6, and lunch will not be offered.

: Saturday, April 2, 2016 Class of 2019 Of ficers: a President: Gustavo Silv hetu Vice President: Helen Es a Treasurer: Agatha Silv at zz Secretary: Selma Be ng Historian: Vincent Truo e Le Social Media: Sammy Volunteer Coordinator: Sydney MacDonald

Follow us on Instagram for daily absent teacher lists and day rotations! @theblueandgold

AP English Prep Session for all MHS English classes in Somerville

MCAS Week: March 21 to March 25, 2016 Day Rotations Tuesday, 3/22: 5,1,2 (optional lunch at 10:45) nal Wednesday, 3/23: 6,7,1 (optio lunch at 10:45) entry at Thursday, 3/24: 5,6,7,3 (late 9:45)

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MHS Play Production Presents...

Nada Tuffaha Reporter

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lay Production held a show on Feb. 25, 2016 called “All The King’s Actors”. This show was entered in The Theatre Guild’s High School Dramatic Festival competition. The requirements for the festival include presenting a show that is under 40 minutes and a set up for a set in under 5 minutes.

“All The King’s Actors” was based off of the specific quote “the heart wants what it wants, but it does not care.” The show had many examples of modern day issues, specifically ones that the cast members thought were important and were passionate about. Senior Sarah Bendell, who played Sarah, said “the show is basically about people living in a society where a newly elected president puts a ban on theatre.”

In the show, the characters are debating on whether or not they should fight for their rights with theatre.

Many of the idea’s of the president in the show, specifically the idea of banning theatre, seemed to be influenced by Donald Trump and his ideas for the United States.

Bendell added that “by using the idea of theatre being as a platform to speak out on important issues in a tasteful way, [the cast] knew it was the right direction to go in”. The show also addressed aspects of oppression and racism.

One such scene was when senior Sajeanah Cadet, who played Sajeanah, was trying to explain to Sarah

that she will never understand how it feels to be oppressed, or portray a character that is being oppressed.

The actors all used their real names, which seemed to make the connection to their characters much stronger. Also, senior Ricardo Melgar stated that “most of [his] lines came out of improv, it was what came into play when [they] created the plot.”

The cast rehearsed after school, over February vacation as well as in their personal time. Bendell and other cast members prepared for the show in several different ways.

She mentioned that “a lot of [them] spent time trying to not only look into [themselves] and understand not only why theatre is important to [them], but why it is important to the world,” and incorporated that into the show. “[They] talked a lot about current events and important details because [they] knew that in order to put on this kind of show, [they] needed to be open and honest and well informed about the topics [they] were talking about”. It was very clear that the cast was well versed on the topics they were addressing. Overall, Play Production held a remarkable show that successfully portrayed issues in today’s societies.

Play Production competed at DramaFest on Feb. 29, 2016 with this play and made it to semifinals, which they will be performing at on March 19, 2016.

Counter-clockwise: Senior Sarah Bendell as herself, Seniors Sajeanah Cadet, Marino Dipietrantonio, Ricky Melgar, Kamila Regalado, and Brayan Angulo as themselves, Juniors Nicolas Acuna and Karina Matos as reporters for the fictional talk show ‘What’s New New York?’, Bendell as Humpty Dumpty. All photos by Meghan Yip.

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All The King’s Men Men Actors The Acting Troupe Sajeanah Cadet as herself Paul Araiza as himself

Kamila Regalado as herself Marino DiPietrantonio as himself Ensemble Daniela Herrera Eliana Alvarado Karina Matos Ali Fletcher Bailey Reed

Sarah Bendell as herself Brayan Angulo as himself Richard Melgar as himself

Joylyn Norris Maggie O’Callaghan Julia Cocuzzo Aigul Fitzgerald Nathalia Sousa Ariana Teixeira Sarah Vieira Nic Acuna Camila Paraliticci Castano

Stage Manager: Jilian Molokwu Script Supervisors / Dramaturges: Tenzin Tseyang and Jilian Molokwu Assistant Stage Managers: Iliana Rivas and Lyndsey Martin Set / Scenic Design: Thomas Hannafin, Ziqi Zeng Set Construction: Alex Silva, Thomas Hannafin, Anthony Fokes Costume Design and Execution: Isadora De Alpino and Connor Fitzpatrick Props: Connor Fitzpatrick, Daryl Satterwhite, Christine Bourdeau Lighting Design and Execution: Tenzin Tseyang Sound Execution: Ramon Aguinaldo Sound Design: Sabrina Kumar and Ramon Aguinaldo

Clockwise: Senior Brayan Angulo portraying a mime, cast in a protest for theater, Senior Sajeanah Cadet and Angulo acting out a scene from Humpty Dumpty, cast portraying an ‘Actors Anonymous’ group. All photos by Meghan Yip.

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Malden Public School Teacher prepares for boston marathon

Malden MATV Art Gallery Kristy Yang Reporter

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he MATV Art gallery has been running since the fall of 2002 and has recently opened a new section in Malden’s Media Center, located at 145 Pleasant St. They are displaying artwork by Brunnhilde Stein Costanza, who lived from 1928 to 2008. One of her daughters is a Malden resident and so this connection prompted the city to showcase Stein Costanza’s work. The MATV art gallery displays both solo and group exhibits of art from local artists. Stein Costanza’s exhibit is her first solo exhibit.

Stein Costanza lived and worked in New York City where she taught art to public school students. She explored ways of making art material and developing artistic process for her students. Her commitment to art education can be seen through her own experimentation with art form that is simple and inexpensive but still creative with varied expression.

The art gallery will be open from Mar.17 to Apr. 24. Monday through Thursday it will be open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m and on Fridays it will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

On Sunday it will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

MATV also has an unexpected new opening in exhibit space, which will be available from February to April 2016. To exhibit as a solo artist, you must be able to fill the gallery space, which is a long curving hallway, and a number of large spaces on the walls. MATV is looking for a typical size of 25-35 pieces, but the number may change depending on the pieces. Though all artists are welcome to apply to this space, MATV will be looking for artists that live, work, or have some sort of connection to the Malden community.

If you are an artist who is interested in displaying your work at MATV, please send an email with images or links to your artwork to Anne D’Urso-Rose, the Gallery Exhibition Coordinator, at anne@matv. org.

Alysha McDevitt Reporter

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he Boston Marathon draws in people from all around the world, attracting about half a million runners. One of these 500,000 runners is Kerri Floramo, member of the Malden community. Floramo has worked at the Forestdale School for ten years and has been a resident of Malden for 23 years. She has been training to run the Boston Marathon since the tragic bombings that occurred in 2013.

Always interested in fitness, Floramo began preparing for half marathons five years ago. When the Boston bombings occurred, she began preparing to run the Boston Marathon. Floramo expressed that the hardest part in preparing for the race is the brutal New England weather which makes it very difficult to train. Running in the summer time is much easier, but with her dog, Apple, and good music, Floramo remains determined and motivated.

Floramo’s main goal in the race is to raise money and awareness for a cause that is very important to her.

By running, she hopes to benefit the UMass Medical School Cellucci ALS

nervous system and causes muscles to weaken, in turn leading to difficulty in moving.

Floramo decided to dedicate herself to helping raise for ALS be-

To donate to Floramo’s cause, visit her fundraising page: www. crowdrise.com/ kerrifloramo.

Fund by raising $7,500 by Apr. 18, 2016. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a disease that affects the

cause of her son’s school, St. John’s Prep School, and its student Pete Frates, who is the inspiration of the Ice Bucket Challenge. Floramo stated that “[Frates] story is truly inspiring and his family is amazing.” She was “beyond thrilled when [she] realized [she] could run the marathon and help in the fight against ALS.” She firmly believes that with the help of the Malden community, she

will be able to raise the amount of money she set out to do and will be able to make a difference.

MATV From left to right, top to bottom: Floramo poses for a picture at a race. Floramo after finishing the Boston Athletic Association 5K last June. Floramo and her son, Anthony Floramo. Photos submitted by Floramo.

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The Scholastic Writing and Arts Awards

Sydney Stumpf Reporter

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he Scholastic Writing and Arts Awards began in 1923 to award and recognize creative high school students in the arts and writing fields. The awards program is available to grades 7-12, for public school, private school, and homeschooled students. Students can apply for 29 different categories, including, painting, photography, architecture, digital art, poetry, humor (writing), and journalism.

Along with the great pres-

tige of the awards, there are a wide arrangement of alumni, including artist Andy Warhol, writers Sylvia Plath and Truman Capote, and actor Lena Dunham, and fashion designer Zac Posen. In 2015, to recognize the alumni of the awards, the inaugural Alumni Council was created.

Along with the many famous alumni of the awards, many have served as judges, including Robert Frost and Judy Blume. Judges look for “originality, technical skill, and the emergence of personal voice or vision” (Scholastic Art and Writing Awards) in the works they judge.

Five Malden High School

students won an award for Scholastic. Silver Key winners include seniors Yixi Huang, Ziqi Zeng, junior Karen Poon, and sophomore Qian Deng. Junior Joanna Tang won a gold key.

Zeng’s explained,”Gold and Silver Key pieces are often rich with artist’s technique or show complex ideas.” she added, “It’s an honor to receive such important recognition for [her] work.” Zeng’s piece that was awarded was a “charcoal drawing [she] did for Halloween last year.” “[Zeng] was a little surprised at first because [she] didn’t expect that piece to win out of the others

[she] had submitted, but when [she] had time to process it, [she] was really excited and proud.”

Huang “was quite surprised when [he] heard this news. He mentioned that he “tried [his] best on that piece, and lots of effort plus extra time was used [so] it was rewarding.”

This is Poon’s first year studying in America, and is very glad to have had this opportunity to participate in this event. Winning a Silver Key award “motivated [her] to create [more] art, and to think of [her] college art career.”

From top to bottom, left to right: Drawing by senior Yixi Huang, which won a silver key in the Scholastic arts and writing awards.

Skeleton drawing by junior Karen Poon.

This won a silver key in the Scholastic arts and writing awards.

Drawing by senior Blue and Gold member Ziqi Zeng, which won a silver key in the Scholastic Arts and Writing awards.

Drawing by sophomore Qian Deng.

Photos submitted by the MHS art department.

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Mayor Christenson Gets Tech Savvy Anna Powers Lead Reporter

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he majority of MHS students can’t go a day without looking at social media like Twitter, Instagram, or Snapchat. It seems only fitting that the mayor of the city, Gary Christenson, has decided to turn to social media to communicate with the younger audiences of Malden.

Tech savvy Christenson has lately been using Twitter to connect with students all over the city about events and breaking news happening in Malden. He focuses on recent Malden High sports events, as well has significant happenings in the Malden High community. He posts lively pictures of the events on Twitter that perfectly capture the event.

Some of the mayor’s more popular posts among students over the years have definitely been ones about snow days. Christenson makes sure to keep all the students updated with times of when

Scan this on your Snapchat camera to add the Mayor on snapchat or simply add “mayorofmalden” to your friends.

cancellations will be definite. When not sending, the mayor always manages to respond to a lot of the student’s tweets with smart remarks, making sure to tell MHS students to keep studying while decisions are still trying to be made. When Christenson does make his announcement about snow days, he composes clever and thoughtful tweets that are sure to make any students night.

Christenson has newly made a snapchat account under the username mayorofmalden. Snapchat has become an app that most MHS students use on a daily basis; they put things on their “stories” to update others on what has been going on with them that day. Christenson had a memorable first snapchat by announcing 2016’s first snow day. Snapchat is something that everyone is always checking, so we are glad to welcome the mayor of Malden on this bandwagon.

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THE DRUG WAR

17 Average Age of First Time Mothers is Climbing Marly Loreus Lead Reporter

Jesaias Benitez Reporter

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ith the war between narcotics and law enforcement continuing as well as advances in technology, it has become more difficult to stop narcotics from entering America. Usually there are only three ways a narco trafficker may escape from a drug cartel: go to jail, get killed, or become a government informant.

If charged with criminal charges, a trafficker has the option to become a government informant, giving the person some advantages during his sentence. Many choose to run away from law enforcement. Some have gone up to a decade without getting caught. Though some traffickers are arrested and put into maximum security prisons, some maintain connections to continue transporting drugs.

For example, Joaquín Guzmán, also known as El Chapo, is a narco who sold and transported drugs from Mexico to the United States of America. On Jul. 12, 2015, Guzmán escaped Mexico’s maximum-security prison, The Federal Social Readaptation Center No. 1 “Altiplano.”

Guzmán managed to escape his prison cell just like Pablo Escobar.

Pablo Escobar had escaped in June of 1992 while “authorities attempted to move him to a more standard holding facility.” After searching for almost six months, Guzman was finally recaptured by Mexican Marines on Jan. 8,2016 in a house from the coastal city of Los Mochis, Sinaloa Mexico. Many people believe El Chapo had gotten help from the high maximum-security prison guards in Mexico. Even though some people are not associated with narcotics, some are associated with narco-corrido. Narco-corridos focus is on drugs, they also refer to the poor and illegal immigrants.

From Joaquín Guzmán to Pablo Escobar, there is one famous woman who differentiates them all, a woman known as the Cocaine Godmother and the Queen of Narco-Trafficking, Griselda Blanco. At such a young age she was exposed to difficult situations by her mother, Ana Lucía Restrepo, that led to her killings, pickpocketing, and even prostitution. Blanco was allegedly arrested for selling drugs and

transporting drugs in and out of the country, putting her in jail after being chased for almost a decade. Not only did Blanco escape prison,but she was also able to escape her death sentence on the electric chair. Soon enough, Blanco was later killed after having been shot twice in the head in a drive-by shooting by a motorcyclist in Medellín, Colombia.

Since the 1930s to 2016 the world has learned more about drugs and drug traffickers. Through new advances in technology, drug traffickers have learned new ways to transport drugs into countries with under tunnels or buying government officials. Using their power and money, drug lords can convince government officials to allow them to transport drugs into the country.

For example, Pablo Escobar would pay or persuade officials with money to let him in or give them luxuries like cars or flat screen televisions.

Nowadays, drug lords use techniques like underground tunnels to transport drugs. This war between narcos and the government has become so intense, many law enforcement officials have been killed or retired. On the border between Mexico and USA, there is a team of officers who patrol the border to stop immigrants and drugs from coming into the US illegally.

As U.S. Customs and Border Protection state’s, ¨[their]primary mission remains unchanged: to detect and prevent¨(Biography.com Editors).

Everyday border patrol; patrols at an average of two-thousand miles of coastal waters surrounding the Florida Peninsula and the island of Puerto Rico, while other Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers patrol six-thousand miles of Mexican and Canadian international land borders.

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e’ve all watched MTV shows like 16 & Pregnant and Teen Mom. On these shows teen moms expose their vulnerabilities dealing with the responsibilities of motherhood at a young age. As a teen, dealing with being a first time mom can be especially hard when trying to balance school, social life and a baby. Priorities change and teen moms often find that being responsible for another human being is intimidating and scary.

Controversies have risen over whether these shows should be aired. Some critics have expressed that these shows will send the message that being pregnant as a teen is beneficial because one can become the next television sensation, while others have expressed that these shows help teens in the real world see the struggles of teen moms.

The latter opinion proves to be the most accurate. Some improvements illustrate that “the teen pregnancy rate has halved since its peak in 1990, declining in all 50 states and among all racial and ethnic groups.” Due to this decrease the average age of first time moms have increased significantly. This result can be partially attributed to these television shows and the “Bill Albert with the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy.” As more teens are educated on unplanned pregnancy and as contraception methods improve, more women wait to have children at a later stage in their life.

This change is significant because having a child while one is still a child herself poses great obstacles. When women wait to have children in a later stage, they are better equipped to care for a child.

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Malden Reads Introduces 2016’s Companion Books Megan Downer Lead Reporter Malden Reads is excited to offer this year’s companion books, a large variety of books for the youth of Malden to read, all of which commend the adult book choice of the year, The Martian by Andy Weir. The selection of companion books reflects the various topics and themes presented in the adult book choice of the year. This year the companion books demonstrate the topics of space exploration, scientific progress, cross-cultural collaboration and the classic tale of survival through situations with unfeasible odds.

With Malden being such a diverse community, the book selection committee felt it was fitting for the subjects of space exploration and humans overcoming the impossible to be discussed around the city. Cofacilitator for Malden Reads, Anne

D’Urso-Rose, explained that the companion books display themes of “perseverance, curiosity, bravery and overcoming adversity.”

In order to deliver a more fun and diverse experience with the companion books, Malden Reads will be offering a varied selection of events for youth that wish to involve themselves more in the world of these books. They will be hosting a martian crafts activity where students will have the opportunity to create their own “space-inspired art” that will be “display[ed] in a Mars-themed window at MATV,” stated D’Urso-Rose.

The Community Garden will also be carrying a poster contest on “what would a garden look like on Mars,” revealed D’Urso-Rose. One of the other thrilling events to soon be held by Malden Reads will be a free night at Boda Borg for anyone ages seven and up.

D’Urso-Rose explained that “many communities across the country have community reading programs, but it is rare to find one that engages all ages in the com-

munity as much as Malden Reads.” “[They] are so pleased to have the involvement of youth in the One City, One Book program.”

The companion books for 2016 are the following: Cosmic by Frank Cottrell Boyce, selected for Grades 6 to 8 Welcome to Mars: Making a home on the red planet by Buzz Aldrin and Marianne J. Dyson, selected for Grades 3 to 8 You are the First Kid on Mars by Patrick O’brien, selected for Grades 1 to 4.

Mars: Worst Case Scenario by Hena Kahn and David Borgenicht, selected for Grades 4 and 5 Mousetronaut Goes to Mars by Mark Kelly and C.F. Payne, selected for K to Grade 3 The Way Back Home by Oliver Jeffers, selected for K to Grade 2 Roaring Rockets by Tony Mitton and Ant Parker, selected for Pre-K Looking Down by Steve Jenkins, selected for Pre-K to Grade 3

Opinion: MA Legislature to Pass Bill Requiring Cell Phone to Be “Hands-Free” When Driving Haley Mallett Lead Reporter

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he Massachusetts Senate recently announced the passing of a new bill concerning cell phone use while driving on Monday, Jan. 25, 2016. Even though it has not yet passed through the House of Representatives, it is likely to, and then be sent to Governor Charlie Baker for his approval. If signed, the bill will become a new law in Massachusetts.

The process of a bill becoming a law is a long one. Bills are typically put aside for future consideration, or even worse, killed. Most bills never make it out of either chamber, the Senate or House, and even if they do, must pass through each. Even then, they are still not official laws.

After that, they must be signed by the person in the leadership position, such as a governor or president depending on the type of government the law is being made under.

In this case, this is a state law being made through state legislature, therefore needing Governor Baker’s signature.

In 2010, the Massachusetts Legislature, like many other states, passed legislation that banned texting while driving. Although using a phone for other purposes such as making a call, or for navigation

services are still considered permissible under the law, except for individuals under eighteen years of age. This new bill will “[ban] all handoperated use of mobile devices while operating a motor vehicle”, but still allow “the use of mobile devices for GPS and telephone call functions . . . so long as they are used in ‘hands-free’ mode” (Malden Patch).

Breaking this law will result in a fine that exponentially grows as the number of offenses increases.

Initial violations will result in a $100 fine, second-time a $250 fine, and subsequent a $500 fine.

Mounts for phones that attach

to the dashboard for navigation services and bluetooth earpieces to make calls are popular on the market, and majority of newer model cars have features such as built in navigation software, and the capacity to answer calls and send texts through voice recognition. Going “hands-free” should be no problem with today’s technology.

According to the National Safety Council, cell phone use while driving “accounted for 26 percent or approximately 7,800 of the 30,000 lives lost in auto accidents in 2013” (Malden Patch). A lot of those deaths were the lives of teenagers.

This statistic comes as no surprise as

teenagers become more attached to their electronic devices as technology rapidly advances. Many teenagers claim they will not use their cell phone while driving, but once behind the wheel, realize it is a tough distraction to avoid, even if a drive from one location to another only takes a few minutes. I have come to realize this as well while driving, and often see other people on their devices, eyes off the road and on their phones, while driving. Not just teenagers do this, but adults too. It’s not worth the risk.

Even if it’s not texting or using social media, using a device for music, as a GPS, or making calls still takes people’s eyes off the road, and puts themselves and others’ lives in danger. It is a risk many people take, and just because nothing happens the first time, or the time after that, does not mean it can’t the next, or in the future. Thankfully this new law, if passed, should substantially decrease distractions behind the wheel, if not eliminate them completely. Massachusetts will become the fifteenth state to adopt this “hands-free” law, and is among the forty-six states that have banned texting while driving.

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Poetry Out Loud: The Finals

Nada Tuffaha Reporter

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ach year, Malden High School hosts one of the largest Poetry Out Loud competitions in the state which includes the entire student body, regardless of grade, class, or experience. Poetry Out Loud had been a long journey and finally came to an end on Jan. 27, 2016. The first place winner was senior Heresa LaForce, in second place was freshman Birukti Tsige, and in third, it was a tie between Eva Lao and Jenny Huynh.

To prepare for the finals, students had to recite their original poem they performed in the semifinals. Then they needed to perform another poem that had to be written pre-20th century with a minimum of 25 lines. The pressure was on for all of the competitors as they were

tasked with memorizing and perfectly performing two poems. Jenny Huynh said that “[she] imagined it to be a very competitive environment, but it wasn’t, it was the opposite. [She] met some of the other students who made it really fun.”

First place winner Heresa LaForce “expected [her] competition days to end there”. By the time LaForce moved onto the finals, “[she] was comfortable enough with [her] original poem to leave it as is”.

LaForce also stated that the overall level of difficulty throughout the competitions were consistent.

LaForce seemed to be calm and collected when going into the finals, which clearly benefitted her, seeing as she won first place.

Freshman Birukti Tsige was this year’s Poetry Out Loud second place winner. Tsige was one of the youngest competitors in the com-

petition, but that only made her second place victory even more surreal. She explained that “most of the finalists were upperclassman with much more experience and they all performed beautifully.” She continued, “[She] felt proud of [herself] that [she] could get that far just as a 9th grader.”

In preparation for the POL Finals, Tsique recited her poems over and over again until “it was like a prayer and after a couple of days [she] knew [she] could say it in [her] sleep.”

Jenny Huynh and Eva Lao both tied for third place. Huynh “knew the finals were going to be more intense [than the semi-finals]” so that inspired her to work harder.

In addition to the student competitions, a POL competition for teachers was also held. The teacher competition only had three

competitors this year, including math teacher Evan Mauser, student teacher Thomas Snarsky, and ESL teacher Jessica Haralson.

Although Snarsky isn’t an official teacher just yet, he was still able to compete and successfully win the teacher competition. Snarsky recited a poem titles “A Poem” by Ariana Reines. To prepare for the teacher competitions, Snarsky stated that he “read the poem a lot, and [he] stared at the paper because [he] needed to see where the lines broke.” He never competed in a POL competition before, but has recited poetry multiple times in front of audiences.

MHS hosted another successful Poetry Out Loud competition. The finalists as well as all performers throughout the competition left their audiences and the judges speechless with their moving performances.

“What makes Poetry Out Loud successful is the way in which it celebrates the gifts of all students- that students who may not be the strongest in written English- can have success with performence and interpretation. It is something that I look foward to every year.”

-MHS Lead English Teacher Sean Walsh

Lunar New Year Festival

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Kristy Yang Reporter

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he Lunar New Year festival took place on Jan. 30, 2016 in the Jenkins Auditorium. The festival started at 1 p.m. and went on until 5 p.m. Many people in the Malden community came to the show, including Mayor Gary Christenson.

The first performance was the Lion Dance which was said to scare “Nian,” a monster from Chinese mythology. Group dances included “Ballet of Spring,” performed by the Winchester Chinese School Dance as well as CCC’s art performance troupe dancing to the songs “Song of Liu Yang River” and “Beautiful North River.” Members from the Malden Senior Center danced to the song “Moonlight on the Lotus Pond,” and MHS students Chon Huynh, Sally Zhang, and Derick Yu performed modern dances to Korean songs. In addition, MHS’s dance group Airbound made an appearance followed by Chinese folk dances such as“The Last Emperor” and “Blue Fan” danced by the students of Chu Ling Dance Academy.

Solos included an erhu solo which is a two-stringed bowed musical instrument that was performed by the Boston Erhu Ensemble student Wu Fei Ge as well as Amy Li, an eleven year old who has won many prizes, singing a solo song called “I Am A Little Bird.” A guzheng, a plucked string instrument, was played by Rachel Huo who is a member of the Boston Chinese Musicians Association. Adding on, there was a solo dance by MHS student Teresa Shi who danced to the song “Kaoru Wada- Affection Touching Across Time II,” a solo that included longhorn, mantra chanting, a flute solo performed by Penpa Tsering,

and Yang Liu who sang “Heavenly Road” and “Happy Mountain Song.”

Among the choral performances were the Newton Chinese School Singing Group that sang “Wusuli Chantey” and “Mother,” Malden Senior Center singing the songs “Best Wishes” and “Family Harmony Brings Happiness,” Students of Little Dragon from the Beebe School singing “Chinese New Year,” and CCC’s arts performance troupe singing “The Beautiful Prairie, My Lovely Home” and “Happy Chinese New Year.” There was a united feeling as they sing together in harmony.

There was a kung fu show performed by Wah Lum Kung Fu and Tai Chi Academy and a Tai Chi Sword demonstration performed by the Malden Senior Center. Following these acts was a violin performance by the Students of Little Dragon at Beebe performing the songs “Two Tigers”, “Happy New Year” and “When We Are Together.”

Zhi Min Zhao Chinese Music School had an instrumental show to the song “happiness” and “Whipping the Horse to Go Faster.” After this there was a Beijing opera performing a section of “Red Lantern” and “The Way to be” by Cici Cao. Last but not least, there were two fashion shows, one by the Sunset Fashion Group and one by MHS students.

The Lunar New Year Festival was an overall success as it displayed captivating performances for all the audience to enjoy.

The Blue and Gold February-March 2016

The Blue and Gold February-March 2016

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The Blue and Gold February-March 2016

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Malden High School poised to welcome New Principal edward Lombardi Megan Downer Lead Reporter

“A principal has to be a good listener and communicator. There are so many elements to making a school the best it can be, and there is no way one person can be the source of every idea and improvement.”

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alden High School is overjoyed to welcome Edward “Ted” Lombardi to the staff as the new principal. Lombardi exclaimed that, “[he is] incredibly excited to be a part of [the MHS community.]”

Lombardi is highly qualified for this position, especially since he has eleven years of leadership experience from Lawrence High School.

Lawrence High had the pleasure of experiencing Lombardi for three years as an English teacher, five and a half years as an Assistant Principal, and two and a half as Principal.

When Lombardi joins MHS this upcoming fall, he says he is excited for “all of [the MHS events], but in particular [he has] heard great things about the Junior Varieties.” Lombardi voiced that “[he loves] the spirit that exists within high schools, and from what [he has] heard and seen, Malden High students and staff are so supportive of each other and of the various activities happening around the school. [He is] so looking forward to adding [his] support.”

Entering a new job had not occurred to Lombardi until he had seen a post online about the open position here at MHS. From growing up around Malden, Lombardi stated he had already “been aware of many of the great things happening at MHS over the past decade or so.”

Lombardi even has a great amount of family in and around Malden.

In Lombardi’s perspective “a principal has to be a good listener and communicator. There are so many elements to making a school the best it can be, and there is no way one person can be the source of every idea and improvement.

[He] always assume[s] the best from people and expect that their intentions are to do what is best for students. [He sees his] job as maintaining and facilitating the growth that has clearly existed at MHS for some time now.”

It seems as if the Blue and Gold members are not the only ones interested in journalism; new principal Lombardi has his own experience in the exciting world of journalism.

In 2004, Lombardi received his Master’s degree in broadcast journalism from Boston University. For a couple of years before transitioning into the educational field, Lombardi worked as a sports anchor and reporter in Maine.

Top to bottom: Lombardi posing with his wife, Valerie, and their daughter, Josie.

Photo submitted by Edward Lombardi. Lombardi standing at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. Photo submitted by Edward Lombardi.

Athletics have been an interest for Lombardi for quite some time, he began running years ago and stated that he enjoys “everything from the local pro teams to my alma mater (Holy Cross) to Premier League and international soccer.” In addition, from 2 0 11 - 2 0 1 4 , Lombardi ran the Boston Marathon in support of the Alzheimer ’s Association, in memory of his father who happened to be part of Malden High’s class of 1950.

Along with running, he used to enjoy coaching tennis and often still plays. However, most of his time now is dedicated to his 3 year old daughter, Josie, who he says he “hope[s] to get involved in all of the aforementioned activities as well!”

A high school principal is the leader of the school, the role model for the school and the students, which is the reason for the extensive questioning by the search committee. Junior Allyson Kummins stated that it is important for the new prin-

cipal to be someone who “always listens to the ideas from both students and teachers and usually makes it happen.”

The importance of an involved and supportive principal c o u l d not be stressed enough.

Sophom o r e K y l e e Roberts spoke for all of MHS when she exclaimed that we are all “excited for a new perspective in the building and to see how Malden High life changes.” It is important that the new principal has “a good understanding of the friendly and positive dynamic of MHS,” stated Junior Gus Brookes.

Principals represent their schools meaning the committee had to lead a long search to find the best representation of the school. The committee seems to be confident in the possibly extravagant representation discovered in Lombardi.

Lombardi does, in fact, have experience in Lawrence and

-Edward Lombardi in urban education that “will serve him well at Malden” as stated by English Teacher and Drama Director Sean Walsh. The tremendous passion sought after was expressed

by Lombardi making him a suitable candidate.

The diverse nature of Malden calls for a principal capable of embracing immense quantities of miscellany. For the duration of the interviewing process, the committee asked series of questions pertaining to areas such as experience, promotion of the school, visions for the school and Malden community, etc. The extensive interviewing was enormous assistance into discovering the candidates with realistic and hopeful visions for the MHS community as a whole. Lombardi displayed the necessary drive and passionate forward-thinking mind to run MHS smoothly.

Students here at MHS such as Junior Jessica Montezuma express their desire to find “a sense of trust and connection: within the new principal. The needed trust and connections can be established through potent communication with the community. Walsh revealed that Lombardi portrayed himself to the committee as “an effective communicator and collaborator.”

MHS looks forward to getting to know the new principal better and seeing all of the great improvements he will make to the high school and the community.

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Malden Eats: Dinner at Joti Palace Ailin Toro Reporter n Mar. 8, 2016 Malden Eats hosted a dinner at the Joti Palace located at 308 Main Street in Malden. This was part of the Malden Eats Community Dining Series.

People were invited to enjoy a meal while talking about 2016’s Malden Reads Selected Book, “The Martian”

by Andy Weir.

Joti Palace is a family run restaurant and their menu has a fusion of authentic Indian and Nepalese styles. Joti Palace recently celebrated their 15 year anniversary. Their menu had an array of different foods including lamb curry and tandoori chicken. The food was set out buffet style and was $15, not including a tip.

Walking into Joti’s Palace, there were about 25 people there right when the dinner was set to start.

After a couple of minutes one of the organizers, Michele Marcinowski, introduced herself and talked about the many events that they will have later on this year. Then she encouraged everyone to talk to new people and make new friends.

The event brought in many

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different people and there were multiple people talking about how Malden Eats has taken off since it first started. There were even people from other cities who attended the event because they had heard about

that they will gain more attention”.

At the tables there were many lively conversations going on. There were table cards with discussion topics that surrounded “The Martian.” Guests did not have to read

Malden Eats it from their friends.

Malden Eats has been around for five years. When Paula Spizziri, one of the organizers, was asked about how they choose the restaurants for the dining series she said that they “try to choose local and independant restaurants so they can support the local businesses.” They also try to “choose ethnic places that may have been overlooked in hopes

the book to be able to participate in the discussions. The questions were not focused on the plot of the book but had questions such as “In ‘The Martian’ the main character had to eat a lot of potatoes. What would you want to eat if you were stuck in space?”

Malden Eats offers opportunities to meet new people and try new food.

Malden School Committee Votes to Increase Lunch Prices for Students Haley Mallett Lead Reporter

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he Malden School Committee met the evening of Monday, Mar. 7, 2016 to vote on an issue that would potentially impact all students in the Malden Public Schools system beyond the 2015 to 2016 academic year: lunch prices. Currently, Malden does not meet the state and federal recommendation for standard lunch prices. The committee ultimately voted to increase prices, which means lunch will soon cost at least $2.65 on average, the recommended minimum, in all of the schools over the next two academic years.

A standard lunch in the K-8 schools consists of a hot entree, sandwich, or salad with milk, a vegetable and fruit. At Malden High School, the variety of options is much larger, ranging from pizza and burgers, to nachos and sandwiches, also with milk, a vegetable and fruit. All lunches are provided by

Whitsons School Nutrition, which Malden Public Schools switched to in recent years.

This is not the first time lunch prices have gone up in the Malden Public Schools. The cost of a standard lunch in the elementary and middle schools this year is $2.30.

Only a few years ago the cost of lunch was just over $2.00. Although, prices in the K-8 schools do not compare to those at MHS. The standard lunch at MHS costs $2.45, but other options such as a trip to the salad bar or new snack bar can cost up to $3.70.

Because of the committee’s vote to increase prices, K-8 students will now have to pay $2.45, the current cost at MHS, for a standard lunch during the 2016 to 2017 academic year. High school students will pay $2.78, or up to $3.80 for a salad or smoothie.

It does not stop there. The committee voted to increase prices over two years, so in the following academic year, 2017 to 2018, K-8 stu-

dents will pay $2.55 for a standard lunch. High school students will pay $3.05, breaking the two dollar margin for a standard lunch, and up to $3.90 for a specialty item.

This will be a significant financial increase for many students. Malden is part of the National School Lunch Program that reimburses the system for students receiving free or reduced lunches. Even though the city is known for having one of the lowest lunch prices in the area, there is a large amount of students receiving some form of discounted lunch.

Student representative James Mac, a junior at MHS, was surprised to hear this, but thought making these changes over a longer period of time was a more “effective” approach to take for the students good. The impact of the committee’s decision to increase lunch prices will begin to become evident next year, and even more so the following year.

Model UN at MHS Kristy Yang Reporter

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odel United Nations, or Model UN, is an educational simulation where students learn about the United Nations, diplomacy, and international relations. All world history students participate in the Model UN, accumulating to around 500 students.

Unlike normal debates, students follow the procedures that the UN uses to address international problems. Students are encouraged to voice their opinions through writing and public speaking. They can also hear other people’s opinions on the matter before deciding on a plan of action.

History teacher Ann Pember explained that “at the beginning of the third quarter all world history students begin learning about the United Nations,” including its history, its purpose, and the way it solves problems. Students learn about the process of parliamentary procedure, which is the way the UN acts as the world’s microphone on issues and looks to resolve conflicts.

They will also gain insight into the Declaration of Human Rights.

Each student is tasked with researching the same topic of interest in different countries. This year all classes were either assigned to the topics of climate change, peacekeepers, or maternal health. The topics change each year and are decided by the Model UN organization. Model UN provides research and sources for students on the topics each year.

Students research the topic in their assigned country to understand what the current status of it is as well as what has been done previously to try to solve it.They will determine what still needs to be done to improve the country’s situation.

After completing their research, students are tasked with writing a position paper based on their country’s stance on the assigned topic.

They will then act as delegates from their country in the final simulation activity where around 100 students represent about 50 countries, and using parliamentary procedure they give an opening statement of their country’s position on the topic.

Then they debate the issues, find allies, and eventually sponsor and vote on resolutions to try to solve the problems.

The final simulation is run by the Greater Boston Model UN organization which takes place in the library over the course of about three hours. Model UN exposes students to pressing issues around the world and helps them to strengthen their leadership skills.

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The Blue and Gold February-March 2016

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The Class of 2017 Presents:

Anna Powers Reporter Megan Downer Reporter

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his year’s Junior Varieties of course impressed the Malden community as families and friends join one another for a fun night full of outstanding talents. This year’s show was filled with singing, dancing, and tribute performances.

The planning process for this years show was created by the Class of 2017 officers. Planning started at the end of last year, officers came up with all the different components that went into the creation of the show. Then auditions were held in November, all the practices then started in January.

Junior advisor Heather Northrop stated that the show pushed “Juniors to step up into leadership roles to put on their biggest fundraiser of their high school career, as well as students developing skills and talents as performers and crew to raise money for the benefit of the entire class.” Other Junior advisor Amelia Collison adds that “ [she] Clockwise: Junior Aigula Fitzgerald dancing to “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by definitely expected for there to be a Ingrid Michaelson. Principal Dana Brown performs on stage with the Step Team. lot of details to keep track of. But our Airbound performing the finishing act. Junior Sanaa Bezzat is one member of the class officers did a tremendous job dance group “Scorpions.” Junior Alicia Devereaux playing the trumpet to a med- taking over many responsibilities!” ley of pop songs. Junior Leah Tramondozzi playing the piano to “Here” by AlesThough Collison describes “sesia Cara. Sophomore Blue and Gold member Meghan Yip performing “House of rious technical difficulties with lightGold” by Twenty-One Pilots. Senior Sabrina Kumar performing a tribute to Candy ing” a few days before the show. ColLee, MHS student who passed away in 2013. Senior Jeffry Georges and freshman lison commends the lighting crew Ricky Mei, two members of Airbound. Senior Sarah Vieira opened the show with for “working really hard to figure “When We Were Young” by Adele. Junior Jasaun Bellard is another member of the out what was wrong and working dance group “Scorpions.” Senior Amanda Pierre performing with the rest of the even harder to make sure everything step team. Junior James Mac hosting the show. All photos taken by Jesaias Benitez.

was perfect”. Going into the show, Northrop had “no doubts that the show [would] be successful.”

Rehearsal times were fun and energized. Collision describes these as some of her favorite memories from the whole JV experience, “[She] had a lot of fun watching all of the acts really transform from auditions to the day of the show.

Northrop was touched at the end of practices when “students [were] laughing together and bonding over a common cause.”

Like other years, audiences were curious in seeing what this year hosts had in store. Audiences raved about Erin Mulcahy, Jesse Bouly, and James Mac. The chemistry between all 3 of them was electric. Everyone was just waiting to see what relatable references, or funny jokes that they had in store.

Mulcahy explains her gratitude for being apart of this event by saying, “This year’s Junior Varieties was such an amazing experience. Going out on stage to a sold out auditorium was the best feeling. There was so much talent this year, I am so grateful to have been a part of such a wonderful event.” Mac expresses his fears of hoping that the crowd would find his jokes funny enough.

But in the end it ended up going better than he had expected. He describes how “[with] having gone

The Blue and Gold February-March 2016

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The Key to JVs

through the JVs process, [he] can gladly confirm that hard work does pay off.” Like the other hosts Bouley says that both shows exceeded all expectations of [his]. Every seat was filled and every act was amazing in their own way.”

Class of 2017 JV Coordinator Nicolas Acuna was completely impressed with the way that both shows ended up going. Acuna was a little nervous when first elected, being unorganized and unprepared.

He describes a complete turn around because he had “the right people and the right support to do it”. Acuna’s favorite memories include working with the crew backstage because it included a lot of his good friends. He stresses the fact that the backstage crew deserves recognition “for all the times they had to stay longer, deal with the performers and [himself], and how much work they actually put into it.” Overall Acuna describes this as an experience that brought the members of his class closer together.

Another student thrilled by the JV experience was the Class of 2017 President Vivian Nguyen who explained that “this JV’s helped [her] and the other acts and hosts step out of [their] comfort zones to deliver a successful JV’s for the community, especially Mr. Brown.” JVs went

exceptionally well, especially to Nguyen who gushed that “[they] had amazing acts and hosts and the crew and advisors helped [them] in every step of the way.” Nguyen also revealed that the main blunder experienced during JVs would have to have been the technical difficulties with the hosts’ microphones, which caused for a hard time of hearing for audience members in the back.

Many might be wondering about this year’s storyline since there was a lot of controversy around the name of the show. So basically hosts Jesse Bouley, Erin Mulcahy, and James Mac in between acts searched for the person who stole the Key to JVs. This key needed to be passed down to the new principal from Mr. Brown in order for there to be more JV shows. Throughout the show they used clues to determine who was holding the key captive. In the end the key thief ended up being Class of 2017 President Vivian Nguyen. She stole the key because she wanted Mr. Brown to stay principal due to his memorable years at MHS. Then the hosts convinced Nguyen that both Mr. Brown and Malden High School need to move on. So unlike many rumors of the theme, the 2016 JVs was a tribute to Mr. Brown as principal and the legacy that he has left at our school.

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The Blue and Gold February-March 2016

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Felicia Fallano Head of Local Julia Parker Head of Local

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his year, four math and science teachers from Malden High Schools have been selected to be awarded with Mass Insight Education’s Partners in Excellence award.

This award is given to 54 Massachusetts teachers who push their students towards academic achievement. The teachers were selected out of 600 advanced placement teachers in Massachusetts who participate in Mass Insight’s AP Stem program. The teachers who received the award include Nicholas Lippman, Paul Marques, Bradley Gelling and Genoveva Mateeva.

Mateeva expressed that she is “very satisfied and happy for the students and their work.” She described winning the awards as “very unexpected, but it was very satisfying when [she] did.”

Marques also expressed that he is, “honored to receive the award, but the true joy is working with [his] students in the computer science program.

Lippman was first selected based on his students’ performance on their AP exams and his involvement in activities such as teaching at Saturday AP sessions. This is Lippman’s first time winning this award and he expressed that “it is incredibly exciting and rewarding to win this award.” In 2012, he won the National Math and Science Initiative’s “Math Teacher of the Year” award for Massachusetts. In 2011, he won the “Teacher of the Year” award for the Malden High School chapter of the National Honors Society. “[Lippman is] honored to have won this award and [he is] particularly happy to be winning this award with [his] colleagues,” expressed Lippman.

He continued, “[They] have worked together for several years now to improve

MHS Math and Science Teachers Recieve Award in Excellence

From left to right, top to bottom: Computer science teacher Paul Marques.

Math teacher Bradley Gelling. Math teacher Genoveva Mateeva. Math teacher Nicholas Lippman. All photos by Julia Parker and Felicia Fallano. [their] AP Math program and [he] hope[s] that this award is an indication that [their] teamwork has benefited [their] students.”

Gelling explained that when he won the award he actually wasn’t aware of it and wondered why “people were congratulating [him].”

Gelling stated that he was “surprised, honored and thankful.” He has been teaching at MHS for almost nine years, and “[enjoys] the elegant logic of math [because] it’s less subjective than other courses, [which] makes it easier to grade student work.”

Lippman accredits his students for the award because “it was the students who took the exam and earned the scores.” He added that he

is “fortunate to have such fantastic and motivated students who show time and again how capable the students of Malden High School are.”

In addition, he acknowledged the math department for their teaching abilities “that [have] prepare[d] [their] students so well for success in AP courses.”

All the teachers that won this award have worked towards similar goals of having their students reach their full potential, whether it’s in AP courses or outside of the classroom. Gelling explained that he feels “important qualities of any teacher must include patience and kindness.”

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MHS is Nuts and Bolts About Robotics and design concepts of robots and come up with potential ideas.

The point of building the robots is to get them to complete as many tasks as possible. For example, two years ago the club made a model based off of the Mars rover. The robot was programmed to land on Mars, and one task it had to complete was to collect dirt samples.

If you are interested in joining the robotics club, they meet every day after school in B444 and new members are always welcome.

Ailin Toro Reporter

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he robotics team has been hard at work preparing for Botball since early January. Botball is a competition in which teams from different schools design and compete with robots. The entire year is dedicated to the team building the robot and programming it. The competition will be held on Apr. 30, 2016 at University of Massachusetts Lowell.

The robotics team has a group of dedicated students that meet everyday after school. The purpose of robotics is to learn new skills as a programmer and a builder, to build a close relationship with teammates and to also acquire new experiences.

The students became involved in robotics because it allowed them to apply their skills in programming to something tangible. The students mentioned that they found robots interesting in general. They also enjoy being able to constantly learn new things each time they meet and to expose themselves to a variety of things and to meet new people along the way.

Above: The Robotics Team designing one of their robots for the April competition. Photo taken by Ailin Toro.

Robotics became a club at Malden High School around five years ago. The auto shop teacher, Chris Bazzinotti, won a scholarship to put the school into the competition and secure the building parts, something that would have cost several thousand dollars without the scholarship. Since then, the cost has lessened every year which is why MHS

is able to participate.

Club advisor, physics teacher Brian Morrison, stated that the club is very student-run. Morrison is there to guide the students, but does not participate in the building of the robot. The students work on the robots and program them so that it can complete the obstacle course in a time efficient way. They also build

Senior Internships on the Horizon Megan Downer Lead Reporter

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he end of the year is approaching which entails that another set of seniors will be graduating from Malden High School. While many seniors will have their last day of high school come May, some seniors will be leaving in April.

These seniors will be partaking in an internship program in a field of study that sparks their interest.

If eligible, students can choose an internship under the following fields of work: business, hospitality/tourism, accounting, medical field, medical secretary, social work, marketing/management, athletic training/physical therapy, automotive technology, environmental science, computer science, real estate, and outward bound/outdoor education.

MHS principal Dana Brown expressed that business, medical, law enforcement, IT and working with children “tend to be big fields.”

A large sum of the seniors that are involved in the internship program travel to the K-8 schools across Malden, the daycares, or even the YMCA. MHS’s senior internship program is unique and segways

students into the real world before internship program, many students graduating. As described by Brown, are still excited about this great op“this is a good program for the right portunity that allows them to explore student.” He doesn’t “think it’s the their interests and leave high school right program for every student but a little sooner. Several students have for the students who are really inter- even been able to start their own ested in busi[certain nesses p ro f e s right sions], out of this is h i g h a great school experisuch as ence.” t-shirt T h i s design gives busis t u nesses dents an or their inside o w n l o o k manui n t o facturw h a t ing of the realw o o d ity of prodt h e i r ucts. dream For job conseniors sists of. interAfested in t e r applyabout ing for t e n An example of a presentation from the class of 2015’s an iny e a r s senior internships. This student chose to intern at the Mal- ternship of the den Mayor’s Offic eand Malden Chamber of Commerce. t h e y senior m u s t

propose their idea to the Internship Committee here at MHS. Before discussing their idea with the committee, students should already have gone to the location where they seek an internship and ask permission to intern there. The high school usually has connections with the K-8 schools, city hall, and other various local establishments. For students who struggle to find their own internship, the staff at MHS are happy to help them find an internship that suits their interests.

The Senior Internship program is an incredible experience for those seeking first-hand knowledge in their field of interest. This year’s seniors have a chance to truly get a hands-on experience with the career. For many students, getting the opportunity to try their hand at one of their passions will either make or break their decision to continue on to that field in the future. Either way, the senior internship program is both an enlightening and helpful way to get students to learn in a different way by the end of their high school career.

Local News

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The Blue and Gold February-March 2016

maldenblueandgold.com

MHS Mock Trial Team Serves Justice

Alysha McDevitt Reporter

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he Malden Mock Trial team consists of a group of hard working, intelligent students, hand picked by coach and history teacher Richard Tivnan. The course is available to students in the tenth grade or higher, and in the first year of taking it, counts as a social studies credit.

Once a student shows interest, they can apply by sending in a brief essay and getting a recommendation from their current history teacher.

Once the applications are sent in, Mr. Tivnan chooses those he thinks are most qualified-- hard working, dedicated students. The decision is very hard as the class only has 25 slots available, many of which are returning students.

At the start of the year, the team is given a case to study. This year, the case was about medical malpractice, which is when a medical professional does something that harms their patients. The students study the case in a variety of ways.

The class is divided into plaintiff and defense. The defense’s goal is to prevent criminal charges on the defendant. The plaintiff’s goal is to press charges and have the defendant prosecuted.

In meets, the students will be either defense or plaintiff, while the other school plays the opposition.

Each scrimmage, both teams have a possibility to reach 110 points. MHS beat Chelsea in their scrimmage, 90-77 as plaintiff, lost to Arlington 91-94 as plaintiff, and they beat Medford as defense 76-77; putting them at 2 wins and 1 loss.

Mock Trial is extremely competitive. Even with the amazing team right now, MHS is out of the bracket. In order to make it to the next level of scrimmages, the team would have to be undefeated, which they were not this year. However, Tivnan feels that while wins are great, the most important part of the class is gaining knowledge and growing in confidence-- the wins are a bonus.

Some of the biggest challenges students face individually are learn-

ing how the courtroom procedure works and getting over any fears of public speaking. As a class, the students have to learn to work as a team and understand how to bring the classroom into the courtroom.

This year, 2 attorneys have come in to talk to the class, while other schools have much more practice that MHS as clubs rather than a class, Tivnan claims that this is the “best team [they’ve] ever had” and he is very proud of the team’s accomplishments. While most years, returning seniors play the largest roles, this year with 4 new seniors, the “unbelievable” students have all learned and adjusted very quickly.

When asked, Tivnan expressed what he believed is the most beneficial aspect of the class to students, and what he, as a teacher, most enjoys. Perhaps the most important piece students take from the class is the confidence they gain and the ability to talk in front of large groups of people. The class is very character building, and Tivnan claims there have been students who could barely introduce themselves to the

class at the beginning of the year that ended up giving lengthy closing statements without a problem.

What Tivnan most enjoys about teaching the class, is seeing the constant progress and growth happening; individual students gaining confidence and knowledge, and the whole class learning to function as one big team, often times in nearly complete silence.

Any incoming sophomores or higher interested in the taking the class can talk to their history teachers about being recommended. The class is a learning experience, and many of the things learned, will play a large role in real life.

Donations to the Haitian Club to Support Schools in Haiti Sydney Stumpf Reporter

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alden High School’s Haitian Club has been raising money and supplies for the Matènwa Community Learning Center (CLC) in Haiti since February, beginning with a Hearts for Haiti fundraiser before February break. The fundraiser supported school meals for the Matènwa CLC, since many of the students in attendance, only get their meals at school.

One U.S. dollar raised will buy a student at Matènwa CLC a meal.

Haitian club advisor and French teacher, Paul Degenkolb, thought “a simple fundraiser like this would be a way to start the conversation about building a relationship between Malden and Matènwa while greatly benefitting students with small-scale donations.”

Donations for Hearts for Haiti will be accepted by Degenkolb until the end of next week and delivered to a co-founder of the school in Cambridge. After that, donors will have access to Lincoln Massachusetts based Friends of Matènwa link.

So far there has been $135 raised.

Items such as colored pencils, watercolor paint sets, craft/popsicle sticks, soccer balls, and yarn will be collected until Friday, Apr. 8. These

items are main donations needed by the school. Money donations will also be collected to ship the items donated to the school in Haiti. Degenkolb is striving to ship two barrels full of items, each costing $160.

This is Degenkolb’s first year advising the Haitian Club. After spending two summers learning Haitian Creole at UMASS Boston Haitian Creole Institute and traveling to Haiti on a fellowship with ESL teacher Jessica Haralson, Degenkolb was motivated to advise the club.

While at the school, Degenkolb and Haralson learned that Matènwa CLC is an innovative school, modeling a new system to replace the “outdated French system” with a “more forward-thinking type of school where students learn in Haitian Creole - the language they actually speak.”

The area that the school is located in does not have access to electricity. Only a few homes have solar panels but there are neither “passable roads” nor running water and indoor plumbing. Though life without these things may be difficult, these people have “a tremendous respect for education and desire to learn, and the school is truly a focal point in the community.”

To donate, drop items or money at H314.

From top to bottom: Jessica Haralson with students at Matènwa CLC. Paul Degenkolb with students at Matènwa CLC. Photo Courtesy of Paul Degenkolb.

The Blue and Gold February-March 2016

Local News maldenblueandgold.com

Five MHS Students Participate in MIT’s Blueprint 2016 Haley Mallett Lead Reporter

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assachusetts Institute of Technology held their annual two-day event, Blueprint, for computer programming students over the weekend of Saturday, Feb. 27 through Sunday, Feb. 28. Many Malden High School students applied to participate, but only five students were chosen to attend including Ricky Cordero, Will Duggan, Jasper Haag, Mohsin Qureshi, and Bailey Wong.

The weekend consisted of two events: the learnathon and hackathon. The goal of Blueprint is to give students the opportunity to “learn from MIT students, make new friends, and build something cool” (Blueprint).

After spending a day socializing and learning, participants had to compete in a programming competition.

The learnathon, which was held on Saturday, allowed students to attend “hands-on workshops” taught by MIT students (Blueprint).

Topics discussed include the fundamentals of web, operating system development, and “other computer

software related concepts” as senior Cordero described. The specialized tech topics introduced to the students are becoming crucial to learn for future programmers as technology rapidly advances.

The hackathon that wrapped up the weekend on Sunday was over ten hours long. Starting early at seven o’clock in the morning, students took the skills they had learned from

the day prior, and applied them by forming teams and “hacking” away on their laptops with their project ideas. They worked late into the day, and of course, there were MIT students there to serve as mentors for the teams.

Cordero commented that he, along with seniors Qureshi, and Blue and Gold member Haag, worked together to develop “an interactive 3D graphical rubik’s cube solving program [that used] the unity game rendering engine” as their project.

At the end of the day, the teams presented their projects to the judges, and winners followed. Even though no awards were taken home by the students representing MHS, they learned valuable skills that will not only help them From left to right, Will Duggan, Mohsin Qureshi, in their programming Bailey Wong, Jasper Haag, and Ricky Cordero are class, but their future pictured at MIT’s Blueprint event. Photo submitted careers.

by Paul Marques.

Mayor’s Summer Youth Employment opportunities Megan Downer Reporter

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lthough March seems to just have begun many students are beginning to prepare for summer in various ways. For many this means seeking out summer employment which keeps students busy and able to earn needed money.

Kelli Collomb, teacher at MHS, and Karen Hayes, from the Mayor’s office, stated that “since Mayor Christenson’s staff have begun administering the program, youth jobs have grown by approximately 125% and [the program has] over 50 different job sites which host youth.”

This program last for 6 weeks each summer and the weekly work hours can vary depending on the employee’s age. Normally, over 550 students in Malden apply for this program and then around 300 out of those 550 students are brought in for interviews. Typically, over 250 of these students are offered positions around the city.

There are various types of jobs available to the youth and this program attempts to match the student’s’ interests and abilities with the best fitting job for each student.

Jobs vary from office settings, outdoor work, work with children, tutoring, and work indoors. There are over 50 potential worksites associated with the Mayor’s Summer Youth Program.

Collomb also informed that “the program has a curriculum, Signal Success, that every youth worker attends. It is a 2 hour class that is held every week and covers topics such as: workplace safety, career interests, learning styles, teamwork, professional appearance, communication, collaboration, dependability, financial literacy, sexual harassment and respecting differences.” The benefits of this program are endless as it furthers the development of youth’s skills for careers and communication.

In addition, Collomb expressed that “early work experience is critical to success in adult life.

Youth have the ability to earn money and buy things for themselves, and many help their families with purchasing food or paying bills.

Many youth have said they feel responsible, helpful, and that they feel as if they are contributing to their futures, their families and the city. This confidence and sense of

purpose is likely to follow through with each new thing a youth tries.”

The Mayor’s Youth Program is a great experience for youth to learn responsibility and how to act at work. It also is well for keeping students busy over the summer which helps students have access to money to be able to go out with friends or even save up for future events such as driving school or college.

To find out more about the summer employment opportunites sign up by April 8th on the following link www. cityofmalden. org/MSYEP

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MHS Swimathon 2016 Ana Kerr Lead Reporter

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n Feb. 26, 2016, Malden High School hosted a swimathon for a very special cause: Alzheimer’s Disease. The swimathon was an idea originated by MHS’ assistant coach Jessica Bisson years ago, and has become an annual tradition since.

The swimmers on the team’s objective was to spread the word about the fundraiser. The amount that they had raised was correlated to the total laps they were required to swim. The money was both donated to the Alzheimer’s Association, and a portion contributed to the swim team’s equipment.

All proceeds were a great contribution to both of the groups associated in this fundraiser. Although each team member had to raise a minimum amount of 75 dollars, roughly each team member raised 85 dollars or more. The main objective was to raise $4,000 to $5,000. The team is made up of roughly 40-50 swimmers, and the whole team had participated. The main goal for the team was to raise as much money as possible.

It is safe to say that this event was a success. The team’s main goal is not only to raise money but also to have a good time with a team.

Freshman Joanne Ho mentions that she has “grown so close with everyone for the last time before [their] banquet, while also raising money for a good cause.”

Although the swimathon was an event to raise money for Alzheimer’s, it was also an event that helped strengthened the team’s relationship as a whole. Ho also mentions that “this event was a great way for us to bond while doing good for our community, but also fun because we didn’t have to actually practice like we normally do.”

Being able to have fun, help out the community and do good is what brings joy to the team’s heart.

Other teams and clubs in the school should participate in events like these. It would not only be a great experience for the team but for the members individually. An overall feeling the team felt was rewarding.

It is great knowing that the season is over but when the team unites as one, the bond is still stronger and better than ever. Freshman Agatha Silva mentions that she is “looking forward to hanging out with the swim team again” since she hasn’t “hung out with some of the swimmers in a while and [misses] laughing with all of them.” Being part of an event like this is great for our community, it is something that should not be yearly event but monthly one.

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entertainment

The Blue and Gold February-March 2016

maldenblueandgold.com

An Open Letter to a High School Athlete

Dear Nedlam, I’m going to be taking the SATS in May and I’m really nervous. Is there anything I should know before taking them? Any tips on how study/ what I should prepare for?

Thanks, Stressed And Terrified Dear Stressed And Terrified,

Lucia Quesada Nylen Print Editor-In-Chief

As the year is coming to an end, and graduation is around the corner, people are beginning to realize how fast the four years fly by. I look back and remember freshman year soccer being one of the craziest experiences with four freshman and sixteen seniors on the varsity team. It wasn’t until the other day that I realized that now I get why graduates always tell freshmen, “These past years will fly by”.

One of my favorite things about Malden High School is the athletics. Being a two sport varsity athlete all four years is something I hold close to my heart. The captains practices at 6 am in the burning sun, the beach practices where you almost burn your feet off, four day tryouts that cause you to never have a Memorial Day weekend at the beach, the bus rides home from away games where there’s a battle to see who knows the lyrics to Beyonce’s “Drunk In Love” better; these are all my favorite memories aside from the actual competing in athletics at MHS. Truth is, no matter if you play college or club athletics, nothing will be the same compared to high school athletics. Even if your team isn’t 16-0-0, you learn lessons that you take away from the field. You learn how to get along with people that you would normally dislike for a common interest, you learn how to get over a tough loss, you learn the definition of what it truly means to be humble- to not brag about your successes. But honestly, that’s what’s great about high school sports; as good as you are, you’re still expected to balance athletics with schoolwork and a social life. No one gets special treatment, and by that you grow as a person.

So to the senior high school athlete, look at how you’ve grown over the past four years, how not only on the field but as a person you’ve changed and overcame adversity due to athletics being in your life. And to any other high school athlete, don’t take anything for granted Appreciate the grueling workouts, the team bonding pasta parties, and even the sleepless nights after a game where you need to stay up to do homework; it’s all going to be worth it in the end. High school is about learning from your mistakes and experiences Don’t take for granted the coaching and the adivce given to you because the majority of the time you’ll need it in your next years.

Every loss makes you stronger and every win makes you realize that there is still room for improvement.

If you ask any of the seniors that played sports in high school about the memories they made, they will tell you that they will be with them a whole lot longer than their actual record will be.

The SATS can seem really intimidating because many people put a lot of unnecessary pressure on students to do well believing that it is the determining factor between whether or not you are admitted to college. First of all, that is not necessarily true because there are a lot of aspects to college applications and although most colleges do look at your SATS scores they understand that not everyone is a great test taker plus some colleges don’t require your SATS scores. So don’t feel like the grade you get on your SATS determines the course of your future. Also you can retake the SATS as many times as the College Board makes it available, although the average amount of times to take the test is 2-3. Even if you feel you did really well it’s still a good idea to take it again just in case you get a better score, since you don’t want to sell yourself short.

Since the SATS has been recently updated the new SAT that is now being administered has four parts with an optional writing section (but you have to pay extra money for the writing section when you sign up for the SAT). The first part, reading comprehension, is similar to MCAS english questions with reading passages and answering questions that relate to the passages (this section is takes about an hour). The second part is also an english section but it more about sentence structure, grammar, and the use of correct punctuation (this section is about 30 min). Next there is a non-calculator math section (30 min) and another math section that you can use your calculator for (this section is about an hour). Also the question for the optional writing section tends to be a rhetorical analysis. If you want more information on what each section is like and what type of questions might be on the exam then I suggest going to the SAT website, looking up questions from past exams, and maybe taking part in an SAT prep course.

Aside from what is going to be on the test there are other important things to know before going into the exam. Such as: Get a good amount of sleep the night before Bring A LOT of snacks (there are five min. breaks in between sections) Wear layers (you never know if the room is going to be too hot or too cold) Water is essential Bring your student ID (they need to see it to check you in) Pens and Mechanical Pencils are NOT allowed (not sure why but just make sure you have a few regular #2 pencils, an eraser, and if you want a sharpener so you don’t have to keep getting up to sharpen your pencil.)

Anyways, I hope that some of what I said was helpful or informative but no matter what remember that the SATS are not as scary as you think. Good Luck!

Submit your questions to the school’s favorite mascot anonymously at ask.fm/maldenblueandgold!

The Blue and Gold February-March 2016

Entertainment

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maldenblueandgold.com

Movie review: the witch Nicholas Bramante Head Copy Editor

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he Witch is the first blockbuster release to come from writer and director Robert Eggers. Taking place in 1630s New England, The Witch follows a family that finds themselves isolated within the North American frontier, building a home in a clearing in the woods. The title of the movie speaks for itself, as the family is threatened to be torn apart by witchcraft and mistrust.

From an objective standpoint, the movie is remarkably well shot.

Unique camera angles that often keep the danger just out of shot, extensive usage of natural lighting (lighting created on set as opposed to through extra lights), and masterfully crafted set and costume design offer a movie that is as visually appealing as it is oppressive. It’s this oppressive tone that ultimately makes the movie, as this is the main source of dread that The Witch feeds off of.

Coupled with a somber and disturbing soundtrack comprised mainly of strings and religious overtones, The Witch offers a disturbing 92 minutes of distressing footage, that seeks to make the audience uncomfortable and grimace at horrible imagery, as opposed to the more blunt and abundant jump-scare movies that can be found quite commonly in today’s horror scene.

Because of this, it’s important that The Witch comes with a fair warning: this is a very slow burn, and intentionally paced movie. It finds strength in tone and imagery, and plays these strengths often

through the film. If you’re looking for a simple jump-fest, this isn’t a movie for you, and a lot of the time you’ll probably be left very bored, and trying to understand just what the characters are saying through their very authentic but thick 1630s New England accents.

Speaking of which, these accents are spoken very believably and thoroughly throughout the movie by the solid cast. Anya Taylor-Joy often steals the show as Thomasin, delivering both an intense and relatable delivery of her role as the eldest daugher of the family. Actors Ralph Ineson and Kate Dickie also offer exceptional roles, with child actors Harvey Scrimshaw, Ellie Grainger, and Lucas Dawson being some of the best child acting I’ve seen in a movie in some time, and that is something that is quite hard to come by. Many critics have even given immense credit to an on-set animal that plays the role of Black Phillip, a surprisingly terrifying goat in The Witch, for stealing the show at times.

All and all, The Witch is both a very dreadful (in every positive sense of the word) and very artistic take on New England folklore, offering a refreshing experience from the usual jump-scare filled horror movies of today. Because of this however it is not at all for everyone.

If you’re just looking for a simple and fun horror flick, this may not be the right choice for you. Either way, The Witch is a very powerful first start for director Eggers, and with good reason has received very positive reviews both critically and otherwise.

- 89% rating - Rotten Tomatoes - 7.4/10 rating -IMdB - 2.5 stars out of 5Fandango

Save it for a Rainy Day Manale Zouhir Print Managing Editor

As spring is approaching, rainy days are among us. Rainy days often turn into lazy days, but that doesn’t mean that you have to lie in bed all day and have nothing to do. So take a rain check on those plans and spend the day treating yourself. Here are some of my picks.

Stuff to Watch: Movies: A rainy day is the perfect day to catch up on the episodes you missed throughout the week of your favorite shows. Otherwise, there are enough movies on Netflix that you can probably get yourself to stay occupied for a while. No matter what type of movies you like, there is something for everyone. Some personal recommendations from Netflix are Nightcrawler, Silver Linings Playbook, Frida, American Beauty, Meglio Gioventu (an Italian film), and Legally Blonde.

Documentaries: If you’re looking to expand your knowledge or open your mind, this is the perfect time to watch some documentaries. Netflix has a ton of interesting documentaries, from Cosmos, What Happened Miss Simone, Blackfish, Miss Representation, and Amy. Every time I watch a documentary I basically begin to rethink everything I thought I knew. Plus, if you don’t have Netflix, there are many documentaries that you can watch for free on YouTube.

Tv Shows: Although one day is probably not enough to finish an entire TV series, I figured I’d throw some recommendations out there to anyone who’s willing to start. New Girl is one of my favorite shows, and another good one is the Netflix original “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”. If you’ve never seen it, 30 Rock is also a great show.

Stuff to Do: Coloring: I bought an adult coloring book a few months ago, and have been using it to relieve a little stress now and then ever since. Coloring isn’t just for kids anymore! Grab an old coloring book (or a new one! Many coloring books marketed towards adults for stress-relieving can be found at bookstores and on Amazon) and some crayons. Play some music, turn off your phone, and forget your worries. You’d be surprised how soothing this actually could be.

Art Project: I’d be lying if I said I never take breaks from homework or other important tasks to focus on a quick art project. If you have some paint or colored pencils lying around, why not utilize them? Putting time into these types of tasks really do help you unwind. Plus, an art project can turn into a thoughtful gift to someone to let someone know that you were thinking of them. Making a loved one happy will also make you happy, so it’s basically a win-win.

Journaling: If you’re not so artistic, maybe the previous two options aren’t for you. But all you need is a notebook and a pen for this one. Just write down all of the thoughts consuming your mind, make a to-do list, or write a classic “Dear Diary” entry. Journaling is another way to take your mind off of whatever is bothering you, and gain some sanity for a few minutes. Hand-writing will also engage your brain more effectively.

spring playlist Fool to Love - NAO All Night (feat. Dornik) - SG Lewis Simple Things - Miguel iT’s YoU - ZAYN Somebody Else - The 1975 Tired of Talking - LEON Falling - Opia Skipping Stones (feat. Jhene Aiko) - Gallant The Bird - Anderson .Paak Swan Song - Lana Del Rey When We Were Young - Adele Firefly (feat. NAO) - Mura Masa Hallucinations - dvsn Fantasy - Alina Baraz and Galamatias Compass - Zella Day

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The Blue and Gold February-March 2016

maldenblueandgold.com

How To Get Better Sleep Cedrina Missamou Reporter

Setting your body’s natural clock 1. Try to sleep at the same time every day Your body has an internal clock and sleeping at the same time everyday helps set an alarm on that clock. Once you get into this habit you’ll notice that you’ll feel tired and ready to sleep everyday around that time. Don’t set any drastic times,start with a reasonable time. If you’re getting enough sleep you should not need an alarm clock to wake up. Keep lowering your sleeping time until this happens.

ready to sleep. This can cause some major discomfort.

Showering before sleeping helps warm up our body and stop its temperature from dropping too much.

2. Stay away from bright lights

Bright lights before bed can trick your mind into thinking it’s still daytime, which disrupts your body’s internal clock and could prevent you from sleeping. Lights from technology can be especially disruptive, so stay away from your laptop, tablet or and even your phone at least 1 hour before 2. Don’t take too many naps sleep in going to bed. If you absolutely need to use these, turn down Naps are a great way to catch up on lost sleep but they can the brightness as much as possible. And If you’re one of also be very harmful to your sleeping routine, especially if those people who can’t sleep in the dark, try to invest in a you deal with insomnia. Sleeping helps us gain energy and night-light. They give off enough light that you’ll feel comby taking too much naps you would be gaining energy that fortable but little enough that they won’t disturb your sleep. would later on need to be used, stopping you from sleeping at night. The same goes for sleeping in. It would give you a 3. Wind down and relax bunch of extra energy.

Even if you follow all these instructions, you’ll most likely Before going to bed toss and turn when you get to bed if you’re mind is still excited. Stress, worry, anger, and events of your day can give 1. Take a warm shower you trouble sleeping. Learn to manage you thought and do A decent body temperature is crucial to getting good sleep. relaxing things before bed. Any mindless and easy activity Our body temperature naturally drops before we go to bed can help you relax before sleeping. You could read a book but often times we start to sleep much later than when or a magazine, listen to music, get ready for the next day… this happens, making our bodies too cold by the time we’re whatever relaxes you.

Felicia Fallano Head of Local

Three Steps to a Great Instagram

Instagram has been one of the most popular social media and photo sharing apps ever since it was introduced in 2010, and is now more popular than ever. One thing that is more popular than Instagram itself lately is Intagram “themes.” When a user has a theme on Instagram, this means that all of their photos on their feed/account have a similar aesthetic or color scheme. This fad has become very popular with younger users, celebrities, and aspiring photographers. Not everyone has to have a theme of course, and it is true that Instagram is for posting whatever you want, but if you do want a theme then here three easy steps:

Step 1: The most important step to a theme to consider the quality of the actual original photo. You don’t necessarily need the same lighting in every single photo, especially since Instagram lets you turn the exposure of your photos down and up, but you should be aware of what kind of light source you are using. The best light source for taking photos is natural lighting, such as near a window, in a well lit room, or simply outside in the sunlight. This will make your photos the best quality they could possibly be. It is also important to keep in mind what you are taking photos of, whether it’s artwork, nature, food, sunsets, etc. This will affect the colors of you photos, and are important to consider when you have a theme.

Step 2: It’s nearly impossible to manage a theme without using filters. Instagram does have its own filters that you can choose from, but if you are looking for a more aesthetically

pleasing filter, download apps like VSCO and Afterlight from the App Store or Google Play. Both apps have a wide variety of filters.

Step 3: Decide how you want your theme to look. Square photos are trending right now on Instagram, but if you don’t want to feel so constrained you can use apps like Squareready so that your original photo will have a white border to fit Instagram’s square photo system. Once you have decided this, it’s time for you to pick what color theme you want your instagram to be. It is helpful if you use the same filter and saturation level on every photo you post. Filters from VSCO that have been popular lately are HB2, HB1, and P5 which are cool toned filters. Also, M5 is a tan filter that works best with neutral colors. If you are looking for a more bold and vibrant theme, filters like C1, C2, and C3 are recommended.

Entertainment

The Blue and Gold February-March 2016

maldenblueandgold.com

The Truth About Drinking Coffee Some people view coffee as their holy grail morning drink. Some choose to stay away from it from fear of caffeine addiction. No matter how hard I try, though, I can’t seem to rid my daily coffee fix from my morning routine. So I decided to put it to the test with some research -- is coffee actually bad for you? Does it stunt your growth? Does it cause cancer? Does it trigger anxiety? Does it make you smarter?

Manale Zouhir Print Managing Editor

Coffee Does Not Stunt Your Growth: This myth has been around for years, and for some reason, people still seem to believe it. Not sure where this came from, but there has been no scientific research to prove it.

Coffee’s Healthy: Okay, if you take your coffee with like ten packets of sugar and a bunch of creamer, then sure, it’s unhealthy. But coffee itself is loaded with tons of antioxidants and nutrients.

Nutrients in Coffee: In a single cup of coffee, you’ll get: Riboflavin (Vitamin B2): 11% of the RDA. Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5): 6% of the RDA. Manganese and Potassium: 3% of the RDA. Magnesium and Niacin (B3): 2% of the RDA. Coffee Improves Your Mood: The caffeine in coffee does more than just wake you up. Caffeine helps boost energy levels, mood, and also stimulates some neuro senses in your brain.

Photos by Manale Zouhir.

Coffee Can Help Prevent Serious Diseases: Although there is no known cure to diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Dementia, studies have shown that coffee drinkers were 65% less likely to develop these diseases, and 60% less likely to develop Parkinson’s.

Coffee May Help With Depression: A study conducted at Harvard in 2011 found that women who drank 4 or more cups of coffee a day had a 20% lower risk of depression, and that people who drank four or more cups a day were 53% less likely to commit suicide.

Coffee Might Help You Live Longer: It’s already been stated that coffee can help prevent some diseases that could be life-threatening. But that’s not all--several studies have been conducted that suggest coffee-drinkers have up to 30% lower risk of death.

Coffee Can Trigger Anxiety: This is one of the downsides of coffee, and something that inspired me to lower my daily coffee intake. However, it’s the sad truth about coffee and other caffeinated drinks -- they can trigger anxiety and cause panic and shaking. Limit your caffiene intake if this may affect you.

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The Blue and Gold February-March 2016

maldenblueandgold.com

The Do’s and Don’ts of Concerts Being only fifteen and sixteen, the average person can find it hard to believe that we’re seasoned concert-goers. Between the two of us, we’ve been to fifteen concerts in 2015 (the total being Meghan: 9, Sam: 6). These are some of the tips that we wish we had learned earlier.

Samuel Martinez Lead Videographer Meghan Yip Lead Photographer

- DO Research the venue beforehand It’s always a good idea to look up the venue online before attending the concert. Look out for things like rules and regulations for cameras, bags, and food, how to get to the venue, and what the interior looks like.

- DO Get general admission tickets

If the venue has a general admission pit, try to buy tickets in that section. GA pits have the best view of the stage and are known to be the most energetic and fun section of the venue.

- DON’T Buy resale tickets Resale tickets from websites like StubHub are typically overpriced, even for sections far away from the stage. Stick to buying at pre-sales and general sales to get the best deal, and use resale tickets only as a last resort.

- DO Wear comfortable clothing If you’re planning to dance, jump, or make any large movements throughout the concert, wear comfortable clothing and shoes. As a general rule, stick to breathable fabrics and sneakers. Also, wear thin layers rather than one bulky layer. Concerts get hot, especially in the general admission pit, and wearing layers allows you to strip them if needed.

- DON’T Bring credit or debit cards

Bring cash rather than credit or debit cards to purchase merchandise or food or drink. It’s much easier for transactions and the people behind you in line will be thanking you for it.

- DO Bring something to do in line

Bring some source of lightweight entertainment to kill time. A smartphone, a deck of cards, or a book are some good options. Concerts are always better with company.

It’s also a good way to stay safe and occupied while waiting in line. Better yet, try making friends in line!

- DON’T ‘Serial snap’

Let’s face it: we all want to brag about how awesome the concert was and we want to make sure that’s established on social media afterwards. It’s a given that you want to keep memories from an exciting night but make sure to enjoy the concert through your own eyes as well. Don’t watch the concert through your camera screen the entire time.

- DO Take public transit Public transit is the best way to get to and from your concert venue, as it’s cheaper than taking a car, you don’t need to find parking, and you don’t need to deal with traffic. If the venue cannot be reached via public transit, try your best to carpool.

- DO Respect the opening acts If the artist performing has an opening act, please be respectful to them even if you are not familiar with their music or if their style is not similar to the one of the main act. Their duty as an opener is to get the crowd excited and ready for the main act.

- DO Go early If you have general admission tickets, wait for a reasonable amount of time before the show starts. It all truly depends on the popularity of the artist, but a minimum of two or three hours before doors open is ideal for a better view.

- DO Have fun!

Concerts aren’t an everyday occurrence so make it your duty to have as much fun as possible. Sing and dance your heart out, make friends, and just enjoy yourself!

From top to bottom: Pop singer Zella Day at The Sinclair, Dan Reynolds of rock band Imagine Dragons at TD Garden, pop singer Troye Sivan at The Sinclair. All photos by Meghan Yip and Samuel Martinez.

Entertainment

The Blue and Gold February-March 2016

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Five reasons Why I Wish My Best Friend Went to High School With Me Cassandra Reyes Print Managing Editor

I remember the day I found out my very best friend was moving from Malden. I can’t even tell you how many tears were shed from the both of us. As little seventh graders, we were worried about how we would see each other or if another person would take our “BFF” spots. Though our friendship is still going, it’s still tough not having her in the same school as me at times.

Here are five reasons why I wish my best friend went to the same highschool as me:

Anna Powers Lead Reporter

1. Sometimes it’s okay to be a control freak.

2. Learn to laugh at yourself.

3. It’s okay to leave the norm to actually be happy.

4. Even in the darkest of times, things always start to look up.

5. Sometimes a good cup of coffee is the perfect solution to any challenge 6. Your future could be right under your nose.

7. If you have a dream, stick with it.

8. Don’t be afraid to show others your inner geek.

9. Express yourself. Who cares what others think?

10. True friends are always there to support you.

1. They don’t know who you’re venting about.

School was tough today and I just need to vent. I pick up my phone and FaceTime my BFF and I’m quickly reminded that she doesn’t know that teacher or that friend. Frustratingly, I have to go into a speedy background story of my whole relationship with that person and try to describe their character just to tell her why they got me in a bad mood. Being who she is, my best friend tries her hardest to understand me and give me advice, but since she’s never interacted with that person, it’s hard for her to really feel my pain.

2. We can’t hang out on weekdays.

Homework isn’t really my priority tonight. I just want to drive to my friend’s house after work, order Domino’s, put on a movie and act like the rest of the day didn’t happen, ignoring all responsibilities until 7:45 a.m. the next day. Then I remember she lives 30 minutes away, maybe an hour with rush hour traffic, so I guess I’ll just go home and start my homework.

3. We can’t do group projects together.

Group projects are hard enough as it is. The anxiety of having to put your trust into one person to hold up their end of the bargain is no fun. Without a doubt, my partner would always be my best friend.

I know that she would put in equal effort and we’d have fun while doing it too.

4. We aren’t involved in the same things.

Whether it be painting each other’s faces blue and gold for the big Malden vs. Everett game or walking down to the class assembly together, these are things I’ve had to do without my best friend. She doesn’t go to MHS so she isn’t a Golden Tornado fan and quite frankly I don’t care about her school’s sports either. My class assemblies don’t pertain to her and vice versa. Seeing how we spend a majority of our time in school, it stinks that we don’t get to do any of it together.

5. OUR GRADUATIONS ARE ON THE SAME DAY! This has to be the hardest hit that we’ve had to our long-distance friendship. It never crossed my mind that I wouldn’t be in the stands hooting and hollering for my best friend on her graduation day. But of course, with our luck, senior year has come and we find out that our graduations are on the same day at the same time. That’s just heartbreaking.

Luckily, our friendship has proven to be more than an in-school one and the distance hasn’t separated us. That being said, it would still be a lot easier, and more fun, if we walked the same halls.

Travel

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The Blue and Gold February-March 2016

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Greetings from Greece “It was cool seeing the kids out of their elements and interacting with all the locals. I loved seeing and learning the history of the country and all about the mythology behind the structures and places.”

-MHS teacher Kristen Kirby

“It was a great experience because I became more responsible and became more independent.”

- Junior Giovana Vidal Photos submitted by Melyssa Ferreira and Emma Ceplinskas.

“Greece had e ndless amoun ts of beauty and cu lture. One we ek was not enough to fully experien ce what it had t o offer” - Senior Cynt hia Salguero

The Blue and Gold February-March 2016

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Congratulations Congratulations to to All All Winter Winter SPorts SPorts Who Who Made Made It It to to States!!!

States!!!

Collage done by Jesaias Benitez.

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Sports

The Blue and Gold February-March 2016

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Senior Kiley The 2016 Summer Olympics: A Ruelle Qualifies Look into Gymnastics for States

Christina Appigani Reporter

O

ne of the most aerial competitions during the Summer Olympics is the Gymnastics competition. The Summer Olympics is an international multi-sport event that occurs every four years in different locations around the world. This year, the event will be occurring in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil from August 5th to August 21st.

In the last Olympics, which occurred in summer 2012 in London, England. eight teams made up of five gymnasts competed in the finals. Three gymnastics disciplines were contested; artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics and trampolining. A total of 54 medals were awarded to gymnasts from across the globe, with the most successful nation being China with five gold medals (twelve in total). Evgeniya Kanaeva made history by becoming the first back-to-back Olympic champion in rhythmic gymnastics.

Brazil and South Korea also won their first gold medals in the history of the Summer Olympic Games.

The three types of Gymnastics that will be contested are different in various ways. Artistic Gymnastics combines strength, balance, flexibility and grace and encourages gymnasts to push themselves to their physical limits. To do this, gymnasts used a variety of apparatus, such as bars, beams and vaults in their floor routines. These performances typically include incredible somersaults and flips. Some gymnasts try to do certain routines for thirty seconds straight like the arabesque, handstand and twisting somersault.

The arabesque is when a gymnast keeps one foot on the beam and lifts one foot in the air behind them with arms extended. The handstand involves balancing the body with both hands on the beam and the twisting somersault is when the gymnast rotates around the axis of the body a full 360 degrees.

Rhythmic Gymnastics is when gymnasts perform finely choreographed routines that incorporate hand-held apparatus to impress the judges. The gymnasts use the full area of the mat to attempt shocking manoeuvres to try to get the best score. These routines showcase elaborate displays of grace and perfection through body movements.

Different movements that are performed include the stage leap, retro roll and the snake. The stage leap is when a gymnast jumps with their legs flexed, the trailing leg extended and the body bent backwards. The retro roll is when a hoop is spun in any direction and is returned to the gymnast like a boomerang. The snake involves the wave motions of a ribbon, similar to that of a snake, that is created with sharp flicks of the wrist.

Trampoline Gymnastics involves bouncing on a trampoline to heights eight metres (approximately twenty-six feet) while performing acrobatic movements such as twists and somersaults in mid-air. Gymnasts are awarded points for execution, difficulty and flight time. This sport demonstrates brilliance and beauty that leave the audience gasping in astonishment. Some movements that are performed in mid-air include the barani, rudy out and the full in full out. The barani is a forward somersault with a half twist, the rudy out is a double somersault with almost two full twists and the full in full out is a double somersault with a double twist.

The Gymnastics competitions at this summer’s olympics are expected to be very heated and very astonishing. So far, about one hundred and fifty-four countries are qualified to participate in the Olympics, including the United States of America. Some gymnasts have been preparing for the Olympics for their entire lives and are ready to showcase their talents this summer. And the world is excited to see what they can

Christina Appigani Reporter

K

iley Ruelle has been doing gymnastics for 16 years. Her determination and dedication to the sport has improved both her quality of performance and her attitude towards the sport. She was co-captain of Malden High School’s gymnastics team for the 2015-2016 season, along with fellow senior Jessica Munroe.

Her hard work has paid off, as she is now qualified for Massachusetts’ Gymnastics State Tournament.

Ruelle began participating in gymnastics when she was two years old. She remembers that “[she] went to a birthday party at a gymnastics club. After that, [her] mom put [her] in gymnastics classes and [she’s] been doing the sport ever since. Looking back at her years in gymnastics, Ruelle has felt so many emotions, both negative and positive. Ruelle claims that she “is so grateful for [her] experiences in gymnastics. Being the most influential activity in [her] life, it has taught [her] more than just the sport. It has taught [her] determination, patience and confidence.” Ruelle will always keep gymnastics as a part of her life, whether she is a gymnast, a coach

or a supportive parent in the future.

She claims that she will “never forget the impact gymnastics has had on the person [she is].

While Ruelle is aware that gymnastics is one of the most dangerous sports in the world, that never stopped her from loving it.

She claims that gymnastics requires “a substantial amount of mental and physical discipline. It keeps [her] in incredible shape, both physically and mentally.” She believes that “being qualified for states for bars and beam is a great reward for the hard work [she] put into this season, and it feels awesome”.

Leading up to the competition, Ruelle practiced constantly and with all of her heart. She claims that she “practiced bars and beam every day leading up to the competition trying to perfect [her] routines”. Unfortunately, this tournament was the last time Ruelle will ever do gymnastics, as she is ending her 16 year gymnastics career after she graduates high school. She has been “honored to be on the team throughout high school and [she] is grateful to have been a captain. It has given [her] friendships [she will] treasure for a lifetime and memories [she] will never forget.

The Blue and Gold February-March 2016

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Tornado Warning in the MHS Pool Ana Kerr Lead Reporter

T

he Malden High School swim team, has done exceptionally well this season. With an impressive perfect record of 7-0, the MHS swim team has proven itself once again to be a top competitor.

The top goal for the team as a whole was to improve together in their time as well as scores from previous years in order to secure wins in hopes to clench the GBL title again. Freshman Joanne Ho mentioned that developing her swimming skills is a great goal but a greater goal was to “also grow close enough to the team to call them [her] second family, [which] they are.” This season was “amazing [for Ho] due to all the support and [she] wouldn’t have accomplished any of [her] goals if it were not for the team[‘s encouragement].”

With the season wrapping up, all of the team’s focus is on states.

Tireless effort and hard working has been demonstrated throughout the season. With teamwork and determination, the team knows they will come out victorious.

Being on a team often makes one feel safe and part of a second family. This holds true for MHS swim team. Having a great connection with the team not only builds confidence but is a vital component if a team is to grow stronger together. Sophomore Pete Jinpin described the “team [to be] like a family to [him], and the best part about being on this great team is the undying friendship and the friendly competitions.” He continued in saying that “[he] will definitely remember [his] teammates...after [he graduates].” “[He feels] that the most important thing a team can provide [are] memories.”

Swimming requires best efforts from individuals but comes together as a team effort. Freshman Agatha Silva loves that swimming “is not a one person type of sport.”

“Whenever one of the team members is swimming you will always see [them] cheering them on to do the best that they can do. [They] either win together or lose together.”

Not only has the team gained new members but also great memories to be carried on after the season is over. Ho mentioned that her favorite memory with the team would have to be “when the team was at [senior captain] Samantha Forestier’s house and [they] were playing

a [video] game with the entire team, [which] was hilarious. It was great seeing everybody getting along and opening up to each other, being a freshman especially.”

On February 19, 2016, MHS’ girls swim team made it to states. It was a tough but exhilarating meet.

For the girls 200 yard medley relay, Malden came in fourth out of 33 schools. Believe it or not, Malden placed third with an outstanding time of 1:51.77. Senior Alexandra Lombardi placed 8th place in the girls 200 yard IM, with a great time of 2:13.08. In the girls 50 yard freestyle, junior Vivian Nguyen was placed in 6th in a fantastic time of 24.68. Felicia Lombardi came in eighth with a time of 24.73. For the girls 100 yard butterfly, again with such amazing achievements, Nguyen makes it in the top 5 out of 35, being placed in 3rd place with a time of 57.50 and freshman Joanne Ho came in 23rd with a time of 1:03.37. Another tough event, the girls 100 freestyle race, Felicia Lombardi placed in 7 out of 31, with a time of 53.63. In the same event, senior Blue and Gold member, Lucia Quesada Nylen was placed 22 with a time of 56.93.

Alexandra Lombardi placed eighth in the 100 yard breaststroke with a time of 1:09.50. The girls 200 yard freestyle relay came in 2nd with a time of 1:39.87, only two seconds off the meet record that was broken that meet by Westford Academy.

Not only were the girls super successful with all of their achievements in states, but the same goes to the boys who went to states. In the boys 200 yard medley relay, MHS had been placed in 7th out of 32 different teams from Massachusetts, with a time of 1:40.38. Senior captain Ryan Luu came in 6th in the 50 yard freestyle with a time of 22.01. For the boys 100 yard butterfly, Ryan Luu, came in 8th out of 30 with a time of 52.62. A few places behind Ryan Luu in the same event, sophomore Pete Jinapin came in 12th with a time of 54.07, junior Kevin Luu came in 17th with a time of 54.78, and freshman Kevin Ochoa placed 23 with a time of 55.40. The boys 200 yard freestyle relay came in 6th with a time of 1:30.59. Jinapin came in 6th in the 100 yard breaststroke with a time of 1:00.17, sophomore Dylan Ha placed 20th with a time of 1:03.58.

The Golden Tornado swim team had an amazing season with outstanding swims by all their sectional and state qualifiers.

Stephen Lafauci

Ana Kerr Lead Reporter What is your favorite event that you swim?

My favorite event and the event that I swim is the 100 yard breaststroke How long have you been on the swim team?

I’ve been on the MHS swim team since freshman year so four years.

In those years, what has been your favorite memory with the team?

My favorite year was by far freshman year. The team was so inviting, friendly and fun. The best memory I have is my very first swim meet.

It was Malden vs. Cambridge. It came down to the very last event and Malden ended up winning.

Why did you decide to swim?

My sister was on the swim team when she was in high school, and she made it sound like a lot of fun, so I decided to try out.

What have you improved on since being on the team?

My improvements have been not only in my times, but also in my social skills. I’ve managed to get faster in the pool each year and I’ve learned to make friends that will last a lifetime.

What has been your inspiration?

My inspiration truly comes from my teammates. They constantly motivated me to get faster and get a better time. In my Junior and senior year of swimming, Cleverina Cong and myself have competed against each other in the 100 breaststroke, motivating each other to beat one another.

What sets the swim team apart from the other MHS teams?

The swim team is different from the other teams at mhs because of how close the team is. The upperclassmen welcome the underclass men and the faster swimmers are friends with the slower swimmers. Throughout the season, there are several team bonding parties where the team gets together at someone’s house and plays games and talks all night.

Everyone is everyone’s friend.

What will you miss about MHS? The thing I’ll miss most about MHS is definitely the relationships that I’ve made during my 4 years here. I’ve come to know amazing people, and I don’t think I could’ve made it through high school without them. I can only hope that we can remain close in the years to come.

Will you continue to swim in college?

No I will not swim in college on a club or a team. I may however occasionally swim on my free time because swimming has become one of my favorite things to do.

What are a few pointers or tips you can give to the underclassmen?

To the underclassmen, honestly, just be yourself. You will enjoy high school so much more if you come out of your shell now, rather than waiting until senior year. Go to events held at the high school on weekends, join clubs and sports teams now, get involved with your class earlier rather than later. One of my biggest regrets is not getting involved sooner. Don’t be afraid to try new things. Just be yourself, don’t try to be someone you aren’t, and go with the flow. Take risks, learn from your mistakes and make unforgettable experiences. Enjoy high school while it lasts, because 4 years from now, you’ll look back at freshman year like it was yesterday. Everyone says high school flies by, but I never really knew how fast it was going. One day I’m at the activities fair, first day of freshman year, and now I’m a few months away from graduating. Live it up!

Sports

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The Blue and Gold February-March 2016

maldenblueandgold.com

The G

den Patriot

The boys’ true love for hockey can be seen in the tenacity of their plays. Sophomore Michael Giordano confessed how “[he loves] the feeling of going down the ice and knowing [he has] a team behind [him].” Not only is hockey just a sport to them, but as freshman Zachary Rufo explained, “it is a way to [escape] from everything else [in life]” and give him something fun to focus on. Pandolfo even went on to say that rather than friendship, a brotherhood has formed on the team, which was gained from “the

niques, now that the season has had substantial progress.

After a lot of hard work, the boys were able to reach their goal and make the state tournament. They faced-off with Tewksbury Redmen in Billerica, MA. Pandolfo expressed how “it was unlike any other game in terms of the atmosphere” because of the sheer number of people in attendance and the immense pressure of the game. Making the tournament was a dream come true for the boys as, at first, the season started well, but then took a rocky hit. So,

Tenzin Dorjee Head of Sports While few in numbers, the Malden High School players on the Revere High School Patriots ice hockey team have done well. The Golden Tornadoes on the team have helped RHS to a record of 9-10-2 this season. The Patriots are led by head coach Joe Ciccarello. MHS sports teams usually play in the Greater Boston League, though as a member of the Patriots, the Golden Tornado on the team currently play in the Northeastern Conference.

While they are the minority on the team, the MHS boys are proud to represent their school. Junior James Pandolfo expressed how being able to “see people from Malden at [their] home games at Cronin Skating Rink [is touching] because [one] sees that people care enough to drive over there and support [the boys].” Though the co-op team is made up of students from two schools, freshman Marc Giordano admitted that the team “does not feel that way at all, because [they] all see [each other] as one family.” It is not the Malden or Revere team; it is just one big hockey team for them.

From left to right, top to bottom. Malden High School sophmore, Michael Giordano skating. Sophmore, Michael Giordano looking to recive a pass from his teammate. Malden High School sophmore, Michael Goroshko skating with the puck. feelings of accomplishment” the Patriots have shared.

Unanimously, the boys’ goal for the season was proclaimed to be “qualifying for the state tournament.” Pandolfo also shared that the team wished “to improve off a tough season last year [so this year] was a time of transition.” He went on to happily say how the boys have definitely improved skills and tech-

in order to make the tournament, the Patriots had to win the last 3 games of their regular season to qualify for the tournament. After a lot of hard work and effort, the team made it. In comparison to the regular season, Pandolfo explained how it “was another level up from that.”

The stakes were higher, and the opponent was definitely more skilled than the boys’ previous adversaries.

The team unfortunately lost to the Redmen, 4-0, but they kept their heads high, as they were proud of their accomplishments, especially for even being able to qualify for the tournament.

While it may dishearten them that their great season has come to an end, the boys have made many fond memories, whether it be during practice or being able to make great plays during games. Michael Giordano’s favorite moment of the season so far is without a doubt “winning the East Boston Cancer tournament and getting the trophy,” as it symbolized how far they’d come so far as a team and proved they had the skills to take on any opponent. For Pandolfo, the match against Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational High School was truly memorable because “[he] and fellow MHS student [sophomore] Michael Goroshko combined for 5 of [the] 6 goals [scored that night].”

Currently, there are no seniors from MHS who play for the Patriots, so the group is built up of mainly underclassmen. In the years to come, MHS expects much out of its players and wishes the team all the best for the rest of the season, as well as many other seasons to come.

Wrestling to the Finish Tenzin Dorjee Head of Sports Joanna Li Reporter

S

ince the beginning of December, the Malden High School wrestling team had been constantly practicing on the basics and boosting their stamina. This year the team is led by juniors Michael Castro and Anthony Johnson. Returning as head coach is MHS English teacher Jeremiah Smith.

The team is full of underclass-

men and many are new to the sport.

This year was a time of rebuilding for the team as the captains and coach Smith taught many of the new wrestlers new moves during practices. Smith confirmed it saying how “this year was more about [him] doing more teaching than in years past.” While that may be true, he also explain how “in the long run [he] thinks [they] will benefit from this” because in the future the current wrestlers will become experienced.

In the beginning the team had

to memorize the necessary tactics, which was needed in order to perform in a match; this was a big challenge that they overcame. Smith commented how in comparison to years past, they do not have much senior leadership and dependability. One positive to this though, was that “everyone was equal this year,” he explained, meaning the team was able to grow together and understand one another better.

The major goal for the team as a whole was to grow as athletes.

As time passed by especially with

each student putting effort in their tactics and skills in each match, the team became better. Wrestlers who made it far this season included juniors Weds Jean-Louise, Castro, and Junior Pericles, as they all made it to the top 8 in this year’s sectionals meet.

The wrestlers worked hard, and ended the season with a record of 3-12, but they learned more with each match. Though the team was young, MHS has high hopes for seasons to come.

The Blue and Gold February-March 2016

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Gymnastics Bends over backwards

41 Irma Kurtagic

Christina Appignani Reporter How long have you been doing Gymnastics?

I have been doing Gymnastics at Malden High for two years. I also did gymnastics when I was younger so I decided it would be fun to continue doing it in high School.

What do you enjoy the most about Gymnastics?

The thing I enjoy the most about gymnastics is that it is always a competition with yourself. Your goal is always to get a better score than you did before and when you do, it is a great feeling.

What do you believe a team needs in order to be successful in Gymnastics?

Christina Appignani Reporter

T

he Malden High gymnastics season has, as always, been hard-working. The team had practice after practice to prepare for each meet. In total, the team had seven meets, two of which were at MHS. Although they did not win a single meet, their hard work and constant practicing still paid off. Despite not winning any of their meets, the team beat their overall scores every time there was a meet.

In gymnastics, there are four events: vault, balance beam, uneven bars and floor exercise. Six gymnasts compete in each event. The four highest scores are added together to accumulate the final score. The four events only last about ninety seconds and only six gymnasts can compete at each meet. Each gymnast must perform a different routine than the gymnast before or

after him. If one or more skills are put together, it increases the value of the routine.

Senior Bianca Alves claimed that “the support [the team] gave each other really helped us get through this season.” She admits that she was “really nervous when this season started, not only because it was [her] last season but because of the short season last year due to snow days.” She recalls that every time it was her turn to do a routine, members of the team would “cheer [her] on and compliment [her] on how well [she] did, even when [she] didn’t think [she] did well. [She] did the same to [her] other teammates, and it gave [the team] lots of positivity and confidence.

Sophomore Max Weng did not have many words to describe this season. He believes that the team “worked hard to come as far as

[they] did.” While he thinks that “it’s a shame that there were so many awesome seniors on the team, [the team] learned a lot from them.

[The team] hopes that with the senior’s genuine and compassionate advice, [the team] will continue to improve”.

Coach Vanessa James is not at all disappointed in the team.

While she is sad that the team did not achieve their goal of winning the GBL Championship, she “is so proud of [the team]. The support and encouragement [the team] gave to one another helped them become better gymnasts, which is what truly matters in the end”. She particularly praised the seniors, who “ improved in their skills and helped younger members do the same.

[She] feels like the team will really [benefitted] from the senior’s guidance and encouragement.”

I believe that what a team needs in order to be successful is to work well together because if you have a team that doesn’t get along, then nobody is happy and that is not a good way for a team to improve as a whole.

Have you enjoyed the 20152016 season?

I have enjoyed every minute of the gymnastics season this year. I have met so many successful gymnasts who are determined. I believe that having a determined attitude is necessary for people who do gymnastics because you can’t expect to learn a new skill in one day because it takes lots of practice.

How is the team as a whole?

As a team, we all are very close and we’re all very much like a little family. We work very well together and are constantly encouraging and helping each other.

How do you feel about Coach James?

I have really enjoyed working with her over the past two years.

She is a wonderful coach and who has been very helpful to me. She is one of the most supportive coaches that I’ve ever had.

What is your opinion on this season?

Clockwise: Sophomore Max Weng preparing for his floor routine. Senior co-captain Jessica Munroe preparing to being her performence. One of the MHS gymnasts doing a handstand. Senior Bianca Alves balancing on the beam. Senior cocaptain Jessica Munroe preparing for her floor routine. All photos taken by Tatyanna Cabral.

For my last season, it has been a good one. Every practice, meet and sleepless nights have been worth it. For all of us as a team, this season was extremely successful.

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Hoopin’ Out of the Season

Mark Rogers

Leila Greige Lead Reporter Abdul Ali Lead Reporter

M

alden High School’s boys basketball team is starting the season fresh off the court. The boys are expected to go far this season, and are looking to advance in the playoffs. Senior captain Simson Liberis reveals that he is “looking most forward to [the team] having a good season and retiring into the playoffs.. Last year unfortunately [they] didn’t make the playoffs, but with a great group of hardworking guys [he feels] that [their] season this year will be a good one, which will allow [them] to return into the playoffs.”

Although they admit there are some challenges they will face in the long run, such as “finishing the season with away games,” according to junior captain Nathaniel Ilebode, the boys know they will step it up this year in hopes to make it to the playoffs.

Sophomore Daniel Perez explains how “[he has] a way bigger role as the starting point guard, so there’s a lot more pressure for [him] and [his team], and being so young, everyone has weight on their shoulders.” The underclassmen look up to upperclassmen players and captains. “[He] can always ask them for advice and they know how to carry this team and just take control over games and they know how to be calm at all times. [He feels] like that’s key to winning during this season; patience and staying calm” says Perez.

Compared to last season, the team set their mind on one thing.

They have been preparing for the upcoming season, by working offseason. Liberis explains that, “[he] preached to these guys that working as a team and having a lot of ball movement would be key for [their] season last year.” Also to their pas-

sion for basketball would add to their success. He believes that the key to advancing far this season is to continue playing as a team. “[He] strongly [believes] that if [they] continue to play team basketball like [they] have for these last couple of games, [they] will be a very hard team to stop.”

Coach Don Nally carries the basketball team this year. “He understands [their] situation that [they’re] young and nobody expects [them] to do anything this year, but he’s the only one that believes that [they] can go far and do it as the underdogs” claims Perez. “Coach Nally always pushes us to work our hardest so it will be strong” adds Ilebode.

The Malden High school basketball team continues to keep their heads up, and in the game. Members of the high school look forward to seeing the boys advance through the season, and wish them luck in making it to playoffs.

Malden High School’s boys basketball team has demonstrated great skill and athleticism. The boys have been working tirelessly on and off the court to improve themselves both individually and as a team.

Senior captain Simson Liberis explained that “the season so far has been decent for the team.” “[They have] had some good wins and some tough losses but this team continues to get better every game [they] play.” Liberis added that “the underclassmen have really stepped up and are proving that they truly are the future for basketball [in Malden].” He has been absent due to injury “but [he] strongly [believes] that [they] still can...make the playoffs.”

Though injuries have added challenges to their season, the team has managed to overcome them and continue fighting. “Besides [Liberis’] injury there are guys who get banged up and that changes every-

thing for [them].” Liberis explained that “it changes how [they] play physically and mentally.” Newcomers to the team are still adjusting but they continue to improve and grow stronger as a team.

The team has had strong wins over Boston English, Winchester, and Burlington. Liberis believes that the game against Somerville was the team’s strongest game, although they didn’t win. “Besides the loss, the team played [very] well that game, both offensively and defensively.” “The game came down to a mental mistake and that lost them the game but they played an amazing game” expressed Liberis.

Coach Don Nally carries these boys through the season with his effective coaching abilities and positive attitude. “After every practice and game no matter if [they] win or lose, [Nally] always tells [them] that [they] are a special team and he’s always motivating [them] to get better and continue competing as a team,” stated Liberis. The team is always reminded that at the end of the day, they are still a team, but more importantly, they are a family.

Compared to last season’s team, the current players seem to “have better chemistry which will help in the long run” explained sophomore Fern Berard. “Last year around this time the team started breaking apart and that caused [their] season to go down the drain but this year, despite the start, so far these guys continue to work together and build a stronger bond with each other,” expressed Liberis.

Every player on the team is working towards the same goals to improve and are all “willing to sacrifice anything for what’s best [for the team]” mentioned Berard.

Their goals have been set straight, and they know that if they keep on improving, they can reach them.

Record: 8 wins 12 Losses Congratulations to the Greater Boston League All-Stars:

Junior Nataniel Ilebode

senior Mark Rogers

Leila Greige Lead Reporter Abdul Ali Lead Reporter Coming into the season, how did you feel knowing you're a captain.. and knowing the responsibility you would have to take on from the start to the end of the season?

Well, coming into this season as a captain, all I thought was to lead by example especially with all the young guys on the team.

What's your position?

Shooting guard and sometimes point guard.

Do you believe you've achieved your personal goals this season?

Honestly there are some goals I have not achieved yet but hopefully going towards the end of the season I can!

Do you believe your team has achieved an overall goal this season so far?

Yeah well although we don’t have the best record right now my goal is to still make to the state tournament, but as a team I think what we achieved is coming together and getting better as a whole.

Do you think you will continue to play basketball on a team when the season is over? (college, neighborhood, etc) Yeah, I plan on playing in college and moving forward to the next level.

What advice would you give to new players next year whose goal is to play varsity?

My advice to the new players is to work hard, be humble, and don't accept losing.

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Sushan Chen

Shooting the Last Basket

Alexis Brown Lead Reporter Neden Bernadin Reporter How long have you been playing basketball?

I’ve been playing basketball since the 6th grade.

How long have you been on varsity?

This is my first year on varsity.

What made you decide to play for the high school?

I decided to play basketball for the high school to meet new people.

What is your favorite position to play?

My favorite position would have to be shooting guard.

Who is your favorite team to face?

Somerville is my favorite team to face because they challenge us to use all of our skills to the best of our abilities and also because we beat them twice.

What sets the basketball team apart from other teams at Malden High School?

We have a very diverse group of girls on the team and I think the fact that we are able to collaborate with each other so well sets us apart from the other teams at Malden High.

What is the most challenging thing about basketball?

I think the most challenging thing about basketball is not allowing your mistakes get in your head, especially during game.

What is your favorite thing about basketball?

My favorite thing about basketball is being with my teammates and watching each other grow and become better players.

What were your goals for the team this season? What were your personal goals?

As a team, our goal this season was to be GBL Champs. Although we are not GBL Champs we are still striving to win as many games as possible. My personal goal this season was to learn to play on the varsity level and improve my skills as an individual and a team player.

Do you have any motivations or inspirations?

My teammates are my motivation because we strive to become better players to help each other play efficiently.

Alexis Brown Lead Reporter Neden Bernadin Reporter

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he girls varsity basketball team had their ups and downs this season as they are coming an end with a record of 2-18. Not just in wins, success came in many different forms for the team. Even through the ups and downs, “[they] continued to stick together as a team no matter what the outcome has been” says Senior Captain Tishida Stroud.

Since basketball is not an easy sport, it takes the whole team to believe in one another and trust that they can get better each day urges Head Coach Lydia Coverdale. The effort the girls have given this season has shown that they understand what it takes each day to improve. “[She hopes] that in all aspects of life they understand that with the right blend of commitment and patience they can do anything” continues Coverdale.

The girls had most of their success within the Greater Boston League games with both of their wins being against Somerville. A big highlight for the girls this season was beating Somerville in overtime, in which the team had to battle back and play through adversity. This was a huge testament to what the team was capable of doing. Players such as Yasmene Brown, Tishida Stroud and Sushan Chen were all asked to increase their performance and participation this year and they

did not let their team and coach down. Coverdale states that, “[she has] watched them develop over the last few seasons as basketball players and student athletes.” Another important highlight was when they had a alumni scrimmage where the girls got to hear former players as they discuss their experiences and lives after MHS. The goal for the girls this year was to compete night in and night out. “There were some games this season where we were right in it to the end, and some games where [they] lacked focus and energy” says Coverdale. This seemed to be one of the toughest challenges for the girls this season. One of the most fulfilling things to see as a coach is how the girls have bonded as teammates and friends. These bonds have created encouragement and has lead to a fun season for everyone. As the season comes to an end, the girls have learned to understand the value “competition, camaraderie and confidence” more deeply.

As for next season, one important goal for the girls is to workout in the off season, and play as much basketball as they can. Each player will have a specific area to focus on for improvement both individually and as a team. “It’s been a honor to work with the student athletes involved in the girls basketball program. [They] have work to do and [she is]confident that next season [they] will achieve even more goals” finishes Coverdale.

How do you handle any pressures you feel on the court?

I try to focus on helping my teammates and keeping a positive attitude.

What has been your best memory from playing basketball?

My favorite memory from playing basketball is winning our first GBL game.

What is one lesson you have learned from playing?

Don’t linger on your mistakes, instead focus on improving yourself to prevent them.

What advice can you give to the newer basketball team members or new players in general?

Never think you’re not good enough because it is very important to have a positive mind set and have confidence to play well in any sport.

What was your opinion on this year’s season?

This season has been the most challenging out of all my years on the high school basketball team, but it helped me grow as a player.

Do you plan on continuing to play basketball in college or outside of college?

No, unfortunately I do not plan to continue playing basketball beyond high school.

From top to bottom: Senior Janaya Walcott tries to pass the ball to her teamnates as they set a screen. Junior Grace Cappuccio attempts two free throws during the first quarter. All photos by Neden Bernadin.

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Boys Track Eslam Ali Going The Extra Mile Tatum Skiffington Reporter Gabriella Onessimo Reporter

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ith hard work and a collective resilience exerted throughout the season, boys indoor track finished strong with a record of 4-1.

The team focused on improving their abilities and reaching their personal and shared goals, a feat that Coach David Londino proudly believes was accomplished. Londino stated that the performance of the boys season “played out as [he] hoped” from the team’s triumphs to individual achievements.

Londino and the team “look forward to [their] top individual performers doing well at the state meet” where qualifiers will have the chance to achieve champion status at the Division 1 state meet. Qualifiers include Reggie Charles (55m), junior Hamza Rizvancevic (4x400m relay), Sam Ali (4x400m relay), Pedro Lugo (4x400m relay) and Abdul Ali (4x400m relay).

While individual improvements were strong this season, the team’s overall performance also thrived as they successfully persevered in recovering from their only loss against Saugus. Londino

mentioned that an exceptional asset of the track team is its “ability to maintain focus and improve in spite of obstacles.”

Lugo has had a highly rewarding experience this track season.

He earned the opportunity to be a GBL qualifier, which was one of his most significant accomplishments this season. Not only did he reach his goal of acquiring eligibility for states, but track has affected him on a personal level as well. “It’s taught [him] how to fight through certain things like injuries,” stated Lugo.

“When [he’s] tired [he has] to continue and push through.”

This season was also successful for Juan Buenrostro, a varsity athlete on the team. He found practicing alongside fellow runners to be one of his favorite aspects of track and is eager for next season. “During this track season [he] met a lot of new people who [he] came to like because [they] all love running just as much as [he] do[es],” stated Buenrostro.

With many wins and advancements, the boys indoor track team lead a great season this winter. The progress made by the athletes will certainly be picked up next year when indoor track season comes around again.

Tatum Skiffington Reporter Gabriella Onessimo Reporter What is your favorite part about track in general?

Honestly, my favorite part about track is the competition.

Since it is an individual sport, you get what you work for and I kind of like it, because that really separates the good runners from the bad ones.

What made you want to join the sport and when did you join?

At the beginning, I wasn’t actually going to do it. But then my step-brother, [senior Blue and Gold member] Abdul [Ali], motivated me and told me it’s going to make me faster and better.

What was your favorite part of the season?

My favorite part of the season is when Abdul, Hamza R., Pedro L. and myself made states for the 4x400 race.

How have you improved since the beginning of the season?

After I made the team at the beginning of the season, I missed the first two meets, because I had an injury. So, somebody from the other runners had to fill out the last spot for the 300m race. When I came back they told me to race in the 300m race for Junior Varsity just for them to see that I was faster than the other runner, and I proved that I was. Since then, I have been on the top of my game.

Did you set any goals for yourself or the team at the beginning of the season, and if so did you reach those goals?

At the beginning of the season, my best time for the 300m was 42 seconds. I wasn’t very satisfied with that time, so I set a target which was 39. I worked hard for it and I even got a better time. My best time now is 38.7 seconds. I still believe that I can do better and I will do better in the future.

How would you say track has affected you?

Honestly, I would say that track did change me a lot. It changed the way I think, because rather than me being in my bed at 3:30pm, I was at Salemwood practicing and trying to get better.

That made me start to think differently about school and life. Track taught me that if you want something really bad then you have to work so hard to get it, because it’s not just gonna come to you by itself; you have to got chase after it.

Junior Hamza Rizvancevic begins his leg of the relay after junior Pedro Lugo handed off the baton. Photos by Abhishek Rana.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

All I gotta say is that they didn’t want us to qualify for states that’s why we qualified, they don’t want us to go to all states that’s why we are going. Losers find excuses, winners find a way.

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Vivian Dang Reporter

Girls Track Racing for Success

For the girls’ indoor track team it has been a significant season, one of their biggest accomplishments being that they were GBL champions for a third year, continuing their undefeated streak. Many members on the team are continuing their dedication for track by joining or returning to the outdoor track team this spring, their dedication leading to their successful season this year.

Although it is a very large team, they have formed a close knit bond with each other, helping each other improve their skills and hope to continue their friendship off the track. Even with the new members of the team, they still managed to get into the rhythm of how things are done and will continue to work harder.

Junior Adela Dzaferagic describes this season as,” energetic, focused and competitive.” Despite the fact that the team will be losing 7 seniors, many of the team members are excited about their upcoming years of track together and further developing a strong team bond and advancing their skills.

Freshman Birukti Tsige “believe[s] that [she has] accomplished a lot this season and did it with great friends.”

Tsige found that this year she’s been pushed to work harder and hopes to keep

improving. Tsige “want[s] to improve on [her] mental state when [she is] running.”

She continued, “People think that the most important aspect in track is just the ability to run.” However,it is very much a team effort and that the team has to be supportive of each other. “[They] are able to keep that encouraging attitude every season,” explains Dzaferagic. She believes that what sets the team apart from others is the “team dynamic that [they] have.”

Being undefeated allows the girls to set even more goals for the future and set the bar higher. Sophomore Qian Ren found the season to have ended successfully was proud that they are still undefeated GBL champions. “[The season] was an amazing journey to experience with amazing coaches and teammates,” stated Ren. She “would hope to improve on [her] time and speed, the two most important components [for track].”

Now that the indoor season is over, the main focus is preparing for the outdoor season, and keeping the GBL title going into this season. The team has the mindset of keeping this solid bond and continue making their way to the top.

Congratulations to the girls indoor track team for another year as GBL champions.

Deborah Kibazo

Vivian Dang Reporter

How long have you participated in indoor track?

For four years, ever since freshman year.

What first got you into track?

My brother was initially recruited for cross country so then I decided to continue on into track.

What inspired you to stay in track so long?

Track has become a place for me when I can forget everything else that is going on in my life, and focus on something bigger than me. It allows me to spend time with my friends and it’s a way for me to stay fit and active.

Are you thinking about pursuing track in college?

I haven’t decided yet but I will definitely continue running for myself if not with a team.

How long do you practice?

The team practices 2 hours a day, 6 days a week.

How do you practice?

During practice I try my best to keep the mood positive but when it comes to workouts and things like strengthening I take them seriously.

What is one of the biggest goals you’ve accomplished?

A Lot of people didn’t believe me when I told them, but this year during our Somerville meet I came in first place for the very first time in indoor track. My teammates were happy for me and I don’t think I had run a race that hard in a while.

Top to bottom: Sophomore Allie Russo finishes her race. Sophomore Kylie DiMaro runs her leg of the relay. All photos by Abhishek Rana.

What goals are you thinking about accomplishing this year?

Now that the indoor season is over, I’m looking forward to outdoor track and hope to be apart of Malden’s 4x800 relay and just ending my senior year on a good note.

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Michael Phelps Making a Comeback in Rio 2016 The most decorated Olympian of all time returns back fr the 2016 Rio Olympics after coming out of his retirement that lasted two years.

Lucia Quesada Nylen Print Editor-In-Chief

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midst the excitement of the 2012 Olympic games, was the sadness of saying goodbye to an

athlete who had been as successful as historically possible in the gamesMichael Phelps. Before he competed he had announced that he was going to retire from swimming after the London games.

Then Phelps announced in April of 2014 that he was coming out of retirement and was going to compete in the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Since then he has been training and hard at work for his last swim in the pool. However how many of us actually know for certain whether this is really going to be his last year swimming? He has stated that this is his last games however many people question his reasoning behind his decision.

As an avid swimmer watcher that I am, I am not complaining about watching Phelps compete and give a performance like no other of his; one that is exhilarating and breathtaking to watch. I know so many people that although they don’t even watch swimming they agree that seeing him perform is something different. No one will ever forget the 2008 performance by the men’s 4x100 meter freestyle relay that won gold and beat France by out touching them and shattered the world record. The relay consisted of Phelps, Garrett Weber Gale, Cullen Jones, and Jason Lezak.

In addition, Phelps is most known for his outstanding performance in the 2008 Beijing Olympics in his 100 meter butterfly. He out touched his opponent, who had the lead the entire race right until the end. Phelps finished with a time of 50:58, only one hundredth of a second faster than the second place finisher, Milorad Cavic from Serbia.

The controversy is over the fact that so much was done for Phelps when he initially announced that he was retiring, like giving him a plaque with his name engraved in it in honor of his past performances, seems really awkward now that he actually isn’t retired.

In an interview with USA Today, Phelps explained that “‘Retirement was pretty boring, to be honest”he explained “It’s funny — I

literally would do nothing. If I was at home, I’d always try to, like, golf, or do something with friends, but

enjoy this summer rather than set super high expectations for himself like 2008 when he got gold for eight

would he come back for another?

Phelps is currently engaged to former Miss California USA 2010,

Nicole Michele Johnson, and also has a baby on the way.

Whereas competitors like Ryan Lochte, Nathan Adrian, and Tom Shields have been training since the end of 2012. As it has been investigated by USA Today, Phelps has been training significantly less for these games compared to past years. He has focused on shorter events so the training isn’t as grueling. After spending a lot of his time getting back into shape and training his mentality to not constantly compare himself to his pastimes, Phelps is less than five months away from his end goal.

In 2015, Phelps used the U.S National championship as his ‘test’ meet.

He had been dropped from the 2015 World Aquatic Championships due to his DUI in December of 2014. He won gold 100 meter butterfly, 200 meter butterfly, and 200 meter individual medley.

The Olympics are by far one my favorite events because of all the surprises that they hold. I don’t doubt Phelps’ ability to possibly win gold in the events he swims however I do know that swimmers like Ryan Lochte; long Above: Phelps during an Olympic race in 2008. And Phelps in a race in 2008.Photo courtime competitor against tesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Phelps, Tom Shield; a 24 everyone was working. Everyone different events, breaking the record year old who didn’t make the Olymhad a job. I’d call and text people. for the most gold medals received pic team in 2012 but has been trainI’d either go to the range and hit in one Olympic games, where Mark ing ever since and has beaten some balls by myself. It got really boring. Spitz previously held it. of Phelps’s past times, and Thiago I’d never be home. I was always on As we look forward to the sum- Pereira; the Brazilian swimmer who the road traveling and seeing differ- mer games, all eyes are on Phelps beat Phelps in 2012 in the 400 meter ent people.’” and his performance. Although it’ll individual medley, all of whom are As an athlete myself I under- be great to see him once again in the competing in Rio this summer and stand where he is coming from with pool, there’s a part of some viewers have been training just as hard to be the urge to constantly be doing that are anxious for his infamous successful. something because there is no off legacy and whether it’ll be taken These summer games will season in swimming, it’s year round away. Phelps would still be the most surely be as exciting as the last, but swimming. But not swimming for decorated Olympian of all time, in a different way. In 2012 everyone two years for any athlete catches without a doubt, however some was cheering for Phelps due to it beup to them. Although it has been people question what would hap- ing his last competition, this year it’s recorded that Phelps is looking to pen if he lost events he usually wins, supposed to be his comeback year.

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Maria Sharapova Gets Served Emma Ceplinskis Editor-In-Chief Online

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fter testing positive for meldonium, tennis sensation Maria Sharapova has been suspended from playing until the case has been reviewed. Following her suspension, her major sponsors, including Nike, Porsche, TAG Heuer, and Evian water have also cut ties with Sharapova.

Meldonium, a cardiac drug, was just recently added to the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) banned drug list this year after having been on its Monitoring List in 2015 (Clarey and Tierney). The purpose of meldonium is to increase blood flow, “which improves exercise capacity in athletes” (What is meldonium). WADA banned the drug after finding evidence of its use as a performance enhancer for athletes “by virtue of carrying more oxygen to muscle tissue” (What is meldonium). Before being banned

by WADA, the Food and Drug Administration did not approve of its use in the United States and it was also unauthorized in Europe (What is meldonium).

Sharapova stated that she had been taking the drug since 2006 for “several health issues...including frequent cases of the flu” (Clarey and Tierney). Her attorney John Haggerty stated that ‘Maria was completely unaware there was any performance-enhancing capabilities to it whatsoever’ (Clarey and Tierney). But Sharapova and Haggerty may only be trying to reduce her suspension sentence by making it seems as if she were unaware of using meldonium as a performance enhancer. “The maximum penalty for unintentionally using a prohibited drug is two years” but a player can face a four year suspension if “intentionally ingesting a performance-enhancing substance” for a first offense (Clarey and Tierney).

Other athletes have also admitted to using the drug, including “Abeba Aregawi, a Swedish runner who won the women’s 1,500 meters at the 2013 world championships” and Russian ice dancer Ekaterina Bobrova who “had tested positive for meldonium at the 2016 European Figure Skating Championships” (Clarey and Tierney).

Sharapova was already out of play due to a forearm injury after losing to Serena Williams in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open so this suspension has yet to

interfere with her playing. A bigger blow has come to her paycheck with suspensions from major sponsors.

For over a decade Sharapova has been the highest paid female athlete in the world, earning $29.7 million last year (Kennedy). Of that $29.7 million, “$23 million [came] from endorsements and appearances” (Kennedy). Even if Sharapova’s playing suspension is lifted, her contracts with multi-million dollar corporations may not be renewed.

Growing up watching tennis, Sharapova has always been one of my favorite players. She plays with a certain intensity and grace that not all tennis players have.

She’s bounced back from countless injuries and at 28 years old she still remains in the top 10 of rankings of women’s tennis, ranked at number 7 in the world. When hearing the news about her suspension, I lost some of the admiration I had for Sharapova even if she claims she didn’t take meldonium to enhance her performance. Her play lost some of its authenticity for me because some of it might have been induced by the drug. I’ve seen other fans’ reactions on Twitter with

similar mixed feelings to my own with some condemning her while others commend her honesty. This incident doesn’t make me think less of Sharapova as a player as she will always be considered one of the best players of all time. It’s more of a let down for me and for other fans I’m sure because she was held in such high regards for her athleticism.

Tennis player Caroline Wozniacki did not come to Sharapova’s defense as she expressed the importance of checking medications’ approval at a news conference in Madison Square Garden. Number one women’s singles tennis player in the world, Serena Williams, also commented on the responsibility players have to check WADA’s list.

But Williams also admired Sharapova’s honesty because it ‘showed a lot of courage about what she had done’ (Bodo).

It is still unclear when Sharapova’s suspension will be lifted, but Sharapova has made it clear that she does not want to end her career. She “hope[s] [she] will be given another chance to play this game”(Clarey and Tierney) and so do I, along with fans around the world.

Above: Photo of Sharapova at the 2015 Madrid Open. Courtesy of Wikimedia pictures.

Red Sox Begin Spring Training

Christina Appignani Reporter t may not be the time for peanuts and cracker jacks at Fenway Park, but it sure is that time at JetBlue Park in Fort Myers, Florida. Boston’s beloved baseball team, the Red Sox, have begun their annual spring training down South. Every year before each season, the team trains at JetBlue Park in Florida in order to practice and prepare for the upcoming season. The team officially began their training for the 2016 season on February 18th.

However, many concerns for the team need to be addressed as the new season approaches. For the past few years, the team has had bad defense, particularly with player Hanley Ramirez. He wasn’t good in the outfield last season, and really great defenders in the outfield can really change the game. It can also make the infield work harder and creates better teamwork throughout the game. Small things at positions, such as picking balls and stretching between pitches, can separate the average from the good.

Despite the poor players that are on the team, there are plenty of good players still around that are admired by the people of Boston, such as Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz.

They have been a part of the Boston team since the mid-2000’s, and have become fan favorites. While Pedroia has not spoken out about his remaining time on the team, this will be Ortiz’s last year in Major League Baseball. He has been in the MLB for twenty years and has had a tremendous impact on the Red Sox. “It is difficult to adequately convey what [Ortiz] has meant to the Boston Red Sox,” said Red Sox principal owner John Henry. “For [his teammates], [Ortiz] has been the one constant force underpinning what it means to play for this organization and making it fun. For the fans, [Ortiz] has been the one consistent force behind three world championships.

So far, the Red Sox have played seven spring training games, including a doubleheader with Boston College and Northeastern University. They have won four games so far and have lost three games. After taking a leave of absence last year due to his cancer diagnosis, Red Sox coach John Farrell will return to coach the team this season. However, Torey Lovullo will remain on the team as bench coach. He is very grateful to be continue to be a part of the team, and claimed that “It just felt right to stay here to see this through. [He has] have a love for the organization. [He has] a love for John and for the players. If something were to happen, [his] time is coming if it’s meant to be. It just felt like this was the right thing to do to stay here to see it through.”

The Red Sox will continue to train until April 2nd and will begin the 2016 season on April 4th, where they will play the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio.

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The Blue and Gold February-March 2016

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2016 Spring sports Preview

Collage done by Samuel Martinez.