November 2010

The Blue and Gold http://www.maldenblueandgold.com/

Malden High School Volume 96 Edition 2

Our 96th Year November 2010

Malden Puts on its Poker Face

Sophomore Daniel Powers.

Fashion tips on page 19.

Tibet/China conflict on page 7.

The Malden High School marching band captured first place in the New England Scholastic Band Association on October 30 at Reading High School. Director Matthew Tavares led the band with high scores during their initial competitions and performed a Lady Gaga routine during the final competition, putting an unorthodox style to their performances. According to Tavares, they exceeded expectations on their way to winning the championship for the first time in seven years. The band worked extremely hard to bring home the title with support from a very passionate family. Read Rebecca Broomstein’s article on page 13. Photo by Rebecca Broomstein.

Haiti: Nine Months Later In This Issue: Noam Chomsky page 5 To Write Love on Her Arms Page 6

Sophomore Dawit Aynalem helping the cross country team to victory.

Article on page 25.

Monthly Profile David Lucil Page 11

Haitians fight with each other in a warehouse district in downtown Port-auPrince, Haiti, on Jan. 24, 2010. The downtown area of the city has become a target for people to scavenge goods from the abandoned stores. (Al Diaz/Miami Herald/MCT). More on Haiti on pages 8 and 9.

Pine Banks Renovations Page 13 Skateboarding Page 18 Football Page 22 Girls Cross Country Page 26 Boys Soccer Page 28

Sophomores Lauren Benoit, Bridget Furlong, Elyse Valente, and Caitlin Cala at the Blue and Gold Semi-Formal. More on the dance on page 14.

Comics by sophomore Jimmy Malzone and senior Jeri Scibelli on pages 4 and 5.

Opinion 2-5 World News 6-10 Local News 10-17 Entertainment 18-20 Sports 21-28

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Editorials

The Blue and Gold November 2010

http://www.maldenblueandgold.com/

When Knowledge is Not Power Malden High School

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

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

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rofessor Dolores Umbridge was loved by the allegorical Slytherins of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Why? Because she knew nothing about the political and social system in which she worked, but believed that she was entitled to power in that system anyway.

Christine O’Donnell, Republican Senate candidate from Delaware, was a theater major at Farleigh Dickinson University who attended graduation with her class without receiving a degree, though she eventually earned a bachelor’s of art in English literature. O’Donnell claimed to have taken graduate classes at Princeton and Oxford Universities, but eventually retracted both statements. Former Governor Sarah Palin, meanwhile, attended Hawaii Pacific University, the University of Idaho, North Idaho College, and Matanuska-Susitna College, all over the course of about six years. Meanwhile, President Barack Obama attended Occidental College, Columbia University, Harvard Law School, and the University of Chicago Law School – all notoriously selective and, in some cases, notoriously pretentious, schools.

But the nation is unsatisfied with Obama and his multiple degrees from such prestigious schools, a dissatisfaction exemplified by the Democrats’ devastating losses in the House of Representatives on Election Day. This is not a new phenomenon; Senator John Kerry failed to be elected in 2004, not only because of his wishy-washy politics, but also because he was overconfident, both in his loquaciousness and in his chances of winning. Unlike then-President George W. Bush, Kerry seemed to know exactly what he was talking about in debates; Bush’s floundering came off as likable, while Kerry’s assertions came off as pretentious. Americans could sympathize with Bush, and, unsurprisingly, found Kerry condescending. Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley barely campaigned in the 2010 US Senate special election, leading to the unprecedented election of Republican Scott Brown.

The fact of the matter is, the vast majority of Americans did not attend Ivy League schools. They cannot relate to the rhetoric of the intellectual liberals, which they equate to playing Quidditch with Democrats. This is not the public’s fault; after all, it is the job of politicians to represent their people, not the other way around. We live in a society that prefers Jon and Kate plus Eight to MSNBC, Sarah Palin’s Alaska to CNN. Keith Olbermann, with his Cornell

degree, and Rachel Maddow, with her Stanford degree, and Anderson Cooper, with his Yale degree, are simply not as fun to watch as Palin and O’Donnell, who make up words and disregard essential Constitutional amendments on a regular basis.

Nor are they as relatable. The American people are fed up with the over-intellectual, over-educated politicians that have long made their nests in Washington. Palin is adorable in her ignorance; O’Donnell is charmingly unknowledgeable about everything from the Bible to the Constitution. They remind us of ourselves; Palin and O’Donnell are not the annoyingly over-knowledgeable students who were able to recite the Bill of Rights from memory by age four.

Rather, they are the students who learned how to socialize while future lawyers were learning how to speak in front of large audiences.

Unfortunately, relatable as they may be, Palin, O’Donnell, and those like them are simply not qualified to lead the US, especially at a time when diplomacy is so vital to the future of the world – not because they are not Ivy League educated, but because they are vapid. Palin believes Fox News is “fair and balanced,” according to the BBC. She also believed that Obama’s health care plan called for “death panels” where “his bureaucrats [could] decide, based on a subjective judgment...whether they are worthy of health care,” according to her Facebook page. O’Donnell, meanwhile, told Bill Maher that “America is now a socialist economy.” In one debate during the race for the Delaware US Senate, she failed to recognize the line, “Government shall make no establishment of religion,” as a paraphrase of part of the First Amendment of the Constitution.

O’Donnell was also unable to cite a specific Supreme Court judgment with which she disagreed, telling the moderator that she would “put it up on [her] website.”

It may be a sign of hope for the state of the nation that O’Donnell lost the election for US Senate in Delaware. Then again, perhaps it is lamentable that she won the primary in the first place, beating out the far more qualified and experienced Michael Castle, and then went on to win 40 percent of the state’s vote – only 50,000 less Delawareans voted for her than that voted for her opponent, Democrat Chris Coons – who, by the way, earned actual degrees before graduating with his class at both Amherst College and Yale University.

Editorial Policy

Co-Editor-in-Chief

The Blue and Gold is an open forum for student expression. It is produced by students for the school and the community. The views presented in this paper are not necessarily those of the advisor or the school administration. The views presented in the editorials are those of the editors-in-chief or guests. The goal of The Blue and Gold is to inform and entertain students as well as the community regarding issues that we feel are important.

We strongly encourage readers to respond to material printed in the form of signed letters to the editors. No libelous, malicious, defamatory, obscene, or unsigned material will be printed.

The Blue and Gold reserves the right to edit the letters. Names may be withheld upon request. Not all letters will be printed.

Although The Blue and Gold appreciates the support of advertisers, we may refuse any advertisement that violates the above policy or that promotes products questionable to student use.

Any correspondence concerning this publication should be directed to Mr. Ryan Gallagher’s room in C339 or to his mailbox in the main office.

The Blue and Gold c/o Malden High School 77 Salem Street Malden, MA 02148

Nidale Zouhir Corrections: On the front page, Jeri Scibelli’s comic is on page 4, not page 3.

In the Flea Market article on page 14, senior Samantha Saggese’s name is spelled incorrectly.

Also, Kayla Bramante is the Head of Special Projects, not a Reporter.

In the football article on page 18, Wesly BienAime’s name is spelled incorrectly. Also, he only tore his ACL, not his MCL and PCL. On page 20, senior Patrick Keough is not listed in the boys cross country photo caption. Also, junior Cynthia Laurore is not listed in the girls cross country caption.

On page 21, Christelle Jourdain is not listed as a sophomore in the photo caption.

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

The Blue and Gold November 2010

Tea Party Tidal Wave

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Opinion http://www.maldenblueandgold.com/

Emma Watson’s Hair in the Time of Cholera

Dan Holmqvist

Brittany Foley

Head World News Writer

Managing Editor

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fter winning his Senate challenge in the state of Kentucky, prominent Republican and Tea Party member Rand Paul exclaimed, “We’ve come to take our government back,” adding in his victory speech that, “Tonight, there’s a Tea Party tidal wave.” But despite the apparent “success” of the Tea Party this November, many Americans are still in the dark over the emergence of this new, radically conservative faction of the Republican Party. Who are they, what do they stand for, and how are they changing the face of politics in the United States?

The origins of the Tea Party movement can be traced back to the government bailouts of the financial sector during the former George W. Bush and current Barack Obama administrations. Disgruntled citizens and taxpayers, from New York to Seattle, held impromptu “tea parties,” protests meant to highlight American discontent over exorbitant taxes and reckless spending.

The name “Tea Party,” of course, was drawn from the famous Boston Tea Party of 1773, where colonial citizens protested harsh British government policies by storming a ship and dumping its tea overboard. The movement eventually gained steam and it was only a moment of time before prominent political leaders like Rand Paul and Sarah Palin decided to call themselves tea partiers.

However, there are several misconceptions that people still harbor about the Tea Party. For one, they are a decentralized grassroots movements, with no formal political leadership (although some people argue that Sarah Palin is the de facto leader of this phenomenon).

The Tea Party is also not affiliated with the GOP in any way, although, considering their extremely conservative outlook, it is not surprising that essentially every member of the movement favors the Republican Party over the Democratic Party.

But what exactly does the Tea Party stand for? What is its political platform? Well, the supposed “Contract from America,” a 10 point document modeled after the GOP’s “Contract for America” in 1994, tries to explain just that. The most important of these political goals include “protecting the constitution, demanding a balanced budget, enacting tax reform, rejecting cap and trade, and restoring fiscal responsibility and constitutionally limited government.”

Like it or not, the Tea Party is here to stay - at least until 2012, when we will see whether or not the Tea Party will become an enduring political establishment.

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et’s look at the numbers: over 160 million (estimated amount in dollars of aid needed to battle a raging epidemic over the course of one year), 1.3 million (number of people left homeless following a brutal earthquake), 917 (current death toll), three (number of oh-so tragic days spent trapped on a luxury cruise liner).

How is it that reports of the soaring death toll caused by epidemic in an already-devastated developing country could receive less attention from the general internet-savvy public than a cruise ship’s power outage? How do the deaths of hundreds and disease of thousands compare to the inconvenience of having to eat canned meat for three days? While the thought of being trapped in the middle of the ocean with hundreds of strangers and no power may even fit the label as horrifying to some, it certainly falls below the raging outbreak of deadly disease in Haiti on a scale of global significance. And yet, somehow, the story of the Carnival Cruise ship’s power outage stole the internet spotlight from the news of Haiti’s skyrocketing cholera-caused death toll—and the absurdities of priorities exist beyond this single case.

AOL’s website serves as prime evidence of America’s confused concerns. As of 8:00 PM on Nov. 14, 2010, “Ke$ha Hits the Beach” was a more pronounced headline than stories of deadly blasts in Mexico and kidnappings by Somali pirates. On their search page, both Sports News and Entertainment News are listed before World News. Reports of Jessica Simpson’s latest engagement rank just below a report of the political competition heating up between Heath Shuler and Nancy Pelosi and updates on the Tea Party on AOL’s “Latest Headlines” list.

Around the same time, Simpson’s engagement was also featured on CNN.com, surrounded by images linking to college Quidditch news, a story regarding the apparent “24-carat gold tattoo trend,” and a report entitled “Bill Clinton joins cast of Hangover 2.” To the side of this centered array of flags were links that sounded like actual news—“Arizona voters OK marijuana,” “Obama ready for clash with Republicans,” and “Vitamin D lack linked to stroke death,” to name a few.

As the virtual news sources begin to replace newsprint, as the public continues to choose convenience, it seems they sacrifice quality of content.

While it enables constant, continuous, and repeated updating of news articles, while it allows for practically limitless image and video supplement, internet reporting also seems to remove limits from story coverage. Try to imagine the story of Jessica Simpson’s engagement on the front page of The New York Times, just below some Wall Street report; such an occurrence is pretty much apocalyptic, a merger of one of the world’s most respected publications and

your standard celebrity gossip magazine. Inarguably, as far as newsprint goes, Jessica Simpson’s romantic affairs are only acceptable front-page content for The National Enquirer, next to some byline regarding an alien woman giving birth to a three-headed Cyclops baby. On the internet scene, however, celebrity gossip and entertainment news are displayed next to top world news stories; names like Justin Bieber and Conan O’Brien are just as common, if not more so, than names like Barack Obama and Kim Jong Il. Thanks to virtual news sources, teen pregnancy idol Bristol Palin is probably equally famous to her tea-partying mother, and the general public probably knows more about last week’s episode of Dancing With the Stars than they do about their recent local elections.

Perhaps these past couple of years’ worth of quality-slacking is due to the greater audience that internet reporting reels in. The majority of the younger folk visiting these websites likely have the time to care about their favorite celebrities, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Procrastinators, bored web-surfers and diehard fans alike all probably would find more recreation in reading tabloid-y gossip stories and entertainment updates, and that is totally normal. Still, there is a place for stories of these sorts, and on a news site’s homepage—what would be the front page of a standard printed publication—next to world news reports and political bulletins and economic updates is not that place. In reference to a popular quote from the iconic Emma Watson (because her new haircut is obviously headline-worthy in itself) and jousting regards to the latest Harry Potter film just hitting theaters (the most likely “news” story to be brought up in common conversation these days), America, you really need to sort out your priorities.

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Opinion

The Blue and Gold November 2010

http://www.maldenblueandgold.com/

Faster Technology Makes People Lose Patience Alexandra Mathieu Managing Editor

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he 2000s ushered in a new age of technology; this “Information Age” created a trend for faster, smaller, and smarter gadgets.

Memory chips were condensed into microchips that now power up devices from cell phones to global positioning systems. Playing music has moved from compact disks on CD players to MPEG-2 Audio Layer 3, more commonly known as MP3 files, on iPods and other MP3 players. Sending information across the globe can be done in less than one second via Internet chatting or streamed video conferences. Getting tasks done and finding information faster has been a driving force behind the technological revolution of the new millennium. However, this modernization comes with a consequence too dire to go unnoticed: the upsurge of instant gratification in our global society.

Instant gratification is the emotional response that describes satisfactions derived from more impulsive behavior. Although this may not sound particularly dangerous to society, effects of this can be seen in almost all aspects of life.

On the Internet, people can move freely between pages, spending less

than ten minutes on a page before navigating to a new one. A steady stream of information, no matter if it is viral, through web articles or through advertisements, is being absorbed by those who browse the Internet for any amount of time. In an article from 2008, Science Daily announced that most teens spend on average 30 hours a week on the Internet and thereby are faced with 30 hours of information bombardment. This constant stimulation and the expectation of immediate responses from objects have become part of the norm for many people without them having recognized it.

Perhaps the best example of this phenomenon is the lucrative United States diet industry. In 2009, the US diet industry had a net worth of over $59.7 billion, testament to its economic strength. What makes it such a lucrative sector is that the industry appeals to Americans’ need to see immediate results. Buzzwords such as “fast acting” and “immediate results” are employed by diet companies in order to garner more customers who may be naively looking at short term forms of gratification. Crash diets have become increasingly popular in recent years

as many men and women severely restrict their calorie intake to achieve rapid weight loss. However, in their search for immediate results, these same customers end up unhealthy and in worse conditions than they were before the diet as the weight lost tends to return in a few weeks.

Though this is alarming information on its own, instant gratification goes hand in hand with a decrease of patience. One of the main reasons that people go on diets or even to fast food restaurants is because they want results as quickly as possible: in these cases, immediate weight loss or a double cheeseburger on demand. Therefore, the opposite proves true as well: people do not want to wait or use a lot of time on one task. More students now are forgoing actually reading a book in order to read a summary of each chapter, essentially getting all of the same information without having to read since it is time consuming. This habit, although helpful when used to catch up in a book, prevents students from formulating their own ideas about the book as well as takes away from the experience of reading a novel in general.

This lack of patience can also

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be taken out of the context of high school and brought to a national level. When he began in late January, President Barack Obama had a 65 percent approval rating from American citizens. However, almost two years later, Obama’s rating dropped to around 47 percent. That is almost an 18 percent drop in a very short amount of time. Why the huge plummet? Obama’s platform was built around the idea of change in all aspects of the nation: economically and politically. Many American voters expected radical new policies and laws that would immediately benefit the nation in some way. However, change takes time, a concept that these Americans do not understand. From the way his approval ratings are continuously falling, Obama will most likely not find himself re-elected in 2012 but will probably become a casualty of our need for instant gratification.

Technology is continuously progressing, with new inventions and innovations made every day.

This is not bad news on its own but taking the psychological effects into account leads one to worry about the future of society. What this situation boils down to is a simple ques-

The Blue and Gold November 2010

Opinion http://www.maldenblueandgold.com/

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Noam Chomsky On the Israeli Palestinian Conflict Omar Khoshafa Online Editor

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assachusetts Institute of Technology professor of linguistics Noam Chomsky addressed an eager audience at the Palestinian Cultural Center for Peace in Boston on Oct. 14, 2010 on matters concerning the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The crowd was composed of a variety of different groups defying any lines drawn by race or religion.

Jewish men wearing the kippah, a round cap usually clipped on the back of the head, proudly displayed their Jewish culture. Muslim women wearing the hijab, a headscarf that not only covers not only one’s hair, but also meant in Islamic culture to preserve a women’s modesty and morality, also attended the lecture.

Catholics and Protestants were also members of this vibrant audience, with the lecture occurring ironically in what once was a congregation area of a Catholic Church. All of these diverse citizens, citizens of the global community, wanted to learn more about the seemingly neverending Israeli-Palestinian conflict through Chomsky. More importantly, they sought the ways in which they could make a difference.

As members of the audience gathered before the presentation, a large array of Mediterranean foods was offered to the enthusiastic crowd. It was a modest crowd of about 100 people, with several journalists and photographers also present.

The Gaza Mental Health Foundation, a humanitarian organization committed to the healthy development of children in Gaza, specifically those under 14 years of age, kicked off the gathering with a presentation that was critical to the overall purpose of the event. Nancy Murray, president of the organization, gave a presentation on the horrors the children of Gaza has been through.

Vivid and poignant pictures of the current situation in the Gaza strip and moving melodramatic melodies were enough to transfix the audience. Gaza’s current despair was obviously attributed to the Israeli siege on the region, which Chomsky constantly called “the world’s largest prison.” This presentation enabled the audience to see this conflict in a completely different light.

It allowed the audience to see the conflict for the humanitarian issue it was, not the usual political chatter it has always been.

After pleas for the continued financial support of the cause, Chomsky took the stage to a long standing ovation. There are certain points that Chomsky reiterated throughout his speech, more accurately throughout every single speech I have ever attended on this issue.

Chomsky stresses several points, and including the fact that Israel and the United States have failed to ratify many international treatises and conventions agreed upon by almost the entire global community.

Among these were Protocols I and II of the Geneva Conventions, the international agreements that addressed the international rights of war-faring nations and their civilians. Another point is the addressing Gaza as the “world’s largest prison.”

Mathematically speaking, the city of Gaza is one of the most densely populated areas on Earth. This can be attributed to the gradual expansion of Israeli settlement plans in the West Bank that have displaced thousands of Palestinians. Chomsky also refers to the blockade of Gaza as a “violation of international law,” which is a statement that can be challenged, but the recognition that an Israeli blockade is in place makes it more than just a political issue; it makes it a humanitarian issue as well.

The fact that Chomsky was able to bring together this large variety of people, Americans regardless of religion or social standing, all under one humanitarian cause, was truly a milestone in itself. What we must now do is increase this audience to include the majority of the population. We need the same dynamic and enthusiastic audience that came to hear Chomsky, but now they need to hear the whispers of the oppressed, wherever in the world they may be. Whether they are human rights activists in China or refugees in Sudan, we must also rise up for the natural rights granted to every human being, regardless of race or religion.

Avram Noam Chomsky was born on Dec. 7, 1928, to a Jewish family residing in Philadelphia, PA. His parents and his uncle were political activists, and he attributes his own activism to these early influences. Chomsky studied philosophy and linguistics (the study of human language) while at the University of Pennsylvania, receiving a PhD in the field in 1955. Chomsky eventually completed his Doctorate in Linguistics at Harvard University. Since then, Chomsky has been a professor in the Department of Linguistics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Throughout his entire life, Chomsky has been an outspoken critic of U.S. foreign policy, especially during the Vietnam War and the “current Israeli occupation of Palestine.” Whether or not we completely agree with Chomsky’s position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, it remains important that we still absorb the fundamental facts that he puts forth on the issue, even if we must do so with a grain of salt.

Visit our website, www.maldenblueandgold. com, for video and photos from the talk.

6 Suicide Patients Kept Waiting

World News

The Blue and Gold November 2010

http://www.maldenblueandgold.com/

TWLOHA Spreading Awareness

Lauren Benoit Head of Photography

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he economic situation in America is gradually improving, but who would have thought that the past economic troubles have kept patients in the waiting room for days in the midst of life or death situations?

Meridith Viano of Leicester, MA faced a devastating situation when she was kept in a hospital waiting room for three days until her 15 year old son (whose name has been kept anonymous) was treated by docators. Viano allegedly began hearing voices in his head and did not recognize his own immediate family members. He was then taken to the MetroWest Medical Center in Framingham, MA. The hospital denied Viano to a room because, according to Boston.com, they categorized Viano’s symptoms to be “too acute” for him to be admitted.

On the third day, Viano demanded that her son must be treated. The hospital called Viano’s health insurance company, and 20 minutes later Viano was finally moved into a room. He was treated for two weeks. Viano is worried that the two day waiting period in the waiting room traumatized her son because throughout their time waiting there “[they] had to hear adults screaming and being detoxed” according to an interview with Viano with the Boston Globe. What bothers Viano the most is the fact that her son might not ask for help in the future due to their past experience in the waiting room of the hospital, and actually going as far as committing suicide.

In the hospital’s defense, it has been stated that Viano’s son was “too troubled to have a roommate” and that Viano wanted her son to have a room all to his own. “The financial pressure that has been put on the units has made it increasingly hard for them to take the difficult patients,’’ David Matteodo executive director of the Massachusetts Association of Behavioral Health Systems stated during an interview with the Boston Globe. “A difficult patient may need a private room, they can’t share a room, or they may need a staffer 24/7 watching them.

That can be costly.” He also claimed that “even though every bed is not full, a decision is made to accept no more patients because they cannot be safely accommodated without bringing in more staff.” Having a nurse watch over a patient on all hours is very costly and many staff members were laid off because of the economic depression America is submerged in now.

Unemployment rates have been rising around the country for the past couple years. Budget cuts have been made to schools Continued on page 9.

The Blue and Gold staffmembers from left to right, sophomores Megan Kelly, Catherine Poirer, Kayla Bramante and Lauren Benoit show their support on TWLOHA Day, Nov. 12, 2010.

The taboo of practicing self injury is considered to just be reserved for the “Emo.” Though the TWLOHA organization is helping spread the awareness about the issue of self injury, it is still vastly misunderstood.

Megan Kelly Copy Editor

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alking around Malden High School, a student may see many things that would shock graduates from 50 years ago: baggy pants, boots that have jeans tucked inside, tight tops, side bangs, band tee shirts and copious amounts of silly bands and friendship bracelets.

Too many each of these are commons staples for teenage fashion statements, a way to identify themselves and others in the enormous student population and for a small minority for others they are walls to hide behind.

This minority known to many students and parents as “cutters” is regularly misunderstood and misidentified to belong to the social scene of “Emo” or to be clad in all black and to be suicidal; however, this is not usually the case.

For self injurers across the world, country, state and school the easiest way of covering up their scars is with long sleeves and bracelets.

From personal experience, using the latest fashion or fad can be the way that the secret is not discovered. A resident of Hanover, whose name is being withheld because of her age, explains why for her keeping the secret was so important, “To the self-injuring person, it makes perfect sense--in fact, self-injury is the only thing that makes sense in such a messed-up world,” keeping the secret and covering up is the only

WEBSITES THAT HELP www.twloha.com www.suicide.org real stable things in their lives at the moment.

The issue of self injury (SI), or the much more technical term for cutting is not all about razor blades, crying while listening to depressing music, and dealing with the pain of losing your latest boyfriend or girlfriend. The stereotype is not followed by the majority of known cutters.

A junior at Andover High School, whose name is also being withheld, explains, “Most of the time, it’s the people who seem perfect that have it the worst, because everyone thinks ‘Oh, of course they’re not depressed.

They have such happy lives.”

Starting to practice SI is not what most people turn to first when they start dealing with difficult emotional issues. For them, heavy emotions start to gradually build up so heavily that it seems that cutting is the only way to resolve the tension inside of them.

Practicing SI is not also about calling attention to oneself; why would so many people be affected by the issue and hide it if it were something they felt proud of? “It isn’t something that people are proud of, despite stereotypes. To have to resort to hurting yourself to feel (as “normal” people do naturally) is an incredibly shameful thing,” the Andover junior added. So why do we see cutters as just “Emos,” and not as people that are feeling such

NUMBERS THAT HELP The Samaritans of Boston * Befriending Hotline (617) 247-0220 * Samariteens 1-800-252-TEEN 1-800-252-8336 2pm-11pm Teen to Teen 11pm-2pm Adult to Teen

traumatizing emotions? Probably because the bad image of the stereotype is the ones people choose to see more often. Even cutters are afraid of sharing their “secret” to friends because of how they would continue to see them, “I clearly have no idea what it’s like to be a self-inflictor. I’m just being sympathetic, but maybe that’s all people really need to be,” Michael Chu Hoang a sophomore at MHS expressed, stating what cutters clearly need, sympathy. But with how many see the cutting community, the only way to create more sympathy is with more awareness.

To Write Love on Her Arms is a non profit organization that since 2006 has been telling the public about the issues of suicide, SI, drug abuse and depression. Bands popular with MHS students, (Paramore, Boys Like Girls and Between the Trees) have been helping spread the word on spreading awareness on these issues, by wearing t-shirts or simply writing the word love on their arms.

It’s clear to see that with TWLOHA represented at MHS that the sympathy is starting to grow, hopefully a step in the right direction for those battling self injury.

The Blue and Gold November 2010

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

Chokyab Serab: A Student’s Journey from Tibet

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enior Chokyab Serab experienced the Tibet-China conflict firsthand. Serab came to America from India in 2008. His uncle, who is a Tibetan-Buddhist monk was sent to prison for being a monk and for protesting Chinese take-over.

His uncle helped people learn the Tibetan language and culture, as well as contributed to building a small Tibetan school. Around the time that the school was being built, there was a bomb case in the same city, in which Serab’s uncle was falsely blamed for. Because of these false accusations, Serab’s uncle had to be hidden for two months. After two months, he went out to the city, and tried to hide, but was caught and sent to prison for six years.

Serab was born in Tibet, and his parents were also involved in anti-Chinese programs.

At age five, his parents escaped to India while Serab and his brother stayed with his aunt. Five years later, his parents hired a guide to reunite the family, but it was a long and arduous journey.

Serab explains the fear he had felt when he witnessed Tibetans around him getting caught by explaining, “the scary thing is that Chinese people came at night, and the next day, people seemed to just disappear,” he stated. “[We had to] walk at night time, so not to be caught by Chinese. We would walk from eleven p.m. to four a.m. until Chinese people would come, and the we would hide in small caves or valleys in the the Mountains.”

Serab continues to describe his journey, explaining, “when we got to Mt. Everest, we ran out of food, it was really freezing. We couldn’t even sleep. The snow was so deep, if you walked over it, you would fall in. In the morning we still had nothing to eat. Then we walked for five hours until we got to a town. There we saw some foreigners that helped us. They even spoke a little Tibetan.

They gave us food and drink, it was really delicious. None of us talked, we just ate and drank. I drank about three large mugs of the juice.” Serab explained, “when we left, everybody was crying. I really felt a connection with these people. They even told us which way to walk so we would not get caught by the Chinese.”

As Serab, his relatives, and their guide came close to the Nepali border, they had to be extra careful not to get caught, or the 14 day walk would be wasted. Adults caught would be put in prison for one or two years, but Guides would be put in prison for up to ten years. Finally, they succeeded in going to Nepal, and were officially out of risk of getting caught.

Tibet and china: A Century Old Conflict Paige Yurek Copy Editor

China and Tibet have been at odds for the better part of the last century, with tensions flaring over issues of political and cultural independence.

At Malden High School, there are several students that are Tibetan, and have first hand experience with this conflict. These are their stories...

Senior contributor Tenzin Kunsang

Senior contributor Choyab Serab

A Brief Historical Overview

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or years, Tibet and China have been in conflict over Tibetan land, culture, and independence. But when it all comes down, it is more than just a conflict. It is a war.

It began in 1951 when Chinese troops led by communist leader Mao Zedong started occupying the land, and China expected Tibetans to gradually convert into Chinese culture over time. But throughout the 1950s, when Tibetans refused to convert, then resisted, uproar rose causing the Dalai Lama to eventually flee.

Through the 1960s, conditions only worsened. China also set restrictions on Tibetan religion, forcing monks out of monasteries and destroying some temples. Even speaking the Tibetan language was a crime. Then in the 1980s, hope began to shine on the Tibetan people when Deng Xiaoping took over after Mao Zedong’s death, and adjusted some of these policies, rebuilding monasteries and welcoming monks back home. Throughout the early to mid 2000s, the Dalai Lama and the Chinese government made a few talks for reform, but they did not make much progress. After 2006, negotiations broke off.

Even today, Chinese-Tibetan tensions remain. On Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2010, several Tibetan students protested for their freedom to express their culture. China is limiting the use of the Tibetan language in these students’ schools. The Chinese government is mandating that all subjects are to be taught in Chinese and all textbooks will be in Chinese, except for Tibetan and English language classes.

Tenzin Kunsang: Meeting The Dalai Lama

Malden High School student senior Tenzin Kunsang shares the experience she had of when she traveled to a Tibetan camp in Dharamsala, India last summer, where she went to a Tibetan boarding school and got the chance to learn about her culture. “I learned a lot more about my religion (Tibetan Buddhism) and went to holy sites and I got to meet the Dalai Lama.”

Here is the excerpt of Kunsang’s college essay where she describes her meeting with the Dalai Lama: “My palms were sweating, my stomach was tossing and turning with nervousness, my eyes were watery, and all of a sudden the room felt hotter than it actually was. I could not believe I was actually in the palace of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet. This whole time I was thinking “when in life am I ever going to get this fortunate opportunity of asking H.H. The Dalai Lama a question?”, therefore when H.H. announced the time for the last question, I shot my hand up like a rocket. It felt so riveting when The Dalai Lama picked me to ask the last question. “Was it more difficult to govern Tibet with the invasion of Communist China or the arrival to India and governing a whole nation in exile?” His Holiness the 14th said that it is more difficult to govern a nation in exile because the existence of the Tibetan culture was at stake and that the future of the nation was uncertain. With this simple answer that was directed towards me, I felt so overjoyed and blessed that I finally got myself to ask a question.”

One of Kunsang’s favorite trips at the Tibetan Camp was to a holy site, Tso Pema (Lotus Lake) in Rewalsar. There, the campers visited Guru Rinpoche’s cave where he meditated and even left his footprints. “On top of the mountain, we hung up prayer flags so the wind would carry the prayers to everyone in the world,” Kunsang elaborated.

“The trip to Tso Pema allowed me to get in touch with Tibetan Buddhism and made me realize [how] special it is. This experience not only taught me more about my dying Tibetan culture, but also taught me some valuable lessons and change[d] me as a person. I have to say this trip has been the far most influencing and touching experience.”

To read Chokyab’s and Tenzin’s remarkable stories, go to: www.maldenblueandgold.com

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The Blue and Gold November 2010

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

Haiti: A Forgotten Nation?

First-Hand AccountS Senior Smeedhley Batraville was actually there when the earthquake hit Haiti. Traumatized by what he witnessed, he was so affected that he decided later to write his college essay (excerpts of which are below) about his haunting experience.

“There [are] no word[s] to describe what it felt like,” says Batraville of his experience. Batraville was travelling home by bus when the earthquake reached him. “It was hard at first to [live with] these scenes. I had nightmares after seeing the wounded at the hospital and many other scenes that I don’t need to mention.”

Smeedhley Batraville Malden High School Senior

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would have never believed it even him in my hands was even harder if I were told, even if I were shown than seeing him suffering on the pictures. I would never think that ground. He was crying and yelling 35 seconds could lead to such an ir- so much. His pain must have been reparable chaos. unbearable. He couldn’t stop asking January 12th, 2010 was a sunny me to put him down, “ou met kite’m and warm Tuesday. I was peacefully mouri , m pakab anko.” “You can riding a bus to go home and at 5:22 let me die, I can’t take it anymore.” p.m., when we were brutally pro- After putting him with the other pelled to the left while the bus tilted wounded, I ran back to find my bag. onto two wheels. We first thought Someone from the bus had thrown that it was the power of a wind but it in the middle of the street. When the trees weren’t moving. The bus I tried to use my phone, there was was still shaking. Then we finally no signal. At the same time I heard a understood what was happening. woman say “the phones don’t work, The bus was stopped in the middle oh Jesus, it’s the end.” of the street in downtown Port au Finally, after a few hours, I arPrince, where there were the oldest rived back in my neighborhood. The buildings. When I looked out the chaos that I was looking at made window, there were people yelling. my fears grow exponentially. All the I suddenly saw a woman running houses were down to the ground. from under a building; she didn’t All the people were crying and runeven make four steps because a ce- ning around since they couldn’t find ment block fell on her head. Cars their loved ones. I walked faster and were hitting each other. A crowd faster to my house. When I came to of people started to run from the it, it was all the way on the ground. buildings to go to the public square. The roof languished on the blocks Within minutes, a grey crowd of already crushed. I felt powerless; I dust was formed that prevented us felt like I had no more reason to live. from seeing anything. All we could I felt like the roof was lying over my hear was the deafening “blow, heart, but I didn’t cry. I blaw” of the houses collapsing and didn’t want to cry. I ran to the terrified cries of the people. the pile of debris that used Since we were all panicking, to be my house. I heard everyone was trying to get out of a voice say “Smeedhley, the bus at the same time. Finally, Smeedhley, here we are!” I after some painful effort we were turned over, searching for stepping on the sidewalks, and we the voice, looking everybegan to run. I realized that I had where. When I finally saw forgotten my bag in the bus which my mom, alive, with no had my phone and the key to my injuries, I knew what she, apartment. I had to run back to and the rest of my family, find it. Then I saw something on meant to me. the ground moving slowly. When This evening, due I came closer, I realized that it was to many emergency calls a little boy. He had a serious injury coming from the hospital, on his right foot; it looked like a big my uncle, who is a doctor, piece of cement had fallen onto it. had to go to the hospital Looking at him as he suffered and to lend a strong hand. He begged, I quickly saw that his safety brought another cousin was more important than all that and me with him. The hosI could possibly have to do in that pital was the worst place moment. So I lifted him on my arms to be after such disaster. and headed back to safety. Holding The wounded were flow*Parts of the above college essay have been omitted.

Senior Smeedhley Batraville smiling. Photo by Kaela Bryan.

Kaela Bryan ing in like rain fall, there were so many that the hospital, unprepared for such a rush, was already full within the first thirty minutes of our arrival. Doctors didn’t have time to take good care of everyone, and they misdiagnosed a lot. Some had pieces of themselves amputated when they could have healed on their own with enough time and care. A few minutes in the hospital and I couldn’t take it anymore so I went back home. But I couldn’t sleep.

Reporter

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alden High School senior Phedorah Rosiclair was touched personally by the earthquake: her mother was in Haiti during the ordeal. At first, her family didn’t know where their mother was or how to reach her -- the majority of communication methods were destroyed during the natural attacks. Rosiclair and her family didn’t even know if their mother was still alive. When they finally were able to contact each other, the family was overwhelmed with gratitude and relief. “It was shocking. It definitely brought the catastrophe much closer to home, made it more real.

It became relevant.” Rosiclair dealt with the trauma of not knowing whether her mother was alive by staying strong and caring for her younger sisters. “[My sisters] were way more upset because they were very young at the time.

I knew that I had to be a rock for them, and that’s also what got me through it -- just staying strong.

My experience has given me a fresh perspective about what’s really important. And it made me realize how much we [generally] take America for granted and how lucky we are to be living here. [I didn’t] realize it until then.”

Senior Phedorah Rosiclair smiling happily after her mother’s recovery from the Haitian earthquake of 2010. Photo by Kaela Bryan.

The Blue and Gold November 2010

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WORLD NEWS http://www.maldenblueandgold.com/ Continued from page 6

Kaela Bryan Reporter

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n Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2009, the world was informed that Haiti had been hit by an enormous earthquake. Reaching a power of 7.0 on the moment magnitude scale (Mw), the earthquake only needed a few minutes to devastate the country.

Over the course of the next few weeks, until Jan. 24, 2009, terrible aftershocks of reportedly 4.5 Mw¬ ravaged through Haiti. Buildings and roads collapsed inward, onto themselves, onto surrounding structures and cars, and onto people -- adults and children. Haiti’s government later reported that an estimated 250,000 resident building and 30,000 commercial buildings had collapsed or were severely damaged, and that 230,000 people had died; 300,000 had been injured; 1,000,000 people were made homeless. Food and water supplies were limited, if even available at all, and many, children included, starved.

Almost immediately, the destruction and despair of Haiti caught the eye of the world. News reporters began flying to Haiti to report on the overwhelming wreckage. Engineers and medical teams appeared in Haiti, ready to help in any way they could. People began sending

The U.N. started to evacuate Camp Croix-des Bouguets, and moving people to hospital Bennett in Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti, on Thursday, November 4, 2010, before the effects of Tropical Storm Tomas arrived in the country. (Peter Andrew Bosch/Miami Herald/MCT) and raising as much money as they could to help the Haitian people.

Large trucks stacked with water and food began to arrive in Haiti, complete with volunteers to help pass the supplies to the struggling population. Even with all the help, there were so many men, women, and children who continued to live in tents on the dirty, muddy ground.

Disease spread, causing more death and suffering, especially because

Antonine Fizamey, 47, left, wails in grief after her mother, Virginia Sencilna, 67, became gravely ill with cholera, which has spread into Gonaives, Haiti, from the surrounding areas. (Rick Loomis/Los Angeles Times/MCT)

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Don’t Forget: You Can Help!

Visit the website store.causecast.org, which is the website for the organization The Goods: Relief to Haiti. The products bought in this online store will be used directly on the ground in Haiti. Already, people have given $100,000 The “Clinton Bush Haiti Fund,” run by former-Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, accepts donations of all sizes for Haiti. Large donations can be made online at www.clintonbushhaitifund.org; a $10 donation can be donated by texting HAITI to 20222.

The Mercy Corps Haiti Earthquake Fund accepts donations online at www.mercycorps.org, or over the phone. 1-888-256-1900.

K.I.D.S, or Kids in Distressed Situations, delivers donated water, food, diapers, and clothing to the children of Haiti. K.I.D.S. also accepts cash donations and product gifts. Visit www.kidsdonations. org to get involved.

Visit savethechildren.org, or text “SAVE” to 20222. The donations recieved by this organization go directly to children in need of medical attention and food and water..

there was not enough medical attention to go around to all the sick and the injured. Crime began to break out because people were desperate to feed their families and themselves. A man, while reaching for some rice, was shot dead in the street because it was thought that he was trying to steal it. Nevertheless, the world continued to send aid.

According to a poll, more than $305 million dollars was raised for the efforts in Haiti.

The earthquake in January was not the end to Haiti’s distressing circumstances. Now, although many have been helped and rescued, the majority of people are still in need of assistance. Almost a year has passed, and yet the trauma still grows amongst the rubble and the ruin.

A tropical storm that later turned into a small hurricane struck the nation on Tuesday, Nov. 2, adding to the spread of suffering. Although the storm was not great, the damage was: approximately six people were killed. There simply was nowhere to take shelter other than the flimsy tents that were meant to be temporary. Furthermore, cholera (a disease that causes abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhea and, if not treated, can become so severe that it results in dehydration and eventually death) has broken out across Haiti as well. And chances are it will spread because there is not enough clean drinking water nor antibiotics available to most Haitians.

Evidently there is still a lot that must be done for Haiti. So where has the media gone? Where has the money that was meant to both help house the homeless and to further the reconstruction of Haiti gone?

Rosiclair says she doesn’t know why the attention has dried up, but that the more recent problems in Haiti may actually help. “Ironically enough,” she says, “maybe it will give them a chance to start anew.

It’ll remind the world that those people are still here, that they still need help.”

and hospitals. But what is more important, children’s education or the well being of the younger generations? The organization To Write Love On Her Arms is a non-profit movement dedicated to educating the public and finding help for people who struggle with depression, addiction, selfinjury, and suicide. TWLOHA and many other organizations are specifically established to lower the death rates of teens that harm themselves in any way. Lauren, an intern at TWLOHA, thinks that “rescue is possible, and our hope is that every person desiring help will be able to receive it and see the hope of a new day.” Luckily these are non-profit organizations and budget cuts will not affect them. Some might say these organizations have saved, will save or potentially could save lives of millions just by spreading awareness.

The more that self-inflicted harm is recognized, the more patients will be admitted into psychiatric hospitals. Lauren states “It’s hard to predict what will happen in the future of mental health treatment, but we know that as an organization, we contribute funds to treatment centers so that the cost will be more affordable for each person.”

Being in the economic slump America is experiencing now, can hospitals keep up with the admittance of more patients? Or will there be more cases resembling Viano’s?

Past records show that this was not the first time this type of incident occurred. The average amount of time spent in the waiting room for suicidal patients range from eight to 24 hours.

Studies show that patients with psychiatric complaints are twice as likely to walk out of the hospital before being treated. In the past many hospitals around the country have been fined for discharging suicidal patients before they are properly treated. Numerous hospitals have been fined for making patients wait in the waiting room for countless hours.

These discoveries were made before the economic troubles started in America. The doctors blamed the economy in the most recent act. What was their excuse back then? These types of incidents will eventually make victims of depression unwilling to seek help at hospitals, and have them attempt to take matters in their own hands.

It almost seems as though the doctors and nurses of hospitals brush off the mentally ill patients, and put them at the bottom of the emergency list. But in reality, these potentially suicidal people need help just as much. Why is it that mentally ill persons, the people in society that are most vunerable and in the most need of help, are at the bottom of the priority list?

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The Blue and Gold November 2010

http://www.maldenblueandgold.com/

Deval Patrick Reelected as Governor Freddie DeFillipo Reporter The first African American governor of Massachusetts, Deval L. Patrick won reelection this November, after being locked in a three way race with Republican Charlie Baker and Independent Tim Cahill.

The exciting gubernatorial election drew President Barack Obama to the Hynes Convention Center this October, where he gave a stump speech meant to support the incumbent governor. Other speakers included current Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, United States Senator John F Kerry, and a musical performance from James Taylor.

After the votes were tallied up, Deval Patrick recieved 48.4 percent of the total vote, while his opponents Charlie Baker, Tim Cahill, and Jill Stein recieved 42.1 percent, 8.0 percent, and 1.4 percent of the votes, respectively.

Patrick is confident heading into his second term as Massachusetts Governor. He is planning on avoiding mistakes that he made during his last term in office. Patrick says he wants to work on creating jobs by stimulating the alternative energy industry and creating more

educational opportunities. And that means that means that he wants to match up the mission statements of local community colleges with the expectations needed by the work force. Patrick’s goals are also to bring down the cost of health care in the state by heading toward a “global payment system.”

However, the governor is against the introduction of gambling to Massachusetts, an issue that has drawn much controversy throughout the state, both because it could significantly boost the economy and because some believe that it could increase the levels of crime in and around the gambling instituions.

This means that casinos will not be introduced to the state during Patrick’s term.

Patrick claims that he feels more comfortable entering his second term in office, because he has leaned from his mistakes in the previous term.

The three ballot topics concerned sales tax on alcohol, comprehensive permits for low to moderate income housing and, sales taxes, and the used tax rates. The question on alcohol has to do with getting rid of the tax all together on alcohol, keeping it or just reducing it to three percent.

T h e percentages of people who voted for question three, cutting the sale of alcohol taxes down to 3 percent, was 44 percent for and 49 percent against.

On the national level, Republicans were able to win back the House of RepresenDeval Patrick was reelected this November against Republitatives from can candidate Charlie Baker and Independant candidate Tim Democratic Cahill. Photo from Wikimedia.org control. The GOP needed a gain of 39 seats to get the house a low young voter turnout. With majority for the first time since 2006. more control in US Congress, the The party also saw large gains in Republicans are planning to push the U.S. Senate. This resurgence in a more conservative agenda, while GOP was due in part to enthusiasm trying to stop reforms proposed by gap built by a radical conservative the Obama administration. movement called the Tea Party and

Should Students Care About Politics?

Natalie Fallano Copy Editor

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ver the last few months, television commercials have consisted of infomercials about candidates for Massachusetts governor due to the November elections, but did any teenagers actually pay any attention to what they had to say? The fact of the matter is these commercials were not meant for the teenage population. Their purpose was to influence adults to vote for them.

The teenage population has no say in politics, but does that mean they should not care?

The truth is, most teenagers do not care about politics and are not informed about the happenings of the world today. Malden High School junior Wendy Tse stated “If I’m not allowed to vote, why should I care?

When I become an adult I will care, but right now, it doesn’t make a difference.’’ Tse and many others share this point of view. Many teenagers are unaware of the issues occurring in the world. They have an overview and briefly discuss it because of the world and history classes they take but of what they do know, they find boring.

Although it seems that most teenagers do not care about politics, there are a significant number who do. MHS sophomore Timothy Desmond explained, “Teenagers need to understand the way the country is moving, and what is going on,

especially the issues being argued by the American people. If teenagers stay up to date now, they will be prepared for when they are able to vote in a few years.” In only a few years, today’s teenagers will serve as the adults for society and will make decisions that will affect them and future generations to come.

If voters were informed and ready by the age they are eligible to vote, then this would not be a setback. The past midterm elections, for instance, saw a sharp decline in young voter turnout from just two years ago.

MHS history teacher Greg Hurley expressed that “most [teenagers] do not realize that what’s happening right now is, in reality, affecting

their lives.” Many laws actually do affect teenagers, just indirectly. The truth is that the political decisions made today will affect teenagers in the long run, especially those who are just reaching adulthood. This includes the age that children are separated from their parents’ health care or even the availability of tuition loans from banks.

For instance, after the Obama administration passed their new health care legislation, children are covered by their family health plan until they are 26. In addition, loans are an important part of paying for college, due to tuition being so expensive. Our economy is in a recession and this largely affects banks and where they are investing their

money. Local and state elections, which are considered more insignificant than the larger elections, affect teenagers more directly, a fact that is not always noted.

A recent survey given to an Advanced Placement United States History class revealed that students pay attention to major elections but do not actually “care” about the politics involved. Only ten out the 18 did knew that Deval Patrick had recently won the Massachusetts governor’s election. One out of the 18 students that participated answered that they are very interested in politics. 12 answered they were somewhat interested and five answered they were not interested.

Both of these pieces of data reveal that teenagers are aware of what is going on in our country but choose not to care. They are surrounded by information about it all at school, in the media, and by their parents.

However, most believe that none of it affects them which causes them not to care.

It can also be noted that the generations of the past did not pay attention to politics just as much as teenagers today. Still, our generation, as well as the ones to come, must take advantage of these opportunities to make our country a better place. Having more people educated about the politics of our country gets more people involved in voting and contributes to the growth and future of society.

The Blue and Gold November 2010

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

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Community Bulletin

Monthly Profile: David Lucil, Spanish Teacher Cristina Peters Head Local News Writer

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e chiquito, bebía el jugo de pepinas,” said Malden High School’s David Lucil singing, not along to the tune of the world-wide famous song “La Cucaracha”, but instead about how he drank pickle juice as a child; an example of when to use the Imperfect tense. “He’s enthusiastic about teaching,” stated junior Eddie Fisher, “You can tell he really loves what he does.”

Surprisingly, Lucil did not intend on becoming a Spanish teacher.

In fact, at one point he considered becoming a priest, yet felt “it was too serious.” While attending Hobart College, Lucil majored in history and it was not until his experience studying abroad in Spain that he “fell in love with the language.”

Although Lucil enjoys speaking the language, his favorite part about his profession is “getting folks to appreciate learning languages and [having the opportunity] to perform in front of them.”

His desire to always view situations optimistically and upbeat personality is prevalent in all that Lucil does. When given the opportunity, Lucil enjoys spending time at the YMCA playing racquetball, swimming, and participating in a variety of other activities as well. “[I’m]

a big advocate [of the YMCA],” says Lucil.

When he is not partaking in any physical activities, Lucil enjoys spending time with his family. “I live with my wife Jennifer and our two boys Luke and Julian.”

Feline Stella, a long-haired Maine Coon mix is also an important member of the family, as she “puts up with the boys’ abuse,” Lucil adds amusingly.

O r i g i n a l l y Spanish teacher David Lucil uses his smartboard to teach his students about the imperfect from Harwich, Cape tense. Photo by Cristina Peters.

Cod, Lucil currently always wanted to “give back to the most significant part of what makes lives in Lowell and enjoys the “ethnic diversity and Latino community.” He lived in MHS so different from other high good food similarly to Malden. Ecuador and Colombia, and his con- schools. Lucil’s fourth-floor A-house tinuous desire to learn more about room serves as a welcoming enviLowell is quirky which [I] like.”

Lucil is rather unique himself, Spanish-speaking countries keeps ronment towards the diversity and as he is a member of the Freema- him captivated and excited about culture that MHS students bring, something that make this Spanish sonry, a fraternal organization the teaching.

Malden High School is a teacher genuinely compassionate. begun in the early 16th century.

His profession as a Span- “school that is super special,” for ish teacher accounts for a significant Lucil, as the diversity and life stupart of his daily life, as Lucil has dents bring to the high school is the

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The Blue and Gold November 2010

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

race to the top

MHS’s 26th Hall of Fame Sharon Lee Head of Photography

Paige Yurek

The 26th annual Hall of Fame Banquet held on Nov. 12, 2010 awarded the first annual “Got Grit” Award, as well as two Peter Donoghue Golden Eagle Awards and the Peter Donoghue Golden Eagle Scholarship.

The banquet also introduced the newest inductees into the Golden Tornado Club Hall of Fame.

“Got Grit” described by Superintendent of Schools Sidney Smith is the “relentless pursuit of a long term goal,” a characteristic possessed by senior Kyriah Marcelin who was the recipient of the first annual “Got Grit” Award. Marcelin is currently part of the Captains Council and plays basketball in the winter and softball in the spring.

As the recipient of the “Got Grit” Award Marcelin wrote about her mentor, girls varsity basketball coach Joe Levine, who was one of the two people given the Peter Donoghue Golden Eagle Award.

The other Peter Donoghue Golden Eagle Award was given to coach Gary Rogers, also known as “Bubba” to Malden High School’s varsity football team. He had been the focus of senior Frankie Dunn’s scholarship essay, who was chosen as the Nominating Athlete. As the nominating athlete, he was able to introduce Rogers at the banquet and received the Peter Donoghue Golden Eagle Scholarship.

In addition to the 215 current members of the Golden Tornado Club Hall of Fame, there were several more inductees that night. Inductees include Eliot Gventer (Class of 1952), Leo Mackey (Class of 1960), Theresa Coleman Gilbert (Class of 1976), Stanton Shernan (Class of 1977), and the 1976 mens’ soccer team. Co-captain of the 1976 mens’ soccer team Kevin Cullen stated, as he spoke on behalf of the team in his speech, “none of us were that good [but] we worked extremely hard; [we were] the classic team [and] every game a [different] player did something special.” The team ended that season with a record of 11-4-2. These inductees were not chosen because they won first place prizes or went undefeated, it was for their major role in team leadership and impact they had as student athletes. (top to bottom, left to right) Malden High School Girls Varsity Basketball Coach Joe Levine and Senior Kyriah Marcelin.

Malden High School Varsity Football Coach Gary “Bubba” Rogers accepting the Golden Eagle Award with Senior Frankie Dunn. All the new inductees of the Golden Tornado Club Hall of Fame with Principal Dana Brown and Golden Tornado Club President Richard Brandsfield. Photos by Lauren Benoit.

Performer Joey Voice on stage in the newly renovated Jenkins Auditorium during the Thornton Jenkins Rededication Ceremony on November 14th. Photo by Lauren Benoit.

Copy Editor

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chools around the United States are “racing to the top” to be the best that they can be everyday, but every student learns at a different pace, and every teacher teaches differently.

To promote education, president Barrack Obama and his administration released the new “Race to the Top” campaign this summer. Massachusetts is one of ten areas (Washington, D.C., Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Ohio and Rhode Island) in the US that were selected to receive $250 million over four years to improve and reform the education systems.

Some goals for the campaign include setting high learning standards, obtaining the best teachers in the schools, testing students to evaluate how the teachers, students, and school as a whole are doing, and of course, fixing problem schools, or schools with below average grades.

When it all comes down, the idea of “Race to the Top” is to encourage students to do their best, and to let them know that there are people out there who are willing to help them along the way. However in order to be successful, they also need to work at it themselves.

At the National Urban League 100th Anniversary Convention at the Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC, on July 29, 2010, boston.com reported when, Obama spoke about the campaign, “There are all kinds of reasons for our children to say, ‘No, I can’t.’ But our job is to say to them, ‘Yes, you can. Yes, you can overcome. Yes, you can persevere. Yes, you can make what you will out of your lives,” he stated.

“Our kids need to understand nobody is going to hand them a future, and education is not something you just tip your head and they pour it in your ear, and you can’t make excuses.”

The Blue and Gold November 2010

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

Pine Banks: One of One Fourteen

Malden Puts on Its Poker Face

Lauren Benoit Head of Photography Dynamic duo Governor Deval Patrick and Lieutenant Governor Timothy Murray promised a $6 million dollar grant to renovate public parks across the Commonwealth while running for office. Now their words are being transformed into actions. The parks are being redone by the Gateway City Parks program, and is funded by the Energy and Environment Bond Bill which Patrick signed back in Aug. 2008.

Just recently the governor’s office granted the cities of Malden and Melrose to update Pine Banks sports fields. The plan is to install field lighting, an outdoor track, multi-purpose turf field, another softball field, and a parking lot. If on schedule, this plan should begin in the spring of 2011 and the grand opening in scheduled for 2012.

One may ask why local park Pine Banks is one of the chosen ones out of all the parks in Massachusetts. There are 22 cities in the state eligible for the renovation program, and the chosen cities must follow these guidelines: have a population larger than 35,000, median household incomes, and educational levels below state average.

During a recent interview with Mayor of Melrose Rob Dolan, he stated that once Pine Banks is finished, it will be the “best regionalised park in the state.” He believes that this collaboration will benefit both cities, as the collaboration turned turned the renovations into a $3.5 million dollar project into a $1.5 million project. Dolan believes that this will be an excellent addition to both cities because it is on the border of the two cities, in a healthy neighborhood, and “having a track in the middle of the cities leads to a healthy lifestyle.”

Over the last four years, the Patrick-Murray Administration funded 114 parks to be restored and updated across the Commonwealth. The first five cities to have renovations go underway were Chicopee, Fitchburg, Lawrence, Pittsfield and Taunton. The renovations in Fitchburg, Pittsfield, and Taunton are estimated to be finished by the summer of 2011. All of these cities are not undergoing the same renovations: while Malden and Melrose are getting a sports focus, different cities receive other focuses such as more wheelchair accessibility, a larger parking lot, picnic benches, trails, and playgrounds that are accessible to handicapped children.

The generosity of the Patrick-Murray Administration will change the Malden and Melrose sports teams, but should both communities be happy that they were chosen, especially when the educational levels are below state average? This grant is rewarding the cities that lack an important factor in the educational system. Sure it is great that the Malden High football and outdoor track team could catch a break and practice on the newly constructed track and turf field, but is it all because of our placement within the state. Since Melrose and Malden are sharing the field, Malden applied for the grant.

Therefore the guidelines only apply to Malden because Melrose did not lead up to the guidelines of having a population exceeding 30,000.

The plans for Pine Banks are eagerly anticipated, and both athletic sides of Malden and Melrose cannot wait for it to be finished.

Malden High School marching band at final NESBA competition on Saturday, Nov. 13, 2010. Photos by Rebecca Broomstein.

Rebecca Broomstein Reporter

“

Winning is the by-product of [the] process in its successful form,” explains Mathew Tavares, director of Malden High School’s marching band, humble of their victory. After placing second for four apprehensive weeks, the MHS marching band finally brought home the gold, presenting Malden with a renewed, dignified reputation. Though their scores far exceeded satisfactory, no competition this season could compare to the 93.7 they scored at the New England Scholastic Band Association competition, held at Reading High School, on Sat., Oct. 30, 2010. Because of their progressive scoring throughout the five weeks of competitions, the ultimate win was practically a given.

Not to mention their unorthodox choice of music, which could have possibly given them the zest they needed, to demand the attention of the judges and entranced audience.

The composition of their piece was created by no other than the band’s director, Tavares. After four years of directing the MHS band, Tavares decided to take on the risqué genre of pop music. The entire performance was composed of hit songs by the sensational Lady Gaga, which one may believe would throw their chances of winning NESBA. The message Tavares was trying to convey through the marching band’s piece is personality. “Students can play enjoyable music and audiences can be entertained while the learning process not being impeded,” explained Tavares. Why Gaga? Well, to Tavares, she is thought to be “someone [who] believes that artistic integrity can go hand in hand with innovation and cre-

ativity.” Creativity is what constructed and immersed the band’s conduct, and is exactly what the NESBA competition sought out.

B e i n g placed into the new environment of POP music, the marching band has far exceeded Tavares’ expectations. With such high scores as a 78, 81.3, 83.1, and 87.5, one would expect a sense of discouragement when the superiority didn’t suffice for number one status standards, but not Tavares. “It was never about the score,” he claims. “I was always about sending a message and teaching first.” Their triumphant win on the night of the NESBA competition was only a momentous bonus to successfully conveying their message.

NESBA has given Malden a new name; one we can wave with pride and honor: passion. It is quite evident that every member of the band family is passionate about their commitment to the band. Passion is what gave them the drive they needed to win the NESBA completion. It is what led them through all ten weeks of practice, and brought them to the field of Reading High School, where they cheered in victory, taking home the winning name.

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LOCAL news

The Blue and Gold November 2010

http://www.maldenblueandgold.com/

Blue and gold in the making Joel Stevenson Reporter

A

s new renovations have made this year the last for hallway decorations, the classes of 2012 and 2013 have come together to find a new tradition for upcoming students. With needed competition, both classes agreed on having a dance to kick off spirit week. “As one tradition goes out another one comes in,”stated by Mary Anne Seager. Although it was difficult for the classes to sell tickets at first, the semi-formal was a huge success, one students and faculty can look forward to for future years.

It was an anxious night as the first Blue and Gold semi-formal went underway. As early as 5:50 PM, 2012 and 2013 class officers as well as participating teachers were arriving to help set up decorations for the night ahead of them. With massive loads of decorative balloons coming through the door almost every minute and minor adjustments left, the first Blue and Gold Semi-Formal was ell underway.

Around 6:30, students were ready to dance. All the nerves they had were left at the door as they were welcomed by officers and had their picture taken by 2012 Vice President , junior Harris Zhao. As they made their way into the dance room reality of a great night hit full force with disc jockey Bryan Ayuk behind the speakers.

Students including juniors Michelle Le, Henley Theodat, and Justin Pham, jogged out to the middle of the dance floor and started break dancing. One by one thes attendees broke free from their nerves and joined them on the dance floor. Soon enough students of all grades had come together and formed one huge circle, showing off their skills. Just a half an hour into the dance students were having the night of their life; junior Kiara Amos stated that the two classes were “definitely having another one.”

With a wide variety of food, students were not disappointed by the free buffet. When asked how the night was going, junior Samuel Zeiberg commented, “ I had lower expectations and I though it was going to be [less exciting], but I’m having fun.”

As dinner commenced, the anticipation to get back out on the floor was becoming overwhelming: individual tables started to have little dance competitions, one including a clapping contest, where tables of students saw who could clap the loudest. The outcome came to the table where one student jumped on another’s shoulders while both clapped to the beat of the music. DJ Ayuk played hit song “Jump on it”

by Sir Mix-A-Lot. Right after, “Bil-

lie Jean” by none other than Michael Jackson was played.

A huge dance circle broke out with solo performances by sophomore Praysuh Pokharel, and juniors Jonathan Silva and Henley Theodat.

Later that evening students were called to their seats so that the Spirit Court could announce the winners of a raffle with prizes including a five pound Hershey’s bar and a chance at being the king or queen of the dance. First Principal Dana Brown called all the officers to the stage with the juniors first and then Brown as well as other teachers pulled names out of two buckets to announce the spirit court.

The court included sophomores Kayla Deas, Anita Ronaldo, Jasmine Coutinho, and Maria Gil, as well as juniors Eliezer Hernandez, Justin Pham, Ellen Thai, and Brian Cormier. After the council was announced, a drum roll led up to the king and queen. Paul Kiernan was crowned king, and The Blue and Gold’s very own Paige Yurek was crowned queen. After the crowning ceremony the dance floor broke out into a slow song.

As the night wound down, the 2010 Semi-Formal cake was presented, while teachers got a chance to show off their moves on the dance floor. Students got a chance to dance side by side with teachers as DJ Ayuk played a few “Golden Oldies”.

For the rest of the night it was nothing but laughs and fun as students and teachers alike got a chance to break away from the stresses of everyday school work, and just relax. As stated by junior class advisor Mary Ann Seager, “I... clapped for everyone, and the fact that students danced with the teachers, it was really great.” Also expressing how they enjoyed the night were junior class presidents Nina Ho, who thought it was an “unforgettable night” and by sophomore class president Sharon Lee who stated, “I’m positive the very first Blue & Gold Semi-Formal will not be the last. Students from all classes were present and brought with them a lot of school spirit.”

Students dance the night away at the Blue & Gold Semi-Formal.

The Blue and Gold November 2010

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

Lung Cancer Walk Supports LUNGevity

A Personal Touch of Pink

Natalie Fallano Copy Editor

D

ue to November being National Lung Cancer Awareness month, many cities across the country, including Boston, MA, take part by organizing walks to raise awareness and money for the cause. Castle Island in South Boston was home to the fifth annual Boston Area 5K Lung Cancer Walk on Saturday, Nov. 6, 2010.

The walk has only been around for five years but has started to gain popularity. There were 1,789 registered walkers, almost double the number of last year. The event’s initial goal was to raise $120,000 but they exceeded this goal and made over $200,000.

The actual walk which started at 11:00 am, was three miles long, starting from the historic Fort Independence and Pleasure Bayas and eventually to Boston Harbor.

The founders of the walk, Geri Norris and Richard Kaufman, are both survivors of lung cancer and they donate all the proceeds to the LUNGevity foundation in Chicago, Illinois whose mission, according to its website, is to “save lives and ease the burden of lung cancer on patients and their loved ones.” Kathy Cuddy, the event coordinator and also a lung cancer survivor, mentioned that raising awareness is just as important as raising money. She stated, “the purpose of the walk is raise the awareness of the public about lung cancer. It is the number one cancer killer. It takes the lives of more people each year than the next seven cancers combined.”

Malden High School also did their part for the walk; both the Interact and Key clubs volunteered together. They were split up into small groups and assigned to different spots on the route of the walk to cheer on the walkers, which they did enthusiastically.

MHS sophomore and Interact Club vice president Lisa Delacey expressed, “It is nice to see such a large group of students representing Malden. I think both clubs did a great job cheering on the walkers, despite the chilly conditions!”

The Breast Cancer Awarness Club Officers, junior Urusa Sheikh, senior Viviane SOMETHING, senior Amy Yu, the two guests of the presentations, sophomore Warda Khurram, and senior Samantha Saggese.

The Breast Cancer Awarness Club brought a personal touch to Malden High School from two teachers who have experienced breast cancer. Photo by Sharon Lee. Kayla Bramante Head of Special Projects One out of every eight women are diagnosed with breast cancer and every 13 minutes a woman dies from this harsh disease. Although it is very unlikely, men can also be diagnosed with breast cancer and only one in 100 have it.

Dressed all in pink, the Breast Cancer Awareness Club brings a personal touch to Malden High School during national breast cancer awareness month with two special guest speakers. Jenkins house secretary Jeanne Marquado and Frida Rubin volunteered to share their amazing stories when fighting with breast cancer.

Rubin had a mammogram done when she was in her late 30’s; something was found but when she was tested for breast cancer, the results were negative. However Rubin soon realized it was not in fact negative . “It was just one of those freak things” stated Rubin.

At first was afraid to tell people that she has been diagnosed with cancer and she kept it hidden from her son, which she realizes now,

was not such a great decision. From 1995 to 1996 she lost all her hair, had chemotherapy and radiation done.

She suffered with no medication until tamoxifen was approved in 2000 by the United States Food and Drug Administration, which lowers the estrogen levels in the body.

In 2008 Rubin was diagnosed again and in 2009, she was diagnosed with endometrial cancer and had to have a hysterectomy which is the surgical removal of a woman’s uterus.

The cancer had been removed in Aug. with a 50/50 chance that the cancer would come back. Sadly, in Dec. the same year, Rubin was diagnosed yet again but refused chemotherapy this time.

Rubin’s story reached out to everyone sitting in the MHS library that day. As of now, she is healthy and cancer free and says she is “just enjoying [each] day. I’m not going to deal with it anymore.”

“When I hear cancer, I think of death. I know it sounds bad but its true” deeply stated Marquado.

Nearly five years ago this Febru-

ary, Marquado was told about her breast cancer. “I was very fortunate because I found the lump myself.”

After going to the doctors she found a cancer cell and had a biopsy. She did not have the heart to tell her family and had an ex-husband tell them for other members of her family were also dealing with cancer.

She had undergone chemotherapy and radiation with no side effects other than aching bones. “I say my prayers everyday and take it day to day.” She also feels very at home with all the support she receives from the staff and students at MHS. President of the BCAC, Samantha Saggese stated that “[she] felt that the presentation was really effective--often times, we don’t realize how close something is to home until we hear people from our own community talk about their own experiences. Seeing issues like breast cancer on a relatable level makes it much more real and more inspiring.”

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The Blue and Gold November 2010

Local News http://www.maldenblueandgold.com/

Freshman Elections Kristen Leonard Reproter

Amanda Rosatone Reporter

After weeks of campaigning, the Class of 2014 held its first elections on Nov. 16, 2010. The new officers hope to accomplish much during this year, from fun to fundraising.

I

Thao Pham, Class of 2014 President.

Claude Bonnet, Class of 2014 Vice President

“As a president if the freshmen class of 2014 I want to make this year as fun as senior year for them. I want to make freshmen year unforgettable and memorable for everyone. My goal is to raise a lot of money so they can use the money throughout freshmen year without worries. I will try my best to make prom as cheap as I can.”

–Thao Pham, President

“As vice president I would like to think of new ideas to help support the freshmen class and make it as fun as possible.”

–Claude Bonnet, Vice President

John Dovan, Class of 2014 Tresurer

Kim Du, Class of 2014 Secretary

“I’m going to do my best to keep everything running smoothly as secretary.

I’m not going to let you down.”

–Kim Du, Secretary

Fundraisers: Foundation for Clubs

“As treasurer of the freshmen class of 2014, I hope to budget our class trips and find ways to come up with effective fundraising. I wish to do that so we can lower prices and fees.

I will do my best to work with the other officers so we, as freshmen, can have a fun productive year.”

–John Dovan, Treasurer

t started with the bake sales. It came to the candy sales. What have the fundraisers at Malden High School come to?

Fundraisers are the foundation for clubs at MHS. Due to the decreasing economy and the “Healthy Choice” rule, bake sales are banned at MHS. The “Healthy Choice” is a rule initiated by the city to get kids to eat healthy food in school. In consideration, bake sales have been banned because their baked goods are mainly composed of sugar content. Due to this rule, candy sales are at a risk of being banned as well. If candy sales do get banned, it will be a severe issue for many clubs, since they are dependent on candy sales.

“The impact will be huge,” expressed Paul Marques, computer programming teacher, and advisor of both the National Honor Society and junior class. Many clubs would be forced to find other options for raising money. There will have to be more car washes, pie sales, and candle sales, as well as other new types of fundraising. Although these alternatives are great ideas, it will become a problem due to the overlapping and communication between clubs. “I understand why, but I wish it wouldn’t go,” stated Marques. Choosing a vacant time and date for when such a fundraiser would take place would become difficult. “Nothing is as good, quick, or easy,” explained Marques about the candy sales.

“There is always a way to make money,” stated study teacher and past class adivsor Paul Famiglietti.

Clubs can come up with other ways to make money such as fundraisers at restaurants or workshops. An example of this is the Spring Roll workshop which happened on Nov. 5, 2010, hosted by the Asian American Club where students paid five dollars to make their own delicious spring rolls.

A major factor as to why fundraisers are so important to the clubs is the difference between long and short term fundraisers. The short term fundraisers serve as quick cash and allow the clubs to reduce some of their costs. Long term fundraisers for committees, bands, and other clubs are time consuming because it requires the process of gaining and saving their money to pay a more expensive fund. Depending on the club and their needs, this could serve as a problem either way.

Despite the loss of candy sales, clubs are dedicated to continue coming up with more efficient fundraising ideas.

The Blue and Gold November 2010

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

Go see Working: The Musical November 19 and 20 at 7:30 for only $5 for students and senior citizens ($8 for general admission)!

Malden’s Guardian Angels Megan Kelly Copy Editor

R

ed Beret Hats. No, they are not the new fall fashion staple showing up around Malden; they are the calling cards of the 30 year old safety organization known as The Guardian Angels. Recently seen in Maplewood Square, the group is commuting in from Boston to “[keep] the streets” of the city safe.

Local chapter leader Vincent Cataldo, better known by his fellow Angels as “Thumper”, said the choice to move into Malden was not only provoked by the gun violence this past Labor Day weekend, but also because “people on the Orange Line (MBTA) asked if we could come in, and now we are here for the community.” During the interview with the three other members of Thumper’s watch, (Anthony “Grizzly” Nardone , JJ “Dough Boy” Parks and Brian “B-Dog” Nardone ) at the 7-11 on Salem street, many customers of the store shouted their appreciation from car windows.

Still new to the Malden scenery, Thumper also added “we’re still scoping out the areas, to know were we should be.” But with their daily night watches, the Angels will have their knowledge in no time.

Many see the group as vigilantes, though they seem to be quite the opposite. Grizzly spoke of the self defense training the group re-

ceives, and how they are in Malden to intervene only if something is going down. What does the Malden Police Department think of the help from the citizen patrol? Thumper said that they have gotten a good response from the police and spoke of several officers that he knew in the MPD. Seeing the patrols at their favorite hangouts in Maplewood Square and around Salemwood have gotten good reviews from Malden High School students. “They are a respectable, helpful organization that will help our community in the long run,” said sophomore Stevie Klein. Agreeing with Klein, fellow sophomore Annabelle Ramos says “I think this a really good thing, I’ll sleep better especially if I don’t hear guns every night.”

With a few more eyes watching Malden’s streets, it is a reassuring thought that there are citizens who don’t just turn away from the violence or the ones causing it. Though it is a little disturbing that only two years earlier, Malden was voted the best city in Massachusetts to raise your children. “I am sure the Guardian Angels patrolling the city will be appreciated, but it is upsetting that we even need them in the first place,” stated sophomore Angelica Brewer.

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Timothee Pierre Reporter

W

hen someone takes a glimpse at skateboarding, its reputation usually distorts their opinions.

Many think that skateboarding is not that important and should not be treated as such. When it comes to skateboarding, great mental activity is required. Often, skateboarders are labeled as criminals or vandals because of the sport’s stereotype. Most people think that skateboarding is a crime in itself; perhaps this is why with every garage or school or even apartment building, there is a sign nearby that says “No Skateboarding Here. Police Take Notice,” meaning if you are caught skateboarding there, cops will be alerted and severe consequences will follow.

Skateboarding in Malden, MA is something that should not be taken lightly, because skateboarding is steadily getting out of hand.

When entering the local skate park, there is broken glass, trash all over ruined ramps, and much else

The Blue and Gold November 2010

Lifestyle http://www.maldenblueandgold.com/

that simply should not be there.

“The skate park does need to be redone… the design of it is horrible, but that is not the city’s fault—it is the [fault of the] people who built it, people who do not know [any]thing about skateboarding. If skateboarders designed the park, I guarantee everything would have been much better,” Emmanuel Kuda Mkandandawire stated. What really sparks frustration is that the police or local residents do not take note to this. Skateboarders in Malden do not really have anywhere great to skate, and so instead of staying at the skate park, they might go to Malden High School to skate the famous “Big Ten” (which refers to a set of stairs with ten long steps), or rather, if they are not going for the ‘Big Ten,” they go for tricks into the street, skating off ledges and loading docks, and sometimes they will even go from roof to roof on smaller apartment buildings.

According to Rob Dyrdek, professional skateboarder from California, on his show “Rob Dyrdek’s Fantasy Factory,” he wants to be able to create a Skate Spot Safe Spot.

He wants to be able to make skate parks in places that have no skate parks for skateboarders. Same goes with another professional skateboarder, Terry Kennedy, also from California—he too wants to make a skateboard park where skateboarders can skate safely. These are good inspirational thoughts to the local skaters here in Malden, but the question is, who is going to redo our skate park? Who is going to take a stand for this park? According to CJ Fanjoy, local skateboarder and student of the Salemwood School, “the skate park…doesn’t need much done, but it’s in the progress of being rebuilt.”

The locals here believe in a certain lifestyle when it comes to skateboarding. They basically eat, sleep, breathe, and live skateboarding. If they could, they would skateboard day in and day out. But some people do not appreciate what they are doing, so in response they basically ruin their time by calling the cops and kicking them out of the area they are skating in, whether signs are posted or not. If people are willing to put in the effort to arrest

or kick out skateboarders and make signs for them not to be in these places, then why can they not put that effort into renovating the skate park?

“I feel that they should let us do our sport just like they let other athletes play baseball and play football we should be able to use our surroundings to help us progress in our sport, because if you know your good and apply yourself you’ll go somewhere in life so that’s why they should let us be good at what we do and leave us alone,” stated Fanjoy. “Police started randomly kicking people out to skate the ledges at Malden High [School].... even though it has been skated for several years and people and police did not mind. Why now? I don’t know if all the police in Malden do this or this officer did this because she had nothing to do,” contemplates Kuda Mkandandawire. For a lot of people, skateboarding is life, but in life you will always have your ups and your downs. The local skateboarders of Malden have been through their downs, but the question is, will they ever get their ups?

For results of the boys’ dress code survey and more entertainment content, visit our wesbite, www. maldenblueand gold.com!

The Blue and Gold November 2010

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style http://www.maldenblueandgold.com/

Reginah Sanyu Head of Entertainment

MHS Students Dress For Success

I

t is believed that being a teenager is the best stage a human being goes through.

It is, if anything, known as an excuse to do what we like. We can be loud, we can spend money freely, because we are teenagers. Besides, we usually do not have that many responsibilities, or so many elders seem to believe. But what happens when we try to take over responsibilities? What happens when we try to get a job because asking parents for money all the time gets old?

Do we go out and look for opportunities or do we wait for them?

The first step is, of course, going out and hunting down that job. Getting a job significantly depends on how you market yourself. That, however, does not mean wearing a post saying, “Hi my name is (insert name here) and I want your job.” The whole point of marketing yourself is to force a positive impression of yourself on your future employer and to, maybe, enhance your chances of getting the job. “What you are wearing makes an immediate impression on anyone you meet,” Erin Craven, guidance counselor at Malden High School explained. MHS students also expressed how important first impressions were. “The people interviewing me don’t know me at all. The first impression always counts,” senior Thomas Nguyen stated. Sometimes it is even more than just making a first impression; maybe it is your first job interview. “I dressed up because my interview was a big deal for me, it was my first job interview and I wanted to make it special,” senior Kyra Savlidis, employee at Aéropostale revealed.

It is advisable to show your true self and dress comfortabably. But if your definition of comfortable clothes involves sweatpants and Ugg boots, then forgetting about comfort when going to your interview is a good idea. “Dressing appropriate in a professional situation can only help you during any process for which you are a candidate,” Craven added. Looking well-groomed will likely earn you brownie points from your interviewer. “Dressing up made me feel more comfortable because I could not feel comfortable if I wore jeans,” Savlidis added.

Being a teenager, dressing up for your interview might show adults that you are serious and you want the job. In addition to being comfortable, make it comfortable for the interviewer too. For example: wear no jewelry to prevent distractions during the interview, wear little or no perfume because we all have different choice of scents. Dressing in all black is the way to go. Skin, especially the pierced body parts or tattoos, should be hidden away, however beautiful you may think they are. Chewing gum during the interview does not work in your favor either.

Still, this standard manner of dress does not apply for all jobs because sometimes it depends on where you applied. For most retail stores, like H&M, Finish Line and many others, employers would prefer an interviewee to dress in the clothes sold at the store. “Dress up in our brand, comfortable jeans. We want to see you working at our store,” Marissa Rivera, manager at Hollister stated. Aéropostale would also prefer an interviewee to dress in their brands. “We prefer them to dress in what we carry in the store,” Amanda, manager at Aéropostale stated. “It will also give you points because we see that you already like wearing our clothes,” she added.

Clockwise, from top: seniors Debbie Ly, Kyra Savlidis, Ivy Bui, junior Kiara Amos, seniors Shannon Howe, Joshua Jerome, Fillete Lovaincy with juniors Daniel Rendon, Jenny Brunot show off their interpretation of dressing up for an interview.

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Entertainment

The Blue and Gold November 2010

http://www.maldenblueandgold.com/

speak now speaks out Haley DeFilippis Copy-Editor

C

ountry singer Taylor Swift’s new album, entitled Speak Now, sailed past the million sales mark within an astonishing one week of its release. Speak Now was created

by Swift so she could tell the stories of all the moments she wish she had spoken out during, all the moments during which she regrets not revealing what she was truly thinking.

More than half of the album consists of songs about her broken love affairs. The nearly-seven-minute-long, gutsy track called “Dear John” is meant as a letter that tells of the sorrow and hardships that comes with a break-up. She openly longs for the return of an ex-boyfriend in the catchy, but comfortably slow-paced “Back to December”.

Swift, who wrote all 14 tracks single-handedly, pushes her voice above all else. Aside from the newfound volume of her voice, Swift takes other musical risks beyond her usual country-pop style. From the use of a banjo in “Mean” to the strong electric guitar featured in “Better than Revenge”, Swift exceeds expectations of her fans and critics through countless ambitious

artistic risks. However, Swift does not lose the soft vocal tone that she is loved and known for. “Last Kiss” brilliantly captures this signature of Swift’s with its simple lyrics, slow and steady beat, soft instrumentals, and gentle vocals. Despite this softness of tone though, Swift accepts heartbreak and endures anger rather forwardly in several of her songs as well, her boldness in her lyrics proving themselves as another of her signatures.

Meanwhile, in the far from flashy, heart-warming song “Never Grow Up”, Swift reveals that she still sleeps with a night-light on and tucks herself in at night, highlighting characteristics of childhood innocence and displaying her values towards such. Regardless of how much Swift longs to “still be little”, she currently reigns as one of the world’s biggest and most beloved musical starlets, and one of the few who hold the ability to entrance her audience with lyrics and sell over a million albums within a time constraint of a mere seven days.

She hooks her listeners in with personal experiences and feelings that so many are familiar with, especially those in the peak of their

teenage years. Swift is 100 percent true to her fans, singing about the uncomfortable feeling that occurs when she sees an ex at a party, the revenge she seeks to make on a girl who stole her boyfriend, and even the spark she feels when meeting a new guy she likes. Swift has also become noticeably braver with lyrics and appearance upon the release of this new album. In the song “Better than Revenge”, she sings about a girl who is “better known for what she does on the mattress.” Her boldness in what she’s telling a story about is also displayed in “Sparks Fly” as she describes a past memory with a boy and tells him to “drop everything now, meet [her] in the pouring rain…take away the pain.” Not only have her lyrics become gutsy, but her clothing styles have followed in suit. Over the past few years, the 16-year-old in a sundress and cowboy boots that America fell in love with has started choosing a bit flashier, slightly more form-fitting wardrobe. Nevertheless, her fans are, without a doubt, by her side every step of the way as she provides them with remarkable music that they can all relate to perfectly.

Taylor Swift performing. Photo from Wikimedia.

Call of Duty Black Ops: A Gamer’s Heaven Alexander Gennigiorgis Head of Business

C

all of Duty Black Ops is the newest addition to the Call of Duty legacy and it did not disappoint. Black Ops received a 9.0 out of 10.0 rating from Gamespot.com.

Between the hours of 12:30 am and 2:00 am, the night of release, over 2 million gamers signed in to XBOX Live. That does not include the amount of people that played the game and do not have XBOX Live.

The new features of Black Ops are no less than incredible, including the evasive dive which can be used to dodge grenades, evade being shot at, or for just getting a cool killcam.

Another feature added to the game is the improvement of making a class. There are new weapons that you must unlock and then buy with the Call of Duty Money earned from each match.

Creating a class is fun because there are a lot of attachments players can buy to improve their primary and secondary weapons or make their weapons look better. These attachments include new camouflages, infrared scope, flamethrower, and reflex sight, which is the upgraded version of red dot sight. Players are allowed to customize red dot and reflex sight by changing the color of the red dot to any of the given colors as well as the shape of the dot. Also the color of the lens can be changed.

There are enough features to keep any gamer interested, whether the player likes to improve the looks of their weapons or the power and strength of their weapons.

The Campaign is action packed and suspenseful with its incredible cut scenes and life-like game play.

The protagonist in the campaign is Alex Mason, a former soldier that is being interrogated by an unknown person and as he is being interrogated he has flashbacks, which are the parts that the gamers play. As the campaign continues, the gamer uncovers the truth behind what happened to Mason and why he is being interrogated.

The Multiplayer gaming is a lot of fun and includes many new gaming types including Wager Matches, where gamers put their earned credits on the line and can earn more or lose it all. Another game mode is Combat Training, where players will face A.I. players (Artificial Intelligence) as if it were an online match against real people.

Lastly, there are new games to play that are unlocked as a player levels up or promotes, such as Hardcore matches (which is when players are given less life and there is little to no assistance, it is intended to make game play more lifelike), and Barebones matches (which is when there are no killstreaks allowed), as well as a Prestige level game mode.

Another multiplayer game that

has been brought forward from Call of Duty World at War is the infamous Nazi Zombies game mode.

This popular game mode comes with three new maps, including an all exciting death maze called Kino Der Toten where it is do or die, and “5” which is when up to four gamers can be representatives of the Pentagon such as John F. Kennedy, and Dick Chaney, and Richard Nixon, or one of the US’s enemies, Fidel Castro. The third map is called Dead Ops Arcade and it is similar to a game that would have been played at an arcade back in the 1990s although the graphics are better and it includes killing the undead which makes it a more fun experience. The second map is unlocked after a gamer completes the campaign and the third map is unlocked at the main menu when you help Mason escape

the chair and find a computer in the room. In that computer a gamer must type something in to unlock the map, but that is for them to find out.

The all new theater mode allows gamers to revisit past matches they have played and record highlights of any match and make a short gathering of clips to show off to other gamers online.

All in all, Call of Duty Black Ops is a great success and is an incredible game for those who enjoy shooter games. The game is a knockout and will stimulate gamers’ senses and will keep them in suspense, awe, and excitement for the rest of their gaming career, or at least until Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 is released.

The Blue and Gold November 2010

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20 main street melrose, MA Join us for Brunch every Sunday from 11am-3pm

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22 Brendan McFeeley

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Football Team Looks to Finish On Top

Haley DeFilippis Copy Editor

F

ootball, football, and more football defines senior Brendan McFeeley’s life on and off the field.

Since freshman year, McFeeley stuck with his favorite sport throughout his time at Malden High School. He revealed that he loves “the feel for the game and the fact that [he] can put pads on and go all out.” One moment that stays fresh in his mind was during his sophomore year during a Freshman/ Sophomore game against Bedford; McFeeley smiled as he explained how he “picked off a pass that prevented Bedford from marching down the field and winning.”

He hopes to continue his passion for the sport in college, claiming that he is interested in playing for University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, or UMASS Dartmouth. Their football team is not the only thing that makes this college so attractive to McFeeley. He thought the college’s campus was amazing, close enough to home, and they offer his major: Criminal Justice.

When asked what got him interested in criminal justice, he chuckled and commented, “I’ve been watching the Law & Order episodes recently and I can really see myself doing that.”

When he is not playing football, McFeeley enjoys hanging out with his friends, watching sports, and playing the Xbox 360, especially the game “Left 4 Dead 2,” mentioning that it is his favorite “because it changes every time you play.” He is also a big fan of the New England Patriots, Boston Red Sox, and Boston Celtics. McFeeley enjoys watching the Atlanta Falcons as well, because the quarterback, Matt Ryan, was a “Boston College boy!”

For the past two and a half years, McFeeley has worked at Stop & Shop on Broadway as a cashier. He explained that his current goal is to save up enough money to buy a car.

In the next eight months—the last eight months of his time at MHS— he hopes that he will be able to make high honors. McFeeley revealed that he is pumped for graduation but will miss MHS when he goes off to college.

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MHS players play the Everett football team on Nov. 13, 2010. Photo by Haley DeFilippis.

Brittany McFeeley Head Copy Editor

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Haley DeFilippis Copy Editor

n Saturday Nov. 13, 2010, Malden High School’s varsity football team versed Everett High School. With a disappointing loss, MHS was unable to find the end zone throughout all four quarters.

Unfortunately, the game ended in a shut out with a final score of 45 to 0.

Hundreds of fans from Malden and Everett attended the game to support their team in hopes of a victory. However, by half time, it was obvious who would pull away with the win, with the score of 31 to 0.

During the first quarter, MHS almost scored a touchdown when senior and captain Frankie Dunn caught a long pass from senior quarterback Kevin Valley. As Malden fans cheered in excitement, the referees brought the ball back to about the 30-yard line, because Dunn had stepped out of bounds, setting the tone for the rest of the game. Unfortunately, that would be as close as MHS would get to score a touchdown because of Everett’s dominating defense and offense. However, Valley acknowledged that he and the rest of the team “had nothing to lose. We just had to play football.”

During the second half of the game, things had only gotten worse for MHS. In the third quarter, senior Vernon Sainvil injured his leg. After limping off the field, Sainvil tried walking it off up and down the sidelines, but unfortunately would not return to the game.

Through the game, tensions were high between these two rivals. Valley stated, “Our strengths as a team on Saturday had to be the never ending fight we put up

with them. No matter the score every single play we were making sure we smacked a player in red. We had the option to put our JVS in after the second quarter, but at that point no one cared about the score and just wanted to smack them in the mouth so they could remember us for the way we hit them that day. Weaknesses had to of been injuries we dealt with them so much this year and again in this game.”

With EHS’s victory over MHS, EHS has clinched the Greater Boston League title and will move on to the first round of playoffs against the first place team of the Merrimack Valley Conference.

But clinching the GBL title is not unusual for the EHS football team.

For 15 consecutive years, the EHS football team has dominated over all GBL teams, with a 53 game winning streak as well as the championship title. On Oct. 26, 2010, it was decided by the MIAA Football Committee to drop the GBL from Division 1 to Division 1A. With only Everett and Medford in opposition, Malden, Somerville, and Cambridge voted for the change in hope of breaking Everett’s hold on the title.

Overall, the Everett game was a very difficult loss for many of the players, especially the seniors. Many, such as Valley, felt sadness while taking one last look at the scoreboard and realizing that he “only [has] one game left of MHS football.”

MHS’s final game of the season is on Thanksgiving, Nov. 25, 2010 at McDonald Stadium against Medford High School whose football team is currently winless. The boys expect to make their last game of the season a meaningful one that is remembered.

Favre’s Follies Alfonse Femino Head of Sports

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t this point in time, it is beginning to look like nothing can go right for Minnesota Vikings starting quarterback, Brett Favre.

Off the field, Favre has been going through a Tiger Woods/Pete Rose sort of ordeal. Although the details of Woods’ scandal are not identical with those of Favre’s, they share a common structure. Future Hall of Fame athlete gets involved with girl that is not a wife; girl tells people; people tell the media; all heck breaks loose.

Fortunately, Favre’s scandal did not involve the smashing up of a SUV, nor did it involve a maniacal wife with a baseball bat. It did, however, involve a cell phone. To elaborate, two years ago in 2008, while playing for the New York Jets, Favre allegedly sent racy photos to a hostess that worked for the Jets. After being asked about the scandal at a press conference in October at the Minnesota Vikings training facility, refused to talk about the subject, saying “I’m not going to get into that. I’ve got my hands full with the jets and I’m trying to get my timing down with my [teammates].”

Although Favre has yet to be punished for his “unacceptable behavior,” by National Football League commissioner Roger Goodell, the scandal is being investigated, and could quite possibly result in a bitter ending to an incredible career.

When Favre is not avoiding countless accusations, he has been spending his time with various athletic trainers and doctors around the country. During a bout with his former team, the Green Bay Packers, Favre suffered a very serious ankle injury, fracturing it in two places. The fact that he has had multiple surgeries on that same ankle did not help Favre’s case. Favre refused to let the injury put a halt to his 291 consecutive starting game streak, as he decided that he was going to play against the New England Patriots, one of the strongest defenses in the league, just a week after hurting his ankle.

The game did not end up the way Favre hoped at all, as the Vikings lost 28-18, and to add injury to injury, Favre split his chin open, causing him to get 10 stitches, and to be removed from the game due to injury for the second straight week, and leaving the once heavily praised Vikings to a 2-5 record.

Clearly Favre is not having the best time of his future hall of fame career, but if his toughness in his last 291 consecutive games serves as any indication of how he can persevere, and he manages to circumvent Goodell and the media, we are sure to see the same 41 year old scrambling around the field and high fiving refs that we have all come to know.

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Sports http://www.maldenblueandgold.com/

Cheerleaders Place Third at GBLs

Cassandra Ulwick

Moss Madness Johanna Lai Reporter

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Brittany McFeeley Head Copy Editor Haley DeFilippis Copy Editor

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edicated” and “encouraging” are just few of the words that can be used to describe Malden High School senior cheerleader and tri-captain Cassandra Ulwick. Starting at a very young age, Ulwick has been cheering ever since her younger years with Malden Pop Warner. She carried on with her passion at MHS. Throughout her years here, Ulwick has played basketball, crew, and tried lacrosse. As a captain, she is greatly admired by her fellow cheerleaders. Junior cheerleader Carli Bellmer states, “she was a really great captain this season and she was very encouraging when the tension was high.” Ulwick’s favorite part of cheering this past season was watching her squad pull together for competition that took place on Oct. 31, 2010. Despite the fact that the squad did not move on to sectionals, she is proud of all of the girls for the work and effort they put into the competition.

Although Ulwick immensely enjoys cheerleading, Marymount Manhattan College, where she hopes to attend next fall, does not offer a cheerleading squad. Still, Ulwick is guaranteed a bright future ahead of her, as she has set future goals for herself, including the aim of majoring in communications, particularly in the public relations field. Ulwick reflectively stated her “favorite memory as a cheerleader would have to be the night before Thanksgiving [because] it’s such an exciting time before the big game.” This year’s Thanksgiving game is set to take place on Nov. 25, 2010 and will undoubtedly be a bittersweet day for Ulwick, as it will be her final game cheering.

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Haley DeFilippis Copy Editor

n Oct. 31, 2010, the Malden High School cheerleading squad participated in the annual Greater Boston League competition at Medford High School.

The girls were up against two other schools from their division; Everett High School and Somerville High School. SHS won first place, EHS second, and MHS with third.

Unfortunately, third place was not enough for the cheerleaders to move on to the next competition.

Despite coming in third place, sophomore Christy Ringdahl mentioned that “we’ve all worked really hard for competition,” later stating that “[her] favorite part was getting out on the floor the day of competition and doing [the] routine full out for the judges.”

With new head coach Diana Buounopane, eighth grade math teacher from Linden School, and senior captains Heather Thompson, Cassandra Ulwick, and Fredline Jean leading the team, Ringdahl

commented that the season has “gone really well” and “we did our best to work well together as a team with a new coach.”

What makes the team strong is the previous experience the girls have, most of them coming from Pop Warner and their “desire to make a name and positive reputation for Malden High cheerleading,” stated Thompson.

As captain, Thompson loves being “someone the girls can turn to for motivation and help” even outside of cheering. They also have almost an entirely new team; Thompson commented that “there are only about four or five of us from last year.”

Even though the girls will no longer be competing, their season is far from over. The cheerleaders will still be at all the home games as well as the annual Thanksgiving Day game and the pep rally for spirit week, which it the “most exciting time” stated Ulwick.

Top: Cheerleaders cheer for football players at the Everett game.

Bottom: Cheerleaders cheer for football players at the Bedford game. Photos

by Haley DeFilippis.

ormer New England Patriots wide receiver Randy Moss was traded to the Minnesota Vikings this season, but, as of Nov. 2, 2010, is being cut from the team. The cut occurred after Moss criticized the Vikings’ head coach, Brad Childress, and patronized the Patriots’ head coach, Bill Belichick, during a catastrophic news conference involving the Vickings 28-18 loss to the Patriots on Oct. 31, 2010.

Moss, whose first team in the NFL was the Vikings, was traded back to them for a third-round pick on Oct. 6, 2010, two days after the Patriots’ game against the Miami Dolphins. He was reunited with the Vikings for only 25 days, resulting in three disappointing losses and only one win for the team. Moss only played in four games, ran 174 yards, and caught 13 passes and two touchdowns during his return.

When Moss first returned to Minnesota, he was filled with excitement to once again suit up for the team for which he played from 1998 to 2004. The quarterback of the Vikings, Brett Favre, who was formerly lobbied with the Green Bay Packers, was surprised that Childress was able to bring Moss back to the team. Moss was brought back to the team to help increase their passing offense, which had lost another wide receiver, Sidney Rice, to a hip injury. Rice is now in the Steadman Clinic, located in Vail, Colorado, for recovery.

During the Vikings’ game against the Patriots, Moss was frustrated with the coach’s ways to apply Moss’ advice on how to attack the Patriots. Childress defended this approach, telling TalkRadio 790 KABC-AM, “I think we did a pretty good job of heeding it.”

He also answered the question of whether or not he regretted having Moss on the team. His reply to the radio station was, “Do I regret having him? Not at present I don’t, no.” While Belichick only reported that Moss was being cut from the roster due to disciplinary issues, Patriots play-caller Bill O’Brien acknowledged an incident with Moss two days before he was traded.

Moss also stated to the radio station about the Patriots, “Man, I miss those guys, man. I miss the team, it was hard for me to come here and play.”

With Moss off the team, the Vikings are now left with a choice to make. The choice would be either to activate Rice or put him into infrared light for his hip surgery.

While the Vikings are making that decision, Moss has been claimed for the Tennessee Titans, where he will bring his controversy with him.

24 Matthew Howe Timothee Pierre Reporter

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s a Malden High School student, senior Matthew Howe has played baseball, basketball, football, and golf, exemplifying his love for both sports and multitasking. According to his teammate, senior Kevin Valley, Howe is ranked at an impressive 97 out of 429 in his class. Like most seniors, Howe has a preference in terms of colleges: Howe would like to attend to Bridgewater State University when this school year is over.

Nobody likes to lose, and Howe is no exception. This season, his golf team made the state tournament for the first time, but unfortunately did not win. “We had a great year and just getting to [the tournament] is nice. I wish we had done better, but we did all we could,” senior Matthew Howe stated.

Currently, Howe plays golf, baseball, and basketball and though he loves all of them, baseball is his favorite. His sister, senior Shannon Howe, who plays field hockey, says he is a hard working individual and that they support each other by attending each other’s games.

Unlike other teenagers, Howe has few musical preferences. “I do not have a specific music artist that I like,” Howe stated. When Howe is not playing a sport, he might be watching his favorite movie, which, unsurprisingly, is sports-related: Coach Carter.

http://www.maldenblueandgold.com/

Golf Team Makes States Jacob Martino Reporter

Timothee Pierre Reporter

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he Malden High School golf team had a great turn around season this year. With a record of 6-2, the team blew the competition coming in second in the Greater Boston League behind Cambridge High School. This gave the team a chance to compete in the Massachusetts State Golf Tournament. The MHS golf team has never made to the state tournament in school history.

“This was much better season compared to the past ones,” junior Daniel Glynn stated. Junior Matteo Pocobene also commented, “It was by far the best season I have experienced during my high school career.” This was a huge opportunity for Coach Rick Malatesta, the seniors, and for everyone all the golf team. “We had a lot more success [as a team],” senior Ryan Donovan stated. “[This season] was much better.”

All the golfers were excited and ready to compete and maybe even take the home the state trophy.

“The feeling of making the state tournament was unprecedented, and one that I hope to continue on in the future, it was an absolute success overall,” commented Pocobene.

Senior Paul Nguyen prepares about to hit out of the rough during a golf match. Photo by Reginah Sanyu.

Aside from all the excitement, the coach and the player were full of nerves.

This has been Malatesta’s most successful season as a coach of the golf team, so one can only imagine how he was feeling going into the tournament, which included high school golf teams from all over the state. This was the final game for the seniors at MHS, so they were ready to leave the team with some excitement. “We are losing six out of our eight starting players,” Glynn explained.

Unfortunately for MHS, the

Field Hockey Bids Seniors Farewell Joshua Kummins Copy Editor

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espite a 4-13-1 final record, the Malden High School field hockey team made major improvements throughout the course of their 2010 season. Head coach and middle school teacher Susan Famiglietti was very pleased with her team’s performance this season. “[The players] are all dedicated to the team, have great determination, and they always play a clean game,” she stated. “I am very proud to call myself their coach.”

Famiglietti said that there are four games this season that stand out among the rest in her mind that show the team’s effort and improvements. In those games, the team showed outstanding effort through their hard work, but were not able to pull out a win.

Famiglietti points to a pair of games against Methuen High School as the best examples of their improved performance. In the first week of the season they lost 4-0, but midway through the season they came out against the same team and put up a much stronger fight. The team lost 2-1 in their second game against Methuen, but Famiglietti mentioned that “it was very exciting” to see the improvements.

This season’s team was very strong, but played a different formation than most teams currently use.

Instead of a traditional four-forward,

The Blue and Gold November 2010

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three-midfield, three-defense lineup, the team played five forwards to try to create more offense. “This formation gives us a stronger presence on the offensive end of the field,” Famiglietti said. However, the team “has to make adjustments when the ball gets into [the] defensive end.”

Both defense players, junior Kiara Amos and sophomore Jessalyne Brown were “remarkable” this year, according to coach Famiglietti, and will add leadership in the back half of the field in the 2011 season.

Next year, the team will be losing three midfielders; senior captains Mandy Liao and Renee Santo, and senior Patricia Aguinaldo. “All three have great endurance and stamina on the field,” Famiglietti stated. “[They] have a great head for the game and have great speed.”

Senior goaltender Shannon Howe will be difficult loss after two seasons on the varsity team. “She has a lot of experience and made some great saves for us,” said Famiglietti. “Replacing your goalie is always tough.”

Although the team will lose seven players, they will remain strong next season, thanks to junior varsity coach Kim Barber. Famiglietti said that Barber has done a great job in developing her younger players that could contribute at the next level. Barber feels that her team did well this season and she is looking forward to returning to a fun

season in 2011.

The program also added a middle school team this season, led by 1978 MHS graduate Deena Bello.

Bello said that the goal of middle school competition is “to learn the basic skills of the sport of field hockey, team commitment and team building.” She added, that sports build confidence and character for the players and that she will lead a fundamentally sound feeder program for the high school.”

With new talent already being developed, the future is bright for the MHS f i e l d hockey team to return to winning ways in 2011.

Sophomore Jessalynne Brown playing defense. Photo

by Sharon Lee.

team did not win – but the seniors are glad to say that they had made the tournament in their final high school year. When asked if any of the seniors will be playing golf in college, senior Matthew Howe stated, “I will play for fun but not for a college team.”

Pocobene stated, “I am going to miss [the seniors] a lot, I hope we can continue the success without [them].” Similarly, Glynn is a little nervous for the next year’s team because so many of the players that are graduating.

Shannon Howe Sharon Lee Head of Photography

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lthough senior Shannon Howe has been playing goalie for the past three years for the Malden High School field hockey team, she started out as a soccer player. Some of her friends persuaded her to try out for the field hockey team. Little did she know she would become an amazing varsity goalie for both her junior and senior years. For Shannon, “being goalie just seemed easy and natural,” she explained.

In the 2009 field hockey season, Howe was one of the 31 athletes selected as a Greater Boston League All Star. She hopes to be able to continue playing field hockey as a club sport when she attends college. She plans to major in social work, psychology, sociology, or any related fields at either Bridgewater State University, Framingham State College, or at Colby Sawyer College, where she is also applying for the Progressive Scholar Program.

Howe stated that Athletic Director Barbara Scibelli “is always there for anything I need,[whether] it is help on homework or supportive words.” Being part of the Captains Council has gotten Howe more involved with different service projects, including The Newland Street Tutoring Program.

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SPORTS http://www.maldenblueandgold.com/

Commitment + Effort = GBL Champs Patrick Keough

From left to right: Sophomore Dawit Aynalem, junior William Wong, senior Andrew Terenzi, senior Patrick Keough, head coach David Londino, junior Yusuf Mohamed, junior Eric Tran, and junior Christopher Li. Photos by Amanda Rosatone. ` Vicki Ngan Reporter

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couldn’t be more proud of the dedication and effort this team has shown all season,” beamed cross country coach and English teacher David Londino. For the first time in 40 years since 1970, MaldenHigh School cross country boys won the Greater Boston League title. With a record of 6-0, including the GBL opening and closing meets, the boys were flawless in victory.

Out of all the dual meets this season, an exceptional one was the victory over Somerville on Oct. 19, 2010 with a stunning score of 23 -34, making them the first team to break Somerville’s winning streak over the past couple of years. The “runners [each] knew [his] individual responsibility and fulfilled it to contribute to the team,” Londino explained. Another key factor that determined the success of the team this year was the firm commitment and good effort.

It began with summer running and seeped into October and November, where the runners practice six days a week with Sunday off. Rain, hail, or snow is typical weather in cross country and these dedicated members would still practice regardless of such obstacles.

Senior co-captain Andrew Terenzi and junior Yusuf Mohamed were among the top two runners this season. On Sept. 16, 2010 at the GBL opening meet in Cambridge, Terenzi had broken the record for that course. Then, on Nov. 30, 2010 at the GBL closing meet in Cambridge, Mohamed came in first place, winning the meet. “I am proud to live in Malden,” boasted Mohamed. Expected and thrilled that they have won the GBL title. Terenzi plans to continue cross country after high school. He joined the sport when he thought he did not have the coordination skills essential for other sports. But unlike Mohamed who had Terenzi as an inspiration, Terenzi had no such example. “I wanted to improve my-

self and lead my team to victory,” Terenzi explained. As for Mohamed, it is his first season in cross country.

As an ex-football player, he based his running off speed, which helped him prepare for the sport.

On Nov. 13, 2010 at the EMass State Meet, Mohamed came in 29th place in division one. “My hard work paid off,” explained Mohamed. Scoring next for MHS boys cross country, senior co-captain Patrick Keough finished 73rd place and Terenzi finished 116th. “Instead of coming in 16th, he came in 116th.

Our best runner had a foot injury,” explained Londino. Despite this, there has been a huge improvement in terms of points this season, with the boys scoring 495 instead of the usual 800’s. “I wasn’t happy with the overall team result, but I was happy with some individual performances,” Londino stated.

Ambitious and strategic, the team has already established their goals.

“The standard has been set, anything less than an undefeated GBL championship in 2011 will be considered less than desirable,” Londino stated.

Although the next cross country season is a year away, it is predicted that Somerville and Cambridge will always have a strong team in the race, but Medford in addition may prove to be a challenge with their promising young ath-

letes. It will be hard to adjust with Terenzi and Keough leaving and they will certainly not be forgotten.

However, this year’s cross country underclassmen have displayed great talent and leadership, laying out the playing grounds for MHS.Inthenext season, Londino hopes there will be talented athletes who will join and help earn the title of GBL champs of 2011 for indoor track.

“As long as I coach, this team will always be special to me,” Londino emphasized. This team is a family. All that they have done was for each other, aiming towards the same realistic goal and achieving it. The experiences they have gone through together of hardship and joy before and after their victories are something they will cherish forever.

Senior co-captain Andrew Terenzi making his way towards the finish line at the State Meet.

Lesley Ta Reporter

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atrick Keough, senior co-captain of the Boys Cross Country Greater Boston League champions, and fellow co-captain Andrew Terenzi, led the cross country team into victory against Somerville, Cambridge, Medford, and Everett, giving Malden High School its first boys cross country GBL title in 40 years. Both the MHS High student body and the members of the cross country team are thrilled.

“It feels great,” stated Keough. “I’ve been working for this since my freshman year. Now that I’ve led a team, and won, I’m just ecstatic.”

Continuing the family line, Keough gave the intense sport a try when he was a freshman. His father, who was also a runner, recommended that he try the sport. Hoping he had inherited his father’s abilities, Keough decided to try out for cross country.

Keough started out as a newcomer from linden middle school, working his way up to the title of co-captain as a senior. “My dad was always running.

I joined to find out if I loved it, and then I just fell in love with it,” Keough stated proudly. “My dad always liked running, so I tried it.”

With the school year heading towards the graduation of the class of 2011 rapidly, seniors are scrambling to find a perfect college. Meanwhile, Keough is enjoying his time in cross country before considering continuing his running career after graduating Malden High School. “If I get into a Division I school, I’ll probably not run,” he revealed. “If it’s a Division II or Division III school, I will run.”

Along with the senior status, Keough said that he will miss “the team, since it’s a family field. Everyone on the team is a [part of the] family.” Along with the senior status, he is vying for the Posse Scholarship. “My motivation is just having to push myself the hardest I can mentally, and physically,” he explained.

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Jessica Vo

Successful Season Ends

Kristen Leonard Reporter

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unning shaped my high school career,” stated senior Jessica Vo, who has been the co-captain of the girls cross country team since her junior year.

Besides cross country, Vo has been running indoor and outdoor track since her freshman year. Running has been a big part of her life because it influenced her personality. Aside from sports, Vo enjoys spending time with her friends.

Vo has applied to Boston University in Boston, Massachusetts; Bently College in Waltham, Massachusetts; and Suffolk University in Boston, Massachusetts. She would like to attend one of these colleges because she “wants to stay close to home” and wants to major in marketing. These colleges have programs that specialize in marketing, which was a major factor in influencing her decision as to where to attend. In the major of marketing, the company creates customer interest in a product or service.

Kristen Leonard Reporter

Amanda Rosatone Reporter

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he season for girls cross country was a success with the exception of the Medford meet in which [the team] was disqualified for running off the course,” stated English teacher David Londino. In the GBL meet, which happened on Oct. 3, 2010, the girls team came in second place. The top runners were sophmore Lauren Benoit also a member of the Blue and Gold, sophmore Haley Dowdie, junior Amber Polia, senior Cynthia Laurara, and senior and co-captain Jessica Vo. Beniot placed fifth overall and first for her team. Dowdie follwed right behind her placing sixth overall and second for her team. Polia placed 11th overall and third for her team and following right behind her was Laurara placing 12th overall and fourth for her team. Finishing up the top five, Vo came in 14th overall and fifth place for her team.

Co-captain and The Blue and Gold member Haley DeFilippis would have placed in the top five, but had to drop out of the race after the first mile due to to a cramp in her leg.

Londino has canceled the invitaionals which were scheduled to happen on Nov. 13, 2010 so the team can rest

From left: Senior Cynthia Laurore junior Amber Polia, sophomore Haley Dowdie, senior Jessica Vo, junior Haley DeFilippis, sophomore Lauren Benoit, and junior Anna Tse. Photos by Amanda Rosatone. up for the States competition.

The cancellation of the invitationals was a relief for the team and the chosen runners. The runners chosen to run at the states meet were senior Jessica Vo, senior Cynthia Laurore, junior Amber Polia, junior Anna Tse,sophomore Haley Dowdie, sophmore Lauren Benoit, also a member of the Blue and Gold, an junior Haley DeFillippis. Although the invitationals were canceled the runners had a good feeling that

Homecourt Disadvantage Joel Stevenson Reporter

Alexander Gennigiorgis Head of Business

Captains of the volleyball team, seniors Monika Bashllari and Barbara Santos, pose for a picture. Photo by Sharon Lee.

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The Blue and Gold November 2010

t was a tough year for the girls volleyball team, which ends its season with a record of 4-12. The debate about whether other teams had an advantage due to them being able to play on their home turf is still raging, as senior co-captain Monika Bashllari explained. “[It] was a tough season for us because we only had two home games, but nevertheless, we never gave up and fought our hardest each game,” she stated, adding that at times, “We were not

confident and during a game, once we saw that we were down by a couple of points, we put our heads down and lost concentration. Personally I think that is big factor.” It was not one of their most successful years, but they did not let this get them down. Being captain, she has tried her best to get help defeat those petty pleas by organizing nights for team bonding. The volleyball team “had a team dinner and...went to a Boston College volleyball game. It

was a really fun time because obviously volleyball is something we can all relate to.” Members of the team enjoyed the season, and the idea of returning next season motives even those who will graduate this spring.

The team’s final Greater Boston League game was hosted at Malden High School on Oct. 28, 2010 in the newly renovated gymnasium, after they had won the preliminaries against Somerville 3-0. The team lost the GBL game against the Cambridge volleyball team, which went on to face Everett, resulting in the end of the season for Malden.

Saddened to see the season end as it did, the team is inspired to give it their all next year. Sophomore Lisa Delacey explained, “We gained a lot of experience this year, which we can definitely use to win next [year].” The team as a whole feels little set back by their final scores, but not enough to put them out of the game. They are coming back with a vengeance next year.

With new ideas for next year already being sharpened, the team is planning to have a summer camp so that they can work on their techniques and plays so when the season comes around they will be more than ready. Knowing what they need improvement on each and everyone is willing to work out their kinks and have a great year. When asked about the team’s plans, head coach Dana Marie Brown said one word and one word only: “win.”

if they were to attend they would have still given their best to the race. “The cancellation of the States meet was good because there is now only one thing to focus on,” stated junior Haley Dowdie. As senior Jessica Vo stated, “ the cancellation gave us time to rest up and focus on the up coming States meet.” As cross country comes to a close, the coaches were very impressed with this season.

Monika Bashillari

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olleyball co-captain senior Monika Bashllari has had a huge impact on the team. This year has not been her most successful one, but she is still proud with the team and their hard work. As stated, “ [This year] has allowed me to meet the most amazing teammates.”

Starting off as a freshman, Bashllari played the sport she loves and has worked her way up to become captain.

As she stated, “[I] started playing volleyball freshmen year on the JV team. It was my first year playing volleyball on a team, but I knew I had always loved playing the sport.” There is little doubt that Bashllari has helped the team to become what it is today even though she feels that they are not doing as well as they could be. “I think this team had a lot of skills and communication with each other...I think our issue was confidence.”

Bashllari is saddened to see the team off as she is graduating this year.

She plans to major in Business Administration and Management. Despite a desire for a future in business, Bahllari still wants to continue her passion in her sport. She has already talked to volleyball coaches at colleges to which she is applying. She says that “[volleyball] is absolutely something I see myself doing during college and even beyond college.” Bashllari is saddened by the disappointing end to the season, but also thrilled to be part of the volleyball team, stating, “I wouldn’t change a thing.”

The Blue and Gold November 2010

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SPORTS http://www.maldenblueandgold.com/

KerriAnn Shuman

Kayla Bramante Head of Special Projects Senior Jessica Lopez playing against the Everett girls soccer team. Photo by Sharon Lee.

Change:

A Tough Goal to Score

Rebecca Broomstein Reporter

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ccepting a change is always difficult. Adapting to that change can be even more crucial. Malden High School girls soccer team underwent quite a few changes this past season, with new members of the varsity team, and more substantially, with a new coach, Lindsay O’Leary.

With a new coach come new customs. Breaking apart from traditional methods and manners can really tamper with the way an organization collaborates and conspires. Unfortunately, these teammates had some trouble adjusting to the new atmosphere, for a while.

Their season did not go as planned, resulting on only one win. “At first it was very difficult to adapt to a new coach, but after a short while we all became a family,” explained senior co-captain, Rita Cote.

Of course, the girls themselves are just as good as they have always been, their biggest problem being the new alterations. Cote added, “It took a lot of time to build chemistry on the field and learn to trust each others’ instincts,” justifying her team’s score. One would think that their 18 losses would damage their confidence, but the girls are as strong as ever. “The team definitely had some rough patches in the fun department,” staed Cote, “but ultimately we met our goal and enjoyed the season.” They act as a family, as more than a team, helping each other progress, to become more successful for next year. These losses have made them realize that

changes happen, and it is important to learn how to cope with them.

O’Leary has surely helped them develop new skills, that will come in handy next year, for their ultimate comeback. “Most of the girls used this past season to get comfortable in their new positions, so next year [the team] should be great,” Cote stated, already anticipatng next year’s season.

Although the team had an unfortunate season, they have a lot to offer. Their single victory against Dorchester, with a score of 7-0, shows how triumphant they truly are. With a score like that, there is no denying their strength as a team, and as individual players. Gaining new members can be tough when you have to adapt to the way they play. Every year, a team will gain new varsity member, no matter the sport. Perhaps, this season, the new girls have different style that varied more than ever.

There can be plenty of reasons the MHS girls soccer team had only exceeded minimal hopes for winning this fall, but it is evident that the most plausible reason to blame is change. Because the season is done for the year, all MHS can do is wish them the best for future seasons, and remember that they’ve accomplished an entirely vital trait any team should have: becoming a family.

Sophomore Stevie Klein dribbling the soccer ball down the field.

Photo by Sharon Lee.

Senior Jasmine Roach, sophomore Tina Ascolillo, junior Jessica Cotto, and junior Malorie MacDonald stretching before a game.

Photo by Sharon Lee.

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’m just looking forward to the future! The day high school ends, life finally begins,” stated senior KerriAnn Shuman, who has been only playing soccer since she was a junior. It is “[her] biggest high school regret” not playing since she was a freshman.

Shuman has also proven herself dedicated to Malden High School. She has been president of the class of 2011 since her sophomore year and ran for the girls outdoor track team last spring.

The girls soccer team all had laughs and memories to remind themselves how much fun the sport is even though it was not one of their best seasons. One of Shuman’s most memorable moments was when they were playing Dracut and the score was not so great, she went to “switch the field” and completely missed the ball and flung backwards on her neck. “I remember just laying on the ground as a Dracut player scooped the ball from beneath me and continued to play. When I got up I practically fell to the ground laughing at how ridiculous I had looked, and found my team mid game doing the same. I guess you can’t always take life so seriously!” Shuman stated. Her “main goal is to just attend college, meet new people, and begin to create for [her]self a very successful future full of wonderful people and new experiences.”

Outside of soccer, Shuman acts like a normal teenager: she watches movies, plays games, dances like no one is watching, and hangs out with a few close friends. Shuman’s favorite class her senior year is definitely psychology. “The class is stacked with so many great personalities that the environment is just so uplifting and energetic.”

After high school, Shuman wants to go to a college as far away as possible from Malden, preferably the University of Miami. “My main goal is to just attend college, meet new people, and begin to create for myself a very successful future full of wonderful people and new experiences,” she stated. Overall, Shuman is a well rounded student, just looking for the right path into her future and nothing is going to stop her.

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BOYS SOCCER SENT TO STATES

Abel Wasswa

Amalia Quesada Nylen Reporter

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Catherine Poirier Copy Editor

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he past few weeks, the Malden High School boys varsity soccer team has been working extremely hard, trying to achieve their goal of making the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association Tournament. “Truthfully, we thought that we weren’t going to make it when we were about 4 games below .500, but once we won a couple of games we started to pick up steam and realize that we could qualify for the state tournament,” sophomore, and captain of the team next year, Prince Mukala said. Four more games were all they needed to win in order to make it to states, and they did just that. The MHS boys qualified for the MIAA tournament on Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2010. Their 2-1 win against Everett High School put the team in good spirits for the upcoming weekend.

Crowds of MHS students, facility, and friends attended the make-it or break-it game for the team. During the first half, Everett scored their one goal, but that did not put the Malden boys down at all. They pushed forward, and scored two goals, giving them what they needed to enter the MIAA tournament. Sophomore Rafael DeSouza and junior Renaud Jean scored one goal each during the exciting game.

The last time the MHS Tornadoes made it to the MIAA state tournament was three years ago. They ended up losing in overtime, in a game versus Madison Park High School that year. Winning the match against EHS let them enter into the first round of the state tournament, playing the Acton-Boxborough High School Colonials on Sat. Nov. 6, 2010. “We went onto the field confident that we were going to win because we had to win 4 out of our last 4 games and we accomplished it, when we didn’t even think we were [going to] come this far,” sophomore Lucas Silva commented about the game.

Unfortunately, the Tornadoes lost to the Colonials in a well-fought match, which ended with a score of 2-0.

However, the team did not lose in vain, many of the players thought their last couple of games showed how far they had come as a team. “If I could go back and relive a moment in the season it would be beating Everett at the stadium, because it demonstrated how much we improved through the season, since we lost to them 5-1 in the first game, and then we beat them 2-1 in the last game; not only that but it put us in the state tournament,” senior captain Michael Rincon stated. “Out of my four years playing soccer at MHS, sincerely this was the best season of all and I’m sure other seniors agree on that. I’m going to miss having to go to Pinebanks every day after school for practice, or those bus drives with the family, because we were a family,” Rincon finished.

Go to our website www. maldenblueandgold.com to see a soccer slideshow

(Top to bottom-left to right) Sophomore Lucas Silva sprinting down the field with the ball. Senior Ryan Macedo running down the field during their game in Acton-Boxborough. Senior Kelvin Tsang looking to make a pass. Junior Josue Figueroa. Photos by Catherine Poirier.

The Blue and Gold November 2010

SPORTS

nyone who knows me knows I can’t stay away from Taco Bell”, confessed senior Abel Wasswa when asked about his favorite food. 17-year-old Abel Wasswa has been influenced by the game of soccer his entire life; whether it was watching it or playing with his family, it has always been his escape. “It takes my mind off a lot of things... I really don’t know how to explain it, but I just love it”, Wasswa stated. Wasswa comes from an Ugandan family, and is bilingual, speaking Lugunda as well as English. Almost everyone in his family plays soccer, including his the most influential person in his life, Wasswa’s uncle, who is also his role model. “He taught me everything I know and he is the father figure in my life”, Wasswa praised.Wasswa’s uncle also influenced Wasswa in areas such as music.

When asked about his favorite musician, Wasswa said, “Bob Marley, [because] my uncle always listens to him so I grew up listening to him.” Surprisingly, although surrounded by the game his whole life, Wassawa was late to playing soccer, starting when he was ten years old. He then played through high school, and plays for a club team after the high school season ends. Wassawa also plans on continuing his passion as he sets off for college.He is applying to numerous colleges, varying from Division 1 to Division 3 schools, and is also in the interview process for the Posse scholarship. As Wassawa looks back on his last soccer season Malden High School, he appreciates the training and the camaraderie he experienced from his team.