The Blue and Gold http://www.maldenblueandgold.com/
Malden High School Volume 95 Edition 7
Our 95th Year April 2010
MHS Artists Show Talent
MHS rowers/coxswains gather as one. Photo by Youth Rowing Coach Richard Whelan.
Monthly Profile: Brad Gelling
Sharon Lee Reporter Alexandra Mathieu Online Editor
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rom monochromatic self-portraits to pastel egg still-lifes, artwork completed by Malden High School students is laid on easels, hung up on walls, and displayed to the public in MHS’s 11th
Paintings hung at the Blue and Gold Gallery. Photo by Sharon Lee. Annual Blue and Gold Gallery. Eleven years ago, the Blue and Gold Gallery was founded by MHS art teacher, Maryann Seager.
At the time, she was only one of two art teachers at MHS, but she wanted to showcase the work of all of the art students. Alicia Fine, continued on page 8
Seniors are Stylin’
Nidale Zouhir
In This Issue: Catholic Church Sex Scandal page 8 The Blue & Gold Gallery Page 9+10 The Senior Fashion Show Page 11
Seniors Rachel Kirchner, Heba Khurram, and Casey Willcox. Photo by Haley DeFilippis. Haley DeFilippis Brittany McFeeley Head of Business
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Copy Editor
n the night of April 8, 2010, the Malden High School Class of 2010 produced an exceptional fashion show that incorporated all types of high-end dresses and summerwear, with a blast from the past all the way to the future. To start off the night, Master and Mistress Samuel Warton and Kellie Leonce introduced themselves and carried out a short skit on the history of “Maldonia.” They spoke of the dilemma of students failing to
complete homework assignments. In an attempt to resolve the issue, Principal Dana Brown organized a Senior Fashion Show, but it still did not solve the problem. However, the seniors highly enjoyed the night. To begin the show, participants modeled formal wear, which consisted of elegant dresses and classy tuxedos. Malik Blue and Lucinda Urias walked the stage first, modelContinued on page 11
Math teacher Brad Gelling/ Photo by Lynn Tran.
Junior Varieties Page 12 + 13 Casual Night of Theater Page 14 Bullying Laws Page 17 Boys Track Page 22 Lacrosse Page 24
Head of Local News
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alden High School math teacher Brad Gelling has photographs of his seventh-month-old son, Jacoby, all over the wall behind his desk in his fourth floor D-house classroom. And though Gelling says that having a son “hasn’t really affected [his] teaching,” Jacoby’s birth has caused a “much more visceral reaction to news of violence against children.” That said, Gelling has enjoyed the experience tremendously. “It’s great to experience the world through the eyes of a child,” Gelling stated. “Everything is fun.” This desire to have fun, even at school, is prevalent in much of what Gelling does; in the classroom, he is lighthearted and jokes around with his students. “He’s hilarious,” junior Jensine Ironuma stated. “He just continued on page 14
Opinion p.3 World p. 8 Local p. 11 Entertainment p. 19 Sports p. 21
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Editorials
The Blue and Gold April 2010
http://www.maldenblueandgold.com/
Glee: cultural Phenomenon Malden High School
The Blue and Gold 77 Salem St. Malden, MA 02148
EDITORS-IN-CHIEF David Riemer Ayoub Kourikchi MANAGING AND DESIGN EDITOR Lynn Tran COPY EDITING DIRECTOR An Holmqvist ONLINE EDITOR Alexandra Mathieu HEAD LOCAL NEWS WRITER Nidale Zouhir HEAD WORLD NEWS WRITER João Nascimento HEAD ENTERTAINMENT/ OPINION Brittany Foley HEAD SPORTS WRITER Alfonse Femino
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ad there been any chance that the word “glee” was on the list of words in danger of extinction, Fox has single-handedly reversed its fate with their soaring new show about a high school show choir. When the show debuted in Sept. 2009, it created some hype, but remained capped at around 7.5 million viewers each week. By the time the second season rolled around in April 2010, however, that number rocketed to over 21 million viewers. What happened? The word got out; new fans caught up and became engrossed in the craze. One might also ask how another borderlinemusical program about stereotypical high school life could possibly have become popular in an age when the 14-22 year old demographic exhibits a rapidly dissipating attention span. The answer— phenomenal execution. While many currently popular shows try to dramatize the “realism” of their characters’ experiences, Glee marks a new breed of show fusing musicality with a sagacious satire on the typical modern high school experience. Times have changed, and there are new issues which face America’s school children aside from the omnipresent threat of being shoved into a locker or where to sit at lunch. Glee modernizes and reprioritizes these problems, incorporating more of a focus on teen pregnancy, sexuality, peer pressure, discrimination, and high personal expectations. What sets the show apart from its contem-
HEAD OF BUSINESS Haley DeFilippis COPY EDITORS Dan Holmqvist Omar Khoshafa Xavier Leo Brittany McFeeley REPORTERS & PHOTOGRAPHERS Amanda Adams Lauren Benoit Kayla Bramante Christopher Brown Freddie DiPhillipo Natalie Fallano Alexander Gennigiorgis Megan Kelly Joshua Kummins Johanna Lai Sharon Lee Cristina Peters Catherine Poirier Brendan Provitola Reginah Sanyu Joel Stevenson Alicia Young Paige Yurek ADVISOR Ryan Gallagher Established in 1915 Check out our online edition: http://www.maldenblueandgold.com/
poraries is that its drama is more cognizant and absurdist, pointing out stereotypes and generalizations by highlighting them and immersing them in humor—Glee is a comedy; its goal is not to make you grieve over Ben breaking up with Amy. Though there are touching moments, such as when Quinn’s parents kick her out of the house for being pregnant, the circumstances aim to touch, not rip the audience’s hearts out, stomp on them, and flood the living room in a deluge of tears. The subtlety is appreciated. Did I mention the music? From week to week Glee produces stunning renditions and mash-ups of hit songs, revitalizing and reinventing them with their own unique flavor. After all, the show is about a rising new glee club, and since practice makes perfect, Fox ensures that there is plenty of music to go around. Despite the program’s witty storyline and whimsical characters, the show’s main attraction remains its music, and in under a year since its first episode, Glee has managed to accomplish some hefty feats. In Oct. of 2009, Glee surprised the musical world with its 1.1 million sales on iTunes, and the show’s most recent episode “The Power of Madonna” looks as though it will continue to improve the trend, sending Glee to the top of Billboard’s Top 200 Albums list. In just under a week the episode generated enormous sales, soaring up to number one in the United States, Canada, and Ireland for the cast’s cover of “Like a Prayer.” The show’s consistency is incredible, but with the vocal power of its cast, it is hard to believe anyone is really surprised. Comparable to the legendary Idina Menzel, Lea Michelle (formerly on Broadway herself) repeatedly sings her heart out each week as the uptight and high-maintenance Rachel Berry, star vocalist of the McKinley High School New Directions Glee Club. Not far off is Amber Riley (Mercedes), another vocal powerhouse, who sang her version of “And I Am Telling You” arguably as well as Jennifer Hudson herself. From Kurt (Chris Colfer) to Finn (Cory Montieth), from to Artie (Kevin McHale) to Tina (Jenna Ushkowitz), “Glee” has staggering talent and is sure to prosper in the seasons to come.
David Riemer Editorial Policy The Blue and Gold is an open forum for student expression. It is produced by students for the school and the community. The views presented in this paper are not necessarily those of the advisor or the school administration. The views presented in the editorials are those of the editors-in-chief or guests. The goal of The Blue and Gold is to inform and entertain students as well as the community regarding issues that we feel are important. We strongly encourage readers to respond to material printed in the form of signed letters to the editors. No libelous, malicious, defamatory, obscene, or unsigned material will be printed. The Blue and Gold reserves the right to edit the letters. Names may be withheld upon request. Not all letters will be printed. Although The Blue and Gold appreciates the support of advertisers, we may refuse any advertisement that violates the above policy or that promotes products questionable to student use. Any correspondence concerning this publication should be directed to Mr. Ryan Gallagher’s room in A103 or to his mailbox in the main office.
The Blue and Gold c/o Malden High School 77 Salem Street Malden, MA 02148
Co-Editor-in-Chief
Corrections:
on page 1 The Olympics Article is on page 19 on page 8 photo credit goes to Sharon Lee on page 13 photo credit goes to Lynn Tran and Sharon Lee on page 12 Bridget Furlong’s is a freshman and on page 20 her name is spelled incorrectly Corrections to the editor can be submitted to theblueandgold@gmail.com
Email corrections to theblueandgold@gmail.com
The Blue and Gold April 2010
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Opinion http://www.maldenblueandgold.com/
MMSI: What is right and what is wrong? An Holmqvist Copy Editing Director
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The AP Grant is meant to promote AP enrollment for all students. It is there so we can expand the program. However, it does not dictate that teachers should get paid more for better student performance. Where did this come from?
hen I was first delving into this article, I was dawdling under the assumption that the National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) was basically giving out free money. All of this money, only to be sent to teachers who work exclusively with the highest-achieving students in the school? This sounds and feels really strange. What about all of the teachers who are left to work with the kids who are struggling to get a passing grade? Should they not also get a chip of the money? Or is this whole thing about the AP Program really about money? No wonder why the Massachusetts Teachers Association was and still is incensed about it and clearly opposed. No wonder why people are so divided on the AP Grant, and on the "merit pay" to which it is often linked. The more I would question the real purpose of the Grant, the more incensed I would get. Why encourage more exclusivity for AP students, all of whom were once considered the real "cream of the crop" as MHS Transitions Coordinator Patricia Laidley called it? Undeniably, there are other hard-working students at the school. Why can they not get the same recognition for their efforts? How is it that teachers working tirelessly with non-AP students cannot get the same pay? That was where I stood just a couple of weeks ago. But as soon as I hit my reporter's notepad and research, I hit a completely different scenario. Every single one of the teachers at Malden High spoke in ardent support of the AP Program. Regardless of whether there were some issues with merit pay, everyone seemed to accept the flaw for
what it was. Even the teachers who primarily teach freshmen and sophomores generally supported the AP Program and noted clearly that they either consciously chose not to teach AP or that they accepted the terms and conditions under the Massachusetts Math and Science Initiative (MMSI). The AP Program's goals are legitimate. They work with the students from the bottom up. As AP classes are being more and more frequently offered to all upperclassmen and even tenth graders, the program has not, in fact, increased a culture of exclusivity, but has focused more on raising expectations for everyone, even while a student is in a CP class or an Honors class. According to MHS AP Literature teacher Jen Clapp, this multifaceted issue started up in the deep south (in Texas), where a school district wanted to improve their standards to welcome a new science cooperative that was coming to their community. The program was developed into what finally became the NMSI; a nationally recognized organization funded by many big names such as Exxon Mobile, the Gates Foundation, and Dell. The Grant across the country involves a lot of money - millions upon millions of dollars are set into motion for the benefit of students and teachers. You would think that this was a blessing for education. However, the NMSI hit a huge road block when they came to the Northeast. The program’s rapid expansion was halted by incensed opposition from the Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA), the state’s largest Teach-
ers Union. Due only to the financial Congratulations incentive, the MTA urged its affilito MHS Head ated high schools to withdraw from the program and successfulluy kept of Mathematics at least 5 schools from joining the Christine Nagle program. However, Malden High was in the process of expanding its who won the AP curriculum, and, collectively, NMSI’s wanted the Grant. As many will say, it also served us well. Many questions still stand, but few want to address them. Does the AP Program encourage the culmination of a meritocracy in the high school environment? Yes, and no. AP is not a higher standard that exemplifies the crest of high schoolers' intelligencies. Advanced Placement is an offering at many high schools across the United States in an effort to prepare the majority of high schoolers early on for college. AP does not imply that you are always smart and talented. And does this mean that merit pay for the teachers is okay? Many teachers in Massachusetts especially feel chills run down their spines when they hear just the words "merit" and "pay" in one sentence. However, as I have already explained, the financial incentive is not necessarily associated with the idea of "pay per performance." And even if the extra money still might seem like an inequality, it is a pill that the schools using the grant have to swallow hard. The AP Program could have been designed differently, but in the end, the gains made by our school as a result of the AP Grant far outweigh any losses. We should not have to turn it away just because of one small, but highly Christine Nagle with Junior Chang Li. controversial issue. In its second Photo by Dan Holmqvist. year at MHS, the Grant has helped. It probably will stay its course.
National All American Teacher Award for 2009
Math teacher Christine Nagle was recently nominated for the first annual National Teacher of the Year competition. The awards recognize “outstanding math, science, and English teachers for remarkable contributions to their students and the teaching profession.” The award, sponsored by the Math and Science Initiative, is given to teachers that participate in NMSI’s Advanced Placement Training and Incentive Program. Nagle was one of eighteen teachers selected across the country to attend an awards luncheon in Washington DC on May 18, in addition to receiving a cash prize. During their visit, teachers have a chance to tour the capital and will meet with their local representatives in Congress. According to the College Board and the National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI), just about all schools involved in the Grant have benefited from the extra support. The several dozen schools involved in the NMSI APTIP saw a 52% increase in students passing AP exams as compared to the national average of just 5.7%. Source: www.nationalmathandscience.org
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Opinion
The Blue and Gold April 2010
http://www.maldenblueandgold.com/
Community Bulletin
Letter To The Editor
Comic with Jeri Scibelli in jest with Co-Editor-in-Chief David Riemer
Hello Editors of The Blue and Gold, It has come to my attention that cyber bullying has peaked with the emergence of a new and popular website. called “Formspring.me.� The application lets online users basically admit questions in anonymity, therefore leaving room for a few select individuals to exploit that function and harass, humiliate, and patronize Formspring users. Although users are allowed to customize their settings as to limit these bullying texts, there are still a majority who don't out of concern that they'd be labeled as cowardly if they do not answer demeaning questions. The worst part is, these online bullies really cross major ethical borders with vulagarity, derogatory and racial remarks, and straight up hurtful things to Formspring users. Even if the users themselves decide not to answer the questions, the questions are still being read and received by human beings. Perhaps this could be a topic of exploration that the newspaper might find interesting to investigate since cyber bullying seems to be a hot topic these days. This issue is of big concern to me since bullying, even of the verbal kind, proves traumatic. I fear situations that occur online could really push a person to their brink and they might inflict harm upon themselves or peers. Formspring is a breeding ground for the emergence of a new type of bullying that allows for harrasment in anonoymity. Simply ignoring these spiteful messages is counterproductive. Formspring should at least recognize this issue and make it part of their agenda to address. Bullying in some states is a criminal offense to its users. by Junior Hong Chung
Send Letters to the Editor to theblueandgold@gmail.com
The Blue and Gold April 2010 Xavier Leo
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Opinion http://www.maldenblueandgold.com/
Copy Editor
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n today’s world, the “iGeneration,” commonly known as the young adults and teenagers of society, have found themselves living at a crossroads; we are witnessing the decline of print and the rise of technology around the globe. But is this sudden rise of technology positive? Some people may argue that it is not. In fact, media theorist Neil Postman put it quite bluntly in the title of his social commentary, Amusing Ourselves to Death. His argument stated that the general public has become too engrossed with new technology and is being consumed by what it has created. He believes that as a society, we need to actively engage our minds by perhaps reading a book or writing a paper, rather than passively engaging it and letting information be fed to us through television or the Internet. Postman also believes America has become a society symbolized by entertainment and television. He states that it is generally believed by many that public figures, including news anchors and even our very own president, must have some degree of “handsomeness” to supplement their success in their particular field and optimize their rate of success. Postman also notes three particular time periods and three cities that were successful in becoming living representations of America during that respective period. The first city he recognizes is Boston during the times of the rise of industry, then New York City as it rapidly became an epicenter for the flow and exchange of cultural ideas, and the last city he noted, which he believes to correctly represent America today, is Las Vegas. Nicknamed “Sin City,” it is a place devoted entirely to amusement; it is a city of flashing lights, fast lifestyles, and negligent spending. In Postman’s eyes, and in the eyes of his fellow supporters, it represents a decline in the intellectual state of America. The general public no longer wishes to challenge itself and think critically; instead he believes that the public has become disinterested in active mind engagement, choosing to be entertained while they lay back and soak it in. Others might state that with such a huge influx of technology in this modern era, it has become difficult to distinguish between what is a distraction and what is useful information. But who is the judge when it comes to making the distinction? Yes, there is indeed plenty of surplus information made available in several forms of multimedia, including podcasts, radio, and television, but even if that information—let’s say it is the most recent update on a Red Sox pitcher—is
Technology Takeover The iGeneration: Amusing itself to death or arguing with something Postman said?
not of particular importance to one person, it may be someone else’s job to look for exactly that information. All of these forms of technology cannot be geared towards one kind of audience; they must be fitting for everyone, and that is where the industries who focus their work on these forms of media can flourish. Any information made available to the public on these mediums must be relevant to somebody, because just about everybody is looking for something different. Therefore, it is difficult to make the argument that technology is playing too great a role in daily life, as whether or not a person believes that it is too influential is based primarily on their own experience, not on that of others. You may have noticed the increasing presence of technology in your own school or even across the world of education in general. Classrooms are being fitted with more and more modern technology, including interactive SmartBoards, updated computers, ceiling-mounted screen projectors, and even handicap buttons to open the classroom doors. Education has come a long way from dipping a pen into ink and writing a ten page history paper. When coupled with the personal touch that a teacher can bring to the classroom, all of these forms of technology become innovative tools to supplement their style of teaching and optimize the learning experience. Ultimately, the presence of technology in our daily lives and the degree to which we use it is a
personal choice. Some find it to be a tremendous advancement; they enjoy the capability to eliminate hours of research at a library or handwriting an essay by simply using the internet and typing their assignments. Others find technology more of an
annoyance, and would rather stick to old traditions. Whichever stance one takes, it is becoming increasingly clear that advancements will continue to be made, and technology will not be going anywhere anytime soon.
Get Your Prom Tuxedos Here!
6 West Virginia Mining Accident
WORLD NEWS http://www.maldenblueandgold.com/
HEALTHCARE PASSED Chris Brown Reporter
Freddie DiPhillipo Reporter
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onday, April 5, 2010, a serious coal mining explosion killed several miners in West Virginia. Rescue officials claim that this has been the worst mining accident in American in 25 years, since Dec. 19, 1984 when 27 miners died in Utah. Four miners are still missing as of April 6, 2010 in West Virginia, and they are expected to have been killed in the explosion. There was a high level of methane, so serious, that rescue crews can not even get to other miners. This explosion in the West Virginia mine happened around three in the after noon, Monday, April 5, 2010. Several miners have already been pronounced dead; the death toll stands at 25 as of April 6, 2010. The company name of the mine is Masey Energy Company, which employs 200 miners. There were three groups of miners that were affected by the explosion. All communication lines were down, however about 20 ambulances were dispatched to the scene. Rescue crews have not been able to enter the mine due to the unsafe conditions, although they are drilling holes in the ground above to ventilate the mine from the methane in for the four missing miners if they are still alive. Families of the workers were along side with the rescue units. Nearby churches have been opened their doors for the families of the missing miners. 25 miners have been killed in the accident, and only 11 of them have been pulled out of the mine and identified. As of April 8, gas levels are still too high for rescue crews to enter the mine.
The Blue and Gold April 2010
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n March 23, 2010 President Barack Obama finally ended months of heated debate in Congress by signing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (better known as “the healthcare bill” or “healthcare reform”) into law. By signing the bill, Obama finally achieved a major milestone towards healthcare reform that was attempted back in the 1990s when former President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary Clinton unsuccessfully lobbied to pass universal healthcare. The new law will disallow insurance companies to deny anyone coverage based on pre-existing conditions. It will also allow children to stay on their parents’ health plan until they are 26 years old. Tens of millions of people will be eligible for tax credits to help pay for care based on their income. Citizens will be able to keep existing coverage that they are pleased with if they should choose to, they will not be forced by government to get a new plan and insurance companies cannot raise prices if they become sick. People will also be able to buy insur-
ance from other states, if the state is part of an interstate compact and government will not force a certain plan on anyone. Small businesses will benefit from the bill because contracts will be required to be written in simple language and businesses can pool with others to buy insurance. People on Medicare will not lose benefits, actually, they will gain more and everyone will likely pay less for health insurance overall. Congressional Republicans who were in opposition to the bill are still fighting, this time to repeal the bill. According to polls, Americans are split almost directly in the middle when it comes to the new law. Some supporters may claim the opponents of the bill are overreacting and resorting to “child-like” behavior, such as South Carolina Representative Joe Wilson who shouted “You lie” to the President while trying to clear misconceptions about the bill, as well as Texas Representative Randy Neugebauer who yelled “Baby killer” at a fellow Congressman at a healthcare speech. Opponents claim that the bill will add to the deficit and make Americans pay more taxes. In fact, some opposed to the bill associate themselves with an
ongoing organization to protest the bill called the Tea Party movement. The name is based on the Boston Tea Party in which revolutionaries protested British taxes. This movement, however, protests the bill that they believe will greatly increase taxes. The majority of the movement consists of wealthy, well-educated white men, studies have found, and they are mostly, if not all in some way Republican or conservative. Key Republicans have appeared at rallies including former governor of Alaska Sarah Palin and former Colorado congressman Tom Tancredo. Some in opposition to the bill even went as far as to threaten congressmen who voted in favor of it by vandalizing homes and even sending a coffin to one representative. A California man was even arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and officially charged with sending death threats to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, he was denied bail by a judge in fear that he would actually attempt to assassinate Pelosi. Whether it is liked or hated, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is arguably one of Obama’s principal achievements in office.
Chechnya shocks moscow Again Megan Kelly Reporter
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hen one hears the term “suicide bombers,” images of the Middle East appear in one’s mind due to the stereotypes that have been formed since 9/11. On March 29, 2010, two suicide bombers attacked Moscow’s subway system, killing 38 civilians and injuring 60 others. The culprits are believed to be two female suicide bombers working for a terror organization in the Russian republic of Chechnya.
A yearly overview of terrorist attacks in Russia
At 7:56 AM, as workers where making their daily commutes at the Lubyanka subway station, the first bomb was detonated. Forty minutes after the first bombing, Park Kultury subway station was also attacked by a similar method. The female bombers are now known in Russia after their earlier attacks in 2003 as the “black widows.” They are usually women from Chechnya who have been victimized during the wars that have taken place there in the past two decades. Chechen rebels have been using acts of terror to push their political views since 2002 when they took 800 hostages in a Moscow theater and then killed six of them. Suicide bombings also became another technique they use when they bombed Chechnya’s Government headquarters in the capital city of Groznyy the same year with a death toll of 72. Much of Chechnya’s history with Russia is mainly disagreements on who controls the people and land. During the Russian Civil War when the power of the Russian Tsars fell and Communism controlled the country’s politics the Caucasus region changed hands between several of the armies that fought in the revolution. The new government abused its power during World War II (WWII) when they deported the Republic of Checheno-Ingush-
etia’s entire population, which was sent to Kazakhstan for their alleged cooperation with invading Nazi Troops and replaced with Russian citizens. Mainly the deportees were children and sent away in freight cars. When many Chechens resisted the Russian Army used violence to control them, one time locking over 500 people into a barn and burning them to death. For forty years Chechnya had remained calm besides for some disagreements with Russian Officials. The attacks during WWII were acknowledged in 2004 by the European Government as an act of genocide of the Chechen and Ingush people by the former Union of Soviet of Socialist Republics. The reason behind the Chechen rebel’s fighting is not based on religion like many other terrorists. Chechnya, since 1994, has fought two wars for their independence from the Russian Federation, leaving the land a wasteland along with a whole generation of Chechen children with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) from the wars. With 100,000 deaths from the first war alone Chechnya has lost many lives and the battles being fought continuously on their soil allows them no time recover, allowing them to slip into poverty. The body count of the Second Chechnya War is continuing to rise and so is the anger of the Chechen terrorists, who are revealing the depth of their anger with attacks on Russian citizens.
The Blue and Gold April 2010
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WORLD NEWS http://www.maldenblueandgold.com/
Iceland’s Volcanic Ash Cloud Causes Chaos Omar Khoshafa
Across the Atlantic
Copy Editor
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yjafjallajokull (translated to the Island Mountain Glacier) erupted on April 14, 2010 in Iceland, spewing tons of volcanic ash into the atmosphere. This was not the first time the volcano erupted this year, as it did give a warning in late March with strong eruptions that gushed out lava for hundreds of tourists to see. Unfortunately, the volcanic ash that was discharged by the volcano has hindered European air flight for nearly two weeks after its eruption. The volcanic ash from Eyjafjallajokull was ejected 30,000 feet in the atmosphere, where strong atmospheric northeast winds have carried the ash away into Europe. The reason for the halted flights is the fact that the ash from this particular volcano is unique from that of others. Water from the volcano’s surface (previously ice) has combined with the explosions inside of the volcano to expel the volcanic ash even further. The material released from this volcano is composed of a mixture of minute particles of volcanic glass and volcanic ash, which, when in
contact with an airplane engine at 2000˚ Celsius, causes particles to remelt into lava and cause any aircraft severe engine failure. With the global infrastructure more reliant on air travel than ever before, these disruptions to air travel will definitely create more economic woes for both airline companies and passengers alike. Although this crisis lasted for relatively one week, airline companies alone have lost over $1.7 billion worth in tickets. This monetary loss is not the whole picture, as millions of stranded passengers were trapped in European countries, causing delays to a myriad of private and business plans of many potential passengers. Some environmentalists expose the bright side to this “dark” crisis, as CO2 emissions have declined by over 60 percent in the European atmosphere, according to data from the independent British research group RDC Aviation. Currently, commercial air flight has accounted for 2 percent of all global CO2 emissions, and even if airplanes are becoming more fuel efficient, air traffic
Map locating erupting Iceland volcano, ash cloud and European countries affected. MCT 2010 is still increasing by nearly 5 percent every year. This suggests the CO2 emissions will continue to increase over the years, and if the world is to stop global warming, the global
community will need to pay attention to the massive impact modern transportation is having on our environment.
New Osama Bin Laden Tapes Surface Paige Yurek Reporter
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nfamous Al Qaeda chief and most wanted man on Earth, Osama bin Laden has stirred controversy and terror once again with recent audio tapes discussing the United States' economic problems, challenging President Barrack Obama's capabilities, and strangely, pinning the global warming crisis on the United States. Delivering his skepticism about the future of the U.S., bin Laden stated, “President Barrack Obama has received a heavy inheritance from George W. Bush: two wars and the collapse of the economy. If he withdraws from the war, it is a military defeat. If he continues, he drowns in economic crisis." Clearly, this is the issue for Americans domestically, but bin Laden seems to think he has a brilliant solution for both improving the economy and ceasing global warming: stop consuming American goods. Bin Laden encouraged the world to stop imports and exports with America, and by doing so, claimed America's economy can "improve" and global warming can come to a stop. “This is possible if the peoples of the world stop consuming American goods and we must stop dealings in the dollar and get rid of it as soon as possible,” bin
Laden stated, dismissing the fact that global warming is defined as an increase in the temperature of the entire earth’s atmosphere because of widespread pollution, not just specifically confined to the US. According to some Malden High School students, it seems like bin Laden is searching for excuses so he can gain support from peoples of the world to turn on the US. Sophomore Skye MacDonald says, "Osama bin Laden really does not like the United States, and I think he feels like since we're so industrial that it's all our [Americans'] fault for global warming. Also, I think bin Laden is looking for reasons to convince other countries to exile and stop trading with us, so that we can crash and burn, and become less powerful." MHS Sophomore Jessica Sanford also has her doubts about bin Laden's statements, "Personally, i think his theory is rather arbitrary considering that there is no current successfull society that doesnt trade internationally. His prejudice to the US and alleged involvement in the 9/11 hi-jackings discredits his opinion severely. Why would he want to help the US?" Fellow MHS Sophomore Suzanna Powers voiced her opinion on
Caricature Portrait done by Reporter Sharon Lee. the topic as well, stating, "It almost seems like Osama is just looking for attention. I mean sure, we're still looking for him but, we're trying to get the American troops out of there as soon as possible and now he wants to throw himself back in. We're trying to form a plan to get our troops back starting in 2011. So now, it's almost as if he's just crav-
ing the spotlight. He needs to realize that the United States could care less about his 'political advice.'
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WORLD NEWS
The Blue and Gold April 2010
http://www.maldenblueandgold.com/
Catholic Church Sex Scandal
Natalie Fallano Reporter
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hen the Catholic Church has been mentioned on the news over the last few years, stories of priests across the world molesting and abusing children have continually coming to the forefront. Recently, more cases have arisen as more and more people have been coming forward with accusations, and people all over the world have been asking themselves what the Church is going to do about the situation. Christians are now pointing fingers at Pope Benedict XVI, who has the most authority in the Church, to take action by making sure priests who are charged with abuse and molestation are banished from the Church. Catholics and most others believe it is the Pope’s duty to put an end to this mess and take more preventative measures. One of these cases involves the late Father Lawrence C. Murphy, a Roman Catholic priest that worked at St. John’s School for the Deaf in
Milwaukee for 24 years. Over 150 men have made allegations that they were sexually abused by Murphy during their stays at the school. Many complaints about Murphy were made by the St. John students between the years of 1955 to 1958. He was then removed by Father David Walsh, who was stationed in Chicago as chaplain of the deaf, who wrote to the then-Archbishop of Milwaukee, Albert Meyer. Murphy was then removed from the school after admitting to the charges, but was allowed to return to the school in later years. His second stint did not prove to be a welcome one, as he endured years of accusations and torment from students at the school. The controversy that is increasing the exposure of this case is recently released information by The New York Times that Pope Benedict XVI might have known about Murphy’s misconduct at least a few years before Murphy died, but never took any action to remove him from the priesthood.
Jihad jane Surprises America Alicia Young Reporter
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errorist attack upon terrorist attack; the media displays videos, letters, pictures each with a new motive against America and its citizens. Stereotypes have developed of terrorists being dark skinned bearded men, but recently a new attempt at terrorism shows a “call for expanding the profiling process” stated blog. dawn.com. A blonde-haired blue eyed female, Colleen LaRose, 46, has been accused of attempted murder and aiding of terrorists. Internet-produced tapes including other evidence prove that she allegedly helped to recruit terrorists all over the globe. She seemed like a normal woman from Pennsburg Pennsylvania, though some neighbors called her “weird” and “crazy” because she would occasionally talk with her cats. Kurt Gorman, her boyfriend of five years, who is also from Pennsburg said he did not know of any Muslim relations and neither did the FBI until they began investigating in July 2009, because of an appearance of a YouTube video. In 2009 a YouTube video surfaced showing LaRose talking about being “desperate" to help Muslims. "I will make this my goal till I achieve it or die trying," LaRose
wrote to the man she agreed to marry when he told her through an e-mail about Lars Vilks and how he should be punished. Vilks is a Sweden cartoonist who drew the Prophet Muhammad with the body of a dog, something extremely offensive to Muslims such as LaRosa. There is no apparent evidence that she ever made it to Sweden, but she did write to recieve residency there. Vilks is under constant body guarding because LaRosa is not the only one after him and there is also a reward offered by many members of Al Qaeda for his capture and even death. LaRosa is the first American woman to be charged with working with terrorists, demonstrating how increasingly verstatile terrorist threats and attacks have become. She was asking other females to help with her cause. She asked women who had passports to bring male Muslims here as husbands and work with them to commit acts of terror. Now the United States has ordinary, unsuspecting citizens (even women) to worry about; some who do not even practice Islam regularly.
Both Pope Benedict and his older brother Georg Ratzinger were caught up in the scandal in Germany, which is the Pope’s homeland. The current archdiocese of Munich said that a priest accused of molesting boys was given therapy in 1980 and later allowed to resume his duties before committing more abuses and being prosecuted. Pope Benedict XVI, who at the time headed the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising, approved the priest’s transfer for therapy. Two major allegations of child molestation among the Irish clergy last year revealed the shocking extent of abuse and cover-ups involving thousands of victims that stretches back for decades. The bishops in these cases looked away and ignored these cases of abuse. On March 20, 2010 the pope apologized to all the victims of child sex abuse in Ireland, but did not apologize to any other countries or former victims of abuse. Over the past decade, the
numbers of victims of sexual abuse from priests have skyrocketed over the last few years as the victims themselves have finally begun to step forward. The Catholic Church has been losing faithful members and has been embarrassed by the entire ordeal. This controversy has brought the resignation of many embarrassed priests and bishops who have been accused of covering up abuse. Now that Holy Week and Easter have passed, the most in important time of the Catholic Year, the Vatican and Pope Benedict are ready to address this issue further. Vatican sources say that in June, at the climax of the International Year for Priests where the pope will be meeting thousands of clergymen from around the world, he is planning to make a worldwide apology for the victims of abuse by Roman Catholic priests. The Vatican and the pope hope the apology and penance will defuse the anger of abuse claims worldwide.
A Financially-Crippled Greece Seeks Aid From Neighbors Alex Gennigiorgis Reporter
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ears of useless spending, cheap lending, and failure of enabling financial reforms has ended up with Greece being exposed to global economic decline. This revealed dramatic debt levels and deficits that exceeded limits set by the eurozone. The debts total up to about 300 billion euros ($413.6 billion), which is sadly larger than the country's economy. An accurate description for the economic crisis would be, for example, a man earns 10,000 dollars a month and spends 12,000 dollars a month. This would mean that the man is spending 120 percent of what he makes, leaving him with a huge deficit and sooner or later the debts will be to high to pay, which is what has occurred in Greece. Greece's assessment of its ability to repay its debts has been denigrated to the lowest in the eurozone, meaning it will most likely be viewed as a financial abyss by foreign investors. The effects of this leave Greece striving to resist debts and interest rates from rising. Prime Minister George Papandreou and the Greek government have already demolished all pre-election promises and must implement harsh and unpopular spending cuts. Greece has broken many eurozone rules on deficit management and financial markets are expecting Greece will default on its debts, which reflects the credibility of the euro in a negative way. There are also possibilities that financial doubts will affect other nations that are also not economically stable, such as Portugal and the Republic of Ireland. If Europe needs to repair the economy to rescue
packages involving important bodies such as the International Monetary Fund, then the euro currency's reputation would risk further damage and could lead to a substantial fall against other key currencies. Greece has taken huge steps to improve the economy, such as proliferating taxes on fuel, tobacco, and alcohol, also, raise the retirement age by two years, enforcing public sector pay cuts, and applying resilient tax evasion regulations. Greek citizens, as well as citizens all over Europe, are very much unhappy with the way the economy is. In fact, there have been warnings of resistance from various sectors of society. Workers all over Greece have staged strikes closing airports, government offices, courts and schools, and there is seems to be no end of these oppositions until the economy in Greece has been re-stabilized. All 16 countries that make up the eurozone have created a rescue plan for Greece. The so called "last resort" will involve loans from countries within the eurozone, as well as funds and technical assistance from the International Monetary Fund. According to a statement on the European Union website, a majority of the eurozone countries will most likely contribute an amount based on the country's Gross Domestic Product and population, in the event that Greece needs support after failing an attempt to access funds in financial markets. Germany will be the main contributor along with France. However, any European-based loan package requires a 100 percent approval of European Union members, meaning any eurozone country would have the power to veto.
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Sharon Lee Reporter Alexandra Mathieu Online Editor continued from page 1
Some of the featured artwork at the Blue and Gold Gallery were created by many AP studio students. The pieces on the left (from top to bottom) were created by Seniors Jillian Ceplinskas and Diana Joseph. The pieces directly above (from top to bottom) were created by Seniors Olivia Kahn, Meredith Murray, and Lauren Montgomery. Phots by Sharon Lee.
this year’s Advanced Placement studio teacher, proudly stated, “It is Ms. Seager’s vision that has the Blue and Gold Gallery show one of the foremost student exhibitions. Very few schools hang [artwork] in actual frames in a professional working space.” Located in the plaza of Commerce Place at 350 Main Street of Malden, the artwork will continue to be on display for another month thanks to the support and generosity of their host, John Preotle. Preotle, who owns the building, has taken such a strong liking to the work of the MHS students that he installed a new, gallery-style, hanging system to enhance the gallery and make it easier to display all of the work. In beneficiary style, Preotle has also decided to supply all of the refreshments for the event, which used to financially cripple the Fine Arts Club in the past. The entire art department at MHS shows their gratitude and excitement towards the event by putting in their time and effort to making these masterpieces and then setting them up for public viewing. The artists range from all levels of visual arts courses such as Studio I, Studio II, Studio III, Studio IV, AP Portfolio, and Calligraphy, however they are not the only ones that participate in the event. The members of the Fine Arts Club have been a great deal of help with sponsoring the event and providing money to frame the pieces and other supplies to firmly keep them on display. Their whole preparation began at the beginning of the year when they first arrived in the studio classes keeping in mind that on April 14th their work would be displayed to hundreds of admirers. The arrangement of the gallery has changed this year in order to showcase more of the art. In past
years, the art used to be organized with the AP Studio work out front and work from the other studio classes, in descending order, would be placed deeper in the building. Now, the gallery still displays the AP work in the front, however, the other pieces are categorized by medium: all sketches are together, all photography pieces together, etc. This year, about 300 pieces of artwork are on display and some, with the artists’ permission, will be given a price and sold on the night of the Gallery. The majority of the money that is earned from each painting goes to the artist but there is a minor $5 donation to Adopt a Gallery. The Adopt a Gallery program is basically an effort to help recover from the expenses the Fine Arts Club took care of in order to get the show up and running. Unlike previous years bookmarks and magnets will not be sold; for publicity, the Fine Arts Department has created promotional tools like posters, postcards, and buttons. It is the first year that they have sold buttons, but it has the public excited to see the amazing artwork. Another new addition to the gallery is items that will be raffled off. Nancy Wilson, a famous painter and watercolorist, has generously donated one of her pieces as one of the raffled items. The money that is raised will be going to the first K-12 art show called “Many Faces of Malden.” This art show will present work done by elementary, middle school, and high school students together. Seager indicates how she would like to raise $500 for that gallery. Despite worries of a different gallery, all of the small changes and nuances only make the gallery more special. “I’m always so happily surprised to see all of the beauti-
ful artwork the kids make,” Seager states contentedly. This year is no different; the spectacular work created by all of the students is truly remarkable and deserves the gallery it is given.
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The Blue and Gold April 2010
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The Blue and Gold Gallery
Painting By Jimmy Vo
Painting By Linda Tran
Painting by Ka Lai Yuen
Painting by Ngoc Doan
Painting by Landy Joseph
Painting by Thayota Yogendran
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Haley DeFillipis Head of Business Brittany McFeeley Copy Editor
continued from page 1
ing a fashionable light blue dress. The next couple to go was Aaron Gladden and Jillann Ceplinskas. Martin Doan danced down the runway with his partner Jenny Woo and gave her an adorable high five on the stage. After Doan and Woo, former The Blue and Gold member, Paul Collins strutted down the runway in his pink tux with Marissa Gould. Next, his twin brother, Robert Collins, strolled down the runway with Nicolette Tallent – Maldonado, followed by David Console and softball captain Jenn Tamindzija, with Warton and Nicole DiPlacido right behind. Following these energetic
couples was Eddie Dorisca and president of the senior class, Stephanie Apollon. Despite the height difference, these two had a blast as the cameras were flashing as they paraded down the runway. The next to model were Elaine Tam and The Blue and Gold Editorin-Chief David Riemer. As they were passing each other, Riemer got down on one knee and proposed a flower to Tam, which received many cheers and claps. Afterward came Herbens Antenor and Jillian Dervishian. The final couple to go was Blue and Heba Khurram. As they walked the stage, Blue presented a flower which Khurram pondered as to whether she should take it or not, leaving Blue on his knees and the crowd in laughter. After the formal wear presentation, Brown announced the raffle winners. During this time, Francy DeMontigny from Dracut and aunt of MHS Senior and Fashion Show participant Ceplinskas, won multiple prizes and baskets that left the crowd in awe. Another multi-raffle winner was Nurse Maureen Vona who went home with two MHS senior yearbooks. Next, fashionable casual dresses and laid-back outfits were presented in “Summer Wear.” Lucinda Urias came out first to model
a white sundress with Ketsia Fevrin who wore a brown dress with yellow flowers. When Riemer walked the runway with Rachel Kirchner and Victoria Preston, he received a kiss on the cheek from both of them. After, Warton reappeared wearing a blue unbuttoned shirt that revealed his chest and the shortest of shorts that would have gotten him suspended from school, according to Brown. Alongside him was Ceplinskas wearing an endearing green and white striped dress for the beach. Gladden came back fully dressed as a lifeguard in a red bathing suit, a red t-shirt, and a whistle hanging around his neck. Casey Willcox joined him down the runway, wearing a grey summer dress. Once at the end of the stage, Willcox acted as if she was drowning, and Gladden blew his whistle, threw her over his shoulders, and ran off the stage. Stephany Jean followed with Console, Elaine Tam and TallentMaldonado, Gould and Dervishian, Tamindzija and Blue, Woo, Apollon, and Toledo were the final models in summer wear. After the summer wear preview, the next type of fashion started from the age of “Maldonia” all the way to the future. Modeling togas were Warton and Tam, followed by a 1930s gangster look from both of
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the Collin twins. Next were Gould and Ceplinskas, who were modeling a look from the 1950s. Following Gould and Ceplinskas were Kirchner, Khurram, and Willcox, modeling 1970s wear with classic tie dye and neon clothes. With hairspray in hand, Preston and DiPlacido modeled the classic 1980s look with pink and lime green leggings. After the 1980s style, Jean and Leonce modeled 1990s style clothing. Modeling off present wear were Console and Doan, who modeled the preppy look, and Dorisca, and Apollon, who were dressed in purple. Right off the time machine, were Tamindzija and Maldonado, the last participants to model. When the fashion show came to an end, the show was awarded with a standing ovation. Doan stated that his favorite part was “walking the runway because that is what I do. I like to please people, that is my thing.” Shakurus Semexant concluded, “It was great, a lot of people missed out.”
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The Blue and Gold April 2010
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Junior Varieties Brings Out the Paparazzi Nidale Zouhir
Joao Nascimento
Head of Local News
Head of World News
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he 70th annual Junior Varieties at Malden High School was simultaneously the most creative and provocative in recent years. Months in the making, with some groups’ practices beginning as early as September, this year’s JVs was one of the most tumultuous ever, as the auditorium was undergoing the 3 million dollar renovations during most of the weeks leading up to it. “Sometimes we would have practices but we wouldn’t know where they were being held,” explained junior Andy Lam. “It was really unorganized,” agreed junior Huy Le. “But we pulled it together and it was one of the best nights of my life.” “The days leading up to the show were a little stressful as the show was not entirely put together yet,” junior Andrew Chen stated, with fellow junior Kyra Savlidis adding that “Practices were long and time consuming, but we had a lot of laughs throughout the whole thing.” Essentially, “JVs this year was one of the hardest to manage because we didn’t have an auditorium and we ran late. This means that the sports tryouts and JV practice (the week of) ran simultaneously. Many performers were late or missing and Mr. Fam and Mr. Brown was so mad. Yet, everyone still stuck together and tried to make our show the most organized Junior Varieties,” stated junior Patricia Aguinaldo. “And I think we succeeded.” Despite the nerve-wracking disorganization of the making of the show, the show, entitled “Starstruck,” was nearly flawless, including celebrities and Hollywood life as a central theme. MHS students, such as junior class president Kerri Shuman, dressed up as famous pop culture icons to introduce each act, which was set up as an awards show. The first act set the tone for the night. With hosts Andy Lam, Jessica Vo, and Savlidis, the first act was packed with energy that came from beautiful singing performances and extremely entertaining dance routines.
Left to Right: Heather Thompson as Justin Bieber, Brandon Knight as Adam Sandler, Jessica Lopez as Ryan Seacrest, Brithney Joseph as Tyra Banks, Kisla Rami as Jordin Sparks, Francesca Richardson as Taylor Swift, and Cera Nolan as Hannah Montana (All Juniors)
The Blue and Gold April 2010
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Acts included the highly-applaused Wolf Pack, which included Shuman, who explained, “I found myself always wanting to do something really funny and crazy with my friends while making a lot of money for the junior class.” Cera Nolan, a one-time member of The Blue and Gold staff another member of the Wolf Pack said that, “Leading up to JVs...everyone had fun practicing and hanging out together everyday, It’s sad that it ended but we made good memories.” The highlight of the night, however, was Sheila Rachels, a junior who stunned the audience with her spectacular Broadway style voice and drew standing ovations on both nights of her performance. The talk in the MHS halls on the following days was about Anthony Munro, Jeffrey Chabre, and Jeffrey Blanc, a trio of friends who created a provocative dancing routine titled “Single Fellas.” Throughout the end of their performance, the boys ripped out their clothing, revealing an ensemble of tight underarmour that left very little to the imagination. At the end of the night, the ensemble cast of the show paid a homage to Class of 2011 adviser Arlene Ceppeteli, who held back tears when receiving a large bouquet of flowers. The audience that filled the packed Jenkins Audotirum left satisfied, with a girl from a different high school even vowing that she would “return next year, because no one puts on a show like Malden High School.” Jefferson Puerta, a Malden Catholic High School junior exclaimed that the Class of 2011 JV’s was among “one the most beautiful things I have seen with my own eyes.” For pictures and more coverage of the event, go to The Blue and Gold’s website, www.maldenblueandgold.com.
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Local News
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MONTHLY PROFILE: Nidale Zouhir Head of Local News
Math Teacher Brad Gelling
continued from page 1 says funny things.” Gelling, an alumnus of the ever-popular (among MHS students at least) University of Massachusetts Amherst, described his experience there as “fantastic.” Oftentimes, he encourages his own students to apply or attend UMASS Amherst: “What I loved about UMASS was the sheer amount of opportunity [I had there] – outdoors, trips abroad, diversity.” Interestingly, Gelling never originally planned to be a math teacher. “Initially, I had a degree in geology,” he explained. “But I was hired right out of school to teach math,” adding that he likes the
“logic” behind math. Gelling, who taught for several years in New Hampshire and, for a year he described as “bizarre,” the Colorado Timberline Academy, grew up in Lexington. “I had a blast, it was a wonderful childhood,” he expressed. However, his high school experience was less than perfect. “I wasn’t a very serious student in high school,” Gelling admitted. “Teachers would cause me stress, teachers would cause me anxiety.” This only increased his desire to be a teacher, specifically one who “downplays the importance of grades.” This method seems to be work-
ing; Gelling stays after school with students for hours, guiding them through the math problems that they cannot figure out themselves. During the last week of MHS’s third quarter, Gelling stayed with his students until nearly four o’ clock almost every day. “He’s a good teacher, he’s thorough in his lessons and he is very helpful: if a student needs help, he’ll come and help that student – he won’t neglect him or her like some other teachers – but there is still some sense of independence in his class,” Ironuma stated, adding, laughingly, that “the board is his best friend.” In his free time – that is to
say, the time he has when he is not teaching, grading, or taking care of his recently-born son, which Gelling says takes up most of his time – Gelling enjoys the outdoors. “I was an outdoor guide for 10 years,” Gelling explained. “Rock-climbing, rafting, hiking...What I really like about the outdoors is extended trips in the wilderness – you have to depend on yourself and the people you’re with.” Gelling, whom junior Samatha Saggese described as “chill,” “love[s] everything about MHS,” he stated. “The diversity, the kindness, the respect, the culture – it’s a good place to be.”
A Casual Night of Theater Impresses Dan Holmqvist Copy Editor
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newly renovated auditorium, an excited crowd, and a group of talented Green Room Dramatic Society students made for a great night of acting in the Jenkins Auditorium on April 9. “A Casual Night of Theater” both captivated the audience and exceeded English teacher and Play Production advisor Sean Walsh's "wildest expectations." The first half of the night was dedicated to a series of ten-minute plays, four of which were original works by Malden High School students and two of which were professional plays. Walsh selected the student-written plays on two criterias: how well they were written and how well they could be performed. Of the four plays that were performed, two were also selected for use at the Young Playwrights Contest. The ten-minute plays were followed by Play Production's 'zombie' rendition of Romeo and Juliet, which was performed earlier at Drama Fest this year. A Casual Night of Theater began with senior Martin Doan's
recitation of Sonnet XXIX by William Shakespeare. Next was Doan's original ten-minute play, "Something Unexpected,” starring seniors Keith Newman (Hubert) and Geneva DeCobert (Woman). The short was about Hubert, who was at first startled by a hopeless romantic at a bus stop; gradually, however, the eccentricities of this mysterious woman won over his heart, convincing him to stick around even after his bus had passed. "Full House," the next original short, written by Newman, told the story of two married emergency medical technicians (EMTs) that accidentally ran over a pedestrian while on their way to the hospital with another patient. Starring seniors Sam Warton and Chloe Cheung as well as sophomores Christopher Brown, member of The Blue and Gold, and Sam Zeiberg, the play utilized the introduction from the popular television series "Full House." The plot became increasingly intricate as the two EMTs discussed their own marital problems while the two patients argued about who recieved more attention from the EMTs. "Broom Closet," written by
senior Samantha Power, was performed by Doan (Anthony) and freshman member of The Blue and Gold Lauren Benoit (Rebecca). The play was about a couple, accidentally locked in a broom closet, talking about the state of their own relationship. But when Rebecca tried to reveal to Anthony that she needed to "get out of the closet," Anthony responded by saying, "Well, we both do." Only after an awkward pause and a chuckle from the audience did Anthony realize the implication of what Rebecca had just said. The last of the student written plays was Jenna Delaney's short - "I do. Do You?" This play told the story of a woman (Kerry La Paz) who was dumped at the altar. Consoled by her childhood friend (Danny Callahan), she soon realized that he was the "one," with the play culminating with a ‘PG-13’ kiss. The professionally-written plays were “Phillip Glass Buys a Loaf of Bread,” which was performed entirely in a rap/musical form and "Two Socks Discuss Loss," a story about two socks who both lose their respective 'partners.' After a brief intermission, the
audience was treated to Play Production's 'zombie' version of Romeo and Juliet, which pitted the "Zombigues" against the Capulets. Junior Phillip Tang enjoyed the interesting take on the classic play, saying, "Normally, I don't appreciate the works of Shakespeare, but zombies, chainsaws, and the matrix increased its appeal." Sophomore Tommy Tran’s favorite play of the night was “Phillip Glass Buys a Loaf of Bread.” Tran thought that the difficulty level of the play was “high but it made the play even more impressive.” Walsh was also impressed with how the play turned out, considering its level of difficulty and the amount of time that was put in by students to practice the play. He summed up the night by praising his students for their “tight performance” and their impressive levels of commitment and dedication. Equally satisfied with the night's performance was sophomore Stanley Chan. "I went to [A Casual Night of Theater] last year and I thought it was hilarious. This year was even better.”
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Forensics Team sends seven to states Dan Holmqvist Copy Editor
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MHS forensics team at the state tournament. Photo by Arjun Grama.
n Apr. 10, 2010, the Malden High School Forensics Team participated in the State Speech and Congress tournament at Westford Academy. The competitors from Malden participated in two events: Daniel Rendon, Omar Khoshafa, Dan Holmqvist, Xavier Leo, Samuel Zeiberg and Anthony Pulisciano competed in Group Discussion while Mary Nguyen competed in Radio Broadcasting. Forensics Team advisor and Malden High School English teacher Matthew Evans recapped the season by saying, "I think the team did extraordinarily well. Six people qualified for the state tournament on their own merit and of those six, five were
sophomores that had to consistently compete against juniors and seniors from the higest-ranked schools in Massachusetts." Optimistic about the future of the club, Evans predicts that, "[the team is] definitely going to have trophy winners at the state tournament next year." Samuel Zeiberg, the newlynominated president of the Forensics Team, speaking the future of the club as well, said, "My goal for next year is to gain five new members and send the name number of participants to the state tournament that we did this year, in addition to diversifying the team in terms of the events we do."
MICCA band
MICCA Chorus
Joel Stevenson
Cristina Peters
Reporter
Reporter
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t was a highly anticipated day for the Malden High School Concert Band. From the beginning, the band had nothing but the utmost confidence in them as stated by the band director Matthew Tavares “Today is going to be a very good day, it is all about having fun, but I want to win a spot in the running for the second time.” April 10th had an early start as practice had begun around one o’clock. With the start of hands-on breathing exercises, the team was ready to take on the day. Tavares reassured the members with a comical humor, while correcting the minute mistakes that the band had made. After two hours at practice the band filled on two buses with anxiety building up. The bus ride to Bellingham was one no one would want to forget. With the radio blaring hit songs like “Bla Bla Bla”, by Kesha and “What’cha”. Says Jason Derulo, “they sang along the whole bus ride.” As the bus arrived the band members went dead silent as reality was restored, they were about to make history. As the members filed in, they ventured to the gym where they tuned their instruments and then
took a group photo. Once pictures were done the band went to the library where they went over the music. At that moment, they knew that they could do it. With the final adjustments of their instruments, the band moved out onto the stage. After the director announced the three pieces that they would be playing “Amazing Grace” by Frank Ticheli, “National Emblem” by Edwin Eugene Bagley and “Chorale and Shaker Dance” by John Zdechlik. As they played, the music filled the whole room in such a way that left the audience pondering, pondering onhow much practice had to go into a piece that was so synchronized. After their third song, the director of music came out to tell them what they could have improved on. After that awards were handed out. With anticipation burning in all of their eyes, the band and band director waited to hear the verdict of their performance. School after school, silver, bronze silver, they waited. Finally the announcer called out “Malden High School.” The concert band had won the Medal of Merit. Although this performance was a bit of a disappointment, the band ultimately looks forward to next year.
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n Apr. 10, 2010 and April 11, 2010 Malden High School’s Madrigals and Concert Choir participated in the Massachusetts Instrumental and Choral Conductor's Association for the first time. The MICCA competition consisted of several different choirs that were scored based off of their tone quality, balance and blend of their ensemble, intonation, stylistic expression, dynamics, rhythm, and repertoire. The overall purpose of the MICCA organization was to encourage the improvement of a group's musical standards by providing musical critique by highly qualified judges and to experience the production of a wide variety of musical compositions. The competition took place with singing program three selections within the allowed performance time of 20 minutes. At Algonquin Regional High School on Saturday, Madrigals performed “April is in My Mistress Face” by Thomas Morley, “O Ochi Manza Mia” by Russell L. Robinson, and “Mon Coeur Se Recommande a Vous” by Douglas Frank, and were
awarded with a Silver Medal. Senior Tyler Elderd stated, “Even though we didn’t win a Gold Medal, we are still happy for what we did because our performance and our energy was great and they still loved us and it all wouldn’t have been so great if it wasn't for Mr.Cole for helping us.” On Sunday, Concert Choir sang at Norwood Coakley Middle School, "Cantique de Jean Racine" by Faure, "Paru Parong Bukid" Henry Leck and Martin Ellis, and "Lead me Home" Jamey Johnson and took home a Bronze Medal. All chorus members expressed that their medals would not have been possible without the help from their instructor, Mr. Cole, who spent countless hours working with the choirs and making sure that they would be able to perform to the best of their ability, and feel confident that they will greatly improve for next year’s competition. After taking home two medals their first year of participating in the MICCA competition, the MHS Choral Arts Society hopes to prevail in years to come, and hopefully be awarded with a Gold Medal.
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The Blue and Gold April 2010
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Carnival Catastrophe Kayla Bramante Reporter
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or more than 75 years the Fiesta Show carnival has been traveling all over New England. It is New England’s largest carnival and always bring tons of excitement to the people. But is this carnival as safe as it should be? Have you ever been on the ride called “The Remix” at the carnival? According to rideaccidents. com, at the same carnival that comes to Revere, on Sept. 24, 2009 “The Remix” decided to eject a 15-year-old girl while on the ride. The girl slipped from under the restraint of the overhead bar. When the ride was remodeled, new bars that covered the gap where she slipped from were added. Wmur.com says that the incident had nothing to do with the machines capability but was, in fact, because the girl was not in her seat the proper way. The female was rushed to the hospital and did not have any serious injuries and the ride was in good shape. Whatever the reason, it still happened and could happen to anyone at any time. Although nothing happened at the carnival this year, no one can predict the future, people never know what could happen the next year or the year after. When enjoying these rides from traveling carnivals it is important to take precautions and be aware of what you or your friends are getting yourselves into. Many MHS students found enjoyment in going to the carnival, especially on bracelet night. Sophomore Autumn Deheulle says that “even though accidents happen I am willing to have some fun doing [what] I enjoy with the people I love”. Even after knowing what happened in NH she does not seem to change her opinion about the carnival. However, there are two sides to the story. Some of MHS students’ parents will not even allow them to go to the carnival. Here is the big question: Are the carnival rides safe enough to take a risk or not nearly safe enough to step foot into?
Photos of the Revere Carnival; the french fry stand, ferris wheel, cliff hanger, merry-go-rounf, and friend dough concession stand. All photos by Sharon lee. Layout by Lynn Tran.
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Catherine Poirier
How safe are we?
Reporter
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alden has been classified numerous times as “ghetto” and unsafe. Despite these notions, Malden is comparatively safer than surrounding communities. Below, a graph compare the cities of Malden, Everett, and Boston with the national average over seven different categories. The seven categories were murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny theft, and vehicle theft crime rates. Malden scored lower than Everett, Boston, and the national average in murder, rape, burglary, larceny theft, and vehicle theft rates, according to the 2006 FBI reports of crime rates per 100,000 people. Malden had higher rates than Everett did in robbery, and aggravated assault. Even then, the averages were not much higher. These facts show that Malden is clearly one of the safer cities in Massachusetts. Many people continue to classify it as one of the most dangerous cities in this area. It does not take much to see where these people are coming from, though. Recent events in Malden have led many to question the safety of this city, and the safety of its schools. On March 24, 2010, bullets were found at the Salemwood School. One student found a bullet shell in the school bathroom at the beginning of the day. After finding a live round of bullets later on, the teachers and school officials at Salemwood were notified. They immediately called the Malden police station. Once the police arrived at the scene, Salemwood went into lockdown for the rest of the afternoon, while police officers searched and patrolled the area and conducted interviews. This incident is still under investigation, so there is not much information available because no one involved is allowed to comment on it. However, this situation has sparked reactions from students at Malden High School.
“I think that we need to do something about the kids in Malden. For example, [we should] organize more groups in our society that keeps kids off the streets, because if we only found bullets this time, we need to do something before someone actually pulls a trigger.” - Freshman Amalia Quesada Nylen “It’s surprising, but not unexpected. Malden has been becoming more violent throughout the years.” - Freshman Devon Moran “This is honestly the first time I’ve heard about that. But I live in the Maplewood area and I think a lot of the safety stuff is sensationalism. People get all riled up about Malden being “ghetto,” so they joke and talk about everything being dangerous. But I haven’t really experienced anything in my 18 years here. Yeah, it’s not the suburbs, and there are occasional issues, but this is far from the most dangerous city in the world. There are places in Detroit and New York and all around the world where gang violence is a serious issue. Even in Boston, things are a lot more intense than ‘M-Dubs.’ ” -Senior Keith Newman “Well it’s very scary that someone is carrying weaponry around in a school area. Even if somebody did it as a joke or prank, it’s really not funny, and I’m sure it scares all the parents of the children at the school. Can they really feel their children are safe in an area containing guns?” -Sophomore Matteo Pocobene
State Passes Anti-bullying Law Lauren Benoit Reporter
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hoebe Prince, a fifteen year old freshman who attended South Hadley High School in western Massachusetts was physically and verbally abused to the point where her 12 year old sister found her in her closet dead. Following her suicide nationwide, concern regarding the effects of bullying prompted the Massachusetts legislature to unanimously enact an Anti-Bullying law adding MA to a growing list of 41 states. The vote was unanimous: there is now an Anti-Bullying Law in Massachusetts. Although the Bill will not take affect until the 2011-2012 school year, the Department of Education is training teachers through a 150,000 dollar grant to identify and halt any forms of bullying whether mild or drastic. According to a recent survey, 72 students think that the anti-bullying law will be successful, while 99 think that it will not phase the matter. The bill also outlines a stricter sexual harassment policy in order to prevent further transgressions such as the ones committed against Prince. The six high school students found guilty of the crimes against Prince were charged with numerous offenses that consisted of statutory
rape, violation of civil rights with an injury resulting, criminal harassment, disturbance of school assembly, stalking, and assault by means of a dangerous weapon. The plethora of charges resulted through extreme forms of bullying during school hours as well as harrassment after school over Facebook, Twitter, Formspring, and Craigs List, wherein she was placed under an ethnic and sexist insult. The girls that called and sent her threatening messages, known as the ‘Mean Girls’ taunted and physically abused Prince. The most horrifying part is that teachers and fellow students witnessed these forms of abuse occurring for days before her death, but did not speak up. Arlene Ceppetelli a Malden High School health teacher commented on the accusation of teachers not speaking up, “If that’s true then I’m appalled. It’s so hard to believe. I can’t imagine [that] a teacher wouldn’t speak up… its inexcusable.” This is an eye-opener to Malden students to know that these types of incidents occur so close to home. In a recent survey at MHS, 113 students would report bullying, and 53 would not. While one wrote “depends”. The bullies did not slow their urge to end the torment. After her death, a Facebook page was created in her memory. The bullies added the page and continued to post harassing remarks on the deceased
girl’s page. One girl posted ‘accomplished’ on Prince’s Facebook the day she was pronounced dead. One school parent suggests that the teens should view the autopsy photos of Phoebe’s found body, to see what they caused. These types of incidents have happened before: eleven year old Carl Joseph Walker Hoover committed suicide after being bullied at school in 2009. These drastic occurrences are unlikely; a bystander is bound to have enough courage to confront a teacher about the incident of someone being bullied. Bullying is common in any environment. “Comments on our physical appearance, name-calling, cyber-bullying, teasing, intimidation, or anything that makes you feel uncomfortable is considered bullying”, states Tom DeVito principal of the Ferryway Middle School. DeVito is trying to keep a bully-free environment within the school districts. “Malden is like a melting pot. There is a great amount of diversity here.” He also stresses that bullying cases cannot only be controlled by only the school, the teachers try to prevent bullying or stop it in the act, but they just cant be responsible for everything that happens outside of the classroom. The definition of bullying is just as vague as trying to prevent it. The state of Georgia which has established an anti-bullying law explains bullying as “any willful
attempt or threat to inflict injury on another person…or any intentional display of force such as would give the victim reason to fear or expect immediate bodily harm” according to www.stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov. Students are advised to consult with an adult or friend when they witness an incident that makes a student feel uncomfortable. Bullying, a growing epidemic, has only recently begun to include cyber-bullying which is making it easier for bullies to torment victims at their leisure over the Internet. The popular new page to have is Formspring, which allows users to submit any question, or comment about the admin, as anonymous or public. Most choose anonymous to express their true feelings about the admin, sometimes they are not so pleasant. Previous to this law many calls were coming through to a bully hot line, which is accessible at all hours of the day. Throughout the decades bullying has evolved from shoving students into lockers, to name-calling, to teasing, and now it is resulting in physical abuse, and more recently cyber-bullying. More social-networking sites are being created; false pages are being created also which is adding to the fury. The only hope is the Anti-Bullying Law’s 150,000 dollar fund: Will it be as effective as the government seems to believe?
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The Blue and Gold April 2010
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Chick Flicks Are All the Same
Nidale Zouhir Head of Local News Brittany Foley Head of Entertainment
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oy meets girl. At least one of them has insane issues – an abusive father, cancer, neurosis, overbearing mother, poverty, et cetera; the other is perfect. Somehow, the perfect one falls for the afflicted wallflower – but not before an initial expression of hatred followed by an hour of conflict and around twenty minutes of crying. Thus is the formula for the quintessential twentieth-century Chick Flick, the sappiest and most stereotypical of its species. Females of all ages flock to movie theaters everywhere to see the latest Patrick Dempsey, Ryan Reynolds, Robert Pattinson, or Matthew McConaughey mockery of a film, mainly to quench their thirst in the neverending and hopeless quest to find the perfect man, fall in love, and live happily ever after, the end (usually resulting from a tragic car accident or AIDS). Most of these films are ripe with clichés: stereot y p i c a l storylines,
derivative dialogues, and the same characters with different hairstyles. Of course, women also love to see female actresses that they can relate to getting kissed in the rain, actresses who are pretty, but not too pretty, like Katherine Heigl, Meg Ryan, Jennifer Garner. To see these women fawned over by attractive, kind, generous, and honest men even though the women themselves are the Hollywood-version of average, gives viewers a tiny shred of hope that they might also find love – because, after all, everybody wants somebody to love them. Still, there exist love stories that do not fit the chick flick frame. 2007’s Juno managed to be simultaneously funny, clever, and inspiring without losing the love story at its core. Most of Woody Allen’s films tend to stay safely away from the chick flick line while also integrating sometimes heartbreaking love stories (most recently seen in Vicky Cristina Barcelona). 2009’s Oscar-hyped An Education also m a n aged to detail a love sto-
ry without ever losing its integrity as a film. 2005’s independent film (which still somehow managed to feature two A-list actors) Conversations with Other Women was, at its core, a story of forgotten love. Yet none of these films fell victim to the trap of chick flick cliche. It appears that the most obvious difference between these movies and typical chick flicks is the plot-andcharacter-driven nature of more serious films; unlike most chick flicks, serious filmmakers rely on more than only a cliche love story to mold a movie. An Education is really a coming-of-age story; Vicky Cristina Barcelona is more about cultural clashes than it is about love; Juno is about feminism; Conversations with Other Women is about the difficulty of happiness. Not to mention the female leads of all of these films? They are not pathetic or stupid; they are strong, confident women whose lives revolve around more than just the men in them. Characters such as these inspire and empower women to discover
themselves, take risks, stay true to what they believe in; meanwhile the redundant roles of the leading ladies in the films designed for the love-crazed and romantically desperate merely empathize with their audience. Although both appeal to their audiences almost equally, there is a great gap between what audiences gains from either viewing experience. While one film encourages progress and growth, with help from a subtle display of benefits— this idea of a true love—the other simply feeds the frenzy, provides a ray of false hope that is accepted without hesitation or question because, if it happened to her, surely it could happen to me. Essentially, the gap between films that are truly serious, films whose stories revolve, not around love, but around life, and films that are aimed at mindless, simpering women, is only growing with time; should this pattern continue, the film industry will eventually enter an ice age of Sparksian trash, with conformity winning over society once more.
The Blue and Gold April 2010
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Entertainment http://www.maldenblueandgold.com/
Want to be a God for a Day? Joao Nascimento Head of World News God of War III, the new sequel to the powerhouse Sony exclusive saga of a vengeance-bound Kratos was rated M for a reason. The amount of blood and guts that fill the screen after you finish an enemy is overwhelming, but exploding heads and intestines never looked so great. The game offers the best graphics available, but unfortunately, the rest of the game does not explore the full capabilities of the Play Station 3. The game picks up right where God of War II ended, with Kratos partnering with Gaia to climb Mount Olympus with the other titans to fight the gods. After killing Poseidon, Kratos reaches the all-powerful Zeus only to be knocked off mount Olympus by him and have his powers stripped. With a new sense of vengeance, Kratos vows to kill all the Gods and destroy Mount Olympus. Although the revenge-bent storyline appears repetitive, God of
War III succeeds in making Kratos a more three-dimensional character and even explores his emotional psyche. God of War III is essentially the same game we have been playing since 2005. Featuring almost identical game play as the previous installments, it offers the usual platform obstacles, puzzle solving, and bloody combat. The button sequences used to defeat bosses are uncomfortable, but very easy to master. With the irrefutably breathtaking graphics, the state of the art game should have offered more innovations in the battle system. Unfortunately, players were left with the mindless and repetitive combo action and the automatic finishing off sequences, which greatly hinders the momentum of the game. New and exciting factors introduced to the game are the ability to rapidly change weapons mid-battle, and more interaction with the environment. The game also offers several
different trophies, which are surprisingly fun to find. By far, the greatest flaw in the game was the outdated fixed camera style. The PS3’s power promises freedom of game play, the possibility of roaming free and exploring a platform. The locked camera debilitates the sense of freedom PS3 gamers covet and is the main reason why the “new” game feels less like an innovation and more like one of its predecessors. Granted, with high sales, the developer Santa Monica Studio was skeptical about making drastic changes to the game. God of War III is in its own right a fantastic game, but it was expected and not innovative enough to satiate past players. Hardcore gamers will be disappointed at the unexplored potencies of the powerful PS3 platform, but fans of the game will not mind guiding Kratos through the heinous environment with unrestrained brutality, with the ultimate goal of wiping out the Gods that refused to wipe his memory and clear his conscience from his family’s death.
Kratos from God of War. Photo found on GodofWar.com
How to Train Your Dragon Soars to the Top of the Box Office Brittany Foley Head of Entertainment
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ased off the 2003 children’s novel of the same name by Cressida Coewll, Dreamworks’ How to Train Your Dragon is one of the first 3D animated films to truly embrace the power of the third dimension without losing the heartwarming story at its core. Written by the creative forces behind 2002’s Lilo & Stich and 1998’s Mulan, How to Train Your Dragon tells the story of a viking named Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) who – unlike all of those around him, especially his father, Chief Stoick (Gerard Butler) – is not big or strong or even very brave. In a society whose primary occupation is dragon-slaying, a small and weak young man is not exactly the ideal; in fact, Hiccup is often mocked by other vikings, most of whom are strong (if not particularly courageous or intelligent). Fed up with the constant taunting – and wanting to prove himself to his father – Hiccup develops a weapon that can be fired at a dragon from a distance. He uses this weapon to attack a legendary Night Fury, whose tail wing is damaged beyond repair. Taking pity on the dragon, Hiccup decides not to kill it. Instead he befriends it, eventually naming it Toothless. Though the plot is somewhat typical of children’s movies, How to Train Your Dragon’s all-star comedic cast is unsurprisingly brilliant. Baruchel gives Hiccup a voice
Main character Hiccup and Astrid riding the Night Fury, Toothless. that is simultaneously unique and endearing, turning an otherwise pitiful character into a very relatable one – one whose relationship with his father is one of the most well-done relationships in the film. Butler’s portrayal of Stoick the Vast is similarly well-done and realistic (at least as far as the film’s version of vikings goes). However, comedian Craig Ferguson’s Gobber – the viking village’s resident blacksmith and Stoick’s right-hand-man – steals every scene that he is in, managing to be heartwarming and lovable
without losing Ferguson’s typical comedic value. Also notable is America Ferrera’s Astrid, who makes a great powerful female as well as an adorable love interest for Hiccup; her rough exterior is very typical of writers Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois, who between them have created such powerful females in animated film as Mulan and The Lion King’s Nala. Less important as far as characters go, but still notable, is Christopher Mintz-Plasse’s Fish-
legs. Mintz-Plasse again plays the geeky outsider typical of him, yet somehow manages to avoid seeming as typecast as Superbad co-star Michael Cera. Fishlegs is the role-playing geek inside every viking and, though not particularly important to the plot, is one of the few vikings that does not mock Hiccup. With How to Train Your Dragon under its belt, Dreamworks might rightfully beat out Pixar during awards season – an extremely rare occurrence, as Dreamworks has won only two Academy Awards for Best Animated Feature, as opposed to Pixar’s six out of the nine years that the award has existed (though of course, Pixar’s Toy Story 3 might beat How to Train Your Dragon come awards season). With some of the most lovable characters in recent film history – and certainly Dreamworks’ best since the original Shrek in 2001 – How to Train Your Dragon also manages to be a compelling 3D film, one that realizes that its audience has seen enough of the typical “3D” that is really just shinier 2D. With stunning dragon-powered fight scenes and even more beautiful dragon-powered flight scenes, the film recreates its somewhat cliche story line and gives its audience one of the best 3D experiences of recent animated films.
Sports
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The Blue and Gold April 2010
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Crew Faces Tennis Teams Anticipate GBLs Alexander Gennigiorgis Watershed Reporter Boys Amanda Adams
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he MHS boys tennis team is seeking Greater Boston League Championship qualification over the course of the season. Team member Daniel Rendon felt that “the team not only have the potential but the talent and the determination” and these key factors may lead them to their goal and possibly GBL gold. Preparing for the season was mostly focused on the fundamentals of tennis, as they are “a big part of the game and the progress” the team makes, stated Rendon. Right now, the team has a 500 percent record, as they are 2-2, with wins against North Reading and Medford High Schools, and a loss coming to Shawsheen Technical High School and Boston O’Bryant. The Tennis experience to players such as Rendon is “90 percent skill and 10 percent luck”. Tennis athletes are faced with overpowering their emotions in order to perform at their best. “If you do singles, you let yourself down and if you do doubles, you let your partner down” if emotions take over. On the court, the pressures the athletes face is almost unbearable even though it may not seem so from a person watching from the stands. “When a ball is hit at you... to the spectator it may seem like seconds, to the tennis player it feels like an hour. We have to make decisions not only under a time constraint but under pressure from the fear of failure.” Being a tennis player may seem stressful, but in the end, it is the experience of a lifetime for those who participate. The team is made up of people that are different than their peers in many ways. Rendon stated, “We are a family and day after day the bonds only grow stronger. Every season we start off as friends and acquaintances. Every season we end as brothers.”
Reporter
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he spring season for crew has had a bumpy start. The weather had been the main cause of the problems. Since it has been raining and windy, the crew team has not been able to practice on the Mystic River due to the weather. The weather had caused sewage dumping into the river, which created a dangerous place for practice. Considering the team has quite a few competitions coming in the near future, this will be very problematic. The first competition which was supposed to occur on April 10, 2010 had been canceled due to the lack of practice time. A new season calls for new goals and expectations. The Head Coach of the Crew Team, Sarah Jones stated, “[Our goal is to] Develop a strong, novice team. We had good freshman turn-out, so we have a great opportunity to build and develop from our skills over the next four years to have a very strong team.” Student coach Harout Khodaverdian added, “It’s going to be a great season maybe not our best one but with all of these new rowers we have much to look forward to for the next few years.” Student coach, Jeremy Bowser affirmed, “I think even though we have lost a lot of people we will do great this season with everyone new and I expect that we will have a few bumps on the way there, but in the end I believe we will be a strong and successful team.” Although the team has been unable to practice, they are determined to beat the odds and succeed in their goals along with their current expectations for this season of crew.
Girls Alexander Gennigiorgis Reporter
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Signature oars with painted school colors stand tall in the boathouse. Photo by An Holmqvist
he Malden High School Girls Tennis team will be demonstrating the true meaning of “team” this season. According to head coach and MHS English teacher Maggie Pettit, the team will attempt to “cultivate a sense of team” and once that is achieved, “winning happens.” This year the team is made up mostly of newcomers and underclassmen to the sport of tennis. Although the players may be inexperienced, they are playing hard and
Top to bottom: Senior Junju Zheng versus sophomore Chris Lee. Junior Andrew Chen serving the ball. Senior Ngoc Doan races towards the tennis ball. Junior Alison Nguyen returns the ball. Photos by Lynn Tran. keeping up with learning all of the different techniques that are being taught to them during practices. The team has even been able to grind out a record of 1-1, with tough fought matches against Shawsheen and North Reading High School. The players are all “talented” and “willing to learn” and some, if not all, “stay at the courts after practice”, stated Pettit, showing the team’s dedication. When asked if winning Greater
Boston League Championship gold was a possibility, Pettit stated that it is “not our goal” but “anything is a possibility.” The team may be able to at least qualify if the players work together and not pressure themselves. Pettit stated that the game of tennis is just a “game”, and she wants the team “to have fun” and not have to worry about winning because if the team works together, everything will work out in the team’s favor.
The Blue and Gold April 2010
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ruins Regain Confidence
SPRING SPORTS
And Advance to Eastern Conference Semi-Finals Johanna Lai Reporter
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n April 26, 2010, the Bruins played Game 6 against the Sabres in the TD Garden and they won the game 4-3 to conclude the first round of the NHL Playoffs. After losing Game 5 to the Buffalo Sabres 4-1 on Friday, April 23, 2010, the Bruins knew that they needed Game 6 in order to continue their hopes for a Stanley Cup. They are now advanced toward the Eastern Conference semifinals. The Sabres ended up with a very disappointing conclusion to the season. The Bruins had not won a playoff series at home since May 2, 1999. And this is also their second playoff series win. This is the first time that they have a playoff game two years in a row since the 1991 season. Tuukka Rask, the goalie of the Boston Bruins made 27 saves on the game that night. While Ryan Miller, the Buffalo Sabres goalie made 28 saves, just a save better than Rask. Rask states to the Yahoo News “We wanted to close it out because we didn’t want to go back to Buffalo; we knew it would be tough.” Rask currently has an average of allowing two goals per game. The game that gave the Bruins their confidence was Game 2 on Friday April 16, 2010. This was the game when the Bruins avoided their questions and focus on the win for that game on that night. That game was a 5-3 win and occurred in the NSBC Stadium in Buffalo, New York, This was where the Sabres perfect record for the season 31-0 when to a collapse to 31-1. That night was the night when the Sabres had to deal the game without the Sabres leading scorer, Thomas Vanek injured his lower left leg during the first period of the game. And Miller has expressed his disappointment of that game that night to the Sports Illustrated “It’s disappointing we went into the third with a lead and didn’t make it hold up.” He also stated “Everything is not going to go our way.’’ The Bruins coach, Claude Juilen has complimented about Rask’s saves this year. He states to the Yahoo News, “As good as he was, he was arguably facing the best goaltender in the league, if not more. Juilen also states, “He obviously made a reputation for himself. For him to go head-to-head and come out the winner, I think it speaks volumes for how Tuukka’s played.” Round 2 of the NHL Playoffs will begin soon after the Washington Capitals and Montreal Canadiens have their game 7 on Wednesday Apr 28th at the Verizon Center. There is a possibility that the Bruins will play against the Philadelphia Flyers if the Canadiens beat the Capitals. There is also a possibility that the Bruins will play against the Pittsburgh Penguins if the Capitals beat the Canadiens. Currently the team that the Bruins will face off against in the Eastern Conference Semifinals is unknown.
From top to bottom, from left to right: sophomore Malorie MacDonald, Juniors Alfonse Femino, Huy Le, and Senior David Console
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The Blue and Gold April 2010
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BOYS’ TRACK Looks to Repeat Championship
Xavier Leo Copy Editor
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Simon Chu, 100 meter hurdler, sprints during practice. Photo by Lynn Tran.
resh off of their first Greater Boston League championship during the indoor track season in 33 years, the boy’s track team is already well on their climb back to the top this outdoor season. When asked how the team was looking so far at practice, distance coach David Londino said, “The team looks good. We lost a couple of athletes, but gained some in return, so we broke even.” Leadership is everywhere to be found on the team, and five dedicated athletes have been chosen to lead the team; senior captains Malik Blue, Simon Chu, David Console, Edwin Chu, and Herbens Antenor. Although it is still early in the season, the team is already thinking ahead in as far as the state meet. Only the elite athletes earn the privilege to compete there, and each athlete must meet a certain standard, specific to each event, set forth by the MIAA at the beginning of each season. Several members of the team are already nearing their respective times or have already surpassed that threshold. Captain Malik Blue has qualified in past seasons in the discus, and seniors
Henry Wong and Herbens Antenor are approaching their goals in the high jump and 400 meter hurdles, respectively. Juniors Kelvin Tsang and Andrew Terenzi are also past qualifiers, with Tsang in the 400 meter sprint and high jump, and Terenzi in the one mile run. The talent on this year’s team also goes beyond just the upperclassmen. During this season’s Freshman-Sophomore meet, the underclassmen demonstrated that they were just as capable of scoring points as anyone else. Sophomore William Wong and freshman Franklin Nguyen were among the top underclassmen in the league, scoring highly in the two mile and 100 meters, respectively. However, the talent extends further than just the individual events. The 4x200, 4x400, and the 4x800 meter run are also expected to qualify; “I’ve noticed a particular strength in the 800 meter this season,” noted Londino, “I have four or five guys that are capable of running around or under 2:10.” Senior hurdler Simon Chu is less than a second from qualifying for the state meet, coming fresh off of a
qualifying indoor season. He is one fourth of a very noteworthy senior hurdling tandem, accompanied by Marcos Batista, Michael Meneses, and Henry Wong. For the athletes themselves, outdoor track is the season where the entire year’s work finally comes to fruition. After two grueling seasons of work, they are finally able to compete in what is highly regarded as the pinnacle of the track athlete’s year; “This is where you should peak. It’s during outdoor track where we see the best times and distances. There are more workouts, less rest, and the competition is at its highest” expressed captain Blue. Malden opened up the season with a victory on April 7th against North Reading High School and followed that up with decisive victories against Cambridge Rindge & Latin High School and Everett High School to bring their record to 3-0. If the indoor track season and their opening meet serves as any indicator, rest assured that another GBL title may very well be on its way back to MHS.
Girls Tracking GBL Championship Reginah Sanyu Reporter
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t is no secret that the girls have come back this season strong and determined to be the next Greater Boston League (GBL ) champions. Practicing everyday despite of the weather is what the girls have been doing from the start. Mitch Abbatessa the girls track team coach wishes to have a good number of girls to qualify for states athletes.overall he says “I would love the girls to be the next GBL championship this season.” The team posses more than talented players, they are committed and are working hard. Malden high school Junior Hong Chung said.” regardless of the fact that we don’t have the best record in the league, when it comes to team work,dedication,perseverance and heart, we have it all.” senior and captin Thanh Nguyen has recently qualified for states in discus.
Although the girls did not get any wins at their first meet with Cambridge but it was clear that the Malden girls have gotten faster,stronger and better as a team. The GBL championship is not the only thing that the girls are determined to get.They are more than ready to gain the boy’ better team respect. In other words to become better than the boys.MHS junior Portia Johnson is is ready too. “Even though we might not win as the boys, we have bigger heart and soul. We strive for excellence.” The boys don’t need to be scared since the warning was given earlier. Although their first meet didnt go as they expected, the girls are ready to compete since they are getting better, stronger and more focused. The Malden high school girl’s track team has a surprise up their sleeves as the girls keep improving as the season progresses.
Junior Bayden Muhamed Photo by Lynn Tran.
The Blue and Gold April 2010
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BASEBALL Team Looks to Redeem Reporter
Alfonse Femino Head Of Sports
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Junior Kevin Valley at first base. Photo by Lynn Tran.
Softball Team: “Scoring Machine” Omar Khoshafa Copy Editor
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Alfonse’s Monthly Column The Dilemma of the Average High School Athlete
Brendan Provitola
ith the season slowly getting started, The Malden High School Varsity baseball team has the intent of redemption, as they look to build off of their mistakes from a disappointing (7-13) record last year. At the moment, the team is suffering an 0-3 record, with tough losses against some very strong out of league teams including Dracut High School, Lawrence Veterans Memorial High School, and Danvers High School. Although the team is lacking in underclassmen, with only two seniors on the team (Jonathan Tiongson and Nathan Freni) they more than make up for it with a large number of talented underclassmen, many of which have experience at the varsity level. The team also has good depth in the pitching position, which features sophomore Bradley Applin, senior Tiongson, and Knuckle-baler Dakota Peligrini. The team has the main goal of building and developing its players, but still looks to capture a playoff spot, and return to a familiar place in the State Tournament. “We’re doing well so far in our scrimmages and feel like we can do damage. Even though we are a young team and we may be underestimated, we still have experience,” showing the teams optimism.
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SPORTS
he Malden High School girl’s softball team “is now a very well-oiled scoring machine…” exclaimed junior Renee Santo of the upcoming season. Santo has been on the softball team for three years now, and almost the whole squad she is currently playing with have also played with her in the youth ranks of the local softball team. The team’s effort speaks for itself in past seasons, as the team held a 15-1 record last year and captured the Greater Boston League championship for the past two years. Coach Richard Cullen should be attributed with the team’s overall success, as he has been coaching for more than two decades now and can provide tremendous experience and insight for the young squad. Sophomore Emily Hoffman believes that the team has amazing chemistry, as the team is split perfectly along class lines, with exactly three players from each graduating class. She knows the team will improve its game tremendously because most of the players on the team have played against other teams in the league during “summer softball,” which has also dramatically improved the communication and cooperation within the team itself. Also, members of the team have high expectations for the season. “With the squad we currently hold, we will definitely be able to produce an excellent record,” stated senior captain Kristine Dyer. Jennifer T has similar expectations, which are represented in the quote “We can make it [pretty] deep into the state tournament.” In general, varsity sports teams are dominated by upperclassmen, but with this new current of talented underclassmen, the team is building an extremely experienced squad for future seasons while at the same time working to succeed the current season. As for the current season, senior Casey Willcox also has “great expectations for the team” as they hope to make it past the first round in the state tournament. Willcox also praised sophomore Kiara Amos for “her outstanding pitching that is now looking better than ever…” Amos has shown consistent result this season and the previous one both at practices and at games. Amos herself reported to be able to pitch balls “in the low 60s [mph],” which is very impressive for a high school student-athlete such as herself. With freshmen Bridget Furlong, Melissa Light, and Jessalyn Brown becoming more familiar with the high school varsity experience, they also continue to develop and hone their skills everyday at practice at Callahan Field. Varsity coach Richard Cullen praises the incoming underclassman, stating that they will definitely “help the team a great deal. Most of the[m] have played on summer teams together and are close friends. This really helps with our team unity.” Cullen also attributes the team’s success to the local youth softball teams, expressing the extremely “positive effect” they have had on the incoming talent. He believes that these youth teams have provided the squad with “good coaching and valuable experience that has prepared them well for the varsity level.” The team’s overall record as of Apr. 28 is 4-3 and the team is currently attempting to get back to winning despite being placed in a much more difficult league this season .Coach Cullen sets his priorities by saying “we are aiming to win the GBL championship. Second is the [Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association] tourney.”
t is a common things to see members of your graduating class being praised at games, in the hallways, in local papers etc… These same people are usually in the small percentage of high school athletes that get the chance to compete at the college level, and very rarely at the professional level. But what happens to the more common, average sized, mediocre athletes that go unnoticed by many through their years of athletics, when they step off their field or court for the last time, and have no competition to look forward to after graduation? In many instances, students that have played different sports their entire lives do not have the stature nor the skill to play be a college athlete. These people go from playing 1, 2 and 3 sports each year until their senior year in high school, and then it just stops, never being part of a real competitive event again. This depressing reality can take painful tolls on these athletes who have gone through life constantly looking forwards to the start of a season or a big game. “Much of the early research into withdrawal from sport concentrated on the problems faced by younger athletes (all disciplines) retiring from full-time sport at high school or college (university) levels in America,” stated a sports analyzer from Zimbio. com, a sports therapy website. Once in college, it is a common occurrence to attend the school’s athletic events, sometimes with extreme passion, wearing the school’s colors, or on occasion, painting yourself with the school colors, and crowding together with room-mates, classmates, or even friends. However, even going to the most exciting games cannot compete with the feeling of playing in front of your friends, family, and entire school. All the average high school athlete can do is reminisce with his old buddies about how he caught a touchdown or scored a goal back in their high school days. “It is clear from the research that the typical athlete faces a unique set of pressures that may require counselling help, especially during withdrawal, which can occur at any stage of his sports career,” quoted the analyzer from istadia.com, showing how some people can not face life after sports on their own. This bitter fact often leaves these former athletes with a sort of resentment that they could not be one of the behemoth sized or athletically gifted kids that get all of the division one letters and invitations to skill camps, and get to call themselves an athlete well after graduation. After graduation, the most a common athlete can do is play pickup games with their friends, or play in some moderately intense, no-contact beer league, which only applies to the more well-known sports such as football, softball, hockey, and basketball. And even these pickup games and leagues are mostly just for fun, not giving the same thrill of competing to give your school a good name. But what happens to the boys and girls lacrosse players, the field hockey players, and the shot-putters, who spend years sharpening their skills, which were rendered useless after their senior year? I mean, come on when was the last time you went to the local park and saw a group of 30 year olds playing field hockey? It is a sad but evident truth among high schoolers that in most cases their time to shine, athletic wise, is up after senior year. Years of work and training skills are no longer needed, playing alongside your friends to defeat the rival school in your league is over forever, and all of the high light moments in each sport become nothing more than things to brag about years later. Though in college going to cheer your team on is always a way to show that your school is better than your opponents, the feeling of being a high school athlete can never be reached again once the equipment is handed in and you shake hands with your opponent for the last time.
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The Blue and Gold April 2010
SPORTS http://www.maldenblueandgold.com/
Boys’ Lacrosse From Left to right: Armir Bashllari on defense, and the boy’s varsity lacrosse team in a team huddle. Photos by Cristina Peters and Lynn Tran. Joshua Kummins Reporter
LOOKS TO REBOUND IN SECOND SEASON
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espite losing their first game against North Reading High School, 6-1, on March 30, the Malden High School boys’ lacrosse team is starting to come together in just their second season as a varsity team with a record of 0-7. With close games against North Reading, Bedford, Lynn Classical/English, and Salem and Medford High Schools, all of which saw more effort in each game showing the team’s progression. Last year, the team had a very disappointing season, as they won just one game, having the last game cancelled due to fighting. This season, the team is starting fresh with a new coach and many players that are playing the sport for the first time. The team wiped the slate clean and is beginning the new season with new coach and MHS English teacher, Brendan Maney. The team is starting to come together, although the team is very inexperienced. The first game is said to be an improvement over anything the team managed to accomplish last season. The games against North Reading, Lynn Classical/English, and Salem saw Malden lose close leads giving the team plenty to work on. Since the players are new and having their first experience playing the sport, the team is improving with each day. “The underclassmen are learning and growing each day,” said Maney. “The captains Jose Tec, Tim Riordan, and Nicky Hoyt have done an excellent job of providing leadership through their examples.” Like Maney, Tec, one of the team’s senior captains, said that the team is “trying their best and progressing each day.” He added that they are taking it slow by “going with the flow.” The season began with little expectation, so the team just went onto the field and learned the basics. Before the season, the plan was to have a junior varsity team but since there was a lack of players that wanted to play the decision was made to form just one single varsity team.
Girls “LaCross” Out Competition Joel Stevenson Reporter
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he girl’s varsity lacrosse team has not seen much success this season, losing all but one of their games and having a record of 1-10. However, this is just the only part of the picture; despite having a tough beginning to the season, they still have confidence in themselves. “It is still anyone’s game,” stated sophomore Malorie MacDonald. Julie Briggs, the coach of the team, reiterated, “I’m so proud of the girls this year. They’re working so hard, their really making memories, but we need to work harder. We’ve been giving it 100 percent, but the girls need to go the extra mile for victory.” “The team’s main focus is still hard work and determination,” stated sophomore Amanda Tan. Even though the team is not able to win every game, the teammates are still happy and content with one another. MacDonald, who has made strong bonds with her teammates this year, said, “It’s my team and I love them. We leave everything behind when we step on to the field. We work hard Sophomore Commie Ayuk chasing the lacrosse ball. Photo by Lynn Tran. for not only ourselves but for each other, and that is how a team should be. Though we still have our rough patches I feel they will work themselves out and we will grow and win more as a team.” At this point in the season, team has only one way to go – up. According to sophomore Commie Ayuk, lacrosse is all about “staying positive and playing to the best we can, while we have a little fun.” On Apr. 23rd the lacrosse team won their first game of their season against their Greater Boston League rivals Cambridge. It was a happy day for the whole team, who had been somewhat discouraged because of their recent loses. For these girls, this win is the beginning of the end. It has given team the motivation they need to finish the season on a high point. They are now planning on having a winning record going down the stretch as they face off against rival town Medford.