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The Blue and Gold December 2011
Local NEws http://www.maldenblueandgold.com/
Powder Puff Game The juniors broke tradition and beat the senior team after losing streak for many years.
Red Cross Takes Part in Helping Our Troops B
The junior and senior girls playing in the Powderpuff game and senior Rebecca Krigman running with the ball.
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nergy levels were high on the day of the annual powder-puff game on Nov. 24 2011. Despite the chilling wind, the heat between the junior and senior girls at Malden High School was reach‑ ing extreme levels. As junior captain Elyse Valente stated, “There was definitely a lot of tension between the junior and se‑ nior girls. It came to the point where this game became extremely competitive not only for the girls but for the coaches as well.” The tension arose between the two teams mainly because the seniors wanted to uphold the tradi‑ tion of them winning the game as the senior team has done very year. Unfortunately this goal was not ac‑ complished as the junior team broke the tradition with their first win over the senior team. The annual powder-puff game happens every year at MHS and is not something that is taken lightly. Both the junior and senior girl teams started making preparations and training in advance so they can be well prepared for the game on game day. All the preparation and beforehand work comes with a lot of planning from the coaches and the many people who will be run‑ ning the game. For the senior team as captain Kiara Amos stated, “No one really knew what was going on with the powder-puff game or who was in charge of it until Juleena Huguley, Chardeza Coleman, and myself volunteered to be captains of the team at one of our Captains Council meetings.” The junior team also started preparing themselves by, “practicing almost a week in ad‑ vance,” stated Valente. All the early practices helped out both teams as captains Amos and Valente revealed that no girl on either team had any
real experience with the game be‑ fore, with the exception of girls who played on the junior team last year for the new senior team. Although the juniors ended up winning the game, both teams found areas in which to im‑ prove on. Valente stated that, “during the first couple of practices we didn’t take them seriously so they weren’t to produc‑ tive but towards Sunday and on we definitely got very seri‑ ous and competitive.” As for the senior team, if there was more co‑ ordination done in their planning they would of gotten the same amount of practices as the junior team which Amos had wanted being the captain. Although there were many ar‑ eas in which the girls could have im‑ proved, there were also many high and low points during the game for both teams. The senior team had
some moments of glory but Amos revealed, “That the mud had really distracted [the team] as [the team] was falling all over the place.” As for the junior team, Valente stated that, “We played extremely well but we definitely should’ve paid attention to the names of the plays because during the game some of us blanked out and we would have to go over the whole thing again.” From the start of the game on, there was a lot of team spirit on each team. As Valente stated, “We cheered each other on, laughed at the good and bad plays and helped each other if we forgot a play.” Amos stated that, “at the beginning of the game we struggled a lot. It was our first game together and we weren’t really communicating much but as the game went on we started playing more as a team and knew what we were doing.” Although the junior team won, both teams played well during and the junior girls as well as many spec‑ tators cannot wait for next year’s powder-puff game.
From left to right: Juniors Lisa DeLacey, Frycia Silva, Blue and Gold staff member Lauren Benoit, Amanda Ramsey, and Amalia Quesada Nylen posing for a group photo at MacDonald stadium at the annual Powder Puff game.. All photos by Amanda Rosatone
eginning in the school year of 2010-2011, Malden High Schools’ Red Cross Club started a new project entitled Helping Our Troops in which they were helping the based in Stoneham. This year the club plans on continuing with the projects. Troops stationed across seas send a wish list of basic necessities. The Red Cross Club then collects different items such as dry foods and old cell phones. At the very end of the collection drive, MHS sends all the items to the Helping Our Troops in Stoneham. Helping Our Troops then plans a packing party to put together all the The Helping Our troops pro‑ gram began with Vietnam war veter‑ ans, Frank Geary and Walter Kopek. They knew what life was like in the army and they knew what would be helpful to all the newer soldiers and in November 2006 the program was introduced and the program has been going strong for three years, this year being the third. The first year families in Stone‑ ham, Massachusetts gathered to‑ gether to show love and support for the troops families. The word spread fast about what they were doing and the support grew. Soon enough the entire community was participat‑ ing in the program and the troops over seas where getting the love and recognition they deserve for serving for our country. Local businesses, schools and supermarkets were giv‑ ing donations. It is evident that even the smallest amount of money donated helped to ship over the goods and everyone that donated made a huge difference. For that the Helping Our Troops association is eternally grateful and continue to be as the program continues. The Red Cross Club also took part in the “Adopt-a-Box” program associated with Helping Our Troops where students could sponsor a box being shipped over and help pay for the sending costs. All together the club sponsored three full boxes to be sent to the troops which in return will be help‑ ing the troops enormously.