April 2021

The Blue and Gold maldenblueandgold.com Malden High School

Volume 106 Edition 2

77 Salem Street

April 2021

Freshman Open House 2021 Julie Yu Editor-in-Chief

I

Malden School Committee Conducts Superintendent Search Sandra Li Managing Editor

W

ith the announcement of Superintendent John Oteri not seeking an extension to his contract in November, the Malden School Committee began its search for Malden’s next Superintendent of Schools. In order to help guide the process, Mayor Christenson appointed two School Committee members, Jennifer Spadafora and Adam Weldai, to co-chair the Superintendent Screening Committee.

On March 15th, the Malden School Committee announced that Ligia Noriega-Murphy would be the next Superintendent of Schools and would assume her position on July 1st.

The process started in the beginning of December where the school committee selected an outside firm, the Collins Center from UMass Boston, to conduct the search. Spadafora explained that their process was to post the superintendent position on multiple websites, reaching out to different organizations in hopes of receiving a considerable amount of candidates. And with that, both Spadafora and Weldai then formed a search committee of an additional 15 members that consisted of teachers, school administrators and community members.

She went into detail about how they were then tasked to look through the 37 resumes they had received. In a series of meetings, the committee discussed the strengths, areas of growth, and background experience of each individual applicant. From there on, the committee narrowed down their decisions to nine applicants and then had individual Zoom interviews with each of them. Repeating the process again, the screening committee met again collectively and discussed their pros and cons to each of those applicants and voted on who they would put through, eventually ending up with three finalists.

When it came to deciding on the three finalists, Weldai explained how each person on the committee was looking for something different, which he found to be a highlight of the process, because from his perspective, he was personally “looking for someone who was a strong communicator” and also an individual who has the experience with both the “instructional side of being a leader, but also the managerial side.” And he believed that with the committee consisting of such vast representatives from “as many different stakeholders of a school system as possible,” it enabled for “[them] to have those hard conversations with one another.”

Senior Billy Zeng, who was a student representative of the screening committee, expressed how both Spadafora and Weldai “did a wonderful job” in creating a committee that was “truly representative of different perspectives.” With the wide range of individual backgrounds, from paraprofessionals to students, Zeng found that the “diversity in thinking” was crucial when it came down to making decisions as each person “prioritized different aspects of the school experience.”

He continued on saying that there is a significance in being “exposed to new perspectives in education,” especially ones that you were never aware of before because he believes that it is beneficial when “different communities are represented and able to share their voice,” ultimately steering the decision on who would be the next superintendent.

With Zeng being a student himself, he noted the importance of how essential it is for students to be involved in processes like these as students are the ones who “know the school system the best” as they experience it on a daily basis whether that would be simply from “walking through the halls or logging onto Google Meets.” The student voice is valuable since “they Continued on page 3.

t is safe to say that the 2020-2021 school year has been far from normal. The Class of 2024 has been greatly impacted from having to start their freshman year remotely.

As the return of grade 9 and 12 students approached, Malden High hosted an open house event for freshmen and other new students on March 20th. In past years, the first two days of school were spent welcoming the incoming freshmen class to Malden High.

During those two days, freshmen would be given resources and a rundown on different aspects of their high school careers such as credits, grade point average (GPA), graduation requirements, extracurricular activities, and much more.

With the unusual start to the year, the incoming freshman Class of 2024 was not able to experience the typical freshman orientation they would have, had we started the school year in person.

The Malden High staff was mindful about the fact that a majority of the Class of 2024 has not seen or been in the building since the tours they took as 8th graders.

With that being said, Amy Yu, the Guidance Counselor for Jenkins and Continued on page 15.

The new superintendent of Malden Public Schools, Ligia Noriega-Murphy.

Photo submitted by Noriega-Murphy.

Staff

2

Social Media Tribulations

Jhechel Espiritu and Alexey Mozyaev Reporters

The Blue and Gold April 2021

maldenblueandgold.com

MEET THE

BLUE AND AND GOLD GOLD BLUE

H

umans have become overwhelmed by the new innovations of electronic gadgets, such as smartphones, computers, iPads (tablets), TVs, video games, etc., but the biggest impact has come from the different social media platforms that have been clouding the globe.

These different programs and apps have affected every individual in all walks of life. Most agencies are using social media to promote their products and companies; even the government uses the same kind of platforms to gain political desires.

With a single finger tap on the touchscreen of one’s phone, one can get food delivered to one’s doorstep in less than an hour. Especially during the pandemic, everyone now depends on the internet, doing everything remotely such as shopping, money transferring, deliveries, work and school.

The amount of hours students at Malden High spend doing school work, all the while having eyes set on the screen, equals to more than six hours. Then comes homework that students are required to do for another two hours, and oftentimes longer. Plus, social media platforms like Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, are now places where everyone “socializes.”

Dulce Pelico, a sophomore in Malden High, stated that “if [one] is on social media a lot, there are a lot of toxic [public figures].” An example of this being the fact that “some girls make [her] insecure,” when she sees them displaying their lives through social media. As much as Pelico does not want others to affect her in that way, she finds it challenging at times to not compare. Due to these stiff competitions within the creative industries, younger generations tend to compare themselves with people their age, who have become known as social media influencers.

Before the pandemic, students and teachers spent some of their time socializing with each other in real life, while physically being at school, creating memories and having fun at a place they once called their second home. But what memories can one create when they are sitting in front of a computer for four hours straight, following with a 40-minute lunch break, after which we are again in front of the screen for another hour and 20 minutes?

Kurtis Scheer, a History teacher at Malden High, mentioned that he believes “it affects attention, motivation, mental health,” which most people, especially students, agree with; the effects of social media have impacted focus and interest in trying to cope with the new normal.

Scheer stated that “[he] is in front of the computer from about 7:00 [in the morning] to 4:00 [in the afternoon] each day.” After Scheer

Lead Reporters Reporters Lead Editor-in-Chief: Julie Yu ‘21

Chaimaa Assli ‘23 Carolina Cuevas ‘21 Gabriel Fesehaie ‘23 Julia Freitas ‘23 Kayley Glavin ‘23 Juliana Luong ‘23 Krishany Marius ‘23 Christopher McIntyre ‘22 Kaoutar Wakaf ‘23

Print Editor-in-Chief: Sandra Rivadeneira ‘21

Web and Mobile Apps Editor-in-Chief: Jennica Ruan ‘21

Reporters Reporters

Sarah Alves Marques ‘22 Amy Arrue ‘24 Rose Jean Charles ‘22 Nathan Dean ‘24 Melvin Delgado Melara ‘24 Jhechel Espiritu ‘23 Daniel Germano Moreira Martins ‘22 Alexey Mozyaev ‘21 Zachary Nedell ‘24 Daniel O’Toole ‘24 Renalda Simon ‘23 Renaldine Simon ‘23 Sorin Taylor ‘23 Hadjar Yousfi ‘24

Class Advisor: Ryan Gallagher

is done with school “at 4 p.m. [he] turns off the computer screen,” and tries to do something that “[does not] involve the screen.”

When one is connected to family, friends, and all informative, entertaining content through a single gadget, what can one do but constantly check up on other people’s lives and the world around them?

Scheer stated that “[he] puts limits during the week, but obviously, there are times when [he] breaks those rules.” Even for teachers, setting limitations on the screen usage can become an exhausting process, which requires discipline and willingness.

For many individuals, freshman year of high school is exciting because students meet new and older students, from all over the town.

Managing Editor: Julie Huynh ‘22

Managing Editor: Sandra Li ‘22

Managing Editor of Print and Design: Lauren Mallett ‘22

Managing Editor of Print and Design: Carlos Aragon ‘22

Head of Sports: Lulu Harding ‘22

Head of Local: Courtney Fitzgerald ‘22

Managing Editor of Photography: Liam O’Toole ‘22

The students get a new experience that changes the perspective of their world that is important for a teenagers’ development.

Lucia Musilli, an English teacher at Malden High agrees that “for the ninth grade it is different, because kids want connection and to be doing something when [they are] younger.” It has been difficult for freshmen at Malden High ever since the school year has started.

Gilberto Linares, a freshman at Malden High, explained that he “would prefer going to school, just because [he] enjoys the social aspect of

it.” Missing out on socializing with their peers affects the health of many students, especially since it has been a difficult roller coaster.

Illustration by Carolina Cuevas.

Interactive

The Blue and Gold April 2021 Continued from page 1. have the firsthand knowledge” that sometimes other stakeholders may not be aware of.

Weldai mentioned how in previous years, past searches have not always been this inclusive. And this time, he stated how they needed to ask themselves “how do [they] attack this from every different angle” to ensure that people feel included in the process. Adding on to that thought, Spadafora emphasized how “we have always said that Malden is such a diverse community,” but in order to truly reflect that, you have to be able to “walk the walk” and not only “talk the talk.”

And so in order to “reach every corner of Malden” as Spadafora stated, the search recognized how they needed to include interpreters to make sure that “everybody had a voice.” In addition, she expressed that because one of the roles of a superintendent is to “represent the entire community,” it is important for every parent and student to be “given that opportunity to be heard.” She further added that the committee ensured to translate every documentation in regards to the search and upload them onto the MPS Superintendent Search website to allow people to be a part of the process.

Aside from the committee meetings that were held to review the applications, community forums and public interviews were organized each day in the first and second week of March to give members of the community an opportunity to learn more about the three finalists and what they had to offer to Malden. Interpreters were present translating the discussions that took place into seven different languages including Vietnamese, Cantonese, Portuguese, Arabic and more.

In these forums and interviews, community members had the chance to voice their questions towards each of the finalists whether that would be regarding their previous positions or how they would address current problems in the school system. After each meeting ended, the committee sent out Google forms to hear feedback from the community on what they thought of each candidate.

Weldai described that in the forums that were held, like the search committee, “everyone’s perspective [was] going to be different” and as a result, the questions that principles or parents were going to ask varied since “[they] are each looking at this from a different lens.” He stated that the feedback submissions the committee received were valuable in the decision making process because it was clear that the community wanted to be able to express on “what [they] want [their] leader to believe in.”

Students from MHS also had the opportunity to meet with the finalists in a Student Forum where they were able to pose questions to the candidates. Junior Sammi Nie, who was one of the students a part of the forum, explained that the process of meeting with each of

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maldenblueandgold.com

April Crossword Puzzle

Sunsets on assembly row. Photo taken by Jhechel Espiritu.

ACROSS:

Clues are from articles in both the online and print editions.

1. Ann _____ is the advisor of the psychology club.

3. Ana Dörner, a recipient of the Posse Scholarship, will be attending _____ College.

5. The COVID-19 vaccine does not include _____, preservatives, or latex.

7. The first Hockey game of the season was on _____ 16, 2021.

9. Malden High’s Class of 2022 teamed up with the _____ to sell Valentine’s Day candy.

10. According to the Mayor’s new policy, tenants cannot be _____ on account of no payment of rent or no-fault causes.

12. The gymnastics team only had _____ students on the team.

14. Posse Scholarship recipient Elaine Du was nominated by _____ _____.

16. Black History Month originated in 1926 when Carter G. _____ launched the first celebration to honor the Black community.

17. Brazilian _____ _____ is a self-defense martial art and combat sport.

19. In “Life in a Year,” Daryn wants to give _____ the best year.

20. The Buccaneers beat the Chiefs by _____ points.

DOWN: 1. Malden High students were able to take the _____ on January 26, 2021.

2. Who is Mayor Gary Christenson’s superhero persona?

4. What day of the week was the last day of school due to COVID-19?

6. “Clouds” was released on which streaming platform?

8. Which week of Black History Month was focused on celebrating the Black educators in our school district?

11. How have swim meets been conducted this season?

13. How many executive actions did President Biden sign on his first day in office?

15. Tales Carneiro Passos, who received a Posse Scholarship, is double majoring in political science and _____.

18. Charlie Conefrey stated that each team will play _____ to ten games, depending on the sport.

Puzzle compiled by Lauren Mallett.

them was “like [having] a regular conversation” because both “respect and energy was reciprocated.”

On top of that, Nie mentioned how the conversations mainly revolved around student voice and implementing greater diversity among faculty members and the curriculum. She believed that asking questions “that [they] deemed to be the most pressing” revealed what Malden needed in a superintendent that is “capable of supporting our diverse student body.”

Spadafora felt that all three finalists had both the background and the expertise when it came to academics and curriculum which made the decision difficult. However, she emphasized that the “job is not all about academics,” but rather it is also about being “a spokesperson for the district.”

Weldai agreed conveying how the job of a superintendent has become so vast that “there was never going to be a perfect candidate,” but ultimately they were looking

for someone who “could be another puzzle piece” to fit in with the “great team” that the city and the schools already have.

With the announcement of Noriega-Murphy being the next superintendent, the committee hopes that moving forward in not only just superintendent searches, but in other searches as well that community members, parents and students are being involved in the process and be given a platform to voice their opinions.

Editorial

4

The Blue and Gold April 2021

maldenblueandgold.com

A

Keeping up with the News as an Asian American

s a young Chinese American, it breaks my heart to see the extensive amount of hatred that continues to impact the lives of my fellow Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI).

I am fortunate enough to have lived the first 17 years of my life without a single encounter with racism. I am fortunate enough to have never been called a racial slur. I am fortunate enough to have never been targeted simply because I am Asian.

The harsh reality is that this is not the case for many other individuals. It is imperative that we acknowledge that there are numerous members of our own community, the people that we work alongside, the people we go to school with, the strangers we pass by as we walk down the street, who have faced harassment simply due to their race.

We must speak out against racial injustice. We must stand up for those who are being oppressed.

We must hold people accountable for their wrongdoings. These are things I always told myself and I stay true to. But, it took far too many tragic hate crimes to occur across the nation for me to truly comprehend the significance.

As unfortunate as it is, hearing and reading about these stories in the media have become a new norm. News outlets are consistently covering stories about hate crimes whether those are particularly targeted towards the AAPI community or other races.

On the night of March 16th, 2021, a 21 year-old, white gunman, Robert Aaron Long, shot and killed eight women, six of which were of Asian descent; the other two

victims were white. As the investigation is still ongoing, detectives claim that it is still unclear what the motive behind the attack was. However, during times like these where people are so driven by hatred and hate crimes have become so common in the news, can you blame people for inferring the attack was racially motivated?

Following the attack in Atlanta, I found myself at a loss for words. I thought to myself, what else is there to say. I have been in this situation countless times, trying to make sense of these appalling and unjust attacks and every time it just feels like a repeated cycle. I try my best to compose my thoughts and speak out against as many attacks as possible, but a pattern that I have noticed within the past year especially has been the fact that every time my message has been along the lines of: this kind of behavior is plainly wrong and should not be tolerated.

But what more needs to be said? It really is as simple as that.

I was having a meaningful conversation with one of my friends and she said something that really stood out to me. She said “at this point [we are] all just disappointed but not surprised,” and I think that is the perfect way to summarize how so many of us are feeling. It is disheartening and upsetting to read about these acts of terrorism clearly driven by xenophobia, but are we surprised? Are we surprised that there is yet another event to add to the never-ending list of racial attacks? Are we surprised that this kind of behavior is being disregarded and excused?

Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office Spokesman Captain Jay Baker spoke at a news conference after

Long was taken into custody. At the news conference, Baker claimed that Long was having a “really bad day [...] and this is what he did,” essentially consoling and defending Long for his undeniably discriminatory actions.

As mentioned previously, the investigation is ongoing so I have made an extensive effort to regularly check the developing story for any new details, and as I read more and more articles on the murders that took place, I began to notice the word choice many media sources chose to use. I came across numerous articles that refer to the attack on these eight women as an “incident.”

From a student journalist’s perspective, I understand why journalists may not be granted permission to use terms like “hate crime” when there is a lack of evidence proving there is some kind of xenophobia present. But again, can you blame people for assuming the murders were fueled by racism?

This also caused me to question: would the media be treating this story the same way if the murderer was not a white man? Would the word choice be the same? Would the police sympathize with the suspect as much as they did?

The answer to those questions is no. No, the media would not be treating the story the same way. No, the wording would not be the same.

No, the police would not sympathize with the suspect. Had the murderer of those eight women been a person of color, he would have been called a terrorist and the police would not be trying to victimize him and excuse his actions.

Unfortunately, the devastating shooting in Atlanta is just one of the several hate crimes that have

impacted the AAPI community.

Alongside the numerous other hate crimes, there are also likely several other stories and attacks against the AAPI community that are not reported and therefore go unknown. In many instances, these attacks have been targeted towards defenseless elderly members of the AAPI community, and when it comes to reporting these hate crimes, the language barrier tends to be a large factor leaving many victims reluctant to come forward.

However, it has been a little over one year since the COVID-19 pandemic caused the country to lock down and issue stay at home orders. With this, came a significant increase in hate crimes towards the AAPI community. If this year of xenophobic attacks have taught us anything, it is that we cannot sit back and remain silent. If these stories continue to go unrecognized, no progress will be made towards ending racism in America.

From an outsider’s perspective it may become annoying constantly seeing people post on social media about these unjust attacks of terrorism and overall spreading awareness on racial injustice, but imagine how annoying it is for people of color in this country, the ones being oppressed or have to fear being targeted for their race. Put yourself in their shoes and think what could possibly be going through their minds when they regularly see coverage on hate crime in the news.

Julie Yu Editor-In-Chief

Editorial Policy

Nedlam’s Corner

Nedlam’s Corner is a safe space to ask about anything you may be experiencing in your life, both academically and socially. Nedlam is here to offer advice. Although I will know who wrote the submissions, you are able to opt out of having your name reflected here.

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 J387 or to his mailbox in the main office.

To submit a question to Nedlam for a chance for it to be answered in next month’s edition of The Blue and Gold, go to maldenblueandgold.com.

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

Opinion

The Blue and Gold April 2021

5

maldenblueandgold.com

One Year Away

Lauren Mallett Managing Editor of Print and Design

O

ne year, 12 months, 52 weeks, 365 days, 8,760 hours, 525,600 minutes. A year is a long time, no matter how you measure it. In one year, the average person will grow about six inches of hair, walk about 1,500 miles, and spend a little more than $60,000. A year can completely change you as a person, and flip the world on its head.

March 12th, 2020. Exactly one year ago, life as we knew it ended, though we would have never guessed it.

It was a day like any other. I woke up at 6:00 am to get ready for another plain old day of school. I went to my classes, ate my lunch, did my work, and went through the day without any idea of what was to come.

That day after school, I sat in the Blue and Gold classroom, J387, and helped my sophomore year editors finish the March print edition before it was due to be sent out. Almost every day that week, I had stayed at the school until 5 or 6 o’clock at night working on my assigned pages, photoshopping and

placing elements, and writing captions until I couldn’t move my wrist.

I remember on that Thursday, it was around 4 o’clock, and we received news that Everett and Revere had both closed their schools for a few weeks due to the outbreak of the highly joked-about Corona Virus. There was a moment when everyone in the room shared the same thought, “will this be the last day we see each other this year?” We thought it was ridiculous, but we were right. Later on that night we received a notice from the school that all Malden Public Schools would be closed indefinitely. I left the school at 5:30 that afternoon and have only returned a handful of times since to collect my belongings and pick up books for my AP Literature class.

I have not seen my teachers, my peers, nor anything else from Malden High in an entire year. We picked everything up and threw it onto the computer, but it’s not the same, how could it be? We have gone from loud clusters of desks to silent breakout rooms and lively classes where students bond over the seemingly endless list of books they have to read to 25 or more icons and only the teacher’s face on a bright screen.

Online school will never com-

pare to the feeling of being in a classroom environment, surrounded by people who are completely different from you asking the same questions and worrying about the same due dates. We have done as well as we can with it, but I and many others long for the return to our normal lives. Although, normal may not be the word to describe the lives we hope to come back to. Any sense of normalcy has been completely shifted, and even if we went back to the same routine as before COVID knocked us on the ground, nothing will feel the same.

As we inch closer to the proposed date of return to in-person learning, I’ve found it to be important to reflect on the past year. It has been one of tragedy, growth, strength and fear. I look back at the person I was a year ago and I barely recognize her. That thought can be scary to consider, but with all that went wrong in the last year, I am proud of where I am and who I’ve become. I am proud of those around me and all we have accomplished and persevered through. I look to the future with hope and excitement for the day I can walk back into my classrooms and see the friends I’ve missed so dearly. I fin d myself day-

dreaming about waiting in line in the cafeteria or walking through the halls during pool season and being hit with the smell of chlorine. Mundane tasks like talking by the lockers or walking to get food at New York Pizza after school ends seem so much bigger than before. Every little moment feels like an opportunity, a memory to cherish and possibilities to not take for granted.

After one whole year away, I’ve found a new appreciation for myself, my friends, and most importantly, my school. Watching how hard the staff has worked to adjust us to our new reality through every single change and issue thrown at us has been inspiring. There’s a sense of gratitude I have for our teachers and principals that words cannot begin to convey. I’m unsure of how we could begin to thank them for their hard work and commitment to our education, but I do know that they would move mountains for us and would take on any challenge presented to them. So thank you to every single person in the Malden High community, for keeping us safe and working so hard for us. I cannot wait to be back in the familiar halls of our school, back to where we belong.

spent all of my freshman year and most of my sophomore year getting to know.

I was one of the first people in the testing room when I arrived, so I waited for everyone else. It looked like time had stopped in the classroom. I think part of me was used to distanced seating from when we used to take exams in-person. The only aspect of the room that stood out to me was the hand sanitizer that was strategically placed where everyone could access it, and perhaps also so people saw that the school was making an effort. Everyone knows that before the pandemic, those dispensers were not popular.

Obviously, I cannot talk about the PSAT itself, but during the breaks in-between sections, I could not help but think about how empty the school felt. It felt as if I had gone to school during vacation, or on the weekend. Even in a room with a handful of other juniors, and more down the hallway, it was eerily quiet, save for the bell ringing here and there.

That is one thing I do not miss, the sound of the bell. Funny how no one realized that the last time they heard the bell ring on March 12, that it not only signaled the end of the day, but the end of any trace of a “normal” high school experience for the year to come.

I am currently writing this on a snow day, which one of my friends commented is “the most normal thing to happen all year,” and I could not agree more. Late entries

and early releases do not feel the same when you are just going from your computer to your bed. We do not even have homeroom anymore, and there is only one lunch period and no built-in time to socialize with friends. There is no passing time in between classes to run into people in the halls, no rushing to be one of the first people in the deli line. No smelling the lunch from the second floor and wondering what it was, no trekking from the gym floor all the way up to your class in Brunelli.

I think I echo the voices of many students when I say that I miss the social aspect of school the most. I miss the anticipation of walking into math class everyday and not knowing who I would be seated with; I miss meeting up with friends before and after school, and in particular, I miss being a part of what I call the “collective struggle.” If you do not know what I am referring to, I am talking about the connection that forms between students that are really Going Through It. I thought forming connections online would be easier, but now I know that is not true.

Luckily, I knew a few of the other students in my testing room.

In fact, two of them were in one of my classes. Just for a moment, we bonded over how much work we had to catch up on. It felt good to know that I was not alone, that my classmates were not just circles or faces on my screen, but other human beings that were also struggling during these times. Again, if we were

in-person and I was stressed, I could easily feel better by talking to other students that felt the same way, but complaining about the workload over Snapchat is not the same.

It can be so easy to feel alone since almost every day feels the same. You wake up, log onto class, have lunch, go back for your last period, maybe take a break, and then turn back on your computer to do work for however long it takes you.

I find that even in my club meetings, I do not feel like I am interacting with people, because it is no longer a social gathering, it is just another hour I choose to spend on my screen.

When we were in-person, clubs and extracurriculars were a way for me to see my friends and meet new people outside of a class setting. I believe that these interactions were an integral part of any high school experience, and now these opportunities have been taken away for so many underclassmen.

I can only hope that the next school year will be better for everyone. One of my friends in my testing room pointed out that if we are inperson next year, almost half of the students will not know their way around. It is amusing to think about, the fact that my biggest worry freshman year was getting lost, and now the class of 2024 is worried about clicking the wrong Google Meet link. Despite all the concerns that come with possibly returning to school in the fall, I am looking forward to having something to look forward to.

Taking the PSATs

Julie Huynh Managing Editor

I

have only been to the school for the occasional book-pickups or to get my bus card, but those hardly qualify as “in-person learning.” Neither does taking the PSAT, but sitting at a desk for roughly four hours does come pretty close. Like most students, I have not been inside a classroom since March 12, 2020. Last week, on January 26, 2021, I stepped back into Malden High School for the first time in nearly a year, along with 149 other students and 26 staff members.

As I waited outside for someone to come open the front doors, other students started arriving around the same time. It was exactly like all those early mornings when we were back in school, except without Principal Christopher Mastrangelo or any of the house principals there to greet us. As soon as we were let inside, we had to make sure that no two people were standing too close together. In contrast, I recalled those late entry days when everyone would just crowd around outside the office and in the cafeterias until we were allowed upstairs.

Walking up the stairs to my testing room, everything felt the same. It was all very familiar. I do not know if I was expecting the hallways to feel foreign, or to be startled by everyone wearing masks in this setting, but it did not take long for me to find comfort in the bright orange walls and tiled floors that I

Opinion

6

The Blue and Gold April 2021

maldenblueandgold.com

Roxane Leon Lead Reporter

Being Black in America

Originally published in June of 2020.

D

o not touch something in a store if you are not going to buy it. Do not walk with your hood on at night. Do not talk back to the police.

Always cooperate with the police.

Never resist arrest. These are some of the things we black kids have to learn and see at such a young age.

And these are just some of them.

There’s more.

Now imagine living with all these things cycling through your mind every time you step outside your house. Every time you see the police. Every time you are in an unfamiliar area. Being a black person in America comes with a lot of fear, anxiety, and paranoia. The constant fear, anxiety, and paranoia of being the next person to die just because of your color. Just because you “fit the description” as the police would say.

On May 25th, 2020, 46 year-old George Floyd, a black man, died in police custody. How? You may ask, well… former Officer Derek Chauvin decided to place his knee

on the neck of Floyd all while he was already in handcuffs and lying on the pavement. Chauvin kept his knee on Floyd’s neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds. 9 minutes if you round it up.* During those 9 minutes, Floyd repeatedly said “I can’t breathe” until he became unconscious.

Chauvin did not remove his knee from Floyd’s neck even when Floyd had no pulse and was already unconscious.

In fact, a medical examiner said that the neck and back compressions caused a lack of blood to flow to Floyd’s brain.

Floyd’s death triggered the Black Lives Matter protest that is happening in all 50 U.S states.

Black people are tired of the systematic injustice happening towards black people.

As a human, I already felt hurt and saddened just by watching the video of this killing. But as a black

person, I was outraged at the fact that a human could do this to another human just because of their skin color. And you want to know what the worst part is? This isn’t the first time a black person was hurt and or died from police brutality. There’s Philando Castile shot and killed at a traffic stop by a Minnesota officer. Eric Garner held in a chokehold by an NYPD officer, who died.

Michael Brown, an unarmed teenager shot and killed by a Ferguson, Missouri officer.

But wait, there’s more. Tons more. At the time, 26 years old EMT Breonna Taylor who was shot eight times (and now dead) while in her home when Louisville Metro Police Department officers raided Breonna’s house, in March, in search of drugs they did not find.

Breonna would’ve turned 27 years old on June 5th.

When you continuously see black people die from police brutality or just because they were black (which was the cause of Ahmaud Arbery’s death) it makes you wonder when you’ll be next or if you’re going to be next. In America and all over the world, black people are seen as the “threats’’ and the “aggressors” when in reality, we’re just the victims. The people who are always being targeted. It almost becomes scary to be a black person in a world where you’re seen as the bad person. Even writing this article is making me think a lot of things including wanting to cry.

But even though black people are always seen as the villains and are always killed because of racism and white supremacy, I wouldn’t want to change my skin color. For nobody, no reason and especially not if it was thought to be ashamed of being black. And you know why?

Because I’m black and I’m proud.

#blacklivesmatter #sayhername #sayhisname

MHS Back to School Night Halted by Zoom Bombing Carlos Aragon Managing Editor of Print and Design

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he past year has been incredibly stressful and difficult for almost everyone. From the protests in June to the pandemic, it has been incredibly tense. Remote learning adds to the never-ending lists of challenges to the year due to the number of technical issues it presents and the wall it creates between students and teachers. During the Back to School Night Malden High School hosted on October 21st, 2020 to help students and parents alike adjust to remote learning, the vulnerabilities of the system were exploited to allow a disgusting attack, more specifically, a “Zoom bombing” to occur.

According to Vice, a “Zoom bombing” is when an attendant breaks into a Zoom call and puts up disturbing images and videos. Ever since the pandemic started, Zoom has become a valuable tool to companies and schools, allowing people to meet in a socially distanced manner. Bombers abuse this heavy use of Zoom in order to carry out their attacks.

Initially, Principal Chris Mastrangelo attempted to remain calm and remove the participant. He stated that “in [his] mind, [he] knew that there were 300 people who

needed to process it.” After 15 seconds, he and Heather Northrop decided to end the meeting knowing it was the only way out. He added that he was “utterly devastated in every way possible.”

After shutting down the meeting Mastrangelo stated that “within 5 minutes [the administration] was in a Google Meet.” Their goal was to figure out “what [they] needed to do and who [they] needed to contact in order to get support in place. A few minutes later, he was meeting with teachers to get their insight on what their response to students should be, as well as social workers to their support for staff and students.

Superintendent John Oteri stated that the fact that Malden “staff, students and families had to hear something like that [was] terrible.” He immediately “contacted the police to make sure [they] got the proper people there.” Initially, Oteri had sent an email stating that classes may be canceled the next day, but many of the staff protested, saying it would “give the [people] who did it a sense of victory, that they accomplished what they wanted,” since at that point in time the attacker was unknown. The police quickly determined that it was not someone from Malden, and that the IP address was overseas and heavily masked in order to make it untrace-

able. Oteri added that “the comforting part was that it [was not] anyone from our community.”

History Teacher Rebecca Corcoran stated that she was in shock when she witnessed the event. She was shocked that “people make the choice to not only disrupt a meeting that they have nothing to do with, but in such an offensive and violent manner.” Corcoran believes that administration did the right thing, allowing “staff to work through it with students the next day.” However, she was surprised that nobody really spoke about it after a week or two, saying that it felt like “it happened, we talked about it, and now [we are] moving on,” which she thinks is strange. “I [do not] think it’s a closed book yet.”

Billy Zeng, founder of MHS Students for Racial Equity, stated that when he found out, he was in shock. “We always think that it [will not] happen to us, but then it actually does” and while he did not witness it himself, the descriptions he heard of the incident motivated him to invest even more time in MHS Students for Racial Equity.

Originally, the group was known as MHS Curriculum Reform Youth Board, however, as the group met with staff and administration, the group rebranded into the MHS Students for Racial Equity. While Zeng

stated that “[they are] still in the works at organizing [themselves] internally” he did confirm that one of the group’s goals is curriculum reform. He expressed that the incident was really a learning moment, where you think “this is why we do this work, and this is why [it is] so important.”

A few days after the incident MHS Staff and Students for Racial Equity put out this statement and petition. It states that there is a lack of transparency and proactivity regarding social justice issues throughout the school. It called for more communication between staff and students, as well as the creation of a space where staff and students can talk about race and equity rather than the current strategy of reacting to problems when they show up.

The sadness of the situation is that after a couple of weeks, it was essentially forgotten, despite the magnitude of the event. What we should have done was taken as a learning moment to make bigger changes, things like transparency with administration and the encouragement of an environment where we can discuss these issues openly, instead of waiting until something terrible happens. Through these actions, we can move forward stronger than before.

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Opinion

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How COVID-19 Has Affected Mental Health for Students Jhechel Espiritu Reporter

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e are all in a state of defense, anxiety, depression, and anxiousness.

This pandemic has created a massive change within the Malden community and the world—people are constantly fearing the thought of losing their homes, families, and themselves. Students, in particular, are like birds isolated from the outside world, trying to find ways to change their routines and find the motivation to get up in the morning and get through the day.

Basma Braer, a Sophomore at Malden High School, said that “for [her] personally [she cannot] socialize with outside families, [so she has] to stay with the same types of people, adding on to that actually being with the same people all the time can be really stressful.”

Parents have had a close eye trying to keep their children safe, which instills more pressure and stress to students whose parents are less lenient. The fear and thought of obtaining such a virus scares people, not just parents, but also the most vulnerable individuals who are facing underlying illnesses.

Schools have had a greater impact this year than ever before since students are transitioning from inperson education to remote learning, which is an enormous change.

Benjamin Butler, an adjustment counselor at Malden High, stated that “[he is] really worried about students, teenagers in particular because [he thinks] . . . a big part of being a teenager is independence . . . being on your own and being out in the world [and] you guys are just stuck in your rooms, stuck

Comic by Carolina Cuevas.

in your houses with your families.”

Caitlin Quinn, a guidance counselor at Malden High School, added to this thought, saying that “when [she thinks] about MHS students in general, they are missing out on all the social aspects of school, which is tough. [She thinks about] some of the things that make [school enjoyable], not only academically but socially.”

The social aspect of school really affects students and their mental health. Meeting new friends, teachers and people influence their teenage years. Since students are stuck at home with family and social media instead of being out in the world, they are being impacted by different scenarios in their head by what other people are doing. As Butler again mentioned, “it sounds to me like depression, you know, it’s like ‘I get up. I get on the screen for three hours and I have lunch and do another two hours and then I go to bed and do the same thing again tomorrow.’”

Having to get up every day in the morning, knowing that you will do the same thing over and over again can be very draining and overwhelming for students. Depression and anxiety are one of the major mental illnesses that students are facing in this day of age, especially during these extremely exhausting, confusing times.

Taryn Belowsky, a guidance counselor in Brunelli House, offered that “hopefully, [we have] all been learning positive coping skills or first trying to recognize, ‘hey I’m not in a good mood what does that mean? Do I need to . . . listen to my favorite songs or do I need to exercise more? Or maybe I need to fix my routine for school? Or maybe I

need to set myself a schedule?’ So, those are the types of things [she] hope students and staff are taking advantage of.”

Students have been responsible for keeping their regime, however, there are days that feel impossible to get through, since teachers are less hands-on. Some students have had a hard time trying to finish assignments while also taking little breaks and making sure they are stable mentally or physically.

On the other hand, there is still positivity among the students like Billy Zeng, a senior at Malden High, who said, “[he thinks] that . . . throughout the summer and even at home . . . [he] had been able to kind of connect [himself] in several different online ventures.”

Though students are still in isolation, the school provides extracurricular activities such as clubs that really helped to enhance socialism and boredom.

Quinn stated that “another thing [that she thinks] about [Malden High] students is all the insecurities, does the family have enough money? To go by the home they currently live in, there’s food insecurity, especially since it’s getting colder.” The importance of surviving in the duration of this pandemic has been extremely important for many families. Students have had to take part in and responsibilities for themselves and their families.

Having to worry about the thought of parents or loved ones being hospitalized is one of the most difficult situations a student has to deal with, especially while also balancing out school, their social life, relationships and work. According to Butler, “in one situation, the parent was hospitalized for a long pe-

riod of time, and the student had to find an initial job and so this student is trying to manage school and also work, so [it is] very, very challenging.”

Mentally and emotionally, situations like this can be very draining, especially for young adults who are trying to figure life out. Whether that be in high school, during college, or even after university. Belowsky said “[she thinks] globally, everyone is affected by COVID-19 and [what is] going on, and oftentimes we struggle when we [cannot] control something and so [she thinks] we [do not] really have control over the government, but we can make individual choices,” which is why even during a pandemic people should keep a positive outlook in spite of the situation.

Not only are students facing COVID-19, but they are also dealing with themselves. Educators in this day in age have been very resilient about giving out assignments, but many of the students, such as Freshman Matthew Paraliticci Castano,, stated that “[he has] been frustrated because [he] had anxiety previously.

So [he] just [gets] stressed out sometimes” which causes him to lose motivation.

Due to the amount of homework some teachers have given students, it has resulted in poor performance in school for some students because of the lack of motivation.

Sabrina Gutierrez, a Junior at Malden High, mentioned that “[even] though classes have been easy they still are giving out a lot of homework to do, but again, [it is] difficult to complete with no motivation.”

Many students have also been pretty distracted, especially since Tiktok, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, and other social media platforms have been a great excuse to sidetrack themselves, which then leads to procrastination. Teachers have also had a difficult time engaging students to learn through distance learning due to the inability to see every student participating on the other side of the screen.

Some students can cope with the present circumstances because they have supportive parents. Although it may not be applicable for every student, having a support system at home is extremely helpful. Especially when the individual is undergoing any mental disorders such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, etc. Spending less time on social media, their phones or other devices may affect their encouragement, achievements and work.

Taking little breaks even if you are under pressure will help to reconcile your enthusiasm.

For more information visit the Malden High Social Workers’ Instagram account,.

National News

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COVID Vaccine Research

Christopher Mcintyre Lead Reporter

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round this time last year, the world was changed. Everything spanning from the way we eat to how close we can get to each other while walking on the sidewalk. You may have heard about this strange virus called COVID-19 across news outlets and probably did not think much of it. So now, a year later as we fight this strange virus, how has it affected you? And, what can we expect?

The Biden Administration has bought 600 million doses of Pfizer

and Moderna vaccines in mid-February to be delivered to hospitals and other vaccination sites by the end of July. Complemented with Johnson & Johnsons pledge to 100 million vaccinations, that is more than enough for America’s 330 million residents. President Biden has stated that the U.S. expects enough COVID-19 vaccines for all adults by the end of May. There have been many questions and skeptics on whether the COVID vaccinations are safe or not in the media. When you get the vaccine, you may experience side effects

such as swelling in your arm, fever, tiredness and chills. Side effects are actually a good sign to let you know whether the vaccine works or not, as your immune system is building energy against the vaccination, therefore doing its job. It is possible that you can still get the virus after the vaccination, although it is rare and often a milder version of the illness, resembling the flu. *maybe some facts here about the hospitalization rates/death rates of people post vaccine. I know there are some charts and graphs that you may be able to find in the public domain with an internet search.

The vaccine works by reducing the transmission of the virus, meaning it does not only protect you but the people around you. The vaccine will not only protect you from COVID-19 but the variants of the virus as well. If you have the vaccination and the people around you are vaccinated, you can take off your mask.

During the time of writing this article, a little less than 1% of the world has been fully vaccinated, while Massachusetts has fully vaccinated 8% of its residents and has given out 1.84 million doses in total.

In Malden there are two locations where you can currently get vac-

COVID 19 vaccine. Photo from Shutterstock

The COVID Vaccine: What We Should Know Renalda Simon Reporter

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his last year has been painful and stressful for everyone. The pandemic has stopped school and made a lot of people lose their jobs.

COVID-19 has put so many people’s lives at risk, and has even taken away some of our loved ones. In the midst of all of this front line workers have been working hard and scientists have also worked hard to create a vaccine. However, questions have arisen in regards to the vaccine: Is the vaccine safe? Will it work?

First off, what is the COVID-19 vaccine? Despite the fact that there are many vaccines that are in development, they all serve the same purpose, to help our immune system recognize and fight the virus. In general this vaccine is an inactivated vaccine that consists of the virus’ particles or bacteria to kill off the stronger version of the virus. So far 71.3 million vaccines have been given globally in 57 countries.

What is the process like after receiving the vaccine? It will take a couple of weeks before the body can officially build immunity. During this time period, you may produce symptoms/reactions like fevers,

fatigue, headache, aching limbs, and redness, swelling, or pain around the injection site. These are all normal symptoms as the body is protecting itself against the virus.

If your symptoms worsen like, the redness increases after 24 hours of getting the vaccine, or if your side effects do not go away after a few days you should call a doctor or healthcare provider.

Is it possible to get the virus even after getting the vaccine? The answer is yes. Even after getting the vaccine there is still a chance you can get the virus. The vaccine has not fully proven its protection yet so we do not know how long the immunity will last. After taking the vaccine, you may not test positive for COVID-19 but you will probably test positive for other antibody tests. This means you may have had a previous infection and now you might have some level of protection against the virus. If you have had COVID-19 prior, then there is a higher chance of getting re-infected.

Here are some other questions about the vaccine. What are the ingredients in the COVID-19 vaccine? The vaccine does not include eggs, preservatives, or latex. What percent of people need to be vac-

wear a mask!!

cinated, both of the locations being CVS. 10% of the adult population within the U.S. are vaccinated and the number of vaccinations is only expected to rise throughout the rest of winter into spring.

Massachusetts has moved into Phase 2 groups being eligible for vaccination, including people ages 65 and older, health care workers, first responders, low income and senior residents. There has been some concern whether teachers proceeding to hybrid learning will be able to undergo vaccinations. Massachusetts has now made educators and school staff eligible within the Phase 2 group of vaccinations. The vaccination is free but requires some form of identification and confirmation that you are within one of these groups.

Outbreaks have occurred in schools and may continue to occur if people do not follow the guidelines of COVID-19 held previously.

Several studies found that transmission between students is generally rare. Many feel that it is important that educators and school staff alike have been vaccinated because the likelihood of transmission between educators and students is low, but the rate of transmission between other staff is higher.

The virus has done its damage on the mental health of students and workers, but be weary not to rush into any hope of normalcy.

COVID-19 has had an adverse effect on every aspect of life, that is undeniable, but CDC recommends that you still need to do your part while others are waiting for a vaccine. The process of vaccinations will take its time, yet we are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel after all.

Covid vaccine photo via flickr. cinated to have herd immunity to COVID-19? Experts do not yet know what percentage of people need to be vaccinated to achieve this goal.

Who is paying for the vaccines? The vaccines are purchased with the US taxpayer, costing the American people nothing.

If you are not ready to get the vaccine, here are some tips to follow

to protect yourself from getting the virus. Wear a mask over your nose and your mouth, stay at least six feet away from others, avoid large crowds, wash your hands often, if you feel sick then stay home, avoid rooms that do not offer fresh air, cover your cough and sneezes with a tissue, and last but not least disinfect objects that are touched daily.

National News

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Op-ed: President Biden’s First 50 Days in Office Lulu Harding Head of Sports

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s of today, Joe Biden has been in office as the 46th President of the United States alongside VicePresident Kamala Harris for 55 full days. His administration has been off to a strong start, already addressing various issues as well as putting plans in place regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. But what exactly has happened since his presidential inauguration on January 20th?

Major Actions Just on his first day, Biden signed a historic 17 executive actions, 15 of which were executive orders. They were all major reversals of former president Donald Trump’s plans and policies previously in place. Here are a couple of the major actions he took: - Rejoined the World Health Organization and the Paris Climate Accord - Reversed Trump’s travel ban from several Muslim-majority countries - Repealed permits for the Keystone XL Pipeline and put a temporary prohibition on gas and oil leasing in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Since then, Biden has also revoked: - Trump’s previous abortion policy (which restricted access to abortions) - The ban on transgender people serving in the millitary - The 1776 Commission, which was the Trump administration’s response to the New York Times 1619 Project With all of the previous policies he has reversed, what are some actions that Biden plans on taking moving forwards?

For one, the administration is set to launch a whole-government initiative to push for more racial equity in America. In a White House memorandum issued on January 26th (“Condemning and Combating Racism, Xenophobia, and Intolerance Against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States”), the administration talked about the recent rise in xenophobia and harassment against AsianAmericans during the pandemic, which many argue has originated in part by previous president Trump’s past references to the ‘China virus’.

The memorandum urged the U.S. Department of Justice to help take action to prevent harassment and hate crimes against these communities moving forwards.

On February 14th, Biden also called on Congress to enact “common sense” gun laws. These gun laws would make background checks a requirement for all gun purchases, as well as work to ban assault weapons as a whole.

In response to the current rise in gun violence in the United States, Biden’s hope is to make schools and communities safer by having these laws implemented.

Biden’s Cabinet The Biden administration has succeeded to have the most racially diverse Cabinet in the history of the United States. This is the racial breakdown of Biden’s Cabinet: 50% White 19% Black 15% Hispanic or Latino 8% Asian or Pacific Islander 4% Native American 4% Multiracial The population of the United States is about 61% white, so percentage-wise, people of color seem to be well represented in Biden’s Cabinet. Although some groups are still underrepresented compared to the country at large, his Cabinet comes pretty close to the actual racial breakdown of the United States.

Furthermore, 54% of Biden’s Cabinet is represented by men, while women make up 46%. Compared to the United States’ population of 49% men and 51% women, women are slightly underrepresented. However, when contrasted with previous president Trump’s Cabinet of 83% men and a mere 17% women, it is clear that the Biden administration has made a tremendous effort to effectively represent the United States’ population.

Former mayor of South Bend, Indiana Pete Buttigieg is the youngest member of Biden’s Cabinet at 39 years old. Previously running for president in the 2020 Democratic primaries, Buttigieg is the first gay man to win Senate confirmation to run a Cabinet department. On February 2nd, he was also elected as the United States Secretary of Transportation.

COVID-19 Joe Biden held his first primetime address to the nation on March 11th, 2021. In his address, he focused on the COVID-19 pandemic and the plans his administration is setting in place to hopefully have everything back to some extent of “normal” by his goal, July 4th 2021.

Regarding the pandemic, Biden urged everyone to continue wearing masks, social distancing, and most importantly, “to do their part.” He emphasized that “beating the virus and getting back to normal depends on national unity,” and if everyone continues to follow the guidelines, we may be able to beat COVID-19

A photo from President Biden’s prime-time address. Photo from the official POTUS Instagram account. after all.

During this speech, Biden also claimed that “as of now, total deaths in America, 527,726. [That is] more deaths than in World War I, World War II, the Vietnam War and 9/11 combined,” which was later factchecked as incorrect.

Biden signed the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package earlier that same afternoon. This relief package will put about $20 billion into COVID-19 vaccinations, $25 billion into rental and utility assistance, and $350 billion into state, local, and tribal relief. Direct payments of up to $1,400 will be sent to most Americans in the form of direct deposits. Additionally, a $300 per week unemployment insurance boost until September 6th, along with expanding the child tax credit for a year.

One of the most important things Biden mentioned in his prime-time address was the fact that he will direct all states to make every adult eligible for the COVID-19 vaccines by May 1st. As of Thursday, he said that 65% of Americans over the age of 65 had already received their first vaccination, and the administration is currently working on distributing more of them so that most adults will hopefully be able to be vaccinated relatively soon.

It is predicted that there will be enough vaccine supply for every adult in America by the end of May. The Presidential News Conference (that has not yet happened) With everything that has happened so far, there is still something important the administration has yet to do. After being in office for over 50 days, Biden still has not given a formal presidential news conference.

Normally, soon after a president is elected, they hold a news conference in which they are asked numerous questions by the press regarding their policies, plans for the future, and almost anything else appropriate for that matter. These conferences are important in allowing the public to be fully up to date with the president’s plans, as well as to question them about specific policies or standings. Additionally,

these conferences have the ability to hold presidents accountable for their actions since they have to answer questions in an uncontrolled environment.

Former president Barack Obama gave his first conference 20 days after his inauguration, and Donald Trump only waited about a week.

Although Biden has answered some questions from reporters during press briefings and given a few speeches regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, the public has not yet had a chance to “officially” question him. This has brought up a lot of suspicion, and many people are asking the simple question: why?

Unfortunately, although many people have their own speculations, it is not known why Biden has waited this long. According to The Washington Post, towards the beginning of March, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that Biden would hold his first news conference before the end of the month, although it was not specified when.

Conclusion Although this is only a very brief overview of some of the Biden administration’s actions in their first 55 days, things are definitely getting done and beginning to happen. Of the 61 actions that Biden promised he would carry out in his first 100 days in office, 16 of them have been fully completed, while 38 of them are still in progress. The rest are yet to be started, but considering the ambitious agenda he has planned regarding these actions, he still has time to finish carrying them out.

Currently, getting COVID-19 under control seems to be at the top of the administration’s checklist. If everything goes as planned, vaccines will start rolling out beginning in May, and the country will be back to a new normal hopefully sooner than later.

As Biden said towards the end of his recent prime-time address, “There is hope and light and better days ahead.”

Profiles

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The Blue and Gold April 2021

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Three Malden High Seniors T

he Posse Foundation has been recruiting future leaders and giving students opportunities that they might not have, or assisting students who may not have considered college as an option. The Posse Scholarship is a full-tuition scholarship that recruits students nationwide giving students the opportunity to go to their choice of four different colleges. According to their website, Posse’s three goals are to diversify the pool of students in which top colleges recruit their applicants, help institutions of higher education become more welcoming for people from all backgrounds and to make sure that Posse scholars continue to do their best and persevere onto their graduation so that they can show off their leadership skills in the workforce. Each year, Posse receives thousands of nominees and uses a “unique evaluation method” called The Dynamic Assessment Process.

Students have to get nominated for the Posse Scholarship either by an alumni or a high school counselor, then their process is equipped to identify nominees who can excel at selective colleges and universities but might have not been considered to be eligible applicants at these institutions due to not meeting traditional admissions criteria. The Dynamic Assessment Process consists of three rounds that include both large-group and individual interviews and determine who the finalists are.

The Posse Foundation logo. Image from The Posse Foundation website.

Chaimaa Assli Lead Reporter

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for Du to keep her options open in case she wants to do something different later on.

Du was really excited to have gotten the scholarship. She thinks that the way students are told that they got the scholarship is a “little weird” and “really nerve-wracking.” The experience was “kind of surreal” because there were twenty senior staff members and professors at that college when they told her that she was selected. “So it is kind of unreal but it is also really really exciting,” Du said.

Academics do matter. Posse is a merit-based scholarship. It is based on the student’s own accomplishments and achievements. But they also want to know who the student is personally because they need to make sure that the students get along with other people and that they fit together “like puzzle pieces in order for it to work.”

Du thinks that students should try to get the scholarship even if they think that they don’t have that much academic merit because Posse values different backgrounds and different opinions. She said that “[it is] a fair shot for anyone and [she] think[s] that everyone should try it out because there’s no harm in trying.”

Du said to other students aiming for the scholarship to just “be genuine and be yourself because they [are] not looking at your academics.” They look at how students are as people and how they treat others. They also look at how students lead with other people “so really, you just have to [show up] to the interview and the rest goes on from there.”

ne Posse Scholar, Senior Elaine Du, was nominated by another organization called Summer Search.

She described that in the first round, students are tested on how well they work with other people. They are asked general questions like what type of leader they are and how they would react in a certain type of situation. To Du, the first round is “like an ice breaker.” She said that the “second and third-round interviews are definitely a bit more intense and they get a lot more complex.”

In the second round, the student is on a Zoom call with staff members. It was “very scary” for Du. The student talks a lot about their goals, how they lead, and who they are as a person. The third round is “even more nerve-wracking because [she] made it to the third round” said Du. There are about twenty people in the third round. Posse needs to know that the students are able to work in a group. Half of those people are selected. Then those students rank the participating colleges from one to four and Posse will try to match the students based on their preference. The four participating colleges for Malden High students are Bryn Mawr College, Bucknell University, Centre College and Union College.

Du has committed to Union College, located in Schenectady, New York and is still undecided on what she wants to major in. She knows she wants to do something in liberal arts and humanities. All of the Posse schools are liberal arts colleges except for Bryn Mawr College. For Du “it was an important decision for [her] to make sure that [she] could get Posse just because [she] knew that the liberal arts schools that they presented to [them] were really good.”

The reason why Du chose liberal arts, besides the fact that she is passionate about humanities, is because “it’s super flexible to get a career in.”

Du said “majoring in liberal arts and humanities-type majors would allow [her] to basically know a little bit about every single thing so it ‘s like [she] can be a good fit for any job.” It is Posse Scholarship Recepient Elaine Du. Picture submitted really important by Du.

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Profiles

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Awarded Posse Scholarships Krishany Marius Lead Reporter

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he Posse Foundation helps create amazing opportunities for students who want and have a bright future through their program.

Senior Ana Dörner is another one of the three Malden High students who received a Posse Scholarship for her hard work. Dörner is going to be attending Centre College, where she will be majoring in business and economics, and finance.

Dörner excels in math and wants to major in something where she can become financially stable. Dörner is leaning towards hotel or restaurant management, because she believes “[she] has a really strong leadership spirit since [she] was a little kid.”

She enjoys being crafty and doing DIY’s, she also quite enjoys doing makeup, singing, and loves music in general. Dörner has been playing volleyball since she was a freshman and was captain for two years in a row, she “grew up watching her father play.” Dörner’s first year at MHS was really hard because she had been in the United States for

less than a year and she struggled with learning the language and getting into the swing of things.

Dörner works hard towards her goals and “since [she] was a little kid [she] always tried to give [her] best into everything she [does],” she said. This scholarship has helped her a lot to be proud of herself and be proud of the people around her who helped her get where she is now.

Dörner was in David Londino’s English 9 Honors Class and was very dedicated to her work and very unselfish. Londino is very proud that Dörner won this scholarship because even though Dörner had trouble learning the language, she was a hardworking student.

He added that “if [he] put her in a group she would become a leader in that group.” Londino stated that Dörner is a very outgoing student and loves taking action and thriving towards her goals. She is also really well at setting short term goals and long term goals.

When Dörner first heard about receiving this scholarship it was a little nerve-racking for her because

leadership skills in the workforce.

Each year, Posse receives thousands of nominees and uses a he Posse Scholarship is a full- “unique evaluation method” called tuition scholarship that recruits The Dynamic Assessment Process. students nationwide. Posse presents This process is equipped to identify Malden scholars with the opportu- nominees who can excel at selective nity to attend one of four colleges colleges and universities but might and asks them to rank the options. have not been considered to be The four college options for Mal- eligible applicants at these instituden High School students are Bryn tions due to not meeting traditional Mawr College, Bucknell University, admissions criteria. The Dynamic Centre College and Union College. Assessment Process consists of three According to their website, Posse’s rounds that include both largethree goals are to diversify the pool group and individual interviews of students in which top colleges and determine who the finalists are. recruit their applicants, help instituOne of the finalists this year is tions of higher education become Tales Carneiro Passos, a senior at more welcoming for people from all Malden High School. Throughout backgrounds and to make sure that his high school career, Passos pretty Posse scholars continue to do their much got all As and Bs. During best and persevere onto their gradu- freshman year he did crew and for ation so that they can show off their junior year he did indoor track.

Passos was also planning on participating in outdoor track but, unfortunately, due to COVID-19, it was not possible.

Passos was nominated by his brother, Pedro Carneiro Passos, who was also a Posse scholar from the class of 2019. Out of the four colleges, Passos ranked Bucknell University as his first choice, however he says, “[he is] not the one who ultimately gets to pick.” He went on to explain that “on the second round, [Posse asks] ‘what colleges are you most interested in?’ and [they] try to pair [scholPosse Scholarship Recepient Tales Carneiro ars] up with that college, if Passos. Picture submitted by Passos. possible.” He adds that “there Kaoutar Wakaf Lead Reporter

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she feels very lucky to have won hardships [you have] been through this scholarship, but it is also a lot you can get wherever you want to of pressure. The Posse Scholarship be, [do not] be afraid to ask for help.” is based on leadership and how People do realize when a student is a student is doing academically, trying and that they are trying to aim therefore recipients have to main- towards a goal. Dörner worked hard tain certain grades and GPA. for this scholarship and continues to Though recipients have to grow and work towards a career in maintain a grade for this scholar- what she is passionate about and ship, it definitely pushes the stu- encourages others to do the same. dents. “It provides them a structure and a motivation to do the best they can,” Jessalynne Brown states, who is a new guidance counselor.

“Malden High School has some amazingly talented, gifted, strongest resilient students who are leaders that are going to make a difference in the world,” Brown said.

Many students have faced many obstacles when it comes to education. The Posse Scholarship Foundation looks for strong academic candidates who keep up the classes that they are in, striving to continue and grow as a learner and challenge themselves.

Dörner would tell kids who are aiming towards this scholarship that “no matter what path of Posse Scholarship Recepient Ana Dörnlife you come from or no matter the er. Picture submitted by Dörner. are only 20 available finalist slots for each school, so sometimes [scholars] might not get [their] first choice, maybe [they will] get [their] second choice. If it really comes down to it, [scholars] might end up with [their] third choice unfortunately but [Posse is] pretty good at pairing [the scholars] up with [their] first choice.”

In the future, “[Passos wants] to do a double major in political science and sociology with a minor in economics because [he wants] to apply to law school, become a lawyer and eventually have [his] own firm.” He decided on this career path because, “[he] wants to help people who cannot afford to pay for legal support since this is something he struggled with.” Passos found out he wanted to go into the field of law when he was in a history class in sophomore year. He was participating in a mock trial and realized how interested he was so he decided to join mock trial as a class for the following years.

Cara Joyce, a teacher in the math department at the Malden High School, used to be Passos’s Math 2 CP teacher with co-teacher, Jo-Ann Cassidy. Joyce now teaches him in AP Statistics. She stated that ”[she] quickly noticed how much of a great learner and participator [Passos] was. He was very inquisitive and really liked helping his classmates by sharing his ideas with others.”

Passos also enjoyed understanding other ideas, Joyce explained that “if a student did something differently, he would try to understand their method and help empower that other student to share their idea.”

Passos was actually her inspiration in a fellowship that she was in with Tufts University to create a cohort. Joyce realized that the Malden High School needed more diversity and more representation from black and brown students in AP Math and Science classes, so she started doing some research about how to get more students of color into upper level classes. She noticed that Passos, as well as some other students, fit this criteria and had the potential to be moved into honors so she, as well as some other Math 2 CP teachers, created a cohort and the students began to do some accelerated math over the summer.

These students were all put into the same Math 3 Honors class with Math teacher, Sarah Jones, the following year. Together, as a group, they all transitioned from Math 2 CP to Math 3 Honors. They also regularly met with Joyce to get help, support, and to keep her updated on how things were going. According to Joyce, Passos quickly became the leader of that cohort and they were really successful.

Joyce added, “[Passos] was always advocating for [his classmates] and speaking up for them. If [Passos] felt like anyone was struggling or needed help, [Passos] would reach out to them, or to [Joyce] or [Passos] would reach out to Jones.”

Joyce admires that “[Passos is] clearly invested in this plan to increase enrollment of students of color in these upper level classes and [she thinks] that [his] fearlessness to put ideas out there is, for sure, a trait that Posse noticed.”

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Class of 22 Hosts Valentine Fundraiser with the Maldonian

Carlos Aragon Managing Editor of Print and Design

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eeling lonely? Sadly, many of us are this Valentine’s Day, after almost a year of social distancing due to COVID-19. However, the Class of 2022 and the Maldonian Yearbook have got you covered. From January 26th to January 29th, they sold chocolates and other candies in order to raise money between themselves.

For a few days, students were able to buy 15 different types of candies ranging from $8.00 to $60.00.

All proceeds went to the Class of 2022 and the Maldonian. According to Sammi Nie, the Treasurer for the Class of 2022, the reasoning behind the fundraiser being hosted by both the Class of ’22 and the Maldonian was that it was easier to buy from two fundraisers than one.

Nie explained that “initially, the Maldonian actually approached us” which is understandable; many people are in a money crunch this year, so it was easier to just give them one big fundraiser than forc-

Daniel O’Toole Reporter

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ing them to pick and choose.

Tony Giech, the Art Director for the Class of 2022, stated that while the team is trying to plan more fun-

draisers, “[they] also have to follow guidelines and safety procedures.”

There probably would have been many more fundraisers at this point

A screenshot of the flyer used to advertise the Valentine’s Day fundraiser for the Class of 2022 and Maldonian Yearbook.

but the council has to “accommodate things like social distancing, the amount of contact that will happen, etc.” When the idea of a Valentine’s Day fundraiser came up they “all really liked the idea since it would be pretty much contactless.”

While the poster for the fundraiser seems urgent, with the “buy from us or no prom” message at the bottom, Giech stated that it was meant to be a joke, however it was also there to “highlight the importance of helping our fundraising efforts.” Nie stated that “you see so many flyers, and [they are] all the same.” She added that it was added to give it a bit of flare, making it more personal. “[They are not] in a position where there should be hysteria or a panic, it [was not] made to scare people, just to nudge them in the right direction.”

In the end, the fundraiser managed to raise around $800.00 for the Class of 2022, which is a huge win in such a troubling year. Hopefully, the class continues this streak of prevailing in difficult times and comes through strong on the other side.

MALDEN’S MASK MAN

t’s a Man! It’s the Mayor! It’s Mask Man! Superheroes come in all shapes and sizes. Some lie right beneath our noses such as our superhero today.

Mayor Gary Christenson and the City of Malden have stepped up in a very supportive way during the COVID-19 Pandemic: they have given out meals on Thanksgiving; they have done multiple flu shot clinics around the city, and they have distributed free Malden masks to the public. On Halloween day, however, Malden was able to see someone they had never seen: Mask Man. He arrived at the Salemwood School that fateful Saturday dressed in his Mask Man attire which featured a #maskupmalden t-shirt, a cape with a big mask on it while also sporting a Malden mask. He did not arrive alone that day. He was accompanied by The Pirate, also known as Ward 7 Councilor, Neal Anderson. “[Anderson] got a call from the Mayor saying that he would be passing out masks in [his] ward, Ward 7, and [he] jumped to the opportunity to help at Bryant Street and Cross Street dressed in [his] Pirate costume.”

Anderson said that when he was passing out masks “often times motorists would see us coming up at the traffic light and were immediately weary of [them] trying to sell them something or beg for something” and that they “needed to be able to show the drivers that [selling them something or begging

for something] is not what we were doing, rather we were trying to offer them something for their own safety and for the safety of all of us.”

Anderson feels that “[Malden has] a serious situation with this pandemic and that unfortunately there are not enough people taking it seriously.” He further explained that because people are not taking enough precautions “city officials and other elected officials have to continue to stress how important it is that we follow these CDC guidelines” and that “there are too many people who seem to be mask deniers and not believing in the science behind all of this.”

When asked about the impact of Mask Man in Malden, Anderson stated “[he] thinks this is a major effort in stopping the spread.” He added that it seems obvious that there are things we need to be doing “until we get a vaccine” available for Malden residents. Anderson is a believer in the scientists who are working on the vaccine and finding the science behind COVID-19.

Mayor Christenson believes that Malden is “doing the best we can with what we have.” He expressed that this is something completely new that “we have never experienced [...] before.” Christenson believes that in a city like ours “who have so many essential workers and so many dedicated students and roughly 8,000 to 10,000 senior

citizens, going back over the last 7-8 months [he feels that] we have been doing good.”

Mask Man was originally created to “get a different way to reach people.” Near the time Mask Man was being created, the number of cases in Malden were increasing heavily in the 20-50 year old age group, so Mayor Christenson had the idea to make a new member of Marvel Studios Avengers to connect with the people. “That age group had an affinity for the Avengers so creating and using a common interest would get people involved more with slowing the spread.”

The mayor believes that this has worked “because [they] have distributed hundreds of masks as a result and now as a matter of fact when people see [him] in the street, they say ‘where is your cape?’” and “in the messages [he] received about Mask Man, it was received very positively. [He] thinks anybody appreciates someone trying to find a way to help and care to reach people so [he] thinks they appreciate the effort by [them].”

Mayor Christenson has even been spotted by citizens from other cities in his Mask Man persona. “[They] have had people from other cities and towns reach out to [them] if they saw [him] out and about and thought that it was helpful by promoting the message of following the guidelines on slowing the spread of

COVID-19.”

Mayor Christenson also feels strongly about the protection of the students of Malden, going out to say that “[they] are our future, our most valuable asset” so keeping students safe was his top priority.

Over the summer, Mayor Christenson voted “to start the school year fully remote,” because “at that point [they] were not quite sure what we were dealing with.” Christenson stated that it would be “better to be safe than sorry.” Therefore, students, teachers and faculty began the school year completely online “until [they knew] more about the virus and what the timeline would be developing a vaccine.”

As recently as October, Malden decided to bring the higher needs students back in the buildings so they can receive the support that they need. Christenson is happy to say there “have not had any cases emanate from within the district,” since making this change.

Christenson also hinted at the city starting to consider sending students back in person as he stated “currently they are in negotiations with teachers on the next step of bringing back more of [the] students.” He explained that he has talked to many students recently and most of them have claimed that it is “more impactful to be in school.”

Who knows when we will see the next sighting of Mask Man due to this cold weather. No one knows, but when duty calls, “[he has] the cape down the hallway so [it is] always at the ready.”

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Updated Hybrid Schedule

Julie Huynh Managing Editor early one year after the world was turned upside down, the City of Malden released an official plan to reopen schools with a hybrid model. Even though this plan answered the big question of when students are returning, it raises even more questions about the how?

Students and faculty alike are concerned about the logistics of what teaching in this new format will look like.

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The Hybrid Schedule

The current plan for high schoolers is that students will transition to the hybrid schedule the week of March 15th, but only teachers will be in the building. This is so students are able to adjust to the new schedule before experiencing it in-person.

It is important to note that all students will remain with their current teachers, returning students will just be split into two cohorts- either Cohort A or Cohort B. These cohorts will most likely be organized by last name in alphabetical order, and all students will be informed of their assigned cohort within the next two weeks.

The hybrid schedule still has students going to three classes a day, but the times are different. The first block starts at 8:00 a.m., followed by periods two and three, with about seven minutes in between. Each class is approximately 80 minutes long.

After the end of period three, at 12:14 p.m., students are sent home for the lunch and support periods. There is a “grab and go” option for lunch that students can take at dismissal.

Support blocks will be conducted remotely, unless scheduled time with a teacher in advance. If a student decides to stay for support block, they will be assigned to eat lunch somewhere in the school until the period starts. This block is optional for passing students, but those that have failed one or more classes in the first semester will automatically be scheduled. These students will receive 0.5 credit and attendance is mandatory. During support blocks, teachers are expected to remain in the building until 2:15 p.m., due to the MOA (memorandum of agreement) agreed between the teacher’s Union and the district.

If a student is in Cohort A, they would be entering the building on Mondays and Tuesdays. Consequently, a student in Cohort B will be learning from the building on Thursdays and Fridays. On Wednesdays, the school conducts a weekly deep-cleaning, so everyone will be remote. Wednesdays will still follow the typical Blue/Gold Day alternation, just with different class times.

Also on Wednesdays, there is a new “Mindfulness” block from 1:05-2:15 p.m. provided through The Ivy Child. They are an organization that focuses on social and emotional care that has created a program specifi-

cally for our school.

Inside the School and Classroom

The school is putting a huge emphasis on safety and is doing their best to follow guidelines. The floors have been marked with arrows indicating that people can only enter one way, and hallways have enter and exit signs as well. There are also posters to remind people to social distance and wash their hands. Only about five bathrooms will be open throughout the building, which works out as the anticipation is no more than 400 students per cohort attending in-person.

Over the last month and a half, custodians have reorganized the classrooms so that there are about thirteen desks per room, six feet apart, including the teacher’s desk.

Principal Chris Mastrangelo is estimating that there will only be about six or seven students per room, operating at 50% capacity.

Teachers will be exploring the “concurrent teaching” method in their classrooms. School desktops will be outfitted with a “document” camera, which doubles as a webcam. Over the last few days, history teacher Richard Tivnan and math teacher Kayla Scheitlin invited a handful of students into the school, along with a group of teachers to observe different formats of concurrent teaching.

One version had the Google Meet displayed on the whiteboard with a camera facing the in-person students so everyone could see each other. Other formats had all students log into Google Meets. There will be several different methods that teachers can use, whichever one they end up choosing will have to depend on what works best for their type of class. It is important to note the discernible difference between teaching an english class as opposed to a math class.

The school has also put effort into forming a committee on the subject of concurrent teaching to create resources for teachers to utilize, in order to accommodate all the different styles of teaching. Last week, a few second grade teachers met with the staff at Malden High to share some advice, as they have been teaching in-person for a while longer.

What If My Teacher Got an Accommodation to Teach From Home?

The school is currently in the process of hiring additional teachers to fill these spots. There is a certain advantage to the concurrent teaching, in that all the school needs to do is provide an adult in the room to supervise the in-person students.

At this point, it is not clear that there will be enough people to cover the classes, so Mastrangelo is considering the possibility that there may be

three groups of students covered by one adult, which is actually something that Medford is currently doing.

As for teachers that may call out occasionally for a sick day or personal reasons, there is still a search going on for substitutes to cover a version of “student study center” that the high school used to have. However, instead of one large room, there will be three different ones throughout the building.

Safety Protocols and Guidelines

The responsibility of COVIDscreening will fall on the family or caregiver of a student. The school asks that each morning the students are checked for any symptoms before leaving the home. If the student displays any symptoms, they should not attend school and instead notify the school nurse. This absence will be marked as excused. The school nurse will follow-up with the family regarding the student’s symptoms and check to see if they have been seen by a medical professional and/ or tested. The student will be able to return to school once the school nurse or Malden Board of Health has cleared them.

It is very important to know that the symptoms of COVID-19 could be similar to that of other illnesses. In order to protect all students and staff, any possibility of having the disease should be taken seriously and treated as a suspected case until determined otherwise.

Malden High School will distribute information to all families in their primary language to help them conduct the screenings.

When arriving at school, students are required to be on time for their 8:00 a.m. class, but in the building no sooner than 7:45 a.m. There will be assigned doors to enter each morning, and it is imperative that everyone goes directly to their assigned classroom upon entering.

There will be no lockers for this school year. Families and visitors will not be allowed inside the building without a scheduled appointment.

There will be staff members outside in the morning to help students with building entry. It will be staggered in order to ensure the six feet of separation required by the state. As always, masks will have to be worn at all times and students

will sanitize at the entrance. For dismissals, there will be assigned doors in four different parts of the building to exit. This allows for students to continue social distancing.

The assigned doors for entering and exiting depends directly on what your first and last period is. For instance, if your first class is in Jenkins, you would be entering through the designated door for that house, which will likely be the auditorium doors. There will be signs that clearly mark this. Since the school is not reimplementing homerooms, your entrance to the school will no longer rely on what house you are in.

Summary

On Wednesday and Thursday of this week, during asynchronous times, informational meetings will be held to review policies, procedures, protocols, and expectations of the return to school. Mastrangelo will send out the links to these meetings the night before, so make sure to keep an eye out for them.

Wednesday is for grades 9 and 12, and Thursday is for grades 10 and 11.

Principal Mastrangelo wants everyone to know that this reentry into school is going to be bumpy, for teachers, students, and administrators alike. April 22nd will look a lot better than March 22nd. The important thing to remember is that “nobody is going to make a mistake on purpose,” but also understand that mistakes are going to be made.

Nothing is going to look perfect the first time around, but this is the next step in the process.

Mastrangelo acknowledges that some students and faculty have been struggling with remote learning and isolation, but he also sees the students that are thriving in this new format. Those students still have the option to continue learning remotely, but his focus is on the students that do not have a choice.

Giving this choice allows for the school to “meet students where they are at,” and to best accommodate with everyone’s needs.

“It’s been a hard year for everybody, on a million different levels.

We’re just trying to come back in and give students and faculty the option, and also understand that it may not look pretty at first, but we’re going to get there, and we’re going to get there together.”

Malden High School’s new hybrid schedule.

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Black History Month at MHS Kaoutar Wakaf Lead Reporter Rose Jean Charles Reporter

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lack History Month first originated in the U.S. in 1926 when a man named Carter G. Woodson launched the first celebration to honor the Black community. The month of February was chosen to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln (the 16th president of the U.S.), and Frederick Douglass, (a runaway slave who became a leader in the abolitionist movement.) The two both sought to end the practice of slavery before and during the Civil War. At first, when black history had just begun to be incorporated into education, it was only available at schools that the government had made for former slaves in the late 1860s.

It was not until 1903 that white education systems allowed white students to learn about black history through a white lens.

For the most part, educators taught about the same few black historical figures and would tip-toe around the topic because it made white students uncomfortable. However, things are starting to change and black stories will no longer be told solely through the perspective of white people.

Malden High School has been celebrating Black History Month for many years in order to help stu-

Katherine Haskell’s classroom banner. dents deepen their knowledge on all sorts of topics such as black culture, history, and the countless contributions black people have made to American society.

Kristy Magras, the advisor of the Black Culture Club, stated, “Black history is American history” and should be talked about all year round. Due to the pandemic, the club had trouble getting together and going through with the activities they had planned for this year but is looking forward to “re-engage” the Black Culture Club activities in the spring “that will highlight the black culture, history, and traditions.”

By doing activities and events at Malden High, Magras hoped to bring awareness and to show the richness of the culture because “there is more to it than slavery, civil rights, and the [Black Lives Matter]

movement.”

Katherine Haskell, a chemistry teacher at Malden High School, enjoys celebrating Black History Month. Haskell stated that “we [should not] just talk about black tragedy, we need to talk about black triumph as well.” Haskell remarked, “this year’s Black History Month held a lot of gravitas because of everything that has happened since last February.” She added, “[this is]

Graphic by Carolina Cuevas. good because people have been talking about this all year rather than just confining it to the month of February.” Although Black history month looked different this year due to the pandemic, Haskell did not let it stop her from celebrating. She decorated her Google Classroom banner and put together presentations about black scientists with her students.

Amine Yakine, a history teacher at Malden High School, thinks that learning about Black history will

allow America to grow as a nation.

Yakine said, “[He does] not simply teach the transatlantic slave trade, [he also focuses] on black voices, historians, black women as leaders as part of the curriculum. ” He added that “[it is] very important to acknowledge black resistance, how they fought and how they struggled, not only to confirm their humanity but also, in the process, enrich the American experience.”

Yakine noted, “America would not be a democracy today if it were not for the Black resilience and refusal to accept dehumanization, apartheid, enslavement, Jim Crow, and white supremacy. Their fight for justice and equality is what made, and still makes America, a better nation, a democratic nation, a just nation.”

Krishany Marius Lead Reporter lack History involves the history of slavery, civil rights, and the trauma Black Americans faced throughout the years. However, Black history is also about the beautiful depths of its culture, the food, the growth, and the joy of the many accomplishments and attributions that the black community has made throughout history.

It was originally created in the United States with the intention to be a week-long celebration, but it became a month. Carter G. Woodson, a historian, wanted a bigger celebration surrounding the topic of Black history. He thought that not many African Americans knew their heritage or the achievements of their ancestors, what they had done for the world.

Woodson chose the month of February because it was the month that both Abraham Lincoln and Fredrick Douglas were born, two men that Woodson thought had made many accomplishments for the Black community. He sent out a press release about turning it into a celebration for every state in the United States. With the help of Woodson, it became a month-long celebration of the history of African American culture, dances, food, and the impacts on society today.

Malden High School started with its first week of celebration to talk about inspirational Black Americans that have made remarkable achievements. Principal Chris Mastrangelo stated that the whole plan of Black History Month was to build momentum and he thought it was a great opportunity to put a spotlight on Black history.

Mastrangelo, in coordination with a group of teachers, said they wanted to put a theme for each week and they had planned it out of different histories of successful black people throughout the years. They created resources for students and teachers to read about certain topics of Black history, “to not downplay [the] importance to American history.” The group wanted to dig deeper and go beyond the more well-known figures like Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., and Malcolm X.

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Although there have been efforts made, there are still many Black Americans that are not talked about enough in schools. It should be taught rather than be the limited amount of information that is taught to students in schools, not really as highlighted as it should be, it is instrumental in what is American history.

Advisor of the Black Culture Club, Kristy Magras, agrees. She explained that “Black History Month is an opportunity for America to see and highlight black history.” Magras also said that “Black history is a part of American history.” It should be taught with more depth than what is typically taught to students in schools.

The Black Culture Club is not only for black students only; it is an open space for many people who would like to be allies to the Black community and support the Black Culture Club. “If you don’t celebrate it yourself no one is going to do it for you,” Magras stated.

The club does not only talk about Black history but about the culture, the food, the dances, and how black Americans come together. It is appreciating what brought the community here, by coming together and sharing their experiences that they all had and where they’re in our journey. It’s helpful to have someone that has the same skin color and understands what is going on in the world and how it affects one another.

Mastrangelo believes that Black History Month is an incredible time to “[shed] a light to [the] people who made great contributions to where we are as a country,” adding that “this one month is the month to shed light on black Americans.”

Black history will always be important every day, week, year, and decades to go on; celebrating the life, joy, and creativity of African Americans rather than celebrate just one and one topic only. It goes back to when Black Americans were in Africa being kings and queens.

Malden High School celebrated the first week of Black History Month by focusing on the many empowering people who also used their voice in history, and they will always be remembered.

The winning door decorated in honor of Black History Month last year outside the main office. Photo from The Blue and Gold archives.

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Freshman Open House 2021 Continued from page 1.

Brunelli house freshmen explained that they wanted to ensure that students “were prepared to navigate around the building” before returning to in-person learning.

Jonathan Copithorne, a History teacher at Malden High, explained that in order to keep students and faculty safe, the school wants to “minimize that amount of lost students wandering the hallways trying to find where they need to be.”

He also added that Malden High is “a big building and can be overwhelming for a newcomer.”

Alison White, the Guidance Counselor for Boyle and Holland house freshmen, expressed that it was important for the faculty “to make the grade 9 class feel comfortable and prepared.” In having this open house event, White believed that the students “gained a better understanding of what their dayto-day would look like at [Malden High].” White mentioned that “[the students] were also able to start building connections with staff, as well as their peers.”

Principal Chris Mastrangelo acknowledged that “[there is] a level of anxiety [with] coming back in [the] building, and [students] have not been back in [school] for a year.”

He also added that, hosting this open house event “gave kids that opportunity to step into the building and get over that initial fear and anxiety without having to stay for the whole duration of a school day.”

While the City of Malden has progressed towards the reopening of schools and businesses, COVID-19 safety precautions have continued to be heavily enforced.

Prior to the tours, all students were instructed to fill out a form to ensure that they were not experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms. For the duration of the tours, students and staff members were required to wear masks at all times. Additionally, students traveled in small groups in order to follow social distancing guidelines and to avoid overcrowding.

Many students were accompanied by their parents and caregivers for their tours of the building.

Mastrangelo mentioned that while students were learning to navigate around the building, parents were given an opportunity to “see how well prepared the building was for students to return,” and he hopes that that was able to ease some of the fear that comes with returning back to school.

In their small groups, staff members led the students to some

of the major locations around Malden High, which included the main office, the two cafeterias, the library, all four house offices, the gym, the auditorium, the gallery, the nurse’s office, the athletics office, and many other places. During the tours, staff members also provided helpful information and tips regarding the new changes with the hybrid learning model, how to read classroom numbers, how the building is structured, how to get from one house to another, and more.

Copithorne hopes that by having this open house event, the staff members were able to give the “new students a sense of community and belonging.” He sympathized with newcomers as he recalled how overwhelming his freshman year of high school was, and how he cannot imagine what it is like “to be a freshman in the middle of an unprecedented pandemic.”

Rebecca Corcoran, a History teacher at Malden High, hopes that after attending the tours, students “feel more comfortable” and emphasized that “the staff in the building are [there] to help [students] with anything they need.” Elaborating on that thought, Yu encourages students to “not hesitate to reach out for help.”

In terms of starting high

2021 AP Exams

Julie Huynh Managing Editor With many changes being made to standardized testing this year to accommodate for COVID-19 and social distancing guidelines, the highly anticipated AP exams are no exception. This year, the College Board is offering multiple test dates and formats for students to take their exams. Between early May and mid-June, there are three testing dates available for each subject.

Director of School Counseling Erin Craven commented that “The National Organization of College Board tried to meet students and school districts where they are at, in a very tumultuous, unusual school year.” In her 15 years of experience, there are more options for AP exams this year than there ever have been in the past. She believes that in creating all these new options, the College Board’s hope was “to create exam options for all students across the globe,” in order to be accommodating for the different learning or health situations they may be in.

The first option will be administered in school May 3-7, 10-12, 14, and 17, entirely on paper. The second administration dates are May 18-21 and 24-28, with half of the subjects being on paper and pencil and half being full-length digital exams, taken either at home or in school. On June 1-4 and 7-11, most of the exams will be digital and administered at

home or in school.

Digital exams will be the same length as traditional paper and pencil exams and will include both multiple-choice and free-response questions, with some specific subjects asking for more or less. Since there are a number of different subjects, their content and requirements may vary. For the most up-to-date and specific information, visit the College Board website.

AP U.S. History teacher Michelle Filer remarked that while the different test options “have made it hard for [her] to tell when exactly [her] students are taking their exams,” she is also glad that they have that option to choose between the beginning of June and the first week of May, since they are “always pressed for time,” more so this year with classes starting two weeks later than usual.

Craven stated that the “pace and rigour of an AP course demands 180 face-to-face school days,” which was not a possibility for Malden High students this year. The teachers have had to adapt to an entirely remote schedule, while also dealing with the fact that the College Board and AP have not loosened many of their guidelines or curriculum requirements.

From an administration perspective, going from one set testing date and time to three sets of exams in two different formats, “just layers the complexity,” said Craven.

Despite that, it is more important “to meet students and faculty where they are and give them what they need, as best [they] can.”

Schools and AP teachers do not have to pick one testing window or format for all their students, they are allowed to request for a mix of at-home and in-person exams, and mix testing dates this year. The later dates can also be used as makeup dates for students who have conflicts or experienced disruptions during earlier administrations of the exam. However, most schools have dictated a timeline for their students and staff, whereas Malden High is making efforts to “maintain a student-centered approach.” In order to achieve this, Craven has been busy working with the faculty at Malden High to determine the best date, time, and format for “each class, each subject, and each student” on an individual level.

Disruptions are just one of the concerns that students find themselves worrying about this year. On top of all the stress that comes with preparing for the exam, junior Leslie Rodriguez expressed that “internet and computer issues are [her] two major concerns.” For junior Jasmine Luc, who is taking AP World History and AP Literature, she is scared about not having enough time to answer all the required questions and essays, and to “think twice about what [she puts] down.”

AP exams have always been

school, Corcoran expressed that the freshmen class should “enjoy their high school experience,” explaining that “it goes by so fast, but [they are the years] you will remember... forever.” Copithorne agreed that “freshman year actually matters,” further explaining that “graduation might seem so far away, but [it will] be here in the blink of an eye.”

White explained that students should “make connections,” whether that is connecting with “your teachers, counselors, administrators, classmates.” Yu also mentioned the importance of taking “advantage of all the opportunities that [are offered] at Malden High School, whether that is classes, clubs, sports, internships, or scholarships.” Mastrangelo added that getting involved also “increases your connection with the school and other students.”

Copithorne expressed that he hopes “that the freshmen understood how excited [the] teachers are to get to know them.” He also acknowledged that “[the staff members] know that this year has been a challenge,” adding that they are looking forward to “returning to the welcoming and lively community that makes Malden High School so special.

known to be fast-paced, but with all the added pressures this year, it can create a stressful environment for students, potentially affecting their performance. Filer agrees that the new formatting will affect students’ performance, but “hopefully in positive ways.” She thinks that this year has “underscored the fact that testing is not the ultimate measure of a student’s capabilities,” and that there are more important matters to be concerned about than the exam.

Students should keep in mind that no one will see their results unless they choose to share them, as they are not required at colleges or on applications.

Still, Filer has been “very impressed by the resilience of [her] students” and for staying organized throughout the year, and she hopes “they are proud of what they have already accomplished.” According to Craven, at the end of the day, the exam “theoretically represents the culmination of the learning and knowledge” of the course, “so as crazy as it sounds, sit down and try to enjoy the process of showing what you’ve learned.”

Similarly, Filer wanted students to recognize that even with all the hard work they have done this year, “no exam can accurately measure what they have learned and how much they have persevered” in these trying times.

Local News

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Celebrating Women’s History Month

Renalda Simon Reporter

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ada.m C.J Walker (Sarah Breedlove) was born on December 23, 1867, and was an American entrepreneur. She created homemade hair products for black women and became the first Black woman millionaire in America. Walker was experiencing hair loss when she was inspired to make hair products and invented the “Walker system.” She “used her fortune to fund scholarships for women at the Tuskegee Institute and donated large parts of her wealth to the NAACP, the Black YMCA, and other charities.”

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r. Ann Tsukamoto was born on July 6, 1952, and studied stem cell biology. In the early 1990s, Tsukamoto invented a treatment to “isolate blood stem cells” in the body that could “replace a damaged immune system in a person with blood cancer.”

She was awarded in 1991, and thanks to Dr. Ann Tsukamoto’s research, she has helped and saved many lives and has advanced research to treat other types of cancer.

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lice Augusta Ball was born in 1892 in Seattle, Washington, and studied Chemistry and Medicine. She created an oil extract called the “Ball Method” that was an effective treatment for the disease called leprosy.

She was 23 years old when she developed this oil extract. Ball was the first African American that received a master’s degree from the University of Hawaii, where she conducted her studies in 1915.

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alala Yousafzai was born on July 12, 1997, and is a Pakistani activist for female education, and a former blogger for BBC Urdu. She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014. In 2009, Malala was 11 years old when she wrote her first BBC diary entry called “Diary of a Pakistani Schoolgirl” where she talks about her life as a young girl and all the miserable things that happened during that period. When Yousafzai was around 14 or 15 years old, she was shot three times and survived. Despite this, it did not stop Yousafzai from speaking about her beliefs. She was “very determined” to go to school and had “a firm belief in her right to an education.”

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elena Quintanilla was born on April 16, 1971, and released many albums like “Amor Prohibido” and “Dreaming of You.” Her father was also a musician and taught her how to sing in Spanish.

When Quintanilla was ten years old, she “became the lead singer in her family’s band” and would soon become a world superstar.

Selena has made many famous albums but passed away early on. Quintanilla fans have a special place in their hearts for her and her music.

K For more information on these women, scan the QR code!

reta Thunberg was born on January 3, 2003, and is a climate and environmental activist.

Thunberg has won many awards like “Right Livelihood” and was the 2019 Person of the Year for Times Magazine. Thunberg’s main focus is saving the planet from “environmental catastrophe.” She has asked for students to do their part in helping and has asked for governments to do their part in helping save the planet, Thunberg is very active on social media.

amala Devi Harris was born on October 20, 1964, and became the first Black and South Asian Vice President. Harris has a long history of working with the law. In 2010 Harris was elected California’s Attorney General, elected District Attorney of San Francisco in 2003, and in 2017, she was sworn into the United States Senate. Harris comes from a family of immigrants and knows the struggle of families who are immigrants.

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arana Burke is an activist who was born on September 12, 1973, in The Bronx, New York. She is known as the founder and creator of the #MeToo movement, which began in 2006, but gained more traction 11 years later by actress Alyssa Milano, among others. The movement was created to help women who have experienced sexual abuse or harassment. The #MeToo movement has become a global movement around the world with celebrities like Terry Crews, Alyssa Milano, and more supporting it.

The Blue and Gold April 2021

Local News

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Teen Dating Violence Thoughts On Hybrid Learning Krishany Marius Lead Reporter

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een dating violence is something that is not talked about enough in schools, which could make it difficult for many students to determine what is right and wrong in relationships. In hopes of providing the proper resources for teen dating violence, Zonta and the Z club of Malden and the Mayor’s office hosted a Teen Dating Violence Awareness Night.

genuine care in a relationship, and to know that if that is what lacks in a relationship then it is best to walk away for the safety of you.

When it comes to abusive relationships, it is just as important to teach people to be good bystanders. The media does not talk about healthy relationships enough, so when young and impressionable kids see toxic relationships on social media, they see it as something fun and thrilling and therefore can be a detriment to how they view rela-

The flyer used to promote the Teen Dating Violence Awareness Night event.

There was also a presentation

by District Attorney Marian Ryan who spoke about the issues of domestic abuse in relationships whether it being physically, emotionally, verbally, and mentally. However, we, as a community, can do so much to talk about these strong topics that are avoided and need to be paid more attention to.

Domestic abuse is undoubtedly a difficult topic to even mention because as Ryan stated “no one goes out on a first date, with somebody they think is going to abuse them.”

It can be challenging for anybody but it is even harder when you are young and starting to get yourself in a romantic relationship because you do not know what you are doing, you likely do not know what a strong and healthy relationship looks like.

These toxic relationships can be impactful and traumatizing especially when there is a type of abuse involved. Ryan explained that “[it is] incredibly important for adults to model a good relationship because kids copy what they see.” It is important for kids to see respect and

tionships.

Teen dating violence is something that is not a new topic for adults but it is getting more serious especially with this pandemic it is difficult because now everything is online and you cannot see the people in-person.

Many people believe the rates of abuse have reduced, when in reality, Love is Respect, the National Domestic Violence Hotline reported that “their calls increased by 100.1% during the time [everyone has] been in lockdown.” Ryan explained. It goes to show that the abuse in these dreadful times has not stopped and continues to get worse because they are not being shown.

These issues also tie back to mental health itself, Karen Hayes, who is the former Community Outreach Director for the City of Malden and an attendee at the meeting, explained that “[she] really believes [they] need to be educating earlier than high school.”

Hayes wants to make changes and advocate for these issues, as she thinks it should be taught at the 4th to 5th grade level where it is

Renalda Simon Reporter

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early one year ago, Malden High School had its last day of in-person school before it closed due to the COVID-19 outbreak. At first, we all thought this would last one month, which then extended to three months, then seven months, which leads us to the present day. With the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccines just rolling in, the big question comes to mind: when will we be going back to school?

Malden High School Principal Chris Mastrangelo said in a recent email that Malden High has set dates on when students will be able to return to in-person school. Students in grades 9 and 12 (freshmen and seniors) will return first in a hybrid schedule on March 22, while students in grades 10 and 11 (sophomores and juniors) join them shortly afterward on April 5.

Mastrangelo acknowledges the concerns that come with returning back to in-person school, but stresses that “safety is always [the] first priority.” He added that the Malden High faculty and administration have been “working hard to assure that the school will be as safe as possible for the students to return.” Some students may not feel comfortable with going back to in-person learning just yet which is why students are given the option whether or not they want to “stay on the distance learning platform,” or proceed with the hybrid model.

Like many teachers, Mastrangelo looks forward to “seeing the kids,” adding that “it will also be great to see the entire staff back in one place.”

Biology teacher Jessica Webber stated that “[she is] hesitant about students going back to in-person learning.” She explained that she wanted “to be in school with [her] students,” however, she is “worried about going back too quickly amidst the pandemic.” Webber expressed that she knows “in-person [learning would be] best for students [...] but [she worries] that there will be increased transmission in schools.”

For Webber, being that she is a Biology teacher, her biggest challenge while returning to the building easier for the kids. She added that in her opinion, there is not enough “funding and resources [being put towards the city’s] adjustment counselors, health classes, life skill classes.”

A significant amount of this important information needs to be and can be taught but unfortunately, some of those things are cut from the budget. Hayes believes “bringing the resources to the youth is the way to go.” Working into programs that talk about kinds of different mental health and to help young kids with these situations.

It can really benefit students

The plan for integrating a hybrid learning model for Malden Public Schools. Photo from Mayor Gary Christenson’s Instagram. would be “labs,” as she explained that “it will be hard to maneuver students into the classroom safely.”

Sophomore Saura Rathore hoped that students would have the opportunity to return to in-person school at some point during the 2020-2021 school year because she feels as if a large “majority of the students [would] agree that distance learning seems to be too much of a burden.” Rathore agreed that if we do fully return to in-school learning, there should be precautions that everyone should follow.

We will continue to cover this topic as students will be entering the school soon. Are you going back to in-person school? If so what are your thoughts on proceeding with a hybrid learning model? because there needs to be a professional who talks about these kinds of topics, instead of pushing the responsibility on teachers we as a community need to do better and try to talk about these problems.

“The more we normalize talking to professionals, therapists, and mental health workers the better off everyone else is going to be,” Hayes stated.

Teen dating violence and domestic abuse is a serious subject that can be heavy to speak on and should be a conversation to young teens that enter a relationship because education is the way to prevention.

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Entertainment maldenblueandgold.com

The Blue and Gold April 2021

The Blue and Gold April 2021

Entertainment

Movie Review: Life in a Year

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maldenblueandgold.com

Krishany Marius Lead Reporter

ily. While he has nothing to worry about, Isabelle is not attending he movie Life in a Year was re- school and is trying to get through leased on November 27, 2020, life, while battling cancer, with only the romantic drama film will lead one year left to live.

Daryn wants to give Isabelle the to a spiral set of emotions. Daryn is a 17-year-old high-honors student best year, even if it means his grades and track star with a bright future may be compromised and that he ahead of him and a perfect fam- may not get into the Ivy League university that his father wants him to. The message behind Life in a Year is that love has risks and that it may affect the future which could be good or bad, maybe even both.

Isabelle’s pessimistic view, loss of hope, and how she looks at the A scene from “Life in a Year.” Photo via IMDb.

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world affect her mindset, telling herself that she can’t accomplish everything in one year, but it is this mindset that attracts Daryn to Isabelle.

Daryn dedicates his whole life to making Isabelle’s final 12 months the best ones of her life, he does everything in his power even if it means going against his strict father.

In turn, Isabelle helps Daryn loosen up, instead of trying to make everything perfect, she encourages him to let life do its job and have him set his goals and dreams, instead of following his father’s. She helps him realize that there is more to life than getting good grades and that he should live in the moment.

Life in a Year may seem like another corny film about two teenagers that fall in love and it could be, but the movie shows what love is really about, that it is not gifts and kisses that define a relationship, but the risks taken that matter.

The movie shows the different aspects of what being in love at a young age is like, that there is an age standard when it comes to love.

Teenagers are constantly told that they are too young to be in love or that they do not know what it means when most of them have a clear understanding of what it means in their own way.

The movie Life in a Year is a way to show movie reviewers different aspects of love itself, it was amazing to see how two different people from two different lives could love one another unconditionally.

The movie shows you how short life is and how fast it moves, imagine being in Isabelle’s shoes and knowing that you only have one year left to live and you haven’t done half the things that you wished.

Life goes by fast and sometimes it catches up to you, it is your choice to decide how you want to live it because life is what you make of it.

Movie Review: Clouds Courtney Fitzgerald Head of Local

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rom the producer of Five Feet Apart, comes a heartwarming tale of a true story. Disney Plus has given many a new way to rewatch their favorite shows from childhood, and continues to release new movies and series that appeal to most teenagers and children. One of those movies, Clouds. Clouds was released in 2020 and was directed and produced by Justin Baldoni.

A young musician is given only months to live and begins to write music and make the most of the time he has left. Zach Sobiech (FIn Argus), a senior in high school with Osteosarcoma goes to high school as a normal teenager, but after a sudden asthma attack reveals a collapsed lung, he is given the news he is now terminal.

With only a few months left to live, Sobiech decides to stop his Chemo treatment and live them to

the fullest. He and his best friend Sammy Brown (Sabrina Carpenter), form a group called A Firm Handshake and record a Youtube video of their song Fix me up and their other song How to go to Confession. A recording label sees their video and brings them in to record the song ‘Clouds’.

The song ‘Clouds’ was an overnight hit and soared to the top of the charts. Sobiech continued to go to school and continued to live his life to the fullest. Zach and his girlfriend had plans to go to prom, but when things get tough with zach’s health, those plans are rearranged. Sobiech and Brown get invited to perform at a big area, and, along with zach’s family, Brown turns the concert into the high schools prom.

Although Zach is not feeling his best, he still goes out and attempts to perform his song. He struggles to breathe during the performance and the crowd takes over for him.

Clouds continued to soar on the

music charts after Sobiech had died.

This movie is a heartwarming take on true events.

There was a lot to love about this movie including the story behind it.

The characters resembled the actual people remarkably well. With all the dedication and commitment from the actors and the producers, it’s no wonder it took Zach’s story 7 years to hit the big screens. I recommend this movie to those who like the movie ‘A Walk to Remember’ as well as ‘The Last Song’ and ‘Five Feet The official poster for “Clouds.” Photo from wikimedia.

Apart’.

Sports

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The Blue and Gold April 2021

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A Dive Into This Year’s Swim Season Carlos Aragon Managing Editor of Print and Design

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espite the COVID-19 pandemic, life has begun to resume and a “return to normality” has begun.

This includes the return of MHS sports, including the swim team,

who hopes to have a strong season.

Due to COVID, the sport looks incredibly different this year. According to Coach Jessica Bisson, swim meets are conducted virtually.

This means that each team is swimming in their home pool. “[They] just swim and do normal races as [they] do, and when both teams

MHS swimmers performing backstroke. Photo taken by Carlos Aragon.

have completed the meet [they] go in and upload the results.” The times decide the outcome of the meet.

Due to this, the mindset of the sport changes radically; it’s almost impossible to know how the players are doing. “When [they’re] swimming in the pool, it really gives [them] an opportunity to push, because [they] see who [they’re] next to and [they] know [they’re] trying to beat them” stated Bisson.

It is much more difficult to motivate yourself against a clock than it is with an actual person. Bisson stated that after the first meet, the team decided to focus on their mindset. “It’s giving [them] an opportunity to rethink how [they] do [their] starts, how [they] do our finishes,” all of the small elements that improve the team’s overall technique.

According to Junior Sarah Oliveira, during practices, the team has to practice with swimmers in totally different lanes in order to socially distance. She stated that “[they] have to socially distance in the water, so there’s one person in the far left side of the lane, and then

the other to the right, and one treading water.” The locker rooms are closed for the most part, although the swimmers are given a short amount of time to change at the end, one by one. “Swimming, in general, has stayed the same, but how [they] do it has changed, as expected.”

Overall, the team did shrink a bit due to the seniors who graduated as well as people who could not swim due to Covid. Oliveira added that “[she] thinks [they’re] roughly at around the same amount of people, around 5 less than before.”

Captain David Lombardi believes that swimming this year is worth it since he is “gaining closure to [his] career as a swimmer.” Last year, the team got quite competitive with an undefeated streak, and Lombardi himself reached states the past three years and placed in the Top 10 twice. According to Lombardi, “the team is mostly looking for fun” and personally, he is as well. “Without those competitions [he is] really just trying to have some fun with the sport and gain the understanding for it again.”

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Top Team Boston Alexey Mozyaev Reporter

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razilian Jiu Jitsu is a self-defense martial art and combat sport based on gripping, seizing, choking, and submitting the opponent in the most effective way possible. The sport dates its roots back to Jujutsu -- a family of Japanese martial arts of which Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is a part.

Over the past 10 years, the popularity of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu has grown tremendously, becoming the most important discipline in Mixed Martial Arts and a life-changing experience for anyone who undertook the discipline.

Mastering Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is a life-long journey. The belt, or ranking, system in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu divides into two categories. One is for kids, aged up to 17 years old. The other is for adults. Kids and adults begin with a white belt. Each colored belt, or rank, is accompanied with stripes, or rank degree. Students are to receive up to 4 stripes in the belt, before receiving the next colored belt. After a practitioner receives a white belt, the next is yellow, for kids, and blue, for adults. Once a kid receives a yellow belt, he or she, later on, receives an orange belt, then a green belt, and then, when the kid turns 17 years old, he or she automatically receives a blue belt.

After the blue belt comes the purple belt, then the brown belt, and then the black belt. Having a black belt, the practitioner is then considered a “professor” on the mats. Beyond the black belt comes a seemingly unattainable milestone: the coral

belt (black and red). Students can receive the coral belt only when they have trained and taught Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, as a black belt, for 31 years.

One of the very well known Brazilian Jiu Jitsu affiliations that highly interprets this discipline is Brazilian Top Team (BTT). It was found in April 2000 in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, by former MMA fighters and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioners Murilo Bustamante, Ricardo Libório, Mário Sperry, and Luis Roberto Duarte.

Today, their affiliations are all over the Americas, Europe, and Asia. In its earlier years, the academy was known for producing many talented MMA fighters that had been successful in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), -- the biggest MMA promotion in the world.

Today, as the sport’s popularity is rapidly growing, the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioners representing BTT are winning worldwide championships, making themselves known all over the world. The first recognized BTT center in the United States was established in 2003, named Brazilian Top Team Boston,

by João Amaral Miranda and his student, Daniel Mirel Gazoni, who now runs the academy. Today, it is one of the most successful Brazilian Jiu Jitsu academies in New England, winning not only regional and outof-state championships, but also European and Pan-American championships.

Being a Martial Arts practitioner means being respectful, disciplined, and polite to the peers and to the instructor. But first and foremost, the academy is a family. In the

academy, Gazoni is referred to as the “professor” or “sensei.” Before stepping onto the mat, the students are expected to greet and bow to all the black belts present. Being late to practice is never a respectful sign to the head instructor. Respect and politeness are expected in the school, as much as thanking the peers after the practice.

Levi Moura, a 21 year old brown belt, professional competitor and instructor at BTT Boston, started his Brazilian Jiu Jitsu journey when he was a freshman in high school, in Brazil. Ever since then, “[he] would give up on other sports and hobbies to entirely focus on Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.” Throughout the years of pure training and competing, Moura said that “the journey had shaped [him] not only as an athlete, in [his] younger years, but as a human being.”

As Gazoni taught so many people throughout his teaching career, “[he] noticed that kids and teenagers that have been doing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for months, have become more confident and have shown a higher self-esteem.” And adults who have suffered from either poor regulated mental health or addiction, “have come up to [him] and thanked [him] for changing [their] lives for the better.” Growing in a healthy social environment, one only integrates into a better version of oneself.

Eric LeClair, a blue belt from BTT Boston, has been doing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for three and a half years. Beginning his journey at the age of 36, and “going through a mentally difficult time in [his] life,

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu had changed [his] life.” In the start of his journey, “[he] was scared inside because [he] was nowhere close to being at the level at what [he] was looking at.” Before finding Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, LeClair had difficulty controlling his anger issues. He believes that “Brazilian Jiu Jitsu helped [him] fight his anger and self-awareness.” Constantly losing to the stronger opponents on the mats, and being at the same time part of the “family” in BTT, “Brazilian Jiu Jitsu” has humbled [him] in ways where [LeClair did not] even realize where [he] needs humility.”

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is not easy.

Ismail Guessous, a blue belt from BTT Boston said that “it was tough in the start, but comradery in the team helped [him] a lot.” All the black belts and “Professor Daniel” have helped him along the journey. “[It is] good for mental health to have a good social setting where one learns from experienced athletes and teaches less experienced athletes -- all the while socializing and forming that human connection,” stated Guessous.

Practicing Martial Arts is not always about learning how to protect oneself, but also about evolving as an individual. Along the road, who one becomes, doing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, is more important than what one gets out of it. “Life is about ups and downs and it [does not] matter how many times [humans] fall back, it matters how many times [humans] get back on their feet” stated Gazoni.

The Blue and Gold April 2021

Sports

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The Girls Hockey Gymnastics Season Season Ends With During COVID-19 High Hopes

tioned that “[she has] seen everything.” She knew what it would take to earn the trust of her teammates he Medford-Malden girls hock- and how to bring them together. ey season began on December The past seasons have “turned 14th with tryouts. Each athlete was [her] into the player [she is] today.” asked to wear a mask and come Forbes also mentioned that the level with all necessary paperwork and they play at has not changed and equipment to keep things running that “the newer players adjusted smoothly in the face of a Pandemic. and pushed everyone to be better as The first game of the season took well.” place on January 16, 2021 and was For Rayanne Forbes, a Medford a home game at Loconte Rink in High Senior as well as co-captain Medford. for the Mustangs, “playing a whole In a sport where physical con- season without being shut down tact is already limited, the game has [was] crazy.” Forbes had hoped not changed much in a pandemic. they would get to play this season The only changes have been the fact in order for her to “get a bit of clothat they need to wear masks while sure” and to play her last games playing and only five players plus with the other seniors. Forbes stated the coach are allowed on the bench. that “[she] had some concerns of Players are also not allowed to use contracting [the coronavirus] and dressing rooms or lockers and have spreading it to others,” but for her to come to the game already dressed “it was a no brainer” to finish out or get dressed in the parking lot. her high school career no matter Teams are only allowed 15 minutes the situation. Forbes was willing to of practice before the games now jump at any opportunity “to play in instead of one to two hours. a Medford jersey one more time.”

With the uncertainty of the Team bonding is something season in the beginning, Coach Ray- that has always been important anne Forbes made sure to reach out when playing in a sport. Forbes statto the girls when the season would ed that she “was looking forward have started to prepare them, in to just playing hockey and having case they went back. Malden High some sort of team socializing” while Senior captain Sarah Whitehouse, still practicing social distancing. She believes this helped because “when added that “each member of the [they] began practice [they] already team worked hard and put in much knew the rules.” They knew to get effort not only to get better as playdressed before entering the rink ers but to make the most of a crazy and they knew to sign in and keep a year.” mask on the entire time.

As a captain, Whitehouse was For Whitehouse, the virus had more concerned with “whether or made her a little hesitant to return not the girls [were] working hard to the game. She was “very cautious and enjoying what they were doand made sure to stay away from all ing.” With that being said she also of [her] teammates.” As the season mentioned that mentally she had went on, Whitehouse became more hoped “[they would] come out and more comfortable. Medford with a better record than last year.”

High is a hybrid model for learning Whitehouse’s hope was fulfilled, as this year and every student needs they came out of this season with to be tested weekly. “Knowing more wins and a better win percentthat two-third of [her] team has to age than they had last year. get a weekly test makes [her] more Whitehouse was excited to see comfortable” said Whitehouse. The more Malden girls playing on the coach also stressed that if they are team this year. This year there were not feeling well in any way they three Malden eighth graders who will not be penalized if they did not joined the team with two seniors show up to practice and or games. and one junior returning player.

Past seasons, though none like Whitehouse stated that this gave her the present, have prepared the girls “hope that Malden girls will always in many ways. Whitehouse men- be intertwined with the Medford team.”

Although this season in many ways was unlike any other, not much had to be changed in order for the girls to have their season. The season ended with a record of 6-7-1. This means they won six games, lost seven, and ended one game in a draw or tie. Although there will be no states this year, Whitehouse hopes The girls hockey team. Photo from Mayor “[they] can all reflect on the Gary Christenson’s Instagram account. season and have no regrets.”

Courtney Fitzgerald Head of Local

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Chaimaa Assli Lead Reporter

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his year has been difficult for everyone due to the Pandemic. It has been very hard deciding whether or not sports should happen. Luckily because gymnastics was considered a low-risk sport it was one of the first sports to come back. The gymnasts began practicing virtually in December which was three weeks before the season started. They did not begin in-person practices until January 13th. The gymnastics team only had three practices per week for two hours each day. Before Covid, they had 5 practices every week and could add more if they felt the need to. This season was shorter than usual as well.

Gymnastic coach Katie Bowdridge said that this season was different because they were “missing several of [their] gymnasts due to COVID” and some of their parents were not comfortable with them participating, so the team was smaller than usual. This year the gymnastics team had to make more cuts so there were only 15 gymnasts on the team.

Everyone had to wear their masks in the gym and stay six feet apart. Bowdridge said, “everyone [is] doing a great job keeping their masks on.” If the gymnasts needed a mask break all they had to do was go outside for a little bit and come back after they had a short break.

When it was each gymnast’s turn they could take off their masks while competing and put them right back on after. Ronald Batista, one of the three captains, said, “everybody was already mature enough to just carry their own weight.”

The gymnasts used an app called Sway. This app was used for daily check-ins to make sure they did not feel any Covid symptoms.

When someone was experiencing symptoms they were advised to stay at home. To ensure everyone’s safety at the competitions, they had to make sure everything was sanitized and people were socially distancing. On the bus, they tried not to sit next to anybody in order to prevent passing on the virus. Batista says it was harder at first because everyone wanted to be near each other and “hug the people that [they have not] seen and all of your teammates.” He said that they “all have to have an understanding” because it was to ensure their safety.

COVID also affected their meets. Some meets were cancelled if they could not find judges. Winter storms also affected their season.

“Those two [aspects] really did affect [their] season,” said Ronald Batista To Bowdridge, this experience was “different but it is not difficult.”

There were many differences due to Covid. For example, the season

Sophomore gymnast Nelson Jiang on the bars at a meet. Photo submitted by Jiang. was shorter and they had to wear face masks. Batista was “less hopeful” at the beginning of the season because they were missing people and he was worried that the scores would be going down. They ended up doing really well and ended up winning, which to Batista was “a surprise” and it “was pretty awesome.”

This was Batista’s second time being captain. The captains were decided by vote. To him it felt good because “it felt like the team knew the amount of work [he] was trying to put in and the amount of dedication.” It was an “honor being captain again,” he states.

Bowdridge is “so proud of these kids” because it has been so hard during Covid. Everyone attended all the virtual practices to stretch and condition. They went to practice and they were “working super hard” to get ready for every meet.

Overall they had a really good season. They won more meets than they lost. There were a total of five competitions and they won the last three so they were on a winning streak. The gymnastics team was also in the Greater Boston League. This year they are GBL champs since they won both meets against Medford.

Nelson Jiang, a sophomore gymnast on the team, said he “felt bad” for the other teams because “the other teams that [they] won against barely had anyone. [Other teams] had four people or two people and [they] had 15.”

Batista wanted to congratulate the coaches. He thinks that the “coaches did a really good job this year with all the covid restrictions.”

They had to make sure everybody there was safe and Covid made it even harder but they made sure everyone was keeping their distance and staying safe.

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maldenblueandgold.com

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Defeat

Julie Yu Editor-In-Chief

S

uper Bowl LV consisted of one of the most iconic showdowns in the National Football League’s (NFL) history. The Kansas City Chiefs, the American Football Conference (AFC) champions, went head to head with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the National Football Conference (NFC) champions. The game finished with the Buccaneers dominating the Chiefs in a 31-9 game, earning the Buccaneers their second-ever Super Bowl trophy.

Viewers were especially excited to see the competition between the two teams’ quarterbacks: Patrick Mahomes II and Tom Brady. Both Mahomes and Brady have had phenomenal success during their time in the NFL. Fans anticipated a high stakes game not only because of the talent of the quarterbacks but also due to the nearly 20 year age difference between them.

Many fans, including a number of CBS commentators, were expecting a close game between the Chiefs and the Buccaneers, which did not happen as the Buccaneers won with a 22 point lead on the Chiefs.

Brady, alongside the Buccaneers have made Super Bowl history this year. Super Bowl LV was Brady’s tenth time playing in a Super Bowl, but what made it so momentous was the fact that of his ten Super Bowl appearances, he has won seven trophies. This win for the Buccaneers was led by the oldest quarterback and head coach duo to ever play in a Super Bowl game together, with Brady, age 43, and Head Coach Bruce Arians, age 68. The Buccaneer team has also gone down in history being the first team to ever play in a Super Bowl game that was hosted in their home stadium, as Super Bowl LV was held at the Raymond James Stadium.

Last year at Super Bowl LIV, the Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers in a 31-20 game under their current Head Coach Andy Reid, which was the second time the Chiefs franchise had ever won a Super Bowl championship. The first time the team won the Vince Lombardi trophy was back in 1970 under their former Head Coach Hank Stram.

Prior to Super Bowl LV, the Buccaneers had only attended one Super Bowl game, specifically Super Bowl XXXVII back in 2003, where they defeated the Oakland Raiders, now the Las Vegas Raiders, in a 4821 game under former Head Coach Jon Gruden.

Before the kickoff, there were two performances. The first one was

by R&B and Soul artist H.E.R. who performed “America the Beautiful.”

Following the first performance was the singing of our National Anthem p e r formed

b y R & B and HipHop artist Jazmine Sullivan and Country artist Eric Church.

Amanda Gorman went down in history as the first poet to ever perform at the Super Bowl.

Gorman recited her original poem “Chorus of the Captains,” as a tribute for the three honorary captains in attendance at the game: Pittsburgh Marine Veteran James Martin, Los Angeles Educator Trimaine Davis, and last but not least, Tampa ICU Nurse Manager Suzie Dorner.

The NFL gave Dorner the honor of administering the coin toss, determining which team would go first. During the famous Super Bowl coin toss, the visiting team chooses heads or tails, and in this instance the Chiefs chose heads, which they won.

Overall Super Bowl LV had a slow start as both the Chiefs and the Buccaneers attempted a touchdown, both being incomplete. At the 5:14 time mark, during the first quarter, the Chiefs were the first to score in the entire game. Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker kicked a 49-yard field

goal during the team’s second drive, earning the Chiefs a 3-0 lead.

With only 37 seconds left in the first quarter, the Buccaneers scored their first touchdown of the game.

Brady threw an eight-yard touchdown pass to Wide Receiver Rob Gronkowski, which set the Buccaneers at a 7-3 lead against the Chiefs.

This specific touchdown was the 13th touchdown pass from Brady to Gronkowski during the postseason, breaking the previous record of 12 postseason

touchdowns, which was held by the 49ers’ Former Quarterback Joe Montana and Wide Receiver Jerry Rice. This touchdown also marked the first time Brady had ever scored more than three points during the first quarter at a Super Bowl game,

as Brady and his teammates in the past were only able to score from field goals in previous Super Bowl appearances.

At the 6:15 mark of the second quarter, Brady threw another touchdown pass, earning the Buccaneers another seven points, giving them a 14-3 lead, both passes so far being caught by Gronkowski. Chiefs scored for the second time during the game at the 1:04 mark, Butker kicked a 34 yard field goal, earning the Chiefs another three points, setting them at 14-6, the Buccaneers still in the lead. Afterwards, the Buccaneers got the ball back for their third drive, with only six seconds left on the timer, Brady made a touchdown pass to Wide Receiver Antonio Brown, drawing the Buccaneers at a large lead of 21-6 by the end of the first half.

Regardless of their opinions on football, millions of people tune in every year to watch the Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show.

This year they had R&B and Soul artist The Weeknd headlining, playing some of his hit songs: Starboy, The Hills, Can’t Feel my Face, I Feel It Coming, Save Your Tears, Earned It, a mashup of House of Balloons and Glass Table Girls, and last but not least, his hit song Blinding Lights, which remained in the #1 spot on the Top 100 Billboard charts for four weeks straight.

Following the Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show, the Chiefs

Raymond James Stadium before Super Bowl LV with cardboard cutouts set up occupying seats. Photo from the Raymond James Stadium Instagram account.

Sports

The Blue and Gold April 2021

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Kansas City Chiefs

at Super Bowl LV

opened up the third quarter by scoring their third and final time of the entire game. Once again, another field goal, Butker kicked a 52-yard field goal, adding another three points to Chiefs, now making the score 21-9, with the Buccaneers still in the lead.

The Buccaneers scored yet another touchdown at the 7:45 mark. Brady scans across the field looking for an open receiver when he throws the touchdown pass to Running Back Leonard Fournette, who was wide open. With no Chiefs defenders covering Fournette, he was able to make a 27 yard run into the endzone, growing the Buccaneers lead against the Chiefs to 28-9.

The last points added to the score were made by the Buccaneers. During the 2:50 mark of the third quarter, Buccaneers Kicker Ryan Succop kicked a 52-yard field goal, earning the Buccaneers three points, leaving them at a 31-9 lead on the Chiefs.

Due to the fact that neither team scored for the remainder of the third quarter and the entirety of the fourth quarter, that was the final score.

Although Super Bowl LV has been memorable for the outstanding NFL athletes, those watching in person and from home have witnessed history. During the Super Bowl and also throughout the past football season, we have seen the remarkable progress that the NFL has made in regards to promoting inclusion and diversity.

Joining Arians and the Buccaneer’s at Super Bowl was Assistant Defensive Line Coach Lori Locust and Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach Maral Javadi-

far, both of whom work full-time for the Buccaneer coaching staff, making history as the first two female coaches in the Super Bowl.

Alongside Locust and Javadifar, another woman making Super Bowl history is Sarah Thomas. Thomas is the first female referee to officiate at a Super Bowl game.

“The Super Bowl Today,” a preview prior to the game on the CBS channel, included a segm e n t about For-

mer

NFL

Quarterback Marlin Briscoe. Briscoe was the first black quarterback in the modernday NFL. He was drafted in the 14th

Amanda Gorman reciting her original poem at Super Bowl LV. Screenshot taken from her performance.

round for the Denver Broncos back in 1968. Briscoe paved the way for future black NFL quarterbacks such as:

Mahomes

of the Chiefs, Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks, Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens, Teddy Bridgewater of the Carolina Panthers, and many others.

Soon after Super Bowl LIV on February 2, 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic struck Americans and people all around the globe. Following the big Super Bowl win, former Chiefs Guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif decided to temporarily set aside his football career for the season to return home to Montreal, Canada, to work at a health care facility.

During “The Super Bowl Today,” CBS reporters alongside his fellow teammates highlight and honor his dedication and courage for putting others before himself. Even with his busy schedule and training facilities closed, Duvernay-Tardif continues

to consistently practice in hopes of returning to the field and to the Chiefs soon.

Similar to several other social events, the COVID-19 pandemic has greatly impacted Super Bowl Sunday traditions across the nation.

With the COVID-19 pandemic still at large, numerous restrictions and regulations had been enforced to ensure the safety of the American public. “The Super Bowl Today” featured a segment where reporter Norah O’Donnell interviewed President Joe Biden, in which he was asked about his thoughts on Super Bowl Sunday parties.

Biden strongly recommended that people refrain from large gatherings, although acknowledged that there would likely still be quite a few parties but encouraged people to make good choices and stay safe.

In attempts to limit the amount of fans within the stadium, the NFL has cut back ticket sales to pertain to social distancing guidelines.

The Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida holds 65,890 seats, and 25,000 fans were in attendance for Super Bowl LV. Accompanying those fans were 30,000 cardboard cutouts to make the audience look more full and lively overall.

However, it is still imperative that the proper guidelines were being implemented to prevent the spread of this ongoing deadly disease.

During the regular season, the NFL had strict requests for each of their teams to go through consistent COVID testing daily. After the Championship round, where the Chiefs defeated the Buffalo Bills in a 38-24 game and the Buccaneers beat the Green Bay Packers in a 3126 game, the NFL mandated that all Chiefs and Buccaneer players and coaching staff be required to take a COVID tests twice daily.

On Monday, February 8, 2021, the day after the Buccaneers’ big Super Bowl win, the Mayor of Tampa Jane Castor held a press conference confirming that there will indeed be some kind of championship celebration for the Buccaneer team and their fans, however, no details have been disclosed as of yet. She further explained that “everybody will be able to participate and participate safely” in this celebration.

Sports

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The Blue and Gold April 2021

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Daniel O’Toole Reporter

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An Update on the Greater Boston League

ooking back one year ago on high school sports and comparing them to the ones we have today is a night and day difference. No fans in the stands, Masks on at all times, delayed starts to seasons. The whole nine yards.

On January 5th, a statement was released by the GBL (Greater Boston League) concerning the Winter season, the new Fall 2 season and Spring season. The GBL combines a number of cities in the Greater Boston area which includes Malden, Medford, Everett, Revere, Somerville, Chelsea, Lynn Classical and Lynn English. Each city is represented by their high school’s Athletic Director/Head of Athletics.

For Malden that would be Athletic Director, Charlie Conefrey.

The statement disclosed that all athletic competitions besides girl’s hockey and gymnastics would be delayed until March 1st, after reports showed high numbers of COVID-19 cases in urban areas.

Conditionings, tryouts and practices would begin as early as February 1st if COVID-19 case numbers were not high. As time went on, the number of COVID-19 cases slowly dropped meaning practices and tryouts could

start for sports part of the Winter sports season.

When asked about his opinion on the decision made by the GBL to have athletics starting again, Conefrey said “in the Fall [they] voted to participate in the Fall II season because that was best for [the students].” He also mentioned that as the winter sports season approaches, “[they] are preparing to adjust once more, to meet the needs of [their] students.” Since the decision to play again has been “worked on weekly since last June to finally arrive at the plan you see below,’’ Conefrey is a firm believer in the GBL’s plans.

According to Conefrey, the Greater Boston League started Winter Sports on March 1st with “interscholastic play [beginning] on March 6th.” The 2021 GBL Athletic Season Calendar that was provided by him can be found below: Conefrey stated that with the extensive rules and regulations being enforced, it gives him “full trust in the MIAA’s ability and expert knowledge.” He expressed that “[he feels] strongly that the procedures and protocols [they] have in place have will continue to provide a safe and healthy environment for all” adding that “students have been extremely receptive to the ‘new nor-

mal’ in regards to sport modifications” and “the majority of [Malden High’s] student athletes are willing to do whatever it takes to get back on the field, court and/or playing arena.”

Conefrey explained that “the [GBL] led by [himself] and Principal [Chris] Mastrangelo have worked diligently with [the] league member schools to provide a condensed three season calendar (six weeks each) starting March 1st.” He stated that “depending on the sport, each team will play a league schedule consisting of six to ten games/matches with a league championship at the end of each season.”

Conefrey also acknowledged that many have questioned whether or not a “full season will be played,” and clarified that the answer to that question “greatly depends on how well student athletes and coaches adhere to the protocols [that are put] in place in regards to COVID-19.”

Richard Newton, the Athletic Director for Lynn English, thinks that “it was a big decision to allow high school sports since [Lynn was] one of the cities who were against playing high school sports in the beginning.” However, he is “very glad that [they have] finally been [able] to play after so long.” Talking

about the decision made, Newton said “[their] basketball team [has not] played since last year when [they] were going to play in the state championship game. [They] call [themselves] state champs because [they believe that they] would have crushed the other team so [they are] happy to suit up again with this news.”

Lynn is a great example of a city that was hammered due to the COVID-19 pandemic. When Newton had gone back to Lynn English for the first time this school year, he witnessed “the entire front of the school being a testing site with a big line of cars wrapping around the building.” He added that they even had to have “two police cruisers to make sure nobody was cutting line” In that moment, Newton did not think “[Lynn was] getting a season.”

Getting to where Lynn is now and being able to participate in high school sports shows just how effective the health and safety protocols that we are given can be.

It is clear that making some of these were difficult decisions to make but Newton stresses that in the end “you [have to] do what you [have] to do in order to play,” which is what most student athletes are thinking at this time.

Check out this years “Meet the Staff” video on our YouTube channel by scanning this QR code.

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