February 2014

Attendance Policy examined. Articles on pages 4 and 5

The Blue and Gold maldenblueandgold.com Malden High School Volume 99 Edition 5 MHS boys

Our 99th Year February 2014

basketball plays at TD Garden.Article on page 26

MHS girls track team. Article on page 22

Lunar New Year MHS celebrates the Lunar New Year festival. See article on page 14 and 15

Posse winners from MHS. Articles on pages 10 11, 16

Lunar New Year Fashion Show. Article on page 14 and 15

MHS cheerleading rooting on the MHS boys basketball team at TD Garden.

Blue and Gold member Candela Diaz loses her phone over Christmas break and recounts the time she spent without it. Article on page 6

Oh No, Lost Your Phone?

Senior Raymond and the MHS boys track team sweeped its meets, earning the title of GBL champions.

See article on page 23

Editorial Page 2 Opinion Pages 4-7 World pages 8-9 Local PAges 10-16 Entertainment Pages 17-20

Celebrate Valentine’s Day with the Blue and Gold.

Articles on pages 17 - 20

Sports Pages 21-28

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Editorial

The Infiltration of Networking maldenblueandgold.com

Malden High School

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

The Blue and Gold was established in 1915.

The Staff: Editors-in-Chief:

Kristen Leonard ‘14 Vicki Ngan ‘14 Amanda Rosatone ‘14 Head of Local:

Amanda De Moraes ‘15 Sumya Mohiuddin ‘15 Head of Op / Eds, Politics & World:

James Mazarakis ‘15 Head of Sports:

P. J. Montezuma ‘15 Head of Entertainment, Style & Lifestyle:

Casey Lyons ‘15

Head of Multimedia:

Grace Stathos ‘15

Managing Editor of Local:

Julie Lam ‘15

Managing Editor of Op / Eds, Politics & World:

Jessica Lynn Depaula ‘15 Managing Editor of Sports:

Jonathan Decicco ‘15 Managing Editor of Entertainment, Style & Lifestyle:

Myle Nguyen ‘15 Reporters:

Crystal Day ‘15 Nicholas Bramante ‘16 Emma Ceplinskas ‘16 Andrew Cogliano ‘16 Chaimae El Adlouni ‘16 Ashley Leung ‘16 Lucia Quesada Nylen ‘16 Cassandra Reyes ‘16 Manale Zouhir ‘16 Tatyanna Cabral ‘17 Candela Diaz ‘17 Tenzin Dorjee ‘17 Felicia Fallano ‘17 Karina Matos ‘17 Julia Parker ‘17

Advisor: Ryan Gallagher Established in 1915

The Blue and Gold February 2014

S

mart phones—iPhones, Blackberries, LGs, Samsungs—have increasingly become a dominant part of our lives. However, their benefits do not overshadow their detriments. Along with many others the cell phone varieties, they are causing many changes to today’s society.

Not texting while one is driving should just be common sense. However, many people in this country still text while they drive, causing frequent car accidents. Texting friends, family, and acquaintances, cell phones have been a growing factor in the possibility of an accident. According to a study by the Governors Highway Safety Association in 2011, smart phones are tied to 25% of United States car crashes. Posing as a distraction, people who should be keeping their eyes on the road have their eyes glued to messages instead.

And do we really have a sense of the real world anymore? Glittery and gleaming, at the whim of an enter button, anyone, with the help of a smartphone, can remake his life. From posting pictures of cupcakes they baked for their children to prom dresses to social events, people are able to highlight and portray the best moments, or sides, of their lives.

At the same time as some may use social networking for their personal lives though, there are those who use it to raise awareness and spread information on news breaking topics. In China, for example, WeChat and Weibo are two social networks that people have used to raise social and political concerns to the public-both of which can be accessed easily by smartphones and used to spread valuable, yet perhaps, censored information. Smartphones, in essence then, can be socially useful--in the hands of those who have a distinct and defined purpose in using them, for reasons that exceed their own benefits.

With more and more people, especially teenagers, in the US acquiring phones that allow them to connect with others in multiple of ways, the idea of “networking” has changed dramatically. Cell phones are meant to be communicating devices and have long served their purpose as people have called each other more frequently in the past. However, the addition of texting, a more convenient way of communicating, has left “calling” to become less frequent. At least with calling, people can listen to the emotions of the other person and recognize their personalities as they continue to

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

We strongly encourage readers to respond to material printed in the form of signed letters to the editors. No libelous, malicious, defamatory, obscene, or unsigned material will be printed. The Blue and Gold reserves the right to edit the letters. Names may be withheld upon request. Not all letters will be printed.

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

Any correspondence concerning this publication should be directed to Mr. Ryan Gallagher’s room in J387 or to his mailbox in the main office.

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

talk, but they cannot express themselves with their own facial expressions, their voice, or even their true personality when they text. When a person receives a text, whether it is from a stranger or from a person that he or she knows, he or she will perceive and input the voice in the message in their own way, which can be drastically different than they really are in reality. As social creatures, it is important for one to know how to get along with each other not just through a screen, but in real life. By being on their phones all day rather than having face to face conversations, people, especially teenagers in this age, are demonstrating that they would prefer to face a screen than a real life person.

You know you see it too—groups of friends meeting up for lunch or dinner, each one respectively staring at their phones, and not a word between them passes except for the occasional chin up to dribble food through her mouth. For many, it is easier to talk behind a curtain than talking to the eyes of the person in front of them, and thus they can easily say things they wouldn’t face to face.

For teens and young children who are suppose to inherit the world from their parents, they are progressively more reliant on technology such as cell phones, to help them get through life. They are distracted by the many contents they have access to through their smartphones, and many are forgetting to actually use this piece of advanced technology to gain knowledge to improve our standard living conditions. In the lives of teenagers and children in the US who have effortless access to the internet, and with the addition of it in their smartphones, they are holding a portable entrance to unlimited information.

However, as one predicts, they are not using this valuable tool for homework, for future good, but rather short-term entertainment to boredom, loneliness, and awkwardness. Hanging out with friends, there is always one in the bunch that always looks at her phone all the time. When going to parties, there are always those who are out in the sidelines, appearing to be busy with their phones. Instead of mingling and getting to know people through real life conversations, many teenagers are getting closer to people through their smartphones, losing the conventional way of face-toface, deep conversations.

Vicki Ngan Editor-In-Chief

Corrections Page 10 - Heresa Guerrier is a sophomore, not a junior.

Page 10 Bryan Delphonse’s name was spelled wrong.

Page 10 Julian Ortiz’s name was spelled wrong.

Page 12 Tommy Li’s name is spelled wrong.

Page 18 Jonathan DeCicco is the Managing editor of sports.

Seniors: Have you bought your yearbook yet?

The Blue and Gold February 2014

Interactive

The Blue & Gold Crossword Puzzle

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maldenblueandgold.com

Background photo: Scene from the Lunar New Year Festival. Photo by Ashley Leung. Crossword puzzle by James Mazarakis.

NOTE: We received the letter-to-theeditor (right) in response to Tatyanna Cabral’s article “Loading. 35% Done.

Please Wait For Your Human Rights.”

If we can give more specific credit to the writer of the piece, we would like him or her to inform us.

Below is the title and beginning text of an article featured in the 1953 Edition of the Blue & Gold Newspaper.

Letter to the Editor I find it laughable that a nation as great and powerful as the United States of America has become ensnared in the toxic debate of homosexual rights. You would think we would be smart enough to rise above and simply accept our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters for who they are, not what they are. But no, our country stands divided on a simple issue that should not, for even a moment, be debated.

Gay rights, simply put, are human rights. As such, they should not be sent to the magnificent city of Washington D.C for debate amongst our representatives. I am sure they have much more productive things to be doing with their time. Instead of debating whether or not a young lesbian couple in Kansas can gain a marriage license, they should instead address the immense national debt of 17 trillion dollars they have racked up, or maybe focus on creating more jobs for the hordes of jobless citizens. In these times, the power of Congress must not be wasted on simple social issues such as gay marriage.

It is also laughable that people, most notably conservative Republicans, are using the noble Christian faith as a political tool to further their ideas. Susan B. Anthony once addressed the same act, and she said “I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do, because I notice it always coincides with their own desires.” Have you ever witnessed a man go against his own morals because God gave him the correct ones? The answer is, and I fear will always be, no. Every man who has stepped from the preacher’s pulpit to the podium has always said that God has confirmed that his morals are correct. I see this instead as an inflated appeal to ethos; a desperate attempt to enhance his credibility by claiming that God has stamped His divine approval on the speaker’s beliefs. I believe instead that God, with all His wisdom, would save a starving African tribe rather than instill a politician with his support.

Under the grace and protection of the Constitution of The United States, we the people are guaranteed that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.” Trying to outlaw gay marriage because “the Bible says so,” is a clear violation of this, the Establishment Clause in the first amendment. After all, is our great nation not founded on the ideas of freedom, justice, and equality for all, not just Christians? I am sorry to say this, but if want the protection of the Constitution, you must be willing to put aside your beliefs, at least in this department. This nation is a democracy, a government of the people, not a theocracy, a government of the church.

In conclusion, most arguments the nation has heard against homosexual marriages are flawed. Hate wrapped in a prayer is still hate, and it will always be hate. There is no God, in my eyes, that would ever create humans who will be judged on who they take to bed.

If you are going to worship the Bible, worship all of it.

Aside from Leviticus 18:22, please take note of Leviticus 11:10, “But all in the seas or in the rivers that do not have fins and scales, all that move in the water or any living thing which is in the water, they are an abomination to you.” In other words, our dear friend Leviticus is calling shellfish an abomination. If you have ever dared to eat a shrimp cocktail, or dine upon shrimp scampi, you are a sinner in the eyes of the Lord. Does that make you feel good? Of course not. Now imagine how it must feel if you hear this every time you reach out to hold your lover’s hand, or wish to plant your lips upon their cheek.

Imagine hearing that your marriage is an abomination, and that you are doomed to burn in the flames of Hell for all eternity. Now, I think it is fit to not only recognize that homosexual marriage is “real” marriage, but also that these men and women who are at the receiving end of such hate deserve the highest praise and recognition for both their strength and their patience with the nation. Thank you.

Yours Always Florence Blackwill

Opinion

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The Blue and Gold February 2014

maldenblueandgold.com

: y c n a u r T n o r a The W “Attendance is key,” as it is stressed by countless school officials and teachers. Of course this is true—missing class is undoubtedly detrimental to one’s high school education, which is full of lessons, exams and work to complete. But what is to be said about those who are, in any case, unable to be at school?

The school has responded to this with a multifaceted policy that may have contributed a better attendance record over the years—but is it truly as “fair” as it is portrayed?

There are many issues to deal with when it comes to attendance, especially since it is not the tardy and the truant, but the exceptions, that are the key focus of discrimination.

How do we avoid punishing those who are sick, physically or mentally, to a far extent? Should we be treating exceptions on a case-by-case basis, or should we have specific situations written in text? Reporters of the Blue & Gold investigated this issue to tackle the core flaws of the system.

A St ude nt

Grace Stathos Head of Multimedia

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What is our Attendance Policy?

After grades have been posted to X2, all MHS teachers are required to give any student with more than four absences “No Credit Due to Attendance.” Without a doctor’s note, these absences are seldom excused, and they must attend a meeting for the appeals board. This system, which began as an experiment carried out in October 2012 after first quarter grades closed, has students explain their absences to a group of administrators, teachers, and a student representative who will decide whether or not the absences can be overlooked. If they do, you receive the grade you earned; otherwise, your score will be curved down from a 59.

House principals have said that you may only get one appeal per year--however, it appears that this is decided on a case-by-case basis.

On the surface, it makes sense; if you really cared about school, you wouldn’t have those unexcused absences. The automatic fail should be motivation to get students to come to school on those mornings when they would rather be doing anything other than walking through those front doors. But what if a student does make up the work he or she missed and attempts to catch up?

Is giving them a 59 accomplishing anything other than enforcing a failing grade?

s’ V iew

magine this: it is 6:30 a.m. on a school morning, you barely got any sleep last night, your unfinished trigonometry homework is still scattered across your lap from when you fell asleep mid-problem, and you’re too stressed about your Spanish presentation to even eat breakfast. You don’t want to go to school, but you have to.

For many students, their anxieties are not limited to school, and some days, being able to put on a brave face and dealing with it is not an option.

Many Malden High School students, who were anonymously interviewed for this article, stated that their anxiety often interferes with their attendance, and on these days, they often need to stay home from school. Due to our school’s attendance policy, days like these can only come four times a quarter.

“[I am] scared to miss school because I [do not] want to fail, but [I am] scared to go to school on a day that my anxiety is bad, so I just have to pick which one I would rather deal with,” - An anonymous MHS junior admits.

Answers like this were very common among the MHS students. More often than not, students stated that they would rather miss school than have to come on a day where they are experiencing high anxiety.

Menta l He alt h & Stude nts in No rth Am eri ca n Hig h Sc ho ols • •

•

25.1% of high school students in the United States suffer from an anxiety-related disorder (Anxiety and Depression Association of America) The Public Citizens for Children and Youth found in an August 2013 study that Philadelphia children and teens were forced to wait 15 days for an initial appointment for behavioral health, and then 12 more days before receiving any actual treatment.

A May 2011 Canadian study on the effects of excessive wait periods for access to adolescent mental health care stated: “At an individual level, long wait times may result in prolongation of physical and emotional distress and social dysfunction at home, at school, and in the community.”

We understand that many of our quotes are anonymous - for that reason, we would like to hear from you! Scan the below QR code or visit www.maldenblueandgold to join the conversation!

“To play devil’s advocate, an argument could probably be made that an attendance policy is not necessary, because the student will fail their classes regardless of attendance... natural consequences will occur if you are chronically absent. If you do well, even if you are out, you are demonstrating that you know the material. I can see both sides of it, and wanting them to stick things through even if they are unpleasant and uncomfortable, but it doesn’t need to be addressed by a reduction in grades.”

- An anonymous Staff Member

: e iv t c e p s r e P ’s t n ie t a P The The fictional prose below embodies the struggles of a student suffering from a mental illness. Creative work by Jessica DePaula.

A Fictional Appeal

“Why can’t you just come to school? Everyone gets sad, that’s no reason to miss school.”

You want to know why?

Rip your eyelids open and drag yourself out of bed, stomach woven into knots, before the sun sees you, a corpse from the grave. Cross streets overflowing with cars and buses so enormous they couldn’t possibly notice someone so small as you. Open the front door and hurl yourself into an endless black hole. Walk through hallways lined with metal black bars and populated by monsters, crushing you into corners, nailing your feet to the floor where you stand. Run out of class as soon as the bell starts to scream because you can’t stand another millisecond of it. Find the only corner of the building where it’s safe during your free time, and just as you’re recovering from the last attack, watch as an adult you’ve never even met demands to know where you’re supposed to be, and to see your schedule, and if you’re not doing anything wrong why are you sitting on some floor with your headphones jammed in? Hide in a bathroom stall because you’re going to throw up and besides, it’s the only place where you can be sad in peace. Read and write and calculate and complete until your lips are bleeding and your heart is numb.

Try your hardest, over and over and over again, only to be told it was never good enough anyway, and now you’re in limbo and powerless and futureless on top of everything else, and you know you’re not lazy and careless and a failure, so why doesn’t the rest of the world understand that?

Opinion

The Blue and Gold February 2014

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maldenblueandgold.com

Ac c o m o datio n o r V io latio n?

Jessica Lynn DePaula Managing Editor of Op-Eds

I

had four absences first quarter and, having been made wellaware of the three-absences-permarking term rule throughout my time as a Malden High School student, immediately scheduled an appeals meeting. Having this impending meeting looming over my head was something which caused me extreme amounts of stress, worry and anxiety over a period of about a week, and while I was relieved to be informed, the day of the meeting, that the appeal wouldn’t be necessary, I found myself questioning the way that attendance is dealt with at this school.

But my biggest problem with the policy--and, as it turns out, many other students’, as well--is the fact that our grades and successes at MHS, which do not, necessarily, directly correlate with attendance, are taken from us and held over our head.

The needs of many students,

frankly, aren’t considered with this policy in play, mainly those of us who suffer from mental illnesses.

There is no going to your psychologist when you’re having a bad day the way one could walk into their doctor’s office with a sore throat and a fever; try scheduling an appointment for less a month from now.

When making initial arrangements for my behavioral health evaluation, I was given a date six weeks into the future; thousands of other patients have found themselves in similar situations.

I am all for teaching the importance of attendance; it’s crucial to survival in life. There are going to be days when you need to go to school, or work, even though you’re exhausted or sick or just don’t feel like it. But what happened to teaching us compassion? There is more to life than knowing how to show up someplace; are we as a society just expected to accept that the world is a cruel place where nobody - teachers, employers, friends, family -

ever cares if you’re chronically ill, chronically miserable, chronically unlucky?

Of course we shouldn’t miss over four days per marking term.

In a perfect, utopian Malden High School, nobody would ever get sick, or miss the bus to school, or be too poor to even go to the doctor, or suffer from anxiety and depression so

severely they can’t drag themselves out of bed in the morning. The fact of the matter is, if you truly care about your grades and you miss school, be it for four days or 14, you will most likely have a very good reason for it.

Unfortunately, the city of Malden is not perfect, and Malden High School is no utopia.

Subjectivity: Beneficial for Students?

The concept of dealing with absences on a case-by-case basis sounds like a fair plan, but there are several issues regarding it that overrule its even-handedness. Without a code, or written guideline for how to deal with particular reasons for absences, it is left completely in the hands of the participants of the Appeals Board. Though there is diversity

in character used in the process, it can only take one bad impression or shared fallacy that costs a student their grade and, possibly, their future goals. This is especially true for students with mental health issues, who are often viewed as “pathetic” and “lazy” by unaware or uninformed members of society.

How Can We Fix it?

Here are some ideas that may draw to a more healthy, cohesive plan for attendance: While attendance understandably affects grades like participation and classwork, it should not be discrediting quizzes, tests, essays, and homework, unless those are visibly abandoned; e Be more flexible with th invest number of sick days and licy for in an official, effective po makeup work.

of Establish a written protocol that, instead punitive judging circumstances, examines them students measures have a different connotation for serious that skip than to students who are facing ty or mental or psychological setbacks like anxie ess. There depression, or, in other cases, physical illn is treated. needs to be continuity in how each issue

Above: Students with the words “Failure Due To Attendance” across their foreheads. From left to right: Blue and Gold Staff Members Andrew Cogliano, sophomore, and Grace Stathos, junior; sophomore Ricky Cordero; Blue and Gold Staff Member Nicholas Bramante, sophomore. Photo by Jessica DePaula.

Opinion

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The Blue and Gold February 2014

maldenblueandgold.com

Receptionless: The 5 Stages of Phone Deprivation

Stage 1 (top left): Denial - feeling the immediate effects of a lack of utilities. Sinking boredom and loss of motivation may follow. Stage 2 (top right): Anger - may take out anger on other individuals. Jealousy, passive aggression, and teenage angst are among common effects.

Candela Diaz Reporter

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can’t live without my phone!

A phrase that has been said by so many people these days. We rely on social media to communicate and spend our free time. Hours are spent each day on websites such as Instagram and Twitter, or simpler things such as texting. But have you ever wondered what it’s like to spend a couple of weeks without a phone?

‘Twas the night before Christmas, and…

My phone had fallen a couple of times before, causing the right corner of the inside of my screen to turn black. This time, as I was using Instagram, the screen turned completely white. I tried turning it on and off. I even hit it against my hand, which was a bad idea since that caused a bigger problem. It was official: I was phoneless as of that moment. It might sound dumb, but

I felt lonely without it; I didn’t know what to do.

I was so scared to tell my dad; I knew he would probably murder me. After I built up enough courage to tell him--and I did--my life got worse. I got the news that, since I have broken a couple of phones over the span of three years, I was getting a new phone in August 2014, when my upgrade was available. I think I died a bit inside. How could I text my friends, or go on Twitter?

I was too nervous to even sit down; I couldn’t control myself from having a meltdown. My palms got a lot more sweaty. I couldn’t even enjoy the Christmas Eve party we were having because I lost one of the most precious things in my life.

I woke up to realize that my routine was ruined just by a simple thing as not having a phone. I usually check Twitter, but this time I couldn’t.

What do I do now? I am stuck in another state without daily access to internet and no friends to hang out with. I went through the day feeling

horrible; it was all ruined due to my bad mood. Minutes became hours, and hours became days. I was sure that by the end of the week, if I didn’t get a phone I would have a breakdown.

Days did not go by without me not missing my phone, wishing I was less clumsy and more careful.

I wish I would have taken care of my phone more, and it made me realize that it is not just my phone that I need to take care of, but rather all my other belongings. It made me appreciate other things rather than just the Internet. I went out more, and hung out with my family rather than hid under my bed covers like I usually did, lost in time.

My dad needs the computer every day at night for work, so I could only go online until about 6 p.m. It wasn’t the same as using the phone. First of all, the computer doesn’t have emojis, so it was pretty awkward doing the normal smiley face rather than using the emoji. I couldn’t waste my days endlessly playing games on my phone, such as

Mega Run or Bejeweled, and Facebook games just aren’t my thing.

Since I had no social life at night, I decided to pick up that book that I started reading a couple of months ago, but never got to finish.

It was called The Kite Runner by one of my favorite authors, Khaled Hosseini. I finished it in about four days and decided to start another book Hosseini wrote, And The Mountains Echoed. In a matter of a week, I was finished with the second book and was halfway through another one, which was in Spanish, El Futbol A Sol y Sombra by Eduardo Galeano.

I came to the conclusion that a little bit of technology in your life is not a bad thing; it is indeed helpful to be able to access informative websites in a matter of seconds. But we also need some time out of our lives to do things such as read books or just simply take a walk. We need to make ourselves aware of what is going on around us. It is not always about what is happening online.

Stage 3 (bottom left): Bargaining - Subject may become desperate to find a replacement or new vessel to continue the phone life, like a banana. Stage 4: Depression - Expanded time without own property may make subject anxious and anti-social. Stage 5 (bottom right): Acceptance - If a new vessel is obtained, a teenager may return to his or her natural habitat and lifestyle. Without such an advantage, a teenager may return to his or her primitive roots and become highly irritable. All photos by James Mazarakis. Posed by Candela Diaz.

Happy Valentine’s Day, Class of 2014 (My Last Class!)

Happy Valentine’s Day to my friends and colleagues at MHS - Mrs. Cepp Cut this coupon out for $5 off haircuts at Mandi’s Hair Salon

The Blue and Gold February 2014

National/International maldenblueandgold.com

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Let’s Ditch Congress: The State of the Union Address James Mazarakis Head of Op-Eds

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t is difficult for even an avid Obama supporter like I to watch President Obama's State of the Union (SOTU) address and agree that it was in any way innovative – after all, over and over again Obama pushed for the same ideals, promoted the better parts of his presidency, and attributed Congress to recent problems in spite of recent blunders.

That is not to say Obama did not give promising words. He discussed the improving economy and environmental consciousness that gives the United States some honor.

While he did not recite his own failures - which exist - he did mention pending initiatives that he brought under his wing, like gun control and immigration reform, that have thus far been failing.

But at the end of the night, after I shut off the Republican Representative’s desperate remarks that followed, I realized: Can we blame him?

This is not an issue of Democrats and Republicans - a philosophy I share with our President. We have seen over and over again that our government representatives are hitting bump after bump regardless

of the color of their tie. And after a government shutdown, a near-economic-death experience at the fiscal cliff, and virtually no instances of social, political, or economic progress, it is clear that it is not the party, but an entire branch of government.

The Supreme Court struck down DOMA, an obstacle for samesex couples around the country from receiving identical benefits to other-sex couples. The President has started initiatives to make us one of the most eco-friendly nations on Earth. And what of Congress? They recently passed a budget. And it threatened global economic stability to make it happen.

Although there is changing continuity through his speech about what needs to be done about our Congress (which currently has an approval rating of 13%, according to the Huffington Post) he reiterates the need for a more comprehensive, active government system. He addresses that many movements “require Congressional action” and that Congress has the ability to make great things happen. He also urges Congress, the White House, and businesses from Wall Street to “come together” in 2014 and make progress.

Yet he also implies that Con-

gress has reached an extreme which calls for the complete overruling of their power. “If this Congress wants to help,” he says, he will guide the nation through reform. Nearly twenty times, Obama mentions Congress's inability to act on issues.

At one point, he says he will try to stop gun tragedies “with or without Congress.”

Obama: “I say, you don’t have to wait for Congress to act; Americans will support you if you take this on.”

It is risky business to be pushing legislation without consent of the legislative branch. But the fact remains that this sect of the government has literally threatened the fabric of our society, discredited all attempts of justice in nearly any form, and has refused to carry out the most basic needs of the American people. This is not just immaturity - it is treason.

Yes, I would feel – as many people do – very uncomfortable with this notion of overlooking Congress, but - not less than half, but just over one tenth of Americans believe that, whether or not they are making good decisions, they are doing a “good job.” Desperate times call for desperate measures. If Obama has to pull some sketchy tricks out of a

The [New] Teenage Culture Revolution Andrew Cogliano Reporter

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n the year 1997, a measly seventeen years ago, it would be considered taboo, or downright blasphemy, to wear a sweater adorned with crosses. Tattoos were reserved for the manliest of men, and piercings on the face were unheard of. Dying your hair bright red was social suicide. So why are these trends in full swing in this day and age? More importantly, why are they such a drastic change from the previous ones?

An easy comparison to this change is that of America in the 1920s. “The New Era,” the historians called it. It was a gilded age where, as stated by F. Scott Fitzgerald, author of The Great Gatsby, “gin was the national drink and sex was the national obsession.” It was a decade of decadence, soon to be broken by the infamous Great Depression, but

the unaware citizens of the United States could only marvel at how favor had smiled upon their nation.

This age also held one of the biggest social revolutions in American history, beginning with the iconic flapper. The flapper was a woman who showed incredible bravery in a male dominated world. She cut her hair short, drank and smoked, danced and voted.

These new characteristics of women shattered the traditional matronly image set by society.

After an era of intense progressive politics, the nation was, to put it simply, tired. The culture of the 1920s, much like today, was recklessly spearheaded by a rebellious youth that had had

enough of the moral restrictions set by previous generations. The young were tired of being restrained by the old, tired of being constrained by the ancient rules of a pressuring society. Their battle can be seen today, on just about any website or in any magazine.

The teen culture today is currently in a revolution in which it is breaking away from the same rules that have tied it down for so long.

Take a look at our fashion, for example. Girls dye their hair in neon reds and blues, and people pierce their tongues, cheeks, eyebrows and noses. Crowds of teens flock to tattoo parlors so that art can be scribbled onto their bodies, and gone are the days of ankle-length skirts. We have leggings with cats printed on them, and sweaters with the words “I really don’t care at all” stitched into them. Youth today have indulged in the basic instinct that if you want to

hat to make our government work, I would stand behind him.

I do not think, however, that Obama should be implementing programs that permanently allow this shift of power, because that would essentially prevent Congress from working, ever. Rather, we need to make do with what we have until Congress begins to resemble a population representative of the United States.

I believe Obama needs to make a radical step to make his name in presidential history. He needs to lay down the hammer on Congress. If he could step on that podium, lose his temper, and state in plain words exactly what Congress is doing wrong - which I am sure he has done on his own time alone - I believe it will be a wake-up call for not only the House, but America too. We need to end the notion that Obama is “blaming” Congress and make sure all parts of the government are communicating effectively.

It’s all about trust. Not everyone can agree with Obama's policies, but it is pretty clear that primary functions of the government need to be fixed. That idea, rather than the many divisive issues of our time, is what I believe must be taken away from his speech. truly change, then your image is a good place to start.

Teens have also embraced the attitude adjustment that the flappers did in the New Era. We’ve rejected the common teaching that “good things come to those who wait,” and have replaced it with our new philosophy that “good things come to those who work for it.” Everything from music to literature has changed with us. We are no longer “The Jazz Age,” but rather a generation living for the pulsing beat of a DJ in a booth at a crowded venue. Our literature ranges from love stories about cancer patients to children slaughtering each other in an arena for sport.

Our generation is known to be overly optimistic, coddled, and pragmatic, but these are not bad qualities to have. In a generation where technology is rapidly changing and evolving, it only makes sense that we do the same. We are a creative, cunning, curious generation, and we’ve got what it takes to stick around a few more years.

International

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CHINA TAKING STEPS TO CUT EMMISSIONS Nicholas Bramante Reporter

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ir pollution is a very real factor in today’s world, and countries around the world are starting to feel the impact. Even here in the ripe old U.S.A, the air quality difference between a farm in Utah and New York City is almost unreal. While in more isolated lands in America, a breath of air in the morning could actually be considered “fresh,” the more industrial cities of the country have constricting and even choking air. While many countries around the world are feeling this, none are feeling it quite as hard as China.

The reason for this is, of course, the extreme industrialism that China now takes part in. Since you can’t go into nearly any store in America without seeing the three magic words, “made in China,” it is pretty clear just how much the massive country puts out in exports each year. However, this mass production does come with a cost.

This cost comes not only in actual currency, but also in environmental and health risks. Ever since the first

Illness Breaks Out in Carribean Cruise Lucia Quesada Nylen Reporter

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n Jan. 26, 2014, a Royal Caribbean cruise ship announced that they would be arriving from their 10-day trip two days early due to a random sickness that infected over 600 passengers. The sickness was identified as a gastrointestinal illness, which is a disease that targets the stomach and small and large intestines. The source of the outbreak is still unknown; however, gastrointestinal illnesses are usually caused by bacteria or viruses.

The effect of the incident left many passengers as well as people that aren’t on the cruise astonished.

Many had been complaining that they want to get off the cruise immediately. Symptoms of those who have been infected include vomiting and diarrhea.

The cruise left Jan. 21, 2014 from Cape Liberty, New Jersey, and has been in the Caribbean. Scheduled to return back to its home port on Wed. Jan. 29, 2014, the crew of the ship has reported to various news stations that once they arrive, they will clean the ship more thoroughly.

This is one of the reasons why the cruise has announced that they will coming back early: along with preserving the well-being of its passengers, they need to clean the ship.

steam engine, industrialization has run on the flames, fuel and fumes of various materials, usually in the form of fossil fuels. These fuels are both effective and plentiful (for now, at least) and are the backbone to industry in any country, especially China. These fuels also come with a cost as well, expelling countless cubic pounds of potentially harmful gases into the atmosphere.

In recent years, these gases have come back to wreak havoc, creating a dense, almost poisonous cloud of “smog” that now hangs heavily over the industrial cities of China.

This has caused various concerns of worker and resident health for quite some time now, and it seems that China is finally starting to take steps towards battling the smog. After large amounts of public criticism because of these conditions, Beijing (China’s capital) has vowed to try

and shut down major polluters in the industrial sector like the cement, steel and power industries.

Another step being taken to improve emissions is the purchases of higher grade materials. They are, of course, more expensive, but are in turn a better choice when it comes to cleaner emissions. This could impact the actual mills of China, as they are now almost forced to shop for these higher quality raw materials. This may change China’s choice of importers for these materials as well, switching from cheaper sources such as Vietnam, Iran and Mexico, to the larger titans in the raw material scene such as Australia and Brazil.

New tests are on the scene that are on the lookout for additives within the imports of iron ore, such as arsenic and manganese, as well as the usual added sulfur. These

Small Steps, Big Changes Lucia Quesada Nylen Reporter

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here are various things in life that many take for granted--like shoes. Sixteen-year-old Nicholas Lowinger of Rhode Island has been dedicating the past four years to the organization that he started, serving as a middleman for donating shoes to homeless kids.

Lowinger started the Gotta Have Sole Foundation back in 2010 at the young age of 12. Since the organization began, shoes have been delivered to more than 10,000 homeless children in 21 states in the United States. The Gotta Have Sole foundation is a non-profit organization that works with homeless shelters, giving kids donated shoes.

More than 1,000 volunteers

have helped Lowinger with the organization. The shoes are donated by shoe companies and stores.

Lowinger stores the shoes in his garage at home.

Gotta Have Soles started off as a project that Lowinger initially planned as a community service project. However, after realizing how huge this problem was, Lowinger decided to take a further step, and with the help of his parents, he was able to expand the program. “By giving new footwear to homeless children, I’m making sure [they] and their families have at least one less thing to worry about,” Lowinger stated to CNN news in an article published in Sept. 2013.

additives are what create even more poisonous fumes when the iron is smelted into steel, and are the main difference between lower and higher grade iron.

Not only is higher grade iron now required, higher grade coal is as well, as Beijing follows through on its campaign to slim down its expansive steel sector. For a long time now, countries around the world have attempted to ignore the impending problem of environmental doomsday, and it seems it is finally catching up to even the biggest titans in the industry. The most important part of Beijing’s campaign to lower emissions is that there is even a campaign in the first place; China is such a large contributor to much of today’s industry, and is truly setting an example for the rest of the world, as it goes to such great lengths to improve the world’s environment.

Visit MaldenBlueAndGold.com to read Nick Bramante’s Article analyzing the issues related to Sochi’s hosting of the 2014 olympics!

Bottom Photos clockwise, from top left: An image depicting the heavy levels of smog in China. Photo by Fredrik Rubensson; Bird’s view of Sochi, Russia in 2004. Photo by Russian International News Agency; An image of a Royal Caribbean cruise line. Photo by Roger Wollstadt from Wikimedia

The Blue and Gold February 2014

National

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Is Justice Truly Blind?

Lucia Quesada Nylen Reporter

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n Nov. 2012, 47-year-old Florida man Michael Dunn was arrested for allegedly killing 17-year-old Jordan Davis. The man stated that he shot in self-defense; however, CNN stated in an article published that same month that police never found any guns in the car that the boy was driving.

Now, flash forward to February of 2014, when the case is going to court. The controversy that the case created just added to the fire that had already been started by the Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman case that also occurred in 2012, where Zimmerman fatally shot Martin, claiming that Martin looked suspicious. The case appeared in court in the summer of 2013, and when the verdict was reached, Zimmerman was found not guilty.

The verdict caused an uproar, with many stating that it didn’t give Martin or his family justice. In addition, it didn’t give what many thought Zimmerman deserved, which was life in prison, or the punishment for someone killing another human being.

Given the circumstances both cases go hand in hand with each another. Along with the other similarities of the Jordan Davis case happening in Florida as well as the Trayvon Martin case, the actuality was that the scene where Davis was shot was two hours away from where Martin was shot, as

Nicholas Bramante Reporter

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ho can take the sunrise, sprinkle it with dew, cover it in chocolate and a miracle or two?

Why, the Candy Man can, of course.

Or at least now it seems the rest of society likes to as well. The textbook version of the “Era of Good Feelings” ended in 1825, but is a different version of that era coming back in today’s American society? Positivity is a common and often necessary part of life, but it seems that in recent years, positivity has risen almost to a cult status. While positivity is a wonderful thing to possess in life, can too much of anything really be bad for you? In today’s world, positivity is not only encouraged, it is advertised, and embraced by people across the nation. Being positive all the time is a good thing, right? This may not quite be the case.

Overwhelming positivity can be found in many different aspects of American life, whether it is in people themselves, works of literature, or even business plans! While it is important at times to see a world as a glass half full rather than a glass half empty, realists around the world are starting to realize, maybe positivity is not all it has cracked up to be. Author Barbara Ehrenreich pokes holes in the theory of absolute positivity

reported by The Guardian newspaper.

In addition, state attorney Angela Corey of Florida was the prosecutor for both cases.

According to CNN, Dunn “feared for his safety” after a confrontation had been made between him, Davis and three of Davis’ friends that were in the car with him. Dunn had ordered Davis to turn down his music, and after that claimed that he heard threats made by Davis. In addition he also told CNN that he had seen a gun in the car of the boys, which was when he reached into his car and grabbed his gun and shot eight or nine times, killing Davis. Dunn is charged with first degree murder of Davis as well as three counts of attempted murder to the three friends of Davis, since he shot at all four boys in the car. He pleaded not guilty on all charges.

The uproar in social controversy that has become since these cases have become worldwide. As a result of the verdict reached after the Zimmerman trial, many were upset, claiming injustice and accusing the court of wrongdoing. And for now we can only hope what will be the outcome of the Dunn trial, hopefully ending with Davis and his family being able to have justice for what was done.

The Blue and Gold is looking for some motivated, enthusiastic students to be a part of the staff of the 100th edition of our newspaper.

If you are interested, please submit a formal cover letter by March 15th, 2014 to mr. Gallagher either email rgallagher@malden.mec.edu or Drop off in J387.

Any letters that are not properly formatted may affect your consideration.

Put some thought and effort into this letter and explain why you think you would make a great staff member and why you want to take the class.

The Blue and Gold, Malden High School’s newspaper, has a long and proud tradition, having been published for 99 years. In this elective course, students study writing, reporting, editing, layout & design, photography, and social media as they publish The Blue and Gold in-print and on-line. Though students work cooperatively as a staff, they are also expected to complete individual assignments.

Thank you!

Reality Bites: A BitterSweet Taste of Today’s Society in her book “Bright-Sided.” Ehrenreich explains that positivity is no longer an emotion to many people, it is a tool of denial in life. Absolute positivity leaves no room for its polar opposite: negativity. Some may believe this to be a spectacular idea, but is negativity as a whole something we as a society should look down upon? While positivity makes people feel good and brings about hope, it also does not allow someone to prepare for the worst, the negative side of things. While it is wishful thinking to be positive all the time, a balance between the two forces is a more healthy style of life.

An example of why the balance is best can of course be seen in terms of people’s lives. While we can hope only positive events will transpire throughout our lives, the reality of life is that once in a while, something is bound to come into our lives and drag us down. In terms of shortterm these events are difficult, and can be emotionally draining, but does that mean they are entirely and wholly evil? For some reason many Americans believe that yes, difficult events are just plain bad. In reality however, stressing and straining times in life are what help a person grow. After being broken down,

a person can rebuild and restore himself/herself to something even greater. Going through life without exposure to these events can stunt personal growth, and give way to creating a sort of haze that blinds people some seeing the truth about the world.

Another spectrum of life where excessive positivity is seeping into, is surprising in the business world.

In most cases, the world of business is not all sunshine and rainbows to start with, but some businesses around the world have actually taken to adopt that ideology; unfortunately it has not done many of them much justice. While it has been proven that positive thinking in the workplace can boost efficiency, over positive thinking when it comes to important decisions can also take their toll. A lack of acceptance of negative possibilities also means a lack of considering the losses. Not every decision made is the “right” one, and once in a while people make decisions that cost them, especially in businesses. While it helps to look at the potential for something, it also helps to look at the potential downfalls. Negativity lets you prepare for these downfalls, and hopefully minimize the damage done.

In the end, it all boils down to a simple message most people in America have been told since childhood. Too much of anything can truly be hurtful; positivity included. With such an emphasis on positivity and avoidance of negativity, the question begs to be asked: why do we feel the need to always be positive, anyway, and why is it considered “bad” to have a problem? When you break it down, life is almost never going to be completely positive. Really it is a natural occurrence to have negativity and a helpful one. Negative situations build people up in the long run, and help prepare them for the next big challenge in life. Do not feel wrong or strange if you are having a horrible day, because everyone is meant to and does have them. It is a part of life we have to deal with, and if people refuse to open their eyes to it, then excessive positivity may prove to be just the opposite.

In the end however, a bright day is what we all work towards as human beings; go out and be positive, but only because you want to, not because you have to; and leave the chocolate-covering and dew-sprinkling to the Candy Man.

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The Blue and Gold February 2014

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the posse that won Hanh Pham

Emma Ceplinskas Reporter

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ucknell University will be welcoming Bestine Cong, one of Malden High School’s finest.

Committed student and dedicated athlete, Cong proudly accepted the challenge of earning a Posse scholarship.

Guidance counselor Erin Craven introduced Cong to the Posse Foundation and soon she found herself attending the interviews. After the three month process Cong was one of the lucky nine people from MHS to receive a scholarship. She knew she wanted to double major in a science related course as well as Italian because it is “[her] absolute favorite subject,” she expressed.

Bucknell University seemed to be the perfect match. She was attracted

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rekking all the way to Granville, Ohio come fall, Malden High School student and Posse scholar Hanh Pham will be attending Denison University, along with a biomedical engineering and a communications double major in mind. After learning about the Posse program early on in her junior year from guidance counselor Erin Craven, Pham was pulled in by the great programs offered by the foundation.

Pham described the application process as “nerve wracking” and “tedious,” but she found the interviews enjoyable, as many of them were activities that involved interacting with new people. “You start to realize who you are in a large group and face to face while you are being interviewed,” expressed Pham.

While deciding her top three schools out of the six offered by Posse, Denison University was not Pham’s ini-

by its large student body and it also happened to be the only Posse school to offer Italian as a major.

At the start, “[Cong] did not think [she] was going to get [the scholarship] in the first place because there were so many people at every stage of the process.” But she is overjoyed by the honor of earning the scholarship. She admitted that “even if [she] had not gotten [the scholarship, she] still would have been grateful for the experience.”

Cong explained that she is “ready for a change in [her] life.”

She yearns for “a new scenery, a new school, and the chance to meet new people.” Cong hopes the Posse experience will provide all of her longings.

W Elizabeth tran

Sumya Mohiuddin Head of Local

tial choice. She “feared of going far away from home.” However, the university’s “study abroad programs, resources and environmental efforts” convinced Pham that Denison was the right fit for her. On a personal note, Pham mentioned that she also “wanted to challenge [herself] and get out there...to grow as a person.”

Pham believes that Denison University will “help [her] become more independent,” as well as make her parents proud. She admitted that “moving from an urban area to a rural area will be a big transition,” but she cannot wait “to make a difference and bring diversity to Denison University.”

The Posse Foundation gave Pham the “privilege to meet amazing people and learn more about [herself].” MHS will surely miss this exceptional student but will be proud to see Pham rise to even greater heights at Denison University.

Bestine Cong

Emma Ceplinskas Reporter

ith help from Malden High School Alumni and current classmates, Elizabeth Tran completed her application process for the Posse scholarship with success. In fall of 2014, Tran will be attending Hamilton College in Clinton, New York.

Moving to New York is only the first step to her stimulating journey. Her dreams of the future are plentiful, but obscure; however, Summer Search has expanded her vast experiences when she had the opportunity to go to Mexico. Through her community service, she gained an interest in social justice.

During her first year of college, Tran wishes to “experiment with humanities and the social sciences.” Within the next few years, her goals of “[collaborating] with government-dependent communities in third world countries” are not only realistic, but morally satisfying.

She wants to change the lives of people who believe dependency on the government is the only way to live. Because of Tran’s own experience, she can help others gain independence with confidence, changing one life at a time.

Tran believes effective communication

can get anyone far in life. One of the main reasons she chose Hamilton College was because of the emphasis they put on communication through speaking and writing.

Along with the the “successful writing program that requires its students to take three writing-intensive classes,” Tran was attracted to the freedom to choose classes she wanted to take, rather than following a required curriculum.

Before Tran had the privilege of becoming a Posse scholar, however, she had to go through the elongated application process. Because “each interview sets the applicant up for high expectations and high stakes,” Tran got a taste of “what the real world work field is like, [which is] highly competitive.” She is thankful for the experience, especially since she was one of sixty Posse scholars.

Through her experience with Posse, she has made new friends and learned more about herself. In the future, she hopes “to become more confident with the way [she presents herself] and to also articulate [her] experiences and opinions thoroughly to cause ripple effects in our generation.”

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“Posse started in 1989 because of one student who said, ‘I never would have dropped out of college if I had my posse with me.’ The Posse Foundation identifies public high school students with extraordinary academic and leadership potential who may be overlooked by traditional college selection processes. The Foundation extends to these students the opportunity to pursue personal and academic excellence by placing them in supportive, multicultural teams—Posses—of 10 students. The Foundation’s partner colleges and universities award Posse Scholars four-year, full‑tuition leadership scholarships.”

david kibazo

Amanda De Moraes Head of Local

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ome fall, senior Claude Bonnet will be walking or perhaps running, as he has done for Malden High School cross country and track, on the Union College campus in Schenectady, New York. He hopes to major in either Biology or Bio-Chemistry because he claims that it was “taught really well to [him] at MHS,” and things make sense to him when learning about them. After, he hopes to attend medical school, using the knowledge he attained at both MHS and Union College.

Having first heard about Posse his sophomore year from French teacher Molly Crellin,- Bonnet did not take much interest, thinking that college was still far away.

However, his junior year, some of Bonnet’s friends who were seniors won the scholarships and his interest was peaked, leading him to discuss Posse with his cousin, who won the scholarship a few years prior. His cousin also gave Bonnet advice concerning which school to attend. Originally planning on attending Centre College, Bonnet was advised against it due to the fact that it would be “[ difficult to commute back home for the

prominent member of the Malden High School community, both through sports and academics, David Kibazo has most certaintly left his mark on the school. After four years of hard work and dedication, Kibazo can relax, his college plans having been decided; he will be attenting Hamilton College in Clinton, New York, where he hopes to “study sciences,” but also learn more about philosophy, writing, and government as well.

Kibazo will be continuing the family tradition by winning the POSSE schoalrship and attenting Hamilton, following in his older brother’s footsteps. He states that this is not the only reason he will be attending Hamilton however. He claims that it “has

holidays.]”

The application process began with Bonnet being recommended by “good friend,” MHS alumni and former Blue and Gold member Haley Dowdie. He went through all three rounds of the interviews, advancing after each, getting closer and closer to his ultimate goal; “to win.” Bonnet stated that “about five minutes after walking into [his] house,” from the last round, an interview with the Vice President of Admission a Union College, he received a phone call inviting him to be a member of the Class of 2018. Upon receiving the call, Bonnet was “overjoyed,” and claims that it was a “very relieving moment in [his] life.”

Despite having a “truly amazing time,” and making very strong and lasting relationships at MHS, Bonnet is excited to move on to a new part of his life. He hopes to continue to develop his leadership skills which began at MHS, whether it was in class, or in sports. He believes the Posse program will help continue leading him down the path that MHS has set him on; one of success.

Maha kourikchi

Julie Lam Managing Editor of Local

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everything[he] wants in a school.” He enjoys the location and the small campus, along with the fact that it is a liberal arts college, allowing him to study various subjects simultaneously while still having a “great science program.”

Kibazo has participated in cross country and indoor and outdoor track, becoming a captain in his last two years of high school. His dedication to all three has gotten him to several first place wins in races. This same dedication can be seen in all other aspects of his life from his dedication to school, as well as to the community. It will follow him to Hamilton, aiding Kibazo in his endeavors as he leaves MHS and strives for success in the real world.

Claude Bonnet

Amanda De Moraes Head of Local

mong the other Posse scholars, Maha Kourikchi was also awarded this scholarship. Kourikchi first learned about Posse through her older brother and guidance counselor Erin Craven.

With the Posse scholarship, Kourikchi will be attending Bucknell University.

Through the nerve wracking process, Kourikchi felt very fortunate enough to have the opportunity to experience it.

While attending Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, Kourikchi is not sure what she will major in specifically, but plans to head towards the science and business field.

Bucknell University seemed like a perfect match for Kourikchi since they offer an abundance of majors and minors,

which will help her figure out what she wants to accomplish in the future.

Kourikchi was also attracted to Bucknell because there are so many opportunities to study abroad, intern, join clubs and sports. Also to just become involved on campus and off of campus at Bucknell University, is what Kourikchi is also excited for.

Kourikchi was also looking forward to take advantage of every opportunity and just become as involved as she can be on campus. “I do not want to do is graduate college with any regrets, so I am determined to make the most of my college experience,” expressed Kourikchi.

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Starting The New YearWith Old Traditions Junior Angelica Carberry, sophomore Heresa Guerrier, Larissa Fiote, Catherine Rodriguez-Ponce, junior Sebastian Patino, junior Fitzgerald Eloi, senior Wyler Giordano, senior Bernadette Mutebi, freshman Brian Delphonse, sophomore Marly Loreus, Amanda Pierre, junior Alan Shootech. All photos by Amanda De Moraes and Julie Lam

Julia Parker Reporter

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s the school year descended into the third quarter, the stakes rose for the Poetry Out Loud (POL) competition. The final competition arrived to the Jenkins auditorium on Jan. 28. 2014, bringing a lot more pressure with it for the fourteen competitors.

Poetry Out Loud is a national poetry recitation contest which

“uses a pyramid structure that starts at the classroom level,” and then proceeds to a school wide competition, the winner of which advances to the regional and/or state competition, the ultimate goal being the National Finals. The purpose of the competition is to “[encourage] the nation’s youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and recitation.” Since the pilot programs in Washington D.C., and Chicago,

were a success, Poetry Out Loud was launched in high schools around the country in the spring of 2006. Since then, the program has been helping “students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about their literary heritage.”

Although, it is not unanimously enjoyed throughout Malden High School, the competition is something which many students and staff look forward to each year.

Before the final performance at Jenkins Auditorium, participant, junior Alan Shooteech was “nervous,” and “not sure of how [he was] going to do,” but he stood in front of the audience and recited his poem expertly, despite his feelings.

Hava Daniels, a math teacher at MHS “[enjoys] the Poetry Out Loud competition because it brings the poems to life, and makes learning them much more interesting,”

Clockwise: Sophomore Marly Loreus, sophomore Heresa Guerrier, freshman Brian Delphonse, Amanda Pierre, senior Bernadette Mutebi, junior Sebastian Patino

“Then down a green plain, leaping, laughing they run, And wash in a river and shine in the Sun.” -“Chimney Sweeper” by William Blake

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The Blue and Gold February 2014

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maldenblueandgold.com than sitting in an English classroom, listening to the teacher drone on.

The competition is something which can show students a new side to poetry, and many times changes their perception of it.

A different aspect to the school’s final competition, as opposed to the semi-finals, is the fact that students must memorize a second poem, to go along with the first.

While this adds to the stress of going up in front of their peers and reciting words that are not their own, it shows how dedicated students can be towards their poems. This also increases the difficulty of the competition and motivates students to work harder to win the coveted title

of school wide champion.

Students are not the only ones which are put under pressure during the final round; each year, some teachers, voluntarily, have to as well. During the “intermission” between the students’ two poems, there is a small teacher competition, where the teachers get their piece.

Daniels stated that her favorite part of the teacher competition “[was] the opportunity to show the students that [they] respect what they do”, and that the competition is just as stressful for the teachers, as it is for the students. English teacher Sean Walsh shared similar sentiments, stating that “[it is] not just one class or one group of students,

[it is] all of us celebrating poetry.”

Junior participant Sebastian Patino stated that the participation of teachers is encouraging and “levels out the playing field,” seeing them work as hard as they have been for weeks.

This year’s final competition was a close one. The heavy talent in the room brought on a lot of competition among 12 participants. First place winner was junior Fitzgerald Eloi, reciting poems “The Bad Old Days” by Kenneth Rexroth and “A March in the Ranks Hard-Prest, and the Road Unknown” by Walt Whitman, and because of his successful recitation, he will be performing at the regionals competition.

Second place went to junior Angelica Carberry, reciting “13 Ways of Looking at a Blackbird”

by Wallace Stevens, and “Often Rebuked, Yet Always Back Returning”

by Emily Bronte, where she almost moved further on, but she was not quite there.

Last, but definitely not least, third place went to senior Larissa Fiote reciting “Ode on a Grecian Urn” by John Keats and “Zacuanpapalotls” by Brenda Cárdenas.

A final congratulations to all the participants and good luck to first place winner Eloi who will be representing MHS at the Greater Boston Regional Competition on March 1, 2014.

Student Poem #1

Poem #2

“Chimney Sweeper” by William Blake “The Bad Old Days” by Kenneth Rexroth “13 Ways of Looking at a Blackbird” by Wallace Stevens “Happiness” by Jane Kenyon Marly Loreus “Solitude” by Ella Wheeler Wilcox Alan Shooteech “Ode on a Grecian Urn” by John Keats Larissa Fiote “Caged Bird” by Maya Angelou Bernadette Muteb “The Blues Don’t Change” by Al Young Heresa Guerrier “The Gift” by Li- Young Lee Brian Delphonse “I’m a Fool to Love You” by Cornelius Eady Amanda Pierre Catherine Rodriguez-Ponce “Abandoned Farmhouse” by Ted Kooser “Barber” by Larry Bradley Wyler Giordani

“For My Daughter” by Weldon Kees “A March in the Ranks Hard-Prest, and the Road Unknown” by Walt Whitman “Often Rebuked” by Emily Bronte “Chimney Sweeper” by William Blake “Broken Promises” by David Kirby “Zacuanpapalotls” by Brenda Cárdenas “Fortuna” by Thomas Carlyle “Good Morrow” by John Donne “I Hear America Singing” by Walt Whitman “Solitude” by Ella Wheeler Wilcox “Fortuna” by Thomas Carlyle “Lovers Infiniteness” by John Donne

Sebastian Patino Fitzgerald Eloi Angelica Carberry

“It is not just one class or one group of students, it is all of us celebrating poetry [together]”. -English Teacher Sean Walsh From left to right: Science teacher Kate Haskell, math teacher Hava Daniels, English teacher Abbey Dick, Catherine Rodriguez-Ponce, senior Wyler Giordani, junior Alan Shootech

“Learn from the man who spends much of his life speaking To the back of your head knowing what it means to follow” -“Barber” by Larry Bradley

“To pull the metal splinter from my palm my father recited a story in a low voice.”

-“The Gift” by Li- Young Lee

Layout by Amanda De Moraes and Sumya Mohiuddin

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Local

The Blue and Gold February 2014

maldenblueandgold.com

MHS WELCOMES 2007 Year of the Pig

2009 Year of the Ox

2008 Year of the Rat

2011 Year of the Rabbit

2010 Year of the Tiger Ashley Leung Reporter

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eing one of the most diverse high schools in Massachusetts, it is no surprise that a large amount of students at Malden High School celebrate Lunar New Year, a traditional holiday that may be one of the most important in many cultures.

MHS honored this holiday by holding the 5th Annual Lunar New Year Festival on Jan. 5, 2014 in the Jenkins auditorium. The Asian Culture Club at MHS had once again teamed up with the Chinese Culture Community (CCC) to bring this event together for the Asian community in Malden.

Since 2009, the Lunar New Year Festival has hosted many traditional and modern performances by members of Chinese organizations and MHS students. Advisor of the Asian Culture Club, Phuong Ho, expressed her feelings about this year’s event, stating that “it is the biggest event that [they] put together every year,” and it allows the club to showcase one of the most important holidays to many Asian cultures.

Preparing the festival took a lot of time for everyone involved in it.

Working with the CCC was a good experience for the club, especially with the extra help they were able to give. Phuong complimented her officers whose “organization and leadership skills were impeccable,” and for the fact that they “really

2012 Year of the Dragon spearheaded [the] event.”

However, since the event was comprised of all volunteers, communication was one of the bigger issues that they faced when organizing the festival. Despite these issues, in the end, they were still able to pull off the show with little to no problems.

The show began with a traditional lion dance by the Wah Lum Kungfu and Tai Chi Academy, with a special surprise appearance by Mayor Gary Christenson dressed as the caishen, the money god. Surprising the crowd even more, Christenson spoke a few words of Mandarin after the performance.

The show was hosted by for MCs, Maple Zou, Brad Liang, and MHS’s juniors Sukey Lu and Yating Lu. After an introduction to the show, there was singing performances by CCC’s Multi Arts Performance Troupe of two Chinese songs. The Boston Erhu Ensemble performed after, playing “Pink Panther” and “Horserace.”

Right after were the kicking performances of the Wah Lum Kungfu & Tai Chi Academy of Malden.

Students of the school, ages varying greatly, showed off their skills with amazing performances, some including sticks and swords. Next was Yuxi Zhang, who performed “My Country and I.” Following her was “Off Beat,” consisting of seniors From top to bottom, left to right: Traditional lion dance performances in the Lunar New Year Festival.

Latin dance performances.

AirBound performance

by MHS students. Seniors Allan La and Winnie Chen posing for the senior fashion show. Seniors Yi Qi Lu, Yu Chen, and Angela Chen performing. Lu, Chen, senior Vanessa Law and sophomore Hillary Tan performing Rainbow’s “Tell Me Tell Me”. Juniors Sukey Lu and Yating Lu pop dance performance. Senior Yi Qi Lu posing. All photos by Ashley Leung

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The Blue and Gold February 2014

maldenblueandgold.com

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THE YEAR OF THE HORSE 2013 Year of the Snake

2015 Year of the Sheep

2014 Year of the Horse

Vanessa Law, Yi Qi Lu, Yu Chen, and sophomore Hillary Tan, dancing their cover of Rainbow’s “Tell Me Tell Me.” Following “Off Beat” was a violin performance by Bryan Tyler, who played the pieces “Each and Every Ant & See a Little Monkey” and “La Campanella.” The male chorus from the Malden Elderly Activity Center sang “Wish” and “Mongolian Hero,” and there was a Chinese Folk Dance solo to the song “Jasmine Flowers” by Monica Ao. A traditional accordion and gourd performance by HongSheng Jin and Xiao Yue Li of the song “Bamboo Forest Under the Moonlight” was also performed, along with solo performance of “Snow Capped Mountain in the Spring”

by Rachel Huo. Huo then had a surprise special performance with Zhang, who sang a classic Chinese New Year song.

Right before intermission, MHS threw their annual Lunar New Year fashion show. The fashion show displayed traditional dresses in a more modern setting. The show was a crowd pleaser, for the short, endearing love scenarios that occurred allowed for the models to present their fashions. Members of the fashion show expressed how fun it was to be a part of the event, from planning each mini skit to actually

Scan the QR code to watch the Lunar New Year Festival video.

2017 Year of the Rooster

2016 Year of the Monkey

being on the stage.

After intermission was the full Chinese Chorus of Malden performing “Under the Moonlight” and “Playing Tambourine in Singing,” the second song having tambourines to accompany. Following the chorus was a dance group of MHS students Angela Chen, Fei Zhao, Lu, and Chen.

Their performance started out as a dance for “The Change” but pleasantly surprised the crowd with the song suddenly changing to EXO’s “Growl.” MHS’s Airbound also performed as well, along with Yating Lu and Sukey Lu’s pop dance performance. The Sunset Fashion Group had also held a mini fashion show as well, to show the fashions of traditional Southern China. There was even a Pecking Opera performance by the Boston Chinese Cultural Arts Club. The festival ended with a Latin Dance performed by Lu, Jia Chen, Pingting Yan, Kristy Wong, and Chen.

In future festivals, Phuong hopes that communication between people in the festival will improve.

Other members hope to have even better shows in their future years as well. Phuong states although “it is not an easy event to organize, it surely is quite enjoyable to be a part of.”

2018 Year of the Dog

Local

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The Blue and Gold February 2014

maldenblueandgold.com

the posse that won A

s a hopeful economics major in the fall, Johnny Chen will be attending Centre College in Danville, Kentucky. Looking to gain new skills and knowledge from his college experiences, Chen is excited to take classes of a new variety in a changed environment, which is different from the “suburban and urban neighborhoods” he has been surrounded by his entire life.

Centre College is very well ranked among the schools in the United States, and Chen selected this school not only for that reason but also due to its study abroad program. The program “is ranked top 5 among liberal arts colleges.” Through the study abroad program, Chen hopes to gain world experiences that would otherwise be impossible, as well as being able to attain a bachelors degree without debt.

This had always been a concern of his; throughout his life, he had always hoped to go to college without making his parents pay too much, and be the first from his family to graduate from college.

Chen discovered Posse during his sophomore year when some of his friends who were seniors applied for it. He then contacted B house guidance counselor Erin Craven to get more information. He stated that his top influences were Malden High Alumni Valentine Banor and Abdelhak Belatreche.

Craven was also a very crucial part of the application process, aiding Chen so that he was able to “handle it perfectly” and finish in time.

The part of the application process Chen enjoyed the most was the interviews.

He admits that they were, without a doubt, the best interviews he went on, despite having been to a good amount of them. The reason it was so enjoyable was due to the interesting questions asked and the competitive nature of the interviews.

Looking to the fall, Chen is optimistic and excited to begin a new chapter in his life with the support of the Posse foundation.

I Sarah Zeiberg

Amanda De Moraes Head of Local

A

s senior year comes closer to an end, Han Truong’s college experience is nearing. However, her worries about where she wants to attend have vanished. Through the Posse Foundation, Truong will be attending Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania.

Though her major is undecided, Truong is “leaning towards Posse STEM programs,” she mentioned. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and math, which are programs that Bryn Mawr College supports. In fact, Bryn Mawr is the only school in Posse Boston that has a STEM program right now, but the program is expanding across the country at the other Posse sites.

Similar to Malden High School, Bryn Mawr has much diversity

Johnny Chen

Amanda De Moraes Head of Local

n her four years at Malden High School, Posse scholar Sarah Zeiberg has been exploring all the school has to offer her.

Through her active participation during her four years, she has risen to president of Speech and Debate team, as well of copresident of Play Production.

Her significant involvement in communications has been expressed throughout high school. Because of her leadership role as president in both the Speech and Debate team and Play Production, it would only make sense that Zeiberg aspires to major in communications as well as environmental science.

Last year, Zeiberg also participated a fundraiser, in which she raised over 500 dollars for the One Fund with Boston Strong Ribbons, along with her friend, Maggie Chiavelli. Zeiberg was also apart of National Honor Society (NHS), where she had the opportunity to create an after school acting program at Linden S.T.E.A.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) Academy. All of her accomplishments

among its student body, which was one of the main attributes of the college that attracted Truong, along with the STEM programs. She was also drawn to its “great support for women empowerment,” expressed Truong.

Truong revealed that she enjoyed the application process because both Posse and Bryn Mawr “took the time to learn about applicants in person through three rounds of interviews.” Because of this, she is more confident of her abilities as a student.

At Bryn Mawr, Truong hopes “to learn, grow and if possible, inspire.” Bryn Mawr is gaining a promising student who will be sure to rise to the occasion of higher education.

have led to her brilliant success.

Zeiberg will be attending Hamilton college, and is “thrilled beyond belief” that she was given this opportunity. Zeiberg admitted that although the process was long and tedious, it was also “incredibly fun,” and interesting.

The interview process was broken up into three rounds, the first of which put over 100 nominees in a room together, where they participated in activities such as lego building and performing skills, rather than simply sitting down and being asked questions.

In the second round, there was a one on one interview where nominees were asked about their high school resume and experience. Finally, the third round was when the potential Posse scholar and interviewer sat in a room together and got to know each other better.

The long process paid off. She “[encourages] students to take the opportunities available to them at MHS.” Zeiberg can say that that was the reason her high school years were great.

Han truong

Emma Ceplinskas Reporter

The Blue and Gold February 2014

Entertainment and Style maldenblueandgold.com

Valentine’s Day Candy Jar DIY Felicia Fallano Reporter

As February begins, red and pink candy and decorations are on the shelves of stores and love is in the air. It is time to start thinking about gift ideas for your significant other, or even just a friend. Sometimes it can be difficult figuring out what to get whether it will cost too much or if they are just difficult to buy for. When you can’t find a gift during Valentine’s Day there is always one thing you can turn to: candy!

For this DIY you will need: -1 medium sized glass jar -A bag of a Valentine’s Day candy of your choice -3 sheets of pink or red tissue paper -a strand of red or pink ribbon -foam hearts

First, you are going to fill the mason jar with the candy. You can get a mason jar anywhere, like Michael’s Arts & Crafts Store or even your local dollar store. You are also going to need a large candy selection can which can be found at CVS or Wallgreens. Also keep in mind that hard candies are not recommended because they can crack easily. Try a soft sort of candy such as gummies, chocolates, or something similar in texture.

Then, you are going to start decorating the jar with the supplies you have gathered. After that, you are going to take two sheets of tissue paper and trace a circle. Then, when you are satisfied with how your circle looks, you can cut it out.

Finally, you are going to proceed to put the circle on top of the lid and tie a strand of ribbon around it and into a bow to keep the tissue held together.

This DIY is very simple, easy to create, and does not cost much, which is convenient if you are not looking to spend too much. It is a fun and more festive way of giving candy to your friend or significant other. Enjoy your Valentine’s Day with this decorative mason jar filled with sweet candy !

First photo in top row: supplies should be gathered before starting this DIY Second photo in top row: the candy (or alternative jar contents) should be filled to the top of the jar Bottom photo: the ribbon holds the tissue paper to the jar

Alternative DIY Ideas -If you cannot find a Mason Jar, you can also substitute it with a different type of jar from your local craft store.

-If you are not a fan of soft candy, you can use message candy hearts.

-If you do not want to use tissue paper, you can find fabric at your local craft store.

-If your significant other or friend does not like candy, you can use baked goods, such as cookies, or even create a “memory jar” with written memories and pictures of both of you.

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Entertainment and Style

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The Blue and Gold February 2014

maldenblueandgold.com

Casey Lyons Head of Entertaiment Myle Nguyen Managing Editor of Entertainment

Products Used

Directions

OPI Base and Top Coat ($8 at Walgreens or CVS) Essie Nail Polish in Blanc ($8 at Walgreens or CVS) OPI Nail Polish in Big Apple Red ($8 at Walgreens or CVS) Sally Hansen’s I Heart Nail Art Pen in Red ($5.99 at Ulta) Sally Hansen’s I Heart Nail Art Pen in Pearly White ($5.99 at Ulta)

1. Start by applying base coat to protect your natural nails 2. Paint two coats of red nail polish onto your thumbs 3. Paint the rest of your nails with two coats of white nail polish 4. Allow your nails at least 10 minutes to dry before your deisgn 5. On your thumb finger, draw a heart with your white nail pen and fill it in until it is opaque 6. Using the red nail pen, write the letters L O V E onto each finger 7. Apply top coat to seal in your design

Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas: When deciding upon gifts for your Valentine it can vary from a number of things: witty mugs, chocolate (of course), silly books, fun cards, flowers, and more.

Whether your buying something for a close relative, friend, or boyfriend, buying gifts can be a breeze. Visit a close by Urban Outfitters, Francesca’s, Barne’s and Noble, Target, Walmart, and more to find sweet gifts for your loved ones. In the image above, all gifts can be found at Urban Outfitters and Target.

How Should You Wrap Your gift?

Gift wrapping may be more fun than finding the actual present. Surprise your Valentine with a basket filled with treats or in other creative packaging ideas. A mason jar is best for candy, a basket for an assortment of things, or even tins. Be spirited and use bright warm colors to package yout gifts.

The Blue and Gold February 2014

Entertainment and Style

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maldenblueandgold.com

Casey Lyons Head of Entertaiment

Myle Nguyen Managing Editor of Entertainment

Cheesy Pick-Up Lines That Will Make Her Laugh I thought happiness started with an H. Why does mine start with U? Do you have a Band-Aid? Because I just scraped my knee falling for you.

Fondue for Two? Where To Take Your Girlfriend For Valentine’s Day LOCATED ON: 745 Boylston St, Boston, MA

Scented of chocolate from the moment you walk in, Max Brenner is the perfect candidate when deciding upon a restaurant for Valentine’s Day. From the convenient chocolate shop to the fondue options, from various hot chocolate flavors to delicious lunch and dinner courses -Max Brenner offers the best atmosphere for those celebrating the loving holiday. What other restaurant fits the traditional Valentine’s Day filled with chocolate and food?

The setting is cozy and warm with the conspicuous aroma of chocolate. In the corner of the restaurant you can find the gift shop where you can buy t-shirts, chocolate, custom made cups, and more. In the other corner there is the bar and lounge for those who only want to order shakes and hot chocolate. The remaining of the restaurant is seating surrounded by chocolate inspired art and decorative tubes of chocolate.

When ordering drinks there are various options such as shakes, hot chocolate, cappuccinos, lattes, and more. Each offers multiple flavors to choose from and all drinks come in uniquely shaped cups made especially for the drink of your choice (shakes come in the Alice Cup and hot chocolate comes in the Hug Mug). The price range is somewhat high but is well worth the money due to the quality and flavors that set it aside from other restaurants.

Max Brenner can easily be chosen for lunch, dinner, or dessert too. All dishes are tasteful and perfectly portioned for each person. On the menu you would find paninis, waffle sandwiches, salads, pizza, burgers, and more. If you are going for strictly dessert, the Fondue for Two is popular and highly recommended because it comes with samples of mini treats, fruits, and ice cream leaving enough to share for maybe even more than two people. Also a majority of the meals have a chocolate ingredient, making almost anything you ordered all the more better.

Overall, Max Brenner is a great spot to try out or return to Valentine’s day. They are located on Newbury St. which is great for additional shopping or activities and is close to the green line for easy transportation. Celebrate with savory chocolate and appetizing food at Max Brenner this Valentine’s Day.

If I were a stop light, I’d turn red everytime you passed by, just so I could stare at you a bit longer.

I’m no mathematician, but I’m pretty good with numbers. Tell you what, give me yours and watch what I can do with it.

I was so enchanted by your beauty that I ran into that wall over there. So I’m going to need your name and number for insurance purposes.

There is something wrong with my cell phone. It doesn’t have your number in it.

Inexpensive Gifts That Are Sure To Impress Fill in the blank books are sure to be a big hit for your loved one. This book can be found at Urban Outfitters for $12. Although it is an inexpensive gift, your girlfriend will definitely treasure it because it is a sentimental and creative present to show the love your have for your girlfriend.

An easy Valentine’s Day gift to get for your girl is nail polish. Nail polishes are essential for a girl and she can never have enough of them. Be sure to pick up some fun shades of pink and red so that she can wear out for your Valentine’s Day date. You can easily pick these up at any drugstore for $5 to $8.

Nothing screams I love you more than a heart shaped photo with little heart cut outs floating around! These snow globes can easily be personalized with a picture of you and your loved one. It is a simple gift but it’s also heartfelt and sentimental as well. These snow globes can be found at Urban Outfitters for $10.

This cute heart shaped pouch is a great Valentine’s Day present. You can pick this pouch up at Urban Outfitters for $12 and your girlfriend will have endless possibilities for it’s use. If you want, you can also fill it with some of your girlfriend’s favorite candies.

Entertainment and Style

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The Blue and Gold February 2014

maldenblueandgold.com

The Sweetest Valentine’s Day Yet Cassandra Reyes Reporter Along with the month February comes delicious treats to satisfy the sweet tooth of many lovers. A fun way to bring in the loving spirit is to test out some Valentine’s Day recipes with a lover or even a friend. Here is a sweet reciple on how to make M&M brownies.

Ingredients:

Directions:

1/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa ½ cup plus 2 Tablespoons boiling water 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted ½ cup plus 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil 2 large eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2½ cups sugar 1¾ cups all-purpose flour 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, cut into ½-inch pieces M&M chocolate candies (red colored) Heart-shaped cookie cutter

Before beginning any baking, the oven needs to be preheated to 350 degrees F. After preheating the oven, spread the 8x11 pan with butter. Once the preparations have been done, pour in the cocoa, water, and oil into a large bowl and begin mixing. Next, add in the oil, eggs, and vanilla extract. Then, add in the flour, unsweetened chocolate, and bittersweet chocolate. Continue mixing until all ingredients are completely dissolved in the mixture.

Once all of the mixing has been done, spread the batter onto the pan and place the pan into the oven, and leave it to

A Cheesecake to Try

Looking for somewhere to celebrate Valentine’s Day? The Cheesecake Factory is sure an option. With tons of desserts to choose from, a date to this restaurant is guaranteed to gain brownie points with your Valentine.

Popular on Valentine’s Day is the Ultimate Red Velvet Cheesecake, layers of red velvet cake and cheesecake are iced in the restaurant’s very own cream cheese frosting. The cheesecake is the perfect size for a sweet dessert for two after munching on dinner. The rich color of the cheesecake simply draws customers in and makes it irresistible to choose, especially on a day full of love.

The overall aura of the restaurant is just what’s needed to appreciate your loved ones and embrace the loving holiday, so the cheesecake is just what you need to top your date off. You can stop by The Cheesecake Factory to pick up you and your lover’s dessert.

bake for 30-35 minutes. After the baking time is up, let the brownies cool for about 15 minutes. The brownies are ready to be cut once the cooling is done.

Use the heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out individual Valentine’s Day brownies. Now the brownies are ready for the final touch: the M&M’s. Place the red M&M’s into the surface of the brownies.

This recipe is simple, cheap, and a great bonding experience for the loving holiday!

Macaroons Worth the Money

If you are a coffee lover, tea lover, or macaroon lover visit Thinking Cup in Downtown Boston. A few stops on the train and you are brought to a coffee and macaroon emporium that offers more than just those options too.

Often packed with costumers, Thinking Cup is large in size but sparse in seating so when visiting go during the day when customers are usually at work. Thinking Cup serves lunch and other meals that can fill one up but, more famously, they sell delicious coffee and cappucinos. Be sure to try out the hazelnut cappucino that comes with fresh crushed hazelnuts at the bottom of the dirnk and a unique design made from the foam.

If you are not interested in coffee definitely try out their macaroons that come in flavors such as pistachio, red velvet, salted caramel, and more. The macaroons are small but heavenly with every bite.

Be sure to check out Thinking Cup on Valentine’s Day for some sweet treats!

The Blue and Gold February 2014

Sports

maldenblueandgold.com

And They Stick The Landing

21 Justine Rose

Tatyanna Cabral Reporter

S Tatyanna Cabral Reporter

G

et out the chalk, set up the volt, layout the mats, and get ready because the Malden High School gymnastics team is coming your way. They have put in the time and effort to perfect their routines and have gone through the hard practices. Gymnastics is said to be one of the “hardest sports in the world”, and the MHS gymnastics team has proved that they have the ability and passion to conquer the sport.

With the gymnastics season slowly coming to an end, the team has done amazing well. During each meet they had beat their high score.

As coach Vanessa James said, “this season so far has been really, really exciting for [them].” A lot of girls and boys that have not done gymnastics before, had joined the team and have been learning the skills and have been doing very well. James says that the newcomers to the team bring “enthusiasm” to the table and are excited to give gymnastics a try.

Along with the returning members, the new members have been “brave”, James says. The team gets along with each other, they all help each other improve. She says “getting up on these events and [they’re] all by [themselves] it is not like [they] have the whole team around [them], so that is really brave of them.” James loves working with the team “they are all so different, and they all get along really well.”

Every meet that the team has been to, their all-around score has gone up. Their meet on Thursday, January 23 against Medford, the team crushed their high score with a 124.35 and Medford had 107.7.

Freshman Nicolle Batista says, “the season’s been good so far [they’ve] only lost one meet, so [she] thinks it is going good.” The team is hoping to become GBL champions, with them getting closer and beating their high score each meet, they have a really nice chance of becoming the GBL Champions.

The gymnasts have worked hard and still working hard to im-

prove. They will end the season on a good note, and make Malden proud.

James said the season has been, “exciting and has gone by really fast.”

This season James has seen a lot of improvement in the returning members, and sees the new members doing big things in the next season.

Their last meet will be on Monday February 10th at 6pm at MHS against Cambridge. After their last meet they will be aiming for the GBL title. The GBL meet was on Saturday February 8th at MIT. The

winners have not been announced yet, because the MHS team still has a meet against Cambridge. The team is pretty confident in their performances, and those who did not perform were there to support their teammates. Most of the people who did compete got a medal or ribbon.

Batista says she is “extremely proud to be a part of an amazing team”.

The future of the gymnastics team looks brighter, with the team getting better and better.

Clockwise: Sophomores Haley Elderd, Joylyn Norris, Kamila Regalado, junior Son Nguyen, senior Allan La, freshmen Nia Vital and Nicolle Batista sitting on a balance beam during a meet. On bars, sophomore Kiley Ruelle and senior Justine Rose on the balance beam. All photos by Tatyanna Cabral

enior Justine Rose has definitely put so much effort into all the work she has done this year. She has had a lot on her plate and has made the best of her senior year. Rose says that her senior has been “a lot more exciting, and once [her] college applications are complete, a lot more relaxed.”

Rose has been on the gymnastics team since freshman year, and last year she had been named captain of the team. She says, “it has definitely been one of [her] favorite high school experiences.” During the past few years the gymnastics team has won the GBL. Thanks to the Golden Tornado Club, they have a spring floor and a gymnastics room in the school and it has helped the team a lot this year she believes it will “definitely benefit the gymnastics program in the years ahead.” Besides gymnastics, Rose has also participated in helping out in the musicals like the Spelling Bee, Urinetown and Oklahoma, she says those musicals were “most fun, exciting and engaging out of all productions [she] [had] taken part in.”

She has surely made her mark at Malden High School, she has gotten involved a lot throughout her high school years, and is leaving with the feeling that she “did something.”She is sad to leave “MHS, the gymnastics team and [her] play production family. Rose says that “getting involved in various sports and communities at the school was definitely a factor in the amazing experience that [she] had.”

Next year, Rose interested in majoring in engineering, and wants to study at an out of state college.

She has looked at many schools including, Brown University, Northwestern University, Wesleyan University and McGill University. She has already toured all of these colleges and she “can’t wait to receive her admission decisions.” This June, Rose will leaving MHS on a good note. She says that, “This school not only forced [her] to get involved in [her] community and put academics at top priority, but it allowed [her] to leave completely positive that [she] made an impact, and can continue to do so wherever [her] education lands [her].” Rose is ready to find her way on becoming who she wants to be.

Sports

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First-Time GBL Champs!

Joviana Morin

Manale Zouhir Reporter

T

Manale Zouhir Reporter

M

alden High School senior Joviana Morin has had a great season this winter. The girls track team has broken records and proved their hard work and dedication through their scores and wins. Morin is cocaptain of the track team and feels that her position is “someone that the underclassmen can look up to.

Whenever they need help...I’m one of the individuals on the team that they come to.”

Morin has always enjoyed track before her high school years, and has aspired to be a runner in middle school. She joined the outdoor track team her freshman year, then junior year decided to become a three season runner, accompanying outdoor track with both indoor and cross country. “I’ve always enjoyed running, always wanting to race my peers even though most of them used to be a lot quicker than [me].”

Throughout this year, Morin has seen the team “grow closer together, and the level of commitment of the team has definitely increased.

We have a bunch of talented athletes and individuals who have a love for this sport.”

Once high school ends, Morin has plans to go to college and major in social work while continuing her love of running cross country and track. She added that she has “gotten so used to running every day that [she] cannot imagine [her]self doing anything else.”

She also would add that graduating will be “bittersweet.”

Although she is excited to finally earn her diploma, she says that “I just don’t want to leave my team.

I don’t think any other team can compare to mine at the moment. I’m scared for that time to come.” It is safe to say that the rest of the track team feels the same way, as Morin is a beloved and important member of MHS’s indoor track team.

The Blue and Gold February 2014

MHS girls track team earns the title of GBL champions, defeating their opponents and forming a family-like bond by the end. With many members from across the spectrum of MHS sports, the MHS girls track team is full of talented members.

his year’s girls indoor track team is competing to be the best they can. They constantly push their efforts to the greatest limits and break their past records. This is clearly shown in their overall attitude about the season.

Both the JV and varsity track teams have given an abundance of effort to their meets, practices, and more. “We have so much more depth this year.” stated captain Joviana Morin. “As a team our overall performances at practice and at meets have definitely improved. I feel...we’re in a better position this year.”

The track team is diverse in several ways. It is filled with runners, throwers, hurdlers, and sprinters. However, they all find a way to work together in a cohesive unit, giving off the feeling of a family. It also has athletes of different sports, and according to track coach David Londino, “it’s a special effort that captures the spirit of Malden High School.”

“We have girls from soccer, softball, field hockey, lacrosse, and many other sports coming together to form a team made up of sprinters, jumpers, throwers, and runners.”

An important part of the track team, according to junior captain Victoria Hannafin, is the “unity, the boys and girls teams are very close and we all support each other.”

The track team is among very few MHS sports that works together so much both in practice and meets regardless of gender. “we are all really close to each other and the boys and girls teams have immense amounts of support for one another.”

Senior captain Jacqueline Bouley also states that “the team has become filled with a lot of younger talent, which is good.” There has been plenty of freshman enthusiasm since the first day of practice.

One meet that has stood out against the track meets this year has been against Everett. On Dec. 19, 2013, the team won 7214. The team also won on a different date 62-24 against Medford. These wins both demonstrate how hard-working the team is. “I love the atmosphere of track as well as the competition

and I really enjoy going to and competing in the higher level meets.” added Bouley.

The team is continuing their streak of wins and has successfully won the GBL meet against Cambridge Rindge & Latin. This is the first time that the girls team has become GBL champions in Malden High School history. Through their enormous amounts of effort and competition, they have clearly earned this title.

Londino proudly stated that “this year’s team is very well rounded. We have talented athletes in every event...this year we feel

like a clutch performance could come from anywhere at anytime.”

This seems to be a universal feeling throughout the team as Morin added. “I feel that what sets us apart from other track teams is the level of commitment from both the coaches and us athletes and the bond that we’ve developed with one another.”

The ending of the track season will surely prove to be bittersweet, with a proud closing to the season with the sting of the end of another season. However, in the spring season, most runners will meet again for outdoor track.

Clockwise: Sophomores Kaitlyn Gibson and Marly Loreus with junior Chrissy Joseph. Girls track team posing for a photo together. Girl sprinters during the 50m race. Freshman Taymise Sanders at the start of the 300 race. All photos by Manale Zouhir and Chaimae El Adlouni.

Sports

The Blue and Gold February 2014

23

maldenblueandgold.com

Tracking the Competition Chaimae EL Adlouni Reporter

D

David Kibazo

MHS boys track team takes the title, the first time since two years.

The team boasts a record of 4 - 0 as they had won against Cambridge, Somerville, Everett, and Medford.

edication, consistency, and ability are the only words that can be used to describe the boys track team. They continually fight for the Greater Boston League title and also entry into the state meets. Each year, more and more competition is brought, and each team is stronger and faster than the one before.

Distance, sprinting, and shotput have incredible athletes that are sure to impress with the Everett and Medford meets won, all thats left are the fierce competitions between the Malden High School boys track team and Somerville and Cambridge teams. Although they won against Somerville the previous year, the Somerville team is still strong and they always bring something new to the plate.

The invitationals have motivated the boys to push harder than they have before.

Multiple members from the

boys track team had great results in the Division 1 State Relays at Reggie Lewis. The boys 4x400m team placed 8th in the whole division with a time of 3:34 in minutes, and the 4x800m and 4x200m team as well.

A great team is followed by great leaders. The team has looked to its seniors as role models for their future running career. Most seniors on the distance team have been four-year runners, dedicated to running and improving themselves with a goal in mind.

The freshmen have been making history with the “..skill level going up, and [some] freshmen making states..” explains senior Daniel Gould, sure to make the season end with a bang.

The team is focused on the meet against Somerville on Jan. 29, 2014 and hopes to perform to the best of their abilities to come out on top with hopes for qualifying times for states. The boys team is on their way, “in track you don’t have to be an amazing athlete, just dedicated

and a [hard worker]” states Gould, a message to all the underclassmen that would like to follow in his footsteps. The track team is improving rapidly, with its exceptional talent; they are sure to win the title and go on to States.

An amazing win by the boys track team against Somerville with a 44-42 score. Each person had stepped up and “did what they had to do” explains Coach David Londino to place and get the points for the team. The team celebrated their win Chaimae EL Adlouni and began to focus Reporter against their rival Cambridge.

Cambridge enior David Kibazo is a three was a great season runner that has dedicated team with himself to running and his educastrong points tion at Malden High School, while in each event, juggling being a Posse scholar. His but the boys track four years in high school have been team came out on spent growing, improving and top with a score “learning the value of community of 43-38. The boys and friends.” winning their first Kibazo’s dedication and title since 2 years strength has earned him an imporago, was a very tant role on the track team as he memorable mo- expressed that, “discipline, work, ment. [and] patience” were the key to his success and he “will continue that later in [his] life.” Looking back on his track season, Kibazo expressed that winning the GBL title was an incredible experience for him, along with the rest of the boy’s track team, as “it feels very rewarding” Kibazo expressed happily. The last meet had been against Cambridge, one of the most competitive schools especially for the team. Last year’s loss kept the players on their toes and motivated throughout the meet, but “everyone did what they could do” and the meet resulted in a win. Kibazo had won first place in the 1000m, scoring for the team.

With his high school career slowly coming to an end, Kibazo will be attending Hamilton College in the fall with the hopes of “majoring in BioChem” with the help of his Posse scholarship.

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Moe’s Cafe From left to right, top to bottom: Senior Claude Bonnet and Jonathan Ye running the 4x800 relay. Blue and Gold member and junior Jonathan DeCicco, senior Daniel Gould, junior Jonathan Ye, senior David Kibazo, senior Claude Bonnet, senior Raymond Chen, and junior Nahom Ghile posing for a photo. All photos by Chaimae EL Adlouni

To watch a video of the MHS boys team, scan the QR code on your smart phone!

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The Blue and Gold February 2014

We’re about to dive in

JASON DRAPINSKI

The swim team huddled together before the start of the meet. All photos by Emma Ceplinskas

Emma Ceplinskas Reporter

Emma Ceplinskas Reporter

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wimming is a demanding sport, both physically and mentally, but Malden High School’s team has proven that their commitment and devotion can overcome any obstacles as they stand at a current record of 7-0.

This season, the swim team has “acquired more talented swimmers,” mentioned junior captain Kelvin Nguyen. Along with this senior captain Jen Tran stated “the new additions to the team really helped [them] become stronger.”At each meet they have improved and strengthened their close knit bond since “each swimmer is hard working, dedicated and motivated,” as Tran expressed.

Senior captain Bestine Cong along with Nguyen and Tran all share a great passion for the sport.

They concur that the highlight of the season was the intense meet against Cambridge Rindge and Latin School. Tran confessed that “[they were] struggling in the beginning of the meet, but after a team meeting … [they] all came together and cheered [their] team members on.” CRLS has always been a difficult opponent, but the school will be leaving the Greater Boston League so it was MHS’ swim team’s “last chance to show everyone that Malden has the people, talent and pride that it takes to be victorious,” Tran acknowledged. After exalting their last ounces of energy, Malden reigned the victors with a final score of 90-80 against their biggest rivals.

For the remainder of the season the team aims to “dominate at the League Meet and make [their] mark at Sectionals and States” come February explained Cong. Among

those who qualified for sectionals were freshman Cleverina Cong and those who qualified for sectionals and states include Cong, sophomore Samantha Forestier, freshman Soukaina Hattal, freshman Felicia Lombardi, sophomore Alexandra Lombardi, freshman Kevin Luu, sophomore Ryan Luu, freshman Vivian Nguyen, Kelvin Nguyen, sophomore Blue and Gold member Lucia Quesada Nylen, junior Nick Tang, and junior Tristar To. The captains aspire to motivate their fellow teammates so that they “push themselves ... because you really only get out of it what you put in,” Cong ex-

pressed. The team has “maintained a strong sense of camaraderie” and described themselves as a “family” as agreed upon by the captains.

They put others before themselves so that “the bond between MHS swimmers is something that cannot be broken,” revealed Tran.

Nguyen explained that, “the pain at practice is only temporary; the pride in using that hard work and winning lasts forever.” The team has accomplished their goal of becoming the GBL Champions and is saddened by the nearing end to their undefeated season.

Top: Malden against Cambridge Rindge and Latin School in the breaststroke. Bottom: Sophomore Alexandra Lombardi swimming the breast stroke.

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fter his four years at Malden High School, senior and dedicated swimmer Jason Drapinski will be graduating and later attending college to study international business.

Drapinski has been on the swim team since his freshman year, following in the footsteps of his older siblings. He has also participated in play production, band, student government, National Honors Society, the crew team, and The Blue and Gold Newspaper to mention a few of Drapinski’s extra curricular activities.

While on the swim team, Drapinski enjoyed the team’s gatherings where they would “play games and dance, and if anyone knows [him], they would know that [he] love[s] to dance,” Drapinski explained. The best part of his season was after Malden won the meet against Malden Catholic which was when the team “knew that [they] would officially be undefeated,” achieving their ultimate goal for the season Drapinski expressed. He admitted that the team would not had been as successful as they were without coaches Paul DeVincentis and Jessica Bisson. Drapinski, “cannot wait to see [the team] all swim next year.”

Drapinski decided to study international business based on the “diversity of [MHS that] has really made [him] fascinated with culture, and sparked [his] decision.” He loves that “there is something for everybody” at MHS, especially “the many opportunities to participate in an extracurricular sport.”

MHS has made Drapinski a “much more well rounded person,” he expressed.

Though MHS will be sad to see such an enthusiastic student and athlete leave, it is proud to have helped Drapinski realize his passion for international business.

The Blue and Gold February 2014

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Dedication, Endurance, Respect

Philip West

Karina Matos Reporter

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rops ought to be given to the Malden High School wrestlers.

The determination and strength it takes just to get up and fight again is absolutely commendable. While the recent scores, like the game against Melrose, are not favoring the team, 30-9, and the game against Greater Lawrence, 15-13, they work much harder than the scores suggest. But of course doing well on the mat in a game means lots of practice before hand. According to the coach, Jeremiah Smith, practice involves, “many different types of cardiovascular and strength training exercises combined with technical skills.“ Also, co-captain and Senior P.J. West says that practices are, “intense, but the team gets through it by motivation from Nidal [Hishmeh],” the co-captain, “and myself.” The pure stamina displayed in practice is obviously conveyed in the rigorous matches they fight in.

While wrestling is a fascinating sport to watch, for the people on the mat, it’s a battle not only with the other person, but to keep their bodies going. “The hardest part,” West determines, “is finding the drive and motivation to tell your body to keep going.” It also turns out that wrestling is a very strategic sport and Smith says that, “wrestlers get angry in a match, but it doesn’t help them,” and that, “anger usually distracts a person from planning their next move.” However, intensity aside, West also loves his team and the moments they have together.

“My favorite part about being on the team,” he admits, “is the fun times, between teammates and seeing everyone try and succeed on the team.”

Coach Smith, according to West is, “a good mentor [who] pays attention to fine detail and [observes] everyone during practices and matches.” West also says that,

Karina Matos Reporter

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“he always pushes people to be and perform better every time they wrestle.” Coach Smith expressed that something he always tells the team is to, “stay focused,” and “work hard,” and you can easily see that in every match.

There were many amazing moments throughout the season, but there were of course a few favorites. West’s favorite moment in the season by far was when, “Johnny Pierre Rene (junior) who wrestled against Everett in the Everett match had went into double overtime and [it] was the most intense match of the year.” He says that is was, “very motivating to see he gave it 110%.”

Coach Smith definitely agrees with West on how great that moment was. He says that, “[wrestling] is

one on one and if you win it was because of all the hard work you put in,” and that, “you get out what you put in.”

Wrestling is an intense sport that takes a lot of hard work and stamina. West says that three words that describe wrestling are, “Tough, Enduring, and Respect.” Watching them play easily shows how right he is. Smith also says that the team has greatly improved, “the young wrestlers are coming along nicely and we are starting to win those close matches that we were not winning at the beginning of the season.”

It looks like a promising rest of the season for the MHS wrestlers. Come see for yourself how incredibly hard they work at one of their next games and support their massive efforts.

enior Philip West doesn’t shy away from a fight, as long as its on a wrestling mat. Which makes perfect sense since he has loved wrestling since he was young, “wrestling is a way of life for me and I had a passion for the sport since I was in the 5th grade.”

In West’s opinion wrestling is the, “hardest and most enduring sport in the world.” That’s a pretty believable statement considering how easy it is to get hurt. Right now he is recovering from a, “burst bursa sack in his knee.” Since it has, “left him out of practices and meets for 3/4ths of the season,” he really hopes he can, “wrestle again before [his] high school wrestling career is over.”

In the future, West plans to join the, “United States Marines.” Right now he is, “in DEP (delayed entry program) for the marines and [he] will be sent to basic training on July 21st.” As a job he, “will be working in intelligence.”

Wrestling has affected West’s life in positive ways, by giving him, “respect and leadership skills.”

He knows that, “Wrestling shaped [him] [into] who [he is] today and [he’s] proud of every[thing] [he has] gained from wrestling.”

Top to bottom: Senior captain Nidal Hishmeh wrestling. Junior Johnny St. Pierre wrestling. Hishmeh at a match against Melrose.

Photos by Karina Matos

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The Blue and Gold February 2014

maldenblueandgold.com

Making A Name Jensen Ayuk

Tenzin Dorjee Reporter

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enior captain Bryan Mitchell-Rodriguez proclaimed at the start of the season that the Malden High School boys basketball team would make a name for themselves. And made a name they did, especially against the teams of Brighton, Drury, Wakefield Memorial, Somerville, Medford, Beverly, and Everett high schools with heated, close games.

Though, Malden also defeated Westfield Vocational Tech and completely demolished the Westfield-native Tigers, 70-38, leading the Golden Tornados to amass 9 wins so far in the season. They haven’t won only this season though, as the Malden High School team has unfortunately also collected 7 losses at the hands of Danvers, Cambridge Rindge & Latin (twice), Lynn Classical, Beverly, Medford, and Belmont.

The MHS boys varsity basketball team is a powerful group of 14 dedicated athletes led by senior captains Mitchell-Rodriguez, Loveng Francois, and junior captain Anthony Gilardi. The team is coached by the very capable and knowledgeable Don Nally. The team has done well this season under their precise leadership and has a record that any good team would be proud of as each win was well-earned, with all their hearts put into each game, and each loss learned from. The team has ‘battled through injuries,’ but they never let that stop them from going for their goal of “getting to the playoffs.”

The MHS boys varsity team was even invited to the TD Garden for the Good Sports Invitational.

The Good Sports TD Garden 2014 Invitationals’ “inspiration was to create another opportunity for the TD Garden to be a valuable community partner [and help] provide young athletes with a truly unique experience,” and was hosted kindly by fellow Eastern Massachusetts high school, Newton South. The team was able to gain that valuable, precious, and rare experience whilst playing a hard match against Lynn Classical High School, a formidable opponent. It was a super close game

Top to bottom: Coach Nally discussing game plans with the team during a time-out. 21 going for a lay-up. Junior Skips Langston dribbling the ball down court. Senior captian Bryan Mitchell-Rodriguez going for a shot. All photos by Tenzin Dorjee of 55-51, Malden only losing by a measly 4 points. The win was locked for Lynn Classical when Malden received 2 more fouls towards the very end of the 4th quarter. Although the Malden team unfortunately lost to the Lynn-native team, it was a good experience and a great time for the players as it gave them the ability to have a feel for the astounding, world-renowned home of the Boston Celtics (and Bruins).

As the record so far stands at 9-7, the season progresses and the team hopes to collect more wins and gain more experiences, and hopefully someday “make it back to the Garden,” as captain Mitchell-Rodriguez put it. The coach and captains have high hopes for the rest of this season. With many skilled players and good teamwork and plays, the team can get far. For this determined team especially, ball truly is, life.

Tenzin Dorjee Reporter

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enior Jensen Ayuk has finally reached the end of his Malden High School career. As his time is coming to a close, basketball will always remain a part of him. Ayuk’s love of “the action and fast pace the game provides” began as early as 5th grade, as he nostalgically reminisces “playing in [his] driveway when [he] was younger, pretending [he] was Kobe Bryant.” As a young Ayuk, he much admired the “dazzling dunks, elite scorers, [and] no look passes,” an admiration that brought the ball to his hands and helped shape him into the player he is today through passion, dedicated, and simple practice all the time-getting a feel for the ball, learning the technique, getting the moves down, etc. Other than basketball, football also holds his heart, as Ayuk was also the captain of the MHS football team, but also describes wiffle ball as a “good time” as well. Currently, he is unsure of what college to attend but says his top three picks are Bridgewater State University, University of New Hampshire, and Newbury College.

While Ayuk “hopes to continue [his] football career at the college [he] attends,” this seems to be his last year of basketball unfortunately. When attending college, Ayuk wishes to major in Exercise Science as “living a healthy lifestyle is a priority for [him]” and describes the major as “a perfect match” for his tastes. A moment Ayuk will “forever cherish” the time when Malden crushed Everett during an away game, 5951, saying, “any Maldonian knows there is nothing better than beating Everett, in Everett,” as “contributing to the team to accomplish that win was special.” As the year comes to a close, Senior Jensen Ayuk will soon leave what he has called home for years, as his high school chapter to life has ended, and the one to college life about to begin. To Ayuk, basketball will forever and always be a “passion that may never be fully explainable.”

The Blue and Gold February 2014

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maldenblueandgold.com

Rachel Robbio

girls BASKETBALL: Facing Adversity

PJ Montezuma Head of Sports

M Jonathan DeCicco Managing Editor of Sports

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ith just a few games left till the end of the season, the Malden High School’s girls basketball team has worked extremely hard to push through the last stretch. With tough competition and the team slowly dwindling the girls have fought with strength and vigour to end their long winter season. Lead by coach Lydia Coverdale, the team continues its’ difficult practices in hopes to finish strong.

Although the team has not yet won a game they have fought a tough battle. Now down to only 8 varsity players, the loss of members has physically affected the girls.

With the less players means more playing time which causes the team to get worn out easily. But the girls are extremely tough and will not let this obstacle get the best of them.

Leading the girls is junior captain Michaela Illebode, encouraging her teammates both on and off the court to stay positive. The season has been hard but that has only caused, “[the team] to grow much stronger and closer than any other year,” states Illebode.

With only two seniors, Regine Exume and blue and gold member Kristen Leonard, the team is mainly junior dominated. Although the the team will be at a loss without these girls, the bond they have created this year will certainly help them to compete next season.

One of the teams most successful games was the one against Georgetown. With great communication between the players, “it was the game we played most like a team,” expressed Illebode. Not only that but it was the closest the team came to winning, only down by three points.

Basketball is a tough sport. It requires the dedication and cooperation of each and every player to work as a cohesive unit. Without the communication and physical capabilities the sport demands the team will not succeed. The MHS

girls have dedicated so much time to this sport, putting in hours of practice and game time. Everyday the team improves, and they can only learn and move forward from their losses. With great aspirations for next year the players will continue to hone their skills in the off season. The bond and friendships the girls have created on the team extends way past the court and that

is the true success the team has accomplished.

From top to bottom: Junior Samantha Drapinski races down the court. The varsity girls huddle before the start of the game. Junior Caitlin Applin attempts to score. Junior captain Michaela Illebode makes a free throw.

alden High School Senior Varsity Cheerleader Rachel Robbio has been cheerleading for Malden for the last 10 years. Outside the high school, Robbio also cheers for a JAG All-Star team along with other MHS students. Robbio doesn’t play any other sports for the high school, but played softball outside of school up until her junior year. Some of her favorite memories at MHS consist of her senior pep rally and cheering on the football team at countless home games over the last four years. Robbio is still unsure as to where she will be attending in the fall but is hoping for Salem State. However, her cheering legacy will come to an end because she does not plan on cheering in college.

The following article is from the February issue of the 1971 Edition of the Blue and Gold. Its title reads: “Girls’ Basketball team Beats Winthrop, Boasting an Impressive Record of 5-2

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The Blue and Gold February 2014

maldenblueandgold.com

Winter Sports 2013-2014

Congratulations to the Boys Track team, the Girls Track team, and the Swimming team, and the Gymnastics team for winning the Greater Boston League.