Malden High School Graduation Edition 2019

The Blue and Gold maldenblueandgold.com Malden High School

Volume 104 Edition 7/8

77 salem street

June 2019

CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF

Valedictorian Felix Li: Page 15

Salutatorian Birukti Tsige: Page 16

Angela Soliz: Page 36

2019

Class President Mattheus Farias: Page 20

Class Vice President Helen Eshetu: Page 21

Class Orator: Kayla Dos Reis Souza: Page 17

Page 6

maldenblueandgold.com

Malden High’s Mized Chorus: Page 33

Malden High School Volume 104 Edition 7/8 June 2019

2

Staff maldenblueandgold.com

The Blue and Gold June 2019

The Blue and Gold June 2019

Multicultural Night

Interactive

3

maldenblueandgold.com

Brandon Wong Reporter

W

ith the smell of exotic spices and the sound of cultural music in Cafeteria B, the 8th annual Multicultural Night has returned to unite the many cultures in Malden. Students and faculty members alike were welcome to enjoy food from a diverse set of cultures and vote for the best dish in the Best Dish of the Night Competition. Other festivities included Thai tea from the Asian Culture Club and a performance by the Step Team.

The food at the Multicultural Night consisted of food donations from restaurants and food submissions from students at Malden High. The food consisted of Kita Firfir from Ethiopia, Corn Bread Pudding from the Native American Culture, Fried Rice which was donated by All Seasons Table and many more other cuisines.

Outside of food, there were many performances that had occured. Sophomore Suiyenah Chen and Senior Vivian Dang began the Multicultural Night with a small K pop dance routine which ended with the two performing the dance choreography for Bon Bon Chocolat by Everglow. This was followed by Blue and Gold member Cedrina Missamou African dance routine and a small Lion Dance by the MHS Lion Dancing Team.

The event was created in order to highlight the diversity in Malden and to “get students involved in cultural celebrations,” explained English Teacher Yahaira Marquez, who is also the Multicultural Club Advisor. Marquez had wanted students to “celebrate their own culture, but also learn about other student’s cultures and to teach their culture to others.”

In the beginning, the event had been a Multicultural Week, with each day highlighting a specific topic. “[They] had one day where it was just Cultural Artifacts,” Marquez stated. Booths had been set up in the Cafeteria to display the mementos that students had submitted. The mementos consisted of things that “[they] had bought on vacation, and [they] went on vacation there to visit family.”

Over the years, the event had been shortened to a single night in order to make the event “bigger, with all the different booths and aspects into one evening.”

Malden High Chorus and Band

Pages 32 and 33

Continued on page 34 Crossword Puzzle by Tivian Nguyen. Photographs by Brandon Wong.

Editorial

4

The Blue and Gold June 2019

maldenblueandgold.com

Looking Back: Perspectives from Two Editors I

nitially, the novelty of high school caught me by surprise. Always a diligent and disciplined student, I had underestimated the weight of the workload high school would impose on me and overestimated my ability to undertake that hefty load.

Just as I found myself on the brink of social isolation, on the precipice of personal implosion, where I felt that I would need to abandon myself, my interests, my passions in order to pursue my most accomplished academic self, I walked into The Blue and Gold, the wrong classroom for my schedule. Never before and not once since have I made such a fortunate mistake.

A few months later, my English teacher introduced me to the publication’s advisor, Ryan Gallagher, and, my sophomore year, I joined his staff. Never before and not once since have I made such a pivotal decision.

In room J387, I became a prolific writer. Then, I became a proactive leader. In that environment, I acquired practical skills, proficiency with Photoshop and InDesign, photography, and videography, but more importantly I learned to articulately express myself, to absorb the color of the world and convey it in print.

In room J387, I felt the sense of fulfillment I had always imagined saying the words I had grown up hearing would give me: “Thank you for listening to WBUR, Boston’s NPR news station and worldwide.”

I have my parents to thank for

every car ride that morphed into an impromptu spelling bee, for every summer I spent hunched over novels, devouring texts they incentivized me to read, for the nights spent, red pen in hand, reading, rereading and correcting my papers, even my third grade book reports, especially my third grade book reports, rife with grammatical errors and syntactic flaws.

But I have The Blue and Gold to thank for making the responsibility of honing my writing and journalistic skills my own. As idyllic as it may sound, the hierarchy of leadership within the class demonstrated that simply being present would not suffice, that hard work and accountability are the keys to progress and, ultimately, to success. The communal aspect of the class, the teamwork that greased the wheels of the operation making it possible to meet deadlines and publish content, allowed me to reconcile my passions and academic success.

Independence and determination may be critical ingredients to personal triumph, but socialization is the binder that dictates the longevity of your success. Blue and Gold has taught me to be less self-reliant, to ask for help when I need it, and to help others along the way. Teamwork does make the dream work.

One final cliche: a journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step. For the graduating editorial staff, the journey ends here, but it began with one simple step into the right room.

Rebeca Pereira

I

joined The Blue & Gold my freshman year because I loved sports and I thought I was sort of good at writing, but mostly because I loved sports in more ways than just playing it.

When I walked into the room freshman year, I was an awkward 14-year-old who did not know how to approach upperclassman or, quite frankly, anyone I did not already know.

I did not realize at the time how much the class would mean to in these four years and the pride I would build in my involvement with the student publication.

I can honestly say that this has been one of the highlights of my four years at Malden High and I am going to miss the class and my peers very much.

The class has helped with way more than just improving my writing skills. Beyond that and my evolution as a reporter, The Blue & Gold has allowed me to get comfortable with own awkwardness and sense of humor and eventually really sharpen my leadership skills.

I went from dreading approaching the senior varsity athletes when I was assigned to cover cross country my freshman year to chasing down four different interviewees in one day, including one in the middle of the street, in the face of a fast approaching deadline.

From the very beginning, I built a strong relationships with my editors. It was from the recollection of how approachable and kind they were to me that inspired me when I took on leadership positions junior and senior year.

My fondest memory in the class was most definitely writing the Super Bowl story following the Patriots’ stunning victory over the Falcons during my sophomore year.

Our print deadline was the morning following Super Bowl Sunday and I was at a watch party at my friend’s house, furiously jotting down notes.

In addition to how the thrilling the game turned out to be and the jubilant environment at the watch party, I really felt the pressure of the deadline that was coming next morning and finished the 1,000 word front page story at 3:30 am. I have stayed up late for other school assignments before and although I do not think that article was my best work, never have I felt more like a real journalist than with that story.

One of the things I have loved the most this year is that after every print edition we put out, my calculus teacher Ms. Mateeva would ask me if I had any columns in the newspaper for that edition. She turned out to be my most loyal reader and it meant the world to me when at the end of the year she suggested that I keep writing.

And I think I will.

Abhishek Rana Editor-in-Chief of Web and Mobile Apps

Editor in Chief

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

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

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

The Blue and Gold June 2019

In Memoriam

5

maldenblueandgold.com

Obituaries Submitted by Rebeca Pereira and Sara Zakaria.

Jewish Partisan Educational Foundation This year, the History and Social Studies faculty are continuing their support of the Stolpersteine project. We dedicate this page to victims of genocide, as it is important to remember them and their stories. Photos courtesy of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

Marthijn Wijnberg M

arthijn Wijnberg was born on December 23, 1919 in Groningen, Netherlands. He moved to Zwolle when he was ten years old.

His parents ran the only kosher hotel in Zwolle. He attended Dutch public schools, while also going to religious school to study Jewish history, Hebrew, and the Bible.

He was skilled at playing instruments, especially piano, saxophone, and accordion.

Wijnberg was also skilled at baking. One day, he created a bridge out of sugar and displayed it at the hotel. He expanded his skills through culinary school. In 1937, he was appointed head pastry chef at a bakery in Rotterdam.

In 1940, Wijnberg was drafted into the Dutch army. He was appointed to sergeant when war broke out with Germany in May 1940. Holland was defeated a mere four days later. Wijnberg returned to Zwolle, running the hotel with his family until Germany confiscated it in 1942. His family were relocated to a shack with no running hot water or bathroom. When Wijnberg’s older brother Maurists was sent to a labor camp, Wijnberg insisted on going with him. He worked there alongside his brother from fall 1942 to winter 1943.

Wijnberg was deported to Auschwitz on January 31, 1943. He died at the camp at age 23.

Henny Schermann H

enny Schermann was born on February 19, 1912 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. She was the first of three children born to a Jewish family. Her father was an immigrant from Russia.

He met Schermann’s mother soon after he immigrated to Germany.

From 1933 to 1939, Schermann worked as a shop assistant and lived with her family. During that same time, the Nazis began to persecute various groups, such as Jews, Roma, handicapped persons, and those who were LGBTQ+. The Nazis also forced all Jewish women to add “Sara” to their first names, as a way to identify them.

In 1940, Schermann was arrested and deported to Ravensbruck, a concentration camp for women. The back of her prisoner photo had a descriptor written by a officer, which read; “Jenny (sic) Sara Schermann, born February 19, 1912, Frankfurt am Main. Unmarried shopgirl in Frankfurt am Main. Licentious lesbian, only visited such [lesbian] bars. Avoided the name ‘Sara.’ Stateless Jew.” Schermann was selected for extermination along with other prisoners in Ravensbruck. She was gassed at the Bernburg killing facility in 1942.

Pola Nussbaum P

ola Nussbaum was born to a Jewish family in 1922, in Raczki, Poland. Nussbaum’s father exported goods to Germany and her mother was an owner of a fabric store.

She attended a Hebrew school, excelling at math. She aspired to study engineering and oil exploration in the future. When World War II began, Nussbaum and her family escaped to the Soviet

Union.

In 1941, Nussbaum and her family were forced to live in the Slonim ghetto. Nussbaum’s mother slipped her and her sister, Lisa, out of the ghetto to a Christian friend. That friend refused to hide Nussbaum and her sister, banishing them to the forest.

There, they stumbled across Jews being shot into pits. They were discovered by a forester, who forced them to march to the group waiting to be killed. However, Nussbaum and her sister fled. They were able to escape to town where another Christian woman hid the two.

Nussbaum and her sister returned to the Slonim ghetto after the massacre in the forest ended. They found their mother dead.

Nussbaum died on June 29, 1942, shot to death after a failed attempt to escape the ghetto. She was 19 years old.

Miska Deutsch M

iska Deutsch was born on June 24, 1897 in Bistrita, Romania. He was the youngest of four children. In 1910, Deutsch and his family moved to Viseu de Sus. Deutsch moved again in 1922 to Budapest, Hungary. He opened a business with his brother. In 1928, he married Kornelia Mahrer, having three children.

In May 1939, Hungary enforced a law that limited the number of Jews employed in Hungarian businesses. That made Deutsch fire some of his Jewish employees.

In 1940, Deutsch had to go into the Hungarian army’s labor service. In 1942, he had to give up control of his business to a brother of the Hungarian prime minister. In 1944, Deutsch briefly left his labor unit to visit Mahrer.

She gave him a Swedish safe-conduct pass she got from a friend.

However, when Deutsch returned to the factory, a Hungarian officer tore up his pass, ordering Deutsch to be deported.

On November 10, 1944, Deutsch wrote to his wife that he was being force-marched from Hungary to Austria. That was the last communication he had with her. He died in the Mauthausen concentration camp at the age of 47.

Opinion

6

The Blue and Gold June 2019

maldenblueandgold.com

Writing My Way Out WHEN YOU LEARN THAT YOUR FATHER has lost his job, the first thought that comes to your mind is probably not about food stamps and welfare.

But that was mine.

After my mother uttered the words and left, I took a breath and when I exhaled, a sob tore through. Paralyzed by a sudden shame, I lowered my head between my knees. You will be the face of every Fox News comment: the immigrant stealing taxpayers’ money.

The following night, I walked into my parents’ room and…

I would never wish that moment on my greatest adversary—the one of seeing one’s father cry. His face got red—or as red as a black man’s could get—and his veins seemed to pop in his temple and he got this crazy look in his eyes and he...he broke.

I couldn’t comprehend it. Forget the white superheroes my peers worshipped as kids; my hero had always been my father. Tsehaye Tsige Beyene was a giant; at six feet tall and always dressed in his vestments, he made even strangers stand at attention. But any intimidation faded away once they heard him; his deep voice filled any room like a warm blanket and he always carried his English jokes—which he butchered with his thick foreign accent—with a teasing smile.

That was the man who broke.

And suddenly, my trachea slammed shut and I felt this unbearable pain right at a certain point in my chest like someone had slammed into me, like the air had been sucked out of my world, like my heart had been squeezed to a stop.

He lunged with a pained noise that reverberated from every corner of the house. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him down while raising myself and cradled his head. And I could only think two things during that moment: I would do anything to soothe his pain and I never wanted to hear the word welfare, WIC, food stamps, or housing assistance ever again. I would do whatever it took to get out of it. *** In a corner of the vast Internet world, there is a hidden site unbeknownst to most: Wattpad. Ever since middle school, I spent most of my days there, avoiding actual human contact, giggling under the covers at night, and crafting wild stories that I deemed too feral to release anywhere else but for my audience of teenage girls around the world. I, their mystical-stranger-friend, appeased their yearning for chapters in the dead of the night.

For years, I refused to offer up my novels—these messy, cluttered creatures—to any place where I would be paid because being paid meant a contract where They would control what I would write, when I would post, who would access it. But when the company Radish Serial Writing recruited me that December after my father lost his job, I had no choice but to accept their offer.

I had spent years consuming romance novels, crafting my own heaven in Google Documents, and molding characters. But suddenly, I was jerked out of that serene world—to one where my family of eight had no income. I had no choice but to dig, claw, and grab onto any pens, pencils, and keyboards and scribble my way out. I furiously wrote my new novel on Radish, earning cash that went towards bus fares and phone bills. What had been my comfort food became my only source of survival.

I couldn’t stand to feel helpless, doomed to watch a life, which filled me with shame, play out. So I reached down and took that life by the reins—I crafted my stories to survive, called for social change in my community to ensure a safe place for my younger siblings and ultimately molded my future to rise above my plight.

Now I know, pen in hand, there’s nothing the world can throw at me that I can’t vanquish.

Birukti Tsige December 2018

2018 - 2019 AP Research Projects Ezra Kruckenberg — “The Pledge of Allegiance and Colin Kaepernick Controversy” Rodneisha Normil — “Teacher Awareness of Implicit Bias and ELL students” Taylor Dill — “Into The World of Snapstreaks: Examining Snapstreak Length and Teenagers’ Relationship Depth” Birukti Tsige — “Factors Causing Gender Gap Among Advanced Placement MathBased Classes” Thao-Mi Nguyen — “The Bachelor and Happily Ever After: The Viewing of Romantic Reality TV and the Cultivation of Romantic Attitudes in Female Adolescents” Noor Khurram — “Academic Self-Concept and Student Run Discussion Performance” Rasmee Ky — “How the Downvote Affects the Civility and Politeness of Political Discussions on Reddit” Sydney Stumpf — “Malden in the Context of Gentrification” Neima Joseph — “Shameless and Self-Actualization” QR Code for Junior Varieties:

QR Code for Play Production’s Original Play Common Space:

Opinion

The Blue and Gold June 2019

7

maldenblueandgold.com

Hi guys! Thank you for everything and I hope that you guys will do well in the future. You guys were amazing and I am very thankful for all that you have taught me! Good luck! -Joie

Thank you for making me grow as a journalist and being incredible mentors especially for teaching me valuable lessons that I will definitely treasure and use as I continue through The Blue and Gold.

I hope you have an amazing time in college. YOU GOT THIS!!! Sandra

I am forever grateful for the patience and care you have shown me the past three years - Ana

Thank You, Seniors!

Thank you for teaching me how to become a better journalist and person. You have all done so much for us and just know that none of it goes unnoticed.

You have all inspired me to strive for greatness. Even when I was on the verge of giving up on myself, you each kept me going. Thank you for all the unconditional love and support, my journalism family! -Sabrina

Thank you for helping me be the best journalist that I can be and for allowing me to do my best work all the time.

I am extremely grateful for all the extra help and advice you gave me for not only journalism but for the rest of my days at Malden High School. -Yasmine May you find the mountain that is right for you. Give and receive support along the way, be patient and persevere through the ups and downs that you will face. And importantly learn to enjoy the journey you are about to embark upon.

Just as Winnie the Pooh said, how lucky am I to have someone that makes saying goodbye hard. You guys are amazing people and I wish only the best for you all!!- Annie

Throughout this year I have learned so much from all of you. I was able to develop new skills and understand so much more from all of my senior editors. You guys have done so much for us and have helped us along the way, and will continue to long term, thank you for encouraging us to always do our best. - Olivia

Individual drawings of the seniors done

by Carolina Cuevas; Comic in the center by Yasmine .

I have learned so much from all the seniors that were a part of this journey with all us new freshman. I developed new social skills and was able to increase my grammar and writing skills. You guys have done so much for us and I just wanted to say thank you for all the hard work you put into making us the best journalist we could possibly be. - Courtney Thank you for inspiring us to do our best everyday. I am incredibly grateful for all the knowledge you have shared to make us not only better reporters, but better people as well. Your attitude toward the class was admirable and set a great example for the rest of us. I hope you know that everything you taught us whether it was about journalism or life, will stick with us for many more years, even after high school. Congratulations on graduating and good luck! Julie H.

I want to thank all of you for helping me become a good journalist and a better person. While I feel sad knowing that you won’t be with us anymore, I find comfort in the fact that all of you are going places.

-Carlos

You guys have inspired me through the amazing writing you have done for the newspaper.

Everytime something of the seniors was published, the words and sentence structure throughout the article inspired me to write a better article.

And the way you guys were certain in everything you did and never questioned your judgement on anything was really inspiring. -Courtney

Good luck to all the seniors! We will miss you! We will miss your leadership. Blue and Gold was great with you all. Thank you! - Sara and Jemisha HI SENIORSSSSS!!!! It is Roxane! When I first joined the Blue and Gold I did not think that I would enjoy it so much. Not only did I learned so much about journalism and writing in general, but I also created great friendships with you guys. Thank you for this year! Do not forget about me when you graduate! - Roxane

It went by fast, crazy how It feels like I just met you guys. I hope you guys enjoyed the time spent with us at Malden High, because no matter how much you may want to, you can't come back to high school. I barely knew you guys like that but I hope you guys future is amazing and blessed.

-Marly

I learned so much grammar and just in general from you guys throughout this year. It was sad to see you guys go but I wish all of you the best of luck beyond your high school careers in life. As you guys are starting your own journeys you guys also started ours. As you all embark another cycle of school, yet again I wish you all the best of luck. - Idriss (Elba) Touati

8

Opinion

The Blue and Gold June 2019

maldenblueandgold.com

Washington D.C. A Tr i p t o R e m e m b e r

M

y confidence in myself and in my career aspirations fluctuated like a sinusoidal roller coaster throughout high school; pragmatism threatened to squander my fascination with crime and justice and the love for journalism that The Blue and Gold and New England High School Journalism Collaborative had stoked in me.

One constant remained, though: my enthusiasm for government and politics.

When the opportunity to travel to Washington DC arose through my participation in the Malden Youth Civics Council, I was thrilled.

Before I knew it, along with 14 of my peers and three chaperones, I was DC bound and, despite difficulties condensing my packing and our three AM departure, I embarked on the journey with pure excitement.

We visited Arlington Cemetery, the Vietnam, Korean, FDR, MLK, Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials, Ford’s Theatre, the Smithsonian National Zoo, the White House Visitor Center, National Archives, Mt. Vernon and Capitol Hill, among many other locations on our full itinerary. Though it is possible to list the places we visited, it is impossible to quantify how much we learned, but the experience that imprinted on my memory most was our visit to the Holocaust Memorial Museum.

We entered and were each given the identification card of a Holocaust survivor, then quickly ushered into an elevator. The chaos of the lobby dissipated as we ascended to the

Museum’s Permanent Exhibition where an ominous silence was a constant reminder of the gravity of the history we were experiencing in those halls.

Piercing through the silence was the shocking response from one friend to another: “I speak English, not gas chamber,” and my best friend and I immediately retreated into an empty restroom and crumbled into tears, embracing each other and cursing the moment the insensitive man who spoke those words had walked into the exhibit.

With bloodshot, swollen eyes, we left the restroom with the intention to “forgive and forget,” not knowing that a mere 50 feet away we would be confronted with another paralyzing demonstration of intolerance: a father pulling his children aside to assert that Adolf Hitler had been justified in imprisoning and murdering members of the LGBT community, waving an accusatory finger in his own son’s face as he muttered that “God hates gays.”

Again, another stream of tears ran down our already salty cheeks. I have never experienced such tactless insensitivity firthand, but the little I was exposed to felt reminiscent to me of cross-burnings on church lawns and gun violence in kindergarten classrooms. In a hushed room, a silent act of ignorance threatened to desecrate the holiest of memorials, one which honors the deaths of the victims of an atrocity and condemns the lives of the perpetrators of that

atrocity, of a horrific genocide.

In those moments, it became evident to me that even to suggest forgetting as a viable option is to court folly and risk relapsing into the moral travesties of our past. Incidentally, this is the same premise of the Stolpersteine Project which I had engaged with my junior year and the obituary pages present in every edition of this very publication. As infuriating as both incidents had been that day, I found reassurance in knowing that in a relatively small city 500 miles north, initiative was already being taken to medicate this malady.

We neglect the plight of our neighbors when we relegate them to the role of the other and I realized I had been inadvertently committing a similar mistake by standing passively as my friends referred to Make America Great Again (MAGA) apparel-wearers as the “Red Sea.” As diverse as Malden is, as a woman of color living in a predominantly left-wing state, living here has never forced me to face my own biases and complacency. The historical factoids and trivia I will likely forget in a few months comprise only a minute part of the educational experience that was my visit to Washington.

What truly resonated and what I will undoubtedly retain and apply in my life is the compassion and acceptance of others that only exposure and sincere consideration can produce.

In the process, I forged new friendships and solidified my

sisterhood. Bus rides turned into karaoke nights and the Smithsonian Museums became the backdrop to our favorite pictures; those memories will remain indelible because they are situated in memorials and landmarks and landscapes we already held appreciation for. Heading into the Lincoln Memorial with an open mind and an open heart allowed us to face the abolitionist hero with reverence and then turn around and erupt in laughter as we nearly fell, not realizing how steep the steps to the monument were. Withholding my expectations when we arrived at the Museum of African American History allowed me to lean into a tide of rage and devastation on the second floor, which houses exhibits about the strife of slaves, and then lean into a breeze of pride and hope on the third floor, which features the accomplishments of African Americans, including their musical, culinary and artistic achievements.

Not a single site we visited failed to elicit complex emotions from everyone on the trip and for that I am forever grateful. DC is the nucleus of our democracy and the opportunity to immerse myself in all its magic was the best possible way to cap my high school career.

Rebeca Pereira Editor in Chief

The Blue and Gold June 2019

Opinion

The Gentrification of Malden

9

maldenblueandgold.com

a year long research project

F

or the entirety of my high school career, I have been utterly fascinated with the urban community.

Malden is very representative of the traditional urban community, given its accessibility to Boston, its commerciality, and the high number of residents. Now, as a politically active and diverse school, the city is bound to be criticized in one way or another by students. In the past couple of years the word “gentrification” flew around with causality. From the ways in which Malden Center has changed to the ways students are treated and represented in schools, people came to be all too familiar with the word.

When I entered my AP Research class, from the minute I was enrolled my course of action for my year-long research project was evident. Sure, we all assumed Malden was going through gentrification, because we see the changes happening. Then, I wanted to purposefully put the label on the city, or potentially disprove us all.

Although, as you will read, gentrification as I define it, is meticulous and precise, while we as

T

he exact way I phrased the definition of gentrification was this: Gentrification is the process in which neighborhoods, to entire towns and cities, become predominantly upper-middle to upper class, most often changing the cultural community. Gentrification can potentially lead to displacement.

From this definition, the following indicators were identified: Income is increased, demographics become younger, home values are increased, rents are increased, and a change in poverty rate. The data correlating to these indicators were then found using Zillow and the U.S. Census for two years: one prior to 2012 and one post-2012. Gentrification is a process of changes and this reason combined with data constraints

a society define it differently. Now, upon entering my AP Research course and declaring I would be studying the gentrification of Malden, I was shocked, to say the least, that no one knew what it meant. It is an extraordinarily important term, given the concept reflects classism, racism, and the ways in which policy has the ability to influence lives.

The term asks the question, What does it mean to make a city better?

Gentrification, to put it simply, is when wealthier in-movers take over the population of a city, effectively changing the social and physical landscape of the city, whether through cultural, residential, or commercial displacement. (The exact definition used for the purposes of my research differs slightly; see below.)

Before starting my project, I became on the fence about my general line of inquiry. I felt the need to switch everything so my topic was more understandable, the method easier, and the whole project essentially simpler. I kept the project as I originally thought of it, because I decided that it was significantly more

made for the identification of a hinge point, of 2012, necessary. 2012 was chosen because there was a shift in local administration in which the present-day mayor came into office.

This may indicate the causes behind the gentrification. Other years signifying change could have been chosen for analysis as well.

Part of my methodology was to identify and analyze the relationships between the data points collected in reflection of the indicators.

This was in order to more fully and justifiably make a conclusion based on the complexity of the idea of gentrification, instead of several independent variables with probable different causes and effects.

Key Takeaways from the data

important than a research project of astrology and Malden High School students, and that above all, it most corresponds to my goals in postsecondary education and beyond.

After graduation I’ll be going to the Big Apple to further pursue my education. I will likely be majoring in Urban Studies as to prepare myself for a career in public policy in order to address the problems faced by urban communities, including poverty, education, food

accessibility, and more. The AP Research course has not only helped me reflect my interests in a tangible product, but give me the tools in which I can further pursue similar projects.

collection: Median income increased 12.4% while home values increased 65.4% and rents increased 28.5% Median income increased 12.4% while poverty rates increased 3.1% More people fell under the identified “young” age bracket (+2.3%)

project was the idea of displacement. Displacement in the sense of cultural or physical, whether commercial or residential. This was left unaddressed for a couple reasons.

For one thing I was not given the tools necessary to fully address this issue, and the second being that the focus of this research was the concept of gentrification as it occurs presently: I disregarded the causes or motivating forces of gentrification, while also disregarding the effects of the process outside of the process itself.

When I come back in December, or May, how will the city look?

Will I take the bus to the train station and be familiar with what I see? Or will this store or that store pop up in place of the diverse stores that have clustered in the square? From the phantom city hall will “new” and “expensive” sweep downward like a wave? Will Malden High School be target of the wave?

I ask not for much, in this. I would like the city, everyone in the city, from the residents to the professionals and academics, to the students and the teachers, to the administration which has provided backdrop for the gentrification of the city, to evaluate in what ways they can protect the sanctity of what we hold so dear of this city.

Will Malden still be Malden in 2020? 2025? We claim as a city to treasure our diversity as a community, but how long will it last?

In the final research paper, I came to the conclusion that Malden was going through gentrification given the data collected and relationships analyzed. Here, I argue the same. However, if you take the term gentrification out of all of this research and are left with the numbers, still, problems shine through.

How are people of a working class to afford homes or apartments in Malden, when their incomes are increased by 12.4% while home values and rents run right past with both rates of change surpassing that of the income, over doubly? And why is the rate of poverty increasing, but the median income of the city increasing as well?

As I prepare to leave Malden, and venture into a new life, I feel nearly afraid for the progression of the city. An income gap resulting in tremendously polarized walks of life, while Malden still becomes the up-and-coming spot for professionals and academics. At what cost does this come at?

Unaddressed in my research

Sydney Stumpf Editor in Chief of Print

Opinion

10

The Blue and Gold June 2019

maldenblueandgold.com

Wrestling with Change Abhishek Rana Editor-in-Chief of Web and Mobile Apps

I

love pro-wrestling. And if you don’t know, I am talking about the fake one. Hey… Star Wars is fake too people.

So anyway, last month, I had one of the strangest encounters I have ever had with someone in my life. I was at Gamestop when I saw a child, who I assumed to be ten or eleven, wearing merch from the same wrestler I was wearing at the time. The kid approached me and complimented my shirt and I did the same to him. Then he told me that it was nice to see another wrestling fan because his friends were not that into it. I have no clue what I was thinking at the time but in my attempt to reassure him, I suggested that even though it’s not real, wrestling is still cool.

I think I broke his world.

The kid was shaken and just looked at me like, “what do you mean, it’s not real?” I felt pretty awful about myself.

So how does this have anything to do with me, who I am and what my high school experience was? Well for me, finding out the reality of wrestling was—as someone who grew up in Nepal and did not celebrate Christmas—my-SantaClaus-is-not-real-moment. Except unlike this child, I found out in a more gradual fashion. I just got to a point at 11-years-old that I matured enough to finally begin questioning it and just look for the answer online.

But when I did find the truth, it did not discourage me for long. In fact, it made me appreciate the art even more, which is what I pray happens with him too.

As a six-year-old in Nepal, I actually picked up my first bit of English by watching pro-wrestling.

I have Jim Ross to thank for that.

But when I moved to the States at ten years old, even though I knew the language better than most new immigrants from having learned it formally for a few years in school, I still had the feeling of being out of place socially. So I instantly used whatever American pop-culture I knew to try and make friends, one of which was using wrestling catchphrases, which I thought were just genius at the time.

If you knew me in middle school, I was certainly quite peculiar, to say the very least. I sort of adopted this alter-ego that was inspired by wrestling and had my own gimmick to go along with it.

All of this probably seemed bizarre to even people who knew me and understood it somewhat, much less for anyone who took it seriously or couldn’t tell.

Regardless, it did allow me to adapt and gradually build a social group. But in the process, I began losing touch with how I had been raised for the first decade of my life.

Looking back at it, it was okay that I was different at 14 than I was at ten, but it wasn’t okay that I was forgetting who I was at ten. All of the friends and relatives who had teased that I would be unrecognizable after I moved to the States were proven correct in a matter of fewer than two years.

That’s where Malden High comes in—because not only did I grow intellectually and meet some incredible human beings along the process, I also gradually reconnected with culture and tradition over the last four years and finally discovered a level of spiritual-

ity. This culminated in a day-long traditional Hindu coming-of-age ceremony that I had last April. It made me realize that while I don’t need to conform to all the wishes of my parents, I should, at the very least, make the effort to respect it.

After four years at Malden High, I don’t need a shtick anymore. These past four years have allowed me to become comfortable in my own shoes and become fully authentic. It’s like a pro-wrestler finally perfecting their character work and connecting with the audience, except I didn’t have to suplex anyone in the process.

The Blue and Gold June 2019

Opinion

11

maldenblueandgold.com

Counting Down

Ailin Toro Managind Editor of Web and Mobile Apps

A

s I write this, there are 15 days of high school left. When this is published, there will be zero. Throughout high school, I feel like I have been counting down days. Counting down the days to Christmas break, summer break, but now I am counting to the actual end. While there is still prom, the senior barbecue, and other high school centric events left, my high school experience will essentially be over in 15 days.

While I’ve dealt with change before, moving to the United States, and the change from middle school to high school, nothing has never felt this final. While the move to America was definitely large, I was too young to understand that. And with the move from middle school to high school, while I was going to be in a larger building with new people, I knew I was going to have some of my friends with me. With the end of high school, I am being pushed to move on without the support system I have had for years.

Over the last week especially, I’ve talked to my friends about this, specifically about the fact that this does not feel real. While we might have attributed that to the cool weather, that excuse has become invaluable. In reality, the reason that it does not feel like high school is about to be over is because I have not fully allowed myself to process that it will. Doing that would make it true that I am going to leave so many things behind in just a few weeks.

This denial partly comes from the fact that the end of school signifies leaving friends behind.

While there are some that I do believe will continue to be in my life, the physical distance that college is going to cause between us is definite, and I can only hope that distance doesn’t go beyond being physical. Knowing that people that have been basically a daily constant in my life for

the past four years will now not be a short drive away, has caused me to value the time I get to spend with them more than ever.

Leaving high school also means leaving a consistent part of my life, that regardless of how I felt about it, was always there. Everyday I could count on being able to show up at the same time everyday, and going to my six classes. While I’m not going miss that specific schedule, I was used to the routine. Moving on to college, I know the routine will not be as simple as this, and having to settle into a new one is going to be hard.

These four years, while stressful and draining, always had a specific end goal: to graduate and get accepted to college. While that goal was accomplished, I do not know what I am going towards now. I am going to college, but my major is undecided, and while I am okay with taking my core classes and figuring out what I like, having my inevitable career path be completely unknown makes moving on that much harder.

With this though, I am still excited for the end of this chapter. While there are people I will miss, there are definitely other aspects I will be happy to leave behind. These four years I have worked hard, and deep down I do know I’m ready to move on to another place. These next three weeks, I am going to try to make the best of. With these 15 days being my last at the high school, I am not going to focus on the countdown.

I am thankful for the high school experience that I did have. While some classes were more straining than others, some classes I took added value to my life that have helped shape me into who I am. The relationships I have made with people here, are ones that I would not give up for anything, and even though I will not be seeing them everyday, I do not think those bonds will break.

From top to bottom: Ailin Toro at age 2; Seniors Sydney Stumpf, Derek Marin, Melanie Moulaison, Nathaniel Tortorella Silva, Toro, and Kristel Normil; Tortorella Silva, Normil, Edward Jiang, Toro; Jiang, Toro, and Tortorella Silva.

Opinion

12

The Blue and Gold June 2019

Encontrando un proposito maldenblueandgold.com

J

orge Luis Borges, well known author in Spanish literature once said, “Siempre me he imaginado que el Paraíso será una especie de biblioteca.” This famous quote, translated into English, “I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library,” has a very profound meaning in which not only could be interpreted in various forms but can be expressed in various ways. After studying Borges for two years, this quote has become very significant to me as I believe it best reflects my past four years at Malden High School.

From freshman orientation the start of 2015 to the last day of senior year, my high school experience has included discovering more about myself and sharing unforgettable memories with past and current peers. In addition, I have been able to interact and develop relationships with staff and faculty inside and outside of MHS that have assisted me outside of the classroom whether it is sharing helpful skills or advising me in difficult situations.

As I, along with my fellow peers in the class of 2019, begin to transition out from Malden High School, we begin to wonder, what does the future hold? Some will go on to become doctors who save lives, while others will serve our nation in the military and others still will become professional businessmen or women, but the most important aspect of all is looking back on our pasts and reflecting how far we have come.

Growing up from district to district or all twelve years within Malden Public Schools, we can all look back and determine the various challenges we have overcome and learned from. No matter if you have spent the past four years at MHS

“Finding Purpose”

or have only spent your first here, we are all connected through the culture of Malden and can all say we have contributed to this culture, contributing to community events or creating new additions.

Malden overall is well recognized, and a large contributor to this reputation was forged by the student body of Malden High School, addressing national, political and local conflicts. From my perspective, I think I speak on behalf of the student body when I say that MHS has an array of staff and faculty that contribute to the accepting and challenging environment and assist students in finding their identities and thriving amidst change.

It is nearly impossible that any individual visiting MHS could find a student who is not involved in any extracurricular activities, whether

it is being a member of a club or a student athlete. Being able to learn and apply those skills outside of the classroom is one attribute a student is able to display, but being involved and making a difference is an experience that can’t be simulated by anyone.

It is a surreal feeling thinking after four years of classes and extracurricular activities, we are moving on into the real world and moving forward with our lives. For the most part, it’s a bittersweet feeling going on to better opportunities and bringing friends and family alongside to get over the new obstacles.

Like the library Jorge Luis Borges described as a paradise, Malden High School and the class of 2019 contains an array of different books and genres which is represented by every student and their

backgrounds. You might pick up a book, read it, and return it to the library, but never forget the story that book told and that is the exact analogy I associate with Malden High School, my fellow peers and all staff and faculty, too.

This isn’t a “goodbye,” but instead a “see you later.” Here’s to the past four years, and the next that are to come!

Jesaias Benitez Managing Editor of Photogrpahy and Design

Opinion

The Blue and Gold June 2019

13

maldenblueandgold.com

Advice from a Senior A

s my journey in high school comes to a conclusion, here are lessons that I’ve found really helpful during the transition into college:

Neden Bernadin Lead Reporter

Be yourself: This is something that I truly struggled with during most of my younger years because I was always so focused on trying to impress other people, even if that meant going the extra mile to do so. But as I became wiser, I realized that showcasing your true personality is much more beneficial because it creates a more comfortable space to come out of your shell and to open up to other others.

Trust your instincts: As high school is ending, it can be a very stressful and complex situation determining how your future will turn out. Whether you’re going to college or having other plans after, it’s always important to trust your instincts and make decisions that you’re comfortable with.

Now, although seeking advice from your family and friends can be very helpful, it’s not as reliable for me because it comes from a different perspective and experience. It is also much easier to know that I took that risk than looking back in the past and wondering what if?.

Accept your mistakes: We’re bound to make mistakes, that’s just human nature. But rather than running away from them, we should accept our actions as wrongdoings and take it as a lesson if you’re stuck in similar situations in the future.

Best Effort, Always: Nothing comes easy in life, so it’s rather crucial to try your hardest whether you’re still in school, college, and work or simply towards a goal. Even if you have a specific outcome in mind, it may not envision what comes to life. Doing to the best of your abilities will open up new chances and perspectives.

A Series of Lasts Camille Nommi Lead Reporter

A

s we go through different stages in life, we endure life-changing moments. But those moments’ effects do not seem to be evident until they come to an end. To all the underclassmen reading this, your senior year sneaks up on you very quickly. And even though you’ll probably ignore me like I ignored my senior peer-mentor who said this at the freshman orientation four years ago, it is important that you make the best of it and embrace the journey.

Coming into senior year, I was so excited about the end result, failing to realize that every single thing you do is crucial to that end result: graduating. As a senior student-athlete, my volleyball, basketball, and track & field seasons felt much more intense for me because every day on the court or field were chances to make the time spent memorable. Although every day I felt jolted by the approaching last practices or games of the seasons, it hit me quite differently when the final day came to an end. I felt rushes of regret and wished I had better personal and team performances.

That is something I did a lot: wish. Wishing essentially gets you nowhere, that is something I am still learning to cope with. At first, when I heard back from all my schools, I was disappointed. That is because I had more expectations for myself and my family counted on me as a first-generation college student. I fell into a state where I was depressed, forgetting to acknowledge that I had accomplished so much. I realized that a university denying me admission does not mean that I am worthless or not worthy to study there. And overall, I accepted that my past mistakes, triumphs, and many other memories I wish I could tweak or re-live cannot be changed.

Students sometimes complain about attending Malden High, but overall I am happy with my experience.

I took part in programs that I do not think would be offered in a lot of the schools people say they wish they attended because of how it looks and is funded. Shout out to Summer Search for making these two years truly memorable and for staying by my side; most specifically my mentor Beryl Nyamunda because she dealt with me a lot. Thank you to Bottom Line (specifically Marisa O’Connor ) for really having me in check and always helping me out during the college process. At Malden High, although it isn’t always recognized, we have an amazing staff faculty who deal with a lot. Some even go as far as making student’s personal lives their own. I want to thank Ms. Alexis, Ms. Nims, Ms. Veritas, Ms. Magras, and Mr. Gallagher for being such great mentors. These were teachers that I felt like would always have time for me if I needed to express myself after class. In my opinion, you guys are such exemplary teachers and hope you guys know you are appreciated. Overall, I want to thank all staff members because you are there for us in ways that we cannot always understand and do your best to get us to get our lives in control.

I don’t think I would have wanted to graduate anywhere else. Yes, Malden High and I had its differences but I made such unique friendships and was in the presence of some really talented, passionate, and humble people; you all know who you are. And although I am sad that this chapter is closing, I am happy to say that I will be continuing my studies at the University of Massachusetts Amherst but this is definitely not going to be the last of me that you guys will see. I love you MHS thank you for these four years.

14

Advertisements maldenblueandgold.com

The Blue and Gold June 2019

The Blue and Gold June 2019

Profiles

15

maldenblueandgold.com

Valedictorian: Felix Li

Abhishek Rana Editor in Chief, Web and Mobile Apps

A

fter just finishing up a math tournament at Tufts University, Felix Li sat down at the Malden Public Library to await the decision letter from what has been his dream school ever since middle school. A deferral earlier in December had made Li somewhat cynical about his chances. But regardless, it was on the eve of Pi Day, March 14th, at exactly time 2π, 6:28 pm, Li opened up the letter he had been anticipating yet dreading for the last three months. When he finally opened it, Li was jubilant beyond words. He had just been accepted into the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

“It was a dream,” recalled Li. “The next day when I went to class I was still thinking that.”

For Li, beyond just the fulfillment of a childhood dream, it was a culmination of his high school years that has seen him grow as a student, a leader, and ultimately, a person.

Li went into his freshman year as a shy student who kept a closeknit of friends. While he still considers himself to be introverted in some ways, he exercised every opportunity he had in his four years of high school to push his boundaries and step out of his comfort zones, which saw him doing everything from Poetry Out Loud to helping, or at least attempting to help, thwart a bear attack in Minnesota.

Going into his freshman year, Li made one of his goals to improve his public speaking, understanding its importance. In order to do so, he decided to join the MHS Speech and Debate Team as well as Youth & Government, eventually becoming the Chief Justice his senior year in the latter. Li attributed his growth as a public speaker as well as his developing interests in politics to Youth & Government.

Senior Birukti Tsige, who went to middle school with Li and also collaborated with Li on various extra-curricular activities in high school, including Speech and Debate, Malden Youth Civics Coun-

cil, and National Honors Society, has taken note of Li’s growth as a speaker.

Tsige explained that “before high school, [Li] was always known as this smart but reserved kid.”

“Then freshman year, I have a class with him and he stands up and starts speaking. I was just in awe because he is not timid or quiet.

Suddenly, he just exuded confidence which was a really incredible transition. He has gotten better and better over the years, as I have seen him in [the Malden Youth Civics Council] and Speech and Debate.

Even though he is still introverted as a person, when he needs to be a good speaker and give a good speech, he is so incredible. It just shocks me.”

Throughout high school, Li became quite en-

gaged politically and came to realize the importance of civic engagement.

Li admitted that going into MHS, as he was already certain about pursuing STEM, he was in the mind-set that he “could not mix STEM with humanities and politics.” However, as he got more involved with public speaking, he realized that politics “was not something that you can ignore” and that in order to“be a good student or citizen you have to be politically engaged to a certain degree.”

Li expressed his desires to continue to engage politically in college and beyond, even though it is not something he is pursuing career-wise.

Besides Youth & Government, Li also credited the Summer Search Program for his growth through-

Li signaled to his parents as his source of academic motivation. “They instilled in [him] from a really young age the importance of being a good student.”

out high school. Li explained that through the program, he was able to form mentoring relationships and therefore the program became his “outlet outside of school.”

Academically, Li will pursue a major in computer science at MIT, while keeping the possibility of double majoring or minoring in environmental science open. After taking the computer science program at MHS for four years with Paul Marques, Li has found his passion for programming and problemsolving.

Marques, who Li also pointed to as one of his mentors, hailed “his attention to detail.”

“He always does A-plus work, finishes ahead of time, is very inquisitive and makes sure every t is crossed and i is dotted,” explained Marques. “He really holds to the specifics of the program and thinks outside the box.”

Li signaled to his parents as his source of academic motivation.

“They instilled in [him] from a really young age the importance of being a good student.”

“Even when they took a step when I went to high school, I put the same pressure on me to make my parents happy. My parents’ happiness attributes to my own happiness.”

Beyond just admiration academically, Li is also well-liked by his peers for his general kindness and consideration.

“He may, if you don’t know him, look shy, but once you know him, he is very affectionate and fun to be around,” said senior Daniel Augustin, who is a close friend of Li. “The thing about Felix is that he is just such a good person and good in the purest form,” said Tsige.

“It’s not that he brags about it and does these overly extravagant things, it is just the really small things he does. Like he always holds the door for people, when we are walking and he sees trash he just always picks it up. He also always carries around a wooden spoon and a metal straw. He does not make it a big deal but just does it without anyone looking.”

16

Profiles

The Blue and Gold June 2019

maldenblueandgold.com

Salutatorian: Birukti Tsige Rebeca Pereira Editor in Chief

“

I got into Stanford,” were the words that undeniably and irreversibly changed the course of Senior Birukti Tsige’s life as she spoke them to her father, stunned by the sight of his daughter’s hair, short and shaven like he had never seen before.

Though her father “kept looking around to see if there was any imaginary hair that could be salvaged,” processing the absence of the curls that had previously clustered around his daughter’s face, Tsige explains, he did not hesitate to embrace her as soon as he heard her utter those life-altering words.

“The hug he gave me was one of a lifetime,” Tsige notes, and “his smile warmed me to my very core.” Her father’s outward validation of her accomplishment confirmed what she already knew: she was now one among the 1,044 nationwide who were awarded the coveted QuestBridge College Match Scholarship, a full ride scholarship, covering tuition, room and board, other expenses and sometimes travel costs— “the ultimate dream for any high school student wanting to attend college.”

Her acceptance to Harvard University, though just as momentous, did not receive as enthusiastic a reaction— “over the years, [she] has learned that it is good not to be too reactive to decisions so [she] just forced her heart to calm down and patted [herself] on the back.”

Once her acceptance from Harvard came through, Tsige was confronted with the fact that “half the battle was choosing between both institutions,” a decision she did not solidify until the last possible moment by placing down her deposit on May 1st, known as National College Decision Day, when she finally decided to commit to Harvard because of its “proximity to home.”

Tsige plans to major in Biology on a pre-med track and minor in Creative Writing at Harvard,

where she will be enrolling in the fall, an eclectic choice which reflects the myriad interests she pursued throughout high school.

Tsige is heavily involved in local government and civic engagement. As the First Chair of the Malden Youth Civics Council, which she founded with MHS class of 2018 graduate Harrison Zeiberg, she leads members in voter registration drives, voting workshops, Malden City Council attendance and local activism, which recently has included advocating for the Vote 16 initiative.

Last year, Tsige served as the student representative on the Malden School Committee, treasurer of the Speech and Debate team and Vice President of National Honor Society.

This year, she has continued to serve both of the latter student organizations as President of NHS and Vice President of Speech and Debate, which she has won various accolades for, including a first place win for poetry at the Garcia Burkill regional tournament.

Her interest in creative writing has also manifested itself throughout her life in various iterations, both academically and extracurricu-

larly. Tsige created and maintains a Facebook writing group with more than 1,500 members from more than 50 countries and was awarded the National History Club Lessons of Leadership award for her historical writing.

Tsige has written on Wattpad, a publishing platform, since she was 14 years old and has garnered a loyal readership with more than 20 million total reads and 88,000 followers, a network which allowed her to publish and query her book in November of 2018, an accomplishment she never believed possible. “[The book] is a sappy, cliche, young romance novel, but it’s [hers] and [she] gets to hold it in [her] hands,” Birukti states with pride.

Academically, Tsige has taken 11 Advanced Placement classes, four Bunker Hill Community College classes, scored high on the SAT and ACT and maintained a top class rank.

Meanwhile, she has attained state certification as a nursing assistant and balanced her numerous extracurriculars, commitments to Cross Country, Choir and Bible Classes at her church, Technovation, a club that encourages female presence in

“My advice for the underclassmen: there are opporunitites at Malden High. They are everywhere. Find them. Take advantage of them. Become leaders in them. Don't settle.”

the world of technology, and her responsibilities as her family caretaker, especially for her two younger brothers.

Though professionally ambitious, family values have always oriented and underpinned Tsige’s aspirations. Neither one of her parents attended school, but the diligence and hard work they demonstrated in their emigration from a small village in Ethiopia has allowed her to know them as “some of the most brilliant people [she has] ever met.”

Knowing her parents did not have the financial means of providing her with tutors, private schools and many other resources available to other students, Tsige took heed of her parents’ instructions to exert herself academically to the best of her ability. “When [she] showed [her] dad [her] straight A’s in middle school, his response was always ‘good job Birukti, next time get an A plus plus,” advice which initially frustrated her but began to motivate her as she reached high school.

Tsige acknowledges that many students face the same hurdles as she has faced and suggests that they take advantage of the resources Malden High provides. “Attend workshops, become close with leaders in the community,” she advises, “they open doors for you.”

She expresses her gratitude for the staff members who pushed her to excel during her academic career, citing her particular appreciation for Damian Aufiero, who “inspired [her] to go against the grain,” Kate Haskell, who kept “ her Crying Closet open to [Tsige] for hard days” and Julie Jones, “whose room I could walk into and just exhale.”

She, the girl who had spent years rifling through college newsletters and viewing acceptance letter openings, “anything to fill up [her] time while [she] waited for [her] moment to come,” was finally accepted to her dream school, a “high” she wishes every student is able to experience.

Profiles

The Blue and Gold June 2019

17

maldenblueandgold.com

Class Orator: Kayla Dos Reis Sousa K

ayla Dos Reis Sousa, a graduate of the Malden High School Class of 2019, has been one of the pioneering students for Malden High’s partnership with Bunker Hill Community College, the Dual Enrollment Program. She spent her freshman and sophomore years at MHS studying with a conventional schedule, attending classes normally and participating in track. She excelled particularly in her Spanish and English classes, noting that “though [her] high school career is minimal [she] became very close with [Yahaira] Marquez and [Sharon] Kallagher,” who saw her interest in each subject and

# E

4

mily Woo is an outstanding student in the class of 2019.

Woo joined Interact Club her freshman year, and has been the secretary of the club since junior year. She was also a part of Movie Production Club and SNHS (Science

incentivized her learning in their respective classes. Her junior year, Sousa made the transition to Dual Enrollment, opting for a less confining academic schedule that would allow her to maintain her job.

She comments that guidance counselor Ann O’Connor “made the transition so much smoother” and that she is “thankful for the resources MHS provides to cater to all students and their preferences.” In the fall, she will continue to further her education at Bunker Hill as a full time student in order to obtain her Associates Degree and transfer into another college or university in the future.

Emily Woo

National Honor Society) since junior year, which was also the year that both clubs were founded.

Woo has been involved in Crew since her freshman year. Woo was assigned to be a coxswain just two weeks into practice, and while she had no idea what that was at that time, “now, [she is] more confident in [her] job”, which is to steer the boat, give directions to her teammates, and to motivate them during the race. Woo mentions that “this responsibility has trained [her] to be more clear-headed and determined.”

Outside of school, Woo loves to play ping pong and badminton.

Woo loves to hike as well, because “it is nice to escape from [her] busy life and embrace nature.” She also enjoys traveling, because “it allows [her] to explore the characteristics of different cultures.”

Woo is going to miss a lot from high school, including her friends, her teachers, and “the valuable experience of coxing in the crew team.”

She credits her freshman and junior year English teacher Margaret Giberson as someone who was essential in the success of her high school career. She mentions that freshman year, she had just moved to Malden from Hong Kong, “so [she] was not confident in [her] English, and was shy to talk in class, so [she] would go to Mrs. Giberson’s room after school and ask for advice to improve [her] writing.”

Woo adds that “[Giberson] also helped build up [her] confidence by recognizing [her] improvement.”

She also wanted to thank her biology teacher in 9th and 11th grade, Diem Phan, saying that “she [was] like a friend to [her].”

Woo added that “although [she

has] gotten used to the environment here, sometimes [she] still feel[s] like [she is] new to this country due to the cultural difference, and hope[s] the college experience will help [her] further assimilate into American society.”

Woo is planning to go to the Honors College at UMass Amherst in the fall. She is going to major in nutrition “because [she] wants to connect [her] interest in science to daily life.”

In the future Woo wants to be a nutritionist/dietitian “since [she thinks] it is necessary to teach people more about how to implement a healthy lifestyle.”

She would like to plan healthy diets for specific individuals. “{She} hopes that [she] will be able to improve [her] patients’ health by using [her] nutrition knowledge as an alternative to medication.

Profiles

18

maldenblueandgold.com

#

5

Sean Tran S

ean Tran leaves Malden High having accumulated great experiences along the way and as one of the top academically ranked students in the class of 2019.

A student with many interests, Tran has dipped his toes in various extracurricular activities throughout high school. He competed in track and cross-country his freshman year, helped start the MHS Ping-Pong Club, and cofounded the MHS Math Team this year alongside fellow class of 2019 member Thomas Tran.

Tran explained that he always “look[s] towards future possibilities” which persuades

#

6

him to continue to “branch out and try a lot of different things.” “[He] notice[s] that [he burns] through a lot of things quickly so [he is] always open to trying new things,” said Tran. His level of comfort in various different areas has allowed Tran to meet and build relationships “with a mesh of personalities,” all with different levels of studiousness, which he has come to enjoy.

Throughout high school, Tran has always gravitated towards STEM because he has always been interested in “the physical properties of the world” and applied mathematics. Tran highlighted science teacher Brian Morrison and math teacher Cara Joyce as two of his mentors in the faculty that have most helped him along the way.

“They have been extremely real with me and have thought me a little bit more about being a person than maybe I would have liked to know.”

In the fall, Tran will attend the University of Massachusetts Amherst with a declared major of Chemistry. Tran is unsure if he will switch his major to Engineering or any other STEM field.

oanne Ho graduates from the Class of 2019 after a lively four years that included many strenuous courses and extracurricular activities.

President of the American Red Cross Club and captain of the swim team, Ho built up her leadership skills throughout high school and took the initiative to give back to the community on numerous occasions. Linking up with the American Red Cross, Ho helped organize several blood drives in her years at the high school. In addition, she, along with her fellow swim team members, also volunteered for a swim clinic held on the weekends, teaching kids how to swim completely free.

Joanne Ho reflected on her overall MHS ex-

Images, left to right: Painting by Novia Li; drawing

by Novia Li; electrical box painted by Paolina Fornari.

7Novia # Li

Joanne Ho J

The Blue and Gold June 2019

perience with fondness, citing the diversity of the student body as one of the things she revered the most.

“The diversity at Malden high is definitely one of the biggest factors that allowed me to have such a fantastic four years here. I was exposed to so many cultures, traditions, and amazing people, and for that, I’m extremely grateful to have spent my high school career at Malden High.”

Ho also credited the faculty at MHS for her positive experience, stating that “the teachers here truly, genuinely care about their students and form meaningful relationships that allow [students] to thrive even through the toughest of times.”

In particular, Ho pointed science teacher Brian Morrison and history teacher Gregory Hurley for being “huge sources of support that motivated [her] to try [her] hardest senior year.”

Joanne Ho will begin a new chapter in her life this fall when she heads to the University of Massachusetts at Amherst to pursue a degree in biology, as a first-generation college student. In the long term, she hopes to attend medical school and pursue a career in pediatrics.

N

ovia Li is an academically gifted member of the class of 2019.

Li has stayed involved in various forms around the school. She was co-founder and Vice President of Science National Honor Society since junior year, and president of Interact Club for three years. She was also co-founder and president of Culture Connection for two years.

Outside of school, Li also did a lot of internships for bioengineering as well, and did some environmental work with Sunrise and ACE. Painting is one of Li’s many strengths. She speaks on this, talking about how she “like[s] expressing [herself] on paper, and that “it honestly just makes [her] very happy and it’s a way to de-stress.”

Li is skilled in various forms of art including digital, watercolor, and and acrylic. Apart from painting, Li also enjoys listening to music, and watching Korean dramas.

Li is going to miss “the carefree nature” that high school brings.

She expands on this saying that the move to college makes “things feel more real and actions means more.”

However, Li “couldn’t be happier” about where she is headed.

Li is committed to attend Tufts University this fall. With great options in front of her, Li decided on Tufts due to her wanting “to go into engineering but also want[ing] to get a liberal arts education,” which made Tufts “perfect.” She also loved that students at Tufts “don’t compete with one another but with themselves and collaborate with one another.”

The offer from Tufts was also an easy one to accept due to how “[she’ll] be close to home where [she] can visit [her] family members.” Li’s greatest motivators throughout high school were her parents, who “have done a lot for [her and her education].”

She went into high school with the goal of being “able to go to a good college and come out with zero debt to make [her parents and herself] happy,” and is ecstatic that her goal was realized.

Profiles

The Blue and Gold June 2019

19

maldenblueandgold.com

#

8

#

#

9

Paolina FOrnari P

aolina Fornari is another exceptional member of the class of 2019.

Fornari can be somewhat defined by her passion for art. She is currently the Vice President of the Fine Arts Club, which she has been part of it since she transferred to Malden High her sophomore year.

Fornari talked about how “[she’s] been drawing for as long as [she] can remember,” and even though [she doesn’t] have a specific career in mind that [she’d] like to jump into after college, [she] hope[s] that with whatever [she does] in the future and even now, [she has] the opportunity to use [her] art to make people feel more included and represented and help those who are already overrepresented have more empathy and understanding for those who are not.”

Apart from art, Fornari is also

interested in “current events, politics, and trying to make the world a better place.” Because of this, she has become actively involved in the Malden High School Democrats and the Malden Youth Civics Council since last year.

Fornari is “going to miss the people at Malden High the most,” but “the excitement of starting a new journey, making new friends, and having more freedom is helping [her] accept that this chapter of [her] life is coming to a close.” Fornari’s hopes for the future motivated her the most throughout high school.

She mentions that while there’s “a lot of anxiety about the futurewhether [she’ll] get a job, what job that will be... something [she has] been looking forward to for all of high school is the freedom [she’ll] have after [she] graduate[s] to make more of [her] decisions and do more of what [she] love[s].”

Fornari is headed to UMass Dartmouth’s College of Visual and Performing Arts in the fall. She will be majoring in Integrated Studio Arts. She was drawn to this major because she “can’t imagine [herself] only sticking to just illustration, just animation, or just graphic design,” and “want[s] to involve them all in [her] education.”

Fornari was drawn to UMass Dartmouth because she “like[s] having the option to take other classes that aren’t in visual arts, like Women’s and Gender Studies or Psychology classes that could help inform [her] art.” The choice of UMass Dartmouth also came from how “art schools can be lacking in diversity due to the financial barriers it takes to get into them,” and Fornari thinks “surrounding [herself] with diversity in every sense...is really important to [her] development as a person and as an artist.”

Brenden Vo B

renden Vo is one of the most academically talented members of the class of 2019. Despite this, he has stayed a humble and approachable person.

Throughout high school Vo has maintained good grades, while at the same time being involved in extracurriculars. He was in Chemistry Club junior and senior year, Science National Honors Society senior year, and Key Club and Ping Pong Club for four years. He became Treasurer of Ping Pong Club senior year. Vo has enjoyed being a part of Ping Pong Club, and says he liked “being involved in the club for the sport, but also because of the people, because after being in the club so long,

10

M

[the members] all got really close.”

Regarding other sports, Vo also did Crew his freshman year.

As far as hobbies, Vo enjoys playing video games and hanging out with his friends. Vo is especially going to miss science teachers Brian Morrison and Martin Berryman, who had a great influence on his high school career. Senior Nina Nguyen has known Vo since middle school. She talks about him saying that “besides being one of the smartest people [she] know[s], Brenden is someone who many enjoy being around.” She expands on that, saying that “he has a fun personality that never fails to make people laugh.”

While Vo is excited to leave high school, he is also sad about the teachers and friends he is going to leave behind.

As far as motivators throughout high school, Vo credits his mother who “pushed [him] to do the best [he] could do.”

In the fall, Vo will be attending Brandeis University here in Massachusetts. After being accepted to respected institutions including UMass Amherst and Boston College, he decided on Brandeis because of the research opportunities that they offer. He is going to be majoring in Bio-Chem, and in the future he hopes to be involved in Alzheimer’s research.

Melody Wong

elody Wong leaves Malden High after an eventful four years that saw her step out of her comfort zones and get involved in various ventures.

In Wong’s freshman year, she decided to join the crew team, which was the first time she had ever partaken in competitive sports. As a novice to competitive sports, she was driven “to work extra hard” to keep up and had a “difficulties balancing sports with her academics.”

In addition, Wong also volunteered with the MHS Key Club

throughout her four years.

Academically, Wong was motivated to excel in terms of her grades and took several rigorous courses that pushed her throughout her high school career.

“I was able to motivate myself knowing that one day it will pay off, not only with good grades but with the knowledge that would make my college experience easier.”

Wong also credited MHS teachers Gregory Hurley, Brian Morrison, and Rebecca Corcoran as mentors who she could ask for advice and

“gave [her] an environment where [she] felt safe and was able to work.”

Her fondest memory of high school is her junior year trip to Italy with the Tornado Travellers club.

Wong described the trip as an opportunity to “travel and explore with her close friend” as well as meet and build relationships with teachers and peers she had never met before.

Wong will attend the University of Rhode Island’s College of Nursing in the fall.

20

Profiles

The Blue and Gold June 2019

maldenblueandgold.com

President: Mattheus Farias Rebeca Pereira Editor in Chief

D

uring three consecutive years, Matt Farias has served as the president for the Malden High School Class of 2019, a role he has cherished and laments vacating as he graduates alongside his peers and fellow class officers.

As president for the majority of his high school career, Farias has become a seasoned class officer, well versed in the representation of class interests and invested in the success of his peers.

Although his title implies a larger role than the other officers, Farias explains that “[the class leadership staff] is much like a family” and that “anyone is willing to pick up the slack because [they] inherently trust each other.”

Besides the practical skills he has obtained through his leadership position, like time management and successful collaboration, Farias states that the role of president “made [him] grow faster” given the “certain amount of responsibility and maturity it required.”

Junior Varieties and Prom planning, the crown jewels of his presidency, both required unprecedented discipline and devotion from class leadership. For Junior Varieties, Farias acted as stage manager in addition to aiding the preparations for the event and he contributed to the “collaborative effort” that was prom planning by “looking into which bus options would be most affordable and arranging the transportation,” he explains.

While both processes were tedious and unforgiving, Farias’ diplomatic and attentive nature sustained both operations, according to class advisor Rebecca Corcoran.

“He is maybe not the loudest kid in the room, but he is the best listener in the room,” says Corcoran, who, reflecting on both events, adds that “[Farias] takes the best ideas and goes forth unafraid.”

This resolve has not always been characteristic of Farias, though; his freshman year, Corcoran states, he was “prompted to run for the presidency by an upperclassman” and “was not confident that he was

a good student.”

As his former United States History 1 and Advanced Placement United States History teacher, Corcoran has seen his evolution firsthand from a reserved student to one who is the first to raise his hand in class and contribute, someone who has “finally realized that he is academically strong and gained a significant amount of confidence.”

This became most evident through his confidence in his oratory skills when it came to the realization that he would deliver a speech at graduation. “Now that he knows that he’s a trusted member of the class, he’s owning doing the speech,” says Corcoran.

Above all, Farias hopes that his tenure as class president and his trajectory as a student have helped and will continue to help his peers.

He advises underclassmen leaders to disregard those who are “very quick to judge” because they “don’t see the hard work and the ethic that go into [class] decisions.”

“Don’t let what other people say deter you from making the best decision for your class,” says Farias, who has encountered many difficult scenarios in which his better judgement and discernment were critical to decision making.

Farias will be continuing to pursue his education at University of Massachusetts Boston, an institution which he says will allow him to continue “bettering [himself] and his community” due to its proximity to Malden, where his family will continue to reside.

Though he has no defined ma-

jor or career, his greatest goal is to set a good example for his younger brother and to make his parents proud.

Farias explains that his parents have been the impetus behind much of his academic and athletic success and that he strives to honor and repay the “many sacrifices” they made for him. “They gave up possibilities of achieving their career dreams,” he says, adding that he is eternally grateful and “want[s] to make them realize that all they did for [him] was not in vain.”

He hopes to extend his years of athleticism to the collegiate level, bringing with him four years on the MHS soccer team and three years on both the Indoor and Outdoor Track teams, as well as his devotion to service, which he has demonstrated through his heavy involvement in Captain’s Council and participation in National Honor Society, into which he was recently inducted. His NHS service project, a soccer clinic made possible through a partnership with the Malden Recreational Department and the help of seniors Nour Tafroui and Max Batista as well as sophomore David Lombardi, focuses on giving younger students the same opportunity as he had to “make new friends and learn about [himself] and the sport.”

At the end of the day, “wherever life leads [him], [he] plans on being the best version of [himself] he can be,” Farias says, and hopes that, through his leadership, this desire for growth and self improvement for the benefit of others has been apparent.

“Growing up I was given a lot of privileges thanks to sacrifices my parents made. They gave up possibilities of achieving their career dreams for me. I carry that weight with me and want to make them realize that what they did for him was not in vain.”

Social Media Coordinator: Sebastian Romani

Sebastian Romani is the Social Media Coordinator of the Class of 2019. He expresses that being a part of the student council “has been one of the best parts in [his] high school career.” Since his freshman year he has always wanted to get involved with his class and get to know everyone as well. Joining student council has been “[his] stepping stone to meet so many amazing people in this school and in the community.”

Romani has had a “great time at Malden High,” and it has given him “so many different opportunities and memories that [he] will cherish forever.” One of the most valuable lessons he learned in high school is to never judge a book by its cover.

Coming into high school, “[Romani] thought that labels would be harshly enforced onto different groups of kids,” however, he was proven incorrect as he became more outgoing and made more friends.

He specifically recalls the Class of 2016 officers and how they displayed “great leadership qualities,” which he wanted to pursue as he progressed through his high school career. Going into senior year, Romani slimmed down on extracurriculars to focus on what he was passionate about.

Throughout high school he has fallen in love with sports, particularly swimming, and performing for the Malden High Band and Wind Ensemble. Romani is also a part of the National Honors Society, which has sprouted his love for helping the community.

Romani explained that Gregory Simone, a Chemistry teacher at Malden High, has significantly impacted his high school career, as he “was an immediate shoulder to lean on when times got tough.” Simone “always had faith in [Romani] even when [he] did not have any.” Romani plans on attending Boston University and majoring in either sociology or behavioral science.

The Blue and Gold June 2019

Profiles

21

maldenblueandgold.com

Vice President: Helen Eshetu

Rebeca Pereira Editor in Chief

F

or a timid freshman, her cheeky campaign slogan, “just bleep it and vote for me,” was an uncharacteristic departure from Helen Eshetu’s reserved nature. Though her platform encouraged her fellow classmates to throw caution to the wind and cast a ballot in her favor, Eshetu, who has acted as the Class of 2019’s vice president for all four years of high school, has proved to be a cautious, personable and attentive leader.

Eshetu recognizes that class leadership and “being in the forefront of the class and making these key decisions really helped [her]” become a more uninhibited self.

Though she had never been reserved or shy, leadership, and the socialization that came along with it, forced her to reach out to her classmates.

Fellow class officer Santiago Portillo notes that Eshetu is “very outgoing in a not overwhelming way,” a quality that has been an asset to the leadership body as a whole during all four years. “She always has input that has meaning,” says Portillo, who has witnessed Eshetu’s growth first-hand through their close friendship and class leadership.

Portillo and Eshetu are in agreement when they say that the dynamic of the class officers is very fluid. As vice president, Eshetu takes notes during meetings and assists President Matt Farias in making a number of decisions but, ultimately, officers “don’t really have designated roles, [they] just support one another,” a dynamic that is successful because “[they] are all friends,” she says.

Her role within class leadership withstood the tests of Junior Varieties (JVs) in 2018 and prom planning, which was finalized just recently. JVs proved to be a “difficult but interesting” experience because the unforgiving nature of the twomonth operation made her “really self conscious about what she could bring to the table.” During the weeks leading up to the event, the class officers stopped “having so much fun and went into business mode,” says Eshetu, who adds that “there was a

lot of crying but it eventually paid off.”

During the preparation stages of both events, Eshetu acknowledges that she relied heavily on class advisor Rebecca Corcoran, who also taught Eshetu in class both her freshman and junior years. Conceding that ““[she is] not prepared but [is] trying [her] hardest to prepare others,” Eshetu adds that “Corcoran has been pulling a heavy hand” and “is extremely reliable,” not only as a teacher, but as a friend.

Eshetu states that Corcoran’s “openness is so admirable” and her “willing[ness] to create friendships with any student” reflects in her ability to be “not judgemental at all.” Corcoran, in turn, says that “watching [the officers] grow has been a privilege for [her] as an educator.”

Other teachers, of course, have also affected Eshetu’s trajectory in high school, including history teacher Gregory Hurley and former history teacher Damian Aufiero.

Despite Aufiero’s recent departure from Malden High, Eshetu remembers him as someone who “encouraged [her] to look into history” and gave her the “sense of direction [she] needed early on.”

Both Hurley and Aufiero were “such impactful figures” says Eshetu, and her ultimate goal is “to be that to someone else.”

Eshetu, who has been involved with Technovation, Feminism Club, National Honor Society and Speech and Debate, will be attending University of Massachusetts Amherst in the fall, majoring in Afro Studies, the intersection between her interest in social justice and political science as well as her identity as a black

woman.

Eshetu, who attended a trip to Washington DC with the Malden Youth Civics Council and the Malden Teen Enrichment Center in April, says that civics and politics will always be “a part of [her]” because both are “riveting and controversial and fun.”

“Growing up in a household of women has made [her] more sensitive to women’s and minorities’ issues,” says Eshetu, adding that “learning more about [Afro studies] benefits [her] and [her] family.” Her fascination with film has also influenced her vocational decision as she aspires to write screenplays and produce movies that “give black people more visibility through the media.”

Eshetu mentions that, ultimately, “[she] want[s] to exert [herself] academically but also want[s] to enjoy the college experience and make it enjoyable for the people around [her],” a goal that senior Sedrah Mashhour believes is feasible for Eshetu, who “took [Mashhour] under her wing” immediately after meeting her.

Mashhour, a transfer student from Milton High School in Georgia, mentions that, on her first day of school, she was “terrified,” especially as she was “dropped off with [Eshetu] with no prior introduction” but found that she had, in fact, “struck gold.” Mashhour, who plans to dorm with Eshetu in college, is thankful that their “friendship blossomed from there.”

As formative as Malden and her experience at Malden High School have been, Eshetu “looks forward to the future and anticipates great things to come.”

“The first year was really special for me because I had just entered high school and I hadn't really found mygroup yet. Being vice president helped me find myself; it was one of the best parts of high school.”

Artistic Director: Michelle Nie

Michelle Nie, the Class of 2019 Artistic Director, expresses that it has been a privilege to be able to work with a group of amazing people, “who have encouraged [her] as an artist and helped [her] grow as a person.” Nie’s experience at Malden High has been “challenging and refreshing.” She explains that for a long period of time she was not mentally in the right place. Nie suffered from anxiety, was “unmotivated in [her] academics, and dealt with depression.” But with the “support and resources of Malden High’s faulty,” she was able to get herself back on track.

Throughout her high school career, one of the most valuable lessons that she has learned is that “[it is] okay to make mistakes and that [she is] supposed to make mistakes.” When she finally accepted her flaws and became “content with [herself ], [her] relationships with [her] friends and family,” she was “emotionally and mentally present in my life rather than living life day by day.”

Due to her passion towards art, Nie has frequently expressed herself artistically. Joe Luongo, an Art teacher at Malden High, has been a teacher and a mentor who has “cultivated [her] skills as an artist, and expanded her knowledge of design.”

Nie explained that Rebecca Corcoran, the Class of 2019 Adviser, has given her the “opportunity to help [her] class [and her] reputation as an artist. Without Corcoran, Nie expressed that “[she] would not have been able to have the courage to design projects.”

Nie is heavily involved as she did Summer Search, which she described as life changing, and was apart of the Science National Honors Society, National Honors Society, Fine Arts Club and Robotics Club. She explains that she would like to continue these extracurriculars in college, but she plans on branching “out to other clubs and organizations to [...] explore more options.” Nie is following her passion for art, and plans to major in graphic design at Boston University.

Profiles

22

The Blue and Gold June 2019

maldenblueandgold.com

Senior Activities COORDINATOR: SHATEAYA SMITH

S

hateaya Smith was the class JV Coordinator as well as Senior Activities Coordinator. In addition, she was also a student ambassador as well as a part of the track and field team here at Malden High School. Throughout her years here at Malden High Smith’s athletic career really took off “[She] [has] broke[n] the school record for Women’s Indoor ShotPut twice (Junior and Senior year), as well as the Outdoor record for Women’s Shot Put twice and Discus Record Once (Senior year)” said Smith. When talking about her experience at Malden High Smith explains how the “Malden High staff as a whole has affected [her] greatly, the resources Malden High Teachers have offered to help [her] overcome so many hardships, were and are to this day, still amazing. Malden High has had a lasting memory, but it is mainly because of the people in it.” She also believes that having come to this school has also “simply offered classes [she] needed and was interest in taking in order for [she] to gain the knowledge I needed to pursue [her] dream career.” After Malden High Smith will be attending University of Massachusetts-Lowell where she plans to receive her Bachelor’s degree in Biology pre-Medical in addition to receiving a minor of Criminal Justice and Legal Studies.

Senior Activities COORDINATOR: OLIVIA FORESTIER

O

livia Forestier has left her mark at Malden High as the Class of 2019 Senior Activities Coordinator. She describes her experience being a part of the Student Council as “memorable and rewarding.” This opportunity has helped her “learn life skills and meet many great people that [she] may not have had the chance to.” Her journey throughout the years has taught her that “at the end of the day, the only person who can get you to where you want to be is yourself.” She states that “[she has] definitely become a lot more independent and driven.”

She describes the past four years as “a roller coaster ride.” Forestier had many influences at Malden High that taught her to never give up. She explained that “The days [she] gave up on [her]self or simply needed someone to talk to [staff members] were always more than willing to listen.” She stated her gratefulness to those staff members that have influenced her. Forestier’s journey throughout High School goes beyond the Council, as she has also participated in athletics throughout her career. She has participated in Soccer, Swim, and Crew. Forestier will be attending Suffolk University in the Fall and plans to major in Education, “due to the growth and experience [she] had at Malden High.”

HISTORIAN: CRISTOBAL MAREY SEGUEL

C

ristobal Marey Seguel was the class historian for the 2019 class. In addition, he also played lacrosse all four years that he spent at Malden High School. Seguel believes that attending Malden High School “has only affected [him] in positive ways shaping [him] into the person that [he] is today, and taking wonderful opportunities that have been givien to [him].”

In his years at Malden High he also took the course Maldonian, which he explained was his favorite course due to the fact that “it allowed [him] to learn more about culture, clubs, sports and everything that surrounds Malden High and at the same time being able to take pictures.” When thinking about high school Seguel with remember putting together JV’s and watching it become a great show. After high school Seguel will be working as well as taking EMT training courses for his goal of being a paramedic.

SECRETARY: SALMA BAZZAT

S

alma Bezzat is the Secretary for the Class of 2019 and has held this position for all four years of high school. She says that in this position, she was very “organized” and made it her priority to “recognize important issues.” In addition, Bezzat says her high school experience has been a journey “[she will] never forget” due to all that she has accomplished, such as performing in theater and band, being an athlete and, overall, being around a great group of people. She will be attending the University of New England in Biddeford, Maine, and will be studying marine biology since she is very fascinated in marine life and has been for many years.

TREASURER: SANTIAGO CALLEJAS PORTILLO

S

antiago Callejas Portillo is the Treasurer for the Class of 2019.

He has held the position since his sophomore year. He says that being the Treasurer was a great experience and was “really interesting” since he was able to see “the other side of the school,” which is how the school plans for events. Overall, his time spent at Malden High was “a great four years” due to the events he has done, the sports he competed in, and the people he met. He will be attending Occidental College and is planning on majoring in Chemistry and Music.

The Blue and Gold June 2019

Advertisements maldenblueandgold.com

23

24

Local News

The Blue and Gold June 2019

Malden High School maldenblueandgold.com

The Blue and Gold June 2019

Local News

Class of 2019 Prom maldenblueandgold.com

25

Local News

26

The Blue and Gold June 2019

maldenblueandgold.com

2019 ANN n UAL MR. MHS COMPETITION Julie Huynh Reporter

T

he annual Mr. MHS Competition was held in the Jenkins Auditorium April 26th at 7pm. Mr. MHS is a fundraiser that is hosted by James Valente in order to raise money for the yearbook. It is an all male pageant that was “conceived out of the idea that years ago there was an all female fashion show and the guys were complaining that there was nothing for them” says Valente. Mr. MHS was something the school had done in the 60s and 70s until it died out in the 80s. It wasn’t until the early 2000s that they were able to bring back the tradition and use it as a fundraiser to pay for the cost of the print of the yearbook.

Although Valente has been working at the school for 25 years, he wasn’t always the yearbook advisor. Before him the position belonged to another English teacher who was struggling financially with getting the book paid for. This English teacher asked Valente if he knew of anything they could do to help defray the cost of the yearbook.

The principal at the time mentioned that he actually competed in Mr. MHS back in the day and suggested it to the teachers.

Valente agreed that it was a great idea, but they would have to modernize it. In order to get some ideas, he went to watch Peabody High School do their own version of Mr. MHS, and he really enjoyed it.

Each year about eight students are selected to be in the competition.

Anyone that is in good standing academically and in terms of absences and behavior can sign up. These names are then taken to the assistant principals who vet them. The kids that make it through the vetting process are put into a hat and the first eight names are chosen for the show.

The seniors that were chosen this year were Matt Farias, Tyler Martineu, Kevin Phan, Dexter Haag, Gustavo Silva, Fernando Pedro, Kyle O’Brien, and Santiago Portillo.

Farias said that he wanted to participate in this year’s show because “it’s one of the last things you can do at the school before you leave.”

The program of events for the night included the opening dance and introduction, the beach, casual, and formal wear competitions, talent competition, staff impressions, a question and answer session, and the night concluded with the final declarations and crowning. Farias says that “[he was] most excited for the hilarious stuff that goes on” and Portillo added that what he was most excited for is “the swimsuit competition [because he] wants to see what the other boys are wearing.”

The judges this year were Mayor Gary Christenson, Paul Hammersley (Director of Malden

Overcoming Addiction), Joe Luongo (Art Teacher), Judy Sullivan (Administrative Assistant of the High School), and Jeanne Marquardo (Administrative Assistant of the Athletic Department). Valente explains that

of the boys in the show and tip the scales.

The night started off with an opening dance where all of the boys got on stage and performed various dance moves. After that, there

Tyler Martineu and his “escort” Maria Oliveria.

Kyle O’Brien dancing to “Old Town Road.”

Kevin Phan performs a dance routine.

Dexter Haag serenading host Nour Tafraoui.

Gustavo Silva wearing high heels and playing soccer during the talent competition.

Mr. MHS winner Santiago Portillo.

All photos by senior Cristobal Marey Seguel. “[they] try to find all walks of life” because they don’t want just Ms. Marquardo for example, who only knows the kids athletically. In addition, everyone that comes in gets a ticket and during intermission, they pull a ticket and that person gets the opportunity to come up and be a guest judge. This makes the competition more interesting because the guest judge could be a friend of one

was a mix-up where the boys were sent out in their casual wear for the beachwear category. Whether this was planned or not, it added an element of humor because you could see the boys pulling up their pant legs and taking off their shirts to try and accommodate the theme.

After the beachwear competition, this time the boys were actually presented on stage in their bathing

suits. The boys were accompanied on stage by their escorts: Farias

by Agatha Silva, Haag by Melanie Moulaison, Martineau by Maria Oliveira, O’Brien by Shataeya Smith, Pedro by Pamela Coelho, Phan by Kristine Vo, Portillo by Michayla Moody, and Silva by Olivia Forestier.

The talent competition came next. Haag serenaded one of the hosts to the song “L.O.V.E.” by Michael Bublé followed by Martineau lip syncing to a Drake song.

Following him was O’Brien dancing to the iconic “Old Town Road” which featured an appearance from Smith, and Phan also performed a dance routine. Next, Silva tried to play soccer while wearing high heels. Finally, Portillo played “Slow Dancing in the Dark” by Joji on the guitar.

Succeeding intermission, the boys carried out their staff impressions. Some of the most memorable performances included Portillo’s impression of Ms. Mazza, a music teacher at Malden High and Phan’s portrayal of Ms. Briggs, one of the school’s P.E. teachers.

Nearing the end of the event, the boys went on stage for the formal wear category wearing various suits. Finally, to conclude the night the boys answered questions from the judges and they presented their final declarations each explaining why they should be Mr. MHS. Kyle O’Brien won Mr. Fabulous (2nd Runner Up), Dexter Haag won Mr. Congeniality (1st Runner Up), and Santiago Portillo was crowned Mr. MHS. Also, Timothy Lane, a business teacher at Malden High received the Honorary Mr. MHS award.

Portillo says that “[he] was really surprised” and that “[he] came into Mr. MHS not expecting to win… just planning to fool around and put [himself] out there.” Nevertheless, he was really glad that he won and he felt like it reflected the amount of effort he put into the show. Portillo definitely recommends future seniors to participate.

Valente thinks the most interesting part of every year is that he tells the kids to write their declarations beforehand and every year no one ends up reading off their cards. Valente believes that the final declaration shows the reality of what Malden High kids are really like. To him, “they’re all Mr. MHS.” He feels like just putting your name in and “having the courage to get on stage” shows the kind of people they are.

As much as they want to crown everyone, they have to crown somebody.

However, Valente doesn’t think “there are any losers in the show, just the people who didn’t come to see it.”

The Blue and Gold June 2019

Local News

Class of 2020 Holds Elections

maldenblueandgold.com

Malden Youth Civics Council Goes to D.C.

Julie Yu Lead Reporter

A

s the Malden High Class of 2020 wraps up their junior year, new students stepped up to run for next year’s senior officer positions.

Advisor Caitlin Quinn explained that “senior year is always memorable if you choose to enjoy it and make the most of the few high school days you have left.” Quinn hopes that the students in the class have a “great end to their four years of high school,” as they all look forward to an “exciting prom in May.” She is most looking forward to graduation since “it is such a proud moment for students and families,” and because of the fact that she has gotten to know many students in the Class of 2020.”

President Jacky Luong expressed that senior year is typically a year when there are many fun events, “which [he] will make sure is a mix of MHS traditions and class of 2020 specials.” He believes that they have a talented group of class officers, who are creative and have “the ability to pull off some unique events.” Since he was not a class officer last year, he plans on catching himself up with the ideas that the officers “left off with prior to elections and helping them build on those ideas.” Luong expressed that it is motivating for him to know that the Class of 2020 elected him as the Class President. He explains that he is looking forward to working with the other officers to “live up to my word and make senior year a year for [the] class to cherish.”

Vice President Christine Nguyen is grateful to have this title for all four years of her high school career. With all the preparation and planning that Nguyen and the other officers have done, she anticipates many fundraisers to make “prom tickets more affordable [...] so [they] can celebrate and finish off [their] year well.” Nguyen explained that they hope to “improve on persuading more people [...] to help contribute or participate in events and fundraisers.” As their senior year approaches, Nguyen believes that it is nerve racking since the “outcome of all [their] fundraisers determine whether or not [their] upcoming events [...] will be the best it can be.”

Treasurer Keri Gilligan states that she is “simply going to try [her best] to end [her] high school experience strong.”

She expressed that she hopes to “create more of a community feel for [their] class.” She wants to host “more events and fundraisers where [the class] can grow closer as friends and peers.” Gilligan explained that this year they have a great council full of talented and creative students. Especially since it will be their senior year, she wishes to improve their “communication within the council.” Gilligan sees “running Junior Varieties [as] a test to see [their] collaborative teamwork” and she believes that “the outcomes makes it evident that [they] are able to work together very well.”

Historian Bethan Taddeo is excited to serve as a part of student council for their senior year. She is excited to coordinate fundraisers and “take pictures of all the class events to capture [their] senior moments.” Taddeo expressed that she believes that she and the other class officers are likely more excited for prom because “all of [their] effort to make money [would be going] towards the prom.” She mentioned that she believes that their biggest struggle is getting the class of 2020 to support and contribute to their fundraisers. She further elaborated that they “often have the same core group of volunteers helping the officers at fundraisers.” Taddeo believes that if students in the class of 2020 were “a little more involved, it would make a huge impact.”

Gilligan expresses that she “[feels] a certain type of school and even class pride from being on the council and being able to see [their] progression.” She hopes that the rest of the class is able to “see the work that the council has accomplished” and the efforts they made to “[make] high school the most enjoyable it can be.” Gilligan stated that her and the other officers are proud to be “representatives of [their] class especially in senior year” being heavily involved in the planning of senior activities like prom and graduation.

The Class of 2020 held a car wash on Saturday, May 18th from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm, and a Chipotle fundraiser on Tuesday, May 28th. The officers plan on hosting another Krispy Kreme doughnuts fundraiser in the future, as their previous one was very successful.

27

The Malden Youth Civics Council on their trip. Photo submitted by Abhishek Rana.

Courtney Fitzgerald Reporter

O

n Tuesday, April 16th, the Malden Youth Civics Council set out on a plane to Washington DC. The Civics Council went to DC to explore the city and learn the history of American and its political standings and stimulate discussions around civics.

The funding for the trip came from Cathy MacMullin, a staff member from the Malden Teen Enrichment Center.

Birukti Tsige, a senior at Malden High, and First Chair of the Civics Council stated that “Cathy MacMullin from the Malden Teen Enrichment Center had funding to take students to DC and she chose the Malden Youth Civics Council as the group she wanted to take.” Tsige also states it was her first time going to D.C but “it certainly won't be [her] last.”

The planning for the trip was extensive and started months before they left for the trip. The Malden Teen Enrichment Center took care of most of the planning, and the Youth Civics Council “just had to make sure [they] had all [their] paperwork completed, and that [they] were attending places [they] wanted to go to.”

Tsige said that her favorite part of the trip was “riding on the bus, doing karaoke with all the members of the council, driving by historical parts of DC, seeing cherry blossoms and [their] tour guide telling [them] cool facts about all the places [they] were passing.” She also stated “It really made history real. Suddenly, it was not just a textbook. [She] was reading about events, but [she] was actually in George Washington's home and reading the Constitution of the United States underneath a glass, that was incomparable to any book [they] could read or movie [they] could watch.”

Felix Li, another senior at Malden High, says his trip to DC was “amazing.”

He states the experience was “definitely both an informative and fun trip.” He learned a “great deal about the history of the nation, specifically African American History and the Holocaust.” After coming back, Li says he definitely had a new perspective, stating “[he] came

back with a furthered appreciation for our elected government officials. After being able to put a place/location to the hardworking Congress members made government and politics not seem too isolating and distant.” The highlight of the trip for Li was visiting the National Museum of African American History and Culture. “Walking into the exhibits gave a certain gravity and magnitude to the subjugation and treatment of Africans and African Americans that learning from a textbook doesn’t,” he says.

Michelle Chan, senior, gave more background information on the relationship between MTEC and the Youth Civics Council, stating “the Malden Youth Civics Council has been working with the Malden Teen Enrichment Center since its creation over last summer.

MTEC has helped [them] with providing a space for [them] to host [their] workshops and even some meetings.”

Cathy MacMullin from the Teen Center has been wanting to take a group of kids to DC since MTEC was first created and she felt the MYCC and some other students were “the perfect people to go.”

Although this was not her first time in DC, Chan elaborates on her newest perspective after coming back.

Chan states “in the past few years, [she’s] worked hard on trying not to assume things about people if [she] hear what political party they belong to.

Going to DC was intimidating at first since it's the center of American politics, which can be extremely intimidating. It was fascinating to see all the different types of people walking around with different views. Even the people on the trip didn't always agree on topics.

It just makes [her] more open minded and willing to talk to others about their opinions and why they feel the way they do.”

The trip lasted a total of five days.

They visited numerous memorials and historic sites. Each day held something new for the Civics Council and they were able to come back with a new take on political views, and over all just a new perspective of what is really going on in the world.

28

Local News

The Blue and Gold June 2019

The Blue and Gold maldenblueandgold.com

Carlos Aldana Reporter

O

n Thursday, April 13th, parents, students and many other community members met to celebrate the hard work and dedication of the students and teachers of the Malden High School Art Department at the 2019 Blue and Gold Gallery.

Approximately 20 years ago, calligraphy and studio art teacher Maryann Seager decided to honor Malden’s 350th anniversary but displaying student artwork. She, along with her brother, planned to “make some parade puppets” which then evolved into “a gala of student art.”

Since its inception, the Blue and Gold Gallery expanded and changed but its purpose has remained the same, to “take [student work] outside of school so that people can see all the wonderful things that [students] are doing [at MHS],” says Seager.

Each year, John Preotle lends the venue, 350 Main St., and assumes all responsibilities regarding the preparation of the building, providing hors d’oeuvres on opening night and catering services. Superintendent John Oteri states that “[Preotle] continues to use his own creativity in Malden” and elaborates saying that “art flourishes because of benefactors like [him].”

Opening night was also made possible through the efforts of the Art Department and the help of Malden Access Television (MATV), which filmed the event and featured interviews with artists, teachers and gallery attendees.

Julie Mullane, another teacher from the MHS Art Department, says that “[she] thinks that it’s important for [students] to get [their] artwork out in the community.” She believes that the exhibition of student artwork allows students to view their work differently because “[their work is] in a different building, it’s framed, it’s lit nicely, it just takes on a whole new look.”

Mullane also notes that “the seniors really get a chance to shine, especially juniors and seniors that are planning on going to art school.” By highlighting the accomplishments of Gold and Silver Key winners, the gallery also acts as a tribute to upperclassmen who have grown and expanded their skill set within the MHS Art Department.

One of the seniors whose painting of rapper Kendrick Lamar was featured, not only in the gallery, but in its promotional poster as well, was Kevin Sathapornchaisit. Working with acrylic paints for the first time in his artistic career, he decided to “play around with the paint and the color, how to mix and blend, and put it on the canvas first, to make sure it looks nice on the final canvas.”

Sathapornchaisit is also a Silver Key recipient, joined in his ranks by Sophomore Aiwei Huang who produced a caricature of Special Investigator Robert Muller, who she did not choose for his political prominence, instead because his features were “really easy to exaggerate.”

Joseph Luongo, Digital Art teacher and Fine Arts Club advisor, says that “the work is always of a high caliber” because the curation process is very thorough. Throughout the year, each teacher sets aside noteworthy pieces and submits them to the department during several meetings, describing each as a “juried show.”

During the opening ceremony, Luongo acknowledged the students who won twenty-five scholastic art awards, more than all the districts surrounding Malden and their respective charter schools combined.

One of the highlights of the night was when Luongo gifted a painting to Holland

House principle Marilyn Slattery because she “has never missed an opening of the Blue and Gold Gallery.” Luongo says that “[the Art Department has] made her an honorary Fine Arts Club member.”

Slattery said that “[she] had seen something similar to [the painting presented to her] a number of years ago” and that “[she] wanted the painting, but the young lady who painted it didn’t want to part with it, so [she] gave it up.” Luongo recalled this instance and chose to present her with a replica of the painting she had previously wanted.

During the opening remarks, Malden High principal Chris Mastrangelo praised Mullane, Seager and Luongo for doing “incredible work with [the] students each day.”

He described the gallery as the “end result” and congratulated the students on the work they put in.

Superintendent Oteri, who spoke on behalf of Mayor Christenson, as he was double booked and not able to be there on time to deliver opening remarks, said that “[the artwork] reflects the talent seen every day at Malden High School,” which is largely due to the “amazing student body and an incredibly dedicated teaching staff in the fine arts, performing arts and in the academic areas that engage kids.”

The Blue and Gold Art Gallery will be open to the public until May 22nd, Mondays through Fridays from eight AM to six PM, and on Saturdays from nine AM to twelve PM. Following the exhibition, artwork will be chosen to be displayed in Mayor Christenson’s office, where artwork from previous Blue and Gold galleries already reside.

All photos taken by Brandon Wong.

The Blue and Gold June 2019

Local News

Art Gallery

29

maldenblueandgold.com

Malden Reads Hosts Book Discussion

Brendan Bell Reporter

O

Feminism, Multicultural Clubs Present:

Dolores

Jennica Ruan Lead Reporter

F

eminism Club and Multicultural Club held a movie night, showcasing a historical documentary about Dolores Huerta.

Dolores is a historical documentary that stars Dolores Huerta and her contribution to the American Farm Workers Union. Huerta is the mother of 11 children and an activist for civil rights. The movie follows her journey at the earlier stages in life, starting from her childhood. She continues to be an activist to this day as she is on her late 80s. The movie covers her fight for women but also her representation for people of color.

Feminism Club advisor, Kerry Veritas, chose the movie and decided to host a movie night after learning about Dolores Huerta and her story. Veritas stumbled upon the movie and after watching it, saw how it covered various topics that went beyond feminism. The movie covered aspects that made sense to incorporate Multicultural Club. She wanted to share Dolores’ story but also show that her contribution to history was equal to what men did.

Senior Jenny Chen is the vicepresident of the club and spends a lot of time planning with Veritas. Chen states that “[Veritas] was drawn to

n Wednesday, March 20th, Malden Reads held a meeting to review the most recent book they’ve read, The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane by Lisa See. The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane is the fictional story about a young Chinese woman Li-yan, living in the Yunnan Mountains and how she finds purpose in making tea with her Akha family members.

The meeting began with a presentation from guest speaker Shenn Liou, whose mother lived in the Yunnan Mountains like Li-yan in the novel. Liou spoke about the history of China and the different tribes that living in places near the Yunnan Mountains. Liou talked about the different tribes in the area like the Han tribe, which live in the low terraces and practice rice cultivation.

After the presentation about the history and legacy of some of the tribes in China, the attendees continued their discussion of The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane. The Mayor had some questions for the group as they talked about the different events throughout the book.

The community has previously celebrated the Malden Reads pick by engaging with The Chinese Culture Connection in a screening of the film The King of Masks in March, a movie which also incorporates themes of adoption and cultural tradition.

Malden Reads Volunteer Linda Zalk explains that Malden Reads thought it would be “important” to show “something with [a] Chinese background that also [has subtitles]” to encourage Malden to interact more with its Chinese community.

Malden Reads hosts many events including one held at the Senior Center on May 3rd at 6:30 pm.

Here, they hosted a panel where parents with adopted children from Asia spoke.

Movie banner from IMDB. this movie and the story it told because of who Dolores Huerta was.”

She stressed the importance of sharing Dolores’ story with everyone “especially because of the mission of the feminism club,” which she says is to “educate and support.” Chen enjoyed seeing montages of current women politicians. She particularly remembered a line from the movie that was prominent to her and current American politics. She states “it startled [her] a little, because it was said so many years ago and the relevance of it is so strong that the exact phrase is something I’ve heard in political speeches from grassroots community organizers.”

Sophomore Sophia Duffy joined Feminism club her freshman year “but [she] really started to be

more engaged with the club this year.” She joined because she saw mistreatment of women and girls in the school and wanted to “make a change and help make the school a better, more educated place,” while also educating herself on such matters. Duffy felt the movie was a great representation of “Dolores and everything she worked for.” Showcasing the movie was the perfect opportunity “to educate people.”

Chen stressed the fact that “the documentary [is not] just her story as a woman in America, or even as a person of color, but a woman of color.” As a member of the club, she wanted to make sure that the movie night was inclusive of everyone “and the Multicultural Club was the perfect partner to do that with.”

Book cover from Wikimedia.

Local News

30 Mock Trial Team Presents Trial at MHS

The Blue and Gold June 2019

MHS Play Production maldenblueandgold.com

Sara Zakaria Head of Sports

E

arlier this year, Malden High’s Mock Trial Team advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time in the team’s history. The trial they competed with was United States vs.

Nat Hart. On April 30th, the Mock Trial team held a showcase at Malden High where they presented the trial to attendees.

According to Senior Vivian Dang, the trial revolves around two men named Grey Humansky and Nat Hart. Humansky is an activist for refugees from the fictitious country Tanerbia. However, he is also involved in illicit activity. Hart is an officer from the fictional town of Gavish. Hart encounters Humansky one night and prepares to arrest him due to a warrant issued for Humansky. The situation turns sour as Hart pulls out his gun and shoots Humansky as Hart believed he was under the influence, causing Hart to fear for his safety. However, Hart did not actually shoot Humansky--he shot Humansky’s identical cousin, Ray Lugansky. Hart, the defendant in this trial, is accused of shooting an innocent man.

Dang acted as an attorney for the prosecution and also cross-examined the main witness on defense, Hart himself. While she did enjoy the experience of playing a crucial role like an attorney, she did face some challenges. One of them was trying to get into the character of a prosecutor. It was difficult for Dang to “imagine [herself] to dislike” officer Hart. She explains that she had to remember that while Hart did have many achievements, he was “still on trial” for manslaughter. Another cross-examiner was sophomore Jacob Pettigrew. He also encountered some troubles, as his role called for Pettigrew to “take apart a witness’ story” with the “extreme” level of detail required.

Dang also collaborated with Senior Jenny Chen, who also acted as an attorney for the prosecution.

While Chen had two other roles throughout the trial, her responsibility that was “originally and ultimately [hers]” was to deliver the closing arguments. For Chen, the challenge lied in her speech.

The closing remarks are meant to be “well-composed and eloquent” along with being “persuasive enough to sway a judge.” The task of “fitting an entire case’s important content into a seven minute speech” was demanding for Chen. She adds that a well-done closing has the ability to “secure the decision” of a judge or jury that may be indecisive.

However, an “exceptionally welldone closing” can change the opinion of someone who was originally going to vote the other way. With Continued on page 31

Sophomore Leilani Nino de Guzman and senior Paige Pimental during “Before the Fall”. Photo by Julie Yu. Jennica Ruan Lead Reporter

T

he Malden High Play Production held their 2019 Spring Showcase. The program included “an evening of short plays and musical numbers.”

The spring showcase was held at the Jenkins Auditorium on May 22 and 23.

Director Jennifer Clapp assigned each student a role based off how well they fit each role.

The students began the production of the show about a month ago shortly after they finished the previous show, Common Space. This sprig show gave the students of Play Pro a more hands on role with the production of it.

Sophomore Isabella Geronimo was featured in the play “A Hint of Jasmine” as the character Aster. That play was directed by senior Michelle Chan and written by sophomore Ayman Boudrari.

Geronimo says that “[Chan] was really helpful” during the process of the show. She stated that “memorizing [her] lines was the toughest part because it was the show where [she] had the most lines.” Her first year in Play Production has been memorable as she describes it as “a place were [she] can be [her]self.”

Sophomore Nicholas Murray played a featured role in “Broad Shoulders” as the character Ethan. Although he was a part of the acting portion of the show, he states that “The people that wrote and directed got to feel what it was like to work more closely with the art

Top to bottom, left to right: Seniors Jessica Ong and Yedida Shiwala during “Just Getting Started: A Tango with the Mesolimbic Pathway”; seniors Nour Tafraoui and Gabriella Carli during their performance of “Noise Complaint”; sophomores Ronald Batista and Nick Murray during “Broad Shoulders”; seniors Pamela Coelho and Comfort Acheampong during their performance of “Hideaway”; (from left to right) sophomore Sandra Rivadeneira, senior Jenna Vanella, and junior Gabriella Celona during “Life over Living”; senior Annely Paz Benitez and sophomore Isabella Geronimo during “A Hint of Jasmine”. All photos by Julie Yu. of plays” and “worked closely with the other students to make their own show in the way they viewed it and wanted it to look.” He enjoyed being a supporting character and watching the other students perform. Murray describes joining Play

Pro this year as “one of the most rewarding and enjoyable experiences ever.” Many of the members have had similar opinions working together, describing as “truly a family and [it is] so fun to grow with the class and to have fun together mak-

The Blue and Gold June 2019

Local News

31

maldenblueandgold.com

An Evening of Short Plays and Musical Numbers

Play Production cast ending their performance with a bow. Photo by Julie Yu.

Above: Teacher Mary Kate McCarthy standing alongside the seniors of Play Production. Left, top to bootom: senior Salma Bezzat holding George’s decapitated head in “The Actor’s Worst Nightmare”; (from left to right) Junior Rodneisha Normil, seniors Dexter Farren Haag, and Michayla Moody during “The Actor’s Worst Nightmare”; Senior Dexter Farren Haag’s character (George) confused about what is going on. All photos by Julie Yu.

ing special moments.”

Broudrari wrote the short play “A Hint of Jasmine” and acted as the character Ezra in “Broad Shoulders”. He says that the plays have been written early on and “[did not] actually start performing them until maybe late March, early April.” He expresses that it was a challenge since they had less time than usual for building up a show. As a writer for one of the short plays, he states “It felt incredible to see other actors perform a show [he] wrote.” Writing “ gave [him] a sense of pride and accomplishment” and “see[ing] the audience enjoy [his] work as well [was] incredible.”

Being a part of Play Pro has ful-

filled a dream of Broudrari’s. He expressed that “since [he] was a little kid [he] wanted to do something in acting, perform in plays and shows.” Broudrari played Ezra Figaro, whose character was “passionate and willing to fight for what he wants.” Although he could connect to that aspect of the character, he states “Ezra’s character is a lot different than [him].” Broudrari describes Ezra as “ hot-headed, reckless, and is willing to stand up to anyone for what he wants.” He had to really channel the personality of his character which proved to be a challenge at first since his previous roles have been more comedic.

Sophomore Ronald Batista worked alongside Broudrari and Murray in “Broad Shoulders” as the character Sam. Working alongside “good cast members . . . made it easier to jump off of each other’s energy and take it a step further” in their acting. Batista found it a chal-

lenge to keep everyone on task with senior director Makesha Mercedat on internship. Having the director away was challenging “not having someone there guide you” but “It was a good experience for [them] to grow and help direct in a sense.”

Senior Dexter Haag had the role of writing and acting in the show. He wrote the play “Just Getting Started: A Tango with the Mesolimbic Pathway”. Haag has “had an interest in directing for some time now, so this was certainly a good gateway” for him to test his skills. As a senior, he “had a lot of experience and felt super prepared for anything.” He also played the character “George” in “The Actor’s Nightmare”. Memorizing lines was slightly a challenge due to the senior spring activities. However, he says that “doing lighter comedies like this is always fun and it made for a less hectic spring than some other years.”

Continued from page 30 that being said, creating a speech that completely changed the audience and win the trial regardless of performance points was “always the goal” for Chen, and she hopes she has achieved it.

While this year’s showcase was special due to their achievement during the season, the Mock Trial team has been showcasing their trials yearly. Showcasing them is a way for the team to show the school their accomplishments, according to Dang. Chen adds that it is also a “perfect way” for the team to not only finish their school year and the season, but to also show everyone what they have worked “so hard on for months.” The showcases allow other MHS students to “see what the class yields.”

The overall experience for the members was enjoyable, as it did not necessarily demand the same stressors or high standards the competitions usually bring. Dang shares a tradition that the Mock Trial team does before each trial. They play the monologue speech from the film Miracle, which is based on the unexpected win by the U.S. Men’s Hockey team in a match against the former-Soviet Union in the 1980 Winter Olympics. Dang explains that they dub the words of the speech; instead of “hockey players” and “Soviets,” they say “attorneys” and “mock trial.” She calls it an “intimate moment” and never fails to be “inspirational.”

Chen jokes that she had forgotten how long the trial is, adding that the showcase made her realize how much she “love[s] doing her closing” and “getting the last word.” As a way to prepare, the team practiced in the routines they do for their usual competitions. The practices, according to Pettigrew, have become “second nature” to him by the time of the showcase. Chen ensured that her speech was in the utmost condition by listening to a voice memo of her speech, so she can “pick out” the aspects she did not like and “fix them and keep improving.”

Pettigrew’s favorite part of the night was his own cross-examination. He feels that it allowed him to display the “culmination” of his work throughout the year. For Dang, she recalls a moment where Grey Humansky plead the Fifth Amendment. The invocation is not typically used in competition, she mentions it was obvious to her that he used it “for the sake of comedy.”

She considers the small moments like that being what “helps [them] strive for victory in a competition.”

Chen’s favorite part was the verdict. She divulges that she “may be biased,” since the prosecution won the trial. She also adds that she also enjoyed the “socializing” that occurred after the show and the impromptu “photo-shoot.” She emphasizes that the team was “so happy and so proud” as they deserved to be. The showcase was the celebration of a season and she feels honored to have been part of it.

32 The MHS Band Attends MICCA

Local News

The Blue and Gold June 2019

maldenblueandgold.com

Tonijoy Pimental Lead Reporter

O

n Saturday April 27th, the Malden High School Band participated in MICCA, a musical competition in which many schools participate throughout the state.

The competition took place at Concord-Carlisle High School. A total of 15 Malden High School students attended the event.

The team received a silver medal in this year’s competition, which is the highest score that the team has earned in the past decade.

The team competed in the solo and chamber festival, but only the wind ensemble went to this year’s competition. The band played “Afternoon of the Faun” by Claude Debussy during this competition.

This year the team was completely student-run, which is different from how it has been done in past years, which instructor Erin Mazza O’Brien band director explains as “very difficult for [her]” due to the fact that she was “completely hands off.”

Leading up to the competition the team worked hard and practiced often in order to receive a great outcome. Alissa Schopp, president of the band explained how “[they] practiced [their] song everyday in class,” and for a grade, band members were expected to practice after school 40 minutes a week.

In addition, this year was unlike others do to the fact that the band focused a lot on “the small details of [their] song.” Since there were so few members this year, “[they] practiced this piece a whole lot and perfected a lot of small details,” said Schopp Mazza O’Brien explains that she believed that the band did so well due to the fact that the group is “a group of very talented students.”

She mentions that she had worked with the members of the band since they were freshmen and “[they all] kind of grew together! All of their hard work over their high school career paid off!”

Although the team did do fantastic, it was still a very difficult event to pull off and receive such a high score. Schopp explains that “the most difficult part was relying on each other, for [their] piece,” since a conductor is not allowed during the competition, and they had to listen to each other and take visual cues in order to remain organized.

The team is looking forward to next year, however, Malden High will see some major shifts in the people who will be playing; “[they are] going to have a completely new group, since most of the kids are graduating this year,” and each new group brings new instruments and new challenges, said Mazza O’Brien.

The team will be participating in MICCA next year and is looking forward to the next season and the work and fun that it will bring.

Band posing with Erin Mazza O’Brien during the MICCA competition. Photo submitted by Alissa Schopp.

Top to bottom, left to right: Freshman Mahalaya Conserve plays their rendition of Sunflower by Post Malone and Swae Lee, along with Kingson Chen, Bea Salvino, and Vinne De Vasconcellos; Sophomore Jasmine Tran playing the Acoustic Guitar; Junior Edwin Gonzalez uses the tambourine to build a beat for the Wind Ensemble to follow through in the song Hambone by Libby Larsen; Freshman Rayane Santos playing the flute in the song Our Kingsland Spring by Samuel R. Hazo; Senior James Plowman lays out the beat to the Instrumental Concert’s final song, Bohemian Rhapsody; Senior Phil Faria weaves a melody into the song Believer by Imagine Dragons; Band Teacher Erin Mazza introduces the Jazz Band. All photos aken by Brandon Wong.

The Blue and Gold June 2019

Local News

33

maldenblueandgold.com

Olivia Donahue Reporter

T

Malden High Chorus

he Choral Arts Spring Concert took place on May 2, 2019. Directed by Choral Arts teacher, Todd Cole. The four MHS choirs all performed well, and had a fantastic night. Whereas the Spring Concert is the last concert of the year, and the last concert for some graduating seniors, Concert Choir and Madrigals had to end off their year with a stunner performance.

The Instrumental Band Spring Concert took place on May 9, 2019.

Directed by Erin Mazza O’Brien also had a wonderful performance. The seniors played their songs for the lively crowd, and a favorite seemed to be the Bohemian Rhapsody. Many have stated that the band performed beautifully and had a great sound.

Overall, two successful nights for our music departments here at MHS. Both the Choral Arts and the Band are incredibly talented and put on a great show for their spring concerts. Both teachers incredibly proud of their performances. It is quite unfortunate that both will be saying goodbye to their seniors, but they ended off their year with two amazing, talented, and unique performances.

From top to bottom, left to right: Cole pointing to soloists Demitri Borrero and Ayman Budrari; Period 7 Mixed Chorus basses singing Yo Le Canto Todo El Dia; Freshman soloist Sarah Oliveira singing Will The Chain Be Unbroken; Senior Jessica Ong on the mic; Mixed Chorus singing Scarborough Fair; Cole conducting his period 4 Treble; Mixed Chorus singing Ubi Caritas et Amor Choir. All photos taken by Brandon Wong.

34

Local News

Multicultural Night maldenblueandgold.com

The Blue and Gold June 2019

Malden Celeb rates E aster Sandra Li Reporter

E

From top to bottom, left to right: The Lion Danceing Team performing at the Multicultural Night; The Step Team performing at the Multicultural Night; Blue and Gold member Cedrina Missamou performing at the Multicultural Night; Freshman Sabrina Gutierrez building a beat for the Lion Danceing team to follow; Mayor Gary Christenson attending the Multicultural Night, Senior Birukti Tsige starts off the Multicultural Night with a short speech; Freshman Aneiry Tobar Cruz serveing food to attendees at the Multicultural Night; attendees at the Multicultural Night. Photos by Brandon Wong

very year, millions of people around the world celebrate Easter in commemoration of the death and resurrection of Christ. With that said, due to the holidays modern commercial essence, Easter is now celebrated by those who are not religious and is considered a commercial event with its present-day aspects.

Religiously, the Resurrection of Christ, as described in the New Testament of the Bible, is primarily the foundation upon which the Christian religion is built off of. And so, Easter is an essential date in the Christian calendar that falls on a different date each year.

Like other holidays, Easter has become commercialized, enabling many businesses to profit from the holiday. According to the National Retail Federation, consumers have spent a total of $18.2 billion in the year of 2018 which was close to the record of $18.4 billion in 2017.

With the commercialization, many are able to observe the holiday in different ways, whether it is religious or non-religious. In Malden, various events were held in respect for Easter by celebrating the modern day traditions in those gatherings.

One of the events was the Ward 7 Annual Easter Bunny Ride which was held a week before Easter. As the Bunny Ride trailered through the neighborhood with the guidance of the Malden Police, families were able to spend some time with the well-known bunny and take photos to capture the special moment, along with being given a few treats.

The event first started about 10 years ago and has been since organized by the Ward 7 Association, a number of volunteers who assist with the events, and Ward 7 Councillor Neal Anderson.

Anderson stated that “[The Bunny Ride] requires a great deal of effort in decorating the float, organizing the volunteers, raising money to cover the costs and assuring that everyone is safe.” He explained that he believes this is “a fun filled neighborhood event that allows children and adults to participate in this childhood fantasy.”

In addition to hosting events, the Bread of Life also made its part in celebrating Easter by holding their Annual Easter Dinner at the First Baptist Church on April 21st, welcoming those who attended with a free home-cooked meal, some of which were made possible by donors such as Hoff’s Bakery.

At the dinner, attendees were able to have meals that included ham, turkey, vegetables, scalloped potatoes, specialty desserts and drinks.

Of the attendees, Mayor Gary Christenson also made an appearance at the well-attended Easter Dinner.

Continued on page 35

The Blue and Gold June 2019

Local News

35

maldenblueandgold.com

The Annual Japa nese Cultur e Festival Cel ebrates

60 Years of Friendship Sandra Li Reporter

T

he Annual Japanese Culture Festival is a two-day celebration that has been held every year since 2012 at Boston Common in the month of April. This year, a total of about 72,000 people attended, giving the attendees an opportunity to acknowledge and engage in the Japanese culture through various booths that are set up at the event such as cuisines, workshops, stage performances, etc.

The festival was held on the 27th and 28th of April, attracting crowds of people each day with their festivities. In addition, the culture festival was celebrating the 60th anniversary of the friendship between Kyoto and Boston and so, they commemorated it by having workshops dedicated to the Japanese city.

The festival is organized with the help of many volunteers and the support of sponsors and donations from contributors, allowing for each year to be even more remarkable.

Of the many festivities, a major attraction that tends to draw more crowds to the event is the festival’s sales and food booths. The sales booths that were arranged sold authentic, kawaii goods such as plushies, hand-crafted items, or anime merchandise. The food booths had many long lines that were a result of the authentic, appetizing Japanese dishes.

Those who donated more than $20 to the festival’s GoFundMe page were able to receive a quick food pass. There was a wide variety of

Many crowds of people waiting in line in front of the food booths. Photo by Sandra Li dishes that the food stalls sold, ranging from takoyaki to okonomiyaki, tonkotsu ramen, ultimately having many enjoyable dishes for the attendees to try.

Malden High School freshman Ina Liu attended the event and stated that “it was [her] first time attending the festival.” She explains that, upon arriving “[her] first impression was that [the event] was crowded and loud, but very entertaining and pleasurable.”

Liu also mentioned that “[she] saw many people in cosplay and as well as a lot of plushies and keychains with other small accessories at the booths.”

Along with the impressive lineup of events, the festival also

A family capturing their moment with the Easter Bunny. Photo submitted by Neal Anderson.

Mayor Christenson stated that “the Bread of Life is a vital resource in our community for those who are homeless or struggling to make ends meet.”

He continued on saying that “on occasions such as a holiday, they provide not only a meal but also a place for people to go so that they are not alone. It reminds us that we are all in this together.”

Likewise, the Malden Troop 603 held their Annual Easter Flower Sale on April 20th, at the First Baptist Church as well. The flower sale was held specifically at the front lawn of the church and has been a recurring tradition for the Troop for many years.

The sale is a modest fundraiser where the funds are used for the Troop’s active camping and outdoor

showcased numerous performances throughout the day, letting attendees enjoy their experience by witnessing the energetic production.

Freshman Katrina Chang also took part in the festival, expressing that “the performances on stage stood out the most as you are able to hear the drums and traditional music from far away.”

Chang further explained that “[she] specifically enjoyed the drum performance because it reminded [her] of MHS’ percussion in band which made [her] feel reminiscent while watching the show.”

Essentially, the festival’s mission is “pass on [their] traditions to the next generation” and “give every person a chance to experience

activities program. And since the Malden Troop 603 has been chartered by the First Baptist Church from 1910 and so forth, the group also provides them with flowers for Easter.

The Troop’s Scoutmaster, Matt Burne, mentioned that the reason why they sell flowers is due to how “spring is a time of renewal” and “flowers are always a beautiful way to celebrate the arrival of spring.”

Burne expressed that “[they] enjoy providing Easter flowers for the congregation of the First Baptist Church.” He feels that the Troop are also “happy to engage with community, providing beautiful spring flower at this time of year.”

With the many events that were held, citizens of Malden, such as Senior Birukti Tsige, have commemorated the holiday differently within their own communities by celebrating Orthodox Easter.

Orthodox Easter is essentially Easter but falls on a different date as many Orthodox Churches base their Easter date on the Julian calendar which differs from the Gregorian

authentic Japanese culture without having to travel to Japan,” according to the Japan Festival Boston.

Liu shared how culture festivals are of importance since “we are able to learn about other cultures in order to be more knowledgeable and show appreciation for them.” She added that “it’s good that people are being exposed to different cultures so they can then expand their horizons and be more open-minded.”

Adding on to that, Chang expressed that “[she] would like to see more hosted events from other Asian communities rather than just focusing on one particular culture so that as a city, we can know more about what is in the Malden community.”

calendar.

For Tsige, she explained that in her church community, they have liturgy and church service on Saturday night and into Sunday morning.

Specifically from 8pm to 4am. On Sunday morning, they would break their fast and all eat together, having all types of dishes. And the week before that, there would be service in the afternoon where praying and penance would occur every day during that week.

Furthermore, Tsige emphasizes that “Easter is such an amazing holiday for us to celebrate because it brings our community together and strengthens our faith.”

Ultimately adding on to that thought, Mayor Christenson believes that “[Easter] is another opportunity for us to learn from each other whether you celebrate this religious holiday or not.” He further explained that “[Easter] also gives us a chance to stop for a minute in between the fast-paced world we live in to come together and celebrate each other here in the Malden community.”

36

Local News

The Blue and Gold June 2019

maldenblueandgold.com

Angela Soliz is Accepted to West Point, Will Attend Coast Gaurd Academy

Memorial Day Assembly

Carlos Aragon Aldana Reporter

S

enior Angela Soliz was accepted to West Point earlier in April, bringing Congresswoman Clark to congratulate her with a picture of the two together; however, Soliz has decided that the best option for her would be to attend the Coast Guard Academy, another impressive achievement.

In 1801, shortly before entering office, Thomas Jefferson set plans to establish West Point Academy. Notable Alumni include Buzz Aldrin, Ulysses S. Grant, Dwight D. Eisenhower and Robert E. Lee. Known for being one of the most difficult schools to get accepted into, West Point Academy requires a GPA of 3.74 attend. You need to have taken algebra, geometry, and trigonometry, along with four years of English, two years of a world language, two years of science, and one year of US History. When Angela Tejada Soliz was accepted into West Point Academy, it was an achievement to be revered.

To get into West Point, you do not simply need a high GPA. It requires an endorsement from a representative in Congress, a senator, or the Vice President. You can also be related to somebody who served. For example, if your father served in Army, Navy, Air Force, or others, you don’t need an endorsement from the aforementioned candidates. Four letters of recommendation are also required.

According to Katherine Clark’s Office, you need to “[notify their] office that you would like to be considered, which can be done on [their] website” You must submit “three letters of recommendation, personal essay, professional resume, school transcripts, and either an SAT or ACT score.”

After going through the process above, “you need to apply directly with the academies and receive qualification from them, which come in the form of academics, physical fitness, and a medical screening.” Finally, you have to conduct a panel interview at the Congresswoman’s office conducted by “a board of veterans, active duty officers, and current academy parents.”

Angela Tejada Soliz received an endorsement from Katherine Clark, who has served as a United States representative for Massachusetts’s 5th Congressional district since 2013. On Twitter, Clark wrote on the subject of Soliz saying, “Angie makes me so optimistic for our country’s future. At just 18, she’s driven by service, community and looking out for others. These are the values that knit us together as Americans and must guide our work in Washington. #ForThePeople #Malden.” She also brought Soliz as her guest to the State of the Union in February, and even introduced Soliz to Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House.

On the subject of West Point Academy, the prestigious school offers more than 45 Academic majors to choose from, and is fully funded, which means tuition is completely free, unlike most colleges.

Soliz was accepted to West Point, bringing Congresswoman Clark to congratulate her with a picture of the two together, however Soliz has decided that the best option for her would be to attend the Coast Guard Academy.

Mayor Gary Christenson and Angela Soliz. Photo taken by Carlos Aragon Aldana.

Principal Chris Mastrangelo speaking about the importance of Memorial Day. Photo taken by Courtney Fitzgerald.

Roxane Leon Reporter n May 23, 2019, Malden High School held a Memorial Day assembly in the Jenkins auditorium during period 2. The assembly was attended by graduating seniors Michelle Chan and Abhishek Rana as well as junior and Blue and Gold Head of Sports, Sara Zakaria, as speakers. Principal Christopher Mastrangelo, Superintendent John Oteri, and Director of Veterans Affairs Kevin Jarvis also spoke.

The assembly had started with Chan giving the opening regards, followed by Oteri giving the opening speech and how the students should thank a veteran if they spot one. Chan came back to introduce the Choral Arts Society’s Concert Choir group who performed the first two verses of the Star Spangled Banner.

The attendees remained standing for Pledge of Allegiance.

After the pledge, Rana recited the Gettysburg Address and Zakaria recited the poem We Walked Among the Crosses. Mastrangelo then talked about the significance of Memorial Day and how he knows some people who were in the military and didn’t come home. “All the things we take for granted is because they were granted for us,” stated Mastrangelo

O

during his speech.

Jarvis, who further talked about Memorial Day and its connection to MHS, mentioned the amount of MHS graduates who went into the military after high school. “In the last hundred years, Malden has lost over 350 men and women, most of whom went to [Malden High School]. In WWI we lost 75 people who died from diseases… WWll we lost 236…”

Jarvis mentioned these statistics in his speech.

Jarvis also mentioned the memorials that are around Malden to honor those who had died serving the military, such as the Bell Rock Memorial Park. Another memorial will be put up to honor a fallen soldier who was from Malden. The ringing of eight bells, done in the naval forces to represent hope and peace, was done by Chan.

After the ringing, senior Jesaias Benitez and sophomore Wilson Chau played “TAPS” with their trumpets.

Followed this performance, Concert Choir sang another song called the ‘Battle Hymn of the Republic.’

Malden holds their Memorial Day parade on Monday, May 27 from 11 am to 12:30 pm.

Senior Michelle Chan ringing the bell.Photo taken by Courtney Fitzgerald.

The Blue and Gold June 2019

Local News

37

maldenblueandgold.com

Stop the Stigma Sweeps Malden Brenden Bell Reporter

E

veryone has someone that they know that has fought with addiction whether it is alcohol, drugs, sex, or even money. “Addiction is a disease of more that doesn’t only affect the user it affects everyone around family, friends, and coworkers” says Paul Hammersley President, and founder of Malden Overcoming Addiction.

“Five years ago [he] saw that there was a problem with the opioid epidemic so we met monthly and in under a year we became a nonprofit,” he says.

Malden Stop The Stigma is an event started by Malden Overcoming Addiction (MOA) to get rid of the stigma around people with addictions and addiction itself in order to encourage people to receive future help in battling their addictions. Stop The Stigma hopes to inform people that addiction is a disease that does not just affect the user but every one that is around them. MOA’s mission is to set the community up with addiction support and recovery services, stop the stigma around addiction, and fight to overcome fatal overdoses.

Stop The Stigma Week began April 1st with Malden High School beginning the countdown with facts about stigma said during daily announcements. On April 10th, mem-

Paul Hammersley talking to the Ferryway School about stigma as they show off their banner. Photos submitted by Ana Pirosca. bers of MOA, Justin Gottlieb, Ana Pirosca, and Hammersley himself, went to schools across Malden to explain what stigma is. By explaining what stigma is middle schoolers, children know what stigma will look like, and hopefully engage less in it which ultimately creates a more open and accepting environment for recovering addicts.

Hammersley believes that battling addiction begins with the youth. “We felt that the youth weren’t being educated enough on the disease of addiction,” Hammersley says, “Mr. Valente and MHS Advanced Media with the help of MOA produced a video to help spread awareness for addiction and symptoms of addiction”.

“MOA does a variety of different things to help addicts stay sober. We have a scholarship program where we put people into sober living for the first 30 days,” he says. “We have recovery coaches who will meet people where they’re at who are still using and coach them”.

“Recovery coaches will push addicts toward Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous (AA/NA) Where they can get support from other recovering addicts”. AA/NA is a program set up by recovering addicts to help each other stay sober. AA/NA doesn’t just help alcoholics AA will help anyone willing to help themselves with any type of addiction.

Above: Paul Hammersley, Ana Pirosca, and Justin Gottlieb posing with Bikeeny Cafe staff; Left: MHS students posing with the MOA banner. Photos submitted by Ana Pirosa.

MOA also hosted a couple of events in Malden like the Improvable Play, on May 17 in the Jenkins auditorium. On May 16, there was a fundraiser to put people into sober living homes at The Irish American club.

Watch the video!

Left to right, top row: Director of Veteran Affairs Kevin Jarvis recalling Malden’s military history. Senior Abhishek Rana reading The Gettysburg Address. Bottom row: Superintendent John Oteri speaking on remembering soldiers. Junior Sara Zakara reciting “We Walked Among the Crosses.” Photos taken by Courtney Fitzgerald.

Local News

38

National Latin Exam Award Ceremony

Robotics Club Wins at B otball Co mpetitio n

maldenblueandgold.com

Roxane Leon Reporter

M

alden High School’s Robotics club came back from regionals as two-time winners of the 2019 New England Botball.

Beating twenty other teams including Malden Catholic who came in third place.

According to the KISS Institute for Practical Robotics, Botball is “an Educational Robotics Program which includes middle and high school aged students in a teamoriented robotics competition, and serves as a perfect way to meet today’s new common core standards.”

The robotics club had built “robots that were best set for the tasks that [they] wanted,” stated senior Daniel Augustin, president of the robotics club. They were given a kit of material with legal parts that they were allowed to use in the robot. “The documents needed to build the board and the rules that were set in place were sent to us at the end of December” leading to the club’s preparations starting at the end of December.

“We started building the board right away but we took some weeks off before starting to build the robot because we were all busy,” said Augustin.

The club attended the New England Botball Regional Tournament on April 27th, 2019 in Lowell, MA. President of the Robotics, Daniel Augustin, stated that this year’s competition went “...amazing as usual. But a problem that there was this year was that the volunteers were not as prepared as they were supposed to be…” with “a lot of mistakes that we had to correct them on.” The club has been attending the regionals for the past six years winning this year’s and last year’s competition of which Augustin was president for both years.

When it came to how the team felt throughout the competition, junior Jacky Luong says that “seeing [their] robots perform better and better as the day went on raised [their] hopes more and more, and defeating the most threatening opponent (Winchester, who dedicates a whole class for the entire year to the competition) was uplifting.”

Luong continued to say that everyone “had strong communication and cooperation throughout the entire competition, never failing to forget that [they] were a team, and the atmosphere was very encouraging with members from some teams talking to one another, giving each other good wishes.”

The competition included a seeding round and a double eliminations round.

The seeding round had every team take up a whole board to themselves and use at least two robots to score as many points as they could to determine their position in the brackets for a double elimination.

In the double eliminations round, each team would have an opponent sharing the middle of each board. Meaning that if one team took an object from the middle, the other team would not be able to take it as well, if it was included in their plan, the team with the highest points won.

The Blue and Gold June 2019

Julie Huynh Reporter

S

Top: Julie Fox explaining the requirements to recieve an award for this year’s exams.

Bottom Left: Jason Chan happily recieving an award. Bottom Right: Students trying to form teams for the massive Quizlet game. Photos by Brandon Wong.

apere aude is Latin for “dare to be wise.”

This is the National Latin Exam’s (NLE) slogan and in March, Latin students across the United States took the exam with this philosophy in mind. According to the official NLE website, “the NLE is not meant to be a competition but rather an opportunity for students to receive reinforcement and recognition for their accomplishments in the classroom.”

Based on the scores the students received, they could be eligible for certificates, medals, and even scholarships. These students were honored at the National Latin Exam Award Ceremony in the Jenkins Auditorium on May 3.

Julie Fox, Malden High’s Latin teacher, expressed that “every year, [they] hold a ceremony to recognize [their] students’ success on the NLE.” While everyone that takes the exam is invited, a few special people stood out.

There are four levels of awards for the NLE. The awards are centered around the national average score for the exam level. The exam levels include, but are not limited to, Intro to Latin and Latin I/II/III. Cum Laude certificates are given to students who score 1-2 points above average. Magna Cum Laude certificates go to students who score 3-5 points above average. Silver medals and a Maxima Cum Laude certificate go to students 6-8 points above average. Gold medals and Summa Cum Laude certificates go to students 9-10 points above average. These students usually only miss 1-4 questions total.

Silver medals this year were awarded

to Jennifer Wong, Ina Liu, Phone Thu, Kenny Nguyen, and Liam Schwab. Gold medals went to Jing Ren, Mayahuel Morse, Olivia Chan, Billy Zeng, and Eugene Yoon. Many students also received Cum Laude and Magna Cum Laude certificates.

Liu, a freshman at Malden High says that “[she] was really surprised when [she] won because [she] didn’t expect to get such a high score.” She won the Maxima Cum Laude medal which means that she scored 6-8 points above average. Even though Liu did well, “[she] feels like [she] could’ve studied more” and “practiced more reading comprehension.”

Nguyen, a sophomore who also won the silver medal, expresses that “the award made [him] feel accomplished,” but he could also work on “the grammar of sentences on the exam.” He hopes that doing so will help him stay on the right path for next year to achieve the gold medal.

Wong, another freshmen states that “although [her] score was pretty high, [she] probably should’ve prepared [her]self better for the exam by sleeping earlier.” She agrees with Liu when she says she could work on her comprehension more.

The ceremony ended with everyone playing several rounds of Quizlet Live consisting of Latin vocabulary that the students studied over the course of the year. Overall, it was a very positive experience for all Latin students and rewarding for them to see the progress they have made.

The Blue and Gold June 2019

Futu re Teacher Sign ing Day

Local News

39

maldenblueandgold.com

Special Olympics Alex Games

Sandra Li Reporter

W

ith the 2018-2019 school year coming to an end, seniors from Malden High will soon be graduating. Malden has recently congratulated and honored eight seniors from MHS who will be making their future contributions to the field of education.

A ceremony was hosted at the Ferryway School with the accompaniment of the Ferryway Band and Chorus. It was the first time that a ceremony was conducted to those who will be contributing to the profession.

The commemoration was held as a result of a decision that was made across Massachusetts that schools should not only be recognizing athletes, but also students who will be going into the education field.

The celebration was held on May 6th, which was on the week of Teachers Appreciation Week, and was on National Teachers Day. It is a week of recognition towards teachers and educators who have greatly impacted society.

All eight seniors were able to receive a letter and sign off a document that would show that they will be going into the education program at the school that they will be attending.

Of the eight students, senior Jamie Parker was one of those who were able to be acknowledged for their commitment in the education field.

Parker stated that “before going to the ceremony [she] was a little nervous.” But despite that, “once [she] was there, the feeling was great.”

Parker explained that the reason why she wanted to pursue this field was due to how “[she] enjoys the classroom setting and likes to interact with and help little kids.”

She continued on saying that “[she] didn’t really know until this year that [she] wanted to be a teacher.” As for her influence, Parker was persuaded as a result of “many of [her] teachers saying that it was a very rewarding job to help kids.”

Parker expressed that not only are “teachers the ones who assist parents in the process of making the children comfortable around others” but they are also the ones who “help children become more confident, independent and prepared for when they leave both home and high school.”

Senior Tyler Risteen was also another student who was honored in the ceremony. Risteen explained that “when [she] started coaching gymnastics for the Malden Recreation Department, it [was] when [she] realized that [she is] actually

Special Olympics took place on Thursday, May 9th of 2019. The event was in honor of Alex Gentile and was renamed as “Alex Games.”

good at teaching kids and really enjoys it.”

She mentioned that she intends to study elementary education and after receiving her undergraduate degree, Risteen would see herself obtaining a job that would help her “get started in the school environment” and later acquire her masters degree to get a teaching position.

Risteen hopes that in the future, she can “make an impact on kids learning paths as other teachers did to [her]” and to “just really help as many people as [she] can.”

At the ceremony, many officials and teachers from the Malden School Districts such as English

teachers Yahaira Marquez and Sean Walsh attended the celebration to congratulate the seniors who have the made the decision to go into teaching.

Walsh stated that “it is an honor to see students be inspired by their teachers and their desire to give back.” He added that “the goal of education is to create citizens and people who want to improve their communities and the world.”

Walsh believes that more students should enter into the profession since “it is an enriching career” and students will be able to see the “joy and complexity of what being a teacher at this moment in time truly

means.”

As for Marquez, she expressed that whenever students from MHS pursue a career in education it “makes [her] feel proud” as it is “good to know that there are students recognizing the importance of education and want to cultivate that within others.”

A piece of advice she would give to the aspiring educators is that when things get challenging, “remember to keep your ultimate purpose in mind on why you went into the profession in the first place” Marquez stated, adding to “never lose that verve, that life and vitality within yourself.”

Sports

40

The Blue and Gold June 2019

maldenblueandgold.com

BASEBALL HOPES TO END SEASON STRONG

Tonijoy Pimental Lead Reporter

T

his year, the Malden High School Baseball team went out with yet another solid season. At present, the team has a record of 7-10. The team will continue on into a few more games that will decided whether they make it into playoffs.

Going into the next few games leading up to the playoffs, the team has very little doubt in their skills and are confident in the coaching and training that they have been receiving all season.

Right fielder, junior Devin Killoren, even stated how “[they] have a good shot of making it [to the State tournament], [they’re] a good team

under pressure and if [they] lose [they’re] out and that is not part of the plan for [them], [they] all want the same goal and that is to be State champs.

Despite the bad weather, the team continued to push through the season; however, they did have to change their normal practice routine explained Killoren, when stating how he thinks “... it had some role in the season, [they] missed some practices because of the weather but [they] are fortunate to use Salemwood some nights to use the batting cages, but the nights [they] cannot [they] are missing out and it definitely affects [them].”

This year, the team has a great season with many ups and downs.

Throughout this season, the boys have learned many new skills to

make them better players. “[He has] learned the more advanced things in baseball, stuff that [he] did not know playing JV or Babe Ruth,” said sophomore Clifton Noelsaint.

Others players also found themselves with a lot of improvement this year that they believe will help for the upcoming season.

Killoren thinks he has improved tremendously, as this was his first year on Varsity, getting used to the pitching and improving his pitching and fielding skills.

The team believes that their great success has come from at lot of aspects; however, the main reasons that the athletes believe that they have been so successful this year is due to “great coaching and great team chemistry, [they] all believe in each other and trust each other,” said Killoren. Noelsaint explained that he believed that they teams suc-

cess this year streamed from “the strong connection and togetherness of the team.”

With the senior class graduating, there will be some strengths gone from the team. Noelsaint even stated how the seniors “are a really good group of baseball players and have helped [them] a lot.”

However, the baseball team hopes to come back next year just as strong. “It will affect [them] a lot, they were all great leaders and helped [the] team win a lot of games, [they are] going to miss them but [he is] confident about the juniors and other underclassmen” said Devin Killoren.

The players are all really looking forward for the end of the season and a chance at making playoffs as well as the next season. They are preparing now for playoffs and will soon find out if they qualify or not.

Top: Senior Billy Stickney prepares to pitch a ball. Bottom, from left to right: Senior Billy Stickney, The MHS Baseball team huddles together to discuss a game plan, Senior Billy Stickney batting, Danny Fuentes getting ready to play.

The Blue and Gold June 2019

Sports

41

maldenblueandgold.com

Crew: Small but Strong Ana Pirosca Head of Multimedia

T

he members of the crew team have trained hard, and finally getting on the water, many boats saw success. Although the team is much smaller this year—19 people as opposed to more than 50 people in past years—a new aspect of the team has come to light.

“It was easier for the coaches to really focus one-on-one and notice what each individual was doing wrong and how to improve,” reflects senior Paige Pimental, who rowed seat 3 in the Varsity 4 boat and seat 7 in the Varsity 8 boat. In past years, the coaches were notorious for rigorous workouts, and although that has not ceased, it also gave the team an edge as instruction became more individualized.

“Our Novice boys actually beat our Varsity boys at the Cape Cod Regatta,” said Pimental. The new recruits have a lot to offer even though the team is smaller, especially since they are “very dedicated rowers.”

Due to the dramatic loss of last year’s seniors, the time on the water the team was affected. With a small team, if one person does not come to practice, then the entire boat must

The crew team of 19 people during the Moose on Malden Regatta. Photo submitted by Paige Pimental. sit out since there are no replacements. This puts Malden to a greater disadvantage as the temperatures and climate during the season also affects water time.

This was reflected in the 2019 Moose on Malden Regatta event hosted by the Malden High Crew team, which saw less rowers than usual due to a date change, bringing the event to early May as opposed to late May or early June. The 9th Annual Boston Wounded Vet Run this year planned on hosting a charity

run on the same day as the Moose but had changed their route, causing the regatta to be pushed earlier; this year the Regatta was on May 11th and 12th.

“Most teams like it towards the end of the season, the team is more prepared because the weather obviously is horrible sometimes so you cannot get a lot of water time,” said coach Sarah Jones, “some of the teams come from Maine and it is even colder up there so they don’t get as much water time even so… so

some of them are like, ‘Well we’ve practiced for a whole week’... and the Novice are not prepared to go down the river by themselves.”

The date change for the Regatta meant less practice but, “[the team] made up for it at the Mayor’s Cup Regatta” where the Girls Varsity 4 got fourth place, missing the 3rd place spot by only four seconds and the Novice boys received first place.

This year was the first year Pimental’s boat did not receive a medal during the Moose on Malden, she noted.

Aside from the Moose, the lack of members changed lineups dramatically. “The other teams are full of Varsity rowers who have been together for years and work flawlessly on a boat,” said Pimental. With new boats in formation, the rowers may be unaccustomed to the people, putting Malden at a disadvantage. Pimental attributes this as the reason for the disparity in wins this year.

Nonetheless, the team is much closer. Less people means a greater chance to talk to everybody and get to know them more closely. “It’s been a lot easier to plan things and get in touch and become a close team,” said Pimental.

S o f t b a l l Cristopher Correa Lead Reporter

T

his year’s Malden High Softball season is soon coming to an end, and all of its members are incredibly proud of the season, and excited for what is next to come. With three games left to play, the current record for the Varsity Softball team is 3-140.

Sophomore Varsity player Sarah Whitehouse explained that “although [they] didn’t get the number of wins [they] wanted [she] think[s] [they] definitely performed to the best ability [they] could.” The team always remained positive no matter what the result was. As Whitehouse described “no matter what the turnout was, the team always proceeded to stay positive with the help of [their] amazing captains.”

This season, the team has done well in multiple different areas of their game. Whitehouse explained “if someone made an error in the field, struck out, or if a game was lost, [they] as a whole team would make each individual feel better about their mistake. No matter what happened there was always someone there to cheer and pick up another payer if they were feeling down.”

A player who has stood out this season is sophomore Maciel Biato.

Biato has improved incredibly over the span of this season, especially considering that this season she is fresh out of the Freshman team. According to sophomore player Maddie McCarthy, “Biato has proved that she has what it takes to be a valuable outfielder for the team by making outstanding catches and backing up plays over the season.”

Along with the skills she had improved upon personally, Biato has also had a positive impact on the team as a whole. Whitehouse explained that Biato provides the team “with so much confidence because she has caught so many balls in the outfield and it’s just great to see her improve and be able to catch the ball with full confidence.”

The team feels as though next year they can only improve. One aspect of their game that can be improve upon for the next season is their communication on the field.

McCarthy believes that even though they “tremendously improved on aspects of our game”, they also need to improve on their “communication on the field.”

The Softball team is also very excited for the upcoming season, despite the fact that they will be losing a lot of senior players. Almost all of

the entire starting infield, including the likes of Taylor Bozzi, Paige Dow and Kiera Robertson, will be moving on but Whitehouse has faith that “the rest of the team, and incoming freshman players can step up and fill in the positions well.”

Although this season did not go as expected, there is a lot of optimism around next year’s season.

With three games remaining in the season, the players are ready to improve and perform to the best of their abilities.

Left to right: Senior Taylor Bozzi ready to catch the ball.

Senior Kathryn Killbride waiting for a ball. Senior Caitlin Rufo running to catch the ball outfield. Sophomore Amanda Do Val on the field. All photos by Courtney Fitzgerald.

42

Sports

The Blue and Gold June 2019

maldenblueandgold.com

Left to Right: Sophomore David Lombardi in position to bump the volleyball; Sophomore Kenny Nguyen jumping to spike the ball over the net. Photos by Courtney Fiztgerald.

Boys Volleyball Hits Success Michelle Yin Lead Reporter

T

he Boys volleyball team is rounding off to the end of their season with the total score of 11-9.

The team has steadily improved and practiced over the course of the season. They originally started the season off with a few worries, according to senior and captain, Ryoma Yonetani. Near the beginning of the season he was worried about the games against “Randolph High School” due to the mentality of the team after “losing to them last year.”

Along with the team’s majority this year being new players, there was a constant strive for better chemistry. Despite these setbacks, the team was motivated throughout the season for states.

The Boys Volleyball team had their first game against Billerica Memorial and had lost with the score of three to zero, within the game there were three sets. The next game they had was against Greater Lawrence which also ended up as a losing game but were only short by a few points ending the game with also all sets won by the other team.

Despite the short losing streak that the team had at the beginning of the season, there were able to win the following games. They won in a non-conference meet, with a finishing score of three to zero in the sets. Another win game soon after

against Salem, where there were a total of four sets and Malden won three sets while Salem had won one.

The team also won against Lowell Catholic, where the Malden Boys volleyball team was able to take home a win, after winning three out of five of the sets. Within the middle of the season, the score was played to be three wins and three losses.

Yonetani mentions that throughout their current season, they “practiced every day” and they had tried different strategies for the team to work through their comfortability in communications and skills. Adding on to this Junior Tenzin Shakya mentions that “by the end of the season [they] were able to pull through and fix those issues.”

Following the game against Lowell Catholic was the game against Essex Tech which the team had lost all three sets. They were able to win against Presentation of Mary Academy winning all the sets.

Near the end of the season, the team went against Randolph High School and had lost.

Shakya also mentions that a shout out that he would give would be to Ryoma Yonetani, who contributed to the team’s wins and “changed the environment of the team, spreading creativity and excitement.”

Although this season had many ups and downs, the team was able to gain many win and improve for further seasons.

Top to bottom: Senior posters. The team huddling up. Junior Jason Chan htting the ball.

Photos by Idriss Touati.

Left to Right: Sophomore Carlos Alves serving the ball; Junior Jason Chan and Senior Nour Tafraoui blocking the the opponent team from making a spike; The team waiting to hit the ball; Senior Nour Tafraoui preparing to hit the ball. Photos by Courtney Fitzgerald.

Sports

The Blue and Gold June 2019

43

maldenblueandgold.com

Boys T ennis

Sara Zakaria Head of Sports

T

his season for the Boys Tennis team has been successful overall. The team has a current record of 7-3 and are on track to make it to the State tournament.

The team’s performance steadily improved as the season went on. According to senior captain Thomas Tran, the team reached consistency “in terms of results and skill.” He explains that in the past years, some players on the team would “falter” to opponents that “on paper, were weaker.”

However, this season brought a new change, as many players were able to improve over the off-season, thus creating a team that “allows [them] with much more margin to win” and a team that has each player relying on in each other. Junior Jacky Luong adds that most of the improvement from the team has come from “individual practice and dedication” due to the irregular practices caused by weather.

In terms of individual performance, Tran says that he has become consistent with his skills as well. He contributes this to his “improved mentality.” He aimed to maintain focus and made sure that he does not doubt himself in a match. This has worked out for him not just in his consistency but also his goals, which was to reach the State Solo tournament. Senior Simon Cen, a first year Varsity player, expected to have a “huge learning curve,” but was able to pick up a doubles partner “without too much trouble” and have a positive record. While he states that his performance was great, he still has “much more to learn.” Luong is also a firstyear Varsity player. However, he feels that his performance has been “unsatisfactory”

due to an injury at the beginning of the season. He plans on “earning that spot back” and play at least one Varsity match before the end of the season to prove himself again.

The most challenging game for all of the members was their match ups against Somerville. Somerville has a historically strong team, according to Tran. Additional disadvantages such as their strongest player being sidelined due to sickness/injury caused both the home and away match to be difficult, losing 0-5 in one of the games.

On the other hand, the most rewarding game for Tran was the game against Lynn Classical. Two newly promoted members, sophomores Andrew Hoang and Hanson Mei, were able to “clinch a deciding doubles match” to get a win for the team. For Luong, it was the match against Lynn English that went exceptionally well, as the team scored a 5-0 victory, making the “struggle through the rain” worth it.

Despite the match that was rewarding for Cen was the North Reading game, where he earned his Varsity spot, his favorite moment of the season was at the Lynn Classical meet, where he won his first game. It was his first time playing Varsity with his doubles partner, senior Daniel Augustin. Cen recalls that as the duo scored more points, Augustin “just looked at [him] with a big smile.”

Tran states that the team is getting to that point where they look forward to next year’s season, which he feels will be a “rebuilding period” for the remaining members. He hopes to make his last year count and help the JV members improve, setting them up to take the torch.

Top to bottom, clockwise: The Boys Tennis team raise their rackets. Senior Daniel Augustin hitting the ball.

Senior Luis Gilbert in the midst of a hit. Sophomore Hanson Mei and Senior Simon Chen playing doubles.Senior Thomas Tran Preparing to hit the ball. Senior Quang Nguyen in the midst of a strike. Photos

by Nicholas Wong.

44

Sports

The Blue and Gold June 2019

maldenblueandgold.com

GIRLS TENNIS STRIVE FOR SUCCESS Sara Zakaria Head of Sports

M

alden High’s Girls Tennis team are anticipating the end of the season. There are only a few more matches to go, which could make or break the team, as they have a close record of 7-7.

The season was marked by several disadvantages, such as competing against tough teams, missing key players, and meet cancellations due to weather. However, they were able to pull through despite the issues, learning how to encourage each other to maintain the overall confidence of the team.

The team was able to improve on certain aspects as the season progressed. To senior captain Nikita Puri, the team has grown to be able to better “handle the losses” and gain confidence through their wins.

To junior Keri Gilligan, the team was able to improve their “overall

skill set.” She adds that the team possesses “some great talent” and believes that each player improved their skill “in some area or another.”

However, there is still room for more improvement on areas such as skill, technique, and communication, according to senior captain Nicole Chen. They still have time to work on those areas during the upcoming practices, along with the next few games.

The team has endured challenging matches this season. An example was the North Reading game, according to Gilligan. Puri says that the North Reading team is “competitive” and already achieved the goal of making it to the State tournament, a success Malden has not been able to achieve yet. The game against Lynn Classical is also a notable mention. Chen says that the game was challenging since Malden was able to beat Lynn Classical

previously. They were able to pull a victory, with a score of 4-1.

For Gilligan, the most challenging and the most rewarding games are not mutually exclusive. Puri agrees, saying that every game was rewarding because it offered them a “learning experience” even when they lost. Some examples are the games against aforementioned Lynn Classical, Somerville, Revere, and Triton. Gilligan was the “underdog” against Lynn Classical and Triton, as played a strong game and was able to prove her own achievement and pride for Malden. She adds that the games against the latter two allowed her to make a comeback, to the point where she “even surprised [herself].” To Gilligan, selfdiscipline and motivation are just as essential as skill and strategy, which she proved to have in these games.

The leadership of captains is another positive aspect of the sea-

son. The team is smaller than it was during the previous years, which helped the captains grow close and communicate more with the rest of the team. Gilligan says that she was able to grow close with Chen, due to playing with her often during practice and “seeing how [Chen] played a part in leading [their] team.”

The team’s goal is to win the upcoming games and “make the best out of the season,” says Puri. Gilligan is hopeful that this season will be a step in having a successful season next year, despite the loss of the seniors. She adds that they can see the potential to come out next season with a winning record. Chen remarks that the team “never gives up” and “always puts up a fight,” which could make the goals for next year become reality.

Senior Nicole Chen hitting the ball and bouncing the ball.

Sophomore Bonnie Kuang hitting the ball.

Freshman Sammie Nie getting ready to dribble the ball.

The tennis team huddled for a cheer.

The Blue and Gold June 2019

Sports

45

maldenblueandgold.com

BOYS LAX AIM FOR GREATNESS

David Cartledge Lead Reporter Senior Son Nguyen looking for an open shot on the Arlington Catholic defense Senior Son Nguyen looking for an open shot on the Arlington Catholic defense. Senior Zachary Rufo passing to a teammate. Senior Zachary Rufo breaking past the Arlington Catholic defense. Sophomore JT Bowdridge trying to break past the Arlington Catholic defense. Malden high attack trying to get possession of a ground ball in front of the Arlington Catholic net. Sophomore JT Bowdridge breaking past the Arlington Catholic defense. Photos by David Cartledge.

T

his season, the Malden High Boys Lacrosse team played a good, hard fought season, currently having a record of 6-10 with another two games to play. Unfortunately, the team missed the mark for States this season, losing to Winthrop on Monday. This was a hard season for the team, not only having to deal with the loss of half their team, but also repositioning depending on those losses. Coach Jonathan Copithorne mentioned how this was a “learning season” for the team, needing to figure out new positions for both returning players and new players. The loss of seniors last season made it so the team needed to compensate for them, losing their entire defense, including the goalie and much of the midfield. The team managed to figure it out though, even if it was too late to make States.

Copithorne described this season as a “semi-successful roller coaster,” feeling that while the team managed to play a few great games, where they really showed what they were capable of, playing like “world beaters.” He also

described though how some games were disappointing, showing how “inconsistent” the season was, with players losing interest in the game because they were down a few goals, and then losing the game as a result. Sophomore Jason Ashworth, who Coach Copithorne described as the “quarterback of the defense,” and a player that was a really huge part of the defense, mentioned how “[they] have to just work on the small things for next season,” saying how coach Copithorne “always tells [them] to hit a wall and if [they] do that [they] will greatly improve in seasons to come.”

This season, despite missing the mark for States, was an eventful one for the team, showing major improvement and proving to them that they are able to make something of themselves now. Coach Copithorne mentioned that up until last year, the Malden Lacrosse team has never really done well, with their best seasons having six wins.

Coach Copithorne described how “having six wins is disappointing to [them] now, which speaks volumes.

It really shows how [they] have im-

proved, and that [they] are able to fight at the tournament level.” Ashworth also mentioned how the team has “seemed to work well together and flow together,” which is a great thing to have as a team.

Unfortunately, during the game against Winthrop on Monday, Sophomore Max Forestier took a ball to the jaw, breaking it. He is going to be out for the rest of the season, but that will not stop him from going to games and supporting his team, and being involved. Forestier was a major part of the defense this season, with Copithorne calling him “the heart” of the team. Copithorne described how he put so much into the team, saying that “there are few people, if any, that put more into this team than him.” Copithorne also described how even after getting injured Forestier was trying to encourage his team to get back in and fight even though they were losing. Forestier was also one of the key parts of the defense, being one of the starters and playing for a majority of the game.

With last season being the success that it was, it can be difficult

for a team to get to the same level, especially after facing a large loss of players like the lacrosse team did.

However, they managed to overcome and play a few great games, showing that they are still able to play to the tournament level. This season and for the past few years, the team has played in the NEC, but next season will be changing back to the GBL, hopefully managing to pull in a tournament appearance and potentially making it out on top. This would give the team title appearances in both the GBL and the NEC, something that they had never been able to do until a few years ago.

Sports

46

The Blue and Gold June 2019

maldenblueandgold.com

GIRLS LAX HAD A HEADSTRONG SEASON

The Girls Varsity Lacrosse team poses for a picture. Photo by Brandon Wong.

Jemisha Syliant Head Copy Editor

A

s the season comes to an end, the members of the Malden High School Girls Lacrosse team are hoping to further their skills as well as improving as a team for the upcoming seasons having a final record of 3-13. Although the season began with a rough start, the members on the team remained hopeful throughout the season with positive energy.

The MHS Girls Lacrosse team had their first game against Arlington Catholic in which the final record of that game was 4-14 with Malden losing by ten points.

Following that game, MHS versed Winthrop which resulted in Malden losing to a 5-12. On April 16th, the MHS Girls Lacrosse team had an away game against Revere at the Dello Russo Stadium losing with a score of 6-12.

Junior Angelena Nguyen previously explained that she hoped this season would be better than

the previous seasons as she adds that last season the team “choked on one of the last games before quarter finals.” Keeping in mind that the team lost many members on the team, they are “training to be stronger and improve from [their] mistakes last season” Nguyen states.

Similarly, Junior Ashley Stelmach wants to pick up from where they left off last season seeing they have improved a great amount as a team and “[she] hope[s] [they] can continue to improve together.”

Nguyen describes that the team has been putting forth their best efforts to have a successful season by which they have been working on lays, creating new strategies.

They have also been sprinting every practice, going through drills with ladders and cones.

In agreement to the statements made by Stelmach and Nguyen, Junior Shante Simon hopes to have improved during the season which will bring forth better efforts by all members on the team.

Captain Ana Carollyne Oliveira explains how the season had been “a little tough” but goes into detail of recent games in which they have been close to winning but the team fell short.

Captain Delilah Doeleman explains that the members of the team have been working really hard as she says “[they have] had some tough losses this season but are hopeful.” She continues to mention the injuries impacting their team as she adds “[they have] had some injuries on the team, but are not letting that stop [them] from going to states.”

Adding onto the previous statements, Nguyen explains that overall the season could have been better and was not “what [they] were expecting.” Stelmach mentions that the team has faced some really good teams this season and they have also played the best that they could “with all the obstacles that [they] faced.”

In terms of goals this season,

Junior Angelena Nguyen rushes the ball to the goal. Photo by Brandon Wong.

Nguyen says that she was able to reach her goal as she got nine hat tricks while her goal at the beginning of the season was only three hat tricks.

Simon adds that there have been memorable moments on the team throughout the season in which the team have been brought closer.

As the season comes to an end, all members on the team have put their best efforts on and off the field resulting in a hard fought season.

Left to Right: Junior Angelena Nguyen running to the goal; Kaitlyn Mini rushes to land a shot before time runs out; Head Coach Jessica Leggett gives a rundown for their next play. Photo by Brandon Wong.

Sports

The Blue and Gold June 2019

47

maldenblueandgold.com

TRACK TEAM FINISHES WITH VICTORIES

Gabriel Matnog Lead Reporter

T

he Malden High Outdoor Track and Field team ended their 2018-2019 season with an outstanding record of 13-1. The girls went 7-0 and the boys went 6-1. The girls team was also crowned the Northeast Conference Division 1 Champions.

Head coach David Londino is incredibly proud of this seasons outcome and the sheer amount of effort contributed by each and every athlete on the team. Londino explains that one of the key moments of the season was when junior Jean Gerard was competing in hurdles, when he hit the last hurdle and injured his finger. While Londino gave the option to sit out the rest of the meet, Gerard did otherwise. He went on to win the shot put and discus event. “[Londino] thinks it made people think about toughness, determination, and doing what it takes for the team.”

When asked about athletes who have gone above and beyond this season, Londino states, “honestly, the whole team is great.”

There are certain athletes like Gerard, junior

Omar Asousy, senior Shateaya Smith, junior Pryanna Alper and junior Isabella Machado who are “locks to win at least two events per meet.”

Many records were set, in the shot put and discus throw, Smith threw 36’ 1’ in shot put and 106’ in the discus throw. Danaika Cherichel jumped 32’ in the triple jump.

Junior Isabella Machado has been on the outdoor team for 3 years and the indoor team for two (her sophomore and junior year). Machado sees that the biggest upsides of the season has been the wins against Revere. “The meet against Revere was the one [they have] been training for all season.”

Machado said her favorite meet was the NEC meet as she set a new school record in the two mile run.

Machado states, “For incoming freshman, if you are looking for a team that’s more like a family, and if you are trying to find a sport that will push your limits then join the track team.”

Left to right, top row: senior Chris D’Entremont, junior Omar Asousy, and senior Kyle O’Brien running a race together. Left column, top to bottom: senior Kyle O’Brien, junior Isabella Machado, and senior Chris D’Entremont running. Right column, top to bottom: junior Omar Asousy, sophomore, Vanessa Diniz, and junior Jean Gerard on the track. Bottom photo: the medalists for the girls track team. All photos by Nicholas Wong.

48

Sports maldenblueandgold.com

Farewell class of 2019! embrace The Journey

The Blue and Gold June 2019

A letter from the Class of 2019 Advisor Rebecca Corcoran

D

ear Class of 2019, Since you walked into Jenkins Auditorium as itty bitty freshmen, your saying has been “Embrace the Journey” and what a journey it has been. From freshman bowling socials to below freezing concessions at the Thanksgiving Day Game, from Star Wars banners to a movable boat, you have always been the class to go above and beyond, defy expectations and fill Malden High with your dedication and school spirit. Your legacy as a class is one of always going above and beyond, making Malden (and me) incredibly proud of all your accomplishments. And as cheesy as it sounds, Malden High will not be the same without you!

And now that you have made your mark on Malden, it’s time to move on and make your mark on the rest of the world. As you finish one journey to start another one, I know you will bring the same passion, determination, and commitment to wherever you’re going and whatever your next step is. But don’t ever forget the friendships and lessons Malden has taught and know you will always have a home here. I am honored to have been your class adviser and I am happy to say your Malden High journey has been embraced!

Download the MHS Sports App!

maldenblueandgold.com Malden High School Volume 104 Edition 7/8 Graduation 2019