Final malden high school graduation edition 2016

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”

-Eleanor Roosevelt

o t s n o i t a l Congratu !

6 1 0 2 f o s the Clas

The Blue and Gold maldenblueandgold.com Malden High School Volume 101 Edition 8 /8

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77 salem street June 2016

Special Olympics pag

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1 2 0 2 s e g a p S Mr. MH More of the Top 10

1. Jacqueline Smith “One of the most important things in life is to know that everyone has a purpose on this planet.” Senior Jacqueline Smith is leaving Malden High School first in her class fueled to spread this belief in the world.

Whether it’s her schoolwork, soccer, or rapping to Drake, Smith portrays the definition of what it looks like to give anything and everything true dedication.

Classmate Gillian Willcox describes Smith as “extremely hard-

2. Wendy Nguyen As Malden High School sends another batch of talented seniors off to begin a new chapter, one senior that will be missed is Wendy Nguyen.

Nguyen, finishing the year off second in her class, has certainly proved herself to be a hard worker and a dedicated student. In the fall, Nguyen will be staying close to home in Boston, and will be attending Massachusetts College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences. Nguyen plans to become a doctor, and although she is unsure of Continued on page 7.

working”. Willcox explained how even though “she does stress out about a lot of things [for example] if she gets a 99 instead of a 100 she will ask for the rubric and what she can do to improve her grade, [Smith] does motivate [me] to be a better student”.

When asked to describe Smith in three words, senior Ashley Vieira, who is a close friend of Smith for many years, said “ she is caring, funny, and a very hard worker”. Vieira explained how “Smith is always the first person Continued on page 7.

Gillian Willcox ranked number three.

Page 8

Patricia Luong ranked number four.

Page 8 maldenblueandgold.com Malden High School Volume 101 Edition 8 / 8 Graduation 2016

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Editorial

77 Salem St. Malden, MA 02148

Staff Print Editor-in-Chief Lucia Quesada Nylen ‘16 Print Managing Editors Cassandra Reyes ‘16 Manale Zouhir ‘16 Web and Mobile Apps Editorsin-Chief Emma Ceplinskas ‘16 Andrew Cogliano ‘16 Head Copy Editor Nicholas Bramante ‘16 Web & Mobile Apps Managing Editor Jasper Haag ‘16 Art & Design Editor Ashley Leung ‘16 Multimedia Editor Chaimae El Adlouni ‘16 Heads of Local News Felicia Fallano ‘17 Julia Parker ‘17 Heads of Sports News Tatyanna Cabral ‘17 Tenzin Dorjee ‘17 Nedlam’s Corner Karina Matos ‘17 Lead Reporters Abdul Ali ‘16 Alexis Brown ‘16 Liam Elliott ‘16 Marly Loreus ‘16 Haley Mallett ‘16 Megan Downer ‘18 Leila Greige ‘18 Ana Bia Kerr ‘18 Anna Powers ‘18 Lead Photographer Meghan Yip ‘18 Lead Videographers ryan huynh ‘16 Stacey Wong ‘16 Samuel Martinez ‘18 Staff Artist Ziqi Zeng ‘16 Reporters Gabriella Onessimo ‘17 Tatum Skiffington ‘17 Christina Appignani ‘18 Ryan Hames ‘18 Alysha McDevitt ‘18 Ymanika “Monica” Nicolas ‘18 Nada Tuffaha ‘18 Cameron Witham ‘18 Jesaias Benitez ‘19 Neden Bernadin ‘19 Vivian Dang ‘19 Joanna Li ‘19 Cedrina Missamou ‘19 Abhishek Rana ‘19 Sydney Stumpf ‘19 Ailin Toro ‘19 Kristy Yang ‘19 Advisor ryan gallagher

A Word

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Malden High School

The Blue and Gold

The Blue and Gold Graduation 2016

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from the Editors of the Newspaper

ver the course of the four years, we have found our voice in The Blue and Gold newspaper. In a generation where the majority of our lives are lived through technology, working endless hours laying out a newspaper has made us realize how important oldfashioned reporting really is. We live in an age where we can search the answer to any question that we could possibly have on the Internet; an age where everything is very fast-paced. One thing that isn’t fast-paced is the process that we have gone through the past four years of reporting and making our voice known.

We cannot even begin to express how proud we are to be a part of the paper, to work on the paper, to defend the paper, to watch the paper grow. It started off being something we just did for various and simple reasons, then quickly grew into something we poured countless hours and dedication into. No matter how many times we grew frustrated over some miniscule detail, there were twice as many times that we felt proud of the work we have created.

Since joining the newspaper stuff, we have found our voice, our outlet. The way we decide to lay out each page, the stories to cover, and how to cover them, is our choice, and it determines how history is going to be documented. Yes, it’s as stressful as it sounds, but it’s beyond worth it.

The Blue and Gold proudly wears the title of the second longest-running high school publication in the country. and for 100 years, The Blue and Gold staff has continuously displayed vigorous efforts in order to prove the meaning of this title, and record the history of Malden High School. We have progressed immensely within these 100 years and we can only imagine how much progress we will make within the time to come.

The staff has done an amazing job of preserving the legacy of the paper and past papers dating back to 1915, and we hope that we can continue to do so.

It is important to note that the Blue and Gold is not just made up of the rest of the editors and ourselves, but all of the reporters, the section heads, the photographers, the videographers, and our humble advisor. And though we take pride in the fact that we are a student run newspaper, that is not where it ends. The Blue and Gold isn’t just made up of its staff, it is made up of the Malden High School student body and faculty, it is made up of every sport we have to offer, the diversity of the school, past alumni, and the entire Malden community.

And it is up to all of us to keep the legacy of the paper alive, because The Blue and Gold is a representation of

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

Malden pride, its diversity, and its life. There is always something happening in Malden, always a reason to get involved, and always a story to be covered. With great improvement, however, comes great opportunity, and with great opportunity comes great responsibility.

It wasn’t until our senior year that we became fully aware of how blessed we are for the opportunity that we have been granted. The tremendous amount of support The Blue and Gold has always had from the school’s administration and its advisors for the past 100 years has granted us the ability to continue the legacy, knowing that our work is acknowledged, appreciated and supported.

We wish we had one more long block, one more edition, one more editorial. But we don’t. And honestly, this is the hardest thing to detach from about high school.

Out of all the things and people we’ve grown attached to these past four years, The Blue and Gold, the paper itself and the staff, is the hardest thing we have to leave behind. Fortunately, The Blue and Gold will continue. To the Class of 2017, in just a few weeks we’ve been taken aback by the amount of leadership you have all shown.

We apologize (not really) for our absolute refusal to stop working on this edition until we really couldn’t any longer. We want to remind you, and the rest of the staff, that we trust you guys and we are already proud of the work you will all put out next year. You are all transitioning into a new position of leadership, one that is more timeconsuming and more challenging, but don’t doubt your abilities, you’re ready. Take care of this precious gem we are passing down, we know it’s in good hands.

To Mr. Gallagher, you are the most passionate adult we have worked with these past four years. Staying until 8:30 on a Tuesday night and coming in at 10 a.m. on a Saturday, you really have gone to extreme lengths for us this year. On top of all your other responsibilities, professional and personal, we have never felt like the newspaper wasn’t a priority to you, and that’s admirable. Thank you for the corny life lessons that you have told, and retold, us -- they actually do help.

We have learned the importance of ownership. Being a part of the staff of the second longest running newspaper in the country didn’t hit us until the last month of our junior year when we took over last year’s editors, and began to lay out a 48 page paper, not realizing that senior year would be way more hectic. As frustrating and tiring as it may have gotten, we published each and every edition with the pride and satisfaction that we put our hardest effort out there for the world to see.

Unlike our high school career, The Blue and Gold is far from over. It’s only the beginning. We are at the beginning of a revolution of re-invention and innovation of how news is reported and engaged with. We are so incredibly lucky to have been on a staff amongst some of the most passionate and diligent people we know, staying updated about our community, and forming relationships we hope to carry on throughout our future. Some advice to future Blue and Gold staff, or to anyone pursuing something they are passionate about: whatever you do, whatever you decide to pour yourself into, whatever it is that makes you happy, do it, and do it well. Life is too short to do anything halfway.

Lucia Quesada Nylen Print Editor-in-Chief

Cassandra Reyes Print Managing Editor

Manale Zouhir Print Managing Editor

The Blue and Gold Graduation 2016

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Editorial maldenblueandgold.com

Farewell Blue and Gold Editors! 2015-2016

Vote For Us Because We Can’t Julia Parker Head of Local

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very year that goes by, there is a new deficit in the budget for education. Every year, complaints pop out from the parents of students who want a better funded education for their children. Every year, more staff and teachers lose their jobs.

As a student who has been raised in a school system that always seems to be in financial crisis, learning these numbers and looking deeper into this issue only becomes more frustrating. There is so much we, as a community, could do about this issue.

If students were able to vote and participate in the decisions made about our schools, we would advocate for more funding for our education. So, what we the students ask of adults now, is to vote for funding our education, since we cannot.

If you are reading this now at graduation and do not vote in your local elections, please vote. Or, run for office yourself if you think you could make a difference.

In the United States, more than one in four Americans that are eligible, are not registered to vote, as shown in U.S.

Census Data. That is about 153 million Americans voting out of the 215 million living here, considering they all vote and have no problems in doing so. Practically every year, there are questions brought up about funding or the education systems in America, including Malden, in political elections and committees.

However, adults who are voting are often not experiencing the lack of funding in schools. Naturally, they do not think much about it unless they have a child themselves. Many of these parents do not register to vote, and there goes the last of our say in what happens to our city.

Students have no say in how much money we need in order to receive a successful and effective education.

Every month, the School Committee hosts a meeting at city hall about recent issues in the public school systems. The audiences of these meetings mainly consist of parents and students, but never a huge crowd. In these meetings, they consistently make decisions about staff, students, and a common topic, budgeting.

Especially at the end of the school year, the numbers are brought up more than anything else. As a staff, we plan on covering all School Committee meetings and City Council meetings next year.

Top Ten Profiles begin on page 7!

5. Merjem Rizvancevic 6. Jasper Haag 7. Madeline Lam

8. Ziqi Zeng 9. Trisha Truong 10. Emma Ceplinskas

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Opinion

The Blue and Gold Graduation 2016

maldenblueandgold.com

The Blue and Gold Crossword Puzzle

Letter to the Editor: Trying to Make College More Affordable for Students

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ollege affordability has always been an issue. Years, even decades, after graduating, people still struggle to pay their student loans. As students that will soon go through this struggle, we are trying to make the issue a smaller problem for future graduates. In order to increase college affordability, we hope to convince the Massachusetts Congress to pass the Fair Share Amendment. The Fair Share Amendment will add an additional tax of 4% of annual income of those who earn one million dollars or more per year. This money will be spent on education and transportation. Passing the Fair Share Amendment will decrease residents’ debts by generating an estimated $1.5 billion annually, which would be very beneficial to Massachusetts residents.

We think this is an important issue because, as students from Malden High School, we will be able to benefit a lot from this. Because Malden is a middle- to lower-class city many people who live here struggle with money even without the burden of paying college tuition. Due to this struggle, many students from Malden are not able to receive a higher education because they can’t afford it. This act will allow more students to have the opportunity to receive a higher education and be able to pay it off faster. Education is a right not a privilege, therefore higher education should be at a more affordable rate. By the time students are ready to go to college they deserve the opportunity to chose their own path.

Because these college prices are so high this prevents students from living up to their full potential to succeed at what they want to do in life.

In order to achieve this dream, we need people to spread awareness of this issue. We ask for students to spread this awareness by contacting important people such as legislators, representatives, etc, in order to persuade them to pass this act. If enough citizens contact these political figures, we will be able to make a change in college affordability.

Sincerely, Ms. Filer’s Period 5 Class

Opinion

The Blue and Gold Graduation 2016

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maldenblueandgold.com

How To Accept New Leadership Haley Mallett Lead Reporter

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s a senior preparing to graduate high school a week from now, I have started to reflect on my experiences over the course of the last four years. I am fortunate to have had a positive high school experience, and I owe part of this to Principal Dana Brown.

For the past few months, The Blue and Gold has covered Brown’s every move leading up to his leave, though not retirement, from Malden High School. Frequently covering events such as the City of Malden’s school committee, and MHS’s school council, has allowed me to have an inside perspective on how students, parents, and faculty, especially at MHS, feel about Brown being replaced.

The one phrase I have heard more than any other is “Brown’s shoes are big ones to fill.” Even though Brown, without a doubt, has completely transformed MHS from what it used to be over a decade ago, and yes, has incredibly big shoes to fill, the people must learn how to ac-

cept this change in leadership to ensure the environment of the school is maintained.

Here are some ways we can all accept Brown’s leave, and welcome the new leadership to come: 1. Change is emotional, but embrace it.

Unfortunately, we all have to accept that Brown cannot run MHS forever. For the past thirteen years of his life, he has actively been present at almost every high school event from beginning to end after a long day at work. As a senior, I am selfishly glad that Brown decided to “graduate” with my class, but coming back to visit next year will feel different. Although, this is not something for me, or any student, parent, or faculty member still part of the school system to dwell on.

Brown knows it is his time to move on, and take the next step in his life just like I am, and we all will eventually in time, so we must accept the path he has chosen to take, and embrace it too. tive.

2. Put the change into perspec-

To reiterate, Brown has been the principal of MHS for thirteen

years now. But ultimately, the high school’s new principal is neither inexperienced or new to the world of administration. Edward Lombardi, who will take over as principal officially on July 1, 2016, is currently the principal of Lawrence High School, which shares many similarities with MHS such as its urban location and wide range of diversity. He went through the entire principal search process to the very end, and is clearly well qualified for the position, hence why he was chosen without hesitation by the committee.

3. Understand that even though someone great is on his way out, someone just as great in his own way is on his way in.

I personally met Lombardi at the April school council meeting after hearing him address the people present, and I can say in all honesty that he is a great fit for MHS not only because of his background, but because of how he plans to approach taking on such a large school: not alone, but together. Like Brown, he is also a family man, and shares close relationships with many of his students. He too often finds himself in his office after hours, or at many of LHS’s school events, usually with his family present.

4. Adapt to the change made.

Remember, just because Brown will not be roaming the halls of MHS everyday next year, he has played a significant role in all of our lives, and knowing him, will continue to do so without a doubt. Rules and policies may change, but the relationship we all share with him will not. Also, Lombardi is entering an entirely new environment, and has to adapt to this change too, probably even more so than the rest of us. Even though this may take some time as it would take any person in a new position to do, especially Brown’s, I can guarantee that every person attending or working at MHS will form their own individual relationship with him because of the unique and individual qualities that he has to offer.

Thank you Mr. Brown for making MHS the greatest high school to possibly attend, or work for, on behalf of all of the students and staff who will miss you as we all progress into this next stage of our lives.

And Mr. Lombardi, welcome to MHS. Even though I will not be here when school begins in August, many students and staff will be waiting eagerly to welcome you into the next part of their lives.

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top ten profiles

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1. Jacqueline Smith Lucia Quesada Nylen Print Editor-in-Chief Continued from page 1. [she] goes to when [she] needs to talk”. After knowing her for years, Vieira explained how Smith has “worked very hard these past four years to be where she is and [she] is proud of all she has done and all she is going to do”.

After four years at MHS, Smith is leaving with much to remember.

Besides being number one in her class, Smith has dedicated much of her time to athletics. Coming into high school, Smith juggled between soccer and gymnastics, highly talented in both. After tragically tearing her ACL freshman year of varsity soccer, Smith was able to make a comeback and recover fully and play the next three years at the varsity level. She was a key player as an offensive midfielder/ forward and was named captain her senior year. Smith was also voted Greater Boston League All Star her junior and senior year. After recovering from her injury, Smith decided to focus on soccer as she “realized how much [the sport] meant to [her]”.

Smith also played on various club teams including the Olympic Pre Development Team (ODP) throughout her four years and hopes to be able to play intramural in college.

In addition to soccer being her true passion, Smith’s toughest memory throughout the four years of high school was her knee injury freshman year. Smith admitted that “there was a lot of negative things that happened in [her life] during that time”. Like any injury, the toll it takes on an athlete is tough, Smith explained that “[she constantly] felt bad that [she] couldn’t play [and] couldn’t relieve [her] stress through playing soccer”. In addition it was “tough in school because [she] had to crutch everywhere and couldn’t do anything athletically which was a challenge because athletics were such a huge part in [her] life”.

Throughout her four years, Smith believes that she has “learned to become more relaxed about things”. She explained that as time went on “[she] learned to just let life happen and let things go” which has resulted in her being happier and much less stressed. Smith admits that it isn’t easy balancing everything but “to just let things happen in life”. When asked what she

would tell her freshman year self if she had the opportunity, she admitted that she would “tell [herself] that everything is going to work out and to try and have fun and make as many memories and friendships throughout high school”.

Leaving MHS, Smith has had much influence from principal Mr. Dana Brown. He has “taught [her] how to balance school and fun”.

Smith also admitted to “being inspired by his work ethic and his generous nature”. she believes that him devoting his entire life to his job is truly inspiring. In addition to Mr. Brown, Smith believes that the staff at MHS is one of the best qualities of the school.

Her favorite high school memory was Special Olympics, an event that MHS hosts with various other schools for the PACE students every spring. Smith described the experience to being great because she enjoyed being apart of the day that gives “the special needs students getting the treatment that they deserve”.

This upcoming fall Smith will attend the Honors College at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst where she will be pursuing economics and finance in the

Isenberg School of Business. After being accepted to several other prestigious schools such as Boston College, Bentley University, and Northeastern University, Smith decided on UMass Amherst because of several factors. Other than it being the most financially reasonable decision, Smith explained that “coming from a really big high school, [she] also wanted a really big college community”. After visiting she admitted that she “could see [herself] there, in the environment that they have created”. In addition, the Isenberg School of Business really appealed to Smith’s interests and career plans.

In the future Smith “hope[s] to be a CEO of [her] own company or starting and running [her own] business”. She strives to be able to “minimize salary inequality between men and women”. Smith seeks to promote women in business especially in authority positions as she stated that “[many times] roles of women in big companies are very little compared to the ones that men [hold]”.

As Smith bids MHS farewell, she is happy and satisfied with what she has left here and the memories that she has taken away. MHS wishes Smith good luck with her future.

2. Wendy Nguyen Manale Zouhir Print Managing Editor Continued from page 1. her specific focus at the moment, she still “would really like to become one, just so [she] can help people”.

Nguyen’s time at MHS has been largely shaped by her extracurriculars. Being a part of key club, lacrosse, and National Honors Society contributed largely to her development as a student. They taught her to “be a leader, and how to take control instead of just listening to someone. If no one knows what to do, [she now knows] to speak up and lead them.” Part of her character has been shaped by her positive attitude. She doesn’t like “thinking about negative things, especially if [she is] having a bad day, because there is always going to be something to make it better.”

Motivation does not come easy for some, but for Nguyen, she has been inspired to work hard throughout her years at MHS by her parents.

“If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t have a purpose”, Nguyen admits. “I can do it for myself, but I really want them to be proud of me, and show them that their hard work wasn’t for nothing.” She adds that “thinking about [her] future motivates [her]” as well, since her parents “didn’t have all the opportunities [she now has], so [she] wants to achieve their

goals.” This way of thinking has allowed her to achieve her goals throughout high school, which were to “keep [her] grades up so [she] can have a good future” but she wishes she “had been more laid back, because [her heavy focus] on academics kind of took away from [her] experience.” She also owes a lot to her teachers, who she says “actually taught, rather than being [careless] and not assigning any work” because she “actually learned” from them and “grew as a student”.

Nguyen’s experiences at MHS, like that of many, “has been pretty fun”. She states that although she “made a lot of new friends”, there were times where she faced challenges due to academics, when she got “stressed out, and lost motivation to do anything”. However, she adds that her close bonds with her teachers allowed her to stay in touch with her schoolwork “since some teachers were really kind to [her]” so she would “keep up with their work and try to do the best [she] could”.

Nguyen explains that the most memorable moments from her time at MHS were “volunteering”, because “that is where [she] met most of [her] friends” and they “all volunteered together, so after [they] would always hang out around Boston; it was really fun”.

If she could go back in time, Nguyen reveals that she would “change [her] mindset.” She adds

that “most of the time, [she] was really focused on academics and didn’t think about anything else.”

She wishes that she “thought more about [her] extracurriculars” because that would have allowed her to “grow more as a person”.

Nguyen adds that what sets MHS apart from other schools is that it is “very diverse” and “there are a lot of people here you wouldn’t meet in other schools.” In Nguyen’s words, MHS “provides a lot of opportunities; teachers give opportunities for summer work and internships, and [she doesn’t] know of many other high schools that do that.” She adds that she will miss “the people here, because they were the ones that motivated [her] to

From left to right: Photo of Wendy Nguyen taken by Manale Zouhir.

Photo of Jaqueline Smith taken by Kim Beaudet Photography and submitted by Smith. keep going.” She also feels this way towards “the teachers, especially, because they work so hard to help us succeed, so [she would] really miss them.”

High school holds a bittersweet goodbye for many, and Nguyen is no exception. She advises younger students to “try new things” because if she hadn’t done that, she “wouldn’t have met anyone new, and that’s what high school is about: being more social, meeting new people, and trying new things”. As she embarks on the first chapter of the rest of her life, Nguyen’s optimistic personality and go-getter attitude is sure to help her achieve any of her upcoming goals, no matter how small or large.

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top ten profiles

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3. Gillian Willcox Cassandra Reyes Print Managing Editor

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fter four years of diligence, senior Gillian Willcox’s time at Malden High School has come to an end, along with the rest of the Class of 2016. Whether it was on the track or in the classroom, Willcox could always be found giving her utmost amount of effort.

Although she was shy coming into high school, Willcox quickly found her place at MHS her freshman year, beginning her journey where she’d grow to become one of the school’s top runners. Willcox is a varsity three-season runner (cross country, indoor track and outdoor track), all coached by MHS English teacher David Londino.

Throughout her time on the team, Willcox has “gained a lot of friendships and become more outgoing and confident in everything [she does].” Puzzled by the idea of one of her high school highlight moments not being related to running, Willcox expresses that “after 2.7 miles [she] was still neck and neck with [a Somerville competitor], but

in the last 100 meters [Willcox] beat her right at the line...which [she] will remember until [she is] 100 years old.”

Because of Willcox’s commitment to running and to her studies, time management was a constant obstacle. “No one wants to just sit at home every single night and do homework,” says Willcox. On top of a job, social life, and running, “there were times where [Willcox] had to tell herself that [she] just had to sit down and get [her] homework done.”

After being coached by Londino for four years and running with mostly the same people, Willcox claims that her team easily had the biggest influence on her. Willcox expresses that “[she’s] thankful that [she] had teammates, like [senior] Deborah Kibazo, and Coach Londino who would always remind [her] what [she was] capable of.”

Kibazo would like to thank Willcox “for the countless laughs, support at every race, advice [she gives] on whatever whenever, [her] never-ending optimism, and of course, [her] constant stream of Drake lyrics.” Furthermore, Kibazo “can’t even begin to explain the ways [Willcox] has been there for [her],

Photo by Felicia Fallano. not just as a teammate or a friend, but as the sister she’s become.”

Best friend for 18 years and counting, senior Jacqueline Smith expresses that Willcox “is one of the most caring people [she knows], she is nice to everyone, and puts a lot of effort into everything she does.”

Moving forward, Willcox will be attending the University of Massachusetts Lowell in the Honors Program, glad that the “stressful college process” is over. “Even though it’s not supposed to affect you, money is one of the biggest reasons [she’s] going there,” says Willcox. Willcox will

be majoring in chemistry, inspired by her love for “AP Chemistry with Mr. Berryman” which was “the best class [she] took at MHS.” As for underclassmen, Willcox urges them to remember that “you should always try your best, but you have to always remember that school isn’t everything. At the end of the day, it’s about making yourself the happiest.” Willcox will cherish something as simple as “smiling at people” on her way to class every day at MHS because it contributed to the “welcoming environment [she has] loved these past four years.”

4. Patricia Luong Julia Parker Head of Local

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atricia Luong is another member of the top ten in the class of 2016, and has been a very active student throughout her career.

Luong has chosen to take this career to University of Massachusetts at Amherst in order to study in their Commonwealth Honors College. Luong said she wasn’t sure what she would pursue later on, but is considering a major in public health, and possible minoring in either education, sociology, or urban studies. ¨All [Luong knows] is that [she is] extremely passionate about community organization and advocacy¨.

Luong has left an impact on her peers and on her teachers, including Martin Berryman, a chemistry teacher at Malden High School. The most striking quality he found in her as a person was her empathy and generosity with other students, along with her perseverance. ¨If there were times [Luong] was struggling, with AP classes, college applications, whatever it was, she was still able to work through that¨, stated Berryman. While he sees the skills she had in many students, ¨in her, it was much stronger¨.

Luong has always worked hard at what she does, whether it was academic or in her extracurriculars.

In her sophomore year, Luong participated in both the marching band and the crew team, both experiences that ¨gave [her] a sense of belonging¨ and a feeling of having a second family. Whatever activity she committed herself to, Luong has always ¨had this intrinsic desire to succeed¨.

One of the most memorable pieces of advice she has been given at MHS was in the form of a Maya Angelou quote: ¨I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel¨. This quote has impacted Luong as a person, stating that it reminds her ¨that [it is] okay to be yourself even if it goes against the majority¨.

The title of being in the top ten does require much hard work, though. Luong states that there isn’t necessarily a rewarding feeling about being a good student, because she feels that ¨being a top student or not being a top student is not an indicator [of] intelligence, work ethic, or worth¨. Rather, Luong feels gratitude when it comes to her grades, because she has ¨been extremely fortunate to be in the right circumstances that pushed [her] to work hard¨.

However, keeping up this hard work has not always been easy for this student. One of the great chal-

lenges that Luong has faced, despite the hard work and discipline of being a top student, was the death of her best friend Candy Lee. ¨There hasn’t been a eureka moment when everything clicked and [Luong] was suddenly okay,¨ she stated, ¨but [it has] been three years of self care and accepted support from others that make each day a little bit easier¨. It has been this kind of work that has

Photo by Meghan Yip.

kept Luong going throughout high school.

Altogether, leaving MHS leaves Luong with a mix of feelings -- terror, excitement, anxiety, elation, bewilderment, and nostalgia. She says that while ¨high school was an interesting part of her life, [she] is ready to move on¨, and ¨start the next chapter in [her] life¨.

top ten profiles

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The Blue and Gold Graduation 2016

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5. Merjem Rizvancevic Tatyanna Cabral Head of Sports

Merjem Rizvancevic pictured to the right of classmate Sabrina Harrath.

Submitted by Rizvancevic.

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eady to start a new chapter in her life, senior Merjem Rizvancevic will be graduating as one of the top ten students for the class of 2016.

Rizvancevic has chosen to start this new chapter at the University of New Hampshire and she will be studying biology with a minor in

animal science. Taking care of animals, with her experience in horseback riding and having a dog was something that she was always, “super passionate about, but it is also really challenging and [she] always [likes] a challenge.”

As for any student, Rizvancevic was faced with many obstacles

6. Jasper Haag Ashley Leung Art & Design Editor

Photo by Nicholas Bramante.

A

s much a connoisseur in robotics as he is programming, top 10 senior Jasper Haag has truly used his time at Malden High School to its fullest extent to say the least. As he closes in on the final stretch of the trials and tribulations that encompass the 4 years of high school, Haag is finishing fifth within the top 10 in a class of over 400 competitive students nonetheless.

As with most tales of high school, Haag began his journey with an average outlook, stating that “when I got to high school I was actually quite directionless,” however despite this he had always been a

“very competitive person.” It was this that would grant Haag his unbreakable resolve and intense desire to “[push himself] to [his] limits in all of [his] classes.” To follow this, Haag stated that he did not choose to pursue independent studying or exceed consistently within his Advanced Placement classes because anyone told him he should: he did it because was not satisfied with “stagnating academically,” and quite simply because he loved what he was doing.

Outside of the classroom, Haag was just as determined as ever to further expand upon his wealth of

that she was able to overcome with the help of her good friends and teachers. One important lesson that Rizvancevic has learned over the years is, “you have to be committed to yourself before anything else” she had taken part in many clubs such as Malden Against Cancer, and Multicultural Club and had been a two season athlete, being a member of the crew team for three years and the volleyball team for all four years. During the beginning of her senior year, she really had to pick and choose what she could do and that it was best if she chose what was, “best for [herself] instead of what is best for everyone else.”

The highlight of Rizvancevic’s high school career is “definitely the friends that [she] is leaving high school with,” she has made so many memories with the friends that she has made on teams that she was on and the clubs that she has participated in and that is was really made Malden High School home to her.

All the great people she had met really contributed to the high school experience that she had. Rizvancevic feels nervous to leave MHS, knowing that, “most the people [she] is

around every single day, [she] will not see anymore,” but she does feel prepared for the future.

Coming to the end of her high school career, Rizvancevic feels, “proud of [herself],” and that she has worked so hard to get to where she is now. English teacher Abbey Dick was someone that she would, “go to for anything that [she needs] for the past two years,” and that Dick would, “keep her calm throughout the high school experience.” Dick believes that she will truly shine in college and that “some people have natural intellectual talent, and some people work really hard, [Rizvancevic] is the perfect combination of excellent natural talent and working incredibly hard and that is what is going to make her successful for the rest of her life.”

Leaving with a bright outlook ahead, Rizvancevic is ready to do what is best for herself and to continue to work hard at the University of New Hampshire. She advises the underclassmen to “not do things you don’t want to do to make other people happy, challenge yourself and take AP Physics, it’s not as bad as it seems.”

knowledge, “[dabbling]” in speech and debate throughout Junior and Senior year, and heavily investing himself and his skills into both robotics club as well as his own personal programming work. He claimed leadership positions in both robotics club and computer club.

Fortunately, these exploits proved not only to be efficient and diversified usages of time, but “loads of fun” as well, as they “ended up being [Haag] and [his] friends hanging around and working on interesting technical projects.” Haag believes however that the most significant activity outside of class he has had the pleasure to participate in, would be his personal time spent “working on various programming projects, or reading up on new technologies and techniques,” as this has “proved to be invaluable in preparing me for my studies and work in the future.”

Fortunately enough, Haag has already been able to begun pursuing benefits of said studies, as he has managed to land an internship in Vista Higher Learning this coming summer, where he will be working.

No excellent student is without an equally excellent team of teachers behind them, of course, as Haag explains that MHS teacher Paul Marques “served as an invaluable motivator in my programming studies.” Marques has deeply impacted Haag, contributing to a mentality Haag has followed closely, moving at his own pace in his studies as

opposed to staying only within the time parameters of the class.

MIT bound, Haag “fell in love with MIT” as soon as he began taking a look at his post-secondary options. Online student blogs furthered to feed his fervor, as Haag even began taking online courses offered through MIT Open Course Ware. Haag was accepted into MIT on Pi Day (3/14) and immediately committed. “In the fall, I will be entering MIT as a 6-2 (Computer Science and Electrical Engineering major),” states Haag, “and I’m planning on exploring a second major in course 16 (Aeronautical and Astronautical engineering).”

As a last word to those still at MHS, Haag had some advice to offer: “Don’t try to keep up with the Jones’.” Haag continued, explaining that while “we’d all like to be the best at everything, we can’t, and so there is no use in trying [to be the best at everything.]” Haag instead suggests that one should do what they are most passionate about, and do the best they can with everything else.

Haag also recognizes that while he may be great at many things people consider valuable for a multitude of reasons, he knows he certainly is not the best. “I realize this, and internalize it, and don’t let it affect me in my life and my academics. [...] you will at least be happy and satisfied, and you’ll probably find that you get much more back than that.¨

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top ten profiles

The Blue and Gold Graduation 2016

maldenblueandgold.com

7. Madeline Lam Felicia Fallano Head of Local

M

adeline Lam is in the top 10 of the graduating class of 2016, and was an active student during her time here at Malden High School.

Lam was a rower on the Crew team, an NHS member, a lover of art, and a winner of the Posse Scholarship. She explains that she will, “miss some of the teachers that [she has known] for a really long time,” such as Art teacher Joseph Luongo.

Luongo had been Lam’s art teacher from since the time she was in third grade at the Linden-STEAM Academy in Malden.

Luongo explains that he will, “really miss [Lam],” since he feels that he really has a connection with some of the graduating class this year, who have been with him since he taught art at the Linden-STEAM Academy.

He also explained that Lam,

“always put a lot of effort into her projects, even if she didn’t think she could do a good job she tried very hard.” Luongo explains that Lam possessed this characteristic from the time she was in middleschool, up until she took Studio II with him.

He expressed that Lam has, ‘blossomed into a very confident, and smart young lady.”

Other than art, Lam enjoyed subjects like Choir and English. She explains that taking AP Language & Composition with Yahaira Marquez was very beneficial because, “She’s really hard but you improve so much as a writer, and she’s truly has good intentions.”

Marquez explains that she enjoys, “Having students in general who do what they have to do in class, truly want to apply the feedback, and work at improving and being better in whatever aspect of class.” She expressed that, “[Lam] was the Epitome of that.”

Lam recently won the a full tuition scholarship from The Posse Foundation earlier this year. Posse is a foundation that offers scholarships to students in public schools, and MHS happens to be one of these schools. Lam explains that, “[She is]

really grateful for [her scholarship] and the people in [her] Posse.

E v e n though Lam has been academically impressive and is in the top 10 of her graduating class, she still feels that grades and GPAs aren’t as important than we all think they are. She expressed that, “at the end of [her] high school career, [she feels] like the educational system can definitely be reformed, but [she doesn’t] know how realistic that is.”

Lam is leaving MHS and starting a new chapter in her life this fall at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky. She has not yet chosen a major, but she does want to keep pursuing her passion for art after

Photo by Manale Zouhir. high school. She explains that the most important thing she learned here in highschool is that, “self love is so important. We have to be our own cheerleaders. But it’s not to say that we can’t ask for help.”

8. Ziqi Zeng Tenzin Dorjee Head of Sports

As her time at Malden High School is finally coming to a close, senior Ziqi Zeng will leave behind years full of memories. These irreplaceable memories will be ones that she will cherish for the rest of her life as MHS truly shaped her into the person she is now. With her memories comes the added knowledge and achievement of having earned a seat within the top ten of MHS’s class of 2016.

Currently, MHS is one of the most diverse high schools in the whole entire nation, a notion that has not gotten past Zeng. One of the biggest things she will miss about MHS is “definitely the sense of diversity” as she “does not know of many places that can top how many different kinds of people [MHS] [has].” She believes this type of exposure that she was able to receive at MHS was important lesson for her as she it allowed her to become a lot more open-minded.

Zeng will also miss the friendships and bonds that she has forged throughout her time as a MHS student. As she graduates, Zeng reminisces about these ties and

says how she “loves [her] friends because [they] are really funny and they have brought her a lot of joy.”

She can’t imagine not being able to see them everyday like she has been at MHS, so “definitely [she] will miss [her] [friends] the most.” MHS taught her to “have fun and accept one another for who [they] are,” a lesson that let her be able to make the many friends she has made.

As a student who has made her way into the top ten of her class, Zeng has done extremely well in her studies, something she attributes all of her teachers. Zeng has always loved art and has taken advantage of the artistic opportunities that MHS has offered in order to better her skills. Zeng even joined the Blue & Gold, MHS’s newspaper, as a staff artist and Play Production, focusing mainly on set design. While Zeng is known for her love for art, she feels “every single one of her teachers has had an impact in [her] life.” So even though she is a self-proclaimed “art/design person, [she] [has] come to notice that even [her] math teachers, [her] English teachers, etc. influence [her] to become the type of person that [she] [is] now,” because of how helpful they have been.

She credits her parents for teaching her how “to be really ambitious because [one] can always aim to be better.” The knowledge that

no matter what she chooses in life “they are proud of [her].” Their support is wholehearted as Zeng never feels any pressure from them as they have always let her follow her own path. With her parents in mind, she can not help but “push [herself] harder in order to make them proud and justify the sacrifices they have made for [her].”

While it may be end for Zeng here at MHS, she will soon start a

Photo submitted by Ziqi Zeng.

whole new adventure at the College of the Holy Cross, a private, undergraduate Roman Catholic, Jesuit liberal arts college situated in Worcester, Massachusetts. Currently, she is undecided about her major, but is leaning towards art a likely choice.

The future holds much for Zeng; so although she may not be a Golden Tornado any more, MHS wishes her all the best at her new home as a Crusader.

top ten profiles

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The Blue and Gold Graduation 2016

maldenblueandgold.com

Manale Zouhir Print Managing Editor

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raduating Malden High School a mighty tenth in her class of over 400 seniors, Trisha Truong is ready to face the future, while reminiscing on her time at Malden High School. Truong is known to never take herself too seriously, and notes that her friends would describe her as “lit, and [she] would describe [herself] the same”. Truong credits Key Club, Malden Against Cancer, and crew as extracurriculars that have immensely shaped her high school career.

In the fall, Truong will be joining a few other MHS students at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She says that “the greatest decision factor was cost, but it still is a great school”. She adds that she also is excited to “spend time with [her] sister there”, as her sister, MHS class of 2016 graduate Tracy Tran currently attends UMass Amherst.

Entering the new and inviting environment that was Malden High School, Truong’s goals were to “meet

people and make friends that [she] can see being in [her] life for a long time.” This “required [her] to be a lot more outgoing and become more comfortable talking to people that [she didn’t] know already.” In terms of motivation, Truong states that her “parents” as well as “the future, [and being able to] help them motivates [her] to work hard”. She explains that her “strategy to success was to always compare myself to only myself” because she “knew what I was capable of achieving in terms of grades, so not reaching [her] own expectations made me work harder.”

However much she has relied on herself for encouragement and furthering her academic pursuit, she also gives credit to her cousin, senior Wendy Nguyen. She says that Nguyen was always “inspiring [her] to do [her] best and being [her] number one supporter.”

As for most people, Truong notes that her experience “was all over the place...there were so many good times, like getting to see some of my best friends five classes a day, but there were also a handful

of bad times.” She notes that “lowest point was almost failing AP language junior year,” but one of her favorite memories was “freshman year bio class” with science teacher Dana Bowers since she “can’t remember any bad times [she] had in that class.”

When asked if she would go back and change anything if she could, Truong simply responds “no”, without hesitation. She has established strong bonds with many of her teachers and coaches.

As a two year member of the MHS crew team, Truong notes that she will most of all miss math teacher and crew coach Sarah Jones.

Truong also expresses her fondness of Malden’s “diversity”, and says that “being part of [MHS], you become more open minded and accepting of other people. It teaches you the importance of this without really even having to teach it.”

For any underclassmen, Truong has a few words, and a famous song lyric: “just have fun, and don’t think about it too much, too much”.

10. Emma Ceplinskas Felicia Fallano Head of Local

Emma Ceplinskas, a Blue and Gold member, a captain of the tennis team, and an active student, is saying goodbye to high school and starting a new journey at Denison University in Granville, Ohio.

Ceplinskas made her four years at Malden High School memorable by playing for the soccer team her freshman, the tennis team all four years, the

chemistry club, the helping hands club, and the Blue and Gold. Outside of school, she horseback rides from time to time, and explained that she, “[likes] being outdoors in general, whether it’s just on [her] back porch listening to music or in Boston walking around in the Common.”

Out of all her classes, Ceplinskas feels that AP Chemistry, AP Physics, and AP Literature were her top favorites. She explained that these classes were special because of, “the way in which the teachers taught them to make it more exciting for the class.” She also explained that MHS physics teacher Brian Morrison made AP Physics enjoyable because, “[he] is a funny person in general.”

When asked about her academic achievements, Ceplinskas stated that receiving a scholarship from the Posse Foundation was her biggest one of all. Posse scholarships are given to students in urban areas like Malden. The scholarship was

given to ten other students at MHS, including Madeline Lam who is also in the top 10. She expressed that the scholarship had, “[given her] a sense of closure at a stressful part of senior year during the college application process and has supported [her] financially as well as emotionally as [she transitions] into college.”

Ceplinskas has not yet decided on a major yet, but she is not particularly worried or stressing over it.

She explained that, “[she is] not entirely certain what field [she wants] to focus on,” but the positive side to this is that she has more, “leniency in [her] studies so that [she] can explore different interests rather than merely be exposed to one field.”

She hopes that whatever career she decides to work towards in college, she will have one that is “flexible and allows [her] to travel.”

Ceplinskas will most of all miss her favorite part about high school: the friends she has made over these four years. She stated that she will not only miss the students she has become closer with, but also the MHS staff members. These friends, through both extracurriculars and through academia, have made high school all the more enjoyable for the top student.

Congratulations to the Class of 2016!

9. Trisha Truong

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Local News

The Blue and Gold Graduation 2016

maldenblueandgold.com

Farewell to Mr. Brown Principal Dana Brown will be leaving MHS, #notretiring after 13 years of dedication, committment, and loyalty to Malden’s community.

“Mr. Brown was there for me when I lost a friend, needed a job, and simply just needed to talk and have a simple conversation with. I’m going to miss you Mr. Brown, I’ll definitely be visiting your minsitry and I love you!”

-Sophomore Isabelle Maraschi

“He’s taught me a lot about eduction as a system but never lost sight to the importance of educating the person and getting to know the person and making personal connections...I look forward to, as I move forward in my career, to bringing a lot of the Dana Brown legacy with me.”

- Boyle House Principal Christopher Mastrangelo

“I have truly enjoyed working for Mr. Brown these last eight years. I wish him much success and happiness as he moves on to a new future.”

- Holland House Principal Marilyn Slattery

“He is a great person who will be missed more than I can say. He has been a fantastic “boss” but more important than that a truly great friend. He is a wonderful principal and always has a positive attitude. He is kind and giving, I couldn’t have asked to work for and with a better person. Thank you for nourishing a high school atmosphere built on treating all people with dignity and respect, You lead by example. You live your life with love and service, thank you for making me a better person.”

-Main Office Secretaries Barbara Scibelli and Judie Sullivan

The Blue and Gold Graduation 2016

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alden High School principal of thirteen years, Dana Brown, is bidding his time in the community farewell this June. As an MHS and Boston College alum, Brown has had time to truly get to know the city of Malden and state of Massachusetts.

He has worn many hats in his years in Malden, from student to math teacher to basketball coach and to his current role as principal.

Many would agree that Brown has been the face of MHS ever

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maldenblueandgold.com since he started thirteen years ago, although he firmly believes that the students are the real superstars. As he has dedicated much of his time and life into the school, he makes it his priority to be as involved as much as he possibly can.

One value Brown has imbedded into the community at MHS is the importance of personal relationships. From sports games to birthday parties and everything in between, Brown makes time for all of his stu-

dents, showing them that he cares about their well-being and not just their academic standing. By some miraculous power, Brown manages to learn the names of every single student to start off that relationship with them, which then allows him to open up a doorway and learn more about their story.

He has had a huge influence on the diversity of the school and makes it natural for MHS to be welcoming to students from various back-

An article published in the Blue and Gold in 2003 when Mr. Brown was first hired as principal.

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e ourselves can attest to countless memories with Mr. Brown over our past four years. Whether we were crying of laughter or crying of sadness and stress, Mr. Brown always made us feel comfortable in his office as he offered his listening ear. There’s never a dull moment in the main office. Because of his reliability, there’s always someone looking for Mr. Brown. There have even been times where we have had to wait in a line to get our turn to vent or tell him a funny story or share some good news.

One thing that is noticeable about Mr. Brown is his utter lack of reluctance. Where most people have an instinct to keep their mouths shut and stay uninvolved, Mr. Brown has the opposite. He has no shortage of motivational speeches that are ready to be given at any moment. He will not hesitate before giving a student an important life lesson, or making sure that someone is traveling down the right path. Although his words can be harsh at times, he always has the courage to tell people exactly what they need to hear in order to prosper and move on from difficult times.

Whether the advice given is from the perspective of a principal, parent, or even friend, Brown never fails to offer his time and comfort.

Mr. Brown always has the student’s best interests at heart. Never have we witnessed him caught in a selfish moment—all he ever does is give.

He may have had a long day, he may joke that we’re wasting his time, and he may complain sarcastically that he has other things to do. Regardless, Mr. Brown has never shut us down in our time of need, whether that need is for companionship, leadership, motivation, direction, or just a listening ear.

Mr. Brown will never truly understand how much students, faculty, and the entire community of Malden appreciates the mark that he has left at the school and in Malden.

Something that perhaps none of us have said enough to Mr. Brown, something that everyone needs to hear once in awhile — is thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Brown, for your hard work and dedication to Malden from the very start. Thank you for always keeping your door open. Thank you for giving us your time, energy, and 24/7 committment. Thank you for being flexible and open-minded.

Thank you for never giving up on us—even in the moments when it would have been easiest to. Oh, and thank you for waiting until we graduated because we don’t know how else we would’ve made it through senior year without you.

grounds and cultures. He embeds himself into each and every group and in his own manner, disregarding any barriers that could potentially exist. Contrary to the stereotypical belief that high school principals are secluded in their office answering e-mails and calling students out of class, Brown’s door is always open to every student and faculty member.

He has made it clear that the mental health of the MHS community is vital to their success in high school.

In his years at MHS, Brown has made it his duty and responsibility to create a safe space for students to have a healthy and academicallychallenging high school career. In his time at MHS, there has been a huge push for students to take advanced placement courses and challenge themselves intellectually. Many students at MHS are familiar with these rigorous courses, in which they take a mandatory AP exam towards the end of the year. Brown feels that it is important for students to challenge themselves in high school in order to prepare themselves for college and beyond.

Brown would like to emphasize that he is not retiring, (as his Twitter bio quietly boasts), but rather, leaving—searching for a new endeavor, a new mountain to climb. Brown has certainly left his mark on MHS, through his speeches, appearances, and conversations. While Brown will be saying goodbye to MHS in just a few weeks, one thing is for sure: his legacy will forever be imprinted on MHS. Malden High School wishes him luck as he progresses through his life and begins a new journey, wherever that may be.

Manale Zouhir

Cassandra Reyes

Lucia Quesada Nylen Blue and Gold Print Editors 2015-2016

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Local News

The Blue and Gold Graduation 2016

maldenblueandgold.com

Left to right: Kwong’s outfit progressions through six school days. Photos by Jesaias Benitez.

A Fashion Icon...A Math Teacher...A Leader...

A Friend...Katy Kwong.

Jesaias Benitez Reporter

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or more than thirty years, Katy Kwong has been teaching at Malden High School. Along with English teacher Beverly Nyman, Kwong will be retiring from MHS this year.

Growing up, Kwong always wanted to be a teacher. “When [she] was very young, one of [her] aunts was an elementary teacher in Hong Kong and [she] would follow her, helping her grade papers after school.” After moving to Malden, Massachusetts, Kwong discovered that the city had a bilingual program which reintroduced her to teaching.

Kwong decided to follow a career in technology and engineering.

Having found a passion for teaching, Kwong went back to college to receive her master’s degree in education, came back, and hasn’t left since. “[She] felt teaching was always [her] calling, even now...[she] feels like [she] is constantly teaching something new.¨ Teaching for thirty-three years, Kwong ¨feels like it’s time to move on because [she] feels like she isn’t growing or contributing as much as [she] used to [when she first started].” Throughout the years, Kwong shared her best experiences during her time here at MHS was ¨each day and each year [there’s] a new challenge and there is no particular year or class she favored the most over the thirty years.¨ The most enjoyable part of MHS that Kwong favors was that ¨it is [her] hometown so [she] feels like [she] came back to contribute a piece of [herself] in the community and [she] is glad to see the community grow...A piece [she] loves is working with certain colleagues because they are the only ones who could understand what she could go through and they would only understand because family members might not know what a teacher goes through daily.¨ As far as she could remember,

From top to bottom, left to right: Kwong taking a selfie in Greece on the Tornado Travelers trip in February 2016. Photo by Ryan Gallagher. Kwong’s yearbook photo from 2003. Photo by Jesaias Benitez. Kwong taking another selfie in Greece. Kwong riding a donkey in Greece. Photos by Ryan Gallagher.

¨when [Kwong] first arrived to MHS, [she would get involved] being a student assistant to Mrs. Marquado.

Back then, she was the secretary for the athletics department.” As Kwong explained, she helped out during the school year and during the summer.

Former and current student, junior Sanaa Bazzat explains how ¨[she] likes that [there] is no end,” and that “[her students] can always keep on going and challenging [themselves].” Last year, [Bazzat] “took two classes, foundations of algebra, algebra 2, and school-tocareer.¨ When asked what she thinks of Kwong’s outfits, Bazzat explains that ¨her outfits brings out her personality.¨ Cara Joyce, a math teacher at MHS and the leader of the math department explains how, “[Kwong] brought a strong voice which is important and a lot of knowledge in high state testing expectations.”

Kwong was very “helpful in giving her expertise and input with the state testing”. Something Joyce shares along with other staff members is that “[she] will miss [Kwong’s] personality at meetings” and how much Kwong “cares about the kids...She is seen as a tough teacher, but she has a warm heart”. For next year, Joyce hopes that “[Kwong] gets some time to relax.”

As the year starts to come to an end, Kwong is very emotional saying ¨the memories have been emotional and speaking to [her] colleagues about her retirement makes her sad.¨ Kwong also shared that the city of Malden was the first place she came to in 1979. Although she has come back from college, she emphasizes that ¨the routine [from today] is similar [to the one back then].” She explains how ¨she spends more time [at MHS] than at home...[Hoping] to [get involved] by interpreting at MHS and leading the Tornado Travelers Club to China.” Kwong is sure to be missed as she begins a new journey outside of Malden High School.

The Blue and Gold Graduation 2016

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maldenblueandgold.com

MHS Bids Beverly Nyman Adieu

A teacher for over thirty years, a friend to many, and a kind mentor, Beverly Nyman is wrapping up her time at Malden High School by Abhishek Rana retiring this year.

Reporter

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016 is turning out to be a year of farewells at Malden High School.

Along with math teacher Katy Kwong, another veteran staff member, English teacher Beverly Nyman, will retire this upcoming June after 30 years of teaching at MHS. As a child Nyman grew up in Malden and attended MHS as a student. She got into teaching because her father was a teacher, so it became a profession she was familiar with at a young age. Nyman started teaching at MHS in 1970, but stopped in 1984 when she got married and moved to Connecticut.

She came back to Malden in 2001

and has been teaching at MHS ever since.

When asked what her favorite

students is the current principal of MHS, Dana Brown. When Nyman came back to teach at Malden

High in 2001, a few years later Brown became the principal.

According to Nyman, “the whole idea of working for one of [her] students took some getting use to.”

Nyman has taught at MHS for a total of 30 years, as well as teaching at a community college during her time in Connecticut.

When asked about how her teaching experience has changed overtime in her career, she responded by saying that “it has totally changed...

Everything from the way the room is set up, to the way technology is

“I don’t know of any other job where someone is working with hundreds of people on a daily basis...it’s some of those people that I am really going to miss.” aspect about being a teacher is, Nyman responded by saying that it is getting to see “the faces of students that [she has] had over the years who are now such great people.” In fact, one of her most notable former

implemented has changed.” Despite this Nyman mentioned that her “philosophy towards teaching has not changed much” and that it’s just the “method by which the teaching is done and the responsibilities of both the teachers and the students” that has changed.

Nyman states that the best part about teaching at MHS is the diversity. “[MHS has] such a huge array of different students regards to backgrounds, interests, and ability” Nyman explained. “It is very unusual to find all of that and it gives [teachers] the opportunity to incorporate lessons around that into what we teach.”

Nyman mentioned that “[she is] ready to go onto something else and wants to travel a lot after retiring.” When asked if the decision to retire was tough, she responded that “[she] knew it was time.”

As her final day quickly approaches, Nyman expresses her current feeling as “very mixed.” Nyman explains that “every once in while [she] will be with [her] students and [she] will think to [herself] that [she] will really miss this.”

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16

The Blue and Gold Graduation 2016

maldenblueandgold.com

In Loving Memory: Mrs. Mastromauro C arol Mastromauro was an important staff member at Malden High School for thirteen years and touched many lives. She taught history from 2000-2013 when she retired.

The following is from Ryan Gallagher:

I

met Carol Mastromauro about 14 years ago when I began teaching at Malden High School. I consider myself so blessed to have known her. As many of us realize, to know Carol is to be close with Carol. To have known Carol means that she really knew you--that she knew your core. She was a mentor to me; she was like a mother to me; and, she was one of my very best friends.

There are, literally, thousands of students that view her as a second mom. I was lucky enough to work with her for years on a team--there is not another teacher that I have ever met that has had the capacity to know others as deeply as she did.

She was also the most innovative teacher I have ever met--she was constantly reinventing herself, and her practice; and still, this is not what we will remember her for-because she had such a profound impact on everyone she met in such a personal way, sometimes we forget about her creativity, expertise, and intelligence. She simply meant so much to so many of us.

Carol took the time to know every student, even ones she wasn’t teaching. Because of her, we met families of students, shared strategies, shared content, planned together, stayed after school, came in early, went to events, and started summer programs. We ate lunch together every day as a team--talked politics, talked travel and culture, talked about art, shared our lives, talked family--really talked family, and talked some more about how to teach, how to improve the school, and what was going on with students. To work with Carol on a team, or to have her as a teacher, meant that every part of your life mattered to her--there was no point of learning content, or learning how to be a teacher, if we couldn’t share our lives with each other. If you worked with her on a team, it also meant that your families were going to celebrate holidays together, and that she would buy gifts for your children and attend birthday parties--there was no such thing as a “work” friend for Carol: if you were lucky enough to work with Carol, you were friends for life. If you were her student, she knew about your parents, how many siblings you had, your family dynamics, your passions, your dreams, your strengths, and what you needed to improve.

She knew which buttons to push, when to do it, and why it was going to motivate you. Students would hug her and call her mom, show her pictures of prom, ask her for advice,

and come back in their twenties to share life accomplishments.

She would feed us, and she would feed students--she was always hosting; her classroom was an extension of her home. She mentored student teachers and new teachers, and shared her own children’s lives with her students. Her cell phone would ring and she would drop everything to talk with her kids on the phone, even for a second, even in the middle of class. She was showing everyone what it meant to be part of a loving family--we’d all just wait, because nothing is more important than the people in your life. This is what she was teaching all of us--her subject just made us realize we were part of a vast cycle of humanity and history.

Carol made time for everyone.

She mentored so many teachers at this school, not just on how to be a good teacher, but how to live the job--how many of us went to her first to figure out how to navigate teaching as new parents? Or broke down to her with our fears of parenting or having sick children? Or how to care for a sick family member? Or because we were facing a daunting personal tragedy of our own? She was the reason many of us stayed teaching, and found comfort in teaching, through our own personal struggles--we found comfort, support, and inspiration in the community she created.

She taught me passion, and how to care deeply and fight and challenge whatever needs to be taken on--and yes, passion can be taught, but only from someone as special as Carol--you only needed to be around her to realize what a form of grace it is to exude passion, to fight for things, to fight for people, to support each other, and to make the time to know people deeply.

It amazes me how much capacity she had to know others so deeply. Most of us have a limited reserve for this--how can we possibly make the time for our families, for our students, for our past students, for our colleagues, for our past colleagues? But for Carol, the larger the circle of people in her life grew, the larger her capacity grew. Most of us have to pick and choose where we put our energy--she just grew more.

Even when she was diagnosed, she continued to grow, make time for others, and really know and understand everyone she met.

I wanted to write this because I thought this part of her life, and her legacy, was so important to tell. For those of us that worked with her, we

knew so much about how important her family was to her, and what a source of strength and joy her family was for her, but I wanted to make sure her family really understood how many people’s lives she impacted so deeply and so profoundly.

And for those of us that were blessed

enough to have worked with Carol, I wanted her legacy to remain with us and our community and continue to inspire us. She has been a source of inspiration for me every single day that I have ever taught, and this will never change.

Carol A. (Ferrone) Mastromauro, of Melrose, formerly of Medford, passed away peacefully on Friday, March 18, 2016, at her home, surrounded by her loving family. She was 66.

Born and raised in Medford, she was the daughter of the late Cosmo and Sylvia (Constantino) Ferrone. Carol graduated from Medford High School with the class of 1967. She continued her education at Salem State University. In 1971, she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Education & History and in 1975 she completed her Master’s in Education. Shortly after completing her degrees, Carol began teaching in the Social Studies Department at Medford High School as a history teacher. Carol and her husband Charles were married in 1982, at St. Clement Church of Medford and started a family four years later. She resigned her teaching position in 1986 in order to raise their children. Caring for her children was her prime concern. When her children were grown, Carol returned to teaching History, this time at Malden High School.

She taught there from 2000 through 2013.

Following her retirement, Carol spent much of her time with her granddaughter Arianna Rose, whom she loved and adored. Carol also enjoyed traveling. She traveled to Greece and to Italy. On their honeymoon, Carol and Charles visited Hawaii and San Francisco.

Carol loved decorating for the holidays. Her home could be referred to as the “Hallmark Home.” It was elegantly transformed to fit the season. She was also an excellent cook and was known for her famous Nana’s Christmas Soup and her handmade ravioli.

Carol will be remembered as a dedicated and loving mother. She was always kind and selfless. The best tribute that can be given to her is to note her strength and strong will.

Carol was the beloved wife of Charles Mastromauro, with whom she shared thirty-four loving years of marriage.

She was the devoted mother of Matthew Mastromauro of Cambridge and Dianna Abrams and her husband Zachary of Easton. She was the loving Nonni of Arianna Rose Abrams of Easton and the dear sister of Guy Ferrone and his wife Connie of Wilmington. She is also survived by many loving nieces and nephews.

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Malden Searches for a New Superintendent

Megan Downer Lead Reporter

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fter five years as the Superintendent of Malden, Dr. David DeRuosi is switching districts to be the new superintendent of Saugus.

DeRuosi has been with Malden through many large changes made in the community, whether it’s the latest concerns such as chromebook rollouts and budgetary changes or earlier events such as the election of 2012. Through it all, DeRuosi has been welcomed by the Malden community, as he surely will be when he begins his time in Saugus this year.

DeRuosi is excited for his moving to the district of Saugus, as he is quite familiar with the area after having lived there for about 20 years and having had his children taught through Saugus public schools. After briefly hearing of the open position in Saugus, DeRuosi “clicked on the website to see what the dynamics or what the dimensions of the job [were].” DeRuosi began to ponder this decision after receiving a call from the search agent stating “[the position] was something [he] should give serious thought to.”

DeRuosi claimed his job as superintendent of Malden to be “probably one of the most challenging jobs [he has] ever had.” Additionally, he listed his various jobs in education and leadership as teacher, vice principal, and principal of a high school.

DeRuosi explained that “It’s a tough job, being a superintendent really is like the CEO of a big company because there are so many pieces to run a school district.” DeRuosi also admitted that although it is “challenging work” he finds it to be “really rewarding work.”

The Saugus School Committee was seeking out the right person for the job, someone with a good list of desired qualities. Saugus School Committee member Jeannette Meredith described these desired qualities to be “strong leadership skills, strategic thinker, great communicator, interpersonal skills, budget/ finance experience, community relations, sense of humor and trustworthy.” Meredith expressed that “The committee feels Dr. DeRuosi has met all the qualities [they] are looking for in a Superintendent.” Saugus School Committee member Linda Gaieski explained that “[she is] looking for a strong educational leader who can move the system forward and bring the town together with pride in their schools” and “[she is] certain [they] have that man in Dr. DeRuosi.”

DeRuosi had greatly stood out among those seeking this position in Saugus due to “his systematic method of problem solving, his knowledge of interspace collective bargaining, his administrative techniques, his down to earth, common sense approach to people and problems, a basic sense of goodness and

kindness as well as a willingness to put welfare of students first,” as described by Gaieski. In addition, Gaieski expressed that DeRuosi had “proven to have solved problems in Malden that match similar concerns in Saugus such as cafeteria worker and custodial issues and collective bargaining issues, as well as raising student achievement gap.” Meredith stated that “Dr. DeRuosi stood out to [her] with his vast experience and proven success record in the many areas [they] are currently struggling in.”

After 31 years in education, DeRuosi has gained experience as a classroom teacher, special education teacher, assistant principal, and principal in a K-8 school. DeRuosi also was once the principal of Revere High School, what DeRuosi described to be “another urban high school much like Malden High School.” In addition, he was also an assistant superintendent for a year before applying for his current position in Malden.

His new position in Saugus excites DeRuosi because “it’s a school district that [he thinks] is looking for somebody with [his] skill set to come in and build a little, shift the focus, and build a culture and a climate.”

DeRuosi is not the only one excited for his move to Saugus, Meredith explained that she “[looks] forward to working collaboratively with Dr. DeRuosi and the entire district to tackle the many issues [they] are currently facing and taking Saugus to the next level.”

DeRuosi described “the tough part about superintendent” as being “the connection to the kids.” “[He believes] that the greatest job for that is a high school principal”, he added. DeRuosi claimed he “had the best connection [he has] ever had with kids as a high school principal.”

DeRuosi has made many fond memories during his five years as Superintendent of Malden and says “this has been a great experience.”

He also commended the district of Malden stating “[he has] great respect for the teachers in Malden, they have done such good work, and the parents because they have a district wide parent teacher organization and are getting out in public more with parents.” DeRuosi continued to praise Malden explaining that “[he thinks] Malden really has it all; a great parent base, great kids, and really great teachers and administrators” After five years with DeRuosi, Malden is wishing him the best as he begins his new position in Saugus. DeRuosi stated that “[he is] going to miss a community that really took a chance on [him] and was able to work with [him] and help [him] grow as a superintendent.”

Photo screenshotted from a video by Ymanika Nicolas.

Congratulations to our Graduates!

Class of 2016 St Joseph Parish 790 Salem Street Malden, MA 02148 781-324-0402

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The Blue and Gold Graduation 2016

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Notable Malden High School Felicia Fallano Head of Local Julia Parker Head of Local Tatyanna Cabral Head of Sports

On Friday April 29th, seven MHS alumns were inducted into the Malden High School Hall of Fame. Those five included John A. Volpe class of 1926, Virginia Shahbas Yardumian class of 1946, Diane Portnoy Class of 1963, Theresa Ciccolo Prince Class of 1978, John Boris Class of 1956/1964, John McCarthy Class of 1964, and Marc Phaneuf Class of 1982.

Tenzin Dorjee Head of Sports

Left to Right: John McCarthy, Marc Phaneuf, and Theresa Ciccolo Prince speaking.

Photos by Tenzin Dorjee.

T

he Malden High School Alumni Association was able to successfully hold its third annual Alumni Hall of Fame event. Every year, the association has a plethora of candidates to select from throughout the history of MHS. Vice President of Fund raising Diane Lind explained that the process of finding these great people is honestly “word of mouth” as “somebody knows somebody,” and through that connection, the association was able to locate these alumni.

Lind expressed just how amazing Malden is, calling it a “real American city,” due to its truly diverse residency. Lind admitted that “there were 20 applicants this year, which is really good.” A special third party selection committee were then asked to review the applications to select the cream of the crop. Among the many potential contenders for the recognition, seven of the candidates were selected this year. Each have made a very large impact on not only the community of Malden but beyond it as well. This year, the inductees have gone on to have very successful careers in the government, education, military, business, and the arts.

Upon being notified of the

recognition, the new inductees were truly humbled. This year, former MHS students John A. Volpe (Government), Virginia Shahbas Yardumian (Education), Diane Portnoy (Education), Theresa Ciccolo Prince (Military), John Boris (Community Service), John McCarthy (Business), and Marc Phaneuf (Arts) were recognized for their contributions to society.

John Volpe, who was honored posthumously in the hall of fame, lived a very successful life in government. Volpe served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and became governor of Massachusetts twice.

During his second term, Volpe cut his time as governor short in order to become the U.S. Secretary of Transportation. He also became the Ambassador to Italy for four years, thus making history by becoming the first Italian-American to become the Ambassador to Italy.

Yardumian exclaimed how she “was sort of surprised” at how she was chosen but was appreciative nonetheless. Yardumian is a woman who had an insatiable passion for reformation, as she believed that all students, regardless of their situation, deserved an education that provided them the opportunity to further themselves. Yardumian spent

her career getting involved in the parent teacher association and the Malden School Committee because she believed that it was necessary to be involved in the school somehow, to make sure that the children are getting what they need. Yardumian was also a member of the League of Women Voters, an organization who worked tirelessly to engage all citizens in the decisions that impact their life and to give them a voice.

Portnoy is the CEO and founder of The Immigrant Learning Center in Malden. The non-profit organization provides classes to immigrants who did not speak and/ or write in English. Portnoy herself also immigrated to the United States from Poland shortly after the Holocaust had ended, and had to adapt to a new country just like those who attended classes at the Immigration Center. She founded the center because she saw a dire need for a place where immigrants could learn how to prosper in their new home.

People thought that she would not be able to achieve this goal of her, but she proved all of them wrong and continues to help people.

Prince even confessed how it was “[MHS that] basically gave [her] will and drive to do things that she never expected to do.” With that

will and drive, Prince was able to become the first female in the history of the South Carolina Air National Guard to become a Brigadier General. Throughout her career, she was able to situate herself as a true decorated veteran. Not only has she dedicated her life to military service, she is also a licensed family nurse practitioner who truly cares about the well-being of other, which very much so relates to her military job.

Boris first left MHS in 1956 to join the army at 17 years old to help support his family, but then graduated with his diploma in 1964.

Throughout his life, Boris has experienced health problems. Though, despite facing such setbacks, he managed to become the chairman of the Housing Authority in Salem, MA, where he is involved with the local food bank, helps homeless families in need, the elderly, and autism, cancer, and cardiac patients.

McCarthy has seen a very successful career in the banking industry, conducting much business overseas. As a current resident of Istanbul, he works as chairman of the ING Bank Turkey, along with its subsidiaries in Ireland and Bahrain. Recently, McCarthy was even elected to the Tufts University International Board of Advisors.

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Alumni Get Inducted into the Hall of Fame

From left to right: The late John A. Volpe’s niece speaking on his behalf. Diane Portnoy and Dana Brown speaking. Photos by Tenzin Dorjee.

Phaneuf is a Malden-born and New York-based musician who has gotten to perform alongside many famed names throughout his career. Among his many associations his catalog of connections include the likes of Frank Sinatra, Lady Gaga, Ray Charles, and he has also worked on productions such as The Little Mermaid and Fiddler on the

The alumni’s day began with a luncheon hosted in the Gallery of the high school, where Anthony’s catered. The hall was filled with MHS alumni and the officers of all four classes were in attendance as well. Before the food was served, students and alumni conversed about the high school and life in Malden, particularly about how MHS alum John McCarthy speaking with MHS students during the Alumni’s tour of MHS. Photo by Julia Parker.

Guests enjoying their dinner at Anthony’s event hall in Malden. Photo by Tenzin Dorjee.

Roof for Broadway. He stated how “it [felt] very validating” to gain the recognition. He was surprised to be a candidate and also expressed that, “whatever road [his career] leads [him] down is fantastic.”

different it is now compared to how it was back in their heyday. After their meals, the students and faculty offered to give the guests a tour of the new ends of the school that were not there when they were students.

Some of the additions to the school that were new to the alumni were the pool, the gym and the engineering classrooms in the basement.

Following the luncheon and tour, many of the students of MHS were able to hear the inductees’ tales of grandeur during an assembly. This assembly addressed many questions that the students had about the lives of the inductees currently, and the lives that had had while they were attending MHS. The students of MHS truly enjoyed the stories as they all were very engaged as the alumni spoke.

To wrap up ‘a day down memory lane,’ the inductees were invited to a dinner banquet at Anthony’s. Those attending included not only this year’s inductees, but

also their family, friends, and other MHS alumni, such as MHS principal Dana Brown and Malden mayor Gary Christenson. The alumni and friends were able to talk and reminisce. Afterwards, Anthony’s went to work, providing all the guests with delicious food for all. After dinner had been undergone, one by one, the inductees gave a few words of appreciation for being able to receive the distinction of a Hall of Famer.

MHS has always been a school that is proud of its students, old and new, young and old, and being able to educate people to become the best versions of themselves is its greatest joy. These inductees are proof the good MHS has done for not just Malden, but for the world.

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The Blue and Gold Graduation 2016

MR. MHS

maldenblueandgold.com

Ryan Hames Reporter

I

t’s spring again, and that means seniors only have a few weeks left of school. With their graduation date quickly approaching, and upcoming weeks of year-long, carefully planned events, by far one of the most memorable and farewell events for the seniors is Mr. MHS. The annual show is produced and hosted by English teacher and Maldonian advisor Jim Valente along with senior hosts Rory Milan and Jonathan Solomon.

On Wednesday, Apr. 27, the Mr. MHS show was held in the Jenkins Auditorium, featuring senior contestants Ronald Luke, Blue and Gold member Liam Elliot, Kelvin Cheng Bo, Lincoln Ibanda, Matthew Acuna, Christopher Ansaldi, Ralf Jean and Richard Melgar. These seniors entertained the crowd with their various talents, teacher impressions, swimwear modeling, and hot seat interrogations.

Each senior contestant had an escort, who walked with him armin-arm out onto the stage. Elliot was escorted by Haley Hoffman, Luke

by Gabrielle Casaletto, Cheng Bo

by Samantha Forestier, Ibanda by Jacqueline Smith, Acuna by Edith Lemus, Ansaldi by Megan Gilligan, Jean by Blue and Gold member Lucia Quesada Nylen and Melgar by Izadora Noga.

The show kicked off with an opening number choreographed by Valente and the contestants. This number allowed the contestants to leave their first impressions not only on the audience, but more importantly the judges. Acuna was first introduced, followed by the rest of

the seniors, including Ansaldi who began to twerk while Luke started doing “the worm” on stage.

After their opening number, the contestants showed off their beach bodies in the swimwear portion of the competition. Each competitor walked onto the stage, and individually modeled their best beachwear with their escort by their side.

Following the swimwear competition was the first round of the hot seat questions. In this part of the competition, the seniors were asked a couple of questions that they had to answer on the spot. The contestants had been preparing for the show all week, and were randomly pulled out of class to be put on the hot seat at any given time prior to the night of the show. There was no telling what the next question would be.

The next portion of the competition was casual wear. In this part, the seniors showcased their everyday wear, which allowed the audience and judges to get a taste of their fashion sense. The competitors came out in a variety of outfits from jeans and a t-shirt, to khakis and a sweater.

Next was the part of the show that had the audience overwhelmed with laughter. This part was the talent show. Acuna’s talent was “How to Be Hispanic.” He showed the crowd the three basic things you need in order to be Hispanic: how to roll a burrito, how the “chancla” is more than just a sandal, and how to property take a “siesta.”

Following Acuna, Melgar performed the hit “Don’t” by Bryson Tiller, which definitely wooed the crowd. Elliot attempted to make balloon animals as his talent, and

Counterclockwise: Richard Melgar being crowned by 2015’s Mr. MHS Josh Cronin. Blue and Gold member Liam Elliott, Ralf Jean, and Lincoln Ibanda during the formal wear competition. Jean during the swimwear competition.

Matthew Acuna, Chris Ansaldi, and Kelvin Cheng Bo during the formal wear competition. All photos by Ryan Hames.

The Blue and Gold Graduation 2016

2016

shortly after he began, became frustrated with the balloons and walked off stage.

Ansaldi’s talent was that he could identify any food while blindfolded just by tasting it. He was given baby food, dog food, and his least favorite, Mac ‘n Cheese. Cheng Bo’s was next, and his talent was karate. He used his impressive skills to chop raw spaghetti in half. Both Ansaldi and Cheng Bo were assisted by their escorts, Gilligan and Forestier.

Jean surprised the crowd with his talent: magic tricks. He brought up audience member Zaki Greige to assist him in performing an impressive card trick, as well as making a stuffed animal disappear in his top hat. Finally, Ibanda’s talent was how to be a good linebacker in football. He taught Milan the proper techniques that he uses on the field against MHS varsity quarterback Jared Martino.

As the show began to conclude, and the winner of the competition was closer to being determined, Valente’s “favorite” part of the show as he described, the teacher impersonations, began. All of the contestants had to ask a member of Malden High School’s faculty for permission to impersonate them beforehand.

Acuna was the first to go, impersonating Marilyn Slattery, the house principal of Holland House.

Ansaldi was up next. He attempted to take on the persona of English teacher Beverly Nyman, who is set to retire at the end of June.

Other impersonations include Cheng Bo as math teacher Genoveva Mateeva, Ibanda as recently retired football coach Joseph Pappagallo, Melgar as gym teacher and boys track coach Jayson Payeur, Ralf as

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boys lacrosse coach Brenden Maney, Luke as baseball coach Kevin Carpenito, and Elliot as history teacher Greg Hurley.

Last, but most certainly not least, was the formal wear portion.

During this part, the seniors dressed in their finest and most dapper clothing. The majority of the seniors wore suits. Valente noted that he had never seen them look better.

Before the formal wear portion came to an end, the seniors competed in a “freeze-dance” contest. They were asked to dance until the music stopped, then freeze exactly where they were. This contest lasted for a few minutes, resulting in multiple freezes and a crowd full of laughter.

While the results were being added up, Mr. Brown made a special appearance on stage and received a standing ovation in honor of his upcoming leave, and for receiving the 2016 Mr. MHS honorary award. He had a few words for the seniors and all of the audience members, announcing how he will “always bleed blue and gold” no matter where life takes him.

Right before the winner was crowned, and runner ups were announced, each contestant answered a question from one of the judges, and explained why he should be this year’s Mr. MHS. Ansaldi was named second runner up, Luke first runner up, and even though it pained last year’s winner and now alum, Joshua Cronin, to give up his title, Richard Melgar was crowned as Mr. MHS. Congratulations to all of the seniors who competed, and to Ansaldi, Luke, and Melgar who continuously impressed the audience and judges throughout the entire competition.

Clockwise: Acuna and Cheng Bo during the formal wear competition, Acuna impersonating Holland house principal Marilyn Slattery accommpanied by senior volunteer Isaiah Pierre. Ronald Luke and Gabrielle Casaletto during the formal wear competition. All photos by Ryan Hames.

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The Blue and Gold Graduation 2016

Spread the Word to End the Word maldenblueandgold.com

Abishek Rana Reporter

O

n Thursday, Apr. 28, 2016, Unified Sports, with the support of Captains Council held their annual “Spread the Word to End the Word” assembly. The assembly was held in Malden High School’s Jenkins auditorium with the support of PACE teachers and students. Hosts Manuel Quesada Nylen, Melyssa Ferreira, Barbara Scibelli, and all other supporters/volunteers agree that the afternoon was a great success.

Unified Sports is a student-run class in MHS, that aims to unite student athletes both with and without mental disabilities. The assembly however, was about much more than that, it was about using athletics and

other forms of competition to promote social inclusion. The assembly was held in the belief that participating in athletics is a quick and efficient way to build friendship and understanding.

When asked about what this event means to him, principal of MHS, Dana Brown stated that the event shows that “[MHS] walks the walk and talks the talk.” He also adds that “we say we’re respectful and we say we’re inclusive, and then we try to show it every day. It’s not always easy, it’s not perfect, but we try to show it” he continued. One of the hosts of the event, Barbara Scibelli stated that to her “[the event] shows the values

at MHS, and that it is mainly about “acceptance, dignity and being kind” she continued. Brown also mentioned how MHS students can learn from seeing “regular education students interacting with special education students, and really caring for each other.”

Host Ferreira mentioned how “[some students] don’t know how to treat other people with disabilities, so [she] thinks this is the best way to practice that.” Ferreira also stated that “[she thinks PACE students] benefit from this because a lot of the [students] are shy at first, and [she thinks] they really open up to [students from Unified Sports] when they have a

schedule every day where they see [them]...it kind of brings out that wild side in them, and [she really thinks] it helps them out with living in the real world” she concluded.

When asked about what this assembly/movement means to him, host Quesada Nylen stated that ¨the assembly introduces unified sports to students who might not take the class, and then the class itself, unified sports, it prepares students like [himself] to realize how lucky [he is] to have legs that function well, that [he has] a brain that processes things differently.¨ This event is always a success, and allows MHS to unite all students.

From top to bottom, left to right: Unified Sports volunteers pose for picture. Sophomore Manuel Quesada Nylen hugging Barbara Scibelli after giving thanks for running Unified Sports. Unified Sports volunteers giving awards to PACE students. A video presentation of Unified Sports 2015-2016. Senior PACE student Sean Killbride reading speech that asked senior Brenna Murray to prom. All photos by Tatum Skiffington.

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L A I C E P S l a u n n a h t 14 S C I P M Y OL This year’s Special Olympics was an engaging time for both MHS vonunteers and participants. Malden’s MacDonald Stadium was filled with students and athletes for this annual event that unites Malden High School in a way that is enjoyable, yet educational, and fills the participants with a sense of accomplishment.

Julia Parker Head of Local

O

n May 6, Malden and surrounding communities came together to celebrate the 14th annual Special Olympics. In a day full of games, crafts, and fun altogether, students and volunteers made it a memorable event.

Over the years, the event has only become larger and greater both in numbers and in itself. According to principal Dana Brown, there were very few schools who attended the event in the beginning. However, now there are more students, more spectators, and more volunteers.

The day had originally been scheduled for May 5, but the weather had not been cooperative. However, May 6 ended up being much more successful because of the improved conditions.

The day began with a grand entrance where volunteers and faculty lined up to welcome the students to Macdonald Stadium. Smiling from ear to ear, the students both walked and ran down the aisle as the volunteers cheered them on, many giving high fives or blowing kisses.

Afterwards, they led on a parade to represent themselves as different school in a lap around the track.

Both Brown and Mayor Gary

Photos by Cassandra Reyes. Photo collage by Lucia Quesada Nylen.

Christenson had a few words to say before the games began. Sadly, it was a farewell in Brown’s case, given that it was the last Special Olympics he would host as principal of Malden High School. Since this was the case, the volunteers from MHS gifted Brown in letters from every one of them, given to him by Barbara Scibelli, a huge member in the event itself. However, Brown hopes that this will not be his last, and that he will be involved in future events.

The athletic events then commenced, where there were races, tennis ball and softball throws, and long jumps. The students were given medals for their efforts, so

excited that they had accomplished what they did. Brown ¨saw a lot of enthusiasm, a lot of smiles on [the children’s] faces¨ as the day progressed.

Even between events, students played around with each other. They could be seen dancing to the blaring music, getting their faces painted, and simply running around. These candid moments were all over the field, and connections were made throughout the day.

Altogether, one great benefit to the event is the message behind it. ¨It proves that Malden Public Schools really does support inclusion¨, and it shows through their participation.

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The Blue and Gold Graduation 2016

All Around the World

Photos taken by Ryan Hames, Jesias Benitez, Meghan Yip, and Anna Powers.

The Blue and Gold Graduation 2016

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Prom 2016

Photos taken by Ryan Hames, Jesias Benitez, Meghan Yip. and Anna Powers.

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School Committee 05/02/2016: Taking Opposition Against the Opioid Crisis Haley Mallett Lead Reporter

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n Monday, May 2, 2016, the school committee met for their monthly meeting to discuss issues and accomplishments in Malden pertaining to opioid abuse, lead tested in the city’s water, science education fellow honorees, follow-ups on school librarian positions, and lifting the cap on charter schools.

The opioid epidemic that has spread throughout cities across Massachusetts, and the country, has now begun to affect the people of Malden. This is a serious issue that legislators have yet to find a solution for to help addicts recover.

Last month on Wednesday, Apr. 13, 2016, the city of Malden dedicated a day to raise awareness about the seriousness of addiction, and how collectively the people can remove the stigma around it.

Superintendent David DeRuosi and Mayor Gary Christenson plan to work together along with other city officials to find more “positive ways” to fight the epidemic, and educate the people, specifically the youth, on drugs and the repercussions of using them.

Currently, there are two programs in the process of being implemented in the Malden Public Schools to increase the amount of health education students receive.

Tara Beardsley, who presented at last month’s meeting, was back to discuss the lead that recently tested positive in Malden’s water, and follow up on the pending librarian positions in the kindergarten through eighth grade schools.

Malden is in the process of replacing all water pipes throughout the city, but as Beardsley pointed out, schools such as the Early Learning Center and Malden High School, which are both older buildings, may still have a percentage of lead in their water coming in from the streets.

Beardsley’s mind immediately went to the safety of the children when she heard about the lead found in Malden’s water because lead is “very harmful for brain development in children.” DeRuosi and Christenson both said that the city is keeping a close eye on this issue, and any levels of lead found in the city are monitored and kept on record.

Beardsley, along with Jodie

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t s u a c o Hol r o v i v r u S t a s k a Spe MHS maldenblueandgold.com

Felicia Fallano Head of Local

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ecently Malden High School was fortunate enough to hear the story of Holocaust survivor, Janet Applefield. History teacher Marsha Healy has been studying the Holocaust for over thirty years and came across Applefield “through [her] association with Salem State University.” Healy explained that she met Applefield during one of the Holocaust Museum’s annual Holocaust Commemoration Day, where Applefield was a speaker at the event.

This was Healy’s fourth time hearing Applefeild’s story, and she feels that she has “gotten to know [Applefield’s] story and the connections just continue to grow deeper and deeper.” Applefield was only four years old when the Holocaust was in its early stages before it transformed into what is widely considered the worst genocide in history. Nearly six million European Jews were killed under Nazi control. Applefield explained that she was not very sure of what was happening, but she was aware that it was a difficult time.

Applefield expressed that she looked like the “typical Aryan child,” due to her blonde hair, which was not considered a feature of a typical Jewish person. She even explained that when encountered by a German officer while having to be away from the rest of her family, she wasn’t recognized by him as Jewish because of her convincing Aryan appearance.

MHS history teacher Greg Hurley stated that “[he] is still amazed by [Applefield’s] story,”

even though he has now heard it multiple times. Referring to Applefield’s strength through her journey and telling her story to so many people over the years, he also expressed that “every time [he] hear[s] her speak it’s amazing and [he is] just more impressed by the type of person she has become.”

Applefield remembers many of her hardships during this time. She recalled many events throughout the presentation that involved her having to constantly move around, and always having to lie about her identity in order to save her life during encounters with German officers. Applefield moved to many different locations with relatives, a family friend named Maria, and to an orphanage.

She and her father had moved to New Jersey once they realized their hometown in Poland was no longer a safe place for them to stay.

Applefield had just recently learned how her mother had died, after all these years, on a train with other Jewish prisoners.

Applefield expressed that moving to America after the war was difficult to adjust to. Moving to a new country meant, “Adjusting to new name, language, step-mother, new friends.” She explained that the hardest adjustment was learning to, “accept the losses.”

Because she feels that her experience, “[helped her] to be more

sensitive to other people’s needs and the desire to help whenever [she] can,” this helped her choose her career in social work.

Hurley explained that the students and faculty hearing a Holocaust survivor speak is an important opportunity because “there aren’t many survivors left. People need to know what happened from the people who experienced it because those of us who didn’t experience it don’t really have a sense of what it was like.”

Her experiences during the Holocaust have helped her realize that she should not, “take anything for granted. [She values] every experience and [tries] to embrace every day with joy and enthusiasm.

Life can be cut short. We have to approach life with gratitude.”

Applefield’s message to the young adults in the Jenkins Auditorium, as she clearly stated, was to stand up against prejudice and violence. She stated that, “it’s important to speak up about prejudice.

Genocides start with just very few people who spread hatred. All of us must take responsibility to become upstanders, not bystanders.”

She is currently in the process of writing a memoir and a documentary film to continue to share her story with the public. You can find more information at http:// www.janetapplefield.com about Applefield and her story.

Zalk from Malden Reads, was also present to follow up on the absence of librarians in the schools with the committee. Even though she is aware that creating multiple positions is impossible during this budget crisis, she wants the members of the committee to reconsider having one rotating librarian and volunteers to help out.

Eleven science teachers from all over Malden were also present at

the meeting, including MHS’s own Katy Bizer, Kathy Maglio, Shannon Votaw, and Kate Haskell, to be presented with their plaques for being honored as Science Education Fellows by the Wipro Organization.

Congratulations to all teachers recognized for their achievements as science teachers in Malden.

Finally, the committee finally came to a decision, and voted against lifting the cap on charter schools.

Bonnie Page, the president of the Malden Education Association, was present to read the resolution that will be sent to the state aloud.

Malden loses over eight million dollars to charter schools every year, and with the budget cut short once again, the city is running out of options. The need for funding is crucial, and the committee had no other choice but to oppose lifting the cap.

Janet Applefield speaking during her presentation at MHS in 2015. Photo submitted by MHS history teacher Marsha Healy.

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Malden High Embraces Its Diversity

Megan Downer Lead Reporter

Christina Appignani Reporter

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alden High School held its fifth annual Multicultural Celebration in Cafeteria DiSano on Friday, May 13th. The event was organized by the Multicultural Club with help from its advisor, English teacher Yahaira Marquez.

Marquez explained that the idea for Multicultural Night was developed from “a conversation [she] had with some students about the diversity of Malden and how it’s one of the factors of Malden that is highlighted. [They] were discussing how diversity is celebrated and ways to get students involved into cultural celebrations.” She stated that the purpose behind the event “was to have students celebrate their own culture, but also learn about other student’s cultures and to teach their culture to others. Being more open with each other about culture was one of the main takeaways from the event.”

Marquez recalled that “at first,

the event was in the gallery but since more and more students come each year, it’s now in the cafe and [Marquez] thinks students look forward to it each year [because students] ask [Marquez] how they can help with the event.” While there were over twenty dishes served at the

how to prepare a dish or dessert, having people come in from the community, or thinking of other ways to teach and share culture throughout the year in the school.

The money raised by the Multicultural Celebration goes towards the club to fund these types of

“Something that gives me great pride about Malden High School is how accepting we are towards each other’s differences and we embrace it. And that’s what the multicultural club is all about: celebrating the uniqueness of each person and where they come from.”

- Senior Melyssa Ferreira event, Marquez was excited about a dish called “Beef Momo” from Tibet and commented that “there was a good spread of types of foods from different cultures.”

Throughout the year, the Multicultural Club shifts its focus, whether it’s teaching each others

events, as well as purchases for next year’s celebration.

Other than the food aspect of the event, there were many booths for attendees to observe.

The Fine Arts Club had a table where face-painting was offered for younger children, the Chinese

Clockwise: Sophomores Jenny Do, Jenna Kelley, and Gaelle Musasa sampling the various dishes. English teacher and Multicultural Club advisor Yahaira Marquez accepting a gift from club members, South Korean flag painted on a student. Sophomore Vivian Du during traditional Vietnamese fan dance. All photos by Meghan Yip.

Culture Connection wrote names in Chinese characters, and the Haitian Club did a presentation with their advisor, French teacher Paul Degenkolb. Additionally, a traditional Vietnamese fan dance was performed during the night.

The event was an enjoyable night for families to attend to emerge themselves in other cultures and to interact with other Malden residents. Sophomore Rowan Marcus attended the event with his family. Marcus explained that his family is “into…ethnic dining and cultural immersion [events] so [he has] been exposed to a lot of different cultures.” In fact, “[his family was] looking forward to coming to the event.”

Marcus claimed that it “might sound cliche, but [he] really think[s] MHS’s diversity shines through in events like this.” He stated that this was prominent because he “saw many people talking that wouldn’t otherwise talk during the school day. No matter what culture a person comes from, it seems like everyone is able to bond over food.”

Overall, the night was a success and the Malden community looks forward to the next Multiculutral Celebration.

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From top to bottom left to right: Senior Pema Kunsal giving her senior tribute to her sister. Senior Merjem Rizvancevic giving her speech after being nominated for scholarship. Senior Samantha Forestier giving her speech after getting nominated for leadership. A poster of one of the National Honor Society projects that was a fundraiser for the Malden Housing Families organization. A poster for one of the NHS Projects that assisted the EMARC association. All photos by Neden Bernadin.

Christina Appignani Reporter

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n Tuesday May 10th, Malden High School’s National Honor Society held its annual induction ceremony in the Jenkins Auditorium.

Both returning and new inductees as well as departing seniors were honored at the ceremony while parents, friends, teachers and even the mayor came to watch. Each senior gave a brief tribute to someone who had inspired or moved them during the high school career. After the ceremony, people went to the Cafe, where light foods and beverages were served and poster boards from service projects were presented.

The National Honor Society, established in 1921, recognizes high school students who demonstrate excellence in leadership, character, service and academics. Its advisor is math and computer science teacher Paul Marques. He explains that members of NHS must have “an 88 or higher weighted average. AP classes can increase a person’s average by 10 points, and honors classes can increase it by 5 points. Applications can be given out or students can sign up outside of [Marques’[ room in the fall.” On the application, students fill out what they do in school, out of school and for the community and members are selected by how well they represent the four main qualities.

NHS runs several events in and out of school throughout the school year. Marques claims that “[NHS] runs Spirit Week in the fall. During this past holiday season, [members] raised $10,000 for the homeless families of Malden and bought them clothes, toys, gift certificates and more” However, the Society twists this up in the spring; rather than doing service projects altogether, each member is responsible for an individual service project. Marques explains that members “reach out to the community and other members to pitch their ideas. Projects can be in or out of school or within a community or church.” Some past service projects include the Computer Club, Red Cross Club, Battle of the Bands and Singing For Soldiers. Other members taught science at some of the middle schools on Fridays for six weeks and raise over $500 for cancer.

Each year, the Induction ceremony welcomes the new inductees by giving them a copy of “How to Win Friends and Influence People:

by Dale Carnegie, as well as a T-shirt. The departing seniors receive an award for their membership and a copy of “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” by Dr. Suess. 36 seniors will be leaving NHS this school year while there are 19 juniors and 6 sophomores.

For the future of NHS, Marques hopes to do “bigger and better service projects that will not only benefit the school or a specific community, but the entire City of Malden.”

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Senior Internship Exhibition Gabriella Onessimo Reporter

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n the spring, seniors at Malden High School are granted the opportunity to participate in internships in businesses and offices in Malden and beyond. With these internships, the seniors are able to get their foot in the door in the workforce and learn new skills they can apply to their future jobs. On Wednesday, May 25, seniors exhibited their internships in the Finn Gym

ployment Program (MYSEP) where high school students can obtain part time jobs around the Malden community. Baltazar had a number of tasks from being a receptionist for the mayor’s office, scoring essays from MYSEP applicants, contacting students who had questions about their application and conducting interviews for the MYSEP program and beyond. Baltazar learned many lessons about interacting with other people in a professional environment as it was something her job

her internship, Aguilar learned a lot of practical and office skills but also learned from the people around her. “People were really helpful and they gave me lessons of what they’ve gone through and how I can be better at doing something,” said Aguilar.

Although many seniors had internships at government related jobs, there was a vast variety of avenues that interns went into during the spring. Chu (Teresa) Shi’s internship was at Vera Wang Boston,

get a real job it’s not like high school or college,” said Shi. “You have to work with detail and can not make mistakes.”

Similar to Shi, Sabrina Kumar’s internship was in the exact field that she wanted to work. Kumar worked at Noelle Salon in Malden where she answered phone calls, cleaned the salon and ensured each stylist was prepared with the materials for their jobs. Although she was not able to perform stylist jobs at Noelle, Kumar wants to venture into

From top to bottom, left to right:: Seniors Kevin Lam and Risako Yonetani showcasing information about their internships. Senior Qian Shi with her poster board about her internship at MATV. Maria Aguilar explaining her internship to a student. Zhu Minhua with her poster board about her internship at Salemwood Elementary School. All photos by Meghan Yip. from 9-12pm and presented their experiences to the student body.

During senior year, students are eligible to attend an internship job in the final quarter. There are a plethora of options from culinary jobs to volunteering at middle schools to working in offices. The internships allow seniors to explore different fields that often pertain to their occupational interests so they will one day enter a job with adequate prior knowledge or even an idea of a specific vocation they want to go into.

At the Senior Internship Exhibition, every intern presented what they did on trifolds that contained job descriptions, photos from their internship and items put on display at their table. One of the interning seniors was Nicole Baltazar, who spent her internship working at the mayor’s office where she also assisted the Mayor’s Youth Summer Em-

required, from constantly answering phones to communicating with hopeful MYSEP applicants. “I was basically with people all the time,” states Baltazar. “I learned a lot of stuff like effective communication, punctuality and efficiency.”

Baltazar found her internship to be very beneficial. As an aspiring accountant, the opportunity to work at the mayor’s office and adapt to a professional office environment is something Baltazar yearned for a long time.

Senior Maria Aguilar also worked for the City of Malden. Her internship was at the Retirement Board which primarily required Aguilar to file paperwork, creating spreadsheets with Excel and finding the amount of a person’s pension with math. Aguilar’s internship was math intensive and meticulous, which was helpful for Aguilar to be organized in her career and life. At

a fashion boutique that specializes in wedding dresses. Shi specifically worked with clients looking to select a dress for wedding parties and formal occasions. From inquiring what kind of dress style the customer sought or helping them with dress fittings, Shi’s internship was very interactive as well as informative as far as what a fashion design job calls for. At Vera Wang, Shi learned about the customer service process as well as the designer process as she became more knowledgeable about the manufacturing of certain fabrics and the general craft of dresses. Shi’s coworkers also gave her insight for her future, as she learned to “be patient with them because they have more experience than [her].” Shi will be studying fashion design at MassArt next year, so her internship at Vera Wang will directly help her understand and succeed in her field.

“When you come out in society and

the field of beauty and will soon be able to return to the salon as a hairdresser after obtaining her license.

“The fact I couldn’t work with hair made me want to work with hair,” stated Kumar, who will be attending beauty school next year. Kumar’s internship gave her a feel of a salon environment and provided insight on what the job actually looks like.

Kumar learned that hairdressing isn’t as simple as many people think and that those who perform these jobs “are kind of a therapist and [they’re] doing a physical job.”

The Senior Internship Exhibition occurs each year and is an exciting time for the seniors to share what they have learned for the community to witness. Each internship provides a challenge that ultimately helps each student adjust to the workplace and the develop valuable skills that will be needed of them in the future.

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May Melodies Cedrina Missamou Reporter

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he annual spring concert was held this May 12th in the Jenkins auditorium under the direction of Todd Cole and the management of MHS senior Sarah Bendell. Performances included students from the choral arts society and students from the concert band.

As with every year, the concert kicked off with an introduction by the High School’s principal, Dana Brown. The director, Cole then led his mixed chorus as they sang their first song, “Puttin’ on the ritz”, an upbeat song originally composed in 1927 by Irving Berlin and arranged by Roger Emerson. This was a great way to start the show as it was “a very upbeat piece” states a parent in the audience. The chorus then proceeded to sing a very difficult Latin piece which “[showed] just how much they’ve improved since the beginning of the year” admitted Cole. This piece is called “Ubi Caritas Et amor” translates to “where is the love” and was written

by Sally Albrecht.

They then sang “Two Sturdy Oaks” by Neil Ginsberg; after which Cole introduced a very touching three-part set composed by Sherri Porterfield. The set is titled “ Native American Thoughts” and is consists of three songs, “Give Thanks” “Earth Song” and “Teach Me”. Each song is meant to incite the singers (and their audience) to reflect on their relationship with the Earth and how precious it really is. This set also included a beautiful flute solo from concert band member Naomi Brill.

The mixed chorus then performed their last few songs being “Human” by Christina Perri, “Turning Tables” by Ryan Tedder and Adam Anders. They closed their part of the concert with a strong piece by Andy Beck titled “Lo Yissa Goy.” The Madrigal Singers then took to the stage with a short introduction from Cole and began their part of the concert with an lively and religious piece by Greg Gilpin titled “Nothin’ Gonna Stumble My Feet.” They continued the show with “II Bianco El Dolce Cigno” of Arcadelt, a piece in which the soprano singers hit some impressively high notes. They then sang three more songs which were “When Allen-A-Dale Went A-Hunting” by Robert L. de Pearsall, “Che Fa Oggi II Mio Sole” an Italian piece composed

by Luca Marenzio and finally “Beati Omnes” a difficult Latin text

by Richard Ewer.

The concert choir then took the stage and kicked off their performance with a song from the musical Fiddler on the Roof titled “Matchmaker.” This was a great way to start their performance as the song is quite popular, many in the audience sang along. They proceeded to sing “Lineage” by Andrea Ramsey during which three concert band students , Yixi Huang, Megan Melanson, and Sebastian Romani, helped with the percussion ensemble. The choir then sang two songs, “Nigra Sum” by Pablo Casals and “Now let me fly” by Stacey Gibbs before performing a three song set called “Dancing Through Time by Sheena Phillips. The set consists of three songs, “Ich am of Irlande”, “Of every Kinne tre” and “Maiden in morelay” and was followed by the last song of the night “Bellas Back to Basics” from the movie Pitch Perfect 2. This did not however mark the end of the night.

Cole held a small graduating ceremony thanking all the seniors in the choir and awarding each of them with a red rose. He then called Brown to the stage and invited several people in the choir to thank him. They ended the night by letting him give a small speech and offering him a bouquet of flowers.

Top to bottom: All three chorus groups on stage honoring Principal Dana Brown, freshman Sebastian Romani-Mendoza, junior Megan Melanson, and senior YiXi Huang playing percussion during the concert choir’s performance, juniors Alicia Devereaux and Karina Matos and senior Joylyn Norris performing solos during the concert choir’s performance, sophomore Ramon Aguinaldo playing viola during the concert choir’s performance. All photos by Meghan Yip.

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National Latin Award Winners Christina Appigani Reporter Megan Downer Lead Reporter

at the national average, and any student who got a grade that was or was close to the national average would receive a particular award”.

textbooks and teaching methods into the exam. A rough draft is written in August and the final exam is determined after much revising and

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his past March, the majority of MHS Latin students participated in the National Latin Exam.

Of the students who participate, 29 of them won awards ranging from Cum Laude certificates to the Cum Laude gold medal. An award ceremony was held in the Jenkins Auditorium on May 18th to recognize the winners for their achievements.

MHS’s Latin teacher Julie Snyder has been giving her students the exam for the past three years. She believes that Latin is an important language to learn because “there are so many things you can learn from it! It helps with writing, speaking, using literary and participating in debates”. She claims that “people come to [her] all the time saying ‘[they] talked about what we learned in Latin in another class and [they] already knew about it’” The National Junior Classical League runs the exam every year and chooses its winners. Snyder explains that the league “takes a look

Photo taken by Megan Downer.

The exam is created by the Steering/ Writing Committee, which consists of Latin teachers across the country who apply information from their

proof-reading. Other awards that are given out include Ribbons and Certificates of Achievement and the NLE Certificate of Merit for each

school participating in the exam.

Gold medal winners who take more challenging Latin courses are eligible to apply for $1,000 scholarships.

The National Latin Exam website states that “The philosophy of the National Latin Exam is predicated on providing every Latin student the opportunity to experience a sense of personal accomplishment and success in his study of the Latin language and culture.

This opportunity exists for each individual student since, on the National Latin Exam, [he] is not competing with his fellow student on a comparative basis, but is evaluated solely on his own performance on the exam”.

When asked about her students, Snyder claims that “[they] work really hard in and out of class. [They] also improve their skills and grow as Latin students over their years of taking the course. For example, [her] first year at MHS, only 6 awards were given out compared to the 29 given out this year.” Snyder hopes that the Latin Exam “helps students with their skills in Latin and provides them with the experience of taking an advanced level Latin test”.

Class of 2018 Election Results Christina Appigani Reporter

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he results are in! After a tireless week of campaigning and reviewing campaigning posters across the school, the Class of 2018 has officially elected its officers who will serve for the remainder of this school year and for the entirety of the next school year. Over 25 sophomores ran for positions and eight acquired positions.

Re-elected as president and vice president are sophomores Manny Quesada Nylen and Blue and Gold member Anna Powers.

Also re-elected is Social Media Coordinator Cindy Siu, and historian Meghan Yip, also a member of the Blue and Gold. New officers include Blue and Gold member Sam Martinez in the Helper’s Committee Chair, Thays Almeida as treasurer, Jasmine Gray as Secretary and Erica Perez and Calvin Cai as Junior Varieties coordinators.

Class advisor Katherine Haskell explained that “this year’s election was a lot different for [her] because last year, [she] didn’t know the students that well.” In addition, “[She] was a lot more invested this year because [she] wanted everyone to win since [she] knew everybody.” Haskell also believes that this year’s election was

much more serious because “[students] are very passionate about Junior Varieties, and [students] really want to be a part of it, and everyone was really excited for that part of the election.”

In order to run for a position, all applicants had to submit an application that had 5 or 6 questions depending on the position. They also had to participate in several class events such as attend regular meetings and participate in the car wash that took place a few weeks ago. There are eight positions, but there are nine officers because there are two people that have the role of JV coordinator. One JV coordinator will be in charge of auditions and and rehearsals while the other JV coordinator is responsible for fundraising and serves as a stage manager for the two shows.

The president serves as a spokesperson, organizer and overseer for the class and for any class events. The vice president encourages people to attend the meetings as well as develops fundraisers and posters to promote them. The treasurer is in charge of all budgets, the secretary takes notes on class meetings and keeps records of letters and people, and the historian

takes pictures of class events and posts them on social media. In addition, the social media coordinator works with the vice president to promote class events through social media, and the helper committee chair recruits volunteers and ensures that everybody knows where and when to be for class events.

Haskell is very pleased with the results and “feels like [the officers] are a really good group of students.” She added that there were many people “who could President Manuel Quesada Nylen’s campaign have won and would poster. Photo submitted by Manuel Quesadahave done a fantastic job Nylen. as well.” “However, a lot of people have come up to [her] week.” She stated that the Class of asking what ways they can still 2018 is a great class to work with. help and be there for the class. “People always tell [her] that the [She] hopes that they will stick students are so polite and helparound and still help out even ful, and [she] looks forward to though not everyone could win.” continuing to work with them,” Haskell believes that the Class mentioned Haskell. With Haskell’s of 2018 is in “a really great place positive outlook and a dedicated and in a position to do great things. group of officers, the future’s look[She] is excited to start planning ing bright for the Class of 2018. prom and for next year’s spirit

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New Football Coach: William Manchester Abhishek Rana Reporter

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ith the retirement of longtime Malden High School principal Dana Brown and the news of superintendent Dr. DeRuosi switching districts to Saugus, what seems to have gotten lost is that the MHS football team also has a new head coach.

William Manchester is the new head coach of the MHS football team following the retirement of Joseph Pappagallo after seven years as the head coach.

Manchester is an extremely experienced coach, who has high expectations placed on him to win. Infact, Manchester has been involved in coaching for 23 years. Recently, he was the head coach for Nantucket High School football team. There, he won a Super Bowl title as a head coach in 2011. He described winning the super bowl title as a ¨[great] experience” and that it was all down to “[a] collection of players that were committed to win.”

Manchester has already met with his players for next year and the team is deep into their yearly spring training.

When asked about why he chose to coach at MHS despite many offers from other school, Manchester mentioned how ¨there are only twenty-five Division I schools in Massachusetts” and Malden is one of the many schools, so he “ viewed that as a challenge that [he] wanted to take on.¨ Manchester described “getting to know the players as characters and as athletes” as one of the many aspects he is mostly excited about. He stated that one season he hopes to “get a ring and win the super bowl title” with MHS. However he mentioned that his main goal is much more than that. He hopes that his players “come together as a cohesive unit and maximize [their] ability as a collection of individuals. If [they] can do that than [he] will be very pleased,” he concluded.

As spring training continues, the MHS football team is training endlessly for the new season that starts this fall with their new coach William Manchester.

2016 College Essay Winner: Michelle Chung

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s I walk toward the podium at the front of the room, overwhelming waves of fear wash over me. My hands shake and I hear the click, click of my shoes reverberate across the walls. Hundreds of bodies surround me--some burning holes into my back with their eyes as I stroll past them and others hunched over, vigorously writing notes for when it is their turn to go up. Debate has been lively and everyone is waiting for the next speaker: me.

To be honest, I’m a writer. Ever since I was a child, I’ve fostered a passion for writing, reading, and appreciating the art of literature. In Youth and Government, during this conference with teenagers from all over the state, I’m a press reporter.

I’m expected to write articles, make videos, and advertise news--not stand in front of a crowd and give a speech to hundreds of people, including those who spend hours public speaking and excelling at debate that could rival some of the best presidential leaders of our nation. I’m not entirely comfortable with being heard and I internally reprimand myself for volunteering to do this.

Except, today, I’m a speaker.

I’m an individual with a desire to incite change. I’m a passionate person with strong opinions who wants her

Nicholas Bramante Head Copy Editor

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voice to be acknowledged, and not just through writing. There is a soulful fulfillment in speaking up for myself and others to ensure that the quality of life for everyone is better and that is why I’m speaking, I remind myself as I reach the podium. Being a proponent of change and putting myself out there is an opportunity worth risking humility, so I straighten my back, organize my papers, and clear my voice.

“There is a desperate need to improve treatments for mental illnesses. This shows in situations where quality treatment determines whether a person lives or not,” I begin. Just like when I was thirteen and my best friend lost a battle fighting suicide because months of psychiatric care didn’t seem to work. “This shows in situations where individuals don’t feel comfortable admitting that they need help,” I continue. Just like when I was fifteen and my sister called from her college dorm sobbing, admitting that she had been diagnosed as depressed for months but didn’t want to disappoint our parents. “This shows in situations where others are left trying to fix the broken lives of their loved ones but start to lose themselves in the process,” I say. Just like myself, speaking for hours to counselors and principals on what I knew about my friend after her first suicide attempt, making end-

less phone calls consoling my sister until past midnight, and spending years wondering why I couldn’t help save the people I loved. “Whether we realize it or not, there are many individuals around us that would benefit from a form of mental treatment or reassurance. As a society, we must stop stigmatizing mental illnesses and start accepting those around us.”

And as I glance around the room, meeting sympathetic eyes, comforting smiles, and a few heads shaking in disagreement, a spark rushes throughout my body. There’s fearlessness and fire in my words and I can feel it grow with every animated hand movement, every voice inflection, every dramatic pause. There’s such an exhilaration that I barely notice when time runs out and manage to finish just as the gavel meets the table.

On my way back to my seat, I catch the eyes of those applauding.

They vary in race, political ideology, and personality; yet, despite our differences and conflicting opinions, there’s still adrenaline surging through my veins combined with relief that comes from speaking my mind. Finally, I find my seat, sit down with a satisfied sigh, and wonder if it’s too soon to raise my placard and speak again.

OPINION: Worth Every Ounce

ike most who are able to complete the rigorous four years required of them from high school, my rapidly approaching graduation did not come without struggle. All manner of problems from social to academic and extracurricular have tried their best (and at times succeeded) to derail my life until I came crashing down in a full 90 degree nosedive.

This is of course to be expected in high school however; we meet face to face with over-whelming odds, we best them, and we move on. It is no big deal really though, we just all do what we have to do. At least, this is what I thought.

It only took me four years, give or take a few weeks, to realize that the challenges that not only I but almost all my fellow student body faces, are a whole lot more than just what we have to do. It is a tremendous deal, and an impressive achievement no matter who the student is. All my time at Malden High School, all the tests, the club meetings, the uphill struggle against procrastination, it all actually meant something.

Okay, now maybe some would say “Well, duh!” but this took me a long time to actually realize.

Personally, my own accomplishments have seemed to go as far as I could imagine, and the impact of these events is what seemed to have such a delayed impression on my mind. I got accepted to every school I applied to, managed to get through the college process without tearing my hair out, and even got accepted into the honors program of a relatively competitive school. These of course did not come without setbacks either (failing the easiest math placement test at said competitive school, ouch) but ultimately it is safe to say I am allowed to feel pretty good about the way things are going.

The funny thing is, for a while when I recalled these events, I shrugged them off as if they were no big deal. Accepted into college? Yeah of course.

With a great cost of attendance? Yeah you’re supposed to do that. Honors program? Cool. I do not think it was so much ignorance or cockiness that lead me to these unenthusiastic conclusions, but rather the preconceived notion that yeah, this is what I was supposed to do, and should not make a big deal out of it. Everyone goes through these motions.

It was not until just over a week until graduation, that the real gravity of what I had done had hit me. Now this is not to just toot my own horn; I understand that many have greater accomplishments than mine and I am lucky to have what I do, but I think many students (myself included) really have to stop brushing off our own accomplishments, and take pride in what we have done. Because really, what most if not all of us have done as graduating or nearly graduating students, is amazing. The feats we have been able to accomplish, athletic, academic, or otherwise, are feats that we should be proud of, and we have earned the right to be proud of!

This is an extremely important sentiment to not only understand and hold onto now, but to proudly wear as we as MHS students move on to the next chapters of our lives, whether it be college, the workforce, the military, or even another year of high school. We as students are not just doing our jobs, we are accomplishing pretty amazing things.

It is about time that we all started giving ourselves a little more credit for what we have been doing.

Now get out there, and change the world.

The Blue and Gold Graduation 2016

Lifestyle

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maldenblueandgold.com

Steps to Surviving Finals Anna Powers Lead Reporter

1. Don’t cram every bit of studying for the night before.

At Malden High we have at least 2 or 3 finals a day depending on your schedule. It is important not to leave all of the studying for your finals the night before. Most likely exhausted from the testing that you did that day, staying up till 2am studying is not going to help you. Spread your studying throughout the week as well as the week before.

2. Stay positive!

This is simple if you have the a negative attitude and say to yourself that you are going to fail then you are going to end up psyching yourself out.

3. Take small study breaks Whether you take an hour off to watch some Netflix or just take a breather. When you take a break from studying you allow yourself to refresh your mind. Then when you go back to studying things might seem a lot more clear.

4. Healthy body = Healthy mind Eat foods that have a positive effect on your studying. As tempting as junk food may seem at this stressful time, don’t do it! You need ‘brain food’!

5. Teachers make study guides for a reason!

If you are cramming to study everything that you have learned all year, don’t! Teachers often give you study guides with the most significant points of the curriculum throughout the year. If they don’t then look at old tests and quizzes with information that might be on the final.

Principal Dana Brown’s Interview with Asian Spectrum TV Abhishek Rana Reporter On Tuesday, April 19, the Asian Spectrum TV show broadcasted a live interview with Malden High School principal Dana Brown on Malden Access TV. The interview was conducted by the show’s host Xiaoyun Cong.

Brown was invited to the show to be honored for the many years he has contributed to Malden, including the 13 years he has been principal at MHS. He has had a positive impact on the Malden community, specifically the Malden Asian community.

Brown was first asked about his retirement and what he has planned after retirement. He responded by saying that he has been honored to serve as principal of MHS for over a decade. He continued to say that he doesn’t know what his next move will be but he did mention his desire to work with youth again. When asked about what makes him most proud about MHS, Brown responded by saying that the way students and teachers treat each other makes it a “community.” He also expressed that he was proud to have been the principal of one of “the most diverse schools in the state.”

During the interview with Cong, Brown was also asked about his thoughts on the new principal, Edward Lombardi. He responded by saying that “[Lombardi] really values the history of the school” and that he has “great energy and a lot of new ideas.” Brown continued by saying that his advice to Lombardi would be to “learn, listen, and look around” and to not “change things right away.” He also suggested that Lombardi should first “try and be part of the community and fit in” and then “over time, if [Lombardi] has fresh ideas he should implement them.” Brown concluded by saying that “[Lombardi] will do a great job” and that all he has to do is listen.

Later Brown was asked about the toughest thing he had to do as principal. He stated, “[He] think[s] sometimes the hardest thing to do is give students news they don’t want to hear.” He continued, “There are people who tell you what you want to hear and then there are people who tell you what you need to hear.” Brown mentioned that “A lot of times, [he] is the one that has to tell students or adults what they need to hear, and sometimes that is not always good news.”

Brown was then shown old photos of him with students to comment on. The photos included him watching Junior Varieties, posing in his “Wacky Tacky” day outfit, and him coaching the teachers on the annual student faculty basketball game. Brown mentioned that he loves to support students on activities outside of school like sports or Junior Varieties. “You have to show students that you care about their involvement in anything besides academics,” added Brown.

To end the show, Brown was given an award by the president of Asian Spectrum, Diana Jeong. Jeong mentioned that “[Brown] has been a great asset to the Malden community and that [the community] will miss him.” Jeong finally thanked Brown for all his services to Malden.

Lifestyle

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The Blue and Gold Graduation 2016

maldenblueandgold.com

13 THINGS TO DO BEFORE LEAVING MALDEN HIGH SCHOOL

Manale Zouhir Print Managing Editor Cassandra Reyes Print Managing Editor

Lucia Quesada Nylen Print Editor in Chief

1. BEFRIEND A TEACHER It’s always good to get to know a teacher, whether you are going to see them during a free period or after school. Get close to your teachers because they have a lot of resources for you. MHS teachers are unlike any other; there has to be one teacher on your schedule that you actually like.

5.SIGN UP FOR SPIRIT TEAM. Pep Rally is one of the best days in the entire year. Even if you don’t see yourself as the athletic type, sign up for the spirit team. You’ll have your whole class behind you cheering you on and chanting your name. Take the risk, don’t fear missing the basket or falling off of the pyramid, just have fun.

2. GO TO ALL SEASONS OR DOO WOP DINER ON A HALF DAY OR LATE ENTRY. All Seasons isn’t exactly a hidden treasure of Malden, but it definitely is a treasure. And Doo Wop Diner beats IHOP any day. It’s no $3 Dunks or New York Pizza meal, but it’s worth the couple extra bucks to sit down and enjoy a meal with a few friends, and get the chance to catch up.

These restaurants were popular destinations for my friends and me when we got the chance for a few extra hours before or after school.

6. GET INVOLVED WITH YOUR CLASS. Make things easier on the class officers and on yourself. The more volunteers at an event, the smoother the event will go, and the more money the class will raise.

All of the money the classes raise goes towards decreasing the price of prom tickets and other senior year expenses. As a class officer myself, I loved when we had support from students in our class.

Whether it be a car wash or a concession stand at a football game, class events are an amazing way to bond with people outside of your inner circle. Also, make sure to keep an ear out for the morning announcements so you can know when the next meeting is heard. Your voice can’t be heard unless you show up.

3. AUDITION FOR JV’S OR WORK BACKSTAGE. JV’s is the biggest event that your class will ever have. Working together behind the scenes for junior varieties was one of the best experiences of my junior year. I got closer to friends in my class, and got the chance to do many different things. Be sure to sign up to work backstage if you don’t have any talents you’d like to showcase, but also take the chance throughout your four years to audition for junior varieties if there is any part of you that wants to perform. Don’t miss this opportunity!

7. VOLUNTEER AT SPECIAL OLYMPICS. We are so lucky to go to a school that is truly a diverse one. Special Olympics is a day dedicated to special needs students from MHS and other schools from Malden, as well as our neighboring cities, where they compete as olympic athletes. It’s a humbling and fun experience. I’ve done it for four years and I wish I could for four more. The excitement on the athletes’ faces, the music blasting at MacDonald stadium, and even the setup/take down, makes it such a memorable day.

4. DRESS UP FOR SPIRIT WEEK OR HALLOWEEN. Whether it includes sporting your favorite footie pajamas on pajama day, 8. GO TO PROM RED CARPET OR ATTEND YOUR SENIOR PROM. wearing your wildest attire on wacky tacky day, painting Even if it isn’t your turn to go to prom yet, red carpet is something your face blue and gold on spirit day, or all three, spirit week you want to be at. Go and take pictures with your friends in their beautiful gowns and spiffy tuxedos. If you’re a senior, I would is a week you don’t want to miss out on. Dressing up on these days will earn points for your class, and you don’t want to be definitely say your senior prom is a must. It’s one of the farewell the one person dressed normally because they think they’re too nights to high school. Go and dance with your friends, take pictures in the photo booth, and strut down the red carpet. cool to participate in class events. On Halloween, you’re sure to find at least a dozen people in your classes who have gone all out. Overall, there is no shame in dressing up and having a little fun; in fact, people will commend you for it!

9. GO TO A GRADUATION THAT ISN’T YOUR OWN. Before you graduate high school, witnessing another class graduate- whether it’s a friend or family member is something that is definitely worth seeing. MHS always has great luck with the weather on the day of graduation. Whether you’re helping out with your class or just sitting in the stands, the graduation speeches are worth hearing.

10. JOIN A SPORT OR CLUB. One of the best things at MHS is all the activities that are offered. There is a club for every interest and if you can’t find one, all you need is an advisor and members and you can create your own. It definitely is one of the best ways to meet people that you normally wouldn’t associate with and become closer with the friends you already have.

11. TAKE AN AP CLASS YOU’RE ACTUALLY INTERESTED IN. One of the biggest misconceptions about AP classes is that people think that the more you take the better it looks. Taking a class that you’re interested in pushes you to learn better. MHS offers a huge variety of classes and AP’s are meant to challenge you. Taking a couple and doing well in them goes a much longer way than packing right onto the course of your four years and struggling to be intrigued by them.

12. GO TO AN MHS PLAY, CONCERT, OR OTHER EVENT.Some of the best memories are created in the Jenkins Auditorium.

Whether you go to watch the Junior Varieties which is one of the best high school talent shows out there, a Play Production play, or one of the choral arts concerts, you’re bound to have a great time. So many clubs at MHS are very talented and they deserve just as much support for the school as any sport team.

13. READ THE BLUE AND GOLD, FROM FRONT TO BACK. We aren’t saying this to promote ourselves, but reading the Blue and Gold is a way to stay informed about your school and community--the place you spend most of your time. We are the second longest running high school paper in the country, so take some time to show pride in your school and flip through the paper to get to know what’s going on. Most of the questions you have about the school are actually answered in the paper. Check our website, Instagram, and Twitter for more frequent updates. You might even see yourself on one of the pages!

The Blue and Gold Graduation 2016

Entertainment

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10 Best Alternative Albums Out Right Now maldenblueandgold.com

From modern music to older hits, Alternative music is always an interesting genre to listen to and explore. With several subgenres such as alt-pop, alt- hip hop, and most popularly, alt-rock, listening to Alternative music never gets boring.

Tatum Skiffington Reporter

In no particular order: Californication-Red Hot Chili Peppers It’s no secret that the Red Hot Chili Peppers is one of the greatest funky-alt-rock bands of all time. They have a myriad of intriguing albums, but there’s just something about Californication that is a little bit more special than the others. Californication was released in the summer of 1999. With songs as groovy as “This Velvet Glove” and songs as mellow as “Scar Tissue,” this album has everything for all of your alt-rock needs.

Colourmekindness-Basement If you’re looking for a more versatile type of alt-rock, English band Basement is the way to go. Although some of their other albums fall into the emo and pop punk genres, Colourmekindness slipped into the alternative rock category. Colourmekindness came out in October of 2012 with a mix between mellow and more upbeat alt-rock songs. Basement gives off a bit of a heavier vibe with the opening song on the album, Whole, which is quickly turned around with more mellow songs such as Covet and Pine. Basement proves that modern bands still know how to “do” alternative in intriguing ways.

Pure Heroine-Lorde New Zealand singer Lorde released an album in the fall of 2013 with hit songs “Royals” and “Team” that caused Pure Heroine to become ragingly popular around the world. Lorde has been named with a number of genres from Dream Pop to Electropop, however, her grungy vibe has also given her the alternative rock/pop title, also.

Although the more popular songs on the album are exceptional, some of the more underground songs on Pure Heroine are amazing also. “Bravado” starts off slow and progresses into a calming vibe. “The Love Club” is an upbeat track that clearly demonstrates Lorde’s more alternative pop side. “Pure Heroine” is yet another modern alternative album that doesn’t fail to show uniqueness and versatility.

Hot Fuss-The Killers Released in the summer of 2004, Hot Fuss by The Killers was among the best alternative rock albums of the 2000’s. The Killers have always been an alternative icon, as a few of the songs on this album really excelled and became exceedingly popular. Hit songs such as “Mr. Brightside” and “Somebody Told Me” were played on several radio stations back when they came out and still continue to be played today. Most of the songs on this album are upbeat and happy, so if you were looking for a quieter vibe you unfortunately will not find it on Hot Fuss. There are songs, however, that are more “chill” than others, such as “Change Your Mind” and “Midnight Show.”

I would definitely recommend Hot Fuss as the perfect throwback for a funky alternative rock album.

Greatest Hits-Foo Fighters Foo Fighters is one of the most iconic alternative rock bands in the history of alternative music. Their grungy vibe and look gave them the true alternative rock title.

With over 10 albums released starting in 1995, this band has become extremely popular in many generations. On their Greatest Hits album they feature songs from “The Colour and The Shape”,“There is Nothing Left to Lose”, and their self-titled album. I mostly chose this one because I could not decide on which album by Foo Fighters was the best. With hit songs “Best of You”, “The Pretender”, “Learn to Fly”, and “Monkey Wrench>” Greatest Hits is the perfect album to listen to if you’re looking for pure alternative rock music.

Vessel-Twenty One Pilots

Twenty One Pilots has recently been blowing up due to their new album, Blurryface. Although that album is a big hit, I believe that their previous one, Vessel, was a far superior album. Twenty One Pilots hold a unique sound that puts them in the alternative hip hop category. Vessel is amazingly versatile, with a mixture of singing and poetry-esque rapping. Some of the songs are easy to dance to, some of them are incredibly moving, and some of them are easy to chill to. With hits such as “Migraine”, “House of Gold”, and “Car Radio, Vessel” is a beautifully unique and modern album for the alternative hip hop genre.

The 1975-The 1975 Formed in 2002, English alternative rock band The 1975 released their self titled album in 2013. The 1975 brought a groovy feel to the alternative rock genre with hit songs “Girls”, “Chocolate”, and “Sex.” If you’re looking for a more vibey and groovy alternative rock band, The 1975 would be perfect for you. Most of the songs are upbeat and funky, but they do include some mellow songs if that’s what you’re looking for. Listen to “Robbers”, “12”, and “She Way Out” for a slower feel.

The 1975 bring a modern groovy feel to alternative rock music, and they continue to release great new music every few years.

A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out-Panic! At the Disco If you were an emo kid in the early 2000’s, chances are you have seen this album before. Panic! At the Disco released A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out in 2005 with popular song “I Write Sins Not Tragedies.” They have a creepy and playful upbeat sound in there’s a good reason these tables are numbered, honey, you just haven’t thought of it yet. They are another versatile alternative band, with songs that go from quiet to loud such as “Camisado”, and if you’re looking for a song that’s more alternative pop, “The Only Difference Between Martyrdom and Suicide is Press Coverage” would be the song for you. Panic! At the Disco provides a versatile feel to alternative rock music.

Reverie Lagoon-Seahaven In March of 2014, Californian band Seahaven released their 3rd album, Reverie Lagoon: Music For Escapism Only, normally shortened to Reverie Lagoon. This album is one of my personal favorites, as it has an incredibly moving vibe and sultry sound. Some of the songs, including “On The Floor”, “Love to Burn”, and “Solar Eclipse” are so moving that you can relate tough times to them. If you’re looking for more grunge alt rock vibes, “Flesh” and “Karma Consequential” are what you’d want to listen to. Some songs, such as Silhouette (Latin Skin) and Highway Blues remind me of the summer, and just closing my eyes and listening to them makes me feel like I’m on the beach. Seahaven brings a slow and relaxing feel to modern alternative rock music.

Nevermind-Nirvana Released in the fall of 1991, Nirvana’s Nevermind has been named as one of the greatest albums in rock history. Nirvana’s grunge vibe and unique lyrics put them in the category of alternative rock. With ragingly popular song “Smells Like Team Spirit”, this album climbed to the top of the charts shortly after it’s release. Nevermind has a great amount of iconic songs; if you’re looking for an iconic, vintage sound, Nevermind by Nirvana is the album for you.

Local News

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The Blue and Gold Graduation 2016

maldenblueandgold.com

Jesaias Benitez Reporter

O

n May 26 and 27, Malden High School’s Play Production, performed Much Ado About Nothing in the MHS courtyard.

The play was first performed in 1612 and written by famous playwright William Shakespeare. With the stage and lights put outside in the courtyard, performers like senior Sarah Bendell explained how ¨it was a bittersweet experience.¨ The production team was inspired to create a play that took place at Camp Messina, a late 70’s-80’s camp. As senior Kamila Regalado explained,¨Hero and Claudio catch each other’s eyes and fall in love.. Don Pedro sets Claudio and Hero together and gets everyone to help him get Beatrice and Benedick together. ¨ Don Pedro, the main character portrayed by Ali Fletcher. Senior Ricardo Melgar portrayed as Don John interpreted the experience as ¨ a surreal feeling..

[Melgar] felt that [he] needed to try and leave a mark on stage for what [he has] learned as an actor.¨ Regalado also shared, “Don John is miserable so he gets Borachio in on a plan to tell Claudio” all about it without Claudio knowing that “Hero slept with another man the night before their wedding.” The day of the wed-

Much Ado ding, Claudio knows and humiliates Hero calling her names in front of her friends and family. Suddenly “Hero’s family makes everyone else think Hero is dead” and makes Claudio guilty. Towards the end of the play “Benedick thinks Beatrice is in love with her so then Hero comes in and reveals herself” to everyone that she really is alive. “Benedick and Beatrice finally confess their love towards each other.”

Although this production dates back almost four hundred years ago, MHS’s play production decided to keep it modern. As Bendell and FitzGerald put it ¨[they] wanted to keep it modern enough that people would really enjoy,be family friendly [and have it be]fun to watch¨ which led them to the conclusion of having a summer camp appropriate.

The performers along with the stage crew worked endlessly in order to carry out the last production of the year. Whether is was old English or playing their parts, as Regalado stated ¨ Shakespeare switches around the structure of real sentences¨. One difficulty the performers like Regalado faced were ¨[as performers you’re] suppose to say one thing but another naturally comes out because that’s how we’re

Clockwise: Junior Karina Matos, seniors Brayan Angulo and Kamila Regalado, seniors Regalado, Sarah Bendell, sophomore Nathalia Sousa, and senior Joylyn Norris, sophomore Camila Paraliticci. Photos by Meghan Yip and Jesaias Benitez.

use to talking so you have to work a little harder to remember the lines.¨ At the end of the day, this production opens its performers to new environments and helps them create new experiences.

When it came to the performers and their roles Bendell expressed how ¨ [Beatrice] felt so relatable and it wasn’t hard to get in touch with her at all.¨ Many of them really enjoyed playing their roles because of how similar they were from previous productions. However, performers like Melgar had to switch things up as he explained ¨it was fun being evil and petty. Most of [his] roles in the past are either lovable and flirty.

[Melgar] got to switch it up and see a different side of [him] which was fun [for him to] perform.¨ At the end of the play.director Sean Walsh emphasized how ¨almost two-thirds of the class is made up of seniors¨ so many of them will be moving on to college next year.

Most of the seniors like Regalado expressed how “[i]n preparing for this last show [they] treasured every moment so much. Everything [they] did [they] would remind [themselves] it was [their] last time[s] doing it.”

Seniors like Regalado, Melgar,

and Bendell along with others have a bittersweet feeling as the year comes to an end. Next year as a senior, Fitzgerald hopes “to be a leader in the class who can help others,grow and learn from [her] peers and directors as well. [As a performer she] wants to have another great year of play production and I hope we get a lot of new faces to join and if not at least a lot of new faces at the shows because in the end we’re doing it for the audience and that means so much to me and everyone else to perform a successful show for our audience.”

As their performances came to an end, every senior came to the reality of performing for the last time. Walsh expressed himself, wishing them the best and good luck. Angulo ended his year off by expressing that he “ [is] extremely grateful for the people [he] worked with. When [he] think[s] about the crew and directors, all [he] can think about are good times. They were an amazing support system and they surely have made [him into] a better person. [He] can never fully express how good play pro has been to [him] but one thing [he] can say is, if you’re thinking about joining the class, do it.”

The Blue and Gold Graduation 2016

Local News maldenblueandgold.com

About nothing

Cast and Crew Leonato - Joylyn Norris Messenger - Karina Matos Beatrice - Sarah Bendell Hero - Kamila Regalado Don Pedro - Ali Fletcher Benedick - Paul Araiza Don John - Richard Melgar Claudio - Brayan Angulo Antonio - Nathalia Sousa Conrade - Sabrina Kumar Borachio - Ramon Aguinaldo Margaret - Aigul Fitzgerald Ursula - Maggie O’Callaghan Balthasar/Verges - Camila Paraliticci Dogberry - Nic Acuna Watchmen - Julia Cocuzzo Sexton - Karina Matos Friar - Marino Dipietrantonio Production Manager: Jilian Molokwu Assistant Director Sajeanah Cadet Set Design: Thomas Hannifin and Ziqi Zeng Set Construction: Alex Silva, Anthony Folkes, Josue Espada, Richard Melgar Stage Managers: Iliana Rivas, Lyndsey Martin Sound: Sarah Vieira, Ariana Teixeira Props: Connor Fitzpatrick, Daryl Satterwhite, Daniela Herrera Costumes: Eliana Alvarado, Isadora De Alpini, and Christine Bourdeau Lights: Isadora De Alpini, and Christine Bourdeau

Clockwise: Seniors Regalado and Bendell, senior Sabrina Kumar, sophomore Ramon Aguinaldo, and senior Richard Melgar, MHS Play Production advisor and English teacher Sean Walsh, junior Paul Araiza, seniors Ali Fletcher and Angulo, senior Kumar, junior Nic Acuna, and sophomore Aguinaldo. All photos

by Meghan Yip and Jesaias Benitez.

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Sports

The Blue and Gold Graduation 2016

maldenblueandgold.com

Boys Volleyball: Year 2

Lin Wunna

Ana Kerr Lead Reporter

Ana Kerr Lead Reporter

M

emorable is a perfect word to describe the boys volleyball team’s season. Eight weeks worth of hard work, hardships, memories and improvements. All dedication the team had was put into every second they were on the court. Every moment they had spent together was well spent, from inside jokes with “Big Z” also known as senior Zewudu Megerssa to sophomore Arthur Kossoski’s “fire” moments.

Easily said by Junior Mateus Silva that the “friendships [he has] made with the team are ones to never be forgotten.” Many inside jokes and comical moments were made within the few weeks the boys have grown into a small family. Sophomore Manuel QuesadaNylen says that, “the team this past season made [him] realize that you can make the most unlikely friends through high school.”

Being part of a team is a great high school experience, especially being able to connect with the other players on a different level rather than just being another peer at

school. Senior Captain Lin Wunna mentions how, “being able to connect with the different people on the team and learn to adjust our plays with new teammates was something interesting and a new experience for [him].” Having to create chemistry within the court was difficult, but the team managed to make it happen. Although this years’ team is not as large or as experienced as last years’ the boys still made it a learning experience. All players can easily agree that this season was one to never forget.

The team as a whole and as individual players have many to be proud of, although it was not the season they expected to have. Having to work hard and communicate with new people and have the old ones leave can make things go out of order or harder to deal with. But that is what they have to be proud of, still being able to feel comfortable and making it work is what really matters.

Coach Dan Jurkowski can agree that the team has a long way to go, but he is privileged to work with such a great group of kids. Although the season just ended, goals are already being made for the boys

next season. Jurkowski mentions that his goal for next season is to, “qualify for the state tournament.

The only way [they] will be able to accomplish that is if [they] play more consistent. [They] had a difficult time this season putting quality sets together. It was always one good set, one or two bad sets.”

Being Jurkowski’s first season with the boys made it one that he will never forget. He mentions, “[he] really enjoyed coaching this group.

For a few of [their] guys, it was their first time ever playing competitive volleyball, and the veterans on the team did a great job of teaching and encouraging them.” There were never any dull moments during the season especially during practices, Jurkowski mentions, “practice was always competitive and spirited.”

Regardless of their final record, it was evident that they worked hard and tried to make it memorable season. For it only being their second year in the league, all hard work was paid off and they now know what to expect for the years to come. MHS wishes them the best and to work harder as seasons go by, and good luck to all the seniors who are graduating.

From top to bottom, left to right: The team posing for a picture. Sophomore Anthony Woo waiting for a tip to fall down on Malden’s side of the court. Sophomore Manuel Quesada Nylen setting the ball. All photos by Ana Kerr.

What is one thing you will take away from your high school experience?

Time doesn’t wait for you, so have fun and enjoy what high school has to offer you. Never take any of the moments in high school for granted, because then you have to grow up and be part of the real world after it.

What will you miss about Malden High School?

That’s a lot but I know for sure I will miss the times I spent with my friends in school and out of school.

Those memories I will always remember.

What will you miss most about volleyball?

I’m proud of the bond we created as a team and understanding a little more about each other. I will miss coach Dan the most because he always brought us snacks before our games.

What was one of your biggest high school achievements that you will cherish?

One of my biggest high school achievements is definitely passing the math summer enrichment program, which I took over the summer before junior year.

What was one of your biggest achievements throughout your volleyball career?

My biggest achievement this season without a doubt would have to be learning to play all positions and learning to jump serve.

If you could give advice to an underclassmen who wants to play volleyball, what would you tell them?

My advice would be to spend your time wisely and be around people who make you a better person, because high school is only a one time thing. Don’t keep thinking it’s always going to be there, because before you know it you’ll be graduating.

Sports

The Blue and Gold Graduation 2016

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maldenblueandgold.com

Crew Goals!

Gabrielle Casaletto

Photo submitted by Gabrielle Casalettto.

Kristy Yang Reporter What made you pick crew over other sports?

I picked crew over other sports because it was something that isn’t typically offered at other schools, so I found an interest in trying out for the team.

What is your favorite class? Any favorite teachers?

My favorite class is my AP World History class, I don’t have any favorite teachers in particular, but I do owe a huge thank you to Ms. Brown and Ms. Mateeva for all they have taught me and inspired me to do throughout my high school career.

Are you going to play crew while in college?

I do not plan on participating on a college rowing team but I would love to keep at it whether it is through a club team, or just for fun.

Have you decided what college you are going to?

I plan on getting my associates degree at Bunker Hill Community College and then furthering my college career at another postsecondary institution or university that offers a specific major I become interested in.

Do you know what you want to major in?

As of now I am going into college undeclared so I can complete my general education classes, with the hopes of developing an interesting something I can take on with full passion and drive.

What do you want to do after college?

After college, I would love to take the time to travel the world and find myself, to discover who I am and where I am meant to be.

What have you learned by being on a team for so long?

What I have learned from being on the team for these past three years is what it means to have such passion for something, I have learned that you have to work towards what you deserve, that it may not be easy at first but if you keep working and training that you will push yourself to success.

What are some achievements you have received during your high school career?

Something I am proud of is the success of my girls four boat. Our novice year we took home the gold medal at the State Championship Regatta, and since then we have gone through tough training and obstacles as not only a team but as individuals and I believe that is what has pushed us to keep working towards another successful win. As not only individual participants, but as teammates we (Sam Forestier, Vivian Ngyuen, and myself ) were named GBL all-stars of the 2015 crew season.

Are there any teachers or people in general that have influenced you greatly?

The coaches, Sarah Jones and Shauna Campbell have greatly influenced the rower I have become. With recent setbacks throughout this season they have showed not only me, but my teammates how to “keep your head in the boat” as we row on to continue our success and growth as a team. I would not only like to thank my coaches but my teammates for the most invigorating, painful, and amusing three years. I wouldn’t be where I am today without the support of the Malden High Crew Team.

Top to bottom: Boys varsity in the middle of a regatta. Sophomore Waymond Szeto, juniors Jonathan Dong and Jacob Bissett. All photos by Jesaias Benitez.

Kristy Yang Reporter

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his spring, the crew team has worked hard despite their late start on the water due to the closing of the Malden river. Since the river was reopened, the team has been training six days a week. The seniors all agreed that they had high hopes that the team would preserve through their challenges of adversity and still compete at their top performance. They had been working together as a really great team, whether on land when they are practicing, or on water when they are competing with others.

Due to a minimum amount of regattas, the team’s biggest competitors were themselves. Fifteen different cities competed against Malden during the season. The girls novice one won gold, the girls novice two won gold. The boys novice one won silver and the varsity boys two won bronze. Their regatta that was held in Cape Cod got cancelled due to the wind being too strong.

Coach Shauna Campbell was proud of the growth the team had this season even there was little practice on water. Although she was disappointed that some of the regattas got cancelled, Campbell feels that the team worked well and was really strong and she is going to “miss the seniors because they have great leadership skills and they are hard working”.

The members of the team feel that crew is a really fascinating sport because not many people know what it’s about. The season is different from previous seasons because many of the events got cancelled due to the boathouse being unavailable, which made it more difficult for the team, but made them determined to give it their all.

Captains Samantha Forestier, Stephan Lafauci, and Michael Light wish that the entire team feel a sense of accomplishment, due to the fact that not many sport teams lack an area to practice. The team is strong, whether it’s on land or on water. Varsity member junior Vivian Nguyen says that although this season is ending, but it feels as if it is actually just starting since the first two regattas they had were on Saturday, May 21 and Sunday, May 22. Nguyen “enjoyed it for the most part despite the adversity [they] had to face regarding the river contamination.” She did not really set a goal for herself for this season except for dropping her time for the 2k test. She hadn’t gotten a personal best yet since she already set it when she was a sophomore.

Despite difficulties that came up during the season, the team continued to row and complete the season with a positive attitude.

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Laura Suarez

Girls tennis served the season right Sydney Stumpf Reporter

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Sydney Stumpf Reporter What made you pick tennis over the other sports offered at MHS? I wanted to do sports all year round.

I had a all and winter sport chosen but I didn’t know what I wanted to do for spring. The only choices were: crew, softball, tennis, and outdoor track. I’ve never played softball so I chose not to do that.

I don’t like boats or rowing so I couldn’t do crew. The only options were track and tennis. I felt like I would have a better chance playing tennis than I would if I did track.

Tennis also looked like a lot of fun and I knew a lot of people on the team so I knew it would be a great experience for me. I’ve also always wanted to play tennis but never got the chance to do so before high school.

What will take you away from your high school experience?

During my four years of high school I learned that it’s best to have a few close friends than it is to have many who you can’t count on. I’ve learned to work hard and to manage my schedule in order to do everything that I want to do. I also realized that doing sports or being in clubs is not only a lot of fun, but it is also a great way to keep busy and to meet new people and make new friends.

I learned to cherish everything and everyone because you never know when you will get to see them again.

Time flies by and you don’t want to have any regrets before your senior year. I learned to take risks and make the most out of high school.

What is your advice to your fellow tennis players, and incoming players?

My advice is to never give up and to always believe in yourself. Even if the new players have never played tennis they should believe that they will make the team, and that they will become great. Current players should always believe that they can improve and they should never give up no matter how the season is going for them or for the team.

s the spring sports season comes to a close, the girls tennis team reflects on their performance as a team. The team has participated in many games and has won several including matches against Medford and Lawrence. The captains this year included Senior, Blue and Gold member, Emma Ceplinskas and Senior Sushan Chen. A new coach was brought to the team this year: Julie Fox, coaching sixteen players varying in grade.

This was Fox’s first year coaching the Malden High School’s girls tennis team. “Being a new coach,” Fox says, “it’s been a balance between keeping what worked for [the team] and what they liked from last year and introducing some things.”

It seems the team has adapted well to the new coach. Fox “[works] with them and sees where they’re at to see what they’re interested in getting better at.” Coach Fox credits tennis as being an “individual game”, but cites they have “team goals” however, “it’s [important to] work with each individual player.”

Players recognize their strengths and weaknesses this season as they plan to improve and continue to use the strategies that have worked well for them this year.

Players also recognize their own improvements and pride themselves in it, such as Junior Emily Zou, who believes she “improved a lot over the season.”

The team sees room for improvement regarding strategy and team-bonding. Junior Yuki Cheung thinks that as a team, they “did

pretty well, but there [were] certain games that [they] could’ve done better at.” Zou hopes “[her] hits improve and [she] just wants to get to know [her] teammates even more, with more bonding.” Cheung strives to improve her “forehand, backhand, and some serves as well.”

Fox sees the great improvements in both teams, junior varsity and varsity, that they have made over the season: “[The team has] come so far from where [they] were in the beginning of the season. Especially [the] JV players have gotten so much better. [...] The varsity players, have worked hard. [...] They work

really well together, so [she thinks] their dedication furthered their improvement.”

Several matches and practices had to be canceled over the season, due to weather-related issues. The team hasn’t “had very many practices, but they love to hit,” says Fox. “After matches they stick around and hit with each other. It’s awesome to see.”

The girls tennis team has had an amazing season this year, and will continue to aim for their most superlative outcomes, as they continue to work hard and stay motivated.

From top to bottom, left to right: Senior Risako Yonetani returning the ball. Junior Emily Zou hitting the ball back. Senior Risako Yonetani returning the ball. Junior Yuki Cheung about to serve the ball.

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Edward Gu

Boys Tennis: “You Just Got Served!”

From top to bottom, left to right: The whole team posing for a picture after their matches. Senior Rory Milan hitting the ball. Junior Nelson Chen. MHS tennis team member about to return. All photos taken by Ailin Toro.

Ailin Toro Reporter

Ailin Toro Reporter

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enior Edward Gu has played on the varsity boys tennis team for three years. He started playing tennis his freshman year because he “wanted to try a different sport other than track ...and eventually decided on tennis and stayed with it throughout the years,” stated Gu. Gu plans to continue playing after high school, though not competitively.

Gu’s hobbies outside of tennis include biking and spending time with friends. He is a member of Key Club, the YMCA Leaders club, and is the historian for the ping pong club. In terms of school, his favorite class is Italian with his favorite teacher Adrienne D’Agastino.

Gu is grateful for his tennis coach, Julie Briggs, for coaching him throughout the years and mentioned that one of his fondest memories is “getting food after games with [her because she] always makes everything more fun.”

He described the team as “a close knit community.” He continued to say that “they are so much more than just a team.”

As a member of the tennis team, Gu “learned that tennis is more of a mental sport than anything else and that people end up losing to themselves most of the time.” He is proud of gaining the title of GBL all star last year and “most importantly, making it throughout the four years and getting into college.” Gu has decided to attend University of Massachusetts Amherst but has not yet decided on his major, though he is leaning towards computer science.

Gu looks to end the season strong and will miss playing with his teammates after this year.

his boys tennis season has been tight for Malden High School.

They had a rough start at their first match but have been working hard since to get back to the top.

The boys started off the season with confidence in becoming Greater Boston League Champions and with the hopes of getting to the second round at playoffs, something that has not happened for the boys tennis team in the past. The team worked hard this season, practicing every weekday as long as they did not have a game.

The boys were “a very closeknit community” according to cocaptain Edward Gu. They like to joke around with each other before the games. This does not exclude the coach who also has a very good relationship with the players. Cocaptain Tri Pham even describes her saying he feels like “she is like [his] second mother”.

Since the team is mainly made up of seniors and coach Julie Briggs is going to lose almost the entire varsity team. Briggs feels sad to see the players all go since “they’ve become a family” throughout the years they’ve been together. Briggs “[wishes] them well and [wants] the best for all of them”. She says that they are all going to fabulous schools and is going to miss them a lot.

At the beginning of the season Pham had said that “this season [was] going to be a tough one from looking at the teams [they had] to play [although] he still had high hopes for [the team] and really [believed they could] do very well in the end.“ On Monday, the 23rd, Briggs was nervous going into the last two games. She felt that the

team had to go in at their best and give it their all. They had lost their match the Wednesday before against Somerville and was not sure what the outcome would be at their final game Thursday, May 26th.

Going into the last match the score was 7-8 with 8 losses. The team becoming GBL champions and finding out if they qualified for states was all riding on the last game. The last game ended up with them finding out that they did not qualify or make it to states with the loss to Somerville.

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VANISE LOC

Anna Powers Lead Reporter

Anna Powers Lead Reporter

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he girls lacrosse season has come to and accomplished and successful close. Varsity and junior varsity teams have created an unbreakable bond with each other. The team has a tradition lnown as “Littles,” which is when a varsity member partners with a new member of the team and bond with them all season.

Senior Sabrina Barreto says that she will “definitely miss [her] Littles the most, Camila & Dijana. Even though they’re new to lacrosse [she] can see why coach paired [her] up with them, as such young players they have so much potential and will greatly improve in their lacrosse career. They are the cutest people, fun to be around and just overall have great personalities.”

Though the bonding does not just end with ‘Littles’ overall both teams are both very close. The lacrosse team strives on such great

teamwork to help make it through the season. With such strong connections made off of the field it makes it a lot easier on the field to communicate when passing the ball as well as executing the plays that Coach Jessica Prickett makes.

Most of the most memorable moments consist of high points

during the games as well as silly little moments during practices.

Coach Prickett describes a time where “the other team was not playing with the sportsmanship and integrity that we demand of our team. It felt good to look at [her] girls and know that they

were not going to lower their standards in spite of that.

[She] felt proud to coach this team because they have that class and integrity that makes people good people.”

Prickett has grown a very strong connection with this years’ seniors because they are the first group of girls that have been with her since freshman year therefore, they will always “have a special place with [her].”

The seniors describe nothing less of the strong bond Prickett describes.

Senior Sarah Rosatone says that the best piece of advice that Prickett has given her is that “nobody is going to push you, you have to push yourself and find the fire inside yourself.

Nobody can give you passion.”

From top to bottom, left to right: Senior Kristina Gilbert cradling the ball. Malden girls defending the net. The Golden Tornado faced the Salem Witches on Tuesday May 17th. The Malden girls listening to their coach. Juniors Victoria Moore, Phoebe Broomstein, and Desiree Delgado defending Malden net. All pictures taken by Anna Powers.

What influenced you to play lacrosse?

“It was freshman year when I joined the lacrosse team. Like most freshman, I was debating between many different spring sports but my friend’s older sister was already on the lacrosse team and she strongly encouraged me to go to tryouts. I ended up really loving the sport and the people on the team. It was a completely new environment for me, but all the other girls were extremely friendly and welcoming.”

What is the best piece of advice that your coach has given you?

“Coach Prickett is definitely one of the most positive and uplifting coaches at Malden High. She’ll make us do sprints and run when she catches us slacking off, but that’s only because she wants the best for our team. She sees our team’s growing potential and constantly reminds us that we’re Malden and we’re capable of achieving more if we put in the skills we’ve practiced and give it our all. Not only does she help us become better lacrosse players, but she also encourages us to be better people.

We’re always expected to uphold high levels of sportsmanship even when the teams we play don’t act respectfully.

What advice would you give to new lacrosse players?

“Most of us started lacrosse as a freshman and we know how difficult it is to pick up a brand new sport. Just keep trying and you’ll see more improvement with practice. All the running that we do is only beneficial, so push through it. You’ll feel so accomplished afterwards.”

What is something that you are going to miss about the team?

“I’ll definitely miss all the team bus rides and all the laughs that we shared throughout the season. All the jokes and laughs made the hard practices a little more enjoyable. We’re constantly picking each other up and encouraging each other to strive harder because we know that we’re only as strong as our weakest link.”

What was your favorite team bonding activity?

“The pasta parties we had were really fun. It was a more relaxed environment from our usual outdoor practices. We got to know our teammates a lot better and all the laughs we shared will always be something I won’t forget.”

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RALF JEAN

Overcoming a Cha llenge

Leila Greige Lead Reporter

Leila Greige Lead Reporter What are some relationships you have that were built off the sport?

My coach Mr. Maney got me to love the sport so much, I thank him for that because I don’t look at him as just a coach, I look at him as a role model because he teaches me everything about the game and about life in general.

What has lacrosse taught you through life in general?

It’s not all about size, everything is literally about heart and how much effort you decide to put into things.

Do you think you will continue to play lacrosse after High School?

Yeah, definitely. I love the sport so much I thank my coach for that and I’m definitely going to play after high school.

Before the season ends, what’s something you would like to accomplish?

I think I’ve already accomplished it to be honest, we won a game and I hope to win more. I was hoping we would qualify for the state tournament but I’m not too sure if it’s too late for that, depending on how many games we have left.

What advice do you have to younger boys wanting to join the team next year?

Never be discouraged no matter how hard it gets. Just continue to push through and out of all most importantly that’s the best way to get better.

Is there anything you’d change about the season?

To be honest, no. I feel like I’ve learned so much from my coach and my teammates. I’m thankful for them because without them I wouldn’t be the person I am today.

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ith a final record of 3-15, the Malden High School’s boys lacrosse team has demonstrated nothing but stability, courage, and perseverance throughout this season. Being one of the most challenging sports that MHS offers, and one of the few sports without a youth team, they have grown dramatically since the beginning of the year, until the end of May, improving with every practice and every game.

Coach Brendan Maney admits how “they came together and they knew each other’s strengths and weaknesses. They learned to support each other. [They] had a lot of losses for anyone to endure but they showed tremendous grace in very difficult situations.

He also adds that “they never lost their cool, they never lost their temper, they demonstrated a great deal of maturity in a great deal of those difficult situations. This was their major accomplishment.”

Dedicated and team-reliant, working together and playing as a team has always been a passion for them. Because, as any sport requires dependence on others, trust and learning new techniques is a huge part of lacrosse. Sophomore Joseph Costa acknowledges how

“It’s actually great learning from the juniors and seniors who have been a part of the program for a couple of years and learning from their past experiences. It teaches [him] a lot as a person and as a player, being an underclassmen on a varsity team.” Junior Captain Andy Tham says that “almost all [his] relationships are built off this sport. [He has] made friends with the entire lacrosse program.” Junior Brenno De Oliveira admits that this season has “definitely humbled some of [them].

[He] noticed a lot more modesty among [his] teammates.”

Compared to last year, the amount of underclassmen on the team has called for more growth and improvement through the team as a whole. “There [was] enough underclassmen. It may drive them to work harder between now and next March. That’s where [he] feel like it’s a little bit different, as soon as the season was over, a large number were already looking forward to next season” mentions Maney. As they are already thinking about next year, the boys will plan and set up for success.

As the seniors move forward from the high school sport, they have left behind their studied talent

From top to bottom, left to right: Senior Matthew Le checking a Haverhill player. Junior Joshua Andrews cradeling the ball. Senior Ralf Jean starting the play. Junior Roman Graziano getting the ground ball. All photos by Tenzin Dorjee.

and advice with the team of juniors and sophomores. Senior Marino Dipietrantonio says how “[his] favorite memory has probably got to be the bus rides back home from away games, because no matter if [they] win or lose, [they] always have a good time on the way home.”

Senior Ralf Jean claims his favorite was during “[his] sophomore year against Lynn, [their] only win of the season and [he] won every single face off. That was the best game of [his] life.”

Jean turns over some advice to the underclassmen and boys interested in joining the program in the future. “Never be discouraged,” says Jean. “No matter how hard it gets, just continue to push through.

Out of all, that’s the most important, that’s the way to get better.” Maney has learned and experienced some things himseIf from the overall season and from the athletes themselves. “[He doesn’t] always see how much it means to them until it’s over, then [he] can see how much they’ll miss it, especially the seniors.

In some ways [he guesses] they remind [him] that it does all matter to them very much, even though it doesn’t always appear to be that way” says Maney.

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MARIE SYLVAIN

Girls and Boys track Alysha McDevitt Reporter

I Photo submitted by Marie Sylvain.

Alysha McDevitt Reporter What was the most challenging and most rewarding part of track? “[The] most challenging parts of being on the team [were] the post workout soreness and the inability to walk the next day, and the most rewarding [was] making states and running personal records.”

What inspired you to join track and to continue running it?

“I played basketball winter of my freshman year and I needed a way to stay in shape for next season, so I thought ‘why not join the track team?’ After making the varsity team, my coaches asked for me to come out for indoor of my sophomore year, which I did because they thought I had an amazing first season and could potentially be of great use in not just one event. After two seasons of track I realized that I had a better chance of being a great track runner than a basketball player, so I continued on with track for the rest of my high school years.

Plus, there’s a lot of love on the track team so I kind of had to stay.”

How do you feel about this last season and how you did?

“This last season I did pretty good, I think by far the best season I’ve had. I qualified [for states] in the long jump and the 4x100m with Aida Ali, Allia Julien, and Rachel Loreus. It’s sad to think that this is my very last season ever running track for my high school. I’ve had 7 amazing seasons with a great team filled with such amazing and caring people I don’t want the bond to end, but sadly there’s an end for everything. I was that person on the track team who talked to everyone whether it was throwers, jumpers, distance runners, sprinters, etc.”

Is there any advice you would like to give people that are thinking of pursuing track?

“Track is not easy, and quitting should never be an option. What you put into the workouts is what you get out of it… and always have a bag of ice.”

n a short yet eventful season, the boys’ and girls’ outdoor track season was . The girls’ team was undefeated in the Greater Boston League for the 2 consecutive year and had a number of girls qualify for states.

The boys’ team, while they were not GBL champions, had a successful season, with a number of members of the team qualifying for states.

The GBL closing meet was successful for many members of the team. The girls won, beating nearest competitor Somerville 192-189.

Individual league champions were: sophomore Allie Russo in the 800 meter dash, sophomore Jasmine Gray on the mile, senior Gillian Willcox in the two mile, junior Cleverina Cong in the 400 meter dash and hurdles, freshman Shataeya Smith in Shot Put, freshman Genny Murphy in discus, and junior Aigul Fitzgerald in javelin.

The boys were runners up to Somerville and individual league champions were senior Allen Liang in javelin, discus, and shot put and senior Daryl Loreus in the long jump.

When asked, senior Angus Mo stated that he felt “the last track season was a bit rushed for time,” and senior Timothy Nsubuga claimed that “[he is] truly grateful to [his] coach, teammates and everyone who supported [him].

[He is] confident that the team will be in good hands because of that same culture.” Head coach David Londino stated that “The boys had a great season full of personal bests. Their efforts in training have been second to none and [the team] couldn’t be prouder of their achievements,” and “the girls had a great season, coming out with the rivalry win against Somerville and going undefeated. [The team has] a great

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Finish the Season Strong group of underclassmen, and to see state qualifying performances and even a new school record from them has [the team] feeling really good about the future.” With this being the last season of high school track for the seniors, a number of them will continue track in college while some have decided against it.

Out of the boys’ team, senior Daryl Loreus qualified for states in the 200m dash, the long jump, and triple jump and senior Allen Liang qualified for the shot put, discus throw, and the javelin as well as breaking the school record by throwing 153’ in discus. On the girls’ team, Rachel Eaglin qualified for the 100m hurdles and high jump as well as breaking the school record by clearing 5’ in the high jump, Marie Sylvain qualified for long jump, freshman Shataeya Smith qualified for shot put, and freshman Genny Murphy qualified in the discus

throw. The girls’ team also had a 4x100m relay team qualify for states, which included Allia Julien, Aida Ali, Marie Sylvain, and Rachel Loreus.

While the seniors are leaving, both the boys’ and girls’ teams have runners in lower grades with a lot of potential and a lot of young talent.

Coach Londino claimed that “it’s funny, [the] senior boys and girls are quite different in that the guys have quietly led by example and the girls have been vocal leaders, full of personality. Both approaches have proved effective and they’ve done a great job leading their teams.”

The division 1 state competition will be on May 29 and the all-state competition will take place on June 4. The team members who qualified will continue to practice hard and do their best in the meet, challenged by a lot of talented competition from around Massachusetts.

“From the boys’ track team, two boys qualified for the All States Meet, seniors Daryl Loreus and Allen Liang. Loreus qualified in the triple jump. Liang qualified in the javelin, discus, shot put, the only male athlete in Massachusetts to qualify in three events. When asked, Loreus stated that “qualifying does feel pretty good. It’s nice to know that [he] was considered one of the more elite athletes because [he was] able to reach that point. [He] actually [expected] to do so for one event, but not for three.

Qualifying for multiple just makes [him] feel even more accomplished about [himself ].”

Division 1 State Meet:

Allen Liang finished 3rd in the javelin (165’ 11”), 5th in the discus (146’ 4”), and 7th in the shot put (50’ 3.5”). All three performances qualified for the All State Meet on 6/4 in Westfield. Allen is seeded 9th in the discus, 10th in the javelin, and 13th in the shot put.

Daryl placed 7th in the triple jump with a jump of 42’ 5” and also qualified for the All State meet where he’ll be seeded 20th.”

TIMOTHY NSUBUGA Alysha McDevitt Reporter

Clockwise: Sophomore Allia Julien doing the long jump.

Freshman Sean Tran competing in the hurdles portion of the meet. MHS varsity boys running during the meet. MHS varsity girls preparing to run.

Junior Samuel Pettigrew and sophomore Oussama Ourich competing. MHS varsity boys running hard during the meet.

What was the most challenging and most rewarding part of track?

“The most challenging would obviously be the workouts and long runs. The most rewarding would be seeing the improvements and progress made over time.”

What inspired you to join track and to continue running it?

“Honestly, one of my teammates signed up and I joined him to try it and maybe gain endurance for basketball, but I ended up really enjoying it and felt that I could do better in it.”

How do you feel about this last season and how you did?

“It wasn’t my best season, but I feel that I had moments where I did prove myself.”

Who influenced you the most during the season?

“Every one of my teammates influenced me. Seeing them do well and get better inspired me and running with them pushing me it helped me a lot.”

Is there any advice you would like to give people that are thinking of pursuing track?

“In track, it’s really difficult and first, but I feel like there is guaranteed progression, but overall you’ll see yourself getting better. You may not get the times you want in races and stuff, but the improvement is there. A bad race doesn’t determine whether you’ve gotten better, it’s just a bad race, the progress is still there.”

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danielle copson

All about that base

Nada Tuffaha Reporter What is one thing you will take away from your high school experience?

Malden High School in particular introduced me to some pretty incredible people. Some of my closest friends now, I met in high school and I can’t picture how my life would be without them.

What will you miss about Malden High School?

The staff at Malden High are always there for you. I’ve never felt at one moment I couldn’t talk to someone.

What will you miss about softball?

I’ll miss the competition and playing the game. When I’m playing softball I forget about everything else that’s going on while I just focus on the game.

It’s my go-to activity when I’m stressed.

Top to bottom, left to right: Junior Caitlyn Leonard at bat, Sophomore Ashlyn Fitzpatrick at bat, Caitlyn Leonard in ready position at third base, and Senior Alexis Brown pitching. All photos by Nada Tuffaha.

Nada Tuffaha Reporter

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he softball season is coming to a close with only three more games left. Throughout the season, the team has demonstrated outstanding positivity and support towards one another during their games. The team has grown and succeeded with a record of 8 wins and 4 losses. They have grown closer together and have created unbreakable friendships.

Regardless of the current 4 losses on their record, the team members did not refrain from keeping a positive attitude throughout the rest of the season. Sophomore Mackenzie Furlong explained how “[she] learned that the game is never over until the last out in the last inning, and to never give up because a lot can happen when working as a team”. This positive attitude is also echoed by senior captains Haley

Hoffman, Megan Gilligan, and Alexis Brown.

Both the individual and team growth is apparent. Furlong stated that “although it wasn’t [their] best season, [she] created a bond with each and every one of the girls.”

Freshman Taylor Bozzi learned to “never put [her] head down when [she] make[s] an error”.

Many team members, especially the captains, maintained goals this season to help exert effort from the season’s beginning through end.

One of the main goals as Furlong stated earlier in the season was to make it to GBL’s. As for Gilligan who is one of the captains, her goal was to “be a good captain to [her] teammates and also come across as approachable, and to spread positive energy to the team, and [she thinks she] was able to fulfill that.”

In continuation of the team’s success, they’ve also demonstrated great respect for opposing teams in which they’ve played against.

On Wednesday May 18, the team played a game against Somerville.

The game was dedicated to the seniors of both teams. Malden’s softball team gifted each senior from the Somerville team a flower, and recognized their hard work as a team. The team showed great effort and positivity and played a winning score of 14 to 0.

Many of the members that are on the team are excited to come back next season with more energy and determination to win. Furlong expresses that,“[her] biggest advice to anyone who would like to try out next season is to definitely come ready to work each and everyday, and to be a coachable player. Pick one another up. Just come and be positive.”

The positivity and encouragement from the captains will remain until the last game. Though the season is finally, MHS looks forward to what becomes of the future of the softball team.

Will you continue to pursue softball later in life?

I haven’t really made up my mind yet.

I’m definitely not going to try to walk onto the UMASS Lowell team, but maybe I’ll play a club sport.

What are you most nervous about after high school?

I’m most nervous about being in a new environment. I’ve been in Malden my whole life, and now I’m going to be living in Lowell. I won’t be right next to all of my friends and my family. It’ll be hard adjusting at first, but I know it will be worth it in the end.

What prompted you to play softball?

I started off with t-ball when I was younger and I enjoyed that. My dad also played on an adult league for softball so that encouraged me to play considering I looked up to him.

What was one of your biggest achievements throughout your softball career?

My biggest softball achievement was when I hit my first homerun. It was in high school during my sophomore year.

If you could give advice to an underclassmen who wants to play softball, what would you tell them?

I would encourage any underclassmen to play softball. It is such a great experience. You’ll meet so many new and supportive people and develop friendships with people you would’ve never imagined.

The Blue and Gold Graduation 2016

Sports

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maldenblueandgold.com

Chris Ansaldi

Sliding out of the Season

Alexis Brown Lead Reporter

Alexis Brown Lead Reporter How long have you been playing baseball?

I have played baseball for the last 13 years.

Do you play baseball outside of high school?

I also play during the summer and fall for two other teams.

How long have you been on varsity?

I have been on the varsity baseball team since my junior year.

What made you decide to play baseball for the high school?

I enjoy playing the game so I decided to pursue it in high school What is your favorite position to play?

My favorite place to be on the field is first base.

Who is your favorite team to face? Why? I love playing and beating Everett, another Greater Boston League team, since they’re our biggest rivals What sets the baseball team apart from every other team at Malden High?

I think what sets the baseball team apart from every other team at Malden High is the bond that the team has togetherwe’re all really good friends.

What is the most challenging thing about baseball?

The most challenging thing is being able to bounce back after an error or strikeout and continue playing.

What is your favorite thing about baseball?

My favorite thing about baseball is that it’s more of a team sport and everyone on the team needs to play successful in order to win.

What have been your goals for the team this season?

What have been your personal goals?

Some goals for this season were to try to limit the amount of errors and have better approaches at the plate trying to hit the first good pitch I see.

Do you have any motivations or inspirations?

I’m motivated by trying to better myself in order to produce more for the team.

A

fter a long season filled with ups and downs the boys varsity baseball team finish with a record of 7 and 13. Although their record came up short and they did not make the tournament, the team showed a positive improvement from last year as they ended with two more wins under their belt.

Their wins this year came from beating: Medford, Newton South, O’Bryant, Somerville, Haverhill and East Boston twice. Many boys on the team would agree that their biggest and most exhilarating win came from beating Medford baseball away at Medford’s field with a score of 9 to 1.

This win showed promise for the team for not only what they were capable of doing but what Malden High baseball can do in the future especially in their Greater Boston League.

Five seniors, including Miguel Ortega, Christopher Ansaldi and Senior Captains Ronnie Luke, Liam Elliott and Nicholas Andreucci, will be leaving the team this year but they have left an impact on the team both on and off the field. Offensively,

captain Ronnie Luke completed the season with a batting average of .528, the highest on the team.

The team as a whole finished off the year with a total batting average around .266 and a combined total of over 140 hits. Following Luke is sophomore captain Jared Martino who ended his season with an average of .486. Martino’s season, however, was cut short due to an injury. Martino was not only a game changing bat to have in the order, but he was also an ace pitcher.

Not being able to play did not stop Martino from helping out his teammates as he came and supported his team throughout the entire rest of the season.

Injuries forced the team to make many adjustments. Their shortstop James Pandolfo had been injured much earlier in the season during a game against Lawrence. The way the team was able to bounce back from these injuries as new people, especially underclassmen, were brought into new positions gave a glimmer of hope for the upcoming seasons. “Not making the tournament was a tough pill to swallow since our team was poised to make it, injuries to multiple teammates and close games not going our way was our luck, it was a disappointing ending to a season but it was an awesome team to be part of, wish the very best luck to the team in the future” emphasizes Andreucci.

Although errors seemed to be the downfall for this team, the returning boys will focus on their defense this offseason and come back next year with a purpose.

How do you handle any pressures you feel on the field?

When I feel any pressures on the field, I just try to go out and play the game like I know how to.

What has been your best memory from playing baseball?

My best memory from high school baseball has been playing with the same group of freshmen that we’ve had since the beginning- some of my best friends.

What is one lesson you have learned from playing?

One lesson I’ve learned is there will always be ups and downs- its how you bounce back Do you plan on continuing to play baseball in college or outside of college?

I don’t plan to keep playing seriously but baseball will always be apart of my life.

What advice can you give to the newer baseball team members or newer athletes in general?

Make the best out of the chances you are given.

Clockwise: Junior James Pandolfo batting. Senior captain Ronald Luke pitching.

Senior Miguel Ortega in between second and third base. All photos taken by Jesaias Benitez.

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