March 2020

The Blue and Gold maldenblueandgold.com Malden High School

Volume 105 Edition 5

77 salem street

March 2020

MHS Alumni Association Hall of Fame Preview Julie Huynh Lead Reporter Lauren Mallett Lead Reporter

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The Class of 2021 Hosts the 80th Junior Varieties Jennica Ruan Co-Head of Local News Julie Huynh Lead Reporter

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he Class of 2021 hosted the 80th annual Junior Varieties this year. Taking advantage of the 80th anniversary, the theme this year was “Back to the 80’s.” As usual, the show fell on the first weekend of March; the 6th and 7th of this year. Tickets were sold prior to the show for $7 and were $10 at the door. With the show being the biggest fundraiser for the class, all the profits went into their budget for next year’s prom.

Despite the recent difficulties of losing their former class adviser, as well as an alleged incident regarding the authenticity of some of the tickets being sold, the event was successful. Staff members Rebecca Corcoran and Katherine Haskell stepped up to the job and offered their time and experience to assist the junior class. On top of the cur-

rent officers, this year Asmaa Asousy and Julie Iansen were elected as JV coordinators to help out.

Haskell and Corcoran “coproduced the show” together this year. Since both of them were class advisors in previous years, Haskell stated “it was a lot easier,” since she had a partner to help her manage the students this time. Using her past experience, she was more efficient this time around because she “had a better idea of what needed to be done, whereas last time [she] was “winging it.”’ Even though they had a late start preparing for the show, “[the students] were extremely hard workers,” and “[Haskell does not] think the show would have happened without the group of students that [they] had.”

Haskell explained how the officers were split into two groups and put in charge of different aspects of the show. President Harriet Gerochi was in charge of advertisements to raise money for “concessions, [the]

shirts, and the book especially.”

Gerochi, being an athlete as well, struggled with managing her time at practice and rehearsals for JVs. Even with those difficulties, “[they] earned around a couple of thousands,” which exceeded her initial goal. The night of the show, “[she] was mostly incharge of managing the lobby,” but also made an appearance onstage. The most memorable part of this experience for her was being able to interact with everyone.

With the show being a success for the junior class, Gerochi said “It really shows how much work [they] put into it and how well it turned out for [them].”

The 80th Junior Varieties, continued on pages 8 and 9

bout one decade ago, a group of Malden High graduates got together to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the school and decided to form the Malden High School Alumni Association. The first president of the MHSAA was former teacher, assistant superintendent, and eventually Superintendent of Malden Public Schools, George Holland. When he passed, Anthony Dickinson was promoted from vice president to president. Dickinson has since been reelected multiple times.

Since the MHSAA was formed, its main focus has been to help students financially and to maximize their experience at Malden High.

Dickinson shared that last Christmas, they were able to give out $3,000 in gift cards among students in need at the high school. Not only that, the association buys and distributes yearbooks, prom gowns, and even prom tickets.

Dickinson described one time when he was surprised to learn from a teacher that some students did not have enough money to pay for testing. Now, the MHSAA works to provide scholarships specifically for kids that need money for such tests that require it.

Anyone that knows Malden High is aware that it is very much a sports-centered school. According to Dickinson, “sports has been the driving force of Malden High.” For instance, the Golden Tornados Club has always honored the sports athletes of the school: past, present, and future. With this in mind, Dickinson and the other members of the association were determined to honor all the people that have gone on to achieve great things in various other fields.

MHS Alumni Hall of Fame Preview, continued on page 2

Staff

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MHS Alumni Association Hall of Fame: Preview Continued from page 1 The MHSAA began honoring people at their first Hall of Fame induction in 2014. Dickinson expressed that this first ceremony was the most memorable one for him.

For many reasons, they didn’t know what to expect, but they did know that the nominees consisted of some interesting people. For one, Kevin Cullen, a journalist for the Boston Globe, was nominated. Among the others were news broadcaster Heather Kahn braver, and Phillip Weiner.

Phillip Weiner was someone that Dickinson “knew nothing about,” but when he had read Weiner’s bio and seen his accomplishments, he was “completely blown away.” It turned out that Weiner was a war crimes judge at the Hague, and actually flew in from there to accept his honor.

When the MHSAA first began doing the Hall of Fame ceremonies, it began as an annual event and remained that way until 2018. Eventually, they realized that “it [took] a lot of time to get the inductees [set up]” and to organize the event, so now they are doing it every other year. Up until this point, they have inducted 29 people and are expected to nominate about six to eight people this year.

The only requirements to be nominated for the Hall of Fame is that the person has graduated or attended MHS, and they have been out of high school for at least ten years. The association aims to have one person nominated in each category, but sometimes it does not work out that way. The current categories are as follows: Arts, Business, Community Service, Education, Government, Media, Military Service, Sciences, and Technology.

No one on the MHSAA board has any say in the selection process.

Dickinson explained that the selection is done by a committee formed of Malden people, “preferably Malden High graduates.” Applications were sent out to alumni and community members earlier in the year and were expected to be submitted

by March 2, this year.

Once all the applications had come in, the Hall of Fame Selection Committee reviews all of the forms and narrows down the nominees.

They then report these names back to Dickinson so he can get in contact with the honories and notify them of the news.

This year the ceremony will be held on Friday, May 1, at 6 p.m. at Anthony’s in Malden. All of the money that they raise from the

ceremony will be going into their scholarship fund. Before the ceremony, the MHSAA hosts a luncheon with all the inductees in the Gallery, where they will all get a chance to meet each other. After that, they have what is called a “Senior Assembly,” where the inductees get a chance to talk to Malden High seniors, compare their experiences, and share their stories.

A comic celebrating Women’s History Month. Comic created by Carolina Cuervas.

The Blue and Gold March 2020

Interactive

The Blue and Gold March 2020

Movie Review:

Parasite

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maldenblueandgold.com

March Crossword Puzzle

Carlos Aragon Aldana Lead Reporter

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ong Joon Ho’s Parasite is a smash hit, sweeping the Academy Awards and being the first Foreign Language film to win the coveted Best Picture Award, as it was made in South Korea. (Although if you want to get really technical, The Artist did it back in 2011. However, the only dialogue in the film, in the end, is in English). The film also won awards for its stellar direction and script, both well deserved, and lastly, the award for Best Foreign Language film.

Parasite is a film best seen going in blindly. The best description I can give is that it focuses on the dynamic between the Park and the Kim family, and the Kim family’s plot to get hired by the Parks. The Kims are extremely poor and live in a basement level apartment, while the Parks are extremely wealthy.

While the description may not seem that interesting, the film does experience an extreme tonal shift halfway through, going from a dark comedy to suspense, with some horror elements. Put in the most simple words possible, Parasite is a critique on how we live in a world where some can be extremely wealthy while others can barely make ends meet, contrasting both sides of the spectrum, and examining what happens when both sides meet.

Each actor gives an amazing performance, with the highlight being So-Dam Park as Kim Ki Jung, the daughter of the Kim family. The performances elevate the film, cooperating with the rest of the elements to achieve this level of quality.

However, the film would not be what it is without Bong Joon Ho’s stellar direction. Each scene in the film serves a purpose. Interestingly, there are only 960 cuts in the film, around one hundred less than usual, which goes to show how meticulously it’s put together. Looking at the famous Peach montage, it plays out like poetry, with shots echoing earlier ones, and it’s greatly aided by the score, a song called the Belt of Faith (composed by Jung Jae-il who previously composed for Bong Joon

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

ACROSS: 4. Mackenzie ___ is the Captain of the Cheer Team.

6. The Chocolate Rose fundraiser held by the Class of ‘21 was originally an idea given to them by the ___ of ‘18.

7. The Red Envelopes took a spin when the Class of ‘22 Officers filled them with ___ and quotes.

13. Student athletes tend to be more ___ during Midterms.

15. Sophomore Damien ___ frequently goes to the Teen Center.

16. Women averagely spend ___ hundred dollars on prom.

17. To celebrate Chinese New Year, the Class of ‘22 sold Red ___.

19. Jennifer ___ was the first person to introduce an all-school competition for Poetry Out Loud.

21. Saura ___ is the president of the Future Medical Professionals and Health Club.

24. Melanie ___ is the coach of the Cheer Team.

25. The Neapoli Cafe is located on ___ Street in Malden, Massachusetts.

Puzzle compiled by Liam O’Toole.

Ho in Okja). Each element works in tandem with the others, which allows for the film to progress almost like an orchestra.

A remarkable fact about the film is that many of the scenes were done on a set created just for the film, including the Park mansion. Interestingly, one scene in the second half of the film was actually

DOWN: 1. The new owner of Neapoli Cafe, Ilham Essebar, believes it is ___ for customers to feel at home.

2. Guidance Counselor Taryn ___ is a helper for the Senior Internship.

3. Gabriella Celona is the ___ of the new Morning Announcements videos.

5. The Malden Teen Enrichment Center was ___ to an adjacent building.

7. The ___ Council was held to raise awareness for more of the local problems in Malden.

8. Briana Descilien had the idea to start the Grown Woman’s Club after scrolling through ___.

9. The Senior ___ helps people start working in fields that they’d like to major in.

10. Chocolate roses were ___ straight to the recipients for Valentine’s Day. 11. The Future Medical Professionals and Health Club is planning on ___ at places like Melrose-Wakefield Hospital and Cambridge Health Alliance.

12. Terry ___ performed his poem “Malden Walk” at the Malden River Meeting.

14. Marie Law Adams is the ___ Lead for the Malden River Works Project.

18. The Grown Woman’s Club meets every 3rd ___ of the month.

20. Ketshaly ___ placed first in the Poetry Out Loud Competition.

22. The MHS Media Class aired their first recorded Morning Announcements the morning of February ___.

23. Adam Weldai started his new term in January, but has previously served in the school committee for ___ years.

shot in a pool, in order to control water levels.

Lastly, what really makes Parasite great is what I mentioned earlier about social classes and what the film has to say about it. The film’s message is incredibly clear, however, it’s still an incredibly nuanced perspective on class conflict. Without delving too deep, the film’s title

can be interpreted in multiple ways.

It’s just the type of film you have to ponder for a while after watching.

If you like Parasite, it’s worth it to check out Snowpiercer and Okja, some of Bong-Joon Ho’s other works. Memories of Murder and The Host are also some of his older pieces. I would fully recommend Parasite to a friend.

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Editorial

The Blue and Gold March 2020

maldenblueandgold.com

Be Free, Butterfly!

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t is fair to say that high school has changed me, as it does most people. But, it is up for debate on whether or not that is a good thing.

Even before entering high school for the very first time, I can recall older people warning me that it would either be “the best or worst four years of your life.” I did not think too much of it until my last year of high school because now, I am wondering how relevant that statement may actually be.

At the start of freshmen year, I had set high expectations for myself and others, but little did I know, that mindset of mine was going to cause me a great deal of stress. I was aware that it was going to be difficult adapting to a new environment, but meeting new people was not what I was worried about—or at least not something I thought I had to worry about. As time went by, I began to recognize that the innocence and kindness I once shared with the world had been compromised. It took me all four years of high school to finally understand that not everyone is deserving of your trust or loyalty, and that is okay. I will never regret being kind to the wrong people, but I do wish I knew half of what I know now back then.

I have lost many friends in my life—some may even say I am an expert—and there have been instances where I cut them off purposely be-

cause I felt the relationships (both romantically and non-romantically) were unhealthy and ultimately not meeting my needs as a person. But regardless, it is all in the past, and in the past it shall stay. I do not regret any of the relationships I have made because at the end of the day, I am who I am because of my decisions.

I do not blame anyone for anything. The reality is, it is no one’s fault. It is still difficult for me to accept that but I am working on it.

What I am still discovering in the meantime is that some people are just not on the same level as me in life right now. That is also okay.

You may also be struggling with the same issue without even knowing it.

So let me ask you this: Do you ever feel like you are treated less than? Or are being taken advantage of? If you say yes to either of these, then let me tell you as someone who has first handedly felt this way many times, it will not get any better. It is sad, but it is the cold heart truth. The pit in your stomach that you just cannot seem to shake off whenever you are around certain people is not a sign of craziness. It is your body telling you that you need to getaway! The sooner you realize that you are better off without them, the more time you will be making to better yourself and recognize your worth. I still have not gotten to that point, but maybe you will have bet-

ter luck with it then I do.

The issue with me personally has always been that I expect too much from people. One example is that when I treat someone with kindness, I expect it to be reciprocated.

But having that mindset causes me to get easily frustrated and sensitive when those standards are not met.

So, in other words, I set myself up for failure. When that happens, I start to overthink and blame myself for past relationships ending. Due to this realization, I began to self-sabotage possible healthy ones at the fear of getting left heartbroken again. As a result, I have closed off on being vulnerable and telling everybody my business.

Yes, I still question whether or not I made the right calls, but I am also beginning to notice that I have gained more knowledge because of them. Whether they were negative or positive relationships, they led me to where I am today: this whole mess of a self-destructing person with trust issues, and I am proud of all 5 feet and 8 inches of me!

Through these experiences, I have begun to change the way I view certain matters. I was way in over my head to think that I would remain close relationships with the same people. I am sure almost everyone can relate when I say that we used to call everyone our best friends back in elementary and mid-

dle school. I am not so certain if boys did the same, but I know for sure that most little girls did. This meant friendship bracelets and petty fights with other girls on who is our alltime favorite best friend, and writing “[blank] is my BFF FOR LIFE” on the back of all our notebooks. I miss those days. I guess some part of me just hoped it would always be that way. But I can no longer live in my head, in this fantasy. This year, right now, I have to face the music.

As much as I was regretting this moment, it is time. In the end, it is just a risk I am willing to take.

So referring back to the question on whether high school has been the best or worst four years of my life...the answer is inconclusive.

I still have two months left to mess up some more, so I guess we will just have to wait and see.

Sabrina Monteiro Managing Editor of Web and Mobile Apps Editorial Policy

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

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

We strongly encourage readers to respond to material printed in the form of signed letters to the editors. No libelous, malicious, defamatory, obscene, or unsigned material will be printed.

The Blue and Gold reserves the right to edit the letters. Names may be withheld upon request. Not all letters will be printed.

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

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

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

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Nedlam’s Corner

The Blue and Gold March 2020

Opinion

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maldenblueandgold.com

Vacation Spots

Dear Nedlam, my family and I want to travel this summer but are unsure of where to go.

Have you been anywhere interesting and if so, where do you ing to a store to see different types my favorite part was when we got get back there and see more! reccomend?

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ear Anonymous, thank you for reaching out! You have come to the right person!

I understand that there are people who are not as fortunate (or are unable) to travel, but that does not mean that you will not be given the opportunity in the future.

In the summer of 2016, I got to go to San Diego, California. We slept at my aunt’s house for a couple days and then spent two nights at a nice hotel. There were a variety of pools which included a hot tub, lazy river, and regular pools. For the next couple days, we also went to the beach, a zoo, and saw whales at Seaworld, which was really fun. Since it was a while ago, I do not remember much more details of the trip, but I do recall it being very hot and a great experience!

That same summer, after spending five days in Cali, we drove to Oregon. The location was different in comparison to other vacations that I have been on, mainly because it is in the middle of nowhere—it was also hot and dry. The little that I do remember from the trip was go-

of stones and crystals, and spending time at an indoor pool. So, maybe you would not be so interested in going if you would prefer some place tropical with more activities to do. But, if you are someone who just wants to get away from everything and want to enjoy a quiet space, then I would recommend it for you.

Also, just a heads up, there are no Dunkin’s!

Now for my personal favorite vacation spot: Nassau, Bahamas. We stayed at a 5-star hotel (something I am not used to), and it was in a resort called Aquaventure Atlantis. It is separated into sections and ours was called ‘The Cove.’ It was located right by the beach and the view from our room was absolutely breathtaking!

On this trip, we spent a lot of the time in the pools and would take the transportation bus to visit the other side of the resort, called ‘The Reef,’ where all the fancy restaurants and expensive stores were located. But

to spend an entire day at Exumas!

We went on a long boat trip to three separate islands; each one dedicated to one animal. I swam with sharks (for just two minutes because it is my worst fear and I was freaking out), pet some pigs, and fed iguanas!

It was by far the most adventurous day I have ever had.

There are so many places to go without even needing a passport!

One of my personal favorites is Florida! In Orlando, Florida, you can visit Universal Orlando, SeaWorld Orlando, Discovery Cove, Walt Disney World, or just explore all the cute stores and life in the city. I absolutely adored my Walt Disney World trip back in the summer of 2013 and am so excited to go once again this summer.

If you are more of a beach person than a thrill person, maybe check out Clearwater or the Florida Keys for their beautiful beaches. There are just so many places throughout Florida to explore, I can not wait to

Another fun vacation you may be interested in is a trip to the U.S capital, Washington D.C.! In the spring of 2016, I was able to go on a super exciting trip to the capital and we got to see so much! One of the biggest pros to D.C. is the amount of free things to do there. My favorite free thing to do was go to the National Air and Space Museum. They had so many amazing things to look at, not to mention the cool rides they have where you can go into a fighter plane simulator (at an extra cost but I think it is totally worth it)! There are so many other free museums and monuments to go see and explore as well. Examples you should check out is the National Museum of Natural History, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, the Smithsonian Museums, the Lincoln Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans and Korean War Veterans Memorials, and more!

I can not tell you which place is best because it is all subjective and everyone is different. But I do hope some of this was a little useful in helping you decide where you want to go!

National News

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The Blue and Gold March 2020

MEET Your 2020 Primary Candidates maldenblueandgold.com

Joe Biden

Bernie Sanders

Lulu Harding Lead Reporter

Sara Zakaria Print Editor-in-Chief

ormer Vice President Joe R. Biden Jr., age 77, is one of the leading democratic candidates.

Before running for president, he had been a part of the United States Senate representing Delaware from 1973-2009. During this time as senator, he was also the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee. This is Biden’s third time running for president, with his first being in 1988 and second in 2008.

Biden currently has a total of 864 delegates, making him currently in the lead with the highest delegates. However, as opposed to Sanders’ very socialist views, Biden has a much more moderate stance on issues such as healthcare. As he did while vice president, Biden has continued to stand by Obama’s Affordable Care Act (or Obamacare), with only some small changes to make it less expensive and create a new “public option” that would be similar to Medicare.

Leading efforts on the war on drugs has also been a focus for Biden.

In 1986, he co-wrote and sponsored the Anti-Drug Abuse Act, and has put a large amount of funding into anti-drug efforts. Additionally, he currently supports decriminalizing cannabis, although is opposed to lifting the federal ban.

Biden has become increasingly popular for his passion in restoring the middle class, his Climate Crisis Plan, supporting an increase in funding for schools in low-income areas, and his gun control plan. His plan would require owners of “assaultstyle rifles” to sell them through a voluntary buyback program or register them with the federal government. It would also include closing loopholes in background checks for gun purchases.

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Tulsi Gabbard Sara Zakaria Print Editor-in-Chief

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ulsi Gabbard, age 37, is the third Democratic candidate, with a total of two delegates. Gabbard is a member of the House of Representatives, representing the state of Hawaii since 2013. She announced her campaign on February 2nd, 2019 in Honolulu. Prior to becoming a congresswoman, Gabbard served in the Hawaii House of Representatives.

Gabbard is also a veteran, serving in Iraq during the Iraq War. Currently, she is a major in Hawaii National Guard.

Gabbard’s policies have been

These are the candidates running for president in both the Democratic and Republican Party before the March 14th Northern Marianas Democratic Caucus. mostly described as progressive.

Her main focus is foreign policy, with ideas shaped by her anti-war and anti-inventionist views. Her goals include emphasizing peace with other nations and avoiding involvement with military conflict in other countries. She is in favor of withdrawing troops from Syria, citing that American-led regime changes never effectively transition to democracy, with examples being Iraq and Libya. She raised controversy when she travelled to Syria in 2017 to meet President Bashar al-Assad. Gabbard wanted to use the opportunity to discuss peace

possibilities.

Gabbard’s other policies reflect those rising in popularity during this primary election. She is a supporter of Medicare-for-All, believing that drug costs in the U.S are too expensive for average Americans, and that the health system as a whole needs to be improved. Gabbard also supports the idea of free public college, raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour, and stricter gun control.

Approximately half of Gabbard’s funds come from small, individual contributions. Around 65% of the other half of Gabbard’s funds are from large contributions.

ernie Sanders, age 78, is the second Democratic candidate running for president, with a total of 710 delegates. Sanders has been the Senator of Vermont since 2007.

He was previously a member of the House of Representatives, also representing Vermont, from 1991 to 2007. While he is currently running as a Democrat, he has served the Senate and the House as an independent. Sanders also ran in 2016 for the Democratic nomination.

Describing himself as a democratic socialist, Sanders is often credited for the rise of popularity for the progressive policies and opening the doors to the new wave of progressive politicians in government. Many of his ideas he ran with in 2016 have been addressed and even supported by previous Democrats in the 2020 primary. These include ‘Medicare-for-All,’ a national $15 minimum wage, and free public college.

Sanders has been a staunch supporter of universal healthcare, citing other first-world nations as examples. Sanders has created a ‘Medicare-for All’ plan, which is currently available on his website.

Sanders aims to create a single-payer healthcare system with no copays or deductibles. Healthcare coverage will also include dental, out-patient care, mental health and substance abuse treatment, reproductive and maternity care, etc. Additionally, drug costs will be lowered, as he believes the pharmaceutical industry is making their medicine too expensive for ordinary Americans.

His plan to pay for the system consists of several options, examples being creating a 4% income-based premium paid by employees, a 7.5% income-based premium paid by employers, raising the income tax rate to 52% on those who earn above $10 million, among other options.

His ideas on the minimum wage stem from his disapproval of the current federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour, a “starving wage” to Sanders. He believes that the federal minimum wage needs to be increased in order to make the wage livable. On his stance on college tuition, he believes public college needs to be tuition-free, since other first world countries have either free public college or at a reduced cost compared to American public colleges.

More than half of Sanders’ funds come from small, individual contributions, with an average of $27 per donation. Approximately 35% are from larger contributions.

The Blue and Gold March 2020

Local News

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maldenblueandgold.com

Mock Primary at Malden High

Donald Trump

Lulu Harding Lead Reporter

D

onald J. Trump, age 73, is the current 45th president of the United States, and has a total of 887 delegates. Having changed political parties five times since 1999 and owning a record number of false statements and lies compared to other candidates, Trump is one of the most controversial presidents in recent years.

He is the first United States president ever elected without prior military or government service, and before entering politics, was a businessman and television personality.

One of the issues Trump is most known for is his stance on immigration. He strongly supports keeping illegal immigrants out of the United States and has pledged to deport any illegal immigrants residing in the United States now. Trump has often talked about building a border wall between the United States and Mexico, which hasn’t made much progress due to the lack of clarity about how it will be funded. While in office, Trump has also ordered a travel ban on citizens from several “Muslim-majority” countries, leading many people to question his actions.

Trump has been constantly attacked by many of the Democratic candidates for withdrawing from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade negotiations, the Iran nuclear deal, and the Paris agreement on climate change. He has additionally triggered the start of a trade war with China due to his imposed import tariffs.

On the other hand, Trump’s economic policies have helped to keep the United States’ GDP growth at a fairly neutral place. The economy is currently doing good, although it isn’t doing significantly better than from past years.

Lulu Harding Lead Reporter

Bill Weld

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illiam F. Weld, age 74, is the only Republican running against Trump in the election. Although being a former United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts, United States Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division, Governor of Massachusetts from 1991-1997, and both a Harvard and Oxford graduate, Weld only has one total delegate.

Regarding his political stance in comparison to Trump, Weld definitely holds some different views on certain issues. He has proposed to withdraw American forces from foreign countries and reduce military spending, as opposed to Trump, who has drastically increased military spending while in office. Weld is also a strong believer in climate change, unlike Trump, and has a carbon tax plan to reduce the amount of carbon in the air.

Additionally, Weld has been strong supporter of LGBTQ+ rights, and is pro-choice in regards to abortion. Despite these more progressive social views, Weld is a traditional conservative in regards to the economy- meaning he supports decreasing government spending and cutting taxes. Supporting non-nuclear proliferation efforts is included in this decrease in government spending, as Weld believes that the nuclear weapons being created today are “the number one threat to the security of the world”.

Overall, Weld’s main goal in running for president is to get Trump out of office, and to give people another, “better” option for a stronger Republican president.

Com paring the Data

Ana Pirosca Editor-In-Chief

A

mid the murmurs of his period 3 class, Pat Finnegan, a history teacher at Malden High School boomed, “What day is today?”

It was Super Tuesday, a day in which most of the US states vote in the primary elections. Just the day before, history classes like Finnegan’s US History 1 class made their way down to the library to cast their own votes in a mock primary election. The results found that of the students who voted on March 2nd, many supported the Bernie Sanders campaign.

While Finnegan could not dwell very much on the results of the election, in favor of the state-mandated curriculum, he mentioned to the rather quiet class, “people are going out today to vote.” Earlier that day, Finnegan expressed that he will be hurrying home in time to cast his own vote.

Historically, voting rates for the US presidential election waivered between 48% to 58% of all eligible voters.

This year, an analysis of the Catalist Voter Registration Database shows that there will be a record-breaking amount of voters heading to the polls in 2020.

Not only this but analysts believe that the 2020 voter turn out will also be the most diverse.

Massachusetts has been considered a historically “blue state” so, to many people, but it came as a shock when Joe Biden was elected in the primaries considering his failure to get the presidential nomination from the democratic party both in 1988 and 2008, while Elizabeth Warren did not win in her home state.

Unlike the state and more similar to Malden High, the city of Malden voted for Bernie Sanders with Joe Biden a close second. During the 2016 election, Bernie Sanders was known for receiving many of his votes from people of color and the younger crowd, likely indicative of the election results for Malden, as the city is considered a “minority majority” city with most of the population non-white. However, only 35% of the city voted on Super Tuesday, according to the Registrar’s Office.

Taha Moukara, a senior at Malden High, expressed that it is “not surprising that Malden High voted the way they did… it’s indicative of what people ages 18 to 27 would vote for” because in terms of population, Bernie Sanders is geared towards a younger crowd who also “do not tend to vote.”

The activism towards getting people to vote is most apparent in Bernie Sanders’ campaign—justified considering that 18 to 29 cast the least votes historically with people over the age of 45 typically cast the most votes, according to the Census Bureau.

But it is not Bernie Sanders alone who is pushing people to get ready to vote. At Malden High School, the Malden Youth Civics Council hosted a voting registry workshop with some

of the local officials to teach students about the importance of voting and encouraged students to pre-register to vote before they turn 18. Most recently, the Malden Youth Civics Council hosted a hot chocolate event to allow students to meet with some of the state officials.

The history department similarly wanted to get a younger crowd more involved in voting, despite not being of voting age. History teacher Michelle Filer explained that the mock election is meant to show students that “voting isn't scary!” Students in any history class were able to go to the library or the Gallery to put in their ballots.

More importantly, Filer describes that practicing the act of voting “sparked a lot of curiosity” in students as many began to discuss the previous results in the primary elections.

The main goal of the mock election was to “get [students] into the habit of paying attention to elections and prioritizing voting as part of their life when they turn 18,” explained Filer. She believes that “a thriving democracy cannot function without citizens who vote and force the government to be accountable to the people.”

Senior Victor Fontaim explained that the school, especially his AP Government class really opened his eyes to voting, often looking at current events to discuss and read about what is happening politically. He voted for Biden on Super Tuesday explaining that “Bernie won’t beat Trump” and that for many Americans this election season is about getting Trump out of office. Fontaim was not surprised when he heard that Massachusetts voted Biden as a whole because “people want something more moderate in a Democrat” because that will get him out of office.

Taha Moukara elaborated that even though Trump is most likely going to stay in office for the next four years, Biden has the best chance to overcome him in the polls, which is why Bernie did not win in Massachusetts. “There are some people who believe in dry-cut action,” which is why Biden is attractive as a candidate, and realistically Bernie’s promises are not attainable.

Of all 1,833 students who had the opportunity to vote, only 905 did; 49.37% of all students at Malden High voted, resembling some of the lower voting rates in the US in the past decade. Since period 6 was out of rotation on that day, many students and perhaps, many seniors who do not have a history class, did not go and vote. Of those who voted, Bernie Sanders won with 517 votes, then Elizabeth Warren received 173 votes, Mike Bloomberg received 82 votes and Joe Biden received 64 votes. On the Republican side, Donald Trump won with 53 votes, William Weld received 16 votes.

Since the primaries, Warren and Bloomberg have dropped leaving Biden, Gabbard, Sanders, Trump, and Weld.

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The Blue and Gold March 2020

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Malden High School’s

The 80th Annual T

Continued from page 1

he hosts this year were Daniel Gilligan, Ava Pizziferri, and Brianna Preston, all officers of the junior class as well. Class secretary Pizziferri and the other hosts “put together the script, and rehearsed the script, while taking notes for anything JVs related.” She and the other officers ended up being hosts for the show due to lack of people showing up to auditions. Pizziferri auditioned and ended up liking the role, so the officers decided to pair up and host the show. She stated “the first night felt more energetic compared to the second night.” The most challenging task was writing the script because “[they did not] live in that decade, so to think of things they could use and incorporate was difficult.” She enjoyed “getting closer with everyone that was involved, because it was a bonding experience that she [was not] expecting.”

The night opened with sophomore Yusra Tafraoui singing “Rolling in the Deep” by Adele.

She expressed that while it was “hard to keep schoolwork, sports, and rehearsals balanced,” it was all worth it in the end. Tafraoui recalled watching the show for the first time last year and falling in love with it, so to be a part of this year’s JVs was such a “big accomplishment” for her.

Another performer in the first act was junior Gabriella Frois. Since this was also her first year performing for JVs, she found it to be “really stressful,” especially considering the amount of hours she had to commit to rehearsing. However, in the end, she felt like it was “worth it after all.” One aspect that helped ease Frois’s nerves was how “extremely supportive” everyone was.

In Act 2, one of the biggest hits was the performance that the Malden High Orchestra put on.

From top to bottom, left to right: Kevin Fuentes sings Victor Manuelles’ “Tengo Ganas”; Principal Chris Mastrangelo participates in a skit; Lyra Gold performs in the orchestra; Yusra Tafraoui sings Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep”; Blue and Gold Print EditorIn-Chief Sara Zakaria performs an original poem; Kevin Laughlin plays the guitar; Melissa Calixte performs an original song; Massimiliano Lam plays the piano. Featured: Ava Pizziferri hosts JVs. All photos by Brandon Wong.

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Class of 2021 Hosts

Junior Varieties

One member, junior Wilson Chau, has performed at JVs every year he has been in high school. Although rehearsals were stressful for Chau, he felt that this was “definitely one of the best performances [he’s] ever done.”

The orchestra, consisting of Donald Ford, Cynthia Nguyen, Lyra Gold, Meryem Hakkaoui, Alyssa Littlejohn, and Jonathan Brill, along with Chau performed some throwback bops such as “Shut Up and Dance,” “Say My Name,” and “Take on Me.” There was no shortage of creativity and originality throughout the night. Sophomores Melissa Calixte and Lynn-Sarah Georges performed their original rap and song, registering amazing responses from the audience. In addition, Editor-inChief of Print of the Blue and Gold, Sara Zakaria, presented her original poem, and of course there was the choreography from multiple dance groups.

The entire show lasted close to three hours, but Tafraoui described the show as flying by, even though in reality, it took many hours and lots of help from volunteers to get it done.

This year, volunteer coordinator Ronald Batista, also took on the position of stage manager. The most difficult part was helping the singers on stage because “there were only two [microphones]... and communicating with David Lombardi, the other stage manager.” Batista explained how the bonds “were essential” for being able to connect with everyone.

The night ended with a powerful mashup of “Someone You Loved” by Lewis Capaldi and “Dancing On My Own” by Calum Scott sang by junior Isabella Geronimo, accompanied by Luana Paniago on the piano.

From top to bottom, left to right: Jacky Luong plays the piano; Jimmy Ton performs during the lion dance; Jonathan Brill performs in the orchestra; Tiannah Macharia performs with the step team; Wilson Chau performs in the orchestra; Sarah Oliveira sings Adele’s “All I Ask”; Suiyenah Chen dances; Kereah-Denae Gomes sings Andra Day’s “Rise Up”; Gabriella Frois sings Whitney Houston’s “I Have Nothing.” Featured: Daniel Gilligan hosts JVs. All Photos by Brandon Wong.

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Class of 2022 New Health Ice Cream Club Social Chaimaa Assli Reporter

H Karen Rivera Lead Reporter

I

f you weren’t sitting around a table playing board games with friends, or eating delicious ice cream while music blared through the speakers of Cafe A at Malden High school then you most definitely missed out on the class of 2022 ice cream social.

The class of 2022 officers hosted another successful event on Valentines day, by serving ice cream and a good time to students.

There were a variety of flavors and toppings to choose from, as well as multiple fun activities all around the cafeteria to enjoy alongside your ice cream.

Sophomore Kellie Zhu stated that the ice cream social was “a very fun and interactive event.”

She expresses that the ice cream was good, however “the most important part was hanging out

From left to right: sophomores Tivian Nguyen, Lauren Mallet, and Ariana Peguero help collect money before the ice cream social. Juniors Bi Yan Kuang and Suiyenah Chen enjoy an ice cream sundae at the event. Photos by Karen Rivera.

with people that [she] didn’t usually hang out with after school.”

This event was a great way for the student body to get to know each other and meet people they did not normally interact with before.

Sophomore Kingson Chen describes the atmosphere of the event as “very entertaining because the mood in the room felt very energetic and it just felt like an extremely friendly environment.”

When asked about what their favorite part of the event was, many of the students responded with the music and overall joy that many of their peers shared while interacting with one another.

Considering the fact that the Class of 2022 had a late start with their fundraising and hosting events due to the absence of a class advisor

and officers, many of the students agreed that their efforts do not go unnoticed and appreciate the hard work they are putting in.

Sophomore Ariana Peguero stated that “It’s really obvious that they are trying really hard to raise money for our class and taking up the work themselves to organize these events for us.”

Other students such as sophomore Kingson Chen expressed that they are not concerned about the late start in the fundraising process stating “[he] personally feels like the officer group can make up for last year.”

The ice cream social was another successful event for the class of 2022, and was a great way to unwind from the stressful week leading into February vacation.

Class of 2022’s

Red Envelope Fundraiser

Karem Rivera Lead Reporter

W

hile many of the students at Malden High School are aware about Lunar New years, the class of 2022 helped to enlighten others about the holiday that took place the weekend of January 25 through their Red envelope fundraiser.

Sophomore Christelle Jean who is also the class secretary for the class of 2022 states that the idea behind the fundraiser came about from “the fact that [they] wanted to celebrate a holiday other than valentines day and realized no one really acknowledges the Asian American centered celebrations.”

Due to the cultural diversity at Malden High school, the class of 2022 officers all agreed that this would be a great way to celebrate a holiday most students at Malden High participate in with their families at home and bring “acceptance and respect to the Asain culture” within the student body.

With this in mind they took

A Chinese red envelope image. Photo taken from Wikimedia. the opportunity to represent the culture and their celebrations in a way where everyone could learn about a tradition of an ethnic holiday and show people something new.

Traditionally the red envelopes are little red packets with money inside that family and friends often give to kids on Chinese New year as a gift to bring good luck in the new year.

However the class officers took a spin on the traditional red envelopes by filling them with chocolates and quotes.

Class treasurer Sammi Nie states that students would buy the envelopes and they would “come with Dove chocolates (the bigger the envelope, the more chocolate) and also a fortune. The fortunes [were] mainly funny and there [were] some inspirational ones as well.”

The fundraiser was a fusion between comedy and culture, and brought much laughter throughout the halls as students ate their chocolates and read their grungy pick up

lines, puns, and one liners.

The red envelopes were a favorite among the student body at Malden High school as the sales went “really well” and class treasurer Sammi Nie states that on just the first day of sales they had “ sold out, and It was really successful in profit and in spreading joy.”

The class of 2022 officers stated that “A lot of people both students and staff)said that, in their years here, there weren’t a lot of Lunar New Year themed fundraisers.”

The concept was very original and it brought a lot of appreciation and recognition to the Asian community and overall changed the perspective a lot of people had for the class of 2022.

Despite not having a class advisor for the first year of highschool, they are certainly making up for the time lost and have many more fun and exciting fundraisers and events planned for the future.

ave you been thinking about going into the medical field?

Do you want to volunteer at local hospitals? There is a club that can help with that. The future medical professionals and health club is a new club started by freshman students.

Saura Rathore is the president of the club. She has been wanting to go into the medical field ever since she was in 1st grade. She wants to be a neurosurgeon. Rathore started this club because many people that she talked to wanted to do something in the medical field at the school but they have no facility. She also wants to give other students more options.

The meetings are 45 minutes long. At the beginning of every meeting, everyone will start off as one big group. Then they will divide into two different groups. Rathore’s plan is to divide people into groups based on who is actually thinking about going into the medical field and students who are still not sure.

This is so that the students who actually do want to go into the medical field can focus more on looking at the different jobs and their salaries and also the education needed for it.

While students who are still not sure will They are going to read different articles on websites and fill out forms and research stuff and think about why they want to do it They are going to read different articles on websites and fill out forms and research stuff and think about why they might want to do it.

At the end of the meetings, they will come back together and reflect on what happened.

In this club, the students will also be volunteering at the local hospitals. They are planning on volunteering at Melrose-Wakefield and Cambridge Health Alliance. There will be permission slips for the parents to sign so they can volunteer at the hospitals.

Since most of the club members are freshman the jobs at the hospitals aren’t going to be involving medical stuff because they are not old enough. But just being in that environment and seeing how things are working around them is going to give the students more knowledge about it.

The Blue and Gold March 2020

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Grown Women’s Club

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“Make sure what you’re doing today is getting you closer to where you want to be tomorrow.” @positivedelight on Instagram Lily Mcdonough Reporter

I

n the early 1900s, the first-ever women’s convention, called the Seneca Falls Convention in Seneca Falls, New York, was established by women’s rights activists Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott. At the time, they were two of the very few women’s activists who were making a change in their communities and beginning to open the public’s eyes on many issues women had faced since ancient civilizations.

In 2020, however, the growth of feminism and women empowerment groups has spread rapidly across the globe, ranging from group chats to mass marches in protest of unfair treatment to women. Briana Unique Descilien, founder and president of Grown Woman’s Club, is one of the many people inspiring and empowering other women to manifest their goals and become successful in life.

From dream boards to dance classes, Descilien’s methods not only improve confidence in women, but also inspire them to dream past the average day job and start seeing themselves as business owners, lawyers, doctors, and more.

It is a world of mirrors out there, and often when we see features in others we don’t have, we choose to pick the jealous move and hate rather than motivate. And no matter how much we deny it, every girl has done this before. We can’t take back the past, but what we can do is act on our second thought rather than our first.

Descilien started her club to prove that. She stated that “ ...one day [she] was scrolling through social media—Facebook to be exact— and [she] saw back to back statuses of women degrading women.” She immediately thought about having a club that helps women become better to each other. She wanted “a club that focuses on self-love in hopes to diminish the number one place negativity towards others comes from... insecurities!”

Descilien is also looking forward to spreading this message to

high schools because unfortunately, this is where a lot of insecurities derive from. They “want to take the original definition of sisterhood and alter it so that it’s no longer just about women linked together by a common interest in a particular community, but is now something [they] consider every woman, whether friends or strangers, to be apart of.”

Descilien explained, “eventually [the club is] looking to take this into high schools to talk to and work with young ladies about the importance of womanhood and how much [women] need each other. These programs will cover topics such as bullying, insecurities, jealousy, how to overcome friendship problems, etc. This is currently being worked on and [they] are so excited to move forward with it.”

Descilien sees her and her company in the next ten years, making a major impact in women’s lives.”

Her dreams are big so most think she is “crazy,” but 10 years from now I truly see GWC changing the way women treat themselves, therefore creating great change in how women treat each other, and the world [is] a little bit better because of it.”

Once a woman is eighteen they “have access to monthly meetings, events, volunteer opportunities, and more. [The] meetings involve discussions on how [to] become better women to [other] women and usually have a theme to make things fun and exciting.”

Grown Woman’s Club meets every 3rd Saturday of the month from 4 pm to 7 pm, and all are welcome to join! ‘Growing Woman’s Club’ for high school girls will hopefully arrive to Malden High School soon. What do we accomplish from making other women feel bad? Do we get the job? Do we get the guy?

Do we get friends? That’s why it is important to have a club to empower other girls.

Photo submitted by the founder and president of Grown Woman’s Club, Briana Descilien. The women enjoying themselves and having a conversation at a barbeque.

Black Culture Club hosts Door Decorating Contest

Jana Elfashey Reporter

S

ince 1926, February has been marked as Black History Month. This year in 2020, the month goes from day one to day twenty nine, and is used as an annual celebration to recognize and honor the achievements made by African Americans.

It is also a time to show appreciation to the role of blacks in U.S. History.

Last year, a student who graduated in 2019 from Malden High, Cedrina Missamou, took initiative and created the Black Culture Club. However, she graduated and passed down the role to sophomore, Christelle Jean, who is also class secretary for the class of 22. Jean and sophomore, Micaela Henry, work together to run the club.

This year, in honor of Black History Month, Jean came up with the idea to do a door decorating contest.

While going through social media Jean mentioned that she was “reading about this teacher who had her door decorated and all her students went.”

The pictures were trending online and that is when Jean came to the conclusion that the Black Culture Club should do something like that because “it would be really fun for the students, but also incorporative of the teachers as well.”

This was definitely something that was enjoyable to do but more than that, Jean hoped that it “[forced] people to look beyond the few people that [they] repetitively learned about for Black History Month because although [they] are the monumental people of our history, [Jean] wanted people to go past that.”

There are thousands of Black Americans and African Americans that we have never even heard of but they have had such a huge impact on the history of the U.S. so they deserve that recognition. There is so much more we can do to “learn about the contributions that Black

Americans made to American society and beyond.”

Black people have created a huge difference in the world we live in today. They impacted the world and that is often neglected. Therefore, “[Jean] feels like right now is the perfect time to get people to truly understand that.”

For the competition itself, teachers first told their homeroom, classes, or other students they knew or had to form a team. Each team consisted of about two to five people and those students received supplies from the club. The students then got to decorate the door of the teacher that they chose with the supplies they had been given.

The doors had been up the whole month.

Starting February 10th, there were judges walking around, looking at the projects being done, and making sure that the students were following the rubric that was sent out. On the 27th of February, Jean shared that they decided the winner by identifying “which team filled all the requirements, went above and beyond, had a lot of creativity, originality, and overall, the most effort put into the door.”

Contesting Doors. Photos by Brandon Wong.

The Door Decorating Contest Winner is J286

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The Blue and Gold March 2020

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State of the City Address The introductory video to the Malden River Works segment. Photo by Brandon Wong.

Brandon Wong ment was addressed next. ChrisLead Reporter tenson began addressing the Fire n the 25th of February 2020, Department by recounting the celthe Teen Center brought the ebration of the 100 year anniversary Malden Youth Civic Council to the of the grand opening of the Central State of the City Address which was District Station. Christenson conhosted by Mayor Gary Christenson tinued, explaining how a tour was at Anthony’s of Malden. The State conducted following the ceremony, of the City Address was sponsored with a time capsule being reburied

by Cantella, a business management with plans to be opened in 2119. consulate in Malden, the Malden Following this, Christenson began Chamber of Commerce as well as a explaining the new facilities for variety of other sponsors. The State the Fire Departments’ maintenance of the City Address talks about what and training division. Christenson has occurred throughout Malden explains that the new space will be during the past year as well as any used to store equipment and serve as plans for future projects. an active training site. Christenson “Now let the games begin,” ends the Fire Department segment said Donna Denoncourt, president by announcing that preparation for of the Malden Chamber of Comthe retirement of Fire Chief Kevin merce, before the entrance video Finn, who will be replaced by Bill of Christenson playing a series of Sullivan. video games as he made his way to After addressing the Fire Anthony’s of Malden began. Every Department, Christenson began year, the State of the City Address addressing the topic of climate follows a certain theme. This year, emergencies. Christenson noted on the theme for the address was video the current status of the municipal games. volubility preparedness plan that The State of the City Address is currently being developed by first addressed the development the emergency management team. of the new City Hall. Christenson Christenson continued, explaining explained that “the former Malden that the Municipal Volubility Pregovernment center complex has now paredness Plan is developed in ortransformed into J Malden Center.” der to analyze the negative impacts Christenson further explained that J caused by climate change in order to Malden Center will be a mixed-use build resilience to climate change. development as well as serve as the “In continuing the tradition new City hall. Christenson noted of paying tribute to our heroes,” how the move into the new City said Christenson before announcHall in mid-April. ing the creation of a monument for The State of the City Adthose who served in the Vietnam dress next addressed the police and Korean War. The monument is department. Christenson began, planned to be unveiled on Veterans’ explaining that “the outstanding Day in 2020. Christenson continued work of our police force is due to by announcing that digital access the improved communication with for a listing of buried records of our residents.” Christenson conthose buried in a cemetery located tinued, explaining that the Malden in Malden as well as the addition of Police Department has been using solar panels to cemeteries located in social media platforms in order to Malden with hopes that it will make “connect and inform the public.” them more energy efficient.

Christenson continued, noting on Following addressing the rethe National Night Out that was cent additions to the cemeteries in hosted in August before continuing Malden, Christenson proceeded to the newly established position to note on the accomplishments called the Community Resource Ofmade in the middle schools, such ficer, which will be filled by Steve as a paper straw initiative, and the Fitzpatrick. Christenson ended the Malden High School, recognizing segment, announcing the provision the MHS robotics team placing 7th of a Visor card to those that have a in the world in an international hearing impairment, explaining that competition in Oklahoma City and “the purpose of the cards is to bridge many more. Christenson continued, the initial communication gap with announcing the development of a the police by letting them know that student-based health center located an individual can not hear nor unin the High School called the Star derstand one’s instructions.”

Center.

Following addressing the Malden’s Board of Health has Police Department, the Fire Departbeen working with the Cambridge

O

Mayor Gary Christenson speaking at the State of the City Address. Photos by Brandon Wong. health alliance, Mass. General Hospital and Melrose wakefield health care, and an advisory board this past year to conduct a community health need assessment in Malden and Everett. Christenson continued, explaining that a board will be established in order to follow through with the plans of the assessment.

Last year, the recreation department has set up three lacrosse and softball clinics for youth, a Saturday morning basketball program, sports competition on the middle school level as well as “an overhaul of the clubhouse” at McDonald Stadium, and the introduction of the step team on the middle school level.

Christenson continued, acknowledging the movement of the Teen Center followed by the clean up of the Malden River that the Teen Center had worked with the Friends of the Malden River. With the Junior Aid Association, the Teen Center was able to host several events and plan many activities.

Last year, the Senior Center hosted many popular events such as a Talent Show, a masquerade ball, and a Health and Beauty Day. Christenson continued, announcing that the Senior Center has transitioned to the use of the transportation agency SCM Transportation. This allows Seniors to make trips to hospitals in the Boston area.

The Local Mass Senior Action Council has been working with the City Council and is now moving forward with 3 affordable housing strategies, with the Affordable Housing Trust Fund being established in November. The second affordable housing strategy is the Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance which is currently seeking a financial feasibility analysis. The final affordable housing strategy is the Security deposit pilot program, which is currently seeking funds to establish the funds.

Following the assessment of the three Affordable Housing Strategies, Christenson commended the efforts of the Malden Public Library.

Christenson continues, calling the Library as a “winner in promoting literacy and creating innovative opportunities for learning.” The Malden Public Library had also been awarded a Library Census Equity Grant which will be used to buy more computers in order to achieve an accurate census count.

In order to get a complete count for the census, a Steering Committee has been established with representatives with many groups in order to

get an accurate count for the census.

The committee is currently seeking volunteers that speak multiple languages to assist in the completion of the census.

Christenson continues the Address by recounting the series of traditions that have been held in Malden such as the Christmas Tree lighting.

Art is the next topic, as Christenson continues the address, mentioning the series of murals and artworks that have been recently added in Malden and along with the bike path. “It is not only the art line that energizes our creative economy,” said Christenson, explaining the success of the pop-up art gallery, along with mentioning the opening of the New Gallery in October. Art in the community is not the only recent art addition to Malden as City Council member Debbie DeMaria worked with students at The Malden High School and the Malden Catholic High School, the Malden Historical commission and a local graphic design artist to design a new logo for the city.

The next topic addressed in the State of the City Address is the parks in Malden. Christenson continued, explaining the series of parks that are expected to receive renovations and additions and replacement in old play equipment. This was then followed by announcing plans to renovate Trafton Park that will follow the master plan that was developed through a series of committee meetings that was led by City Council members David Camell and Stephen Winslow.

The Malden River Works Project was brought up, as Christenson continued to explain the several steps that were taken to complete the Malden River Works Project.

The next meeting for the project will be held at the Senior Center at 6:30 pm on April 16, 2020.

Plans to improve infrastructure in Malden have been made, with the improvement on sidewalks being made a priority. With the eradication of the lead line, exceeding the goals set the previous year.

Christenson ended the State of the City Address with the recent commercial buildings that were added to Malden. “These additions bring our total to nearly half-million square feet of commercial space, added or renovated in the last 24 months,” explained Christenson, before welcoming the new businesses that have started up in Malden.

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Poetry Out Loud Finals Julie Huynh Lead Reporter

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his year, fourteen finalists met in the Jenkins Auditorium to perform their poems and compete for first place. Out of the fourteen, sophomore Sarah Oliveira placed third, senior and Blue and Gold editor-in-chief Sara Zakaria placed second, and sophomore Ketshaly Philome won first place.

Poetry Out Loud (POL) is an annual poetry recitation competition that schools all over the country participate in. The competition begins in the classroom, and those winners advance to the school-wide contest. The first place winner of the school competition will move on to the regional/state competition on February 29th.

After that, the national finals take place in April in Wa s h i n g ton D.C. English teacher Yahaira Marquez has been the facilitator of the POL competition at the school for the last two years.

For her, POL is more than just poetry recitation, it is about “creating a supportive educational community in which students are encouraged to face a challenge” and to be able to build a variety of skills from that, such as public speaking or analysis.

English teacher Jennifer Clapp has also been a big part of Poetry Out Loud ever since it began at Malden High. In fact, she was the person who introduced an all-school competition, expanding POL to outside of the classroom. Clapp expressed that she is “very

proud that [they] have the largest contest in Massachusetts” and that both “students and teachers have remained engaged participants in [the] experience.”

During the semi-finals and finals, Clapp does the scoring for each performance. She shared that her favorite part about POL is the “remarkable attention that the audience gives to each performer” which she attributed to everyone in the school participating and therefore understanding how hard it can be to get up on the stage in front of so many people.

Even so, Clapp recognizes getting up on stage as being the most important part of the competition as well. The experience “teaches students about the kind of preparation required to feel confident in that challenging situation,” adding that “confidence in public speaking is a key skill for success in many workplaces- and in life.”

As for Marquez, her favorite part about the compe- tition is when she gets to “witness student growth through the process.” She described the most rewarding feeling to be when a student that started out nervous goes on to have an amazing recitation of their poem “due to the time they put into it and the encouragement they’ve received along the way.”

At the same time, Marquez pointed out that the most challenging aspect of POL can be helping students recognize their potential and the full extent of their capabilities. With poetry, it is

about “finding that one poem that truly resonates” so “the process can take off!”

For the school finals, Ketshaly Philome recited “The Song of the Feet” by Nikki Giovanni and “Who Said it Was Simple” by Audre Lorde.

Last year, she just recited a poem that didn’t have any real meaning to her, but this year she “got to perform poems that spoke to [her]” and that had significance to her identity.

“The Song of the Feet” was a poem meant to empower black women and give them recognition in the military and workforce, which Philome felt she “really gave a voice to.” She recounted that while performing on stage, she felt “like a different person, more confident, and able to connect with the poet.” Off stage, it can be hard for her to find the assurance to speak up, as she described herself as being an introvert.

Looking ahead, Philome is preparing herself for the regional competition. She is currently practicing a new poem called “The Maid’s Lament”

by Walter Savage Landor. The requirements to qualify for regionals are a bit different, the

Congratulations to Ketshaly Philome

poem has to be pre-20th century and 25 lines of fewer. Philome admitted that memorizing this new poem has proved to be difficult due to the unfamiliar language of the time period that the poem was written in.

In addition to the student portion of the Poetry Out Loud competition, there were also a handful of staff members that joined in on the fun. Thomas Snarsky, Amine Yakine, Gregory Hurley, and Christopher Mastrangelo participated and

Snarsky ended up placing first with his recitation of “Song” by Brigit Pegeen Kelly.

After working with POL for so many years, Marquez has come to learn that the competition is really about “pushing oneself through what may seem difficult and allowing oneself to grow,” not just with poetry or English class, but in real life circumstances as well.

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The Blue and Gold March 2020

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African/Arabic and Black Culture Clubs Celebrate Black History Month

Kaoutar Wakaf Reporter

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lack history month is a way to educate ourselves and others about the Black community, its culture, and its history. Although African-Americans are a minority in the U.S and only makeup 13.4% of the population (according to the United States census bureau) they have made huge contributions to society and like any other race, deserve to be taught about.

It all started in 1926 when a man named Carter G. Woodson initiated the first celebration to honor the Black community. The month of February was chosen to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln (the 16th president of the U.S.) and Frederick Douglass (an escaped slave who became a leader in the abolitionist movement, which sought to end the practice of slavery,

before and during the Civil War. He was also a consultant to President Abraham Lincoln and helped convince him that slaves should serve in the Union forces.) It was first called “Negro” week until it was made into the Black History Month known today to allow Americans to deepen their knowledge on the topic.

Christelle Jean, sophomore and one of the two co-presidents of the Black Culture Club, thinks “Black history should be celebrated continuously year-round,” and continues to mention how having a Black History Month makes it so people have to consciously realize the contributions Black people have made to our lives, the culture that was created, and the history of Black people that was a major part of the formation of this country.”

Amine Yakine, a U.S. history teacher at the MHS and leader of the African/Arabic Culture Club,

approached Kristy Magras, District Family Counselor and president of the Black Culture Club, last year as their collegial friendship began. The two decided to collaborate for Black History Month this year.

The winning group, (the step team that decorated the main office’s door) received a pizza party which Magras expressed that she was “really excited about.” Magras also expressed excitement about the Black and African Art Museum held on the last week of February that highlighted the art and culture of Black and African communities from Africa, South America, Central America, the Carribeans and North America. The two clubs also had an evening on the 27th of a cultural showcase where students from different clubs [taught] participants or audience members a variety of things in the Black and African Communities such as step dancing, African dancing, how to tie

head wraps—in addition to a movie viewing and discussion afterward.

The Black Culture Club also had a couple of the students go to the K-8 schools to read a book about a young girl of dark complexion that tells a story about learning to love her skin.

Malden High School held many activities in honor of Black History Month such as the door decorating contest, the Black and African Art Museum at the gallery on the week of the 24th, an evening meeting where club members taught the audience aspects of the Black and African cultures followed by a movie, and last but not least members of the Black Culture Club went to the K-8 schools to read a book about a young girl’s battle against insecurities and her journey to feeling proud about her dark complexion, all in an effort to educate Malden about the rich culture of the people who inhabit the city.

Amine Yakine said “the story of Africa has been systematically denied to [people] for two reasons. The first is slavery: Europeans white racial supremacy and Apartheid (South Africa, and Algeria). The second is colonialism: Europeans had to invent an Africa as a place of wilderness, barrenness, savagery, and backwardness in order to justify the enslavement of Black Africans, colonialism, neo-colonialism and European cultural and economic hegemony over a very rich continent. Europe is what it is today because of the plunder, exploitation and the robbery of Africa’s wealth. [He] highly [recommends] ‘Leopold’s Ghosts’ as a start. This horrific past and Europe’s colonialist crimes did not determine the future of a resilient continent and the African people have not only overcome colonialism, genocide and foreign interference (coup d’etats and direct support of dictators), they have actually liberated themselves and are building a new future as we speak. As far as Black history is concerned, it is fundamentally central to American history. What is important is that we need to tell the story from a Black perspective. Truth be told, we must allow suffering to speak. [He] can not imagine the story of America without the great pain, sacrifices, and contributions of Black Americans. In fact, [he] argues that we are a better America, a kinder America, a gentler America because of the way Black people responded to extreme pain that we can talk about later with love when hate could be justified, with peace when violence could be justified with humility when arrogance could be justified and with the highest forms of humanity when inhumanity could be justified. The love, resilience, and will to live of Black Americans having gone trough slavery, Jim and Jane Crow, and dealing today with the vicious legacy of White Supremacy is a powerful American saga and story in this American mosaic and life.”

Kristy Magras stated “[last] month, in conjunction with the African/Arabic Culture Club, [they had] several activities planned.

[They] had the door decorating contest where teachers volunteer to get their doors decorated. [They] were first only expecting to have about 10-15 doors decorated but [they] had an amazing response from the teachers and over 45 doors would be decorated. [She was] excited about the enthusiasm the staff [had] with this event. [We thought] this [was] going to be an amazing opportunity for staff and students to kind of build some positive collaborations.”

Top to Bottom: A collage of the decorated doors for Black History Month; A photo of Amine Yakine; A photo celebrating Black History Month; A photo of Krisly Magras; a decorated door. Photo from Blue and Gold Archives and Chaimma Assli.

The Blue and Gold March 2020

Local News

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Friends of the Malden River Hosts Second Meeting For Waterfront Equity and Resilience Brandon Wong Lead Reporter

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n January 30, 2020, the Friends of the Malden River hosted the 2nd Malden River Works For Waterfront Equity and Resilience Meeting.

The event began with a brief overview of the project. Project Lead Kathleen Vandiver came up to the podium to explain the current state of the Malden River. Vandiver explained that the Department of Public Works, located on 356 Commercial St., will be the site of the project. Afterward, Vandiver explained the schedule for future meetings.

Following Vandiver, local poet Terry Carter came up to perform his poem, Malden Walk. The poem, Malden Walk, tells that story of the Malden River as it changed through time.

After Carter, came design lead Marie Law Adams. Adams explained that the team took what was heard on the first meeting that was held on October 21, 2019, and brought out 3 designs from it. Overall, it was found that the majority of participants had gotten to the Malden River by Car or by foot. It was also found that a large majority of the participants would walk along the Malden River with the secondlargest majority enjoying nature at the River. In a survey conducted by the design team, it was found that an overwelling majority of the participants wanted trails and enjoy nature. In the same survey, it was also found that many of the participants wanted benches, art, trash receptacles, and amenities for boating.

Based on the first meeting, Adams explained that many attendees had been unaware that Malden had a river and increased points of access to the river became a major design need for the project.

After summarizing the first meeting, Adams projected a map of the Department of Public Works site, with several improvements in mind.

The first being the elimination of the “Junk Vehicle Storage” and the clean up of the misc storage. The second being the transfer of the salt storage unit to a corner of the site, with the street debris and clean fill moved to where the current Salt Storage unit is located. Following this, there will be mixed parking for the public and trucks in several locations throughout the site. In addition, a parking lot will be created in order to house more parking for the public and the employees, with several changes to the street access, changing the flow of traffic of the site.

With the misc storage being cleaned up and the street repair

debris and clean fill being moved, there is now room for development in the back of the Public Worksite.

The team plans to put a public amenity site in the back that line the Public works site with a retention area behind it to deal with storm waters that may come due to the ef-

up a large portion of the site.

All of these concepts contain a boathouse and a new dock for public use and the Crew Team.

Following this presentation, the attendees of the meeting were left to their own group to look over the three concepts for edits and

Local poet Terry Carter performing his poem Malden Walk. Photo by Brandon Wong fects of global warming. In addition to this, there will now be sidewalks that line the Public Works site to provide public access to the public amenity site. Adams explains that the framework for this site can easily be applied throughout the river with a pathway connecting the sites.

With this framework in mind, three concepts for the public amenities site has been proposed. The first is a flexible concept for the amenities site. The flexible concept has a single large area with paths surrounding it that allow for any activity to be conducted at the site.

The second concept is the river view concept. This concept has several benches facing the river. This is similar to an amphitheater such as the one located in Assembly Row. The final concept is the Enjoy Nature Concept. This concept has a large boardwalk as it’s defining features that reach out, and over the river. The pathway at the site curves around the new landscape of the river, with the retention area taking

changes. At the end of the meeting, each group would explain the main consensus that they found with the three provided concepts.

Mayor Gary Christenson explains that before this project, “[they] have been thinking about trying to do something down along with the river for years, but haven’t come up with the right plan.”

Christenson continues, explaining that plans such as a hotel down the river, or moving the Public Works Department to another site, but “we think that the one that Malden River works have come up with makes a lot of sense, both a financial point of view and an environmental point of view.”

Overall, Vandiver “was pleased to see the overall number of people who came” and that “it was great [to] see that we are attracting new people to come out to a public meeting.” The next meeting will be held in April 2020.

Come to the third Waterfront Equity and Resilience Meetinng on April 16th

A Look into Neapoli Cafe and Pizzeria Olivia Descilian Reporter

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ave you been interested in any pizza places lately? Has any of them caught your attention right now? Well, check this one out!

The Neapoli Cafe and Pizzeria is a 4.3 star rated cafe on google that has been running for fifteen years. It is located on 43 Lebanon St, Malden, MA. The restaurant is known for its famous pizza, pasta, salads, and more. It is run by a family of four; its previous owner of the Cafe was Adil Essebbar. Since then, the business has gone on.

Ilham Essebbar, who is officially the new owner of the business, now plays a big part in the Neapoli Cafe. She is the daughter of the previous owner, Adil Essebbar. She was inspired into following her dad’s footsteps and taking action for the business. She stated that she wanted to do this for “family” purposes.

As the new owner of the cafe, she hopes that her business will continue to grow. She admits that she has a lot on her hands and knows that it will take lots of “responsibility.” In addition, Essebbar claimed that the cafe has looked the same as it did when it first opened, fifteen years ago, but she is willing to give the Cafe a new look and to make it as “presentable as possible.”

As a worker in the Neapoli Cafe, Essebbar feels that you should always have “patience.” Taking one minute to breathe during a busy shift and taking one minute to help a guest decide on their meal is much required when working in a restaurant. Essebbar believes that this is important because it could only make or break a customer’s experience. She also feels that “it is important to make her customers feel at home,” rather than anywhere else. “Having a smile on your face and remaining respectful is always a characteristic you should have working in the restaurant.”

Overall, Essebbar hopes that the restaurant will be a place where students will look forward to going after school to eat. She wants the Cafe to be a second home to students and adults in general. As so, from then she will be adding new features and designs to the restaurants and hopes to find more improvements into the cafe itself. Essebbar is also looking forward to using different strategies in making the Neapoli Cafe and Pizzeria known.

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The Blue and Gold March 2020

maldenblueandgold.com

Morning Announcements Gets a Krishany Marius Reporter

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his new generation is full of everything visual such as Tik Tok, Snapchat, Youtube and Instagram.

On Monday, February 3rd, Malden High School’s media class decided to air their first morning announcements and will now begin updating them to be aired every Monday. There can be many difficulties when doing this project, especially since it is mostly a studentrun class, but it is something that the students have been wanting to do for a while. Now that they have the equipment to film and edit the morning announcements, they have the opportunity to air it weekly and it has been showing successful results so far. It adds a brand new element to MHS that makes it even more unique.

It brings a whole new setting

Make Over

into the picture. Media teacher James Valente stated “[It is] not old school anymore and [it is] not what people want,” and people would much rather watch something than listen to it. This whole new era of the morning announcements has a big impact on students and staff members themselves. Senior, Gabriella Celona, host of the morning announcements on screen, explained that “[they] put a lot of hard work into it and make sure all the important messages are coming from us students.” The hard work is paying off as many students and staff members have expressed positive feedback.

However, there have also been a few bumps in the process of putting this all together. Senior, Omar Pineda says, “[they] each dedicated [themselves] to a different job be-

cause [it is] a team effort. Not only one person can do it.” They are putting their best abilities into the work itself and giving it their all when cooperating in this type of project.

Each individual has a role, whether that means editing, lighting, or hosting. Sometimes, putting the video together can be a hard task at hand since the students are so busy with other work that they do not always have the time to do these projects.

The ultimate goal for the morning announcements is to have it everyday rather than have it Mondays.

As they get comfortable with the process, there will be so much more being added into it, such as, graphics and small videos. Principal, Chris Mastrangelo stated that the morning announcements are “going to really grow—what you see now is going to get bigger.”

Even though it is at its foundational level right now, the project itself will expand and turn into a tradition that people will be proud of knowing MHS takes part in. Senior, Rodge-Neima Joseph stated that, “it is difficult to get people to hear things sometimes” so the advantages of having a video for morning announcements, is that “people would be more prompted to pay attention to [visuals] rather than listening to it.”

The morning announcements are such a valuable source of information to the students and staff members. It can also get people involved with the school since the morning announcements cover everything from club meeting times, to special events. This new feature is only the beginning for what MHS has planned for the future.

Malden Reads Discusses

Fahrenheit 451

Sandra Li Lead Reporter

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n Wednesday, February 12th, the Malden Reads organization hosted their book discussion on the novel Fahrenheit 451 at the Dockside Restaurant. The novel was chosen because it is the 2020 book selection for the organization.

At the event, attendees had the opportunity to talk through various questions and speak about the different elements of the book.

Fahrenheit 451, written by Ray Bradbury, is set in a dystopian society where books are outlawed and are burned in order to control the spreading of harmful ideas. In addition, the novel tells the story about the protagonist Guy Montag, a fireman who begins to question the book-burning policy and further presents a tale of resistance.

The book discussion was led

by MATV associate director and Malden Reads co-facilitator, Anne D’Urso-Rose, who expressed that the novel is “really a homage to books and literature” as she described that books are the “containers or archives for deep thoughts.”

She mentioned how during the discussion, thought-provoking questions such as “how would you describe the society portrayed in Fahrenheit 451?” and “what elements of the society resonate with today?” were asked.

D’Urso-Rose explained that before discussing the novel, many people “did not appreciate the depth of the story” until they be-

gan commenting on their ideas on it.

She further added that quite a few attendees classified the book as science fiction which some did not enjoy reading. However, she “sensed a much greater appreciation for the book” after the discussion.

D’Urso-Rose continued on saying that Fahrenheit 451 “leaves a lot for one to ponder” because the story is ultimately a “cautionary tale as we look at the intrusion of media in our lives today.”

One of the attendees and Malden Reads steering committee member, Martha Bezzat, personally thought that “it was great to have an intellectual conversation” as these types of events help to benefit the community by gathering group of individuals “who like to connect, discuss, and challenge each other” on topics such as arts, culture, literature, and more.

Adding on to that thought, D’Urso-Rose stated that book discussions are important in terms of the way people form bonds “as they explore certain topics” and are given the opportunity to “bring in experiences from their own lives” into the discussion. Moreover, it is the “shared experience and the conversation that [is] generated” that help to establish these connections.

For Bezzat, a memorable idea of the novel was how the characters in the book were already disinterested in books along with new ideas even before the government had in-

Attendees of the Malden Reads book discussion on the novel, Fahrenheit 451.

Photo submitted by Anne D’Urso-Rose. tervened in their society. It made her recognize that in some sense, people needed to remember to have “passion about life, [about] new ideas, and [about] experiences” so that they can all embrace “the joy and living there is to do in the world.”

Another one of the attendees Joe Gray, who is also a part of the Ward 6 committee, believed that the book discussion was “fascinating and engaging with questions” as they revolved around the ideas of “motivation or lack of motivation” that were shown by the various characters.

Gray expressed how stories like Fahrenheit 451 has made him learn how to appreciate the book’s

“theme of humans who are destined to repeat the errors of history” by burning the records of books that “contain the knowledge of history.” He said that the novel can essentially “inspire people to not repeat mistakes of the past.”

Ultimately, D’Urso-Rose recognizes that only a small percentage of Malden’s population attends the book discussions held by the Malden Reads. However, she overall finds it pleasing how she hears many conversations that “take place among families, friends, and the community” after the events which fundamentally motivates the committee to do the program “year after year.”

The Blue and Gold March 2020

Sports

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maldenblueandgold.com

Boys Basketball Season Ender Top to Bottom: The Baskeball team in the middle of a play while playing defense; Senior Captain David Mervilus passing the ball to a teammate; Junior Ali Alayan trying to trying to get away from Rever player; and Freshman Anderson Joseph blocking. Photos taken

by Idriss Touati.

Anna Silva Lead Reporter

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Idriss Touati Lead Reporter

torming into the season with high hopes, the boys basketball team fell short of their goals. With a record of 4-16, Senior Captain Kaydar Al-Hamdani thinks that “[they] were a hard-working team who can put up a fight with anybody.”

Playing with a 3-2 zone, which is a defense that involves three players set up across the free-throw line with the two wings hard denying their opponents on the wing, and the middle player denying the high post. This leaves the point guard at the top of the key without ball pressure. Senior captain Berhan Daniel thinks “the zone is working but [they have]

lost a few of [their] starters” which makes the zone harder to use.

A key to success is the locker room attitude and how they respond to a loss. The locker room was “upbeat and everyone knew [they] could win the games if [they] executed’’ Senior Captain Daniel said. “[They] moved the ball well and got out on their shooters but [their] team can improve on our ball movement and trying to play as a team.” Daniel added that “[he] can improve on [his] shot selection because at times [he] settles for threes.”

The boys basketball team has triumphed against teams who they have had troubles defeating in the past. “Even though [they] had just lost to a team [they] should have beat the game before” the boys basketball team showed their grit and

determination in a 58-55 win against Lynn Classical. They hoped to continue this win streak to make the postseason but were unsuccessful.

Daniel believes that “[they] underachieved but developed lots of [their] young players.” Compared to many other seasons, this year the core of the team is very young and they have got some experience under their belt. Considering the young core, the team performed well against talented teams that have played with each other for years.

The boys basketball team was on the short side of chemistry and a loss of seniors led to having a huge amount of changes that affected the chemistry of the team. Having a young core leads to having inexperience and “lots of new pieces that

tried to do things on their own,” which had a huge impact on chemistry, according to captain Daniel.

Playing together as a team leads to wins and this season they fell short of achieving their goals.

One of the negative aspects on the team was that “too many people that weren’t committed to the team and it eventually hurt [them] down the line,” an issue that the team struggled with was “trusting each other and playing for [their] teammates” Daniel adds. Some personal improvements Daniel thinks he can make personally is that he can work on “setting the tempo for the team” which is a big factor in winning games, creating momentum that spreads throughout the team.

Senior Night was on that same night, and it was a night to honor the seniors who were leaving. Berhan Daniels says for younger players to “work hard this off season and try to develop a bond with their teammates this summer.” He stated that there were a lot of up and downs throughout basketball because “[Berhan] feel[s] like the team chemistry wasn’t strong because a lot of new pieces were coming together so it was hard to gel” Overall the boys basketball team fell short of their goals and executing as they wanted but have high hopes for the future and progressing their young core as well as building chemistry together.

Winter All Star: David Mervilus

Sports

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The Blue and Gold March 2020

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Girls Basketball PERSEVERES to the End Winter All Vanessa Saintvil Lead Reporter

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he Girls Varsity Basketball team was able to establish chemistry amongst themselves and build confidence on the court by trusting each other. Although their defensive skills was a strength the team still had difficulty blocking out challenges that comes with being a younger team.

The team had eleven players and eight of them were either Freshmen or Sophomores. Although they did not have many returning players with experience, in the beginning of the season they lead with a three game winning streak, which is a first in 19 years of girls’ basketball at Malden High School.

The team was able to create a bond by communicating with each other and coming up with strategies that increased their offensive and defensive skills.

According to coach Scott Marino, the team had a “300% increase from the 2018-2019 season” with a record of 8-12. Marino, also expresses that “for the first time in his four years of coaching at Malden High, they won against Lynn Classical by one point.”

A student-athlete can have difficulty trying to juggle academics and sports simultaneously. Marino expresses they lost “key players for the final 9 games of the season” which served as a lesson for some of the players on the definition of a “student-athlete and the importance

Star:

of taking care of student [needs] before solely focusing on the term athlete.”

Sophomore, Yasmine Alayan who is a point guard for the team received her first Greater Boston League All-Star Nomination. She averaged about 8.8 points per game and highlights she was strategic while making plays. Alayan described the team as “aggressive” and having excellent “communication” which helped them stay ahead of the game. Alayan goes on to mention other strategies they used such as “pushing the ball up instead of dribbling through” which stops their opponents from playing defense.

This year, three seniors are leaving, Meley Ephrem, Sabrina Louis and Christine Nguyen. This is the “first group of seniors since being hired as Girls Varsity Basketball Coach at Malden HS” that Coach Marino has had. He is sad to see them go because he “[enjoyed] every moment coaching [them].” He concludes that it was an “unbelievable experience that [he] will never forget.”

During the off-season, the players will be working on their “individual and team skills” to ensure a successful next season by partaking in AAU and Summer League Basketball. The players will be sure to be ready to take on the season with more experience and knowledge of the game.

From top left, counterclockwise: Yasmine Alayan in a position to pass the ball; The Malden High Girls Basketball team—photos submitted by Yasmine Alayan; Christine Nguyen hustles for the ball—photo submitted by Christine Nguyen; Sabrina Louis prepares to shoot—photo submited by Sabrina Louis; Nevaeh Cherilus positions herself to shoot; Sanvalis Hernandez waits for the ball—photos submitted by Yasmine Alayan.

Yasmine Alayan

Sports

The Blue and Gold March 2020

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Indoor Track Track Races Races Indoor to the the Finish Finish Line Line to GBL Allstars

GBL Allstars

David Cartledge Co-Head of Sports

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Omar Asousy Johnny Emmanuel Jean Gerard Ezra Kruckenberg Yousef Lahkiky Brendon Santos Justin Zou Kevin Fuentes Josh Pauleus Nicholas Wong

fter having fought hard all season for the GBL title, the Boys Indoor Track team finished their season with a record of 4-0-1, finally securing the co-GBL title with Revere in their final meet on 1/29/20.

Having pulled in another title for the Boys Indoor Track team, head coach David Londino mentioned that he was happy to “reclaim the league that [they] once belonged to” after returning to the Greater Boston League after years in the Northeastern Conference.

The boys this season excelled in many of their events, having very skilled athletes competing. Without having as much depth as the girls team, the boys heavily relied on their ability to score first place in their events. However, Londino was very happy with the season, as he mentioned that the “Record is the accomplishment.” Along with the record, the boys made strides individually during the league, having many athletes make GBL champion as well as qualify for the Division 1 State meets. Throwing coach Marc Ferrara mentioned how “All [athletes] performed unbelievably well,” and that everyone “Improved from day one and continued improving throughout the season.”

With the success seen throughout the season, there are always things to work on. While thinking “the team was very stable,” junior Brendan Santos mentioned that “the commitment could have worked better because many athletes would not show up to practice or some would skip practice.” Aside from

From left to right, top to bottom: Sophomore Yusra Tafraoui during her shot put; a jumper during her long jump; junior Makayla Preston getting ready to throw; junior Matthew Bessey in the midst of a jump. Photos by David Cartledge.

commitment, it seems as if the teams “consistency from one meet to another could improve,” as mentioned by senior Omar Asousy, who noticed this during the GBL meet, stating that “oftentimes things don’t go [their] team’s way.”

Something more unexpected were the injuries seen this season, as described by Londino, who mentioned that “[They] did have a few injuries throughout the season,” but is sceptical of whether or not they could have been avoided. Londino continued, stating that “Proper diet, hydration, and sleep help prevent injury, and [he thinks] everyone can always work to improve these things.”

The success of the team however shows that they saw many strengths throughout the season, both on and off the track. Having pulled together a 4-0-1 record and securing the co-GBL title, the team has excelled in their ability to perform at high levels. Londino mentioned how “Everyone did a good job of committing to the process and improving,“ and that “Having [their] toughest competitor last really helped in that sense.” Aside from just their ability to perform their events, Santos stated that “[He thinks] what really went well was the amount of sportsmanship and friendship amongst the players of the teams in the GBL.” Asousy added to this, mentioning that “[He] was delighted to see [their] underclassmen experience great improvement in their times throughout the season.”

Sandra Rivadeneira Co-Head of Sports

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he Girls Indoor Track team ended their season back in February with an undefeated record of 6-0 and were able to take back the title of GBL Champions, which head coach David Londino shares was really their “biggest end goal with [their] first year coming back into the league.”

It all came down to the final meet, the senior night meet, against Revere High where both the girls and the boys GBL Champ titles were at stake. Senior Angelina Schorr shares how there’s “a bit of a track rivalry with Revere” and so being able to win the GBL title in a meet against them provided a great sense of competition and the moment of victory gave them a “strong sense of pride.”

The girls team won their meet by, what Londino would describe as, “a lot.” Although this didn’t really come as a surprise to assistant coach Marc Ferrara, who shared how he believed the entire season for the girls was outstanding and how “in [his] mind there was no way they were not winning the title.”

Two school records were broken during the 2019-2020 season, one of them being by junior Jania Williams-Royster in the high jump with a height of 5’1, this being broken at the Revere meet on January 29th and earning her the title of GBL All-Star. The team also had four individuals to be sent to the Division One States Meet on February 12th, and resulted with junior Makayla Preston taking 8th place in the shot put event. Two relay teams were also sent to states, the girls 4x400 and 4x800, who additionally also got

Pryanna Alper Batoul Chouiki Isabella Machado Makayla Preston Jania Williams-Royster Nour Chouiki Angelina Schorr Sara Dzaferagic Harriet Shane Kaitlyn Mini Catherine Santos

recognized as GBL All-Star teams.

The 4x400 state relay was all senior girls, including Schorr, Pryanna Alper, Batoul Chouiki, and Nour Chouiki. The last time that team ran that same event was their sophomore year, so reminiscing on that Schorr thought it was “really excited to do it all together one last time.”

As in any other sport, the season came presenting challenges.

Where the team lacked top-talent, they “made up with depth,” Londino states, “the girls team always has more depth.” This means that maybe they don’t take first place but they have multiple people placing second and third which really helps the team in the long run. People like Junior Arianna Alexandre, who came into indoor for her first time this year and Ferrar praises for “really [improving] as the season went on,” are an example on how everyone on the team helps in leading the team into their success.

Congratulations to the Girls Indoor Track Team for their undefeated championship season and the Boys Indoor Track Team for their undefeated co-championship season and to Coach David Londino for winning the title of Indoor Track Greater Boston League Coach of the Year!

Sports

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The Blue and Gold March 2020

maldenblueandgold.com

The Swim Team Goes to States

Brandon Wong Lead Reporter Top to Bottom: MHS Swim Team—photo by Brandon Wong; captain Haoxi Wang preparing for the next race—photo by Brandon Wong; captain David Lombardi preparing for a lap—photo by Carlos Aragon Carlos Aragon Aldana; captain Haoxi Wang performing the backstroke—photo taken by Brandon Lead Reporter Wong. was head coach, which “[brought] changes and challenges that need to be dealt with.” Luckily, the change went smoothly, and the new swimmers had a lot of success.

Throughout the season, Bisson’s goals were to see unity throughout the team and to see the swimmers improve. Bisson stated that “It was such a joy to see [the goals] being surpassed on a daily basis.” Bisson elaborated, stating that one of her favorite moments of the season was seeing one of the new swimmers finally start to improve his diving

Boys

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he swim team dived into the season with high hopes and not only floated but swam the full lap. They went through the season undefeated, and despite the fact that they lost several top swimmers who graduated last year, this season ended up being amazing for the team.

According to Coach Jessica Bisson, the season was quite the ride. Along with the fact that 15 seniors were graduated last year, this was also the first year where Bisson

-200 Yards Medley:Tony Giech, David Lombardi, Nathan Nguyen, Haoxi Wang -50 Yards Freestyle:David Lombardi -100 Yards Freestyle: Haoxi Wang -500 Yards Freestyle: Nathan Nguyen -100 Yards Backstroke: David Lombardi -100 Yards Breaststroke: Tony Giech

Winter

skills. She stated that “He never stopped working to fix his starts and he even came to our Saturday Swim Clinic to get more one-on-one support with starts.” When he finally did get it right, she stated that she was incredibly proud of him and that it showed “how important hard work and determination are.”

Junior David Lombardi, one of the team’s captains, stated that his expectations were “beyond surpassed” as many of the swimmers stepped up to take the spot of the departing seniors from last year. Lombardi stated

Girls

-200 Yards Medley: Chloe Akombi, Wara Lucia Ramirez Morales, Abby Tang, Samantha Tang -200 Yards Freestyle: Abby Tang -200 Yards IM- Chloe Akombi -100 Yards Butterfly: Abby Tang -200 Yards Freestyle Relay: Chloe Akombi, Wara Lucia Ramirez Morales, Abby Tang, Samantha Tang -100 Yards backstroke: Chloe Akombi

All Stars

that one of his favorite moments of the season was the meet at Watertown. He commented on the tension in the meet stating that it was” such a close meet and it came solely down to the final relay” however in the end, Malden came out victorious, with an extremely close final score of 87-83.

The team continued this winning trend at States, with Haoxi Wang finishing his career with a great time for freestyle, and the team performing the Medley Relay to set a new best time. Lombardi commented on his own performance saying that he “got a new best time in 50 free.” These wins were constant the entire season, with the team going undefeated this year. Lombardi believes that “chemistry and the amount of hard work and dedication” the swimmers put in helped make the winning streak attainable.

Sophomore Molly Sewell, a new member of the Swim Team. Sewell explained that “because [they] were so close to each other and everyone encouraged one another to do their best.” Sewell found her first season to be an “amazing season.” Sewell continued, explaining that “coming back after not swimming for a while, [she] definitely succeeded [her] goals and it felt really good to be back.”

The Blue and Gold March 2020

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Girls Hockey Gymnastics Season Finishes Season comes to an End maldenblueandgold.com

Courtney Fitzgerald Lead Reporter

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s winter comes to an end, so does the Girls Hockey Season.

The record for the year was 4-8-1.

Although they had a lot of losses they went down with a fight and overall had a pretty good season.

Junior Sarah Whitehouse says this season was a “mix” of what she had and hadn’t hoped for. Whitehouse mentions that the team had many points throughout the season where they “functioned very well as a team.” She also mentioned how they had gone out together outside of practices and really bonded with each other. Whitehouse added how she thought there could have been more “energy” on and off the ice.

An important component in any sport is team bonding outside of practice and games, and for Whitehouse this was the highlight of the season. Whitehouse felt it was nice for the team to “come together as one” outside of the rink.

She added how if the team had more “chemistry” she believes they could have performed better.

Whitehouse believes that “everything happens for a reason,” and she

Karen Riveira Lead Reporter

would not have changed anything about how this season went, but for future seasons she hopes the team can “connect fully.”

Senior Co-Captain Bethan Taddeo, says this season, being her last season, “wasn’t exactly what [she] hoped it would be.” Taddeo thought the season was going to be a good one when it started but about half way through she was thrown some curveballs. Adding on to what Whitehouse previously mentioned, Taddeo says that the first half of the season had a lot of chemistry between the team, but towards the end there had been “a break in the chain.” Taddeo adds that in the seasons to come once she is gone, she hopes the team “finds a way to get along.”

Although this hockey season had its ups and down the girls still had a positive outlook on everything that happened. The team is looking forward to future years and hopes to have better seasons than this year.

Each year there is room for improvements and the team is looking forward to seeing those improvements pay off next season.

From top to bottom, left to right: Senior Phaidra Martin skates across the ice; a Mustangs player skates after the puck, hit by a Beverly player; A Mustangs player stakes after the puck. Photos by Lauren Mallett.

Roxane Leon Lead Reporter

T

he Malden High School’s Varsity Gymnastics team leaped into the new season with hopes of improving and growing together as a team.

Throughout the season, their biggest struggle was taking on the new players, who were fairly new to the sport. Junior Suiyenah

Chen, who competes on beam for the varsity team, stated that “this year was [their] best year despite [their] having to start from scratch with a bunch of new team members.”

One of the great things about the team is that it is inclusive and welcomes everyone from different levels to join and work towards the goal of becoming better as a whole.

In fact, co-captain Ronald Batista mentioned that the season went great this year and that “[they] were able to come together as a team and form close relationships with one another regardless if [they] were winning or losing.”

The team would describe their bond as great and have grown over the course of the season as time went on and they all competed with each other.

Batista stated that he would change the strictness of attendance

was not there, and as it got closer to the season players began to constantly not come to practice, show up late or leave early which interfered with their practice time.

Junior Leila Imani who is also co-captain of the varsity team states that “attendance was wonky this season.” Batista claims that he “hopes next year [they] are able to maintain a stricter system with the team members attendance.”

A big concern amongst the team however was the space provided for them to practice in which sometimes made it hard for them to work on the various skills they needed to improve on. Having a tiny space for such a large team was difficult to share and move around in from time to time.

Imani states that “the room that [they] practice...is way too small to accommodate a team [their] size and [they] also can’t have home meets because the floor [is not] regulation size.” A bigger room would allow for the team to be able to practice more of their skills instead of having to take turns or having to share equipment.

Junior Allison Quijada states that she was “proud” of all of her teammates’ progress and “all the new skills they learned in only a couple months.”

With goals being met and expectations being exceeded, there also came areas of improvement where the team hopes to shed some light on for the season to come next year.

From top bottom, left to right: Junior Brianna Preston in the midst of her routine. Junior Co-Captain Ronald Batista performs his gloor routine and a cartwheel mid-performance. Photos by Karen Riveira.

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The Blue and Gold March 2020

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Al Locke Basketball League: Photo Gallery

Liam O’Toole Lead Reporter

A

l Locke is a basketball league for 7-9th graders. The league was founded by Al Locke 79 years ago. Locke continued to work with the league until he passed away in his 80’s. Players from all schools across Malden, including the middle schools, Malden Highschool, Malden Catholic and Wakefield Vocational, participate in this league. Players are sorted into different teams based on actual NBA teams who all play against each other at least once if not multiple times. The teams practice at Salemwood every Thursday beginning in early December to late March and play every Saturday. The league even has a Finals Bracket and a championship game. This game took place on January 25th, between the Heat and Warriors, and was the first game between the two championship game teams. Hopefully Al Locke continues to thrive in Malden as it seems many aspiring basketball players enjoy consistently enrolling in the program. All photos by Liam O’Toole.

Cheerleading Season Comes to an End Lauren Mallett and Liam O’Toole Lead Reporters

A

fter a few short months, the Malden High Basketball Cheerleaders’ season has come to an end.

Since December, the team of 18 girls have been working hard to show their support for Malden High’s Boys Varsity Basketball team.

This year’s season was focused strictly on game cheering and veered away from competing.

While the cheer team has not competed in many years, it is something they hope to achieve in the future.

Sophomore co-captain Mackenzie Smith said that this season, the team put their efforts into “[doing] a lot of community service and [coming] up with a lot of new routines.”

Earlier this season, the team held a donation drive for the Malden Warming Center. They collected necessities for the homeless population in Malden, donating anything from hygiene and sanitary products, to school supplies and clothing. The team collected over 25 bags worth of donations for the Warming Center, a feat that left coach Melanie Philbrook “extremely proud.”

Philbrook explained that while the team’s initial goal for the season

was to learn 50 cheers and one halftime routine, they were able to learn 75 as well as “a different halftime routine [for] each home game, one of which included a dance.” The team was also able to experiment in their cheers, with the incorporation of signs into their routines.

Senior Night focused on more than just the senior basketball players, with senior co-captain Nikki Blue being recognized. Each player and Blue received a personalized gift basket and poster made by the cheerleaders, which were presented to them before the game.

Overall, the season was quite eventful and very effective. There is never a doubt that the cheerleaders wear their Malden pride on their sleeves during their games. The team consistently shows their support for the programs Malden has to offer, something that is especially shown through the amount of community service they did, including the work done with the Warming Center. The team has improved The cheer team performing lifts during the game. The cheer team performs durgreatly this season and is looking ing half time. Photos by Lauren Mallett. forward to continuing to grow and work towards achieving their goals.

The Blue and Gold March 2020

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Luella Harding Lead Reporter

Y

Jana Elshafey Lead Reporter

ohanni Costa, a junior at Malden High, carries the title of being Massachusetts’ first 145-pound MIAA girls wrestling state champion.

Costa has had a big passion for wrestling ever since she lived in Florida. She started wrestling when she was a freshman, and continued when she moved up to Massachusetts her sophomore year, about one year ago. Being her second year on the team, she is also a co-captain with senior Ved Gray.

This season, Costa won the Senator’s Tournament, the Phillip’s Academy Tournament, and finished second at the Girl’s K-12 New England Championships. In addition to being a two-time MIAA Girls State Tournament champion, she also led the whole team to a second place finish in states overall.

Of course, this success wasn’t easy to obtain. Costa has had to put in a lot of effort to get to where she is now.

The State’s First 145-pound MIAA Girls Wrestling State Champion:

Yohanni Costa “One of my goals for this season is help the team to get better and also place in 1st place in States again to make Malden high School proud of me again and also be proud of our team, because to be honest if it wasn’t for the team I wouldn’t be able to achieve my goals.”

-Yohanni Costa, 2020

One of the main ways Costa continues to improve on her skills and abilities is by going to the gym a lot. To get prepared for her matches, the first thing she does is “cut weight.” Costa truly feels like cutting weight is the most difficult part of wrestling, which is why she thinks it is the “hardest sport in high school.” She additionally explains how “for workouts, [she] usually [does] a lot of cardio, wrestles, and [she] also [goes] to the weight room to get strong.”

Regarding her wins, coach Nicholas Erban is extremely proud of Costa. “[she] feel she added more technique to her arsenal, and developed a greater understanding of the sport in terms of how to approach and prepare for competitions.”

This year, Malden and Everett’s wrestling teams merged together.

This has been one thing that Costa really enjoyed because she was the only girl on the team last year. Now, she explains how “there [were] many good wrestlers including girls Continued on page 24...

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Yohanni ...Continued from page 23. on the team that [were] all ready to work hard and be successful during the season.” This year, there were four girls in total on the team, including Costa.

Costa’s goal for the season was to “help the team get better, and also place first in States again to make Malden High School proud of [her] and also proud of the team.” The reason she’s so determined to do this for MHS is because she feels like “honestly if it wasn’t for the team, [Costa] wouldn’t be able to achieve [her] goals.” The wrestling team is like her second family and she says that “[they’re] always helping each

other get better.”

Someone who has also had a big impact on Costa and helped to fuel her passion for wrestling is her father. He has always been an inspiration for her. “Ever since [she] was little, [her] dad always made [her] work out and all of that, even if it was hard for [her],” Costa explained. “If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be able to “survive” this sport.” Because her father never gave up on her, she has always had the motivation to keep pushing forward, even if things were tough. This has had a huge effect on her strong, game-ready mindset.

As for the future, Costa stated “[she is] giving my best with wrestling to achieve my big goal: wrestle

Costa “My biggest inspiration is my dad. Since I was little, my dad always made me work out and all of that, even if it was hard for me. He didn’t give up on me. And if it wasn’t for him I wouldn’t be able to “survive” this sport. My dad is my inspiration, he is the one who gives me strength to keep it up.”

-Yohanni Costa, 2020 in college.” This is something she is passionate about achieving, and it definitely seems possible with the success rate she is at now.

Regarding States, Costa and all the other girls on the wrestling team were automatically qualified to compete because of the lack of girls on the team. However, the boys still had to go through section-

als and regionals to make it to States since they had enough competitors, although none of them qualified this year.

Overall, all of Costa’s accomplishments have led to a very successful season for her and the entire team in general. For the second time in a row, this year Costa took home the award for state champion.

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