Graduation Edition 2021

The Blue and Gold maldenblueandgold.com

Malden High School

Volume 106 Edition 3

77 Salem Street

June 2021

Class of 2022 Hosts Mystery at the MET Carlos Aragon Managing Editor of Print and Deisgn

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New Superintendent Profile: Ligia Noriega-Murphy ollowing the announcement of Superintendent John Oteri not extending his contract, the Malden School Committee conducted a superintendent search where they eventually announced on March 15th, that Ligia Noriega-Murphy would become the next Superintendent of Schools and will assume her position on July 1st.

Prior to being selected, Noriega-Murphy was in the Boston Public Schools district for 26 years. During her time there, she worked in various positions ranging from being a teacher in a middle school to working in a central office as an assistant

superintendent. She explained how a large portion of her work had consisted of “providing the tools for young people” when either presenting them with opportunities including a variety of pathway programs and or career technical programs.

When it came to applying to Malden, Noriega-Murphy stated how this time she had the chance to be more selective on “where [she] wanted to move her next step.”

One factor that stood out to her was the diversity of Malden. NoriegaMurphy explained that there was an instance that made her truly reflect and say to herself saying “she really wants Malden now,” and would be disappointed if she had not received the position.

Noriega-Murphy went into detail how in a community forum, she had asked towards the end of the meeting how everyone was coping with COVID-19 because “this is our reality” and only now are we “getting used to in a way of moving forward.” One individual had said to her how they were bilingual; however, they recognized that during the pandemic many families were not provided the proper information as they were not translated in their languages. As a result, they saw people struggling in trying to understand what was happening. They later said how even with technology, families felt disengaged because connections were not being

2021 Class Valedictorian, Ziyi “Billy” Zeng, Page 10.

2021 Class Salutatorian, Jiaqi Ye, Page 11.

2021 Class Orator, Jacob Pettigrew, Page 11.

Sandra Li Managing Editor

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Continued on page 3.

his school year has been incredibly tumultuous for everyone, and at the start, a lot of things were unknown. Sports were delayed by months, the transition to hybrid was very slow, and for a while, nobody really knew how Junior Varieties was going to happen, if going to happen at all.

Luckily around mid-March, the Class of ‘22 was given the greenlight for producing the show. According to Class Secretary Christelle Jean, it was a mad dash to get acts and auditions together once they found out they could have a show in the first place. For a few months, they were even planning on using Macdonald Stadium. It was incredibly challenging, especially financially, since “[they] would be in charge of sound direction” and sound in an open stadium would have been much more difficult to control than a closed space such as the Jenkins auditorium.

In addition to sound issues, before authorization from the CDC, they did not even know how many people they were allowed to host, which is “why [they] chose an outdoor venue, to maximize the number of people that could attend.”

There was a lot of communication with the Mayor, the CDC, and the health department, and when they finally found out they could use the auditorium, it was limited to 30 people. However, once restrictions were lifted, the limit was raised to 250 people, which Jean stated was “the best news [they] heard all year.”

During their preparation, CO ‘22 Treasurer Sammi Nie stated that the scripts they made for each person and job were vital to the flow of the show. For example, mic runners had to pass around microphones, wipe them down after specific acts, etc. Curtains needed to be drawn and raised, and spotlight placement was incredibly important as well.

The show itself was quite a sucContinued on page 14.

Staff

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An Update on Malden High Students for Racial Equity (SFRE) Julie Huynh Managing Editor

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alden High School’s Students for Racial Equity (SFRE) group was formed last fall and was originally the MHS Curriculum Reform Youth Board. Since then, a lot else has changed for the group.

After the group was founded by senior Billy Zeng, they came into contact with the MHS Staff for Racial Equity group and decided to “broaden the scope of [their] goals and therefore rebrand,” stated senior and lead organizer Sheilly Patel. They have gotten to work and collaborate with people “across many boards of leadership” both within and outside of the school, including the school’s social workers, administrators, and MaldenCORE. Patel is just one out of a group of lead organizers, including senior Jett-Le Tran Le, senior Juliete Pierre, junior Sammi Nie, and junior Ketshaly Philome. There are no formal officer positions, but each lead is in charge of a sub-committee. Patel and Philome are part of the Curriculum Reform board, Nie is in charge of Research and Education, and Pierre and Tran Le are in the Accountability branch.

Tran Le has been a member of SFRE since December. One goal that the Accountability branch has is to “maintain a system that allows students to be able to share their stories and experiences freely without getting punished for it.” After joining the citywide initiative for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) positions, this was something the group advocated strongly for.

In the last few months, the group has been working on their social media presence and being active on different platforms. In their Instagram bio, they describe themselves as “a diverse student-led board working towards implementing greater student representation and inclusion within the Malden community.”

They recently created a newsletter, free to all who sign up, emailed at the end of each month. These emails include a shout out section, book and movie recommendations, a summary of world events, and updates about their group. In their April newsletter, they mentioned working with Malden’s new Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) officer, Byboise Larochelle, to learn more about how they can work on being inclusive at the high school.

Meeting with the DEI coordinator gave them “the clarity [they] needed for what the next school year will

The Blue and Gold June 2021

maldenblueandgold.com

MEET THE

BLUE AND AND GOLD GOLD BLUE Lead Reporters Reporters Lead Editor-in-Chief: Julie Yu ‘21

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

Print Editor-in-Chief: Sandra Rivadeneira ‘21

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

Reporters Reporters

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

Class Advisor: Ryan Gallagher

look like and what improvements will be made in the Malden community,” voiced Tran Le. In addition to meeting with Larochelle, Patel reported that they have also spent some time with MPS Humanities Director Gregory Hurley and Assistant Superintendent Dr. Kelly Chase to talk about curriculum reform.

By the end of the school year, SFRE hopes to “increase the conversation around equity work not just within MHS, but throughout Malden.” They hope to do this by “broadening the range of people within [their] group.”

Another long-term goal they have is to advocate for an education DEI for Malden Public Schools.

In terms of short-term goals, the group wants to increase the outreach and audience of their newsletter, while also forming new relationships within the Malden community.

Students that want to become involved with SFRE can email any of their lead organizers or follow them on Instagram @mhs_sfre.

Managing Editor: Julie Huynh ‘22

Managing Editor: Sandra Li ‘22

Managing Editor of Print and Design: Lauren Mallett ‘22

Managing Editor of Print and Design: Carlos Aragon ‘22

Head of Sports: Lulu Harding ‘22

Head of Local: Courtney Fitzgerald ‘22

Managing Editor of Photography: Liam O’Toole ‘22

A photo of the Malden High Students for Racial Equity (SFRE) logo. Photo submitted by Sammi Nie.

Interactive

The Blue and Gold June 2021 Continued from page 1. made.

Noriega-Murphy expressed that what the individual had said to her truly “touched [her] heart” because she highly believes in “communication and people first.”

Additionally, she likes to create communities where it is “only one community instead of different communities” which is her “mantra for every place [she] goes to.” She continued on saying that in the moment she realized that if she were to be selected, one major task that she would like to do is to translate documents and on top of that, create advisory teams consisting of students, parents, community members in order to “engage in conversations” on what the community is expecting.

Junior Sammi Nie, who was a part of the Student Forum, explained how Noriega-Murphy stood out to her the most when it came to what she had asked the students. Finalists had the opportunity to ask students questions in the end of forum, and Nie described how instead of asking questions regarding about what students would like to see changed, Noriega-Murphy had asked the question “how are you?” Nie stated that the question was “simple, yet it was very touching to [her]” because it revealed how Noriega-Murphy is “dedicated to the well-being of her peers.”

Jennifer Spadafora, who was the co-chair of the Superintendent Screening Committee, mentioned how much of the community feedback that the committee received on Noriega-Murphy was mainly about her communication skills. Spadafora described how she made her feel as if she was “sitting across the table from [Noriega-Murphy], having a cup of coffee,” which she expressed how that “goes a long way” because in the position of superintendent, “you are not always going to agree on things,” but she felt that Noriega-Murphy was the type of person who “we can disagree in a really thoughtful manner,” and eventually come to a conclusion that “benefits everybody in the district.”

Noriega-Murphy emphasized that communication will be a “key and crucial component” in how she is going to be working because she remarked how “some people say it is a great plan, but nobody knows the plan.” And so in her time as superintendent, she wants to ensure that “communication will be transparent” as she hopes that community members will be able to “relate with [her] and build relationships with them.”

For Adam Weldai, who was also another co-chair of the Superintendent Screening Committee, he conveyed how one asset of NoriegaMurphy that stood out to him was how she “made it clear to [them] that she was not applying for this job everywhere,” which he added that she “made a very conscious choice” in applying to Malden. Moreover, Weldai commented how through this decision, it further showed that Noriega-Murphy wanted to be a part of the Malden community

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maldenblueandgold.com

June Crossword Puzzle

The graduating Class of 2018. Photo from The Blue and Gold archives.

ACROSS:

3. This year, the Malden High Boys Soccer team started their season in April, rather than the usual start of the season during this month.

8. Alexey Mozyaev reflects that it can be difficult for immigrants to leave their friends and traces of _____ behind.

12. During her time in the Boston Public Schools district, Ligia Noriega-Murphy worked in various positions including assistant ____.

14. Malden High School’s Football team suited up for a scrimmage on May 1st against _____ and Chelsea at Macdonald Stadium.

15. The main goal for the recent community vigil was to create a space for people to come together to heal and to be in ______ against systems of oppression that impact not only the Asian American community but people globally as well.

16. This year, field hockey games were divided into four ____ rather than two halves due to COVID restrictions.

17. CO’21 Top 10 graduate Sheilly Patel has been able to lead this club as their president over the past two years.

18. CO’21 Valedictorian Billy Zeng served as _____ of the Science National Honor Society (SNHS) during his senior year.

Puzzle compiled by Lulu Harding. with addition to her extensive background as it “seemed to be a good fit for what we are and what we could be too.”

When it comes to moving Malden forward, one of the tasks that Noriega-Murphy would like to take on is to “start doing a deeper dive” in collecting more information in regards to data, curriculum and ultimately “looking at different aspects of what is the district” as a whole.

Noriega-Murphy further explained that once she has compiled a plan, she looks forward to getting feed-

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

DOWN:

1. After the loss against Medford in the first game of the season, Malden’s football team hopes to _____ in their future games.

2. The Malden High Students for Racial Equity group recently created a free ____ where things including a summary of world events, book and movie recommendations, and updates about their group are posted.

4. Coach Scott Marino believes that the Malden High School Girls Basketball Program is “in a position to compete for a Greater Boston League _____ and beyond.”

5. Despite dislocating his knee on the ____ meet of the season, captain of Malden High’s swim team David Lombardi still managed to get first place in all four of his events and was named a GBL All-Star.

6. CO’21 Salutatorian Jiaqi Ye will be attending UMass _____ as a computer science major.

7. For the three senior editors of the Blue and Gold staff, being in the class has given them the opportunity to bond and meet some of their closest _____.

9. CO’21 President Harriet Gerochi will be attending UMass Amherst in the fall as a ____ major.

10. CO’21 Orator Jacob Pettigrew has decided to take a gap year “with a focus on understanding _____ and breath.”

11. COVID-19 has not stopped the Girls’s Volleyball team from bonding and getting to know each other more ______.

13. During the Class of 2022’s production of JVs, hosts Jason Ong, Tivian Nguyen, and Whitney Jean Baptiste went on an adventure searching for a missing ___.

back from the community in order to see “what needs to be modified for change.”

Aside from being a professional educator, Noriega-Murphy has traveled to more than 32 countries and has even had the experience of teaching abroad earlier in her career. In addition, she has taught courses that compared and contrast global mythology, fables, and more.

On top of that, Noriega-Murphy believes that both the mind and the soul have to be “nurtured by learning, exploring, and taking care of

our mental and physical health” which she mentioned how she owns a black belt in Shotokan karate as she “appreciates the connection” that is established between movement and skills.

Once Noriega-Murphy assumes the position, she is highly anticipating learning more about the city and being involved in both the district and the schools as she is looking forward to meeting with members of the community, and overall converse with them about the visions for the district.

Editorial

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The Blue and Gold June 2021

maldenblueandgold.com

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A Bittersweet Goodbye

his past year has been an incredibly news-worthy year.

We have seen history unfold in front of our very eyes; several major events that have greatly impacted us, our school, our community, and our world.

It has been a great year to use the power of student voice and report on all these life changing moments from a beautifully unique perspective.

We have only produced three print editions this school year, in comparison to our usual eight. This meant that we had to ask ourselves what do we want memorialized in these editions?

What stories can capture what is going on at this moment in time?

How can The Blue and Gold do justice to its community?

Our first edition captured the transition that we were all going through. It was our chance to really acknowledge how COVID-19 had impacted our community and students. Malden High was adapting and adjusting to a new learning format and schedule. We looked at the good and bad of the format and what that could mean for the future of the school: maybe a new school schedule for the coming new year, one we seniors will not get to experience but are excited to see how it rolls out.

Our second edition was focused on the changes happening in our society. We had powerful, opinionated editorials about what minorities, such as Asian

Americans and Black Americans, were going through during the social climate at the time. We reported on a historical election, one that had the country on the edge of their seats for days. Vaccines were starting to come out. As we passed the one year mark since COVID-19, Malden High approached a Hybrid schedule, and we were slowly starting to see the end of a long tunnel.

This third edition, our graduation edition, is focused on the student body. Collectively as a school, we have gone through so much, but at this time of the school year there are signs of summer and normalcy.

Junior Varieties, despite its setbacks, still went on and were able to hold an in-person audience both nights.

While all three sports seasons were cut short, players were still given the chance to participate under new safety regulations. Fall and spring games were live streamed but also held in-person spectators, giving us back a sense of school spirit.

Like when any senior departs, this is bittersweet for us. Our year is over but it feels like it has just begun. This class is responsible for our friendship: we all met in The Blue and Gold newsroom during our freshmen year. We made each other laugh every day we saw each other, we supported one another through all that high school threw at us, we grew into the people we are today together.

The Blue and Gold is such a

vital part of the Malden High community. It is a great tradition and it is also a wonderful platform. Every single student who is part of this grows and learns about the power they hold. It is such a beautiful community that we have built in that newsroom. It has grown strong over the last 100 years, and it will continue to for 100 more.

There has never been more need for honest journalism than now, and what better way than to hear it from the unique voices of the members of The Blue and Gold.

Thank you all for the opportunities you have given us.

Julie Yu Editor-In-Chief

Sandra Rivadeneira Print Editor-In-Chief

Jennica Ruan Web and Mobile Apps Editor-InChief

Editorial Policy

Nedlam’s Corner

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Blue and Gold June 2021

Editorial

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maldenblueandgold.com

Long Live the Walls We Crashed Through

Sandra Rivadeneira Print Editor-In-Chief

I

danced on table tops (during a production of Fame: The Musical).

I got to go to plenty Friday night games, whether it was getting to play with the band at football games or playing my own softball games for the school’s team. I participated in every single day’s dress-uptheme during Spirit Week and went to every Junior Variety show during my last four years.

My high school years were filled with so many great memories, but The Blue and Gold is responsible for shaping my experience at Malden High.

In The Blue and Gold, I met some of my very best friends. With them, in that class every year, we learned that we are so much more capable than what we believe ourselves to be. Through hard work and dedication real art can be made where people can enjoy and learn from.

I learned and laughed with the heads and editors before me until eventually I grew into those positions, as Head of Sports then Print Editor in Chief. I hope I was able to teach and make others laugh the way those before did for me.

During our personal journeys at Malden High, I am sure we have all found opportunities to grow and develop a voice. Through The Blue and Gold I was able to find mine and amplify it, as well as the voices of others growing with me.

Our class has had students break Malden High athletic records that were left untouched for years.

We have had some of the most artistically talented individuals grace our Jenkins Auditorium stage. Our classmates have all found their own independent voices and have fought the injustices they have seen, through either speeches or organizing marches and so much more.

It’s really easy to dwell on everything that has not happened and everything our class has missed out on during this school year. I feel like I hear the phrase all the time, that we are “living through history.”

However, take a moment to think of all the historical events that have happened during our four years in high school. All the movements that have uproared, the changes that have begun, the new

perspective and appreciation for life that we have been able to develop over the last year alone.

These events have allowed us to grow and develop to the young adult we are now. I encourage you all to take the lessons, from the good and bad memories, with yourself as we step into a new phase in our lives. Now that we are on the brink of adulthood and independence, I’ve never felt so much fear and excitement at once.

My time in the Malden High community has taught me so much, about myself and about the beauties and the injustices of our world. I develop new friendships, insecurities, hobbies and interests.

I am nowhere near ready to say

goodbye to Malden High School.

There are still more things I want to do. I want one more pep rally, one more softball game, one more band concert, one more musical, one more story to write for the Blue and Gold.

Everything must continue to move forward and soon we will be proud Malden High graduates, onto the next part of our lives. We will make an impact on everyone we meet and in every place we go.

We will continue to stand tall and fight for what we believe in. We will continue to fear none as we learn to use our voice to slowly, but surely, make changes in our communities.

We are the Class of 2021, and it’s been an honor to share this experience with you all.

Editorial

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The Blue and Gold June 2021

maldenblueandgold.com

Something Better Than Goodbye

Jennica Ruan Web and Mobile Apps Editor-InChief

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verybody has different expectations for how high school goes.

The shows and movies we watched growing up put these unrealistic expectations into our heads and we hope that is how high school will be like. We see these stereotypes all the time in school. We see groups of athletes, band, choir, theatre and club students in friend groups and everyone has their own cliques.

Being in The Blue and Gold was such an unexpected opportunity that fell into my life. I remember walking into the newsroom for the first time. Not knowing anybody there and trying to not make a scene as our class advisor was talking to the class. I expected the class to be something I had to do for that year and not come back to. I didn’t expect to love the class as much as I

do now. It was hard at first to work with so many people I didn’t know but, I was able to find myself bonding with the other freshman reporters who I can now say are also my Editor-in -Chiefs. If I was not part of Blue and Gold my freshman year, I would not have accomplished very much throughout my high school career.

My one goal for high school was to have confidence. That was what I strived for every year. I started as a reporter, like many others before me, and looked up to the upperclassmen working cohesively together. My freshman class consisted of almost 40 students in one room. It was chaotic and loud but I was able to see people from all cliques work together to produce something amazing. I never would have imagined myself being in The Blue and Gold if I did not switch classes freshman year.

Something I have learned

throughout the years is that Blue and Gold was also a safe place. As a class that had to cover many different stories we often found ourselves discussing bigger issues as well. The class was a place where everyone had a voice, whether they wanted to share or not. Being able to express ourselves emotionally, not just artistically, has helped us realize that our community is bigger than we imagined.

The opportunities that being in The Blue and Gold have given me are once in a lifetime. I met amazing and talented people I can call my close friends. I’ve had opportunities to experience and report many events in Malden that made me feel closer to my community. I work alongside some of the most talented news staff to create a newspaper that holds years of traditions.

This chapter of my life doesn’t end at Malden High. This is just the place where it began and I know the

lessons I’ve learned will follow me to my future path in life.

Growing up is scary. We all envision millions of possible futures but what you do depends on yourself. I have been uncertain almost all my life of what I wanted to do.

There were just too many possibilities and not enough years in a life span. I came to the conclusion that you don’t really need to choose. It’s definitely cheesy but you can be anything you want to be as long as you try.

I wish the best of luck to the Class of 2021. We are all moving on and taking the next steps to adulthood. The world changes everyday but people dont change, they grow up. This has been an interesting four years and though it felt like it would never end, the time has come to say goodbye. My experiences here will only help me grow to be a better version of myself so thank you to all the people that have made that possible.

Editorial

The Blue and Gold June 2021

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maldenblueandgold.com

This Was Nothing Like

High School Musical Julie Yu Editor-In-Chief

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y high school experience did not live up to my irrational High School Musical fantasy… and that is okay.

From a young age, the media has fed us TV shows and movies that display unrealistic expectations as to what “the high school experience” is really like. Shows and movies always highlight the stereotypical “fun” aspects of high school like football games, pep rallies, relationships, school dances, parties, etc., and tend to leave out the not-so-fun aspects like the stressful workload, standardized testing, the intimidating college application process, and much more.

Walking into Malden High on my first day of freshman year, I figured high school would not be as glamorous as High School Musical made it out to be. I knew students would not be singing and dancing to “We’re All in This Together” in the school gym, but I did not expect the not-so-fun aspects of high school to be as overwhelming as they were.

As overwhelming as it was at times, the unforgettable memories my friends and I have made along the way have made the hardships worthwhile. From the early morning Dunkin runs before school started to the late night Junior Varieties rehearsals right before COVID-19 lockdowns were enforced.

Through taking Blue and Gold,

I was able to strengthen my friendship with two people I had known for practically my entire life. Those two people being my best friends and fellow Editors-in-Chief, Jennica Ruan and Sandra Rivadeneira. Prior to joining Blue and Gold, we were no more than acquaintances that acknowledged each other’s existence.

It did not take long for us to become close friends both inside and outside the classroom.

During our junior year, we each took on leadership positions as the Heads of Local and Sports news. As heads, we were constantly collaborating and communicating, and I found that since we were friends outside of class, it made our roles significantly easier as we were consistently talking to each other throughout the day anyway. For the entire duration of holding our head and editor leadership positions, we have always kept a balance of having fun and enjoying each other’s company in class while also being productive and holding ourselves and each other accountable. Thanks to them, I never lost that love for journalism.

This is a surreal feeling. It simply does not feel like I should be graduating in just under one month.

It feels bizarre to be able to say that I am on the brink of adulthood and the real world.

Being that it is my last month of being a high school student, I have spent a lot of time reflecting. I remember being in sixth grade, look-

ing at the “21” in my school email, thinking “I cannot believe I have to wait until 2021 to graduate.” Nonetheless, at the blink of an eye, here we are, in the year 2021. As cliché as it sounds, time really does fly by.

It feels as if I have spent my entire life looking forward and counting down to the day that I can finally finish high school. But as that day approaches, I find myself growing more and more nervous, specifically about how I will handle my last day of high school emotionally.

At this current moment I feel conflicted. I am not exactly sure if I am excited or sad about wrapping up my high school career. On one hand, I am sad to conclude this chapter of my life and leave the place where I have experienced so much selfgrowth and self-discovery. While on the other hand, I am excited to not be bombarded with tons of school work. That is, of course, until I start college in the fall.

I think it is safe to say that I am having a difficult time comprehending the fact that this is all coming to an end extremely soon. This makes me question: am I genuinely just

shocked by how fast time has passed by or do I not want to say goodbye?

I always feared this idea of saying goodbye, because goodbyes feel so final and permanent. Goodbyes symbolize leaving something behind. More than anything I have dreaded having to say goodbye to the amazing teachers and friends that have got me to where I am today.

Nevertheless, it is not something I can avoid for much longer. At the time I am writing this, the Class of 2021 only has three days left, so those goodbyes are right around the corner.

Although my high school experience is ending on a very unexpected note, I am grateful and appreciative of the experiences and lessons that I have learned throughout my four years at Malden High.

I have gone through more personal growth in these past four years than I ever have in my life. As much as I dread the goodbyes, I am ecstatic for what is to come in the future, and it is time to write the next chapter of my life.

Editorial

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The Blue and Gold June 2021

maldenblueandgold.com

Coming to the United States

Alexey Mozyaev Reporter

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hat I noticed, coming to the United States, is that most people coming from other countries tend to create friendships with people from their home country. It’s not always the case, but most of the time it’s true. But what if one can’t find any people that speak the same language or share the same background? That must be unfortunate, right? And usually, one needs to fit in to meet at least some basic aspects of contentment. Relate to someone and share at least a thing in common.

During my freshman and sophomore years, I somewhat struggled with school. Not so much academically, but more with the language and cultural barriers. My freshman year in high school was my second year living in the United States, and it was a challenge communicating with people in English.

The accent. The grammar mistakes.

And all the other factors that shape an immigrant coming to the U.S. from another country.

I wouldn’t talk to many people because of the accent, neither would I tell a joke in English because it might not sound funny. Or it might sound too funny because of the accent. The school lunches made me feel even more dreadful about moving to the United States. Everything was great for me back in my country. “Then why move?” I asked myself during my first few years in the United States.

The answer to the question is obvious. It’s the opportunities that the country beholds. But should these opportunities be prioritized over happiness? Though happiness can come in different forms, I talk of happiness when there is always a friend around. Especially in the case of so many other immigrants that come from their country to the United States, leaving their friends and traces of memories behind. It’s difficult. But only in the beginning.

It took me a few years to adapt to changes. And it took me another year of quarantine and lockdown to reflect on my life in a new country. Maybe I was privileged to meet a good friend that told me to reflect on my life by keeping a diary and journal and get all of my thoughts together. I don’t know. But I hope it’s not the case only with me, and one will find something to lean on. Whether it’s a diary, family, or a friend. Or maybe all of these.

It Was a “ Feels Good ”

Carolina Cuevas Illustrator

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oining the Blue and Gold was never part of the plan. In freshman year, I had a study and decided to replace it with a class. First entering high school, I was super excited and prepared to take classes in subjects I usually never had before. At first, I didn’t like the idea of writing articles but then my guidance counselor told me I could just take pictures instead and boy was she wrong.

The classroom was filled to the brim with students and the tables were always crowded with people writing and talking about their next project. I was quite intimidated because the class consisted of students of all grades meaning the majority was upperclassmen and although I was incredibly nervous, my classmates were very welcoming and

helpful ever since the first day.

It was because of their help that I actually did pretty well with writing articles and even got my very first article on the cover page of the first issue of the year. Ever since then, I enjoyed writing every single article I covered and always made sure to cover topics and events that I found appealing. The more passionate you are about something, the better the work you put into it.

It was that same year during a meeting we discussed what we could do to improve or add to the newspaper that I suggested comics and other illustrations and thus leading to my position as the Blue and Gold’s illustrator. Although I haven’t been officially a part of the class since freshman year, I continued to contribute work to the newspaper whenever I could.

Whether it was a joke from an incident in class or an informative piece that shared a current event, getting to use my work to make others laugh, even just a little, would make my day. From spending my lunch breaks in the journalism class to hearing feedback from the teachers of my classes, it pushed me to keep doing what I loved.

The class has definitely changed over the years but I still enjoyed being a part of it nonetheless.

And although I enjoyed the time I spent with the class, I cannot forget the skills and writing techniques I received along the way. By the end of the day, all I can say is thank you to everyone who was a part of my high school journey and for allowing me to continue to be a part of the Blue and Gold Newspaper.

It was a “feels good.“

The Blue and Gold June 2021

Profiles

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Class of 2021 Officers

President: Harriet Shane Gerochi arriet Shane Gerochi has been the Class of 2021’s president for her entire high school career at Malden High. Time goes by fast, Gerochi still remembers the very first day of school when she was surrounded by unfamiliar faces, who would soon become some of her closest friends. Education is important, but she would argue that with only four years, “time is of the essence.” It would not be a waste of time to reach out to new people, socialize, and volunteer whenever possible, she believed that is when the best memories are made.

The most rewarding part of her role as Class President has been “seeing people happy all together.”

She loved seeing people interact with each other during fundraisers, laughing and smiling, because it meant that the student council was

able to “bring [their] class together,” even if just for a moment. Their fundraisers were often a chance for people to get together outside of school and meet people they would not typically interact with.

Over the past few years, the Class of ‘21 had put together a number of dodgeball tournaments, car washes, and events to raise money for senior activities, such as prom.

Gerochi is most proud of their “ability to connect and reach out to [their] class” and for everyone’s hard work and dedication.

Gerochi is not yet sure what she wants to do for a career, but she emphasized that everyone is at different stages in their life and no one needs to “have everything together right now.” This being said, she will be attending UMass Amherst in the fall as a Business major.

High school is the definition of “here for a good time, not a long time.” Gerochi expressed that while

you’re in high school, “make the best out of [it].” One second you’re a freshman lining up on the staircase out of Jenkins Auditorium and the next you’re walking down the field at Macdonald Stadium.

Secretary: Ava Pizziferi

Treasurer: David Lombardi

Art Director: Ziyi “Billy” Zeng

Julie Huynh Managing Editor

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Photo submitted by Pizziferi.

Activities Coordinator: Asmaa Asousy

Asmaa Asousy’s school portrait. Photo submitted by James Valente.

Photo submitted by Lombardi.

Activities Coordinator: Kathly-Julie Iansen

Julie Iansen’s school portrait. Photo submitted by James Valente.

Photo submitted by Gerochi.

Photo submitted by Zeng.

Social Media Coordinator: Daniel Gilligan

Photo submitted by Gilligan.

Vice President: Kenny Nguyen

Kenny Nguyen’s school portrait. Photo submitted by James Valente.

Art Director: Natalie Pham

Photo submitted by Pham.

Volunteer Coordinator: Ronald Batista

Photo submitted by Batista.

Profiles

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The Blue and Gold June 2021

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Valedictorian: Ziyi “Billy” Zeng Lauren Mallett Managing Editor of Print and Design

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n one’s high school career, outstanding achievement is something that many students strive for.

Grades and extracurricular activities are very important for one’s involvement and education. For Ziyi “Billy” Zeng, achievement is “a symbolization of [his] own determination.”

Zeng is ranked as valedictorian, the student with the highest grade point average in the graduating Class of 2021, an impressive accomplishment. He said “it feels really weird [to be valedictorian] honestly. [He] never considered [himself] to be the smartest person in the classroom.

[He] considers [himself] to be very hardworking, but never the smartest.” His motivation was the people closest in his life because “seeing them work so hard to chase their dreams inspire[d] [him] to do the same and they hold [him] accountable in reaching [his] goals.”

While Zeng is proud of his ranking, he “[does] not want [his] identity to be tied up with this title because [he] always knew that this was just a title and nothing more.”

He felt “so much pressure to succeed” because of how hard he was on himself. “There were many nights of self-doubt, tears, and worrying that [he] put [himself] through because [he] was afraid that [he] would not make [his] parents proud.”

During his time at Malden High School, Zeng took part in many extracurricular activities, including clubs such as Asian Culture Club, for which he served as an officer since his sophomore year, and Ecobility, which he founded and served as Co-President, and taking up the role of Co-Art Director on the student council for four years. He volunteered at the Malden Immigrant Learning Center, was a peer tutor through the Malden Summer Enrichment Program and Teen Enrichment Center, served as a Student Ambassador for Summer Search, and played both JV and Varsity field hockey. During his senior year, Zeng also served as President of the Science National Honor So-

ciety (SNHS) and was a member of the Greater Malden Asian American Community Coalition (GMAACC) Youth Board.

To him, these activities were a crucial part of his high school experience. “These experiences [taught him] how to better work and communicate with other people,” and “that teamwork is needed to achieve even better results and to have successful events, both in-person and virtual ones.” All his extracurricular activities helped him “to take initiative” and “organize [his] time around [many] different time commitments.”

When reflecting on his years as a Malden High student, Zeng fondly remembers a select few teachers who had a truly special impact on him.

Julie Fox, a former Latin teacher at MHS whom he had for three years, “impacted [Zeng] in ways that [he] cannot describe.” He feels “[his] love of learning originated from her classroom,” which he considered to be “[his] home at Malden High.”

Martin Berryman, his AP chemistry teacher, also left a mark on Zeng. “He was so supportive of his students and he encouraged [them] to think outside the box by attempting to answer the how and why questions behind certain chemical reactions.” He recalled that “Berryman’s passion for chemistry was made obvious because he put in so much effort in his teaching” and that “[his] class was very intellectually stimulating.”

Arlene Ceppetelli, the advisor of the after school peer tutoring program, was Zeng’s mentor during high school. Zeng described her as “kind and positive to all students and her presence radiated such great energy.” He felt that he could “[talk] about everything and anything to her, whether it was school related or not.” Ceppetelli always encouraged him to do his best and cared for his mental health. “She believed in [him] at times that even [he] did not believe in [himself].” Zeng “[looks] up to her so much and “will be forever grateful for [her].”

Other teachers who left a positive impact on Zeng while he

attended MHS were Maggie Giberson, his AP lang teacher, as well as Kayla Scheitlin and Gregory Simone. Giberson “taught [him] how to be a better student” and taught him valuable life lessons that he “will carry with [him] into [his] college life.” As for Scheitlin and Simone, they were “the most understanding teachers that [he] ever encountered at Malden High,” as they were “two genuine people who want to see their students succeed.”

Looking back, Zeng is going to miss “so many things about Malden High School,” but most of all the after school culture, rich classroom environments and his “field hockey team who took a chance on [him his] freshman year.” The team made his high school experience “so much easier and [allowed him to meet] an incredible group of people that all taught [him] so much about [himself], the sport itself, and what a supportive team looks like.”

While looking at colleges, Zeng knew he “wanted to venture outside [his] comfort zone more,” as well as continuing to “[grow his] involvement in the Greater Boston community.” The qualities he looked for in schools included “[the encouragement of] intersectionality within a robust student culture,” and school communities that “[celebrate] the different identities of its student population.” He “wanted to hear students talk passionately about their interests and see their own passion drive their motivation,” as well as “to be surrounded by other students who can inspire [him] to think in different ways and to challenge [his] ideas, giving [him] an opportunity to grow and reflect.”

In the fall, Zeng will be attending Tufts University as part of the Class of 2025. While Tufts was not initially his top choice, Zeng decided to commit to the school after seeing the “countless amount of opportunities” offered in their community.

After attending their fly-in program, Voices, he “absolutely fell in love with the school. It had checked off all [of his] boxes.” He is not completely decided, but as of right now plans to double major in biopsychology and

civics studies with a potential peace and justice studies track, as well as a minor in education or Asian American studies.

As for his future career, he is ”not entirely sure [what he wants to do]... but [he is] gravitating towards exploring the education field in some capacity, [such] as a social science teacher.” He feels that “as a teacher, it [would be his] responsibility to make sure that [his] classroom is a channel for students to apply what they are learning with the real world.” Zeng believes that “education is at the core of society, and we need to make sure that educators, especially [Black, Indigineous, and person of color] educators, are at the forefront of the classrooms because they bring so much valuable experience that are oftentimes overlooked.“ “To current high school students, [Zeng’s] biggest advice would be to put yourself out there.”

Once you do, opportunities and doors begin to open for you. “Don’t be afraid to reach for your dreams and do not let anyone get in the way of your own success. If you want to do something, just do it.“ Zeng wanted to take this opportunity to “highlight the work that Ecobility has been doing this past year during the midst of the pandemic because [he feels] that they deserve all the recognition in the world!” He also wants to give a “HUGE shoutout to this year’s Science National Honor Society officers. Hossam, Juliana, Sarah, and Krishi - you are all awesome and thank you for following along this crazy ride this past year. [He] appreciates you all so so so much. And a very special thank you to Mr. Simone, [the] wonderful SNHS advisor, because he has always been there for the club from the start and he has worked so hard to make SNHS become so successful.”

As he leaves Malden High to start a new chapter in his life, Zeng is “feeling a breath of relief” after realizing that he had finally made it. He is excited to begin his studies at Tufts in the fall and “explore [his] interests, both old and new ones.”

Photo submitted by Zeng.

Photo submitted by Zeng.

Photo submitted by Zeng.

Photo submitted by Zeng.

The Blue and Gold June 2021

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Salutatorian: Jiaqi Ye Kaoutar Wakaf Lead Reporter

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iaqi Ye, a senior at Malden High School, graduated at the top of her class as the salutatorian. Ye will be starting a new chapter in her life at UMass Amherst. She will be major-

Jiaqi Ye’s school portrait. Photo submitted by James Valente.

ing in computer science in hopes of one day becoming a software developer.

In her free time, Ye likes to read a lot of fantasy and sci-fi. She also likes to draw, play board games and card games, and bake. In addition, Ye likes writing as it helps her relax after a long day.

Reflecting on her overall high school experience, Ye thinks “it was all worth it and definitely a time [she’ll] look back on fondly”.

She added, “the most memorable [experiences], [were] the simple ones: hanging out with friends in the nearly empty cafeteria as fourth lunch [came] to an end; walking out the side door after after-school activities are done and seeing the stars already in the sky; talking and laughing with friends in the big study”.

Ye feels proud that her hard work paid off and she is very thankful for her great teachers, supportive family, and friends who helped her get to where she is now. Ye said the faculty member who had the biggest

impact on her was Paul Marques, a teacher she had for three years. She explained that if it weren’t for him and his classes, she would’ve never considered computer science as a future career path. Because Marques’s classes helped her figure out what she wants from a career, she is especially thankful for having him as a teacher.

At first, Ye didn’t think it matters whether or not she ended high school in the top ten, but now she realizes that it doesn’t just represent good grades; it also shows dedication to putting in the effort and also perseverance. She adds, “Sometimes [she got] so caught up in the work that [she forgets] to feel good about it, so it’s a nice thing to remind [her] of how far [she has] come and how lucky [she is].”

Although Ye admitted, “the most difficult part [of high school] was finding the inner strength to keep going since [she] sometimes felt tired and stressed from school and personal issues, [she likes] to think that it all [worked] out in the

end, that there’s going to be lows in life, but there’ll also be highs”. She said this sort of mentality helped [her] get through hard times and stay optimistic.

Now that Jiaqi has finished high school she remembers how fast it all went by, and how as a freshman and sophomore she would get lost in the halls. And now, after what seems like only a minute, she’s done!

On that account, she advises underclassmen to “enjoy the journey” as that is what she has learned to do over the years, as a high school student. Ye further states, “[she] used to be so focused on [her goals] that [she would] forget to appreciate what [she] already [has]. If [you are] always looking at the future, [you will] never notice the things around you now. And then, when [you are] in the future, [you will] still be looking forward. The present will rush by in a blink of an eye, so enjoy it while it lasts, but don’t be sad when it’s over, since there’ll be more journeys to come.”

Orator: Jacob Pettigrew person in general.”

Social activism clubs such as Malden Students for Racial Equity or a long time, Jacob Pettigrew and Feminism Club “activism works cared and “had a lot of pride” I have been feeling very fulfilled by, about his class rank position. How- especially as of recent. Something I ever, throughout his high school have been really focusing on. Somejourney his perspective on his class thing I want to continue to do, a new ranking, and education as a whole, found passion.”

In addition, Pettigrew was an has evolved. Pettigrew will be graduating as the 3rd ranked student, active member of the Malden High according to Grade Point Average, Band and a member of the varsity amongst around 400 other students swim team, both for all four years.

Even when at times Pettigrew of the graduating class of 2021.

During his four years at Mal- may have been leading some groups, den High, Pettigrew is most proud there are people “that come in with of the communities he has built in really interesting perspectives or and out of school. Communities information. They are interesting such as Super Smash Bros Club or people and [he] can learn a lot from Hardware Club were “very impact- them.” Through his involvement in ful for [him] as a student and as a his extracurriculars Pettigrew was able to “be part of something larger than [himself] and work with people [he] may not get to work with in other situations.”

A good example is chemistry teacher Gregory Simone. While Pettigrew was never taught chemistry specifically from Simone, he did become what Pettigrew describes as a “a mentor and a friend.”

Simone has been “really influential [his] development, in [his] extracurricular, and in facilitating spaces where [Pettigrew] could flourish.”

Pettigrew describes band director Erin Mazza as “a constant over [his] last four years.” As he grew durJacob Pettigrew and his cat, Hoot. Photo sub- ing the years and got to know mitted by Pettigrew.

Mazza, [she has] become “a Sandra Rivadeneira Print Editor-In-Chief

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person [he] can confide in, a person fresh perspective, and more energy [he] can converse with, and a per- to dive into studies.” son I trust and really value at the With his experiences about the school.” pressure students experience during Being a Top Ten is a large their adolescence years, Pettigrew achievement, earned over many reminds students to “do what [they] hours of studying, hard work and can, that is good enough.” While he dedication. Although it got Pet- is proud of this accomplishment, tigrew “to the point where [he is],” and many others during his high once reflecting over the last four school years, it was not always the years he recognizes that he “did easiest and most fun experience. For more than I could.” This led to a de- Pettigrew, “high school more than veloping an new relationship with anything has been a place to grow, his mental health” whether it be educationally, socially The most difficult part of high or physically is up to you but it’s the school for Pettigrew was the expec- best facilitator for that growth.” As tations that he places upon himself. he departs Malden High and begins Through his experience with “the an even more exciting part of his stresses and anxieties that came life, he’s taking as many positives from trying to perform the best that from [his] high school experience as [he] could and maintain a high aca- [he] can.” demic standard” has gained a new perspective on “education moving forward, and how [he] will view education going into college.”

Pettigrew has decided to take a gap year, “with a focus on understanding meditations and breath.” He hopes that his journey will “take [him] to a bunch of cool places around the world, meeting new people, and learning a lot about the breath and how it impacts our body, our health and our mind,” and the trip would culminate in studying in a monastery. After that, the following school year he will be attending Tufts University studying Computer Engineering. He hopes that his gap year will allow him to “[come] to college with a Photo submitted by Pettigrew.

Profiles

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The Blue and Gold June 2021

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Number 4: Wendy Tan Krishany Marius Lead Reporter

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endy Tan, a hard-working student at Malden High was ranked at number 4 in her class.

Tan was shocked that she had been placed in the top 10. She was happy and proud of herself because of how hard she tries in her classes and her ranking reflects that.

Tan states that “[she] also knew that placing below top 10 would be a disappointment to [her].” Although

Number 6: Michael Shi

Michael Shi’s school portrait. Photo submitted by James Valente.

Lulu Harding Head of Sports

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Tan is a diligent student and focuses on her academics, Tan came to the realization that when applying for colleges how important it was to pursue a passion something that she loved to do like a hobby, sport, or talent. Yes, grades do matter but they’re not much of a necessity that you need in your life. “[She] thought the most difficult part of high school for [her] was finding the time to do homework, participate in sports and clubs, hang out with friends, and get a good night’s sleep each day,” Tan says.

Balancing everything out in high school can be complicated, especially when you’re trying to have fun while doing it.

Tan felt that her senior year was quick especially since the pandemic and COVID-19 had stopped many things for people, She goes on to say “It felt like [her] senior year passed in a blink of an eye!” Since she could not spend that much time with her friends as much as she would like to and spent most of her year learning remotely.

It also meant spending more time with her family which they did not always see things from her perspective because of how different their mindset was especially when it comes to living in a different generation and having different cultures, Tan believes that “[they] will always stick by each other’s sides.”

She would like to give a thank you to the guidance counselors who helped her throughout the years,

she states that “[she does not] think the excitement of graduating, what the guidance counselors are thanked really surprised her was how much enough, despite working with so she already missed it, “As a kid, many students, they still managed [she] remembered how much [she] to smile each time [she] walked into wanted to grow up. But now that their office or talked to them on [she is] becoming an adult, [she] felt Google Meet.” like clinging to [her] childhood.”

Even when it came to working Tan learned the importance with them, whether it means making of living in the moment, how fast changes to her schedule or helping things go by and how people warn her with the college application pro- you to not let things slip by. Since cess, Tan felt it eased her nerves. She COVID vaccines are out now and says “[she] would like to thank [her] the number of cases is decreasing, freshman guidance counselor, Ms. Tan plans to spend the summer with Belowsky, and the guidance coun- her friends before the fall semester selor [she] had for three years after starts. that, Ms. O’Connor.”

She does not know what she wants to be yet but she knows that she wants to help people for a living, and play a role in people’s lives that will make it easier for them to live better and happier.

Tan states “being a teenager is about finding out who you are as an individual. Explore what you like to do and try not to care about what others will think of you, High school is a different experience and can be hard for many people, find friends who care about you and make you feel comfortable Wendy Tan’s school portrait. Photo submitted by with being yourself” Tan was expecting James Valente.

Number 5: Sheilly Patel

ver 400 students in the Class of 2021, and making it into the Top 10 isn’t an easy accomplishment. For Sheilly Patel, being in the Top 10 of her class “is not just a number, it is a reflection of all of the hard work [she has] put into [her] academics over the past four years of high school.”

Patel states that “[she feels] accomplished and confident with [her] academic abilities right now and going forward in [her] academic career.” While she has spent the past four years working hard in school, some of the most memorable moments Patel has had at Malden High have been during school wide events like pep rallies, as well as “times that [she] had with [her] friends during class time”. She also mentions that for any current student at Malden High, they should “really cherish all the little moments and parts of high school like walking in the halls with your friends and having lunch with them,” because soon enough, they will be walking out the door starting a new, exciting chapter in their life.

Patel says that some of her

biggest achievements in high school have been “everything but academic.” She has been able to lead the Ecobility club as their President over the past two years, and “really create a name for this club within the Malden High School and Malden community”. Additionally, this year Patel has also been able to hold the title of Lead Organizer for Malden High School’s Students For Racial Equity group, now known as MaldenSTAND. In all of her years of high school, “just being able to lead these groups to a place where they can make a difference has been [her] biggest accomplishment.”

Along with these clubs, Patel has also enjoyed volunteering at the Immigrant Learning Center as well as the Peer Tutoring program run by the Malden Teen Center. She says that the Immigrant Learning Center has been a “way to really help [the] community out and do something stably during such uncertain times.”

And although her time as a peer tutor was cut short due to the pandemic, it had always been a place that “[she] looked forward to being a part of every week after school.”

High school has been a long and continuous journey for Patel.

“There were times [when she] was at an all time high, and then others [when she] was very low.” However, she appreciates her experiences on both ends of this spectrum because “the lows taught [her] to appreciate the highs, and the highs led [her] to become who [she is] today.”

Furthermore, she explains how a difficult part of her time at Malden High has been discovering who she is as a person, and figuring out “where [she belongs], what [she likes], and what [she does] well to get [her] to where [she is] currently.” Patel says that she is “not even close” to fully understanding herself or exactly what she wants to do in the future, and “getting started on this journey has been the most difficult part of high school.”

With this being said, after graduating, Patel will be attending the College of Arts and Sciences at Boston University as a Biology major. She hopes that during her time there, “[she] can really explore [her] options within the Biology field in much greater depth, and really find [her] niche for [her] future career there.” Additionally, she is looking forward to becoming more involved in helping the environment and con-

tinuing to advocate for racial equity within the larger community that she will soon be joining.

“As high school comes to an end for [her], [she is] very excited to get out and meet new people, and learn more about the world and the beautiful city of Boston from a closer point of view,” Patel explains. “[She is] also very excited to see what life has in store for [her] going forward, and how much [she has] yet to grow and learn about [herself].”

Sheilly Patel’s school portrait. Photo submitted by James Valente.

Profiles

The Blue and Gold June 2021

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Number 7: Kenny Luong Sandra Li Managing Editor enny Luong graduates from the Class of 2021 and leaves Malden High with gaining valuable experiences. Even despite ranking at the top of his class, Luong remains humble as he does not “quantify [his] ranking in correlation to [his] successes as a student.”

Reflecting back on his high school experience, Luong found that as an incoming freshman he came into high school believing that he “could do anything,” as a result setting these unrealistic expectations.

However, now that his high school experience is coming to an end, Luong has learned to “focus on what you are passionate about” and that it is fine to experiment during those four years because ultimately, what matters most is to “feel confident in yourself when the time is right.”

During his time at MHS, Luong participated in various extracurriculars including Outdoor and Indoor Track and Key Club. He found that one of the more memorable moments would have to be his volunteering experience in clubs. Luong explained that not only do you have the opportunity to spend time with your friends, you can also contribute to some active work.

Leaving MHS, Luong will miss the diversity that the school encompasses. He believes that the diver-

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sity has enabled him to recognize the importance in learning from different perspectives because “we all have a story to tell” and it is significant to take into “consideration situations that we do not think of on a daily basis.”

In the fall, Luong will be attending Tufts University. As of right now, he is leaning towards majoring in Biology as he took an interest in science-based classes because Luong found that with these classes, there is always a “specific order to follow” where “you can always make something out of that order,” therefore Luong is looking forward to exploring the field in the future.

Kenny Luong’s school portrait. Photo submitted by James Valente.

Number 8: Fabrice Brudent Carlos Aragon Managing Editor of Print and Deisgn

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hroughout his high school year, Fabrice Brudent performed quite well. However, to him, his class ranking is really just a number; he’s not really focused on comparing himself to others, mostly just “doing what’s best for [him].” The first couple of years he was a bit fixated on it, but he noticed his rank was quite consistent, and eventually, he just focused on performing well.

For him, “being Top 10 is cool” but that’s all it really is.

Brudent feels that his teacher Mr. Berryman really helped him out, academically speaking. It was one of the only classes he “consistently getting B’s in, which was really terrifying to [him].” Berryman helped him realized that he should be focused on content learning a bit more and less so on the grade itself, and he had to go after school for help consistently. In terms of his mental health, he felt that Ms. Alexis and Ms. Giberson really helped him due to the fact that in Photo sumbitted by Brudent.

Number 9: Trang Number 10: Tranh Ngo T

rang Tranh Ngo graduates as number 9 in the class of 2021.

She was a recipient of the POSSE scholarship but turned it down to attend Princeton University. She will double major in ecology and evolutionary biology. She hopes to become a biologist one day and “learn more about the natural world as well as finding ways to protect it.”

Ranking in the top 10 was “a bit of a surprise [to her] because [she hadn’t] thought much about where [she] stands in [her] class after [her] acceptance to Princeton.”

Ngo was part of the Peer Tutoring program, Science National Honors Society, Arts & Crafts Club, Southeast Asian Club, and did some Trang Tranh Ngo’s school portrait. Photo sub- volunteer work outside of mitted by James Valente. school.

Lauren Mallett Managing Editor of Print and Design

his English classes, “[he] spent a lot of time focusing on essay writing” and wasn’t getting a lot of sleep as a result. “Those classes really taught [him] that [he] needs to be looking at [himself] mentally and as [he] slept more, [he] saw [his] grades improve.”

Brudent hasn’t really thought too far ahead, although he plans on attending Northeastern and becoming a nurse later on.

Andrew Hoang

Andrew Hoang’s school portrait. Photo submitted by James Valente.

Local News

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maldenblueandgold.com

Continued from page 1. cess. Throughout the entirety of the production, hosts Jason Ong, Tivian Nguyen, and Whitney Jean Baptiste went on an adventure searching for a missing painting.

It was incredibly comedic and engaging, with guest appearances from the CO ‘22 advisor Dan Jurkowski and Art Coordinator Tony Giech. According to JV Coordinator Mayada Giha, the original script featured a segment featuring “Blinding Lights” by The Weeknd, but was scrapped and rewritten in a day, although “[they] had to rewrite the script a few times because ideas kept changing.” For example, originally, Nedlam was supposed to steal the painting and the painting would have been the CO’22’s funds. Host Whitney Jean stated that they wanted to “spice [the show] up” which is what led to them parodying the famous “I Want it That Way” scene from the TV Series Brooklyn 99. Jurkowski was involved in the bit, and he stated that he was a bit nervous, fearing that he would “forget [his line], and just completely bomb the skit” although he did end up having fun with it and was glad that the crowd loved it as well In addition to the riveting story, the quality, production, and professionalism were amazing. CO ’22 Vice President Sarah Oliveira stated that due to COVID limiting their fundraising opportunities, “tickets had to be more expensive than usual.” With this, Oliveira and Nguyen thought that they should try and make the show a bit better and achieve a “Met Gala look.” They set a budget and with it, they bought lanterns, a red carpet, and just did whatever they could to capture the Met Gala vibe. Oliveira added that “It was

Photos by Carlos Aragon and Brandon Wong.

very much made of spur of the moment decisions, in an attempt to capture [our] vision, which [is] a reinvented JV’s.” Alongside the decorations, Oliveira was also in charge of figuring out seating and ticket arrangements. Confirmation emails were sent out to get confirmation numbers, and those were used to check-in at the door.

Oliveira described the seating as restaurant-style, where you “come in, tell [them] how many people, and [they] seat you where it’s available.”

Despite technical difficulties at the start, the show started off quite well with Gabriella Frois (who sang in last year’s show) opening by singing “Mama Knows Best” by Jessie J. In addition to her energetic performance and amazing vocals, the use of lighting in her act was phenomenal. According to Nie, they sort of just “played around with [the lights]” and looked for whatever fit best for each act. Factors like brightness, color, and positioning were all taken into consideration for each act.

Next, pianist Donald Ford, performed “Pure Imagination”, originally sung by Gene Wilder.

Ford stated that he chose the song due to its use in a Glee episode since he felt the moment was incredibly emotional. At first, he expressed that it was quite challenging, to the point where “it took [him] a day to learn just a few seconds,” but as time went on he began to get the hang of it. He also said that performing up on the stage reminded him of why he loves being a pianist, stating that “quarantine made [him] forget how it feels to perform, so going back up felt amazing.” Ford’s act was driven by the sense of wonder that the song holds, and the cloudy

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background projected behind him only heightened this. In addition to Ford, both Massimiliano Lam and Alyssa Littlejohn played classical music pieces, Rachmaninoff and Chopin, respectively.

Another notable act was Micaela Henry singing “Leave Me Lonely” by Ariana Grande and Macy Grey. In addition to this, Henry also performed with the All’gether One’gether Step Team.

Captain Christine Pierre-Rene stated that “they wanted to leave a statement or impact” so they ended up going with security guards, which also tied it to the police brutality protests that went on last May. Pierre added that this was the first time the team was “actively trying to incorporate the show’s theme into their act.” The complexity of their performance is undeniable with the use of lighting, switching colors, warmth, and intensity. After Friday’s show, there was a heartwarming moment where the captains were given surprise graduation gifts. Pierre stated that “[she] was so confused” since she was ready to walk off after the act. Traditionally, team captains get their solo at the end, but Pierre believed that “[she] didn’t need a captain’s solo because [she] felt the statement [they] were making was bigger than that.” Henry added that they had a “secret group chat” to coordinate the moment.

There were a total of four dance routines throughout the night, the first one being Leila Imani dancing to “War of Hearts”

by Ruelle. A bit after, CO ’22 Social Media Coordinator Lauren Mallett (who is also our Managing Editor of Print) danced to “Bring Me To Life” by Evanescence. The third was Suiyenah Chen dancing to a medley featuring “Superlove“ by Tinashe and “Black Mamba” by

Photos by Carlos Aragon and Brandon Wong.

Aespa, among other songs. The penultimate act was Antonia Bilodeau dancing to Ember Island’s cover of “Creep” by Radiohead.

In addition to Frois and Henry, many other singers flexed their vocal skills during the show.

Leila Imani performed for a second time with Christine Dumo, in a duet singing “Minefields” by John Legend and Faouzia. Luana Paniago accompanied not one but two singers during the show, the first being Kearah Gomes singing “Never Enough” by Loren Allred, and during the final act, Isabella Geronimo singing “Falling” by Harry Styles. In addition to this, Oliveira performed “Put Your Head on My Shoulder” by Paul Anka, which she chose due to the fact that it would highlight the lower range of her voice. In addition to this, she wanted to create a “warm atmosphere” to set the mood, which she achieved not only with the song but with the stage lighting as well.

The return of JV’s really symbolized the return to normalcy for Malden High and its students.

For over a year the community has been stuck at home and just recently the MHS doors have opened up. The process has been slow but it’s likely that the end is near. Nie stated that “it represents the school quite highly so [they] wanted something inspirational, and to keep the bar high.” Even the storyline was linked to this idea as the hosts solving a mystery “represents us jumping over hurdles.”

Nie added that the ending where they discovered they found the wrong painting was meant to signify that “our obstacles are never going to end, there’s still gonna be hurdles, but we can still overcome them,” which was incredibly poetic.

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Photos by Chaimaa Assli and Krishany Marius.

The Blue and Gold June 2021

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Photos by Chaimaa Assli and Krishany Marius.

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Community Vigil Honoring Victims of Anti-Asian Violence Chaimaa Assli Lead Reporter

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ll across the country, people have been affected by antiAsian hate. On March 16, 2021 there was a shooting in Atlanta, Georgia in which eight lives were lost due to anti-Asian hate. On Friday, March 26th, over 150 people from all over the community of Malden gathered for a candle lighting vigil to honor the victims of the Atlanta Shooting that targeted Asian American women.

Many Asian Americans are afraid to go out alone in fear of being targeted. Maddie Lam, one of the lead organizers of the event, said that it is “scary for [her] to walk [her] Malden community members brought signs to the community vigil. Photo subdog or just be outside in general.” mitted by Keren He. She wanted her voice to be heard in the Malden community so she made a post on Facebook on a group called Malden Neighbors Helping Neighbors and told people how she felt. She just wanted the community to know that “Asian folks are worthy and that [they are] beautiful and that [they] deserve love.”

Karen Colon Hayes, a member of Malden Community Organizing for Racial Equity (Malden CORE), reached out to Lam and proposed the idea of a vigil. Lam was willing to volunteer and organize the vigil. She was in very close coordination with the Greater Malden Asian American Community Coalition (GMAACC) and Malden CORE. Lam said “it would not have Malden community members brought signs to the community vigil. Photo subhappened if [she] did not have the mitted by Keren He. mentorship nor the collaboration with GMAACC.” At the event, Lam sang a song she wrote called “Moonwomen” because she feels that Asian women have such a deep connection to the moon. For Lam “singing is a way of saying to the world that our voices matter especially as an Asian American woman.” A lot of her songs center on self-expression and full expression as a way to “honor not only [her] ancestors but the inner child that is the artist as well as being resilient to the systems of oppression.”

For her, this song Peter Huang from the Mass Action Senior Council (MASC) gives a speech. Photo submitted by “came from a Keren He. place of really

deep pain and really deep anger because of systems of oppression.”

Lam stated that these systems of oppression do not just affect people who look like her or black people or undocumented people but they can impact anyone, they can even impact white people. “They too become traumatized from being oppressors.”

The main goal for the vigil was to create a space for people to come together to heal and to be in solidarity against systems of oppression that impacts not only the Asian American community but also many people globally as well.

Lam is “proud of how people came up and showed up and [she is] really grateful that people wanted to show up for the event.”

Hayes is a member of a lot of community organizations and is a candidate for the city council. For this event, she was with Malden CORE. She wanted to help raise Lam’s voice and the voices of Asian American groups here. Hayes explained that “[her] job was to be there for [Lam] 100% from beginning to end.” The main organizers were Malden CORE and GMAACC and they reached out to other organizations like the Arab women’s Association and the North shore Hispanic Association and other groups for support.

Hayes expressed that she “loved” the event and that she thought the candle lighting was beautiful. She said “everybody quietly came up the steps and placed them there, that was so moving.”

Hayes said that Lam was her 100% focus. She made sure Lam was supported and that she was not nervous, she was right there so that she could focus and concentrate on what she needed to do. Hayes held a practice session in her backyard and explained that she was amazed by her singing. “She brought [her] to tears in [her] yard and to tears at the event.”

Keren He, an intern for Urban Media Arts, attended the candle lighting vigil as a photographer. She felt that the event was a very well organized and well-prepared event.

She thought that “the whole scenery was beautiful and the music was on point and the prayer made by pastor Emily was also on point.” He was very impressed with the speakers from Malden High. She also thought that Mandy Sun gave a very powerful speech.

Billy Zeng is a Senior at Malden High, a youth board member and a youth leader of GMAACC. GMAACC was looking for youth representatives to speak at the event and he agreed to do it. At first, Zeng was a little hesitant because he was not sure what would happen at

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Members of the community each lit a candle at the event in honor of the victims.

Photo submitted by Keren He. the event. He was afraid that there would be another anti-Asian attack.

Zeng wanted to make a difference and share his voice which is why he decided to do the speech.

To Zeng, it was really inspiring to see the community get together for the event and he thought that the “collectiveness has a lot of power to it.” Zeng has been trying to stay off of social media because all the posts and the infographics have been very bad for his mental health. He tends to look on the positive side and he is “super appreciative of [his] GMAACC community and family.”

He said “organizing with them has been really great because it really gave [him] the space to celebrate [his] Asian American identity” and going forward he wants to use his identity to influence community perspectives and do work in Malden.

Sammi Nie, a Junior at Malden High and also a member of Malden High for Racial Equity, gave a speech at the vigil about her experience as an Asian American. In her speech, she said “[they] are fighting against the force of hate with the power of love.” She also urged people to “continue to disrupt the practices that divide and villainize [them]” she also wants to remind everyone to “keep moving forward, acknowledge that the evils [they] are experiencing are just a small retaliation against just the beginning of a vigorous movement.”

At first, Nie was very nervous about the event. She did not know what to write for her speech because she did not know how to put “[her] feelings and [her] experience and [her] history into this little speech.”

With the help of a friend, she was able to piece everything together.

Nie believes that “justice is on the precipice.”

Jenny Hsi, a staff member of GMAACC, thought that the event went really well. Hsi is actually not from Malden and this is the first time she got to see the community members show up to support this event.

There were people of all ages and of all racial and ethnic backgrounds coming together. She thinks that the two main purposes for the event were to have an event where people can come together and be able to grieve collectively and honor the victims but also to have the oppor-

The event was ended with a drumming piece by Wah Lum. Photo submitted by Keren He.

tunity to call community members to action. Hsi said she felt “very encouraged to see so many people show up and show their dedication” and she appreciates all the support from the Malden community and them showing up to recognize the seriousness and severity of this issue.

As a closing address at the vigil, the GMAACC encouraged people to keep being aware and to keep committing to taking action to address racism in the community. Hsi said “even as individuals, [people] can do a lot just by joining forces with local community groups for exMaddie Lam is one of the lead organizers for the event. Photo submitted by ample both GMAACC and Malden Keren He. CORE.” The GMAACC continues to host programs of various kinds that try to address anti racist issues including providing support to education reform efforts. The GMAACC and Malden CORE are connected with a group called Malden High Students for Racial Equity and they want to provide community based support for everything they are doing in the school because they understand how hard it could be to push for reform when the system is not necessarily the most responsive.

The event was co-sponsored

by Asian American Resource Workshop (AARW), Asian Community Development Corporation (ACDC), Asian Task Force Against Domestic Violence (ATASK), Boston The community watches the drumming by Wah Lum. Photo submitted by Keren Chinatown Neighborhood Center He. (BCNC), Chinese Culture Connection (CCC), Chinese Progressive Association (CPA), Greater Boston Legal Services Asian Outreach Unit (GBLS), First Lutheran Church Malden, First Parish UUA Church Malden, Just Us Somerville, Malden Neighbors Helping Neighbors (MNHN), Malden Police Alternatives and Accountability (MPAA), Mass Senior Action Council (MASC), Mystic Valley Progressives, NAACP, Mystic Valley Branch and National Asian Pacific Women’s Forum - Boston (NAPAWF Billy Zeng (left), Enzo Nie (middle), and Mandy Sun (right) were three of the youth speakers at the vigil. Photo submitted by Keren He. Boston).

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Boys Soccer

Alexey Mozyaev Reporter

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his year, the Malden High Boys Soccer team started their soccer season close to the end of the school year in April, rather than the usual start of the season in September.

There have been a lot of changes to the team this year where some of the current senior players that played last year did not return to play this season due to COVID-19, family circumstances and busy work schedules. Head Coach Jeremiah Smith came in for the season with “little expectation,” but “taking each game seriously.” Anything could have been expected from the players after a year and a half break.

Some losing their shape, and some “being a little uncomfortable with the ball.”

The last season the Boys Soccer team played was during the fall of 2019. That season in particular was not a successful year for the team, as they finished their season with six wins, 10 losses and two draws which is an unusual record for the team compared to their previous season (fall of 2018), where they

Lulu Harding Head of Sports

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finished record of 10 wins, only five losses, and three draws, all the while qualifying for the State Championship Cup. This Soccer season has been different from any other season that the Soccer team has ever played.

The season is only one month long.

The team can only hold 20 players instead of 25 players. COVID-19 regulations have been imposed for the safety of all players on the field. Heading the ball is no longer possible, and so is touching the ball with your hands. Tackling the players of the opposing team is also not permitted. There are now a limited number of players in the wall during free kicks and masks are to be worn at all times.

“It was a little challenging to get accustomed to the regulations in the beginning,” said Senior Captain Frederick Correa, “but not impossible.” In the first two games of the season, the Soccer team neither lost nor won. The next three games looked more successful than the previous game, and the team won three games in a row. One of them was a 6-1 victory over Chelsea High School.

A long break was only in favor for the returning players of the team.

Even though it might have seemed that there was a long gap between the two seasons and the constant doubts of whether the soccer season is happening at all, the team came back strong, as they took time to practice and train on their own.

Aman Chhetri, one of the captains on the team, said that “a lot of players from the team showed up to captain practices,” adding that they

“played with confidence and quickly moved into our starting line-up.” “[She] had fun, [but] it was hard being a freshman and playing for varsity,” Colon explained. “[Colon] had to push [herself] to be better because [she] was playing at a higher level and [she] had to prove to [everyone] that [she] can play at varsity level being a freshman.”

Marino also believes that the most improved player this season by far was sophomore guard Maritza Ramos-Perez. He expressed that “[Ramos-Perez] gained confidence as the year progressed. She shot the basketball with accuracy and was always one of the best players on the court.” Additionally, senior forward Kaitlyn Mini “stepped up and was the team’s leading rebounder.”

Besides having less practice time, another major adjustment that the girls had to adapt to this year was wearing masks. Like any other sport being played this year, masks were mandatory to wear during every practice and game. Although this took a bit of adjusting, Marino stated that the girls were able to quickly “pull through this challenge.”

Colon agrees that wearing a mask during games was one of the hardest challenges. She explained that she adapted to this new adjustment by “pushing [herself] at practice,” and while “it was hard because [she has] asthma...that [did not] stop [her] from [reaching her] goal.” On top of this, adapting to the “different rules and the spacing [they] had to have between people” was another factor introduced by

COVID-19, so “[they] had to adapt to the new changes.”

However, despite these new COVID-19 protocols, the team was able to adapt really well. With every protocol being strictly and successfully followed, Marino said that “the girls became an even closer group given all of the obstacles. Everyone quickly realized that the game of basketball was important to play” despite these “new rules/protocols in place.” Marino gives a lot of credit to Malden High School’s trainer Jennifer Sturtevant and athletic director Charlie Conefrey in helping to “ease the anxiety in getting a basketball season to occur.”

This year, the Girls Varsity Basketball team was also able to improve tremendously compared to last year. Malden averaged 40 points per game this season, up from the 32 points per game scored the season prior. On the court, Alayan stated that everyone really “stepped up as players offensively,” and “[the] girls just improved a lot during offseason.”

Colon adds that they were especially good at working together.

“At first it was hard because [they did not] really know each other, but [they] started to realize [that is] what [they] needed to win.” Coming together as a team was important this year, especially with the limitations and challenges the team faced with the modified season. As Alayan sums up, “the team came together as a family pretty naturally.”

While the season went well overall, the girls also recognize that there is always room for improve-

always brought intensity and always put in effort. Chhetri believes that the reason why the team is playing so well this year is because “of [their] communication and relationship within the field and outside of it.” Most of the players would always get together and play “footy” or just hang out around Malden. “[They] are not just a team but also friends that enjoy the beautiful game of soccer” said Chhetri.

Freshman Donald Anthony Wright (left) with his senior teammate Marckley Narcisse (right). Photo by Alexey Mozyaev.

Girls Basketball

ven with a shortened season of only six games this year, Malden High School’s Girls Varsity Basketball Team still succeeded to end the season with a record of 3-3.

This year, the team was led by junior co-captains Nevaeh Cherilus and Yasmine Alayan. According to coach Scott Marino, both captains “gave everything that they could possibly give on the court” throughout the season, and were “leaders on both offense and defense.” With Cherilus averaging 14 points per game and Alayan averaging 12 points, these girls were able to help lead the team to a successful season.

Alayan stated that “as a captain, [she] had to check in on players more, make sure everyone was feeling good, and talk [to the] girls through the season.” Given the current circumstances in the world, one of the biggest changes for the girls was adapting to the new schedule imposed by COVID-19. In previous years, the team would practice six days a week, and this practice time was cut in half to only three days a week. “[The team] missed out on a lot of learning opportunities and [they] lost a lot of [their] returning girls, but [the] underclassman who never played before really came through, it was just an adjustment,” explained Alayan.

One underclassman in particular who really stood out this season was freshman guard Angelina Colon. Marino remarked that Colon

ment. Alayan expressed that one thing the team looks to work on for next year is stronger communication in the court. “There were too many times when the court was silent and we screwed on transitions on defense that was due to [lack of] communication.”

Marino brings up something else that the team tried to address throughout the season was the lack of size and rebounding. “Not having a consistent scorer was a problem when the team needed a basket or two down the stretch. While this was the case, the girls also “learned how to play with smaller players” and “really improved their scoring totals,” leading to their success.

According to Marino, “as a coach, [he] was very proud of [the] girls and how they persevered through new challenges both on and off the basketball court. [He] thought that [the] girls were eager to play, understanding of the new rules of engagement, and accepting of new challenges.” Although he wishes that they could have played more games and had a complete season, he believes that the Malden High School Girls Basketball Program is “in a position to compete for a Greater Boston League Championship and beyond.”

Overall, Marino expressed that he is “excited that every girls basketball player in Malden has bought into being more competitive than the boys. Exciting times are ahead for the Malden High School Girls Basketball Program. All of the credit goes to the Girls of Malden High School.”

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Field Hockey

Girls Volleyball Members of the volleyball team celebrating a good play. Picture taken by Hadjar Yousfi. la Preston, a senior who mentioned Hadjar Yousfi that because of this “[it is] harder to Lead Reporter stay positive, even when [the team arlier last month the much-an- is] down.” Preston also added that ticipated girls volleyball season just having each other around is began. Due to the current situation great because “with the girls on the with COVID-19, the experience has sidelines [they are able to] keep each been slightly different for the play- other up.” ers. But overall, the requirements for COVID has not stopped the the safety of the students are seen as team from bonding and getting to “reasonable,” by Nyandang Yak, a know each other more personally. sophomore at Malden High School, Meryem Hakkaoui, a sophomore who also mentioned that overall, student, admits that it is a “new volleyball has not changed much feeling to play with girls [she] never because it “[is not] really a contact played with before, especially since

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[there are] a lot of freshmen.” To Hakkaoui it is important to see how the others work as a team player, because that “signifies [to her] who they are as a person, ” which is why she and a lot of the others rely a lot on “practice times [... to get to] know each other.”

Currently the team is winning, which Jurkowski mentioned “always makes things more enjoyable.” All in all the team is just glad to be back, and are enjoying each other’s company, and as Hakkaoui mentioned “especially during COVID.” Thankfully for new players it is easy to adapt Players Corinne Holness and Marla Candido into the team with a group block a play from the opposing team. Picture of girls that, as Preston mentaken by Hadjar Yousfi. sport.” tioned, are “going to treat you like Head Coach Dan Jurkowski [you have] been [there] forever.” mentioned that “there was certainly Although the season has been cut an adjustment period” for the play- down to a short amount of time ers but they seem used to the chang- Hakkoui hopes that next year when es by now. As a whole, he assumes they come back “[they] can be an that they are “enjoying the season.” even better team.”

Though different all the girls seemed to agree that they were enjoying it. Corinne Holness, a freshman who is new to the Malden High School Volleyball team, mentioned that the season has “been really, really good.” Even though there have been “a lot of new different things,” for her to experience here at Malden High School.

Of course keeping morale up can be somewhat of an issue especially since as Isabella Ivy, a Sophomore, mentioned they can only “allow so many people in the gym at one time.” Jurkowski added that he “[misses] the fans the most.”

Due to COVID restrictions “each player only gets one family member for [their] home games.”

This of course can disap- Senior Melissa Tan preparing for a serve. point players, some like Makay- Picture taken by Hadjar Yousfi.

The Malden High Field Hockey team posing for a photo after their 3-0 victory over Revere. Photo taken by Julie Yu. Sandra Rivadeneira Print Editor in Chief

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he field hockey season is in full swing, the team with a current score of four wins and zero loses.

Usually a fall season sport, this year field hockey games take place during the springtime, after a switch with high schools sports in accommodation to how the city adjusts with COVID-19 guidelines.

During a year where many

team will only play two teams during their season, Revere and Everett.

Senior Ronald Batista, sees that the team understands that “without all of these precautions [they] would not be able to have the chance to play this season,” regardless it makes the experience different. “[It is] a lot harder to be able to celebrate with the team after a win.”

Batista explained that the team used to hug and jump on each other all

students are choosing to opt out of playing sports this season, senior Bonnie Kuang, one of the field hockey team captains, explains how the MIAA guidelines make her “feel safe enough to play.” She sees that the necessary precautions have “not affected how much [she enjoys] the season.”

Senior Elaine Du, another one of the team’s captains, has played on the field hockey team since her freshman year. However, when it came to the decision of playing this season, she had to look at all the logistics. Senior Kenny Nguyen running after Revere Defen“Of course, [it is her] sive player. Photo taken by Julie Yu. senior year, [she] really wanted the the time,” however due to not being experience,” Du explained before able to be in too close of a proximity making her decision to participate to each other, that is not an option. this season she “wanted to make “COVID has really separated sure everything was safe for the [them] and [they have not seen] season.” each other in a long time,” Du said.

In addition to having to play While team bonding used to include with masks on and socially distant pasta parties, Batista shared that practices, a field hockey game is they “[are not] really able to do that now divided into four quarters considering the circumstances,” rather than two halves. According to nevertheless they do their best to MIAA regulations, only seven mem- “try to get to know each other in difbers of a team can be playing on the ferent ways.” field at a time, a change from what Kuang agrees that regardless used to be eleven players on a field of the circumstances the team is ”an per team. In order to be able control amazing group of people who make a breakout if a student were infected a positive mood.” Despite some with COVID-19, the field hockey hardships in adapting to their new

Senior Bonnie Kuang fending off a Revere Defensive player.

Photo taken by Julie Yu.

and limited ways of playing and celebrating, the field hockey team is on a winning streak and it is looking like an excellent final season for the seniors.

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Tradition Continued: Malden vs. Medford Game Daniel O’Toole Reporter

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fter last week’s scrimmage vs Somerville and Chelsea, it is time to start playing actual football.

On Saturday, May 8th, the matchup that was due for Thanksgiving, but was unfortunately cancelled due to COVID-19, was held at Macdonald Stadium. Malden vs Medford is an all time classic rivalry going back to the first game being played in 1883.

Only this time around, the game was not played on Thanksgiving and rather an overcast afternoon in May. In the days leading up to the game, Malden High Football Head Coach Steve Freker stated that “[it has] been a challenging season in a lot of ways, but the players have been very diligent in following the safety and health protocols and are excited to have any type of a football season” and added that “[their] season is short, but it has still be been a great experience and the best way for [the] senior players to finish their careers.”

Unlike the scrimmage from last week, the game was played out closer to a traditional football game: there is a kickoff, punting, penalties, kicking extra points after a touchdown, timeouts, actual tackling, cheerleaders and more aspects that would separate a regular game from a scrimmage.

Medford received the opening kick at the start of the first quarter that was sent by Malden’s kicker Ronald Juarez. Both Malden and Medford had unsuccessful opening drives on offense, but at 5:29 in the

first quarter Medford would open the game, scoring with a touchdown pass followed by a failed 2 point conversion making the score 0-6. Malden’s next drive would start after a good 20 yard return on the kickoff by Junior wide receiver/defensive back Gavin West. However, the start of the drive did not look so good after quarterback Shawn Bartholomew was hit with a tackle for loss (TFL), but Malden recovered with a drive filled with a nice passing game and caped it off by a rushing touchdown from Senior Captain running back Giovani Memeus. After a successful extra point Malden led 7-6. Medford’s next drive at the end of the first quarter was quickly shut down by a great tackle from Senior Captain linebacker and wide receiver Moise Fanfan.

When Medford was about to punt deep in their own territory at the start of the second quarter, a flag on Malden had their drive go on for a little bit longer until the Malden defense stopped them again and forced a punt. Unfortunately Malden’s possession of the ball would be swift after an interception thrown by quarterback Bartholomew after his pass was dropped and tipped up in the air. Medford capitalized on this opportunity by completing a 40 yard screen pass and a quick rushing touchdown followed by another failed 2 point conversion making the score 7-12.

On the kickoff after the Medford touchdown, Medford’s kicker had done what is called an onside kick where he would kick the ball at a weird angle and at a short distance in hopes of getting the ball

back for Medford’s offense quicker than normal. Even though this play is very rarely completed, Medford pulled it off leaving the Malden crowd stunned. With five minutes left until halftime, Medford quickly drove down the field by completing a 47 yard deep pass and later with 0:03 left on the clock they scored on a short touchdown pass in the back corner of the endzone. Yet again Medford opted for a 2 point conversion and it was unsuccessful making the score 7-18 going into halftime.

Down 7-18 at the start of the third quarter, Malden knew they had to score now before the game got too out of hand to make a comeback down 11 points. The plan for the next drive was simple, give the ball to Memeus. With a mix of power runs that would set up the playaction pass, Memeus would run right at the defenders that were in his way including a nice truck move for 10 yards and a crucial 12 yard run on 3rd & 8 to keep the drive alive.

Memeus’ effort would be rewarded with another rushing touchdown, his second of the game. Malden would go with the extra point try after the touchdown which was good making the score 14-18.

Medford took the kickoff 20 yards, setting them in a good position to start their drive. After a TFL by lineback Fanfan, Medford pulled off a play that left everybody stunned.

Malden brought good pressure, but Medford’s quarterback was able to escape it and started running in the open field leading to making a few defenders miss their tackles and scampering in for a 53 yard rushing touchdown. Finally trying for the

extra point, Medford had missed the kick making the score 14-24.

Going into the fourth quarter, Malden knew they had to act fast in order to either win the game or send it into overtime. After a drive that was stifled by Medford’s defense, Malden’s defense would quickly replicate what Medford’s had just done forcing a three and out after another TFL by linebacker Fanfan.

Wasting no time on their next drive, quarterback Bartholomew would throw a beautiful pass that was placed right into the hands of Junior wide receiver Nelson Monosiet.

Malden’s extra point went straight through the uprights making the score 21-24. Medford played their next drive smart by running the ball and making sure not to go out of bounds to keep the clock running.

After a 4th down pass deflection by Senior Captain wide receiver and defensive back Matthew Bessey, Malden had only 2:40 left on the clock to tie the game with a field goal and send it into overtime or score a game winning touchdown.

The drive started out good with a nice underhand flip pass by quarterback Bartholomew to running back Memeus for 20 yards. After a couple of runs and failed pass attempts, Malden had to try for a 34 yard field goal to send the game into overtime.

The kick went up and unluckily sailed left, having the final score be 21-24, Medford wins.

After this crushing defeat in the first game of the season, Malden hopes to rebound in their future games.

Football Scrimmage vs Somerville/Chelsea Daniel O’Toole Reporter

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t has been a rough year for all student athletes. Seasons getting canceled, losing senior players due to graduation, and even seasons getting delayed. But finally after being a little over one year removed from playing football due to the season being moved to Fall 2, Malden High School’s Football team suited up for a scrimmage this past Saturday, May 1st, against Somerville and Chelsea at Macdonald Stadium.

Since this is a scrimmage against two other teams, the possession of the ball and who was on the field was constantly rotating. The offense would start with the ball on the 50 yard line at 1st & 10. Each team’s offense would get a couple drives and then the teams would switch.

A new defense would be brought out and a new offense would follow suit.

Malden’s offense would take some time to warm up with their

first two offensive drives, ending in an interception by the Somerville defense and later a fumble that was recovered by the Somerville defense. Somerville would then go on to have two good offensive drives with one ending in a touchdown but a failed two point conversion.

The start of the second quarter had Malden stalling out Chelsea’s offense which would inspire Malden’s offense. Malden’s running back Giovani Memeus, who is one of the senior captains, would catch an explosive 49 yard screen pass and later would cap off the drive with a 1 yard punch into the endzone for a rushing touchdown. Malden’s next drive looked promising getting around the 10 yard line, but a fourth down sack by Chelsea would halt a drive that was highlighted by a 15 yard rush by Malden’s other running back, Mackenley Anasthal and a 20 yard catch by Malden’s wide receiver Gavin West.

The third quarter brought Malden’s defense against Somer-

ville’s offense. Malden’s defense would start to resemble the one that harassed Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes in this past Super Bowl with tons of pressure that would result in a pass deflection

by Malden’s Nelson Monosiet and Gavin West on a deep ball and a TFL on the next drive that would end up shutting down the Somerville offense. The end of the third quarter would bring about four drives of Chelsea against Somerville. It would seem that Somerville’s offensive woes would carry on to their defense with Chelsea getting a 20 yard touchdown pass on their first offensive drive and following it up with a one play 50 yard touchdown pass the very next play.

The start of the fourth quarter looked better for Somerville with them forcing a fumble by Chelsea and recovering it, but Somerville’s offense would then proceed to throw an interception to the Chelsea defense. Chelsea’s offense would receive the ball back against Malden’s

defense. The drive started with a 20 yard rush by Chelsea and would provide a little foresight on what Chelsea’s plan was. Run the ball.

The drive would end in a Chelsea rushing touchdown on the goaline.

Malden’s defense would then go on to replicate their defense pressure from the third quarter to now harass the Chelsea offense. Chelsea’s drive looked promising, but with their QB barely escaping a sack he threw up a jump ball that Malden’s #18 would haul in for an interception. Hoping to get one last offensive drive in, Chelsea tried going for a deep shot but it was picked off by Malden’s Josue Irizarry which would end the game on a high note for Malden.

With their sights set on their next match up this Saturday, March 8th, their rival Medford stands in the way hoping to get revenge on Malden from the last time they played which was a 29-0 Malden victory on Thanksgiving day in 2019.

The Blue and Gold June 2021

Sports maldenblueandgold.com

Swim Season Ends On A High Note Carlos Aragon easy to overcome. Despite this, the Managing Editor of Print and season also “gave [them] the opporDesign tunity to try new things [they had espite the tumultuous year, the not] done before.” Since there were swim team has managed to more open spaces, it gave them the end off the 2021 season quite well, opportunity to put swimmers into almost going undefeated, losing to events that they would not have Hopkinton during their first meet. been able to if the opposing team It was incredibly challenging due was there. Bisson stated that “if you to the issues presenting themselves look into the positives that came out with COVID and the new format. of it, [they] really got to build [their] The format of the season cre- technique and [they] really got to ated many challenges the team had see what everybody could do.” to overcome. The concept of “virCaptain David Lombardi stattual meets” really made getting into the swim mindset difficult. According to Swimmer Tony Giech, the virtual meet setting made it difficult for him because “it [did not] fully replicate the actual meet environments.” They could not see how the opposite teams were doing, which made the meets much more challeng- MHS swimmer Tony Luu performing butterfly. Photo ing. Due to the taken by Carlos Aragon.

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fact that some of the matches were asynchronous, Giech stated that “we usually [did not] even know who won or lost until the next day, or even week.”

MHS swimmer Tony Giech performing breaststroke. Photo taken by Carlos Aragon.

Due to the bizarre nature of the season, Coach Jessica Bisson stated that one of their main goals was simply to have fun and have a good time. At the beginning of the season Bisson stated that she was very nervous at the beginning of the season due to the fact that “[she was not] sure how [they] would be able to work together and do everything [they] needed to.” With the virtual format, the seniors who graduated, the swimmers who could not return and new recruits were all presented with challenges that would not be

ed that the team did great despite all of the difficulties of the season.

Even though the sense of racing was lacking due to the virtual meets, he said that the team adjusted quite quickly. With this season being his last, he stated that it was quite bittersweet yet he sought to “go out with a bang.” However, he dislocated his knee on the third meet of the season.

Despite this, he continued to support his team from the sidelines and once he was cleared, he ended up getting first place in all four of his events and was named a GBL AllStar. While Lombardi will not continue to swim in college, stating that the “MHS pool is where [he] leaves [his] cap and goggles to rest” he added he will definitely remember his four years at MHS and is glad that “[he] made [his] mark on MHS Swimming.”

MHS swimmer Tony Giech performing breaststroke. Photo taken by Carlos Aragon.

Senior Gabriel Matnog watches his teammates at a golf game. Photo taken by Nathan Dean.

Senior Gabriel Matnog hits a ball off of a tee. Photo taken by Nathan Dean.

An MHS golfer putts the ball. Photo taken by Nathan Dean.

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The Blue and Gold June 2021

maldenblueandgold.com

To Julie, Jennica, and Sandra: Our Graduating Senior Editors

CONGRATULATIONS AND FAREWELL CLASS OF 2021!

The Blue and Gold wishses you the best of luck.

The Blue and Gold Junior Editorial Staff

T

o Our Senior Editors,

Any worries that we had with there only being three editors this year, were quickly diminished when we saw the amount of hard work and dedication you put into running the newspaper. As a team, you showed incredible resilience in overcoming the obstacles that came our way, whether that be meeting deadlines or dealing with a pandemic. We appreciate all the laughs we shared in class, the late nights spent editing, and your willingness to collaborate and work with us. This year hasn’t been easy, but Julie, Sandra, and Jennica, you helped make it all worthwhile. The Blue and Gold wouldn’t be the same without you, but over the last few years, you’ve taught us everything that we need to know. Thank you for showing us what it means to be great leaders and driven journalists.

We wish you all the best in the next chapter of your lives, we know there are great things ahead for the three of you.

With Love, The Juniors

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

Download the MHS Sports App!

maldenblueandgold.com maldenblueandgold.com Malden Malden High High School School Volume Volume 106 105 Edition Edition 34 February 2020