January- February 2019 Edition

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Happy Valentine's Day from the Blue and Gold Staff

Crossword Puzzle

Happy Valentine's Day Tonijoy <3 -Gabe Happy Valentine's Day to my single people! Love yourself -Camille Nommi Happy Valentine's Day to Cedrina -Cedrina Roses are red, violets are blue, sugar is sweet...and so are you! -Kesha Mercedat Happy Valentine's Day to Ailin & Nathaniel! -Sydney Happy Valentine's Day to Sydney & Nathaniel -Ailin Happy Galentine's, my loves! Love you more than the universe itself. -Becky

Happy Valentine's Day from the Blue and Gold Staff

Editorial

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The Blue and Gold January-February 2019

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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.

Dear Nedlam, Do you have any tips to help people balance extra curricular activities and homework at the same time, so that they can keep their sleeping schedule on track by not having to stay up until midnight?

Dear Anonymous,

This is a constant problem for most students and I think that the key to succeeding as a student (getting a good night’s sleep while still managing to do your homework and participate in your extracurricular activities) is not to procrastinate. This is a challenge in itself. If you manage your time wisely, you will have a better chance of getting your work done. Sometimes that means turning off your phone completely.

Electronics are distracting and the main reason that people finish work so late.

Or, if the whole turning your phone off scenario frightens you, it may be a good idea to get a planner.

If you plan out your night and in what order you want to accomplish all of your goals, it will be tremendously easier to stay motivated to finish your work and avoid procrastination. Having what you want to do written down and planned out will increase the likelihood of actually doing it. Half the battle to completing work on time is revving up the motivation to start it. A planner may help with this as well, given as you have written down specific tasks to complete and a tangible list may be the key to helping you become motivated.

Going to bed at eight or nine instead of midnight and waking up maybe an hour earlier can be beneficial; more hours of rest will help you produce better work.

It is also important not to sweat the small stuff. Your education is extremely important but your entire life does not, and should not revolve around school. Life outside of school is important as well and living a balanced life is the key to a low-stress, happier life!

Let me know if my advice worked. We’ll keep in touch!

Nedlam

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

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A New Year to discover m ysel f

elcoming the New Year is like pressing the reset button. A majority of us make New Year’s resolutions to grow and move on from 2018. As for me, my New Year’s resolution was to live in each moment and not take the small things for granted.

To start 2019, I had the opportunity to travel back to my home country, El Salvador, and learn more about my culture from a different and more personal perspective. For those who aren’t familiar with the country, El Salvador is a small country in Central America, similar to the size of the state of Massachusetts. I didn’t know what to expect from my visit, since El Salvador is commonly characterized as a very dangerous country. Arriving in San Salvador, I was suddenly hit with the chaos of the large crowds of people waiting for arrivals and the large carousels of luggage being brought into the airport. As I met up with old family members, I began to feel the difference in the environment and knew that, from having to adjust to an entirely new country to having to speak an entirely different language, I was in for a new experience.

Leading up to the trip, I would often hear about the prevalence of violence in El Salvador, but when I arrived and observed the people and how they interacted with each other, it was the complete opposite. Waking up the next day, I was greeted with roosters crowing, dogs barking, and birds chirping at the crack of dawn. I was greeted with

peace, instead.

One particular place I learned about last year in AP Spanish Language and Culture was the Ruins of Tazumal, a historical place discovered by archaeologists where pre-Columbian, Maya civilizations existed. This was one of the various locations I visited that allowed me to become more knowledgeable of my culture and have the opportunity to physically see the place I was reading in my textbook not too long ago.

This site was only a small portion of what I would remember when reflecting on my trip. Another significant part of my time in El Salvador was being able to interact with local people from the city I was staying in. Everyone I met was unique and had different stories they enjoyed sharing from growing up selling with their relatives in the market to the adventures they had during festivities.

One attribute that was unique was the initiative and dedication young individuals displayed to surpass living in rough conditions and having to travel miles and miles from home to school, in pursuit of better opportunities. Being able to listen to just one of the hundreds of stories each individual has to offer gave me insight to how I could relate to being in their position and having to go through their struggles.

My trip to El Salvador was unforgettable, in spite of having highs and lows, I am not only grateful to have had the option to visit family members I hadn’t seen in years, old

and new, and share unforgettable moments, I was lucky enough to experience my proper culture and what its generous people have to offer. From visiting historical sites, climbing volcanoes, meeting new people, to adapting to a whole new atmosphere, I definitely could say this trip is one for the books! Living life and not being afraid of the unexpected is what fascinates me and what creates that adrenaline to expand my traveling to new countries and explore what their new cultures have to offer. Being able to attend MHS for four years, its diversity has really opened up to me the different ethnicities and cultures each students background is composed from, which from my perspective is worth exploring and becoming knowledgeable about.

As we welcome 2019 and the month of February, we begin to look back at all of the memories 2018 brought us, but we must remember that 2018 is in the past. Instead look forward, at the future, and see what it holds for you. For some, it’s getting that perfect score on a test, trying to beat your personal record, hitting that high note, but as a collective whole, we should strive towards self growth.

Jesaias Benitez

Managing Editor of Photography and Design

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

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

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

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

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

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In Memoriam

The Blue and Gold January-February 2019

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Obituaries Submitted by Rebeca Pereira and Sara Zakaria.

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

C hava Lea Deutsch

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hava Lea Deutsch, born Emma Geisler, was born in the year 1868. She was born to Yiddishspeaking, Jewish parents living in the village of Budacu de Sus, a region in Romania that belonged to Hungary until 1918.

In 1890, she married Josef Deutsch, a salesman from Viseu de Sus and moved to Viseu de Sus, where the couple had four children.

By 1939, two of Chava Lea’s grown sons had moved to Budapest, Hungary, while Chava Lea and her husband remained in Viseu de Sus, living near their eldest daughter, Scheindel, and their son, Ferenc.

In September 1940, Hungarians marched into Viseu de Sus, annexing it to Hungary. Hungary was an ally to Germany, so new laws were enforced that limited the rights of Jews.

Germany occupied Hungary in March 1944 and, a month later, Chava Lea and her family were forced to move into a ghetto established by Hungarian officials for the Jews living in Viseu de Sus. Chava Lea and her family were among the 8,000 Jews deported from Viseu de Sus to Auschwitz in May 1944. She was taken to the gas chambers, where she died at the age of 76.

Z uzana Gruenberger

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uzana Gruenberger, affectionately known as Zuzi, was born on March 3, 1933, in Kosice, Czechoslovakia. She was the youngest of three children, born to Hungarianspeaking Jewish parents. Her father was a tailor who worked from their apartment.

In November 1938, when Gruenberger was five years old, Hungarian troops marched into Kosice, declaring it to be part of Hungary, changing the name of the city from Kosice to Kassa. Since the Hungarian government was friendly to Germany, Hungary introduced anti-Jewish laws into Kassa.

In 1941, the Hungarians moved the Gruenbergers and other Jewish families to camps in other parts of Hungary. The Gruenbergers were released the following spring and returned to Kassa, but Gruenberger’s father and brother were taken for slave labor.

In 1944, Kassa’s 12,000 Jews, along with the Gruenbergers, her mother, and her sister, were rounded up by Hungarians, sent to a brickyard at the city’s edge and put on trains to Auschwitz.

Gruenberger, along with her mother, were gassed immediately upon their arrival to Auschwitz in May 1944. Gruenberger was 11 years old.

Franco Cesana

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ranco Cesana was born on September 20, 1931, in Bologna, Italy to a Jewish family. His family, like other Italian Jewish families, were well integrated in Italian society, despite Mussolini’s regime.

Cesana was seven years old when Mussolini enforced racial laws against Jews. As a result, Franco was expelled from his elementary school and had to enroll in a Jewish school, that quickly established itself in one of Bologna’s synagogues. In 1939, Cesana’s father died, forcing Cesana to move with his mother and his brother to Turin.

In 1943, Mussolini was overthrown. Two months later, German forces occupied Italy and gained control of the north, where most of Italy’s Jews lived. Due to the new German occupation, Cesana and his family were forced to hide in the mountains, moving from hut to hut to evade the Germans. His brother, Lelio, joined the Justice and Liberty partisan group, which inspired Cesana to join as well. At age 12, Cesana was Italy’s youngest partisan, fighting in the Italian resistance alongside other Jews.

Cesana was shot by German forces while on a scouting mission in the mountains. His body was returned to his mother on what would have been his 13th birthday.

Willem Arondeus

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illem Arondeus was born on August 22, 1894, in Naarden, Netherlands. He was one of six children and his parents were theater costume designers.

At age 17, Arondeus left home and severed contact with his family after fighting with his parents over his sexuality. He began to write and paint, even being commissioned to do a mural for the Rotterdam town hall in the 1920s. In 1932, he moved to the countryside near Apeldoorn.

When Arondeus was 38, he met a man named Jan Tijssen. They began a relationship and Arondeus lived with Tijssen for the next seven years. Although Arondeus was a struggling painter, Arondeus refused to go on welfare. In 1938, Arondeus began writing a biography of Dutch painter Matthijs Maris. After the book was published, Arondeus’s financial situation improved.

In May 1940, the Germans invaded the Netherlands. Soon after the occupation, Arondeus joined the resistance. His unit’s main task was to falsify identity papers for Dutch Jews. On March 27, 1943, Arondeus’s unit attacked the Amsterdam registry building, setting it on fire in an attempt to destroy records, so the false identity papers could be checked. Five days later, his unit was betrayed and arrested.

In July 193, Arondeus, along with 11 others, were executed. Before his execution, Arondeus asked a friend to testify after the war that “homosexuals are not cowards.” In the 1980s, the Dutch government posthumously awarded Arondeus a medal.

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MHS BAND PLAYS TO THE TUNE OF THE HOLIDAY SEASON

Julie Yu Lead Reporter

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he Malden High School Band welcomed the Christmas spirit at their annual Winter Concert in the Jenkins Auditorium on December 13th, 2018.

The Concert Band, Small Ensemble Groups, Wind Ensemble and Jazz Band had been learning and practicing their music since October.

This was the first winter concert with two different band groups performing, as well as the Small Ensembles groups.

Music teacher Erin O’BrienMazza explained that she “wanted to take traditional pieces that everyone [was] used to hearing and do a different, more upbeat arrangement.” Mazza added that she “tried to pick music that didn’t just focus on Christmas, but on Hanukkah and other musical genres.”

The concert started off with four pieces by the Small Ensemble groups, performed with a wide variety of instruments from the electric guitar to the marimba.

Senior Vincent Truong, who played the box drum during the performance, added that he “learned [how to play] a week,” prior to the concert, due to the fact that the piece in question was a last minute addition to the concert. Though this was his first concert, Truong expected the concert to run smoothly, and, in the end, he concludes that his expectations were met.

Followed by the Small Ensemble performance was the Jazz Band’s performance of “Take The ‘A’ Train.” Afterwards, the Concert Band performed three songs, one of which, “Dreidel Adventures,” student conductor Ari Cohen took the stage to direct. During the second and third song, Cohen joined his fellow concert band members as Mazza took over and directed their

performance of “Three Minute Nutcracker” and “A Crazy Mixed Up Christmas”.

Midway through their performance of “A Crazy Mixed Up Christmas,” the band stopped playing and all reached under their seats to grab santa hats and reindeer headbands to enhance the experience and heighten the Christmas

spirit in the auditorium. There were also many short pauses during their performances; at one point someone dropped a small chain and the entire band stopped playing and glanced back and continued to play afterwards. Mazza explained that “[she] asked the students to be creative and come up with different comedic” acts to do during their songs Freshman Donald Ford playing the Piano. Photo by Brandon Wong.

Band director Erin Mazza gives opening remarks.

Photo by Brandon Wong.

Band Director Erin Mazza conducting the band. Photo by Brandon Wong

to add a humorous factor to their performances.

Sophomore Sandra Rivadeneira stated that she hopes the only mistakes made were planned comedic maneuvers, because she “[tends] to worry a lot, even though [it wasn’t her] first ever concert [she] still [worries her] fingers might slip,” while playing the saxophone.

She further explained that it is essential for players to know their parts because “one mess up could be a little chaotic.”

Freshman Malachi Farmer was much more optimistic, stating that he expected the “concert would be more stressful,” but that “once [he got] on the stage it [was] just like practicing,” with a much larger audience. He compared this concert to the middle school ones he participated in in the past, although the concerts done by the Malden High Band are more formal, and require more “focus and skill.”

After the three Concert Band performances, the Wind Ensemble took the stage for six songs, some featuring Malden High Band Alumni.

Seniors, Renet Chan and Kevin Ochoa presented Mazza with a gift from the band officers. Chan explained that “the officers wanted to get something for Ms. Mazza where she will be able to have a part of [them] with her even after [they] graduate.” They got her a stuffed animal and flowers in case “she needs anything to de-stress,” according to Chan.

Chan thought “the concert would run smoothly with minor mistakes,” and in the end it “exceed [her] expectations.” She expressed that the “winter concert is very bittersweet,” knowing that that was her last winter concert with the Malden High Band.

Sophomore Jacob Pettigrew and Senior Ari Cohen play during the Wind Ensemble’s performance. Photo by Brandon Wong.

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MHS Choir Winter Concert Jennica Ruan Lead Reporter

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he holidays came and went quickly, but the memory of the Malden High Choral Arts Society’s annual winter concert has remained.

Choir teacher Todd Cole prepared the singers for their performance and orchestrated the entire event, which was held in the Jenkins Auditorium.

This year featured four different singing groups including two mixed choruses, one female and one co-ed, concert choir, and madrigal.

Mostly freshman were in mixed chorus with the upperclassmen comprising the more challenging groups.

Junior Astha Lama, who performed in the Concert Choir, participated in the winter concert for her third year. The annual winter concert is the first official concert for members of mixed chorus and, with two groups this year, Lama says that it “was all new and exciting for [her].” Her expectations of the show were high, seeing as “everyone in the Choral Arts Society had worked hard up until this point to make the concert a success and enjoyable for everyone.”

Junior Eva Federico has participated in the winter concert since her freshman year and particularly enjoyed the selections of pieces Cole picked out for the event. This year’s

songs were chosen by Cole and some of the students “to keep the tradition fresh and exciting,” for both the audience and the performers.

For many of the performers, including Freshman Alyson Kwong who “had fun and enjoyed the concert for [her] group,” the effort to innovate the set list payed off. Kwong was nervous for her first performance, but adjusted well to working in a group. She says that performing with her all female group was an advantage because “[their] voices [were all] in the treble clef, which is different from most groups, and [made them] interesting to watch.”

For some students, this year’s winter concert was their last show for the holiday season, including Seniors Jenna Vanella and Jessica Ong. Ong has performed throughout her high school career, while Vanella has performed with choral arts for three years and is the section leader tasked with “making sure each member of the choir is respectful and organized.” She enjoyed performing at the holiday concert and is sad that her time with choral arts is coming to an end.

The students appreciate all the hard work everyone put into the concert and would like to thank Cole for his expertise to help all the students prepare for the performance.

The next concert will be held in the spring of May 9th.

Choir director Todd Cole introduces the concert choir. All Photos taken by Brandon Wong.

Linden S.T.E.A.M Academy’s Strange and Mysterious Plays Julie Huynh Reporter

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n December 21, the Linden STEAM Academy hosted its annual “Strange and Mysterious” plays performed by the eighth graders. The winter plays are something that students look forward to every year.

Before working on their own plays, the eighth graders get a chance to see some performances on a field trip in Boston and they also read some short stories for inspiration. These stories include The TellTale Heart and The Raven, by Edgar Allan Poe, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving, The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant, and The Monkey’s Paw by W.W. Jacobs. Joshua Titcomb, the eighth grade English teacher at Linden says that “together as a team they decided to base their play off of one, two, or even three of the short stories, or the poem.”

After the students decide on how their plot will be like, they have two weeks to plan and rehearse their plays. Titcomb says it is his “Project Based Learning (PBL) for the year.”

The students received the assignment on Friday, December 7th. The first week of the play is what Titcomb calls “Ground Week.” During Ground Week, small groups of 4-6 students are formed and they get a chance to create their production company name, playbill, poster, and script. The second week is called “Stage Week” and starting on Monday, each group begins rehearsing for the live show at the end of the week on December 21st. Titcomb mentions that “this year [they] put on 17 plays in 2 hours and 10 minutes!”

Noelle Hayes, an eighth grader at Linden STEAM Academy says

that she “was nervous, but [she] was looking forward to it after [they] figured everything out.” Hayes ended up loving the plays and expressed that it was “super fun to work with [her] friends to perform in front of everyone and show [their] skills.”

Her favorite part was rehearsing because she made a lot of memories and had a lot of laughs, but she says that the hardest part was getting everything done in two weeks and making sure the performance turned out to be great.

According to Titcomb, “This year the students did a great job!

They were very creative with lots of plot twists, innovation, and creativity...” The goal with a project like this is to learn to work together as a group because it is never easy and “every year, students will argue, fight, debate, get angry and upset...” but in the end they learn to come together under a common goal. That goal is to get on stage and put on a show they are proud of! In the end, they will “laugh, smile, practice, collaborate, and overcome their differences.”

Titcomb points out that his favorite thing about the plays is that it is a full inclusion project meaning that every student is in a group and must participate by memorizing their lines in order for it to work.

They only get one chance at getting the job done and it can be very stressful, but “99% of the time once the curtain closes - the students feel a great sense of accomplishment, pride, and achievement.”

To him, the most important part of the project is “conquering the fear of failure with great success.”

Linden STEAM Academy students performing their rendition of a strange and mysterious play. Photo by Ailin Toro.

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Poetry Out Julie Yu Lead Reporter

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Period Competitions

alden High School held their Poetry Out Loud Semi Finals on Wednesday, January 9th 2019 and Thursday, January 10th 2019.

Poetry Out Loud is a poetry recitation contest done in English classes across the nation. The contest was created in 2006 and has been integrated into the Malden High English Curriculum as an annual tradition.

Each student recites a poem of their choosing and teachers select one winner to represent their class in the Semi Final Period Competition. The winners from each class then compete against other students from other English classes during the same period. From each period, two students were selected to advance to the Final School Competition.

The students who are competing at the Final School Competition were instructed to choose a new poem from the pre-twentieth century time frame.

English teacher, Yahaira Mar-

by Pat Mora. She explained that she chose that poem because “[she] could picture [herself] bringing the poem to life.” Rodrigues expressed that the poem and the meaning behind it “stood out to [her] because it told a story of losing a loved one.”

She mentioned that “[her] initial goal for Poetry Out Loud was to get a good grade in class but I never thought [she] would move on to the next round.” Rodrigues expected that the Semi Finals were going to “be a lot tougher than the class competition.” She added, like many other students “[she] felt very nervous before [her] recitation.”

Freshman Finalist, Jing Ren recited “From Blossoms” by LiYoung Lee. She expressed that the theme and symbolism really stood out to her. Ren saw it as “visual reminder of how precious life is.”

She explained that her “initial goal for Poetry Out Loud this year was just to get it over with,” she added that “[she did not] plan to win the

quez checked for accuracy as each student recited their poem while English teacher, Jennifer Clapp judged each student’s overall performance.

The 15 students who will be competing at the Final School Competition are freshmen Ina Lu, Mayada Giha, Jing Ren, sophomores Angela Truong and Grayson Garside, juniors Rasmee Ky, Mohammed Ayyoub Belatreche, Gregory Chau, Ana Pirosca, and seniors Birukti Tsige, Paige Pimental, Sebastian Romani, Makesha Mercedat, Michelle Chan and Jenna Vanella.

Freshman Semi Finalist, Jennifer Rodrigues recited “Old Love”

class and the period competition.”

Ren said she was nervous before her recitation in front of her class. However, before the period competition “[she] was calm and a bit confident because [she] kept reassuring [herself] that everything [would] be alright.” Ren mentioned that she just wanted “to try [her] best,” no matter the outcomes.

Sophomore Finalist, Angela Truong recited “Author’s Prayer”

by Ilya Kaminsky. She explained that she chose “that poem because it reminded [her] of [her] grandpa,” she added that when reading it she felt the passionate connection.

Truong expressed that “[she] tried

[her] best to put some emotions into the poem.” She strategized by not allowing herself to get nervous and making sure she does not rush through her poem.

Sophomore Finalist, Grayson Garside recited “Fairy-tale Logic”

by A.E. Stalling. She expressed that she chose that poem because “[she] really liked its interesting interpretations of fairy-tales.” “It [was not] a normal perfect ending,” she added.

Garside’s goal for Poetry Out Loud this year was to have a “performance [she] was proud of.” She also mentioned that she “worked really hard to put [her] personal feelings into it and overall [she felt] good about it.”

Garside stated that she “expected that everyone would be amazing, which was true, but “[she did not] expect that [she] would win.”

Senior Finalist, Birukti Tsige recited “Vagrants and Loiters” by Kwame Dawes. She expressed how she really “liked the swagger it had in the beginning of the poem,” and how it shifted “in the end to a more serious tone that talked about issues [...] going on today.” Tsige’s goal was to recite her poem to the best of her ability and “take into account pointers that my teacher, Mr. Walsh, had given me after my class performance.” She explained that “[she] was nervous,” before her recitation “but once [she] introduced [herself] and the title, it all flowed smoothly.”

Senior Finalist, Sebastian Romani recited “Momma Said” by Calvin Forbes. He explained that he honestly “just wanted to get it over with.” Romani further explained

that he was “never really good at [Poetry Out Loud] ever since freshman year.” He decided that since it was his senior year he would “step out of [his] comfort zone and put more effort,” into his recitation. He added that “[he] was really shocked when they called my name for the finals.” Before the period competition, Romani “was feeling super nervous, as each person was performing and [his] turn was coming up, [he] kept getting more nervous.” When it was time for his recitation, “[he] just took a deep breath and went on with [his] poem.”

Senior Finalist, Jenna Vanella recited “Dead Butterfly” by Ellen Bass. She explained that she chose that poem “because it was different than any [she] had seen before.” It “allowed [her] to play a character, which comes in handy [since she has] experience in acting.” Vanella mentioned that “it [was] a very stressful process,” but she tried to remind herself that “all of the students in the audience [...] had been just as nervous as I was.” Knowing that everyone in the audience had the same feeling before their recitations calmed her down. As she was waiting for her turn to recite her poem, Vanella stated that “[she] took deep breaths and went over the poem in [her] head a couple of times.”

The Final School Competition will be on January 31st , 2019 in the Jenkins Auditorium during period 5.

Originally Published Jan. 11 2019

From top to bottom, left to right: Sophomore Ana Carolina Quirino Da Silva reciting “Keeping Things Whole” by Mark Strand. Junior and finalist Rasmee Ky reciting “The Legend” by Garrett Hongo.

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Loud 2019 Sabrina Monteiro Head of Local

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his year’s Poetry Out Loud Finals took place on Thursday, February 1st. With its arrival came a heated competition between students which culminated in a victory for Senior Birukti Tsige, who won first place with her recitations of the poems “Vagrants and Loiterers,” by Kwame Dawes and “Songs for the People,” by Francis Ellen Watkins Harper. She will be moving be head-

ing to the State Semi-Finals on Saturday, March 2nd in Newburyport City Hall.

In this year’s finals, English teacher Yahaira Marquez was in charge of accuracy, Director of Humanities Sean Walsh and Assistant Superintendent Kelly Chase were judges and English teacher Jennifer Clapp calculated and kept tabulations of all the scores.

Each year, before the day of the final competition, Marquez surveys staff members via email to see who’s interested in judging and provides each judge with the official POL rubric and score guide. The English Department has chosen to allow teachers from other departments to partake in POL as well because it’s “the one thing everybody shares as a community,” according to Clapp.

Along with students competing against one another, there was also competition between teachers, the only difference being that teachers were allowed to read their

poems off of printed copies while students were not. This year, three members of the MHS staff recited in the teacher competition including Principal Chris Mastrangelo, math teacher Evan Mauser, and math teacher Thomas Snarsky, who won out of the teacher competition with his recitation of the poem “Favors from the Dead,” by Noelle Kocot.

Clapp states that this year was “one of the best finals [Malden High School has] ever had.” She notes that “there were so many strong performances,” any one of which could have represented MHS at the

regional competition but that Tsige’s win was “great and very well deserved.”

Marquez explains that POL “pushes some students out of their comfort zone” and she is a firm believer that growth is only possible when students are pushed out of their comfort zones. Clapp adds that “out of all of the things that [MHS and the English Department] do, [POL is] one of the things that has a lot of real world implications where you might find it very useful.”

Besides Tsige’s sophomore year, she has made it in the Finals her entire high school career. Tsige says she does not aim to win but that her sole purpose is to “shine the poem in the best light possible and express [her] feelings about it to the audience.” Adding onto that thought, Tsige says that “memorizing a piece of work and then performing it in your own way and style, to [her] is one of the greatest parts of POL.” Snarsky, the POL teacher com-

From top to bottom: Senior and Blue and Gold Reporter Makesha Mercedat performs one of her poems. Junior Rasmee Ky performs one of her poems. Senior Michelle Chan performs one of her poems.

School Finals

petition winner, believes that POL gives students “exposure to some wonderful contemporary poets and their work, and [he] think[s] it’s important for students to experience what it’s like to know a poem by heart,” rather than simply reading it, and hopefully understanding the poem on a more meaningful level.

When asked what his favorite part of the competition was, Snarsky admits that although he was surprised by his win, “the best surprise of the competition was that Mauser chose to recite a poem that [Snarsky] wrote and [he] was really touched by his choice and his excellent performance.” Snarsky was so touched by Mauser’s performance that they hugged afterwards and, once it was his turn to recite, he said to the crowd “I’m not crying, you’re crying.”

ally important to practice her public speaking skills, which she builds on weekly as a member of the Speech and Debate team.

Ky also states that although she is “always nervous” and finds it difficult to “concentrate while waiting to perform” but that she gains confidence “as soon as [she] get[s] up to perform and [is] focused solely on performing.”

Tsige explains that her confidence has gained throughout the years after having done POL for four consecutive years, Speech and Debate for the past several years and Junior Varieties since her Sophomore year. So instead of feeling nervous, she feels more “exhilarated.”

She says the best thing to remember when you get nervous, is that “no one will really remember what happened on stage because

This year, Junior Rasmee Ky performed “The Legend” by Garrett Hongo and “In the Desert” by Stephen Crane. This was the first year that Ky advanced to the Finals explains that she enjoys POL “because it gives [her] the opportunity to express [her] unique interpretation of a piece.” She also finds it re-

it will have passed and people will have moved on. So while you’re on that stage, make the best of it and if you completely blank, then end it there and walk off like a boss.”

Although Tsige is sad that this is her last year, she is excited to be moving on to the next round.

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The Blue and Gold January-February 2019

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State Senator Jason Lewis and Tobacco Expert Maureen Buzby on Vaping Among Youth Sydney Stumpf Editor in Chief of Print

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n January 9, the long-awaited vaping informational panel was held in the gallery at Malden High School, featuring panelists State Senator Jason Lewis and Maureen Buzby, an expert in tobacco and a regional tobacco coordinator. The panel drew a solid crowd including most of the high school administration team, Stephen Freker, Mayor Gary Christenson, and Chief of Police Kevin Molis. Parents and Malden students were also in attendance.

Principal Chris Mastrangelo began the panel, emphasizing the importance of the forum and the importance of change within the schools. Vaping, said Mastrangelo, is a problem affecting all students, whether they are actively participating in vaping or “Juuling,” or the students who are forced into avoiding certain bathrooms and areas to avoid being caught in a situation where other students are vaping.

For those who doubted the magnitude of the problem, Mastrangelo said the audience “need not look farther than [the] room.” Mastrangelo and the administrative staff are “drawing the line in the sand” when it comes to the district-wide issue.

Maureen Buzby then spoke on the health-risks and dangers of vaping, bringing several examples of vaping devices confiscated by local schools. Buzby put a great emphasis on the fact that vaping is not healthier than smoking cigarettes as many students may believe. Instead of smoke, vaping involves a mist that is made up of several other chemicals.

When the metal on a vaping device or Juul is heated, said Buzby, the metal on the device breaks off and is inhaled. In some cases, people who have vaped had contracted “popcorn lung” which affects breathing, leaving the affected with a cough and shortness of breath.

Further emphasizing the dangers of vaping, Buzby noted that one Juul pod is equal to one pack of cigarettes, and subsequently pulled out a newer device which allowed the insertion of three pods, equally three packs of cigarettes. Buzby credits the potency of vaping with the widespread nicotine addiction among youth, whose brains are not fully developed until the age of 25. State Senator Lewis noted how when talking about alcohol, marijuana, and nicotine, it is different between kids and adults. What is safe, or less damaging for an adult, may not have the same impact on a child.

Senator Lewis called Juul Labs in California “predators,” target-

Tobacco expert Maureen Buzby, speaking on the dangers of vaping among youth. Photo by Sydney Stumpf. ing children and teenagers for their products. Action is being taken at a state-level in order to prevent the “epidemic,” as some have called it, in middle and high schools in Massachusetts. As of December 31, 2018, a new state law came into effect that does three major things. The new law enacted officially raised the legal age of buying tobacco to 21, a policy already in effect in Malden. The same was true for some neighboring communities such as Melrose, though now in effect across the state. The second thing that this law has done is take the stance that vaping is a tobacco product. Previously, according to federal law, vaping is not considered a tobacco product and thus could not be regulated as such. By exclusively stating that vaping products are in fact tobacco products, this law allows for the regulation. What this means is that in places where smoking is not permitted, neither is vaping.

The final major change that this law brings is that it prohibits the sale of vaping products at any health-care institutions, including pharmacies, in Massachusetts. CVS had already enacted a similar policy prior to the state legislation. Going even further, Senator Lewis is looking to increase the penalties for stores selling vaping products to people under the age of 21 or breaking any other part of this new law.

Locally, Somerville passed an ordinance which prohibits the sale of flavored vaping products to anyone under the age of 21. Malden will adopt similar ordinances regarding the flavors of vape products, which make vaping so appealing to students and young people. Senator Lewis credited San Francisco, California with being the only city with an ordinance that bans the sale of flavored vaping products entirely.

At the Malden Senior Center on Wednesday, January 16, the Board of Health and local legislators will be meeting in order to further enact policy to combat vaping in Malden youth.

A display of confiscated vaping products from local schools, brought in by Maureen Buzby. Photo by Sydney Stumpf.

The Blue and Gold January-February 2019

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Malden High School Math Teacher Thomas Snarsky Publishes Book Sabrina Monteiro Head of Local

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ne of Malden High School’s faculty members, Tom Snarsky, has recently had his very own book published by a press out of Chicago.

The book is titled “Threshold” because the collection of poems were written after he met his fiance and its title is a representation of one part of his life entering another; or as he also likes to call it, “weirdo love poems.”

The online version of the book is on a website called “Another New Calligraphy” and the publisher at the press, Bill Ripley, designed the cover of the book, meant as a visual of a threshold that means a line you cross over, and incorporated the door into the design and used the color purple because it is Snarsky’s favorite color.

Though this is Snarsky’s first time getting a print publication of his work, he has gotten published in small groups of pdfs online, such as a “chapbook” where poems are only up to 40 pages long and placed together in one file. He has also been in print magazines before but they were all shared with other people and so as his first print copy has now been released, he is “very excited.”

The most challenging obstacle that Snarsky says he had to face, in hopes of reaching success, was “finding a press that was interested.

There are many people in the world who have poems that they want published and taking the time and effort to put a whole book together, is a big commitment. Especially because it costs money to print, too.”

Snarsky also admits that just because he now has a book, does not mean he did not face rejections in the process. “[He] had sent books out before and got some acceptances and some have also said no. But that is always apart of it.”

Snarsky also found it difficult to write some of his poems because they are “about being in love with somebody but some of them are also about how that could hurt sometimes.” An example being that in one of his poems, he wrote about a vacation that he took with his fiance that went “really south. The car even had to get pulled out of a snowbank and everything just went wrong.

But the poem is ultimately about how the world can be doing all this stuff to [people] yet somehow in the end, it all works out because you have the person you love.”

A teacher that inspired him to write this book was Evan Mauser.

Malden High School Math Teacher Thomas Snarsky. Photo submitted by Mr.Snarsky.

“Threshold”, a book of poems by Thomas Snarsky. Photo submitted by Snarsky.

He mentored him three years ago when Snarsky student taught here at MHS and says the reason he helped inspire him is because “[he remembers] being really excited that there was a math teacher who participated in Poetry Out Loud with him and has ever since competed with [him].” He was also motivated to write by “the lively writing com-

munity at Malden High, including the work the English department does on creative writing (especially Poetry Out Loud) and the Writers’ Den. Along with all the students who have been a part of the Literary Society at any point during the year and the philosophy club members who have all been inspirational to [him] as well.”

Junior, Patricia Esteves, met Snarsky her freshman year of high school when she started going to his room because her friends had him as a teacher. As she went more and more often, she got to know him better and created a relationship with him. Esteves mentions that philosophy club was created because her and Snarsky often discussed certain issues about “how the justice system fails people in some occasions and how [it is] racially motivated, and this somehow led to the club. [He is] a very genuine person who only cares about the best in people and [it is] because of this that [she] wanted to do something for him in return, and so [she] helped him make the club.” Esteves also says that “[she] really liked that about his personality and so [she] only wanted to ever be around that.” Although, Esteves has only read a few pieces of his book, “[she] already knew that he was really into poetry and [it is] nice to see his work being acknowledged.”

Another member of the philosophy club, Junior Rodge-Neima Joseph, says “[he is] really nice and [she] would go to him if [she] had a problem because [she trusts] him.” Joseph adds on by saying she is “happy that [Snarsky] wrote a book. When you see a teacher, [you would] think that they only focus on the subject that they teach and nothing else, but [he is] a math teacher, not an English teacher, and [he is] writing books about poetry and he shows you that variety and [she likes] that.”

Adding onto a similar thought, Mauser bought a copy of the book and “is very impressed that he put a book together because [he] [did not] know [Snarsky] had written so many poems to do so and [he] wanted to support that endeavor.”

It is also important to him that he reads Snarsky’s collection of poems because “[he] wanted to marvel at [Snarsky’s] poetic talent, given his strong interest in reading and writing poetry.”

When Snarsky read his first contemporary poetry book, he remembers feeling like “this is weird but [he] also kind of get[s] where [you are] coming from and that was such a huge part of why [he] bothered to continue writing.”

The sole purpose of his book was to express his feelings towards his soon to be wife and the life he has lived and will continue to live with her, through the use of poetry.

When reading his poem, he wants his readers to remember that “love is weird and [it is] okay to write about it that way.”

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Senior Birukti Tsige Awarded Questbridge Scholarship Rebeca Pereira Editor in Chief

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

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

“The hug he gave me was one of a lifetime,” Tsige notes, and “his smile warmed me to my very core.”

Her father’s outward validation of her accomplishment validated what she already knew: she was now among one of the 1,044 nationwide who were awarded the coveted QuestBridge College Match Scholarship, a full ride scholarship, covering tuition, room and board, other expenses and sometimes travel costs— “the ultimate dream for any high school student wanting to attend college.”

Tsige plans to major in Biology and minor in Creative Writing at Stanford, an eclectic choice which reflects the myriad interests she pursued throughout high school.

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

Last year, Tsige served as the student representative on the Malden School Committee, treasurer of the Speech and Debate team and Vice President of National Honor Society. This year, she’s continued to serve both the latter student organizations as President of NHS and Vice President of Speech and Debate, which she’s won various accolades for, including a first place win for poetry at the Garcia Burkill regional tournament.

Her interest in creative writing has also manifested itself throughout her life in various iterations, both academically and extracurricularly. Tsige created and maintains a Facebook writing group with more than 1,500 members from more than 50 countries and was awarded the National History Club Lessons of Leadership award for her historical writing.

Students of the Class of 2019 Awarded John and Abigail Adams Scholarship Falyn Kelley Lead Photographer

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Birukti Tsige poses for a picture announcing her acceptance to Stanford university. Photo submitted by Birukti Tsige.

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

Academically, Tsige has taken 11 Advanced Placement classes, four Bunker Hill Community College classes, scored high on the SAT and ACT, maintained a top class rank. Meanwhile, she has attained state certification as a nursing assistant and balanced her numerous extracurriculars, commitments to Cross Country, Choir and Bible Classes at her church, Technovation, a club that encourages female presence in the world of technology, and her responsibilities as her family caretaker, especially for her two younger brothers.

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

Knowing her parents did not

have the financial means of providing her with tutors, private schools and many other resources available to other students, Tsige took heed of her parents’ instructions to exert herself academically to the best of her ability. “When [she] showed [her] dad [her] straight A’s in middle school, his response was always ‘good job Birukti, next time get an A plus plus,” advice which initially frustrated her but began to motivate her as she reached high school.

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

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

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

he John and Abigail Adams scholarship is awarded to Massachusetts students earning an MCAS score in the top 25th percentile. Nearly 80 Malden High students received the scholarship this year.

An annual celebratory breakfast was held on November 7th at Malden High to congratulate the students.

Senior Felix Li, who was one of the recipients of the scholarship, noticed that there were a lot of students in attendance at the breakfast, which he felt showed that “they really cared about the scholarship and were excited to receive it.”

Every student who takes the MCAS is automatically applied for the scholarship.

In the words of Malden High principal Mr. Mastrangelo, “your scores dictate if you get the money.” Each year Malden High has an “outstanding” amount of students receiving the scholarship, averaging at about 80 per year.

The scholarship offers $1,575 a year for any UMass school, $1,000 a year for any state school, and $740 a year for community college. Senior Matthew Distefano believes that the “majority of people will find this scholarship very helpful,” as state schools are a popular choice among students looking for a more affordable post-secondary education.

Most students receiving the scholarship were notified via email from their guidance counselors a few days before the breakfast. Senior Santiago Portillo was “pretty excited” when he was notified of his achievements, especially because it was something that he “didn’t even know [he was eligible for].”

“Many students might not know about the scholarship but end up doing well on the MCAS and getting it anyways” stated Li. The scholarship is very helpful in terms of motivating students into seeking higher education because students are automatically entered once they take the MCAS. Being automatically entered helps to take the stress of applying off of students.

The Blue and Gold January-February 2019

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Senior Pedro Carneiro Passos Awarded Posse Scholarship

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Ailin Toro Beltran Web and Mobile Apps Managing Editor

Senior Michelle Chan Awarded Posse Scholarship Rebeca Pereira Editor in Chief

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alden High School’s Pedro Carneiro Passos was one of the two seniors to be awarded the Posse scholarship this year.

Passos was nominated by Boyle House counselor, Erin Craven.

There are three different rounds for the Posse scholarship, the first one separated the students into groups of ten and gave them activities to see how they interacted with each other. Passos says that “this was the hardest round for [him] because [he is] very shy, but [he] overcame [his] struggle and talked most of the time with the people there, making it an awesome experience.”

The second round was a personal interview, where they asked questions mainly about his leadership positions at home and at school. Passos says he “felt really comfortable during that round because [he] could show [his] role in [his] family and how [he] managed to get where [he is] as an immigrant who didn’t have the opportunity to do all years of high school in the United States.”

In Passos’ opinion, the final round “was the best round.” Passos’ top school was Bucknell, so for him the final round reunited the twenty Bucknell finalists, some Posse staff, and some Bucknell staff in one room. The other participants and him underwent a finalist workshop that lasted around two hours. From those twenty students, only ten would win the scholarship.

About 20 minutes after Passos got home from the final round, he received their call notifying him he was selected. Passos said when he found out he “got so enthusiastic and energetic when they said [he] had won.” Passos tells the story of the call, saying that “[he] started screaming and couldn’t stop smiling,” adding that his sister hugged him and said “she was as happy as [he] was.” Passos says “that feeling was the best feeling ever.”

Immediately, he called his mom and brother, who were at work, and then his dad and grandparents who live in Brazil.

When Passos woke up the next day, there were congratulations posters on his wall. His mom also bought a cake and balloons.

When he went to school, “[he] told [his] friends and everyone came to [him] saying congratulations, even people [he] didn’t know,” which he says made him feel “very special.”

Passos’ extracurricular history is not composed of clubs and sports, but instead of helping his mom at home. Academics wise, Passos’ freshman year and half of his sophomore year was done in Brazil. He mentions that he struggled grade-wise while in Brazil, as he had to take 15 subjects at the same time. He then redid all of his sophomore year at Medford High School, but since he was not fluent in English yet, he could only take SEI classes, but he thrived in them. When he came to Malden High School, Craven put Passos in AP and honors classes. He mentions that he “was completely lost at the beginning of my junior year”, but he did manage to keep up a good GPA. Senior year, he has maintained his good grades, and is currently taking 4 AP’s and 1 Bunker Hill dual enrollment course. He is also a part of the math team.

Passos credits his proudest accomplishments as “learning English and Spanish in a short period of time, getting the Posse Scholarship, and working after-school but keeping [his] grades up.”

As for Passos’ biggest inspiration, he cites his parents. He says his father “dedicates his time to help [him] if [he] ever need[s] it.” As for his mom, he talks about how “[she] gave up everything [they] had in Brazil just to give [him] and [his] siblings the opportunity for a great education.” Passos “want[s] to give back to her... and make her proud.”

Apart from his parents, Passos says a “crucial person to help me get here is Ms. Craven”, saying that “she believed in [him] when most of the people didn’t... [and] if it wasn’t for her, [his] academic future wouldn’t be the same.”

Craven talks about Passo, saying that she nominated him because “he is an incredibly hard working student who wants to learn everything that he possibly can, and [she] knew that he wanted to pursue engineering, and that Bucknell would be a great match for his interests.”

When Craven found out about Passos’ being awarded the scholarship, she was “elated for him, and teared up a little.” She mentions that “[she] love[s] when all of [her] students receive the funding to be able to pursue their dreams.”

Passos will be studying mechanical engineering at Bucknell this fall, and hopes to join their robotics club.

Posse scholar Michelle Chan poses for a picture wearing her Centre Colonels hoodie. Picture submitted by Chan.

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ach year, Posse scholars across the nation enroll in top universities with one mission: to forge relationships that endure and enable their future professional success.

Malden High School has maintained a strong connection with Posse and, this year, senior Michelle Chan was awarded the full tuition scholarship and will be attending Centre College in Kentucky in the fall.

Chan was nominated for the scholarship through an alumni portal and went through three rounds of interviews over the span of four months. The interview process consisted of many “nontraditional” rounds, according to Chan, which included games and group activities formulated to showcase students’ collaborative abilities and leadership qualities.

After three intensive rounds, at 9:16 PM on December 6th, 2018, Chan was informed that she was chosen as a recipient of the prestigious scholarship. “Not going to lie, I cried a bit,” she says, adding that she is “profoundly grateful” for having been given one of the 50 slots available to over 1,300 applicants from the Boston area.

At Centre, Chan will be pursuing Theatre and Pre-nursing, a compromise she made with her parents to allow her to explore her passions for music and health services concurrently.

Though Chan was a transfer student to MHS her sophomore year, her affinity for the arts, particularly music and theatre, has remained a constant in her life. She considers her role in MHS Play Production’s play Trojan Women one of her proudest achievements, her “baby.”

“I remember almost using up my highlighter when highlighting all my lines in the script,” she recalls, stating that the play was as

demanding as it was rewarding. “It was kind of a stressful time in my life so, as exhausting as it was to play [Hecuba], it was also therapeutic to pour all my heart, soul, and energy into the show,” Chan states, as she reflects on the experience she reckons defined her junior year.

The choice to pursue a prenursing track at Centre came as a truce with her Filipino parents, whose influence has prevailed in many of Chan’s academic decisions.

Chan attributed her academic stamina to her parents’ encouragement, which “[showed her] how rewarding hard work is.”

As immigrants from the Philippines, Chan’s parents’ diligence inspires her achieve more. She recalls “trudging through the snow storms, dragging [her family’s] bags of clothes to get them washed at the laundromat,” the harsh realities she faced growing up and wishes to reverse those difficulties in the future. “[She] just want[s] to make my parents proud, you know,” she states, adding that she desires to set an example for her two younger brothers to “know that it's possible to be successful and pursue their passions.”

As a Filipino immigrant, Chan acknowledges that her existence on a predominantly white campus will be a unique opportunity for her to transmit the value of diversity on campus, one of the many lessons she will be carrying with her to Kentucky.

“There's a chance I could experience discrimination, ignorance, or just a lack of understanding,” she states, but that in all circumstances, she plans to be “ unapologetic about who [she is],” a degree of self-acceptance she says she “[owes]” to her experiences in Malden.

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Valentine’s Day at Malden High School Yasmine Alayan Reporter

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alentine’s Day, a day of love, both romantic and platonic, the day you build enough courage to tell someone you care for them, the day you spend with friends, family.

It’s also the day where stores are crowded with pink, red, and white hearts and huge boxes of chocolate all begging you to buy them for that special someone one. But not many know how the annual holiday came to be. The fact of the matter is no one really knows for sure, but throughout the years many tales have been created to fill the void.

One of the most popularly told origin stories for Valentine’s day would be the story of Saint Valentine, a priest from Rome in the Third Century AD. The Emperor during that time, Claudius II, had banned marriage because he believed that men who were married made bad soldiers. Valentine felt that this law was unfair and took it upon himself to ignore the Emperor’s rules and married couples in secret. Eventually the Emperor found out and had thrown Valentine in jail from which he would be sentenced to death. But Valentine ended up falling in love with the jailer’s daughter. The day he was taken to be executed on February 14, he left a love letter for the jailer’s daughter signed, “from your Valentine.”

At Malden High School, just as much as Valentine’s day is the day that people take the time to truly appreciate one another, the holiday is also a day about fundraising money.

The total spending is expected to reach $20.7 billion just in the United States, being $161.96 per person, according to the National Retail Federation. Malden High School is definitely cashing it in with the many fundraisers from the classes and clubs.

The Class of 2021 is selling chocolate roses during all four lunch blocks the prices are, $2 for 1 rose, and $3 for 2 roses. If you miss it during lunch you can also order them from Ms. Poole in B232.

Sophomore and Class of 2021 President, Harriet Shane Gerochi, who is helping sell the chocolate roses, says her goal of the fundraiser is to “sell as much as possible” because it is important to make sure

Top Nine Valentine’s Day Movies

Sydney Stumpf Editor in Chief of Print they “[sell] out and make as much profit as [they can] because profit is important.” Even though making money is crucial to Gerochi she still thinks the holiday is significant and actually plans on celebrating it with her boyfriend by “[going] out to dinner,” Billy Zeng, a member of class of ‘21 thinks the holiday is a great chance for “people to come together” and about showing just as much love to “family and friends” as you would “couples and relationships.”

He thinks selling the chocolate roses is a great way to do this because you can basically “thank [people] for being [your] friend” with a small sweet gesture.

The Class of 2020 is selling Valentine’s Balloon Bouquets for $5 during lunch until February 12 or in Ms. Quinn’s office (Holland House).

Malden High Rainbow Lions club is raffling off two Valentine themed baskets during all lunch periods.

Prices go for $2 for 2 tickets and $6 for 5 tickets. Unicef club is selling bottled messages during lunch, one bottle is $3 and $5 for two. You’re able to write whatever you want in the bottle and it will be delivered to the gift recipient’s homeroom.

Malden High School students express their own feelings about Valentine’s Day. Junior Sarina Santana, thinks the holiday itself is a “waste of time and money,” and in her own opinion love “is the feeling of constantly wanting to be around a person.” Showing people you love them is something that people should “always do” instead of being a once a year occurrence. Senior, Audree Carleton thinks that to Malden High Valentine’s day is the “time people at Malden High can come together and spread love to friends and significant others”. Carleton believes that the holiday isn’t a waste of time and instead “gives people a reason to show their appreciation to other people.”

In the end it’s clear to see that everyone at Malden High has their own opinion about Valentine’s Day. It’s nice to know in a world where we’re constantly fighting with each other there is one day of the year dedicated to appreciating and admiring those around you.

Left: The sign for the Class of 2021’s Valentine’s Day fundraiser, selling chocolate roses. Photo by Yasmine Alayan.

Ailin Toro Beltran Web and Mobile Apps Managing Editor

Makesha Mercedat Reporter

The Notebook: The Notebook became an instant classic since its release in 2004, starring Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams. A story of love, loss, and class, The Notebook is romantic, yet heartbreaking, making your heart flutter with each scene.

Moonrise Kingdom: Moonrise Kingdom, a Wes Anderson film, is one of the most visually appealing and heartwarming stories of twenty-first century cinema. On the New England Island of New Penzance, Sam and Suzy exchange letters of plans of running away. Sam, a Khaki Scout with no family, and Suzy, a daughter of two arguing parents, fall in love at such a young age, and yet again, Anderson creates a beautiful story and beautiful movie.

10 Things I Hate About You: Starring Julia Stiles and the late Heath Ledger, 10 Things I Hate About You tells the story of an overprotective father and his daughters’ relationships. 10 Things I Hate About You is utterly romantic, deceptive, and entrancing, just as a teenage romantic movie should be.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s: The oldest movie on this list, Breakfast at Tiffany’s is the story of Holly Golightly, who has fled to New York City in order to escape an unwanted life. This movie highlights love in ways that other movies on this list do not. Belonging, love, and loss, are the main themes in this 1961 classic, starring Audrey Hepburn.

The Kissing Booth: The Kissing Booth came out on Netflix last year, housing rave reviews. This movie is the most typical teen-romance story, where you cannot help but cringe, laugh, and fall in love with these shallow characters.

Love and Basketball: This movie, starring Sanaa Lathan and Omar Epps, is considered to be one of the greatest black love stories ever to be put on the silver screen. The tale of two next door neighbors who lead different lives but share the love of basketball. The film spans over about 13 years, depicting the ups and downs of their childhood beginnings and blooming romance as adults.

Titanic: The ultimate love story between Rose and Jack upon the doomed ship, the Titanic, this movie shows how true love can overcome class, and how love survives death. Themes of heroism, love, death, and class, make Titanic complex and a necessary watch for everyone.

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before: Like Kissing Booth, this recent Netflix movie caused teenagers to go insane. Based on the novel by Jenny Han, this movie follows Lara Jean after letters she wrote, but never sent, to “all the boys [she’s] loved before”. This movie is the epitome of teenage romance and will make all emotions come flooding in at the finish of the movie.

Love, Simon: Love, Simon follows a typical high school romance, except in this movie it focuses on the love story of two teen boys. Based on Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli, the relationship starts off with just an exchange of emails, and turns into so much more. Love, Simon also touched on the difficulties of coming out that showcased the seriousness of that experience.

Entertainment

The Blue and Gold January-February 2019

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Bumblebee Movie Review Carlos Aragon Aldana Reporter

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fter the trainwreck that was Transformers: The Last Knight, the Transformers series has another go with Bumblebee. Does the film crash and burn, or does it surpass the series’s previous entries? Surprisingly, the film is very enjoyable, and rockets past the quality of the entries that came before it. It currently sits at a score of 93% on the website Rotten Tomatoes, with 188 good reviews and 15 bad ones. The film centers around a girl named Charlie, played by Hailee Steinfeld (Ender’s Game, Into The Spider Verse), who, for her 18th birthday, just wants enough money to finish the Corvette she was working on with her late father. When she finds a VW Beetle in a junkyard, she ends up taking that home instead, getting way more than she bargained for.

On the other hand, we have the title character himself, Bumblebee, voiced by Dylan O’Brien (The Maze Runner Series), or at least for the parts where he does have a voice. Early on in the movie, Bee basically gets his vocal chords torn out in a fight that ends with an bunch of American soldiers dying.

His mission on earth is to keep it secure so that the rest of the Autobots can set up base there later on.

However, in the fight where he loses his voice, he also loses his memory, and disguises himself as a Beetle before falling into some sort of coma, until Charlie finds him. From there

Spoiler Alert!

she teaches Bee how to hide from humans, and her neighbor, Memo, played by Jorge Lendeborg Jr., finds out about Bee. A pre-saved message that Bee didn’t know about ends up getting activated at some point, and Optimus Prime, the leader of the Autobots, shows Bee his mission.

Meanwhile, the Decepticons, his enemies, are trying to track him down. They trick the government into giving them access to satellites, however, Agent Burns, played by John Cena, is skeptical of them. They finally track Bee down and take him to a facility, where they torture him until accidentally, the pre-saved message plays, and the Decepticons find out the plan to set up a base on Earth. They try to send a message that would have had an army of Decepticons to come to Earth to stop the Autobots from setting up base, and that would have also resulted in the extinction of the human race, but luckily, Bee, Charlie, and Memo stop them. The film ends with Bee parting ways with Charlie, and turning into a Camaro. After the brief credits, Bee finds Optimus Prime, which is either a nod to the Shia LaBeouf film or is a tease to a sequel.

One of the first things that is in the film’s favor is Travis Knight (Kubo and The Two Strings). He’s the director, and he hits every point that the film needs. For one thing, he acquired and played with the toys back in the 80’s, so he has sort of a personal connection to this series, and he wants to see it succeed, while Michael Bay, who used to be at the

helm of the series, didn’t really care about it, and just wanted to get the biggest draw at the box office. Because of Knight, the film actually feels like it has care put into it, and not just robots fighting each other over and over again.

Another thing is the special effects. The film doesn’t go all out with special effects like in the previous entry, as Bumblebee can be replaced by a regular car a lot of the time, which saves a lot of money.

But it doesn’t leave them out to dry either. The first scene of the movie is Cybertron, the home of the Autobots and Decepticons, and it looks absolutely beautiful, even though it is war torn. Every transformer in the film is well made and distinct, and a lot of the times, callbacks to the original toys were made. It’s literally an 80’s kid’s dream.

Speaking of special effects, one of the single bests effects created in the film are Bumblebee’s eyes.

Director Travis Knight himself said that one of the goals he wanted to accomplish with Bumblebee’s eyes was to make them as expressive as possible. You can see what emotion Bumblebee is feeling at all times, whether it be fear, happiness, or sadness. This adds a really nice touch to the film, because it makes you feel that Bumblebee is a living, breathing, creature with a soul, which at most times, is very difficult because he doesn’t actually have a voice.

Another way he expresses himself is through the radio. Whenever he needs to communicate, he just

searches for a station and plays a line from a song that corresponds to what he wants to say, which leads to some pretty comical scenes.

Even though Bumblebee is the title character, he still shares the spotlight with Hailee Steinfeld’s Charlie. And Steinfeld by far gives the best performance in the film.

She’s emotional, and every line she delivers feels genuine. John Cena’s character Agent Burnes isn’t as deep, but he still gets his moments here and there, and Jorge Lendeborg Jr. kind of get’s the same deal with his character. Each character gets an arc with a satisfying ending, with Charlie being able to get over the death of her father, Burns being able to stop blaming Bumblebee for the incident at the beginning of the film that killed his friends, and Memo loses his awkwardness.

Worldwide, Bumblebee has grossed almost 300 million dollars, and it isn’t done yet. Even if it doesn’t become the most successful Transformers film at the box office, it most likely is going to get a sequel because of it’s glowing reviews. Bumblebee is a showcase of what the rest of the Transformers franchise could have been if it was under better guidance and direction. It manages keep the series’s trademark action for the most part while adding compelling character arcs, simpler, yet better looking effects, and redeeming a franchise that many thought could not be redeemed.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian Book Review Idriss Touati Reporter

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he Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is a comical novel about Arnold Spirit Jr., called Junior by his friends and family, who is a 14-year-old living in poverty with his family on the Spokane Indian reservation in Wellpinit, Washington. In order to make sense of his world, he draws cartoons.

Like everyone else in his reservation, no one is doing much in their lives. They either turn into alcoholics or are unable go anywhere because of financial situations. Junior wants to change that so he decides to switch schools and goes to Reardan High (their mascot is an Indian) which is 22 miles away from Spokane. Junior decides if he does not go now, he never will. Junior tries to get Rowdy, his best friend to go

to Reardan High School as well, but Rowdy hates that school in the sense that everyone in Reardan are smarter, better, and have hope. Rowdy now sees a traitor in the place of his once best friend. Junior’s reservation begins to resent Junior for this.

In Reardan, not only does Junior have to deal with racism, he has to deal with his own reservation’s opinion and outlook on him. In Spokane everyone knows everyone, so you can’t avoid other people on the reservation.

Junior was lonely and was being bullied for weeks. He was being called names by everyone bigger than him, calling him names like “Chief”. One day, Junior decides that enough is enough. The leader of the so-called “pack”, Roger, makes a very racist joke towards American Indians and African Americans, so Junior punches Roger in the face. Junior is ready to fight, but isn’t good

at it, even with a feeling of preparedness. Everyone is shocked. No one fights in Reardan...it’s unheard of.

At Reardan High School, Junior falls in love with a girl named Penelope. She is smart, beautiful, and has hope—a lot of it. But she treats Junior like everyone else. Junior later finds out that Penelope is struggling with bulimia. Bulimia is a potentially life-threatening eating disorder. People with this condition binge eat. They then take steps to avoid weight gain. Most commonly, this means vomiting. But it can also mean excessive exercising or fasting. Junior wants to know what was wrong and Penelope tells him.

Junior tells her to “never give up”.

This book addresses very large and important issues that are important as to understanding twenty-first century America. Issues that are faced by teenagers in schools, everyday, are presented in this novel,

from racism, bullying, eating disorders, and varying familial lives. This book is not only a good read, but an important one.

Later Penelope publicly announces that Junior is cute which made everyone think that he is cute.

Penelope is very popular. As Junior and Penelope start dating, Junior gains more popularity.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian Book was the winner of the National Book Award in 2013 and selected by Malden Reads afterwards. I highly recommend this book to people who like comical books that teach many moral lessons.

Through the cartoons in the book, a visual is presented in a format where visuals otherwise may be lacking. This helps guide the reader as to the storyline and also proves a good way to incorporate different aspects into traditional novels.

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entertainment

The Blue and Gold January-February 2019

maldenblueandgold.com

Annual Lunar New Year Celebration Photo Gallery

Brandon Wong Reporter

Above: The East Side Elements performing a dance cover of the song Feeling by UNB. Below: From left to right, Mayor Gary Christenson and Mei Hung unveiling the new Stamp in honor of the Lunar New year. Photos by Brandon Wong.

Above: The DFBB dance crew performing a hip hop dance routine.

Left: Opera singer Jayin Li, singing her rendition of the chinese opera song, The Drunken Beauty.

Below: Performers at the Lunar New Year Festival. Photos by Brandon Wong.

Opinion

The Blue and Gold January-February 2019

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maldenblueandgold.com

Is the Lack of Trust in the Media Justified?

In the twenty-first century, when phones are nearly attached to our hands, when the the daily news is available at a glance of the eyes, the trust in the media has fluctuated significantly, according to Gallup Polls. Up here, down there. With President Trump’s latest comments of “Fake News”, the distrust in the media is even more fluid. Has Trump sparked a newfound sense of distrust, or did he just add to the chaos? Is the distrust in the media even justifiable? Here, Sydney Stumpf and Abhishek Rana argue that no it is not justified, and yes it is justified, respectively. Let us know your opinion on the subject at maldenblueandgold.com

Yes

Abhishek Rana Editor in Chief of Web and Mobile Apps

A

mericans’ trust in the media reached an all time low in 2016. A Gallup poll from that year showed that only 32% of Americans trust the media “a great deal/fair amount.” That number has dropped from 55% in 1999.

Furthermore, distrust in the media is also divided along age and partisan lines. Of those who are 18 to 49 years old, only 26% trust the media a “a great deal/fair amount,” compared to 38% of those who are 50 or older. In addition, only 14% of people who identify as Republicans trust the media “a great deal/fair amount,” while the number was 30% for those who identified as Independent and 51% for those that identified as Democrats.

President Trump’s relentless attacks on the press may have contributed to the level of distrust Republicans have towards the media. However, President Trump’s rhetoric is not the cause of this distrust, he has merely intensified the distrust that existed long before he launched his 2016 Presidential campaign.

There is a sense among many, particularly Republicans, that many news outlets generate a headline around a narrative, and not a narrative around the headline or story. There is not anything wrong about being an opinion journalist, but what is wrong is claiming to be an objective journalist or outlet while in actuality disguising activism under the umbrella of journalism. Many journalists and so called “objective” news outlets are guilty of doing exactly that on numerous occasions.

A particularly egregious example of this came over the summer with how many in the press covered the allegations that Pope Francis may have known and covered up accusations of sexual abuse against former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick. The original headline form the New York Times was “Vatican Power Struggle Bursts Into Open as Conservatives Pounce.” Got it. The “objective” New York Times wants us to believe that the story is “conservatives pouncing,” not the fact that there there were credible allegations that Pope Francis knew and covered up sexual abuse by one of the Catholic Church’s Cardinals.

This is just one example of “objective” news outlets like The New York Times or The Washington Post doing redirecting the focus of a story. All of this would not be a problem if CNN, the New York Times, or the Washington Post admitted to their bias because there is nothing particularly wrong being biased. It is part of the reason why my criticism is not directed towards outlets like MSNBC or even the Huffington Post, who are at least upfront as to what perspective their commentary is slanted towards. Instead, the aforementioned outlets cling to an obviously false claim to objectivity while having little to no representation of at least 36% of the U.S voting population in their editorial board.

The bias of news outlets are also revealed by what they choose not to cover as much as what and how they choose to cover. For example, did any of these outlets cover the annual March For Life that occured on January this year as extensively as they did this year’s Women’s March, even though light estimates put the number of attendees at this year’s March for Life at well over 200,000.

Furthermore, it is not just those on the Right, who have been alienated by the press. Although less so than Republicans, those who identify as Democrats have also gradually lost their trust in the media. The same Gallup poll shows that the percent of Americans who identify as Democrats and trust the media a “great deal/fair amount” has decreased from 71% in 2005 to 51% in 2016.

None of this is any excuse for the often polarizing rhetoric directed towards the media by President Trump, nor is it an excuse for calling the press the “enemy of the people.” However, their deceptive practices and bias is justification for why so many Americans have rightly lost their trust in the media.

Ultimately, if the media wants to gain back the trust of Americans, they need to do less activism and more journalism.

Sydney Stumpf Editor in Chief of Print

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No

he social media phenomena “Fake News” sprouted by President Donald Trump, has caused a disruption in the public’s trust in news and media platforms. Polarized political personas on either side of the spectrum are calling out major news outlets for their “Fake News.” According to Gallup, 2016 signaled a new low for trust in the media. In October of 2018, Gallup reported that the trust in the media is being regained, up to 45% as opposed to 2016’s 32%. Republicans, all in all, have had less trust in the media overall than Democrats, although both parties’ are on an incline of trust. Is all of this distrust in the media justified? Here is why I argue no.

From the First Amendment’s protection of the freedom of the press, the role of the media and news outlets are of utmost importance. In 2019, as a society, we get the bulk of our information from social media platforms and online news sources, like the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Huffington Post. Most every news platform has come under attack by one party or another, due to biased reporting, “Fake News,” or any other negative claims.

Although “Fake News” may be, in itself, fake, biased reporting is an unavoidable element of journalism. Information is too readily available in a variety of platforms, and through political socialization, having no opinion is a luxury few can afford. Through a cycle of information, people formulate opinions and report on the facts, still holding these opinions. Writing objectively is of extreme difficulty, and more often than not, subjectivity is at least in part, reflected through journalism.

Now, it may seem obvious why people believe that the media is not to be trusted, and is inherently swayed. In part, this is true. However, when observing news via platforms on the internet or televised, it is imperative that people recognize and acknowledge modern-day journalism for what it is, not what utopian journalism is. Notably credible news platforms, like the New York Times or the Wall Street Journal, should be understood in the context of credibility and background biases. Having a tone that reflects positively or negatively towards a subject should not cancel out the credibley acquired factual information. Working on these platforms are actual jobs for people, their livelihoods. It is absurd to think that they would risk jeopardizing their professions in order to include a false fun-fact about this subject or that one.

Platforms like pop culture magazines and social media as a whole, should be taken more lightly. As the purpose of the NYT author is to inform, to work, to persuade, the purpose of a teenage boy behind a computer screen is often to inflame. Tabloid covers of celebrities with false headlines plastered across the page, whose purpose is to sell, to make money. Tabloids have always been criticized and recognized for inflammatory messages and false information, just as our parents, our teachers, have reiterated that “not everything you read on the internet is true.”

It is also important to understand why so many have lost their trust in the media, and it largely lies on the President. Again, looking at the purpose of comments made by Donald Trump are important. Through his Twitter, Donald Trump allows an international audience to contextualize his brief comments about this subject or that. Twitter is hardly a place to provide newsworthy articles in 140 characters or less, and the purpose of Twitter is largely to get thoughts out, quickly, and frequently, irrationally. The purpose of President Trump’s tweets, thus the purpose of the remarks about “Fake News,” is to inflame; to get a reaction. In short, what Donald Trump has preached of “Fake News” can be turned around on him, because his comments have been inflammatory and false, just as he described major news platforms.

All in all, the importance of the media is still great, its impact on our everyday lives, paramount. As we have all known, have all grown up with, some platforms are more trustworthy, more credible, than others. But even in the most credible, most notable platforms, journalism is hardly objective.

We do not shake our biases off at the door of writing an article, and therefore, instead of shaking off the trust in the media, we must look to these news platforms with an understanding of what journalism is.

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Sports

The Blue and Gold January-February 2019

maldenblueandgold.com

Gymnastics Cristopher Correa Lead Reporter

S

ophomore Brianna Preston is a new addition to this year’s Malden High Gymnastics Varsity team.

This may be Preston’s first year as a gymnast for Malden High, but she has plenty of experience, as she is also a cheerleader.

Preston’s cheerleading experience is part of what led her to try gymnastics. She explained “I wanted to try it out and some of my friends got me into it, it was something new.” Another reason why Preston wanted to do gymnastics is that in addition to helping her become more open-minded, it also helps her improve on her cheerleading skills as well.

Cheerleading has allowed Preston to excel in Gymnastics and it shows when she performs in her competitions. Kevin Phan, who is a senior at Malden High and a member of the Gymnastics roster explains that “Besides being able to tumble and do leaps, Brianna is both a good gymnast and a good athlete because of her strong sportsman-

Sophomore Brianna Preston striking a pose as she finishes her performance.

Photo by Cristopher Correa. ship and passion for the sport.” themselves and plays for the team Preston is a great athlete is in as a whole, not just for herself. addition to her physical attributes Freshman Alyson Kwong is and skills, because she brings such also new addition to the varsity a positive and optimistic attitude roster this year and despite having whenever she performs or practices never met Preston before this season with the team. She brings that same she is incredibly glad that she joined positive attitude and mentality no the team. Kwong states “Brianna matter the circumstance or unprec- has a really fun personality that lifts edented situation. Every teammate our spirits when things get stressful benefits from having somebody and rough. She helps our team by like Preston, somebody who always cheering us on and helping us with makes sure that they encourage certain skills by giving us advice.” other teammates to keep pushing Preston has a couple of goals for

the season as it has progressed. She explained that she personally wants to improve on her beam routine and is determined to become better at it.

Overall as a team however Preston believes that they should improve on their overall scores when they compete at meets.

One of Preston’s greatest traits, as described by Sophomore Risa Li, is her unrelenting determination and her dedication. She explains that even though Preston had injured her knee, she still participated in her events because of her dedication to the sport. Li describes “Whenever she is injured and cannot practice, she’s upset at the fact that she is not able to do anything, however she still shows up to the practice and sits and cheers on the team throughout the entire two hours.”

Preston also acknowledged the positive impact that their coach, Katie Bowdridge, has had on their team as a whole. Preston stated “[Bowdridge] is a huge part of the team without her there wouldn’t be as many laughs and good times at practices she’s a huge part of the reason I am doing it along with a bunch of others on the team.”

Wrestling Gabriel Matnog Lead Reporter

T

he Malden High School Varsity Wrestling Team began their 2018-2019 season on November 26th, 2018. Under the coaching of Rin Van, the team will be competing in 11 meets in total throughout the season, three of those meets being tournaments. The team, which is currently made up of 11 wrestlers, is looking forward to a successful season with many wrestlers hoping to qualify for the state tournament.

Sophomore Jason Yao, is one of the members in the current 106/113 lb weight class on the varsity team.

When asked what has went well so far for the team, Yao stated “[they] motivate each other to do better and improve. If one of [them] [havs] a bad day, [they] will try to lift their spirits.” Yao expressed the fact that they are a close team, they are dedicated and look out for each other.

The aspects of a good wrestler is having love and dedication for the sport in itself, as said by Yao. His “expectations are that [they] all [got] better collectively because [he] really [like] this team and hope [they] continue to improve,” stated Yao. Junior Captain Ved Grey, the 160 lb wrestler on the team, is entering his third year on the wrestling

Below: A Malden Wrestler sizes up his opponent. Photo by David Cartledge.

Above: A Malden wrestler attempting to win control on the ground against his opponent. Photo by David Cartledge.

team and is “ecstatic” for the new season. As a captain of the wrestling team, Grey would like this year to be more of a learning experience for the new wrestlers and an opportunity to fine tune all the returning wrestlers.

He believes they will go “pretty far throughout the season,” and stated that “a big thing [he] think[s] [they] can work on is coordination, and

making sure all of [their] wrestlers are thinking and working as one.”

A big aspect of having an excellent and successful season would be having good team chemistry, so they can all push each other. They are looking forward to winning more matches this year in hopes of qualifying for the state tournament,

individually and collectively as a team.

“Physical strength and cardio” is what needs to be improved upon in the eyes of Grey, performing and giving 100% during every single practice, as well as learning new moves to use in matches will only help them in the long run.

The Blue and Gold January-February 2019

Sports

19

maldenblueandgold.com

Ice Hockey David Cartledge Lead Reporter

Girls’ Malden-Medford Team

Boys’ Malden-Revere Team

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Senior goalie Terrell Pesaturo and Medford player Abby Vigliotte defending the goal. Photo by Cartledge.

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ith many Malden players on the Malden/Medford girls hockey team playing in their senior year, the team hopes to build on the foundations they have built in previous seasons and improve their performances and results on the ice.

Senior captain Terrell Pesaturo mentioned that “one thing [they] could improve on is [their] passing and shot on goal. [They] need to shoot more in order to score.” Pesaturo also mentioned “something that went well was the way our team flows together when [they] are on the ice.”

The only captain on the team that is from Malden is Pesaturo, who is the goalie on the team. Terrell has been playing hockey ever since she was eleven years old, and stated that she started playing hockey when “the Boston Bruins won their last Stanley cup,” which was on June 15th, 2011. With the team only winning 4 of their games last season, Pesaturo stated that “[her] expectations for the year is to double [their] tally from last year.”

Senior Jessica Crugnale, who plays forward and who is entering her third season with the team, said something they could improve on that they struggled with last season was “[their] back-checking because [they] tend to give up halfway down the ice.” What she felt went well last season though was “[their] teamwork and communication.” She went on to describe how it would “help [them] win more and improve on [their] record from last season.”

With every season comes new goals that members of the team hope to meet, whether they are for the whole team or more personal.

Captain Pesaturo commented on what her personal goal would be, saying that she wants to “be happy everyday and to embrace the family that [they] have become.” As more of a team goal, Pesaturo stated that “[her] number one team goal is to make states this year.”

Senior Brianna Swanson, who is a left wing on the team and is beginning her fourth season, said that one of her personal goals is “improving [her] shot and wants to work towards ending [her] high school hockey experience on a positive note,” while Swanson hopes

that “as a team, [she would] like to see [them] become a bit more cooperative, both on and off the ice, so that [they] can better work as a unit.

All of the girls seemed to really believe that the teamwork and cooperation of the team was a key role last season, with Senior Brianna Swanson stating that “[she thinks their] teamwork and communication worked well last season”, stating that this was because “it helped [them] win more and improve [their] record from the year before.”

Similarly, Senior Jessica Crugnale mentioned that “communication can always be improved upon, as can morale; [they] have a tendency to get stuck on the negatives but hopefully, [they] will be able to work on that in the coming season.”

With the team being split between two different cities, it can impact the relationship of players and possibly even the overall effectiveness of a team. However, the team seems to be playing hard and strong, regardless of what city they are from. Captain Pesaturo stated that “the teams relationship is like a family. [They] all accept each other and respect each other,” and Crugnale commented that “[they] are all very close for the most part considering [they] are with each other everyday.” With the rivalry between Medford and Malden, some of the girls mentioned how not only can the relationships be different on the team, but even comments from other students at school, with Pesaturo stating that “being paired with a huge rival team is hard for the Malden girls when [they] are in school. If [they] wear [their] game gear, which has Medford written all over it, [they] do get ridiculed.”

With the rest of the season in front of them, the girls seem really excited for the new season, with Pesaturo stating that “[she is] looking forward to [her] last games of [her] high school year. [She is] super excited to play each team [they] face and [she is] willing to put in a hundred percent.”

Swanson said that she is looking forward to “having fun because [she] [is] a senior and this is most likely [her] last year playing hockey at a competitive level, so [she] really want[s] to enjoy every moment.”

ast season, the Malden/Revere Boys ice hockey team ended the season with a record of 9-8-4, which ended up qualifying the team in the state tournament. Although the team was knocked out during the first round, they learned many things that they could improve on, as well as things that they executed really well. The team has a total of 22 players on the varsity team this season, with 11 of them being from Malden.

When asked about how the team performed last season and anything that may need improvement on, Head Coach Joe Ciccarello, who has just started his seventh season with the team, stated that “[he] feels like [they] should have went a little farther than losing first round,” and that “[he doesn’t] think [they] played as a team last year.”

Coach Ciccarello went on to say that “[they] had too many individuals going in their own direction and underperformed. Hopefully this year [they] can learn from that and get all together and hear one voice.”

Entering his seventh season as coach of the hockey team, coach Ciccarello said that “[he] loves coaching tough gritty kids that play the game with heart and guts,” and that “[he] feels like [they] are getting those kids from these 2 communities.”

With the team making it to states last season, there were some things that they did really well on, that they may want to keep up this season. Sophomore Jared Swanson, has played hockey for six years, but is entering his first season with the high school stated “making the state tournament” was really good for the team, mentioning “it proved to the players that they have what it takes to be a good hockey team.” Coach Ciccarello mentioned that “[they] did shoot and score well last season” and went on to say that “hopefully the kids put the work in during the off season to improve on that.”

With the team being made up of players from two different cities, it could spur some unwanted rivalry on the team. However, it seems like the team has been getting along really well, with coach Ciccarello stating that “[their] players and parents get along great” and that he “[could not] ask for a better relationships for a co-op team.” He also mentioned

how he had heard “horror stories” in the past about co-op teams, but seems to be really happy about the relationship of the team this season.

Swanson similarly said “the relationship on the team is great, everyone is welcoming and friendly, [he] feels that being associated with another city is actually a good thing because the players get to know each other better and the team builds up more chemistry around each other.”

The new season both brings new players to the team, but also the loss of seniors who graduated last year. Coach Ciccarello mentioned how they lost a bunch of their players, saying that “[They] graduated most of [their] goals.” He went on to comment that “that’s going to be hard to replace. However, [they] can replace individual stats with a great team effort,” but to any of the new players on the team, Coach Ciccarello mentioned that “you have two ears and one mouth for a reason…. listen twice as much as you speak.

Work hard always and drop ego at the door. Leave it at the dinner table.” Swanson gave the advice: “always try your hardest and give it 100% because you never know who’s watching.”

With hockey being such a physically demanding sport, there are bound to be a few injuries that could put players out, possibly even for the season. Though coach Ciccarello said that injuries did not impact the team last season, Swanson was injured earlier on in the season, commenting that “obviously having an injury is a bit of a setback, but [they] are hoping that [he] can bounce back even stronger and help out the team.” Swanson also mentioned how he has been participating in practices, and that he is going to have the cast off on the 21st, restoring him to full health again.

Overall, the team seems to be in a pretty good place this season.

Making it to states last season seems to have really helped them understand their priorities this season, and show them what went well, as well as what could be worked on.

Coach Ciccarello commented that “[he] looks forward to the challenge this year. If [they] all buy in, and the outside voices stay outside, it can be a fun year.”

The Malden Medford girls hockey team consists of players from both Malden and Medford, with the Malden players on the team being Senior Captain Terrell Pesaturo, Senior Brianna Swanson, senior Jessica Crugnale, Junior Bethan Taddeo, Sophomore Alaina

Guiliano, and Sophomore Sarah Whitehouse. The captains of the team are Terrell Pesaturo, Brenna Forbes, Caitlin Sheehey, and Abby Vigiotte. The team is again being coached by Rayanne Forbes.

20

Sports

The Blue and Gold January-February 2019

maldenblueandgold.com

Indoor Track Sara Zakaria Head of Sports

M

alden High’s Indoor Track team has waved goodbye to an overall successful season for both the Girls and the Boys. The season ended with a total of four wins and three losses, ending with a winning record.

However, the winning season had to be fought for by the members of the team. To senior Shataeya Smith, a challenging moment of the season for both herself and the team was the meet against Revere. She says that the track team “did not know if [they] were going to win,” as the score depended on the final 4x4 relay race. Smith adds that the team knew that they had to score first place in the relay in order to win. But, to Smith, the uncertainty of how the team will perform in their events was “nerve-wracking.”

The possibility of not getting first place and therefore losing the meet would mean that the team would have had a record of 1-3, which also meant that the team would need to win the next three meets to have a winning record. If they were to lose another meet, they would have had a losing record, since the team only competes against seven teams.

The reason why Revere was challenging for Smith was due to the feeling of “getting into [her] head.”

She adds that if one is an athlete and dwells on the fact that they did not perform well at an event, it is going to be “hard” to “succeed and excel the next couple of times.” This happened to Smith, as she states that she did not perform particularly well during her shotputs. “If you have a positive mindset, [you are] most likely to excel, whereas if you have a negative mindset, [you are] more likely not to excel,” Smith says.

“Although [she] placed first and it is good that [she] placed first, [she] felt like [she] did not do [her] best.

As for Junior Bella Machado, the most difficult moments of the season were the races against Revere and Gloucester, because “both meets came down to the relays.” There were also “a lot of [them] injured and sick,” so the team did not have as many people they needed to run.

Her personal challenging moment was the meet against Danvers, due to her injury that affected her season, as that was the first race she ran with “little to no training,” which brought on feelings of nervousness.

The Boys team suffered similar fallbacks. The Boys team lost to Danvers, with a score of 40-46.

According to Junior Omar Asousy, his most challenging moment was racing against a senior from Peabody who “had the best time in the league” in both the mile and two

mile run. Asousy admits that he was the “only long distance runner [he] was not able to beat.” However, he still has hopes, as he “may get another chance” to beat him at the NEC league meet.

For Senior Kyle O’Brien, a challenge for the team was be trying to get “the new runners to score and get used to Varsity meets,” along with dealing with injuries. O’Brien had suffered an injury three weeks ago, which forced him to cut his season short.

As there were a series of lows for the Boys and the Girls, they were also rewarding moments that balanced out the negatives. For Machado, she says that the most rewarding moment for the team was the win over Gloucester, since it was the team’s last meet and “would determine a winning or losing streak.”

For her, she appreciated the support and encouragement she received from her teammates during her race against Danvers. The support she got allowed her to win first place in her event.

As for Smith, the team prided themself on winning the 4x4 relay at the Revere meet, since it allowed them to have the opportunity to have a winning record. Personally for Smith, her biggest achievement was qualifying at the track team’s first meet, which was against Beverly. It was rewarding for her to know that she could place first and qualify for States at the first meet of the season, which “is not common” unless they did a lot of training. She attributes her success to the training she did over the summer, stating that she “worked so hard,” making the achievement feel rewarding.

For the Boys, their most rewarding moment was the win against Marblehead and Revere, according to O’Brien. Asousy adds that the team was down three points, meaning that the score depended on the final relay race once again. Asousy was in a relay with Juniors Yousef Lahkiky and Ezra Kruckenberg, and Senior Ruan Valadares Silva. The “intense meet” and “even more intense race” ended with the team and the relay coming out on top, with a score of 44-42.

The team’s successes can be due to their desire to improve.

Smith says that the team focused on working harder to achieve their goals, while also working on being punctual and making sure that they are “mentally there” at practice. The team also wanted to improve the running skills of the freshmen and sophomores who are new to the sport. Lastly, the team also worked hard to try to achieve their goal to get a lot of members to place when it comes to the NEC championships, in order to show that Malden “does have talent.” “The NEC does not

From top to bottom: Junior Omar Assousy looks to finish his final lap; Sophomore Makayla Preston running the 4X. Photo by Fidel Laurena. really like us, they really [do not],” Smith says. She also focused on her goal of beating the school record, which is actually hers. She aspired to “have an impact on the team” for her final year by holding the number one spot in her event.

To Asousy, the Boys team still has “a lot of room to grow” but this year’s team had “far more potential” than last year. They still need to improve on “consistency,” Asousy says, as in some meets, such as the Danvers meet, the team had a “great chance of winning” but did not necessarily perform well in the events the team was “expected to win.”

Nevertheless, the team still worked hard at improving. The 4x800m relay team, in which Asousy is a runner in, improved “tremendously” since the start of the season, Asousy adds.

The team also improved on their “mentality” going into every meet, as they strived for a “winning mindset” and aimed to “push [their] limits,” O’Brien says. The team would “still improve on [their] attendance,” according to O’Brien, but that is a goal for next year.

Two members of the team that had a particularly outstanding season were Sophomores Makayla Preston and Vicky Pham, accord-

ing to Smith. Preston did not start off as a 300 or 400 meter runner, but she “stepped up and did the 4x4” and “next thing you know, she is a permanent leg” of the relay. Smith praises her ability to do multiple events, stating that she is “very diverse,” as she can “longjump, sprint, throw, and be a leg in the relay.” Smith adds that it is not common to find someone who can do such a variety of events. Preston is “one of the backbones” of the team and who always performs to the best of her ability. Vicky Pham is also another member of the team that works hard at practice and the meets, according to Smith. After every meet, she hears that Pham sets a personal record by margins such as 15 seconds, even 30 seconds.

Taking 30 seconds off a two mile run is “amazing” to Smith, saying that Pham looks like she is running “with ease.” However, Pham “puts in the work” in order to shave the seconds off of her time.

The Indoor Track team still has the NEC championship meets to compete in, along with States for those who qualified. To many on the team, the NEC meets are an official wrap to an eventful season, filled with memorable, many times intense, moments.

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maldenblueandgold.com

Michelle Yin Lead Reporter & Designer

Swim

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he Malden High School swim team held their meet against Reading on January 22, winning with an overall team score of 88-78.

The swim team capped off their last home meet of the season on a high note.

Last year, the swim team had lost their meet against Reading, which meant added pressure was on them this year. Heading into the meet, the team was concerned about the potential outcome. As highlighted by senior captain, Agatha Silva, the Reading swim team is an all boys swim team.

Junior Haoxi Wang explained how he had remembered last year’s meet against Reading and the swimmers he was competing against. Additionally, he stated that “going into the meet this year [he] had more preparations. [He] had focused down more on [his] races and [he] had the mindset to swim to the best of [his] abilities and beat them.”

Most of the team was nervous as to how the meet would have turned out. Reflecting from last year’s meet, Wang expressed that

S

MHS Swim Team preparing to dive. Photo by Carlos Aragon Aldana.

Sebastian Romani clarified that the meet was still very exciting and even though everyone was nervous, they were on their toes because ‘[they] were not sure how their team would look because [Reading] had also lost

A MHS Swimmer butterflies his way through the race. Photo by Sandra Li. although he was motivated to win, he was also worried and “nervous, when [he] was about to race.” He explained that he knew if he had improved this year, then “other members on opposing teams would have improved as well.”

Despite this, senior captain

Profile: David Lombardi

a few seniors as [they] had.”

In order to prepare for this meet and other meets, Silva explained that they had challenging practices where everyone put in their best efforts along with “[getting] the line up the day prior so [they] can mentally focus and prepare, and get

[themselves] ready.”

Wang mentioned that something that he can individually work for the next year would be being more positive about next year’s meets, but as the Reading meet came to an end, “he] was happy with the results.” He explained that the team did not have as much depth as years before and he was glad to end the season with a winning record.

Romani described that the whole team going into the meet wanted to put in their best efforts.

He said that “many people tried new events and had personal records” and that there “was great effort put in by everyone on the team.” He also concluded that he was very proud of the efforts put in by the team.

Some of the people that stood out within the meet according to Silva and Romani would be Kevin Ochoa, who they say is “the backbone for the team” and David Lombardi who not only had a personal record but also won in an event that seemly was not to his advantage.

Although the team was originally wary about who might win the meet, with the effort that they put in, they were comfortably able to come out victorious.

ophomore David Lombardi has been on the Malden High School swim team for two years now. Lombardi started swimming from a young age, and has been participating in swim competitions for twelve years in total.

Lombardi was motivated to start swimming by his sisters, who both swam in the MHS swim team and introduced him to the sport.

In freshman year, Lombardi made it to states and sectionals along with four other members of the swim team. He states that ¨Sectionals and States are extremely competitive, filled to the brim with high-level athletes all at a caliber unlike any other¨ and being able to represent Malden was something that he would ¨never forget.”

One of Lombardi´s favorite moments on the swim team this season ¨would have to be the competing against Danvers swim.¨ He was very proud of the team for being able to beat Danvers this year after losing to them the previous year, even after losing some of their ¨key swimmers.¨ He personally was able to accomplish beating a backstroke swimmer from Danvers that had ¨out-touched [him] at the Northeastern Conference League meet.¨ Lombardi mentions one of the challenges that the team and himself have been facing since entering the NEC league is that, often times there are diving teams in opponent teams which gives other teams the advantage since MHS swim team does not train for a diving team.

The diving gained the points from diving meets and ¨that would be contributing toward the total score for the meet setting us up with an immediate deficit.¨ As of this season, something that Lombardi hopes to improve on is his “strokes so [that he] can be more versatile in all events to fill in wherever the team needs me.¨ For future goals, Lombardi says that his ¨ultimate goal is to ensure that Malden continues its reputation as a highly competitive and successful swim program.¨ Senior and Captain Sebastian Romani said that Lombardi is a good asset to the swim team, ¨which means that Lombardi is able to compete in different swim evens and the team will always get great results from that.¨

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Sports

The Blue and Gold January-February 2019

maldenblueandgold.com

Boys Basketball Jemisha Syliant Head Copy Editor

Profile: David Mervilus

Mervilus believes that what the team needs to do better on is improving their energy. He described how fter what has been an up and the team needs “more energy” espedown season that has yielded cially when they are down during an overall record that stands cur- the game. “[They] need someone to rently at 5-7, the MHS boys basket- step up and take over and just carry ball team are still very much in play the team,” explained Mervilus.

Similarly, Lopes explained for a spot in the Sate Tournament.

The first game of the season how the team needs to do better on resulted in a win against Tewksbury starting the game off “hot” because Memorial with a score of 61-52. Then they tend to only “come out strong followed a three-game losing streak towards the end.” He believes that with the Tornadoes falling short if they start games as well as the finagainst Lynn English, St. John’s ish, they can beat any team.

Although there are different Prep, Peabody Veterans Memorial. aspects the team has yet to work on, However, the team bounced back with a victory over Revere Lopes mentioned how the team has with a score of 56-48, snapping their become stronger in terms of driving to the paint and finishing strong three-game losing streak.

Junior Guilherme Lopes ex- inside, explaining that “[they] used plained that after losing a tough to not take it to the basket at times.”

Mervilus stated that his goal game against Lynn English, the for the remainder of the season is team let that game “get to [their] heads,” which lead them to lose to to win the rest of the games as well the following games such as Saint as making playoffs and just having John’s Prep and Peabody. Following a winning record overall. He hopes the Christmas tournament, the team his teammates and him can stay Junior David Mervilus taking a free throw. Photo by Jesaias Benitez. started to “shake back up” and now together regardless of a situation on need five more games in order to or off the court. He stated that “if [they] have ups and downs or somequalify for the State Tournament.

Jemisha Syliant explained that he needs to improve Junior David Mervilus believes one is upset, [he] just want[s] [him] Head Copy Editor on making his shot consistent as that this season is going good so far and [his] teammates to stay together well as work on decisions he makes as “[he] think[s] [they] have done and have a bigger bond and get the on the court pertaining to play unior David Mervilus is one of [well] overall.” He explained that of- win.” making. In contrast, he explained the new players on the MHS boys The MHS boys basketball team fensively the team is doing better as they are able to “move the ball, find hopes to finish the season strong basketball team this year. A transfer his strengths are his ability to drive from Montreal, Canada, Mervilus, “hard” to the basket, and knock and clinch a birth to the Playoffs. each other, and take good shots.” has already made a huge impact on down shots.

Mervilus continued to describe the team his first season, and has established himself as a key part of that he is working on his three pointers. He believes that although his The Golden Tornadoes.

Mervilus described Canada as mid range is exceptional, “it could being similar to Malden in the sense be better.”

Mervilus was awarded MVP of how school is constructed. He explained how MHS has longer school during the championship game hours but that “[he] find[s] that the which was against Snowden. He education in Canada is harder than explained that “[it was] a great feeling because [he] work[s] hard and [MHS].”

Mervilus considers Canada to when they called [his] name for the be more difficult because a student’s MVP [he] congratulate[d] [himself] schedule can have up to ten classes because all the hard work [he] did, or eight to nine classes. In contrast, paid off.”

During the game against he mentioned how at MHS his schedule for the first semester will Snowden, Mervilus scored 37 only have six classes and for the sec- points. When asked what he did differently, throughout that game, he ond semester, only five classes.

Prior to playing basketball replied by saying “[he] had a differat the age of 11, Mervilus played ent mindset.” Since this game was hockey. Due to the expense of the so important for MHS, Mervilus equipments needed to play hockey, wanted to win and just “takeover Mervilus decided to play Basketball, and play [his] game.”

In the beginning of the game, which he “love[s].”

Mervilus explained that his Mervilus scored 21 points in a row overall goals for the sport is to pur- and just began thinking that “it is sue a career in Basketball in which he [his] game and [he] should just conaspires to go far. As for team goals, tinue scoring.” Mervilus alson menhe explained that he wants the team tioned how he was more aggressive to have an exceptional season and and knocked down more shots, inmake the playoffs. He continued to cluding five of seven attempts from add that despite some of the disap- beyond the three-point line.

Although Mervilus played a pointing outcomes the team has had in games this year, he believes that great game, he also highlighted the the team has put in forth “great ef- performances of his teammates statSenior Captain Robens Garcia dribbling the ball up the court. Photo by Jesaias ing that “it [was] a group effort and forts”.

Benitez.

As for weaknesses, Mervilus [they] all played [their] best.”

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maldenblueandgold.com

Girls Girls Basketball Basketball Jana Elshafey Reporter

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n terms of their results on the court, Malden High’s girls basketball team have had quite an underwhelming season. After losing three starters to graduation last year, in addition to other key role players, this has proved to be rebuilding seasonfor the team. With the personal and strategic change the team has had to adopt this year, they have found it difficult to produce on both ends of the court.

At the start of the season, head coach, Scott Marino, was aware that because of the personnel changes on the team, they would have to look for different ways to play on the

team hosted Lynn Classical at the MHS Finn Gymnasium.

The game began as an intense affair with the scoreboard very close to each other at the start. Senior Salma Bezzat, who is also one of the co-captains of the team, converted a three-pointer to give Malden a 5-4 lead early in the first period.

As the game went on, the pressure on the Golden Tornadoes was at a high point after Lynn Classical scored two straight layups in quick succession and went on 10-0 run to take the lead at 14-5. At the end of the first quarter, the team was frustrated as Lynn Classical was able

Senior Selma Bezzat rushes to get the ball in the Everett’s hoop. Photo by Brandon Wong. many times.

Junior Meley Ephrem with Bezzat, stating that “If [they] took [their] time, [they] would’ve at least had a better outcome. She explained that “[they] could’ve done better but their defense was hurting” the rest of their performance.

Scott Marino concluded that “the girls give us everything they

have and as a coach, that’s all [he] can ask for.”

The team, as of February 5th, has four games left in the season, one of which is a rematch against Madison Park on February 13th, the team that the Tornadoes defeated in their opening game. The girls hope to end their season on a high note and continue to build for the future.

Junior Christine Nguyen dribbles the ball down the court. Photo by Brandon Wong. court. Marino mentioned that “this year, [they] are not as offensively gifted as [they] were a year ago, and [they] have to find different ways to score points.”

Because of this, Marino decided to switch up from the zone defense they were playing to a man defense that focuses on pressing opponents to create turnovers and fast break opportunities.

The team began the year with a 45-35 victory against Madison Park, where using their new pressing strategy allowed them to create numerous turnovers that helped them get extra possessions and therefore score easy points on the game.

However, after their opening night victory, the team has been unable to pick up any more victories throughout the season. Although not for a lack of trying, the team has fallen short on both the offensive and defensive end.

On the 29th of January, the

to build quite a comfortable lead of 21-7 and carry that into the second quarter where they extended that lead to 29-7.

However, despite the lopsided scoreline, the fight wasn’t over as Malden was eager to continue giving it their all. In the second half, the Tornadoes were finally able to get their offense going and start knocking down some shots. Their offensive breakthrough energized the home crowd and the rest of the team. Their second-half performance may have been a consultation for what ultimately turned out to be a lopsided affair which ended in Lynn Classical winning 54-24.

After the game, Bezzat expressed her frustrations with the game stating that “they need to work on both defense and offense and communication is key but [they] are avoiding it.” She continued to say that “[they] need to slow the game down and not [turn the ball over” so

Freshman Neveah Cherilus attempts to land in a shot. Photo by Brandon Wong.

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The Blue and Gold January-February 2019

maldenblueandgold.com

Super Bowl LIII

A Sixth Title for the New England Patriots Abhishek Rana Editor in Chief of Web and Mobile Apps

T

he Super Bowl shootout everyone expected turned out to be a defensive deadlock. The New England Patriots defeated the Los Angeles Rams 13-3 in a game where two of the premier offenses in the league were held to a combined 16 points, the lowest total in Super Bowl history.

Sunday also marked the 17year anniversary of the beginning of the Patriots dynasty: it was exactly 17 years ago, in Super Bowl XXXVI, when The Patriots shocked the football world by defeating a heavy favorite, the then St. Louis Rams featuring “The Greatest Show on Turf,” to win their first title in franchise history. The victory launched the Brady-Belichick partnership that has now resulted in an unprecedented six Super Bowl wins in nine appearances.

While Super Bowl LIII may not have exactly been an exhilarating contest for anyone who is not a de-

fensive and special teams enthusiast, there were many notable moments throughout the affair, one of which was definitely not the halftime show

by Maroon 5. And despite a 2018 season in which offenses broke all kinds of records, Sunday once again proved the old cliche that it is indeed defense that wins championships.

The game began with an uncharacteristic turnover by Tom Brady, as he threw an interception to Rams’ linebacker, Cory Littleton, on his first pass attempt of the game.

For Brady, it was the start of a quite pedestrian performance throwing the ball, as the Rams’ defensive coordinator, Wade Phillips, dialed up a great defensive game plan that contained Brady and company for much of the game.

New England’s offense was able to move the ball effectively for much of game but were contained once they were in Ram territory and in third-down situations.

Unfortunately for the Rams, however, their offense failed to capitalize on the stellar play of their defense as the Rams’ offense punted on all six of their possessions in the

first half. Rams’ quarterback, Jared Goff, had one of the worst performances in his short 3-year career, as he was under duress by the Patriots’ pass rush for much of the game. Bill Belichick and defensive coordinator, Brian Flores, called a great game on defense that seemed to get Goff and the Rams offense off of their comfort zone.

With 9:59 left in the final quarter, with the game still tied at three, the Patriots finally orchestrated the game’s first touchdown drive. It was vintage Tom Brady, as he threw four straight completions to get the Patriots in goal-line position.

The highlight was 29-yard rainbow down the left sideline to tight end, Rob Gronkowski, who laid-out for the completion with three Rams’ defenders around him. The completion was Brady’s best throw on the night and was the longest play from scrimmage by any team in the game.

It eventually set up a go-ahead touchdown by running-back, Sony Michel, who punched it in from two yards on the next play out to give the Patriots a 10-3 lead with 7:03 left in the game.

On the ensuing drive by the Rams, it seemed that they had finally gotten their act together as they drove deep into Patriots territory and were in position to score the game-tying touchdown. However, with 4:24 left in the game, Patriots’ all-pro corner, Stephon Gilmore, picked off an ill-advised throw from Jared Goff at New England’s 4-yard line. Following the turnover, the Patriots’ ground attack was able to chew up much of the game clock and set up a 41-yard field goal from Stephen Gostkowski with 1:16 left in the game that extended the Patriots’ lead to 13-3 and essentially sealed the game.

For the Patriots’ this was their record-tying sixth Super Bowl title in franchise history, joining the Pittsburgh Steelers as the only team with six. There may be some uncertainty about Rob Gronkowski’s future as he will decide whether or not he will retire. However, both Bill Belichick and a 42-year old Tom Brady will return for the 2019 season, and if this season has made anything clear, it is that Brady and Belichick are done when they say they are done.

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