January 2011 Blue & Gold Malden High School

The Blue and GoldMalden High School Our 96th YearVolume 96 Edition 4 January 2011

http://www.maldenblueandgold.com/

Opinion 2-5

World News 6-7Local News 8-16

Entertainment 17-19Sports 20-24

TV: An Accurate Representation?

Page 4

Afghanistan’sNiqabPage 5

Monthly ProfileBeverly Nyman

Page 8

Going Green?1

Posse winnersPages 12 - 13

Colby-SwayerPages 14 -15

NFL’s New RulesPage 21

Boys and GirlsBasketball

Page 23

Boys and GirlsTrack

Page 24

In This Issue:

Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ/8th) was the victim of a shooting in Tus-con, Arizona, on Saturday, January 8, 2011. (MCT). Coverage on page 6.

Junior William Wong running in a track meet. Contrary to popular belief, the track team consists of more than just runners. More boys track on page 24.

Malden Takes On Poetry Out Loud

Junior Chung We Dai performs as a period three class winner. Full article on page 10.

The Malden High School gym-nastics team experienced an un-

fortunate beginning to their season after a close defeat to long time ri-vals, Medford High School, by only 0.65 points. Although they have had a minor setback the team is anxious for their new set of uneven bars to be installed.

The team currently faces dif-ficulty when it comes to practicing and improving because the equip-ment that they are provided with now leaves the gymnasts at risk of “smashing [their] feet on the low bar, touching the ground when swing-

ing from the high bar, or having to deal with the bars being slanted and ready to fall apart,” explained junior co-captain Alana Casey. The new set of uneven bars will increase the performance of routines for all gymnasts that participate in that event, as well as prepare them for competitions against schools who also have high quality equipment. Since the team had been unable to practice and have more experience with such good equipment, it was a setback when arriving at Med-ford High School and using their

Junior captain Alana Casey on the uneven bars. Photo by Megan Kelly.

Gymnastics Fights Adversity

continued on page 22.

2 The Blue and GoldJanuary 2011


Malden High School

The Blue and Gold77 Salem St.

Malden, MA 02148

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

João NascimentoNidale Zouhir

MANAGING EDITORSBrittany Foley

Alexandra Mathieu

HEAD COPY EDITORBrittany McFeeley

ONLINE EDITOROmar Khoshafa

HEAD LOCAL NEWS WRITERCristina Peters

HEAD WORLD NEWS WRITERDan Holmqvist

HEAD ENTERTAINMENT WRITERReginah Sanyu

HEAD SPORTS WRITERAlfonse Femino

HEAD OF BUSINESSAlexander Gennigiorgis

HEADS OF PHOTOGRAPHYLauren Benoit

Sharon Lee

HEAD OF SPECIAL PROJECTSKayla Bramante

COPY EDITORSHaley DeFilippisCatherine Poirier

Megan KellyNatalie Fallano

Paige YurekJoshua Kummins

REPORTERS & PHOTOGRAPHERSRebecca Broomstein

Kaela BryanFreddie DiPhillipo

Johanna LaiKristen LeonardJacob Martino

Vicki NganAmalia Quesada Nylen

Timothee PierreAmanda Rosatone

Joel StevensonLesley Ta

ADVISORRyan Gallagher

Established in 1915

Check out our online edition:


Editorials

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 let-ters. 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 ad-vertisement that violates the above policy or that promotes products questionable to student use.

Any correspondence concerning this publi-cation should be directed to Mr. Ryan Gallagher’s room in C339 or to his mailbox in the main office.

The Blue and Goldc/o Malden High School

77 Salem StreetMalden, MA 02148

Editorial Policy

Corrections:

Corrections to the editor can be submitted to [email protected]

Nidale ZouhirCo-Editor-in-Chief

Two years ago, 1.8 million people stood crowded together for hours in the frigid January air, chant-

ing President Barack Obama’s name, undoubtedly with his presidential campaign’s catchphrase running through their heads the entire time: “Yes, we can.” The nation (or at least, the 52.9% of it that voted for him) stood united under a vibrant blue flag, hoping that the next four years would be full of progress toward the left side of the political spectrum.

But now, the red white and blue of Obama’s campaign posters seems ominous rather than hopeful; rather than live up to the nation’s admittedly obvi-ously out-of-reach expectations–-fix the economy; fix Iraq; fix Afghanistan; fix Iran; fix North Korea; fix gay rights; fix health care; fix immigration–-Obama found every bill he tried to pass into law hotly contested not only by Republican congressional representatives but also by half the nation. Massive crowds of people emerged, protesting everything from tax hikes to First Lady Michelle Obama’s choice of apparel. Cable news channels were overtaken, not by legitimate debate or accurate news reporting, but by overtly partisan news anchors bashing those who did not agree with them.

As Glenn Beck lamented socialism and Keith Olbermann lamented liars, hopes for the bipartisan America Obama had described during his campaign crumbled, making way for arguments over Twitter, arguments on TV, arguments in newspapers, and ar-guments in Congress. Unfortunately, unlike legitimate political debate, these arguments seemed to yield few compromises and instead only fueled the already red hot anti-Obama sentiment, leading to the growth of the ultra conservative Tea Party and massive losses for Democrats in the November 2010 congressional elec-tions. For a month or so, this seemed to be the cure for what had been a Congress full of threats of filibusters and so-called compromises that only seemed to make most legislation obsolete. After losing power in the House of Representatives, however, Democrats went on to pass tax cuts, food safety legislation, the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, an arms control agreement with Russia, and health care for 9/11 first responders.

But even as Congress worked harder than it had appeared to for at least two years, the heated political climate did not cool down; Beck called Representa-tive Harry Reid and others who thought it might be necessary to stay in session over Christmas “really bad people,” adding that he thought that they were “evil”

Political Climate is Hot

The president of the Red Cross Club, Monika Bashllari was not mentioned in the Red Cross article on page 11.

Diane Klibansky’s name is spelled incorrectly in the Spirit Week article on page 12.

Kerri Shuman, Witchie Valence-Exilhomme, and Dan McClenthen’s name ’s names were mis-spelled. Dan McClenthen’s name in the Powder Puff and Crew Faces Budget Cuts article on page 20.

Andrew Terenzi is a distance runner, not a sprint-er in the Retaining Their Title article on page 21.

Photo was taken by Sharon Lee, not Lauren Ben-oit on page 23.

not only for wanting to work through December break but for attempting to pass legislation that had been on the floor for months.

Then, putting a halt to arguments about Con-gress and its decision to read the Constitution in all its censored glory, on Jan. 8, 2011, Jared Lee Loughner showed up to Representative Gabrielle Giffords’s first Congress on Your Corner event of the year and pro-ceeded to shoot 19 people there.

In the same way that Counter Strike was blamed for Virginia Tech and Marilyn Manson was blamed for Columbine, the nation’s political discourse–-specifi-cally the overtly partisan so-called debate that went as far as one Fox News anchor and likely 2012 presiden-tial candidate placing cross hairs over congressional districts (including Giffords’s) that disagreed with her views on health care–-has been blamed for the violence in Tucson.

Even Senator John McCain, who spent the weeks before Jan. 8, 2011 lamenting the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell and spouting homophobic tirades before Congress, called for a more civil political discourse in an op-ed a week later for The Washington Post. Olbermann, meanwhile, tweeted about his hopes for a “pledge against violent rhetoric,” but then, unfor-tunately, went on to bash Palin as well as many GOP defenders on the same twitter feed.

Ominously enough, more of the country appears to be echoing Olbermann’s sentiments than McCain’s. Though the media did, during very specific moments, attempt to remain as nonpartisan as possible (specifi-cally immediately following Obama’s speech regard-ing the shooting), for the most part it appears as though nothing has changed. If anything, both sides have been blaming one another for the attacks and for the political climate surrounding it. But making the shooting about gun control or about Loughner’s political views (which are shady at best) is, in essence, doing precisely what Americans have grown bored of over the last few years: over-politicizing something that was never meant to be politicized. Because at-tempting to assign some sort of blame to the Arizona shootings is politicizing it. Everyone from Palin to Obama has issued some form of a statement regard-ing the shooting–-and everyone from Palin to Obama has been repeatedly criticized by whichever news network disagrees.


3The Blue and GoldJanuary 2011 Opinion

Thirty-three. That is how many bullets Jared Lee Loughner’s Glock 19 could fire with-

out having to reload once. Loughner was able to fire thirty-three bullets within the span of fifteen seconds, killing six innocent bystand-ers and injuring an additional fourteen at an Arizona rally for Congresswoman Gabriel Giffords. If his second magazine clip had not been kicked away, Loughner could have used all three of the extended magazines (containing nearly 100 bullets) he brought with him on Jan. 8, 2011. What was a tragedy could have been much, much worse.

This compels one to ask several ques-tions: What purposes do extended magazines and semiautomatic weapons serve other than to aid truly disturbed individuals in mass kill-ings? How could one possibly justify the need to have a gun with as much firepower as the Glock 19 for self-defence? And what kind of faulty gun control policy gives an obviously disturbed 22-year-old man, who was denied a place in the US military for drug use, access to some of the most dangerous weapons in the world?

That is not to discredit those who tout their own second amendment rights. The right to bear arms has been a fundamental freedom of American citizens since the drafting of the Bill of Rights. But this was before the age of semiautomatic hand guns, which are specifi-cally designed to kill people with a deadly ef-ficiency.

The Glock 19 is a favorite among gun en-

Loughner andGun Control

Dan Holmqvist

Head World News Writer

continued on page 5.

Do you have an opinion? Submit your letter to the editor to

[email protected]!

Is it just me or do you also hate Mark Zuck-erberg? Well, in case you didn’t know, he’s

the guy that created Facebook, making bil-lions of dollars annually, connecting people from different countries to each other, while changing the way our social landscape func-tions. I mean, I don’t hate him in the sense that he’s “hateable,” but I do hate him in the way that I am not him. Don’t you ever dream about changing the world someday? Maybe like Superman or Batman or even Sarah Palin (maybe). Well, Mark Zuckerberg has done just that! He has miraculously changed the way our culture works. I mean honestly, how many people out there do you know that don’t have a Facebook? Like 2 … 3 … maybe 4 right? Well not including your parents of course, but Facebook has seriously changed the way our lives function.

And starting this generation, we have started to succumb to developing a new era in which information is able to travel, con-necting different countries in seconds, and connecting different people all in one savvy network. Zuckerberg has changed the world; that is obvious. And I am annoyed at that! Seriously, why couldn’t I be Zuckerberg, or why couldn’t I do something just as equally

Letter to the EditorHarris Zhao

Junior

life changing? Is it too late for me? Zuckerberg started all the way back since he was 11, creat-ing a network that connected all computers in his own household. I am 16, and I have yet to do something as prominent as that. Oh the joy it would bring me to know that I could change the world, and have over 6 billion dollars in my bank account.

Oh yeah, did you know that Zuckerberg doesn’t even spend all his money? He saves it up, and spends it all modestly on what he needs, while also giving away millions of dol-lars to enhance educational resources in Amer-ica. Example: Newark, NJ where he donated 100 million dollars to a local high school. That only makes him more “hateable”! We know you have over a billion dollars in your bank ac-count, and you can easily spend lavishly while still having billions of dollars left. Okay? But you still go on out there like you are so much better than us. Just because you can spend modestly, and change the world indefinitely, and make our lives so much better, you can just sit there with that condescending smirk, be-lieving that you are a god in our presence and I hate you. I hate you for changing the world. I hate you so much that I want to be you.

Comic by Jimmy Malzone.



Opinion

Each American household is reported, on average, to have

about 2.86 television sets, an aston-ishing number when one considers that the average American house-hold is also reported on having 2.5 people. Television has evolved over the years from a luxury item to a staple in American culture. TV shows now cover an array of inter-ests and topics with programming for any person, of any age group. That being said, TV has a very one sided relationship with the Ameri-can public: although it caters to the people’s entertainment needs, it is not an accurate representation of the people it serves.

On the one hand, all forms of entertainment, from television to novels to films, are escapist media. Even shows that emulate real life like Friends and Seinfield are im-mensely popular because they offer a life that is different and separate than that of the viewers. However, while people enjoy television shows for this reason, the most popular shows are those that the viewers can relate to. Yes, it is fun to indulge every now and then in a show that showcases bizarre and unrealistic characters, but the shows that last the longest have characters that people can identify with.

However, now, with the US more diverse than ever, television does not seem to be keeping up with the times as much as it should. To be more specific, children and young adult programming seems oddly homogenous in its racial and ethnic representation. The popular cable television network, Nickelodeon, is the perfect example of this shift. From the 1990s to the early 2000s, Nickelodeon’s time blocks geared towards teenagers, TEENick and SNICK, offered a particular di-

versity within its programs. My Brother and Me, Cousin Skeeter, and Kenan & Kel were shows that featured African-American fami-lies; Taina and The Brothers Garcia highlighted Hispanic families and cultures. These shows did not just have a black or Spanish character on the show, but explored the culture of each ethnic group. American teens were exposed to different lifestyles and cultures, opening their eyes to the world around them. Even shows with a mainly white cast still of-fered a different point of view than the norm. The show Caitlin’s Way covered the life of a troubled and tragically orphaned girl who, opting out of going to a juvenile detention center, chose to live with her aunt. Clearly the programming of this era, while offering more diversity, also offered more depth in its characters and more complexities within the plots they faced.

Comparing the programming on Nickelodeon now to the program-ming from the network’s past indi-cates the change that has occurred. iCarly, Big Time Rush, and Victori-ous are the most popular shows on the network and share a common theme. All three depict teens becom-ing famous in some way, whether it be through a web show, a band con-test, or a school for the performing arts. The issues that the characters face on the show are superficial and focus mainly on crushes, fame, and balancing the two. There is no em-phasis on diversity or the different cultures that make up the American culture. The explanation for the shift from depth to surface level content? “Every kid thinks they’re five minutes away and one lucky circumstance from being famous,” stated Marjorie Cohn, executive vice president for original programming and development at Nickelodeon in an interview with The Los Angeles Times. “We’ve always responded to

Pop Culture Lacks DiversityAlexandra Mathieu

Managing Editor

what’s out there in the cultural zeit-geist and spin it Nickelodeon style.”

Yet, time has proven that what children and people in general, want are not always what is good for them. The programming on tele-vision for children and pre-teens is the sugar of their “television diet.” It is not giving children the substance that at such an impressionable age they need. Instead of helping children learn to understand each others’ backgrounds, Nickelodeon is feeding them pipe dreams and instilling in them an obsession with fame and notoriety at an early age. While the shows are entertaining and to an extent funny, they are hardly filled with substance and rely more on cheap gags than actual sustaining content.

Surprisingly, films and movies targeted at youth are on a converse path. These films are beginning to touch upon some surprisingly sen-sitive topics in a manner that is far from what it was in the past. Toy Story 3, which debuted in June 2010, was received with universal critical acclaim. Named the “Best Movie of 2010” by Time Magazine, it takes a humorous look on growing up and dealing with the changes that come with doing so. This is a topic that any-one from all age groups can relate to because it has substance; it goes past the surface problems portrayed in youth television and hits a powerful chord with its discussion of a hu-man issue: coping with change. Toy Story 3 is not alone; Where the Wild Things Are, Up, Despicable Me, and WALL-E are all films rated PG that go beyond shallow discussion and present meaningful material such as the pain of loss and the power of be-lief. As films of this caliber continue to garner acclaim and bring money to the box office, perhaps youth programming will take a hint and follow suit.

However, youth films, despite

their impressive content and depth of characters, are far from perfect. They are, like youth television, un-able to broadcast a variety in ethnic-ity and even a correct portrayal of an ethnic character.

The best example is the 2010 film The Last Airbender. Based on the popularized Nickelodeon television show Avatar: The Last Airbender, the film follows Aang and his friends in an Asian inspired universe as they try to save the world from the invasive and heavy handed Fire Nation ruler, Fire Lord Ozai. The driving force behind the show was its East Asian influences; from the names of the characters to the foundation for the styles of fight-ing they use, the show is a homage to the colorful East Asian culture and its rich history. However, in M. Night Shyamalan’s adaptation, the cast was primarily Caucasian or Indian. Those who were fans of the show were displeased and even enraged at the disregard of the eth-nicity of the characters in the film. Dragon Ball Evolution, which came out in 2008, had the same issue as it featured a Caucasian lead in a film that was based off one of the most popular anime of its time. It is this lack of appreciation of culture that youth films and television are both lacking.

Whereas the previous era in youth programming is character-ized by diversity and self-discovery, this one will be remembered for its homogeneity and triviality. Who knows, perhaps as the US heads to-wards more equality for the people, youth television shows will follow suit and have a show on an Asian family or a homosexual teen. Until then, the youth of America will con-tinue to be shocked when it realizes that attaining fame is not as easy as the TV shows make it out to be.


5The Blue and GoldJanuary 2011 Opinion

Oppression, Televised

To a TV producer looking for the next hit TV show, a title like

“Niqab” (which literally means “veil”), might mean that coming up with something catchy is hard to do these days. Now maybe with a few TV stars and a good theme song it could become a hit and their next meal ticket, although this Afghani TV show is not gain-ing popularity over scripted drama and its graphics. It features the raw and true stories from the oppressed female population of Afghanistan.

Saraya, the first woman inter-viewed on the TV show, told her lifetime story from behind a blue and white mask. The blue meant to be similar to the the Niqab, or veil that is apart of the Muslim hijab, the modest dress code from the Qur’an, while the white repre-sents the woman’s innocence. For Saraya, wearing the mask was not only to protect her but to also apart of creator Sami Mahdi’s vision for the show. As he told CNN, “I was not very sure about the concept and the format, but I was very sure about the mask, you know.”

The show caught America’s at-tention after several major news cor-porations such as The Huffington Post, CNN International and CBS News posted it as front web-page news. Comments on the articles range from radical feminism to insults to the Muslim faith. Mahdi might have started The Mask proj-ect to reveal the extreme abuse that some Afghani woman endure, he has received reactions much stron-ger than anticipated .

Since the traumatic 9/11 attacks, many Western European Countries have gained a negative view on Islam, such as Denmark, where parliament member Søren Krarup stated in a government session in 2007, “the head scarf [has been] a to-talitarian symbol comparable with totalitarian symbols we know from the Nazis and Communism,” as sourced from www.earthtimes.org. In France and Germany, legislature has been passed banning the Hijab in public, while Christian crucifixes were a much harder symbol to band. With a new TV show expressing the effect that this “mask” has on Mus-lim women in certain countries, it appears that the message being sent is that the Muslim faith is giving men an upper hand over women.

In a country where Islam is the major religion, it would be thought that Muslim traditions would be strictly enforced; though Arjuman Kamal, mother to Malden High School sophomore Arefin Mohiud-din, says otherwise. Kamal, who grew up in Bangladesh, disagrees with the stereotype on Muslim women. Translated by her son Are-fin, she spoke about her practice of Islam’s hijab. “It’s really much of a tradition, it’s actually part of my re-ligion, Islam, which dictates that all women must cover their heads. Ev-

Megan KellyCopy Editor

ery women eventually does, some earlier than others. I didn’t have to be pushed to wear one, I decided to at age 14.”

The difference between coun-tries with large “fanatical” popu-lations such as Afghanistan, and countries such as the US, UK and Bangladesh where there is freedom of religion is that women are given a choice. Americans now see the Muslim women of Afghanistan who are forced to be the lesser part of the population as victims; and the identity of Afghani women is now being applied to Muslim women in general. Kamal commented on the newest stereotype of Muslims, “Just like every other stereotype about certain races, ones about Muslims are simply not true. [The] stereotype about husbands beating their wives is not true. There have been cases about this all over the world, yet there’s nothing that links this espe-cially to Muslims. Nothing in our religion dictates it. ”

What ever happens to “The Mask” is all up to the viewers. May-be it will gain so much popularity that Afghanistan will see the error in its ways for allowing the abuse of wives to be such an issue that a TV show has to be made to reveal these horrors. This may make people see the difference between living in a culturally conservative country and a country where the sub culture that Jersey Shore represents is able to develop. But what this is not doing is helping the image that Islam has taken up in the past two decades; Kamal said on the topic of Muslim stereotypes that, “one thing people realize is that there are radicals from every religion, Muslims, Jews, even Christian radicals. One group shouldn’t set the tone for the rest.”

A display in the Kadhmiyah section of Baghdad, Iraq, warns that women who don’t wear the hijab, or traditional Muslim head covering, will be punished in the afterlife. The display, shown on December 30, 2010, was erected by Islamist leaders in Baghdad as part of what many women see as a campaign to limit their role in public life. Photo courtesy of MCT Campus.

thusiasts. The gun is light, reason-ably priced at around 500 dollars, and small enough to be concealed under an article of clothing. But according to the St. Petersburg Times, the main draw of the gun is its extended magazine: “The stan-dard Glock 19 can hold 15 bullets. For 60 dollars more, you can add an 8-inch extension. And double the ammunition.” Perhaps this is why this specific model was also used by Seung-Hui Cho in the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre that killed an additional 32 people.

It is not surprising that a mass killing like this happened in Arizona, considering the state’s lax record when it comes to gun control. In fact, last year, Arizona was the third state that allowed its citizens to carry concealed weap-ons without a background check or any formal training.

But even then, some people remain unconvinced that the state’s gun control policy had anything to do with this month’s shooting. Re-publican state Senator Ron Gould controversially suggested that “I don’t see how gun control could have prevented that shooting un-less you take the guns out of the hands of law-abiding citizens.”

It is time for gun control policy to be changed in America, and in a substantial way. Congress, in 1994, wrote legislation that limited the number of rounds an ammunition magazine could hold to 10. But ten years later in 2004, this legislation was allowed to expire, since then, gun manufacturers have made substantially bigger magazines.

Now, in the wake of the Tucson shootings, Congress has once again looked into limiting the number of rounds a magazine can legally be allowed to hold. But why stop there? This new session of Congress should place an out-right ban on semiautomatic hand-guns like the Glock 19, regardless of whether someone is considered a “law-abiding citizen”. Even for less potent handguns, national legislation should require more stringent background checks and more educational courses.

America has been grappling with how to deal with gun violence, especially in the last twenty years. The Tucson shootings, despite all the grief and suffering caused, has presented itself as a golden op-portunity to make America a safer place.

continued from page 3



World news

Tucson Massacre Stuns Country

On Jan 8, 2011, United States rep-resentative Gabrielle Giffords

became one of 19 victims brutally wounded during a shooting ram-page outside a Safeway Supermar-ket in Tucson, Arizona. Six of the 19 victims were killed, while 13 of them suffered severe wounds. Six of the 13 wounded remained hospi-talized in critical condition. Many citizens of Arizona gathered by the supermarket at a local “Congress on Your Corner” event to hear Gif-fords express her views when the brutality began. One of the victims was nine year old Christina Taylor Green, who was ironically born dur-ing the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Chief federal judge of Arizona, John Roll, was also one of the six murdered.

22 year old Jared Loughner is

suspected to be the monster behind this malicious felony. When asked about his motive, Loughner had no response. Loughner is being held without bail, and faces either a death sentence or life in prison for committing five federal crimes: one count of an attempted assassination of a member of congress, two counts of killing an employee of the US and two counts of intentions of killing US employees. Although Lough-ner does not claim a motive for his devious actions, some claim his political views, which differ highly from those of Giffords, may have motivated the shooting.

In honor of the fallen victims during the tragedy, president Bar-rack Obama led a moment of si-lence, in which the country’s flags

were ordered to be lowered to half staff, on Jan 10, 2011, at 11 a.m. In his memorial speech, Obama stated, “to the families of those we’ve lost; to all who called them friends; to the students of this university, the public servants gathered tonight, and the people of Tucson and Ari-zona: I have come here tonight as an American who, like all Americans, kneels to pray with you today, and will stand by you tomorrow.”

Sarah Palin also made a state-ment about the Tucson Tragedy, say-ing, “Acts of monstrous criminality stand on their own. They begin and end with the criminals who commit them.” However, Palin continued with a somewhat defensive, poli-cally-oriented statement, saying, “journalists and pundits should not manufacture a blood libel that serves only to incite the very hatred and violence they purport to condemn.” Her comments caused uproar in the public, particularly the usage of the phrase “blood libel.”

On Jan 11, 2011, Giffords took a miraculous turn in her recovery at Tucson’s University Medical Center, taking her first breath on her own since the incident. She also began moving both arms, though she is still reliant on a breathing tube, for precautionary reasons. On her third day into recovery, Giffords brain was expected to reach it’s peak in swelling, but her doctor, Dr. Michael Lemole, chief of neurosurgery at the University of Arizona, stated that her brain had made no increase in swelling. This could mean that her brain is done swelling, though Lemole says that sometimes it could

Above: Photographs of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, (D-Ariz.) and slain U.S. District Judge John M. Roll were displayed at a memorial in front of the University Medial Center in Tucson, Ari-zona. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times/MCT). Below: President Barack Obama makes a speech honoring the victims of the Tucson, Arizona shooting rampage. (Will Seberger/MCT)

A program for Christina Taylor Green’s funeral is displayed at St Elizabeth Ann Seton Church, Thurs-day, January 13, 2011, in Tucson, Arizona. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times/MCT)

take longer for the brain to reach its peak of swelling. After Giffords’ op-eration that required temporarily re-moving half of her skull, tests have shown that she is becoming more and more responsive. For instance, when asked to hold up two fingers, Giffords was able to successfully re-spond as she raised two of her own fingers. In addition, according to Dr. Peter Rhee, Giffords has been reach-ing for her breathing tube, which is “a purposeful movement. That [is] a great thing,” he stated.

If Giffords remains absent from congress, her seat shall be declared-vacant, but only by the US house of representatives, not the state of Arizona.

Although many innocent lives were cut short because of Jared Loughner on that bloody day of horror, he has no choice but to face the extreme consequences for his heinous actions.

Booking mug of Jared Lee Loughner. Loughner is charged with trying to assas-sinate U.S. congresswoman Gabrielle Gif-fords in a shooting rampage that killed six people and wounded 14, Saturday January 8, 2011. (Courtesy Pima County Sheriffs Department/MCT)

Paige Yurek

Copy Editor

Six people are killed and 13 critically injured in a shooting rampage targeting US Congresswomen Gabrielle Giffords.

Rebecca Broomstein

Reporter


7The Blue and GoldJanuary 2011 WORLD NEWS

Bomb Blasts Target Copts in Egypt

A Coptic Church in the predomi-nately Muslim country of Egypt

was targeted during a New Years mass when 21 people were killed in a suicide bombing in the northern city of Alexandria.

The bombing took place a half hour into the new year, right after the mass when the attendees were exiting. The blast was strong enough to damage cars and build-ings near by, as well as detach body parts and send them flying. The bombing was the most damaging attack made on Christians in Egypt in decades which is why Egyptian cops are frightened and outraged. Many wanted to flee the very next day.

In fact, many Copts in the United States state they left Egypt because they were discriminated against. There is only a small per-centage of Christians in Egypt, ten percent, compared to 90 percent Islam.

The Copts claim that the gov-ernment does nothing to address conservative Islamic prejudice in society. Most American Copts have some type of Egyptian descent be-cause that is where the Coptic Or-thodox Church of Alexandria was

established. It broke off from the earlier Northern and western Or-thodox Church due to disagreement about the nature of Jesus Christ.

When Copts come to the Unit-ed States the tables turn because they enter an environment in which Christianity is the majority, compris-ing around 83 percent of the popu-lation, while Islam is the minority, making up less than two percent. In the US, many Muslims suppos-edly feel the same way as Copts in Egypt. This is due to stereotype that all Muslims are terrorists because of events like September 11. In Egypt and the US, freedom of religion is a natural right, but being the minority causes issues because a right means nothing if it is not enforced.

At Malden High School their are several students who practice Is-lam, and live in a Christian majority area. Around the Christmas holidays that just passed, many feel left out. Sophomore Asef Haider explained, “I don’t celebrate Christmas, so I feel left out when everyone’s going on about it, but I don’t mind since I understand what a craze it is for Christians.” Another Muslim, soph-omore Mohammad Anwar, shared similar feelings towards Christmas

vacation, stating “I feel like I get a week off for no reason, which is great and everything, but I’m not celebrating anything.” Both claim that they don’t feel dis-crimination but think it’s unfair that Malden gives no Muslim holi-days off. Students get Jewish and Christian holidays off, so maybe it is time for the system to acknowledge the minority as well.

In Cambridge, MA, however, the Muslims minority is starting to be rec-ognized by school administration. Next year, the Cambridge school district plans on closing once each year to observe either Eid Al-Fitr or Eid Al-Adha because of the number of students that prac-tice Islam. Given Mal-den’s robust Muslim community, maybe Malden’s school system will soon consider following suit, add-

ing to the list of religious holidays that are already observed.

Natalie Fallano

Copy Editor

Coptic Christians are killed in a deadly terror plot organized by radical muslim extremists in Alexandria, Egypt.

St. Mark’s Cathedral in Alexandria. Photo courtsey of Wikimedia.com.

Assassination of Salam Taseer

The province of Punjab, Pakistan was in awe when the news hit

them that their governor, Salman Taseer, was assassinated. Taseer was walking through a market in Islamabad when his body guard was caught with a gun next to Tas-eers’ lifeless body. When the news got out, Taseers political party, the Pakistan Peoples Party, were found in the streets of Pakistan burning objects such as tires and shouting words defending Taseer. Other PPP members were found closing busi-nesses because they did not want to have a business day on the day their leader got assassinated.

The PPP members were in favor of the governors ideas of de-mocracy. The PPP and the opposing group, the Pakistan Muslim League, are vying against each other for con-trol of the government. The PML’s want Pakistans people to conserve the ideas of the Koran and uphold sharia law. With this controversy no one is certain what will succeed and what will fail, but there has been many attempts to conserve both.

Many have wondered why this bodyguard wanted to murder Tas-eer. It started with giving women

power and the fact that Taseer was unhappy with the “blasphemous” law to punish apostates in Islam with a death sentence.

Many are also wondering how this assassination is this going to af-fect the government. Prime minister Yousaf Raza Gillani appointed three days of mourning for the former governor and on Jan. 5, 2011 all schools and institutions were shut down.

Taseers murder will also push back the coming of rights and power of women. One woman, Aasia Bibi, converted to Christianity and was given a death sentence that Taseer opposed. As reported by time.com, a citizen of Punjab stated that “Taseer was doing the right thing, even though he should not have challenged the law. The law should decide, and he should have waited for the Lahore High Court’s deci-sion. He should have hired a lawyer for Aasia Bibi. Where there are lots of extremists, you need to be more careful, especially if you take a bold position.”

From an editorial of the New York Times, the son of the assas-sinated governor, Shehrbano Taseer

stated ”TWENTY-SEVEN. That’s the number of bullets a police guard fired into my father before surrendering him-self with a sinister smile to the police-men around him.” He also told that the governor was killed on his other son, Shehryars, 25th birthday. “He was an intel-lectual, a newspa-per publisher and a writer; he was jailed and tortured for his belief in democracy and freedom” stated Shehrbano Taseer. Some people were saying that the governors death was the last hope of a “tolerant Pakistan.” Shehrbano went on to say that the new politi-cans want to go on and create new amendments to be sure that the law is not misused. “My father believed in our country’s potential. He lived

Kayla Bramante

Head of Special ProjectsCould this be the end of democracy in Pakistan?

Chart shows the balance of power in the Pakistani parliament. The second-largest party in the ruling co-alition has rejoined the it after withdrawing a few days earlier in response to higher gasoline prices. MCT 2011

and died for Pakistan. To honor his memory, those who share that belief in Pakistan’s future must not stay si-lent about injustice. We must never be afraid of our enemies. We must never let them win“ Shehrbano con-cluded.



Local News

Community Bulletin

Monthly Profile: Beverly Nyman, English Teacher

Malden High School English teacher Beverly Nyman has

been teaching at MHS for 23 years. Born and raised in Malden, Nyman attended MHS and graduated in 1965. Nyman expressed that she “didn’t know what [she] wanted to be at first,” before she became an English teacher, “because [she] wasn’t looking into it.” Her motiva-tion to become a teacher stemmed from her father’s teaching career during her childhood.

After graduating from MHS, Nyman went to George Washington University, located in Washington D.C, where she earned her bach-elor’s degree in English literature in 1969. A year later, Nyman attended the University of Massachusetts Boston, receiving her master’s de-gree in 1970.

Once Nyman received her master’s degree, she began teaching at MHS from the 1970s to the 1980s. She later moved to Connecticut where she continued teaching at Naugatuck Valley Community Col-lege for another eight years. Nyman also worked as an exchange teacher at Te Awamutu College in New Zealand for a year during the 80s as well.

While teaching in New Zea-land, Nyman stated that her experi-ence teaching there was “different from when [she] was teaching at

MHS, [as] most of the kids came from a farming background and it was something that was important to them. They would also bring [their] cattle to school.” She described the school further, explaining how, “all of the win-dows were open and the door in the classroom opened to the out-doors.”

Nyman also elaborated on the history of the Maori, revealing that “the Maori were the first peo-ple to live in New Zealand,” and that “these people made [New Zealand] different from the other countries.” Several years later, in 2001, Nyman returned to teaching at MHS where she is today.

When she is not teaching at MHS, Nyman spends her free-time listening to music, particularly jazz, and traveling. Nyman’s history of travelling to numerous different countries is evidence of her fasci-nation with world travel. She has traveled to England, France, Italy, Greece, Belgium, Germany, Luxem-burg, the Netherlands, Colombia, Mexico, Israel, Egypt, and South Korea, to name a few. Nyman has always particularly looked forward to traveling to China. “I’ve always wanted to go to China, since I was 8 years old, because of a project that I was working on at the time,” Ny-man cheerfully explained. Nyman was finally able to go to China (as well as Tibet) with a teacher group back in 2005. A couple years later,

Johanna Lai

Reporter

Nyman worked on the “Pathways to China” program, a program created to allow Massachusetts students the chance to study Chinese culture, history, and society, with five high schools: MHS, Burlington High School, Lynn Classical High School, Winchester High School and the Beaver Country Day School.

When not traveling or listen-ing to jazz, Nyman spends her time reading. Her favorite books include “The Story of Edgar Sawtelle” by David Wroblewski and “Herzog” by Saul Bellow. Nyman described “The Story of Edgar Sawtelle” as an amazing book because of the story-line being “about a young boy who wasn’t able to communicate with

humans but...able to communicate with dogs.” Nyman was likely so impressed by the character’s abil-ity to communicate with the dogs because of her fondness for the ani-mals.

“Mrs. Nyman is surely a phe-nomenal teacher to work with!” stated sophomore Teresa La. “It’s definitely a joy to have her as a teach-er. Everything just flows smoothly. I’m always looking forward to her class because she makes English entertaining.” Sophomore Elizabeth Fitzgerald also spoke fondly of Ny-man as she claimed, “I would have to say that Ms. Nyman is an overall great teacher. Her personality makes her class more fun.”

Beverly Nyman smiles from her classroom. Photo by Johanna Lai.


9The Blue and GoldJanuary 2011 Local News

Founded in 1857, it is no surprise that Malden High School can use a bit of revamping in

terms of its technology and design throughout the building. Early in the school year, new teachers and freshmen were very excited about the new school to come, but did not anticipate paying a price for the construction underway.

Initially, A-House and B-House experienced the most of the construction that was going on during the school day, as there was loud drilling, hammering, and many other noises that were a bit disrupting. Some students complained for days on in about the noise, and how it was distracting to their work in the classroom. MHS freshman Anthony Clayton responded when asked if the construction has become a problem during the day, saying, “When I am doing my work in class I hear [the] sounds of them working and it dis-tracts [me while I] do my schoolwork.” The noise from the construction sometimes distracts from learning or classes. Additonally, certain areas are blocked due to saftey reasons, meaning several temporary walls and locked doors block access to different areas of the school.

Freshman Malik Fleming frustratingly stated “Construction gets in the way …It does not make sense… It blocks all of my classes.” The maze that MHS has become also affects students through their way of maneuvering through different stair-wells as one of the B-House stairwells is no longer accessible, causing there to be a great amount of traffic in the other B-House stairwell, particularly when students flood out of classrooms to head to lunch. “When the stair cases are closed, and lunch begins, the stairs get very crowded and the only staircase that leads you straight to lunch is filled to the brim of student and it hard to get through,” responded Clayton.

Along with these changes, what was known as A-House is now H-House for Holland. MHS freshman Kelvin Tejeda, was one of the many that stated the feeling of confusion with the change of A-House to becoming H-House. With the new wing open, students had to find their ways to new classrooms for classes in the wings of B-house that are being redone.

Ramses Elyjah Neves Riviere, freshman at MHS stated, “I [kind of] liked the move because B-House is so dark and creepy, but the new rooms actually have light.” Other MHS students ex-

Timothee Pierre

Reporter

Self-Expression of Graffiti, Art

or Menace?

The art of drawing is to see beyond the mere lines drawn and colors blended

and to take in the picture as a whole. But while art is about perception, where does the line cross from expression to vandal-ization?

“I feel that graffiti is a way to express emotions through art, albeit it’s some-times unwanted,” asserted junior Harris Zhao. At Malden High School, students as well as faculty have to pay the price for crimes of vandalization. Graffiti has affected so many individuals within the walls of MHS alone. It has caused stu-dents to miss more class time when leav-ing to use the restroom or water fountain as there are few available, what with so many being closed due to unwanted tag-ging.

As renovations are coming to a close, the demand to reduce graffiti is even more of a priority, expressed Span-ish teacher Sharon Kalagher, “Not just on the walls and the hallways, but in the agenda books; I think it just comes down to having respect.” With fewer and fewer bathrooms to go to in between classes, students are tending to show up later. Students are also growing frustrated with the seemingly constant changing of open bathroom locations, suggested sophomore Valentine Banor, who finds it “annoying to know that there is never a certain bathroom to go to.”

So, what realistic solution exists to eliminate graffiti as a problem within MHS? Searching every student for tag-ging materials? How about creating places for those whose ideas are too large for canvases where they are able to fully express themselves. The city of Malden has been thinking about this for a while, and considered having a project in the skate park for graffiti artists to come to-gether and work on something, but it has yet to happen, according to Officer Mike Polston.

Becoming an artist is hard enough with the challenge of finding support and acceptance of that craft. With so many other obscure art forms, it is unexpected to think that graffiti is not really consid-ered as one. If an artist is someone who creates art, why are graffiti artists treated so differently?

Graffiti might not be an art form that hangs upon the walls of a museum, but just like any other art, it has a purpose. “It does nothing bad to the city and its people; it shows that the city has charac-ter with different designs,” stated junior John Nguyen.

With so many people not seeing the art behind graffiti but instead only recog-nizing the destruction caused by graffiti, ideas about finding ways to reduce this defacement of property and find solu-tions to help individuals express their art differently are shot down, as so many be-lieve this art form should not exist at all. Yet, one must take into consideration the perspectives of the artists. In response to this situation, junior Jonathan Silva sar-castically expressed, “Where are we to express ourselves, under a bridge?”

pressed their content for the results of the renovations so far, all finding them to be great changes despite the disruption that it may cause during classes.

Although students have struggled with the new layout, construction on classrooms is expected to be finished by no later than fall of 2011. Over the course of the remaining school year, science rooms will be renovated as well as the cafeterias. Along with these two main projects, other areas of the Boyle Building will be updated as well. “The final phase will be the library and the cafeterias,” stated Principal Dana Brown. When students heard of the construction being finished they rejoiced with happiness. “We are nearing [the] final phase, [and] it’s appears we are [currently] in the big-gest phase,” Brown stated. With rising anticipation and excitement, students and faculty look forward to being welcomed by the new MHS next year.

The H-house to B-house hallway in the wake of the renovations of Malden High School. Photos by Lauren Benoit and Timothee Pierre.

Renovations: A Freshman’s Perspective

Joel Stevenson

Reporter



Local News

MALDEN HIGH TAKES ON

2011 has finally rolled around, meaning Poetry Out Loud has

arrived once again at Malden High School. During the pre-competition, muffled voices echoed from inside the newly renovated classrooms. Peek inside, and there would’ve been a POL competitor reciting their poem with the emotions it needs to bring the words alive.

POL is a poetry recitation con-test that every student is required to participate in. Launched in 2006, this unique challenge is available once during each school year.

Classmates will be pitted against each other as they aim to win their individual class competitions in hopes to compete in the school-wide contest. Whether the student desires the title of “Class Winner” or not, he must select a poem of his choice to narrate and winners are chosen from every class to move to the period semifinals.

There were about 60 students competing for the name of Period Semifinal Champion. Each period contributed one winner to compete in the school-wide Competition.

The period semifinal competi-tion began with periods seven, one, two, four, and five on Jan. 5, 2011. Periods three and six sealed the final results of the contestants the next day on Jan. 6.

Although only seven students moved onto the final round, Sopho-more Kevin Yang (who did not move on to the school wide compe-tition) stated that being a part of the

60 students who competed was “a process.”

In a fresh turn of events, the pe-riod six competition resulted in a tie between freshman Isaiah Clemmons and senior Vanesha Darla. Both cap-tured an equal score and will now face each other in the final round on Jan. 25, 2011.

“Well I was not surprised nor was I upset. I was just happy to move on,” discloses Darla who performed “Father” by Edgar Albert Guest. “I [didn’t] mind because I [know] that in the end [there] will only be one winner and it[’s] great to have some good competition[.] [It] makes you work harder.”

“I feel very surprised [because] the competition was very competi-tive. Honestly, beating Blondel was questionable. I’ve been asking my-self ‘how, ‘why’ etc,” stated Clem-ons who recited “Football” by Louis Jenkins.

Period one’s winning poem was “Broken Promises” by David Kirby. Artfully recited by Junior Sarah Rose, she declared that in “Broken Promisesm,” “the speaker struggles with the guilt and frustra-tion [he] feels towards promises [he] had broken in the past. I think a lot of people can relate to this situation because almost everyone has made promises [he] were not able to keep and regretted it later on.” Now con-fident and hopeful, Rose stated “I am proud to say that I have made it this far, and POL has definitely been an enjoyable experience.”

Junior Jonathan Silva took the title of period two semifinalist with the poem “Grandfather” by Micheal

S. Harper. Silva revealed that he was “... very [surprised at the results] and [had the confidence to move on] with the help of my English teacher, David Londino. I feel very confident to move on to at least states.” Silva added confidently, “I didn’t expect to win but it has boosted my self-[esteem] tremendously and it’s nice to have a class directed on me when I’m not the greatest in English.”

The poem “Epitaph” by Kath-erine Philips aided junior Anielly Zeferino in her quest to take home the title of period three semifinal-ist. Undaunted by her loss in the semifinals last year, Zeferino claims “Since this year I didn’t care if I lost or won, I just picked this poem... It talks about a mother mourning for her dead child, and I could relate a little bit to it since I have already seen something similar with my own eyes. It’s heart-breaking.” Upon hearing her success this year, Zeferino stated, “I would like to thank: God, my family, and all my friends who were with me during the times I was about to freak out, just thinking about [POL].”

“I was absolutely thrilled [that freshman Ahn Dam won period 4,]” explained English teacher Christine Day. “It always feels good that one of your students succeeds...espe-cially because she is a freshman.” Dam performed “Life in a love” by Robert Browning.

Freshman Wyler Giordani will be advancing to the school wide competition flanked by the poem “Alone” by Edgar Allan Poe. With his achievement of acclaiming the title of period five semifinalist, he

stated “win or lose, I’m glad I made it this far, and wish to do better next year.” A rapper since nine, Giordani doesn’t consider POL as remem-bering words, but regards it as, “embracing one’s true character by bringing those words to life. Putting poetry into your heart doesn’t mean you show affection, putting your heart into poetry does.” He added with a laugh, “[Edgar Allan Poe’s] view towards life is mysterious and so I chose that poem because it brings out my true character, I sup-pose.”

Senior Alison Nguyen, last year’s second place finalist in the school wide competition, has re-turned as period seven’s semifinal-ist. Her victory was confirmed with the poem “To an Athlete Dying Young” by A.E. Housman. Nguyen expressed positively “I wanted to do this poem because I had never done anything somber or solemn and be-cause it provided me with another view on life and glory. I enjoy craft-ing ways and gestures that help con-vey the true meanings of each poem that I perform.” She added with a laugh “ Ever since I won last year, people have begun to realize that I’m not just the stereotypical ‘petite, quiet Asian’ girl. This competition has given me a louder ‘voice’.”

The question is: Which one of these talented students will win?

Photos by Amanda Rosatone, Cris-tina Peters, Sharon Lee, Catherine Poirier, Lauren Benoit and Lesley Ta.Layout and Design by Britany Foley and Lesley Ta.

Lesley TaReporter


11The Blue and GoldJanuary 2011 LOCAL news

It was a night of tradition for the Malden High School Music De-

partment as it presented its annual holiday concert, Malden Pops the Holidays, on Dec. 22, 2010, for the first time in the renovated Jenkins Auditorium.

Welcoming the audience as they stepped foot into the lobby was a flute quintet consisting of flautists junior and concert band treasurer Eric Tran, senior and concert band student conductor Jenna Delaney, ju-nior Elizabeth Williams, senior Julie Ringdahl, and senior concert band vice-president Samantha Saggese. Both the Concert Band and Choral Arts Society performed a total of 20 songs, four of which were traditional pieces that are annually performed. The four pieces were “A Canadian Brass Christmas Suite” and “Chan-nukah is Here,” performed by the Concert Band, “Silent Night” sung by the Concert Choir, and “O, Holy Night” sung by Concert Choir along with all alumni of the Choral Arts Society who were present. The song “Silent Night” was performed with the customary layout consisting of several members of the concert choir to be up on stage as the oth-

ers lined up along the two main aisles of auditorium seats. This was a typical routine the Concert Choir does annually, except for the 2009’s concert; due to renovations, it was held in the Finn Gymnasium. Be-ing held in the auditorium this year also allowed the band to work with better acoustics, which concert band conductor Matthew Tavares calls “state-of-the-art.”

This year’s song selection for the Concert Band was a classic yet professional approach, which was greatly influenced by the highly ac-claimed Boston Pops. The idea of in-cluding the reading of the story, The Night Before Christmas, as the band played “Sure on this Shining Night/ ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” by Barber/Saucedo was based off one of the Boston Pop’s annual tra-ditions.

Meanwhile, for the Concert Choir, song selection was based mostly on the size of each choir. With 18 Madrigal Singers, 78 members of Concert Choir, and 100 members of Mixed Chorus, there is a strong backbone within each of the four sections: alto, soprano, tenor, and bass. This creates confidence within a section since the singers are sup-ported by each other and it allows them to be able to perform different types of choral literature.

Keeping traditions alive

From left to right: Sophomore Joshua Gaviola, singing as King Balthazar in the song “The Sheperds’ Chorus.” Band director Matthew Tavares on stage after the MHS band played. Photos by Sharon Lee.

Sharon Lee

Head of Photography

The Cost of Going Green

Recently, the idea to “Go Green” is flooding the nation. Schools

are being renovated to conserve energy, the number of solar panels being installed has increased, and the awareness has risen.

Malden High School’s Environ-mental Club aims to raise this aware-ness on a local level. At MHS, the club is involved in strategically plac-ing recycling bins in certain areas around the school, so that students can recycle more often. The city of Malden started acting on this prob-lem back in October of 2008, making the residents of Malden purchase separate blue trash bags to dispose of their trash, and place all their recyclables in their newly obtained recycling bins, calling it the Pay As You Throw program. Select super markets are giving out benefits to customers if they bring their own tote bags; for example, some stores take ten cents off for every bag you bring. All these acts towards becom-ing more green help the community grow and prosper. However, it is often difficult to monitor how well these regulations are followed.

Some residents in Malden have been infuriated recently due to the lack of commitment in recycling. A witness reported that when she was driving by a trash truck one day, the

Everyone should help make the world a better place to live in. Help local clubs in this effort to make the world a “greener” place to live. Left to right Photos from: Paynow.org and Pur-due.edu.

Lauren Benoit

Head of Photographyworkers disposed of the trash and recyclables in the same truck. There was no separation be-tween the two. Actions like that go against the recycling commitment that the community has. Maybe in the two and a half years that PAYT has been enacted, it lost its power to encour-age the community to keep moving forward with making the world a better place. Many are strong advocates towards one day using all recyclable goods, or decreasing the amount of oil usage. But there are some who feel strongly about not “going green.”

Some say that coal fuels eco-nomic growth. There is a great deal of people in the world who still rely on coal for use in their daily lives, which brings in massive amounts of money. If there is a decrease in the use of coal then the economy will likely plummet as it has in the past. Aside from the plummeting econ-omy, the non-believers are positive that even if they do decide to make an effort to live “greener” lives, it does not come cheap.

Although the average middle class income family cannot with-stand a $10,000 solar panel renova-tion to their home, select celebrities

are attempting to make the biggest impact they can. Hollywood A-List-er Leonardo DiCaprio back in 2007 purchased a unit in New York City that overlooks the Hudson River. This home is not like any other of his. His apartment has a 24-hour air filtering system, water treatment facility, rotating solar panels, and is finished off with low emission paint. This is not DiCaprio’s first ef-fort to go green. He has also served on the board of directors of the environmental organization Global Green USA. Back across on the west coast, he also owns a hybrid car, and installed solar panels in his Los An-gles abode. Also in 2007, he released The 11th Hour, a documentary that stresses the importance of living in

an all natural world. DiCaprio is not the only one making strides towards making the world greener.

From the west coast to the east coast people are coming together in order to do what is know as the “three r’s,” reduce, reuse, and re-cycle. The documentaries from Al Gore’s Inconvenient Truth and The 11th Hour raised awareness and lit the flame for the nation wide out-reach to help end global warming, and make an effort to “go green”.

Filling the auditorium with holiday spirit was done not just by decorating the auditorium with colorful and festive décor but most importantly by presenting MHS’s talent.



LOCAL newsLOCAL news

The Posse

Malden High School senior Ana Duque-Chilin has been

one of the lucky four to win a Posse Scholarship this year. When Duque-Chilin found out she would be attending Bucknell University in Pennsylvania next fall, the first thing that came to her mind was “this really is the land of opportuni-ties and I finally got mine.”

Although at times it was an emotional roller coaster for Duque-Chilin, she found her own strength through this experience. What was most difficult for her was the interview process. She explained that she was apprehensive about showing the Posse interviewers and admissions people who she truly was and making a good impression to prove how badly she wanted the scholarship.

At Bucknell University next fall, Duque-Chilin is preparing to major in Chemical Engineering. Despite often struggling with what she wants to do with the rest of her life, Duque-Chilin feels content in her decision because she “had the chance to attend a seminar about

women in engineering, and that really caught [her] attention.”

Duque-Chilin expressed her enthusiasm and joy for going away to college. She feels that because she is already away from her fam-ily who lives in Guatemala, mov-ing away from her home now will not be as much of a stretch. She is eager to live on her own to “grow independently, as a responsible citizen.” Despite that her parents are not fans of her moving so far away, they provide her with their trust and support.

Duque-Chilin is most looking forward to the campus experience right now, “I am dying to find out how it feels to be on a campus and say ‘I go here’.” She is excited to get involved in activities and classes, as well as meeting new people.

Ultimately, Duque-Chilin hopes her education at Bucknell University will see that they have opportunities to be successful as well. She also plans on giving back by helping people here in Malden or even in her home country of Guatemala someday.

3,148 public high school students have continuously been recruited and trained since 1989 by the Posse Foundation. With each chosen student comes remarkable academic and leadership potential to become Posse Scholars. Each receives a four-year, full-tuition leadership scholarship from Posse’s partner institutions of higher education. 38 of the USA’s top colleges and universities have donated $334 million in leadership scholarships to Posse Scholars. An astonishing 90 percent of Posse scholars graduate and make differences on campuses and throughout their professional careers. This year, four fortunate Malden High School seniors have received this incredible opportunity to pur-sue their future careers.

Ana Duque-Chilin

Brandi BelbinHaley DeFilippis

Copy Editor

Malden High School senior Brandi Belbin has been selected as one of four of this year’s Posse Scholarship winners. The same night of her interview was the night she found out where her future would take her: Denison University in Ohio.

Belbin exclaimed that when she truly realized she had won Posse, “there was an overwhelming feeling of relief and accomplish-ment that came across [her].” Belbin said that the most difficult part of the Posse process for her was actu-ally deciding whether or not she wanted to commit to it and move so far from home.

At Denison University in the fall, she plans on majoring in psy-chology. Belbin has hopes on be-coming a social worker. She stated she has “always wanted to know about how the mind works and have a career working with people.”

Belbin’s family has stayed ex-tremely supportive of her through-out her decisions. They are excited that she gets to experience life away from home, exploring outside of

Massachusetts, and making her more independent. “Of course my parents are worried and will miss me, but they know that in order for me to learn and develop into an even stronger, more independent person, that this is the best decision for me,” Belbin explained. She is personally excited to stray away from the Bos-ton area and meet new people.

Although Belbin is excited to get going with her life, she explained that she wants to travel and see the world or volunteer as a Summer Search mentor for a couple of years before she really settles into a career.

From left to right:Senior Ana Duque-Chilin will be attending Bucknell University in Pennsylvania. Senior Brandi Belbin will be attend-ing Denison University in Ohio.Senior Joshua Jerome will be attend-ing Centre College in Kentucky. Senior Xi Gao will be attending Union College in New York.Photos by Brittany McFeeley, Haley DeFilippis, and Nidale Zouhir.

Haley DeFilippis

Copy Editor


13The Blue and GoldJanuary 2011 LOCAL news

Foundation

Brittany McFeeley

Head Copy Editor

With the college process finally out of the way, senior and

Posse Scholarship winner Joshua Jerome will be attending Centre College in Danville, Kentucky in the fall on a full scholarship.

When Jerome discovered that he won, he stated he was at “a loss for words” and, most of all, relieved. He jokingly explained that after his final interview, he was told he would receive a phone call with the life-changing news of his results, and while sitting at home he had gotten a bloody nose just before the phone call. As he was on the phone with tissues in his face, he had received the thrilling news of his acceptance, but chuckled when he explained, “I tried to act excited, but it was hard because of the paper in my face.”

The Posse process for Jerome was “enjoyable,” he said, comment-ing that he finally got to “show others who [he was].” But what was really difficult was waiting. Jerome was constantly questioning, “Was I good enough? Was I outgo-ing enough?” Soon enough, all the waiting and all the questioning finally paid off when he found out that he had won.

Jerome is excited about the op-portunities that Centre College will provide him. He is looking forward to the “new change of scenery” and being able to “experience a new part of the country.” When he starts his college career he plans on ma-joring in Psychology to learn about how the mind works, and minor in Philosophy. After undergraduate school he hopes to go to law school, where he later mentioned that he wants to “go into politics.”

Jerome was also tossing around the idea of become involved in sports at Centre College. A big sports fan, Jerome enjoys played street football with his friends and

just recently got into soccer because his dad was always a big fan.

Despite the great opportuni-ties this college will bring to him, Jerome stated that going to a college so far away from home is “tough.” Jerome was born in Boston, then moved to Cambridge, Florida, and Randolph, before coming to Malden in early middle school. Jerome com-mented that “[Malden is] all I’ve ever known.” His family is also sad to see him go, explaining that when he was younger his parents would always tell him to go to college nearby, but now under the circum-stances they are extremely proud at the opportunities available to Jerome, because “education is a big priority in [his] family.”

Jerome stated that he will miss his friends the most about leaving, but later mentioning that he will “miss everyone equally.” He men-tioned how he will also miss staying after school with one of his favorite teachers, James Valente and his close friends, sometimes even staying till six just talking. Valente’s media class was one of Jerome’s favorite classes at MHS, explaining how he loved to “analyze media” because it is “re-ally interesting.”

When asked about his favorite teacher, Jerome was unable to men-tion just one, but instead listed off a handful of teachers, such as English teacher Jennifer Clapp, Spanish teacher Mar Marjomaa, The Blue and Gold Advisor and Jerome’s English teacher Ryan Gallagher, for-mer history teacher Rebecca John-son, history teachers Ben Max, Rick Tivnan, Ann Pember, and Jamie Green, media teacher Valente, and science teachers Brian Morrison and Martin Berryman.

Despite the numerous people Jerome will miss, he will have nu-merous opportunities available to him while he starts anew at Centre.

Joshua Jerome

Xi GaoBrittany McFeeley

Head Copy Editor

Excitement consumed senior and Posse Scholarship winner Xi

Gao when she received the “unex-pected” call just only an hour after her final interview, informing Gao of her acceptance to Union College in Schenectady, New York.

Nominated by teachers at Mal-den High School and the Summer Search program, Gao “ultimately made the decision to stay in Posse because of the friends that [she] will make who will provide constant support and the resources to in-ternships/opportunities that Posse provides.”

Gao looks forward to the new opportunities that Union College will provide her with. Gao stated she “[looks] forward to making a fresh start, new people, new classes, new environment. [She loves] the opportunity to try new things and correct the mistakes [she has] made in high school. Also, [she looks] for-ward to classes like political science that are not offered in high school.”

Currently undecided on a ma-jor, Gao looks forward to taking po-litical science and science classes at college, and she “definitely wanted to choose a liberal arts college to explore the many subjects,” making Union College a perfect fit for her. Since Gao is only three hours away from home, she commented that should would not have to fly. Yet living in New York will allow her to “enter a new and different environ-ment.”

Her parents have become used to “the idea of not having [Gao] around,” since, due to her involve-ment with Summer Search, she has spent summers in places such as North Carolina and even Peru. Even though her parents will miss

her dearly, “they just want [her to] succeed in school.”

Gao mentioned that two of her favorite class in high school were tenth grade English class, taught by Yahaira Marquez, and calculus, taught by former math teacher Christine Nagle. Gao commented of Marquez’s impact on her high school career, stating that Marquez “really taught how to write and changed my perspective of English class. Without her I would not have challenged myself to take AP Eng-lish classes.” Gao also loved Nagle and her class, commenting that Nagle “was an awesome teacher.” Gao enjoyed the way Nagle taught classes because “she did not believe in memorization and taught in a way that was easy to understand. Moreover, she was always available to help, even on weekends.”

Leaving in less than six months, Gao mentioned that she will miss “the diversity and faculty at MHS. It’s hard to find a school as diverse yet accepting as Malden High. I will definitely miss the teachers. They have helped and supported me through everything.” However, Gao mentioned that she will not miss the behavior of high school students, hoping “college students will [be] more mature than high school stu-dents.”

Gao mentioned how she pre-fers “the outdoors and would rather choose to go hiking than shopping,” adding that she hopes that Union College’s beautiful campus will hopefully allow her to “enjoy the outdoors more.”

With such a rewarding op-portunity in store for Gao, she is looking to have a fresh new start at Union College in New York.



LOCAL news

Progressive Scholarship

Q: What/ Who inspired you to apply for the scholarship?A: During my senior year, I heard from my guidance counselor about Colby-Sawyer college. My friend Tenzin Tes-phel explained more about it.I went to visit the college and I liked it so much. I applied for it, but I didn’t get it because the of limitations of my English. The admission asked me to study one more year of English and ap-ply again.In 2010, I graduated from MHS and I went to Bunker Hill Community Col-lege to study there; I’m still studying at BHCC now. At the same time I kept thinking about Colby-Sawyer, because I felt in the time that I visited the campus that I belonged to that place and I could find my dream in it.

Q:Have you applied to any other schol-arships?A: I didn’t apply for any scholarship except Colby-Sawyer.

Q:Was the application process difficult?A: I wasn’t that hard, but the idea was new for me because it was online.The good thing was almost same re-quested information and I got good help from Mrs. O’Connor.

Q:How do you feel about winning the scholarship?A: It means a lot for me and my family, especially since I will be the first person in my family to enter college in the US. I am really happy to win the scholarship.

Q: What did you write about in your es-say that you had to write forthe scholarship?A: I wrote about what I faced back in my country Iraq, and how bad it was to live in a war zone. Also, how it felt when you live without hope. In addition, I wrote about my dreams for the future.

Q:What do you hope to achieve in col-lege?A: Independence and confidence that will encourage me to peruse the career I hope for.Skills that I will able to apply to my life. Grades that will help enable me to achieve my second dream.

Q: What do you want to major in?A: Biology. I have dreamt to be a doctor.

Q:Did you apply to any other colleges, if so which ones?A: The only college that I applied to is Colby-Sawyer. I’m studying right now at BHCC.

Q:What are you looking forward to in college?A: I am so excited for college. Although it’s still almost one year away, I feel like I’m going next semester. I’m ready to get to Colby-Sawyer College and be more responsible.

Q:How did the people in your life react when you won the scholarship?A: I remember the time when they called me and told me about my acceptance. I couldn’t say “Thanks” to the person who spoke to me. I wanted to finish the call fast and tell my parents about it. It was a really happy moment for them. Mom started to cry and, because she knows how much it mean to me to be there. Dad hugged me so hard. I felt they got happy more than me. I won’t forget their happiness that time.

I want to thank the people who helped me win the scholarship: Ms. Doumant, Ms Han, Ms Commin and also thanks to my teacher before and my great friend now Daniel Ginsberg. He is great per-son, helped me through high school and also through my personal life.

Kaela Bryan

Reporter

Phedorah Rosiclair Najwan IsmailKristen Leonard

Reporter

Q: What does this scholarship mean to you?A: It’s very exciting. I can’t believe I’m actually going to college. Winning this shows how much I’ve really grown up. I’m about to move out of my house and continue on my own.

Q: What did you go through to win? A: An interview, a visit and a lunch with the admissions officers. [I] got to know them, and they got to know [me]. I had to like Colby Sawyer as much as I wanted Colby Sawyer to like me.

Q: What does it feel like to win some-thing like this? Are you happy with the results?A: I’m very happy and excited. I’m not usually the person who wins things. This is the first big thing I’ve won in my life, and it applies greatly to my future.

Q: What drew you to Colby Sawyer in the first place? What do you like most about it?A: I like everything about it. The schol-arship drew me to it first, though. I had no idea about Winning money to attend

any school seemed like a great idea to me. I just got lucky because I ended up liking Colby Sawyer, especially the dorm rooms and the landscape – there are beautiful mountains and hills. And all the people I spoke with about the school said only good things. I also spoke with students during campus visits and I en-joyed what they had to say.

Q:Do you plan to attend Colby Sawyer now?A: Yes.

Q: Do you know what you plan to major or minor in?A: I’m undecided. Maybe the medical field or maybe I’ll go into the humanities.

Q: Are there any subjects in school now that strike your fancy?A: History and science are my favorite subjects. I really like to apply history and science to life, and I like to help people. That’s why I’m thinking about going into medicine or the humanities.

Q: If you could go back and redo this process, would you change anything? Why or why not?A: I wouldn’t change anything because I won. I think I did the best I could.

Q: Is there anyone who is proud of you for this success?A: Yes. My younger sister is proud. And my parents are, too.

Q: How old is your younger sister? What did she say when she found out you won?A: She’s 14, and she was very happy for me. She said, “Oh my goodness!” I think my winning inspired her. She has proof that if she works hard, like I did, she can probably get a scholarship too.

Q: Do you feel any different now that you’ve won the scholarship?A: This scholarship has expanded my horizons. I feel more hopeful about the future now.

Colby Sawyer is a college that selects and offers scholarships to students from high schools in California; New York; Chicago; Cambridge; and now from Malden High School. Generally, every year a total of 50 students from these five places apply for the Colby Sawyer Scholarship. From there, a total of 20 students are selected from the 50 that apply. After a series of events, including an interview, a visit and an

Alternative-Scholarship Winners include: Tricia Aspilaire, Ted RegistrePartial-Scholarship Winners: Charles Saint Jean, Chokyab Sherab, Al-fonse Femino, Thupten Jigme, Xiuying Zheng.

Alfonse FeminoPartial-Scholarship Winner

“I hope to make a lot of friends, learn a lot of things and see a lot of places”, states Colby-Sawyer Progressive Scholarship winner Alfonse Femino when asked about his hopes for college. Femino

would like to major in Education or Communication and also states that he’s looking forward to “starting over.” “I felt disappointed that I didn’t win the full scholarship, but I felt privileged to be awarded

so much money from such a prestigious institution.” When the people in his life found out he won the partial scholarship “both

[his] parents were extremely proud of [him] and [his] friends were happy for [him].”


15The Blue and GoldJanuary 2011 local news

Progressive Scholarship

Q:How do you feel about winning the Colby Sawyer award?A: I feel excited and overwhelmed with joy, and I look forward to attending col-lege next fall.

Q:Why did you participate? What moti-vated you?A: When I first visited the campus last year, I loved the environment and the people surrounding it. I loved how the administration office wasn’t just about numbers but they actually took the time to get to know me.

Q:Was the application process diffi-cult? A: The application process is not dif-ficult but it’s stressful. The due dates, sending SAT scores, writing a good col-lege essay, and finding the right teachers to write you the letters of recommenda-tions…takes time, but organization and time management could relief some of the stress.

Q:What do you plan to major in?A: I plan to be a business major and in the future, to work in a financial district.

Rym Soltani Vicki Ngan

Reporter

Q: What/who inspired you to apply for the Colby-Sawyer Progressive Scholar-ship?A: My friend inspired me to apply for the scholarship.

Q: What was your initial reaction when you were informed that you had won?A: I could not tell. It was complicated. Q: Which one(s) of your teachers helped you accomplish winning this scholarship most?A: Ms. Dumont, Mr. Dibenedetto, Ms. Nyman, Ms. O’Connor and Ms. Lessard are the teachers that most helped me accomplish winning the scholarship the most.

Q: How did you prepare for the applica-tion? Could you explain the process?A: I fixed my essay in about two months. I also finished the common app. and begin to look for college s that I would want to attend. Q: Do you plan on accepting the scholarship, and attending Colby-Sawyer college?A: Yes, I do plan on accepting the scholarship and attending Colby-Sawyer school, along with the other winners who won this year. Q: What do you plan on majoring in? Any minors?A: I plan on majoring in Nursing, and currently, my minor is undecided. Q: What are your favorite subjects? Do you have one, in particular, that you enjoy most?A: Math is my favorite class. I enjoy it the most out of all my other classes. Q: Do you take part any extracurricular activities such as sports/clubs/etc.?A: I take part in a few clubs such as the Biology Club, the Yoga Club and Chess Club.

Q: Is there any word of advice you would give to another student who plans on applying for a scholarship in the future?A: I would like to suggest that prepare well for the interview and finish the ap-plication on time, so that you have the best chance possible to win the scholar-ship.

ShanShan Chen

Smeedhley Batraville Partial-Scholarship Winner

“I wanted to win the scholarship because I needed it, and to avoid leaving my parents with a lot of debt. It always feels good to win

something, but it feels better to win something big like this. I can’t be unhappy with the partial that I got because a lot of people would be happy to get even half of mine. I am only a little disappointed be-

cause I wish I had it all.”

Shannon HowePartial Scholarship Winner

Winning a partial in the Colby Sawyer Scholarship Shannon Howe explains that, “[she] did work hard and even though [she] didn’t win the Scholarship it was a great learning experience. Howe has applied to many other collages and is “very thankful for all the teachers that helped [her].” The Colby Sawyer application process was,” very time consuming and required a lot of attention,” explained Howe. An es-say was also to be handed in with the application and Howe explains that she chose to wrote about her neighbor who is living with Down syndrome and how that gave her,’ an appreciation for people with

special needs.”

Q:Why do you want to work in a finan-cial district? A: I took business management class my sophomore year and I had the chance to work on a business plan. That made me realizes that it’s a field that I am really interested in.

Q:What was that experience, or change? A: I moved from Algeria to the United States and I had to start over. I had to learn English and adapt to change. My parents decided to move me and my sisters here for better education oppor-tunities.

Q: How did you feel about it?A: I was just a kid and moving here con-fused me at the time.The move here was a big deal for me and it was hard for me to understand the reasons behind it, but now it makes more sense. It wasn’t easy but working hard helped me accomplish my goals, which are to earn a college education and build a career.

Q: What is something you miss most in Algeria?A: One thing I miss most is my child-hood friends.

Q:What do you hope to achieve through opportunity? A: I would like to pursue an education and planned to get involved in clubs, take leadership roles, be part of the commu-nity, and have a fun college experience.

Q:Is there anything else you want to say about it?A: I want to thank all my teachers and guidance counselors for their help and their belief in me. I couldn’t have done it without their guidance...and help from my teachers, Mr. Valente and Ms. Santiago helped me proofread my essays, Mr. Bowers and Ms. Nims wrote my let-ters of recommendation, and the college career center along with Ms. O’Connor and Ms. Lessard guided me throughout the process with deadlines.

Claude-Patrick AspilairePartial Scholarship Winner

“I feel great knowing that I won the scholarship. It was also a relief for me knowing that the scholarship took away part of the money I needed to come up with to pay for college,” states partial Colby-Sawyer Scholarship winner Claude-Patrick Aspilaire. Aspilaire was inspired to apply for this scholarship by his friend who applied for

it last year. Most seniors are looking foward to college next fall. Aspilaire is looking foward to a “place where [he] could study and [it] feel[s] like home. A place where [he] could be respected for not only what [he] know[s], but also for who [he is] and [his] actions.” He wants to to major in Engineering to be a Computer Engineer

and also in Law to be a Forensics Lawyer. Aspilaire hopes to get his Bachelor degree and his PHD.

Rebecca Broomstein

Reporter

application, winners, partial-scholarship winners, and alternates are chosen. Colby Sawyer looks for students who have done well academically, who are involved in their communities, who are out-going and who are motivated. Colby Sawyer looks for people who are, according to Ms. O’Connor, C House guidance counselor, “going to be a source of positive change at Colby Sawyer.”



Local news


17The Blue and GoldJanuary 2011 Travel

The first weekend of the new year is a much anticipated time by skiers and snowboarders who are looking forward to some action in the mountains. Who could not be excited for the weekend ski trip to Sunday River in Bethel, Maine hosted by The Peabody High School Ski and Adventure Club, in which the Malden High School Ski/ Adventure Club takes part in?

Friday, Jan. 7, 2011Today, all 27 students who are going on the trip must get up

at least a half hour earlier, just to lug their gear and luggage to the athletic department. I have one big ice hockey bag, one small duffel bag full of all kinds of junk food, and my backpack carrying all the books that will not get cracked open until we arrive back in Malden on Sunday night. Leading up to our 1:30 p.m. departure, I kept counting down the hours to the trip. I could not concentrate on the lessons being taught in any of my classes. I was looking forward to this trip since the previous year! But once 1:30 p.m. did come I went downstairs and got my luggage and loaded it onto the bus. Once the bus had everyone’s luggage packed in, we were on our way to Peabody High. When we arrived, we had to wait until all 150 students packed their stuff onto the designated buses. At about 2:45 p.m., we departed from Peabody High and started making our way to Maine. The bus ride up was filled with conversation about the upcoming trip. Dinner for Schmucks, as well as other movies, were shown on the ride up. At about 8:30 p.m. we finally arrived at the Snow Cap Dorms which we were staying in for the weekend. After going over the basic rules, the students who needed to rent skis or a board went over to the mountain to get them, while the others stayed in their rooms and unpacked. Luckily I brought my own equipment, so I could stay and hang out for a while. When everyone got back from renting their equipment fun started. From playing Apples to Apples and Just Dance 2 on the Wii to listening to music and playing frisbee with bagels, there was never a dull moment. Once 11:30 p.m. approached, we were told it was time to simmer down and start getting ready for the full day of skiing the next day. But the 11:45 p.m. curfew did not halt any activities. Within the rooms, the roommates still were up too excited to sleep, anxiously awaiting the next day.

Friday, Jan. 7, 2011Words cannot express how thrilled I was to be back at Sunday River for the annual ski trip. I had been waiting for this day since the bus ride home

last year. Minutes felt like hours waiting for 1:30 p.m. to come, but at last it was time to load the bus. After our stop at Peabody High School to pick up the 150 students from there who also go on the trip, the four hour ride up to Maine was full of music, laughter, and excitement for the upcoming weekend. After we settled in, it seemed as if everyone felt right at home, and we even mingled with Peabody students this year. My cousin, MHS senior Patrick Keough decided to set up his Wii and let everyone, including Peabody kids, play Just Dance 2 on the big flat-screen television in the common room. My eventful night carried on into my dorm, where my roommates and I talked and laughed until 1 a.m. when a knock on our door told us to be quiet to rest up for the big day on the mountain the next day.Saturday, Jan. 7, 2011

Eight different phone alarms of my roommates went off between 6 and 7 a.m. the following morning, but I didn’t mind getting out of bed knowing I was going for a full day of skiing. One of my closest friends and fellow Blue and Gold member Lauren Benoit and I provided ourselves with our own breakfast because we weren’t too fond of the Snow Cap Dorm’s breakfasts the year before. Unfortunately, we were forced to wait 20 minutes for a shuttle bus to take us to the mountain because we took too long getting ready. However, a sense of relief washed over me as soon as I saw the mountain. It felt good to be back.

Going up the ski lift with my two ski buddies, I felt a wave of apprehension come over me for the first time. Maybe I was crazy because I thought the mountains looked a lot steeper than I remembered them to be, but there was no turning back so we started going down for our first run of the day. I was pleasantly surprised to see that I did not completely loose my ability to ski after taking a year off. For the next few hours, we were up and down mountains, exploring and adventuring the eight peaks. Then, halfway down a challenging mountain, my day took a turn for the worse. I felt a rush as I was picking up major speed and I did not want to slow down. Before I knew it I was going so quick that I lost all control of what I was doing and all I could hear were my skis scraping against the icy slope underneath me and I felt petrified. The next thing I knew, I was doing backwards somersaults down a patch of rocks on the ledge of a mountain. My skis were no longer attached to my boots. I had no clue where my ski poles were. I sat up and I saw my equipment sprawled across the slope and my two friends speeding down the mountain to help me. Getting up, I came to discover how dizzy I was, the rips in my jacket and snow pants, and the sharp pain in my arm. With the help of my buddies, sopohmores Elyse Valente and fellow Blue and Gold member Catherine Poirier, I went down the rest of the mountain and right into the South Ridge Lodge to rest and recover. The only thing I could think of was how grateful I was to have been wearing a helmet. After recuperating, we made our way back out to the mountain for a few more hours of adventuring the slopes.

Want to finish reading about the Ski trip? Check out www.maldenblueandgold.com

Haley DeFilippis

Copy Editor

Lauren Benoit

Head of Photography

Saturday, Jan. 8, 2011Waking up at 7 a.m. was a tough challenge for the students on this trip, but we all dragged ourselves out of bed, motivated by the prospect of going to

the mountain located just an hour away. After breakfast, my roommates and I needed to go back into our room and get dressed up to go on the mountain. There were a total of eight girls in my room, so getting ready was a long process. We were one of the last groups to exit the dorm, and we caught the last bus to the mountain that day. We arrived at around 9:30 a.m. and our day began. After putting our shoes and valuables into our locker, we made our way over to the ski lift. The first run was perfect, and the conditions were fantastic. The trails were not icy, the sun was out, barely any wind, and all seven mountain peaks were open. Because of our early starting day, I was hungry for lunch, which started at around 11:30 a.m. The group that I was with met with other MHS students after settling down for lunch. While eating, everyone was sharing their stories of the day so far. I heard many stories about people falling, or going off jumps, or skiing on black diamonds during that lunch. At about 12:30 p.m., everyone went out to the mountain again for round two. The second half of the day was just as much fun as the first half, if not better. I went over to all sides of the mountains. When 3:30 p.m. came, it was about time to start heading back to the dorms. So I finished my final run, and caught the trolley back. Luckily the dorms were located at the base of the mountain so the ride was not very long. Once I arrived back at the dorms, I got clean and prepared myself for the nights’ events.

MHS junior Eric Tran takes a short break to rest on a slope. Photo by Dan Hol-mqvist.



Style

2010 was a big year for the fashion industry: Lady Gaga wore a meat

dress. Thankfully, this did not trend and hopefully it does not for the next million years.

Despite the fact that fashion trends change from season to sea-son, many of them, like denim, seem to be making it through to ev-ery season. Denim is an everlasting fashion piece as people can’t seem to get enough of it. This material offers people the fashion comfort they want. Because denim is a very important fashion piece, it should not be left out of one’s closet. Denim comes in various bits and pieces: from jeans, skirts, dresses, and shoes--you name it.

2010 was also about glamour and femininity with most of the trends inspired by the males of the human population such as boy-friend jeans, blazers and the mili-tary inspired designs. The military inspired look was also very com-mon and persuasive last year. This trend did not involve one to yell like sergeants although it saluted all seasons. The military look came in skirts, dresses, jackets, boots and accessories. Although this look is hard to re- sist, one must b e very careful n o t to wear it with t h e

wrong material or accessories; wear-ing cargo pants or just wearing a military jacket with leather leggings will get one runway ready.

Leggings, jeggings, whatever one calls them were trending and looks like they will be for a while. Despite how hideous this term sounds, leggings and jeggings (jean leggings) are very fashionable and comfortable even to those who hate dressing up. “I like the leggings, you can wear them with anything,” se-nior Christiana Bortolo stated.

Nevertheless, not all trends were inspired by the boys; dresses were a common trend in 2010. This trend obtains a cute, fashionable look. They can be worn with pat-terned tights which have the power to wake up a boring dress. Ruffles were also favored by fashionistas. Ruffles can be found in dresses of both short and long skirts. Anything ruffled is just adorable.

Most of the current trends were influenced by the 80’s. From high wasted pants, printed t-shirts, mas-culine blazers and shoulder pads. Fashion is now embracing the glam-our and splendors of yesteryears. Mixing colors with odd funky acces-sories will also make one trendy in 2011. Statement motorcycle jackets, pants and boots are to be favored too.

Thigh high boots have become a favorite too. They are comfortable and can be w o r n with anything.

B e -c a u s e winter

fashion trends are nothing newReginah Sanyu

Head Entertainment Writer

is cold, the warmer the garments the better. Scarves are now printed and one can choose from fingerless to lacy gloves. This gives one a chance to look warm and fashionable. Sweaters have always been in style but recently it has been all about chunky sweaters. Theses sweaters can be worn with leggings or skinny jeans to fit one’s personal style. Faux fur has made a surprising comeback this season, mostly in vests and coats. Anything fur can be found for a cheap price in stores like Forever 21, H&M and Claire’s. Gratefully the fur is fake, satisfying the needs of both fashionistas and animal rights activists.

Although there were trends that were favored, some of these trends need to go. For example, UGG boots. It seems like UGG boots are not going anywhere because they are apparently comfortable which only means that sagging pants, sadly part of another popular trend, have to go.

Women’s trends have not changed that much, however men’s fashion has had some drastic changes. The male gender has been wearing boring styles for so long, it is time to give t h e m a particular f a s h - ion sense a n d that is why t h e chic male h a s r e t u r n e d . B l a z - ers, jackets, card i - gans and

printed scarves are now very trendy for men. These styles are very dandy-esque, a return of the well dressed chic man. Although skinny jeans have been trending for quite some-time, it is time to say goodbye to them because they will be replaced by flared jeans which are predicted to be trending in 2011. Hopefully now we will have to see less of the boys in just shirts, jeans and sneak-ers. For the hair, it is less groomed and messier like that of Twilight star Robert Pattinson. This new trend could be reflecting the wild nature of the vampire trends that are taking over the entertainment scene.

But what is really trending in 2011? Whatever one owns is the an-swer. As much fun as it is to keep up with trends, fashion is about style. It depends on a person because most people have preferences on colors, materials, and fabrics. Clothing is the easiest way for one to express themselves. Despite the fact that dressing up might not be important to some people, a number of first im-pressions are made from what one is wearing. “Style says a lot about a person in terms of how they carry themselves and who they are as an individual,” stated senior Joshua Je-rome. “Taking time to make yourself presentable shows that you have re-spect for those around you but also respect for yourself.” So, dear boys and girls, follow your instincts. Who knows you might start up a trend; as long as it does not involve wearing meat.

Malden high school students showing off some of the popular trends. From left to right: sophomore and Blue & Gold member Rebecca Broomstein, senior Kevin Alarcon, senior Frankie Wong and senior Francesca Richardson. Photos by Reginah Sanyu.


19The Blue and GoldJanuary 2011 Entertainment

Approximately 4,000 pages. Over 400 million printed

copies. 67 different languages. 13 years of public acknowledge-ment. 7 world-famous install-ments. Five acclaimed directors. Three beloved best friends. And one out of eight films left.

Since J.K. Rowling pub-lished her first installment of the Harry Potter series, she has dominated the pop culture scene, forming an entire era surrounding the children’s epic, the contemporary literary mas-terpiece. Now, after producing seven books and seven films, embarking on countless book tours and making world records, even the constructing an amuse-ment park based around the series, the age of Harry Potter is nearing its end with this last film, Warner Brothers’ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2. Part 2, directed by David Yates, who also directed the previous two Harry Potter films, features Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint as the world’s favorite heroic trio, alongside the same cast members who have appeared in every other of the films, maintaining the promise of consistency that the magical world of Harry Potter has al-ways offered its loyal fans. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 marks the end up of not only an era of magic, but infinite individual journeys, including yours, if you have stuck with Harry until the very end.

CBS Films’ latest project, based off of the novel by

Alex Flinn, might actually pro-vide audiences with a modern fantasy film that refrains from butchering the idea of the fai-rytale love story with Beastly. Despite the fact that the film is not a Disney animated classic and costars Vanessa Hudgens, it still shows some promise as a film from the fantasy-romance genre. In fact, as it lacks vam-pires and has a decent cast (which includes the universally beloved Neil Patrick Harris and up-and-coming heartthrob Alex Pettyfer, who, despite his shared country of origin with a certain idol of fangirl universes, actually seems to practice good hygiene) given its genus, audiences are likely to find it rather refreshing.

Also unlike recent superfi-cial, supernatural, super-awful productions of the romantic sort, Beastly appears to have at least enough depth to host some morality. The story, based off of the age-old classic tale of Beauty and The Beast, speaks against affections based on appearance, discouraging surface-level judg-ment and instead encouraging consideration of character. Un-fortunately, Pettyfer is blonde and British, so it is likely that, in most cases, this moral fiber will be instantaneously decomposed by the acidic juices of fangirl hysteria.

The film will be released on March 4, 2011.

With each superhero film trailer that graces the eyes

and ears of moviegoers nation-wide before their feature presen-tation, a stunning realization that there is actually, well, another su-perhero to base a movie off of bestows itself upon them. In fact, just as general audiences thought their supernatural resources had been depleted—as producers actually turned to Greek gods as their next Hollywood heroes —out comes the trailer for Green Lantern.

The film, produced by Warner Brothers (obviously), is based off of the comic books published by DC Comics, and is meant to star Ryan Reynolds. Reynolds’ character is the first human ever selected to be a part of the Green Lanterns Corps, which is a group of warriors dedicated to protecting the gal-axy. While the scheme of the film itself, with its 3D presenta-tion and superhero base, is pain-fully unoriginal, it will at least be, undoubtedly, interesting for au-diences to watch The Proposal’s spineless Andrew the Assistant try to save the world.

The Green Lantern also stars Gossip Girl’s Blake Lively, An Education’s Peter Sarsgaard, and Mystic River’s Tim Rob-bins, and directed by Martin Campbell, whose previous films include Casino Royale and The Legend of Zorro.

The film will be released June 17, 2011, in 3D.

2011 Blockbuster ForecastBrittany Foley

Managing Editor

One of the most anticipated movies of 2011 is The Tree

of Life, set to release on May 27, 2011. It is directed by Terrence Malick, the acclaimed director of The Thin Red Line (1997) and Days of Heaven (1978). Details of the movie’s plot have been kept quietly under wraps, but the movie has been labeled a science fiction drama that chronicles the life of a Texan boy, his loss of in-nocence, and his attempt to dis-cover a new meaning to his life. The trailer has recently gone viral and is already causing major buzz on the web, but unfortunately, it only serves to show snippets of the performances made by high-caliber actors: Brad Pitt and Sean Penn head the cast, along with up-and-coming actors Jessica Chastain and Jackson Hurst.

Malick’s films are often regarded as impressive works of art, specifically due to their spellbinding visuals. Reports have been made that production designer Jack Frisk has suggested that Malick is attempting to cre-ate something cutting edge, and visual effects artist Mike Fink has stated that he was working on scenes of prehistoric earth. Though one would think the overwhelming buzz surround-ing the movie would trigger the producers to release more infor-mation, the production remains a tight secret; its mystery only increasing the fascination of the anxious cinema aficionados.



Sports

PatriotsDisappoint

The New England Patri-ots concluded their regular season with the best record in the National Football League, 14-2, however went 0-1 during the post-season, where it really mattered.. The team headed into the playoffs with a very high level of confidence that they would run away with an easy vic-tory over the New York Jets, but the entire patriots nation was stunned after the Jets beat the Pats 28-21.

The Pats lineup consisted of mostly young talent and inexpe-rienced talent, which may have been their downfall. The young talent group includes BenJarvus Green-Ellis (Running-Back), Rob Gronkowski (Tight-End), Jerod Mayo (Linebacker) and Danny Woodhead (Running-Back), and many more. The experienced talent includes “future Hall-Of-Famer” Tom Brady (Quarter-Back), Deion Branch (Wide-Receiver), and Vince Wilfork (Defensive-Tackle), and more. The young talent shows that this is not the last season that the Patriots will be dominant. The Patriots have many more successful seasons coming in the future due to the great leadership, great skill, lots of effort, and a huge desire to achieve set goals.

Head Coach Bill Belichick has shown he has what it takes to lead the Pats to a Super Bowl Victory with the 35+ years of experience in the NFL under his belt. Since the Pats have been under Belichik’s wing (2000-now), the Pats have been three time Super Bowl Champions. In two of those championships, the Pats’ record was 14-2 which is equivalent to this year’s record. Can the Patriots win their fourth cham-pionship of the century?

The coach of the day on Jan. 16th was not Belichik, however, but the underrated mastermind and Jets coach Rex Ryan, who defied all odds in pulling off the win over the Jets.

The game against the Jets was very important due to the fact that both teams met twice before and each won once. Not only was that game the tie-breaker, it was also said to be the deciding game. Since Jets beat the Patriots, this shows that the Jets have overcome the un-thinkable because of how much of a powerhouse the Patriots have been during the overall regular season.

The Patriots’ successful regu-lar season ends in disappointment for the Patriots nation. This is just one major setback that the Patriots can only put behind them and hope to improve for next year so that this does not happen again.

The Lone Tornado

With the major success of hockey in the Boston area and around

New England, it may seem strange that Malden High School does not have an ice hockey team.

However, this was not true up until a few years ago, when MHS dropped a cooperative hockey team with the Metropolitan Regional Vo-cation High School Northeast Metro-politan Regional Vocational School in Wakefield. What most people do not know is that senior Alfonse Femino, a member of The Blue and Gold, is the lone MHS student who plays ice hockey on a competitive level in a high school league. Femino has had success continuing to play for the Voc’s team, which competes in the Division III Commonwealth Athletic Conference.

Femino said that the team is “improving every single day…and has enough talent to compete in the CAC,” but is “still trying to find identity.” The team was successful even before he joined the program, as the Knights have qualified for the state tournament in each of the past seven seasons by winning at least ten games each year. Femino and his fellow seniors “want to end [their] career playing in the TD Garden” during the state champion-ship, which would make MHS very proud.

It was a “long, drawn out, and tiring process” for Femino to join the Voc team, filled with waiver forms and approvals from many different people. Since he made the team his freshman season, he was able to sign on to play for the team, while most others with the same demand were turned down.

One person that knows a thing or two about the history of hockey in Malden is MHS alumni Kevin Myles, the current manager of the

Alexander Gennigiorgis

Head of Business

Joshua Kummins

Copy Editor

Voc team. He began his career as the team manager during his freshman year of 2003-2004 and holds the same capacity to this day, while completing his senior year as a history major at the University of Massachu-setts-Lowell.

Until Myles’s freshman year, MHS had its own team, which was very successful during the 1970s, winning the Greater Boston League and Eastern Massachusetts titles, but from the 1990s until 2003, the program struggled to win games and attract players.

Myles said that one of his teachers got him started as manager and then, “the next day, [he] went down to the Ath-

Above: Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational High School Knights ice hockey team lined up in preparation for the game against Minuteman Tech. Below: Malden High school senior Alfonse Femino skates during the game. Photos by Sharon Lee.

letic Director, and signed a con-tract.” He said that “money was the main reason for eliminating the co-op, because MHS had to contribute to paying all the expenses, so it did not make sense to pay…when the school [was] put-ting [only] one or two players on the ice.” Myles noted that Femino is very important to the team’s core as he is one of eleven seniors, play-ing on the top line as defense man. He adds that he “just fits in as one of the guys,” even though the play-ers come from different cities and towns.

Both Femino and Myles feel that MHS could have their own hockey team again in the future, but Femino says, “it would be an honor” if he was the last MHS stu-dent to play high school hockey. He feels that the addition of a varsity lacrosse team in 2008 may attract hockey players, as hockey players tend to play lacrosse, while they both agree that a youth program is a must in order to reach that goal.

Mystic Valley Charter School

head coach Bill Keefe would be very happy if MHS were to restart its hockey program and encourages sports offerings at school levels, say-ing “there is room for all of them…[All the schools in Malden] are very different and Malden High [School] would be right in between.”

Keefe explained that 11 of his 18 players reside in Malden, includ-ing one of his senior captains, Evan Dolber.“I would like to see any school have as many sport offerings as possible to allow as many stu-dents to participate,” Keefe began. “Especially because hockey is near and dear to my heart…I always remember Malden being one of the key members of the GBL.”

Femino said that the youth program is currently growing in numbers, which could possibly lead to blue and gold on the ice again.


21The Blue and GoldJanuary 2011 sports

What began as a movement to ensure the safety of players

throughout the National Football League has become a hotly debated issue that is said to be changing the game of football.

During week six, there were a number of vicious hits, resulting in serious injuries that caused league officials to begin discussing these highlight hits. One jarring hit in particular took place when Falcons’ cornerback Dunta Robinson laid a brutal hit on Eagles wide receiver Desean Jackson. After the hit, both players went to the ground, caus-ing medics and players from each sideline to rush onto the field. After several minutes, both players were able to make their way off of the field, but did not return to the game due to concussions.

Game officials stated that Rob-inson purposely led into the hit with his head, leading to a $50,000 fine. On the same day, James Harrison, a linebacker known for his aggression and high light reel hits, dished out two brutal hits to Browns receivers Josh Cribbs and Mohamed Massa-quoi. The hit on Cribbs was also said to be a helmet to helmet hit, leaving Massaquoi with a concussion, and NFL officials with a difficult deci-sion to make.

During the next few weeks, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced that the league would not tolerate the vicious hits and would not hesitate to dole out high fines to players for hits dee

Reactions to this decision var-ied amongst players and coaches throughout the NFL. Many players are opposed to the new laws, be-cause they see football as a violent sport. “I don’t want to see anyone injured, but I’m not opposed to hurt-ing anyone. There’s a difference,” stated Harrison on his style of play, showing his opposition to the new laws.

Others, however, support the idea, claiming that it keeps players out of harm’s way. “Physical, tough football is what people are attracted to,” Anderson said. “Violent, unnec-essary hits that put people at risk, not just for the careers but lives...we’re not subscribing to the notion fans want that,” stated Ray Ander-son, vice president of operations in the NFL. These fines being given for dirty hits are not the first incidents in which the NFL has taken steps to keep the safety of players. During 2009, laws were passed to limit hard hits on quarterbacks, which result in 15 yard personal foul penalties.

Football is changing, and not for the better. Football, a game that has made many rich and famous because of their ability to deliver monstrous blows, a sport that is known worldwide for its brutality, is now punishing its members for something that was once praised.

Football: A Changing GameWrestling Grapples Competition

During the 2010-2011 wrestling season, there has been some-

what of a repeating theme. This theme is that there are a number of athletes on the team, however despite the talent; the team still struggles due to its numbers.

On average, a high school var-sity wrestling squad has at least one, preferably two, and on the rarest occasions three wrestlers in every single weight class. When there is this much depth of a team, there is less stress about things like ineligi-bility and injury, and more time to focus on more important aspects of the game.

The Malden High School wres-tling team, however, does not have this privilege in their numbers, as they struggle to even fill one person for every single weight class. Be-cause of this, the team starts every single match at a disadvantage, and has a bar set higher for every wrestler, a problem no team wants to face.

Along with the lack of num-

A wrestling trainer lifts Shawn Castro off of the ground while practicing take-downs during training. Junior Brendan Walsh practices with senior Warren Sharpp. Photos by Sharon Lee.

Alfonse Femino

Head Sports Writer

Freddie DiPhillipo

Reporterbers on the team, there is also a lack of experience. There are members on the starting line up for the wres-tling team that are not only new to the MHS wrestling team, but new to wrestling in general. These starting members, however, have adapted to the sport and stepped into impor-tant starting roles on a Division 1 wrestling team, no easy feat.

This lack in numbers has al-ready proved to be a thorn in the side of the wrestling team, which is off to a rough 0-4 record. During one loss to North Quincy, Malden fea-tured impressive wins from seniors Shawn Castro, Warenn Sharpp, and junior Mario Sforvza.”We definitely aren’t what we could be,” com-mented Sforvza on his thoughts of how the team is.

When performances of such a high level from so many members on one night are showcased, it usually results in victory, however North Quincy High School had a much larger team, and filled weight class, which ultimately ended in their victory over the Tornadoes.

This has been a reocurring act for the team, as they had strong

performances from individual members in every loss, including those losses to perennial power-house Shawsheen Vocational High School, and league rival Somerville High School. The schedule for the team does not look brighter in the future either, as they are scheduled to match off against cross town rival Malden Catholic High School, who succed in just about every sport, as well as Waltham High School, an-other school known for its impres-sive athletic program.

One could only look at the wrestling team with admiration and respect out of what they are doing. It is not a common thing to find a group of teenagers who are more than willing to compete on a team that is clearly outmatched in num-bers and experience in every single match.

Although the wrestling team continues to develop the members still on the team, numbers are in-creasingly dwindling for the team. For Sharpp, Castro, and other mem-bers of the team, there is no slowing down, no matter how outmatched they seem to be.



Sports

Swimming to the Finish

Sharon Lee

Head of Photography

Freshman Bestine Cong prepares to dive into the water with the rest of the team. Photo by Sharon Lee.

Gymnastics Team Fights Adversity

With the season half way through, the team is doing

what it loves, and not only doing that, they are doing it well. With the current record of 3:1 with four meets left in the season, the team now is looking to continue their reign. One challenge the team faces is over coming Cambridge. As swimming coach Paul Deinsentos? states, “

[Cambridge is] a formidable team.”The question to those who are

not on the swim team is, why is Cambridge such a organized team, what gives them the edge over all the others teams? Is it just the people on the team, or is there some sort of special training they under go? The answer is behind the school they go to, as expressed by tri-captain as well as a member of the Blue and Gold, Kaela Bryan, “Cambridge is the swimming town, like how Malden is the Football town. It’s just

the main focus. And they have a lot of people on their team which equals depth. [Also] they have like, at least 6-7 really talented kids, which is pretty rare.”

At this point there is nothing more than the team wants to beat Cambridge. A a c h i e v e m e n t they are going to have to work hard for. With their upcoming meet on Friday 2011. The Mal-den High Swim team is going to

Joel Stevenson

Reporter

Above: Freshman Kayla Deas does a split during practice. Left: Junior Skylar Collorone gets ready to perform on the balance beam. Photo by Megan Kelly.

have to work hard if they are to win. Which is exactly what they are do-ing as stated by coach Deinsentos, “Cambridge is good, they have a lot more depth than we do, but at the time being we are trying to build up, I feel that we are working harder than any other team, we are hungry for a win.” Not only the coach, the students a like are working their hardest to pull out a win. With practice five days a week, they labor around the clock to make their time and then make it better, as stated by

Junior Tai Pham, “….”The team this year is lead by tri-

captains Karl Dennis Kaela Bryan, as well as Samantha Saggese. When asked coach why a tri-captaincy this year he affirmed that, “They got it through hard work, they did it the old fashion way, their tremendous.” These three have been as coach states, “tremendous”. They have lead the team through rough times as well as boundary defying wins, including that of Malden Catholic.

Malden Catholic being a all boys school, the team over came the obstacle of diversity and pulled out a win. With wins like that there is no reason the team can not pull out a win against Cambridge. It may be a season of rebuilding the team up to its full potential as stated by tri-captain Samantha Saggese, “We [are] still in a rebuilding era so we [were are not] expecting to do as well as we have been, we have been pleasantly surprised at our success-es.” With pleasant surprises like that there is no reason that the team can not complete the year on a winning streak. It is just a positive attitude and a will to win, and above that that will enable the team to pull out another win from under Cambridge.

equipment during the competition. Junior Justin Pham, a gymnast who performs the uneven bars and is directly affected, expressed “we were jealous of their bars and had to adjust to the good bars at [the] last minute.”

To make up for their disad-vantage, the gymnastics team has many talented gymnasts partici-

pating in the other three events: floor, beam, and vault. Casey confidently encourages the other teammates knowing “it was such a big disappointment because it was so close, but we know we can do better next time.”

Not only is the gymnastics team limited to inadequate equip-ment but also a smaller team size. Due to no longer having an official assistant coach, the head coach Katie Bowdridge was forced to lower the size to 26 gymnasts because “safety is [her] main pri-ority.” Thankfully the gymnastics team has Jen Malta who helps assist Bowdridge in coaching the team.

Of the 26 gymnasts there are several male gymnasts who have brought a positive impact on the team by contributing to the bar scores during meets. Bowdridge said, “Physically, the boys have an easier time on the bars than girls do [and therefore are] able to meet more of the requirements [than] some of our gymnasts that are just starting out.”

The one thing that keeps the team strong is the sportsmanship between each and every gymnast.

When one member of the team learns to do a new stunt like a “fly away”, which is a back flip dis-mount, it soon becomes a stunt that every member learns and is able to perform. Although there are dif-ferent levels for gymnasts, they all work together and encourage each other to improve their skills as a team.

Their next meet is at the Sa-lemwood Elementary School gym, where they will be facing off with Cambridge High School on Jan. 19, 2010, where they the team hopes to be victorious on their home turf.

continued from page 1


23The Blue and GoldJanuary 2011 Sports

Girls Basketball Turns Up The Heat

Due to the fact of a group of new team members and a new

coaching staff, the Malden High School girls basketball program looks to be moving forward, build-ing off the success of re scent sea-sons. Although the team does not have the same numbers or depth

Kayla Bramante

Head of Special Projects

mhs boys basketball has talent and teamwork

The Malden High School boys’ basketball team is having a good

season, although it is hanging by a thread with a record of 3-3. Although the team was not expected to have a good season because of the number of seniors who graduated last year, the chemistry of the new team has made the team better and hopefully striving for a better season. “We have good chemistry as a team,” se-nior captain Ryan Donovan stated. “We are bonding together, getting closer like a family,” junior Bradley Applin added. For senior Matthew Howe, it is the good time they have as a team that helps them bond.

The team has grown love for the game, mentally and talent-wise, especially some of the teammates who have been playing the sport for a while. “I’m way better [than I used to be]. I’m faster. I know the game better because I have more experience,” Donovan stated about how he has changed since he first started playing. If one wonders what the team does before a game, the team mostly listens to rap or gets “bucked.” “Rodney [Morton] makes a beat and we get bucked,” Howe stated. These are chanting sessions that give us energy, confidence and motivation,” senior Jean Messeroux

added.The team also

gets inspiration and motivation from fel-low teammates. “I get inspired by my cap-tains [seniors Ryan Donovan and Teddy Francois] and coach,” stated junior Dakota Pellegrini. “[Fran-cois] always is play-ing hard. I always want to follow his league,” added Ap-plin. “I wish I could dunk like Andrew Williams,” he added. The chemistry that the team has off and on the court amazes those who see them play. Head coach Don Nally may be cred-

Above: Salem High School basketball player attempts to steal the ball from senior Ashley Powers. Right: Senior Samantha Bonvie dribbles down the court. Photos by Sharon Lee.

Members of the Minuteman High School boys basketball team attempts to block senior Vernon Sanvail. Photo by Reginah Sanyu.

ited for the on court chemistry. The boys have a few of his

quotes that get them fired up to play the game. “You have to be mentally tough,” Messeroux commented on his favorite quote by the coach. . “Especially on away games, coach always says ‘this is a business trip, we have to be focused,’” Pellegrini added.

The team also gets inspiration from NBA stars. “I would like to play like Lebron James,” stated Ap-

plin.Donovan and Pellegrini get

their inspiration from one of the greatest Celtics players Larry Bird, while Messeroux does his best impression of Rajon Rondo on the court. It is no secret that the boys love the game. “We have a good time,” Howe added.

Either they play because of the intensity of the sport or simply because they want to be like Larry bird or Rajon Rondo; the team is

having a good time while winning games too. “We are fast, we can run. We have a good defense,” Donovan added. “But we need to play more together and keep on building on out team work.”

With the chemistry and defense the team has, Malden High students and the fans of the team have to something to buck over when these boys hit the court.

Reginah Sanyu

Head Entertainment Writer

of seasons past, there is no doubt that the team lacks the talent, or the determination to achieve the usual goal of qualifying for states.

Senior leadership is a key in this years success, with a number of talented upperclassmen, including four year varsity members Filette Lovaincy and Samantha Bonvie, as well as seniors Ashley Powers, Alex Cotto, and Francesca Richardson. According to Richardson “there

are about six new girls on the team this year, and they’re defi-nitely helping us improve from last year. H o w e v e r the greatest factor in our i m p r o v e -ment is the new coaching staff. Coach [ D w a y n e ] Bartolucci and [John] Fur-long have re-ally reshaped and reformed the girls bas-ketball pro-gram.” Coach Furlong is also th father

of sophomore Bridget Furlong.

During he first game of the season the girls eliminated any doubts about the new staff, with an impressive performance against Lynn Classical High School. Even from the pre-season schedule, the improvement from last season was evident, as the girls team surprised and opened the eyes of many with their organized style of play.

The new coaching staff has had the focus of showing the girls

how much talent they have for a high school team this season. “Last year, we had a rough season,” stated Richardson. “But with all of the changes we are sure to have more success,” proclaimed Richardson on her thoughts of last year compared to now, showing her optimism for how the team will do not only this season, but in the future.

With the season now in full swing, and a few wins already un-der their belt, the girls basketball team has no doubt that they will achieve and surpass their goal of qualifying for the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association state tournament.



Sports

Copy Editor

Natalie Fallano

Copy Editor

Boys Track: Hurdling to Succeess

When one thinks of track, vi-sions of people sprinting

across finish lines and runners in their ready positions usually come to mind first. However, many do not know much about track other than the running aspects. On every successful track team, there is much more than just a talented distance or sprinting team. The athletes that usually go unnoticed, as on any team, are just as vital, as they lay the base of the team.

In track, these unsung heroes are typically the shot-putters, high jumpers, and hurdlers. Much of Malden High School boys track’s success is due to the hard, tireless work of these athletes, and when a team can manage good runners along with good shot-putters, high jumpers, and hurdlers, it usually ends in embarrassment for their op-ponents.

In the 2009-2010 season, for ex-ample, the boys track team finished with an astonishing undefeated record. These accomplishments would not have been achieved had it not have been for the all-state performances by former shot-putter

junior Witchie Valence-Exilhomme, former Golden Tornado student athlete junior Christopher Avery, and other members of the team that did not compete in a single running event, further showing the impor-tance of these overworked and un-seen student athletes.

Junior Kevin Schlegel, who jumps the 50 meters hurdles, ex-pressed his feelings about being underappreciated stating, “I feel like people don’t recognize us enough...Everyone always talks about how great the distance team is...but we’ve got beast people too. And some us really do work hard to be the best. Sometimes I feel like we’re just overlooked and go unno-ticed.” Junior Lesley Desriviere, on the other hand, believes that it does not really matter because “We [all] contribute to winning so there’s no hard feelings.”

Captains and seniors, Andrew Terenzi, Patrick Keough, David Germaine, and Kelvin Tsang, have so far shown successful leader-ship according to their teammates. Desriviere praised the captains, stating, “They are effective...[Tsang] and [Germaine] are always pushing everyone on the team and getting us

pumped before a meet.”Head Coach David Londino

emphasized the importance of im-provement within the team as well as ofindividuals. He stated, “Every-one from the top to the bottom has to get better everyday if we’re to have short and long term successes.” This improvement has been shown in this season’s meet for every event. “With nine events and at least one stand out athlete in every event, I can’t highlight just a few. They’re all equally important to the team.”

According to junior John

From left to right: Senior Vanesha Darla prepares to step into the thrower’s circle. Sophomore Iris Feng runs the relay. Photos by Sharon Lee. Headline collage by Catherine Poirier.

Often, a misconception of indoor track is that

there are only running events. The events that do not focus on running are high jump, 50 meter hurdles, and shot put. The

Malden High School girls track team is hoping to rebuild its

team this year, by putting a little more focus on these events. The student athletes who compete in these events are sometimes over-looked and under-appreciated.

The distance team is the largest part of the girls indoor track team. It is looking to spread this depth and variety of age in the key play-ers to the teams of the other events in indoor. “Outside of the distance team, the girls team is still mainly relying on veterans for points,” stated captain and managing edi-tor of The Blue and Gold, Alexan-dra Mathieu. “Underclassmen are pretty involved, they just need to stay focused and the team will work itself out,” senior captain Cynthia Antenor commented about the in-volvement of the underclassmen. Some of those significant veterans are seniors Vanesha Darla, and captains Antenor and Mathieu. All three of these seniors are the closest on the team to making the Mas-sachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association qualifications in order to compete in the state competition. Darla is eight inches and Mathieu is one foot away from the state quali-fying distance, 30 feet 6 inches. The MIAA State Meet will take place on Feb. 18, 2011 at the Reggie Lewis

Track and Athletic Center in Boston, MA.

The girls are gearing up until then to make their personal records. Antenor runs the 50 meter hurdles, high jump, and sometimes the 4x4 relay, she says she is closest to quali-fying for hurdles. “I am .2 seconds away from states, I run an 8.0 and [the state qualification] is 7.8 [sec-onds].”

Each member is pushing them-selves to better their times and their personal records by expanding workouts at practice. “To get a state qualifying time I plan to do more drills and speed work, and pick up my speed between each hurdle,” Antenor said. “I think that the girls team has the potential of doing bet-ter than its 2-2 record of last season,” Mathieu stated. As of now, the MHS girls team has a Greater Boston League record of 1-0, beating Everett High School on Dec. 16, 2010. How-ever, they lost to Dighton-Rehoboth, which is not part of the GBL, making their official record 1-1. With only three GBL meets left in the season until the GBL Invitational meet on Feb. 12, 2011 at the Reggie Lewis Center, they are keeping their heads high and hoping for the best season close as possible.

Senior Kelvin Tsang doing the high jump. Photo by Sharon Lee.

Nguyen, who runs the 300 meter dash, the team “has grown and im-proved a lot this year. There are tons of new freshman who have joined and who are competing in several events.” Undefeated for four sea-sons, and with an already impres-sive 2-0 record, the team hopes keep Greater Boston League champions title and be successful in the state tournament.

Catherine Poirier

More Than Just Running

January 2011 Blue & Gold Malden High School

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