Question: What is your favorite part about cross country/running?

 I think that my favorite part running is definitely the fact that it makes me feel more relaxed.  After I go for a run, I feel like I am more at peace and way less stressed.  No matter what is going on outside of cross country or track, running makes me feel better.

Question: What do you like least about cross country or what do you find most challenging?

 I think that the most challenging aspect of cross country is the mental aspect of it.  It is so difficult to run a race that is over 3 miles, especially if you have injuries that make running especially hard.

Question: What would you say to the people that think cross country is not difficult or challenging?

To people who do not think that running or cross country are difficult or challenging, I think that they should try the sport. Initially, I thought that cross country wouldn’t be hard at all, however, after one day on the team, I knew that it would be more challenging than I first perceived.

Question: What made you first join cross country?

I joined cross country at first because I really wanted to go into high school being involved with something. I wanted to make friends and be part of something bigger than myself, and I found that in the cross country team.

Question: What was the best moment you have had in cross country this year or any other season?

 I think that the best moment I’ve had running cross country the last four years was last year, when I ran against Somerville at our home course.  Somerville’s best runner and I were head to head the whole race, and pushed each other through the course.  However, I was able to beat her in the last 100 meters of the race, winning the race and helping our team win the GBL title that year.

Question: What is the “team” aspect of the cross country team, what makes it a team and just individuals in a group?

I think that cross country is a team sport since we all have to  motivate each other during the race, as well as everything that leads up to it. At practice, it is important to help each other to finish workouts and do well as a team.

Question: This is your last year running in cross country as you are a senior, how does it feel for this year to be your last year of running in your high school career?

Honestly, I don’t think that this has hit me yet.  I haven’t realized that this is my least year running or I only have a few meets left and then I am done.  I think that it is scary to think about it.  Running has been a massive part of my life for the last four years.  I’ve grown to love it a lot.  Due to this, I think that when it’s all over, I will be a little lost.

Question: What were your expectations/goals going into the season and do you feel you have met them?

Answer: I think that my expectations for this season have been met.  I wanted to end my senior year never losing a league meet in my whole high school career, which I have succeeded in doing.

Question: If you hadn’t been in the cross country/track team, what sports team do you think you would have been a part of?

If I had not joined the cross country/track team, I don’t think I would have joined a sport.  I am extremely unathletic.  In fact, it is actually comical to watch me try and catch a ball or hit one.  I found a home in the cross country team and track team, and I cannot picture myself anywhere else.

Question: After high school is over, do you think you will continue to run in college, just for yourself, or is it something you will stop after it’s over?

I hope that, after high school, I will run just for myself.  I know I will not compete after this year, but I think that I will always jog and use running to find the peace I’ve had in my life the last four years.

The Malden High School girls cross country team triumphantly defended their GBL title again this season. This year’s championship marks the fifth year in a row that the girls have won the GBL title. It is also the fifth year in a row they have accomplished that feat without losing a single one of their meets. This means that over the last five years the girl’s have had a record of 25-0, which is a milestone achievement for them. The victories however are not the only thing that reflects the girls’ talent and hard work, it is the margin of it that illustrates the dominance they have had in the league over the last few years.

The girls cruised their way to another GBL title while having to deal with the injuries of some of their key runners. Many vital runners were out of action at some point during the season. One huge blow to the team this season was the injury that forced the team’s star sophomore, Allie Russo, to be sidelined for the homestretch of the season.

According to MHS English teacher and head coach David Londino, as well as the rest of the team, Russo was the one of the best additions to the team this season and overall one of the best runners on the team. Despite this drawback, the team was unfazed by the challenge and continued their winning streak. In order for this to happen though, the team needed it’s other runners to step up in Russo’s absence. A clear example of this instance was during the girls’ meet against Everett where junior Yining Mao stepped up and placed first in a race for the first time in her high school cross country career. Huge performances like this was needed out of other runners throughout the season in order to insure that the injuries did not severely affect the team’s overall performance.

Although winning the GBL championship is huge accomplishment for the girls, it was expected at the start of the season. This type of performance from the girls is expected by Londino because he has complete faith in his team. Senior Gillian Wilcox explained that “last year’s performance in at states gave [them] the drive and motivation for this year.”

While the team’s season ended after States, MHS is proud of the team and is excited for cross country next year. 

Top left to right: Cheerleaders performing during the pep rally, students supporting the Golden Tornados, a spirit team building a human pyramid.
Bottom left to right: Students dressed as power rangers for wacky tacky, Principal Dana Brown dressed as the symbol for Snapchat, and students dressed for pajama day. All photos by Meghan Yip.

As the holidays approach, Malden High School says hello to yet another Spirit Week. Spirit Week takes place during the week of Thanksgiving where the school community expresses their pride. Students look forward to three days of laughter, photographs, school pride, and fun. The week is lined up with Pajama Day on Monday, Wacky-Tacky Day on Tuesday, and Blue and Gold day on Wednesday, along with the annual Pep Rally.  

Although school pride is said to be mostly student-run, there are a few key staff members who make Spirit Week possible. Brenden Maney, Consult Teacher and Master of Ceremonies, helps to cumulate the events going in the auditorium on Wednesday. Maney says that he expects this year’s competition to be “the best yet.” Maney also adds that the senior class is looking like the winner already, however he expects great effort from all of the other classes as well.

Computer science teacher Paul Marques is the advisor of Spirit Week, directing the event alongside the National Honors Society. Along with many others, Marques expects people to “relax, get jazzed up, and have a lot of fun cheering on the Football players and their class.” Marques also adds that he hopes no one takes it too seriously, and just takes the week to relax.

Spirit Week is also an exciting time for the students as students eagerly anticipate the fun activities offered each day. Junior Sarah Jane Beaton says that she is “excited for the happiness and enthusiasm the students have for the Pep Rally, because that’s the day all of us are having a blast. We play games, watch performances, and support each other’s classes while having a fun time.” Spirit Week allows students to show their festive side with the beloved Pep Rally and the daily themes that call for unique self-expression, and it is a time for the student body to relax before the holidays.

As for last year’s spirit week, many people agreed that the MHS’ enthusiasm was memorable. Both Marques and Maney agreed that 2014’s spirit week was one of the best. “Everyone had a lot of fun,” Marques said. Last year, the class of 2015 won the pep rally, with sophomores in second, juniors in third, and freshmen in fourth. Both students and staff had a lot of fun, with dance teams, games, and athletics performing in the rally.

MHS looks forward to Spirit Week every year and the upcoming events is promising with excitement to both students and staff.

Senior Melyssa Ferreira posing for a picture. Photo by Meghan Yip.

What was your most memorable part of the season?

It was either our senior practice where we had the underclassmen do crazy drills or our second game against Salem where it was the best game we ever played and won 4-3.

How long have you played soccer?

This was my first year playing for the high school which is my biggest regret because I wish played my freshman, sophomore, and junior year, but I played a year for Malden Youth Soccer when I was 12.

Do you plan on playing in the future?

I would actually love too, even if it was for a intramural or club team.

Do you play any other sports for MHS? Or are you a part of any other clubs?

I played indoor and outdoor track for throwing shot put my sophomore year. For clubs, I’m part of the Multicultural Club, Malden Against Cancer, and Captains Council.

What is the most important lesson that soccer has taught you?

To always push yourself, my teammates especially would always tell me to never give up and cheer me on.

Do you have plans for after high school? Dream college or university or some thing different?

I plan on going to a four year college, and study in the hospitality industry. As of right now my dream school is Johnson & Wales in Providence, Rhode Island.

What are your thoughts on the years to come girls soccer teams?

Pure talent, I wouldn’t be surprised in a year or two that the girls will be GBL champs.

Senior Alex Lombardi taking the ball towards the net. Photo by Jesaias Benitez.

The Malden High School girls soccer team’s season has finally come to a close. Though the girls record stands at 6-8, it does not undermine the success of the team. Thanks to the leadership from senior captains and the seniors in general along with the spectacular plays made by the players from all grade levels, the team was able to have a successful season.

The team started and ended their season with the same goal that they always have—to win the Greater Boston League title and qualify for the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association state tournament. Though the girls did not meet these specific goals, they still had a fantastic season. They fought and won against competitive teams that they had not beat in the past. They proved Malden’s strength and perseverance to the GBL.

In every game, the team fought hard to the final whistle; every game they played was filled with blood, sweat and tears. Senior captain Jacqueline Smith stated that “[she] believed the season went really well and [that they] played the best [they] have ever played in [her] entire four years of high school, even if [their] record may not reflect that.” With junior Felicia Lombardi scoring in almost every game, including several multi-goal games, and Smith with numerous assists and two goals herself, the girls’ skill and a drive accounted for their wins.

Senior captains Smith, Alexandra Lombardi, Kristina Gilbert, Sabrina Barreto, and Blue & Gold Editor in-Chief Lucia Quesada-Nylen led the team throughout the offseason until the end of the season. Smith, Lombardi, and Gilbert gave the Golden Tornadoes the offensive spike it needed late in games to create something magical, while Baretto and Quesada Nylen held down the backfield and got opposing offenses on their heels. Their defense allowed for the offensive players on the team, including juniors Felicia Lombardi, Cleverina Cong, and senior Zeina Greige, to have chances to score. The whole team had a successful

The team in a huddle during half time. Photo by Jesaias Benitez.

Jesaias Benitez.

season and are proud of their accomplishments.

Hopefully for the years to follow, the team can make it to the MIAA State Tournament and become GBL champions. With the strength of soccer growing in Malden, the girls will certainly have outstanding seasons for years to come. Along with the upcoming underclassmen, the team is poised to take on and beat every opponent they face.

Regardless of the record, the seasons to come certainly look bright, and MHS predicts nothing but greatness for its girls soccer team.

A photo of Josue Quispe at his high school graduation in 2015. Photo provided by Brayan Angulo.

In memory of Josue Quispe, below are quotes from those close to him. 

“It was a night at youth group during worship. I wanted change so much. I started crying out because of the wrong I’ve done. Josue saw that and came to pray for me and the one thing I can remember him saying so vividly that night was “God, look into his heart.” And after he prayed, he hugged me and I just cried on his shoulders. Josue was always comforting in that way. If you look into Josue’s heart, you can see all the good in him. By his actions, you were able to see the good in him. You always knew he was a man of God just by seeing how he presented himself. He was such an inspiration. You will forever be missed Jouse. I love you.” – Jesse Lobato

“Josue taught me that life continues.“ -Matthew Acuna

“The thing that he valued most in the world was discipline…he would even go running at 1 am sometimes.” – Brayan Angulo

“Junior Varieties was just around the corner last year. Brayan, Matt, Josue, and I were going to do a dance. We thought we could out dance Airbound, that we were the next Jabawockeez, that were ABDC material. So we all headed to Brayan’s house to come up with choreography and dance moves, and it was just two hours of free styling dancing that turned into karaoke singing John Legend. It was the funniest yet most enjoyable guy-time. I’ll never forget that.” – Richard Melgar

“Josue was someone I connected with on many levels. We shared a love of photography and I enjoyed having him work with me on techniques and yearbook work, but more importantly, he was someone who I could have an intellectual conversation with about things as large as world events or as finite as what he had for lunch. I admired his sense of personal pride and his honest desire to achieve success. I have to say that he was one of the most respectful young adults I have ever had the chance to teach and befriend. We agreed to stay in touch after graduation and we did. I will miss him for many reasons. Mostly I will miss the light that would shine in his eyes after every time we spoke. It assured me that he was always thinking about what he had learned from our conversation. I knew he would use it to better the lives of his friends and family because he was selfless, and there was never any doubt about that point.” – Mr. Jim Valente

Left to right: Senior Brayan Angulo, senior Sam Ali, Josue Quispe, senior Matthew Acuna, and senior Jesse Lobato together for a photo. Photo provided by Brayan Angulo.

A compilation of the field hockey team’s season. All photos and collage by Jesaias Benitez.

Below are links to field hockey articles from this season:

http://maldenblueandgold.com/2015/11/field-hockey-sticks-it-out/

http://maldenblueandgold.com/2015/11/field-hockey-q-a-with-marwa-khudaynazar/

A poster of the football team with a list of the senior players for the class of 2016. All photos by Leila Greige. Collage by Anna Powers and Leila Greige.

Below is a link to a senior football profile from this season.

http://maldenblueandgold.com/2015/11/football-q-a-with-robert-collins/ 

By Sydney Stumpf and Ailin Toro

The week before Thanksgiving, Spirit Week and pep rally took over Malden High School, engulfing the students in daily dress-up themes, beginning with pajama day, leading into wacky tacky day and closing on the day of the pep rally with Blue and Gold day where students are encouraged to dress in blue and gold to show Malden pride.

Rebecca Corcoran, the Class of 2019 advisor, stated, “It has been great to watch the freshman class get excited about their first spirit week. The class of 2019 is already coming together and showing how proud they are to be Malden High students.” Freshman placed fourth during pep rally, behind sophomores, juniors, and seniors in first place but all classes showed great school spirit as there was a sea of blue and gold in the bleachers of the Finn gym.

Each class created a banner to show school pride and to encourage the football team before their annual Thanksgiving game against Medford. Themes ranged from television shows to celebrities in which Malden is always shown to be the victor.   

The pep rally began with all four classes chanting “Go Malden, beat Medford,” beginning with freshman yelling “Go,” ending with the Seniors yelling “Medford.” Even though all classes showed their enthusiasm and MHS pride, it was a bittersweet event for MHS principal, Dana Brown as it was his last Spirit Week and pep rally before retiring at the end of this school year. On his last spirit day, Brown expressed that “[he] love[s] the idea of coming together as a school in fun competitions.” He particularly likes wacky tacky day and is unsure what he will do next year at this time.

Pep Rally continued with basketball between the classes, followed by cheer routines from MHS’s cheerleading team. The senior football players and cheerleaders were then honored. The dance team, The Lions, performed in a lively dance routine, with the step team and break dancing group, Airbound, to follow later on. The pull up competition was next and concluded with the seniors reigning victorious.

The next performance during pep rally was memorable. All eyes were on the Step Team as their  performance was full of coordinated dancers. The human pyramid event came shortly after then the over and under competeition. Sophomores claimed victory for that competition. The popular and exceptional MHS dance team, Airbound, concluded Spirit Week and pep rally, leaving the crowd in amazement.

“Spirit Week is about tradition, school spirit, and seeing the best of people that whole week” expressed Brown. These characteristics were surely apparent during Spirit Week and continue to be demonstrated each day.

Mr. Brown and the sophomore class spirit team during the free throw competition. Photo by Meghan Yip.

The step team performing at the pep rally. Photo by Meghan Yip.

An earlier version of this article was published on December 2 with photographer Meghan Yip’s name misspelled. 

On the morning of Wednesday Dec. 2, 2015, two gunmen open fired on the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, California at a holiday staff party. Since the Sandy Hook shooting three years ago, this mass shooting has been the deadliest in the United States with a total of 14 people killed and 17 injured. The gunmen were identified to be Syed Farook, who worked for the San Bernardino County health department for five years, and his wife Tashfeen Malik. After the shooting, the suspects underwent a police chase and a shootout that ended in their deaths.

Farook had been present at the party but was reported to have angrily left at some point. He later returned with Malik dressed in “tactical gear and carrying .223-caliber assault-style rifles, semiautomatic handguns and explosive devices, police say” (Domonoske). The weapons used in the shooting were legally purchased. The suspects escaped the building and police were then in pursuit of locating them. Eye witnesses at the shooting had recognized Farook even though he had worn a ski mask and pointed police towards a house at the nearby Redlands that was affiliated with him. The suspects came under fire with some 20 police officers when they drove away from the house and resulted in their deaths.      

At the Inland Regional Center after the chase and shootout, three additional explosive devices were found and later disposed of that evening. There was speculation of a third gunmen and that suspect is now in custody to be questioned. The motives of the shooters are still uncertain, but it is clear that gun control remains a major concern in this country. President Barack Obama has again called for changes to America’s gun control laws as he has stated after countless mass shootings but progress has yet to be made.

Mass shootings have become a norm in this country and if gun laws continue to go unamended, the potential for similar incidents is heightened. The need for federal gun-control legislation to be passed is only growing so what is Congress waiting for one may ask?  Efforts to amend the gun control in ways such as expanded background checks for those purchasing arms “have been successfully rebuffed by the NRA [which is well-funded and well-organized] and its supporters in Congress” (DeBrabander). Local and national leaders who are committed to improving gun control legislation are needed most at this time in our nation with the common occurrences of mass shootings. The NRA claims that resisting gun-control measures defends freedom(DeBrabander), but the freedom of what exactly? The freedom for those who bear arms to attack innocent unarmed civilians? “The proliferation of campus-carry, stand your ground and ‘guns everywhere’ laws” endanger the general public and generate fear  rather than “the prospect of living without fear”(DeBrabander) that the NRA believes gun ownership offers. Now we question not how a mass shooting will happen but when as the need for improved gun control legislation is unmet. 

To read more about the shooting and gun control, visit [https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2015/10/06/obama-said-the-nation-has-been-inactive-on-gun-legislation-heres-why-hes-wrong/] or [http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/12/03/458277103/san-bernardino-shootings-what-we-know-one-day-after]. 

Video by Stacey Wong and Ryan Huynh

By Christina Appignani and Neden Bernadin

On Nov. 19th, 20 and 21, Malden High School’s play production performed their annual fall musical, this year’s being Willy Russell’s “Blood Brothers,” which was narrated by sophomore Ramon Aguinaldo. The original musical was first produced as a school play, but eventually became a huge success in London’s West End. The musical soon had year-long national tours throughout the United Kingdom and the United States and won several awards along the way.  

Act I of the play is set in the early 1960’s in London, England. The crowd was first introduced to Mrs. Johnston played by senior Sarah Vieira whose character is a woman who works as a maid for a wealthy couple. Mrs. Johnston doesn’t have enough money to support her family of seven children after her husband walks out on her. She is distressed when she finds out that she is pregnant with her eighth child, only to find out shortly after that she is having twins.

The couple Mrs. Johnstone works for, Mr. and Mrs. Lyons, played by seniors Marino Di Pietrantonio and Joylyn Norris, deeply desire a child in their lives but are unable to conceive one.  Norris claimed that “it’s very challenging to play a mean character, but it is fun.” Once Mrs. Johnston admits to Mrs. Lyons that she cannot afford to raise two more children, Mrs. Lyons suggests that she give one of the twins to her. Mrs. Johnstone reluctantly accepts the deal and gives birth to twins, Mickey and Edward (Eddie), where she gives Eddie to the Lyons only to regret her decision.

Eventually, Mrs Johnstone is fired from her job as the Lyons’ maid because she showed too much attention to Eddie, much to Mrs. Lyons dismay. As Mrs. Johnstone threatens to reveal the truth about their deal to everyone, Mrs. Lyons makes up a superstition that “if twins separated at birth learn that they were once one of a pair, they will both immediately die.” Both women and their families do not see each other for almost eight years until Mickey, played by senior Brayan Angulo accidentally meets Eddie, played by senior Paul Araiza.

As the twins’ friendship grows, they swear to be “blood brothers”. They also become close to Mickey’s neighbor Linda, played by senior Kamila Regalado. Mrs. Johnstone finds the two together and tells Eddie to leave, warning him about coming back.When Mickey goes to Eddie’s house, Mrs. Lyons immediately kicks him out knowing that him and Edward are fraternal twins. Mrs Lyons gets very concerned about Eddie and Mickey’s friendship and she also becomes sick. When Mickey leaves for school, Mrs Johnstone gives him a locket with a picture of them together. By the end of Act 1, both the Lyons and the Johnstones move to another town in England.

Act 2 takes place in the mid 1970s where the twins are 14 years old. Eddie went away to boarding school, but is suspended due to his refusal to give his locket to his teacher. Mickey and Linda have developed feelings for one another, but Mickey is having difficulty approaching her. While going to see Linda, Eddie and Mickey reunited and become friends again. Mrs Johnstone was confronted by Mrs Lyons because she assumed she moved just to get in contact with Eddie.

Fast forwarding four years, the brothers are eighteen years old. Eddie starts developing feelings for Linda, but doesn’t confess to her and goes to a university. Unfortunately, Mickey gets fired from his job and goes on a robbery with his younger brother Sammy, only to be the one for the blame. Linda and Mickey get married, shortly after impregnating her. During the seven years serving time, Mickey develops depression. He becomes addicted to antidepressants pills and neglects his family and Linda. After learning about Linda and Eddie’s secret affair, an enraged Mickey threatened to kill Eddie.

The play concludes with a tragic ending, once again Mickey threatened to murder Eddie and and the police get involved. Mrs. Johnstone finally confesses to the boys that they are fraternal twins and were separated at birth. Filled with sadness and hurt in his voice, Mickey was enraged with why he wasn’t the one given away to the upper class instead of Eddie. With that, Mickey accidentally kills Eddie who is then killed by the police, ending the play.

The play was directed by Head English teacher and Play Production teacher Sean Walsh, who expresses that “[Blood Brothers] is a fantastic show. [Students] are committed to telling the story to people who have never heard of it, and [people] came because [they] were interested in who [Play Production] is and what they have to say.” Vieira says that “[Blood Brothers] is really interesting, as it is unlike anything [play pro] has ever done. It’s been a very fun experience and the energy has been amazing.”

Junior Aigul Fitzgerald admitted that “[she] was very scared at first and it took a while to come altogether,” but, “everyone’s work paid off to become a fantastic show and [she] is excited to say that [she] was a part of another play production”. The cast, crew and audience were impressed by the play production’s dedication to their final performances.

Above is a video about the class of play productions itself. Filmed and edited by Stacey Wong and Ryan Huynh.

On Thursday, Dec. 3, 2015, Malden High held a blood drive sponsored by the Red Cross Club and the senior class in the Finn gym. MHS normally hosts this event twice a year, once in the fall and once in the spring. On average there are anywhere from 30 to 40 students that donate their blood to those in need.

In order be eligible to donate blood, donors must be at least 17-years-old, or 16-years-old with the consent of a parent/guardian. Donors must also weigh at least 110 pounds and be of overall good health. If planning on donating, it is necessary to have a good night’s rest the night before and eat a healthy meal. Fatty foods are not  recommended to eat the day of donating.

As described in the Red Cross’s slogan, “The need is constant. The gratification is instant. Give Blood.” The need truly is constant because every two seconds someone is in need of blood. Donating helps stock shelves so there isn’t a wait to receive needed blood. There is an endless sum of medical procedures that require blood transfusions to carry out the procedure. The majority of the population has blood to spare, but somehow there still is not enough blood for those in need. Only 38 percent of the nation’s population are eligible to donate blood only adds to the need for donations. There are even ways to obtain scholarships through The Blood Drive.

Donating just one pint of blood saves up to three lives. The process requires only a short amount of time out of one’s day but can add so much more time to the lives of others. On the American Red Cross website there is a donor that stated “[she gives] blood out of respect for [her] teacher, for those who continue to exhibit integrity, grace, and compassion despite battling great adversity.”

Four-year advisor of the Red Cross Club, Chris Giordano, expressed that “the most important thing is that you are literally giving of yourself to somebody else.” Giordano also mentioned that “it is a really direct way that you can influence somebody’s wellbeing..,[and is] a really great opportunity that [MHS provides].” Donating is a selfless act and MHS is honored to be a part of such fulfilling event.

Beginning in January of 2015, two friends named Melissa Bergstrom and Kate Maple founded the Perpetual Theatre Company. The focus of the company is to “foster understanding,empathy, and human connection through theatre that explores uncommon human experiences, and to tell entertaining, compelling true stories,” explained Bergstrom. She added that they “believe that each human being has a unique story of life as a ‘visitor’, when a vital part of who we are and how we experience the world impedes our sense of belonging in the community around us.” Bergstrom mentioned that the feeling can be perpetual and that people can feel connected by story tellings and witnessing. They both believe that the theatre has the ability to captivate the audience with a “facilitate dialogue” and that “the human experience becomes richer when all voices are celebrated on stage.”

Meeting at the age of fifteen, Bergstrom and Maple discovered their love for storytelling and theatre. Maple traveled to Boston and Scotland to study human Services, history, and nationalism. Bergstrom attended SUNY Geneseo and Emerson College to study theatre and history. Ten years later, the two reunited in Boston and “realized that they took different paths to examine the same questions, and began imagining how and where to have these conversations in their community.” They believed that “visiting” could create a powerful impact and create understanding “when someone sees a story unlike their own.”

Melissa and Kate look to work with actors who have a love for theatre, storytelling, and are “interested in being part of a larger community of artists.” While they do not require actors to have experience in documentary theatre, they want to find people “who are interested in the form” and to be apart of the creative process. Actors with backgrounds in theatre or “non-actors” can also participate. The importance of having diverse actors is for every voice to be represented on the stage and to have actors who are “just as diverse as the stories.”

In 2005, Bergstrom received a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Performance from the State University of New York at Geneseo. Since then she has been acting and taking classes, while doing both stage and film acting. In January 2012, she came to MHS as a student teacher in Sean Walsh’s Theatre and English classes to complete her master’s degree in Theater and Community at Emerson College.

She wanted to “get experience working with high school students in Boston.” Bergstrom also collaborated with the Dramatic Literature classes for a documentary theatre project. The classes chose a topic where one picked the MBTA fare hikes and the other class chose a proposed law, which required all pit bulls in Malden to be muzzled. She helped the students to interviewmembers in the community and research the issues. Based on the interviews, they then wrote monologues and scenes, rehearsed them and performed a show for the everyone at MHS. Melissa recalled that it was her first time working on documentary theatre with students and it was one she feels the proudest of.

Bergstrom believes the company is unique because they are one of the few companies in Boston, and the country for that matter, “that is committed to documentary theatre specifically.” Both Bergstrom and Maple want to tell real stories of people who lived in Boston or in the United States on the stage. They hope that people can feel connected to one another and to the issues that affect us.

The first step in their process to retain stories is to interview their person of interest  either on the phone, Skype, email and “take those transcripts [to] turn them into a play.” They are currently working on their first original documentary play called “Big Work,” which focuses on the “modern day relationship to our jobs,” and the chaos it causes in people’s daily lives. Forty people in the U.S were interviewed by The Visitors about the job they have, and some of the most important values in their lives. The play was inspired by the conversations between Bergstrom and Maple over the years about jobs they had. The play will debut on Mar. 5 followed by other performance on Mar. 6 and 7 of 2016 at the Outpost in Inman Square in Cambridge, MA.

The Malden High School Step team stepped up their game during Malden High School’s annual pep rally on Nov. 25, 2015.  The Step Team is one of MHS’s most popular clubs. Sophomore Carla Rosales-Mcfarlane stated that, “The beginning of the year was shaky…the girls really pulled it together when [they] needed to right before pep rally.” She continued, “[They] were practicing after school for about two or three hours every day for two weeks before the pep rally.”

It came as no surprise the step team’s electrifying performance at the pep rally left people excited to see what was next for the team. Pep Rally was fun for the team as they loved the energy of the crowd. They also enjoyed that the audience was attentive to their performance.The team is making another appearance at the annual Junior Varieties show and MHS is in anticipation to see what else the team has to offer. Senior Amanda Pierre described their performance at Junior Varieties last year as a “nice way to end off the step season especially for the seniors who were graduating.”

Because the step team is a popular act at Junior Varieties, the team strives to succeed and prepare as much as possible. Pierre stated that “[they] are taking a break before [they] begin to prepare a new routine for Junior Varieties.”

The time and effort put into the team has brought the team closer together.  When talking about the seniors, Rosales-Mcfarlane expressed that, “Amanda, Hadinna, Molvitah, Mona, and Marley really were the glue of the team. Marley ran practices for a while after tryouts and played a big part in helping [them] learn the routines.”  She also explained that the seniors’ constructive criticism helped to improve the team and did not discourage the members.

The seniors are in agreement that they will miss spending time with the rest of the members next year. Pierre loves the team because of the “sense of camaraderie that [they] have [and] feels like [they] are a family”. To any students in the future that want to try out for the team, they are welcomed with open arms. Pierre offers these words of advice, “Always go home and practice and never give up when learning a new step”. Overall the seniors on the team will be missed dearly next year, but everyone is looking forward to their performance at Junior Varieties and what is to come for next year.

While I don’t have the most representative perspective on the difficulty and volume of work that is given to Malden High School students, I have had the opportunity to gain some insight through my interactions with my fellow students. For the most part, it seems that the work is reasonable, and while people are quick to commiserate, there is nothing prohibitively difficult.

But while I was browsing the web last night, I came across an article that outlined a very different experience from the other side of the country. In Silicon Valley, where business tensions run high and competition is fierce, those same characteristics have been transplanted into the school systems. This has lead to a drastic increase in the stress of students even as young as 10 and 11 years old.

One of the reasons that is attributed to this stress is the constant pressure to get into a prestigious college, and to follow in the footsteps of their parents, and here I see a similarity arise. While Malden doesn’t have billion dollar companies and top universities next door to the schools, there is still a pressure on students to improve themselves and to maximize their potential. This most often manifests itself as an external pressure to get into college, brought on by parents, adults, and students alike.

In the middle of it all, it can be hard to step back and see the process, and the pitfalls that it contains, as it truly is, but in reading this article, I felt that I gained a much more complete view of what happens to so many students in the pursuit of higher education, and brighter futures.

I would advise everyone to read it, and see for themselves.

Photos from last year’s swim season. Photo collage by Ana Kerr.

Expectations are being set high this year for Malden High School’s swim team by trying to maintain their GBL title and their hard work ethic. Senior captain Alexandra Lombardi and senior captain Samantha Forestier both have the common goal of making it to states with a large and positive team. With the upcoming season, emotions are mixed for the captains. Words to describe their feelings are, “determination, being optimistic, appreciative and and ready.” The team’s main priority is to keep their heads high throughout the whole season and to enjoy every moment they get to enjoy the season and the their teammates.  

Jaime MacDonald, a graduate of the class of 2015, shooting a free throw. Photo by Lucia Quesada Nylen.

With winter approaching, Malden High School’s girls basketball team are back and preparing for their season. They are ready to step up and fill the shoes of last year’s seniors. “[They] have a great coaching staff who will encourage [their] players to grow and develop each week both individually and as a team” stated head coach Lydia Coverdale.

For the varsity team, leadership stems from returning players, including seniors Yasmene Brown, Tishida Stroud, Janaya Walcott, Sushan Chen, LaDaveya Moise, juniors Morgan Pennachio, Caitlyn Leonard and sophomore Mackenzie Furlong. They will push the team to work together and prosper through the season. These girls have been a part of the Malden Girls Youth Basketball (MGYB) program for years and understand the expectations and demands of the basketball season. The varsity team will also be welcoming newcomers junior Grace Cappuccio, sophomores Xue Zhou and Tiffany Tortora this year. “[She looks] forward to their contributions and positive energy” expressed Coverdale.

The enthusiasm and energy of the team pushes the girls to improve. The team’s ability to work as a cohesive unit and encourage each other sets them apart from other teams. Their focus and improvement for this season centers around defense. They plan to be aggressive and work harder than ever to challenge their opponents. Coverdale explained that “[she is] proud to say that the varsity, junior varsity and freshman teams are made up of a great group of student-athletes with lots of potential on and off the court.”

Tryouts were held for three days from Dec.1 through Dec. 3, 2015 with the third day being the final cut. Coverdale said the coaching staff was “looking for players with a positive attitude who are coachable [who] possess potential to grow as a basketball player, and display athleticism necessary to keep up with the demands of the sports.”

This season, not only do they want to work on their defense, but the team also looks to continue to improve offensively and to minimize turnovers.  Last season, Coverdale noticed the development of the girls as student-athletes and the effort they put into each practice and game. The bond created with each other was also further developed.

Michaela Ilebode, graduate of the class of 2015, passing the ball to her teammate. Photo by Lucia Quesada Nylen.

Each season, they always want to be the best they can be. Coverdale implied that for them to be the best, it requires commitment and “each player must be willing to make their teammates their number one priority.” Advice she will give to the girls is to “believe in themselves” and cooperate together so they can be successful. All in all, she wants to see the girls become “productive” with good characteristics.

Coverdale is looking forward to see the team’s progress for this season. She’s proud of their hard work and energy they put into the team and noticed the girls striving for success during tryouts. The coaching staff is preparing the team so that the girls can reach their full potentials. 

Filmed by Tenzin Dorjee. Edited by Tenzin Dorjee and Tatyanna Cabral.