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The 2015 Thanksgiving Day Parade

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This past Thanksgiving Day weekend on Saturday, Nov. 28, the City of Malden put on their 12th Annual Malden Parade of Holiday Traditions. The parade embarked from Salemwood School, and concluded at City Hall Plaza where a ceremony was held.  Following the ceremony that night was the annual Christmas tree lighting.

The Parade Committee decided this year that Malden High School’s very own principal, Dana Brown, would be the Grand Marshal in honor of his retirement. Brown can always be seen in attendance at the city’s events, including the parades to support everyone, but especially his students. Mayor Gary Christenson agreed and commented that “there is no one more deserving” of being Grand Marshal than Brown.

This year’s parade featured the Malden Police and Fire Departments, Ward 7 Association, Malden Teen Enrichment Center, The Bostonian, MHS Golden Tornado Band, Ferryway School, Malden Girl Scouts, United States Submarine Veterans, Boy Scout Troop, Linden Steam Academy, Paula Terenzi’s Dance Complex, Department of Recreation, Aleppo Shrine Clowns, Divisions 1, 3, and 4, Malden Pop Warner, Salemwood School, Darcy’s Dance Academy, Tuney Tornado Marching Band, Beebe School, Bike To The Sea, Salvation Army, Malden Chamber of Commerce, Malden Institute of Korean Karate, U.S. Postal Service, and of course, Santa Claus.

Despite the rainy weather, the people of Malden still gathered outside Saturday afternoon in support of local businesses, schools, athletics, activities, and many community members who participated.

 

Malden locals performing a traditional dance in the parade. Photo by Haley Mallett. Another band performing in the parade. Photo by Haley Mallett. Malden community members marching in the parade. Photo by Haley Mallett. Aleppo Shrine Clowns driving in the parade. Photo by Haley Mallett. Students and faculty from the Beebe School riding in the parade. Photo by Haley Mallett. Students at the Ferrway School participating in the parade. Photo by Haley Mallett. The Malden Institute of Korean Karate marching in the parade. Photo by Haley Mallett. Malden High School's Golden Tornado Band marching in the parade. Photo by Haley Mallett. Malden High School's Golden Tornado Band marching in the parade. Photo by Haley Mallett. A local dance academy walking in the parade. Photo by Haley Mallett. Santa featured on a float during the parade. Photo by Haley Mallett. The Tuney Tornado Marching Band performing in the Thanksgiving Day Parade. Photo by Haley Mallett.

 


An Introduction to the Boys Indoor Track Team

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By Tatum Skiffington and Gabriella Onessimo

The season has begun for Malden High School’s boys indoor track team. Following a year with great successes, there is a shared enthusiasm and determination among runners and coaches. The record last year for the team was 2-2 by the end of the season– a triumphant record that is intended to be maintained by the team. “Last year was a great success. Beyond their undefeated record, the boys showed great character in their GBL, clenching the win at Somerville,” explained coach David Londino. He added that the team had “some of the top individual runners and throwers on the state stage.”

To follow up with the team’s previous accomplishments, Londino has great expectations for this year. “[Their] goal is to put together a well rounded team and try to win a third consecutive GBL championship.” They also “hope to have a number of state qualifiers” stated Londino. Although the season has merely begun, coaches and runners are driven to continue their streak of success. The season holds much excitement for everyone involved as the team prepares for future competitions. “There isn’t a weak team in the GBL this season. The parity in the league will bring out the best in everyone and make for some exciting competition,“ Londino states.

Varsity track member junior Sam Pettigrew expressed his enthusiasm for the coming season, stating “[They’re] building up and [they] have new runners [with great potential.” Pettigrew added, that “they’re definitely looking forward to winning the GBL title again.” He also discussed his passion for track, expressing that “it keeps [him] really active and there’s a lot of competitive nature around here that makes [him] want to do better.” The runners and coaches “build each other up…[to] come together as a team and help eachother out,” concluded Pettigrew.

MHS looks forward to the upcoming indoor track season as the team looks to win the GBL title for the third consecutive year.

Malden Presented With Award For Sustainable Energy Efforts

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Recently, the city of Malden was presented with National Grid’s “Shining Community Award” which is presented to communities that have put their best efforts forward to sustaining energy for the future. Malden, among four other towns and cities including Chelmsford, Newburyport, Shirley, and Salisbury, was recognized and awarded with $47,476.

Malden participated in National Grid’s Efficiency Community Initiative this year. This is a grant program designed to “support municipalities in their efforts to become more energy efficient,” explained Malden mayor, Gary Chirstenson. Malden was required to help its business owners save money on their energy bills as well as select community members in their households. The city exceeded all of its goals, specifically its audit, air sealing, and insulation goals.

The grant awarded will go towards funding LED streetlights, and other upgrades that will allow the city to build on its energy efficiency. Christenson, attended the event at National Grid’s headquarters in Waltham, Massachusetts to accept the award. “[He] thank[s] National Grid for their continued commitment to sustainable energy. [He is] grateful to the Energy Efficiency Commission, chaired by City Councillor Craig Spadafora for promoting this initiative and for moving Malden towards becoming a green community,” stated Christenson.

The future of Malden is looking bright, especially now that we as a city have become more energy efficient, and have been recognized for our efforts.

Great Expectations for the Gymnastics Team

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As the winter sports season begins, so does an exciting and promising new season for Malden High School’s gymnastics team. Tryouts took during the week of Nov. 29 through Dec. 4, in the Finn gym after school. The team has been working tirelessly to further develop their skills and to teach newcomers what to expect for the season.

Last season had a shorter time frame due to the seemingly endless snow days that caused many meets to be cancelled and difficulties in rescheduling them. However, the spirit, dedication and sportsmanship of the team members was positive and inspired during the difficult winter season. They maintained their commitment and hard work through the challenges they encountered.

Coach Vanessa James explained that “[she] chooses members for the team based on first and foremost their attitude and sportsmanship.” She believes that “to be a part of any team, these two characteristics are a must” because they determine the devotion, dedication and responsibility that of each team member. James also considers the skills the members possess for each event and watches to see if and how they apply the feedback she gives them to improve.

The four events in gymnastics only last for 90 seconds, including the vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise where only six gymnasts can compete at each event. Each gymnast performs a different routine on beam, floor and bars. These routines consist of a combination of required skills and artistic skills. James added, “When both of these skills are put together, they increase the value of the routine.” Each gymnast has the opportunity to perform the vault twice and the scores are averaged together to determine the final score. The four highest scores are added together to make an event score. Then the four event scores are added to make the final team score, which determines who wins the meet.

James’s goals for the team this year are “to make sure that everyone leaves a better gymnast and athlete than they were at the beginning of the season.” But this isn’t to say that “everyone gets a new skill, but maybe that they improved the performance of a particular skill that in turn contributed to the success of the team.”

Seniors Jessica Munroe and Kiley Ruelle take on the leadership as team captains in hopes to lead the team to another GBL title. The team previously won the GBL championships in 2012, 2013 and 2014, and with its positive attitude and strong work ethic, it seems as if they are on the road to another victory.

Insight into Presidential Candidate Martin O’Malley

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Born on Jan. 18, 1963 in Washington, DC, Governor Martin O’Malley has been a lifelong Democrat. He was raised in Rockville, Maryland and his parents instilled the values of hard work and the need to take initiative while he was growing up. Thomas O’Malley, father of Martin O’Malley, served as an Air Force bombardier during World War II and deployed to the Pacific Theatre. After the war, he attended law school and became Assistant United States Attorney. His mother, Barbara O’Malley, continues to work in Congress as an aide to Maryland’s first female United States Senator, Barbara Mikulski. Governor O’Malley stated that his parents “taught him the importance of public service [and hard work.]”

Graduating from Gonzaga High School in 1981, O’Malley brought his love for government and politics to the Catholic University of America where he graduated from in 1985 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. While a student at Catholic University of America, O’Malley joined the Presidential campaign for Gary Hart where he worked as a district organizer for the Hart for President campaign. After graduating from the Catholic University of America, O’Malley became an aide for Senator Barbara Mikulski on her 1986 campaign to office, which she has remained in since then. His political operative career was in full swing at this point, and by 1988 he had become the National Field Director on the ‘Gary Hart for President 1988’ presidential campaign.

In 1999 O’Malley ran for the Mayor of Baltimore and was largely considered an underdog candidate. But with that said, he won 90% of the vote, winning him the position as Mayor of Baltimore. He campaigned on “the promise of reducing crime, improving schools, and rebuilding broken communities” and when he got into office, he installed a program called CitiStat. This program tracked how well Baltimore’s citizens were serving each other. As mayor of Baltimore, he completely changed perceptions of Baltimore, so much that “TIME Magazine named O’Malley ‘one of America’s top five big city mayors.’”

After his stint as Baltimore mayor, O’Malley ran for Governor of Maryland and was sworn in as Governor in 2007. As Governor he “took action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, invest in renewable energy, and grow green jobs” along with “signing marriage equality into law, abolishing the death penalty, and passing the DREAM Act to expand the opportunity of a college education to more local students.”

On May 30, 2015 Governor O’Malley officially announced his campaign for the Presidency. According to IBD/TIPP poll published on Dec. 4, 2015, O’Malley is polling at an average of 1% with a margin of error of +/- 5.4 points.

 

O’Malley on Abortion

  • A decision to abort is between a woman and her doctor. (Sep. 2015)

O’Malley on Budget and Economy

  • Our economy was wrecked by the big banks of Wall Street. (Nov. 2015)

O’Malley on Civil Rights

  • All are created equal, including gay, lesbian and transgender. (May. 2015)
  • Settled lawsuit with ACLU about race-based arrests. (Oct. 2015)

O’Malley on Drugs

  • Executive order to address heroin epidemic (Feb. 2015)
  • Proportionality in marijuana arrests, but not legalization (Jan. 2014)

O’Malley on Education

  • Goal of affordable and debt free college (Nov. 2015)
  • Don’t burden our kids with massive college debt (Oct. 2015)

O’Malley on Environment

  • Green revolution: 100% clean electric grid by 2050 (Oct. 2015)

O’Malley on Foreign Policy

  • We should accept 65,000 Syrian refugees who are fleeing ISIL (Nov. 2015)
  • New foreign policy of engagement and collaboration (May 2015)

O’Malley on Gun Control

  • Baltimore was safer with my comprehensive gun safety law. (Nov. 2015)
  • A critic of the National Rifle Association (Jun. 2015)

O’Malley on Health Care

  • All payer system: state caps medical cost and hospital fees (May 2015)
  • ObamaCare will get past the scare tactics and will work (Feb. 2014)

O’Malley on Homeland Security

  • Nature of warfare has changed: focus on intel, not armies (Nov. 2015)

O’Malley on Immigration

  • Our symbol is the Statue of Liberty, not a barbed wire fence. (Nov. 2015)

O’Malley on Social Security

  • Make it easier for workers to invest in their own retirement (Aug. 2015)

O’Malley on War and Peace

  • ISIS is an evil in this world; deal with as evil (Nov. 2015)

 

Sources

https://bio.martinomalley.com/

http://news.investors.com/ibd-editorials-polls/120715-784022-trump-leads-gop-carson-tied-with-rubio-cruz-ibd-tipp-poll.htm?p=full

http://www.ontheissues.org/Martin_O%60Malley.htm

 

Candidate’s Website

https://martinomalley.com/

Wrestling Into the Season

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During this year’s first meeting for the wrestling team, they actually had their first practice, with all the boys participating in the usual exercises: stretches, jogging, running and crawling, etc. On December 1st, of the 40-or-so students who signed up this year, at least 25 students attending were rookies, meaning they had to learn and practice basic stances as well as exercises that built stamina, balance, posture, and agility. The Coach of the wrestling team is Malden High School English teacher Jeremiah Smith, who expected his team to learn at least three techniques this year. 

Smith created a system for the exercises necessary for the team, with each session lasting 6 minutes long. Said sessions used all the muscle groups of the body used in wrestling, that require a tremendous amount of training in order to effectively use the skills and techniques taught. Smith explains that,“ [he loves wrestling] , [it is the] greatest individual sport there is.” Growing up as a kid, “[he] played football, soccer, baseball, basketball, when [he] found wrestling it’s where [he thought he] belonged.”

In a one-on-one match, it is understood by the team that there is  no one to blame but yourself for any failures along the way, though when you win, only you can claim credit for that victory. The students who joined gave a lot of courage, especially when they had never done it before. A lot of kids were coming in for the  first time in their lives. Wrestling for the first time is difficult, just as with organized sports in general, and it takes a lot of effort to walk through the door and just give it a shot. The ones who make it are able to stay and not only learn about the sport, but about themselves as well.

In wrestling, the coach and the students show that the common student athlete can go past the ordinary limits they impose on themselves, rising above their past capabilities. A few of the past graduates from MHS came back to MHS wrestling, in order to volunteer or support Coach Smith on teaching the students the tactics needed for the sport, and to help improve their skills by practicing before the students, providing some examples of what to do. Rin Ven and Mike Easter came in on December 2nd for  the wrestling practice session on stances and exercises. Back when it was Ven’s first experience in wrestling, he was nervous about being the new guy in front of a bunch of experienced wrestlers, and did not know exactly what to do, but started to get comfortable with the group as time went on. After 70 years of wrestling, Ven expressed his appreciation for the sport, and enjoys using it as an example of what he has done in his life. Only through experience and perseverance can one hope to achieve the level of expertise people like Ven hold. 

The Race: Joseph Luongo v. Carine Exume

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Filmed by Meghan Yip, James Mac, and Stacey Wong. Edited by Stacey Wong. 

Boys Basketball: Back on the Court

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It is that time of the year again; basketball season. The Golden Tornados look to rebound from last season’s record of record of 7-13. Coach Don Nally was able to get the team  to reach the playoffs, but they unfortunately fell short of making States. Returning to lead the team are senior captains Simson Liberis and Mark Rogers, who was aGreater Boston League all star last season, and junior Nathaniel Ilebode. The Golden Tornados this season have more underclassmen than previous years with the roster including four juniors and four sophomores.

Liberis believes that the young roster will be assets for the team this season and for coming years as well.  He commented that last season “[they] didn’t really play like a team.” He continued, stating how “there were some games everybody played together and gave it their all and [they also] had games when [they] didn’t play as a group.” Liberis added that “[they] don’t have a lot of size but [they do] have a lot of fight in [them,] which will make [them] a competitive team.”

Nally’s boys are expected to dominate the GBL as they have in previous years. Everyone on the team wants to win the GBL , but for the seniors, as it is their season, they are especially hungry for the title this year. “Last year coming off the bench helped [him] gain experience,” stated Liberis. “It was [his] responsibility to be the top defender on the team.” Liberis mentioned that they had a great offseason and that because the coach had “trust in [them] to lead the team,” he, Rogers and Ilebode were named captains.

The first game for the team is on December 11 and is the home opener for the basketball team. The team will face off against the Winchester Sachems. The team looks to start off on the right path to win the GBL and make their way back to States.


We Regret to Inform you that the Affirmative Action Plan is Again on Trial

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As the college admissions season continues to linger on, schools may have to rethink their process for admitting students as the affirmative action program has been called into question yet again by the Supreme Court. Affirmative action policies in terms of college admissions are “policies that provide equal access to education for those groups that have been historically excluded or underrepresented, such as women and minorities” (NCLS).  In 1978 and in 2003 the Court ruled “definitively that colleges and universities could consider race and ethnicity as one of many factors in admissions, as long as there are no quotas”(Totenberg).

UT, a school segregated by law until 1950 when the Supreme Court intervened “in a landmark decision [and] ordered the school to admit its first black student” (Totenberg), uses the 10 percent plan. The plan guarantees any applicant who graduated in the top 10 percent of his or her high school class a place at UT which had restored some diversity at the school but since 2003 when the consideration of race was reaffirmed by the Supreme Court, “three-quarters of the UT slots are reserved by law for students who qualify under the top 10 percent plan” and the other quarter makes use of the holistic review system which allows race in the evaluation of an applicant to help increase diversity in the student body (Totenberg). Currently UT is in a debate centering around a past 2008 applicant, Abigail Fisher, who claims to have been a victim of discrimination based on her race (Totenberg). 

The case was brought before the Court in 2013 to determine if the affirmative action program was constitutional. “After eight months [of deliberation, the case was] sent…back to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals [where] the justices said that the lower court had deferred too much to the school’s claims of good faith in its use of race in admissions”(Totenberg). University of Texas’ plan was found to be constitutional as Fisher’s academics did not meet the universities standards and would not have been admitted to the school no matter the extent of her extracurricular activities or her race. 

But the case has returned where there are “four justices who avowedly oppose any consideration of race, and one, Justice Anthony Kennedy, who is deeply suspicious of affirmative action programs” (Totenberg). The university’s brief expresses its want and need for an “affirmative action program for the children of relatively affluent minority families who attend good schools but fall short of the class rank cut off” (Totenberg) because it has used alternative race-neutral programs as Fisher had addressed to admit students but the outcome was a decline in diversity. Kennedy has yet to see a justified affirmative action plan, leaving UT along with other schools anxious for the final ruling (Totenberg). 

Fisher ranked in the top 12% of her class and is said to have been actively involved in her school and community (Pearson). Because Fisher did not rank in the top 10%, she was then placed in the “qualitative ‘holistic’ review that includes race [among] a number of other personal and academic factors, this Fisher challenged the holistic review program.” UT stands by its claim that she wasn’t admitted because her “grades and test scores were simply too low to get her in” (Totenberg) compared to the other applicants.

This case affects not only UT but all colleges in the country as they evaluate students. A diverse student body is a vital and beneficial feature to a school as I have been exposed to such during my time at Malden High School, among the top ten most diverse schools in Massachusetts (boston.com). When I applied to college it didn’t cross my mind that schools would consider my race in evaluating my application. I also wouldn’t have jumped to the conclusion that I was either admitted or rejected from a school based on my race, but maybe growing up in Malden had a role in my way of thinking.

Currently Arizona, California, Florida, Michigan, New Hampshire, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Washington have “banned the use of race in admissions policy all together according to the National Conference of State Legislatures” (de Vogue). Come next year all states may ban race from being considered in the college admissions process depending on the outcome of the court case. 

School Committee Meeting Dec. 3, 2015

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On Thursday, Dec. 3, 2015, the Malden High School Council addressed issues that affected the future of students at MHS, public middle and elementary schools, faculty,  and parents.

MHS English teacher Abbey Dick, ESL teacher Shereen Escovitz, and concerned parents were in attendance at the meeting.

On Dec. 8, 9,10, 2015, at 6 p.m. Malden High School is hosting a meet and greet interview for the principal candidates, which will be open to the Public. Dick and a few others have noted that having the interview open to the public “allow[s] students to become directly involved in the process of choosing their principal.”

The parents around the table have noted it to be “interesting that only one woman candidate and 3 male candidates” have moved on to the next round. The fact that Carol Keenan, who is the current Salemwood Middle principal, and past assistant principal of Malden high school, did “not get forwarded to the second round interview for principal candidate of Malden High school” was also noted as “interesting” and rather disappointing, making the concerned parents question the qualifications expected of candidates.

Current MHS principal Dana Brown’s absence from the meeting was addressed by the parents around the table, when one concluded that “Mr. Brown is keeping a respectable distance from this topic of the new principal” seeing as he is resigning from his position and does not want to influence any of the decisions and measures being taken with the new principal.

The meeting followed up with concerns about the candidate evaluation process. One parent brought up that MHS is among “7 [of the] most diverse schools in the country” which is “very attractive to candidates and for some- even a dream come true.”  The same parent also expressed that he hoped the “committee makes the future principal understand that this is what they have to deal with” when working at Malden High School. Another parent hoped that “the resume references are being checked over” due to the fact that choosing a new principal is a process that is significant to the future of staff and students alike. The concerns that were raised during the meeting highlight that the community of Malden, beyond Malden High School, is invested in the decision making for the new principal.

The parents proposed that announcements and emails be forwarded and published to the public of the Malden community and Malden High School students so that everyone knows that they have a voice in the process of selecting a principal.

Another issue discussed during the meeting concerned Parent Information Center (PIC). PIC is where parents usually go to enroll their child in a school. The concern centered around the PIC office’s lack of being linguistically diverse. A parent expressed that she went with another parent to the center to try to help because she knew a small portion of Portuguese. However, when they got there, she saw that a man who was not fluent in English was being ignored due to the language barrier.

The council proposed that staff who know other languages be present at the office to aid members of the community who are not fluent in English.

The location of PIC was also discussed and the council proposed that PIC be moved to Malden High School because it is in the middle of the city and would be an advantage when parents come seeing as students in the High School are diverse in many languages. The School to career program that already exists in Malden High School could be adapted by PIC in order to make the process of enrollment easier for parents.

The meeting concluded with future topics to be discuss, including attendance procedures, chromebooks, graduation requirements, course scheduling, SAT’s, athletics procedures, and clubs and opportunities so that parents may be fully informed of their child’s requirements and engagements at MHS.

Indoor Girls Track Profile: Rachel Eaglin

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Q: What inspired you to join the indoor girls’ track team?

A: “During my freshman year I somehow got on the cross country team and my original plan was to do basketball. But londino convinced me to join indoor track because I would be a good six hundred meter runner. Plus I love my team mates on the cross country team.”

Q: Are you thinking about pursuing this sport after high school?

A: “Yeah. I’ve been playing sports all my life.”

Q: What do you do to practice?

A: “It depends on what I’m doing on each meet. But I usually do hurdle drills, repeat one hurdles, and getting the form down. Along with a lot of workouts like cardio and repeats.”

Q: How long do you practice?

A: “Everyday but sunday for two hours.”

Q: Are there any goals you’re trying to accomplish this year?

A: “Last year my highest jump for high jump was 4 feet. ten inches. This year I want to jump five feet more like a mental thing because five feet seems really tall for me.”

Q: What is one of your best goals that you’ve accomplished for track?

A: “On my first year I made it to states for high jump.”

Indoor Boys Track Profile: Brian Tran

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The season for Malden High School’s boys indoor track has already been off to a fantastic start with the high levels of energy and diligence from the athletes. Varsity athlete Brian Tran is a great addition to the track team and reflects their determination to succeed in the upcoming season. “The season has been fairly good so far. The team was able to gain plenty of new runners. Some are talented and some can work very hard during practice,” stated Tran. Tran described that boys indoor track team as having an increasingly strong work ethic that is paving the way for future success in meets.

Track is a sport that engages its athletes mentally, physically, and socially. Both the physical and competitive aspects can be arduous as the athletic requirements become rigorous and the pressure to succeed escalates. Each hurdle presents an objective for the members of the team to strive towards achieving.

Tran expressed that his biggest challenge in track “focuses on being able to run a sub 4:50 mile, and gain the opportunity to run in various invitationals,” illustrating his tenacity to improve.

Regardless of the difficult tasks presented by track, Tran finds pleasure participating in the sport. “Everyday [he] attend[s] practice [and he] always enjoy[s] the social aspect of it” because he is “able to jog with [his] close friends, and run hard in workouts with them,” explained Tran.  Practice is where the team comes together to improve their skills and build supportive relationships. There is a solidarity within the team as they overcome obstacles and accomplish their goals and Tran considers it one of the best features of being apart of the team.

“For this upcoming season, [Tran is] excited for the Somerville dual meet, since they are deemed as [Malden’s] strongest obstacle in the GBL,” mentioned Tran. The endeavors Tran and runners alike face are physically strenuous, but yield successes shared among the team. Tran aspires to help bring the team to a leading position in the Greater Boston League through his personal efforts and passion for the sport.

Tornado Travelers Club Update

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The Tornado Travelers Club is an amazing opportunity for Malden High School students, of any grade, to travel to places all over the world. A meeting on Dec. 8, 2015, gave information on the upcoming trips for 2016 and 2017 which include Washington D.C. in November of 2016, Puerto Rico in February of 2017, and China in April of 2017.

Math teachers Sarah Jones, who is advising the Puerto Rico trip, and Katy Kwong, advising the China trip, ran the meeting. Several parents and students showed up to the meeting, held in Cafe B. Parents and guardians took notes on the trips, and asked questions during a Q&A portion with the advisors.

Prices, accommodations, meals, medical necessities were all topics brought up by the parents in the room. The prices for the trips range from $1,100 to $6,000. Students tend to bunk up two or more to a room, depending on where you go. Meals are typically included, but some are dependent on you. Finally, if any student who needs medical attention, he will be able to visit a local doctor or hospital.

For those who could not attend the meeting, but plan on going on a trip in the near future, Jones expressed to make sure to get a down payment of $95 on your trip by Dec. 17, 2015 to lock in your price, which will increase afterwards.

There is a fundraising meeting on Dec.17, 2015 in room B442, for those interested in raising money to help pay for your trips.

Humans of Malden 12/11

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Monday Updates 12/14/15

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Here are updates for the week of December 14 on current events in Malden. Some information may have been pulled from the morning announcements and/or the Tornado Times. Events and dates are always subject to change.

Sports

  • Girls Basketball       12/14/15: @Georgetown 12/17/15: Lowell
  • Boys Basketball       12/14/15: Boston English 12/19/15: Lynn Classical           @Salem State
  • Indoor Track            12/16/15: Everett
  • Wrestling                  12/16/15: @Saugus
  • Ice Hockey               12/16/15: @Lynn 12/19/15: @Gloucester

NOTE: @=Away Game

 

Local:

  • On Monday, December 21st, there is the Annual Cookie (or dessert) Time Get Together in the Gallery at 2:00 PM.

The Massachusetts FOCUS Academy (MFA) is offering nine (9) graduate level online or hybrid courses

Spring Semester 2016

Courses begin the week of February 29th and end the week of June 13th

The ESE requires each educator to provide a letter of support from their supervisor/principal declaring that the course is aligned with the educator’s and school’s professional development plan. This letter of support should be sent to mtss@doe.mass.edu upon application submission.

Click here to apply: Applications will be accepted until 5:00 pm on Thursday, January 7th

Questions? Please email: mtss@doe.mass.edu

 

  • The Massachusetts FOCUS Academy (MFA) is offering nine graduate leavel online or hybrid courses for the Spring Semester of 2016. Courses will begin the week of February 29th and end the week of June 13th. All questions should be sent to mtss@doe.mass.edu. You can click here to apply, applications will be accepted until 5:00 PM on Thursday, January 7th.

 


Girls Basketball Profile: Caitlyn Leonard

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Junior Caitlyn Leonard posing for a photo. Photo by Alexis Brown.

Junior Caitlyn Leonard posing for a photo. Photo by Neden Bernadin.

Junior Caitlyn Leonard has been playing basketball ever since she was a little girl. She started off playing in the Malden Girls Youth Basketball League and then advanced to Malden Travel basketball before coming to the high school. Leonard was excited to begin her high school basketball career as a freshman because she loves the game and was ready for a stronger commitment. Now as a junior, she has been on the varsity basketball team since her sophomore year. As well as being on the varsity basketball team, she has also been playing field hockey and softball since her freshmen year.

Leonard has always considered basketball one of her favorite sports because she is able to work hard with her team to carry out the plays. “It is very rewarding when we all work together and play hard” says Leonard. The special thing about the girls varsity basketball team is their intense energy and their ability to constantly build each other up not only during games, but during drills and conditioning.  The constant cheers Leonard gets from her teammates inspires her to work her hardest.  Leonard’s main goal for her team this season is for them to continue to push ourselves especially on defense and to keep our intensity up. As for herself, she plans to get to know the new teammates and use what she learns to work with them as a team.

One of the girls’ GBL opponents, Everett, is Leonard’s favorite team to face. Not only are they part of the same league and competing for the same title, but they are great competition which pushes the Malden team to work even harder. Leonard’s favorite position to play during the season is shooting guard. The most challenging thing about basketball is having tight defense. “If something goes wrong you must recover quickly. You also must read what the offense is doing in order to react quickly” says Leonard.

To all new athletes, Leonard would advise them to try their hardest no matter what sport they play. “You should make strong connections with your teammates because you not only will work together better but you also will create bonds with new people that will last a lifetime” continues Leonard. Her advice is taken from her own experiences while on the team. Leonard predicts that this season will be great because of all the hard teamwork and intensity that this team demonstrates thus far. She will be working very hard this season in hopes that an opportunity to play basketball in college will arise.

Malden High School’s Latest Obsession: Primark

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Photo taken by Melanie Moulaison.

Photo taken by Melanie Moulaison.

Primark, a clothing store originating in Dublin, Ireland, has immigrated to America, settling in Downtown Boston. Young adults in the Boston area have probably visited or heard of the store, consisting of four floors of affordable apparel, accessories, and homegoods. Many students at Malden High School frequent the store, often leaving with large shopping bags.

The four-floor establishment resides where Filene’s Basement used to be, located in Downtown Crossing. The store opened in October, the first out of two stores currently open in the United States, the other situated at the King Of Prussia shopping mall in Pennsylvania. Another Massachusetts store location is coming to the Burlington Mall in the near future.

Primark, although not known for its great quality, is a convenient stop for small items, including basic items such as t-shirts, socks, leggings, pajamas, and phone chargers, all at low prices. It is likely to see someone in the hallways of MHS wearing a Primark sweater at least once this week.

Studies are showing that Primark might be giving other popular retailers a run for their money. Teenagers, often working minimum wage jobs, can afford Primark’s products that are of lesser cost than other retailers.

Affordable prices may be the initial allure, but the fashionable, rotating selection of clothes keeps shoppers–especially teenagers–coming back again and again.

Girls Basketball v. Randolph High Photo Gallery

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Check out the rest of the photos from the game here.

Girls Basketball: Malden v. Randolph. Photo by Neden Bernandin.

Girls Basketball: Malden v. Randolph. Photo by Neden Bernadin.

Girls Basketball: Malden v. Randolph. Photo by Neden Bernandin.

Girls Basketball: Malden v. Randolph. Photo by Neden Bernadin.

How to Be More Motivated

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As we are approaching the cold, brutal, winter months, it is crucial for many of us to buckle down and stay motivated enough to achieve our goals. No matter how much you want to curl up into bed with a mug of hot cocoa and binge-watch your favorite Netflix show, there is a time and a place…and that time and place is after you have checked off every item on your to-do list. Being a natural born-procrastinator, it’s often hard for me to stay on top of everything I need to do, but these tips have been getting me through it.

  1. Set a list of goals. If you don’t have any, think of some. A goal doesn’t have to be as big as “become a hip-hop star”. It can be, but you can also start small, as small as “finish 5 job applications by next week”. As long as you are keeping specific small goals for short time periods, you won’t be as easily discouraged.
  2. Once you have a few goals, stick to them. Constantly be reminded of them. I used to always write notes on my phone of my goals, but I realized that it was ineffective since it got hidden on the app, so I only had to look at it when I felt like it–never. Put them somewhere you will see them every day. Write them in journals, on notepads, on sticky-notes, any surface you can find. It helps to hand-write them; studies have shown writing engages our brains more effectively than typing. Set them as your phone background, whatever you have to do. I keep sticky-notes on my mirror and in my laptop reminding me of my goals, and this way there is no escaping them.
  3. Try to visualize yourself reaching your goals. For example, if your goal is to finish all of your homework, then visualize yourself in bed by nine pm, waking up in the morning fully rested, and getting a high score on the assignment that you worked hard on. If your goal is to complete college applications and supplements, visualize yourself receiving and holding an acceptance letter to the school whose application you spent extra time perfecting. Seeing really is believing sometimes, and you can make these visions reality simply by getting up and chasing after them.
  4. As far as actually getting up, being productive, and staying that way, try to think about it in a different way. This is how I view it: every single thing that I choose to do, whether it is going out with friends, doing homework, completing a chore, or going to work, is beginning to define and shape who I am becoming as a person. Thinking about it like this may help you change how you spend your time. I can binge-watch as much Netflix as I want on a weekend, but at the end of the day, it is not really furthering me in pursuit of my goals. I don’t feel like I am progressing as a person. Yes, it is absolutely important to take time to rest and relax when you have free time from the hecticness that comes throughout the week, but this time can definitely be limited. I value my free time so much more now. Rather than putting it into rewatching season 2 of The Office, I can put it into doing things I am more passionate about, and you can too.
  5. As for small daily assignments that you may be faced with, you can easily get these done! When I am faced with a small chore such as cleaning my room, I can huff and puff about this all I want. I can procrastinate, throw a tantrum, complain to myself, but I’m just wasting my time. Completing this small assignment will ultimately just get me farther in life, because once I clean my room, I can continue on with my day. If a small task that won’t take you very long is getting in the way of your day, just do it. Put all of your focus into it. I often turn off my phone, play some music, then quickly complete said task.
  6. Once it hits you how much faster you can get these small tasks done, it will hit you how much more you can get from your day. Sure, you can lie in bed all day, and the day will pass you by so much faster; before you know it it’s time to go to sleep when you realize you haven’t done anything productive today. But if you focus your day on doing more from the second you wake up, the day will feel longer. You can go to bed early, wake up early, and get your next day started with just as much productivity. Time is valuable, irreplaceable. Don’t waste it.
  7. Don’t compete with others–compete with yourself. I used to think it was a good motivation tool to compete with someone else, but it really isn’t; it’s discouraging at best. Instead, compete with yourself, challenge yourself to be a better person than you were yesterday. A friend once told me this, and it hit me hard. Every day you wake up and are faced with the chance to better yourself. Who I am right now is someone different than who I was yesterday, and completely different than who I was six months ago. Ask yourself every day: what can I do to make myself a better person than I was yesterday?

When Being ‘Genuine’ is Disingenuous

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It’s easy to become that guy.  The one who is known for doing X or being Y or something Z. It doesn’t matter where it comes from or how valid the assessment is, it is a mark that sticks to you, and it is a difficult one to remove. For many people, these characterizations have little effect, or even prove to have a positive influence on their lives. But for just as many, if not more, these external pressures place them in a feedback loop that merely accentuates that part of their personality, irrespective of their feelings on the matter.

Over time, they become indoctrinated to the idea that they are what people say they are, and in fact, they are meant to be that. Oftentimes it feels easier to play along than to break the mold, and easier to write off behavior as being an indelible part of your core character than to admit that it isn’t. It’s as if the initial inescapable nature of these characterizations are assumed to be, and in fact accepted as, permanent fixtures. But all too often, it is the subject of the rumors and the target of these characterizations who keeps up appearances long after they are due to disappear. But why would people decide to shoehorn themselves into a specific segment of society, even when they don’t feel that they belong there?

And therein lies the problem; today we live in a society that places so much emphasis on having a direction and a plan that adopting a set of ideals and tendencies, even those that are wholly synthetic, becomes an attractive alternative to being unsure of the future. It is the unspoken pressures to fit in that motivate the creation and sustainment of these facades, because the thought of abandoning the friends and connections that one already has is often a scarier option than living an unhappy existence. But that is not how it should be.

Life is not meant to be lived to other people’s standards, no matter the circumstances. While I don’t condone reckless and dangerous behavior because of the effects that it can have on other people, I also don’t think that your own emotional state should be compromised for something as superficial as fairweather friends. In the long run, no short term embarrassment or loneliness will matter, but the wasted time and missed opportunities will, and when those same friend groups dissolve, as they almost inevitably do, the regret and doubt will only undermine any attempted course corrections.

So step back, take a look at your life, and decide if you are truly living the life of the person you want to be.

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