After four years of diligence, senior Gillian Willcox’s time at Malden High School has come to an end, along with the rest of the Class of 2016. Whether it was on the track or in the classroom, Willcox could always be found giving her utmost amount of effort.

Although she was shy coming into high school, Willcox quickly found her place at MHS her freshman year, beginning her journey where she’d grow to become one of the school’s top runners. Willcox is a varsity three-season runner (cross country, indoor track and outdoor track), all coached by MHS English teacher David Londino.

Throughout her time on the team, Willcox has “gained a lot of friendships and become more outgoing and confident in everything [she does].” Puzzled by the idea of one of her high school highlight moments not being related to running, Willcox expresses that “after 2.7 miles [she] was still neck and neck with [a Somerville competitor], but in the last 100 meters [Willcox] beat her right at the line…which [she] will remember until [she is] 100 years old.”

Because of Willcox’s commitment to running and to her studies, time management was a constant obstacle. “No one wants to just sit at home every single night and do homework,” says Willcox. On top of a job, social life, and running, “there were times where [Willcox] had to tell herself that [she] just had to sit down and get [her] homework done.”

After being coached by Londino for four years and running with mostly the same people, Willcox claims that her team easily had the biggest influence on her. Willcox expresses that “[she’s] thankful that [she] had teammates, like [senior] Deborah Kibazo, and Coach Londino who would always remind [her] what [she was] capable of.”

Kibazo would like to thank Willcox “for the countless laughs, support at every race, advice [she gives] on whatever whenever, [her] never-ending optimism, and of course, [her] constant stream of Drake lyrics.” Furthermore, Kibazo “can’t even begin to explain the ways [Willcox] has been there for [her], not just as a teammate or a friend, but as the sister she’s become.”

Best friend for 18 years and counting, senior Jacqueline Smith expresses that Willcox “is one of the most caring people [she knows], she is nice to everyone, and puts a lot of effort into everything she does.”

Moving forward, Willcox will be attending the University of Massachusetts Lowell in the Honors Program, glad that the “stressful college process” is over. “Even though it’s not supposed to affect you, money is one of the biggest reasons [she’s] going there,” says Willcox. Willcox will be majoring in chemistry, inspired by her love for “AP Chemistry with Mr. Berryman” which was “the best class [she] took at MHS.”

As for underclassmen, Willcox urges them to remember that “you should always try your best, but you have to always remember that school isn’t everything. At the end of the day, it’s about making yourself the happiest.” Willcox will cherish something as simple as “smiling at people” on her way to class every day at MHS because it contributed to the “welcoming environment [she has] loved these past four years.”

Senior Gillian Willcox. Photo by Felicia Fallano.

As Malden High School sends another batch of talented seniors off to begin a new chapter, one senior that will be missed is Wendy Nguyen. Nguyen, finishing the year off second in her class, has certainly proved herself to be a hard worker and a dedicated student. In the fall, Nguyen will be staying close to home in Boston, and will be attending Massachusetts College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences. Nguyen plans to become a doctor, and although she is unsure of her specific focus at the moment, she still “would really like to become one, just so [she] can help people”.

Nguyen’s time at MHS has been largely shaped by her extracurriculars. Being a part of key club, lacrosse, and National Honors Society contributed largely to her development as a student. They taught her to “be a leader, and how to take control instead of just listening to someone. If no one knows what to do, [she now knows] to speak up and lead them.” Part of her character has been shaped by her positive attitude. She doesn’t like “thinking about negative things, especially if [she is] having a bad day, because there is always going to be something to make it better.”

Motivation does not come easy for some, but for Nguyen, she has been inspired to work hard throughout her years at MHS by her parents. “If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t have a purpose”, Nguyen admits. “I can do it for myself, but I really want them to be proud of me, and show them that their hard work wasn’t for nothing.” She adds that “thinking about [her] future motivates [her]” as well, since her parents “didn’t have all the opportunities [she now has], so [she] wants to achieve their goals.” This way of thinking has allowed her to achieve her goals throughout high school, which were to “keep [her] grades up so [she] can have a good future” but she wishes she “had been more laid back, because [her heavy focus] on academics kind of took away from [her] experience.” She also owes a lot to her teachers, who she says “actually taught, rather than being [careless] and not assigning any work” because she “actually learned” from them and “grew as a student”.

Nguyen’s experiences at MHS, like that of many, “has been pretty fun”. She states that although she “made a lot of new friends”, there were times where she faced challenges due to academics, when she got “stressed out, and lost motivation to do anything”. However, she adds that her close bonds with her teachers allowed her to stay in touch with her schoolwork “since some teachers were really kind to [her]” so she would “keep up with their work and try to do the best [she] could”.

Nguyen explains that the most memorable moments from her time at MHS were “volunteering”, because “that is where [she] met most of [her] friends” and they “all volunteered together, so after [they] would always hang out around Boston; it was really fun”.

If she could go back in time, Nguyen reveals that she would “change [her] mindset.” She adds that “most of the time, [she] was really focused on academics and didn’t think about anything else.” She wishes that she “thought more about [her] extracurriculars” because that would have allowed her to “grow more as a person”.

Nguyen adds that what sets MHS apart from other schools is that it is “very diverse” and “there are a lot of people here you wouldn’t meet in other schools.” In Nguyen’s words, MHS “provides a lot of opportunities; teachers give opportunities for summer work and internships, and [she doesn’t] know of many other high schools that do that.” She adds that she will miss “the people here, because they were the ones that motivated [her] to keep going.” She also feels this way towards “the teachers, especially, because they work so hard to help us succeed, so [she would] really miss them.”

High school holds a bittersweet goodbye for many, and Nguyen is no exception. She advises younger students to “try new things” because if she hadn’t done that, she “wouldn’t have met anyone new, and that’s what high school is about: being more social, meeting new people, and trying new things”. As she embarks on the first chapter of the rest of her life, Nguyen’s optimistic personality and go-getter attitude is sure to help her achieve any of her upcoming goals, no matter how small or large.

Senior Wendy Nguyen.
Photo by Manale Zouhir.

Malden’s softball team against Somerville was dedicated to the seniors on both teams. Malden beat Somerville with a score of 14 to 0. For more photo’s, click here. 

Senior Alexis Brown batting. Photo by Nada Tuffaha.

“One of the most important things in life is to know that everyone has a purpose on this planet.” Senior Jacqueline Smith is leaving Malden High School first in her class fueled to spread this belief in the world. Whether it’s her schoolwork, soccer, or rapping to Drake, Smith portrays the definition of what it looks like to give anything and everything true dedication.

Classmate Gillian Willcox describes Smith as “extremely hardworking”. Willcox explained how even though “she does stress out about a lot of things [for example] if she gets a 99 instead of a 100 she will ask for the rubric and what she can do to improve her grade, [Smith] does motivate [me] to be a better student”.

When asked to describe Smith in three words, senior Ashley Vieira, who is a close friend of Smith for many years, said “ she is caring, funny, and a very hard worker”. Vieira explained how “Smith is always the first person [she] goes to when [she] needs to 

Senior Jacqueline Smith. Photo taken by James Valente.

talk”. After knowing her for years, Vieira explained how Smith has “worked very hard these past four years to be where she is and [she] is proud of all she has done and all she is going to do”.

After four years at MHS, Smith is leaving with much to remember. Besides being number one in her class, Smith has dedicated much of her time to athletics. Coming into high school, Smith juggled between soccer and gymnastics, highly talented in both. After tragically tearing her ACL freshman year of varsity soccer, Smith was able to make a comeback and recover fully and play the next three years at the varsity level. She was a key player as an offensive midfielder/ forward and was named captain her senior year. Smith was also voted Greater Boston League All Star her junior and senior year.  After recovering from her injury, Smith decided to focus on soccer as she “realized how much [the sport] meant to [her]”. Smith also played on various club teams including the Olympic Pre Development Team (ODP) throughout her four years and hopes to be able to play intramural in college.

In addition to soccer being her true passion, Smith’s toughest memory throughout the four years of high school was her knee injury freshman year. Smith admitted that “there was a lot of negative things that happened in [her life] during that time”. Like any injury, the toll it takes on an athlete is tough, Smith explained that “[she constantly] felt bad that [she] couldn’t play [and] couldn’t relieve [her] stress through playing soccer”. In addition it was “tough in school because [she] had to crutch everywhere and couldn’t do anything athletically which was a challenge because athletics were such a huge part in [her] life”.

Throughout her four years, Smith believes that she has “learned to become more relaxed about things”. She explained that as time went on “[she] learned to just let life happen and let things go” which has resulted in her being happier and much less stressed. Smith admits that it isn’t easy balancing everything but “to just let things happen in life”. When asked what she would tell her freshman year self if she had the opportunity, she admitted that she would “tell [herself] that everything is going to work out and to try and have fun and make as many memories and friendships throughout high school”.

Leaving MHS, Smith has had much influence from principal Mr. Dana Brown. He has “taught [her] how to balance school and fun”. Smith also admitted to “being inspired by his work ethic and his generous nature”. she believes that him devoting his entire life to his job is truly inspiring. In addition to Mr. Brown, Smith believes that the staff at MHS is one of the best qualities of the school.

Her favorite high school memory was Special Olympics, an event that MHS hosts with various other schools for the PACE students every spring. Smith described the experience to being great because she enjoyed being apart of the day that gives “the special needs students getting the treatment that they deserve”.

This upcoming fall Smith will attend the Honors College at the  University of Massachusetts in Amherst  where she will be pursuing economics and finance in the Isenberg School of Business. After being accepted to several other prestigious schools such as Boston College, Bentley University, and Northeastern University, Smith decided on UMass Amherst because of several factors. Other than it being the most financially reasonable decision, Smith explained that “coming from a really big high school, [she] also wanted a really big college community”. After visiting she admitted that she “could see [herself] there, in the environment that they have created”. In addition, the Isenberg School of Business really appealed to Smith’s interests and career plans.

In the future Smith “hope[s] to be a CEO of [her] own company or starting and running [her own] business”. She strives to be able to “minimize salary inequality between men and women”. Smith seeks to promote women in business especially in authority positions as she stated that “[many times] roles of women in big companies are very little compared to the ones that men [hold]”.

As Smith bids MHS farewell, she is happy and satisfied with what she has left here and the memories that she has taken away. MHS wishes Smith good luck with her future.

The class of 2019 held its first social event at Townline Luxury Lanes. The social event was held on Saturday, June 4, at 4:00pm. The event was held for freshmen only at 10$ a person. The class advisor, Rebecca Corcoran, allowed for students to reserve a spot and create a team in her classroom, before the event. An award was reserved for the team who had the highest average of points.

Class officers, including president Angela Tejada-Soliz and treasurer Agatha Silva attended the event. Four teams were created and participated, varying in number of people per team. The number of games played also varied between the different teams.

Class president, Tejada-Soliz notes that the officers who did come “were definitely committed in making the event run as […] smoothly as possible. Of course, with the help of our class advisor Ms. Corcoran.” Tejada-Soliz says that “not having advertised it earlier […], as well as doing it at the same time as a sporting event,” were the events “weaknesses” planning-wise.

Class advisor Rebecca Corcoran also commented on the event. Corcoran notes that so far the class officers have cooperated “fantastically,” leading up to the event. The officers, along with Corcoran chose bowling because they “wanted to do more of a social event rather than a fundraiser. They thought it would be of high-interest.” Corcoran sees the event as successful, as “the people who came were really excited and had a great time.” Like Tejada-Soliz, Corcoran sees that they “need to be more aggressive in [their] outreach to the freshman class.” The class officers and advisor see more social events in the future, but whether or not these future events will include bowling, is still up in the air.

The winning team included freshmen Ari Cohen, Marcus Simon, Gabe Sanders, Cameron Oliveira, and Niko Bucchierri. Cohen has been bowling for eleven years, and he “likes bowling and winning.”

On Saturday June 4th, Malden Kiwanis Club along with Malden Reads hosted an event called “Bubbles and Books”. The event was held at Miller Park from 3:00pm – 6:00pm. At the event, there was face painting, a storyteller, a puppeteer and giant bubbles created by James Dichter. All young children who attended the event also received one book to take home, and the remainder of books were donated to the community of Malden.

Malden Kiwanis Club is an organization of volunteers who are dedicated to changing the community and providing for people within the community. George Holland is president with Trevor Young as vice president. Dr. Robert Moro is the treasure and Alex Dan is the secretary.  The club meets weekly on Thursdays at Anthony’s in Malden and sponsors several Service Leadership organizations, including Malden High School’s Key Club, Mystic Valley Regional Charter School’s Key Club and Builder’s Club and Circle K and Simmon’s College.

Ditcher, also known as “bubble guy” is a bubble artist from Waltham, Massachusetts.  He can create bubbles of all sizes, whether it’s big, small, large or wide. He has showcased his talents on several occasions in the Boston Area, such as the Boston’s Children’s Museum and on the Boston Common. He also posts videos of the bubbles he makes on his youtube channel.

The puppeteer at the event was Lindsay Aucella, owner of “Lindsay and her Puppet Pals.” According to her biography on her website, Aucella’s “comedic animation and timing, high energy, and uncanny knack for silly voices electrifies young crowds (and mastery of gentle crowd control will bring them back!) [She] believes the visual and interactive nature of puppetry can access the imaginations of even the youngest children.” Aucella typically makes annual visits to elementary schools, libraries, and early learning centers. She also performed at the inauguration of New Hampshire Governor Hassan and the 2014 Massachusetts Special Olympics at Harvard University.

Overall, the event was a success for the Kiwanis Club and Malden Reads. Young children were in awe of Ditcher’s bubbles and Aucella’s puppet performances.

Meet Banksy, a street artist who had risen in popularity all around the world for his controversial street art. After twenty years of infamous graffiti tagging world-wide issues such as, war, politics, and strong statements in our society today, his identity still remains unknown. Banksy’s graffiti lifestyle mimics the works of Blek le Rat, he was very active in the graffiti scene back in the early 1990s. His artwork consisted of satirical dark humor, while addressing worldly issues, philosophy, and meaningful art.

One of Banksy’s most famous street paintings is one called “Mobile Lovers.” The painting consists of two people-a couple-affectionately holding one another, while staring at the glowing screen of their phones. This depicts an important message towards society, that we are more in depth with our attention towards technology than with each other.

Another one of his famous works is named “Slave Labour.” A mural showing a young child sewing a bunting of Union Jack patches. Banksy had created this to protest against child labour in sweatshops. The piece of art was sold in an auction at Covent Garden, London for 1.2 million dollars (USD).

One of Banksy’s recent murals made in 2015 “The Son of a Migrant from Syria”, located in Calais, France, depicted Apple co-founder and CEO, Steve Jobs, as a son of a Syrian migrant to the U.S., as a travel migrant. The location of the mural was near where many migrants lived in a temporary camp. In a rare public statement Banksy stated: “We’re often led to believe migration is a drain on the country’s resources, but Steve Jobs was the son of a Syrian migrant. Apple is the world’s most profitable company, it pays over $7bn a year in taxes – and it only exists because they allowed in a young man from Homs.”

Banksy’s works have raised a lot of controversial questions and caused the public to admire his work. From creating many murals bringing up world-wide questions about society and war, to creating his own bemusement park named “Dismaland”. The anonymous street artist has done so much but has a longer ways to go.

The seniors move on to the next step in their lives. From their last final exams in high school to their senior prom, Malden High’s seniors have been tying up all the loose ends involving school. Graduation is the last and arguably most significant event that seniors attend because it marks the beginning of a new chapter in their lives. Friends, families, faculty and graduating seniors gathered on Monday, June 6 at McDonald’s Stadium in Malden for the momentous ceremony.

Graduation was bustling with families filling the bleachers, concession stands selling food, drinks and other goods and the staff preparing for the upcoming event. Graduation featured a performance from Malden’s choral arts group, speeches from teachers, students and departing principal Dana Brown and the ceremony where seniors retrieved their diplomas. Members of Malden’s faculty such as Judi Sullivan and Dana Brown dedicated their efforts to ensure the event was a success. Judi Sullivan helps prepare for the event and has been for many years with duties such as handing out diplomas. “This graduation is very special to [her] because it’s Mr. Brown’s last graduation,” begins Sullivan. “Every year you form relationships with the students but this year [she] got very close to the officers.”

The Malden student body can all agree that the graduation of 2016 is a significant event as it is the last Dana Brown will attend as principal. With the hopes of the event running harmoniously, Brown was feeling enthusiasm as well as nervousness in the moments leading up to the ceremony. Brown admitted that although it was his last year, he did not spend much time reflecting on his 13 years at the school and was mainly excited for the event. “This is a great class. [He thinks] it’s special because it’s [his] last one but even if it wasn’t it’s really a great group of people and students, as are all the classes,” states Brown. “That’s why [he loves] Malden High School.” Brown later delivered a moving and inspiring speech to the graduation attendees and reminded the Malden community the brightness of its future.

For seniors, graduation is more than simply leaving high school.  They will embark on a life with increased responsibilities and new opportunities, which senior Thy Fineberg was ready to experience. During graduation, Fineberg was primarily excited to get his diploma and finish high school once and for all, but the act of graduating was especially significant for him. “[He] was able to get through this [high school] and graduate and it was meaningful in so many ways.” Though Fineberg is relieved to wrap up high school, he is determined to start his life independently. “From here on, it’s gonna be tougher. There’s gonna be more challenges,” Fineberg points out. Similar to Fineberg, senior Jeffry Georges is excited to see what is next in store in his life. After high school, Georges describes that he awaits “everything else that lies out there – new experiences, new people to meet, just a whole different situation that [he] can be placed in and test [himself],” exhibiting the general thrill and relief among the graduating seniors.

Though high school mostly made up their days for the past four years, most seniors are eager to receive their diploma as well as their earned freedom. Daniela Herrera, who was among the many seniors that graduated, admits that she will miss the ease of high school and accessibility to support but is ready to finally start her life. After high school, she looks forward to studying what she desires with feelings of empowerment from her ability to graduate. Herrera expresses that graduating is “a big step for [her] as a Hispanic and Latina,” considering the difficulties certain communities face that hinder them from succeeding in high school. Herrera believes that graduating allowed her to “beat a whole bunch of statistics,” leaving her feeling proud and motivated to succeed in college and beyond.

Graduation is also a milestone for the seniors’ families. Dayrene Herrera, Daniela’s older sister, has bittersweet feelings about Herrera’s graduation as do any family member. For the families, it is an emotional thing to witness their relative’s graduation as it truly is a transition into adulthood. Herrera states that her younger sister has “come a long way and [has] gone through a lot” throughout her years. “High school is tough and she’s made it through and that’s a beautiful thing,” continues Herrera. Family members are not the only ones that feel the sentimentality of witnessing graduation – faculty and teachers, like Rebecca Corcoran, find the event meaningful as well. Corcoran has always loved attending graduation because it is “fantastic to see the students that you have watched for a couple of years grow and reach this milestone in their lives.” Though members of the audience will miss the graduating seniors, it is a moving and pivotal occasion for all involved.

After the seniors threw their caps, graduation came to an end and the families of the seniors joyously joined them on the field for photos and congratulatory exchanges. Congratulations to the class of 2016 for their hard work and perseverance and making it to the next step in their lives.

Malden High School Class Of 2016.
Photo taken by Jesaias Benitez.

For more graduation photos, click here. 

             As the fall season arrives, the golf team welcomes all the new members as a part of the community. Freshman Kevin Ivany is excited for the new season as he finds golf to be “fun and a laid back activity.” Kevin mentioned how, as a student athlete, he has always thought of golf as something worth trying out in the future and him being a part of the Malden High School team, gave him just the chance to do so.

             When asked why he chose to join golf among other fall sports, Kevin replied that he was “inspired after seeing the PGA tour on television,” and that he was “looking for something new to try out for the current season.” For him, his experience so far in the golf team was exhilarating as he does not just only enjoy the sport but also his peers and coach at the golf field. From there, he also said about how good the captains are and the coach “ is pretty chill, to be honest.” and that the coach has an attentive attitude when it comes to him  and other student athletes also. As for the captains, “they give us a ride home sometimes, which is pretty nice of them to do so.” Kevin referred to at some point during our meeting.                    

            Though he wasn’t the best at golf as this is his first time experience, Kevin still strived to be a better player with his friends on the team and under the guidance of his coach, he said he feels more confident with his own skill and that his aiming when putting- an action of hitting the golf ball to make it into or closer into the designated hole- has improved drastically compared to before.          

           “ I would recommend golf to others,” Kevin said during the interview “it is not that hard and pretty relaxing.If you are looking for something like a fall sport to try out next year, golf should be on your top list.”

As the season has begun for the Malden Golden Tornadoes boys soccer team, they take on the field with a current record of 2-3-2.

Malden lost their first home conference game of the season on Wednesday, September 21st against Everett with a score of 5-2. Though, this year’s team is looking forward to getting a good record and possibly even exceeding their record from last year. The team is coached by head coach Jeremiah Smith.

This year the boys soccer team is lead by junior Patrick Pereira. He states that “this year’s team is very different from the previous year’s.” Last year the team had players who were well-known in school. Their stardom helped them have more support and encouragement whereas this year the team has to depend on one another.

Boys varsity soccer team huddling up. Photo taken by Subin Bastola.

The team has bunch of new players. Captain Pereira stated that “there are new players who played for JV last year and are still comprehending rapport of the team. The main goal of the team this year is to stay strong and beat Everett and get back in the Greater Boston League Championship. Pereira also stated that “as long as [they] work together as a team [they will] definitely make it to GBL.” Senior Samuel Pettigrew is very excited of this season, mentioning that the “team has lot of potential”, Pettigrew added that “the team just has to learn how to work together.” Pettigrew has been passionate about soccer since his childhood. 

The boys soccer team played against biggest rival, the Medford Mustangs on Friday September 30th. Pereira added that “Medford has been a tough opponent for the last few years.” Though team defeated tons of other teams, but they were not able to beat Medford. Defender Pettigrew stated that, “the team has to be more defensive and provide chance for striker to score a goal.”

The boys soccer team is very confident. Although they had pretty rough start, they will work their hardest together there is no doubt that they will take the GBL and the State Tournament.

BY CHRISTINA APPIGNANI & EMRAUDE BONNET

Prom committee co-chair and Blue & Gold member, Leah Tramondozzi posing for a picture. Photo by Meghan Yip.

During homeroom on Friday, September 23rd, seniors logged onto their chromebooks in homeroom to vote for who would be their final class officers at Malden High School. 24 seniors ran for 7 positions, and each senior put posters around the halls on windows, doors and walls all around the school. The positions available were president, vice president, treasurer, secretary, social media chair, historian and prom committee chair positions.

The winning candidates were Vivian Nguyen as President, Rachel Tran and Jesse Bouley as Vice Presidents, Victoria MacDonald as Secretary, Cleverina Cong as Treasurer, James Mac as Class Historian, Athena Goon as Social Media Chair, Blue and Gold member Leah Tramondozzi and Anna Truong as Prom Committee Co-Chairs.

President Vivian Nguyen posing for a picture. Photo by Kristy Yang.

The election process was different than any other elections ever at Malden High School – the election was done electronically instead of on paper. Class advisor and 9th grade guidance counselor Heather Northrop explains that this was because seniors had already started senior privileges, explaining that “the problem with that is [she] has a really hard time getting the message out to all the seniors in the school once senior privileges start, as some seniors come in late, leave early or are out of the school.” She further explains that doing the elections electronically “allow people who come in late still have the opportunity the vote.” 

However, Northrop later realized that there was an error with one of the election ballots. For the vice president section, one of the candidates was left out of the ballots. To fix this, Northrop re-opened the elections on Wednesday, September 28, but only for the vice president positions. The rest of the positions will remain as they were voted in the original election. Northrop met with all of the other candidates Monday morning, and she said that “[the candidates and her] are all on the same page with this decision.”

Northrop’s last year as a class advisor to the Class of 2017 may be her most challenging one yet, as she is now the sole advisor of the class since her former co-advisor, former chemistry teacher Amelia Collison, switched schools. While Northop is a little nervous for this challenge, she believes that “everything will be fine and [she] is confident that [the Class of 2017] will get through the year just fine” She mentioned that “lots of people in the school have come forward to help out the class.” Although she previously had someone else to rely on with Collison, Northrop claims that “[the seniors] have been doing this for so long now that they are very independent.”

The class officers have set some goals for their final year at MHS. President Nguyen hopes to embrace the class motto “Challenge Accepted” She believes that it would “be a major accomplishment to have more of [her class] be prominent in future events”. She also wants her classmates to look back on senior year as “the best year of their high school career”. Social Media Chair Goon is hoping to “spread the message about upcoming class meeting and fundraisers throughout the class’s social media accounts” She also wants her fellow classmates to “feel update and involved in prom decisions” and looks forward to working with her fellow officers.

One of two Vice Presidents, Jesse Bouley. Photo taken by Meghan Yip

Secretary Tori MacDonald posing for a picture. Photo by Meghan Yip.

BY STEFANY FOLEY & KAYLA SOUSA

On October 2, 2016 the 24th Annual Bread of Life Walk for Bread was held at Pine Banks. The walkers registered for a total of 25 dollars in which they received a Walk for Bread t-shirt. Last year alone Bread of Life provided a total of about 1,032,000 meals to people and families that were in need of them in Malden, Melrose, Everett and many other communities in Massachusetts. This event that is the Bread of Life’s largest fundraiser and has people gather from multiple neighborhoods and communities.

Registered walkers line up to get ready for the 5k Bread of Life walk. Photo taken by Stefany Foley.

To check out the photos from the walk, view them here

BY NICOLLE BATISTA & EMRAUDE BONNET

As a freshman myself, I definitely understand the struggle. Personally, in the first few weeks everything confused me and messed me up. The whole schedule thing was very confusing, and I usually had to put my schedule as my phone lock screen so I could get from class to class quicker without looking at my paper schedule. The fact that a class dropped every day seemed complicated at first but is now something that is cherished, considering the fact that for one class a day you don’t have to do the homework assigned that night because you don’t have it the next day.

The periods confused me, and I’ve walked into the wrong classroom and sat down without noticing at least once. It used to take me 10 minutes to find my U.S History class because it was in Boyle and I didn’t even know the difference between the houses. I accidentally used the wrong locker then got politely threatened with a note saying I was using the wrong locker and they would cut my locker if I didn’t take my stuff out. As most freshman still do, I used to bring all my stuff with me to every class, which resulted in me basically breaking my back, so I used a tip I got from a senior to just switch out my books every few periods.

From left to right: freshmen Cameron Ryan, Haoxi Wang, Brenda Freitas, Sean Lightbody, Olivia Santengelo, Schekina Pericles, Allison Mallet, Ezra Kruckenberg. Photo taken by Emraude Bonnet.

In addition to being confused about everything and anything, the second week I managed to fall down the stairs in front of a crowd of upperclassmen. Freshman: 0 High School: 1. Mostly everything I do gets responded to with, “you’re only a freshman,” by my upperclassmen friends. I’ve been late to classes because I didn’t realize the lines for the bathrooms would be so long. I’ve personally been screwed over by the lunch bells and the fact that certain teachers have certain lunch periods so you’re either having brunch at 10:45 am or actual lunch at 12:15 pm. Personally, lunch isn’t an exact issue for me because I have the pleasure of knowing my friends from my old school, a few people from the other middle schools, and people from my classes, so it’s not as bad as most movies make lunch for freshman seem. It still is awkward that I bring my own lunch though, because mostly everyone buys school lunch and I usually don’t see anyone else with their own lunch, even though there are most likely 100 kids that bring their own lunch.

I would say there are so many advantages of being in high school, like being able to pick your own electives, and downsides, like not being able to see your best friends if you don’t have any classes together, but altogether, being a freshman is confusing yet exciting, and I can’t wait to see what else is coming my way.

On Friday September 30th, The Malden High Golden Tornadoes hosted the Somerville Highlanders at MacDonald Stadium for their fourth game of the season.

Coming into the game Malden High had a 0-3 record, losing some close games down the stretch. They needed to turn their season around to gain some Momentum heading into mid-season. The weather however, did not seem to be on the side of the Tornadoes. Due to the rain many of the supporters were not able to attend the game which essentially negated the Tornadoes of their home-field advantage. However, despite tough conditions, the Tornadoes were able to win the game 25-19 thanks to a big performance by junior, Isaiah Likely and pick-6 by junior, Marlon Cook with 3:02 left in the game.

Sophomore Kamerin Williams tackling a Somerville player. Photo by Abhishek Rana.

The Highlanders started the first drive of the game at their own 25 yard line after the opening kickoff. The drive started promisingly for Somerville, the first play was a handoff  to Jr. Henry Augustine who managed to move the chains. However on the very next set of downs, the Tornado defense was able to stand strong. After a fumble recovered for a loss by the Highlanders, they decided to go deep on second down but the Tornadoes caught a big break as a sure touchdown pass was dropped by Somerville. This forced a third and long in which Malden was able to make the tackle shy of the first down. Somerville was forced to punt, and the Tornado offense took the field for their first drive of the of the game at their own 38 yard line.

After getting a first down onto Somerville territory, the Tornadoes faced a third down and six at the 42 yard line of Somerville. However, much like the Highlanders, the Tornadoes were forced to punt after junior quarterback Jared Martino was sacked, forcing a fourth and long.

The Highlanders next drive was plagued by numerous penalties by both teams. After two handoffs junior Henry Augustine, the Highlanders were already at midfield. On first and ten at the Malden 46, Highlanders completed a pass towards the Malden 30 yard line. After two straight 5 yard penalties on Malden, first for encroachment and the next for offsides, Somerville was in the redzone for the first time in the game. However on second down, an offensive holding penalty pushed the Highlanders back to 30 yard line. Somerville was helped out again after another flag on Malden for offsides, making it second and and fifteen at the Malden 25 yard line. Eventually the Tornado defense were able to force Somerville to go for it on 4th and 16, but their pass attempt was intercepted by Senior, Paccem Mosie at Malden’s 7 yard line.

Malden began the drive deep in their own territory. The Highlanders forced Malden into a fourth and inches at their own twelve yard line. However, before the down could be played, the first quarter ended scoreless.

To get something going on offense, head coach William Manchester decided to go for it in a tough situation. His decision paid off after junior quarterback, Jared Martino picked up the first down through a QB keeper. After the conversion Malden was able to get all the way to the Somerville 22 yard like, thanks to a reception from Junior Isaiah Likely who was able to take a short pass near their own 30 yard line and stiff arm a defender to get huge yards after the catch. However the trend continued, as a fifteen yard penalty on Malden backed them up again. Eventually Malden faced a 4th and 5 at the redzone, and again head coach William Manchester decided to go for it. However, this time his decision did not pay off. An endzone shot to junior, Isaiah Likely fell incomplete, forcing a turnover on downs.

Junior Jared Martino running the ball. Photo by Abhishek Rana.

The Highlanders offense took over at their own 17 yard line but were again backed up by a offensive holding, which resulted in the ball being placed half the distance to the goal. However, the penalties continued, as right after Malden got flagged for another encroachment. This made it 1st and 13 at their own 14 yard line for Somerville. However on the first official play of the drive, a Somerville receiver got in behind the Malden secondary and opened the scoreboard with an 86 yard touchdown reception. However, the Highlanders missed the extra-point giving them only six points from that drive.

With 4:58 left in the first half, Somerville attempted a surprise onside kick, but got called for an illegal touching penalty, giving the ball to the Tornadoes at the Somerville 39 yard line. After a defensive pass interference on Somerville, Malden got a first down at the redzone. Eventually Malden were forced into a fourth and goal at the Highlander 4 yard line with 14 seconds left in the half. Head coach, William Manchester again decided to go for it on fourth down. This time his decision paid off as junior quarterback Jared Martino ran it in himself for the first touchdown of the game for the Tornadoes. However much like the Highlanders, Malden also missed its extra-point attempt. The game was tied at six as time ran out in the second half.

Malden received the kickoff to begin the second half, however due to an offside penalty, the Highlanders were forced to re-kick from 5 yards back. However, after a poor return, the Tornadoes started the drive backed up, at their own 5 yard line. The tornadoes still managed to drive near midfield, but were forced to punt after junior quarterback Jared Martino was sacked on third and four. However, much like the last game another Tornado punt was blocked, meaning that the Highlander offense would take over at midfield.

Using the great field position, Somerville was able to drive all the to a first and goal at the 4 yard line. The drive was also helped out massively by more Tornado flags that moved the chains for Somerville. On first and goal, the Highlanders were able to run it in for a touchdown, and this time converted the extra point making the score 13-6, Somerville.

Just like last week’s game, the momentum of the game had turned after a blocked punt. However unlike last week, the Tornadoes responded immediately. The Tornadoes started the drive at their own 27-yard line and pounded the Highlander defense with their ground game. They drove all the way to a first and goal from the Highlander 9 yard line converting numerous third downs along the way. However, after a 2 yard loss on first down and a 10 yard holding penalty on the next snap, the Tornadoes were backed up to a second and goal from the Highlander 21 yard line. Another penalty had put the tornadoes in a tough situation but they managed to get out of it. On second and goal, the Tornadoes took a shot at the endzone, where junior, Isaiah Likely hauled in a 21 yard touchdown reception. The extra-point conversion tied the game at 13 at the end of the third quarter.

Junior Isaiah Likely celebrating after hauling in a touchdown reception. Photo by Abhishek Rana.

Somerville took over with great field position, thanks to a big kickoff return by junior, Lucas St. Jean to the Malden 34 yard line. Despite the great field position, the Highlanders could not capitalize on the ensuing drive. The Tornado defense forced the Highlanders to a field goal attempt from Malden’s 21 yard line. The long field goal was missed wide left by the Somerville kicker.

The Tornado offense took the field at their own 21 yard line hoping to take the lead for the first time all game. The Tornadoes did just that but this time it was the penalties on Somerville that helped them out. Back to back penalties on the Highlander defense, one for a face mask and the other for defensive pass interference, moved the ball into Somerville territory. The Tornadoes were able to drive to the Highlander 3 yard line. On first and goal, junior quarterback Jared Martino ran it into the endzone to give Malden the lead with 4:55 left in the game. However, the extra point was missed again giving Malden a 19-13 lead.

Somerville needed to answer or risk time running out. However on second down and two, Somerville’s screen pass was jumped and intercepted by junior Marlon Cook who returned it untouched for a pick-6. To give Malden a 14 point advantage, head coach William Manchester decided to try a two point attempt. Junior quarterback, Jared Martino tried a fade to junior, Isaiah Likely but the pass was incomplete, giving Malden a 25-13 lead with 3:02 left in the game.

With so little time left, and a two possession game, there was a very slight chance that Somerville could mount a comeback. Malden played a very conservative defense, allowing Somerville to move the chains but chew lots of clock along the way. Eventually, Somerville was able to score a touchdown with 1 second left in the game. However, time ran out as the onside kick attempt by Somerville was recovered by Malden, giving them their first win of the season.

After the game, junior Walter Analetto reflected on the importance of their first victory of the season. He mention that “[they] finally got the taste of victory” which he feels will drive “[them to do better].” When asked about what the difference was between winning a close game down the stretch, as opposed to losing their first three games in similar situations, Analetto stated that “[he] thought that this week, [they] had the best week of practice of the season.” He continued to say that “[this] allowed [them] to not give up, and finally catch a break that [they] have been looking for all season.”

However Analetto also mentioned that “[they] made a lot of mental errors [that] game, which put [them] in some tough positions.” He concluded that “[they] have to fix the mental errors, and not get so many penalties if [they] want to beat Lowell next game.”    

College application due dates are quickly approaching and Malden High School’s seniors are working hard to finish applications, applying for financial aid, as well as juggling their last year of high school.

The Malden High School guidance staff introduced a new program to MHS, uAspire, hoping to assist seniors in one of the most stressful parts of the college application process: Financial Aid. UAspire is a nonprofit organization that works with different schools in the Boston area.

They work with schools to focus on the financial aid process. Safety schools, FAFSA, and supporting students during the process are all things they work on. Although uAspire works predominantly with seniors, through high school and the summer between high school and the beginning of college, as the program progresses, they will begin to work with juniors, late in the year.

The program was introduced to MHS, after the guidance department reached out to the organization for training they could provide the guidance department, in dealing with undocumented students. The department, as counselor Taryn Belowsky says, was looking for ways to better support these students.

To MHS students, counselor Taryn Belowsky says, uAspire is “really important and useful.” The program, Belowsky mentions, will not only help the students, but it will lift the financial aid burden off the the guidance counselors. Though, for students, the program will be added support, since many don’t have enough support at home. UAspire will work to help students make better financial decisions in regards to the college process and decide which school is best for the student.

uAspire counselor Katelyn Montalvo started at Malden High School on Monday, October 3, and “already feel[s] like part of the family” here at Malden High. Montalvo’s first day consisted of presentations given to classes on the financial aid process.

Montalvo says the program is for anyone who is interested in the financial aid process, and after her first presentation on September 23, during lunch block, the entire month of October has been booked for meetings with Montalvo.

Montalvo hopes more students reach out to her, and if teachers are interested she is available to give presentations to classes on the financial aid process.

If you are interested in meeting with Katelyn Montalvo to talk about the financial aid process, you can book a meeting with her at uaspire-malden.youcanbook.me. Montalvo is at MHS on Mondays and Thursdays from 8:30am to 3:00pm.

uAspire official logo.

 BY STEFANY FOLEY & AILIN TORO

In the Spring of 2016, the Malden Public School committee took a vote on whether or not to discontinue the grades K-6 public transportation.

The committee ended up voting yes to discontinue the school buses for the 2016-2017 school year. This cut was due to the $2.5 million budget gap in the school department and since transportation was $400k it was a unanimous vote to stop the funding for it. Joseph Gray, someone who is involved in the budget management of the city, says that he thinks the school bus cuts are “the latest casualty over many years of budget battles and casualties in the Malden city budget”. Mayor Gary Christenson talked about how the decision to cut of the buses was also “in an effort not to cut teaching and learning”. 

However these changes do not apply to the students that have Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) or 504 Plans and receive the transportation due to this. Because of this over 100 students would have been taking the now discontinued school busses, had to figure out what to do.

At a School Committee meeting on August 29, 2016, they discussed the topic of the school bus cuts and about an option of parents paying for alternate transportation. There is a survey parents can take online to see how many parents and families might be interested in the proposed solution. They want to know if they would be interested in sharing the costs of the transportation by having to pay a fee for the 2016-2017 school year. Mayor Christenson says that they are “still exploring this option” so the cost hasn’t been settled. However, he mentions that they will try “to keep [the cost] reasonable and [to] be as fair as possible”.

Some parents and guardians have been upset by this change because for some of them it meant their children would not have a way to get to school anymore. When asked parents talked about how one of the most upsetting parts of this cut was the amount of time they gave them to figure out what they were going to do for the school year. Fern Remedi-Brown says it felt “like the rug was being pulled out from under [them]” because they were “scrambling, trying to figure out what to do”. Some had to consider moving so they could be closer to the school or even switching their children out of the schools they’ve always been in.

Some parents have had to change their routine with some having to walk their children to the bus stop and others having to leave an hour earlier than before and having to pay for morning care at school so that they can drop off their children and still make it in time for work. Parents worried about the lack of safety on the MBTA buses go on the bus with them to and from school.

When asked about how they feel Malden officials have dealt with this, Jen Hendrey, someone who has become very vocal about the problems caused by the cut, says that in the first couple of weeks the “staff in the superintendent’s office ignored [the] parents”. She says that they “refused to schedule a meeting with [them]” and didn’t take their concerns seriously.

That was until she managed to get in contact with the interim superintendent Charles Grandson, who was hired June 20th. Hendrey says Grandson was completely willing to meet with parents and describes him as someone who “has been really genuine with [the parents] and [seems to care] about the families’ experience”. Remedi-Brown echoes this saying that Grandson has “shown true leadership by [making himself] available to meet with parents” and that he “has been proactive in [trying] to find solutions.

When asked about the cost-share transportation plan Nicole Queen says that she might be willing to participate in it depending on the cost. Remedi-Brown adds on saying that she is open to the idea but she has a lot of questions about it. One of them being that since it is said that “ all of the families who are eligible for free or reduced lunches would have subsidized or free cost-share buses, where will the money come from to pay for the buses?”

Mayor Christenson says that to help resolve students in the meantime “ been able to obtain MBTA passes for students. He also says that he is “working with the Superintendent and the School Committee to try and find viable solutions that won’t impact the classroom”. When asked about the possibility of the school buses coming back in the 2017-2018 school year he says he is “unsure at this point but if the numbers come in that were used to build our current budget then [he thinks] it’s unlikely”.

If you are affected by this budget cut this  FaceBook page updates and has conversations about what is going on.

BY RYAN HAMES & NICK POWERS

 

“In my life, I’ve gone through many hardships, but I always come back to my friends to keep me going and keep my head up. Without my friends, I wouldn’t be the person I am today.” #humansofmaldenhigh

A photo posted by Humans of Malden High School (@_humansofmhs) on Oct 6, 2016 at 10:56am PDT