As school is coming to an end, spring sports have begun to conclude. This season, the crew team has been working endlessly in order to improve on their times whether it’s at practice,regattas, or even triathlons. On May 21st, the team held their annual event called “Malden On The Moose”. Whether they were at school having two sessions a day or on water when they are competing with others, they still putting in their best effort.

Throughout the season, they faced several obstacles like the weather not permitting them to practice outside. The members of the team like senior Jacob Herre feel that crew is a really fascinating sport because not many people know what it’s about and throughout the season it really pushes their limit and makes them a better person and teammate.

The team has achieved several accomplishments like sophomore Salma Bezzat, who managed to surpass a state record during a triathlon.

Crew has also held their annual Mayor’s Cup where they competed against cities from the Boston Area and also their Moose on the Malden. This years seventh Moose was held on May 21st. Every single year, the event consists of local businesses and volunteers serving food, jamming to music, and selling merchandise to fundraise for the team. This year the teams the Malden crew team competed were Cambridge Rindge and Latin, Holyoke, MacDuffie, Malden, Medford, Megunticook Rowing, Milton, Mystic Valley, Nauset Tech, Pioneer Valley Riverfront Club, Row Boston, Somerville/Everett, Springfield, Waynflete, and Yarmouth.

During the Moose, the girls and boys novice first boat made it all the way to states where they attended the Massachusetts Public School Rowing Association,MPSRA State Championship in Lowell. Since they were able to score great times, many of the boats were awarded gold and silver medals during the Moose.

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A season full of obstacles and challenges has come to an end for Malden High’s boys tennis team.

Last Season, the team finished with an overall record of 7-8, falling just short of making the playoffs. This season, the team was coached by Malden High gym teacher Mark Gagnon and captained by Junior Victor Teague. Despite losing a majority of key from last year to graduation, the team had a successful season given the circumstances, even though they unfortunately failed to qualify for the postseason.

Teague was “scared” after last year thinking that MHS was “not going to have tennis season this year since a majority of players graduated last year.” However,“[he] was very happy that they were able to have a neat season. Coach Gagnon thought “[it was] going to be challenging to have a lot of new players” but most of the player were able to compete as per his expectation.

The Tornadoes started their season playing against the Lynn Bulldogs at Lynn English High School on April 10th.  Despite the boy’s conscientious work, unfortunately, the team lost their first few games in heartbreakingly close manners. The Tornadoes were also challenged by some stormy weather which resulted in the team being forced to reschedule their game against the Medford Mustangs and the Everett Crimson Tide.

Sophomore Luis Gilbert waiting for the ball to drive a flat backhand shot towards opponent. Photo by Subin Bastola.

Looking to redeem themselves after a tough losing streak, the boys played the Triton Hawks on Thursday, May 4th. The team’s hard work got them on the right direction this time as the boys were able to celebrate their first win of the season. One of only the three returning players to the team this year, sophomore Luis Gilbert mentioned that the victory against triton hawks was the “most exciting game” in the season.  He continued to say, the win against the Hawks was the “most rewarding win as the team has been working really hard.”  He elaborated that he was “very proud of himself and his fellow teammates.”

After challenging losses against Gloucester, Winthrop, Beverly, and Danvers, once again the Tornadoes were able to defeat the visiting Triton Hawks on Tuesday, May 15 at Amerige Park. The team had a competitive face off against Hawks as they won two of their three scheduled singles.

Despite losing most of their close games in the season, players were able to identify their weakness as well as recognize their strengths and pride themselves in it. Captain Teague explained that his first serve is now “excellent”, and is a strength of his game that he had improved this season.

Overall, with mostly a young core of players, the team hopes to continue to improve along with experience and hopes that this season was stepping stone in the right direction for seasons to come.

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To view a photo gallery of prom, click here.

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To see graduation pictures click here!

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Junior Angela Tejada-Soliz and Sophomore Nour Chouiki clearing the ball. Photo by Jesaias Benitez

Malden High School’s Girls Soccer team is starting off the new season with great determination and perseverance. Senior Izabelly Barros, who is one of the three captains on the team, explained that the season is off to a great start; their current record stands at 2:1:1. Barros stated, that “[they have] only had four games so it’s a good start.”

Barros has been playing soccer for four years and had taken interest in the sport because she wished to play a sport throughout her time in high school and “just wanted to try [it] out”. She further explains how the love of soccer runs in her family due to the fact that she is Brazilian.

Barros explained that last season the team as a whole was very close to making States. She also explained how the team has had to work harder than previous years in order to come closer to achieving this goal and that “hopefully [they] really do well this year.” Barros also described her personal experience of last year’s season. She mentioned that her sophomore year had been her first year on varsity, so it was not until her junior year that she began to get more playing time. Last year, she had much more to improve on so she worked a lot harder during the summer. She stated that, “just as a captain and individual player, [she plays] the way [she] usually [does]… [they] improve every time [they] play.”

She went on further to explain that something she would have done differently from last year would be having a more positive mindset and being more confident in herself. “That was an issue for [her] last year so that’s one of [her] goals for this year,” Barros explained.

Aside from playing during the games, Barros has significant responsibility as a team captain. She explained how the position requires self control as an individual and being a role model for her fellow players. She also added that it is important to “be there for [the team] if [they have] any questions or need any help on any plays”. Overall, Barros believes that the players are doing really well during the games. They all have been working hard during the practices and working on what they need to improve on.

Apart from qualifying for States, a few other expectations she has for the team is to work together and maintain good communication. She mentioned that, “communication is always a key for a team and [their] bonding has grown each day during practice and each game”. Barros included that “each play is important and always know a step ahead of what you’re going to do because with soccer you have to work fast. [They are] definitely working on it. Every game we see an issue and the next practice we try to fix it. Our coach is very supportive. He’s always there for us, he knows exactly what we need to work on and guides us throughout the way.”

A specific game the team is looking forward to is playing Medford, a rival team of MHS. Usually they do “okay”, but this year Barros want the team to do “more than okay.” Barros explained that Medford is tough competition for Malden due to their lack of seniors. Medford’s Girls Soccer team is made of mostly sophomores and juniors. To Barros “it’s a new generation because the past seniors have graduated so it’s a whole new team….[they] have to work on the bonding, the communication, and just work together.

Ultimately, Barros explained how proud she is of the girls and hopes that the team does really well. She also added a final comment that, “[they have] been working hard and we all know we all want the same thing.”

The Girls Soccer team’s next game will be against Saugus on September 27. Good luck to the girls!

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Revere and Malden’s Boys Cross country team starting the race. Photo taken By Devin LeMay.

Through all their rigorous and consistent training. the Boys Cross Country team is off to a great start. This year. the team has a new coach, Courtney Invernizzi.  As a Malden High School alumna, Invernizzi is reacquainting herself with the school and its environment, considering it is her first time working with MHS.

Invernizzi has always had a passion for running ever since she started running in high school. She stated that she is “proud of the kids and really glad that [they] are putting in so much work, [they] are really respectful and [she is] just really glad to be their coach.”  Invernizzi feels that the there is always “a positive vibe and [they] are a great family type unit and [they] help the newcomers push themselves.”

The Boys Cross Country team huddling before a match. Photo taken by Devin Lemay.

Junior Kyle O’Brien is in his third year on the Boys Cross Country team. O’Brien stated that, “[he] just feels that everyone has to step up and work harder each and every day and push each other to the limits to have a successful season for the team and individually.” His personal record for the 5K is 19:44 and every season he keeps improving that. During the early season last year, his PR, or personal record, was 20:40.  O’Brien chose this sport because his friends introduced it to him and he really enjoyed it.

Senior Ameen Anwar is in his second year on the team.  Anwar stated “[His] favorite thing about cross country is that it’s a sport where anyone can feel welcome and succeed as long as [they] try [their] best and eat, sleep, and hydrate.” He first started with outdoor track, and cross country began the following season, thus he continued to pursue long-distance running. His PR for the 5K is 18:25 for this year and while last year it was 19:25.

Sophomore Omar Asusy is beginning his second year on the team. Last  year, Asusy was on the JV team but persistent training helped him secure a spot on the varsity team.  Asusy was introduced into this sport by former cross country coach David Londino during his freshman year while he was getting a tour of MHS. Asusy has made outstanding progress in the last year of cross country by going from JV to varsity in under one season.

The team looks forward to having a great year of keeping up all of their good work and accomplishments.

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This year there have been a few new additions to the Malden High staff, one of which is Ray Garcia, the new principal for the Brunelli house.  Garcia was born and raised in Lawrence, Massachusetts, and this is his first time working outside of his hometown. He graduated from Lawrence High and then went on to major in education at UMass Amherst and Salem State University.  He taught for 25 years and before he came to Malden High, and he was previously a school director at Lawrence High. The reason Mr. Garcia decided to come to Malden were because he “liked the diversity and [he] got some good recommendations from friends and family”. Outside of school, Garcia enjoys cooking, drawing, woodworking, and being outside.

Brunelli House Principal Ray Garcia. Photo by Jesaias Benitez.

Other Malden High staff already has positive things to say about Garcia. For example, Principal Ted Lombardi describes him as a “very terrific and knowledgeable person and [adds] that he is very fair, professional, and welcoming. [Garcia] is dedicated to making kids succeed and will not stop until that happens because [he] genuinely cares when it comes to students succeeding” and Garcia “hopes to support students as well as staff members”.

Another teacher that had positive things to say about Garcia was English teacher, Melissa Macey. She comments that “[Garcia] seems very supportive of his staff, and clearly wants [the staff] to feel like [they] have [his] support”. She also mentions that “[Garcia] is quick to check in and ask if [the staff needs] anything”, and that he is “very approachable and easy to talk to.”

Freshman guidance counselor Taryn Belowsky also had a few nice things to say about Mr. Garcia describing him as “a great and valuable asset with [his] best interest in mind”. She also mentioned that Garcia is “quiet at first, but when you get to know [him], [he] really opens up and gives you some great advice and ideas.”

Malden High School welcomes Garcia to the staff this year.

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This year, Malden High gained another English Second Language (ESL) math teacher, Lou Difante.

Difante grew up in North Kingstown, Rhode Island. Before becoming a teacher he earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Rhode Island majoring in Communication with a Minor in Business. Difante later went on to earn himself a Masters degree in International and Comparative language at Stockholm University in Sweden.

Difante has always wanted to teach because he wants to influence “young people in a positive way”. He has a lot of teaching experience which includes being a long term substitute in the Boston Public Schools, teaching at international language schools in Boston, Indonesia, and Italy, and now teaching here. Difante loves the diversity and the community feeling in Malden.

Difante chose his field as a major because “[he] has always been a strong communicator.” He had been teaching ESL for four years then decided to go to Sweden because they have good education programs. He also wanted to learn about how education worked around the world to better himself as a teacher for English second language students.

When fellow ESL teacher Jessica Haralson was asked about Difante she commented that “Lou comes to us with a rich experience teaching internationally.” She adds that she loves that he is a great team player and that “he is already trying to be a problem solver.”  

The reason Difante applied is because Holland house Guidance Counselor Caitlin Quinn and him are close friends. Since he was looking for a job, Quinn suggested that he applied here, and he decided that it was a good idea. Quinn mentioned that he seems “excited and eager and [that he] always puts students first…that mentality goes really far here at MHS.”

In Difante’s free time he enjoys exercise, running, traveling, biking, watching movies, and skiing. Difante speaks conversational Italian, and knows the basics in both Spanish and Swedish. He also knows how to read and speak parts of Indonesian.

ESL teacher Lou Difante. Photo by Jesaias Benitez.

His goals for the year are “to see his students move up to the next level and wants to see them grow and mature as people”.

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Engineering teacher Ashley Freeman is the proud recipient of the $15K O’Toole Teacher Leadership Grant. At Malden High, she teaches a pre-engineering class using amatrols, and a creative design and engineering class in the Makerspace. Before engineering, she taught physics, and had to switch up everything to teach engineering.

Freeman says that she “encourages [her] students to ask questions, and not to think of the world as a certain set of rules to follow”. By receiving this grant, it will allow Freeman to expand the endless possibilities in her classroom, from the advanced technology and machinery to the tools for those hands-on experiences.

The MHS Makerspace. Photo by Meghan Yip (Blue and Gold archives 2015-2016).

 Freeman said “ [she] was excited about supplying [her] students with the right materials fit for the students’ ideas”. Something that really stands out about Freeman, is that she tries her best to keep her classes student-centered because “ [she] gets a whole range of students, they have all their different strengths and interests. She “looks for what students are interested in, rather than forcing her students to take notes on subjects they don’t want to learn”. 

Freeman mentioned that “Professor, Brian Gravel, from Tufts University, along with another researcher Eli Tucker-Raymond nominated [her] for this award”. Freeman was one of 12 hardworking educators who also received the $15K grant.

Freeman and her excellency were not the only things benefitting from this grant. The money she received from the grant are being used to train teachers around the district, and the Malden Public Schools. She “helps teach educators around Malden about student centered learning. The district is already planning on creating a Makerspace at Linden and Beebe. Special classes at the high school. like auto shop, need many supplies, so money is going Freeman mentioned that “ [she] received a lot of help and support from the two researchers she mentioned, Brian Gravel and Eli Tucker-Raymond”. She also received a lot of help from Jenkins House Principal Shereen Escovitz, and Principal Ted Lombardi. It’s interesting that she didn’t step into the Makerspace until two years ago, because of the positive results in such a short period of time of her being involved in it.

Engineering teacher Ashley Freeman. Photo by Jesaias Benitez.

Mayor Gary Christenson stated that this reward proves how “[Freeman] is going above and beyond in reaching [her] students”. When Mayor Christenson and Superintendent John Oteri heard about the grant, Christenson says they were both “beaming with pride”. Christenson  also thinks that Freeman is truly making difference in the students in Malden. Oteri thinks “it’s an honor for [Freeman] and Malden, [Freeman] has a real connection with students, and [she has] the strong ability to find any opportunity for students to learn. And it’s important that [she will] utilize the grant to expand as many learning opportunities for our students”.

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The opposing team preparing for a serve. Photo by Ronald Batista.

By Michelle Yin and Ronald Batista

The Malden High School Girl’s Volleyball team has already started the season off stronger than their previous years. The team entered the season with high hopes of winning more games and getting a better record for the season.

One of the captains, senior Tiffany Tortora, spoke about how this season has started off, and how “the season is already better than last year.” Totora explained that one of the team’s goals is “trying to get ready mentally and physically and realizing that [it is] time to start winning more games”, Tortora is already proud of how they have won multiple games already with the long season.

Even though the team has taken some losses, Tortora said that the team has tried to cope with their losses in a positive way. She explains how “every loss is hard, but [the team takes] the positive and rebuild on the mistakes”. With every loss the team experiences, they stay determined and grow even more motivated to win more games.

Tortora also described how even though many of the seniors graduated last year, the team has continued to improve and grow. She said that the new players have “proven [they] deserve to be on varsity and [that they] all have given a new perspective to the team”. She clarified that the team has become much closer and the team has very good chemistry.

Junior Captain Mirabelle Jean-Louis talked about the goals for herself and for the team. She hopes that she will be a great Captain, considering she is new to holding the position. She revealed that this is her third year on the team.  She believes that will be “very different” because it is only her second year on the varsity team and her first year as a captain, so “it is a huge deal”. Still, one of her goals is to “really to try to be the mentor for [the] team,” Jean-Louis explained. She also included that a goal for the team is to make it to State level.

The Girl’s Volleyball team during a match. Photo by Ronald Batista.

Jean-Louis is also excited for the season; she believes that it will even get better. “Just getting closer with [the] team is one of [their] main goals this year, [their] theme is really being together as a team.” For instance, at each of their games “the chant at the end, before each set is [said] together [because] that is one of [their] major goals” apart from winning games. Jean-Louis explained  that the team has improved on the communication they have with one another, “so [they] all know each other really well,and [they] all hang out outside of volleyball”.

The team also has a motto which is “to forget about the last hit, the last set, the last mistake that was made and just leave it behind because there is a new set”. Jean-Louis also commented on how the team does not dwell on any of  the past games but focuses on the upcoming games and how it will be better than the one before. Jean-Louis stated “[they] try really hard to focus on the positives and trying to improve on [their] mistakes instead of dwelling on the past… [their] goal..whenever [they] lose is to work harder and beat the next team.”

The team has already started off with a great start and they have won against Lynn English with the score of 3-0 and they won against Saugus. They hope that the upcoming games will be even better and that they will end the season with a better team score and record. The next game that the team will be having is on October 2nd, 2017 against Stoneham.

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MHS’s Football team huddling before a play. Photo by Leila Griege. (Blue and Gold archives 2015-2016).

By Shantae Francis and Gabriel Matnog

The Golden Tornadoes Football team have come a long way since last season, and are looking ahead at a very challenging season. Although the team has had no wins out of their first three games, the Tornadoes refuse to capitulate and want to continue towards what they hope will be a successful season.

This season marks the second year of Head Coach, William Manchester’s stay at Malden High. Last season, the team finished with a record of 5-6 under Manchester, falling shy of qualifying for the playoffs and finishing just below the .500 mark. The team this year hopes to improve upon that record but will face numerous obstacles along the way, including losing a few key starters from last year.                      

When asked about the season, senior captain Edouard Bazile was very optimistic about the rest of the season and hopes to continue work on the team’s defense. He believes that “the defensive line is what really holds [the] team together”. Bazile also hopes to help each team member improve personally and make sure that everyone achieves their full potential as players. He continued to say that “[the team has] more weapons than last year” while also “[having] two or three more guys that can fill in the role” of key players the team lost from last year.

One of the biggest personal changes the team has experienced this year, is a new starting quarterback in junior, Jose Montiero. Montiero hopes to lead the team to a successful season in his first year as a starter, while taking over for an all-star quarterback. Despite this being Montiero’s first year as a starter, his captain, Bazile praised his performance in the season so far. When asked about him, Bazile mentioned that “[Montiero] is doing great” and that he “needs time” as well as protection from the offensive line, concluding that “once everything slows down for him” he will come on to his own as the starter.

Another big change for the team this year is that after having previously been a part of the Greater Boston League (GBL), this season will be the team’s first experience in their new league, the Northeastern Conference (NEC). This change is expected to produce even more added challenges, in addition to the already competitive schedule.        

Despite all the changes the team will experience this year, they also have numerous returning members to the team. One key returning member is junior captain and center Tyler Martineau, who last season was the only sophomore on the team to make the All-Scholastic Football team. When asked about the team’s goals for the season, Martineau expressed the team’s desire “to win the NEC” explaining that “it would be special since [the team] is new” to the conference. In addition he also mentioned their goal of “trying to make it to the playoffs since [they] did not make the playoffs last year.”    

The Tornadoes kick off their fourth game of the season this Friday at Danvers High School, against the Falcons. 

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Juniors Diego Vallejo and Mattheus Farias with senior Patrick Pereira. Photo courtesy of Malden HS Sports.

By Cedrina Missamou and Jennica Ruan

Malden High’s boys soccer team has started the season with much drive and determination, which has been paying off as they have had a great start. The team currently has a record of 6-0-2 making them undefeated thus far. One of their most recent victories occurred on September 22nd at Pine Banks against the Methuen Rangers. Malden won with a score of 7- 0, with goals scored by captain and senior Patrick Pereira, senior Eric Toh, Jefferson Malachie, Lucas Pedro, and Leonardo Lima Antunes.

Although every victory is great, the first game of the season on September 6th was particularly exciting . Their score of 1-1 against the Medford Mustangs, left the team feeling “ very accomplished and proud” stated midfielder Douglas Do Nascimento. The two teams have been rivals for a long time now, with the win or loss often determined by only one point, so the boys were especially stoked about the results, which showcased their  improvement from last year so early in the season.

Senior Manny Quesada Nylen prepping for a game. Photo courtesy of Malden HS Sports.

Jeremiah Smith, an english teacher at Malden High. has coached the team for 14 years now, and will continue to do so this season. It will also be led by captains Patrick Pereira (with his second year of leading the team,) Joseph Costa, and Manuel Quesada-Nylen. When asked to comment on the people that will be leading the team, many expressed their high expectations for the season; because of the strong leadership. Junior Salim Tiken, a goalie on the team along with captain Quesada-Nylen, stated that the captains are “very motivational,” and that they encourage him and many other players on the team “to perform better.”

The team ended last season with a record of 7-9-3. Although they had qualified for states in the two previous years (making semi-finals in 2014 and quarterfinals in 2015), they were not able to do so in the season of 2016. When asked what may have caused this, captain Manuel Quesada-Nylen stated that “[they] had potential to be a good team”  but due to arguments off the field amongst some of the teammates “on the field [they] were not able to produce.”

Encouraged by Coach smith to “depend as a team and move as a unit,” the boys have been working diligently to come together as a team not only on the field, but also off. They all wish to spend the season improving as a group, and of course being able to take more time to work on offensive and defensive strategies that will make them even stronger. They hope that all their efforts and hardwork will allow them to reach their goal of making states.

The boys soccer team’s next game will be against Methuen on September 29 at Methuen High’s soccer field.

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The MHS Tiny House. Photo by Jesaias Benitez

The Tiny House is successful attempt of MHS at working towards and teaching students about a cleaner environment. The project is also a good representation of the capabilities of the wood shop at MHS. The idea of the whole endeavor originally came from Automotive teacher Chris Bazzinotti, and Transitions Coordinator Kelli Collomb.

The inspiration of the idea for The Tiny House came from the wood shop. It was made to gain publicity for the wood shop and for the idea of having construction classes at MHS. Bazzinotti and Collomb got the money for this idea by bringing it forward to the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC). The MassCEC only gives a grant to ideas that follow their requirements.  The requirements of the MassCEC grant are that the project that the money is being used for has to be using clean energy. It also has to provide an opportunity of students in grades 9-12 to learn about and work with clean energy. This is meant to prepare them for a future in clean energy jobs.

Collomb and Bazzinotti brought the idea of The Tiny House to the MassCEC and won the grant of 125,000 dollars to make it possible.

Bazzinotti, along with Physics teacher Brian Morrison, were responsible for the construction and planning of the House. Creative Engineering and Design teacher Ashley Freeman was responsible for the technology research for the house. However, the house was physically constructed from all three teachers as well as many students who helped out over the summer. Solar City was also integral to the project, as a partner and provider of solar panels for the house.

The Tiny House project started in September 2016 and is likely to be completely finished within the next year. Although the project is a success in teaching students about clean energy, there is still work that needs to be done to such as the insulation and hooking up the solar panels to give it power.

As of now, however, there has been a lot of positive feedback from the community about the whole idea from key figures inthe community such as Mayor Gary Christenson as well as the residents of Malden.  The students who worked on the class have been said to have had a sense of pride in working on the project as well.

The hopes of all this success of The Tiny House and teaching students about solar power all points back to gaining publicity for the Construction classes at MHS. The Tiny House is expected to give a good example of what these classes can offer the students, such as improving teamwork and creativity, and pursuing many other projects they can accomplish together.  

UPDATE:

The Tiny House is still in construction and is still in need of help from students. Students at Malden High School can still sign up to be a part of this project and also get paid to do it. There will be an informational meeting for students who want to join and apply for the job on October 4th in the Malden High School Library. The opportunity to be a part of a potential piece of Malden history and learn about clean energy is still open.

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As fall begins, so does the season for Malden High School’s Girls Cross Country team. Even though they are off to a rocky start, the coach and the runners continue to be very determined to win. Coach Courtney Invernizzi strongly believes in the team, and the runners consistently spread positivity and determination. Throughout their industrious training and practices, the team has been working hard and have built a safe and friendly atmosphere.

The Girls Cross Country team have formed a strong family bond. Sophomore Emane Boufaida is one of the varsity runners on the team. When asked about the relationship between teammates, Boufaida mentioned that “[she loves] the people on the team, and friends make everything so much more interesting”. Senior Allie Russo alluded that during every practice, she looks forward to “seeing [her] friends, because [she is] spending so much time with [her teammates] and [she has] really gotten to know [them].” For Russo personally, Cross Country has given her “more endurance, and [she] can now run longer distances”. Her goal is to finish off the season “on a good note with as much hard-work that [she] started with”.

The Girls Cross Country team preparing to run. Photo by Devin Lemay

According to Coach Invernizzi, “everyone [on the team] is always positive and happy”, and they are “hard-working”, while being “very respectful.” She pointed out the hard work of the team by mentioning enthusiasm as one of the qualities of the team that make Cross Country much more fun and exciting to coach, concluding that “[it is] really good as a coach to be able to come into a team like this”.

Senior runner Jasmine Gray is looking forward to the races and wants to experience new courses the team is running in this year. Gray mentioned that before she joined the Cross Country team, she never thought about being a runner but “now running is [her] life”. Even though the first meets were difficult for the team, Gray feels that “so far personally [it has] been a good season for [her]”, and that she “wants to be undefeated”.

The girls have their next meet this Tuesday, against Everett at the Pine Banks Park. Coach Invernizzi believes that the team will “do very well this season if they keep up the good work”.

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The Malden High Golf team entered a new season with returning players seniors Tylor West and Michael Giordano, along with junior Reid Kankel, as captains. This is also Coach Richard Malatesta’s 29th year of coaching the MHS golf team.

MHS Golf player swings his club. Photo by Ajithaan Sathiyendra

This season, the Golf team has departed from graduate Nick Ansaldi, a former key player in their team. West and Kankel stated that “[He] helped the program last year by recruiting new members”. Without the help of Ansaldi, the program might have not been here this season. There are more returning players than new players this year compared to last season, which is an important advantage for the team since there are now more experienced players playing on the team.

The goal for the team this season is to win as many matches as possible to attend the Northeastern Conference (NEC). They are planning to do this by practicing more and winning more matches. A goal for sophomore Sean Lightbody this season is “winning more matches since [he had not got the chance] to play a lot of matches last year”. Even though their goal is to win this year, their main goal is to have fun and enjoy playing this season.

Despite the performance of the team last season because “most players needed to practice a lot since they were new and did not have a lot of experience.”stated Lightbody, “this year, [they have] improved a lot from the past few games”.

They have gotten a great start this season, especially since returning players have gotten more experience from last year. “It has been great” stated West, as [they have] won the first few games. Lightbody stated that “It has been pretty fun so far, [but] it can be a frustrating sport.”

West stated that his first experience with Golf was “going golfing with [his] dad”, which made him gain interest in the sport and join the team. Since Lightbody enjoyed his previous experience with golf by going “mini golfing with [his] dad”, he decided that he should join the Golf team.

Next week, the Golf team is playing home matches against Saugus and Winthrop. In the following weeks, they are playing matches against Salem, Lynn, and Revere before going to the Northeastern Conference. The golf team is looking forward to improve themselves for the (NEC) and have a great time this season.

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Bread of Life staff posing next to the food pantry’s banner. Picture taken by Sandra Rivadeneira.

Check out the rest of the Bread of Life photos here. 

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Logo for the second ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ film, which was screened at the Malden Public Library on September 28. Courtesy of Wikimedia.

The Malden Public Library hosts a movie night for the city’s young adults every month, usually located in the Maccario Room. The staff sets up a screen to play the movies on and usually supply snacks such as popcorn, soda and cookies for everybody who comes to watch.

Young Adult Movie Nights are open to anyone between the 6th and 12th grade which differs to the regular Movie Nights the library has that are open to the whole public.

The Movie Night this month occurred on Thursday, September 28th. The library chose to play the Marvel movie, Guardians of the Galaxy Volume Two directed by James Gunn and starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, and Karen Gillan.

The movie is a sequel to the original Guardians of the Galaxy and follows the story of Peter Quill, also known as Star Lord. After doing a job for an alien race called the Sovereign, he and his companions end up having to run away to avoid vengeance from them because Rocket stole the items they were sent to protect. On their way to escape, they discover Peter’s heritage. The adventure movie contains interesting musical choices in the soundtrack and very humorous scenes and lines that would be pretty odd in other action movies, but somehow fit in Guardians of the Galaxy.

The movie was pretty successful, reeling in an impressive amount at the box office with 863.4 million U.S dollars. IMDb gave the movie a rating of 7.9/10. Since this film is the sequel to a movie based on a Marvel Comics series, it already has a wide fan base.

Even with the popularity of the film, the event only attracts a more intimate crowd, despite the announcement of the event on flyers by the library doors and on the Malden Public Library’s website.

Events held by the library for the youth are tremendous opportunities to meet new people and to interact with others in a safe environment. It is also a fun way to spend evenings with friends without having to really worry. It is strongly encouraged that everyone should go and take advantage of great events like this one.

The next movie night will be will be around the end of October, which will be showing another popular movie, Spider-Man: Homecoming.

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Suzanne Brill begins her first year as a science teacher here at MHS. Photo by Jesaias Benitez.

Hailing from England, Suzanne Brill has come to Malden High School to teach Biology CP and Environmental Science Honors. She is filling in for Kate Bizier for the year, while she is on leave.

Brill was born and raised in Preston, England and went to Penwortham Girls’ High School. She went to both the University of Manchester and the University of London, and majored in Biochemistry.

She has been teaching biology for a year and a half, but she originally started off as a researcher working in a lab for 8 years. She stopped working  after she had her first child, as she decided to be a stay-at-home mom.

Brill says that what made her want to come to Malden High was that “[she lives] in Malden”. Since becoming a substitute, Brill explains how she “has loved teaching and coming into Malden”.

When asked about what she likes about Malden High so far, Brill claims that there is “always something happening [and that] there is so much life, and it is so fantastic”. Some goals Brill has for coming into Malden High is “wanting to encourage more people into biology, wanting to learn a new career, and changing from something to a new thing that [she] has been learning”.

Some methods Brill uses to teach have been advice given from other teachers. Brill loves to make her students think on their own and for them to have their own way in learning the subject. She loves what she does because everyday is a new day. She also loves meeting new people, and seeing kids learn.

Debra Kumar, a Biology, Pathology, and Anatomy teacher, has been working at Malden High School for twenty-two years. Kumar and Brill had met before when Brill started working at Malden High School, when she was substitute teacher during the maternity leave of Shannon Votaw. Kumar thinks that Brill is a good colleague to work with. When asked about Brill, she says “[she] loves that [Brill] brings a different scientific experience to students, that [she] can share [her] knowledge and experience as a scientist with high school students.”

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New teacher Mr. O’Connell poses for a photo. Picture taken by Jesaias Benitez.

As students and faculty members returned to school, they welcomed Daniel O’Connell, a new member of the math department.

O’Connell grew up in Winchester, Massachusetts and graduated from Boston University. He majored in English education, but always enjoyed Math, so when the time came to decide what field he wanted to focus on, he decided to teach Math because “of [his] love of patterns”.

One of the reasons he became a teacher was because he “was a middle child, so when [he] was younger [he] would teach [his] little sister things”.

The reason O’Connell decided to come to Malden High was because he has had experience with students in Malden as he was previously a teacher at Mystic Valley. He had enjoyed his experience there, and wanted to keep working with Malden students.

So far, O’Connell said that what “[he] like[s] about Malden High are the teachers and the community”. One of his goals this school year is to do well with his current students so that they are able to master the material.

Principal Ted Lombardi said that some of the things that made O’Connell stick out were that he has a “very broad skill-set because [O’Connell] knows how to teach both English and Math, which makes [him] a very qualified person for a teacher’s position.”

Some of the other staff members at Malden High such as Ronald Janowicz, the Director of the Pathways program, shared that O’Connell is a “great teacher, who brings a lot to the Pathways program because of [his] skills with computers and being able to set up programs.”

Janowicz described him as a “quiet, respectful person who is a very quick learner.” Julie Fox, a physics teacher here at MHS, added to that by saying O’Connell is “committed and dedicated to [his] students” and that he has “built relationships and cares about [his] students.”

Fox also said that Mr. O’Connell seems to help his students understand the material and that he is good with computers and other electronics. She also added that he seems “committed and dedicated to his work and [his] students” and seems like a “very straightforward person.”

Some of the things O’Connell enjoys outside of school are reading, keeping in touch and playing games with friends, and ballroom dancing.

Malden High is happy to welcome O’Connell as the newest addition to the Math department.

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