By Christina Appignani and Ailin Toro 

Ted Lombardi.

On December 7, MHS principal Ted Lombardi announced to Malden High School students and staff that he will be resigning as principal of Malden High School on January 4, 2018.

In an email sent to MHS staff and students, Lombardi expresses his gratitude for the the joyful experience he has had at Malden High School for the past year. In the email, he credits his leave to “circumstances in [his] own life have changed and [he had] to make this difficult decision for [himself] and [his] family”.

He thanked Malden High School for “being so wonderful” and acknowledges its students as “the shining example that people from all different parts of the world and different walks of life can not only coexist, but thrive together.”

Boyle House Principal Chris Mastrangelo has been assigned the Interim Principal which was announced by Superintendent John Oteri in a Facebook statement December 7th. In the statement, Oteri announced that the search for a new principal will begin in January.

Below is a profile of Mr. Mastrangelo that The Blue and Gold staff did in November of 2014.

And, here are links to Mr. Lombardi’s selection as principal to the high school:

https://www.maldenblueandgold.com/2016/04/school-council-welcomes-incoming-principal-edward-lombardi/

https://www.maldenblueandgold.com/2016/03/mhs-welcomes-ted-lombardi-as-new-principal/

https://www.maldenblueandgold.com/2017/05/ask-principal-night-59/

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This month, the Malden High’s National History Club is publishing Volume ll of their academic journal, The Optimist. This is a opportunity for students to showcase a piece of their work during their time at MHS that they are proud of. Students can submit anything from essays, research papers or labs from science etc.

For any students and teachers that are interested in purchasing a copy of the journal, they could of pre-order a copy for five dollars earlier or seven dollars this month. Club advisor and History teacher, Damian Aufiero explained how the proceeds will go to the club’s dues such as helping the National History Club Student of the Year awards which comes with a book and certificate. It also pays for the entrees in the to the Civil War essay contests along with helping the seniors, “who are graduating as apart of the National History Scholar Society and get [their] honor cords for graduation.”  

Last year, the history club received about 15 submissions for this year’s Optimist for members of the club to review. They found six pieces of work that they believed was worthy to be published in the journal.

Junior Nikita Puri submitted an essay called “The Impact of Prison Camps on Union and Confederate Soldiers” for Advanced Placement US History assigned by Aufiero as a research project as apart of the Civil War unit. She went to explain that “the essay was about the cruelty that prisoners of war faced in both the sides of the union and confederacy” along with “the most infamous of the camps in which these prisoners were kept and how the living conditions were inhumane and revolting.”

Puri’s main goal in writing this essay was to bring this whole new “different perspective on the soldiers of the Civil War.” Although she wasn’t aware of the Optimist at first, Mr. Aufiero told her that he liked the essay and that he was going to submit it to the journal publication. During that moment, she recalled being “ surprised but kind of proud of [herself] too.”

For future publications, they hope more students are interested in submitting their work.

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With new members joining the team, the Malden High School Boys’ Indoor Track team is ready to be and put their very best for a great season

Coach David Londino says that is confident for the team. When asked about what the team could do better, Londino said “Preparing for the strong competition and recommitting at a higher level is important. Now that [the team has] competed in the Northeast Conference during the spring and fall, [they] have a better idea of the competition level.” When asked about something he likes about the team he said that “[he enjoys] working with the team because [they are] a group of hard-working people, and [he appreciates] [their] efforts.” On the new members of the team, Londino praises them, saying that “[their] dedication and effort have been great.  So far [they have] established a great atmosphere at practices.      

This will be Londino’s 13th year and 37th season coaching Indoor Track. He says that  “[He] still [coaches] Indoor and Outdoor track but stepped down as Cross Country coach in order to spend more time with [his] own children in the fall. [He] was very happy to have a past runner of [his] take over the Cross Country coaching duties.” According to Londino, the reason he enjoys coaching Indoor Track is because of the team’s abilities that they get against others. Londino appreciates Track as a sport “because it allows you put your abilities and will to power up against that of others.  The individual nature forces you to find out who you are as a person and athlete.”

Senior Ameen Anwar have been doing indoor track for three years. When asked what he can work on from his previous year, he said “[He thinks he needs] to become more versatile. [It is] helpful for the team to be able to move around in more than one event. [He expects] to run faster times and do big things this season.“

Anwar cherishes the bond that the Indoor Track team has that allows them to work together as a need. He says that the team “equally depend[s] on [themselves] and each other to win meets. Even though [he] can only count on [himself] during a race, [he] still need[s] the help of the rest of my team to win. [He] also [relies] on the spirit of my friends and teammates to help [him] get through gruelling practices.  Anwar also enjoys the exciting environment of mees. He explains that “When [he is] running on a small indoor track, [he] can feel the energy bouncing around in the building.”

Though the team did well last year, they still hope to improve and better themselves both as individuals and as a team.

Malden High School’s boys indoor track verses cities like Beverly and Lynn Classical. Photo by Sandra Rivadeneira.

To view more Indoor Track pictures, view our Facebook gallery. 

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Malden High School’s boys indoor track verses cities like Beverly and Lynn Classical. Photo by Sandra Rivadeneira.

Click here to see more photos!

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If you’ve ever wanted to do more for Malden High School and want to be involved in fundraisers for Malden High School, then Business Club is the place for you. The Malden High School Business club sets out to raise money in a variety of ways in order to give it back to the school to create opportunities of fun new events after school such as school dances and fundraisers.

Ran by President, Cleef Jonathas, there is Vice President Kat Jabbarin, and Treasurer Isabel Tellez. The club also has a committee of 6 people that help with running the club. The idea of the club came from Jonathas when he came up with the idea after realizing that the previous school he attended before Malden High School offered a variety of after school events that Malden High School does not. Jonathas created the Business Club to change that.

President, Cleef Jonathas, Treasurer Isabel Tellez, and Vice President Kat Jabbarin. Photo by Antonio Tarantino.

While called “Business Club”, it actually has nothing to do with the what is taught in the business courses at Malden High School. The club is used to raise money for the school using fundraisers such as movie nights. The club does however have a little bit to do with actual business considering that they are raising and managing money.

The clubs main goal is to raise as much money as possible. They plan on getting themselves involved in school activities and finding ways to make money off whatever they get involved in. With the money they raise, they will try to better Malden High School as a whole by creating more after school events and activities for the students to get involved in and have fun doing.  As a club, they want to do whatever it takes and work hard together to keep the club going; they strive to and accomplish this overall goal of making profits and benefitting Malden High School.

The club meets every wednesday after school. All students of MHS are welcome to join and help them with their goal. Aside from their goal, the club also wants to make sure all of their members have a good time. As said by Jonathas, “[They] are [there] to have a great time and to create fun events for [the] school”.

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The entrance to Boda Borg’s newest questing room, Potions. Photo by Ronald Batista.

Boda Borg is a place where guests enjoy a real-world gaming experience. Guests can come in groups from 3-5 people, where they encounter a variety of quests. These quests encourage the “questers” to be physically active, while also thinking outside the box. Once questers have passed the first challenge they will be sent into the next challenge. Failing any quests will result in the questers either starting over or picking a different room. Questing at Boda Borg has become a popular activity in Malden and the surrounding cities.

Inside the new Potions questing room at Boda Borg. Photo by Ronald Batista.

Boda Borg opened on October 3rd, 2015 and consists of around 18 to 19 quests. This variation is because quests are demoed and are replaced by new ones. There is a new quest called Potions–officially opened on November 30th, 2017.

The new quest was inspired by a few different things. Owner of Boda Borg,  Chad Ellis, said “Harry Potter is sort  an inspiration. [He’s] always liked the idea of a magical school and a place you could go and learn how to do magic.” Ellis describes how the name came to be, claiming that the magical school was named “Alcamy.” This would be the name of the quest but they decided on “Potions” because most people didn’t know what “Alcamy” meant.

Ellis has more plans like this in the future, saying “[they] like the idea of creating a quest, where [it could be] sort of the next chapter of a story, so when potions is finally replaced we’ll replace it with another type of magic that you could learn in this school.” Ellis says that “Potions” is very different from all the other quests because “It is very very highly themed, I think possibly even more than a quest like ‘Alcatraz’.” The theme in the quest is greatly portrayed, questers will even encounter a new language, made just for the quest. The biggest difference between Potions and the other quests at Boda Borg is that this quest was made in Malden. This was the first quest made in the United States, as Boda Borg is a Sweden-based company. All of the other quests have been made by other Boda Borg locations and sent to Malden to be used here. The idea and layout of how this quest would work was done before Boda Borg opened but the construction of this quest started in February of 2017.

Owner of Malden’s Boda Borg, Chad Ellis, was inspired by Harry Potter when creating the new Potions questing room. Photo by Ronald Batista.

It’s only been a few days since the quest has been open but Ellis states that “so far the reactions have been really positive; people have been really excited about it.” The popularity of Boda Borg is expected to increase and Ellis hopes that “every new quest gives people the reason to come back.” Ellis was part of the team who built the quest but says that “[his] kids enjoyed the quest.”

Boda Borg has many other quests in mind. They have already removed the quest “Step-up” and that will be replaced by “Access.” Aside from “ Access” there will be many other quests coming. Quests such as “Movie Theater,” one called “Shape,” and another by the name of “Boot Camp.”  Ellis says “obviously we’re hoping if this quest does well one day other locations may decide to use ‘Potions’ there.” Overall Boda Borg is continuing to expand and is doing great with their newest quest.

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“Caption: Every so often, there was a rare moment of perfect balance, when I soared above him.” is the final line of the musical Fun Home based on the graphic novel of the same name written by Alison Bechdel.

The cover of Bechdel’s graphic novel. Photo courtesy of Flickr.

Fun Home is the autobiographical story of Bechdel, a Lesbian cartoonist whose gay father commits suicide during her early years of college. Bechdel’s father, Bruce, is an English teacher and mortician with an obsessive relationship with his Victorian house in rural Pennsylvania. He has been revamping it meticulously for the majority of Bechdel’s life; Bechdel even goes as far describing his infatuation with this house stronger than his love for his family.

Both the musical and the novel can be labeled as a tragedy, a comedy, and a coming-of-age story all in one. It is also an entirely separate entity from the graphic novel which served as a breeding ground for the themes, lyrics, and general framework of the musical. The mus

Playbill for Fun Home the Musical. Photo courtesy of Tobi Pitan.

ical was adapted by composer Jeanine Tesori and playwright Lisa Kron. In 2013 the duo made history by becoming the first all-female writing team to win the Tony for a musical score. The storylines of both the musical and graphic novel intertwine and neither follow a linear model.

The musical follows Bechdel during three distinct periods of her life portrayed by the characters Small Alison, Medium Alison and fully-grown Alison. Small Alison’s storyline revolves around Bruce’s devotion to the house and the beginning’s of Alison’s navigation of her gender expression–which is ultimately quelled by her father–and her experience growing up in the “fun home”, the Bechdel Funeral Home, explored in the numbers “Party Dress” and “Come to the Fun Home” respectively.

Medium Alison chronicles while she is away at Oberlin College and maintains a cryptic correspondence with her father who sends her evocative works of literature that do everything but spell out both Bruce’s and Alison’s same sex attraction. While away at college Alison plunges into the pit of self-discovery and enters into her first serious relationship in the number “Changing My Major”.  

Lastly, adult Alison, serves as a conduit between all of the phases of Alison’s life. This particular character narrates the entirety of the musical interpreting scenes of the past while offering witty comments and cathartic revelations of her past as it became all the more clearer.

Bechdel has been creating art for decades mainly through her graphic novels but this new modern musical is yet another piece of art that will ensure that her nuanced literature will reach as many audiences as possible and resonate with people in various ways.

The post “Welcome to Our House on Maple Avenue”: Fun Home Musical Review appeared first on The Blue and Gold.

Olivia Forestier photographed by Jesaias Benitez.

Junior Olivia Forestier is one of the four captains of the MHS swim team, and has been swimming for the team for three years.

Forestier used to swim when she was younger, so when she got to high school, she decided she would try it out again because her sister was one of the captains. Forestier stated that one of her strengths is “noticing what [she] needs to improve on whether that be an individual goal, or a team goal, and working towards that goal until [it is] achieved.”

One of Forestier’s goals for the team this year is to “do [their] best in the new league. [They] lost a large majority of their team because [most] graduated, so [she] is looking forward to starting over and building the team up to what it once was.”

As a captain, something Forestier feels she needs to improve on is “making sure everyone on the team feels welcomed and is happy with how things are going” and that “it can be difficult to socialize during practices because [they] don’t have much time to talk, so [she] believes this is something [they] could work on outside of practice hours.”

Because the team is joining a new league, it can be very difficult to adjust to the new system. Personally, Forestier is “very excited about the new league” and believes that it “will challenge [the team] a lot more than in the past, and [she] is excited to take it on as a team and see how it goes.”

Since it is a new year and some of the players have left the team because of graduation, other freshmen have recently joined the team. Forestier stated that “[she] sees a lot of potential within [the team]. [They push] themselves and want to be here, which is something that [she] believes will get [them] very far.”

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By Gabriel Matnog and Cristopher Correa

On Wednesday, December 6th, 2017, The Boston Public School Committee unanimously decided to change the start and end times for its elementary and high schools.

This new decision will not be in effect until the 2018-2019 school year. High schools will reportedly start later than 8 a.m while elementary schools will end sometime before 4 p.m. In an interview with WCVB 5 Boston, Boston Public Schools Superintendent, Dr. Tommy Chang stated he “will push back the start time for High schools and move up start times for elementary”. The prime motive for this decision is to hopefully allow children and teenagers to get more rest so they pay attention more in classes.

City officials believe that it could actually raise grades and focus levels  in the classroom. Research conducted by the AMA (American Medical Association) stated that, “the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that teenagers between 14 and 17 years of age should get 8.5 to 9.5 hours of sleep per night to achieve optimal health and learning”. This means that the more sleep that teenagers like those at Malden High School, get, the better performance they have in the classroom. This could ultimately lead to maximum focus in the classroom and a better learning environment.

Boston Public Schools have released a new schedule for schools but it is not official, leaving it subject to change. All schools will be projected to start sometime between 7:15 and 9:30 am and end sometime between 12:50 and 4:50 depending on the day of the week.

This puts lots of stress on school officials and families as they have to plan different commute times to and from school accordingly. Students may also have to walk in the dark during winter, due to some schools having a later release time. However, these new start times may prove beneficial to the majority of students.

It is still unclear if this new change will be adopted by surrounding towns and cities such as Malden and it is still too early to determine the effect on students.

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This week, Trump has announced his decision not only to make Jerusalem, a city known for its interfaith connections, the capital of Israel, but he will also move the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv. While the President of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, praised Trump for his decision, many world leaders have expressed concerns about the decision, even those who are allies with the United States, such as German Chancellor Angela Merkel, stating her opposition that “in that context, [she] disagree[s] with the decision yesterday”, according to the Associated Press.

Many have also been concerned with the threat of violent protests, which have already been going on. There has been protests in the West Bank, where the Israeli Army sprayed water cannons, used rubber cannons, and used tear gas against the Palestinian protesters. Reports have said that at least 217 Palestinian protesters have been injured in the protests, and the violence also resulted in one death. There has also been protests in other Middle Eastern countries such as Egypt, Iran, and Turkey.

Although Trump says that the White House will still support a two state solution between Israel and Palestine, the decision to declare Jerusalem the capital of Israel was a slap in the face to Palestinians, who are still under Israeli occupation, and especially the ones who are working everyday to try to achieve peace.

This act has been criticized by many on the basis that the tension between Israel and Palestine would only increase due to this decision. Many have expressed that this decision would be a major setback in the process of achieving peace not only between Israel and Palestine, but also in the Middle East as a whole. According to the New York Times, the secretary general of the Palestine Liberation Organization, Saeb Erekat, said that both leaders, Trump and Netanyahu, “have managed to destroy that hope” of settling the conflict between Israel and Palestine, in recognizing Palestine as an independent state.

When Trump was elected, I was not expecting a miracle, nor did I expect the US to be more sympathetic to Palestine. Numerous presidents have expressed support of Israel regardless of the blatant human rights violations that have occured in that region, Republican and Democrats alike. However, this move will definitely not end terrorism and destroy ISIS like Trump as promised to do, not in any way. In fact, it will only fuel the anger and the hatred towards the US, and for a man who is supposed to be the ruler of the free world, he is certainly not promising any positives in his foreign policy so far. Although damage has certainly been done over the last couple of presidencies, only time will tell how much damage will further happen in the next four, maybe eight years.

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Captain Fern Berard looks to shoot. Photo by Jesaias Benitez.

As the boys basketball season begins, the team as a whole is hoping to make it as far as possible throughout the season. Last season, the MHS boys basketball team had an overall record of 16-6, which consisted of tremendous effort from all players. Although the team fell short during the playoffs with a loss during the first round of the tournament, they are ready to advance further this season.

Senior Malik Bissett recapped last season to be an exceptional season. Despite falling short in the playoffs, the team was able to put up a tough fight in every game. Coming prepared and mentally focused every game is what the team must do to continue to improve from last season. Bissett continued to explain that communicating more on defense and tightening on defensive possessions also needs to be progressed further by the team.

Bissett mentioned two newcomers on the team Tyler Holness, from Medford and Thomas Redwood from Everett. Senior Thomas Redwood admitted that although he is a newcomer himself on the team, he is definitely going to do his part on the help and contribute as much as possible.

Redwood added that there are other newcomers on the team as well who will make important contributions. Sophomores Cameron Lloyd and Brutchel Hyppolite being few of the many on the team who show great prospects as a player. According to Redwood, Lloyd is a great shooter, plays defense, and runs the floor well. Additionally, he explained that Hyppolite contributes to the team with the ability to shoot and get rebounds.

Bissett expects the team to make the tournaments again while being more prepared as well as taking one game at a time. Personally, Bissett continued to explain that, for himself he hopes to be better than last season considering he now has an important role on the team. He hopes to contribute any way possible, points, rebounds, assists, and defensive possessions. He states that it “doesn’t matter, [they] just [have] to keep working as a team.”

During practices, the team runs through the sets every package as well as competing and scrimmaging. Giving it their all at practice and the help of their Coach Don Nally conditioning them, are steps the team are taking to experience a successful season.

Both Bissett and Redwood agree that they’re hoping this season goes well. Bissett hopes that this season will be a good one, taking into account that it is be the final one for some.

Sophomore Brutchel Hyppolite recalled that although last season went well, it should not have ended the way it did. He made it clear that the team should have beat Somerville in the first round and kept advancing rather than falling short early on in the playoffs.

In spite of the fact that the team is strongest in running the floor, Redwood believes that the team needs to improve in executing plays. Personally, he hopes to improve in his mid-range shooting, ball handling, and getting to the basket strong throughout the course of the season.

Since this season consists of a variety of different players, Hyppolite expects the team’s chemistry to slightly improve. He stated that “[he feels] like [they] are more talented than last year because [they] have more guys with shooting abilities” but that they “need to continue being tough to progress further.”

Despite the fact that the season began with a scrimmage against Woburn, Redwood concluded that the team is still getting into the “flow” with everything and getting used to how one another plays, seeing what they can and cannot do. He states that they are “getting used to each other and the more [they] play together, the better [they are] going to get.”

Both Bissett and Redwood are looking forward to the game against Everett. As a former player from Everett, Redwood is looking forward to competing with previous teammates and with a “rival school.” Bissett added that last season, MHS lost to Everett twice, so it is “nice” to have another chance at beating their rivals.

When asked whether the change of divisions will impact the outcome of the season, Hyppolite answered by saying, “Not at all. I actually think it will help the outcome of the season because [he feels] like all teams on [their] schedule are teams [they] can beat.”

Senior captain Fern Bernard is looking forward to a successful season with his teammates, with the exception of doing better than last season. With such leadership, he wants to lead his teammates to a successful season. He described how he wants the team to be known as “hard workers.”

Overall, the team as a whole is hoping to dominate every team they face and hope to go undefeated.

The post Boys Basketball Season Intro appeared first on The Blue and Gold.

Malden leads in the first quarter. Photo by Julie Yu.

Click here to see the rest of the photos from the Girls’ Basketball game against Snowden. 

The post Girls’ Basketball Photo Gallery appeared first on The Blue and Gold.

Each year Malden High School’s Play Production puts on a musical. This year the musical was Once on This Island. Once on This Island takes place in Haiti, and follows a young girl Ti Moune as the Gods guide her through her journey to find love. Unlike others on the island Ti Moune believes that love can reach beyond any social, economic, and cultural difference. I felt so fortunate to experience this show because of its inspiring message that was so relatable to many. The cast did an amazing job, capturing the hearts of every audience member; this was evident in the roaring applause and standing ovation at the end of the show.

It was noted, that Play Production and the Haitian Culture Club worked diligently together to make sure that the show was as authentic as it could be. While watching the show, I couldn’t help but notice the appreciation of the Haitian culture throughout the play. The Haitian Culture Club members were very involved in all aspects of the show. They put forth their knowledge of Caribbean culture to help Play Production pick costumes, design the set, and check the historical pieces of the show. It displayed how important it was for them to portray the show as one that was both culturally and historically accurate.

This is a combination of two of the things that I love most about Malden High School. The fact that students with different interests were able to come together to make something beautiful. And also how the MHS staff and student body do everything in their ability to make sure that every culture is accepted and celebrated. This is why we felt that it was so important to expand the Blue and Gold’s coverage of Once on This Island, because it was so much more than a high school musical. It was a performance that was so personal to a lot of the members of the Malden community, as they could relate to the Caribbean culture that was presented by the show.

As we were bringing everything together for the coverage of the play we thought that we would be able to link Once on This Island with other things that have been going on with the news on a national scale. Within our selection of articles on Once on This Island, we also decided to feature an opinion piece about Donald Trump’s decision to force Haitians that are in the United States through Temporary Protected Status to leave the country. After the natural disaster that destroyed most of Haiti in 2010, 59,000 Haitians were granted TPS and were able to come to the United States to create a new lives for themselves. The Haitian population in our city has grown in recent years becoming a large part of the diversity of Malden. It is important for us to acknowledge this change in policy because it has the potential to affect many in the Malden community.

We felt that it was imperative to report this adverse piece of world news alongside the uplifting coverage of the production of Once on This Island to display that we might not always notice this but Malden is a city that is one of a kind. Malden encourages diversity, encourages the unity of people while never forgetting where you came from. We wanted people that may be affected by recent news to know that they have a whole city backing them up. Once on This Island is just one example of the many clubs, events, and more that Malden has to offer for those that want to share their culture with other people.

The overall message of Once on This Island is that the power of love has the ability to bring very different groups of people together. I can’t help but connect that concept to the mentality of the City of Malden. Malden thrives off of its ability to include all different cultures within the community, making this city one of a kind.

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November 16th, 17th, and 18th were three consecutive nights in which Malden High School Play Production graced the stage with an exquisite musical, delicately reproduced with an incarnated artistic finesse. This musical created by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty was first showcased on March 6, 1990, on Broadway. Though, it took twenty-seven years before landing on the Malden High School scene, it was worth the wait.

The story takes place in the Caribbean, specifically Haiti; named the Jewel of the Antilles. The musical shows that life on the island is good: the sun shines bright, the trees sing an incessant chorus, the birds recite lullabies, the water cradles the souls of the peasants and their troubles, but also contributes to the realization of their dreams, even the most daring. With the help of Erzulie, the goddess of love, one of the offspring of these peasants has dared to set their sights on Daniel Beauxhommes—a great son who has lost the self-proclaimed royalty of Armand Beauxhomme.

Senior Ariana Texiera as Ti Moune and Senior Michael Goroshko as Daniel. Photo by Jesaias Benitez

Ti Moune, the main character, is an orphan that was rescued after a terrible storm by two peasants too old to conceive children. The very epitome of the theatrical play lies in the hope of the peasants, hope in its most exciting and aggressive forms. A little girl condemned to be a cursed peasant who invokes the Goddess of the Earth (Asaka), Goddess of Love (Erzulie), God of water (Ague), and that of Death as well (Papa Ge) so that she can join Daniel, after saving him from a car accident in a storm like the one she was rescued, Ague. In this world, a peasant woman to take cares of a perfect stranger to the point of wanting to exchange her life for the sake of saving his. Humanity is mainly recognized by the complete forgetfulness of oneself, of one’s own interests for the benefit of the other. This moment when hope turns to complete forgetfulness of one’s person, accurately shows the generosity of peasant life.

Hope… hope in all its quintessence, all its dimensions. Rare as the philosopher’s stone. The hope that transcends, exalts, gives birth to this fiery courage that allows confrontation of the worst in order to reach the best, the dream, the love. Ultimately redirected to the worst, one can argue, but the bittersweet price of chasing a bold dream would be more accurate. A hope embalmed by the sun of the tropics, the sun of the Caribbean, which originated from the love of a “Negresse”,  “Une beaute creole” the famous Haitian poet Etzer Vilaire would say.

Ti Moune’s enthralling love, enhanced by the generosity of Asaka, the delicacy of Erzulie floating in the foolhardy waters of Ague, triumphed over the abyss of Papa Ge, turning into a symbol of peace, fertility, rejoicing, and life.

The post Once on This Island, Once in Timoun’s Life appeared first on The Blue and Gold.

Malden Public Library hosted a Young Adult Winter Party as one of their many youth events. The party was held on Thursday, December 14th. Its main purpose, librarian Patrick Brennan says, is for “people [to] come and relax after school”. Various activities are put out for people to use along with snacks and drinks. Examples of some video games the library has for comers to use are NBA 2k17 and Super Smash Bros. There were also all kinds of board games from Apples to Apples all the way to Uno. Snacks and drinks were generously provided along with a pizza that was devoured very quickly.

Many kids came to the party, from around 20-30 kids, some from Malden Public Schools and others from private schools such as Cheverus. One of the party attendees was Malden High freshman Bonnie Kuang, who found out about the event through a friend. Kuang says that what caught her attention was that it appeared to be a “fun and calm party”.  She states that “[she has] attended other events like this, during the summer.” A factor that usually draws her to come to the library’s events is that most of them are free events for young adults and they are a great way to meet and interact with other people.

Events similar to their monthly movie nights and young adult parties such as this one are funded by Friends of the Malden Public Library, which is a non profit organization that raises money to support the library. Brennan explains that the reason the library has so many different versions of these gatherings for elementary students all the way high school students is because “[Malden has] many different schools and [it is] very rare that there are public places where students from all the schools can get together.”

Brennan says that “[he plans] on continuing to host parties and other activities such as this one.”  The Malden Public Library works very hard to spread the word and advertise these parties and other youth activities as much as they can. Not only are flyers posted all over the doors once you enter the library, but they also post it on their Facebook and Twitter and the events are scheduled on an online calendar available through the library’s website.

For more upcoming events like this, go to this page to find out more.

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Malden’s Marc Giordano defending a player on a break away. Photo from The Blue and Gold archives 2016-2017.

The Malden and Revere High School Boys Ice Hockey team have set off the season better than the last, with many goals in mind. The merged team has entered this season with a prepared mindset to triumph, and to more win than previous years.

Although the previous season did not lead the team into states, Senior captain Michael Giordano mentioned that “although [the team] missed the the tournament last year, it makes [them] kind of more pumped for this year. [They] want to win more and make it”, the team has already won one out of two of the games they have played and tied in the other game.

One of the games that Giordano is excited for is their last game with Peabody’s Hockey team. He explained that he has never beat Peabody in all the years that he has played for the Malden High School team, “[He] just [thinks] that [Peabody is] a good team and by then [the team]would probably have begun the tournaments, and playing that game would get [them] ready and hopefully [they] all would work together well.” He added on that he has high hopes for the team to win against peabody this season.

Junior Zachary Rufo’s goal for the team this season is to “make it into states,” not only as a team, but as an individual. Giordano added on to that by expressing that “for the team, [he wants] to see [the team] win as [many] games as possible. [He sees the team] going possibly far into tournament and…being a group that is really together… [he wants]to do what [he] did last year but even better”  in hopes that this year the team would make even bigger accomplishments.

Sophomore Corey Rufo also mentioned that the team has a new assistant coach, John Papasodora, who had played in the Malden High School team a few years ago and is now back to help the team grow as a whole.

On the team chemistry, Giordano described it as “very good, the merge between the Revere team and Malden is really well, [they] all get along, [they] all kind of know where each of [them] are on the ice without really needing to say anything.” Although the team is formed by two different schools, they all get along well and has the same mindset in help each other become stronger and improved.

The hockey team is more than ready mentally and physically to win their place into states.

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Each year Malden High School’s Play Production puts on a musical. This year the musical was Once on This Island. Once on This Island takes place in Haiti, and follows a young girl Ti Moune as the Gods guide her through her journey to find love. Unlike others on the island Ti Moune believes that love can reach beyond any social, economic, and cultural difference. I felt so fortunate to experience this show because of its inspiring message that was so relatable to many. The cast did an amazing job, capturing the hearts of every audience member; this was evident in the roaring applause and standing ovation at the end of the show.

It was noted, that Play Production and the Haitian Culture Club worked diligently together to make sure that the show was as authentic as it could be. While watching the show, I couldn’t help but notice the appreciation of the Haitian culture throughout the play. The Haitian Culture Club members were very involved in all aspects of the show. They put forth their knowledge of Caribbean culture to help Play Production pick costumes, design the set, and check the historical pieces of the show. It displayed how important it was for them to portray the show as one that was both culturally and historically accurate.

This is a combination of two of the things that I love most about Malden High School. The fact that students with different interests were able to come together to make something beautiful. And also  how the MHS staff and student body do everything in their ability to make sure that every culture is accepted and celebrated. This is why we felt that it was so important to expand the Blue and Gold’s coverage of Once on This Island, because it was so much more than a high school musical. It was a performance that was so personal to a lot of the members of the Malden community, as they could relate to the Caribbean culture that was presented by the show.

As we were bringing everything together for the coverage of the play we thought that we would be able to link Once on This Island with other things that have been going on with the news on a national scale. Within our selection of articles on Once on This Island, we also decided to feature an opinion piece about Donald Trump’s decision to force Haitians that are in the United States through Temporary Protected Status to leave the country. After the natural disaster that destroyed most of Haiti in 2010, 59,000 Haitians were granted TPS and were able to come to the United States to create a new lives for themselves. The Haitian population in our city has grown in recent years becoming a large part of the diversity of Malden. It is important for us to acknowledge this change in policy because it has the potential to affect many in the Malden community.

We felt that it was imperative to report this adverse piece of world news alongside the uplifting coverage of the production of Once on This Island to display that we might not always notice this but Malden is a city that is one of a kind. Malden encourages diversity, encourages the unity of people while never forgetting where you came from. We wanted people that may be affected by recent news to know that they have a whole city backing them up. Once on This Island is just one example of the many clubs, events, and more that Malden has to offer for those that want to share their culture with other people.

The overall message of Once on This Island is that the power of love has the ability to bring very different groups of people together. I can’t help but connect that concept to the mentality of the City of Malden. Malden thrives off of its ability to include all different cultures within the community, making this city one of a kind.

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Senior Thays Almeida. Photo by Falyn Kelley.

Almeida joined the Gymnastics team her freshman year, after contemplating whether or not to join Gymnastics or Swim. She recalled that she “actually ended up going to the captains practices for swimming” but “ended up trying out for gymnastics”. To her delight, she made the team, which “[she] was really excited about”. Almeida said that Gymnastics has always been an interest of hers since she was a child, since “[she] did gymnastics until [she] was 6 years old back in Brazil”. She stopped because the skill level “got harder” and her grandparents decided to “take [her] out and place [her] into a sport that [was not] as dangerous”.  She was put into swim lessons instead, which “[she] liked’, but she confessed that swimming was “never [her] top choice sport” and coming into high school, Almeida decided that “[she] could try it again and see how it would go”.

For her last season, she says that she “need[s] to improve on [her] skills” and wants to be “less scared”, since the fear of getting hurt interferes with learning new skills. However, Almeida can definitely say that “[she] improved a lot throughout the years”, even though “[there is] a lot more that [she] could improve on”. For her best moments on the team, she says that one of them was “winning GBLs last year”, which was “amazing”, and making so many “memories and friendships” throughout the years was great to her. Her least favorite moments “would definitely be the conditioning during [her] freshman year”, which was hard since she “[was not] used to it”, saying that it took “a while” to get used to.

One of the hardest parts of her high school life was balancing sports and academics, because “in order to be eligible to play a sport you have to be in good academic standing”. She said that the way she sees sports is that “it is a reward for doing good and trying”, so if she knows  that she’s struggling in a class, she will get help after school and “if [she has] to miss a day of practice, [that is] okay and the coaches will always understand no matter what sport it is. [She is] always on top of my school work making sure that I completed all the assignments and that [she is] doing good in [her] classes.” On her last year, she says she doesn’t “plan on being part of the gymnastics team in college”. “[She] think[s] that [she] could somehow be involved and help out as a team manager in college, but “I don’t see myself practicing it”. To those who are considering joining the team, she said “do it”. She said that gymnastics is “definitely hard, but it’s not impossible”, they should go into it with an open mind and be willing to put in the effort and commitment.

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Flyers spread awareness for the Literary Society’s Poem-grams. Photo taken by Tobi Pitan.

The Literary Society has been selling Poem-grams leading up to the Winter Break.

The Literary Society is a club advised by English teacher Anne Mooney that focuses on literacy based activities and ideas. Senior Alicia Tan, co-president of the Literary Society, “enjoys the creativity that it allows” and mentions that “even if you hate writing, you are still completely welcome as it is more than just a writing club”.

Poem-grams are poems that can be sent to other students in the school, whether it is a friend, a person you admire, or even yourself. Along with a nicely made winter poem, the Poem-grams come with a candy cane. Poem-grams were sold for $1 each.

The Poem-gram fundraiser is being run by Tan, the Blue and Gold Editor-In-Chief Megan Downer and the Blue and Gold Web and Apps Managing Editor Christina Appignani. Tan mentioned that as they were trying to do something different but related to Literature as “so many things have been done before”, they thought poems would be great, and “if it is done nicely it would make a great gift” for the Holidays.

Tan has noticed that “[there has] been pretty good sales even though it was last minute” and mentioned that the Literary Society is “planning on doing more sales for Valentines Day”.

If you missed out since the sales have ended, look out for Poem-grams during Valentines Day as it would make a great gift for someone special. If you are interested in participating in creating activities like this, join the Literary Society, which meets every other Tuesday in Mooney’s room.

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