1. BEFRIEND A TEACHER It’s always good to get to know a teacher, whether you are going to see them during a free period or after school. Get close to your teachers because they have a lot of resources for you. MHS teachers are unlike any other; there has to be one teacher on your schedule that you actually like.
2. GO TO ALL SEASONS OR DOO WOP DINER ON A HALF DAY OR LATE ENTRY. All Seasons isn’t exactly a hidden treasure of Malden, but it definitely is a treasure. And Doo Wop Diner beats IHOP any day. It’s no $3 Dunks or New York Pizza meal, but it’s worth the couple extra bucks to sit down and enjoy a meal with a few friends, and get the chance to catch up. These restaurants were popular destinations for my friends and me when we got the chance for a few extra hours before or after school.
3. AUDITION FOR JV’S OR WORK BACKSTAGE. JV’s is the biggest event that your class will ever have. Working together behind the scenes for junior varieties was one of the best experiences of my junior year. I got closer to friends in my class, and got the chance to do many different things. Be sure to sign up to work backstage if you don’t have any talents you’d like to showcase, but also take the chance throughout your four years to audition for junior varieties if there is any part of you that wants to perform. Don’t miss this opportunity!
4. DRESS UP FOR SPIRIT WEEK OR HALLOWEEN. Whether it includes sporting your favorite footie pajamas on pajama day, wearing your wildest attire on wacky tacky day, painting your face blue and gold on spirit day, or all three, spirit week is a week you don’t want to miss out on. Dressing up on these days will earn points for your class, and you don’t want to be the one person dressed normally because they think they’re too cool to participate in class events. On Halloween, you’re sure to find at least a dozen people in your classes who have gone all out. Overall, there is no shame in dressing up and having a little fun; in fact, people will commend you for it!
5.SIGN UP FOR SPIRIT TEAM. Pep Rally is one of the best days in the entire year. Even if you don’t see yourself as the athletic type, sign up for the spirit team. You’ll have your whole class behind you cheering you on and chanting your name. Take the risk, don’t fear missing the basket or falling off of the pyramid, just have fun.
6. GET INVOLVED WITH YOUR CLASS. Make things easier on the class officers and on yourself. The more volunteers at an event, the smoother the event will go, and the more money the class will raise. All of the money the classes raise goes towards decreasing the price of prom tickets and other senior year expenses. As a class officer myself, I loved when we had support from students in our class. Whether it be a car wash or a concession stand at a football game, class events are an amazing way to bond with people outside of your inner circle. Also, make sure to keep an ear out for the morning announcements so you can know when the next meeting is heard. Your voice can’t be heard unless you show up.
7. VOLUNTEER AT SPECIAL OLYMPICS. We are so lucky to go to a school that is truly a diverse one. Special Olympics is a day dedicated to special needs students from MHS and other schools from Malden, as well as our neighboring cities, where they compete as olympic athletes. It’s a humbling and fun experience. I’ve done it for four years and I wish I could for four more. The excitement on the athletes’ faces, the music blasting at MacDonald stadium, and even the setup/take down, makes it such a memorable day.
8. GO TO PROM RED CARPET OR ATTEND YOUR SENIOR PROM. Even if it isn’t your turn to go to prom yet, red carpet is something you want to be at. Go and take pictures with your friends in their beautiful gowns and spiffy tuxedos. If you’re a senior, I would definitely say your senior prom is a must. It’s one of the farewell nights to high school. Go and dance with your friends, take pictures in the photo booth, and strut down the red carpet.
9. GO TO A GRADUATION THAT ISN’T YOUR OWN. Before you graduate high school, witnessing another class graduate- whether it’s a friend or family member is something that is definitely worth seeing. MHS always has great luck with the weather on the day of graduation. Whether you’re helping out with your class or just sitting in the stands, the graduation speeches are worth hearing.
10. JOIN A SPORT OR CLUB. One of the best things at MHS is all the activities that are offered. There is a club for every interest and if you can’t find one, all you need is an advisor and members and you can create your own. It definitely is one of the best ways to meet people that you normally wouldn’t associate with and become closer with the friends you already have.
11. TAKE AN AP CLASS YOU’RE ACTUALLY INTERESTED IN. One of the biggest misconceptions about AP classes is that people think that the more you take the better it looks. Taking a class that you’re interested in pushes you to learn better. MHS offers a huge variety of classes and AP’s are meant to challenge you. Taking a couple and doing well in them goes a much longer way than packing right onto the course of your four years and struggling to be intrigued by them.
12. GO TO AN MHS PLAY, CONCERT, OR OTHER EVENT.Some of the best memories are created in the Jenkins Auditorium. Whether you go to watch the Junior Varieties which is one of the best high school talent shows out there, a Play Production play, or one of the choral arts concerts, you’re bound to have a great time. So many clubs at MHS are very talented and they deserve just as much support for the school as any sport team.
13. READ THE BLUE AND GOLD, FROM FRONT TO BACK. We aren’t saying this to promote ourselves, but reading the Blue and Gold is a way to stay informed about your school and community–the place you spend most of your time. We are the second longest running high school paper in the country, so take some time to show pride in your school and flip through the paper to get to know what’s going on. Most of the questions you have about the school are actually answered in the paper. Check our website, Instagram, and Twitter for more frequent updates. You might even see yourself on one of the pages!
