Malden High School - Maldonian Yearbook (Malden, MA)

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Putting in Working Order The ongoing crisis of Prop 2 1 2 devastated curricular activities more than any other aspect of life in the school community. The year was an exercise in putting the ruins of what had been a full program of student activities into some kind of working order. The process often showed a lot of imagination and enthusiasm. The junior class Craft Fair in late November was perhaps the most imaginative solution to recent funding problems. The production of a Senior Play had not been very regular in recent history. The problem and solution were in many ways typical. Over the years a model had been developed of “how to run a Senior Play.” Then the supporting structure of morale, liberal funding, and teachers with free time, fell apart. The answer was to put an experienced drama person, John O’Brien, in charge and do it. The process avoided all the stock high school diversions: meetings, co-chairman, committees, votes, petitions to overturn the votes, and still more meetings. We have learned that the standard fare of two dances a year, a Junior Varieties and a Prom is not an adequate answer to the needs of a new Post 2 1 2 generation. In the process we have become a lot more creative. We have learned to adjust. Students enjoy the junior class’ Halloween dance, one of the major social events of the year. Dances, however, didn’t make a good social calendar. 8 Student Life

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The Art of Cooperation The Arts and Crafts Fair held by the Junior Class was their biggest fund raiser, excluding Junior Varieties, and craft dealers from all over Massachusetts rented tables to display their hand made merchandise. The most successful aspect of the fair was not the profits made but the cooperation and the spirit shown by the school’s teachers and the community, not to mention the Junior Class. The Juniors started planning and working along with their advisor, Avis Leabman, months before the fair took place. On the day of the fair many students came to help the dealers set up while many juniors stayed all day long and worked hard to make the fair a huge success. The Junior class had their own tables covered with many crafts made by the Juniors themselves. Many Juniors also worked in the cafeteria preparing pizza and fried dough and selling balloons. A few students even dressed as Nedlam and went out in the square to attract people. The Juniors showed more class spirit and cooperation that day than any other time during the year. The community played an important role in the success of the fair. Many people from Malden as well as from other cities visited the fair and everyone had an enjoyable day as was shown by the huge crowds in the cafeterias. Many of these people even did some of their holiday shopping while others just came to look around. In this way the community showed their cooperation in helping the Junior class. This was the first time ever for an arts and crafts fair at the school and because of its success, other classes are urged to use the idea in the future. 0 Crafts Fair