Nedlam, the Malden High School Mascot, has been bringing spirit to the Golden Tornadoes for the past 58 years. The name ‘Nedlam’ comes from spelling ‘Malden’ backwards.
The idea of having a school mascot came from the “Maldonian” yearbook in 1959. In 1567, the City of Maldon, England was granted the right to bear three royal gold lions on its coat of arms by Queen Elizabeth I of England. In 1649, Joseph Hills, an early settler and landholder who emigrated from Maldon, England named Malden after his home city when it became incorporated into a town. The MHS class of 1959 decided that choosing a lion would be ideal as it was an integral part of Malden’s City Seal.
Since the person who wears Nedlam’s costume changes every time, many people have gotten the experience of being the school mascot, including MHS students. One student who had the experience of being Nedlam during the Malden Holiday Parade, an annual parade that is held before the holidays, was Sophomore Ved Gray. Gray mentioned that he “had a wonderful experience” being the school mascot as he had a lot of fun. He really liked the idea of having a school mascot as it gives the school “something to identify with when competing with other schools” and that it “brings our school pride”. He also liked how the name ‘Nedlam’ “pertains to Malden” as some schools’ mascot does not.
Students at Malden High have different opinions on Nedlam as some like the idea of having a school mascot while others do not. Some students like Sophomore Jacob Graybeal believed having a school mascot “motivates students to do better”, which can be seen during events such as the school Pep Rally and Malden city parades. Graybeal also mentioned that “Nedlam gives the school more spirit”.
Students that did not know a lot about Nedlam or did not have an opinion on them also weren’t taking a side. This is because they do not get to see Nedlam a lot as one of the only school wide events is the Pep Rally, which occurs only once a school year. However, Nedlam can be seen at events such as sports games.
Even though some students don’t know a lot about Nedlam, it is used to represent Malden High School, whether it is through sports matches, the Maldonian Yearbook, or the Blue and Gold Newspaper. Nedlam motivates students to do better and brings pride and spirit to Malden High.
About the Author
Thank you Ajithaan. You are a kind spirit for interviewing me.