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News Photo Series

Down By The Bayou

McClatchy’s Down By The Bayou Spring Dance, inspired by the Disney movie “Princess and the Frog,” did not have the turnout we were all expecting, but it did end on quite a dramatic turn of events.

With tickets being sold for $10, the dance seemed quite empty compared to other dances in the past few years. Students came decked out in fancy gowns and tuxedos, excited for what the night would hold. As students began getting their tickets checked at the door, it became apparent that the night wasn’t going as a lot expected.

Inside the gym, the music was quite generic for a typical school dance. They played a lot of personal favorites from the 2000s, and students could be found dancing their hearts out under the strobe lights scattered around the dark gym. Although they went all out and had a food truck and a photo booth, and once a couple friend groups began to form, many students began to make the most of the night and not let the small turnout get them down. But, after an hour, a lot of students began leaving the event.

The dance continued until an unsuspecting event occurred towards the end of the night. After a student passed out on the dance floor, the staff was alerted and then swept the clearly intoxicated student out on a wheelchair. Although unsure as to how the alcohol came about, the student remains safe and unharmed. An ambulance and firetruck came but were then sent away after the students’ parents picked them up.

McClatchy does not condone the behavior that was presented at the dance on Friday. We at the Prospector hope the student is well and getting the support that they need. We hope the next dance goes a little bit better and has a better turnout. 

If you or a loved one have any issue regarding alcohol, you can contact (844) 833-9524 for any help or questions you may have.

Photos from the event photographed by Isabella Gallardo:

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News Photo Series

Winter Rally Recap

The winter rally, kicked off a week of school spirit, with Monday’s theme being white out. 

Before going in, McClatchy staff gave out glow-in-the-dark sticks, and when you finally stepped into the gym, you couldn’t help but be captivated by glow-in-the-dark posters decorating the room.

Starting the rally, ROTC delivered an amazing performance during the Star-Spangled Banner with their incredible color guard. Then, we transitioned to the “Night Before Christmas” skit narrated by Santa, a.k.a. Mr. Feikert. It served as a great segue to the hosts for the night, Student Body President Zach and Vice President Olivia. They introduced the iconic Mean Girls skit, a McClatchy tradition.

The crowd’s applause grew after the entertaining performance, followed by an introduction to the winter sports teams at McClatchy, who showcased their lion pride in their big entrance. This was then followed by an outstanding performance from our McClatchy cheer team, keeping us on our feet with their routine.

A pause from our McClatchy talent allowed for some fun games with teachers and students, including Hungry Hippos, musical chairs, and dodgeball. After, a surprise performance by the K-pop club had us all on our feet ready to dance again. The step and dance teams then took the stage, making more get out of their seats, dance, and sing along, making the crowd louder than ever.

Wrapping up the rally, we held hands with our fellow lions and did the classic “CKM” chant. This was a fantastic way to conclude our last week before the new year, creating a memorable moment that will be a highlight among all the rallies this year.

Below are pictures from the rally photographed by Francisco Escobar:

Categories
Book Reviews Entertainment Opinion

Spoiler Free Review of Holly Black’s The Stolen Heir

Holly Black’s new spinoff duology, The Stolen Heir, is set eight years after the Battle of the Serpent and tells the story of Wren and Oak. 

At the start, we see Wren as a child in the mortal realm living with her adoptive family. She has always felt very out of place among humans due to her bluish skin and bony frame. Wren is visited one night by Lord Jarel and Lady Nore, haunting creatures, who claim she is their daughter and the future queen of The Court of Teeth. 

She is taken to The Court of Teeth, where she is abused and treated horribly, but manages to run away and lives out the next few years collecting scraps from the streets and longing for her adoptive family to take her back.

The book flashes forward to Wren being chased by the Storm Hag Bogdana. She is suddenly saved by Prince Oak, the heir of Elfhame, but also the prince to whom she had previously been arranged to be married to. 

In the series The Folk of the Air, Oak is still just a boy, but in spinoff The Stolen Heir, he is now a knight. He needs Wren’s guidance to reach the Citadel and to gain control over her mother. Wren’s heart is hesitant to open back up to the boy she once knew. And she fears the consequences of returning to the place she fled as a child. As the story continues, we find out more about the twisted and horror-filled world of Elfhame.

As a fan of everything Holly Black does, I easily became very obsessed with The Stolen Heir. I fell in love with Oak, who gave off a perfect mix of Cardan and Madoc. He was super fun to figure out and see how he’s changed as an overall character.  

I really liked being in Wren’s POV. It felt refreshing to be learning things in present tense. Compared to Jude who analyzes everything in her mind before it even happens. Wren felt more realistic to me because I am also not very comprehensive when it comes to big plot twists. 

In summary, he whole book is about going on a journey, which sounds really boring, but it is actually what had my attention the most. There were so many things that could have been done with this world and Holly Black exceeded all my expectations. The writing was beautiful and made you want to fall in love with all folk things. Holly Black could write how much she disliked me and I would love it. 

What I would’ve really liked was to see more background of Wren’s family, but I think Holly Black did tease continuing that plot in the second book. Also would’ve loved for Jude to make an appearance. But I understand that it is not her book and it’s confirmed she will definitely be in the second. 

My favorite part of the whole book was the ending. I was on the edge of my bed screaming when everything finally came to an end. The fact I have to wait a whole year to get book two is insane . Overall I give it 4 stars because Jude wasn’t in it. I also think it’s necessary to read The Folk of Air before starting this duology. Without it, I would have been so confused by the side characters. 

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Puzzles

CKM Theatre Production

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Sports

McClatchy Lions vs. Kennedy Cougars

The C.K.McClatchy High School Varsity Softball team is anticipating their home-conference game against our biggest rivals, the Kennedy Cougars. Earlier this month, the Lions faced the Cougars and went home with a loss. 

Many are hoping for a better outcome for today’s game, and for the Lions to bring home their rightful win. With star player, Brianna Dean, things are looking bright. Dean carries a batting average of 0.677 and an on-base percentage of 0.833. The Lions have had a tough season, but it’s not too late to get back up.

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Book Reviews Entertainment Features Opinion

My Top 5 Contemporary Romance Books

“Wild Child” Poppy and introverted Alex met in a car share home from college years ago, and they’ve become best friends ever since. Now, they live in separate cities. Poppy in New York, and Alex in their hometown. But they have a deal. For the past decade, each summer, they’ve taken one week off together to go on a vacation. That was until one big mess ruined their tradition two years ago and they haven’t talked since.

Since their fallout, Poppy’s been unhappy and wants to convince Alex to take another vacation to try to repair what went wrong in their relationship. 

Alex surprisingly agrees to go, and Poppy has a week to fix it all.

With the move to a new high school in Alabama, Chloe Green finally got out of a school full of gossiping classmates and unfriendly administrators. Now her only focus is beating Shara Wheeler, the principal’s pet and her biggest rival, for prom queen and winning her spot as valedictorian. 

But one month before graduation, Shara kisses Chloe and then Shara disappears.

It’s only natural for Chloe to look for answers. Her search leads her to discover she’s not the only one who kissed Shara Wheeler. Two others also kissed Shara and received cryptic notes before her sudden vanishing. They all work together to find Shara before graduation and figure out what happened to her leading up to her disappearance.

Anastasia “Stassie” Allen has been figure skating for as long as she can remember. On a full-time skating scholarship at Maple Hill, she dreams of making Team USA one day. Though nothing is going to stop her from getting what she wants. Not even Nathan Hawkins, the captain of the Maple Hill Titans hockey team.

When a rink accident brings the two teams together, the two end up in a sticky situation.

Nathan the all-time problem solver steps in to help Anastasia when her skating partner gets hurt. They ended up getting closer than they thought. But that won’t distract her, right?

Florence Day ghostwrites for one of the best romance writers in the industry. There’s just one problem, Florence no longer believes in love after a recent breakup.

Plus, her brand new editor, a pretty handsome one, won’t extend her deadline. Adding to the stress of her soon-to-be-ending career, her father just passed away and she has to return home after almost a decade away.

The welcome home to a town that calls her a freak isn’t the best. Telling them you see dead people kind of makes them think that. So when Florence spots a ghost in the doorway of her family’s funeral home who looks eerily like her new editor, she’s a little confused. 

There’s a ghostly constant in her life and it’s not her dad. Florence has to revert back to her old habits and figure out how to help him finish off his unfinished business so he can leave. It looks like romance truly is dead.  

Romance author, January, and thriller author, Augustus find themselves neighboring each other in a beach house for the summer with a big case of writer’s block. 

Augustus Everett and January Andrews are polar opposites who are both renowned in their fields. The two make a deal for the summer: Augustus’s summer will be spent writing about happiness, and January’s will be spent writing the next greatest fiction of all time.

For inspiration, they head out on fun excursions that challenge their different perspectives of each other’s genres. It’s just about finishing their books and keeping their relationship strictly platonic. That simple, right? 

Hopefully, some of these will become favorites of yours too. Happy reading!

Categories
Sports

McClatchy vs. Monterey Trail

The C.K. McClatchy High School Varsity Boys’ Volleyball team lost their home conference game against Monterey Trail on April 10. The ending game score (3-0) had the Lions feeling defeated after their previous win against Chico High School. C.K. McClatchy still has some fight left in them. Star player, Nathaniel Steele, has become an asset to the Lions. Steele and his contributions to the team have helped the Lions to keep their winning spirits up.

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Entertainment

Everything in the Sims 4: Growing Together and Infants Update

Earlier this month, Maxis and EA, the developers of The Sims 4, streamed a gameplay livestream showcasing the new features and pack details that will be arriving in the Sims 4 in the coming weeks.

The Sims has introduced a brand new life stage called “Infants”. With the free base game update, players can create their own infant, care for its needs, and watch it grow. Additionally, the new Sims 4 Growing Together Expansion Pack will introduce even more in-depth family gameplay, which has been highly anticipated for almost a decade in the Sims community. 

The Sims 4 is an interactive life-simulation game, where players can create and control their very own Sim. With the game, one can create their own families, build their own homes, and explore various gameplay options. 

The upcoming Sims 4 Growing Together Expansion Pack brings with it the new world of San Sequoia, a beautiful coastal region that is heavily influenced by San Francisco and the California area. This bayfront town is divided into three neighborhoods, Anchorpoint Wharf, Gilbert Gardens, and Hopewell Hills. There is a new Urban Park that offers new trails so that visiting Sims can enjoy hiking and cycling all throughout. There are also restaurants along the pier and a new splash park for Sims to enjoy afterward.

An infant’s behavior can now be changed by the new eighteen discoverable Infant Quirks: Good Appetite, Snuggly Sleeper, Frequent Hiccups, Messy Eater, etc.. You’ll also receive 18 Toddler quirks, which include being Aggressive, Having a Good Appetite, Hating Bedtime, Loving Being Carried, and more. 

Since the release of The Sims 4, children have never had new aspirations, but for the first time ever they are being added to the game. These aspirations are Slumber Party Animal, Mind and Body, Playtime Captain, and Creative Genius. New children’s activities like building a treehouse, riding bikes, having slumber parties, making friendship bracelets, and more are new things that will be coming to the pack. 

There is a major redesign of the elders in the game. Now, elders can enjoy a recreational center that includes a puzzle-building area and a welcoming hangout spot. With the new keepsake box, they are now more connected to their family than ever before. Elders are also now able to give advice to their grandchildren and influence many of their family decisions. 

Over the course of a Sim’s lifespan, Sims can now experience milestones that are influenced by their personal growth and change as they age. For example, these milestones may occur when an adult is laid off, experiences a midlife crisis, or moves a great distance from home. When an infant takes his or her first steps or says their first words, it marks a milestone in their life as well.  

As part of the new social compatibility system, Sims can now have preferences when it comes to meaningful conversations with family and friends. As the relationship grows, conversations will become more meaningful. It is possible for a character to have a closer relationship with some people in their family than with others due to different interests.

There is no doubt that Sims 4 is taking a huge step in the right direction with this release. Although it has not even been released yet, many are already calling it a “must-have pack”. So far,  many players like the direction The Sims 4 is heading in and hope that the game will continue to improve like this going forward.

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Features Opinion

Things to do After School

After a long day at school, students are often looking for fun activities to finish off their stressful day. Below is a list of suggestions for activities you can do to help unwind from the pressure of school and enjoy your weekdays. 

1. Visit Local Restaurants & Shops 

Around Sacramento, you can walk or catch the light rail to find many local restaurants and shops. Our school is surrounded by them. It’s common to see students across the street eating at Oscar’s or down the road at Taylor’s. Local businesses also surround our area. One of my favorites is Zanzibar Trading Company. If you’re into collecting crystals, the place is scattered with them. 

2. Join A Club Or Make Your Own

Not all clubs have to take place at school. Several communities have created clubs of all kinds that are worth giving a try. There are so many ways to connect with others who share your interests, from video games to reading. And if there isn’t one, create one. Putting yourself out there will help you build your own community.  

3. Go Hiking

It’s never too late to go for a hike. There are a number of trails in the area that are short but enjoyable. It’s a great source of exercise and very interactive. Grab a book and some water, and enjoy nature. 

Exploring Downtown

Exploring the town is an awesome experience, whether it’s with friends or on your own. There are so many things you can take part in. Special events or cruising the streets are a great pastime. There are so many activities and hang-out spots for people of all ages. 

5. Volunteering

Many of you are probably required to complete community service hours, and this is the perfect time to do so. There are several options to choose from, and it doesn’t have to be done alone. Invite a family member or friend to help.

After school, there are so many other things to do rather than staying in your room. Take advantage of some of these tips to have a better weekday. 

Categories
News

Alex Murdaugh charged with murder of wife, son

South Carolina disbarred lawyer Alex Murdaugh is standing trial, accused of killing his wife and son. As the Murdaugh story developed, several arrests and shocking financial record reveals have led this case to become one of the most closely-watched trials in America.

The bodies of Murdaugh’s wife, Maggie, and son, Paul, were found near some dog kennels at their Islandton home. In his statement to the police, Murdaugh said he left his home around 9 pm to visit his mother, but when he returned, he discovered their bodies. When police arrived on the scene, a distressed Murdaugh told them that his son had been receiving threats related to a boat wreck from years ago. 

Months after the murder of Murdaugh’s wife and son, a check was found by an employee in the office of his law firm. Even though the check was addressed to the law firm itself, it was made out to Alex Murdaugh. After the firm conducted an investigation, Murdaugh resigned. 

After Murdaugh resigned, he claimed he was shot in the head while changing a flat tire by a driver on the side of the road. It was later revealed that Murdaugh wasn’t alone. Curtis Edward Smith, Murdaugh’s friend, was with him. Murdaugh admitted he asked Smith to shoot him in the head. Murdaugh’s lawyers claimed he wanted it to look like a suicide so that his other son, Buster, could collect life insurance. After apologizing to his family, friends, and colleagues, Murdaugh announced he was entering rehab for his painkiller addiction. 

Murdaugh and Smith were both arrested. The charges against Smith include assisted suicide, aggravated assault, and insurance fraud. In September 2021, Murdaugh surrendered himself to the police and was charged with multiple felonies, including insurance fraud and filing a false police report. The prosecutor charged Murdaugh and Smith with conspiracy charges in July 2022 for years of oxycodone money laundering.

The trial for Murdaugh’s murder charges began in January 2023. Murdough’s defense lawyers claimed he could never kill his family because of his lack of time and motive. In response, prosecutors argued Murdaugh killed his family to gain sympathy and avoid finance charges. 

Over the course of this trial, many details about the Murdaugh family history have risen to the surface. Their family legacy has kept them together for decades and strengthened over time, and their privileged status has allowed for a large amount of corruption that has, until now, gone unnoticed.