Prom photos can either be super fun or super stressful, but the hardest part is picking a location. I have gathered a couple of areas and a bit of places, located in Midtown that I believe would make nice prom picture backgrounds.

The first location is Rick’s Dessert Diner, located on 23rd and J st. The diner is old fashion styled but with bright pops of colors like red and pink. The staff recommend coming around 6pm, due to the busyness of the diner on the weekends. The diner would make for a very cool and non traditional type of prom photo shoot! 

The second location may seem a bit boring but for those who just want a simple blank background I recommend just finding a random building or even one with a cool mural. On 22nd and J st, the camera store, “Mike’s Camera”  has a nice black brick wall that would pair well with a minimalist aesthetic. 

The third locations are honestly a little out there, but tying back to a maybe more non-traditional prom photo shoot look, you could simply go to a bookstore in Midtown. Amatoria is a bookstore that has a cozy, but sophisticated appeal to it. Another non-traditional look would be a corner store or what most people know them as “a liquor store”. It would be a cool look to be walking down the aisles full of snacks and goods and you’re just fully done up.

The fourth and final location is simply just the neighborhoods of Midtown. Bright, warm and just an  overall good feel, Midtown offers the most beautiful scenery as the sidewalks are all blooming with beautiful colors and flowers and the leaves are all back on the trees so they’re all beautiful shades of green. So, if you’re looking for a more in the field kind of look without actually being in a field, the neighborhoods of Midtown will give you just that. Another plus to consider is that every street is so different that even if everyone were to go to midtown to take photos, no one would look the same. Well unless they are all taken in the same spot, lol!

These are my top choices when it comes to last minute picture spots. I think anywhere in Midtown will make for a great photo shoot. Midtown was the specific choice of locations because for both the junior and Senior prom these locations are very close by to the venues, where each proms’ will be held. So don’t travel far for your pictures and just settle for the beauty that’s already around you!

Pinterest is an amazing app that is available on iOS and Android devices. It allows people to share and create pictures and videos called “Pins” to inspire others and get inspired by other pins.

On October 8, 2008, Pinterest was founded by Ben Silbermann, Evan Sharp, and Paul Sciarra, but was not launched until March 2010. It was a remake of a previous and similar app called “Tote”, by the same founders. Tote was a virtual replacement for paper catalogs, but it struggled due to malfunctions with making mobile payments.

Following its launch, Pinterest broke a record at the time when it reached 10 million users, due to the hype of the app on the widely used iPhone. As of April 2023, Pinterest has a grand total of 463 million monthly active users around the world.

Pinterest is for everyone as it allows creators of many different aesthetics and ethnicities to share pins about themselves, for others like them. You can find indie, cottage-core, fairy-core, grunge, goth, coquette, and so many more aesthetics on the app. 

The most popular social media platforms are Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok but the common issue amongst these platforms is the way they are misused. Facebook and Instagram were intended to be used for people to connect with friends and family along with making new connections. TikTok is also very similar but instead, it was mainly intended for children, but gained wide popularity during the quarantine in 2020, bringing many together through funny videos and creative dances. The apps instead are heavily used to bully others, spread false information, and sometimes spread violence and gore. There are many opinions and ideals shared amongst everyone about the dangers of using social media, but on Pinterest, those worries are not needed.

The app allows its users to create boards that can help them visually plan for their future or upcoming milestones happening in their life like prom, starting high school or college, dorm room setups, going to concerts, and just whatever. That is the beauty of Pinterest, the fact that you can find whatever it is you want inspiration for. The app does have its violence and sexual content filterings, meaning you cannot search for inappropriate things, although if you dig far enough you will probably be able to.

Pinterest is an app I believe everyone should check out, just to get inspiration and connect with others who share the same interests. On Pinterest you can find and create a community with others to spread your passion for fashion, cars, music, hair, and so much more! 

The app’s average age group of users is 25 to 34 but can be used by ages as young as 9. As stated before the only violence or sexual violence that can be found on the app is if you are looking for it. Pinterest is a fun and interactive app that allows its users to create and share pins to inspire and get inspired. Pinterest is a wonderful app that is very safe to use and is intended to give people a safe platform where they can express their creativity with others. It may sound like an exaggeration, but when you find that specific pin or community of like-minded people, you will understand. Get Pinterest and relieve your stress!

The following interview was with Coach Watkins:

“So Coach Watkins, how do you as a coach feel about how your runners’ performance today?”

“I’m just really proud of everyone for showing up and doing their absolute best. Really proud of the runners that came out on Friday and ran even though it was short notice.”

“Yeah, the schedule change probably really knocked everyone off. But, they came out and they did really well! How many PRs do you think were set overall?”

“There have been 20 PRs”

“Woah that is amazing, 20 PRs!”

“Yep 20, some of them by a lot!”

“That’s right, Maelys PR’d by four seconds in her 800m!”

“Yeah and the 800 m when you are already really fast? That is crazy!”

The following interview was with Maelys Garros:

“Yeah, Maelys, you finally got some spikes. How do you think they affected your race?”

“Oh, they made all the difference. I felt like I was flying with those!”

“Oh yes, you were!”

The remainder of Saturday’s race went well, with Hugh Heyer setting a new PR by a second in his 800m, in a fast heat where many runners finished under two minutes. All runners gave their best at this highly competitive meet. Look forward to the team’s upcoming Metro League meet this Wednesday, March 20th, at Burbank High School. 

Miranda Grimberg gave a powerful speech at both rallies, using an aggressive approach to sell the audience. Galu Rhodes walked out strong and confident, delivering her speech with a sense of fun and making it feel interactive. Many of the candidates in their speeches spoke about more student involvement when making decisions that will go to the students, along with many speaking about the cleanliness of the school and the need for more janitors. One candidate running for ASB President, Elena Baldwin, took a different approach than the rest of her candidates by not just focusing on the need for janitors but speaking about her plans for more achievable goals. She did an excellent job, but so did every candidate that ran.

When all votes were in the roles were announced. The new senior positions are Galu Rhodes as secretary, Keana Maxwell as treasurer, Miranda Grimberg as ASB Vice President, and Bennet Witherell as ASB President. Congratulations to all the candidates for going up and presenting themselves, you all did amazing, so be proud! 

Photos from the event photographed by Francisco Escobar:

The team consisted of 113 people, differing from field events, sprinting, and distance. Coach Watkins, also a chemistry teacher, coaches the distance kids and the throwers. Coach Dale coaches the pole vaulters. Coach Johnson, also a math teacher, coaches the hurdlers and high/long jump. Coach Mo’ coaches the sprinters, and was a college student-athlete, who ran track at Sac City College.

Before the meet started, I had the opportunity to talk with Coach Mo’:

“So if I heard correctly this is your first official year being a full-time coach?” 

“Yeah, it’s my first time coaching through the school district.”

“That’s so exciting! Going into this first meet, technically more of a warmup meet, what do you look forward to your runners doing today?”

“I look forward to seeing all the preparation that we’ve worked on in the past few months. We just ran the timed four hundred last week, which was super successful! Today most of the sprinters will now be running the 100 and 200 meter, which we have been preparing for. It’s a great way to start our season!”

“Yes, it is! What do you look forward to achieving as a coach this season?”

“I look forward to achieving more PRs, more banners of course, and just aspiring all of you to keep being active and staying out here.”

Coach Mo’ has such a positive outlook, and so do the rest of the coaches. Many of the runners had amazing races, setting new personal records (PR). Hugh Heyer ran PR’d in the 800m race, coming in first place with a grand time of two minutes and six seconds, basically running a minute and three seconds on each lap. 

Many of the girl varsity runners PR’d in the 1600m. Madeline Zimmerman, only a sophomore, ran a 13-second 100m, and she had never run track before. We can expect to see a lot out of all the newcomers on the team, along with the returning veterans, like the super-fast sprinter Jada Lawson and crazy fast distance runners Owen Anderson, Sam Rounds, and more.

As the season progresses, we as the audience, parents, or supporters, should anticipate the greatness the track and field team will accomplish. Whether that be getting a new banner to hang up or just having a good time, the Lions will set out to do their absolute best and on those days where they might not, it will be okay because they will have so much support from their teammates and the community around them. You go Lions!

Pictures from the event photographed by Francisco Escobar:

Mx. Herold, the regular and AP Biology teacher here at McClatchy, was asked, “So Mx. Herold, how are you as a teacher prepping for finals week?”

“How I’m prepping for finals week is I’m making sure that all of my students have a solid idea of what’s on the final. We’re doing review assignments in all my classes, but there are different types of review assignments for my AP bio and bio classic. The final test for my AP bio is basically already written, but this is actually my first year that I have given a final to my regular bio students since the pandemic. So that has to be completely rewritten from the ground up! So that’s what I am going to be doing for the rest of the week.”

Wow, they have a lot on their hands!

Anonymous student 1, Junior:

“How are you feeling for finals week?”

“I’m really stressed out, but I’m trying to go over everything on what I don’t understand the most.”

Anonymous student 2, Junior:

“How do you plan to organize your study schedule leading up to finals week?”

“Well regarding that I don’t really study ever, but this will probably be one of the times where I would study. Most of my teachers I have finals in are letting us use notes, so I would just go over the notes that I’ve taken and write the gist of what I remember.”

Anonymous student 3, Junior:

“Are there specific subjects or topics you find challenging and might need extra review on?”

“Probably French and forensics.”

Anonymous student 4, Freshmen:

“Have you discussed your study plan with teachers or classmates to gather different perspectives?”

“I have discussed it with other classmates and my friends to get different opinions to find out what works for them so I can do it”

Anonymous student 5, sophomore:

“When taking study breaks what do you do during them?”

“Eat, just whatever the vibe is.”

Mrs. Abdo, U.S. and AP U.S. History teacher at McClatchy:

“Mrs. Abdo, how do you manage stress during high-pressure weeks like finals week?”

“Time management, making a list of things I need to do, organizing myself and making sure that I am organized before the stressful week comes up.”

Anonymous student 6, Senior:

“Have you reviewed any past exams or assignments to identify areas you can improve?”

“No.”

“Why?”

“Because once I’m done with it, it’s gone I don’t revisit things”

“Alright..”

Anonymous student 7, Freshmen:

“Are you planning to get enough rest and maintain a healthy routine leading up and during finals week?”

“I will try.”

The students and teachers of McClatchy have a stressful week ahead, but we all shall wish luck upon them as they prepare to take their finals. Good luck lions!

I had a chance to speak with a player from McClatchy’s team before the game to get some insight. Wearing jersey number 4, Daniel Ecks-Estes, a junior at the Clatch, has been playing basketball since about sixth grade and enjoyed playing because it was fun.

“So Daniel, I know your game starts in a few. Most would say that they’re nervous, but how are you feeling going into this game?”

“I’m a little nervous, but I would say that I am a lot more excited than nervous.”

“Yeah, that’s understandable. Do you have any sort of strategy of your own besides the gameplay your coach made?”

“Just to play aggressive and not let the crowd influence me in any negative way.”

“Sounds like a plan. Thank you for your time and good luck!”

The varsity boys started off the game with a call-out for the five starter players for the first round of the game. The cheers from the audience went wild as each starter player was called. Then, like that, McClatchy got the ball first on the tip-off, but it was not long before Kennedy made the first score, which the Lions quickly followed up with one of their own. Each team moved swiftly across the court. Kennedy threw up an impressive sidecourt shot, gaining another point, but the Lions’ team captain, Kendall Andrews, easily put up another layup, putting the score at Lions 6 and Kennedy 5.

The scores went back and forth for a while, with each team going neck and neck with scoring points. The Lions were down by one in the second round of the game, but with an impressive shot made by player 1, Eugene Castillo, the Lions went up by 4 points. New score: Kennedy 20, Lions 16. The Lions were playing quite aggressively, having 3 fouls on the scoreboard. As the game continued, Kennedy made it hard for the Lions as they scored 3 points. Eventually scoring 5 more, the new score being Kennedy 28, Lions 23.

With less than 20 seconds left on the clock in the 2nd round, Kennedy had the upper hand on the Lions with 33 points. The teams broke for halftime, while the fierce McClatchy step and dance team gave a spectacular halftime performance, giving the Lions time to strategize and hopefully come back on top in the third round.

Round three commenced as the Lions were still down by nine, with a scoreboard check of Lions 25 and Kennedy 34. They gained some points with an impressive shot by player 4, Daniel Ecks-Esteces, who we spoke with earlier. Until Kennedy swiftly followed behind with a score. The crowd grew frantic as the Lions were still down, but the boys had heart and weren’t giving up that easy, rushing to gain points.

The score was now Lions 34 and Kennedy 43. The Lions needed to play their all to score nine more points. The crowd went wild as the Lions caught up to Kennedy with a score of Lions 42 and Kennedy 46. Player 0 scored a point, but Kennedy followed up with a layup, and so did the Lions! Scoreboard check 45-48. Kennedy scored two more points, but with two perfectly executed penalty shots, the Lions followed behind only needing 4 more points to surpass Kennedy.

With a minute and twelve seconds left on the clock, the Lions were struggling to gain the points they needed as Kennedy threw up another two points. Fifteen seconds left and the Lions were down by six. Now with five seconds on the clock, Kennedy scored four more points, making it clear that tonight was not the night for the Lions. The boys gave it their all, played aggressively, and didn’t give up. They might not have won, but they walked off the court with their heads held high!

Photos from the game by Francisco Escobar:

Jonas Johnson is a junior at McClatchy and has been running cross country since seventh grade. He is the fastest boy on the team and ran a good race at sub-sections with a time of 16:40 minutes for the 5k. Although he hasn’t been feeling too well in the weeks leading up to sections he gave it his all.

“So Mr. Johnson we’ve heard that you haven’t been feeling so well leading up to subs, can you elaborate on what you’ve been experiencing?

“So about two weeks out from this race I started feeling a pain in my femur and it ended up being a reoccurring pain due to stress. So I’ve been going to the gym and using the elliptical instead of running, but I’ve been able to do workouts with the team.”

“I’m sorry you’ve been feeling that way, but hey on the bright side you trained to do your best and you did. You ran an excellent race and got another shiny medal to add to your collection. What’s your game plan going into sections?”

“My game plan for sections is to get out to that front pack at the start and stick with them for as long as I can.”

“That sounds like a very challenging plan Jonas. Are you sure you can handle that? I think you could go about this more strategically.”

“Well for these last two weeks I haven’t run so I was worried I would lose some of my drive and maybe I could go about this more strategically but the top pack has a big gap between the other runners, so if I don’t want to fall behind I have no other choice.”

“Ok ok well you are the fastest guy on the team and I’m sure you can get through this!”

The varsity girls team unfortunately didn’t all qualify but Jillian Palmer and Isabel Neff did and will be representing for the varsity girls at sections.

Isabel Neff is a sophomore and has been running cross country for only two years now, but is so incredibly fast!

“You ran fabulous Bel! I know this wasn’t your best race but you still got an amazing time of 22:38 minutes for the 5k. In your eyes, how did your race go?

“Looking back on my race I’m so proud of how I did! Right before my race, while warming up and stretching, I was not feeling it. My legs felt sore and my throat had been dry since that morning, these things tend to happen to me whenever I’m about to race. But once the gun went off, all of the pain went away and was replaced with lots of adrenaline. I can’t remember much of the race, except the steep hills and all the dust in my eyes. I do remember the relief that I always felt when crossing the finish line. I thought the race was hard, but in the end, the effort I put in paid off and that’s what makes me so happy and proud of myself. These races are just as much mental as they are physical.”

“Your efforts sure did pay off, since you’re going to sections! It’s really unfortunate that all of the varsity girls didn’t qualify though. How does it feel to be going to sections?

“I’m really sad that the whole team didn’t make it to sections, but there’s always next year. We had a great season as a team and I’m so proud of all of us! For me, this entire season has felt like a comeback. I had the worst season last year, fracturing my foot early into summer conditioning, which put me out for the majority of the cross-country season. The rest of my freshman year was followed by another fracture and a hematoma on my hand. I spent the spring of 2023 working with a personal trainer trying to strengthen my body and prepare for a healthy sports year. This season I’ve been able to regain my strength and confidence in running and stay healthy. I’m beyond proud of myself for making it to sections and I seriously couldn’t have hoped for anything more. I’m so happy that Jillian and I get to represent CKM for the cross-country girls!”

“Wow, you’ve been through so much and I’m so happy that you still have a positive outlook on everything. Keep striving for greatness Bel!”

This was the last race for many runners on the team, but they all went out with a bang and ended their season wonderfully. As for those on the team that qualified, make sure to look forward to what they will accomplish at sections this Saturday, which will be held at Willow Hills in Folsom. That course has some crazy hills but the runners have run it many times before so I know they can do this. Go lions!