Three cheers for the new track, coming on October 31, 2017! A new track is long overdue, as issues prevented its use for years. Some include horrible drainage and uneven surface, which were often time consuming. The old track was a dirt one and vulnerable to rain. Footprints could always be seen after rain. “The drainage was horrible, so it [would] always flood up. And we couldn’t even practice on it,” stated Track and Field Coach Rohit. And the surface becomes uneven and dangerous for users. It’s also time consuming.
Cross Country Coach Watkins weighed in on the struggles of the old track, “For practicing things like the hurdles, we got to measure every time…trying to do exchanges, you got to measure out the exchange zones.”
Thankfully the new track will solve these problems. First off, it’s an all-weather track. Teams can practice in rain or shine, instead of in the hallways and on the blacktops, according to Coach Rohit. The new track will have better drainage, so they can practice in the rain. The new track adds consistency for the track team. “Every track we run on is all-weather but we practice on dirt and gravel and stone,” he said.
Construction for the new track began on June 19 and is set to finish by Halloween with the budget being 4.5 to 5 million dollars. However the money will not cover the equipment the cross country and track teams need. Although the constant construction could get noisy at times, even the residents around the construction site are all for it. From their point of view, the old track was fine but it was generally agreed that renovation will be nice for all who use it.
One neighbor says construction has not been an inconvenience at all. “We have young kids and we’re active so, we’d like to visit,” she enthusiastically said. She hopes it will be beneficial in the near future.
It is clear the old track was problematic. Eight years later, the construction of a new one receives praise from many. But it seems that although the construction of the track has at times been bothersome, the result is universally seen as good, even necessary. Certainly this new track will be enjoyed by all, for years to come. “It’ll benefit everyone in the McClatchy community, the community around.” adds Coach Rohit.
Water is the key to being a winner. Lately in Sacramento the weather has had a dramatic increase in temperature, causing it to be in the high 90’s low 100’s. Most people go home or hang out in a nice shady spot. Imagine, instead of going out and drinking an ice cold soda or a refreshing glass of water, you’re wearing shoulder pads, football pants, and more pads that cover your thighs, knees, and tailbone. Football players wear pads and practice in immense heat with easy access to water but is that truly enough? And is it enough not only to survive, but also to win?
According to a study made by the Gatorade Sports Science Institute the average American Football player can sweat around 1.6-2.3 liters an hour. McClatchy’s Head Coach Malcolm Floyd (a former NFL football player) hydration is an important aspect to succeeding in not just football but in any other sport you may be losing a lot of fluid in. Coach Floyd said, “Hydrating is important not just during practice but also after practice.”
Everyday during practice he makes sure water in easily accessible during practice so that his players can stay in a constant state of cognition and possess a stronger will to keep on pushing. Some symptoms of dehydration include; a dry mouth, headache, cramping of the muscles, dry skin, dizziness, being tired or sleepy, and a lack of cognition.
The consequences of not staying hydrated presented themselves at a recent game against Rio Americano. During the JV game that started at 5, about 7 of Rio Americano’s players fell down on the field with painful cramps. These painful cramps result from dehydration. It’s important to remember to hydrate, especially when you are exercising.
CKM is brimming with diversity and uniqueness. From various cultural backgrounds to music tastes, there seems to be no end to how different students at McClatchy are. This even extends to Astrological signs as well, from Capricorn to Sagittarius, everyone can claim a spot on the Wheel of Astrology. But, which sign is the most common? Least? And, come to think of it, how did Astrology even begin?
Astrology isn’t just daily Horoscopes and seeing if your crushes sign matches with yours, it has a history deeply rooted in both Western and Eastern culture. Astrology, at it’s core, is finding one’s meaning through the stars, moon, sun, and any other Astronomical object. Historians date the practice of Astrology as far back as 3000 B.C, with the most prominent ancient civilization to use the practice being the Babylonians. The Greeks later adopted Astrology as a way of reading about one’s self and future, a.k.a, Horoscopes. The signs correspond with various Babylonian/Greek myths and constellations, such as Gemini rooting from the myth of Castor and Pollux.
Beginning in the 17th century, the New Age of science started to discard astrology as a form of pseudo-science and religion. It’s popularity wouldn’t come back until the 20th century, when newspapers started to adopt Horoscopes as a column. In 1930, N.H Taylor, a British Astrologer popularized them following a series of oddly accurate readings, some of which include the reading of Princess Margaret, and the prediction of the crashing of the R101 British Aircraft. Many readers craved what the next telling would be, and more importantly, if he could predict their futures. Because of this sudden interest, the first main Horoscope column was born, called, What the Stars Foretell. It didn’t take long for Taylor to use the Ancient Zodiac to apply to modern age readers, to the wheel and apply dates to specific signs, depending on the constellations during that time of year. This sense of individuality further interested readers and has continued to remain popular amongst American media today.
Despite its popularity, the debate on the credibility of Astrology still runs hot, so we decided to gauge everyone’s signs, and their opinion as to whether they believed in it. Out of a sample of 61 randomly chosen students, these were our findings:
What is your sign?
Capricorn: 6 9.8%
Aquarius: 5 8.2%
Pisces: 3 4.9%
Aries: 3 4.9%
Taurus: 5 8.2%
Gemini: 6 9.8%
Cancer: 5 8.2%
Leo: 2 3.3%
Virgo: 6 9.8%
Libra: 6 9.8%
Scorpio: 10 16.4%
Sagittarius: 4 6.5%
Total: 61
Do you Believe in Astrology?
Yes: 27 44%
Sort Of: 21 34%
No: 13 22%
By far the most common sign was Scorpio, with the least being Leo. Most people we interviewed said they believed in Astrology.
Astrology, whether you believe in it or not, continues to be a prominent staple in American culture and is heavily reflected in CKMs culture today.
Many celebrities and businesses donate to aid hurricane relief, both in Sacramento and all across the nation. After Hurricane Harvey struck Texas, professional football player and the star of the Houston Texans, J.J. Watt, started a funding page to help with relief efforts for the hurricane. At first his goal was to reach five million dollars, but his fund currently stands above thirty million dollars, and that number continues to grow. His fund triggered a chain reaction of donations from celebrities.
Along with many donations from celebrities, many companies are also greatly helping the relief efforts. Walmart is matching every dollar raised by the Red Cross. Tech giant Apple announced that they will donate 5 million dollars,and Texas billionaire Michael Dell has pledged 36 million dollars.
Sacramento is also getting involved in the recovery efforts towards the hurricanes through the CBS13 Hurricane Harvey Relief Fundraiser. The Sacramento restaurant and sushi bar “Mikuni” is also offering customers a way to help the victims of Hurricane Harvey. They’ll be donating 100 percent of sales of their special “Rescue Roll” towards relief efforts.
The NBA and Sacramento Kings have teamed up with the American Red Cross to help raise money for Hurricane Relief in Houston. Kings players De’Aaron Fox and Justin Jackson are both from Texas, and lived in or around Houston. According to CBS 13 Sacramento, the players are very happy about the partnership and want to do as much as they can to help as many people as possible.
The Sacramento Fire Department has also contributed to the local relief effort. The Department announced this aid effort on Aug. 27, and the Sacramento Fire Department has since sent a team of 14 water rescue officers from their Search and Rescue Team to Hurricane Harvey. The crew will drive 2,000 miles to Texas to help with the rescue for flooded houses for victims of the storm.
Recently, the hurricane relief company Hand in Hand has raised a substantial amount of money. It raised more than $44 million for Hurricanes Harvey and Irma Tuesday night, according to ABC news. A total of $14 million was raised during the live show on Monday, with $30 million donated after the show ended as many celebrities added donations to the Hand and Hand fund, lots of people across America showed their support for both Hurricane recovery.
It seems that even when terrible natural disasters strike America, everybody can still come together and help somebody that they don’t know. If every person that was affected by these events can recover and try to go back to their lives before that would be great but that probably won’t happen. Everyone who experienced these events needs to come together and stay strong and this Nation can move on as a whole.
This playlist features a variety of different artists, from Marc Anthony to Selena Quintanilla. Their music is a form of Salsa and Cumbia, which can vary from upbeat to slow songs!
1.) Flor Palida by Marc Anthony
This happy and upbeat song includes Anthony is singing about a woman who he wants to be with to show her the world.
2.) Ahora Quien by Marc Anthony
In this slow song Anthony explains his love for a woman and asks how she would like to be treated.
3.) Amor Prohibido by Selena Quintanilla
Selena explains her love for life in this upbeat and very beautiful song.
4.) Como la Flor by Selena Quintanilla
Selena explains the difficult situation of having a lover but she see’s that it’s the best thing for her to leave him now before too long.
5.) Que Precio Tiene el Cielo by Marc Anthony
This song is upbeat and he songs to a woman that he loves. He says not to give up on their love, like it’s the price of the sky.
6.) Vivir mi Vida by Marc Anthony
Also very upbeat; Anthony says to live your life happily, to just to not care and love your life without any doubts.
7.) Bailando by Enrique Inglesias
This also a very happy song, just to dance and let loose.
8.) Despacito by Luis Fonsi (Ft. Daddy Yankee)
Fonsi wants to see the world with a lady, very slowly they will dance and go places together. This song is very pretty and popular.
9.) Suavemente by Elvis Crespo
This upbeat song explains his love for a women. He sings softly that he wants all of her love.
10.) Maria by Ricky Martin
He is singing about a woman who is very special to him and how he wants to love her before he dies.
McClatchy’s Lady Lion Varsity Girl’s Water Polo team is off to a great start to their 2017-2018 season. The girls currently sit on a 3W-4L, and at the moment are on a winning streak.
Last Tuesday, September 12, the ladies traveled to Florin for their first game of the season, bringing home the W. This past Thursday, the ladies also dominated over Rosemont at home, finishing the game with an impressive thirty-to-one score. The ladies held a strong offensive attack–utilizing players like Isabella Pfeffer (‘18), Catherine Spurgeon (‘19), Gabi Stewart (‘18), and Kealani Burke (‘18), for their power and speed. Pfeffer, scoring four of McClatchy’s points, had a strong presence in the game. She, along with captain Rachel Redmen, connected well during play. Assists from Redmen and Pfeffer helped McClatchy steal the lead within the first quarter. The ladies’ quick ball movement and structured defense lead them to victory.
Over the weekend, September, 16-17, the Lady Lion’s participated in the 18th Annual Sierra Shootout, a high school girls tournament in Rocklin. The tournament, held at Sierra College, showcases teams from all around Northern California. Unfortunately, some of the games the ladies played didn’t turn out in their favor. Though most of the games lost, were lost only by a handful of points. Roisin McMullen (‘18), in goal, was a much needed asset, during McClatchy’s game against Christian Brothers alone, McMullen saved 8 goals.
The team’s closest loss was to Concord. The game was forced into overtime, due to a 6-6 tie, but neither team scored in the 1st quarter of overtime. A slight mistake in the second quarter of overtime however, ended the game; leading in Concord’s favor. McClatchy came back hungry after the game however, to beat Nevada Union handedly, 11-3. The team utilized their strong attack, but were also quick to defend. Constant, rhythmic passing is another one of McClatchy’s strong suits. The girls’ passing often tires’ defenses and gives them more time to advance the ball as well as maintain possession.
The Lady Lions appreciate the support of a fans at every game. With the strength of McClatchy’s valiant leaders alongside a cheering crowd, the Lady Lions will hopefully have many more wins this season!
DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) is a federal program which grants benefits to immigrants who came to the U.S. as children. President Barack Obama started DACA in 2012. The benefits provided by DACA include, among others, protection from deportation. President Donald Trump has decided to end the program, and Congress has 6 months to decide what to do with the program and those it protects.
The Prospector interviewed several people around McClatchy, both students and staff, about their thoughts on DACA. In hopes of learning more about DACA’s effects on students, I interviewed Realino Ortiz and Andrea Hernandez, both Seniors. Andrea is the DACA expert at CKM’s Brown Issues club, and Realino is the club’s president.
When asked about his opinion on DACA, Realino said “Everybody should have a opportunity of education, so that’s just dropping everything that somebody’s future had, going forward.”.
Andrea was similarly disappointed by the president’s decision: “Everything that people worked for is going to be taken away, just like that, it’s just not fair at all.”
It is certain the elimination of DACA would be devastating for many at McClatchy, even outside of Brown Issues. When asked, Keara McCarthy, a McClatchy junior, stated the possible deportation of a classmate would be, “Really different… like you just start your life then it’s taken away from you.”
So students don’t seem to support the president’s decision to end DACA. How about teachers? The Prospector interviewed English teacher Mrs. Heitz to learn what she thought about the issue. “It’s just cruel to the students who have been given a chance to be here in America, and now we are telling them for whatever reason, that they aren’t good enough.”
The future of DACA, and those affected by it, seems uncertain. Realno and Andrea had a few words of wisdom for their fellow students, however. Andrea said McClatchy students should “Keep pushing through, don’t give up. We’re going to fix this.”
“Just keep your head in the game. Don’t pay attention to all of the things that the president is saying and just focus on education,” added Realino.
If DACA is ended, there will almost certainly be a great disappointment among the students and staff of McClatchy.
Editor’s Note: Political Cartoon created by Diego Alvarez-Machado
There’s nothing more exciting than popping open your Twitter feed and seeing a big fat fight at the top. I’m talking a full on 140-character Super-Smash-Bros-style angry-thumbs brawl: so many Tweets you can’t even see them unless you click “ 27 more replies,” so many arguers that much of each message’s character allotment is consumed by the handles of other participants. A good old-fashioned slugfest you can only follow by scrolling all the way to the top.
Things get especially interesting when it’s your friends out there on the front lines. Of course, if your friend is in a Twitter fight you probably know about it before you open the app. You’ve probably been giving emotional support and suggesting comebacks all day.
If you’re in your buddy’s corner like that, don’t let him or her look like a fool — make ‘em sound smart. The Prospector, ever in favor of intelligent dialogue between McClatchy students (no matter where it happens), would like to help. Here are two valuable bits of wisdom to offer your friend next time it’s about to go down.
First: do some homework. Twitter debates are often political in nature, and though you can’t really tell by listening to many of today’s politicians, effective political arguments usually include actual reasoning and evidence. This is persuasive writing 101.
Even if you’re not into the whole ethos-pathos-logos thing, the quickest of research can give you a leg up on your typical online ideological adversary — it literally takes 4 seconds to type “why is Trump bad” into Google (literally 4 seconds, I tried it). The formula is painfully easy to use. To shore up your knowledge of any position you’re arguing, just type “why [insert your contention here]” and Google will do your work for you. Think vaccines cause polio? Punch in “Why vaccines cause polio” and you’re set.
Having legit facts is especially important when arguing an unpopular position. Roasting your opponent is sure to be popular with the crowd — roast Tweets always get the most favorites — but that only works if everyone agrees with you already. You have to bring your A-game if you’ve wedded yourself to a controversial idea. So definitely take the time to enter “why braids aren’t cultural appropriation” into Google.
Now, a tip for the advanced Twitter beefer: take your time. Seriously. Take some time to craft an eloquent response, a funny-yet-sophisticated response, or one of those responses that’s just a link to an article you read somewhere (“Just read it,” you type triumphantly). After all, isn’t the point of the Twitter fight to win favor with the crowd? It’s a 140 character rap battle.
But that’s all it is. Our final piece of advice? If you argue because you actually care about your ideas, don’t do it on the TL.