Month: March 2018

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Aldina’s Top 10 Musicals

  1. Fiddler on the Roof By Joseph Stein (1971 movie)

Favorite song: “Miracle of Miracles”

Tevya is a simple farmer trying to get his daughters married while supporting his family. He has to deal with his daughters fighting expectations and defying the odds of stereotypes for women back then. This musical is amazing because the music is fun and a pick me up, never failing to make me smile or cry (in a good way).

  1. Hairspray. By Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan (Movie in 2007)

Favorite song: “Good Morning Baltimore”

Tracy Turnblad tries to make it big in Baltimore, Maryland. Being a plus size girl, she has to overcome all the hurdles people throw at her while trying to get the man of her dreams, Link Larkin, and fight segregation in the 60’s. I love this musical because I love of the music and how relatable it is for teens nowadays facing body issues.

  1. Phantom of the Opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber (25th anniversary Royal Albert Hall)

Favorite song: “Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again”

Christine Daae is an opera singer on the rise being trained by the phantom. Over the course of the musical, the phantom brings terror to the opera while falling in love with Christine, who loves Raoul. It ends with the Phantom disappearing after killing numerous people throughout the show, he also kidnaps Christine but eventually releases her then slips away. I think Andrew Lloyd Webber is an absolute genius and this show has a beautiful score and the music itself tells a story without needing the singers.

  1. Les Mis. (10th anniversary at the Royal Albert Hall)

Favorite Song: “Turning”

Jean Valjean was a prisoner for over 19 years, when Javert releases him on parole.Then he stole silver breaking his parole and then used that to start a new life. He became mayor and a factory owner. He meets Javert but he doesnt recognize him and later becomes adoptive father to Cosette. Cosette later meets Marius who was a part of the French Revolution, which results in a lot of people dying. This is just a classic musical that’s an emotional journey no matter what part or song you listen to, it has so many signature songs that everyone loves and its overall one of the best.

  1. Something Rotten (Original BroadWay cast)

Favorite Song: “God, I hate Shakespeare”

Something Rotten is a very unique musical, it’s set in the 1590’s and follows the lives of brothers Nick and Nigel Bottom, writers who are trying to make it big. One loves Shakespeare and the other hates him. Nick goes to a soothsayer (fortune teller) and asks him for Shakespeare’s greatest hit. THe soothsayer gives him false information and Shakespeare secretly becomes Nick’s assistant to try and steal his already done play, while Nigel keeps telling him that he shouldn’t write what would be good, but write what he wants to write. I’m not one for the modern musical but this one makes my list because the story is very original

  1. 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Original Broadway Cast)

Favorite Song: “The I Love You Song”

Sleepers compete and sing songs about their hardships and the pressure of being a 12 year old. I love this musical because it’s not like other musicals whatsoever and has a plot that no other musical has. By that I mean it just shows the backstories of spellers and their sort of intact family lives. The cast uses members of the audience during the show, so the performance is very interactive.

  1. Into the Woods (Original Broadway Cast)

Favorite Song: “Ever After”

A baker, a baker’s wife, a witch, a boy named jack, Red Riding Hood, a wolf, rapunzel, two princes, Cinderella and some more fairy tales, clash together in a musical. Despite the long length of the musical, each song is captivating and crucial to the story.

  1. West side story (Original Broadway cast)

Favorite Song: “Maria”

A story of star-crossed lovers, Tony and Maria, entertain this spin off of Romeo and Juliet. Tony is from the Jets, they were born on the street they are competing over and don’t want the sharks to be there. Maria is from the Sharks, the Puerto Ricans who came to America to have a better life for themselves and their family. They first see each other at the dance of the gym. And kiss, which causes even more fights between the two gangs. The story of two gangs is what caught my attention to this musical. The story of Tony and Maria is, personally, one of the best musicals ever made. The sappy love story

  1. Love Never Dies by Andrew Lloyd Webber (Original London Cast)

Favorite Song: “Dear Old Friend”

Christine Daae returns 10 years later, in the only good sequel ever made, married to Raoul and has a son who is 10 years old. They come to America for Show Cristine is in to repay Raoul’s gambling debts but falls in the Phantoms trap. Instead of singing for Hammerstein she sing for the phantom, now Mr. Y, who is the father of her child which is later revealed after he sees how much Gustave is like him. Meg Giry also makes a return as the phantoms secret admirer and the person who gave him the opportunity to make Coney Island. It ends with Meg sadly shooting Cristine leaving Gustave to Raoul, the pretend father, and Mr. Y the real baby daddy. This musical is so good on all levels, as all musicals it tells a story of love and hate and revenge.

  1. Hello Dolly. 1969 movie (Directed by Gene Kelly)

Favorite Song: “So Long Dearie”

Hello Dolly is a classic musical which tells the tale of Dolly Levi a matchmaker who goes and tries to get Horace Vandergelder, a well known, successful man. Horace tells his workers, Barnaby Tucker and Cornelius Hackl, to stay and take care of the shop, but instead they go to New York and meet two lovely ladies, Irene Malloy and Ambrose Kemper.

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Why We Walked Out

Yesterday, students walked out of classrooms in protest of the behavior seen time and time again by our district and our administration.

Myself and a group of 12 others planned this walk out for a reason.

This week, the Sacramento Bee published an article about a former McClatchy student who claims to have been drugged and gang raped by classmates two years ago. The victim is planning on suing Sacramento City Unified School District (SCUSD) for mishandling the investigation and dissuading her from pursuing recourse.

The former student claims that the police officer working on campus at the time sent her home for the semester while her attackers remained at school, undisciplined.

Our administration, along with the SPD officer, grossly mishandled this case. The student’s rights, protected by Title IX, were not enforced. The survivor claims the district never informed her about her civil rights, or her right to press charges.

As students at McClatchy, we deserve a trustworthy administration, one that will not brush off these serious allegations, discrediting the survivor in question by forcing her to stay home and refusing to punish the perpetrators.

The SPD officer asked her if she was a virgin. “That question made me feel so bad,” she said in her court declaration. “I felt like maybe that meant that it wasn’t as big a deal to him. I told the truth, but I felt afterward like I should have lied because then he would have taken it more seriously.”

No student, no survivor, should be made to feel this way when reporting an act like rape.

We walked out for this survivor. But more than that, we walked out for the scores of other cases such as this. We walked out to come together as a community that will not tolerate a system that is complicit, and even supports, the perpetrators of sexual violence.

We are asking for feasible change, so nothing like this ever happens again. Our demands are simple and straightforward: we want to see current policy enforced, and we want to see policies enacted that work to never let something like this happen again, such as easier access to trained and qualified support staff before, during, and after every investigation, or rigorous follow up procedures after every complaint and/or investigation. An updated and comprehensive harassment and sensitivity training for all school staff is another demand.

We will be meeting with administration this Friday to make our first steps towards enacting these changes.  

A few of our demands.

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SCUSD Offering Free, On-Campus SAT to Juniors in April

On Tuesday, April 10th, all juniors at McClatchy will be taking a free SAT paid for by the District. The SAT, which will include the essay, will take place at McClatchy, likely from 8:30 A.M. to 1:00 P.M.

For many years, the District has provided a free PSAT to the sophomore class, but this is the first year they will also be providing a free SAT for the junior class.

“The idea behind the SAT is to provide all juniors an opportunity to test and have scores to submit to colleges when applying in the fall,” said McClatchy counselor Ms. Taormina.

As far as how the SAT will actually run on April 10th, Taormina said that “we as a counseling group have not been given a lot of information.” However, she did add that it would likely run similarly to the PSAT for sophomores.

“Ideally there will be no interruptions from announcements,” added Taormina. “The school should provide the best testing environment possible for student success.”

Since the SAT normally costs over $50 and takes place on a Saturday, providing a free, on-campus test during the school day makes it accessible to every student.

“The District as a whole would like to increase our college-going culture and give access to all students for a free test so that ability to test on a Saturday or pay for the exam is not a barrier to applying to college as a senior,” said Ms. Taormina.

Taormina also wanted to remind students that aside from the free SAT provided by the District, she always has SAT and ACT fee waivers available in her office.

Since there has been little information publicized to students about the free SAT, many students have already signed up and paid for an SAT. Cecilia Smith, a junior, signed up for an SAT months ago, but when she heard that the district was offering a free one, she cancelled her original test.

“I think that it’s really cool, but I think that all schools should have a free SAT. Maybe not a free retake, because I know like they need to make money and whatever, but I think it should be free, at least for the first time,” said Smith.

As far as future years go, Ms. Taormina said that she “would like to see both SAT and ACT offered in future years.”

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Grace Clark Performs her Senior Project Live at “Music for the Mind”

McClatchy, applaud and grab some tissues for Grace Clark’s (‘18) concert, “Music for the Mind.” The concert was held on February 23rd in the Black Box Theater at 7pm. The night began with Grace Clark’s speech about her inspiration, music, and her senior project. Her main inspiration was her mother, who was a songwriter, musician, and singer. Her mother introduced her to other inspirations like Sara Bareilles and Marc Broussard. Grace also explained that she wrote her first song at nine years old.

Later in life, Grace was also inspired by her teachers and classes. She is involved in many types of activism, including feminism, civil rights, environmentalism, among others.

“Seeing people my age speak out and lead a movement for progress makes me think that I can participate,” according to Clark. Clark intended her concert to be open to the community and to McClatchy students.

Clark credits her inspiration for the mental health side of her project to her Mother. Her Mother was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and bipolar depression, and took her own life a year ago.

“I saw how much pain that stigma causes.” Clark explains. The concert was to raise awareness on the stigma and funds for mental health advocacy.

Grace’s “Music for the Mind” project included her writing and recording 5 new songs. All of her songs are available on her released EP, 17. The EP costs $5, with 100% of the profits going to the Steinberg Institute, a Sacramento-based group devoted to mental health advocacy. Later, Deborah Anderluh, a member from the Steinberg institute, talked about the group’s history and their appreciation for CKM. They were impressed with the senior projects they’d seen.

Each song has its story and inspiration. When you close your eyes, Clark’s lyrics paint a story along with the music. Again, tissues are a must when listening closely. After she finished, everyone headed over to the counter, where Clark was signing EPs. Of course, there was a line.

The audience was primarily upperclassmen, from Clark’s closest friends to classmates.

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Elon Musk Sells Out of Controversial Flamethrowers

On February 1st, Tesla-founder Elon Musk announced on Twitter that he has officially sold out of flamethrowers, which he was selling to fund his new company. The Boring Company is an underground tunneling business that Elon Musk created for building a network of underground tunnels to ease traffic congestion. However, in order to fund his company, Elon Musk sold 20,000 flamethrowers for $500 each.

Musk first announced his plans of selling a flamethrower in December of 2017. The Boring Company insisted that the flamethrower they created is safe. “Much like a roller coaster, this is designed to be thrilling without danger,” said a company Spokesman in a statement he gave regarding the dangers that come with the flamethrower. Elon Musk believes it is a perfectly safe toy, he even joked about it by tweeting, “When the zombie apocalypse happens, you’ll be glad you bought a flamethrower,” afterwards, he sent another tweet saying, “Works against hordes of the undead or your money back!”

However, not everyone is thrilled with the idea of Musk selling flamethrowers to the public. Mr. Miguel Santiago, who serves in the California State assembly, is filing legislation to stop this dangerous stunt. “We’ve now seen some of the worst wildfires in California’s history, so handing out flame torches for $500 is a really bad idea and bad public policy,” he said in a statement. Mr. Santiago has a reasonable fear, not only can these flamethrowers damage the environment, but it can also be used to hurt people. According to the ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives), as long as the flame of a flamethrower does not surpass 10 ft, it is legal to own and operate.

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The #NeverAgain Movement Needs Your Participation

So far, there have been 18 school shootings in 2018. The most recent in Parkland, Florida, which resulted in the death of 17 people. These mass shootings have been happening for years, and still no effective change has been made. Students continue to die. Because of this blatant failure by our government to pass effective gun control that can and will protect us, more and more students are paying attention, and becoming civically active. When it becomes a risk simply to walk on campus, a rise in this kind of student-led political activity makes sense.

A student movement under the hashtag “#NeverAgain” has been growing exponentially since the Parkland shootings. Students from Parkland have organized nationwide marches, walk outs, and raised millions of dollars for their cause in a matter of days. They are pledging to not rest until the representatives in Congress that are bought by the NRA are voted out.

This sort of movement usually marks a turning point in one way or another. Student activism has been around since universities were established, as early as the 13th century. As evidenced by the earliest student movements in America during the ‘20’s at largely black universities, to the anti-war and civil rights movements of the ‘60’s and ‘70’s, students have proven they have the power to enact real change.

As students in Sacramento–one of the most diverse cities in the country–we have a special privilege and opportunity to get involved. With the state’s capital at our doorstep, we have the ability to easily participate civically. It is no secret that there are plenty of wonderful organizations that are youth oriented within the city and geared toward making progressive change in the community and in the political sphere.

Still, it may seem difficult to find a starting point, or to even begin getting involved. Alternatively, many people are too busy to dedicate large amounts of their time to this sort of work. But there are small, easy ways to get involved and be a part, if only a small part, in making change.

Ms. Lori Jablonski, an AP Government teacher who requires students to participate civically for credit, says, “They [students] can show up to events, that’s the easiest thing.” she suggests, “So that’s the first thing, I think taking it forward beyond that… I think there are things they can do, to push our school board, for example.”

Jablonski also mentioned an even simpler way for students to get involved, “Students can also make change at a very basic level, they must register to vote and they have to vote. Because election matter. And the NRA has understood that for years, that elections matter.”

You don’t need to march on Washington, you don’t need to go to weekly meetings, you just need to be 16 or 17 and have access to the internet. Registering to vote takes maybe 10 minutes. It’s easy, and it’s important. The best way to create the change we want to see is through our elected officials.

Right now, our elected officials are not doing what the majority of the country wants them to do. According to a February 11th poll, Congress’ approval rating has dropped to only 11%, only 2% higher than the all time low of 9%.  Now is the time to act, to vote, and to elect a congress that can represent the whole of the country, not 11% of the country.

These methods may seem small, maybe even pointless. Making real change does not seem possible. But students around the country right now seem to be beginning to do the impossible.   

“I do think that students can make effective change. It’s hard to write a prescription for it, but especially right now we’re seeing the opening is there, and I think the students in Florida get that, and they see the opening and they’re running through it. And they know that this is the moment, and they’re using their voice in a way that continues to impress me everyday. So I absolutely do think that, and the fact that we’re talking about this shows that students can effect change,” added Jablonski.

 

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Fisher: The White Guy Who Teaches That Asian Language

Mr. Fisher on Rent-a-teacher Day

Mr. Fisher, known to the students that take Japanese as “Fisher Sensei,” finally agreed to divulging the inner secrets of his life.  Known for being the only Japanese teacher, he has proven himself to be the best Japanese teacher at C.K. McClatchy High School. His amazing ability to teach has proven, as he has taught many students Japanese when they are barely proficient in English. But, behind the facade of being a great teacher, he has a dark past that many never knew about–until today.

Mr. Fisher was not always the man he is known to be today.  Growing up, he struggled as an awkward kid who was unable to speak to the opposite gender.  Finally in high school, he began talking to girls–he was even able to go to a dance with one. Sadly, it ended in heartbroken misery.  As Fisher grew older, he became known as “the brother” and “the gay one,” friendzoned by girls everywhere.

With no luck in America, he discovered that he could move to a different country to find a girlfriend.  He chose Japan after becoming interested in the history of Japan and other Asian countries. “I really enjoyed learning about the history of Asia, as it was very different and it was intriguing,” Mr. Fisher said.

While in Japan, he taught English to Japanese people, only to be stalked by a 70-year-old Japanese lady, fight off an Australian roommate, and finally, eat fish that wasn’t a fishstick.  One day, he met a Japanese girl who would eventually become his waifu (wife). After recalling the day he asked for permission to marry his wife from her parents, he remembers the father saying, “It can’t be helped.”  

After coming back to America, Mr. Fisher became a Japanese teacher and developed a deep relationship with Mr. Wong, a former HISP history teacher. Their bond would go so deep that one day they took a love train ride in Japan.  Together, they sat on the train as they stared deep into each other’s eyes with no love for each other whatsoever.

When Mr. Fisher came back to America, he had two children.  Upon the children’s ability to comprehend any material, he started to brainwash them to believe in all the things he loves.  He made them experts on dinosaurs, Star Trek, Star Wars, and various other nerd topics that he thoroughly enjoys rambling about.  He even used his children as an excuse to buy a subscription to Star Trek toys for every month.

When asked about his home life, he recalled a time when his wife left the house for eight hours to go be with her friends.  He says, “I played with legos and other toys with my kids while watching the Super Bowl because I want them to have a positive experience with me.”  When asked who has more fun playing with the toys, he said “I have as much fun as my kids do.”

He explained why he enjoys playing with his children, because of the traumatic experiences that filled his own childhood.  He remembers he did not have the most loving and caring relationship with his father, so he thinks that spending time with his kids will provide the sort of relationship for them that he never had.

Mr. Fisher is loved by students; some have even found where he lived or tried to find the rest of his personal information. Students have gone to many lengths trying to find everything there is to know about Mr. Fisher. No one is unhappy in his class, as they constantly laugh about his life stories and the other jokes he tells.  Mr. Fisher is an amazing teacher to the students, and they appreciate his teaching. Without the “white guy that teaches Japanese,” Japanese class at McClatchy wouldn’t be the same.

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The True Cost of the Olympic Games

With over 100 events hosted, housing provided for over 1,000 athletes, and more than 300 medals given, the total cost of the olympics was $13 billion dollars. Now the country of South Korea might be regretting their decision to host the winter olympics. For the past few Olympics, the countries that have hosted have found themselves in a little bit of a muck after it is all said and done.

The last Winter Olympics in Sochi became the most expensive Olympics in history, topping off at $51 billion dollars. The previous was the Summer Olympic games in Beijing in 2008. Back in 1976 in Montreal, Canada spent three decades paying back the $207 million they spent–which is actually very little compared to the cost of today’s games.

Many of the venues that are left in Pyeongchang will be left for tourist use, and the money they made from the games will go back into the overall cost of the Olympics. However, these vacant venues could potentially major financial issue for the government.

Most countries that host the olympics in the future will not fully recover from the cost of the Olympics.

 

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Arming Teachers is Not an Effective Solution

Talk of teachers carrying firearms has been in the news recently. President Donald Trump was the first to bring up the idea following the Parkland shooting, “If you had a teacher with — who was adept at firearms, they could very well end the attack very quickly,” Trump said.

Teachers carrying guns would make it easier to take down a potential threat, but you can never expect or know when these things will happen, no matter how much you prepare. We also have to consider the downside to this “solution.” I could not even fathom the idea of having a teacher with a concealed firearm on campus. Looking up and seeing a gun on the hip of a teacher is probably the most terrifying thing students could ever see in their lives. It provides a hostile and anxiety filled environment for–not only the student–but everyone on the campus.

The Prospector wanted to see what the student and teachers think about arming teachers.

Freshman Kate Tobie said, “I wouldn’t feel safe because they have all that power against the students. And what if you got in trouble, and the teacher threatens to shoot you?” This brings up another point: What if a teacher loses their temper and gets a little too heated then ends up threatening the student, or accidently fires the gun?

This concern relates to an incident that recently occured in Georgia. On February 28th, a teacher by the name of Jesse Randal Davidson shot a gun in an empty classroom for no reason, causing Dalton High School to go on lockdown. In March of 2014, Georgia’s Governor passed a “Safe Carry Protection Act” into law which allows teachers to carry concealed firearms into school. The school’s principal described him as an “excellent teacher.”

Teachers are supposed to teach and educate students; they are responsible for our current generation’s knowledge. Guns are an unnecessary addition to their jobs. CKM teacher Ms. Jablonski said of the arming teachers debate, “The most ridiculous idea in a political debate full of ridiculous ideas… I wouldn’t like it if there was an armed teacher here. There’s a fully armed cop here so I see no reason.”

Another issue with teachers carrying guns is the possibility of a student getting ahold of the gun. Of course, the gun would be in a safe or on a holster with the teacher, but a holster is a simple clip and that’s easy to access. A kid having easy access to a gun is the same issue that caused the Parkland shooting in the first place.

According to the Los Angeles Times, there is 1 justifiable death in every 32 deaths caused by guns (suicides, accidental death, and murders). That number shows that no matter how prepared you are, or how trained you may be, guns aren’t always going to provide protection, as the presence of guns often results in even greater danger.

Arming teachers would only increase the possibility of a school shooting, not to mention that it would make everyone uncomfortable and fearful everyday.

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CKM to Host Annual AFJROTC Basketball Tournament

Every year, CKM and Hiram Johnson take turns hosting the annual ROTC basketball tournament and NorCal competition. This year, the annual ROTC basketball tournament is to be hosted at CKM on April 14th.

Hiram Johnson hosted events like NorCal and the Bataan Death March hike last year, but according to Chief Master Sergeant Novelli, CKM is hosting the basketball game for “two years consecutively, for the first time in history.”

All hosts must provide food and refreshments for guest teams. Chief also mentioned that a snack bar will be held so that spectators will have food options, and the snack bar will serve as a mini fundraiser. The prices have not yet been determined.

The size of the team depends on the number of students who sign up and come to practice. Last school year, McClatchy had a total of 42 students, including the 15 players, referees, and servers for the snack bar. There are no try outs because it is exclusive to ROTC.

The team currently has no team captain but has two player coaches, Erica Noe (‘18) and Joseph Gibson (‘18). Player coaches are usually upperclassmen who both coach and participate.

Practice starts on February 22nd, and is held on Tuesdays and Thursdays after school in the small gym. One benefit to starting early is that it allows for a greater amount of practice, which will be key when the CKM team takes on Whitney High School–CKM’s biggest rival.

Eight to ten AFJROTC teams will go head to head on April 14th at CKM, and everyone is welcome to watch!