Month: January 2024

Categories
Cuisine and Recipes Features Opinion

Chocolate Fish Coffee Roasters Review

The Prospector staff took a mini field trip to Chocolate Fish Coffee Roasters on Freeport Blvd. Each of us tried something off the menu and have provided our thoughts:

3.5/5 stars

I ordered an iced “Mango Tango” tea from Chocolate Fish, this is my review:

I generally enjoy tea much more than coffee, so I opted for just that. Perhaps it was because I got it iced rather than hot, but I thought the flavor was bland. Not bad though, but for a drink called “Mango Tango” you’d expect more of a mango flavor. Overall it was very refreshing and I enjoyed it for what it was!

3/5 stars

Having passed by this place multiple times in the last few years and hearing many raving reviews from students, Chocolate Fish did not live up to its expectations for me. Maybe it’s because I’m not a big coffee nor tea drinker, but the only good thing about the place for me was the baked goods.

3.25/5 stars

I got an Iced Mocha and a Chocolate chip cookie, here are my thoughts: 

I usually like chocolate and coffee. When I first received my items I thought they would be really good. However, when I tried the iced mocha I thought it was too strong and bland. It tasted a little too much like just water and mocha. But I still enjoyed it sip by sip. Then I tried the cookie. It was good but I would’ve preferred it warm. Overall, it was good but probably won’t get the same order.

4.5/5 stars

I recently had the pleasure of going out for a coffee run with my staff from the Prospector, and we had a blast. We all had some laughs, cries, and maybe even some delicious coffee. However, I cannot review what Chocolate Fish is known for because I did not order a coffee and instead, I ordered a Matcha ice drink. And it was quite delicious and it was not what I was expecting coming from a matcha. Though I love Japanese food and culture, I do not consider myself a Matcha individual, but I wanted to try something new. The drink was delicious! Though most people do not like matcha, I would say to give this one a try.

3.5/5 stars

Chocolate Fish is a comfortable cafe that offers a variety of healthy snacks and drinks. Although I failed to capture pictures of my two other items, I remembered to take a picture of the avocado toast I had ordered. Based on looks, the cafe was modern and chic, the interior consisting of blue, gray, and white. Upon looking at the menu, I was confused and impressed with the healthy beverages and food they sold. It was cold out so I wanted to order something to warm me up.  I decided to get a hot cocoa with marshmallows and a blackberry scone. I never had a scone before, but I heard they were good. It was pretty dry, but overall alright. After my drink, I decided to get some avocado toast, which cost seven dollars. I was hungry so I decided to add an egg for an additional two dollars. Don’t get me wrong, it was tasty but not worth ten dollars.

2/5 stars

I got the green tea from Chocolate Fish. Here is what I thought about it: It wasn’t really my cup of tea, literally. I tried to sweeten it a little, but it didn’t make any difference. I don’t really enjoy regular tea and coffee like that only if it’s sweet tea or from Starbucks. But, my snack which was a croissant was really very good! I love croissants. I would’ve rather it heated or something but it still was good.

4/5 stars

I got a blended mocha and banana bread, which were both delicious. Here are my thoughts:

I wanted something sweet, so I opted for a blended mocha because I figured it would be like a frappuccino. It was not as sugary as I was expecting, but I still enjoyed it. The banana bread was my favorite part of the meal. It was heated up after I ordered it and had a subtle banana flavor, which complemented the chocolate chips in the bread too. Overall, my two choices paired very nicely and I had a great experience.

4/5 stars 

I got a macchiato with caramel and banana bread. These are my thoughts on my order: I’d say the coffee was a 10 out of 10 with no doubt. I was kind of going for a Starbucks type of drink and it didn’t disappoint. It wasn’t too sweet, but it wasn’t too bitter or strong either. I’d say it was just right.  On the other hand, I thought the bread would have more flavor, don’t get me wrong it did have flavor but not what I was expecting. It had something green in it, not sure exactly what that was. There were also chunks of bananas which I was not so big of a fan of. Overall it kinda disappointed me. I’d say I would go back for the coffee but for sure not the banana bread.

4/5 stars 

I got the iced white mocha, and I was pleasantly surprised! I usually absolutely hate white chocolate, but the syrup they used didn’t really taste like white chocolate. It gave the coffee a nice creamy flavor, and it wasn’t too sweet. Plus, coffee usually gives me a stomach ache, but not with this drink. Overall, it was really good!

Categories
Features

Senior Q&A

As the school year is passing by, and the summer is getting closer by the day, the seniors here at C.K McClatchy High School are beginning to either get more antsy to end the year or are beginning to dread graduation.

Many students don’t want this year to end. Ending this year would also end their childhood as leaving high school begins the journey into adulthood. Becoming an adult gives a lot more challenges compared to being a high school student. I understand the grief of those who don’t want their high school experience to end. 

I had the chance to interview some seniors here at McClatchy, asking them many questions regarding graduating and how their year is going. 

Here is what was said:

“Do you think that high school is preparing you for your future and how you will turn out for college?”

“I guess so, I get a lot of really basic classes here and hopefully I won’t have to take them again in college.” 

“How do you feel that you are graduating this year?”

“It’s hard to believe. I did not think that this day would come honestly, but it is, and it’s scary.”

“Do you feel that now that you’re an adult there is a lot of pressure on you?”

“Not really, I mean not like from my parents or anything, but I do get more responsibilities. Like I can vote and that sort of puts a little pressure on me.”

So overall I had gotten a bunch of mixed feelings from the seniors here regarding their future and graduating high school. Many students were scared of graduating and could not believe that they were graduating. Many were excited to get this part of their life over with and continue on into adulthood. 

Although, I feel that deep down they were still worried like the rest because graduating and becoming an adult is a scary thing to do.

Categories
Cuisine and Recipes

Gooey Fudge Brownies

What’s more classic than a brownie? I’m sure you’ve seen thousands of recipes, but this one is actually worth making. A major problem I find with brownies is that they all taste the same. If it’s from a boxed mix or a bakery, the difference is negligible. But the main ingredient that elevates this brownie’s flavor is one thing: the brown butter. It gives a rich, nutty, caramel flavor to the brownie, which makes them incredibly addicting. So, ditch your old recipe and try these out for a change. 

Ingredients

  • 1¼ cups white sugar
  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour
  • ⅔ cup cocoa powder
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
  • ½ cup powdered sugar
  • ½ cup chocolate chips
  • A pinch of salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • ½ teaspoon espresso powder
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  1. Preheat the oven to 320, and put butter into a medium saucepan to brown over medium heat. Stir constantly, making sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the pan. Continue to heat until the butter begins to boil and take on a brown color. Remove from heat and place into a large bowl to cool.
  1. Whisk together sugar, flour, salt, espresso powder, and powdered sugar into a medium bowl and mix until combined.
  1. Once the butter is slightly warm, add cocoa powder, and mix.
  1. To the butter mixture, add eggs, water, and vanilla extract, and mix until combined.
  1. Add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients, and fold in until almost combined
  1. Add chocolate chips, and fold in.
  1. Grease a baking pan with nonstick spray or butter.
  1. Spread batter in pan, and bake for 35 minutes.
  1. Take out of the oven and allow to cool.
  1. Enjoy!
Categories
Features News

Finals week Q&A

Finals are one of the most feared things among high school students. They happen to determine whether or not you’ve been paying attention in class, or just to cause a headache, as said by some students. We went around the school interviewing students and some teachers about the grave week to come. 

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!

Categories
News

Night on Ice

The McClatchy Night on Ice, presented by the senior class, took place on January 11th. Hosted at the downtown ice rink near the Golden One Arena, students and faculty ran the events, while the ice rink employees handed out the skates. Many students, families, and friends gathered for a night out. Ice skating was a great challenge, simple to learn for some, while others struggled to stay upright.

When you weren’t on the ice, you could get hot chocolate from a student-run station for a small fee. Hopefully, more events like these get set up in the future for us lions to have more fun outside of school.

To see photos from the event, check us out on Instagram! @ckmprospector

Categories
Features News Photo Series Sports

McClatchy vs. Kennedy Varsity Boys Basketball

Yippee Ki-Yay! The Wild Wild West was the theme of Friday’s home varsity boys’ basketball game, with McClatchy facing off against Kennedy. The energy in the gym was full of life as many students came out to support the team by wearing their best Western attire.

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: