Illustrated by Nadia Garcia
Categories
The Deer Fish
Month: April 2024
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is making waves in the NBA as the point guard of the Oklahoma City Thunder. At a young age, he has already shown himself to be a key player by leading his team to the #1 seed in the Western Conference. However, while Shai’s leadership and skills are undeniable, there are areas of his game that I think still require improvement.
One thing Shai needs to focus on is his three-point shooting percentage. While he has shown that he can make the shot beyond the arc, consistency in this will elevate his game to a whole other level! Improving his three-point shot will not only make him more dangerous offensively but also give his teammates an opportunity because they’ll be so open trying to stop him.
Even though he has room to improve that shot, Shai’s strengths as a point guard are pretty evident. His ball-handling is quite smooth and well-paced, which is exceptional. It allows him to create scoring opportunities for himself and his teammates. Also, his court vision and basketball IQ are quite advanced, allowing him to make split-second decisions on the fly, smartly and effectively.
Offensively, Shai’s game is often shown by his ability to score from anywhere on the court, whether it’s driving to the rim or stopping and popping for a mid-range jumper. His skill set is very crafty and diverse, keeping defenders on their toes. However, if he consistently finds his outside shot, this will make him even more dynamic as an offensive threat.
Defensively, Shai has the potential to be a lockdown defender. His length and athleticism allow him to be there in passing lanes and have enough reach to contest any shot effectively. With focus and effort on the defensive end, he has the skill to become one of the league’s leading perimeter defenders.
In conclusion, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a rising star in the NBA, leading the OKC Thunder with his work ethic, talent, and leadership. Even though he’s still young and has accomplished a lot, there is still room for improvement. By focusing on areas such as his three-point shot, Shai has the potential to become one of the league’s most elite point guards of the century.
On Thursday, April 18th, the McClatchy Lions played an away game against the Kennedy Cougars.
The game was a spectacular show of force from the Lions, with them crushing the Cougars and not even allowing them to score a single point. Parents, friends, and family showed up for both teams to show support.
In the first inning, McClatchy gained a staggering 5-point lead on Kennedy. McClatchy was up at bat first, and out of the box, #2 Antonio Barber hit the ball deep into the outfield, getting himself to second base. After that, #11 Ari Silva got himself to first base, and #2 to third when the next at-bat, #8 Jackson Halverson, stepped into the batter’s box and slammed the ball way out, getting himself a triple and allowing the two on bases to score.
When the Kennedy Cougars stepped up to bat, they only had two players on base before McClatchy got three outs, and the inning ended. The second inning went very similarly, with the McClatchy Lions scoring 4 while Kennedy scored nothing again. A notable moment in this inning was when McClatchy’s Antonio Barber stole three bases, scoring the first point of the inning.
The Lions slowed down a little, only scoring one point in the next two rounds, but they played an oppressive defense, locking Kennedy down and keeping them from scoring. In the Fifth inning, McClatchy continued to trample the Cougars, scoring 6 more points before getting 3 outs and swapping. Kennedy, unfortunately, wasn’t able to score a single point, and the mercy rule ended the game. The final score was 17-0, with McClatchy having a fantastic game. A big win for the Lions as their rampage continues to the Oakmont Vikings.
Categories
The 50% Policy
Written by Paige Coleman and Elsa Williams
The years of COVID and quarantine caught the world off guard. With this sudden shift for everyone on the planet, many organizations have had to drastically change their practices. Schools especially were impacted.
Online classes were put in place in lieu of in-person classes, and little to no work needed to be put in in order to pass. It was virtually impossible to fail, as your grade could only go up. Tests were a breeze. With no teacher looming over you, cheating on tests was laughably easy. Zoom calls became nap time, as just being in the call meant you were present.
But these years of no learning came at a price. When students came back from school, nobody was ready to do work again. So, they made school easier. The main accommodation that was made by the Sac City Unified School District, which was applied at McClatchy, was giving half credit for missing assignments. This rule was put in place to ease us back into the swing of things, but two years later, it’s still in place. It may not seem all that bad, giving students an easier time at school, but in the end, what is this teaching us?
Why do your work when you’ll still get credit? This whole rule is teaching students that work isn’t important. Plus, students who work hard for good grades can be out-competed by other students who took a three-day credit recovery course. How disheartening is that? Failing class (if you can) isn’t even a bad thing anymore. Credit recovery classes are way too easy, and most can be done in a number of days, if not hours. Plus, with them being all online, cheating is as easy as ever.
And college isn’t even close to as forgiving. College will prove to be a huge shock to most. Harder, more grueling classes will be even harder with us not being used to completing our work. College is also where grades really matter. Almost your whole career (depending on what you want to do) is reliant on your grades.
Both McClatchy and the district are not preparing us for the real world. Procrastinating has consequences that we need to teach now rather than later. I believe that 50% on missing work should be removed, and the normal, 0% should be given instead.
Categories
Pinterest, The Must-Have App!
If you are in need of fashion, hairstyle, accessories, and other inspirations, Pinterest is the app for 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!
Categories
Interviews for CAASPP Testing
Attention all Juniors, CAASPP is here! Testing has officially started and will continue until early June. I went around and interviewed a few juniors to see their feelings towards CAASPP testing, here are their responses:
Evangelina Quichocho
“I havent prepared at all, and I dont even know what it is but I’m going to swing it.”
Hai Okenfuss
“How I prepared is playing video games all day, And I do not feel prepared for anything and i’m not even worried about it.”
Valeria Romero
What even is CAASPP testing…I had no idea what it was until now and I am not prepared for it.”
Alina Barajas
“I did not know about CAASPP testing and I am not prepared. I am wishing myself luck.”
Good luck to everyone taking the CAASPP these next few weeks, get plenty of rest and studying in!
Categories
Metro League Track Meet at Burbank
On Wednesday, the Lions track team attended the Metro League Track Meet at Burbank. The team arrived early in the morning at 9 and got ready to compete. The day’s first event was the 4x800m relay, which was set up with the boys and the girl’s races combined. Even though the situation was out of the norm, the varsity girls 4x800m team got second place and the boys placed fifth. The boys’ 4x100m team dropped the baton disqualifying them. The 1600m races went well as many runners pushed through the blazing heat and finished strong. The final event was the 4x400m relay, the girl’s team placed third, as well as the boy’s team. The team had many new amazing PRs (personal records) set that day and spirits were all high.
Categories
Holes by Louis Sachar
Holes is a classic novel revolving around a teenage kid named Stanley Yelnats and his family’s curse. This novel openly talks about finding acceptance in difficult areas.
I overly enjoyed this read, it was fast and easy to follow. First I watched the movie starring Shia LaBouf (2003), then I found out it was an adaptation of the novel. Like most book adaptations, they leave a lot of things out. Stanley’s character is an overweight kid who was in the wrong place at the wrong time, causing him to go to a correctional facility deemed as a “camp”. Casting Shia LaBeouf, he was nothing like the character described in the book.
That was my only complaint about the movie and the book, I think Stanley being fat was kind of a crucial part of his character, he was treated differently than in the book because of his physical appearance, and it didn’t have the same treatment. Other than that, it was both fun to watch the movie and read the book.
This book also has a lot of hidden meanings. This “camp” for teenage boys was deemed to be a correctional facility for troubled boys to learn their lesson. Sound familiar? This camp has a lot of similarities to modern-day prisons. Inmates are forced to work without pay in prison. In the book, they are reportedly supposed to dig one hole each day, 5 feet wide, five feet deep in the blazing heat. If they find something interesting (valuable), they are to report back to their “counselors immediately”.
Within modern-day prisons/ correctional facilities, inmates ‘Today, more than 76 percent of incarcerated workers surveyed by the Bureau of Justice Statistics say that they are required to work or face additional punishment such as solitary confinement, denial of opportunities to reduce their sentence, and loss of family visitation. They have no right to choose what type of work they do and are subject to arbitrary, discriminatory, and punitive decisions by the prison administrators who select their work assignments.” Stated by ACLU in their piece “CAptive Labor: Exploitation of Incarcerated Workers”.
Categories
Preparing For Junior Prom
Junior Prom is the only day for a junior to get dolled up and enjoy a night with their friends. People say prom can be boring but honestly, it is all about the people you take with you to prom, Although I can say the music has a huge role during the night.
There are so many things to worry about getting done before prom which stresses a lot of students out. Boys and girls have similar things that need to be done before but I would say that girls have a little more to worry about.
Girls need to make appointments to get their nails and toes done, maybe even their hair. But if you are lucky enough and know how to do all of that on your own then it still is stressful needing to find time out of your day to get it done. Again though, if you don’t know how to do any of that then there are appointments that need to be scheduled as soon as possible because a lot of places can not take you in because of such short notice.
There are a few places I go to when it comes to scheduling appointments for my hair, nails, and toes. The Blowout is a great place where you can get your hair done, they have lots of talent when it comes to hair and it will come out just the way you want it to come out. And they have great customer service. Now for nails, there is the place that I go to which is called Spring Nails in Citrus Heights, I know kind of far but they are the sweetest and they are the best at both nails and toes.
Now, You still need to find your dress which is the scariest part. You don’t want to get the dress that everyone is wearing but you don’t want to get one that is a scary color or out of “trend”. But of course, girls pick out dresses if they like them. No one is looking for others’ opinions, it’s all about whether or not the person wearing the dress likes it. And sometimes when you order a dress it takes more than a month depending on where you get the dress. So you don’t want to go dress shopping a week in advance.
Boys need to start looking for tuxedos and shoes. They need to find a good color just like dresses, boys like a specific way a tuxedo fits them, whether a little snug or loose. Over the ankles or not over the ankle, neck buttons buttoned or neck buttons not buttoned. Tuxedos don’t usually take as long as dresses online but with the altering of the suit, boys need time to get that done. They need to make appointments for their haircuts and possibly get some accessories too.
If you are going with a big group or even just another person, you need to plan efficiently with the other people that you are going with. Finding rides to places and back will be an issue if you don’t drive so you might want to ask your parents. If you want to take pictures before prom, I would suggest taking pictures before eating, personally, I wouldn’t want to get food before pictures because I don’t want to look bloated. But figure out where the pictures will be taken and then after pictures you will then need to figure out where you guys will eat and make reservations ahead of time, probably days in advance.
Categories
Chapter Seven
We soon got back in the limo, and he sighed out in frustration.
“What happened?” I asked, concerned.
“The Sinclairs are being so damn annoying,” he said, irritated.
“How so?” I pushed further.
He looked over defeated, and I knew that was my sign to stop asking questions. I still had so many, like why the hell he said I was his wife, or why I had to be at that meeting in the first place. Was he gonna force me to marry him? Is he really the man that Nia says he is? My mind rambling, I pondered, looking out the window. We then reached what I assume was his mother’s home.
“Hey, what are we doing here?” I questioned as I looked over.
“This is our family meeting about the meeting,” he said cleverly as he opened the door for me.
I smiled as I got out of the car, and he took hold of my hand as we walked toward the house.
“Why did you call me your wife in there?” I asked, slowing down our pace.
“I can’t tell you, not yet anyway,” he said, dodging the question.
“What does that mean, Alejandro?” I asked, completely stopping in my tracks.
“Jadyn, please, let’s just go inside,” he begged, and I turned around to walk back to the limo.
He grabbed my arm and pulled me back, holding me in place.
“Let me go,” I said, trying to remove myself from his grip.
“Jadyn, get in the house,” he demanded.
“Alex, let me leave,” I finally ripped free of his grip and walked away.
“Jade!” he yelled for me, and I continued to walk.
Now a few blocks down from where I was, I sighed and sat on the curb. I grabbed my phone to call Nia when a car pulled up next to me.
“Hey, pretty lady,” the man in the car said.
I looked up, finding the son of the Sinclairs. I silently stood, not looking at him, and tried to walk away. I could hear his car slowly following behind me; I had already been dialing Nia’s number when he rolled up on me, so I assumed she was on the phone.
“Where are you running off to?” he said, trying to converse.
Ignoring him, I began to walk a little faster, trying to get away.
“You know you won’t make it far, sweetheart. Get in the car,” he threatened, his words making a chill run down my spine.
“I’m good, thanks,” I said, still walking.
“Don’t make me get out of the car, Jadyn,” he said. My body froze at his words.
“How do you know my name?” I questioned, turned toward his car.
“You aren’t that hard to find, sweetheart,” he said.
He made me sick. His stench repelled me as he walked toward me, shutting his car door. Everything about the man before me was evil. I could feel the hatred as he invaded my personal space. His anger was so strong, behind it was so much sadness.
“Please,” I muttered as he tried pulling me toward the car.
“Don’t make this hard on yourself,” he said, picking me up over his shoulder.
I kicked and punched and fought, but nothing worked. He threw me in the back seat of his car and quickly steered off. I punched the glass over and over, my hand begging for me to stop. I finally gave up.
“Where are you taking me?” I questioned, wiping the tears that fell down my cheeks.
“Don’t you worry your pretty little head about it,” he said with an evil chuckle.
It sent shivers down my spine, and I felt utterly disgusted.
“Why are you doing this to me?” I asked.
“You’re a prized possession of the one and only Phantom, whose guts I utterly hate,” he said, disgusted.
What does he have to do with me? I’m also not a possession. I really hope he’s doing this to spite him and he doesn’t do anything to me. I just want to go home and sleep. If this is what it’s gonna be like working for the Phantoms, it’s time to find a new job.