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San Francisco Giants Announce

The San Francisco Giants announced their new affiliation with the Sacramento River Cats last week. The Giants general manager, Brian Sabean, released a statement that said  “Sacramento is a great baseball town and the area has traditionally produced top baseball talent for the Major Leagues. Our affiliation with the River Cats provides us with an outstanding player development environment, and we are excited about the opportunity to work with our young players at Raley Field.”

This new agreement between the two teams highlights the fact that the switch was more out of convenience and business transactions rather than a mutual desire to work together because of success. The Giants believe that because of the proximity of Sacramento to San Francisco will help with their player development. Being closer to the Sacramento, than they were to Fresno, who they were previously affiliated with, allows the to see their younger players more often. Being 87 miles away from each other also allows more last minute decisions in terms of who the Giants decide to pull up from triple A. Because its only an hour and a half drive to San Francisco from Sacramento they can call players up and have them there in time for pre game warm up.

Along with the business side of the decision, many from the River Cats organization are saying that the deal was made with fans in mind. River Cats president Jeff Savage called the choice, “not an easy decision, but it was based on the fans’ wishes.” He also revealed how these opinions of the fans were gathered saying “we look at what fans are wearing when they come through the turnstiles,”. He is also quoted talking about the results of surveys which show a larger percentage of Giants fans in the area. There is a hope that because of the large amount of Giants fans, attendance will increase at the River Cats games.

The new agreement between the River Cats and the Giants is good news for this large percent of Giants fans that Savage commented on. With this new business deal Giants fans will be able to see the upcoming talent in the Triple- A level. The fans will also have a chance to see any current players that are assigned to Triple-A in order to minimize the roster or because of injury. This will create more of connection between the Sacramento fans and the future of the Giants organizations.

However for Oakland Athletic fans, the previous affiliate of the River Cats, this new deal is saddening. The River Cats and A’s have been affiliated for 15 years and there’s no doubt that they enjoyed the same benefits that San Francisco will now experience because of location. This longstanding partnership also affected the Sacramento fans. The fans have become attached to many players who won’t be coming back next year and who will in fact be in Tennessee, where the A’s new Triple-A affiliate is located. Worries about the success of the team also come from A’s fans and others who recognize the success of the River Cats under the A’s and the lack of success the Giants previous Triple-A affiliate in Fresno had.

The affiliation is a done deal as of September 30 and A’s and Giants fans of the Sacramento area will cheer the newly affiliated River Cats on next year in their 16th season in Sacramento.

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Kings Arena Continues as Scheduled

By Shradha Singh, Staff writer

“The bigger they are, the harder they fall.” This is certainly not applicable in the case of the  Downtown Plaza. Little more than three months after the city finally made the decision to start construction of the new Sacramento Kings arena in late July, the declining shopping center the stadium’s replacing has already been reduced to little more than bare, smooth earth. All the buildings along L Street, including the Macy’s building, have been demolished, as well as the  structures along J Street and  the north side of the mall.

This stage of construction, which was completed in early October, has set the stage for the building of the Sacramento Kings arena’s foundation, which began recently. Once this is done, vertical construction of the stadium will begin around February or March. Onlookers can expect to see the shell of the arena start to take shape by next spring or early summer. Like the one before it, the new arena, with its 17,500 seats, will be among the smallest seating stadiums within the NBA. However it will be made with profit in mind, with more seats in its lower bowl, driving up ticket prices. There will also be more “premium” and VIP seats available, another way of boosting revenue. The building will also be among the most Wifi connected stadiums in the country, which is sure to please Internet lovers. And, at 745,000 square feet, the new arena will be about 70 percent bigger than Sleep Train.

So far workers have reported no issues in construction, and the project has continued smoothly. This comes as a clear contrast to the years of conflict regarding the placement of an arena in downtown Sacramento that started in 2002. It  was originally proposed to be constructed in the empty railyards. However, the continued reluctance of the city to finance such an expensive venture delayed plans, which only came to fruition in late 2013, after threats to take the team from Sacramento to Seattle. Strong protest from fans, a change in ownership, and the promise of a new arena in the heart of California’s capital were the only things that kept the team from leaving. And despite the addition of other problems, including the city’s successful eminent domain suit against Macy’s to seize much needed land for the building, plans for the arena have still gone on and the team has stayed. Still the danger is not yet over for Kings fans, as the $447.7 million structure needs to be completed by October 2016, or the team will be moved by the NBA to Seattle, as agreed to by the city. Meanwhile, lawsuits are still pending on the $255 million subsidy the city is expected to put forward for the arena, and whether or not the issue ought to be put to a vote on the upcoming June ballot. Only time will tell whether this obstacle will also pose a problem to the stadium, or like the ones before it, this too will pass.

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Shooting At Canadian Parliament Claims One Life

By Max Johnson, Staff writer

At 9:50 on the morning of October 23rd, shots were heard at the National War Memorial in Ottawa. Witnesses reported that a gunman wearing an “Arab” scarf had shot at two soldiers, hitting and killing one and missing the other. At this point the gunman had fled the scene and driven to Parliament Hill, where he stole a minister’s car and drove to the parliament building. Arriving at the parliament building at 9:53, witnesses describe the gunman carrying a 30-30 Winchester Lever Action Rifle as he ran into the parliament building. Shortly after his entrance of the building, police officers in pursuit arrived and followed the gunman in.

During this time, a session was being held in the caucasus room of the building, but was promptly stopped as security officers began to tell everyone to take cover as they searched the building for the intruder. Kevin Vickers, sergeant at arms engaged the shooter and the two proceed to fire at one another until more officers arrived at the scene. At sometime between 9:54 and 10 a.m. the gunman was shot by Vickers and several other police officers.

The only reported casualty was of Corporal. Nathan Cirillo, who was stationed at the War Memorial when he was shot. Cirillo was 25 at the time of his death and left behind a six year old son.

The gunman has been identified as 32-year-old Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, who previously had only minor offenses on his criminal record, including drug offenses, attempted robbery, and other small criminal activities. Bibeau had spent several days in jail in 2000 for petty crimes but this was the only time he had been sentenced. Dave Bathurst was a friend of Bibeau after the two met in mosque three years ago, and described Bibeau showing “erratic behavior” but did not at the time present any extremist views.

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To the World Series

By Lilia Quevedo, Staff writer

The World Series. One of the biggest events in the United States, in which two baseball teams from opposite leagues compete for a trophy made of silver, and rings emblazoned with diamonds. To get there, each team must play over 100 games and win the most out of their division. If they don’t make it, there’s always next year, and the year after that, and the year after that. Most of the time the winners are your A-class teams, like the New York Yankees or Boston Red Sox. Every now and then, however, the underdog comes out on top.

The San Francisco Giants have beat all odds once again, going to the playoffs for the third time in five years. They won the World Series for the first time in 52 years in 2010, shocking every announcer, non-believer, and especially the anti-Giants announcer Joe Buck. They did it again in 2012, sweeping the Tigers in the World Series. The Giants started off great this year, but after a mishap by Romo, the team just went downhill. All hope was almost lost, but then came September. They stepped up their game and won the Wild Card for the National League against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The first playoffs opponent for the Giants: the Washington Nationals. Game 1 was on October 3, and it was an exciting one. The first game of playoffs is always a crucial one. The pitchers were Peavy for the Giants and Stratsburg for the Nationals. The game started off slow until the Giants scored one run in both the 3rd, 4th, and 7th innings. All seemed well, until Peavy allowed two runs with two outs in the seventh inning. Thankfully, he was able to end the two-out rally and the Giants relievers and closer Casilla were able to win the game with a score of 3-2.

Game 2 was not for the weak of heart. In the second inning, the pitcher Hudson allowed the Nationals to score one run.The Giants played eight scoreless, hopeless innings. It was the ninth inning when the miracle happened. All of the Nationals fans were standing up, thinking their team was going to win. Then the National’s closer, Zimmermann, walked 2nd baseman Joe Panik. There were already two outs so everyone still figured the Nationals would end the game cleanly. But catcher Buster Posey had other plans, and he singled, advancing Panik to second base. The two-out rally would not be ended, because at that point 3rd baseman Pablo Sandoval hit a double and Panik scored, tying the game 1-1. Buster Posey decided to take a risk, and ran all the way from first to home plate, but the umpire called him out. Had he been called safe, the game would not have gone to the 10th inning. Or the 11th. Or to the 18th. But it did, and after 18 heart-stopping, nail-biting innings, the Giants first baseman Brandon Belt grabbed yet another win for the Giants with a home run, ending the game at 2-1 and breaking the record for most extra innings in a playoff game.

The third game was in San Francisco and it was the last game the Giants needed to win to clinch the NLDS. The game started with an inspiring speech by WWE star Daniel Bryan, ending the speech with Hunter Pence’s “Yes! Yes! Yes!” back from 2012. Neither team scored for six innings. It looked like the game was going to go extra innings when the Giant’s pitcher Madison Bumgarner made a big mistake. He tried to throw a sacrifice bunt to third but the throw was wild, causing Sandoval to miss the ball and allow two runs to score. The Nationals added two more runs after that, and the Giants almost rallied in the 9th, but Washington won the game 4-1.

On Tuesday, the Giants did it. They scored two runs in the 2nd inning. In the 7th, the Nationals tied it up. The Giants would not lose this game. It was their home field and all of their fans were waving their orange flags. With one out in the 7th inning, Joe Panik singled on a line drive to left field. Buster Posey singled to center field, advancing Panik to 3rd.  All the pressure was on the Nationals pitcher Aaron Barrett. He pitched and walked Hunter Pence. The bases were loaded with only one out, and one of the Giant’s biggest hitters was at bat. Barrett threw the ball..and the pitch was wild. Panik stole home, giving the Giants a 3-2 lead. That run was all the Giants needed, because their outstanding pitching staff managed to prevent the Nationals from scoring the rest of the game. Signed baseballs were given away, players high-fived fans, and there was a huge celebration in the dugout.

The Giants next stop was St. Louis. After four nerve-wracking games against the Nationals, the Giants made it to the NLCS. For the St. Louis Cardinals, they had an easy-breezy time thanks to a not-so-good postseason pitcher Kershaw and a consistent pattern of nearly always hitting in runs in the 7th inning. For the second time in five seasons, these two teams must compete against each other to earn a spot in the World Series.

Game 1’s winner could be determined early in the game. Pitcher Madison Bumgarner for the Giants dominated for 7 ⅔ innings, not allowing a single run. Their three-run-lead they earned from the second and third innings gave room for their closer Casilla to end the game smoothly, allowing the Giants to take a 1-0 lead in the NLCS.

In Game 2, both teams had to work hard to score a single run. The Giants’ pitcher Jake Peavy allowed only two runs, but was replaced by Jeremy Affeldt in the 5th inning. So was the Cardinals’ pitcher Lance Lynn. When it was the top of the 9th inning, the Giants tied the game due to a wild pitch by Trevor Rosenthal which allowed Pinch-runner Matt Duffy to score. The Giants’ hope of winning, however, was crushed when Kelton Wong of the Cardinals hit a walk-off homerun off of the closer Sergio Romo. The series was tied 1-1.

The one loss did not diminish the Giants’ spirit. The player’s determination enabled them to win three straight games at home. Game 3 was won by the Giants in the 10th inning due to an extraordinary sacrifice bunt by Gregor Blanco and a bad throw by Cards reliever Randy Choate. Game 4 was won smoothly with no extra innings and a final score of 6-4. Finally, in Game 5, left-fielder Travis Ishikawa showed the Giants we wasn’t going to retire any time soon. The game was tied 3-3 in the 9th inning when he hit a walk-off homerun, clinching the win for the Giants. He was the first Giants player to do that in a postseason game in the past 40 years.

Now it was time for the Giants to go to the World Series. They had gotten this far, and they wouldn’t stop fighting until they won.

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From the Bay to the Universe

By Montana Vince

“One of the first places I started to get a real following was Sacramento. I know some of you in the crowd have been following me from the very beginning. These throwback songs, I never get the opportunity to play, are dedicated to you.”  It may be silent, but the air is charged with the anticipation. The introductory beat to the song Must Be Nice fills the room and the crowd was never quiet again.

Many up and coming artists have made their appearance on the small, humble stage of Ace of Spades. On October 21, 2014, G Eazy returned to the stage with E 40 and Jay Ant. After a successful gig here two years ago, tickets for the concert sold out in two days. But after, there was still a large demand for tickets so they added a show on Monday too.

Not only does G Eazy have a large following in Sacramento, Sac is also on an hour and a half from his home town of Oakland. In the VIP section, Young Gerald’s mother sits rocking out to every song. , She made an appearance on stage in her G Eazy, personalized varsity jacket and dark sunglasses. E 40 is originally from Vallejo, close to Sacramento as well. There was such a large sense of family community in the room special to only Sacramento.

On G Eazy’s new album, “These Things Happen”, he has a song called Far Alone, which features E 40 and Jay Ant. The room gets hyped when all three of them walk onto stage. Nobody can resist singing to the chorus and dancing uncontrollably when the beat drops. “Goodnight everybody!” echos the walls, as the audience stands there longing for more.  The chant for G Eazy to return, gets louder and louder, threatening to break vocal chords. He comes backs on stage to perform his first real hit song, Mean It. Confetti falls from the sky replacing every crevice originally filled by air. Little pieces of tissue dance from the ceiling to the beat. But eventually, they all land on the floor. Now, everybody has to return from this alternate universe of dancing and live music, to a life of responsibilities and sleep.

                                                                                               

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A Club Rush Recap

By Carolanne Boughton, Staff writer

On Friday 19th, C.K. McClatchy celebrated yet another successful Club Rush. The event was held in the Lunch Quad during lunch. Students rushed out of their classes, excited to learn about and sign up for the latest clubs on campus.

Club Rush is a great opportunity for freshmen to learn about all the different activities offered here at C.K. McClatchy. Alana Webre (‘18), said the event was “rather overwhelming, with hundreds of students packed into such a small space and club organizers shouting, adding to the general din.” Although it may be a little overwhelming, freshman seem to sign up for the most clubs. “I joined, like, seven clubs!” Alana exclaimed. Club Rush allows freshmen to join the CKM community. Amy Dao (‘15) explained, “Freshman should definitely go since they’re new and they probably wouldn’t know about all the different clubs that are available.”  Amy, who runs McClatchy’s California Scholarship Federation, pointed out that “Club Rush is important because it allows people to see all the clubs offered.” Not only could students see all the different clubs that are offered here by looking at the brightly decorated posters hanging from the Lunch Quad walls, but they had the opportunity to talk with the leaders of each club. Students asked questions about the clubs that they were interested in. Amy advised that freshmen go to Club Rush “since they’re new and they probably wouldn’t know about all the different clubs that are available.” Freshmen should definitely take advantage of the Club Rush experience!

Although Club Rush has stayed relatively the same over the years, this year CKM welcomed many new clubs. “Certainly over the years more clubs and more diverse clubs have been participating,” Tim Douglas, CKM’s Student Activities Director, said. Even though we have many new clubs, such as the Seinfeld Club and the Happy Hands Club, Alana “was disappointed that they didn’t have a film club – maybe I’ll try to start one next year.” And that’s the great thing about the club experience at CKM- if you don’t see something that you’re interested in, you can change that! New clubs and afterschool groups pop up every year, allowing students to personalize their high school experience.

The CKM Club Experience is “so simple,” said Lili Quevedo (‘16), who is the president of the Video Game Club, “Anybody can start a club, and people really took advantage of that opportunity this year.” Once you have a sponsor and a constitution for your club, you can get started! Lili pointed out that “the process is really simple, and you can start a club any time during the year.” Having been a leader of a club before, Lili said that this year she had fewer sign ups, “maybe because Club Rush was only one day, and last year it was two. A ton of people still showed up though!” Lili told us “I hope for an even bigger turnout next year. I’m excited to see how this event grows.”

Overall, this year’s Club Rush was a success! “I was glad to see so many others participating in club rush,” said Alana. “It was an intense but fun experience.” Hopefully the Club Rush tradition continues for years to come. It’s an event that truly embodies the CKM spirit. “I thought Club Rush went smoothly this year,” Amy explained. The Lions can’t wait until next year’s Club Rush!