Categories
The Prospector

Get published in The Prospector!

Categories
Short Stories Sins In The Dark

Chapter Five

Work was incredibly nerve-wracking. I was all jumpy and scared. I had no idea what the hell I got myself into. I was a nervous wreck. 

“Hey Jade!” I heard Mr. Phantom call for me. 

“Yes, sir?” I questioned. 

“Can you go grab some lunch, please?” He asked. 

“Of course, what did you want?” I asked him, taking out something to write his order down.

Whilst telling me what he wanted, I could feel his eyes intensely watching my every move. It made me nervous being under such tense surveillance, and I think he knew that. His tone got huskier and darker. Shaking subtly, I dropped my pen. Why does this man make me so nervous? 

“Sorry, uh, hold on,” I said, bending over to pick up my pen. 

“You okay, Ms. Spades?” He questioned as I stood back up. 

“I’m just fine, Mr. Phantom,” I said, signaling him to continue telling me what he wanted to eat. 

I watched him as he stood stalking toward me. I took shallow steps backward, soon reaching a wall. He chuckled, looking at my face and how red it was. 

“Do I make you nervous, Ms. Spades?” he questioned. 

“N- No, sir,” I stuttered, just looking into his eyes.

“I don’t believe you, especially since you look so flustered. You should get punished for lying to your boss,” he teased. 

A hand left the side of my head. Moving his hand to my waist, my breath stopped. Where is everyone? How is he doing this to me? Why do I like it? 

Rapidly having questions roam through my head, he swiftly removed himself from me as the door began to open. 

Mateo entered, almost immediately regretting the decision. I sighed and recollected myself, patting down my pencil skirt I decided to wear today. 

“Hello, Mateo!” I said with a huge smile and wave. 

“Hi,” he replied with the same energy. 

“I was just on my way to get Mr. Phantom some food. Did you want something?” I questioned, unable to look at Mr. Phantom.

 “Where are you going?” Mateo asked. 

“Panera,” I simply stated. 

“Oh, no thank you,” he said and smiled.

I did a quick nod before exiting. I got to my car and screamed out all my frustrations. He has to be doing it on purpose. There’s no way he just acts like this. 

In a moment of distress, I FaceTime my roommate, Nia. 

“Hey boo,” she said as the call connected. 

“Hi, girl, oh my lord,” I said, setting her up on my phone holder and turning my car on. 

“What happened now?” she sighed, sitting up to look at me. 

“He pinned me against a wall,” I said. 

“What?!” she shouted giddily. 

I told her the story in explicit detail from this morning to now whilst picking up his food and driving back, and we kind of just talked about it, trying to put the pieces of his flirting together.

“I still don’t think it’s super smart to get too close to him, Jade, he’s evil,” Nia said, shuddering at her own words. 

“I don’t think he is. I think that’s how the media paints his picture. He’s a 20-year-old with a successful corporation, Nia, they’d do anything to bash him,” I replied in defense of him. 

“I get that, but you need to understand there’s so much about him that you don’t know,” Nia disagreed with me. 

“I know that, you act like we’re getting married or something,” I sighed. 

“You’d probably like that,” she chuckled, and I rolled my eyes. 

“And if I did?” I laughed back, and her eyes grew wide. 

“You really like him, huh?” she questioned. 

“No, Nia, I barely started working for this man like two months ago or so?” I said, confused about how long it’s been. 

“Yeah, yeah, call me when you get here so we can look at the dresses Alex got you,” she said, blowing me a kiss and hanging up. 

I grabbed his food, locking my car and walking into the office. People conversing smiled and waved as I walked over to the elevator. 

Making it back to my office, I set my things down and walked over to the door that leads to Mr. Phantom’s when I overheard his conversation with Mateo. 

“What’s going on between the two of you, Alex?” Mateo interrogated. 

“I don’t know, if I’m being honest. I like her, but what if after tonight she wants nothing to do with me?” Mr. Phantom asked, genuinely concerned. 

“That is highly unlikely, Alex. Do you not see the way she looks at you?” Mateo fought in my defense of my feelings. 

Is there a way I look at him? Obviously, the man is fine as can be, and everyone knows that, so everyone probably looks at him like that. 

“Yeah, but almost everyone looks at me like that,” he came to his own defense. 

“If you say so, man, just know that I know that she likes you,” he said, and I decided to stop eavesdropping and walk in. 

“Hi! Sorry it took so long!” I said with the food in hand, setting it on his desk. 

“You didn’t get anything for yourself?” He questioned. 

“I couldn’t really afford it, but I’ll be okay,” I said and set his food out. 

“Why didn’t you use my card to buy yourself something?” He questioned and stood. 

“I didn’t know if I was allowed to,” I replied, unable to look him in his face. 

“You’re always allowed to, why would you think you weren’t?” He questioned. 

“I don’t know,” I muttered. 

“The dresses for tonight are at your house, take the rest of the day off to choose the one you want,” he said, obviously disappointed. 

“Okay, I’m sorry, Mr. Phantom,” I stated before exiting his office and grabbing my things.

Categories
News

Fatal shooting at East Sac light rail station

Just after 3:00 pm on March 21, 2024, a shooting at the University and 65th SacRT light rail station took place, leaving one dead and two injured. The shooters fled from the scene and the victims were taken to a hospital.

The two suspects are unknown at this time and police continue their investigation. Witnesses state that the shooters seemed to be adult African American males in hoodies and jeans. The two men are thought to have stolen a car from the gym parking lot across the street from the station.

Police say that the car was left down the street from the crime scene on University Avenue. At this time we only know the status of one of the victims, a woman, who is in stable condition.

The police believe that the men could still be armed and dangerous and that people in the area stay aware and safe.

If you or a friend were witnesses to this shooting and need help processing it, please seek help at the student support center or speak with a counselor. This was a traumatic event for all involved.

Until the suspects are found, stay safe and try to be with another person at all times when in that area.

Categories
News

Everything You Need to Know about the U.S. TikTok Ban

With growing cybersecurity concerns, the extremely popular video-sharing app TikTok has become a topic of discussion in the U.S. House of Representatives. The U.S. government is concerned about this Chinese-based social media platform, as it may be a way to feed propaganda to the American public or to spy on the American people. However, no evidence of interference from the Chinese Communist Party has been provided. 

But with the huge user base of around 1 billion people, information is bound to be collected and sold by the app. That’s ultimately what social media apps are made for. If the product is free, you are the product. Apps get their money from selling users’ information to advertisers. But, this information isn’t just what you like to look at.

Banning TikTok would be a very controversial decision, but attempts to regulate the platform have been done before. With the company being based in Beijing, China, U.S. laws don’t really affect the company. So, The House of Representatives is giving ByteDance, TikTok’s owners, two choices: Sell the social media platform, or the app will be removed from app stores in the United States. The removal of TikTok from U.S.-centered app stores would lead to an extreme decline in its user base, causing ByteDance to lose possibly billions of dollars. If the app is to be sold, it could go for billions, which is a steep price few other companies can afford. The popularity and possible revenue of the app is a huge selling point.

The future of TikTok is very up in the air. The U.S. Senate has yet to vote on the issue, and until then, a complete ban is more than possible.

Categories
News Photo Series

Down By The Bayou

McClatchy’s Down By The Bayou Spring Dance, inspired by the Disney movie “Princess and the Frog,” did not have the turnout we were all expecting, but it did end on quite a dramatic turn of events.

With tickets being sold for $10, the dance seemed quite empty compared to other dances in the past few years. Students came decked out in fancy gowns and tuxedos, excited for what the night would hold. As students began getting their tickets checked at the door, it became apparent that the night wasn’t going as a lot expected.

Inside the gym, the music was quite generic for a typical school dance. They played a lot of personal favorites from the 2000s, and students could be found dancing their hearts out under the strobe lights scattered around the dark gym. Although they went all out and had a food truck and a photo booth, and once a couple friend groups began to form, many students began to make the most of the night and not let the small turnout get them down. But, after an hour, a lot of students began leaving the event.

The dance continued until an unsuspecting event occurred towards the end of the night. After a student passed out on the dance floor, the staff was alerted and then swept the clearly intoxicated student out on a wheelchair. Although unsure as to how the alcohol came about, the student remains safe and unharmed. An ambulance and firetruck came but were then sent away after the students’ parents picked them up.

McClatchy does not condone the behavior that was presented at the dance on Friday. We at the Prospector hope the student is well and getting the support that they need. We hope the next dance goes a little bit better and has a better turnout. 

If you or a loved one have any issue regarding alcohol, you can contact (844) 833-9524 for any help or questions you may have.

Photos from the event photographed by Isabella Gallardo:

Categories
Entertainment News

New Wave is WACK!

Last Friday, March 15th, dozens of McClatchy students made their way to Davis for a New Wave Club Night, hosted by Wack 530, a group that organizes local shows for local artists. There were four DJs, including CKM’s own Ruby Copher, aka Dick Bandit, who played a mix of nostalgic and modern music that fit the retro theme. The show was hosted in one of the coordinator’s garages and consisted of a small but energized audience of students and local youth. If you are interested in attending more events like the former described, make sure to follow @wack_530 on Instagram if you haven’t already!

Attendees were urged to dress according to the New Wave theme, typically a quirky style of danceable music that was popular in the 1980s and ‘90s, but also famous for its colorful, alternative fashion. The venue itself was decorated head to toe with pink glitter, posters, and lights, honoring its advertised title of a New Wave Club appropriately. The guests were equally decorated in the typical New Wave style, with lots of colorful makeup and outfits to match the vibe of the music blaring. 

Speaking of blaring, the cops were called! Later in the night, there was apparently a noise complaint that resulted in a few police officers showing up briefly. However, the organizers complied and turned down the music a little bit, and the party was left to rage on!

As the party continued, the DJs switched a few times and each had their own unique choices of music to play. Some of the songs that the crowd was most excited about were Space Age Love Song by A Flock Of Seagulls, West End Girls by Pet Shop Boys, Blue Monday by New Order, and Girls Just Want to Have Fun by Cyndi Lauper. Of course, the performers were also dressed just as fabulously as their excited fans, with pink and purple statement makeup to match the eclectic music. 

Overall, the New Wave Club Night was yet another successful Wack show. They throw these types of local events fairly often, so if you missed this one, don’t fear! Be sure to keep updated with Wack to know when there will be another! For more information, follow @wack_530 on Instagram which will also lead you to the handles of all the musicians who played too. Congratulations Ruby on your awesome show!

Photos by Chloe Slack!

Categories
Short Stories Sins In The Dark

Chapter Four

I woke up in the most comfortable bed of my life. I stretched and sat up, realizing this wasn’t my room. Silently panicking, I tried looking for my phone, rolling around, throwing pillows around, until I fell on the floor with a loud thud. Standing, I winced in pain, watching my injured knee bleed as someone burst into the room from one of the side doors.

“Is everything okay?” I heard the voice of a man.

I looked up, finding the one and only Alejandro Phantom with a towel around his waist and hair dripping onto his chest.

“Oh my stars,” I sighed as I turned away from him, completely forgetting that my knee was bleeding.

I heard him chuckle before hearing his footsteps walk around the bed and towards me.

“Hey, you’re about to get blood on my carpet,” he sighed, swiftly picking me up bridal style and guiding me over to his bathroom.

“How did I get here, Mr. Phantom?” I questioned as he set me on the counter.

“Well, I saw you had fallen asleep in our section, so I had Mateo stay with Nia. But after leaving, I realized I didn’t know where you lived, so I just took you here,” he shrugged, grabbing rubbing alcohol, cotton balls, and bandaids.

“Oh, okay. Did you happen to see my phone? I can’t seem to find it anywhere,” I said, finding myself unable to look up from fidgeting with my hands.

“No, but I can help you look,” he stated, putting the alcohol-filled cotton ball on my scraped knee.

I didn’t even flinch as he patted it in. Once the bleeding had slowed, he quickly put a bandaid on it and looked up at me.

“The last time I saw your phone, it was on the side table,” he walked away from me and came back, phone in hand.

“Are you gonna put some clothes on now?” I questioned, hopping off of the counter.

“Yeah, why? Does it make you nervous?” he teased, following behind me out of the bathroom.

“No, just turns me on,” I winked as I stepped out of his room, lingering by the door.

I could hear his chuckle before he walked away. I was so utterly confused about where I was. I didn’t even realize I was no longer wearing my two-piece. I now sat in a plain white T-shirt with socks on. The shirt smells just like him. His sharp but warm cologne and earthy shampoo contaminated my nose as I finally took a breath that I couldn’t in his presence. I had no idea he lived in such a beautifully decorated apartment. Everything was perfectly kept together and matching the vibe he gave. His walls were a very dark shade of blue, almost black. The only way you could tell it was blue was when the sun hit it. His plants lit the place up with their vibrant color, and his condo smelled like pinewood. Unknowing of where I was or how to get home, I entered his kitchen and rummaged through his fridge for breakfast. I decided to make pancakes with eggs since it was one of the only things I could find.

“I thought you were leaving,” he snuck up behind me as I struggled to grab his pans.

“Well, I don’t really know where I am or how to get home, so I thought I’d thank you for taking care of me by making breakfast!” I exclaimed, still attempting to reach for his pans.

“That’s unnecessary, but thank you!” he smiled, finally helping me get his pans.

I think he just likes to see me struggle.

“Did you want help?” he asked.

“No, thank you, but you can watch if you’d like,” I offered, trying not to be rude.

He simply smiled and sat on a chair. I actually have no idea where it came from. I mixed the ingredients to make the pancakes, and I heard the door open. Heels clicked on the floor, and a lady emerged wearing a cheetah-printed fur coat with a black dress to match.

“Mother, what are you doing here?” he stood in shock, walking over to her.

“Can a mother not come see her loving son?” she questioned, pushing him aside so she could see me.

“And which skank is this?” she questioned, walking toward me.

“Actually, Ms. Phantom, my name is Jayden Spades, your son’s assistant,” I tried to say respectfully while being disrespected.

“Is that so?” she smirked, laughter erupting from her mouth with a huge smile. “I like this one, Alejandro.”

She turned toward her son and clicked her heels purposefully.

“Thank you, ma’am,” I said as she took her son into the next room to talk about family business.

Putting some music on my phone, I continued to make breakfast. By the time he and his mother came back, breakfast was done and ready to serve on the table.

“Would you be joining us for breakfast, Ms. Phantom?” I questioned, serving Ace some breakfast.

“No, sweetheart, but thank you for the offer. I’ll see you both tonight,” she said, clicking her heels right back out the door she came from.

“What is she talking about?” I interrogated menacingly, looking at him.

“Well,” he stayed silent, trying to figure out the words to say. “There’s this thing going on tonight that I kind of need you to attend with me.”

“Right, what is it?” I further questioned, now barely eating.

“It’s not something I can really explain. Please just come. You get a new fancy dress,” he tried to bribe, and I laughed.

“I’ll go just ’cause I love watching you beg,” I said, my face immediately flustered and now looking down at my food.

“What, can’t you keep eye contact?” he flirtatiously asked, reaching for my face.

His fingers lightly grazed my face as he lifted my chin to stare into my eyes. A flicker of emotion in a man who’s supposed to be dead inside? What a weird thing to see, yet grateful it’s something I can cause easily.

“I have to go home,” I blurted out, trying to change the subject. I know I look as red as a tomato right now.

“And why’s that?” he asked, removing his hand from my chin and picking up his fork.

“I have to get dressed for work. If I go home now, I can make it on time!” I said with a big, geeky smile on my face.

“Okay, I’ll have Richard take you home. Thank you so much for breakfast,” he said as Richard entered the room.

“Oh, did you want your shirt back?” I asked, standing.

“No, that’s okay,” he smiled as I walked off with Richard, who offered me house shoes to take home since I was barefoot.

I wonder what this “thing” is all about. All of this smells like danger, and it makes me so excited.

Categories
News Sports

McClatchy Lions vs. Folsom Bulldogs Varsity Baseball

The McClatchy Varsity baseball team played an away game against the Folsom Bulldogs on Friday the 15th. The game was close until the end.

In the first inning, the Folsom Bulldogs scored the first point when a runner attempted to take second, and an unfortunate pass from the McClatchy pitcher went over the second baseman, and the runner on third took home. Folsom maintained this one-point lead up until the top of the fifth inning.

The fifth inning was the most lengthy game, with over 10 batters taking the plate. In the top of the inning, McClatchy was up to bat. The first two batters, #18 Jacob Lyons and #2 Antonio Barber, both managed to secure a base, landing them on first and second. #11 Ari Silva went up to bat and bunted the ball, advancing the two bases but getting out himself. With players on second and third, #24 Austin Aten took the plate, hitting the ball to the outfield, letting #18 take home and tie up the score. With a runner on third, #8 Jackson Halverson hit a single, advancing the runner on third to home plate and putting the Lions in the lead.

The bottom of the fifth had Folsom up to bat. The Bulldogs managed to hit two singles, making them have two runners on first and second. At their fifth batter, #5 Logan Hutton slammed the pitch deep into the outfield, allowing the player on second base to make it home, tying up the score. Their next batter got walked, leaving the bases loaded, but their next at-bat hit the ball, and as the runner on second was taking third, the McClatchy catcher threw the ball to third but, unfortunately, the baseman missed the catch, letting the runner take home. The Lions were unable to make up the point in the sixth and seventh innings, making the final score 2 to 3, Folsom taking the game.

An unfortunate loss for the McClatchy Boys Varsity Baseball team, but there is always hope for winning their upcoming matches.

Categories
News Sports

Dublin Distance Fiesta

McClatchy‘s track and field team had a busy weekend, with the sprinters attending the Jesuit meet and the distance runners heading down to Dublin on Friday evening, with some races on Saturday. According to reports, the Jesuit meet went well for the sprinters, achieving many personal records (PRs) and the 4×1 relay team securing second place. In the Dublin race, some of the 1600m and 3200m runners competed on Friday. Despite receiving short notice about the race being moved up a day earlier, they performed great. On Saturday, many runners came out and had good races. 

The following interview was with Coach Watkins:

“So Coach Watkins, how do you as a coach feel about how your runners’ performance today?”

“I’m just really proud of everyone for showing up and doing their absolute best. Really proud of the runners that came out on Friday and ran even though it was short notice.”

“Yeah, the schedule change probably really knocked everyone off. But, they came out and they did really well! How many PRs do you think were set overall?”

“There have been 20 PRs”

“Woah that is amazing, 20 PRs!”

“Yep 20, some of them by a lot!”

“That’s right, Maelys PR’d by four seconds in her 800m!”

“Yeah and the 800 m when you are already really fast? That is crazy!”

The following interview was with Maelys Garros:

“Yeah, Maelys, you finally got some spikes. How do you think they affected your race?”

“Oh, they made all the difference. I felt like I was flying with those!”

“Oh yes, you were!”

The remainder of Saturday’s race went well, with Hugh Heyer setting a new PR by a second in his 800m, in a fast heat where many runners finished under two minutes. All runners gave their best at this highly competitive meet. Look forward to the team’s upcoming Metro League meet this Wednesday, March 20th, at Burbank High School. 

Categories
Book Buzz With Amanda

How It Feels To Float by Helena Fox Review

How It Feels To Float, by Helena Fox, is a novel wrapped around the obsession of death. How we as people view death, the one inevitable thing we won’t be able to escape.

This novel revolves around a 16-year-old girl from Australia named Biz. She struggles with every emotion that comes her way, not knowing how to feel in the moment, only to feel it later. She talks a lot about her father’s death that happened when she was very young, around 7 years old. 

She talks very openly about her mother and little siblings, and the adaptations they had to make through it all, focusing on her mother. Something I found interesting was how she mentioned her mother’s first date after he died. Biz comments how the sacred last kiss of her dad would be forever gone if her mother kissed someone else. Gnawing at the tragic fact that everything can erode, even if you can’t see it. 

To cope with her father’s passing in her way, she imagines him in the present. She can imagine him in any situation she’s in, knowing what he would say in the moment, and seeing when he would leave. She talks to him through memory, trying to understand everything around her.

This novel includes identity crises, teenage torment, and seeing how a death through a young person’s eyes can shape someone for the rest of their life and how they view themselves and everyone else. Death is something so certain and sacred, yet it’s the one thing humans won’t ever fully understand. 

Categories
Cuisine and Recipes

Butter Mochi

Many think mochi is just those little balls of ice cream wrapped in chewy skin, but mochi can be so much more than that. This chewy rice cake is super easy to make so it’s great for anybody that hasn’t made mochi before. Like traditional red bean paste or blue raspberry, Mochi can be just about any flavor. My favorite though is this Hawaiian butter mochi. It’s creamy, crunchy, and chewy, so what’s not to love? To make these even better, I like putting the dough into muffin tins to get those crispy edges in every piece. 

Ingredients

  • 1 pound sweet rice flour
  • 1 stick butter
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 can unsweetened coconut milk
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • ½ cup shredded coconut (optional)
  1. Preheat oven to 350℉. In a large bowl, add rice flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt and mix until combined.
  1. In a separate bowl, mix milk, eggs, and vanilla until fully incorporated.
  1. Pour the wet mix into the dry ingredients, and stir until combined.
  1.  Melt the butter, and add the coconut milk and butter into the dough and mix until smooth.
  1. Grease your pan.
  1. Pour dough into the prepared pan and sprinkle with coconut if desired. Bake for around 1 hour or until golden brown and crispy on top.
  1. Let cool, and enjoy!