baronmedianetwork

Vacation

By: McClain Segars

I have been able to visit Florence, Italy twice and it has been the best experience both times! Once with my family and the second time with my school, so here are a few tips!

Walk Everywhere: Florence is a small city, and the best way to experience it is on foot. Plus, you’ll stumble upon hidden gems that you might miss if you’re driving. Learn Some Italian Phrases: Locals appreciate it when you try a little Italian. Even just saying “Ciao” (hello) or “Grazie” (thank you) goes a long way.
Skip the Line Tickets: If you’re visiting popular spots like the Uffizi or the Accademia (where the David statue lives), book your tickets online in advance to avoid the long lines.
Don’t Rush: Florence is meant to be savored, not rushed. Take your time, enjoy the food, the art, and the atmosphere. And most importantly—have fun!

Florence is the perfect mix of culture, food, history, and style—and it’s all waiting for you to explore. Whether you’re there for the art, the food, or just to see what all the hype is about, Florence will leave you with memories you’ll never forget. So pack your bags, grab your camera, and get ready for an adventure you’ll be talking about for years.

Summertime

By: Mary Carter Smith

Summer is my favorite time of the year. It is so much better than winter for multiple reasons. One being you are out of school. School causes a lot of stress such as grades, studying, practices, waking up early, the list could go on! I also am not the biggest fan of the cold.I hate having to wear a jacket or sweatshirt everywhere I go because it is so cold outside. During the summertime you can put the boots, hats, gloves, scarfs, jackets all up! Warm weather also makes outside activities more enjoyable. Summer also means longer days and more time to be productive and social. A highlight of it being summer is Pelican Snowball opens back up! Snowcones are my favorite sweet treat especially from Pelicans. I usually get superhero which is blue raspberry and cherries mixed together. Ten out of ten would recommend it to anyone. My favorite thing to do during the summer is go to the beach. Most of the summer I usually go to my beach house in Isle of Palms, South Carolina. My family has a house on the marsh which is my favorite view. I love hanging out on our dock and going on our boat. Tubbing would probably be my favorite summer activity. I love the fear of falling off the tube and holding on as tight as I possibly can to try to stay on. Another fun summer activity is beach days. I love laying out on the beach. The breeze is always so nice and the beach is always relaxing. My favorite thing to do while on the beach is swim in the ocean. Some people are scared of the ocean. I personally love it and am not scared of sharks or other creatures that most people are. When the end of the summer comes around I get upset but then remember summer will be back again.

Pumpkin Spice

By: Maecy Hunt

Every year, like clockwork, pumpkin spice shows up and completely takes over. The moment September hits, it’s everywhere — in lattes, candles, cereal, muffins, and, for some reason, even air fresheners. It’s not just a flavor anymore; it’s a seasonal event.

But why are people so obsessed with it?

Technically, “pumpkin spice” doesn’t even contain pumpkin. It’s just a mix of spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves — stuff we could use any time of year. But something about that combo, during fall, just hits different. Maybe it’s the cozy vibe it gives off. Maybe it’s the marketing. Probably both.

The hype mostly started with Starbucks and the Pumpkin Spice Latte. Since its launch in 2003, the pumpkin spice latte has become the most popular seasonal drink ever. Now, tons of other brands jump on the trend every year, hoping to ride the wave of pumpkin-flavored hype.

At this point, pumpkin spice has become more of a tradition than a taste. People associate it with fall — colder weather, leaves changing, cozy clothes, and yes, a warm cup of something sweet. Even if it’s a little over-the-top, it brings a weird kind of comfort.

So yeah, the pumpkin spice craze might seem ridiculous, but it’s also kind of genius. It turns a basic flavor into a whole seasonal mood. And honestly? If sipping a pumpkin spice latte makes people feel a little happier during midterms or freezing mornings — who’s complaining?

The Second Blog

By: Joey Robertson

Monday:

I started off the day by brainstorming ideas for the next video I could make, until I eventually landed on a campus tour/review. I had never seen an actual campus tour for Wilson Hall, and I thought it would be useful to have one for students coming to wilson hall, who haven’t been on campus before. So I started planning what and where I would want to show, and writing a few critiques I had about the layout/design.

Tuesday:

Continued work on the script, and decided how I would film everything and the route the tour would take: through the upper school building, up into the middle school, across to the Nash building, then the engineering hallway and chapel, return to the lower school, before ending at the Track/Football field (though im now realizing I forgot the Kindergarten/Pre-k area).

Wednesday:

Got right to filming the B-roll, since I wouldn’t have enough time to film me actually giving the tour, and I was correct. Thankfully the B-roll didn’t take very long and I was able to get photos and footage of all the places around the school I needed. Afterwards I worked on uploading it all to the google drive and organizing it.

Thursday:

I knew the tour would take all of the period to film, so I got into it as quickly as I could. I was able to film both the opening and closing by myself, but I got help from my other team members, Thomas and Hannah, for filming the actual tour, since I couldn’t film, talk, and give the tour all at the same time. I finished just barely in time for 5th period. Later that night I painstakingly had to convert all 35 files to MP4’s, before importing them to my editing software.

Why the Atlanta Falcons will make the playoffs

By: Griffin Jones

The Atlanta Falcons will make the playoffs this season. Following a disappointing 2024-2025 season, finishing 8-9, the Falcons went into the offseason with a few holes around the team. The defense struggled the few seasons prior, specifically the defensive line, finishing with 31 sacks the second lowest in the league.

After a great 6-3 start and a lead in their division they began to decline. Kirk Cousins, the star quarterback the Falcons signed in the offseason, showed to be too old and fragile to perform throughout the season. Despite signing a quarterback, the Falcons drafted a Quarterback 8th overall, Michael Penix, out of Washington.

Coming into the 25 season, the Falcons filled many of their holes. Although they lost some talent on defense, they had an amazing draft. Selecting two first round defenders at linebacker and edge along with two safeties later in the draft that proved to be impactful. As in the game on Sunday night vs the Vikings last week the defense recorded 2 interceptions along with 6 sacks, only allowing 6 total points.

The offense this season looks to be extremely promising this season, led by second year QB Michael Penix, along with a superstar running back Bijan Robinson and his second half at RB, Tyler Allegier. Robinson, has proved to be a top 5 back in the NFL and looks to have his best season yet not only running but catching the ball as well. For other receiving options the Falcons return two fringe 1000 yard receivers. One being star wide out, Drake London, London is a 6 ‘4 WR entering his 4th season. Finishing last year 4th in the league in receiving yards,recording 1,271 and 9 touchdowns, he is expected to take an even bigger leap this year into a true superstar. At the other WR Darnell Mooney ended his first season in Atlanta last year just shy of a one thousand yard season. The final weapon of the Atlanta offense is TE Kyle Pitts, Pitts is a monster on the field, nicknamed the Unicorn, he stands out just based off his pure size. He began his career with an outstanding rookie year in 2021 with the Falcons. However, since then it has become underwhelming to say the least. Despite that, with a new and improved QB situation, Pitts looks good and ready to produce. All this along with an extremely young core only means the future is bright.

After two games this season the Falcons stand 1-1 with a tough slate ahead including the Bills, Commanders, and 49ers. However, with a weak division and a much improved team, I believe the Falcons will finally break through and finish 10-7. Not enough to win the division but good enough for a wildcard spot.

Is South Carolina Football in Trouble?

By: Cooper Hill

After a rough game against Vanderbilt, South Carolina needs a serious bounceback game against Missouri. The Gamecocks fell 31-7. It definitely felt worse than that score. Injuries definitely affected the outcome, but I do not believe it was by much. The Carolina offense looked very weak and did not show many signs of life. After Lanorris Sellers went down with a head injury after a targeting call is where it began to go downhill. Although he went down, a bright side was Luke Doty stepping up and taking command. He completed some tough passes and led a few drives. The Gamecocks do have pretty good quarterback depth this year with Cutter Woods, Air Noland, and Brandon Cunningham. All were very highly rated recruits in their respective classes. So if the Doty experiment does not work out, we have some help. Just like me, most Gamecock fans will be praying that Lanorris will be back so we do not have to worry about the quarterback situation. Also, Carolina does not have an easy schedule from here on out so they need to get the ship on the right path. The running game really needs to step up this week, especially with Lanorris being questionable as of the Wednesday injury report. Rashul Faison has rushed for 135 yards on 27 attempts and one touchdown. Oscar Adaway III has 86 yards for one touchdown on 22 attempts. These two need to have big rushing games if Sellers is out this week. As of right now, I think the Gamecocks are fine. They just need to win a big game this weekend. If not, I do believe that Carolina football will be in a bad spot, especially if they have playoff hopes like they did last year.

Why Hurdling Should be Allowed in Football

By: Ben McLaurin

I am going to be talking about a penalty that happened on Friday night. So we were playing LMA, and two plays before, I had been hit low in the knee on an outside run, and it had kind of hurt my knee because it was planted in the ground. The safety came down and down low when I tried to truck him, and right when I landed after being flipped from the low hit, I told myself the next time I get an outside run, I’m going to hurdle this cat.

Next play comes, it is Lizz lead left, and I do not get the ball. The wide receivers came into the huddle to tell us our next play, the rip lead option right, and this was my moment. As long as my quarterback pitched it, I would have my chance. Ready, set, I go in motion, hut; Ford runs to the right. The outside linebacker is coming for him, which means he needs to pitch it, which he does. I am taking off from the sideline when the corner appears earlier than I thought due to him maneuvering around my blocking receiver. I knew how this corner in particular was going to tackle since he was a shorter dude, and I ran and jumped over him immediately after I got up. I saw two penalties, which I knew the move was illegal, but the corner was so low there was no other option. They announced the penalty for hurdling, which was 15 yards! Which I thought was absurd considering it was a minor penalty, not like targeting. This rule needs to be taken out of high school since it is allowed in college and the NFL. The point of the rule is to prevent injury, but in my opinion getting hit in the knee repeatedly is much more detrimental to a player’s health than getting grazed by a cleat on a hurdle.

My thoughts on football this weekend

By: Milling Galloway

What a great weekend to sit on our butts and watch some football.

There were a ton of great games and great moments in college and the NFL. I will just go ahead and name some of my top players. Justin Fields is the best quarterback in the NFL right now. He was electric and somehow lost. Plays that in the past he would never have made, he did. I will also have to say Aaron Rodgers is still that guy. My next great take is that Josh Allen is seriously going to win the MVP again. He played the best fourth quarter of all time.

On the college level, Clemson and South Carolina both looked terrible. While teams like FSU and USF are balling out right now. Byrum Brown is a man among little boys, the way he is killing it right now.

The main takeaway we could talk about is that the Cowboys’ letting Micah Parsons leave was a horrible idea. He is the best defensive player in the league. Dak was also pretty good, making great plays. The Eagles are very good, so the Cowboys ’ loss wasn’t terrible.

Taking things back to college, let’s look at Bryce Underwood. He only had around 140 passing yards and didn’t play great. He is only a true freeshmen, so I wouldn’t freak out. His arm talent is amazing. Justice Haynes is the best player on that team. If they can’t find a pass game, it’s gonna be a long year for the Wolverines. John Mateer and that Oklahoma offense looks strong. He has been really solid and made great throws. Although I don’t think they have really faced a challenge yet. Michigan is not amazing. Football in general looked great this weekend. I am excited to see what happens going forward. The Clemson and Georgia Tech game is going to be a great one. This upcoming weekend. Also, Carolina and Vandy will be rocking. Some exciting things are coming this next week.

Why Cereal Should Be Poured Before Milk

By: Madison Grace Hansen

When pouring a bowl of cereal, most individuals instinctively pour the cereal first— which is correct. Pouring the cereal into the bowl first is most efficient because it provides better portion control, improved texture, and a more enjoyable eating experience. Although some people choose to pour the milk first, that will never be correct because it is neither a logical nor a traditional approach.

To begin, putting the cereal in the bowl first allows for portion control. You can clearly see how much cereal you are spilling into the bowl which is beneficial in order to not overeat. Most individuals try to have a well balanced breakfast and as we know cereal is not the most healthy option therefore being aware of how much you are eating will allow you to not overserve yourself. Although a hearty breakfast usually consists of bacon, eggs, or sausage, if you have portion control, cereal will not be as bad for you as some may think.

Also, the texture is another key factor to think about when pouring cereal before milk. Cereal is meant to have a light crunch, and pouring milk on top allows you to control how much of it gets soaked. If you pour the milk before the cereal, the cereal may absorb more of the liquid, therefore leaving it not crunchy but instead soggy. Nobody likes soggy cereal. That is why the cereal should be poured before the milk.

Finally, pouring the cereal before the milk allows for a better eating experience. It is better to have some pieces of cereal still crunchy while some have settled to the bottom. It is much more enjoyable to have a little crunch with also a little soggy. If I am being completely honest, the taste of the cereal is different when the milk is poured second. The taste is better and that is why cereal should be poured before the milk.

What are the Top 5 Foods of All Time

By: Henry Jones

There are many opinions on the top 5 lists out there. People think that they can’t be factual, but I disagree. The great thing about my top 5 lists is that they are always right and no one can debate me on any topic. Anyways my top five food rankings go like this : any type of pasta at the one, steak at the two, a breakfast meal at the three, grilled cheese burritos from Taco Bell at the four, and grilled nuggets from Chick Fil A rounding it out at the five.

If you know me then you know I love Italian foods. My favorite kind of pasta is preferably chicken alfredo, but I will still devour any pasta style foods. I mean, it is just so hard to mess up even when my younger brother makes it for dinner every now and then. Next, steak is a gimme pick. Who doesn’t love a good steak? Medium rare or even medium are the only ways to go, but I will save that blog for when I really am desperate for a 100 in the grade book. Next, is a solid breakfast meal. There is a reason they claim breakfast is the most important meal of the day. If it is done right it’ll set the mood for the rest of the time you’re awake. Next, is a grilled cheese burrito from the one and only Taco Bell. It’s a bit of a niche pull for those who know, however don’t knock it ‘till you try it. I used to be a big T-Bell hater until I figured out about this hidden gem. Safe to say it destroys my bank account any time I’m hungry. Last but not least is grilled nuggets. I recently got put onto these and let me say that I’m very glad. My pre game football meal used to be Chipotle, but I’ve made the transition. The macros these give you in such a small amount is criminally unrecognized and needs more attention.