Author: baronmedianetwork

Can the Arizona Cardinals Compete in the the NFC West?

by: Henry Jones

Since the beginning of the National Football League, the Arizona Cardinals have existed, and ever since then, they have been disappointing to their fans. Though many others are willing to give up on the team, I am not. This looks as if it is finally our year. We have our dual threat QB back and healthy, we have a capable head coach, and our first draft pick, Marvin Harrison Jr. is looking to be the next coming of Jerry Rice and Randy Moss put together. This being said, our defense is probably, if not the worst thing I have ever laid my eyes on. It just isn’t physical enough to compete with the rest of the NFC West (the Cardinal’s division). 

Another thing, people love to go on and on complaining about how difficult they have it in their division, but nobody wants to talk about how hard the Cardinals opponents are. They have the 2022 superbowl champions, the 2024 superbowl runner-ups, and the Seahawks who have one of the best young rosters in the league. This being said, it will definitely be a challenge this year for the Cardinals. 

Last but not least, I would like to speak about the quarterback. I have been a Kyler Murray fan since he was playing Oklahoma football in college, and whenever the Cardinals drafted him with the first overall pick of the 2019 NFL draft, then I knew we were about to go on a run. Kyler started his career winning Rookie of the Year and putting up great numbers for it being his first year in the league. However, I got my hopes up too soon. Ever since his early run for MVP in 2022, Kyler has been plagued with injuries. I thing due to this, people forget about what an amazing quarterback he is. 

To wrap it up, I think I need to answer the original question: can the Arzona Cardinals compete in such a tough division? While it is a hard question to answer I will go with my own biased opinion (which is usually right) and say that we are good enough to compete this year and will go on a sneaky playoff run.

Why Protein is so Vital to Athletes

By: Ford Wilder

To start off, many athletes are great within the mental and physical aspects of their sport,but they lack what most might say matters most: nutrition. Nutrition is very important for not just athletes but everyone in general because it fuels your body day in and day out.The main sources of nutrients you need to consume everyday are carbs,fats,proteins,water,minerals, and vitamins. These are all essential nutrients but ,in my opinion, protein is most important to athletes.I believe this because protein is vital for numerous aspects which I will dive into.

The first of reasons is because protein is essential for muscle building and recovery.In long and strenuous weight training sessions,practices,and games.Without protein, your body is unable to give your muscles the amino acids it needs to repair and rebuild. If you do not intake the amount of protein you need then your body will become sore, you will lose muscle mass, and your metabolism will be slowed.

Next off, protein is vital because it balances your diet by ensuring you stay full and satiated throughout workouts and the day in general. By keeping your protein intake at a stable level; it will allow you to limit cravings and keep your diet in check. If your diet is unstable; it will cause you to feel lethargic,sore, and weak.

How one should get their protein intake is a question many ask. This can be answered in pretty simple means. A person should aim for at least one gram of protein per pound you weigh ,so if someone weighs 165 pounds; they should aim for at least 165 grams of protein per day. Athletes should consume their protein through sources of chicken, beef, fish, dairy, protein bars, protein shakes,etc. Also, athletes should aim to get 30 grams of protein within an hour after their workout to ensure muscle recovery.

In all, protein is very essential in the everyday life of athletes and should be a vocal point in their diets. Without the correct amount of protein taken in everyday, a number of consequences will be followed.

Study Tips

Grayce Osgood

Studying is something that no one particularly enjoys. It can seem like a lot, especially if work piles up and classes seem to get harder, but creating a system for studying can help. It can help organize your workload and take some stress off of you. This blog will hopefully help give you some tips on how to make a study system for you, one that you can find from someone else or tailor for yourself. 

The first thing to make sure you have is notes. Make sure you are taking notes during class when you need them. You could use a computer, if allowed, or write them down, which helps more with memorization. Once you finish the notes, if they aren’t organized, you could make them more organized at a different time, and while you do that, take more time to try and understand the topic you were taking notes on. You could organize them with flashcards, or do whole detailed lists, whatever works for you.

A useful source to use when making a study system on the Internet. You can find youtube, tiktok, instagram, etc videos online that can give you some inspiration for ways to study. There’s plenty of accounts out there that are dedicated to helping with schoolwork. The Internet would be an easy source to use because it is also very accessible, everyone can use it and it has almost everything you need on it. Another online study tip is to use Quizlets. Quizlets can help you organize your notes, study, and memorize things for tests and quizzes. These things can help you organize and come up with study plans, and they’re sources you can use outside of school while you have free time.  

Here are some starting tips on how to create a study system for yourself. Make sure to keep your notes organized, and organize them based on what works best for you to memorize them. You can also use, outside of school, the internet. It can be a very helpful tool when you can’t understand something or you just need some pointer or motivation. Hopefully these tips will help you and your studies!

Vacation Spots: Exuma

By Logan Mims

Number 1 out of the top 5 places I have vacationed is Exuma, Bahamas. I went during April 2022 and it was absolutely beautiful. The water was so clear and the weather was just perfect. There was always such a nice breeze. We stayed in a house on the beach that had a pool. I could not have asked for the house to be at a better spot! 

There were so many different activities you could choose from. We swam with sharks and sea turtles, snorkeled, ate at so many delicious restaurants, and chartered a boat. My top 3 favorites were swimming with sharks, chartering a boat, and snorkeling. 

Swimming with sharks was just so thrilling! The sharks we swam with were sand sharks, so they are not known to bite, so it was pretty safe. Even though it was said to be safe, it was still very nerve racking. 

The next activity is the boat. Our guides were Captain Sugar and his first mate Kenny. They just make the experience so much better. They were locals so they knew where all the hot spots were. They would take us to this place called the Chat and Chill. It had a beach volleyball court, hammocks, picnic tables, and a place to get food and it was also on the beach. We went there almost everyday with Kenny and Sugar. They also took us to caves we could swim in and really tall rocks to jump off of into the water. It was just such an amazing experience overall! 

The last activity was snorkeling. We could snorkel outside of our house because there was a reef which was really cool! Kenny and Sugar also took us to some really awesome spots. I found so many big shells and multi-colored fish. It was nothing like I had ever seen before. Overall I would rate Exuma a 10/10!!

Rating Golf Courses: Lakewood

By: Milling Galloway

The Links at Lakewood is a golf course located in Sumter, South Carolina. I will be giving my full opinion and rating of this course. Many people play this golf course. I have played this golf course many times as well. It stands out to me with its beautiful scenery. Even though it has great views, the courses does not stay in great condition. The greens at Lakewood are very friendly toward the golfers and have a nice calm tempo. The fairways are where this course does not shine. The grass most of the time is not cut and many times there are obstacles in the fairways. The hole that I want to highlight is the 13th. This in my opinion is the hardest hole in the course, you have to hit a good shot over the lake. The distance is around 100 to 150 yards, depending on what Tee Box you play from. The thing that stands out about this whole is the scenery. When you first step on the Tee Box, you see the vast Lake all around you. When you step onto the green, you also only see the vast Lake around you. When you play at this course it is clear to see that this is a beginner’s course, for people who enjoy playing golf. I am new to golf,  so playing this course is a great way to get better. If you are an advanced player, then this course is not for you. On a scale, I will rate this course a 6.5 out of 10. To me, Lakewood is not a top-tier golf course. Yes, I would play this course for fun, but if I could go to another golf course I would. To conclude, I like the golf course, but its just not a high value golf course.

The Fall Off of Tim Anderson

By: Benson Elmore

Tim Anderson, the Chicago White Sox shortstop, could have had a historic career for the Chicago White Sox, and he had very high hopes for the future. Here’s a breakdown of how severely one of the most electric players in recent years has fallen off since his amazing season in 2021:

2021: In 2021, Tim Anderson made hitting in the majors look easy. He hit .309, showcasing his strong hitting ability and consistency. He was known for his excellent contact skills and agility on the base path. Anderson made the All-Star team this year, underscoring his status as one of the best all-around shortstops in the league. His defensive and offensive production were key for the White Sox, who were very competitive in the American League Central division that year.

2024: By the year 2024, Tim Anderson was just another “could have been” kind of guy for baseball fans. His batting average had settled around .218, reflecting a decent dip from his peak performance causing productivity concern. Injuries and changes in the White Sox roster in 2024 caused Anderson to be sent to Miami Beach to play for the marlins where he is now not half the player he was imagined to be. Ever since the infamous fight with Jose Ramirez, his career has never been the same, even seeming to affect his attributes, such as having no home runs this whole major league season. Since becoming a marlin though, Tim seems to be a simple name brought up only when someone needs something nostalgic to ponder on. 

When the name Tim Anderson appears in your mind, you probably think of the talented all-star shortstop for the White Sox, but that Tim Anderson seems to not exist anymore. The downfall of not only Tim Anderson, but the whole White Sox organization should be studied. Though Tim is no longer the electric middle infielder we all know, he will always be remembered for how significant his role was on the White Sox throughout his short-lived major league career.

Fall

By: Alexis Dawkins

This series is going to be about the seasons. Out of the four times of year, there is an order of best to worst. Spring, summer, fall, and winter is the only correct way of the seasons. Since summer is wrapping up and fall is starting, I’m going to explain some of the best fall activities around here. Fall is a time of year to be enjoyed by all. The air is crisp and clean and after a summer of scorching heat, the cool air is refreshing. The Fall Festival with the school is in October and that is a fun activity for the kids. They can dress up, play games, win prizes, and a new addition that is being brought back is the haunted house. Another fall activity is pumpkin picking. You can take a family trip to a pumpkin patch and then go home and carve funny or scary faces in them. Something that is more geared toward the women of the world is Starbucks and their fall drinks. From the Pumpkin Spice latte to the Pumpkin Cream cold brew. Back to October, Halloween is a fun holiday for kids. They get to go around with friends and family and get candy. It is a kids dream come true, to be handed candy while doing nothing to earn it. The best thing about fall is that Christmas is right around the corner, but before then is Thanksgiving. A time for family and food that lasts for days. This is a holiday that kids enjoy a little less but parents and grandparents love having time to come together especially if they have not seen each other for a while. The cousins get to reunite and play and be best friends as they are everytime they see each other.

Ranking Celsius Flavors – Space Vibe Edition

By Anna Kate Coker

Although energy drinks are often controversial on whether they are really good for you or not, they taste delicious regardless. This variety pack of celsius’s includes astro vibe, galaxy vibe, and cosmic vibe. 

Ranking at Number 3: Galaxy Vibe

Coming in with a flavor blend of strawberry and watermelon, it just falls short in comparison to the others. The can illustrates a purple, orange, and yellow image of palm trees and a planet. One of their other energy drinks with only watermelon, has a stronger flavor, tasting better than this combo. The website claims that this drink will “take your taste buds to a vibrant mystic galaxy”, but this observation is just false. This drink was a good idea and isn’t too bad, it was just executed poorly and it is hard to tell what tanginess you are really tasting. 

Ranking at Number 2: Astro Vibe

This energy drink portrays the flavoring of blue raspberry almost perfectly. Tasting almost just like a blue jolly rancher, it does well with quenching your thirst. Astro Vibe was very close on ranking first, but there was just one problem. I am simply not a fan of the after taste. I can’t quite figure out exactly what it tastes like, but I am left wanting something else to eat or drink after it. On the upside, the can is very nice and aesthetic to look at, showing shades of blue, greens, and yellows.

Ranking at Number 1: Cosmic Vibe

I may be biased, but Cosmic Vibe celsius is my favorite, all time, flavor. This drink is a sparkling fruit punch. It is a perfect representation of how it felt to drink red fruit punch kool aid in your childhood. This flavor combines several fruits: strawberry, lemon, orange, blueberry, and combines them perfectly. The red can is gorgeous to look at, with a planet and strawberries. It is easy to drink, whether you want to chug it or sip it. 

My Favorite Things: Wilson Hall Track

By: McKenzie Gray Mills

In this week’s blog I’ll be talking about one of my favorite things, Wilson Hall track. Volleyball is my main sport, but in the spring I enjoy participating in track. My sophomore year I was a mid-distance runner. I ran the 400 and 200 in meets. In my junior year, I took a very different route. I did the triple and long jump. While I probably should have stuck it out with mid-distance because I’m not the tallest person or have a great vertical, I oddly really enjoyed being a jumper.

Jumping practice is much different than a mid-distance practice. It starts out with the whole team doing the two-lap warm-up and stretching routine. Once we get over to the “jumping area”, we mark down our spots and do about five to ten jumps depending on if there’s a meet coming up. When we are waiting for our turn to jump we usually all sit in a circle and talk about what’s going on or try to sneak our phones to look at TikTok or Snapchat quickly.

Wilson Hall’s track team is unique from others, we all get along so well and truly enjoy being out there with each other. On Friday we take part in Popsicle Friday. This is where each senior gets a turn to talk about their favorite track memories and share a piece of advice with the lower classmen who still have some time at Wilson Hall, while everyone enjoys their popsicle of choice. For my last year being able to take part in this wonderful activity, I plan to keep going with the triple and long jump. I might not miss hearing Coach Rip tell the jumpers it is their turn to do some running, but there are so many more things I will miss

Dogs in Need

By: Campbell Cromer

Every year, many dogs find themselves in shelters, abandoned, or living in unsafe conditions. These dogs are left in need of care, love, and a safe place to call home. While it’s easy to overlook the situation, we all have the ability to make a difference in these animals lives. Many of these dogs come from difficult backgrounds. Most are strays, many others are surrendered by families that can no longer care for them. They are often in need of medical care, rehab, or simply a love and a good family. Shelters and rescues work hard to care for these dogs, but they are often have too many dogs for the amount of money they have.

Adopting a dog from a shelter or rescue is one of the best ways to help. Homes that suit dogs are filled with love, attention, caring for the dog the way it needs to be cared for. These homes provide a safe home, proper health regulations, exercise, and routine veterinary checks. A truly good home also offers friends and treats dogs. By giving a dog a loving home, you not only save that animal from their prior situation, but also make space for another dog that need help. There are many strays in Sumter and all over the world and many of these dogs need to be adopted.

If adoption isn’t possible, fostering could be an another way to help dogs in your community. It gives dogs a temporary, loving home and helps them adjust to family life. Volunteering your time at a shelter, donating supplies, or raising awareness about the issue are other great ways to help dogs in need. Even little differences like saving a single dog can make a huge difference in the lives of these animals. Every dog deserves a chance at a happy, healthy, and well cared for life. Whether through adoption, fostering, or volunteering, you can help many dogs in need