Alexis Dawkins – Baron Media Network

Rating My Classes pt.2

By: Alexis Dawkins

This is the continued version of rating my classes. Last week I rated first through fourth period.

After digital media is my study hall which is fifth period so it runs into lunch. I love this because I have over an hour break in the middle of my day and it is what I need to have energy to finish my day. I usually spend this time eating lunch and relaxing at home finishing homework or studying if needed. Sometimes I have lunch with friends or family to catch up. I rate this a 100/10 and highly recommend it for upcoming seniors.

My sixth period is definitely my most stressful class with it being AP Psychology. Taught by Mrs. Sanders again. I like her a lot so I am glad to have her twice a day. I am her only student she has twice and it is a little difficult because there have been a couple times they overlapped and it was a bit confusing but it is still beneficial. This class is on the harder side due to it being the first year offered at Wilson Hall and College Board has changed the curriculum so it is trying to be figured out by everyone involved but it is a beneficial class to take for those interested in anything psychological or medical in the future. This class is a 7.9/10 for me.

My last and final class is environmental science. This is my favorite class and it is taught by Mrs. Duke. This class is by far my best class and not necessarily because I love science because I do not but I do like Mrs. Duke a lot and she makes the class so much better. There are around fourteen boys in this class and only four girls so it is a rough class for her to handle seeing as the boys in there are the problematic ones but most of us girls help her with the boys and giver her relief when they are acting up. This class is definitely a 9.9/10.

Rating Classes

By: Alexis Dawkins

As a senior in highschool, I take many different classes to improve my GPA. Today I am going to be rating them.

To start, first period which is precalculus with Ms. Muldrow. I have always excelled in math and learning the ways of every concept easily but this class has challenged me recently. It may be the senioritis getting to me but the second semester of senior year has been my most challenging one yet, not just in math but in every class. I have this class with mostly juniors and only a few seniors so we are outnumbered. This class has to be a solid 7.5/10 because I like Ms. Muldrow but it is not my favorite class.

Second period is Human Health and Development. This is with Mrs. Sanders who is also the school nurse. I took this because I needed a lab science to graduate but this class has taught me a lot so far about the human body and different systems throughout. I am in this class with all girls except for one boy and five of the twelve in the class are seniors. We spend a lot of time goofing off but we do learn a lot. I rate this class a 9.5/10.

Third period is Senior Seminar or English 12 and this is with Mrs. Mattews. I had her for English 10 my sophomore year and I enjoy having her as a teacher but I will admit that I do not enjoy reading, writing, or anything else that comes along with an English class. I do enjoy the people in this class and the discussions we have but I will admit that the content of the class is not my favorite. This class is a 6.7/10 for me.

These are my first three classes and my next period is my digital media which is taught by Coach Ripley. This class gives us freedom to be as creative as we want to be. This class is one of my favorite classes because it is such a relief in the middle of the day after three stressful periods before. This class is going to be rated at a 9/10.

Rating dogs

By: Alexis Dawkins

This week I am going to talk about the rest of my dogs in my life. To start, I am going to talk about my moms dogs. She has three dogs in her house and it is a little chaotic. First she has a yorkie, Allie. She is an older dog and she thinks she owns the house. She’s the smallest dog and she barks louder than the big dogs and she is a 9.5/10. They also have an American bulldog, Axel. This is also my dog. He loves me more than everyone even though I’m not there much but he gets more excited to see me than he does everyone else. He does not do well with strangers, especially men, but he is such a sweet dog and he is a 9.4/10. She also has Stella. She is some type of boykin spaniel, lab, irish setter mix. She came from someone on facebook for free and we still do not know what kind of dog she is. Stella is an eight year old baby who loves my mom. Sometimes Allie, the smallest dog in the house, will scare her by just barking at her and it is funny because Stella is so much bigger than her. She loves to dig and get dirty but hates the bath she has to get after to clean off. She is a 9.4/10 also.

My aunt has one dog. She has always only had cats but she decided a few years ago that she wanted a golden retriever. Claire is the most spoiled dog you will ever meet. My aunt has two cats also and they are spoiled too with their own stroller but the dog is the most spoiled. When my aunt has to work she takes Claire to doggy daycare. This is not just any dog daycare, they have a pool for the dogs and all types of things to play with. When the dog spends the night a person sleeps with them in a room so they are not alone. Claire is such a sweet dog and she is very well trained. She is a solid 9.7/10.

These are most of the dogs in my family even though I want a maltipoo puppy but that is just a hope for one day. I love dogs more than people most days so if there is a dog somewhere you can bet money that that’s where I will be if you can not find me at a function.

Rating the Dogs I Have Known

By: Alexis Dawkins

In my lifetime, I really haven’t lived in more than one place for a long period of time. I have grown up in Sumter, but I bounce between grandparents’ houses and visit my mom or my dads sometimes. This leaves many ways for me to encounter many dogs, seeing that everyone I know has at least one. I have always been a dog person so I am going to rate the dogs my family has or has had.

Starting with my childhood dogs. One set of grandparents had a springer spaniel, Katie, and a dachshund, Polly. Katie was the hunting dog and by far one of the best dogs you would ever meet. She was well trained and was my papa’s best friend so I rate her a 9.7/10. Polly on the other hand was mean, especially towards kids. That may have been my fault because I was not the nicest to her but she was never a really nice dog. As I grew up she liked me more so she was nicer but overall I rate her a 7/10. Both of them have passed now and we have two more dogs, both being yorkies. Sadie is the older one and I picked her out. She is sweet but does not like to be picked up. She wants you to lay on the floor and play with her toys. She is a 9.7/10 also. Zoey is the other yorkie and she is the opposite. She loves people and to be held but does not want to play on the floor. She would rather lay down and sleep. She is also a 9.7/10.

At my other grandparents house they have a french bulldog, Conan. He is my best friend and sleeps with me every night. He does not like the car or the boat or when it’s hot or when it’s too cold, but he does love everyone he meets. He loves other dogs and going to daycare. He is definitely my favorite at a 9.9/10.

My dad has three dogs, Willow, Penny, and Ellie. Willow is a boykin spaniel and she is attached to my dads hip but she’s a good dog. Penny and Ellie are both old but sweet. I will rate all of them a 9.5/10.

I have always been a dog person. So much so that I would choose a dog over a person any day. There are many more dogs that have been in my life but I’ll save them for later.

High School

By: Alexis Dawkins

Now that I am wrapping up my last first semester in high school I want to reflect on some things. This could be for rising seniors or for rising freshmen next year. I have learned people skills, work ethic, and more.

As a freshman I came into school knowing everyone but being scared to death. I had gone to Wilson Hall since first grade so this was not a new experience for me but I was full of fear. “This is what determines the rest of my life. “If I do bad these next few years I won’t get into a good college.” “I can’t wait to graduate.” As you can see I had mixed emotions causing me to feel many different ways. I soon learned that I was being a little dramatic about some things but I also learned that I needed to work harder in school. I did not do as much as I should have when it came to academics which I realize now that I should have but I’m doing okay now.

Sophomore year was just there for me. Nothing crazy happened and I was not nervous. I did well in school and did things with friends but this year was not significant by any means.

Junior year I started to worry a little more about grades and college but I still did the same as always which was average. After the first semester I started realizing that things were getting real. The seniors I’ve grown up with were about to leave and we were about to take their spot.

As a senior now with one semester left I’m understanding what everyone was talking about when they talked about “senioritis”. I do have mixed emotions about it though. I can not wait to have my diploma in my hands but also I am going to miss this time and these people. Senior year is flying by and I’ve heard people say that but I never believed it was this fast until I got to where I am today.

Road Trip

By: Alexis Dawkins

This summer I went on a road trip with my aunt and her best friend. This trip included a week of driving and stopping at different places on the east of the United States. Starting in Sumter we drove to Virginia to pick up my aunt’s best friend. We spent the night there and left first thing the next morning to head to Tennessee to go to a zoo with one of the only spotless giraffes in the world. This was fun but the giraffe looked like a horse with a long neck, very anticlimactic.

We then left and drove to Kentucky to spend the night. The next day we went and did 2 tours in the Mammoth Caves. This is the longest cave system in the world. Even though it was a long day of walking, a lot of squeezing, and an insane amount of stairs, it was my favorite part of the trip. It was pretty and the history behind it was insane because this cave is over 420 miles long. The entire thing was dug by hand.

After this we got in the car and drove for a few hours and spent the night in utah. This was just halfway to New York which was our main reason for the road teip. We spent the night in Utah and drove to Buffalo, New York and went to the restaurant that inspired the road trip in the first place, Southern Junction. This was a place that my aunt saw on the news and had a big idea that we ended up doing. It was good but not my favorite food.

We spent two nights in Buffalo and went to Niagara Falls the next day which was another great part of the trip. We took a walk over to Canada and then went and had dinner. The next day we hopped back in the car and drove it to Pittsburgh to spend the night and then woke up to finish the drive to Virginia. We spent one last night there before heading home after a week-long road trip.

This trip was a great experience and a great way to spend part of the summer and I highly recommend everyone doing a road trip at least once in their lives.

The Best Fast Food in Sumter

by: Alexis Dawkins

I spend more time at fast food restaurants than I do at home. I get in trouble sometimes because I rarely eat at home, but fast food is more convenient. I eat a lot of food and have a list of my favorites.

Starting with my favorite, Chick-fil-a. This is my number one go-to when I’m hungry. With an order of a chicken sandwich with a large fry with either a sweet tea, diet coke, or frosted lemonade, depending on my mood.

Next up is Zaxby’s. This is not everyone’s favorite but it is a good place to go even though sometimes it is not necessarily the quickest option. Here my order is a big zax snack with extra zax sauce and either a diet coke or sweet tea. Sometimes I throw in some fried pickles if I’m in the mood for them.

Mcdonalds is a go-to for so many people, especially late at night. A lot of people get burgers but I’m a chicken nugget person. I always get a ten piece chicken nugget meal with fries and either sweet tea, diet coke, or a chocolate milkshake.

Cookout is a fun late night trip. If I go then I usually just get a milkshake and fries or cheese bites. Sometimes when I do get food I like getting a tray with chicken tenders and fries and cheese bites with a sweet tea. Cookout sweet tea is by far the best sweet tea in summer.

Sonic is one of my favorite places to go for a quick bite to eat. Getting their pickle fries (fried pickles), which does not sound like they would be good but they really are. I like running through and getting an ocean water or lemonade slushy.

These are not everyone’s favorite places and some are not my favorite but they are good places to stop when looking for some food that you do not have to cook.

The Spring Season

By: Alexis Dawkins

Spring is one of my favorite times of the year. It is the start of warmer weather and flowers blooming and people want to do more outdoor activities. Spending more time outdoors is better for your health and if you are anything like me, you do not want to be outside in the cold. In spring you can start swimming and going to the beach and/or lake and making family memories that will last forever.

Easter is in the springtime, a time to celebrate Jesus. This is a day to get up and go to church then have lunch/dinner and spend the day with family. Around this time is spring break for most people. At Wilson Hall, most of the high school students stay in Litchfield. This gives everyone a chance to spend a week with their friends and make lifetime memories.

Since it is not so cold, the people that like to hike and bike ride start doing that again. Even people that just ride bikes around the neighborhood with their kids start taking them out and teaching them these things and how to have fun outside. During spring you will see a lot of people start walking around their neighborhood or nearby parks, walking their dogs or just getting their kids out of the house.

Spring overall is one of the best times of the year. It is also when everything starts to bloom and birds start flying and the air just feels better. You can walk outside and feel the nice fresh air instead of walking outside and freezing. Some people like being cold but I can not stand it so I promise that I will be inside in winter but in spring, summer, and part of fall I will be spending time in the fresh air. Spring overall is one of the best times of the year.

Ranking the Seasons: Winter

By: Alexis Dawkins

Winter is my least favorite time of year. Being cold is the worst thing on the planet, but a few good things can come from winter. To start off, there is Christmas. Even though I hate winter, Christmas is the best time of year. Having time with family and getting gifts: what could be better? Santa comes for the kids, and they have the best time setting up cookies and milk for him. Then there is New Years. This is a monumental time every year because we end one year and start a new one. Everyone tries to make new year resolutions but we all know how those go. A month into the year and a majority of people have forgotten about them.

Valentine’s day also is in the winter. February 14th is the day that couples love. Everyone giving out chocolate and flowers and stuffed animals is a big part of Valentine’s day. Sometimes, depending on where you are, it may snow. Not in Sumter but in a lot of places it may snow a few feet. If it does snow then it is a great time for friends and family to get together and play outside. Even if you live in South Carolina where it doesn’t snow you can go places like Virginia and go snowboarding and snow skiing. This is a great way for families to bond and make memories that last a lifetime.

This also is the time for basketball season for all the basketball lovers out there. The winter is the best time to have bonfires too. They can be fun in the summer but they are better in the winter because they heat you up in the cold of the winter.

Even though I do not like winter, it is still a fun time of year for those who do like the cold.

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.