Andrew Carr by Caleb Sutton

Andrew Carr. Someone many people know through his success in Rebel sports. As he is the starting kicker for the Rebel football team as well as the leading center back for the Rebels soccer team. But though he already has so much on his plate due to sports he still finds time to work diligently for the BRN team. Andrew started his work with the BRN/BCSN team this year as a junior and has made a perfect addition to the team. 

With the suggestion by Katherin LeMonds, Andrew joined the class and saw it as an opportunity to escape in the mornings, but says, “It turned out to be a very enjoyable class that I really going to miss next year.” Andrew served the class as the photography director obtaining pictures for graphics as well as articles. And also was the SID (Sports Information Department) for girls golf, special events, and girls tennis. 

He not only served the class by getting images and providing information about the sports he was covering, but also brought a positive energy to the classroom. He was always willing to help others and give suggestions when he could. But most memorably he made broadcasts entertaining not only for the viewers with his camera work, but with his comments to those working on the productions. He recalls one broadcast in particular, “…When McClain and I started using code names, I was Black Mamba.. McClain was Golden Rattlesnake, and Emily was Gigi.” Andrew brought this type of comedic relief to every broadcast and maintained this attitude all throughout the year.

Carr brought with this positive attitude an attitude to serve others not only in the community but also his classmates. Carr stated learned a lot from his experiences in the classroom, but he realized how big of an impact he could have on others lives. He says, “I will continue to put the spotlight on people who don’t always get the recognition they deserve through my life…” Because of this class Carr was able to learn new life lessons like these to bring others up and give credit where credit is due. He has grown as a person in this way and plans to continue on assuring others that no matter what they are doing they are having a positive impact on the lives of other individuals. 

Overall, Carr is grateful for the connections he made with his classmates and the relationships he has strengthened along the way. And in true Andrew Carr fashion he says, “ I want to say a little prayer for everyone who will be in the class next year because my sister will be joining them.” Carr will always be remembered in the classroom as a positive, outgoing, and comedic personality in the classroom and will have a lasting impact on BRN as a whole.

How To Be A Fountain 101 by Alyssa Pinkston

As a kid you were probably told to spread kindness and to always be thankful. but, senior Connor Young never had to be told. Connor got involved in BRNews because of his love for sports and because his brother had been involved in the class for a few years prior with a shared passion for sports. However, while being in BRNews, Connor has never failed to spread kindness. Connor always comes in first thing in the morning showing a smile on his face and is well prepared to take on whatever task he is given with no complaint. Young even says  “My strongest contribution to BCSN would be always bringing a smile and a kind heart to the class. I only had the privilege of being involved in BCSN for a short time, so I felt that always being kind was a way that I could strongly impact and uphold the culture that surrounds BCSN.”  And which without a doubt Conor Young has left a strong impact on all of his peers around him. As well as always spreading positivity, kindness, and a smile, Connor has never failed to show gratitude towards absolutely anything. Connor has constantly expressed how thankful he is to be apart of BRNews and how grateful he is for the opportunities he has been given while being apart of the group. Connor says “ I am very thankful for the opportunity to take this class and join the BCSN family! This class has not only taught me so much about sports, it has taught me so much about how to live my life after high school.”  Being thankful for every opportunity he has been given.  Coach Fei has always said to “be a fountain, not a drain.” but, Connor has taken the time to become a role model of the fountain coach Fei is always talking about, showing others why its so much more valuable than being a drain.

Katherine LeMonds – the Epitome of Hard Work by Connor Young

When the name Katherine LeMonds is spoken, many valuable and positive traits come to mind. Her kindness, compassion, and selflessness give a mere glimpse of who LeMonds is as a person. She strives to do her best for the people around her at all times. She also is not afraid to step out of her comfort zone for the benefit of herself and others. When I hear the name Katherine LeMonds, one phrase comes to mind: hard-working.   

As a rising senior at Boyle County High School, Katherine is involved in many clubs and extracurricular activities. She is the starting pitcher for the softball team, a member of NHS, and is very involved in BCSN. Most impressively, she is able to achieve at a high level in all of these activities while keeping a stellar academic record. This illustrates her ability to work hard to achieve her goals. Without a strong work ethic, nobody can balance all of these activities and achieve highly in every activity. This hard-work carries over into the BRN. She has worked hard to help the club reach its full potential.

Katherine has served the BRN for three full semesters of her high school career. She was “recruited” by her Mom, stating “I got involved because I saw my Mom working diligently alongside the BCSN crew… She and Coach Fei actually roped me and a friend into helping commentate a volleyball game and we loved it”! Since then, Katherine has served many roles in the BRNews class, including Calendar Coordinator, BCSN Coordinator Assistant, and the Chief Information Officer. She has worked hard to be the best at each of these roles, and definitely achieved this. LeMonds stated “I feel like my strongest contribution to BCSN was my organizational skills”. In each role, Katherine was very organized in the way that she completed tasks. This allowed her to be an invaluable member of BCSN. Without Katherine’s organization and work-ethic, the club would not be where it is today.  

Throughout her career in BCSN, Katherine has upheld the values of the club. For example, she upheld the value of “being a fountain”. Katherine always was there to encourage the other members of the club to complete their best work at all times. She maintained a positive attitude at all times. When asked how the BRN has impacted her, she noted that the class showed her that “We are all people and we all make mistakes so we have to extend grace when things don’t fall out the way we want them to”. Her positive attitude allowed her to “be a fountain” and constantly pour encouragement into others. Additionally, there were many times in the classroom when Katherine was done with her work, and would be working on the next item of business even if it was not hers. She said herself that “Nothing can be done to its best without the help of others’ ‘. LeMonds knew that taking the workload off of someone else would not only benefit that person, but it would benefit the club as a whole. By constantly working hard and “being a fountain”, Katherine made sure that the day’s work always went smoothly.  

Looking back on this year in the BRNews class, Katherine was a light to every member of the class. Whether it was constantly joking with Andrew, or never shying away from making a sarcastic comment to McClain, Katherine brought everyone joy this year. She was the glue that held this group together. To Katherine, however, this was not just any group of people. She said “…that by doing things together, you quickly become a family”. Every member of the BRN family is honored to call Katherine family. Katherine’s will to work hard every single day with a smile on her face made this year special. The 2025 BRNews crew will be in good hands!

Wrestling onto a new beginning by Luis Sanchez

From being a Sports Information Director (SID) for wrestling to a full-ride scholarship to wrestle at the collegiate level, Alyssa Pinkston. Pinkston is a graduating senior who has been a part of the BRN/BCSN team for over two years. Pinkston said she joined us because, “ When I was scheduling for my junior year, Sophie Wilson (BCSN Member) told me it was fun.” A simple and understanding reason that will later guide her through a path to success. Pinkston made an enormous contribution to the team, whether she was managing the fusion slider for the BRNNews website, cutting out newspaper pictures to put on the infamous picture wall in Coach Fei’s classroom, helping out in various positions on our BCSN live broadcasts, or being an outstanding wrestling SID, Pinkston made sure she was able to help, such that her willingness of just “going with the flow” as she mentions is what led her to change the course of her high school career.

BCSN always tries its best to spotlight all our varsity sports, wrestling was not an exception. “I was the wrestling SID because I was the only person in the class who had ever wrestled in the past. Which also meant, I had to broadcast wrestling senior night.” Which she did amazing on. While at the event Alyssa was informed that a new girl’s wrestling team was being put together. And after giving it some thought she decided to join the team and never looked back. Everything unraveled quickly after that for Pinkston. She achieved many awards and even became the captain of her team. Her dedication and work ethic paid off. Pinkston will continue her wrestling and academic career at Lindsey Wilson College on an athletic scholarship. BRN has taught Pinkston many lessons during her time in the class, her biggest takeaway was to always “be passionate about what you are working on. Whenever you’re working on something take the time to show that you care.”

Caleb the Cable Guy by Mary Couch

One might hear the title of “materials manager” and assume that that person maintains the broadcast equipment in an orderly manner. However, it is evident that there is a real icon in the class when the title begins to take on an ironic tone. Caleb Sutton, serving as BRN News and BCSN materials manager for the past two years, is certainly a class icon.

As materials manager, one of Sutton’s principal jobs is to charge the batteries. Despite this fact, though, Sutton describes a complex attitude between himself and his responsibilities. 

“The batteries and I had a love-hate relationship,” says the materials manager. Often, we would go to set up for a broadcast and realize that the batteries were dead. Sutton often received the blame when the batteries were not on the charger, but it was not necessarily his fault. After all, there are many instances of batteries getting up and walking off of their chargers.

While Sutton may have struggled with forgetfulness when it came to batteries, the BCSN crew must give him props for being one of the few people who actually knows how to properly and efficiently set up the full broadcast, from the cameras, the rodecaster, and the Mac studio, to whatever it is that is referred to as “the dongle.” 

Sutton’s ability to set up the broadcast equipment comes with the contingency that it may not always work, even if it has worked in this exact way countless times before. If a cord has broken or a button just won’t press, Sutton credits BCSN for teaching him perseverance in the event of technical difficulties. 

“Now instead of thinking all is lost, I try to find a solution to the problem, no matter how odd the solution sounds,” Sutton explains.

Sutton brings a lot of fun to the BCSN atmosphere, always cracking jokes and lightheartedly making fun of his friends, and always willing to share one of his Five Star breakfast sandwiches with an expectant Colin Wise or McClain Denney. Sutton retains the necessary duality to work when it is time, though.

With his funny and giving attitude, Caleb takes his own advice, passed on from Coach Fei, to “Always be a fountain, don’t be the drain.”