6 years. 110 writers. 2,000 articles. Through thick and thin, The Talon has survived and continuously brought Raptor Nation stories in tune with the pulse of the student body. Started in 2014 with nine writers, The Talon has continuously evolved and progressed to become the shining outlet of news media that it is today. This article will cover the most notable articles produced from the site to reminisce on six illustrious years of history. All images are linked to the article in discussion!

A Review of the Chophouse

The most newsworthy article in the last four years, “A Review of the Chophouse” stirred up some strong emotions at our neighbor school, Wando, in 2018. The piece satirized their student section, the “Chophouse,” and went viral there with many students taking offense with the article. While intended for comical effect, the piece was not received well at Wando, and parents even went as far to contact our principal on the matter. In the end, Wando ended up giving The Talon over thirty-six hundred views and lots of publicity, so who really came out on top?

SOA’s students are “Not ‘A’ Distraction”

This article covered a major news event on the Bonds Wilson campus, CCSD dress codes at SOA. In September 2015, SOA’s student body all wore red A’s on their clothing to signify their disdain for severe dress code polices in a nod to Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter. The novel details a young woman who is shamed and ostracized due to adulterous behavior, and the school took inspiration from her story to take a stand against the school district.

Cookout Milkshake Rankings

Another great article by Kate Kuisel, “Cookout Milkshake Rankings,” is the most famous work on The Talon with over sixty-three and half thousand views. As you can probably assume by the title, Kate tries every milkshake flavor at Cookout and to spare you the time, peach cobbler took the gold while chocolate cherry got last place. While many staff members remain mystified as to how this article reigns supreme, it is no surprise that Cookout garners bountiful attention from the Charleston teen community.

Senior Wills

One of The Talon‘s longstanding traditions is senior wills, where graduating students leave clubs and memories behind to underclassmen. Not gonna lie, I almost teared up a little bit looking back at the items I was left last year, as I remembered many a raptor past. I will start collecting senior wills for the class of 2020 in May, so keep an eye out!

The Talon articles are part of your legacy just like the yearbook.  Let us know what you’d like to see in The Talon.