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Robinson High School 6311 S. Lois Ave., Tampa, FL 33616
Volume 58, issue 2 | November 27, 2017
20 years of games, now on to family
news
Whats inside • Robinson hosts career fair for the Great American Teach In
pg 2
opinion
• Find out why staffers are frustrated with college board
sports
By Macy McClintock Managing Editor
• Read about the volleyball team’s success and the forecast for the girls soccer season
pg 3
feature
pg 4
• Check out the Humans of RHS
A&E
pg 6
pg 4
• Pop singer Dua Lipa makes her debut with her self-titled album
Extended Coverage on RHStoday.com Slideshows, inforgraphics and more are in our online story of Shawn Taylor. Use Snapchat camera to read the story using this QR code.
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Head football coach Shawn Taylor resigns his coaching position to focus on family, leaves a long Robinson legacy
or the past 20 years, former head football coach Shawn Taylor has dedicated his life to Robinson football. From his time as a tackle center and offensive guard, to coming back as an assistant coach throughout his college years to eventually taking the head coach position, Taylor has lived and breathed Robinson football. But even though he’s been on Jack Peters Field for 24 years, his favorite football memory doesn’t even involve football. When Taylor’s grandfather was dying of cancer in 2013, Taylor went to the hospital every day after school to him. During that same time of his grandfather’s struggle, Taylor was offered the full time coaching job. His grandfather spent two months in the hospital while cancer spread throughout his entire body. Even though Taylor would talk to him every day, his grandfather never smiled; it by no means was a happy time. But on that one February day that Taylor announced he was the new face of the Robinson football coaching staff, a smile crept across his grandfather’s face. His grandpa died two weeks later. “That’s the happiest I ever saw him. That day (that I told him I got the head coaching position). It’s weird but that’s the main thing that sticks out, how happy it made my grandpa that I got the job before he died,” Taylor said. “He never got to see me coach a game, but he was the most elated he could be when he was on his deathbed.” Family has always been the top priority for Taylor, but the head coaching position has been an obstacle in giving full attention to his wife and two girls, which is the reasoning behind his decision to step down. “I’m excited about little stuff, like helping my daughter with homework and her projects because usually I get home from practice and it’s 30 minutes till bedtime, and my wife’s done all that,” Taylor said. “Usually I don’t eat with them, I eat by myself.” Taylor is a “family man” built in stone, with both his blood family and his Robinson family. Throughout his coaching career, only two players have gone on to pay their mortgage with
football, yet his coaching techniques have built all-around men, not just all-around players ready for the next level. “I try to tell them that football won’t last long,” Taylor said. “You play and it’s over, but education is forever, grades are important.” Because Taylor has always focused on more than just the 100 yards of the football field, he has formed inseparable bonds with his players. “Taylor was a phenomenal coach. If it weren’t for him I wouldn’t be where I am today. He put pressure on me as a student first and athlete second,” said Malik Tyson (’16), quarterback and redshirt freshman for Florida International University. “He taught me what it took to be a leader on and off the field and I think that is what prepared me most for college.” And
that’s the way all his players see him. His past players remain in contact with him; they know they can talk to him about anything. “He was
there for me through thick or thin, whenever I needed to talk he was there or at least a phone call away.” Tyson said. “We definitely are still in touch, someone like that doesn’t just disappear from your life.” As of now, Taylor doesn’t plan on going anywhere. Robinson has always been a part of his life and he has every intention to keep it that way. But, because his teaching contract is bound to his coaching contract, he may have to give up his spot depending on who is the new hired coach. Taylor is just excited to finally dedicate time to the most important aspect if his life, his family. “Seven days a week, 24 hours. It (Coaching) never ends. I’ve been on vacation and I’m on a phone call with a parent for an hour. I mean, it’s year-round. Even at home on the computer, I’m watching film,” Taylor said. “I just want to be able to get ice cream with my daughters after school Friday and see how that is. Leaving coaching is like leaving home to go to college- it’s sad but it’s got to happen.” photo by m
. mccli ntock
02 KNIGHT WRITERS | News |November, 2017
NEWS
PHOTO Gallery
night of oNE aCTS All Photos Taken By Lillian Martin News Editor
Theatre students gather around a couch during a scene in the play “We didn’t make that play up... honest” .This was Eva Alcaraz (‘20) (bottom left) first experience as a lead in a play. “I was pretty nervous, but really thankful for Lyndsie and the fact that she chose me as one of the leads.”
A member of the play “Not so Grimm Tales” lays on the stage during an intense moment for the character. Samuel Sawney (‘18) wanted to make the most of this play, and he definitely fulfilled that goal. “Joining the thespian troupe my freshman year was the best decision I’ve ever made.
The Evil Queen shuns Snow White in an entertaining scene in the play “Not so Grimm Tales”. Orlea Mattson (‘18) enjoyed her time playing the Evil Queen during her last one-acts. “One-acts this year was so much fun and I feel so blessed to have such an amazing, talented cast. I wouldn’t have wanted to finish my last one-acts with anyone else.”
Lead member of the play “We didn’t make that play up... honest” talks to the audience on a couch. This was Elias Fermin (‘21) first time as a lead. “At first it was very overwhelming... as time went on though, it kind of became like opening your locker, just like second nature really.”
Robinson Hosts career fair his year’s career fair was teeming with a variety of jobs that spanned almost every field. From military to fashion, there was sure to be something for everyone. The career fair helps students figure out what jobs are tailored to their individual interests, and find the paths that are right for them. Within the representatives was a physical therapist assistant for the air force A1C (Airman first class). Her and many others had similar goals of expanding the students’ knowledge of life beyond
high school, and opening their eyes to what’s to come. “I wanted to talk to kids about the different opportunities in the military a lot of kids just think if you’re in the military you’re going to war there over 300 jobs in the military,” said the representative. Many students, including Annabelle Allison (’19), were interested in what the fair had to offer. “It shows different opportunities for after school, and helps with people who don’t plan on going to college,” Allison said.
‘Cinderella’ sweeps the stage during the play “Not so Grimm Tales”. Theatre veteran Corey Hendricks (‘18) had mixed feelings about this being her last one-acts. “It was bittersweet. It was nice to know I got to play one of the most highly sought after roles for my senior year.”
NOV. 16TH
By Cassidy Williams Staff Writer
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slammin’
NOV. 15TH
By The Staff of rhstoday.com
Students walked out of their second period class to protest the school district’s refusal to honor teacher’s step increase in pay. Visit rhstoday.com to read this story.
R
obinson’s media center served as a safe place on Tuesday, Oct. 7 for those who chose to participate in the annual poetry slam, an event that allows students to create and share an original poem and perform it to the group without the fear of getting negative backlash. “Poetry is a way of expressing myself,” Melenis Buckley (‘18) said. “I’m a reader anyways and I’m a writer... but doing poetry was definitely another way of expressing myself and another way of just getting my point across in a situation where I felt I couldn’t be heard.” The first day of the slam, guest poet Giddy Perez took the day to get everyone comfortable around each other with team building activities that involved students interacting with each other. She also performed her own poem about her perspective as a barber called “Giddy Scissorhands”. “I think that it’s different now, I think she really put in emphasis on slam poetry when last year it was reallyI’m not going to say more fun- but it was more of an emphasis on just getting
you there, this is more about ‘Oh my gosh you’re about to compete, like you need to state your feelings’ and I think she did a really good job introducing everybody.” Buckley (‘18). During the actual Slam, five random judges were chosen to score the poets that were competing. Each student was scored based on their presentation, originality, and the ability to connect with the audience. “There is something very different about feeling someone else’s emotions and when you feel someone else’s emotions through what they are saying,” Buckley said At the end of the event, everyone was in high spirits, with Buckley placing in third, Zjala Phelps (‘18) placing in second, and Bryce Buckland (‘18) placing in first. Even those who didn’t share left the event with a new perspective which was the ultimate goal of the event. “I want everyone leaving here feeling more empowered about who they are and their identity, if they don’t leave with any poetry that’s fine as long as they leave with a different sense of empowerment for themselves then my job is done,” Perez Said.
Robinson's annual career fair showcased a variety OF JOBS.
Although students were the main focus during the event, faculty members were just as excited. Assistant Principal Brian Hoover thought that the fair had a positive influence on students, and he was pleased with this years outcome, which showed a much larger variety of jobs than last year. “I think it went really well this year. Every time I went down there, there were a ton of different kids. The parents did a great job, a lot of different people from diverse careers came,” Hoover said. “For some
students, no matter what type of classes they’re in, having a focus for what you want to do after high school helps you be a better student and motivates you. I think that’s the biggest advantage of the career fair, is that students who don’t know what they want to do now have a focus that they can look towards.”
Trending on rhstoday.com
Students stage walkout
By Cilicia Anderson Sports Editor
Band places third
By Cilicia Anderson staff Writer Marching Band proved that even “The Underdog” can overcome the toughest of challenges on Saturday night, Oct. 28 at Newsome high school as they competed against schools in their division and came in third place overall, even when the weather did not work in their favor. Visit rhstoday.com to read the full story.
photo by j. oben A representative at Robinson’s career fair speaks to students about her work. Students were able to talk to an abundance of representatives to find what interested them the most.
Oh So Indie Flea
By Abby Meyer Staff Writer The Tampa Indie Flea is the newest local market in the Bay Area. Indie Flea promotes local arts and cultures within the community. It takes place every third Sunday of the month at the Historic Rialto Theatre in downtown Tampa. Visit rhstoday. com to read the full story.
Sarah Sanford, a shining star By Nicole Perdigon Staff Writer
experience, she has a great deal of accomplishments and feels this s Sarah Sanford started is partially due to the help of her what she thought was just colleagues. an average school day, she was “I still consider myself a new greeted by Assistant Principal teacher. I’ve only been doing Christopher Pettit playing it a couple of years and it’s the snare drums, accompanied by community at Robinson that Principal Robert Bhoolai holding helped me become the teacher flowers. Shocked, confused, and that I am,” Sanford said. “I have excited, really great mRS. sANFORD IS A VERY Sarah teachers to learn from and Sanford DYNAMIC TEACHER THAT GOES to emulate, found ABOVE AND BEYOND TO REACH and without out she that great has been THE STUDENTS THAT SHE HAS... community of selected for - ROBERT BHOOLAI teachers here I teacher of definitely wouldn’t be the teacher the year. that I am.” Although Sanford is a Sanford holds a unique relatively new teacher having quality, as prior to her job as a only four years of teaching
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teacher she worked hands on as a scientist. Assistant Principal Jennifer Rosage feels she utilizes her experiences to better her work now. “...She didn’t have the educational background, so she has to use what she learned in industry and bring that to the classroom. I think that because she didn’t necessarily have those classroom classes she didn’t have a predisposed attitude to the way it’s supposed to be, so she was more willing to take ideas from her peers,” Rosage said. Bhoolai and Sanford’s colleagues see the effort she puts into her work and how much it has impacts her students. “Mrs. Sanford is a very dynamic teacher that goes above
H
illsborough County has officially changed the bell schedule for the 2018-2019 school year. Instead of starting at 7:33 a.m. and ending at 3:00 p.m., high schools all over the county will now start at 8:30 a.m. and end at 3:25 p.m. Although the approved schedule is not the proposed plan that was suggested last spring, which suggested having school begin and end earlier, the new bell schedule won the majority of over 57 thousand people who participated in the survey created by the School Board. The main reason for the change was because of the buses’ difficult routes. According to the Hillsborough County school district’s website, over
12 thousand students were late to school every day because the buses did not have enough time to complete their routes and go between schools and bus stops. The transportation department of the school district is currently working on creating a new, fit bus schedule. With this new bell schedule, the buses will now have enough time to complete their specific routes without resulting in late students. According to the Hillsborough County school district website, next year’s schedule is actually preferred by the American Academy of Pediatrics because it recommends starting school at 8:30 a.m. The website also encourages the improved schedule since
photo by a. crews Robinson’s Teacher of the year Sarah Sanford shows a video to her class. Sanford was a scientist before becoming a teacher. “I still consider myself a new teacher.”
NOV. 16TH
School Type
Start Time
End Time
Elementary School Elementary Magnet School High School Middle and High Magnet School Middle School
7:40 a.m. 8:45 a.m. 8:30 a.m. 8:30 a.m. 9:25 a.m.
1:55 p.m. 3:00 p.m. 3:25 p.m. 3:25 p.m. 4:20 p.m.
Thank you
Robinson High School Foundation for funding RHStoday and Knight Writers.
JROTC WINS BIG Several of Robinson's JROTC students won medals during their Orienteering camping trip
By Mackenzie Hatton Staff Writer
additional studies have proven that students who start school at 8:30 a.m. or later and get enough sleep result in higher graduation rates and better attendance rates. Additionally, early release days are still set to happen every Monday at 2:25 p.m. And although students will technically be losing instructional time in school, it will benefit the children who lost time anyway because of the unreliable busing system. Sports and other afterschool activities will have to collaborate with other coaches and staff to accommodate to make the new schedule work for everyone.
Early Release Mondays 12:55 p.m. 2:00 p.m. 2:25 p.m. 2:25 p.m. 3:20 p.m.
news
and beyond to reach the students that she has in her class room to make sure they are engaged with the material and learning something relevant, her peers overwhelmingly believe she was deserving of the honor,” said Bhoolai.
New Bell Schedule for Next year Hillsborough County schools announce a new bell schedule for the 2018-2019 school year
November 1, 2017 | News | KNIGHT WRITERS 03
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By Angie Vasquez Contributor
aval Junior Reserve males-orange division. Mary Officer Training Corps Watson (’18) earned third (NJROTC) had their campplace in the female-green ing trip for Orienteering at course. Moss Park, winning several “It felt nice to be better medals. than the rest, but it was Orienteering is a land challenging. I’m really happy navigation competition I won,” Botezan said. where each individual has The Orienteering team to go out in the woods, and won first place for the yellow look for checkpoints as they division. “It feels really cool are timed. There are three [to win overall first place] levels of because it It felt nice to be difficulty; shows that all yellow of the training better than the (beginner), we have been rest, but it was orange (indoing has challenging. I’m termediate), paid off,” said and green captain of the really happy i won. (advanced). Orienteering - Carmen Botezan The groups team, Mary are also Watson (’18). (‘19) separated by Watson males and females. is striving to qualify for Carmen Botezan (’19) Nationals this year. “Going won first place in yellow. to nationals is something Following behind, Botezan, I’ve wanted to do and I have Gabriella Macias (’18) came qualified in the past but it’s in second. Kadie Weston always been too far but this (’20) won third place in the year its in Orlando so placfemale-orange division. ing in all of my competitions Bryce Richardson (’19) also is really important so I can won third place, for the actually go this year.”
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BUY A
YEAR BOOK
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04 KNIGHT WRITERS | opinion|November, 2017
opinion
Better Binge Now
helping students or hungry for money? EVERYONE KNOWS THAT COLLEGE IS EXPENSIVE, BUT MANY FAIL TO REALIZE THAT GETTING THERE iS JUST AS COSTLY By Hayle Short Managing Editor
I
want to protest College Board. But I can’t. College Board, the organization that prepares and administers exams to students on an international scale, has a grip on the testing industry. Therefore, protesting could risk my chances of going to college or having any sort of career, Yes, we need tests because we need some way to measure student success and award college credit. However, the expenses associated with the nonprofit organization are excessive. The SAT, an exam infamous for its length and the stress it causes, contains an outrageous amount of fees. Want to take the SAT? Don’t worry, it’s only $46.
Well, without the essay. If you want to take the essay, then your new total is going to be $60. That’s not excluding other fees as well. Need to register by phone? That’ll be another $15. Register late? Add $29. Put on a wait list and end up taking the test? Add $49. Want to see what questions you missed? Another $18. Better start saving now, because we haven’t even discussed their Advanced Placement (AP) courses yet.
Want to read more? Read the story by taking a picture of this QR code on Snapchat.
Netflix is taking off some beloved classics to make way for their own originals By Macey Hatton Staff Writer
I
f you’ve been putting off starting a new show you have always wanted to watch on Netflix, I suggest you start binging now. Every month, Netflix takes off a range of shows and movies, and your favorite series might be next. Many viewers, including myself, are not happy about the shows that are being taken off this month. I believe that Netflix is taking off the shows already on there to make enough space for the shows the company is making themselves. One show in particular has me heartbroken: How I Met Your Mother. I have seen all nine seasons of the show more times than I can count, but soon I won’t be able to watch an episode ever again. I was shocked to hear that they would ever take such a classic off of Netflix, and was curious as to why they ever would. Other shows and movies being taken off this month are Love Actually, Family Guy, 30 Rock, Sky High, and Twilight. Last month, popular shows like Friday Night Lights, Bones, and One Tree Hill were taken off as well. I was in the middle of watching two of those before they mysteriously disappeared off of Netflix. You could imagine how frustrated I was when I woke up and could not watch either of my favorites. I had not gotten the notification a month ago that listed all the shows leaving Netflix in October. The burning question is: why take off all these popular shows? In a state-
Scout Like a Girl O
n Wednesday, October 11, the Boy Scouts of America announced that girls will now be able to join the organization. Many view the integration as a step towards equality. However, I find this movement counterproductive in the push for feminism. But what is feminism? According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, it is “the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes”. But society seems to have misunderstood: feminists don’t want to be men, they want to be rightfully treated as men’s equal. The Girl Scout mission is to build girls of “courage, confidence, and character, By Anna Thomas Editor-In-Chief
The Knight Writers newspaper is published by the seventh period journalism II-V class at Robinson High School.
Editor-In-Chief Anna Thomas
Managing Editors
Macy McClintock Hayle Short
News Editor
Lillian Martin
Features Editor Ashlea Daniels
Sports Editor
Cilicia Anderson
A&E Editor
Alanna Felton
The Boy Scouts of America have opened up their organization to girls and have sparked much controversy
who make the world a better place.” But it’s difficult for girls to be strong and courageous when they’re encouraged to conform and identify themselves as something they are not. Girl scouts are girls and boy scouts are boys. Where’s the shame in that? I understand, however, that it seems like the boys are given more opportunities. After all, they gain a significant amount of recognition for becoming Eagle Scouts, the highest rank in the organization. Scouts are required to do a service project, have at least 21 merit badges, and meet other qualifications in order to reach this level. Similarly, the highest honor for the girl scout is earning the Gold Award, which can be achieved by investigating a problem, mak-
Staff
ment, Netflix answered and said, “The license for a TV series or movie is for a set period of time, which means every title eventually comes up for renewal.” So, it was just an unfortunate coincidence that the shows I was in the middle of were taken off. However, Netflix did reveal that they had a choice to renew shows and movies. “We take a variety of factors into account to determine if we renew the title.” The exact factors that they use to determine whether or not to keep a show were left out. It seems to me like Netflix is purposely choosing not to renew great shows and movies in order to make way for their originals. Every time they take things off, it feels as if they add twice as many of their own shows. And don’t get me wrong, I enjoy watching some of Netflix’s original series, but I feel like they could make room for the other shows they are tossing out. Just a few of the originals coming this November are Alias Grace, The Killer, Marvel’s The Punisher, Godless, and more. It is clear that Netflix is more interested in their own original shows than the great ones already on their site. No matter how amazing Stranger Things is, I wish they would allot an equal number of spots to other shows their subscribers love. It’s not fair for the people who love shows like How I Met Your Mother, Friday Night Lights, Family Guy, and more.
Abigail Meyer Amelia Foster Andrew Mcmillan Athena Crews Brooke Volpi Cassidy Williams Emersyn Brown Emily Bowlin Jules Whitaker Macey Hatton Mackenzie Hatton Madison Lowe Morgan Brazier
ing a plan to solve it, and taking action. So, why is the Eagle Scout more prestigious? As a former girl scout, I’m embarrassed to say that I had never even heard of the “Gold Award” until recently. Growing up, it was common to watch my superiors leave the scouts as they reached high school, making such a major achievement like the Gold Award obsolete. Self-promotion—self pride, is the key to equality. If there are flaws in the girl scout organization, then it should be revamped, not abandoned. Together, the girls should invest in themselves and realize that “girl scout” can have a respected connotation. I hope that the title alone empowers girls to embrace who they are, and to fight for what they deserve.
Natalia Mccalla Nathalie Monroy Nicole Perdigon Paul Jennewein Tahj Phillips
Publications Adviser Nancy Oben
Principal Robert Bhoolai
Robinson High School 6311 S. Lois Ave
Editor’s Letter By Anna Thomas Editor-In-Chief
I
found myself in a protest. I silently stood among my classmates as they raised signs that read, “Support our teachers”. And I wanted to—I wanted to support our teachers, but I felt that standing with my lips sealed was not effective. Some students had the same mentality I did: “It’s not going to make a difference.” But the attention we have gotten seems to be a good start. Many Hillsborough County Schools, including Robinson, were featured in the Tampa Bay Times for their in-school protests. And I was compelled to do the same and take my first amendment right to another level. My staff mates and I spent the protest interviewing the hot-headed students, taking photographs and video footage, and putting together the facts so that we could publish one of the biggest school news stories of the semester. We always hear about our first amendment rights, but rarely see it put into action. While other students around the county suffered disciplinary consequences for their protests, the Robinson administration allowed me and others to exercise our freedom to assemble and freedom of the press. And I’m thankful that I got to do so for something I care about. And now, Robinson students are working to get petitions signed to send to the school board members regarding our concern for teacher pay. It’s an amazing thing to watch my peers unite for something that is greater than themselves; something that may not even directly effect them. So, we stood silently. And let the news stories speak for themselves.
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05 KNIGHT WRITERS | feature | November, 2017
HUMANS OF RHS
feature
Students around Robinson share interesting details about their lives By Abigail Meyers Staff Writer
Jessica Clavell (‘20)
“I promised that every single day until Christmas break I will dress up Christmassy. Yesterday I brought an entire gallon of Egg Nog to school, and today I brought a whole cup of hot chocolate to school to share with everyone”
Brody Miller (‘20)
“One time I found five little bites in my little bite package. There were only supposed to be four.”
Elijah Ponder (‘20)
“We moved to New York and we went through a lot of struggles... so we ended up moving around a lot and eventually we moved to New Jersey. Then we moved to Connecticut, California, then back to Connecticut, then to the UK, then we moved back to New York, and we eventually ended up in Florida, and now the family is all back together.”
Sade Wallace (‘21) “I went to Amsterdam last spring break. It was really cool because it was a new experience with new people, and made me realize how big the world is and how much is out there”
Mila Yarich (‘21)
“I’ve been playing volleyball for seven years, I started when I was 8 years old. When I moved from Cali to Florida it really helped with making new friends. Volleyball has changed my goals in life.”
Melenis Buckley (‘18)
“The most exciting thing about my senior year has probably been getting accepted into college and knowing that all of this is almost over. It’s really exciting to know that you’re going somewhere, you’re going to be some place, and you’re going to be somebody.”
Josh Dankerl (‘21)
“I do absolutely nothing except hang out with my friends and play Super Mario Smash Bros, I also have a YouTube channel where I make random, stupid videos about my Minecraft gaming life.”
A "Sin" of Perseverance
R
obinson High School is proud to have such a strong military presence in students and faculty. Steven Davis, head of the mathematics department, is one military veteran teaching at Robinson. And his story is certainly honorable. Davis began his military career in 1981 as a freshman at West Point. After starting off as a second lieutenant in Kentucky, he deployed and served overseas as a part of Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm for the First Infantry Division in Saudi Arabia and Iraq. Not only did Davis serve the country, but it ended up serving him, teaching him valuable lessons that would have been difficult to gain otherwise. “The biggest knowledge [being overseas]
brings to you is just the differences in the culture,” Davis said. “When you can understand the culture differences, then you can understand why there is some friction points that cause problems between us and them.” After his deployment, Davis taught ROTC at Northeast Missouri State University. In 1994, Davis left active duty and entered education until 2003. Even after an impressive military run, Davis felt an obligation to return to the armed forces to do his part on the War on Terrorism. “When 9-11 hit, I decided I wanted to come back on active duty,” Davis said. “When I participated in Operation Desert Shield [and] Desert Storm, I always felt that we left that operation without an ending...and
By Anna Thomas Editor-In-Chief
I wanted to see it finished.” Davis shows perseverance and firmly believes in finishing what has been started. After serving again, Davis finally felt like he had given all he had to offer the country. “I felt at that point in time, things had progressed as far as they were going to progress,” Davis said. “I felt satisfied that we had accomplished what we needed to in both Iraq and Afghanistan at that time.” Davis has carried this same mentality over to the classroom. “[As a teacher] I have to look at the long term part of it,” Davis said. “I have to look over the course of the whole curphoto by g. morrison riculum and make sure we have progressed. I Robinson’s pre-calculus teacher and math think that has to go back to accomplishing a department head Steven Davis smiles bright for a picture. Davis is one of many military mission.” veterans at Robinson.
06 KNIGHTWRITERS |Sports| November, 2017
SPORTS
Swimming Straight to States T
By Nicole Perdigon Staff Writer
he FHSAA State championship for swim was held on Nov. 3 in Stuart, Florida and four Robinson boys swam in the competition. Chris Quach (’18), Daniel DeYoung (’19), Max Smith (’20) and Matthew Reinecke (’18) swam individual races as well as swimming together in the 200 medley relay, placing 14th with a time of 1:44.94. “I think a lot of my teammates did really well,” DeYoung said. “I know some of them were kind of mad about their times, but you know it happens. You have a bad race sometimes.” Individually, Quach placed 18th swimming a 100 backstroke, Smith placed 7th in the state swimming a 200 individual relay and placed 10th in the 100 backstroke.
Reinecke placed 20th individually in the 100 breaststroke. “I did good. I improved from last year a lot,” Smith said. “[I need to improve] on being prepared… next time I just need to get more focused and just treat my body better before my races.” Despite not getting their best time of the season, the boys feel this was a great chance to bond and a great opportunity to improve for next year. “We were really happy we made it [to states] and we were really happy to be there,” Smith said. “We did really well. Everyone was really excited about our race.”
Blondes Do It Better?
Swimmers dyed their hair blonde for their state meet. Use Snapchat to scan this QR code and find out why.
photo by a.. megerian Robinson High School had four swimmers qualify for and swim in the championship meet on November 3. Chris Quach (‘18), Daniel DeYoung (‘19), Max Smith (‘20), and Matthew Reinecke (‘18) all swam individually and together in the 200 medley relay. photo by m. mcclintock
Wrestling Prepares for new Season By Athena Crews Staff Writer
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ith Winter sports approaching, Robinson’s head wrestling coach, Tomas Montero, and his wrestlers, are preparing for the upcoming season. “I’m looking forward for a big number of new faces to start a new four year process,” Montero said. “We’re looking to improve on the number of wrestlers and the new group to get better, always. Every day we step onto the mat were looking to get better than what we were the day before.” The new wrestlers are putting in their hard work to be able to compete as a wrestler, and get to know the sport. Many of the returning wrestlers are looking forward to the new season, as well as working with the new wrestlers to achieve their goals as a team. “As a team we need to understand how good we can be and wrestle like so,” said Devin Jandura (‘19), last year state qualifier and returning wrestler. “[The team] expects nothing less than perfection.”
Jandura happens to be one of the many wrestlers to keep an eye on this year. Going to states and placing in the top 8 as a sophomore, Montero hopes for him to place higher in the upcoming season. Other wrestlers to keep an eye on during the upcoming season include Matt Arnold (‘18), Cody Davidson (‘18), Josean Costiano (‘19), and JaQuan Jackson (‘18), to name a few. It’s a clear consensus from Montero and the team that many of the wrestlers have a lot of potential, and are excited to see how they perform and improve during the season. The first wrestling match of the year is on Friday, Dec. 15 at 3:30 p.m., at East Bay High School. “We have no players. People that play, just play.”
photo by e. ward David Verez (‘19) pins a Durant JV wrestler during the 2016-17 season.
star showcase
Sports Stars is a new segment to Knight Writers, introducing the "hot shots" of Robinson athletics. Each issue will feature a few standout athletes.
Max Smith Max Smith (‘20) made it to the state championship meet for his second year. He placed 10th in the 100 backstroke and 8th in the 200 IM. “It was nice [getting my medal]. I was happy to see that all my hard work paid off for the whole year,” Smith said. The swim team looks forward to more success from Smith in his remaining two years.
Sophia Crassas
Sophia Crassas (‘20) recently finished her second season on the girls cross country team and finished first in the district meet. She had a season best of 20:03. “I think [my season] went pretty good... better than I expected,” Crassas said.
November, 2017 |Sports|KNIGHTWRITERS 06
XC Goes To States By Andrew McMillan Staff Writer
SPORTS
Killing the Competition Robinson Volleyball is a force to be reckoned with- what’s their secret? By Brooke Volpi Staff Writer
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ith the end of the season here and my season now over, I just want to take the time to express how the Robinson running Knights did at the 2017 FHSAA state cross country meet. All in all, the team as a whole did fairly well. But as Coach Altimari said, which perfectly sums it up, “We raced average”, which is the nice way of saying we could have run harder and we could have finished higher than 13th place. 13th isn’t a bad place to finish the season, considering only one senior is leaving the team. The real show though was Ethan Geiger’s performance. He raced extremely hard, coming in 11th place, but this is where the story gets interesting. Running threat Joseph “Joey” Fitzpatrick (‘18), from Vanguard High School in Ocala, didn’t run his district meet, which meant that he would be disqualified from the state meet, moving Geiger up one spot to 10th place. Geiger is now the third runner in Robinson history and the first underclassmen to receive a State medal. I think the team did well and I know I was pleased with my time, but I know I am going to miss it. “Heart and soul,” we chanted at the starting line and “heart and soul” is what I ran with every day.
t’s undeniable- Robinson volleyball is something practices are usually pretty enjoyable, and none of us get too angry at each other during practice, and special. I think that translates into games.” With an impressive 26-7 overall record, it’s The Knights certainly have the whole team clear that RHS is a force to be reckoned with. bonding aspect of the game down There is no doubt that pat- when asked how she felt about the volleyball team does playing on varsity as a freshman, something to distance I think the secret to our Yarich (‘21) had only good things itself from the competisuccess is definitely to say. tion- the question is, what? how much fun we have in “A lot of my teammates knew me Each player seems to have through club so they were all really a different view. practice. welcoming toward me and bringing Mila Yarich (‘21), - Kristin Werdine (‘19) me into the team,” she said. thinks their success stems On November 7, the girls solidifrom the way their practicfied their path to states by defeating es are run. Tarpon Springs in the regional finals. Now, it’s “We have such an amazing coach who really onto an even bigger challenge- states. separates herself from others and we run a lot of Head coach Ashley Johnson, better known as free ball plays, unlike a lot of other teams,” she said. “That’s what a lot of other teams say is differ- “AJ”, shared what she thinks the Knights need to do to finish the season as state champions. ent about us.” “We have to not forget the building block basis However, according to Kristin Werdine (‘19), that we started in the beginning of the season,” she the team’s comradery is their advantage. said. “And understand that those fundamentals “I think the secret to our success is definitely how much fun we have in practice,” she said. “Our are what’s going to take us to states.”
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The Season to Come The Lady Knights find room for improvement after early season games By Andrew mcmillan Staff Writer ticular needs some improvement,” ith the Lady Knights most Roush said. “And mostly just the recent tournaments closing level of aggressiveness of the dewith a 3-0 loss to Berkeley and a fense in pushing up the field.” 7-0 loss to Land O’ Lakes, it could be said that improvement needs to The team lost some key players be done. Elisa Toghranegar (‘18) from last season like recent gradgave some insight into the new uate Sarah Jennewein, who was team this year. “Overall we learned their top scorer and arguably best a lot about our playing styles, and player. It may be daunting to fill that role again. The girls certainly I really think we progressed as a have this challenge ahead of them team.” for the rest of the season with a The Lady Knights season lack of defense and top scorers, debut was on November 9 against games will surely keep going the Durant. Since then, they have same way for them until someestablished a 1-3 losing record. thing is changed. The Lady Knights need to come “The more games we play the together as a team and begin to work as one. “The biggest thing we more we will grow as a team and become more aggressive,” Roush need to do is communicate on the said. This seems to be the mentalifield so we can better understand each other,” Toghranegar said. And ty for the rest of the team because, with that communication comes again, it is very early in the season and there is a long road ahead. the success that the Lady Knights will surely need to improve their record. Catherine ‘Chloe’ Roush (‘19) has played for the team for the past three years. “The defense in par-
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photo k. wadulack Lizzie Flores (‘19) sets up to kick the ball to a teammate in their game against Sickles High School.
photo by a. megerian Elly Frierson (‘18) sets the ball in the “Think Pink” game.
SAVE THE DATE November Soccer @ King 28 Basketball @ East Bay November Cheer Competition @ 30 Strawberry Crest December 1
Soccer VS. Jefferson Basketball @ Alonso
December 5
Basketball @ Hillsborough Cheer Competition @ King
December 6
Basketball VS. Blake Girls Soccer VS. Wharton
December 8
Soccer VS. Blake Boys Basketball @ Jesuit
December 12
Soccer VS. Middleton Basketball VS. Middleton
December 13
Basketball VS. Newsome Cheer Competition @ Sickles
December 15
Wrestling @ East Bay Soccer @ Spoto Basketball VS. Bloomingdale
January 9
Basketball @ Jefferson Boys Soccer @ Jesuit
January 10 Girls Basketball @ Sickles
08 KNIGHTWRITERS | A&E | November, 2017
a&e Dua Lipa’s Debut
Polos or PJs Students share what their families wear for thanksgiving dinner
By Amelia Foster Staff Writer
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op music lately has been a chorus of bright-sounding beats, bubbly voices, and lyrics about absolutely nothing. Enter Dua Lipa, a London native with a deep voice and a wider range who sings about helping her friends’ and her own relationships. Her debut album, self-titled Dua Lipa, came out in June 2017 and included the #1 single New Rules. The first song on the album is titled Genesis and is about two lovers in a relationship wondering “how we can go back to the beginning?” The music consists of quiet drums and gentle keyboard until it reaches a crescendo in the chorus as Lipa desperately sings “Tell me that it’s not the end of us?” The song captures the mood for the rest of the album, lyrics about love all centered around Lipa’s voice. Another notable song in the album is Blow Your Mind (Mwah), a song Lipa wrote about the people in her life who discouraged her music career, who believed that she was “crazy” for pursuing it. The song centers all around the chorus as Lipa sings “If you don’t like the way I talk then why am I on your mind?” It’s a song about being yourself and ignoring everyone who says otherwise and, in my opinion, is Check out Dua Lipa’s single New Rules on the best song on the Youtube; use Snapchat album. too read this code. Her single, New Rules, is the highlight of her debut. The song has spent the last 14 weeks in the top ten charts, and the last two
By Morgan Brazier Staff Writer
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weeks as number one. The song is about her rules for getting over a guy after a break-up. It is a song to dance to, whether it’s on a dance floor with all your friends or alone in your room at 2 in the morning. The last song, Homesick, is a perfect ending for her debut album. It is a piano ballad, with Lipa singing about how “nothing means nothing without you.” It leaves the listener with a feeling of remorse, of nostalgia for something they once had. As the song fades to an end and the album restarts, Lipa’s voice fills the void once more. Overall, Dua Lipa, both the album and the artist herself, is amazing. Her low voice stands out from the rest of pop music and her meaningful lyrics provokes real emotions from the listener. She has gone from a barely-known opening act to a figure in pop music in less than six months. Until her next album comes out, I’m sure to be listening to this one on repeat.
bowls and more at big island Poke G
By Jules Whitaker Staff Writer
andy Boulevard has a new restaurant making a name for itself. Big Island Poke offers Hawaiian inspired, authentic poke bowls, kona dogs, acai bowls, smoothies and fresh juices. All of their ingredients are locally sourced, and service is fast and friendly. I really love to try new things, and Big Island Poke is just that. Their style is unique because they have a food truck vibe, but are actually a brick and mortar establishment. I ordered two small poke bowls and an acai bowl. The first bowl was a ‘teriyaki chicken’ poke bowl. It tasted incredible. The chicken was sliced and seasoned, and mixed with a variety of vegetables and rice covered in teriyaki sauce.
ith Thanksgiving just a few weeks away people are getting ready for a day of food and fun with their friends and families while celebration of this fall holiday varies between families, its more or less the same for everyone. So, here’s the question - do most people get all dressed up in nice clothes just to sit around the dinner table with their relatives or do people just treat it like any other meal when it comes to their attire? Some students at Robinson High school shared what their families normally do. “We usually just wear dress pants, a button-down shirt, shirt tucked in, nothing to fancy” Samuel Woerner (’21) said. Students like Woerner illustrate one side of the story, full of nice shirts and pretty dresses, but what about people who couldn’t care less about how they look for thanksgiving dinner? Kauleen Turner (‘19) said “We usually just get together and we have lots of food, my family doesn’t dress up at all.”
Whatever families do for their thanksgiving dress code most people stick with the same thing from year to year. “We [dress nice] while were eating dinner cause we usually have family over or were at families and we do like family pictures and stuff,” Woerner said. With that said, this is what it’s like for students at Robinson where we get to experience the tropical climate of Florida meaning when Thanksgiving rolls around we’ll be lucky if it’s in the 70s. Here in Tampa, it’s safe to assume that whatever people wear for their dinnerrather its cute “fall” outfits, or nice dresses and button down shirts, or pajamas- the attire will comply with the heat of a Florida fall. But regardless of what your family wears for your big Thanksgiving dinner the important thing is that everyone is together and thankful for everything you have.
Samuel Woerner poses with his family during Thanksgiving in 2016. Woerner said his family doesn’t get too dressed up for the Thanksgiving holiday.
Restaurant Review: Big Island Poke’s Hawaiian flavors a welcome addition to South Tampa
The second bowl I tried was a ‘Spicy Tuna’ Poke Bowl. Now I’ve had “spicy” sushi and just assumed it would be about as flavorful as that, but I was pretty wrong. It was really good though; the tuna tasted fresh and the sauce was tasty. It also had a lot to offer because it had some crunchy scallions, avocado, rice, vegetables. There was a lot of flavor and my personal favorite of the two. It had a kick, so keep that in mind if you don’t have a tolerance for above mild spice. The third bowl was my fruity dessert, the refreshing ‘acai berry blast’. It had cut up strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries, with shaved coconut on top and blended acai berries. I have eaten other acai bowls before but theirs was fresher and tasted better. They made the bowl with the frozen berries, and soy milk, blended to a thick smoothie consistency. The perfect way to finish off dinner. A small poke bowl costs $6.95, a medium is $9.95, and a large costs $12.95. the sizes were well portioned and worth every penny. Over all I would rate them 5 stars, everything I ate was fresh, well seasoned, and made to perfection.
Left: The small spicy tuna poke bowl from Big Island Poke had crunchy scallions, avocado, rice and vegetables. There was a lot of flavor in this bowl and my personal favorite of the two savory bowls I tried.
Below: The Acai Berry Blast from Big Island Poke. The bowl features cut up strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries, with shaved coconut on top and blended acai berries. It was very refreshing.
photo by j. whitaker
photo by j. whitaker
If You Go Website: bigislandtampa.com Address: 3601 W Gandy Blvd Tampa, FL 33611 Phone: 813-999-7815 Hours: Monday - Friday: 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. Saturday: 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. Sunday: 9 a.m. - 7 p.m.