PTSA joins with IB Link and RHS Foundation to collect donations for South of Gandy families in need
By YESENIA ROSARIO AND ASHLYN MILLER, CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEVES
On Thursday, Sept. 26
Hurricane Helene made history going on record to be the worst flood damage that Tampa Bay had seen in the past 100 years. It made landfall on the Big Bend of Florida as a category four decimating everything in its path with homes in shambles from flooding or wind damage and leaving some families close to homeless.
According to The Washington Post, Tampa experienced some of the worst flooding with record breaking storm surges reaching up to almost eight feet. Despite city leadership warnings about the extreme storm surge in a press conference days before the storm, many citizens were still not prepared for the devastation that followed in Helene’s path.
Saturated drywall and carpets must be removed immediately to prevent mold growth and further water damage in homes. The streets of Old Port Tampa and Beach Park were lined with piles of furniture, appliances and toys as families worked to throw out their entire lives to make repairs after having several feet of flood water in their homes
However, there is hope in a hurting communities time of need. Robinson’s PTSA, (Parent Teacher Teacher Association) Parent President Alissa Ackley decided to take charge.
Ackley didn’t realize the extent of tragedy Helene caused until
witnessing it with her own eyes after going to help out a friend who was affected.
“When Hurricane Helene came through it was shocking, the devastation. It didn’t really hit until I went to bring food to a friend of mine that had some flooding and then I witnessed the extent of the damages,” Ackley said. “That’s when I knew that if that home was damaged to that extent that there are many others. They’re [the homes are] right here in South Tampa.”
After witnessing such damages
Ackley was inspired to begin a drive to help families in the South Tampa area and at Robinson but couldn’t do it alone. The IB Link, Robinson High School Foundation and the PTSA came together and started to plan a drive that would collect donations to be donated to families.
“It seems like because of the widespread devastation getting resources far from home is difficult, so we decided that the best thing for us to do would be for us to draw from our resources close to home and start our own drive because it was a combination of
resources are far away and in high demand,” Ackley said.
While its recommended to bring clothing it is heavily encouraged to bring other household items and toiletries such as school supplies, Tupperware, bedsheets, towels, small appliances, baby essentials and much more which can be viewed on the PTSA’s Instagram account, robinsonhsptsa.
“One of the things that is donated frequently to the large organizations are clothes so what we want to do for the clothes is we want to get in touch with those organizations
and provide the transportation to get those clothes from the larger organizations to the people in need so were focusing more on household items and other items that these non profits [and] charities don’t focus on,” Ackley said.
Ackley’s reason for staying so local instead of working with larger, farther organizations was the issue of transportation that many families were affected by due to such high storm surges.
“One of the issues is if you’re an at risk family- which Robinson does have- you may not have transportation and a lot of the depots and the places that are offering goods and services are not close by,” she said. “If you do have your own transportation a lot of [it] ended up underwater and of course if a car gets flooded chances are it’s not gonna be operational again. It’s convenience of location. There’s many of them [Non-profit organizations], but its hard to find something close to home.”
The PTSA began collecting donations Oct. 1 outside in the mornings from 8 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. in the student parking lot.
To encourage student inclusion Ackley encourages student clubs to help give back to their community one morning and when collecting donations that club will get to focus on their item that they want to donate that day.
on page 2
A local unloads a wheel barrel of dry wall from their home in Old Port Tampa. Photo by A. Miller
Streets lined with personal items, carpers, childrens toys and clothes as citizens of Tampa attempt to re-group post Helene. Photos by A. Miller Over the past month, TikTok has struggled to prove to a panel of three judges from the Department of Justice......
The Fall of an Empire: Tik Tok
By: WINTER CARJABAL, NEWS EDITOR
Over the past month, TikTok has struggled to prove to a panel of three judges from the Department of Justice that their app was safe and legitimate. The social media app with nearly 1.6 billion users world-wide has been refuting the ties to Chinese executives for much of its stent of popularity in the U.S. Now, they argue that they do not need to cut ties with Chinese executives.
This is happening in response to a bill passed this April, which forces Beijing-based company ByteDance (TikTok’s parent company) to sell the social media giant within a year. If ByteDance fails to comply by Jan. 19, the app would be effectively banned in the United States. Now, TikTok and ByteDance, among other groups, have sued to block the law on the grounds that it violates the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and the free speech rights of over 170 million American users. TikTok’s argument is that the government failed to provide substantial proof of any alleged threat to national security.
The hearings feature three separate lawsuits: TikTok and ByteDance in one, another by a group of content creators, and the last on behalf of media nonprofit BASED Politics. All are campaigning to have the law declared ‘unconstitutional’.
Roughly half of Americans are in support of a full U.S. ban on TikTok, according to a study from the Pew Research Center conducted in March. Around 22% oppose the idea and more than a quarter are unsure. As can be expected of teenagers, many Robinson students use the social media app on a frequent basis.
“I don’t like it [the ban],” freshmen Charlie Lowrie said. “I strongly dislike the ban of TikTok. I use it daily… hourly. I think it’s unconstitutional.”
Cason Cooper (‘26) has a different opinion than many students his age, however.
“I think [TikTok] is dangerous,” Cooper said. “Us, using an
app that can track your habits, your favorite things… an app that can track and give that information to the Chinese can allow them to… infiltrate their way into American society could eventually pose a serious danger to how we live our lives.”
Cooper reflects fears that the app may be used for foreign intelligence operations. TikTok itself does not operate in China, but the parent company, ByteDance, is located in Beijing.
“It comes from both a general distrust of China and a worry over the public’s growing addiction to technology,” Cooper said. “I am confident that it’s a threat because TikTok is known to share private information with China, and China knowing the habits and beliefs of every American is a serious threat to national security. They can take advantage of, and manipulate, those habits and beliefs, to get a deeper foothold in daily American life.”
On the contrary of Cooper, Alex Cuevas (‘25) doesn’t believe it’s anything to worry about.
“We already have domestic companies doing the same thing,” he said. “Nothing is stored overseas. Facebook had things with China too. The only reason they want to ban it is because things aren’t regulated the same as domestic social media companies.”
Many businesses and organizations, including both the Harris-Waltz and Trump-Vance presidential campaigns, use it for advertising and community engagement. Thousands of small businesses rely on the app for marketing.
“I’m not a fan of that,” said Cooper. “I think companies should use broad-based advertising to reach large groups of people rather than targeting the individual based on their information. That’s a breach of privacy.”
Junior Adrianna Morales feels that despite possible security threats, the app is exactly as advertised. A fun space to interact with your friends, much like any other social media.
“Personally, I don’t use TikTok much, but when I do it’s
Homecoming Pep Rally
usually just to have fun and interact with people who enjoy what I do,” Morales said. “And that’s how my mom promotes some of her own crafts. So I feel like a ban would be a violation of our freedom of speech. There are a lot of small businesses that use TikTok to advertise, and many people who use it to communicate. I can see how it’s a threat, but I don’t think it should be banned.”
Students throughout the Robinson student body have voiced concerns about the violation of the right to free speech.
“In my opinion, the bill to ban TikTok completely violates the First Amendment right to free speech,” Sophomore Benjamin Gingerella said. “If the bill passes, it will forever change how the government can control our freedom of speech, as well as how we control our own lives. I am glad the U.S. government is doing everything possible to protect our data from being taken and used by other countries to push propaganda and advertisements that people don’t want to see, but I think a ban is going too far.”
Hurricane’s Hurt: But Robinson’s Here to Help
Continued from Page 1.
“There are so many people in South Tampa, especially South of Gandy, that have asked, ‘How can I help’ and the more people that ask ‘How can I help?’ the more we realize that this is very important and we need to focus all of our efforts on this getting the help that they want and need to the people that need it.”
However, Helene was not the last Tampa Bay would see of the 2024 Hurricane season. Hurricane Milton barreled directly into the Tampa Bay as a category 3 storm and the first direct hit to the area since 1921. While Helene brought pain through water, Milton packed his punch with winds of 120 miles per hour whipping through the Tampa area. Milton left its mark with many as it left 3.2 million Floridians without power in Tampa.
Ackley and her team will continue their project as Robinson re-opens and the City comes back to life.
A Robinson student opens their favorite social media, TikTok. Photo by W. Carjabal
1. Principal Dave Brown stares down AP Chris Jaksec during speed dating offended after he denied his stereo.
2. Darcy Quinn (‘28) and Lyndsey McIntyre (‘28) bump hips during their Starlet performance with their pom poms raised high.
3. Izabella Gonzalez (‘26) and a court jester walk down the gym arm in arm after being introduced.
4. Katelyn Boyd (‘26) cheers with pom poms in her hands.
5. Jalen Aikens (‘25) stands jaw-dropped after it was revealed he kissed him mom instead of a cheerleader.
Flipped Classrooms Need to Flip Back
Alternative teaching styles fail students and hault learning
By: MALIA RODRIGUEZ, FUN COORDINATOR
Almost every class in an academic setting has had the same structure for decades. Students listen to the teacher give a lecture, take notes and go home to complete an assignment on the topic. While this may seem repetitive, there’s a reason it has stuck around for so long; it’s effective. Despite the effectiveness of this structure, there has been a growing movement pushing for so-called, “Flipped Classrooms.”
So, what is a flipped classroom? There are two main types that I have seen, the first is where groups of students are assigned sections of the class to learn, and then they make a presentation for the class to teach them that information. Now, while this might seem like an interesting and engaging way to run a classroom, more than a few problems arise with this structure.
Firstly, the obvious, students don’t know these subjects as well as teachers do. To be a teacher, you have to get degrees and certifications, verifying you are knowledgeable enough about this subject to teach it to other people. This combined with the fact that when most students are preparing for these presentations, they mostly just memorize what to say instead of
This can be especially frustrating when the subject is already hard or important and focuses a lot on practical applications as opposed to pure knowledge and memorization, such as math or science.
The second type of flipped classroom is where instead of teaching a topic and then assigning work, they assign work and then teach the topic. For example, if a class was learning about fractions, the teacher would assign homework on fractions and then teach the fraction lesson the next day.
While probably more effective than the other way, this method is incredibly frustrating. It also allows students to develop bad habits, or teach themselves the subject poorly, leading to them underperforming. In addition to causing a lack of knowledge, this method is incredibly stressful for students, even more so than just a regular hard class as it places the responsibility of teaching onto them.
Although it’s boring, the traditional style of teaching works. It balances the responsibility of work for the students, and the responsibility to teach for the teacher, and ensures a better understanding than the
Hoco is a No-Go
The underwhelming result of a yearly anticipation.
By: WAREESHA FAHAD, STAFF WRITER
As another year following the tradition of homecoming passes by, I am again reminded that homecoming is possibly the worst school event—it’s lame, to say the least.
The event often feels repetitive; year after year, it’s the same routine of a loud pep rally, football game and dance. All these factors lack excitement and specialty as they’re formulaic. The theme is always cliché and uncreative, and the entire vibe surrounding it feels forced. The climax leading up to the dance is boring, especially because Robinson’s school spirit is sometimes not genuine or inclusive.
There is a lack of engaging activities which disregards a lot of students’ interest. Many students would prefer more active and social engagement with their fellow peers. A loud dance floor is also not the greatest
approach for students sensitive to noise. The flashing lights cause my eyes to ache and the blaring music exhibits further distress to my ears. The event as a whole is just an outdated school tradition that needs to be let go.
The pressure to conform to social expectations—like finding a date, wearing the “right” outfit, or taking part in the festivities— makes the event feel more like a required chore than a celebration. For me, the buildup doesn’t match the actual experience— leaving me feeling underwhelmed. The event’s pre-climax is built to make Homecoming be seen as a spectacular night with endless fun. However, when you get to the event, your surroundings are simply lifeless students dancing and not talking to anyone. Plus, the hype around homecoming sometimes excludes those who don’t fit into the popular crowd, making it feel cliquey rather than inclusive.
Overpriced tickets are at the top of my personal rant; I would rather treat my entire family to a nice meal than spend $60 on tickets formulating boredom and disaster. On top of the expensive cost of tickets, you also need to get your hair and makeup done, buy a costly suit or dress and pricey shoes. Many students here at Robinson are at or below the poverty line and so it is incredibly hard for them to afford all the stated expenses.
If you’re not already invested in the school culture like me, it feels like you’re just going through the motions for a tradition that may not mean much to you.
As the hurricane chaos begins to wind down, the Knight Writers have brought to you the first Issue of the year. While Homecoming season has quickly wrapped up the sparkles are out and autumn colors and pumpkin spice is in.
As we all know Hurricane Helene made landfall on Tampa, Fla. Sept. 26 and flooded not only every news outlet but homes all over our community some of which are teachers and student here at Robinson, some even on
our staff. This tragedy brought on destruction and did effect the release of this issue but by the grace of our staff and editorial board our eight page issue is here.
Inside this issue you will find information of the destruction that Helene brought to Florida families and the strong “Femininomenon” culture in the music industry today. Staffers also share strong opinions on school and sports. Speaking of sports the MVP’s of each team are featured.
This Knight Writers newspaper is produced by the Journalism II-V class at Robinson High School.
Editors-in-Chief Ashlyn Miller
Yesenia Rosario
Lead Illustrator Janiece Mitchner
Website Manager Ryan Rolle
News Editor Winter Carbajal
Features Editor Anika Sanka
Sports Editor Jordan De La Cruz
Opinion Editor Sophie Le
A&E Editor Grace Shafer
Multimedia Editor Coleton Rone
Mission Statement
Fun Coordinators
Annabelle Bulger
Malia Rodriguez
Senior Staff Writers
Jasmyn Mitchner
Joey Trevino
Staff Writers
Allison Bartlett
Alysha Klingman-Mutchler
Carson Coulon
Garrett Senzon
Jalen Aikens
Kieran McIntosh
Liam Eichberg
Mercedes Pepple
MyNeija Milsaps
Sadie Scheu
Wareesha Fahad
Publications Adviser Nancy Webster
Principal David Brown
The Role and Goal of the Knight Writers is to inform, interpret and entertain their viewers through accurate and factual reports, and be accurate, fair and impartial in its coverage of issues that affect the school community. The staff of Knight Writers will strive to report all issues in a legal, objective, accurate and ethical manner, according to the Cannons of Professional Journalism developed by the Society for Professional Journalists.
Policies
For more information about staff policies, follow this link https://knightwriters.org/about/staff-policies/
Publication Memberships
Incomplete math homework as a result of the flipped teaching method. Photo by M. Rodriguez
The 2024 Robinson homecoming dance. Photo by M. Pepple
The FEMININOMENON
Girl pop is for teenage girls, not middle-aged men
By: GRACE SHAFER, A&E EDITOR
embracing themselves through their music Widely hated female characters in music such as Azealia Banks or Miley Cyrus are told by the public on what they can and can’t do, while men have full mobility. Women are heavily watched, and subconsciously plotted against by even some of their female listeners. This inter-sexed discrimination can be seen through the vast community of Taylor Swift-hating women. They don’t hate her music; they hate her success. Some women aren’t comfortable with other women’s successes because of the excessively critical environment that men have built for them.
In the past, female musicians have had to surrender their morality and objectify themselves to be tre ated seriously in media. Selfsubjugation causes them to isolate further and further from who they truly are and lose themselves, their following, and their stability. This
tragic tale has been told one too many times for people not to realize that their judgement and censorship is the cause of this. Women such as Amy Winehouse and Frances Farmer were led to their untimely deaths due to the immense pressures of being a female public figure.
Some who were able to withstand the public’s castigation, would still be defined by their male counterparts. Lead singer of girlrock band Hole, Courtney Love, has
of condemning women for men’s mistakes or women attending to men in their art is the exact opposite of the Femininomenon movement which is completely characterized by almost polarizing femininity.
Women have begun making music for themselves, and other women (especially young) have never been more welcoming. Artists like Charli XCX, Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan, Renee Rap, and many others have completely expanded the pop
Sabrina Carpenter
Pop Sensations Are So Back
True pop music is coming back - and it’s female
By RYAN ROLLE, WEBSITE MANAGER
As we move into the 20’s, pop had been becoming less and less of a prevalent genre and we have seen decreasingly few females truly excelling within pop. As time moves forward, it feels like we move further from sexist beliefs especially within the music industry. For example, as you can see with artists like Taylor Swift, many boys hate on her and that sexism spreads to women. Soon everyone says these wonderful artists get called “overrated” when if you actually listen to their music, it’s really good. That is why I’m happy to report the recent successes of two artists that we can help avoid this situation, and that is Sabrina Carpenter and Charli XCX.
June 7th, Charli XCX released her newest album “Brat”, which became insanely popular and had people calling Summer 2024 “Brat Summer.” Her music is fast paced, it’s fun, it’s female. In a time in which many female artists get big for releasing relatable, depressing music, like Mitski and Adrienne Lenker, although their music is good it puts us down and it’s refreshing to have good music that keeps up a good mood. Charli’s revival and jump from underground dance into a full-blown pop idol brings a wonderful and carefree album you can play in any situation. Trillmag explains why it’s taken her so long to become mainstream.
“While perfecting her craft, she has garnered a dedicated fanbase that cannot compare to mainstream success. Everything she does is for herself and her fans. Outside of that bubble, it is not of interest to her. This is what makes Charli so unique and different from other stars.” As a woman of color as well, being part Indian, it’s truly inspiring to see a women making fun feminine music and getting
such high praise.
Another women who reaches outside of gender music norms is Sabrina Carpenter. An Ex-Disney kid, Carpenter has been working on her music career for years, and finally got big for her music with “Because I Liked a Boy” in response to drama with fellow former Disney actor Olivia Rodrigo. Since then, Carpenter has been getting noticed more and more, leading to her new est album release “Short n’ Sweet” that has been blowing up over social media, launching her into true stardom and a sold-out tour.
What makes Carpenter’s music different from others at this time different is the dare to talk about feminine feelings and needs, something that is often glossed over within society as well as pop culture. She humanizes herself in a relatable and refreshing way with simple yet fun music, that is quintessentially girl yet catchy for any audience.
Overall, these 2 artists and many more are helping change industry and empowering women young and old to dance around your room with a hairbrush microphone, and women like Kamala Harris using their songs within her campaign. This brings girls around the world together and unifies us to be something more without having to prove ourselves to the male audience.
The Rise of Roan and Rapp
Chappell Roan and Renee Rapp burst onto the public eye with the girl-loving, authentic pop we’ve been missing
By ANNABELLE BULGER, FUN COORDINATOR
In January of 2024, two new artists stepped onto the pop scene and would change it forever. The movie remake of “Mean Girls: The Musical” hits theaters and people started doing the “H-O-T-T-O-G-O dance” across social media and introduced the world to Renee Rapp and Chappell Roan. Two different styles, two different voices but they have had the same impact on the pop landscape.
Let’s begin with the pioneer of hyper-femme pop: Chappell Roan. Chappell’s music is simultaneously familiar yet unique; you can draw comparisons to Cyndi Lauper, Kate Bush and Lady Gaga. But there is also something about her music that is purely Chappell. It may be her signature vocal flips that add light yet powerful dynamics to her vocals, it may be how her music combines vintage synth tunes with more modern instrumentals or maybe it’s the fact that her songs are heartfelt which easy to listen on repeat day in and day out.
Or maybe it’s how Chappell has created her own eye-catching dress code for her shows. While the audience has the option to follow a dress code inspired by her songs such as “Casual” or “Super Graphic Ultra Modern girl”, Chappell plays by her own rules. every show she wears a new over-the-top, often sparkly getup combined with drag inspired makeup that makes every single outfit fantastically memorable. Chappell’s combination of hyper pop and a hyper feminine appearance created a new subsect
of music and art that revolves around being ultra feminine and celebrates often downplayed aspects of being a woman.
While Chappell’s is more of a glitzy girl’s fantasy, Renee Rapp plays into a more tangible dream.
Starting out her career as Wendla in a regional production of Spring Awakening, Rapp would soon be casted in what would turn out to be the most
important role of her career; Regina George in the Broadway production of Mean Girls: The
There are many artists who play in some way into the same chords as Chappell Roan and Renee Rapp, but why did they experience such success. What does their success mean for the future of the pop world?
Roan and Rapp are authentically themselves, even if their stage personas are something beyond our reach. They’re relatable yet above us, they’re everything we wish we were. Their discographies combine pop and fizz with angst and longing in a addictive swirl that keeps you listening and wanting more.
With new content on the horizon for both artists, one can wonder if other artists who may be conforming to their assigned niche may take some inspiration. Chappell and Rapp both make music “their own” and it feels like a breath of fresh air. These two artists may set a new precedent and will encourage other artists to make fun, campy, whatever they want kind of pop.
Chappell Roan
Is Football Rigged Against Small Schools?
High schools and colleges alike victim to unfair matchmaking
By GARRETT SENZON, STAFF WRITER
On Friday, Sept. 6, The Robinson Knights suffered a loss at the hands of the Plant Highschool Panthers, losing 59-0 in a sobering defeat. This comes as the 19th year that Robinson has lost to Plant, making it seem as though Plant is simply the better team. However, when you look at the two schools, it becomes hard to view the thrashing as a truly fair matchup.
“Football is football,” wide receiver and running back Xander Logan (‘25) said. “It doesn’t really matter what the size of the school is.”
However, when taken a lot at the analytics, this may not be true.
Firstly, according to premiere high school football website MaxPreps.com, Robinson is only a 3A school, while Plant is a 6A school. This refers to the size of the school, with Robinson being on the smaller side, and Plant being in one of the larger divisions. Additionally, the larger school size enables Plant to have a wide variety of players to choose from to make the team, while Robinson has no such luxury. Plant is positioned in the heart of South Tampa on South Himes, an extremely desirable area that often attracts large number of potential football players who would otherwise gone to other schools.
All of these factors give Plant a clear advantage in football, and call into question: Is football rigged against small schools?
Every Saturday all across the US, millions
of Americans unite to watch one of the nations most beloved sports, College Football. The sport brings in massive crowds, both in stadiums and on T.V., with primetime college football games commonly reaching above seven million viewers according to foxsports.com. However, even in one of America’s favorite sports, the discrepancies between competitors such as those between Plant and Robinson are still present.
On Saturday, September 7th, the Ohio State buckeyes, the number two team in the country and frequent national champion contenders who have one of the biggest sports programs in the country defeated Western Michigan, a lesserknown division one team 56-0. Western Michigan, similar to Robinson, is a decently sized school, boasting seventeen thousand students. However, Ohio State is home to a monstrous 60,540 students, over three
Girl’s Wrestling is Exploding
and a half times bigger than its week-two opponent. Just like Plant, OSU attracts better players due to its size and strength in football.
The schools, despite being geographically close like Robinson and Plant, were not in the same conference. As previously mentioned, not at all the same size or the same strength in football. In fact, the power discrepancy was so large that Ohio State had to pay Western Michigan, With OSU due to pay 1.8 million to Western Michigan according to the ColombusDispatch. com. Paying schools to play is a common practice in college football, with virtually all powerhouse teams taking part, often leading to large payouts and even larger victories, as the larger school collects their not-so-free win. Although this system may seem like a win-win, with the larger school picking up an easy win and the smaller school getting a much-needed paycheck, this system neglects
Across the U.S.
Girl's wrestling has become the nation's fastest growing sport in highschools.
By SADIE SCHEU, STAFF WRITER
When most people think of women’s sports, they’ll usually think of volleyball, cheerleading, or even softball. Recently however, girl’s wrestling has been taking the U.S. by a storm.
“Girl’s wrestling has become the fastest-growing high school sport in the country,” Mike Levy, a journalist for the Associated Press, said. “Sanctioned by a surging number of states and bolstered by a movement of medal-winning female wrestlers, parents and the male-dominated ranks of coaches and administrators who saw it as a necessity and a matter of equality.”
The sport, which can be described by some as daunting, has traditionally attracted very few girls, but that seems to be changing. Nationally, the number of girls wrestling teams has almost quadrupled over the past decade, according to the National Federation of State High School Associations. In the last year alone, the number of girls participating in wrestling has gone up by 60%.
“I wrestled here at Robinson high school as a student, and I got into coaching in college,” Coach Thomas Montero said, who has been coaching wrestling at Robinson for almost 33 years. “We had, at first, one or two girls here and there, but they had to wrestle the boys. In the last two years- I think there’s going to be a third year of sanctioned girl’s wrestling in Florida.”
And it seems like it’s not just high schools that have seen an expansion in girl’s wrestling- colleges increasingly have clubs and teams for women to join. Across the U.S., there are now 146 college programs dedicated to women’s wrestling, and 77 with their own wrestling clubs, according to the American Women’s Wrestling Association.
“Colleges at every level are giving girls scholarships right now,” Coach Montero said. “It’s
something that girls should probably get into, if they want to go to the next level. There’s a lot of opportunity right now for young ladies to go to college and get it paid for.”
A lot of people tend to think of wrestling as dangerous, but while the sport can be physically challenging and is less widely followed than soccer or football, it has benefits of its own.
“You learn a lot of self-discipline when you’re wrestling,” Girl’s Wrestling Captain Arianna Houghtaling (‘27) said. “You have to maintain your weight, you have to learn the moves, you have to be accountable before and after matches; know what [things] you did wrong, so you can fix them.”
Because it is a one on one individual sport, wrestling can also teach you to confront and accept your own mistakes, which can easily determine the result of a match.
“It’s more than just wrestling,” Coach Montero said. “It’s not about the wins and the losses, so much as the experiences and the journey of becoming a better person.”
Even though the number of girls wrestling has gone up exponentially over the last few years, there are still huge discrepancies in the number of boys teams and girl’s teams in the U.S. At Robinson, there are around 20 boys who wrestle, but only four or five girls. Even if it’s not most people’s first choice for a sport, both Coach Montero and captain Houghtaling urged more girls to join.
“Just give it a try,” Coach Montero said. “We have a great staff here at Robinson, from the administration to the coaches. We’ll show you everything you need to know, and it’s fun. We have a great family environment.”
one of the most important parts of college football; the fans.
Due to the massive losses suffered by the Robinson football team, fans are becoming more reluctant to go to home games.
“I’m a little discouraged from going to the games because of the losses,” Robinson student and fan Will Heath (‘27) said. “It’s hard going to the games when we lose by such large margins.”
Fans are easily one of the most vital parts of a team, yet schools push them away by playing bigger schools where they don’t have a real chance to win. Losing by upwards of 60 points is humiliating and doesn’t encouraged fans to come and support teams, hurting smaller schools that may already cater to a smaller demographic, similar to Robinson, who, unlike Plant, have a much smaller pool of students to come to games. So, when Robinson loses by 55, it’s safe to assume that the turnouts at the next few games will be lacking, especially if the turnout of the opponents fans is also weak, as Robinson is often underestimated.
“Robinson has been the underdog for two decades and every time we go into those environments, they doubt us” linebacker George Logan (‘27) said.
Despite the numerous disadvantages faced by Robinson, our football team continues to work hard and fight back against much larger teams, utilizing said hard work to combat the definitive unfairness of some of our matchups.
A football player starts to get up after a tackle from Strawberry Crest. Photo by Ashlyn Miller.
Yanichel Or (‘25) competing against her opponent from Alonso. Photo by Jordan De La Cruz
The MVP’s of Fall ‘24
The best of the best for fall sports at the R
By: JORDAN DEL A CRUZ, SPORTS EDITOR AND YESENIA ROSARIO, CO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Every August, the Fall Sports of Football, Volleyball, Boys and Girls Swim, and Boys and Girls Golf begin, with Cross Country officially starting a little later. These teams are not just the name, or the Robinson logo, but the players involved. From Cross Country to Varsity Football, these are the MVPs of the 2025 season.
Varsity Football- Xander Logan
Logan has played football for 12 years, beginning in kindergarten and has played all throughout high school. He’s one of eight Captains on Varsity. His main position is wide receiver but has recently started playing Safety on defense and is a punt/kick returner. Being captain comes with many responsibilities and Logan does this through his wide receiverversatility.
“I think I better my team through my versatility and leadership because Coach can throw me in at any position, he needs me at.
[I’ve been] playing this game for so long I can help my teammates if they start to struggle,” Logan said.
Currently Logan has 14 catches, three receiving touchdowns, one kick return touchdown, one interception and 405 total yards in the season.
As the season progresses, Logan acknowledges there are things he could improve on, along with the skills he already excels in.
“My coach can put [me] anywhere on the field and I know I’ll be able to do my job,” Logan said.
Volleyball - Emmery Capra
“A thing I can improve on is my communication with my coaches. I need to start telling them what I see so we can call the right plays so we can put the ball in the end zone.”
With it being mid-season, there are many more games to go, and Logan is choosing to go into them with a positive mindset.
“I’m looking forward to winning a second straight district title and hopefully making a playoff push,” Logan said.
Cross Country-Peter Smalley
This is Smalley’s second year doing Cross Country, only picking it up in his sophomore year and first year as Co-Captain alongside senior Kyle Perkins.
There’s a lot of training that goes into Cross Country and many different workouts you could do. Smalley warms up with running and then goes into static and dynamic stretches.
“In cross country we do a lot [of] mileage-based training and then workouts which push our aerobic capacity and lactate threshold,” Smalley said.
Being such an important part of the team, Smalley enjoys contributing by keeping his teammates happy and educated.
“I like keeping everyone in high spirits and teaching them about the importance of our training,” Smalley said.
Boys Swim - Halsey “Tiki” Keats
Cloutier began competitive swimming in middle school, and since then, the sport has begun a simple way of life.
“I’ve been on the varsity team since sophomore year, but I swam freshmen year at my old high school,” Cloutier said. “I’ve been competitive swimming for what’s been five years now.”
Cloutier is ranked 16th in all of Florida and has broken multiple Robinson Records. As Captain of the Girls team, Cloutier understands that it’s not just about breaking her own records but supporting the team in every way she can.
“I’m the main captain, and Liv [Alivia Cocchiola (‘25)] is the co-assistant captain. I think both of us are able to come together to help out the new people on the team. I think we bring a really good, positive environment to the team,” Cloutier said.
Some of her best times include 23.61 in the 50 Yard Free Swim, 54.05 in the 1oo Yard Free swim and 5:10.28 in the 500 Yard Free Swim. Regarding college commissions, Cloutier is ranked #267 the most wanted, nationally #16 most wanted in the state.
Evident by her viscous ranking, Cloutier was committed to the University of North Carolina, during the 2024-2025 preseason.
“[Swimming’s] definitely a big commitment. A big chunk of my time goes to it, and it’s tiring. But it has provided me with a lot of good racing opportunities. My times and my swimming have gotten better. My friends and coaches are able, and from that, I was able to commit to UNC,” Cloutier said. “I learned
Smalley’s personal record is 16:59 and is looking forward to bettering that.
“I’m looking forward to another [personal record] and some good competition at states,” Smalley said. “Maybe even a district championship or runner up as a team.”
Halsey “Tiki” Keats is a Senior at Robinson and has been here all four years. He began his hobby of swimming in 2019, and since then, it’s
“On Robinson Swim, this is my fourth year, and second year as captain,” Keats said. “I joined the Swim Team to get better at swimming, to be a beach lifeguard. I ended up getting
Since picking the sport up, he’s been making a splash in the
Robinson history. I have 12 of the top 20 times, in 100 Breaststroke, including first second and third,”
Breaststroke last year, being 28.13 seconds, Keats is ranked 149th in the state. Keats is hoping to break even more school records as the season continues into States. Having had great coaches and captains during his first few years at Robinson, Keats has made it a priority to
“We had a really good captain, my freshmen and sophomore year, Casey Kemp, who gave us a great vision to go off of the last few years,” Keats said. “Casey had a really good vision, I’m just trying to execute what he had planned. I’m carrying that on to some of the other guys, so they can carry on our legacy. Our team environment is amazing,
With Keat’s obvious talent, he’s had numerous offers from schools. However, recently he has commited to Staten Island
“Firstly, I would like to thank God for providing me with this opportunity. Next I would like to thank my all my coaches from the past few years. I also want to thank my parents and my friends who have supported me, Go
Boy’s Golf - Sam Woodward
Sam Woodward (‘25) has been golfing his whole life but it’s only been more than a hobby for the
Cloutier began competitive swimming in middle school, and since then, the sport has begun a simple way of life.
“I’ve been on the varsity team since sophomore year, but I swam freshmen year at my old high school,” Cloutier said. “I’ve been competitive swimming for what’s been five years now.”
Cloutier is ranked 16th in all of Florida and has broken multiple Robinson Records. As Captain of the Girls team, Cloutier understands that it’s not just about breaking her own records but supporting the team in every way she can.
“I’m the main captain, and Liv [Alivia Cocchiola (‘25)] is the co-assistant captain. I think both of us are able to come together to help out the new people on the team. I think we bring a really good, positive environment to the team,” Cloutier said.
Some of her best times include 23.61 in the 50 Yard Free Swim, 54.05 in the 1oo Yard Free swim and 5:10.28 in the 500 Yard Free Swim. Regarding college commissions, Cloutier is ranked #267 the most wanted, nationally #16 most wanted in the state.
Evident by her viscous ranking, Cloutier was committed to the University of North Carolina, during the 2024-2025 preseason.
“[Swimming’s] definitely a big commitment.
A big chunk of my time goes to it, and it’s tiring. But it has provided me with a lot of good racing opportunities. My times and my swimming have gotten better. My friends and coaches are able, and from that, I was able to commit to UNC,” Cloutier said.
“I’ve been on the team since my sophomore year,” Woodward said. “[I have been] in the captain position since Junior year.”
Being a lead for the team has played a huge role in his MVP status, not just chasing lower times, but make sure that his teammates are as well.
“I’ve had the lowest scores, but I believe the most important thing is how much our team overall has improved since prior years, which leads to the most success.” Woodward said.
Although many of his matches have been cancelled this season, Woodward has averaged a 38.5.
From individual matches to practice itself, golf takes up a majority of Woodward’s time.
“On a normal week, we have two matches and two days of practice,” Woodward said. “So, like Monday and Wednesday practices and Tuesday and Thursday matches.”
Girl’s Golf - Ava Godfrey
Godfrey has played golf since age six, but due to her versatility, the other sports she plays such as basketball and flag caused her to play less and picked it up again her senior year.
Being her first and final year Godfrey believes she brings much to offer to the team.
“I bring positive energy [to the team]. The team already has a good vibe, and I just want to continue that,” she said.
Golf isn’t an easy sport to pick up, so Godfrey does spend time practicing swinging and playing.
“For practice I usually hit on the range for about an hour and play some holes after. I also play a round with my dad some weekends,” she said.
“I think I strike my irons pretty well. I could improve on hitting my woods and drive along with rotating my
The golf season ends at the end of October, so Godfrey looks forward to growing more comfortable in the game. “For the season I am looking forward to having fun with all my friends while also improving as a player,” she said. “I am looking forward to getting more comfortable on the courseand shooting lower
Your Vote, Your Future
What does voting this year mean to studetns?
By ANIKA SANKA, FEATURES EDITOR
From the DMV to AP College Board and even on Spotify, I’m asked the same question over and over- have you registered? I am sadly not of age yet, but am still offered the option to register early constantly. As this year’s seniors hit their milestone coming-of-age eighteenth birthdays they are now eligible to vote in the upcoming November election, and the pressure is certainly on to make sure they get their vote in.
Why is this particular election so important? For one, with the two candidates having such a large contrast this election will play a crucial role in the future policies on taxes, immigration, healthcare, education reform and climate change; which very well will affect our generation, especially when entering the workforce.
Additionally, this election is considered a milestone because we have the first Asian-American and female and the return of the 45th president, bringing a shift from a candidates
casting your vote.
As a high schooler, voting is one of the most direct ways to influence
around you. By casting their ballots, students can voice their
about rising college costs, student loan forgiveness and job opportunities, which are struggles many can relate to.
Historically, younger voters have lower turnout rates
than older generations. However, recently the youth vote has been recognized as a growing force in recent elections. High schoolers truly do have the power to change the political landscape if they make the choice to engage in the voting process. According to circle.tufts.edu, the youth vote was crucial in the election of our last presidential candidate.
Many policies that affect our futures are determined by elected officials, including those at the local, state and national levels. By voting, students help ensure that their interests are represented and that lawmakers are held accountable for decisions that shape their future.
Additionally, high schoolers represent the beginning of a new generation of voters who will shape long-term trends in U.S. politics. The issues we care about today will drive the political discussion for years to come, and voting is the first step in taking ownership of becoming involved in politics.
Voting as a high schooler can also help create a habit of being an active and responsible citizen, and raises
Opinions on Climate Change?
Vice-presidential candidates provide different stances in the recent debate that took place Oct. 1 2024. This debate is expected to be the last debate before the presidential election.
“If we actually care about getting cleaner air and cleaner water, the best thing to do is to double down and invest in American workers and the American people” J.D Vance - Republican V.P Candidate and Ohio Senator
“The solution for us is to continue to move forward, that climate change is real. Reducing our impact is absolutely critical. You can do that at the same time you’re creating the jobs that we’re seeing all across the country.”
awareness of current politics and news. It’s easy to choose not to participate in politics, which causes frustration with a lack of representation of issues prioritize. Take climate change: The average age of national politicians (US House & Senate) is about 60 years old. They won’t be affected by climate change as much as today’s high schoolers. So it makes sense why it is not as big a priority for them as it is for us. If we want things to change, if we want our priorities to be valued by our leaders, then we have to exercise our votes.
Early participation in elections increases the likelihood of continued involvement in democracy, leading to overall being more up-to-date and engaged. High school students who vote also become role models inspiring others to stay informed and involved.
The significance of high schoolers voting goes beyond the immediate impact of an election. It represents the future of our country, policy change and the potential for a generation to make its mark. By voting, high school students are taking a step toward building a society that reflects their values, beliefs, and aspirations. Our participation ensures that the future is in the hands of those who will live in it.
FSPA Fall Digitals Competition: Election News Package
By COLETON RONE, MULTI-MEDIA EDITOR AND JOESEPH TREVINO, SENIOR STAFF WRITER
The general election is right around the corner. FSPA prompted students to create a news brief interviewing the students and faculty of their school about the importance of this election in particular. Scan the Q.R code to view the Knight Writer’s submission.
Gabbie Rodrigues (’25)
Jonas Awad (‘25)
Mariah Hulin (‘25)
Tim Walz - Democrat V.P Candidate and Minnesota Govenor
