RHS Knight Writers Vol. 63 Issue 1 | Sept. 2022

Why didn't the skeleton go to Homecoming?

Because he had no BODY to go with!

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KnightWriters

Issue 1

Q&A With Homecoming King and Queen

Find out more about this year's king and queen!

This year's Homecoming King and Queen Kassim Johnson ('23) and Kate' Robinson ('23) campaigned for weeks and gained support from their friends ultimately resulting in their win. Both seniors wanted to do something memorable for their last year and running for king and queen was just that. They were ecstatic to win and to answer questions regarding their crowning as king and queen.

Why did you run for homecoming king/ queen?

KR: “I ran for homecoming queen because it's my senior year and I've never run for homecoming before so I thought why not!”

KJ: “Homecoming is during football season so I might as well become king and represent the team!”

How did you feel when you found out?

KR: “I felt loved and grateful because everyone was cheering and supporting me and I couldn't believe I actually won.”

KJ: “I felt good, a big rush of energy came when I pulled out the sword, it was quite an experience.”

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What song do you want to dance to with the king/queen at homecoming?

KR: "I want to dance to 'Teach Me How to Dougie.'"

KJ: "Ouu 'Hit the Quan!'"

What are you most excited about for homecoming?

"I'm most excited for the memories and dancing with my friends."

"I'm excited in general, ready to

How would you rate your homecoming experience on a scale

"Homecoming was like a 4/10, they had a bad DJ."

What was your favorite part of the

"My favorite part of the night was when 'Hit the Quan' came on and everyone started doing the dance."

Kassim Johnson ('23) lifts Excalibur in triumph after being named Homecoming King at the homecoming footabll game against Brandon. Photo by G. Hilton

Kate' Robinson ('23) smiles for pictures while holding the sword that was presented to her when she was named Homecoming Queen. Photo by A. Stearns.

Johnson and Robinson wave at the student section as they drive around the track during halftime at the "Break It Down Brandon" football game. Photo by A. Stearns.

Johnson presenting Robinson with the sword as Robinson alumni and 2021 Homecoming King Xavier Difo leans in to place the crown on her head. Photo by A. Stearns.

Johnson walks across the field accompanied by his mother and brother Lakeem Johnson ('24). Photo by A. Stearns.

Johnson's first attempt to pull the sword out of the rock before succeeding his second time. Photo by A. Stearns.

Robinson and Johnson posing for a pho to after being crowned king and queen. Photo by G. Hilton.

Q&A: Brown Gets Real About School

Construction

Brown details what’s to come with school construction and how it’s going.

By SHAYLA McINTYRE, STAFF WRITER

Robinson High School Principal David Brown has had a very eventful experience with the Knights so far, navigating a new school and student body all while the school is being redone. He remains confident and looks forward to being settled in a freshly renovated school.

Q: What are you most excited about, when school construc tion is done?

DB: I’m excited that we will have a sense of normalcy, instead of being in portables and worrying about rain and bells not working and I’m very excited that the students and teachers will have access to all of this very exciting stuff.

Q: Are we on the right track for construction, will we be finished in time for next school year?

DB: Yes, we have weekly meetings, so they meet every Wednesday morning just to touch base, but yes as of right now everything’s still on track, but you always have to take into consideration that the supply chain gets delayed but we are still on schedule.

Q: Will there will be lockers in the new building?

DB: Yes, there will be lockers.

Q: What has been the hardest part of construction for you and the students?

DB: Having to be flexible, some mornings I will get here and the power or water will be off, it’s just that inconve nience of always having something that should be fixed or replaced so that gets frustrating.

Q: What is your favorite part of Robinson as a whole?

Gas Prices in the United States Decline Dramatically

With gas prices being at an all time high all summer, it’s now starting to go down.

By CECILIA CHENG, A&E EDITOR

After suffering from a signifi cant increase, the national aver age gas price has begun to drop below $4 for the first time in six months. The United States has been going through record-high inflation since March 2022, im pacting numerous families in the country. Nonetheless, this has created a major impact on the rising and falling of gasoline prices.

Gas originally hit a re cord-breaking price due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Ukraine is one of the U.S.’s primary sources of gasoline, and Russia’s attack limited America’s accessibility to crude oil. This began an unavoidable imbalance between United States’ demand and supply as well, resulting in an increase in prices of all prod ucts sold.

However, things have been looking brighter for Americans since August 2022. Despite the fact that Russia still doesn’t have the best relationship with its neighboring country, Ukraine, according to CNBC, “Some [U.S.] states have also suspended their gas taxes, which artificially pushes prices lower. But the main reason for the fall is the decline in oil prices.”

Another reason that gas prices are slightly lowering is due to the

upcoming midterm elections. The White House and the Biden Administration have been facing a lot of backlash from Americans across the country as gas was at an average of $5 all summer long, a time when many families travel.

In order to gain his popularity back in time for the midterm elections, Biden had to gain his popularity back.

in gas prices for the day-to-day consumer.

“The President’s announce ment called to release one million barrels of SPR crude oil per day over six months. This historic release of SPR crude has pro vided a record amount of crude oil supply to the U.S. economy and will continue until the end of October 2022,” The U.S. Department of Energy said.

With the majority of juniors and seniors driving at Robin son, many are pleased about the decline in gas prices as well, particularly students who have to pay for their own gas.

DB: I like everything about Robinson, I like the spirit I feel as though the students love it, even though we only have 1400 kids here, everyone supports one another, even though all this craziness is going on everyone comes in every day and tries to put a smile on their face.

Q: What is the update on the football field and locker rooms?

DB: The field will be getting artificial turf and a rubber track but it won’t be until either this summer or next sum mer. The locker rooms are getting redone starting March 1st, there will be a boys and girls locker room and a training room.

Q: If you could pick one thing to put in the school what would you pick?

DB: I don’t know if there’s anything that I want to put in here, I would rather spend the energy on something that’s already here. I love the media center don’t get me wrong but it could use an overhaul, it could use a lot of sprucing up and modernization, but as far as the new building I’m excited about that and the culinary arts suite is going to be really nice. We may add more career technical programs as well which I’m excited about.

Random Searches Return to Hillsborough County

Superintendent Addison Davis reinstated random searches of students in an effort to curb future threats to student safety.

By VIKRAM SAMBASIVAN, NEWS & FEATURES EDITOR & CECILIA CHENG, A&E EDITOR

With the increased violence in schools that has not only afflicted the United States, but has also struck Robinson students at home during the lockdown of the 20212022 school year, many feel that there is need for increased security in public schools. As of Sept. 8, 2022, Hillsborough County Superintendent Addison Davis announced the reinstitution of random searches of middle and high school students for the 20222023 school year.

doing random [searches], where they’re just picking a school to visit randomly each day…we have 222 school sites, so they can’t be at all of them,” Principal David Brown said.

With the searching of student belongings, this brings to question whether this would violate the fourth amendment rights (rights protecting citizens from unreason able searches and seizures by the government) of the student body.

Before every baseball game, Russell Sande fer (‘23) sits in the dugout, listening to music and rubbing “the bone dome”- a title bestowed upon his shaved head. Nicknamed “Bone” his freshman year by fellow teammates, Sandefer is anything but unfa miliar with baseball— playing the game for well over a decade.

“I’ve been playing baseball since I was 4 years old. My brother and I both wanted to play sports, so we tried baseball and loved it.”

Saint Leo pitches an offer to Russell Sandefer

Robinson baseball player Russell Sandefer receives a “hair-raising” offer to Saint Leo University.

By INGALLS WITTE, MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

Sandefer will continue to play baseball come next year, as he announced on Aug 5 his commit ment to play with Saint Leo University at the Divi sion II level.

“Getting an offer was one of the best feelings I’ve ever had. One of the best moments in my life. I had another offer and many interests in various schools in Florida and Georgia,” he said. Ultimately, Sandefer chose to commit to Saint Leo because of the “great baseball program and the great education and cam pus. I really felt at home.”

Sandefer has been pitching for the Knights for two years, with this upcoming season being his third. Though his spring season is still ahead of him, Sandefer’s hard work, leadership and energy will be sorely missed by the Robinson baseball team come fall.

“Russ is a spark plug for our team. He works harder than anyone I’ve ever seen and is a natural

leader for the younger players,” fellow pitcher Nate Jennewein (‘23) said.

“Russ is definitely one of the lifebloods of the team. His positive energy brings us together and he is a natural leader for everyone. He is an excellent player that has some pretty nasty stuff. There is no better embodiment of Robinson baseball than Russ,” Alex DeLise (‘23) said.

Russell Sandefer will attend Saint Leo University next, and though he may be a lion come next season, he will always be a Knight.

“RHS baseball has defined who I am as a person. It has taught me discipline, the value of hard work, being a better person and man. It made relationships with people I’ll never forget. It truly helped me figure myself out and enjoy high school more than anyone else.”

Isabelle Allbritton Sticks Out to Rhodes College

The senior is on her way to the big leagues next fall.

By ADRIAN SCHUMACHER, STAFF WRITER

Over the summer, Isabelle Allbritton (‘23) realized her longtime goal and com mitted to Rhodes College to play lacrosse. The girls lacrosse senior captain put a lot of work into the commitment process and it finally paid off. A dominant force on the field, Allbritton had interest from Division I and II schools all across the country but decided to take her talents to the Memphis Division III Rhodes.

“I focused my search on Division III schools because of the academics found in those schools. I really wanted something that would fully prepare me for my future work life. In addition, the competition athletically in [third division] schools has really risen over the past couple of years. It’s really the best of both worlds,” Allbrit ton said.

school not only for the elite lacrosse team, which finished with a 15-4 record in the 2022 season, but also for the academic and career benefits associated with such a high ly touted college.

“I am excited for Rhodes because they have a very solid lacrosse team and their team chemistry is off the charts,” Allbrit ton said. “Going to college there gives me a lot of opportunities for internships and furthering my academics.”

all was her goal of playing at the college level, and the willingness to work as hard as possible to realize that goal. Friends, family, teammates, and coaches alike rat ed her dedication extremely highly when asked about her lacrosse career.

“[Allbritton] was a beast. She would always show up to a session first and leave last. Coachable, talented, and she’s been brought up well, too. That stuff you can’t teach. It was just a joy to have had her play under me,” Allbritton’s coach stated.

process,” Allbritton said.

S P O R T S

On her last season at the R, the senior had one thing to say:

“We’re gonna go crazy this year for real.”

Rising Star Joins the RHS Starlets

Lyndsey McIntyre joins the Starlets as a seventh grader.

“Gas prices have fallen every day this summer for 38 days in a row...you can find gas for $3.99 or less in more than 30,000 gas stations in more than 35 states.

In some cities, it’s down almost a dollar from last month.  We’ve been working really hard to bring the price down,” President Joe Biden said in a recent statement.

Another reason for this decline in gas prices could be due to Biden’s approval of the release of an unprecedented amount of oil from the Strategic Petro leum Reserve (SPR). This too will continue to aid the decrease

“The gas prices dropping has been really nice. I always feel bad asking people for gas money, but gas is so expensive. Since gas has dropped, I use less of my paycheck on it, so I have more room for other things, like going out with friends. Gas is still not as low as it was before I started driving, but the price is much better than it was in the summer time,” Ella Garruto (‘24) said.

“A few classrooms at each school will be randomly chosen and all students in those class rooms will be part of the search,” Davis said in an email to Hillsbor ough County parents and guard ians. “The search will require stu dents to walk through a standup metal detection device or security officers will use a handheld wand similar to the ones you see at the airport or a large gathering such as a sporting event or concert.”

While the email does mention metal detectors and handheld wands, many of these changes won’t be coming to RHS.

“I don’t think [the institution of infrastructure is] the case right now. I think right now they’re just

“If the teacher just searches the student’s backpack for no [good] reason, then yes [it would be a vi olation of their fourth amendment rights],” Rocco Guida Lleras (’24) said. “However, if the student was accused of having a weapon on campus then it would not be a [violation] as they are doing it to keep everyone safe.”

Another aspect of this that must be considered is the effectiveness that these random searches will have on preventing future threats to student safety.

“It’s all about deterrence. It’s not so much about a ‘got you’ or a ‘caught you,’ it’s about getting students to understand that we are doing this and to leave your [non-essential] stuff at home,” Brown said.

Rhodes College is an iconic liberal arts school in the heart of Memphis, Ten nessee. As an Alabama and Florida na tive, Allbritton is quite familiar with the Southeast. She is eager to attend her dream

Allbritton started playing for the Robinson varsity team her freshman year, racking up 44 goals since her debut. As a defensive midfielder, Allbritton’s forte isn’t goalscoring. Her area of specialty revolves around guarding the other team’s best players and doing the dirty work. Outside of the Robinson team, she plays for the Limitless Lacrosse Club team in Tampa during the school year and the Storm Se lect team in Orlando during the summer, two of the top teams in the nation. With training every day and frequent trips out of state, Allbritton has put in a lot of time perfecting her craft.

“It’s a grind for sure, and it even be comes overwhelming sometimes to be fair. But the work I have put in so far has paid off, so I must be doing something right,” Allbritton said.

Allbritton’s grind did not go unno ticed. Accustomed to playing a range of styles on an array of different teams, she has had to adapt multiple times to achieve success. What she maintained through it

From Palma Ceia to Ithaca: Nate Jennewein’s Career Goes On

Robinson pitcher Nate Jennewein commits to Cornell University.

By NAVEEN JAYARAM, STAFF WRITER

Nate Jennewein (‘23) is a starting pitch er on the Robinson baseball team who just recently committed to play D1 baseball at Cornell University to further his academ ic and athletic career. His recruiting process with Cornell began when he attended a show case in Boston over the summer where Head Coach, Dan Pepicelli identified him and of fered on the spot.

Jennewein said that they “gave [him] an offer almost immediately.” However, he still had a decision to make, given the interest he had received from other schools before ulti mately deciding to take his talents to Ithaca.

Mae Allbritton (‘25) asserted her pride for her sister’s accomplishments.

“I had a feeling [Allbritton’s] dedica tion would pay off. Being her sister and teammate, I’ve been able to witness first hand how great she is. I’m so proud of her for persevering even when times got tough and I’m glad Rhodes recognized her tal ent,” she said.

Despite the pressure of high perfor mance, the lacrosse star still manages to stay grounded and claims that the work she put in off the field was equally import ant to her work on it.

“Being a good student set me apart from a lot of the competition and landed me a roster spot at a lot of schools. My 3.7 unweighted GPA,  presidency in Key Club, and strong influence on the basket ball team helped push me over the edge. I am extremely grateful because the RHS IB program has given me all of the tools I needed to go through the commitment

By ASHLYN MILLER, STAFF WRITER

While the starlets spin their colorful flags and throw their rifles, one girl among them is a little younger than the rest. When a coach saw 12-year-old Lyndsey McIntyre spinning a flag at a starlets fundraising car wash, she was very impressed by her natural talent of color guard skills. Read more about the young Starlets member by scan ning the QR code below.

Going forward, he takes past Robinson col lege committers as his inspiration.

“I saw the guys that went on to play in college and wanted to be like them,” he said.

Jennewein’s goals and aspirations for his senior season and the future are lofty, but attainable, with the goal of “[laying] it all out there for my senior year and make the R proud” Looking onwards to his freshman year at Cornell, he plans to get as physical as possible before stepping onto a college field. At the end of the day, baseball is Jennewein’s

passion, he simply wants to “play ball”.

“Baseball and pitching is very simple to me. It’s a perfect one on one where you can dominate the guy across from you. I love to compete,” Jennewein said.

When talking about his favorite high light of his Robinson baseball career, he re members the game against the Plant Panthers

last year. He took a ‘no hitter’ into the fifth in ning against a team that ended up in the state semifinal, showing himself that his skill was strong and to be continued into the future.

His team members also noted his skill, along with social aspects that make a him a great attribute to any team.

“Nate is the hardest working player on the diamond... he brings a high energy level to practice and games which is contagious and raises the team’s level and standards.”

All in all, throughout his baseball jour ney, Jennewein has learned lessons that rarely found outside of sport.

“Baseball has taught me to fail. When I go out there and suck, I’m still confident in sticking to my plan and resetting quickly be fore the next game,” Jennewein said.

Nate Jennewein (‘23) completing a pitch. Photo by Z. Thaxton.

Russell Sandefer (‘23) about to release his pitch. Photo by N. Diaz.

Statistics show the national average for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline. Photo from AAA

Photo Courtesy of Issa Allbritton.

"I always feel bad asking people for gas money, but gas is so expensive."

- Ella Garruto

Features

No matter where you live, jack-o-lanterns are a staple part of any Autumn experience. Picking up a giant or ange ball from the grocery store or at a stand on the side of the road with a giant sign labeled, “Pumpkin Patch” it’s a magical feeling to say the least.

The task of actually carving said pumpkin, however, is not for the weak. It starts with searching the internet for a design to cut into the big orange vegetable. It’s then time to pick the perfect pumpkin for carving.

The Kitchn’s, Allison Russo’s number one tip is to “pick it up and tap it: It should feel sturdy. When you tap it, you should hear a hollow sound.”

Once the perfect pumpkin is chosen, it’s time to gut it. Start by carving a circle around the stem that’s large enough to be able to scoop out all the seeds. Scrape the edges of the pumpkin to get all the stringy pumpkin in ners and seeds out, but don’t throw them away. They can be used later.

When the pumpkin is officially hollow and no seeds remain, sketch the chosen design and start carving. Get a knife that can easily be found in any nearby kitchen

A Carved Pumpkin For One, a Carved Pumpkin For All

By KEIRRA McGOLDRICK, OPINION EDITOR

and go with the lines of the sketch. When the beautiful jack-o-lantern is formed, put a candle in it and put the top back on.

Now what? The leftover seeds can easily be separated from the “meat” of the pumpkin and turned into a tasty and healthy snack.

“Toss them with a mix of olive oil and savory spices from curry powder to cayenne pepper and roast them to create the ultimate...snack,” said Sheela Prakash of Epi curious.

Sadly, carved pumpkins don’t last long, only an average of three to five, but can last up to a week or two depend ing on climate, sunlight exposure and temperature. In this treacherous, Floridian weather, a typical pumpkin outside would probably last maximum of four days. After the beloved pumpkin had reached its last breath, instead of just throwing it away, repurpose it.

“...they [rotten pumpkins] are the perfect addition to any compost pile—just make sure to remove any deco rations first, such as candles or ribbons.” Sophie Hirsh of Green Matters

Gallant Galvin the Knight

By JUNO LE, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

There are five things that make a Robinson home game a Robinson home game. The first four consists of the football team, the cheer team, the marching band and the student section. The final piece that wraps all of it to gether is the senior bouncing around in polyester “chainmail” swinging a shiny plastic sword.

As the football team dons their jer seys and the marching band clasps their uniforms together, Alex Galvin (‘23) retrieves the red, black and silver Knights regalia. Since the first football game of the 2021 fall season, Galvin

has become a recognizable face at ev ery home game under the helmet of his outfit as the official mascot.

“I’ve always been a big supporter and advocate for school spirit and pride, so when I found the costume in my clos et, I told myself to give it a try. Once I became the official mascot, I thought there was no better way to show school pride than being the literal symbol of the school,” Galvin said. “Honestly, I would say that wanting to be the mas cot simply comes from my desire to [represent] the school and support our place.”

In Galvin’s years as the school mas cot, there have been two costumes. The classic foam costume, locked

Let this become a cycle. Keep getting and carving pumpkins and then compost them.

Don’t just stop at one pumpkin, go crazy with it.

The official Knight Writers pumpkin. Photo by K. McGoldrick

Let’s BeReal, How Do You Feel?

BeReal, the new photo sharing app that’s filling everyone’s notifications. By YESENIA ROSARIO, STAFF WRITER

BeReal is a social media photo-shar ing app where you share a photo once a day when receiving the notification, giving you a two-minute time frame to snap a pic and tag a location.

Students have many mixed opin ions on BeReal. Some believe it con tains unrealistic expectations of how people should spend their free time by not showing their authentic selves and is a toxic platform. Others believe BeReal is a fun way to snap a shot of memories and interact with friends by getting a glimpse into their daily life.

Sara Valencia (‘24) believes the app is fun but creates a sense of pressure.

“It’s fun to see what everyone is doing and actually having that part of ‘being real’” Valencia said. “But it conflicts me a little because part of that ‘being real’ is that the timer can get you on a bad moment.”

Many seem to agree with Valen cia’s opinion about how pressuring it is to take the perfect photo. Danica De Jenzano (‘25) also believes there’s

a negative stigma when it comes to “bad moments.”

“It sets unrealistic expectations be cause most of the time people are in school so obviously people know that you’re doing boring stuff,” De Jenza no said. “But on the weekends… people aren’t constantly hanging out with their friends and going out to cool places…It’s impossible for you to always be happy and [have] a good time, that’s unrealistic.”

Though De Jenzano believes BeRe al may set unrealistic standards, she does have a positive opinion about the interactive part. She believes it’s fun to interact with personal friends, rather than trying to accumulate ran dom friends.

“I think if you’re just looking at your friends, then it’s fun,” De Jenza no said.

Most students had mixed opinions about whether the platform is having a more positive or negative effect. Mae Allbritton (‘25), similar to De

How to Prepare for Fall

“As silly as it seems, for me, the mas cot is all about getting new people to be passionate about Robinson,” Galvin said. “Especially as a senior, my hope is that if younger students see a 17-yearold dressed up in a costume, making a fool of himself and not caring, then they’ll feel comfortable going out of their comfort zone to embrace the spir it.”

Not just anyone can be the mascot. Galvin’s rise to success as the Knight stems from his relationships with the students, teachers and faculty members.

“I think Alex is an amazing mascot because not only is he really interactive with the crowd, he has energy through out the entirety of an event. Whether it’s during a football game or during a pep rally—he never loses that momen tum,” SGA President Sela Teplin (‘23) said. “I also think he does a really good job of being personable towards all of the students and teachers so it’s fun get ting to interact with the mascot.”

While not everyone is able to recog nize the person under the “armor,” he’s still a friendly, familiar face to many when they attend one of Robinson’s

“He always gives off his positive ener gy and gets everybody hyped when he’s around,” Carsyn Clack (‘26) said.

Sword in hand, Galvin hopes to spread the school’s Pride Through Ex cellence motto to his peers.

“If people look at the costume and they’re filled with their own support and passion for even half a second, then I’ve done my job,” Galvin said.

Sword in hand, Galvin hopes to spread the school’s Pride Through Ex cellence motto to his peers.

“If people look at the costume and they’re filled with their own support and passion for even half a second, then I’ve done my job,” Galvin said.

Jenzano, believes it’s a great app to interact with others but does set un realistic standards.

“BeReal allows people to connect with others and it shows what ev eryone is up to outside of school,” Allbritton said. “[However, it] makes people compare their lives to others. A lot of people would rather post late when they’re doing something inter esting, rather than actually posting on time… [It] shows how [much] people care about what others think.”

On the more positive side, Reese Pierson (‘25) believes BeReal is a con structive outlet for young teens.

“It really helps living in the mo ment, not just focusing on social media and our phones, looking the best, acting the best,” Pierson said. “It helps me be more open and honest.”

The best season of the year is approaching, so let’s get ready.

By CHARLOTTE STONE, PRINT MANAGING EDITOR

The time is finally here. Everyone’s favorite season is approaching: fall. After an excruciatingly hot summer, there is nothing better than the cool, comfortable weather that comes with fall. There is nothing better than waking up on a cool autumn day, putting on a cozy outfit and walking outside to see leaves falling to your feet. Now that fall is practically upon us, here are some fun, but necessary ways to prepare for the upcoming season.

Step 1: Decorate. This is the most import ant step. If it doesn’t look like fall, it won’t feel like fall. So, your number one priority is getting those decorations up. Maybe you hang some leaf/pumpkin-shaped fairy lights, or maybe you get a cheesy fake pumpkin from target. You decorate how ever you want to get in the autumn spirit.

Step 2: Candles. This step is absolutely mandatory. Candles have the amazing ability to transport you anywhere using just smell. As soon as you breathe in that pumpkin, cinnamon scent, you know it’s fall. All of your autumn memories are marked by that scent and you could recognize it anywhere.

Step 3: Food. Everyone has a specific food that takes them right back to autumn. For me, it’s the Pillsbury Dough Boy Pumpkin Cookies. As soon as I spot those seasonal cookies in the grocery store, I know that fall has arrived. However, this treat can be different for everyone. For some people it might be pumpkin pie or candy corn. Just pick whatever food reminds you of fall the most and enjoy it with your friends and family.

Step 4: Finally, Movies and TV shows. This has got to be my favorite step and it’s accessible to almost everyone. The easiest way to get into the fall spirit is by watching the perfect movie or TV show to remind you why autumn is your favorite season. For example, nothing reminds me of the autumn season more than “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” Some people may argue that it’s a Christmas movie since it says Christmas in the title, but they’re wrong. Another example of the perfect fall TV show is “Gilmore Girls.” Between the coziness of Stars Hallow and Rory’s perfect autumn wardrobe, there’s no show that encapsulates fall as well as “Gilmore Girls.”

With the start of a new school year comes fall, and although I know that we would all rather be relaxing at home instead of stuck in school, autumn is the ideal season to cheer us up. The beautiful scenery com bined with the amazing weather makes the perfect combo that everyone can enjoy. So don’t wait and start preparing for fall now!

Harvest Holler Farm Makes this a Fall to Remember

Harvest Holler is a place where you can explore nature and have adventures.

By ARIANA SMITH, STAFF WRITER

Harvest Holler Farm is a one-of-a-kind family-owned Corn Maze located in Polk City, offering a friendly environment for all. Open for the fall season through Nov. 13., one can wander through the twists and turns of the corn maze, take a hay ride to see the cows and horses, ride the cow train, visit the pumpkin patch and take plenty of pictures at all the fall themed photo spots.

The Adventure Hay Ride is a great way to get the feel of what living on a farm is really like. If one decides to take a ride on the Cow Train, they can expect barrel carts pulled by the Harvest Holler’s Tractor Drivers with the end result of creating an entertaining riding experience to see the farm in an exciting way. Be sure to enjoy the moment because when the train gets to moooving it’s hard not want to go again.

With hundreds of different sized pump kins from which to choose, there are giant carving pumpkins for making Jack-O-Lan terns as well as smaller options, all the way down to the most ideal of dining room

table décor. The tire swing, hay bales and mini golf are a suited for a wide variety of fun as you climb, swing and golf around the farm related obstacles that could challenge even the best of golfers. There are many more activities in addition to the ones already mentioned that one will never find themselves in a moment of boredom. On the way out, one should be sure to stop by Maw Maw’s Country store or Paw Paw’s Vitties for a variety of fresh baked pies, homemade jams and sausage dogs.

Harvest Holler is a farm that is home to a hard-working family who, for many years, have been opening for visitors to enjoy. To support other agricultural families, the food is from local vendors that produce quali ty homemade products. The owners and the families helping run the farm on the weekends are happy to tell you about their animals, the farm, and will help make sure you’re having a great time!

There’s a realm of possibilities beyond the jack-o-lantern.

RHS senior dons the Knight costume to every home game as the school mascot.

Galvin standing beside the other Knight costume, worn by Brenden Chapman (‘24) at the 2021 Homecoming game against Middleton High School. Photo by J. Le.

Alex Galvin (‘23) points his prop sword, returning for his final year in the Knight costume. Photo by J. Le

Reese Pierson ('25) takes a BeReal with Soup the tortise in his tank in Marazzo's biology classroom. Photo Courtesy of Reese Pierson.

A collection of fall essentials to get anyone ready and excited for autumn. Photo by C. Stone.

Galvin waving the R flag in the student section of the 2022 Plant Game. Photo by J. Le

Pumpkin patch at Harvest Holler farm. Photo by. A. Smith.

Email: info@cookprayslay.com

Real Food & Lifestyle Inspiration For Real Busy Families

Blown Out and Broken Down

Knights win blowout homecoming game against Brandon Eagles 48-6.

By JUNO LE, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Clear skies this time, the Robinson Knights came back home for a game to remember.

On Sept. 23, Camelot kicked off its annual homecoming game, which was against the Brandon High School Eagles this year. In terms of their overall season, they came into this game 2-2 after a 68-29 loss at Plant High School’s Dad’s Stadium the previous week, when their game was rescheduled to the morning after due to lightning storms.

The Knights had a bright start, scoring their first touch down roughly 30 seconds into the first quarter and secured the extra point. 7-0 on the scoreboard and the game just started. The combination of Brandon’s weak defense and Robinson’s confidence from being back in their home field led them to a steady first quarter, with another touchdown four minutes in by Jeremiah Fernandez (‘23). The first quarter ended 14-0.

Second quarter breezed by, still with little damage from

the Brandon Eagles. In fact, the Knights were able to advance another 20 points by halftime. At 38-0, the Jack Peters Field welcomed the Homecoming Inner Court along with Robinson football player, Kassim Johnson (‘23), who was crowned King of Camelot.

Friday night wasn’t looking so good for the Eagles and the game entered a mercy rule. Brandon was able to score their first, only and last touchdown that night during the mercy rule, but no extra points were obtained and they fell even further behind when the Knights advanced another 10 points by the end of the game. The game was immediately followed by the RHS Marching Band’s performance.

Robinson’s Homecoming victorious 48-6 win brings them to a 3-2 overall season record for the time being. The Knights will depart the home turf for an away game at Tampa Catholic on Sept. 30 and won’t be playing at home again until Oct. 14.

Pep Rally Fun Breaks the House Down in Preparation for the Big Game

After an eventful spirit week, Knights gather in the gym for the Homecoming Pep Rally.

By CECILIA CHENG, A&E EDITOR

Robinson students gathered in the gym this Friday, Sept. 23 to finish the school week strong with a pep rally in preparation for the 2022 homecoming dance at Zoo Tampa.

To start out, the Spirit Boys gave everyone a warm welcome with their performance with the Robinson cheerleaders follow ing. Even though there were a few changes in the plan, along with some technical difficulties for the cheerleaders, they both pulled it off in the end.

“Our original plan was something entirely different. We want ed to do a stunt with a basket and do something with the lights for effects, but admin didn’t approve the idea,” Spirit Boy Jake Abell (‘24) said. “I think despite everything that went wrong, we got out there and did a great job.”

The pep rally also consisted of many games, one of them being the “wheel barrow relay.” Students from each grade level were paired up into three pairs and had to race across the gym floor as human wheelbarrows. The two were then forced to spin ten times and run back to the other side in order for the other pairs to go. With many falls and slips, the seniors ended up finishing first, the sophomores next, the juniors right after and the freshmen last.

A performance from the Kultural Dance Club followed the relay. 14 of their members, dressed in all black, danced to the beat of SOLO By Jennie Kim. Additional artistic performanc es were seen from The Robinson Starlets and Band who were applauded enthusiastically by the crowd.

Not to mention, the Homecoming inner court was also intro duced during the Pep Rally. As IB Psychology teacher Donald Pippin introduced them, these royalties made their entrances in pairs. Each pair did a little dance as well, showing off their excitement to the crowd.

“I was super nervous leading up to the announcement and going out there. You could ask anyone that was sitting next to me how many times I said I was going to barf,” Homecoming Princess Tammy Jerson (‘24) said.

Because of the time crunch, a few games were shortened such as: the Homecom ing fashion show, human hula hoop and TikTok dance battle.

Senior Isreal El dridge-Mindieta (‘23) and Junior Tammy Jerson (‘24) went head to head against each other as the two show off their best moves. El dridge-Mindi eta ended up winning the competition, as he wowed the crowd with his head handstand.

At last, the pep rally finished off with the traditional class chant. Despite the underclassmen being the majority of the crowd, they were eliminated first. The seniors ended up winning the chant, going home remembering the final moments of their last homecoming pep rally.

While Robinson students had a blast at their second pep rally of the year, The Student Government Association (SGA) is always looking for ways to improve.

“I definitely think the pep rally could’ve been better, but I’m ready to improve things for the next one,” Senior Class Presi dent Sara Gainer (‘23) said.

A Homecoming (K)night in the Enchanted Forest

By JUNO LE & GRACE HILTON

Hands are up and heels are off. The dance floor erupts in a sweaty pile of jumping and dancing.

Robinson High School held its 2022 Homecoming dance on Sept. 24 in the Saunders Pavillion of ZooTampa (Lowry Park Zoo) to celebrate the victorious football game against Brandon High School the night before. The theme was previously announced by the Student Government Association (SGA) on their Insta gram—Enchanted Forest.

Attendees danced the night away to songs inspired by the

(From left to right) Charlie Thaxton (‘23), Cade Van Aelst (‘23), Arasan Subramanian (‘23), Josh Kim (‘23), Rand Peate (‘23), Jessica Diaz (‘23) and Collin Check (‘23) holding the letter signs that spell out SENIOR. Holding the signs made those above part of the pep rally fun. “I sort of feel pride and happiness out of being a senior at pep rallies since me and my classmates have been working a lot to get to the position we’re in now. Photo by Z. Thaxton.

Mia Sanger (‘23) cheering in the Senior section with her classmates. She had a front row seat to watch the activites. “My favorite thing at the pep rally was the wheel barrow game. It was really funny and impressive to see how fast people were able to go,” Sanger said. Photo by C. Rodriguez

E.J. Archield (‘25) and Kelis Coleman (‘25) enter the gym for the welcoming of the Homecoming Inner Court. Photo by G. Hilton.

collaborative Spotify playlist SGA shared. Two photo stations were open as a means of memorabilia of this year’s homecoming dance. To see photos from the dance, check out knightwriters.org.

Unidentified child crowd surfs under the purple LED lights of the venue. Photo by G. Hilton. by Z. Thaxton Sara Gainer (‘23) Photo by G. Hilton Juno Le (‘23) Photo Courtesy of Matt Moreno Giselle Denson (‘23) Photo Courtesy of Matt Moreno

Prince Wilton Rollins (‘24) Photo by C. Cheng Princess Tammy Jerson (‘24) Photo by C. Cheng Duke E.J. Archield (‘25) Photo by Z. Thaxton

Duchess Kelis Coleman (‘25) Photo by Z. Thaxton Count Mickah Graham (‘26) Photo by Z. Thaxton Countess Ma’Leya Thompson (‘26) Photo by Z. Thaxton

Kassim Johnson (‘23) dances in celebration following a touchdown by the Knights. He scored three touchdowns that night. Photo by A. Stearns.

Antonio Bulmer Jr. (‘23) listens as the coach talks pros and cons of his play, and the next one. While the Knights held a steady lead, there was always for improvement. “We bought it out. We just wanted to make you all happy,” Bulmer said. Photo by A. Saklaan.

Josh Crump (‘23) (left) and Bulmer tackle Brandon High School runningback Malachi Lockett (‘24) during the first quarter of the game. Photo by J. Le

Jeremiah Fernandez (‘23) carries the ball into Brandon’s end zone with a little over eight minutes left running in the first quarter. Photo by J. Le.

JUMPING FOR JOY. Allan Lewis (‘24) celebrates scoring a touchdown for the Knights, advancing the team even further ahead of the Brandon Eagles. While Brandon made a small hit near the end, Robinson left the field that night with seven total touchdowns. Photo by G. Hilton.

Justin Richardson (‘23) attempts to push past Brandon High School defensive players. Photo by A. Stearns.

Tara Senkowicz (‘23) marching with the Robinson drumline during the Marching Band’s first performance of their 2022 marching show, “The Mad World,” in uniform after weeks of weather complications. Photo by J. Le.

Sierra Hat ton (‘24) spins the flag in the first set of the march ing show, wearing the Starlets’ new uniforms. Photo by J. Le.

Nico DeL ise (‘23) playing the baritone. “It felt great, especially since [the show] got pushed back a few weeks,” DeLise said. Photo by G. Hilton.

Jonah Irwin (‘23) and Hailey Green (‘23) walk together in the Homecoming fashion show wearing pieces from the PTSA dress dive. Photo by A. Miller.

The Decoration

Fall Fashion: What’s Old, What’s Coming

What’s in store for 2022 fall fashion?

By McKAYLE McGOLDRICK, STAFF WRITER

We all know the certain fashion trends that tend to re-occur every year around fall. The oversized sweaters, the UGGs, leg warmers, beanies and much more. These pieces are sometimes considered overdone, but there’s no denying it has become a seasonal tradition. The old er Tumblr fall aesthetic paired with a pumpkin-spiced latte, mainly worn by millennials isn’t likely to go away any time soon.

As far as the younger generations go, no matter how hot the weather is in Florida, oversized sweaters, hoodies and pants have had a grip on fashion even becoming everyday attire for a good amount of people during summer. It’s safe to assume that this trend is going to continue with enthusiasm into fall.

The ‘Lagenlook’ which is a Euro pean-originated style of layering jack ets upon jackets and wearing multiple

By layering different pieces, you can easily create a cute fall outfit from the clothes you already have. Photo by M. McGoldrick.

sweaters over each other is slowly be coming more and more popular recently, particularly through social media. It’s to be expected to blossom into one of the more popular fall trends in 2022 with this excessive layering now becoming so

cially acceptable, especially with the in coming cooler weather around America.

The messy look of off-the-shoulder, excessively ripped shirts, as well as pur posefully non-matching styles and col ors, have become a well-liked style too. Many describe it as an ‘effortlessly chic’ and several people enjoy that off-duty model look that we’ve seen on celeb rities such as Bella Hadid and Kendell Jenner. This style will no doubt be seen more frequently this fall season given it’s insanely easy to put together an outfit inspired by this style.

This fall, I definitely will be participat ing in the oversized sweaters trend, may be basic but I’m choosing comfort over fashion this year. I’ll be using the slightly cooler Florida weather to my advantage, being able to wear clothes that would be comparable to a sauna suit during the summer.

MidKnight Snacks: Pumpkin Spice Cookies

Autumn is in session and what says autumn like a little pumpkin spice.

By CHELSEA RODRIGUEZ, STAFF WRITER

The Best Halloween Movie Essentials

The best season of the year is back and spooky movies are required for proper enjoyment!

By FAITH ROWLAND, STAFF WRITER

It’s finally that time of the year again, Halloween is back! You might already be worrying about costumes or plans, so I’m here to take some stress off your back with a mix of my per sonal Halloween movie essentials; everything from animated classics to my favorite horror staples. So what are you waiting for? Turn all the lights off, sit back and enjoy these with a bag of popcorn!

Horror Classics

1) It” (1990): Everybody hates killer clowns, but the original is the scariest by far. Pennywise terrorizes a group of kids after a member’s little brother gets taken and killed by him. It’s a truly terrifying movie about a common fear. A longer watch, but worth every second.

For people such as myself, fall is the most an ticipated time of the year. The weather cools down, people begin to put up decorations in their yard, stores are filled with apple pie can dles and pumpkin patches are now open. It’s a comfort season for most and it brings back classic fall flavors such as pumpkin spice. If you love fall and are also a fan of snickerdoodle cookies run, don’t walk and try these out.

and fluffy.

4) Now take the pumpkin that was set aside earlier and measure out 1/2 a cup and mix it into the butter-sugar mixture. After mixing this, set it aside.

5) In a separate bowl make the flour mix ture. This will just be flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and pumpkin spice.

By AARNA SAKLAAN, STAFF WRITER

For all the good reviews, “End of The Road” was a fairly mediocre thrill er. Released on Netflix on Friday, Sept. 9, 2022, this movie had such high po tential, with great actors such as Queen Latifah and even Dhar Mann child actor and star, Shaun Dixon. The only problem is, it didn’t live up to the ex pectations the movie should have easily reached.

“End of The Road,” directed by Mil licent Shelton, tells the story of how a widowed wife named Brenda, her two kids Kelly and Cam, and her brother, Reggie are trying to find a better life in the suburbs of Texas. After her husband died, they were forced to sell the house and move out. Everything was going great until they witnessed a murder and started getting targeted by a notorious killer, Mr. Cross.

Out of all the disappointing things this movie brought up, the worst was its mediocre acting. I expect more from a promising group of actors. Most parts of the movie were so dull and anticlimac tic, that even people who don’t watch thrillers would get bored and move on. The acting didn’t convey the hurt and emotion as well as it could have and cer tain parts would be comparable to the acting of an extra in a low-class movie.

While the ending got a little better, the plot didn’t make sense. I love the notion of a strong, independent wom

Not-so-Spooky Halloween Costume Ideas

Easily done DIY costumes.

By MALIA RODRIGUEZ, STAFF WRITER

Picking Halloween costumes can be quite difficult, especially if you have no idea what to go as and are overwhelmed by the options. Costumes can also be expensive so here’s a list of costumes that you could easily make at home or in a pinch.

“Mean Girls”

The iconic trio of Regina, Gretchen and Karen from the 2000s can easily be brought into the modern day. The easiest option would be low-rise jeans with a pink shirt, a deep side part and maybe a cute handbag. If you don’t want to dress up as a “Plastic,” you could even dress up as Janis Ian and her best friend Damian Leigh.

“The Adams Family”

This gothic-era family has a slew of iconic characters for anyone to dress up as. Wednes day and Pugsley or Morticia and Gomez could be cute duo costumes, or the whole family for a large group. Wednesday is clad in a black dress with a white collar which could be created with a white dress shirt and Morti cia only requires a long black dress and gothic makeup. Gomez wears a black pinstripe suit and Pugsley (arguably the easiest one of the bunch) wears a black and white striped shirt with black shorts.

“Scooby-Doo”

Scooby-Doo encapsulates all of the best parts of Halloween for me with its spooky aesthetic (specifically the 1969 version). All Shaggy needs is a green shirt with brown pants and for Scooby, you can just wear his

an who will do anything to pro tect her children, but “End of The Road” almost butchers this concept. Though there was some thrill in this movie, including the lengths Brenda went to protect her children, the actual plot itself was highly predictable. There was no sense of surprise or upcoming thrill. You knew almost exactly what was going to happen next.

Another thing this movie lacked was the proper use of specific tools to add suspense. They didn’t use sound or visual effects to compli ment the film in the best way. As much as visuals are important to the movie, the music is too. There was no underlying music guiding the viewer’s subconscious to the next event to happen. It was just flat and dull, the weight of the un natural silence, unnerving. If they had adequate use of natural sound effects, the lack of music would’ve been fine. Throughout the movie, you would almost never hear the clinking of spoons or soft talking and bustling in a restaurant and the lack of extras created a sense of falsehood in the environment.

I had high hopes for this film, ex pecting it to have adequate use of back ground scenery as well as visual and sound effects, but unfortunately, this movie did not meet my expectations.

Even though the movie’s use of fore shadowing impressed me, it was used too much for thriller fans who know how to look for the signs, and this over used technique unraveled the plot be fore it had even started. It could be a good way to pass your time or for peo ple who are looking for a movie with family drama and some action, but for true thriller fans, it was quite a disap pointment.

Ingredients: Cookies

• 3/4 cup of unsalted butter

• 1 cup of brown sugar

• 2 egg yolks

• 2 teaspoons of vanilla

• 1/2 cup of canned pumpkin

• 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon of salt

• 1 3/4 cup of all-purpose flour

• 1 tablespoon of granulated (or white) sugar

• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon Pumpkin Spice

• 1 teaspoon of nutmeg

• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon of ginger

Instructions:

1) In a baking tray lay out the canned pumpkin, and dry it with a paper towel. Canned pumpkin holds a lot of moisture so when you remove the excess it prevents it from being able to change the texture of the cookies from turning cakey. Repeat this step a couple of times and set aside.

2) In a bowl mix together the butter and brown sugar until it’s fluffy. This should take about 3 minutes.

3) Next, to your butter and sugar mixture add the egg yolks and vanilla. Make sure this is very well combined, it should take about 2 minutes. It’s done when the mixture is pale

6) Once the butter-sugar and flour mix tures are done, combine them until they form a soft dough.

7) Cover the bowl that has the dough in plastic wrap and let it chill in the fridge for at least 15 minutes.

8) While the dough is chilling preheat the oven to 350 and line some baking trays with parchment paper.

9) In a small bowl take the granulated sugar and cinnamon and mix them to create cinnamon sugar.

10) Take the dough out of the fridge and roll them into even-sized balls and then coat them in cinnamon sugar before putting them onto the parchment paper.

11) Once all the cookies are done, place them into the oven for 12 minutes.

12) After they’re out of the oven wait at least 10 minutes for them to cool down be fore eating them and enjoy!

Tips:

The release poster for the 1978 film, “Halloween”.

2) “The Shining” (1980): As one of the highest-rated psychological horror films ever produced, it has quite a rep utation. Jack Torrance is a writer and winter caretaker of a hotel, his wife and son staying along with him. The hotel seems to drive people mad, taking a toll on Jack and mak ing his son have horrifying visions.

3) “Halloween” (1978): Slasher films are always es sential to anyone’s Halloween movie list and what slasher could be better for Halloween than Halloween itself? Mi chael Myers escapes from a sanitarium 15 years after killing his sister, returning to his hometown and stalking a girl’s group of friends while being hunted down by his psychi atrist.

Animated Halloween Essentials

1) “Frankenweenie” (2012): This movie is one of my favorites of all time! Tim Burton’s twist on the classic Frankenstein story follows a boy named Victor and his journey to reviving his dead dog. It’s comedic, unique and a great spooky addition to anyone’s Halloween list.

2) “Coraline” (2009): Anyone I’ve met adores this fantasy horror movie. Coraline is a young girl who finds a passageway to another parallel world to hers where every thing seems a bit too perfect. The stop motion and beau tiful visuals featured in this movie make it worth a watch by itself.

• It’s important to let the dough rest in the fridge so they’re not sticky when you roll them.

• If you start to roll the dough without letting it rest the cookies will end up looking like little cakes.

• If you want all evenly sized cookies, use an ice cream scoop to get an even size every time.

• If you would like to you can add chopped walnuts or pecans and my personal favorite, white chocolate chips.

Throwback Playlist

By CHELSEA RODRIGUEZ, STAFF WRITER

iconic collar with a brown shirt. For Velma, an orange sweater and red skirt with calflength socks will do. For a preppy duo like Freddy and Daphne, you might need a white sweater over a jean jacket with an orange scarf and a purple dress with pink tights and a green scarf.

Miscellaneous

If you don’t want to dress up as a specific character, going with a generic costume can be just as fun. Any one of the classic Hallow een monsters like Frankenstein or a mummy is easy to find costumes of anywhere. You can also dress up as a pirate, which is super easy, especially in Tampa because if you’ve ever dressed up for Gasparilla, you probably already have everything in your house you need to emulate the swashbuckler aesthetic.

Music has the power to transport us back in time to a nostalgic era in our lives. Every song holds a different meaning in all of our hearts but allows everyone to relive some happiness all over again. So, we have created this playlist full of your

favorite throwbacks and feel-good songs. Whether you have outgrown these songs or think of them as embarrassing, allow yourself the time to take a trip down this musical memory lane.

3) “Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rab bit” (2005): This one’s a good one if you’re looking for something funny, but still fits the Halloween theme. It centers around a supposed “Were-Rabbit” eating people in Wallace and Gromit’s towns’ vegetables, but the real “Were-Rabbit” is someone the town didn’t expect. A little bit less popular than the others, but still golden.

My Horror Favorites

1) “Get Out” (2017): Truly a cinematic master piece, this movie’s message about racism, stereotypes, and interracial relationships is bone-chilling. An Af rican American man goes on a trip with his white girlfriend to meet her wealthy parents. He’s nervous about their opinion regarding the couple’s relation ship, but has no idea of the horrors awaiting him during the visit.

Promotional poster for “Don’t Breathe”. Photo from iMDb

2) “Don’t Breathe” (2016): A group of young thieves hopes to get some easy money by breaking into the home of a blind veteran who’s rumored to have a huge fortune, but he ends up not being the helpless old man he seems and won’t let the group off easy. The twists in this movie keep you on the edge of your seat the whole time, with some pretty gory scenes to be aware of.

3) “Eyes Without a Face” (1960): Easily one of my favorites, this French film has a creepy aura that makes it perfect for Halloween night. A wealthy doc tor whose daughter’s face is severely disfigured after a car accident he caused is guilty. So guilty that he and his assistant attempt to graft a new face onto her using women the duo kidnaps.The wonderful effects considering the time period, along with the signature mask the daughter wears, leaves the audience in an intrigued, uncomforable state until the very end.

Promotional poster for Netflix’s “End of The Road”. Photo from iMDb

Promotional poster for “Coraline”. Photo from iMDb

Photo by Robert Gleason

Promotional poster for “Get Out”. Photo from iMDb

Homemade pumpkin spice cookies. Photo by C. Rodriguez

Bangers you forgot you loved.

“End of The Road,” is an Insult to Thriller

“End of The Road” was a huge letdown despite the expectations.

The theatrical poster for “Mean Girls”, displaying the four main characters and their iconic outfits. You can put together put low-rise jeans and a pink shirt and dress up like Cady Heron. Photo from IMDb.

By JANIECE MITCHNER, STAFF WRITER

Reverse the Curse of November First

Let the people have a day to rest after Halloween!

By PAYTON HECKMAN, STAFF WRITER

Halloween: the holiday that needs no in troduction (but I’ll give it one anyway). A whole season of the year dedicated to pump kin carving, candy corn and scary movies - all culminating in one night for kids, teens and even adults to take to whatever social ventures they may. From trick-or-treating to haunted houses – as soon as the sun is down, the night is yours… Or at least that’s what it should be.

The biggest most dread-inducing pitfall of Halloween isn’t a curse from witches or ghosts - it’s much, much worse. It takes the form of the vilest, rotten and soul-crushing form one can imagine: school (or work) on the following morning. All too frequently, Halloween falls on a day with school the day after and given the nature of the holiday this brings some obvious problems with it for kids of all ages. Nobody wants to deal with a cranky toddler who went to bed late and woke up early. Equally (if not more) diffi cult are drowsy teenagers. After the one and only night of the year delegated to the special festivities of Halloween, no teen will be rar ing to go at the crack of dawn the next day.

Not to mention the poor teachers who are left to their own devices to navigate these low-functioning kids. When it comes to

school, a lack of time to rest creates problems for everybody. Even though the lens of an adult, having work the next day can present practical risks, such as dangerous commutes after a long night and subsequently poor job performance. So, what’s the solution? It really is as easy as it seems: make Nov 1 a national holiday. Having this attached to the day after Halloween assures a day of recovery, greatly reducing the possibility of poor academic performance and risky drives. If an adult were to stay out late at a Halloween party and had to drive home in order to make it to work the next day, then they run a much higher risk of encountering others driving under the influence than most ordinary nights.

With a day of rest, they could skip the dan gerous roads entirely and wait it out, creating a safer situation for everyone. Furthermore, integrating such a day into the school year would be extremely easy. Public school calen dars often have an abundance of arbitrary and insignificant non-school days, so what stands in the way of moving one of those days from a random Monday to the first day of November?

Ultimately, Halloween is too important and vital to our culture as humans to elim inate it from our lives, and having school or

work the day after presents prartical con cerns for all parties. With so little standing in the way of taking steps to quell these concerns, it’s a no-brainer that the day af ter Halloween should be a holiday – or a non-student day at the least – reseror rest and recovery. Backed with the peace of mind knowing that you’ll have a chance to recover, we can all enjoy Halloween the way it was meant to be enjoyed: without the curse of school or work the next day

Head to Head: Autumn v. Winter

The “Winter Wonderland” Of Florida

What’s not to love about Florida’s winter?

By SABRINA PEREZ, STAFF WRITER

I know when it comes to Florida, we don’t necessarily get a “White Christmas” that’s more of a northern state thing. How ever, the winter that we still get in Florida still has some amazing things to come to it and argumentatively is better than fall.

The winter season happens to bring some festive holidays including Christ mas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa. In my family, we celebrate Christmas (at least the gift-giving part) but there’s just some thing about the blissful feeling of rip ping up some cheesy wrapping paper on a present under a poorly decorated tree that adds that special holiday flair.

I can just pile up amazing things about the wintertime. Schools let out for two weeks so during Christmas you have time to take a Winter Holiday with family and friends. It’s easily a great way to spend time with family and catch up with them. Plus, who doesn’t like a break from school and work?

Hey, maybe now you can wear that

sweater you have been saving in your closet now due to the fact it’s not boiling outside. I feel like clothing is definitely up there for the perks of winter. In Flor ida, it won’t get freezing in the winter but it’s definitely cool enough for you to have a nice cold breeze to pass your face while still being able to wear a hoodie.

However I must say I do enjoy the fact that Florida doesn’t get absolutely freezing compared to our northern states. It’s not like I’m trying to shovel several feet of snow. Even if it means I miss out on that beau tiful White Christmas from the glistening snow I’m willing to make that sacrifice.

I do feel like the fact that Flor ida doesn’t snow and get really cold is like the state’s personality trait.

Even though Florida isn’t exactly your “Winter Wonderland” you’re still able to feel the Winter aura that’s includ ed with the season. As much as I do wish to wake up to a nice cold sheet of snow.

Autumn: Spice And Everything Nice

Fall is warmth and dreaminess, winter is bitter and cold.

By GRACE SHAFER, STAFF WRITER

Romanticizing life is just so much more fun. It’s much easier to get caught in the dreamy ambiance when everyone else is, the two peak seasons- fall and winter. I know many people prefer the merry times, but I would much rather sip apple cider while watch ing Gilmore Girls, with my cat and wear ing the most raggedy oversized dad sweater.

Most of the aesthetics revolve around the most glorified days of the month, the holidays.

Christmas is wholesome and cute but nothing compared to Halloween. I will dress up every year until the day I die, it is the one pin nacle day of the year of just complete euphoria.

Trick-or-treating, going to Hallow een parties and completely glitzing up is not embarrassing. Just allow yourself to be vulnerable and animated about some thing, it’s okay. Last year I was the drum mer of Nirvana, Dave Grohl and my friend was the lead singer, Kurt Cobain. No one knew who we were but it was so much fun.

We’ll ignore the fact that it’s still 83 de grees out on Oct. 31. The heat and sweat add to the glamour of the night. But then, the night after Halloween, it seems to abruptly get cooler, and everyone chills out too. There’s the lingering expectation of Christmas, but it’s not quite at the obsessive stage yet. Holi days start to collide, so there’s a colorful fusion of everything. Everyone should be satisfied.

I have mixed feelings about Thanks giving, but the food of autumn compared to winter isn’t a contest. Fall is warmth and wholesomeness. The food has that same aura. Personally, the food of specifical ly Thanksgiving isn’t my favorite, but that doesn’t detract from the holiday. Just being with family, all family (because Thanksgiv ing is the holiday we host at my house so everyone’s there). I meant more of the fla vors- cinnamon, pumpkin- the seasonal Starbucks menu that has the single greatest

drink- the Apple Crisp Oat milk Macchiato.

I know some may not appreciate horror movies as much as I do, but I know I can’t be the only one who doesn’t want to watch Will Ferrell pour chocolate sauce on pasta ev ery year. There’s just more variety and quality movies that accompany the spookier time of the year. Many debate whether “A Nightmare Before Christmas” is a Halloween or Christ mas movie, but I will settle this debate right now. It is a Halloween movie, nothing else.

As far as traditions, I feel like it’s pretty 50/50. I feel like most people decorate more for Christmas, but my family actually does more for Halloween. One year we made our garage a neighborhood walk-through haunted house and this one girl actually punched the person who jumped out at you at the end, my dad.

Autumn is for the ones who love to cre ate false realities in their head. The girls who know, know. Just the mention of autumn causes me great delirium. One more month until harvest-y glee, I think I can make it.

The Importance of Voting

Let your voice be heard this election season.

By ZOE THAXTON, ONLINE MANAGING EDITOR

As election season draws closer, polit ical ads and campaigns are blasted every where. Perhaps you’ve seen some on TV or Twitter or even signs outside the local li brary. It’s impossible to escape during the final months of the year. They are every where, trying to bring your attention to the candidates and issues on the ballots.

Fair enough. I always ignored them until now. I do my best to pay attention now as I have pre-registered to vote in order to be able to express my voice in this upcoming election (as I turn 18 just barely before the election).

It’s an important year in terms of politics. It is the Midterms. Now, what does that even mean? Why is it called that and is it even rel evant? The answer: yes. Some Americans only consider voting every four years for the pres idential election, but voting during this twoyear stretch (and even every year) is necessary.

To explain the Midterms simply, it’s the halfway point of the presidency and this elec tion can control the agenda of the next two years. Seats of Congress are up for reelection. All the House of Representative seats need to be voted on every two years, and 1/3 of the Senate appears on the ballot. This year, one of Florida’s Senate positions (aka Marco Rubio’s spot) is in the 1/3 for reelection. The outcome

of the election can change who’s in control of the House or Senate and thus which laws will pass in the next Congressional Session.

Also on the 2022 ballot, Florida’s gover nor’s position is up for reelection. Republican incumbent Gov. Ron Desantis will face off against the Democrat nominee Former Gov. Charlie Crist for the position. Gubernatorial races reflect the leadership of the state and is like the presidential election confined to one state. The future of the state is in the hands of the election. For example, we see abortion rights and LGBTQ+ rights up in the air on the ballots.

The way I see it, politicians truly only care about two things: money and votes. As a teenager, I can’t (and honestly don’t want to) give money to some politician. I don’t want to support corruption and bribery. This isn’t the political machine as I wouldn’t get any thing out of it except maybe the possibili ty of a law I want passed. Politicians should be listening to their constituents wheth er or not they support their campaign. So, the only thing I can do is go out and vote.

It is your constitutional right as an American to vote and no one can take that away from anyone. Voting allows everyone

An “I Voted” sticker gets given out from the polls to everyone who votes. Photo by Z. Thaxton.

to have a say in their democracy. You can vote on laws and leaders of your choice, no one else’s. Voting reflects your values and what you want to see in the world.

If you don’t vote, you don’t get heard, and then someone else’s voice speaks for you... and most times, people don’t like that. At least attempting to vote and express your opinion (even if the election doesn’t swing the way you wish) is taking control of what you can.

Voting may seem insignificant, but in the grand scheme of it all, it isn’t. It may be cliché of me to say, but truly, everyone’s vote matters. Everyone’s voice matters.

The last day to register to vote is Oct. 11, so if you will be 18 by Election Day or want to get prepared for the day you turn 18, register to vote online before that date.

Halloween Candies For a Perfect Spooky Night

Halloween treats that are sure to satisfy!

By JADYN GRAYES, FUN COORDINATOR

You’re trick-or-treating with your friends on Halloween night. You guys dress up in matching costumes, get matching bags and carpool to the best neigh borhood. The first house you go to you knock on the door as you sing song “Trick or treat!”

You excitedly watch as the wom an drops candy into your bag, only to look down and see raisinets.

Your Halloween night is only as good as the candy you get. Trick-or-treating and cos tume parties are popular among teens as a way to make memo ries and collect yummy treats.

I’ve crafted the perfect list of Halloween candies that any one would be happy to get.

1. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups: What kind of candy list would this be if I didn’t include

the all-time favorite trick-or-treat surprise? These classic chocolates are the only candy that somehow taste better when smaller. Un popular opinion- All Reese’s Pea nut Butter Cups should be mini.

2. Skittles: As one of the most versatile, easy and well-liked candies year-round, it was clear what my second choice should be. Classic skittles come in many different flavors, and they even have different mixes. Wild Berry and Sour Skittles are also pop ular among trick-or-treaters.

3. M&M’s: These are one of the most popular candies among chocolate lovers. They come in many different flavors, shapes and colors. They can cater to plenty of different palettes, from peanut lovers to caramel fans.

4. Airheads: These are debatably the most underrated Halloween

candies. They’re easy, mess free and delicious. Throw a couple of these in my trick-or-treat bag and I’m set for the rest of the night.

5. Sour Patch Kids: End ing this list on a strong note, Sour Patch Kids are fun and easy to hand out. They’re in de mand year after year on Hal loween night, and it’s clear why.

I think the treats that you get on Halloween top any other hol iday solely because of the spirit

and excitement that come with it. Going home with a bag full of candy I love and being able to share it with friends is my fa vorite part of the spooky night! As long as it’s not candy corn.

Whatever your Halloween plans are, everyone can agree that the night only ends well if you have some good sweets to munch on after all the excitement. But who wants to go home with a bag full of gobstoppers and tootsie rolls?

Editor’s Letter

By JUNO LE, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

One successful homecoming season later and the Knight Writ ers staff is proud to present our first print issue of the school year.

The first few weeks of school were a bumpy road but homecom ing season made it all the more better. If you couldn’t get enough of it, the staff has put together mo ments from almost every aspect of what made that week homecoming week. From spirit week to the dance, this issue covers it all. The school spirit that week was a remind er of just how great Robinson is.

On the topic of spirits, this is sue also previews what makes Oc tober so spectacular. Halloween is about the scary, spooky and sweets. So grab a bag of candy corn and rewatch your favorite Halloween movies. Perhaps consider heading to a pumpkin patch to find the perfect pumpkin to carve. Perhaps consider taking the Halloween quiz on the back page of this issue.

The website has recently changed its name from RHSTo day to Knight Writers, just like our print paper. We’ve always been one staff, just two different pub lications. When looking up the online publication, you will find our work on knightwriters.org.

Celebrate the Knight Writers’ 63rd birthday this October by checking out the consistent online coverage.

Want to voice your opinions?

Fall decoractions with a candle and a bowl of candy corn. Photo by P. Heckman.

Vermont’s skiing hill gets flooded with snow. Photo by S. Perez.

Some candies you may get on Halloween Photo by J. Grayes.

Chelsea Rodriguez (‘23) scrolls through fall aestheticized photos on Pinterest. Photo by A. Saklaan.

Send us a typed document of your work for a chance to be published on rhstoday.com or on the latest Knight Writers’ print issue as a guest contribu tor. DM us on our Instagram @rhsknightwriters with any questions.

Illustrations by J. Le

Would You Survive A Horror Movie?

What are your chances at surviving those typical Halloween movie clichés that have you screaming at your screen?

By INGALLS WITTE, MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

It’s finally scary movie season again. More throw ing popcorn at the screen in frustration as you watch the main characters make horrible, plot-driven decisions. Classic horror films like “Scream,” “Hal loween,” “The Hookman” and “The Shining” always

have people wondering: “would I survive a horror movie?” Here’s a quiz to find out. Start with empty gas and follow the dotted lines based on what you feel you would do in that situation. Make the right choice. Illustrations by J. Le