Knight Writers Vol. 59 Issue 3 | February 2019

www.rhstoday.com | @RobinsonKnights| @RobinsonSports_

Robinson High School 6311 S. Lois Ave., Tampa, FL 33616

Volume 59, Issue 3 |February, 2019

news

What’s inside Find out about students’ Opportunity to see Hamilton

opinion

Meena Vasquez discusses separating the art from the artist

Feature

pg 2

Read more about Cellphones’ effects on students

pg 3

Find out about the Retro Fashions trending At Robinson

sports pg 6

Find Out how injuries have affected Robinson’s cheer and Girls Basketball Team

A&E

pg 4

pg 8

SAVE THE DATE Feb. 8

Fair Day- No School

Feb. 9

ACT Testing

Feb. 16

Saturday School Start

Feb. 18

President’s DayNo School

Feb. 20

ACT Testing

Feb. 25

Progress Reports

Feb. 27

Conference Night

Mar. 4

Strawberry Festival- No School

High School in The Screen Age Cellphones have changed how teenagers interact with their families, their teachers and each other

By Alanna Felton Editor-in-Chief

MiPhone was first released in 2007. Many received their first cellphone ost Robinson students were between the ages of 4 and 7 when the

in middle school and most bring a smartphone with them to school every day.

These teens have grown up with a digital world at their fingertips that is completely unlike anything experienced by their parents. In addition to the everyday pressures of schoolwork, friendship, family and jobs, they’ve also got likes, views and comments on the brain.

“Some people get so wrapped up in that world,” school psychologist Arwen Guida said. “I have seen students… [whose] self-worth is based on how other people perceive them online.”

Guida has seen an increase in students struggling to balance screen time with their responsibilities over the past few years.

“Students tell me that they’re addicted to their phones, parents tell me that [their children are] addicted to their phones,” she said.

Social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat allow teens to carefully curate which parts of themselves they share with the world. Teens can elect to share only their best and brightest moments, leaving out the times when they might not feel so great.

“It’s kind of an idealized version of what the real world’s like,” Rosie Matthews (’19) said. “I think it can definitely have a negative impact on self esteem.”

As a result, social media can be paradoxical; while created to encourage social interaction, time spent scrolling through Instagram often leaves teens feeling isolated, convinced that everyone but them is feeling happy or having fun.

The amount of time spent on phones also affects teens’ social lives. A group of friends often spends time together but instead of having conversations and interacting with one another, they’re on their phones.

“I find it’s hard to just unplug from it and stop looking at other people’s posts,” Matthews said.

This fixation with cellphones and social media follows students to school and the classroom, where many teens stay glued to their phones even during instruction.

“I’m not very focused a lot of the time,” John Anderson (’21) said. Anderson admits that always having a cellphone with him can make it difficult to pay attention in class.

Prior to 2014, countywide policy required that teachers and administrators

confiscate students’ cellphones if they saw students using them during school hours. Policy shifted with the launch of a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) program which “allows students to wirelessly access the Internet for limited educational purposes as directed by a teacher or administrator” in the 2014-15 school year. This opened the door to allowing phones into classrooms, a problem that has escalated over the past few years.

“More teens have cellphones now, it’s more accepted… so you might not see as many teachers writing up their kids as you used to,” assistant principal for student affairs Christopher Pettit said.

Current Robinson students accept as a given that they can use their phones in class, at lunch and in the hallways. Often students assume they can use their phone even if they haven’t explicitly gotten permission.

“I feel incomplete [without my phone],” Gabriella Perez (’21) said. Like most students, Perez brings her phone with her to school every day.

Teachers can sometimes feel like they are competing for students’ attention with their screens, but many believe that BYOD has had a largely beneficial impact in classrooms. Cell phones are often an important part of class activities, so much so that students who don’t have their phone are inconvenienced and at a disadvantage.

Continued on page four.

02 KNIGHT WRITERS | News|February, 2019

NEWS

NOT THROWING AWAY STUDENTS' SHOT Robinson offers students the opportunity to see Hamilton at the Straz Center

F

irst, students must learn about Alexander Hamilton and the era that the musical takes place in. They learn about Hamilton’s personal life as well as his works and positions. Thanks to this step, students fully understand their subject and put that understanding into their performance.

Second, students must read and analyze some of the primary documents that Miranda used in his creative process and determine the author’s purpose and their point of view. They must identify key words, summarize the author’s main idea and restate that idea in their own words.

Next, they must compare and contrast primary sources with a song from Hamilton, “Farmer Refuted”. They must reflect on how the song relates to the sources through ideas or explicit quotes. This connects the past two steps with the next--and considerably--the most important one.

Lastly, students must create a performance no more than two minutes long showcasing what they’ve learned throughout the process. They are encouraged to include certain events, people and documents, including George Washington, the 1774 First Continental Congress and Thomas Paine’s Common Sense, published in 1776.

After working on the performance, students must perform it for their class or school. They are then graded

Get ZAPped!

on a scale from 1-5 in historical integrity and score of 15 would highly creative, wellwith clear evidence The Gilder Lehrman History encourages of formats, including monologue or Autumn Coe by her drumline into theater and APUSH student,

obinson High school has recently started the ZAP program- a free tutoring opportunity for students during all three lunch periods.

“Zeros Aren’t Permissible” was created to help students stay on top of their academic work. This is another opportunity teachers have provided to ensure individual instructional time outside of ELP (extra learning practice)— offered before and after school.

One teacher from Math, English, Science, and Math has been assigned to a designated lunch period throughout the week. Scheduling for ZAP has been posted around the school on classroom doors and bulletin boards. During these allotted times, teachers will be offering individual tutoring as well as help with missed assignments due to absences.

“A zero can harm a kid’s grade and it’s sad because that’s not really reflecting their ability, so we want to make sure that they have that ability to make up any assignments that they have,” Assistant principal for magnet curriculum Matthew Johnson said. “We [teachers] know that that’s hard to juggle with their busy schedules, so we wanted to provide a time for them even during

“Hamilton” hosts a digital lottery where people can purchase two tickets for $10 each. Visit hamiltonmusical.com/lottery or via the official Hamilton + starting February 11 through March 9 to test your luck.

By Jules Whitaker Features Editor

that 50 minute lunch to get that help.”

School policy allows three days after returning to school from an excused absence to turn in any missed assignments, ZAP aims to help students who are falling behind in a subject or class with individual tutoring and assistance.

“We have a teacher for each subject— in each of the core subjects— offering it. Even if it’s not their teacher that teacher is still a structural expert in that field,” Johnson said.

Aside from excused absences, some teachers will accept late work for partial or full credit if made up during ZAP. Passes have been distributed to classes around the school that give teachers the ability to write for students that they notice are missing work. It is also optional for students to ask for a pass if they feel that they need help. Aid from teachers is only part of the solution, and it is also the responsibility of the student to stay on top of their work.

If students have written passes to go to ZAP, they will also receive a pass to jump the lunch line if they need, to give them more time to eat and receive tutoring.

NEW FACES FOR TAMPA'S MAYORAL ELECTION

By Amelia Foster A&E Editor he 2019 Tampa Mayoral Election is well underway, with nine declared candidates all running for office. The current candidates are competing to replace Mayor Bob Buckhorn, who was first elected in 2011 and ran unopposed in 2015. Despite being a regularly scheduled election, this selection of candidates is filled with stand-out names.

Among the list of names for mayor, is David Straz, a billionaire; LaVaughn King, a 27-year-old activist; Jane Castor, Tampa’s first female Police Chief; Topher Morrison, a former hypnotist; Dick Greco Jr, the son of a former Tampa mayor; and other notable candidates. Behind their differences, are people who are united by one common goal: to become Tampa’s mayor and improve Tampa however they can.

“I think David Straz can enhance what Buckhorn has done,” Grace Brill (‘19), said. “The development of downtown has brought a lot of opportunities and activities to Tampa, and I think Straz can perpetuate that.”

The deadline to qualify for the mayoral race was January 18, when candidates either had to collect the signatures of one percent of Tampa’s population, or raise six percent of the mayor’s annual salary. Straz has so far raised $1.6 million for his campaign, with Ed Turanchik and Castor closest behind having raised around $200,000 each. A major part in each candidate’s campaign are their views on transportation, as Tampa has been a fast growing city.

“He [Turanchik] has a really good transportation plan, probably has the most

T

Trending on rhstoday.com

If the Gillette commercial offended you, check yourself

By Jack Kirk Staff Writer The razor company Gillette recently put out a controversial commercial that tackled various aspects of toxic masculinity, such as sexual harassment and violence at a young age.

Visit rhstoday.com to read the full story.

Scene still from comercial

understanding of American history, but this project allowed her to learn even more.

“As time consuming as it is, it’s actually really beneficial because you do learn more about history and you can make connections throughout your classes, [like in history and theater]” Coe said.

For participating students like Coe, the project is a great opportunity. Kids get to see an iconic show for free and expand their knowledge of history. For anyone with an interest in history or theater, this is definitely something to consider.

“It’s allowing a lot of students to understand what’s going on and they get to see what I think is going to be the cultural event of Tampa in 2019,” Flores said.

Class Isn’t going?

New tutoring program launches during lunches

R

three categories: research, artistic expression. A perfect have a performance that’s written and performed, and historical integrity.

Institute of American students to try a variety a rap, song, poem, scene. (‘20) was inspired instructor to get try the project. As an Coe already had an

By Anna Woodward Staff Writer

Review: New Spider-Man hits home for kids of all ages

By Emersyn Brown

Multimedia Editor In the history of big screen Spider-Man, there has never been a black teenager as the star of the show. As of the release of the Golden Globe winning SpiderMan: Into the Spiderverse, black teens have been...

Visit rhstoday.com to read the full story.

Spider-Man promotional poster

comprehensive transportation plan. With Tampa growing as quickly as it is... it’s going to be really necessary in the near future,” Bennett Hammond (‘19), a supporter of Turanchik, said.

The first mayoral debate was held Oct. 3 with only six candidates appearing. Despite the election being local, many candidates are focusing on state-wide and nation-wide issues in an attempt to get noticed.

“A lot of candidates are focusing on bigger issues and it’s great that they’re doing it it’s really cool,” Hammond said. “But it comes with a sacrifice because they’re not talking about issues that are directly related to Tampa.”

Early voting for the election runs Feb. 18 to March 2, with the first round of voting beginning March 5. If no candidate receives the majority of the votes, the top two will proceed to a run-off election on April 23. Either way, Tampa will soon have its new mayor.

David straz

non-partisan

Ed Turanchik Democrat

Joshua Saunders: more than just a coach

By Amelia Foster A&E Editor

Joshua Saunders is a man of many titles; around Robinson, some may know him as their IB math teacher, but most people know him as the head coach of Robinson’s most successful sports program: the flag football team.

Along with holding five high school flag football state titles, Saunders is also head coach for... Visit rhstoday.com to read the full story.

|February, 2019 KNIGHTWRITERS 03

Opinion

Editor's Editorial: Cigarettes aren't Cool, Letter so Why are Juuls?

By Alanna Felton Editor-in-Chief

T

he journalism staff has spent their first month of this semester toiling over another issue of Knight Writers to produce three print issues to submit for a critique by Florida Scholastic Press Association. We have stayed after school, and spent our free moments at school in room 112 working to create this issue. The staff and editors have really gone above and beyond, and I am so deeply appreciative of their dedication.

I got my first smartphone my freshman year, now I am a senior, part of a generation of teenagers who have spent their high school years with a cellphone in hand. It's incredible to think that smart phones and social media have only been around for a little over a decade when you take into account how radically they have transformed the way we interact with each other and the world around us.

Most teenagers, myself included, can't make it through a day without checking our their phones several dozen times. That's not to say technology is all bad though, it can be a valuable tool for education and expression. This issues focuses on the ways cellphones have changed life for Robinson students, for better and for worse.

We hope these articles inspire students to think about how much time they spend interacting with the world around them through a screen.

The Knight Writers newspaper is published by the eighth period journalism II-V class at Robinson High School.

Editor-In-Chief Alanna Felton

Managing Editor Morgan Brazier

News Editor

Nicole Perdigon

By The Robinson Journalism Staff

Last year, Knight Writers published an article discussing the popularity of vaping among Robinson students and its addictive consequences. In the time since then, teen nicotine addiction has become a nationwide epidemic.

For a while, it seemed like our generation would be the ones to finally put a stop to smoking. We’ve all been to the anti-tobacco assemblies, seen the images of lungs ravaged by cancer, the grotesque anti-smoking PSAs where people have lost all their teeth.

But e-cigarettes have changed everything.

While it may have been created to help adult smokers quit, vaping has become something else entirely.

Juuling started as a social thing, recreational, it was cool. The flavors were appealing, and it was fun to watch people blow out rings of smoke. Trying it at a party seemed innocent.

What we failed to realize was that it followed us home. Trying it led to buying it. People started carrying juuls and vapes around regularly, claiming it was all in good fun, in denial that what started out as a social thing, became an addiction.

More students than ever are being caught Juuling at school, and the bathrooms in the math and science hallway have been permanently closed as a result.

As teenagers, we tend to follow a shared set of expectations, the most important of all being: play it cool.

Stay cynical, don’t be a goody-two shoes, don’t care too much. Don’t be a snitch. But it’s more important that we take care of one another, and ourselves.

If a friend or classmate is vaping at school, if they can’t go a few hours without nicotine— they’re addicted. It’s easy to play it off, “everyone does it”, but lifetime addiction and damaged lungs will only be the problem of the individual.

No one wants to be the buzzkill, it's easier to just go with the flow. But if enough people decide to be the change, we can beat the trend of addiction.

No one wants to create a confrontation with their friends, but if you can prevent a lifetime of addiction, then it is worth it. We are the first generation to face the problem of e-cigarettes, juuls and vapes. The long term affects it can have on your health are still unknown. We will

Separating the Art from the Artist

be the ones to face it first.

Don’t let our generation continue to make the mistakes of the past with new technology.

Illustration by A. Felton and N. Perdigon.

By Meena Vasquez Staff writer

Where do we draw the line between an artist's actions and their work?

I

n July 2017, a movement called Mute R. Kelly emerged, aiming to end the financial support of R. Kelly’s career as a singer, song writer and music producer. The movement urged radio stations to stop playing his music, clubs to ban his songs and venues to cancel as many concerts as possible. Then, earlier this month, Lifetime released a six episode documentary called ‘’Surviving R. Kelly’’.

The documentary interviewed the victims of R. Kelly including sexual, emotional and physical abuse, it also brought up his previous charges from the 2000’s including sex with a minor and child pornography. This documentary reminded people of what a horrible person he is. It reminded people, like myself, how many people he hurt-- and how he got away with these charges. It even reminded people of him urinating on a 14 year old girl. For any sane person, they would hate and despise R. Kelly if he wasn’t famous. But, for decades people called him the “King of R&B” with hits like ‘’Ignition’’, ‘’I Believe I Can Fly’’ and ‘’Step In The Name Of Love’’ that brought tons and tons of money.

It also has many people’s memories tied into his music, which leads more people to play his songs, then gives him more money.

However, people still stream his music, continuing to give the artist money, but I feel like its not that much. Yes, it adds up, but according to www.cnbc.com, on average Spotify

Sports Editor

Macy McClintock

A&E Editor

Amelia Foster

Features Editor

Jules Whitaker

Opinion Editor

Natalia McCalla

only gives the artist about $0.006 to $0.0084 per stream. Also, the lyrics in Chris Brown’s music doesn’t describe his physical abuse to Rihanna.

People just like the song because of the beat and the feelings they give to the listener.

Finally, in May 2017 the indie boy band Brockhampton’s lead rapper, Ameer Vann had multiple accusations of sexual misconduct. He was immediately kicked out, and all forms of social media are disabled. This specific case I feel strongly about. Ameer Vann was one of the best members in Brockhampton, delivering some of the best verses in their songs such as ‘’JUNKY’’, ‘’TEAM’’, ‘’BLEACH’’ and ‘’BOOGIE’’. None of his verses ‘’foreshadow’’ or describe any of the allegations. I don’t support his actions, I just like his verses and songs.

But where do people draw the line to separate art from the artist? Can you even separate art from the artist?

Most people want to stop watching or listening to problematic artists’ work because it financially supports them. You play “Fine China” by Chris Brown, you’re giving the man who beat up Rihanna money. But “Fine China” doesn’t describe the physical abuse he gave, people just like the songs because of how it sounds, the lyrics or the memories that are tied to the specific song.

When you enjoy a piece of art produced by an artist who’s problematic, you’re not thinking

Design & Multimedia Editor Emersyn Brown

Staff

Alyssa Acosta Racquel Ingram Jack Kirk Meena Vasquez Jasmine Vidovich Ella Wertz Anna Woodward

Publications Adviser Nancy Oben

Principal Robert Bhoolai

Robinson High School

6311 S. Lois Ave Tampa, FL 33616 Phone: 813-272-3006 Fax: 813-272-3014 School hours: 8:30 a.m. to 3:25 p.m.

Population 1536 Students 150 Staff

about the horrible things they did.

But this becomes tricky with artists like R. Kelly when the work itself raises red flags such as the song he wrote for Aaliyah “Age Ain’t Nothing But a Number”. In his song ‘’You Are Not Alone’’ the inspiration came from the concept of comforting a minor going through a miscarriage. In ‘’Age Ain’t Nothing But a Number’’ Aaliyah described her love for an older man, most likely talking about the Pied Piper of R&B himself. This makes the lyrics much, much creepier in hindsight.

Artists like R. Kelly produce creepy songs and songs that just describe going to the club. Other performers work doesn’t relate anything to what they allegedly did.

Overall, separating the art from the art and the artist is tricky. It depends what the artist did, what their work is and what it stands for and the overall picture. The easy way is just to completely mute them, and no longer stream their work any more. But memories tied to pieces of work make it difficult to stop.

And sometimes you just don’t wanna give up listening to your favorite album, song, or movie just because a director or band member did something problematic.

So, can you separate art from the artist? Short answer, it depends.

Mission Statement

The role and goal of all RHS Media 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 RHS Media will strive to report all issues in a legal, objective, accurate and ethical manner, according to the Society for Professional Journalists’

Code of Ethics

Policies

For more information about the staff policies, follow this link rhstoday. com/about/staff-policies

Publication Memberships

04 KNIGHT WRITERS | Feature|February, 2019

Feature

Living The Squishy Life This Robinson student's YouTube career hasn't been squished

Jchannel Squishy Life, which has over 64 thousand

ocelyn Campo is a freshman, and runs the YouTube

followers and over 6.7 million views. She reviews squishies — foam toys that come in all shapes, colors and sizes.

Campo's channel stands out from other channels because of the variety of videos she's made with her squishies. While some channels just review squishies, Campo weaves countdowns, skits, challenges, and other content into her videos. She's created dozens of videos, all spun out of the aspects of squishy-collecting. With all of this, it's no wonder her followers are rendered entertained and wanting more.

Campo began the channel when she was twelve years old after being inspired by other squishyenthusiasts on Instagram. Her videos featured her reviewing different squishy toys. Her collection was documented as she traded and acquired more over time. Collectible squishies can even come scented or glow in the dark.

The kawaii toys can be animals, foods, emojis, shapes, and figures.

Initially, she

started making videos just for fun, but as tactile toys like squishies and slime grew in popularity, so did her channel. Now YouTube is one of her passions and she works hard to create content for her subscribers. She currently hosts giveaways and receives fan mail.

"It's [the channel's] gotten bigger...the concepts that I've done have gotten more popular," Campo said.

Campo mentions that her channel hasn't affected her social life, especially since not many people at Robinson know about it. Campo seems to manage her time well when it comes to making videos, playing sports, and daily life.

"I split it [the videos] into a few days when I actually make them, so I only need 10 minutes every day to do it," Campo said.

After gaining popularity and attention by other squishy collectors and kids, Campo's channel became monetized.

What was once a simple hobby is now a part-time job.

"I think the amount of people subscribed is really what changed it [the channel], I could do something I really love as a job," Campo said.

Campo says that having a channel and making videos has had a positive impact on her character and even on how she looks at life. She says that by running the channel, she's learned to lighten the mood in bad situations and make them into happy ones.

Although she now has a large following, Campo says her content hasn't changed much over the years. She

By Jasmine Vidovich and Jules Whitaker Staff Writer and Features Editor stays true to the purpose of her channel, having fun and making people happy. For this reason her channel has remained upstanding and unwavering throughout its lifespan.

"I do it to entertain them [her viewers] and keep them happy," Campo said.

Scan this QR code to visit Campo’s YouTube channel.

High school in the screen age Continued from page one.

“For teachers, it’s been a good thing for some of us because we can use those as tools in the classroom,” biology teacher Sarah Sanford said. “We use phones to access real-time data… tidal information, temperature information, stuff like that.”

At Plant High, pockets hang in every classroom, where teachers can require students to place their phones during instruction time. But Robinson’s administration gives individual teachers more discretion in handling cellphone use.

“We want each teacher to feel as if their classroom is theirs,” Pettit said. “Some teachers feel [cellphones] are a useful tool in education and that’s why we kind of let them handle it.”

Cellphones are more than an escape from reality for teens. They’re also a tool for

education and communication and a portal to social media platforms and sites where students can express themselves and be more outspoken than they are in real life.

“It makes me feel like if I can’t be myself in person, I’ll always have another option,” Perez said.

Cellphones are here to stay, now an indelible part of the high school experience.

They’ve changed the way teens interact with their teachers, their families and each other for better and for worse. Navigating a balance between the digital and the real world is now an important life skill, one that Robinson students are just beginning to master.

“High school is a time and a place where you’re learning to be an adult… part of being an adult is learning what’s appropriate behavior,” Sanford said. “If we can help teach that skill, then all the better.”

Do Not Disturb: On

A day without phones By: Racquel Ingram & Morgan Brazier

8:52 A.M. have checked my pocket for my phone three times so far. Mostly not having it is annoying because I can't use it for classwork.

Two members of the Knight Writers staff went 24 hours without using their cell phones and documented their thoughts throughout the day.

9:02 A.M. I just got to school and so far its not that bad. To make sure I wouldn't cave this early I disabled my face time and turned off my wifi so that even if I tried to use any of my apps it would run slow and I would get very frustrated.

9:07 A.M. I already have the urge to use my phone.

I already know this is going to be hard for me. How are these people doing this?

9:45 A.M. I'm in math and can't use my calculator which is making my classwork very difficult.

February , 2019 | Feature| KNIGHT WRITERS 05

Feature

Cheating with Phones In the age of cell phones, cheating on tests has become a much bigger issue

By Morgan Brazier Managing Editor

Icheat

t's nothing new to say that high school students on tests. For as long as there have been schools, students have been passing notes, looking at each others' papers, and writing answers on their hands. But what has changed is how they do it.

In the age of easy access to smartphones, cheating has become so simple for students to do that they don't think twice about it. Twenty years ago, cheating on a test ran a much bigger risk of getting caught. A teacher simply had to glance at the answers written on your hand to prove you were cheating. But now that students have a whole world of information in their pocket, which they can easily hide, it has become difficult for teachers to see if a student is cheating.

"It’s definitely harder now, it has become easier for [teachers] to say, 'We do the best we can, I'm just not gonna catch everybody, and how hard am I gonna try' and that's up to the teacher at that point," Rebekah Buskirk-Weisser, an English teacher said. "Its just a constant struggle as to what can I do and how much effort is it worth for me."

Smartphones have brought in a whole new set of problems when it comes to cheating. For one thing, teachers have to be more diligent when students are testing to make sure cell phones are not being used.

But teachers also face problems with boundaries.

If a teacher sees a student using their phone during a test, they can take the student's phone and send it to student affairs, at which point an administrator

can ask that the student to unlock their phone.

However, according to principal Robert Bhoolai, neither administrators nor teachers can force a student to unlock their phone because it is their personal property. What they can do is call the student's parents and have them ask the student to unlock their phone.

Teachers are not always comfortable confronting a student using their phone to cheat on a test in the first place.

"Its not worth my peace of mind if I'm going to have confrontations with students and parents over this," Buskirk said.

Because smartphones have made cheating on classroom tests so much easier for students, cheating has gone from something a few students did to a very normal way of test taking, so much so that students simply won't study for their tests because they can "just use Quizlet".

What students either fail to realize or refuse to acknowledge is that most of these tests are given to prepare them for end of course and AP exams. A vocab test given by your English teacher helps you learn words for the SAT. A math quiz helps you memorize formulas for an AP statistics exam. By cheating on these seemingly meaningless tests, students are only hurting themselves.

"When you get to the real thing, there's not gonna be any way that you're cheating on that," Buskirk said. "So you'll bump up your grade maybe in class, but in the long run you're not helping yourself."

M. Brazier This is a photo illistration of a student hiding their phone to cheat

HOW MUCH TIME DO STUDENTS SPEND ON PHONES?

12:30 P.M. I'm bored without my phone but its forcing me to talk to people.

10:30 A.M. I can't do my histoy assignment because we don't have our textbooks and the substitue said to "just use phones"

1:13 P.M. I went through third through fifth period and surprisingly I did my work and payed attention. This experiment is helping more than I thought it would. But during lunch I couldn't use my phone so it was kinda boring and I've also been sooooooooo bored. It had gotten so boring that I felt like I was about to cave.

3:20 P.M. My biggest problem not having my phone has been that I coudn't use it for classwork, other than that it hasn't really been a big deal.

06 KNIGHT WRITERS | sports|February, 2019

SPORTS Lady Knights grapple with injuries Cheerleading and Girls Basketball are faced with the challenge of injuries.

By Jack Kirk Staff Writer round Robinson, the female sports teams are known to dominate. The Robinson cheerleading team won the state title in 2012 and made it back the state meet this past month. The flag football team has won three consecutive state titles and the basketball and volleyball teams consistently make deep runs into regional. But this year, post season runs for two of these teams were threatened because basketball player Khaliah Henderson (‘19) and cheerleader Gaelle Denson (‘19) suffered injuries that put them out of action.

Star point guard Khaliah Henderson (‘19) suffered a season-ending hip injury during the 2018-2019 season, which put a hurdle in front of the Robinson girls basketball team and forced them to reinvent their strategies and dynamic. Henderson will remain committed to play basketball at St. Joseph’s University as long as she is healthy by next fall. However, her injury has added pressure on the basketball team.

“I feel like everybody honestly had to step up because once you have somebody whose contributing as much as she is leave, everybody has to take someone else’s position.” Basketball guard Destiny Thomas (‘19) said.

“We’ve all stepped up equally.”

With Henderson out of the line-up, the team has had to change up their style to accommodate the hole she left. Henderson was the lead scorer on the team, with 180 points this season, so now the Knights are tasked with making up for those points.

The Robinson cheer squad has also suffered from a key

A

injury to Captain Gaelle Denson, who went down with a knee injury in the weeks leading up to states.

“We have about 25 kids on the team that can step up and do what we want to,” Cheer Head Coach Jeff Melesky said, “We only put 20 on the floor so there’s always someone that’s gonna [sic] step up and fill the void if we need it.”

The stunt team for the cheer squad was specifically, as Denson is a major component in that section’s success.

“It really affected our stunt group since we lost a week of practice before states.” Cheer Captain Mia Blumenthal (‘19) said.

But neither Henderson nor Denson let their injuries stop them from contributing to their teams, no matter if the injury kept them out of action temporarily or for the remainder of the season.

“The second she [Denson] got back on the mat she was giving 100 percent to make up for the time we lost.”

Blumenthal said.

While Denson was able to recover from her injury and rejoin the action, Henderson will not be seeing a return to the court this season. This has not stopped her from being the leader off the court that she was while she was on the court, as she is still involved with helping her teammates during practices and games from the bench.

“She still is with us, she comes to all of our games and most of the practices she can come to,” Basketball forward Princess’astar Card (‘20) said “We lost a player but we didn’t lose a teammate.”

Bases Gaelle Denson (‘19) and Mia Blumenthal (‘19) prepare to stunt flyer Alex Takagishi (‘19) earlier this season, prior to Denson’s knee injury. Photo by Leonard’s Photography.

From the field to the mats

By Racquel Ingrim Staff Writer ost athletes play a sport throughout their whole childhood in hopes of a ticket to college. However, Jaquez Strange (‘19) a fouryear football for the Knights, is a little different.

Jacquez went out on a limb this year and decided to join the wrestling team this year and has already received scholarship offers.

“It’s my senior year, I wanted to try something new,” Strange said. “Wresting and football are very different sports. You have to be way more conditioned in wrestling than football. It’s all about mental focus.”

Strange had never wrestled before due his heavy commitment to football, but he’s come out strong this season boasting an 18-5 record.

“It taught me how to be a man. You gotta really teach yourself and talk yourself through it.

Wrestling is like a whole different atmosphere” Tomas Montero, Robinson’s head wrestling coach, has seen a difference in the team’s atmosphere since he began wrestling.

“He’s [Jacquez] contributed into the family atmosphere,” said Montero. “He is a sweet guy,

M

the team really has chilled with away trips. He’s contributed to the family atmosphere. he really is one of the guys.”

Just like football, Strange is keeping himself up and making sure he goes to practice. As a heavyweight, Strange has learned the sport while competing against Robinson’s DJ Jandura, who qualified for the FHSAA Wrestling State Competition last year. Strange’s effort he puts in at practice has reflected on the mats.

“He didn’t start when he was a freshman or a sophomore so he doesn’t have that experience.

[But] He’s getting stronger every day, he goes out there and likes to win,” Montero said. “Every student athlete has their strengths and weaknesses but that’s what makes the player. His confidence is amazing.”

With the right time, effort and dedication Strange could definitely go far with wrestling.

Features Editor Jules Whitaker contributed to this story

Star Showcase TJ Montero ('21)

Montero is a second year wrestler with a 27-9 record. He went undefeated at their latest tournament and was recognized as the outstanding wrestler for the lightweight division.

“He’s a competitor, he doesn’t want to lose.” Wrestling head coach, and Montero’s dad, said. “He is right now starting to peak, which is a good time towards the end of our season.”

Jacquez Strange (‘19) defeats his opponent in the heavyweight class at a recent wrestling match. Photo by K. Patterson

Sports showcases highlights two "hot shots" of Robinson athletics. Each issue will feature a few standout athletes from the current sports season.

Nakaya Davis('19)

This is Davis’s second year on the varsity team and she is currently the starting center. This season, she has scored an average of seven points per game.

“I feel like I’ve performed my best this season. I’m going to miss the atmosphere we have amongst each other, and seeing them everyday.”

February, 2019| sports | KNIGHT WRITERS 07

Opinion: The saints cost the saints,not the refs

By Jack Kirk Staff Writer Everyone is talking about a blatant missed call during the NFC Championship game on Jan. 20 between the Los Angeles Rams and New Orleans Saints. Rams defender Nickell Robey-Coleman practically tackled Saints receiver Tommylee Lewis before the ball was within five feet of either player, which wasn’t flagged even though there was obviously a penalty. Now there is a huge uproar from Saints fans that the refs stole the game from them.

But a game is not won on one play, and the Saints lost the game on more than just that play alone.

Two plays earlier, the Saints had the ball on the 13-yard line on first-and-ten. The Rams had two timeouts with just under two minutes left. The score was tied 20-20. The safe option for most teams is to run the ball three times in a row to burn the other team’s timeouts as well as time off the clock. They might get a first down and put the game away or kick the field goal on fourth down and leave the other team with about 30 seconds to drive the ball 50 yards with no timeouts. But the Saints head coach decided to have his quarterback Drew Brees throw the ball, which fell incomplete and left the Rams with an extra timeout in their pocket.

I personally think that coaching call had a much greater impact to the outcome of the game than the missed call. Yes, that was the most bogus missed call I have ever had the displeasure of seeing live, and if that was my team in that position I probably would have broken something in my house. But I can’t disregard that Saints coach Sean Payton made a terrible decision that got his team into the position by overthinking the situation he was in. Anyone in their right mind would have run the ball, so I don’t think Payton, or any Saint’s fan, can fault the refs for the loss.

Sure, the refs missed a call that anyone in their right mind would have thrown a flag for, but I blame more than a referee’s decision.

If you feel robbed of a Saints victory and want to complain, don’t just complain about the referees, but the Saints themselves.

Robinson Gets loud!

SPORTS

Cheerleading and Girls Basketball are faced with the challenge of injuries

By Jack Kirk Staff Writer

Ewoman is domestically beaten

very nine seconds in the U.S., a

or abused. Since 2014, students at Robinson High School have been raising awareness of the commonality of domestic violence through the Get Loud! Break the Silence basketball game. The silence broke again on Jan. 25.

The concept of the game is for the crowd to stay completely silent until the home team scores nine points. Once Robinson scores its ninth point, the crowd breaks the silence and erupts into cheers.

This year’s game was against district rival Jefferson High School (7-15). Neither team reached nine points until the end of the first quarter and the Dragons never trailed the Knights by much.

Ultimately, Robinson won 63-

55. The Spring of Tampa Bay and the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, the two local centers that work with victims of domestic violence, distributed resources to students as well.

This game is one of the highestattended annual Robinson events and this year’s attendance was one of the highest yet.

Top: Students cheer as the ninth point is made during this year’s Get Loud! Breaking the Silence game. Photo by C. Moore Bottom left: the full student section holds up ‘Knights” letters to show their school spirit during the silence. Photo by C. Moore

Better lax than never

By Skylar Hurley, Jules Whitaketr Staff Writer, Features Editor

Rteams and competitive, driven players. However, sports like lacrosse

obinson’s athletic department has helped facilitate several successful

and wrestling find themselves at a disadvantage because most players start their freshman year, where athletes playing sports like baseball or tackle football start in middle school and even before then.

Photo by A.Megarian Lacrosse defender Kelsey Campbell (‘19) runs down the field with the ball during last season. Campbell has received three D2 college offers so far.

Near left: Freshmen Lindsey Chadwick and Cassidy Lund wave around t-shirts they caught at the game. Photo by C. Moore Bottom right: The entire student section breaks out into yells when the Knights score their ninth point. Photo by C. Moore

Kelsey Campbell (‘19) picks up lacrosse in her first year of high school, is now receiving college offers Kelsey Campbell, a senior at Robinson high school, started playing both lacrosse and flag football her freshman year. Campbell grew up an athlete alongside her twin sister Chelsey Campbell (‘19) and her older sister Sierra Campbell, who also played flag football three years before they started high school.

“I would see other people playing [lacrosse], and I always thought it would be fun,” Campbell said. “Smithers pushed me to try out when I came to high school.”

The boys lacrosse coach, Eric Smithers, approached Campbell as a freshman and encouraged her to try the sport. After consideration, she decided to go try out for the team. Around the same time she also made the decision to play flag football, like her older sister had. When spring sports rolled around Campbell’s name was on both rosters.

Campbell had to juggle both lacrosse and flag football because their seasons overlap. She showed promise in both sports and quickly became an athlete to watch out for.

“Kelsey brings a lot of energy to the team,” Smithers said. “If she sticks with it— If she really is passionate about it, which I think she is. The college level is a serious grind and I think she could really do something at the next level.”

Over the years Campbell became an asset on both the lacrosse team and flag football team. As college approached, a decision had to be made on where her focus would go for sports beyond college.

“Lacrosse gives me money for college, unfortunately flag does not,” Campbell said. And with that important fact, she decided that her goal would be to play lacrosse in college.

Along with the aspiration of playing college sports, the scholarships provided with these deals offer financial relief and the chance for students to go to out of state. Campbell would not have the same opportunity to go to these schools without sports scholarships. The ability to play for in college is a dream that many students chase.

Even as a player late to the game, Campbell has received Division II scholarship opportunities from several out-of-state universities.

Uncommitted to any college schools still, Campbell is working towards finishing her high school career as a lacrosse player and flag football player before possibly moving up to the next level in lacrosse.

08 KNIGHT WRITERS | A&E|february, 2019

REVIEW: SIXTEEN CANDLES 35 YEARS LATER clichés COMING TO A CLOSE Have clichés overstayed their time in the A&E

By anna woodward Staff Writer here's no doubt that Sixteen Candles is a timeless entertainer. The classic film tells the story of Sam Baker, a girl whose family forgets her 16th birthday. We get to see her thrown into this situation on top of everything W, what also makes Sixteen Candles memorable are the problematic factors it presents, especially when seen through the eyes of a twenty-first century viewer.

Even with this movie being one of my favorites, as I rewatched it I began to realize that some of the things in the movie would never be deemed acceptable today. As hard as it is to watch problematic moments appear in a movie, we need to acknowledge the fact that Sixteen Candles was released 35 years ago. Life was very different then and what is considered offensive today was considered--to some extent--okay. Growing up in a time where people like Bill Cosby are held accountable for their actions makes these scenes worse, but for someone born in the 1970s or 1980s, these moments are normal.

The main thing that makes Sixteen Candles problematic is how male characters treat women. In one scene, Ted, a freshman, and Jake, the senior that Sam is in love with, are talking, when the subject of Jake's girlfriend comes up. Jake nonchalantly says that he could "violate her ten different ways if I wanted to", to which Ted replies, "what are you waiting for?" I've seen this movie many times and each time this line makes me wince.

There's something obviously wrong about this, but Ted is only 14. Like any teenage boy, he's going to say things he regrets.

T

spotlight?

By emersyn brown multimedia editor

F

inally falling for an old friend, fighting over stupid things to avoid their connection and meeting "the one" in a hookup are all famous cliches but, simply put, they need to end. The clichés we see in almost all romantic comedies, especially the ones deemed "classic," are something that we have accepted for far too long.

People should be able to fall in love in classics without degrading women for entertainment.

The makeover scene in Clueless is painful. An already beautiful girl is made to look "better" for a guy. A GUY! Why does a woman has to change for a guy to notice her? Why does she have to change an already beautiful exterior and interior?

No woman should go after a man who doesn’t see her beauty. Don’t change for a guy. It will do more harm than good.

Letting the woman give up everything for a man is my kryptonite. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days does it oh so perfectly.

At the very last minute, before she leaves to go to a new city for her new job, she decides she wants to stay with "the man of her dreams" after he guilt trips her.

I honestly can’t stand the notion. Your dream partner can be anywhere. You don’t have to give up something you've worked hard for for a guy. Chase your dreams.

Go on adventures. There isn’t a person in this world that should be able to stop you from accepting the perfect job. Take that

Posters for top cliché movies: How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Clueless and The Wedding Planner

job. Live your life. You may just find the perfect person when you take that risk.

But honestly, don’t get me started on The Wedding Planner. I mean, come on.

The cringe fest begins when they stumble and fall and roll all over each other.

Normal people don’t just fall onto the love of their lives. Also, most people have a little more coordination that what’s seen in almost every movie.

Classic movies use these clichés so often at the expense of women, that society has grown used to the degradation of women. Nowadays, Hollywood is using clichés to take advantage of women in film when that is something we should have long grown out of. The emphasis of classics shouldn't be to bring the women down to a man's level, but instead to make them equals. Clichés, although filled with much potential, need to be left in the past.

The movie poster for Sixteen Candles circa 1984.

I'm certain that people in my school have said things along these lines, but does that make us shun them forever? No. It's not hard to find questionable stereotypes in any film, but Sixteen Candles takes the cake with Long Duk Dong, an exchange student from China.

In all honesty, I thought he was hilarious the first time I watched the movie and he makes me laugh at times, but his character is still a blatant stereotype. Racism has never been okay, even in the 1980s, but if we're going to critique a character from 30-something years ago, we may want to first address the racism present in the media today.

Sixteen Candles has problematic moments, no question. But like anything in life, it has good ones too. The film may be shocking now, but the social differences between the 1980s and the 2010s are stark.

We can like the film without condoning the characters, and because of this, there's no reason not to call Sixteen Candles a classic.

Robinson in Retro by ella wertz staff writer

A modern journey through old-school style

R

etro is making a big return throughout the world, with throwback Thursdays and vintage clothes gracing social media. The trend can be seen throughout Robinson’s halls, where students take a trip back in time with their fashion. The style, not quite new and not quite old, adds personality and a sense of nostalgia to our school that can’t be missed.

I

The 1960s

n a period encompassed by capris, shift dresses and long skirts, the 1960s were totally tubular. Sierra Shellabarger's ('20) outfit was a perfect portrayal of this effortless style seen in the 1960s. To get variety in her daily rotation of clothes, Shellabarger looks into the past and pulls pieces from then. Shellabarger paired a tight black turtle neck with a high-waisted blue and white pin-striped skirt to serve as a statement piece. Although clearly resembling the 1960s, certain pieces are pulled from a more modern era. The ruffles on the skirt and her hair styled sleek and down are subtle ways to twist her style into one that is so clearly hers. The Converse blend the 2010s and 1960s even more, serving to pull the look together and make it "I like to get inspired from different fit in both then and now. time periods," Shellabarger said.

A

the 1980s

lthough often related to the fashion plunders of our parents, the 1980s are back in a big way. Emma Fernandez ('21) embodies the best parts of 1980s style: the fun exercise outfits, mom jeans and crop tops, while still adding her own personal twists. Fernandez doesn't just pull inspiration from the past, but from how other people interpret the 1980s. Other people's creativity helps lead her to her own style, and uses the inspiration to create outfits that are perfect for her. Fernandez's outfit pairs black, acid-wash mom jeans with a cropped polo men's shirt. Her outfit uses basic fashion components from the 1980's and adds a unique flair with her shirt that she thrifted and cropped herself to contribute to her retro "I'm inspired to dress retro because theme.

I love... how history repeats itself," Fernandez said.

Photo by E. Wertz

T

Photo by E. Wertz

the 1970s

he transition from the 1960s to the 1970s was a movement from uptight and gender-restricting clothing, to the loose and flow-y clothes popularized by many. The fashion of that era was focused around bell bottom jeans with tightly fitted tops that were usually tucked into the pant to pull the look together. Alison Quigley ('22) was a standout in the halls with her embracement of this particular style. Quigley's outfit is composed of green corduroy bell bottom pants--a musthave seventies piece-- paired with a peace sign t-shirt tucked in. Quigley doesn't just represent the 1970s in her clothes, but in what she listens to with some of her favorite artists being from the 1970s. Quigley takes on this creative, 1970s themed style to spread positivity and embody the current retro trends.

T

"I like to dress retro because it represents the music I listen to," Quigley said.

Photo by E. Wertz

the 1990s

he 1990s were a far cry from the neon of the 1980s, focusing instead on grunge and rock looks featuring band tees, dark-washed and ripped jeans with black combat boots and sneakers. Kaia Poisall's ('21) way to get the authentic 1990s style is to browse thrift stores, searching for the perfect piece to upcycle. Poisall reflects 1990s style with her two toned, vintage looking AC/DC graphic tee with light-wash mom jeans contrasted with a dark, studded belt. Her belt was her favorite part of her outfit because, to maintain the retro concept, she thrifted it and styled it hanging down to portray the cool and disheveled style of the 1990's. She wore checkered Vans to add interesting pattern contrasts to finish off her 1990s themed look.

"Social media has a lot of influence [on my style]," Poisall said.

Photo by E. Wertz