Allyson Castillo

ARTICLES

Castillo Beyond The Race •

Double Header Week

Phoenix Raceway is bringing the heat this weekend as both INDYCAR and NASCAR take on the desert oval. NASCAR Cup Series driver Tyler Reddick enters the race leading the championship standings after winning three consecutive races. Alex Palou, the four-time INDYCAR champion, won the season opener in St. Petersburg, Florida.The Arizona oval has not hosted an INDYCAR race since the 2018 season. It also marks the first oval race before the Indianapolis 500 since Texas in 2023, giving the series a mu...
Castillo Beyond The Race •

Chaos at Daytona 500: Reddick Takes the Checkered Flag

Tyler Reddick won Sunday’s Daytona 500, surviving a chaotic final-lap crash to claim one of NASCAR’s biggest victories. After going winless in 2025, Reddick became the first NASCAR Cup Series winner of 2026. The win was also significant for team owner Michael Jordan, as 23XI Racing placed all three of its entries inside the top 10. Bubba Wallace led 40 laps but ultimately fell short of the victory.Jordan celebrated the organization’s breakthrough in victory lane.“I’m ecstatic,” said Michael Jord...
The Charge •

Federal tariff impacts Orlando coffee company

Local coffee shops that roast their own beans, such as Orlando's KOS Coffee, are being affected by a tariff that was implemented on April 5 by President Donald Trump.This 10% tariff on imported goods is driving up costs for many companies, including coffee roasters in Orlando and across the U.S. The tariff, listed on a fact sheet from the White House, applies to coffee imports from key origin countries. Since coffee is not grown in the continental United States, roasters rely on international so...
Central Florida Public Media •

The Scoop on 'Scopes

It’s widely believed the telescope was first created in 1607 by a Dutch eyeglass maker Hans Lipperhey. He combined an objective lens with a smaller eyepiece lens inside a tube, allowing him to see distant objects more clearly. At the time, this device was known as the "Dutch perspective glass." An effort to patent the invention was rejected.Seth Mayo, the curator of astronomy at the Lowman planetarium at Daytona Beach Museum of Arts and Sciences, recounts how scientists at the time took the tech...
The Charge •

Looking back, looking ahead

Sara Quinby, Robert Haughn and Allyson Castillo 
UCF’s latest group of graduating seniors and incoming freshmen are looking ahead at the future after living through a historic period of uncertainty.In the four-year period since COVID-19, UCF has now seen an entire generation of students who all experienced the unprecedented time and uncertainty of the pandemic.Tyler Tamburino, senior film major, reflected on his struggles with the shutdown.“I was really disappointed when classes were onl...
Central Florida Public Media •

Starship’s air traffic disruptions and uncertainty ahead for NASA science

SpaceX's latest Starship broke apart just nine minutes into a test flight, scattering debris and causing flight disruptions. Airports in Florida were forced to pause operations as the impact risk extended as far south as the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos Islands.The launch took place last week at 5:30 p.m. CT from SpaceX’s Starbase complex in Boca Chica, Texas. This marked the eighth test flight for Starship.Roughly two minutes after liftoff, SpaceX’s Super Heavy booster successfully separated from...
Central Florida Public Media •

Impending doom from asteroids and storing Earthly data on the moon

An asteroid nearly the size of a football field was, at one point, on track to possibly impact Earth in 2032. It was first discovered using a telescope in Chile as part of a planetary defense strategy led by NASA and other international agencies. The mission involves surveying the sky to detect and track potentially hazardous asteroids. While the discovery raised some alarms initially, the chances of it impacting Earth are now slim to none.According to Addie Dove, a planetary scientist and assoc...
Central Florida Public Media •

The latest news from the space beat, plus moon experiments go for a spin

NASA’S plans for future space exploration could be in jeopardy due to a cut to the SLS program.There could also be a potential cancellation of the Exploration Upper Stage, or EUS, a more powerful upper stage for the SLS rocket, which could impact the Artemis missions. The EUS, known as the Exploration Upper Stage, is a rocket used on NASA's Space Launch System to carry payloads on missions like Artemis.Eric Berger, Senior Editor at Ars Technica, said, “I think the biggest immediate concern from...
Central Florida Public Media •

A love story at the edge of our solar system. Plus, how to study centaurs

Earth’s moon formed after a huge object crashed into the planet, sending debris out into space that got caught in Earth’s orbit and eventually became the moon we know today.Astronomers thought this is how Pluto managed to collect its large moon Charon. But now, new research finds that moon’s story may have been much calmer. The gentler method is known as the “kiss and capture” method” where Pluto and its large moon gently collided, resulting in Charon staying in the small dwarf planet’s orbit.Ad...
The Charge •

The City of Orlando expands safety measures downtown

Since the deadly shooting in downtown Orlando on Halloween night last year, Orlando residents' concerns over safety have led officials to ramp up security near downtown nightclubs, aiming to lessen violence and reassure residents.Lance Lozano, a sophomore advertising and public relations major, shared that he and his friends used to visit downtown regularly, but have taken a step back after the shooting. He was in that area on Halloween night, but was not there at the time of the shooting....
Central Florida Public Media •

NASA nixes DEI and updates on Mars Sample Return

NASA is closing its Diversity Equity and Inclusion officesNASA has long celebrated the diversity of its workforce and put measures in place aimed at getting more under-represented people involved in the agency’s mission.That includes diversity programs in the STEAM fields – science, technology, engineering, art, and math.But those efforts have come to an end, according to a memo sent by acting NASA administrator Janet Petro.“The Programs divided Americans by race, wasted taxpayer dollars, and re...
Central Florida Public Media •

Searching for worlds far away from our own

For centuries, scientists and astronomers hypothesized that planets orbiting other stars could exist outside of our own solar system. In 1992, the first exoplanets were confirmed. That discovery sparked questions about what these worlds are like and what they are made of.Decades later, with advanced technology, there are several ways astronomers find these faraway worlds—one method is the transit method, that uses a star’s dimming and brightening to identify planets as they orbit in front of the...
The Charge •

National Student Speech Language and Hearing Association team up with Lions Club for global hearing needs

UCF's National Student Speech Language and Hearing Association collaborated with Lions District 35-O to sort hearing aids Saturday at the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office.Dr. Janel Cosby, audiologist and professor in the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, and 15 audiology-interested students attended the event, giving them the opportunity to see the devices, gain hands-on experience and assist a service organization in delivering aid to those in need.
Cosby said this was the...
Central Florida Public Media •

Abortion, economy driving some young Central Florida voters to polls

With the election about a month away, we’ve been talking about the youth vote. Candidates are working to court young people here in Central Florida, but what’s actually driving them to vote? It’s a question a group of UCF Nicholson School of Communication and Media students set out to answer by interviewing fellow students about the issues driving them to the polls this election year.Lucy Dillon is a 19-year-old student. She said the state constitutional amendments, like making school boards non...

MDC Student Receives Voter Engagement Honor – The Reporter: The Student Newspaper at Miami Dade College

Arturo Ortiz, a nursing student at Medical Campus, was named to the Student Honor Roll by the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge.

The award recognized 175 students nationwide for their efforts to “advance nonpartisan student voter registration and education.” Ortiz was the only recipient from Miami Dade College.

“This is a very prestigious honor and I am humbled,” Ortiz said. “None of this would be possible without the collaboration of the amazing resources MDC offers.”

During the 2022-23 acad

Platform Offers Students Free Online Peer-to-Peer Tutoring – The Reporter: The Student Newspaper at Miami Dade College

Knack, an online tutoring platform for college students, is partnering with Miami Dade College to expand peer learning opportunities.

The platform allows students to match with a tutor who’s previously attended MDC and has mastered the course they want to receive mentoring on.

Tutoring, which is offered on a flexible schedule, is available for courses in areas like English composition, computer science, history and chemistry.

Students interested in becoming a tutor must submit a college trans

Former Reporter Editor Selected For NAHJ Student Project – The Reporter: The Student Newspaper at Miami Dade College

Reporter alumna Ammy Sanchez has been selected to participate in the National Association of Hispanic Journalists Student Project.

The week-long initiative trains participants in writing, reporting, editing, shooting and editing video during the 2023 NAHJ International Training Convention & Expo being held in Miami from July 12 to 15.

“I am incredibly thankful that I was selected because I was competing with people from the entire nation,” Sanchez said. “It’s going to be fun being surrounded b

Society Of Hispanic Professional Engineers Returns To MDC After Three-Year Hiatus – The Reporter: The Student Newspaper at Miami Dade College

After enrolling in Hialeah Campus’ computer science program last semester, Alex Arguelles wanted to join a technology club.

In January, Arguelles and three of his friends revived the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers—a college-wide organization based at Hialeah Campus that promotes diversity in STEM fields.

The organization, which had been dormant since 2021 due to COVID-19 restrictions and the death of the chapter’s president Kristina Spalding, now boasts more than 50 members.

“Our

Here Is Where You Can Pick Up Your Commencement Ceremony Regalia – The Reporter: The Student Newspaper at Miami Dade College

Caps and gowns, for the commencement ceremonies being held at loanDepot Park, 501 Marlins Way, on April 22, will be distributed at all Miami Dade College bookstores from April 5-19.

Students retrieving the items must have completed their graduation application and provide an MDC ID. Aside from regalia, students will receive a reader card that will be used at the ceremony.

Here are the times of the three commencement ceremonies:

Graduates can bring up to six guests; a ticket is not required to

Kendall Campus Launches Micro-Internship Program – The Reporter: The Student Newspaper at Miami Dade College

Kendall Campus launched a micro-internship program on Jan. 4 to help students kick-start their professional careers.

Participants have completed four-week unpaid internships with local businesses such as Amerant Bank, Caremax, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, BIA Studio, and nonprofit organizations like FCC USA, MCCJ, Uplift Literacy, and Easterseals.

“It’s a brand-new concept,” said Kendall Campus President Anthony Cruz. “The goal is to increase student retention and persistence by giving studen

Kendall Campus Launches Micro-Internship Program – The Reporter: The Student Newspaper at Miami Dade College

Kendall Campus launched a micro-internship program on Jan. 4 to help students kick-start their professional careers.

Participants have completed four-week unpaid internships with local businesses such as Amerant Bank, Caremax, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, BIA Studio, and nonprofit organizations like FCC USA, MCCJ, Uplift Literacy, and Easterseals.

“It’s a brand-new concept,” said Kendall Campus President Anthony Cruz. “The goal is to increase student retention and persistence by giving studen
Miami Dade College •

Homestead Campus Unveils New Emergency Medical Services Lab – The Reporter: The Student Newspaper at Miami Dade College

Homestead Campus unveiled a new Emergency Medical Services Lab during a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Feb 2.

The 3,854 square feet learning environment features five labs, a classroom, two offices, a control room and a wet lab that will teach students IV therapy. The space is located in Room 115 in building G.

“It’s a brand-new space and students will have plenty of opportunities to learn,” said Fabio Nascimento, who serves as the chairperson of the EMS program at the College. “We want to produce

FCSPA Selects The Reporter As Top College Newspaper For 12th Year In A Row – The Reporter: The Student Newspaper at Miami Dade College

For the 12th year in a row, The Reporter—the award-winning student newspaper at Miami Dade College—was crowned the top two-year college newspaper in Florida.

“It’s gratifying to know that all of the hard work we put in is being recognized,” said Ammy Sanchez, who served as the paper’s editor-in-chief last academic year. “I appreciate the time the team spent working and giving their everything.”

The paper was one of two MDC publications to receive top honors at the Florida College System Public

FCSPA Selects The Reporter As Top College Newspaper For 12th Year In A Row – The Reporter: The Student Newspaper at Miami Dade College

For the 12th year in a row, The Reporter—the award-winning student newspaper at Miami Dade College—was crowned the top two-year college newspaper in Florida.

“It’s gratifying to know that all of the hard work we put in is being recognized,” said Ammy Sanchez, who served as the paper’s editor-in-chief last academic year. “I appreciate the time the team spent working and giving their everything.”

The paper was one of two MDC publications to receive top honors at the Florida College System Public
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