THE
FALCON The Kinkaid School Student Magazine Volume 74, Issue 4 | March 5, 2021
CURE? Vaccine brings hope for immunity
Photo courtesy of David Shutts
Mask Up: Safety in Athletics Sports Campus protocols require athletes to cover up during practice and playing time.
6
8
12
Campus
Campus
Technology
The Admissions Process During COVID-19 “If one of us goes down, the whole department goes down,” said Ms. Iris Bonet, director of admissions.
Discovering Hidden Campus History
Unknown to many, Kinkaid is one of a few schools in the Houston area with its own bomb shelter.
30
Food Delivery Apps: Growing in Popularity 7,690. That is the number of minutes that tudents spent in a single class in a school year with the pre-COVID schedule.
THE FALCON
Letter from the Editor
18
New Schedule: Better or Worse? Opinion
7,690. That is the number of minutes that tudents spent in a single class in a school year with the pre-COVID schedule.
22
Hottest Spots for Hot Lunch Lifestyles Along with other changes, more students have been enjoying lunch off campus.
26
Children’s Theatre Sweeps Nation Arts
Actresses show what happiness is in first-of-its-kind show that reached a national audience.
14
Dear Reader, Coming into second semester and finishing up our school year, we are all facing a lot of change. Change in our academics, personal life, society, and even in The Falcon. Personally, my whole life is getting flipped on its head. I am about to leave the city I’ve called home for the past 18 years and say goodbye to those I love as I head off to NYU for college. I have always been an independent person, itching to explore the world; however, I can’t help but be scared. Change is scary. No matter how big or how small that change is, there is always a level of uncertainty and sense of the unknown. Therefore, I am challenging myself to do one thing and I hope you will join me in this goal: Be Brave. I know it sounds cliche, but think long and hard about it. We have the choice to go into life afraid and meek or we can embrace the change and face our challenges head on. Bravery is not just going outside of your comfort zone, it is about having the courage to push yourself to greatness and striving for perfection. As I look at the challenges ahead of me, I want to be brave enough to operate the subway on my own, sit in the front of my large lectures, and in its essence, survive in the Big Apple. Wherever you are in life and whatever changes you are facing, I challenge you to be brave and achieve your goals. I hope as you flip through this issue of The Falcon you become inspired to try new things, challenge yourself to grow, and embrace all of life’s changes.
On The Cover
Nicole Fernander, Editor-in-Chief
Vaccines offer a glimmer of hope to combat pandemic
CAMPUS t
4///Campus
Sustainability efforts persist despite pandemic
D
By Jack Klosek, staff writer
uring the 201920 school year, the Sustainability Committee – headed by then-senior Sarah Stephens ‘20 – laid out a few ambitious plans to reduce Kinkaid’s carbon footprint and make the school community a greener one. Stephens had proposed and discussed eliminating many single-use plastic items on campus including, but not limited to, plastic water bottles, cups, straws and lids, and to-go containers. These goals were just beginning to be discussed and implemented. New eco-friendly to-go containers appeared for a short period of time during the 2019-20 school year as well as a mass distribution of metal straws to the student body. The Sustainability Committee seemed poised to bring monumental change in the coming years through Stephens’ and others’ efforts; however, disaster struck suddenly and derailed the trajectory of the committee’s progressive efforts. The fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S. has been immense to say the least. With over 500,000 deaths since the onset of the virus reaching the
United States and massive changes to everyday life, the Kinkaid administration has responded forcefully by diverting much of its attention to protecting its students, community and creating a safe learning environment. According to junior Nick Kyriakides-Crowe, co-president of the Sustainability Committee, the Kinkaid administration has focused a majority of its funds primarily on combating this malady. Kyriakides-Crowe and senior Serena Thompson currently lead the committee. They are both veterans of the committee and have had to navigate a year of much turmoil, along with their faculty sponsor, science teacher Mr. Jason Johnson. “By starting the year in distance learning, it was difficult to gauge what our goals should be and what would be possible to accomplish in the coming year,” Kyriakides-Crowe said. “It has been hard to meet with the committee as we cannot gather in person, only via Zoom.” With the restrictions and COVID-19 protocols, outreach has been much more difficult as well. “It is hard even to get a meeting with certain people,” KyriakidesCrowe recounted. These circumstances
have culminated in an increase in plastic waste from last year. “The school cafeteria places everything in disposable containers mostly made of plastic as it has been deemed not possible to switch the containers to something more eco-friendly due to the high cost,” KyriakidesCrowe said. Kinkaid uses over 600,000 plastic water bottles annually, according to Chef Mark Harris. This statistic has brought much concern to the committee and is one of the biggest impediments to Kinkaid becoming a more sustainable school. On a positive note, however, KyriakidesCrowe noted that the number of people who bring reusable water bottles to school has been increasing. COVID-19 has slowed the Sustainability Committee’s efforts to create tangible change on campus, but that has not stopped their mission to educate students on the importance of sustainability. “As we cannot make actual changes to Kinkaid’s level of pollution this year, we have taken the time to focus on educating the student body from the Lower School to the Upper
School,” KyriakidesCrowe said. “We have created videos to be played in the virtual assemblies and continue to plan educational content for the students of Kinkaid.” He and others posit that education is the key to spreading awareness about the importance of sustainability, and they have made that their mission for this school year. In addition, once it is safe to do so, KyriakidesCrowe “hopes to to look at reducing single-use plastic items in the cafeteria.” Similar to Stephens’ proposal, this would seek to eliminate disposable plastic goods and bottles. While there is no real timetable or certainty that these changes will come, the committee remains steadfast in its convictions. “My favorite part of working on this committee is working to create change and make Kinkaid a more eco-friendly place,” Kyriakides-Crowe said. Despite all that has happened during these tumultuous and unprecedented months, committee members have continued to work to let their ideas be heard – it’s a lesson to not let uncontrollable aspects of life dictate one’s response and pursuance of the creeds most near and dear to the heart. 5///Campus
CAMPUS
ADAPTIVE ADMISSIONS Pandemic forces change in vital process By Trace St. Julian, staff writer
“If one of us goes down, the whole department goes down,” said Ms. Iris Bonet, director of admissions. This one thought has constantly loomed over Ms. Bonet this year. Battling the effects that the pandemic has had on the admissions process, Ms. Bonet and her department have, much like the Upper School’s sports teams and their accompanying seasons, attempted to put together a successful “admissions season.” Beyond introducing the threat of a coronavirus infection in the admissions office, the pandemic has affected nearly all aspects of Kinkaid’s admissions, beginning with the schools prospective students are coming from. “We have seen a larger group of families that are not coming from our usual private feeder schools take a look at private school education,” Ms. Bonet said, likening it to the fact that Kinkaid has more resources it can use to adapt to the pandemic than public schools might have. “Families are happy that we’re open, that we’re safe, and that the kids are learning on campus.” But the largest effect that the pandemic has had on the admissions process is that applicants and their families cannot 6///Campus
step foot on campus. The result of this is that applicants can no longer tour the campus or have a face-to-face interview with a faculty member. To combat this, the admissions office has done multiple things, starting with increasing its online presence. Videos highlighting Kinkaid athletics and arts, the school’s campus, and general information about the Middle and Upper School can now be found on the admissions website; the admissions office has held multiple webinars open to the public; and a virtual tour of the campus has been offered, giving applicants an inside look at a history and Spanish classroom, science labs, the Moran Library, the Student Center, and some athletic facilities, including the trophy case and weight room. “It’s tough when you’re going through the admissions process and not able to come on campus and meet people face to face, but we have done everything we can to have families feel connected to the school,” Ms. Bonet said, also mentioning that Kinkaid’s strong reputation helps attract families to the school even when they are not able to see it in person. Furthermore, face-to-face interviews have been replaced by interviews conducted over Zoom, something which Ms. Bonet admitted has drawbacks. “Those Zoom interviews can be a little awkward sometimes. We have tried to make it as informal and easy as we can, but
s
it’s still a screen,” she said. “It can be a little more difficult for the kids to present themselves.” Ms. Bonet also touted the experience and capability of faculty members who interview applicants, but for some, even their expertise was not enough to make up for the awkwardness introduced by a Zoom interview. “Any awkwardness you see in the [virtual] classroom was focused intensely upon four people,” said Mr. Ryan Call, an Upper School English teacher. Call also added that internet connection issues sometimes made it more difficult for him to connect with the applicant. Mr. Ted Curry, an Upper School history and government teacher, said he believes Zoom interviews made little difference. “I think that most everyone is accustomed to Zoom interactions by now,” Curry said. “The kids that had awkward interviews over Zoom would have awkward interviews in person, too.” To Mr. Curry, the most difficult part of not being able to see applicants in person was the inability to give them a tour, which he would normally use to “give the kid an opportunity to get to know him, get comfortable with him.” Because of the inability to meet applicants face to face, the admissions office will put more emphasis on the historical records of applicants. “We are going to have to look at their teacher
recommendations closely, their transcript, and we are going to have to look a little bit deeper into historical data as well,” Ms. Bonet said. Also missing from the admissions process thus far this year is the use of admissions ambassadors. According to Ms. Bonet, this was due to the lack of opportunities the admissions office had to use ambassadors and in order to help further relieve stress for the ambassadors. Ms. Bonet said that they plan to use ambassadors in events with accepted applicants later this year, but some ambassadors have missed having their normal role this year. “I really enjoyed being an ambassador last year and it’s unfortunate that we don’t have the opportunity to introduce new families to Kinkaid in the traditional way, but I’m hopeful that we can get back to normal soon,” said junior Ali Yousuf, an admissions ambassador. Despite the odds they have had to face, the admissions department at Kinkaid has put together an excellent admissions season, highlighted by the many emails Ms. Bonet receives from prospective families thanking the admissions office for the enormous amount of effort that has gone into making the process as normal as possible. With acceptance letters being mailed out in March, the importance the admissions office has in the Kinkaid community again becomes clear, with their success in 2021 defining the success of the future class of 2025.
Due to their inability to come on campus because of Kinkaid’s COVID-19 protocols, interested applicants can view the campus on a virtual tour, which offers prospective students a look at some Upper School locations, including Ms. Leslie Lovett’s history classroom (left) and the trophy case showcasing the school’s success in athletics.
Photos by Trace St. Julian 7///Campus
FEATURES
History hidden in plain sight Cold War era bomb shelter a little-known part of campus space By Cooper Buck and Carter Pitts, staff writers
U
nknown to many students, parents, and faculty, Kinkaid is one of few schools in the Houston area with its own bomb shelter. Located below the Science Wing, the room was once used as a Cold War bomb shelter, but is now mostly used as storage for events such as the Kinkaid Book Fair, International Day, and the auction among others. It also acts as overflow storage for the facilities department. There is a small amount of archival storage and the head of Kinkaid’s former mascot Captain John has been stored there. But the room itself is a
historical artifact. Archivist John Rovell, and English teacher, Mr. Tom Peden provided insight about the fallout space. The bomb shelter took about a year and a half to build before being completed in 1966 “as a feature of the Anderson-Arnold Science building,” Mr. Rovell said. The reasoning behind building a bomb shelter on campus was that during the Cold War, if the Russians were to bomb the city of Houston, they would have most likely dropped a bomb between downtown and the Ship Channel located off Interstate 10. This means Kinkaid would be far enough away to avoid being fully in the area of a potential bombing, but still close
enough to provide shelter that would be needed. A blast would have left radiation. In order to protect the students and faculty in the shelter from the fallout, the shelter had an air filtration machine on the ground. The filtration machine consisted of a circuit that would take the nuclear radiatiated air and turn it into fresh air by scrubbing the blackened radioactive fallout. When the shelter was built in 1966, every student and staff at Kinkaid would have been able to fit inside it but not so much today. Once the school started growing more and it became clear that a bombing was very unlikely, the school found different uses for it. Mr. Peden said it was
once used as a darkroom for developing photos for the photography class. With no windows and little to no foot traffic, the space was perfect for this. Red lights would be used so people could see what they were doing, but the developing photos would not be affected. Mr. Rovell described how the bomb shelter appeared to him when he went inside it. “It is a bit spooky if I am honest,” he said. “But it is mostly what one would expect a large underground room to look like: cement walls and floor, basic lighting, shelves, and an area with fenced off portions for the events items storage.” Students are not allowed in the bomb shelter unless under special circumstances.
Photo by Will Anderson 8///Features
Photo by Cooper Buck Enrique Ambrosio, facilities manager, leaves the bomb shelter, which will likely be preserved as storage space.
IS IT USABLE TODAY?
The bomb shelter is still structurally sound, but there are pipes that run across the top of the room. Some of the pipes contain acids, so the possibility that they could rupture makes the room unusable. Also, even if it were empty, it would not be accessible to the whole school. So no, it is not usable today.
Kinkaid Archives
Photo by Will Anderson 9///Features
FEATURES
Photo courtesy of John Rovell
Preserving History A look into archivist John Rovell, the keeper of campus stories By Ethan Jett, staff writer
S
ince 2018, Mr. John Rovell has worked to preserve and continue the story of Kinkaid. From educating students about historical information to maintaining the archives in the Moran Library, Mr. Rovell plays an integral role in the Upper School. As an archivist, he works to preserve the history of Kinkaid. 10///Features
“Kinkaid history is the history of private education in the south,” said Mr. Rovell. Mr. Rovell is responsible for preserving many papers and items in the archives, some of which date back to 1850. “Temperature fluctuates quite a bit in the room,” he said. “We need to keep it at below 70 degrees fahrenheit and below 50 percent relative humidity in order to prevent moisture damage and heat damage to prevent the
destruction of materials.” In order to keep an organized archive, Mr. Rovell must sort through old papers and materials daily. “Walking into a disorganized archive is like walking into a room full of voices telling different stories,” Mr. Rovell said. Along with organizing the archive, he works with students to further their education on the importance of historical tools such as primary and secondary sources and also helps with
research projects that require access to the archives. Mr. Rovell is known by World History AP students by his slogan, “Trash sources equals trash grades.” For the past few years, Mr. Rovell has worked with Upper School digital photography teacher Ryan Gillentine as an archivist on a project, which builds a 60-second documentary on the history of Kinkaid. Mr. Rovell helps students use documents and photographs from the
archives in order to use in their documentary. “Without him the project would be much more difficult… what he brings to all of the classrooms he works in is just an enthusiasm and a phenomenal knowledge of process and resources that is just unbelievable,” Mr. Gillentine said. This is just one of many other teachers or members of faculty who have worked with Rovell. “He’s very knowledgeable and I love his passion for
preserving history,” said Ms. Branch, the Upper School head librarian. While at Kinkaid Mr. Rovell has been known as an archivist, but at home he is a man of the community. He said he enjoys exercising, working at his church, watching YouTube and anime, and reading manga. Mr. Rovell was originally born in Indiana and moved to Houston as a teenager. He attended James E. Taylor High School in Katy and
received his undergraduate degree at the University of Houston and his master’s degree at The University of Texas School of Information. Mr. Rovell is also known as someone who holds students accountable in the library. “Nothing gets by Mr. Rovell. He sees and knows everything almost as if he has eyes in the back of his head,”said sophomore Miles Franklin. When students are eating food in the library, Mr. Rovell often enforces the
Mr. John Rovell, Upper School archivist, organizing school keepsakes and memorabilia in the library.
rules set by the school by issuing a detention. Mr. Rovell is an extremely smart and good man who is cherished by Kinkaid students and faculty. “He’s always around to help. He embodies all of the core values,” said sophomore Henry Hawthorn. Mr. Rovell plays a key role as a library archivist for the Upper School and without his knowledge and contributions, the jobs of students and faculty alike would be much more difficult.
Photo by Ethan Jett
11///Features
TECHNOLOGY
Big DOORDASH Jan. 2021 share of sales - 56%
1
4
take
UBEREATS Jan. 2021 share of sales - 20% (not including UberCash purchases)
Users from 2019 to 2020 rose by 20 million
Revenue from 2019 to 2020 rose $2.9 billion
Available in 4,00 US cities
Users from 2019 to 2020 rose by 45 million
DoorDash rakes in more than half the sales in Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston
12///Features
Available in 6,000 cities Ubereats is the most popular service in Miami
keover
Food delivery app business booms due to global pandemic By Sarah Xu, staff writer
POSTMATES
Jan. 2021 share of sales - 6% Deliveries per month - 5 million Fourth largest supplier in the country Available in 4,200 U.S. cities Postmates was acquired by Uber in Nov. 2019
2
3
GRUBHUB Jan. 2021 share of sales - 17% Since 2016, Grubhub’s marketshare has dropped 48% Available in 4,000 U.S. cities Grubhub is the most popular service in New York
i Source: Business of Apps 13///Features
AWay Out?
Glimmer of hope shines on horizon amid the devastation of the pandemic By Camron Baldwin, staff writer
14///Cover Story
A
n arm, a needle and a push may be all it takes to beat back the pandemic. Since the coronavirus pandemic broke out, a new hope has emerged to fight it in the form of vaccines, which have been tested and approved for use in record time. In a process that usually takes years, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the safety, effectiveness and quality of vaccines in a matter of months. At Kinkaid, school leaders realized early on that they wanted to do everything possible to facilitate the vaccination of vulnerable individuals on campus. In a March 3 email to faculty and staff, Mrs. Goldie Arriola, Kinkaid’s director of human resources, stated that the Texas Department of Health had expanded COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to employees of schools and as a result the school was working on securing an on-campus
vaccine clinic. “What this means is that employees of the school are eligible to schedule and receive a COVID-19 vaccination with providers, which could be through a doctor’s office, pharmacy, vaccine clinics, etc.” Mrs. Arriola wrote. The expanded eligibility will play a significant role in fulfilling the school administration’s hope that all faculty and staff in the Kinkaid community will have received an opportunity for vaccinations by early April. While the school waited optimistically to get its vulnerable faculty and staff vaccinated swiftly, the administration and task force searched for additional opportunities to deliver vaccinations. “The Medical Advisory Task Force and administration began looking into bringing a vaccine program onto the Kinkaid campus as soon as we learned vaccines were going to be available to specific members of the public community,” said Ms. Judy Grisell, director of health services. To help establish a program on campus, the administration looked for a partner that could direct vaccinations on campus, including retailers such as
CVS, H-E-B, Walgreens or Walmart. Kinkaid succeeded in securing a partnership. On March 1, the first on-campus vaccine clinic was held in partnership with H-E-B after the retailer’s pharmacy obtained a supply of vaccines from the Centers for Disease Control. This clinic served vulnerable employees eligible under the State of Texas guidelines in Phase 1A and 1B, who may have been on a vaccine waitlist after registering through the Harris County Public Health scheduling program. Kinkaid scheduled a second vaccine clinic on campus for March 10, open to all employees after the Texas Department of Health announcement. Even with vaccines on campus, they remain out of reach for many students in the school community who are ineligible for immunization on account of their age. “While we’ve had discussions about students, depending on the vaccine manufacturer, it excludes an overwhelming number of our students based on age — Moderna is 18-plus, Pfizer 16-plus,” said Dr. Matt Rush, assistant head of school.
15///Cover Story
To distribute the coronavirus vaccine, Texas has organized phases of priority for more vulnerable individuals to receive shots before moving on to vaccinating those who are less at risk of contracting the virus
Texas Vaccine Distribution Schedule for COVID-19
Although one may expect a smidge of disappointment on the part of those too young to receive the shot, Kaveen Shah, a freshman, sees things a different way. “I feel OK not being able to get the vaccine because I know that they are going to people that really need it,” Shah said. A major player in the quick development of the leading companies’ vaccines was the use of mRNA technology, which contains a synthetic version of the virus’ genetic sequence. “They carry just RNA fragments, and we inject those and they hijack our ribosomes and start producing the viral proteins to immunize us,” said Dr. Luis Ostrosky, a member of the Kinkaid coronavirus task force, at a virtual school town hall meeting earlier in the year. While the science may appear new,
1A PHASE 1A: Health care personnel and longterm care facility residents, including EMS 9-1-1, home health, outpatient, ER/Urgent Care, Pharmacies, Last Responders, School Nurses
it has appeared in clinical trials for many years previous to its usage in the coronavirus vaccine in areas such as fighting zika, influenza and ebola. Following the FDA’s emergency approval of Pfizer and Moderna’s vaccines in December 2020, distribution across the nation began immediately, with each individual state having to concoct a plan to successfully allocate its weekly federal supply of vaccines among its populace. In Texas, a limited supply has kept the state in its first two stages – 1A and 1B – of vaccinating its population, prioritizing individuals such as hospital workers, long-term care employees and residents, and school nurses in its 1A tier and those ages 65 and older, or 16 and older with at least one chronic medical condition landing in the 1B tier.
1B ELIGIBILTY 1A: Long-term care residents in long-term care facilities 1B: Adults age 65-plus and people 16 and older with a chronic medical condition that puts them at increased risk for severe illness
Texans have flocked to numerous locations to get their vaccinations. From small providers and local pharmacies to massive-scale operations such as those at NRG Stadium, where up to 6,000 people per day could be vaccinated. As of Feb. 28 per NPR, 6.5% of Texas’ population had been fully vaccinated. The U.S. at large, however, has been outpacing Texas. By Feb. 28, 77 million doses had been administered nationwide, fully vaccinating 7.7% of the U.S. population per the CDC. Texas is yet to conclude immunizations on individuals who fall in tiers 1A and 1B, but conversations have already been held about whom will be prioritized in the upcoming rounds of vaccinations.
r
m
WE ARE HERE
NEWEST ELIGIBILITY
FUTURE PHASES 1C: Under consideration
1B: Teachers, staff and bus drivers for preprimary, primary, and secondary schools, Head Start and Early Head Start programs and licensed child care workers or providers
2: Under consideration 3: Under consideration
Source: Texas Department of State Health Services and the Austin American- Statesman
Hope for the Herd
Per the CDC, HERD IMMUNITY is reached when enough of a population is immune to a disease that the chance of person-to-person spread decreases, protecting even those who are not immune to disease.
What’s your top priority after herd immunity is reached?
“I’m going to the Galleria.”
- Eshing Ji, freshman
“Hang out with friends.”
- Kaveen Shah, freshman
“Travel.”
“I’m looking forward to not - Savannah Miller, wearing masks.” sophomore
“Reunite with family I haven’t seen in a long - Jackson Bloome, time.”- Lindi Ruthven, junior
senior
OPINION
Building Blocks After two different versions, it’s time for new, set schedule By Mia Price, staff writer
7,690
That is the number of minutes Kinkaid students spent in a single class in a school year with the pre-COVID schedule.
18///Opinion
While the school will always strive to reach this number, the way that the minutes are divided among each five-day week can hugely impact the school experience for students and teachers. Having now experienced two different versions of a five-day schedule, students and teachers have formed opinions on their favorite aspects of each one. “With the current schedule, I like meeting with each class three times a week instead of four because it makes my homework load lighter,” sophomore Abby Johnson said. Meeting three times a week is also easier on teachers, who get to plan less, more in-depth activities per day. “It allows students to have time to set up their paints and art supplies, get a good amount
of work completed, and have time to clean up,” photography teacher Ms. Bess Garison said. According to the National Education Association, there are many benefits of a block schedule with long periods. For example, students have more time for reflection and less information to process over the course of a school day. In addition, teachers see fewer students during the day, giving them more time for individualized instruction. However, students also find it difficult to focus for multiple long block periods in a row. “Having three 75-minute classes in a row on Tuesdays and Thursdays can be brutal,” said senior Alison Zhang. “By the time it gets to E period, I really struggle to pay attention enough to retain information.”
“I like last year’s schedule better because I got to have a different mix of classes every day.” - sophomore Abby Johnson
Photo by Nicole Fernandez
One thing that students agree helps them focus better is the 9 a.m. start in the current schedule on Wednesdays and Fridays, which allow them to get more sleep and be more energized. It has been proven that later start times improve the quality of learning, and the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommend that high schools start no earlier than 8:30 a.m. “We know from research that a later start is good for teenage brains,” said US assistant head, Ms. Alex Spencer. “If we could find a way to fit everything in and start after 8:30 a.m. every day, I think we would consider it.” Taking everyone’s opinions
into consideration, I believe that it is worth the effort to make our schedule start at 9 a.m. every day if possible. Many students do not get enough sleep due to their heavy work loads and ambitious participation in activities, and it hurts their quality of learning. The schedule should also remain a block schedule in which each class meets three times a week for longer amounts of time because it allows students to have more control over their homework schedules, and it allows teachers to plan more meaningful lessons with time for reflection. However, instead of one 40-minute class and two 75-minute classes per week like the current
From left: Freshman Eshaan Mani, sophomores Charlie Sole, Cooper Buck, Will Anderson, senior Dylan Marcus and sophomore Sarah Xu walk by the front of the Student Life Building before heading to class. Because of changes in learning modes, from virtual to in-person, students have had to adjust to different schedules.
schedule, there should be one 45-minute class, one 60-minute class, and one 90-minute class per week. This is because having multiple 75-minute classes in a row can be draining, so it would be easier on students to alternate between 60-minute and 90-minute classes. The amount of time for lunch should also remain an hour. This allows students leaving campus to pick-up their lunches and eat them before the next period, and it allows students to truly relax before their afternoon classes. Finally, in order to make it easier for students and teachers to plan their afternoons, the time that school ends should be the same every day.
“I prefer the current schedule because it provides visual art students with the opportunity to work seamlessly.” - phototography teacher Ms. Bess Garison
“As a teacher, I prefer three times a week for longer because it allows us to do class activities that take longer.” - English teacher and US asssistant head Ms. Alex Spencer
19///Opinion
OPINION
EDITORIAL
The spreading o
Dangers come with using social med
O
ne click. One share. One follow. One repost. That’s all it takes for news, real or fake, to spread on social media platforms. In the past few years especially, the unfortunate reality has been that most of the information being spread around on social media has been false unproven claims or fake news. Americans should stop using social media as a news source, as it only spreads fake news and ultimately divides the country as a whole. While people can follow trusted news sources and see some verified news, false news on social media spreads significantly faster. In 2019, professors with the MIT Media Lab, an interdisciplinary research lab devoted to projects at the convergence of technology, multimedia, sciences, art and design, conducted a study on fake news from Twitter in social media and found that fake news is 70% more likely to be retweeted as compared with the truth. The primary reason for the rapid spread of false information is the fact that fake news is not only jaw-dropping and unusual but also likeable. Americans are more likely to believe news that fits with their political opinions or beliefs instead of looking for the facts. This causes some to resort to fake news accounts on platforms such as Instagram or Twitter in order to feed their political opinions.
20///Opinion
g of fake news
al media as primary news source
n
, y
y
l
n al
ir
s
The effects of fake news stormed through the heightened political tension between parties in the recent election. Fake news spread through platforms like Facebook and Twitter and they allowed for this to happen because so many couldn’t decipher what was real from what was fake. Plus, because social media varies depending on whom people follow and what they like, people on social media tend to see news stories that only perpetuate their previous political beliefs, and give them confidence that everyone around them has the same beliefs. A great example is how Republicans don’t see how anyone could be a Democrat and Democrats don’t see how anyone could be a Republican. The echo chambers that exist on platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram give a false sense to all parties that their opinion is the most common one in society. This confidence and assurance based on social media is very problematic, as it further divides and alienates us from the opposite side. At the end of the day, the fake news that is so rapidly spread on social media is the most dangerous threat to our democracy. It is the problem that causes all problems. It entitles everyone to their own set of facts, and it is the ultimate enabler of polarization.
21///Opinion
LIFESTYLES
Juniors Cade Bailey, Blake Johnson and Clay Cameron eating at Whataburger, one of their favorite fast food places during their lunch break. Photo by Sam Pitts
TOP 3 PICKS
The three fast-food spots that were most popular among 88 juniors and seniors who completed an unscientific survey
2nd place - Cabo Bob’s 1st place - Chick-fil-A 3rd place - Torchy’s Tacos
22///Lifestyles
FAST FOOD F AVES
An inside look into where upperclass students spend their lunch break By Sam Pitts, staff writer
W
ith the unprecedented circumstances that were presented to the school this year, some changes had to be made. More specifically, the tradition and privilege of only allowing seniors to eat off campus was extended to include juniors. To accommodate for space with dining at school, administrators made the decision to allow the junior class to eat off campus during lunch breaks for the first time ever. The decision was made to clear up more space for socially distanced oncampus dining so that all the COVID-19 regulations for school would be met. With juniors now having the option to leave campus, almost half of the Upper School students can leave
campus during lunch. A non-scientific survey was sent out to the junior and senior class to get answers to three questions: Where they eat during lunch and what are their favorite spots; what they do if they don’t leave campus; and how they feel about the new lunch rule changes this year. The almost unanimous favorite spot among the 88 juniors and seniors who responded was Chick-fil-A followed by Cabo Bob’s and Torchy’s Tacos. With 29 other restaurants listed among students’ favorite places to eat, it is safe to say that there are countless options where students can spend their lunch breaks. Also, students enjoy going to their homes to eat and simply relax for a while before returning to
school. Not all students feel the need to leave campus for lunch. With food available every day at school and prepared by Chef Mark Harris and his team in the Dining and Learning Center, some students choose to stay on campus and eat. Students who stay on campus during their lunch breaks said they hang out with their friends and almost always spend their time studying or doing homework because it is a time to relax and catch up on school work. Almost all juniors said that they love the new rules and the hourlong lunch breaks. Almost all seniors said that they love it as well for the same reasons; however, some expressed being upset because the chance to eat
Off or On?
89.7% of the 88 US students who responded to a survey reported they leave campus for lunch; 10.3% stay on campus.
off campus during lunch is traditionally a senior-only privilege and they believe juniors were awarded it unfairly. “I’m happy that I have a variety of places to eat,” said an anonymous upperclassman. “I hope this continues in the future so the cafeteria isn’t so crowded during lunchtime.” 23///Lifestyles
ARTS
A ‘Bright Star’ in the Day Musical makes comeback, plays on open-air stage By Stockton Lord, staff writer
T
hroughout the school year the Kinkaid Visual and Performing Arts department has been shackled by the constraints of the pandemic. However, after a stint of virtual performances, VPA moved back to in-person theatre with a production of the musical “Bright Star,” which was staged outdoors. The return was a welcome one. While the theatre department has been active throughout the pandemic with several virtual performances, the cast and crew of “Bright Star” were ecstatic to move back into performing in person. “Going back to in-person theatre has truly been a dream,” said junior Mia Van De Mark, who starred as Alice Murphy. “The feeling
24///Arts
of getting to make art with your friends again after so long was really wonderful, and I’m sure the rest of the cast would agree.” The enthusiasm did not just stop with returning to performing non-virtually. “Bright Star” and its unique outdoor performance were both met with excitement and praise. The show “Bright Star” itself was written by Texan singer-songwriter Edie Brickel and famed actor, comic, and banjo player Steve Martin. In the words of the show’s director Ms. Michelle Ludwig, it is a story “set in North Carolina, where literary editor Alice Murphy meets a young soldier just home from World War II.” Through the course of the play, the young soldier, Billy, is mentored by Alice in his quest to become a writer
while Alice herself is forced to face the memories of her past and the child she once lost. However, while “Bright Star” may be a truly captivating story, what makes it so unique for a Kinkaid musical is the fact that it was performed outdoors. For this to happen, the crew had to build an entire wooden set outside for the production and utilize a smaller cast roster in order to comply with COVID-19 guidelines. “We usually have about three times our current number participating in the musical, which includes both cast and crew,” said Harper Paddock, sophomore and cohead stage manager. As a result, “everyone is doing something, and nearly everyone is pulling double or triple duty,” he said. In addition to the outdoor stage, the cast had to
perform using “specialmade masks” that assist in singing safely and also had to use a technique known as pantomiming, which means the cast pretended to use props due to Covid restrictions. “Other than weather issues, it was actually quite fun!” Ms. Ludwig said. “It was an exciting challenge to work in a new space and experiment with a different kind of theatre than we normally get to do at Kinkaid.” Grappling with these new and exciting changes in theatre, as well as icestorm related delays, made “Bright Star” a truly unique experience for the Kinkaid theatre department and a welcome return to performing in-person. Kinkaid’s performance of “Bright Star” was live streamed Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 27 and 28.
Seniors Martín Ibbara as Jimmy Ray and Nate Vutpakdi as Mayor Dobbs have a tense scene in which the mayor reveals that he killed his son’s baby.
Seniors Duncan Lambert as Billy and Larsen Weber as Margo confess their love to each other in “Always Will.”
Senior Martín Ibarra as Jimmy Ray and junior Mia Van de Mark as Alice share a flirtatious scene while freshmen Alexandra King and Claire Hartung perform in the ensemble.
Photos courtesy
of David Shutts
25///Arts
ARTS
S
inging enthusiastically from their colored boxes, clad in bright dresses, the all-girl cast of the “Happiness Is…,” a 45-minute production by the children’s theatre reiterated messages of joy, self-confidence and friendship. With peppy musical numbers and vibrant digitally reproduced backgrounds, the production was aimed at brightening children’s day. The show included undersea sing-alongs, a hilarious scene about a disgruntled customer, and a unique take on the tale of the “Three Little Pigs.” “Our show ‘Happiness Is…’ is full of social emotional learning that is relevant to living through difficult things, like a pandemic, in an upbeat and child-friendly format,” said Ms. Frances Limoncelli, who teaches the children’s theatre class. “I adapted existing children’s TV shows and songs to fit our project.” Ms. Limoncelli and the cast worked hard as usual on their production, which may have seemed seamless on the surface. Normally, the group performs its shows live, but given the pandemic this year the class pre-recorded the show. Students had to film themselves at home using a green screen, lights and camera stands, according to junior Laxmi Thakkar, who performed in the production. She said she learned a lot from the process. “One of the more difficult parts of the play was making sure all of the equipment was right. It took me a while to find a good space to keep everything set up,” Thakkar said. Since each student recorded with a green screen, images needed to be inserted as backdrops. And this is where Mr. BJ Garmon, technical theatre co-director, came in. Mr. Garmon was in charge of designing and altering the images to go with each part of the show. Ms. Limoncelli and Mr. Garmon also were key in the editing process of the production. The school hired a professional crew to pick out the best parts of the scenes and piece them all together. “This was great in that we got to share the show with a lot more students but also sad, because we did not get to have
26///Arts
the one-on-one interaction with the students that we feel is such a great part of the children’s theatre program,” Mr. Garmon said. So, with the help of Mr. Garmon on technology and costume designer Ms. Dee Graham on wardrobe, Ms. Limoncelli and her nine-student cast created the prerecorded show emphasizing one thing that people tend to gloss over during times like these: the value of happiness. This was Ms. Limoncelli’s first virtual production and large-scale editing project, and she said she has grown immensely. “I learned so much! I had to spend about a dozen hours every week for five weeks combing through everyone’s footage, figuring out how to ask the editors to cut it all together… and shopping for royalty-free music and sound effects online, which was new for me,” Ms. Limoncelli said. “I really enjoyed it, though.” Thakkar, who acted in the show, also said the process was enjoyable as a cast member and bonding during filming was especially important. “I think the process of recording made us all closer in general, and I think during classes we were all able to grow closer as we prepared to shoot the final product,” Thakkar said. Ms. Limoncelli recalled several fun and memorable moments from the production, especially when her students bared their true selves. “For me, the most memorable moments were the ones where students allowed themselves to be vulnerable. In the end, no matter what the format, engaging children will always require actors to share their authentic selves,” Ms. Limoncelli said. She sent out the production to her network of friends spanning the nation, and many of them showed their students the show. Nine under-resourced elementary schools close to Kinkaid showed the performance to their students, as well as 10 Houston-area KIPP schools.
Happy Days Children’s Theatre debuts first digital production
Actresses make the best of social distancing protocols in prerecorded perfomance
By Eshaan Mani, staff writer
Top left to right, top to botttom: Anna Duarte as Waitress, Soraya Patterson as Sour Soraya, Laxmi Thakkar as herself, Brooke Martin as The Cheese Throwing Cow Dragon, Cacie Chatman as Citizen of Houstonia 1, Carolyn Lobb as Citizen of Houstonia 2, Lauren Tanner as Lauren Girl, Kyla Henderson as Citizen of Houstonia 3 and Maribelle Gordon as Tortoise.
27///Arts
SPORTS
MASK Falcons play it safe during pandemic By George Kinder
S
weat continued to drench the itchy mask that covered the faces, from chin to nose, of the hardworking coaches and players. The masks were worn by everyone for protection. The mask continued to keep sports’ seasons alive. First winter, and now spring, sports have been required to wear masks for the obvious reason: to protect all players and coaches. Masks have been a necessity for protection, but they have caused various effects such as how coaches have been able to communicate with their players. “It is tougher to communicate through a mask, but I have been coaching in a mask for two other seasons,” lacrosse head
28///Sports
coach Michael Centra said. “It won’t be a problem that I have to wear a mask while I coach.” Choosing the right masks for sports could be difficult. “At first I had to figure out what masks worked best, like the medical masks would get too sweaty. However, I ended up getting used to it,” said varsity basketball player Sam Suman. Because of their uniqueness, each sport has been affected differently. For the basketball team, the masks presented an obstacle for the coaches to overcome. “The coaches adjusted by having limited conditioning during practice,” Susman said. “I was really happy to be able to have a season.” Tennis player Elizabeth Scott said that wearing a mask has come with challenges. “It’s mostly distracting and
feels uncomfortable. It falls down and gets sweaty,” Scott said. “However, it doesn’t affect me that much.” Masks may not always be the most comfortable to some, but student athletes have been thankful to get to play sports this year after all sports in the spring 2020 season were cut short due to the coronavirus. Masks have helped some seniors who have waited their whole lives for their last high school season to fulfill their dream of having the best senior season possible. Other athletes, whose seasons were cut short last year, were anxious to get back out and play sports again Without masks, hopes and long-awaited dreams may not have been fulfilled. Hopefully the rest of this year and all sports can continue as planned and finish strong.
UP SAM
SAM SUSMAN POSITION: Guard
Susman, a senior, playing with a mask against Strake Jesuit Photo by David Shutts
29///Sports
SPORTS
“
It was funny for the first few days, but after that it just got annoying. - Senior Justin Kioumehr
A
s the class bell rings, Justin Kioumehr dallys slowly to his seat before dropping his piece of luggage, unzipping his eye-soar of a book bag, and taking out his spiral and pen to start the class period. His classmates point and laugh; his peers heckle and snicker. Why would this student ever put himself through so much grueling embarrassment? The answer is fantasy football. Earlier in the fall, Kioumehr and 11 of his friends rejoined their annual fantasy football league. While most leagues have a prize for the winner, Kioumehr’s league also has a punishment for the loser. Loser punishments have become very popular over the last several years at school, many originating from the highly popular Netflix show “The League,” a comedy show about a fantasy football league and the members’ lives throughout the season. Kioumehr started the season off with what many believed would be a successful draft, with many strong players, including Tom Brady, Chris Carson, Mike Evans and Michael Thomas, who many believe had one of the best fantasy seasons ever just a year ago. Kioumehr’s team would prove to be much worse than many believed and 30///Sports
anticipated. He finished the regular season with a record of six and six, proving his team did not live up to the hype. With a devastating closeout to a hopeful season, Kioumehr finished dead last in 12th place. Facing embarrassment and shame from his league opponents, a loser punishment was officially implemented—a huge, rolling suitcase for a book bag. Kioumehr was obligated to carry around this big suitcase for the duration of a month at school, carrying it around everywhere, to every period, every class. “It was fun,” sang Kioumehr. However, it was everything but that. Dripping with sarcasm and charisma, Kioumehr revealed his dreadful punishment experience, relaying his regret of being the victim of a letdown fantasy football season. “It was funny for the first few days, but after that it just got annoying,” Kioumehr said. Carrying around a huge suitcase became a big pain for Kihoumer, proving that the punishment worked. It was one long month for Kioumehr. “It motivated me to try harder next year and make sure I don’t end up like this year,” he said.
Fantasy Football Bust The 6’3’’ 212-pound wide receiver Michael Thomas surprised people this year, including senior Justin Kioumehr. In his 2019 season, Thomas contributed 149 receptions, nine touchdowns, and 1,725 in total receiving yards to his team, so he seemed like a perfect fit to Kioumeher. However, in his 2020 season, Thomas only had 40 receptions, no touchdowns, and 438 receiving yards. On a more successful note, Kioumeher had this year’s Super Bowl champion Tom Brady on his team.
paying price Senior loses in fantasy football league, faces the consequences By Dylan Marcus and Will Anderson, staff writers
31///Sports
This
The Falcon’s mission is to be an accurate and reliable source of information for the Kinkaid School community by informing readers about topics that are interesting, thought-provoking, and impactful for the school, Houston area and Texas, as well as other parts of the world.
OR
That
Starbucks
Falcon Fuel
Wings
Pizza
Cupcakes
Cake
Breakfast
Lunch
Chocolate
Vanilla
Cookies
Brownies
Pancakes
Waffles
Salsa
Guac
Ice Cream
Gelato
Questions or comments?
We welcome your voice and feedback in the form of email, letters and guest articles. Please email student. publications@kinkaid.org or call (713) 243-6591 or use the form at thefalcon. kinkaid.org. Letters can be sent to: The Kinkaid School 201 Kinkaid School Dr. Houston, TX 77024 Please direct advertising inquires to nicole.fernandez@kinkaid.org. The opinions expressed in The Falcon belong solely to the writer and are not a reflection or representation of the opinions of the school or its administrators.
NICOLE FERNANDEZ
Editor-in-Chief, Features Editor
JAISAL KALAPATAPU
Deputy Editor, Digital Executive Editor
CHARLIE SOLÉ
Campus Editor, Sports Editor
ETHAN JETT
Lifestyles Editor
STAFF WRITERS Will Anderson Camron Baldwin Cooper Buck Madison Burba Elliott Crantz Matthew Godinich Tali Kalmans George Kinder Jack Klosek Richie Klosek Harrison Lawrence Stockton Lord Eshaan Mani
Dylan Marcus Carter Pitts Sam Pitts Mia Price Trace St. Julian Sarah Xu
ADVISER
Dr. Kimetris Baltrip The Falcon is published six times a school year. The paper is distributed to 616 Upper School students, There are 650 free print copies that are mailed to Upper School students and available for pick up on a campus newsstand. The Falcon is a member of CSPA and NSPA. Correction: The Dec. 4, 2020, magazine featured Leyendo al Mundo, a nonprofit founded by senior Carrie De la Rosa, who is not cited. The oversight is not a reflection on the writer but on editorial leadership. We extend our apologies.