The Kinkaid Falcon - Issue 2, Vol. 74

THE

FALCON When it matters Students search for ways to help when their communities need it the most

The Kinkaid School Student Magazine Volume 74, Issue 2 | November 6, 2020

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FALCON

THE

CAMPUS 6 - Book fair reimagined

FEATURES 8 - Students take on politics

TECHNOLOGY 12 - Rise of podcasts

OPINION 16 - Voices on the election

LIFESTYLES

18 - Good eats for fall

ARTS 20 - Choir keeps singing

SPORTS 24 - Big game at home

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.

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.

Strength in Unity

Dear Reader,

I am an avid watcher of the news. As I flip through channels at night, every story highlights America’s current greatest weakness: division. Everywhere you look, people are in disagreements that prompt violence and hate and blatant disregard for those around them. Now I am an advocate of healthy discourse; however, I personally believe that we as a nation are escalating differences and becoming hypersensitive to opinions opposite of our own. Everyone must have opinions and think for themselves and follow the words of Alexander Hamilton: “Those who stand for nothing, fall for everything.” Nevertheless, we all need to find a balance between standing up for our ideals and respecting those of others.

This issue of The Falcon is all about communities coming together. From students finding ways to help one another to parents sharing kitchen secrets, as you flip through the pages, the unity flowing through the Kinkaid community is evident.

I truly hope that by reading about the unification, respect, and selflessness, you feel inspired to make a difference in the community. As a nation, a city and a Kinkaid community, we all need to join forces in order to create an admired society that can serve as an example for the rest of the world.

Nicole Fernandez, Editor in Chief

INK

On the cover:

Inside Kinkaid

What the 100 Million Project means for voters across America

Read the online story by Stockton Lord

Sophomores band together to help their community by building wooden boxes that aide charities.

Left: Senior Henry Segal gained national attention for his project. Read the full story on page 14.

Photo courtesy of Matthew Godinch

Putting others first: Students find ways to help communities during the pandemic.

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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 Photo 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 613 Upper School students, There are 700 free print copies made available in addition to copies mailed to subscribers. The Falcon is a member of CSPA and NSPA.

CAMPUS

Still No Place Like Home

By Sam Pitts, Staff Writer

Homecoming, in the eyes of students, is a weekend filled with memories and friends who last a lifetime.

F

riday night football games at home followed by a dance on Saturday night is something everyone looks forward to in Upper School, while Middle School students wish they could be a part of.

However due to COVID-19 and the CDC’s restrictions this year, students were not able to attend the highly anticipated homecoming football game, or the Saturday night dance.

Instead of the normal homecoming

4///Campus

concept this year faculty, staff, students, and dozens of parent volunteers spent hours of labor to set up events and months planning to provide the best makeshift homecoming they could in a safe, socially distanced way.

With a circus-themed homecoming set up by members of S.O.K., all events were planned relative to each grade level.

Ms. Erica Baker, coordinator of student life, was in charge of planning the homecoming and put in countless hours to ensure students had the best experience possible.

“We had the ninth-grade chill out.

It was a way for freshmen to celebrate together as a grade,” said Ms. Baker, referring to one of the freshman events that took place on Segal Field. The event had lots of games that could be played, prizes to be won and fun music.

For sophomores and juniors a large breakfast was held in Houston Plaza and was exclusive to those grades only.

On Saturday, Oct. 24, the seniors enjoyed their last homecoming together

on Segal Field and the tennis courts, where there was the homecoming court presentation, a dinner and time to reminisce about their years spent together.

This year’s homecoming court consisted of 16 students, eight boys and eight girls, who were voted on and chosen by fellow peers and faculty.

On the seniors’ homecoming night the king and queen, Zeke Evans and Ashley Holcomb, were crowned.

Planning the event at Kinkaid was no easy task.

“It involves timing, it involves security and facilities… it takes everybody from facilities to security to administration” said Ms. Baker when asked about some of the planning details.

All grade levels were excited and thankful for any event at all seeing that so many had been cancelled in the past.

In regard to future Kinkaid-associated events such as Junior and Senior Prom, and next year’s homecoming Ms. Baker said: “Ideally, we hope it will all be back to normal… but we just don’t know.”

Homecoming Queen

Homecoming King

Ashley Holcomb

Zeke Evans

Photos by David Shutts

“

good time y ll a e r a d I ha and I g in m o c e m at ho all the d te ia c e r p really ap that was k r o w d n a effort t by the n e v e e th put into staff.� faculty and

, senior

- Sarah Holm

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CAMPUS

Annual Book Fair goes virtual own custom website on bookshop.org,” explained ne click of a button is Mrs. Kim Hankamer, chair all it took take to make of Book Fair and parent a purchase at Book Fair this of sophomore Garrett year.

Hankamer and sixth-grader Even though Book Fair could Kate Hankamer. “With every not take place in person, the purchase, 10% comes back to school community was still Kinkaid and 10% is given to invited to participate in this local independent bookstores. beloved Kinkaid tradition. All Our volunteers curate the purchases and events happened title recommendations within online, and Book Fair lasted a each section.” whole week, from Nov. 9 to 15, In addition to the bookshop. instead of only two days as in org site, there was a Book previous years.

Fair boutique. The online “We are creating our boutique sold many items

By Mia Price, staff writer

O

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that families look forward to every year, such a Smathers and Branson belts and hats, Vineyard Vines belts, custom T-shirts printed on Custom Colors shirts, mask chains, sensory boxes, and highquality water bottles.

Kinkaid families also created a cookbook with over 350 recipes that was sold at Book Fair.

“The Kinkaid Family Cookbook” contains recipes from many countries, including Vietnam, Nigeria, India, China, Pakistan and England. It includes parents’ favorite recipes from celebrated chefs, as well as their family recipes that have been passed down through generations. This is the third family cookbook from Kinkaid, with previous versions in 1968 and 2007.

“We thought this would be the perfect time for a cookbook since we have all spent many hours perfecting our cooking skills over the last six months,” Hankamer said. “Plus, what a wonderful way to bring the community together and remind us that we truly are a Kinkaid family.”

Just like in previous years, there were visiting authors, even though they could not visit in person. The librarians facilitated virtual visits with author Kate Messner for the Lower and Middle Schools and author Liara Tamani for the Upper School during Book Fair week Ms. Messner is the author of award-winning picture

“

It’s going to look just like the gym, except online!

- Mrs. Kim Hankamer, chair of Book Fair

books, novels that tackle realworld issues, mysteries and thrillers such as “Capture the Flag” and “Hide and Seek,” and the popular “Ranger in Time” chapter book series.

Ms. Tamani, a Houstonbased author, has gained success from her coming of age tales that explore the universal struggles of growing up and finding where you belong, such as the acclaimed “Calling My Name” and “All The Things We Never Knew.”

In lieu of Family Night, when families gather on campus to eat dinner and enjoy an extra night of Book Fair shopping, the school community was encouraged to participate in “Restaurant Week.” Families were given a list of restaurants that are owned or operated by Kinkaid families to visit for take-out and dine-in meals “It’s a great opportunity to promote reading and come together as a community, and although it will look different, it will accomplish those things this year,” Hankamer said.

Authors lined up for online talks

Freshmans’ favorite reads

By Madison Burba, staff writer

Sanjna Pandit

Favorite book: “After Zero”

by Christina Collins Favorite scene: When Elise finds out the truth about her father and brothers’ death and the hallucinations about seeing her grandmother in a cottage safe and sound.

That part of the book was so gripping and the stakes were so high; the pieces of the puzzle came together.

Photos courtesy of liaratamani.com

The Upper School’s visiting author was Liara Tamani who has written two books, “Calling My Name” and “All The Things We Never Knew.” Both of these books are set in Houston, the same city where Tamani lives now.

Catherine Gordon

Favorite book: “You’re Next”

by Kylie Schachte Favorite scene: When Flora uses her skills of deduction to draw conclusions about Valentine, catching him off guard.

Throughout the entire book, the reader follows an intricate mystery where everyone is a suspect and no one is trustworthy.

Eshaan Mani

Favorite book: “I am

Photos courtesy of katemessner.com

The Lower and Middle School’s visiting author was Kate Messner who has written over 45 books, from different types of genres. Some of her most popular books are “Over and Under the Pond,” “The Brilliant Deep,” and “Breakout.”

Malala” by Malala Yousafzai Favorite scene: I was moved by Yousafzai’s account of her recovery in the hospital after a member of the Taliban shot her.

There are several such touching moments that will tug at readers’ heartstrings.

7///Campus

FEATURES

Teens campaign for local poli Junior Grace Beilstein volunteered for MJ Hegar Motivation:

Youth enthusiasm for voting rising, poll finds Tufts UniversityTisch College conducted a 2020 poll. The graph shows the percentage of young people, ages 18-24, who said they had taken each action in the Circle/Tisch 2018 and 2020 election polls.

Beilstein wanted to learn how campaigns work

Results: Hegar lost to Sen. John Cornyn in her bid for U.S. Senate

2018 2020

Photo used with permission from the MJ For Texas campaign

By Camron Baldwin, staff writer

A

mericans cannot vote until they are 18.

However, no age barriers prevented some civic-minded Upper School students from participating in the political process.

“Even though we don’t vote, many of the policy decisions directly affect us and our future, so it is worth dedicating some time for a candidate’s success,” said junior Grace Beilstein, who spent the past few months, from July up to Election Day, participating in Democrat MJ Hegar’s senatorial campaign.

Jackson Bloome, also a junior, was involved in 8///Features

Republican Wesley Hunt’s a time when young people congressional campaign. nationwide are beginning to “Now is the time involve themselves more in regardless of your age to civic life. get involved,” Bloome said.

Among young adults, ages “Work as hard as you can 18-24, 18% have participated to give these speakers who in a campaign this election are campaigning for your cycle, a threefold increase benefit the best platform of from just two years ago, dedicated according to a workers so 2020 national “I would that they can encourage anyone Circle/Tisch best prove poll conducted with an interest that they

by Tufts to definitely have what University. it takes to An volunteer.” represent increasingly -Grace Beilstein, junior you.” powerful The two voter bloc and are not alone in their work, demographic, 83% of young either. people, ages 18-29, say that They were volunteering at their demographic has the

6%

18%

Volunteered for a political campaign

8%

29%

Donated money to a campaign

power to change the country and they’re putting it to use volunteering and engaging in politics, the Tufts poll showed.

The poll also showed that since 2018, there’s been an increase, from 33% to 50%, of young voters who have tried to convince another young person to vote and an increase from 11% to 25% who have registered someone to vote.

Many people, with time on their hands during the pandemic, decided to get involved.

“With a lot of in-person events, sports particularly, being cancelled because of the pandemic, I had a

politicians during elections Junior Jackson Bloome volunteered for Wesley Hunt Motivation: Bloome heard about Hunt through his grandfather and was inspired to volunteer for him.

Results:

11%

29%

Registered others to vote

16%

27%

Attended a march or demonstration

little bit more free time to contribute to a cause like this,” Beilstein said.

Free from summer commitments, Beilstein became inspired to participate in Hegar’s campaign after reading through the candidate’s website and positions.

“I felt that I wanted to learn more about how campaigns work on the inside and this was a good opportunity to do so,” Beilstein said.

Bloome, on the other hand, found his inspiration to volunteer through a relative.

“I got involved through my grandfather who had heard him (Wesley Hunt) speak at a breakfast group that he and

38%

50%

Tried to convince other youth to vote

Hunt lost to incumbent Rep. Lizzie Fletcher in his campaign for a seat in the U.S. House Photo used with permission from Jill Karnicki, photo editor for the Houston Chronicle

his friends attended weekly,” and most crucial for Wesley Bloome said. to get a victory.”

On the campaign trails, Beilstein, fresh off of her both students said they work on Hegar’s campaign, performed similar tasks heavily encouraged other – making calls, sending youth to volunteer. texts and distributing fliers.

“I would encourage However, Bloome also made anyone with an interest to his way into more behinddefinitely volunteer,” she the-scenes said. “Through “Now is the time, working work.

“The most regardless of directly with a interesting campaign like your age, to get part to me this, you can was the data involved.” get a real sense - Jackson Bloome, junior they had of the kinds on previous of issues that voting really motivate individual backgrounds on voters to turn out and the people,” Bloome said. “We real importance of civic could strategize for which engagement.” areas were the most moderate Bloome concurred with her

sentiment.

“I would definitely encourage people to volunteer not because of the partisanship aspect but because of the role you play within a group of people to help promote issues that you believe in,” he said.

Beilstein said she believes campaigns are usually accepting of volunteers beginning at age 15.

“Even though we may not be able to vote yet, cultural and societal awareness now will only make you a more thoughtful voter in the future and allow you to talk thoughtfully with peers about the issues that directly affect our lives,” Beilstein said.

9///Features

FEATURES

A memory for gene Teacher inherits rare mugs from grandfather’s collection

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erations

By Sarah Xu, staff writer

F

rom secret recipes to photo albums to jewelry, each family has traditions, customs and heirlooms that are passed down from generation to generation.

For Upper School French teacher, Mark Humphries’ family, his late grandfather, Ross Blumentritt, had a hobby of collecting Royal Doulton mugs that may start a new family tradition.

“My grandfather collected hundreds of Royal Doulton mugs throughout his life, so many that before he passed he distributed between 15 to 20 to each of his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren,” Dr. Humphries said.

In the early 1800s in London, Royal Doulton mugs, also called Toby Jugs, were created by their founder John Daulton.

Today, Royal Doulton mugs generally cost a few dollars.

However, some of the rare and valued antique mugs from the mid-Victorian era can be worth up to $1,200, according to the Toby Jug Museum website. These were made as a form of pottery art and often portrayed familiar iconic faces such as leading politicians.

Humphries was given all the French figures of his grandfather’s collection — the four Musketeers, Claude Monet and Napoléon — suitably, as Dr. Humphries is an Upper School French teacher.

Among some of the figures he gave away to his friends, family and colleagues were Guy Fawkes, Anne Boleyn, Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard, Catherine of Aragon and Jane Seymour.

“They don’t have any particular significance to me beyond their value as a memory and as a reminder of my grandfather and I don’t need 30 of them for that,” Dr. Humphries said.

Dr. Humrphies’ remembrance of his grandfather include “frolicsome trips to tropical islands where [they] would swim and play, dive for conch and then fry it for dinner, and play games of Risk late into the night.”

Left: Mr. Ross Blumentritt, Dr. Mark Humprhies’ grandfather.

Photos courtesy of Dr. Humprhies

Can you name the mug?

1

2

3 ANSWERS: 1. Anne of Cleaves 2. Guy Fawkes 3. Catherine Howard 11///Features

TECHNOLOGY

Podcast coming to student publications

By Charlie Sole, News and Campus Editor

L

et’s be honest.

You probably are not going to read this entire article.

But what if it was spoken to you while you were driving home, on a run, or finishing up chores around your house?

One of the greatest attributes of podcasts is that listeners can enjoy them whenever and wherever they want.

As technology becomes more popular, podcasts have become more and more popular.

According to the Infinite Dial, America’s longest-running survey of digital media consumer behavior, the percentage of Americans who have listened to a podcast has increased from 51% in 2019 to 55% in 2020. It may seem as if the pandemic has been a contributing factor, but podcasts have been trending since 2017.

Podcasts seem to resonate with the younger generation and with modern technology, podcasts have become more accessible.

In 2020, The Infinite Dial study concluded that 48% of American podcast listeners have been between the ages 12 and 34.

Even though smartphones have been around

12///Technology

for a while now, they continue to evolve.

Smartphones have become ubiquitous, with over 240 million Americans owning one, according to Infinite Dial’s study.

With the help of social media, smartphones have helped create many new trends, including creating or listening to podcasts. A great example would be streaming services, which allow users to create their own podcast or listen to one.

Over 76 million Americans also have some type of smartspeaker that are powered by a virtual assistant, which can follow voice commands such as playing a podcast.

Some of the most popular news stations have added podcasts to their inventory. An example would be The New York Times, which has added podcasts that produce episodes daily.

With all the rising popularity of podcasts, and this rising trend of spreading the news through it, the Falcon has decided to introduce a podcast into its productions, too. Like all the student publications, it will be student-run and cover topics relevant to Kinkaid students.

The Falcon’s podcast will be published through its online platform and will be managed by the deputy and digital executive editor, Jaisal Kalapatapu.

BEHIND THE SCENES

Tech theatre takes on very different meaning

Students trade hammers for cameras in new season

By Madison Burba, Staff Writer

A

cross the Houston area, Kinkaid theatre actors logged onto Zoom for another day of rehearsals.

Actors ran over lines while checking green screens, fixing lighting and attaching their microphones to their computers before testing QuickTime in preparation for recording themselves.

Actors ran through each of the five acts without stopping as they rehearsed through their lines and actions for each of their characters and then submitted their recordings to a video editor.

These were just some of the ways the theatre program had to creatively adapt to rehearse and perform “The Misanthrope” virtually.

Michelle Ludwig, Upper School theatre teacher, was faced with putting together the first virtual play in Kinkaid’s history. Since play rehearsals were exclusively on Zoom, some plays had to be dropped or switched.

“We felt it would be too complex to present virtually,” Ms. Ludwig said. That has not stopped students from giving their virtual adaption of “The Misanthrope” their all as they adapted to Zoom rehearsals.

Senior Duncan Lambert said while the rehearsals were unlike any rehearsals he’s had before, students still worked hard.

“That has not changed this

year,” he said.

Another aspect that did not change this year were the costumes, or in this case 17th century French costumes, reflecting the time period the play was set in.

Ludwig said students worked with full costumes and wigs, as they would have on stage, which helped regain a sense of normality as students would have performed in costume in person as well.

Despite all the efforts to make this year’s theatre experience as normal as possible, there were great changes.

“We are not working in person with each other, that we are not working in three dimensions on a set, and that we are not performing live or in front of an audience” were all big challenges, Ludwig said.

To create a background in place of set pieces, Ludwig said students were given green screens or blue screens depending on their costume colors to simulate a 17th century Parisian salon. Students also had to set up light stands for proper lighting as well as plug in microphones to their computers to pick up sound.

While tech theatre students were not able to participate as much in the development of the play as they usually would, they were able to help build the light stands that went to each of the actors.

Stage managers were able to help out in the sound and video department, making sure everything ran smoothly, as well as running lines with actors and keeping rehearsals organized.

Everyone was “on a Zoom call while simultaneously recording ourselves, and at the end of every rehearsal, we sent everything we recorded to the video editor,” Lambert said.

This may sound relatively simple, however, whenever Zoom would glitch and videos would freeze, leaving the actors frozen and making their words overwhelmed by the sound of static, students would have to refilm the entire scene over again.

“We chose to film the performance rather than try to stream it live, because the connectivity issues were just too risky for both performers and audience,” Ludwig said.

It’s technology that’s still in development around the world.”

Zoom rehearsals were also making it difficult for cast members to interact as they normally would. Without time to hang out together before and after rehearsals, actors weren’t able to create the sense of community as normal.

“We weren’t able to have the same tight-knit community that these shows often produce, but at least we were still able to create some art,” Lambert said.

“

We weren’t able to have the same tight-knit community that these shows often produce, but at least we were still able to create some art.

- Senior Duncan Lambert

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COVER STORY

NON STOP SERVICE

Students continue community projects despite pandemic

By Trace St. Julian, staff writer

Above: Junior Amruth Nandish poses with his mother, a dentist and his motivation for his service project.

Right, from top: Senior Henry Segal during his interview on “Live with Kelly and Ryan.” Sophomore Matthew Godinich completes one of his boxes for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. Junior Karen Li meets with her Leadership Initiatives’ team and Nigerian busniness partner.

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J

unior Amruth Nandish didn’t need Kinkaid’s service requirements to motivate him to help his community.

Because COVID-19 shut down other extracurricular activities he would normally participate in, Nandish created Telementors, an independent project that gives back to the doctors and nurses serving his community.

As part of a family with many health care workers, including parents and uncles, he has experienced firsthand the stress that the coronavirus pandemic has placed on doctors and nurses. “[My relatives] were working pretty crazy hours in the beginning of quarantine and were complaining… that [their] kids [were] always at home just watching TV… and not talking to anyone,” Nandish said.

He first started talking to his cousins via Zoom and Skype, but he saw an opportunity to help other health care professionals.

Using family connections as well as simply emailing hospital administrations, Nandish spread the word that he was willing to do the same for children of any doctor or nurse.

Telementors became a program that seeks to tutor and mentor the children of health care workers who often don’t see their parents because of either their parents’ long work hours or safety precautions as they work with COVID-19 patients.

The service has provided hourlong weekly sessions

where children are tutored on their schoolwork, receive mentoring based on a curriculum that Nandish formulated, or socialize through conversations or art projects.

After some trial and error, Nandish soon realized that his communications with large hospitals were a success, meaning he would need to recruit more tutors.

“Right now we’re in Baylor Med School… [and] Texas Children’s,” he said. “A lot of their teachers, a lot of their professors, and their doctors… those kids [we mentor].”

He set up a strenuous application process: applicants wanting to become a tutor had to explain their interest and the skills they would bring to Telementors.

“If we think that they’re good enough, we have an interview process… We tried to make it really specific,” Nandish explained. Through this process, Telementors grew rapidly and now has about 150 applicants, 90 active tutors, and over 100 mentees.

But as his project grew in popularity, Nandish found that being the leader was a tough, time-consuming task.

“I had a problem with organization at the beginning,” he said, adding that he began using spreadsheets, reminders and calendars to help ensure that “20-plus sessions a day” run smoothly.

Although Nandish has tackled large problems and handled many emails himself, he began distributing

Making a difference After noticing children of Kinkaid teachers disrupting virtual classes, Henry Segal, a junior, recruited other Upper School students to tutor teachers’ children. He named his organization Student-Teacher and soon received much media attention, including an interview on ABC’s “Live with Kelly and Ryan,” where his project was exposed to upwards of 3 million viewers.

Senior Taft Foley, who made headlines this summer for becoming Texas’ youngest EMT, teamed up with his club wrestling team and the local NAACP to distrubute over 200 sets of masks and gloves at the start of the pandemic.

As the pandemic grew, he later raised money to launch a mobile COVID-19 testing van.

Matthew Godinich, a sophomore, built 20 4-by-4 bins for a nonprofit, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, to hold food and clothing. He raised upwards of $2,000 and received the help of around 20 Kinkaid students to complete his project.

Juniors Karen Li and Rivers Breeding each teamed up with small groups of students and joined Leadership Initiatives’ International Internship Program to help fix business and health care issues in Nigeria. tasks to other tutors that he recruited; however, he still clocked “400 plus hours” of community service.

As Telementors grew, it attracted the attention of multiple major news sources.

Nandish has been featured on national NPR radio and local NBC channels in Houston, Los Angeles, New York City, Charleston and more Scholastic also interviewed Nandish for an article in its upcoming “Choices” magazine. But while he enjoys the national attention, Nandish’s favorite part of Telementors is when letters of gratitude from doctors and nurses appear in his inbox.

But despite all his accomplishments, he doesn’t believe he is done quite yet.

“As COVID is going to die down, people are going to go back to work regularly,” he said. “We want to switch this whole system… towards kids who are hospitalized and have terminal illnesses because… they will not be able to have… social interaction.”

Nandish said he is also attempting to register Telementors as an official nonprofit to formally partner with hospitals and increase his project’s credibility.

Those who wish to join Telementors, can visit telementors.org.

15///Cover Story

OPINION

Though Biden claims victory, T

Editors take conflicting positions in debate about co

By Nicole Fernandez, editor-in-chief

W

ith the current uncertainty surrounding the 2020 presidential election, I do not believe President Donald J. Trump should concede to Vice President Biden.

The matter of who wins the presidency needs to be processed through the U.S. Supreme Court so that faith is restored in our governmental system.

From a liberal point of view, Biden has already won the presidency. Despite his supporters’ complete confidence in Biden’s victory, members of the Democratic party do not want an investigation over voter fraud to proceed.

If there is no voter fraud, there should be no hesitation to proceed with an investigation. I would think the party would jump at the opportunity to settle minds and legally declare its candidate the winner.

From a conservative point of view, voter fraud has potentially and unlawfully stolen the presidency from President Trump. There are questions about whether poll watchers’ and mail carriers’ claims about voter fraud are true and if so, would a recount be enough to make a significant difference in the outcome of the election.

T

herefore, Republicans are pushing to bring this issue to the courts to determine if there needs to be a recount and reverification of votes.

Democrats can attempt to justify their opinion that Biden won and shut down backlash, while Republicans have the opportunity to prove their claims of massive voter fraud. However, none of this can happen if President Trump concedes.

By handing over the presidency despite his concerns and speculations, President Trump would be turning a blind eye.

Going back to the 2016 election when President Trump secured the presidency over former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the Democratic party sensed a problem and worked tirelessly to uphold the law.

Major media outlets blasted articles about Russian collusion in the election and voiced people’s concerns over the legitimacy of Trump’s victory.

Multiple hearings and trials commenced and the end result was that there was no connection between President Trump and Russia, concerning the

16///Opinion

the legitimacy of his election.

Just like in 2016, government officials, and even the president himself, are fighting to address the perceived wrongs of this election.

I believe the best way to create a nation unified under one president is to declare the final vote on voter fraud through the Supreme Court so that there is no controversy or unwavered thoughts as to who is the president.

No one is arguing that there should not be a peaceful transfer of power; the issue at hand is a matter of who rightfully won the election.

If there is voter fraud for a reassessment and possibly a Trump win or if there is no fraud and Biden is declared the 46th president, we all must respect the outcome and come together to continue progressing our nation.

President Trump must not concede so that the government can fulfill its purpose and the confidence and legitimacy of the voting process must be restored.

y, Trump says don’t believe it

ut concession after vote for 46th U.S. president

By Jaisal Kalapatapu, deputy editor, and Charlie Solé, campus & sports editor

T

he American people have spoken: Donald J. Trump will not be the U.S. president for the next four years. It is time for him to realize it and move on.

This has been an odd election year, to say the least.

Because of the pandemic, voting could not go on as usual and accommodations had to be made.

Many Americans felt that voting in-person was too dangerous and decided to safely vote by mail.

Americans have voted by mail for decades — mail in ballots date back to the Civil War, and every election cycle, college students, military personnel, senior citizens, and even the president utilizes this democratic function to carry out civic duty. It is safe, efficient, and there is no substantial evidence to disprove this for as long as it’s been around.

So why are all of these claims being made now?

Though Trump and his base ardently claim that voter fraud has been widespread this year, the courts say otherwise.

According to the Washington Post, one claim

that Trump’s legal team made was that Republican observers were not allowed in the ballot-counting room; however, the problem was that this is incorrect.

GOP observers were allowed in the room, and without this, they had no evidence in court.

This is just one of the many cases of Trump’s legal team falling short of proving evidence of any wrongdoing.

According to the same Washington Post article, in Michigan, courts ruled that claims of voter fraud were based on “mere speculation.” In Georgia, a judge dismissed Trump’s case, ruling that there was “no evidence” to support allegations that late ballots were mixed with on-time ones; in Arizona, Trump’s claim that Sharpies threw off tabulators was debunked easily. Every time a claim has been made, legal experts across the country have proved it false. And on top of this, President Trump wants to stop the count in Pennsylvania where he has been losing, but continue it in Arizona where he has been winning? It is so painfully obvious that regardless of the integrity of the vote, he just wants to win.

And though President Trump claims that “voter fraud” is the only reason that he is losing the election, this is just not true.

Let’s not forget that he lost the popular vote in 2016, and his popularity has been challenged since.

O

ver the last four years, many Americans have criticized him for a perceived lack of condemnation of injustices, incompetence during the pandemic, lack of support for marginalized groups, and other matters contrary to how a president traditionally acts.

Polls by reputable media outlets, predicted that former Vice President Joe Biden would win fairly convincingly, reflecting the desire that many Americans want to move on from President Trump.

President Trump lost because he is bad at his job, not because poll workers are bad at theirs.

President-Elect Biden and Vice PresidentElect Kamala Harris are the ones who should be acknowledged as the next leaders in the White House.

President Trump had his time in the spotlight. Now it is time for him to move on and move out.

17///Opinion

LIFESTYLES

Fall Delights

By Richie Klosek, staff writer

A

s long as I can remember my dad, John Klosek, has been cooking delicious food every Thanksgiving.

He learned how to cook from my grandma who taught him how to make exquisite Italian food. His favorite Italian meal to cook is chicken parmesan.

But for every Thanksgiving, he makes a fried and roasted turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing, peas with pearl onions and other dishes. In the weeks before Thanksgiving, he decided to cook salmon, an easy-to-cook favorite.

Air Fried Cooked Salmon

1 2 3 4 5 18///Lifestyles

Rinse salmon with cold water and pat dry with paper towels Rub salmon with avocado oil because of its high smoking point Season with pink himalayan salt and fresh cracked papper on both sides Set an air fryer to 425F and cook the fist for 8 minutes After cooking, garnish the salmon with chopped Italian parsley and lemons

Hearty seasonal soups from around the world

BRAZIL

Get the recipes

Sopa de Feijão Photo courtesy of Pixabay

Translated bean soup, this soup is made from black beans and may be pureed until smooth.

GERMANY Eintopf

The name of this soup means “one pot” and its many ingredients can vary from cook to cook.

Photo courtesy of Creatuve Commons

KENYA

Butternut soup Often served with toasted seeds from the butternut squash, this soup is a fall favorite.

Photo courtesy of Creatuve Commons

THAILAND Tom Yum

Photo courtesy of Creatuve Commons

A hot and sour soup that can be served vegan or vegetarian though it typically includes shrimp.

19///Lifestyles

ARTS

Cast members Daniel Miner, Nate Vutpakdi, Jason Boue, Michael Hay, Mia Van De Mark, and Duncan Lambert run through their scene.

Right: Cast members Mia Van De Mark and Larsen Weber. All these students performed in “The Misanthrope.” Photos courtesy of Ms. Michelle Ludwig

Cast rocks first-ever virtual stage

By Eshaan Mani, Staff Writer

T

he silk-costumed characters of “The Misanthrope” bowed to virtual applause; the live chat was going wild and for a good reason.

A historic performance had just come to a close.

For the first time in the school’s history, the Kinkaid arts program transformed from creating a magical in-person performance to orchestrating a large-scale play on a virtual platform.

This significant feat was orchestrated by several key members of the arts faculty and 27 Upper School students. The Upper School normally has a program of several fall plays.

This year, there were two: the KinkADE Underground production “All in the Timing” and the play “The 20///Arts

Misanthrope.”

“Because of the cumulative nature of the production process, we had to decide before the beginning of school what format the fall shows would take,” Ms. Michelle Ludwig, theatre director and French teacher, explained. “At that time, classes were to begin virtually, so that was the only responsible choice we could make for the productions as well.”

The actors and faculty agreed that the production process was not that different, from an acting and directing perspective to rehearsing for a live play. But the addition of technical equipment far earlier in the theatrical process proved to be challenging.

Each actor was provided a

green screen, a microphone and lighting equipment.

QuickTime was used to record video and audio during rehearsals and the final performance via Zoom.

Another challenge the cast and directors faced was scene-blocking. In the case of sophomore Canaan Estes, who played Al in “All in the Timing,” coordinating two high-fives was tricky.

“We were facing in weird ways and it was a process to figure out the right way to face and angle to high five,” Estes said.

Sophomore Jack Lemon, who played the role of Phillip Glass in “All in the Timing” also felt that coordinating active scenes was difficult over Zoom.

“I think that there is a very real and physical part of

acting, especially in scene work, that is much harder to recreate virtually,” Lemon said. “When you can’t see who you are acting with in person, it presents a little bit of difficulty at times.”

As a director, Ms. Ludwig had several hurdles to overcome herself.

“The biggest challenge for me as a director was not being able to show the actors what I was asking of them, but having to describe it from a distance,” she said. “I was also challenged to create a detailed storyboard, much like a film director would, so that I could communicate blocking to the actors and communicate what I wanted on-screen to the video editor.”

Though there were many challenges, the cast of “The

“

I’ve learned that limitations fuel creativity. The entire field of theatre is in the process of reinventing itself and evolving a hybrid art form, elements of which will stay with us long after the pandemic.”

- Ms. Michelle Ludwig, Theatre and French teacher

Misanthrope” and “All in the Timing” said that the process was rewarding and they enjoyed it, but maybe not as much as they would have if it were in person.

Each actor in “All in the Timing” had only one scene, and so there were not that many avenues for collaboration; this was mostly due to the digital nature of the production.

“A lot of what made theatre such a bonding experience was the interactions before and after rehearsal. Many actors would stay at school until rehearsal and just chat and eat food together,” Lemon said.

Despite facing new challenges the October performances were received as raucous successes as indicated by the live chat

during both shows.

Virtual audience members applauded the casts’ resilience, creativity and talent.

“I’ve learned that limitations fuel creativity,” Ms. Ludwig said. “The entire field of theatre is in the process of reinventing itself and evolving a hybrid art form, elements of which will stay with us long after the pandemic.”

There were two options provided to watch the shows: live streaming with chat and video on demand.

Free tickets were provided to students.

ARTS

Singing their song

Choir produces performance despite challenges

By Sanjna Pandit, Guest Writer

A

mid social distancing, health protocols, and other safety restrictions, the singing community asked one important question: “How can we keep from singing?”

Led by Mr. Chip Colvin, the choral director, the Upper School choir held firm that music lives in our soul and perhaps is just the right cure for COVID-19 doldrums.

That being said, this year’s US choir class, filled with students from all grades, had the opportunity to slow down the pace and witness different aspects of performing and singing within the first weeks of virtual school.

One treat was a presentation by Andrés Forero, a Grammy, Tony, and Emmy awardwinning drummer and percussionist who

22///Arts

currently performs in the Broadway musical “Hamilton.”

Forero opened our eyes to the behind-thescenes magic in creating the sound of “In the Heights,” “Bring it On” and Hamilton albums. He said Hamilton star and creator Lin-Manuel Miranda left sticky notes with supportive messages on his drums.

Besides being starstruck by his talents, the choir students were inspired by Mr. Forero’s personal anecdotes which personified courage when he shared having to learn to walk and perform drums all over again after a serious car accident.

As we tackled one week at a time in distance learning, our first formal homework was assigned in mid-September. We were instructed to watch 10 Edpuzzle videos that covered different aspects of music but were

still relevant to each other.

One of the videos showed brain scans of opera singer Renée Flemming’s to demonstrate the neural connections between the mind and music. Three other videos were an energetic mash-up of tunes of different styles, such as the Kenyan Boys Choir’s “Homeless.” Another video took a great deal of self-restraint to not gag as a camera closed in on the vocal cords vibrating and undulating as people sang. On another occasion, a video discussed an instrument developed by Marcodi Musical Products founder Tim Meeks called the harpejji, which is a fascinating cross between a piano and a guitar. The harpejji is strummed with all 10 fingers and tapped like a string instrument, producing an authentic and expressive sound.

In the days leading up to our first rehearsals in a tent near the Harrison House, we were started to form bonds as a group. As virtual school transitioned to hybrid and to inperson learning four days a week, the choir class rehearsed our song for a virtual choir.

Since having a live concert wasn’t possible, the choir students recorded their voice parts into their phones and sent it to Mr. Colvin. With the help of Mr. Casey Graham, husband of costume designer Mrs. Dee Graham, the individual recordings were blended to form a stirring version of “How

Can I Keep From Singing.”

Two days of choir class were reserved for filming a music video to accompany the song, creating a final multimedia musical masterpiece.

Being a new member of the choir community means that I didn’t know what to expect this year. Truth be told, none of us did. We were all going with the flow and seeing what can be done to make up for COVID’s impact on our performing arts education.

From sitting at home and not singing one bit to standing up from our chairs in the Brown auditorium, 8 feet apart and singing with specialized masks that the choir class jokes about because it bears a striking resemblance to a duck’s bill, we made a lot of progress in a short amount of time.

“I am so PROUD of all of the choir students,” Mr. Colvin said. “Between distance, quarter-hybrid, half-hybrid, fully on campus, outdoor singing, indoor singing, and crazy duck masks, the students of the choral program have been amazingly flexible!

Moreover, despite all of the constant changes and limitations, I can still feel a palpable joy from everyone because they are getting to make music and sing together with their friends. Choir is a fantastic community and I am beyond privileged to be the leader of such a wonderful group of students.”

Far left: Choir students lip-syncing their parts during a filming of “How Can I Keep From Singing” in the Quad.

Left: Suited with their specialized, singing “duck” masks and music folders, the students in the choir class had to be socially distanced while rehearsing in the Brown Auditorium for their first group project of the year.

Photos courtesy of Mr. Chip Colvin

23///Arts

SPORTS

Varsity football players storm the field ready to take on the St. John’s Mavericks on Segal Field on Oct. 30. Photo courtesy of David Shutts

Rivalry persists despite pandemic

By Tali Kalmans, staff writer

W

ith the 2020 football season drawing to a close, the Falcons faced the St. John’s Mavericks for the 69th annual game the last Friday of October.

Due to COVID-19, the only fans present to cheer on the otherwise packed event, a true highlight of both schools’ football season, were parents and Kinkaid seniors.

The 2020 game was played at Kinkaid’s Barnhart Stadium instead of Rice Stadium.

“I missed going to Rice Stadium the most because that was where I first cheered on varsity and has been my favorite tradition since,” said Ashley Holcomb, varsity cheer captain 24///Sports

and homecoming queen.

“However, I loved having the senior class at the St. John’s game. We couldn’t have a typical student section this year, but it was so fun and encouraging to see all my friends in the stands.”

After a slow start in the first quarter with no score from either team, the Falcons led at half time 22-0. Although there was not the same energy and excitement as usual for the monumental annual competition because there were so few fans in attendance, morale was high for the team as they headed into the second half.

The Falcons pulled off a big 36-8 victory against the Mavericks.

Coach John Friday, Kinkaid’s assistant head and offensive line coach, said his favorite memory from the long

tradition between both teams was the 2011 game.

“Both teams were really good and it turned out that we were going to be the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds no matter what,” he said. “Both teams asked SPC for the game to be played once instead of twice and have that be the championship game.”

Mr. Friday began as a coach at St. John’s and was there for nine years before joining the Falcon family where he has coached for the last 25 years.

After 69 games have been played, even amid a global pandemic, the tally of wins for the annual game between the rivals stands at 45 for Kinkaid and 25 for St. John’s.

The last time the game was played at either school’s home field was in 1978.

Junior Dillon Bell fights for yards after bringing in a catch.

Photo courtesy of David Shutts

Winter sports gearing up; wrestling put on hold

By George Kinder and Elliott Crantz, Staff Writers

B

reathing through masks, the feeling of adrenaline and sweat runs through Falcons as they train for their winter sports teams. After a successful season of fall sports, it is now time for winter sports to begin. The teams have been practicing with the regulations of COVID-19 because of the example set by the fall teams.

As they race up and down the field while kicking and defending, the soccer teams are ready to achieve greatness.

The soccer coaches expect their players to be very competitive with a good work ethic. “After losing in the championship last season, our guys will be very hungry to get back to that game and put everything we have on the line to bring a championship to Kinkaid,” said boy’s varsity soccer coach, Curt Brooks. It will be a tough, exciting and enduring journey for the boys and girls teams this season, whether it is overcoming obstacles or celebrating a game-winning goal.

For basketball, both the teams are poised to achieve an SPC championship by preparing during the preseason. “We need to practice with the mindset that we are 40 hours of practice behind the teams we will play,” said boy’s varsity coach, Torrence Botts. Coach Stacey Marshall and the female hoopers are striving for the championship that they were so close to last season.

Endless tackling and fighting will have to be put on hold for this upcoming wrestling season. The wrestlers will not be able to come into close contact with each other and will not have a tournament before New Year’s. They will roll out mats all over the football field to make sure that they are socially distanced.

The practices will be run in a boot camp style with lots of cardio and strength training. The wrestlers will also practice various moves and footwork drills. Although most tournaments have been postponed, the team may be able to compete in the Texas Prep State tournament and the SPC tournament in hopes of becoming champions.

The swimming team is able to practice at its newfound facility.

The swimmers will practice at The Bradshaw Fitness Center at Houston Baptist University. The team does not have any meets scheduled yet, but may have some in the near future.

Images from www.freepik.com

Hopefully, the winter sports teams have as much success as the fall sports teams. We wish all of the winter athletes, who train so hard, the best of luck in their seasons.

25///Sports

SPORTS

Under a new light

Former NFL pro joins coaching staff

By Jack Klosek and Harrison Lawrence, staff writers

E

ach day, the imposing 6-foot-3-inch, 245 pound Owen Daniels arrives at Kinkaid, donning custom kicks and brightly colored receiving gloves.

Coach Daniels brings a wealth of football knowledge – from coaching inside receivers to training athletes in improving their speed and making strides in the weight room – given his professional playing career as a two-time Pro-Bowl NFL tight end.

After playing football in college at the University of Wisconsin, he was drafted by the Houston Texans in the fourth round, ultimately spending eight years with the organization.

Following his release by the Texans in 2014, he latched on with the Baltimore Ravens for a year before spending his final season with the Denver Broncos. In his final season in the NFL, he won Super Bowl 50 against the Carolina Panthers.

After playing 131 games in the NFL, Daniels decided to hang up his cleats.

Despite his highly successful career, retirement did not begin as expected. There was no longer the strict and consistent daily structure that bains the existence of a professional athlete.

“This picture consisted of spending a lot of time with my family and playing too much golf,” coach Daniels said. “Unfortunately, the new lenient structure of my life soon began to take a toll on my mental health.”

His desire for structure in his life became a primary

26///Sports

reason he sought a coaching

reason he sought to coach.

Last year, he received the opportunity to be the inside receivers coach for the Falcons football team.

He found this opportunity at Kinkaid through two connections: his younger brother works for a good friend of head football coach, Nathan Larned and coach Daniels also knew strength and conditioning coach, Everett Coleman, from their time together with the Texans when coach Coleman was an assistant strength coach.

Not only does Daniels enjoy the structure that he has back in his life, he also enjoys coaching players and seeing them develop their skills.

Furthermore, coach Daniels said he sees himself as a bridge between coaches and players because he was a player for much of his life.

“There are certain skills that I learned at a higher level that I wish I would have known at a younger age,” he said.

Coach Daniels does not have plans for coaching at a higher level; however, he does want to one day become a high school offensive coordinator or head coach.

Since it is only his second year coaching football, he has not had the opportunity to see athletes develop and hone their football skills throughout their four years in high school.

Daniels’ impact on his receivers has been monumental.

Juniot Charlie Kugle, a starting inside receiver, detailed how.

“OD helps elevate all of our players by how he coaches on the small details,” Kugle said.

“He is also fun to have out on the field and he has made this year a blast.”

Similarly, junior Alex Gottsegen, another one of coach Daniels’ inside receivers, described how it’s “pretty awesome” learning from a guy who played in the NFL. “He is a great coach, but an even better mentor,” Gottsegen said. “I’ve learned countless life lessons from him that will translate into my adult life.”

Coaching football is not the only activity that coach Daniels wants to pursue in the future. He also seeks to utilize his degree of atmospheric and oceanic science (meteorology) from the University of Wisconsin in some way. Whether it is forecasting or making an app, coach Daniels wants to make his presence known in the weather society.

“Getting involved in the weather society is something that can add more structure and purpose into my life,” he said. “I never done much research about learning how to forecast but it is something that is in the back of my head for something that I may want to do in the future” Coach Daniels’ transition from the stardom of professional football to retired life has by no means been easy, but even in just his second year of coaching, coach OD has made lasting impressions and impacts on players and fellow coaches – an impact that will aid in the continued success of the Kinkaid football program.

Coach Owen Daniels observes practice, giving advice to players by drawing on his experiences in the NFL. Photos courtesy of David Shutts 27///Sports

BYG BeforeYouGo

This is Us “This is Us” by senior Jessica Liu was created under the Art Club’s theme of “Diversity and Inclusion.” Liu said her piece represents how “diversity pushes us to think, appreciate, and grow as global athletes, artists, scholars, and leaders.”

POP CULTURE CHART

What is your favorite Thanksgiving food?

“My favorite Thanksgiving food is mashed potatoes” -Jazymn Williams, junior

“My favorite Thanksgiving food is macaroni and cheese.”

-Jackson Bloome, junior “My favorite Thanksgiving food is my dad’s fried turkey” -Kristin Sims, sophomore

“My favorite Thanksgiving food is pumpkin pie” -Jared Laskin, sophomore