THE KINKAID
The Kinkaid School 201 Kinkaid School Dr. Houston, TX 77024
FALCON
September 29, 2017 Volume 71, Issue 1
Kinkaid serves with kindness BY MYA FRANKLIN
A City Underwater Hurricane Harvey leaves Kinkaid community and greater Houston united and ready to rebuild BY ALLISON FAVALORO
It all began with a group of thunderstorms that moved off of the African coast and into the Atlantic Ocean. Those thunderstorms fed off the warmth and moisture from ocean waters near the equator, creating pressure before beginning to spin in a counterclockwise rotation. The storm, named Harvey, grew into a tropical storm on Aug. 17 but regressed into a tropical wave on Aug. 19. The storm moved into the Gulf of Mexico where Harvey quickly reformed into a tropical depression on Aug. 23.
Fifty-six hours later, tropical depression Harvey turned into a Category Four hurricane and tore its way through the Texas and Louisiana coasts. Hurricane Harvey reached Houston on Aug. 27. The storm’s eye did not pass through Houston, but because of the counter-clockwise rotation of the hurricane and Houston’s location east of the eye, the water that had just been enveloped from the gulf hit Houston directly. Additionally, winds blowing from the northwest kept Harvey over Houston for days.
INSIDE
According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, some areas along the coast received as much as 50 inches of rain which turned roads into rivers and houses–if lucky–into islands. The Federal Emergency Management Agency estimated about 40 percent of buildings flooded. Accuweather calculated about $190 billion in damage which would make it the costliest weather disaster in American history. Continued on Page 10-11
The Kinkaid community’s response to the tragedy of Hurricane Harvey, which created catastrophic damage to the City of Houston starting Aug. 25 displayed Kinkaid’s four core values, particularly kindness. Assistant Headmaster Dr. Ed Trusty emphasized this value at the all-school convocation in September. “Our positive examples of kindness are an opporunity to dissuade others from being unkind. And, I juxtapose that with the events in Houston and Florida over the last few weeks,” said Dr. Trusty. The Kinkaid community mobilized workers to respond to the Harvey recovery efforts with volunteers, donations, and financial assistance. The destructive and deadly effects of Harvey were “devastating,” according to Community Service Coordinator Ms. Tatum Branaman. Harvey was a “hit or miss - in some streets it looked like a war zone, drive down another and it looks like it never happened,” said Ms. Branaman. She marveled that Kinkaid had minor damage, considering the school’s proximity to the Bayou. Despite the disheartening effects of Harvey, the city of Houston, as well as Kinkaid’s response, “mobilized and motivated people,” said Ms. Branaman. As the flood waters continued to rise throughout Houston, the flow of money, food, clothing, and support seemed to rise in unison. Kinkaid’s response to Harvey addressed immediate needs during and directly after the storm: Headmaster Dr. Andy Martire and his family opened up their home to Harvey victims who are part of the Kinkaid community. Daniel King (11) volunteered at the NRG Stadium with the Red Cross to help the broader Houston community. The Kinkaid School started a relief fund for faculty effected by the storm. Parents and faculty organized a donation drive, and the extended Kinkaid community cleaned homes and organized supplies. Because of Houstonians’ eagerness to donate to the relief effort, Ms. Branaman advised the Kinkaid community to “donate where your heart is,” but she also urged them to consider donating to smaller non-profit organizations, which may feel the need for monetary donations more strongly than larger, well-known organizations in a time like this. After Harvey, the Community Service Council’s direction has shifted. Some community partners were heavily affected by the flood; one such partner is Habitat for Humanity. Branaman said that although some students are limited by the age requirements, the Kinkaid Community hopes to help Habitat rebuild homes and participate in Harvey relief in the coming months.
P. 8 | Pros & Cons of Cancelling Midterms
News | P. 2 Arts & Culture | P. 5 Op-Ed | P. 7 Features | P. 10 Entertainment | P. 16 Sports | P. 18 P. 5 | Houston Butterfly Art Installation
P. 15 | Teacher in the Times
P. 18 | Fall Sports Preview