The Kinkaid Falcon - Issue 3, Vol. 71

THE KINKAID

The Kinkaid School 201 Kinkaid School Dr. Houston, TX 77024

MVP

FALCON

ARTIST

LEAD ACTOR

SOLOIST

SCIENTIST

December 13, 2017 Volume 71, Issue 3

WRITER

EDITOR

?

When you’re not the star of the show...

COUNCIL REP

P. 12

DANCER

INSIDE News | P. 2 Arts & Culture | P. 7 Op-Ed | P. 10 Features | P. 12 Entertainment | P. 18 Sports | P. 20

QUARTERBACK

p. 6 | Snow Day p. 9 | Holiday Treats

TEAM CAPTAIN

p. 24 | Senior signings

PRESIDENT

p. 11 | Uniforms vs. free dress

2 NEWS | The Kinkaid Falcon | December 13, 2017

News in Brief THE KINKAID

BY NICOLE FERNANDEZ & MYA FRANKLIN

FALCON staff

New Faculty As we approach the mid-marking period of the school year, Kinkaid welcomes new faculty and staff. Joining Kinkaid is Elena Murphy, part-time band teacher; Deena Rogers, the new main receptionist; Chloe Woods, Human Resources; and Alejandro Maldonado and Mariel Tabula, both part of the Facilities staff.

The Kinkaid Falcon’s mission is to be an accurate and reliable source of information for the Kinkaid community by informing readers about topics that are interesting, thought-provoking, and impactful from the school, local Houston area and Texas, as well as other parts of the world.

Holiday Concert The Brown Auditorium was converted into a Winter Wonderland on Dec. 3 for the annual Holiday Concert. Band, orchestra, and choir performed classic holiday hits as well as traditional Christmas pieces, including “O Come All Ye Faithful” and “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer”. This concert has been a festive event since 1924, making it one of Kinkaid’s longest traditions.

Questions or comments?

We welcome your voice and feedback. Please email student. publications@kinkaid.org or use the Contact form at http://thefalcon.kinkaid.org.

Corrections will be published in the subsequent issue.

The opinions expressed in The Kinkaid Falcon belong solely to the writer and are not a reflection or representation of the opinions of the school or its administrators.

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Arman Badrei & Allison Favaloro ASSISTANT EDITORS Katherine Berman & Nia Caldwell

The Orchestra performs at the Margaret Kinkaid Holiday Concert. Photo courtesy of Dr. Ed Harris.

Debate

Upcoming: Culture Fest

The debate team is constantly improving their skills and competing in local tournaments almost every weekend. The weekend before Thanksgiving break, the team flew to Chicago to compete in the Greenhill tournament and performed well.

Excitement and preparation buzzed around all the debaters as their biggest tournament of the year at UT was approaching.

The debate tournament at The University of Texas was challenging, according to members of the team, but Kinkaid stepped up and put their best foot forward. Out of 117 schools in attendance, Kinkaid placed first in debate sweepstakes and fourth in the speech and debate sweepstakes. Members of the team also placed in the top 32 in all categories including LincolnDouglas, Public forum, and Policy. Shreya Mehta (10) placed eighth over all out of 215 Lincoln-Douglas debaters.

On April 3 from 6-8 p.m. the countries of the silk road will be brought to life for this school wide event. The Culture Fest co-chairs, Christos Papandreou (12), Merritt Tilney (12), and Dani Knobloch (11), are in charge of organizing this cultural celebration. China, India, Greece, and Britain are a few of the countries that will be represented by members of the student body. The silk road countries are ones that were involved in the ancient trade route that ran through middle and south Asia.

At the event, there will be food, music, student performances, games, and a petting zoo. Culture Fest will be on the Harrison Green and all of Kinkaid is invited to attend this multicultural experience for free. “The Silk Road highlights countries that are often off the grid from the average American’s knowledge of the world,” history teacher Ms. Leslie Lovett said. “It also connects many diverse cultures, so that fits in with the overall mission of Culture Fest.”

WEB EDITORS Ali Ammons & Katie Erikson NEWS EDITOR Caleigh Doran ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Emma Stout FEATURES EDITORS Emma Gilliam & Sarah Kate Padon ENTERTAINMENT EDITORS Hana Keleta & Marley Orange OPINION EDITOR Megha Neelapu SPORTS EDITORS Mac Friday & Jordan Jafarnia BUSINESS MANAGERS Sterling Elias & Anna LeonAmtmann

At the 2016 Culture Fest, attendees had the opportunity of trying new types of food.

The debate team poses at the Longhorn Classic Debate at University of Texas at Austin for a tournament.

STAFF WRITERS Madi Babine Brady Brazda Sally Buck Nicole Fernandez Mya Franklin Charles Garrison Eliza Griggs Lily Gunn Culley Harper Maggie Johnston Wilson Kelsey Ayush Krishnamoorti Allison Le Olivia Marrus Katherine Montgomery Megan Riley William Scott CONTRIBUTING WRITER Collin Lawrence ADVISER Kristen Bird

At the 2016 Culture fest a student displays her henna tattoo.

Corrections:

The Falcon welcomes comments and suggestions. We seek to publish corrections and clarifications in the subsequent issue. Please email any corrections to student.publications@kinkaid.org.

The Kinkaid Falcon is published six times a school year. 700 print copies are distributed for free to more than 600 Upper School students and 100 faculty members, and 250 copies are mailed to subscribers.

The Kinkaid Falcon is a member of the CSPA and NSPA.

December 13, 2017 | The Kinkaid Falcon | NEWS 3

Snapshots around the school

BY HANA KELETA

1

1

Anish Odhav (12) and Justin Li (9) conduct a mock debate on universal background checks in an Upper School assembly. Photo by Emma Stout.

2

Juniors Kate Carmain and Ana Clare Solé get a taste of what Book Fair has to offer. Book Fair ran from Nov. 13-14 and earned money to support Kinkaid libraries. Photo by Emma Gilliam.

1

2

3

3

Ms. Cheryl Mitchell, Director of Wellness, takes a photo of Mr. Olen Rambow’s C period pre-cal class posing in front of a Christmas tree.

Photo by Hana Keleta.

4

Upper School orchestra performs on a Sunday afternoon at the Margaret Kinkaid Holiday concert. Photo courtesy of Dr. Ed Harris.

2

5 Serena Thompson (9) works a math problem posted in the sophmore hall during Ms. Sheri Offenhauser’s honors geometry class.

Photo by Kinkaid Staff.

4

5

Letter from the editors

Dear Reader, Hollywood seems like a distant, foreign land from Kinkaid. At over 1,500 miles away and supposedly sunny weather with low humidity year-round, Los Angeles would almost sound too-good-to-betrue to any Houstonian battling (unsuccessfully) against their humid-caused frizzy locks. In some ways, Los Angeles is a textbook definition to perfection, but right now, a large shadow has been cast over the city of flowers and sunshine’s main industry, film-making.

Time Magazine recently named their person of the year “The Silence Breakers.” Those are the ones who had the courage to speak up, who had the strength to endure what they did for so long, and who felt the frustration of staying quiet until now. On the flip side, those in

more powerful positions than them preyed upon their vulnerability and inexperience, disrespecting them as human beings.

We’ve read the names Kevin Spacey, Harvey Weinstein, Louis C.K., Matt Lauer, and other alleged Hollywood sexual predators in our newspaper headlines, our Snapchat current events feeds, our daily emails from theSkimm.

Names once associated with success, power, and leadership in their respective industries are now regarded as abominable and heinous for their actions against women. We definitely aren’t the first to say this, and we certainly won’t be the last: we’re disgusted by these men too.

Though Hollywood is miles away from us, this issue still impacts us and causes us to reflect. It gives us the opportunity to ponder how we treat others, especially our closest family and friends, in our lives. We want to be respectful to everyone we encounter, so in order to be kind to everyone, we need to start by showing proper respect to our parents.

This may seem like an odd place to start, but it’s important to respect our parents because even though they show us respect, we teenagers rarely reciprocate. Additionally, it’s sometimes the hardest to express consideration towards

parents.

Our parents know us best.

They’ve watched us grow, and they know our personalities, tendencies, and mannerisms by heart.

Most people behave in their most comfortable, true nature at home with their parents, and it is by this precedent that we live our lives.

Our interactions with and respect for our parents are the foundation for all other interpersonal relationships, so when we disrespect, insult, or belittle our parents, whether it be in their presence or in conversation with others, we are laying a foundation that can, in worst cases, evolve into a type of behavior similar to the likes of the ones who now disgust us.

So remember: if you’ve had a rough week, have a lot on your mind, are really stressed, or all of the above, don’t take it out on your parents. If you’re frustrated, angry, and ticked off by something someone did to you and you can’t confront that problem head-on, don’t take it out on your parents. If your parents punish you for what you perceive to be an erroneous reason, don’t take it out on them.

They’ve got your best interests at heart. That doesn’t mean they won’t tell you what to do (they can, and they do) or tell you where you can or cannot go (they’ll do that to). But understand that if you

act this way towards individuals in your life that care about you as a person, your treatment towards other individuals—who might be in more vulnerable positions to you— will reflect your true character and might be characterized as worse than disrespectful.

The veil and allure of Hollywood has begun to peel away.

And we’re sure, in due time, more members of the industry will be outed as perpetrators of misconduct, harassment, or abuse. But this snapping realization of the true character of those who have helped shape American culture is more than a disturbing revelation: it’s a reminder to examine our own principles and values, a reminder to evaluate the way each of us treats one other, and if needed, correct that behavior.

Sincerely,

Have an opinion?

Write for The Kinkaid Falcon.

Arman Badrei & Allison Favaloro Email megha.neelapu@kinkaid.org or student.publications@kinkaid.org.

4 NEWS | The Kinkaid Falcon | December 13, 2017

Alumnus’ non-profit funds film about women’s lives during Venezuelan crisis Documentary touches the hearts of students, faculty, and teachers at Kinkaid screening.

BY EMMA STOUT A woman crouches below a pile of split concrete, holding a child in tattered green blankets close to her chest. A dog meanders through the street, hunting for scraps of food. People rejoice when they hear the low rumble of a cargo-truck advancing to a store entrance; however, minutes after the new shipment arrives, the supermarket is desolate and only a small portion of the line is able to purchase exorbitantly priced milk, toilet paper, and diapers.

This is one of the many scenes displayed in Kinkaid Alumnus Pablo Henning (‘10) and French filmmaker Margarita Cardenas’s documentary, “Femmes de Chaos Vénézuélien” (“Women of the Venezuelan Crisis”), which Kinkaid screened on Monday, Nov. 7. The film, created through Henning’s non-profit, Saludos Connection, follows five Venezuelan women during the ongoing socioeconomic crisis in Venezuela.

Women, men, and children are forced to wait day after day to reach the front of the line in a supermarket for basic necessities, such as diapers or bread. “The country is destroyed,” Hennings said at the

screening.

The crisis began in 2012 as a result of political corruption and turmoil, rapid inflation, and crime. “Caracas is currently the most violent city in the world,” Cardenas said. In 2016, Caracas had an astounding homicide rate of 91.9 homicides per 100,000 people, according to the OVV. To put this into perspective, America’s homicide rate in 2016 was 5 homicides per 100,000 people, according to the FBI. The story of “Femmes de Chaos Vénézuélien” begins in a large Caracas Hospital, where nurse and mother, Kim, practices from 6 a.m. to the late afternoon. Kim works two jobs to support her two children and husband. “The price I pay for both jobs is not spending time with my children,” Kim said. Working as a female nurse, one of Kim’s struggles during the crisis is the lack of supplies at the hospitals. Where basic tools, such as Betadine for non-disposable syringes or surgical masks, are expected and abundant in the United States, Venezuela and other undeveloped countries face risks, such as infection, due to a lack of supplies. Kim tells the story of how a few weeks

Maduro declared Venezuela in an “economic emergency” on

January 15, 2016.

prior, she was forced to choose between two infants in need because she didn’t have suffi- cient supplies to tend to both.

“It’s not even about priorities, we have nothing,” said a fellow colleague of Kim in the film.

The film switches to the perspective of Eva, an unemployed mother who is in the midst of making the difficult decision to leave her home and children in Venezuela in order to visit her father in Mexico.

As Eva drives to the store, a new edict from the Venezuelan President, Nicholás Maduro, can be heard over the taxi radio; Maduro promises, “to fill the streets of the country with products,” although Cardenas later says, “The government is denying the crisis; [they] just don’t want to see what is going on.”

The third woman is María José, who works from home and discusses the now common black market for basic products. The camera pans to display rows and rows of diapers María José has stacked under her infant’s bed as she explains how it is now only possible to buy products in bulk, which only causes a surplus of unusable products for those in need.

Later, Luisa, a retired

The Venezuela poverty rate is

82%.

Photo from “Femmes du Chaos Vénézuélien”

police officer, solemnly eluci- dates how her son, Rosmit, was framed with money under his mattress and was taken abruptly by the police. Every day, Luisa and her husband pray that Rosmit will come home.

The film finishes with the perspective of Olga, a middle-aged waitress. Olga narrates the heart-wrenching story of how when she was falling asleep next to her husband and two kids, she heard a knock on the door as multiple policemen forcefully opened the door, wrangled her teenage son to the edge of the bed, and shot him before realizing, “This isn’t the boy we were looking for.” Olga has a “thirst for justice,” which she explains her and many other Venezuelan women who have lost everything in the crisis share.

“The film is awareness… I started hearing about the crisis through social media, and knew I had to do something

about it… At that moment, I made a decision to make this film,” Cardenas said. After months of international planning via-Skype, Cardenas said she and a well-protected crew spent five weeks in Venezuela to “show that people like Kim can do their job to help others.”

So, what can you do? According to Cardenas and Hennings, the “future [of Venezuela] is [getting] more and more complicated.” The number one thing others are capable of doing is donating. Donate books, donate supplies, donate money to credible charity organizations. To learn more about Henning’s non-profit, the crisis, or the film, visit @ saludosconnection on Social Media and the “Femmes du Chaos” website. As Cardenas said, “We need help from democracy, help from people, help for our country.”

The average weight loss of Venezuelan citizens is

19.2 Lbs due to food scarcity.

Statistics from BBC, The Guardian, & Independent

Model UN participates in Chicago international conference

BY SARAH KATE PADON From Nov. 30 to Dec. 3, 13 members of Kinkaid’s Model UN club competed at an international conference in Chicago, Ill. Although they spent most of their time in committees, they also explored many of Chicago’s highlights.

To most students, the activities at a Model UN conference are somewhat mysterious. Many picture large scale debates with students dressed in formal attire bantering back and forth about pressing modern topics.

In reality, this does happen, but on a smaller scale with students working closely together to understand differing opinions on a subject matter.

When students prepare for a Model UN conference, they begin with a person or a country they will represent in a committee. Each conference has their own unique committees with a specific focus. After being assigned a committee, participants research their committee’s topic to write a position paper that explains their point of view on the topic.

When they arrive at the conference in their small group committees of about 20 to 150 people, students begin debating and forming alliances with the other committee members during their first session. These

alliances will shape their eventual perspective that is woven into a resolution that presents a proposal on how to handle the issue.

In addition to committees that focus on modern issues like education and the shortage of clean water, there are also committees dedicated to historical issues. These committees require students to recall the policies of their assigned countries from prior decades and debate solutions on the basis of those policies. This process also serves as a great form of practice for students to improve their understanding of current global news.

“I think Model UN provides a lot of practice with public speaking, research, and strategic thinking. One of the goals is being successful with diplomacy, and this reinforces global citizenship and awareness,” said Ms. Tamasine Ellis, one of Kinkaid’s Model UN adviser and a history teacher.

During the first day of committee meetings, Kinkaid students spent upwards of 9 hours debating topics and voting within their committees.

In between their long committee meetings, students had opportunities to get out of the hotel and walk around Chica-

go. These long days served as a learning experience for many of the newer Model UN members; however, senior, Anish Odhav used his past experiences to guide his work in the crisis committee.

As a participant in a crisis committee, instead of working Photo by Ms. Tamasine Ellis to forge alliances, he strategically planned historical wars, and these crises to protect his country. are usually always bad news,” “It means hours of military Odhav said. strategic planning, secretly Odhav was awarded honorattempting to sabotage others able mention for his hard work around the table using your and extensive research in his personal powers, and drafting committee. Typically only three legislation while still attemptpeople are chosen for honorable ing to run the country you are mention out of groups consistsupposed to be defending,” ing of up to 150 people.

Odhav said.

The conference planned to Not only are the goals and host a delegate dance at the end strategies of crisis committees of the conference to celebrate slightly different from generand reward the hard work al committees, but also their the students put in over the topics tend to be more pressing. weekend. However, there was Most often crisis committees a threat to the dance on the include a midnight session. anonymous app for the confer“People come banging on ence, Jodel, that caused the your door between 12-2 AM event to be canceled. After the and you have to report to a two cancellation, they were closely to three hour long committee monitored by the Chicago Police session to address a crisis.

Department stationed in their Crisis committee sessions are hotel, and they had a modified generally created to simulate

curfew moved up from midnight to 10.

On Sunday they ended their conference with their final committee meetings and an awards ceremony to recognize their hard work. Odhav was the only Kinkaid member to recieve an honorable mention.

“I really enjoy watching a new student trying [Model UN] and really succeeding. This year a lot of new members have been successful. I have seen that they have learned a lot of policy and become far more engaged in current events,” Ms. Ellis said.

Although Odhav was the only student who won an award, many of the club members are new to Model UN, and took advantage of this conference as an opportunity to learn.

December 13, 2017 | The Kinkaid Falcon | NEWS 5

A New Take on Education Teachers and community service blend in servicelearning initiative

BY MAGGIE JOHNSTON

S

ervice learning, a concept combining a rich educational experience with community aid, has made its way into the Kinkaid community as teachers modify this idea to fit the literary lessons in their individual classes.

Based on research and feedback received from other schools, English teacher Ms. Casey Fleming said, “Service learning works better than strict community service because it integrates a service experience into the education that students are already having in the classroom … it also meets a need in the community causing a reciprocal relationship where the students are learning while a community need is being met.”

Ms. Fleming and fellow English teacher Dr. Tara McDonald Johnson described

At Belmont Village Andreea Calin (12) practices walking with assistance to better understand the experiences of the elderly.

Courtesy of Kate Lambert.

the process of creating a service learning project in three steps: assess the needs of those being served, assess the students’ needs and the teachers’ curriculum, and find common ground in which both groups benefit. The first three service learning projects worked with Baker Ripley School.

Ms. Fleming said,“Baker Ripley wants their students to always have experience with students from ‘another world.’

Students that are from a different class, different social and economic bracket.”

Therefore, Baker Ripley opened itself up as the perfect place for Kinkaid students to learn and serve.

The first attempt at service learning in the Kinkaid community was taught

by Community Service Coordinator Ms. Tatum Branaman and Ms. Fleming last January during Interim Term. As a part of the “World Map Project” students created a two-scale world map mural with the kids at Baker Ripley and then gave them

“Roy Wright” A sonnet by WIlliam Miner (12): YL, YL, through morse code they would tap; Young ladies lined up on the ballroom floor.

But if they couldn’t cut a rug for crap, They wouldn’t get to dance with Roy some more.

He said that Fred Astaire was too damn good, As late nights at the Tommick Ballroom passed.

The waltz and ballroom, yes, of course, he could Keep pace with Incerello playing fast.

“Take classes while you’re young,” he said to me.

“Ev’ry young man should have some dancing skills.”

Though he has lived a fascinating life, Those dancing nights are in his mind most drilled.

We only spoke of nightclubs, never war; Dream of YL and all the rest ignore.

the mural as a gift. After this project was deemed successful, Ms. Fleming encouraged Ms. Branaman to pitch the idea to the English department first because “English, in some ways, lends itself to service learning due to the amount of novels and books that English classes read that have issues students could address in their communities” said Ms. Fleming.

Dr. McDonald Johnson picked up this concept and led the first project in a classroom of junior English students. They were reading The Great Gatsby which is narrated by a man exploring New York City while criticising yet celebrating the diversity of different “types” of Americans living the American Dream. Dr. McDonald Johnson wanted to reinforce the concept of diversity of experiences. She said they decided to “take a trip to the most diverse neighborhood in the most diverse city in the United States: Baker Ripley in Houston.”

As fourth grade Baker Ripley students prepared for the writing portion of the STAAR exam, English III students spent time getting to know the kids while working to improve the children’s writing skills. The first day of the project included Kinkaid students traveling to Baker Ripley, interviewing the students, and leading an art project. A couple of weeks later, the second day of the project was spent in the Kinkaid student center where English III students taught the Baker Ripley children writing skills by writing short monologues based on the lives of the English III students. .

TX Harris (12) reflected on his experience at Baker Ripley saying that his service learning experience was “more effective than the classroom because we were able to learn about people and things I would’ve never had the chance to in the normal classroom setting. ” Following Dr. McDonald Johnson’s project, the English Department Chair, Mrs. Kate Lambert, and Ms. Fleming decided to take their ninth graders to Baker Ripley between the transition of reading The Bean Trees and starting the poetry unit. Two of the The Bean Trees major themes focus on individual’s dependency on one another as well as a connection to nature.

Baker Ripley’s kindergarten students were learning about plant and animal life by building a classroom pond. Each freshman at Kinkaid was paired with a kindergartener from Baker Ripley as they spent two days together building terrariums, playing games and ultimately writing a “renga,” a Japanese form of a collaborative poem. In reflection of her project, Ms. Fleming said this ending of the novel and unique opportunity to teach poetry in a new way supplied them with a perfect occasion.

The most recent service learning project to take effect in the Kinkaid community was led by Mrs. Lambert and her AP Shakespeare class, which has been studying King Lear, a Shakespearean tragedy focusing on an aging king who gives up his throne and is then faced with the feelings of aimlessness.

Sophomores Mrs. Lambert said that the challenge Catherine Scott of aging is something that most high and Alex Garcia school students struggle to grasp. Mrs. build a terrarium Lambert had a desire for all of her stuwith their buddy dents to understand King Lear’s struggles at BakerRipley to be possible through the same experiduring the ence, so she planned a service learning service day at Belmont Village for Senior Living. learning day.

Courtesy of Mrs. Lambert said that her goal for the Casey Fleming. event was “to bring value back into the lives of the residents of Belmont and remind them how filled with purpose their lives were. Also, for my students to be reminded that the elderly did live very purposeful lives and the ache that comes when that is missing is hard to cope with.” Mrs. Lambert challenged her students with this question: As Americans, what is our responsibility to the elderly to make their last years happy?

In preparation for the event, Grace Manes (12) said, “Two representatives from Belmont led a short training workshop during class. It was really interesting because we learned about the effects of aging first-hand by participating in activities that simulated some of the health restrictions that come as a part of aging.

We also did a few mental exercises that Anya Bourenin allowed us to place ourselves in an elderly (10) and her person’s position and gave us a clearer buddy play look at their experiences.” patty cake at BakerRipley.

While at Belmont, students led an Courtesy of icebreaker to get conversation flowing and Casey Fleming. learn interesting or unusual facts about the people at Belmont.

They then met up with their senior buddy and ate lunch to get to know their buddies and celebrate the fascinating things that they accomplished or took part in during their lifetime.

Following the day at Belmont, students wrote a sonnet, a fourteen line poem and the one that Shakespeare is most famous for.

The English teachers have become the piloting group on the idea of service learning, but it is beginning to make its way into the science department as Science teacher Mrs. Sarah Shea led the first non-English department service learning project this October. As Kinkaid moves their community service program to a more service-learning based curriculum department, the English teachers will be able to testify to the importance and impact that service learning has on both the students enjoyment and education.

6 NEWS | The Kinkaid Falcon | December 13, 2017

Let it

SN W

BY MEGHA NEELAPU

Friday just got a little better.

Houston sees snow only a few times each century, which is why on Dec. 8, the city was surprised to wake up to a blanket of snow decorating the treetops. Before it melted in the afternoon, Kinkaid students played in the snow on the roof of the parking garage.

Katherine Berman (12). Photo

by Maggie Johnston.

Frankie Wimbish (10) throws a snowball at Jonathan Frumovitz (10).

Photo by Madi Babine.

Michael Camp (10) prepares to throw a snowball at his friend. Photo by Madi Babine.

Sally Buck (10) makes footprints in the snow. Photo by Madi Babine.

SUBSCRIBE TO

The Kinkaid Falcon Email: student.publications@kinkaid.org

December 13, 2017 | The Kinkaid Falcon | ARTS & CULTURE 7

Painting the town in color Via Colori festival brings color to downtown

BY ALLISON FAVALORO When I was a kid, I spent many summer days on my driveway with a tub of Crayola sidewalk chalk. I’d spend hours perched on my hands and knees as I drew abstract flowers and suns and animals, and when I got older, I would draw paths down the driveway and follow these imaginary roads on my razor scooter with my sister. Some days I’d even come in with chalk-covered scrapes on my knees and palms from coloring on the concrete for so long. But the scrapes were the price to pay for the masterpiece I made each time I went outside.

I always saw drawing on the sidewalk as a fun, simple pastime, but artists can use what I thought of as an aimless activity and turn it into a unique, yet beautiful form of expression, as they always do. With just a stick of chalk in hand, an artist can transform an ordinary sidewalk into an extraordinary glimpse into their imagination. That’s what Houstonian artists did on Nov. 18-19 downtown at the Via Colori art festival.

Via Colori allows artists–experienced or novice–to express themselves through simple street art. Over 200 artists, with only a few sticks of chalk and an idea, transform the streets surrounding City Hall into kaleidoscopes of color.

This year was the event’s 12th year in Houston. All proceeds go towards the Center for Hearing and Speech, a local nonprofit that serves children with hearing loss. This event is really important to the organization; this year alone, over 30,000 art enthusiasts attended Via Colori.

In addition to street art, booths including Katz Coffee, Kind bars, and Kendra Scott lined Hermann Square, and some offered free samples. A stage (one of three at the festival) set up in front of the City Hall building showcased a local band performing.

The two streets that run along the sides of the building–Walker St. and McKinney St.–contained murals by over 250 volunteer artists and even a section where, for a $10 donation, children could create their own miniature masterpieces.

Another stage, 3D art, and murals by seven featured artists converged at Bagby St. behind the City Hall building. Each featured artist’s mural focused on a specific decade between the 1940s to the 2000s to celebrate 70 years of the Center for Hearing and Speech. Additionally, food trucks were parked at the very back of the festival on McKinney St. I experienced Via Colori on Sunday, Nov. 19. The clear, sunny skies and mid-60 degree weather had already lifted my spirits because Houston actually felt like fall, but when I arrived at the festival to see the gray art deco-style Houston City Hall framed with a myriad of colorful murals on the surrounding streets, I instantly absorbed the vibrancy and alacrity the festival radiated. And I wasn’t the only one affected by the festival’s positive vibes; everyone around me seemed to have a cheerful attitude: no babies cried in strollers, no couples bickered at one other, no children whined about cold fingers and toes in the chillier-than-normal temperatures. Everyone enjoyed cele-

brating art for a cause.

In true Allison fashion, I instantly spotted the Katz Coffee booth and grabbed a free cup of coffee–my very favorite drink. It served a dual purpose of caffeinating and warming me because the brisk weather chilled my fingers to the point at which my iPhone couldn’t sense any heat from my fingertips.

I then meandered along Walker St. and McKinney St. to observe volunteer artist’s murals. Many masterpieces depicted historical people, events, and landmarks from the latter half of the 20th century to present, which coincided with the festival’s decade theme. Some artists displayed works about Hurricane Harvey and the Astros, the two biggest historical events for Houston thus far in 2017.

Lastly, I observed the featured artwork and 3D murals on Bagby St. at the end of my Via Colori experience.

Each artist represented their decade from a different perspective. For example, 2000s muralist Seth Stratton chose to focus on defining moments–9/11, the creation of Facebook, the invention of the iPhone–whereas muralist of the 1940s era, Jesse Queen, spotlighted actress and inventor Hedy Lamarr. The two works of 3D art related to the time theme with an Astros-themed clock and Neil Armstrong’s journey to the moon.

I particularly enjoyed observing the artists produce their chalk scenes, more so than the actual final product. So much art we view is in its final form, but we can’t truly appreciate art unless we know something about the process and the effort put into a piece. Watching the evolution of a mural from a 12-by-12 square on a black-top street into a work of art allowed me to appreciate the care and concentration artists put into each shape, each stroke, each blend. Dezmon Williams, a volunteer artist who is an art teacher, values this aspect of the festival as well. “[My favorite part of Via Colori] is doing the artwork live, so people can see your progress and the end result of your work,” Williams said as we discussed his portrait of Salvador Dalí.

I benefited from attending the second day of the festival because I still saw the development of some murals as well as some completed ones. The artists with completed murals proudly stood by their work, eager to talk about their inspirations

with observers.

Seeing the pride the artists had in their paintings was slightly bittersweet for me. I felt excited for the artists because they’d just completed a beautiful masterpiece, but I also felt slightly sad because the next day was Monday. Monday meant that the barricades encompassing Via Colori would come down and cars would drive over the art; the artists’ canvas would become a typical busy street in downtown Houston again. The only physical sign that Via Colori happened was the colorful dust that coated the business people’s tires.

Overall, Via Colori was a very enriching and fascinating experience for me. As a person who enjoys the visual arts but does not regularly practice it, I found the festival to be the perfect place for me to reflect on how art influences my life currently and how much of an influence I want art to have in my future.

I still have the tubs of sidewalk chalk in the bottom shelf in the garage cabinet. Younger family members love to color our driveway during family gatherings at our house. But when I returned home from Via Colori, I pulled out one of the tubs of chalk and began to doodle in my driveway.

Photos

by Allison Favaloro.

8 ARTS & CULTURE | The Kinkaid Falcon | December 13, 2017

Senior editor of Falcon Wings offers insight into personal creative writing

BY KATHERINE MONTGOMERY

He sits in the corner, isolated, with his iced green tea while he furiously types any thought that comes into his mind. Assistant Editor of Falcon Wings, Will Langford (12) has been in creative writing since his freshman year. “I stick with it because I need something I’m good at, and this is something I think I’m good at,” said Langford.

“Creative writing gives Kinkaid students a platform to develop and share their writing in ways that will help expand their knowledge and writing skills,” said Langford. The class teaches students how to write in various genres like poetry, plays, screenplays, memoirs, personal essays, and short stories.

On Thursday, Nov. 16, creative writing students held their semester reading in the Commons to share their work with other students, parents, friends, and

faculty. “We gather in the Commons and speak from the heart,” said Langford.

Leading up to the reading, Langford worked diligently to write new material. When given an assignment, Langford has a creative way of deciding what he wants to write about, “I kind of just get an idea from something really random: I’ll wake up in the middle of the night, and I’ll be like ‘Oh I know what I’m writing about today,’ or it will just come to me in the middle of math class because I don’t pay attention.

My brain is a weird place; I just get ideas that appear.”

After Langford knows what he wants to write about, he “go[es] to the little table in the corner by the trash at Starbucks, get[s] some tea, and has at it.”

Each year the creative writing class focuses on a style of writing, this year’s focus is on playwriting and

screenwriting. The class recently had a writer from the hit Disney show Shake It Up speak to the class.

The focus on screenwriting works in Langford’s favor because he’s “a sitcom enthusiast who really likes that kind of writing.” He said, “My favorite sitcom eis The Office because their humor is similar to mine and I love Stanley,” Writing is something that some people think of as extremely personal, even though at school students are often asked to read their writing out loud to the class, but Langford asked the question, “Why write something if you’re not going to share it with people?

I mean you can write in your diary all you want, but if you’re not going to share it with someone then what’s the point?”

“Some Things In My Trunk”

by Will Langford

A frayed houndstooth sweater Jenny carelessly crumpled and left behind Two red and yellow empty milkshake cups we sipped under the fluorescent golden arches Countless receipts from expensive restaurants I wouldn’t dare enter An empty picture frame With roses carved into the cherry wood A half empty bottle of Chanel No. 5 Hunting binoculars A crimson fishing rod Jenny wanted me to have last Christmas A fleece blanket With several fresh stains A gold necklace With the letter “J” dangling from the chain A stack of Polaroid pictures Tied together with a rubber band 100 dollars in cash A shovel Jenny

Day for Night transforms Houston festival scene

BY ALI AMMONS

Normally, festivals do not feature industrial rock, contemporary R&B, and Deep House music, but the music festival Day for Night, on Dec. 15-17, which highlights major artists such as Cardi B, Cashmere Cat, and Solange, is at the forefront of the Houston music and art scene.

The creators of the event, Free Press Houston and the Work-Order agency from New York, hope to push past normal festival boundaries by not only integrating musicians of vastly different genres, but also including pieces of visual art and featured speakers. Free Press and Work-Order said that they want people to be entertained through more than just music; while walking from one concert to the next, the visual art enables people to be truly immersed in art at all times. The two main creators, Omar Afra and Kiffer Keegan, originally worked to help put on

Free Press Summer Fest.

Afra and Keegan said they wanted to create a festival that included both types of art, and since that is not specifically the aim of the Free Press Summer Fest they created Day for Night as an alternative.

This is the third year of the festival. Each year the festival features different artists and unique set designs. The 2015 festival was held in the areas around Silver Street Studios in the Washington Avenue. Arts District.

Although getting through the many entry points and security was difficult, when festival goers finally stepped into the festival, they entered a whole new world.

Day for Night covered the floor of the areas around Silver Street Studios with colored carpets to juxtapose the area’s city surroundings. There were not many attendees, considering there were only two main headliners, Kendrick Lamar and New

WHEN:

DEC. 15-17

WHERE:

POST HTX

401 FRANKLIN ST.

SET LIST: NINE INCH NAILS SOLANG E JUSTICE ST. VINCENT JAMES BLAKE PRETTY LIG HTS JAMIE XX PHANTOG RAM CARDI B

Orders, but the unique venue and layout of the festival increased attendance the following year.

The 2016 event was held at the Barbara Jordan Post Office at 401 Franklin Street, the same location of the upcoming 2017 festival . The Barbara Jordan Post Office at 401 Franklin Street has historical value, given that it was designed by the same architect who designed the Astrodome. This venue provides outdoor and indoor space, which helped interweave the visual art and the music during the 2016 festival. In addition, the lack of lighting and dark hallways that the venue provides makes the visual art shine. Travis Scott and Odesza were the two major headliners, and attracted more people than the previous year.

This year the festival is adding speakers. Tickets to the speeches are sold separately from the music and art tickets, and these include noteworthy

individuals such as Chelsea Manning and Lauren Mccarthy. The speakers are known for their strong voices and will add to Day for Night’s connection to different genres of media to produce a festival filled with music, visual art, and people that go against the fray.

Tickets for the two days of concerts range from $210 to $750 (depending on whether or not the ticket includes “VIP” benefits) and are available online on Day for Night’s website and Eventbrite.

The founder of the festival, Omar Afar, said online that he hopes the festival will continue to grow and wants to make the festival significantly longer and bigger. In a statement on the Day for Night website Afar said his “dynamic lineup represents just the beginning of an aggressive three-to-five-year plan to grow Day for Night into a multi-venue, five-day citywide event.”

Trader Joe’s holiday treats delight and disappoint

BY ALLISON LE & NIA CALDWELL

At the corner of Voss and San Felipe, Trader Joe’s is known for a selection of foods, ranging from cookie butter to trail mix, and other fresh, original alternatives to other local supermarkets, but the buzz of holiday season brings our attention specifically to the different treats suited for winter break or party gifts. We thought Trader Joe’s would have the best options for the holiday season, since they pride themselves on providing such a diverse selection of holiday-themed treats, so we reviewed a selection of their holiday items.

3

The Winter Tea Cookie Duo looked appealing.

Inside the cute blue box sprinkled with snowflakes were two nondescript plastic bags separating two flavors. When we opened the bags, the gingerbread cookies had a strong scent more like herbal spiced ginger with a hint of lemon. The hot cocoa cookie had a more distinct flavor compared to gingerbread: while it looked like a chocolate biscuit, it tastes like an average shortbread cookie with a faint taste of chocolate. Besides the fact that they might not specifically remind you of the holidays, it is not a misleading product and will not disappoint if you like ginger-spiced or chocolate biscuits.

6

2

1 4

3

7 5

2

Grown-Up Advent Calendar

1

99¢ Advent Calendars While these 99¢ Advent Calendars look perfect for children during the holidays, they are horrible to taste. When you pull back one of the flaps, you are met with a waxy smell and the smooth backside of the chocolate piece. I was disgusted by the taste. My peers described it as eating an eraser, and they were so upset that they emailed a complaint to Trader Joe’s. I think that these are a disgrace to all chocolates, and I would never recommend this to anyone, not even the Holiday Scrooges.

Candy Cane Joe Joe’s

When I saw these cookies, I thought that they were going to be just like Oreos, but mint flavored. In my first bite, I knew that these were nothing close to the basic principles of an Oreo. The first bite had the crunch of a normal Oreo, but after that, the taste and texture fell apart; the overwhipped cream tasted like toothpaste in between two stale sandwich cookies. It was kind of like the April’s Fool prank where someone takes out the cream of the Oreo and replaces it with toothpaste. The ratio of stale cookie to toothpaste was underwhelming with too much cookie and not enough cream. They were edible but not flavorful, so if you want mint sandwich cookies, I say, just go ahead and buy normal mint-flavored Oreos.

Dark Chocolate Minty Mallows

The “light and fluffy” Dark Chocolate Minty Mallows were very disappointing, and it was hard to decide which one was worse: these or the Joe Joe’s. The box had a cute holiday theme with candy canes, ice blue coloring, and the marshmallows on ice.

When you take one out of the box and take a bite of it, it’s exactly like pictured, but not like the yummy description: a thin chocolate coating around a very square and artificial-looking marshmallow that is worse than a Peep. Because the chocolate is so thin, and the marshmallow is thick, when you try to take a bite, you get stuck trying to pull it from your mouth, and in that process, the chocolate melts under your fingers. This product only won points on the packaging, and the fact that it actually smelled like peppermint.

6

8

4

The Winter Tea Cookie Duo

December 13, 2017 | The Kinkaid Falcon | ARTS & CULTURE 9

Despite being called the Grown-Up Advent Calendar, this box of chocolates doesn’t contain any alcohol. Its simple design shouldn’t stop you from buying this product to countdown the days until the new year. Inside the package are milk and dark chocolates each filled with flavors called fireworks, orange tea hibiscus, sea salt milk chocolate, black salt caramel, coconut caramel, and gingerbread caramel. The chocolate itself is pleasantly sweet, especially the dark chocolate candies, which are usually bitter. It’s the only advent calendar I would recommend from the calendars we tried from Trader Joe’s.

5

If you like York Peppermint Patties, these Dark Chocolate Covered Peppermint Cremes should be on your shopping list. The cremes looks almost exactly like pictured in the holiday themed packaging, with chocolate truffles decorated with peppermint bark bits. I expected it to have a crunch, or be a thick chocolate with little mint flavoring, but it was completely different from my expectations. This combination works well enough for someone who hates everything mint flavored to actually enjoy this candy.

You should buy these to share with family or friends, but it’s too much to have all at once.

8

7

English Toffee with Nuts

The English Toffee with Nuts has a standard toffee flavor. The toffee is wrapped into a small roll and is covered in a nut brittle and chocolate that makes it crunchier than normal. Once you get past the layer of nuts, the core is buttery and smooth. It tastes like toffee enhanced with nut brittle.

I recommend dropping by Trader Joe’s to buy these delicous, buttery treats.

Dark Chocolate Covered Peppermint Cremes

Taste Test of Caramels

Although advertised as a great holiday gift, the Taste Test of Caramels looks anything but. There was no holiday decoration, theme, or title to suggest it was different from a regular set of caramels. The caramels are twelve dark chocolate squares each filled with unconventional flavors like toffee apple, double espresso, strawberry black pepper, and hot chili. The box suggests to randomly pick one, cut it up (to share with friends), and write down what you think it tastes like. So, basically it is like a game of roulette with caramels, and because of the exotic flavors, I advise that only daring taste buds try.

10 OP-ED | The Kinkaid Falcon | December 13, 2017

Stop telling women they are “too emotional”

BY MEGHA NEELAPU You want to stay away from the girl if she has “crazy eyes,” according to the TV show How I Met Your Mother.

Although less commonly seen today, the hysterical woman trope still pops up occasionally in television and cinema. Unfortunately, this stereotype creeps into reality as well. The issue stepped into the limelight during the 2016 presidential election.

“They call us sexist just because we are critical of Hillary Clinton and her health,” wrote a reader of the Sun Gazette in a letter-to-the-editor in Williamsport, PA. “What if that time of month comes and she is sick at the same time?”

He may seem like an outlier, but according to a 2014 Pew Research poll, 8 percent of American men and even 8 percent of women believe “women aren’t tough enough for politics.” In a Gallup poll conducted in 2000, 90 percent of men and 90 percent of women associate the word “emotional” more with women.

“Not to be sexist but, I can’t vote for the leader of the free world to be a woman,” said rapper T.I. in a radio interview in 2015. “Just because, every other position that exists, I think a woman could do well. But the president? It’s kinda like, I just know that women make rash decisions emotionally… I think you might be able to get the Lochness Monster elected before you could [get a woman elected].”

In an analysis of several studies, researchers found that as a result of biological and environmental influences,

women and men are different emotionally. When faced with a problem, women are more likely to internalize it, blaming ourselves; as a result, women get depressed at twice the rate as men. Women are also more concerned with others’ emotions, and noticeably express emotions more often than men.

Still, none of these differences prove that women have more emotions than men.

While women internalize, men externalize their issues, blaming other factors. Thus, men are more likely to act out and are incarcerated at a far higher rate than women.

However, the way women handle emotions has been devalued. We are dismissed as emotional, melodramatic, hysterical, and crazy. But the problem isn’t that women are more emotional than men. It’s that we think being emotional is a bad thing.

“Men tend to be uncomfortable with any emotions that makes them feel vulnerable,” said Dr. Laura Lomax-Bream, Upper School Counseling Psychologist. “And that’s because of our consistent messaging where we tell men over and over again that ‘the most important thing is for you is to be strong; the most important things is that you never show weakness.’”

“We’re making them feel like their normal, healthy emotions are a sign of weakness and are not appropriate for men in some way,” she said.

Suppressing and refusing to accept emotions can be harmful. “You will end up having more dysregulat-

“We all have the whole range,” Dr. Lomax-Bream said. ed behavior from trying to pretend that you were never [experiencing an emotion],” Dr. Lomax-Bream said.

“You can’t deal with a feeling you don’t acknowledge.

But you can learn strategies to manage or regulate any emotion. We all have the whole range.”

For example, women are often portrayed in the media as droning on and on about their feelings to their bored

significant other. However, productively talking about emotions is helpful.

“Talk about your emotions in a way that is going to help you get a better sense of yourself and other people, moving towards a sense of something that gives you a little hope and a little bit of meaning and purpose,” Dr. Lomax-Bream said.

“I hope that we are able to have a community here where

when a kid is having really strong emotions that there are people here they can talk to,” she said.

Whether that be a friend, family member, teacher, dean or Dr. Lomax-Bream herself, it is important to form these human connections. Emotions have the potential to make us more secure in ourselves, more compassionate, and more resilient, but only if we let them.

Technology breaches right to privacy

BY COLLIN LAWRENCE, GUEST WRITER The new iPhone X is an impressive device. It can unlock itself by capturing an owner’s face, scan fingerprints, comprehend nearly anything said, and perform a plethora of other incredible tasks. It’s a marvel of innovation, and something to be amazed by.

What’s more impressive is that it is not alone—the iPhone X is just one device among the growing number that are transforming the way we live and work. Smartwatches can track your heartbeat and steps throughout the day, TVs show an image as clear as the human eye’s, and the Amazon Echo can order anything online with just a few words.

It’s all wonderful at first glance. What is there to not like? Life in the modern age is great—things are easy and quick, perfect for the impatient soul. Shortcuts eliminate work, leading to an easier life with less effort and less stress. Unfortunately not everything is perfect, so with all the wonders of technology come inevitable infringements on one of our most important rights: individual privacy.

Fifty years ago, the prospect of machines that could see and listen to everything from

within our pockets, kitchens, and living rooms would have terrified people. At that time, people valued the idea that there are two spheres of life: one public and one private.

Public life is one to which anyone has access. Private life, on the other hand, is where deep thought and personal feelings are cultivated, an area of life set apart from corporations, foreign governments, and in many cases even our own government.

It wasn’t just fifty years ago that people began to cherish the idea of privacy, though.

The necessity of the separation between public and private life is one that has been recognized for centuries. “A man’s home is his castle,” a proverb attributed to Roman times, was defended

by Enlightenment thinkers such as John Locke, as well as by the Founding Fathers in the United States with the Bill of Rights. As a result, the Supreme Court of the United

States affirmed in Katz v.

United States that privacy itself is a right guaranteed to every American.

Times have changed, and our unceasing desire for the instantaneous, the easy, and the quick has left us in a situation, which, if not stopped, will destroy our privacy for generations to come. The surrender of our privacy is the result of two things: our very own ignorance and our apathy.

Ignorance runs rampant in our society. People are self-interested by nature, and as such, many are generally unconcerned with issues much larger than themselves.

Many people have no idea about the size and scope to which our privacy has already been diminished.

Until certain groups published information about surveillance, even well-informed people had no idea of the problem. The current issue is that there is still a large portion of the population that does not know to what extent our rights have already been subvert-

ed. Whether it be the NSA or corporations, many ignore the warning signs of how far their privacy has been eroded.

Apathy is the second silent killer of our rights and freedoms, and the depth of it in our society right now is shocking.

Many know, but willingly choose to ignore the fact that their own phone can record their location at all times, that their browser sells information gathered from individual searches, and that companies like Facebook have even been reported to utilize microphones on devices without permission in an effort to market products.

Our right to privacy is now in the middle of the crosshairs of any entity that can benefit from its destruction. Businesses seek to profit and governments maneuver for more influence, both at our expense.

We are engaged in the fullscale abnegation of our rights and our liberties as Americans.

We have an option: defend our right to privacy, or let it fall by the wayside. Healthy skepticism, study of the issues, and vigorous application of the constitution in our country will solve the issue we are currently letting spiral out of control.

December 13, 2017 | The Kinkaid Falcon | OP-ED 11

Is a dress code really necessary?

Unified through uniforms

BY KATHERINE BERMAN

BY ELIZA GRIGGS A few weeks ago as I was entering the Brown auditorium on my way to assembly, a teacher gestured towards me and asked for my name.

She prepared to write my name down next to others on her notepad and informed me that my dress was “too short.” Dismayed, I placed my arms to my sides, exhibiting that the hem of the dress fell below the tip of my middle finger while explaining to her that the handbook “roughly” defines “appropriate length” as “longer than fingertip length when hands are at sides.” Unconvinced, she proceeded to add my name to her list. Many other girls say they have experienced comparable situations; some received detention, some did not.

Because the “fingertip rule” is only “roughly” defined and thus can be interpreted in a variety of ways by a variety of faculty members, it is too subjective and makes it unfairly difficult for girls to decipher which dresses and skirts are appropriate for professional dress days.

Though most other schools in the Houston area such as St. John’s and Episcopal go by the same “roughly fingertip” guideline for their uniforms, more and more schools around the country are abandoning dress codes entirely, and perhaps Kinkaid should do the same.

According to Mr. Josh Ramey, Dean of Students, 27 girls and 34 boys have received detentions this school year due to dress code violations. Though these numbers are fairly equal, boys are receiving their dress code violations because they neglected to wear a belt or forgot to wear the dress uniform. However, girls receive dress code violations primarily because their dresses or skirts are thought by the enforcers to be too short.

Even though the Governing Council spent a significant amount of time revising the dress code last year, some rules still seem to be directed towards female students. The previous dress code required knee-length garments; however, it was loosely enforced.

The code was slightly revised by the Governing Council last year to the current length restriction: roughly finger-tip.

Last year, dress code violations were punished simply by requiring a student to make-up the dress day on a regular day. Now, the punishment is a 30-minute detention. Whether or not students receive one heavily depends on the teacher’s or administrator’s discretion, whatever their personal opinion of modesty is, and what they

think falls under the guidline of “appropriate.”

One could argue that girls bring the burden upon themselves because they could easily just wear long dresses, skirts, or shorts. However, roughly-below-the-fingertip length dresses, skirts, and shorts are not as fashionable for teenage girls right now; therefore, finding these clothes is unnecessarily stressful.

Most of Kinkaid’s female students rifle frantically through their closets before every dress day, attempting to find a dress that won’t get them sent to detention. Girls are forced to spend money on dresses and baggy pants that they might not wear outside of school, all in order to avoid detention.

On non-dress days, boys are often given detentions for wearing somewhat out-of the-ordinary styles, such as baggy sweatpants or bro tanks; on the contrary, girls are often given detentions for wearing popular female clothing like yoga pants and short shorts. Because students attend Kinkaid almost every day of the week, why shouldn’t we be able to dress in our everyday clothes?

It is not Kinkaid’s fault that today’s fashion dictates that girls wear shorter, tighter outfits than boys. That said, Kinkaid should make more of an effort to include today’s dressing norms in our dress code. Though it seems radical, there is no convincing reason why the dress code shouldn’t be done away with entirely.

No two people have the exact same proportions: some girls may have short arms; some girls may have a long torso; some girls may have long legs. These are all variables that support the argument of the “roughly defined ... fingertip” guideline being too subjective.

I suggest that unless a Kinkaid student is wearing a garment that is short or low-cut to the extent that her undergarments are showing, she should be given the benefit of the doubt regarding her intentions in the choice regarding what to wear to school.

A significant issue with our dress code is not the dress code itself but the manner in which it is enforced.

Though not concrete, one solution could simply be for the administration to encourage the faculty to enforce the dress code more leniently and without bias. However, a more effective solution is simply to abolish the dress code entirely as it would be in line with modern times and fashion.

19

Upper School needs a uniform. It’s time. In my four years at Kinkaid, I have experienced the morning chaos of getting ready, seen the tears of my classmates when they get in trouble for their ripped jeans and “short” hemlines, and grimaced when I realized how sloppy and disunified we look as a student body.

The reformed dress code for the 2017-2018 school year has helped clarify the rules, but it has failed to create a consistent enforcement of these rules, and students still look like a disheveled mess of adolescence. Jeans, college t-shirts, Khaki pants, Maxi skirts, thigh-high boots, tank tops, heels, “cute tops,” button downs, sandals, jerseys, Polos, walking shorts, and church dresses are all thrown together into a dress code of “organized” chaos.

In truth, Kinkaid Upper School students may be some of the most organized high school students in the country, but you wouldn’t know it by the way we dress. Uniforms in the Upper School would create a more visually cohesive community within the school, make it easier for students to get ready in the mornings, and decrease dress code infractions.

Traditionally, Upper School students have never worn uniforms; this privilege is granted only to high school students, who are allowed to dress how they want within given guidelines. In the beginning of the 1960s, the administration began to implement uniforms in the Lower and Middle Schools, yet never incorporated them into Upper School. Kinkaid treasures tradition, but with time comes the appropriate need and desire for change.

Many people argue that uniforms would limit originality and choice in students’ dress; if everyone dresses alike, those against uniforms may feel as if they cannot show their individual identity.

However, students can alter their uniforms to their personal preferences by accessorizing with jewelry, shoes, belts, bags, and hair accessories.

Many schools also have a wide variety of outfit combinations consisting of multiple colors of shirts, shorts, and skirts: local Episcopal High School has nine different colored shirts in various styles and two different colored skirts/shorts.

Another important tenet a uniform stands for is unification. The administration regularly presents the Kinkaid community as “One Kinkaid,” but if Kinkaid truly wants to become “One Kinkaid,” then its students must dress like a harmonious community and family. When new families, parents, alumni, and prospective students come to visit Kinkaid, the school should look its absolute best, not wearing a sloppy collection of college t-shirts and worn out jeans.

In addition to looking more professional, uniforms also make life easier in the mornings. When students know what to wear to school every day, they can dress quicker and with less thought, allowing more time to prepare for school by eating a good breakfast, studying, and arriving to school on time.

Other problems caused by the dress code include infractions due to not following the guidelines in the handbook as well as confusion about what one can and cannot wear. All of these problems can improve drastically and perhaps disappear altogether if and when Upper School requires a uniform for its students.

Uniform shirts would also eliminate the debate about appropriate college shirts. The many different types of “college” t-shirts often perplexes people: What exactly qualifies itself as a proper college t-shirt? A parent’s college reunion shirt? A jersey-like t-shirt from a college sports camp? A sister’s sorority t-shirt? Too many variations of the current guideline exist for a decisive, universal agreement on what can or cannot be worn. One teacher may think a shirt follows the dress code, while another teacher could easily assume otherwise.

What better way to ensure everyone follows and clearly comprehends the rules than a uniform? These standard outfits would dramatically decrease infractions as well as confusion regarding the dress code.

To implement these uniforms in a reasonable way, Kinkaid should form a committee of students, teachers, and administrators to come up with designs and colors for the uniform. This committee could also receive input from the student body and parents.

Uniforms don’t have to look like the stereotype of kneelength, plaid skirts or long blazers with itchy ties; they can look simple, plain, and feel comfortable while still promoting a sense of unity within the student body. Also, Upper School doesn’t necessarily need to have uniforms five days a week; students could wear uniforms Monday through Thursday, and on Fridays have free dress with appropriate shorts, yoga and sweat pants, and casual T-shirts.

The time has come for Kinkaid to start new traditions with its students proudly representing the amazing school they have the honor and privilege of attending in their new uniforms. Kinkaid Upper School uniforms would create a more unified and presentable community, save time for students to focus on more important matters than clothing, and limit the number of infractions and amount of confusion caused by dress code disputes and disagreements.

12 FEATURES | The Kinkaid Falcon | December 13, 2017

When you're not the star of the show...

BY CALEIGH DORAN

Balanced excellence Though admirable, excellence may limit participation The lead in the play, the quarterback of the football team, and the valedictorian all seem to have a place, a place where they can shine and be commended for being the best. However, what about the rest of us?

Those who are cut from a JV sport, fail to make the ensemble for the musical, or aren’t taking all APs (and getting straight A's)?

Where is our place?

When you Google “kinkaid.org” as soon as you release your finger from the keyboard, you are redirected to a slideshow of dedicated students practicing “balanced growth,” as the mission statement reads, across divisions and in every

area of performance: academics, arts, and athletics, commonly referred to at Kinkaid as “the three A's.” As you scroll past the pictures, two large words dominate the screen: “balanced excellence.” But what does “balanced excellence” mean?

Headmaster Dr. Andy Martire outlined the concept: “We want to pursue excellence in all that we do - academics, arts, and athletics. Also, within each of those three, we need to work on and figure out balance, meaning how much time we are spending on certain activities, and the blend of activities within each of those three.”

Balanced excellence is the goal, but that doesn’t mean it has necessarily been achieved. Dr. Martire described the diffi� culties of this philosophy as “an ongoing challenge.

In Kinkaid, we talk a lot about community, we talk a lot about One Kinkaid, yet we do a lot of sorting along the way. Starting when you apply, but even once you get in. We start sorting which math class, what role do you have, what playing time you get. It can be difficult be� cause there are occasions when a student wants to be able to do something in athletics, fine arts, or academics, and is unable to do so.”

Academics

Students feel hindered by the recommendation process In academics, balanced excellence can both expand and limit opportunities for student growth.

Kinkaid provides students with depth and breadth in its curriculum: teachers offer a wide array of classes, especially for seniors, and students also have the opportunity to explore specific subjects at a higher level through Honors and AP classes. Nonetheless, some students feel limited by the recommendation process that is necessary to pursue more challenging courses.

“I wanted to take AP U.S History in an effort to challenge myself and to be a more competitive candidate going into the college process. Unfortunately, after discussing this with my dean and the history

department, we came to the conclusion that I should stick with regular history,” Lena Provenzano (11) said disappointedly when discussing her experience trying to appeal a recommendation.

Another question is whether or not preparedness can simply be measured by grades.

Kinkaid students are constantly told they worry too much about their grades; however, when a student wants to try a more challenging course, some feel like they cannot attempt the course based on the recommendation they receive at the end of the year.

However, this is not necessarily true. Head of Upper School, Mr. Peter Behr, clarified the answer

to this concern: “I personally believe that a student who wants something enough should be allowed to stretch in a way that may be against a traditional recommendation based solely on grades alone.” He said that there is a “demonstrated motivation” component as well, meaning that a student’s drive to pursue a genuine interest in a particular subject area also plays a role in the recommendation process. This may provide students with a more optimistic outlook on the process as a whole.

December 13, 2017 | The Kinkaid Falcon | FEATURES 13

Arts and athletics

Students react to being cut from the stage and the field Similarly to academics, there are many different classes in the visual and performing arts ranging from Sculpture to Children’s Theatre that provide students with the ability to further develop their artistic skills. While the arts do provide students with vast opportunities, there are areas in which students who just want to participate are not able to. Theatre Company, Dance Company, and Encore historically have cut students, but in recent years all students were able to participate in the Upper School musical.

However, this year students were cut from the Crazy for You cast for the first time since the 2014 production of Once Upon a Mattress.

“Seniority didn’t play a big factor because so

many freshmen got put in the ensemble. Being cut as an upperclassman kind of sucked because we were in the play last year,” said Lara Lin (11) of her experience with the Upper School Musical.

While it is an unfortunate situation that not all students were able to participate, students do have the opportunity to take Children's Theatre during their junior and senior years.

“That’s what it was built for,” said Director of Visual and Performing Arts, Mr. Scott Lambert. “And, we have 56 arts classes that we offer during the day. The courses, and opportunity to audition for all three theatrical productions, offer students numerous ways to be involved in the Arts at Kinkaid,” Mr. Lambert said.

Like the musical, in JV sports, some students are cut from the program: “I worked very hard. I went to all the before school lacrosse practices, and ran the timed-mile in the freezing cold. It was frustrating how hard I worked, but was ultimately cut,” said Georgia Williams (12) of her freshman year experience being cut from the JV lacrosse team.

Along with cardio, new recreational versions of certain sports are starting to increase student athletic participation.

Tennis and golf are two of Kinkaid’s most highly competitive teams, and it is nearly impossible to make either of them if students are new to the sport. However, there is now both a golf and tennis recreational option for such students. This pro-

vides balance for two different types of students: those who simply want to be involved and those who strive for excellence at a higher level in athletics.

New Director of Athletics, Mr. David Holm, has many ideas on how to further increase participation in athletics.

“Areas that we are looking at right now to be able to expand athletic interests would be in sports medicine working with our trainers, if that is a possibility, and sports information. I envision someone being assigned to two or three teams during a season who would write blogs and work with our athletic department communications, which is a growing area career-wise, same with videography," Mr. Holm said.

Finding your place How to cope with not being the best While academics, arts, and athletics are each continuing to develop the concept of balanced excellence at Kinkaid, many students are also trying to figure out their place in the community when they are not the star. Is there room for anything other than excellence?

Mr. Behr commented on this question.

"Students at Kinkaid can not all be 'stars' in that traditional sense given that there can only be one lead, valedictorian, or starting field hockey goalie.

However, I hope that at Kinkaid, we can inspire all students to be the best versions of themselves, through grit and deter-

mination, through appropriate risk-taking, and through the cultivation of strong and supportive relationships," Mr. Behr said.

As Dr. Martire said, sorting is inevitable, especially in a school of Kinkaid's size, and when students' label themselves, it does have an emotional impact.

Upper School Counseling Psychologist, Dr. Laura Lomax-Bream, said she has noticed the feeling of “I’m not the best at anything” as a common theme among students who come to see her.

“We do specialize to some extent as we get older. We just don’t want to make people feel like you can’t possibly make a contribution if you’re not going to be the number one thing… We’re not always great at giving our kids the message that we value everyone’s participation and that showing up and doing something is

incredibly valuable,” said Dr. Lomax Bream.

“If only the best baseball player shows up, there is no team and there is no game. There’s no way they can play every position on the team and hit every time. The same is true for the show. If only the lead shows up, it’s not a show, it’s only a monologue.”

Balanced excellence may not be fully implemented at Kinkaid yet; however, the concept does provide a standard to strive for. In pursuit of fulfillment, Dr. Lomax-Bream said it is important for students to have ways in which to cope with not being the star.

“You want to make sure you have a place, where you go and feel like the people there, or the person there, depending on how lucky you are, values you for you and who you are, and not just what you can do,” Dr. Lomax-Bream said.

14 FEATURES | The Kinkaid Falcon | December 13, 2017

Robotics team gears up for months of competitions

BY ARMAN BADREI Since its inception in the 2012-2013 school year, the Kinkaid robotics program, made up of the VEX and FTC teams, has gradually emerged as a strong, competitive, and dedicated group.

These two teams are different in the manner of their competitions: while VEX teams are limited in the parts they are able to use, FTC permits competitors to utilize anything not on a designated ban list.

The parts of a VEX team are programmers, who give the robot commands, builders, who construct the robot and the driver, who puts it all into action during the pressure and intensity of matches.

Before competitive teams, robotics first came into existence at Kinkaid through an Interim Term class in 2005, taught by Upper School Technology Coordinator Mr. Harlan Howe. Due to its popularity, it quickly evolved into a regular class — Intro to Computer Science: Robotics — that remains part of a four-semester sequence, including Python, Processing, and iOS Programming.

Students in the class work to understand the combination of electronics, mechanics, and software required to make a robot function properly, and when first constructing their robots, they used LEGOs until switching to Arduino robots six years ago.

Under Mr. Howe, the robotics team was formed after requests from numerous students for a club or

extracurricular in which they could pursue this hobby. As a result, the Robotics Club surfaced, which followed the standard club system (A, B day) and competed in the VEX tournaments. The FTC team worked parallel to the club, although not a part of it, until the two teams recently merged into one cohesive program. As such, Kinkaid funds the program, and it is more comparable to an athletic team in terms of structure, time-commitment, and activities. However, the club still exists as a place for discussion and news of all things robotics.

The goals of the robotics program are to first understand and learn about robots, but more specifically, “learn the engineering that goes into making them,” Mr. Howe said. Furthermore, outreach both to other schools and to other grade levels is an important aspect of the program according to Mr. Howe.

Jamie Moseley (12), having been fascinated with robots his entire life, joined the FTC team in tenth grade.

He enjoys building robots, programming, and designing, and he contributes time to building the robots almost every day as well as on the weekends.

Moseley also felt strongly about the classification of robotics as a sport, extracurricular, or hobby. He considers it a sport, but not in the traditional sense, since there isn’t any physical athleticism.

However, “the time commitment and strategy needed to succeed in robotics is the same as a varsity sport, if not more since the season lasts

longer,” Moseley said. Furthermore, there’s “a sense of camaraderie,” he remarked, like that of a team.

Besides the time commitments, Moseley believes the psychology and mental competition alone qualify it as a sport: “Just like how Coach Larned might design a defense around a particularly skilled receiver, we might design or program our robot around being particularly strong against a specific type of robot.”

Moseley posed an example: “Last year, lightweight robots were popular because of their speed. Our robot was just as fast, but also really heavy. Because of this, we were able to use our weight to our advantage and prevent other teams from scoring by ‘nudging’ them away.”

With regards to the season, Moseley looks forward to regional competition, as it is at this level that the FTC team competes the most.

VEX Team Captain Isabel Gardner joined under interesting circumstances midway through her sophomore year.

“I was dragged to a VEX tournament, and I thought I was just there for moral support initially, but then they handed me a wrench. Then I started coming to builds and became part of the team. And now I’m team captain somehow,” she said.

For Gardner, robotics is about creative expression and freedom: “you can build whatever you think is best to build to meet a challenge.” She relishes the fact that “there aren’t really constraints.”

From September to April, the robotics season includes

various tournaments held at high schools around Houston. The nature of these tournaments involves a match between two alliances, composed of two randomly selected teams. As Moseley noted, “Your ally in one match could be an opponent in the next.” Matches usually last five minutes, and are the product of hours spent building and programming a winning machine.

Tournaments are stressful and labor-intensive according to Gardner. However, they also act as an assessment, a way to highlight weaknesses that need to be improved upon. “You can learn stuff

and then fill in those weaknesses,” Gardner said. And that complements Gardner’s goals for the season overall.

“I look forward to learning as much as we can because we’re still a relatively new and small team. I look forward to growth, recruiting people, and making a better base for next year’s VEX.” The robotics program currently has 18 members and aims to continue its growth as both the VEX and FTC team prepare for a busy winter season full of tournaments and competitions with their first one on Dec. 16.

Top left to top right: Seniors Julian Meyers and Jamie Moseley attach the programming onto their build. Bennett Mach (9) and Isabel Gardner (12) continue to design the build of their robot.

Bottom: Bennett Mach (9), Julian Meyers (11), Jamie Moseley (12), and Mr. Howe fine-tune their robot.

Families flooded by resovoir release take action

BY SALLY BUCK While Hurricane Harvey may seem only a memory for those who were not affected, for many families, the path back to normality seems longer than ever. Because the average price of a home in Houston stands at over $250,000, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has provided grants up to $31,400, many Houston families are taking action in lawsuits against the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers for the destruction of property as a result of the release of the Addicks and Barker Reservoirs in west Houston.

This additional compensation would help families afford to repair their homes and pay for temporary living arrangements.

The construction of the Addicks and Barker reservoirs was completed by the Army Corps of Engineers almost 100 years ago, in 1948, after a storm in 1935 left Houston flooded and eight people dead. Starting in the 1970s, the majority of dams were built to withstand the probable maximum flood levels. In 2010, the Corps

released docuof water and ments warning stayed flooded if water levels for 5 days. Our rose above the house is over 25-year flood fifty years old depths, the and has never dams were at flooded.” She risk of “cataadded that strophic failher neighbors ure,” labeling “had more like them as “exnine feet in tremely high their houses.” risk.” Because Daryl Hudeck rescues Cathy Pham and her young child.

Unlike houses of this, the that only floodPhoto courtesy of David Phillip.

Corps had paid ed during the rounding areas had already seventy-two hurricane, the begun, leaving no path out million dollars to update the water in the houses flooded for the residents of the neigh- by the release of the reserdams in 2019; however, Hurborhoods. ricane Harvey arrived before voir “sat there for five days,” Most of the flooding in the any improvements could be Ruthven said. areas surrounding Addicks made.

Perry Ruthven, her father, and Barker occurred because In the early hours of said “inverse condemnation of this water release. Lindi Monday morning, Aug. 28, is a term used in the law to Ruthven (9) is part of one of three days after Hurricane describe a situation in which Harvey initially hit the Texas the many families particithe government takes private pating in group lawsuits for coast with record rain levels, property, but fails to pay the inverse condemnation in orthe Army Corp of Engineers compensation required by der to receive money from the the fifth amendment. When announced that the release government for reconstrucof water from the Addicks [the Corps] released water tion. Ruthven said, “Before and Barker Reservoirs would from the Barker-Cypress the official announcement of begin. The water flow came and Addicks dams, they took dam releases, small amounts as a surprise to many, as the land by flooding it. Now no of water flowed in and then leak of Barker Reservoir was one argues that the Corps back out of our house. After not scheduled to start until of Engineers had to make a the official announcement the next day. By the time the hard decision to make sure of the Addicks dam release, sun rose, the flooding in surthat the dams didn’t break our house took on 27 inches

completely and cause damage widespread across Houston.

The big issue is that when they did flood the property down the stream, they need to compensate them.”

Many people filing for lawsuits do not believe the Corps did wrong in allowing their houses to flood, but they also believe that because the Corps intentionally flooded their property, even if it was for the greater good, they should be compensated. Lydia Patterson (10) is another student at Kinkaid whose house flooded. “I guess it makes sense and I can see their thought behind [releasing the dams], but only [the people in these neighborhoods] got hit,” Patterson said. “[Our house had] about five inches before [the release] but got up to three feet when the dam released, and stayed for 11 days,” Patterson says “We stayed for one night in the flood, but we went out by boat when the dam released.” While the rest of the city began post-storm clean up, all Patterson’s family could do was wait.

December 13, 2017 | The Kinkaid Falcon | FEATURES 15

Detention policy evaluated after first semester

BY CULLEY HARPER Many Kinkaid sophomores, juniors, and seniors know the feeling of waking up early on a Satuday morning to get to 8 a.m. detention, where they spend an hour picking up garbage and then working silently for the next three. However, due to a recent change in the handbook, this is no longer a weekly occurence.

Every year, the school handbook is tweaked to better serve the Kinkaid community. This year, one of the new policies was an updated detention code.

The policy in the handbook lists a new type of detention at Kinkaid: 30-minute detentions, for minor issues and are held before school on Tuesdays and after on Thursdays. If a student accumulates four of these 30-minute detentions, they are given a Saturday detention.

In the past, Saturday detentions were the primary type of detention, and detentions were assigned in increments of two to four hours.

Dean of students, Mr. Josh Ramey, said the reasoning behind changing the detention policy is that the old system was simply ineffective and that; “if it’s not working, you try to fix it. In the past, getting students to come to Saturday

detentions was the biggest problem. People would have lingering detentions, and they would accumulate these hours and we had people finishing the year with 80 plus hours that they had to make up. We had students the last two years who did not get their diplomas at graduation and had to come in during the summer to finish their detentions so they could get their diplomas.”

Mr. Ramey said that the policy has fixed this problem because “it’s during the week, so they don’t get pushed off.

People aren’t going out of town; people don’t have funerals or weddings. If someone misses Tuesday or Thursday, it’s because they are late to school or forgot, and they get another detention, but we haven’t had much of that. Every week, there’s maybe one or two people I have to email saying they didn’t come to detention.

There used to be this huge Google Doc that had everyone’s detention hours on it, and they would just keep on racking up. Now we don’t have that anymore. The bottom line is detention is a punishment; it shouldn’t be attended at the student’s leisure. Now, with the 30 minute detentions, it’s

a very minor punishment; the point is to get the student to stop doing what they were doing before.”

The policy has received both praise and criticism from students.

Myles Chandler (12) said, “I like the new policy a lot better because it’s only 30 minutes and we don’t have to get up early on Saturday. What I don’t like is that you can get detentions for stuff like dress code which used to be just a dress day.”

The handbook lists “dress code violations” as an acceptable reason for a detention; this has always been allowed, but was not necessarily enforced as an additional dress day was the typical punishment for dress code violations in the past.

Basil Iftikhar (12) is not a fan of the new policy. He said, “it is new but not improved. It still feels like [students] are getting in trouble unfairly.

I don’t think that teachers should be able to give out detentions so freely.”

Mr. Ramey agrees that detentions handed out by teachers have gone up, but doesn’t think that the total amount of detentions has risen. He

said, “Teachers always had the ability to give detentions and some did. There’s now a way for teachers to enter it online themselves, but it hasn’t really increased the overall number of detentions. The other thing is that with the 8:30 a.m. start, we have a lot less people being tardy, so I would imagine a lot of it has to do with the less amount of tardies.”

Detentions 1-3 30-minute Thursday detention Detention 4 Two-hour Saturday detention Detentions 5-7 30-minute Thursday detentions Detention 8 Two-Hour Saturday detention Detention 9 Day-Long In-house detention Detentions 10-12 30-minute detentions

Co-ed versus single-sex schools: Is one more effective?

BY KATIE ERIKSON The superiority of singlesex versus co-educational schools has been highly debated and researched for years, and although no hard evidence shows that one offers a better education, families and students have their own reasons for attending one instead of the other.

The Southwest Preparatory Conference (SPC), which Kinkaid is associated with, has three single-sex schools and 13 co-educational schools. Two of the single-sex schools are for boys, and one is for girls. Kinkaid interacts and competes with both co-educational and singlesex schools in sports, arts, and academics through SPC and the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest (ISAS). Neither the co-ed or the singlesex schools receive more accolades on average, so why would a family favor one kind of school rather than another?

A comparison of same-sex and co-ed schools in 2005 by the U.S. Department of Education concluded that the results from the academic comparison are mixed and not conclusive enough for the department to endorse either type of schooling, despite people’s personal opinions.While the academic rigor seems no

different between same-sex and coeducational schools, the environments of both schools differ in many ways.

To start, students, especially in girls’ schools, are more relaxed when it comes to dressing for school, according to teacher and coach Cheryl Mitchell, who taught lower, middle and upper school at Hockaday before moving to Kinkaid to teach middle and upperschoolers more than twenty years ago.Mrs. Mitchell recalled that at Hockaday, “they weren’t worried at all about how they looked when they came to school.”

Another difference involves the classroom interactions.

In Ms. Mitchell’s experience, “the girls at Hockaday came across as more assertive, and more willing to speak up and speak their mind, give their opinion,” said Ms. Mitchell.

She added that Hockaday emphasizes giving every student the confidence to speak up and to take on leadership opportunities, which is something that Kinkaid is trying to replicate through mandates such as requiring one boy and one girl from each grade to be elected to the Honor Council.

Casey Fleming, an Upper School English teacher, said she felt similarly about the all-women’s environment when she attended Smith College. “When I went

to visit a class there, one thing I did notice– this was true throughout my whole experience there– is that the way that young women spoke in class was different from the way they spoke in class when boys were with them, and it was noticeable.

They talked as if they had authority in their voice; they challenged each other,” said Mrs. Fleming. Though it may not be true for every single-sex school, both Ms. Fleming and Ms. Mitchell had similar experiences, though Ms. Fleming’s observations were at the collegiate level.

Ms. Mitchell has now taught at Kinkaid for more than 20 years and said she loves teaching both boys and girls. “I remember, especially when I was coming to Kinkaid, worrying what it would be like to have upper school boys in a classroom because I had never experienced that, and what surprised me the most is that I loved it. Just a different point of view, different sense of humor,” said Ms. Mitchell, “I was really impressed with the girls at Kinkaid; they seemed to just engage and lean in and especially in the Upper School … It doesn’t seem like [Kinkaid students] allow gender to impact their learning.”

When choosing colleges, the vast majority of students from Kinkaid end

up at co-ed universities.

“Not very many students from Kinkaid go to samesex schools, and I wish it were on people’s radar a little more,” said Mrs. Fleming, “I also think that there are those fears and stereotypes that [their] social life is going to be compromised, or [they are] not going to understand the culture… or people don’t understand the point.”

While the environment is certainly different at a single-sex college, Ms. Fleming added that the social stereotypes do not always ring true. “I think my [social life in college] was different, but not compromised,” said Mrs. Fleming. She said the environment also provides a sense of self-exploration for many who attend. “There is a kind of deep knowing of one’s self that happens when you are with people of your sex and gender.

It is something about the isolation that matters.”

It seems whether students are at a same-sex or co-ed school, as long as students are determined to learn, they will. “There is so much similarity in how hard the kids work,” said Ms. Mitchell. In her experience, “the students at Kinkaid and the students at Hockaday are [both] really committed to getting a good education.”

16 FEATURES | The Kinkaid Falcon | December 13, 2017

Sponsored by

Congratulations on Varsity Cross Country

SPC 2017 Honors!

December 13, 2017 | The Kinkaid Falcon | FEATURES 17

Mr. Ted Curry: Voice of the Falcons BYJORDAN JAFARNIA

“Welcome to the BeeYOU-ti-ful 65-acre suburban campus of the Kinkaid School, deep in the heart of Houston, Texas, where tonight YOUR Kinkaid Falcons take on the Mavericks of St. John’s in an exciting SPC counter contest,” the announcer declared at the Varsity football game, as he had for the past seven years.

Every other Friday night of the fall season at 7 p.m., Falcon fans rush to Kinkaid football game to cheer. The crowd waits for history teacher Mr. Ted Curry’s voice to boom across the field from the speakers, signaling the beginning of the game. Along with football, Mr. Curry announces for varsity basketball and track meets.

Growing up, Mr. Curry played football and basketball and ran track at Lanier Middle School. Playing at the middle school level and keeping up with the professional teams, Mr. Curry first learned the nature of sports.

He then attended the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (HSPVA) where he studied vocal music, but he did not participate in athletics in high school because his school did not offer a sports program. However, during his college years at Trinity University, Mr. Curry reentered the sports arena by participating in intramural sports, including flag football, basketball, and volleyball with his fraternity, Chi Delta Tau, in a friendly, less competitive environment. On and off the field, Mr. Curry has always surrounded himself with sports.

While Mr. Curry claims announcing sports is just a hobby compared to his teaching career, he still enjoys spending his time getting to know the players and calling their games. He took up this hobby in 1997, when he began teaching at St. John’s School.

While at St. John’s, the athletic division requested help from the faculty with sporting events. Unamused and freezing as he sat on the sidelines at a middle school football game, Mr. Curry could not help but listen in anguish to the announcer in the PA box.

“I was out in the freezing cold while this guy was

announcing the game with no idea what he was talking about,” Mr. Curry said.

Without much experience, Mr. Curry went to the athletic director’s office and volunteered to work the PA–partly because it was warm in the box but mostly because he wanted to try it out.

During Mr. Curry’s “trial run,” he announced for Middle School and JV sports. After proving his natural ability to engage the crowd and excite the players, Mr. Curry expanded his list to include varsity football, basketball, lacrosse, and track.

When he transitioned from St. John’s to Kinkaid, he knew he wanted to continue announcing sports games, but he did not want to take the position from someone already announcing. After expressing his interest to former headmaster Mr. Don North, he began announcing for JV teams and varsity girls’ basketball, which took home the first place SPC title, during his “audition year.”

After the positive effects of his hard work and passion for the games became apparent to both the athletes and spectators, the athletic director at the time, Mr. TJ Bath, gave Mr. Curry the position to announce for varsity sports.

Today, Mr. Curry is known as the “Voice of the Falcons” to Kinkaid sports’ fans. In addition to football, basketball, and track, he will also begin announcing varsity boys and girls’ lacrosse this spring.

When asked to describe the “Voice of the Falcons,” Coach Stacey Marshall said his voice is “distinctive and energetic.”

She added that Mr. Curry sets the atmosphere of a game “with good energy and a really good voice.” The way Mr. Curry announces sports at Kinkaid is unique because of his “Curry-isms,” such as the way he says “beautiful Barnhart Stadium.” “He always helps bring a creative verbalization of what is going on, adding to a good atmosphere,” said Coach Marshall.

Because Mr. Curry puts so much effort into making the game environments interesting, not only does the crowd enjoy the game more, but so do the players. “The number

Mr. Curry announces for the varsity girl’s basketball game against Duchesne. Photo by Jordan Jafarnia.

one reason why [his commentary] helps the athletes is because he is a good announcer. He is not distracting, and he keeps the game flowing,” Head Football Coach Nathan Larned said.

He also builds relationships with the teams and he announces for. Mr. Curry said, “It puts me in contact with a broader cross section with the student section rather than just AP U.S. history. It also gives me a chance to watch people grow and improve through the entire course of their high school career.”

Because he cares so much about the players on and off the field and court, Mr. Curry shows that he’s really passionate about announcing sports and getting to know the players.

Mr. Curry said that football and basketball are tied for first on his list of favorite sports to announce. During football games, he sits in the PA box above the field without much of a perspective of the crowd and student section.

In basketball, however, Mr. Curry sits at half-court, surrounded by all of the action.

During the basketball game versus Episcopal High School a few years ago, Mr. Curry recalls a player’s mother sitting right behind him, cheering and screaming

Kinkaid students cheer on the football team at the homecoming game. Photo by Jordan Jafarnia.

the entire game. He said he missed that from the stadium box: “You don’t get that intimacy in football because you are not there in the action.”

Curry looks at the opportunity to announce lacrosse games with a positive, exciting mindset. He said the nature of the lacrosse games is very different from the other sports he announces for. For example, while announcing St. John’s boys’ varsity lacrosse games, Mr. Curry was once threatened by a mom of an opposing team in the parking lot. On another occasion, a mother from another high school tried to climb into the PA box.

“I don’t know what about lacrosse makes people so crazy,” said Mr. Curry, laughing. Despite this, Curry said he loves the energy of the lacrosse games and is excited to announce for Kinkaid.

Throughout his sports announcing career, Mr. Curry is proud to have made only a few mistakes. One vivid memory he said that is etched in his mind occurred at St. Johns, during the first football game after their mascot changed from the Rebels to the Mavericks.

“I called for the Rebels five or six times during the first half of the game until finally, at halftime the headmaster

came up to the PA box and said, ‘I don’t know if you missed the memo, but we’re not the Rebels anymore,” said Mr. Curry.

Despite his love for and dedication to the “Voice of the Falcons,” Mr. Curry, has taken up other commitments and said that he might not be able to continue announcing for Kinkaid sports much longer.

If other teachers or students are interested in assisting him with the job, he encourages them to try it out.

He suggested that students should start live Internet broadcasting the games again as they did when he entered Kinkaid. He also put an offer in the Kinkaid Auction years ago for a student to announce the first half of the Episcopal game in order to give students the opportunity to experience the game from a different perspective.

The players and spectators seem to enjoy Mr. Curry’s exciting additions to the game environment at Kinkaid. Varsity basketball player Chloe Hunter (11) said, “Mr. Curry does a really good job keeping up with the players on and off the court. His friendly attitude and passion while announcing the games make them more interesting and exciting for everyone.”

18 ENTERTAINMENT | The Kinkaid Falcon | December 13, 2017

entertainment

In a record breaking hurricane season, the U.S. experiences three destructive hurricanes: Harvey, Irma, and Maria

Aug. 8 The Walt Disney Company announces plans to create its own streaming service, cancelling ties with Netflix.

Oct. 27 The hit TV show, Stranger Things, releases season two.

Jun. 16 Amazon announces it is buying Whole Foods.

Feb. 26 La La Land is mistakenly awarded Best Picture, which is later given to Moonlight, at the 89th Oscars award ceremony.

A Year

celebs

Sep. 26 Kylie Jenner, Kim Kardashian, and Khloe Kardashian are all reportedly expecting babies in 2018.

2017

highlight

vs.

in Review

BY MARLEY ORANGE & MEGAN RILEY

Nov. 27 Prince Harry proposes to Meghan Markle.

May 22 Beyoncé gives birth to twins, Rumi and Sir Carter.

Jan. 21 Women’s March fights for equality around the world.

Aug. 21 A solar eclipse casts a shadow over the United States.

sports

Jan. 20 President Donald Trump is inaugurated.

Oct. 2 Tom Petty dies of cardiac arrest at age 66.

May 22 A suicide bombing takes place at Ariana Grande concert in Manchester.

Oct. 1 The Las Vegas shooting, the deadliest mass shooting in recent history.

Nov. 1 Astros win their first World Series after 55 years.

Oct. The #MeToo movement takes twitter by storm.

Feb. 5 The New England Patriots win the Super Bowl 34-28 against the Atlanta Falcons

lowlight

Aug. 12 “Unite the Right” marches in Charlottesville, Virginia.

the good

the bad

the ugly

Nov. 7 Twitter increases its character count from 140 to 280.

Jan. 17 The app Vine shuts down after five years.

Fads such as fidget spinners and slime gain popularity on social media, sparking heated debate.

December 13, 2017 | The Kinkaid Falcon | ENTERTAINMENT 19

Pop Culture Chart

The Pop Culture Chart: Where we get to know the Kinkaidian tastes and takes on the talk around campus.

BY MADI BABINE & EMMA GILLIAM

What is at the top of your gift list?

“Not being a Freshman.”

- Sarah Snoots (9)

“A girlfriend.”

- Nicholas Dillon (10)

“Cash.”

- Alex Frumovitz (11)

“Assassin’s Creed: Origins.”

- Michael Horne (12)

What is your weirdest holiday tradition?

“My brother, Josh, and I dress up as minions and go Hanukkah caroling.”

- Daryn Mehling (9)

“We eat my Irish Grandma’s Mexican Food every Christmas Eve.” - Anya Bourein (10)

“My family listens to the entire J.B. Christmas album before we open presents.”

- Diego Ramos (11)

What is your most embarrasing moment of 2017?

“Wearing a chicken costume at the Murchinson’s.”

- Jon Jafarnia (9)

“It was two songs before I realized that my headphones weren’t plugged into my phone while I was sitting in the library.

- Bennett Wagnon (10)

“Finding out that the Squawk Box isn’t anonymous.”

- Kate Carmain (11)

“My sister and cousins and grandma wear matching onesies and play mahjong.”

- Ava Lubetkin (12)

“When my car ran out of gas at school and I blocked the whole right turn lane.”

- Mackenzie Zarr (12)

The Illustrated Interview with seniors Jonathon Thomas & Bennett Sikes JONATHON

Draw yourself.

Draw your dream job.

Draw your last dream.

Draw your favorite sports team.

Draw your dream job.

Draw your last dream.

Draw your favortie sports team.

BENNETT

Draw yourself.

20 SPORTS | The Kinkaid Falcon | December 13, 2017

Kinkaid finishes strong fall season

BY CHARLES GARRISON & AYUSH KRISHNAMOORTI After hard fought seasons, Kinkaid was well represented by their fall teams with impressive performances in the SPC tournament, including multiple first place finishes.

SPC weekend was filled with different teams all vying for the coveted first place spot. All teams from Kinkaid made their way into their respective tournaments, following dominant regular seasons. Both boys and girls volleyball teams finished in 7th place, and boys Ccoss country ended in 8th place.

Girls cross country recieved second place while the Field Hockey and Football teams reigned supreme, both winning their respective SPC tournaments.

Field Hockey finished with a thrilling win over Trinity Valley in penalty strokes. The football team capped off their season, beating Episcopal 38-21 at TDECU stadium, claiming the championship.

Finishing with an impressive 7-3 regular season record, the Football team suffered only one SPC loss to Episcopal early in the season, with a final score of 37-27.

Head Coach Nathan Larned said that the reason they lost that game was because of the many turnovers: “[Kinkaid] had four turnovers on offense and two on special teams, and yet it was such a close game. So we knew we could play with them, unlike 2015.”

He compared preparing for the SPC game to a “good little chess match” and said that the strategy was just to relax and eliminate distractions. Their strategy clearly succeeded, as Kinkaid dominated with a 38-21 win at TDECU stadium.

Defining moments included a blocked kick and multiple stops on Jaylen Waddle, star receiver at Episcopal. Larned said his

personal favorite moment was “Wyatt Young’s run where he trucked a guy,” which, he felt, proved that they could play with Episcopal. While it didn’t take the same miracle as 2015, this year’s title was just as exciting and important.

Football was not the only fall sport in which the Falcons finished in first place.

The field hockey team took home the first place trophy for the first time since 1999, ending an 18-year drought.

They boasted a regular season record of 9-3, as well as a perfect 8-0 record against SPC opponents.

After starting their season 2-3, the team never looked back, riding an incredible seven-game winning streak into the SPC tournament.

On Thursday, Nov. 9, the field hockey team headed to Trinity Valley School in Fort Worth to compete for the SPC title. In the tournament, Kinkaid started off by facing Episcopal School of Dallas in the quarterfinals, beating them 2-1.

They prevailed in the semifinals as well, winning 1-0 against arch-rival St. John’s. Prior to the tournament, Kinkaid had faced St. John’s three times, twice outside of league play and one time within league play, going 1-2 in total.

Kinkaid clinched the SPC South Zone championship and number one seed for the SPC tournament a week prior to the SPC tournament, beating St. John’s 4-2. “[Kinkaid] was anticipating St. John’s in the championship, as they were a very difficult opponent and had multiple players committed to college for field hockey” said goalkeeper Annabel Skubisz (10).

While the game against St. John’s may have been the most forecasted, the win against Trinity Valley in the finals was probably the most exciting.

As the game went into

penalty strokes, a series of one on one showdowns between the goalie and the shooters after double overtime ended scoreless.

Skubisz described the experience as stressful and said that the whole team’s drive was needed to win the final game. She stayed calm and focused, leading to three saves and ultimately, a victory in the SPC championship.

The 2-1 victory against Trinity Valley was a thriller, ending a fantastic season that can hopefully be repeated next year.

Cross country, on the other hand, ended in second and eigth places. After many top finishes throughout the year, both boys and girls’ cross country runners placed well individually in the Saturday morning SPC race in Fort Worth.

Head coaches Ryan Gillentine and Cheryl Mitchell called the SPC course “one of the hardest courses of the year, because of the hills.”

In Houston, hill training has grown harder because Hurricane Harvey wiped out many parks, hindering the runners from access to the necessary training to successfully complete the SPC course.

Despite the difficulty of the course, many runners on the boys’ cross country team ran close to their best times of the year, with DZ Zavitsanos (12) finishing in sixth place, and Socs Zavitsanos (12) finishing well within the top 15.

Additionally, seniors Minhhy Truong and Paul Thompson ran personal season records as did freshman Duncan Lambert. The other senior on the team, Andres Melendez, also played a key role in the finish by coming in as the third spot for Kinkaid. All of this contributed to their eigth place finish.

The girls team had a strong second place finish to Hockaday. Camila Vicens

(10) and Alexandra Blake (10) finished in the top 10, and senior Ali Ammons finished in twelfth place.

Freshman Olivia Fowler set a personal record and, along with two other freshmen, Jalen Elrod and Alison Zhang, finished in the top 50. With so much young talent on both teams, next year’s cross country season looks as if it can top this year’s great season.

The volleyball teams had good seasons, both finishing with one win in their tournaments and in overall in seventh place.

Girls volleyball, led by seniors Lauren Ho, Julia Lasater, and Nia Caldwell, finished their season with a winning record in both SPC play and overall. A loss to the eventual finalists, Houston Christian, sent the girls into the consolation bracket, where they won a game against Greenhill before losing to St. John’s.

As for the boys team, while having a losing record both in SPC and overall, they did well against the eventual finalists, Casady, but unfortunately lost too.

Then, they lost to St. John’s, before gaining a victory against Episcopal.

Overall, both the boys and girls volleyball teams excelled in SPC, a definite improvement from last year, where the girls’ team missed the tournament The Kinkaid Falcons’ fall teams came to play in the SPC tournaments with field hockey and football coming home as SPC champions. The tournament also included some outstanding individual performances, such as the multiple boys and girls having top 15 times in the cross country race.

NOTABLE SENIORS WR and DB Johnathon Thomas blocked one of Episcopal’s field goals, shifting the momentum of the game in Kinkaid’s favor.

Ali Ammons was the third runner of the Girls’ Cross Country team and finished in 12th place.

Ellie Bolin scored four goals in the Girls Field Hockey SPC championship game.

Lauren Ho had a set wining spike to the corner during the Girls’ Volleyball team’s last match.

Andres Melendez played a key role as the third man of the Boys Cross Country team.

Football Record: 7-3 (5-1) SPC Finish: 1st

Field Hockey Record: 9-3 (8-0) SPC Finish: 1st

Girls Cross Country South Zone: 1st SPC Finish: 2nd

Boys Volleyball Record: 5-13 (1-6) SPC Finish: 7th

Girls Volleyball Record: 10-8-1 (1-1) SPC Finish: T-7th

Boys Cross Country South Zone: T-3rd SPC Finish: 8th

21 SPORTS | The Kinkaid Falcon | December 13, 2017

winter sports

preview

As first semester comes to an end, Kinkaid winter sports teams are determined to win SPC, and they are willing to go great lengths in order to accomplish these goals.

Athletes are traveling across the country to compete. The wrestling team will face tough competition against schools like Blaire Academy and Wyoming Seminary in the 2018 Prep Nationals in Lehigh, PA. Girls varsity basketball will spend their winter break at a national tournament in Oakland, CA, while the varsity soccer and swim teams will be competing in cities throughout Texas. After Winter Break, varsity boys and girls soccer as well as varsity boys and girls basketball will compete in their first SPC counter games against Houston Christian on Jan. 12, 2018.

The varsity girls basketball team has a 12-1 record and are seeking to defend their 2017 SPC Champion title. This week, Jasmine Smith (12) was named the “Chron’s Girl Player of the Week” for the second year in a row by the Houston Chronicle.

The varsity boys basketball team has a 7-6 record and plans on competing in three more major tournaments during the break: the Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas, the Kingwood tournament, and the Lutheran South tournament.

While they will not be competing over Winter Break, the varsity boys and girls soccer teams have maintained steady records so far this season. The boys’ record is 2-4-1 and the girls’ record is 3-0-1.

The swimming and diving teams recently participated in the Tomball Bigcat Invite. The girls swim team is off to a strong season and are training to maintain their SPC title from last year.

With two All-Americans on the team, the boys wrestling team is off to good start. They placed 14th at the Woodlands Tournament this season. They plan on competing in the Doc Hess Tournament in Bryan, TX, over the break.

“We’re pretty clearly the best of the best.

We play to have fun and as a result we’re unstoppable.”

- Zachary Lewitton (12)

BY ALLISON FAVALORO & JORDAN JAFARNIA

“I’m hyped to go to Nationals and give one final blaze of glory before I start my college career.”

- Edward Chamblee (12)

“The best moment of our season so far was catching up to St. John’s in our game then finally scoring two more goals in a .20 second time span to win the game.”

- Emily Arcidiacono (12)

“The guys can catch 7th place if we really pull through. All six of the guys are looking pretty strong too.”

- William Miner (12)

“The team has been doing really well in practice.

We will be going into SPC with confidence!”

- Audrey Orange (11)

“Obviously we want to win, but we also want to be known as the team that works hard for each other from start to finish.”

- Julia Lasater (12)

“I am looking foward to coming together with my team and hopefully winning SPC.” - Lucas Wilkins (10)

22 SPORTS | The Kinkaid Falcon |December 13, 2017

Rockets blast off to top of NBA

Explosive scoring paves way for Harden and Co.

BY MAC FRIDAY Coming into the 2017-18 NBA season, the Houston Rockets sought to be one of the most star-studded and powerful teams in the modern era of super teams throughout the NBA. The dynamic duo of Rockets superstar, James Harden, and new addition, nine-time All-Star Chris Paul, was irresistible on paper. However, Paul fell early in the season due to a bruised left knee, and questions arose about whether or not the team would be able to continue performing well without him, as they had done in the years before.

With Paul down, Harden answered the call in historic fashion. Two of the best performances of his career occurred within the period when Paul was out. On Nov. 5, in a game against the Utah Jazz, Harden assumed a heavy workload and proved absolutely spectacular without Paul. Harden scored a career-high of 56 points, seven out of eight coming from threepoint range, with an overall field goal percentage of 76 percent. To add to his own scoring, Harden dished the ball to his teammates for 13 assists in the

137-110 rout of the Jazz. Harden’s mind-blowing performance placed him in company with Wilt Chamberlain as the only players in NBA history to score over 50 points with 10 or more assists, while shooting above 75 percent from the field. But, Harden wasn’t done just yet.

Enter the kings of the Eastern Conference, the Cleveland Cavaliers. After three straight title appearances against the Golden State Warriors, Lebron James and Co. were not playing at their best. A losing streak of four games prior to the matchup with Houston was a complete stunner to not only the Cleveland organization, but to the entire league. How could a superteam with multiple All-Stars, three consecutive finals appearances, and one of the greatest players of all time have a losing record at any point during the season? Well, on this Nov. 9 matchup, that was the case (since then they have righted the ship, going 14-1 since the matchup and are third in the East). Although the Cavs were vulnerable, any team with Lebron James is a team to be feared.

Once again, Harden showed

why he is one of the best players in the NBA, racking up a triple-double, scoring 35 points, pulling in 11 rebounds, and passing for 13 assists. Despite Harden’s brilliance on the score sheet, his large workload deemed him relatively ineffective in the last 10 minutes of the game, opening the door for the young center, Clint Capela, to rise to the occasion. Capela has been brilliant thus far and showed his growth as a player in this contest, being the only Rocket to score in the last 10 minutes of the game and finishing with 19 points, 13 rebounds, and four blocks.

Fast forward through victories over the Indiana Pacers and the Memphis Grizzlies, and a loss to the Toronto Raptors, the Rockets found themselves matched up with the Phoenix Suns featuring a healthy Chris Paul ready to take the floor. The effect of having Paul back was notable. The Rockets fired on all cylinders, scoring 90 points in just the first half, making 60 percent of their shots and matching the second most points scored in a half in NBA history. Harden scored

James Harden hypes up the Houston crowd and his Rockets teammates. Photo by Yi-Chen Lee/Houston Chronicle.

48 points, and Paul scored 10 points and passed for 10 assists in a limited effort to build him back up to a normal workload. Since Paul’s return on Nov. 16, the team has been unstoppable, with a perfect 10-0 record. Paul’s minutes have steadily increased along with his production, but not in the way you might think.

Both Harden and Paul are still figuring out how to play together, but with one on the floor at a time, they are much more productive. Coach Mike

D’Antoni has staggered Harden and Paul’s minutes, so when Harden needs a rest, Paul fills in for him. This matchup of Paul and Harden switching out to combat opponent’s second teams is the X-factor for the Rockets, yielding explosive results. Other players such as Capela, Trevor Ariza, Ryan Anderson, and new acquisition Luc Mbah a Moute, have provided quality minutes and lots of scoring to push the Rockets through mupltiple wins and the league’s best record of 21-4.

Best fantasy basketball lineups

Picks for a winning fantasy team

BY WILSON KELSEY

The NBA is full of stars – some old and some up and coming . Here are my picks for the best fantasy basketball team. The following player assignments are a rundown of the best possible lineup you could have along with some rising stars with great potential, according to current stats:

Point Guard: Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City) Coming off an MVP season during which he averaged a triple double, Russell Westbrook is already at the top of most fantasy basketball player rankings; however, there is potential for new additions Paul George and Carmelo Anthony to cause Westbrook to have a dropoff in output. The two All-Stars could potentially hamper Westbrook’s production.

Expect Westbrook to have slightly less impressive stats due to his new teammates.

Shooting Guard: James Harden (Houston)

Small Forward: Kevin Durant (Golden State)

James Harden, moving back to the shooting guard position after an experimental season at point guard where he averaged 29 points and 11 assists, has the potential to be an even more explosive scorer. The Rockets’ addition of Chris Paul should lead to many more scoring opportunities for Harden.

Expect Harden to average more points and more assists this season as he attemps to win his first MVP award.

With a big transition from OKC to Golden State, Kevin Durant has experienced slightly less impressive scoring numbers.

However, he still averages 25 points per game, above average for a small forward. Durant is coming off a year in which he earned Finals MVP. Expect him to average more or less the same numbers as last season due to the fact that Golden State has not made many big changes to their championship-caliber roster.

Honorable Mentions: PG Kyrie Irving (BOS) SG Devin Booker (PHX) SF Kawhi Leonard (SA) PF/C Nikola Jokic (DEN) C Clint Capela (HOU)

Power Forward: Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee)

Power Forward/Center: Anthony Davis (New Orleans)

“The Greek Freak,” as he is affectionately called

by NBA fans, is turning 23 this month and entering his fourth season in the league. Each year, he has seen a significcant increase to his scoring numbers by four or more points. The 6-foot-11, 220 pound kid from Greece should have his best season yet this year. Expect him to average somewhere near 30 points, 11 rebounds, two blocks and two steals this year.

The first three players were all veterans who played for the Western Conference Champions Thunder of 2012. Anthony Davis, however, is a younger guy who has potential to light up the league. He is only 24 and is coming off a season where he averaged 28 points and 11 rebounds. Despite his youth, he has already had multiple All-Star selections and All-NBA team selections. Expect him to continue to be great and even improve in the next couple of years.

23 SPORTS | The Kinkaid Falcon | December 13, 2017

Dynamo makes an incredible playoff run 14 Goals by Mauro Manotos, one of the pickups over the offseason

14

Goals by Torres, Erick Torres also one of the pickups over the offseason

76 (6) Saves (shutouts) by Deric, the Tyler Deric starter for the last three years

Photos via Google Images.

BY AYUSH KRISHNAMOORTI

After dismantling Sporting Kansas FC and upsetting the Portland Timbers, the Dynamo’s loss to the Seattle Sounders was a disappointing ending to an amazing playoff run.

The Dynamo started off the season on fire with six wins, three losses, and a tie, but the team hit a cold streak throughout the months of July and August. The intensity picked up as the Dynamo risked missing the playoffs for the fourth straight year. However, they turned their season into an exciting one with multiple wins against Sporting Kansas FC at the end of the season, putting them ahead and ready for the playoffs.

After qualifying with a winning record, the Dynamo played at home against Sporting Kansas FC due to their better record. The first 90 minutes were filled with

scoreless action, including numerous dangerous threats by Sporting Kansas that were thwarted by Dynamo goalkeeper Tyler Deric. Three minutes into extra time came the sole goal of the game by Alberth Elis, which was a swift finish off after a fantastic pass by Vicente Sanchez.

In the home-and-away games against the number one seed Portland Timbers, the Dynamo finished their home game 0-0, meaning that even a 1-1 tie in the away game would give them a victory. However, the Dynamo outdid this with a 2-1 victory in Portland, which included a 21-yard strike from team leader Mauro Manotas to defender Dylan Remick. Sadly for the Dynamo, their nine-game streak ended abruptly in the next game against the Seattle Sounders. Two goals - one early in the first half and one late in the game -all but gave the series to the Sounders. Not even goalkeeper Joe Willis could save the Dynamo,

and despite a fantastic save off a penalty, he gave up two goals. To top off the defeat, the Dynamo lost to the Seattle Sounders in Seattle 3-0, which fully eliminated them from the playoffs.

On a rather good note, the Dynamo have potential for next year. While many credit defender DaMarcus Beasley for leading the team, others credit the young players, who truly dominated.

Forwards Erick Torres, Mauro Manotas, and Alberth Elis combined

for 34 goals throughout the regular season and have massive potential, as only two were started on any given game. Additionally, a strong midfield, with growing star Alex, team captain Ricardo Clark, and veterans Boniek García and Andrew Wenger combined for 19 assists. However, a weak defense has let up 48 goals, which puts them in sixth in terms of goals conceded, a statistic that is usually reserved for teams that miss the playoffs. The leaders on the team can make the Dynamo great next year, and Dynamo fans should remain hopeful for another championship run next year, when the

Houston Dynamo will win.

Team USA’S pursuit of gold in PyeongChang Olympic hopefuls and veterans seek redemption and continue quest for success in the 2018 Winter Olympics

BY LILY GUNN

The year 2017 may be nearing its end, but winter athletes around the world are just getting started. 62 days from now, on Feb. 9, the 2018 Winter Olympics will commence in PyeongChang, South Korea. While many have already guaranteed themselves a spot in the games, eligible Russian athletes now hope to receive invitations from the International Olympic Committee (IOC). After winning 28 medals in Sochi in 2014 (an eight medal decrease from 2010), Team USA is looking for redemption. Team trials began last February with the start of the Snowboarding World Cup and will conclude in January with the Mammoth Grand Prix, completing Team USA’s roster of 245 athletes.

On Dec. 5, in a press conference with IOC President Thomas Bach, the suspension of the Russian National Olympic Committee — a response to Russia’s violation of the Anti-Doping Lab at the Sochi Games in 2013 — was announced. Under strict qualification rules put in place to provide a level playing field, Russian athletes have the opportunity to be invited to compete in PyeongChang.

If invited, “they will compete with a uniform bearing th[e] name [Olympic Athlete from Russia] and under the Olympic Flag,” the IOC said at the press conference. The qualifications, made by the

IOC Executive Board, state that the athlete must qualify for their respective sport, have not violated the Anti-Doping Rules, and pass any other test requirements.

Russian athletes that were on the podium in Sochi have been stripped of their medals, resulting in elevated podium positions for many other athletes. “[The IOC] will now look for opportunities to make up for the moments they have missed on the finish line or on the podium”, Said Bach. With the start of the games looming close, eligible Russian athletes hope to claim a place for themselves in the games.

Lindsey Vonn, the first woman on Team USA to win gold in Downhill Skiing in the 2010 games, is making a triumphant return to the Olympic stage after eight years. Due to a serious injury to her right knee, Vonn was unable to compete in the 2014 games. In an interview with former Today Show journalist Natalie Morales, Vonn said, “For me, it’s not just a question of, ‘Will I be ready?’ It’s just, ‘Will I be healthy?’ That’s my main goal.” However, despite her many injuries, Vonn comes into the games confident after her recent Downhill Skiing World Cup victory, a confirmation that she remains a force to be reckoned with. “I hope there’ll be plenty of news reports about my medals,” she told Morales. Looking

for success in her return to the Olympic games, Lindsey Vonn is one to watch in PyeongChang.

Shaun White may be the top halfpipe snowboarder, but after two devastating runs that kept him off the podium in Sochi, he is looking for Olympic redemption. Known for his “Double McTwist 1260,” a move comprised of three twists and two flips that placed him on the top of the podium at the Vancouver Winter Olympics in 2010, White’s routines in the games should be sensational.

However, his impressive trophy collection does not guarantee him a spot on Team USA. Winning the first qualifying event, White gave himself an early lead, but he needs to continue his success this month in the next four events.

White’s journey to the games is far from over and the veteran continues to impress on his road to redemption.

For 22-year-old Mikaela Shiffrin, these games are an opportunity to defend her titles and make history. Born and raised in Vail, CO, Shiffrin has spent her life working to join the ranks of the elite female Alpine skiers. In her rookie season, 17-year-old Shiffrin won her first ‘small crystal globe’ at the FIS World Ski Championships in slalom. Her success continued at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, where she won the gold medal in women’s slalom, becoming the youngest

U.S. woman to win gold in the event. Topping her impressive victories, Shiffrin won two more ‘small crystal globes’ in 2015 and 2017, defending her title three times in a row. But she did not stop there: Shiffrin won her first ‘big crystal globe’ as the 2017 FIS World Ski Championships overall champion.

In an interview after winning her Olympic gold medal in 2014, Shiffrin said she was “dreaming of … winning five gold medals [in the next Olympics].” At the time, this feat seemed nearly impossible, but after an impressive 2017 season in slalom and giant slalom is taking big Shiffrin making her steps to a dream reality.

With one Olympic gold medal and 33 World Cup race victories, Shiffrin enters 2018 Olympic the Games on top with all odds in her favor.

Can the men’s bobsled team succeed in PyeongChang despite the absence of pilot Steven Holcomb?

This question been has hanging over the heads of the U.S. men’s bobsled team since the death

of 32-year-old Steven Holcomb on May 6, 2017. A member of the team for 20 years, Holcomb proved to be a pivotal member of the team. Holcomb led the four man “Night Train” team to gold at the 2010 games, achieving the first U.S. bobsled win since 1948.

Although he hoped to usher the team into another gold medal at the 2014 games, the team earned bronze. However, Holcomb and his teammate Steven Langton, did, however, end the 62-year dry-spell for Team USA by winning bronze in the two man race at the 2014 games. In his absence, the pressure to continue the team’s success is on. “It’s been a challenge for the team to move forward without the security of knowing we could count on Steven Holcomb to pull us through,” said USA Bobsledding CEO Darrin Steele in an interview with the United States Olympic

Committee. A win at the games would be pure bliss for this team, but no matter the outcome, the U.S. men’s bobsled team will preserve Holcomb’s legacy.

24 SPORTS | The Kinkaid Falcon | December 13, 2017

Athletes sign to play at collegiate level

BY STERLING ELIAS & OLIVIA MARRUS Cole Hammer began playing golf at age three and always dreamed of going to the University of Texas. “I always had ambitions to be a collegiate athlete, but it wasn’t until seventh grade that I decided that golf would be my primary sport,” he said. Hammer had also been very active in baseball growing up. Cole received his first offer to play collegiate golf in eighth grade. Coaches watched him at various tournaments in seventh and eighth grade, and after one visit to SMU and two visits to UT, he knew which choice to make. Cole was relieved to sign, because he had been looking forward to this day since he first committed in eighth grade. He said his favorite moment throughout his golf and recruiting career so far was playing in the 2015 US Open. He plans to play professionally after college.

Caroline Hanan started playing club field hockey at the end of eighth grade. In order to be seen by recruiters, Hanan attended many showcase tournaments and sent emails to colleges she was interested in. During her sophomore year, she began going to clinics and unofficial visits, and that was when she got her first offer. Her first offer came in the spring of her sophomore year, she then was offered by her future school, Duke University. Later that spring, after her unofficial visit, she was sold on the Blue Devils. Hanan said that a school that was strong in both academics and athletics was important to her; being surrounded by supportive coaches and players was also a major factor in her decision. Hanan enjoyed getting to know other players across the country and making new friendships throughout the process.

Jae LeDee received his first offer in eighth grade.

Ohio State, the school he ultimately chose, offered him a scholarship in his sophomore year. LeDee has been playing basketball since fourth grade, and by fifth grade, he knew he wanted to be a collegiate athlete. He chose Ohio State his senior year, and his decision came through discussions with his family over time. Of the recruitment process, LeDee said “The recruiting process was long yet fun, and I loved it.” After five long years of debating offers, LeDee said it felt great to finally sign. He added that his favorite thing about the recruiting process was all the coaches and schools pursuing him throughout the years.

He hopes to play for (blank) one day.

Jasmine Smith began playing basketball in fifth grade, and she knew from the beginning that she wanted to play in college. She received her first offer at the beginning of her freshman year, but Rice, the college she chose, didn’t offer her a spot on their roster until the summer after her freshman year.

It took her until the next summer to decide that Rice was the place for her. “Academia was important when choosing a school. I knew I wanted to be a part of the Rice Family with my coaches and teammates after visiting them the first time. It’s sort of a gut feeling; I couldn’t see myself at another school,” said Smith. The recruiting process was pretty hectic for Smith, as she was always on the phone talking to a coach.

She said she was relieved and happy on signing day, as this meant she had finally gotten into college. She is unsure of whether or not she will play professionally after college.

Belle Martire received her first offer at the beginning of her sophomore year.

William and Mary, the school she eventually chose, made her an offer the summer after her sophomore year. She began playing lacrosse when she was five years old, and she knew by middle school that she wanted to play in college. When speaking of William and Mary, Martire said “I fell in love with W&M the second I stepped on campus, and I immediately knew it was where she wanted to go.” The recruiting process was full of emails, phone calls, travel, and camps for Martire. She was so excited to finally join the Tribe on signing day. Her favorite moment was the day W&M offered her, as she knew all her hard work finally paid off.

She does not plan on playing lacrosse after she graduates college.

BY BRADY BRAZDA Led by sophomore quarterback Jalen Hurts, the Crimson Tide has been fantastic through the first half of the season. With blowout wins against top SEC schools, Alabama looks to be hunting for their fifth national championship win under head coach Nick Saban. On the defensive side of the ball, Alabama has lost some key pieces to their puzzle due to injuries their top linebackers faced early in the season.

Down the road, Alabama will need to find a fix, or they will be seriously in trouble when facing high-powered offenses such as Oklahoma. On offense, the Tide have established the run game with running back Damien Harris. With close to 1000 yards this season, Harris has given the Tide a spark on the offensive side of the ball.

The dark horse of college football has shocked everyone this season. Georgia has been on a roll since the first snap of the year. With a powerful running game led by Nick Chubb and Sony Michel, the Bulldogs have been running rampant on their opponents. The Dawgs have only one loss to Auburn in the SEC division. Georgia beat Auburn in the SEC title game to secure their playoff spot. In this game, the Dawgs maintained great field position which helped freshman Jake Fromm keep the offense on track.

Looking forward, their next game versus Oklahoma will be a hard-fought battle.

Oklahoma has one of the best offenses in college football but lacks a SEC caliber defense. Georgia has one of the best defenses in the SEC which might be a problem for Mayfield and the Sooners.

NCAA playoff preview The reigning champions, the Clemson Tigers, are looking to win their second consecutive national championship. All phases of the game have been under control for the tigers. With a weak offense, Quarterback Kelly Bryant has been consistently leading his team to wins. Using his running backs in the pass game, Bryant has not been under that much duress.

The defensive side of the ball is even more impressive from last year. With a stellar front seven, the tigers have been able to sack their opponent’s quarterbacks and force turnovers. Ranking number eight overall in total team defense, the defense puts the ball back into the offense’s hands. Playing Alabama in the first round of the playoffs, Clemson should win this match up again. The methodical offensive plays that Clemson has will overpower an eager Alabama defense.

Baker Mayfield has had yet another Heisman candidate season. He led the Sooners to a strong record of 11-1. With his cockiness, Mayfield put up 37 touchdowns and threw another 4097 yards in the air. Playing with a chip on his shoulder, Mayfield has given Oklahoma a chance to win every single week. The Sooners have been to a Big 12 conference championship game the last two out of the three seasons and made a playoff visit while Mayfield has started. With help from other offensive weapons like running back Rodney Anderson and wide receiver Marquise Brown, the Sooners have a well-balanced, powerful offense that slowly wears down defenses. On the other side of the ball, Oklahoma has some talented pass rushers.

Menacing defensive end, Ogbonnia Okoronkwo has racked up 12 sacks this season and another seven quarterback hurries. Lacking much of a secondary, Oklahoma depends heavily on their offense to score almost every drive. This has worked for them through the regular season. If the Sooners are going to win, they will have to play defenses like Clemson and Alabama which are both top five ranked defense in all of college football.