News
Arts & Culture
P4. Mary Matalin visits campus
P5. Bayou City Art Festival
Features
Forum
P16. Weekend Getaways
Entertainment
P18. The Super Smash debate
Sports
P20. History of Kinkaid prom
THE KINKAID FALCON
P23. Spring Sports Update
April 21, 2017 Volume 70, Issue 5
The Kinkaid School | 201 Kinkaid School Drive, Houston, TX 77024 | student.publications@kinkaid.org | http://thefalcon.kinkaid.org |
News .......................................2 Arts & Culture ....................5 Features ..............................11 Forum....................................17 Entertainment .................19 Sports ..................................23
@thekinkaidfalcon
Feed Supper to raise proceeds for Empty Bowls BY MAC FRIDAY At Culture Fest earlier this month, an array of colorful bowls spanned the length of the Falcon Empty Bowls table. These bowls, designed and created by Ceramics Club members as well as students taking a Ceramics class, have a greater purpose than mere decoration. Each
Gold triumphs in 255-253 victory Senior tug-of-war battle decides the 92nd Field Day BY SARAH KATE PADON On Thursday, April 20, the Gold Team won the 92nd Field Day, continuing their twoyear streak. Gold snagged the win with the seniors pulling through in the final tug-of-war. Although the win was sweet, the real highlight of the day was Stephen Wrabel, (Class of ‘07), who surprised the Upper School with a private concert and Q&A session.
To begin the morning, the Advanced Film class previewed films set to show in their spring festival. The Upper School was engrossed by juniors Dz and Socs Zavitzanos’ documentary on Syrian refugees called “Two of Five Million.” While this film brought silence to the Brown Auditorium, Nolan Watt’s (12) film, “A Cut Above,” filled the room with laughter as Ben Padon (12) and Mia Munn (11) both plotted to kill their dates. When the films were finished, Katherine Berman (11) and Mrs. Angela Wainright took the stage singing “Ice Ice Baby” to start off teacher/ student karaoke. While Jake
Hammer and Ms. Krista Forster’s rendition of “Take on Me” wowed the crowd, TX and Dr. Ed Harris won the crowd’s vote for best pair with their version of “Crazy Train.” Couples took the stage next with Caroline Totz and Nick Límon from the sophomore class, Aerin Kalmans and Myles Chandler from the junior class, Elizabeth Mitchell and Pierce Johnson from the senior class, and Dr. and Mrs. Anderson from the faculty. Seniors Mitchell and Johnson beat the other couples with only one wrong answer. While the rest of the freshmen sat up on the balcony, Mary Katherine Rice, Katie
Taylor, CC Jeffers, and Derin Baysal faced off in a pie eating contest, stuffing their faces until it looked like they were going to be sick; Taylor came out on top and was rewarded with the pleasure of pushing Lahourcade’s face into a bowl of yogurt. “Mmm, it’s blueberry,” Lahourcade noted. After much controversy, seniors Nolan Watt, Sax Morgan, Phil Mentz, and Saef Iftikhar battled it out in Super Smash Bros. Phil Mentz was the first one out, but his teammate, Nolan Watt, managed to defeat against Sax Morgan and Saef Iftikhar. Continued on Page 11
Congressman Culberson talks politics with students BY KATHERINE BERMAN
Mr. Culberson handed out pocket United States Constitutions to every student who attended the Open Q&A session during lunch on April 19.
On Wednesday, April 19, Rep. John Culberson came to campus to discuss his role in politics and to answer questions from the student and faculty audience. The congressman, a member of the Republican party, is the representative for the 7th Congressional District (an area of over 698,488 citizens, according to the 2010 census). Mr. Culberson’s district includes people who live in the Villages, Bellaire, Copperfield, Cypress, Jersey Village, Memorial, and West University Place. Mr. Culberson was invited to campus by Noah Pintar (12), who worked as an intern for Mr. Culberson over the summer. The talk took place in the Amphitheatre during the lunch period, where over 20 students and faculty were in attendance.
Looking around the room, Mr. Culberson shared, “We’ve had more Kinkaid students, in fact, work as interns or work in our office than any other school in the district.” The congressman began by introducing himself and his responsibilities, explaining that his job is to “do everything [he] can to represent you, your folks, your opinions, your best interests, protect the quality of life in our neighborhoods, and look after Houston and Texas.” “As your congressman, I use everything that I’ve learned, my experiences, my common sense, my education, my principles to try and do the right thing for the right reasons,” Mr. Culberson said. Using three plastic cups and a bottle of Ocean Spray
cranberry juice, Mr. Culberson gave a demonstration the federal government’s involvement in our daily lives. The juice represents American’s rights, powers, privileges, and liberties, while the cups represented the federal, state, and “we the people” respectively. He used this demonstration to discuss amendments, rights, and other local situations. Mr. Culberson grew up in West University Place and attended Lamar High School. After serving seven terms in the Texas House of Representatives, Mr. Culberson became a representative for the United States Congress in 2000. “You can unlock any door in the world if you just simply apply yourself,” Mr. Culberson said.
custom bowl is intended to symbolically represent someone who is hungry in the surrounding Houston community. Proceeds from their sale go to benefit the Houston Food Bank. Ceramics students have been hard at work preparing bowls for the culmination and highlight of the club’s service project, Falcon Empty Bowls. Continued on Page 9
Debate Update
Top 3 Senior Sabrina Bajwa was awarded the third overall speaker out of 214
Top 2 Senior Jason Yang placed 2nd out of 200 LincolnDoughlas debaters
Top 32 Sophomores Dani Knobloch and Amy Ho were in the top 32, double octofinals, at the TFA State Tournament
NEWS
2 / The Kinkaid Falcon
NEWS IN BRIEF
Monday
Modified schedule for the 2017-2018 school year
TRANSITIONS
Lambert returns to Arts, Turville arrives as new dean BY SARAH KATE PADON
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday Tutorial/Zero 7:45 - 8:25
DECONSTRUCTING
Tutorial/Zero 7:45 - 8:25
Tutorial/Zero 7:45 - 8:25
Tutorial/Zero 7:45 - 8:25
Tutorial/Zero 7:45 - 8:25
Period A 8:30 - 9:15
Period B 8:30 - 9:55
Period A 8:30 - 9:55
Period A 8:30 - 9:15
Period A 8:30 - 9:15
Period B 9:20 - 10:05
Period B 9:20 - 10:05
Period B 9:20 - 10:05
BY JORDAN JAFARNIA This year, Upper School Head Mr. Peter Behr and a select committee of faculty members have collaborated to modify the existing daily schedule, which is currently in its third year of implementation. Their ultimate goal was to benefit the health and time-efficiency of the students. This modified schedule will be put into effect at the start of the 2017-2018 school year. There are three main changes. The most noticeable and prioritized change was to establish consistent start and end times by eliminating the Tuesday 8 a.m. start, which has been a cause of complaint for students. Each day will start at 8:30 a.m. and end at either 3:05 (Mondays and Fridays) or 3:20 (Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays). The schedule also shows a Tuesday through Wednesday block schedule (currently the block days are Wednesday and Thursday); Thursday will contain one block period. This was the only way, according to Mr. Behr, to successfully turn Period E into a block. Lastly, the Clubs Period was moved from after Period C on Tuesdays to the end of
Tuesday
April 21, 2017 / Vol. 70, Issue 5
Period C 10:10 - 10:55
Advisory 10:05 - 10:35
Assembly 10:05 - 10:35
Period C 10:10 - 10:55
Period C 10:10 - 10:55
Break (10 min)
Period D 10:50 - 12:15
Period C 10:50 - 12:15
Break (10 min)
Break (10 min)
Period E 11:05 - 12:30
Period D 11:05 - 11:50
Period D 11:05 - 11:50 Period E 11:55 - 12:40 Lunch 12:45 - 1:25 Period F 1:30 - 2:15 Period G 2:20 - 3:05
Lunch 12:20 - 1:00
Lunch 12:20 - 1:00
Period E 1:05 - 1:50
Period D 1:05 - 1:50
Period G 1:55 - 3:20
Period F 1:55 - 3:20
Period E 11:55 - 12:40 Lunch 12:35 - 1:05
Lunch 12:45 - 1:25
Period F 1:10 - 1:55
Period F 1:30 - 2:15
Period G 2:00 - 2:45
Period G 2:20 - 3:05
Clubs 2:50 - 3:20 the day on Thursdays in an effort to help students miss less class time for athletic games. In short, the schedule attempts to benefit the students by allowing them to sleep more, miss fewer classes, and keep a more consistent schedule each day. The scheduling committee started moving things around at the beginning of the year and were largely finished by October. While modifying the current schedule, Mr. Behr also wanted a better rotation of the order of the periods in a day—he wanted every class
to meet at different times throughout the week. However, this was not possible due to the scheduling conflicts of teachers who teach across Middle and Upper School divisions. One concern the scheduling committee had with the proposed changes was that student participation in clubs might drop, as students prioritize leaving early over attending clubs. Mr. Behr expressed that he did not want to undermine clubs, but his concern for students definitely missing class
outweighed students potentially missing club meetings. Additionally, while moving clubs to last period might see fewer participants, it might also help make a student’s commitment to clubs more real when they choose to participate over enjoying an early dismissal. Most students are excited for the later starts and the switch from morning clubs to afternoon. But others are unhappy with changes like the 30 minute lunch on Thursdays, the Tuesday block period, and the Period
Mr. Scott Lambert will take over the position of Director of Visual and Performing Arts in the 2017-18 school year. He took on the position of interim Chair of Theater and Dance this past year as the school searched for a Director. In the fall, he will undertake the role full time, leaving behind his position as an Upper School dean, in which he has served for 10 years. In vacating his position as a dean and teacher, Mr. Lambert is going to miss the constant face-to-face interaction with students. However, one of his conditions for being the Director of Fine Arts was the promise that he would be able to remain with the students he has been working with for three years, helping them through the college process. “The deans really work
as a team, and I am going to miss that a lot. But I am excited to think about creating curriculum that can ultimately touch about 1,500 kids a year,” Mr. Lambert said. Before becoming a dean, Mr. Lambert previously served as the Director of Drama at Kinkaid for 17 years. Although this experience will be valuable, his true passion for the arts has prepared him more than anything for this position. He calls this transition to the arts “coming back home.” Last week, the school announced that Ms. Kenley Turville will fill the opening in the deans’ office. “What we try to do when we lose somebody in this office is think what is that person bringing right now to the office that we need to fill? I am the big loud energetic
one, so we needed one of those. And I think she is going to be able fill that as well as many other things,” Mr. Lambert said. Ms. Turville will come from USC, where she worked as a Senior Assistant Director of Admission and Team Coordinator. She often represented Kinkaid while working at USC, and her familiarity with the school from the college perspective will allow her to guide students successfully through the admissions process. Mr. Lambert and Ms. Turville will begin working together in June to go over each student’s information individually, helping her to acquaint herself with the students she will be guiding throughout the college process.
The Roundup
Dodgeball
Ping Pong
THE REVISED SCHEDULE
Each day will start at 8:30 a.m.
Thursday lunch has been reduced to 30 minutes, a consequence shifting Clubs Period.
Clubs Period, currently after C on Tuesday, has been moved to Thursday afternoon.
Mondays and Fridays end at 3:05 while Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays end at 3:20.
E block on Thursdays. While the Governing Council was informed about the plan and their feedback was positive, other students—not on the Council—felt they could have also provided input and critical feedback. Mr. Behr and the committee did not intend to create a completely new schedule, or switch to a full block schedule, but he says he is open for discussion about significant changes to the schedule in the future. For now, as the schedule is “almost 100% complete.”
Data As of 4/17/2017
33
No Texting While Driving signs were posted around the school campus and parking lot last week to raise awareness.
52 students at Kinkaid downloaded the SAGE Dining app. It is available in the App Store and provides menu and nutrition information.
57 the number of students inducted into the Language Honor Society on Wednesday, April 12.
Smash Bros.
Karaoke
2017 Field Day activity winners Field Day kicked off with multiple activities that allowed students and faculty to compete for winning titles. Dodgeball, Super Smash Bros., and ping pong tournament championships took place after many weeks of bracket competition. A student/teacher karaoke battle kept spirits high.
“We had to power through a lot of adversity, and we suffered a few injuries, but we were able to power through them.” —Binz Dewalch (11)
“It was fun, but the pressure was on with that many people watching. There were really close games, and hats off to Benji and Phin.” —Saef Iftikhar (12)
“I am very happy with the outcome of the match. We fought with pride and a win for me is a win for Kinkaid.” —Phil Mentz (12)
“I think it was a good win. I mean we had stiff competition, but my dad really just put the team on his back and pulled through. All the credit has to go to him.” —TX Harris (11)
NEWS
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The Kinkaid Falcon / 3
Snapshots around School 1 Twenty-eight students from the Class of 2017 were inducted into the Cum Laude Society on March 6. New members include: Tiffany Ajumobi, Bryn Anderson, Sabrina Bajwa, Whitney Burke, Christina Choi, Ashley Deutser, Margaret Durning, Tommy Ereli, Katlyn Feldman, Sarah Fullenweider, Anna Glickman, John Goettee, Jennifer Jacobe, Robert Lahourcade, Vivian Liu, Brock Looser, Louise McCartney, Cody Meng, Kaylie Mings, Zubair Mukhi, Rebecca Noel, Ben Padon, Rahul Popat, Sam Richey, Sophia Solé, Maggie Wallis, Jason Yang, Kristine Yang. Photo by David Shutts.
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2
3
2 Marie Parra (12), juniors Anish Odhav, Natalia GonzálezBlanco, Haley Schwager, and Matthew Kirkwood (10) went to Madrid for the Harvard Model Congress Europe conference from March 10-13. Odhav, Parra, and GonzálezBlanco each won best delegate for their committees.
3 Marilyn Nwora (10), Cammy Turboff (11), Farise Cravens (10), and Sophie Parker (12) hit Central Park on their Visual Arts trip to New York City on March 12. They visited the MOMA and Whitney museums, as well as other galleries.
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4 Seniors Ethan Sykes and Rahul Popat fling colorful powder at each other on the Harrison House Green. India Club brought the Festival of Color back to Kinkaid on Saturday, March 25. People who purchased a $5 ticket gained entry to a buffet of Indian food and the celebration of color. Photo by Robin Kate Davis.
OBIT
LAW & ORDER Terry Hershey Park, located at 15200 Memorial Drive. Photo by Emma Gilliam
The passing of a local environmentalist BY EMMA GILLIAM Terry Hershey, the woman credited with saving Buffalo Bayou, passed away on her 94th birthday earlier this year. In 1966, the Fort Worth native became aware of the Army Corps of Engineers’ plan to channelize Houston’s Buffalo Bayou, and she joined the Buffalo Bayou Preservation Association. One year later, she testified before former Congressman George H.W. Bush in an effort to avert this channelization and preserve the bayou. Her testimony succeeded in 1971 and Congress passed the National Environment Policy Act. Hershey proceeded to
establish a multitude of environmental organizations, including the Park People, Citizens Who Care, The Citizen’s Environmental Coalition, and Urban Harvest, as well as the Jacob and Terese Hershey Foundation. In 1991, Hershey was appointed to the Texas Parks and Wildlife commision, where she continued to work for the conservation of outdoor recreation areas. In recognition for her work, the Houston Audubon Society and Audubon Texas created the Terry Hershey Texas Women in Conservation Award. In addition, Terry Hershey Park runs along a six mile stretch of Buffalo Bayou off Memorial Drive. Hershey is remembered by many for her work to preserve Houston’s natural habitat.
Texas House passes legislation banning texting while driving BY WILLIAM SCOTT On March 13, the Texas House passed House Bill 62, which makes operating a cell phone while driving a misdemeanor offense. The bill, which effectively prohibits texting while driving, was the fourth attempt by former House speaker Tom Craddick and Senator Juddith Zaffirni to get a “texting while driving ban” passed; the bill will now go before the Senate. Such a bill has been a contentious issue in the state. In 2011, after a similar bill passed both the Texas House and Senate, Governor Rick Perry vetoed legislation that would ban texting while driving; he agreed that it was reckless and irresponsible, but he preferred to use information and education campaigns to prevent drivers of all ages from texting while behind the wheel. “I believe there is a distinction between the overreach of (the texting ban bill) and the government’s legitimate role in
Illustration by Priscilla Mach
establishing laws for teenage drivers who are more easily distracted and laws providing further protection to children in school zones,” Gov. Perry said at the time. Texas is currently one of only four states that does not have a texting-while-driving ban, which varies by state. Some states ban using handheld devices, while others only prohibit the use of cell phones within school zones. House Bill 62 proposes to ban all handheld cell phone use for drivers while on the road. In 2012, over 90,000 road accidents in the state of Texas was due to distracted driving. A man named James Shaffer, from Denton, TX, lost his wife and 12-year-old daughter in a car accident in April 2016. The driver who swerved into their car had been texting on her cell phone. After the accident,
Shaffer has been actively advocating for the law to change. Most of Kinkaid students who are eligible to drive have been guilty of using their cell phones while behind the wheel. If House Bill 62 passes, operating a mobile device while driving would result in a fine of $25 to $99, with penalties up to $200 for repeat offenders. Last week, “No Texting While Driving” signs were placed all around the school campus and parking lot in an effort to raise awareness over its dangers. School staff and security members wore bright neon-shirts echoing this reminder. One Kinkaid sophomore, a relatively new driver, admitted to having been in a car while the driver was texting while operating the vehicle. “Someone was texting their mom about their curfew,” the student said.
NEWS
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April 21, 2017 / Vol. 70, Issue 5
NEWS IN BRIEF
Wells Fellow program invites renouned political consultant Mary Matalin BY KIRK HACHIGIAN On Monday, April 3, one of the most prominent and well-known conservative voices in America spent a day at Kinkaid as a part of the 2017 Wells Fellow series. Mary Matalin, a political consultant and pundit known for serving under President Ronald Reagan, running the 1992 campaign for George H.W. Bush, working as an assistant to President George W. Bush, and serving as counselor to Vice President Dick Cheney until 2003, was at Kinkaid from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. meeting with students in small groups and a special assembly. Ms. Matalin follows her husband, renowned Democratic strategist James Carville, who spoke to students on Feb. 27. Chair of the Upper School History Department and AP Government teacher Dr. Ed Harris arranged the visit for Ms. Matalin, and guided the discussion during the assembly. Ms. Matalin and Mr. Carville are often seen as a positive example of how people of different ideological persuasions can get along and even love each other in the divided state of our politics today. Dr. Harris began the assembly by asking Ms. Matalin about how she and Mr. Carville are able to get through their relationship without yelling and screaming. “I’m always a little uncomfortable about this recurring question about our marriage somehow being representative of different people getting along without shouting. We do shout, we shout all the time. Marriage is not a democracy, it’s a ‘Momocracy,’” she joked. Ms. Matalin, who predicted
that Donald Trump “has a 100 percent chance to win” the election back in September, spoke at great lengths about his election and what it meant for the future of America. “Was [Mr. Carville] still crying when he was here? [People] are still recovering from the election, to which I say: Get over it, whiners. What has happened now is a replication of Andrew Jackson. This is not unique to our history what is happening today. When you have a government contentious of the people, you get an Andrew Jackson or a Donald Trump,” Ms. Matalin said. Last spring, Ms. Matalin revealed on Bloomberg Politics’ “With All Due Respect” that she had changed her party affiliation to the Libertarian Party, asserting that she was “a never Hillary” and “a provisional Trump.” When asked about her change in party membership by Dr. Harris, Ms. Matalin claimed that she “was not trying to make some big newsplash.” However, her announcement did make headlines across the country and led many people to question the future of the Republican Party. “The essence of what I was saying is that you have to have and know what your principles are, be able to state them with clarity, and understand what they mean. Everyone keeps saying that Trump hijacked the [Republican] Party. How about we left the keys in the car with the motor running. I didn’t leave the Party, it left me,” Ms. Matalin said. The assembly conversation focused on the future of both the Republican and Democratic
Above. Ms. Matalin poses for a photo with an AP Government class after a small-group discussion. Photo by Dr. Harris.
Parties. Ms. Matalin claimed that “the Republican Party has already gone through a morphing fitting of generational shift that the Democratic Party has not.” She referenced the fact that the average age of the Republican leadership is around 40, while the Democratic is around 70.
They could have fielded two baseball teams out of the primaries, and what do they produce? Donald Trump.” —MARY MATALIN “My biggest beef with the [Republican] Party becoming as democratic as it was is that there is no freedom without
responsibility. You cannot be responsible for yourself if a system is constantly put in place to aggregate the responsibility of taking care of yourself. That is not uncompassionate or bigoted. Some large faceless institution making these intimate decisions for people is not what the Republican party professes to be. They could have fielded two baseball teams out of the primaries and what do they produce? Donald Trump,” Ms. Matalin chortled. When asked about the rise of the Bernie Sanders/ Elizabeth Warren wing of the Democratic Party, Ms. Matalin expressed skepticism. “Your generation likes Bernie, and he was just a stand-in for Warren. I would say that I understand a lot of her views philosophically, but there is a lack of supporting data. When she comes [into the Presidential race], and she will, the Democrats are going to have to make a decision about which way they want to go. This stuff collapses, and then reality emerges,” she said. Ms. Matalin also talked
about the importance of listening to arguments from other sides. She and Mr. Carville have actually given up watching network and cable political shows that “only validate your own opinion because [they] make your mind go to mush.” Throughout the day, Ms. Matalin encouraged students to be empiricists–reject red or blue labels and look whether or not it is working. “In the real world, you all are going to leaders. The first thing people are going to tell you when you come up with an idea is ‘Oh we’ve never done it that way before, we’ve always done it this way’ and that is a big red flag. If you can’t measure it and it’s not working, stop doing it,” she declared. Ms. Matalin spent the remainder of her visit meeting with students to answer questions in smaller groups. The Wells Fellow program was established by Damon Wells (Class of ‘54) to bring distinguished speakers and scholars from different fields to Kinkaid.
Left. These flags hung from the trees of the Harris House Green and displayed the more than 30 countries that were represented at this year’s Culture Fest. Photo by Sofia Bajwa (9). Right. This vibrant jewelry was on sale for atendees at the event. Photo by Sofia Bajwa (9).
Tenth annual Culture Fest explores countries once part of British Empire BY CALEIGH DORAN What do a baby kangaroo, a prom proposal, and chai tea all have in common? While this sounds like a cheesy riddle, there is one simple answer: Culture Fest 2017. On Tuesday, April 4, the Harrison House Green was in rare form. Excited children hopped to and from the various colorful booths that littered the lawn, attempting to fill their “passports” with stamps from
every “country.” Both Upper School and Middle School clubs worked to transform ordinary wooden tables into vibrant displays of various countries’ cultures. Performers ranging from the duo of Ms. Christa Forster and Mr. Olen Rambow to traditional Irish dancers flabbergasted the crowd with their immense talent. The parking lot was abuzz as students rushed to join the excitement. It was the tenth annual
Culture Fest, and this year’s festival theme explored countries that were once part of the British Empire; this followed last year’s theme, the Indian Ocean Basin. The chairs of Culture Fest, Sabrina Bajwa (12) and Merritt Tilney (11), planned the event with the assistance of the Culture Fest Committee. “Culture Fest is different from other Kinkaid events because you are able to experience the food and culture of more than 30 countries in such a small place. Also, it is completely student run,” Bajwa said. Although there were sports games and rehearsals that overlapped with the event, the turnout was nonetheless impressive. The attendance rate as well as the club participa-
tion this year was significantly greater than previous years. Emcee Austin Karkowsky (12) kept the energy high and the crowd engaged throughout the event. Condensing an entire country into a 32” by 72” table is far from a simple task. Booths were filled with cultural foods, fact-filled posters, and activities. This year, there were 34 booths including club sponsored booths, the Middle School No Place For Hate booth, and family run booths. The winning booth was Nigeria, which was not club sponsored, but run by Marilyn Nwora (11) and Tiffany Ajumobi (12). The booth was decorated with intricate jewelry as well as traditional clothing. There were also awards for Best Performance and Best
Food. India Club won Best Performance as their choreographed dance ended in a prom proposal. The award for Best Food went to Iraq. There were many factors that the judges considered when doling out awards. Mr. Ted Curry, one of the many faculty judges, said, “The homemade entries were definitely the best. You could definitely tell Iraq’s food was homemade, and not Kroger-bought.” Culture Fest is not only a celebration of countries, but an event that serves to unify the Kinkaid Community. It is one of the few occasions in which the entire Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools are invited to come together and relish the entertainment, food, and learning.
ARTS & CULTURE
April 21, 2017 / Vol. 70, Issue 5
The Kinkaid Falcon / 5
ART BRIEFING
MEN IN BLACK Last year, Dance Company performed many different kinds of dances, including a few hiphop inspired numbes.
STUDENT DIRECTORS The One Acts from last year had five directors creating five separate acts, including the one pictured above, “Fashionistas.”
BAND’S ALL HERE Brighton Huynh (12) played the saxophone in the band performance last year.
MAGICAL PERFORMANCE The cast of Into the Woods put on four productions in February, including one that was just for students.
WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE The students in Children’s Theater wore huge monster heads and stood on stilts for their costumes.
Dance Company is set to perform their Student Choreography Projects at 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 21 in the Brown Auditorium. The group performed a three songs as a preview for the students and faculty this Wednesday during assembly, and the dancers promised a number of different kinds of dances in their upcoming performance.
On Sunday, April 30, Upper School Theatre Company will be showcasing their one act plays at 2:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. There will be six shows directed by seniors Rebecca Noel, Kerry Sullivan, Brock Looser, Jordan Kassab, Eloise Detmering, and Austin Karkowsky. The plays deal with a variety of considerable topics including discrimination, romance, humor, acceptance, authenticity, and friendship.
The Upper and Middle Schools will be showcasing their hard work on April 23 in the Upper School Choir and Encore Concert at 2:00 p.m., the Middle and Upper School Band Concert at 3:00 p.m., and the Middle and Upper School Orchestra Concert at 4:00 p.m. Students, faculty, parents, and staff are all welcome to enjoy the performances, which will be held in the Brown Theatre.
The Tommy Tune Awards (TTA), hosted every year by Theater Under the Stars, took place on Tuesday, April 18. The TTA’s recognizes excellence in high school musical theater and awarded seniors Brock Looser, Kerry Sullivan, Austin Karkowski, and Evan Rosen the Tommy Tune Scholarship this year for their performances in Into the Woods.
The two Children’s Theatre classes started their outreach tour of Where the Wild Things Are last week and had two performances at KIPP SHARP and Briargrove Elementary School. Unlike their their play Alice in Wonderland last semester, Where the Wild Things Are will not be performing for the public. There will be one more production for Baker Ripley Charter School next week.
Top Left: Gypsy Wagon served up their Hawaiian shaved ice in Chinese takeout boxes. Middle Left: Artists even utilized the outsides of the tents to fully display every piece in their collections. Bottom Left: More inventive forms of art such as glass sculptures fill many of the tents. Right: Memorial Park served as the perfect venue for the festival, providing visitors with a sunny spot to view the art. Photos by Katherine Berman
Bayou City Art Festival invites Houstonians to enjoy art, entertainment, and food Memorial Park is transformed into festival grounds for the three-day festival BY KATIE ERIKSON On three exceptionally hot days in March, the feeling of summer was present for a much more notable reason than the heat: the Bayou City Art Festival had come, and with it, a countdown to summer. The sunny days and relaxed atmosphere gave the illusion of summer and created an ideal environment for the festival. All day people sauntered in and out of the art stands, children danced through bubbles on the lawn, and families gathered at picnic tables. For anyone at the festival, summer had already begun. Every March, the Bayou City Art Festival pitches a sea
of white tents under which 300 artists—many of them local—showcase their work for three days, giving over 20,000 visitors the opportunity to support artists. In the spring, the festival took place from March 24-26 in Memorial Park; a similar festival hosted by the same organization is hosted each fall in Downtown. Tickets cost $15 for adults and $5 for children at the door. The festivals are produced by the Art Colony Association Inc. (ACA), a nonprofit organization that aims to provide art experiences and education to Houston. For the past 46 years, the ACA has raised over $3.5 million
from the festivals to donate to local non-profit organizations. This year, the organizations included A Cause to Give Us Paws, which provides service dog training for veterans, and ESCAPE Family Resource Center, which aims to prevent child abuse and neglect. For each festival, the ACA names a featured artist whose story is presented on the website and whose art is published on T-shirts and other merchandise that is available for purchase at the festival. This year’s spring festival welcomed Amanda Bennett. Based in New Orleans, Bennett is a mixed-media artist who uses acrylic mediums and
photography to make pop-art inspired pieces. One painting depicts a sea of photographed people in an ocean of thickly applied blue paint with the word “Marco?” noted in small letters. Another features a line of waterskiers on a background of baby blue, this time with the words “pull it together” etched in the same, almost child-like handwriting. Although the majority of the artists were from Texas, many came from all over the nation. The exhibited art ranged from photography, pottery, and paintings to outdoor sculptures, jewelry and textiles. Brightly colored bottle caps transformed into
furniture, intricate designs etched into copper slabs, 3-D prints attached to canvases: every work truly represented the unique style of each artist. In addition to exhibiting a wide range of art, the festival also brought in live music and entertainment, along with food trucks for the visitors to enjoy, offering creative bites like
Cajun and Asian fusion tacos and snow cones served out of Chinese takeout boxes. With a wide range of food, entertainment, and art, the festival was certainly not one to missed, and judging by the mass amounts of art-loving attendees, Houstonians thought so too.
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April 21, 2017 / Vol. 70, Issue 5
Anonymous art group 18 creates diversity exhibit Above: The “I Am” wall with sticky notes students wrote on Below: Patchwork photography project
BY EMMA CARR Seniors Hannah Chambers and Hannah Barden worked well into the night in the photo lab, putting the final touches on a photography project to be revealed on Monday, March 27 they had been working on for weeks. They weren’t alone, however: they were aided by fellow members of 18, an anonymous art group at Kinkaid known for their pop-up installations designed to address social issues in our community. 18 was started in the 20142015 school year by a group of juniors and seniors with a mission to bring awareness to different issues that affect members of our community and worldwide. It got its name because of the 18 members of the founding group. Although the seniors did reveal themselves, the rest of the members of 18 still remain anonymous but deserve recognition for the hard work that went into the production of this project. Chambers and Barden were in charge of the patchwork people photography project for the exhibition located in the
student life building hallway next to the main staircase. What began as a project to address racism, according to Chambers, ended up incorporating body image as well. “We thought it would be cool to be able to take pictures of loads of people of all shapes and sizes and colors and be able to kind of put them together all Frankenstein-like and show that, even though everyone’s different, we all come together as one human body and one human race, no matter how different we all look.” Along with the photography project of Chambers and Barden, there were many other elements in the presentation including head busts, shadow boxes, and pride flag curtains all continuing to address diversity at our school. Barden said, “We wanted everyone to get the message that everyone is of different races, gender, sexuality, body type, and religion but those differences are what make you special.You should embrace them and be proud of them.”
Above and Below: Head Busts representing different cultures
In order to incorporate all of these different elements in such a small space, it took multiple weeks and many people to finally bring the whole exhibition together. Seniors and fellow members of 18 Ethan Sykes, Ryan Vu, Emily Talbert, and Robin Kate Davis were also very
Above: Patchwork photography project
Above: Two of the four shadow boxes
involved in bringing the final project together along with the rest of the members of 18. The Seniors decided to reveal their identities this year—as they are graduating—but as Cham-
bers said “the seniors are very proud of what the group has accomplished in the years past and are excited to pass off the project to the others and see what they bring next.”
One Act performances take the stage next Sunday BY FARAZ VIRANI On April 30, the annual One Acts performances, all student directed and managed, will be on full display in the Brown Auditorium. This year, the six senior directors will lead a cast of nearly thirty students in their performances. The graduating seniors make the transition from being the stars on stage to creative minds off it, casting roles for their productions and running the show from behind the scenes. “Taking everything I’ve learned from every director I’ve had the opportunity to work with and implementing their methods to teach my own actors is a different sort of thrill,” Austin Karkowsky (12) said. Two misfit teenagers meet each other in a sleazy, New Orleans bar on a rainy night in 1968. “Am I Blue,” originally written by Beth Henley, will be directed by Rebecca Noel (12). This One Act goes as far as Henley’s imagination goes with voodoo dolls, tiny paper hats, stolen ashtrays, kool-aid, and more. Brock Looser’s (12) produc-
tion “Equilibrium” will feature ten actors, and is based on a true story about discrimination and authenticity. “Working with this cast has been one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. Their abundant energy and fearless attitude in rehearsals has been so much fun to work with, and I’m so proud of them,” Looser said. Four of the One Acts this year will have just two people on stage. Eloise Detmering (12) is directing the first two person scene, “Before You Go.” The story features two characters entering a crossroads in their lives, played by Avery Looser (10) and Ashton Lambert (11). Lydia is off to college tomorrow, and with her comes lofty expectations. For Ben, he is starting his nerve-wracking junior year. “We had our very first rehearsal at Amy’s Ice Cream, and we have had a blast working with each other ever since,” Detmering said. “The Siren Song of Stephen Jay Gould,” directed by Kerry Sullivan (12) is a dark, yet absurdly silly tale. Man, played by Tyler Martire (9), falls into
Above: The promotional poster for the One Act performances, designed by Rebecca Noel (12).
the arms of Woman, played by Mia Munn (11), after his failed suicide attempt. After the pair recovers from their tumble across the stage, their unusual
and funny conversation has the actors in pandemonium, still undecided on what to do next. “Students should look forward to a hilarious encounter
between two unlikely friends. Also Tyler Martire and Mia Munn are amazing in this piece,” Sullivan said. Karkowsky is directing “Boy Meets Girl,” with two junior actors, William Miner and Sara Burpeau. The pair will seamlessly fit their roles on stage as they both are loud characters with dominant stage presences. “Boy Meets Girl” is about a depressed comedian and headstrong actress becoming close friends as they simultaneously evolve as a rom-com screen pairing,” Karkowsky said. “Jay and A” will be directed by Jordan Kassab (12). Starring Evan Rosen (12) as Jay and Anna Thomas (11) as Ava, the story follows the classic, romance drama. The couple is trying to mend their relationship after a heart wrenching breakup. Pinky promises are made and broken and awkward silences fill the theater as Jay and Ava attempt to rediscover themselves and reconnect. “The two actors in this play exhibit two diametrically opposed teenagers through museum exhibits and flashbacks as well,” Kassab said.
ARTS & CULTURE
April 21, 2017 / Vol. 70, Issue 5
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Krisp celebrates fried chicken BY HANA KELETA
Walking into the restaurant, the customer is immediately greeted warmly by the cashier. The interior design features orange as the primary color, but there is a totally different vibe from the other fast food, chicken sandwich restaurant. Featuring bar tables and booths, Krisp Bird and Batter is a new order-at-the-counter restaurant that does one thing very well: fried chicken. Ellie Bolin (11) went after school recently. “It wasn’t too busy,” Bolin said. “I would recommend the chicken tenders because you can never go wrong with chicken tenders. The restaurant had nice tables, lights, and the decor was very modern.” Local chef Ben McPherson, known for his Latin American restaurant Batanga, opened Krisp Bird and Batter in late February. Located at 5922 Richmond Avenue, at the Fountain View intersection, Krisp celebrates non-GMO fried chicken. Their motto is “our chicken tastes like chicken.” The menu is limited but strong. There are five handcrafted chicken sandwiches, which can be ordered on a regular, whole wheat bun or a light and fluffy waffle. They are prepared in different styles. The Southwest sandwich, for example, is a combination of jalapenos and avocados, with queso drizzled onto the fried chicken and topped off with a dash of cilantro, giving it a Tex-Mex flavor. The KFC (Korean fried chicken) sandwich comes on regular or whole wheat bread and includes Korean Spicy Chili Sauce - Kimchi with chicken. The Klub comes with lightly seasoned grilled chicken, thick cut bacon, lettuce and tomatoes. The perfectly combined savoury chicken and crunchy bacon produces a tang that
guarantees delectability in every bite. Rather than hard and dry, the chicken served here is crisp and juicy with great flavor. The flawless blend of spices flavors the chicken, which melds nicely with the soft bread. Each sandwich can be served with regular or spicy chicken, but the spice is very mild. The classic chicken and waffles is served with barrel-aged maple syrup (butter/spread) and cidar coleslaw but can be removed if asked. The food arrives hot and fresh,
given that it is freshly prepared on demand. What really makes Krisp special is the unusually wide variety of complementary sauces being offered. There is a selection of ten dipping sauces such as chipotle mayo, tamarind BBQ, creamy jalapeño ranch, spicy brown honey mustard, and comeback sauce made of chili sauce and mayonnaise. Side orders include cider slaw, a fruit cup, lightly seasoned waffle fries and tater tots. The restaurant also offers Kale Caesar
Salad made with shaved broccoli, shaved beets, garlic croutons, parmesan cheese and caesar dressing.You can also add chicken if desired. The dessert menu offers frozen shakes, a waffle ice cream sandwich, or a cookie. Mr. McPherson’s main influence for Krisp was Shake Shack, which originated in New York but has since opened in other major cities, including a location in the the Galleria. Another Krisp location is planned to open in the Heights later this year. Photos by Hana Keleta
It’s “crawdad” season on the Houston scene BY COLIN CONWAY
As long as I can remember, I have always had a great love for crawfish. Crawfish are a species of freshwater crustacean akin to lobsters, which are indigenous to the southeastern United States. “Mudbugs”, which also go by crayfish, freshwater lobsters, mountain lobsters, or even yabbies, are a staple in Cajun cuisine. In Louisiana, this seafood is typically consumed at a crawfish boil, where the crawfish are dropped in a large pot that is heavily seasoned with salt, caynenne pepper, lemon, garlic, and other spices. The boil is also accompanied by “extras” like corn, sausage, or potatoes. Because of Texas’ border proximity to Louisiana, it has become a mainstay of the Texan diet, especially
during the spring. Crawfish are readily available all year, but crawfish season usually runs from early March until the end of May. This period of time is when crawfish availability and size is at its peak. As a crawfish lover myself, this makes spring a joyous occasion. I often eat multiple plates of crawfish every season. This year, I wanted to compare the quality of crawfish throughout the Greater Houston area. On my quest to find the best crawfish in Houston I went to: LA Crawfish, BB’s Cafe, and Repka’s. I judged each crawfish offering by four factors on an A-F grading system: taste, freshness, spice, and extras. Check these places out because crawfish season is winding down soon!
LA Crawfish Taste: A-, Freshness: A-, Spice: B, Extras: A-. Overall: B+
BB’s Cafe Taste: B, Freshness: B+, Spice: B, Extras: B-. Overall: B
Repka’s Taste: A, Freshness: A+, Spice: A-, Extras: B. Overall: A
Featured in a prominent location (Blalock and I-10) and with a descriptive name, LA (Louisiana) Crawfish did not disappoint. LA Crawfish describes themselves to “serve up the absolute best crawfish,” and they weren’t fabricating. The crawfish was served promptly and very fresh. The immense size and intense taste of the crawfish complemented the cozy atmosphere of the Cajun diner. The LA crawfish experience was exceptional and is a recommended stop for novice and experienced eaters.
My next venture took me to BB’s “Tex-Orleans” Cafe in Briargrove (on Westheimer between Voss and Fountain View). The Cajun cafe served up a solid, admirable batch of crawdads. This chain restaurant, however, did not offer up the home-style environment found at both Repka’s and LA Crawfish. They did offer up delicious crawdads that helped to offset the lack of atmosphere. The cheap price, satisfying plate, and sports bar-esque feel made for a quality meal.
The final destination took me off the beaten path to Repka’s in Brookshire, which yielded the best plate yet. The family owned and operated restaurant served up an authentic southern feel and a hefty, spectacular pound of crawfish. They served the high-quality crawfish hot and fresh from the boiler. While the crawfish was a little on the spicy side, the flavors still shined. Repka’s passed my test with flying colors. I would definitely recommend a trip to Brookshire for a plate of crawfish.
ARTS & CULTURE
8 / The Kinkaid Falcon
DESSERT SPOTS
By
RED DESSERT DIVE
adi
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bin a B
satisfy your sweet tooth
PETITE SWEETS
Not the biggest fan of cheesecake, I was surprised when I fell in love with the strawberry cheesecake. The cold and fresh cheesecake coated with fresh strawberries and strawberry syrup was a new favorite. The cheesecake immediately softened in my mouth along with the unflavored, yet crunchy crust. The cookie was, although, by far, the best thing I had tasted so far. Even though it was just a simple chocolate chip cookie, it was coated with salt that gave my mouth that delicious combination of salty and sweet. The thick chunks of chocolate and the airy and moist texture of the cookie forced me to order another one to take home.
FLUFF BAKE BAR
April 21, 2017 / Vol. 70, Issue 5
For a cool treat, the ice cream. Going basic, I went for the waffle cone and cookies and cream ice cream, a favorite. The ice cream is perfect for a hot Houston day.
The cookies and cream cake ball was a favorite recommended by one of the employees, and she was right. The cake ball drizzled in frosting and oreo crumbs was quickly gone soon after my first bite. From my first bite, they were moist, soft, and the chocolate surrounding them melted inside my mouth immediately.
I was excited by the thought of eating their cupcakes; however, to my surprise, the treat was a cake in a cup, hence "Cup Cake." The Cup Cake was something very unexpected, but I was excited to try it. I took my first bite with half-cake, half-frosting and the combination of lemon and strawberry blew up in my mouth. The although tart lemon fused beautifully with the strawberry frosting.
Monday through Wednesday Shellac.........................$30 Pedicure......................$30 Dipping powder..........$35
The wide range of colored and decorated macaroons definitely caught my eye. Especially the watermelon and cotton candy. The bright pink and soft blue mixture was something to die for. It had a crunchy and sweet taste accompanied with an undertone of cotton candy. The macaroons are perfect for a quick on the go treat, especially if you’re in a hurry.
FEATURES
April 21, 2017 / Vol. 70, Issue 5
The Kinkaid Falcon / 9
Feed Supper to raise proceeds for Empty Bowls Purchased bowls will be filled with soup for the supper, and the money raised will go to the Houston Food Bank Photos by Emmy Reckling
BY MAC FRIDAY Continued from Page 1
Next Wednesday, April 26, the club is holding a Feed Supper for the first time in the Quad, where Kinkaid students and faculty are invited to join the club members for a simple dinner and learn about the hungry and homeless. For $15-20 dollars, based on the quality and size of the bowl selected, the bowl will be filled with soup for the supper. After the meal, diners will be able to take the bowl home. “The empty bowl sitting at home serves as a reminder and bring awareness to hunger and homelessness,” said Sophia Solé (12), president of Ceramics Club. With the support of their Ceramics teacher, Mrs. Luiza Grandchamp, Solé has assumed leadership and organization of Falcon Empty Bowls, a micro-chapter of the nationwide grassroots effort, Empty Bowls. Not only is Solé president of the club and
director of the Feed Supper, but she is also the lead contributor in making bowls for the event. “Everyone in Ceramics, regardless of level, makes and donates at least one bowl,
The empty bowl sitting at home serves as a reminder and brings awareness to hunger and homelessness.” —Sophia Solé, Ceramics Club president
but Sophia has made by far the most bowls and the best quality bowls,” Mrs. Grandchamp said. Around 40 bowls, which were judged and selected by Solé and Mrs. Grandchamp,
will be offered for purchase at the Feed Supper. “For a bowl to be selected for the supper, it must have even walls, perfect form, it must be thin, and the bottom must be light,” Mrs. Grandchamp said. Making the bowls is not a short process, usually taking six days to make each individual bowl. After two days of forming the bowls, they are thrown into the kiln, where they stay in extreme temperatures for 24 hours. The next stage, the glaze, takes another one or two days. After the glaze is applied to the bowl, it is placed back into the kiln for another 24 hours. With creating the bowls being such a lengthy process, the students and club members of ceramics have been preparing for the Feed Supper all year. Caroline Moseley (10), who has contributed four bowls to the supper, emphasized the precision and hard
work that goes into creating each bowl. “You have to wait the perfect amount of time to trim them, then fire them, and the temperatures are very specific,” Moseley explained. “There’s a lot of effort, which is what makes them so valuable and really great pieces of art. Because you know that every piece you’re getting, someone put so much time and energy into making that bowl.” Empty Bowls, launched by
a diverse group of contemporary artists and craftspeople, helps support and feed the homeless in their surrounding communities. Cities around the state of Texas have shown massive support for the cause, with Austin, Dallas, and Houston being some of the biggest markets for Empty Bowls. In Houston specifically, there are a wide variety of chapters involved in Empty Bowls. People all over Houston create hundreds of one-of-a-kind bowls, which are offered for sale each year at an event sponsored by Whole Foods and the Houston Food Bank. Last year, Falcon Empty Bowls participated in the event for the first time, donating 30 pieces to the cause and raising money for the Houston Food Bank. Out of the 100 pieces which were available at Culture Fest, the club sold over half of them, raising $300 for the Houston Food Bank to raise awareness for hunger.
ISAS celebrates 50th anniversary with art festival in Oklahoma City BY MARLEY ORANGE
Students from schools all over the Southwest gather once a year at the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest, or ISAS, for opportunity to showcase their talents with peers from other high schools who share their passion for the arts. Students can perform, display their work for critiques, or simply support their peers. Founded in 1995, 2017 marked the fiftieth annual ISAS Arts Festival. The association includes schools from Arizona, Kansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas, where the
majority of schools comes from. This year, around 55,343 students attended which was hosted by The Casady School in Oklahoma City, OK from April 6-8. “[Since] it was the 50th anniversary of ISAS, there was a student-lead rock band that played on the football field at sunset, [there was] fireworks, and cupcakes. It felt like I was at an actual music festival [because] there was crowd-surfing and dancing,” Sarah Stephens (9) said. “The concert was awesome and the kids were so talented.”
“You could take classes from contemporary dance, to how to make flower crowns,” Isha Popat (9) said on the wide variety of activities at ISAS. All in all, The Casady School, as well as every school who participated in the ISAS Art Festival, contributed to making 2017 another successful celebration of the arts. The 2018 festival will take place at The Hockaday School in Dallas.
Top: Students unwind and enjoy th concert for the fiftieth anniversary of ISAS. Bottom Left: A girl spray paints a bus. Photo taken by Sophia Ghauri (9). Bottom Right: Whitney Burke (12) and Marie Parra (12) pose for a photo in front of a painted bus.
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10 / The Kinkaid Falcon
April 21, 2017 / Vol. 70, Issue 5
Gold triumphs in 255-253 victory BY SARAH KATE PADON Continued from Page 1 The students then took a short break in the quad for snacks, waiting eagerly to see who would win the dodgeball tournament. In the final, Catch My Balls, a team of junior boys, and the coaches faced off in the finals. Although Coach Larry Wilkins was considered the MVP, his team lost to Catch My Balls in the finals leaving the junior boys with the win. This year Kinkaid began a new Field Day tradition with the senior boys ping pong tournament. Although the first match to 21 ran long, the emcees quickly modified the game length to 11 points. Benji Rae and Saef Iftikhar faced off in the final with Iftikhar stealing the win from Rae on his birthday. Seniors Rob Lahourcade (guitar), Austin Karkowski (piano and vocals), Will McLeroy (guitar), Sellars Thomas (bass), and Saef Iftihkar (drums) then performed for the Upper School. The band jammed out as students and teachers sang along to classic songs like “Paint it Black”
and “How Far is Heaven.” When the band finished performing, Karkowski pretended to continue on his own. Stephen Wrabel, Kinkaid alum and popular music artist, then surprised the crowd, ready to perform one of his latest hits, “11 Blocks”. Wrabel also shared a song from his upcoming EP, “We Could Be Beautiful.” After performing, Wrabel sat down with Karkowski to talk about his journey to success, inspiration behind his songs, and providing funny comments along the way. He talked about his “meandering path in life,” his first songs and creations, including the theme song for the Guy Fieri game show “Minute to Win It,” and more. Wrabel also answered students questions ranging from how he grew in high school, where he you got his shirt, and what his advice to songwriters is. Although these were exacting for him and may have required a brief pause or comment to stall and think, he answered each question with tact: He joked about his his vintage Tommy Hilfiger shirt that he bought on Etsy and advised aspiring
songwriters to try hard not to think of what people. His explanation of growth in high school turned into advice for everyone encouraging them to find one thing that makes them feel comfortable and follow that through life. After a lunch of burgers, hot dogs, pizza, and more, students regrouped with their advisories before heading over to the Lower School where they met their buddies. After making the long march to the field, the Purple and Gold teams resumed the annual rivalry and looked to prove their respective teams’ worth on the field. Dr. Martire made some opening remarks, Upper School students took part in the Pledge and National Anthem, and then, the games begun. With the field events over and Gold securing the win in the final event, everyone made their way to the Harrison House Green where they bought food and sweets, experienced fun rides, and wrote as many raffle tickets as they could before their hands started hurting. All in all, an enjoyable Field Day.
Field Day Timeline
Student-Teacher Karaoke
Dating Game Pie Eating Contest
Super Smash Bros Dodgeball
Ping Pong Tournement Senior Band Concert
Wrabel’s Performance Field day begins with the May Pole
Field Day games end with Tug-of-war
FEATURES
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April 21, 2017 / Vol. 70, Issue 5
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How much is your privacy worth? STORY BY ARMAN BADREI | ILLUSTRATIONS BY TAQI HASNAIN (MAIN) AND CHRIS CHOI (INSET)
Imagine yourself walking in the Galleria, minding your own business. You stroll into the Apple Store, checking out the new iPhone and MacBook Pro. Then you spend some time browsing various clothing stores. Next up is the Adidas store, where you grab a pair of new kicks. To finish the day, you head to the food court, where you enjoy a burger and frozen custard shake from Shake Shack. Now imagine someone was following you that entire day, taking meticulous notes of where you went, at what time you did so, what you looked at, how long you spent looking at it, what you bought, and every other specific detail imaginable. Imagine that this mysterious person took that information and sold it to someone else. How would you feel? Would you feel violated? This person may not be doing anything harmful to you, and you may not even know its happening, but does that make it okay? This scenario almost exactly mimics what internet service providers (ISPs)—like Comcast, AT&T, and Verizon—are now able to achieve thanks to recent developments in Congress. Behind the commotion of the Russian interference in the 2016 election, there lies another huge battle in Congress that few Americans and even fewer students are aware of. In March, both the Senate and House voted in favor of a bill that would allow ISPs the ability to sell your browsing data to third-party companies. The bill, officially known as Senate Joint Resolution 34, would repeal privacy regulations previously created by the Obama administration’s Federal Communications Commission that required ISPs seek consent from customers to share their private data. The Senate first voted to repeal the regulations in a narrow 50-48 battle, which was seen as a huge win for companies like AT&T, Comcast, and Verizon. When the bill moved to the House, Democrats attempted to counter Republican efforts by alerting the American public to the repercussions of the legislation. Sen. Chuck Schumer tweeted, “If bill passes House, your emails or history—including health & financal [sic] info - could be sold to 3rd parties w/ out your explicit consent.” On March 28, Democratic Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi linked this battle to the Russian interference in the election: “Americans learned last week that agents of Russian intelligence hacked into email accounts to obtain secrets on American companies, government officials and more,” Pelosi said. “This resolution would not only
end the requirement you take reasonable measures to protect consumers’ sensitive information, but prevents the FCC from enacting a similar requirement and leaves no other agency capable of protecting consumers.” Ultimately, the House voted 215205 in favor of the Republican efforts to remove the broadband privacy regulations put in place by Obama. President Trump signed it into a law on April 4. Whether you are an ardent Trump supporter or a passionate liberal, a staunch Libertarian, or a fierce Green party supporter, this bill crosses a dangerous line where your online privacy is invaded. Fifteen Republicans recognized the severity of the legislation and joined the 190 Democrats who voted against the bill. To put that in context, during the confirmation of Betsy DeVos—one of the most controversial cabinet nominations—two Republican senators voted to reject her. With that in mind, it becomes even more clear how serious and nonpartisan this issue is and
strongly in the citizen's right to privacy, is “furious" about the bill. The bill, according to Thomas, “removes [her] ability to have a say in whether or not [her] information is sent to corporations.” “What I do on the internet should remain my private information,” Thomas said. “If I consent to have that shared in any way, then the ramifications of that agreement are mine to bear.”
I think this is going bounce back and forth and is going be one of the big questions for some time: How is data used, who gets to use it, how do we access it, and how transparent is the process?” —HARLAN HOWE, TECHNOLOGY COORDINATOR
Art by Taqi Hasnain (11)
ISPs will be able to access your browsing history–your personal, private information– and sell it to the highest bidder. needs to be. ISPs will be able to access your browsing history–your personal, private information–and sell it to the highest bidder. This issue of broadband privacy transcends the partisan divide of our American government. Republicans argue that this bill will put ISPs on the same playing field as websites; currently, companies like Google and Facebook derive their revenue from advertisers by selling user trends and information. However, ISPs have to seek permission from internet users to access and share private information with an “opt-in” program
Companies such as AT&T, Verizon, and Comcast will benefit from this bill as they stand to make more money from advertisers.
(users have to consent to allowing ISPs to access their information); websites, though, do not follow the same guidelines. The White House is making it easier for ISPs to access the same personal information. And this leads to another point: Is the government considering its citizens and consumers, or big businesses? Can Americans expect to see other legislation in the future lean towards the interests of lobbyists and major corporations? For most students, a lot of the
issues discussed and debated in Congress don’t really affect them: they don’t pay taxes, they don’t have to worry about healthcare or insurance, and the majority cannot even vote. However, this internet privacy bill hits close to home. We all use the internet. Every single day. Whether it be for homework, Netflix, asking Google a question, social media, or anything else you can think of, it plays a constant role in our lives. Anna Thomas (11), who believes
Thomas also thinks the nature of advertising will change, as “advertisements will become more pervasive and targeted.” She also finds fault with the fact that now, “anyone can learn anything about [her] without [her] knowing.” Thomas believes the bill will have a huge impact on her peers, who are heavy Internet users, more so than the adults who made the bill. She thinks people her age are “a huge demographic to which corporations will market products.” As as a result of the bill’s passing, she has switched search engines to duckduckgo.com, which never tracks or records your search history. Furthermore, she has partially disabled cookies, stayed off certain websites that demand users agree to cookies, turned off location services on all apps except Google Maps, and is working on finding other ways to minimize her digital footprint. Thomas believes the value of the steps far outweigh the inconvenience of them. “You have the right to privacy,” declared Ayush Krishnamoorti (9) with regards to the bill. Krishnamoorti, who was unaware of the fight in Congress over the regulations, believes the actions to eliminate these regulations are simply unjustified and detrimental. On the other hand, Krishnamoorti argued, if this action was to bolster
48 50 The telecom industry and Republicans argued that websites like Google and Facebook were not beholden to the same regulations that exist for ISPs.
The Senate voted on strict party lines in favor of repealing the Obama-era regulations.
homeland security for example, he could understand: “If they want to investigate [users] for purposes related to terrorism, it’s okay, but selling [private information] is wrong.” For Krishnamoorti, it’s also a matter of privacy between a consumer and a company: “You have trust in your company, and they shouldn’t be selling out your information.” Mr. Harlan Howe, Upper School Computer Science teacher and Technology Director, believes “there are things to be concerned about” with the legislation. He understands why telecom companies were trying so hard to push this bill as it is in their best economic interests. However, Mr. Howe brings up a good point: While you can opt-out of these kinds of services on the websites of companies like Yahoo, Google and Facebook, “you can’t really opt-out of your ISP, especially if they’re the only ISP in town.” However, because the data collected will be largely anonymized, and there will be some safeguards to keep your privacy, his browsing habits will not change. “Keep in the back of your mind— this is true in most cases—when you’re on the internet, everything you’re doing is public: not just what you’re posting but where you’re clicking, on campus or off campus,” Mr. Howe said. With regards to the telecom industry’s interest in the bill, Mr. Howe believes ISPs “are already charging money for the service: this is another revenue stream they want. They’re trying to enter a new market to compete with Google and Facebook.” This bill and debate, Mr. Howe thinks, will also continue to lead a conversation of other Internet issues, including net neutrality and the question of whether ISPs “are utilities or a business.” These issues will continue to “bounce back and forth” and will “be one of the big questions for some time: how is data used, who gets to use it, how do we access it, and how transparent is the process?” Our privacy online, which some would argue is equally as important as that in real life, has been altered in a way that may not visibly change in the immediate future. What should have been a nonpartisan issue wherein elected representatives voted to protect the privacy of users/citizens turned into a matter exploited by the influence of lobbyists, big business, and greed. But worst of all, many Americans were unaware of the battle in Congress and unaware of the President’s signing of the bill into law.
205 215 Despite efforts by Democrats to curb the bill, Republicans succeeded in passing the bill in the House.
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FEATURES
April 21, 2017 / Vol. 70, Issue 5
Brock Looser performs for Congress BY KATHERINE BERMAN
Ashton Lambert debuts on Broadway BY ALLISON FAVALORO On Kinkaid’s stage, he’s known as Danny Zuko in “Grease,” Mike Costa in “A Chorus Line,” Link Larkin in “Hairspray,” or Jack in “Into the Woods.” But behind the extravagant costumes and character façades, he’s just Ashton Lambert (11), a typical high-schooler with an immense passion for the art of theater. Lambert acquired his love for theater from his parents. His father, Mr. Scott Lambert, who is currently an Upper School Dean, started his career at Kinkaid as a Director of Drama and will return to the fine arts next year as the Director of Visual and Performing Arts. Ashton’s mother, Mrs. Kate Lambert, teaches English at Kinkaid; one class she teaches is called “Shakespeare in Tandem,” an AP course that covers various Shakespeare plays and their impact on modern works and films. With two parents who have a passion for theater, Lambert grew up on the stage. His first big break came at three years old. Mr. Lambert, then the Director of Drama, needed a young boy to play the character Astynax in Kinkaid’s Upper School play “The Trojan Women.” The role was very basic– all Lambert had to do was appear onstage and stay quiet. However, Lambert didn’t know that his big appearance was during a scene with two characters yelling at each other, so he became scared and ran off the stage and out into the lobby of the Brown Auditorium. Mr. Lambert negotiated a deal with the three-year-old: if Lambert returned to the stage, he would receive a bag of his favorite candy (gummy bears). Since that night, Lambert has fallen in love with the stage. He has performed in a number of productions in a number of theatres around town including Alley Theatre, Wildfish, Theatre Under the Stars, and Hits Theatre. After every performance, he still receives a bag of gummy bears as a reminder of his first performance. When Lambert was 13, he auditioned for iTheatrics, a performing arts group that adapts musicals into versions appropriate for high schoolers and younger students. Through iTheatrics, Lambert danced in demonstration videos for
junior adaptations of musicals. Even though he stopped performing for iTheatrics two years ago, they still contacted him about an experience of a lifetime through the program: the chance to perform in a Broadway show in New York City. On March 21, he performed for the 90th birthday celebration for John Kander, a legendary composer who developed the scores for multiple musicals including “Cabaret,” “Spider Woman,” and “Chicago.” Kander’s birthday celebration was an over-the-top event complete with performances from Broadway legends. For the finale, the cast of “Chicago” performed “All That Jazz,” the opening number of the show– but this time, with a twist. iTheatrics wanted to announce the creation of the high school adaptation of “Chicago,” so Lambert and about 80 other iTheatrics members–many who Lambert had befriended through various iTheatrics projects in the past–performed alongside the Broadway cast. Lambert reminisced on the special night: “Because there were so many of us, we had dinner across the street at this nice restaurant. Right before we were about to perform, they called us up to perform on Broadway. We walked over, and it was freezing outside, and we were in our costumes, which were just t-shirts and black pants. We had to walk across the street in all of the snow, carrying our dance shoes in our hands because we didn’t want to get them wet in the snow. So we looked pretty foolish...It was a bunch of theatre kids skipping down Broadway because we were all so excited about making our Broadway debut. We were a sight to see...Then we performed. It all happened so fast; it was so surreal. I remember after we bowed, one of my friends started bawling crying because it all happened at once,” he said. Lambert’s Broadway debut further cemented his aspirations beyond the high school stage. He plans to earn his BFA in musical theatre in college and continue to pursue a career out in the performing arts. His dream is to perform on Broadway again. He said, “Elton John in his musical ‘Billy Elliot’ talks about dancing being like electricity, and I think that that’s what dancing and theater and singing are to me–it’s like electricity. It’s so powerful; it’s so inspiring; it’s so energizing.”
“Art is what makes conversation. It makes change,” says senior Brock Looser. Looser helped start a conversation for change on March 28 when she co-directed and performed with the Augusto Boal Theatre Company an image theater piece depicting racism and police brutality in front of a group of Congressmen and women in the United States Capitol. Last summer, Looser attended the Carnegie Mellon Pre-College Drama Program. Through this program, she became involved with the Boal Theatre Company, which specializes in “image theater,” a kind of art form created by Brazilian theatre director, writer, and politician Augusto Boal in the 1960s as a form of theatrical protest. The Boal Theatre Company continues his work, allowing performers to use the theater to liberate themselves and promote change. “Image theater pieces are sort of like skits, but they use words or stories with more imagery, music, dance, and gestures,” Looser describes. Looser’s director of the Boal Theatre Company, Jill Wadsworth, instructed the students to pick a topic they were passionate about. After her recent experience with the 2016 Upper School musical, “Hairspray,” Looser immediately knew she wanted to do a piece on racism. She had starred as Tracy Turnblad, an overweight high schooler who wants to integrate the Corny Collins Show despite opposition in a segregated 1960s Baltimore. “‘Hairspray’ opened my eyes to what a pressing issue racism is,” Looser says. “It touched me because not only did I meet new people with different experiences, but I also learned about the experiences of people I go to school with, who I had never taken the time to ask about.” Looser decided she could not tackle a piece on racism alone and do it justice because she had never experienced any of the prejudices blacks face. Wadsworth suggested that Looser combine creative forces with Murphy Quake, a 17-year-old African American student from Philadelphia, who wanted to do a piece on police brutality. Looser says, “Murph was the coolest guy ever; he’s one of my best friends now. Getting to know Murphy was my favorite part of the experience—he has so many different experiences than me, his story and background are so different than mine because of where he’s from, where he lives, his race, and his culture.” “136+”, the title of Looser and Quake’s piece, references the number of African-Americans killed due to police brutality in the first seven months
of 2016. The first half of “136+,” mainly directed by Looser, depicts racism beginning with slavery to the present day. Quake’s half focused on the horrors of police brutality and the people killed because of it. The piece begins with Quake delivering a powerful acapella song about the horrors of slavery in the South. Other performers emerge and cluster in groups, eventually forming a jeering ring around a black girl, before two white men rush up and yell, “Welcome to the Auction.” It’s jarring and unsettling to watch the performers shout racial epithets at the girl. Another powerful segment is when the performers, marching like soldiers, chant “Rock, Paper, Scissors, Shoot” and pretend to shoot the girl. As the scene crescendos, it becomes a reflection of the “Black Lives Matter” and “All Lives Matter” dialogue. New Hampshire Senator Jeanne Shaheen saw Looser and Quake’s piece after attending her granddaughter’s dance performance in a different section of the Boal Program during Parent’s Weekend. After watching the performance, Shaheen talked to Wadsworth about how she enjoyed their image and would love to have them perform in front of Congress. Looser and Quake had their doubts: Organizing 40 students from all over the country and one from Mexico to perform together would be no easy feat. In October, however, Looser and Quake received an email from Wadsworth explaining that it may be possible for the image to go before Congress. The moving parts came together when the group arrived at the Capitol Building on March 28. After going through a large amount of security, they walked around the building, went underground to the United States Capitol subway system, and even saw Arizona Senator John McCain. Their tour ended at a room where Shaheen invited other senators and people who worked in her office to view the performance, the first of its kind to ever be performed for the US Congress. Looser wished that more people with different views had been able to see the image but agrees with Shaheen’s message to the students after their performance. Shaheen told the Boal performers that although it may seem like a small impact now, their performance has opened the door to other theater groups being able to come in and spread their message with Congress and to have Boal’s work transferred to the United States and make an impact on this country. “Art isn’t meant to smack you in the face with a message that you should or shouldn’t think of the world; I think it should create conservation,” Looser said. “I hope that our image left people reviewing how they see the world and people different from them...I hope it spurred conversation and thought and opened people’s minds to looking at a situation that seems black and white or two-dimensional in a different way.”
FEATURES
April 21, 2017 / Vol. 70, Issue 5
The Kinkaid Falcon / 15
Kinkaid’s number one fan Athletes have always been able to count one having at least one “Falcon fanatic” supporting their games BY ALLISON FAVALORO
The bleachers at many athletic events–other than football–usually look rather bare. Few people come to each game: parents, siblings, and occasionally a friend will cheer on a game or two. But every Kinkaid athlete can trust that one fan while be there in the stands: Dr. Craig Bowe. Dr. Bowe is a biology and neuroscience teacher at Kinkaid. Equal to his affinity for science and Lord of the Rings is his love for sports. At nearly every game, Dr. Bowe can be spotted in the bleachers with his purple fold-up chair, ready to watch his students
compete in another game. Dr. Bowe grew up as a major athlete in Minnesota. Throughout his childhood, he adored playing baseball. In high school, however, basketball became his main sport because he had a very inspiring coach, Mr. Bob Erdman. Mr. Erdman exemplified how to be intense about something he loved—basketball. This infectious inspiration transferred to Dr. Bowe and pushed him to become really passionate about basketball as well. Dr. Bowe considers Mr. Erdman almost a “second father” who helped to develop in Dr. Bowe a “kind
of intensity to really succeed.” Dr. Bowe still keeps in touch with his coach; he goes back up to Minnesota every summer to help coach Mr. Erdman’s basketball camp. Like the typical jock, Dr. Bowe didn’t really care for academics in high school. He then went off to college at University of Minnesota where he played one season on the JV baseball team. In college, Dr. Bowe applied his intensity for a passion in experimental psychology. He worked through college to achieve a Ph.D. in the specialized subject, and he then went back to school to
become a science teacher. Dr. Bowe recognizes and appreciates the importance of participating in extracurriculars. “It’s dangerous for anyone to get too narrowly focused in what they’re doing and what they want to do,” he explained. “For high school students, exposure to the arts broadens their field of vision and maybe even the direction they want to go in your life, and exposure to sports does similar kinds of things. Team sports, in particular, [taught me] how to be intense about something by being on the basketball team in high school. Then for me, it transferred into academics. You can get things like that out of the classrooms and different subjects, but you can get it out of extracurriculars, whether they be sports or arts; you can develop this willingness to push yourself in ways that you didn’t really think you could.” Dr. Bowe loves attending all of the athletic and art events at Kinkaid because he enjoys watching students he knows on the field and the stage. “[My favorite part about watching Kinkaid events is] when people I know are
“If I can see [students] participating in things– not just sports–outside of the classroom, they have the chance to see that I do really care about who they are.” —Dr. Bowe playing in the games because that’s when it’s best for me,” Dr. Bowe said. “I can watch the people I don’t know in college and in pros, but it’s more fun to actually know something about some of the people that are actually out there.” Although he doesn’t have a favorite sport to watch, he enjoys going to football games because “football in Texas is a much bigger deal” than anywhere else he has lived, so the “general excitement at the games” makes the experience more enjoyable for him. But the real reason why Dr.
Bowe attends every athletic game and performance is so he can show his students that he cares about them. “I don’t think I come across in the classroom as someone who particularly cares about them as a person,” he confessed, “which is too bad because it’s not true. What I care about in the classroom is how you are as a student of this subject. I’m trying to get across this material...If I can see them participating in things–not just sports–outside of the classroom, they have the chance to see that I do really care about who they are.” In the past few years, he has given each of his freshman students a notecard on the first day of class. On that card, he tells every student to write down any extracurricular activities that they are interested in. He can get to learn something about every one of his pupils and makes sure that he can support their various endeavors outside of the class. It can become easy for students, especially for us pessimistic high schoolers, to assume that teachers don’t take any interest in us. When a teacher giving back a poor grade or assigning an impossible assignment, we console ourselves by declaring that the teacher wants to watch us fail. But if we keep using this excuse, we will start to blame others for our own failures, which helps no one in the end. Believe it or not, teachers really are concerned about our well-being. They channel their passion and knowledge for a subject into sparking that passion and knowledge in others. Teachers don’t arrive at Kinkaid at 7 a.m. to just kill time. They want to see us go on and succeed in life, so they can truly say that they had an impact on our success. Julia Lasater (11), a threesport varsity athlete who also performs in many plays, explained, “It’s really great to see teachers come to the game because it shows they care about us at a level deeper than the grades they give us. Dr. Bowe comes to almost every home game (especially during basketball season) and it feels good to have that support from other parts of the Kinkaid community besides parents.”
FEATURES
16 / The Kinkaid Falcon
Above: The 140 foot deep hole, Jacob’s Well, is a popular summer natural swimming destination.
Texas Weekend Getaways BY EMMA STOUT We see it all over social media: the glorious weekend adventures, complete with artsy pictures of seven-inch ice cream cones, magnificent hikes, raging waterfalls, and friend-filled cars. So you pack your weekender, head out on the road and–wait? This is Texas. There is nothing to do here besides shoot stuff and drive to Galveston. When I first moved here, I found it hard to believe that Texas wasn’t just the concrete jungle of Houston, surrounded by endless miles of nothingness. However, Texas is filled with crystal-clear rivers, vast mountains, and serene prairies–you just have to know where to find them. Whether you’re looking to wade in refreshing springs on hot summer days, take a sunset summit stroll, or rock-jump behind a 500-foot waterfall, here are three weekend getaway locations to fulfill your adven-
April 21, 2017 / Vol. 70, Issue 5
Above: A vista of central Texas from close to summit of Enchanted Rock.
ture cravings. Jacob’s Well is a three-hour drive west of Houston. Scientifically speaking, it’s a well with water pushed down from the Trinity Aquifer, or an underground permeable rock that picks up a water source. This results in an ideal swimming spot with a 140-foot deep hole below the
water’s surface, and the largest underwater cave system in Texas. The area also contains a perfect creek for wading and rock-hopping. Although Jacob’s Well is a prime spot for taking a dip, visitors have to be cautious of the deep water and extremely slippery rocks along the creek. During the summer season, visitors have to make reservations and pay a nominal fee to swim in the spring. Pro tip: Make sure you don’t just go to the Jacob’s Well
Above: Hamilton Pool Preserve’s 50-foot waterfall flows over a limestone outcrop.
landmark on Google Maps, but instead actually enter
waterfall cascading over a limestone outcrop that formed over thousands of years from water erosion. The result? A striking and seHAMILTON POOL rene dome-shaped cove with stunningly clear waters, stalactites, and a small strip of secluded beach. Just
across the beach, a short rocky trail loops under the outcrop, where visitors can observe the breathtaking and picturesque scene from behind the waterfall. The preserve is also home to a small creek, easily accessible hiking trails, and swimming spots. Unfortunately, swimming is often prohibited at the preserve due to high levels of bacteria or
flooding. Swimming usually is closed during fall and winter, and opens during the spring and summer; however, it’s best–and often necessary–to make reservations during the busy summer months. Finally, Enchanted Rock near Fredericksburg, Texas, is perfect for those looking to take a longer day hike. The popular 425-foot pink granite dome includes a path to the pinnacle with a scenic view, as well as backpacking, rock-climbing, camping, and geocaching; it’s also a great location for birdwatching or stargazing. With over 11 miles of trails, one can explore the lake or watch the sunset at the summit. During the summer, the park is especially crowded, so it is best not to go on popular days; nevertheless, Enchanted Rock in the fall or spring is just as vibrant and alive as it is in the summer. As the last day of school quickly approaches, and the stress increases, it is necessary that we take time off from studying for APs, finals, or any end of year projects. Taking just a day or two to explore the outdoors with friends, families, or just solo can be a major stress reliever, so get out and smell the Texas air.
has contributed to the most apparent changes to Houston. The physical appearance of the city is more developed, cosmopolitan, and busy. Around Uptown Park, in the Galleria, and in Post Oak, new large apartment buildings, high-tech offices for companies like BHP Billiton, and shopping complexes have transformed the once modest skyline. Although it may seem positive that Houston has become so developed and urban because it offers much more activities, restaurants, and culture, there are some downfalls to having a larger population and more buildings in the middle of the city. One of the most frustrating downfalls is the bumper-to-bumper traffic starting at 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. A seemingly short drive from Kinkaid to River Oaks or Tanglewood can take as long as
30 or 45 minutes during rush hour. Between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. is when everyone is leaving work and school, so there are more traffic cops directing the flow of traffic, which can cause main streets, such as San Felipe and Westheimer, to get backed up. “After I get out of sports at 6 p.m. there’s really bad traffic on San Felipe usually when you are approaching Voss. I take Woodway, so after that the traffic is pretty clear. It takes me 15 minutes to get home,” says Quinn Gilmartin (11) who lives in Tanglewood. As Houston grows, the beneficial new changes–such as diverse culture, new restaurants, and more developments–may be offset by by some frustrating adjustments, such as increased traffic, but as Houston evolves, all of us living here get to enjoy our new progressive and exciting city.
ENCHANTED ROCK
JACOB’S WELL
the access point because the walk from the landmark is quite long. Hamilton Pool Preserve is just 29 miles west of Austin, and only a three-hour drive from downtown Houston. The area contains a 50-foot
The Evolution of Houston BY JULIA DAVIS Houston’s skyline has developed more rapidly and dramatically in the past three years at a seemingly unprecedented rate. New office and apartment buildings, shopping centers, and other complexes have sprung up on every street, and every main road seems to be under construction, making it harder to maneuver the already congested streets. As the physical features of Houston change, so do its culture and demographics, leading to an urban, cosmopolitan, and modern city with so much more to offer than ever before. The change seen in Houston can be traced to the 2008 stock market crash. Although Houston was hit like every other city, it wasn’t hit as badly. It was the last to be affected and the first to recover, thanks to the city’s energy companies
and all of the employment opportunities available at the time. People who were hit hard financially or laid-off in other areas of the country flocked to Houston to take advantage of the low cost of living. It is within those trying years that Houston was placed on its trajectory of becoming the leading city in population growth and the fourth largest city in the United States. As more and more people have moved to Houston, its demographics have shifted: It is now one of the most diverse cities in America. In the Houston area, there are 2.2 million Hispanics–almost half of the entire population of Harris County–815,405 Blacks, and 399,522 others, according to the Pew Research Center and the Census Bureau. There are also 145 languages spoken in Houston, according to the
largest city in the United States
Houston Chronicle, making it the third on the list of most languages spoken in a city in the United States, behind New York and Los Angeles. This great shift in demographics has had great and lasting impacts on the city already. The diverse population has led to an influx of culture and art, many new restaurants, and most noticeably the construction of many new apartment buildings and housing complexes. For example, a more diverse array of exhibits at the Museum of Fine Arts, such as a recent one on Cuban art, and upscale restaurants such as Nobu opening up locations here. This flood of people has led to a great need for housing and amenities. This has led to the boom in apartment construction and nearby shopping centers and restaurants. This
languages spoken in Houston
Latinos in Harris County Sourced from Houston Chronicle and VisitHoustonTexas.com
FORUM
April 21, 2017 / Vol. 70, Issue 5
The Kinkaid Falcon / 17
Why diversity in schools is so important As much as we can, schools should strive to reflect the society students are being prepared to enter
BY NIA CALDWELL You probably saw it last year. The front picture on the homepage of Kinkaid’s website starring three students: White, Asian, and Indian. All three smiling up at a whiteboard, the very vision of a melting pot, representing the diversity Kinkaid entails. Funny. Of course, this picturesque photo does not clearly depict the average class at Kinkaid. I was always aware of the disparity between students of color at Kinkaid, but taking a class about race called ‘The Others” during Interim Term last year brought a lot of questions to my mind. In the class, we discussed diversity at Kinkaid—or the lack thereof. Dr. Trusty, Assistant Headmaster and the instructor of the class, brought to our attention the statistics of race here and at independent schools across the country. For the 2016-2017 school year, Kinkaid is 5% African American, 5% Hispanic American, 8% Asian American, 6% Multiracial, 1% Middle Eastern and 75% European American. In the Upper School, the student body is 72% white. This is hardly the mixture of races that Kinkaid advertised on their front page. None of these statistics necessarily surprised me. What did surprise me was when I learned that 40% of the incoming freshman class self-identified as being a person of color. This shows the progress that Kinkaid has made. This progress is hugely vital to expose students to peers and their families who come from different backgrounds and cultures, but still share our community. “It has been scientifically proven that students work better in diverse environments. Having no diversity is like having a basketball team full of point guards. That basketball team would not be successful,” Dr. Trusty said. Racial diversity is so important because it greatly heightens discussions and
expands learning experiences at school. “I want be exposed to and appreciate different cultures and opinions. It would be good to see people who don’t look like me. In the real world, we aren’t just going to meet white people,” Mary Cravens (11) said. Outside of our campus, our city is rapidly becoming more diverse. Houston recently surpassed both New York City and Los Angeles as the most diverse city in the nation; Houston is only 26% white while people of color make up 74% of the city. These numbers look very different from the numbers inside our campus.
It has been scientifically proven that students work better in diverse environments.” —DR. ED TRUSTY, ASSISTANT HEADMASTER
I’m not saying our population numbers should be identical to that of the actual city’s. But I do think that our current numbers—nearly the exact opposite of Houston’s (instead of 74% people of color, we are 72% white)—may not be high enough to create a truly cultivating environment similar to the world around us. So why isn’t our school changing as well in a reflection of the city we live in? Lauren Ho (11) says, “I feel out of place sometimes because most people here are white. Obviously all Asians aren’t the same so if there were more [Asians], people would see we don’t fit into one box, and there is less room for stereotypes.” I enjoy attending school at Kinkaid, but the uncomfort-
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able experiences I have based upon the stereotypes of others have been disappointing. “Aye, yo, wassup!” I am sometimes greeted by passing classmates, as if the only way they can communicate with me is through the way they think I should speak. While a student here, I’ve heard the N-word echoed in the cafeteria, and I’ve been told that I’m the “whitest” black person someone knows because I live in Piney Point, because apparently I’m the anomaly to the idea in their head that all black people are poor. I believe this ignorance is prompted by lack of exposure to different cultures. When the majority students don’t interact with people of color from a young age, stereotypes burgeon. However, there is only so much Kinkaid can do to make the school more diverse with the longstanding policy that prioritizes 80% of new admissions for legacy families and children of faculty, leaving 20% of the spots for new families. This is a priority in the Lower School, where incoming class sizes are very small. “In Pre-K and Kindergarten, the ratio is always 80/20. In 6th through 9th grade, the intention is to keep that ratio, but we don’t always have the priority numbers to support it,” Admissions Director Ms. Iris Bonet says. “Kinkaid has a history of being a family school. As more students of color graduate, the legacy pool will change and it will not be such a difficult task to diversify Kinkaid.”
voice and feedback. Please email student.publications@kinkaid. org or use the Contact form at http://thefalcon.kinkaid.org. Corrections will be addressed on our website and published in the subsequent issue. Please direct The Kinkaid Falcon’s mission is to be an accurate advertising inquiries to colin. monteith@kinkaid.org. and reliable source of information for the Kinkaid community by informing readers about The opinions expressed in The topics that are interesting, thought-provoking, Kinkaid Falcon belong solely to the and impactful from the school, local Houston writer and are not a reflection or area and Texas, as well as other parts of the representation of the opinions of world. the school or its administrators. Questions or comments? We welcome your
Masthead
ART BY TAQI HASNAIN
There has already been visible and positive change in the Upper School. For example, in just this year, the freshman class is considerably more diverse than the senior class, and next year’s ninth grade promises to be even more so. This is hugely encouraging, but one potential problem with this policy, is that it relies on the possibility that students of color will send their children to the school.
This progress is hugely vital to expose students to peers and their families who come from different backgrounds and cultures, but still share our community.”
Editor-in-Chief Kirk Hachigian
Arts & Culture Editor Katie Erikson
Associate Editors Sarah Bass Ella Morgan Faraz Virani
Entertainment Editor Katherine Berman
Assistant Editor Arman Badrei Features Editor Allison Favaloro Forum Editor Nia Caldwell
Web Editor Julia Davis Business Manager Colin Monteith Staff Ali Ammons Madi Babine Brady Brazda
If we look at just black families, before the 1960s, they could not even attend Kinkaid. So for nearly 60 years of the school’s operation, black families were not permitted to enroll—that history has set up a system of privilege. (Apart from this, the biggest class of black students graduated from Kinkaid in 1995. That class had a whopping 13 black people out of 121 students.) Instead of the 80/20 rule, it should be changed to 70/30 or 60/40 so there is more room to search and look for the best students, of all colors, to ensure a better, more inclusive learning environment for everyone. I know Kinkaid is a school of tradition and legacy, but it’s time to break the tradition of giving a significant priority admission to legacy students. For now, the 80/20 policy hinders people of colors’ ability to get into this once all-white institution.
Emma Carr Colin Conway Caleigh Doran Sterling Elias Mac Friday Emma Gilliam Jordan Jafarnia Hana Keleta Laszlo Kranitz Anna Leon-Amtmann Megha Neelapu Marley Orange Sarah Kate Padon Ashley Pazkaban William Scott Emma Stout
Adviser LiAnn Yim
The Kinkaid Falcon is published six times a school year. 700 print copies are distributed for free to 597 Upper School students and 93 faculty members, and 220 copies are mailed to subscribers. The Kinkaid Falcon is a member of the CSPA and NSPA.
FORUM
18 / The Kinkaid Falcon
Smash Super Smash Bros.
BY BRITTANY WILLIAMS GUEST WRITER
You know what, I am just gonna say it…Smash Bros needs to be gone. I am sick and tired of wasting precious minutes of my life on Field Day watching four dudes play some game. There is always bound to be some technical difficulty and some person picked to do ESPN type commentary on the game as if it’s the Final Four. Then you have those ten dudes who cheer and fist bump each other when something happens on the screen. Everyone else is looking around thinking, “what is even going on?” and “when is lunch?” Now, don’t get me wrong: I understand that people love playing video games, but why is the entire student body forced to endure that? It’s like when you have that one friend who listens to some strange music and he or she tries to force his or her unconventional taste upon you. I understand you like listening to whatever this is, but stop trying to force it on me. So, the whole reason we should keep Super Smash Bros on Field Day because it
is somehow “fun” is comical. Can I ask who is it fun for exactly? If your answer is the handful of senior boys and about ten other people from each grade (not including the freshmen because they can’t even see from way up on the balcony) then you need to reevaluate your life. Since when has anyone ever done something because thirty people out of a few hundred wanted to? If this sounds like a crazy rant about my hatred for watching other people play a game on Field Day, it’s because it is exactly that. Honestly, there are a lot things that happen on Field Day that are just not as fun as they could be, but none take the cake like watching senior boys play Super Smash Bros for fifteen minutes.
Take back Senior “Skip” Day Why a scheduled skip day defeats the purpose
BY ELLA MORGAN
April 21, 2017 / Vol. 70, Issue 5
Knock Out the haters
“I think a lot of people enjoy the game and it’s a nice break. I don’t think people should be as annoyed as some are.” —Kcenia Kloesel (12)
“Super Smash Bros. is the pilgrimage of field day.” —Ryan McClanahan (12)
“I think we could be doing something more interactive. It’s just so drawn out.” —Caroline Totz (10)
“Super Smash Bros. is the second most exciting event of Field Day, behind dodgeball of course.” —Malcolm Hedgepeth (11)
It’s Friday, April 21. The senior hallway is silent, and the Student Center is empty. The underclassmen carry on throughout their day, unfazed by the absence of one quarter of the student body. Faculty who teach senior-only classes work quietly in their empty classrooms, without confusion or dismay. Typically, a senior skip day would take place unannounced, surprising and disrupting the day for teachers and other students. At Kinkaid however, it happens the same day every year. It’s even built into the schedule to take place the Friday after Field Day. We’ve seen the fun, crazy senior skip days portrayed in movies and TV shows: the principal is furious, the teachers are annoyed at the filling silence of their ghost-
BY NOLAN WATT GUEST WRITER There has been a lot of controversy about Super Smash Bros. recently, and the majority have certainly been heard: Smash is out of field day. This is a tragedy to some, a victory to others, and completely irrelevant to most. All is not lost, however, as Smash teaches its players that failure is only a small step to victory. Why Smash? Why would anybody enjoy a party game that, in its oldest version, is as old as I am? Smash is unique in almost every category. It was designed as a party, like say Mario Party, but revolves around a modified form of King of the Hill. The Hill is the stage. The objective is to launch your opponents off the stage and off any four sides of the screens. These boundaries are known as blast zones. Contrary to most fighting games, Smash doesn’t have a health system. Hits tack on percent. The greater percentage taken, the further your character is knocked upon each following hit until they reach the blast zone. The goal is simple but the path is open to the player’s creativity. There’s no one way to kill somebody. The game says “Here are your tools, do what you will to get the job done.” Therein lies the beauty. Super Smash Bros. is unique even with fighting/party games, but that isn’t why it’s so fun. No, the joy comes from
it’s accessibility. Anybody, and I do mean *anybody*, can play smash and have a good time. It’s not like, say, ping pong where certain people have natural dispositions (like reflexes). All you need is a competitive spirit. Even though it’s often ridiculed, “button mashing” is a strategy everybody uses at first. Eventually, you learn some buttons are better to press at a certain time rather than at random. Or maybe you just like the idea of getting to be Mario, Donkey Kong, Kirby, or Pikachu for a while. For the issues raised at Field Day, I think many of them are valid. I don’t enjoy watching football, basketball, baseball, etc. on TV. Nobody forces me to watch these because I don’t find them exciting. But how can you not love a final Hail Mary, a walk off home run, or a game winning dunk? Just because I don’t like any of these sports doesn’t mean they don’t have thrilling moments. The biggest issue with watching Smash at Field Day is that people who haven’t played can’t know the excitement of a Knock Out. They have no reference point. They also don’t take a stance. What’s the fun in a spectator sport without a favorite team? Even if it’s just for the one match, I implore everybody to take a side, win or lose.
town rooms, and maybe there’s that one clueless senior who shows up, having somehow missed the memo on where everyone is. Much like the tradition of a Senior Prank, Senior Skip Day at Kinkaid has been controlled by the administration. The spontaneity of Senior Skip Day has been road blocked and squashed by strict rules and guidelines. The exciting second semester senior tradition that everyone looks forward to has been turned into just another organized, planned event that my mom would love to color code onto her Google Calendar. Now, I understand that having a whole grade missing in the Upper School for a day would be extremely inconvenient and a nuisance to the whole school, but isn’t that the point of a Senior Skip
Day? Aren’t we supposed to go out with a bang instead of just saying “see ya” and routinely going about our last month as high schoolers? Where is the excitement in that? This scheduled “Senior Class Day” (as it says in our handy Kinkaid planners) is the opposite of exciting. It’s kind of like having a surprise birthday party and finding out about it a year before it happens. I always hear people in the hallways joking about having a real senior skip day, but everyone seems too scared to actually go for it. It may be too late for the Class of 2017 to do something about it, but maybe one class will be brave enough to face the punishment (whatever it may be) and do something to shake up the continuity of Kinkaidians’ scheduled and structured lives.
ENTERTAINMENT
April 21, 2017 / Vol. 70, Issue 5
The Kinkaid Falcon / 19
FACTS
FACTS
Tracks: 22 Length: 81:41 Features: 11 Metacritic Score: 82 Release Date: March 18 Hype: Each of the 22 songs on “More Life” has made the Billboard Hot 100, giving Drake almost a quarter of the slots.
Tracks: 14 Length: 54:54 Features: 3 Metacritic Score: 97 Release Date: April 14 Hype: Surpassed 200 million streams in its first week of release. He is the second musician to achieve this, after Drake.
Kendrick Lamar preaches on “DAMN.” BY STERLING ELIAS On April 14, self proclaimed “Greatest Rapper Alive” Kendrick Lamar released his fourth studio album: DAMN. This project is a followup to his popular 2016 release, Untitled Unmastered. Leading up to DAMN.’s release, Lamar dropped two singles, “The Heart Part 4” and “HUMBLE.”, with the latter appearing on DAMN. The 29-year-old Compton rapper rose to fame following the release of his first studio album in 2012, good kid, m.A.A.d city. Kendrick followed this certified platinum album with projects To Pimp a Butterfly, and Untitled Unmastered. DAMN. comes as his third album in as many years. When he debuted “The Heart Part 4” back in March, Lamar hinted that his next album woud be released on April 7. Many fans were upset when that day came and went without a fresh album. He then officially announced the April 14 release date of his album. Lamar subsequently released “HUMBLE.” on March 30. It debuted at number two on the Billboard Hot 100. He dropped “HUMBLE.” alongside its music video, which was surrounded in controversy. This video’s portrayal of Kendrick Lamar dressed as the Pope angered many people, as did the part of the video in which Kendrick sat in the middle of the table with his crew all on one side, an adaptation of Leonardo Da Vinci’s “The Last Supper.” “HUMBLE.” is quintessential Kendrick Lamar and arguably the hardest track on this album. This song is the epitome of why Kendrick Lamar is colloquially known as The Greatest Rapper Alive. On the morning of Tuesday, April 11, Lamar made two Instagram posts announcing the album title and tracklist. Both posts said “DAMN.” in large lettering with a closeup of Lamar. Religion is a constant theme on DAMN., starting with the title. Its Good Friday release was a deliberate choice. Damn. That was all that I
could say after my first listen of DAMN. After my initial disappointment with the first track, “BLOOD.”, which was a boring two minutes of Kendrick talking, DAMN. immediately caught me off guard with the electrifyingly upbeat masterpiece that is “DNA.” I continued to listen to the album for the next hour, and the second “DUCKWORTH.” the final track on the album, ended, I scrolled back up a pressed play again. Song after song, DAMN. surprised me as each track built upon the last. Since DAMN.’s release, every time I get into a car with my friends, they demand that I play “DNA.” On “DNA.” Lamar excitedly raps about his pride in his African-American heritage. This album’s features, while few, do more than enough in the way of making good music. These features include pop superstar Rihanna, rock band U2, and Top Dawg Entertainment (Lamar’s record label) favorite, Zacari. While Rihanna shines, the standout performance comes from 23 year old Zacari. His smooth vocals paired with Lamar’s signature sound form something special. DAMN. touches on subjects such as religion, politics, equality, and love. While many of these feelings and emotions are common in Lamar’s music, they return in dramatic and intense fashion. Kendrick does not make many changes to his style of music on DAMN., but perfects his craft. Behind the bold red lettering spelling out “DAMN.” a closeup of Kendrick Lamar graces the cover of this album. This image of Lamar deep in thought perfectly captures the essence of this album which is an introspective work, a look inside the mind of The Greatest Rapper Alive. DAMN. both begins and ends with Kendrick Lamar’s death. The album’s first track, “BLOOD.” is Kendrick Lamar telling a story about Lamar being shot by a blind lady that he is trying to help. Lamar ends the album with his death on “DUCKWORTH”, a song named after his last name.
Drake sets sail to yacht rap with “More Life” Team Effort Both Kendrick Lamar and Drake engage other artists on their albums.
BY KIRK HACHIGIAN
Love him or hate him, there is no denying that for almost a decade Drake has dominated DRAKE’S MORE LIFE the music industry. No, he is not the best rapper alive–a title that belongs to Kendrick Lamar–but the ubiquitous Canadian has continued to grow as a star and curator throughout his career, leading the evolution of hip-hop with each step. He has undisputedly claimed the throne as the most successful mainstream rapper Kanye West on “Glow” in the world, and after months of promises, trailers, and even tattoos, released his latest project, “More Life.” The relaxed format of the “playlist” is well-suited to Drake, and represents his most ambitious project since “Take Care” in 2011. In “More Life,” Jorja Smith on many of the most well-known “Get It Together” voices in music today make an appearance: Kanye West, Quavo, Young Thug, 2 Chainz, Travis Scott. Drake masterfully manages to combine each guest and their individual styles to create a unique cast of characters that samples music and culture in the U.S., Canada, the Caribbean, and the U.K. Sampha on “4422” “More Life” also marks the culmination of Drake’s KENDRICK LAMAR’S DAMN. obsession and patronage of lesser-known British artists including grime/gangster rappers Skepta and Giggs, and more soulful artists Sampha and Jorja Smith. Each featured artist is given the airspace to really create and take the pressure off Drake to provide all of the album’s essential content. The assembled features U2 on “XXX” work together to forge exciting transitions, airy hooks, and a cool exuberance without an excessive amount of Drake. With “More Life,” Drake has created Rihanna on a new innovation between hip“Loyalty” hop and soul: yacht rap. Yacht rap, in case you were not sure, is luxurious rap music that celebrates extreme affluence and indulgence. Drake embraces this lavish, extravaZacari on gant style with funky grooves and vocals that stretch rap to “Love” its loosest form. When perfected, the results are sublime. The defining stretch of “More Life” begins on the third
track with with “Passionfruit” and continues for the next five songs. The temperate vibes and breezy grooves fit effortlessly with Drake’s dance floor pop. “4422,” possibly the strongest song on “More Life,” features the aching soulful voice of Sampha. His tender soprano feels almost wounded, and has the ability to touch souls. Even though this essential stretch takes place early in the album, Drake gives many reasons to stick around for all 22 tracks. “Skepta Interlude” is a callous song from grime rapper Skepta; “Glow” is a transcendent, breezy duet with Kanye West; “Can’t Have Everything” is Drake at his cold best, subtly slinging barbs to Meek Mill; “Fake Love,” a top 10 hit, will quickly become unbearable when it reaches the same radio plays as “Passionfruit.” Although these hip-hop, dance, and pop offerings are brilliantly curated, the identity of “More Life” begins to drop off in the second half. Just like a typical Spotify playlist, there seems to be a lot of attention on the flow and transitions in the first half before just piling up the remaining songs. That is, until “Do Not Disturb.” The final track on Drake’s albums tends to be a State of the Union address, and “Do Not Disturb” is no different. Drake reveals how he has been too busy working for parties and girls. He has always had a reputation for being one of the hardest working rappers in the game, and Drake finally seems to be exhausted. Where “More Life” ranks among Drake albums, however, is still up for debate. While it’s undoubtedly miles ahead of “Views,” it also falls short of “Take Care” and possibly “If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late” (2015). All in all, there is no denying that “More Life” will be one of the best Drake albums of all time. Released on March 18, it has been on a record-breaking tear ever since. Whatever he calls it, playlist, album, composition, record, Drake has cemented his place as the most successful rapper in the world with “More Life.”
ENTERTAINMENT
20 / The Kinkaid Falcon
Prom, from the 1920s to now Prom, 1959
BY JULIA DAVIS & ANNA LEON
With the Purple Reign Prom quickly approaching this Saturday, travel through time to see how the most anticipated junior/ senior event has evolved over the past century. From off-campus locations and never-ending after parties to short dresses and school gyms, here is a little slice of history for one of high school’s most enduring traditions. Prom used to take place after graduation, instead of before, as it currently stands. Originally held off campus–usually at the old Junior League, River Oaks Country Club, or Houston Coun-
April 21, 2017 / Vol. 70, Issue 5
Prom, 1989
try Club–juniors and seniors celebrated the end of the school year by attending prom after the graduation commencement. Often stretching into the wee hours of the morning, prom–from the 1920s until the late 1990s–was an all-night event. Starting at 10 p.m. and ending at 1 a.m., Kinkaid students indulged in a more carefree atmosphere. Like today, parent chaperones assisted in the organization of the event. Back then, after prom ended, the juniors and seniors would split for their respective after parties, which would include a
live band, swimming, and food. These after parties would end around 5 or 6 a.m. with a breakfast, but many seniors would often continue on to Galveston for more partying. Alumna Susan Santangelo (Class of ‘55) said, “Proms in the 1950’s were, I suppose, ‘tame’ by today’s standards. The students were, for the most part, well-behaved and polite; but we had fun - and we loved dancing and listening to the daring rock music of which our parents so heartily disapproved!” To allow for more comfortable
Prom, 2002
dancing, “girls dresses were often short (but well below the knee) so that jitterbugging could be accomplished more easily, and girls were known to abandon their high heels and dance in their stocking feet. Boys wore traditional tuxedos, but often abandoned their jackets and ties for dancing,” Santangelo said. In the 60s, the junior class held a dance at someone’s home to raise money for the prom. It was the junior class’ responsibility to raise enough to fund the dance, so they sold lunch sandwiches, junior directories, and beanies to
Prom, 2016
raise money. In the early 2000s, prom was moved on campus for better monitoring of the goings on at the party. Also, the cost of prom is now taken out of the Senior Budget. Whereas now most people are itching to evacuate the dancef loor and burst open the doors to leave school dances, back then, high school students liked to enjoy their last dance with their partner to songs like “The Tennessee Waltz”, “How Much is that Doggie in the Wind” or “Stardust”, known as the final favorite.
Pick Your Perfect Prom Date from the Newspaper Staff BY SARAH BASS & ASHLEY PAKZABAN
Museum of Fine Arts
Are you more of an introvert or an extrovert?
Extrovert
Introvert
Where would you take your girl on a first date?
What do you watch on Netflix while hanging out?
Arm flexing emoji and the one hundred
Faraz Virani
“You’re Beautiful” by James Blunt
Are you more spontaneous or would you rather have a plan?
Spontaneous
Have a plan
“The Wolf of Wall Street”
“Love and Basketball”
What are your favorite emojis?
Rockets game
What song do you serenade your girl with?
The face with heart eyes and the thinking one
Kirk Hachigian
“Budapest” by George Ezra
How would you ask a girl to prom?
I would spell out PROM using only one hundred dollar bills in her driveway
Arman Badrei
I would sing her a Hungarian love song while I sit in a bed of roses
Laci Kranitz
SPORTS
April 21, 2017 / Vol. 70, Issue 5
t e r r a u h t l C t u e C r r a u p t h l o C u P C p o P Who is your dream prom date? What is your favorite Field Day activity?
Dalton Nevins (9): “Answering for CC Jeffers: Sarah Fullenweider.”
Jackson Griggs (9): “Playing silly string wars.”
The Kinkaid Falcon / 21
The Pop Culture Chart: Where we get to know the Kinkaidian tastes and takes on what’s the talk around campus. Design by Ashley Pakzaban Reporting by Colin Monteith and Laci Kranitz
Nicholas Limon (10): Max Manetti (11): “Megan Fox.” “Ms. Ziegler because she can bust the moves.”
Julia Davis (12): “John Cena. Have you seen his body? It’s really amazing.”
Morgan Parker (10):
Mary Claire Stevenson (11): “Watching the dodgeball tournament.”
Austin Karkowsky (12): “Student-teacher karaoke.”
“Tug of war because it’s the most competitive, and it gets the whole grade together.”
Do you support the Smash Bros. tournament at Field Day?
Isaiah LeBlanc (9):
Chloe Hunter (10): “I guess?”
Wesley House (11): “I don’t support it because I can’t figure out who is who.”
KK Zarutskie (12): “I honestly couldn’t care less.”
Staff question:
Allison Favaloro (Features Editor): “The parking spot so I wouldn’t be tardy.”
Arman Badrei (Assistant Editor): “Lotteries are a poor man’s game.”
Kirk Hachigian (Editor-In-Chief): “A TV, which is good because I won one.”
Sarah Kate Padon (Staff Writer): “Cheerleader for a day because I’m so peppy.”
What do you want to win in the raffle?
“No, NBA 2K is better.”
The Illustrated Interview with Ms. Zeigler and Coach Larned Ms. Zeigler
Please draw what you look like.
What job did you want to have when you were growing up? (Pharmacist)
Who would you like to live like for a day? (My mom)
What is your secret talent? (Drawing)
What scares you? (Students)
What job did you want to have when you were growing up? (Basketball player)
Who would you like to live like for a day? (Tom Brady)
What is your secret talent? (Blowing bubbles with my tongue)
What scares you? (Heights)
Coach Larned
Please draw what you look like.
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SPORTS
April 21, 2017 / Vol. 70, Issue 5
Spring Sports
The Kinkaid Falcon / 23
BY EMMA GILLIAM
Boys Baseball
Girls Softball
The Boys Baseball team currently stands with 14 wins and seven losses. One of their best games was against John Cooper in late March. In the eighth inning, Carlos Abello’s (10) hit led to a winning run that ended the game 5-4. This weekend they will play Episcopal and Houston Christian. Their game against Episcopal tomorrow is especially important to the team’s stance in SPC. “Both of us are undefeated in SPC, and it will be a good game -- whoever wins will be the first seed in SPC,” Abello said.
With only 13 players, the softball team has four wins, 11 losses, and one tie. Last Tuesday, they beat Woodlands High School after an extra an inning and a winning run by Anna Maria Johnson (11). “It was a really competitive game and winning against the Woodlands was probably one of the best moments of the season,” Johnson said. This afternoon they will play Episcopal at Kinkaid. They leave for SPC in the hopes of being in the fifth seed.
Ford Young (12)
Cammy Turboff (11)
Girls Golf
Boys Golf
The girls’ golf team has had a strong season, and they continue to improve. “My favorite part about golf is that the more frequently we play in tournaments, the better we become,” Lillian Rosenfield (11) said. In late March, the team traveled to Cedar Creek to play in the St. John’s Golf Tournament. At this tournament, they shot a total of 556 points, earning them fourth place. Out of the nine players, the top five golfers of the girls’ team will travel to SPC next Monday.
The boys golf team earned first place at the Kinkaid Golf Tournament and against John Cooper. At the Kinkaid Steve Lasher Invitational at Black Horse Golf Club in Feb., the team totaled to 292 points, and Mason Nome won first place with 67 points. Next Monday, they will play in the SPC championships in Spring, Texas. Johnny Butler (11)
Cheyenne Dawley (10)
Boys Lacrosse
Girls Lacrosse
After a win against Strake Jesuit on last Tuesday night, boys’ lacrosse team is entering a city tournament that will commence next Saturday. Currently, they have 13 wins and three losses, and they will enter as the second seed in SPC. A particularly memorable game for the boys’ lacrosse team was against Memorial on April 13. They went into the game as underdogs, and prevailed with 16 goals against five. “They were undefeated, and they thought they were good, but it was really great when we came out and beat them,” Taylor Knauth (10) said.
The girls lacrosse team’s hard work has paid off this season, as they currently have 11 wins and three losses. Over the week of spring break, the team traveled to Hilton Head, South Carolina, where they played two games. “We had a such a great time at Hilton Head. We were able to practice on the beach, see Beauty and the Beast, and get airbrush tattoos,” Olivia Marrus (10) said. As a strong and close-knit team, they are optimistic about the outcome of SPC. Katarina Zarutskie (12)
Boys Track and Field
Girls Track and Field
Rob Lahourcade (12)
Girls track and field has placed in the top five in every meet this season, and has won every meet at St. John’s. At their most previous competition at St. John’s they placed first by 10 points. “We’ve really bonded as a team this season, the freshmen are great additions to the team. I think we have a really big chance of winning SPC and we are all willing to do our part and work hard leading up to the tournament. Shoutout to our team captain, the only senior, Sarah Fullenweider, along with the other junior captains,” Laine Jacobe (10) said.
Boys track and field’s most successful meet was at the Houston Quad Meet at Awty International School, where they placed second overall. At this meet, Miles Black (11) won the high jump and Alex Williams (12) won both the long jump and the 400 meters. All of these successes contributed to their high rank at this meet. They leave for SPC at St. Mark’s next Thursday, where they will face strong competitors like St. John’s and St. Mark’s. Nicholas Limon (10)
Ellie Lucke (10)
Boys Tennis
Girls Tennis
With two wins and two losses, boys tennis has had a strong season. They have won against St. Stephen’s and St. Andrew’s, but were defeated by St. John’s and their biggest competition, Houston Christian. They hope to defeat John Cooper in their rescheduled match on Monday in order to enter SPC in the third seed. “St. Stephen’s was our first match and it was a great start to the season because we worked hard and won,” Merritt Tilney (11) said. Kenneth Lam (10)
Sasha Inchauste (12)
Girls tennis has an undefeated season with five wins, including a defeat against St. John’s, their toughest rival. At a recent meet against Houston Christian they had tough matches, and a few of them lasted over three hours. “We had to play a full third set and I won in the end. I probably should’ve beaten her faster but it was our first match and I got nervous. Normal tennis matches are 1 hour and 30 minutes,” Gleith Cozby (10) said regarding her singles’ match that lasted 3.5 hours. With luck at their rescheduled game against John Cooper on Monday, they will enter SPC first in south zone.
Track records broken BY MAC FRIDAY The Spring Season of 2017 has been a very successful one for Kinkaid’s varsity teams, but there is one team that is flying under the radar with superb successes. Both the boys and girls track teams are sprinting through the season breaking record after record, smashing nearly a dozen school records in both running and field events. Coming out of strong performances in various relays, the Falcons are surging towards SPC next weekend with record-breaking athletes looking to help bring home the SPC crown. The most notable of these record-breaking athletes is Kennedy Gamble (11), who has shattered numerous
school records in both individual and team events. Her smashing performance in the 100 meter dash at Texas Relays broke her own school record with a blistering time of 11.79 seconds. Gamble has also broken Raevyn Rogers’ (Class of ‘14) time in the 200 meter dash as well. These staggering times have solidified Gamble as one of the fastest girls in the SPC conference. Not only has Gamble found success in individual events, she is the anchor for the 4x100 and 4x200 meter relay teams. At Texas Relays, sister Katelyn Gamble (9), Allison Favaloro (11) and Emma Sykes (10), broke the school record for the 4x100
meter relay event with a time of 48.15 seconds, which makes their time the fastest in SPC by nearly a whole second. Another athlete who has shined bright thus far is long-distance specialist, Dz Zavitsanos (11), who runs cross country in the fall. At the beginning of the season, Zavitsanos had a goal of beating the school record in the 1600 meter run. At the Kinkaid Relays, Zavitsanos prepared for his runs just like any other event, but this time he was confident in his abilities. “I knew if I ran hard and pushed myself, I would come close to breaking the record,” Zavitsanos said. Although he finished sec-
Going for gold: Emma Sykes (10 and Katelyn Gamble (9) sprint in the 4x100 Meter Relay.
ond in the race, Zavitsanos crushed the school record and his personal best with a time of 4:29.47. At the St. John’s meet, Zavitsanos ran the 3200 meter event. “Unlike the 1600, I wasn’t sure if I could beat the 3200 record, even though I had come close before,” said Zavitsanos. Not only did Zavitsanos finish in first place at the meet, but he
set another personal best and broke another school record. With SPC nearing, both boys and girls track anticipate a strong showing at SPC. The girls have 30 entries that place within the top ten of each event while the boys have 17. Led by Gamble and Zavitsanos, the Falcons are prepared to sprint to the finish line.
SPORTS
24 / The Kinkaid Falcon
April 21, 2017 / Vol. 70, Issue 5
Rockets vs. Thunder: Keys to the series After a 2-0 lead for Houston, here is what each team must do to advance Williams, as well as Nene, will be the key to success for the Rockets. If they can keep the offense flowing and make shots while Harden is on the bench, the Rockets will be tough to beat.
BY KIRK HACHIGIAN Rockets vs. Thunder. Harden vs. Westbrook. MVP candidate vs. MVP candidate. Harden vs. his former team. First round of the playoffs. Rockets up 2-0. It doesn’t get any better than that. While there are no shortage of storylines for this 3 vs. 6 seed Western Conference Playoff matchup, I have highlighted four matchups that will determine which team goes on to (most-likely) face the Spurs. 1. James Harden vs. Russell Westbrook (obviously) This was meant to be. The two most obvious choices for MVP will go head-to-head to prove who is truly the most valuable, despite voting having closed. The Rockets won the regular season series 3-1, including a 137-125 drubbing of the Thunder on March 26. In those showdowns, Westbrook averaged 36.3 points, 9.3 assists and 9.0 rebounds while shooting 44.7 percent from the field. Harden, on the other hand, posted 20.5 points, 12.3 dimes and 7.3 boards per game against the Thunder. Neither team features an All-Star, past or present, outside of Harden and Westbrook. Harden has guided the Rockets to an unprecedented 55-27 record
that is good for third-best in the league, while the Thunder finished the season at 47-35. Through the first two games, Westbrook is leading Harden in the scoring battle by 36.5 to 36 points per game. Despite all of other the factors in play, this series will undoubtedly be determined by the two superstars on the floor. 2. Clint Capela vs. OKC’s big men Although the Rockets rank second in the NBA in offensive rating (only behind
the Warriors), the Thunder are leading the league in rebounding and scoring in the paint. The differences between the teams could not be greater. The Rockets also give up the most points in the paint per game and score most of their points from behind the three-point line. The rotation of Steven Adams, Enes Kanter, and Taj Gibson will be difficult for Clint Capela to keep in check every game. If he can’t keep up the physicality for the duration of the series, the Thunder will continue to attack the paint
again and again. Whoever wins the stylistic matchup will be in a good position to win the series. 3. Houston’s bench vs. OKC’s bench The Thunder bench must step up if they are going to have a chance to knock off the Rockets. While the Rockets bench is extremely deep and features Sixth Man of the Year candidates Eric Gordon and Lou Williams, the Thunder rely on Doug McDermott and Enes Kanter for scoring off the bench. Gordon and
4. Russell Westbrook vs. Patrick Beverly The pitbull vs. the (most likely) MVP. There is no love lost between these two. Their history is full of skirmishes and physical play that is highlighted by that moment in the 2013 playoffs when Beverly injured Westbrook as Westbrook tried to call timeout. While Beverly is a vigorous and elite defensive player, it will be tough for him to contain the triple-double machine that is Russell Westbrook. Beverly will continue trying get inside Westbrook’s head and frustrate him into beating himself. This matchup will continue to be exciting and is guaranteed to cause friction. Although the Rockets are currently up 2-0, whichever team is able to dominate these four matchups will come out on top. This series is going to be a instant classic, so make sure to tune in to Game Three in Oklahoma City on April 24.
NFL Draft Preview: Impact players to watch for BY BRADY BRAZDA
Deshaun Watson, QB
Corey Davis, WR
Leonard Fournette, RB
Marshon Lattimore, WR
Jabrill Peppers, S
At Clemson, Deshaun Watson put on a show for the Tigers. He tore apart defenses both passing and running the ball all year. Watson eventually led the Tigers to the national championship for the second straight season. This year, he won the championship game and was awarded the Offensive Most Valuable Player trophy. With more development, Watson can play at a high level with similar skills to Cam Newton. With quarterback chaos across the league, teams including the New York Jets could be in the market for Watson. Expect Watson to go early in the first round.
While Corey Davis did not go to a big name Division I school, he looks to be one of the best wide receivers in this upcoming draft. Davis won the Offensive Player of the Year award in 2016 for Western Michigan. He is a tall, physical receiver that is always a threat inside the red zone. A fierce competitior, he is very much a “throw it up and I’ll come down with it” type of receiver. With future Hall of Famer Larry Fitzgerald getting older, Davis could have an immediate impact on the Cardinals’ receiving corps. In a few years, expect Davis to be a star wide-out wherever he lands.
Leonard Fournette ran wild at LSU. His powerful and explosive running style has not failed to catch the attention of many NFL teams. In college, Fournette rushed for 3,830 yards and 40 touchdowns. With an impressive pro day at LSU, Fournette seems to be the clear cut number one running back pick for the draft. although running backs are usually not taken in the early rounds, a talent like Fournette leads to convention being thrown out the window. With a struggling offense, the Jacksonville Jaguars could take Fournette inside the top 10. Expect Fournette to be a workhorse for a NFL team.
While Lattimore was plagued by recurring hamstring injuries in college, his 2016 year looked impressive. In his first year starting for the Buckeyes, Lattimore shut down some top receivers in the Big 10. His natural athleticism helped him perform, even though he had little to no experience with the Buckeyes defensive scheme. With more game time in the NFL, Lattimore could become the next lock down corner. Since the departure of Josh Norman, the Panthers secondary had a tough time in the 2016 season. Lattimore could be a good fit for the Panthers and help get them back on track.
Peppers is a jack of all trades. For Michigan, he played a wide range of positions on the defense and the offensive side of the ball. At the safety position, Peppers is a force in the run game and the pass game. He flies around the field making big plays for the defense, offensive, and special teams. His versatility makes him a solid pick for any NFL team. The Tennessee Titans are on the hunt for a new safety after Tony Jefferson signed with the Ravens this offseason. Peppers could be a good fit there, although his size might be a problem that teams are concerned with.