The Kinkaid Falcon - Issue 6, Vol. 71

THE KINKAID

FALCON

May 11, 2018 Volume 71, Issue 6

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

The weather is uncomfortably erratic, unclaimed half-crumpled algebra handouts are strewn on the purple and gold carpets, and friends are hurriedly trying to check off the last restaurants on their “Before We Graduate Bucket List.” It’s just another spring month at Kinkaid, but for many seniors, it’s the end of an era and the start of a new life.

Kinkaid graduation is approaching, and while many seniors view May as a time to reminisce on their years in high school with a nervous anticipation towards the future, Dr. Mauro Ferrari, the designated speaker for the 2018 Kinkaid Graduation, sees it as a time not to find oneself, but to reinvent oneself.

Continued on p. 11

INSIDE

News | P. 2 Arts & Culture | P. 6 Features | P. 9 Op-Ed | P. 14 Entertainment | P. 17 Sports | P. 20

P. 5 | Teachers leaving

P. 8 | Senioritis

P. 12-13 | College

P. 22 | Year in Review Sports

2 NEWS | The Kinkaid Falcon | May 11, 2018

Awards through the Year

News in

BRIEF

BY CHARLES GARRISON & AYUSH KRISHNAMOORTI

National Exams Medalists The National Foreign Language Exam took place in March, and many won medals for the efforts.

The National Spanish Exam is a test of listening, reading, and writing for Spanish, and Kinkaid’s program is one of the finest in the nation. This can be

seen clearly by the placing of the students: the students won 58 Gold Medals, 49 Silver Medals, 23 Bronze Medals.

A big congratulations to these Spanish students.

Film

Academic

This year was a fantastic year for Kinkaid film with four films receiving festival acceptances and major representation at the South by Southwest Film Festival.

Seniors Socs and DZ Zavitsanos’ most successful film, “Two of Five Million”, won awards nationwide.

Accepted into 27 Festivals, this film was the winner of the Best High School Film at the Heartland Film Festival and winner of Best Documentary at the All American Film Festival.

Another large film festival that features a total of just 20 films is South by Southwest, where two Kinkaid films were accepted. Lindsay Wolf’s “Contact” and the Zavitsanos twins’ “Confined” had simple yet powerful plots, and were accepted into two and four film festivals respectively.

“Misconception” by Avery Looser also received festival acceptances to two festivals, capping off a fantastic year. for film at Kinkaid.

On May 2 many STEM-focused students were recognized for their hard work.

Junior Seb Seager is participating in a week-long onsite program at the Johnson Space Center. He was awarded this honor after studying and researching a journey to Mars.

Ayush Krishnamoorti (10) and Shreya Mehta (10) recieved funding for their independent research projects that they will study over the summer.

In other STEM projects, Caroline Hanan (12) published her brochure on ACL injuries. Through the Herder Fellowship, she was able to research ACL injuries and their effect on women and included suggestions to prevent these injuries.

The Math Club placed second in their competition.

Lastly, three participants in Model United Nations - Seb Seager (11), Noah Rubinson (10), and Camila Vicens (10) - received awards for their efforts in Austin on April 28.

New Dean Starting Soon

Photo courtesy of Spanish teacher Mr. Esteban Longoria.

Events & Exam Calendar Friday, May 12. Senior Banquet Saturday, May 13. Baccalaureate Tuesday, May 15, 1:30 p.m.

Honor Day Wednesday, May 16. Reading Day (optional on-campus review) Thursday, May 17. History finals Thursday, May 17, 7 p.m.

Senior Dinner Friday, May 18. English finals Friday, May 18, 7:30 p.m.

Graduation Monday, May 21. Math finals Tuesday, May 22.

World Language finals Wednesday, May 23. Science finals (Last Day of School) Friday, June 1. Grades are released

Corrections.

A new dean, Mr. Brian Burbank, will be joining Kinkaid’s group of deans next year.

He has had experience in college counseling throughout his career. He is currently the Assistant Director of Admissions at Tufts University and was previously the Assistant Director of College Counseling for St. Mark’s School in Southborough,

Massachusetts. Mr. Burbank has additionally worked as the Assistant Director of Admissions at Hobart and William Smith College.

Outside of his impressive background in college counseling, he has consistently stayed involved with other pursuits such as athletics and arts. He was the Head Boys Varsity Basketball Coach at St. Mark’s School.

Wells Fellow uses humor to explain injustice On April 30, Wells Fellow Harvard Economist Dr. Roland Fryer shared his impressive knowledge of economics with the Upper School.

He presented statistics regarding education and race. He hopes to use these to help correct issues in the U.S. regarding inequality, especially among minorities.

He offered solutions to solve economic racial inequality based on statistics from densely populated American cities.

He came to the conclusion that minorities often receive equal treatment in extremely violent situations, but they are more often the victims of common force. He emphasized the power of the use of incentives to motivate

people living in poverty and undesirable economic situations to perform well in school. Dr. Fryer also connected this philosophy of incentives to his personal life, as he grew up in a poor neighborhood.

Due to his hard work, he was able to escape the cycle of poverty in high school, and since then, he has worked in economics at Harvard.

His accomplishments are numerous and feature his rise to tenure, becoming the youngest African-American to be tenured at Harvard.

Outside of his humorous and entertaining assembly, Fryer held sessions in the Library Auditorium at which he delved deeper into his studies and answered student questions.

The Kinkaid Falcon welcomes comments and suggestions. We seek to publish corrections and clarifications in the subsequent issue. Please email any corrections to student.publications@kinkaid.org. Corrections in Issue 5, published April 20, 2018: “Debate Update” by Sarah Kate Padon on pg. 2: A mispelling of a sophomore who qualified for the Texas Forensics Association State Tournament was published. She is Sahar, not Sasha. “Kinkaid is recognized for artistic excellence” by Hana Keleta on pg. 4: Mia Munn (12) was not included in the sidebar as a recipient of a Tommy Tune Scholarship, although her achievement was listed in the body of the article.

THE KINKAID

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

Questions or comments?

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

Corrections will be addressed on our website and published in the subsequent issue. Please direct advertising inquiries to colin.monteith@kinkaid.org.

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

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Arman Badrei & Allison Favaloro ASSISTANT EDITORS Katherine Berman & Nia Caldwell WEB EDITORS Ali Ammons & Katie Erikson NEWS EDITOR Caleigh Doran ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Emma Stout FEATURES EDITORS Emma Gilliam & Sarah Kate Padon ENTERTAINMENT EDITORS Hana Keleta & Marley Orange OPINION EDITOR Megha Neelapu SPORTS EDITORS Mac Friday & Jordan Jafarnia BUSINESS MANAGERS Sterling Elias & Jordan Jafarnia STAFF WRITERS Madi Babine Brady Brazda Sally Buck Nicole Fernandez Charles Garrison Eliza Griggs Lily Gunn Culley Harper Maggie Johnston Wilson Kelsey Ayush Krishnamoorti Allison Le Olivia Marrus Katherine Montgomery Megan Riley William Scott ADVISER Kristen Bird The Kinkaid Falcon is published six times a school year.

Approximately 700 print copies are distributed for free to Upper School students and faculty members, and more than 200 copies are mailed to subscribers. The Kinkaid Falcon is a member of the CSPA and NSPA.

May 11, 2018 | The Kinkaid Falcon | NEWS 3

Snapshots around school

BY HANA KELETA

Wells Fellow Guest Dr. Roland Fryer Jr. speaks at Upper School Assembly about the parallels between education and the economy.

Freshmen Britney Tran, Lexie Strauss, and Skyler Swanson participate in a team-building activity in conjunction with reading The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver. Students were studying the importance of community in the novel and discovered that if they worked together, it was a lot easier to accomplish their goal.

Matthew Riley (10) and Roya Moradi (11) work on their final pieces of the semester in ceramics class.

Advanced sculptor Ben Lewis (12) crafts a psychedelic and abstract mushroom out of a walnut in sculpture class.

Seniors Noah Chan, Cammy Turboff, DZ Zavitsanos, and Socs Zavitsanos edit their films for their upcoming documentary, funded by IMAX, about Hurrican Harvey.

Paws Club holds their annual bake sell at the end of junior/senior hall for The Animal Shelter K9-Angels.

4 NEWS | The Kinkaid Falcon | May 11, 2018

Olivia Marrus Peer Mentor Leader

jake Adamson Peer Mentor Leader

Onuchi Ndee Peer Mentor Leader

Emma Gilliam The Kinkaid Falcon Associate Editor

Jacob Magelssen Peer Mentor Leader

Marynell Ward Peer Mentor Leader

Emma Stout The Kinkaid Falcon Editor-In-Chief

Sarah Kate Padon The Kinkaid Falcon Associate Editor

Jacob Magelssen is excited to be a peer mentor leader because he wants to make an impact on the entire freshman class, not just one advisory.

He feels strongly about helping new students integrate themselves into Kinkaid: “I came new as a freshman and was the only kid from my school.

I had a fresh start, just like the freshmen, and was able to experience the difficulties and the benefits,” Magelssen said. He will strive to help the freshman have the best first year of high school possible and set them up for success.

Much like Magelssen and Marrus, Jake Adamson was new to Kinkaid as a freshman: “As a new freshman from a public school, I really appreciated the help and mentorship that the peer mentors offered throughout my first year at Kinkaid,” said Adamson.

Adamson is currently an Upper to Middle School Peer Mentor and is excited to continue working with the rising ninth graders. He hopes to give next year’s freshmen the same fulfilling experience that he had as a freshman. “I think it’s important that they get the most that they can out of their freshman year,” he said.

Marynell Ward wanted to be a peer mentor leader because she remembers freshman year as being overwhelming and wants to help make sure that next year’s freshmen have a smooth and painless transition to high school. Ward was a peer mentor in middle school and currently holds a couple of leadership positions around the school, so she is highly qualified. “My goals are to help the freshmen and peer mentors in any way that I can to make sure that both parties have the best experience possible,” said Ward. “I really want to help plan fun activities and events that help the freshman class bond and feel welcome in the Upper School.”

Onuchi Ndee was also a peer mentor in middle school and has had a lot of experience working with young people which has prepared her for this role. Ndee wanted to become a leader because she understands the impact that the leaders have not only on the freshman experience, but also the impact on the senior class as a whole. “My main goal is to promote a better culture within the freshman class,” said Ndee. “I know that stopping all problems from happening

isn’t feasible, but I want to ensure that the incoming freshmen grow to respect and support one another.”

Last but not least, it is time we introduce the new leaders of your favorite newspaper, The Kinkaid Falcon. Editor-in-Chief Emma Stout will be accompanied by Emma Gilliam and Sarah Kate Padon as Associate Editors. Emma Gilliam has been on the newspaper since her sophomore year at Kinkaid and is extremely interested in all three aspects of newspaper: writing, design, and photography. “I just want to be as much a part of that production process as possible,” she said. Gilliam will strive to make the newspaper something that people want to read. One way she will do this is that she will encourage the incorporation of more articles that pertain to human interests. Gilliam will also prioritize teamwork throughout the staff in order to produce a more coherent newspaper.

Sarah Kate Padon is excited to begin her third year on the newspaper as Associate Editor. “Last year being on the staff was fun but being an editor and looking at all aspects of the paper was an interesting addition, and I feel like I learned more about what it takes to put together a paper,” said Padon. She and Gilliam are currently the Features Editors, so the two have a great deal of experience working together. Padon says she “was moving up to this.” Like Gilliam, Padon strives to produce a cohesive journalism class by having at least one meeting with the whole staff before the release of each issue.

Emma Stout joined journalism as a staff member her sophomore year and immediately fell in love with journalism. Her favorite aspect of journalism is design, which is crucial in her current position as Arts and Culture Editor. “I have worked really hard to get this role and improve my skills as a journalist,” said Stout. “I am hoping to improve design, specifically photography, and always be increasing the writing.” Along with this, she hopes to increase collaboration between editors and staff writers because she believes that communication throughout the journalism team is essential to producing the best possible newspaper.

COLUMN: Meet the leaders of next year

BY ELIZA GRIGGS This last issue of The Kinkaid Falcon will announce the final seven of the 19 rising seniors who will be setting the example for Kinkaid’s underclassmen through their leadership roles in the 2018-2019 school year.

Next year’s senior peer mentors will be lead by Jake Adamson, Jacob Magelssen, Olivia Marrus, Onuchi Ndee, and Marynell Ward. “I wanted

to be a peer mentor leader since my freshman year,” said Olivia Marrus.

She has had experience working with younger students in the past through working as a peer mentor at her middle school, St. Francis, and guiding the younger girls on the Kinkaid varsity field hockey team. Marrus’ goals as a peer mentor leader are to ease the incoming freshmen class’ transition to high school and “give them the best experience possible.”

May 11, 2018 | The Kinkaid Falcon | NEWS 5

Teachers departing Upper School

BY ALLISON LE & OLIVIA MARRUS

Linda Miller

Ms. Linda Miller has taught 37 of her 46 years teaching physics at Kinkaid.

Next year, she will teach one last course of AP Physics before finally departing Kinkaid, but she said she may miss teaching and

Yolanda Soliz return to the profession as a volunteer. Out of all of her experiences with teaching, Ms. Miller said she will miss the interactions with students the most: “I really enjoy seeing people’s reactions to how neat physics is the most.� Few may know that Ms. Miller had different aspirations before becoming a teacher. “The original intent was to become an astronaut, but my physics professor tricked me into subbing at the Lab School of University of Chicago, and it was really fun,� she said. As a piece of parting advice, she recommends to all students, “always be curious.�

SeĂąora Yolanda Soliz will be moving back to Corpus Christi to be with her family after 41 years of teaching, eight of which she spent at Kinkaid.

She is a consultant for the College Board in the classes of AP Spanish Language and Culture and AP Spanish Literature and Culture, and she will continue to work for them and train teachers in these courses. She is looking forward to including other things in her routine like helping out at her church in her hometown and hopes to help open a chapter of the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese for the

Sarah Cegelski

Dr. Sarah Cegelski will be relocating to Galveston as her husband begins his medical school residency in the fall. She hopes to someday move back to the mid-Atlantic. Upon being asked what she will remember about

teaching, Dr. Cegelski said, “The things that I remember the most are when I give my students a project or a paper to write and they are presenting their work, and I just get to sit back and watch. That is really rewarding to me: to see the students put all the pieces together. I also like hearing about when students come and tell me stories about their experiences. Hearing students get excited about what I taught them and being able to use it and be successful with it and to come back and share that joy with me, that’s really cool.

Those are probably my favorite moments.�

After 42 years of teaching, Madame Marie O’Donnell will be stepping down from her world languages teaching position in the French department and will help manage the testing center. In 30 of her 37 years at Kinkaid as the then Foreign Languages department chair, she saw the introduction of Chinese courses, the Global Awareness in the Lower School, and maintenance of Latin in the Middle School Curriculum.

Madame O’Donnell will pursue her interests in music, the visual arts, and traveling the world.

She will continue to travel and hopes to be able to visit family in France and vacation in less

Sheri Offenhauser

Ms. Sheri Offenhauser is stepping down from education after 14 years, nine of which have been spent at Kinkaid. Ms. Offenhauser hopes to move into an industry such as oil and gas or consulting, even though

Marie O’Donnell

familiar places like Thailand.

To her students she said, “I will miss you and the energy of the classroom. Try to be the best you can because everyone has a capacity for language and ability to progress. Respect your endeavor and give yourself time to succeed.�

Krissy Richmond she wishes she “had more than one life so that [she] could try out as many careers as possible to master different skills and trades.� Her favorite memory is when her multivariable class “used the entire period to strategically place googly eyes around the room� during a study hall while she was out of school, making her smile every time she discovered a new pair of eyes. Ms. Offenhauser will miss her students and her coworkers the most, stating that her “students keep her young at heart, and the faculty at Kinkaid are some of the most dedicated and selfless teachers that [she has] ever known.�

Farrah Braniff

After teaching photography at Kinkaid for four years, Ms. Farrah Braniff recounted memorable experiences with students in and outside of school: “A favorite memory is when students continue the work and become professionals and I encounter them not

teachers in Corpus Christi.

Of all of her years teaching, she will miss “working with the students and watching students grow and the interest that the students have and the effort they are willing to put in.�

knowing they have pursued photography because I feel like I had a part in shaping them.�

Even though she has been involved with photography since high school (she went to HSVPA and had her own photography studio), Ms. Braniff planned at one time to go into forensic psychology and even has a masters degree in psychology.

She hopes that she has taught her students the true lesson of photography. She said, “Never stop being curious and appreciative of the natural world because a camera is just a tool to give you the ability to see it all.�

Ms. Krissy Richmond will be leaving her teaching position after seven years at Kinkaid to start a new dance and theater program at the new St. Francis Upper School.

Ms. Richmond said, “I most definitely will miss teaching at Kinkaid and my kids. Because this was my first professional teaching position and Mr. G and I have built something special, and it will be difficult to match the experience I have had. Mr. G deserves so much of the credit for how wonderfully the program is run. He is a gem and a brilliant teacher! My kids have made my experience here at Kinkaid very special. I have Mrs. Sarah Gessell is leaving Kinkaid after three years of working in the archives. This August, Mrs. Gessell and her husband will be living in Dallas with their first child. She says leaving Kinkaid will be very hard, as “the community and the school are wonderful--there is an air of positivity and support that isn’t always present in educational institutions.�

Having never worked with students prior to her employment at Kinkaid, Mrs. Gessell says she has “loved [working with students]� and that this is what she will miss most of all.

Her favorite memory at Kinkaid was having the opportunity to watch students and residents of Brookwood interact during the Freshman Day of Service

also had the best support system as far as my dance and theater families. They would do anything for their kids and the program.� She looks forward to next year where she will work with other former Kinkaid teachers Justin Doran and Kathy Elder.

Sarah Gessell

in 2015. “The students went into the experience with compassion and understanding, and it was amazing to see real relationships developing between Kinkaid’s students and the residents.� She “hopes [the students] learned not to be afraid to ask the librarians for help! It’s what we’re here for.�

6 ARTS & CULTURE | The Kinkaid Falcon | May 11, 2018

Kinkaid’s dancers light up the stage at their spring showcase

BY MEGAN RILEY

As the curtains flew open, the dancers took their positions on the dimly lit stage. A dramatic beat rose in volume as the lights slowly lifted. The large crowd on the stage shifted and stomped across, creating a captivating illusion of wartime. The song “My Shot� from the Broadway hit, Hamilton, filled the auditorium, inviting the audience into their story.

On April 27, Kinkaid’s dance program performed their spring showcase “Choreography Projects.�

The production featured members from dance company as well as the intermediate dance class.

This year is extremely special for the company dancers in particular because it is the last year teaching at Kinkaid for Director of Dance Mrs. Krissy Richmond.

The showcase included dances from across all genres.The set opened up with a group number including all of dance company in a song from

the musical, “Hamilton.�

The intermediate class then performed two pieces: a lyrical number to “Location� by Khalid and a hip hop styled number that combined two songs: “Candy Paint�

by Post Malone and “Yea Yea� by Willy Moon.

Despite the music cutting out in the middle due to technical difficulties, the dancers showed their true professionalism and carried on with the routine.

For the end of this year’s showcase, juniors and seniors in dance company had the opportunity to choreograph their own pieces. Ashton Lambert (12) choreographed a lyrical piece to the song “Waving through a Window� from the hit broadway musical, “Dear Evan Hansen.� The piece highlighted a one-sided love story as if a featured dancer was “waving through a window.� Jervon Monroe (12) choreographed a piece to “Say You Won’t Let Go� by James Arthur.

The number featured three pairs of dancers

progressing through the stages of life and combined hip hop with contemporary and a hint of ballroom. Leona Chen (12) choreographed a hip hop number to “The Middle�

by Zedd which was a huge hit among the crowd due to its upbeat nature. Other students who participated in choreographing their own pieces included juniors Katherine Sarvadi, Olivia Holley, Riley Shaper as well as seniors Mia Munn, Kelley Orr, and Andreea Calin.

Seniors entertain crowds with One Acts

BY SALLY BUCK

Senior year is filled with rites of passage, and for Kinkaid theatre students, directing a One Act is one of them. After taking one semester of a directing class this spring, five Kinkaid seniors-Isabel Stallings, Mia Munn, William Miner, Ashton Lambert, and Jervon Monroe- each directed and cast their own short plays to perform the weekend of April 28 and 29.

Kinkaid began offering the opportunity to direct a One Act for seniors nearly two decades ago; however, the directing class has only been available for the last three years. Ms. Ludwig, who is in charge of the One Acts, developed the directing class because when she first arrived at Kinkaid, she said that “there was sort of that ad hoc directing process that I was supervising but

I felt like they didn’t really have a foundation.� Before the class began this spring, the directors had to narrow down the type of show they wanted to put on and were responsible for choosing a script from an assortment of publisher’s websites.

William Miner is the first student in the past five years to direct his own play. Miner wrote “Visions in Paris� during his junior year, but according to Ms. Ludwig, Miner “did a huge revision over Spring Break and some smaller revisions based on what the actors were bringing to him at rehearsal.� Although Miner says at first he thought the revision process wouldn’t be worth it, ultimately he is “so thankful to Ms. Ludwig for believing in the piece even when [he] didn’t, and for pushing [him] to revise.�

Miner gathered his inspiration for the character of Thomas from a face he made in the mirror one day. From there, the story took off. In the play, two high school characters, Sophie and Thomas meet abruptly as Sophie immediately confesses her love for him. Through the help of their friends, Jay and Jenna, the characters struggle to navigate through the ups and downs of adolescent romance.

In the eerie play “Tape,� directed by Jervon Monroe, actors Alex Nigro (10) and Artemis Postolos (9) explore the consequences of the things people say everyday.

Nigro is forced to listen to every lie he has ever said on tape before he can find peace.

Next, under Isabel Stallings’ direction, Avery Looser (11) and Joshua

Ben-Shoshan (11) starred in “The Moon, Please,� a short play about the struggles a family faces on the morning of a new mother’s first day back to work.

Another interesting work was Mia Munn’s play “Blueberry Hill Accord.� Two best friends, Hannah and Lindsey, “break up� when Lindsey grows bored. The audience eagerly watches as the secrets sewn into their friendship are unleashed.

The play humorously shows the unbreakable bond between best friends and explores the petty drama of friendships as Carlie Sachs (10) and Carson Keller (10) phenomenally portrayed their character’s conflicting desires at the end of a long relationship. “Hidden in this Picture,� a bizarre comedy directed

by Ashton Lambert, fea-

Photos courtesy of David Shutts.

tured an aspiring director, Barbara, who is desperate to perfect the final scene of her movie: an 11-minute clip of soldiers returning to their base in Guam, complete with an intense sunset. Despite the production company’s press for time, all seems to be going well until two cows suddenly walk into the shot. Barbara makes every effort to get rid of the cows or to brainstorm the perfect metaphorical explanation for their presence before realizing that cows are just cows, and they provide the perfect ironic twist to her film.

Each play was so different, yet just as well-directed as the last. All of the hard work and dedication put into the production paid off in this year’s One Acts.

May 11, 2018 | The Kinkaid Falcon | ARTS & CULTURE

7

J. Cole’s KOD reflects on the pain of addiction

BY ARMAN BADREI After my first listen, I thought, ‘Wow, that was underwhelming.’ But a day later, I realized there was a flaw in my approach to the project.

Going into J. Cole’s fifth studio album KOD, I expected every song to be a banger, one that I could blast in my car with a semi-earthquake-level of bass.

I wanted each song to pull me in with an trap-style, dance-inducing beat. It took some processing to realize, however, that KOD is a different story; and it tells a different story.

KOD released on April 20 with 12 tracks, comes in at 42 minutes long. The title KOD has three meanings according to Cole. Kids on Drugs, King Overdosed, and Kill our Demons all share the titular acronym and less than subtle

hint at a theme to expect in the album: the emotional and psychological pain deriving from substance abuse. “KOD� is a dramatically more uptempo, energized track with an action-packed vitality.

The chorus contributes to the elements about drugs, specifically about dealing. In the first verse, Cole answers critics on the subject of his independent, often single-handed success by boasting his skill. In the second, he hits more on the aspect of drugs and specifically its use to numb painful experiences, as well as his references to Actavis, a pharmaceutical company which sold cough syrup, and the crack epidemic of the 1980s. He equates power and fame to drugs like Molly, weed, Percocet, Xanax, and lean, but also concludes that love is the strongest drug of all. Cole’s flow, which includes a few

FAT CAT CREAMERY Its funky name and locally sourced ingredients have customers from all over Houston stopping by to have a taste. Fat Cat Creamery is an ice cream parlour located in the Heights. Known for a sustainable philosophy, Fat Cat Creamery uses compostable cups and sources from bioplastics. The creamery has signature flavors like “Cat’s Meow Mexican Vanilla� and “Strawberry Buttermilk� and even ventures into fusion flavors like “Chai Tea Coconut.�

Apart from ice cream, Fat Cat Creamery also has sundaes, ice cream sandwiches, and homemade push pops. The location is adorned with a fresh take on cat decor. Art and murals cover the walls in a fresh way that provides a warm welcome and leaves the customers saying it really is the cat’s meow.

SMOOSH The bright blue Smoosh truck can be seen most afternoons with a line of customers waiting for their very own ice cream sandwich at Morningside Dr. in Rice Village. Smoosh is Houston’s very first customizable ice cream sandwich shop on wheels. The company is known for their delicious sandwiches and Instagrammable ice cream.

When ordering, the customer has the option to pick the type of cookie, which ranges from peanut butter to waffles (on Wednesdays only). Next they choose their preferred ice cream flavor from a basic flavor or one of their signatures like Country Apple Pie or Peanut Butter Brownie before piling on toppings such as Froot Loops or Reese’s Puffs.

When not parked around town serving up creamy treats, Smoosh caters for private events.

examples of impressive wordplay, make the track worthy of multiple replays. “The Cut Off� is the first introduction to kiLL edward, a mysterious artist who has two features on the album and very little work outside of it.

While it hasn’t been confirmed, many believe kiLL edward to be Cole himself, an alter ego of sorts, with an auto-tuned, deep voice. The song itself is casual and mellow, with a simple piano and steady drum in the background, but kiLL edward’s voice becomes annoying by the second chorus. The song bounces between ideas of loyalty, trust, and pain, and the chorus line of “Bottom line, I can’t cope� offers a harsh reality central to the album.

My personal favorite from KOD is “ATM,� the most catchy track, with a bouncing piano riff in which Cole clearly shows a command over his flow. Here he talks about money: the greed of it, the temptation it imbues, the materialism present in our society. The title ATM could refer obviously to automated teller machine but also to the phrase “at the moment.� The line,“Can’t take it when you die, but you can’t live without it� helps reinforce the latter idea.

In “Kevin’s Heart,� Cole uses the story of superstar comedian and actor Kevin Hart’s infidelity as both a sort of precautionary tale and look into the mindset of a cheater. He talks of addiction and its manifestation into infidelity here in a way that is actually genuine and full of remorse and stress.

The line “Monkey on my back and I walk a hundred miles� conveys the difficulty of endur-

ing addiction. “BRACKETS� is a song about money that takes an interesting angle, an unexpectedly fresh take by a rapper: it’s about taxes. After a humorous intro by Richard Pryor and over another smooth, jazzy beat, Cole expresses his frustration with how the government, through the allegory of Uncle Sam, takes all of his money and in his opinion, does not spend it in ways that benefit African Americans. He says his money “Get spent hirin’ some teachers that don’t look like them / And the curriculum be tricking them, them dollars I spend / Got us learning about the heroes with the whitest of skin.� “Once an Addict (Interlude)� is a bit of a misnomer, as the track isn’t a typical interlude in length or in style, clocking in at three minutes 18 seconds. It’s a raw, introspective, poetic chronicle of a young Cole dealing with his alcoholic mother. It truly captures the heart of the album, the idea of demons (of his mother) and explores an emotional range of confusion and innocence to frustration, anger, and uncertainty. This is the track that sets up for a strong close to the album. “FRIENDS� is Cole’s most direct, accusatory, and real track. He seems fed up that he’s been talking about addiction but listeners, especially friends close to him, haven’t picked up on it, so here he loses any sense of courtesy and hits hard at the real issues. He begins to analyze the root causes of addiction, specifically within the African American community, and lists entities worthy

Summer Ice Cream G UI D E

BY NICOLE FERNANDEZ & MEGAN RILEY

of blame, attributing problems to a de facto system and set of conditions that later lead to substance abuse and psychological damage. It is, however, a bit weak at the end of the song to claim the solution to all of this is to “meditate / don’t Medicate,� considering many of these problems are societal and systemic, not solely personal. It does the theme of the album justice though, as kiLL edward’s chorus perfectly encapsulates the mentality of wanting to alleviate problems with substances and the circumstances surrounding that decision. “1985 (Intro to “The Fall Off�)� is the buzz of the album.

Under a casual, more oldschool-style rap beat, Cole lets us know the vocals will take charge. Many have referred to it as a diss track against the new wave of “mumble rappers,� so much so that one of these mumble rappers called Lil Pump responded to Cole on Instagram. Instead, when actually reading the lyrics, it’s a song of advice: about how the lifestyle of excess and recklessness will end, the money will run out, and longevity is key in the rap industry. Yes, Cole does refer to the music of this new wave as “dumb� and is “unimpressed� by their music, but also respects their work. Then, midway through, he introduces the idea of “impact� or legacy.

He talks about the sort of window these young black rappers are opening up into their culture. He claims that how these artists act, through their drug habits and appearance for example, is exactly what white listeners want to see and what they think it is to be black.

RED CIRCLE ICECREAM Red Circle combines ice cream with churros, doughnuts, and bubble waffles to create delicious creamy treats. Their best seller is the “Frosty Churro,� a soft serve with a looped churro on top, which is the perfect combination of smooth and crunchy to leave you craving more. When it comes to non-soft serve ice cream, Red Circle’s signature flavor is “Elmo Crunch,� a red velvet ice cream with Oreo crumbles mixed in. This uncommon and unique flavor is just the right amount of sweet, and the added crunch counterbalances the creaminess perfectly. Red Circle’s churros are made to order, and the ice cream flavors are hand made and switched out frequently. The atmosphere is welcoming with wondeful murals of Houston and the staff ’s kind smiles and avalibility, making their hospitality unbeatable for an ice cream shop and bakery.

MILK AND CREAM From California to Dallas and now Houston, Milk and Cream’s ice cream stuffed doughnuts is sweeping the nation. Milk and Cream has a wide variety of flavors from classic vanilla to lavender, and their most popular flavor, “Cookie Monster� is a combination of blue vanilla ice cream and Oreo cookie crumbles. The warm doughnuts and homemade ice creams compliment each other, creating a sweet and delicious treat. Soon, according to a staff member, Milk and Cream will add bubble tea to their menu and become Bobba and Cream to enhance the overall desert experience. The modern, clean look of the store and friendly staff create a contemporary atmosphere perfect for those who appreciate simplicity.

8 ARTS & CULTURE | The Kinkaid Falcon | May 11, 2018

debuts in Houston

BY KATHERINE MONTGOMERY For three years, a perfect fusion of history, music and entertainment has been sweeping the nation. It breaks the norms of a classic showstopper musical by using a mix of rap, rhythm and blues, pop, and traditional sounding show tunes.

“Hamilton” is the story of Alexander Hamilton, one of America’s founding fathers, the first Secretary of the Treasury, and the founder of the nation’s financial system and The New York Post.

Lin Manuel Miranda wrote the music and lyrics for the show while also playing the role of Alexander Hamilton. Miranda came up with the idea for the musical while on vacation reading Ron Chernow’s biography of Alexander Hamilton. After reading it, he was inspired to perform a rap about Hamilton at the White House Evening of Poetry, Music, and the Spoken Word, on May 12, 2009. He then spent

a year writing the song “My Shot”, and after this created the Hamilton Mixtape, a set of songs based on the life of Hamilton. Miranda’s final product is the musical “Hamilton” based off of the Hamilton Mixtape. Overall, the show took him seven years to write.

“Hamilton” brings up important current issues that also remind us of the historic moments that have shaped our nation. During the song “Yorktown,” Lafayette, a French aristocrat and military officer, and Hamilton sing, “Immigrants, we get the job done.” When I saw the show in New York, the crowd burst into cheers; it is moments like these that leave the audience with goosebumps.

Moreover, the show’s popularity has made an effect not just on the audience but on the culture of America.

According to the Hobby Center’s playbill for “Hamilton,” the musical sold one billion dollars worth of tickets at

the Richard Rogers Theater in New York City.

Even though only a tiny percentage of Americans have seen the musical, at the beginning of 2017, the soundtrack hit over one million sales. Before “Hamilton,” the Treasury Department was planning to remove Hamilton from the ten dollar bill, but after the musical’s immense popularity, the U.S. Treasury Secretary decided to keep Hamilton’s face on the bill.

Additionally, in 2015 the name Hamilton increased by 60 percent according to the BabyCenter, and Hamilton’s grave in the Trinity Church yard in New York City continues to be a popular tourist attraction.

The musical is also grabbing students’ attention. Before 2015, Alexander Hamilton’s name might have been mentioned once or twice in a history class, but now the songs from the musical teach students the relevance of history as well

as the prevalence of racism.

Just listening to some of the songs like “Alexander Hamilton,”“Non-Stop,”“Cabinet Battle #1,”and “Cabinet Battle #2” offer an impromptu history lesson and offer the opportunity to discuss relevant current events.

The show opened in previews on July 13, 2015 and opened on Broadway on August 6, 2015. English teacher Dr. Howell was lucky enough to see the show in previews before the soundtrack had even been released.

“There were so many moments of brilliance—turning Cabinet debates into rap battles, staging the duel scenes with a human bullet, for instance—that I was completely taken aback,” Howell said. “I’ll never forget what it felt like in the theatre that night with the original cast and the audience, most of whom, like me, had no idea exactly what they had bought tickets to.”

On June 12, 2016, Ham-

ilton won 11 Tony Awards, including best score, best choreography, and best musical. More surprisingly, it won seven Olivier Awards, which are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognize success in professional theatre in London.

“Hamilton” debuted in London on December 21st, 2017, at the Victoria Palace Theatre. One would think that a musical about the American Revolution would not be well received in Great Britain, especially since the show pokes fun at the English by dressing King George III in gaudy attire with an incredibly thick accent. The show, however, was a huge hit.

While still playing on Broadway, “Hamilton” has also made its way across the world, currently touring the U.S. From April 24 to May 20, the show is playing at the Hobby Center right here in Houston.

Annual ‘Senioritis’ showcases variety of mediums and artistic endeavors

BY JORDAN JAFARNIA

On April 17, the seniors debuted “Senioritis” throughout the galleries in the hallways of the Upper School.

This project allowed seniors to display their favorite pieces from their art classes throughout their high school careers. This project is on display from mid-April until the end of school. This year, 33 students contributed, submitting pieces of all different types of visual art.

The exhibit begins with an easel containing Polaroid pictures of all the artists outside of the amphitheatre.

It then takes you through a hallway of photography and ceramics pieces. The ceramics display in the first gallery contain bowls and vases from Katie Erikson and Nina Wells. Behind the bowls and vases, photography by Zoya Virani, Pinder Frisco and Crafton Deal are displayed.

In between the two galleries, Samantha Wood’s painting of herself in sunglasses showing Houston and Winston-Salem (where she will be attending college) is hung. Aerin Kalman’s paintings and Ryan Sanchez’s photos are also hung across the wall.

In the next gallery, Anna Maria Johnson and Ebby Randall display their ceramics. Behind the pots and vases, drawings and paintings

by Mackenzie Zarr, Addison Spier, and Margaret Oster hang. Oster’s art revolves around human anatomy, and three of her works include a

painting of a heart, the skeletal depiction of a hand, and a waist-up skeleton painting with colorful shreds of yarn hanging from the top.

Spier focuses on facial structures throughout different styles of painting.

The most attention-capturing piece in this gallery is Spier’s painting of a red skeleton with screws outlining the bone structures. On the far left of the gallery, Zarr displays her drawings. Three of her pieces depict letters jumbled across a mirror, a big canvas, and lungs. Her other pieces feature shoes, a bedroom, and hearts in chains against a splatter paint background. Across from the gallery hangs three paintings of sunglasses created by Oster, Zarr, and Spier. Each painting has a different color tie dye background and sunglasses.

Across from the amphitheatre seniors display several works from all the visual arts. Lauren Rice and Alec Gibson’s photography depict people and objects in the natural world. Taqi Hassan’s drawings and paintings focus on people and nature, expressed with several colors and contrasts between warm and cool colors. Facing these paintings, ceramics and sculpture pieces are displayed in glass boxes. Among these pieces is Jack Beaver’s life-size creation of a beaver propped up against small branches. In front of the main entrance, Binz Dewalch displayed his pottery which was painted with dark

browns, purples, and reds.

The first gallery of the final hallway features sculptures and photography

by Halle Baerenstecher, drawings by Ava Finger, and paintings and photography

by Lauren Nip. Baerenstecher’s first sculpture includes a rack of clothes containing skirts, shirts, and a purse which she made herself. To the left of Baerenstecher’s art, Finger used greys, reds, and blues to draw different face and body shapes. Nip’s works focus on landscape; her pieces feature the ocean, the mountains, and a sunset.

After the first gallery drawings and photographs by Cole Hammer, Maddie Skidmore, Taqi Hasnain’s (12) paintings are located accross from the amand Haley Schwager are phitheatre. Photo by Jordan Jafarnia. hung. Schwager painted different facial expressions with opposing color schemes.

The last gallery displays colorful sculptures and paintings. On the right of the gallery, Emily Arcidiacono displays a sculpture of an umbrella dripping with paint onto white rain boots.

Andrew Stedman and Adam Harter’s sculptures are displayed in the middle of the gallery, in front of Catherine Ribbek’s paintings.

The Senioritis gallery this year featured a very diverse range of artwork, according to Drawing and Painting Teacher Mrs. Megan Martin.

“This year’s Senioritis was a great representation of the students’ high level work and Ceramics by seniors Ebby Randall and Anna Maria Johnson. showed how beautifully they “Senioritis was a great oppurtunity to display my ceramics got along with repesentatives pieces I have been working hard on all year,” said Randall. Photo from each visual art class,”

by Jordan Jafarnia. said Mrs. Martin.

Sophomore shines at Miller Outdoor this summer

BY SARAH KATE PADON

“My music teacher at my elementary school came to my mom and told her, ‘you need to get her into theater because she is going to do this for the rest of her life,’” Carlie Sachs (10) said.

Even before this direction from her music teacher, Sachs was exposed to theater by her parents, and her love for theater began to grow with the recognition of her talent by her elementary school music teacher. At seven years old, she enrolled at a competitive year-round theater school called Theater Under the Stars’ (TUTs) Humphrey School of Musical Theater; for the past eight years of her life, this theater has fostered her deep commitment to performing.

Even at age six when Sachs auditioned for the Humphrey School of Musical Theater, it was obvious how eager she was to participate in the musical theater world. Ever since then, Sachs has seized every opportunity to sing and dance and has starred in countless performances. She starred in her first show, “The Little Mermaid,” at age nine.

Sachs even made an effort to perform during the summers when she was younger.

Since she spent her summers

in Florida, Sachs performed in shows at Naples Players theater company at Sugden Theater in Naples, Fla. However, with growing workloads and greater responsibilities, Sachs has focused on her work at Humphrey.

Sachs continues to participate in the shows with Humphrey, despite the difficulties of a high school schedule, because of how rewarding it is for her to perform a show she has been working on over the span of several months.

“The day of the show I am always super nervous and anxious, and then 30 seconds before we go on I just go into focus mode. But then there is so much happiness on stage, and the second I step on stage all the pressure I have been feeling floats off my shoulders and you get to enjoy what you have been working for,” Sachs said.

The feelings she gets before a show and during the performances explain the exciting yet nerve-racking experience of performing on stage. She said that her experiences at Humphrey provide the tough yet nurturing environment she needs in order to handle these stressful situations and prevail with an amazing performance.

“I think the amount of

Photo taken outside Hopdoddy Burger Bar. Photo courtsey of My Red Glasses.

May 11, 2017 | The Kinkaid Falcon | FEATURES

9

Carlie Sachs (10) playing Tracy Turnblad in Miller Outdoor Theater’s production of “Hairspray.”

Photo courtsey of Carlie Sachs. pressure that you feel when you think you can’t, you can.’ tion of “Joseph and the Amazyou walk into every room to I just always think of this now ing Technicolor Dreamcoat” be better forces you to want when things are tough,” Sachs as a member of the ensemto push yourself every day,” said. ble. This show is one of the Sachs said.

When her teachers push summer shows the Humphrey Sachs believes that this her to succeed, she said she School of Musical Theater puts pressure is what she needs in uses these tough experiences on each year at Miller Outdoor every class to continue to push to grow with her peers. Her Theater. Sachs looks forward herself to do her best. The roles on the ensemble create to these shows each summer competition at the Humphrey a sense of camaraderie for because of how different these School of Musical Theater proSachs. The belief that everyproductions are from the vides the motivation she needs one is “up to par” is important other shows she participates in to perform to her best abilities. to her because it reinforces the throughout the year.

In her first lead role at philosophy that the type of role “I think Miller shows are TUTs as Tracy Turnblad in does not matter nearly as the so special because you know “Hairspray,” one of Sach’s most work you put it. you’re not performing for a difficult yet rewarding mo- “In the end, it only matter specific person or a specific ments was during eighth grade how much and how hard you type of person; you’re performfinals week and tech week for try every single day,” Sachs ing for the joy of it,” Sachs the show. It seemed impossible said. said. one day when she broke down The ensemble has been Even though her other during rehearsal in front of an incredible experience for shows are meaningful, the the whole cast. However, her Sachs, giving her the opportushows at Miller in the summer teachers were always there to nity to participate in countless make Sachs feel like she is support her. shows over the years; however, making a difference by provid“All of the sudden I just had it is exciting for her to see her ing an opportunity for someto go, and I was crying and I friends that she watched grow one to fall in love with musical didn’t know what to do, so I in the program graduating theater the same way she did went into the bathroom. Then, into bigger roles. Sachs herself as a kid.

Shay Rodgers, the choreograhas now made it to the age at These shows are free to the pher of the show, came into the which she is beginning to be public, and “Joseph and the bathroom and told me to suck featured in the shows, which Amazing Technicolor Dreamit up, telling me, ‘I know this makes the performances even coat” is showing this summer sucks right now, but you can more exciting. from June 6-9 at Miller Outdo this and you will always be This summer she is excited door Theater. able to do this, and anytime to participate in the produc-

SusieCakes bakery located at 2563 Amherst St. Photo courtsey of Houston Press.

The recently opened Shake Shack in Rice Village.

Photo courtsey of CultureMap Houston.

Rice Village renovates & rejuvenates

BY ALI AMMONS

Rice Village is quickly changing. Located right outside West University Place and neighboring Rice University’s campus, the outdoor shopping and dining district has flourished for decades. The Village first opened retail shops in 1938, and in between the 50s and 60s, it began to fill with more shops and restaurants.

The year of 1970 marked a boost to Houston’s economy which led to further development of the Village.

Recently, the Village has started to prosper again, and developers are renovating and expanding it. Currently, the Village occupies a large area of West University, right outside Rice University. The building of the 12-story high rise in 2015, the Hanover Southampton, marked the start of the development and remodel of the

Village. This year, the company that manages the Village, the Trademark Property Company, started a multimillion dollar renovation project, which included updating many of the shop exteriors, improving the parking system, widening the sidewalks, adding crosswalks, and installing new street art.

These renovations are just now being noticed: the Morningside Plaza, new restaurants, and a new mobile parking system have opened up and taken effect in the area. The opening of the Morningside Plaza in March of 2017 introduced two new restaurants to the Village: Nao Ramen Houston and Hopdoddy Burger.

Although Nao Ramen closed in July of 2017, Hopdoddy continues to serve its craft burgers, milkshakes, and renowned truffle fries. Hopdoddy’s original Houston location

in the River Oaks Shopping District could always be seen with a line wrapping around the building, and the Rice Village location has been equally successful.

Additionally, the Village location features two new menu items: the Goodnight for a Good Cause Burger and the Hoss’ Hot Chicken Sandwich.

The success of this location has led to a third location being opened up in Vintage Park.

Susie’s Cakes and Shake Shack have also infiltrated the Rice Village food scene. The founder of the bakery, Susan Sarich, started the bakery in Los Angeles. Using her grandmother’s recipes, Suzie has been able to create an empire of bakeries, now with over 20 locations throughout California and Texas.The most popular items on the menu are the whoopie pies and cupcakes;

however, the bakery also serves specialty layer cakes, pies, puddings, cheesecakes, bars, brownies, and cookies. Susie’s cake exterior and interior feature vintage bakery decorations.

Similar to Hopdoddy, Shake Shack decided to open up its second Houston location in the newly renovated village. Shake Shack’s first location opened in New York in 2001 where it was merely a hot dog cart.

The overwhelming success of the cart led to the opening of a brick-and-mortar location in 2004 and an expansion of their limited menu. Shake Shack prides itself on serving up burgers that are hormone and antibiotic free, humanely raised, and vegetarian fed with 100% all natural Angus beef.

Shake Shack also continues to serve up the hot dogs that started the company’s success

as well as milkshakes and crinkle cut fries served with an optional cheese sauce.

All in all, these changes have brought an influx of a young, urban crowd that has helped to revitalize the business in this area of Houston. In the future, the Village is hoping to make their shopping and dining center a unique district in Houston that can start to not only feature businesses but also art and culture.

They pride themselves as being the “authentic urban district in Houston and our goal is to offer visitors and the local community a best in class shopping, dining and unique customer experience” and hope to maintain this throughout the future, according to their website.

10 FEATURES | The Kinkaid Falcon | May 11, 2018

SENIORS

members of the class of 2018

by the

NUMBERS

BY KATHERINE BERMAN & KATIE ERIKSON

days until graduation girls

boys

seniors will take

APs this spring. members of cum laude

of seniors have traveled out of the country national merit semifinalists

of seniors have Kinkaid siblings

to Rice, the closest college to Kinkaid

number of times seniors have been kicked out of the student center

seniors applied early to at least one school

Number of seniors playing sports in college:

of seniors were born and raised in Houston Most detentions

seniors choreographed their own dance pieces

shortest senior (Anna Thomas)

from Jae LeDee’s house to Kinkaid

seniors are going to an ivy league school

with 200+ clicks on Naviance

with 0-5 clicks on Naviance

four-year, three-sport athletes

seniors directed their own one-acts seniors play an instrument

Number of seniors staying in Texas:

Most tardies

seniors are going to the University of Texas

SPC championships won this year

39 miles

seniors have faculty parents

number of seconds seniors have spent in high school

seniors applied to 20+ colleges

to Stanford, the furthest college from Kinkaid

seniors in creative writing

Kinkaid lifers

of seniors own a Block Party Live

seniors have gone skydiving

Age of oldest seniors at graduation (DZ and Socs Zavitsanos):

tallest senior (Jae LeDee) .6 miles

from Robert Hamilton’s house to Kinkaid

Number of seniors who have won at least one game of Fortnite:

Age of youngest senior at graduation (Andreea Calin):

May 11, 2018| The Kinkaid Falcon | FEATURES 11

Graduation speaker on service and transitions CONTINUED from pg. 1 Dr. Ferrari is the Executive Vice President of Houston Methodist as well as the President and CEO of the Houston Methodist Research Institute. He was selected to speak at Kinkaid because of his successful career and renowned awards, six titles, over 350 publications, seven books, and 30 U.S. issued patents.

Dr. Ferrari went to medical school at age 43 after a rigorous path at UC Berkeley of mechanical engineering and mathematics.

Four weeks ago, Dr. Ferrari asked to visit Kinkaid to get a feel for the school environment.

He said he was impressed “with the credible quality of the school’s programs and facilities; I was really

struck to see the greatness of the school and the social conscienceness so many of the students show.” With a humble attitude he added, “I was speechless when Let service I saw guide you, the list but in terms of prior of reality and speakers.

You guys flexibility– must the more flexible you have done someare the more thing to able you are get in to adapt to trouble; I think I society come in as some - Dr. Mauro sort of Ferrari punishment, because look at the speakers!!

Such amazing world leaders and presidents.”

With his own impressive path of self-discovery, and a humorous, easy-going outlook on life, Dr. Ferrari has a lot of insight on transitions, staying flexible, and being oneself to offer to the graduating seniors.

He discovered that he had a passion for intensive marathons at the age of 51, and now that he’s approaching his 60s, he recently discovered his love of music: “I just did a concert in Rome, Italy–in the end everyone was up on their feet! So keep yourself open, surprise yourself,” he exclaimed with a jovial, whole-hearted laugh.

Dr. Ferrari discussed how he plans to incorporate this notion of flexibility in life in his upcoming speech, along with another concept he views

as the quintessential part to success: service.

“My life revolves around this notion–the service, is the only thing that counts, regardless of religion or lack thereof,” he said. Dr. Ferrari considers himself a servant and believes that everyone who works in “healthcare, art, education, the clergy–I don’t care!– should view themselves as a servant.” People fear the word too much, he said. “It is the only word that will give you peace in your soul, ultimate happiness, glory and success. It’s like me and sweet candy: they are great, but after too many I get nauseous.”

When asked about the best career advice he’s ever received, he explained how the best advice does not come from his

BY EMMA STOUT superiors, but the people in his own life–his family and friends and patients. They teach him how to serve the world around him and how to better himself.

“In terms of a college education, the notion of keeping the education broad is the most important way to give yourself a chance to reinvent,” Dr. Ferrari said.

Students often view college as a place to define one’s individuality; however, with many opportunities, it is also a place for reinvention.

Find what your good at, and put that into service, but don’t “dig yourself into a whole,” Dr. Ferrari advised.

“The more flexible you are, the more able you are to adapt to society.”

Front Cover Photo by Emma Stout

Mindfulness: how to manage during finals

BY MARLEY ORANGE For a Kinkaid student, a full schedule is not uncommon. Students balance a rigorous academic agenda as well as visual and performing arts, sports, and other extracurriculars while busy planners fill up with tests, quizzes, and projects. At a prep school like Kinkaid, inner feelings and awareness seem as if they are the least of students’ concerns, but getting in touch with the mind and soul may be the key to retaining more information, ending the restless nights of tossing and turning, and feeling more in control, connected, and complete in one’s own body.

Stress is something most people face every day, yet

Photo by Nicole Fernandez.

so many people don’t understand it, according to Upper School Counseling Psychologist Dr. Laura Lomax-Bream. “The sheer number of students I see for stress-related issues, by far, that’s the biggest, most common problem,” said Dr. Lomax-Bream.

One of the most common reasons for stress among the general population is uncertainty. Being unsure of an outcome can stress people out so much that they forget to focus on the process.

Among Kinkaid students, Dr. Lomax-Bream said the most common stressor is academic related issues.

When people undergo stress, their bodies release

a hormone called cortisol, primarily released in the hippocampus, the center of the brain as well as the center of memory. This is unfortunate for stressed-out students.

“Getting really stressed out is kind of like bathing your hippocampus in some mild acid; it makes it much harder to remember and perform cognitively when you are stressed out,” Dr. Lomax-Bream said. When students worry so much about the outcome, such as grades, they actually learn less and perform worse, but when students only focus on a single lesson or concept, this alleviates stress, and the brain can retain the information much better.

In this day and age, it has become increasingly difficult to focus on a single task.

“People who are regularly bombarded with several streams of electronic information do not pay attention, control their

memory or switch from one job to another as well as those who prefer to complete one task at a time,” said a Stanford study from 2009.

Multitasking, therefore, is anything but; it simply degrades our ability to efficiently complete individual tasks, and we become mindless.

Mindfulness is, “paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment and nonjudgmentally,” as Jon Kabat-Zinn, a mindfulness professor, defines it in his book, Mindfulness for Beginners.

Mindfulness isn’t learning to always be mindful, but instead is learning to notice when we have become mindless, or have gone into autopilot, and bring ourselves back to the present moment, without judgement.

Graphic by Marley Orange.

While taking just a few moments out of one’s day to be mindful can have immense impacts, a commitment to daily meditation isn’t necessary to practice mindfulness. Practicing mindfulness may be just as simple as avoiding becoming mindless throughout the day.

Simply just focusing on one’s breath for only five minutes each day can make monumental differences in ones daily life and mood. The more one practices mindfulness, the more one allows it to positively affect their life.

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May 11, 2018 | The Kinkaid Falcon | FEATURES 13

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14 OPINION | The Kinkaid Falcon | May 11, 2018

Revealing Racism

BY MAGGIE JOHNSTON

Photo Courtesy of Stay Breezy.

You may be confused as to why a blonde white girl is writing a piece titled “The Rebirth of Racism.” When I first decided I was going to write a piece on segregation, I planned to talk about how society is seeing a resurgence in injustice. I began to question, ‘Why is racism more alive in 2018 than it has been since the Civil Rights Movement of 1965? Why are today’s headlines so similar to those written when my grandparents were in high school?’ I knew that people would be skeptical of my opinion: what could a 16-year-old, white, private school student possibly know about “Black Lives Matter”? And after doing some research for this article, I can say for certain that the skeptics were right—I didn’t have a clue.

The phrase “Black Lives Matter” elicits a spectrum of responses as diverse as the nation that created it.

Depending on who is explaining it, the movement can be characterized as a mockery of American values or as meaningful as MLK’s “I Have A Dream.” When I first began to ponder the movement, I thought that the racial divide plaguing the nation was a product of the protests in which Black Lives Matters demonstrators regularly engage. Further research revealed that the protests were not the real problem: the protests were a RESPONSE to the real problem.

The first use of the Twitter hashtag “#blacklivesmatter” was after the acquittal of George Zimmerman in his trial for the death of Trayvon Martin. Martin was killed

by Zimmerman on February 26, 2012 as he was pacing a relative’s neighborhood on the phone with his girlfriend; he was clothed in a gray hoodie and sweatpants and carrying a bottle of iced tea and a pack of Skittles. According to the transcript of Zimmerman’s call to the police, he claimed that Martin “[looked] like he [was] up to no good, like he

[was] on drugs or something.”

Zimmerman proceed to hang up with the police,who told him not to pursue Martin, got out of his vehicle, and followed Martin through the neighborhood. After a skir-

“The facts speak for themselves...”

- Stewart Cohen mish, Zimmerman shot and killed Martin just 70 yards from the rear door of the town house where the teen was staying. Zimmerman was questioned and released to sleep in his own bed that night. It took national news coverage, an investigation by the Department of Justice and the FBI, a forced resignation by the city of Sanford’s police chief, countless protests, the support of Al Sharpton, the NAACP, President Barack Obama, and nearly two months before Zimmerman was charged with second-degree murder.

In July of 2013, Alicia Garza, her husband, and two of her friends were sitting at a bar in Oakland, California—drinking bourbon and scrolling through Facebook— when she heard the news that Zimmerman had been acquitted after a 16-hour jury deliberation: “Not guilty of second degree murder and acquitted of manslaughter.”

According to her account in The Guardian, Garza remembers little from that evening other than crying herself to sleep that night. She explains her thoughts saying, “I, as a black person, felt incredibly vulnerable, incredibly exposed and incredibly enraged.

We were carrying this burden around with us every day: of racism and white supremacy.

It was a verdict that said, ‘Black people are not safe in America.’” This is when she decided to get on Facebook and write a “love note to black people.” This note inspired those victimized by racial

prejudice to began hashtagging Garza’s post.

This is where #BlackLivesMatter began.

The Black Lives Matter Movement is an appropriate response to the unbelievable injustices committed in recent history against black people in America. The deaths of young black men by police officers fill the headlines with disturbing regularity: 18-year-old Michael Brown (August 9,2014 - Ferguson, Mont.), 24-year-old Jamar Clark (November 15, 2015 Minneapolis, Minn.), 17-yearold Laquan McDonald (October 20, 2014 - Chicago, Ill.), 12-year-old Tamir Rice (November 22, 2014 - Cleveland, Ohio), 25-year-old Freddie Gray (April 19,2015 - Baltimore, Md.), 37-year-old Alton Sterling (July 5, 2016 - Baton Rouge, La.), 32-yearold Philando Castile (July 6, 2016 - Falcon Heights, Minn.), and unfortunately numerous others. These unjustifiable deaths all come at the hands of the very people who are supposed to keep society safe. All members of society. Often, no one is held responsible, even when guilt is so clear cut that it seems unimaginable that anyone could believe otherwise. Such was the case in the death of Eric Garner in July of 2014.

The medical examiner ruled his death a homicide by “compression on neck (choke hold), compression of chest and prone position during physical restraint by police.” A cell phone video from the incident shows Garner yelling, “I can’t breathe” 11 times while being held in a chokehold on the ground. No charges were filed against the police officer.

Examples of the racial bias facing African American males are not limited to fatalities. On April 12, 2018 Donte Robinson and Rashon Nelson arrived early to a business meeting. The young entrepreneurs entered Starbucks, asked for directions to the restroom, were told that the restrooms were only for

paying customers, and sat down to wait for their business partner before ordering.

Shortly after, police arrived in response to a 911 call about their “disturbance.” Robinson and Nelson were arrested while onlookers insisted to police that the young men had done nothing wrong.

The trespassing disturbance charges were dropped later that evening, but the incident struck many as an accurate demonstration of the severity of modern-day racism.

Following the incident, Stewart Cohen, the attorney representing the men, spoke to Good Morning America viewers saying, “The facts speak for themselves... there’s not a single witness that says that these men were misbehaving, and you can see and hear that in the video.” Starbucks executives agree and responded to the incident by announcing that 8,000 U.S. locations will be shut down for the afternoon on May 29 to conduct racial bias training for 175,000 employees.

Responses to Starbucks’ announcement have been mixed. Supporters praise Starbuck for publicly acknowledging the larger issue of unintentional bias and taking concrete steps to aid the problem; critics claim that it is foolish for the company to pretend that one afternoon of training is enough to solve the systemic racial bias that is present within the company. Starbucks is certainly not the first well-known entity to take a controversial stance on race relations in America.

Many celebrities have spoken out in support of the United States as “One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice FOR ALL,” but few have been as polarizing in their efforts as San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

When the starter first chose to remain seated for the national anthem in 2016, he explained in a statement that it was “a silent protest to show support for people of

color who are being oppressed in the United States, and to take a stand against police brutality. It’s an effort to use his voice and his position as a NFL player to effect change for the people who are suffering, and don’t have the same ability to create significant change.”

In the ensuing years, thousands of athletes from around the country have joined him by sitting or kneeling as an act of peaceful protest. By using his platform to call attention to the injustices happening to black citizens, Kaepernick hoped to bring America back together, not to pull it apart, and to assure black people watching from their living rooms that, in spite of what it may seem like when watching the post-game news coverage, they matter.

So, when faced with the

“Black people. I love you. I love us. Our lives matter.”

- Alicia Garza complicated history of the movement, what could a 16-year-old, white, private school student possibly know about “Black Lives Matter”?

I know that Alicia Garza was not trying to divide the nation when she posted on her Facebook page that “Black . . . lives matter.” I know that Colin Kaepernick did not remain seated during the national anthem as an attempt to cause conflict. I do not know how to solve the problem of racial injustice, but I know we need to try.

We owe it to one another: to listen, to reflect, to learn, and to be open. It is true that all lives matter, but it is important to recognize the legitimacy of the Black Lives Matter movement in particular. As a 16-year-old, white, private school student, I am unashamed to say it: Black Lives Matter.

May 11, 2018 | The Kinkaid Falcon | OPINION 15

Dear Class of 2018,

BY CALEIGH DORAN

We’ve been together for four, seven, 12, or even 13 years, but regardless of the length, we’ve done and endured a lot. While it may be corny to say we’re a family, it certainly does feel that way.

For those of us here in lower school, we remember the rush of excitement over the soggy oatmeal and eggs served on select Thursdays in the Big Room, the terror of Mr. Karner’s music policeman hat, and the brutally competitive four-square games during third and fourth grade recess.

When middle school came, we felt nostalgia for our lower school days, when life seemed much simpler. For one thing, we were forced to endure the immense awkwardness of four boy/four girl seating in the cafeteria. While in lower school, it had been much easier to ignore the members of the opposite sex (unless, of course, you were Mary Grace), mingling was inevitable in

middle school.

We all dealt with these painful years differently: some of us by forcing ourselves to pass out during a fifth grade choir concert, others by acting mischievously on the Texas Trip, and even others by creating blogs under the pseudonym Gossip Girl.

Nonetheless, we learned a lot. Through trial and a whole lot of error, we learned acceptance, not only for ourselves, but also for each other. Not to mention, a deep appreciation for Woodley Burrow’s whistling skills at the end of “Keep Your Eyes Open.”

Then, we got to high school. We were ready to leave our braces-filled middle school years behind and welcome an influx of new students.

(Ignore the fact that an unsettling number of them came from St. Francis.) Excitement pulsed through our veins, and butterflies churned in our stomachs when we opened our lockers plastered with fish reading

“Eat my bubbles!” and “Swim fast!” We walked down the hall with a timid swagger because although we were at the bottom of the food chain, we had finally made it to the pinnacle of our Kinkaid years, and to quote the movie that set our expectations for high school way too high, “we were all in this together.”

That swagger didn’t last long, though, and turned immediately into a keep-your-head-down servility when the seniors stormed the halls with their water guns on the first day of school.

Little did we know then, quicker than when we sprinted out the doors freshman year when school was cancelled for a power outage and five minutes later the lights turned back on, we would be the seniors strutting the halls, while having our speaker and bubbles stripped from our hands on our very last first day of school.

Despite the endless Cotillion saga, and being

Letter from the editors

Dear Reader, On Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2014, both of us walked into the classroom Student Life #205. It was our first day of high school. Everything about our physical appearance screamed “freshmen”: Allison’s legs resembled two toothpicks that slightly bulged out at the knees; Arman, standing at a solid 5 foot 2 inches, still carried some baby fat on his face, and we both had our scrawny little shoulders resting next to our ears, always a little tense out of a healthy fear that we would bring any sort of attention to ourselves. But after those first few weeks of getting to

know classmates and our way around InDesign and Photoshop, we discovered what passion meant for the first time.

We would consider this very classroom our new home.

Four years and 76 combined written articles later, we finally end our time on The Kinkaid Falcon staff.

We have grown physically (Arman can kind of grow a beard), intellectually, and in many ways, emotionally. We have risen through the ranks on the staff from “The Fab Freshmen” and section editors to Editors-in-Chief. We have experienced all sorts of emotions in the newsroom from harmless games of “Current Events Jeopardy” to hysterical late nights with no A/C, cramming in last-minute edits on deadline days. Most of all, we’ve begun a lifelong friendship these past four years that we will both treasure for many years to come.

We’d like to thank every student who has worked on

staff in the last four years for inspiring us to acquire a passion for journalism and allowing us to pass that passion on to others.

We thank Ms. LiAnn Yim, our past advisor, for teaching us everything we know about newspaper in a fun, inviting atmosphere and challenging us to explore new ways of thinking as well as Mrs. Kristen Bird, our current advisor, for helping us turn our vision of the paper into reality and turning us into fearless, confident leaders.

Lastly, many thanks go to our readers and subscribers who support every issue of the newspaper. You are the reason we continue to tell stories.

This publication and journalism class have been invaluable tools in the development of important life skills, too. This room, which breeds a perfect, harmonious balance of work and fun, productivity and energy, and the determined, focused people inside it led to memories

kicked out of literally every hang-out location on campus, nothing can destroy the special bond our class will forever have. Over our last four years we have been a part of a lot of winning. We were part of the cast that won best musical at the Tommy Tune’s Awards, in addition to being nominated three of our four high school years. We elected the third female governing council president in the 112 years of our school’s history. We had a classmate publish a book, another play in the U.S. Open, and another be inducted into the United States Naval Academy. Not to mention, our six SPC championship titles (including the first ever win for Girl’s Soccer). To say we have accomplished a lot would be an understatement, but we couldn’t have done it alone.

Our teachers have impacted our lives in enormous ways, many of which we have yet to realize. Whether you found

a second “Mom” in Ms. Richmond, or the perfect gossip partner in Ms. Ziegler, our teachers have not only taught us an immense amount in the classroom, but outside as well. To give credit where credit is due, thank you to all the faculty that have accompanied us on our transformation from naive freshman to Kinkaid alumni. We definitely needed the guidance.

Everyone said it would be over before we knew it, but the accuracy of this cliché was terrifyingly true. Our class’ devotion to one another is unprecedented. We have established an unbreakable unity built upon shared experiences, and while yes, it went by fast, we certainly left our mark.

We graduate in exactly a week, and although, we’ll be gone, our legacy will live on. So, here’s to us, and our memories. I sure will miss you guys.

we will never forget. And what we did here, helping create an award-winning, intelligent, and informative newspaper, is one of our proudest accomplishments to date. The skills we’ve learned here—how to ask the right questions; how to work with, lead, and organize groups; how to manage time; and how to find out the truth—are applicable to any field, whether or not that be a career in journalism. Because at its core, journalism is about honesty and delivery: not just finding out the truth, but delivering it with tact.

Next year, Arman will study political science at Princeton University, and Allison will study Business and Graphic Design at Texas Christian University. We pass the coveted computer mouse to the more than capable Editor-In-Chief, Emma Stout, along with the extremely qualified Associate Editors, Emma Gilliam and Sarah Kate Padon. We cannot wait to see how they will trans-

form The Kinkaid Falcon into their own endeavor and continue to elevate the standards of the publication.

We encourage anyone who has an interest in writing, design, photography, current events, or meeting new people to join the staff of The Kinkaid Falcon. The most incredible and rewarding thing about being on the newspaper staff for four years is that we now have a visual record that displays how much we’ve matured in every facet of our lives, and we can now reflect on these last 24 issues for the rest of our lives. We hope you choose to see yourself grow in the most transformative years of your life, just as we did.

Sincerely,

Arman Badrei & Allison Favaloro

16 OPINION | The Kinkaid Falcon | May 11, 2018

Make America Decent Again

Mindless party politics are encouraging a world of hostility

BY NIA CALDWELL This might be a little too touchy for some, but hey, I graduate in a week, so why not go out with a bang? Look, believe me when I say I’m tired of writing about President Trump. I truly am. It’s draining. But not only is this about him, but those blindly following Trump and those in power who commit constant acts of indecency.

I can’t blame some of his supporters for initially riding the Make America Great Again train; if I were white and Republican and Trump posed no threat to my daily existence, I probably would have bought a ticket to the train as well, especially considering the inconsistencies of his opponent in the 2016 election. I understand wanting to support a candidate because of their specific views on gun rights or abortion and sticking to party lines; however, one’s party ties cannot make up for a lack of basic decency. The president still has hardcore supporters despite everything he’s done.

Trump’s faults became apparent first in the 1970s: The Federal Government reported that Trump’s real estate company gave prefer-

ential treatment to whites and avoided renting housing to blacks.

According to The New York Times, Trump once criticized his black accountant by saying, “Black guys counting my money! I hate it . . . I think that the guy is lazy. And it’s probably not his fault, because laziness is a trait in blacks.”

Fast forward to this decade, after the Charlottesville riots, he called some of the white supremacists marching “very fine people” while labeling black football players who protested injustice by kneeling “sons of b*tches.”

In June of last year, he suggested that the 15,000 Haitians that immigrated to the U.S. “all have AIDS” and that Nigerians, after immigrating to America would “never go back to their huts.”

I could continue, but I have a word limit. Trump’s rhetoric and displays of racism, sexism and unprofessionsionalism should have alienated people a long time ago; however, his base is still solid, and even the unlikeliest are sticking by his side.

Two weeks ago, Kanye West went on a Twitter tirade, spouting his support for Donald Trump and

posting pictures wearing a Make America Great Again hat. After the extreme backlash from Republicans and Democrats alike, Chance the Rapper, a mentee of Kanye West, Tweeted, “Black people have to be democrats,” inferring that many black people were angry about West’s Tweets because he wandered away from the “traditional” party for black people (8 percent of black people voted for Trump, according to BBC News). Some, even Trump himself, took Chance’s Tweet as a statement of support for his presidency, and Chance responded by saying, “I’d never support anyone who has made a career out of hatred, racism and discrimination.”

I’m sure Kanye West, like many of Trump’s supporters who are still proud MAGA members of the Trump train, are supporting all of his great qualities because they have the luxury of being ignorant.

These supporters don’t and won’t experience the racism and extreme sexism because they live in an environment created by Trump’s comments, one that deems behavior and attitudes like the President’s acceptable. To accept only Trump’s supposed strengths, like his economic

intelligence that so many love to mention, can only be done while also accepting the man that mocks disabled people and gropes women. In light of the “Me Too” era, people have been forced to account for their wrongdoings, and we need to start with the leader of this country.

Contrary to what you may think, I have nothing against Republicans. Take our last Republican president, for example. I like George W. Bush. He’s a good guy: not

“Dedication to one’s party lines cannot make up for a lack of basic decency.” racist, not sexist and instead seems genuinely concerned about the well-being of people whether or not they agree with all of his policies. President Bush never bragged about grabbing women, never referenced women as “pieces of ass,” and unlike Kanye, I actually think George Bush

cares about black people and never blatantly displayed anything otherwise. Even a spokesperson for George W. Bush told the Wall Street Journal that he and Laura Bush did not vote for Donald Trump nor Hillary Clinton.

Though clearly belonging to a party, Bush still chose to not support President Trump.

Many supporters of former President George W. Bush do not support Trump either.

They, like Bush, know the difference between a kind leader and one that operates from his own narcissistic view of the world.

Yes, politics can be hostile but let’s not choose to allow unacceptable behavior from the people who are supposed to be leading our country.

Whether it be a Democratic senator or Republican congressman accused of sexual assault or blatant racism, it’s up to us, the constituents, to hold these public servants to the same standards as Kinkaid holds its students, displaying kindness, respect, honesty and responsibility.

Whether red or blue, donkey or elephant, choose to stand against hatred and indecency.

Gun control is not the right answer

BY CULLEY HARPER Is gun ownership detrimental to safety in the United States of America? Many of the victims of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High school shooting in February think so, but I disagree.

In an interview with the online journalism site “The Outline,” David Hogg, gun control activist and survivor of the Douglas shooting, referred to pro-gun politicians and NRA members as “sick” individuals who want to “murder more children” and are “kind of like Voldemort.” In an emotional moment trying to get his point across, this student placed the blame for mass shootings in America on the millions of innocent people who choose to exercise their Second Amendment right to own firearms.

This notion is not only unfair, but also a false and dangerous accusation. By making those who have a difference in opinion from him look like monsters, he denies the right to a voice in the discussion of gun control to the many people who in fact own guns for the purpose of preventing the murder of children: for example, single mothers living in rough neighborhoods or grandparents who are incapable of physically defending the grandchildren they are raising.

According to the Pew Research Center, just under 30 percent of adult Americans own guns. There are two pri-

mary reasons why people own guns—for protection and for hunting. When disasters happen, police are at least several minutes away when there are mere seconds to act. The average police response time is 18 minutes, which is far too long to wait in an actual emergency situation. For this reason, gun control is unfair and puts people at a severe disadvantage when facing criminals.

Law abiding gun owners deter criminals from their actions.

On March 27, former Supreme Court justice John Paul Stevens published an article in The New York Times called ‘Repeal the Second Amendment’ in which he argued that the only true solution to the gun violence and school shooting problem would be to fully repeal the Second Amendment because all other proposed solutions would not make a significant enough change and because the Second Amendment is outdated and does not account for advancements in modern weaponry.

This argument ignores two crucial facts—that criminals do not care about whether or not the Second Amendment is part of the Constitution, and that the government and police would still have access to modern weaponry, leaving law-abiding gun owners as the only defenseless group in this situation.

One significant problem being addressed by detractors of the Second Amendment

Illustration courtesy of Shutterstock is that the gun obtained by the Parkland shooter was a semi-automatic rifle purchased legally in the state of Florida.

However, this is a flawed argument. The gunman, Nikolas Cruz, had exhibited many red flags that if acted upon by the FBI would have prevented him from obtaining the firearm and heading down the troubling path that led him to commit this atrocity.

Prior to the school shooting on Feb. 14, Cruz had gotten in trouble for fighting at school numerous times and had been reported for online threats of a school shooting; he had even been expelled from Parkland.

According to a poll by Quinnipiac University, over 90 percent of gun owners and gun rights advocates are in support of psychological evaluations and background checks in order to purchase a gun. The current laws in Florida regarding psychological status of potential gun owners are that one can be

barred from purchasing firearms if they have been involuntarily committed to a mental hospital or if they have been declared mentally incompetent by a court of law or government body. Under Florida’s ‘red flag’ law, Cruz’s guns should have been confiscated because he was a danger to himself.

The FBI had received numerous tips prior to the shooting about Cruz’s mental status and danger, one being a YouTube comment Cruz made about planning a school shooting and the other from someone who knew Cruz personally and, according to the FBI statement about the Parkland shooting, was concerned about “Cruz’s gun ownership, desire to kill people, erratic behavior, and disturbing social media posts, as well as the potential of him conducting a school shooting.”

These two signs should have been more than enough forewarning for the FBI to take

some action in barring the man from getting a gun and/or confiscating his guns, but nevertheless he was able to purchase seven guns in the year leading up to the shooting, including the semi-automatic rifle with which he murdered 17 innocent people.

With more attention given to the mental wellbeing of young Americans, many mass shootings could be stopped before they start. Even Hogg, one of the new faces of the anti-gun rights movement, stated that increased mental health care would have prevented the tragedy in Parkland, saying in his interview with “The Outline,” “I would like to see more mental health care spending to ensure that people like the shooter at Stoneman Douglas are not able to get these guns.

The shooter at Douglas was somebody that honestly . . .

They needed help. That’s really what they needed.”

May 11, 2018| The Kinkaid Falcon | ENTERTAINMENT 17 Stronger is by the far the most underrated movie of the year.

The film is based on the true-story of Jeff Bauman, a survivor of the Boston Bombings and his struggles as a double-leg amputee after the horrific event. Going in, I expected this movie to be similar to the other true-life dramas made in Hollywood that are overdone; however, this movie is nothing short of a true gem. Director David Green portrays Jeff Bauman’s pain and trauma. Jake Gyllenhaal, who plays Bauman, exhibits the human flaws and struggles that he must cope with after the bombings. This movie focuses on small details, making you feel a part of the scene. Instead of the usual “survivor” movie where the families are strong and confident that their loved one will recover, Stronger displays a struggling family, who cry constantly, drink too much, and are hopeful, yet terrified for Bauman. Although it is rated “R” for profanity and heavy drinking, it truly adds to the feeling of the “Bostonian” language. This movie is brutally honest with the portrayal of psychological damage and the long road to recovery. You can see Bauman’s challenges, and all the pain he must endure from the burns, and adapting to life as an amputee. Bauman finds himself as a figure of hope for Boston. Despite the heartbreaking subject matter, Stronger holds a more impactful message of overcoming even the worst of odds, making it a must see film.

Se

pt em be r

Movies you may have missed

BY MADI BABINE

O

ct ob er 1.

No ve m be r

I had heard some negative comments about this movie, so I was hesitant to watch it; however, the movie The Mountain Between Us pleasantly surprised me. The movie portrays a male doctor, Dr. Ben Bass and a female photographer, Alex Martin, who are complete strangers. Their flight has been cancelled, so together, they decide to catch a small puddle-hopper plane to their destination; however, their pilot has a heart-attack in the air, and the two crash into the mountains with no signal. This movie has its ups and downs, but I enjoyed the overall storyline. The mix of adventure, thrill, and romance blended nicely. The chemistry between the two main characters, played by Will Smith and Kate Winslet, became a bit awkward as the movie progressed, noticeably when the two main characters began forming a romantic relationship; however, that did not keep me from finishing the film.

The beautiful scenery, acting, and overall plot of the movie makes it an enjoyable watch.

2.

Steven Spielberg’s The Post presents its audience with the chaos of the inside of a newsroom. It tells the story of the Washington Post’s race against releasing top-secret documents from the Vietnam War while The New York Times is being silenced by President Nixon’s administration.

This bold movie shows Meryl Streep, playing Katharine Graham, taking the risk of losing her company, entire life savings, and deciding whether or not true freedom of the press means going against the government to inform the public.

Although a little dry and confusing at first because of the number of characters, the movie develops into an inspirational, intriguing, on the edge of your seat movie, and it may teach you something about history as well.

D

ec

em be r

Ja nu ar y

3.

4.

Clint Eastwood’s The 15:17 to Paris celebrates true American heroism. The film tells the true story of three men, Spencer Stone, Alek Skarlatos, and Anthony Sadler (all playing themselves in the film), who are traveling on Thalys train #9364 bound for Paris on August 21, 2015. The three men are traveling throughout Europe when a Moroccan gunman and armed terrorists board their train. Because the terrorist incident is so brief, the movie also highlights the men’s childhoods and the events leading up to the attack. Having the men play themselves in the movie is original; however, the acting seems forced, since these men have never acted.

A true story of bravery, The 15:17 to Paris shines light on this terrifying event as Eastwood puts the viewer in the scene. One hallmark of this film is the lack of music; Eastwood instead uses only real sounds: the gunshots, the screams, and the sound of punching. What made this movie really stand out is the ending when Eastwood uses actual shots of the French Legion of Honor presentation at which 6. the three men are presented with awards for their heroism.

Fe bu r

ar y

M ar ch

5.

Ap ril

A controversial topic in American history, the film Chappaquiddick follows Sen. Ted Kennedy, who drove his car off a bridge on Massachusetts’ Chappaquiddick Island in July of 1969. Mary Jo Kopechne, a 28-year-old campaign strategist who worked for Kennedy, also a passenger in the car, was trapped inside the car and died. This film follows the tragic incident, as well as the aftermath. If you’re looking for a movie that answers all your questions about this incident, look somewhere else. Not only does the film leave countless unanswered questions, but it solicits new ones. Unlike many of the documentaries and films made about the Kennedy family, this movie does not focus on glamour or perfection, but it shines a light on a weekend gone terribly wrong and the lasting effect this tragedy has on the Kennedy family.

7.

8.

A true coming of age film, Lady Bird tells the story of a teenage girl living in Sacramento, CA, about to graduate from high school.

Played by Saoirse Ronan, Christine “Lady Bird”, changes her first name to Lady Bird, explaining to her teachers that she likes the name because “It was given by myself to myself.”

She lives with her brother, sister-in law, mother, and father. Her mother, Marion McPherson (played by Laurie Metcalf), has a complicated relationship with Lady Bird. At times, you can see her mother degrade her; however, there are moments in which the two bond and chat like girlfriends, showing the true complexity of their relationship. Lady Bird struggles to see her mother’s true loving intentions. Despite the movie being rated R for profanity and some sexual content, this film exhibits an unembellished truth of the struggles of high school. Most coming of age films display a struggling teen who at the end of the movie has an epiphany. What made this movie stand out is that Lady Bird feels more realistic. Sure, the movie tells the story of a teenage girl who struggles with her family, school, and friends, but what makes the movie remarkable, is its ability to display real emotions, emotions that almost every teenager can relate to.

Following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, 12 Strong follows Capt. Mitch Nelson (played by Liam Hemsworth) and his Special Forces into Afghanistan for a mission to take down the Taliban and its al-Qaeda allies. Rated “R” for war violence and language throughout, 12 Strong does not focus on the wins or losses, but it shines light on brotherhood. These men are all each other have, and this sense of brotherhood is their way of life. The 12 men are greatly outnumbered in Afghanistan, facing a force of thousands along with tanks and rockets. What is most intriguing about 12 Strong is that this mission has only recently been declassified, so this film reveals the true story of 12 war heroes. Unlike most war movies, 12 Strong kept me intrigued throughout with great scenery, and visual effects.

Love, Simon tells the story of Simon Spier (played

by Nick Robinson) in his senior year just as he is contemplating coming out. This story mixes a typical romantic comedy with a coming of age story. Simon has the perfect family and his four best friends do everything together, but Simon feels different because he is gay. When he begins emailing “Blue,” an anonoymous gay student who also attends his high school, Simon begins falling in love with this anonymous boy. This heartfelt coming of age story follows Simon in his ups and downs of heartbreaks and falling in love. I would be lying if I said that you won’t shed a tear while watching this film.

An original film, Love, Simon, moved me, and showed me a new perspective of a teenager’s coming-out story and the challenges that come with it.

1. Photo courtesy of Brian Tallerico 2. Photo courtesy of Kimberly French 3. Photo courtesy of Jazz Tangcay 4. Photo courtesy of JeddtheJedi 5. Photo courtesy of Rotten Tomatoes 6. Photo courtesy of David James 7. Photo courtesy of Andy Towle 8. Photo courtesy of IMDb

18 ENTERTAINMENT | The Kinkaid Falcon | May 11, 2018

POP CULTURE 2018

BY EMMA GILLIAM & EMMA STOUT

JANUARY

MARCH

FEBRUARY 1

19

20

Times Up Letter released to the public by 300 women in the entertainment industry

In Touch weekly publishes the 2011 interview with Stormy Daniels, in which she desribed her affair with Donald Trump

At least 1.6 million protest for the first anniversary of the women’s march

1

4

9

16

5

Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott’s baby, Stormi Webster, is born The Philadelphia Eagles beat the New England Patriots 4133 at the Super Bowl LII, featuring a half time performance from Justin Timberlake 2018 Winter Olympic games begin with the opening cermony in PyeongChang

Arie shocks Bachelor viewers when he breaks up with his fiance and winner of the show, Becca, for runner-up, Lauren Burnham

14

Stephen Hawking, English theoretical physicist, dies at age 76 due to ALS

18

Austin bomber caught and killed

24

Over one million people participate in the March for Our Lives in response to the Parkland shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school

Marvel’s Black Panther released to wide acclaim

APRIL 9

Rapper Cardi B is the first Tonight Show co-host in history

14

Beyonce’s performance at Coachella is the most watched ever on YouTube

23

Kate Middleton and Prince William’s third baby, Louis, is born

May 11, 2018 | The Kinkaid Falcon | ENTERTAINMENT 19

POP CULTURE CHART What’s your favorite memory from high school?

What are you most afraid of about going to college?

What will you miss the most?

What’s your favorite memory of the class of 2018?

How would you describe the class of 2018?

Aryan Minooe (12):

Caroline Hanan (12): “Winning two SPC Championships.”

Belle Martire (12): “Everything.”

“Michael’s glory days of football (8 yards, 2 tackles)”

Robert Shively (12):

“The boys.”

Ms. Martin:

“Linoleum is not a verb and neither is kneedable.”

Will Mitchell (9):

“Quite something.”

Where we get to know the Kinkaidian tastes and takes on what’s the talk around campus

BY LILY GUNN AND CALEIGH DORAN

Zoya Virani (12):

Cole Hammer (12): “Winning SPC.”

Malcolm Hedgepeth (12):

Zachary Lewitton (12): “Having a bad roomate.”

Mackenzie Zarr (12): “Leaving my friends and mom.”

Christos Papandreou (12):

Julian Fertitta (12): “Not having my parents do my laundry.”

Zacharty Bell (12): “Mr. Behr’s weekly email.”

Mr. Suber: “When they graduate.”

Ms. Ziegler: “I don’t like them that much, but I’ll miss a few of them.”

“Not being with SFEDS.”

“Being a full-time member of Marky-Mark in the Funky-Bunch”

Adelaide Randall (10): “Respectful, entertaining, and honorable.”

“Good times with good friends.”

Ms. Ellis:

“Traveling all over the world with the Model UN

seniors.”

Holly Yeager (11): “Impactful.”

Mrs. Lambert: “Smart and fun.”

Illustrated Interview with Margaret Oster (12) & Will Kunetka (12) Margaret

Draw yourself at graduation.

What describes your high school experience?

What’s your college mascot?

Draw yourself at graduation.

What describes your high school experience?

What’s your college mascot?

What are you most excited for in college?

Will

What are you most excited for in college?

20 SPORTS | The Kinkaid Falcon | May 11, 2018

The Chosen One, The King, The GOAT Why Lebron James is the greatest and it’s not even a competition anymore

BY NIA CALDWELL Lebron James is the greatest basketball player to touch a hardwood floor. Now, before you say, “but what about ____(insert Jordan, Kobe, Bird or anyone else you think deserves to be mentioned),” I’m going to stop you.

Because no one else has constructed a body of work and impacted the world of basketball and popular culture all at once like LeBron James has done so magnificently.

Before I lay down the hard facts, let me familiarize you with LeBron Raymone James. Born to Gloria James in Akron, Ohio, he began playing basketball at a young age. Taking the high school world by storm at

Saint Vincent Mary High School, he was broadcast on televisions around the country, showcasing his powerful alley oops and suave skills. He forgoed college to enter the draft at age 17 and was selected as the number one pick to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

And so it began.

This piece is long overdue because truthfully, LeBron has had this title in the bag for a while now. A recent occurrence in Round One Game Five versus the Indiana Pacers confirmed my belief that James should be crowned the definite king. In this particular playoff instance, when the game was tied, James proceeded to emphatically block Pacers’ Victor Oladipo in the last ten seconds of the

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game before shooting a picture-perfect buzzer-beater three (since then, he hit another buzzer beater against the number one seed Toronto Raptors that he went on to sweep). Needless to say, when that ball swished through the net, I exploded. Yelling and screaming “THIS IS WHY HE’S THE GREATEST,” I burst with the same thrill that has filled me ever since I began watching Lebron James play when I was 12 years old.

Shortly after his post game conference I got on Twitter and was astonished by strangers and followers alike downplaying the greatness that was just so clearly displayed. An invisible tear streamed down my face as the Twittersphere attacked James.

“He’s still not the greatest,” one Tweeted.

“Jordan wouldn’t have been in this position to have to make a game winning shot,” another said.

After cooling off a little, I decided I’d let anyone who listened know that Lebron James is the best basketball player to live on planet Earth.

A perennial battle between the greatest is often Michael Jordan versus LeBron James. I don’t want to disrespect my elders, but James has the solid statistics that say he’s the better player.

The GOAT (LeBron James, to clear up some confusion) currently holds playoff records in total points scored, steals, and buzzer beaters. He is number seven on the NBA all-time scorers list in his fifteenth year and shows no signs of slowing down, averaging 54 percent from the field and 37 percent from three.

In year 15 of their seasons, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird were both retired and Jordan was averaging 45 percent from the field and 29 percent from the three point line less than James’ stats.

James is athletically superior to Jordan standing at 6 foot 8 inches, 250 lbs. He is a better rebounder, averaging 7.4 to Jordan’s 6.2 rebounds, better passer with 7.2 assists to Jordan’s 5.3 per game. And he is just as great of a scorer as well; James’ field goal percentage, is 50.4 percent while Jordan is close behind with 49.7 percent. He shoots a better percentage from the three at 34.3 percent to Jordan’s 32.4 percent. The only thing Jordan leads him in is free throw percentage leading James by 10%. He’s also a more versatile defender and offensive player - he can guard any player in any position on the court.

Another argument is that James’ path to the finals is always easy and that in the good ole days of basketball he would have been average. And to that, I say blasphemy. While we’re talking about cakewalks, let’s talk

about who MJ faced in the championship. His first year he faced a broken down Lakers team without two of their best players and with Magic Johnson post HIV diagnosis. The next year he went up against the Portland Trailblazers with solely Clyde Drexler. In his first finals, James lost to a team with three future hall of famers: Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker. And the Warriors, a team he’s fallen to twice in the finals has at least two future Hall of Famers in Steph Curry and Kevin Durant (not to mention he beat a Warriors team with the best record in NBA history).

Jordan never faced more than two in the finals.

Also, after Jordan left to pursue his lifelong hobby of baseball, the Chicago Bulls won 56 games, only two less than when Jordan was on the team. But after James left the Cavs in 2010, they went from winning 63 games to 19. Only 19 games. The Cavaliers were hot garbage after Lebron James left, further proving his greatness that took them to multiple finals.

However, people try to diminish the work James has done in championships, since Jordan has six championship rings. But if rings alone were the indicator of GOAT status, then Bill Russell would be the greatest ever with 11 championships won. And people seem to forget that championships are won by teams not merely one man. If that weren’t true, Russell Westbrook, who has averaged a triple double for two seasons in a row, would have at least one championship by now.

Lebron has not only impacted the sports world through his dynamic play but also through his philanthropic and social work. In his spare time, James donated $41 million dollars to send 1,100 Akron kids to college, and he is in the process of building his own school for at-risk children in Akron, Ohio while still finding time to comment on issues like racial injustice and inequality.

He is a superb role model; James has never been arrested, never been accused of cheating on his wife, and never doped or cheated; his greatestness has not been tarnished. It’s the purest of his form.

I would argue taking advantage of witnessing utter greatness of a player at his peak, breaking his own records at full steam. One who didn’t take a break from basketball to play in the minor leagues, one who hasn’t always been supported by Hall of Famers and is still succeeding: An honorable man, unblemished and unstoppable.

May 11, 2018 | The Kinkaid Falcon | SPORTS 21

MLB predictions forecast postseason Early season student analysis of MLB teams and players

BY STERLING ELIAS The Yankees will win the AL East So far, the Bronx bombers having been bombing rather than dropping bombs.

After the Yankees, who led the league in home runs last season, acquired last season’s MLB home run leader Giancarlo Stanton, they appeared a force to be reckoned with. Nearly every sports publication predicted that they win the AL East.

A month through the 2018 season, however, they sit in second place in the AL East behind the Red Sox. It is only natural for teams that make such monumental roster moves to struggle to put the pieces together.

But once they do, and it seems they’re about to, they figure it out.

Between Didi Gregorius’ recent tear, Aaron Judge’s new 2-strike approach, and the team’s recent winning streak, the Yanks have finally hit their stride and once

again look to contend for the AL pennant.

Yu Darvish Is Finished Most baseball fans remember Yu Darvish’s iconic Game Five meltdown in the 2017 World Series. He nearly single handedly cost the Dodgers a World Series title.

Following the 2017 season, Darvish’s contract expired, and he sought greener pastures and a new start. Enter the Chicago Cubs who inked a six-year, $126 million deal thru 2023: the kind of money a team spends on an ace. For much of his career, Darvish was just that, but since he joined Los Angeles last summer, he sat behind Kershaw in the rotation. Now he is back in domain at the top of the rotation, or at least he’s being paid like he is, but that’s not how he’s performing. He currently posts a 6.00 ERA through three starts, having yet to earn

a win in the early season.

He still strikes batters out at a rate consistent with his career numbers, but he currently gives up the most hits per nine innings in his career with a staggering 9.3 H/9. Darvish could find his legs again, as he pitched at an all-star level for much of his career, but his consistent failure in the past nine months doesn’t look to be slowing down anytime soon.

The Dodgers will make the playoffs Currently the Dodgers sit in fourth place in the NL West behind the red-hot Diamondbacks, the Rockies, and yes, the Giants. They sport a losing record in one of the most competitive divisions in baseball. But, how can the supposed best team in the National League, the team that won the NL pennant last year and took the Astros to seven games, miss the playoffs after retaining all their starters? Part of their early struggle can be attributed to third basemen Justin Turner’s absence in wake of his broken wrist suffered during spring training. Additionally, the best average of eligible batters is only .291 by last year’s Rookie of the Year recipient Cody

Bellinger. Even the closer, Kenley Jansen who last year was the best closer in the league currently posts a 5.59 ERA through ten appearances. Finally, last week Corey Seager, one of Los Angeles’ best position players suffered a UCL injury, and the team announced that he will undergo Tommy John surgery and will be out for the season. Despite their underperformance in such a strong division, if not on basis of speculation alone, the Dodgers will not miss the playoffs in 2018, even if they barely sneak into the wild card. They boast too talented of a lineup combined with the best starter and one of the best closers in the MLB to miss the postseason.

Gerrit Cole will win the Cy Young So far, Cole has been unstoppable. After six starts, he currently sits in first in the MLB in WHIP, second place in ERA behind

Astros teammate Justin Verlander, and even leads the AL in strikeouts seven starts. Throughout his career, he never quite lived up to the expectations that come with being drafted over such talents as Francisco Lindor, Archie Bradley, and last year’s

World Series MVP George Springer. But since the Astros acquired Cole, he has been lights out. His recent success can be attributed to a number of changes he has made to his game, including phasing out his sinker, mastering his knuckle-curve without confusing it with his slider, and increasing the RPM on his fastball, which has met significant criticism from Cole’s former UCLA teammate and Indians pitcher Trevor Bauer. As Cole enters a new phase of his career, he looks to finally achieve the expectations that come with the first overall pick, and even if he fails to keep pace with such a historic start, he still looks poised to take home the Cy Young in 2018.

The future of the NFL

BY BRADY BRAZDA

Malik Jefferson Linebacker University of Texas

The heartbeat of the Texas defense for the past three years, Malik Jefferson, dominated the Big 12 Conference as a premier middle linebacker and Jefferson received First-Team All-Big 12 honors for his 2017 season. With an above average NFL combine performance, Jefferson should be picked in the last first round or in the early second round.

His physical attributes and his instinctual play style have teams on the edge of their seats. The Bengals got a steal on Jefferson picking him in the second round. He should be an immediate help to their lack luster linebacking core.

Courtland Sutton Wide Receiver Southern Methodist University

The next Julio Jones some say, Courtland Sutton is a 6-foot-4 inch, 220-pound monster. His big body frame was a dangerous threat in the redzone for the Mustangs this year. Sutton had 12 touchdowns last season with 1085 yards; he averaged a first down every time he touched the ball, 16 yards per reception.

With the NFL cornerbacks averaging a height of 5’11”, Sutton should be able to produce as much as he did in college. Sutton will be a great number two to Demaryius Thomas for the Broncos. Within a few years, expect him to take over as the main wide out for the Broncos.

Derrius Guice Running Back

Louisiana State University The understudy to the great Leonard Fournette, Derrius Guice broke out of Fournette’s shadow and became a monster for LSU. Though Guice is smaller than Fournette, that doesn’t show in his play. Guice isn’t afraid of contact and challenges the defense to come up and tackle.

His smaller frame and quickness makes him even harder to stop on the goal line. Guice brings a lot to the table. While somewhat overlooked because of Saquon Barkley, Guice’s skill set will help the Redskins a lot this coming season.

Paired with veteran quarterback Alex Smith, Guice should at least split time with the other running backs the Redskins have.

Sam Darnold Quarterback

University of Southern California The hype around Sam Darnold is real. The junior QB from USC has proven that he is the best quarterback in the 2018 draft class.

Darnold’s pinpoint accuracy can be compared to the likes of future Hall of Famer, Tom Brady. With his production at USC, Darnold led the Trojans to face the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Cotton Bowl.

Darnold’s pro style attracted many teams in need of a new franchise player, but the Jets snagged him at number three overall. Darnold will be the new face of the franchise for them over the coming years. With a solid quarterback, the Jets can focus on building their team around him.

22 SPORTS | The Kinkaid Falcon | May 11, 2018

Sports Year in Review

BY JORDAN JAFARNIA

Kinkaid Sports dominated their seasons this year with several SPC championships and high-ranking places. In particular, the girls teams swept the floor with nine places in the top three, including five firstplace victories. The 2017-2018 seasons were very successful, and almost every team improved their performances from last year.

How would you describe your team in one word?

“Champions.”

- Marquis Hubbard (12) Football

“Intellectual.”

- Alex Frumovitz (11) Boys Volleyball

Julia Lasater (12)

“Talented.”

- Antonio Castro (11) Boys Soccer

“Cute.”

- Jae LeDee (12) Basketball

“Hard-working.”

“Supportive.”

- Sarah Vandiver (11) Girls Swimming

- Avery Looser (11) Girls Volleyball

Josh Williams (11)

Team M.V.P. Jasmine Smith (12) Girls Basketball

Robert Shively (12) Boys Volleyball

DZ Zavitsanos (12) Boys Cross Country

Izzy Nelson (12)

Meredith Huston (10)

Girls Soccer

What is your favorite team memory?

“Jalen Elrod (9) running into a palm tree.”

- Lindsey Ho (11) Girls Cross Country

“Gleith Cozby (11) stopping a corner in the St. John’s SPC game.”

- Merritt Cozby (11) Field Hockey

Boys Swimming

“Winning SPC.”

- Audrey Orange (11) Girls Swimming

“When Taft’s dad had to “When we actually drive several hours because won a game.” he forgot his shoes.”

- Brian Xu (11) Boys Volleyball

Michael Bell (10)

Sofia Escalona (10)

- Colin Lawler (12) Wrestling

Jae LeDee (12), Jordan Ricks (10), Rayan Itani (11)

Ali Ammons (12). Jalen Elrod (9), Jeni Rojas (10), Alexandra Blake (10)

Cole Hammer (12)

23 SPORTS | The Kinkaid Falcon | May 11, 2018

Spring SPC Recap:

Teams make memories, win awards 3rd Boys Lacrosse

MVP Alexander Nevins (12) Decribe your team “Ferocious.” - Eli Bakht (11) Favorite memory “When Mundé was runing with the ball on the sideline, and he fell down out of bounds and Coach Jack picked him up.” Reed Butler (10)

3rd Girls Lacrosse

SPC highlight

SPC highlight

“Beating St. John’s three times in one season.” Emily Arcidiacono (12)

“Beating St. John’s.” Jacob Magelssen (11)

5th Boys Tennis

MVP Rohan Kumar (11) Decribe your team “Big.” - Woodley Burrow (12) Favorite memory “Russell’s practice match against Houston Christian.”

- Tyler Baldridge (11)

2nd Girls Tennis

SPC highlight “When I won the final match for the first round.” Tanmay Srinavasin (10)

4th

Girls Golf

MVP Lillian Rosenfield (12) Decribe your team “Determined.” - Lindsay Wells (11) Favorite memory “Short game competitions.”

- Karnett Hyunh (11) SPC highlight “The team’s overall score decreased by 48 strokes from day one to day two.” Madeline Gomez (9)

1st

Girls Track

2

nd

Baseball

MVP Kennedy Gamble (12) Decribe your team “Spunky.” - Ellie Lucke (11) Favorite memory “The water balloon fight on Field Day.” - Laura Behr (9) SPC highlight “Watching the 4x400 crush it.” - Alexandra Blake (10)

MVP Johnathon Thomas (12) Decribe your team “Sticks.” - Adam Harter (12) Favorite memory “Being on deck to see Wesley House finally go yak in high school.” - Wyatt Young (11) SPC highlight “Seeing Wesley House hit his first home run against St. Marks in our first playoff game.” -Chris Stallings (10)

MVP Belle Martire (12) Decribe your team “Resilient.” - Chloe Hunter (11) Favorite memory “Winning the city championship.” - Mikela McCauley (11)

1st Boys Golf

MVP Lauren Rice (12) Decribe your team “Epic.” - Gleith Cozby (11) Favorite memory “Coach trying to pass me in every drill.” - Andrea Le (9) SPC highlight “When Eliza and Allison won their match against Hockaday and put us in the championship” Hayley Hester (10)

MVP Cole Hammer (12) Decribe your team “Educational.” - Raybourne Burt (11) Favorite memory “Scotty shooting 108 in the first varsity tournament.” Mason Nome (11) SPC highlight “Johnny hitting a ball from the water to 10 feet.” - Will Jacobe (11)

6th Boys Track

MVP Chance Allshouse (12) Decribe your team “Lion-hearted.” - Miles Black (12) Favorite memory “The Awty meet.” - Chance Allshouse (12) SPC highlight “On the bus ride back we reflected on the year with the seniors by telling jokes and exchanging stories.” -Ameer Mustafa (11)

2

nd

Softball

MVP Lee Stallings (9) Decribe your team “Inseparable.” - Olivia Ison (11) Favorite memory “When we all went to the Crocs store in San Marcos” -Lee Stallings (9) SPC highlight “When Cammy caught the last out in right field during the champtionship game.”

- Sarah Snoots (9)

24 SPORTS | The Kinkaid Falcon |May 11, 2018

Mac’s Facts

Kinkaid addresses arm injuries in baseball

BY MAC FRIDAY

BY WILLIAM SCOTT & WILSON KELSEY With a heightened amount of arm injuries occurring today in the MLB as opposed to five years ago, the ASMI, or American Sports Injury Institute, is proposing that the pitching mound move from ten inches to six inches of elevation which would decrease the speeds of a pitcher’s fastball. Arm injuries have become such an issue in baseball today that change is being discussed unlike before, and that’s why the Kinkaid baseball program is becoming more and more proactive in areas such as arm strength and arm protection.

The pitcher has a responsibility, especially at such a high level of competition, to maintain the velocity of their fastball anywhere from 85 to 105 mph. This requirement puts younger baseball players in a position to work to achieve this difficult goal, but sometimes pushes them too hard, which results in arm injuries that present anything from a minor setback to an injury that requires surgery. The worse case scenario is that the goal of achieving a high-velocity fastball ends up instead causing permanent damage, erasing a baseball player’s dream.

The elevated speed of the fastball requires full force from the thrower, stressing important muscles and tendons from the hand up to the shoulder, back, and chest area. While some tears or other injuries in a player’s arm can occur on one throw or pitch, most of the injuries develop over time with continued overthrowing without enough time for the pitcher’s arm to rest properly. Many adolescent players begin their baseball career by throwing five or six days a week during the regular season without the necessary development of their arms

Stone Simmons (11) releases a fastball on Sanders Field. and without taking care of postgame arm care such as running sprints and icing the dominant elbow and shoulder.

Fortunately, Kinkaid has developed an arm care program that has proven to be successful. The baseball schedule each week during the regular season revolves around the arms of pitchers and players in the field and creating lower stress levels on the players’ arms.

The daily schedule contains pitching exercises and days of rest for each pitcher, depending on their recent outings in games and the amount of pitches thrown.

All the players in the baseball program are encouraged to develop habits as early as seventh

James House (11) in mid-stride, throws a pitch against St. Thomas.

grade to keep their arms in good shape, starting with pre game, practice routines include jogging, stretching, arm bands, and throwing.

Post game routines include more stretching and running sprints.

Although Kinkaid has been fortunate with few injuries in the baseball program, varsity pitcher Stone Simmons hurt his UCl in his elbow and has been unable to throw for the last three weeks of the baseball season.

Simmons is thankful that his injury does not require a long recovery, but also said, “It is a bad feeling when I am watching our team and cannot do my part on the field and participate in the ways I could before I was injured.”

Head Coach of the Kinkaid varsity baseball team, Steve Maas, believes that the key to preventing arm injuries is the “build up” process before the season begins as well as improving arm strength and endurance that one might have lost throughout the offseason.

Maas has also learned throughout his years of coaching and playing that “It is not the day you pitch that you need to worry about; it’s the day in between.”

To my fellow Seniors, When I was in the seventh grade, I competed in my first sports contest wearing a Kinkaid uniform during a B-team football game against St. Francis. Later that school year, I played competitive lacrosse for the first time, a 4-3 victory against St. John’s.

Wearing the Kinkaid jersey when playing a sport I enjoyed gave me an incredible sense of pride. Every time I slipped that uniform over my head, I felt as if it was my chance to add to the rich history of Kinkaid athletics.

Five and a half years later, on April 24, the varsity lacrosse team played Kingwood High School in the first round of the city playoffs. If we won the game, we were headed to state for the fourth year in a row; lose the game (which we did not think was possible) and our season was over.

When the final buzzer echoed throughout Barnhardt Stadium, I watched our opponents run in front of our bench to congratulate their goalie, sealing their victory. I cast my misty eyes to the scoreboard, which read 12-9 in favor of Kingwood.

After shaking the other team’s hands, we sat down in the crease around the goal, awaiting post-game speeches from our coaches. Tears streamed from our eyes, mixing with the eye black on our faces, staining our crisp white uniforms. After listening to our coaches, we trundled towards our parents and fans crowding next to the stands. Normally, this walk off the field is an elated strut to go celebrate in the locker room, but this time it felt like a death march.

Instead of hearing our victory song (“Scatman” by Scatman John) when I walked into the locker room, I heard only the sniffles of crying and the silence of disbelief.

I walked around the locker room and hugged each of my teammates, trying to savor the final moments of the season with them. Then, I sat down at my locker, took off my jersey, and hung up the cleats for the final time. My Kinkaid athletics career was over.

Over the next few days, I thought deeply about my time playing football and lacrosse for Kinkaid. I thought of the wins, the losses, the touchdowns, the goals, the injuries, the championships, everything. The feeling of not having to go to practice was unsettling and disappointing.

With my dad as a coach, I’ve been around Kinkaid athletics since I was in diapers, and I began participating in them competitively at age 12.

After countless hours of offseason training, practice, and time spent playing games, was this really the end result?

While the loss still hurt, I decided that I want to look back on my years in Kinkaid sports with positive memories.

That’s when my dad suggested I write about how to handle the end of a sports career, es-

pecially for my senior peers who don’t plan to play sports in college.

That being said, what are some ways to fill the void left at the end of one’s high school athletic career?

Join intramural teams

If you aren’t playing sports at the highest collegiate level, but still want to be active and feel the bond of a team again, look no further than intramural sports. Intramurals are offered at nearly every college and present a variety of options to choose from. They are student-organized and run, so they are usually casual and easy-going.

Play club sports

If you’re more serious about sports and want to play on a competitive level with a team that travels to play games against other colleges, club sports is for you. Joining one of these teams is no easy task, as they usually recruit team members out of high school and have significant amounts of walk-on players who make up the roster. They also require large time commitments to practices throughout the school year.

Join or create a club

While clubs are very different compared to intramural or club sports, they do have a significant trait in common: team building. Clubs are excellent places to meet new people and build relationships through common interest.

If you’re missing the team atmosphere during college, these are among the various options available to you. While you may no longer be wearing the purple and gold with your best friends, joining a new team and wearing new colors can form even stronger bonds with new friends. Whether it’s intramural kickball, club lacrosse, or chess club, any future team you join can fill the emptiness felt by leaving your sports career in the past.

With this being the final edition of Mac’s Facts, I would like to thank every reader for taking time to reading my work. During the past two years I’ve spent writing for The Falcon, my individual goal was to have my own sports column featured in multiple issues. That goal came to fruition this spring, and I couldn’t be happier with the end result.

Class of 2018, thank you for accompanying me on this ride through the last 14 years of my life. We have made countless memories with each other during our time at Kinkaid, and I’m not ready for it to end.

However, our next chapter of life is on the horizon; our time at Kinkaid is almost finished.

I hope you all make the most of your college experiences.

Don’t take things for granted and keep in touch. I wish you all success throughout your time in college and beyond.