The Falcon

Junior Wayne Shanks runs a play at the 2025 matchup against St. John's. From being a new addition to the lineup to having a monumental 50 touchdowns and running a total of 1,579 yards, Shanks's presence on the field has been hard to miss. “It’s a huge blessing for sure, and I’m very grateful for being able to play at Kinkaid this year,” Shanks said.

Running back has standout season, earns VYPE award

Zoe An

December 17, 2025

Junior Haley Wainright celebrates her commitment to Sewanee: The University of the South for softball. She is ready to head to the next chapter of her storied, young career. "Softball has been my dream since I was 8 years old, so finally seeing all my work payed off was great and such a rewarding feeling in the end," Wainright said.

Senior commits to play softball at Sewanee

Reed Altsuler

December 17, 2025

Sophomore Cooper Purdy works during Reading Day the day before his chemistry midterm. He used the time to clarify questions in his chemistry class. "I had a lot of questions, but after my session with my teacher I feel a lot better," Purdy said..

Reading Day offers chance to relearn, relax

Wyatt Cureton

December 16, 2025

Freshman Oliva Overman competes in a swim meet in 2024. Overman said the transition to high school swim has been smooth. “We had conjoined meets last year in middle school, which helped me get to know the team even before my high school season,” she said.

Fresh swimmers add depth to team as season opens

Olivia Utterback

December 16, 2025

News

Reading Day offers chance to relearn, relax

Wyatt Cureton • December 16, 2025

In the Upper School, students have a day set aside before midterms called Reading Day, a time free of regular classes designed to let them focus on their...

Seniors JP Reckling, Harris Lingle and Chase Flowers pitch their minimum viable products to evaluators at University of Houston's Entrepreneurship Program. “It was good experience and I really got hands on learning with dealing with people and learning how to pitch my product it made me more comfortable overall with public speaking”, Reckling said.

Team pitches product to evaluators at UH

Will Swanson • December 11, 2025

Students gather inside the newly opened Sterling Reckling Design Lab during an entrepreneurship class this fall.

New Design Lab gives entrepeneurs space to innovate

Jackson Veenstra, Staff Writer • December 10, 2025

Risks posed by alcohol, fake IDs, and drinking and driving remain a serious concern for students.

Not Santa’s idea of holiday spirit

Alexia Hoffman, Chris Mo, and Alex Cai • December 8, 2025

Features

Gabriel Ngumbu, a freshman, decorates a gingerbread house at the Gingerbread Village event. Ngumbu used red and green candy to create a festive design. “I had a great time at the Gingerbread Village with my friends, and it’s definitely something I’d want to do again," he said. "It was also a great opportunity to meet members of FALB and learn more about it since I’m planning to apply in the spring."

Gingerbread village adds cheer, community to holidays

Rashard Lewis • December 11, 2025

Each winter, the Gingerbread Village has transformed a familiar household tradition into a vibrant celebration of creativity and community. The...

Senior Charlie Assiff and other members of the Fine Arts Leadership Board set up gingerbread houses for an edible holiday village event. The board meets twice a month during Upper School lunch. Members take on a wide range of responsibilities, from working front of house at performances to helping run concessions, tickets, gallery receptions and department events.

Fine Arts Leadership Board strengths creative community on campus

Shaan Lakhani, Staff Writer • December 10, 2025

Senior Cate Schmidt presents her Differential Equations presentation on epigenetics and specifically PTSD/Anxiety.

Differential Equations students showcase final projects

Hudson Holton, Staff Writer • December 10, 2025

John Patterson and Dante Agostini pose with their verbal commendation awards.

Falcons compete at Princeton Model United Nations, emerge with awards

Hudson Holton, Staff Writer • December 10, 2025

Sports

Running back has standout season, earns VYPE award

Zoe An • December 17, 2025

After his first year at Kinkaid, sophomore Wayne Shanks had an unforgettable season on the varsity football team, leading the team as a starting running...

Senior commits to play softball at Sewanee

Reed Altsuler • December 17, 2025

Fresh swimmers add depth to team as season opens

Olivia Utterback • December 16, 2025

Junior Byson Huber lifts his hand in Melcher Gym after a huge return victory during "War on the Floor." He won his match after undergoing extensive rehabilitation due to an injury. “It is absolutely amazing to see all my hard work pay off in front of my friends and family,” Huber said.

Wrestlers return shows resilience, grit

Will Swanson • December 11, 2025

Lifestyles

Students relax to study and socialize in the Lux Café. The café, which is adjacent to the senior center, is located in the Bowden Upper School building. “It’s the first place I go when I need a pick-me-up between classes,” junior Maya Bernal said.

Café provides different ‘world’ for students amid classes

Victoria Walton • December 16, 2025

Lux Café, the school's new café, is its own little world. Tucked into a corner of campus, it buzzes with life and energy at nearly every hour of its...

Turning the DJ controller, freshman Neelan Shah mixes three pop/rap songs as he performs for his fans on TikTok. From his bedroom, Shah has created mix-ups that have earned him more than 80,000 followers. "It's a fun way to listen to music and share joy,” he said.

Freshman online DJ draws thousands of followers

Robert Lee • December 11, 2025

Freshman John Rosser admires junior Molly Jane Dunn's paintings about her experience with a camp she’s been attending since she was five. Rosser says, “I was drawn to her paintings because the colors in the painting really made it pop, and it caught my eye.” Dunn’s art was featured in the mediums: gouache, watercolor, oil paint, drawing pencils, and Prismacolor.

Margaret Kinkaid showcase highlights student art and innovation

Isabella Petree, Staff Writer • December 10, 2025

During “Duel to Duality,” juniors Evie Kinsey and Lara Alp perform on pointe as contrasting ballet styles collide and ultimately blend into one. Alp described the choreography as “a battle amongst different styles that eventually become one,” reflecting the piece’s message of unity through contrast. Kinsey shared that “we started with a simple idea for each dance and brought it to life together,” emphasizing the collaborative process behind the show.

DCO’s fall show redefines stories through movement

Lola Prpa, Staff Writer • December 9, 2025

Opinion

Helen Ren illustrates how students attempt to hide and use their phones during class.

New phone policy enhances learning

Alexia Hoffman, Multimedia Producer • September 27, 2024

With the rise of generative AI and new technology, students have become addicted to their phones. They have also become distracted and disconnected from...