As the fall season reaches its end, a buzz of excitement weaves through the school. Weeks of pep-rallies and football games culminate into one final tradition: Kinkaid Week. Kinkaid Week bolsters spirits and brings students together for Homecoming, the first school dance of the year.
On Oct. 23, students wearing informal “Barbie” attire flooded the Great Lawn with shades of pink for the annual dance. Decades-long rituals and months of hard work go into creating a fun week for students.
The night of the dance always occurs on a Monday evening, giving SAC enough time to organize the event days before. Teachers conduct parent-teacher conferences on the next day so that students can stay home and take time to recharge.
The timing of the dance also allows students to attend Homecoming dances at other schools, which typically occur on Saturdays.
Kinkaid Week has evolved over the years. Rebecca Jay, an SJS archivist, recalls traditions that stretch back as far as the ‘60s. In 1963, students enjoyed attending the great bonfire ritual that took place on the South Campus.
“Folks who lived in the apartments by campus loved to sit on their balconies until the bonfire was extinguished,” Jay said.
Although traditions like these were soon snuffed out, some live on—including pep rallies and the Kinkaid video.
Another unconventional aspect of the School’s Homecoming is its lack of classic Texan traditions, putting a casual spin on the dance and contributing to the originality of Kinkaid Week.
“St. John’s does not try to copy Kinkaid or Episcopal,” senior Andrew Sorak said. “We don’t have a Homecoming King and Queen or mums.”
Instead, students decorate the School, dress according to a theme and attend an all-school pep rally before the big game.
