the
Sidekick Coppell High School
PORTAL 2
Get to know the
TOP TEN
takes the cake Entertainment, pg. 21
Centerspread, pg. 12-13
185 Parkway Blvd. Coppell, TX 75019
Vol. 22 No. 7
May 2011
www.coppellstudentmedia.com
Hunt to leave CHS principal position Peter Sblendorio Sports Editor
It is hard to recognize the Coppell High School Brad Hunt took over five years ago. From his institution of the Red Jackets student ambassador program, to the expansion of countless groups and clubs, to his creation of the “I Rock CHS” shirts to reward students for high achievement, Hunt transformed the culture of Coppell High School during his tenure as principal. Next year, however, CHS will undergo its biggest change in personnel since 2006, as Hunt will be leaving the school to assume the position of Assistant Superintendent for
Photo by Brian Hwu
Administration for Coppell ISD. Hunt informed CHS faculty and staff on April 28 of his decision, and Coppell ISD Superintendent Dr. Jeff Turner announced Hunt’s promotion via e-mail to all district employees. Hunt will be working at the administration building in Coppell next school year, where he will work with Turner on Strategic Plan initiatives and oversee human resources and communications. The decision to take this new position is bittersweet for Hunt, as he will greatly miss serving as the principal at Coppell High School. That said, he one day aspires to be a school district superintendent and believes taking on this new role is a necessary step in achieving that goal. “I love being the principal at Coppell High School, but I have other career aspirations,” Hunt said. “These are the steps that I need to take. I look forward [to the new job] but I will still be serving the Coppell students at the assistant superintendent level.” Turner’s decision to promote Hunt was due to the principal’s ability to communicate with Coppell students and faculty alike. Although he knows it will be tough to find a replacement for the principal of CHS, the superintendent believes that Hunt was the best man for the job.
Photo courtesy Doug Heaton
Check “MATE” Underwater robotics team advances to international competition Divya Kumar News Editor
Last year’s BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico caused a stir on all levels, all the way down to local high schools. The Coppell High School Underwater Robot, or MATE, team recently competed in the Texas regional competition that dealt with the hypothetical situation of cleaning up an oil spill and won first place, and advancing them to internationals. The purpose of the MATE program is to allow students to learn about and apply marine technology. This year, the 10 CHS
see MATE on pg. 4
see Hunt on pg. 3
State hat trick for Coppell Lacrosse team Julianne Cauley Staff Writer
After the clock expired, the Division I state champion Coppell Cowboys Lacrosse team claimed victory as it dog-piled, not only for its 15th win of the season, but for its third consecutive state title. “We have had a lot of critics all these years. People thought it was unachievable, that we are an overrated team,” senior midfielder Nate Hruby said. “The victory Sunday [May 8] pretty much spoke for itself and basically shoves that in every one’s face. We accomplished what we set out to.” On May 8-9, the Cowboys traveled to Shenandoah (near Houston) to play in the Texas High School Lacrosse League Division I state championship. In the championship, No. 4 seed Coppell defeated No. 2 Dallas Jesuit Rangers, 10-8. “The community really gave us a lot of the support we needed throughout the
az Photo by Rowan Kh
endar
BPA sophomore places first at D.C. conference Michelle Pitcher Opinions Editor Photo courtesy Sandi Busch The Coppell Lacrosse team celebrates as they are given the first place trophey after becoming the Texas high school lacross champions.
season and we really appreciated all the fans that came out to the games. We were allowed to use the football field this year, which raised attendance. We felt more official as we were allowed to play there and also allowed to play in the higher Division I league,” Hruby said. The team proved its worthiness of recognition
as they established their place at the top of Division I. The Rangers won the opening faceoff and followed up with a quick goal by senior Richie Sapp in the opening 15 seconds of the game. As Jesuit came out showing confidence and aggression, Coppell immediately fought back and matched the speed
of the game, with Landis achieving an early hat trick as he scored three consecutive and unanswered goals in the first quarter. “We played under control, and didn’t force too much on offense unless it was wide open,” Landis said.
see Lacrosse on pg. 22
When she was approached earlier this year by friends asking her to join their Business Professionals of America team, sophomore Sai Panguluri had no way of knowing the full extent of her success yet to come. In the recent BPA National Leadership Conference in Washington D.C., Panguluri took home first place, becoming the first sophomore in Coppell High School history to receive this honor. On May 5, Panguluri traveled with CHS’ other national qualifiers (Mitu Bhattatiry, Nimi Bhattatiry, Kim Le, Dinesh Seemakurty, Ashlyn Foster, Alan McClintock and Benjamin Hwang) to Washington, D.C. to participate in this national competition.
see Panguluri on pg. 2
news
page 2
May 2011
bin Laden’s death brings closure for CHS students, staff Coleman Armes
World Trade Center. “Bobby was always full of joy,” Salamone said. “I remember us being together and all of the sudden he would break out singing a song from Broadway.” Fangman grew up in Baltimore and enjoyed traveling. After working with Verizon for a while, Fangman grew bored of the job. He decided he would become a flight attendant since it seemed like fun job
A week before September 11, 2011, Fangman was in Keller visiting Following the recent his brother and told his death of terrorist Osama mother Ruth Salamone, bin Laden, many Ameriwho lived in Baltimore, cans were reminded of the that he might come up to tragedies of September 11, see her before he went back 2001. His death provides to his job. He was unable to some closure, knowing the do this though, and Ruth leader of these attacks was was unable to see her son finally found, punished and again before he was killed unable to personally harm on Flight 175. anymore people. Flight 175 was head“I will always rememed to Los Angeles from ber watching the news late Boston that day. Sunday [May 1] What might be night and knowthe strangest thing ing that the man “I was surprised that I had about this whole who was responsible such relief that [bin Laden] story is that Fangfor the deaths of so was killed.” man was not origimany innocent peonally supposed to ple was finally taken be working that down,” sophomore -English teacher, Laura Salamone flight; another Preston Ramsey flight attendant was said. meant to be on that flight, Although all Ameribut accidentally entered cans were affected by 9/11 in which he could travel. Fangman started his the wrong code and wound and bin Laden’s death, it seems some were affected career as a flight attendant up being on another flight even more so than others in January 2001 and ab- ,instead. Bobby covered for for reasons such as hav- solutely loved it. He was her and decided to work ing family members die on doing a job that he truly the flight. enjoyed for a change. He At 9:03 a.m., Flight September 11, 2001. This is the case for was based in Boston since 175 crashed into the South freshmen English teacher he believed being stationed Tower at approximately Laura Salamone, whose there would allow him to 586 miles per hour. Fangcousin Robert “Bobby” move up to the position of man was believed to be one Fangman was a flight at- an international flight at- of the three on the plane tendant on United Airlines tendant, in which he would who had placed a call before Flight 175, which crashed be able to travel to new the flight crashed. What is believed to be his call was into the South Tower of the places around the world. Staff Writer
Panguluri excels at BPA nationals continued from pg. 1 Each of these competitors had to make it past two preliminary rounds, receiving either first or second in both, in order to make it to nationals. The national conference hosted over 50 events with competitors from 25 states, about 5,000 people total. While all the national qualifiers have reason to be proud, Panguluri has proven her exceptional skills by being the only CHS student to bring home a first-place title. “There were around 40 competitors in her event at nationals – two from each state,” BPA sponsor Jan McClintock said. “That’s a very large group of talented people and Sai was the best of all of them.” In her event, Human Resources Management, she was forced to deal with complex problems that could arise in the workplace in a unique and effective way. She applied her knowledge gained from reading Human Resources manuals and her unique sense of creativity to come up with an impressive presentation. “I’m given a prompt and I’m given half an hour to come up with a solution using my Human Resources guidelines,” Panguluri said. “I present it in a 5-7 minute speech,
Photo courtesy Mitu Bhattatiry Sophomore Sai Panguluri won first place at the National BPA competition in D.C.
then the judges can question me about it as long as they’d like.” In early March, Panguluri had placed first in the state-level competition, but that had still not prepared her for the shock of winning overall. “She was really cute when they called her name,” sophomore Nimi Bhattatiry said. “She wasn’t expecting it at all, so she was kind of sad when they called third and second place. When they called first, she kind of shrieked. It was just really fun to see how happy she was.” Though Panguluri may not have been expecting the honor, her teammates and club-sponsors had always had faith in her outstanding abilities. “She’s got that poise, those presentation skills and she can convey that well to the judges and let them
know what she’s trying to say,” McClintock said. While Panguluri received no monetary prize for her accomplishments, they are no less valuable. This award has opened up several avenues for scholarships and business opportunities as well as instilling a sense of pride for both Panguluri and CHS. “There was a lot of satisfaction in knowing that I’d worked hard at something and actually come out on top,” Panguluri said. Panguluri plans to continue to be an active member of BPA in order to further her knowledge of how the business world operates and to gain the skills she needs to be successful. “I would love to go into business, so this [was] an amazing experience,” Panguluri said.
Photo courtesy Laura Salamone Robert Fangman was a flight attendant on United Airlines Flight 175, which crashed into the South Tower of the World Trade Center.
to a United Airlines office warning that hijackers had taken over the plane and were likely flying it. After a minute and 15 seconds, the call was disconnected. Almost 10 long years later, after hearing the news of bin Laden’s death, Salamone can take a huge sigh of relief; the man responsible for the death of
her cousin, as well as many other innocent people, has been stopped permanently. “I was surprised that I had such relief that [bin Laden] was killed. It is nice to know that a criminal isn’t running around free anymore,” said Salamone. “It gave me great peace for my cousin’s family.” The rest of America
seems to be pretty pleased with bin Laden’s death, as well. “I’m glad they finally got him,” Coppell police officer Brandon Parrish said. “It tells other terrorists that America will find [them] eventually and that we will never forget the things they have done to innocent people.”
news
May 2011
page 3
Hunt rocks CISD with new superintendent position Students, staff of Coppell High School saddened by departure of fiveyear principal
Photos by Lexus DeLoach and Aditi Shrikant Brad Hunt, principal of Coppell High School, will be leaving the high school at the end of this school year to assume the position of Coppell Independent School District Assistant Superintendent.
continued from pg. 1
addition, Hunt instituted an annual summer leadership retreat for the school’s top leaders in order to receive input on the upcoming school year. In addition to these groups, the principal has been
“He complements our central office staff very well,” Turner said. “He has great skills in communicating with people, and he can articulate our visions as a district. He’s a great person “He changed the culture of to work with, a real CHS [...] he is a very team member, and we think that he is a deserving person.” great addition.” Hunt can track -CHS AP, Sean Bagley his desire to work as the superintendent of a district to his high school instrumental in bringing days, when he served as the the International Baccastudent body president and laureate program to CHS, met regularly with his fel- and the school has seen an low student council mem- expansion in the GT and bers. In addition, Hunt was AP level classes offered. part of an advisory team Hunt has also been key in that discussed ways to im- the additions of programs prove the school with the such as Co-Teach, Rachel’s district superintendent, Challenge and the freshand after seeing the super- man academies, and has intendent in action, he de- made it a point to increase veloped a strong interest in student and teacher recfollowing that career path. ognition through “I Rock Hunt has since been CHS” shirts and student critical in the introduction and teacher of the month of a similar superintendent awards. advisory team at CHS for While Hunt’s name 11th and 12th grade stu- will be forever linked to the dents, and also created a improvements he made to principal advisory team for these programs, he will be all grade levels in order to remembered just as much allow students to voice their for his ability to connect thoughts on the school. In with the students at CHS.
Whether it was his willingness to appear on KCBY, his countless appearances at banquets and school-run events or even his friendliness in greeting students in the hall every day, Hunt has made it a point to develop relationships with his students over the past five years, and that is the part of the job he will miss the most. “Just interacting with the kids is what I’ll miss the most,” Hunt said. “I love the students that we have, because Coppell has the best students. I’ll miss interacting with the students, handing out “I Rock CHS” shirts, [working with] the Red Jackets, even just telling people to pick up their trash at lunch. There’s nothing like being in a high school, and there’s nothing like Coppell High School.” As much as the students have impacted Hunt during his career, the principal has left an equally large impression on the kids at CHS. His passion for his occupation has been evident over the last five years, and the student population has responded. “I feel fortunate to have had him as a principal
the last four years,” senior class vice president Danielle Herubin said. “He’s gotten to know all of the students by name, and he really cares about his students.” Senior class treasurer Ben Osiecki seconded this, stating that he considered Hunt to be someone that was always available to help his students. “He’s always been there for us when we’ve needed him,” Osiecki said. “He’s been a mentor for us and he’s someone that we can always turn to.” Hunt’s contributions to the school over the last five years have not gone unnoticed, and students and faculty have greatly benefitted from the changes that he has made at CHS and the programs he created to reward them for hard work. CHS assistant principal Sean Bagley remembers Hunt telling him that “what gets recognized gets repeated”, and this policy is evident at the school. “He came in and changed the culture [of CHS] with the people he brought and the programs and recognitions of teachers and students that he
brought in,” Bagley said. “Everyone is very happy [for him] because he is a very deserving person to get that type of promotion.” According to Turner’s e-mail to the CISD faculty, Hunt will work specifically in helping to accomplish district goals, facilitate communication of the Strategic Plan and help with the long-term vision of Coppell ISD. He is filling a position that has been vacant for two years, with Judy Denman being the last to hold the job. While Hunt has thoroughly enjoyed his time working as the principal of
students and try to provide them with the best opportunities.” Hunt is happy to be staying in the same district, as he has spent the majority of his career working for Coppell ISD. He served as a teacher at the high school from 19901996 before becoming the assistant principal at Coppell Middle School West. He went on to work in Southlake as the principal of Carroll Middle School from 2001-2005, and then returned to Coppell as a director of human resources for two years before taking the job as CHS principal in 2006. The principal job at CHS has al“I will greatly miss Coppell ready been posted as a vacancy for the High School, but I’ll always 2011-12 school year, be a Cowboy.” and both internal and external candi-CHS Principal, Brad Hunt dates will be considered for the position. As for Hunt, Coppell High School, he is he will be moving on to a excited to work with stu- new role next year, but he dents in lower grade levels will never forget his time at as well in his new position. Coppell High School. “I’m looking forward “I will greatly miss to working with elemen- Coppell High School, but tary kids,” Hunt said. “I’ll I’ll always be a Cowboy,” always be partial to high Hunt said. “That’s because school, but I love the K-8 Cowboy fight never dies.” level. I’ll work with those
CHS Principal Brad Hunt: What was your favorite band in high school? Journey
Do you have any regrets from CHS? I regret we were not able to get the schedule changed during my time here. When you were little what did you want to be when you grew up? A professional bowler Did you play any sports in high school? Tennis What was your favorite extra curricular activity in high school? Choir Do you have any guilty pleasures? Blue Bell’s Cookies & Cream photo by Henna Khan
May2011 news Students taste budget crunch in school cafeteria page 4
what the amount is yet, but every public school in Staff Writer the state of Texas is going to have to cut back,” CISD The United States Chief Financial Officer has felt the impact of the Kelly Penny said. Recession, whether it is In order for the disthrough rising prices in trict to stay financially gas or ketchup. Educa- healthy, reductions have tional funding, in result, been made around the has suffered severely across campuses, some more noAmerica. Like school dis- ticeable than others. tricts across the state, Cop“We have reduced pell Independent School 40 positions in the district, District finds itself facing class sizes in the elemenbudget issues, fighting to tary and high schools have manage educational funds been slightly increased and and restrain the effects of administrative positions money cuts on teachers and have been cut and shifted students. around to a current personDuring a budget press al to cover those things that conference in Austin on we have to do,” Penny said. April How6, “It’s our hope that we impact ever, it Texas is not [the students] as little school these disreducas possible” tricts tions were that -Chief Financial Officer, Kelly Penny held anger out to stuspeak dents, to legislators responsible but the recent addition for making public educa- to the bunch: lunch-line tion funding recommen- limitations. Students have dations and proceeded to been strictly informed that emphasize that budget the limit is three packets cuts were unwanted, but of condiments and utennecessary. CISD officials sils are no longer available returned with a plan to cut to the public, but have back on several items across been reserved positions for the district in preparation those who buy their lunch. for the anticipated $5-12 In other words, a student million reductions to come must purchase their lunch in the next year to Texas in order to receive utensils education. and have a limited amount “All cuts are coming of condiments. from the state who is re“It is ridiculous that quired to fund education; we pay all these taxes and the state is giving every they are coming into our school district a budget school to help provide us reduction, we don’t know with the essential materi-
Kimberly del Angel
Photo by Jack Ficklen Recent budget cuts have lead the CHS cafeteria staff to cut back in order to save money; this includs rationing ketchup packets and plastic utensils.
als in schools, yet we are unable to provide someone with a spork,” sophomore Kristen Traw said. The business part of the cafeteria is what students fail to understand. Food services come from Federal dollars and the sale of the products in the cafeteria. If a student is not paying for a food item and continues to take a product, there is nothing to defray the cost forcing lunch management to either get tight around their controls or raise lunch prices.
“We are just trying to control our savings; our biggest expenses are payroll and food expenses —all the things we are doing have already been done in other fast food restaurants,” CHS Cafeteria Assistant Manager Gina Honza said. “We were spending $500 more a week on ketchup, and we noticed students sometimes were just grabbing handfull’s and sometimes it was students that brought their lunch same goes for utensils — students are again coming with their own lunch
from home, but using our utensils. That is just a cost going out the door, and we have no revenue coming in to help cover that.” As this discussion continues, so will reductions across the district to help aid areas such as credit ratings when it comes to funding balance. “Our funding balance plays a big part in our credit ratings — we have credit ratings as a district just like an individual has — and the better our credit rating is, the better the interest
rate for our tax payers when we go to sell bonds,” Penny said. CHS may not be in as terrible an economic state next year like some neighboring districts, but it has been decided that cuts will be made for the 2012-13 school year — a year of economic downpour for both the district and the nation. “It’s our hope that we impact [the students] as little as possible; we strive to keep that to a minimum because we are here to educate [students],” Penny said.
case in the past. The previous year, the students worked hard at the robot, pulling two all-nighters in the process, but the process had not begun early enough to allow time for adequate research and testing. A total of 20 points were scored last year. But rather than taking this number to heart, the team used it as a motivational tool. “We certainly did not want to repeat last year,” Montana said. “However, that was not the focus. Instead, students chose to focus on excellence.” Such focus clearly paid off, as the MATE team will now be advancing to the International Competition, set to take place on June 16-18, once again at NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Lab. “Our chances are looking pretty good, but only if we practice and practice operating the robot,” MATE Secretary Laxmi Dongur said. “The night before the competition, we all stayed up working on the presentation and you could tell everyone was nervous and tense. It was a huge deal because there was a running rumor that if
we failed the regionals they would cancel next year’s team from competing, so it was just truly amazing.” The CHS MATE team is ranked second in the world, a title they are set to defend at the upcoming International competition. “We wanted perfection and we made it happen,” Heaton said. “I’m proud of our team and the dedication we put in to make it happen. We’ve been working hard on our technical report [for the upcoming competition]; it’s all about practice. We want to do a demo possibly and are looking for money to help cover the robot and cover the costs of the program for next year.” Regardless of what the results of the upcoming competition may be, the team expresses excitement about making it thus far. “We were all absolutely giddy after winning,” Montana said. “One prominent goal was to do better than a particular unnamed team at all costs. This team has won the Texas Regional for the last six years. We blew them out of the water – pun intended.”
MATE team blows competition out of water continued from pg. 1 MATE students gathered to design and build an underwater ROV, or remotely operated vehicle, to perform certain tasks, such as capping a simulated oil spill. While the ROV completes these tasks underwater, it is operated from the surface, utilizing cameras mounted on the robot to allow the operators to see its actions. In addition to these cameras, the ROV has seven motors on it to control different aspects. “[To build the robot] we met over the summer and through the fall, coming up with general plans, and in November the actual competition plans were released,” senior MATE captain Hunter Heaton said. “These last two months we have been working on the robot almost everyday. We used the snow days, spring break and the TAKS test late arrival days to our advantage and met up.” In the simulation for this year’s competition, which took place at NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Lab in Houston the ROV is
Photo courtesy Doug Heaton The CHS MATE team presents their robot to a panel of judges while competing at the Texas regional competition at NASA.
required to remove a damaged section of a pipe, close a valve, cap a pipe, take a water sample and collect organisms for examination from the oil spill site it is placed within. The team was also to come up with a fake company name – Hydro-Development Systems, Inc. – under whom they would present aspects of their robot, simulating a more realistic situation.
The competition comprises of two “missions” where teams are to score a respective number of points in their task, as well as an engineering evaluation comprising of a technical presentation. The CHS team was able to score 285.56 points in the first task out of 300, 150 points in the next section, and 79 out of 90 points from the evaluation section, total-
ing with a grand score of 364.56. “[Our score] is exceptionally high,” MATE sponsor Bill Montana said. “The second place team scored 329.5 points. We were the only team to complete all tasks, and we did it in less than the allotted time of 15 minutes.” Though the team experienced great success this year, such has not been the
May 2011
opinions
page 5
Head cowboy rides away Obesity starts in lunch line
Hunt remembers his favorite times at CHS, says goodbye On June 4, 2011, incredible school in the while the senior class country. prepares for their graduThe experiences I ation from Coppell High have had with this exemSchool, another person plary campus have made will be “graduating” from me a better person, and CHS with them: me. the memories I have made Just as the seniors during my time here I will will be experiencing a cherish for a life-time. flood of emotions – exWatching our band march citement, happiness, fear, in the St. Patrick’s Day anticipation - I will be Parade in New York and sharing those same emohearing them perform in tions with them as we Carnegie Hall was incredembark on a new phase ible. Performing with the of our lives. As I reflect “I will always hold a very back on my five special place in my heart for years as CHS principal, so many Coppell High School.” thoughts and memories run through my head. I have had a long choir and drama departand colorful history ment in Anything Goes!, at this school. As some seeing the thousands of of you know, I began my cans our students collected career here as a teacher for the Souper Bowl of from 1990-96. What Caring, missing five days of a wonderful gift I was school because of the snow, given 10 years later to reseeing our girls soccer team turn to the school I loved win state, cheering our athto serve as the principal. letic teams in the play offs, From 2006-11, I have watching our cheerleaders had the pleasure of being win nationals, seeing our a member of the most students’ artwork on display in the Dallas Museum of Art, being interviewed countless times by The Sidekick staff, the numerous photos in yearbook, the many segments on KCBY
(I have two Palm Pilots!), the double-over-time win against Southlake….the list goes on and on! But the thing I will miss the most is having daily interactions with the students. Having a student come to me with a problem or concern, watching them give a presentation in class or just having them say “hello” to me in the hallway will be the hardest thing to leave behind. When I told my 6-year-old daughter Juliana that I was not going to be the principal at CHS anymore, I was not ready for her reaction. She cried big tears and was devastated. Her younger brother, John Thomas, who is two, saw her crying and started bawling too. She was so concerned that I was not going to be a Coppell Cowboy any longer and she would not be able to attend school activities. I told her that I would always be a Coppell Cowboy. Changing offices in the district is not going to change my feelings about this school. I will always take pride in hearing all of the future success our students and staff will have. I will always hold a very special place in my heart for Coppell High School. Proud to be your principal, Mr. Hunt Photo by Rowan Khazendar
Having grown up with Cuban grandparents and other family not accustomed to the American life style, not a day passes when I am not lectured about how America, as a whole, is too overweight. Every time we go out to dinner or drive through the nearest fast food place, my sister and I get a soapbox about how children are responsible for this obese generation because of the food we eat, the speed at which we eat it and the size of the meals – which says a lot, because Cuban meals are never exactly small. Then last year, while I was in the school store, one of the girls behind me in line was trying to decide what she wanted to eat. After a few minutes, she put down the salad and bottle of water she had already picked out and went for a slice of pizza and a Coke. Now don’t get me wrong, I am far from being the healthiest I could be. I have pizza more than twice a week, potato chips are my favorite complement to any meal and Coke is by far my drink of choice, but it still poses the question: if America is so overweight, then why are we serving unhealthy food in our schools? The habits determining our futures are usually formed within the first eight to 10 years of life. Because of this, the signs of obesity have to be looked for in the early stages of childhood. Children’s diets, starting as early as grade school, will affect them for the rest of their life – affect-
Photo by Rowan Khazendar Of the many choices in the cafeteria, the most popular are fried, sugar coated or covered in grease. Very few healthy choices are offered, and when they are, they tend to run out quickly.
ing everything from their health to their lifespan. Nutritional guidelines for schools extend only to the meal itself, not including any “snacks” students may want. Therefore, schools trying to make money open à la carte lines where students can purchase a wide range of extras to complement their meal, but have no requirements to follow nutritional guidelines. If schools made an effort to extend guidelines through the à la carte lines, they could make a huge impact on the health of their children. It is easy to say, “Why don’t we just get rid of junk food in schools then?” But realistically, that could never happen. Schools cannot afford to lose their income; students would feel withdraw from their favorite foods; even teachers would miss their comfort food escape from their stressful day. Instead, nutritional guidelines should extend through to all food offered by school systems. What-
ever is deep-fried could just as easily be baked, and there are many substitute sweeteners that could take the place of some sugar. Easier than that would be to just make portions smaller. Replace the King-size Sour Patch Kids currently offered (which actually holds three and a half servings), with the single serving snack-size pack. Small steps towards making schools healthier may be the initial action needed to end the obesity of generations to come. If each school system did something as small as altering snack sizes or replacing some of the treats in the vending machine, it could change America’s reputation as an overweight society.
Addy Buigas-Lopez Staff Writer
opinions
page 6
Edi to ri al World news hits home at CHS Seniors stood on the senior bridge cheering, waving their flags and raising their voices; students throughout the school were buzzing with the “exciting news” of Osama bin Laden’s death. It was a rare occasion to see such an overwhelming response to an event in world news raging through the halls of Coppell High School. After the earthquake in Japan, nobody stood on the senior bridge waving the Japanese flag. Only a few students have ever even seen a third-world country in-person. We responded more enthusiastically to the Super Bowl canned food drive in the hopes of meeting Channing Tatum than we have any effort to raise money for poverty-stricken areas across the world. Let’s face it – we need to sort out our priorities. We at The Sidekick are not branding any CHS student as ignorant; in fact, many make conscious efforts daily to remain educated and involved in world affairs and relief efforts. However, there is a large number of students who are lacking in their knowledge of world affairs and what they can do to lend a helping hand. Our generation is
fortunate enough to have seemingly infinite access to information via the internet. It would take maybe five minutes of our time to skim nytimes.com, dallasnews.com or coppellstudentmedia.com to get the latest world news, but many of us are either hesitant or unmotivated to access these facts. The problem is perspective. Too many of us are unable to look at things happening around the world and see how they can affect us. The truth of the matter is that every day, things are happening that will shape the world for tomorrow, and we have to be ready to deal with any changes that may come our way. In our lifetimes, we have seen the turn of the millennium, 9/11, the election of our first African American president, the Rwandan genocide, the South African constitution, the Taliban’s rise to power, the Oklahoma City bombings, the impeachment of President Clinton, Y2K, the trial and execution of Saddam Hussein, the explosion of the Columbia space shuttle, legalization of gay marriages in some U.S. states, Hurricane Katrina and so many more events
that shook our country and the world – but how many of us actually remember all of these occurrences? These past decades have in no way been a stagnant period in world history, so why is it that so few students can recall everything that has happened? We spend countless hours studying events in history and the motives behind them, but we rarely relate these historical themes to current events. The idea that history is cyclical is quite apparent in today’s world. We must understand the current world order in order to prepare and compensate for any major changes that may happen within our lifetimes. We will be asked to clean up the messes of our parents’ generation, just as they were asked to do when they were young. The world is our responsibility; eventually we must all leave our blissful “Coppell Bubble” behind and start paying attention and reacting to what is happening in the world around us. It is crucial that we know how to handle ourselves in the world, and the only way to do that is to be informed. Graphic by Brian Hwu
2010-2011 Staff Editor-In-Chief u Ashleigh Heaton News Editor u Divya Kumar Opinions Editor u Michelle Pitcher Features Editor u Mary Whitfill Centerspread Editor u Lauren Ussery Entertainment Editor u Rebecca Neumann Sports Editor u Peter Sblendorio Photo Editor u Aditi Shrikant Copy Editor u Emma Hair Business Manager u Henna Khan Assistant Business Manager u Paige Wilson Webmaster u Wren Culp Web Manager u Ashley Attanucci
Staff Writers u Kara Adkins u Coleman Armes u Erin Blatney u Adam Bremner u Addy Buigas-Lopez u Beth Anne Carroll u Julianne Cauley u Chris Cummins u Kimberly Del Angel u Abby Drake u Madison Ford u Thomas Hair u Shelby Jurca u Laura Kattilakoski u Julia Kim u Mike Pankonien u Chase Porter u Sammy Robben u Erica Rohde u Kelly Stewart u Corrina Taylor Photographers u Lexus Deloach u Jack Ficklen u Rowan Khazendar u Jodie Woodward Graphic Designers u Scott Bennett u Brian Hwu u Arden Radford Adviser u Chase Wofford
The Sidekick is the official student newspaper for Coppell High School. Its purpose is to inform, entertain and provide an educational resource for its readers. This newspaper is a public forum for student expression and thus student editors make all content decisions. The Sidekick is a member of ILPC, NSPA and JEA. The Sidekick won Best Newspaper and Best Website from The Dallas Morning News and is a Bronze Star recipient for newspaper and Gold Star recipient for website from ILPC in 2011. The editorials and columns presented in this paper reflect the view of their writers. Advertisements are sold as full, 1/2 page, 1/4 page and 1/8 page sizes in black and white or color. For more information you may reach the adviser in his classroom (D115) or by phone at (214) 496-6239. The Sidekick welcomes all letters to the editor, but letters must be signed before consideration for publication. Send letters to cwofford@coppellisd. com or bring them by D115.
May 2011
New Campaign aims to raise money for clean water by Beth Anne Carroll
“Clean water is a key for a city or community to grow. We have seen a lot of these countries that they have to walk miles just to get dirty water to drink and that is not good. I feel like we need to take action on this issue. Great article.” Username: mike
There’s more to the internet than social networking by Erin Blatney
“I found this to be a really interesting article, particularly because just a few nights ago I was discussing the sanctity of knowledge and how it has evolved in response to the internet with my father. It’s hard to make an argument that people will not become dependent on their internet connection to “remember” things for them in the generations to come.” Username: Megan Cooper
Coppell student artists medal at state VASE competition by Julianne Cauley
“You may be tempted to think you will be able to wing it through a career without any formal training. That is possible, but not likely. Industries are on the lookout for those with professional education. Even with an education from a post-secondary institution, in this field, you never stop learning and keeping up with technology.” Username: Mark
Comments from the Web Graphic by Brian Hwu
Heaton steps off the soap box I often think about what I would say to the freshman version of myself – my perspective has changed so much in these four short years. What would be the best advice? Would freshman me take it to heart? Actually, I would probably think I was too cool to talk to future me. But since I am preparing to leave Coppell High School for good, I have been succumbing to certain fits of nostalgia, and one particularly strong urge crept in to this column – I wrote a letter to the freshman me. While it doesn’t change anything for me, as I ride off into the sunset of college and whatnot, I hope it may speak to everyone else sticking around CHS, especially all you freshmen. The advice may be lost on freshman me, but it is not too late for you. Dear Freshman Ashleigh, So here you are, first day of high school, scared out of your brains. You are probably worried about getting people to like you, about getting to class, about being smarter than your genius twin brother and becoming the star of CHS. Spoiler alert: that’s not going to happen. You are not going to make Lariettes or get the lead in the school play or graduate in the top 10 percent. You are not going to go to the University of Texas,
and you will not have even started that novel you wanted to finish writing before graduation. Your genius twin brother will still be your genius twin brother, and there is not much you can do about that. And you are going to feel so much happier because of it. Because, while some of your current goals will not come to fruition, you are going to do things you have never even dreamed of doing. You are going to fulfill your dream of becoming a mini Audrey White as the Editor-in-Chief of the greatest student newspaper ever, The Sidekick. Your first job will be at The Dallas Morning News – yeah, The Dallas Morning News. Not some run-of-the-mill restaurant. You will get to interview movie stars, explore the city, cover Lady Gaga and call it work. And you are going to go to your dream college, which you don’t even know exists right now. Not all of your time in high school is going to be awesome, though. Sorry, Freshman Ashleigh, but there are going to be times when you just want to scream and cry and run and hide all at the same time. You will pull your fair share of all-nighters, and not all of the people you are friends with now will be your friends come senior year. Sometimes you will get so stressed
that you can’t even breathe. But that’s high school for you, Freshman Ashleigh; it makes you a better person. Yes, high school is important – it is the stepping stone that sets you off toward great things. But it is more important to enjoy your time in high school than to get wrapped up in grades and numbers and rank, because once you leave high school for college or otherwise, absolutely no one cares about what your GPA was. The memories and experiences you have, however, will stay with you forever. So here’s my advice for you: every opportunity you get at CHS, take it. Snatch it up before it drifts away, because it will never, ever come back. Don’t get consumed by the petty high school worries, and focus on yourself. After all, the senior slogan you will one day come to love is “no regrets”. But most importantly, don’t worry. You are going to be fine. Sincerely, Future Ashleigh
Ashleigh Heaton
Editor-in-Chief
senior section
May 2011
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The Sidekick salutes
1 1 0 2 f o lass
C e h T
p
11 g.
p
8 g.
Mackenzie Orr sets the stage for Broadway dreams.
Get to know CHS’ first
IB seniors. p
15 g.
16 g.
p
Reem Moussa
takes passion for basketball overseas.
Meet your Top Ten
Sidekick seniors write final stories.
C-spread, pg. 12-13
academics
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page 6
May 2011
Class of 2011 presents first group of Coppell IB graduates Photos by Aditi Shrikant
Michelle Pitcher Opinions Editor
This year’s senior class is home to Coppell High School’s first graduates of the International Baccalaureate (IB) program. These students’ experiences for the last two years have paved the way to their own futures - as well as a path for future CHS IB students to follow.
A year in review The IB program has become infamous throughout the halls of CHS as one of the most difficult graduation plans students can undertake. The seniors choosing this route have had to exemplify persistence and dedication in order to make it through the past two years of the program. While junior year introduced the students to many of the elements crucial to their success on IB exams, they finally got to put their knowledge to the test this year. Extended essays, speeches and community service – all were important milestones students had to overcome in order to reach the finish line of IB.
“For the most part, the students didn’t have any testing last year,” IB Coordinator Jeb Puryear said. “But this year, they have 11 or 12 tests to do in a threeweek period. It’s intense.” However, the workload was certainly not just concentrated around endof-year testing; many of the day-to-day activities and in-class exams given to these seniors were similarly demanding. “The IB program is designed to where the learning comes from the students,” IB English teacher Michael Vergein said. “They have to be able to synthesize their information into a product, not just recall. They have to write papers in math; it’s not just answering a question. They have to show true learning.” Despite the workload, for most IB seniors, the stress is not what has defined their senior year; these 46 students were put into an environment at the beginning of their junior year, and relationships seemed to form immediately and effortlessly. The friendships and bonds between these students are not likely to fade once their common goal of graduation is reached.
“The most important experiences I had in IB were just day-to-day interactions with the people,” senior Ashley Rea said. “By this point, we’ve all started acting like a family. There are no reservations.”
Moving on The program was in its experimental stages when these students took on the challenge, but it was no less effective in terms of preparing the students for success. “The biggest thing about IB is that it builds toward college,” Puryear said. “The workload isn’t ridiculously difficult one year then easy the next. The classes require a lot out of the students.” With the seniors heading off in every direction this summer, it is easy to recognize the kind of diverse education IB advocates, and it is apparent that many of these students have taken these IB principles beyond the walls of CHS. “IB ended up inadvertently affecting my college choice,” Rea said. “I’m going to TCU, and the Honors College there is pretty much exactly like the
Achievements The rigor of the program is legendary, and many believe its difficulty is the reason behind its success. The lesson plans demand students put in as much as they want to get out, which, for most, is an IB diploma. Being in the IB program does not guarantee anyone this coveted diploma; all the requirements must be met, the tests passed and the community service completed, before any student can graduate with these honors. “We had to balance numerous challenging tasks, such as a lengthy research project, many essays and tough exams,” senior Krish Suresh said. The most recent and
apparent stress has been the imminence of the IB tests, which are similar conceptually to Advanced Placement tests, but all IB students are required to take them at the end of their senior year. “When they were taking their English test, I was walking around and seeing what they were doing,” Puryear said. “I was amazed to see how much they knew.” Although at times the senioritis may have seemed incapacitating, these seniors have overcome the obstacles and have proven the program’s success. “They’ll be happy when it’s over, but they won’t fully appreciate it until later,” Puryear said. “I was most impressed to see how they persevered; it would be so easy to have a bad attitude. I am just so proud of what these students have accomplished.”
Upcoming Year As the seniors prepare to say goodbye to the IB program, the teachers and coordinators at CHS remain hard at work, trying to improve the system in any way possible. The 201112 school year will be the first in which the coordina-
tors will have seen firsthand how each year of the program will run. The experiences they have had with this year’s graduating class have been crucial in terms of their gaining knowledge of how to adapt the IB program for CHS. “There are a lot of things that we have been doing for the first time this year, so we’ll all be better prepared next year,” Puryear said. “As teachers, we will have had experience with these tests, and we will have a clearer picture of the program as a whole.” CHS dabbled with some structural changes in the program for next year, putting new classes like theater, film and multiple new language choices into the course guide. These efforts were not met with great success, however, due to a lack of student interest. Overall, students and teachers have high hopes for the program in the years to come. The success of the seniors of 2011 has proven the effectiveness of the system, and the program is sure to only improve from here on. “There was a revamping this year of the first year, so that’s what we intend to do next year,” Puryear said.
What is your intended major?
Number of “I Rock CHS” shirts you own?
What was your composite ACT/SAT score?
Passionate, determined, silly
English
One
32
Jubilant, scatter brained, eccentric
Undecided
One
1540
Sarcastic, cagey, weisenheiming
Biochemistry/ Neuroscience
One
31
Describe yourself in three words
Sarah Hillier
IB style of learning.” Other students were inspired by IB’s “global learning” appeal, choosing to look a bit beyond the state borders in the search for higher education. “The program pushed me to explore out-of-state options,” senior Sydney Kapp said. “I knew I could handle the type of curriculum offered by other private schools.”
Max Frazier
Shivam Naik
May 2011 International learning
academics
page 6
page 9
Students extend knowledge beyond American borders Addy Buigas-Lopez Staff Writer
As seniors cross the stage on graduation day, the tassel on their graduation cap passing from right to left, they begin their journey towards higher education. For seniors Zack Korman and Daniel Goodenough, their experience begins beyond the border of the United States.
Flying over the sparkling depths of the Atlantic Ocean to live in the land of fish and chips, the royal family and prestigious universities to continue education after high school would seem unfathomable to most students. But for senior Zack Korman, the beginning of the rest of his life starts with making that trip. “Going to Europe was actually not on purpose,” Korman said. “I went because of my dad, really. It started because he had one school in mind: Manchester. But when I was applying online, I clicked on Edinburgh and I was accepted.” As he gets ready to join the University of Edinburgh’s student body, Korman looks forward to leaving behind the American lifestyle. “I think going to school overseas will be much better than going to school here. I don’t like how broad American schools are in their required courses,” Korman said. “You can major in something with far fewer classes than are actually necessary to fully understand a subject. In the United Kingdom we don’t have majors, necessarily; we have our single-degree program, and that’s all you really take.” Rather than pursuing a major, the United Kingdom offers students a chance to design their educational path according to their single degree program. Going into International Relations, Korman reflects on Coppell’s impact towards his path. “The one thing that has really helped me with that is Mr. Damrau talking World Government with me and teaching me AP Comparative Government,” Korman said. “I do feel quite vulnerable to the Scottish education system, though.” Korman’s father, Ben Korman, believes the experience will be great for Zack and fully supports him as he ventures across the Atlantic. “I’m all for it,” Ben said. “It will give him a broader world view. It would be a great adventure for him and he’s a pretty independent guy, so it should work out fine for him.” Even the though the culture and lifestyle is foreign, Zack plans to make the most of his stay in England. “I probably won’t come back to America after college. I think staying in England will be a much better idea,” Zack said. “The stuff they have there, compared to what we have here, just seems to be better for people in general. I think I’ll like it a lot better.”
Scotland
Zack Korman
Now imagine passing Europe altogether, crossing another ocean, and traveling nearly 9,000 miles into Oceania on the complete opposite side of the world. Senior Daniel Goodenough, like Korman, will also be traveling overseas for his collegiate education. However, his trip involves flying to the Hillsong International Leadership College to pursue Musical Studies in Sydney, Australia. “I picked [Hillsong] because they do everything I want to do,” Goodenough said. “I want to lead worship music at a church, and the school is really nice. That and traveling overseas for school looks better for job opportunities.” Known for its worship music and pastoral leadership programs that run parallel with neighboring Hillsong Church, this college gives Goodenough a chance unavailable in the United States. “I’m excited to go to a school that specializes in exactly what I want. The stuff I’ll be able to learn there is going to help me a lot in my future. If it goes well, I’m not sure if I’ll come back to the United States,” Goodenough said. “I’ll for sure be [in Australia] for at least three years while I finish college.” Currently, Goodenough is an active member of The Mix Band, a band that leads worship music at the Fellowship Church of Grapevine Apex that has been preparing him for his future musical career. Joining the band in middle school, Goodenough has had a lot of experience getting him to where he is today. Traveling to Sydney will provide Goodenough with new opportunities in this field he would not get otherwise, making traveling overseas the best option for him. From crossing the graduation stage to traveling across the country, venturing to the other end of the continent or heading overseas, the college experience is not something to be taken for granted – and these seniors plan to utilize every minute of it.
Australia
Daniel Goodenough
Song maintains high academic standing in class of 2011 Divya Kumar News Editor
While the top 10 students of the Coppell High School graduating class are awarded their fame, many people often forget about the equally-qualified, elusive student number 11. Senior Angela Song, set to attend Columbia University in the fall, is this select student. Song has been a stellar student for the duration of her academic career, maintaining high grades since her days in middle school. While to many outsiders, such drive may seem to derive from the stereotypical pressure of being Asian, much of Song’s academic success can be attributed to her own personal desire to strive for the best, a feat not overlooked by her teachers. “I’ve had the benefit of knowing Angela since last year, when I became her mentor for her IB Extended Essay,” IB English teacher Susan Creighton said. “She impressed me right off the bat with her insight and willingness to revise her work.” Due to her developing interest in biology, during her sophomore year of
Photo by Aditi Shrikant Senior Angela Song strives to stay at the top of her high school class, and hopes to maintain high academic standing in Columbia University’s class of 2015.
high school Song applied for a job as a summer intern at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. While independent research projects such as these are not commonly handed out, Song contacted a professor in the lab, went in for an interview and was then awarded the position. While a leap from normal high school biology to the research of the de-
activation rate of epithelial kidney cells in response to drugs may seem intimidating to most, Song was not only able to embrace the topic, but made great headway in the two years she spent working on it. “I’m really interested in research, especially in the fields of biological sciences,” Song said. “Working at UT Southwestern for these last two years has been a great experience; it was in-
sightful and provided me with a good look into the field so I have a much more stable basis for the area before I enter it in college.” In addition to her research at UT Southwestern, Song also spent time researching at the Yale Medical Center. While she was under the presence of a professor from the biology department at each respective institution, much of the work that was completed
was under her own skill. But while Song is incredibly talented when it comes to academic areas, she is multi-faceted, with skills extending to include an expertise in the musical areas. Not only has she been a member of the band for all of her years in middle school and high school as a flute player, but she has also excelled, qualifying for the elusive All-State band group two years in a row, a feat few band members can boast. “Music is one of my passions, as cliché as that sounds,” Song said. “It’s just such a great feeling to make music, and it’s something that’s so different from school, it gives me a good overall equilibrium. It’s never been something difficult to balance between schoolwork just because I’m so interested in it.” Beyond being involved in the school band, Song’s interest in music expands to singing, as well. After teaching herself how to play the guitar, Song has recorded several covers of songs on her YouTube channel, created innocently one summer out of boredom. “Angela has always been that ‘one smart friend’ that I’ve had,” senior Dan-
iela Gaitan said. “But when we discovered her YouTube channel, discovered that she was not only a genius but also insanely good at singing, it was like this whole other side to her was unveiled. She’s just so talented, but so modest about it, which makes her amazing.” Song is certain that while at Columbia she will continue to pursue both her interests in biology and in music. While she is majoring in the science, she looks forward to joining either the orchestra or the wind ensemble there. “[Music has] just been the best part of my life,” Song said. “I couldn’t manage without it.” Those that know Song are certain the same level of excellence and dedication she showed to all areas she graced at Coppell High School will be shown for her future years at Columbia. “Angela is a very quiet student, but she’s also an amazing writer, never boasting about her talents,” IB English teacher Michael Vergien said. “She has so much motivation and she’s such a kind person; I know that no matter what she decides to do in life, she’ll be good at it.”
fine arts
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Seniors paint bright futures
at art colleges
News Editor
Imagine never having to take a math or science class ever again. Imagine sitting outside and drawing anything within eye’s range, then turning that in for homework. Imagine classes revolving around taking photos, sculpting objects out of clay and designing graphics. For a handful of seniors, these are just a few of the opportunities they will be receiving in the fall at an art college. For senior Chris Williford, going to an art school was a decision long in the making. “I decided to go to art school simply because I couldn’t see myself pursuing anything else,” Williford said. “I’ve always known I wanted to devote my life to making art and learning from great artists.” Williford will be attending the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) in the fall, planning
to major in Illustration with a studio concentration in Animation, as well as a minor in Creative Writing. This choice of institute was not difficult, as he attended the MICA Pre-College program last summer and is already familiar with the campus and several other students heading there in the fall. “I’m most in love with [MICA] because it is not only small, but it is humble,” Williford said. “There is plenty of room for me to grow as an artist because of the individualized instruction. They are also the only art college to hand-select your foundation year schedule.” Foundation year, a traditional element of most art colleges, is the first year, when all freshman art students take general classes, unspecific to any major. Only after this experiencing of all the different majors available is a student able to officially declare one. Though Williford is looking
forward to such a year of experiences, he already has future goals in mind. “I’m interested in working for anyone who will hire me, as long as I can make art,” Williford said. “I’d have to say my dream job would be an art director for an animated television show. I want to create the next ‘SpongeBob’.” For senior Megan Cooper, soon to be attending the Kansas City Art Institute (KCAI), her future major is not as clearcut. “I’ve been advised to go into the graphic design major; however, I don’t really like graphic design, and I kind of doubt I would enjoy it,” Cooper said. “My real passion is printmaking, which, as fate would have it, is incredibly worthless jobwise.” Though her future career is still a bit of a mystery, the one thing for certain for Cooper was going to an art school; because of this, most of Cooper’s high school career has been ori-
ented around this focus. “I’ve basically always known I was going to go to an art school, and if I did not, then I would have failed myself,” Cooper said. To be considered, a portfolio of 20 art pieces was to be submitted, as well as the more common facets of an application, such as an essay, transcripts and recommendation letters. While some schools focus more on the academic elements of a student during the consideration process, KCAI in particular is more interested in the portfolio and essay portion. All of this, in addition to the fact that most art schools are not only excellent in artistic fields but also in preparing students for creative writing and art-related careers, such as curators or teachers, made a decision between art schools a difficult one for Cooper. “I liked Kansas City in particular because they were nicer than the other schools I had talked to, simple as
Photos by Lexus Deloach.
Photo by Jack Ficklen
(left to right) Megan Cooper, Sarah Rousey and Chris Williford pose with pieces from their AP-Art portfolios.
Divya Kumar
May 2011
that,” Cooper said. “And of course, no math classes.” While many people consider art schools to be centered solely on extremely artistic areas, such as sculpting and printmaking, there are several interdisciplinary majors for students to choose from. Senior Sarah Rousey, who will be attending Pratt Institute in New York, is set to head down such a path: architecture. “My plan is to get internships at different firms in New York during the five-year duration of my schooling [at Pratt] and to one day have my own architecture firm to design commercial buildings,” Rousey said. Rousey’s acceptance to Pratt, where she applied through the Early Decision program, consisted of an application of three essays, an art portfolio and two interviews, one in Dallas and one in New York. During one of these interviews, a representative from the school viewed her portfo-
lio and provided her with feedback on her work. “I chose Pratt over some other art schools that I considered primarily for their architecture program,” Rousey said. “I’ve lived in Texas almost my whole life, and I think that even though I may be taking a risk in going so far away, I’m going to have a lot of opportunities that I may have missed out on if I had chosen to play it safe.” For all three of these talented seniors, it is likely that the schools they choose will be able to provide them an experience far different from any normal state school. “I think that an art school is going to provide you with a creative environment that no other university could,” Rousey said. “Typically, art schools are a lot smaller than most colleges, and you have the chance to get a lot closer to your classmates than at a school where you see thousands of different faces every day. Needless to say, I’m really excited.”
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Orr making his way towards the Broadway stage Ashley Attanucci Web Manager
From Vivacé! Summer Camp in 3rd grade to Cat in the Hat freshman year and now to the competitive musical theatre program at the University of Michigan, Coppell High School has watched the growing theatrical talent of senior Mackenzie Orr in awe. With an impressive resume, Orr is graduating to be a part of an elite group of 24 actors at the highly competitive four-year theatrical program at the University of Michigan to be trained in the disciplines of acting, dancing and singing. His intrigue with Michigan began with a summer camp at the school in Ann Arbor, Mich.The camp, MPulse, is the university’s chance to show students what everyday life would be like. “Everyday we got up at 9 a.m. and had a dance class, worked with the head of the department and had a casting director come who does all the big shows in New York like Wicked,” Orr said. “She would give us pretend audition scripts as if we were auditioning for a show like [Wicked] and they brought
back a few alumni who’ve been on Broadway.” CHS Theatre Department head Lisa Tabor has been working with Orr since his first year in high school and is confident Michigan is the right choice for him. “It’s a really good pick - it’s finding the place that’s going to get you where you want to go,” Tabor said. “You have to start looking at the people in the programs; it’s in who you know. I’ve seen a lot of their shows and they’re just an excellent, excellent program.” Orr had options at several schools including Penn State, Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, Oklahoma University and Northwestern for theatre. But not even full-ride scholarships (from OU and Abilene Christian University) could scratch Orr’s attraction to Michigan. “Michigan completely changed the way I think about acting and the way I attack a song,” Orr said. “They understand the way that I work and think as an actor and know how to cultivate that. I found myself comparing every single school to Michigan.” So far, Orr has held a
lead role in four major high school musicals: the Cat in the Hat in Suessical, Willard Hewitt in Footloose, Billy in Anything Goes and most recently the Baker in Into the Woods. “He’s just one of those kids that comes through here and is a total triple threat,” Tabor said. “He comes along and has a natural capability with the acting and singing and the dancing; I think he was born with it.” Orr has been breathing theatre since he was crawling. His obsession began with listening to parents’ CD soundtracks from musicals in the car, which then elevated to performing in preschool plays. Sound typical? He claims he did not get “involved” until his last year at Pinkerton Elementary as a 5th grader, his first big break coming from the First United Methodist Church playing Kurt Von Trapp in the Sound of Music. “When we were eight or nine, he would have these huge laugh lines in plays when I was still trying to understand stage directions,” co-actress senior Faith Kindervag said. “He has incredible talent. I’m just hoping we’ve become
Photos by Brian Hwu Senior Mackenzie Orr will take his talents to the University of Michigan next year to pursue musical theatre.
good enough friends that I can force him to get me free tickets to his shows when he’s famous.” So, where does Orr aspire to be? Broadway. “Hopefully,” Orr said, “I’ll move to New York and try to audition to be on Broadway, because that’s really ideally how to make a living as an actor and what I’d love to do because that’s where my passions have always lied. I’m excited to think that might just be me someday.”
“My proudest senior moment? Getting prom king. it was an honor it was fun and it was very flattering. My crown is sitting in my room my mom tried to try it on and she shows it to everyone who comes to our house.”
Taylor hitting right notes for vocal performance career Beth Anne Carroll Staff Writer
There was a time when senior Hilary Taylor shared her time and commitments between her two musical talents: band and choir. These days, she only has one focus, and she plans to pursue it for years to come. Taylor has had a highly successful vocal music career at Coppell High School. Now, she is taking her talents to the collegiate level. After a high school music career including several awards, all-state honors and a stint as a captain of the varsity choral ensemble Madrigals, Taylor will follow her dreams and pursue a future in music. She plans to major in vocal performance at the University of Texas at Austin. “Music is my passion and I think you have to follow your passion to be happy,” Taylor said. Her talents have earned her recognition from students and teachers throughout CHS and her friends and family share her
high hopes. singer. She got me started These auditions required “Hilary is just like this in singing and really sparked her to perform in front of a ball of talent that is going to my interest,” Taylor said. panel of judges, and she was explode one day, and I am Her mother also sings tested on her musical ability so excited to see what the along with her, as the two and knowledge. future holds for her,” friend shared the stage at Taylor’s Her final decision was and Madrigal senior Mi- senior voice recital, which UT. While expenses were a chele Crater said. was, fittingly, on Mother’s major factor in her final deDeciding to pursue Day. Having her mother by cision, it also came down to a music major comes with her side and being able to which college she liked best. the decision of which area learn from her experiences “When I go on camto focus on. While Taylor pus [at UT], I don’t want considered music educa“Music is my passion and to leave and I know I will tion, she chose vocal perfeel at home there,” Tayformance because of her I think you have to follow lor said. added opportunities to your passion to be happy.” Taylor is excited perform. to begin her studies and Another factor in continue the hard work -Senior Hilary Taylor her decision is one of her she has put into music musical inspirations. Vothroughout high school, cal performance gives her made the college process, with the hopes of having the opportunity to follow in as well as preparing for the a bright musical career. her mother’s footsteps and future, much easier. “I am really excited for perform as a career. Taylor looked at the her. She has worked so hard As a former singer, music schools at several uni- over the years and I know Taylor’s mother Pam King versities, and even received that she is going to do some got her started in music at scholarship offers from mul- great things in the future,” a young age and taught her tiple colleges. Her search for friend and Madrigal senior much of what she knows her future school was as long Lydia White said. today. Her mother’s profes- and stressful as any senior’s, While Taylor is looksion played a major role in but with added obstacles. ing forward to pursuing her Taylor’s decision to first get To be considered for musical future, she is also involved in music, as well as the school’s music program, looking forward to having continue through college. Taylor had to audition at an exciting college experi“She has been my each of the schools before ence at UT. Taylor hopes her voice teacher throughout she was accepted in to their ventures in music continue high school and she was a respective music schools. to take her far so that some
day, she will be performing in front of a crowd in New York City. “I cannot wait to see her perform in a place like the Winspear or Carnegie
Hall because she has the drive to keep working until she gets what she wants, and I think she can reach that level,” Crater said.
Photo by Jodie Woodward Following in her mother’s footsteps, senior Hilary Taylor will begin her studies in vocal performance at the University of Texas.
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in depth
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U L A T T 1 A 0 R N G S N ! O C m i k a i l u j y b
Mitu Bhattatiry
School: Columbia University Major: Biomedical Engineering (BME) or financial engineering Number of “I Rock CHS” shirts: 7 Favorite study snack: A bowl of Lucky Charms or Fruit Loops Guilty pleasure: Infomercials What do you enjoy doing during your free time?: Playing Fruit Ninja or Tiny Wings
5
1
2
School: University of Texas at Austin Major: Biochemistry
Biggest fear: Bugs, torture, failure and poverty
School: Rice University Major: Bioengineering
Kim Le
What are you going to miss most about CHS?: The mint chocolate chip ice cream in the school store Favorite memory during high school: Going to Disneyland during the national BPA trip Most unique skill: Drawing cartoon cows
7
Krish Suresh
School: Northwestern University
Major: Math, Economics, or Biochemistry Guilty pleasure: Ke$ha School: University of Pennsylvania
Adam Warner
What do you enjoy doing during your free time?: Swimming or playing ping-pong
Advice to incoming freshmen: Buy AP books early
Favorite thing about CHS: The supportive, spirited atmosphere
Favorite midnight/study snack: Reese’s Puffs
What are you going to miss most about CHS?: Teachers
6
Major: Biomedical Engineering (BME) Number of “I Rock CHS” shirts: 8 Favorite midnight/study snack: Cup noodles or cranberry tea Most unique skill: Solving the Rubiks cube in 26 seconds Scariest class: AP Biology with Mrs. Martin
Dmitri Potemkin
School: New York University
Biggest pet peeve: Grade grubbers
Major: Philosophy
My bucket list: Traveling the world
Srishti Goel
Audrey Eichenberger
Major: Biology
Favorite midnight/study snack: Hot Cheetos or strawberry milkshakes Guilty pleasure: Enrique Iglesias Average hours of sleep on a school night: 4
Most unique skill: Keeping track of assignments despite a noticeable lack of organizational skills Scariest class: IB English I
What do you enjoy doing during your spare time?: Wasting time on the computer Scariest class: Russell’s Precal
School: Columbia University
The most boss teacher you have ever had: A tie between the raw awesomeness of Coach Kemp and the sheer intelligence of Mr. Brock
34 9
School: Baylor University
Biggest pet peeve: Biased journalism
Major: Bioengineering
Biggest pet peeve: Boy’s restrooms
Scariest class: Foundations of Personal Fitness (oh, those track days…)
Most unique skill: Predicting who the killer is on CSI Scariest class: 2009-2010 Calculus BC with Richardson 4th period. That class was a zoo! (Not to mention, freezing)
Major: Double major in PhilosophyNeuroscience-Psychology (PNP) and Biomedical Engineering (BME) Advice to incoming freshmen: Don’t be afraid to try new things! Make love not warfare.
Guilty pleasure: Any reality show starring any of the Kardashians (except Kris – I hope she never gets her own spin-off)
Biggest fear: Tripping down the stairs in high school
What would you have done differently at CHS?: Taken more art classes
Benjamin Huang
Jenny Wang
School: Washington University in St. Louis
What are you going to miss most about CHS?: Mr. Williams Bucket list: 1) Shake Bill Cosby’s hand 2) Travel the US coast-to-coast 3) Skydive … in a suit 4) Visit all seven continents 5) Eat an ortolan What do you enjoy doing during your free time?: Playing Super Mario World Study tips: Cram at the last minute every time
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School: University of Texas at Austin Major: Economics
Guilty pleasure: Talking with slang, reality shows, eating pig intestines, and cheesy pick-up lines Favorite thing about CHS: The affability of everyone and the atmosphere of the classes Study tips: Don’t procrastinate or cram, take notes, and collaborate with others if necessary Most unique skill: Being stubborn
Jeanne Feng Photos by Aditi Shrikant and Jack Ficklen Graphics by Lauren Ussery
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May 2011
Seneh takes film-making future frame by frame Kelly Stewart Staff Writer
Photos by Aditi Shrikant. Senior Joelta Seneh prepares to attend college and continue a future in broadcast journalism or film-making.
As many students prepare for summer, seniors are planning out the next step in their lives. Some want to go into business, some think a career in medicine would be good for them but for seniors like Joelta Seneh, nothing is quite like the fast-paced world of broadcast media. Though she has not decided on a college to attend, Seneh has an interest for broadcast journalism, as well as other forms of media, including behind the scenes film production. Her interest in these areas began with her acceptance as a staff member on KCBY. “[I got interested in KCBY] because I really liked watching it at school, I loved it,” Seneh said. “I really wanted to be a part of it.” Seneh is currently a broadcast news reporter for
KCBY, where she brings a unique world view to the staff. “Joelta is very inquisitive, she has done a nice job all year reporting on solid stories that are newsworthy,” KCBY director Irma Kennedy said. “She has a different perspective and a different awareness about global issues that affect people all around the world. I think that could bring a different lens to the way she tells a story through broadcast journalism.” With family ties all the way to Africa, Seneh is in a good position to seek out stories that affect not only the students at Coppell High School, but people around the world as well, while still making it relevant. It is these same family ties that drives Seneh to go to college in the first place. “I’m going to be the first one to go to college [in my family],” Seneh said. “That’s what my dad told
me about a year ago. So I want to go to college to be the first one, and so I can get a better job, and so I can help my family back in Africa.” Evidence of her work ethic and talent for the broadcast media area can be found in the work she does in KCBY, where she works tirelessly to bring stories to the students of CHS. “When she did a convergence piece on the Coppell Community Gardens, it was something outside of CHS,” Kennedy said. “But she had all of the elements of good story-telling, she had lots of b-roll, and she went back as many times as it took to get what she needed, even if she happened to be standing there in 20 degree weather.” Her KCBY classmates will certainly miss her after she is gone. “[I enjoyed] her enthusiasm,” junior KCBY member Caitlyn Monse said. “And her willingness
to get the job done, as well as give really good quality segments and make sure [the story] is really news worthy.” As she looks toward prospective jobs, Seneh hopes that her career in broadcast journalism will blossom into a career making films behind the scenes. “[My dream is to] make hit movies, hopefully,” Seneh said. “Or, I want to be in flash media as a double major. I want to work for Universal, because they make a lot of really good movies.” But even as she looks to the future, there are always the memories of high school and KCBY for her to look back on. “I will definitely miss my teacher, Mrs. Kennedy, she is awesome,” Seneh said. “As for high school in general, I will miss having more time [to complete work]. I will also miss my friends and all of my classes.”
Gutierrez sets lens on professional journalism career Laura Kattilakoski Staff Writer
High school has plenty of media classes to prepare students to take on their future careers. When looking back on her years at Coppell High School, senior Tina Gutierrez has many fond memories of her time on the Round-Up yearbook staff. This year, Gutierrez is the academics section editor for the yearbook. Next year, she plans to attend the University of Southern California to continue her education in the journalism field. “I’m purusing journalism in college,” Gutierrez said. “I’m going to be a broadcast major and take communications, too. [Yearbook has] definitely prepared me for it because it’s a job setting; we work towards a goal, we have responsibilities, it costs money, so it [has] definitely prepared me for the work setting.” Gutierrez has al-
ways enjoyed writing and like meeting deadlines found her interest in jour- and working with peers nalism upon joining the as a team toward an end middle school yearbook goal. It helps them to see a staff. When she arrived at bigger picture for projects high school, she took both than just what a grade is or journalism and photojour- things like that,” Roundnalism her freshman year Up adviser Rachel Peland joined yearbook her legrino said. sophomore year. As well as all of the “ [ J o u r n a l i s m hard work that goes into and photojournalism] just made me “I’ve always wanted to be want to be part of [the in yearbook since I was on yearbook staff ] even the middle school yearmore because it sparked book in 8th grade.” my interest,” Gutierrez said. “I’ve always wanted to be in year-Yearbook senior Tina Gutierrez book since I was on the middle school yearbook in the yearbook, there eighth grade. I just really are also many fun, laid love writing and I wanted back times for the staff. to get better at taking pho“My favorite memtos, so I thought this would ories are probably our be a good way to combine field trips. Last year on the two.” spring break, we went to ������������������ While yearbook in- New York and that was volves a lot of hard work so much fun. We got to and long hours, the end the see the NBC studio, we product is something that saw where SNL is filmed lasts forever, and there are and the Rockefeller Cenplenty of beneficial experi- ter,” Gutierrez said. “Just ences along the way. spending time with the “It gives [students] yearbook people [is fun], the employability skills they’re just such a good
group of people and they share the same interest as [me]. Any time I got to spend time with them are my favorite memories.” ���������������������� Gutierrez’s duties involve editing all of the pages in her section and making sure the final product is something worth buying. “Tina is my editor,” senior staff writer Shannon Miller said. “She works really hard to catch all of our mistakes and make sure everything is worded in the best way possible and [that] our pages look the best they can for the yearbook. She has definitely helped me a lot and I really appreciate that.” As Gutierrez leaves high school, her career in journalism is far from over. “In 10 years, after any graduate school I might have to do, I see myself working for a news network: writing or producing, not necessarily the anchor part, but just in journalism for sure,” Gutierrez said.
Photo by Jodie Woodward Senior yearbook editor Tina Gutierrez plans to pursue journalism when she heads off to college this fall.
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Sidekick Seniors The
Newspaper seniors reflect upon years on staff Mary Whitfill Features Editor
As the newspaper wraps up another year of deadlines, ink and breaking news, seniors of The Sidekick look tentatively ahead at what promises to be a bright future. Be it home-state moves or cross country hauls, graduating newspaper staff members are optimistic about the mysteries tomorrow will bring. The Sidekick focuses on helping students acquire the basic skills of journalism and reporting, but also help to instill lessons that will stick with students for the rest of their lives. The ideas of ethics, morals, open communication, curiosity and honesty are all ones that can be applied to multiple facets of everyday life. “My three years on staff have taught me a lot about meeting deadlines
and the importance of communication,” senior news editor Divya Kumar said. “Also, my last two years as an editor have helped me as far as working with others and helping them to improve.” Along with Kumar, Editor-in-Chief Ashleigh Heaton has also spent all four years of her high school experience in room D115. Having both taken journalism their freshman year, Kumar and Heaton have been thrust headfirst into the fast moving journalism field. “We have made so many changes since my first year on staff,” Kumar said. “We are no longer catering to print, we are consistently putting news on the website [www.coppellstudentmedia.com], we have partnered with KCBY and so much more.” As Editor-in-Chief, Heaton has been involved in virtually every webpage, story, photo, print issue
and twitter update done by will be The Sidekick’s numThe Sidekick. She started ber one fan,” Heaton said. her sophomore year as a “I’m leaving CHS, but I’m staff writer, moved into the not leaving the paper. I will entertainment editor slot have a subscription, and her junior year and finally I will check up on the webclamped the EIC title this site. I’m excited to see what year. a new generation will be “I think being Edable to bring to the table.” itor-In-Chief has taught As the rest of the me senior a lot students “Apply [to join The Sideabout prepare to kick]; even if you don’t comtake these think it’s for you, you don’t skills to munication want to have any regrets.” various and corners working -Sidekick senior, Ashleigh Heaton of the nawith tion, they others,” Heaton reminisce about said. “Be- ing on staff has the time they’ve spent forced me to grow up, and on the newspaper. While that is something I think they participate in end of will be really helpful as I the year festivities, such move into a professional as banquets, graduation field of study.” preparation and final high Heaton will be startschool testing, certain ing school at Emerson seniors of The Sidekick are College in the fall, majorplanning to continue in ing in Writing, Literature their journalism education. and Publishing, with an “I really enjoyed emphasis in publishing. getting to work with “Even from Boston I athletes and prominent
figures in our school, and that is something I want to continue in college,” senior sports editor Peter Sblendorio said. “The [University of Texas] communications program will be a great thing for me to participate in.” In addition to Sblendorio, photo editor Aditi Shrikant, entertainment editor Rebecca Neumann and staff writers Beth Anne Carroll and Adam Bremner will also be studying aspects of the journalism field at their respective colleges. “[University of Missouri] has a very hands on approach to teaching journalism, which is the type of environment I really want to be in,” Shrikant said. “I can’t wait.” The select seniors who were chosen to serve as editors this year have gone above and beyond the call of duty – doing everything necessary to make sure the paper was the best it could be. And all
their hard work was well recognized, as both The Sidekick’s print publication and coppellstudentmedia. com won multiple local and state awards. “Considering a majority of our staff are first time staffers, I am really proud of the strides we’ve made, by coming together as a cooperative team to make a cohesive publication,” Shrikant said. For incomimg students considering dabbling in the field of journalism, Heaton leaves them with a few final pieces of advice: “Apply [to join The Sidekick]; even if you don’t think it’s for you, you don’t want to have any regrets. You get back what you put into your time on the paper,” Heaton said. “If you go in expecting to breeze through and just go through the motions, you won’t benefit as much as those who really commit. It can be stressful, but it really is some of the best of times.”
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May 2011
Reem Moussa After a stint on the Egyptian National Team, the senior basketball player travels to Houston to play for Rice University
Photos by Aditi Shrikant
Corrina Taylor Staff Writer
Not many people get the opportunity to visit Egypt, but senior basketball player Reem Moussa hails from the far-off land. When Moussa was a sophomore, she moved from Egypt to Coppell when her father decided he no longer wanted to live there.
Having practiced gymnastics for most of her life, Moussa felt she had progressed as far as she could in the sport, and decided to take on a new challenge. She discovered her new calling shortly before arriving at Coppell. Her father was a coach for a select basketball team in Egypt, and after observing a few of her father’s games, Moussa decided to give it a shot.
“My dad would help coach me with the basics and I started watching his games,” Moussa said. Coppell was seven weeks into its normal school year when Moussa arrived from Egypt, and as a new student from a different country, Moussa was placed in ESL (a course offered to students with English as a second language). However, Moussa would not let her disadvantage keep her from succeeding elsewhere. Soon, Moussa discovered her love and talent for basketball. When she went to basketball tryouts, she did not quite know what to expect, and when she walked into the gym, she was greeted by skeptical glances from the other girls. “I was worried that I wouldn’t make the team; everyone was looking at me probably thinking that an Egyptian girl can’t play
basketball,” Moussa said. All of her skeptics were astounded when she began to play, and their critical thoughts quickly turned to praise. Not only did Moussa make the JV team her sophomore year, she also proved her talent to the rest of the girls. In addition to the Coppell basketball team realizing her talent, the Egyptian National Team also recognized her skills and began recruiting her for the girls under-16 team. Moussa soon found herself back in Egypt, trying out for the National Team, astonishing coaches and players with her first year skills. “Reem developed both her offensive and defensive skills very nicely, playing on the international team has also helped her all around basketball skill,” Cowgirls coach Jerry Hoffman said. After making the National Team, Moussa con-
tinued to play for Coppell and made it onto the varsity team her last two years of high school. Her talent continued to grow and her coaches and father began to send highlights of her games to colleges. Soon, colleges began contacting Moussa, eager to have her. Eventually, Rice University e-mailed Moussa and invited her to visit. “I was shocked by how big the college was, and I found out that Rice University is one of the top schools in Texas,” Moussa said. After applying to Rice University, she was not only accepted, but also offered a full ride athletic scholarship. “Rice will be a perfect fit for her, it will challenge her both academically as well as athletically, and she has the tools to be successful,” Hoffman said. Moussa dreams of one
day playing in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). Even if her dreams of the WNBA do not come true, Moussa will continue to coach younger kids in basketball and help them achieve their goals as well. Through the course of her high school career, her parents had the biggest impact on Moussa, her father coaching and nurturing her basketball talent, and her mother the supportive rock of the family. No matter how sad it will be for Moussa to part with Coppell, she has high hopes for her future and will continue with a positive attitude. “I’ve had a good experience here and I don’t think I would have had a better experience anywhere else,” Moussa said. “Goodbye Coppell. Be proud.”
3 KEYS TO VICTORY
withCoachMcKinney
“Movement is imperative. When players become Box Out stagnant on the court, “Limiting teams to one turnovers increase on of- shot per possesion is fense and defense breaks key to controlling and down, giving easy shots setting the tone of a to the opponent.”
Movement
game.”
“It is important to always know where your teammates are on the court and to always work as a team.”
Communication
senior sports
May 2011
page 17
Lineman storms way in to Iowa State Cyclone football Adam Bremner Staff Writer
Senior offensive lineman Oni Omoile is one of the friendliest and most caring students in all of Coppell High School. But when he straps on the pads, he morphs into a competitive monster. Next year, Omoile is heading up north, taking his skills to Ames, Iowa to compete with the Iowa State Cyclones. The Cyclones are a part of the newly downsized Big 12 conference (which reduced its number of teams to 10), and Omoile expressed utter enthusiasm to contend against some of his best friends in the Dallas area. “I’m really excited [to be in the Big 12] because I have friends who are in the conference, and it is exciting that I will be seeing them over the next four years,” Omoile said. This season, his second on varsity, Omoile was instrumental on an offensive line that blocked for the district’s MVP, Cam McDaniel. The Notre Dame signee’s 1908 yards were not just due to McDaniel’s determined running, but in large part because of the big bodies up front. “The offensive line was a key part to our suc-
Photo by Aditi Shrikant The Coppell Cowboys football team busts through the banner at the start of a regular season home game with Oni Omoile, number 79, leading the group.
able to make strides as a football player. “Oni is young, one of the youngest on the team as a senior, but he has matured and gotten better,” the District 7-5A coach of the year said. “But most of all, he gained confidence with himself. With Omoile’s 6-3, 235 pound frame and even more intimidating wingspan, his recruitment began early his junior year, but Omoile made it a point to
stay patient in the process. “I started realizing that college football would be a reality in spring football last year,” Omoile said. “Coach [McBride] kept saying that scouts were looking at me, but I did not want to make a decision too quick.” With potential offers from UT-El Paso, Memphis, Houston and Colorado State, Omoile played through his spectacular junior year, focusing merely
on football and improving his strength. Then, about half way through the 2010 season, Omoile was approached by Iowa State. Ironically, Iowa State’s intentions were to recruit Coppell’s top prospect, McDaniel, as they sent running backs coach Kenith Pope out to Buddy Echols Field during the Cowboys’ showdown with Southlake Carroll. “Coach Pope was looking at Cam, but af-
the senior will have to make the transition to being a one-sport athlete, as he will be attending the University of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB) to play golf for the Gauchos. Robinson, who led Coppell golfers in scoring average during both the fall and spring seasons in 2010-11, was drawn to the university for a number of reasons. His father lives near the campus, and because of this he was able to participate in several rounds of golf with a nearby community college’s team in order to garner the interest of the UCSB coaching staff. In addition, Robinson decided to take part in the fall golf season at Coppell for the first time, and he started talking with UCSB soon after. “[Contact] started after the fall of this school year,” Robinson said. “I decided to do golf only in the fall this year and it sort of delayed basketball so I could be noticed by colleges.” This decision turned out to be a Graphic by Arden Radford wise one for Robin-
son, as he was able to secure a spot on the Santa Barbara golf roster. Robinson believes UCSB is a tremendous fit for him due to the school’s location and solid golfing program. “[The school is] right out on the ocean, I have lots of family there, and my dad lives two hours away,” Robinson said. “The coach seems really smart and he gets his players onto the Nationwide Tour, which is one step below the PGA Tour.” Golf has always been Robinson’s preferred sport. At age three, his father introduced him to the sport, and by 5th grade, Robinson was competing in summer golf tours such as the North Texas Junior PGA and the Texas Legends tour. Robinson took his golfing career to the next level, when he joined the varsity Coppell roster as a freshman. He has since been one of the Cowboys’ most consistent performers, and he helped lead Coppell to a 3rd place finish in the 2011 district tournament. The senior’s humble demeanor and success on the course have made him a leader on the golf team, and his teammates are excited about his opportunity to play at Santa Barbara. “He’s been on varsity all four years, and he has
always been a leader by example,” senior golfer Troy Hansen said. “He works really hard and we are all really proud. Everyone knows that he deserves [this].” Although golf is the sport that Robinson will continue to play at the collegiate level, it is hardly the only one that he excelled in during high school. He played three years of varsity basketball and was a starter during his junior and senior seasons. Robinson was second on the team in scoring at 10.6 points per game this season and averaged 7.7 points one year earlier. Robinson has also been a standout in long jump for the Coppell varsity track team during the last two years. In 2010, he won the district title in the event and finished 9th in regionals. This season, he came in second place in the district tournament and tied for 5th at the 2011 regional tournament. It will certainly be a change of pace for Robinson to focus on just one sport, and he is eager to see how devoting all his focus will improve his game. “I think that it will be cool to specialize in one sport,” Robinson said. “I used high school to do lots of sports. When I specialize [next year], we’ll see how far it’ll take me.”
cess this season,” senior quarterback Joe Minden said. “They were the reason our offense was able to put up the numbers we were able to. Oni Omoile was one of the leaders this year and displayed a lot of talent.” Coppell coach Joe McBride, in his two years with Coppell football, took note of Omoile’s improvement. From a raw, athletic talent to a full-fledged offensive power, Omoile was
ter the Southlake game, he looked at film of me,” Omoile said. “Right then I got excited that they might take a close look at me.” Soon after, the Cyclones head coach Paul Rhoads told the Cowboy coaching staff they were interested and visited the following game against Keller. Since Iowa State was the most impressive offer he was given, he jumped on the opportunity and traveled to Ames to explore the campus. “Once I visited, I loved it,” Omoile said. “But I tried not to rush the decision.” Nonetheless, Omoile made it two weeks later. It never became official until many weeks later, however. But after Coach Rhoads made frequent stops to Omoile’s house, and right before signing day, Omoile was confident with his choice. Being a part of the best team in Coppell history opened doors for Omoile, and he took advantage of it. Now he is moving on to a whole new level of competition and McBride assures that Omoile’s progressions will continue. “His talent and athleticism are very impressive,” McBride said. “That said, he has a lot to learn in college, and I have no doubt he will be successful.”
Robinson in the green on fast track to UCSB golf team Peter Sblendorio Sports Editor
Over the last four years, senior Hunter Robinson has been perhaps Coppell High School’s most impressive student athlete. During his high school career, Robinson
has played three sports (golf, basketball and track) at the varsity level, and he has consistently been among the most successful performers in each. His aptitude for athletics has been noticed by his peers, as Robinson was voted “most athletic” by the class of 2011 three times. Next year, however,
page 18
senior section
May 2011
“Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.” -Dr. Seuss
Congratulations, Class of 2011!
entertainment
May 2011 Movie review
page 19
Thor kicks off summer superhero blockbusters Thomas Hair Staff Writer
Thor, the highly anticipated film adaptation of the Marvel comic series, by the same name has been widely heralded as the first summer blockbuster of the year and has set the bar quite high for upcoming summer flicks. The Norse God thundered his way into theaters worldwide on May 6, amassing over $66 million and universally positive reviews in its opening weekend. Due to the excellent reception and a phenomenal trailer, I decided I had to see what director Kenneth Branagh’s rendition of Thor had to offer. Fantasy and science fiction are two of my favorite genres and Thor blends them both, so my expectations were quite high. Although I thoroughly enjoyed the film, it did not quite live up to the lofty expectations set by the initial reviews. Since its opening day, Thor has fallen to a respectable 78 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, a much more fitting zone for this
mythological tale. For those who have not seen the movie, the story revolves around Thor, the mighty warrior and King to-be of the immortal realm of Asgard. When Thor’s pride and recklessness triggers an ancient war, Thor’s father King Odin strips Thor of his hammer and exiles him to Earth, where he must learn a lesson of humility before regaining his powers. While on Earth, the God of Thunder instantly falls for Jane Foster, a human girl on the verge of a scientific breakthrough. Thor then evolves from a meat-headed brute to a wise, gentlemanly fellow seemingly overnight and prepares to defend Earth and his new girlfriend from an evil force led by his mischievous brother Loki. One of the few qualms I had with Thor that hindered it from reaching its full potential was the occasionally underdeveloped storyline and lack of a true villain. By far the roughest segment of the storyline was Thor’s so-called evolution during his brief stay on
Earth. It was bewildering to see Thor cackling like a madman and mercilessly slaying dozens of Frost Giants one day, then waking up as a selfless gentleman the next day. Yes, the most bloodthirsty warrior in Asgard evolved into a pacifist over night, literally. Most of the audience will not be bothered by this in the slightest, however, and if you play along, Thor has a lot to offer. The towering golden spires of Asgard piercing the star-studded sky and the crisp CGI animation of the abominable Frost Giants were just two of the many aspects of the movie featuring amazing special effects. Throughout Thor, the terrifying monsters and the landscape of alien worlds are captivating and take the audience’s collective breath away. Equally impressive were the actors who brought Thor to life. Chris Hemsworth beat out his own brother to get the part of Thor, and I’m glad he did. Hemsworth was convincing as the Norse God of Thunder and was able to
New reboot is a “Scream” Erin Blatney Staff Writer
The Ghostface killer is back with a vengeance in Wes Craven’s newest installment to the Scream franchise, Scream 4. With tons of edge-of-your-seat scenes and blood galore, it is the perfect slasher film for today’s generation. No time is wasted when it comes to gore, as barely 10 minutes in, two girls are killed and Sidney (Neve Campbell) seems to be the target again when a cell phone, covers from her new book and a bloody knife show up in the trunk of her car. The news of the murders spread quickly and Sidney’s cousin, Jill (Emma Roberts), reveals that she received a threatening call from Ghostface. Sheriff Dewey Riley (David Arquette) quickly takes over the investigation as his wife, Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox), tries to use the murders as a way to shoot her back to fame. As usual in the Scream movies, the police have trouble catching the elusive Ghostface and the result is the death of eight characters before the killer is revealed in an unexpected plot twist. While the movie does not lack blood and guts, it does lack plot. Scream 4 is basically the same as the first three movies; Sidney shows up, people die, killer seeks some sort of vengeance against her and Sidney comes out victorious.
Photo courtesy Phil Bray/Dimension Films/MCT Neve Campbell stars in Wes Craven’s Scream 4.
Arquette, Cox and Campbell are all returning actors, but most of the cast is people we have not seen in the franchise before. With the abundance of big-name actors, such as Hayden Panettiere, Adam Brody, Kristen Bell and Anna Paquin, it feels like the creators are trying to make up for the recycled plot by throwing in all these new faces. Some individual performances outshine the rest, however. Campbell is able to easily pick up the part of the troubled and tough Sidney and it is almost scary how well Roberts played the role of victimized teen. Scream 4 is not as good as the original, but it is not a bad movie. I was definitely nervous throughout it and desperately trying to figure out who the killer was, just
like the movie characters. There were parts where I nearly jumped out of my seat, parts where I laughed and parts where I could not believe the stupidity of the victims. It is pretty much your typical scary movie, but with a revamped killer. A sure sign of the “new” Ghostface is the fact that the deaths of the characters are recorded so they can be uploaded to the Internet. In a time when the Internet and webcams play a huge part in teens’ lives, this Ghostface is certainly the Ghostface of our generation. If you are into scary movies and are not necessarily looking for an awardwinning plot, Scream 4 is perfect for you. Just make sure you do not mind blood and the occasional corny line from the cast.
Photo courtesy Marvel Studios/MCT Chris Hemsworth stars as Thor and Natalie Portman as Jane Foster in Thor, from Paramount Pictures and Marvel Entertainment.
pull off both intense action sequences and comic lines with ease. As expected, Thor was full of testosterone-filed action sequences, but through Hemsworth, Branagh was also able to pack in several laughs along the way. Thor’s disorientation during his first day on Earth was especially comical, as he walked into pet stores demanding a battle horse and failed to
understand the concept of a tazer. Another pleasant surprise was the connections with the Avengers franchise. The S.H.I.E.L.D. officers made an appearance in Thor, protecting the mighty hammer until Thor was worth of regaining his powers. These are just a few of many connections Marvel has made between their movies in preparation for
The Avengers, which will combine multiple superheroes in one film in 2012. Although Thor has its imperfections, it is enjoyable for fanboys of the comic series and casual viewers alike. This mythological thriller is a worthy addition to Marvel’s collection of superhero films and has initiated the 2011 summer blockbuster season with an impressive bang.
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May 2011
Music review
Helpless Blues showcases group’s unique sound For folk enthusiasts, Fleet Foxes are any thing but helpless Mike Pankonien Staff Writer
Before you read any further, we need to come to an understanding. Soft folk is not my preferred genre; this album, Helplessness Blues by Fleet Foxes, for me is not a “put this on!” kind of album. Its songs are period pieces in the grand scheme of music: songs fetching back to an earlier musical time when folk was King and Bob Dylan was its champion. This does not make it a bad album necessarily; on the contrary, Fleet Foxes does what they do very well. They find a good formula of soft tempos and period melodies that form the backbone of the album. And lyrically, the songs are sweet and charming: “Ruffle the fur of the collie ‘neath the table/ Ran out the door through the dark/ Carved out his initials in the bark”. The album is filled with rustic lines that
feel packed with nostalgia. At first glance, you might think the album’s songs are divided into two rhythms: loud and soft. But Fleet Foxes does a commendable job of combining both of these rhythms into several of their songs, both openly and subtly. For instance, “The Plains/Bitter Dancer” begins slow, picking up the pace with a steadily increasing beat, growing vocally more and more chaotic; the song then crashes, continuing on with Fleet Foxes’ signature style of a slow tempo and rustic melody. Finally, at the end, the bass drum picks back up, leading the song to a fade-out conclusion. The faster songs on the album, with their rushing tempos, booming percussion and open sounds, (“Bedouin Dress”, “Sim Sala Bim” and “Grown Ocean”, to name a few) are easily the best of the bunch. They combine an ambient percussion and clear and simple acoustic guitar with lead singer Robin Pecknold’s sweet vocals. In fact, my only issue with the faster songs is that there are not enough of them. To balance this, there are plenty
of quick tempos dispersed throughout the rest of the album and most songs feature a quick double-time guitar sounding off in the background (backing up Fleet Foxes’ reputation as the masters of ambiance). There are a few songs retaining a purely dirge tempo: both “Blue Spotted Tail” and “The Shrine/ An Argument” feature quiet vocals and soft, empty sounds that place the spotlight on the vocals. While this is not a bad thing (and they are good songs, if you like that kind of thing), “Blue Spotted Tail” in particular is boring. “The Shrine/An Argument” is different. Not only does it feature one of the few instances of any real force in Pecknold’s voice, but it also features a foray into a brief, sporadic free form jazz bit by the band. This force and action lasts for only a few seconds, but it is something I would definitely like to hear more of. So in the end, how can you rate this album? It is not an album I would personally purchase (oops, I already did) because I would only ever listen to it a couple of times, but the
Photo by Mike Pankonien The Fleet Foxes’ unique style, varied tempos and rustic melody make them unique among the modern music pool.
album itself contains certain majesty in its style and purpose that it would be a shame not to recognize. Helplessness Blues is great
album, a melodic masterpiece carefully crafted together from many different pieces and styles. While I would not immediately
suggest you buy this album, you definitely should listen through it at least once, if only to broaden your musical palette.
Crack open a C.L.A.M. for students, staff art Julia Kim Staff Writer
The Coppell Literary Arts Magazine – more commonly known as the C.L.A.M. – is for $12. in C231 Written and made by students and staff, the publication is a compilation of prose, poetry, art and photography. “I like the fact that it is student ran and student made,” C.L.A.M. staff senior Daniel Logan said. “All of the works are from students and the whole book is put together (with some help from teachers, of course) by students.” This year marks Volume seven of the C.L.A.M., assembled by English and Creative Writing teacher Matthew Bowden and six students, Logan, seniors Sebastian Herrera and Nick Martinez, juniors Mary Whitfill and Trevor Lopez and sophomore Aimee Hyndman, who make up Bowden’s Creative Writing II class. “The class has allowed me to broaden my imaginative horizons as it has incorporated projects that have allowed us to utilize and develop skills beyond those learned in Creative Writing I,” Martinez said. “Preparing the C.L.A.M.
was a long, artistically from art teacher Tamera grueling process. Every Creighton, who submitmember of the class had a ted poetry written by her certain job in developing students and artwork from the book, with everyone English teacher Susan contributing to specific de- Westervelt, who scanned partments.” and sent art created by her Bowden picked up students. It also accepted the project seven years ago creative works from New when it Tech this was foryear. “I like the fact that it is merly “We known ordered student ran and student as The the secmade. ” Chrysations lis. Bebased -CHS senior, Daniel Logan fore on the that, the stages of same publife: birth, lication was titled adolescence, matuDigambara when it was rity, adulthood and death,” first released. Hyndman said. “It’s a “We [the students neat theme, and I think it and I] came up with a fresh worked well with the selecnew name,” Bowden said. tions we received.” “We have really taken and The publication run with it because we now aligns similar works to fit have capabilities that they on the pages. didn’t have.” “If we had a poem Student and teacher about nature, we had a submissions were accepted work of art or photo of a prior to the deadline in similar concept,” C.L.A.M early February, and from Chief Editor Whitfill said. then on, the staff diligently “There are similar color worked to select pieces, de- themes on the pages, and sign and edit pages and sell the page spreads were deads. The works of over 50 signed so they matched.” students are presented in Although many this year’s issue. members on staff are proud The teachers were of their final work, the stuhelpful in broadening the dents found the most pleanumber of entries. The sure in collaborating to asC.L.A.M. received works semble it.
Photo by Lexus DeLoach The Coppell Literary Arts Magazine, known as the C.L.A.M., was published this month. The magazine holds Coppell student and teacher submissions, everything from artwork to poetry.
“Working with everyone on it was the best part,” C.L.A.M co-Editorin-Chief Herrera said. “It was enjoyable because Mr. Bowden created a mood that wasn’t stressful at all but actually really fun. I
personally enjoyed laying out the different pages and seeing the end result.” The product is affiliated with Amazon – a new change – and will be available for purchase on the online retailer.
“It was interesting to see all the submissions and the outlet of people that we were reaching. It is a great Coppell tradition, and I hope to get to do another one next year,” Whitfill said.
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Graphic by Brian Hwu
Portal 2 redefines puzzle game experience Chase Porter Staff Writer
Portal 2 has opened my eyes. For years, first person shooters have dominated the gaming world and now, finally, there is a game that is still fun without shooting up virtual bad guys. The game features challenging maps and puzzles to navigate through, while integrating the plot line that continues from the original Portal. Portal 2 is fun, visually appealing and well crafted. It rarely has a slip within the game play and plot. The attention to detail is extraordinary and you will have a blast playing this game for hours. “Personally, I don’t think the game would be as fun if you haven’t played the first game, but you can still have a lot of fun playing through the puzzles and jumping through portals without knowing what’s going on,” junior Keannon Wester said. In this sequel, you play as the test subject Chell, who is trapped in the Aperture Science facility following the events of the first game. You will soon meet Wheatley, who wakes you up to a deserted version of the laboratories. Throughout the game the player will be trying to find a way out of the Aperture labs and defeat the
evil GLaDOS. To do this, you will first find a portal gun, an entry and exit portal that will allow the player to travel throughout Aperture. This portal gun lets the player complete the puzzles to proceed through new and more challenging puzzles. “Just playing the game and making your own path with the portal gun is a great time,” junior Ash Patel said. “The portal gun makes you feel like you have so much power because you can go anywhere.” Completing these puzzles may seem hard to some players who have played puzzle games in the past, but the game has a great balance of difficulty and fun. Valve, the game developer, does a great job of presenting the clues to help you figure out the puzzle without making it too obvious. Some puzzles are simple, but others stress the mind until you have used every possible idea you can think up. Even though the single player mode is a blast to navigate through, the co-operative mode is something you just can’t pass by. Grab a partner, because the puzzles in co-op mode happen after the events of the single player game, and all of the puzzles are completely different from the single player mode. The co-operative game play makes you think
Graphic courtesy MCT/Campus Portal 2 is the quintessential “bigger and better” sequel that focuses and expands on the original’s strengths while raising the quality bar higher, but without breaking much new ground.
in a completely new way from single player, because you and your teammate both have a portal gun. This means puzzles actually become more complex ,because now you can shoot more portals. The co-op mode also has the same attention to detail as the single player, so you will still be entranced by the game play. “My friends and I play
the co-operative puzzles just for fun, but you can’t go anywhere if you and the person you’re playing with doesn’t communicate and talk because you will end up getting stuck,” freshman Johnathan Ferry said. The graphics of this game are astounding and the attention to detail is incredible. From the way that the portal gun shoots to the movement of ob-
jects throughout the Aperture are extraordinary; you might just be entertained watching someone else play this game. The graphics aren’t especially realistic, but this game has style like none other I have played in a while. Also, the dialogue of the characters is fantastic. All of the characters are witty and funny and make for a very joy-filled
play through. The mixing of this dialogue and the sound track make for an intense and fun filled game that you will play for hours, whether it is with a partner or by yourself. Portal 2 was released on April 19 and is available everywhere. I recommend this game for anyone who enjoys a good challenge. without the repetition of a modern shooter game.
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May 2011
Lacrosse tops Jesuit in D-I final, wins third straight title continued from pg. 1 The Cowboys maintained a dominating attack force throughout the first half and were able to slow down the Jesuit offense, and they entered halftime ahead 8-4 and with the momentum clearly on their side. “We just had to focus on playing our best game. When we play as a team and stay out of the penalty box, that’s when we’re at our best,” Hruby said. Coppell faced Jesuit earlier in the year and lost 13-11. The loss allowed the team to switch its game plan in order to be ready for the finals, however, and this was evident in their title game victory. The team maintained its strategy throughout the game, limiting the Rangers’ scoring chances and holding them to five less goals than they did in the regular season. Offensively, Coppell used several different looks to throw off the Jesuit defense and keep them guessing. In doing this, Coppell was able to utilize the skill sets its most versatile athletes to out maneuver, outplay and eventually out score the Rangers. Prior to advancing to the finals, Coppell faced
Photo courtesy Sandi Busch The Cowboys’ 10-8 win over Jesuit on May 8 in the Division I title game gave Coppell its third state championship in as many seasons.
Highland Park, Houston Westwood, The Woodlands and No. 1 seed St. Mark’s. These were all crucial games that prepared the team well for their difficult final. “The game against St. Mark’s especially helped prepare us because it gave us the confidence we would come to need with Jesuit,” senior midfielder and faceoff specialist Alec Lucas said. For the past three years, Highland Park had
been the dominating force in Division I Lacrosse, with the runner up consistently being St. Marks. Coppell defeated both teams on their way to join Dallas Jesuit in the state championship final. “Beating the number one ranked team in Texas twice, both in close games, taught us how to overcome adversity and persevere,” Hruby said. “It also brought us together as a team more before going into the final
game. It prepared us for the speed of a game of that caliber and showed us how well we needed to play to win.” Prior to moving up to Division I before this season, the Cowboys had simply dominated the Division II league, winning state championships in each of the last two years. The boys were confident their success would continue as they switched to Division I for the 2011 season, and were
able to prove it with their convincing victory over the Rangers. The move to Division I did not come easy. The team had to make a tough transition and adjust, as not every victory was going to be as easy to obtain as in years past. “Losing is something that, coming into this season, our team was not really accustomed to,” Hruby said. “We had a lot of success in Division II and hadn’t had
a loss in a while. The losses [this season] were wakeup calls really. They just helped us focus, turn up the practice intensity and get us ready for the harder games that were to come.” At one point in the season, the team had lost two district games, and with one more loss, would have been knocked out of postseason contention all together. “The team refocused by working harder and being more mentally prepared. This included changing some defense tactics and adding some new offense plays,” Lucas said. “We all just focused, believed we could win and just tried our hardest in practice.” These little tweeks in approach proved to make all the difference for the team. “This season was the season where everyone worked their hardest and did what they needed to do to get the job done. Everyone did what was asked of them and then some,” Lucas said. “It means a lot to have won three times in a row, especially this year because it was Division I title.”
What made 2010-11 a great year to be Sports Editor When I was named Sports Editor of The Sidekick for the 2010-11 school year at the end of my junior year, I considered the new role an opportunity as well as a challenge. I looked forward to being able to cover the wide range of sports that Coppell High School has to offer and the chance to develop relationships with the school’s most prominent student athletes and coaches. At the same time, I knew that stepping into this bigger position would come with a greater expectation to churn out the most informative, accurate and objective stories possible. I am just thankful that the players made it so easy for me. The 2010-11 school year was a great year to be the newspaper’s Sports Editor. Success became contagious in the athletic department, as the majority of Coppell’s teams either won district titles or at least qualified for the postseason. Both individual players as well as the teams they play for set CHS records, and some of the best athletes in our school’s history took advantage of the spotlight with breakout seasons. And there were always stories to write. I was fortunate enough to cover every game of the Coppell Cowboy’s historical football season, in which they won each of their ten regular season games for the first perfect
Photo by Lexus DeLoach Photo by Brian Hwu The Cowboys football and basketball teams were two of the three Coppell teams to win a district championship in 2010-11 in what was their first season in District 7-5A
season and outright district title in school history. I was on the sidelines of the field for the Cowboys nail-biting October 1 win over district-favorite Denton Guyer, a game in which senior linebacker Brandon Mullins scored a pair of touchdowns in the final minutes to ice the 3114 victory. Two weeks later, I was in the same position to take in Coppell’s 35-17 statement win over the rival Southlake Carroll Dragons on October 15. I had the privilege to report for the team
throughout their memorable run in the 2010 playoffs. From the opening round victory at Buddy Echols Field to the blowout at Cowboys Stadium, the road trip to Midland to the heartbreak in Southlake at the hands of Euless Trinity, I was on hand for every minute, and I lived and died with every play. The inspirational football season was far from the only thing that made 2010-11 great, though. This year, I was able to cover Coppell’s switch to District 7-5A, which
turned out to be a division the Cowboys and Cowgirls would dominate. My tenure as Sports Editor coincided with the district championships of the Cowboys basketball and Cowgirls soccer teams, as well as the unique stories that went with them. The 2010-11 season marked the first time in six years that the Cowboys had won their district, and the third time in as many years for the Cowgirls. I witnessed the impressive wins streaks of the Cowboys basketball
team, who won 13 consecutive games in January and February, and the baseball team, who won their final 10 games against District 7-5A opponents. I was given the opportunity to write feature length stories on collegebound athletes such as Cam McDaniel, Joe Minden and Hunter Robinson this year, and I learned more about them not just as players, but as individuals. One of the biggest rules of journalism is to keep your writing objective, and I have made it a point to leave my biases out of my stories. My passion for Coppell sports should not be undermined, however, and the school’s rise in athletic prowess across the board this year has made 2010-11 a tremendous year to be the Sports Editor of The Sidekick. Next year, I will bring my passion for sports with me to the University of Texas at Austin, where I look forward to continue making memories in watching my school’s teams compete for greatness. That said, my term as Sports Editor will forever hold a special place in my heart, and 2010-11 will be a year that I will never forget.
Top Six Moments 2010-11 CHS Sports 1. Football caps perfect season with outright district title in final game of 2010 2. Coppell Boys Lacrosse wins third straight state title with 10-8 win over Jesuit on May 8 3. Cowgirls soccer wins third district title in as many seasons 4. Brandon Mullins scores two TDs in 4th quarter to beat Guyer by 17 5. Cowgirls soccer scores 14 goals in blowout of Saginaw on 2/25 6. Boys Basketball beat Dragons 4543 in Southlake on Jan. 28
September May 2011 2010
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Photo by Brian Hwu
ACL tears becoming a common hindrance for CHS athletes Thomas Hair Staff Writer
Sports have always been a sacred aspect of America’s culture, and that is true to an even greater extent in this day and age. Almost every American is involved in some sort of sport during their youth, and by high school many teens are devoted to sports and put in countless arduous hours to improve. As a result, high school sports are extremely competitive and often become the primary focus of many American communities. As any Coppell High School student can attest, the arrival of football season invigorates the entire campus like nothing else as hundreds of students flock to Buddy Echols Field every Friday night. Practically everybody enjoys watching a good game, of any sport, but very seldom do we ever consider the fact that student athletes are putting their bodies at great risk every time they step on to the field. Unlike in professional sports, high school athletes’ bodies are still developing and are prone to certain injuries. Certain injuries could derail the fledgling career of an aspiring student athlete for an indefinite time. Sophomore cheerleader Madison Choudhry, who tore her ACL on April 21, is a testament to this. “I can’t cheer, at all. Anything that takes hard physical movement on my right leg, my body physically won’t let me do,” Choudhry said. “The pain was indescribable. It was a total shock to hear my ACL was basically gone.” Of all the injuries that plague high school athletes, there are very few as excruciating or as alarmingly prevalent as what Choudhry experienced, a tear of the anterior cruciate ligament. The anterior cruciate ligament, commonly referred to as the ACL, is responsible for connecting the thigh bone to the shin bone at the knee. Acting as the staple that holds two large bones together, the ACL bears an intense load of pres-
sure which leads to its vulnerability when placed in certain positions. Oftentimes, the ACL is particularly strained among highschool athletes since the bones may be constantly growing. Moreover, ACL tears are just as regular in non-contact sports, such as soccer, as they are in contact sports, such as football. Due to those reasons, ACL tears are becoming upsettingly commonplace, even here at Coppell High School. Just this year alone, numerous CHS athletes have been sidelined because of ACL tears. No one is more aware of this than freshman soccer player Holly Swaldi, who tore her ACL last summer and suffered through re-tears this year. “I know exactly how to tear my ACL, it is basically a twist of the knee with a plant,” Swaldi said. “I think ACL tears are so common in high school athletes, especially girls, because this year alone I have grown 5 inches and my body is developing.” Although it is all too easy to tear the ACL, surgery and recovery is a long and grueling process. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the average recovery time after surgery for an ACL tear is 6 months. The athlete must relearn how to bend their knee and function properly as well as allow for several months of healing before the knee is ready to withstand the same level of activity as before. Due to the agonizingly lengthy recovery process of ACL tears, which includes laborious physical therapy, many athletes such as CHS wrestler Nicholas Lamb are forced to miss an entire season – or more. “The next week [after the injury] I had arthroscopic surgery, which is where they use little rods with pincers” Lamb said. “The physical therapy was the worst part of the whole injury; the therapist would rub my scar tissue to make it go down. I missed the whole season.” Due to the increasing severity and frequency of ACL tears, numerous studies have been conduct-
ed regarding it. Although plenty of male athletes such as Lamb tear their ACLs, the American Academy of Pediatrics has reported that on average, females are four to eight times more likely to suffer an ACL tear. This astounding data has baffled orthopedic doctors, but may provide further insight as to how ACL tears can be prevented. “This is being researched but is not yet defined,” said M.D. Mary Brown. “Theories range from the differences in females and males in regards to center of gravity, mechanics and even concerns that female hormones play a role.” Regardless of gender, an ACL tear will have profound effects not only on physical well-being but also on mental well-being. An ACL tear changes how one goes about their daily life and can be quite frustrating for energetic high school athletes. “I have never been so depressed,” Choudhry said. “I know a lot of other cheerleaders that also went through the same thing. You see people just walking normal and you’re jealous you can’t do that, let alone cheer, that’s what kills me.” Though ACL tears have caused their fair share of pain and frustration, many students find the sil-
Photo courtesy Sarah Levin Junior Sarah Levin had surgery on her knee (above) after tearing her ACL playing lacrosse.
ver lining of the situation and learn valuable lessons from their injury. Many athletes such as junior lacrosse player Sarah Levin have endured the worst an ACL tear has to offer but
have emerged from the trauma with bolstered passion and confidence. “I tore my ACL completely, tore my MCL completely, partially tore my meniscus and had deep
bone bruises,” Levin said. “I was out for a total of 10 months, and it made me realize how much I love playing lacrosse and I think it made me stronger as a person.”
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the sidekick
, u o y o t f f o s Hat ! s r o i n e s k c i k e d i S
SeptemberMay 2010 2011