Volume 32 Issue 5

Cracking open Coppell’s experience with mental health

VOLUME 32 • ISSUE 5

C O P P E L L H I G H S C H O O L 1 8 5 W. PA R K W AY B LV D . C O P P E L L , T X 7 5 0 1 9

COPPELLSTUDENTMEDIA.COM

APRIL 2021

Story by Anjali Krishna Photo by Lilly Gorman

W H AT ’ S I N S I D E

PRO/CON: NIGHTLY NEWS

PG. 7

O P I N I O N S News editor Shivi Sharma and daily news editor Avani Kashyap debate the use of late night talk shows as regular news outlets.

PRESERVING A DREAM PG. 17 E N T E R T A I N M E N T Coppell senior Drama Club historian M.J. Green explores creativity through history and performing.

APRIL 2021

Fronts of Coppell

Letter from the Editor On Feb. 14, I laid on my back in the snow in my front yard, stared up at the sky and watched the flakes fall.

The snow’s rarity in the area meant I had forgotten just how silent it falls. Apart from the wind, which I was fortunate enough to avoid at the time I went out, there was no sound.

It was quiet, and I could think. My thoughts inevitably trailed to Sidekick.

Four days prior, I had signed up for my last assignment to cover a Coppell High School sporting event. It will be sometime in April, writing about a baseball game.

The prospect of finishing coverage had gripped my heart in a mixture of nerves and nostalgia.

The phrase “only one more” is seen as a threat with every rising degree of finality. My mind perceives it with pressure to get each task done right, to make each experience memorable, to do everything necessary and more. This semester continues onwards, and my Sidekick bucket list is shortening by the week. The echoes of “only one more” ring in my head nonstop; only one more night out there covering, one more interview left to conduct, one more story to write and publish; it’s all coming at some point.

Once it happens, it’s done.

I need to adjust my perception of a threat to a recognition of an opportunity.

To see it as a chance, not a looming set of standards I had best meet or else. If I were better at taking my own advice, I would have changed my mindset already to match this, but my realism tells me it will take a bit of time before it really sets in.

My sight blurred at the accumulation of snowflakes gathering on my eyelashes. I closed my eyes momentarily as I drew even further into my own thoughts.

I was getting old, wasn’t I? Instead of waging frozen war on my younger sisters, I had settled for hurling a single snowball at each of them. You experience a pandemic, landmark election and the worst winter weather the entire state has experienced in who knows how long, and suddenly, you feel like you’ve lived five lifetimes.

I’m not really that old. I know I’m not.

There are so many things I don’t understand yet, so many emotions I still can’t process. A month ago, I learned someone I had briefly known had died. I didn’t know how to feel or what to think, and I ended up being numb.

I’ll have to deal with it eventually. People closer to me will pass, and I will have to learn how to grieve and mourn and cope.

The good thing is, I don’t need to know how to go through it beforehand. Experience can be my teacher for handling death and the rest of life in adulthood.

The snow was nice. The quiet was nice.

In the jumbled mess of my head, where over explanations and convoluted descriptions make even my internal monologues louder than need be, it was nice to have a moment to look inwards.

More aware of myself - physically, mentally, emotionally - I stood up, shook off the snow and carried on.

EDITOR- IN-CHIEF

Matthew Blanton

Fronts of Coppell is a Sidekick series in which executive news editor Shivi Sharma profiles a Coppell business owner to bring awareness to community-based establishments.

Y

ou may have heard his story during Coppell High School’s Virtual Adulting Day on Jan. 7 or seen his shiny white trailer cruising along Coppell streets with ‘Quick Stain’ splashed across the side.

Quick Stain owner and Coppell High School 2007 graduate Matthew Blanton tackles the unknown with hands-on activity. After high school, he took his knack for vehicle work to the Ford Asset program offered by Dallas County Community Colleges and landed at the fabrication department at Rush Ford in Downtown Dallas. Now, he’s looking to partner with similar programs and mentor those searching for technical job experience.

When Blanton was furloughed from bus provider ABC Companies due to the COVID-19 pandemic last August, he recognized a need for a local fence staining business. Establishing Quick Stain in December was not only an opportunity to combine his business knowledge with the technical work he enjoys, but a chance to work in his hometown again.

How did you learn technical work such as fence maintenance?

I went to North Lake College for a couple years and then went to the University of North Texas.

I really found that I wanted to be out learning. I wanted to be at a technical school, something where my hands could be building something or working.

I learn quickly and that’s benefited me tremendously. On-the-job training is what I’ve always tried to do. It’s a dog-eat-dog industry. If you’re not tough, especially working at a flat rate, the hours that they give you, you’re kind of wasting time.

What is it like running a business in the same community where you attended high school?

I’ve benefited a lot from working in the same town that I grew up in. Now I get to actually have the chance to help Coppell, which is such a great community. Getting to come home and establish not just business relationships but relationships I’ve always had that now reach a different level; it’s been really cool.

Coppell High School 2007 graduate Matthew Blanton repairs a fence on Saddle Tree Trail on March 12. Photos by Angelina Liu

CUSTOMIZING COLLEGE COMMITMENTS P. 4

INSPIRING THROUGH INFO TECH P. 4

IB EXAMS

AP EXAMS Paper exams are offered May 3-17.

Students committed to an in-person paper exam or an at-home digital exam via a Google Form.

SPREADING SUNSHINE P. 5

Digital exams are offered May 18-28.

International Baccalaureate exams will take place May 3-20.

Some components are excluded, including the listening portion of the French and Spanish exams.

The coronavirus has transformed the way standardized testing is conducted across Coppell. The State of Texas Academic Assessment of Readiness (STAAR), Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) exams have all been adjusted to accommodate for COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.

All exams will be in person at Coppell High School.

STAAR TESTS The State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness tests will be administered from third to 12th grade.

High school students must take five STAAR (biology, English I, English II, algebra I and U.S. history) required to graduate.

Grades 3-8 do not need to take the STAAR to advance to the next grade.

Elementary schoolers advance to Dallas County Spelling Bee Angelina Liu STAFF WRITER @angelinaliiu

Sriya Gomatom

Intense silence filled the room as district spelling bee contestants began their proctored online exams.

Who would be the runner-up and champion?

The mystery was solved. The runner-up, Valley Ranch Elementary fifth grader Aditri Amresh and champion Denton Creek Elementary fifth grader Sriya Gomatom were both from the elementary level which was the first time this has ever happened in Coppell ISD history.

“I was worried about the bee and I was nervous, but excited as well,” Gomatom said. “The system was faster than years past, and since we were socially distanced, we didn’t talk as much.”

The district-wide spelling bee was administered on Jan. 14 at Coppell Middle School West with the new Scripps online platform. Contestants were selected based on who won the spelling bee from individual schools.

Although Gomatom felt nervous, this was not her first time winning a spelling bee.

“The first time Sriya went to a spelling bee she was in second grade and it was because her friends were there,” Gomatom’s mother Priya Vijay said. “She ended up winning it.”

Amresh had not participated in a spelling bee prior.

“I spent a lot of time reading to expand my vocabulary and looking up the definitions of all the words,” Amresh said. “I felt really excited. I was very nervous, because I had no idea what the questions would be like.”

Gomatam and Amresh advanced to the Dallas County Spelling Bee on Feb. 19 at the Vonita White Administration Building boardroom.

“They beat out all the elementary and middle school kids in the entire district,” Coppell ISD director of literacy Dr. Anita de la Isla said. “That just tells you right there that they are special girls.”

ANGELINA ‘23 can be reached at axl0728@g.coppellisd.com

Aditri Amresh

Photos by Neveah Jones Graphics by Blanche Harris

APRIL FAITH LEADERS REFLECTIONS @ COZBY LIBRARY // APRIL 8

COPPELL FIVE YEAR FORECAST WORKSHOP // 6-9 P.M. // APRIL 15

Seniors juggling additional factors with pandemic college decisions Sapna Amin STAFF WRITER @sapnaamin6

From optional standardized test scores to not being able to visit campuses in person, COVID-19 has changed the admission process and college decisions for the Coppell High School class of 2021.

“In years past, students applying to college could relieve stress and keep your mind off of decisions by spending time with friends or going out,” CHS senior Daniel Nelson said. “Now, most people are just sitting at home thinking about everything. The stress keeps building up, and at certain points, it gets to be too much. COVID-19 began during the second semester of junior year, so college has been a pretty big thing on my mind since.”

As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, many seniors have adjusted their perspectives on major life decisions relating to college. From interest in taking a gap year to wanting to stay closer to home, there has been a change in independence levels concerning education. Since students have been given the opportunity to learn virtually this year, many have shifted their mindset and approach to their education.

CHS senior Presley Abercrombie originally committed to the University of Alabama for law. However, in

Applying for and choosing a college can be challenging for seniors, especially during a global pandemic. The class of 2021 explores different options and considers new perspectives with college decisions. Graphic by Ava Gillis

October, she visited the University of Arkansas to see friends and decided it would be a better fit due to its proximity to her home.

In reversing her college decision, Abercrombie juggled having a close relationship with her family and the length of travel from Coppell to the University of Arkansas (about five hours) versus the University of Alabama (about nine hours).

“Since I’m an only child, I’ve always been really close to my parents,” Abercrombie said. “Quarantine has made us closer, and I’ve become really dependent on them. I couldn’t have handled being so far away. I loved that the University of Arkansas is only about a fivehour drive. The University of Arkansas also has a better business school.”

The pandemic has caused many people to see major life changes in a new light through altered priorities.

By considering factors that didn’t cross their mind until after the pandemic, many seniors are now able to approach their college decisions with greater care and wisdom.

“COVID-19 made me appreciate what I have and realize that I took things for granted,” Nelson said. “Going forward, my approach is to enjoy the moment and keep in mind that everything can be temporary.”

SAPNA ‘21 can be reached at saa6871@g.coppellisd.com.

Paving the way

Hill empowering minorities with STEM solutions Tr i s h a A t l u r i

ADVERTISING/ CIRCULATION MANAGER @trishatluri The first time IT professional Jo Ann Hill worked with computers was during her bachelor’s degree program at Mississippi Valley State University.

With an affinity for numbers and math, Hill had chosen accounting as her major before she discovered the world of programming.

In a country where 62% of Black workers in STEM jobs have been discriminated against because of their race at work – compared to 13% of white STEM employees – Hill’s career in STEM as a Black woman has been

an uphill battle.

“There’s not a lot of Black women in STEM, and the number of women has gone down since I started more than 25 years ago,” Hill said. “The numbers are small, but I continue because I enjoy it.

I do everything I can to encourage other women, especially women of color, to get into STEM.” Over the past 25 years, Hill’s work for IBM has augmented her programming experience tremendously. She uses her extensive knowledge of computers to coordinate various programs and initiatives, many of which are centered around improving opportunities for marginalized communities.

One such initiative, Call for Code for Racial Justice, aims to find solutions for the systemic racial bias in the United States justice system. According to The Sentencing Project, Black adults are 5.9 times as likely as white adults to be incarcerated. Hill’s efforts to address this issue through the initiative have led to new opportunities.

“Even though I’ve been in IBM for a while, I was able to file my very first

patent as part of a team participating in Call for Code,” Hill said. “That was really exciting.”

Apart from programming for racial justice, Hill empowers young girls to pursue coding careers. Since 2010, she has directed the IBM GIGAWOT (Girls Inspired Greatly About the World of Technology) camp with co-director Andrea Solka.

The main purpose of the camp is to draw the interest of young girls to computer science to remedy the gender disparity in the field. The four-day camp includes robotics and coding lessons and lectures that emphasize the diverse nature of STEM careers.

“You’re going to encounter some discouragement, especially if you’re a Black woman, because we have race as well as gender against us,” Hill said.

“You’ve just got to continue on. I stay in STEM and continue to be an advocate for STEM because I don’t like anyone telling me I can’t do something.”

TRISHA ‘22 can be reached at tra2735@g.coppellisd.com.

IBM business development leader Jo Ann Hill’s love for math and numbers drew her to computer science. She uses her programming skills to lead a racial justice initiative and serve as a co-director at GIGAWOT, a coding camp for girls. Photo by Nandini Paidesetty

CITY COUNCIL MEETING // 5:30-9 P.M. // APRIL 27

SOCIALLY DISTANCED SENIOR PROM PHOTOSHOOT // MAY 1

THE BEAT FROM CHS9

Sartin nurturing character in students Na n d i t h a Na g a v i s h n u STAFF WRITER @nanditha__n

CHS9 English I teacher and CHS JV cheerleading coach Debra Sartin, having studied high school and college in Oklahoma, is glad to be teaching subjects that interested her in school.

Sartin was previously a teacher in Coppell Middle School North, and this is her third year teaching at CHS9.

How did you start teaching English and coaching cheer?

When I was in [Putnam City North High School in Oklahoma City], I was on a dance team and I loved it, and I loved my dance coaches. When I started teaching at Coppell ISD in 2017 at [Coppell Middle School North], they had a cheer sponsor role available, so I took that on. Then, CHS9 opened and they had an English position that was paired with a cheerleading coach position, so I just got lucky.

Why do you teach English?

English was my favorite subject growing up. My English teachers had the most impact on me growing up in high school, and I wanted to be the same thing [for my students] and teach about books and writing. Also, English

lends itself to real life conversation.

What is the best part of coaching?

Getting to see [my cheerleaders] grow from year to year. By spending a lot of time with them at practices, competitions and games, I’m able to build relationships with these kids better than I would in a classroom setting, just because I get to know them in a different atmosphere. I coach freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors so it’s great seeing them grow and become better people and cheerleaders.

What do you wish students take away from your courses?

From my English courses, I hope they take away that reading isn’t a boring, singular experience, and reading a book can connect you to other things. I hope they leave knowing that they were able to be themselves in my classroom; I value that comfort more than anything else.

What is your favorite book?

It’s very “English teacher” of me.

My favorite book is To Kill a Mockingbird. [Harper Lee] is also my favorite author.

NANDITHA ‘23 can be reached at nxn87218@g.coppellisd.com.

CHS9 English and JV cheerleading coach Debra Sartin reads Romeo and Juliet to her sixth period English I class on Jan. 15. Sartin has been teaching at CHS9 for three years and hopes that her students make connections in class. Photos by Pranati Kandi

Positive vibes: Sunshine Committee fostering supportive environment Tr i s h a A t l u r i

ADVERTISING/CIRCULATION MANAGER @trishatluri If CHS9 assistant principal Ashlee Graham had to put the purpose of the Sunshine Committee into one word, it would be hospitality.

Founded at the inception of CHS9 in 2018, the Sunshine Committee returns every year with the help of new volunteers. Run by faculty members for faculty members, the committee organizes events throughout the year to boost morale on campus.

The organization is composed of smaller subcommittees: hospitality, birthdays and fundraisers. As the committee chair, ESL facilitator Jessica Lynch works with each subcommittee to brainstorm ways to brighten the day for faculty.

“We want our teachers to feel important,” Lynch said. “If our teachers feel appreciated, then they’re going to do a great job in the classroom.”

In the past year, the Sunshine Committee has held various food-related events, including lunches from Chick-fil-A, Taco Bell and Sonic. On

March 3, for National “I Want You to be Happy” Day, committee members decorated the CHS9 teacher’s lounge with emoji stickers and bought donuts decorated as emojis for teachers to grab.

“There’s something about breaking bread together that brings people closer,” Graham said. “Lots of families that are close have dinner together. We want our teachers to do that as much as possible with each other because that creates the type of culture we want here, which is that of a family.”

This year, the committee adapted traditional get-togethers with COVID-19 safety restrictions in mind.

Individually-wrapped snacks replaced buffets, heartfelt notes replaced large gatherings and quick “hellos” replaced hour-long chats.

Apart from providing meals and planning parties, the Sunshine Committee comes together to show support for staff members experiencing significant life events.

“Everything we do has a trickle-down effect on the kids,” Graham said. “Ultimately, the wellbeing and happiness of our teachers impact kids.”

TRISHA ‘22 can be reached at tra2735@g.coppellisd.com.

Donuts are available for staff to pick up at the CHS9 teachers lounge for national “I Want You To Be Happy” day on March 3. The Sunshine Committee hosts events every year since 2018 to celebrate major life events and boost the morale of the staff. Photo by Nandini Muresh

APRIL 2021

2020-2021

Staff

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP

CHASE WOFFORD Staff Adviser SALLY PARAMPOTTIL Editor-in-Chief* SHIVI SHARMA News Editor SAMANTHA FREEMAN Design Editor* SHREYA BELDONA Enterprise Editor CAMILA VILLARREAL Editorial Page Editor EDITORIAL LEADERSHIP AVANI KASHYAP Daily News Editor AKHILA GUNTURU CHS9 Editor* VICTORIA HERTEL Student Life Editor* NEHA DESARAJU Entertainment Editor ANJALI KRISHNA Sports Editor LILLY GORMAN Visual Media Editor TRACY TRAN Photo Assignment Editor COMMUNICATIONS AND BUSINESS TEAM TRISHA ATLURI Advertising/Circulation Manager* BLANCHE HARRIS Social Media Manager SREEJA MUDUMBY Communications Manager WRITERS ANETTE VARGHESE ANGELINA LIU ANJALI VISHWANATH ANUSHA PANDA DRISHTI GUPTA EVA WHEELER INIYA NATHAN JACOB MUNIZ JOANNE KIM MANASA MOHAN

MEL VENEGAS MEER MAHFUZ NANDHITHA NAGAVISHNU PRECIOUS ONALAJA SAPNA AMIN SARAH HABIB SHRIKA VURIMI SREEHITHA MORAVANENI TORIE PECK VARSHITHA KORRAPOLU YASEMIN RAGLAND

PHOTOGRAPHERS AVA GILLIS CAMILA FLORES JADEN MOORE KYAH JONES NANDINI MURESH NANDINI PAIDESETTY

NEVEAH JONES NICK LARRY OLIVIA COOPER PRANATI KANDI SANNIDHI ARIMANDA SNEHA SASH TANVEE PATIL

DESIGNERS ALEX JIMENEZ ENERO ALIYA ZAKIR AYANE KOBAYASHI*

DIVYA JOSHI JOSH CAMPBELL SRIHARI YECHANGUNJA*

*Indicates Volume 32 issue No. 5 page designer

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 with staff members (with assistance from their adviser) making content decisions. The editorials and columns in this paper reflect the view of their writers.

The Sidekick is a member of Interscholastic League Press Conference (ILPC), National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA), Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA) and Southern Interscholastic Press Association (SIPA).

STAFF EDITORIAL

Snow melted our hearts

Preserving empathy learned from historic winter storm As numerous Coppell residents huddled under layers of blankets, it was easy to focus only on the moments they were living right then. The lack of power, risk of burst pipes, inability to travel on snow-covered roads - all narrowing our thoughts down to just how to escape a week of winter weather in a state ill-prepared for it.

When each household’s lost power saw its return, this time to stay, those thoughts settled on finally moving past the historic Feb. 13-17 winter storm.

Move on we shall; though with us, we will take lessons that transcend the basics of snow survival.

Yes, we learned to keep our taps running to prevent plumbing damage, but more than that, we gained a newfound understanding of empathy, respect and value for the things we took for granted.

As people experienced a cascade of tragedy, such as property damage and lack of supplies, the southern hospitality we take so much pride in was in abundance.

Offers of shelter and resources were extended, as people temporarily pushed aside their concerns of COVID to aid their fellow Texans. Places like the CORE in Coppell opened its doors for families, providing restrooms, charging stations and something often taken for granted in this state: heat.

The kindness wasn’t limited to a community effort. Though underlying politics ran rampant on social media, when it came to the reality of our actions, there were multiple examples of our hearts opening for those who needed help. Combating the negativity online was a surge of people up north who offered advice to get through the worst of the cold and prevent any more damage from occurring.

Donations of supplies to multiple relief organizations (such as local food banks)

The Sidekick welcomes all letters to the editor, but letters must be signed before consideration for publication. Send letters to cwofford@coppellisd.com of bring them by D115.

Advertisements are sold as full, 1/2 page, 1/4 page, 1/8 page sizes in black and white or color.

CONTACT US (214) 496 6239 / cwofford@coppellisd.com 185 W. Parkway Blvd. Coppell, TX 75019 Clarification: In Volume 32 No. 4 published in February, the story “District SROs, nurses receive the first doses of COVID-19 Moderna vaccine” by Shivi Sharma on page 4 should have stated all CISD nurses and Student Resource Officers have been given the option to receive the vaccine.

and fundraising through online platforms (such as GoFundMe) showed the generous side of people when it came to their money.

Apathy was washed with the waves of empathy Texans experienced from each other and from many others across the nation; we cannot lose that feeling moving forward into whatever the future holds for us.

We must retain what fueled us in the moments when state pride was pushed to the side as Mother Nature battered us down and arms of support were extended to lift us back up, helping without hesitation.

Apart from our attitude towards our fellow man, in that week, we found the importance of being prepared and drilling in the necessity of learning how to do household tasks without the comforts of technology.

Just over a hundred years ago, power was a privilege and was not accessible to the whole population as it is now; this storm has sparked a realization that though we may be blessed with advancements, we always run the risk of losing it. Our infrastructure was not built for such extremities, and we need to be prepared for the next time it happens.

Now that we’ve lived through this, we cannot forget it. While it is tempting to ignore, to push away, to suppress the days of fear and destruction, the knowledge gained that goes beyond just freak winter weather needs to remain an active part of how we think and act moving forward; that’s how we embark on the road to a better tomorrow.

The vividness of the winter storm experience grows more numb with each passing day until it exists as only a loose memory, a single week in the course of our lives. However, what must remain with us are the lessons we learned to ensure each future trial and tribulation is met with the fierce Texas mentality we so proudly boast.

“Apathy was washed with empathy Texans experienced.”

Pro: Political comedy vital to consuming current news Shivi Sharma

EXECUTIVE NEWS EDITOR @_shivisharma_

Headlines flood our vision as we open Twitter. Turning on cable news means flashy breaking news tickers and superficial filler conversation in between layered clips. Scrolling through a news site means a deluge of stories, with headlines and photos begging for clicks.

News is bound to be distorted when profit is its motive.

As attention spans become shorter, the information industry has become more of a battle to maintain that attention. This can short-circuit perceptions of the effort it should take to be informed.

“You have to make your story as enticing as possible to get people to stay on the page,” Star Local Media journalist Audrey Henvey said. “That’s an uphill climb, because the attention spans that people have have become so short, but the stories we’re trying to tell require you to read the full story. There are journalists putting their blood, sweat and tears into making sure they accurately reflect what’s going on and cover both sides.”

During my time on Sidekick, I have explored various ways of providing and consuming news. I spend late nights watching “Last Week Tonight” host John Oliver pick apart issues ranging from public shaming to authoritarianism and start my morning with NPR’s 15-minute news podcast, Up First. Local and regional news like NBC DFW, the Coppell Gazette and Citizen’s Advocate make up my research as news editor, but simultaneously allow me to understand my community.

A format that interests me because of its ability to balance humor with nuanced analysis is political come-

dy. Nightly monologues and segments are shared across social media and YouTube and do not require consumers to tune into cable news. This gives political comedy appeal and accessibility, elements that traditional news often lacks.

Humor requires more cognitive energy to understand and boosts retention, which allows the tonal shifts in political comedy to make ideas more memorable. Rather than aimless opinions and discussions lacking conclusions, political comedy gives you perspective. Innuendos and historical references can border on offensive, but that subjectivity is a byproduct of taking a stance on events or issues. It’s a delicate approach that can be extremely effective in motivating viewers to do further research and seek action.

On a broader scale, there needs to be more of an appetite for information purely to inform. Local news needs to be invested in and recognized by the communities it serves, before its necessity is lost in the chaos of the national and international news cycles.

While late night shows should not be anyone’s singular source of news, their presence stretches the boundaries of how news can be packaged and consumed. It’s an imperfect process, sure, but so is objectivity in news.

SHIVI ‘21 can be reached at sxs1578@g.coppellisd.com.

Con: Comedy prevents real discussion Avani Kashyap DAILY NEWS EDITOR @AvaniKashyap03

Whenever I hear about a political debacle in the news, my first thought is, “Wow, the late night hosts are going to have a field day with this.”

I’m usually right. At 11:59 p.m., after I’ve scrambled to turn in my last assignment for the day, I open up my iPad - because yes, as a culturally evolved Gen Z kid, I watch TV on YouTube - and take “A Closer Look” at what my favorite late night TV hosts have to say.

While I thoroughly enjoy my daily routine of listening to Seth Meyers’ comedic take, late night TV shows are not my first or primary source of news. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for many other youth.

A study by the Pew Research center found that 61% of young people regularly or sometimes learn campaign information from comedy television.

While late night TV shows can help the younger generation become more interested in the news and politics by making information more entertaining and accessible, they are explicitly biased and may not be an accurate, holistic representation of current events.

“People like Stephen Colbert and Trevor Noah are bringing humor to news and that’s involving a lot

of young people, especially people in high school, because it’s really funny to watch,” Coppell High School senior Keertana Narayanan said. “These personalities jump to whatever sensationalized news they see first because they want the engagement.”

Because late night shows gravitate towards the most comedic events, they may not focus on the most important information being discussed. Relying on other, more objective sources to understand the news also encourages citizens to form their own opinions through individual analysis.

“A lot of kids watch late night news shows that are not news but think that they are news,” CHS Principal Laura Springer said. “We should fact check everything. You have to really look at who is giving you the news. Is it a reliable source, and are they known for being honest and trustworthy?”

News taking on a much bigger role in comedy is indicative of a trend that shows politics is becoming more integral to our daily lives. Saying “I don’t do politics” is not as feasible when a large section of pop culture is eagerly engaging in political discourse.

Comedy can make the news much more digestible, and turning on the TV to listen to humorous takes on serious, dense matters can be a welcome relief at the end of a long day.

Just make sure your news consumption is varied and wise, so late night shows aren’t the first source you turn to.

AVANI ‘21 can be reached at ask6086@g.coppellisd.com.

APRIL 2021

The heavy burden of being a “big girl” Camila Villarreal EXECUTIVE EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR

@fliipthewriter

In the sixth grade, two boys passed my seat on the bus and began laughing their heads off.

“Cow!” they called me. “Fat cow!”

That year I weighed 118 pounds. I was the thinnest I had ever been.

I don’t look like most girls on the internet I see. They have cute clothes and nice waists and smooth legs. These are the girls I have compared myself to throughout my entire life, because it’s what the Internet likes best and it’s what the world expects to see from women.

For the majority of my 18 years of living, I have never felt beautiful. Even if I never cried over being fat shamed, those comments are the ones that echo in my mind when I struggled to fit into jeans and bathing suits as I grew older.

My weight is just one out of the many things that I have been told I need to be insecure about.

That hair on your legs? Shave it.

Your hip dips? Get rid of them.

Weight preoccupations are very damaging: they cause eating disorders, harmful sexual behavior and suicidal thoughts.

They are little seeds that don’t fully sink their roots in until it’s much too late for you to change the way you think about yourself.

Whenever I bring up these insecurities with others, they shake their heads and tell me, “You’re just

Girls’ expectations for themselves can often be skewed by social media and the internet, being pressured to fit society’s desired projections. The Sidekick executive editorial page editor Camila Villarreal describes what it is like to be a “big girl” and how girls should feel proud of their body, regardless of fitting societal norms. Photo by Nandini Muresh a big girl, that’s all.” But if that really were all, I wouldn’t get called derogatory names in comment sections online, I wouldn’t need to put up with teasing jokes, and I wouldn’t avoid looking at myself in the mirror because I feel like I need to be ashamed of what I would see. Being a size eight doesn’t make me any less worthy of respect.

You hear it all the time: “Women are more than just a pretty face and body!”

And you’d think that after hearing the same words for so long, there would be some genuine change in the way women are viewed. The body positivity movement makes feeling good about the way you look sound so simple, when in reality, embracing yourself is an old habit that dies hard - and that’s an understatement.

Just in case you don’t believe the unrealistic expectations placed upon women are alive and well today, a study done by Pew Research Center found that while the number one most valued trait in men is their honesty, in women, that number one trait is their physical attractiveness. The second is their ability to be nurturing and kind, while the number two spot for men is occupied by their financial success.

What the world seems to want is a digestible woman. Easy to swallow, easy on the eyes.

If that’s the case, then I am a choke hazard. But I’m done being sorry about it.

Ideal body types change from decade to decade and region to region. At some point, somewhere, my body was the pinnacle of perfection and - if you take the time to in-

vestigate - so was yours. The sick feeling of worthlessness I have dealt with my entire life is a very sad, lonely hole I have dug for myself, and I am angry to discover so late in the game that I didn’t need to waste so much time hating myself.

I know I am not the only person out there who sees a pair of skinny arms and legs and thinks, “Mine don’t look like that.”

To those people, this is for you. I am sorry you were failed by a pointless societal value system, and I dedicate every day to loving myself a little more so I can say with confidence: You are beautiful too.

CAMILA‘21 can be reached at cxv8266@g.coppellisd.com

Don’t shelf the library Blanche Harris

SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER @blanchegang

The bell rings.

Chairs scrape against the floor, little feet running toward the exit. The thrill of recess never gets old. Everyone is excited to feel the sun on their face and play. Everyone except for one.

This one races through the hallways and reaches her favorite place; the library. She plucks a book off the shelves and settles in among the silence.

I was in third grade when I discovered that libraries were my playground.

“Books can bring back warm and fuzzy memories because stories are shared experiences,” Wilson Elementary librarian Jaime Parker said. “We bring everything that we’ve experienced to that book, and it becomes a feeling that you remember forever.”

Libraries are sanctuaries. They offer a place to meet others with similar interests, to explore what you love and be sheltered away from the world. By definition, libraries are buildings that house

Coppell libraries provide the connection between people and books. The Sidekick social media manager Blanche Harris argues the importance of libraries and how they are an indispensable resource. Photo by Lilly Gorman books. Lately, however, libraries have progressed to be so much more than a place to find a new novel.

Libraries provide dozens of free resources to develop a love of learning, and make it easily accessible for students and the public. Having a place where free or cheap resources are readily available is essential to a community. Some families do not have printers, copiers or even computers at home, which makes the li-

brary the best option.

“There are some resources that you don’t know about until you get into a library,” George W. Bush Presidential Library archivist Sarah Haldeman said.

“You can’t do everything yourself.”

While libraries are viewed as quiet study spaces, they have also become places to foster discussion and research.

“They have become more of a learning commons,” Coppell High School librarian Deb Zeman said. “It’s a place where people gather, not just to study, but to connect with each other.”

A resource that remains constant in every library is, you guessed it, a librarian. Librarians aren’t only experts in the Dewey Decimal System. They have in depth knowledge about each resource at their disposal, helping readers navigate through the plethora of books.

Libraries aren’t just for students and adults. Libraries cater to the needs of little children as well. The Cozby Public Library in Coppell has weekly book clubs, a virtual story time room and reading challenges to engage kids. Even through a pandemic, libraries are creating fun memories for children and encouraging them to build healthy habits.

With so many virtual resources, libraries seem obsolete.

So, do libraries even matter?

According to Haldeman, they do.

“We can’t digitize everything,” Haldeman said. “Libraries are very democratic.

Everyone has access to the same information and resources which makes it an indispensable resource.”

BLANCHE‘21 can be reached at bxh2578@g.coppellisd.com

HAVE AN OPINION? CONTACT US TO WRITE A GUEST COLUMN AND BE PUBLISHED ON COPPELLSTUDENTMEDIA.COM

Coppell Observer: The Suffering Olympics Sally Parampottil EDITOR-IN-CHIEF @SParampottil.

Coppell Observer is a humorous column about life as a teenager. Please be warned that any and all sass is due to the writers’ similar situation as adolescents (even though we feel so much older). You, the reader, should not take any of these words to heart. Seriously. If this article makes you laugh, leave a comment.

Good afternoon, folks, and welcome to the Suffering Olympics!

I’m coming live from the comments of an Instagram post, providing your coverage of today’s matchup between the Class of 2020 and the Class of 2021. Two senior classes, both of which were screwed over due to the coronavirus pandemic. One question will be answered: Who has the right to complain?

Right away, the Class of 2020 comes out strong with the missed experiences of prom, normal graduation and the conclusion they wanted to leave high school with.

2021 fires right back at them, listing all they have missed as well: Friday night football games in packed stands, homecoming dance and the entirety of the first semester of their senior year.

However, 2020 won’t back down without a fight. They retort that at least 2021 had time to mentally prepare for their loss; 2020 had it all ripped away out of the blue.

Oh! 2021 shoots back with how they are getting none of the senior experience with none of the nation-wide sympathy - Twitter threads with graduation photos, virtual proms and graduations, celebrity speeches and well-wishes - and no end in sight! It’s blow after blow, and it looks like 2021 might

just clinche theWait! A last minute competitor has entered the fight!

The Class of 1942!

Wartime rationing, Pearl Harbor, some dropping out to join the military, others being drafted to go fight Nazis on another continent - and what’s that? No Disney+ to pass the time? Well folks, it looks like it’s over, and

the Class of 1942 is our sole victor.

And since 2020 and 2021 have not had it the worst, they can officially no longer complain, feel sad or mourn any of their losses.

We can see the medals being handed out now; 2021 receives the silver “sucks to suck” and 2020 taking the bronze “get over it.”

The Suffering Olympics would like to thank its sponsors at this tThis just in: results

Though social media provides an outlet for people to air their grievances, many times their feelings will be invalidated by others who claim they should be grateful that they are not in a worse situation. The Sidekick executive editor-in-chief Sally Parampottil believes turning suffering into a competition is absurd, and everyone deserves the right to complain. Graphic by Divya Joshi

are being released for the other events from today.

College-app obsessed senior has defeated SAT-stressed junior, leaving said junior with a “did I ask?” consolation prize.

Man who just lost his job loses to a single mother who has been living in poverty since age 18, only taking home a “there are people who have it worse.”

In the David vs. Goliath match-up, the winner, as expected, was the teenager diagnosed with depression, demolishing fellow teenager who just had a really bad day, who will receive a “you should be grateful.”

The Suffering Olympics would like to thank its sponsors at this time: middle-aged parents who say “kids these days” unironically and @snowflaketears3856001 on Twitter.

Folks, I would like to take this opportunity to remind you of the rules of the games, as I can see some rowdy fans getting a little heated down there in the comment section.

You can’t whine if you don’t have it the worst. If there is someone somewhere dealing with something more than you, you have no right to fuss about it. It is simply impossible for people to feel upset about things at the same time as someone else; only one person can be justifiably miserable. So, tonight’s losers can quit bellyaching, suck it up and deal with life without all the moaning and groaning.

And folks, if that makes you feel any negative emotion at all? Well, you can’t complain.

There are worse things happening in the world.

SALLY‘21 can be reached at scp7918@g.coppellisd.com

Shining a light on our nightmare Sreeja Mudumby

COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER

@sreejamudumby I, along with many women, cannot walk alone at night without risking our lives. That is by no means an exaggeration; if a woman chooses to walk home alone at night, she is ultimately putting herself at risk. I can’t help but laugh at the fact that walking is something that needs to be done with so much precaution.

According to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention, nearly one in five women have experienced completed or attempted rape during their lifetime, and every one in three rape victims experienced it for the first time between the ages of 11 and 17.

Sexual harassment and abuse is one of my biggest fears. Not only do I see it in movies, news, documentaries and books, but some of my very own friends have experienced forceful or manipulative coercion. Of course, all genders experience this problem, but the ratio of men to women who are sexually assaulted on a daily basis varies greatly. Not enough people talk about it because this topic is considered a taboo for many, especially in the Indian community.

Former Sidekick editor and current

University of Texas at Austin freshman Pramika Kadari has experienced sexual assault twice in her life. She opened up about her experience through her social media to help others going through the same thing. “Some people, especially college students, don’t realize their actions “count” as sexual assault until someone reports them and then Title IX labels it as that.

Open discussions about what sexual assault actually is can help stop people from doing it, because they’re more likely to be like, ‘Oh I shouldn’t coerce her at all, because that’s sexual assault, and that’s terrible.’”

Speaking about sexual assault and providing physical and emotional support to victims would help destigmatize the issue, and knowing that they have people to come to will help women feel emotionally safer. Holding those accountable for their actions and taking responsibility for our actions is vital if we want to see a positive change.

“The hardest thing for me has been the fact that the guy I’m reporting has not apologized, has not taken any sort of responsibility. I’m sure other victims have felt the same way. If society talks more about how sexual coercion is sexual assault, people would be more pressured to accept accountability. But because sexual coercion is so normalized

“It feels as though the safety blanket that is supposed to protect me is actually suffocating me.” in our society, I feel like many perpetrators are able to convince themselves, ‘Oh, it wasn’t that bad, she’s just being dramatic,’” Kadari said.

I am waiting for the day when the man in my dreams releases my arm. The day where the pitch blackness becomes a bright, blue sky. The day where the universe isn’t trying to warn me.

The day I can walk alone in my own street.

SREEJA‘22 can be reached at sxm4577@g.coppellisd.com

Women all over the world fear the idea of walking alone in the dark.

The Sidekick communications manager Sreeja Mudumby expresses her concern of not being able to walk alone in the dark due to her gender and corrupt societal norms. Photo by Lilly Gorman

APRIL 2021

Ramirez brewing up thoughtfulness in local shops Anjali Krishna SPORTS EDITOR @anjalikrishna_

N

ew Tech High @ Coppell senior Cole Ramirez very well knows he comes off as pretentious. He voices his hate to Starbucks feverently, wears plaid pants casually as an 18-year-old, makes short films with his friends and says his favorite band is The Beach Boys.

Today, however, as he waits at Golden Boy Coffee in Coppell, leaning on the counter across from a barista, carefully balancing the leafy foam art atop his cortado while asking about her family by name,

New Tech High @ Coppell senior Cole Ramirez enjoys going to Golden Boy Coffee for its atmosphere, hospitality and coffee selection. Ramirez has a niche for coffee and the power it has to bring people together by forming its own culture.

Photos by Lilly Gorman

he exudes nothing but thoughtfulness. He has been here since morning, typical for him, settled in a booth far inside the shop.

Ramirez is a self-ordained coffee enthusiast, and Golden Boy Coffee is one of his many niches.

Almost immediately during our conversation, it becomes clear that coffee is Ramirez’s thing, as playing a sport or being in band is to some.

“They actually opened up a store in Plano, and I was their first customer on that morning,” Ramirez says. “It was a school day, too; I drove all the way to Plano. I just go to a ton of coffee shops and ask questions. ” When I tell him my own imagination of the coffee community, a group of guys intensely arguing about ethically sourced coffee on Reddit, he laughs.

He has developed some of his closest friendships through coffee.

Asked about the specifics of coffee, Ramirez nearly trips over himself to answer. Before he discusses “industry terms,” he stops and asks if I know what he means by “direct trade” or “grind size.” If a confused look emerges on my face, he will pull up a diagram or picture and explain animatedly with his hands.

After patiently listening to me digress from the subject of college location’s importance onto a small town in Washington, interjecting a ‘wow’ at the appro-

priate times, he adds, “I almost wrote my college essay about coffee,” as if he’d been thinking about it while I spoke. Again, after discussing his college plans and his dream of marketing for a coffee company or owning one, he brings back up a jokingly deep question I had asked earlier.

“I’ve been thinking about what happens to our souls after death more often lately,” Ramirez said.

“Not in any bad way, just thinking about how people who have near death experiences change after them.”

While speaking to him, especially about serious subjects he does not seem to have considered before, it feels like you are watching something important; it feels like he is taking things from the conversation and learning them about himself as he speaks.

He gives the same value to all conversation. When I stop him mid-sentence because Phoebe Bridgers is playing while we speak at Golden Boy, he is not annoyed. He tells me what he knows about her music and asks what the song playing is. He is engaged, and you know that whatever you’re talking about, he’s listening.

“Coffee is such an easy place and environment in order for you to work on socializing in a non scary way,” Karmic Grounds Coffee barista Jackie Farias said.

“Coffee shops are just where you talk, so when you’re involved in coffee and the coffee community, you don’t even realize

that you’re learning more about yourself every day.”

Upon closer inspection, Ramirez does not fit so easily into one box.

He talks like a hippie environmentalist about fair trade and coffee farmer poverty, a gamer when it comes to Destiny 2 and Twitch and philosopher about psychology and death.

Mid conversation and largely out of the blue, he asks me, “Do you want to do journalism as a career?” I’m immediately tempted to make a joke (“I’m the one asking the questions here”), but I can tell it is genuine interest. So I tell him, as I sip a cold brew and he sits in front of an empty cortado glass, because I know he is listening.

ANJALI ‘22 can be reached at axk8800@g.coppellisd.com

KESSLER PERSEVERING DESPITE BLINDNESS P. 14

MARKETING PAST INTO FUTURE P. 15

VOELKER CELEBRATING CHINESE CULTURE P. 15

Nair combating Quiz Bowl sexism as state level female participant STAFF WRITER @varshitha1128

Bowl gives me a really great outlet to put that desire for knowledge into so that I can go beyond what we learn in the classroom and see results from learning that.”

Initially, Nair did not expect that she would dedicate an immense amount of time and effort to these academic competitions. However, with her father Rajesh Gangadharan’s support, Nair embarked upon

JE O P A

Va r s h i t h a K o r r a p o l u

A strong, inherent desire for knowledge resonates with Coppell High School junior Nikita Nair. This drive had propelled her to discover Quiz Bowl, a game organized by National Academic Quiz Tournaments (NAQT), during her time at Coppell Middle School West, which continues to satisfy her intrinsic curiosity about everything.

“I had one of those situations where I felt like I was a fish out of water because I was one of those kids who did genuinely enjoy going to school and actually learning what we were doing Coppell High School junior Nikita Nair has been participating in in class,” Nair Quiz Bowl for about five years and actively serves the community. said.

“Quiz Photo by Kyah Jones

R

her journey of advancing through the levels of competition.

From watching TV shows, such as “Jeopardy” at home, Gangadharan and Nair believed that Quiz Bowl was an activity in which Nair would have great potential.

“It was just a natural fit for her in terms of how she is as a person,” Gangadharan said. “You need to know a lot about current affairs, music, sports, history, geography and science. It’s not like the typical academic things you need to know about; it’s more than that.”

In order to progress through Quiz Bowl, gain a good rank and eventually become one of the top players in Texas, Nair often watched other players during her initial interactions with the game.

“There was a point where I saw these really great players and I thought, ‘Why can’t I be like that?’” Nair said. “That was all it took

DY !

for me to push myself to get to the next level.”

According to Nair, Quiz Bowl is a male dominated game which has led to the issue of sexism playing a role and causing hardship for several female players. In attempt to mitigate the severity of this problem, Nair created a social advocacy platform to help female Quiz Bowl players share their problems with others and help them understand that they are not alone.

“One of the silver linings about this pandemic is that I’ve been able to interact with this online community of Quiz Bowl players,” Nair said. “People have gone through this, it gets better. I just have to keep pushing, and I have to make a name for myself. Even if it doesn’t make a tremendous difference in 10,000 people’s lives, it can [make] a difference for one person and that’s what it takes for me to keep [running the social advocacy platform].”

Being one of the only top female players at a state level, Nair has set a standard for female players across the state. According to Nair, wwinning is not the only aspect she considers, it’s the statement that she is making that matters most.

VARSHITHA ‘22 can be reached at vsk5901@g.coppellisd.com

Councilman cleaning up community I n i y a Na t h a n STAFF WRITER @iniya_v

With the unusual snowfall that had graced Coppell, many residents went to the hillside of the Buddy Echols Field to sled.

While many participated in the winter fun, on Feb. 19, two people were there for different reasons.

“I was up [at the high school],” Coppell High School financial secretary Patcee Becerra said. “And where everyone sleds down that hill, on the side [John Jun] was picking up trash. I was in the school for two hours probably, and when I came out, I [circled] the school and went over to where the Tennis Center is and I saw him there again and saw his trash bag barrel open.”

That same day, Becerra did not know who the man was when she went up to thank him, and he didn’t tell her when she asked, not wanting to be known. She later found out that it is Coppell City Council Place 5 member John Jun. Jun was driving his son, Samuel Jun, to soccer practice when Samuel pointed out how the hill everyone had been sledding on was covered in trash. Mr. Jun decided to take the matter into his own hands and clean the area up.

“All my girls went to high school [here]; [Samuel]’s going to the ninth grade center right now; he’ll be [at CHS] next year,” Mr. Jun said. “One of the things I try to live by is ‘Be the change you wish to see in the world’ [from Mahatma Gandhi] and that maybe if I [clean the trash] somebody might see it and they might [also] do it.. If you think in terms of, this is our home, and do I want my home to be clean? My yard to be clean? If you put it in that perspective, it’ll change your mentality into ‘I can do this, I can make a difference, why not?’”

Samuel was not surprised his dad did

Coppell City Council Place Five member John Jun picks up trash as a part of the Coppell Lions Club at Duck Pond Park on Saturday. Jun has been picking up trash around Coppell in a way to better support his community. Photos by Lilly Gorman his part to help.

“Being him, I expected that he’d do his bit to help out,” Samuel said. “For recent Thanksgivings, he decided to help other people by distributing Thanksgiving meals for people who can’t really afford meals for their family or people who can’t really afford any meal. He does stuff like this often.”

As a city council member, Mr. Jun believes it is crucial to serve the community in more than one way.

“I know a lot of people who think politics isn’t good,” Mr. Jun said. “They talk about politicians [badly]. I believe going into public service as an elected official to me has been [about serving] the community in various ways which is the reason why I involve my time in serving the community. [I want to] change some people’s idea about what politicians do, it’s not always about being in the chamber, it’s actually being out there and making the little bit of difference that you can, whatever it may be.”

INIYA ‘23 can be reached at ixn3618@g.coppellisd.com

THE SHIFT IN FOCUS

Story by Anjali Krishna

H

idden away amongst identical doors behind the staircase in C hallway at Coppell High School is a room with a tightly shut door, almost always locked. Every so often, its light is flicked on but its door remains closed, indicating the crisis counseling service is in use.

“There’s lots of different reasons our [students], or even staff members may need to talk to somebody about the things they are going through in their personal lives,” Coppell ISD assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction Dr. Angie Applegate said. “We have goals for our district that are focusing on bridging a more holistic experience, with not just the wonderful academic experience, but prioritizing social-emotional learning (SEL) needs.”

Dr. Applegate, who supports campus principals and campus counselors, has directed the district goals to be more mental health focused. This, along with Texas’s growing mental health requirements for school districts, has caused a shift over the past two years.

“A lot of the conversation I was having with our campus administrators, as well as our curriculum team, was thinking about our core values and that fourth core value of redefining success,” Dr. Applegate said. “We’re going to target those areas, as well as look at some of the things that the state of Texas is putting as requirements for districts focused around mental health.”

Another proponent of mental health services at CHS is Principal Laura Springer, whose addition to the school two years ago also helped to bring forward the shift.

“Just as important as academic excellence is mental health,” Springer said.

“When I say I want [students] well-rounded, I mean physically and mentally healthy, and we should be providing every opportunity for them to have advocates in this building. We have to start setting up programs and looking at issues that are happening with our kids and giving

them an outlet to talk and be heard.”

By embedding SEL into the curriculum, CISD hopes to further educate on the reality of mental illness. At the elementary level, some classes have counseling lessons and allow time to share feelings, but with the shift, CISD plans to more intentionally put in place practices to further its ultimate goal, particularly a comprehensive counseling program from pre-K to senior year to embed mental health conversation into practice.

CISD’s progress with mental health is measured with the Panorama survey,

“At CHS, every learner has a campus counselor who can help them if they are going through a difficult time,” CISD crisis counselor Kelly Spears said. “We also have crisis counselors who collaborate and partner with campus staff support to learners who might benefit from having an additional person to talk to.”

Access to trained counselors is the primary resource CISD offers for its stu-

which all learners are required to take, another addition implemented with the shift in 2019. The survey pulls SEL data from staff members, learners and families.

“When we’re thinking about measuring growth as a district, we need to be able to see hard data, and some of that is through the quantitative piece where you’re looking at numbers and scales,” Dr. Applegate said. “We’re beginning to look at feedback that is focused around social emotional health, and that’s where we’ll see how we’re moving ahead with certain skills we’re working on with kids, whether that’s resiliency, whether that’s GRIT, whether that’s self management.”

The data from the survey is shared with the campus leadership team and educators so they can see their students within subgroup areas like GRIT and self management.

Another new addition is a system offered to teachers that includes grades, attendances and survey data of students and gives teachers a more holistic view of all their students.

“Our crisis counselors, along with our campus counselors, have, within the last two years, focused on the training for professional learning we’re providing to our staff as a whole,” Dr. Applegate said.

“We have some new requirements this year that are focused on trauma informed care and talking about how we can support kids that may be going through some things in their lives.”

dents’ and staff’s mental health.

“We have three crisis counselors [Tanya Berent, Caffrey and Spears] who are our leaders with mental health counseling because our focus as counselors was not designed for that, ” CHS lead counselor Ann Cinelli said. “They are the driving force behind mental health in the district.”

Although counselors are trained to deal more specifically with mental health of learners, Spears encourages learners to go to any trusted adult at CHS they feel comfortable with to talk if necessary.

“Finding those kinds of people is vitally important,” Springer said. “Anytime I hire a teacher for a school, I’m looking at several things. Number one, I’m looking for teachers that meet the needs of our students not just in the classroom with the content, but will also be a person I feel our kids would talk to if they’re having problems and go to if they needed advice.”

When necessary, campus counselors will reach out to crisis counselors for additional consultation.

“They don’t really know what to do if it’s not academically involved,” CHS student Briar Jones* said. “The crisis counselor basically assesses threat levels; they’re not very good at talking you out of things. The crisis counselor, I know she’s trying her best; she’s a sweet lady, and I know the counselors are trying their best, but there’s only so much they can do.”

THE PRIMARY RESOURCE: COUNSELING

This, according to Jones, serves as one of the biggest obstacles to students receiving help for mental health at school.

“In a school setting, our role is not to provide mental health treatment; however, we do work with learners individually to establish healthy goals, mindsets, and behaviors,” Spears said. “If a learner or family feels they would benefit from mental health treatment, we can assist with navigating potential next steps or identifying available resources in the community.”

Cinelli, in return, poses that such situations that pertain to self harm or harm others have a need for urgency. Across the nation, counselors are required to report self harm or possible harm to others.

Through their years at CHS, the counselors would check in with Jones, and after speaking to a crisis counselor about their suicidal ideations, the school informed Jones’s parents they needed to be hospitalized.

“It was a good thing that they kept track because if I had slipped through the system, things probably would have gotten a lot worse for me,” Jones said. “Sometimes, they are not able to do enough, and it’s not entirely their fault. It’s not a reflection of CISD; it’s a reflection of the national mental health system as a whole.”

Even so, CISD is working towards easing its environment to make a less stressful situation that decreases some of the causes of mental health in its schools.

“When we’re thinking about ‘redefining success’ as you don’t have to be the best at everything, you can also have growth,” Dr. Applegate said. “That’s an area we’re still working on; it’s not all about a number grade, and it’s not all about having to be the best at everything, it’s finding the strengths in everyone.”

*Names have been changed to keep sources confidential **Page 1 and 12-13 photos are staged with a model

Photos by Lilly Gorman

APRIL RED JACKET APPLICATION ROUND II DEADLINE // APRIL 9

ENGLISH II EOC TEST // APRIL 8

Anette Varghese STAFF WRITER @AnetteVarghese

What does the world look like for a visually impaired sixth-grader that cannot remember going legally blind?

Coppell Middle School East sixthgrader Sullivan (Sully) Kessler wants everyone to know that even though he will not be able to drive because of his blindness, he can still be treated the same way as those around him because the only characteristic that sets him apart is that he cannot see as much as most people.

“Everything that I’ve gone through shows that I can pull through a lot of things,” Sully said. “It shows that even though I did have cancer and am legally blind I can still do the things that most people can do.”

In February 2011, Kristie Kessler noticed a bruise while changing her 2-year-old son’s diaper; the following day, Sully lost his vision completely.

The family consulted with a radiation oncologist who mentioned the side effects of radiating a 2-year-old body, where he would have radiation in his brain and abdomen. Radiation kills all cells, which is why it is used as a cancer treatment, but it also keeps the body

will not

from growing, at two years, Sully’s body was not fully developed, and he would have limbs that would not be able to grow anymore. The family prayed over the decision and they decided to choose quality of life over quantity.

This decision dropped Sully’s survival rate to 2%. Nonetheless, Sully completed 42 weeks of chemotherapy and was in remission in November 2012.

Sully is blind in his left eye, but in his right eye, he can see blurry images, almost like looking through a straw.

Because he can not read traditionally, Sully reads Braille.

“Sully specifically likes to be competitive, so when he was studying braille, I always made things a competition,” Chambers said.

“Sully found a rather peculiar way to be competitive outside of school; have you ever heard of a blind gymnast?

Sully recently had a gymnastics meet

Sully’s future

at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco and won first place all-around after facing multiple other gymnasts.

ANETTE ‘22 can be reached at atv3765@g.coppellisd.com

Sully’s chance of survival was

before chemotherapy at age 2

Coppell Middle School East sixth grader Sullivan (Sully) Kessler was diagnosed with Stage 4 Rhabdomyosarcoma when he was 2. His mother, Kristie Kessler, supports him and helps him stay competitive in both schoolwork and gymnastics. Photo by Angelina Liu

Spirit of Dance Club uniting cultures Drishti Gupta STAFF WRITER @drishti_gupta_

As the melodic music fills the room, Coppell High School sophomores Aarushi Anand and Medha Jain gracefully move across the floor in smooth, fluid movements. With their bright smiles and beaming faces, the dancers express nothing but pure joy.

In mid-September, Anand and Jain started the Spirit of Dance club to spread their passion for dance in the community.

“Medha and I were both really passionate about dance,” Anand said. “We decided we wanted to make [this] club to unite CHS students. We thought dance was a good way to unite the different cultures across each of us.”

In addition to uniting cultures, Anand and Jain hope to teach dance skills to club members and help them improve.

“The purpose of our club is to help people improve their dance skills, and even if they don’t know how to dance, they can get better at it,” Jain said. “We also want to learn other dance forms. We hope that everyone can accomplish learning dance and doing something that is not [what] they would normally do, such as learning a different dance type or doing a performance.”

Although the club cannot participate in any performances due to COVID-19, it plans to have members dress up according to a certain song and do a Zoom recording of their dance. It hopes to put up the recordings on a YouTube channel or some other platform. In addition to not being able to participate in in-person performances, Spirit of Dance has faced several other challenges due to COVID-19.

Despite these challenges, the club has found ways to adapt to them, holding various practice Zoom meetings throughout the week which allow members who

are struggling to attend and review the steps. Through their practices and club activities, the officers have noted significant improvements among the members.

Carla Martinez, the club’s teacher sponsor, also finds the club to be beneficial and inviting for CHS students.

“I like how it allows the girls to explore dancing in an environment other

than a traditional classroom or dance studio setting,” Martinez said. “They don’t have to pay anything or go to a special place in order to do something that they love. They get to be with like-minded people who share their passion.”

DRISHTI ‘23 can be reached at dxg1823@g.coppellisd.com

Coppell High School sophomores Aarushi Anand and Medha Jain dance at Canyon Ranch Elementary to practice on Dec. 10. Anand and Jain’s love for Bollywood and hip-hop fusion dance sparked them to create the Spirit of Dance Club. Photo by Nandini Paidesetty

CPR AED CLASS // 9AM-12PM // APRIL 10

COPPELL FARMER’S MARKET // 8AM-12PM // APRIL 17

Entrepreneur turned high school teacher

Simpson funnels business experience into becoming full-time educator Shreya Beldona

emy Regional Director in Fort Worth to run sports camps.

While his business was still in the early stages, Simpson decided to get a job on the side to support himself, working as a yearbook, debate and video teacher in addition to being a football and baseball coach at Ferris High School in Ferris, Texas in 2005.

After moving to Fort Worth four years later, Simpson began his job at Byron Nelson High School as a speech and debate coach for five years. There, he taught 2014 By-

ron Nelson graduate Madi Gackenbach, who would eventually take on the very position Simpson once held.

August 1996: Works In the spring of her junior year, Gackas San Diego enbach was elected as the president of the In August 1996, San Diego Padres PubPadres public speech and debate team for her senior year. lic Affairs intern, and current Coppell High affairs intern.

Two weeks before her senior year began, School social media marketing, sports and Gackenbach found out she was pregnant. entertainment marketing and INCubator 2005: Creates Despite other teachers who expressed teacher, Brian Simpson headed down to his sports camp their disapproval of her, Simpson stood by the locker room to bring third baseman and business her side.

MVP Ken Caminiti onto the field as fans Triumph Sports.

“Coaches complained, thinking I was a lined the corner to get his autograph. bad role model to be parading around, and Eight years later on Oct. 10, 2004, Cam2014: Simpson defended me,” Gackenbach said. initi overdosed and died from cocaine and Teaches speech and debate courses at “When the school district didn’t want me opiates.

Byron Nelson High to compete for them, to be the face of their “I was just always amazed at the tolerance School.

August 2020: Teaches school district, Simpson defended me.” that [athletes have] because you don’t see it,” social However, in 2014, Simpson decided to Simpson said. “When a player is hurt, I don’t media marketing and quit his teaching job to take care of Trihold it against them. These sports are hard INcubator courses at umph Sports, which was experiencing a on their bodies.’ You just didn’t get to see a lot Coppell High School. surge in growth. of [the toll sports have on athletes], and I had “I missed [teaching]; I was dying [witha front row seat for a lot of that.” out it],” Simpson said. “My wife’s like, ‘You Despite his behind-the-scenes ticket to know it looks like you’re enjoying running the game of the harsh world of professional your own business, but man, teaching’s your sports, which he also saw as the marketing/ passion,’ and I said, ‘It so is.’” public affairs intern for the San Diego CharWhen he received an opportunity to teach gers, Simpson keeps a smile on his face. speech and debate and principles of business “[Simpson] was a joy to start working and money matters at Argyle High School, with,” Park Cities Baptist Church sports especially with his experience owning a sucand recreation program director Laurie cessful small business, Simpson took the offer.

Tharp said.

When Simpson quit to focus on Triumph Tharp and Simpson grew closer as Sports again in 2017, his business was still they worked together on one of Simpbooming – that is, until COVID-19 shut son’s successful ventures: a small COPPELL HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER down his business in 2020, which prompted business named Triumph his return to teaching, this time at CHS. Sports.

His side job had become his permanent Triumph Sports, a sports job, one he enjoyed, one he had a passion camp focused on incorporatfor and one the people around him hopes he ing Christian teachings, was an extension of a field Simp- Coppell High School social media marketing, sports and entertainment marketing and INCubator teacher continues to pursue. son was already familiar with Brian Simpson is the founder of Triumph Sports, a camp that uses sports to share Christian teachings.

SHREYA ‘21 can be reached at when he previously worked Simpson used his experience creating Triumph Sports to teach multiple business-related classes at CHS. sxb4151@g.coppellisd.com as the Skyhawks Sports Acad- Photo by Blanche Harris EXECUTIVE ENTERPRISE EDITOR @BeldonaShreya

“I missed [teaching]; I was dying without it.”

BRIAN SIMPSON

Voelker innovating culture of engagement Victoria Hertel

never experienced it before, and we’re all learning while we’re doing this.

Coppell High School AP and honors Chinese teacher lived in Taiwan until 2005; there she studied finance and business management at Providence University. After moving to the United States, she became a vendor manager for an international trading company and started teaching Chinese at New Tech @ Coppell in 2012. She began teaching stationed at CHS in 2018 and utilizes board games and interactive projects to engage students as they learn Mandarin Chinese.

How do you utilize your degrees in teaching?

I come from a business background; I studied finance [at Providence University in Taiwan] and business management in graduate school [at Providence University].

My husband is [New Tech AP World History teacher Garrett Voelker], and he’s the one who guided me and encouraged me to become a teacher. I found that teaching Chinese was very interesting.

I had a professional development [about teaching Chinese in foreign countries] over

STUDENT LIFE EDITOR @veh37936

Coppell High School Chinese teacher Angela Voelker plays Chineasy Tiles to help identify words and terms in her C113 with her Chinese I class during 8th period on March 11. Voelker was selected by The Sidekick as the fifth Teacher of the Isssue for the 20202021 school year. Photo by Lilly Gorman

How is your teaching style unique?

Learning Mandarin is so difficult, so I try to make it fun. More engagement is my teaching style. We sing, dance and play a lot of games in my class. This year really hit me because I tried to reach out to kids. Especially [with] a lot of them who don’t like to turn on their camera, I feel like there’s a big wall in between me and the students this year. I try to reach over that wall. [This year], I’ve been trying to play charades with them through Zoom; I really try. I feel like I try twice as much for the result I get, and the result is half of the normal year.

This is for all of the teachers, we’ve

Graphic by Josh Campbell

there too. I was away from my family for the last three weeks in August 2019. The Taiwanese government knows there are a lot of people like me teaching Chinese in other countries; they will teach you new ways to make [teaching] better and bring it back to your classroom. I really enjoyed it, and I got to know a lot of Chinese teachers there from Turkey, Mexico and Brazil.

I learned a lot of board games to teach Chinese. I brought it back, and I showed it to my department and then they used it too.

VICTORIA ‘21 can be reached at veh7936@g.coppellisd.com

APRIL 2021

Scene change to internationals Angelina Liu STAFF WRITER @angelinaliiu

Thousands of thespians across Texas waited anxiously for final results of the Texas Thespian Festival. Results were posted on Dec. 5 at 8 a.m. Advancing is only possible through achieving the highest scores.

Coppell High School Cowboy Theatre Company’s Deionte Moore, Jadalyn Van, Zoe Cripe, Michelle Zhao, Mehak Lohiya, Phoenix Clasby, Lauren Myers, Trinity Tackett and Megna Gopinath had qualified for the International Thespian Festival in a pool of more than 8,000 entrants at the virtual TTF.

Photo by Angelina Liu

Photo by Camila Flores

Photo by Nandini Paidesetty

Photo by Nandini Paidesetty

Photo by Lilly Gorman

ANGELINA ‘23 can be reached at axl0728@g.coppellisd.com.

Photo by Angelina Liu

Photo by Angelina Liu

Give it a listen, think again Varshitha Korrapolu STAFF WRITER @varshitha1128

Piercing sounds blaring through speakers.

Unpleasant sensations. Noise. Disturbance. Unreal.

Those songs are usually about profanity, shattered young love or substance abuse right?

This is typically what many people associate rap music with. However, in reality, rap music is beautiful.

It portrays harsh realities that pop or other genres of music cannot do justice to.

Rap music originated in New York during the 1970s. It was predominantly made by Black people and diffused from Black block parties. Over time, the significance of rap music flourished as it transformed from a source of entertainment to telling deep, yet strengthening stories.

When talented people craft songs utilizing emphatic, fervent words to depict their difficulties or opinions, young people absorb every ounce of what they listen to.

Exposure to rap and similar styles of music is correlated with improving mental health issues in youth. In the form of a story, these songs capture the artist’s problem and detail how the artist has grown since the struggle subsided.

When I did not have people by my side, I had uplifting rap music.

I had Juice Wrld’s lyrics, such as this one from his song “Empty.”

“We’re perfectly imperfect children, rose from the dust, all of us are on a mission.”

I had Eminem’s lyrics, such as this one from his song “‘Till I Collapse.”

“This is your moment and every single minute you spittin’, trying to hold onto it ‘cause you may never get it again.”

When the activities I love most vanished because of the pandemic, I succumbed to anxiety. During these times of loneliness, I started listening to more rap music to find out how others dealt with difficult circumstances they faced. I learned how people had endurance to persevere through countless situations.

All these changes and growth occurred solely because of the beauty of rap music.

Rap music takes important topics and rappers intertwine their personal experiences with them giving listeners a new angle. Rap utilizes artistic elements which elevate the vital messages rappers communicate through their songs.

Society tends to stereotype rap music with labels such as depression or that it is corrupting our world’s future leaders and vulgarity.

“Most people would definitely associate [rap music] with [negativity and profanity] because of the way rap music is portrayed,” Coppell High School sophomore Preston Taylor said. “A lot of it contains guns and drugs because that’s what the rapper had gone through. It’s a way of expressing, ‘I came up from that.

That’s what I grew up with.’”

Rap music is meaningful. Rap music is powerful. Rap music inspires, evolves and strengthens people. Rap music gives people courage in times of despair.

Next time you open your music streaming application, try to listen to a rap song, and be revolutionized by what you hear.

VARSHITHA ‘22 can be reached at vsk5901@g.coppellisd.com.

WANDA BE MY VISION? P. 18

FROM BAND TO A SONG P. 18

TEXAS BINGO P. 19

Green exuding confidence from the stage Sapna Amin STAFF WRITER @sapnaamin7

In many households with young children, you might hear the snip of scissors as they give a doll a haircut.

However, in the Green residence, Coppell High School senior M.J. Green kept their dolls pristine.

Green’s natural tendency to collect, has combined their dream job of being an archivist, someone who works alongside history to organize and preserve information, with their talent in the theater department by coming into their role as Drama Club historian. As historian, they document and photograph different events and moments throughout the school year to showcase at the end of the year.

“I’m drawn to being an archivist because of my love for history,” Green said. “I want to work in close quarters with history, so it’s my dream job.”

Theater and history often go hand in hand. According to CHS senior co-historian Bella Null, reenacting those moments is what keeps those memories alive.

“As a theater department and community of Coppell, we want to tell students of color that they matter,” Ruth said. “We see you, we hear you, and we want to represent you.”

Green landed the role of Mama Euralie in the spring musical,

“Once on the Island.” In light of the Black Lives Matter movement, Ruth changed the musical to focus on the themes of racial and social injustice.

The roots of the musical are Haitian, which infuses a uniquely Black perspective and music. About 80% of the cast consists of people of color.

“A lot of minorities weren’t getting a lot of representation within the shows [in the past],” Null said.

“However, this musical highlights the Black people within our department, and Ruth works to make sure that everyone gets their deserved, special moment.”

Green celebrates their Black identity through a powerful expression of hair.

From signifying social status to making a statement, for centuries, beads have been paired with Black hairstyles.

They share this particular style with their kin and roots. They walk proudly with their heritage on their head.

“In the past few years, I’ve become more comfortable with connecting, embracing and showing my Black identity,” Green said.

SAPNA ‘21 can be reached at saa6871@g.coppellisd.com.

Coppell High School senior M.J. Green rehearses for the musical “Once on This Island” in the CHS Black Box on Feb. 24. Green is drama club historian and hopes to be an archivist with her experience. Photo by Kyah Jones

Kada singing her way to Vivace!

A n e t t e Va r g h e s e

auditions. Vivace! specializes in pop and jazz literature with choreography.

“The difference between first semester ensemble [Respira] and the second As a sixth grader at Coppell Middle semester one is treble voices versus School East, Mihira Kada joined choir, mixed voices,” Coppell choir director and as a seventh grader, she tried her Bona Coogle said.

“Because it’s mixed, it just brings a hand at CMSE show choir Vox, only to fall in love with it. It was after that different sound rather than just sopraschool year that Kada decided to con- no and alto voices; we also have tenors that land lower on tinue her love of Playlists the scale.” dancing and singCoogle looks ing throughout for five main ashigh school. pects in a future “At [CMSE], my Play Shuffle leadership pochoir teacher [Lausition holder: a God is a woman ren Danby] gave Ariana Grande team player, someme an award for Tears of Gold one who is collabbest student in my Faouzia orative and can varsity choir, that Kings & Queens represent Coppell was a really great Ava Max Choir, the ability achievement,” Kada There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back to sight-read sheet said. “I was in choir Shawn Mendes music and dancfor all three years ing ability. Sophoin middle school. It was exciting to know my teacher thinks of mores typically do not hold leadership me as a great role model and a person to positions because of their lack of experience in the program. have in the varsity choir.”

“Having two co-captains brings new Vivace! is a spring semester extracurricular mixed show choir composed of perspectives, and we value our singers’ choir students selected by competitive opinions and feedback because we want STAFF WRITER @AnetteVarghese

Mihira’s Playlist

this to be a positive experience. Having two co-captains gives us a broader spectrum of how the singers feel about different aspects of our program,” Coogle said.

“Mihira is a positive person who is a natural leader, and rather than feeling the pressure, she’s very happy and excited for this opportunity because she gets to help and be more involved in things that she loves.”

The co-captains work as the liaison between the choir directors and the students.

They are in charge of communicating information and reminding the singers about upcoming events or rehearsals. They also take the lead on creating show shirts, have a say in costume selection and are in charge of collaborating with ensemble choreographer Ashley Kimbrough.

“[Kada is] very dedicated and very outgoing. She always shows up prepared, knows her part and her dances.

She is very much a leader in the past years [before taking on a leadership role]; if people had questions she was always ready to answer them,” Vivace! senior co-captain Sydney Williams said.

Because of her opportunity as a sophomore, Kada hopes to take on more leadership positions in the Coppell choir program.

“Joining the CISD choir program evolved my singing a lot and my interest in it,” Kada said.

“Now, it’s a passion of mine that I want to keep along with me and pursue in college.”

ANETTE ‘22 can be reached at atv3765@g.coppellisd.com.

Coppell High School sophomore Mihira Kada rehearses her Vivace! performance “Home” by Philip Philips at the CHS parking lot on March 7. Kada was named co-captain of Vivace! early second semester. Photo by Angelina Liu

APRIL ONCE ON THIS ISLAND @ CHS AUDITORIUM // APRIL 16-25

THE WATTERS @ COPPELL ARTS CENTER // APRIL 10

MARVEL perseveres with “WandaVision” Blanche Harris

SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER @blanchegang “We are an unusual couple you know.”

“I don’t think that was ever in question.”

“WandaVision” is a show no one expected, but definitely does not disappoint. After almost a year without new releases from Marvel, fans were more than ready to have new content to watch.

We were all expecting a classic Marvel story. Action packed, fight scene heavy, one big bad villain and the heroes saving the day. When I watched “WandaVision’s” first episode in January, I stopped.

Did Marvel produce a sitcom?

Yes, they did. And it is fantastic.

“WandaVision” is one of my favorite shows I have ever seen. Each episode layers on top of the other, creating an insane mystery that keeps you on your toes until the end. In addition to the suspense, each episode dances through the decades, starting with the 1950s and ending in the 2010s. While you are trying to figure out what is happening, you get to see the progression of American sitcoms through time.

Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen), a witch, and Vision (Paul Bethany), a synthezoid, are newly married and move into their new home in Westview, N.J., rendered in 1950s black and white and chock-full of “The Dick Van Dyke Show” references. We have no context as to what is going on. Why are two Avengers in a sitcom? Vision

Marvel franchise’s TV series “WandaVision” aired its season finale on March 5 on Disney+. The Sidekick social media manager Blanche Harris thinks the show is Marvel’s greatest feat to date and tested the versatility of the studio’s style.

Photo illustration by Nandini Muresh and Sally Parampottil died in the last movie, is he alive? Why is it black and white?

Almost every episode is based on another sitcom, from “Bewitched” to “Family Ties” to “Modern Family”. As the show speeds through time, we become more aware something is wrong.

“WandaVision” focuses on the story of Wanda Maximoff and The Vision,

characters who have not been given this level of screen time and depth in previous Marvel movies. Maximoff, a woman who has lost her parents, brother and the love of her life, reckons with grief, loss, anger and hope.

This show touches on the emotions we all have during grief and beautifully sums the emotion up with one quote:

“What is grief, if not love persevering?”

“WandaVision” is Wanda’s journey.

“WandaVision” has started a new era. Thank you, Marvel. For making me laugh, making me cry and making me ecstatic for what is to come.

BLANCHE ‘21 can be reached at bxh2578@g.coppellisd.com.

Aitha evolving in music creation Up ne x t

A U T O P L AY

What is your favorite genre of music to listen to?

Coppell High School senior Akhil Aitha plays the marching bass drum on Feb. 8 in the CHS parking lot. Aitha makes music outside of school by singing and producing beats on his computer. Photo by Kyah Jones

Tr i s h a A t l u r i

ADVERTISING/CIRCULATION MANAGER @trishatluri Three weeks after the release of his song, “Na La Lenu,” Coppell High School senior Akhil Aitha woke

up to find the music video had been viewed 3,500 times.

The song, released Jan. 10, is Aitha’s first Telugu piece. The lyrics were originally part of a poem written by his father’s cousin Nihar Bheemanathi before Aitha shaped them into a song with his music production and compo-

sition skills. Aitha grew up in a Telugu-speaking family, but he did not understand the meaning of the lyrics.

The two went back and forth for months, Bheemanathi sending Aitha poem fragments and Aitha carving a melody out of the words. As Aitha watched the views climb in the days af-

My primary genre is hip hop, but there’s a little bit of experimental music and indie music in there too. To be more specific, I listen to a lot of artists like Frank Ocean. He’s my favorite artist right now. His music is very complex, his voice is soothing, and the choices he makes with his instruments are interesting. ter the song’s release, he was shocked by the reach.

“I didn’t expect to get that many views and that much praise,” Aitha said. “I’m proud of the work I did.”

TRISHA ‘22 can be reached at tra2735@g.coppellisd.com.

CHILDREN’S CHORUS @ COPPELL ARTS CENTER // 3 P.M. // APRIL 11

FAREWELL ANGELINA @ COPPELL ARTS CENTER // 8 P.M. // APRIL 17

bingo! How Texan are you?

Dentistry for Infants, Children & Teens Dr. Rozas is committed to giving each child and family excellent and comprehensive care, and she is passionate about prevention and overall body wellness. She believes that every child deserves a happy and healthy smile!

972-393-9779

632 E. Sandy Lake Rd. Coppell, TX

www.RozasDDS.com Board Certified Diplomate, American Board of Pediatric Dentistry

APRIL 2021

Stepping up to the plate Mercado preparing for Olympic softball tryouts To r i e P e c k STAFF WRITER @torielpeck

A

quick signal to the pitcher.

The whizz of an incoming neon-yellow softball. The snap of a leather glove.

Strike!

Softball is Coppell senior catch-

er Dafne Mercado’s happy place. Surrounded by her closest friends and an intense game easily diminishes the stress of the outside world. On the field, there is only one thing to worry about: the next pitch.

But Mercado’s love for softball didn’t come as naturally as one may think.

“I started playing softball when I was 8, after moving to Coppell from Grand

Prairie,” Mercado said. “The first time while not an easy feat, would be to go I tried out, I wanted to quit because I Division I of the NCAA in college. But didn’t like it at all; everyone had been that is not what Dafne did. playing for a long time, and I was super behind, and my skills weren’t [up to par].”

No matter how much she wanted to quit when she first started playing, Dafne’s parents, Maribel and Jose Mercado, encouraged her to give it a shot. With help from Sparks coach Landon Wilson, the game started to come more naturally.

“I [told Dafne] to keep trying until she gets it,” Mrs. Mercado said. “Sometimes COPPELL SOFTBALL COACH when the game didn’t go her way, she’d get discouraged and During Dafne’s junior year, her friend want to quit. I just told her to keep Ralls High School junior Jazzlyn Vaquera working and she’d get it.” made the Mexican Olympic team. After As her skills grew, so did her matu- Vaquera made the team, Dafne’s interest rity and confidence. Now, Dafne knows spiked. Trying out was a no-brainer. her errors do not define her.

“The reason I get to try out is because “There’s s o m e d ay s w h e r e I don’t most people who are already on the team want to do stuff after I’ve had a bad are on [Division I] softball and some people game,” Dafne said. “But I always have couldn’t play due to COVID-19,” Dafne said. my mom and coaches there who believe “I get to go in the summer and try out.” in me. If I make an error, I know they’ll Dafne expects to try out for Team be behind me and keep pushing me.”

Mexico in the 2024 Olympics around Her hard work paid off. Dafne con- July or August of this year. tinued to improve over the years and “People are seeing what Mercado can began to feel at home on the field. really do,” Coppell coach Mike Dyson Now, she shines as Coppell’s start- said. “She’s hitting the ball well and reing catcher on the varsity team. ally standing out, [and] she’s got a cannon Once Dafne got comfort- of an arm.” able on the field, she started to focus on her future. A TORIE ‘23 can be reached at common goal, vlp0601@g.coppellisd.com

“She’s hitting the ball well and really standing out, [and] she’s got a cannon of an arm.”

MIKE DYSON

Coppell senior Dafne Mercardo is the starting catcher for the Coppell softball team.

Mercado has played softball since she was 8 and is trying out for the Mexican Olympic team over the summer. Photos by Precious Onalaja and Sally Parampottil

SMALL SIZE, SWEET CHARISMA P. 22

ME AND MY BOARD P. 22

COAST TO COAST P. 23

Inseparable: Brothers on, off field To r i e P e c k STAFF WRITER @torielpeck

Sand sweeping over a pristine white plate.

The sound of a metal bat slapping against the baseball. The perfect red stitching.

Baseball is a sport where every detail matters, every movement, every

S A M

play and every error. Coppell senior infielder/pitcher Sam Rodman refers to it as “a game of failure,”’ full of life lessons.

“I’ve learned from different coaches and mentors that you can have a great day and come back the next day and not play your best, but that’s a part of playing the game,” Rodman said. “Not everything is going to go your way. You’re not always going to be playing your best. It’s about staying even-keeled and keeping the same attitude.”

Growing up, Sam and his twin, Coppell senior outfielder/pitcher Will Rodman, were constantly surrounded by sports. At age 4, the two found themselves in the dugout.

“Baseball is one of my biggest influences. Other than school and family, it’s been my top thing,” Will said. “It’s [also] awesome playing with Sam; not only [is he] my brother, but a teammate and my best friend.

We practice and

Coppell senior infielder/pitcher Sam Rodman pitches at practice on Wednesday at the Coppell Baseball Complex.

Sam committed to Oklahoma Christian University with his twin, senior outfielder/pitcher Will Rodman, where they will attend in the fall. Photos by Neveah Jones

play together, which makes me want to keep going, playing and getting better.”

During the Rodmans’ sophomore year, an opportunity arose to travel to Oklahoma Christian University (OC) with their friend, Coppell High School 2016 graduate Marco Navarro.

“We met OC head coach [Lonny Cobble] about two years ago when [Navarro] went down for a visit and workout,” Sam said. “[Will] and I decided to go with him to check it out and ended up going out to eat with [Cobble] and checking out the facilities.”

Little did they know how fast that dream of playing college baseball could come true.

With recruiting down this season due to COVID-19, getting an offer would prove to be more challenging than usual. The Rodmans reached out to Cobble and scheduled their own visit and workout with the team in January.

After a successful visit, Cobble was impressed by the Rodmans’ skill and dedication. According to Howard, the boys have a great work ethic and are huge assets to the

W I L L

team, which will carry over to college ball. With this in mind, Cobble invited the Rodmans and their parents, Larry and Christi Rodman, into his office and proceeded to offer both boys scholarships to OC and to join his team.

It was the opportunity of a lifetime.

“It’s really cool that [Will] and I are going to play together at the next level,” Sam said.

“It’s been a fun journey, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything else.”

TORIE ‘23 can be reached at vlp0601@g.coppellisd.com

Desire for speed generating diverse track community Meer Mahfuz STAFF WRITER @meer_mafuz

When you google the phrase “farm team,” you will see that a farm team is a club or organization to younger players as they develop into more senior roles within a program.

Track and field at Coppell is a farm team. The program searches for and chooses the athletes who will help them the most from all CHS sports. As a result, track and field hold the most diverse group of athletes in Coppell through the hunger of speed development, acceleration training and peak physical performance.

“Track at its core is about speed; every sport is focused on speed, and if we can develop that speed for athletes in track then it carries over to [their sport],” Coppell track coach Karl Pointer said. “Having a great high jump and long jump is going to benefit a basketball or a volleyball kid, but you can never be too fast. At the end of the day,

if we can make you more efficient and faster, where you can run at max-acceleration, that’s going to carry over to any sport.”

With 214 total athletes, 134 boys and 80 girls respectively, track and field holds athletes from 10 different sports ranging from girls golf to boys soccer and everything in between. But while cross country and football are essentially best friends with track and field, making up a majority of the roster on the boys and girls sides, the other sports that feed into track and field are true highlights.

Forty-one percent of all girls currently on the track roster are multisport athletes.

Thirty-nine percent of those girls are cross country runners, 27 percent are basketball players, 15 percent are soccer players, 15 percent are volleyball players and three percent are golfers.

More than half of all the boys currently on the roster are multisport athletes, though precise figure breakdown is indeterminate because of the gray line between football and track. All current football players do track workouts two times a week re-

gardless of competing in track/field events or not. One of these multisport participants is Coppell junior sprinter/hurdler Akil Daresalamwala.

After deciding track was best for him due to the individuality, Daresalamwala decided to quit playing soccer to solely focus on running in freshman year. “[In soccer], I had to worry about being fast but also being good at all the other things like shooting and ball work and passing and looking at the match to see where everyone else is, but track, you just have to worry about your own race,” Daresalamwala said.

MEER ‘22 can be reached at mmm0332@g.coppellisd.com

APRIL FRISCO HERITAGE TENNIS TOURNAMENT // 8 A.M. // APRIL 9

CLASS 6A REGION 1 AREA TRACK AND FIELD MEET // 2 P.M. // APRIL 15

Wojick applying bubbly personality in pole vaulting despite height

Varshitha Korrapolu STAFF WRITER @varshitha1128

Coppell junior Kinley Wojick pole vaults at the CHS Field House on Feb 24. Wojick has been pole vaulting since seventh grade at Coppell Middle School East and competed in the 2018 and 2019 Junior Olympics. Photo by Kyah Jones

She runs. She stabilizes her pole.

She lifts her body upwards. She propels herself over the crossbar. She lands.

She repeats. “[Pole vaulting] is stressful, but it’s so fun and you have so much adrenaline going,” Coppell junior pole vaulter Kinley Wojick said. “You are stressing out about it a little bit, but you are so excited for it. Once you clear that bar you have been wanting to clear for a long time, then you are just so ecstatic and so excited. You just have so much adrenaline rushing. It’s just the best feeling in the world.”

According to mother Trista Wojick, Kin-

ley loves to participate in risky activities. Despite it being a dangerous sport, Mrs. Wojick is supportive of Kinley’s fondness for pole vaulting. “[When Kinley first started pole vaulting], I was scared,” Mrs. Wojick said. “It is a risky sport. People can break their necks or fall or possibly die. If she is doing what she loves then that’s OK, but it does make my heart pound a little bit each time.”

Kinley’s first interaction with pole vaulting occurred in seventh grade at Coppell Middle School East. When she watched videos of her friend’s dad’s experiences with pole vaulting at Texas A&M, Kinley was inspired to begin her pole vaulting journey.

Although Kinley is one of the shortest members on the Coppell track and field team at 5 feet 3 inches, she displays indomitable spirit and does not let her height hinder her performance.

“She has always been the shortest one, the smallest one,” Coppell coach Don

Kemp said.

“She struggled with [those characteristics] when compared to everybody else. She overcame it by working harder and eating the right things.”

Her mentality and commitment to sports has helped Kinley compete in the Junior Olympics twice: during the summer of 2018 and the summer of 2019.

“It was a couple years before I was able to [compete at that level],” Kinley said.

“It took a lot of practice, hard work and dedication. Going into the weight room, running even when conditions aren’t right [and] working whenever your competitors may not be working.”

Competing as a rising freshman, Kinley cleared 10.9252 feet and won second place in the Junior Olympics.

However, as a rising sophomore, Kinley thinks she faced mental challenges because her performance was not her best, clearing 10 feet.

With the combination of Kinley’s diligence, personality and intrigue towards pole vaulting, she strives for excellence.

“She’s honest,” Kemp said. “She’s driven. A lot of kids pretend like they are driven and when they leave practice, they are not. They do things that don’t help.

Whenever she leaves practice, she’s got high character.”

VARSHITHA ‘22 can be reached at vsk5901@g.coppellisd.com

Skateboarding lifestyle transcends sports Josh Campbell STAFF DESIGNER @JoshDC004

Skateboarding is not just a sport, but rather a form of expression. A blending of physical movement and style creates a unique sport of skill and determination made through one’s personal traits.

A sport is often affiliated with hard work, sweat and training, and don’t get me wrong - the hours and hours you put into skateboarding can be relentless. Countless falls, bruises and scrapes are simply a commodity while skateboarding. However, in a broader perspective, that’s a part of the true nature of skateboarding. In reality, there are many aspects of skateboarding: the relief, the moti-

The Sidekick staff designer Josh Campbell owns various skateboards, which he has been collecting since sixth grade when he became interested in skating.

Campbell expresses that skateboarding is a sport and lifestyle that he enjoys partaking in. Photos by Angelina Liu

vation, the tricks and the community.

For me, skating is a time to get away, once the sun sets and it’s just you and your board.

As the wind blows, all I hear is the music blaring from my phone and the bearings rolling from my skateboard. Trying trick after trick and being lost in a zone of concentration.

This is truly what I love about skateboarding.

In the four years I’ve been skating, I’ve learned it’s not the tricks that make you a skater, but rather the captivation found in riding.

I’m not the best at skateboarding in any way, and I still consider myself to be an amateur of some sort. However, I’ve found that skating with my friends, seeing each other slowly improve over time, is another great part of the sport. We push each other to try things we’re scared of. If we didn’t push each other like we do, I’m sure I wouldn’t be at the skill level I am today. We don’t just push each other; we teach others too, always trying to outdo each other helps motivate ourselves.

The final aspect to skateboarding: self expression. Just looking at my different skateboards tell a story themselves. The stickers on the deck, the wheels you roll on, the clothes you wear, it’s all a part of skateboarding. Most importantly are the tricks you do; no one’s going to do them the same as you, and every trick is different from the last.

Skateboarding is a sport like none other with so many unique characteristics that form it into not just a sport, but a lifestyle with self expression weaved through its foundation.

JOSH ‘23 can be reached at jdc1758@g.coppellisd.com

BOYS LACROSSE VS. EPISCOPAL SCHOOL OF DALLAS // APRIL 21

BASEBALL VS. FLOWER MOUND // 7:30 P.M. // APRIL 27

BOARDING AMERICA

Former dancer sticking to lacrosse Sreeja Mudumby

COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER @sreejamudumby As she launches the ball from away from her crosse towards her teammates, she cannot help but remember her best friends who are approximately 6,321 miles away from her. Memories of traditional dresses and the taste of home food trickle into her memory.

But the thing she misses most is being draped with a white gown, graciously sway-

ing back and forth on the stage. The delicacy of dance is what gives it the beauty.

She snaps up.

Coppell junior midfielder Aoi Suzuki was an avid dancer, and her skills ranged from hip-hop to ballet to jazz. Suzuki immigrated to the United States from Chiba, Japan in March 2018 when she was in the eighth grade and faced the typical struggles of an immigrant, but persisted through.

“The biggest struggle was definitely the language barrier,” Suzuki said via email.

“I didn’t understand English at all when I moved here.”

Suzuki’s introversion caused her to be socially isolated until she learned how to adapt to the American environment.

“When I first met [Suzuki], it was freshman year,” Coppell junior

Photo courtesy Aoi Suzuki

attacker Haley Wenzel said. “She has a very subtle way of communicating, and she is an overall sweet person.”

When she came to the United States, dancing here did not give her the same happiness as dancing in Japan. However, she found another way to express herself and stay active.

The lacrosse team.

“I didn’t know anything about lacrosse until I came here, so I thought it’ll be interesting to start a brand new thing with a brand new environment,” Suzuki said. “I used to do track, but that was the only sport I did, and I had never done team sports before, so I was super nervous at first.”

Coppell junior midfielder Sadie Harper can always count on Suzuki in the field, and trust her skill to score a win for the team.

“She’s a really reliable person on the field,” Harper said. “She always tries her best, and when she’s on the field, you know something’s going to go right.”

However, Suzuki’s aggression is only seen when she is holding a crosse.

“She’s so kind and so positive,” Harper said. “I respect how much effort she puts into everything.”

With teammates who are also her friends, she has found her home away from home on the field.

“Lacrosse is the place where I can be

Coppell junior midfielder Aoi Suzuki rushes downfield against Plano on March 5 at Clark West Field. Photo

by Josh Campbell myself and enjoy being there, whether it is practice, winning or losing,” Suzuki said.

“I couldn’t make any friends until I joined lacrosse. But when I come to practice, I enjoy communicating with my teammates. I was able to figure out what kind of person I am through lacrosse. Lacrosse not only helped me adapt to a new environment but also changed my personality overtime. If I hadn’t played, I would’ve never [been] interviewed for The Sidekick as well.”

SREEJA ‘22 can be reached at sxm4577@g.coppellisd.com

Diverse careers pushing Lackey’s leadership Shreya Beldona

ing and working around Texas, Lackey started to coach at Coppell High School for the 2008-09 school year. After leaving and moving around Texas, he has now settled on his job at CHS as the special teams As the 18-wheeler came closer and coordinator, outside linebacker coach and closer towards his 240 Nissan SX on his triple jump coach. journey from Lubbock to Homer, Alaska Despite the long hours his job entails, for his post high school graduation comLackey prioritized the importance of fammercial fishing job in 1999, Coppell speily, setting aside time to be a part of his cial teams coordinator Christopher Lackey kids’ lives. yelled at his friend to wake up.

“He’s grown and becoming a great faFinally, Lackey would have the perther. He’s developed an enormous amount fect prank to get back at his driving partof patience, as you have to do with that ner for purposely driving in potholes. many children. He’s just a great leader for “There was a semi our family, a great example to follow,” upon another semi Mrs. Lackey said. truck facing backLackey extends the skills wards. The semis and lessons learned as his were moving away role as a father into his from us but it looks role as a coach, often like there’s one coming teaching the same valtowards us,” Lackey said. ues to his athletes.

“For payback on my buddy, “He doesn’t just foI decided I’m gonna get as cus on being a coach close to this semi as I can. I get up because it’s a sport; he as close as I can and then I start loves to coach,” Mrs. screaming, so he wakes up and he Lackey said. “He wants screams. I mean, it feels like he to teach [his athletes] how screams like a girl for probably like to be successful people, five minutes.” how to work hard to get On top of weightlifting, coachsomething you want, how ing, being a Marine and MMA to always give your best, and fighting, commercial fishing was CHRISTOPHER LACKEY’S WIFE that’s the same lessons he just one of the unique hobbies and teaches our children at home.” occupations Lackey held.

“My buddy [Jared Agnew] had Coppell special teams coordinator Christopher Lackey has been involved in multiple pursuits, such as met a fishing boat captain when he fishing, the Marine Corps, weight training and MMA fighting before coaching football. With his diverse SHREYA ‘21 can be reached at sxb4151@g.coppellisd.com was in Hawaii. He came back and experiences, Lackey utilizes his skillset to coach at Coppell. Photos by Blanche Harris ENTERPRISE EDITOR @BeldonaShreya

basically said, ‘Let’s go have an adventure.’

It really wasn’t even about money, it was more about the adventure and getting to see the world and being young and probably a little dumb,” Lackey said.

After finishing his summer job, Lackey joined the Marine Corps in 2001. However, before he left, he reconnected with a friend he had not talked to in years: Lackey’s now wife, Christa Lackey.

The Lackeys had been friends ever since fourth grade. After ending up in

different friend circles as they grew up, they finally reconnected before his tour in Iraq.

“We spent every day together probably for like, two or three weeks,” Mrs. Lackey said. “You feel like you just kind of started dating somebody, but at the same time, we already could tell we were meant to be together. [When he left for Iraq, I] always had my phone by my side. You just never knew [when you would get a call]; it would be heartbreaking if you missed that phone call.”

After personal train-

“He doesn’t just focus on being a coach because it’s a sport; he loves to coach.”

C H R I S TA L A C K E Y

APRIL 2021