Volume 33 Issue 4

THE SIDEKICK NEWS

Letter from the Editor

The magic room and the girl who can’t read a map I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about Coppell High School as a building lately.

My first few memories of it are vague - I only knew a couple hallways from attending middle school band events. I distinctly remember the old cowboy structure, though its location was confusing to me.

I am notoriously bad at directions; I recently directed my friends to DFW Airport instead of the Shake Shack in Las Colinas. I find it quite odd to remember when I was even worse. I once couldn’t find the back room to the high school’s auditorium to set up my bassoon although I’d been there a million times before or find F Hall although I went for my weekly lessons. It was a lifetime ago, or it feels like it must have been because I know the building so well now.

D115, our newsroom, is special to me in the way Buddy Echols Field must be to our athletes. The room is where I play my toughest game, a newsroom simulator for high school students until it doesn’t feel like it’s just a newspaper or a publi-

cation. It becomes something with infinite joy within its successes and equal sorrow for its losses.

I didn’t get that last year. D115 was just a room where the work I was doing online could be done more efficiently, but a room I was never in. Our newsroom virtually wasn’t really a newsroom, but D115 gets to be one this year, and we get to be in it. We get to be part of something, a collective identity, and the room is a part of that.

I love how we term stepping into the room when we don’t have to be there. We call it “popping in,” and it’s so oddly joyful, though it’s a random and straightforward term, to describe our staffers’ tendency to mill around the room in passing periods and use it as a meeting place for their friends after school.

What makes it a newsroom to me isn’t just that we come in, get our work done and shout across the room for each other’s acknowledgment instead of texting for it miles away.

What makes it a newsroom is the people that work there. More

specifically, the people that treat it like a place they want to be - those that make it their space, bring their friends and discuss their terrifying stan Twitters in the presence of the people who assign them work.

Perhaps a lot of it isn’t proper newsroom etiquette. I’m perfectly fine with that.

Last year on The Sidekick was fantastic. Our staff and leadership team were packed with people who loved the program and had the talent to make it unforgettable. Yet we never did have D115 as our base, and we never got to know each other within the walls of a place we liked to call ours collectively.

I know high school well now. After it being a looming presence, it became the grounds on which my life occurred for the last four years. I know with

an unwavering surety, that to walk down the main hallway, take the last possible right and open the first door on the left leads to a place with a little more magic than the rest of the building.

Questions, Coppell?

Native Amer ican his tory of the city Sidekick Online

Shrayes Gunna Staff Writer

@GunnaShrayes

FEBRUARY 2022

@thesidekickcoppell

@CHSCampusNews

Indigeneous history is a constituent part of Coppell’s conception: equally intriguing and significant native tribes called Coppell home far beyond our own ancestors. In fact, there are sites littered throughout the city providing a variety of pleasant outings to be enjoyed by the generations of family and friends that, now, call the city home.

Such history plays a keen role in producing perspectives of acceptance and understanding; an underlying appreciation for those who shared the land that we now know as Coppell or as the “Caddo Mounds” as given by early settlers in the Grapevine-Coppell region.

Nestled between the Coppell Senior and Community Center and Grapevine Creek is Grapevine Springs Park. According to the Coppell Historical Society, the park was an attractive and prominent camping spot for the nomadic tribes that traversed the Great Plains and many regions of Texas.

Today, stone columns mark the west entrance to the park, embellished with a plaque describing its importance in Coppell’s vast history, just like Bird’s Fort: a military stronghold, residing in present-day Arlington, that housed several volunteers and was stocked with supplies.

Bird’s Fort was also the location of the signing of one of the first native treaties by white settlers

Questions, Coppell? is a Sidekick series in which staff writer Shrayes Gunna answers readers’ questions about Coppell and Coppell ISD. Gunna delves into indigenous history that preceded the city’s to let readers into Native American life and the origins of Coppell. Nick Larry

in Coppell on Sept. 29, 1843, involving the Caddo, Anadarko and Hainai tribes. The area further signifies some of the first interactions between Natives and European settlers in Coppell that sought to turn the nomadic territory of indigeneity into a permanent settlement, resulting in conflicts. Bird’s Fort symbolizes native history that preceded the removal of tribes from the land.

“The native’s occupation of the land was temporary as they were moving through the Trinity River terraces towards Oklahoma,” writer and archaeologist for the Texas government Rebecca Shelton said.

To enhance residents’ understanding of the history of these tribes and others located within the “Caddo Mounds,” the Coppell Historical Society brought upon regional archaeologists Jeff Durst and Rebecca Shelton to dig deeper into the history of the region.

The Caddo was an alliance of several tribes that shared commonalities. According to self-told origins, the Caddo surfaced from the ground near the Red River. The name, “Caddo Mounds,” likely refers to the mound-building culture that marked the tribal alliance. “[Indigenous histories] put us in touch with where we are,” Shelton said. “So many of us are recent, several generations back, but the depth of history of Native American occupation and indigenous lifetimes dates back over 10,000 years ago and beyond.”

Video doorbells securing campus safet y Sruthi Lingam Staff Photographer @sruthilingam

Coppell ISD’s safety and security committee decided to install video doorbells across campuses during the 2020-21 school year. The video doorbell at Coppell High School was installed in late November and is located near the back doors exiting the Small Commons.

The new safety measures were piloted at three different CISD campuses: Victory Place @ Coppell, Pinkerton Elementary and the Roy C. Brock Center.

“At those three buildings, we [tested] the [doorbell’s] software and hardware and talked to our administrative staff at the front offices,” CISD coordinator of safety and security Rachael Freeman said. “All of them supported [using these doorbells]. If you go to any other school district in the North Texas area, they will have something very similar to a video doorbell.

[The video doorbells] keep the campuses as secure as possible.”

The update comes with changes for parents and other visitors. Visitors are asked to state their purpose for entering the campus before being let in by the receptionist or secretary monitoring the doorbell’s live footage.

According to CHS receptionist Julie Wilson, prior to the installation of the doorbell, deliveries and parents could enter through the back doors and arrive at the front office without receiving authorization from campus staff to enter the building.

Since the installation of the video doorbell at CHS, unidentified visitors have been prevented from entering through the campus’s back doors and wandering the building. Wilson can also direct visitors to their destination and keep them from getting lost inside the school.

Currently, all 21 buildings in the district have video doorbells installed on their campuses.

“We can now keep a better eye on the safety of our staff and students,” Wilson said. “Especially in this day Aliya Zakir and age, it’s all about safety.”

Language classes Profiling Coppell

Students in the English Second Language class begin their class with “The Hello Song.” Coppell Middle School East hosts the ESL classes every Tuesday at the CMS East Library. Sruthi Lingam

Yaamini Jois Staff Writer

@Yaamini_Jois

@mvpalovalley

Biju Mathew has served as Place 6 on Coppell City Council since May 2018. Coming from a job in information technology of 10 years, Mathew provides insight from his unique lens and experience in other departments. His term will end May 2024.

What has helped you decide to give back to the community?

I was born in India. I came to the U.S. when I was 16 years of age. I understand the schooling system in India and the United States because I had the privilege to graduate from here.

One of the things I noticed is that in the United states [you] have the opportunity to do a lot of service oriented projects. That gives you the ability to start volunteering your time to many

Profiling Coppell is a Sidekick series in which staff writers profile influential members of the Coppell community. programs within the city or outside of the city charitable organizations like Northlake Club or Lions Club. We got a gold medal award for being one of the best parks in the country.

What advice do you have for high school students looking for opportunities?

Our job does not pay any money: we don’t take any salary or anything like that. This is a good way to give your time to the community, it’s all about service in your heart. If you have that service mentality in your heart, you are willing to do so many things for the city and neighborhood that you don’t expect anything back.

If you have that service mentality in your heart; you are willing to do so many things for your city.”

BIJU MATHEW

CITY COUNCIL PLACE 6

Why are you so passionate about upholding Coppell’s standards?

Even though we may have to go through comments from the citizens and residents [that are] not so pleasant, we still want to do what’s best for the community.

At the end of the day I always think ‘my family lives here, so we want to be safe, secure and intact’ and the best way is to get involved [and] provide some type of service so that we all can live peacefully and harmoniously.

Why have you chosen to be so invested in Coppell’s parks?

We have a great park system. We did a lot of work when I was on the park board making sure that the Andy Brown East, West and Central were [beautified].

Coppell City Council Place 6 member Biju Mathew has been on the council since 2018. Mathew is proud of numerous achievements for the city, notably its award-winning parks and fiscal responsibility. Angelina Liu

Coppell is in high demand because of [the] outstanding school system.”

MARK SMITS

CITY COUNCIL PLACE 7

of people in a neighborhood and from that group we then grew. At one point we decided that someone should run for city council so our voices could be heard. I stepped up and said ‘you know, I can do it.’ With that force behind me, I brought that forward as my cause to get on council.

Is there anything that citizens don’t usually consider?

I think what people have to realize is some of the concepts and ideas put forth [at city council] are not going to take place in the next year or next five years. It’s [going to] be 10 years and beyond looking forward, there’s going to be redevelopment of homes and neighborhoods in Coppell. It’s inevitable; Coppell is in high demand because of [the] outstanding school system and we will see that redevelopment in the future.

What are some of the problems you have to take into account when making decisions?

We had the motto ‘Coppell community for a lifetime,’ and we’ve been trying to figure out a way for seniors to age in place in Coppell because I know countless friends who moved out of Coppell for one reason or another: downsizing, taxes being too high. We’ve been discussing this issue of how to retain seniors.

What do you find important about the city of Coppell?

[People] come to Coppell for family homes [in] its suburbia; you feel comfortable letting your kids run around the neighborhood and I think people want the small town feel that Coppell still has.

FEBRUARY 2022

Mark Hill, Place 7 on Coppell City Council, has been in office since May 2014. With his many years of experience, he has begun and carried on many projects to make the city of Coppell a better place.

What advice do you have for future city council members?

[Keep] the long term goals of the city in mind and every decision you make and every vote you cast [in mind as well].

We look at maintaining our city at a certain level and how we [can] achieve that long term.

[Essentially, think about] what decisions we have to make now to keep that going.

Why did you decide to run for city council?

Back in 2013, [there was a] comprehensive master plan, the 2030 master omprehensive plan, and in that plan they had noted areas of development/ redevelopment of the city. I took a deep dive into the comprehensive master plan and once I saw what was proposed I thought ‘this is not why people come Coppell City Council Place 7 member Mark Hill has been on the council since to Coppell.’ I felt it 2014. Mathew is proud of numerous achievements for the city, notably its was so important [to neighborhood development and quality of city services. Angelina Liu mobilize] with a group

www.coppellstudentmedia.com

Adult English as a Second Language students Adriana Pardo and Vivian Oropeza review their class worksheet about identifying different types of buildings in a city. Coppell Middle School East hosts the ESL classes every Tuesday at the CMS East Library. Sruthi Lingam

Staff Writer

YouTube: Coppell Student Media

Shortly after Coppell Middle School East closes for the day, a group of parents and grandparents meet in the school’s library for targeted ESL lessons.

They are from different parts of the world but have one thing in common: English is their second, third or even fourth language.

CMS East Language Acquisition Specialist Laura Bird has coordinated the program at East for five years, with the aid of Coppell Middle School North Language Acquisition Specialist Colleen Cobb. CMS East is the only campus to offer family members ESL classes in CISD. Other campuses’ programs are led by coordinators Shauna Carter, Ashton Wright and Colleen Friskey at Coppell High School, CHS9 and Coppell Middle School West respectively, but only offer students ESL classes.

The program is open to any family member of a CISD student.

Classes are every Tuesday from 5:30-7:00 p.m. in the CMS East Library. The classes also offer many parents opportunities to connect with other families who have recently emigrated from similar countries.

“We used to have approximately 30 people coming in for lessons in previous years,” said Bird, who has been an LAS for 25 years.

“This year we have 50-60 regular students every week.”

Family members in the program come from different backgrounds and have different levels of fluency in English, though most are recent immigrants to the United States. To communicate with one another and the instructors, both instructors and participants use the Say Hi Translate app, but participants are encouraged to converse with one another in English.

Families who have recently immigrated to the United States and marked English as a second language are notified about the program through ParentSquare, a tool that CISD has recently implemented to communicate with families that are affiliated with the district. Participants do not have to pay a fee for the classes as they are funded by a Title III grant, dedicated to build ESL programs and provide more English language lessons for students.

“It’s valuable to focus on the sense of community, especially after [the pandemic],” Cobb said.

“Parents have felt more isolated since, so we help them feel more connected to Coppell.”

Lessons focus on listening and speaking rather than reading and writing to help students work on conversational English. Bird and Cobb also build the lesso ns so that family members can get more information about Coppell facilities and the school system.

All participants are given an ESL binder with handouts that range from pronunciation guides to different teachers’ contact information. A typical lesson consists of consistent repetition.

“By giving [parents] the opportunity to learn English, they are more engaged with what happens at their children’s schools,” Bird said. “It’s important to build community engagement within students and their families.”

Students in the program are also able to make connections with others who come from similar backgrounds or have children enrolled in the same CISD schools.

“It’s easier for me to connect with others in English now,” said Hemalatha Ganesal, who has been in the program since the first semester and moved from India.

Maya Palavali

NEWS THE SIDEKICK

welcoming adult immigrants

NEWS

The Sidekick Shortcut News between the issues •

Anjali Vishwanath

Daily News/Assignment Editor

Oncor priority grids by updating the city council on emergency preparedness plans for all city de

THE SIDEKICK

@anjuvishwanath

•

Magnolia Park trail extension approved unanimously by council after three years of deliberation, discussion. The plan is to expand the trail along the southern route.

•

Council approves Interlocal Cooperative Purchasing Agreement with Buyboard, to receive four new ambulances and stretchers.

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Coppell ISD Board of Trustees election to be held on May 7 for places 1, 2 and 3. The seats are currently held by Leigh Walker, Manish Sethi and Anthony Hill.

•

CISD and Tom Thumb are partnering to host a COVID-19 vaccine clinic at Valley Ranch Elementary School on Feb. 15. COVID-19 vaccinations and booster shots will be available for those at least age 5.

•

CHS Principal Laura Springer is the 2022 recipient of the Cliff Long Leadership Award (for more, see p. 12-13)

Beginning 2022 with more positive cases Anjali Vishwanath

Daily News/Assignment Editor

Sidekick Online

@anjuvishwanath

@CHSCampusNews

City of Coppell works to prevent issues faced during the February 2021 freeze by reaffirming

During the first semester of the 2021-22 school year, one could say, hesitantly, that the pandemic seemed to be coming to a close. Largely maskless students filled the hallways of Coppell High School, talking about the latest viral TikTok video rather than the COVID-19 virus.

With the onset of the spring semester, though, things seem to be changing.

On Jan. 6, the second day of the spring semester, the Coppell ISD COVID-19 dashboard reported 45 active cases in CISD students. This came after a district email reminding parents and staff of the Curative testing booth stationed at Buddy Echols Field (where COVID-19 tests are available for patients of at least 5 years of age; minors between 5 and 17 years must have an adult accompany them. Testing appointments are available from 7:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.), and reaffirmed that it will be continuing the cleaning procedures and use of air purifiers implemented previously.

Part of the responsibility for the rise in cases lies in the spread of new variants, namely the fifth COVID-19 variant: Omicron.

“People can still be infectious without showing signs and symptoms,” CHS health science teacher Ray Pool said. “It takes time enough to get sick, get the swab, get the test to say you’re positive, but wait a minute, this looks weird, this looks different from other COVID-19 infections, so we need to take a minute to analyze this, do genome testing – all time gives people a chance to spread a new variant.”

In addition to the ease with which new variants spread, they are also more complex, and therefore more difficult to fight off.

“What the vaccine does is create antibodies to prevent the spike protein from being able to bond,” Pool said. “It literally blocks that site so that it can’t attach to the cell. But with more mutations to the spike protein, you’re going to need more antibodies and therefore more vaccines.”

The concept is similar to that of the yearly flu shot, meant to counter new strains of the flu virus that mutate over the course of a year. There are currently two rounds of vaccination available for COVID-19 – the original shot or shots, depending on the company, and the booster shot. As the virus mutates, though, more protection may be necessary. And with youth hospitalizations due to COVID-19 rapidly rising, vaccine companies race to prepare to make “variant vaccines,” which stands to indicate that in some shape or form, COVID-19 will be with us for quite some time yet.

2071 305

People can still be infectious without showing signs and symptoms. It takes time to get sick, get the swab, get the test to say you’re positive... all time gives that gives people a chance to spread a new variant.

total student COVID-19 cases in Coppell ISD since Aug. 17, 2021

total staff COVID-19 cases in Coppell ISD since Aug. 17, 2021

RAY POOL

as of Feb. 8 via the Coppell ISD COVID-19 dashboard

COPPELL HIGH SCHOOL HEALTH SCIENCE TEACHER

@thesidekickcoppell

Benitez playing significant role in students’ lives D i d

y o u Benitez plays the Paraguayan harp

k n o w ?

Benitez used to coach recreational soccer

FEBRUARY 2022

Benitez’s favorite movies are Coco and Somewhere in Time

Coppell High School AP biology teacher Dr. ​​Bianca Benitez was recently selected as a Claes Nobel Educator of Distinction by The National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS) after being nominated by CHS junior Neha Darimadugu. Aliya Zakir

Sri Achanta News Editor

@sriachanta_

After graduating from Coppell High School in 1994 and returning to teach, Dr. Bianca Benitez’s educational journey came full circle. This time at CHS, she is taking on a role from a different perspective: teaching AP Biology to students and being a supportive role model many look up to.

Dr. Benitez’s work as a teacher is undeterred, but she had not always thought of becoming a teacher. In fact, her degree was in chiropractics where she pursued medicine at Parker University. However, after working as a contract doctor at the student clinic, where she taught student interns, she fell in love with the idea of teaching and got her first year as a freshman biology teacher at Williams High School in Plano.

She later taught at Coppell Middle School East for three years, and for the past two years, starting in 2020, has been teaching at CHS. Over the years, she gained heartfelt relationships with her students where she went beyond her way to make sure her students feel welcome and cared for.

“Dr. Benitez is caring, involved, and passionate; she really goes beyond the classroom and is a part of our lives,” CHS senior Yash Purani said. “She sees that all of us have the potential to grow and become great things in the world.”

The genuine relationship Dr. Benitez fosters with her students has earned her accolades. Recently, she was nominated for the Claes Nobel Educator of Distinction award, presented by The National Society of High School Scholars.

For a teacher to receive this award, a student must nominate the teacher and explain why they have made a difference or impacted the student’s life. After receiving the award, teachers can apply for grant money to further their students’ education.

Dr. Benitez was nominated for this award by CHS junior Neha Darimadugu.

“This award was for any teacher that was very motivated towards their job and their work,” Darimadugu said. “Dr. Benitez goes above and beyond what teachers do: she connects with her students on a more personal level. One time, in a discussion board, she asked us to post a picture of a key moment from last semester.

We didn’t really think anything of it until the next class, where she created an entire video with a soundtrack and transitions.”

The honor caught Dr. Benitez by surprise.

“Honestly, [his award was the most amazing surprise,” Dr. Benitez said. “I came back from winter break, checked my mailbox, and there was a packet of information that said I had been nominated by a student. It was the most amazing, wonderful surprise to have that at the start of the year and it really meant a lot to me because for it to come from a student is something that is just so special; they took the time out of their day to write or do whatever they had to do to nominate me.”

Dr. Benitez’s loving personality is the root for her achieving this award, which is not only something that students get to see, but other teachers as well.

“Dr. Benitez does everything she can to make the experience for her students positive and beneficial for their future,” CHS anatomy and physiology teacher Jodie Deinhammer said. “She loves her students. She puts so much effort into getting to know them as people and attending all of their events. She spends so much of her personal time going to games, and plays, and all of the things she does to support her kids.”

Dr. Benitez can be seen wherever her students are, whether it be in her classroom, at sporting events or even at community events. Her love for her students pushes her to keep working to bolster them to the best of her ability.

“Supporting my kids is what brings me the most joy,” Dr. Benitez said. “It reinvigorates me because I see them having the times of their lives and to share that energy with them is what brings energy to me.”

THE BEAT FROM CHS9

Saniya Koppikar Staff Writer

@SaniyaKoppikar

CHS9 freshman Aishwarya Anandkumar began dancing at age 3 and has experimented in numerous Indian and American styles. She currently is part of the CHS9 Silver Stars and takes classes at the Sur Sangam dance company and Dance Machines dance studio. Nandini Muresh

More Facts about Aishwarya

• She spends nine hours a week on dance during peak competition season • She draws inspiration from dancer Autumn Miller • Her favorite dance style is contemporary Mangrola said. “She is always there whenever I ask.”

Anandkumar struggles to attribute her successes to any single mentor when they have all made such a big impact on her life. Her mother and her many teachers have all been influential, she says, and she is especially grateful for the senior dancers at Dance Machines–– Coppell High School seniors Madison Minnick, Chloe Dufur, Payton Watkins, Daniella Goff, Brooklyn Anderson and junior Juliana Hunt.

“Those girls have been like older sisters to me,” Anandkumar said. “I look to them, especially because they can balance dancing outside of school, school homework, and school activities.”

But it has not just been the guidance of her peers helping her out. Dancing itself has aided Anandkumar in perfecting her work ethic and time management skills, especially with having to figure out when to schedule time to dedicate to her

schoolwork and how that will subsequently affect her dancing.

In the past year, Anandkumar made dancing her priority simply because she had the time. Now, she has developed a newer plan to study for tests and quizzes and finish whatever homework she can on the weekend to prepare for her dance classes taking up her time during the week.

“It’s about putting in the work, though,” Anandkumar said.

“The effort is natural for something you love. It’s about having the passion for something and willing to work to get where you want to be.”

Having come out of a busy game season with the Silver Stars, Anandkumar is looking to the future, hoping for a season with FOGANA after a COVID-19 induced pause and diligently working on dances for her upcoming American dancing competitions next semester.

But for now, at least, Anandkumar’s mind is spinning with possibility.

www.coppellstudentmedia.com

minutes and a review of the previous week’s content. Then, students will learn between six to 12 counts and work on polishing the new material. At the Sur Sangam dance company, where Anandkumar dances under the instruction of Indu Mangrola, a normal class might start with learning the meaning or mythology behind a dance.

With both, as with most dance classes, the dancers are held to high expectations.

“All of the teachers here have the same things to say about [Anandkumar],” Taylor-Waugh said. “She is going to do everything that you need, every time you need it. She is always going to go full-out, and she never says never.”

Mangrola offers similar praise, having taught Anandkumar since she was 6. She especially details Anandkumar’s expertise with teaching younger kids.

As a fifth grader, Anandkumar assisted with dance camps for kids ages 6 to 11 at the Melvas Smith School of Dance. She took up the responsibility in 2018 as well. This year, Anandkumar helped choreograph a dance for the teens group along with fellow FOGANA member and CHS9 freshman Nidhi Shashi. “[Anandkumar] is extraordinarily helpful and polite,”

YouTube: Coppell Student Media

The à la seconde.

Revered. Sought after. Finally accomplished.

The à la seconde turn had been a goal for Coppell freshman Aishwarya Anandkumar, a dancer since age 3, for almost five years––five years of practice, dedication and repetition.

Practice. Dedication. Repetition.

In September 2020, Anandkumar gradually began to see results.

“When I finally got it, I felt this big sense of accomplishment,” Anandkumar said. “It was like I was floating off the ground. To a dancer, that feeling is pretty much unforgettable. Dancing can be a big challenge, and ever since I successfully got these turns, that moment is still one of my favorite dancing memories.”

Anandkumar has been surrounded by music from a young age––her mother Radha Sugumaran’s singing alongside riffs emanating from TV musicals forming her early consciousness.

Sugumaran’s decision to enroll Anandkumar in her preschool’s ballet class ultimately shaped the course of Anandkumar’s artistic career.

From preschool ballet, Anandkumar progressed to dance studio classes. She has been with the Federation of Gujarati Association of North America (FOGANA) since age 6, competing in various states in the categories of folk, garba and raas. Since, Anandkumar has also been involved with jazz, lyrical, contemporary, tap, ballet, musical theater and hip hop dance, along with the Silver Stars drill team at CHS9 and Bharatnatyam with Sur Sangam dance company.

“I like American dancing because there’s so much versatility,” Anandkumar said. “There’s times where you can be graceful and show a lot of emotion, or when you’re allowed to be sharp and sassy. Sometimes you just have to focus on the technique and feel the rhythm. With Indian dancing, I like how precise each moment is and how I get to connect with my culture. With Sur Sangam, I get to be part of a team and travel to compete at FOGANA.” While the diversity of the various styles demands a high level of versatility and adaptability, Anandkumar approaches each with a different method of the same concept: emotion. “[Bharatnatyam] is about telling a story,” Anandkumar said.

“With jazz, tap and ballet, I usually focus on smiling and having fun. With contemporary [dance], it’s a more literal interpretation of the song and lyrics that influences how you should emote.”

Anandkumar currently takes classes at Dance Machines dance studio three nights a week, one of them being under the tutelage of instructor Candi Taylor-Waugh.

A normal class by Taylor-Waugh begins with stretching for about 20

NEWS THE SIDEKICK

Anandkumar whirling her way forward

Teacher of the Year chosen for phenomenal work Iniya Nathan CHS9 Editor @iniya_v

ticulous and making sure that each kid can be successful. She’s found her niche and she cares about those kids, loves those kids. I’m not surprised in the least.”

Chavez enjoys watching her students learn and become more independent and prepared for the real world, along with building bonds and understanding them on a personal level.

According to Schmidt, she was the one who started and put the most effort into the campus’ transitional pathways program.

“I have some of the most incredible students,” Chavez said.

“Their milestones are always so special to watch. We celebrate the slightest of accomplishments that to some may seem like easy everyday tasks. Seeing the excitement on their face, seeing them become more independent, is what’s really special to me.”

On Dec. 2, CHS9 special education teacher Erika Chavez, pictured with CHS9 assistant principals Robert Goff, Jessica Lynch and Principal Dr. Cody Koontz, was announced CHS9 Teacher of the Year. Chavez has worked in Coppell ISD for five years, spending the last four at CHS9.

Photo courtesy Emily Harrison

FEBRUARY 2022

On Dec. 2, all 2021-22 CHS9 Teacher of the Year nominees were waiting outside the library for the special announcement. A video began playing, announcing CHS9 special education teacher Erika Chavez as this year’s winner. Her family, which had been hiding in one of the library rooms at the time, came out to surprise her as well.

Other nominees were CHS9 teachers Bill Borowski, Kim Porter, Benjamin Shaw and Krysten Farris.

“I was not expecting it at all,” Chavez said. “I definitely felt like there were more veteran teachers deserving of the award, so I was completely taken aback.”

Chavez has worked in Coppell ISD for five years, and taught at CHS9 for four of them. She

has won other campus-wide awards before, such as Rookie of the Year, but says this one is her greatest accomplishment.

Despite her shock at being chosen, her coworkers were not surprised at the announcement.

“I don’t think anyone else was surprised,” CHS9 special education teacher Kara Schmidt said. “[Chavez] is somebody who is very humble. She does this job with care and passion and doesn’t do it for any sort of recognition. There are a lot of teachers on this campus, but she is one of those teachers that [when others] heard her name [being recognized], felt that it was very well deserved.”

CHS9 assistant principal Robert Goff, who is her dean, also has high praise for Chavez’s work in the classroom. “[Chavez is] phenomenal [at] what she does,” Goff said. “She does a great job of being me-

Students should educate themselves on policy and bills As students, there is a weight on our shoulders for being the next leaders of the world. Whether it be choosing the leaders or becoming them, the future of tomorrow lies in the hands of the generations of today. When it comes time to take action, it is crucial to develop a strong opinion.

The key to a strong opinion?

Education.

We are unprepared for the realities of being citizens of our country.

The responsibilities we have include educating ourselves on events happening in our communities, in our country. In a time where the youth are diligently political, rushing to either side of the spectrum does not equate to fulfilling our duties. Educating ourselves on the details - the specifics about actions and ramifications of leaders’ actions is prevalently important.

How? Well, with policy, of course.

We tend to equate politics with active progress, likely because we watch politicians duke it out on live television daily. Being politically aware simply means you are aware of yours and others’ opinions.

Knowing policy means to look deeper, into the actions of our leaders than the colors of their parties.

The problem with solely relying on political awareness is that it is easy to believe we have proper knowledge on education when in reality, we only know the surface. Knowing which party a leader associates with is not enough to take a stance. Recognizing local leaders such as mayors and governors, and the bills passing through our community gives us the awareness one should have to take a proper stance Remember, we do

not have any time to waste once we turn 18. To make any worthwhile changes, the next generation of voters and leaders must have a plan.. Enacting viable and effective policy is the best hope for a plan the next generation has. It is time for us to learn how to understand policy. Not stances, or political affiliations or parties, but the pages upon pages of bills that will define our futures. The policy we enact is often incomprehensible to those without an advanced legal background. While it may not be possible to fully understand policy in the form it exists in the courts, condensed forms are available for a wider audience on candidate websites and party platforms, as well as in the news.

That begins in our own communities.

Start small with the occurrences that affect citizens the most. Read the news on local events, especially the occurences in City Council and Coppell ISD Board of Trustees meetings. Learn every little crack and crevice of a policy before voicing your support for it.

It is common for adults to blame younger generations for the lack of progress they see in the news. When they see history repeat itself in topics of political discourse (such as in the resurgence of racial justice as a political priority), they look to the new people in the political sphere, and that’s us.

It gets frustrating to take all of the blame, while also being the largest group of activists without a

vote. There are little things we can do, though, to prepare ourselves to shape our futures to how we want them to be.

However, we cannot control our tomorrows if we do not know the current ordinances that run our governments.

We must read, and find every little injustice that needs to be eliminated. We can speak up, with our friends and parents, with our community.

We all want something from this country. We don’t have the time to complain any more; we have to learn and we have to learn now.

Do you remember when, one year ago, our teachers feared speaking to us about the hours-long fall of our capital to violent insurrectionists?

When presenting us with the facts of that day threatened their jobs? When fear of provoking our parents’ political beliefs kept them from doing their job to educate us? This, perhaps, is the reason our history and government textbooks rarely span past 2008.

And it goes beyond history textbooks, beyond our classrooms. Most Americans get their news from social media. How many of those Americans read beyond the headline, and excerpts on Twitter?

How many of those Americans fact-check those sources, or look into the credibility of those reporters? Lacking resources is not an excuse to remain uninformed.

There are credible, consistent news

sources everywhere we look in the form of online websites and physical newspapers.

The power legislators hold exists in policy.

To ensure we vote and support the correct candidates or stances, we have to understand the policy they promise implementation of.

So recognize your responsibility to be the citizen you call yourself.

Draw attention to entities such as the National Archive that are dangerously underfunded. These institutions are critical in policy education. Prepare yourself to make the changes you want to see by perusing booklists of necessary reading.

Let’s educate ourselves before we make decisions.

@thesidekickcoppell

@CHSCampusNews

Sidekick Online

THE SIDEKICK EDITORIAL

It’s all about the details

FEBRUARY 2022

2021-22 STAFF Executive Leadership

Writers

Chase Wofford Staff Adviser Anjali Krishna Editor-in-Chief * Trisha Atluri Entertainment Editor* Sreeja Mudumby Editorial Page Editor*

Nathan Cheng Anushree De* Shrayes Gunna Yaamini Jois Joanne Kim Saniya Koppikar

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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.

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Living life through rose-tinted lenses

Giving credit where it is due Staff Writer

@Walterbotell

Graphic by Rachel Chang

Maya Palavali Staff Writer

@maya_palavali

FEBRUARY 2022

Graphic by Minnie Gazawada

www.coppellstudentmedia.com

Photos by Nandini Paidesetty

People get caught up in the moment and forget about their parents or what they do.”

YouTube: Coppell Student Media

I roll to my side in bed, my books and iPad on the messy nightstand. I check my phone and groan - it’s 7:30 a.m. already?

I sigh. Here’s to another day of nothingness.

The days have begun to smudge together, creating a monochromatic scheme to match the monotony of life. Coppell High School houses boredom and restlessness compared to what it was intended to provide: stimulation and new opportunities.

It’s not easy living life like this. To me, school has always been a safe space. But as the days went by, even this place began to lose its protectiveness, its color, lost in my black and white existence.

Going to school and back home makes routine something that stifles instead of letting students flourish. The repetitive nature leads to boredom and an overall unsatisfactory feeling. It’s seemingly impossible to avoid After all, what can you do?

Romanticization: (ro-man-ti-cize) \rō‘man-te-sīz,re-\: to make romantic: treat as idealized or heroic: to present details, incidents or people in a romantic way.

The inherent idea behind romanticization is to have an optimistic outlook on the little aspects of the day in order to improve your time overall.

Simply put: do little things that make you happy each day.

I’ve been exploring the topic of romanticization being incorporated into my life for quite some time now. I’ve always loved the idea of making the best out of the time you have, and it has become increasingly important this year.

The world can easily feel like a force that is working against you. Before using romanticization to my advantage, I would often just go to school and home with nothing else in between.

I’m sure you have felt the same. It’s only human to feel these emotions. Oftentimes, we get trapped in a routine we are unhappy with. Romanticization takes

your routine and adds little splashes of paint, seeds for happiness to grow from.

Then, as I put more effort into doing small things to make me happy, it was as if color slowly began to fill my surroundings again. I’ve begun to go with my friends to get boba at Feng Cha or just walk the parks near the high school, little things I would be able to do on the fly.

I’ve also been able to slowly think more about my future and what would make me happy later on in life. Rather than succumbing to the cookie cutter path I was thinking of at the beginning of high school, I’ve begun to let myself dream for what I want to do instead of what I think I should do.

Who knew Coppell had so much to offer? Even walking around the school during my free time makes me happy.

Seeing everything in a new light, a rose colored one, has helped me find myself.

It doesn’t have to be anything monumental - even plugging in earbuds during passing periods counts as a win.

Coppell has made it so easy for me to live my life through a rose-tinted lens.

Great hang out places like boba shops and ice cream places dot the area. Parks full of interactive activities and playgrounds make for a great outing. You can do so much and romanticize the pants off of this place.

Funnily enough, what motivated me the most to finish this column was imagining myself as a journalist for my own company years down the road. What makes you happy will make you better.

What will make you happy today?

Don’t feel weird for doing little things to make your life more exciting. Throw on a playlist you made for motivation to clean your room. Dance around with your stuffed animals. Wave to strangers, hold your friends closer than you have to, laugh at jokes longer than necessary.

No parent can deny that the obligations they assume when becoming a parent are expensive and difficult.

Prior to having children, one likely never has a need to create and maintain bank accounts for children’s college funds, drive children to extracurriculars or spend time helping the next generation solve problems when they have no shortage of their own. But the moment one becomes a parent, they are bombarded with obligations that must be fulfilled for the welfare of their children.

As students, parents are of exceeding importance to our current and future situations. With many of us participating in school or extracurriculars and seeing college on the horizon, it is clear that we will need our parents’ help if we hope to one day achieve the goals we seek or live the lives we see for ourselves. That is not to mention the reason we can even have an opportunity to look to such things is the sacrifices of time and effort made by our parents to raise us.

Yet, despite this, many of us perhaps do not see the true gravity of these expenses made on our behalf.

“We don’t really appreciate a lot of the little things [that our parents give us],” CHS junior wrestler Isaiah Francis said.

“If it weren’t for [my parents], I wouldn’t be able to wrestle. I think that people can just get caught up in the moment and forget about their parents or what they do.”

With parental support, students are able to do things many others do not have the privilege to enjoy, whether it be to attend school or compete in sports. But it is precisely when doing these things that we fail to see who made it possible to be there.

“When I’m angry or distracted with something or if I’m passionate about something I tend to forget some things that are valuable to me,” Francis said.

“Say [I] get to travel somewhere to wrestle. I sometimes forget who paid for my ticket and I’m just excited to wrestle and go out somewhere far.”

But this idea can also be true in another sense. It is no secret that parents may make children do things they do not want to do. Performing well in school is likely the most obvious example.

School is a large part of one’s life when they are young. As such, it is something directly provided by parents through

both logistical and financial means. But while we attend school, we may very well find that we frequently wish we were somewhere else.

It is during these times when classes are difficult that we, as students, may find it hard to appreciate the people who have provided them for us.

While it is true that parents are legally required to provide certain things for their children, just because they are required to provide does not mean that such actions are not worthy of our gratitude. The legal provisions required of parents will often involve parents going out of their way in the interest of their children and that, by itself, should always demand gratitude, regardless of whether it is just them fulfilling their legal obligations or not.

Students may also struggle to show gratitude to their parents simply because they might not know how.

There are, of course, obvious ways to express gratitude, but beyond a simple “thank you,” students may feel that they have difficulty showing it rather than simply saying it.

“Of course, I appreciate my parents,” CHS junior Prunav Bushigampala said. “But I don’t feel there is a lot I can do. I can say ‘thank you,’ but it almost feels insincere because I can’t prove it; I don’t think my words mean anything.”

Though it may not feel significant, saying thank you can have a much deeper and profound effect than one might initially expect. So even if it feels insincere, the fact that it was said is still meaningful.

But the gratitude should still go deeper.

Giving small gifts, cooking dinner for a night, writing gratitude letters or even simply trying to be more enthusiastic around your parents are all simple ways to show gratitude.

There is no point in one’s life in which their parents will not be important. Our parents shape us into who we are. If we wish to show our parents that they made us into good people, it is imperative for us to give credit where it is due.

OPINIONS THE SIDEKICK

Nathan Cheng

@thesidekickcoppell

@CHSCampusNews

Sidekick Online

THE SIDEKICK OPINIONS

Legacies of influential figures: a timeless oppurtunity to grow

Graphic by Ashley Qian

Shrayes Gunna Staff Writer

FEBRUARY 2022

@shrayesgunna

Their names are lit up in stars; their faces ring an endearing reminder of their impact.

Whether public figures are functionally impactful parts of history or a constituent part of pop culture, these figures come and go, leaving lasting legacies: stories, lessons and advocacies to absorb from their time in the light.

With new headlines in the media weekly about the deaths of our favorite stars and historical figures, the memories of notable personalities should not be forgotten nor thought of with anguish, but recollecting them should instead incite a joyous moment of growth; embracing their stances, qualities and ideas.

Though this opportunity to grow can easily be glossed over due to grief, it’s timeless.

Timeless in the manner that

historical and political figures leave us with powerful policy ideas, ideologies and advocacies that can inspire great action and change in governments and individuals to this day.

For instance, take the imprints of former Supreme Court Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the gavel of the American court system and political landscape.

She was a firm proponent of gender equality and forwarded the agenda of equal rights in American society until her mournful death in 2020.

Ginsburg stood for so much that American citizens can grow from; the very idea that people are equal and the willingness to fight for such justice is still contested in parts of the United States, but legacies like that of Ginsburg work to challenge the fabric of politics and human rights for the better.

But the effects of these figures’ legacies don’t necessitate recency.

Think of Greece’s philosophers,

whose ideas continue to influence the structure of governments globally. Think of those who mobilized movements and people like Martin Luther King Jr. or Mahatma Gandhi, whose practices and values continue to intertwine with modern social issues.

King is continually quoted in contemporary human rights movements, and maintains his position as an inspiration for upand-coming generations of activists, politicians and dreamers.

Gandhi, to the same degree, is a symbol of progress and non-violent protest who continues to inspire peaceful insurgencies towards equality throughout the world. In fact, King’s own practices were in part inspired by those of Gandhi, from marches to mobilizing populations. Gandhi also influenced Cesar Chavez’s non-violent protests and advocacies for latino farmworkers.

Big names in Hollywood are always leaving behind powerful

stories such as the racial progress that deceased actor Chadwick Boseman stood for or the love and acceptance that late actress Betty White emanated in every avenue of her life. These qualities and ideas are catalysts for nurturing generations of positive, effective, authentic and united peoples; something so powerful that we must not forget in the grief following their deaths.

Moreover, this opportunity to grow is timeless in the manner that celebrities are eternal lights that radiate attitudes, ideas and projects that society can continuously engage with and enjoy; a lesson of authenticity and happiness.

At the very foundation of almost every influential figure, no matter their background or remembrance, they were good people—a term that will never live up to the actual impacts that they have produced on people’s lives or the hearts that they

have touched. They were good people that can cultivate future generations of good people.

However, this is not to say that notorious figures should not be learned from. Figures that are generally deemed as notorious or infamous act as an example of values, ideas and actions to not emulate or reproduce.

Many often regard historical figures like Adolph Hitler, Joseph Stalin or even Mao Zedong as evil, simply put. These people serve as reminders of ideologies that should be left in the past.

We can embrace what influential figures, good and bad, stood for, their qualities and memories to become more productive citizens of the world, taking in their lessons to grow.

Shocker, electric vehicles aren’t the solution Staff Designer @JoshDC004

Teslas and other electric cars are gaining popularity as a more environmentally friendly alternative.

The Sidekick staff designer Josh Campbell thinks electric cars are not the solution to modern vehicles’ environmental consequences. Ashley Qian

which can then be converted into fuel.

As a car enthusiast, I greatly hope Porsche’s eFuel can become widely accessible. This would allow for gas guzzling classic cars to stay on the road, a huge win for many in the community. Porsche’s eFuel would be compatible not only with any ICE, but current infrastructure could also be easily converted to supply the fuel.

Unfortunately, the current outlook for prices of eFuel would be close to $7.60 per gallon, a little bit out of my price range, and most drivers.

When buying a new car, whether ICE or EV, be wary of how efficient the car is

affecting GPA and ranks, the competition between students is bound to become cutthroat.

After the wheels of competition begin to turn, there’s not much that can be done to stop it. Students are trapped in a perpetual cycle of trying to beat the student ranked above them.

When that desire to beat someone else becomes obsessive, it leads to stress, anxiety and feelings of inadequacy.

However, the main appealing factor of being ranked is the prospect of automatic acceptance to Texas colleges if a student is ranked within their high school. Texas House Bill 588, otherwise known as the “Top 10 Percent Law” passed in 1997, offered automatic college admission for students ranked in the top ten percent of their high school class to all state-funded universities. In recent years, that percentage has been gradually lowered to six percent, namely for the University of Texas at Austin.

In 2009, the law was uniquely modified (under Senate Bill 175) for this specific college and under the new law, the university was required to automatically admit enough students to fill up 75% of available Texas resident spaces.

In 2019, the college lowered the percent cutoff from seven percent to six percent to account for an increase in applications and it has remained the same ever since. Despite the

increase in applications, the competition to be one of the 60 or less spots that receive the prized automatic admission into a prestigious school has become relentless. Regardless of the automatic acceptance being true for Texas schools, class ranks no

each year, asked what percentage of enrolled freshman submitted their class rank as a part of their application and the average share of students in public and private colleges who shared their rank dropped by about 10 points between 2007 and 2017.

Highly selective colleges (those that accept no more than 25% of their applicants) and Ivy Plus schools recorded a 14 and 22 point drop, respectively, in the average share of students who shared their class rank over the same ten year time period.

Considering that class rank is affected by the rigor and level of difficulty of the classes that a student takes, oftentimes, students will take AP classes solely for a GPA boost rather than for their genuine interest in the material or curriculum of the class. This pressure to be ranked drives students away from the classes that they wish to take considering those classes may not be as valuable to their class rank and their transcript as a higher level AP or IB class.

Rather than allowing themselves to explore their own interests and discover their passions through the classes they take in high school, students use their classes and course registration as a vehicle for their GPA. “You don’t need to be ranked at all,” Cinelli said. “We have students that go to amazing colleges who are not ranked and who are ranked. Colleges don’t care so

Class ranks are just another number

Manasa Mohan

Advertising and Circulation Manager @Manasa_Mohan_7

Feb. 1. Class ranks were released for the class of 2023. The time most juniors anticipate with either excitement or fear.

Conversations about when class ranks come out, who will be ranked, how important ranks are and what GPA is necessary to be ranked fill the hallways more and more as the time for their release looms closer and closer.

These discussions quickly lead to the vicious and inevitable competition between peers for class rank. Although competition has been proven to be healthy in some cases, the problem arises when competition spreads the notion that there is only a limited amount of success in the world for people to achieve. When they aren’t ranked, these students become scared of that idea of a limited amount of success.

“We are a very large, competitive, high-achieving high school,” Coppell High School lead counselor Ann Cinelli said.

“It is hard for kids to look at class ranks and not think they’re not good enough. It creates this ‘comparing yourself to other people’ and this competition that is very unhealthy and it just perpetuates the problem.”

Considering CHS only ranks the top 10% of students with more than 900 students vying for the same 96 spots and the smallest difference in grades

Graphic by Rachel Chang

Rather than allowing themselves to explore their own interests and discover their passions through the classes they take in high school, students use their classes and course registration as a vehicle for their GPA.”

longer hold as much significance as they did years ago.

In the fall of 2007, 23% of colleges attributed “considerable importance” to class ranks. However, in 2018 a survey of 220 colleges found that only 9.1% gave class rank considerable importance. Additionally, the College Board’s Annual Survey of Colleges, which collects information from nearly four thousand higher education institutions

much outside of the state of Texas about grades as much as they care about the other things. You could compare yourself to kids in Frisco, Plano, Southlake and Keller and you all take the same classes. You could probably find one person at that high school that has the exact same grades as you, so the other things that you do are way more important because so many people look exactly the same on that piece of paper. That’s where we need to shift our focus to, those things that we can do, either in school or outside of school because they make more of an impact.”

I understand that being ranked is a fantastic achievement for students and that should not be diminished. However, there is no point in a high school student’s career where they should be identifying themselves solely by their class rank. In order to prevent that mindset from being normalized, we need to stop letting our self-worth be defined by class ranks. It is imperative that we detach ourselves from ranks and learn that there is more to a college application than the one single number.

FEBRUARY 2022

Because currently, EVs are not the solution.

Fortunately, EVs aren’t the only option. German automaker Porsche dipped its toes into the new market with the popular Porsche Taycan. A stunning vehicle of performance and style, unlike Tesla, has recently begun research into an alternative fuel.

Porsche’s synthetic fuel gathers electricity powered by wind, lowering emissions in the production process, an issue I mentioned before with the current mass production cycle.

This synthetic fuel, or eFuel, is created through the process of electrolysis, then combined with CO2 to form methanol,

www.coppellstudentmedia.com

While factories burn away the traditional fossil fuels, the zero tailpipe emissions of EVs still outweighs that of ICE vehicles.

But the true problem lies in the batteries themselves. An EV contains thousands of individual lithium ion cells. These batteries are extremely difficult to recycle compared to any other traditional batteries due to their complex chemical composition.

Less than five percent of the battery’s materials are recyclable.

This process consumes a large portion of energy which often leads to more pollution. If electric cars are to dominate the automotive market, they first need to become the true environmentally friendly alternative.

YouTube: Coppell Student Media

Electric vehicles (EV) have recently become the seemingly fantastic alternative to internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles; ICE vehicles are the traditional gas powered cars we use today. EVs, with no CO2 tailpipe emissions, must be our saving grace against pollution, right?

Truthfully, the automotive industry just is not to the point where EVs are the defined replacement for ICE. While Tesla has helped greatly to bring the EV market to the forefront, there are underlying issues that need to be addressed in terms of environmental concerns.

First, power plant emissions.

So yes, your new electric vehicle is clean, running on state of the art lithium ion batteries. But where do you acquire all this power to charge those batteries?

The likely answer is coal or natural gas. The first step to creating a true eco-friendly automotive process is not only having electric vehicles, but having eco-friendly power plants as well. Having electricity provided by alternative energy sources such as wind, solar and others would push the EV to be greatly cleaner than that of emissions from ICE vehicles.

Even with EV’s charging power originating from fossil fuel plants, according to research done by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), EVs still are cleaner in greenhouse gasses than ICE. This goes as well for manufacturing these vehicles.

and consider hybrids and low emission vehicles for your next purchase. Avoid cars with lower mpg averages, for the environment and your wallets sake. Large, heavy vehicles or performance oriented cars are often the culprit behind the gas guzzling.

In EVs, be looking for the battery range, the distance it can travel on a full charge.

Tesla vehicles do have some of the longest ranges available currently, though with many other manufacturers catching up in the EV market; more options will be available in the coming years.

EVs need work, yet other options are available for those not yet willing to convert to electric. It is an exciting time in the automotive world. Change is due, and with it has come wild last hurrahs of ICEs like Dodge’s supercharged V8 Durango, an SUV which has no need for 700 horsepower. Or EVs which bring performance to a level which ICEs never could, such as Audi’s E-tron GT or Tesla’s very own Model S Plaid, currently one of the fastest production cars.

Here’s to the future of motorsports, performance, style and driving to work more efficiently.

OPINIONS THE SIDEKICK

Joshua Campbell

Black History Month

THE SIDEKICK STUDENT LIFE

Simon advocates for equity

Second-year teacher transforming what a “role model” means Maya Palavali Staff Writer

@mvpallovalley

@CHSCampusNews

Sidekick Online

Graphic by Rachel Chang

Behind the books The Coppell High School Library has had many titles move in and out since the school opened in 1965. The library’s last renovation was completed in 2020.

Librarian: Trisha Goins Library assistant: Renee Zettle Most checked-out book: Turtles All the Way Down by John Green Most popular genre: Fantasy

SunHee Simon is a second year teacher at Coppell High School, teaching both debate and world history. Through her efforts and perspective, the Coppell debate program has been able to incorporate diversity into its curriculum and practices.

Graduating from Stanford in 2019 with a minor in African American studies, Simon came to the school district at the start of the 2020-21 school year. Her career started with virtual instruction due to the pandemic, and instead of treating it as an obstacle, Simon took it as an opportunity to create relationships to build on later.

“I met a lot of the debate students last year through zoom,” Simon said. “It’s been a learning experience that’s been very rewarding.”

Within two years, Simon has been able to collaborate with the other debate coaches and team to integrate studies of many minorities and experiences.

Using her experience in the BCG Henderson Institute, a company founded on business theory and philosophy, Simon was able to enhance ideas from her career to set up fundamental foundations in the education of diversity.

Victory Briefs launched an Equity Day during its 2021 summer camps, the first major diversity and inclusion program to be used in the school’s history. The day consisted of education of relevant diverse topics to expose the students to important vocabulary and concepts.

“I wanted students to be knowledgeable about the structures that affect people’s access to debate,” Simon said. “That way, students were [able to think] about what they can do during the year to make people feel more accepted within the community.”

Coming into the school year, Simon and Dr. Jason Sykes were able to divide the debate team into two debate courses that run parallel to each other.

“There are 15 different competitive events that we offer as a program,” Sykes said. “She, for all intents and purposes, runs [the Lincoln-Douglas and World Schools] divisions.”

Simon is more than qualified for her position of head of these events. LincolnDouglas debate was Simon’s primary event in high school. Through hard work and skill, Simon qualified for the Tournament of Champions, the official national high school speech and debate tournament.

“From her experiences with that and her work with students, we’ve had students qualify for state and international level tournaments,” Sykes said. “We have had students who have earned bids to the Tournament of Champions, something that hasn’t happened at Coppell.”

The reason why Simon became a debate teacher was to interact with students in a more hands-on way.

“I was still deciding between consulting and teaching,” Simon said. “I would have missed teaching students too much and working with them.”

Teaching and coaching debates are stepping stones to Simon’s ultimate goal: to open a school in Cameroon.

“I want to create a private school in Cameroon,” Simon said. “That’s where my family’s from.”

Her aspiration to help people and improve the education system in Central Africa stems from the women in her life.

“I’m not very surprised that I’m here,” Simon said. “It’s just a part of our family tree as much as any of us are.”

Simon’s dedication to learn and develop as a mentor has had a positive impact on the Coppell debate team.

“Having someone with her talent who’s able to dedicate time to those events really makes a difference,” Syke’s said. “There has been a sheer growth in numbers of students who get to benefit from a higher level of rigor and accountability.”

Coming into the teaching world in the year of the pandemic has caused Simon to develop many much needed skills for being a coach and teacher.

“Having her adaptable really allows us to be more successful,” senior Dawson Marold said. “We can pretty much ask her about anything and she’s able to give us the answer or ask the right questions.”

Simon’s identity has shaped how she has been able to contribute to the high school.

Her interest in people’s experiences and her own makes her a crucial part of the program.

“The biggest way that African American studies and sociology have helped me is that they require a lot of analysis and understanding connections between multiple things,” Simon said. “When you understand that everyone is a part of a bigger puzzle, it’s a lot easier for you to navigate different arguments.”

Simon’s value for equity goes beyond surface level.

“I want to be a role model who shows that things are possible,” Simon said. “But I also want to be a role model who shows

Quick Facts on SunHee Simon • • • •

•

Favorite high school course: IB English Favorite food: sushi Favorite debate topic: Living wage Favorite Award: First place in the LincolnDouglas debate in 2014, her senior year of high school, regarding organ donation Future traveling plans: Japan, tour of Europe and Aruba

that anyone can gain access to this and I will take it as a personal responsibility to make sure [people] have access to it.”

Her ability to fully understand the concepts taught and maintain a high caliber team has made her increase the quality of the work put in. “[Simon] is not only really competent, she raises the level of those who work around her,” Sykes said. “We know that she sets the bar really high for everyone.”

Simon has been able to click with the members of the debate team and students in her courses in a small amount of time.

“Simon has become one of my favorite teachers because she’s always there for us,” Marold said. “She has a very good balance of being a teacher but also being a supporter for us.”

Many of Simon’s decisions and aspirations link back to who she is and where she has come from. In honoring her ancestral roots, she has been able to push for not just equality, but equity for the people she interacts with. A role model to many, Simon continues to make wherever she is the best it can be.

FEBRUARY 2022

@thesidekickcoppell

Available titles: 12,969 Largest section: Fantasy Language sections: Mandarin, Spanish and French In the works: American Sign Language collection Upcoming events: Feb. 1-14 Valentine’s day book giveaways Audiobook titles: 1,119 E-book titles: 3,082 New additions: monthly Recommendations: TAYSHA’s reading list* *TAYSHA’s reading list goal is to motivate young adults to become lifelong readers.

Students in grades 9-12 are encouraged to read books for pleasure from the list which includes fiction and nonfiction titles recommended by students, librarians, teachers, authors and publishers.

Coppell High School debate teacher SunHee Simon discusses details for an upcoming competition with junior Hunniya Ahmad during eighth period on Jan. 31. Simon graduated from Stanford University in 2019 and has used previous experiences to model her teaching and advocacy for the importance of representation in debate. Aliya Zakir

Teacher of the Issue making a mark in all of areas Anette Varghese Student Life Editor @AnetteVarghese

The Olympics is the ultimate goal for anybody. I had an opportunity to go out to Georgia, because [Atlanta] had won the Olympic bid [in 1996], to go help run some of the facilities that the athletes were going to train out in. We transformed some of the tracks, high school tracks into training facilities for the athletes, and then I got to be there when they were training, and actually talk to the coaches and help them out. In turn, I got free tickets. I lived out there for five years.

What do you want your students to take away from you when they leave your classroom?

That I care about them. I care about their education and their future. I find [past students] on Facebook that are now doctors, and I get real proud of them. You always have dreams of [teaching] athletes, but I am just excited for the ones that are doctors, lawyers and businessmen. I’m proud that my former students are successful.

Do you have any superstitions?

If I walk up the stairs, I always start with my right foot. But if I enter with my right foot, the next set of stairs, I’m starting with my left foot, I try to balance it out.

Coppell High School AP statistics teacher Don Kemp teaches P-values during third period on Jan. 24. Kemp has taught at CHS for 17 years and has been named The Sidekick’s Teacher of the Issue for February. Olivia Cooper

DREAM VACATION? My dream vacation is to start off in Utah skiing for a week. And then, go to Hawaii for a week.

STUDYING TIPS? When teachers give you reviews or quizzes, just study the reviews and you’re going to be good, whether it’s your AP test or regular classes.

THE TEACHERS ARE TALKING Sreeja Mudumby

Executive Editorial Page Editor @sreejamudumby

one to participate as it is easy to get lost in everyday lives and undervalue the privilege of staff connection.

“Sometimes it’s time,” Womack said. “We’re just so busy.

A lot of times are scheduled for meeting with kids before school, for meeting with students after school. I think we also have our own families at home that we have to take care of, too. I don’t want a teacher to feel like it’s another obligation; it’s something else they have to do. But eventually something I’m going to put out there is going to resonate with somebody and they’re going to be like, ‘oh, I want to do this.’”

M

mindful monday

T

talk-about-it tuesday walk-it-out wednesday thankful thursday

F

fun friday

T W

Coppell High School AP statistics teacher Lowell Johnson and CHS STEM teacher Stan Burnett participate in “Talk about it Tuesday” with coworkers on Feb. 1. Talk about it Tuesday is a day where CHS staff speaks to each other as a bonding activity to get to know each other.

Sannidhi Arimanda

FEBRUARY 2022

than just what what they teach or who their students are. I get to find out really fun facts, like this one is a chef or this teacher loves to go camping or another teacher is a video game aficionado. I think it’s really important to get to know them as people in addition to professionals.”

Because teachers are confined to their classrooms all day, CHS staff made it especially important to make time to get to know one another in an enjoyable way. Staff is also focused on social emotional learning: SEL. As teachers are using this year to give SEL back to their students, they are also giving it back to themselves.

“We’re still trying to figure out different ways for people to connect,” CHS instructional coach Clara Caussey said. “Making sure that there is, it doesn’t have to be ‘you’re here before school during this 30 minute window’, it can be just stop in [for an] SEL break.”

Some activities include walking competitions, decorating water bottles, expressing gratitude and discussions over coffee.

Though it is optional for teachers to join, Womack encourages every-

A WEEK WITH THE TEACH

www.coppellstudentmedia.com

The first days of school typically consist of ice-breaker activities, to get to know our fellow classmates better. Bonding and teamwork are highly emphasized in classrooms, as they increase our collaboration skills and allow us to build relationships.

But what about teachers?

Starting the first week of second semester, Coppell High School associate principal Melissa Arnold and other educators wanted to go into 2022 pivoting to more than just professional planning. These educators were inspired by this year’s #CHSReset. The home of these activities is in a room easily identifiable by a cutout of The Rock himself, as it is the “room of collaboration (the ROC).” This room is the forum for teacher bonding, with activities everyday to help them create a stronger connection.

“It is very easy for a teacher to go from their car to their classroom back to their car without seeing anyone outside of tubes in

their hallway,” Arnold said. “So we decided to design this semester to be intentional about providing them opportunities to be able to get with like minded people. That they would not necessarily have done so otherwise had the activities not been in place.”

Each day, the staff focuses on a different category. Mindful Monday, Talk about it Tuesday, Walk it out Wednesday, Thankful Thursday and Fun Friday.

CHS assistant principal Alissa Womack leads Fun Fridays, and thinks these activities give her a sense of deep connection.

“There’s a lot of teachers in this building and as an administrator, I feel responsible for knowing my teachers,” Womack said. “It gives me an opportunity to know something about t h e m more

YouTube: Coppell Student Media

Don Kemp is The Sidekick’s February Teacher of the Issue, selected by the newspaper staff. Kemp is in his 17th year at Coppell High School and teaches AP statistics.

Did you always want to be a teacher?

[At first] I wanted to be a banker. I got a financial degree [from the University of Texas at Arlington]. I was a financial analyst for two years and didn’t like it. I taught Sunday School at [Oakview Baptist church in Irving] , and I realized ‘I don’t like what I’m doing.’ So, I went back to [UT Arlington] to get certified to teach.

Do you find statistics the best fit for you as a teacher?

To me, it’s the best class that anyone could take because it is the study of data. That’s what the world is today. I think it’s the future of everything. It is also the concrete rewards, because the [students] take an AP test.

Then, I see a bunch of three, fours and fives on the AP test, and I feel good.

Do you have a favorite teaching memory?

I was teaching something [on] the board, and this kid was doing the same problem. But he did it a different way. And at first, I thought that’s wrong.

Then I looked at it, and he did something that was right. From then on, I taught my method and his method. That taught me that everyone learns a little bit differently.

What do you think a student needs to be successful in your class?

Be willing to work. The math part is not very difficult. Our job is to interpret what the calculator says. Statistics is all based on calculus, so I tell my students that we let the calculus people do all the math stuff in the week, and we just make all the money by interpreting what they did.

What stands out about Coppell students?

Their plan is to go to college.

I’ve been to other schools where students’ plan was to go work at a Six Flags restaurant. At Coppell, we have high expectations, and most of the time realistic expectations the students are pretty driven about learning to achieve them.

What is something your students don’t know about you?

STUDENT LIFE THE SIDEKICK

FROM THE OLYMPICS TO STATISTICS

A home for 4,000 Beloved principal receives leadership award for lifetime of service

Photo courtesy Raneta Ansley

Photo courtesy Raneta Ansley

Coppell High School Principal Laura Springer’s office is messy. It has Coppell shirts strewn over the worn couch and a blinking monitor with emails waiting for replies.

Her office phone rings nonstop and the chairs surrounding the large center table are hastily pushed in. It isn’t the typical high school principal’s office.

But Springer isn’t most principals. The office is more of a stopping point; a necessary closed off space to hold meetings but not much else. You’d be much more likely to find her in the hallways of CHS than in her office, stopping and chatting with a student or member of her staff, or at a Coppell ISD event outside school hours, watching and cheering along with the parents on the sidelines.

“Most principals are very different from me,” Springer said. “They like to sit in their office, make executive decisions and rule over a school. I think this is our school; it’s not just my school, so I want to use the time I have here to get out of this office and go find my kids and get to know them and make sure they know I love and respect them.”

Whether Springer is talking about Coppell, which was a “one horse town” when she arrived, pronouncing biology without the “I” or calling you by your name at every possible opportunity, you would think she was a Texan through and through. Yet her Southern attitude toward forming relationships and hospitality come from Mississippi, her birth place, and Tennessee, where she moved at age 8. She would later return to play college basketball at Mississippi State.

“I got a scholarship to Mississippi State and we were very poor,” Springer said. “There was no way I was going to make it to college without a scholarship so I worked really hard to perfect my game as much as I could. I was lucky to have a college scholarship or I don’t know what I would have done, to be honest.”

Basketball was Springer’s ticket out of a childhood that housed more than sports and joy. Growing up in an abusive home with an alcoholic father, Springer never felt safe.

“My father was a mean alcoholic,” Springer said. “I watched him beat my brother and sister a lot, and for some reason, because I was small, he didn’t beat me. But it was worse watching him do that to them. It was scary and he would come in and at times, he would come in and he was so drunk he was shooting [a gun]. We learned how to crawl out a window and go hide in the woods until he sobered up. I grew up not feeling very safe; feeling like at any minute, you could go.”

After divorcing her father, Springer’s mother, Margie, Springer’s older brother Sunny and older sister Myra were left without a stable income or source of food. Squirrels, rabbits and deer became regular meals, caught by Sunny, who became a hunter and fisherm a n out o f

necessity. In a day

and age where women did not work, Margie struggled to find a job to support her family.

Springer herself got her first job at 12 as a basketball referee for YMCA games, helping pay whatever was necessary to keep the lights and heat on.

Her family and childhood is what she credits for her mindset and success today. She sees work ethic as vital, as well as faith, in whatever shape it comes.

“I’m a very simple person,” Springer said.

“I believe that you get out of this world with what you put into it. If you’re going to be negative every day, you’re going to surround yourself with negative people and all you’re going to see are the clouds in the sky. I just wanted to make sure that I surrounded myself with others who saw the good in others, so I saw the positive in life.”

Sunny did more than feed Springer. He was also the one to spark her love for basketball.

Five years older than her and looking for a partner in crime, he taught his tagalong sister all the games he wanted to play, including basketball - one that would change her life.

At Mississippi State, Springer met Beth Wright, her primary inspiration for her teaching philosophy, an English teacher who became like family. After failing an initial class essay, Wright offered to mentor Springer, and shape her into a writer. Over the next four years, she guided her in academics and life, attending every home basketball game, and on her graduation day, Springer told her that she would pay it forward.

“I want to be the kind of teacher that sees somebody in need and helps them with whatever they need to become successful in their life,” Springer said. “I told her that I’m going to be what you have taught me to be, somebody who helps kids and loves them and sees the good in them and not the bad.”

She got her first coaching job in San Angelo, Texas after college. There, she met a former Grapevine Principal Skip Casey who informed her of the open head girls basketball position at CHS, encouraging her to head to Dallas-Fort Worth, an area of growth in population and innovation. When she first arrived at CHS as head girls basketball coach in 1985, Cowboys weren’t only a mascot; they were the demographic of her students.

“When I got here it was just a little country town,” Springer said. “Our kids wore cowboy hats and boots to school, our girls all wore boots and skirts and we were really country. There was nothing around here. It was like an isolated little oasis off of Dallas. As we grew, we changed that. We were Cowgirls and Cowboys but we didn’t dress like Cowgirls and Cowboys anymore. It grew and grew and grew and now we’re busting at the seams.”

Girls basketball coach was the first of many hats Springer would wear for CISD. She taught biology, health, driver’s education and became an assistant principal at CHS before being named principal of Coppell Middle School East.

“She has a big, big heart, she’s crazy funny and has a wonderful sense of humor,” Coppell ISD Superintendent Dr. Brad

Hunt said. “Springer is someone who knows people’s names, which is real[ly] important in high school to know who the kids are, but it goes deeper than that. She knows what their needs are, she knows who they are as people, she knows their parents. Her understanding of what it means to give back, be a servant and leader, really hones the relationships she has at CHS.” Leaving CHS to become principal at CMSE in 2006 was a hard decision in more than one way. She would, of course, have less student interaction as a full-time administrator, which was the very reason she moved away from coaching: to impact a larger group of students.

But what cemented Springer’s decision was the slew of tragedies occurring at CHS related to drugs and alcohol.

“There were a lot of kids committing suicide, there were a lot of kids with drug problems that overdosed,” Springer said. “I love kids, the number one thing I care about is them being safe and successful. I thought I needed to go down to the middle school level and see if I can help kids not start drugs and alcohol.”

Establishing the FISH! philosophy (choose your attitude, play, make their day, present moment) and her famous trait of knowing every student’s name, Springer began her legendary tenure at CMSE. “When she was named high school principal, the East kids all freaked out and we were all so excited,” CHS senior Katy Kryzak said.

“The [Coppell Middle School West and Coppell Middle School North] kids were like ‘why are you guys so excited?’ We were like ‘just wait. She’s the best person ever, and you just have to experience it.”

She would soon leave her beloved CMSE with glowing reviews. Springer returned as principal of CHS for the 2019-20 school year.

“We just had the best time together [at CMSE],” Springer said. "But CHS has always been my heart, so I thought ‘OK, I want to go home.’ I came back to bring some stuff here.

[The] culture needed to change here.”

Story by Anjali Krishna Photos by Nandini Muresh and Angelina Liu

She came to CHS along with the first class of freshmen from CHS9, many of whom had just left CMSE a year prior.

Students know her for supporting them through their disciplinary action and taking a personal interest in their time in in-school suspension. Learning, as well as working under Springer is a different experience than other principals, one that holds a different culture. CHS assistant principal Chris Gollner, having known Springer for 17 years, considers her to be a second mother to him and everyone at CHS. “She brings in that family atmosphere to the high school,” Gollner said. “She’ll tell you like it is. She’ll pick you up when something happens and make sure to love you and take care of you. She’ll also kick you in the butt to make sure you’re doing what you need to do.”

Springer, for these accomplishments and dedication, integrity and honorable service, was awarded the Cliff Long Leadership Award on Jan. 29.While grateful, her response to the award was a glorified “aw, shucks” and compliments to those who won it before her. And in that perhaps, is the magic students and staff and community leaders alike have found in Springer for the last 37 years at CISD, and will certainly for many more years to come.

“I’m not going to give up on being a school that can take care of each other, love each other, respect each other,” Springer said. “I’m going to fight for that. We fill this building full of people from y’all keep hearing this message over and over and finally y’all will believe it and we start practicing.When we can build a culture of love, respect, care for each other, and ability to work hard and get what we want, that will be my proudest accomplishment.

I’ve been blessed with so many great students and adults I've worked with. I hope to do this until y’all say ‘you’ve got to get out of here Ms. Springer, your job’s done.’”

Behind the Fold with Springer Loves 21 Pilots

“When I work out every day, I put 21 Pilots on because it just fires me up. If 21 Pilots came, I would have to go to their concert. Pink. Strong woman who consistently sings about believing in yourself and not letting anyone tell you who you are. I’d travel anywhere to see them in concert.”

Likes to keep in shape

“Go to the gym to do the elliptical, lift weights, HIIT workout. I like to do it all.

I’ve been athletic my whole life so sitting around is not for me. I want to keep in shape because I think it helps me be a better person. It helps my demeanor and helps me believe in the good things in life.”

Has a motorcycle

“I have a motorcycle that I ride and I take my motorcycle and go on the backside of Flower Mound and there’s some country roads out there. I just ride and I love nature so I look at nature and go to parks and see how beautiful they are. I don’t have to leave far from Coppell.”

e s u o m r e t u p m o c A in Anjali V’s

e l d d a p g n Pingpo ’s ni Srihari Princess adhesive bandages in Nandini P’s

s e h s u r hb t o o t Three gelina’s in An

A signed baseball in Torie’s

Sidekick Online

THE SIDEKICK STUDENT LIFE

We emptied some of our staffers’ backpacks and collected some of the oddest items we could find.

Anime convention two-day pass in Olivia S’s A 50¢ coin in Sreeja’s

FEBRUARY 2022

@thesidekickcoppell

@CHSCampusNews

Pool returns with same caring desire for helping others Iniya Nathan CHS9 Editor @iniya_v

Coppell High School health science teacher Ray Pool is known for his random acts of kindness.

Just ask his students.

“There’s this kid that wasn’t in his classes or anything, but he heard that they were in the nurse’s office,” CHS sophomore Tanvi Rudrangi said. “So he sent him a bunch of snacks and $5 if they wanted to buy anything for lunch just because he was sick.”

Pool’s fellow educators appreciate his desire to help others as well.

“When [Pool] comes onto a campus he makes it a point to find out what the needs are on campus,” CHS long term substitute teacher Brenda Brinkman said. “I have known him to go out of his way with families to do as much as help them with their electricity bill if their family had a parent who had lost employment. He has a huge heart for service. I’ve seen him do amazing things for people as far as giving them connections to healthcare if needed, providing food for them, any resources that they need. It’s just one of those best kept secrets because he’s one of those guys that does these things but doesn’t want the recognition for it.”

He also sponsors CHS Leo Club, which is a club dedicated to serving the community, which is another way Pool shows his support for the community.

Pool was an athletic trainer and taught at CHS for 13 years before leaving the district for eight years. Pool spent two years at Argyle High School and six

years at Krum High School as an athletic trainer.

“Your retirement is based on your five highest years of your salary, so the more money you make over five years, your retirement is based on a percentage of that,” Pool said. “When I went to [Argyle], I got a bit of an increase in pay. I had known the trainer who was there beforehand, he actually was [at CISD] too. He called me and said he was leaving to do something else so I just followed him out there.”

Pool also left for Argyle because the class loads were smaller and he had less games to cover as an athletic trainer. He left Argyle for Krum due to similar reasons. Pool then returned to Coppell.

“What happened was, when I got those five higher years, I didn’t want to do any more athletic training,” Pool said. “Also, Laura Springer, who was vice principal when I was here, left to go to [Coppell Middle School East], and had come back to the high school. And of course, who wouldn’t want to work with Laura Springer? So when the job became available, I applied.”

Pool still covers some games as an athletic trainer. His favorite sports to work with are rugby and rodeo. He covered rodeo in college and used to be one of the athletic trainers for the United States national rugby union team.

He completed his undergraduate degree in education at Texas Christian University and his master’s degree at Arizona State University. Pool also has a state license in athletic training and a national certification in athletic training. Prior to teaching at high schools, he worked at an industri-

al medicine clinic and worked at several sports medicine clinics.

Brinkman also used to work at the district, before coming back this year. Brinkman left CISD to work at Krum ISD, and when she was ready to retire, she called Pool to inform him of the job opening. When talking about working alongside each other at CHS and others they have worked with before they left, both were on the same wavelength replying it is like “getting the band back together.”

“Pool is like a brother to me,” Brinkman said. “He made it so that it didn’t feel like work being here.

I have learned so much from him.

The one thing I admire the most about Pool is that it’s not about the injury, it’s about the athlete. He is great at making connections with an athlete, and letting them know that he truly cares about them.”

Brinkman is currently back to teaching and according to her, the health science programs at CHS would not be like they are today without Pool.

“He was very instrumental in bringing [the pharmacy technician program] and the EMT program,” Brinkman said. “It didn’t exist before us. He was very influential with creating those relationships with [The Dallas College] Brookhaven campus. It’s really cool to come back and see that those things are still here.”

Another reason, the main reason, Pool returned to CHS was because of the students here along with the administration.

“The students here know the value of education and its importance,” Pool said. “That encourages you to want to teach at a place like this. We have an

amazing administration. [Principal] Springer knows pretty much every student, knows their family, and knows what’s going on.

[Superintendent Dr. Brad] Hunt came from within, so he knows the system backwards and forwards. The community knows the value of education. It’s a great place to teach.”

POOL’S FAVORITE TIES Pool wears a button up shirt and a tie to work everyday because it was required of all male teachers when he first started working at CHS, so Pool has amassed a fun collection of ties benefiting different charities that add personality to his formal attire.

“POMO BASKETS” Benefiting Save the Children

Coppell High School health science teacher Ray Pool assists sophomore Vidhath Mandala during first period on Jan. 25. Pool returned to teach at CHS this year after teaching at Argyle High School and Krum High School the past eight years. Nandini Muresh

“KNOTS FOR HOPE” Benefiting Susan G. Komen for the Cure

“KING OF COLOR” Benefiting Endangered Species

“PLAY FAIR” Benefiting Save the Children

Varshitha Korrapolu Communications Manager @varshitha1128

eral years, Adi utilized his first race as a guide and stepping stone for his future in racing.

“I came in with a lot of confidence,” Adi said. “I was really excited because I’ve been watching racing for so long, and I was finally in a position to do something with it. I definitely learned a lot from it. I saw people that were faster than me and I saw what they did. I didn’t win the first race. It just motivated me to get faster. It was really exhilarating.

It is something you don’t really experience with anything else.”

Adi loves sharing his racing experiences with his friends, family and teachers because he thinks people that care about him should know what’s happening in his life.

“Every interaction where he talks about racing, I look forward to hearing about his progression in racing because you see the light and he gets so excited about it,” CHS IB English teacher Stephanie Spaete said.

“What stands out is when he talks about what he loves.”

Nevertheless, Adi’s personality shines in racing and in the classroom.

“One thing that is unique to Adi is that right when he walks in the door, he’s smiling, he has something to share (mostly about cars),” Spaete said. “He makes it a point to get to know you and tell you what’s happening in his life.

He’s very fun and animated.”

Photo by Sannid

hi Arimanda

ADI BAM ROO DRE A AN M CA

R Y AS TON MAR PER TIN SON FOR AL B 1.1 m EST i) (LAP 20.4 TIM 2 se E c ROL E JAY MODE ANT L (HIS BAM D SUP AD, FO ROO P END ORTIN R G EAV ORS HIS ) FUN F A HE’S CT SKA BEEN T A YE EBOAR DIN AR G FO R

Stroud’s shot at reality television stardom Anette Varghese Student Life Editor @AnetteVarghese

Benjamin Stroud Favorite CHS Teacher:

Richard Orlopp Favorite dessert:

Pizookie from BJ’s Favorite artist:

Mumford & Sons Favorite “Amazing Race” season:

Season 2

as a pair on different ends of most spectrums. “[Auditions were] just tons of people from all walks of life,” Boyd said. “[I was] sure there were people more interesting than we are. What are the odds that they [didn’t] already have teachers? But I did have a little bit of a wait, but what if we make it?”

Rather than being upset at the end of their trial run, Stroud looks forward to future opportunities and continues to be an avid watcher of “The Amazing Race” as it airs its 33rd season.

“We got a free T-shirt out of it that [reads] “I auditioned for ‘The Amazing Race,’” Stroud said.

“I would 100 percent [audition again.] I love ‘The Amazing Race,’ and I just think it’s one of the smarter competitive races.”

FEBRUARY 2022

Traveling by plane is stressful.

Being the person holding up an entire aisle is also quite stressful.

Then Hebron High School AP English IV teacher Benjamin Stroud was in a predicament and in dire need of change. The change presented itself as Tracy Henson, a Coppell High School AP English teacher, who was also on her way to grade AP exams in Florida. As the conversation went on Stroud found a new career path to pursue, ultimately bringing him to Coppell.

“Do you need an AP Lang teacher?” And she said, ‘Actually, we do.’ “Really? Hi. I’m Ben Stroud,” Stroud said. “And she said, ‘Hi, I’m Tracy Henson.’ And through that, I got an interview and I got hired.”

Of the 22 years Stroud has dedicated to teaching, 15 years at Hebron High School, four years at Decatur High School, and three years at CHS, he has had his favorite teaching memories in Coppell.

“My first year, I taught I had five sections of AP English III, and one section of sophomore honors GT, a class of 30,” Stroud said. “Our first three weeks were really rough.

But we got together, and we made it work. I have some of those 30 right now on my AP IV, and they are known as the G.O.A.T. 30.”

CHS senior Deepa Chivukula is

www.coppellstudentmedia.com

Coppell High School AP English teacher Benjamin Stroud showcases his “The Amazing Race” shirt on Jan. 12. Stroud received the shirt after passing round 1 of “The Amazing Race” auditions.

Sannidhi Arimanda

a member of the original 30 sophomores in Stroud’s AP English class. At the beginning of senior year she found herself sitting in the same room that spawned a group chat under the name ‘Stroud’s GT G.O.A.T.’ “[Stroud] is a very entertaining teacher,” Chivukula said. “If we’re reading a poem, [he’ll make it] more interesting by showing us videos. He would play music videos at the end of class sophomore year, to just brighten up the mood.”

Stroud has been a fan of CBS reality show “The Amazing Race” since 2006. The show resonated with him because of the characteristics it called for: perseverance, physical and emotional intelligence. Once he found out about auditions at the Bankston Nissan dealership in Lewisville in 2012, he found a partner in his Hebron High School student council co-sponsor and AP Chemistry teacher, Kerri Boyd.

After answering a 30-page packet of questions including the likes of “What are your hobbies?, What’s your worst fear? Can you eat live animals? Are you competitive? How much can you run?

And, do you know the different languages?”, The two passed their first-round weeding out a good portion of their competition.

Their next step was to find a shtick or a gimmick that seemed television-worthy to the show’s producers. The two found themselves utilizing their differences, single contrasted with marriage, political affinities and personality to make themselves stand out

YouTube: Coppell Student Media

A young boy goes to the car mechanic’s shop with his dad. He is absorbed by the environment around him. He is instantly amused by tools, sights of cars being repaired and handymen working away.

Several trips to the mechanic’s shop sparked a new interest for cars in Coppell High School junior Adi Bamroo. His love for cars expanded as he got older and started to watch motorsport racing with his dad Jayant Bamroo. Adi pursues his love for these areas by participating in competitive karting at K1 Speed Richardson.

“The thrill part of it [compels me to racing],” Adi said. “It’s so uncertain what could happen to you.

I also like the simplicity of it along with that. There’s so much strategy that goes into racing, but at the end of the day it’s whoever passes the finish line first. You don’t really think about anything else except when you are trying to win.”

Coppell High School junior Adi Bamroo competitively races karts at K1 Speed Richardson.

Bamroo has been surrounded by racing since age seven, but started karting four months ago.

Photo Courtesy Adi Bamroo.

Based on K1 Speed Richardson data, Adi is ranked 2,603rd out of nearly 12 million racers that race there despite starting to race four months ago. He

competes in the championship league. Mr. Bamroo has played a significant role as he takes Adi to the track and gives him tips.

“He always gives me hope about the next race because he says there’s always a next race,” Adi said. “During the race, he will definitely help strategize in a way I can’t when I am on the track. I can’t look all the way across the track so that’s where he comes in. He’s my eyes in the sky.”

When Adi is not on the race track, he likes to watch Formula One racing with his dad on TV. As F1 racing is primarily a European sport, Adi’s biggest inspiration with respect to racing is a former German racer Michael Schumacher.

“My dad always talks about Michael Schumacher. He’s probably my G.O.A.T.,” Adi said. “He’s just had a very unique style coming into racing. He was so doubted, but after people looked into him more, they realized that was the reason why he was winning. He was so dominant in the sport. Every time I race, I try to be like him.”

Other than his dad, Adi’s biggest supporter is his best friend CHS junior Logan Fineberg, who he met at Coppell Middle School East.

“He’s so persistent on whatever he tries to do,” Fineberg said. “He doesn’t care what people think about him. He is good about keeping boundaries and limits.”

After watching racing for sev-

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Bamroo speeds through ranks in competitive racing

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Diving deep into a pineapple under the sea: The making of "The SpongeBob Musical" Stage Design Two weeks before the show’s premier, Executive Entertainment Editor the unexpected happened: former CHS @trish_atluri technical theater director Austin AshFrom the moment this year’s musical brenner left the position, and Brittany was announced at the end of year theater Young was hired to take his place.

Working with a new technical direcbanquet in May, anticipation has steadily built for Coppell High School’s production tor was a complication, and the nature of “The SpongeBob Musical” challenged of “The SpongeBob Musical.”

The five month process began when technicians further.

“The show was a big technical beast the cast list was announced in September and culminated in the show’s opening in and of itself,” Ruth said. “Figuring out how to get all these props and costumes night on Jan. 29. made and created and looking good and working has been a big learning experiCharacter Design For a show as well-known as Sponge- ence. It’s also heavily influenced by proBob, the aesthetic components need to jections, and so working with the projecbe spot-on. With audiences flocking to tions and getting that going has been big, see the characters they grew up watch- it’s been a little new for us, which is fine, ing portrayed through song and dance, we learn and we grow.”

The 90s theme made prop considerthe pressure was on for the hair, makeup ations all the more interesting. Down and costuming crews.

The musical operates off a 90s theme, to Patrick’s snacks (gushers), the prop and adopts the bright color scheme from crew changed minute details to make the the original Nickelodeon television show. show technically unique.

Unlike previous CHS musicals, Costumes and makeup had to reflect these components while suiting the ac- “SpongeBob” incorporates Foley sound tors and bringing out each character’s effects, which are made by the live manipulation of everyday objects. For salient personality traits.

“When I drew out SpongeBob’s design, I SpongeBob’s movements, crew members saw that I [would] need a yellow shirt and CHS senior Katie Arrington and junior brown overalls, and when I drew Pearl’s Pravah Chadalawada squeak a dog toy design, I needed a cheerleading costume from their perch at the stage’s center and a leather jacket and fishnets,” CHS back. To emulate underwater ambience, junior costume crew head Mehak Lohiya the duo blows bubbles into a cup.

“Working with Foley is really different said.

Two months passed, and December from going to open source libraries and arrived, bringing with it the collective pulling sound effects,” New Tech High effort of the other technician crews. By @ Coppell junior sound designer Aarish Rajwani said. “We have to do some Coppell High School experimentation and research on junior Tyler Schweitzer how to create those sounds. In adplays Squidward in the dition to that, just finding out the final dress rehearsal best ways to mic the Foley artists, for “The SpongeBob because we want to be able to hear Musical” on Jan. 27. their sound effects they’re making.”

Trisha Atluri In addition to experimenting with new techniques, the sound designers faced challenges with the old audio technology. To help what seemed like a hopeless situation, the directors collaborated with Event Technology Services (ETS), a production company in Coppell owned and operated by junior cast member Graham Gorman’s parents Kevin and Hillary Gorman.

“As we’ve been shaking it down over rehearsals with the tech team, we’ve been fixing things as we go,” Mr. Gorman said. “For the first time in a very long time, the actors can actually out-power the volume of the band.”

In the three weeks leading up to opening night, ETS spent the first assessing and cleaning unnecessary items, the second reworking the speakers and the third mentoring the show’s sound operating crew. Together, the projections, lighting and sound crews work to create an immersive onstage experience.

Trisha Atluri

Performance A not-so-simple sponge, a superstar sea star, an exceptionally talmid-December, makeup designs were finalized for the entire cast. From there, ented squid, a capitalist crustacean and senior makeup crew head Raelin Ogle an ensemble of tap dancers and roller drew up a buy list that included new skaters. In short, the condensed list of roles taken up by CHS students in Sepbrushes, palettes, paint and glitter.

“It’s just a matter of talking with Mehak tember.

In determining how to portray Spongeand talking with the directors and being like look, ‘what is your color scheme for Bob, CHS senior Sage Priest looked to odeon show this?’” Ogle said. “‘What is the purpose of the original Nickelthis character? What’s their goal?’ Because if they’re a very strict or tough character, then we’ll give them harsher features versus if they’re very gentle or bubbly and carefree, you’re probably going to give them softer contouring and more natural colors.”

The final pieces of hair, makeup and costuming were put together during Tech Week, the seven days leading up to the show’s opening. Through it all, the hair and makeup crews were at each other’s side.

Graphics by Trisha Atluri and Joanne Kim

Coppell High School sophomore Maya Chen adds mascara to junior Sean Pompey’s eyelashes befwore the final dress rehearsal for “The SpongeBob Musical” on Jan. 27.

Trisha Atluri

and Ethan Slater’s Broadway performance for inspiration. Even so, it was a careful balance between crafting their own version of the character and paying homage to previous performers.

“Especially with a show like this, where it’s a character from a TV show and a very well known one at that, you have to make sure you’re not stealing,” Priest said. “It’s a lot of playing with the walk and the voice. The voice can’t be exactly what it is because it’s a musical and I can’t sustain that for two and a half hours, especially not while singing.”

Choreography is a malleable part of the show, with bits and pieces added on at almost every re- Coppell High School junior sound designer Aarish Rajwani mics New Tech High @ Coppell hearsal.

More than others, the boy junior Juan Cordova before the final dress band The Electric Skates were rehearsal for “The SpongeBob Musical” on Jan. challenged by choreography. 27. Trisha Atluri With CHS senior Alyssa Bargas and NTH@C junior Romir Bose operating tions amidst panic and blame, characters off no prior skating experience and Tack- grow along individual storylines interett familiar with ice skating but not roller twined with the apocalyptic plot. skating, the trio had their work cut out SpongeBob (Sage Priest), ever the unfor them. In order to get in shape for Tech failing optimist, enlists the help of his Week, they spent their breaks practicing best friend, Patrick (Sid Gunasekaran) at roller rinks. and Sandy (Emma Hoque) in saving his “Skating is one thing, but skating natu- town. Meanwhile, the nefarious Plankton rally and confidently while singing is a lot (Graham Gorman) makes plans to take of work,” Tackett said. “We all had to re- advantage of the opportunity to elevate ally, really push our limits there, but we his status from tiny creature to fast food ended up pulling it off almost every tech giant by endangering the town. night and on [opening night] we ended up From the start of the opening number doing that as well.”

“Bikini Bottom Day” to the closing notes of the finale, the audience watches as life Opening Weekend is breathed into the famous cartoons that Three, two, one… as Patchy the Pirate dominate television screens and meme (Jude Taylor) bounds from the audience culture alike. The audience’s hearty apto the stage, the show has officially be- plause, laughter and enthusiasm charged gun. the actors’ performances like a battery.

“The SpongeBob Musical” follows the “My favorite part of the show was the citizens of Bikini Bottom as they face an audience, because it’s the first time we’ve impending fiery end spurred by the erup- had a real audience before,” Tackett said. tion of a long-dormant underwater volca- “Hearing the reactions really, really feeds no. As the seafloor the actors. It was just incredible to have creatures come that energy coming back at us. It really to terms with helped enhance the show to make it a lot the danger and better.” puzzle out solu-

Black History Month Sreeja Mudumby

Executive Editorial Page Editor @sreejamudumby

The curtains open and the lights flash.

The crowd is full, all eyes on the stage.

But the front conveys only half the story.

Backstage is where the magic lies.

Coppell High School senior stage director Kai Miller loves the world of acting.

Though they are not on stage reciting dialogues, their effort culminates behind the curtains. Leading plays such as “Trap”, Miller oversees all parts of production and leads the various technician crews working on the plays.

“It’s really fun to see things come to life based on what you put into building your entire team,” Miller said. “I liked doing “Trap” earlier this year; I was a manager for that. Seeing everything come together in the end and just being proud of all of my actors and all my crew [was] really fun.”

According to CHS theater director Karen Ruth, Miller has shown immense

Inspiring Black artists Alex Gardner: acrylic

painter known for works of faceless human figures.

Nicole Sealey: author

of Ordinary Beasts and The Animal After Whom Other Animals Are Named.

former who played George Eacker in the Broadway musical “Hamilton” and originated the role of David Ruffin in “Ain’t Too Proud.”

Jewelle Blackman: actress who debuted as a Fate in “Hadestown.”

culture and everything that’s built them to be who they are, and get a deeper appreciation for that by understanding [my]own background.”

During Black History Month, Miller emphasizes the spotlight needs to shine on the unscrutinized Black issues more than ones that are present in textbooks.

“Black history didn’t start with slavery,” Miller said. “Sure, slavery is a very big significant part of Black culture and history, but history is about really digging into the origins and [how that leads up to] where we are today.”

They apply the same principle to honoring Black leaders.

“It shouldn’t just be the same token Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela over and over again, because we already know who those people are,” Miller said. “Yes, they’re very important, but at the same time, you should be honoring our Black poets, artists [and] writers because that’s such a significant part of who we are.”

Coming into terms with their identity was a journey for Miller, but it was their surroundings that encouraged them to fully be themselves.

“I am lucky enough to have a really strong community around me,” Miller said. “Especially in theater; we’ve always been really tight friends. It’s been a very accepting area. It’s mostly an internal struggle, and there’s such a lack of representation everywhere that you don’t really feel connected to anywhere.

It’s been a struggle, but it’s also been really empowering for me.

Scan code to watch an interview with Miller

You want to be the representation you don’t see in the world so other people can look up to you, because you wish you have something to look up to.”

Because Jamaica is an integral part of who Kai is, they hope to sustain those hearty environments by becoming a wildlife conservationist. However, no matter the career path, Ruth affirms notability in Kai’s future.

“You’re going to hear Kai Miller’s name,” Ruth said. “I can promise you. I don’t know what Kai wants to do for [their] future. But man, the world is [their] oyster as they say. [They’ve] got the world at [their] fingertips.”

With a Black Jamaican mother and a white father from Ohio, Coppell High School senior Miller is biracial, but identifies themselves as Black because of their rich culture. Miller celebrates their heritage during Black History Month as they believe it is a big part of their identity.

Shreya Ravi

YouTube: Coppell Student Media

.

Ephraim Sykes: per-

growth since their sophomore year, “Kai has grown exponentially since I first met [them],” Ruth said. “[They are] extremely talented. I first worked with [them in their] sophomore year, and we were doing this show called ‘The Elephant’s Graveyard.’ It was probably the biggest roll [they] had to date. The quieter person that I had seen before into this really started to be outspoken and energetic, little like a ball of fire.”

Ruth thinks one of Miller’s best traits is their ability to take initiative, causing them to get leadership roles in productions.

But there is so much more to them than their role as stage manager. Miller’s identity encapsulates two minority groups.

With a Black Jamaican mother and a white father from Ohio, Miller is biracial, but identifies with their one ethnic group.

“I mostly just identify as Black because of the world we’re in today,” Miller said.

“If I were to go to one of those ‘circle one that applies,’ and I chose white, people would be like, ‘no, that wouldn’t line up.’

I’m going to choose Black, because that’s what the world sees, and that’s what I see. I’ve been raised by my mom; she’s Black and that’s just who I am.”

Black History Month is a time to honor Black heritage and highlights the cultural significance of historical events that lead to modern social issues.

With roots from Jamaica, Miller’s enriched legacy provides them with the tools to acknowledge the diverse histories that make up the Black community.

Miller learned about their cultural heritage by visiting their grandparents in Jamaica over the summers, gaining knowledge on the comings of their family.

“My history gives me a deeper appreciation for what other people have been through and into my culture,” Miller said. “[I] understand there’s so many different backgrounds that people are coming from, so many different places, actions,

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Miller embracing identity, leading in theater

Vanishing footprint left by Black community Staff Writer

The Black community has shaped contemporary culture throughout history. The Sidekick staff writer Minnie Gazawada gives credit to their cultural impact. Maya Palavali

nent white painters [were credited] when they were being made again.”

However, regardless of the popularity of these trends, most fail to recognize their roots, illustrating how Black communities have not received the deserved credit for their part in shaping entertainment industries.

“If you created something, you should be credited for it, even if it doesn’t match with people’s ideas of what it looks like now,” Simon said. “History and where things come from is an important part of its story, so taking [trends] out of [historical context] isn’t a good thing.”

There’s only one way to solve the lack of credit: exposure.

“Having exposure and diversity in classes, reading poetry, reading literature, seeing artwork and watching films by people of color or diversity are important for young people,” Hauske said.

“Having that discussion and getting that exposure, then more voices are heard.”

We have the power and ability to bring attention to this issue. It is in our hands to light the spotlight on the Black community, to make it clear visibility of their footprint and to be able to see Black culture and history’s true impact. They shouldn’t have to fight tooth and nail for the bare minimum amount of credit for their work.

FEBRUARY 2022

songs; we see it everywhere.”

When it comes to music, Rhythm and blues (R&B) has influenced hip-hop, rock ‘n’ roll, K-pop and several other popular genres. R&B takes the struggles of African Americans in the early 1900s with segregation and other forms of intense marginalization and expresses them through music.

The Harlem Renaissance was a period of time in which Black culture flourished as the community sought to establish a better quality of living by expression through art and music. For centuries, music has played a role in the uplift of marginalized communities; it shouldn’t be brushed aside as fun party songs, as such narratives steal credit from the communities that fought to establish respect and recognition in Harlem.

“It’s kind of resurging now, but I think a lot of the Harlem Renaissance artists, [specifically] the jazz musicians, some of their artwork was being overshadowed simply because of their race,” AP art history teacher Michelle Hauske said. “If we look at the Harlem Renaissance, for example, and the artwork coming out of that or quilting traditions that were traditionally African American, they brought us really bright colors [and[ beautiful design elements. I think other more promi-

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porary world. For example, the appreciative slang phrase “yas queen” originates from the Black LGBTQ community, @mridinigazawada and the popular fashion trend of lettuce Slang, rhythm and blues, jazz, lettuce hems was created by Stephen Burrows, an African American designer. These are hem, hoop earrings and logomania. just some of the thousands of ideas born What do they all have in common?

Their roots are found in Black history. in Black communities and expanded to Each has been impacted by the culture worldwide exchange.

“I think art is a huge part of what exthroughout history, shaping the contempressions of Black culture can look like,” Coppell High School debate and world history teacher SunHee Simon said. “We see it in a lot of art that has been passed down over the decades and popular

Minnie Gazawada

Liang en pointe as creative in STEM Trisha Atluri

Executive Entertainment Editor @trish_atluri

Few are as multi-talented as Coppell High School senior Jessica Liang, who is a researcher, violinist, singer and ballerina.

Liang’s interest in science led her to be selected for the Simons Summer Research Program at Stony Brook University last summer and named as a top 300 scholar in the 81st Regeneron Science Talent Search (STS) on Jan. 6. As a violinist, Liang is a Chamber Music International Youth Ambassador and a performer in the Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra. She has been in choir since sixth grade and is currently in the A Cappella choir at CHS. To top off her extensive experience in the performing arts, Liang has been dancing since age 4 and is a member of the Ballet Ensemble of Texas.

What’s your favorite ballet performance you’ve done?

Definitely my last Nutcracker in December. It’s emotional because we started “The Nutcracker” in August, and we’ve been doing this for so long.

We all get really close, it’s a great experience, and it was really emotional for it to end. Surprisingly, I didn’t cry, because I’m usually very emotional about this kind of stuff. We do “The Nutcracker” every year and it’s a tradition. It’s become one of my favorite ballets, just because I have so many great memories doing this starting from when I was a child and I was a cloud, and now I’m [in roles such as] snow and flowers. It’s nice to have such a nice ending to this long journey.

What’s your favorite move to perform?

Honestly, sometimes I think what you’re good at depends on the body type you have, and sometimes I feel like my body type is just not right for anything. I don’t have particularly long legs or great flexibility or great extensions. I’m a big fan of big jumps that we call a grand allegro, just because I love moving and jumping big. I’m also a fan of turns. It’s cool to think about if I hold my arms a certain way, what will happen. It’s definitely a journey. It was especially difficult when I first started out en pointe, because it’s absolutely terrifying, but I feel like I’ve gotten better over the years and that’s nice to know.

Tell me about your entry in the Regeneron STS. My project was called CSV, a compressive sensing-based variational autoencoder theory and design. Basically, I proposed a new architecture for the variational autoencoder (VAE), which is used to generalize small data sets to larger sets. The new data that’s generated has the same properties, but it’s not identical, which is good for protecting data privacy, while also generating more stuff that can be used for research. Originally, the VAE is two neural networks.

Using compressive sensing, I made it one neural network, which increases the data processing speed and is important for real-time applications. So it’s really important, particularly in health when patient privacy is an issue of anonymity.

What’s your proudest accomplishment?

[I’m] really proud of [being selected for] the Simons program and Regeneron just because those are on a national level and very selective.

On a personal level, I’m really proud of being in the Ballet Ensemble because this has been an achievement that has been culminating over 14 years. The first year I was qualified to be in the Ballet Ensemble [as a sophomore], I was rejected. My next year, I got in as an apprentice. I thought about not returning to the company, but this year, I’m a company member. It feels like my 14 years have been building up, because I grew up at that studio. I grew up watching Ballet Ensemble of Texas and it’s cool to finally be a company member.

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In the Spotlight

Coppell High School senior Jessica Liang is a ballerina, violinist, singer and a top 300 scholar in the Regeneron Science Talent Search, one of the most prestigious research competitions for high school students. Liang has been a ballerina since age four and danced in the Ballet Ensemble of Texas’ production of “The Nutcracker” in December. Nandini Muresh

top in the charts, in our hearts Anjali Krishna

Executive Editor-in-Chief

FEBRUARY 2022

@anjalikrishna_

The year is 1964. Beatlemania runs rampant. A Hard Day’s Night has just been released and Rubber Soul is well on its way.

Teenage girls climb the barrier at their shows and trespass into venues to catch a glimpse.

When the rest of the world didn’t see the magic in the Beatles, whose monolith fanbase today is largely comprised of older men, teenage girls did. The image of a crazed teenage girl at a Beatles concert was a joke, a critique of fan culture as early as the 1960s. Sixty years later, when the Beatles are revered as a musical game changer by a seemingly more important fanbase (men), the teenage girls of the current generation are spoken of the same way:

tasteless and unappreciative of true music.

The pop music of today is called shallow, repetitive and trashy. It is an easy target. It has the Top 40 hits, the incessant radio play and the often terrifying stan culture behind its biggest stars. Yet from The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds to Joni Mitchell’s Court and Spark to Drake’s Views, pop music has been influencing tastemakers in every genre since its beginnings.

Music has always served as an important part in defining personality, and even more so with the continual rise of valuing individualism in modern counterculture. It is very cool to have a unique music taste, to listen to and discover music that most of today’s generation isn’t interested in. But what isn’t so cool is disliking something

for its popularity or thinking one’s own tastes are more mature or artistic.

Definitively calling pop music as a whole a shallow mechanism of music is ignorant for the fact that simply, it isn’t true.

It doesn’t make anyone cooler to dislike popular things. What exactly is the shame in liking only popular pop tracks? Telling someone their tastes aren’t well thought or diverse doesn’t encourage them to branch out and diversify. Tastes aren’t something that can be forced, only insulted. In keeping an elitist attitude towards pop music, not only would the insulted become less interested in music culture altogether, but the insulters miss out on a line of music they may otherwise find enjoyable.

McCartney adores Taylor Swift. Elton John looks up to

Dua Lipa. Alanis Morrisette loves Olivia Rodrigo. You could too, if you looked up from your underground tastes.

As listening to alternative and indie genres becomes more popular, pop music is increasingly labeled as basic. The Sidekick executive editor-in-chief Anjali Krishna argues that we should respect pop music as a taste. Esther Kim

crispy Taiwanese fried chicken to satisfy cravings Visual Media Editor @angelinaliiu

After a long walk in a Taiwan night market, my clothes stick to my back and my stomach rumbles for a snack. From afar, I spot a stand with fluorescent lights advertising 湾盐酥鸡 (Taiwanese Fried Chicken) in bold red font. A long wait in line yields juicy and tender chicken scooped into paper bags and eaten with wooden skewers.

This tasty and easy snack can be enjoyed alone or with a bowl of steaming white rice. The gluten-free dish differs from traditional fried chicken as it uses potato starch instead of flour to achieve a lighter crispiness.

Recipe 1. Slice chicken thighs into quarter size pieces and place in a bowl. Add marinade ingredients and mix thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

2. Remove chicken from the refrigerator and allow it to rest for 30 minutes. Remove chicken from marinade and heavily coat each piece in sweet potato flour.

3. Place five cups of oil into a wok on medium-high heat.

Add basil and peppercorn to the oil for extra flavor. Fry the coated chicken in batches until golden brown, making sure to skim the oil after each batch.

4. Fry basil leaves until crisp. Basil leaves must be completely dry to prevent oil burns.

5. Toss the fried chicken with the spice mix and fried basil leaves.

6. Enjoy by itself or serve with a glass of boba and a cup of white rice.

Taiwanese fried chicken is a tasty snack at street night markets. The dish can be enjoyed on its own or served with a bowl of rice. Angelina Liu

Ingredients Marinade: 1 pound boneless chicken thighs 2 tablespoons rice wine 2 tablespoons soy sauce 1 tablespoon sugar 1 tablespoon oyster sauce 1 teaspoon salt 8 cloves garlic 2 teaspoons garlic powder ½ teaspoon white pepper

Spice Mix: 1 tablespoon Chinese five spice powder 1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorn 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon white pepper ½ teaspoon garlic powder Frying: 5 bunches Thai basil 2 cups sweet potato powder High smoke point oil such as avocado or vegetable oil

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Angelina Liu

YouTube: Coppell Student Media www.coppellstudentmedia.com

FEBRUARY 2022

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Pointer moving on to become Judson ISD athletic director

Coppell assistant head coach Karl Pointer calls a defensive scheme against Highland Park at Buddy Echols Field on Sept. 10. Pointer, also the head track coach, was named the Judson ISD athletic director on Jan. 24. Meer Mahfuz

Meer Mahfuz Staff Writer @ mahfuz_meer

After over 25 years in education and 13 years as part of Coppell ISD, Coppell assistant head football coach and head track coach Karl Pointer has finally achieved his dream.

Pointer was named the Judson ISD athletic director on Jan. 24. “[Athletic administration] is something that has been one of my passions for a long time; I’ve been trying to pursue and break into the athletic director realm for the past several years,” Pointer said.

“I’ve had several opportunities to interview [for the position] but it just wasn’t my time yet, I saw this [opportunity] posted and thought ‘hey, lets go try this one.’ It’s been a blessing [to be named the Judson ISD athletic director]. Judson ISD has a rich history of athletic successes and my goal is

@thesidekickcoppell

going to be coaching coaches.

It’s critical that, especially in this day and age with people getting out of the education business, if I can help grow young coaches just like people grew me then I can give back to the profession.

This first year is going to be a little more difficult transition [because I’ll miss coaching] but it’s something I want to try and it’s something that’s been in my heart for a long time so now I have the opportunity to do it.”

In Pointer’s time at Coppell, he has been able to work under three different athletic directors: John Crawford, Joe McBride and Kit Pehl. Working under each provided Pointer with a unique opportunity to branch out and explore athletic directing and all that it entails.

When Pointer first came to Coppell in 2009, Crawford was athletic director. Having spent time working under Crawford at Plano ISD before coming to Coppell provided Pointer

with initial opportunities to nurture his dream.

“I’ve been very blessed in my time here at Coppell,” Pointer said. “I was able to sit under [Crawford] to watch and learn.

With the transition to McBride as well as Pehl, I’ve been able to take away a lot from these guys.

They’ve really helped me grow into the role that I want to be in and they are also great resources that I know I can always call.”

Pointer, the safeties coach, has imparted a special relationship with freshman safety Weston Polk and has been an instrumental supporter in Polk’s first year playing football for Coppell. “[Pointer] was very patient with me and walked me through play calls constantly to make sure I knew them,” Polk said.

“He took me in from day one and was the coach that tried to make me feel comfortable knowing that I was nervous at the start.

I remember, during the games,

he would always be the one to cool me down, especially the first couple games. Sometimes I would be wide-eyed during games and he would always be the one to make it simple for me.”

Not only did Polk find solace in him but Pointer also proved to be a much needed mentor in Polk’s athletic career.

“Pointer is definitely a great mentor on and off the field; I’ve spent a ton of time with him because he is my position coach and I have learned some valuable things from him,” Polk said. “He’s a great coach because he knows when to yell at someone, when to tell someone off, when to be calm and how to get his coaching across in a way you can understand. I have mentors that I’ve had since I was little and great coaches along my athletic career, but I’ve only known Pointer for a little over half a year, and he is at the top of that list of great coaches or mentors I’ve had.”

Breaking geographic divides

Lacrosse gaining popularity outside of UIL Torie Peck Sports Editor @torielpeck

FEBRUARY 2022

to come in and help [them] improve and make them better.”

Coppell assistant football and track coach Eric Hill will be the interim head track coach in Pointer’s absence.

When Pointer initially earned his Master of Education degree from Lamar University in 2012, he was surrounded by comments from teachers and principals mentioning how successful he would be as an assistant principal or principal, but Pointer decided to stick to the athletic realm. Pointer started his coaching career as defensive secondary coach for Fort Worth Dunbar High School in 1997 and has continued coaching up until the current day so his initial challenge will be transitioning to life not as a coach.

“If I wasn’t coaching, I still want to be involved in the athletes and [athletics],” Pointer said. “It’s going to be a transition because I’m not going to be coaching kids anymore, I’m

Based on where you live in the United States, different sports take precedence. In the south, it’s football. In the north, it’s lacrosse.

While sports such as football, baseball, basketball and volleyball are seen in most Texas schools, lacrosse teams are harder to find. There are many schools within the Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio and Austin areas with lacrosse teams, but not every school has one. Outside of these “hot beds” are even fewer teams.

Because of the sport’s limited resources and popularity, it is not under the University Interscholastic League (UIL). The UIL works to uphold rules and regulations within the majority of sports in Texas.

The Texas High School Lacrosse League explains this on its website, stating that each year the UIL sends a survey out that gauges interest across the independent school districts in Texas on interest in new activities, such as lacrosse, based on the given sport’s lack of geographic diversity.

“You’ve had your standard UIL sports for years and lacrosse outside of that,” Coppell Lacrosse Association Board President Brooks Carter said. “Especially in Texas, it’s still relatively new even though it’s been around for

multiple years. [If lacrosse was UIL], you would allocate another teaching position that may take away from football, basketball, soccer or any [other sport] that’s under that UIL umbrella. Not every school has a boys and girls program. UIL [may] look at it like ‘we can’t just turn it UIL for boys’ because there’s more boys lacrosse in Texas than girls.”

While it may not be a UIL sanctioned sport, lacrosse is popular in Dallas-Fort Worth and continuing to grow. “[Lacrosse] has really been growing a lot since I’ve been [in Texas] since 2012,” Coppell boys lacrosse coach Ryan Mueller said. “Obviously we’re in Texas, right? So football, baseball and basketball are big deals and we support those programs. Some of those coaches are starting to see the value of lacrosse as a cross trainer. Again, it’s never

going to be football, we’re in Texas, but it’s really starting to grow and find its home in a lot of the communities here in North Texas.”

Since it is not UIL, Texas lacrosse has its own organizations: the Texas High School Lacrosse League (THSLL) and Girls High School Lacrosse League, which are under the direction of USA Lacrosse. According to Mueller,

the two state organizations are beginning to work more closely together and follow UIL rules and regulations as closely as possible.

Because lacrosse isn’t UIL, and therefore isn’t a school sanctioned sport, school credits and hours are not allotted.

Practices are held after school, and the sport does not earn students P.E. credits.

There are benefits to lacrosse’s lack of UIL status.

Athletes who don’t have a team in their town are allowed to join a neighboring team.

This provides athletes with a wider range of opportunities.

doesn’t feel like a part of your school routine. It’s an excuse to get out, have fun, but still get a good workout in and have that team dynamic.”

Many lacrosse players are multi-sport athletes, because lacrosse is a good cross-trainer sport.

“Lacrosse [has a lot of] handeye coordination,” Carter said.

“Throwing that ball, it’s not the typical softball or baseball where your hands are on it and you can easily dive. That plays a really big role and they [Lacrosse has] very similar styles of play, especially like basketball. If you look at it, there’s a lot of zones. When it’s our own season, lacrosse has a lot of running and it keeps student athletes engaged.”

Because of this, other Coppell coaches and teachers have been known to support lacrosse players.

“It takes more planning Scan here to read because it’s outside of school and full story it’s on your own time, but you also get to meet different people,” Wenzel said. “We have a girl from Hebron [senior defender Emma Garcia] on our team because Hebron doesn’t have one and we have a girl from Grapevine Faith [senior defender Claire Bryant] on our team as well. You get to meet different people from cities and schools that don’t have a Coppell sophomore defender Connor Waddill catches at lacrosse program. It almost feels like an practice on Jan. 30 at Lesley Field. Lacrosse is one of the few Texas escape to get out of school; it sports not under UIL direction. Olivia Short

COACH’S BOX

Benatar-Whitten bringing collegiate expertise to field

Meer Mahfuz Staff Writer @ mahfuz_meer

Photo by Sruthi Lingam

Saniya Koppikar Staff Writer @SaniyaKoppikar

Texas Association of Sports Officials referees Carmichael Willaim and David Leiva talk prior to kickoff between Coppell and San Antonio Reagan at Buddy Echols Field on Jan. 7. Due to a shortage of referees, many matches are only being officiated in duals instead of the typical trios. Meer Mahfuz

of it at times but it’s one of those things where, if we as coaches don’t set out [to] change the culture then it’s going to get worse and worse,” Coppell boys soccer coach James Balcom said.

A survey released by the National Association of Sports Officials in 2020 found that 57 percent believed sportsmanship was getting worse, a trend the respondents said was caused mostly by parents and coaches. Seventy percent of referees quit within the first three years of their careers due to the abuse.

“I know some coaches will be really bothered by it but [not having an extra referee is] usually the last thing on my mind until it affects you; whether it’s two or three [referees], you’ll make do, players are going to play, [match] is going to flow but when it does start to affect the [match] and you have a goal called back, then that’s when you start to

pay attention to [the lack of referees],” Balcom said.

While the long term solutions to the pandemic are becoming less and less visible, the crucial step in the right direction will come from coaches stepping in and overriding the culture of referee abuse.

“We’ve never really heard parents yelling at our officials or saying anything to them [at Coppell] and we’ve set that culture years ago, it’s just become an expectation,” Balcom said. “Most coaches don’t ever have that meeting with their parents early on and then one parents hears another parents yelling at the officials and that’s just what is thought of as OK. Now, to be part of the crowd, people feel like that’s what they have to do so until we really set the stage and tone within our own programs, parents are just going to do whatever they want to do.”

Better together

Stone brothers excelling on, off pitch Joanne Kim Staff Writer @joan_kimm

“Sometimes you get brothers that are overly competitive with each other. But you can see with [Walker and Sam], they want each other to have success,” Balcom said. “At McKinney Boyd, Walker [was] subbed out [off of a] yellowcard and we got a free kick Walker would usually take.

But Walker was telling Sam, ‘hey, step up and hit it.’ To have that confidence in your little brother is huge, and it disperses to the group. Not only do they want each other to have success, they want that for the team as well.”

Walker is finalizing his paperwork at the University of Chester in England, and has been accepted to the UDA Academy.

Both brothers hope to move to England and continue playing soccer for as long as they can.

“We’re just looking forward to watching them play. This is probably the only year this is going to happen,” their father Scott Stone said. “Walker will be going to college, and Sam still has a few years left. Chances are, this won’t happen again, so we want to just sit back and enjoy it.”

FEBRUARY 2022

Coppell senior midfielder Walker Stone and sophomore midfielder Sam Stone grew up playing soccer from a young age. Though the brothers practiced together when they were younger, this year marks the first time they have played on the same team. Nandini Muresh

www.coppellstudentmedia.com

A soccer ball rolls across bright green turf. Two small pairs of feet pass it back and forth. Laughter can be heard even from a distance.

This image is one that could be seen frequently in Coppell senior midfielder Walker Stone and sophomore midfielder Same Stone’s childhood.

“We’re best friends,” Sam said. “Some brothers don’t really get along, but we get along really, really well. We both play similar styles and we both understand each other, we like to move the ball together and play together. It’s really nice having someone that you can trust playing next to you.”

The brothers have been playing soccer since they were 6 and 2. Despite their long history with the sport, the brothers have never played on the same team due to club soccer teams being divided by age level.

Until this year.

For the first and last time, the brothers are teammates on the Coppell boys soccer team.

“The thing that stands out about them both is their positive attitude,” Coppell boys soccer coach James Balcom said.

“Walker has been on this team for the last few years, working to get this team to the top. And Sam is coming in and trying to learn and become part of that as well.”

Their upbringing has much to do with their love of the sport. Their mother, Josephine Stone, is from England. And because of this, the brothers have dual citizenship with England and the United States, traveling between the countries every year.

“Their whole family, on my side, is in England,” Mrs. Stone said. “So they’ve been going to England every summer since they were born. They would go to the parks [and] play street soccer and pickup games. We [would] get to go to stadiums and catch any Premier League games we can. They’ve been immersed in the soccer environment.”

Despite no prior experience as teammates, the brothers have always played together recreationally. This chemistry has translated to the present now that they play on the same team.

From University of North Texas to Hebron High School and finally to Coppell, (having been hired the summer before the 2021-22 school year to coach for the girls soccer team at Coppell High School) Fleur Benatar-Whitten’s coaching experience has led several teams to success.

At only 25, she was Texas Woman’s University’s first head soccer coach.

She grew up playing soccer in Richardson, coaches for the Denton Diablos and scouts for national teams.

How have you found coaching in Coppell different from coaching at Hebron, UNT and TWU? Spent most of my career [coaching for] college, so it’s different when you have three teams as opposed to one team that you handpick. I’ve coached many teams and different levels, but on a daily basis that’s one of the biggest differences you notice: the level of commitment and all the kinds of players. The most I ever had with college was 32 athletes on the roster, and I have 62 kids in the program here. Bouncing around from CHS to CHS9 is just a little bit of logistics, and with the college game, I didn’t have to coach every day. It’s all a juggling act, but the girls are definitely getting better.

What is your favorite thing about coaching soccer?

I love to see the athletes compete, see them get better and see themselves improve and then enjoy the benefit of being successful. They call it “The Beautiful Game,” and I think that’s fitting.

How do you conduct a normal practice?

Practices vary depending on what part of the year we’re in. They usually go from simple to complex; the player starts out with a ball each and then transitions to two people with a ball. Lots of touches to get their feet warm and their legs moving.

Then we move into group work, where there’s less balls and I’ll make groups depending on what we’re working on. We’ll then move into team concepts. It’s a gradual method of progress from individual to group, and sometimes we start and go through the progressions quickly; sometimes we skip a few and go onto the big team concepts. Now that we’re in district, in season, we don’t spend time doing things that don’t pertain to the impending game.

What do you want your players to take away from the game under your coaching?

I want them to know that they’ve learned something about working at a high level, understanding how to put strategy into play and how grit and competitiveness will pay off in life. Coaching isn’t easy. Playing isn’t easy. Winning isn’t easy. So if you can endure the hard parts, it will help you later in life.

What do you wish people knew about being a coach?

It’s not always easy. Some players carry the team more than others. Some people have different roles on the team; everybody has a different role on the team.

Once you know your role and you can do it well, it makes it much easier for the coach. So, when people don’t like their role, it gets hard trying to keep the peace and managing the time and talent and abilities. Soccer is a continuous sport: we don’t get timeouts, and it’s a 40 minute half. That’s a long time to continually do something, and working all of the pieces throughout the 80–minute match takes time to understand and go with the flow of the game and the flow of the player. People think it’s an easy job, but once you’re in the shoes it’s completely different.

YouTube: Coppell Student Media

Picture this.

You are a forward and you are playing in a tied match with just seconds remaining. You get a through ball played to you and make a beeline towards the goal to score the match winner.

Out of nowhere, you get clobbered from behind by the trailing defender. You go down, writhing in pain. Your teammates scream for a penalty with their hands in the air. You anticipate a whistle but there is just silence from the referees because they “didn’t see anything” and, a few seconds later, the final buzzer ends the match.

Prior to the pandemic, the standard was to have three referees at every match: one center referee that controls all the major calls in a match (penalties, fouls, cardable offenses and other playing infractions/violations) and two linesmen that signal offsides and aid the center referee by catching any of the former infractions that could’ve been missed.

Now, there are only two referees at every match; two referees that are some kind of hybrid between center referees and linesmen. “With the two referees opposed to the three referees, you miss a lot of the stuff that happens right in the middle of [the field],” Texas Associaton of Sports Officials referee German Salvador said at the Austin Lakes Elite Showcase.

“Not that you miss those calls but it’s harder when you’re vertical [on the sideline] and not in the middle.”

This back-and-forth movement on the sidelines from both referees can also impact their communication. “The overall culture of how we treat officials and deal with referees in this country has to change and I know that I’ve been guilty

SPORTS THE SIDEKICK

referee abuse, pandemic plaguing soccer through referee shortage

THE SIDEKICK SPORTS Sidekick Online @CHSCampusNews @thesidekickcoppell

FEBRUARY 2022

Next man up

Finding footing in soccer, school

Basketball team rebuilds as players move on

Coppell senior center back Claire Yaney has been playing soccer since age five. Yaney is a captain for the Cowgirls, in addition to being a member of student council and a Coppell High School Red Jacket. Aliza Abidi

Coppell coach Clint Schnell talks to the Cowboys in the final timeout against Flower Mound at CHS Arena on Jan. 14. The Cowboys are in the midst of a rebuilding year, giving less experienced athletes the opportunity to develop. Olivia Short

Yaamini Jois Staff Writer @yjois12

Coppell High School senior Claire Yaney’s last year in high school has been anything but uneventful. From soccer to clubs to classes, Yaney’s high school years have led to her accomplishments in her senior year. To her teachers, soccer coach and mentors, Yaney is a student who excels in every responsibility she has. “[Senior year] has been such a special year for me,” Yaney said.

Yaney has been playing soccer since she was 5. After starting high school, she has also been involved in CHS Student Council, CHS prom committee, Coppell Competitive Shooting Team and started the Coppell Fun Run Club. This year, Yaney is a senior class representative and a Red Jacket ambassador. “[Yaney] is extremely responsible and organized,” said Lucy Grimmett, Yaney’s precalculus teacher and CHS Student Council sponsor. “She knows how to manage all her work without overworking herself.”

Yaney’s dedication to her responsibilities has earned her a reputation as a proactive, hard-working and personable student. While on the prom committee in student council, Yaney was a key member who helped figure out the themes and venues for this year’s senior prom. “[Yaney] is very methodical,” said Benjamin Stroud, Yaney’s English teacher and Student Council sponsor. “She’s always coming up with good ideas and helping us manage tasks.”

As a center back for the CHS girls’ varsity soccer team, Yaney takes on a trusted position directly in front of the goalkeeper. Her tasks include communicating with the rest of the team, reading the game as it unfolds and being a reliable player: all of her skills.

“Her personality matches the leadership style that [the team] needs,” Coppell girls soccer coach Fleur BenatarWhitten said.

“She’s an overcommunicater, which is exactly what we need, so she’s like a coach on the field.”

Yaney is a senior captain and helps Benatar-Whitten manage the rest of the team and get the players on the field after given instructions. To the coach, this skill of being able to get the group to start working is invaluable. “[Yaney] is my go-to person on the team,” Benatar-Whitten

said. “She’s my liaison between me and the team.”

Outside of school, Yaney plays for the Dallas Texans 03 Club.

While the CHS soccer season lasts from January to April, club soccer is year round, which allows Yaney to continue playing soccer as college recruiting starts for soccer. As a freshman, Yaney competed in the Gothia Cup and Cup No. 1 in Sweden and Denmark with her club soccer team.

“Club soccer and school soccer go hand in hand, and being in these teams have given me a lot of opportunities,” Yaney said. “I’ve learned to be more confident in my abilities and communicate well with others, and I’ve become more social because soccer requires you to do so.”

While Yaney involves herself in soccer and school programs, she also excels as a student, often participating in discussion in her precalculus class and writing poems for her English class. One of her paintings from English class is on display in Stroud’s room. “[Yaney] has always been a good student and advocated for herself and others,” Grimmett said. “I can rely on her to lead her peers.”

To Yaney, managing all aspects of her life is rewarding.

After years of being involved in multiple activities, Yaney has created a routine for herself to stick to.

“It’s all about finding a balance between work and play, and soccer is a way for me to release stress,” Yaney said. “I keep a calendar, which helps me stay organized in everything I do.”

Favorite womens soccer club: Orlando Pride Best place to get sports gear: Soccer Corner Favorite soccer player: Kelley O’Hara Number of cleats owned: 5 pairs

Torie Peck Sports Editor @torielpeck

Athletes come and go.

It is one of the more challenging aspects of high school athletics: as athletes grow and take on roles more vital to their teams, the clock for them to graduate keeps ticking.

Coming into this season, the Cowboys lost three key players: Duncanville senior guard Anthony Black and Coppell High School 2021 graduates Ben Klement and Tim O’Hearn. Top returnees are senior forward Ryan Agarwal and guards Devank Rane and Naz Brown.

“This year, we have a lot more seniors and we don’t have that many players with a lot of varsity experience,” Coppell senior forward Noel Berhe said.

“It was kind of a challenge, but we had a lot of good pieces coming into the season. We had high expectations because of the past few years.”

Gaps left from last year’s roster have given seniors the opportunity to take on larger roles on the team. On the court, athletes like Rane are using their prior varsity experience to lead the team on the court, while first-year varsity seniors such as Berhe now have the opportunity to explore their own roles on the team and increase minutes on the court.

“We have a lot of new guys that had to step up and take on bigger roles than what we were expecting this year,” Agarwal said. “With a lot of seniors leaving, the coaches and a lot of the team knew that we had to incorporate [new] guys.

Throughout practices we were looking for guys that would help and step up in [to those] roles.”

As team dynamics and personnel change, so must Coppell’s play style.

“This year, we don’t have as much size,” Agarwal said. “We’re playing bigger and faster than we are and using that to our advantage offensively. We adapt to who we have on the team and we’re not saying one person has to take over the role of whoever left, but as a group we have to be able to take over that role.”

At the beginning of this season, Rane took on the role of leading the Cowboys in the absences of Agarwal and Brown (who, according to Schnell, were out due to injuries) and was the Cowboys’ sole returning starter for multiple games. Last season, Rane was

a starter for the Cowboys, but was oftentimes underused in comparison to the elite pairing of Agarwal and Black.

“Devank’s been a threeyear varsity player for us,” Schnell said. “He’s taken on that leadership mantle for the team and helped them run things in games. [Agarwal and Brown being out] forced that senior veteran leadership. I rely on those guys that are coming back from previous years of playing varsity and let them set the standard and the expectations that we want those younger guys to rise up to.”

Younger players, such as sophomore forward Arhan Lapsiwala, sophomore center Baron Tipton and sophomore guard Alex Tung, have stepped up this season.

“Tung and I have started [in roughly] 26 games so far,” Lapsiwala said. “With Agarwal and Brown, we’re obviously not

been at a higher level at the lower levels, [but at a varsity level] everybody can play. It puts more emphasis on their ability to rise up and be great at what they do and not just ‘good enough.’”

Depending on an athlete’s skill set and a team’s dynamics, players may be called upon in higher risk situations earlier on in their careers. For the Cowboys, Tung, Tipton and Lapsiwalla have been called upon to play in these higherrisk situations earlier on in their athletic careers.

“It’s challenging because last year, we were freshmen and it was a lot easier because the competition [was our size], but now we’re playing a lot bigger, older and stronger guys, ” Lapsiwala said. “[You have to] be able to not only take care of yourself, but also your teammates. The earlier that Tung, Tipton and I get used to leading the team and are ready for that, the easier it’ll be next year when we actually have to do it and fill those roles.”

Even in life, people are Having strong, [constantly] striving for vocal leaders better things: a better can ease the for career, improving your family, transition these younger, improving your marriage, less experienced improving raising your kids. It’s athletes. Seniors Rane, Agarwal, just the idea of never getting Brown and complacent.” even guard Eric Lampkin have provided Clint Schnell the needed Head Boys Basketball Coach leadership to push the Cowboys through this transition.

If athletes can one of the main options, but learn how to adapt to these we still get our shots. Without situations it will continue to them we’ve had to take care help them later in life. of the ball the whole time and “It’s a metaphor for life,” play every minute to take on Schnell said. “Even in life, their roles.” people are [constantly] striving Programs are set up to for better things: a better overcome and nurture this career, improving your family, constant influx of athletes by improving your marriage, gradually increasing difficulty improving raising your kids. over a player’s four years.

It’s just the idea of never “The expectations we getting complacent. You come have for players gradually in as a freshman and most guys increase as they go from the probably play their freshman freshman team up to varsity; year, but it’s that learning it’s a process for those guys process and you conquer that to learn,” Schnell said. “It level and move on to the next takes them a little bit of time one, the bigger challenge, and to realize the intensity of the you conquer that one. It’s all situation and [how much] little part of the growth and process things matter, [like] making a of becoming a complete player. hard cut coming off a screen, If you’re fortunate to go play at and that you can’t necessarily the next level in college, that’s rely on your ability and your the next challenge that’s in athleticism that might have front of you.”

Breaking boundaries

Sri Achanta News Editor

@sriachanta_

YouTube: Coppell Student Media

Since October, the Coppell ISD Baseball/Softball Complex has been undergoing renovations projected to end in February.

Coppell High School’s first baseball and softball fields were located on the premises of CHS, but were moved behind CHS9 in the early 2000s due to capacity limitations and the neighboring ranch owner disputing the idea of adding lights to protect his animals. The complex is now being renovated to increase efficiency and playing time at the Coppell fields.

The most noticeable change is the reCoppell junior guard Alyssa placement of grass fields with artificial Potter drives against Flower turf. While grass fields require a heavy Coppell junior guard Jules Lamendola and senior forward Mound during the second amount of maintenance, especially after Kimberly Obialio do their pregame handshake as the Cow- quarter at CHS Arena on Jan. rainy weather, turf is a less demanding girls’ starting five is introduced at CHS Arena on Jan. 18. The 14. The Cowgirls beat the Jagmaterial. In previous years, Coppell athuars, 49-40. Olivia Cooper Cowgirls beat Plano, 75-43. Olivia Short letes lost practice days and home games waiting for the grass to dry off after precipitation. With the new turf, inclement weather will no longer serve as a dayslong deterrent.

This renovation also allows practices for games on turf fields to occur at the complex. As the balls bounce differently on turf than grass, the softball and baseball teams would previously have to shift practice locations to the CHS indoor facility to practice a faster game.

“The turf [makes the ball] pick up speed and [creates] more consistent [hops],” Coppell junior softball catcher Medleigh Danchak said. “Last year, when we had dirt but we would be playing in Coppell assistant coach Willis Tran addresses the Cowgirls during a timeout against Plano another team’s [field] with turf, we would at CHS Arena on Jan. 18. The Cowgirls beat Plano, 75-43. Olivia Short practice in the field house so it would get us ready for those games and the quicker pace.”

In the past, due to unforeseen weather circumstances messing with the grass fields and the constricted field sizes, Coppell athletes had to play some of their home games at neutral sites, losing their home field advantage.

“Last year, during the playoffs, especially during the spring, there was a lot of rain,” Coppell senior pitcher Landry Fee said. “If it rained during the week, we would have to bus 30 minutes to a different school just to practice because our field was wet. [In] my freshman year, in my playoff series, we didn’t get to play our home game at our field, so we didn’t really get home field advantage. Us not having to [play at other fields] anymore will be big for the team.”

Another renovation includes reconstructing the backstop, a net structure used to keep baseballs and softballs from leaving the field. This backstop will be taller to decrease balls entering the stands and parking lot. The placement of the supporting poles obstructed the net, but the poles are now being moved to behind the net to insure scaffolding while also leaving the net unhampered.

Other renovations include the repainting of the outfield fence from green to black, the repainting of the concrete underneath the backstop and a new first and third base line fencing.

After practicing at the older CHS fields for the duration of the remodeling, players are excited to finally use their new fields. “[I’m looking forward to] not getting rained out as much [this year],” Danchak said. “The competitive aspect [with the new field will] be really cool. [It’s] like a new outlook; a new start to a year. Now that we have a fresh field, it will give our program a fresh start, which will be a cool opportunity to start over and help us be successful this year.”

Coppell ISD Athletic Director Kit Pehl similarly looks forward to renovations coming to an end.

“We’re really excited about [the new fields] because number one the netting will save a lot of balls and it’ll be a much better place to watch a game for the fans,” Pehl said. “Our ability to practice and play games and utilize [this new] service year round is going to be really nice.”

SPORTS THE SIDEKICK

Cowgirls break school record for most wins in singular season

CISD Baseball/Softball Complex gets fresh look

Coppell junior guard Jules Lamendola dribbles upcourt against Plano at CHS Arena on Jan. 18.

The Cowgirls beat Plano, 75-43. Olivia Short

The Coppell ISD Baseball/Softball Complex is undergoing several renovations, including replacing the former grass fields with turf to handle rain and extreme weather conditions.

The renovations are expected to be completed by February. Sruthi Lingam

www.coppellstudentmedia.com

Coppell senior forward India Howard shoots a free throw against Flower Mound during the third quarter at CHS Arena on Coppell sophomore guard Ella Spiller passJan. 14. The Cowgirls beat the Jaguars, 49- es against Plano at CHS Arena on Jan. 18. The 40. Olivia Cooper Cowgirls took down Plano, 75-43. Olivia Short

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