Volume 25 Issue 5

VOLUME 25

ISSUE 5

WWW.COPPELLSTUDENTMEDIA.COM

APRIL 2014

IT'S A FAKE Minors getting creative to purchase alchohol, risking fines, jail time when using fabricated IDs

K A R A H A L L A M staff writer

Coppell High School student Amanda* reaches for a pair of scissors to cut her fake ID in half and throws it away. For Amanda, this was the end of her fake ID phase, but for many Coppell High

School students to come this is just the beginning of their journey through the underground world of fake IDs. In Texas, the legal drinking age is 21. However, fake IDs offer a way for some CHS students to get around this policy. “This all boils down to

something deeper; why kids are buying alcohol. They are getting drunk as some sort of sport to lose themselves in a self destructive way,�

CHS junior Nick Shelton said.

Shelton knows students who got their fake IDs from a novelty ID shop 30

minutes away. Coincidentally, this novelty ID shop is the exact same place students got their fake IDs from years ago according to Katherine*.

see Teenage on pg. 11 *names changed

Photo by Regan Sullivan

After receiving prestigious award, Turner announces plans to retire K R I S T E N S H E PA R D e d i t o r

i n

c h i e f

Superintendent Dr. Jeff Turner has been in the local and state spotlight this week after announcing his retirement and being selected as the recipient of the Key Communicator Award, the highest award given by the Texas School Public Relations Association.

The Key Communicator Award is given to an exceptional educator who has contributed greatly to the profession of public school communications. After being nominated by Tamerah Ringo, director of Communications and Public Relations for Coppell ISD, Turner was humbled and overjoyed to receive the award.

In her nomination letter, Ringo praised Turner’s efforts to unite legislators, school board, principals and parents alike to collaborate and work towards a new model of education. Ringo admires Turner’s dedication and persistence in pushing for change.

“Every chance he had, he got an audience. Whether it was three or 30 or 3000 it didn’t matter,” Ringo said. “He was targeting the audience with laser sharp focus that the way schools are today

can’t continue if we want our kids to succeed. Schools can’t be run the same way they were run when we went to school.”

Turner, who has been the Superintendent of Coppell ISD for 12 years, has made communication a priority in CISD in multiple ways. Turner has always been a firm believer that communication between all proponents in the education should communicate. Turner wants to utilize the ways students already communicate to change education to work in the student’s favor.

“Communication is a key in any kind of work that students aspire to go in to. Developing your skills as a communicator is something all students should do no matter what,” Turner said.

“I laugh sometimes when I think about the adults who think kids do not communicate, but in reality they communicate more than we every imagined possible, just in different forms.”

For Ringo, the tipping point in nominating Turner came when he called administrators to unite for a common cause.

“When Dr. Turner was able to compose a letter that went to all superintendents asking them to sign a resolution opposing

high-stakes testing, in his role as president for all administration in the state, that was a really strong indicator of his ability to garner support on a really important issue in our state,” Ringo said.

Turner has worked central roles in the quest to reduce the amount of standardized testing that goes on in Texas schools to a more reasonable number.

“He helped take the number of standardized tests required to graduate from 15 to 5 which was a necessity,” Ringo said. “Texas is the only state in the entire nation that required 15 tests.”

At the award reception for Turner’s Key Communicator Award, Turner delivered an impassioned speech calling the crowd to action.

“The system has to be changed to allow students to do better things. Students can’t be sitting in boring classrooms listening to people talking at them.

It has been my passion for a long time to help school districts being able to basically get adults out of the way of kids, so that kids can do more,” Turner said. “Because of the passion that I have for freeing education up from the schooling that we all had over the years, it is easy for me to get up in front

of groups and be passionate.”

Turner’s passion for change in schools is infectious. When he announced plans to retire earlier this week, many people were shocked. Though he has retired from his position with CISD, Turner plans to continue working towards achieving his goals.

“I feel such an urgency that if we do not do better in our pub-

lic schools, then they will cease to exist,” Turner said. “I believe we have made some great changes and some great strides here in Coppell. I am going to continue in this work. I am not sure in what form that will be.”

CISD will miss Turner greatly come next school year, and Ringo feels the weight of his retirement heavily.

School Messengers Nate Brogran presents Dr. Jeffrey Turner with the 2013 TSPRA Key Communicator Award at the TSPRA Conference on Sept. 28 in Dallas. Photo Courtsey Texas School Public Relations Association.

SAT changes, cuts score back to 1600; makes essay section optional K A R A

s t a ff

H A L L A M w r i t e r

For the past nine years students have been aiming for the

perfect SAT score of 2400. However, on March 5 College Board announced in Austin some major changes being made to the SAT which will better represent the

Source: Coppellisd.com

Graphic by Josh Martin

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academic abilities of students and allow for more opportunities.

“I went to a workshop with College Board a while back and they actually told me that the SAT was going to undergo some major changes. The new SAT will be great for our students and now it will really show colleges what our students have to offer,” Coppell High School counselor Shelby Berger said.

The remodeled SAT will be enacted in the spring of 2016 and will be of most use for the class of 2017 who will be juniors when this test is released. Not only will it be a hard copy test but it will also be offered online as well.

The New York Times explains the SAT will only include college level vocabulary and remove tricky words. The subject of math covered will be narrowed to linear functions and proportions.

The combined reading and writing section will focus on text evidence based questions.

“Some portions of the test students will not even be able allowed to use their calculators. For Coppell High School students, this test will be much easier than the old one,” Pre-AP Algebra II teacher Wendy Levell said.

Also the test will be out of a 1600 unless students decide to take the optional essay. The essay

was one of the most coachable parts of tests and SAT prep courses would have students list historical examples, textual evidence and real life experiences to use on the test even before they took it.

When the test was created in 1926, SAT scores were out of 1600 with a math and reading section only. However, since 2005 students have had to tackle an additional writing section and aim towards the overall score of 2400.

Reports show that only 1.5 to 1.7 million students take the SAT while 1.8 million students take the ACT. The competition between the two tests may have prompted the redesign of the SAT. However, it was not the only reason.

The revamping of the test will be carried out by College Board president David Coleman, who believes that the test no longer represents the academic abilities of students especially because of SAT prep classes and test prep books.

“It is time to admit that the SAT and ACT have become disconnected from the work of our high schools,” Coleman said in a statement posted to the College Board website.

The SAT was created to help represent a student’s natural abilities and give lower income fam-

ilies more opportunities in applying to college. Over the years, the test has become trainable because of SAT prep courses and the hundreds of SAT study tools like books and flashcards produced.

College Board hopes to even the playing field by partnering with the online tutorial website Khan Academy to provide students free access to practice test questions and educational videos.

Students at CHS use Khan Academy videos frequently in their science and math classes.

The videos and quizzes have already been a part of some students’ curriculum.

“We have used Khan Academy before in the flipped classroom style and they have worked out well. I am frustrated our grade will not get to take this test because it does sound easier, but at least it is going to be more fair for all students,” junior Abbie Hough said.

The SAT has shifted to one in which students’ long term academic efforts will come in handy.

CHS’s competitive and strong curriculum covers the topics that will be on the remodeled SAT and gives students a good advantage.

Hopefully this SAT will be able to fulfill College Board’s intentions of providing students with college opportunities.

House Bill 5 restructures education CISD prepares for the foundation plan

CHRISTINA BURKE managing editor

The State Board of Education has made some a big decisions changing the face of education as Texans know it. With the passing of House Bill 5, the graduation programs in Texas high schools will change drastically starting with the class of 2018.

This change will impact the future of the Public Services (PSA), Emerging Media and Communications (EMAC) and Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Academies at Coppell High School.

Under the implementation of House Bill 5, the Academy programs themselves will soon be disappearing to be replaced by five endorsement programs CHS will offer.

“House Bill 5 is set up so that if you’re going through STEM, the CTE elective courses offered are all going to be STEM related,” CHS associate principal Kayla Brown said. “The Academies will be phasing out, but they will continue for 10th grade and up [until the Class of 2016 graduates]. It will be reorganized because you can’t really fit those two systems into one. Still the focus is on whatever the career of the kid is.”

The endorsement programs offered by CHS next year are Sci-

ence Technology Engineering and Math (STEM), Public Services, Arts and Humanities, Business and Industry and Multidisciplinary Studies. International Baccalaureate (IB) will be under Multidisciplinary Studies.

Much like the Academies at CHS, these endorsements are individual programs that help students focus in on a specified area of study for the remainder of their credits. However, the two programs have distinct differences.

“The Academies, in their current state, allow a select number of students to choose to go down that career pathway, but not every student is required to make a choice as an emphasis through high school,” CHS principal Mike Jasso said. “With the House Bill 5 legislation, one of the goals of high school graduation is to select an endorsement, and so every student will select an endorsement that they want to persue. Everyone will be making a choice, but it won’t necessarily be as isolated in the current physical term as the Academies are now.”

For many years, students have tracked themselves through one of three graduation plans: Minimum Plan, Recommended Plan and Distinguished Achievement Program. Next year’s freshmen will begin operating under the Foundation Plan.

This program will require

four English, three mathematics, three science, three social studies, one physical education, two language other than English, one fine arts and five elective credits.

Some endorsement programs will require more specific core classes according to their plans. The state has given the districts freedom to determine the rigor of their own graduation programs. Coppell Independent School District has been discussing options for additional requirements. A team of department chairs, program directors, administration and district curriculum construction staff has been studying House Bill 5 in order to create an implementation plan for CHS. “The state has given districts a lot of flexibility with deciding what [the foundation plan] looks like,” Brown said. “What Coppell is doing is that we have added a requirement to have students take Algebra II in order to be college ready. There is a lot of data that supports that decision. Also, we have required the third science credit to be physics.”

Despite the changes to the basic graduation plans, the most important thing to know about House Bill 5 is that students will also be required to get an endorsement in addition to their Foundation Plan credits.

Jasso firmly believes that the implementation of House Bill 5 in

CHS will better prepare learners for their future careers paths.

“One of the gains [of House Bill 5] is to get learners to begin preparation for their future at an earlier age,” Jasso said. “I have what’s called a guiding principle that says ‘Learners succeed in a future that they create’, and so I think that that aligns with my personal view that [learners] have more power and more ability to focus on what you want to do and what you want to be in the future and maybe get a better start in high school towards that.”

Choosing an endorsement will allow students to explore potential interests, similar to the way college students pursue a major.

Coming into this new program, some parents are concerned about their children having to make a decision that important so early in life.

“I am trying to be open minded, but I would prefer for the kids to get exposed to everything in high school and not have to pinpoint to a particular area I think that’s what college is for,” parent Kathy Quirk said. “I was a junior in college before I figured out what I wanted to do.”

As the mother of a current CHS senior, Courtney Quirk, and Coppell Middle School East eighth grader, Michael Quirk, Mrs. Quirk knows that the next four years will be different than

the last, but it will all work out.

“It’s going to be harder on the parents than the students because it’s a different process; I’m going to have to do things differently,” Mrs. Quirk said. “It’s not going to be hard for Michael because he doesn’t know anything different.”

A Learner Showcase was held on March 17 for incoming freshmen to explore clubs and extracurriculars. On March 18, representatives from both CISD and CHS presented information about the implementation of House Bill 5 both in the district and in the high school.

The following week all three middle schools will visit CHS for their shadow days, and after that high school and middle school counselors will be meeting with students and parents to discuss the details of registration and the graduation requirements with the endorsements.

For incoming freshmen and their parents hoping to prepare for next year, the best thing to do is learn about the endorsements and their possibilities. Beginning the week following Spring Break, current eighth graders and their parents will receive more information on plans for next year.

Though the plans for next year are still in the developing stages, House Bill 5 will be in full effect come the 2014-2015 school year.

The Endorsements of

House Bill 5

Graphic by Julia Bordonaro

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Road constuction paving way for easier travel CHRISTINA BURKE managing editor

Cars swerve in and out of orange cones that direct traffic at the intersection of Sandy Lake Road and Denton Tap Road, but for Coppell residents this sight has become all too familiar.

For the last several months drivers around Coppell have been caught off guard by constant lane closures and new detours, but reassuringly, there is a method to this madness.

There are currently five road construction projects going on in Coppell, several of which involve Sandy Lake Road, one of Coppell’s most commonly traveled pathways.

“Sandy Lake Road was part of a bond election voted on by the citizens of Coppell in 1999,” Coppell as-

sistant director of public works Keith Marvin said. “The portion between Coppell Road North and Denton Tap is simply the final leg of the project. The need to expand Sandy Lake from two lanes to four is based on the average daily volume of traffic, and the regional significance of the corridor.”

Since May, the half of Sandy Lake between Denton Tap and North Coppell Road has been under works in an attempt to widen the asphalt two-lane road to a paved four-lane road complete with medians and turn lanes. After almost a year of caution signs and directed traffic, the project is set to be complete near the end of summer 2014.

But the construction on Sandy Lake does not stop at those

designated borders. In the other direction, on Sandy Lake between Denton Tap and Kimble Kourt, the process of digging up and repaving the road has been underway for the last several months, leaving citizens to maneuver around constant lane closures and bigger traffic jams. Fortunately, this proj-

ect is currently in its final phases with lane closures only ranging from Heartz to Sandy Lake Rd. Although the long term effects of the construction will make traveling from place to place easier for the whole city, the short term effects keep Coppell residents on their toes while behind the wheel.

Especially those who reside in areas by the construction, including Coppell High School sophomore Linda Castranova.

“The construction is inconvenient at times because it frequently changes,” Castranova said. “It also makes me nervous when driving over it because I’m worried it is going to throw off the alignment of my car or that a nail will get stuck in my tires, which happened last week.”

Though it can be frustrating at times, road construction is a necessity to the overall improvement of the city. Months of work are beginning to come together for the construction workers who play a big role in making Coppell a safer place to drive.

“Although it is frustrating, I can see progress with the road and I know that the eventual outcome is going to make the road much safer than it initially was,” Castranova said.

Construction on Sandy Lake has been active since May 2013. The construction will be complete near the end of 2014. Photos by Alyssa Frost.

While the construction has been a nuisance at times for residents, the end results will provide a safe environment for the people of Coppell.

CAPA helps seniors prepare for sorority recruitment CAROLINE CARTER news editor

With graduation approaching, many high school seniors begin to finalize their plans for college by selecting roommates, dorms and orientation dates. One particular aspect of college is quickly approaching for senior girls: sorority recruitment.

For many senior girls, Greek Life is a much-anticipated part of college. From stealing sorority T-shirts from older siblings to liking sorority pictures on college friends’ Facebooks, joining a sorority or fraternity has many seniors eagerly awaiting the start of college.

“I have known for a while that I wanted to join a sorority,” senior Delanie Majors said. “At Baylor, girls go through rush in the spring, which is a little different than most schools in Texas.”

In order to help senior girls prepare for recruitment, the Coppell Alumnae Panhellenic Association (CAPA) hosts an annual Sorority Information Spotlight.

Formed in 1991, CAPA aims to provide information on sorority membership to young women in Coppell, as well as explain the ins-and-outs of recruitment. Many seniors do not have family members who were a part of the Greek

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system, so recruitment can be an unfamiliar and even intimidating experience.

“The meeting went over the process of getting recomendation letters from CAPA and recruitment in general,” Majors said. “They told us tips they thought would be beneficial to us over what to wear, bring and expect. We got to break out within our colleges and talk to girls in sororities from there. That was honestly the most helpful just

because Greek life is so different at every school.”

Current sorority actives from Coppell have said CAPA greatly helped them prepare for recruitment.

“It was really convenient to be able to give all of my rush packets to CAPA and have them take care of everything,” Freshman Chi Omega member at Texas A&M University Madison Coleman said. “It was so organized, which made it much

easier on me compared to some girls that I’ve met who had to collect everything themselves. I can’t tell you how many girls have told me they wish they had something like that in their hometown.”

CAPA Scholarship Chairman and Pi Beta Phi Active lead Shannon Samberson helps organize all letters of recommendation for Pi Beta Phi. “After all of the packets are sent in, all CAPA members who

At the Sorority Information Spotlight on April 6, senior girls learned about the recruitment process for sororities. Recent college graduates who were members of sororities offered advice for the girls and tips on how to present yourself appropriately. Photo by Allie Arnold.

were also members of Pi Beta Phi come together and we divide up the girls,” Samberson said. “Last year, there were roughly 100 letters to write. Once the letters are written, I’ll try and advocate for the girls at universities that have particularly competitive recruitment.”

CAPA also raises funds for scholarships for area high school seniors and sorority actives planning to attend or actively attending universities.

“We annually give out a $1000 scholarship to one senior girl who resides in Coppell,” Samberson said. “We look at GPA, test scores, extracurricular activities and the letters of recommendation.

One of the most important parts is seeing consistency in activities. We don’t want someone to be the recipient of the scholarship if we feel they may drop out.”

Though Greek Life is not for everyone, CAPA encourages all those considering it to give it a chance.

“The most important thing to remember is to listen to your heart and you will end up where you are supposed to be,” CAPA Vice President Marcy McGrady said. “It may not even be the choice you thought you would make, but it will be the best choice for you.”

Citizens’ Advocate celebrates 30 years in publication HENRIIKKA NIEMI staff writer

Hanging on the wall above Jean Murph’s desk in a small, quaint structure in Old Town Coppell is a lithograph of a quote from Sam Houston, who Murph is directly descended from, that says “Do right and risk the consequences.”

For Murph, this lithograph helped her through difficult and even frightening situations she encountered after starting the Citizens’ Advocate in 1984. When the local newspaper she worked for, Coppell Star, was bought and shut down by friends of the mayor following stories uncovering violations of open records, meetings and conflict of interest laws, Murph decided to take up the cause and start her own paper, despite her family fearing for her life at times due to the anger surrounding the political controversy.

Murph’s main beat has always been city government, and she now has a three decade long tenure at city hall and thousands of local government meetings under her belt.

“That questionable political regime lost the next election, and from there forward, Coppell citizens, elected officials and city staff have bent over backwards to bring openness and integrity to government,” Murph said. “It’s been a great thing to observe.”

In the 1980s and ‘90s, the Advocate was still delivering pasted columns to the printer and printed only 500 issues the first

year, but with rapid population growth and urbanization came an expansion in circulation. Now, the paper is read by 5,000 people weekly. Advancements in technology also allowed the Citizens’ Advocate to move to computer software to publish each issue.

Pete Wilson Jr., a resident of Coppell since the 1940s, has watched Coppell grow into the sprawling suburban town that it is currently and has read the Citizens’ Advocate since its creation.

Wilson is involved with the Coppell Historical Society and Theatre Coppell, and taught at CHS for 36 years.

“Without history, a town becomes just a collection of homes and businesses, like some of the communities surrounding Coppell that have grown so quickly that they don’t seem to have any sense of township or community,” Wilson said. “Coppell is more of a hometown and being aware of our history helps preserve that. I grew up here so I’m very interested in the community staying a good place to live.”

Wilson believes that, since its early days, the Advocate has been a defining component of the Coppell community, although it also serves surrounding areas, and has played an instrumental part in preserving Coppell’s history.

History is, likewise, significant to Murph, who promotes community involvement and is an active member of the Coppell Historical Society and Old Town Coppell Association. Murph even keeps a framed copy of the first

The Citizens’ Advocate, started by Coppell resident Jean Murph in 1984 and located in Old Town Coppell, is celebrating 30 years as a publication. The award-winning newspaper serves citizens of Coppell, Valley Ranch and Hackberry Creek. Photos by Alyssa Frost.

Advocate issue hanging in her office to remind her of how far the paper has come.

Along with chronicling the past 30 years of Coppell’s history, the Citizens’ Advocate has provided the opportunity for high school students to gain experience in journalism beyond school publications.

“I was determined that this newspaper be a positive place, where students could do no wrong whatever their skill level,” Murph said. “They gain experience, earn recommendations for future schooling and work and also gain some spending money.”

CHS 2013 graduate and Florida State University freshman Addy Buigas-Lopez worked for

the Citizens’ Advocate, first as a freelance writer and then as an inhouse intern. Buigas-Lopez also spent three years on The Sidekick staff. These roles prepared Buigas-Lopez for a position on the FSView, Florida State’s student newspaper, and for her major in English Education.

“I was looking for a way to make a little extra money while still doing something I enjoyed and it led me to doing a summer series of articles for the Citizens’ Advocate,” Buigas-Lopez said. “It was very interesting to be a part of something so involved in Coppell’s history. There were some stories that were written that required old papers to be dug up and I realized how far back Citi-

zens’ Advocate has been around.”

The Advocate has employed over 100 students part-time, and many of these students advanced to work for major newspapers and magazines. Two former student employees at the Citizens’ Advocate even started their own newspapers; Martin Aldridge created and then sold the Southlake Journal and Murph’s own son started the Springfield Review in Tennessee.

“I named it the Citizens’ Advocate, because I wanted it to be the people’s paper,” Murph said.

“We have never changed our ultimate goal, which is to protect the public’s right to know the full story and to serve as an advocate when needed.”

through the years

Photo courtesy Jean Murph

September 1979 Jean Murph (founder of the Citizens’ Advocate) begins writing for the Coppell Star.

March 1984 The Citizens’ Advocate publishes its first issue.

May 1985 The Advocate wins its first Texas Press Association newspaper award.

1994 Advances in technology allow the Advocate to be assembled on a computer.

2000 The Advocate moves to its current office space at 446 West Bethel Road in Old Town Coppell.

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L e t t e r s

E D I T O R I A L will prove helpful for high schoolers

fall under these accommodating changes, as we will be past the window for taking the test by the time it is released. But for the classes that will graduate after 2016, these testing changes are likely a blessing. High school students will now be tested on things that will help them for the rest of their lives and help them get ready for college, not put through a maze of tricks and traps.

The changes provide younger learners with a chance to accurately track what they have learned in school, focus more tightly on a few key concepts and does not force kids to rely on expensive test-prep courses or last minute tricks to do well.

The state of Texas currently requires that students are required to take 15 End of Course tests in order to graduate. But the class of 2016 and following classes are now required to take five tests- Algebra I, Biology, U.S. History, English II reading and writing - that would spread over three years.

The whole idea of accountability through testing was to hold schools responsible to make sure they were teaching what they should be teaching. But we spend too much time testing, which takes away from valuable classroom interaction. Educators tend to teach towards the tests instead of teaching content students will actually use for the future.

Many students feel taxed with the number of tests they are required to take. Between finals, AP tests and standardized tests at the end of year, it is hard to manage and study for them all.

With the reduction of number of tests to take and making the tests easier, students will no longer feel like all they are doing is studying for exams.

This article was very eye opening for me because, being the youngest in my family, I am unaware of how much technological use in elementary school classrooms is increasing. It baffles me that young children are not learning the basics of computer use such a learning how to type efficiently.

Christina Burke Managing Editor Elizabeth Sims Enterprise Editor

Caroline Carter News Editor Jena Seidemann Student Life Editor Sophie Nauyokas Design Editor Regan Sullivan Photography Editor John Loop Sports Editor

Tolu Salako Editorial Page Editor Stephanie Alexander Entertainment Editor Jordan Bickham Design Editor Graphic Shivani Burra Emerging Media Manager Julia Bordonaro Josh Martin

Sandy Iyer Alyssa Frost

Nicole Messer Shannon Wilkinson

Editorial Leadership

Photographers

6 opinions

S Y D N E Y

S T E V E N S

sophomore

Issue 3 Page 12-13 I remember seeing e-cigs at the kiosks in the mall when they first became popular. At the time, I thought they were a pretty neat idea. They gave a person the feeling and look of smoking a cigarette, without the harmful effects. Little did I know that they still had traces of nicotine in the juice, regardless of the amount it is said to contain. I was incredibly shocked to find out that miscellaneous chemicals were found inside the cartridges. I do believe that there are benefits that the

device has to offer, especially for those that go through a pack a day. Dropping a little bit of money on a nice e-cig and all the gear that goes with it will eventually save you money in the long run, especially since juice cartridges are only a couple extra dollars and last at least three times as long. All in all, e-cigs are for adults. If you are not already a smoker, I believe it is wise to stay away from e-cigs, no matter now little nicotine they are said to contain.

CHRISTIANNA HAAS junior

Stubblefield trumps another year of competition: By Henriikka Niemi Issue 3 Page 16

Thank you for taking time to highlight the talented young musicians in our campus. Christopher Stubblefield, affectionately known as Topher, was highlighted in the last issue. Reading about Topher and his accomplishment at the National Trumpet Competition demonstrates the caliber of young performers we have in our school community. It is im-

Henriikka Niemi Shannon Morgan Amy Roh Shruthika Ponchampally Gabby Sahm Mark Slette Alex Dalton Aisha Espinosa George Fairchild

Designers

Rachel Buigas-Lopez

Business/PR Staff

Mabry Culp Business Manager Jay Carroll Business Staff

I completely agree that the increased use of technology has had a negative effect on the social aspects of young children and even teenagers today. Although technology is becoming more and more integrated into our world, there comes a point when it goes from being beneficial to detrimental.

Newfound trend of e-cigs catches on with local teens: By Stephanie Alexander

Stephanie Gross Alex Irizarry Tuulia Koponen Pranathi Chitta Allison Arnold Annie Wen Alex Nicoll Kara Hallam Summer Crawford Sloane Samberson

Chase Wofford Adviser Kristen Shepard Editor-in-Chief

E d i t o r

Issue 3 Page 7

2013-2014 SIDEKICK STAFF Staff Writers Executive Leadership

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Childhoods become overridden with technology: By Jordan Bickham

Standardized testing changes Students study for countless hours for tests and oftentimes just memorize facts in order to pass a test without actually learning the material. Currently at Coppell High School, a student takes 15 standardized tests in order to get their diploma from consisting of AP exams to STAAR to EOCs. The College Board has realized that changes need to be made and are taking the appropriate actions to reduce the amount of stress involved in standardized testing.

Recently The College Board has made some drastic changes to make the SAT less intimidating for test takers. Currently, students are focused on how to take tests filled with mystery and “tricks� and how to raise scores, but are not necessarily helping themselves become college ready students.

The new SAT to be released in spring 2016 is designed to change that. The test will shift from its current score scale of 2400 back to 1600, with a separate score for the essay. Also, students will no longer be penalized for choosing incorrect answers.

The changes occurring over the next few years make tests no longer focused on tricks and trying to eliminate answer choices but on actually testing knowledge.

The SAT, school district standardized tests and AP tests have instilled changes for the better that change the mentality of what testing should be over.

As students, we take tests that are based purely on memorization and strategies instead of knowledge. So a student who is smart, but not a great test-taker will not get as high of a score as student who is simply just a good test taker.

The Sidekick staff will not

t o

Braden Creel Business Manager

pressive that Coppell has one of the 30 national finalists for this competition! He perfects his craft daily by practicing and challenging his skills to push himself to the next level. I am proud of Christopher and his accomplishment, and I appreciate The Sidekick for highlighting student accomplishments in our school community.

The Sidekick is the student newspaper for Coppell High School and is published six times per school year.

The newspaper is a member of National Scholastic Press Association, Journalism Education Association and Interscholastic League Press Conference.

The editorials and columns presented in this paper reflect the views of its student writers and not Coppell High Schoool or Coppell Independent School District.

ANTHONY POULLARD spanish teacher

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

The Sidekick welcomes all letters to the editor. Letters can be emailed to cwofford@coppellisd. com or delivered to the D115 newsroom at Coppell High School. A current email address and first and last name for the writer must be included for a letter to be considered for publication.

Contact The Sidekick: 214-496-6239 cwofford@coppellisd.com

It’ s all Greek to me

Recruitment pressure takes away from healthy college experience Though I have lived in the states for more than eight years and should be fully accustomed to the American culture and all aspects of it, I am not, especially when it comes to college Greek life and all that comes with it.

Claiming to promote volunteerism, selflessness and long-lasting friendships, I cannot help but see the evident negatives and “cult-like” organization that a sorority and fraternity is. From hazing to excessive partying to the stories we hear about fraternity brothers demeaning others, I do not find it completely absurd to feel a certain way about this lifestyle.

I was never really exposed to the “importance” of Greek life to others until I hit my junior year. From SAT/ACT score, class rank and an unlimited amount of homework in AP U.S. history and physics, Greek life was still a lingering subject matter back then, but not to the extent that it is now.

It was not until I was sitting in my third period class last semester that I realized that many 17 and 18-year-old girls were so invested in this Greek process. Weird terminology was constantly thrown around and I just stared in complete and utter confusion as they tried to convince me that I should rush when I go to either SMU or TCU and how all of the traditions were completely normal.

They told me how they have planned to save so much money during the summer to buy new outfits when they rush to impress the upperclassmen.

They recite the Greek alphabet and tell me that three of those letters pretty much determines what was considered the “good” or “bad” sororities/fraternities, each with a different reputation regarding each college.

They told me that I should not be a Tri-Delt because I was not blonde enough, as if I were thoroughly concerned that I was considering the idea of rushing. They told me that hazing happens, but it is not “that bad.” After the countless deaths that have come from the hazing experience, it can’t be “that bad,” right?

It was as if it were do or die for them. And it almost sounded like they could not imagine a life without the greek. Once I splurted out that I was “not rushing” and I still plan on attending a college where 45 percent of the student body participate in Greek life, my third period AP Macroeconomics table looked at me in awe and utter confusion and continued to tell me how my mindset on this issue was completely wrong.

It was wrong for me to think that making weird hand signs in all photos, monogramming any inanimate object that I owned and paying thousands of dollars each semester to live with 20 other girls in a sorority house where drama was in-

evitable and getting hazed for the sake of creating “lifetime friendships.”

In general, it is as if many consider or are wary of the potential hazing rituals that these soon to be college freshman may go through. Some of these have led to serious physical and even emotional damage and in some cases, death. When one hears “sorority” or “fraternity,” sure philanthropy is a common term used to define such a lifestyle, but in reality, the essence of the greek lifestyle is mostly associated with excessive partying and preparation for formals.

I hear about all the claimed benefits of joining a sorority or fraternity and though I may not fully understand why students spend over a year stressing about rush or why students will succumb to all these hazing activities and practically degrade themselves in front of strangers, I understand that friendship and a sense of family is important to young adults in colleg, but honestly, it’s all Greek to me.

Greek life by the numbers Belonging to a fraternity or sorority increases ones chances by

71 %

a degree compared to the

of completing

50%

of non-Greeks

Outside the Greek system

40.9%

of college females admit to abusing alcohol

55%

of college students involved in

clubs, teams and organization experience hazing Source: Elite Daily

T O L U S A L A K O editorial page editor

What is your opinion on Greek life?

“The whole Greek life process and lifestyle is very forced and it is just easier to make friends in the dorm that I have more in common with.”

Sunjna Kohli, senior

“I’m joining a fraterninty because I think it is a great way to make friends and have the true college experience. You also get to be involved in philanthropy so that is always good.”

Mark Teffeteller, senior

“I was more involved in residential dorm leadership and I really did not see myself as the ‘sorority girl,’ so I did not rush in college.”

Holly Anderson, science teacher

opinions 7

To pay or not to pay pro

J

A Y

C A R R O business staff

L

L

People always tell me that chivalry is dead, and I refuse to believe this is true.

I was raised by two great parents who taught me manners at a very young age.

I was told to hold the door open for the people behind me, especially for women.

I was told to say my “please and thank yous” along with “yes sir” and “yes ma’am.” It is because of these manners I still believe in chivalry.

Men have a certain set of standards, manners and values that they should always give to the female gender. On any and every date the man should always pick up the bill; whether it is a night at the movies, a date at Tappy’s or a nice dinner, the girl should never have to worry about paying. In fact, the girl should not even need to bring her wallet on the date.

I have witnessed a number of times where the girl has had to pay for her meal on a date, which is just not right. The fact that men in today’s society do not feel the need to be chivalrous is actually appalling to me.

Even when it comes to an event as expensive as prom, guys should pay for everything, except for the dress of course.

If the guy pays for virtually all aspects of prom, their date will be very appreciative, and will have a much better night knowing that they do not have to worry about their expenses.

Chivalry has been a tradition for years and years, and the fact that people believe chivalry is dead is rather upsetting. Every man should be chivalrous and treat women better than they would want to be treated.

While some women believe that because women now work high paying jobs alongside men, they do not need things bought for them, and they do not need to be taken care of. However, while that is true, it is not like the male is trying to do it to “take care of ” the woman or because the woman really needs help with money. They are doing it because it is the right thing to do, it shows manners, and more importantly it is just a good deed

Business member Jay Carroll and staff writer Shruthika Pochampally debate whether or not the boy should pay on a date

that men can do for women.

I have a couple of friends believing that paying for a girl on every date is the polite thing to do, though it is not a necessity. While I agree that footing the bill is the polite thing to do, I do not agree with the whole “It’s not a necessity” argument. Paying for the girl on a date should almost be an unwritten rule that every guy agrees to, it is just the right thing to do, and the best way to impress your date.

It is understandable for the girl to feel bad initially since her date seems to be paying for everything, but by no means

For as long as anyone can remember, men have been playing the leading role in the beginnings of a romantic relationship. The male always makes the first move, asks the girl on the first date, and, most importantly, pays for it too.

Somewhere along the way, society determined it is up to men to buy expensive gifts, and empty their wallets to make a woman happy. Some men are even offended when women insist on paying for themselves and wonder why someone would refuse their gentlemanlike actions.

In reality, every time a man pays for a woman, it is yet again

SCHOLARSHIP should this make the guy feel that it is OK to not to do so. My friends have actually called me “old-fashioned” because of my view on this argument, and if being a gentleman means that I am old-fashioned, I do not want to Graphics by Sophie Nauyokas be up to date with the times.

Chivalry is one of the greatest attri- an indication the man is more powerful butes a guy can have. I am not expecting and wealthy, and therefore more able to every guy to be chivalrous, because that pay for a meal. will never happen. But one thing that a This concept applies even in the guy should always do is pay for the girl high school setting. Though both people on every date. It is not only the polite in a relationship may not always have a thing to do, it is the right thing to do. steady source of money, this should not

What you had to say...

“I think guys should always pay for girls, because it’s the gentlemanly thing to do and most girls really respect it.”

- Christian Reyna, 12

8 opinions

con S H R U T H I K A P O C H A M PA L LY staff writer

stop girls from wanting to be responsible for their own meals. A woman should never be on a date she could not afford herself.

Women paying for their own meals is more than just another feminist idea.

It is a self-worth idea. A woman does not need to be paid for, like a child. If a female is able to provide for herself, then she should offer to pay for herself, simply as a reminder that she is capable of doing so.

In cases where a man is solely paying for dates to establish male dominance, most of today’s women are not flattered by such actions. If a man chooses to pay for dinner, it should not be accepted as dating protocol.

It is not that girls should calculate money spent at every date, being sure to split the cost evenly to the last cent, but girls should be aware of what it really means to let a male pay for them. They should understand that this may be where the roots of female dependency begin and continue into relationships later in their lives.

A man paying for a woman should be taken as a warning sign rather than an act of politeness. Chivalry is a concept of the past. The 21st century is about gender equality and eradicating the notion that females not only want but require the help of a male.

Women have learned to take a stand and continue to empower themselves. Organizations have been built to bring equal pay to women, allow them to wear what they choose and to have a say in a world that has been favored by males for centuries. A small gesture such as allowing a man to pay for your dinner can go a long way in terms of proving that you are just as capable as your significant other.

“I think the girl should offer to pay some of the time, but definitely not every time.”

- Kayleigh Smith, 12

True meaning of feminism lost in pop culture ideals

K A R A H A L L A M staff writer

Miley Cyrus recently claimed herself as one of “the biggest feminists in the world” in a BBC interview because of the way she empowers women to do what they want. I love Miley Cyrus because she is an amazing singer and her lyrics are very powerful and better than the majority of what constitutes pop culture today.

But do I see her as feminist?

No way.

I hate to be jumping to the obvious but, yes, I do not consider Miley Cyrus a feminist because of her outrageous music videos, costumes and especially her twerking. Cyrus is right in empowering women to break society’s rules to follow their gut feelings but along the way she has compromised matters of integrity through acts which promote disrespecting women to pursue a singing career.

The sexual attention Cyrus draws to herself is the exact kind that is forced upon thousands of

women forced into sex traffickt h i s ing, women in the workplace and c a n the women disrespected in genh a p eral thanks to Cyrus’s projection pen is if of herself in the media. She is a we start representative for women and she teaching might be promoting for them to women do whatever they want but at the how to same time she is leading people to respect believe the wrong idea of what it themselves, is that girls want. rather than People have taken feminism just on too aggressively and misinterpret the real meaning of it.

Rather than fighting for equal rights, people use feminism as an excuse to criticize the same type of women who raised them when in turn they are not the ideal picture of a feminist themselves.

These types b a s h of “feminists” have old world diverted attention ideas. away from the real Progress fight for genin feminism starts der equality with an individual by criticizing and their attitude the consertowards women vative family and if they are a Graphic by Sophie Nauyokas structure when they girl, their attitude should be fighting against sex towards themselves. Too often trafficking and income inequality. are girls quick to turn their noses Feminism is the call for up at the typical 1950s household equal rights and respect between where the woman stays at home men and women. The only way and her job is the kitchen. But just

as quickly they also disrespect themselves by being absolutely boy crazy and presenting themselves in a way in which does not promote being treated with respect.

My debate coach Glenda Ferguson once explained that she coached a team full of boys who thought they were so much better and smarter than female debaters. However a group of girls proved them wrong by defeating them in round after round and rising to the occasion. By the end of the program they had the upmost respect for them. Even at the smallest of levels, a girl having confidence in herself to actively pursue her goals has the power to change anti-feminist mindsets.

Cyrus claims that she is empowering people to do whatever they want and having that sort of confidence is what really empowers women. But if you have confidence in yourself you would not display yourself

to the media with a foam finger in between your legs trying to be “sexy.” Either that or someone like that does not understand the seriousness of her crude actions.

The ways some girls act out today whether promiscuously or detrimentally towards themselves is caused by low self esteem or an ignorance to the consequences of their choices.

Feminism spurred the objectification of women when they were being treated as objects rather than valued for their intellectual thoughts. Cyrus is better known for her twerking skills than her actual intellectual thoughts.

I find it ironic to see girls criticizing others dreaming to be housewives because they love kids and then in turn doing the impossible to try to get a boy to the point it shows they have no self respect for themselves.

The meaning of feminism these days has been taken out of context by many. At the end of the day girls have to try to carry the original cause of demanding equal rights for men and women whether this means realizing that not all of their actions are the most respectful or to turn their attention away from housewives and to those in sex trafficking. I would much rather when people think of this cause in dire need of recognition than Miley Cyrus when they think “feminist.”

Strategic planning overwhelms surprise element of prom When looking forward to senior year, most Coppell High School students would imagine the last few football games, the relief of finishing college applications, receiving acceptance letters, senior skip day and senior overalls, but arguably the most memorable moment of senior year aside from graduation is prom.

For decades, prom has been a traditional rite of passage for seniors and occasionally underclassmen, celebrating the last year

of high school and providing an event where seniors can make one last memory with the friends they will soon be leaving. Dresses and tuxedos, dates and prom groups are all part of the prom culture, but with the maturation of younger generations, the surprise element that is typically involved has transformed into strategic planning months in advance.

Gone are the days when the first glimpse of a girl’s dress are at the dance or pictures taken be-

forehand; instead there is a Facebook group for girls to post their dresses as soon as they purchase them. Admittedly this is a clever method to prevent repeats and it is quite necessary at CHS, with class sizes of 700+ students that seem to be expanding with every incoming freshman class, as there are limited styles of and even fewer stores that sell prom dresses. Every girl wants to feel special on their prom night, part of which stems from having a Graphic by Julia Bordonaro

unique dress.

However, posting dresses to social media detracts from the intended surprise of the actual event; girls take hours to prepare with hair, makeup and nail appointments beginning early in the morning on the day of and the dress and shoes picked out weeks before. Prom is the time to get dolled up, different from your daily attire, and the surprise is all part of the fun.

A month in advance the majority of seniors already have their prom groups established and details of pictures, dinner and after parties already set.

Although these are necessary plans to make, the amount of conflict and arguments that stem from them is frankly ridiculous. I have heard of catfights between girls who bought the same dress, who wanted to take the same guy as someone else or who were excluded from a prom group.

I certainly do not expect everyone to get along, but what is the point in fighting over such

minor details? Looking back on prom in 20 years, I probably will not remember how I styled my hair or where I went to dinner, but rather the friends I spent the night with and the things I experienced.

In the end, these details are insignificant compared to the overall event, especially since prom represents the end of high school and the beginning of a new era in college, where we have to find new friends and be completely independent. It is best to embrace every last opportunity to spend with your fellow seniors and not let specifics and strategy overwhelm the experience.

HENRIIKKA NIEMI staff writer

opinions 9

Anderson fishes for gold through tournament career H E N R I I K K A N I E M I staff writer

At 2 a.m. in early March 2012, current Coppell High School senior Austin Anderson spent 40 minutes reeling in a 50 pound, six ounce smallmouth buffalo at the Lake Fork Carp & Buffalo Challenge fishing tournament in East Texas.

One week later, Anderson received a call from tournament director Jason Johonnesson that the catch had earned him an International Game Fish Association junior world record, breaking the previous record by over eight pounds.

Anderson has been fishing since age 4 when his grandfather first introduced him and has achieved on a level beyond amateur fishermen.

“It’s a relaxing activity and I’m also a record chaser, so I’m always trying to push the limits of what has already been achieved in fishing,” Anderson said. “It’s also about exposure of the sport. Carp and buffalo fishing, which is what I do, is kind of underground and they’re not really a big sport fish in the U.S.” Anderson attends an average of three major tournaments a year and multiple local, smaller tournaments. The exposure that comes

Senior Austin Anderson prepares his fishing line at Andy Brown Park East. Anderson is sponsered by CarpPro magazine. Photos by Shannon Wilkinson.

10 student life

from these tournaments has also allowed Anderson to catch the eye of a few sponsors, who signed him after seeing his potential.

“It’s incredible to watch Austin fish because he’s very talented and everything he catches is huge,” senior Leah Tepera said. “He has already accomplished a lot for someone his age and he has a great future in the sport.”

CarpPro magazine has sponsored Anderson for the past three years. He interns, writes product pitches and has even been featured on the cover. Seven issues ago, CarpPro relaunched with a new look and Anderson has been published in each issue to date.

Although he is not currently paid, the magazine is in stages of expansion, and once it has gained a big enough reader base, CarpPro will move from online publishing to print.

“The kind of fishing he does is totally different from the kind he was first involved in, so he completely did the research and learned on his own,” mother Carey Anderson said. “There is a lot involved as far as locations, time, bait and equipment. Also through the [CarpPro magazine], he’s fine tuned his writing skills and become quite a photographer.”

Anderson plans to pursue a career in a biology and fishing related field, such as wildlife and fisheries management, but is also

considering other possibilities as a product rep, tournament director or a continuation of his role at CarpPro.

Austin Anderson reels in a potential catch at Andy Brown Park East. The fish in these ponds can range from two to 44 pounds.

Teenage drinking aided by barely legal novelty ID cards K A R A H A L L A M s t a ff w r i t e r

continued from pg.1 “I got mine from [a novelty ID shop] with friends. They were two for $85 so it was basically a really good deal since usually only one is that much,” Katherine said.

Katherine is an alumni of CHS who graduated within the past 10 years.

At this shop a customer would walk in and find themselves in a large almost empty room except for two tables and a shack-like box. On the tables are sheets to fill out that ask what information a customer wants put on the card.

The customer walks up to the shacklike box with thick glass windows and slips the information sheet through a small slot to the employee who communicates with the customer through a microphone and speaker.

Next, the customer hands the employe e money through the slot and the card is printed with the information on the sheet given.

“I was at an overnight school competition and my teammates and I wanted alcohol because everyone else was drinking. I had the ID so we went across these railroad tracks from our hotel to a gas station and I bought beer. The cameras in the gas stations are there to make sure employees check IDs so whether it was fake or not really did not matter to employees,” Katherine said.

Students today use their IDs at gas stations and liquor stores on the outskirts of towns like Lewisville, Dallas and Grapevine. The novelty IDs are said to be magnetically encoded and able to pass the scanners at bars, but there is no guarantee which ones they work on and which ones they do not.

“I had heard stories from my friends and they knew which places to go to so you would not get caught. I figured if someone did catch on I could just run away or awkwardly leave,” Amanda said.

Amanda and her friends will wear college t-shirts to pass themselves off as college students.

“These IDs look real. We cannot always stop the crime but

we can try to prevent it by educating students on things like underage drinking and fake IDs,” School Resource Officer Rachel Freeman said.

These IDs violate the Fictitious License or Certificate law in which a person under 21 possesses an ID which states they are 21 and does not contain the words “NOT A GOVERNMENT DOCUMENT” on both the front and back of the card.However, in less than 15 minutes this disclaimer can be removed with nail polish remover and has been able to be passed off as a real ID to buy alcohol with.

“The disclaimer protects the business, but it d o e s not pro-

tect the customer,” Freeman said.

Some bars and liquor stores have tried to get a hold on the situation. In fact, Katherine’s ID was taken up by a gas station.

“When you work in the bar business long enough you learn that IDs have a certain feel and you can tell when it doesn’t feel right,” Mucky Duck bartender Shaun Kelley said.

Kelley looked at the same ID that Freeman did and easily found the differences between this ID and a real one. The ID would not pass because it claims to be issued a year ago although it looks new and is not worn. The photo is not clear on it and it is thicker than real IDs are.

Those caught using a fake ID at the Mucky Duck get the card

back but are removed from the premises. By state law, they cannot confiscate the ID because only law enforcement is entitled to do so.

The students who have been able to buy alcohol with fake IDs have either easily fooled naive cashiers or the cashiers have compromised integrity just to make a sale or not cause any trouble.

However, there still are many liquor sellers who are able to catch those using fake IDs. Not only was Katherine’s ID confiscated by a gas station when she tried to buy liquor there but her parents also found out about it too.

but once I got to high school it became a means of escape and a ‘good time’, or in other words I could just get drunk and forget everything,” Amanda said.

Amanda went to several parties with students from other high schools. Usually they provided the alcohol but once she got a homemade ID from a teen she met at a party, she started buying alcohol on her own.

“For a long time you could say I was stuck, stuck in the cycle of alcohol. I just wanted to be happy, so I drank, but it made it worse and so I would drink more, just trying to get by and it just kept going and going. Drinking is much more normalized so there is not necessarily peer pressure to drink it is just a normal thing to do,” Amanda said.

Underage drinkers must keep in mind the use of fake IDs not only risks being criminally prosecuted, but it also can risk one’s health.

“Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant, it alters neurotransmitters in the brain. It can cause grogginess, euphoria and forgetfulness,” Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at University of Texas Southwestern Jessica Sharry Williams said.

Drinking for emotional reasons like Amanda can lead to alcoholism faster than drinking for fun can. Like Freeman, Williams recommends education as the best method of prevention for underage drinking.

Amanda was able to prevent these health risks by throwing away her fake ID and not going to parties with alcohol.

Now she is hapPhot o by pier and healthier, Rega n Sul but most imporlivan “ W h e n tantly once she reKatherine was in high school alized the possible we were very naive. There were a lot consequences, she endof things we did not find out about ed her drinking phase by choice until years after high school and before she got caught, unlike Kaththey all just came out one by one. I erine and one of Shelton’s friends. was disappointed in Katherine but “When you stop drinking you she is not a bad person for these will find your real friends. They are mistakes,” Katherine’s mother said. not going to be the ones trying to The use of fake IDs cannot get you drunk because that drunk be completely prevented and stu- person is a fake version of you just dents will continue to buy alcohol as fake as the person on your ID. with them. Amanda offers some You create that you through alcohope though, by putting a stop to hol because you think it is a happiher fake ID use on her own when er you, but it is not really you. The she saw the harms it was doing to real you is the one your real friends herself. want,” Amanda said.

“At first it was just for fun with friends, just messing around, Names changed for confidentiality

CONSEQUENCES of having

A FA K E I D You could be convicted of a FELONY In some states, the use of a fake ID can actually be considered a crime on the level of a third degree felony.

You could face charges of FRAUD Presenting personal information with false information is a form of fraud you would be facing if you use a fake ID. This could also lead to other charges such as MIP (minor in possession) of alcohol.

Your license could be REVOKED In some states, the presentation and use of a fake ID can lead to the revoking of your drivers license.

You will have a CRIMINAL RECORD If you are over the age of 18 and get caught with the possession of a fake ID, this crime will be on your perminant criminal record forever and mark you as dishonest to future employers.

You could become a victim of IDENTITY THEFT Most information that goes on a fake ID is personal information that should be kept to yourself. Offering this information to other people could consequently lead to identify theft.

student life 11

Photos by Alyssa Frost

THE SQUEEZE ON JUICE CLEANSES Students look for new ways to cut calories, but eliminating nutrients comes with a cost

By Kristen Shepard, Editor-in-Chief

The pressure to lose weight and be skinny is nothing new for most Coppell High School students. But with busy schedules and the persistent appeal of junk food, traditional dieting seems unrealistic and too much of a long term investment. With prom and summer quickly approaching, girls especially are looking to juice cleanses as a quick way to shed unwanted pounds.

What seems like a harmless and simple change in diet can lead to health risks, as the human body requires many nutrients to thrive. These cleanses or detoxes come in many shapes and sizes, and not all cleanses are created equal.

Senior Rachel Boaz, like several other CHS students, decided to try an herbal cleanse to feel healthier and look fit at the New Tech High@ Coppell Prom in 2013. When looking for a cleanse, Boaz saw just how extreme some of these cleanses were.

“There are a ton of different cleanses and you can just tell, some of these are better health-wise than others,” Boaz said.

“When I was looking for a cleanse,

SUPER FOODS A better alternative to juice cleanses is simply eating healthier. To do this, there are a number of superfoods available that are enriched with vitamins and minerals.

These ingredients are frequently found in cleanses.

Sources: care2.com and medicalnewstoday.com

12 centerspread

I could just tell, there is no way that some of those were healthy.”

Traditionally, juice cleanses consist of several bottles of juice that are consumed over the course of a three to six day period. The juice is essentially all the participant would consume over the “cleanse period.” Boaz elected to complete a once daily herbal cleanse which required her to make a juice from powder and replace her normal breakfast with the drink.

“I tried an herbal cleanse that I drank everyday in the morning,” Boaz said. “Honestly, the beverage was hard to finish and it tastes horrible. I felt more like I was drinking dishwater than detoxifying.”

CHS Junior Heather Jordan had a similar experience to Boaz using a more involved juice cleanse.

“It tasted horrible and was messy,” Jordan said. “I wanted results badly, but it was not worth it.”

Boaz and Jordan, like many other CHS girls, looked forward to the potential weight loss associated with cleansing.

“I decided I wanted to do a juice cleanse before I went to Prom so that I could drop a few pounds,” Boaz said. “The cleanse I chose only needed to be taken once in the morning, so I assumed that it was pretty safe, as long as I ate normally during the other part of the day” Boaz has now been more successful in becoming healthier with a balanced diet with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables combined with regular exercise.

Juice cleanses were formerly known as detoxes, which are supposed to be used to rid the body of harmful chemicals and buildup. When a person’s diet changes in a more healthy direction, they will naturally lose weight. When the idea that “cleansing” leads to weight loss, many people got the wrong idea and began using juice cleanses as a way to sidestep the long process of shedding pounds traditionally.

Not only are juice cleanses being used for the wrong reason, but they are expensive. Fad juice cleanses come with hefty price

Clementine Rich in citrus limonoids Prevents kidney disease Reduces risk of liver cancer Lowers cholesterol Full of soluble fiber Proven to help fight varieties of cancer Boosts heart health Due to vitamin A compounds known as carotenoids Full of potassium Full of vitamin C which protects cells

tags as well. High end cleanses that celebrities use can run north of $80 per day for three to six bottles.

Angela Lemond, a member of Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and certified dietician, urges teens to use caution when trying a juice cleanse and to learn more about how the cleanse can affect their health.

“Juice does not provide you with all the energy, vitamins and minerals your body needs,” Lemond said. “So the longer you do it the more you put yourself at risk for nutrient deficiencies.”

CHS senior and varsity cheerleader Sydney Pritchard tried cleansing for a different reason, to rid her body of

the bad toxins she accumulated from eating foods with poor nutritional value.

“I decided to start cleansing because I realized that the way I ate was not very healthy,” Pritchard said. “Once I started cleansing it literally cleared me of bad “toxins” and helped me get into a habit of eating healthy.”

Though cleansing was a good experience for Pritchard in terms of reaching her goal, she does not advocate it as a method to be used regularly.

“Definitely try to avoid cleansing during a period where you are the most physically active in whatever sport you’re in because if you don’t eat healthy prior to going on the cleanse, it can be hard on your body,” Pritchard said. “I would say cleansing more than once every six months is not safe.”

Lemond advocates the use of whole food nutrition as opposed to cleansing. Changing a lifestyle can be much more beneficial than dropping water weight over a short period of time. The use of cleansing as a weight loss method contradicts the real purpose of the cleanse.

In fact, Lemond thinks that detoxing is overall unnecessary because of the body’s natural ability to detox.

“There is no need to do any type of detox unless your kidneys or liver is damaged. Those two organs are primarily responsible for filtering and detoxify,” Lemond said in

Spinach Lowering risk of cancer Lowering blood pressure Improving bone health Lowering risk of developing asthma One of the best sources of dietary potassium One of the best sources of dietary magnesium Necessary for energy metabolism Maintaining muscle and nerve function Maintaining blood pressure Rich in high Vitamin A and Vitamin C which is good for skin and hair

an email. “The best thing you can do is eat a variety of nutrient-rich foods and drink plenty of water.

Your body will do the rest.”

Furthermore, Lemond suggests that juice cleanses be complemented by fresh fruits and vegetables.

“If you want to do something good for yourself, challenge yourself to eat 9 servings of fruits and vegetables each day - in addition to other foods,” Lemond said. “This will super dose your body with a ton of nutrition, which will maximize your body’s ability to function.”

At the end of the day, it is your normal diet and habits that will define your weight loss success. Doing a cleanse is a way to detoxify your body, not help you get skinny and toned.

Almonds Lowering cholesterol Also lowers cholesterol levels Powerful antioxidants Reducing cancer risk Reducing the risk of heart disease Helps reduce coronary heart disease risk factors Major source of Vitamin E, copper, magnesium and high quality protein

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THE SHORT CUT Students use innovative methods to cheat on assignments Graphic by Sophie Nauyokas

K A R A H A L L A M staff writer

Between the pressure to get into college and to maintain grades, some Coppell High School students are going beyond the “look at your neighbor’s paper” method of cheating and taking it to a whole new level.

Girls tape note cards to their jackets and look at it every time they adjust their blouses.

Guys place slips of paper into the clasps of their watches.

Some have written answers on paper small enough to roll into their mechanical pencil with the eraser off.

“Students basically put writing wherever they can, I have even seen a girl paint equations on her nails and claim they were nail stickers,” CHS junior Stephen Bavousett said.

Test answer keys naively left out on a teacher’s desk are fair game to any deceptive student with a cell phone.

Technology can facilitate students ability to cheat, something many teachers and parents did not experience as high school students.

“I would say that with access to technology it is more difficult for teachers to monitor students to make better choices because the answers are at hand,” CHS Assistant Principal Sherri Hankins said.

Parents are not only overwhelmed by the number of students who cheat but also by their lack of concern for ethics and ability to cheat in many different forums.

“These students are doing themselves a huge disser-

vice. In my day it was harder to cheat and we were punished more severely. Now it is accepted, but in my day, we never even had that kind of opportunity to cheat,” CHS junior parent Kalyani Patel said.

Given how heavily tests weight, a bad score can drop a student’s average by many points, and by the end of the six weeks hurt their grade point averages.

“In the top 10 percent students form groups and systems with their friends to make sure they keep their rank. If a teacher does not teach it well I do not feel guilty about cheating on a test,” an anonymous student said.

This anonymous student is ranked within the top of their class. They communicate with friends on tests and ask friends who take a test or essay a class period before they do so they can find out what the essay prompt is and what some of the answers to the test are before they have to take it.

“There is a difference between copying and collaboration. In their mind’s they mesh the two together because it is easier. Parents will tell me they were just collaborating when meeting with me,” CHS Biology teacher Doggett said.

Coppell High School policy indicates that if there is evidence of cell phone use or any other cheating during a test the student who is caught cheating is to immediately have their test materials confiscated, they are to be given a zero on the test and theirparents will be notified.

“I talk to the student first and then let their parents

know they plagiarized and that they will have to meet with an assistant principal,” IB English teacher Susan Creighton said.

Hankins explains that more serious offenses come into play after a student’s first offense.

“We typically do not see repeats, but if we do then we take disciplinary measure,” Hankins said.

In Creighton’s class, her students sign an honorbound statement before they take essays and tests so that way they care visually agreeing not to cheat and aware of it if they do.

“Some students work harder to cheat than to study than to do it right. They could have done the assignment if they spent the time on it that they do to cheat,” Doggett said.

Cheating may get students the grade now but in the long run it will come back to bite all of those guilty, given colleges take cheating much more seriously.

“In college, there is a very serious no toleration rule on cheating. My advice to students who cheat is man up and take a bad grade because it is not worth taking an F in a class and possibly being kicked out of the university,” said Texas Tech University freshman Matt Smith, a 2013 CHS graduate.

Smith was affected by cheating within his first semester. Another student copied his essay and Smith reported him to the teacher. The teacher kicked this student out of the class and when the same student got caught cheating again second semester, he was kicked out of the university.

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14 student life

Source: Stanford.edu Photo Illustration by Sophie Nauyokas and Elizabeth Sims

Coaches that double as teachers have to take off the whistles then pick up the pencils and learn how to balance the different career environments on a daily basis. Photo

by Regan Sullivan.

A N N I E s t a ff

W E N

w r i t e r

Assistant football coach and assistant baseball coach Clint Rushing’s day starts with getting up to the school early to start preparing the material for his AP Physics class.

He teaches for the first three periods of the day, makes his way out to the fieldhouse fourth period to work with the student athletes and is back in class next fifth period, ready to teach again.

His mornings are not always the same: sometimes he is at an early morning workout instead of preparing material. His afternoons always consist of practice, football in the fall and baseball in the spring. On his own time in the evenings and on the weekends he grades papers and creates lesson plans.

The job of being a teacher is impossible to think about: fitted with the task of making sure 100 plus students have learned what the state of Texas has determined each high school student must have learned in that particular subject to continue on in their education.

Some teachers voluntarily add onto their workload by choosing to be a coach. While “coach” and “teacher” are not synonymous, they are, to the individuals who fit both roles, one and the same.

For quarterbacks coach and freshman baseball coach Nate Blackwell, teaching and coaching has brought him back to the place where everything began for him.

Blackwell played four years of baseball and football at CHS and graduated class of 2006 before attending Texas A&M University, graduating with a Bachelor’s of Business Administration in Management.

After graduating from A&M in 2010, he worked for a year at Texas Christian University as an undergraduate assistant and began teaching and coaching at Garland High School for a year before returning to Coppell in 2012.

“Growing up, my dad worked in the NFL so I’ve been around football all my life,” Blackwell said. “I got into coaching because I had always been around it and when I looked at my life and what I wanted to do I realized that the only thing that would bring me satisfaction would be to coach and mentor young student athletes.”

Blackwell believes his additional job of being a coach makes him an even better teacher, allowing him to better understand the mind of a high school student dealing with many things at once.

“You see what they go through,” Blackwell said. “You see them in the morning and see how hard they work. I can relate to them because I’ve been where they’re going.

I’m more realistic with my expectations because I understand they have other things going on besides the 52 minutes that I will see them.”

It is fairly common to hear

at the beginning of each school year “Coach so-and-so is an easy teacher” and with their easygoing attitudes coaches often come across as more of a friend than a teacher. Students who walk into a coach’s class are often surprised to realize that the expectations are no different than in any other classroom.

“When I first found out that I had Coach Blackwell for math I thought that it would be just an easy blow-off class,” freshman Jackson Culp said. “I thought that since he was a coach we wouldn’t do much. That was quickly proved wrong after the first two weeks in his class. His class is my most challenging of the day and he’s always pushing us to go beyond our limits. His breakneck style of teaching has really increased my work ethic and made me a harder worker.”

Government teacher Blake Johnson is one who understands the stigma surrounding coaches who teach.

“When I was younger I wanted to be in a coach’s class because I felt they were more relatable,” Johnson said. “[As a coach] you have to be able to connect, to communicate and build relationships with your athletes if you want them to perform at the highest level. I think that’s confused with being ‘easy’.”

Johnson is one of the few teachers at the high school who teaches a virtual class,

meaning most of his work for those classes is done at home on his own time. His job title includes freshman soccer coach and an assistant football coach.

Discovering his inability to leave sports behind made him realize he wanted to make a career out of coaching and teaching.

“When I quit playing football it was like I lost a piece of myself,” Johnson said. “I thought I could get over it and once I realized it was like a piece of myself had gone missing I knew I had to coach.”

Johnson changed his major three times in college before pursuing his certification in education. His genuine enthusi-

asm for his students and athletes are what he believes makes strong teachers and coaches.

“The people that love the sport, and love kids, and love the locker room, those are the ones who are naturally great coaches,” Johnson said. “My philosophy is that I like to empower a learner in the classroom or a player on the field. I’m going to give them all the tools necessary for them to be successful but at the end of the day I can’t take a test for a student or I can’t execute a block for my linemen.”

Students are not the only people coaches who teach worry about, often a bigger challenge is showing the faculty that they are just as capable in the classroom.

“As a coach I’m always having to prove myself,” track and field coach Karl Pointer said. “Not only to the students but also to the staff that I am a good teacher as well. That’s a challenge every coach faces.”

Regardless of what they teach or what they coach at the end of the day their ultimate goal is to make a difference in the lives of the students they spend so much time with.

“I don’t want to be thought of as a teacher who coaches or a coach who teaches,” Rushing says. “I want to be thought of as somebody who invests in kids and does a good job both in the classroom and on the field.”

Graphic by Rachel Buigas-Lopez

student life 15

New local talent, The Merge to play at The Door S TEP HAN IE ALE XA NDE R entertainment editor

The Merge is the next up and coming local student band. They have been rocking the Dallas-Fort Worth area since December and have a gig at The Door in Deep Ellum on April 18.

The Merge is composed of Coppell High School juniors Brady Knippa on drums and Coleman Loose on lead guitar, Flower Mound High School junior Dax Matlock on

guitar and vocals, Flower Mound HS senior Ben Mitchell on bass and Flower Mound Coram Deo Academy junior Taylor Niznik on keys.

“Coleman, Ben and I wanted to make a band, and so we originally had Coleman on drums, but that didn’t work out so well,” Matlock said. “He is fantastic and is the most important member in our band.”

Loose, Matlock and Mitchell played for Irving Bible Church’s middle school worship band which was called Merge AM, ergo The

Alternative student band, The Merge, performing at the Door in downtown Dallas on March 15. Photo courtesy of Dax Matlock.

Merge. Niznik knows them from IBC as well and is the newest addition to the band.

“We wanted to play one song but we needed an organ, and we were like none of us can play keys or anything, and then Taylor came to mind,” Loose said. “She’s all classical with her quick fingers, she is number one.”

Niznik went to Booker T. Washington High School in Dallas for her freshman year of high school before transferring back to CDA for classical piano and has been playing for eight years. Being the only girl with a bunch of guys doesn’t phase Niznik one bit.

“At Booker T., I was in a jazz ensemble and in a string quartet with some friends I had to constantly perform and you just learned how to collaborate with other performers,” Niznik said. “I have known Coleman and Dax for a while so it’s not intimidating being with a bunch of guys, plus we all like music so really it is just like I’m hanging out with friends.”

Mitchell being a senior and going to Stephen F. Austin State University will make it hard to have band practice all the way from Nacogdoches. The dynamics of the band will soon have to merge into something new.

“Over the summer we are going to do a bunch of shows with him, but then once he goes to college we are still planning on chilling and writing a bunch. We have been looking for possible candidates to fill his place,” Matlock said. “Right now we are focusing on writing as much as we can and then hope to release an album within the year.”

See Them Live where?

The Prophet Bar 2513 Main St., Dallas

when?

April 18 at 7:30 p.m. who?

Spectra Babalou Beware of Darkness The Merge

cost? $10 in advance

$12 at the door

27 years later, Talmadge wears mom’s prom dress A L L I E A R N O L D s t a ff w r i t e r

Naturally, finding the perfect dress is at the top of the list for a girl’s prom necessities, and for senior Melanie Talmadge, that perfect dress did not fall far from the tree.

Talmadge tries to steer away from the norm and be unique. Before beginning her search for a prom dress, she knew she would prefer to purchase something very different than the form fitting, sparkly dress that is popular among teenage girls today. To be more specific, her mind was set on something vintage.

“I went into a few vintage stores looking for a dress but couldn’t find anything that caught my eye,” Talmadge said.

“I went home, found my mom’s prom dress from the 80s and tried it on just for fun. It ended up fitting perfectly and I really loved it.”

Talmadge fell in love with the idea that her mom’s old prom dress is one of a kind in this day and age. She can be sure that no one will have anything close to it at her prom, so she will stand out and be different.

“No one will have anything like it since it was from so long ago,” Talmadge said. “I am very excited to wear it just because it’s so different and kind of unexpected.”

Talmadge’s mother, Meghan Ciganik, loved it as much as Melanie does now

16 entertainment

when she found her ideal perfect dress for For Ciganik, seeing her own her prom nearly 20 years ago. daughter sporting the same dress nearly “I found it in 1987 in a small bou- 20 years later brings back a lot of great tique in Wisconsin for about $200 and I fell memories, and she cannot wait for Melain love with it,” Ciganik said. “It looked like nie to make her own in it. a princess dress; it was just so beautiful.”

“Melanie and her sister played dress Ciganik had her heart set on that up in it all the time when they were litdress and that dress only. However, her tle because they just loved it,” Ciganik parents were not going to pay for it, so she said. “And now that Melanie is going to turned to work in order to earn the money her prom and she still loves it herself. enough to want to wear “I washed dishes at a local restau- it. It makes me very rant to save up money to pay for it myself,” happy.”

Ciganik said. “The store held it for me and as I got paid every couple of weeks I would go and give them a little bit more money until it was completely paid for.”

Knowing that her mom worked so hard for the dress, it makes Talmadge appreciate wearing it a lot more.

“These days if I wanted a dress, I would go out to the store and my mom would buy it for me,” Talmadge said.

“But my mom had to be sure that it was the dress she wanted since she was spending her own mon- Senior Melanie Talmadge shows off her 27 year old classic ey on it and working so prom dress (right). Talmadge’s mother Meghan Ciganik wore hard. It makes wearing a the dress to her high school prom in 1987 (above). Photos by lot more special knowing Alyssa Frost. she loved it that much.”

1987

2014

Dallas impresses student film makers with Festival STEPHANIE ALEXANDER entertainment editor

2008 Coppell High School alum Chase Hughes is living his dream of being in the world of film, and he did not have to go to New York or Los Angeles to pursue it.

“I have always loved film. I love being in front of the camera and behind the camera, but my favorite aspect of film is actually telling the story,” Hughes said.

“Doing film is the easiest way to

tell the story. You can do it any way with any medium.” Hughes said.

Hughes led KCBY at the Dallas International Film Festival High School day on April 4 in Klyde Warren Park, as numerous other high school broadcast students from the DFW area frolicked around the Dallas Arts District. The workshops at DIFF ranged from Stop motion, Improv and how to sound like a movie critic which was taught by a professor from SMU, just to name a few.

KCBY students Griffin Smith, Hamin Kim, Christian Meyer, Jack Robertson and Keith Kellenberger perform improv skits at the Nasher Sculpture Center. Photos by Regan Sullivan.

“I am incredibly jealous that I did not get this opportunity when I was in high school. This is giving kids a leg up,” Hughes said.

“They are learning a lot today that it took me weeks in a film school to learn.”

Hughes transferred to CHS from Saginaw in 2007 and did not have the opportunity to join KCBY. “I came too late to join KCBY, I remember it being very selective and hard to get into it,” Hughes said. “I don’t know how it is now, but even if students just have basic hand held cameras, they are at least learning how to create composition and things that you do not necessarily need with expensive equipment.”

Senior KCBY member Kristin Schulz went to DIFF, and even though she wants to focus on broadcasting rather than film, she feels that DIFF was helpful experience.

“Everything I learned was really beneficial information for different sides of media that kids want to pursue. Going to DIFF made me realize how privileged and talented the students at CHS are,” Schulz said. “We are so advanced in our media skills and all

Dallas International Film Festival volunteer and CHS alum Chase Hughes performs improv skits at the Nasher Sculpture Center during DIFF’s High School Day. of the workshop leaders seemed very impressed with all of us.”

Hughes has volunteered for DIFF before and connecting with his Coppell roots is not the only reason he enjoys it.

“By volunteering here, I am meeting people to further promote my work,” Hughes said. “I am doing my own side projects and showing people that I have the leadership abilities to move forward. That is how you get noticed and hired.”

Sophomore KCBY member

Scott Simigan appreciated the fact that a fellow cowboy was taking lead at such an event.

“It felt more personal,” Simigian said. “It felt as if he was part of our group rather than like a leader.”

Hughes is in film school at KD College and is still getting started on his career.

“Five years from now I want to be owning my own production company and making films and sending them into festivals like DIFF or Sundance and make a name for myself,” Hughes said.

entertainment 17

FLOOD THE WALLS Student band releases first album The Blueprint

SHRUTHIKA POCHAMPALLY s t a ff w r i t e r

Coppell alternative/indie rock band Flood the Walls releases its debut album, The Blueprint, in April. The band consists of lead singer and Coppell High School sophomore Adreesh Roy, guitarist and CHS junior Prashan Jeyarajah and Coppell Middle School East sixth grader and drummer Aneesh Roy, Adreesh’s brother.

The group started working on its album in December.

The album, which took three months to complete, is a mix of everything the band members have learned and love about their favorite artists- primarily Led Zeppelin, Arctic Monkeys, Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Black Keys. While Flood the Wall’s album touches the likes of these well-known artists, the band maintains a unique and original sound.

“Musically, their sound is organic and raw which is the approach we emphasized on the album,” OneTake Studios Dallas owner Mark Cozart said.

After realizing how much original material it had, the band decided to record an album.

“A lot of work went into this album,” Adreesh said, “We wanted something that the people could listen to off their iTunes or Spotify libraries whenever they want.”

The band has 22 original

songs, but had to select the 11 they wanted on the album. After selecting the songs, the band worked with Cozart and Alex Gerst of Empire Sound Studio in Carrollton, TX to edit and record the songs to make them album-friendly.

“I met [Flood the Walls] about five years ago and have worked with them and booked them on a couple of my shows.

So, when they approached me with original material, it was a no brainer for me to produce their first album,” Cozart said.

Soon after approaching Cozart, the band began the process of making their album.

“It was a matter of getting used to the studio and it’s procedure; playing with a metronome, layering tracks with two guitars, playing multiple drum fills, and singing harmonies multiple times are just a few of the many tedious things that went into the recording process itself,” Adreesh said.

Though the song, “The Blueprint” is a relatively slow song, the majority of The Blueprint consists of fast-paced, catchy and edgy tunes. Regardless of the members being so young, the songs are full of experienced lyrics and depth. Jeyarajah’s guitar and Aneesh’s drums supplement Adreesh’s vocals in a way that makes this band seem as if they have performed and recorded for years; though in reality, they are all relatively new

to the music business.

“The hardest song to record would have to be ‘Black and Blue’. The beat in that song is very hard and keeping time was a hassle,” Adreesh said.

“Chiko [Aneesh Roy], being a drummer, had to split his body into different parts; his hands, arms and legs all have minds of their own. Keeping time with all of them takes a lot of focus and it’s easy to see why it was more difficult for him. I was elated once he finished the track and gave him a huge bear hug as a reward.

Along with the band, many Coppell residents are excited for the release of this album, with many students looking forward to seeing their peers on the iTunes store. The Blueprint does not have a fixed release date, but is expected to be released midApril.

“Fans and Coppell residents should be looking forward to hearing the music off of The Blueprint. I am beyond stoked for their album to drop,” sophomore Marissa Thakady said.

“Watching [Flood the Walls] grow over the past two years has been an amazing experience.”

The band not only hopes to send The Blueprint to record companies and get noticed, but also to soon begin recording its second album.

Though Flood the Walls is busy with being an up-andcoming local band about to re-

lease its first album, the band continues to play concerts once in a while.

The band’s next performance will be on April 11th at First United Methodist Church’s Coffee House Coppell, TX.

ADREESH ROY, 10

Photo by Shruthika Pochampally

musical influences

Also an English rock band, 2002born Arctic Monkeys takes a modern twist to the rock genre, allowing it to captivate young and old rock music Consisting of English lead sing- lovers alike. Current lead singer Alex er Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Turner, guitarist Jamie Cook, bass guitarist Nick O’Malley and drumPage, bassist John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham, Led mer Matt Helders together have Zeppelin was formed in the late acquired numerous Brit Awards and 1960s and continued to produce two Grammy nominations. Arctic Monkeys has five released albums to music through the 1980s. For a band only active for two decades, date.

Led Zeppelin continues to be a musical inspiration to many rock artists worldwide, and is considered a mogul of classic and alternative rock music.

ARCTIC MONKEYS

18 entertainment

Graphics by Sophie Nauyokas

RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS

Originating in 1983, The Red Hot Chili Peppers are renowned for their Californian roots and improv talent.

The band, most known for their hit single Californication, is currently working on its eleventh album. They have been allocated a spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and performed at various national occasions, including the 2014 Super Bowl.

Formed in 2001, The Black Keys stands out for its duo collaborations. Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney together form the vocals, guitar, and drums to create their captivating sound.

The two classmates have won seven Grammy Awards, and are on the verge of releasing a new album.

The

BLACK KEYS

Enjoy 50% off Your 1st Months Rent!

Photo courtesy AMC Studios

entertainment 19

GEORGE FAIRCHILD s t a ff w r i t e r

Coppell track and field appears to entering a golden age, as the current freshman class has already proved themselves capable of competing with some of the best runners, throwers and jumpers in the area at the varsity level. Nine freshmen have represented Coppell this season competing on the varsity track and field team.

“They all have very bright futures ahead of them,” Senior distance runner Carson Vickroy said. “There’s a good chance they will be competing for a state championship by their senior year.”

Freshmen Alan Huo, Nathan Sims, Zach Dicken, Lauren Cunningham, Tara Adhikari, Taylor Dubey, Blake Vonzurmuehlen, Claire Barden and Ashley Scrivner have all competed at the varsity level this season.

“I’m very impressed with this freshman class,” Coppell men’s track and field coach Karl Pointer said.

“This is the best group that we’ve had come through and the largest participation out of any freshmen class.”

Huo, who runs the 800 meter dash, 400 meter dash and anchors the 4x400 relay, has not only run on varsity every race this season but has clocked some astonishing times. His personal best of 2:03 in the 800-meter dash places him as the 16th fastest freshman in the nation and the sixth fastest freshman in the state, according to tx.milesplit.com. Huo has also run 52.00 seconds in the open 400.

“Varsity track has been a great experience. It’s really challenging for a freshman so I am glad to have the opportunity to run varsity and I’m hoping later on in the future to keep on improving and become a top tier runner,” Huo said. “Running varsity has helped me develop good racing skills and has helped to figure out what I need to improve on to become a top runner in the future.”

Another strong 800-meter runner is Adhikari, who has run 2:36 as well as a 6:11 in the 1,600 meter run.

“On both sides, they are very talented and have strong work ethic,” said Coppell women’s coach Roxanne Farris. “This will help us in the next upcoming years as we will lose some big point getters this year.”

Huo’s teammate Dicken has run the 4x400 meter relay and 400-meter dash as well as the open 200 and triple jump. Dicken’s fastest 400 time of 51.72 seconds ranks him 10th in the state for freshmen.

20 sports

Dicken has also run 23.38 seconds in the 200-meter dash. His mark of 40 feet 10.25 inches in triple jump makes him one of the top one hundred freshman jumpers in the event in the nation.

“Running varsity was scary when I first started because when a freshman goes into a race against seniors you don’t usually expect to do well competitively,” Dicken said. “It has helped me realize what I need to work harder on to eventually make it to the state meet.”

Vonzurmuehlen has also ran the 400 and long jump. His long jump of 19 feet, 7 inches ranks him as one of the top 25 freshmen long jumpers in the state while his 400-meter time of 55.85 seconds ranks him in the top 100 Claire Barden is the only freshman on the girls side to compete on varsity for field events, throwing shot put. Her personal best of 34 feet, 8 inches ranks her as the 6th best freshman girl at the event in the state and in the top 50 best freshman girls in the nation.

“It’s a high level of competition and being able to compete at this level makes me a better thrower,” Barden said, “Hopefully I can continue to improve and break the school record by my senior year.”

Sims, Dubey and Scrivner have all run on the varsity 3,200-meter and 1,600-meter distance teams. Sims, the only freshman boy to have competed at the varsity level in either event this season, has run impressive times of 4:47 in the 1,600 and 10:18 in the 3,200. Sims is ranked in the top 100 freshman runners in the nation in the 3,200.

“If they continue to get better at the same rate over the next three years, there is a strong possibility at least one of them will qualify for the regional finals and possibly the state track Meet,” Farris said.

On the girls side, Dubey and Scrivner have both been racing well this season. Scrivner has run 12:35 and Dubey has run 12:29 in the 3,200-meter. In the mile, Dubey has also run an impressive time of 5:40.

“Competing on varsity has really helped me become a better runner and come into the high school and blend in with the others,” Dubey said. “Everyone on varsity has really helped me get better and keep improving.”

Cunningham is the only female sprinter out of the freshmen to make the varsity team. This season she has run 26.91 seconds in the 200, good enough for the 34th fastest freshman in the state for that event.

Field Coach Feedback How do you think sophomore Rachel Johnson has progressed this season?

CHRIS BROWN s h o t p u t c o a c h Senior pole vaulter Rosemary Brinegar clears the bar at Buddy Echols Field on March 1. Photo courtesy Conrad Vickroy.

“She’s a naturally explosive young lady. I could see the potential in her right away. My goal is to have her throw 42 feet [in the shot put] by the time State gets here so she’ll be competitive at the state meet.”

How did you put the team together this year?

Junior high jumper Bryce Vonzurmuehlen clears the bar at Buddy Echols Field on March 1. Photo courtesy Conrad Vickroy.

KARL POINTER h e a d c o a c h

“You try and find the parts and pieces that are going to give us the best results, whether it’s a freshman or a senior. We’re always looking for those kids that are going to step up and fill the role.”

Freshman Allan Huo runs the 800-meter dash at Buddy Echols Field on March 1. Photo by Elizabeth Sims.

What makes junior Marcus Mitchell good at what he does?

STU JOHNSON l o n g j u m p c o a c h

Freshman Taylor Dubey runs 3200-meter run at the Allen Relay on March 28 at the Allen High School Track and Field Stadium. Photo by George Fairchild.

“Marcus is the kind of kid who becomes very competitive when he needs to be. In the last meet he went out and he beat his old record [in long jump] by almost two feet. He’s still got a lot of potential but we’re looking for him to go very far this year.”

For overzealous youth sports fans, it’s more than just a game JENA SEIDEMANN student life editor

Sports, it’s the thing that unites, divides and brings the true nature of people out. Deep in Texas, it is sports that incite raw and overzealous emotion within not only the students but the parents also, so the underlying question lies with where the boundary of support goes too far.

Having been involved with football since kindergarten, varsity junior defensive back Bryce Vonzurmuehlen has had experience with overbearing parents on

his team, and even though he is only in high school, he has seen the boundary crossed time over and over again.

Last year, Vonzurmuehlen had an opportunity to coach a peewee flag football game. The former coach removed himself after he realized that he was too involved and too overzealous with the fifth grade team. Even though he stepped back, he still yelled from the sidelines when Vonzurmuehlen coached.

Luckily, intense parental involvement has died down in the high school level, and the coaches

establish their authority from day one.

“You don’t really see it at our level. [The coaches] keep the authority,” Vonzurmuehlen said. “[Former Coppell football coach Joe McBride] didn’t care what the parents thought. He would do what he wanted to do. He said ‘if he doesn’t work in practice, he doesn’t get playing time.’”

As a parent and high school and club soccer coach, head girls soccer coach Chris Stricker has seen both sides of the spectrum.

There are a lot of expectations riding on club soccer as it can be the

Photo illustration by Shannon Wilkinson

ticket to college for many. There are a lot of expectations in general from parents.

“Usually the girls know where they stand. Most of the parent conflicts I have is that the parents do not understand why their kid is not paying, but the kid understands why they are not playing,” Stricker said. “But the disconnect comes when the kid does not want to disappoint the parents, so when they come home they will wither blame me or blame the assistant coaches and then the parents get upset, but they are not really hearing the whole story.”

Once there is a conference with the parent and the player, most situations are cleared up, and it is time for the parent to either accept the kid’s role on the team or withdraw them. Leading up to the conferences, Sticker often sees parents volunteering for the wrong reasons.

Playing sports as a child, Stricker experienced both being the star player and the back up.

He has seen many players rather play and lose the game then sit the bench and have the team win.

“That is a very relevant and popular thing in Coppell,” Stricker said. “Deep down it is all about them and not the team. You have to make sure that selfishness foes not creep into your program.”

Like Vonzurmuehlen, senior hitter Kate Dicken has felt the politics from varsity sports.

It is, however, even more intensified within club volleyball.

Even in her recreational

YMCA games in third, fourth and fifth grade, parents were intense and cussed out each other.

When she is a line judge for club, she faces scrutiny on her calls quite often.

“If it a really close game, the parents get really upset so I even had refs pull me over and say, ‘if you want me to send these parents away tell me and I will do it,’” Dicken said.

There is an argument that parents push their kids too hard in order to live vicariously through them. Dicken believes it is with good intentions, but it can come across as bad.

“I have seen parents put kids in so many workouts and programs and private lesson that they get burnt out,” Dicken said. “They are trying to hard for their kids when it is their kid who should be wanting it.

My parents are the one that say if you want it, you got to go for it.”

The over competitiveness of Coppell starts at a very young age, according to former Girls athletic coordinator and head volleyball coach Sheri Hankins, and while there is really no way to prevent every overzealous parent, change can be made by changing the mindset.

“It is a society thing, and we put too much emphasis on competitive sports too early,” Hankins said. “I do not fault parents for wanting the best of the best for kids, but really, for four year old soccer there has to be a winner and loser?”

After frustrating loss, hockey wraps up after solid season A L E X

s t a ff

N I C O L L w r i t e r

Following their blowout first round playoff win over the Katy Seven Lakes Spartans, the Coppell Cowboys hockey team’s season abruptly ended after they lost to the Keller Indians, 4-3 in overtime, in the second round.

“It was pretty depressing because we were fighting the entire game,” junior center Lucas Mendes said. “It came down to overtime and we kept tying the game up so many times, like I made two goals but they were waved off, but then we finally tied the game up for overtime. They scored on this fluke goal and then everything went silent on the bench and no one felt like doing anything.”

The Cowboys ended the year going 12-7 and were the champions of the 2013-14 Varsity silver bracket Championship Tournament.

“We have done really well

this year,” junior center Scott Brownrigg said. “We had kids that needed to step up, and they did. A lot of the older kids led by example too. We would have liked to be in the gold bracket but we wanted to make the most out of being in the silver bracket.”

The team finished strong

on the year going 4-1 in their last five games. Brownrigg ended the season as the team leader in goals (15) and points (24), while senior center Alex Smith led the team in assists with 12.

With such a young team this year filled with , it was vital to head coach Brett Blatchford to

Freshman James Reaman and senior Alex Smith chase down the puck during a game against Seven Lakes High School. Photos by Regan Sullivan.

develop his players to have an experienced varsity group for next year’s squad.

“I have seen our freshmen and sophomores grow largely as a result of the leadership of older players,” Blatchford said. “Our juniors and seniors have done a nice job making sure we have good

teams for the years to come.”

The upperclassmen anticipate even further growth from the young players and are excited to help them progress.

“It will be fun to be able to work with the younger guys and teach them what Coppell hockey is about,” Mendes said.

Sophomore Rasmus Raikka attempts to stay open despite Seven Lakes High School’s defense in order to get past the puck.

sports 21

Plans for new arena keep Coppell sports competitive J O H N L O O P sports editor

Senior heavyweight and recent state champion wrestler Roger Moe will not be on campus to experience the changes that will come along with the renovation and expansion of Coppell High School’s athletic facilities.

Moe does think that elimi-

main campus and auxiliary athletic features.

At the beginning of the process, Coppell ISD athletic director John Crawford did not know quite know what he had stumbled into.

Now meeting with contractors, coaches and architects around the clock, he sees a solid plan beginning to come to fruition.

“It’s been quite an extensive

months to be ready by the start of the 2016 school year.

The arena will feature 360-degree seating, with a combination of fixed chair-back seats and theater-style seats in the upper bowl and collapsible chair-style seating in the lower bowl. In all, the arena will hold almost 2,600 loyal Coppell fans.

The increase in gym capacity

“Coach Crawford wants the gym and locker rooms to be the best, so that our sports have those advantages that just about everybody else around us has,” CHS principal Mike Jasso said. “As we began going to different districts that are similar in size, we saw that we were lacking in facilities.”

Though the arena will not be ready to handle a full game of bas-

Jasso’s positive outlook.

“Being a basketball parent, basketball definitely gets put on the backburner, so it would be nice to have a better facility,” Ms. Landefeld said. “That would hopefully draw more fans into basketball than what’s been there in the past.”

Other improvements include the re-allocation of the locker rooms and offices connected to the

Graphic courtesy Sid Grant

nating the boys’ wrestling practices, which took place in two different areas during fourth period this year, will be good for the team.

“Our wrestling room is one mat, so to just have a bigger wrestling room seemed like a pretty fun idea,” Moe said.

The wrestling team is not the only program on campus that will be going through a period of spatial transition. After the Coppell Independent School District put the $79.5 million bond package up for election and passed it in May, $27.1 million were allocated for the expansion and improvement of CHS

process,” Crawford said. “I’ve had numerous meetings with the architectural firm that the school district uses [SHW Group Architects]. In conjunction with that, I’ve also had drawings that [SHW] has for us, and have had all of our coaches come in so that they could view especially the facilities that affect their programs.”

These new facilities will provide space for the athletic programs at CHS. The most elaborate of the facilities included in this category is a new multi-purpose sports and competition arena, the construction of which is planned to take 13

will hopefully also resolve the issue of mutually exclusive school assemblies and pep rallies. This may mean that the days of indoor pep rallies without freshmen are numbered.

“Since it will be able to seat almost 2,600 students, then we would be able to have assemblies, pep rallies, different events where we could have the entire student body there and not have to leave the freshmen in class,” Crawford said.

This layout is equivalent in size and structure to stadiums at other high schools with top sports programs, such as Southlake Carroll, Allen and Plano system schools.

ketball until a much later date, the prospects of playing in one of this quality already has sophomore basketball player KJ Luenser feeling the excitement.

“I was super excited [when they said they were going to be building a new gym],” Luenser said.

“We’ve had the old gym for a long time, and getting a new gym will bring others around to see what it looks like.”

Coppell resident Julie Landefeld, whose sons Adam, a senior, and Casey, a freshman, have both been heavily involved in the Coppell basketball program, shares

main campus for other purposes, the expansion of the turf room and the addition of a fully-functional dance/performing arts studio.

Moe is disappointed that he and the rest of the class of 2014 will not be able to take advantage of the facility upgrades, but knows it will definitely be highly beneficial for those in the younger ranks of the Coppell athletic program.

“I thought it was all so cool, and then I remembered I was a senior,” Moe said. “I’m glad the underclassman are going to have something great to look forward to in their futures.”

Spring sports vying to be postseason contenders Mark Slette, staff writer

Senior centerfielder Ric Dickens takes a small lead off of first base. The Cowboys beat Denton Ryan 10-3 on March 25. Photo by Sandy Iyer.

George Fairchild and John Loop

After Coppell was swept by the Colleyville Heritage Panthers last season, 2013 Coppell High School graduates and senior pitchers Jake Elliott, Austin Gardner, Davis Oliver and Jeremy Mortensen headed into the college ranks, leaving current senior pitcher Drew Hanson as the returning starter this season.

“It can be hard to adjust

22 sports

when you lose a lot of pitchers,” senior pitcher Quinn Moser said. “We have had a lot of young pitchers really step up and help us out this season.”

The Cowboys have received strong leadership of Hanson, the emergence of juniors Jensen Elliott and Joseph Goetze, and game experience of seniors Tyler Stephenson and Moser.

In playoff contention in District 5-5A, the Cowboys hope to make up for last season’s postseason shortcomings.

Senior shortstop Erika Zimmer loves spending time with her teammates on the diamond, and, after four years of playing varsity softaball at Coppell High School, her teammates have become her second family.

“It’s like one big sisterhood we have, playing together has been a blast,” Zimmer said.

Having seven freshmen, four sophomores and four seniors, there is plenty of room for the team to grow and improve.

“This team is a very youthful team, with several underclassmen,” Coppell coach Katie Krug said. “We are a team that is slowly progressing and getting better every game, but we’ve got to learn to execute the fundamentals.”

The four seniors, Zimmer, second baseman Lindsay Stivers, first baseman Clare Madden and centerfielder Katy Bryan have established themselves as leaders.

“The seniors have been really good role models for us,” freshman pitcher Rachel Sheffield said.

Elizabeth Sims, enterprise editor

As the Coppell boys lacrosse team chases a state championship, Coppell head coach Alexander Pool likes the chemistry of his 2014 team.

“I expect the JV players to continue to work on the skills they will need for varsity. Once they ascend to that level, I expect each varsity player to set the goal of a state championship every year,” coach Alexander Poole said. “I am most excited about the team chemistry shown by both the JV and varsity teams.”

Key offensive players to the Cowboys varsity team are senior Nick Hruby and junior midfielder Ben Dodson. Hruby averages nearly five points per game and Dodson averages nearly three. Vital defensive players are goalie Jonathan Ferree and player JP Goyne, with Ferree holding opponents to under seven goals per game, saving over 65 percent of all shots.

Mabry Culp, business manager

In the fall of 2012, Julie Green’s Cowgirls volleyball team brought its second Class 5A state championship to CHS. Last April, coach Chad Rakestraw and the Coppell boys soccer team claimed a state soccer title.

But the winning didn’t stop there. Behind coach Jared Stansel and less fanfare, the Coppell Ultimate Frisbee team completed an undefeated season with a USA Ultimate state championship.

The quest for a repeat is underway and this year’s team expects to win with its defense.

Coppell players think defense is the key to a title defense.

“This year we are having to come up with more defensive variations which makes us much less one dimensional and more competitive…that can keep an offense pretty anxious,” Stansel said.

The 2014 USA Ultimate Texas High School Boys State Championship tournament is May 10-11 at Baylor University in Waco.

sports 23

The Sidekick staff is proud to recognize Jared Stansel as the April teacher of the issue. Stansel teaches

AP Psychology and AP European History. He also serves as the sponsor for the Junior World Affairs Council and the defending State Champions CHS Ultimate Frisbee team.

Students around school know Stansel as friendly and laid back. “It’s like [Stansel]’s a mentor rather than a teacher. You can really tell he cares for his students and wants the best for each and every one of us,” senior Jennifer Chong said.

Stansel’s fellow teachers commend him for the life that he brings to the classroom. “I feel very fortunate that I get to work with Mr. Stansel,” teacher Jack Crocker said.

“It is a lot of fun, he brings in a lot of fresh energy and I’m glad I get to work with him.”

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