Volume 28 Issue 1

c o p p e l l s t u d e n t m e d i a . c o m Volume 28 | Issue 1 | October 2016

THE B G

RISK

The gamble of illegally changing schools PAGES 12-13

INSIDE Mason remembered

A bright future

Snapping for success

Community remembers former band director for impact on school, band program PAGE 4

STEM program empowers with all-girls solar car team PAGE 11

Connor Choate finds success in uncommon position PAGE 21

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THE SIDEKICK october 2016

TEACHER OF THE ISSUE BARNES INSPIRES STUDENTS WITH LIFE LESSONS, CURRICULUM OUT OF THIS WORLD written by Tanya Raghu Staff Writer @tanya_raghu As a fervent believer in real-world connections, global thinking and practical application, Astronomy and Earth and Space Science teacher Angela Barnes successfully gives students a lifelong understanding of the physical world.

Finding her love for the physical sciences only during college after switching from a biology major, Barnes has been a teacher for 10 years.

She started her education career as a student teacher at Coppell High School after college.

“As soon as I stepped foot in a classroom as a student teacher, I knew it was the job for me,” Barnes said.

Hearing from graduated students and

their thankfulness for her direct impact on their lives are the most gratifying aspects of her job. “[At times] something will come up in the news or [students] will see something in the night sky and they will email me saying, ’I was thinking about you when I saw this and I miss your class’,” Barnes said.

For Barnes, the modern global issues section of the course is the most interesting to teach due to its relevancy today. Students learn the effect of their habits on the environment, lessons from history and the transformation of earth in the future.

Students enrolled in Earth and Space Science even have the opportunity to go on an annual camping trip, one of the most memorable opportunities of the year.

Classes in the past have visited Enchanted Rock near Fredericksburg, Guadalupe National Park in New Mexico,

Fossil Rim Wildlife Center and Arbuckle Mountains in Oklahoma.

“She is very passionate and cares a lot about animals and she is very sweet,” senior Ria Choksi said.

Her teaching philosophy challenges students to be accountable, self driven and meet high expectations in a comfortable and laidback environment. Students collaborate during project work with the flexibility to choose the pace and topics covered in the curriculum.

“I most enjoy getting to know the students, building relationships with them, and exposing them to things I don’t think they would find or research on their own,” Barnes said.

Themes discussed in the course include sustainability, preserving the environment and making the planet safer and a better place for future generations. The topics

were specifically chosen to expose students to information they would normal not be interested in.

Apart from teaching, she is also the sponsor of the CHETA (Coppell High School for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) club, inspired from her being a vegetarian for 23 years.

“I was so thankful there were some students who wanted to have an animal rights club, an issue very near and dear to my heart,” Barnes said.

Students in Barnes’ class are encouraged to observe the world around them, incorporate current events into their learning, and be active proponents of their learning, allowing her to leave a mark on their understanding on the world.

Congratulations to the Teacher of the Issue, Ms. Angela Barnes.

“COFFEE WITH COPS” OPENS VOLUNTEERING OPPORTUNITY FOR SPECIAL YOUNG MAN written by Sakshi Venkatraman Executive News Editor @OomPapa1 After July’s fatal shooting of five members of the Dallas Police Department, the outpouring of support for Coppell’s law enforcement struck a chord with every officer in the City of Coppell.

On Saturday, to thank their community for the food, letters and goodwill they received– starting the morning after the sh ooting– CPD and Frost Bank treated all comers to Coffee With Cops, a national trend that is designed to be an open conversation between law enforcement and the communities they serve.

Members of the Coppell community, young and old, came to the McDonald’s on Denton Tap Road to show support and appreciation for the police department.

None, however, were more enthusiastic than 21-year-old Stuart Paduano.

At a young age, Stuart’s interest in cars evolved into a love for law enforcement, specifically law enforcement vehicles.

According to his mother, Maureen, a former teacher at Coppell Middle School East, he has seen every cop movie out there. His favorite toy is his stuffed McGruff the Crime Dog, which he has had since he was in kindergarten at Austin Elementary.

“He keeps asking me about new movies about po-

Twenty-one-year-old Stuart Paduano poses for a photo with his favorite toy/ stuffed animal McGruff the Crime Dog at Coppell’s biannual Coffee With Cops on Saturday. photo by Sakshi Venkatraman

lice officers,” Maureen said. “He’s watched all the Lethal Weapons and those are from the 80s; he loves Mall Cop too, he actually wants to get a Segway.”

Stuart, a 2013 Coppell High School alumnus, has severe autism. But that doesn’t stop his undying affection for cops, dancing, transportation and pretty girls.

At McDonald’s, Stuart interacted with several officers, posing “what if ” questions, such as “what happens if you ride a bike at night without a light on it?”

When asked how he felt about police officers, Stuart’s answer was simple: happy.

It’s Stuart’s second year at Coffee With Cops, a biannual event, and he’s ready to put himself out there. So ready, in fact, that he took his interests all the way up to Captain Danny Barton.

A 25 year law enforcement veteran, Barton served as an SRO at Coppell High School in 1998 and 1999. When met with Stuart’s request for a volunteer position at CPD, he was deeply moved.

“Sometimes, I have a bad day and I feel sorry for myself,” Barton said. “Meet a guy like that and, you know, I have no problems. We can really learn from him. I think my officers would get a thrill out of it.”

Barton says Stuart reminded him of CPD’s primary purpose: to make life better for the citizens of the community.

“We try to emphasize to our new officers that everyday when you come into

worth, you have to have a ‘why’, you have to have a purpose,” Barton said. “We tell them that they’re going to affect people that they’ve never met. This is an example of that.”

Scan to read the full story on the Coppell Student Media website

“GOING

MOM APPROACHED ME, I SAID ‘WE’RE TO

MAKE THIS

HAPPEN’.

THAT’S OUR

CULTURE IN

COPPELL

-CAPTAIN DANNY BARTON

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THE SIDEKICK october 2016

VINTAGE CARS IN OLD TOWN written by Kelly Wei Staff Writer @kellylinwei On Saturday, a stroll through the Old Town Coppell square felt remarkably like stumbling into a time loop.

Down seemingly endless rows of parking spots sat antique vehicles of all and any era imaginable, each with their hood popped up and an information sheet detailing the car owner, model and class for spectators to evaluate before casting their ballots.

Now in its third year running, the Keller Williams Coppell Car Show continues to be one of the largest fundraisers of the year for the Coppell High School Solar Racing Team. Working in partnership with Keller Williams Realty, the competitive event has grown from a small parking lot to an entire square that boasts both incredible cars and increasing traction.

CHS senior Cole Bennett has been involved with the team long enough to personally witness this growth. “[The show] started my sophomore year,” Bennett said. “It’s been amazing to

Coppell Car Show provides platform for car restoration enthusiast see how many new cars have been coming each year. It just gets better and better.”

For some students, however, this event extends beyond a simple fundraiser.

CHS junior Joey Patterson is one such student.

A former member of the Solar Racing Team, Patterson entered in the competition with his own car, an old Mustang coupe.

Originally acquired from a family friend, Patterson describes the initial state of car: the engine would not run, it was rusted through in most places and only one of four wheels would turn.

Over the course of six years, Patterson and his father Joe Patterson were able to restore it to near perfect condition.

Even as a child, Patterson was intent on accomplishing the extraordinary and unusual. While automobiles were a popular field of interest among his friends, he strayed from the typical obsessions with the latest models, instead discovering a love for the classics.

Despite his young age, Patterson displays a surprisingly quaint view of the

Vintage cars sit on display for visitors on Saturday at the Keller Williams Coppell Car Show. The annual event held at the Old Town Coppell square, features various classic automobiles that have been restored. photos by Kelly

Wei

world. His preference for the old-fashioned carries over into other aspects of his life, and seems to define a significant part of who he is. Patterson did not purchase a smartphone until eighth grade, and learned much of what he knows today regarding cars through old manuals as opposed to online research.

“My mom calls me an old soul, because I’d rather do things the old-fashioned way,” Patterson said.

Throughout the restoration process of the Mustang, Patterson also juggled the responsibilities of keeping up his grades, playing for the CHS JV football team and working as a lifeguard at the Coppell Aquatic Center.

When asked how he was able to also fit such an enormous project into his packed schedule and stay motivated, his philosophy is simple.

“If you’re really passionate about something, if you really have a desire to do something that you care about, then you’ll do it. You’ll find time for it,” Patterson said.

“I wouldn’t be lying to you if I told you I

had my mom just leave dinners out on the back porch for me while I’m just working on [the car] out in the garage. Once you say ‘oh, I’ll do it later,’ you’ll never get it done.”

Patterson also attributes a large part of success with the car to his father, who aided him greatly in all aspects of support, direction, and investment.

Now, after years of hard work, Patterson is able to show off his finished product at events like the Coppell Car Show, which provide him with both a presentation platform and a forum for discussion with those who share his passion.

Meanwhile, the Solar Racing Team has a similar opportunity to showcase their own projects from the previous year and converse with like-minded individuals.

“At a car show, you get more people that want to talk and ask questions because it’s things that they’re interested in,” CHS junior solar team captain Mackenzie Becker said. “It’s really cool for us to have that community.”

Coppell High School junior Joey Patterson’s restored Mustang is one of many cars on display in the Old Town Coppell square. The annual event features various classic automobiles that have been restored.

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THE SIDEKICK

Saying Goodbye to a Legend

october 2016

Coppell Community remembers Mason for his tremendous impact on school, band program written by Meara Isenberg Editor-in-Chief @Mearaannee It was raining in Denton on Saturday morning when the Coppell High School band prepared to perform in its first contest of the year. It was the same morning that the band came together in remembrance of it’s greatest director.

“I dedicated that performance to Mr. Mason,” senior trumpet section leader Christian Thorp said. “I know a lot of other people did too.”

Longtime band director Scott Mason died on Sept. 24 after a battle with cancer.

In 1991, Mason walked through the doors to Coppell High School and refused to look back. In fact, he pushed forward, relentlessly, for 28 years through tedious outdoor practices and multiple state competitions to create an outstanding, award-win-

ning band program. Although his legacy stands as one of the most fearless and dedicated leaders to walk the halls, he was just as committed a mentor and friend.

“He’s had a huge impact on thousands of students,” Coppell ISD assistant superintendent Brad Hunt said. “He’s such a presence, such a truly iconic figure. Kids that weren’t in band knew of Mr. Mason.”

When Mason came to Coppell, the high school was still a Class 4A program, and growing rapidly.

The program needed a leader that could keep up with the pace.

“Mr Mason came in and said, ‘Under my leadership, we are going to win state marching competitions, we’re going to march the Rose Bowl Parade, these kids will become All-State’,” Hunt said.

“All the things that he said he was going to do, he did. He made all those things happen.”

CHS Principal Mike Jasso joined as assistant principal in

2000, where he worked often on evaluating the fine arts department.

“I say this with all love and affection, Mr. Mason was an intimidating individual,” Jasso said.

“It seems like I was constantly in a position, back in those days, of asking him to do things he wouldn’t have ordinarily done. I do remember being very intimidated by him, but as we went along the way, we developed... a great friendship, and I considered him a mentor and a leader for me.”

Over the years, Jasso saw the band program grow under Mason’s leadership, not only because of his ability to lead, but his heart for his students and school.

“There’s one thing of being tough and having high expectations for the kids, but Mr. Mason had a great quality of forging strong relationships with kids so they knew that he was simply trying to get the best out of them,” Jasso said.

One of the students who saw this firsthand was senior trumpet leader Christian Thorp, who got to know him over his four years in the program.

“As a freshman I would show up late to rehearsals a lot and hang out with my friends,” Thorp said.

“I was just a typical freshman and he would yell at me a lot. When I joined leadership, he conducted the whole Leadership Camp and taught us to be leaders from his perspective… he personally molded me into the person I am today.”

Through Leadership Camp, Thorp was able to see a different side of Mason in the time he spent with him.

“Getting to know him as a person, he’s so smart,” Thorp said.

“He’s smart leadership wise and people wise and music wise, and it was great getting to know him that much.”

Junior drum major Ashna Pathan also saw Mason as a friend.

“His door was always open to us,” Pathan said. “We could always go in and talk to him if we needed to. Sometimes if he saw we were having a tough day, he would come up to us and ask us

how we were doing. He was always checking in on everyone.”

During one performance, Pathan had forgotten her recording device right before and had to rush to get it- long dress and instrument in hand. When she ran into Mr. Mason, he had an unexpected response.

“He s a i d ‘Ashna this is w h y i t ’ s good t o come early, I’m proud of you for doing this,“ Pathan said.

“I thought that was a really nice moment, because a lot of people would’ve gotten mad, but he knew that I planned ahead for something like this.

Even though that memory may seem like one of the more insignificant ones I had with him, it was my favorite because I got to see who he really was.”

From the years he spent working alongside Mason, CHS associate percussion director Zach Scheer saw a drive that he carried from the stage to the football field.

“He is probably the most uncompromising person I have ever known,” Scheer said. “He would absolutely not take no for an answer, and I think that’s a unique trait. His students knew that about him, so they would not take no from themselves. He wouldn’t accept that, so that wasn’t an option, and that was one of the reasons the band achieved so much, because of his determination to pursue a goal no matter what.”

Scheer’s wife, Gina Scheer, who had Mason as a band director when she was in high school, knew him as caring and helpful, traits he never lost over the years.

“He cared very deeply about the people that worked with him

and for his students,” Scheer said.

“He was very happy for me and for my family when we had our children and … he never hesitated to listen and to help with anything that I needed. I saw him do that for others as well.“ One of Mason’s oldest colleagues at the high school, associate band director Brand o n Slovak, has seen firsthand the way the program has transformed under his leadership.

“This program was not much of a program before he got here,” Slovak said. “There were no private instructors, he turned this program into, I used to joke, the ‘Coppell Conservatory of Music’” As students have grown from freshman to seniors in the band program, Slovak has seen the way Mason’s leadership has changed them not only in the program, but in life.

“It’s not so much about the marching band as it is making individual musicians,” Slovak said.

“And so many of the kids who’ve gone through the program over the years, [even those] who are not necessarily professional musicians… that continued dedication has made them who they are.”

There was a memorial service on Sept 28, where students, family, and friends came together to remember Mr. Mason.

“In the band hall, he always had several sayings up, one of them was ‘never let good be the enemy of great,’” Jasso said. “I’m remembering that quite a bit today.”

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THE SIDEKICK october 2016

written by Elena Gillis Staff Writer @elenamg24 written by Elena Gillis Staff Writer @elenamg24 All Coppell High School students have been there before.

You open your iPad or laptop to the day’s assignment and are met with the all too familiar red banded screen of a blocked website or video.

The Wi-Fi restrictions appear when a device is connected to a school network, and may carry on at home, in the case of school YouTube accounts. They block websites, videos and other material from student eyes during the school day.

The decision to restrict certain YouTube videos or block website URLs is not implemented only

by CISD, but is often imposed by federal law. The Federal Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA), enacted in 2000, has since then been upheld in different ways in each state.

According to the Federal Communications Commission, schools and libraries under CIPA must adopt an Internet safety policy that addresses access by minors to inappropriate matter on the Internet, safety with electronic mail and chat rooms, unauthorized access or “hacking”, unauthorized use of personal information and restricted access to material harmful to them.

However, according to the digital use and safety manual that can be found on the Coppell ISD website, the district Internet filter currently blocks sites under the following categories: child abuse content, proxy/filter avoidance, gambling, hacking and pornography.

There is also a blacklist of URLs specifically singled out by the district including popular social media sites such as Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat. Beyond that, district parents play a large role in the decision of what to block and what not to.

“The parents make their rec-

ommendations, then we take that to the appropriate staff, then we take that to the Board and get their feedback as well before we proceed,” CISD Chief Technology Officer Dr. Sam Farsaii said.

Once the categories are approved, it is no longer up to the district. Instead, they take it to a third-party filtering system company, who then weed out the inappropriate content based on the list provided by the district.

According to the district, the restrictions serve a purpose. They aim to shield students from inappropriate content to immerse them in learning during the school day. But when restricted categories keep being piled on, some students feel as if more sites are blocked than not.

“Textbooks are great, but they are already outdated by the time they’re finished printing,” CHS Principal Jasso said. “So, in the way we do education here in Coppell and at Coppell High School [the restrictions] have a negative effect because it slows things

down. It restricts access.”

These general blocks can cause bans that can make it difficult to access classroom content. For example, a general block on religious and personal beliefs content can ban the URL to a history lesson on the Great Awakening, a general block on Chatrooms/Instant Messaging can ban an environmental forum for science class or a general video block can ban native speaking Spanish videos.

If teachers or students wish to get an issue resolved or want to express a concern, they are able to send in a technology ticket to the school. However, CHS AP Human Geography teacher Andrew Patterson finds difficulties with this system.

“There’s been some [YouTube] clips that I’ve wanted to show that I couldn’t get access to,” Patterson said. “Supposedly I’m supposed to get access to it through my teacher account, but it’s still been blocked.

That’s frustrating because there’s so many other things that are going on and I don’t really have time

to send a help ticket for every little thing that I want to see.”

It is clear to Patterson why these restrictions are in place, but that doesn’t make his job any easier.

“I totally understand and support coming up with some program that prohibits sites and materials that are inappropriate,” Patterson said. “But at the same time, it’s really hindered my ability to just go with the flow. Videos that I’ve used in the past, even this year, will be blocked.”

Jasso has also noticed the disconnect that blocking has caused between students and the material they need to access for classes.

“It would seem like we might want to revisit the number of restrictions we put on videos overall,” Jasso said. “We could probably stand to look at the social media component as well. At high school specifically, lots of our teachers use Twitter as a communication tool. And so sometimes that [block] can be problematic.”

The category students encoun-

ter and have issues with most is religious and personal beliefs, as any classes research subjects that fall under this category.

“I think that’s one of the freedoms that we’re supposed to have as a United States citizen, freedom of religion, and for that to be limited, I think that that is limiting that perwspective in education.”

Patterson said. “Specifically for APHUG, we talk about religion and itw is an important piece of the education to look at opinions and backgrounds of religion. If we’re limited with that, then that’s probably a conversation we need to have about gaining access to that again.”

According to a list provided

by CISD detailing who the religious and personal belief category, those blocks should only be affecting the elementary school level, but as students and teachers at CHS have found, that is not the case. When asked about the subject, Farsaii denied knowledge about high school level religious restrictions.

graphic by

Austin Banzon

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THE SIDEKICK

october 2016

POLICEMEN ARE PEOPLE TOO, , NOT JUST HEADLINES

written by Emma Cummins Executive Editorial Page Editor @emma_cummins_ It is easy to form an opinion about cops by reading the news.

In fact, it is even easier to decide whether or not racist cops plague cities by skimming the daily headlines of major news sites.

It is, however, harder to form an accurate opinion by just looking at what social media flashes in front of you. The relationship

between cops and the neighborhoods they protect is often not a subject even broached in conversations involving the police.

Understanding both sides of the issue is imperative. People like you and me have no idea what it takes to put on that uniform and badge and enforce the law. We have no idea of the pressure or the fear that may be on an officer’s mind when he is making a split-second decision.

All we can do is search for the truth about each and every situation. One bad cop does not conflate to a racist, nationwide police force or a racist system.

As citizens, we have a deep debt to our police officers. It is easy to say all policeman are rac-

ist but if someone is breaking into your house at 2 a.m., who is the first person you are going to call?

Cultivating a relationship with our local policeman and establishing mutual respect and trust is vital to having a safe neighborhood. For the most part, policeman just want to keep people safe and get home every night safe and sound.

After the shooting in Dallas, the nation was forced to face an unfortunate reality. What if all this generalizing was actually doing some harm? Let us not forget that for all their protestations about cop brutality, people like Hillary Clinton and Beyonce are all kept safe by policemen at a rally or a concert.

Hosted by the Coppell Police Department on Aug. 7, Coffee with Cops, which became a national trend a few years ago, was an ingenious idea. Hosting a casual place for cops to get to know their citizens to discuss anything, from issues to everyday topics, the police department has offered one of the best solutions to the heightening racial tensions.

Cops were friendly and easily approachable at the McDonald’s.

I was surprised by the selflessness of the police officers as they thanked people for coming. It was quite strange to see the cops thanking us and not the other way around.

The best solution for racial dis-

agreements is to understand that we all share a common thread of humanity. Generalizing all cops as racist and trigger happy based on the actions of a few helps no one.

Whether you are black, white, a cop or a citizen, there should always be a common respect for each other. Once that is understood, relationships can be rebuilt and communities can be safer.

Scan to listen to Sidekick Opinions Podcast

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THE SIDEKICK october 2016

photo by Amanda

Hair

Hardships of being a journalisthadand citizen during the Dallas police shooting about a tragedy-- we feel it too. happened. I told myself that erything they posted was going brought me to tears. It is easy to

written by Sakshi Venkatraman Executive News Editor @OmPaPa1 When tragedy strikes close to home, everyone feels it.

The murder of the five Dallas police officers this summer was no exception.

The events of July 7 sent shockwaves through the community. The public was scared and confused; law enforcement and government officials were scrambling to pick up the pieces; politicians were quick to capitalize on the talking points.

In times of chaos, the expectations society puts on local media is enormous. We are the civilians that have to run towards the fire instead of away from it. And when something as big as this happens, it is imperative that we do our jobs correctly.

The combination of being a citizen and a journalist of Dallas this summer was harder than I could have ever imagined.

One thing the public should keep in mind when scrolling through a journalist’s Twitter feed or reading their articles

It was 7 p.m. when I left The Dallas Morning News building in downtown. At 9:30 p.m., a shooter, armed with a semi-automatic rifle and a handgun, fired his first shots on Main Street.

El Centro College, where Micah Xavier Johnson painted the walls with blood, was a mere six blocks from the office where I spent my summer interning.

Some of my fellow interns, my peers, were in the field covering what was originally supposed to be a peaceful protest, and I was at home, done for the week on a Thursday night.

It had been a pretty light day on the local news desk.

I was scrolling through Twitter when something caught my eye-a tweet from one of my fellow interns Caleb Downs.

“Reports of shooting in downtown after the rally honoring Alton Sterling and Philando Castile,” it read.

It didn’t really hit me at first that anything terrible

it was just another protest gone awry. Protests turn violent all the time-- punches are thrown, sometimes people bring firearms.

But this was Dallas, my home.

Nothing could ever happen here.

As the denial began to wear off, I could not stop scrolling. As a resident of the Dallas area, I was shocked and scared, but as a journalist, I was ready to get back in my car and go back to work.

However, not shortly after the Internet began exploding, the DMN staff received an email from a breaking news editor telling us not to come back to the office.

Later, there came more emails warning those still in the building to close the blinds and stay away from the windows because the shooter was still active.

Caleb Downs kept tweeting.

Photography intern Ting Shen w a s taking phot o s .

Mostly ev-

viral.

It was selfish of me, but I felt useless. I texted my editor, who was still at the office, to let me know if there was anything I could do. From Coppell, obviously, there was little.

I didn’t sleep that night. I was too busy tweeting and retweeting reporters who knew more than I did.

Seeing #PrayForDallas trending on Tw i t t e r

hashtag a foreign tragedy. It is different when it is your city.

The next morning, I received an assignment from my editor: I was to collaborate with almost a dozen other writers on a story about religious groups reacting to the tragedy.

In the days and weeks following the shooting, I experienced something amazing at my place of work. The camaraderie of journalists experiencing sorrow and reporting on it at the same time struck a chord with me that solidified my aspirations as a writer.

We got care packages of junk food from The Orlando Sentinel, accompanied by cards with the message: “We know what you’re going through, stay strong.”

The Washington Post delivered kolaches to our newsroom and The New York Times sent us Starbucks gift cards.

My personal favorites were the therapy dogs that were invited to comfort the staff as we reported heartbreaking stories.

We recieved “Dallas Strong” T-shirts and hats that brought me closer to my colleagues and my city.

For me, something beautiful came from something horrible. But for many people, tragedy does not yield a life lesson or an ultimate happiness.

As journalists, it is our job to tell their stories. After this summer, I know I am ready to commit my life to doing just that. graphic by Elena Gillis

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THE SIDEKICK october 2016

Cultivating

a better relationship

Coppell Farmers Market broadens Cummins’ perspective

written by Emma Cummins Executive Editorial Page Editor @emma_cummins_ Many times, people find themselves discovering parts of their city they never knew existed. For me, I always assumed I had experienced everything there was to experience in Coppell.

My trip to the Coppell Farmer’s Market last Saturday morning changed that assumption.

As part of an unofficial International Baccalaureate Economics class field trip, a few students and

DATES

FACTS

October 15 8 a.m. - 12 p.m.

- Food Day for Kids

Established in 2003

October 22 6 p.m. - Farm to Table Dinner

myself met Economics teacher Jared Stansel early in the morning to experience economics outside of the classroom.

At the Farmer’s Market, I saw a different side of the Coppell community. The atmosphere of the market was relaxed; a group of banjo and guitar players strummed their country songs, kids played in the fountains, and customers actually talked to the producers.

There are a lot of ways to experience one’s community. By sitting through a city council meeting, waving hello to a neighbor on the street, or just paying taxes, you are contributing in some way to the community.

The fact that such a direct and local experience happens so often, and so close to my house, is a little

surprising to me.

In Coppell, we have a unique situation. You can drive five minutes to the farmer’s market, or to the local Walmart. Growing up in a community where the commercial consumerism of life was readily available while old traditions like Local Diner and J.Macklin’s Grill are still favorites has its perks.

This kind of town has given teenagers in Coppell a great way to experience both - and grow from both.

While I have a love for places like the farmer’s market, where the direct human interaction is rewarding, I also understand the convenience of Kroger two minutes from my house.

Having local traditions or spots is something that many kids do not get to experience. Walmart, Target and other chain stores are all a child may

know. I have spent my entire teenage life living in Coppell; it did not occur to me how lucky I was to have places where you can get to know who you are buying from.

Coppell has maintained its traditions while at the same time progressing. Understanding that human connection and a vibrant community are parts of a great life, we can all see how Coppell is a place for those things to grow. But, we still understand that economic efficiency is important too; you can find a Chipotle right next to Mooyah.

So, the next time you choose where to eat or buy groceries, diversify your options; these seemingly insignificant decisions have an impact on you and your community.

Market has over 35 vendors

Produce vendors at the market October 29 must be located 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. Avenue of Artisans within a 150 & Halloween Photo mile radius of Coppell Booth for Pets

Coppell citizens buy and sell local products at the Coppell Farmers Market.

The market is held every Saturday from 8 a.m. until noon in Old Town Coppell by Twisted Root. Photo by Kelly Monaghan.

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THE SIDEKICK october 2016

EDITORIAL

Relearning lessons in our generation Evaluating how we learn without the personal connection to change

Each generation has its tragedies, its triumphs and its lessons.

As millennials, we have our own set of issues that we have to tackle. Self-gratification, political correctness, technology addiction and the list goes on.

But, as we examine this issues we have to ask ourselves: Are there some lessons that each generation has to relearn?

Most of us high school students were either young children or unborn when 9/11 happened. This event shocked the nation and forever changed the way we saw the world. Now, airport security is high and at any large event in our nation there are rows of security guard-

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP

ing the event. As teenagers, we have grown up with this; we find nothing strange about it. Without really experiencing 9/11, we are somewhat detached, and maybe a bit complacent.

Another obvious example is the Soviet Union from the 1920s to the 1980s. Teenagers and young adults were either unborn or too young to remember the horrors of the socialist Soviet Union. This may account for the sudden surge in a Bernie Sanders type politician. If we did not see how people

Staff cartoonist

Adviser

Thomas Rousseau

Editor-in-Chief

BUSINESS LEADERSHIP

Meara Isenberg

Communications Manager

Chase Wofford Executive Sports Editor

Marcus Krum

Executive News Editor

Sakshi Venkatraman Executive Opinions Editor

Emma Cummins

Executive Enterprise Editor

Joseph Krum

EDITORIAL LEADERSHIP Student Life Editor

Lili Lomas Entertainment Editor

Kathryn Rudd General Photography Editor

Kelly Monaghan Sports Photography Editor

Amanda Hair

Aubrie Sisk Business Manager

Chelsea Banks Co-Social Media Manager

Lina Pyon Co-Social Media Manager

Meha Srivastav

STAFF WRITERS Farah Merchant Gracie Blackwell Elena Gillis Jesse Jun Tanya Raghu Grant Spicer Jasmine Sun

suffered under the lofty ambitions of Lenin or Stalin, Socialism, and a politician like Sanders may still look appealing.

Because we did not see it happen with our own eyes, we tend to ignore history, and to some extent, reality.

Teenagers, in every generation, tend to want something to fight for; does this mean that lessons about the flaws of a political system, ideology or lifestyle

Reid Valentine Briana Thomas Rutuja Joshi Fiona Koshy Akila Muthukumar Tara Kamalpour-Ansari Christie Nah Reid Valentine Ameilia Vanyo Riley Galloway Saira Haque Sruthi Boppuri

PHOTOGRAPHERS Ale Ceniceros Megan Winkle Hannah Tucker Sofia Guerrero Kelly Wei Bren Flechtner

have to be retaught?

If so, then history class would seem like the best place for this.

But, most students go into their history class dreading the dry material and wondering why learning about something that happened 100 years ago is relevant to them. Not only should students be taught history, they should be taught why we learn history.

History is extremely personal; if we were taught to look through someone else’s eyes during an event, rather than in a detached manner, history becomes that much more useful.

Our generation not only has an understanding of society built upon the progress of centu-

7

Chloe Navarro Kathryn Wiener

DESIGNERS

Austin Banzon Wren Lee

ries past, but it is also defined by a strong bond to technology. This resource has helped us as students to learn more about ourselves in order to solve a list of problems.

However, this technological advent has also brought on some social challenges as well. As our world gets smaller, our opinions get bigger and so there is less space to breathe as individual politics and cultural identities begin to brush shoulders with each other. This creates tension in different situations that we as students cannot just google the solutions.

Looking back is just as important as looking forward.

It is easy to flaunt tradition as a way to “fit in with the crowd” but most of our lives revolve around traditions. These underlying principles have gotten us to this point in our lives. A point where we can question the past and hope for a brighter future.

History is extremely useful to our lives. Bottom line, there are some lessons that have to be retaught to people our age. We all know that every teenager has to break a couple of rules to see why they exist. But for the vastly more important issues, an understanding of what has happened before us must be given to each young person.

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, Columbia Scholastic Press Association and Interscholastic League Press Conference.

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

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 the letter to be considered for publication.

Contact The Sidekick: 214-496-6239 cwofford@coppellisd.com 185 W. Parkway Coppell, TX 75019

10

THE SIDEKICK october 2016

Breaking Stereotypes

Shen becomes first male member to join Coppell color guard written by Jessica Jun Staff Writer @Jesse_Jun16 Heart pounding against his chest, Dennis Shen smiled big as the performance came to an end and the crowd erupted into applause across the stadium stands. He had done it. According to color guard director Matthew Rummel, New Tech High School senior Dennis Shen has become the first male member to join in and perform as a Coppell color guard.

After being a band member for the last six years, Shen looked to start something new that would allow him to not only stay in band, but also enjoy performing out on the field.

“Originally I was going to audition for drumline but I turned that down,” Shen said. “I had a lot of fun trying out for color guard and it really gives me a chance to do something on the field that I truly enjoy.”

Since he joined, Shen has had a positive impact on color guard as a whole.

“It’s not different as far as what we do, but he makes it more fun,” Coppell High School senior color guard captain Christina Davidson said. “Everybody loves Dennis. He always wants to learn and it makes everybody so much more happy and excited.”

Not only has Shen influenced his team, but he has also created a pathway between males, band members and color guard.

“Dennis has had a huge impact on the culture of the whole band,” Rummel said.

“As soon as he joined, there were suddenly a lot of boys interested in figuring out how to toss equipment and there’s usually a group of 15 or 20 of them that stand outside of my office and spin while waiting for their parents to pick them up.”

Many around the school have taken a notice in this change. Despite some opposition to this break in stereotype, Shen has remained optimistic.

“It’s been interesting,” Shen said. “The guard people obviously support me a lot, but outside of guard, a lot of people think it’s really weird because I’m the first guy, but it’s really fun. It’s worth it.”

After taking notice in the change Shen had started, CHS senior color guard cap-

tain Lara Collins was proud of his attitude inside and outside of practice.

“He’s trying really hard,” Collins said.

“Many people say color guard is a girl sport and men shouldn’t be allowed in it, but Dennis is staying strong and he’s doing well. Him joining us helps everyone see that it’s more than just a female sport.”

The color guard looks forward to working with Dennis and exploring new dance combinations.

“He just opened up a world of opportunities for us to be able to do a lot of different concepts now that we have both male and female characters to portray,” Rummel said. “We have winterguard auditions Nov. 15 and 17 and there are already several boys who have expressed interest.”

As the year moves forward, Shen hopes to inspire more students and advises them to chase after their dreams no matter what.

“I hope students can learn not to worry about what other people might say or think about [them],” Shen said. “Just do it.

If it doesn’t work out or people tease you, it’s OK. Just be yourself and do whatever you find that you enjoy.”

photo by Amanda Hair New Tech High @ Coppell senior and color guard member Dennis Shen performs in the halftime show during Friday night’s football game against McKinney Boyd at Ron Poe Stadium. Shen was involved in band for 6 years before joining color guard for the 2016-2017 school year.

Inking out a Business

Evans carves a name for herself with pen making hobby written by Gracie Blackwell Staff Writer @GracieBWell

photo courtesy Emily Evans Coppell High School junior Emily Evans works on creating one of her many homemade wooden pens. Evans has been making unique pens since her 16th birthday after receiving a lathe, which is a device that is used to shape wood while being rotated on an axis.

Drilling holes, carving wood and handling brass are just some of the things that you would find Coppell High School junior Emily Evans doing in her free time, in order to make her own handcrafted wooden pens.

In July, Evans was gifted a lathe from her parents for her 16th birthday. A lathe is a device that is used to shape wood (or metal) from tools that spins on a rotating axis.

She primarily wanted a lathe was because of MythBusters host Adam Savage and his YouTube channel, Tested. The channel highlights Savage and his partners making various gadgets out of a lathe in a woodshop.

Although her parents gifted the lathe to her, they still had some concerns.

“Safety was my first concern. I was reluctant at first, but have always encouraged Emily to approach new endeavors with courage and enthusiasm,” mother Brenda Evans said. “I decided to take my own advice and not let my fear stand in the way of Emily’s creativity.”

The process of making a pen can be tedious. First, Evans obtains blanks of different types of wood, about the size of a pen. Then she drills a hole in the middle of each one and glues a brass tube so the pen kit can fit in there later on. The only part of the pen she does not make is the pen set, which are the metal and ink parts of the pen.

“I see her passion in how proud she is to tell people about how she made the pens,” friend Jade Njo said. “Each pen is so beautifully crafted that I can tell she put a lot of time and effort into making them.”

The time it takes for Evans to completely finish a pen can range from 20 minutes to an hour, depending on if she is experimenting on the type of pen or if she has already made the same type previously before.

Google is her main source for how to make the pens. Art I would be the closest form of class that she took related to pen-making, but that did not touch the surface of pen-making, so it was completely self-taught for her.

“This hobby has given her an appreciation for the potential to be found in even the most humble scraps of wood,” Mrs.

Evans said. “I believe that making pens is helping her to appreciate the true potential to be found in nature and in herself. I am very proud of her.”

Evans would love to see her pen-making sprout into a future business, but at this moment she does not see it as her main career. “[She] has always had a creative streak and this interest has given her a very satisfying way to demonstrate her talents,” father Mr. Evans said. “It’s one more thing that brings confidence and happiness which we all want. Who would have thought a pen could do so much.”

Along with making them, she also sells them to her friends and family.

“The reason why I sell them is because I want to make more, this is something that I really like doing and I want to improve on,” Evans said.

She hopes to make a website soon so people can purchase them online. As of now, she simply asks people and carries her pens around everywhere she goes. The prices of her pens range from $10 to $15.

If you are interested in buying a pen, contact her at eepensusa@gmail.com.

11

THE SIDEKICK

SHINE

All-female solar car team empowering students to succeed

suing an interest in the sciences. “[Girls] look at power tools and they see things they can’t lift and things they don’t know how to use, because they’ve spent

written by Kelly Wei Staff Writer @kellylinwei

Three years ago, there were only three girls in a fresh- men Intro to STEM class of 30.

When asked to reason the statistical difference between the number of men and women in the Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) field, Coppell High School junior Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Club co-president Lauren Mallette delivered the plain and

simple truth: “It goes all the way back to the way people are raised.”

Mallette is referring to the classic American family, whose character- istics and structure have been apart of the American identity for as long as the nation has lived. In today’s age, although there is an increasing number of women entering the STEM field, some of the implications on gender roles still linger. Studies show that women only occupy 29 percent of science and engineering workforces.

These expectations often discourage young girls from pur-

‘‘

The STEM program is filled with a lot of people that are just open and supportive [and] not judgemental and it’s really an environment where you can make mistakes and learn because that’s what the engineering process is all about. It’s an environment where people don’t really judge you for your mistakes.

Coppell High School juniors MacKenzie Becker and Lauren Mallette are the first female Co-Presidents of the CHS solar car team. The team will have a seperate car to compete with in the Solar Car Challenge.

Photo by Ale Ceniceros.

Lauren Mallette, junior

‘‘

STEMGIRLS

their lives with their mom looking at cute clothes instead of in the garage helping their dad with home improvement,” Mallette said.

This year, the CHS STEM department is taking an enormous step to help change this.

Alongside its general Solar Car Team, 20162017 marks the first year in which a separate and exclusively all-girls team will also compete in the annual Solar Car Challenge race. It will be the only functioning and involved girls-only solar team in the nation.

CHS STEM coordinator Mike Yakubovsky has been an adamant advocate for higher female participation in the department for years. This year, Yakubovsky finally made the decision to establish a second team that would not only boost overall activity, but also provide a specialized environment designed to cater to-

wards the program minority.

“High school boys tend to take over,” Yakubovsky said. “That’s just their nature, they’re going to be pushy. Giving [girls] their own [solar] car lets them take the initiative. It takes some of that outside pressure off so they can gain the confidence they need and see they can be successful.”

The girls’ Solar Car Team is something the department has been wanting to launch for a long time, but struggled to create due to a stagnant level of female involvement. Now, however, the department is seeing significantly higher numbers of girls in terms of both enrollment and participation. “[The girls’ team is] going to do really well,” Yakubovsky said.

“Between teaching each other, coming in after school, spending

really differ‘‘ It’s ent, but it’s one of those things where if you stick it out and learn how to adapt in that environment, it makes you feel stronger as a person.

MacKenzie Becker, junior

‘‘

october 2016

their time, balancing their classes, balancing work--they are doing awesome.”

Current plans for the girls’ solar car detail a highly efficient vehicle capable of reaching a highway speed of sixty miles per hour.

Many members of the team have expressed great excitement and confidence. As the minority group in their department, an incredible bond and network of support has formed between the girls, which is only further fostered through collaborating in the workshop.

These girls come from different places in life and have different stories to tell. Some have been STEM enthusiasts all their lives, others only recently uncovering their passion.

CHS junior MacKenzie Becker is both the president of the general Solar Car Team and co-president of SWE Club, but her love for engineering and science is still relatively new. Prior to entering high school, Becker was an avid choir and theatre student.

“I was just so captivated, walking into [the Solar Car workshop],” Becker said. “Something clicked in there. When I got home that day I told my mom ‘I want to join STEM’ and she looked at me like I was crazy.”

Mallette advises girls who are interested in STEM but feel intimidated by the gender imbalance and general stereotypes of masculinity to set aside their anxieties and pursue what they want.

“You should not be scared, because going into it, you have a great opportunity,” Mallette said.

“You don’t want to let something like being the minority prevent you from taking advantage of that.”

12

13

ROLLING THE DICE

ATHLETES ON THE

MOVE

THE RISK OF ILLEGALLY ATTENDING SCHOOL AT CISD written by Sakshi Venkatraman Executive News Editor @OomPapa1 For many residents of the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Coppell ISD is a destination school district.

“People want to be a part of the great things that happen here,” CISD director of student services Shane Conklin said. “We are one of the best in Texas.”

With the growing population of Cypress Waters and once tiny Coppell, recent years have yielded significant population increases at all of the district’s main campuses.

Overcrowding across CISD has worsened and, with it, concerns of parents and administrators about overpopulated, overly competitive schools.

As district population-control plans are underway, administrators are being forced to consider the number of students that attend district schools while living outside of CISD boundaries.

The phenomenon of families circumventing borders to attend school here is one that Coppell ISD has known for years.

Coppell High School PTO President Lisa Johnson has lived in Coppell for over 20 years. She has two children in CISD schools: a daughter, a junior at CHS, and a son, a seventh grader at Coppell Middle School North.

Johnson said from the time her daughter was in elementary school at Denton Creek Elementary, she has encountered families with non-CISD addresses.

“I was in charge of the membership drive at Denton Creek back in 2005,” Johnson said. “At the time, people had to

handwrite their mailing addresses on our sheets of paper and I would see addresses from Carrollton and Lewisville, definitely not within our boundaries.”

Johnson took action and reported the problem to former principal Bryan McClain. Since, she feels that the district has moved in a positive direction in taking care of the issue.

“I understand where those parents are coming from,” Johnson said. “I would want my child to go to the best schools too. But as a resident who pays high property taxes, I feel like we need to stick to policies.”

While concerns over these issues are mounting, CISD is taking measures to correct the problem. One of these is the recent hire of the district’s first Truancy and Residency Officer, who preferred not to be named.

“I think this position was created because we have a problem,” she said. “Parents and taxpayers want to make sure students reside [inside district boundaries].”

The officer’s background in law enforcement comes in handy when investigating cases of student residency.

While a residency investigation can meet many ends, it all begins with a tip-an accusation that a CISD student does not live within district boundaries (Coppell, as well as small parts of Irving and Dallas).

“Tips can come from a range of different sources,” she said. “Other students, parents, administrators, bus drivers and Coppell citizens, taxpayers.”

She also receives tips from local apartment management about tenants that never moved in or leases that were taken out in August of one year and ended in July of the next.

Once the tip comes in, the investigation process begins. CISD will attempt to prove the family resides within district boundaries by collecting current bills and going through old records to establish residency.

In rare cases, the investigation will escalate to home visits.

“Most people understand where we’re coming from once the investigation starts, though,” the officer said. “They either put their child in the school that corresponds to where they live or they move into CISD boundaries.”

Students found to live out-ofbounds will be taken out of the district system and asked to leave.

Last semester, this was the case for nine CISD students. This semester, CISD’s truancy officer has 20 preliminary cases and eight active cases under investigation.

“It’s unfortunate because my role is to create an environment where everyone feels welcome and a valued part of the school,” CHS principal Mike Jasso said. “It compromises that relationship when we tell them to leave. But there’s a reason we have the policies we do.”

Scan to read the full story on the Coppell Student Media website

TRANSFERRING FOR ATHLETICS BIG PROBLEM FOR UIL, DISTRICTS written by Joseph Krum Executive Enterprise Editor @joseph_krum In college athletics, primarily in football and basketball, many high-profile athletes transfer to other schools for better opportunities.

But in high school? That would be illegal.

Under the University Interscholastic League Constitution and Contest Rules, Subchapter M Section 443, high school athletes cannot move solely for athletic purposes. It is that simple. Yet still, athletes and their parents are still finding a way around these rules.

In one high profile local case, the parents and kids did not get lucky enough to get away with it. In 2010, Southlake Carroll quarterback Daxx Garman, a transfer from Jones, Okla., was ruled ineligible to play his senior season with the Dragons as it was determined that they moved to Southlake solely for athletic purposes.

WFAA investigative reporter Brett Shipp, who broke the story on Garman in 2010, said that the only reason he knew that something was fishy with Garman’s transfer was because of a tip he had gotten from some Southlake parents. Yet it still took some digging for Shipp and his team to find the gold nuggets that helped them prove the Garman’s move illegal.

“We were looking into Daxx’s Oklahoma records and ended up finding out that his dad owned this

construction company up in Oklahoma,” Shipp said. “So we started to dig around in his company and found out that his dad had just built a brand new construction company in Edmond, Okla., something he could not have done if he lived in Southlake.”

Even though this story gained local and national fame, especially when a video surfaced of Shipp chasing down Garman’s father in Oklahoma and getting a bag of ice thrown at his head, transfers like these still happen to this day. Throughout the past few years, championships have been taken away, wins have been forfeited and careers have been derailed.

According to the Dallas Morning News, the UIL deals with 10,000 transfers per year. These kids, however, who move illegally for athletics, could move for a multitude of different reasons.

“The first and biggest [reason kids transfer illegally] is playing time,” Coppell football coach Mike DeWitt said.

“The athlete might feel like he isn’t playing enough and has a better opportunity to play somewhere else so he’ll move schools.

Another reason could be because of position, where the kid wants to play a different position than he’s playing so he’ll move somewhere for that. And finally, these kids could move because they want to be a part of a team that can win a state championship, so they’ll move to an elite school.”

But for whatever reason they move, it has made an impact on the UIL and on high school sports, one that has brought on even official change.

“On the PAPF [Previous Athletic Participation] form, one of the questions asks if any of the kids at the new school played

any select or AAU basketball, which could be a reason why the kid moved,” Coppell basketball coach Kit Pehl said.

“It’s not only changed the game in an obvious way, but it’s literally officially changed things.”

Along with the change of forms and documents, the UIL has done its best to crack down on kids transferring for athletic purposes, deeming the punishment in Section 443 that a student must sit out at least one full calendar year if they are found guilty of committing this penalty.

Even though the risks are so high, with even an athletic career at jeopardy, the reward deems greater in most cases, especially with the lack of control the UIL has over these situations.

“The inherent flaw in the system is that each district has to self-police,” Shipp said. “It’s up to the districts and the District Executive Committees (DEC) to regulate the residency problems, while the UIL only acts as an appeal panel.”

Many DECs include coaches within the district, who could have a vested interest in having the best team at all costs.

“If the UIL can keep the coaches off of the DEC, that would be the first step in having better control over these transfers,” Shipp said. “With that being done, I think that would have less cheating and more integrity in the system.”

Scan to read the full story on the Coppell Student Media website

14

THE SIDEKICK october 2016

Strokes of passion

Hall pursues passion by selling artwork, T-shirt designs to Coppell community written by Farah Merchant Staff Writer @farahmerchant_

photo by Farah

Merchant

Coppell High School junior Izzy Hall spends her free afternoons working on her artwork which she hopes to sell after it is completed. Hall has started her own business freshman year when people began to demand her work.

Revival starts

Strokes of brushes fluttered across canvases, leaving a permanent mark of blue, red, green or purple. The entire canvas splashed with color as Coppell High School junior Izzy Halls painted a painting for a fellow client.

Hall’s passion for art made her an entrepreneur as she began selling her artwork to parents, students, and friends. Her business began a couple years ago, and has since grown.

“It was going into freshman year, about two years ago, or sophomore year,” Hall said. “I started to get a lot of requests to do paintings of other people’s dogs. Originally I didn’t sell them, I just like do it you know. They would come up and be like ‘oh can you paint my dog?’”

People started demanding her

revolving

written by Tara Ansari Staff Writer @_taraansari Dennis Onalaja is a businessman. The Coppell High School junior has turned his skill into a $1,000 business he likes to call “Revival”.

It all started at the end of last year when Onalaja saw his friend’s shattered iPhone.

Nataly Angulo, also a Coppell High school junior, was struggling to afford a repair to her iPhone right before Onalaja had offered to fix it.

It all started as a joke.

“I was desperate, and Dennis had told me during lunch that he was good at fixing phones” Angulo said. “I thought he was kidding, I trusted him out of desperation and he came to school the next day with my phone looking completely brand new, I paid him the discounted price he gave me, and later on that week I heard that my friend and lots of other students were getting their phones fixed by him.”

Onalaja’s skill turned into stardom as tens of people would ask him to fix their phones weekly.

“The point of the business is mainly to repair phones at an affordable price for everyone,” said Onalaja, who will sponsor his new club “Revival” that is expected to start in October.

“I am trying to expand our business by giving to the community, and those who are less fortunate,” Onalaja said.

The point of the club is to collect old or broken iPhones people do not use, repair them and start giving them out to the less fortunate, or people who can’t afford the brand new iPhones in stock at the Apple stores.

Right when the business became more popular, Onalaja took following steps into buying his own repair kit, and used iPhone parts from family members, friends and also teachers.

Coppell High school senior Dakota Baker chose to help Onalaja with his business by not only becoming his business partner

artwork more and more. One day, when she went into Cutie Pie Pets, a dog grooming shop, she talked about her dog paintings with an employee there.

“I brought some of my work into Cutie Pie Pets, and [an employee and I] were talking about how I did a lot of dog paintings,” Hall said. “He was like, ‘you should totally start a business and once it gets somewhere I can commission you, and sell your business cards and stuff like that.’

That was kind of what sparked a whole bunch of requests, and it grew from there.”

Thus, Hall’s business took off with people not only demanding her artwork, but also her designs for shirts.

“Last year she was asked to do the design for the Dig For the Cure, the philanthropy program,” her mother, Susan”. Hall said.

“People like them, and she designed the sand volleyball shirts.”

Mrs. Hall explained with ex-

citement the events in which Izzy designed and donated shirts or murals.

“She also donated artwork for the Drama club auction and St. Jude’s research hospital,” Mrs. Hall said. “She also designed the Night of Nepal (a non-profit organization) shirts.”

Mrs. Hall is not the only person amazed by Izzy’s hard work.

CHS Junior Christina Lo, friend of Izzy and someone who supports the volleyball program by buying their shirts, expressed her appreciation for Hall.

“I think that once she sets her mind to something, she’s really hard working and a really genuine person,” Christina Lo said. “She is a very humble person.”

Lo exclaimed that the shirts she designed for volleyball were cute, and she loves Izzy Hall’s work.

Izzy plans on continuing her passion of art throughout high school.

Onalaja’s iPhone business becomes talk of the school

but by offering his own dad’s offer of $1,300 to Onalaja.

Within two weeks, Onalaja managed to prove his business a success and return the money back to the Baker family.

Onalaja has earned the support of his friends with Revival, paying them part of the money he receives for each repair by having them drive him to pick up parts or iPhones since he does not have his own car yet.

“I feel like sometimes I pay my friends more money than they deserve when they help me out but I don’t care, their help means the world to me,” Onalaja said. “My friend Mike Fadz lives in Southlake and always comes in clutch with driving me around and picking up parts for me when I can’t make it.”

“Revival” is expanding day by day, but Onalaja is always thinking ahead since he has already started putting 18 percent of all his sales away for taxes, so he can pay it off whenever the time comes.

You may wonder where is all of Dennis’s profit going?

“I am saving up for college and a new car, that way I can pick up the parts myself,” Onalaja said.

Onalaja’s parents are more t h a n proud of his achievement.

“Our main focus are his studies, that should always be his first priority, but he’s turned his hobby…” Mrs. Onalaja stated proudly.

To all Coppell High school students, if you want y o u r phone re p ai re d , you know who to go to.

Coppell High School junior Dennis Onalaja fixes a client’s phone during school. Onalaja taught himself how to fix phones and now has a business called Revival. He is also starting a club where he takes old or broken phones, repairs them and gives them to the less fortunate. photo by Ale Ceniceros

15

THE SIDEKICK october 2016

lending a hand

IB students start Kiva organization branch, gain business experience written by Sofia Guerrero Staff Writer @sofia_i_g For former United States Navy member Tracey, getting a loan from Kiva organization is a dream come true. She is starting an eco-friendly cleaning business so women can feel loved while helping the community.

The idea for her business started when she didn’t have enough money for her children, despite her Navy loans. She started cleaning to gain money and decided to start a business.

Students in Jared Stansel’s sixth period International Baccalaureate (IB) Economics Higher Level (HL) class are starting a Kiva organization branch at Coppell High School.

Kiva is a non-profit organization where people in developed countries donate microloans for low-income entrepreneurs and businesses. such as Tracey’s, especially in developing countries. Kiva links the

privileged person in the developed country with somebody in a developing country who is trying to start their own business.

CHS seniors Jia Lou and Sehrish Rupani are two of the students in the IB class that are a part of the Kiva branch.

“A micro loan is a very small loan with very low interest, and it’s not something that requires a whole lot of planning and organization simply just to donate $25 to a website,” Lou said.

Rupani adds that there is so little interest that it can help out the entrepreneur while getting their money back.

“And once you get those $25 back, you can go ahead and choose to withdraw it or you can go ahead and give it to somebody else,” Lou said.

Kiva is a way to help others and good opportunity for CHS students.

Stansel is incorporating Kiva

Visit this site to learn more about the Kiva organization

into his IB class, and he really believes in the organization.

“Kiva is designed so that individuals who are in a very positive and beneficial socioeconomic level, those people can then use their positions to help out other people [who are] less fortunate,” Stansel said.

People do not donate money to people in developing countries so they can have food and water. They help those people to better help themselves in starting businesses and raising their life quality.

“For the students at CHS, it will reinforce a more global perspective that we as human beings are not isolated to just this small geographic region,” Stansel said. “That collective consciousness of being human, that mindset is further reinforced through these type of efforts.”

On Kiva’s website, there are card tabs with photos identify those in need and how much financial sup-

port they are seeking. If people want to donate, they simply press the ‘Donate Here’ button and donate.

As people start donating, the little bar fills until they have reached their goal.

“The reason I wanted to do Kiva is because it was already established here. I want to incorporate it to the class,” Stansel said.

He was inspired by an author, Sheryl WuDunn, who empowers people with her novel. The author writes about people who want to take action and help developing countries.

“It really does open people’s eyes to how privileged we are here and how much better off we are than a lot of other people,” Lou said. “I think this is a really eye-opening experience and I’m excited to see where it takes us.”

According to Rupani, the organization last year was very disorganized to a certain degree, and

Kiva wasn’t very known to people.

This year, the IB students hope to establish Kiva as an important part of CHS. “If through our little organization here we can further promote Kiva and educate other people on Kiva,” Stansel said. “Then more people will hopefully get involved in Kiva. We can help more people help themselves and they can be more productive.”

It not only creates a more productive world for economic development, but it creates a more peaceful world.

“What makes Kiva different from other organizations is the fact that it’s so sustainable,” Rupani said.

“You’re not just giving handouts, you’re empowering somebody to start their own business. And that’s what makes Kiva so unique, that’s why I think Kiva is going to prosper in years to come.”

The Coppell High School KIVA club members gather in D hall with their sponsor, IB Economics teacher Jared Stansel, for their weekly meeting. The group discussed club elections and how they would choose what small businesses to fund. photo by Emma Cummins

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THE SIDEKICK

Brewing up a profit

october 2016

Local tea shop given homey renovation, featured on reality television show written by Lili Lomas Student Life Editor

graphic by Thomas

Rousseau

The seemingly overnight transformation of the Coppell tea shop, Tea2Go, to American Tea and Spice Shop has sparked curiosity among Coppell High School students, leaving them wondering: what happened to this local hang-out spot?

While students were on summer vacation, the shop began interior renovations July 31, which brought a bit of national spotlight to Coppell-being featured on CNBC’s reality television show “The Profit”.

Earlier this year, the Tea2Go franchise had been having financial problems so they applied to be helped by the “The Profit” star and CEO of the company Camping World, Marcus Lemonis, who helps small businesses transform into larg-

er, successful companies.

The show producers began their scout for Tea2Go shops to be featured on the show in February 2016 and when they came to the Coppell location, they found that the city’s culture and environment provided a fit for what would become the first American Tea and Spice Shop.

“They really liked the Tea2Go here because of our family, and also our customers, and the energy in the store and the location,” American Tea and Spice Shop’s manager Randy Truesdell said.

Once the location for the first shop of the franchise was decided, the store closed for a month-long interior makeover which brought in whitewashed wood wallpaper, rustic decorations and shelves stocked with cookbooks and tea related items.

Since the store reopened on Aug. 21 as American Tea and Spice shop, Coppell residents have been welcomed into a general store-themed shop, still a common after school studying spot for CHS students.

Because of its proximity to the high school, some of the customers most affected by the change in style are CHS students and teachers who often buy tea in the

The Sidekick Strip

mornings or after school.

CHS sophomore Rachel Kang was a daily Tea2Go customer and now frequently enjoys experimenting with the new flavors that the renovated shop offers.

“There’s a lot of things you can do,” Kang said. “[American Tea and Spice Shop] have new syrups and new kind of flavors.”

Similarly, CHS Algebra II teacher Reagan Richmond was a frequent Tea2Go customer and appreciates the different style and environment between the old and the new business.

“I do like the environment better, I feel like it’s more home-y in the way that they have [the interior] set up,” Richmond said.

This is the first shop of the future franchise, serving as a base for the expansion of the company and continuing to add items and flavors to its menu. Locals and Truesdell take pride in the new shop because, as Truesdell put it, “American tea and spice will always be known as founded in Coppell”.

The episode of “The Profit” featuring the transformation from Tea2Go to American Tea and Spice Shop will air this fall on CNBC.

drawn by Thomas Rousseau Staff Cartoonist @ThomasRousseau0

THE SIDEKICK october 2016

Grooving to a new sound written by Amelia Vanyo Staff Writer @AmeliaVanyo For Coppell Choir, there is no beginning or end of competition season. Students are

New associate director takes his place in Coppell Choir’s crescendo to success in constant preparation mode for their next step in the “Choral State,” a common nickname for Texas because of its reputation for producing competitive choirs. But for new choir director Adam Gilliland, the 2016-17 school year marks a definitive beginning.

At the end of the 2015-16 school year, associate choir director of two years, Cassey Carruth, announced his departure, leaving students wondering who could possibly fill his shoes.

“I wasn’t too worried about Mr. Brown and Mr. Carruth finding someone that would be perfect for the position,” junior Jessica Hernandez said.

“If Brown was able to find someone as wonderful as Carruth, I was positive he’d be able to find someone just as amazing.”

On the first day of school, Gilliland’s bow tie and approachable persona quickly made him a favorite among his students.

Junior choir member Riya Mahesh said her first impression of the new associate choir director was that he, “seemed super excited to work with us.”

Gilliland, who recently graduated from Baylor with a degree in music education, was welcomed into a choir room that was busy from the get go.

“It’s a little bit like chasing a moving car,” Gilliland said.

As Gilliland begins his first teaching job, Coppell Choir is racing towards an event that Texas choral directors dream of their entire career.

Coppell Choir announced at the end

photo by Ale Ceniceros Coppell High School choir associate director Adam Gilliland helps junior Bharathi Caldwell with her sight-reading during Josh Brown’s fifth period A Capella choir class.

This is Gilliland’s first year with Coppell High School’s choir program and they are currently preparing for a big performance (Texas Music Educators Association) that takes place in February.

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of last school year that in February 2017, their varsity mixed choir “A Cappella” will be one of two mixed choirs performing at the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) in San Antonio, a feat the group has dreamed of for years. ”It’s really cool to be able to come in and experience that my first year of teaching and knowing what a big deal this is,” said Gilliland.

Students are all bubbling with excited anticipation for the concert. “I’m really excited to work with clinicians and create a life changing sound for the audience,” junior choir student Tori Kennedy said.

Earning a place in the TMEA program is only a fraction of the work the group will put into the endeavor and within the first week of school, students have already delved into their repertoire for the sought after performance.

The music they will be performing was chosen by head director Josh Brown who said he looked through six to eight thousand pieces over the summer to find music for the program.

“For us, this is as big as winning a state championship in any sport. Only we have to go back and show people we deserve to be winners,” Brown said.

Canine Companions for life

DogFest raises awareness, displays Keller teen’s amazing journey with autism written by Marcus Krum Sports Executive Editor @marcuskrum

For many, dogs are simply pets, just another member of their family. The Canine Corporation for Independence’s annual DogFest, their annual nationwide fundraising event, showed that for many people, dogs can mean so much more.

The event, held on Saturday morning at CCI’s South Central Campus located in Irving, Texas, brought the community live music from the local band Radio Edit, tents set up with representatives from various local corporations and a half mile Walk and Roll. All proceeds raised at the event went to CCI. “Really, it’s all about outreach,” CCI National Events Manager Nancy Murray said.

“Just letting people know who we are, what we do, not only to find people to volunteer as puppy raisers or here on the campus, but of course to support us financially, and also for people looking to receive one of our dogs, just letting people know that we’re here.”

Among the throng of CCI employees, volunteer puppy raisers, service dog owners and other members of the community, 15-year-old Keller High School student Adam O’Day stood out from the rest.

O’Day took the stage in front of the 300plus attendees and helped to tell his story

of him and his service dog, Tyler.

O’Day, who was diagnosed with autism several years ago, was struggling with communication and social skills. On a whim, his family decided to apply for a service dog almost four years ago. After 18 months, Adam brought home Tyler, a black lab.

Since then, his life has completely changed.

“They started becoming best friends, just like you would become best friends with somebody,” Adam’s mother Anna O’Day said. “At the end of that year, I was like ‘their bond is undeniable’. Over time, Adam just grew, and had that confidence and that love that he was secure in.”

Tyler travels with Adam wherever he goes, going with him anywhere from when Adam gets a haircut or just a quick bite to eat. The only exception to this is when Adam heads off to school at Keller High.

However, Tyler’s impact on his life continues even when they are not together.

“It translates to school for sure,” Anna O’Day said. “Tyler’s not with him at school, however, [Adam] is [social] at school, and he’s socially appropriate. He says hi to people and he plays on the football team; he’s well known.”

In recent years, Tyler has allowed Adam to grow in his social abilities immensely.

While much of that is due to the confidence and mental support that Tyler provides, Adam has talked about his story at a variety of different CCI events, luncheons and

other events, giving him an extra level of comfort in public speaking situations that he never could have dreamed of having.

“It’s an interesting benefit,” Anna O’Day said. “When we were looking for a companion for Adam, it’s something that we couldn’t have anticipated. Him being able to speak in front of other people, that’s not a benefit that I necessarily would seek out but that we got and has been a great life skill for him.”

Prior to this event, CCI raised almost $50,000 and more donations poured in as

the day went on. Yet, while the fundraisers help, the reason the event was put on was for much more than the money-- it was for the stories, just like Adam’s.

“The stories are really what make [the DogFest] what it is,” Murray said. “Whether it’s someone with a service dog with a physical disability, or [our hearing graduates], to see the impact that the dogs make to not only the recipient but everyone around them, it’s really neat.”

Keller High School student Adam O’Day embraces his canine companion and best friend Tyler after his speech at the second annual Dogfest DFW 2016 at the Baylor Scott & White Kinkeade Campus on Oct. 1. Canine Companions work with people who have mental or physical disabilities and provide service dogs free of charge. photo by Aubrie Sisk

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THE SIDEKICK october 2016

Fall in love with these pumpkin caramel cheesecake bars written by Sruthi Boppuri Staff Writer @sruthiboppuri Fall has arrived, which means it is finally time to indulge in pumpkin-themed treats.

From pumpkin spice lattes to pumpkin pie, there is definitely something out there for you. If you are looking for an easy recipe to get you into the fall spirit, try making some Pumpkin Caramel Cheesecake Bars topped with streusel!

Pumpkin Caramel Cheesecake Bars Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 50 minutes Ingredients Crust: 1.5 cups of cinnamon graham cracker crumbs 1/4 cup of white sugar 1 tablespoon of brown sugar 6 tablespoons of melted butter Cheesecake: 2 eight-ounce packages of full fat cream cheese 1/2 cup and 1 tablespoon of white sugar 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract 2 large eggs 1/2 cup and 2 tablespoons of canned pumpkin 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon 1 teaspoon of pumpkin spice Streusel/Topping: 1/2 cup of brown sugar 1/2 cup of white flour 1/4 cup of quick cooking oats

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract Salted or plain caramel Directions First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Using parchment paper, line an 8x8 baking pan so that all the edges are covered.

In a bowl, mix the ingredients for the crust. After a thick dough is formed, press it evenly onto the bottom of the pan.

Combine the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla extract in another bowl. Make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature before mixing. Beat with a hand mixer until the mixture is smooth and creamy.

Next, add the eggs one at a time until each of them is combined thoroughly. This will create the cheesecake.

Put 1.5 cups of this mixture into the pan on top of the crust.

With the remaining cheesecake mixture, add the canned pumpkin, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice and continue mixing until everything is completely blended.

Next, pour the pumpkin mixture on top of the previous layer carefully as to not mix them.

To make the streusel topping, combine the brown sugar, white flour, quick cooking oats and cinnamon into a bowl. Add softened butter and vanilla extract. When the mixture is thoroughly combined, spread it evenly over the top layer on the pan.

Bake the bars in the oven for approximately 50 to 55 minutes When the bars are done baking, allow them to cool for an hour and then place them in the fridge for an hour or two.

Finally, top the dessert with caramel (optional), and enjoy!

1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon 1/4 cup of softened butter

photo by Sruthi

Boppuri Pumpkin Caramel Cheescake Bars take only 20 minutes to prep. It features the flavors of cinnamon, pumpkin spice. and caramel.

Starbucks seasonal favorites bring seasonal cheer written by Elena Gillis Staff Writer @elenamg24 Fall has officially arrived.

Despite the unwavering Texas heat, the arrival of autumn has brought tastes of the season, such as nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger.

Starbucks is not one to miss out on the seasonal fun. This September, they celebrated change with the return of fan favorites such as the Pumpkin Spice Latte and the Salted Caramel Mocha Frappuccino, as well as introducing the Chile Mocha.

Pumpkin continues to be represented in Starbucks’ ever-popular bakery items, showcased through their Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffin and the Pumpkin Scone.

Here are some of the featured fall snacks and drinks that have been added to Starbucks’ menu this season.

Salted Caramel Mocha Frappuccino This sweet drink features mocha sauce, toffee nut syrup and is topped off with caramel drizzle and a sprinkle of sea salt. Sea salt in caramel is a very popular combination, as it brings out other flavors within the caramel. This frappuccino is no exception. Not only does the sea salt complement the caramel, it also brings out the mocha part of the fall favorite frappe. Though not all frappuccinos contain coffee, the Salted Caramel Mocha Frappe does. The coffee taste is stronger than most frappuccinos and definitely shines through. You may enjoy this drink as a nice alternative to other caramel flavored drinks such as the caramel macchiato or caramel frappuccino.

Chile Mocha Frappuccino The frappe is highlighted by the flavors of cocoa, cinnamon and vanilla. At first sip, I was overwhelmed by the strong cinnamo-

ny flavor. Do not let the “chile” in the name scare you away from trying it-- the drink is topped with a just enough chili powder so it doesn’t overpower the other flavors of the drink. The coffee taste is not as strong in this drink-- the flavor is much more reminiscent of a hot chocolate. The Chile Mocha Frappuccino is a great way to try something new for those that enjoy the Peppermint Hot Chocolate that arrives come winter. It is perfect for those that are craving a not-so-sweet treat.

Pumpkin Scone This treat is topped with a vanilla icing drizzled with pumpkin spice glaze, proving there can never be too much pumpkin. Although softer than expected, the scone had a much more subtle pumpkin spice flavor than expected. The pastry itself was much more enjoyable than the glaze it was topped with-- the sweetness of the icing tends to overpower the fall flavors within the scone.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffin The underappreciated autumn dessert definitely showcases pumpkin flavors at their full potential. The muffin contains pumpkin not only inside, but is then topped with pumpkin seeds that provide the perfect contrast of textures. The sweetness of the muffin itself is not very strong, as it is not a cupcake. With that being said, the frosting-like cream cheese filling in the center of the muffin provides a perfect bite of sweetness. The saltiness of the pumpkin seeds also highlights the cream cheese filling. The pastry has a very soft texture and is the ideal representation for fall spices.

Though these treats are only seasonal, they are definitely among the top that Starbucks has to offer. Fall is fleeting- do not forget to immerse yourself in the flavors of the season.

The Chile Mocha Frappuccino and Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffin are a part of Starbucks’ seasonal treats, which became photo by Elena Gillis avalible Sept. 6.

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THE SIDEKICK october 2016

Spine-tingling, haunting activities to do this October Every year, Halloween is a beloved, highly anticipated holiday. Whether it is watching a scary movie, dressing up, carving pumpkins or making it through a haunted house, the options available to keep adrenaline seekers busy are closer than you think.

Here is a list of the best things to do on or around Halloween in the Metroplex:

written by Gracie Blackwell Staff Writer @graciebwell

Cutting Edge Haunted House

Cutting Edge is one of the more popular haunted houses that people visit in Dallas, especially teens. Earning two Guinness World Records in 2015 for “World’s Largest Haunted Attraction” and “World’s Largest Walk Through Haunted House”, this is a Halloween spot you will not want to miss. The abandoned meat packing plant turned haunted house is filled with creepy zombies, clowns, chainsaws and strobe lights that will be sure to frighten you.

Moxley Manor Haunted House

If you are up for something more extreme, head to the Moxley Manor Haunted House, and expect gallons of blood and lots of screaming. This year, the haunted house is adding a second attraction, Pitch Dark Haunted House, that will leave attendees horrified. It is not recommended for children under 10. General admission cost is $23 and it is opened on select days in September and October. Moxley Manor Haunted House is located at 510 Harwood Road in Bedford.

Dark Hour Haunted House

The Dark Hour Haunted House is one of the newer haunted houses in the Metroplex area. The experience starts by first walking through a cemetery in Coven Manor which sets the mood for the theatrical effects and lighting later in the experience. The professional actors who play various characters are what makes the Dark House Haunted House stand from the others in the area. Each month that it is open, the theme of the haunted house changes so visitors who plan on returning can experience a new scare each time. General admission is $28; prices of other packages like fast pass, backstage tour and VIP experience vary. Doors are open from Sept. 23 through Oct. 31. Dark Hour Haunted House is located at 701 Taylor Drive in Plano.

Zombie Safari Dallas

This is not your typical Halloween activity. During the day, the Zombie Safari is a paintball facility, but at night, it is a zombie hunt adventure. The zombie adventure brings you into a completely new world. On this adventure, you are trying to defeat the infected humans who turned into zombies because they caught a virus from the “biohazards” that the government was trying to transport. The cost of a zombie paintball shooter is $24.95. The family friendly experience happens every weekend from Oct. 1 through Oct. 31. Zombie Safari is located at 8975 FM 740 South in Forney.

graphic by Austin

Coming soon: Blood-curling horror movies Ouija: Origin of Evil Movie (PG-13) A prequel to the 2014 movie “Ouija”, “Ouija: Origin of Evil” is the perfect horror film to watch this Halloween. The movie takes place in 1967 in Los Angeles where a widowed mother and her daughters have their own business where they pretend to contact the dead. They do this with the help of a ouija board, a board with numbers and letters that the dead contacts through to people. Consequently, one of the daughters gets taken away by an evil spirit and a mission ensues to save her. The release date is Oct. 21.

Boo! A Madea Halloween Movie (PG-13) If you are looking for a little humor on Halloween, “Boo! A Madea Halloween” from the movie series “Madea”, marks the spot by combining humor and horror together. Directed and written by Tyler Perry, the movie centers around Madea watching over teens all while combating ghosts and spirits on Halloween. The release date is Oct. 21.

Banzon

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THE SIDEKICK october 2016

Kaepernick draws

SUPPORT

through moral weight

written by Grant Spicer Staff Writer @grantmspicer With the recent controversy over San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s choice not to stand for the National Anthem, the general public has voiced its discontent in two ways: one being that people are disappointed at his lack of respect for the morals that the United States promotes. The second being the frustration towards the first group for their lack of understanding on the harms to minorities within the status quo.

For those arguing that sitting during the National Anthem is disrespectful and against the law, it is actually a heavily misunderstood legal clause. According to the Congressional Research Service report to Congress in 2008, “No penalty or punishment is specified in the Flag Code for display of the flag of the United States in a manner other than as suggested. Cases ... have concluded that the Flag Code does not proscribe conduct, but is merely declaratory and advisory.”

Second, we need to weigh the morals of each one. For Kaepernick, is it moral to support a nation that continues to systematically oppress racial minorities all while promoting an imperialistic stance of unnecessary faux-democracy on other countries? For the angered general public, is it moral to sit during the national anthem and cause a scene that signifies disrespect to the country you live in?

Third, in the grand scheme of things, there are greater issues that the public

should direct its energy towards. If it did so, such issues could possibly be resolved.

Sitting during the anthem is not an issue needing resolution. The systematic oppression of racial minorities across the United States is an issue that needs immediate resolution.

As previously stated, Kaepernick’s action is an act of peaceful protest. Disagreement with the policies of the United States is something that every citizen faces, and standing or sitting for the anthem is actually one of the most passive forms of protest that a citizen can perform in comparison to other acts.

When it comes to protesting, there is a framework of moral judgement and impacts that need to be weighed. Everyone has specific political views that make them unique. However, it is unfair to judge Kaepernick on his practice of

In kneeling, quarterback brings

UNWARRANTED dishonor written by Marcus Krum Sports Executive Editor @marcuskrum Colin Kaepernick has every right to do what he did.

There is no debating that, from a legal standpoint, the San Francisco 49ers quarterback can sit down, kneel, lay on the ground, or jump up and down with his hands in the air. That Kaepernick has freedom of speech, a right protected every day by the members of our military.

From a legal standpoint, Kaepernick is clean. However, in his choice to kneel

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick refuses to stand for national anthem, begins NFL movement the First Amendment on a higher-stakes standard than previous protests of higher violence levels that went unnoticed due to the loose advocacy of the First Amendment.

Although the arguments made are debatable, the logic is warranted. I agree with Kaepernick because his issues outweigh the opposition. North America does provide many opportunities, but not for people who are within a racial minority. As a person of color, it is systematically harder to make a living in a safe environment, even if the playing field is the same length for everyone.

graphic by Austin Banzon

during the anthem, Kaepernick creates a quite paradoxical situation. While kneeling, he directly disrespects and dishonors the men and women who risk their lives on a daily basis to protect this freedom.

But let’s not delve into that yet. First, let’s check the validity of the argument that he is making. When Kaepernick says that he “will not stand for a country that oppresses blacks and people of color,” one of his main arguments is presumably regarding the seemingly high number of white cops shooting black men. However, a study done by The Washington

Post shows that in 2015, there were in fact nearly twice as many white people killed by cops as black.

In the high-profile cases of “blue on black” violence in the last year and a half, the victims seemed to be unarmed, raising eyebrows that some white policemen may instantly profile someone as dangerous due to their color of skin. However, out of the 93 cases of unarmed killings of citizens by cops, 32 of them were white and 38 black.

A near identical number.

In these facts, I do not want to simplify the entirety of Kaepernick’s argument into a single topic, because with his broad statements that he declared as the reasoning for his actions, he encompassed a tyranny that has run deep in our country for years past.

I am not denying that racism is an issue.

His vague statements, however, are conducive to believing that he is focusing on the biggest racial issue that we see in mainstream media in the killing of black men by white cops.

Even so, there are many ways Kaepernick could go about this. Dishonoring the country and the military is simply not one of them, especially when his actions lead to others following suit on Sept. 11. While several players around the NFL were allowed to kneel or raise a fist during the anthem, others, including Odell Beckham Jr. and Victor Cruz of the Giants, were fined for wearing patriotic cleats that honored their country on the day of remembrance.

Kaepernick has begun to lead the way in protests around the league that are just shortsighted. While he has explicitly said that he is not trying to disrespect anyone, that he is only trying to bring light to an issue that is close to him, he is bringing the military into the inadvertent crossfire.

While his intentions may be pure, the execution of this protest is dishonorable to the country in which he resides, works, and shares many freedoms.

LONE (FIVE)

21

THE SIDEKICK

october 2016

STAR

written by Marcus Krum Sports Executive Editor @marcuskrum

H w

e is, according to Kohls Kicking, Camp Coppell football’s only five-star recruit. He is the fifth ranked player at his position in the entire nation.

Yet Connor Choate does not need the spotlight. Since he first took the field as a varsity player in the fall of 2015, that is never what the senior long snapper has been about.

“It comes with the position,” Choate said. “All long snappers just know that you’re not really going to get any press or publicity.”

While publicity from national sports outlets or recruiting analysts may not come his way, Choate is still highly regarded as one of the best in his class at the long snapper position. Ranked fifth in the United States by Kohl’s Kicking Camp (the camp that makes the ESPN rankings of specialists), they describe him as “one of the most consistent snappers in the 2017 class,” and “a rock solid snapper who will benefit any special teams corps in the country.”

This position, while obscure as some find it, is one that, over years of youth and middle school football, Choate became accustomed to.

“I was a pretty thick kid growing up, so I was always the center,” Choate said. “My brother was a center when he played football, too, and he also taught me the very basics of being a center. I would do field goal snaps, too, with my youth team, and that’s basically how I got into it.”

However, he abandoned the position when making the jump to middle and high

school football, moving to outside linebacker and tight end. But soon, Choate would find his way back.

“Going into my junior season, after [my sophomore] season was done, I was on JV2,” Choate said. “I was like ‘how can I get on varsity and suit up for Friday night.’ I’ve always done snapping, and there wasn’t a long snapper for next year, so I went up to [Coppell coach Mike] DeWitt and I was like ‘what would you think of me being long snapper?’ and he said ‘We’ll see how the spring goes and get back to you at the end of spring.’”

By the end of spring practices, after hours upon hours of work perfecting his craft, Choate emerged as the sole long snapper for the varsity team. What began as something he did as a youth football player had grown into his ticket onto the varsity roster.

“It is super cool, because he’s passionate about, it’s something that he did all on his own,” Choate’s mother Gayla said. “It’s something that he realized he had a natural talent for and he just kind of took it and ran with it, and he was basically self-taught.”

At a position where most only get noticed if they bungle a snap late in a game, the value of a good snapper may not be fully recognized.

“It’s for sure undervalued,” Choate said. “Being a long snapper, you’re not going to get the glitz and the glamor that the skill-position players get, but that’s how the position should be, because if you’re noticed, you’re probably not doing your job right.”

While he may not be noticed on the field, he sure is noticed off of it. Described as a “funny guy” and a “charac-

ter” by his teammates, the senior long snapper’s laid-back demeanor is one that has become infectious to his varsity teammates.

“There’s so many jokes he cracks that are just so funny,” senior holder Matt Dorrity said. “He has so many great impersonations of people that it really gets the mood going in the locker room. We always just joke around with him. He’s a great person to have with us both on and off the field.”

But as he takes the field for anywhere from eight to 15 plays on Friday, his attitude changes. There is a stark difference between Choate’s off the field goofiness off the field and his disposition when it’s game time. At this position, mediocrity is nothing. Perfection is everything.

“It makes my job easy to know I have a guy like that to snap it to me,” Dorrity said.

“When I was on JV, the snap difference, while the speed you may not notice as much, but the placement. Choate will put it right where I need it, while pretty much any other long snapper I’ve ever caught one I’ve got to guess where it is.”

His desire for precision is shown in no better scenario than on Friday, Sept. 2 when the Cowboys visited McKinney Boyd. Midway through the second quarter, Choate jogs to the middle of the field for a punt. After his snap zips to the punter, slightly above chest-high, Choate walks off after the play.

“Was that a little too high?” he asks.

Several minutes later, the

Choate finds home as one of nation’s best deep snappers Boyd snapper lofts one of two horrendous snaps back to the punter, forcing him to jump, then, trying to quickly get the kick off before it is blocked, shanks it for 29 yard punt.

“It’s huge,” DeWitt said.

“Especially when you look at trying to protect a punt or a field goal, the faster you can snap it the more time your kicker or punter has, so it’s really been a weapon for us.”

For Choate, the change of position has, to an extent, changed his life. Since his move, he has begun talking to many big-name schools, including Oklahoma State, Texas Christian University, Arkansas and others.

“I’m very excited,” Mrs. Choate said. “We’re just going to be supportive, and it’s just

really fun to see your kid be so good at what you’re passionate about.”

He has even begun to have goals of snapping professionally.

“For sure that’s an aspiration I have,” Choate said. “It’s a pretty nice gig if you ask me.

You just get to go out there, snap the ball, doing the same thing you’ve been doing since middle school, but for a lot more money, and a lot more people there.”

“It’s a great feeling,” Choate said. “When I started this, I was just doing it to get on varsity, I never thought I would have the opportunity to play in college, and maybe even have my college paid for. It’s just been awesome.”

Senior long snapper Connor Choate pumps his fist after a successful extra point in the Cowboys’ 31-21 win over McKinney Boyd on Sept. 2. After five games, Choate has yet to have a snap over a holder’s or punter’s head. photos by Ale Ceniceros

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THE SIDEKICK

The choice is yours

october 2016

The opportunity to be prominent in multiple sports is gone written by Reid Valentine Staff Writer @reidv9 The multi-sport star is dead.

Thirty years ago, if you walked into an American high school, you would see girls with perms (thank God those are gone) and boys with letter jackets. While the perm is no more, the leather jacket is still a staple in society, yet there lies only one difference.

This coveted jacket signifies when an athlete has logged viable playing time on a varsity team of any sort, but I would be willing to bet that nine out of ten high schoolers that don this iconic garb only have a single patch.

In the past this would not have been the case.

“I think it’s a negative thing,” Coppell head basketball coach Kit Pehl said. “The reality of [athletes] having an opportunity to have a full scholarship in any one sport is unbelievably slim, specializing in one sport ends up diminishing their [athletic] experience at the high school level because they chose at the ripe age of ten that they only play one.”

One could point to the size of the school, and claim the fact that there is just

too much competition for excelling at more than one sport reasonable. But the fact of the matter is that it is often predetermined before a student even steps foot on a high school campus that 100 percent of his high school athletic career will consist of one sport.

“All sports are year round, it never quits,” Coppell Middle School East vice principal and former CHS coach Brandon McGill said. “It is the same for every sport, any sport that you compete in is year round, even down to the youth level.”

For my sports career, the decision to specialize revealed itself when I was ten. I had to choose between playing baseball or football because fourth grade Reid could not bear the workload of school work, and up to five different practices in a week with games littered in the schedule as well.

In reality I definitely could have kept playing both, yet I can promise you that had I not decided to solely play baseball, I would absolutely not be a high school athlete because the time commitment and the stress left no room for the whole reason of any sport.

Fun. “Football, baseball, basketball and track and field,” CHS history teacher Kevin Casey said. “Hunter Wall could do it all, he

had twelve different varsity letters when he graduated in 2000. Josh Fink the past four years is probably the only athlete that even comes close in my mind.”

Out of four CHS staff members, only two names come up when I mentioned the words, “Who from Coppell would be considered a multi-sport star?” Two athletes out of thousands since the year 2000, so yes, there are your outliers who just happen to be so gifted that they can pull it off.

Let’s say that this piece motivated you to go out and make a change, so you decide to play two sports with the intention to surmount the new societal norm. There are

many problems you would face between the time commitment and mastering another sport, but the problem of specialization has made this crossover virtually impossible.

The fact that, “[sports] never quit,” has risen the level of each sport so greatly that without years of hard work and hundreds of hours, it’s just a matter of time before you are weeded out before getting that exalted second patch on your leather jacket.

So when it comes to me saying that you cannot do it, don’t hate the writer, hate the game.

Serving up success

Kalev, Roy, Crumplers lead pack in tennis program’s recent academic triumph written by Marcus Krum Sports Executive Editor @marcuskrum

He goes to school, works hard in class all day, plays tennis for several hours, then comes home and studies even more, often times into the wee hours of the morning.

While this may seem like a heavy load, this is a normal day for junior Agnibho Roy. Along with junior Victor Kalev and seniors Erin and Nicole Crumpler, Roy has perfected this balancing act between being a varsity tennis player and maintaining high academic standards, creating a reputation surrounding Coppell tennis as being one of the most academically successful sports programs in the school.

Ranked at the top of the class of 2018, Roy has excelled in all three years of high school. This year, he made the jump from junior varsity to varsity tennis, adding another time commitment to an already packed schedule.

“I feel like I’ve been able to balance it pretty well,” Roy said. “I don’t like to waste time. In school, I try to utilize my time to the best of my ability, I try to finish as much of my work as I can, so it’s not really much of a problem.”

Kalev, who has been highly ranked on the varsity team since his freshman year, has dealt with the struggles of playing at a high level while still maintaining a high

class rank for three years now, yet he remains in the top five in his class.

“There’s an expectation from not only my parents, but myself and my peers as well,” Kalev said. “Once you’re in a position that’s high up in academics, you’re expected to maintain it, and sometimes you feel a lot of pressure just to maintain it.”

Both Erin and Nicole Crumpler are ranked in the top 5 in the class of 2017.

While their motivation draws more for competition between each other, the results they see both in the classroom and on the court are similar to their high-achieving peers.

The key that all four agreed to succeed-

ing in tennis and academics? Time management.

“Organization is [big],” Erin said. “Writing down any and every due date you know, and when you know you have a tennis match Tuesday night, you try and do all your homework monday night. That’s the key.”

However, aside from each athlete’s individual abilities to stay on top of their schoolwork, there has been an aura of academic success surrounding the team for the last several years. Of the 19 seniors on the team, five are national merit semifinalists. Last year, 13 - nearly half - of the varsity team was ranked in the top 10 percent of

photo by Kelly Monaghan Agnibho Roy, Nicole Crumpler, Erin Crumpler and Victor Kalev are all ranked in Top 10 of their respective classes. The four excell on the tennis court despite their hard work in the classroom.

their respective class.

Some attribute this striking number to coach Rich Foster’s willingness to accommodate the high standards that many players set for themselves academically.

“He just took over the head coach role four years ago,” tennis booster club president and mother of the Crumplers Debbie said. “He is very happy to have his players able to prioritize academics, sometimes even over the tennis. He’s made that atmosphere, that the kids can be academics and still play for him.”

However, Foster believes this is more attributed to the atmosphere that is created within the team from each tennis player’s freshman year.

“Here at Coppell, tennis is kind of like a family,” Foster said. “People start at a young age, and then they all know each other from a young age, so we get a lot of ‘brothers and sisters’ and friends that are all from high achieving families.

“They talk about success breeds success, and that is true academically as well, since we’ve had so many high-achieving kids.”

Whatever the case may be, there is no denying the outstanding success the tennis team has seen in the academic abilities of many of its athletes. And District 9-6A play picks up for the team, Roy, Kalev, and the Crumplers will look to continue walking this tightrope of academic and athletic success. It is one that few have been able to walk, but for them, it has paid off.

23

THE SIDEKICK october 2016

September 13

Digging up donations

16

7000

Cowgirls raise money, awareness in night dedicated to St. Jude written by Joseph Krum Executive Editor @joseph_krum

St. Jude’s Hospital

the work started a long time before that.

After the idea of picking the hospital was done last spring, the team got to work as soon as August came around. After breaking up into multiple groups within the team and having a certain budget, each team was required to make an activity for the kids to do while they are at the hospital.

“Our goal for making the activities was just to help distract the kids and give them something fun to do while they get their treatment,” senior libero Lauren Lee said.

“Being as competitive as we are, we wanted to raise as much money as we could for St. Jude,” Hall said. “We wanted to get the word out as much as we could and raise as much awareness for what St. Jude does as possible.”

Throughout the course of this volunteering, plenty of hard work from the players, coaches, and even outside organizations put in made it work. From Frost Bank buying all the shirts so the profits could go directly to St. Jude to the Coppell Silver Spurs helping collect items at the game on Sept. 13, it was a group effort that got the whole community involved.

But even though St. Jude received a large Vice President of Fundraising check and tons of activities, After the making of the activities, the books and games, the players themselves Cowgirls turned their focus to fundraising were greatly impacted as well. to help out the $2.2 million cost per day “It meant a lot to the [players],” Hall to run the hospital. From selling shirts at said. “It touched their hearts because they lunch and at the game to taking donations had a big goal and wanted to do everything of books and board games, the efforts to- possible to help these kids and their famitalled up to $7,000 in donations and over lies, it was definitely special for them.”

200 books and board games to give to the hospital.

Through these efforts, the team not only photo by Lili Lomas learned more about St. Jude Hospital and Coppell High School senior libero Lauren their mission, which they had to research, Lee saves a play after diving to keep it from but about themselves and life itself. touching the ground during the homecoming “It was a great experience to kind of game on Friday, Sept. 30 in the CHS arena. step back and realize how lucky we are, Lee has been a big piece in retaining this especially to live in a place like Coppell,” team’s undefeated district record for much of Lee said. “We have so much money in our the season. sports program, but it was nice to fundraise money and instead of spending it on ourselves, we gave it all to an organization and it really made me appreciate all the things I have.”

Susan Hall, the Vice President of Fundraising for the Coppell Volleyball booster club, had a big play in planning this fundraiser. While she had big goals set for the ending result of this whole ordeal, it was the drive within the players and everyone involved that led this event to be as successful as it was.

A

fter dominating the headlines for back-to-back state championships in 2011 and 2012 as well as multiple winning seasons, the Coppell volleyball team has struck again, but this time for something different.

The Cowgirls have dedicated their community service efforts this year to helping out St. Jude Hospital, a hospital that runs on donations to give each kid a free cancer treatment and plenty of love and support.

While the volleyball team normally does a service project each year, with much planning and coordination from coaches and booster club members, this one was given to the seniors.

“We really gave a lot of initiative to the seniors for this one,” Coppell volleyball coach Julie Green said. “We presented the idea of picking an organization that meant something to them that we could help fundraising for and they picked St. Jude.”

Even though the efforts, and donations, were presented to St. Jude at the volleyball game against Lake Highlands on Sept. 13,

‘‘

‘‘

It touched their hearts because they had a big goal and wanted to do everything to help.

Susan Hall,

Cowgirl Check-In written by Farah Merchant Staff Writer @farahmerchant_ Coppell Varsity Volleyball has began their district season strong.

They plan on continuing to practice and work hard in hopes of finishing district undefeated.

Their first district match was against Richardson, whom they defeated 3-0. The Cowgirls continued their undefeated streak by beating Lake Highlands High School, one of their strong opponents.

The Cowgirls hope to stay perfect in their upcoming games hoping to beat Pearce.

“Right now, we beat Lake Highlands in 5, and Lake Highlands just beat Pearce in 5,” Green said. “So I think we clearly understand that Lake Highlands and Pierce are our toughest competition, and we have have Pearce coming up in a week or so. So right now that’s kind of our kind-of our big focus; since we know that they’re tough, and we want to continue to stay undefeated.”

The big picture painted by Green and Senior outside hitter Katie Herklotz is to go to state, and Herklotz thinks being in area two will help with that.

“I think being in area two will give us a pretty big advantage over the teams in area one,” Herlotz said.

“They’ll fight each other out; while we only have to fight one of those really good teams in order to get to the state tournament. I think we have a really good chance of going to state.”

Staying undefeated for the majority of district play, the Cowgirls look to continue their stellar play in the playoffs, where they will finish as one of the top two seeds in District 9-6A, most likely facing either Garland or Garland Lake View Centennial of District 10-6A in the first round.

24

THE SIDEKICK october 2016

HUMANS OF CHS photo by Alexandra

photo by Bren

Dalton

Flechtner

"I went to church one morning. I was playing with some of the younger kids in the lobby, and I saw this beautiful woman walk in the church, but I didn't pay it much mind.

“Then I saw her seated in the chapel, and I was working on the media, and I just felt like I had to talk to her or I'll regret it. So I walked up to her, sat down in front of her, and asked her for her name. As for now we became closer. We both had so many things that aligned like our beliefs, philosophy, and general outlook on life. And for us, it made sense. We've been together for more than 2 years, but this October will be our second anniversary as a married couple. She was an interpreting training program before she met me. She actually came to Texas for her internship. And it honestly has made an impact on our marriage because the fact that she can sign makes communication so much more easier."

- American Sign Language teacher Zachary Kapalka* *Kapalka is deaf and communicated his answers through typing and sign langauge.

photo by Katie

photo by Chloe

Navarro

“We were in Japan and there was probably 2 feet of snow outside, and we were in those big old tents- the ones made of canvas, and the only thing keeping us warm was a wood stove, cause it was like 30 degrees outside, so we were all gathered around it. That’s where we slept and lived.

“This other picture on the right is from the same trip, when we were in Japan, but that’s when we were on Mt.Fuji. That was on a weekend when we weren’t training or anything. They always set stuff up for us to do when we were in different countries, to keep us out of trouble, cause some of us weren’t real smart when we weren’t actually working. But we never got in trouble- at least not too much, anyway. You get up to the top and there’s a volcano and you can just look down it.

It was weird, but it was really fun. I just didn’t want it to blow up or anything.”

-Student Resource Officer Chris Cobb, 1991-97 U.S. Marine Guard

Wiener

“I am a big believer that libraries are where you can get the most information. I grew up in India and I lived in the Middle East, and they don’t have as good libraries as we do here in the U.S. So I’ve always wanted to be apart of the library system, you know, where access to books is available. When I was growing up in India, you had to pay to use the library. In the Middle East, the libraries are run by like either the consultants, British or American consultants and the selection is not great. So when I came to The States I was like “what?” You can go to the library and get a library card and get anything I want and have access to anything? That’s what pushed me into this.

“I grew up in India where I went to boarding school, so I lived away from my parents and so [books] was a great place to escape and create worlds of your own by either through fiction or we found parallels of other people in the same situation that I was in.”

-CHS Library aid Veena Bhatt