Volume 29 Issue 4

Coppell High School 185 W. Parkway Blvd. Coppell, Texas 75019 Volume 29

Issue 4

March 2018

INSIDE Power of a hashtag

Rising above fear

A second strength

#MeToo movement sparks sexual assault discussion

Sidekick editor-in-chief Vanyo discusses anxiety

Strong balances love of skating and dance

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Page 9

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www.coppellstudentmedia.com

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Sheppard, students form chemical bonds written by Nolan Sanders Staff Writer @nolan_sanders_ If one were to walk into Coppell High School chemistry teacher Susan Sheppard’s classroom, one might find Goggle-equipped students eagerly collaborating over a sink amidst organized chaos.

Sheppard is going on her 13th year of teaching, six of which have been spent at CHS. Previously, she taught forensic science, biology and physics.

Sheppard is also the science coach for the CHS Academic Decathlon team. She is admired by her students and colleagues alike for her energetic presence and engaging style of teaching.

“I love interacting with my students and showing them how things work,” Sheppard said. “I love the order behind chemistry. I love to take a seemingly obscure and boring substance and then show my students the chem-

photo by Quyenh Phang Coppell High School IB Chemistry third period students get help on their test corrections from IB and Honors Chemistry teacher Susan Sheppard on Feb. 9. Students ask questions regarding their test and receive feedback and answers from Sheppard.

istry behind it, and why it is relevant to them.”

Sheppard allows her students to work at their own pace as she understands that students will vary in levels of aptitude when it comes to chemis-

try. According to Sheppard, her classroom environment is energetic and enjoyable. In addition to teaching five Honors Chemistry classes, Sheppard also teaches IB Chemistry II. “She’s definitely a reliable teach-

er to her students,” CHS chemistry teacher Chris Stricker said. “She really loves and has a true passion for what she teaches.”

Sheppard has been known to go out of her way to help her students with the material to ensure that they fully understand what she is teaching each of them.

“Mrs. Sheppard is definitely my absolute most favorite teacher ever,” CHS sophomore Millicent Coleman said. “She’s always so understanding and patient with her students and takes the time to make sure each student is really getting all of the information they need. If I’m struggling to understand something, I can immediately ask her without ever hesitating.”

Sheppard holds her students in high regard and hopes that her students will be able to apply the knowledge she is supplying them with to their everyday lives.

Congratulations to the March Teacher of the Issue Susan Sheppard.

Renovations spark concern with locals written by Nicholas Pranske Staff Writer @nick_pranske8 Waking up at 5:45 a.m., getting to school by 6:15 a.m., squeezing on shoulder pads and padded pants, stuffing feet into cleats, all half asleep.

This is what many middle school football players encounter on a daily basis. However, at Coppell Middle School East, the seventh graders who practice in those dark mornings have not been able to begin their practice until close to 7 a.m.; almost 30 minutes later than the other two middle schools in Coppell.

This is due to the lack of lights at the CMS East fields. In an effort to fix this problem, the Coppell ISD Bond Oversight Committee elected that as a part of the $249 million bond, CMS East would get lighting, bleachers, bathrooms and other amenities.

Recently, however, many citizens who live around the CMS East have spoken out against this bond, saying that the bright stadium lights and loud noises will disrupt their everyday

living.

In an effort to relieve that concern, the City of Coppell in conjunction with Coppell ISD, has held multiple meetings and informational sessions for people to be informed of the changes being made. In addition, at the last Coppell City Council meeting, citizens were invited to voice their opinions and concerns about the renovations.

Despite the pushback, many are supportive of the renovations.

“In the district that [Coppell] is in, each school has to have two competition gyms in order to play sports like basketball and volleyball and right now, we don’t have that,” CMS East principal Laura Springer said. “With the new renovations, we will finally be able to compete at the level of the other schools in our district.”

Athletic fields and gym renovations are not the only part of the plan. Classrooms, science labs and other internal renovations will also be made. “[CMS East] has grown to the point where there are about six teachers who don’t even have their own room.

photo by Rylee Ferguson Coppell Middle School East adds turf, a new track and new goal posts to their football field .

The Coppell ISD Bond Oversight Committee elected that as a part of the $249 million bond, CMS East would get lighting, bleachers bathrooms and other amenities.

Our teachers need to be able to know that they have a home,” Springer said.

The public blueprints of the renovation plan show, to scale, the distances between the houses of the neighborhood, the CMS East building and the sports field. In order to relieve

the concerns of citizens, Coppell ISD has done an extensive study of the effects of commercial-grade sound and lighting and have made claims about the overflow of each.

To read more , visit coppellstudentmedia.com

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A fight for the faint of heart

photo by Laura Amador-Toro Anxiety, which according to the National Institute of Mental Health is the leading mental disorder in the United States, is becoming increasingly prevalent among teens. Anxiety impacts teens lifestyle and their high school experience.

written by Gracie Blackwell Business Manager @graciebwell

C

oppell High School senior Penelope* knew something was wrong when she was worried about a piece of fruit being stuck in her throat in the third grade.

She did not realize she was seeing a therapist until a little later in her life.

The reality is that many people are suffering from mental illnesses, anxiety being one of the most common.

There are five major types of anxiety disorders: generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder and social anxiety disorder (SAD).

According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), anxiety is the leading mental disorder in the United States among both adults and adolescents, where nearly one-third of people are affected.

Penelope has been diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), which causes her to worry about everything such as dying, eating and sleeping.

“I used to panic for reasons that I didn’t know,” Penelope said. “It was just a general feeling of panic and all of a sudden I couldn’t breathe and I was shaking.”

Although she also has been diagnosed with social anxiety, it is not severe as her GAD. In middle school, it

was severe to the point where she did not want to talk to many people. Since entering high school, she has gotten more used to being in social settings, she no longer dreads social situations.

Differentiating between occasional anxiety and an actual anxiety disorder may be difficult for some people.

According to the NIMH, it is common for people to have occasional anxiety in their lives.

For the reality of others, anxiety is a serious issue that affects how they function on a day to day basis.

About 25.1% of children between the ages of 13-18 are affected by a type of anxiety disorder, according to a study conducted by the NIMH, the latest data available.

There are a multitude of factors that could cause an anxiety disorder such as environmental, genetic and social factors.

At CHS, counselors are available to help any student receive the help that they need in order to get through the school day. CISD’s crisis counselor, Sharon Thurlkill, is available for students that may have prolonged or heightened anxiety.

“The general counselors like myself and my colleagues, if we know about it we can meet with the student and talk about ways to try to alleviate some of that anxiety and stress,” CHS lead counselor Debbie Fruithandler said. “We can work with their teachers making them aware if the student gives us and the parent gives us permission to share that with their teachers and

help them find out what the source of their anxiety is.”

Her anxiety has impacted her behavior at school in more bad ways than good. “[Anxiety] definitely makes me a little bit neurotic when I’m doing school work,” Penelope said. “It makes me a bit of a perfectionist which has its perks but at the same time, the feeling of constant stress is

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treatment. The different treatment options that doctors recommend include therapy, medication and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS).

In TMS, electromagnetic waves are sent to the brain to find where the target area that would be best for treatment.

Penelope started TMS after she realized the medication and therapy were not quite working as well as she needed them to. Because of anxiety, she has had other mental health issues, such as depression, stem from her efforts trying to cope with anxiety.

She went through a TMS treatment that lasted an hour long for seven weeks each morning before school.

Although it was a time commitment for Penelope, it was worth it.

Despite the fact that TMS did not help so much with her anxiety, it helped with her depression. “[The different treatments are] not entirely reliable but different things work for different people so you just kind of have to keep looking for what’s going to help you,” Penelope said. “I wouldn’t say that it goes away entirely but you can feel enough relief to be happy. ” Looking forward, Penelope hopes that more people will be more conscientious of how they depict mental illnesses, which will hopefully move the conversation forward to something more positive.

No extracurricular is worth getting to the point of putting that much pressure on yourselves.

Dr. Nicole Jund, CHS principal really overwhelming.”

CHS Principal Dr. Nicole Jund is aware of the growing issue that anxiety disorders and stress-induced anxiety has affected many students at CHS. “The biggest thing is be very honest with yourself about what you’re feeling; we have people who are ready, willing and able to help,” Jund said.

“We all have to take a moment and figure out what’s causing that kind of stress in our life and if that means take a day off, or take less classes, or no extracurricular is worth getting to the point of putting that much pressure on yourselves.”

Many people who are diagnosed with an anxiety disorder seek

“People need to be a lot more careful in the way they use those words,” Penelope said. “Not only is it the words they use that are being thrown around, it’s the people that are hearing those words thrown around who actually might struggle with those things. It can be pretty, for lack of a better word, triggering for them and it can kind of make them feel misunderstood. People need to be really careful about how they talk about it and also if someone comes to you and says that they have an issue with anxiety or depression, it needs to be taken seriously.” * - For privacy purposes, the source’s name has been changed.

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People with special needs get a Night to Shine written by Anthony Cesario Staff Writer @anthony_SK17 Many people view prom as part of the “complete high school experience”, but some are not often able to participate in this opportunity. OnFeb. 9, St. Ann Catholic Parish hosted the Night to Shine prom for people with special needs ages 14 and older.

Joined by First United Methodist Coppell and The Servant House in Lewisville, St. Ann was one of over 500 churches around the world that came together to host the prom, sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation.

“I hope that our guests and their parents, who sometimes have difficulties in their lives, had a special night where they feel loved and honored by their church and their community, and especially by God,” St. Ann Director of Children’s Religious Education Debbie Kaluza said. “I also hope to raise awareness of the importance of welcoming everyone, no matter what their differences might be, and treating all people with respect, dignity and love.”

The Servant House was in charge

of hosting all the pre-prom activities, including hair styling, makeup, shoe shines and limo rides. FUMC held a boutique where guests could pick out clothes, shoes and jewelry for the prom ahead of time, all donated by people from the community.

“I absolutely love helping the guests

“The red carpet at the very beginning of the night is such a special memory for our guests,” St. Ann Sunday School Coordinator Nikki Scancella said. “We pair them up with a buddy and then they get to walk down the red carpet, dressed in their prom attire, being the center of attention

We hope that everyone who attended the prom will truly feel like a king or queen.

Kathy Braem, FUMC Children’s Minister that come to the boutique to find the perfect outfit,” FUMC Children’s Minister Kathy Braem said. “I coordinated the making of the corsages and boutonnieres for all the guests. We even had enough items [at the boutique] so that parents and siblings could shop as well.”

As guests arrived at St. Ann by limo, they walked a red carpet and were greeted by enthusiastic paparazzi who cheered for them and took pictures.

while people cheer for them. The smiles on the guests’ faces as they walk down that red carpet is priceless.”

Once the guests entered the church assembly room, they were treated to dinner and a night of music and dancing.

If people needed a break from the crowd, they could sing along with their buddy in the karaoke room, put on funny hats and accessories to take photos at the photo booth, visit the

balloon animal room or enter the sensory room to relax.

“I think [the prom] is a wonderful opportunity to give back to the people in our community who sometimes don’t get to take advantage of these fun events,” volunteer Lis Cole said.

About midway through the prom, the DJ paused the music to make an important announcement: it was time to crown prom king and queen. After each guest made their way to the front of the assembly room, their buddies crowned them with their own crown or tiara.

As the assembly room erupted with hundreds of blue and white balloons to celebrate the crowning ceremony, there were smiles all around.

“My favorite part is when the guests are crowned kings and queens, and then the dancing that comes after the crowning ceremony,” Kaluza said. “It’s really joyful.”

As the night came to an end, each guest received a gift bag as they left the church, marking the end to an unforgettable prom experience.

“We hope that everyone who attended the prom will truly feel like a king or queen,” Braem said.

photo by Mari Pletta Guests prepare to be crowned king or queen of the Night to Shine prom in the assembly room of St. Ann Catholic Parish on Feb. 9. The Night to Shine prom, sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation, gives people with special needs ages 14 and older an opportunity to have their own prom experience.

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enterprise 5

Bringing on the fearless fight

Impact of #MeToo movement trickles down from Hollywood, mainstream media range from 11 to 19 cases per year.

“As far as I know, as far as me working here for three years, in my opinion, the crime is low, it’s not high at all,” Coppell detective Craig Reed said.

times its after the three or four day window when you can do a rape kit,” Coppell High School SRO Diane Patterson said.

Ending a perpetuating cycle Empowered Counseling Licensed

Little girls don’t stay little forever.

They grow into strong women that return to destroy your world.

Kyle Stephens, victim at Larry Nassar’s hearing on Jan. 16.

photos by Laura Amador Toro Sexual assault, abuse and harassment cases have recently been brought to light by the #MeToo movement, encouraging women in sports, Hollywood and the workplace to speak up. In Coppell, the number of reported sexual assault cases has only fluctuated slightly and remained low, ranging from one to nine cases per year.

written by Tanya Raghu Enterprise Editor @tanya_raghu It all began last fall when sexual assault allegations were brought up against media mogul Harvey Weinstein. Shortly after, the swift termination of television figure Charlie Rose after in-house allegations of sexual harassment.

Later it was the almost 150 women who testified to being sexually abused

by USA gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar.

Soon, five women accused actor James Franco of inappropriate or sexually exploitative behavior. And now, an anonymous source went on the record to share her story about a

date gone wrong with comedian and actor Aziz Ansari.

“Little girls don’t stay little forever,” victim Kyle Stephens said at Nassar’s hearing. “They grow into strong women that return to destroy your world.”

In Coppell, the number of reported sexual assault cases, which began to be tracked in 2002 by the Coppell Police Department (CPD), has only fluctuated slightly and remained low, ranging from one to nine cases per year.

Harassment cases which, began to be tracked in 2011 by the CPD,

After a sexual assault case is filed, police patrol officers arrive and investigate the scene. If they cannot make a determination or clear the report by making an arrest, their police report is given to detectives, such as Reed, within the CID. After the detectives piece together the evidence and follow up on leads to gather enough evidence to make an arrest, they will write up a probable cause affidavit for the warrant to be signed by a judge.

The CPD has two or three designated hospitals in the area with specifically trained Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE) to perform a sexual assault forensic exam or rape kit exam which can offer evidence no more than three days after the incident.

Before the advent of social media, the process of filing a sexual assault case was more tedious coupled with the taboo associated with talking about the issue.

“If you wanted to charge someone, you would have to go down to the police station, actually talk to the police, that’s very embarrassing, a lot of

Professional Counselor Supervisor (LPCS) Jessica Callahan specializes in helping clients cope with abuse, assault, domestic violence, unhealthy relationships and shame, guilt and depression. “[The change] might be not as much as people on the outside are thinking and there’s still a lot of room to grow with that,” Callahan said. “I still have a lot of clients who in their circumstances, family, community, its still not willing to fully support.”

Slowly, the culture and stigma associated with sexual assault is changing.

“The mentality of it has changed to where back several years ago when someone took someone out once or twice and a man paid for a woman’s dinner over a period of time and [it was like] they owed them that,” Patterson said.

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Taking our beliefs to the ballot From the inauguration of a new president and the Charlottesville protests to the devastation of Hurricane Harvey and uncovering sexual assault and harassment, 2017 was a big year for change.

These changes did not go unseen.

On Jan. 20, people around the world took to the streets for the second annual Women’s March, walking in crowds numbering into the hundreds of thousands in protest.

Across the country, thousands of counter protesters marched against the white nationalism on display in Charlottesville, encouraging equality for all.

The #MeToo movement is bringing attention to the many sexual assault and harassment stories to surface, providing a safe space for people to speak out about their struggles.

After Hurricane Harvey hit the Texas coast, efforts were, and continue to be, made on both local and national levels to aid all those that were affected by the natural disaster in any way that is possible.

Even on a local level, there are very high levels of volunteerism and community involvement seen amongst young adults and high school students in Coppell.

These events, along with so many others, go to show that as the younger generation, we are not afraid to voice

our opinions and take action when necessary. We are simply exercising our rights.

Why then, are voter turnout rates so much lower amongst young adults?

Why is that the Women’s March is seen all over social media, yet many people still have not filled out their voter registration forms?

Although people may mean well, simply retweeting a hashtag or posting a Snapchat story showing one’s involvement at an event is not enough.

In order for our voices to be heard, we need to stay well informed on not just trendy topics, but everything going on around us. We need to exercise our right to vote, speak to our representatives and attend meetings to truly understand policies being put in their place.

With the Texas Primary Election on March 6, political participation is now more important than ever, and it all begins with staying informed on all political current events, something that has been lacking amongst the younger generation.

A perfect example is a video posted a few weeks back: A week before President Donald Trump’s State of the Union, Campus Reform reporter Cabot Philips asked New York University students what they thought of it, and most of them replied as if they had watched it already, placing

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP

Photography Editor

Adviser

Student Life Editor

Chase Wofford

Farah Merchant

Executive Editor-in-Chief

Graphics Editor

Amelia Vanyo

Elena Gillis

Ale Ceniceros

Executive Design Editor

Wren Lee Executive Digital Content / Sports Editor

Lili Lomas EDITORIAL LEADERSHIP Art and Entertainment Editor

Kelly Wei Editorial Page Editor

Fiona Koshy Enterprise Editor

Tanya Raghu

BUSINESS LEADERSHIP Business Manager

Gracie Blackwell

Sofia Guerrero Jess Hernandez Pramika Kadari Molly McGill Nishant Medicharla Arman Merchant Nicholas Pranske Reid Valentine Akarsh Velagapudi Christine Zacuai

Communications Manager

Sruthi Boppuri STAFF WRITERS Tara Ansari Anika Arutla Renata Barona Andrés Bear Anthony Cesario Claire Clements

PHOTOGRAPHERS Akif Abidi Laura Amador-Toro Rylee Ferguson Bren Flechtner Varsha Kanneganti Disha Kohli Quyenh Phang Aubrey Phillips

criticism on many topics that had not even been mentioned yet.

This begs the question as to whether or not young adults are truly informed on topics, or if they are just jumping on a bandwagon of popular political beliefs.

While everyone is entitled to their own beliefs, opinions should be built on solid ground. Not only should people be getting involved, but they

Mari Pletta Nolan Sanders Nadia Scalzo Karis Thomas GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Kaylee Aguilar Cristina Gomez Bella Mora Britain Stanley

should be getting informed to begin with. Our actions must be sincere and reflected as much on the ballots as they are on social media.

We are fortunate enough to live in a nation where our beliefs matter. Let us n o t take advantage of that.

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

The newspaper is a member of National Scholastic Press Association, Journalism Education Association, and Interscholastic League Press Conference. The editorials and columns presented in this paper reflect the views of its student writers and not Coppell High School or Coppell Independent School District.

Advertisements 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 Blvd Coppell, TX 75019

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Redefining leadership: establishing difference between loud, confident

written by Lili Lomas Executive Digital Content Editor @chscampusnews Our society hails teen leaders...just not always the right ones.

Schools and communities love those with the loudest enthusiasm, those who scream for attention.

Additionally, there is no quality more lauded by college admissions than leadership. However, the way we define “leadership” and the way we determine who “leaders” are is flawed.

As a Coppell High School Red Jacket, I have noticed that though

many teen leaders are able to direct large groups, they are often only in leadership positions for the sake of building their resumes or for looking good in front of others.

As a whole, it seems that leadership is about those who have the loudest voice or the most eccentric personality.

But what about the quiet students?

They do not have the biggest voice and not everyone knows their name, but they can still be leaders. They work diligently in class, they manage their time, they are patient with others and above all, they lead by example.

As the oldest on my synchronized swimming team of all girls, many of whom are teenagers, I am learning how hard it is to lead by example.

I quite literally do not have the loudest voice on the team, yet I constantly strive to lead through my quiet actions rather than just my words because this is what I think matters the most.

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photo by Rylee Ferguson Many teenage leaders, such as the Coppell High School Red Jackets, are praised for their positions yet many do not display the qualities of a true leader. Because of this, “leadership” needs a redefinition.

Overall, leadership is not about resumes or titles or even about social merit. It is about confidence.

Many teen leaders I can think of do not fall under this description. I have

often thought about pointing this out to them, but I have not out of fear of altering our relationship. Perhaps I just need that bit more of confidence to do so.

Mental health of students in danger from pressure to achieve high GPA written by Pramika Kadari Staff Writer @pramika_kadari Despite the fact that only 6.9 percent of the United States is clinically depressed, 26 percent of high school students are depressed to the clinical level, which could be an indication that teens live in an unhealthy environment.

At Coppell High School, even after studying hard and receiving an A in their class, many students remain disappointed in themselves due to the fact that their A grade fails to earn them the highest possible Grade Point Average (GPA), which is only given for the A+ grade- a 97 percent or higher.

The variance in GPA points assigned to an A grade versus an A+ grade has a negative impact on students.

Because high school does not focus on learning and application, 40 percent of high school graduates feel unprepared for college, which raises the question: what is the point of high schools working their students so hard, when the work they are doing produces results that fall short for nearly half the student population?

In recent years, cheating has skyrocketed, both at CHS and around the nation. Throughout the United States, 95 percent of high schoolers admitted to cheating of some kind. By forcing students to become even more competitive by increasing the stakes of GPA, CHS is adding fuel to the fire of academic

dishonesty. “[There’s an] issue of students who feel they have to cheat to achieve the certain GPA,” CHS chemistry teacher Susan Sheppard said.

According to College Board, many high schools and the majority of colleges do not differentiate between an A and A+ grade regarding GPA. CHS’s system impacts compatibility with other schools, as well. When a student transfers in the midst of their high school career, their GPA is altered once they arrive at their new school in order to fit the given school’s regulations, which may lower it unfairly.

Supporters of the differentiated GPA between A and A+ grades may claim the difference is necessary in order to distinguish students more clearly for class rankings.

graphic by Bella Mora

However, damaging students’ mental health by increasing depression rates is not worth a more distinguished list of class ranks; instead, the school should eliminate the system of ranking altogether, as it is another factor for added stress.

If unable to put an end to the ranking system, the school should be accepting of tied ranks–giving multiple students the same rank.

Texas universities’ policy of automatic admission to the top 10 percent of any high school is the basis of why CHS even ranks students, and therefore is largely the basis for the distinguished GPA between A and A+ grades.

This system is unfair because it favors students from less competitive schools. If the other students in a school are not high-performing, it would not be difficult to earn a rank in the top 10 percent.

“I want to see what [the students] know, not put a number on [their] brain that says it’s a certain value,” Sheppard said.

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march 2018

CHS SPEAKS

Transitioning to new block schedule Students, faculty react to various modifications for 2018-2019 academic year written by Fiona Koshy Editorial Page Editor @fionakoshy10 This school year, Coppell High School made the transition from a seven period daily schedule to a modified block schedule.

This current schedule consists of two skinny periods, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, daily.

The middle three classes are block periods that alternate with another three classes every other day, distinguishing school days as A and B days.

With the modified block schedule came the addition of an eighth class period to student’s schedules.

CHS recently released its proposed bell schedule for the 2018-19 school year.* The schedule still consists of eight class periods, however there will now be only four alternating classes each day, eliminating skinny periods.

There will be only one, hour long lunch period. As of now, the plan is to split the lunch period into two 30 minutes blocks that will ro-

tate: one block will consist of the usual lunch period and during the other, students will get a chance to attend club meetings or tutoring.

The Coppell High School Ninth Grade Campus will be following the same schedule.

With schedule modifications come a mixture of opinions from students and s t a f f alike.

Rahul Rajamani, freshman

Ryan Simpson, AP Human Geography teacher

“I like next year’s block schedule a little better than this year’s. It gives me more time to complete my work. I’m kind of mixed about not having skinny periods everyday but it’s dependent on my schedule; I could have potentially had classes that I really like everyday, but not anymore.

“A longer lunch period is going to be great for teachers who have to inhale food through the air. It’s going to be more beneficial for students because a lot of that before and after school tutoring can be done within the longer lunch period as well, freeing teachers up for more planning time before and after school.”

Sandhya Srinivasa, junior

“I like having eighth off this year because I can go home early every single day, but next year, I’ll have to take more release periods to get part of every day off. Next year will be better, though, because this year, teachers had to make huge adjustments to accommodate both first and eighth skinny periods everyday and block periods every other day. It was confusing and very difficult to organize.”

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JOURNEY THROUGH MENTAL ILLNESS

“I was bullied because of my anxiety”

written by Amelia Vanyo Editor-in-Chief @ameliavanyo I used to self harm. It started in the seventh grade, shortly after I began taking medication for anxiety.

There was a girl in my seventh grade class who would check my wrists every day, making a show of how she was trying to help me.

She did not help me.

So I started wearing bracelets.

I have always had anxiety. Since the day I was born I was a nervous kid.

Even when I was a baby it was obvious that something was different.

Parents are encouraged to put babies to sleep on their backs to protect

them against crib death. But if I slept on my back, when I woke up from nightmares I would start crying and screaming, but the support I got when I laid on my stomach would help keep me calm, and put me back to sleep.

I cannot remember the first time I had an anxiety attack, but I remember being very young when the sudden jolts of fear would run through my body without a moment’s notice. The tears would surface and my hands would clamp over my ears in terror.

I was diagnosed with general anxiety disorder in the second grade, shortly after developing such a fear over going to school that it would make me sick to my stomach.

Being the girl with anxiety is not being the cute, nervous, shy girl. It is being the girl who cries when she has to take a test. It is being the girl who has to cancel plans because she is too scared to go out. It is being the girl who panics at nothing. It is being the girl who throws up when something freaks her out.

But for some reason, my anxiety

provided the perfect opportunity for my peers to bully me.

I was bullied in sixth and seventh grade by my peers and my teachers.

In the sixth grade, two girls made fun of me for my phobias.

In the seventh grade, girls would make fun of my anxiety and provoke me and try to get me to freak out.

The teachers would not help - if anything they made it worse.

I often received texts from the girls in which they asked “why don’t you just stop worrying?” The messages on my phone would glare up at me, and my eyes would fill with tears.

Anxiety is not a choice. I do not wake up in the morning and think to myself “you know what? I want to have anxiety today.” I do not interrupt my day to have a panic attack on purpose, I do not choose to shut down in the middle of doing something. It is all out of my control.

I do not get bullied in the same way I used to be bullied. Now it is a lot more misunderstanding than outright hate.

Sometimes people will say they are

photo by Varsha Kanneganti The Sidekick Editor-in-Chief Amelia Vanyo began wearing bracelets to cover up self-harm scars in seventh grade. Now she wears them as a symbol of what she has overcome.

having a panic attack when they are not. That is always upsetting. I made a point of not misusing the vocabulary of mental illness.

I never got an apology from anyone who bullied me. But in some ways I do not mind. An apology only helps so much - what would really make a difference would be if those people changed and did what they could to be empathetic and helpful.

I still have anxiety, I still have panic attacks and I still have days where I cannot seem to function. I still have to take medication. I still struggle a lot with the nerves and the stomach problems that I get when my anxiety spikes up. I still sometimes get bullied by people.

The thing is, I am not ashamed of my condition anymore. In fact, there are instances in which I am almost thankful for it.

My anxiety has taught me a lot about being a better person and how to get through hard times.

Because of what I have been through, I know how to be empathetic to other people. I do not get offended when someone is not in the mood to chat because they are having a bad day. I am never quick to judge - I know that everyone goes through things.

And because I appreciate the people who were there for me when I needed it, I am good at being there for others when they ask for help - but I am also good at standing back when they want some space.

I am a lot stronger now than I was in the sixth grade. I have been through a lot, I have had tons of really bad days, so I really appreciate the good days. But I also know I am capable of getting through difficult times.

Most importantly, I know how to forgive. I know how to forgive my bullies, for an ignorance about mental illness that in all honesty was the fault of their parents and educators.

I know how to forgive my parents, for their confusion and the mistakes they made while trying to figure out how to help me. I know how to forgive myself or every time I got angry at the world for not understanding.

Now that I have forgiven myself for being angry at those who do not understand, I am determined to make a difference, determined to teach, determined to inform people. I did not choose my anxiety, it is a condition I cannot control, and it is something everyone should have compassion for.

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Beal finds fulfillment through SPED program written by Christine Zacuai Staff Writer @ chriszacuai When facing new changes, some may find it difficult to adapt and carry on their regular routines. However, Special Education (SPED) teacher, Eddie Beal, has responded with flexibility and a positive outlook towards the recent special needs classroom relocation this school year.

With relocation done last August, the special needs classroom was originally three classrooms from C hall, but is now one large classroom located in D hall. The room now has easily accessible bathrooms and a home living center, where students are able to learn comfortably in a relaxed setting.

Beal considers the relocation as an improvement from the previous rooms as students have reacted well to the change.

“It is wonderful that the district has provided us a nice facility and for them to put in money for such a small population,” Beal said. “It has really

come a long way.”

A certified Special Olympics coach, SPED aide, teacher and former counselor, Beal is familiar of the many struggles special needs students face in both school and athletic environments. His varied background enhances his teaching in the classroom, often resorting to counseling techniques to help his students.

Coming out of his retirement in 2011, Beal returned to teaching and accepted the offer of becoming a special needs aide: an unexpected decision he did not know would become so meaningful today.

“What I thought would be a one year gig has turned into a six year gig,” Beal said. “But now I love my job so much and I’m so happy.”

The SPED program works with facilitating structured learning, a method where students follow consistent routines that teach a wide range of skills focusing on communication and behavior management.

Although not easy, using this method of teaching can be a rewarding and

fulfilling experience for both students and teachers.

“Watching kids that have a pattern of maladaptive behaviors and to see them overcome it to use something more appropriate and be more successful- it’s very gratifying,” Beal said.

With 35 years of his life dedicated to education, Beal is no stranger to using adjustments and collaboration for the problems students would face in school settings.

A former counselor at Coppell Middle School East, Beal would often help other school staff with calming down special needs students when tantrums occured.

Having taught students ranging from ninth graders to adults, Beal hopes to seamlessly carry on the transitional skills taught to students in their future careers and life.

“Most of my students are not going to hold a job, or will be in a day-hab… even places that won’t take people in unless they fall under certain parameters,” Beal said. “But to just provide families with that support has been

absolutely fantastic.”

Beal also instructs his learners through Intensive Teacher Training (ITT), an educational program that works with positive reinforcers and eliciting both verbal and behavioral responses from the students.

“We build their vocabulary and help with intraverbal communication,” Beal said. “It’s been rewarding.”

The SPED program is one that is celebrated by aides and teachers alike.

“The best thing for me is that we have goals for the kids, for them to reach some of their goals and see progression. That’s what we’re here for,” SPED aide Jay Donaldson said.

The program provides an opportunity for both students and aides to learn together and build relationships.

“Being a teacher and sometimes a mom and making [the students] learn independence has been my favorite part,” SPED Aide Regina Liu said.

Beal commends the district’s efforts in providing a specialized place for the SPED program and looks forward to continue teaching in Coppell.

I wouldn’t change a thing. This is exactly where I need to be.

Eddie Beal, SPED teacher

photo by Aubrey Phillips Coppell High School special needs teacher Eddie Beal has been in education for 35 years and even came out of retirement in 2011 to return the classroom. In addition to being a certified Special Olympics coach, Beal also worked as a counselor in the past at Coppell Middle School East.

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Brown EVADES typical high school experience, ends up on app store with game written by Nishant Medicharla Staff Writer @Nishantnm1 Wanting to spend his free time in a productive way, Coppell High School junior Ryan Brown made something which which would show off his technological skills.

He created a game on the app store called EVADE. The app has been gaining recent popularity with 4.7 stars out of 5. People who have played the game, including CHS sophomore Shruti Sankar, finds the app to be a fun distraction.

“It’s a simple game which takes your mind off things,” Sankar said.

“It’s a really nice way to have a quick brain break, without being way too caught up in other things.”

With motivation to do something productive, Brown embarked on the perilous journey to create the game, starting in July.

“I wanted to create the app because whenever I had free time, I’d spend it watching Netflix or YouTube or being on social media,” Brown said.

“I wanted to use my time in a more

productive way.”

With major inspiration from Ragdoll Avalanche (a game that also involves spikes) and the Internet, Brown was able to create a storyline and start coding, which ultimately led to further development of the game.

“There wasn’t anything like EVADE on the app store,” Brown said.”That’s why I knew I would go with this idea.”

Brown created the game with a lot of help from Internet research and tutorials, but also from his friend, CHS junior Grace Hao. At the end of the game, when your spaceship hits a spike, there are little statements that appear after you die, an idea given by Hao. “It was Ryan making it, I just helped him with the aesthetics, different styles and graphics,” Hao said.

“These little aesthetics added a lot of uniqueness and humor to the game.”

Brown’s biggest setback was coincidentally, time. He needed to finish what he started, but with seven AP courses, working as a tutor, more homework and getting a job at Sonic, Brown seemingly had little time to develop his app.

photo illustration by Kaylee Aguilar Coppell High School junior Ryan Brown works on updating the features of his gaming app “EVADE” after school at the CHS library. Brown decided to create the app as a productive pastime during the summer, though the process took four months to complete.

“Sometimes a week would go by and I wouldn’t be able to work on it at all,” Brown said.

But after four months of juggling academics and his job, Brown was able to put EVADE on the app store, around the end of October.

“I’d say the biggest accomplishment after creating the game would be the positive feedback that I’ve gotten,” Brown said.

“Most people say they like it or that it’s fun. It also has a 4.7 rating out of 31 reviews, which I’m pretty proud of.”

A love of learning: Mobley finding her place in classroom with Ready, Set, Teach! written by Anika Arutla Staff Writer @AnikaArutla

photo courtesy Cyndi Carlton Coppell High School senior Grace Mobley reads with kindergartners at Mockingbird Elementary. Mobley is part of the Ready, Set, Teach! program at CHS which allows students to go to elementary schools and teach children.

I always knew I was going to be a teacher because I didn’t think anything was right for me.

Grace Mobley, senior

Grace Mobley, a senior at Coppell High School, finds herself surrounded by children in a classroom five years from now.

“I always knew I was going to be a teacher because I didn’t think anything else was right for me,” Mobley said. “I always love to be with kids and I’m basically with kids everyday. That just sparks me more every day to be a teacher.”

In elementary school, Mobley struggled with dyslexia, but she never let it get in the way of her succeeding in school. She took the support from her teachers and let it ignite her passion for teaching.

“I believe she will take her own experiences and her love for younger children to make sure all children succeed no matter what their learning style or “level” is,” Kim Mobley, Grace’s mother, said. “I have seen Grace work with children and forges relationships so that the children feel comfortable not making mistakes. That is a gift Grace has.”

This year, Mobley joined the Ready, Set, Teach! program at CHS and goes to Mockingbird Elementary School Tuesday through Friday during third

period to spend time student teaching. She teaches under her former kindergarten teacher, Cyndi Carlton.

Mobley adores Carlton and enjoys teaching under her supervision.

“Her passion shines through when she is with them,” Carlton said. “She makes relationships with the kids and can see what they need, then helps them.”

For Mobley, teaching is more than just feeding them information and black and white textbooks.

“My motivation to teach children is their futures,” Mobley said. “I want to teach as best as I can because I want them to love the classroom, and I want them to love school and not think they can fail.”

Mobley will be attending the University of Mississippi in the fall studying elementary education.

“Grace has a heart of gold and has a work ethic and enthusiasm for everything she does to match it,” Mrs. Mobley said. “Her smile and positive personality is contagious to everyone she meets. She is a natural leader and has a servant’s heart. Seeing others succeed and feel accepted also motivates Grace in her everyday life, and in today’s world, it’s rare to find someone who is genuinely interested in helping others without asking for something in return.”

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Cutthroat race to university written by Tanya Raghu, Enterprise Editor, @tanya_raghu

F

or five months, the college application process has been on Coppell High School senior Maya Garg’s mind. It was initially the daunting process of inputting personal information, writing a personal essay and supplements, and submitting financial aid documents for almost 20 schools, now, it is the months long wait.

Despite her academics and resume, at a highly selective, private school that she has applied to, the deciding factor in gaining admission could be out of her control: her race.

Private institutions in the United States do not have to abide by affirmative action laws unless they are given federal funding.

Rise of dishonesty Competition is said to breed excellence, however, the cutthroat culture of the U.S. college admissions process, for some, has instead given rise to desperation.

“It’s understandable to why they would it, but don’t rely on race to get you into college,” Garg said. “Be true to who you are and let the college accept you for yourself.”

The Common Application, which is used by more than 700 colleges, asks optional demographic questions about religion preference, Hispanic or Latino descent and the question, “regardless of your answer to the prior question, please indicate how you

identify yourself (Select one or more).”

Race is commonly defined as unitary, often socially imposed and it is determined by physical features.

However, someone can claim multiple ethnic affiliations according to PBS. In many ways, the definition of ethnicity is more flexible because it encompasses culture, traditions and features of social and cultural groups while race is determined by biology, for example, white, black or brown.

Public institutions, by law, cannot discriminate based on race, sex, age or any biological information, often with the tens of thousands of applications, this information is not verified by the university’s admission office, allowing applicants to exaggerate facts about their heritage to gain an advantage.

are able to meticulously check quantitative data and official records such as letters of recommendation, birth records, standardized test scores and GPA, it is more difficult to verify qualitative information.

Most commonly, officers will check for inconsistencies between the student’s resume and counselor’s letter of recommendation. With the recent cases of dishonesty, officers will most commonly, contact high school counselors to confirm claims.

However, CHS lead counselor Debbie Fruithandler said a college has never called the CHS counselors department to verify information.

“I’m not certain that they have a means to validate the race the student reports on their application, however,

“It’s this recognition that sometimes these inherent facts about us very much say who we are and the experiences that we have had.

Alexandra Taylor, University of Texas at Austin Assistant Director of Admissions “We just go off of what was checked on the application,” Ohio State counselor David Wallace said. “It doesn’t have any sort of admission consideration, it’s just for statistical information.”

While university admission officers

if a student is ever found to have lied on an application that might revoke their admissions or even, I guess, they technically have the right to remove you from that university, “ Fruithandler said. “I’m not sure they will do that based on that one factor.”

Increasingly competitive college admissions causes controversy over affirmative action, incentivizes forms of cheating

Competition across the board The number of high school graduates has reached 3.6 million in 2018 and almost two thirds of all high school graduates now apply to college.

However, class sizes have increased minimally despite increases in the number of applicants.

Attributed to the intentions of selective institutions to strive to build a well-rounded class size, admissions offices employ a holistic review, taking into account activities, academic records, employment history, internship experience, volunteer service and even race and sexual orientation.

For many schools, such as the University of Texas at Austin, which receives a high volume of applicants, admissions offices rarely have the time to fact check the information on submitted resumes.

“We like to believe that students are telling the truth,” University of Texas at Austin assistant director of admissions Alexandra Taylor said.

However, at times, if something piques an admission officer’s interest, he or she will often do a quick internet search.

“At some point, each student is responsible for their own honor, even in the National Honor Society,” CHS AP U.S. History teacher and NHS sponsor Kevin Casey said.

the legislature.

“I, for example, was a first generation student, my mother is from Mexico so that’s a big part of who I am and how I was raised and the language I grew up speaking as opposed to the language I engaged more with in school,” Taylor said.

Taylor believes that the intentions of affirmative action contribute to a well rounded class and the admissions office strives to include and highlight the unique opportunities, backgrounds, upbringings, cultures and religions of their world in their class.

“By employing our holistic review process not only do we feel it to be the most fair because that way we are looking at students in their individual contexts,” Taylor said.

With a focus on education and employment, affirmative action grants special considerations to historically excluded groups such as racial minorities

including Native Americans, AfricanAmericans, Hispanics and women.

“It’s this recognition that sometimes these inherent facts about us say who we are and the experiences that we have had,” Taylor said.

While the practice of affirmative action is constitutional, the use of racial or gender quotas by employers or universities is not.

“Shouldn’t college admissions be determined by merit?” CHS economics and psychology teacher Jared Stansel said. “Not on where you’re from or the color of your skin? If we have to correct for historical discrimination as individual human beings, we are not going to see everything eye to eye.”

Current controversy In June 2013, the Supreme Court ruled that schools could continue using race as a factor in college admissions. The case was filed by University of Texas at Austin applicant Abigail Fisher in 2008.

“Like most Americans, I don’t believe students should be treated differently based on their race,” Fisher said after a court hearing. “Hopefully,

this case will end racial classifications and preferences in admissions at the University of Texas.”

After allegations of racial discrimination in two federal cases, Harvard University issued a statement.

“To become leaders in our diverse society, students must have the ability to work with people from different backgrounds, life experiences and perspectives,” the university said.

“Harvard’s admissions process considers each applicant as a whole, and we review many factors, consistent with the legal standards established by the U.S. Supreme Court.”

“I have grave concerns about anyone who would falsify information on an application or a resume because it really speaks to the character of that individual and in life,” Fruithandler said. “Our character and our integrity are of the utmost importance and at some point, not living up to those standards, will catch up with that student.”

To read more, visit coppellstudentmedia.com.

4% Foreign

25% Hispanic

3% Multiracial

22% Asian

1% American Indian/Pacific Islander

5% Black Source: University of Texas at Austin Admissions

United States President John F. Kennedy signed Affirmative action into law as a way to combat racial and gender discrimination in by both universities and by government employers.

1978

Regents of University of California vs. Bakke Case decided that university admissions officers could not use Affirmative action to correct social injustice, but as a way to create a diverse student body.

Nov. 16, 2014 Project on Fair Representation files suit alleging race-based discrimination in Harvard University admission practices.

May 15, 2015 More than 60 Asian American organizations filed a complaint with the federal government alleging that Harvard University discriminates against Asian American applicants.

Reversing discrimination While Taylor’s job entails regular interaction with affirmative action, she also has a personal connection to

Ethnicities of University of Texas at Austin’s class of 2021 40% White

March 6, 1961

2016

Fisher v. the University of Texas Plaintiff Abigail Fisher contended that she was denied admission to the University of Texas in Austin because lesser qualified minorities were given priority over her as a white woman.

May 23, 2016 Asian American Coalition for Education vs. Yale, Brown and Dartmouth College. photo by Ale Ceniceros

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TIPS AND TRICKS Writing creatively

written by Pramika Kadari

cut DIALOGUE

Mickey celebrates with Josh Martin, who was a finalist in Walt Disney Imagineering’s 27th Imaginations Design Competition. (c) Disney Photographer: Gary Krueger

From dreaming to doing: CHS graduate competes in national contest held by the Walt Disney Company written by Jessica Hernandez Staff Writer @jessicamh13 Every year, Walt Disney Imagineering hosts a contest for college students to come up with Disney-esque designs of their own. This year’s theme involved revitalizing abandoned cities, allowing the teams of students to create new material out of once-populated places.

Through Baylor’s Theme Park Engineering and Design Club, Baylor University junior Josh Martin teamed with two other Baylor students to create a project titled “Lion City.”

Although only Martin, a 2015 Coppell High School graduate, has a background in graphic design, his teammates specialize in other areas that are integral to creating and bringing ideas to life.

Andrea DeOliveira is a mechanical engineer and Erin Saylor is an electrical engineer. Together, they were able to incorporate each other’s strengths into what became their final product.

“I really felt the brute force of that task, knowing that this is a very design-heavy competition and I was going to be competing against other design schools that are known for putting forth great work,” Martin said.

DeOliveira, Saylor and Martin all decided that they wanted to build their ideas around an underwater city, and Martin then suggested that they

incorporate Chinese folklore and culture into it.

“We took ideas from Chinese mythology and combined it with the actual history of how the city was sunken to create a very interesting and captivating storyline,” Martin said.

As finalists, DeOliveira, Saylor and Martin were given the opportunity to travel to Glendale, Calif. to present their final project to Imagineers and the five other teams from around the country. They were also introduced to Imagineers and were able to interview for future internships and job positions.

Just like with Martin’s team, the other teams were made up of non-artists and artists alike, giving finalists the opportunity to work with people that do not practice the same craft as them.

“It was really interesting to see each of the teams and their members work together with different disciplines to create something that was really amazing,” Martin said.

Despite his astounding success, Martin does not have an extensive background in design unlike many others that pursue art.

Instead, he was introduced to design through CHS graphic design and animation teacher Cindy Wolfe’s class.

“When he walked into my class, he didn’t know how good he could be,” Wolfe said. “It wasn’t on his radar as a potential career and was just some-

thing fun for him to do.”

After that class, Wolfe referred Martin to The Sidekick, which he joined his junior year and was design editor of his senior year. It was during his time in The Sidekick that Martin saw a future for himself in the world of design and became to love the work that he was doing.

Martin’s mother, AP biology teacher Jennifer Martin, has also loved watching one of her children find and follow his passion through CHS. “He is an incredibly hard worker, and when I began to see how much time he spent creating art, I knew that that’s what he really wanted to do because it was so important to him,” Mrs. Martin said.

For Martin, what was once an interesting hobby became a passion and a path for the future. In a field that is constantly evolving, Martin chooses to channel his love for what he does in every piece he creates.

“Art is something that can never be truly mastered,” Martin said. “There’s always a place to go up and there’s always a chance to get better. There are no set answers for things in art and there are infinite possibilities as to how something can be done.”

Meeting Imagineers at the contest in January deepened Martin’s admiration for them and led him to hope that he can one day inspire others in the same manner that the Imagineers have inspired him.

Characters often perform actions while speaking. Do not always rely on dialogue tags; incorporate action beats as well.

Additionally, mix it up by using neither action beats nor dialogue tags, as long as it is clear which character is speaking. This technique is especially useful for fast-paced scenes, where excessive narration may slow down the pace.

limit ADVERBS and ADJECTIVES

If possible, replace adverbs with stronger verbs. For example, instead of saying “ran quickly”, say “sprinted.”

delete “FILTER WORDS”

Filtering is using words that distance the reader from the story.

These words include “felt“ and “heard”; if you Google a list of filter words, many more will show up. Instead of “I heard the door open downstairs”, say “downstairs, the door slammed open with a deafening bang.”

“SAID” and “ASKED”

Replacing “said” and “asked” with words such as “reassured” and “questioned” is usually a bad idea. When readers see “said”, their eyes skim over it. However, readers’ eyes will not skim over “reassured”, which makes the writer’s presence more obvious, and creates a barrier b et w e e n t h e reader and the story.

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REVVING UP

Coppell Motor Sports Club giving students exposure to engineering fields written by Akif Abidi Staff Writer @AkifAbidi The Coppell Motor Sports Club workshop is one of the rather remarkable places found at Coppell High School. One can sense the buzz of excitement as they enter the Coppell Motor Sports Club workshop.

Often filled with the bustling of people and lively noises, the feeling of curiosity and innovation always seems to follow you around in the room. With every corner and foot of the room cluttered with tools, scraps, half-built cars, work tables and more, the possibilities seem to be endless.

The Coppell Motor Sports Club provides opportunities for students to apply their engineering skills and aspirations to hands-on projects. The club designs, constructs and races its vehicles, competing with dozens of schools at yearly motor sports events.

The club is headed by CHS engineering teacher and STEM coordinator Mike Yakubovsky, who is an avid engineer himself.

“It is very challenging and unique,” Yakubovsky said. “It gives the students a chance to see how it is to work on an actual engineering project. It’s not just about building something because you also have to take care of marketing, fundraising and the business side of it.”

The club uses its workshop in the

CHS downstairs corner of D hall (between the engineering rooms) to construct its vehicles. The workshop, complete with a laser cutter, 3D printers, industrial equipment along with many other tools, is nothing short of a full-fledged engineering workshop.

One of the many members of the Coppell Motor Sports Club is sophomore Robert Bizacky.

“I have loved engineering since I was very young,” Bizacky said. “This is where I can emphasize what I learn in engineering and do it by building this very cool car with my friends and racing it up against other schools.”

Some years the Motor Sports Club only held four to five members, but now the Coppell Motor Sports is expanding its boundaries and is on the roll with currently 45 members, multiple sponsors, along with a sufficient budget of $160,000 per year.

One of the biggest events the club attends is the Solar Car Challenge. The Solar Car Challenge is a project-based STEM event in Texas which helps to motivate students in the field of science, engineering and alternative energy. The foundation holds a race in July and cross country events at the Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth every other year.

The Solar Car Challenge and solar car racing, in general, involves racing electric cars charged by solar energy, this racing is not the NASCAR type race you might be picturing in your

Junior Mary Ziperman “We met when we were 4 at a soccer camp, and I asked her if she wanted to be my best friend and she said yes, so we’ve been together ever since. We have a certain confidence with each other on the [soccer] field and you can’t beat it. We are unstoppable. She’s that person that I can always go to, whenever.”

photo by Disha Kohli The Coppell Motor Sports Club has been working on a couple of new cars, such as the Outlaw III, for the coming competitions. All previous cars that the Motor Sports club builds are torn down after they have been used and then those materials are reused for other cars.

mind. Here the goal is to have endurance and stamina, not just speed.

This summer, the 2018 Solar Car Challenge is a one-way cross-country event beginning at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth and ending in Los Angeles.

Though there are speculations that the club will not be able to participate due to the lack of adult volunteers and logistic reasons, Coppell Motor Sports looks forward to taking part in the event this year.

The competitions the club participates in mostly revolve around solar cars, but the club is planning to expand some of its reaches to small automobiles such as go-karts later this

Friends Since photo by Aubrey Phillips

year at the EV Grand Prix: a nationwide go-karting competition.

Already on its 10th year, and the assembly of the new Outlaw III solar car and go-karts already underway, Coppell Motor Sports continues to extend its grasps in the automobile and engineering fields, and are always open for a new challenge.

“I would encourage anyone that is into engineering to join; anyone that is interested in applying their engineering skills to real life and just building a car,” Bizacky said. “I think that they should at least try it, if you don’t like it you could always leave. It is a great club that I think many people would enjoy it.”

Junior Micayla Weathers “Mary and I have been best friends for our whole life, as long as I can remember. I would say that our friendship is like we are sisters.

One time we went to Camp Pike together and it helped strengthen our friendship with each other and with God. She is my person.

No one knows me like Mary does and I love her for that.”

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Four songs, all Texan A dive into hearty music of Lone Star State reveals wide variety of genres, sounds written by Andrés Bear Staff Writer @_andresbear

T

exas is a state that takes pride in its music. Genres of all types have each found their own audience in the vast expanse that is the Lone Star State. Austin is considered the Live Music Capital of the World. Boasting one of the largest music festivals, the city is no stranger to live music.

With an example of music in Texan cities, let’s focus on four songs from Texan artists who are on the cutting edge in sound and style. Texas is a state that should be prideful in their selection of music. Spawning artists of all backgrounds, race and religion there truly is no better home for music than Texas.

“Dreams or Whatever” Indoor Creature

“It’s My Way Of Staying “Dictating Directions” Connected” She Sir Pueblo

“Tattoo” Kevin Abstract

Fittingly, Indoor Creature is a band hailing from Austin.

Mixing elements from jazz and psych music, it crafts a smooth sound with each song. One could draw comparisons to BadBadNotGood and Tame Impala, but that would be doing a disservice to their unique style.

Dreams or Whatever” is a recently released track that was accompanied by a psychadelic music video.

Being such a new song, the following thoughts could be considered first impressions. Vocals spring in and out of a lush landscape consisting of dreamy synths and drums.

There is a familiar and welcoming tint painting the song. That allows for the listener to fall into the three minute runtime.

In response to a tweet I shot at them, Indoor Creature said, “This one might be our new favorite.”

A little over 10 years old, She Sir’s “Who Can’t Say Yes” continues to be an underrated album in the shoegaze genre. B eing another band from Austin, its rise reverberated in the hallways of the University of Texas. Foot pedals aside, the band crafted a focused and cohesive experience with their debut record. No song on the tracklist feels out of place.

“It’s My Way Of Staying Connected” is a seminal track in their aforementioned debut and the underground shoegaze scene as a whole. Drums start the song off with a sense of urgency.

A buildup forces the listener down a narrow passageway of distorted guitars and hallowing vocals. There is a striking beauty to the madness. Eventually, the song peels away layers until it’s just a ringing drone.

Abstract is a hip-hop artist born in Corpus Christi. He is an artist who wants to make the listener a part of the experience. With two albums and a boyband under his belt, Experiences are what makes his music shine.

“American Boyfriend: A Suburban Love Story”, his most recent album, plays like a 90s-tinged indie film.

“Tattoo” is a song that perfectly symbolizes what “American Boyfriend” stands for. Guitars, both acoustic and electric, guide a majority of the song and provides a tangy backdrop to Abstract’s vocals. He shifts from voice to voice, both singing and rapping. One word comes to mind when listening to this song: high school.

“The song is soothing and nice sounding,” CHS sophomore Vanessa Lozano said. “It’s a song that you would play while you are on a long drive… I see the appeal.”

Pueblo is an alt-country band signed to State Fair Records. Even though they are based in Brooklyn, Their heritage is rooted deep in the South. The emotional prowess of their “Boring the Camera EP” brings a raw tone to the commercialized country genre.

“Dictating Directions” blends a classic country formula with progressive songwriting and instrumentation. The song experiments with adding and subtracting constituent parts of common genres. Synths and backing vocals compliment the omnipresent acoustic guitar. In a wild departure from country, Shoegaze-esque distortion can be found at the tail end of the track.

“It is a relatively chill song due to the electric guitar and the way he sings,” Coppell High School sophomore Anjeanette Salcido said.

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Band, choir students make CHS shine at all-state written by Akif Abidi Staff Writer @akifabidi

photo by Disha Kohli Coppell High School Choir junior Arezue Shakeri, senior Ashley Benhayoun and senior Tori Kennedy received honors in the All-State Choir. The All-State Choir is a group of highly selected individuals who are brought together to form choirs such as the Treble Choir, Mixed Choir and many more.

Every year, hundreds of students dream of making the prestigious Texas all-state band and choir, but only a select few achieve the distinguished status of an all-stater.

This academic year for the Coppell High School band and choir has been a notable one, with eight students from band and three students from choir achieving the status of an allstater.

The all-state band and choir is organized and run by the Texas Music Education Association (TMEA) tryouts and begins with two rounds of regional phases that took place from late November to early December.

The all-state band and choir selection process is an extremely competitive and rigorous one.

Those who were selected advanced to the area round, which took place at CHS during the second week of January. The few remaining students from area round only then had the opportunity to try out for the all-state band round.

The CHS band is widely regarded as one of the best high school bands Texas, and often has a relatively high turn out of all-staters every year.

“It was nice to meet new people,” Lai said. “Not only were they really good musicians, but they were also really nice people. The whole thing was a huge learning experience for me.”

Band was content with their students’ performance this year, and looks forward to sending more potential all-staters to the tryouts next year.

The choir tryouts consist of four rounds: the district round, the region round - upon which advancing students earn a spot in the all-region choir- the pre-area auditions and the area auditions with students from Dallas and its neighboring cities.

Coppell High School had three choir students that managed to make the All-State choir this year: junior Arezue Shakeri, senior Tori Kennedy and senior Ashley Benhayoun.

For Shakeri, an avid singer since elementary school and a choir student since freshman year at CHS, singing is more than just a hobby.

“I felt absolutely amazing when I made [all-state] this year, I’m still in shock. It just made me really happy that all my hard work since freshman year has paid off,” Shakeri said.

“Choir and singing have taught me to believe myself and to do the best that I can do in any situation.”

The all-state choir performed at the Texas Music Education Committee

I’m still in shock. It just made me really happy that all my hard work since freshman year has paid off.

Arezue Shakeri, junior

“About 60,000 students audition for the all-state band, choir, orchestra, jazz and other tracks from schools all over Texas, but only about 320 make it in all-state tracks in the end,” CHS band director Gerry Miller said.

This year, the CHS band had a total of eight students make the allstate band: sophomore Samantha Lai (oboe), sophomore Terri Rauschenbach (trumpet), sophomore Andrew Tao (percussion), junior Aditya Rajesh (bass clarinet), junior Isabel Goodwin (contrabassoon), junior Trevor Holmes (trumpet), senior Mihir Chadaga (english horn) and senior Grant Knippa (trumpet).

Convention (TMECC), one of the biggest and most respectable music conventions in the state, in San Antonio from Feb. 14 - 17.

“It’s amazing that we have three CHS students representing us, our area is very competitive with some very established schools so it isn’t easy.

We are very excited for them because they worked really hard for this,” CHS choir director Coogle said. “They go to camps over the summer, come during lunch to work with me and they have private tutoring sessions. “[Making all-state] not something that one can just do if they want to, it requires a lot of effort. They’ve worked hard.”

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Spiraling into veganism

march 2018

Diner brings innovative, plant-based dishes to Denton

written by Jessica Hernandez Staff Writer @jessicamh13 DENTON – With veganism on the rise across the world, it is no surprise that Spiral Diner, an all-vegan diner serving traditional diner food with a plantbased twist, opened a location in August.

Upon entering the new location, customers are greeted with vibrant colors and natural lighting that enhance the feel of the restaurant, opening it up and giving the restaurant a very welcoming atmosphere.

Along with bright decor, customers’ eyes are instantly drawn to the colorful images of animals that hang near the entryway.

The menu is filled to the brim with the diner food that we all know and love, and it is exciting for vegans (such as myself) to be able to order anything on the menu, from appetizers to desserts, without consulting a waiter or waitress about ingredients or preparation and cooking methods.

Spiral Diner is especially famous for its nachos, so of course, we ordered a huge helping of the spicy buffalo chik’n nachos, per my sister’s request.

The nachos were enormous and topped with a cashew-based nacho cheese sauce, buffalo sauce, soy-based chicken strips, ranch dressing, carrots, jalapeños, tomatoes and green onions. We subbed the “blue” cheese for more ranch dressing.

Although the chicken was not a favorite at our table, the rest of the nachos were delicious and the kick of the spices throughout the mountain of nachos was hot while not being overbearingly spicy.

The toppings were equally dispersed, ensuring each bite was met with a variety of delicious flavors

and textures.

My mom went classic and ordered a short stack of their beloved blueberry pancakes topped with non-hydrogenated margarine and a light organic agave syrup. They were thick and fluffy, and everyone at our table snuck a bite (or two) of them. Unlike traditional pancakes, they were not overly sweet and the tartness of the blueberries was just enough to give them an even more pronounced flavor.

Coppell High School senior Megan Wilhelm ordered the V-L-T, which is comprised of tomato, lettuce, “bacun” and mayo with a side of potato salad.

Her sandwich looked strikingly similar to the real thing and smelled absolutely delicious. According to Wilhelm, it was “a unique twist on the original.”

I ordered the sweet luv’us hummus wrap, which was packed with baked sweet potato, salad greens, broccoli, cucumber, avocado and pecans in a flour tortilla. The textures made each bite balanced and flavorful and it was fun to try them in a wrap filled with a few of my other favorite foods. Each bite was unique – the tanginess of the hummus with the mild sweetness of the baked sweet potato were absolutely perfect together.

For dessert, we had a dark chocolate peanut butter cup that closely resembles a cupcake in size and a fudgy chocolate pecan brownie fresh out of the oven that did not disappoint.

The peanut butter filling in the peanut butter cup was incredibly rich without being too sweet and the brownie was divine with a subtle nutty flavor and a velvety texture.

With locations in Denton, Dallas and Fort Worth, Spiral Diner has grown into a dining experience both vegans and non-vegans alike know and love.

Although it is not around the corner, the short drive or DART ride to one of its locations is well worth the trouble.

Next time you find yourself wanting to try something new and exciting, head on over to one of the Spiral Diner locations in our area and enjoy the great service, cheery atmosphere and delicious food they have to offer.

photo by Jessica Hernandez Spiral Diner’s newest location is located at 608 E Hickory Street in Denton and stands out amongst other restaurants due to its colorful sign and unique construction. Spiral Diner, which is an all-vegan diner and bakery, opened in Denton in August and has attracted customers from across the Dallas-Fort Worth area over the last few months.

Camila Cabello’s debut creates authentic, artistic sound

written by Anthony Cesario Staff Writer @anthony_sk2017 Just over a year ago, singer Camila Cabello shocked fans when her departure from girl group Fifth Harmony was announced. Nobody was sure how much success, if any, she would have going solo.

Now, however, it is hard to believe fans ever doubted Cabello: she has become the first ever female artist to surpass 40 million monthly listeners on Spotify, racked up a No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 with her Young Thug collaboration “Havana” for the week of Jan. 27 and, on Jan. 12, released her highly-anticipated debut album Camila.

Though only 10 songs long, Camila manages to be a musically diverse and thoughtful debut.

In second single and album opener “Never Be the Same”, a drum-crashing R&B ballad with a soaring chorus, Cabello shows off her distinct falsetto over a dark layer of synths. Contrastingly, songs such as “Consequences” and “Something’s Gotta Give” are quiet, emotional piano ballads with some of the album’s most poignant lyrics.

Despite the abundance of ballads and acoustic songs on Camila, upbeat dance tracks such as the brassy, Latin-laced “She Loves Control” and the tropical, steel-drum assisted “Inside Out” keep the album a quick and entertaining listen.

Altogether, the unique blend of songwriting, emotion and embracing of Cabello’s Cuban heritage allows Camila to stand out from its peers.

The refusal to conform to modern trends and the obvious time spent in the album development makes it clear that Cabello has her own artistic image and is here to stay.

To read more, visit coppellstudentmedia.com.

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photo by Varsha Kanneganti The Sidekick’s Wren Lee reviews Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu for the author event at William T. Cozby Public Library on Feb. 24. She also connects the novel with the Riot Grrrl movement, which is an underground feminist punk movement that originated in the 1990s.

Young adult book empowers readers Mathieu creates fictional feminist revolution based on personal experiences

written by Wren Lee Executive Design Editor @laurenwrenlee Young adult fiction’s latest feminist sensation Vivian Carter is ready to fight back.

Moxie is a young adult fiction novel written by author Jennifer Mathieu, who has written various other titles such as The Truth About Alice, Devoted and Afterward.

The book’s inspiration lies in the Riot Grrrl movement, a punk movement in the mid to late 1990s. The women of the movement combined punk and feminism to promote women in music and spread political ideas.

Mathieu, 41, experienced the movement firsthand.

“I really wanted to write a book about Riot Grrrl, which I was really

into when I was younger, in my 20s,” Mathieu said. “I wanted to write a Riot Grrrl book but make it contemporary and fresh for today.”

As a young adult fiction book, Moxie opens up the feminist movement to a new generation of readers as Mathieu wanted when she was first hit with a park of inspiration. “[A young adult book] is a great way

ations and hopefully makes people more empathetic towards the cause.”

New Tech High@Coppell sophomore Casey Webb agrees.

“The book is important because it’s about empowering teens,” Webb said.

“Teens should be willing to take initiative when things aren’t going right.”

One of the book’s main features is the zine Vivian creates, titled Moxie.

The book is important because it’s about empowering teens. Teens should be willing to take initative when things aren’t going right.

Casey Webb, sophomore to reach out to teens,” Cozby Library and Community Commons librarian Sarah Silverthorne said. “It makes it relatable. These are controversial, tough issues. Putting it in a fiction books helps teens understand situ-

One of the pictures in the zine features a young female boxer staring into the camera with her gloves up. This image is representative of the book as a whole: ready for a fight.

“There’s something about a woman

being physical that we still see as weird or wrong,” Mathieu said. Our society is still uncomfortable about that. We are still sending messages to our girls that they need to be small and a particular kind of feminine, and I liked having this image that was not that.”

The concept of defying the current gender roles is present throughout the whole book. Beyond the current gender roles, Moxie explores the idea of expanding the feminist movement beyond the white, heterosexual, cisgender, able-bodied woman, especially through its setting.

“One thing I’m inspired by with younger feminists today is the real push for intersectionality,” Mathieu said. “It’s a word we never used when I was your age. We can’t just talk about this women’s liberation in a vacuum for white women. We have to talk about what means for women of color, women who are differently abled and queer women.”

Moxie explores the small and large acts people do every day and proves why we need the current movement today. It is a book for the feminist inside each of us.

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march 2018

Combination of figure skating, Lariettes making sophomore twice as strong written by Lili Lomas Exectutive Digital Content Editor @chscampusnews

W

hile practicing the arching Biellmann spin, Coppell High School sophomore Kate Strong grasps the blade of one figure skate behind her head as she finds balance on the thin blade of her other skate.

This graceful movement symbolizes her life as an athlete as she works to maintain balance between two interrelated activities: figure skating and Lariettes.

Though she began dancing four years after figure skating, today both pursuits are prominent aspects of her life. Strong’s participation in each activity helps her improve in the other through their similar movements as well as the grace and strength incorporated into both.

“They’re really connected,” Strong said. “Figure skating [requires] a lot of strength because you have to have a lot of strength to jump and hold things tight so it has helped me a lot in dance to be tight and look good.”

Strong took up figure skating when she was seven after her mother suggested she try it. At Coppell Middle School West, she stopped figure skating and began doing gymnastics. However, she quickly grew tired of the sport and was drawn back to skating because it was an activity she felt more comfortable.

Strong currently skates for the Ice Skating Insti-

tute at the Dr Pepper StarCenter in Farmers Branch.

She is considering joining the more competitive Dallas Figure Skating Club in order to take her skating career to a higher level.

Among the many aspects she enjoys about the sport, is being able to work individually and control the way she practices. Additionally, she loves the feeling of being by herself on the ice as she performs.

“It’s kind of peaceful and you feel like you can do anything,” Strong said.

Apart from being her passion, figure skating has helped her succeed in the Lariettes drill team. Both activities emphasize skills that complement each other, allowing Strong to improve in both at once.

According to Lariettes director Julie Stralow, one aspect of dance in which Strong’s background in figure skating shows through is the strength she demonstrates when performing certain moves.

“Every time we’ve done something that takes some power or some finesse, we see her technique and her power moments that are breathtaking,” Stralow said.

Stralow attributes Strong’s ability to excel at these power moments to her experience with jumps in figure skating. Her typical figure skating practices begin with a warm up which includes practicing various spins and jumps.

School dance has also helped her improve as a skater. Spins in dance allowed Strong to master the backspin in figure skating because of the similar motions involved.

“Her spins have improved a lot because she has a lot of turns in her dancing and of course balance, coordination, her rhythm, timing and overall performance too [have improved],” Strong’s figure skating coach Aliyse Stevens said.

As much as figure skating and dance relate, they each provide a different experience for Strong. One of the most notable differences between the activities is the people involved. Figure skating is highly individual. In fact, Strong has never had a teammate in the sport.

On the other hand, Lariettes is highly collaborative. Not only does the group of nearly 50 have to be synchronized, but dancers also have to help each other learn routines and movements.

Though the sports are different in the relationships formed within each one, for Strong one aspect is common to both: balance. Participating in both activities means she has to remember and perfect different choreography for each one. Additionally, it means having to communicate to each of her coaches about scheduling conflicts between the activities.

This balance will especially have to be present as the Lariettes are participating in several competitions in March. Additionally, Strong participated in an annual skating event, “Love to Skate” at the end of February. Fortunately, due to the connection of the activities, whether she is at a figure skating practice or a Lariette rehearsal, she will be able to simultaneously improve in both activities.

photos by Karis Thomas Coppell High School sophomore Kate Strong participates in both figure ice skating and dancing. Strong has been figure skating since she was 7 and also joined the Lariette drill team this year.

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Formation creating wins for boys soccer written by Akif Abidi Staff Writer @akifabidi The Cowboys boys soccer team has been off with a bang to a great start this season, with a rebound from the disappointing playoffs it had last year.

With an impressive 11-2-1 (W-L-T) overall record and a 10-match unbeaten streak, the Cowboys are playing with a zealous passion and high aspirations, and are currently first place in District 9-6A with a 5-0-1 record. The program has seen some changes in the formations and tactics with the arrival of the new soccer coach James Balcom.

A rather notable change in the Cowboys’ team is the adoption of the new 3-5-2 formation (three defenders, five midfielders, two forwards) rather than the generic 4-3-3 (four defenders, three midfielders, three forwards) in recent matches. Though the team is still experimenting with the new set up, it plans to make it more permanent.

The 4-3-3 has been a dominant formation in the world of soccer for decades, and is commonly used with many major teams. It has also been a favorite of Coppell boys soccer for the last seven years, the players know it like the back of their hand; but the 3-5-2 formation proposed by Balcom has given the team the results it needs. The team has used the 3-52 in the majority of its matches this season, which is

one of the many reasons behind the Cowboys’ impressive record and unbeaten streak.

“This [3-5-2 formation] kind of utilizes our strengths the best,” Balcom said. “We have some solid defenders in the back, in turn that allows us to push more numbers forward. We want to stay on our toes and be quick, and this formation allows us to do it.”

The 4-3-3 is a more simple formation and is more high-pressing, as a defender it is easier having four defenders instead of just three in 3-5-2. The 4-3-3 works best with teams with more attackers and as it can allow the team to put as many as seven players in an attacking position when in possession. “[The 4-3-3 formation] works alright if we need to drop more people back quickly,” junior goalkeeper Austin Simigian said. “With that formation we can also attack quicker since we have more forwards.

However I think that the 3-5-2 is working better for us right now.”

However, the formation is known to put a lot of pressure on outside wingers due to the absence of the fourth defender behind them providing cover.

It requires wingers to maintain a constant balance on both sides of the field often making them sprint between defending and attacking plays throughout the match, therefore tiring them out faster than other players.

“We have asked our outside wingers to be up and back, we need them to be running towards the back when we lose the ball but also be up top with speed when we have possession,” Balcom said. “Where we do have an advantage is having a roster of 28 guys, so we have been subbing players every 10 to 15 minutes to keep the legs fresh on the field.”

At the same time, the 3-5-2 formation features more midfielders, which allow the center defensive midfielder and others to at times join the defense during counterattacks, and also allows for plays to open up due to the more options players have on field. The 3-5-2 is a conservative formation dictating possession, allowing offensive players to make more runs, yet it needs a strong back three to keep the defense strong. “[The 3-5-2 formation] plays out really nicely,” senior captain center back George Ackling said.

“We have a lot of attacking players, so coach is trying to play as many of those attacking players as he can, the 3-5-2 really clogs up the midfield and lets you dictate possession.”

The team continues to use both formations, switching between them depending on the opponent and the situation of a match.

“As a defender, I like the 4-3-3 more because I’m more used to the traditional four in the back,” Ackling said.

Hassman’s success altered by ankle injury written by Nicholas Pranske Staff Writer @nick_pranske8 Coming from the Pennsylvania high school from which Kobe Bryant graduated can give you quite the expectations when moving to a new place. Every day, Coppell High School freshman Chloe Hassman tries to live up to those expectations, and beyond.

The freshman varsity basketball player and cross country runner immediately impressed her coaches from the start.

“I’ve been so excited to play [Hassman] this year,” girls’ basketball coach Kristen Davis said. “Even as a freshman, she’s been such a leader on the court.”

Hassman moved to Coppell in late July from her town just outside of Philadelphia, where she played basketball and ran cross country. When she first arrived in Coppell, the first thing she did was acclimate to the style of play in her two sports.

“The way people play [basketball] in Coppell is very different than in Pennsylvania. In general on the east coast, the girls are more fundamentally

sound... but here, everyone is very aggressive and fast-paced,” Hassman said.“But I can handle it.”

This is the subtle confidence that Hassman portrays in her everyday conversation, as well as on the court, track or any other ground for competition.

Although only in her first year of high school, Hassman has gone to the state cross country meet and started in many of her basketball games.

However, after the regional cross country meet at Coppell, Hassman felt a pain in her left ankle.

“I got an x-ray, but they said it was fine, that it was just inflammation,” Hassman said. “So I was careful on it and I went to the trainer every day, but it still hurt. I eventually got an MRI on it and found out that it was a stress fracture. I was out for a couple of weeks and it got better. It was really hard because it wasn’t the same afterwards. I ran at the state meet, but I didn’t run well.”

Hassman placed 92 out of 150 runners and placed fourth out of Coppell’s 7 runners who qualified.

A small injury like a stress fracture in her ankle won’t stop her from continuing her success throughout the next three years of her high school career.

photo by Varsha Kanneganti Coppell High School freshman Chloe Hassman puts on a strong offensive front against the Lake Highlands on Feb.9.

Hassman is currently a part of the varsity basketball team and is also a cross country runner.

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the sidekick

march 2018

PUSHING FOR PROGRESS

Sports harassment, assault continues to confuse through blurred consequences

written by Reid Valentine Staff Writer @reidv9 Sexual harassment or assault, along with domestic violence are, always have been and always will be wrong.

There is no excuse for committing these crimes, yet the fact of the matter is both of these heinous offenses happen every day and affect everyone.

There are few platforms bigger than college or professional sports in America, and the fact is these athletes are humans. They make mistakes, yet contrary to an average citizen being accused of misconduct, these cases get national coverage and suddenly the players are featured in headlines due to accusations about the ill-advised choices in question.

In the past few years, the news seemingly always has at least one sto-

ry about an athlete that has recently gotten into trouble. Along with these stories come questions about just how institutions such as the NFL, NCAA and MLB respond to these cases.

The NFL, the pinnacle of American sports, is constantly in the spotlight for dealing with misconduct cases. To go with the countless cases, it seems that the league just cannot get a grasp on what to do with these players. What I do believe is that doing something is better than doing nothing.

Until recent years, athletes along with those in power have been able to get away with crimes that would put the average man behind bars or at least leave them unemployed, but with more and more women coming forward and identifying everyone from athletes to media members to political figures, the rules for how to deal with these scenarios are still being written.

In our culture, when someone does something wrong there is usually a set process with very specific rules on how to solve the issue. Sexual misconduct by nature is far more complex than stealing or speeding.

The argument for a baseline penalty seems good until you delve deeper

into the topic. For example, aforementioned Elliott and Rice are two key examples of NFL suspensions that just do not make sense.

In Elliott’s case, there was evidence of misconduct yet neither law enforcement nor the NFL’s special investigators could come away with a firm decision, yet it led to a six-game suspension.

On the other end of the spectrum, Rice was suspended two games by the NFL after assaulting his then-fiancée Janay Palmer. When the video of the altercation was released to the public, it was obvious the punishment did not fit the crime, leading to a media field

day and cries out from the public, which eventually led to Rice’s indefinite suspension (which was lifted just months after the incident).

Two assault cases, two different responses from the league. It seems there will never be a baseline for how to deal with these cases, leading to question marks every single time an issue arises.

There is no clear cut answer, and this will never cease to be a problem.

But at least something is being done.

Now that the discussion has started, we must take action and push for progress, because words can only do so much.

Number of NFL player arrests

Number of arrests

(including but not limited to DUI, domestic violence, assault, obstruction and drugs)

Year (2000-2017) Source USA Today

photo by Laura Amador-Toro Sexual assault, abuse, and harassment cases have recently been brought to light by the #MeToo movement, encouraging women in sports, Hollywood and the workplace to speak up. In Coppell, the number of reported sexual assault cases has only fluctuated slightly and remained low, ranging from one to nine cases per year.

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Toy receives scholarship to Washington written by Anika Arutla Staff Writer @AnikaArutla Coppell High School senior Kendal Toy thrives on competition. Toy was only 3 when she began gymnastics and 15 years later, she is a verbal commit and plans to officially sign on April 11 to the University of Washington.

“Kendal’s passion for gymnastics started in preschool, when she would practice the skills and conditioning she learned in class, easily doubling the time she spent in the gym,” Linus Toy, Kendal’s father, said.

Toy verbally committed in 2014, at the end of her freshman year and received a full scholarship offer. She is a level 10, which is the highest level of gymnastics in the junior gymnastics program in the US, gymnast at Metroplex Gymnastics in Allen and she spends around 22 hours a week practicing.

“My favorite part about gymnastics is the competition. Even though, I compete all four events, I usually do well on beam but it used to make me the most nervous,” Toy said.

Toy credits her success to her coaches, parents and older sister

Carena, who graduated in 2016 and is a former gymnast.

Toy suffered from two knee injuries throughout her gymnastics career including a torn meniscus on the left knee and a torn acl on the right knee.

However, she did not let them dull her passion for gymnastics.

“She is dedicated to gymnastics and maximizing her potential in the sport,” Toy’s coach Marnie Futch said.

“She has battled several major injuries over the past couple of years and has worked extremely hard to overcome them and come back stronger each time. Just one major injury can be a real test of perseverance for any athlete.”

In her 15 years of gymnastics, Toy has grown not only as a gymnast but also as a person.

“On a sports level, Kendal has learned to dig deep and grow, by overcoming fears, learning and mastering new skills, or returning from injury,” Mr. Toy said. “Outside the gym, she has learned to overcome adversity and grown more empathy and sympathy for people in challenging situations.”

Another drive for Toy is the support her teammates and overall team gives her from encouraging her to holding

her up when things have looked down.

“Kendal really loves the team aspect of gymnastics,” teammate Abby Brenner said. “Your team is always there

to help support you and motivate you and I think that really helps drive her.

She has teammates that help push her to be better every day.”

photos by Karis Thomas Coppell High School senior Kendal Toy smiles after successfully completing her gymnastics routine during her practice on Feb.14 at Metroplex Gymnastics. Toy committed to the University of Washington in 2014 and received a full scholarship.

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Humans of CHS

Roberta Ponce, sophomore “Two months ago I moved to Dallas from Monterrey, Mexico. My mom and my brother still live there, which makes me miss them a whole lot. I came to United States for the education, to learn English, but mostly to rebuild the relationship with my dad that was broken many years ago when we stopped living together.

I like it here, it’s fascinating meeting all this new people. I’m just glad to be here even when I miss my country. I’m a strong woman, so I’m sure I’ll adjust to what I haven’t already [and] eventually enjoy the company of people extremely different than me.”

march 2018