Volume 31 Issue 1

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

OCTOBER 2019

60 YEARS

MORE THAN HALF A CENTURY OF GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT IN A CUTTING-EDGE DISTRICT Story by Nick Pranske

VOLUME 31 • ISSUE 1

Photo by Charlotte Vanyo

W H AT ’ S I N S I D E

WHAT YOU MISSED

PG. 3

N E W S Get in touch with all the changes CISD is making this year. Along with recent renovations, new APs and iPads have come to the high school.

THE SHU FITS

PG. 21

S P O R T S Senior Kevin Shuman steps in as Coppell football’s new quarterback after moving from Dallas Jesuit last spring.

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OCTOBER

NEWS

Faces of CISD: Sid Grant

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

According to my parents, I am very predictable.

I groan about the unbearable Texas heat each time I burn my hand on the car seat belt buckle. I sigh dramatically every Sunday evening because “I don’t want to go to school tomorrow.” I stress every day about what will happen to me if I don’t end up at one of my dream colleges, especially because all but one of them are out of state - and not unintentionally.

My parents assume I dislike Coppell, and I don’t blame them. It does seem like I am in a rush to leave.

But really, I do love it here: the nature trails at Andy Brown and Wagon Wheel Parks the alfredo pizza at Palio’s, the pulled pork at Hard Eight BBQ, the giant cinnamon rolls at Local Diner. I love my friends and teachers and the community members I have met over the years. I am beyond fortunate to have called this place home all my life.

Admittedly, after 17 years of living in the same city, I am ready for a change of scenery. Still, as I anticipate my future, the inevitable senior year nostalgia has set in. It will be strange to not look out my window and see the lone sweetgum tree standing commandingly in my backyard, to not stroll past Taylor’s Garden on my walks, to not stare up at the model solar system hanging from the ceiling in my room every night before I fall asleep.

My goal this year is simple: to explore the nature trails I have not yet explored, to befriend the people I have not yet befriended, to order meals I have not yet ordered at restaurants I have not yet visited. I want to make the most of my time left in Coppell and share my love for this town through my work in The Sidekick.

I am incredibly excited for the next phase of my life, a phase that will likely take me hundreds of miles from Coppell. But as graduation draws nearer, trailed by an uncertain future, I don’t mind staying here just a little while longer.

Anthony Cesario EDITOR- IN-CHIEF

Faces of CISD is a Sidekick series in which executive news/enterprise editor Pramika Kadari profiles an influential member of Coppell ISD to commemorate the district’s 60-year anniversary.

Coppell ISD associate superintendent Sid Grant has worked in the school district for 23 years. Grant started working as an associate principal at Coppell Middle School North in 1997 and now works with numerous departments including construction, bus transportation and child nutrition. Photo by Mari Pletta Coppell ISD associate superintendent Sid Grant has worked in the district for 23 years, starting as an assistant principal at Coppell Middle School North in 1997 and eventually rising in the district to his current position. As associate superintendent, he works with numerous departments including construction, bus transportation and child nutrition.

What do you do day-to-day in your job?

I spend a lot of my time working ensuring the bond projects are being completed on time and within budget and overseeing my various departments. [I also] work closely with [CISD Superintendent Brad Hunt] to help him run the school district.

Did you always plan on spending your career in education?

Actually, I did not. My family grew up in the retail supermarket business, so that’s what I always thought I would be doing, working in the supermarket business. In the early 90s we had an opportunity to sell our business, and when we did that, then I wanted to start giving back.

So I went back to school and got certified to teach. The rest is history.

What made you stick with CISD? I’ve really enjoyed the camaraderie and the family feel of the school district; I made a lot of good friends along the way. While I’ve had offers to go to other school districts, to me this is my home. And I have no desire to go to a different school district.

Who are some of the people you most respect in CISD? There are so many, the danger is leaving someone out. Of course, our leader, Mr. Brad Hunt. [And] of course, our board of trustees. We have a true student-driven board of trustees. They truly want to do what’s best for the student. [Also], our wonderful educators and staff members.

We have a lot of excellent employees in this school district, and that doesn’t happen by accident. CISD is a place where not only families want their students to learn, but also it’s a place where people want to work.

How has CISD grown in your 23 years?

We’re currently at about 13,100 students. It had around 5,000 students when I came in 1997. In the future, as far as student growth, we’re basically a landlocked community,

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so there’s not a lot of room for additional housing, but we’re likely grow to 15-16,000 total students. Speaking from a different standpoint, we strive to keep growing and adapting to the changing needs of society.

What are the best aspects of CISD? It’s our vision and our goals for ensuring the great success for all students, to help all students become lifelong learners, and prepare them for whatever comes after high school, whether it be college, or their career. We want to best prepare our students for life after CISD. What does the 60-year CISD anniversary mean to you?

It’s a great tribute to all the wonderful things and great people from 60 years ago all the way to the present.

What we have today is a culmination of all the wonderful things the people prior to me have done over the years, and it’s a tribute to the great families, the way the community supports us, the way our parents support us. We keep getting better at what we’re doing.

PRAMIKA ‘20 can be reached at psk7733@g.coppellisd.com

THE SIDEKICK

NEWS

News NEW SCHOOL, NEW DESIGN P. 4

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“It’s really cool to see the stories of the children and the lives that are changed through the meals you pack.” P. 4 ALBRIGHT FEEDS THE HUNGRY P. 4

FORMER RANGERETTE TACKLES COACHING P. 5

New APs lead with experience NEHA DESARAJU STUDENT LIFE EDITOR @nehades_

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his year, Coppell ISD has seen a number of changes to its staff. Chris Gollner and Chase Vaughn are two of the newest additions to Coppell High School administrative team, as well as Aylor Rix, who taught math at CHS before stepping into her role as an assistant principal.

Gollner taught previously as a science teacher at Coppell Middle School East for 12 years and has been an assistant principal at Cottonwood Creek Elementary since 2016. His background in teaching helped him learn to build strong relationships with students.

“I wasn’t the best student myself, so I thought maybe I could use some of the mistakes I learned [from], some things I’ve done, whatever it might be to help the kids who are struggling and might need that extra support,” Gollner said. “I thought, hey, I could work with teachers and share some things I’ve done that have been successful or not successful and pass that on to those educators.”

Vaughn, who started his career teaching at Cop-

pell Middle School North 11 years ago as a coach, hopes to offer a unique perspective from another school district to the administrative team. Vaughn returned from Plano ISD as an AP to take up an administrative role at CHS last year.

“I got into this business because I love kids and teachers and as an administrator, I wanted to build a great relationship with teachers so they build a great relationship with kids,” Vaughn said. “If teachers are happy, the kids are going to be happy. At the very least, I want teachers to like being in the classroom; if [teachers] have a good relationship with an administrator then they are going to like being in the classroom, so the kids are going to like being in the classroom.”

Rix was a math before becoming an AP this year, and says becoming an administrator has helped her grow outside of a classroom.

“People always ask me, ‘how does [being an AP and being a teacher] compare?”

Rix said. “I just don’t think it really compares, it’s just so different. In the classroom, you teach your content. Being an AP is, you have a schedule or a calendar, and things might come up that I just can’t get to. It’s constantly something new.”

With fresh experience as a teacher, Rix has a vital attitude that brings the administrative team together.

“We all come from what our experiences are,” assistant principal Cindi Osborne said. “With Ms. Rix having freshly come from the classroom, she has the perspective of the teacher. She’s most closely come out of the classroom, making sure that we include the teachers [in decisions].”

NEHA ‘21 can be reached at nsd4173@g.coppellisd.com

Coppell High School assistant principals Chris Gollner, Chase Vaughn and Aylor Rix are three new additions to the CHS administrative team this year. Each has had significant experience in education before coming to CHS. Photos by Sydney Rowe

iPads transforming the classroom ANTHONY CESARIO EXECUTIVE EDITOR-INCHIEF @anthonycesario_

For the 2019-20 school year, every Coppell High School student recieved a new iPad and Apple Pencil for educational use. Many schools across the country are incoporating more technology into their classrooms. Graphic by Kaylee Aguilar

Alongside new renovations and a new principal, Coppell High School had another significant change this year: a new iPad air, along with a case, keyboard and Apple Pencil for each student. For CHS and CHS9 parents and guardians, this comes with a new $25 annual device fee.

This year, students are allowed to bring their personal devices to school, but must bring their new iPads to school each day, as teachers are planning lessons and activities based on the iPads’ applications, such as Notability and Keynote.

“Everything’s going to be so much more accessible to students [with these iPads],” CHS astronomy teacher Angela Barnes said. “We’ll be creating iBooks, we’ll be making iMovies. I’m trying to revamp astronomy so it’s all iPad-based, and we’re going to be doing a lot of creat-

Twitter: @CHSCampusNews

ing and sharing, and I’m excited.”

Barnes, who takes pride in being recognized as an Apple Distinguished Educator (ADE), feels the new iPads have not only been beneficial to her lesson plans, but also that they were a necessary upgrade.

“A couple years ago, the first thing we were going to do [in class was] use the Clips app to share something about ourselves with the class, [but] Clips didn’t work with [my students’] iPads because they didn’t have the latest software updates,” Barnes said.

The new iPads coincide with several new CHS technology rules. Students are not allowed to take phones into the hallway during class, and some teachers are prohibiting the use of phones entirely in their classes. Additionally, online assessments must be taken on the iPads only.

“When you’re allowed to bring your own device and take online assessments on your cell phone or MacBook, there are so many ways you can backdoor access things, take screenshots of things and do things like that,” CHS associate principal Melissa Arnold said. “With the new iPad system, we’re able to mirror, we’re able to see everything that you all are doing, which will allow you to not go through backdoor channels to cheat.”

Instagram: thesidekickcoppell

Though McGilvray has not yet received much feedback on the iPads, students have shown both positive and negative reactions towards the upgrade.

“I like the new iPads because they come with a keyboard, and the touchscreen and the Apple Pencil is really nice, so it’s kind of like a smaller version of my laptop,” CHS senior Advaita Chaudhari said. “[However,] the iPad is ridiculously censored ... there’s so many apps I need to download that the school doesn’t pay for that I’m willing to pay for [and] I can’t get on Manager.”

Throughout the 2019-200 school year,w the focus at CHS will be encouraging students to utilize the new iPads to enhance their experience at school.

“There’s power in everyone having the same device, which is the case now,” CISD director of technical services Todd Sissom said. “That will enable the teachers, as they engage and adopt the ideal that everyone has the same device, to deliver content and teach and deliver instruction in ways that maybe they had not been able to [before].”

ANTHONY ‘20 can be reached at avc5954@g.coppellisd.com

Facebook: Sidekick Online

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OCTOBER

NEWS

Canyon Ranch gives glimpse at new era of teaching

On Sept. 18, Canyon Ranch Elementary Principal Ashley Minton cuts the red ribbon to commemorate the offical opening of the school. CRE includes various open spaces for students to collaborate with one another. Photos by Nishant Medicharla NISHANT MEDICHARLA BUSINESS MANAGER @Nishantnm1 On Sept. 18, Canyon Ranch Elementary hosted its grand opening to officially commemorate the beginning of the 11th Coppell ISD elementary school.

CRE is the result of the 2016 Bond package and is a solution to combat the overpopulation issue happening

“Where you learn, where you live, impacts what you learn.”

LEIGH WALKER Coppell ISD trustee

throughout CISD schools.

The new elementary school consists of students formerly from Valley Ranch, Lakeside, Mockingbird and Richard J. Lee elementaries.

From its design to its core curriculum, CRE differs from the traditional elementary school.

Like Lee Elementary, built in 2014, CRE implemented the “house system” as one of its integral systems.

But CRE is taking a different approach to this system.

At CRE, one house consists of two third grade classes, two fourth grade classes and two fifth grade classes, allowing more compatibility and collaboration between grade levels.

Lower houses include kindergarten, first and second grade classes.

“That vertical system allows [students] to build community, build relationships, [have] mentor opportunities,” CRE Principal Ashley Minton said. “[Teachers] can plan [the curriculum] vertically and meet the kids needs.”

Many teachers enjoy the benefits of the house system.

“We can come together to do things like community circles [and]

relationship building with everybody in the house system,” CRE fifth grade teacher Julie Bowles said.

While much thought was put into an effective way of teaching, the school’s design is shaped to be instrumental to a student’s success.

“We realized as an educational community, where you learn, where you live, impacts what you learn,” CISD board of trustees member Leigh Walker said. “That’s different from what people thought 50 years ago in education. It was much more utilitarian. Now it’s like, what is the best place for these kids’ souls?”

To answer these questions, the school is designed where certain rooms correlate with certain moods and emotions.

The library is painted in a blue tone in order to elicit moods of relaxation while the houses and learning areas are painted with warm colors such as orange and yellow to stimulate brain activity. Brain research was conducted in deciding what colors to put where.

“The design team that worked on this picked a theme that inspired the color scheme in our building,” Minton said. “You’ll see oranges, blues, greens

and grays, and that represents Earth, wind, fire, water, and the natural elements.”

To accompany these choices of color, natural light is also prioritized, giving views of the Valley Ranch area to students.

The school’s open spaces foster collaboration, creativity and a sense of learning together amongst its students.

CRE contains an interior courtyard where students can go outside but is fully enclosed within the premises of the school.

“My favorite thing about Canyon Ranch is probably the library because I’ve never seen a library that cool,” CRE fifth grader Bianca Podval said.

“Especially with the domes in the wall and the great variety of books we have.”

With years of planning and months of construction, the CRE community is more than ready to create a foundation of learning for generations to come.

“It’s been fun to see it come to life, but I am excited for us to get to see the learning that takes place now,” Minton said.

NISHANT ‘20 can be reached at nxm6285@g.coppellisd.com

Coppell 1 Million Meals raises more than $25K for the destitute L A A S YA A C H A N TA STAFF WRITER @LaasyaPA Going from door to door to more than 50 local businesses, Coppell High School senior and Coppell 1 Million Meals founder Luke Albright and fellow board members hoped to attain a sponsorship for their organization.

Their determination proved to be fruitful as 17 corporations sponsored the organization and contributed about $10,600 toward the fundraiser.

Coppell 1 Million Meals is a student-run organization that partners with the non-profit organization, Feed My Starving Children (FMSC). Every year, Coppell 1 Million Meals plans on raising more than $24,000 to host a local pack, in which students help pack 100,000 meals at CHS. “It was pretty incredible to see how the FMSC took ahold of Luke and became his passion,” Julie Albright, Luke’s mother, said. “Every parent hopes their child finds a passion or purpose, and this has really become one for Luke.”

On Aug. 24, during the organization’s

Volunteers help pack meals on Aug. 24 in the Coppell High School large gym. Coppell 1 Million Meals is a student-led organization that plans on packing 100,000 meals every year to pack one million meals over the course of 10 years. Photo courtesy Coppell 1 Million Meals first fundraiser of the year, Coppell 1 Million Meals packed 101,088 meals.

Luke previously volunteered for FMSC multiple times through the Young Men’s Service League (YMSL).

What attracted Luke to FMSC was seeing the number of lives he impacts by helping pack the meals.

“It’s really cool to see the stories

of the children and the lives that are changed through the meals you pack,” Luke said.

After noticing a number of private schools hosting fundraisers for FMSC, Luke wanted to bring FMSC to Coppell.

“I knew the administration and everyone at CISD would love this

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event,” Luke said. “There would be so many people willing to help us along the way.”

After corporate sponsorships, individual donations and T-shirt sales, Coppell 1 Million Meals has raised more than $25,000 – exceeding its goal. The extra money collected this year will be used to fund next year’s local pack.

“The things kids do at CHS are so incredible; what I witnessed here, it just took it to the next level,” Mrs. Albright said. “Luke was so fortunate to have a strong team around him to help balance the workload – especially the logistics of the event.”

Current board members include CHS seniors Roma Mazumdar, Christian Liu, Nicholas Pranske (who is The Sidekick’s executive copy and design editor), Kate Harris, Vitto Zanelli, Sebastien Royer and Justin Kline as well as CHS sophomore James Stevens.

Stevens is set to take over the organization next year.

LAASYA ‘20 can be reached at lpa7712@g.coppellisd.com

THE SIDEKICK

NEWS

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THE BEAT FROM CHS9

Q&A with Koontz: Campus implements smoother transportation system, pep rallies in second year SHIVI SHARMA CHS9 EDITOR @_shivisharma_

How has the beginning of the school year been?

CHS9 Principal Cody Koontz introduces himself to parents during Curriculum Night on Sept. 3. The campus is looking to enforce smoother policies in its second year. Photo by Shivi Sharma

limited by teachers or by space. We’ve tried to expand some of those options a little bit and partner with the [Coppell High School] to meet those needs.

Another lesson I’ve learned personally is that the time for administrative tasks will always be there, whether it’s before school or after school, [but] the time with our kids is limited.

Our biggest challenges have been related to transportation. We have almost 100 more students this year than we did last year, and that means more buses and more routes. When you factor in the new C day schedule, every minute you’re late cuts into an already short class period. We’ve [also] had some problems with the end of day shuttles, because [they] tried to pick up at the south side of our building, but it hadn’t been able to fight through the parent traffic. We’ve changed that to pick up in the back, where the other buses pick up. Once the bus routes clean up, we’ll be able to fully implement it.

For this year, we’re going to shoot for having [pep rallies] at the same time and on the same days as CHS. For the first time, we have a freshman cheer squad.

We can host pep rallies independently, and we did that last year, just a couple of times, and realized how well it went.

This year we’re going to shoot for two or three in the fall, at least one that covers the spring and winter; then we’ll see how it goes, and we may do one more.

What is your biggest concern for the 2019-20 school year?

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

What are the main events you have planned this year?

There are other schools in the area that have ninth grade campuses, but they’re right next door to each other.

We don’t have that luxury, being located farther away from the main campus.

That has caused a lot of concern in the sense that we have an interest in certain classes, and we can’t always allow a certain number of seats because we’re

WANT MORE? Visit Coppell Student Media to see the full Q&A with CHS9 Princpal Cody Koontz.

Alumna utilizes experience as Rangerette to lead Silver Stars L A A S YA A C H A N TA STAFF WRITER @LaasyaPA As a member of the Coppell High School class of 2003, CHS9 Dance/ PE teacher Hillary Clark found herself exiting CHS on track to Kilgore College where she had the opportunity to become a Kilgore Rangerette. Sixteen years later, she is back home coaching the CHS9 JV drill team, the Silver Stars.

The journey towards dancing in a drill team started at Coppell House of Dance where Clark trained in jazz, ballet, hip-hop, pointe and lyrical.

“I’ve been dancing my entire life,” Clark said. “I was a Lariette, and growing up in the studio and being involved in the high school drill team has really helped me grow my passion for dance. I also danced and got my degree in college so I thought what better way to get into education and share that passion with others.”

During college, Clark’s enthusiasm for dance, especially the drill team, grew as she was a member of the world renowned Kilgore Rangerettes, a two year collegiate drill team.

“The experience of being on the Rangerettes is not like any other,”

Clark said. “The things you learn being a part of a collegiate drill team specifically Rangerettes is how to work as a team and discipline. There are a lot of rules we have of things we can’t do. For instance, we can’t talk as freshmen and we can’t adjust ourselves.

We do it so that we can learn to be a good Rangerette. It lets us develop our listening skills and problem solve. In a way, it’s like the military- they take all of what is normal to you away and they slowly give it back.”

Additionally, Clark enjoyed traveling with the Rangerettes to different competitions and events.

“We get to travel to really cool places and perform for well known people,” Clark said. “The most memorable moment I had was performing at Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade.”

Through her experience as a Rangerette and graduating from Texas Woman’s University with a degree in Dance, as well as her previous job as the drill team coach for Fossil Ridge High School, Clark has learned how to be a good director.

“All of my experiences bring different things to the table to allow me to run the Silver Stars to the best that they can be,” Clark said.

“Rangerettes brings discipline, high school team brings familiarity to what

Twitter: @CHSCampusNews

CHS9 dance and physical education teacher Hillary Clark conducts a team building activity with freshmen Lizzie Borchgardt, Annabelle Peterman, Mariana Delgadillo and Lucy Marz. Clark is the new Silver Stars coach and PE teacher at CHS9. Photo by Neveah Jones we are doing and TWU helped a lot with understanding the body and how it works.”

Clark notes that since her time at CHS, the drill team is continuously evolving.

“Back when I was on the drill team, everything was very much about precision,” Clark said. “It was a big deal to be in sync and the movement was not as difficult. Additionally, everyone performed the same style such as military, pom, hoops, jazz, lyrical and

Instagram: thesidekickcoppell

modern. Now, the drill team has evolved to be more technically-based genre. Although the team is trying to keep the integrity to the precision alive, we have to conform with the level of technique that the dancers are bringing to the table nowadays.”

Clark looks forward to the upcoming school year and the Silver Star competitions in February.

LAASYA ‘20 can be reached at lpa7712@g.coppellisd.com

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OCTOBER

THE SIDEKICK VIEW

2019-2020

Staff

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP CHASE WOFFORD Staff Adviser ANTHONY CESARIO Editor-in-Chief PRAMIKA KADARI News and Enterprise Editor NICK PRANSKE Copy and Design Editor CLAIRE CLEMENTS Editorial Page Editor SALLY PARAMPOTTIL Sports Editor EDITORIAL LEADERSHIP KAREN LU Daily News Editor SHIVI SHARMA CHS9 Editor NEHA DESARAJU Student Life Editor SHRAVYA MAHESH Entertainment Editor CHARLOTTE VANYO Visual Media Editor NISHANT MEDICHARLA Business Manager ANIKA ARUTLA Social Media Manager ANDRÉS BEAR CSM Web Producer WRITERS Akansha Singh Akhila Gunturu Akif Abidi Alishba Javaid Angela Yuan Anjali Krishna Anvitha Reddy Arman Merchant Avani Kashyap Arman Merchant Camila Villarreal Christie Hernandez Emma Meehan Jillian Moore Joanne Kim

Laasya Achanta Meer Mahfuz Nanette Pottoore Nicolas Reyes Rithik Chennupati Ryan Dyke Sapna Amin Sarah Habib Sarah Woo Shreya Beldona Sreeja Mudumby Sydney Rowe Tracy Tran Trisha Atluri Victoria Hertel

PHOTOGRAPHERS Anthony Onalaja Ava Mora Blanche Harris Camden Southwick Camila Flores-Sanchez Elaina Hair Kamran Redden Kyah Jones

Lilly Gorman Liza Martinez Mari Pletta Neveah Jones Sneha Sash Yasemin Ragland Yash Ravula

DESIGNERS Bella Mora Kaylee Aguilar Precious Onalaja

STAFF EDITORIAL

Changing climate requires first step Our climate is changing due to human activity. But which activities are most responsible for this change?

Some environmentalists advocate for individually using less plastic, especially single-use plastics such as straws and water bottles, and encourage people to use reusable materials instead. However, it is not waste from an average person that should be a primary cause of worry. The best we can do in our daily lives—saving water, recycling and reusing materials and decreasing waste—will not be enough to make real change in the environment.

Real change must come from the entities directly responsible for the rapidly worsening environment— the large corporations, such as ExxonMobil and CocaCola, that are virtually unchecked when it comes to environmental protection.

It is important for individuals to make sustainable lifestyle choices, such as mindful use of water, recycling plastics and paper and repurposing clothing. However, eliminating one straw, two or even a hundred will not make a substantial difference to the environment.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, eight million metric tons of plastic are dumped into oceans every day. Most of this waste has been out of our hands since it was produced; we have no power over where this waste will end up. While a few people can stop using plastic straws, it does not stop companies from producing them.

These companies have continued their processes for decades now because that is what makes them the most money. As they still make profits by using the cheapest materials and methods of disposal as possible, they will continue adding harmful materials to the environment.

These companies are not being held accountable for the damage they instigate.

It is the individuals who are most impacted by these actions, and it is now their responsibility to advocate change. This change starts with one person but expands much beyond individual reach.

Checking companies involves voting and making public opinions heard. Public policy will do the most in regulating the amount of waste a corporation can produce. Involving the government would also involve federal investigations into company practices, something an average person cannot do. Those who care about the environment should educate themselves on the candidates and their positions on protecting the environment for

Ryan Kim Samantha Freeman Shriya Vanparia

THE SIDEKICK is the official student newspaper for Coppell High School. Its purpose is to inform, entertain and provide an educational resource for its readers. This newspaper is a public forum for student expression, with staff members (with assistance from their adviser) making content decisions. The editorials and columns in this paper reflect the view of their writers.

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

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

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

C O N TA C T U S (214) 496 6239 / cwofford@coppellisd.com 185 W. Parkway Blvd. Coppell, TX 75019

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future generations before casting their vote.

Even without much regulation, many corporations are already making an effort to better their practices. Setting goals for reform, sustainable growth and environmentally conscious education are all ways to allow the public and companies to work together to make an impact. One supermarket chain in the United Kingdom, Waitrose, aims to eliminate all plastic in their stores by 2023 and the San Francisco International Airport has banned plastic water bottles in response to public concerns.

Coppell ISD has fitted new schools with technology to help decrease the waste the district produces and sets a great example of how a larger organization can take into account the environment in new practices. Another important aspect of public environmental service is education—the City of Coppell holds environmental education classes at the Biodiversity Education Center in an effort to show community members how they can decrease waste in their own homes. All of this is a direct collaboration between public, legal and organization effort.

It is important to note this is a response to public interest; the members of Coppell elected officials on school and council boards who want to see Coppell lessen environmental impact, so these officials put in the effort in designing better schools and setting up ways for the public to participate.

Coppell still has a ways to go in terms of environmental goals, but working with the public is a good start. For a member of the public, instead of simply encouraging others to be more environmentally friendly in their own lifestyles, urging officials to drive legislation that guides companies to being more transparent and clean with their processes is a more actionable goal.

This is not just Coppell—this is Dallas and many other cities across the United States. With the increasing attention to the climate, more companies must follow suit, but little change will occur without public voice.

GOT SOMETHING TO SHARE? We are always happy to accept tips and guest columns. Email cwofford@coppellisd.com with your suggestions, feedback, stories or letters to our editors. We’re all ears!

THE SIDEKICK

OPINIONS “We’ll never be enough.”

Opinions LIES IN THE COLLEGE RACE P. 8

7

CLAIRE CLEMENTS P. 9

WATER ISSUES INSPIRES APPRECIATION P. 8

FINDING IDENTITY IN NEW PLACES P. 9

SHOOTING STATS Based on socio-economic status, the United States should have

0.46 deaths per 100,000 people per year.

Instead, the U.S. has

Two mass shootings within a span of 24 hours on Aug. 3-4 left 31 people dead in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio. The Sidekick staff writer Nicolas Reyes argues America has a mass shooting epidemic that is being pushed under the rug. Graphic by Nicolas Reyes

Dear America:

A message from a citizen who mourns once more NICOLAS REYES STAFF WRITER @nico_reyes19

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ear America, Your loved ones are dying.

Six months ago I concluded my article on the anniversary of the Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. shooting, “Remembering Parkland”, with the line, “I refuse to write from this same position next year.”

Now I write from the same position I longed not to take; not a year later, but six months later. I write from the position of a mourner frustrated with the state of our union. El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio are the latest to flash the headlines and will be the latest to be forgotten.

Your loved ones are dying.

America, I do not know how to convey the simple truth that your people have a responsibility to care for one another. Not all of your people are attending funerals.

Not every one of your ethnicities is being accused of “invading” the country in a shooter’s manifesto.

But all of your people should care because, America, your loved ones are dying.

Many of your people pray but do no more. Praying is easy. Erasing hatred requires more. Changing legislation requires more. You must hold your people

to the standard that lays at the feet of Lady check,” I cannot write this again.

Liberty.

America speaks many languages. Yet Your people vote, not enough though. as a Hispanic, I fear the rhetoric of your Few of your people raise their voices. people; my brothers and sisters in El Your people cease Paso tremble at the to remember the sound of their mothvictims when their er tongue. Being in names are no lonschools, churches, ger solemnly stattheaters and supered on the news. markets are stressYour people ful events for your need to believe people. Now, we feel their lives can be that even our immibetter because no grant pride must be NICOLAS REYES other country has kept in the shadows.

STAFF WRITER the mass shootAmerica, your ing epidemic you loved ones are dying have. Your people and while I often need to believe feel I cannot keep their lives can be doing so, I will conbetter because it was not always this bad; tinue pleading with you every time more hate crimes have risen in numbers for the perish. Sadness and fury make clicking third year in a row. my keys more difficult. Your people canAmerica, your loved ones are dying. not keep dying. Your people cannot keep I have written to you before. I have living in fear. Your “silent majority” canpleaded for gun-control policy more times not keep turning their cheeks and enjoythan I can count. I have given speeches ing their silence. You must stand for so and led walkouts attempting to rally you. I much more. have repeated the same lines to the point Do better, because your loved ones are that they have branded me. dying.

“We cannot have military-grade weapReply urgently, ons in the hands of civilians. We cannot Nicolas Reyes let convicts and spouse-abusers carry arms.

We need red-flag laws. We cannot let guns NICOLAS ‘20 can be reached at be bought without a thorough background nxr7863@g.coppellisd.com

Twitter: @CHSCampusNews

“Praying is easy. Erasing hatred requires more.”

Instagram: thesidekickcoppell

4.43 deaths per 100,000 people per year.

In 2019, the U.S. has had

10,077 gun related deaths.

Since Sandy Hook in 2012, there have been

2,235 mass shootings* in the U.S. *A mass shooting is defined as when four or more are shot/killed in a single event (Gun National Archive) Source: The Washington Post, the National Public Radio (NPR) and VOX

Facebook: Sidekick Online

8

OCTOBER

OPINIONS

Overzealous ambition leading to résumé padding ambitious nature of high school academics at times seeps into the extracurricular side as well, giving birth to a deplorable practice - résumé padding.

Résumé padding can be defined as students lying by overexaggerating their involvement in activities their college résumés, and dipping their feet into as many different waters as possible by committing to many extracurricular activities just for the sake of increasing their chances to get into a good college.

Adopting this mindset ultimately results in a résumé putting a

student’s artificially crafted personality on display, with the only purpose being to AKIF ABIDI STAFF WRITER impress. @akifabidi “To me, [padding] is an internal characteristic.” CHS student counselor Cheryl Abreu said. “That’s who you In recent times, colleges are giving are as a person, it shows no integrity or more weight to a student’s extracurricular character. If you’re willing to pad your activities by looking beyond just test scores résumé, what else are you willing to lie on and GPAs. This, hypothetically, is great, or do to get what you want?” as it allows students to explore the world However, this definition of success is a outside just their textbook and pursue twisted one; your personal happiness and their passions. growth, not your image in front of others, Unfortunately, in competitive is what should be what comes to mind environments not unlike when you think of success. In its essence, Coppell High School, the résumé padding constructs an artificial overly shell, and for students taking part in résumé padding, relying on a mask rather than their real self to get things can become a norm in life.

Clubs are some of the most notorious tools of résumé padding. CHS sees the creation of many new groups at the beginning of the year, but not all of them remain active, essentially becoming dummy clubs.

Though the administration made an effort to ensure clubs stay active by requiring one meeting every two weeks, sometimes the weak enforcement from both the sponsors and the school lets dummy organizations get by.

Résumé padding In recent years, there has been a rise in the number of high school students who participate can also pave the in activities for the sole purpose of helping their college applications. The Sidekick staff way for corruption in writer Akif Abidi explains how obsessing over padding for college applications can be school organizations. harmful to one’s college pursuit. Graphic by Bella Mora

Students who do not possess any passion for a club’s activity sometimes end up as an officer because their friend is the president or because they have all of their friends vote for them in officer elections.

With this competitive, toxic nature in the air, some students feel anxious about not having enough on their résumé and in turn, try to follow suit and end up in the same rabbit hole. This feeling of being left behind is a dreadful, contagious one.

I would be lying if I said I never thought about ways to pad my résumé as an unknowing underclassman who was just trying not to be left behind in the rat race.

Fortunately, I learned that it is best to invest your time in a few different extracurriculars that feel more like a passion rather than just another class. Having a few core activities with depth display a better work ethic and determination than being in 10 unrelated clubs and activities lacking any substance.

In the end, it’s important to remember that though getting into a very prestigious university certainly corresponds to more potential when you search for jobs, other colleges are capable of offering the same potential. What ultimately determines the weight of that potential in any college is no one but you and your work ethic.

Sacrificing your morals and ethics to get into a college brings a detrimental cost because you will know that it was your ability to manipulate, not your achievements and personality, that brought you there.

AKIF ‘20 can be reached at asa2606@g.coppellisd.com

How Chennai’s water crisis taught me gratitude S H R AV YA M A H E S H ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR @shravyamahesh

Vacation.

Since I was a child, I have always related the word with paradise. Whenever I visited India, it always meant fun times and bonding with cousins. However, this summer brought me a starkly different definition of the word.

Truthfully, I was excited to go to India. I would finally see my cousins and relatives after six years. A taste of something different seemed appealing.

However, we landed in Chennai in peak heat season. Temperatures soared to more than 104 degrees. In North India, four senior citizens on a pilgrimage died of heatstroke. We could not step outside without being soaked in sweat and craving water. Even inside, the air conditioning only partially worked. The situation seemed dire, but at least we had water to keep us cool and hydrated.

Until we did not.

Chennai plunged into a water crisis.

In mid-June, it was announced that the four major water reserves were losing water – rapidly. The result of two years of underwhelming monsoon seasons had finally hit.

All at once, restrictions were placed on numerous cities, including where we were visiting in Thyagaraya Nagar. In a

I struggled to accept the situation. I wanted to be back home, chilling by the pool or laughing with my friends under a properly functioning air conditioner.

It felt unfair that I was stuck on the opposite side of the world, suffering for no reason.

One day, my mother and I were shopping when a woman approached us. She pleaded us for money or food.

This woman was one of hundreds in Chennai, begging for assistance. While we had six hours of water and a roof over our heads, the homeless only had a breaking voice and two feet that waddled from person to person, asking the same question. Was it not ungrateful of me, whose situation was temporary, to complain?

Two weeks before we left, it finally rained — not enough to solve the crisis, At Coppell High School, students have free and easy access to water but still something. The way the rain throughout the day. The Sidekick entertainment editor Shravya Mahesh fell felt celebratory, like the heavens visited India over the summer and realized students take their water were crying joyously at the miracle. privileges for granted. Photo by Lilly Gorman It was so different from the rain back home: it was better. preservation attempt, our apartment’s the need for a better solution. The ground We are lucky to have air conditioning. water only ran for three periods: 6 a.m. to had to be drilled to pump groundwater to We are lucky to have a house. We are 8:30 a.m., 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. to the surface. lucky to bathe in clean water. We are 8 p.m. We were forced to adapt our meals Since it was from the ground, the lucky to have rain. Just a 16-hour plane and daily actions around these minuscule water had a brown tinge. It stained the ride away, there is no clean water, no windows. We filled buckets with running buckets and, when stagnant, salt layered at air conditioning, no rain. So perhaps we water for us to wash our hands, flush the the top. Drinking water was separate (for should be grateful for the little things; toilet and wash dishes. hygiene purposes), but extremely costly. even those, we are extremely lucky to have.

Unfortunately, restricting water was a And through it all, the sun still blazed temporary solution. As the water continued through the city, showing its rage onto all SHRAVYA ‘20 can be reached at to run out, the problem worsened, proving that crossed its path. smm8670@g.coppellisd.com

2019

THE SIDEKICK

OPINIONS

9

Facing identity crises as a student who travels EMMA MEEHAN STAFF WRITER @emmameehan_

Coming back to the United States after spending several years out of the country made me feel like a foreigner at home.

As the daughter of diplomats, I frequently moved in and out of the country, struggling with adapting to my own culture and what it really meant to be an American.

I lived in Washington, D.C. multiple times, and yet it hardly felt like home.

I couldn’t call Belgium, France, Colombia or California home, either.

That title would someday be reserved for Texas.

The playing of “The Star-Spangled Banner” before a sporting event is a normal occurrence for most Americans.

The song was unknown to my sisters and I (age 8) when we moved back to the United States from France, resulting in some embarrassing commotion at a Pittsburgh Pirates baseball game.

As the crowd stood for the national anthem, my sisters and I stayed seated, loudly asking my mom a million questions about what was going on. We became the center of attention in our section of the crowd as eyes judgingly darted towards us.

As we all experienced culture shock, moving had a large impact on my relationships with my two older sisters, Sarah and Hannah, bringing us closer together.

“With every move, I felt myself grow closer to my sisters,” said Sarah, who graduated from Coppell High School in May. “I began to appreciate my relationships with family more when

adapting to making new friends in a new city or country.”

Moving taught me the importance of having a good relationship with my family.

My sisters and I were always there for one another when dealing with the struggles of arriving at new schools. They became my best friends and biggest supporters.

“Moving schools can make students feel lonely especially because you feel far from your friends,” CHS senior Jackson Newsum said. “High schoolers have all of their middle and elementary school friends and it makes it harder to find good friends if you change schools when you get older.”

Newsum went to Good Shepherd Episcopal in Dallas for elementary and middle school before transferring into CISD in ninth grade to finish secondary school at CHS. Moving to Del Mar, Calif. my sophomore year, I experienced the difficulties newcomers at American high schools can face. Weeks spent trying to find friends turned into months. Eventually I found the people who would become my best friends but I was not left unchanged.

The struggles I went through in finding my place made me more sympathetic toward what friends as well as strangers are going through.

While moving can be difficult, it can also provide students with new and unique opportunities.

CHS senior Roque Pérez and his family moved to Coppell from Spain when he was 8, helping him develop a unique look on life and his ability to adapt to new cultures without conforming.

“Moving to another country forced me to adapt to a whole new lifestyle,” Pérez said. “My eyes have been opened to a lot

After a childhood of moving through countries and states, The Sidekick staff writer Emma Meehan describes her experiences and how they shaped her into who she is today. Her California license plate is one of the things she took home to Texas to remind her of her time there. Photo by Sydney Rowe of new and different cultures and beliefs... knowledge of different perspectives on life has helped me develop my own unique set of values and beliefs.”

Pérez is thankful for the opportunity he has been given to be completely fluent in two languages, Spanish and English, and plans to return to his home country for college next fall.

Moving gave me the ability to speak Spanish and French, a privilege I realize few Americans hold. I learned to value views and beliefs that differ from mine and was given the chance to learn from them.

Moving to Coppell at 12, I expected to simply go through the motions of adapting

CLAIRE’S CORNER: THE VSC

Executive editorial page editor Claire Clements spills the tea on the latest happenings in the world, ranging from pop culture to politics.

Girls and boys are faced with a double standard for what they can like. The Sidekick executive editorial page editor Claire Clements shares her own experiences of being part of this standard. Photo by Charlotte Vanyo their looks, right? If we like something considered a ‘guy thing’, such as football, it’s only because we have a crush on the football players, right?

Here’s the thing: It doesn’t matter what we like or what we do.

We’ll never be enough.

It’s a double standard- you can’t be considered too feminine, but you can’t be

Twitter: @CHSCampusNews

considered too masculine.

You can’t be basic, but you can’t be too edgy either. It’s the same double standard we see all the time- you can’t be pale, but you can’t be too dark. You can’t be skinny, boys like curves. But you can’t be too curvy, because guys don’t like that.

You can’t be a VSCO girl, guys find that annoying. You can’t be an e-girl,

Instagram: thesidekickcoppell

EMMA ‘20 can be reached at ekm0676@g.coppellisd.com

PHENOMENON

CLAIRE CLEMENTS EXECUTIVE EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR @cclements825

“And I oop!”

This phrase, made popular by drag queen Jasmine Masters, has now become synonymous with making fun of a new phenomenon taking over the internet: VSCO girls.

The memes behind the VSCO girls (girls who are always wearing oversized T-shirts, Puka shell necklaces, scrunchies and carrying Hydroflasks) may just be fun and games. They are joining Internet infamy alongside the Fiat 500 girls, the Tumblr girls, the 14-year-old girls, the E-girls and- oh yeah, basically just about any girl who exists.

Notice a pattern? I do. It’s the fact that if you’re a girl who has any type of interests- whether they are ‘basic’, ‘not like other girls’ or anything in between, you’re shamed for it.

It extends beyond girls who fit into a certain stereotyped group. It’s the diminishing of every interest we have — I’m told the only reason I listen to K-Pop is because of the way the singers look, because I listen to their albums for

to living in another place. Instead, I found a home, a place where my family and I all felt welcomed at school and work. In Coppell, I’ve met the people who have shaped me into who I am today. New students can feel the same here if given the chance and kindness I received.

Welcoming new students at school can have a great impact on their lives. My experience at various schools was shaped by the teachers and friends who made an effort to reach out to the new girl. We can all play a role in establishing a community that receives newcomers with open arms.

guys find that intimidating; guys find this wrong, guys find that annoying. Seeing a pattern?

Oh right, we’re defining girls through guys’ perceptions of them.

I’m not saying all guys are like this; in fact, I don’t know a lot of guys in real life who are this judgemental or are constantly criticizing girls. And while we may be judging girls for their bodies and personalities, it’s not just happening to girls – it happens to boys too.

But we’re living in an age where everything we see on social media and the internet is becoming accepted as truth, so when we see these memes and jokes about the way girls are, it can be incredibly damaging.

We’re creating a society in which being a girl is exhausting because we’re trying to not be whatever they stereotype us as – regardless of our own interests and feelings.

I’m so exhausted of judging myself for being basic because I like Starbucks and oversized T-shirts and Birkenstocks. Why does it matter?

It’s 2019 – it’s time to let girls be girls.

Let the VSCO girls carry their Hydroflasks with friendship bracelets in peace. Let the e-girls put hearts on their faces and dye their hair.

Let girls be girls.

CLAIRE ‘20 can be reached at cec4824@g.coppellisd.com

Facebook: Sidekick Online

10

OCTOBER

STUDENT LIFE

“Without makeup, I would feel empty.

Makeup really helps with confidence.” P. 14

Student Life BEAUTY BUILDING BRAND P. 14

THE SPIRIT OF TWISTED ROOT P. 15

TEACHER OF THE ISSUSE P. 15

buildOn trek to other side of world Opportunity allows CHS students to explore cultural simililarities, differences L A A S YA A C H A N TA STAFF WRITER @LaasyaPA

I

n the arid climate of Ndiob, Senegal, Coppell High School seniors Reina Raj, Shreya Agarwal and Coppell’s buildOn club co-founder Ananya Pagadala wrapped up their construction for the past five days.

Wiping the sweat from their brows, they could not help but smile at the school they started to build and the people they met.

The trip to Senegal gave Pagadala, Agarwal and Raj a chance to not only help build a school, but to broaden their experience with people of different cultures.

“Half of the days were spent building, and the other half of the days were spent interacting with the people in order to learn more about their language and all of their traditions,” CHS senior and cofounder Anjali Satpathy said. “This is very important to understand these people’s way of life.”

Satpathy did not go to Africa, but helped plan the trip and organize the process that allowed for Pagadala, Agarwal and Raj to take the trek to Senegal.

Club members found that Senegal, although vastly different from India, is similar to their own Indian culture in terms of family structure.

“This trip has shown me how similar and different in culture theirs is to my culture, which is a mix of Indian and American culture,” Agarwal said. “The lifestyle at Senegal reminds me of India because there’s a lot of big families living in compounds with the same hierarchy in

Translator Aby Saar and Coppell High School seniors Ananya Pagadala and Shreya Agarwal don traditional Senegalese outfits as they present a closing speech. The buildOn organization raises funds and helps build schools in areas across the world that are in need. Photo courtesy Shreya Agarwal terms of obedience. It was cool how people from completely different continents who’ve never seen each other have almost the exact same ideals.”

Senegal is also unique from any of the countries the club members had previously travelled to.

“I really expected it to be like India because it was the closest quality of life that I experienced but it was very different.

Comparing it to India, it’s definitely not crowded. I was also very surprised to see a lot of sand everywhere,” Pagadala said.

After the initiation of the buildOn club last year, Pagadala and Sathpathy found the club’s success surpassed their expectations. After fundraising money through individual donations, sponsorships, a car wash and a Chipotle partnership, the club raised a total of around $12,000.

Pagadala, Agarwal and Raj raised the minimum $2,000 required for them to have the opportunity to fly to Senegal and see the money they raised to build a school come into fruition.

“At first I was hesitant to join buildOn because I didn’t know if we would be able to actually do anything,” Agarwal said.

“For the first month it was slow, but it picked up during March and April when we started fundraising. When I saw we could raise money quickly, I saw this was a real possibility and was very motivated to actually go to Senegal.”

In mid-July, the CHS chapter of buildOn combined forces with the chapters from Garfield High School in Seattle and Bloomington High School in Indiana to help break ground in Senegal, a process that included digging trenches and laying the foundation for the school. After being greeted by a welcoming ceremony, the students met their host families and prepared for more work that was to come.

“One of the first things I noticed is we’re so sheltered in this Eurocentric society and we believe that third world countries are all baren, basically like the

Graphic by Anthony Cesario

2019

stereotypes,” Agarwal said. “I expected to see basically nothing, but the infrastructure there is amazing. The roads go all the way to the villages, and the houses are made of cement. Of course there are a few standard third world tropes, but I noticed they are well adapted to their environment.”

The worksite comprised of three main stations: digging trenches, making bricks and building the latrine.

“What I like about [this opportunity] is instead of building a school for the community, they work with the community to build a school by using their resources and methods so it’s a sustainable way of education,” Pagadala said.

The community involvement of buildOn is one of the factors that attracted Satpathy and Pagadala to choose this foundation from many other organizations.

The organization has been practicing its mission statement for 28 years and to this date has built 1,500 schools around the world.

“We build with the community just because we really want to make sure the community is the one that owns the property and the process from the very beginning, and they are going to be the ones sending their kids to school,” Aled Hollingworth, buildOn’s Community Engagement Manager said.

LAASYA ‘20 can be reached at lpa7712@g.coppellisd.com.

THE SIDEKICK

STUDENT LIFE

11

Barik, Clark take global, national stages R YA N D Y K E STAFF WRITER @ryandyke13

Coppell High School senior color guard captain Kiran Barik wakes up in the cafeteria of a school in Indianapolis.

Her day begins early, performing for an audience of strangers. Barik is part of the Blue Stars, an international drum corps.

CHS senior Mason Clark gets ready for his first performance, a show being broadcast worldwide for millions to see. Clark walks out into t h e stadium carrying his tuba. Clark is a part of the Blue Coats, another international drum corps.

Over her summer, Barik was given the opportunity to perform with Blue Stars Drum Corps. She journeyed across the country, sleeping in hotels and high school cafeterias.

Over his summer, Clark was given the chance to perform with Blue Coats Drum

Corps. Blue Stars, CHS marching band and Blue Coats are both participants in Drum Corp International.

“In December, I had to go to a oneday-experience camp as my first audition,” Barik said. “[The camp] is where they decide if you get a contract or not, and I got [my contract] right off the bat, which is pretty exciting. In April, I went to Indiana for a weekend, where we got this mini experience of eating, sleeping and doing a full drum corps day. My full season started in May.” To get into drum corps, Barik and Clark went to two auditions, and traveled for three months. “[Barik] works so hard when she is doing color guard,” CHS senior drum major Catherine Yang said. “Color guard is one of the hardest things, [Barik] does it so well. I just knew s h e would do so well in the d r u m corp.”

Barik and Clark’s journey with the drum corps was filled with practices and performances. Barik was alerted to drum corp by CHS band director Gary Miller.

Miller is also one of 50 judges in the United States that rates the drum corps’s performances, Barik and Clark’s included.

Clark planned to go into drum corps for a long time and discussed it with Yang.

“We both have and interest in drum corps and we find it really cool. I knew [Clark] was working towards it.” Yang said. “I just heard about [Clark] getting his contract and preparing for the season.”

Blue Stars, CHS Marching Band and Blue Coats are both participants in Drum Corp International, a competition with teams from all over the world.

Barik is the only CHS student on both teams, and the only h i g h schooler on Blue Stars.

When Clark came home after his summer full of traveling and performing he looked at the world with a new perspective

and experiences.

“Common things such as driving a car, sleeping in a bed and showering alone were things I had never had over the summer.” Clark said. “Spending 24 hours everyday with the same people for 85 days straight, I made some pretty good friends.

Then all of a sudden, I wouldn’t be able to see most of them ever again. That was difficult for me.”

As her summer came to a close and Blue Stars ended, a new Barik came home. This version was emboldened by her passion, experience and hope for the generation of students after her.

“I knew I wanted to join the Blue Stars to push myself, take it to the next level.

Hopefully, I can spread the information and that passion to the kids who are to come after me,” Barik said. “Now that I am a captain, I hope I can express that to those younger than me.”

RYAN ‘21 can be reached at rbd0841@g.coppellisd. com

Coppell High School senior Kiran Barik (center) performs with Blue Stars Drum Corps, performing in front of a live audience at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Aug. 10. The theme is exploration, with Barik’s garb representing mountains being explored. Photo courtesy Kiran Barikw

Ashok pursuing engineering dreams S H R E YA B E L D O N A STAFF WRITER @BeldonaShreya

Coppell High School senior Suprita Ashok participated in programs for NASA in Houston and The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in New York last summer. She is involved in engineering at CHS and hopes to pursue electrical engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign or Texas A&M. What about engineering do you find interesting?

The part that appeals to me is where the world is going. A new way of living is coming up because of technology, and we are on the forefront of that. Everything is becoming technologized, and we are on this new frontier. So, to be an engineer right now – you are pushing through and are going to change the lives of generations of humans.

What happened at NASA Space Center and at The Cooper Union programs that you did not expect?

At Houston, we were separated into teams Alpha, Bravo, Charlie and Delta. We had people cry from all the assignments, but it brought us together.

Through this experience, I never thought I would meet people who were just like me. After just five days, when we were going home, people were in tears; I have never seen that happen, and I’ve never felt that way before.

At Cooper Union, I never thought I would get my hands on a soldering

Twitter: @CHSCampusNews

iron at this age and actually weld electronics together. [I learned] about what I want to do in the future. I was mentored by [teaching assistants] in electrical engineering, [who] told me everything I need to know about college and engineering.

You also currently teach math and reading to kids under age 9 at Kumon.

What has that taught you?

Patience and responsibility.

Before [teaching], I never thought anything I could do could be taken seriously because here at school teachers are here for you [so that you can learn].

But, when you work, you are finally here for someone else.

Someone else

Instagram: thesidekickcoppell

depends on you rather than you depending on them. That sense of responsibility really drives me.

What qualities do you feel that you exhibit that are suited to becoming an engineer?

I wouldn’t say there are any characteristics. If there is something, I’m always ready and willing to learn.

What legacy do you hope to leave on the world as an engineer?

I have a dream that I can make the world better. I can learn something and practice something only to make the world better. Think about the iPhone – it’s just one simple innovation [that] happened to make millions of people’s lives better. I would love to do something like that, to create technology or improve technology to change the game.”

SHREYA ‘21 can be reached at sxb4151@g.coppellisd.com.

Facebook: Sidekick Online

12

OCTOBER

CENTERSPREAD

60 years In

1928, three schools, all within 10 miles of each other, combined into one Coppell Grade School. The seven-room school building housed grades one through eight and stayed like that for nearly four decades.

In 1959, 31 years after the construction of Coppell Grade School and 89 years after the construction of the first Coppell School, Coppell Independent School District was formed.

Even now, 60 years later and about a month after the opening of CISD’s 11th elementary school, Coppell and its school district still uphold the small-town feeling upon which they were founded.

“There was a Coppell school as early as the 1870s,” Coppell Historical Society President Pete Wilson said. “We’ve built up from then, but we will never lose that small-town foundation.”

Wilson is a life-long citizen of Coppell and taught at Coppell High School from 1972 to

CENTERSPREAD

More than half a century of growth and development in a cutting-edge district

2008.

Part of the small-town feel of Coppell comes from its geography. Blocked in from expansion

by Irving, Carrollton, Lewisville and Grapevine, it has no physical room to grow. However, that has not stopped it.

In 1980, there were 743 students enrolled at Coppell ISD. This year, there are 13,110.

Since then, the city of Coppell has not grown in size. The population increase has come primarily from the district’s reputation. However, the concept of being a good school district is not a new benchmark for CISD. “It’s interesting, Coppell schools have always been considered by locals to be heads above what was around them,” Wilson said.

“There wasn’t anything wrong with the schools around them, but for some reason, people always saw Coppell as superior.”

While Coppell ISD’s success as a school district may have been a mystery in the 1920s, the reasons are apparent nowadays. Coppell often takes part in cutting-edge learning and

teaching techniques and programs. One prime example of the latter is the International Baccalaureate (IB) program. While many schools across the country offer it at the high school level, CISD is one of the few to have IB in a primary school: Pinkerton Elementary.

Pinkerton was the first and only primary school in the district to implement inquiry-based learning into its curriculum. Recently, it has adopted the IB Primary Years Program.

This allows for the open-minded academic profile of the previous inquiry-based learning to be expanded to incorporate different aspects and a world-view of subjects of study.

“IB allows the children here at Pinkerton to break out of their little bubble and look at the world as a whole,” said second-grade teacher Ginger Denton, who has taught at Pinkerton for 38 years. “That is what is going to make positive change in the world. Not just looking at ourselves or Coppell, but looking at the whole world.”

Denton has been at Pinkerton since it was

The first official Coppell school, Coppell Grade School, was built in 1928. This laid a foundation for the independent school district to be formed in 1959. Photo courtesy Coppell Historical Society. Photo courtesy Coppell Historical Society.

The most recent school, Canyon Ranch Elementary, opened this year and is the 11th elementary school in Coppell ISD. CRE has an open floor plan and is organized with collaborative spaces in which students can work with each other. Photo by Nishant Medicharla

THE SIDEKICK

the only elementary school in CISD, one year prior to the construction of Richard J. Lee Elementary, currently New Tech High @ Coppell.

Her experience is paralleled by few in the district, as she has seen CISD grow from 791 students in 1981 to more than 13,000.

However, even in a district as big as CISD, people such as Denton can find niche communities. For Denton, that place is Pinkerton.

Seeing as it was built before any of the other elementary schools, Pinkerton has a unique, smaller floor plan. This allows the close-knit environment within the school to uphold, even amongst district growth.

“I’ve had the chance to move to other schools,” Denton said. “But I’ve always chosen to stay here because it does have a very close school community. Even though when we go to district meetings, it feels big, it still feels like the school I began working at 38 years ago.”

However, for many people, the district does not feel the same as it did in the past. Namely, it is not the same as even last year. With the addition of Canyon Ranch Elementary in Valley Ranch, Coppell continues to expand and prosper as a school district.

The majority of previous additions to Coppell ISD were elementary schools laid out in a footprint-shaped layout, in which there are different hallways for each grade. However, Canyon Ranch was designed and constructed in a way more fit for collaboration between classes and grades.

“Our campus is organized into six houses,” Canyon Ranch Principal Ashley Minton said.

“We have a focus on vertical alignment and multi-age collaboration. The physical layout of our building helps with that because there are six classrooms all connected with an open space in the middle.”

The house structure of Canyon Ranch is yet another example of CISD’s efforts to be on the cutting edge of education and technology. However, regardless of the layout of the building or the style of teaching, all campuses in the district are built around the CISD core values. These values, as listed on the Coppell ISD website, are collective engagement, great teaching, authentic relationships and success.

While these values were approved to be official only in June 2018, the principle of them dates back longer than the district itself.

“The formation of the district was just a formality,” Wilson said. “It was the same Coppell before 1959.”

After 60 years of change, growth, adaptation and development in CISD, and going into the next 60, the district always has and will always keep that down-home feeling with which it was created.

STORY BY NICK PRANSKE EXECUTIVE COPY AND DESIGN EDITOR G R A P H I C S B Y K AY L E E A G U I L A R STAFF DESIGNER

CISD

ENROLLMENT OVER TIME

CHS ENROLLMENT IN CISD

SOURCE: COPPELL ISD

13

14

OCTOBER

STUDENT LIFE

Park highlights passion for makeup

Coppell High School junior Jamie Park uses Instagram to display her passion for makeup through her account, @sugarjammi. Park often finds inspiration in other makeup guru’s accounts. Photo by Camila Flores, graphics by Kaylee Aguilar and Shriya Vanparia S H R AV YA M A H E S H ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR @shravyamahesh A dab of blush, a swipe of lipstick, a touch of highlighter. Just 10 minutes and Coppell High School junior Jamie Park is out the door, makeup done and confidence at a high.

To Park, makeup is more than a side hobby or part of a daily routine.

It is a passion and an important form of self-expression. Park runs a makeup Instagram account, @sugarjammi, with more than 18,000 followers.

“For me, [makeup] is a way to represent myself,” Park said. “Without makeup, I would feel empty. Makeup really helps with confidence. It is something that’s unique about me.”

Park’s experience with makeup began in sixth grade at Coppell Middle School North, when her mother, Jin Park, first bought her makeup products. As time passed, her collection grew, allowing her to experiment with

styles and brands to improve her skills and see what fit her best.

“Once I started getting my own [makeup], I had [resources] to experiment,” Park said. “With practice, I’ve definitely gotten [better at] harder parts of makeup, like eyeliner and doing my eyebrows.”

Before long, Park became her friends’ designated makeup artist. They ask her to do their makeup for major events such as prom and homecoming.

Sophomore year, a curiosity to see her old photos spurred Park to log back into an old Instagram account from seventh grade. Suddenly inspired to reopen the account, she began to post photos of her makeup under the username @sugarjammi.

While the account’s growth was slow at first, it gained traction as she posted videos of herself applying makeup in short tutorial-style videos to demonstrate her own methods.

“I feel like the way I do my makeup is unique, compared to other [ways] I’ve seen a lot of other people do it,” Park

said. “A lot of my friends ask me, ‘How do you do this makeup? Can you help me?’ So making videos helps them and a lot of other people that are trying to do their own makeup.”

Suddenly, the account rose in popularity, as more found Park’s videos and photos in the “Explore” tab. Over the summer, the account drew in a thousand followers per week, contributing to the 18,900 followers the account currently has as of Sept. 23.

“Other people say, ‘Wow, you’re Instagram famous! How do you feel?’,” Park said. “But honestly, for me, I still felt like it was the same old Instagram, nothing really changed. It’s not really anything special.”

Park also occasionally posts content on her YouTube channel. These videos range from in-depth tutorials to makeup hauls to travel vlogs. Her extensive social media presence attracts numerous makeup lovers.

“Her online presence is something she really knows how to manage, and she knows how to relate to others

2019

online,” CHS junior Rahul Rajamani said. “That’s how I would describe her account. It’s very friendly, very inviting.”

While makeup remains an important part of her life, Park remains in touch with the other aspects of her life, including academics and culture.

Her participation in school activities ranges from art classes to the Academic Decathlon team. Outside of school, she is involved in local Korean cultural events, volunteering frequently for community festivals and more. Soon, Park and friends plan to launch a business on Instagram selling selfmade art stickers.

“She’s very hardworking, because she’s really busy with school and art and all these things, but she still has time to really dedicate herself to this account,” CHS junior Yiwei Shen said.

“She always works hard at everything she does.”

SHRAVYA ‘20 can be reached at smm8670@g.coppellisd.com

THE SIDEKICK

STUDENT LIFE

15

McGehee embodies spirit of Twisted Root McGehee attended the Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in St. Louis to pursue her love of cooking.

She became a chef at Walt Disney World, then came to Texas to work as a chef at the Omni Mandalay Hotel in Irving. Her career goal was to become a personal chef, but when she applied to Twisted Root and was hired, she fell in love.

McGehee continues to actively resemble humility and familiarity with each of her customers. The family-like culture of the restaurant is mirrored in her personal family.

“My son, [Caleb McGehee,] oh, he loves [Twisted Root],” McGehee said. “Everybody here knows him - he comes in, gets a water cup, goes straight for the ranch pickles - it’s the most adorable thing ever.

If you’re a new employee, he’ll actually stop and say ‘Who are you?’ And I’m like, ‘You can’t just walk up to people like that.’

But yeah, this is home. It is for my whole family. Everybody loves it here.”

SARAH WOO STAFF WRITER @syw6338 In the heart of downtown Coppell, Twisted Root Burger Co. creates a welcoming, casual atmosphere for each of its customers - a “come as you are” environment filled with the scent of fresh, half-pound burgers and the sound of shared laughs. Among all the hardworking employees striving to uphold these values, one stands out to customers: assistant general manager Felicia McGehee.

McGehee, who goes by Red, has worked at Twisted Root Coppell for three years. What makes her stand out, however, is not just her work ethic and energy, but how she ended up working at Twisted Root.

“I actually graduated high school early at 16 to go into computer engineering,” McGehee said. “I got accepted to [the Massachusetts Institute of Technology] and got scholarships for lots of schools, but my family couldn’t afford it. I went to the military and got an injury, which made it hard for me to stay - one of the only places I could go was the kitchen.

So I just walked right in [the kitchen] and ended up finding my passion for culinary arts there.”

TO READ MORE, VISIT COPPELLSTUDENTMEDIA.COM Twisted Root assistant general manager Felicia McGehee has worked at Twisted Root Burger Co. since 2016. Along with her high school cooking journey, McGehee has a professional culinary art and military background. Photo by Anthony Onalaja

TEACHER

OF THE

SARAH ‘20 can be reached at syw6338@g.coppellisd.com

ISSUE

• • • • • • michelle hauske Coppell High School art teacher Michelle Hauske was selected by The Sidekick staff as the October teacher of the issue. Hauske teaches AP Art History, AP Drawing, IB Visual Art and Drawing II. What is your background in art?

My degree is in painting and art history. Prior to being in education, I worked at the Institute of Arts in Detroit and was in charge of programming and community outreach. I was doing a lot with bringing art to the community and then bringing them into the museum.

being an artist and my experience of working at a museum for five years and interacting with people? How can I grow that conversation? So I felt like education was a great way for me to get people interested in some of these things, but also continue to develop those ideas.

How would you describe your teaching style?

I like student exploration and inquiry-based [projects]. I like having authentic conversations. I would much rather my art history students use their eyes and talk about the works than give them a bunch of reading assignments and have them come back and regurgitate information.

What’s your favorite part of teaching art?

I like when students have an “aha!” moment, when they come to me and think they can’t do something or there’s a part of the material that really frustrates them. To really see them engaged in it and opening up, I really enjoy that part about teaching art. With art history, because it’s very academic, I like the discussions. My favorite thing last year was when I took them to the Dallas Museum of Art and turned them loose. They were running up to me, excited to see a piece from Africa they studied or a piece from Greece. That was really rewarding for me.

Why did you start teaching art?

When I was in the museum, I had great conversations with people, and I loved it, but I might see them once.

I felt like education was a calling for me. How can I use my knowledge of

Twitter: @CHSCampusNews

Coppell High School art teacher Michelle Hauske demonstrates motion to her fifth period Art II Drawing class. Hauske was selected by The Sidekick staff as the October teacher of the issue. Photo by Neha Desaraju

Instagram: thesidekickcoppell

Facebook: Sidekick Online

16

OCTOBER

ENTERTAINMENT

“I want to instill a sense of hard work and responsibility and to welcome all students who want to try tech theater.”P. 18

Entertainment OLYMPICS OF THE CARILLON P. 17

NEW THEATER TECHNICAL DIRECTOR P. 18

SWEET TREATS FOR FALL SEASON P. 19

Bhattacharyya creates unique sound, expands repertoire UPCOMING EVENTS

O C T. 1 7- 8: 30 p . m .

C H O I R FA L L C O N C E RT Come watch the Coppell High School choir perform in the CHS auditorium, including an original chorale piece by junior choir member Alex McCord.

Admission is free.

Coppell High School junior Rith Bhattacharyya creates and releases rap songs on Spotify, Soundcloud and Apple Music. His latest song, “Rocket Jumpboost 2.0”, was released Sept. 8 and his next album, XV Tapes, releases in October. Photo by Charlotte Vanyo SHIVI SHARMA CHS9 EDITOR @_shivisharma_

O

n his 13th birthday, Coppell High School junior Rith Bhattacharyya’s parents bought him a music software program kickstarting a desire to develop his own sound by making and sharing music.

That desire hasn’t stopped since.

“I’d say [my music style] sounds like R&B, and I rap over it, so it’s a mesh of those two,” Bhattacharyya said. “I wanted to have my own sound that I’m aspiring to create and have other people listen to, because I want to create a feeling of happiness or sadness inside them.”

Bhattacharyya released his first song, “Rocket Jumpboost”, on his Soundcloud account in 2018.

Since then, he has released two albums, Black Box and Painted, and 11 single tracks on his Soundcloud, Apple Music and Spotify accounts.

Bhattacharyya’s music allows him to collaborate with others, including artists attending CHS and the Indigos, a group of three Flower Mound High School juniors. Connected by a mutual friend, the musicians have collaborated on songs “Crew” and “game over”.

Currently, school and cross-country team commitments leave little time for Bhattacharyya to make music, but on weekends and holidays he is able to continue putting together a song where he left off.

He always begins with the beat, layering basses and synths with a software called FL Studio 20 until he strikes an emotional tone, around which he builds his hook and lyrics. The process is more experimental

than formulaic: a verse here, some freestyling there, until the song takes shape.

“Sometimes I create projects out of my experiences that reflect where I am at a certain point in time and the kinds of things I’m hearing at the moment,” Bhattacharyya said. “There was this one song I created, ‘cut ties’, about one of my friends, now ex.

She was putting me in a bunch of situations I didn’t want to be in, and I created a song off of that.”

The deeper meanings behind his lyrics are what truly define music for Bhattacharyya.

“I always think whenever you have a work of art, a play, a song, a drama, you always want to have a hidden meaning behind it,” he said. “If you have something where you know not everyone’s going to get it and you’re OK with that, then you’ve really done the work.”

Moving forward, Bhattacharyya hopes to continue developing his style and skills, and making his work accessible to more listeners.

“I want there to be a project where I’m flawlessly happy with it and it’s able to gain some traction with a larger audience outside of the friends I have,” Bhattacharyya said. “I think of music as an expression. It’s really to let my emotions out [and] if people like it, it’s a win-win.”

Bhattacharyya released his single, “Rocket Jumpboost 2.0”, on Sept. 8. His next album, XV Tapes, has been in the works since July and will release in October.

TO READ MORE, VISIT COPPELLSTUDENTMEDIA.COM SHIVI ‘21 can be reached at sxs1578@g.coppellisd.com

2019

O C T. 5 5- 9 p . m .

FOOD TRUCK FRENZY Bring the entire family to Andrew Brown Park East to taste local cuisine. Don’t forget your picnic essentials!

Prices vary by food truck.

O C T. 1 9 5- 9 p . m .

KALEIDOSCOPE Enjoy the bright colors, lights and sounds of Andy Brown Park East’s celebration of culture, perfect for all ages.

Admission is free.

THE SIDEKICK

ENTERTAINMENT

17

Johnson wins competition with carillon S H R E YA B E L D O N A STAFF WRITER @beldonashreya “You play the what?”

2015 Coppell High School graduate Alex Johnson has been asked this question several times.

An instrument unknown to most, the carillon can weigh anywhere from 16 pounds to nearly 12 tons, and requires hands and feet to be used simultaneously.

After only playing the carillon for four years, Johnson received a grant to play at the Royal Carillon School in Mechlem, Belgium after winning the prestigious Queen Fabiola Competition, which is described as the “Olympics” of the carillon.

“When I won, [I felt] happy and overjoyed, and [I was in] disbelief,” Johnson said. “It took me a while to believe I had won, because for the years I had known about the contest it was always this concept which was above me. This was the ninth competition [ever] and the eight other people who won all have high profile carillon careers. It was a dream.”

Coppell High School 2015 graduate Alex Johnson won the Queen Fabiola Competition for the carillon. The carillon is an instrument invented in the 16th century composed of at least 23 bells, requiring both hands and feet to play. Photo courtesy Alex Johnson

Graphic by Shriya Vanparia

Before ever setting eyes on the carillon, Johnson played percussion in the CHS marching band and at Coppell Middle School North, which aided Johnson in learning to play the carillon at the University of Rochester, N.Y. “There were plenty of challenges along the way, but [it wasn’t] difficult,” Johnson said. “I was already very good at [knowing] how to approach and think about musical problems, and that ability definitely came from the percussion program at Coppell.”

In high school, Johnson immersed himself in the marching band program. From becoming the percussion section leader to composing ensembles, Johnson expressed his musical creativity in many different ways. Even in high school, Johnson knew music would follow him when he went to college. “[Music] was always something he was going to do on the side,” Karen Johnson, Alex’s mother, said.

“When we were looking for colleges, [music] was part

one of the criteria. He wanted to find a school where he could participate in a music program.”

Johnson graduated with a major in physics, but he plans to pursue the carillon at the Royal Carillon School in Mechlem, Belgium. Though Johnson has played many instruments, he continues to explore his musical career his own way.

“Rare doesn’t begin to describe [what Alex is doing],” 2012-2018 CHS percussion director Zach Sheer said. “I had never even heard of [the carillon] before. For him to be so successful at playing [it] is just amazing. When I heard he was playing it successfully, I thought, ‘of course he is.’”

TO READ MORE, VISIT COPPELLSTUDENTMEDIA.COM SHREYA ‘21 can be reached at sxb4151@g.coppellisd.com

NAHS president Venkatraman spreading love for art Coppell High School senior Smrithi Venkatraman talks about upcoming events to National Art Honor Society members Sept.

19 after school in E105.

Venkatraman is the president of NAHS for the 2019-20 school year.

Photo by Lilly Gorman

AKANSHA SINGH STAFF WRITER @akanshas120 From painting faces at fairs to giving back to the community through art, National Art Honor Society president senior Smrithi Venkatraman has found art takes a special place in her day-to-day activities.

Q: What is your favorite thing about art?

A: It’s a way to express your emotions without talking. There are people who have a harder time getting their thoughts out there, and art is like a relief to [those] people because [they] don’t have to talk, but [they] can still show how [they are] feeling.

Q: What does it mean to be an artist?

A: It’s about giving the voiceless a voice. It’s to paint and draw and make works of art that shed light on ideas that may be controversial or that people don’t think about or a perspective that isn’t heard.

Twitter: @CHSCampusNews

Instagram: thesidekickcoppell

Q: What’s your favorite NAHS memory or event?

A: We do this thing every year - sunflower paintings - in which we paint 10-12 of them and donate them to a women’s shelter in Grapevine, [The Gatehouse].

We got affiliated with the shelter a long time ago. We all make canvases and donate them to the women’s shelter, and each canvas is put in a different room for each person. When the woman is rehabilitated and ready to go out into the world on her own, she takes the sunflower painting with her, so we have to keep painting the sunflowers to replace them. So many people like them and take [the paintings] with them because it’s the brightest part of their room. We got to have a tour of the different rooms in the shelter, and it was really cool to see our work hanging there and what it meant to all these people.

TO READ MORE, VISIT COPPELLSTUDENTMEDIA.COM AKANSHA ‘20 can be reached at axs8044@g.coppellisd.com

Facebook: Sidekick Online

18

OCTOBER

ENTERTAINMENT

THE PRIS M : S T U D E NT S WHO F R EQUEN T CO N CER TS The Prism is a Sidekick series in which entertainment editor Shravya Mahesh spotlights three Coppell High School students sharing the same interest and what makes each of their experiences different. One prism, many faces.

The lights. The cheers. The thump of music through the area. Going to concerts is a popular hobby for many Coppell High School students, but not all share the same experience or motivation for attending concerts. We asked three concert enthusiasts what stands out to them about the experience.

ESHA MAKKAR SENIOR

R U B Y D AY JUNIOR

AMRIN HAQUE SENIOR

JULY 21, 2019 AT THE AMERICAN AIRLINES CENTER- DALLAS, TX

MAY 19, 2019 AT THE METLIFE STADIUM- METLIFE, NJ

MAY 1, 2018 AT TREES IN DEEP ELLUM- DALLAS, TX

“My favorite concert experience was Shawn Mendes from this summer, because I have been going to his concerts since 2016. I’ve [gotten] to see his growth on stage [and] as an artist. It’s really nice to be able to meet someone who means so much to you, because they have a huge impact on your life and they don’t know it, so it’s really nice being able to tell them that.”

“My favorite concert was BTS; I traveled [to MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.] just because they mean so much to me.

Seeing them in person was really crazy. I share the most connection with them more than anyone else I’ve gotten to see. To be in the moment and listen to the music live is a really amazing feeling.”

“One of my favorite concert experiences was this artist named Amine. What was so amazing about it is that I was able to get up so close. I was in the second row, [and] he was right there. I’m able to listen to the music live, and that’s what makes it so surreal. Now [I can] hear the stuff actually coming out of their mouth.”

Klovensky brings enthusiasm to theater ANIKA ARUTLA SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER @AnikaArutla

I

n F-hall, in the black box behind the auditorium, there is a room. Inside lies the office of technical theater director Dominic Klovensky. When Klovensky walks into the room, the class erupts into smiles. Then, when Klovensky insists the Astros and any Houston team is marginally better than Dallas teams, bantering ensues.

“He relates to us, he doesn’t seem distant, he’s very kind and [he’s] right there for you,” senior lighting manager Fran Jaubert said. “He’s working with you hand in hand. It’s never a ‘he told me do this’ it’s more of a, ‘he’s working with me to get this done’ deal. He knows what he’s doing and he’s supportive.”

Originally from Houston, Klovensky moved to the Dallas/Fort Worth area this summer. Klovensky graduated from Sam Houston State University with a BFA in technical theater.

Klovensky has taught for 11 years and is currently the Technical Director at Coppell High School.

He has taught everything from theater to math, as well as coached basketball and soccer. However, theater is the subject he has taught the longest.

With a warm and encouraging attitude, Klovensky makes sure all of his students feel welcomed and is trying their hardest to make the tech program stand out.

“I love how Mr. Klovensky encourages these students to really take charge and take an active role in being designers and creators in the department,” theater

“I’m looking forward to growing as a team and being director Karen Ruth said. “I think they’re all excited to step up and meet that challenge and I think he has a able to get everyone to work together for a common goal fun energy that keeps kids excited and gets ready to work of building and having amazing [shows],” Klovensky said.

“I want to instill a sense of hard work and responsibility hard this year and put on some good theater.”

Under his guidance, there are going to be changes and to welcome all students who want to try tech theater made to the theater department, starting with their and want to do new things.” upcoming show, Newsies.

ANIKA ‘20 can be reached at New features will be implemented including LED asa7712@g.coppellisd.com bulbs to help modernize the department.

“I’m really looking forward to the fact that we’re using LED bulbs this year in our musical and that’s something we’ve never done before,” Jaubert said.

“We’re borrowing them from a company, ETS, so I’m really excited to figure that out with him. He seems very in touch with the more modern stuff in theater, especially technical theater, so I’m really excited to figure out how to program that through his support.”

With a vision to Coppell High School technical theater director Dominic Klovensky expand the tech program, teaches his students the basics of woodwork during his sixth period Klovensky is looking for technical theater class on Wednesday. Students in Klovensky’s class have growth and commitment recently been learning woodwork terminology. Photo by Camila Flores in all aspects of the show.

2019

THE SIDEKICK

ENTERTAINMENT

19

R EC IPES O F T HE I S S U E CHRSTIE HERNANDEZ STAFF WRITER @Christie2344

Autumn is often associated with pumpkin spiced lattes and cinnamon scented candles. While spending all day by the pool is as refreshing as it sounds, cranking up homemade fall recipes in any kind of weather is guaranteed to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

Caramel Apples

INGREDIENTS • •

INGREDIENTS

4 green apples 1 ½ bags caramel chews

• • • • • • • • • • • •

DIRECTIONS 1. Rinse apples to preserve cleanliness.

2. Place caramel chews in medium-sized saucepan.

3. Melt on low to medium until fully melted.

4. Let caramel cool for five to 10 minutes.

5. Dip apples into caramel until satisfied.

6. Enjoy!

2 sticks butter (slightly melted) ⅔ cup brown coconut sugar ⅓ cup granulated sugar 1 egg 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 cup pumpkin puree 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ½ teaspoon salt 2 ¾ cups flour 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon ¼ teaspoon baking powder 1 can whipped cream cheese frosting (any brand)

DIRECTIONS 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine the butter, egg and sugar using an electric mixer. Mix well.

3. Add in the flour, cinnamon and pumpkin.

Mix until it reaches a thick consistency.

4. Finish by adding baking soda, baking powder, vanilla extract and a dash of salt. Mix again.

5. Spray baking pan with cooking spray.

6. Form round balls with the dough and place them two inches apart in a 12x11-inch pan.

One pan should fit 12 cookies.

7. Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown .

8. When cooled, evenly coat whipped frosting onto the cookies and top with cinnamon garnish.

9. Enjoy!

Servings: 4

Servings: 24 Caramel apples are a popular treat during the fall season. These flavorful apples are a great addition to a holiday party or get together.

With a soft and sensational taste, these pumpkin cookies with cream cheese frosting are a wonderful addition to your palate.

FI L L-IN F U N BREAKING NEWS: Coppell High School’s football team had the _______________ game in Coppell history against _________ . Running-

(adjective ending in st)

(city)

back ________ scored _______ touchdowns Friday night. The play was to (name 1)

(number)

have Coppell’s quarterback, _________ pass the _________ to what looked (name 2)

(noun)

like _________‘s defensive lineman. That lineman was actually _______ in (same city)

(name 1)

disguise. _______ then ____________ in the ball, allowing Coppell to score. (name 1)

(past tense verb)

They continued this method, leaving __________ dumbfounded every time. (same city)

Referees, UIL officials and college scouts were all so impressed with the ____________ tactic. Coppell could not be prouder of their _________ ways. (adjective)

(adjective)

Twitter: @CHSCampusNews

Instagram: thesidekickcoppell

Facebook: Sidekick Online

20

OCTOBER

SPORTS

Sports INTERNATIONALLY TRAINED P. 22

“I choose to always be intense in my matches, always try my hardest and hope for the best.” P. 22

THREE CHEERS FOR JORSKI P. 22

KICKING IT TO NATIONALS P. 23

Bailey overcomes heart condition SYDNEY ROWE STAFF WRITER @syd218

C

oppell High School senior Kinsey Bailey puts her all into playing the sport of volleyball, but not without some major setbacks. Just more than three years ago, Bailey was diagnosed with inappropriate sinus tachycardia (IST) which has changed the way she plays volleyball and goes about her day-to-day life.

IST is a heart condition that occurs when the heart beats very quickly without good reason. According to Bailey sometimes her resting heart rate can be as high as someone who is doing light exercise.

“A normal resting heart rate, especially for an athlete can be about 50 to 60 beats per minute (BPM),” Bailey said. “Mine will be at 90 to 100 BPM.” Training for volleyball has changed drastically for Bailey since being diagnosed. She begins every workout with the rest of the team and sits out whenever she notices her heart rate gets to a dangerous level by checking a Fitbit she wears around her ankle.

“With her new training that goes in increments, she has become more supportive as a person to the other people on the team,” CHS senior defensive specialist Victoria Wiegand said. “During those breaks where she has to take a step back to lower her heart rate she’s very encouraging and helping others.”

Bailey is the starting setter for the

Cowgirls and plays a vital role in the chemistry of the team. “[Bailey] is always on the court for us, she’s playing all the time,” Coppell assistant coach Holland Smith said.

“Her voice is super important for all the girls on the team to hear while we are playing.”

Through the tough period of adjusting to her newly discovered condition during freshman year after struggling to get through typical workouts, Bailey describes her teammates on the team as being highly supportive.

“The girls in volleyball were so supportive,” Bailey said. “I would be so upset with m y s e l f whenever I would

have to stop because I felt as if I was cheating myself and I was cheating them, but they were understanding in that I physically couldn’t push anymore.”

Regardless of her struggles with sports and school, Bailey has committed to continue to play volleyball on the next level. After visiting Presbyterian College in Clinton, SC, even Bailey’s current coaches recognized it was the right fit for her.

“I knew I wanted to play volleyball on the next level because of how long I’ve been playing,” Bailey said. “When it became time to decide whether or not to continue to play volleyball in college, it was hard to imagine myself not playing after such a long time.”

SYDNEY ‘20 can be reached at ssr6043@g.coppellisd.com

Coppell senior setter Kinsey Bailey rises after diving against Arlington Martin on Aug. 27 at the CHS Arena. Bailey was diagnosed with inappropriate sinus tachycardia (IST) three years ago, a condition that occurs when the heart beats very quickly. Photo by Sally Parampottil

Engler follows mother’s footsteps in volleyball EMMA MEEHAN STAFF WRITER @emmameehan_ Coppell freshman outside hitter Reagan Engler is taking on her first year of varsity volleyball this year. Coached by her mother, Coppell Middle School North

coach Abby Martens in seventh and eighth grade, Engler had to learn to separate her relationships as being personal off the court and professional on it.

Engler was used to seeing her mom coach other girls at CMSN while growing up. When becoming one of the athletes she coached, Engler had to balance being

Coppell freshman outside hitter Reagan Engler gets ready to pass to her teammate on Sept. 10 in the Coppell High School Arena. Engler was coached by her mother in middle school and made varsity as a freshman at CHS. Photo by Sally Parampottil

a daughter and athlete, calling Martens her coach on the court and mom at home. “[Engler] grew up around the gym and was in that environment a lot, but she had to transition into her mom being her coach,” Martens said. “At home, our relationship is great and we joke around, but when we stepped on to the gym floor together. It was all business.”

Engler’s strengths on the court help improve the team. She pushes her teammates and radiates positivity.

“Reagan is a very intense and coachable player, which is why she stood out in tryouts for varsity,” Coppell assistant Holland Smith said. “She brings fire and strength to the team, along with a high level of energy that helps us.”

The older girls on varsity welcome Engler and the other freshmen as equals on the team.

“I’m so grateful to be given the opportunity to play with girls I know from middle school as well as older girls,” Engler said. “We just work well together, and being on varsity with older girls pushes me to improve and work hard.”

Engler started playing volleyball com-

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petitively just two years ago. She began playing club volleyball at Texas Advantage Volleyball last year.

“Her fast improvement in volleyball just goes to show how much of a hard worker Reagan is,” Smith said. “She implements all of the tips and corrections you give her, which only helps her improve.”

The Super Cougar award is given to one female and male athlete per grade every year for athletic achievement at CMSN. Engler received the award in both seventh and eighth grade, highlighting her athleticism and work ethic.

“I’ve never had to push her on work ethic,” Martens said. “She has a passion for volleyball and the sport just clicked with her, and I can’t wait to see where she goes from here.”

Engler wants to improve and continue with volleyball for many years to come.

She plans to play the sport through the end of high school and hopes to be given the opportunity to play in college.

EMMA ‘20 can be reached at ekm0676@g.coppellisd.com

SPORTS

THE SIDEKICK

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Shuman settling into Coppell, leadership role S A L LY P A R A M P O T T I L EXECUTIVE SPORTS EDITOR @sparampottil Despite having only been at Coppell High School since the second semester of last year, CHS senior Kevin Shuman now leads not just the Cowboys’ offense, but the entire football team. Shuman is both the starting quarterback and one of five team captains.

Shuman previously attended Highland Park High School from freshman year to the first semester of sophomore year, and Jesuit College Preparatory School of Dallas from the second semester of sophomore year to the first semester of junior year. In December, Shuman moved to Coppell due to high tuition fees at Jesuit.

“There’s a lot of differences [between Jesuit and CHS],” Shuman said. “You have to wear a uniform every day, it’s only guys who can go there so there are no girls and here, there’s a block schedule, A, B and C days. There, it’s all eight periods all day.”

At Highland Park, Shuman played on the JV team freshman and sophomore year, sustaining injuries such as a broken collar bone. While attending Jesuit, he was the varsity starting quarterback, playing for six games before suffering a stomach acid imbalance.

“My stomach before the game was just killing me, so I went in and tried to play my best during the game,” Shuman said. “I ended up getting hit to the stomach about three times. After that happened, I started throwing up blood. I had to go to the hospital and go through all of that.”

While the injury kept Shuman out for the rest of the season, he is fully

recovered now. Upon transferring to CHS in the spring semester, he started practicing with the Cowboys.

“I had a really smooth transition,” Shuman said. “I had a friend who was here, [former CHS student Garrison Wheatley], who showed me the ropes.

He introduced me to some of the guys and they took me in, they pretty much took me as one of their own.

They were really nice, I built so many friendships just from the first couple of days I was there. Football also contributed to the whole team really, they brought me in and got the inside scoop from [Wheatley] and so they all became friends with me [a few] days in.”

And although he moved to Virginia prior to senior year, the friendships Shuman built stayed strong.

“It all started from winter semester,” Shuman said. “I have really good friends on here. [Coppell senior left guard] Nick Quilens is one of them; he comes over a lot, pretty much all of Garrison’s friend group became my friend group so we hang out. We’ll go to lunch together, we’ll go to dinner together. Summer workouts we all bonded together, we all had to go through the workouts.”

During summer practice, the football team voted on their team captains. Each player was told to write down five names of players they would like to see as their leaders. Shuman, along with Quilens, Coppell senior defensive lineman Rodney McCarty and Coppell juniors linebacker Tim O’Hearn and defensive back Zach Stricker, was chosen.

Twitter: @CHSCampusNews

“Just coming in and being brand new to everything, I guess it kind of showed growth in me to be able to lead even though I just came in,” Shuman said. “People still accept me

for who I am even though it’s only for five months of me being here. It felt really good to know everyone believed in me.”

Shuman’s father, former Penn State quarterback, Cincinnati Bengals 1975 sixth-round draft pick and Canadian Football League quarterback Tom Shuman, introduced him to football at 5 years old. He began playing flag football the following year, eventually graduating to tackle football when he was 9. He began playing through a school team in the seventh grade while attending Highland Park Middle School.

Now at the helm of the Cowboys offense, Shuman can help guide his new teammates to victory.

“I want to win district, I want to make playoffs and I want to prove everybody wrong,” Quilens said. “Everyone thinks we’re not going to be as good as we were last year, but I think this team will be better than our team last year. [Shuman] is a really good quarterback, so he’s going to help out a lot. Our offense is going to surprise a lot of people.”

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

Coppell senior quarterback Kevin Shuman takes a snap against Sachse on Aug. 30. The Mustangs defeated the Cowboys, 33-30, in the regular season opener. Photo by Sydney Rowe

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SPORTS

Jorski’s leadership paying off for local groups SARAH WOO S TA F F W R I T E R @syw6338

Coppell High School junior cheer captain Emersyn Jorski riles up the student section during the first football game against Sachse at Williams Stadium on Aug. 30. Outside of school, Jorski is a published model and a Spirit of Texas Royalty alumna. Photo by Sydney Rowe

From performing in front of hundreds of Coppell students, parents and teachers every Friday to being the face of a photography agency as a part of a senior modeling team, Coppell High School junior cheer captain Emersyn Jorski has shown dedication in many unique aspects of her life.

Jorski’s success in what can be seen most evidently, cheerleading, is possible through the teamwork she and her teammates highlight in their consistent practice, with even more responsibility as cheer captain.

“We work together with coach [Alexis] Irons so we can make sure our team is staying [on] task,” Coppell senior cheerleader Morgan Murley said. “We always try to practice everything we have to get done on that day.”

On top of dedicating her schedule to varsity cheer, Jorski also makes sure to set aside time for modeling. As a published model, she seeks unique opportunities in the world of modeling that have made her stand out among others.

“I perceive modeling as a great blessing and opportunity to surround myself with others who are passionate about fashion, photography and modeling,” Jorski said.

“Modeling is important to me because I’ve learned throughout my journey on how to deal with the highs and lows of modeling, like staying humble when my photograph

is showcased or staying motivated when I don’t reach the goal I wanted to.”

Jorski’s photographer, Chris Shabay, is a nationally published and award-winning photographer, recently named one of the Top 200 senior photographers worldwide

by Senior Year Magazine. He recruited Jorski to be on his agency’s Shabay Squad Senior Model Team, for which girls are selected to represent his work. They are required to have a positive presence on social media, work well with others and have a giving heart, as they are required to serve charitable organizations at least once a year.

On top of cheer and modeling, Jorski represents a nationally renowned cheer training organization, Spirit of Texas.

As an alumna, she highlights the same goals that Spirit of Texas upholds within its organization. Its objectives include providing disciplined training in the cheerleading industry, teaching athletes to excel in all areas of cheerleading and developing elite squads instilled with lifelong values.

“Competitive cheerleading at Spirit of Texas has allowed me to not only aspire to win, but learn important lessons like discipline, pushing myself mentally and physically, how to stay humble and so many more,” Jorski said. “I’ve learned throughout my years of competitive cheerleading that without unity and teamwork in a team, nothing can be achieved.”

SARAH ‘20 can be reached at syw6338@g.coppellisd.com

Zrnic gains international experience, training KAREN LU DAILY NEWS/ASSIGNMENT EDITOR @_karenlu_ Deciding to start tennis on a whim simply because his twin was playing, Coppell High School junior Andreja Zrnic never imagined training in a foreign country eight years later with former world’s No. 8 player, Janko Tipsarevic.

However, Zrnic found himself the past two summers attending the Tipsarevic Tennis Academy in Serbia, hitting with and learning from Tipsarevic himself.

“I have an older brother [CHS 2017 graduate Luka Zrnic] who used to swim,” Zrnic said. “It would have been too difficult for my mom to drive Luka to swimming, me to soccer and then Kosta to tennis, so I decided to follow him to tennis. I haven’t had any regrets so far.”

With hours dedicated to practice during school and during his own time— whether that be hitting at Brookhaven Country Club in Farmers Branch or with his twin brother—Zrnic recognizes the importance of every match and tournament he plays as he hopes of one day playing at a Division I or Division II university.

“When I go to my state tournaments, it’s really important for me to play well and get the best results I can,” Zrnic said.

“Because [of] all the tournaments I play and the results they have, they’re going to lead me to play Division I or Division II

tennis hopefully.”

To further immerse himself in tennis, Zrnic began attending the Tipsarevic Tennis Academy during his summer family vacations to Serbia. By taking lessons with Tipsarevic, Zrnic was able to learn invaluable lessons and advice.

“Tipsarevic always talks about being consistent, working hard at every point and never giving up,” Zrnic said. “He said, ‘Never give up until the last ball, until you win the match.’ So I choose to always be intense in my matches, always try my hardest and hope for the best.”

Not only did training with Tipsarevic prove to be beneficial, but also the layout of Serbian courts themselves served as an advantage. In Serbia, all tennis courts are made of clay, but in the United States, the standard is hard courts, made with concrete and covered with acrylic.

“With clay courts, the ball goes slower, you need to run more and hit harder in order to get more [winning shots] to win the match,” Zrnic said. “It improved my game; when I came back to America, it helped me play

on the hard courts.”

With the various outlets for practice and the numerous hours spent honing his game, Zrnic is currently ranked No. 27 in Texas by the Head recruiting list with a Universal Tennis Rating of 10—a global rating system where tennis players are rated on a scale between 1.00 and 16.50 based on match results. The dedication and intensity Zrnic approaches tennis with is not only obvious in his numerical rankings, but also to his teammates.

“He’s really talented,” CHS junior tennis player Vinay Patel said. “His ground strokes are just really, really good.

When I met him at Brookhaven, that’s the first thing I noticed about him, and it hasn’t changed since.”

Coppell junior Andreja Zrnic gets into position at the CHS Tennis Center during a match against Hebron on Sept. 3. Zrnic has played tennis for eight years, training at school, with his family members and with world-ranked players. Photo by Neveah Jones

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While maintaining a solid foundation for the basics in tennis, Zrnic has continued to grow and improve as a player, both mentally and physically.

“Even just from last year, I can tell he’s grown up a little bit,” Coppell tennis coach Rich Foster said. “He’s much more focused on our practices, more focused on our matches. He’s advanced into a whole other level of play and is continuing to improve.”

KAREN ‘20 can be reached at kll7800@g.coppellisd.com

THE SIDEKICK

SPORTS

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Cross country runners defying teenage norms with early morning practice S A L LY P A R A M P O T T I L EXECUTIVE SPORTS EDITOR @sparampottil As school begins and many high schoolers begin to grumble about having to wake up early, a select group from Coppell High School is unaffected. The Coppell cross country team, which trains every morning year-round, is used to the timings.

During the summer, practice began at 7 a.m, occasionally beginning closer to 6:30 to beat the harsh Texas heat. During the school year, practice begins at 6:50 and when workouts are longer, runners are asked to show up at 6:30.

“It seems normal,” CHS junior runner Rith Bhattacharyya said.

“At first when you join the program, it’s weird because you have to get up

early. It’s repetitive and annoying, but it gets to a point where it’s a ritual and you don’t really feel anything when you wake up that early.”

Bhattacharyya wakes up around 5:45-6 a.m. each day. To maintain a healthy amount of sleep, he consistently goes to bed on the earlier side, around 10-10:30 p.m.

Many high schoolers cannot say the same. “[During the summer], some days I get about four [hours of sleep], other days I get 10 or 12,” CHS senior Tina Banthia said.

“The average of that is reasonable, it’s just that certain days I’m very tired because I only get three or four, some days I’m wellrested and energetic because I sleep for a really long time.”

While the thought of repeatedly going to bed and waking up early is unthinkable for some, to cross country runners, it is practically second nature.

“I try to get to bed around 10 or before,” CHS junior runner Morgan Colon said.

“It’s really not that bad, actually. You have the whole day during the summer to do stuff, so by the end of the day, you’re tired anyway.”

During a morning run, Coppell High School sophomore Lane Jacobs looks towards the finish line. CHS cross country runners train intensely seven days a week, and athletes even continue waking up early during summer while most others sleep in. Photo by Sydney Rowe

According to Coppell cross country coach Nick Benton, runners need seven to eight hours of uninterrupted sleep per night. This does not include naps, as the sleep needs to be continuous.

“Cross country being an endurance sport, a lot of your recovery is very important,” Benton said. “The amount of food you eat and the amount of sleep you get is doing to dictate what you do in the long run.”

Many runners have been doing the same routine for multiple years. For example, Bhattacharyya has been in cross country from freshman through junior year. “Your sleep schedule never changes,” Bhattacharyya said. “It’s always the same, year-round. That’s kind of a positive, you don’t ever have to change anything because it’s so routine all the time.”

Despite how normal it may be to the runners themselves, to many high schoolers, the deviance from stereotypical summer norms is something they doubt they could commit to.

“That just seems like it would throw everything off for me,” Banthia said. “I would have to adjust a lot to that and adapt to that, and I would say that’s really hard for me, personally. I don’t know how they do it.”

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

Love for taekwondo creates national recognition for Sullivan ARMAN MERCHANT S TA F F W R I T E R @arman_merch For most athletes, making it to a national level of any sport can be difficult, but for New Tech High @ Coppell sophomore Arwyn Sullivan, it is a reality.

Sullivan qualified for the Amateur Athletic Unit (AAU) National Taekwondo team in August and is a All-American Cadet fighter.

“Having spent my whole summer training in taekwondo, I felt accomplished when I made it onto the national team,” Sullivan said. “I had moments where I wanted to quit and not even enter the trials, but everyone around me pushed me even harder.”

However, her accomplishments thus far are just a reward for her dedication to the sport.

“Making it this far into my taekwondo career is just the start for what I have been working for,” Sullivan said. “I have a ton of support behind me, and I can use this to keep moving forward and dig deeper.”

Since she was 5, Sullivan has enjoyed the intensity and hard work that comes from every practice to every fight.

Her work ethic also does not go unnoticed by NTA Taekwondo master Sang Cha, who has helped her prepare for the national trials.

With her teammates and coaches being her support, nobody means more to her than her father.

“Watching her grow from when her sister and her started to where she is now, has been amazing,” Joe Sullivan, Arywn’s father said. “Being the only one to travel with her to her national competition and her making it onto the team, was one of the greatest feelings for any father.”

With Sullivan making onto a national team, she is excited for what is yet to come when it comes to competitions.

“Getting recognized by some of the coaches that have the same love that I do,” Sullivan said. “Having an opportunity to test things I’ve been learning with some of the best can help me gain some more knowledge.”

Like any sport, Sullivan credits it to helping her build character and improving her life skills.

“The biggest thing I have taken away from taekwondo would be my improved perseverance,” Sullivan said. “When I was younger, I was unable to communicate and better myself, but now I can put

Twitter: @CHSCampusNews

myself in that leadership role.”

With every obstacle that comes her way, the only thing that has not changed is Sullivan love for taekwondo.

“The rush you get from fighting and coming up with the win is a feeling I

can not explain,” Sullivan said. “Making relationships along the way just makes the journey even sweeter.”

ARMAN ‘20 can be reached at axm6226@g.coppellisd.com

New Tech High @ Coppell sophomore Arwyn Sullivan practices at Grapevine Mills NTA Center on Sept. 19. Sullivan is a part of the Amateur Athletic Union National Team. Photo by Charlotte Vanyo

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