Volume 34 Issue 6

The fallacy of college shaming

Letter from the Editor Corners of Coppell

In due time Reeser threading together work, family fun

Angelina Liu Executive Editor-in-Chief @angelinaliuu

Touching the blazing hot window pane, I slumped down in my seat in dejection. After two days of driving, we had finally reached the dusty, flat state of Texas.

I wanted to continue fourth grade at Mosby Woods Elementary School in the suburbs of Washington D.C., but my dad had made other plans for the family. The feeling of melancholy persisted as I sat in the humid, smoky interior of Hard Eight BBQ. The stuffed animal carcasses mocked me from their mounts as twangy Southern music echoed through the wooden walls and floors.

I distinctly remember missing my sloping backyard, the crepe myrtle that brushed against my bedroom window on windy days. I missed feeling the cold floor of my beige-tiled basement. I wanted to plant tulip bulbs in my front garden, feel the soft cool dirt run through my 9-year-old hands. I reminisced about the pink cherry blossoms I saw on my way to ice-skating practice.

At the time, I worried that I would never find friends or happiness in Texas. I disliked the incessant heat, flatness and ugly shrubbery.

I was a very melodramatic child.

Entering high school, I encountered a completely different set of circumstances. Like my mother, I have a tendency to worry. I overthink every situation, analyzing each interaction and fretting over every possible outcome. Nights before important events would be consumed with anxiety, tossing and turning as I wondered what the future held for me.

In an attempt to rationalize this, I began sending letters to my future self. The earliest letter dates back to 2019 and contains 30 questions for my future self.

“Currently it’s summer 2019. I start high school in 4 days. I’m not nervous. Should I be? I’m scared I’ll lose the friends I made in middle school.”

Reading this letter in the spring semester of my senior year gives me relief. Intertwined in the writing is hints of uneasiness, fear and desire to know the future. It is clear I wanted to find some semblance of control, despite the fact that I knew that was out of the question.

In response to what I wrote, I say, “No. You shouldn’t be nervous.” In my four years, I have gone through struggles, but in the end I made it. I’m here and I am whole. My friends that I made in middle school are still who I consider my closest.

Just this morning, I went on what feels like a millionth coffee run with Shrayes Gunna, singing a little too loudly to sad songs that were probably meant for solitude and discussing the next concert we should attend.

I incessantly chatter with Meghna Kulkarni about celebrity crushes and what romcoms we’ll watch next. I continue to meet up with Hannah Hakeem to film food mukbang videos to be posted nowhere, the middle school clips still existent on her school iPad. I go on shopping trips with Ashley Qian, converse with Matthew Tindoc and stay up late to FaceTime Taara Bhojwani.

The next year, sophomore year, I was a first-year staffer for The Sidekick. The letter subsequently reflects the struggles I faced in the program.

“I have to work on InDesign and the interview questions for the Taylor Young story.”

The pages that I designed for Volume 32 Issue 2 and the feature on Taylor Young became one of the many I have contributed to the program. Not to sound haughty, as the editor-in-chief of a Pacemaker-winning staff I would say it worked out pretty well in the end.

Every year, I continue to write letters to myself, prying about my future. I worry that I won’t be enough, that I won’t achieve my goals and dreams. However, if the future letters have taught me anything at all, it’s to trust in the process. Despite how you may feel at the moment, just remember that it is only temporary. Everything will work out in the end, if you give it enough time.

Maya Palavali Staff Cartoonist @mvpalovalley

For owner Gail Reeser, Sew Much Fun is more than just a business; it is a way for her to connect with her family and communi ty. Starting in Oct. 1997 with offering school spirit yard flags as an alter native to metal ones, Sew Much Fun now works with high school dance teams across the state of Texas. Combining her business and artistic sides, Reeser has been able to provide embroidered products for decades to her customers.

How is your family involved with the business process?

I started the business 25 years ago and I would work out of my home here in Coppell. As things got bigger and busier, my husband, John, helped; he helps with the finance, book keeping and paperwork. Our oldest son, Chris, he’s a graphic designer so he helps with some of the design work, but he also does embroi dery and printing as well. I taught our youngest daughter, Elizabeth, how to do the T-shirt quilt and showed her how to run the embroidery machine. She now lives in South Carolina, but she does quilts for us and ships them back.

Why are you a home based company?

When I first started 25 years ago, my kids were still in Coppell schools. This allowed me to work part time and still manage my kids. When my granddaughter was young, I helped take care of her and ran her to different places. It allows me the flexibility so that if I need to take off a few days I can and if I need to work Sunday afternoon then I can work.

Did you have any prior business experience?

My parents had an engraving business of their own in New Jersey. They would do trophies, awards and plaques. They needed help and I helped because when you’re part of a family you have to help support them. I actually started working for my dad when I was 11 doing the engraving. It was all hand done.

We had a little typeset, little letters that you would put into the engraving machine to type, and we had this little stylus you had to trace around that. Now of course, everything is automated. I worked for my parents for many years until I got into high school and then had a business job, but we still helped out because they would get so busy.

What is a unique memory you have with your business?

This is one that my husband always tells me you forget to tell people about this. In 2006, a parent from Town Center Elementary contacted me and said that a student at their school had an uncle who was an astronaut and was going up into the space shuttle. They needed a school flag made. I created the three by five regular size flag and they gave it to the student who then gave it to his uncle. When he brought it back and he came to the school, they had a little presentation and they invited me to come.

What do you like about your business?

I like to be creative; when customers are telling me what they want, I create the whole design and I pick the colors. I love being able to come up with something when customers say they know what they want but they don’t know how to tell you. I put the whole thing together.

What advice would you give to a student wanting to start a business?

I would tell them to do their research and make sure they find out everything about whatever it is that they want to go into. It’s not just about making money, but to have a passion for what you want to do. I belong to a lot of Facebook groups, where people share and help each other and ask questions. That’s one other thing: ask questions. My dad always told me that if you don’t know something, ask.

AngelinaLin Stiff fuitchantar

Photos by Shreya Ravi

The Sidekick editor-in-chief Angelina Liu wears cowgirl boots from Cavendar’s Boot City on Main Street in Grapevine. A chronic overthinker, Liu explains her journey through high school and why she thinks everything works out in the end. Meghna Kulkarni Sew Much Fun owner Gail Reeser has been designing spirit wear for Texas high schools for 25 years. Specifically, Reeser partners with dance teams across the state of Texas to create merchandise. Shreya Ravi

ManasaMohan

ShroffGunna Iniganathan

THE BEAT FROM CHS9 ONWARDS AND UPWARDS, TO CHS AND BEYOND

Freshmen share perspectives on transitioning to new campus

April 28

April 28

Nov. 8

teacher [CHS French teacher Nathalie Deines]. I’m taking AP Music Theory as well, which I’ve heard is hard, but I’m ready to take it. The campus seems very big, and though I’ve had experience with the layout because of band, I think I’ll get lost a lot.”

Feb. 6

“I’m in the Coppell Debate program, so going to CHS is going to be an interesting process for me. At CHS9, we’re only starting to get into our events while debaters at CHS are already competing frequently. I’ll be able to get more support and learn from the experiences of seniors in World Schools debate, which is what I participate in. Since it’s a group event, we’ve been competing against much

Jan. 25 Oct. 29

April 29

don’t get to make as much of an impact here as we want to because of the limited amount of time we get. I’m excited to be able to go to CHS and have the time to join more clubs and leave the full impact that I want to. I’ve heard a few horror stories about hard classes and teachers, but I think it comes down to hard work. I’m really

April 9 Oct. 29

March 4

Oct. 28

CHS. Next year I’ll be taking photography. I love taking photos right now, so I can’t imagine how much fun I’ll have when the doors are opened for me to learn more about editing software. I already have so many photo ideas to work on. I’m thinking of starting or joining a book club because I want to connect with other students in a way we are all passionate about. I think I’m going to be more busy next year, but not in a way that stresses me because I know I’m going to enjoy what I work on. High school is the age everyone wants to be when they’re younger, so it’s exciting to keep moving down that path.”

Maxine Camaret

SIVAANK POTHUKOOCHI

ANANYA NAIR

Photos courtesy Maxine Camaret, Sivaank

Pothukoochi, Ananya Nair and Marli Field

INSIDE THE MIND OF

Nyah Rama Staff Writer @nyah_rama

All my life I’ve felt like a duck; on the surface I’m calm and everything looks fine, but under the pitch black water, I’m treading as fast as I can to stay afloat.

I’ve been a massive overthinker for as long as I could remember. So many thoughts have run rampant through my mind that I can’t even remember all of them.

Does she like me?

What did she mean by that?

If I say “hi,” will they think I’m weird?

How do I really appear to all these people?

The constant fear of whether or not I said the right thing, if people will judge me if I express the “wrong” opinion or over analyzing simple text messages has been present my whole life. Even as I sit in my bed, writing this piece at 10:30 p.m. and beyond exhausted, I find myself recapping the events of the day and wondering if there was a

subtle nuance that I somehow missed and if that somehow means that I’ve destroyed relationships.

On the brightside, at least I can multitask.

I’ve been stuck in an infinite loop since the day I was born and it’s not limited to social situations.

The constant worry of whether or not I did an assignment to the best of my abilities, the need to prepare days in advance out of the fear that I won’t meet a deadline and the inability to deal with ambiguity in a project has controlled my life. While it’s given me the potential to always be prepared for any scenario possible (and I do mean any scenario) or be labeled as the friend who always says the right thing, it’s also been the root of extreme and unhealthy levels of anxiety.

This may seem like something every high schooler goes through, after all, who doesn’t worry about people judging them or whether or not they scored high enough on their last test, but it’s not. This is some-

thing that is far more extreme and harmful.

I have experienced many sleepless nights that look like scenes out of a movie where, after pacing and squirming in agony, the main character is begging for an all powerful entity to put them out of their misery. The pain I feel in my head as my brain starts to churn, the warmth spreading across my forehead like a bad fever and the recurring pleas for it to stop in my few seconds of respite are all too familiar. It has become something I can rely on, a source of dependency and sometimes, if I’m being honest with myself, comfort too.

For the longest time I thought I was alone in these feelings. I thought if I expressed these thoughts to anybody, they surely would not understand and would most definitely judge me for it.

Then, my sophomore year started.

As this year has progressed, I’ve slowly met more people who struggle with the same things I do.

At first when I met them I thought, “sure they think about stuff, but there’s no way that it’s as extreme as me.” As I got to know these people, I realized we could relate more than I thought. I soon came to realize that many of my friends fret over an assignment or lose sleep at night recapping the events of the day the same way I do.

This finally gave me the comfort and acceptance I’ve been seeking my entire life. Finally I wasn’t alone. I could express this pain with people who would understand and would not judge me for it.

Just knowing this helps more than you would think. Being able to bond with my now best friend over a simple interaction we had with another person earlier in the day and not receive a look of judgment and disdain for saying that it had ruined your entire day, but instead hear the oh so eloquent words “ugh, I know right?!” heals my mind and soul.

Those simple words and the comforting expression on her

face as we share in mutual agony somehow makes the torture a little less… torturous.

So this is my advice to you: start opening up about it. While it’s most definitely not a cureall, it does help ease some of the pain.

My advice to everyone else: know that someone can look completely fine and even happy, but behind their eyes there could be a whirlpool of thoughts and emotions that are creating the “perfect” storm.

To all those people whose minds have been tormented, whose sleep has been stolen, whose souls have been broken, just know, I see you. And it does get better.

A lot of high school students deal with overthinking, and it is more widespread than you may think. The Sidekick staff writer Nyah Rama shares her personal experience with overthinking and offers potential ways to overcome the obstacles that come with it. Photo illustration by Anushree De and Srihari Yechangunja

The path you choose is not for everyone

“Did you hear? He’s going to XXX school. Everyone goes there.”

“Yeah, she got into XXXX school, but she got admitted for an easy major.”

As the end of the school year and the May 1 acceptance deadline approaches, students are committing to colleges or making plans for the future. Subsequently, the halls are filled with sounds of students talking about their peers’ future plans and judging them.

Going to a college with a low acceptance rate? Getting into a college with a high acceptance rate but for a liberal arts program?

Everyone has heard those are the easy routes. But is it? Even if it is, why are we judging those choosing to go down that route?

Everyone has a picture of what they want their future to

look like. It can involve going to a prestigious college in their top-choice major or not going to college at all. Shaming others for not following the stereotypical vision of what someone’s future should look like perpetuates a culture that emphasizes a narrow definition of success and ignores the various paths that individuals can take.

Judging someone for the college they select because it has a low acceptance rate, is too close to home, is too far from home, is in an urban area, in a rural area or any other reasons is not seeing the full picture. A student may prefer that college for the same reason others don’t like the college, or they might have considered factors that others have not. Regardless of what

2022-23 STAFF

Angelina Liu Editor-in-Chief*

Srihari

Writers

Ainsley Dwyer

Anvita Bondada

Araceli Reynoso

Bhavna Balaji

Deepali Kanchanavally

Divya Sivalenka

Ishana Sharma

Minori Kunte

Photographers

Ava Johnson

Kayla Nguyen*

Kole Lokhande

Manasa Borra

Namir Awan

Paarth Dutta

Rhea Choudhary

Designers

Aarya Pardeshi

Anvita Anumala

Avani Munji*

Caroline Moxley

Douglas Zambrano

Copy Editor

they took into account, it should not matter; Students have various reasons for attending a certain college and those reasons make it their ideal college.

Even if someone gets into a college that the majority approves of, their chosen major is also up for judgment. People get judged for whether their major is “easy” or “hard,” or how “successful” they may be once they graduate.

Major stereotypes like the “will-be-unsuccessful” arts major and the computer science major earning six figures immediately after graduation are hard to escape. This way of thinking ignores the fact that everyone has different passions they want to pursue and every major has its own set of skills, knowledge and contributions to society.

Nashad Mohamed

Nimat Randhawa

Nyah Rama

Sahith Mocharla

Sreehitha Moravaneni

Sukirtha Muthiah

Rhea Chowdhary

Sahasra Chakilam

Sameeha Syed

Shreya Ravi

Trey Boudreaux

TJ Jindal

Vibha Viswanath

Jayden Chui

Meghan Chiang

Noor Fatima

Nrithya Mahesh

Wendy Le

Furthermore, some students may choose not to attend college because of financial restraints, family obligations or simply because they wish to pursue a career that doesn’t require, or benefit from, a college degree.

There are many reasons that a person chooses the path they take. Another student’s uninformed opinion on their post-high school plans should not be one of them.

By creating a hierarchy of colleges and majors, the students of Coppell High School discourage their peers from pursuing their real passions, which can result in students ending up in unwanted places or paths due to societal pressures.

While college and major shaming mainly affect seniors making their final decisions, it

can also affect lower-classmen who are contemplating their future and are judged for the options they are considering.

As students arrive at what is supposed to be an exciting time in their lives, either furthering their education or entering the workforce, we should foster a positive environment that promotes excitement rather than judging and letting others’ judgments affect our decisions.

By ending college and degree shaming, CHS will have a community that is more inclusive, supportive and values every student’s individuality, strengths, abilities and personal goals, rather than their ability to get into a “good” college with an “ideal” major.

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, 1/8 page sizes in black and white or color.

CONTACT US

(214) 496-6239 / cwofford@coppellisd.com 185 W. Parkway Blvd, Coppell, TX 75019

Older, yet wiser Class of 2023’s top 10

An ode to The Sidekick seniors

Whether in a cute sweat set, jeans or a formal top, Nashad Mohamed is always dressed to impress. Peering at the screen of her rose gold MacBook in her Sidekick class, one can find her diligently working on an album review, movie review or browsing through photos she took at the last sports game. Always willing to lend a helping hand or ear, the talented journalist exemplifies what it means to be hardworking and dedicated to a demanding program.

There’s always fresh ideas on her mind, and Nashad doesn’t shy away from all types of sports coverage. Whether on the sidelines of lacrosse, football or basketball, she can be spotted capturing all angles or interviewing players and coaches after.

- Executive Editor-in-Chief Angelina Liu

Sahith Mocharla

I’ve heard that the most important part of our journey begins with the first step. So, let me share my first impression of The Sidekick senior staff writer Sahith Mocharla. In classic sophomore fashion, there I was, eyes widened and mouth agape in our debate class. It would be an understatement to claim I was terrified.

Words will never explain how immensely grateful I am to him and everything he stands for. Water bottles have found a way into Sahith’s life, so I will keep the extended metaphor going.

I could tell you about his unboundless wit that seems to come from a well that never ends and “dry” humor. I could tell you about his propensity to make everything so funny, his storytelling power as a raconteur and his suave demeanor. Funnily enough, if I wasn’t writing this for Sahith, I would be asking him to check it.

Sahith is truly like a water bottle. I could go on about him, but I can’t explain his character without noting his effect on others. Sahith helps the people around him grow by watering them with love. Sahith has the profound ability to uncap people’s personalities. Sahith continues to selflessly do everything in his power to help the people around him achieve their goals. Sahith is everything and more. And for everything Sahith has done and will continue to do, I can’t be more happy.

The problem with extended metaphors is that they can never amount to the real thing. So although water bottles will reach an end, his effect on others will never. Thank you to Sahith for being lavishly legendary, rebelliously radiant and vivaciously vibrant as we’ve analogized the alphabet together. Thank you to Sahith for answering my spontaneous questions without a moment’s hesitation. Thank you to Sahith for your hugs and smiles and laughs. Thank you to Sahith for being him.

Sahith will be sorely “mist”, but his “stream” of success will take him far. Thank you to Sahith for everything.

- Advertising/Circulations Manager Anushree De

Sreehitha Moravaneni

Since August of 2020, there has been a quiet yet powerful force within the Sidekick: one that I have had the pleasure of knowing as a colleague ,but more importantly as a family friend. I can attest to her unparalleled capacity to meticulously yet joyously craft chocolate truffles topped in oreo crumbs with ease, and I too can admit that I have eaten one too many of them. It’s easy for me to joke with and around Sreehitha. Perhaps it is because of her light attitude that knows when to be serious but loves to also have a good time.

Sreehitha tells stories with intention shouldering each word she puts on the page. In detailing former Coppell High School tennis coach Anthony Smith or examining the return of retro culture amongst teens, Moravaneni does her due diligence, and, as a result, I am entranced.

That is precisely the effect she has on her audience, her friends and her family alike. Her bubbly ever-positive attitude is a light in any room, leaving an indelible mark on everyone she and her stories touch. I am proud to say that I am just one of those very people.

- Student Life Editor Shrayes Gunna

Torie Peck

With a Zach Bryan and Taylor Swift playlist on shuffle and a Canes meal in hand, Torie and I drive around Coppell, ranting about what we thought at the time was the end of the world. If not that, we are colorguard rehearsals or covering a sporting event. But no matter what we’re doing, we always found a way to make it fun.

I got to watch Torie flourish into a wonderful friend as well as a great writer with a love for sports. I remember how excited she would get about finding a unique story angle and how that excitement would turn into fuel for a fabulous story. Not only was it wholesome to watch her work, but it also made me more excited about taking photos and making excellent products. I envy her ability to crank out a story within an hour and I’m going to miss our expressive and spirited conversations.

Torie, you have made high school worthwhile and I am absolutely positive that with your drive and work ethic you will thrive at Texas A&M. I wish you the best of luck with your future endeavors and I’m excited to experience all the great things you will do.

Last October, Shreya and I were tasked with covering a football game at Plano West. We were both nervous as it was both of our first football coverage assignments. It didn’t help that, at first, we went to the wrong location. Immediately, we ran to my car, punched in the correct address and went on a frantic drive with just minutes to spare before kickoff.

It was during that game, however, that we bonded, both as friends and as a coverage team. We signed up to cover many more games together, with moments equally as stupid and fun as the first.

From time to time, we would even switch roles, and I’ve been able to see her grow into an incredible sports writer. However, this never surprised me. Shreya isn’t just someone who’ll back down from a challenge, but one who actively seeks it out with the intention of excelling at it. It’s the reason why she’s one of the most talented and consistent photographers on staff. You’d be hard pressed to scroll through the homepage of coppellstudentmedia.com without finding at least one of Shreya’s photos prominently displayed.

But Shreya’s most important trait is that she’ll be there when you need her. Whether it’s advice about something, a last-minute ride somewhere or just being there to talk to while walking to lunch when you’re “feeling tired” over absolutely nothing (a recurring conversation starter for us). Shreya is there with her sarcastic, yet somehow simultaneously genuine, demeanor. It’s this quality of hers that has taken The Sidekick to great heights and has given me some of the most memorable moments of my senior year.

Thank you, Shreya, for always being there—to capture a moment, and to make a moment.

- Executive Design/Interactive Editor

Araceli Reynoso

Srihari Yechangunja

Araceli and I met on our first day on The Sidekick, both of us nervous about being two of the three first-year members in the entire class. However, our worries faded quick as our friendship grew quicker.

Throughout the year, I was able to experience the things that make up Araceli. She is strong, steadfast, down-to-earth and most importantly a die-hard Dallas Cowboys fan. Her grounding presence and everlasting affability has helped me feel at peace even in the most stressful situations. From traversing PetSmart during our Person, Place or Thing assignment, to covering the community tailgate together, I saw not only she is a great friend, but also a great journalist.

Something that will always stick with me is when Araceli spent a good 10 minutes in our hotel room at ILPC explaining the rules of football to me. Though it was a small moment, it felt big because of how determined she was to make sure I understood everything (I still don’t). That is the thing about Araceli; she doesn’t give up.

So, thank you Araceli for being there.

- Staff Writer Sahasra Chakilam

- Photo Editor Nandini Muresh

Shreya Ravi

Nashad Mohamed

Photo by Aliza Abidi

“My favorite part of KCBY-TV has been the people. I love spending time with them and it is always a lot of fun. We have our own community. KCBY has given me the opportunity to grow into who I am as a person while giving me more confidence and leadership skills.”

“My favorite part of KCBY-TV is having class with my best friends and favorite teacher for almost three hours every day. We have fostered such great relationships by being together and sharing a passion.”

“My favorite part of KCBY has been the opportunities forwarded to me in the sense of being able to tackle our own projects and spaces within the program. We have been given so much freedom in terms of what stories we tackle. I reside in the special features section as director, which has given me free reign over what I express and allowed me to have fun.”

“KCBY-TV has helped me learn time management skills and how to maintain a good work ethic.”

Round-Up seniors

Yearbook has taught me how to delegate work, collaborate and rely on others instead of just keeping to myself. My favorite memory has to be our last late night as it was a bittersweet night that also marked the legacy that we as seniors are leaving behind.”

Yearbook has allowed me to form so many friendships, and I have known these girls for three years now. It’s been the best, and I know it will be something we look back upon ten years from now.”

My favorite part of yearbook is whenever we are down on the field at pep rallies and football games. Over the past few years, yearbook has helped me grow in the sense of leadership and organization skills that will allow me to handle deadlines.”

AlexseniorsRenfro editor

My favorite part of yearbook is the creative process and knowing that I am involved in creating this item that people hold onto and look back upon fondly. Ultimately, it has helped me become more vocal. When I first joined, I was very quiet, but I have become a leader that guides an entire staff.”

My favorite part of yearbook has been capturing all of the memories during the school year as I believe that I am so fortunate to be able to do something so wonderful and to be able to share that with others. Yearbook has developed my time management and leadership, which will help me traverse a busy schedule in college.”

ElenapeoplesRamey editor

Arabelle Warren sports director

Nehal Pant chronology editor

Graham Gorman special features director

BetsyprogramKrenek director

Shivani Rajan sports editor

Fatima Syed special projects director

Sahlah Syeda editor-in-chief

What does it mean to you to be in the top 10?

“It’s a great recognition to have. That being said, I don’t pride myself on being ranked in the top 10. I’m proud that I have gone through the effort and been able to dedicate all the things I do to get to where I am today. It’s not about the number, it’s about the process that I went through to be able to achieve that. “

What are your goals for the future?

“I have a variety of interests that I have been able to develop throughout high school, such as public policy through debate, computer science, more specifically computational biology and also economics. As you can tell, I’m all over the place. I pride myself on that, because I can create that multidisciplinary approach when I go to college. The world is now moving to a place where you combine fields to create meaningful changes in society, and I want to encompass a lot of my interests to create one specific pathway.”

What was the hardest lesson you had to learn during high school?

“Not everything goes your way. There are a lot of times, especially in the short term, when things that you want to go your way are not going to go your way. That’s just how life works and being able to accept that fact is something that I found hard to do. Moving on from that is something that I have been able to learn over time.”

What does it mean to you to be in the top 10?

“In my sophomore year, I wasn’t expecting that I’d be ranked second my senior year. It’s a culmination of everything I’ve been working towards, especially my academics. While I wasn’t fully expecting it, it was a rewarding feeling.”

What is your secret to success?

“Not being afraid to start something new. It may feel like you’re the only one in your high school that’s interested in whatever you like to do. For me, I was learning Japanese by myself, but when you’re learning a language, the communicative part is the most important part. I started the Japanese Club here at CHS and it’s over 30 members strong. If you’re really passionate about something, don’t be afraid to step up as a leader and share that passion with others at school.”

What does it mean to you to be in the top 10?

“It means a lot because I worked hard throughout high school. To see that my hard work paid off and I was able to earn a spot shows that all the effort I put in actually means something. I reaped the fruits of my hard work.”

What is your secret to success?

“Working hard and putting effort into what I’m doing.

That’s the case for everything, not just academics. If it’s choir, band, sports or anything in life, if you put effort towards it consistently, then you’ll reach your goals, that’s what I did. I put effort into each and every one of my classes and that’s why I was able to do so good.”

What does it mean to you to be in the top 10?

“It’s an honor. This is the culmination of what I’ve been doing for the past three years. I view it as a big accomplishment of mine, and it’s also a testament to the people that surround me. I have a good support system of my friends, my parents and teachers, especially. It is as much of an accomplishment for them as it is for me, and I try to share that with them.”

How did you stay motivated and what was your motivation throughout high school?

“Part of my motivation is that my parents come from humble beginnings. They have not had as comfortable of a lifestyle as they’ve given me. They have worked really hard to give me these opportunities. It would be rude of me to not take advantage of them.”

What does it mean to you to be in the top 10?

“It’s a result of all the work I put in, a cherry on top. It wasn’t exactly the goal, I never aspired to be in the top 10 or anything like that. I knew I wanted to get into college and I knew I wanted to be a doctor. I put the work into courses and then it happened.”

What does it mean to you to be in the top 10?

“I am grateful to be in the top 10, but it is not the biggest achievement. The reason why people are so invested in class rank is because ranks seem like something that determines someone’s intelligence or their worth. I don’t have to be the one to tell you that that’s not true. To me, the only opinions that matter in my life are my own and my family’s. Although I’m grateful to be in the top 10, I don’t think it is the biggest thing that someone should look at.”

What are your goals for the future?

“My biggest dream is to retire and open my own bakery with a bunch of little pastries and food. That is the ultimate dream, but it is a bit too far into the future. Right now, I’m not entirely sure what I want to do. I’m majoring in nutrition at the University of Texas at Austin, so I know I want to go into the medical field. But, in regards to what exactly I want to do, I’m not exactly sure. I don’t want to be a nutritionist or a dietitian, but I do want to learn about food and how that affects people.”

What does it mean to you to be in the top 10?

“It is an indicator of learning the concepts. I’m really fortunate that I had fun learning, which in turn led to my better grades.”

What are your goals for the future?

“I want to continue my art exploration. It is going to be a lifelong journey. Hopefully, I will be able to make a career out of it. Going into computer science and studio art at Carnegie Mellon University, I want to be able to find connections, enter the art scene professionally and try to be a commercial artist. I want to be able to make media that inspires the younger generation because watching old Disney movies such as Mulan, Cars and The Incredibles inspired me to pursue art. If you really enjoy something, you get that similar feeling. I want to be able to give back to other people just like how I was inspired by others.”

What is your secret to success?

“It’s the connections and the friendships I made along the way. I’ve had classes where my friends teach me most of the lessons. The relationships you make, the people that you hang out with and the group that you have allow you to be exposed to opportunities. It gives you access to an entirely different set of perspectives. It helped me become successful in high school.”

What does it mean to you to be in the top 10?

“It’s cool, having a rank that high shows all the dedication and effort I put in. It feels like I have something to show for doing all the homework and extra assignments.”

What are your goals for the future?

“I want to be a physician and go on the medical path at UTD. All the hard work I did to get into the programs and colleges in high school sets me up for undergrad as I’ll have to repeat, in hindsight, the process to get into med school. The hard work I’ve done now kind of makes it to where I know what I’m going into to become a physician.”

What does it mean to you to be in the top 10?

“It’s an achievement that reflects all the work I’ve put in, and I’m really proud to see how far all my work has taken me”

What are your goals for the future?

“The habits I’ve made these four years in high school will help me succeed in college. It lays a framework because college is obviously a lot harder. It’ll definitely be easier to succeed in college and will set me up for success in my career and getting a job.”

What is your secret to success?

“I don’t think there’s a real secret, but in terms of getting ranked, work as hard as you can to get the best grades you can and that’s really all.”

What are your goals for the future?

“In the future, I’m thinking about going to graduate school after undergraduate school for immunology. Right now, I’m trying to go into the research course, but that might change. I want to be an immunologist or something dealing with viruses. I think that my study skills and hard work will translate into college and give me a leg up since I know what I need to do to study for tests.”

What was your motivation throughout high school?

“There are two major things that have helped keep me motivated over the past four years. First off is something most people know: having a twin. Claire and I always like to joke that rather than needing parents to keep us accountable, we have each other. Plus, she can relate to what I am going through during stressful times much better than anyone else can.”

Li delving into passion for multiculturalism

Sruthi Lingam CHS9 Visual Media Editor @sruthi_lingam

During a vacation to Hawaii in 2015, Coppell High School senior William Li visited a Polynesian cultural center that highlighted Pacific Islander cultures, which began his passion for learning languages and discovering other cultures.

“When my mother lived in China, she learned a lot of different dialects, so she could bond with people from different states,” Li said.

Throughout high school, Li incorporated multiple experiences that forwarded his proficiency and application of languages.

“I learned Spanish mostly through school, but I also worked at a Mexican restaurant, Rosa’s Cafe, for some time. I was able to converse with Salvadorean people and communicate with customers in Spanish,” Li said.

Outside of his academic pursuits, Li collaborated with Iraqi high school and college students to research the impacts of climate change and environmental issues in the Middle East via a virtual exchange program.

“We focused on Kurdish-concentrated areas, who are an ethnic minority. I was able to learn about how they lived differently

compared to the ethnic majority,” Li said.

This experience provided Li with a deeper perspective into the lives of students who live in different regions of the world. In addition to Spanish, Li is learning Hindi and is fluent in Mandarin.

“He’s ready for the challenge and wants to learn many other languages,” CHS Spanish teacher Valerie Jade de Rios said. “Speaking another language opens more doors and an open mind too.”

From swim meets to after school events, his proficiency in vast swaths of languages aids him in creating authentic bonds, even leading him to his closest friends.

“Whenever he meets someone who speaks a different language, he loves to bond over that with them,” said senior Belen Campos Canelas, a teammate on the Coppell swimming team. “For example, I’m Chilean, and when we became friends, he learned a lot about my culture and loves to talk to my parents about my heritage.”

Constantly eager to share his enthusiasm with others, Li can be found discussing his admiration for languages with his teammates and coach.

“My favorite memory with William is our drive to and from San Antonio,” Coppell swimming coach

Jonathan Drori said. “It was just us in a car together for five hours; We talked and learned about each other and his interest in languages.”

Frequently going on long drives and traveling far distances across the Metroplex, one of Li’s passions is trying new cuisines.

“Food is a testament to people and their history. For example, Banh Mi is composed of a crispy baguette and liver pate, which shows the notion of French influence. It also has pickled vegetables and locally flavored lemongrass meat, representing Vietnamese cuisine,” Li said. “Banh Mi shows the resilience of the Vietnamese people because they’ve survived French colonization and occupation, like they’ve taken something tragic and turned it into something delicious.”

Extending his life-long passion for learning about global cultures and connecting with people from different backgrounds has encouraged Li to major in international relations.

“William is really, really bright. He gives off this impression that he’s a goofy kid who loves to hang out with his friends, but the more you talk to him, you find out these crazy things about him, like how he’s fluent in four different languages,” Drori said.

Varied faces of a valedictorian: Vinayaka navigating vast worlds

Coppell High School senior valedictorian and debater Umang Vinayaka is profoundly self aware. His peers, teachers and friends contend that, in all honesty, it is frightful.

Frightful that someone so young can possess such an intense command of the world around them, or worlds, because Vinayaka flits between them. From trudging through palaces of computational biology to dipping his toes in the waters of public policy and healthcare, his mind and voice know no bounds.

“It has always been extremely interesting to me how Umang is so versatile and has interests in everything,” said senior Suchit Ineni, a fellow World Schools debater.

Ineni and Vinayaka have competed alongside one another for four years, most recently championing the Texas Forensic Association’s State Competition, the highest regard for a debater in Texas.

“Debate is a very unique space, because there are a lot of topics where you initially have a bias towards one side,” Vinayaka said. “But, when you actually start researching, [you] switch to the other side. That’s evident of how education really opens up your mind.”

Vinayaka’s mind runs to mandatory voting as a tried-and-true example of the adage that there truly are two sides to a story, that debate topics are deeper than the surface. As he explains why, his cogent train of thought illuminates the very kind of debater and thinker he is.

“Umang is a very analytical debater insofar as he is able to find arguments, the weaknesses in them and their perfect articulations,” Ineni said.

According to junior World Schools debater Anushree De, be-

yond his argumentation, Vinyaka laughs when his teammates—and closest friends—mock his boisterous speaking voice. Vinayaka beams when listening to his teammates speak, consumed by the back-and-forth in front of him.

More importantly, Vinayaka reciprocates the level of attention and energy in his relationships that renders anyone seen and heard.

Vinayaka nurtures relationships in the little things such as asking about your day and if you are OK: little things that have a big impact.

And within the plethora of spaces Vinayaka takes up, whether the classroom or basketball court, his unending connectivity and awareness glows. He is so aware, in fact, that he roots his pride in the potential to affect change in small ways, including meaningful dialogue generated in hour-and-ahalf debate rounds and long-term research in the field of computational biology.

“I really enjoyed research because I think the implications of everything you do and research builds upon each other, which is something that I found really fascinating because it’s not like I did my work in a vacuum,” Vinayaka said. “Rather, it’s something that I own, but everyone’s able to use. The methods that I was able to explore and create are now being used by other researchers and using the experiences that I gained, I can go on to apply them to future research. Being able to go look back and realize that I actually made a potential impact in crucial fields really gives me gratitude.”

Vinayaka’s array of research experience has taken him from facilities at the University of Dallas, where he explored evolutionary variants of COVID-19, to Los Angeles, where he examined cancer with research fellows at the City of Hope National Cancer Institute.

Living in a city 1,433 miles away from the Texas suburb he calls

home for 10 weeks, Vinayaka frequented boba runs, bike rides and sightseeing as a grounding mechanism. That is because he is a staunch proponent of balance and time-management.

“I’m really good at figuring out what I want to do and what I need to do, but I think the challenge was formerly prioritization and realizing that I can’t do everything that I want to do because I don’t have that much time,” Vinayaka said. While most struggle with maintaining a detailed and accurate calendar, Vinayaka has slowly developed a propensity for organization, utilizing only a scattered and jaunty approach to the notes app on his iPhone. Perhaps it is because of his genuine curiosity and hunger for education’s many expanses: economics, statistics, life sciences and policy.

Despite his long list of accolades that include being one of 12 students on the National Speech and Debate Association USA Development team and, of course, valedictorian, Vinayaka has always honed in on the essence of learning in every experience he incurs.

“I had a very interesting take on Umang because he was in my virtual class that too was my first year teaching [at CHS], and he let me know on a little ‘getting to know you’ questionnaire that he asks a lot of questions,” CHS AP Biology teacher Dr. Bianca Benitez said. “His willingness to do more than what was required of him and desire to explore the ‘why’ has

Coppell

helped me grow as a teacher.”

Vinayaka will study at Harvard University, concentrating in the liminal spaces between computational biology, economics and public policy.

a deeply rooted self awareness of his capacity to shape the world around him through public policy and computational biology. Vinayaka intends to nurture his experiences in debate and research at Harvard University beginning in the fall. Shrayes Gunna potential has always been incredible. As a 10th grader, I saw it. His willingness to come and visit with me these past two years has shown me the immense breadth and depth of what he knows. Taking that and taking it to a place that I know is going to foster it assures me that he will do phenomenally well in all that he chooses to do.”

“He has such varied interests, but his ability to connect them in his own way in varied instances is really what is special to see because he is not just singularly faceted, he is absolutely multifaceted,” Dr. Benitez said. “Umang’s

While perceptions of a valedictorian are often one-note, Vinayaka proves yet again to be the exception.

Coppell High School senior William Li eats a Mexican Street Taco from Speedy K Gas Station on the intersection of Sandy Lake Road and Moore Road on March 24. Li enjoys trying cultural cuisines as a vessel to experience new cultures. Shrayes Gunna

Shrayes Gunna Student Life Editor @shrayesgunna

High School senior valedictorian Umang Vinayaka maintains

Coppell High School senior President of the National Spanish Honor Society and color guard captain Tia Milton has always had a love for spanish. For over a decade, Milton has dedicated herself to attaining uency in the language, developing said love through the National Spanish Honor Society at CHS.

“It’s an honor to be chosen,” Milton said. “It shows that I have put a lot of hard work into this school and I am really glad that I have been able to positively impact the community around me that has done so much for me.”

But Milton explores communication in many forms as she dances across CHS Arena and Buddy Echols eld— ag and ri e in hand. Milton will further continue her academic interests at Texas A&M University as a Psychology major with a Spanish minor.

The Sidekick’s

Walking into the Dallas Market Center, Coppell High School senior Emily Chang felt a sense of pride wash over her. From choosing the potential themes to coordinating details, Chang poured her heart into planning the perfect prom for the class of 2023 seniors.

Despite an impressive resume that has carried her to major in Health and Human Sciences at the University of Southern California, Chang’s motivations for putting herself out there when running for senior class president were not just to play a key role in the creation of memories for the seniors. Her motivations date back to her childhood.

“When I was growing up, I didn’t see a lot of representation,” Chang said. “‘Duality’ really represents what I stand for. I hope that people see me not just as “successful” or someone who did all these things, but I hope people remember me for what my character is.”

The Sidekick’s 19 Under 19 highlights Coppell High School’s stand-out Cowboys and Cowgirls who have devoted their high school careers to leading the school and the community. The following 19 students have been nominated by peers due to their exceptional in uence and outstanding contributions that have earned them recognition as some of the most promising leaders of CHS.

Stories by Aliza Abidi, Anvita Bondada, Sahasra Chakilam, Yaamini Jois, Saniya Koppikar, Angelina Liu, Manasa Mohan, Nyah Rama and Sameeha Syed

Photos by Sruthi Lingam, Angelina Liu, Nandini Muresh and Nandini Paidesetty

Whether playing the saxophone at Pennington Field in Bedford underneath stadium lights, dusting his hands before deadlifting or serving the Coppell ISD community on the school board bond committee, Coppell High School senior Dilan Patel radiates con dence.

“I have an ability to lead a group of people just because I have con dence within myself,” Patel said. “I also have patience and poise. That's how I like to lead. I like to be more laid back and let people make mistakes rst. I like to make mistakes, that way I'm able to grow. I think that the biggest part of who I am is just guring things out on my own.”

Patel is majoring in business at the University of Texas at Austin in the fall and hopes to work in big tech between the intersection of business and technology.

A peach tree growing in Coppell High School senior Amav Khambete’s garden in 2019 led to one of his greatest passions.

His interest in research stemmed from his freshman year after meeting seniors that would balance research at local universities with swim practices. Upon taking all AP science courses, Khambete took on a research project at UT Southwestern to research drug development. His research awarded him the title of Regeneron Science Talent Search Scholar. “I started high school looking up to the seniors on my swim team who were balancing multiple things at once,” Khambete said. “But I’d like other students to know it’s not inaccessible to them. Research can be started by anyone in anything they’re interested in.” In the fall, Khambete will pursue Neuroscience and East Asian Studies at Harvard University.

Watching in awe as her babysitter danced amongst the Lariettes, young Coppell High School senior Jules Hunt knew that she wanted to be part of the program. Upon entering high school, Hunt found comfort in the Lariettes.

Hunt used her love for dance and leadership to become senior lieutenant. Hunt has cultivated her passion for leadership as a Red Jacket where she learned essential leadership skills.

When imagining her future career, Hunt reminisces on the people who helped her most. Her former educators and father, Coppell ISD Superintendent Brad Hunt, have played a signi cant role in shaping Hunt into the woman she is today.

“My optimism comes from him,” Hunt said. “He helps me strive to be the best I can be, whether it’s academically or through Lariettes.” Hunt will pursue Elementary Education at Texas A&M University.

Walking into her freshman year, Coppell High School senior Mytri Nair tended to submerge herself into a bubble, avoiding change and sticking to her comfort zone. However, through Science Olympiad, Nair was able to pop that bubble, releasing herself to embrace the world. Beginning Science Olympiad when she was 11 and building her way up to captaining the Alpha team in her senior year, Nair has always felt drawn to the new opportunities and the sense of community provided by the club. Exploring the eld of science taught her that changes are inevitable and is the impetus for growth.

“I like change and I am not hesitant about it,” Nair said. “I hope that I have given the opportunity for members to discover new things and branch out, just as I did, so they can continue carrying on the legacy of Science Olympiad.”

Nair plans to continue exploring computer science in the fall.

Moving from New Tech High @ Coppell to Coppell High School before her sophomore year, senior Rhythm Khandelwal felt lost in the new crowd.

However, eventually became the one who leads the crowd instead.

Joining band as a utist freshman year, Khandelwal was inspired by the drive and in uence of the upperclassmen, because of the relationships they had built around the school. To further expand her platform, Khandelwal became a Red Jacket, so she would be a gure that can present the school through her own lens and guide people through it. She concurs that school should be viewed as a door to opportunities and hopes that students can realize that and let themselves grow through it, just as she did.

“Helping others is what makes you want to help yourself,” Khandelwal said. “You get inspired by people and can inspire them as well.” Khandelwal is attending Texas A&M in the fall for Computer Science.

Playing piano since age 5, Coppell High School senior percussionist Matthew Tindoc has gained a deep understanding of music and created lifelong bonds.

With hopes to make music accessible to everyone, Tindoc, along with fellow senior percussionists created Notelove, a nonpro t organization that helps students experience music without worrying about their nancial situation. As the recruitment director for the organization, Tindoc enrolls new applicants and instructors and pairs them up to conduct lessons.

Going into the medical path at University of Washington, majoring in Biochemistry on the pre-med track, Tindoc thinks music’s details tie into medicine.

“Music is so intricate and has so many details it ties with medicine and its variety of topics,” Tindoc said. “My belief that music can help everyone can transfer over to medicine as they both help people overcome their biggest fears.”

A colorful explosion of culture and language peeks from under the stairs; its fresh paint vibrant against the gray carpet. The new mural, which replaced its quintessential white, black and red predecessor in September, was created over the summer by Coppell High School senior Je rey Wang with the help of art students at CHS.

“I’m known as the art dude, the physics guy, the person who, if the Zoom is silent, is the one talking,” Wang said. “The legacy I want to leave is being familiar, joyful and someone who is ever-present. The mural was how I made that reality.”

Wang’s art career is set to take Carnegie Mellon University by storm in the fall. He will be majoring in Computer Science and Studio Art, which he describes as “a universal visual language and the fabric of our lives.”

Photo courtesy Ryan Murphy

The curtains draw back and the spotlight shines brightly onto the stage as all eyes x on the lone student who steps con dently into the spotlight, almost as if she was born for this moment. With a deep breath and a steady gaze, Coppell High School senior Mihira Kada steps forward ready to deliver the performance of a lifetime.

“I want people to remember me for my dedication, my kindness and my willingness to be someone who anyone can come to and being able to step up for everyone,” Kada said. “Being helpful and being a leader because that’s what my whole senior year has been about: being a leader and leading my peers towards good things.”

Kada is specializing in Supply Chain Management at University of Texas at Dallas in the fall.

Many students are familiar with the various and endless stresses of high school; however, everyone has a di erent way to cope. For Coppell High School senior Varun Ramanathan, that release is laughter.

“High school is a fun time with your friends but a lot of us are also involved in a lot of activities and it can get stressful,” Ramanathan said. “Lightening the mood for everyone and just making sure everyone is having a good time is probably the biggest impact I’ve had on this school.”

What is more is Ramanathan’s uncapped knowledge of sports. From football to cricket, Ramanathan has an answer, but he does not just enjoy sitting in the audience.

Rather, Ramanathan will be attending the University of Texas at Austin, majoring in Statistics and Data Science with hopes to get into sports analytics.

From the sidelines of sports games and the Coppell Biodiversity Center (CBC), Coppell High School senior Mel Venegas planted her legacy at CHS as a student dedicated to learning more about her community.

Venegas joined Eco Club at the freshman center and continued the activity all years, eventually becoming an o cer in her senior year.

Venegas also joined sports medicine as a freshman, an activity that she followed throughout all four years in high school.

“I felt so lost in my rst year when I saw more experienced sports medicine students working around me,” Venegas said. “But I learned to love it, and I stuck with it. Since then, I’ve gotten to spend hours outside of [CHS] learning everything I was scared of as a freshman.”

Venegas plans to major in Biochemistry at the University of Texas at Austin in the fall.

Coppell High School senior Tyler Schweitzer chases the same adrenaline rush he felt as a freshman in the ensemble of “Newsies” in each theater production he stars in. Since his rst performance four years ago, Schweitzer has scored the lead role in nearly every production since.

While balancing baseball and theater for the rst two years, Schweitzer made the decision to quit baseball and go all-in on theater, despite not being sure if he wanted to continue theater as a freshman.

Schweitzer hopes he in uences students to give all their e ort into any task they take on. He quotes himself as “doing everything like he’s doing anything.”

Schweitzer was a CHS Red Jacket and a member of the superintendent council. Schweitzer hopes to pursue Environmental Engineering and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon, citing his passion for solving contemporary issues surrounding climate change and control.

On and o the court, Coppell senior guard Jules LaMendola prioritizes persistence. As captain of the Coppell girls basketball team, LaMendola helped the Cowgirls advance to the Class 6A state tournament and motivated young athletes to pursue what they are passionate about. “It may be harder for us girls to do some things because of the standards that are set right now,” LaMendola said. “But if we continue to work hard, maybe someday we can change those standards.” LaMendola draws motivation from her love of the process—the journey as opposed to the destination. She focuses on how she is going to achieve her goals rather than stressing about the outcome. Looking to the future, LaMendola plans to have a professional career in sports, whether that be in sports management or sideline reporting. Next year, LaMendola will play basketball at Indiana University.

Do not show Coppell High School senior Ananya Agarwal any blood, she’s squeamish. If you want to discuss it with her, though, she’s all ears.

As president of HOSA, Agarwal de nes her greatest accomplishment as advancing the organization’s competition base. In the 2022-23 school year, 45 kids in HOSA advanced to state––a feat Agarwal says was previously out of reach.

“There’s been a lot of changes in HOSA, new teachers, new advisors, we’ve had a new one each year for the past few years. It’s been hard to get members adjusted,” Agarwal said. “That’s what I want my legacy as an o cer to be: constant, someone they can count on.”

In the fall, Agarwal will be majoring in Business Management at the University of Texas at Austin with future plans to focus in social impact consulting, nance, and diversity and inclusion.

At the start of high school, Coppell High School senior Jessica Mendez-Gil struggled to determine her self worth. However, through volunteering with UNICEF and competitive wrestling, she was able to cut toxicity out and learned to put herself rst.

Mendez-Gil is on the CHS girls wrestling team along with competing in volleyball, MMA, boxing and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at Mohler MMA. She hones in her empathy, compassion and sel essness into her volunteer work and medical pursuits.

“For every three ungrateful people that you help, there will always be that one person that makes up for it and will let you know that you made an impact on their life,” Mendez-Gil said. “What I'm doing now is setting the base for how I want to help people in the future.”

Mendez-Gil will further her Medical Studies education at Arizona State University.

Actress, student council member, Red Jacket and KCBY-TV senior producer Lauren Beach is known as the girl involved in everything. In her four years at CHS, Beach made a lasting impact on her peers through her positive attitude and kindness though, not only her unending involvement.

“I wanted to be remembered for being kind to everyone,” Beach said.

“Knowing that my peers at this school that has nearly 4,000 students voted me to be one of the most in uential people has made me star-struck.”

And it is that lasting smile that attracts audiences as a Lariette and invokes another set of pulled cheeks for viewers of any of her many KCBY-TV segments.

Beach will further her broadcasting journey at the University of Texas at Austin, majoring in Radio, Television and Film. Beach hopes to take her natural charisma and acting skills to Hollywood, where she can act and direct movies.

In a campus of more than 3,000, it can be daunting to voice your opinions without being drowned out. But, Coppell High School senior Shrayes Gunna posits his voice to amplify others’, particularly in the Asian American community through a concert of debate, art and writing.

“I think I have the ability to change the ways that we live and how we interact with people,” Gunna said. “That’s really gratifying and has helped me as a person to pinpoint my work and to recognize what my power and potency comes from.”

Whether on the sidelines for The Sidekick or leading a pep rally as a senior-class and student council o cer, Gunna pursues advocacy and storytelling in varied ways.

Gunna plans to spread his in uence by majoring in Asian Studies on a pre-law track at Cornell University.

Shivering students wrapped in blankets stand on bleachers at Buddy Echols Field as the Coppell football team faces McKinney in the rst round of playo s. Despite the battering wind, Coppell High School senior KCBY-TV producer Mau Sigler darts from endzone to endzone, dutifully carrying a tripod and donning a headset. This is Sigler’s norm. Throughout the football season, the videographer can be spotted at every game, whether that be conducting interviews, directing coverage or providing live clips of the action.

“I’m someone who focuses more on the technical aspect of things,” Sigler said. “For pep rallies, I was always one of the people who would run the video board and audio. I also bring a lot to the table when it comes to innovating our shows with new graphics, editing and things like that. That's the biggest thing I can contribute.”

Sigler will attend the University of Texas at Tyler to eventually attend the University of Texas at Austin through the Coordinated Admissions Program.

Tackett shining spotlight on underclassmen through courtesy

Ainsley Dwyer Staff Writer @CHSCampusNews

With a bright stage light on her face, Coppell High School senior Trinity Tackett sings center stage during the Coppell Theatre Company’s production of “Mamma Mia!”

Soaking in the moments of her final musical at CHS, Tackett’s vocals carried across the stage as the actors backstage gathered to look through the wing and watch in awe. Appreciation for her talent floods through the audience, the long lasting impact of her performance settling in their widened eyes.

During her senior year, Tackett has made it her mission to work hard and leave an impact in her final year at CHS. After landing her first musical lead role at CHS as Donna Sheridan in the production of “Mamma Mia!” Tackett found an opportunity to use her important role in the musical to connect with people who were new to high school theater.

“I wanted to create a trusting environment, and the ability to be an outlet for everyone to feel comfortable talking to,” Tackett said. “I wanted to diversify things

with the opportunity I got in the musical this year as the lead to be an example; it had an impact, especially since I had such a significant role in our theater department this year.”

Tackett, along with the entire theater department, spent the past school year getting to know the new directors, acting director Lisa Stucker and technical director Grace Hellyer.

Over the course of the school year, the directors have watched Tackett develop the skills of a mature woman and actress.

“Being inclusive of underclassmen is something I’ve talked to some of the seniors about before they graduate,” Stucker said.

“[Tackett] does a really good job at this and talks to everybody, making everyone feel included, it is one thing I really love about her.”

Tackett began her acting career eight years ago, by becoming involved in shows with the North Texas Performing Arts nonprofit organization with kids from other schools who also have a major devotion for theater.

“My freshman year was my first year at

Coppell,” Tackett said. “I had gone to private school my whole life and when I first moved to this whole new area, I remember wanting to do theater so badly because I heard the program at CHS was really good.”

After not landing a role in her first year during the very competitive production of “Newsies,” the ability for Tackett to get to know any of the upperclassmen and connect with them slimmed along with being at a different campus.

“Even if we were in a show it would still feel like we were overlooked and not very seen by the upperclassmen,” Tackett said. “What was super important for me this year was that I would talk to the freshman if I was given the opportunity. I wanted to connect with the freshman as well to make sure they all felt included and were getting a good idea of what their experience should be.”

Through her four years of experience in the Coppell Theatre Company, Tackett has been working hard towards success and makes sure she lets everyone know that she did not get there alone and that her peers/directors in the program have helped her get where she is so far in her career.

“[Tackett] is so helpful to freshmen and sophomores,” Coppell senior Drama Club co-president Reagann Stolar said. “She directed one of the mock-UIL shows and is now directing ‘Peter and the Starcatcher,’ so she is very well known in the CHS9 theater class. She has such a passion for theater and she wants to share with everyone around her in any way she can.”

in any way she can.”

Coppell High School seniors Lauren Beach and Trinity Tackett, as Sophie and Donna, walk down the stairs as Donna gives away Sophie on her wedding day as they share a heartwarming gaze in the CHS Auditorium on Jan. 27. Throughout her senior year, Tackett has been inclusive and welcoming to underclassmen new to high school theater. Wendy Le

Kumon is an after-school math and reading enrichment program that unlocks the potential of children, so they can achieve more on their own. The learning method uses an individualized approach that helps children develop a solid command of math and reading skills. Through daily practice and mastery of materials, students increase confidence, improve concentration, and develop study skills.

Coppell High School junior Lily Hess and seniors Trinity Tackett and Uma Haridas as Tanya, Donna and Rosie shine with a dynamic performance of “Super Trouper” in the CHS Auditorium on Jan. 27. Throughout her senior year, Tackett has been inclusive and welcoming to underclassmen new to high school theater. Wendy Le

Wiethoff reaching new heights with Sacramento drum corps

Angelina Liu Executive Editor-in-Chief @angelinaliiu

Feeling the beat of the drum, Coppell senior Cooper Wiethoff ’s body sways to the rhythm. Eyes closed, his size 14 feet shift on the waxy gym floor. Performing at the senior pep rally with Coppell’s percussion line, his blonde cropped hair stands above the rest atop the horseshoe star of CHS Arena.

The percussionist began his journey in the practice rooms of Coppell Middle School East. He browses potential instruments, inspecting the shine of a clarinet or the sterling tuba. After finding these instruments unamusing, he eyes the smooth, stretched skin of the drums.

“Percussion was the one thing that you had to try out for,” Wiethoff said. “It was more exclusive, and that was interesting.”

Walking the halls of CMS East, the drummer carried quads, hyping students up before pep rallies and football games. But after being beat out by other percussionists his freshman and sophomore year, Wiethoff saw himself playing JV bass five, the largest drum on the line, for two years.

CHS percussion director Randall Nguyen noticed the physicality of the 6’4 freshman.

“He was tall, and we wanted someone tall and strong,” Nguyen said. “We wanted him to play bass

five for his freshman year when he was in the JV drumline.”

Sitting in the audience of a varsity percussion show, Wiethoff felt an innate feeling of inspiration reverberating throughout, akin to that when eyeing the instrument for the first time. Seeing the potential for a future, he chose to dedicate his time to bass five.

“It’s an incredible instrument,” Wiethoff said. “It’s amazing to me.”

Sweat beading on his forehead, Wiethoff pushes his golden hair backwards as the Texan summer sun beats down on his exposed neck. The painted parking spots of the high school stand empty, the high school transformed into a desolate landscape for three months.

After attempting to wipe the sticky perspiration off, he picks up the 40-inch steel bass five drum.

Hoisting it six feet in the air, he begins rehearsing, the low thrum breaking through loud chirping of cicadas.

“Cooper has always had a sense of dedication and discipline.” Nguyen said. “I met him when he was in eighth grade. He just had this feeling of wanting to be really good, even though he didn’t know what yet. Not until he actually got to the high school, that’s when he really started to become a leader and a good musician overall. He’s become one of my favorite students to teach.” When exiting the parking lot for fourth period release or the 4:15 p.m. dismissal

bell, students can hear faint thumping, the persevering leader standing alone, perfecting his craft. He drove to Prosper High School to audition for the Blue Coats, then spent weekends flying out to Canton, Ohio to continue his audition, hoping for a spot on the elusive drum corps.

“I have such a specialized skill set it feels like a waste not to take it somewhere else,” Wiethoff said. “I got called back twice until Jan. 13, where the last camp was and they said, ‘I don’t have a spot for you.’ I spent a couple months playing pretty much every day after school on a drum, to prepare for this and it wasn’t enough. They had more experienced people. That was devastating.”

The percussionist continued his pursuits and reached out to private lesson teacher Doug Bush during winter break to help with his marching.

“We must have spent an hour and a half in the parking lot,” Bush said. “He would have gone all day if I was willing. I’m sure he was still going when I left. It’s rare to find students that willingly give up parts of their break to focus on weaknesses they’re struggling with.”

Finally, the work paid off as a fated phone call landed him a contract with the Sacramento Mandarins, which the hopeful drummer eagerly took. The Sacramento Mandarins is a member corps of Drum Corps International. Ac-

cording to Bush, the Mandarins is similar to a football player trying out for a scholarship at a top university.

Beginning on May 31, Wiethoff will fly to Sacramento for spring training where he will stay for five weeks. Each day will consist of 1213 hour rehearsals for six days a week. Starting early July, they will go on tour around the country, making the final stop at the DCI World Championships on Aug. 13.

Meanwhile, in the last semester of senior year, the leader continually pushes his peers to be better through example

“He’s in second band,” senior battery captain Caleb Brooks said. “The first band had a competition that was outside of Coppell, so we had to load up a truck. When we were coming back to Coppell to unload, almost no one from first band showed up. But by some strange coincidence, Cooper showed up. And instead of spending the time with his family, he helped us even though it wasn’t his responsibility.”

Wiethoff will continue his education at the University of North Texas to study computer science. Although he won’t be directly involved with music, he hopes to join the marching band there.

Kada takes her final bow

Rhea Choudhary Staff Writer @CHSCampusNews

Fifth grade is where it all began for Coppell High School senior Choir president Mihira Kada. From Kada nervously stepping onto the stage in her first show at Valley Ranch Elementary school, to strongly finishing her high school choir career on an inspirational note at the 2023 Spring Vivace Concert.

As a young girl who had been taking piano lessons and greatly enjoying Valley Ranch Elementary school’s music class, Kada thought to herself: “Why don’t I try pursuing choir so I can have chances to perform while being able to do what I love?”

Propelling this passion at Cop-

pell Middle School East, Kada wanted to branch out and try running for various off icer positions throughout those three years. While she didn’t receive a choir off icer title in middle school, Kada was not disheartened, rather she was twice as determined to work harder for an opportunity at a choir leadership position in her upcoming high school years.

“Although I wasn’t her choir director in middle school, she immediately stood out to me in their choir shows and I was able to connect with her in eighth grade when she conducted ‘Carol of the Bells’, along with seeing how great of a positive attitude she had,” head choir director Bona Coogle said.

“Once I got her as my student her freshman year, I promptly thought

to myself, ‘Oh yeah, that’s the outgoing Mihira I know,’ only increasing my interest in working with her for the next four years.”

Kada is grateful to have become so close to her choir directors, Coogle and choir assistant director Aaron Coronado, as she wouldn’t have the appreciation or have been able to come this far in her choir career without them. Coogle sees Kada as a mature student with incredible work ethic, an approachable friend to every choir member with a vibrant personality, and as a “helping hand” as she never turns down an opportunity to make herself useful.

“My choir directors have taught me that having fun is definitely not the only thing that’s going to get you to be the best, along with

being role models, teaching me how hard you have to work to put yourself out there,” Kada said. “While they may seem strict, whatever they do for choir members is because they want to help us grow and is for us to understand that life is not always going to be easy, especially because there aren’t any shortcuts.”

With Kada as the choir president for the 2022-23 school year, junior Roma Jani holds the choir vice president position. Jani has become very close with Kada and looks up to her in many ways,

but most importantly she sees Kada as an inspiration, constantly motivating her to only work harder.

“She is hardworking and her love for choir is what helps drive her to push every member in choir to do their best; it’s clear that it makes her a natural leader,” Jani said. “I think of her as an older sister and I know Mihira truly is going to flourish in life with her immaculate ability to make everyone feel welcome.”

In the fall, Kada will attend the University of Texas at Dallas, majoring in supply chain business at

the Jindal School of Management. She aspires to be a part of the honors program and hopes to utilize her high school singing accomplishments to join a singing or dancing group in college.

“A piece of advice that I would give to any student interested in joining choir, is that at the moment, it will be nerve wracking to perform in front of an audience,” Kada said. “However, you’re going to need to prove that you hold this passion inside of you, presenting you with opportunities better than you could imagine.”

Coppell High School Choir president, senior Mihira Kada, sings “Sleep” by Eric Whitacre at the Spring Choir Concert on Tuesday in the CHS auditorium. Senior Mihira Kada has finished her high school choir journey and hopes to continue pursuing her passion for singing as she goes to college. Vibha Viswanath

Coppell High School senior bass drum Cooper Wiethoff stands taller than his peers on the Coppell Drumline. While his height sets him apart, through leadership and talent, Wiethoff will march with the Mandarins over the summer. Shrayes Gunna

Older, yet wiser What advice would Coppell athletes give to their younger selves?

April 6: Coppell Band selected for elite Midwest Clinic April 22: Coppell Student Media wins NSPA Online Pacemaker for fourth year in a row

Photo courtesy Malkam Wallace

“Don’t take everyone’s comments too seriously and just be yourself, because yourself is good enough.”

Talia Stuchal senior outfielder

“Work as hard as you can everyday and enjoy the time with your teammates and friends because it goes by fast.”

Sean

Simpson senior attacker

“Have confidence in everything you do and play and don’t be afraid to take the next step.”

Malkam Wallace senior running back

“Focus on one goal and don’t let anything stop you from working towards it.”

Juliano Syre senior sprinter

“Just keep your head up and keep working hard, even if you don’t know what the outcome will be.”

Allie Stricker senior middle hitter

Photo courtesy Sean Simpson

Photo courtesy Talia Stuchal

Photo courtesy Juliano Syre

Photo courtesy Allie Stricker

Photo courtesy Allie Stricker

Photo by Olivia Short

Photo by Josh Campbell

Photo by Olivia Short

Photo by Olivia Short

Sever setting example for underclassmen

Angelina Liu Executive Editor-in-Chief @angelinaliiu

Picking up a wiffle ball bat, the wobbly 3-year old began swinging it back and forth in his living room. Modeling the Texas Rangers he saw watching television with his dad, Coppell High School senior third baseman Tanner Sever was captivated by the sport.

“He is a workhorse,” Coppell baseball coach Armando Garza said. “Tanner had the unique experience of getting thrown in the fires as a freshman, so he is one of the most experienced players that we have. He has been in really intense situations and been successful in them. Tanner is a veteran and leader.”

Sever began playing summer baseball at age 5. Playing throughout middle school at Coppell Middle School West, he honed his skills under the blazing summer sun to make varsity as a freshman. Now a seasoned player, he sets the tone for games and practices.

“Showing up every day, whether sore or tired, is important,” Sever said. “I know that I have a job to do. I try to lead by example. If I can do it, they can do it. And then if they can do it, anyone can do it.”

The ballplayer started as a shortstop prior to moving to second

base his sophomore and junior seasons. As a senior, he is the third baseman. He cites the biggest difference between the positions in the speed of the ball. At third base, he must be ready for balls in play coming at him at speeds up to 100 mph.

Everybody in the baseball program looks up to Sever because he’s played a big role in helping us get to where we are right now.”

Sever will play Division 1 baseball at the of Texas San Antonio.

“I was lucky enough to get an opportunity to go play somewhere because a lot of kids don’t get to,” Sever said. “The school is not too far from home, but it’s not too close either. They told me that I would have a chance to play right away. I definitely love to hear that. It will allow me to continue my dream of playing baseball at the next level and hopefully keep that going.”

Heavily involved with the morale of Coppell baseball, Sever also ensures the quality of his surrounding community, volunteering his time regularly through the Young Men’s Service League.

Sever

“Ever since my freshman year I have looked up to Tanner,” senior catcher Liam Krauss said. “He is a very outgoing but quiet person at the same time. He is a great teammate to be around and always wants you to be the best. When we’re in the weightroom he’s going to be competitive and challenge you.

“We go around the Dallas area and help out, whether that be making sandwiches for homeless people or assembling furniture to take to people who can’t afford it,” Sever said. “We do small acts of kindness.”

Sever hopes that his impact on the team is everlasting.

“I’m happy I got to play for Coppell because that was always one of my dreams growing up,” Sever said.

Sever’s Stats

- Favorite restaurant is Texas Roadhouse

- Favorite video game is MLB: The Show

- Played shortstop before moving to third base as a senior

I know that I have a job to do. I try to lead by example. If I can do it, they can do it.

Tanner

third baseman

Coppell senior Tanner Sever waits at third base at the Coppell ISD Baseball/Softball Complex on April 25. Sever serves his community through service work and will continue his baseball career at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Nandini Paidesetty and Olivia Short

Deinhammer’s gap year decision becomes impactful career

Iniya Nathan Features Editor

Coppell High School Anatomy & Physiology teacher Jodie Deinhammer’s teaching career started because she held off going to medical school after completing her microbiology degree at TCU.

“I did not want to become a teacher,” Deinhammer said. “It was not my goal. I got ready to start med school and then I decided to take a semester off as I wasn’t ready to be in school again after four and a half years of undergrad. I have my degree in microbiology, so the only thing I could do was work in a lab or teach. My college counselor advised me to teach for a semester or for a year and then go back to med school.”

Deinhammer decided to wait before going to medical school because she did not know what she wanted to specialize in. She did not want to do more lab work after her college experiences and instead decided to teach, earning her certification at UNT, prior to going to medical school. Deinhammer ended up teaching at CHS by accident.

“We had to sign up to do student teaching, and I missed the deadline,” Deinhammer said. “ I got assigned here. I’ve never even heard of the town. I remember driving up to the school thinking, ‘How I’ve never seen this place, but this is fantastic.’ This is way better than Denton schools. I loved it once I got here. It’s funny how things all work out the way they should.”

Deinhammer fell in love with not only the school but with teaching itself. She has been teaching at Coppell ISD for 25 years, most of those years at CHS. She taught seventh grade science at Coppell Middle School East prior to returning to CHS. She wants to teach differently than how her teachers taught her, never having liked school when she was in it.

“I didn’t like school when I was

a kid, so when they suggested that I teach. It was funny to me because I was like, ‘I’m telling you, I don’t want to be in school,’”

Deinhammer said. “It was my drive to make it different from what I experienced because it was so boring for me. I never felt challenged or interested in what we were learning. I wanted to try to do it in a different way.”

Most of Deinhammer’s students, such as CHS senior Niti Yadav, would say that she has met her goal of making class engaging for her students.

“She’s super chill, and she’s really sweet,” Yadav said. “The classes are a lot more interesting when she teaches it. I like her lectures because somehow she’ll make it really interesting without even trying. I don’t have to take notes for her lecture because I remember everything from just listening. It’s not fancy talk all the time so it actually makes sense to me.”

CHS instructional coach Emily Pickrell also has a high opinion of Deinhammer’s teaching, having been in her class during her senior year of high school.

“I remember more about her class than a lot of my classes,” Pickrell said. “Which is funny because science was so not my thing. I remember the community that she built in her class. I remember laughing in her class so much and the people that I was already friends with or became friends with because of her class. She always wants to make things fun. I also remember very specific projects that we did, I remember doing a project over avocados and how they help support your brain health and our healthy fats. And just different projects, making stop motion projects that I had never done before. She let us really explore and try to be creative.”

As a teacher, Pickrell’s opinion on Deinhammer as a teacher has only grown more positive.

“When I was becoming a teacher, there were so many things

about her in her class, and her as a teacher, regardless of what she taught that I wanted to take with me,” Pickrell said. “The relationships and the way that she made me feel very known, stuck with me for so many years. That was really important to me. And then giving kids choice is so important to her, and I saw that even as a student in her class, she always let us choose the way that we were going to show that we knew something. That’s something too that I wanted to do.”

Deinhammer describes herself as outdoorsy with a love for gardening and all things environmental, and with that, is the sponsor of the Eco Club.

“It’s a lot because the club members are very active and very engaged and want to do stuff,” Deinhammer said. “I’m pretty connected to the community. I’m always being given opportunities that I can share with the Eco Club; we always have something going on. From events to presentations to teaching kids, there’s always something to do and I love it.”

While acknowledging that teaching is stressful, Deinhammer enjoys what comes with teaching like working with other teachers, hearing back from students that have graduated and coming up with new ways to keep her students interested in learning.

“I want them to be good people,” Deinhammer said. “Take care of themselves and others around them. We focus a lot on health, the health and wellness of the human body and anatomy to know how to take care of ourselves.”

Despite not having planned to become a teacher, Deinhammer has no regrets being where she is today.

“I wouldn’t do it any other way,” Deinhammer said. “Teaching is so much fun. It’s stressful sometimes, but typically it’s not stressful and I look forward to coming to work.”

Did you know?

Favorite places are Berlin and parts of Alaska.

Has been to most major music festivals in the United States and hopes to go to music festivals in Europe.

Has a dog named Molly Weasley

Coppell High School science teacher Jodie Deinhammer assists Anatomy and Physiology students with their urinalysis lab during second period on May 1. Deinhammer was selected as The Sidekick’s Volume 34 Issue 6 Teacher of the Issue. Aliya Zakir and Sreehitha Moravaneni

“Teenagers today want to read about teenagers today”

Young adult literature provides exactly what its audience needs

Saniya Koppikar

Entertainment Editor @SaniyaKoppikar

It was late August in 1967 when then 19-year-old S.E. Hinton, best known for writing the classic young adult novel The Outsiders while still in high school, published an impassioned article in The New York Times Book Review.

“Teenagers today want to read about teenagers today,” Hinton wrote. “The world is changing, yet the authors of books for teen-agers are still 15 years behind the times. In the fction they write, romance is still the most popular theme with a horse and the girl who loved it coming in a close second. In short, where is the reality?”

The Outsiders, published April 24, 1967, was Hinton’s reality. The novel, which is focused on the socioeconomic divide of the Socs and Greasers, two rival gangs, follows 14-year-old Ponyboy Curtis as he attempts to fnd his inner sense of right and wrong. According to a 2005 interview Hinton did with The New York Times, the gangs were based on gangs at Hinton’s own school, Will Rogers High School in Tulsa, Okla., and her empathy for the Greasers, a group fostered by the 1950s subculture heavily covered and romanticized in media since.

Hinton was only a teenager when The Outsiders was published, but she went on to be credited as a kickstarter for the young adult genre. In following years, novels such as The

Chocolate War (1974) by Robert Cormier, Hatchet (1987) by Gary Paulsen, The Giver (1993) by Lois Lowry, Holes (1998) by Louis Sachar and more recently The Hunger Games (2008) by Suzanne Collins, continued the craze, and young adult literature began to develop alongside young adults. As nihilism and individualism hit another wave of popularity in the early 2000s, the literature followed suit and dystopian settings became frequent.

In short, the relatability of the young adult genre led to its popularization. Simultaneously, however, the qualities have powered the genre’s opponents––namely, those who oppose it for being uninspired, unrealistic or immature.

But while the average modern teenager is not actively and single-handedly founding a revolution against a corrupt dictator or societal norm like their favorite characters might be, their world’s political atmosphere is certainly fraught. Feeling powerless or overwhelmed with the state of the world ahead of them is clearly refected in the genre’s trends.

Just look at some of its most common characteristics: a teenage protagonist whose problems the story revolves around, parents who are “noticeably absent or at odds” with their children and typical comingof-age themes. Each one gives agency to the young adult. No, it is not always realistic how much agency they have, but the experience is undeniably immersive. It is hard not to feel understood

when the power is placed in the hands of someone who feels powerless, especially as one ascends into adolescence, an infamously angsty and emotional time in one’s life.

The Outsiders itself was borne from Hinton’s own desire to feel understood by the books she read.

“I was surrounded by teens and I couldn’t see anything going on in those books that had anything to do with real life,” Hinton said in a 2014 interview with The New Yorker. “[But] there is so much variety in young adult now.”

Getting kids to read is a problem by itself, exacerbated even more since 2014. According to The Atlantic, a 2019 survey by the National Assessment of Education Progress found that percentages of 9 and 13-year-olds who said they read daily for fun had dropped by double digits since 1984, and one of the “most compelling” reasons is the lack of personal connection to books.

If the problem is forming a connection with the story, young adult literature is reading’s best bet. After all, books and franchises in the young adult genre tend to have some of the most attentive fanbases.

When the The Hunger Games movies made their re-debut on Netfix, their fanbase came out of the woodwork. In an online movement coined the “renaissance” of the well-known franchise, theories and fan-edits have abounded with popularity unseen for a decade. It is apparent that even though the series

is a decade old, many still feel strongly about it.

In fact, The Hunger Games is hailed as a maverick for the young adult genre in particular. While the writing style is YAtype simplistic and the dystopian setting has been imitated by countless franchises since its 2008 release, the fact that it was one of the frst of its kind, and its indelible mark on pop culture, remains.

The Hunger Games is also an example of a young adult franchise that difers from the stereotype of vapid characters and shallow premises, praised by Forbes as one of the “fnest modern examinations of not only totalitarianism and class oppression, but also of propaganda and the battle for ‘hearts and minds’ waged by both sides of a fght.”

The novels’ social commentary calls out the vanity and lies of the in-universe media. Collins makes the young age of the protagonists intentional to the message of the story so it adds rather than subtracts from its realism. The characters are still relatable to teenagers. There are a number of reasons why the franchise is still praised a decade after its release, and it is for these reasons that YA literature continues to thrive, even when many books do not meet this standard.

There is more to the story, of course. One could argue that older novels in the genre are “better” than most of the ones of recent years, which seem to repeat situations and settings shifted slightly to the left. And

there is validity to the number of problems that exist within the genre nowadays, starting with its sometimes cookie-cutter worldbuilding and unrealistic generalizations and expectations for the political and physical capabilities of teenagers. Young adult literature is far from perfect, and it is accordingly mocked.

But I can tell you about themes and metaphors and the magnitude of the protagonist’s long-fated decision, and I can understand the impact of the social commentary. I’m still not sure I can truly tell the difference between a “good” and “bad” book, movie or song by any standards except whether or not I had fun. And with young adult novels, despite some dark moments, it’s pretty often I fnd myself having fun.

Maybe it is not always necessary to pick apart the bones, while there is often meaning to them. Maybe sometimes, especially if it gets you to just read more, it’s enough to just enjoy yourself.

While the young adult genre has its fair share of snags, there are gems deserving of appreciation for their depth despite being intended for a younger audience. And for the ones that don’t have that depth?

Hinton ofered some advice for them as well: “If you enjoy reading something, read it.”

Modern rock isn’t the same as two decades ago, when it was in its prime at the top of the charts. 2003 was a year of historic sophomore albums and great music, but many of my peers haven’t heard of these bands. In Rock Redux, I will be highlighting four of 2003’s best rock albums.

American rock oddity Ween - which, if you have heard them, was most likely from its inclusion of “Ocean Man” in The Spongebob Squarepants Movie - released its eighth studio album in 2003. Quebec spans from punchy garage rock to psychedelic alternative.

Ween has a knack for being a bit odd, and that’s only the beginning of Gene and Dean Ween’s antics.

When you think you understand what Ween’s pitching your way, it throws a curveball like the mindless “Hey There Fancypants.” I could almost frolic around town to the bliss of Ween’s nonsensical lyrics.

Hey there fancypants / Play the songs that make us dance / play the tunes that make the ladies swoon

Simply sounds like a good time, no? Just two songs later, Ween hatch up the solemn country tune “Chocolate Town,” strumming away, Makin’ time breakin’ ground / sail brown bay to chocolate town

At times Quebec feels as if it is more of a greatest hits compilation spanning a broad discography rather than a cohesive album. Nevertheless, that’s where Ween’s strengths lie. A song to anyone’s liking will be found in their expansive discography.

Linkin Park broke into the rock scene in 2000 in a twist on hip-hop/rock fusion with Hybrid Theory. Riding the nu-metal wave of the late 90s into the aughts, it followed with just as much emotional prowess three years later with Meteora. The album is packed full of raw emotions: depression, anger and loneliness personifed between Chester Bennington and MC Mike Shinoda. While only 37 minutes long, Meteora starts authoritatively and keeps a frm grasp on the ears.

It wouldn’t be right for me to talk about Linkin Park and not mention “Numb.” The mighty chorus rocked the 2000s and shook the music scene when later remixed with JAY-Z’s “Encore.”

It was the ultimate culmination of rock and rap, and the loss of Chester Bennington seven years ago was truly a shame. But Linkin Park’s eforts don’t go unforgotten, with the special release of Meteora 20th anniversary Edition seeing the release of countless unheard demos, including the rediscovered “Lost,” which feels as if it easily could have squeezed in as a 14th cut from the album. Garage rock revivalists were quick to continue their success from 2001. After releasing its hit debut Is This It, The Strokes would follow up with more or less the same formula. While vocalist Julian Casablancas gets more rasp in his voice, the dynamic duo of fawless drum and bass from Fabrizio Moretti and Nikolia Fraiture, respectively, and guitarists Nick Valensi and Albert Hammond Jr., trade of outstanding solos throughout the album. The Strokes never seem to come up short of perfection in its sophomore efort Room On Fire.

The best song from the Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock tracklist, “Reptilia,” opens with a fawless drum and bass before breaking into one of the most renowned Strokes rifs from Hammond. However, I cannot fail to mention Valensi as well. The Strokes stray from dueling guitars and instead fnds itself with an irreplaceable duo of complementary guitarists. The Strokes never ventured further than its perfected credo on Room on Fire, golden rhythm sections, cool-headed delivery from Casablancas and bouncy leads like on “Meet Me in the Bathroom” and “The end has no End.”

With textbook garage rock solos, The Strokes were all indie rock would strive to be afterward. The sister albums Is This It and Room On Fire were some of the best they ever had.

On its fourth album, The White Stripes solidifed itself as an unequaled duo. Elephant is just as uncanny and in your face as previous projects, but in a refned manner where Jack and Meg White truly can shine.

The opening track turned international stadium chant is a staple in The White Stripes discography, the straightforward yet menacing opening rif of “Seven Nation Army” exploding into a blaring chorus. The duo is the perfect combination: Meg’s crude and so-called “beginner-like” drumming clashes with Jack’s contorted and complex solos: the perfect formula for a timeless rock anthem.

While most of The White Stripes discography ends in a rush, “Ball and Biscuit” is a slow-burning, seven-minute raging ballad. What begins as blues evolves over the track into one of Jack White’s perfectly imperfect blaring solos before dipping back into its slower sections.

Josh Campbell

Page Design Editor

@JoshDC004

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Graphics by Avani Munji

Title IX Trail Blazers empowering students

On March 30, the organization Legends of the Ball visited Town Center Elementary School as they annually follow the Women’s Final Four, hosting a leadership camp at a school in the city where it is being played.

“Somebody sacrificed something so that you have what you have today.” Legends of the Ball president and basketball coach Elizabeth McQuitter visited Town Center Elementary School on March 30. Olivia Short

Former WBL player and recognized ball handler Tanya Criever spins a ball on her finger during her Spin-tacular Basketball Show at Town Center Elementary School on March 30. Olivia Short

Former WBL player and recognized ball handler Tanya Criever performs a trick with a hula hoop during her Spin-tacular Basketball Show on March 30. Olivia Short

Former WBL player and recognized ball handler Tanya Criever spins two basketballs during her Spin-tacular Basketball Show at Town Center Elementary School on March 30. Olivia Short

Former WBL player and recognized ball handler Tanya Criever balances a basketball on a spoon as she feeds a girls basketball player from Coppell Middle School North Olivia Short