Volume 32 Issue 6

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FRESHMAN FEELINGS

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C H S 9 Students reflect on their first year of high school in a pandemic and its impact on their experiences.

BEST OF COPPELL PG. 21 E N T E R TA I N M E N T From best takeout to best place for a COVID-safe activity, The Sidekick staff shares its top picks.

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Letter from the Editor

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

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n May 1, Coppell ISD Place 6 trustee Tracy Fisher was re-elected to the CISD Board of Trustees with 2,320 votes. Place 6 candidates Sonal Tandale and Sam Wellington received 1,034 and 1,156 votes, respectively. Place 7 was unopposed for Place 7 trustee Nichole Bentley, who is starting her second term on the board.

This election marks the start of Fisher’s fourth term.

Fisher identifies the budget deficit, legislative work and promoting adherence to CISD’s core values as her priorities in her new term.

The budget deficit was an estimated $7.2 million in the fall. The CISD Board declared in April that the deficit will be approximately $2.8 million, though it will not be finalized until a few months time.

“We have our work cut out for us in the next few months while getting our budget set for the next year,” Fisher said. “We know our core values, and it’s really important we keep looking at everything we do through that lens, like great teaching and redefining success. We’re going to do more to get the community involved in legislation. I’ll probably go down to Austin two or three times by the end of the session, which is the end of May, to testify and to have meetings and encourage people to vote for certain things.”

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EDITOR- IN-CHIEF

Shivi Sharma

EXECUTIVE NEWS EDITOR @_shivisharma_

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In December of freshman year, on a display table to the left of the cash registers on the right side of the Disney store in Grapevine Mills Mall, I found a black fuzzy jacket with a small Mickey Mouse patch on the left breast.

Originally, it was meant to be a Christmas gift for my mom. Unfortunately, it only came in size XS and XXL, and after deciding to err on the side of “way too big,” the jacket came home, was wrapped and opened on Christmas morning after church.

I’m not entirely sure how I ended up with it, but the jacket somehow fell into my possession and ultimately became the staple of my wardrobe for the entirety of high school.

Nearly every day, it would accompany me to the frigid rooms of Coppell High School, an array of sporting venues and the myriad of other locations I frequented.

After four years, it’s a little worn out.

While the two inner and two outer pockets offered great storage, I’ve admittedly stretched some of those pockets to the max with stuffing my wallet, a notebook and a large Wendy’s fries I snuck into Williams Stadium in Garland all at once. The black garment, once four sizes larger than what I wore, has been through a million wash and dry cycles that shrunk it down to a more suitable fit, though fading out the ink of the tags and thinning out the once thick fabric. I pride myself on its lack of holes, but I admit to having to pull out the occasional stray thread.

It’s about time to let it go. As someone who grows attached to physical objects, I thought I would be more distraught at the idea of leaving my beloved jacket in my high school days; however, I find myself perfectly fine with the thought.

My high school days themselves are coming to an end, too. I can’t say that I look forward to it; in a near-poetic twist, the virus was the apparent cure for senioritis in my head.

I’m still trying to wring out everything I can from each passing day, make the most of the time I have left.

And when that time runs out? I’ll be alright.

The University of Texas at Austin’s Liberal Arts Honors program awaits me in the fall, and anything beyond that is distant enough in the future to procrastinate thinking about for a good while. The oh-so-scary next stage is rapidly approaching, and somehow I found myself ready for it.

Based on my personality, I theoretically should not feel this OK with reaching a conclusion to the Coppell chapter of my life. I’m a person who likes to keep improving, keep producing, so stepping back and saying “I’m done” should be a terrifying concept. Yet when I look at my high school to do list and all that’s been checked off, I can’t help but feel satisfied more than anything else.

I’ve got just a bit more time in high school, a bit more time on staff, a bit more time with my fluffy Mickey Mouse jacket. What will replace that jacket, I don’t know. Perhaps the letterman jacket I’ll receive in June, with the year 2021 sewn onto the sleeve. Whatever it is, I hope it lasts as long as the black threads that carried the memories of a frizzy-haired girl throughout her time in high school: the highs, the lows and everything in between.

Fisher re-elected to school board Place

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SENIOR AWARDS CEREMONY // 10:30 A.M. - 4 P.M. // MAY 1

EARLY RELEASE/ LAST DAY OF SCHOOL // MAY 26

Anti-Asian sentiment prompts Hate Crimes Act

Common microaggressions against the Asian-American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community can snowball into violent hate crimes, as evidenced by the Atlanta spa shootings on March 16. The shootings sparked a nationwide reaction against racism and spurred local organizers into action. Photo illustration by Trisha Atluri and Alex Jimenez Enero

Akhila Gunturu CHS9 EDITOR @akhila_gunturu

On April 22, the United States Senate passed a bipartisan COVID-19 hate crimes bill to enact protections for the Asian American and Pacific Islander community.

The bill is a concrete step from the government to combat the rise in anti-Asian sentiment since the pandemic. According to the Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino, there has been a 169 percent surge in hate crimes since the first quarter of 2020.

In Coppell, Asians make up 24.8 percent of the population as the second highest ethnicity. In

Coppell ISD, Asians make the majority ethnicity at 51.6 percent.

“There’s a really high Asian American population here so I was able to find a home and make my own identity pretty easily,” Coppell High School junior Sahan Yerram said. “It just scares me to see how a virus can bring out the worst in people.”

Since March 2020, physical hate crimes against Asians have spiked protest across the nation, but anti-Asian sentiment is rooted in American history, beginning from the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882.

Since then, Japanese internment during World War II, the Los Angeles riots in 1992 and hate following 9/11 directed towards Muslims and those perceived to be Muslim have shaped the country’s relationship to Asian and Pacific Islander individuals.

On March 18, eight people were killed in a

series of mass shootings in three spas in Atlanta.

Six of the victims were women of Asian descent.

On March 25, a 65-year old Asian woman was attacked by a man in New York. On April 15, a mass shooting in a FedEx Ground facility in Indianapolis, where 90 percent of the workers are of Sikh descent, resulted in the death of nine people.

“I’ve seen examples of violent hate crimes done to such innocent, senior citizens that really took a toll on me and struck my heart,” Yerram said.

TO READ MORE, VISIT COPPELLSTUDENTMEDIA.COM AKHILA ‘22 can be reached at axg0588@g.coppellisd.com

Ambitious duo turns dreams into reality Slaughter, Robins striving for installation of solar panels at East Va r s h i t h a K o r r a p o l u STAFF WRITER @varshitha1128

Coppell Middle School East eighth graders Stayton Slaughter’s and Erin Robins’ quest to bring solar energy to CMSE started with a short film contest hosted by The Redford Center, an organization that focuses on delivering impactful messages through videography.

Slaughter and Robins decided to dive into solar energy, as they knew that the budget for energy can be mitigated if solar panels are installed at Coppell ISD schools. After looking into the monetary factors regarding the installation of solar panels, Slaughter and Robins figured that after three years, the investment would break even.

“When they first talked about getting solar panels at East, I thought ‘That’s a big project; that’s a lot of money,’” CMSE science teacher Jodie Deinhammer said. “If you care enough about it, you could eventually get some kind of headway made into it. I love how they turned the problem into their

solution. They are trying to solve the budget crisis. They figured it out and that’s impressive to me.”

As goal driven students trying to make a difference in the community, the pair strongly thinks they can address sustainability issues at a local level.

“In the Sustainability Club, we started focusing on the environment and how we can help the environment but then also how that comes back and affects us locally,” Slaughter said. “That’s something that inspired this project, and I think what a lot of people don’t realize is that big things affect little people.”

According to CMSE seventh grade science teacher Sarah Grover, this is one of the largest student-led initiatives she has witnessed. “[Deinhammer and I] have seen a lot of students do little passion projects and participate in various competitions, but [Slaughter and Robins] have taken it a whole step further,” Grover said. “They are ready to speak to people at CISD. They are really doing whatever it takes to at least be heard. That determination is something that is fresh and new to me

SEPT. 8, 2020 FIRST DAY OF IN-PERSON SCHOOL

Coppell Middle School East eighth graders Stayton Slaughter and Erin Robins created a petition to change their middle school’s main source of energy to solar power on March 31. Slaughter and Robins took up this project to encourage sustainability efforts in Coppell. Photo by Lilly Gorman

and it’s really exciting. Their project and the way they’ve done this is something that I think I will share in my classes for years to come.”

Slaughters and Robins’ end goal is to present their idea to the CISD Board of Trustees, the individuals who decide if installing solar panels at CMSE is

ideal. However, to present to the board, Slaughter and Robins met with several others such as CISD director of science Dr. Evan Whitfield and CISD chief operations officer Dr. Greg Axelson.

VARSHITHA ‘22 can be reached at vsk5901@g.coppellisd.com

SEPT. 17, 2020 VIRTUAL COLLEGE FAIR

MAY COPPELL HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION // 7 P.M. // MAY 28

NEW TECH HIGH @ COPPELL GRADUATION // 7 P.M. // MAY 27

Graphic by Josh Campbell

Pandemic makes for challenging one-year freshmen experience Akhila Gunturu CHS9 EDITOR @akhila_gunturu

“This year has been crazy.”

CHS9 student Sunya Ajani began the first nine weeks of her freshman year virtually and switched to in-person school in the second nine weeks for the remainder of the year. “[I had] these expectations like, ‘Oh my god, high school is gonna be so much fun,’” Ajani said. “[The pandemic] affected everyone in the way that we don’t want to do work, and we just feel less motivated.”

The coronavirus pandemic has caused an increase in mental health concerns for students, with studies citing that the pandemic will affect students for years after it passes. Higher rates of stress, anxiety and depression have been plaguing students across the nation since March 2020, when many school districts, including Coppell ISD, shifted to virtual learning.

“We wouldn’t see as many students worrying about friendships or friend groups,” CHS9 counselor Katie Walker said. “Before [the pandemic], we would probably see a lot more [concerns about] grades. [Students would be] a little bit more proactive instead of reactive to the grades. We’ve really had very few students looking toward the future and this pandemic has really impacted that idea that we should be looking forward. That’s hard when you’re starting high school, when

you have to start really looking through what’s gonna happen next.”

Some of the stressors students are experiencing due to COVID-19 include social concerns, such as feeling lonely or friendless, health concerns with risk of being exposed or exposing loved ones to the virus and academic concerns, such as a lack of focus in class.

“Focusing on what was going on in my classes was really hard because you have all those external factors at home,” Ajani said.

“Any moment [at home] you can really just walk away from your computer and leave what’s going on. In person, that stress kind of is relieved in a way where you’re still retaining more information.

In person I was able to ask my teacher questions, interact with other students and get help.”

Walker sees a difference in the mental health of in-person and virtual students.

“Mental health is such a big spectrum,” Walker said. “I will say that when it comes to mental health, I’ve seen more in person students just in my office and have worked with them more one to one. But that’s not to say that there’s not a need in our remote population.

There’s probably a bigger need than we CHS9 COUNSELOR see. However, it’s harder for them to reach out.”

For Walker, assessing the needs of a virtual student is much more difficult than an in-person student. “[For in-person students], a teacher can reach out to me and let me know or another student will let me know,” Walker said. “[At home], usually, if they’re doing fine

“It’s hard for students. With a lot of kids isolated, they’re going to look at it in a very monotone way. ”

OCT. 3, 2020 VOTER REGISTRATION DRIVE

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in their classes, typically, I’m not going to get involved unless they reach out for me or a parent reaches out to me. But if I don’t have any of that information, it’s really hard to service [remote] students.”

Freshmen face the added social pressure of the “freshmen experience”, a phrase used to describe the opportunities students are exposed to in high school.

“You get your vision of your high school experience from social media and movies, where you feel like these kids are having so much fun being with their friends and walking around in the hallways,” Ajani said. “Not being able to have that social interaction kind of just really brings that down. Homecoming football games, pep rallies, all those, we didn’t really get to participate in them, even though those are the top things that we were looking forward to in middle school.”

With the freshmen experience comes the academic and social transition from middle to high school, which for many students, due to the nature of virtual learning, felt nullified.

“It’s just done a complete 180,” Walker said. “It’s hard for students because we are a single campus and students don’t feel like they’re already a part of the high school, they just feel like it’s just another step [of middle school]. [With] a lot of kids isolated, they’re going to look back on this and look at it in a very monotone way.”

AKHILA ‘22 can be reached at axg0588@g.coppellisd.com.

OCT. 23, 2020 VIRTUAL FALL CHOIR CONCERT

Free yourself from the shackles of popularity Camila Villarreal

EXECUTIVE EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR @fliipthewriter

To Whom It May Concern, You’ve probably seen The Breakfast Club, right?

A movie about a five high school students so different from each other that it feels impossible for them to do anything other than argue. Or maybe you’ve seen Mean Girls, a movie about three - well, mean girls - who rule the school and hold so much power over their peers that it seems too absurd to be real.

Sadly, this “food chain” element movies like this exhibit isn’t too far off from reality.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t see cliques of girls in pink strutting down the hallways while the rest of us cower in fear, but popularity is alive and well. The football players get the most attention in school, the band kids and theater kids and often the butt of jokes and in class there’s always a “weird kid”

who gets snickered at just for looking and acting differently.

It’s easy to get wrapped up in popularity. At one point I too wanted to be loved and noticed by all, but now that I’m a senior in high school, I realize how utterly useless that is for me.

Now you might be wondering, “Who cares? You get treated better if you have high status.” While that may be true, popularity in any form can greatly impact your life well into adulthood.

A few months ago I was called a social reject by someone who was so attached to the high school hierarchy that their entire composure collapsed when I started laughing hysterically in response. To

be socially rejected means there are people who are socially accepted, and

spending time with Sandy. Ask Amy and Molly from Booksmart if going to parties was ever any cooler that spending time with their best friends.

It’s not easy to let go of popularity. It’s been a persistent component in my life since elementary school.

But if you’ve read this far, I know you’ll overcome it if you haven’t already. Your value doesn’t come from a fictional school system or from someone else’s opinion of you.

What do you have to lose except that weight off your shoulders?

Sincerely,

“Your value doesn’t come from a fictional school system.” if being so makes you behave like that, then heck yeah, I’m a social reject through and through.

Popularity seems like paradise until you get up close. Ask Danny Zuko from Grease if looking cool around his friends was better than

Social Reject CAMILA ‘21 can be reached at cxv8266@g.coppellisd.com

High school social hierarchies can be viewed in pop culture and movies such as The Breakfast Club and Mean Girls . The Sidekick executive editorial editor Camila Villarreal shares what it has been like being a “social reject.” Photo by Lilly Gorman

A world of failures is a failed world Sreeja Mudumby

COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER @sreejamudumby

I am a failure.

I do things every single day that make me more of a failure than I was before. I procrastinate, don’t exercise or spend way too much time passively scrolling through YouTube, searching for another shred of entertainment to get me through the day.

Honestly, I’m writing this column for myself. My life has been in all kinds

of turmoil lately and when I recently looked in the mirror, I saw my frizzy hair practically defying gravity, my face was filled with unpleasant acne scars and my legs had so many scratches from carelessly walking through the woods or stumbling down my stairs.

If failure had a face, it would be the one staring right back at me.

I figured I couldn’t be the only one, so I did my own research. In an anonymous poll The Sidekick conducted with 156 respondents, 64 people said they currently feel like a failure and 135 felt like a failure at some point in their life.

Why? There is a big problem if so many people, no matter how objectively successful they are, feel unsuccessful. The standard which we are holding ourselves to is so high we sometimes forget that success is not linear.

I have days where I feel like doing nothing and days where I feel trapped in a cage of

demotivation.

But we don’t need to be constantly grinding or putting our energy into things, especially when we are still in a global pandemic. Not being 100 percent all the time does not make us failures.

It was not an easy road for me to change my mindset. In fact, the negative energy still takes over my mind sometimes and ruins my entire day. It’s not practical to wake up tomorrow and feel amazing about yourself for the rest of your life. But the faster you accept yourself for your flaws as well as your strengths, the happier you will be in the long run.

People can say anything they want to, whether it be good or bad. But you are the only one that can change your perspective in life. You can choose not to be a failure by simply declaring yourself that you are not one.

T h e mind has more than 6 0 , 0 0 0 thoughts a day, and for me, most of

41%

those thoughts were always bullying me and demeaning my self worth.

But once we learn to defeat our inner monster, that one voice constantly whispering to us that we are never enough, we will be unstoppable.

You are only a failure in life if you believe it and don’t care to change it.

But you are not your mistakes.

You are a human being.

Celebrate it, your future self will thank you for it.

SREEJA ‘22 can be reached at sxm4577@g.coppellisd.com

Graphics by Akhila Gunturu

of 156 high schoolers in Coppell polled feel like a failure

OCT. 27, 2020 HOMECOMING PEP RALLY

OCT. 29, 2020 TERRIFYING TEXAS TALES

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Staff

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP CHASE WOFFORD Staff Adviser SALLY PARAMPOTTIL Editor-in-Chief* SHIVI SHARMA News Editor SAMANTHA FREEMAN Design Editor* SHREYA BELDONA Enterprise Editor CAMILA VILLARREAL Editorial Page Editor EDITORIAL LEADERSHIP AVANI KASHYAP Daily News Editor AKHILA GUNTURU CHS9 Editor* VICTORIA HERTEL Student Life Editor NEHA DESARAJU Entertainment Editor ANJALI KRISHNA Sports Editor LILLY GORMAN Visual Media Editor TRACY TRAN Photo Assignment Editor COMMUNICATIONS AND BUSINESS TEAM TRISHA ATLURI Advertising/Circulation Manager* BLANCHE HARRIS Social Media Manager* SREEJA MUDUMBY Communications Manager WRITERS ANETTE VARGHESE ANGELINA LIU ANJALI VISHWANATH DRISHTI GUPTA EVA WHEELER INIYA NATHAN JACOB MUNIZ JOANNE KIM MANASA MOHAN MEL VENEGAS

MEER MAHFUZ NANDHITHA NAGAVISHNU PRECIOUS ONALAJA SAPNA AMIN SARAH HABIB SHRIKA VURIMI SREEHITHA MORAVANENI TORIE PECK VARSHITHA KORRAPOLU YASEMIN RAGLAND

PHOTOGRAPHERS AVA GILLIS CAMILA FLORES JADEN MOORE KYAH JONES NANDINI MURESH* NANDINI PAIDESETTY NICK LARRY

NEVEAH JONES OLIVIA COOPER PRANATI KANDI RUBEN VELASQUEZ SANNIDHI ARIMANDA SNEHA SASH TANVEE PATIL

DESIGNERS ALEX JIMENEZ ENERO ALIYA ZAKIR AYANE KOBAYASHI

DIVYA JOSHI JOSH CAMPBELL SRIHARI YECHANGUNJA*

*Indicates Volume 32 issue No. 6 page designer

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 of 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

STAFF EDITORIAL

New generation calls for a new way to learn Let Gen Z hold reigns of our education Generation Z is an x variable in the equation of the modern world. The oldest Gen Z is 24 years old, the youngest is 9. Not only are we mostly in the dark about what makes us unique as a generation, we’re also the “new kids on the block,” and the big kids - Baby Boomers, Generation X and Millennials - aren’t too happy to have us around.

Generational divides present themselves in our everyday lives. Each generation goes through different life experiences and therefore may hold varying beliefs and morals. Though they may be fundamentally divergent, it’s time for older generations to step back and make room for the next group of people.

Gen Z, at such ripe ages, has lived through and is currently experiencing a global pandemic, multiple mass shootings, the effects of systemic racism being spotlighted, the impact of climate change, a global financial crisis and the aftermath of a terrorist attack that took more than 3,000 lives - just to name a few. To top it all off, we are constantly connected to these international or domestic events via technology, giving us an unprecedented amount of perspective and empathy for other people undergoing different circumstances. These are the moments that will shape our beliefs and morals.

We are a generation dealing with a surplus of information, and because of that, older generations do not have a right to discredit our knowledge on what “real problems” look and feel like any longer. Having lived through so many momentous historical events that were caused by older generations, it’s about time we gain more control over our own lives. That means having a firmer grip on how and what we are educated.

Gen Z isn’t afraid to use social media to tear down the platforms of those who do not deserve it, a process known as cancel culture. Although arguably a blessing and a curse, cancel culture has provided us with the opportunity to discuss social issues on a more expansive level, leading us to care about how our short-term actions have long-term consequences.

Wielding Twitter and TikTok as weapons, Gen Z was able to tamper with Donald Trump’s rally in Tulsa back in June, flood multiple racist hashtags on Twitter with videos of K-Pop celebrities and organize protests for the Black Lives Matter movement both locally and nationally.

Time has become our greatest teacher and Gen Z has proven to be quick learners. If this new group of students can learn so much and adapt with such little reaction time, then perhaps it’s an indicator that the modern student has outgrown 60-minute lectures, textbooks and standardized tests. There are better ways to evaluate the effectiveness of

learning than 30 pages of notes and multiple choice bubbles.

So what does Gen Z really want to gain from school you may ask? It’s simple. Change the objective of school from joining the workforce or getting into college to becoming more self-made and well-rounded human beings. What we learn in school should also reflect the changes happening around us so we can apply our learning to the real world.

That means allowing high school students to build their own class schedules based on the skills and interests they have.

This way, students will be more productive for longer periods of time - not because they have to, but because they want to. Make mental health and emotional development priorities in school. When either are lacking in a learner, education suffers. It means less school hours. In Finland, teachers work half the total time American teachers do in order to increase the quality of education rather than the quantity.

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) requires students to take specified social studies, science, math and English courses, a physical education, fine arts class, along with two years of a language they will likely not become fluent in during high school in order to graduate. The required core curriculum occupies the majority of one’s high school career, leaving very little room to explore the available electives, which feign the freedom of choice while also limiting the options within the boundaries of their endorsement. Endorsements carry their own requirements for the electives a student can take, and the big-picture benefit is a few experiences you might find useful when you get to college.

This “one-size fits all” method of teaching students doesn’t work for everyone. If the goal is to provide education that is useful to everyone but the antidote to the problem isn’t easily executed, let Gen Z be responsible for their high school careers. Boomers, Gen X and Millennials should supervise, guide and encourage, but ultimately, the reigns belong in the hands of high school students now and for years to come.

Five years worth of Gen Z students have already missed their opportunity, but it isn’t too late.

If this isn’t the first time that students have voiced their opinions on their education and research shows that the American education system is often ineffective and impersonal, when will change come? When will older generations let go and make way for the inevitable new?

Gen Z should have pride in being a sign of the times through their worldly impact. This past year is proof that hitting the ground running is what we do best, so where we run to and how we get there should be on our terms too.

A year turned

UPSIDE DOWN 202 0 -2 1 S E NIO R PU L L O U T

media

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Now colorized! Sidekick prints issue 6 in color Shreya Beldona ENTERPRISE EDITOR @BeldonaShreya

Though The Sidekick adviser Chase Wofford had already emailed the newspaper’s representative at printing company Greater Dallas Press for a quote on a full tabloid 24-page issue printed in color, Coppell High School senior Sidekick executive editor-in-chief Sally Parampottil was not willing to wait more than two weeks to get that quote, so she picked up the phone and called herself.

To Parampottil, unlike previous propositions to print in color, it was going to happen for Volume 32 Issue 6.

“I never once thought we were going to fall short,” Wofford said. “I didn’t know that [when the idea was presented], but in my heart, I felt ‘this is going to happen.’”

Each issue, the staff must sell advertisements to fund printing expenses. For The Sidekick’s standard pages 1, 12, 13 and 24 printed in color in a 24-page black-andwhite issue, the total must be around $1,000.

However, to print the entire issue in color, the minimum came out to $2,000.

“I’m not going to lie and say the whole staff was manning the phones [for advertisements],” Parampottil said. “It wasn’t like that, but you had people actively trying, [such as] our social media manager, Blanche Harris, our executive design editor, Samantha Freeman, our business manager, Trisha Atluri. Even people who weren’t on the leadership team [still helped out].”

While a colored issue does produce a more attractive end product, printing in color was done for the staff. “[It is] not just being able to hold something in color but holding something in color and knowing ‘I designed this, I put all of this together,’” Parampottil said.

For the past 16 years in The Sidekick’s history, printing an entire issue in color has never been done before, but Parampottil hopes this time will not be the last.

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

Photo by Lilly Gorman

The Sidekick

Neveah

Neveah Jones, a staff photographer for The Sidekick since her sophomore year, finds her time on staff has allowed her a way to improve and utilize her photography skills.

She is especially fond of sports photography, which is reflected in her work on Coppell Student Media. Her favorite part of being on The Sidekick staff is the people she has met and friendships she has created while building upon her photojournalism expertise.

Jones is involved in Student Council and National Honor Society and has found her time on staff has improved her time management skills. She will attend the University of Texas at Dallas, majoring in business.

Photos by Lilly Gorman

“I’ve definitely been improving on my time management [while part of The Sidekick], balancing out work when I have multiple assignments. As far as photography skills wise, I would definitely say I’ve learned a lot on how to be more creative with photography and with visual media.”

NOV. 8, 2020 25TH ANNUAL HOLIDAY HOUSE

“I like being able to interview people. These are people who I’ve never met before, which is super interesting because you realize everyone has this super unique story. It’s just so interesting to see people talk about something they’re passionate about. Their eyes light up or they start smiling, and it just warms my heart.”

On staff since her junior year, Sapna Amin is a staff writer for The Sidekick. Despite not writing many stories for the section, her favorite stories to write fall under opinions.

Her favorite part about Sidekick is working in D115 with her friends, and her favorite part of being a staff writer is interviewing sources. Her consistent writing has won her five Best of School Newspapers Online awards this school year, and she thinks her experience on the staff has improved her leadership skills.

Amin will major in journalism at the University of Missouri, which has been her dream school ever since she was a kid.

Sapna NOV. 11-18, 2020 COVID CASES CLOSE CHS, CHS9

KCBY-TV

“In terms of journalism, my adviser [Irma Kennedy] is my biggest role model. I have a newfound appreciation for the communications field because of this program, and I realized there was nothing else I was more passionate about.”

When Oliver Isenberg realized the choir program at Coppell High School was not a good fit for him, he decided that he wanted to explore the technical aspects of music. With his love for music and interest in audio editing, Isenberg found his forte in special projects in KCBY-TV his sophomore year. He is currently the special projects director and arena director. Over a period of five months, he has managed more than 500 hours of live streaming and done eight in-house productions for clients with KCBY-TV. In addition to his experience in audio and sound, Isenberg values creating a positive environment and bringing smiles to people’s faces. His role model Jon Bellion, a singer, songwriter and record producer, is important to Isenberg not only because of his music abilities, but his character as well.

“Music is a hobby until it’s not. Until you make it a career. Right now, there’s not really a whole lot of opportunity [for pursuing a career in music] unless I put forward every part of my life towards music.”

Juliana

Photo by Tanvee Patil

Next to the spread is Juliana Thompson, initially joining KCBY-TV her sophomore year.

Taking her experience as a broadcast director in her junior year, she dives into program director this year. Through her consistent work, creativity and ability to work well with others, she was given the opportunity of filling the highest position in KCBY, in which she, along with seniors Hailey Wilkins and Natalie Adams, oversees the entire program.

Thompson’s favorite memory revolves around a documentary she made junior year about fast fashion called “The Impact of Your Clothing,” which won the Director’s Pick at the Dallas International Film Festival. Her greatest accomplishment is her acceptance to the University of Texas at Austin’s Moody College of Communications, where she will attend in the fall for journalism.

Photo by Lilly Gorman

Round-Up “I’m in a top tier position [in Round-Up], and the path to where I am now has been very satisfying. It’s been really challenging and fun to work through.”

Riley

Who is someone with striking green eyes, a future as a biology major at Baylor University and a top managing copy editor for the Round-Up? None other than Riley Shultz.

Despite Shultz’s small stature, she is a titan in the program. Her long road from staffer to copy editor for the sports and people section, to now managing copy editor for almost everything Round-Up has to offer, can be attributed to her kindness and spontaneity. Shultz may seem like all work and no play, but she can still kick back with a slice of cheesecake and have a random conversation. She can even literally kick back, with years of taekwondo experience under her belt.

NOV. 20, 2020 HOMECOMING FOOTBALL GAME

Oliver

“The fact that we were able to come up with ways to make it happen and create a book for people to look back on in the future definitely is one of those moments [to remember].”

Naomi Coming in at 5 feet 7 inches and majoring in entrepreneurship at Baylor University, this RoundUp section editor is not someone you want to mess with. She has held the title of staffer of the month.

She is notorious for her ability to meet deadlines.

She is Naomi Kho. Kho is someone you want in your corner. She has a reputation as an astounding photographer and business and sales manager during her junior year and instills joy in other’s hearts as a hardworking, kind and responsible figure. On top of all of that, she can also bake a mind-blowing pastry. While Kho can really bring it if need be, she can relax with a good show like “Gilmore Girls.” She is the best of the best and one to watch.

Photos by Nandini Muresh

DEC. 2, 2020 SPAETE NAMED TEACHER OF THE YEAR

academics

MAY

2021

The Top 10’s Declassified School Survival Guide

By Avani Kashyap and Sally Parampottil

DEC. 9, 2020 LYNCH NAMED CHS9 TEACHER OF THE YEAR

DEC. 12, 2020 FOOTBALL BI-DISTRICT PLAYOFFS VS. DENTON GUYER

Lee drums up leadership roles Nanditha Nagavishnu STAFF WRITER @nanditha__n

As an elementary school student just broaching her journey as a leader, fifth grader Lily Lee knew leadership was a bold commitment. Standing in front of her peers at Austin Elementary School, stealing glances at her scripted speech on a piece of paper, she made her first speech for Student Council president.

Since the eighth grade at Coppell Middle School East, she has invariably been securing STUCO’s presidential spot through her Coppell ISD years and to her senior year, 2021.

“I push myself to get involved in clubs because it’s so important to come out and meet new people,” Lee said.

“You can make lifelong friends. For

Student Council, election season is the hardest part because it really challenges me to come out of my shell, which is so necessary.”

Lee is used to taking the lead and holding responsibility; she has done it since a young age. Being the main English speaker in her family after immigrating to the United States from South Korea at age 5, she would frequently fill out forms and learned to speak confidently. With a younger brother whom she used to care for, Coppell High School sophomore Jiwang Lee, she developed a maternal instinct that carries into her role as a leader,

where she prioritizes her peers’ comfort and sense of community.

“I just love taking care of people, and I love organizing and planning things,” Lee said. “I really love attending to my peers, taking initiative and getting things done.

I want to make sure that everyone feels they have their own role in a big groups [like STUCO].”

This year, she is the president of Coppell Band after being a percussion section leader in previous years. Lee’s hobbies include composing music, along with creative activities such as painting. Her insistence on the im-

portance of problem-solving ties to her interest with music, both of which need creative approaches. She is also a part of the Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra.

Lee will attend Northwestern University in the fall and study economics and music education.

“Lily’s a great role model for students around her,” CHS percussion director Annie Chernow said. “If any percussionists need help, she’s always there. I’ve seen her ambition pay off and now she got a full ride to Northwestern. When she was a sophomore, it was like pulling teeth trying to get her to talk to me, since she was shy. To see her get out of her comfort zone and use her voice in a positive way is great.”

NANDITHA ‘23 can be reached at nxn8271@g.coppellisd.com

Coppell High School senior Lily Lee is the CHS class of 2021 president and center marimba player of the Coppell Band. After being part of prestigious groups like the Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra, Lee has received a full ride to Northwestern University. Photo by Nandini Muresh

Zeal for service distinguishes Manandhar

as only recipient of TWU scholarship Avani Kashyap

DAILY NEWS/ASSIGNMENT EDITOR @AvaniKashyap03 When Coppell High School Senior Binivaa Manandhar applied to Texas Woman’s University in early October, she never dreamed that she would be selected out of 1,600 applicants to be the only recipient of the Chancellor’s Endowed Scholarship.

Given to one student each year, the scholarship, which is the school’s most prestigious award, has a value of about $52,000 and covers tuition and fees for four years. TWU Chancellor Carine Feyton surprised Manandhar with the award on March 25 in the presence of her parents and brother, varsity soccer team, Principal Laura Springer and Superintendent Dr. Brad Hunt.

“I’m ecstatic, thrilled and overwhelmed,” Manandhar said. “All good emotions. TWU was definitely my top choice and I decided I was going there be-

fore I even knew about [the scholarship].”

After getting accepted into the TWU honors college, Manandhar applied for the Chancellor’s Endowed Scholarship.

“She really exhibited all the qualities through the things she’s done as a leader to serve the community, send things back to Nepal, and focus on others,” Feyton said. “In every single aspect, it seemed she was excelling, and we were looking for a real, well-rounded leader who is not just strong academically, but is also going to give back to the community.”

Currently a member of the varsity soccer team, she is also the co-founder of Soccer for Nepal, a nonprofit organization that seeks to provide shoes for children who play soccer in Nepal.

“I’ve played with Binivaa since we were 4 on a club soccer team together,” senior Carly Duperroir said. “She has one of the best hearts I’ve ever seen.”

Although it was difficult to keep it a surprise, Manandhar’s family, who learned of the scholarship a month prior, were proud of their daughter’s accomplishments.

AVANI ‘21 can be reached at ask6086@g.coppellisd.com

The sole winner out of 1,600 applicants to receive the scholarship

JAN. 7, 2021 ADULTING DAY

Texas Woman’s University awarded its prestigious Chancellor’s Endowed Scholarship to Coppell High School senior Binivaa Manandhar on March 25 in the CHS Arena. Manandhar was the only applicant out of 1,600 to receive the award. Photo by Pranati Kandi

JAN. 13, 2021 CISD ANNOUNCES $7.2 MILLION DEFICIT

AUG. 21, 2017 The first day of the 2017-18 school year was the last time a freshman class entered Coppell High School prior to the opening of the Coppell High School Ninth Grade Campus. Under the leadership of former CHS Principal Dr. Nicole Jund, a batch of wide-eyed students was thrust into packed hallways to embark on their high school journeys.

OCT. 13, 2017 Freshmen attend last pep rally at Buddy Echols Field

APRIL 20, 2018 CHS walks out for gun control and school safety

AUG. 18, 2018

CHS9 opens

2021

A class of beginnings and ends

Last freshman class of CHS graduates as first class to walk stage at Buddy Echols Field

MARCH 13, 2020

Laura Springer announced as CHS principal

CISD announces closure due to COVID-19

JUNE 6, 2020

MAY 9, 2019

Black Lives Matter protest at Coppell City Hall

SUMMER 2019

By the numbers 2021 class size breakdown 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21

931 935 891 866

162 208 365

77% 60% Seniors virtual as of May 4

Seniors virtual for the entire 2020-21 school year

Seniors currently in the athletics department Seniors currently in fine arts department

690 Total school days

Seniors currently in Career and Technical Education courses source CHS Counseler Erin Kelly; Sidekick file photos

Campus renovations begin and last through Aug. 2020

2017

SEPT. 8, 2020

CISD returns to in-person school for the 2020-21 school year with a virtual option

2021

NOV. 3, 2020

Eligible seniors vote in local and national elections for the first time on election day

MAY 28, 2021 The day a class of 886 students finds its time in high school ending, concluding the era in which CHS had four grades on campus and pep rallies were held at Buddy Echols Field rather than the CHS Arena. Under the leadership of second-year Principal Laura Springer, these students end high school in a combination of virtual and in-person learning, after witnessing a pandemic, monumental winter storm and two impeachments. The historic class of 2021 will be the first to graduate on campus, walking the stage only hundreds of feet from where their high school careers began.

fine arts

MAY

2021

Williams means business; heading to Music City Va r s h i t h a K o r r a p o l u STAFF WRITER @varshitha1128

Coppell High School senior Sydney Williams dances to “Come Sail Away” on April 24 at the CHS student parking lot during the Vivace! Virtual Show recording day. Williams is heavily involved in the Coppell choir program and plans on pursuing business and legal studies in the music and entertainment industry this fall at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn. Photo by Tanvee Patil

Ever since she could remember, Coppell High School senior Sydney Williams was surrounded by music.

“I remember when I was young, we would call my grandparents and I had a plastic microphone, and I would sing Hannah Montana [songs] to them over the phone,” Williams said.

“My poor grandparents, the phone call would be like 30 minutes of me just singing Hannah Montana [songs].”

Williams decided that music was what she would pursue after her time at CHS after exploring others career options. After learning about country music artist and Belmont graduate Madison Kozak’s experiences in the music business, Williams was compelled towards the subject and the university.

“She described her experiences as well-rounded, and [she] got to know every part of the industry, and I was like, ‘that sounds really cool and something that I would enjoy,’” Williams said.

Not only does singing come easily to Williams, but performing does as well.

The first time she performed in public was in the fifth grade talent show at Town Center Elementary.

“She signed up for the talent show at Town Center Elementary, which surprised me because I was like ‘oh gosh,’” Sydney’s father Steve Williams said. “I was a nervous wreck. She didn’t practice a whole lot. When she got on the stage, I was nervous and sweating bullets. She actually did really good, the crowd was clapping and getting into it.”

Sydney made a presence in the CHS choir program immediately upon joining her freshman year.

“When I see her perform popular music, her being involved with our show choir and when I watch her solo, I can see that extra spark,” Coogle said.

Two years ago, when Sydney and her family were looking at colleges, the vibrant culture of Nashville, Tenn. captivated Williams’ attention. This allowed Williams to look into Belmont University.

Sydney’s mother, Pam Jones-Williams continues to be amazed whenever Sydney performs in front of people.

“Sunday mornings, she will get up in front of people and sing,” Jones-Williams said. “She also did a solo for the respira program last fall. I couldn’t get up and sing in front of people, and she has the courage to do that, and she does it beautifully.”

VARSHITHA ‘22 can be reached at vsk5901@g.coppellisd.com

Local star following dreams afar

De Leon pursuing musical theater in New York City I n i y a Na t h a n STAFF WRITER @iniya_v

by the Schmidt and Jones Awards twice, as ensemble in “All Shook Up” in 2018-19 and as Jojo in “Newsies” in 2019-20.

“No matter what role she’s playing, whether it be the lead role or an ensemble member, she’s always putting her full heart and attention into it,” CHS senior Xander Davila said. “She really believes there are no small parts, only small actors. She’s always putting her best foot forward, and she’s always really passionate about theater. That’s what shines about her.”

De León’s mother supported her in her decision to pursue

Coppell High School senior Sydney de León was sitting at the cafeteria during lunch when she got a call from an unknown number. About to ignore it, she sees the New York City area code and answers her phone, heart thudding.

Expecting to be rejected, de León listens in shock as the person on the phone lets her know she has been accepted into the Bachelor of Fine Arts Musical Theater program at Pace University.

Pace is one of the top universities for performing arts, and its BFA Musical Theater program only accepts 26-28 students per year. De León was accepted with a scholarship of around $30,000 a year.

During high school, de PRODUCTIONS León has been part of three DE LEON HAS BEEN musicals at CHS, and outside of school, she has been part of APART OF IN THE 20 to 25 productions. She has LAST FOUR YEARS performed at the Ohlook Performing Arts Center, competed at the Junior Theater Festival, and for her performances at CHS, she has been nominated for Best Female Ensemble

20+

FEBRUARY 14, 2021 WINTER STORM HITS TEXAS

musical theater.

“I was worried because it’s so highly specific and it’s so hard to get into and stigma about how it’s an art degree it’s not a real degree,” de León said. “My mom sat me down and said, ‘If this is what you want to do, do it. Make the degree work for you, not you work for the degree. You’ve worked for it, and we’ll catch you if you fall.’”

After finishing her degree, de León’s goal is to have a steady job performing and hopes to join Broadway or a touring company and travel around, performing all the time.

INIYA ‘23 can be reached at ixn3618@g.coppellisd.com

Coppell High School senior Sydney de León was accepted into Pace University for a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theater. This is a highly selective program that accepts about 26-28 students each year from all over the world. Photos by Camila Flores, Lilly Gorman and Sreehitha Moravaneni

MARCH 8, 2021 TEACHERS ELIGIBLE FOR COVID-19 VACCINE

UNNAMED BUT UNTAMED

Munagapati fabricating fear through game design Sreeja Mudumby

COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER @sreejamudumby Coppell High School senior Vinay Munagapti had many career dreams as a child, such as the typical astronaut to the not-so-typical agricultural manager.

It wasn’t until taking art and coding

classes at CHS that he solidified his dream of wanting to be a videogame designer.

“Since I was taking coding classes during freshman year, I thought it was a good way to introduce me to any language that could help me when I’m trying to create the video games such as HTML, C# and C++,” Munagapati said. “The art classes helped me get creative insight and improve my skills with design because when it comes to creating character models and level environment, I could have good rough sketches for what I can create and reference from.”

Munagapati’s game is currently a work in progress. With more than 15 characters but no title, he hopes his game reaches as many people as possible when finished.

The video game plot con-

Characters courtesy of Vinay Munagapati

sists of a stranger getting sucked into a monster-filled dimension, where he is kidnapped and taken into a mansion. The character has to find all five keys to get out of the mansion while avoiding all the monsters, as they want to kill and eat him.

Along with creating his own game, Munagapati will attend the University of Texas at Dallas to further pursue his passion and make a career out of video game design.

Munagapati continues to work hard on his game every day so that one day, people will be playing his game the way he played Five Nights at Freddy’s.

“If you want to make one, I would say go ahead; there

shouldn’t be anything stopping you,” Munagapati said. “You don’t always have to do all of the aspects of video game design; you can do one aspect and work with others to finish the rest.”

SREEJA ‘22 can be reached at sxm4577@g.coppellisd.com

Coppell High School senior Vinay Munagapati is a multimedia artist through drawing and video game design and uses coding to help 3D model for his character designs. Munagapati will pursue video game design at the University of Texas at Dallas in the fall. Photo by Trisha Atluri

Owens paving own path with role of drum major Manasa Mohan STAFF WRITER @Manasa_Mohan_7

She steps onto her podium getting ready to lead the Coppell High School Marching Band for yet another flawless performance.

Serving as drum major since junior year is no easy feat, but not for CHS senior Avery Owens. Coming from generations tied to music, Owens was a natural from her first day in the Coppell Middle School East Band.

With her grandfather, Donnie Owens, being inducted into the Texas Band Director Hall of Fame, his influence trickled down the family line, influencing Owens’ father, aunts and uncles.

“My grandfather grew up on a farm and started playing in a middle school band and was in the high school band playing the euphonium,” Owens said. “When he went to college [at University of North Texas], he decided to study music and decided to be a band director.”

Seeing her grandfather playing instruments every weekend

and watching her own father play instruments [alto saxophone], Owens and her siblings decided to embrace music to honor their grandfather, father and the Owens’ family legacy.

“I assumed that because trombone is something I was successful in, I thought trombone would be the only thing in music I would pursue.” Owens said. “However, when I got to high school and I realized music is my own thing and a facet of myself, I could grow through it. That’s when I decided I wanted to give back to the ensemble and continue the Owens’ legacy, and I wanted to be something greater within my own individual aspirations. [Being drum major] is service, it’s connecting, it’s communicating with an ensemble, and it’s continuing the Coppell Band tradition.”

Despite Owens being selected as drum major in the second semester of her sophomore year, she was serving as a leader in the marching band long before she earned the title.

“She took what she did very seriously and

aimed to offer her best individual performance.” Miller said. “The willingness [she had] to see a need and meet that need inside of a program, that really helped [her] excel.”

When she is on the podium, Owens works tirelessly to maintain a balance between hard work and a positive environment Coppell senior drum major Avery Owens is in the marching band and has to both push her peers, still keeping her spirbeen a drum major since junior year. Owens will continue her music path its high.

“I would definitely like to see the enerat Texas A&M University, where she plans to perform in the concert band. gy and enthusiasm [in fellow marching band Photos by Kyah Jones and Sally Parampottil

MARCH 30, 2021 AP STUDIO SHOWCASE

peers],” CHS senior drum major Wyatt Andrews said. “She’s very outgoing, and it’s nice because [her optimism] never gets old, and she makes it enjoyable to go to rehearsal regardless of whether it’s raining or really hot. It’s obvious she loves what she does, and regardless if there’s any logistical work, she’s all in for it. That passion is also something I’d really like to see [in other players].”

MANASA ‘23 can be reached at mxm8830@g.coppellisd.com

APRIL 10, 2021 COPPELL STUDENT MEDIA WINS NSPA PACEMAKER

senior sports

MAY

2021

Games play on in Sports pandemic seasons Faces of Coppell

Anjali Krishna SPORTS EDITOR @anjalikrishna_

W

RYAN WALKER Quarterback - Football

JAMIE WELSH Golf

hen the University Interscholastic League held a press conference to announce the guidelines for the upcoming sports season in the fall, the plan was held together by the overarching idea that sports, unlike the disappointing ending to last season, would go on.

Considering sports an integral part of the education experience, new guidelines were implemented to allow the sports season to continue onwards as normally as possible. Fans would be seated at Buddy Echols Field six-feetapart and at 25 percent capacity, masks would be worn, and tickets would be

made available online only.

Regardless, to Coppell coaches and teams, especially those whose seasons were cancelled unfinished, this meant a comeback.

Boys and girls soccer both made their way to the playoffs, something both were expected to do last year before their seasons were cut short. The girls struggled through multiple quarantines and injuries while the boys’ midseason slump nearly pulled them out of the running. Track and field was able to qualify five competitors and one relay team to the UIL State Meet at the Class 6A Region I Meet that never happened last year. Baseball hosted seven home games this season, while last year it did not get the chance for one, and the senior-heavy softball celebrated its Senior Night, an event it did not reach

last year. Hockey cemented its legacy with back-to-back state championships, retiring Coppell coach Chris Shakesby in an epically intense comeback.

Wrestling took its boys to state, as well as several of its girls. Volleyball almost nearly pulled off an upset against Prosper at the playoffs, proving its ability to learn from even a season such as this one. Football made a thought-to-be-impossible rally against Guyer in its bi-district matchup, falling short later on but ending a season where fans crammed in as many as they could with social distancing guidelines with a bang.

Coppell made its comeback: setting records, making playoff runs and upsets in a time for the world history books.

ANJALI ‘22 can be reached at axk8800@g.coppellisd.com

JAckie Gamborino - Tennis “Jackie is very passionate, very enthusiastic and she never ever misses a practice. When she’s there, she’s always enthusiastic about even the boring drills and that enthusiasm rubs off.”

- junior Nia Savova

EVAN CASWELL C ro s s C o u n t r y / Tr a c k & F i e l d

Ananya Sampathkumar - Wrestling “She always makes me laugh during practice, just making jokes about wrestling and saying little jokes about the funny moves we do or when people mess up.”

CHAYTON KRAUSS

- junior Maria Husain

Pitcher - Baseball

CHLOE HASSMAN Forward - basketball

Sidekick file photos

APRIL 16, 2021 “ONCE ON THIS ISLAND” PREMIERE

APRIL 19, 2021 LOCAL EARLY VOTING BEGINS

Emma Hubert - Soccer “There’s been so many times before the games when we are in the locker room where Emma will dance or just make funny faces and overall just make the locker room a different atmosphere in a good way. Emma is one of a kind.”

- senior Jojo Alonzo

Daniel Nelson - Soccer “He’s an incredible story of resilience; he was on JV the

Matthew Abbey - Tennis “The bucket hat is his signature, and his slap forehand that thing is a work of beauty. That’s like what separates him from everyone else. The bucket hat originally started

start of his junior year and worked up to a starting spot on varsity. He’s a genuinely nice guy and is a great guy to be around; he can dish it out as well as he can take it.”

- senior Collin MacDonald

as a joke but then he started wearing it at all the matches.”

- junior Vinay Patel

jackson Moss - Wrestling “Jackson does a great job leading the team. He’s one of the hardest workers and people respect that; they listen when he speaks. He pays attention to detail.”

- junior Simi Socks

Laura Boylan - Softball “Laura is definitely a memories kind of girl, she does her scrapbooking and this season, she took pictures of all of us on a disposable camera and put them in a slideshow. She’s a very hands on, crafty person who documents everything. ” - senior Sydney Ingle

APRIL 24, 2021 COPPELL EARTHFEST

MAY 1, 2021 PROM PHOTOSHOOT

Ayurveda uplifting Thakur’s well-being Na n d i t h a Na g a v i s h n u STAFF WRITER @nanditha_n

For Coppell High School junior Aditi Thakur, studying Ayurveda was not provoked by sheer intellectual curiosity. She is humbled by the rich history behind the medicine system, which has been

practiced for thousands of years, but is currently focused on using ayurvedic customs to optimize her physical and mental health. For her, understanding one’s own body is the foundation necessary to understand Ayurveda.

“The science of Ayurveda is there, and it’s important, but it starts out with thinking about your own body,” Thakur said. “I learn about [Ayurveda] and incorporate parts of it into my life, but you can’t follow every [Ayurvedic tradition] because of the environment we’re in. I am trying to

Array of spices Benefits: improved digestion, bodily detoxification, maintaining health

Turmeric Benefits: immunity boost, antioxidants, heart disease and cancer prevention

do what I can do.”

Brought up by parents that valued health and wellness, Thakur was raised with an awareness of what to eat and when to eat. Her mother Janaki Thakur’s insistence on a healthy life influences her to learn more about the nutritional qualities of anything she consumes. Gardening is a passion of Mrs. Thakur, and a backyard garden with homegrown vegetables and herbs made implementing Ayurvedic practices in her life easier than most for her daughter.

“Both of us are interested in natural approaches to conditions,” CHS senior Deepika Thadepalli said.

“A balance of Western and Ayurvedic medicine is the best idea. Since Ayurveda needs changes in routine, it’s

slow but permanent, whereas if it’s a life or death situation, you clearly need surgical intervention.”

Though she doesn’t plan on pursuing medicine as a career, learning about and experimenting with alternative medicine systems remains a priority.

“As a society, we’ve normalized exclusively following the [prevalent medicine system],” Thakur said. “It’s going to be hard to come out of that lifestyle, taking one pill that’s been controlling something inside your body without you putting in any effort. It’s hard to commit to a change in habit, but if you feel like doing it and have the patience, it’s worth it.”

NANDITHA ‘23 can be reached at nxn8271@g.coppellisd.com

Coppell High School junior Aditi Thakur practices Ayurveda with turmeric and spices. Thakur was inspired by her mother to study Ayurveda, a holisting healing system. Photos by Angelina Liu and Neha Desaraju

Stralow teaches students to enjoy movement of dance Manasa Mohan STAFF WRITER @Manasa_Mohan_7

Coppell High School dance and aerobics teacher Julie Stralow was selected

by The Sidekick staff as its Teacher of the Issue. Her enthusiasm towards teaching dance is admired by her students, and her passion for the art form instantly brightens up the room.

Why did you want to pursue teaching as a career?

It wasn’t something I was thinking about until I was already in college [at Texas Christian University]. Eventually, I realized that I was getting my degree in dance, but I knew that I didn’t want a full career in dance. So that’s how I considered using other modes of how I could use my Coppell High School aerobic activities and dance I teacher Julie Stralow leads her sixth period class through warm-ups on April 23 in the small gym. Stralow was selected by The Sidekick staff as the sixth Teacher of the Issue for the 2020-21 school year. Photos by Precious Onalaja and Nandini Muresh

MAY 3, 2021 AP & IB EXAMS BEGIN

dance degree in other ways. I happened to start working for a drill team company, Marching Auxiliaries, over the summers, and they hired me on the staff and that’s how I got into teaching. So that’s where it clicked [and I realized] that I wanted to be a drill team director which surprised me to no end.

How would you describe your teaching style?

I try to hit the highlights and surface of what they’re wanting to see and what they’re wanting to do but also try to make sure they’re getting the historical, technical and foundational things in without them knowing they’re getting it. I try to give them a taste of everything and be able to go from ballet to jazz or jazz to modern and [make] those connections, but not [get] them so bogged down that they’re not enjoying the movement and the music and the experience of moving in those different styles.

MANASA ‘23 can be reached at mxm8830@g.coppellisd.com

MAY 7, 2021 VIVACE! PERFORMANCE

MAY

2021

Sarangapani embracing culture through veena Drishti Gupta STAFF WRITER @drishti_gupta_

Listening to the angelic voice of the singer accompanied with the warm, buzzing and metallic sound of the veena, Coppell High School junior Hira Sarangapani knew the veena was an instrument unlike any other.

Starting in seventh grade, Sarangapani started playing the Saraswati veena, a string instrument that plays an important role in classical Carnatic musical style from South India. Her mother

and vocal coach, Sumati Ramesh, introduced her to the veena and thought it would be a great addition to her Carnatic music engagement.

“Being a musician myself, I was very keen on her pursuing the art of vocal music,” Ramesh said. “I thought learning the veena would strengthen her knowledge of notes even better. Learning to play the veena helps to achieve the correct way to sing [those notes].”

After realizing she was not the best at playing violin, Sarangapani decided to give the veena a try. Being a Carnatic student, she was already familiar with the veena by seeing others playing it at performances.

“A part of me wanting to go into the

veena is that it is such a unique instrument that not a lot of people know about,” Sarangapani said. “Everyone knows about the Western instruments but not a lot of people know about instruments from South Asia.

Also, playing the veena brings me closer to my culture so that was another reason why I wanted to continue with it.”

Through the course of her journey, Sarangapani has significantly imwproved and progressed in terms of her musical skills and personal development.

“I’ve learned a lot of different skills and compositions by different

“Playing the veena brings me closer to my culture.”

Photo illustration by Nick Larry and Divya Joshi

composers,” Sarangapani said. “Playing the veena and singing has made me a better person because of the resilience that comes with it. Because of music, it has definitely made me more persistent in school and other [extracurriculars] I pursue outside of music.”

Part of her improvement over the years is attributed to her determination and willingness to accept failure and grow from it.

“She’s come a long way,” veena instructor Jaya Pandrangi said. “She really works hard on her practice and is always willing to learn more and work hard.”

As a child, Sarangapani

had listened to her mom sing and teach other students. “I’ve always encouraged a holistic attitude, not just learning or performing,” Ramesh said. “I’ve always stressed the fact that music is a form of art that is important for personal development. It gives you a better perspective and helps you focus better on other things. It’s therapy. [Hira] also has that spiritual attitude.”

H I R A S A R A N G A PA N I

DRISHTI ‘23 can be reached at dxg1823@g.coppellisd.com

ONCE ON THIS ISLAND MAKES HISTORY Sapna Amin STAFF WRITER @sapnaamin7

“Once on This Island” sheds light on the Haitian retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid” with flashlights as props, stage lights and a color-changing screen that canvases the stage while acting as a mirror for the audience’s emotions.

This musical features an ethnically diverse cast of talented actors, singers and dancers. This inclusivity that was highlighted and celebrated accurately reflects the audience members who sat with amazement.

[Students of color being represented] and the fact that I can be a part of this history is awesome because this is the first time this has happened at [CHS],” said senior Jadalyn Van, who plays Ti Moune..

“Even though some people were upset about it, I’m glad it happened.”

Even though you are sitting in your seat throughout this musical, it is a fullbody experience. It sends chills down your spine from the emotion it evokes, giving you no other choice but to tap your foot along with the lively music filling the CHS Auditorium.

The musical was initially planned to

COPPELL HIGH SCHOOL JUNIOR

be “Legally Blond,” but after the Black Lives Matter movement resurged in the summer of 2020, CHS theater director Karen Ruth decided to change it to “Once on This Island” which cast a majority of people of color.

“Being Hispanic and mixed, when ‘Legally Blonde’ was first announced [as the musical] I was really discouraged because I didn’t see myself in the show,” senior student director Isabella Enriquez said. “Then during March the Black Lives

Matter movement was happening, it felt worse to do ‘Legally Blonde’ because it seemed tone-deaf and didn’t acknowledge what was going on.”

A storm produced by the mighty Gods Asaka (senior Camila Villarreal), Papa Ge (junior Emma Hoque), Erzulie (sophomore Faith Smith) and Agwe (freshman Siddharth Gunasekaran) leaves a young Ti Moune (Coppell Middle School East eighth grader Sweetie Ansah) orphaned.

“The reason I liked this show so much because it shows a Black family living their life,” Ansah said. “They are not the antagonists or villains, they are celebrated.Thankfully, two o l d peasants on the island Mama Euralie (Senior M.J. G r e e n ) and Tonton J u l i a n (senior Deionte Moore) take Ti Moune in and raise her as their own.

“Once [when I was a child] I was at McDonald’s and I was playing a white boy,” Van said. “Then he left and said his mother wouldn’t let him play with me because I’m Black.

That was really disappointing and I channeled that memory when I sang a lot of the songs.”

TO READ MORE, VISIT COPPELLSTUDENTMEDIA.COM

Coppell High School senior Camila Villarreal plays Asaka and Coppell High School senior Jadalyn Van plays Ti Moune in Once On This Island. Photo by Nick Larry

MAY 8, 2021 PURELY RHYTHMIC CONCERT

SAPNA’21 can be reached at saa6871@g.coppellisd.com

MAY 10-11, 2021 UIL STATE GIRLS GOLF TOURNAMENT

Best of Coppell

The Sidekick staff voted on the best locations in and around Coppell for each of seven categories. View more on Coppell Student Media. Best place to do a photoshoot: The Sound at Cypress Waters

Best place to get a sweet drink: TeaLatte Bar

TeaLatte Bar’s range of drinks are hand-crafted with non-powder, non-GMO and gluten-free ingredients with vegan options. With freshly brewed-toorder tea and a large array of drinks to select, TeaLatte Bar has been the destination for many when they crave a sweet, refreshing drink.

Best place for COVID-safe activity: Old Town Coppell Best place to study: Cozby Library and Community Commons Best place to go for walk: Andy Brown Park The breath of fresh air that Andy Brown provides can top no other place in Coppell for a walk around nature.

Andy Brown Park has four locations: West, East, Andrew Brown Jr. Community Park and Central Field.

Best place to get takeout: Palio’s Pizza Cafe Just a five-minute walk away from Coppell High School, Palio’s Pizza Cafe is a popular place to get lunch for many Coppell students. The restaurant offers a variety of foods within Italian cuisine, including pizzas, pastas and salads, made fresh every day.

Best place to shop: Grapevine Mills

Photos by: Aliya Zakir, Angelina Liu, Pranati Kandi, Lilly Gorman and Sreehitha Moraveni

MAY 13, 2021 CHS ATHLETIC SIGNING

MAY 14, 2021

VIRTUAL SPRING CHOIR CONCERT

MAY

2021

COPPELL’S CURVEBALL: MILLER

Pitcher breaks out in starting position Anjali Krishna

A

SPORTS EDITOR @anjalikrishna_

fter a vicious first loss to Hebron, the Cowgirls’ second game against the Hawks was a test in resilience.

Giving the team an early lead, Coppell junior pitcher Kat Miller led the team to its 8-5 success with an easy capture of a bunt from the air and a quick throw to first base, getting the Cowgirls a double play and Miller one of her proudest moments in the season.

“As a pitcher, when you’re on the mound and everyone is looking to you to lead whether you want that role or not, that’s what you are,” Coppell coach Mike Dyson said. “What Kat does is not show the emotion of defeat, she just keeps going. I’ve had a lot of pitchers in the past 27 years that after seven innings they’re done, sore and sore, and Kat’s not that way. It’s more that she

pitches, the better she becomes.”

Although Coppell’s season ended without a playoff run, Miller already plans to lead her team into the next season after the bitter ending to her first completed season as Coppell’s starting pitcher.

“This high school season has been the most painful of them all because we had so much talent; we just didn’t have the mindset going into some of those games,” Miller said. “When you see others down on themselves, thinking ‘we’re going lose this game’ when we haven’t lost it yet, that’s my biggest ouch. We have a lot of girls on our team playing select and all of the off season through the fall, so we are going to be grinding to go to the playoffs.”

Spending her freshman year as JV’s pitcher, beating out several upperclassmen for the spot, Miller was set to be varsity starting pitcher her sophomore year when COVID-19 hit. Miller pitched only one game against Irving MacArthur.

With Texas Glory over the summer, Miller prepared further to breakout as a pitcher and leader.

“Every softball player starts out wanting to pitch and as time goes on, you see people stop pitching because it’s so much time and work,” Coppell senior first baseman Michaella Baker said. “Kat was willing to put that in - she doesn’t let anything little affect her performance and keeps working towards being the best. She changes the mood when we’re struggling, just says one thing and we’re all starting to laugh because that’s just her personality.”

Miller began to play softball after Baker introduced it to her at Discover and Share Daycare when they were 5 years old. Baker pitched for the Cowgirls last year, switching to play more of first base-

man to align with her future position at Odessa College. Graduating Baker along with six other seniors leaves an opening for leadership on the team, a position innately tied into her position as pitcher.

“Softball means just fighting for your teammates,” Miller said. “You’re fighting for yourself and you have to do your own job but at the end of the day, you’re fighting for everyone else. If someone makes an error, I focus on myself and I know that I can’t control what anyone else does, but I can control what I do.”

With the experience of this year’s losses and pitching 23 games this year, Miller looks to the next school year’s season as what’s next, calling the completed season ‘last year’ despite it only ending in April.

“Kat really took over and did a really good job with it,” Dyson said. “She’ll see what her junior year did for her and as a senior, she’ll step it up a little more.”

ANJALI ‘22 can be reached at axk8800@g.coppellisd.com

Coppell junior Kat Miller is a starting pitcher for the Coppell softball team.

Miller was encouraged to join softball by senior first baseman Michaella Baker in daycare. Photos by Sally Parampottil

MAY 14-15, 2021 COPPELL BAND SPRING CONCERT

MAY 26, 2021 LAST DAY OF SCHOOL

SPRING FOOTBALL GAME // May 21 // 7 p.m.

YOUTH FOOTBALL CAMP // June 1-4 // 8 a.m.

Bellubbi, Cole doubled up for life Sapna Amin STAFF WRITER @sapnaamin6

In the intense gap of sound the tennis ball makes before bouncing off another racket and bonding over Roger Federer as their role model, the friendship of Coppell junior Sid Bellubbi and New Tech @ Coppell junior Cason Cole strengthened.

Bellubbi’s and Cole’s friendship began in kindergarten at Lakeside elementary when they took taekwondo together at NTA Taekwondo in Grapevine. Cole then started his tennis career in third grade at Brookhaven Country Club. By the time fifth grade rolled around, Cole had inspired Bellubbi to join tennis. During their sophomore year, Cole advanced to varsity and Bellubbi remained in JV. “The hardest moment in my tennis career was trying to make it into varsity my sophomore year,” Bellubbi said. “I was very close, and I missed it by one spot, which was mentally challenging. At first I was down, but I had a ton of great people around me who helped support me and help me push through. You can’t really control the events in your

life, but you can control your response.”

In addition to the 90 minutes of daily practice during his tennis period and five hour tournaments on weekends, Bellubbi began to practice an extra two hours every day.

“Sid is very hardworking and persistent,” Cole said. “We push each other to get better every day.

When he gets ahead of me, I get inspired to keep up or get ahead of him. I try to work as hard as I can.”

Balancing friendship and competition can be difficult even for friends who have known each other since kindergarten. Once after a match, the two did not talk until the next day. However, they realized tennis brings them together and bonds them more than it divides them.

According to Coppell coach Rich Foster, Bellubbi and Cole have grown through an increase of confidence.

“I often refer to the tennis program as a family,” Foster said. “There are intense competitors who want to beat their opponent on the court, but at the end of the day, they walk off the court being friends with each other,” Foster said. “[Cole and Bellubbi] having a long relationship inspires them in a competitive way to try to outdo each other, but in a loving way.”

SAPNA ‘21 can be reached at saa6871@g.coppellisd.com

Coppell High School junior Siddarth Bellubbi and New Tech High @ Coppell junior Cason Cole have been friends since elementary school and doubles partners for 11 years. The pair did taekwondo together before transitioning into playing tennis. Photos by Lilly Gorman and Sally Parampottil

Shortstop setting sight on tall dreams Sally Parampottil EDITOR-IN-CHIEF @SParampottil

When fielding, he stands between second and third base. When batting, he walks up to “Sum 2 Prove” by Lil Baby.

Coppell sophomore shortstop TJ Pompey - not at all short at 6 feet 3 inches - is the captain of the infield.

“He’s our leadoff hitter, he’s our shortstop - he plays two very important roles for us,” Coppell coach Ryan Howard said.

“He’s a sophomore, but a lot of guys look to him to get us going. He’s our igniter.

As a leadoff hitter, he’s a high energy guy who can make a lot of things happen.”

Pompey’s relative youth as one of four sophomores on a senior-heavy team has not prevented his success on the field.

Despite his debut district season being canceled prior due to COVID-19, Pompey received a scholarship offer from Texas Tech and verbally committed in December, before his first full high school season had even begun.

“I was doing really well in the summer, and coaches started seeing me,” Pompey said.

“What got me into Tech was the coaching staff. The coaching staff was a big part I was

looking for, and what they have is just, they really coach you players-wise.”

The major league has been Pompey’s dream since he was a child.

“I had a bat in my hand when I was little; my dad said I was swinging all the time, so he knew I was going to be an athlete one day,” Pompey said. “Baseball, I fell in love with it when I was 4, that’s how I got started.”

Playing on club teams such as Canes and the Cooperstown Cobras, the latter of which placed third in the World Series in New Mexico when he was 14, Pompey had experience coming into high school, which landed him on the varsity team as a freshman.

“The sky is the limit for him,” Howard said. “His talent is going to allow him to play as long as the drive is there for him. His talent is off the charts, his attitude is off the charts, I know he loves the game, and with his work ethic matched up with his talent, there’s no ceiling for what [Pompey] can do. We can definitely see him playing on TV one day.”

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

MAY 27, 2021 PROJECT GRADUATION @ THE SOUND

Coppell sophomore shortstop TJ Pompey bats against Flower Mound on April 27 at the Coppell ISD Baseball/Softball Complex. Pompey received a scholarship offer from Texas Tech and verbally committed in December. Photo by Samantha Freeman

MAY 28, 2021 CHS GRADUATION

MAY

2021

Dentistry for Infants, Children & Teens Dr. Rozas is committed to giving each child and family excellent and comprehensive care, and she is passionate about prevention and overall body wellness.

She believes every child deserves a happy and health smile!

972-393-9779

632 E. Sandy Lake Rd. Coppell, TX www.RozasDDS.com

Board Certified Diplomate, American Board of Pediatric Dentistry