Volume 35 Issue 1

Volume 35 | Issue 1 | October 2023

DISCussions,

DEBATES & DECISIONS Texas voucher bill fails, special session called P. 12-13

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school bus

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school

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News

Opinions

Student Life

Entertainment

Sports

Clearing the haze

Affirmative action

All over the overalls

An inside look of the fall show

Varsity sensation

New e-cigarette legislation effects on district

Socioeconomic perspective on college admissions

Unveiling history behind senior tradition

Down the rabbit hole of rehearsals for fall play “Harvey”

Meet star quarterback Edward Griffin

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P. 6

P. 15

P. 17

P. 21

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letter from the editor

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October

2023

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Clearing haze about new e-cigarette legistlation

Embrace the things you don’t love Sri Achanta

Executive Editor-in-Chief @sriachanta_

I live a life of irony.

I sit here and write, or rather type this letter, but I’ve always been apathetic towards writing. My words just don’t flow as eloquently as I would like.

I understand the technicalities that come with forming a sentence - a comma before a coordinating conjunction, a semicolon to connect two complete sentences. But it’s the figurative aspect, the one that forges a connection with the reader, that I struggle with - maybe that’s why I’ve written mostly news stories these past two years.

At first, it would take me hours to conjure up a lede that I liked. I would start a story one day and write everything but the introduction. I’d then give myself the next three days of leeway in hopes of reaching an epiphany as to how I can capture the audience’s attention.

I take things in a very formulaic manner and sometimes do not know what to do with that extra space to let loose.

This is my third year writing for The Sidekick. And if I’m being frank, I still have not developed a deep love for writing. I find myself exploring other outlets of storytelling, but here I am, once again, hovering over my computer to type up my newest piece.

But I’m fine with this. In fact, I am proud of how I’ve stuck with it. Loving something isn’t a prerequisite for benefiting from the experience; there are always valuable lessons to be learned.

It used to take me time to piece together my stories, but now I can do so in one sitting. More important to me are the skills that I’ve seen come into fruition. I write with confidence, voicing my thoughts through clarity.

I find myself stepping out of my comfort zone more often, exploring ways to express my opinions without a rigid structure - an ability that just came with practice. I’ve had my fair share of “aha moments,” finally conjuring up a lede that I am happy with.

A new school year has started for us all, and I offer this piece as motivation for you to make a conscious effort to reflect on that mundane thing you have been doing. For me, it’s writing, even though it’s part of my job. For you, it can be anything - that activity you’ve forced yourself to do for continuity or even the job that you may be doing just for the money.

Take this time to appreciate all you have learned and keep at it.

The Sidekick executive editor-in-chief Sri Achanta believes you should stick with things you don’t love. Throughout her years on The Sidekick, Achanta has grown from being apathetic towards writing to embracing it. Vibha Viswanath

New Coppell ISD policy states that any student caught with an e-cigarette on school grounds on second offense will be sent to Victory Place @ Coppell. New Texas law requires all school districts to increase penalties for students who bring e-cigarettes to school. Anvita Bondada

Anushree De Features Editor @anushree_night

An anonymous Coppell High School senior enters the bathroom. Attempting to find an unoccupied stall, she peers under the stall door when she noticed the stall to the far right.

Under it are four pairs of shoes.

She vividly remembers CHS Principal Laura Springer rushing in to get everyone out except for those in the far right stall.

“I got so scared,” she said. “I’ve been trying to avoid the bathroom after that.”

Although the situation was not confirmed to be a potential vaping case, crackdowns such as this often happen around the halls of Coppell High School.

CHS Associate Principal Zane Porter took up several vapes in just a span of a week.

As vaping offenses are rampant amongst the youth with 13% of all Texas students in grades sixth through 12th reported having vaped, lawmakers across the nation have taken to the legislation to find effective curtailing measures. On March 31, Congress enabled the Food and Drug Administration to regulate synthetic nicotine products, but Congress has not been the only body to pass such legislation.

In order to combat growing vape offenses, Texas lawmakers passed House Bill 114 to have stricter discipline for students caught vaping or in possession of e-cigarettes during the May regular session. Among those disciplines are placing students in a mandatory alternative schooling location if found in possession of e-cigarettes, marijuana or tetrahydrate cannibal within 300 feet of school property on first offense. The bill went into effect in September.

A small beige building is nestled between Denton Creek Trail and N. Denton Tap Road. Through the glass doors of the office is a desk. Upon it are heaps of files, a large computer and a placard.

The card reads Victory Place @ Coppell Principal Cynthia Osborne.

This is Victory Place.

The building consists of both the bychoice Alternative Education Program Turning Point and the Disciplinary Alternative Education Program Compass

(DAEP). The latter has a capacity of 15 students.

“If you ask me, the bill can clog up school systems,” Porter said. “Not for our school at this moment, but it might.”

Following the bill’s passing, Coppell ISD students caught with e-cigarettes were to be placed at Compass, which is constantly at or over capacity given its small size.

“With the campus DAEP program being as small as it is and looking at how previously individuals faced three to five days in-school suspension based on your grade level, that seemed like a big jump,” Osborne said. “So, our District

“

I’m all about parent involvement and choice, but this to me is very counterproductive in trying to help kids learn.”

- Dr. Brad Hunt

Coppell ISD Superintendent of Innovation put in some plans.”

On July 19, CISD Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction Dr. Angie Brooks requested that the CISD Board of Trustees approve an amendment plan for the bill.

Within the drafted request, Dr. Brooks cited the fact that students continually being assigned to DAEP and transitioning back to his or her home campus requires a transition plan that the bill does not take into account. The lack of a transition plan can interrupt educational continuity.

The District of Innovations states that on first offense, students caught with an e-cigarette will be placed in in-school suspension on campus. The second offense of being in possession of an e-cigarette requires students to be placed in automatic DAEP for 45 days. If the DAEP is at capacity, however, a student

that is already at the DAEP can go back to their original school in place of a student.

“We want our campus to be safe,” CISD Superintendent Dr. Brad Hunt said at the CISD Board of Trustees meeting on July 24.

“We don’t want drugs and alcohol to be at school or school-related events. Vaping has been a concern of ours. But, we were concerned that this policy would require an elementary, middle or even high school student that has a first offense or just be holding a vape for someone to go right to DAEP. ” Dr. Hunt also worried about the students’ ability to learn under these circumstances.

“I’m all about parent involvement and choice, but this to me is very counterproductive in trying to help kids learn,” Dr. Hunt said. “Yes, we want to be strict in these topics, but we definitely want to have our parents be a part of this process.

When it’s so restrictive, there’s no wiggle room. We want to provide kids the opportunity to learn and grow.”

For CHS junior Justin Chang, the new policy can be effective.

“I feel like the policy is a respectable approach.” Chang said. “People shouldn’t be hooked onto [vaping] at a young age because that can kill you in the future. It’s effective since once you go, you’ll come back as a better person mentally and physically.”

Despite the potential to be at capacity, Osborne expects the current building will satisfy students that are placed in the DAEP program.

“We have multiple classrooms, so we might spread students across a couple of classrooms,” Osborne said. “As far as building on the building, I don’t see that happening anytime soon given the resources it would take.”

However, Osborne thinks there are other ways to solve the problem.

“As a nation and a state, we need to continue to educate our students on the hazards of using vapes,” Osborne said. “That will be the number one contributor to helping students not get into this situation proactively. For students that are addicted to nicotine, providing support is important to break the addiction. That is something we are continuing to look at within our system, but we do have a course that many of our learners take on the impacts of drugs and alcohol and what that does to them physically, mentally and to their families.”

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Tardy turnover: New policy for slow movers Sahasra Chakilam News Editor @sahasrachak24

With a total of 19,688 tardies in the 2022-23 school year itself, Coppell High School has enforced a new tardy policy to minimize lateness amongst students.

The new policy began on Aug. 21, two weeks after the start of the semester to allow students time to adjust to issues such as late buses, navigating the building and the crowded hallways.

The policy entails consequences that heighten as the number of offenses increase. A student’s first two tardies are let go with a written and verbal warning. More than two tardies can lead to teachers writing students up to the assistant principal, resulting in detention, Saturday School or inschool suspension.

Tardies pertain within each class they occur in, so students can experience multiple consequences if different teachers report them for their number of tardies. A student’s tardy count goes back to zero at the beginning of each marking period, providing them a clean slate.

In the 2022-23 school year, CHS had no official consequence for tardies.

However, after experiencing a spike in tardies during the last school year, CHS administrators felt it was necessary for change in not only the number of tardies, but also in the discipline of students.

“Last year, we just sat here and watched so many kids take advantage of not being in school on time and coming in late to classes in droves,” CHS Principal Laura Springer said.

“One of our big jobs as administrators and teachers is to prepare you for the future.”

The main emphasis of the tardy policy is to ensure that students understand the importance of punctuality as they progress in their adulthood and step into roles of professionalism.

Assistant principal Colleen Lowery, who constructed the list of consequences, created it with an intensifying order in order to highlight the significance of promptness.

“I wanted the students to understand and experience that there will be consequences for their actions,” Lowery said. “Escalating the consequences of tardies allows students to understand that they can’t continuously show up late when they are expected to be on time.”

Excessive tardiness also leads to students missing essential learning and recreational time. CHS AP Biology teacher Dr. Bianca Benitez has dealt with students being tardy as her class room in E205 which is upstairs in the far-back corner of the school.

“I understand that a student can be tardy for several reasons, but I am sad as a teacher when it becomes a habitual process and they start missing class time,” Dr. Benitez said.

To overcome obstacles such as distance and crowdedness, students are encouraged to take advantage of different shortcuts in the school to get to class more efficiently and avoid tardiness.

CHS junior Anushka Joshi thinks that the tardy policy pushes her to be more aware of passing periods and pushes her to use her alternate routes to class.

“Sometimes I’m worried that 10 minutes isn’t enough for me to get from one side of the building to another, but using the back hallways makes things so much easier,” Joshi said.

“The policy kind of encourages me to

be aware of how much I talk to my friends during passing periods, so I’m not late to class.”

Under the new tardy policy, students in clubs or organizations can be revoked of their status and leadership role in a club and can also get privileges taken away like off-campus lunch taken away if tardies become a problem for them.

“I can’t let you go off campus, because there is no way you’re going to come back on time if you can’t even get to school on time,” Springer said. “If you have too many tardies, I will ask club organizers to not let you be a leader, because leaders are the ones who should set the standards for everybody else.”

Students in athletics who have to go to class from outside facilities such as the tennis center, Buddy Echols Field and swimmers from the YMCA, are not exempt from the policy even if they are late. This is because the administration has told athletic teachers to not hold students back and to give them time to get ready to get to their next class.

However, the tardy policy does not reprimand students that are late due to school transportation-related circumstances. This includes late buses in mornings and shuttling delays from Coppell High School Ninth Grade Campus and New Tech High School @ Coppell to CHS. Springer said with the new tardy policy there has been an apparent decrease in tardies.

“We still have some of the same people being tardy, but they will soon learn,” Springer said. “There are consequences that come with it, so eventually it will become a discipline issue and not just a tardy issue.”

Graphic by Manasa Borra

Nothing to C here: Campus returns to A/B schedule Namir Awan

Staff Photographer @namir_awan

Coppell High School has eliminated C days for the 2023-24 school year. The campus returns to an A/B schedule, reminiscent of the 2021-22 school year. Kavya Lokhande

After reinstating C days in the 202223 school year, Coppell High School has now removed C days and returned to an A/B bell schedule.

The reinstated bell schedule will alternate between A and B days, reminiscent of the bell schedule from the 2021-22 school year. At the end of the week, if it is an A day on Friday, it will be a B day on Monday and vice versa. Also, teachers are able to give A day classes tests and assignments first, even if the week starts with a B day.

During the 2022-23 school year, C days were established with a goal to resolve issues of transportation for students going from New Tech High @ Coppell and Coppell High School Ninth Grade Campus to CHS. However, schedules at CHS9 and NTH@C didn’t correspond with each other, causing concern for the administration.

“We couldn’t get kids to appear on time nor get back on time,” CHS Principal Laura Springer said. “I didn’t want kids to miss academic times.”

The transportation and shuttles would often run late, causing the students to miss time sparking confusion on Fridays.

According to Springer, C days were a way for teachers and students to have a break from work and slow down the curriculum for students to catch up. Changes in the bell schedule causes more curriculum to be taught during the week now.

“There were restrictions on C days I didn’t like,” AP Precalculus teacher Far-

zin Farzad said. “You lose so much time and if we were all caught up, it would be a waste of a day.”

Some students are upset with the change in the bell schedule and appreciate the flexibility of classes during C days.

“They were awesome,” CHS junior Richard Jerald said. “I could relax Thursday night knowing that we didn’t have tests on Friday, and I could also attend all my classes and ask any questions I had for the next exam or assignment.”

On the other hand, some students are delighted with the change as C days caused them stress and their class time was not put to good use.

“C days were useless, you couldn’t take tests, getting to class on time was an issue, and overall, I just hated the usage of Fridays as C days,” CHS junior Sidharth Kumara Swamy said.

With AP and IB classes, teachers had too much content and little time to teach. This created extra homework on Friday nights and weekends.

“I personally liked it because it dedicated students and teachers to finish work,” AP U.S. History teacher Kevin Casey said. “But for others it was too confusing. Students would come late, and work would be all over the place. C days had to go. An alternating A and B schedule was better.”

All in all, C days were a test that did not pass. Springer has been a supporter of C days.

“I’m very frustrated that there are no more C days,” Springer said, “Sometimes I have to do what’s best for the greater good.”

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Patrick buds new beginnings for students at VRE Local gardener receives prestigious state volunteer award Anvita Bondada Staff Writer @anvita_bondada

With her garden glove clad hands in the soil and a smile on her face, Coppell resident and Valley Ranch Elementary School garden volunteer Doris Patrick shares a plethora of gardening knowledge to curious, wide-eyed students.

On Aug 16, Patrick won the Heroes For Children Award, which is given to 15 volunteers across Texas every year by the State Board of Education.

“I was surprised, really,” Patrick said.

“When I had gotten the notice that I had won, it had felt like a great honor.”

She was nominated for the award by VRE teacher and garden coordinator Sandra Braden.

“Patrick is such a wonderful example for volunteerism, and has been such a great help to our school,” Braden said.

Patrick often volunteers in the VRE garden and teaches students to garden. She waters plants at the garden every day, gives gardening tips to students and implements ideas on how to improve the garden.

All of the food grown in the garden is given to the school cafeteria for the lunches. Vegetables grown in the garden include lettuce, potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, garlic and onions.

Patrick originally joined the VRE garden after her church, Valley Ranch Baptist Church, had sold the land that she regularly gardened on. Braden welcomed Patrick to the school two years ago, and Patrick has been volunteering since.

Prior to volunteering at the VRE garden, Patrick was an elementary school teacher, and taught second grade, fifth grade and kindergarten in California for five years before leaving education to work in informational technology. Her experience

News Flash is a series in which news editor Sahasra Chakilam updates readers on local news that has happened between the issues.

Council approves lowest tax rate since 1984 Valley Ranch Elementary School garden volunteer Doris Patrick holds her prestigious Heroes for Children Award in the VRE Garden of the Stars. The Heroes for Children Award is given to residents who commit time and support toward public schools, in which Patrick was one of 15 in Texas to receive the award. Rhea Chowdhary teaching helped her connect with the VRE students further.

“Teaching was really fun, and I enjoyed getting to interact with such young learners,” Patrick said. “Volunteering at the gardening is a really good bonding experience, and I can tell that the kids bond with each other too.”

Patricks passion for gardening started at a young age and has manifested itself into an integral part of her life. She was inspired to start growing plants from her grandparents, and continued to for the rest of her life.

“Fresh food is great and it’s wonderful to have grown your own meal,” Patrick said. “If you can pick it out of your yard, then it’s the best thing you can eat.”

Patrick is always looking for new ways to innovate the VRE garden. She advo-

cates for ways to spruce the garden up by introducing new plants and adding new plant beds.

“Patrick came in and redid the school garden so it was more useful for all of the learners.” VRE Principal Cynthia Arterbery said. “She was able to work with our students and parents to rebuild the beds in the garden to extend the use of the garden even further.”

Patrick’s gardening skills span outside of VRE as well. Patrick gardens in her home and has been tending for two plots of vegetables at the Coppell Community garden where she harvests food for the Metrocrest food pantry.

“I love to garden all the time, and it’s really calming for me.” Patrick said. “It’s wonderful that I have the opportunity to supply others with fresh food as well.”

Allies In Community looking at past to light path for future

Board adopts upcoming fiscal year’s proposed district budget

“It had a very big impact on me that the color of your skin or the money in your pocket can make you alive or dead,” Benhalim said.

Ever since that moment, Benhalim has dedicated her life to improving the lives of others. She was an ESL (English as a second language) teacher at the University of California at Irvine, is the founder of her own consulting company, DiversityWealthLLC, and is currently the founder of an organization dedicated to making sure every single person feels heard, Allies In Community (AIC).

“I always had this seed in my mind saying ‘bring people together’,” Benhalim said. “I had studied a lot in college and my masters centered around culture. There was this quote by Confucius that I liked saying, ‘By nature people are almost alike.’

This means that our human conditions are very similar but by expression we are wide apart – I used to think about that a lot.”

Benhalim started AIC after receiving a call from former Coppell city manager Clay Phillips and former deputy city manager Mike Land asking how they could better understand and connect with the citizens of Coppell. Together, they came up with a plan for something that would

Council approves new construction projects and expansions

Nyah Rama CHS9 Editor @nyah_rama

Sixty years ago, a young girl in a stereotypically southern and segregated Austin would take a drive along a dusty country road that would forever change the course of her life.

That little girl’s name was Tasnim Benhalim; a sixth-generation Texan, filled with the kind of innocence only a child could have, but after, she would never see the world through those same rose-colored lenses.

Her family was driving around in Austin when they found a man who was hit by a car and left on the street right in front of a hospital. At this time, the hospital only accepted white people. “‘Come quick, come quick!,” Benhalim said at that moment. “There is a man on the street, he’s been struck by a car!’” The woman at the counter said ‘Child, that’s a Black man, he has to wait for Brackenridge Hospital. He’s probably a charity patient.’”

Benhalim kept pleading with the woman at the counter to admit the man to the hospital but the woman turned her away saying ‘Child, did you not hear me? He has to wait.’ Benhalim walked out and her family watched as the man died.

Event support organizers Tasnim Benhalim and Vidya Venkat promote Allies In Community while distributing buttons and cardholders on Aug. 18 at Andy’s Frozen Custard. Nyah Rama

require community involvement.

AIC is a program that seeks to educate people on how to interact in diverse communities through their motto “Connecting cultures and generations to build bridges of understanding and belonging.” It has a mentorship program that seeks to strengthen these skills as well as a youth program.

“We learned about how even though we are outsiders to others we can support one another,” said Coppell High School junior Ayusha Baral, AIC youth program member. “We are not all from the same background, especially with Coppell being such a diverse community, but we can all respect each other.”

One of the pillars of this organization is ensuring that all people, no matter their cultural background, can come together to peacefully coexist and work towards a more diverse future.

“We can not shine the light on the future unless we know where we came from,” Benhalim said. “It’s brilliant and beautiful and some of it is uncomfortable but we need to look at it and have the conversation so that we can really appreciate each other.”

AIC also works on celebrating imperfections, teaching its cohorts that that is what makes all human beings unique.

“The world doesn’t need perfect people,” AIC ambassador lead Yvonne Silva said. “It needs all people. You were created for a purpose and that’s why we have Allies in the Community; we want them to know ‘we see you.’”

If Benhalim had never come across that man in the road the world might not have had AIC today, but the world is a kinder place today because she did.

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Freshmen rejoice in the return of additional free time Rhea Choudhary Staff Writer

@rhea_choud

The bell rang, signaling the much-anticipated lunch break at the Coppell High School Ninth Grade Campus. Freshmen poured out of classrooms with a newfound enthusiasm, filling the halls and gathering with friends. But this wasn’t just any lunch break – it was the return of Hour Block Lunch (HBL).

For the class of 2027, HBL provides students with a warm welcome to CHS9. At CHS9, lunch hour is more than just a midday break; it’s an opportunity for students to recharge, socialize and even progress academically. A beloved tradition at CHS9, HBL, is split into two blocks: A and B. However, for the class of 2026, their ansition to Coppell High School in the 2022-23 school year brought a significant change with the removal of HBL in the CHS bell schedule.

It was a change that brought smiles and excitement to the faces of students who had heard about the coveted lunch period from their older peers.

CHS9 Principal Dr. Cody Koontz, who has witnessed the impact of HBL on students over the years, expressed his enthusiasm for the return of this cherished tradition.

“HBL is not just a lunch period; it’s an integral part of our students’ experience,” Koontz said. “It allows me to get to know each friend group and each student better, learning what they like to do during their hour-long break. It is social, but it also provides students with a chance to progress academically if they choose to.”

HBL isn’t just a time for students to eat; it is an opportunity for them to manage their own time and make choices that align with their needs and interests. Stu-

Coppell High School Ninth Grade Campus students spend their lunch hour in the library by building Legos, playing pingpong and more. Hour Block Lunch allows students to spend their lunch time in various ways such as attending club meetings, seeking academic help from teachers and socializing with peers. Photo courtesy Haley McDuffee. dents can choose to relax and socialize with friends, engage in extracurricular activities or seek academic support.

“HBL now allows for students to get tutorials during lunch which is really convenient for students’ parents who aren’t able to drop them off early or pick them up after school” CHS9 AP Human Geography teacher Haley Mcduffee said. “It is also good for students to have a little bit of free time to get their energy out, whether it’s playing basketball in the big gym, football near J hall or enjoying the library’s amenities like pingpong, the arts

and crafts area or the quiet reading area.”

The restoration of HBL at CHS9 underscores the administration’s commitment to providing students with opportunities for personal growth, academic support and social development. It is a decision that recognizes the importance of giving freshmen the tools they need to navigate the transition to high school successfully.

“I am able to meet all my friends during lunch, including a lot of girls who aren’t taking the same classes as me,” CHS9 freshman Vaishnavi Vishwanatham said. “I now look forward to coming to school be-

cause I get to have HBL. It is like a stressfree, relaxation period given to us during school.”

In the halls of CHS9, Hour Block Lunch period isn’t just a break from classes; it represents freedom and opportunity for the class of 2027.

CHS9’s fall theater show

“Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind”

The CHS9 Theatre Company will be performing its production of Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind from Oct 26 to 28. Anvita Bondada

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Staff Editorial

Affirmative action: socioeconomic based admissions

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP Chase Wofford Staff Adviser Sri Achanta Editor-In-Chief* Avani Munji Design Editor* Kayla Nguyen Photo Editor*

EDITORIAL LEADERSHIP Sahasra Chakilam News Editor* Aliza Abidi Editorial Page Editor* Anushree De Features Editor* Ainsley Dwyer Entertainment Editor* Nyah Rama CHS9 Editor* Ava Johnson Sports Assignment Editor*

MEDIA TEAM LEADERSHIP Rhea Chowdhary Video Editor* Wendy Le Podcast Producer* Minori Kunte Staff Cartoonist*

COMMUNICATIONS AND BUSINESS TEAM Sukirtha Muthiah Business Manager* Sameeha Syed Social Media Manager*

WRITERS Sydney Araujo Deepika Kumar Isheeta Bajjuri Hamza Zakir Anvita Bondada Neha Nathwani Isabella Callegaro Santos Sanghika Pallela Rhea Choudhary Katie Park Caitlyn Concepcion Riya Prasad Elizabeth De Santiago Anagha Ramesh Natalia Esquivel Sohalia Reddy Sofia Exposito Perez Ishana Sharma Emmalee Jittasupo Yugaditya Talukdar EV Kennard Niharika Tallapaka Sabah Uddin Marli Field

PHOTOGRAPHERS Namir Awan Alivia Bautista Vibha Viswanath Neeharika Gajula Yepoom Hong Luke Jared Medha Kanamarlapudi

DESIGNERS Safiya Azam Manasa Borra Jayden Chui* Noor Fatima Kavya Lokhande Nrithya Mahesh

Greeshma Marathu Emmy Moreno Eirene Park Maddy Park Sohana Singh

Taylor Pham Pranavi Ramineni Ahana Roy Brody Sever Omega Tamang Aasritha Yanamala

In the past, racial-based affirmative action in college admissions was used to provide diversity in admissions to enforce the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Affirmative action was banned across the country on June 23 because it could not abide by the Equal Protection Clause.

The ban now places every high school applicant standing shoulder to shoulder on even ground for college admissions, parallel in terms of their future. Now, each high school student is equally likely to get into any college, but is that how it should be?

Should we be given equal chances when we don’t have equal opportunities?

Would it be fair for minorities of low economic status to compete with middle and higher-class students, not growing up with the academic and financial opportunities of their competitors?

In relation to education opportunities, the quality of the social surroundings, education and psychological support are limited for students of lower socioeconomic status. Students of low financial security are on average five years behind in literacy skills than those of high-income high school students. In relation to writing college required essays, a valued factor in admissions, the level of literacy measured is dependent on the household income. With colleges beginning to adapt a more holistic approach to applications, ‘standing out’ against other students through extracurriculars matters.

For the students who cannot afford SAT prep sources, textbooks, college counselors and tutors, how can they compare academics and extracurriculars with those who do?

Not only resources but the time allocation of lower economic minority students varies greatly, with part-time jobs leading to low academic performances and substance abuse. The time a student spends a week working jobs to provide basic self-sustainability removes from time spent studying and doing homework, often creating more stress and failing grades.

If colleges aim to make admissions equal, they should take the background of each student into consideration, deeper than race, and scale their accomplishments in scope with their access to resources and time expenses. Rather than relying solely on targeted scholarships, colleges should implement a quota system for students

*Indicates a Vol. 35 No. 1 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 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.

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facing economic disadvantages in every admissions cycle.

To be inclusive, affirmative action should be reframed as being more comprehensive and less controversial towards the students who depend on it.

Now is the time for a call to action and awareness regarding low economic status not having an equal chance to compete with other socioeconomic status students, with the current rolling college admissions and recent shift of affirmative action.

In Coppell, 15.3% of households have an average income of less than $50,000, which is the upper limit of a lower-class economic status. Although It may seem like the majority of students in Coppell ISD are middle to upper class, the reality is that exposure to opportunity varies with the socioeconomic status in Coppell.

As a student body, we do not realize the individual opportunities we receive in comparison to those of our peers, dismissing the privilege of higher education as a standard expectation. Acknowledgment of the socioeconomic disbalance in education and its effects on college acceptances is the first step towards creating equilibrium admissions.

Some may argue that distinguishing socioeconomic status may create more discrimination and to have an equal chance, background statistics should not matter.

While it is true that the most simple way for admissions to appear to consider one’s profile unbiased is to remove any ‘special’ treatment, it is essential to ensure equal chances and bridge the academic gap between students brought up in different economic environments.

From a high schoolers perspective, students of middle-higher socioeconomic class may reason that their hard work is being compromised and admission chances reduced by having a quota reserved for lower economic students. However, the purpose of a special quota is not to take away opportunities from deserving middle and higher class students but to compare their application to the economic flexibility and resources behind their academic career. Like the previous purpose of affirmative action, it acts to even the playing field, addressing unequal admission chances as something that should be relative to the experience of each student, not standards set by middle-higher socioeconomic status students with tutors and paid academic assistance.

Many colleges and universities already have a recommended question in their application process, allowing students to write if there is any additional information about their circumstances, but it is not a uniform availability. Enforcing a quota will enforce questions about the student’s access to resources and their growth from it.

With the controversy in the ban of affirmative action in college admissions, socioeconomic based quotas provide a new perspective, one that does not limit admission to stereotypes or generalization of racial identities.

As the admission process continues to experience change, we as students need to identify the path to economic diversity in college admissions. Our opportunities should not define our future, it should shape it. We are not defined by our socioeconomic and racial identities, but our willingness to embrace the curve for an equal future.

The Sidekick @thesidekickcoppell

opinions o pinions 7

Sidekick Online

@CHSCampusNews

coppellstudentmedia.com

Pink is for everyone

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i à > Þ L iVÌà > ` >VÌ Û Ì iÃ] V Àà LiV> i >Ãà V >Ìi` Ü Ì }i `iÀ LiV>ÕÃi yÕi Ì > LÕà iÃÃià > ` i` > companies constructed these ideas and Ài`iw i` Ü >Ì Ã V à `iÀi` º À > ]» Ì LiV>ÕÃi i À Ü i >ÌÕÀ> Þ >Ûi > V >Ì Ì Ü>À`Ã Ì i ° / i ÃÃÕi Ü Ì Ì Ã «Ài`iÌiÀ i` >vw ÌÞ Ã Ì >Ì Ì i >ÌiÃ Ì i «À ëiVÌ v V Vi° 7 i «i « i >Ài v ÀVi` Ì }i der roles, it creates a harmful environment that contributes to social hierarchies and ÃÌÕ Ìà «iÀà > }À ÜÌ ° Gender norms have been prevalent Ì À Õ} ÕÌ > v ÃÌ ÀÞ] ` vviÀi Ì À ià >Ûi Lii `ià } >Ìi` Ì i > ` Ü i ] Ì L>Ãi` Õ« à À i Þ i Ì] LÕÌ on uncontrollable factors.

7 i À ià >Ài }i `iÀi` à >Àà Þ] Ì i `i> Ì >Ì iÛiÀÞÌ } à iÝV Õà Ûi Þ > i À vi > i Ãii«Ã Ì iÛiÀÞ`>Þ L iVÌà and activities. Things like cars, sports and ÃÌÀi }Ì >Ài V Ãi Þ >Ãà V >Ìi` Ü Ì i > ` >ÃVÕ ÌÞ] Ã Ì iÞ½Ài «Õà i` Ì ÌÌ i L Þà i>À Þ Ì i À Ûið - >À Þ] makeup, shopping and nurturing person> Ì ià >Ài ÃÌiÀi ÌÞ« V> >VÌ Û Ì ià > ` ÌÀ> Ìà >vw >Ìi` Ü Ì Ü i Ã Ì iÞ >Ài Ì>Õ} Ì Ì } À Ã Ü i Ì iÞ½Ài Þ Õ }°

Young girls and boys were dressed in the same garments until the 20th century when color began playing a larger role in gender. The Sidekick social media manager Sameeha Syed thinks gender associations cause more harm than good. Sameeha Syed

From a young age, children are taught what they should like and dislike based on their gender. The Sidekick social media manager Sameeha Syed thinks gender associations hinder personal growth and cause more harm than good. Sameeha Syed / Õ} Ì iÃi >Þ Ãii >À iÃÃ Ì i ÃÕÀv>Vi] Ì iÃi ÃÌiÀi ÌÞ«ià }Ài>Ì Þ >vviVÌ Ì i Ü>Þ «i « i Û iÜ Ì i Ãi Ûið `Ài >Ài Ài i Þ Ì vii i Ì iÞ ` ½Ì wÌ Ü i Ì iÞ ` à i Ì i >VÌ Û Ì iÃ Ì >Ì Ì iÞ >Ài iÝ«iVÌi` Ì i Þ° / à V> cause them to feel uncomfortable in their skin and hide their true passions in fear of being made fun of. ` Ì Ì Ì iÀi à > ÞÌ } ÜÀ } Ü Ì `iw } À ià >à } >Ã Ì iÞ >Ài V sen based on individual circumstance and personal preference, not assigned. Ì Ã Õ ` Li iµÕ> Þ >à V v À Ü i > ` i Ì Ü À > ` Ã Õ ` Li iµÕ> Þ >VVi«Ì>L i v À > Þ i Ì Ìi ` Ì a home. ÃVÕÃà à >L ÕÌ }i `iÀ >Ûi LiV i Ài vÀiµÕi Ì Ì i «>ÃÌ xä Þi>Àà > ` LiV>ÕÃi v Ì Ã] >VÌ Ì Ü>À`à }i `iÀ iµÕ> ÌÞ >à VÀi>Ãi` `À> >Ì V> Þ° / à phenomenon is often referred to as the ¼ i `iÀ ,iÛ ÕÌ ½ > ` Ì i V «>ÃÃià changes such as greater access to eduV>Ì ] } iÀ vi > i i « Þ i Ì > ` V > }ià à V iÌ> Û iÜà v «i « i >VÀ Ãà the gender spectrum. / iÃi ÃÌi«Ã Ì Ü>À`à }i `iÀ iµÕ> ÌÞ are great and should be celebrated, but

Ì iÞ >Ài Ì i Õ} ° iµÕ> ÌÞ Ã ÃÌ present and discrimination is still prev> i Ì > Þ >ëiVÌà v «i « i½Ã Ûið People still face backlash in their personal > ` «À viÃà > Ûià LiV>ÕÃi v Ì i Ü>Þ Ì iÞ V Ãi Ì iÝ«ÀiÃÃ Ì i Ãi Ûið 7i ÕÃÌ V Ì Õi Ì w} Ì v À à V iÌ> > ` ÃÌ ÌÕÌ > V > }i >À Õ ` Ì i Ü À `° *i « i Ã Õ ` Li vÀii Ì `iV `i Ü Ì iÞ Ü> Ì Ì >VÌ] Ü Ì iÞ Ü> Ì Ì `ÀiÃÃ] > ` Ü >Ì Ì iÞ Ü> Ì Ì «ÕÀÃÕi Ü Ì ÕÌ vi>À v facing gender based discrimination.

7 Ì Ì i À Ãi V ÛiÀÃ>Ì Ã >L ÕÌ these longstanding inequalities that are `ii« Þ À Ìi` ÕÀ VÕ ÌÕÀi] «i « i >Ài Ài> â } Ì >Ì Ì iÃi V Ûi Ì Ã >Ài L Ì harmful and meaningless. * à ÕÃÌ > V À] Ì ` iÃ Ì `iw i i½Ã }i `iÀ > ` ` iÃ Ì V >À>VÌiÀ âi > `i Ì ÌÞ° *i « i >Ài Ì> } > ÃÌ> ` V > }i à iViÃÃ>ÀÞ > ` Üi Ã Õ ` i LÀ>Vi Ì°

Sameeha Syed

Social Media Manager JÃÃ> ii >>

Embodying the spirit of self-expression Freedom of fashion at CHS

čÃ Ì i Ì i À Õ `Ã Ì Ü>À`à n\xä >° °] Ì i > à v ««i } -V V i > Ûi Ü Ì > Û LÀ> Ì ` ë >Þ v ` Û `Õ> ÌÞ° -ÌÕ`i Ìà Ü> Ì À Õ} Ì i vÀ Ì ` Àà Üi>À } > Ü `i >ÀÀ>Þ v ÃÌÞ ià > ` V ÀÃ] i>V ÕÌwÌ Ã«i> } Û Õ ià >L ÕÌ Ì i person beneath the fabric. ̽à > Õ µÕi ÃVi i i L `Þ } Ì i ë À Ì v Ãi v iÝ«ÀiÃà ] i « >à â } Ü Ì½Ã Ì ÕÃÌ Ü >Ì Üi Üi>ÀÆ Ì½Ã >L ÕÌ Ü Üi are.

1 v À à >Þ >Ûi Ì i À >`Û> Ì>}iÃ] such as eliminating the pressure to conv À Ì ÌÀi `Þ LÀ> `à > ` i ÃÕÀ } > Õ wi` >««i>À> Vi] LÕÌ Ì iÞ > à ÃÌ yi ÕÀ VÀi>Ì Û ÌÞ > ` Ãi v iÝ«ÀiÃà ° čà Ìii >}iÀÃ] Üi½Ài Ü v À ÕÀ `ià Ài Ì V ÛiÞ our emotions, music preferences, fashion sense, and artistic inclinations through our V Ì }] > ÀÃÌÞ iÃ] « iÀV }à > ` >VViÃà À ið 1 v À « V iÃ] Ü i ÃÌÀ VÌ Þ i v ÀVi`] V> > i Õà vii i Üi½Ài Õ `iÀ > VÀ ÃV «i] V ÃÌ> Ì Þ Õ`}i` v À ÕÀ >««i>À> Vi > ` «i > âi` v À Ì i à } ÌiÃÌ deviation from the prescribed dress code. º-ÌÕ`i ÌÃ Ì Üi>À } Õ v À à i «Ã me learn so much about these teens,” - *À V «> >ÕÀ> -«À }iÀ Ã> `° º À iÝ> « i] Ãii } Ü >Ì `à v / à ÀÌÃ Ì iÞ Üi>À] Ü Ì iÞ V À À ÃÌÞ i Ì i À

> À `> Þ] Ì i À }ÀÕ }i Üi>À] Ì i À «Ài« Üi>À° Ûi Ü i Üi >Ûi ë À Ì `>ÞÃ] ÃÕV >à > VÕ ÌÕÀ> `ÀiÃà ի `>Þ LiV>ÕÃi Ì > ià i >««Þ Ì Ãii Ì Ãi Ü >Ài «À Õ` v Ü Ì iÞ >Ài > ` Ü iÀi Ì iÞ V i vÀ ° ÜiÛiÀ] à i `>ÞÃ] `iw Ìi Þ Ü> Ì Ì enforce uniforms because some stu`i Ìà ÕÃÌ ` ½Ì Ü Ü Ì `ÀiÃà >««À «À >Ìi Þ >Ì school.” iÀ «iÀëiVÌ Ûi Àià >ÌiÃ Ü Ì > Þ v Õð -V à ½Ì

ÕÃÌ >L ÕÌ >V>`i V i>À }Æ Ì½Ã > ÌÀ> } }À Õ ` v À Ì i «À viÃà > Ü À `° Ì½Ã Ü iÀi Üi i>À Ü Ì >Û }>Ìi Ì i ÌÀ V>V ià v «À viÃà > à ] > ` ÞiÃ] Ì >Ì V Õ`iÃ Ü Üi «ÀiÃi Ì ÕÀÃi Ûið ÜiÛiÀ] Ì iÀi½Ã > `i V>Ìi L> > Vi Ì ÃÌÀ i° č Ü } ÃÌÕ`i Ìà to express themselves through their >ÌÌ Ài i « ÜiÀà ÕÃ Ì V w`i Ì Þ > i V ViÃ Ü i ÃÌ learning the importance v `ÀiÃà } >««À «À >Ìi Þ Ü i iViÃÃ>ÀÞ°

> VÀi>à } Þ ` ÛiÀÃi > ` ` Û `Õ> ÃÌ V `i> ] - i « ÜiÀà Ìà ÃÌÕ`i Ìà LÞ ÀiëiVÌ } Ì i À À } Ì Ì iÝ«ÀiÃÃ Ì i selves through their clothing choices. This vÀii` Ìi>V ià ÕÃ Ì >Ì Ü Ì Ì i >L ÌÞ Ì make choices come great responsibilities that mirror our inner selves and aspirations. Our clothing is more than just fabÀ VÆ Ì½Ã > V> Û>à ի Ü V Üi «> Ì ÕÀ identities, beliefs and dreams.

So, as the debate over uniforms at numerous public high schools continues, let us remember that our clothing choices are > ÀiyiVÌ v ÕÀ ` Û `Õ> ÌÞ° č Ü } us to express ourselves through fashion v ÃÌiÀà > i Û À i Ì Ü iÀi ÃÌÕ`i Ìà V> }À Ü Ì V w`i Ì] Ãi v >ÃÃÕÀi` ` Û `Õ> à Ài>`Þ Ì Ì À Ûi > ` ÛiÀÃi > ` `Þ > V Ü À ` LiÞ ` Ì i ÃV ½Ã Ü> ð Ì½Ã Ì ÕÃÌ >L ÕÌ Ü >Ì Üi Üi>ÀÆ Ì½Ã >L ÕÌ Ü Üi LiV i Ì À Õ} Ì i « ÜiÀ v «iÀà > ÃÌÞ i°

Rhea Choudhary 6JG CDKNKV[ VQ FTGUU HTGGN[ GPEQWTCIGU UGNH GZRTGUUKQP CPF GZRNQTCVKQP The Sidekick staff writer Rhea Choudhary delves into the limitations and negative side effects school uniforms present. Kavya Lokhande

-Ì>vv 7À ÌiÀ JÀ i>ÚV Õ`

8

opinions

@thesidekickcoppell

Sidekick Online

October 2023 @CHSCampusNews

coppellstudentmedia.com

TAKING BACK THE YOUNG IN YOUNG ADULT BookTok feeding into underage consumption of explicit content I close out of TikTok and eye the bookshelf in the corner of my room.

I have a diverse arrangement of genres, characters and memories within the tearstuck and earmarked pages. Coming out of quarantine, my futile stack of books had become a victim to my book-buying addiction and had exponentially expanded into well over 200 stories.

So I sat confused, as the book community that I had related to and grown as a reader from, had become an endless scroll through videos of “best spicy book recommendations” or “rating my books in spice levels!”

The creation and influx of BookTok or Book TikTok during the COVID-19 lockdown led to an rise in the number of book reviews and the audience of fiction books. What started as a simple way to share a hobby, turned into an audience that could dictate an author’s career.

Each book became a trend that came and went, but the theme of “spicy TikTok” became a prominent trait as books began to be reviewed and marketed towards their “spiciness.”

Spicy books are what BookTok and all social media platforms and bookstores call books with explicit content.

Now books are marketed under this title, and if you walk into Barnes & Noble, straight ahead you’ll find a sign that says, “Spice up your life with these BookTok romances!” This is not a simple trend in literature, but a shift in the advertising and content repeatedly seen in books declared young adult or meant for teenagers under 18.

Now there are adolescents buying books to see the ‘hype’ and falling into the trap of not having content restrictions. “Spicy books” are now the center of BookTok and any book that targets a

large audience becomes viral overnight.

Adolescents who are surrounded by readers of such books are intrigued into buying and reading them, creating an uncensored exposure of inappropriate books to readers.

The disturbing part is not the content of the books and its normalization, but the audience who is targeted. Books are reviewed on media platforms are measured by the spiciness of the book, influencers not emphasizing or even mentioning content warnings.

The problem now is not that this phenomenon exists and has been circulating, but its consequences on adolescents.

Seeing trends on BookTok, and viewing videos with hundreds of thousands of likes has driven uncensored curiosity to pick up a book, read it and consider such content normal at a young age. What used to be the age of reading to feed creativity is overridden and forgotten.

The psychological effect on adolescents and normalization of this shift is untalked about and shrugged upon: “It’s not a big deal, everyone has a choice in what they read.” Yes, but they should be at least aware and intentional in content consumption, not going off trends and media.

Not only has the online audience grown exponentially, but now authors are exploiting the title of these books, marketing them on social media as well as creating new trends for more underage teenagers to fall into. Under the label of ‘tropes,’ authors emphasize the ‘spiciness’ in their books, again without content warnings, and BookTok labels them a “must read.”

The solution to this is not only to bring awareness of the harm of these trends, but also understanding the importance

TikTok’s Booktok trend has created a rise in young adults reading books with explicit ideas meant for adults.The Sidekick editorial page editor Aliza Abidi has growing concerns on the new normalization of largely explicit adult fiction and its effects on adolescents. Minori Kunte of content restrictions. The content that may seem normal to an age group or demographic is not representative of the population and it is the review/producer’s responsibility to address that. Many books have trigger warnings or contain sensitive topics, so labeling it as a “fivestar read” does not take away from the duty to make sure it is suitable for the audience on a platform.

Just like you check the ratings of a movie, don’t underestimate the content or its effect on books. Choosing not to read books with mature themes is a personal choice and should not be deemed

unusual, despite the trends and viral books promoted by the book community.

Taking the youth away from young adults should not be normalized, especially when they are unaware of the content they are getting into.

Aliza Abidi Editorial Page Editor @aliza_abidi

High schoolers need time to play, too

We haven’t really grown out of recess Minori Kunte

Graphic by Kavya Lokhande

“Eeny meeny miny moe, catch a tiger by the toe, if he hollers let him go, eeny meeny miny moe, YOU’RE IT.” We all run as the unlucky one chases after us, behind the red slide of the playground and the small forest at the back of our school. Oh, how I loved recess, but why don’t we still get to love it?

As we all know, high school can create copious amounts of stress and anxiety.

The slump of assignments, extracurriculars, clubs, college applications or work, fosters a negative and pressure provoking mental state. The question is, what if we could eliminate that by giving high schoolers recess?

A lot of the time, I find myself losing the meaning of life to school, having my emotions tied to something as simple as a grade, dictating the state of my day.

I long for the times when I would b e able t o

just go outside and play hide and seek throughout the playground simply because it brought me joy.

Recess gave me the happiness that is just unspeakable, the time to just enjoy being a kid, the break I needed after a long day of learning, and it’s a break that I feel would be just as useful now.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, students from kindergarten through 12th grade are encouraged to involve themselves in physical activity and interactions. Recess is said to improve focus, memory, productivity, social development and emotional development, things that are needed for all of your developing years, not just the early ones.

If recess is said to improve all these things, then why not implement it into high school?

Out of elementary, middle and high school, I think it’s safe to say that the work load from high school can be a lot more than the other levels of schooling.

Motivation and concentration is crucial to every class, and a needed brain break during recess can give us an outlet to destress from our day and improve focus to be ready for our next class.

Thirty minutes of lunch, in which 10 minutes are taken from simply walking to the cafeteria and getting your food, isn’t enough of a break for high school students to eat, go out and get back into complete concentration for the rigorous coursework they part take in.

When thinking about it, the average day of a high schooler doesn’t have much

time for enjoyment or brain breaks as before and after school time is devoted to homework or school related activities, making it impossible to create room for relaxation throughout the day.

If recess in our high school isn’t a possibility, why can’t we adopt hour block lunch at Coppell High School instead of only having it at the Coppell High School Ninth Grade Campus? During my time at the ninth grade campus, hour block lunch was something that I didn’t appreciate as much until it was gone, and oh do I miss that one full hour of freedom.

Hour block lunch is a perfect way to incorporate a break similar to recess at CHS. That one hour can give me, and many others, enough time to eat, catch up on homework, go outside and go to a club meeting, which is what I think we should have on a daily basis.

Whether it’s an extended lunch period or a set recess, high schoolers need time out of their day to release stress and simply relax without the thought of their next assignment, test or quiz.

Sometimes, all we need is a little time to play tag, or four square or hide and seek as we run around the campus, releasing our worries until the next class period.

Rhea Chowdhary Video Editor @rhea_chowdhary

opinions 9

The Sidekick @thesidekickcoppell

Sidekick Online

@CHSCampusNews

coppellstudentmedia.com

Diary of a coconut

THE LIFE OF AN AMERICAN INDIAN TEENAGER “N-Y-A-H. Yeah, I know it is spelled weird. It is Swahili.”

Every August I have this conversation at least three times a day whether it be with teachers or the new friends I make who have not figured out just how American I am. Over the years, this has led to the lovable monikers I’ve received all my life such as “coconut” (brown on the outside and “white” on the inside) or “ABCD” (American-Born Confused Desi).

All my life I have been a walking puzzle piece to any Indian person I have met.

Everything about me is a contradiction to what they are used to.

I do not speak any Indian languages, I have never been to India and the fact that I am half Punjabi and half Telugu (although depending on the day and what story my grandfather tells, I am one fourth Pakistani).

Explaining this to my Indian friends usually leads to the stated process: Step one: Stare at me in awe and ask a series of culturally specific questions for the next five minutes.

Step two: Make it their personal mission to “Indian-ify” me by teaching me either Hindi or Telugu.

Step three: Watch me fail miserably at step two and then I watch them slowly give up on this empty pursuit.

Step four: Denial.

Step five: Acceptance.

Step six: Come back a month ready to try again, clearly forgetting how bad this went last time.

The reason for my lack of cultural awareness is not any-

thing complicated and quite simple. Both my parents are Indian, my father was born in Hyderabad, India and my mother in New Jersey. Simply put, I am a second generation Indian American from Flemington, N.J. with a very American-ized mother and a father who never really considered himself as Indian.

That is the reason why I have never been to India, why I don’t speak any of the languages, why I have never celebrated any of the big festivals and why my name is actually African.

Growing up, I never felt like I was lacking anything though. I did not realize how little I knew until I came to Coppell in fifth grade.

While it was not the first school that I had attended with a high Indian American student population, it was definitely the first where people actually talked about their cultures.

As the

years went on, I slowly started to feel out of place, like a needle lost in a culturally aware haystack. I would nod along when someone was talking about a ceremony or smile and respond with “No, I’m too busy” when someone would ask if I was going to Garba over the weekend, rather than admit I did not know what that meant.

It is not as if I never cared to learn, it’s just that for their own reasons, my parents never taught me. However, as I was being hit with cultural shockwaves throughout the years, I was simultaneously becoming aware of something. In the rest of America, most Indian Americans end up like me. They are completely lapsed from their cultures. Sure, they might know a few things here and there but they’ve only absorbed a small fragment of a much bigger picture.

It took me a long time but I have finally found an equilibrium. I am OK with who I am but I now make more of an effort to participate in my culture. My friend and The Sidekick staff designer, Manasa Borra, teaches me Telugu when we have lunch together and this year I’m going to garba with my friend, CHS junior Chandana Pagadala.

There was a time when I felt so out of place being in Coppell, but I’ve learned to appreciate my unique experience and that is all I can ask for. Besides, it gave me one pretty great story to tell.

Nyah Rama The dilemma of being a part of two cultures is a familiar one to many Americans of Indian descent. The Sidekick CHS9 editor Nyah Rama shares her personal struggles with being estranged from her culture. Graphic by Noor Fatima. Noor Fatima

CHS9 Editor @nyah_rama

The Twist: It’s alien-o-clock

It’s time to embrace the alien invasion

There’s been a lot of excitement and drama about the possibility of aliens being real.

The Sidekick staff writer Manasa Borra thinks humans have tried their best with Earth, but they are clearly not very good at running Earth and it’s possible the aliens would do a better job anyways. Avani Munji The Twist is a humorous column about life in Coppell. Please be warned that any and all disdain towards any topic is due to the writers’ similar situation as adolescents (even though we feel so much older). You, the reader, should not take any of these words to heart.

Thousands of UFOs filling the skies, cows bearing beamed up left and right, billions of grotesque creatures running around, an alien invasion would be terrifying, right?

Every couple of years comes a new craze about aliens, from Area 51 to the re-

cent congressional hearing about UFOs. With the threat of extraterrestrial life always on the horizon, you may be tempted to lock yourself away in a bunker with a thousand rolls of hoarded toilet paper.

But why? Why are you so insistent on resisting our alien saviors? Why not accept them and their glorious rule? I’ll introduce you to a world run by our blessed alien overlords.

New leadership Poverty, global warming, warfare, world hunger – all somebody else’s problem now! Humans have frankly been running the Earth for far too long. I’m not

quite sure how we got this gig, but we’re grossly underqualified for it. Why keep stressing? Let’s all retire to a beach on the moon and let somebody else take the reins.

Abduction Tuesdays Are you sick of your mundane human life? Of course you are! You know what could spice it up? Abduction Tuesdays!

Is a guy named Steve talking in front of you at the movie theater? Watch him disappear, without a trace. Is a guy named Steve always crowding up the hallway?

What guy named Steve crowding up the hallway? I guess TikTok is fun, but the only source of entertainment I need is watching Steve being beamed up, never to be seen again. You know what you did Steve.* No more traffic In a world with UFOs, travel would be completely revolutionized. We would no longer be constrained by the mortal coils of gravity, free to explore the skies to our heart’s content, soar with the great pigeons in the sky. Or better yet, aliens could introduce teleportation devices.

Think of how liberating it would be to finally escape the Denton Tap Road traffic, to never have to wait 50 minutes for your bus to arrive again, to be free from walking or biking home in weather akin to the inside of a volcano.

Mosquitos Tiny little demonic vampires, parasites of society, scum of the earth. I’m not entirely sure how aliens would get rid of mosquitos, but I have faith they will defeat these knaves, once and for all. The

rogues will finally be brought to justice for their crimes against humanity. We’ve all been wronged by those in the mosquito clan and we will take it no longer.

Never again shall a dastardly mosquito go unpunished.

New technology If Star Wars has taught me anything, it’s that I need to own a lightsaber. Many underestimate the amount of problems we could fix with a state-of-the-art lightsaber. Are you infuriated by the sound of your alarm clock ringing in the morning?

Lightsaber it. Do you feel weak because of your inability to open the pickle jar?

Lightsaber it. Does your friend insist on wearing socks with sandals despite the crippling pain it inflicts on your pupils? Lightsaber her. The aliens are your friends now.

Join the alien revolution, don’t join the alien revolution, I leave that choice up to you dear reader. But I am fully ready to declare my loyalty to the alien supremacy and accept my place as the inferior species. Humans have had a good two million years, give or take. Let’s let our tentacled, green friends take it from here. *No Steves were harmed in the writing of this column.

Manasa Borra Staff Designer @manasa_borra

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EXPANDING HER HORIZONS:

Shaikhali takes off with Southwest Airlines Anvita Bondada Staff Writer @anvitabondada

Looking at the vast Southwest Airlines headquarters in Dallas at 9 a.m., Coppell High School senior Zahra Shaikhali puts on a bright smile on her face and walks into the building, illuminating the busy, corporate environment surrounding her.

That trademark smile follows Shaikhali wherever she goes. “[Shaikhali] is always smiling, very approachable and just always willing to help out,” Coppell High school AP Biology teacher Dr. Bianca Benitez said.

Shaikhali spent eight weeks as an intern in the Lead Ops and Scheduling program at Southwest Airlines last summer. In her time there, Shaikhali aided in the process of training pilots and helping them become captains by organizing materials and creating daily schedules for trainees.

She also helped in checking inventory and gave tours to new employees.

Shaikhali utilized her time at Southwest Airlines to gain new skills such as planning and leadership. She was able to do so when arranging schedules and talking to new people.

“The program required a lot of planning and time management.” Shaikhali said.

“They gave us a lot of amazing opportunities, which helped me learn how to plan things more effectively.”

Shaikhali specifically strove to improve her management skills. She was prompted to do so by applying these skills to her daily tasks from a chat with Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan.

“He talked about how important it is to be open to new experiences, and be willing to learn.” Shaikhali said. That really stuck with me, and it was the most important thing I learned.”

At first, Shaikhali needed time to adjust to the corporate, spontaneous environ-

Coppell High School senior Zahra Shaikhali spent eight weeks of her summer interning at Southwest Airlines. She worked in the LEAD Ops and Scheduling Department and plans on using this experience to major in computer science. Sri Achanta ment that Southwest exudes. In due time, she learned to juggle all the tasks she had at hand, and used it as a learning experience.

“Specifically in my department, we were doing something different every day, so I couldn’t really count on having a set schedule,” Shaikhali said. “I learned to be open to new challenges and to be flexible with my schedule.”

She honed these new skills into extracurricular activities such as coaching tennis, Red Jackets, and reporting officer for Technology Student Association (TSA).

She was also able to strengthen skills such as networking and organization, which catches the eye of the people she interacts with.

Southwest Airlines facilitated the ad-

justment process to accommodate the interns by creating a welcoming environment in which they could more comfortably adapt into.

“Southwest’s work environment was very fun, warm, and kind,” said Coppell High School senior Sana Shine, a Southwest Airlines social media intern. “Everyone was so willing to help [interns] grow and learn, and they really want to see us succeed.”

Despite working in an aerospace company, Shaikhali desires to go into computer science. Instead of allowing the difference in mediums to intimidate her, she embraced the new experience, and used it to help her go further onto the computer science path and realized that there was more to aerospace than what meets

the eye.

“I assumed working at Southwest would be very business or pilot based but I realized that there’s a full tech department that worked to create the software on the planes and there were so many technical and computer science aspects that I hadn’t thought about before,” Shaikhali said.

Shaikhali thinks the key to acquiring new opportunities is to be open minded and to partake in a variety of career paths before committing to a career.

“Even though my internship wasn’t computer science related, being in a corporate environment, getting to build those relationships, and getting those experiences were so important because it made me accustomed to a work environment,” Shaikhali said.

Shaikhali’s journey with Southwest Airlines doesn’t begin and end with just this summer. She plans to apply for Southwest Airlines’ college internship program, where she has the potential for a full time job offer in the technology department.

“Being in the Southwest tech department sounds like an amazing opportunity for me, and I’m really excited to see what the future holds for me at the company,” Shaikhali said.

Coppell High School senior Zahra Shaikhali in the cockpit of a Southwest Boeing 737-700. Shaikali spent eight weeks of her summer interning at Southwest Airlines.

Photo courtesy Zahra Shaikhali

TURNING TO A NEW PAGE:

Upcoming changes added to CHS library Noor Fatima

Staff Designer @CHSCampusNews

The bell rings. In a few seconds, students pour out of their classes.

Coppell High School sophomore Grace Potter squeezes her way through the bustle of the school hallways. She opens a door and suddenly…

Silence.

It is this comforting peace that Potter finds tranquility in every day before school and during lunch in the CHS Library.

“The commons and cafeteria is super loud,” Potter said. “I don’t really like loud

sounds, and the library has a very welcoming environment. Plus, I don’t have to go scrounge around looking for my friends in the commons.”

For many like Potter, the library is an important communal space.

Though the welcoming environment may be familiar, the new set up of the library is not. In an attempt to make browsing books easier to navigate, library staff has implemented several new accommodations. Among these are new seating areas, a more open comic section and, of course, new books.

According to librarian Alicia Grijalva, while fantasy and mystery have been the most popular genres of books checked out, the library is expanding its selection

Coppell High School Library assistant Angie Mahalik displays new books that have arrived at the library. The library is introducing a variety of new changes to its system, including fresh titles to their catalog and creative activities such as painting and knitting.

Nrithya Mahesh

The library is introducing many new changes to its system, including fresh titles to their catalog and creative activities such as painting and knitting. Nrithya Mahesh of sports fiction, graphic novels and manga including new copies of Spy X Family.

“We wanted to expand those sections because they’re popular, they serve a lot of students who like those genres in particular,” Grijalva said. “We always want to meet student demand for what they’re interested in and what they want to read.”

According to librarian Trisha Goins, the process of ordering the books is a timely one. Books must be reviewed before they can be ordered, inspected for content that is age and reading level appropriate and for relevance to the students and curriculum.

Accepted books are then put into a school library journal from which librarians use to choose books for the upcoming school years.

In addition to books, Grijalva and Goins plan to expand activities offered at the library throughout the year to give opportunities for students to learn to knit, paint and create with different materials.

“We really look for innovation and what we can offer to prepare people for the future,” Grijalva said.

Throughout these events, the CHS Li-

brary strives to be more than just a place to obtain books. Among such events is the recently hosted Dot Day, inspired by The Dot by Peter H. Reynold, where students participate in a scavenger hunt and the opportunity to design a dot patterned button for themselves.

Other events include Hispanic Heritage onth from mid-September to mid-October and a Comics Day where the library’s selection of graphic novels will be given a chance to shine.

Outside of the events and books, there is even a new face in the library staff. CHS Library assistant Angie Mahalik, former Coppell Middle School West librarian for eight years, will be at CHS for the 2023-24 school year.

“The sense of community that our student body and staff have is a very encouraging space,” Mahalik said. “I feel as though I’m a part of the CHS family, being here in the library.”

Browse these books:

Outsider by Stephen King

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera

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TEACHER OF THE ISSSUE

Kamel’s call back to Coppell

Alumna returns to teach Honors Algebra II, Precalculus Ishana Sharma Staff Writer @.ishana_sharma

KAMEL BEFORE COPPELL

2016: Coppell High School Algebra II teacher Laila Kamel as a senior tennis player during Coppell’s win over Rowlett.

Sidekick file photo

2019: Coppell High School Algebra II teacher Laila Kamel as a sophomore at University of Texas at Austin.

Photo courtesy Laila Kamel

2019 to 2022: Coppell High School Algebra II teacher Laila Kamel as a junior at University of Texas at Dallas.

Photo courtesy Laila Kamel

As you enter room D203, almost immediately the distinct chatter of students is audible. The chatter, as you’ll later learn, comes from a place of genuine enthusiasm from students rather than disrespect.

If you look at the teacher’s desk, you will notice it is always empty. This teacher prefers interacting with students by standing next to whiteboards as she takes the time to listen to each and every student’s questions and concerns. Every once in a while, laughter erupts from the classroom.

This is the environment that Coppell High School teacher Laila Kamel fosters within her classroom, one of comfort, interaction and genuine passion.

Before finding her place as an Honors Algebra II and Precalculus teacher at CHS, Kamel has lived many lives.

In 2017, Kamel graduated from CHS through the International Baccalaureate program. After graduation, Kamel majored in chemical engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. However, Kamel transferred to the University of Texas at Dallas after two years to pursue data science and education, graduating in 2022.

“I figured out about a year and a half into college that I was not so interested in my first major, so I wanted to change majors,” Kamel said.

Following her graduation, Kamel interned at International Business Machines for three months and worked at Google for one year after that. However, Kamel always felt called back to the place where she cultivated her own knowledge.

“I had a feeling at the back of my head,” Kamel said. “I always wanted to be a teacher growing up, and I knew I wanted to come back and teach here.”

In January 2022, Kamel became an Honors Algebra I and Honors Algebra II stu-

dent teacher at Hillcrest High School Collegiate Academy in Dallas Independent School District. Despite understanding the risks of teaching, Kamel felt wanted to help others find their place through education.

“Teaching is a calling,” Kamel said. “If you want to be teaching, it is very hard [to ignore that feeling] and not teach.”

Kamel’s impetus to teach math originates from the unique framework she views it through and the lifelong love she holds for the subject.

“I like math because it builds on itself,” Kamel said. “Once you understand a concept, you can understand a more complex concept after that, and they all build on each other. Through that building, you can end up solving really complex problems.”

Kamel’s enjoyment of math was also one inculcated by her former precalculus and higher level IB Math teacher Karie Kosh during her sophomore and junior year, respectively.

“Kosh takes time in setting up lesson plans that introduce us to basic calculus concepts and can lead us through every step of each process,” Kamel said as a CHS sophomore. “She puts in lots of time and effort in her work, and she really enjoys it which makes it very easy to be a learner.”

In her two years interacting with Kamel, Kosh observed Kamel’s intellectual vitality for math and her genuine passion for both pre-calculus and IB math. As a high school student, Kamel was hard-working, driven, outgoing and curious.

“She was motivated by grades, but she was not just happy with grades - she wanted to know the why,” Kosh said. “If there was a question where she did not understand the why behind, she would be very frustrated by that.”

As a result, Kosh continued to ask Kamel to become a teacher at CHS. “I would always ask her to come back and teach,” Kosh said. “She never said yes, but she never said no either. I would always tell her, ‘Laila, come back and teach with me.’”

Kamel’s relationship with Kosh led Kamel to contact Kosh as a reference during her application process.

“When she texted me and another teacher last year to ask if I would be a reference for her [to be hired], I was so excited because we had seen this coming for a lot of years,” Kosh said.

Being back at CHS and teaching in the same department as her old teachers dots the familiar setting with familiar faces, helping Kamel settle into her new job more comfortably.

“I could not imagine teaching anywhere else, to start out at least,” Kamel said.

“It is a cool experience having my former teachers like Ms. Kosh and [Math teach-

Coppell High School Algebra II and Precalculus teacher Laila Kamel teaches students to complete the square in her Algebra II class. Anushree De er Ian VanderSchee] as mentors. They are very helpful with all the questions I have.”

Having been in the shoes of both a student and teacher provides Kamel with a unique insight on teaching. As Kamel takes her experiences at CHS as a student and continues to build atop them, she nostalgically recalls her own time on the campus.

“It has been interesting,” Kamel said.

“It is fun to see the changes in this school and also be able to reminisce on my time here as a student [when I used to be in tennis and having IB classes in the IB hall] and be here now as a teacher.”

The unique experience that Kamel has had as a teacher is seen in Kamel’s teaching methods as she interacts with students. Kamel’s philosophy of math as a subject that branches from itself translates to a style that aids the growth of students.

“She teaches using group work which works very well for me,” junior Sneha Chavan said. “When I have a question, she explains how to do it by referring back to assignments we have done before, and how those are similar to my current question.”

Likewise, Kamel loves making the subject enjoyable for her students.

“Specifically when teaching math, my favorite thing is to help students who did not have a great math experience previously, by improving that experience for them and help them understand math,” Kamel said. “I want them to ask me that last question when they’ve just hit that ‘aha’ moment, and they know how everything fits together in the end. That is the best question to answer. It is really rewarding.”

For four years, Kamel strode across the halls of CHS as a student. As she reclaims her calling and continues to stride, she does it this time with new shoes, new perspectives and a new purpose. One thing is certain though: although Kamel has graduated from being a student at CHS, her traits as a student will continue to carry their way through her teaching career.

“She was passionate about math, liked the why behind it, had a good work ethic, helped explain it to her classmates and worked well with other people,” Kosh said. “She still has that competitive streak.

She’s still playful, competitive and she’s still passionate about math as well as passionate about wanting to see students do well. She supports them and holds them accountable at the same time.”

Coppell High School Algebra II and Precalculus teacher Laila Kamel teaches students to complete the square in her Algebra II class. Kamel was previously a CHS alum and worked at Google and IBM before coming back to Coppell. Anushree De

Texas voucher bill fails yet again

Story by Sri Achanta & Anushree De

to $8,000 to use for private school tuition and other school-related expenses. The bill would use the ESA program to put state funding into accounts that parents can use to pay tuition.

“We have the obligation to give Texas students more choices,” Creighton said on the Senate floor. “It empowers parents to make decisions for better outcomes.”

That bill was approved by the state Senate on April 6 in an 18-13 vote.

While the bill was originally proposed with no limits on income, an amendment passed in April on the Senate floor reserves 10 percent of ESAs for lower-income families. The remaining has no income eligibility requirements.

However, after much discourse, the bill died in May after the House tried to limit the scope of the legislation. The House’s scaled-back version of the bill made eligibility for the proposed voucher program exclusively available to only certain groups of students, such as those with disabilities or those who attend schools that are considered “failing” according to the state’s accountability rating.

House Bill 100, another push to implement vouchers, didn’t fare any better. This bill intended to allocate $4.5 billion in new funding for schools, but the Senate tried to modify the bill to include an education savings account similar to the one

get. But when you start taking money from that pot where we already don’t have enough money, you just lessen the amount of things we can do.”

With the already increasing teacher shortage, Springer worries about what a decrease in funding might mean for hiring teachers.

“We won’t be able to offer some classes because I don’t have enough teaching staff to fill those speciality courses,” Springer said. “When it gets to the point where I have to limit what students are all able to have, that’s wrong.”

Even for Suryanarayan, school vouchers take away too much money from public schools to benefit private schools only by little.

“As much as I’m a private school parent and I would appreciate the money, I do not believe in the voucher system,” Suryanarayan said. “At St. Mark’s School of Texas or Greenhill School, you’re looking at upwards of $40,000 in terms of annual fees. $8,000 in comparison because of vouchers, is 20% or less of that funding. When multiple people take that $8,000 away, it has a bigger dent in the public school system. The quality of a public school goes down if you start pulling away resources.”

School revenue is based on attendance, so funding would

“Education has caught up in the vacuum of partisan politics, and we put kids in the middle of this.”

CHS AP Government teacher Michael Erickson in Senate Bill 8. Lawmakers failed to reach a compromise and forced the bill to death.

On Sept. 19, Abbott confirmed that he is to call back for a special session on “school choice” in October. He further declared Sunday, Oct. 15 as “School Choice Sunday’’ calling for pastors to support school choice legislation. Abbot has even promised political consequences if legislation doesn’t pass before the primaries in March.

“In that first special session, we will have another special special session and we’ll come back again,” Abbott said. “And then if we don’t win that time, I think it’s time to send this to the voters themselves.”

While many share the same story as Samuels, the rejection of House Bill 100 has been cited for many reasons. For one, funding for vouchers comes from the money the state has already allocated for students’ public education. The risk of losing funding has been a worry for many public schools including Coppell High School.

“I hate school vouchers,” Coppell High School Principal Laura Springer said. “When we operate as a public school, we are told by the state what tests to give, enrollment and attendance requirements. All those things are tied into money we

26%

increase

transfers out of Coppell have increased from 739 students in 2017 to 928 students in the 2023-24 school year

be lost with every student who decides to attend a school other than CHS. “It’s a twofold situation: we lose kids, we lose funding,” Coppell ISD Board of Trustees President David Caviness said.

“The other side of the equation is that there is only so much money available for public education. So if the state is now diverting local taxpayer money to private companies for private education, then there’s no way they can continue to properly fund public education, and they’re already behind in terms of how much we need per student.”

But vouchers are just a subset of the umbrella of “school choice.” A key component of the choice can be seen more locally through the implementation of charter schools. Charter schools, similar to voucher programs, can take money away from districts based on student attendance.

CISD consultant Bob Templeton has analyzed trends in public education enrollment and the number of students who transferred out of Coppell to attend other schools including charters such as Great Hearts Texas, Harmony Science Academy, Manara Academy, Texas College Preparatory Academy, Universal Academy and Uplift Education. According to Templeton, transfers have increased from 739 students in 2017 to

SB 8

almost

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TO Vouch or Not to vouch?

N

ine years old.

That is how old Philadelphia resident Anthony Samuels was when he saw his first shootout with his own eyes. But Samuels recalls that the violence did not end there.

“When I was 10, I saw my first drug transaction,” said Samuels in an interview with the American Federation for Children.

“When I was 11, it was the first time I saw someone get killed.

And it wasn’t the last.”

Samuels grew up near Strawberry Mansion High School in Philadelphia, a public high school frequented by violence.

For Samuel, the Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OPTC) voucher program was an outlet to a different life. He was able to attend Abington Friends School, a private school in Jenkintown, Pa. “My life would have been completely different if I didn’t go to Abington,” Samuels said in the interview. “And I wouldn’t have been able to continue on at Abington without the scholarship. I’ll be forever grateful for the program. It saved my life.”

School vouchers attempt to offer money to parents directly for a student’s tuition to any school. While public and charter schools are funded by taxpayer dollars, private school vouchers offer alternatives to families looking for private education from private or religious schools. Texas currently doesn’t offer such programs.

For Coppell resident Nagashree Suryanarayan, sending her eldest son, Pranav Sreenivas, to Greenhill School in Addison during his freshman year was a decision based on the extracurriculars he wanted to pursue.

“It had nothing to do with the competency or the caliber of Coppell High School, which we love,” Suryanarayan said. “It was a personal decision. We felt like there would be more flexibility in terms of some of the extracurriculars that we were interested in. For instance, debate, robotics and orchestra were three things that he was keenly inclined on.”

But her youngest son, Prajit Sreenivas, attends Coppell High School Ninth Grade Campus.

“The same concept applies in terms of interest and which one provides better opportunity,” Suryanarayan said. “With my younger one, his big focus has been band. He made varsity in his freshman year for percussion, which is pretty big.

There is no comparison between a huge school like Coppell and its band relative to a smaller school where band is definitely not a prominent extracurricular. It felt like he would be better served in a school like Coppell.”

Families within Coppell continue to make the decision between staying at Coppell High School or transitioning to a private school, but the debate on voucher programs in Texas may impact that decision.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has advocated for a school voucher program since January, speaking at a variety of private Christian schools. At a rally at Annapolis Christian Academy on Jan. 31, Abbott expressed his support for school choice and the expansion of Education Savings Accounts (ESAs). Abbott’s extension of the program comes from a similar form of a savings account made to students with disabilities in 2020.

“It’s been so successful,” Abbott said about the program to The Dallas Morning News. “But that program shouldn’t be limited.”

This idea has been reflected in Senate Bill 8, authored by Senator Brandon Creighton. This bill would provide families up

source: TEA Transfer report

would have provided families up to $8,000 to use for private school tuition and other school related expenses

HB 100 intended to allocate 4.5 billion in new funding for schools

source: Texas Legislature Online

928 students in the 2023-24 school year.

The basic allotment per student on average for school districts is around $6,500 per student. The change from losing around 200 students is roughly $1.3 million.

A prominent issue with the implementation of charter schools is the fact that independent school districts lose local control. The charter schools’ application approval process goes through the Texas Education Agency (TEA), which then approves the charters to be located throughout the state. The local school districts, however, are cut out of this equation.

“It becomes a loss of local control when the state controls [charter schools],” Templeton said. “In a sense, the residents of Coppell ISD are paying for charter schools that are located in other areas. Their tax dollars are going to charter school operations that they don’t get to have a say in.”

Public school districts don’t have a choice if a charter school is placed in the boundary of its district. This then impacts ISD’s predetermined five to 10-year plans for primary facilitation.

“In some situations, it means that public schools can be in the wrong location so there are now underutilized buildings,” Tempelton said. “The expansion of choice, while on the surface, sounds like a good thing for parents. But what it does is create planning challenges for local school boards, because this is outside of their control and outside of their knowledge.

Many times these charter announcements come just weeks or months before the school is going to open so there’s not enough time to redo your plan and change your facility utilization to account for the last-minute decisions.”

Coppell ISD has an advantage of holding a good academic reputation compared to certain charter schools. “ [When looking at schools for our son], the charter school was a different comparison.” Suryanarayan said. “Charter schools are a strength-in-numbers kind of model, so if you have a large number of students, then you are able to get a lot more funds diverted from the state towards the school, so they will be able to leverage that. That works well at least through elementary school, but as you progress into middle and high schools, you’re looking at a lot of extracurricular activities that need a lot more additional funding for the right coaches and the right instructors.”

Families from underperforming schools, according to Templeton, are more likely to use voucher funds to send their children to better schools.

“I like the idea in theory that it gives people a choice with what to do,” CHS AP Government teacher Michael Erickson said. “People say education is funded with our tax money and therefore it’s our money. For kids and parents who are in school districts with issues, dangers or low funding, it allows them to choose a different school than what they’re forced to go to which can be positive.”

The use of school vouchers offers autonomy to choose schools outside of what students are zoned in. By creating options for students to find a safer school or one that matches the needs of a family, students may feel more comfortable.

Students desiring special education resources, for example, might find a better environment.

“It’s all political, which is a shame because no matter what side you support, the government is taking education which is one of the most important things in this country and reducing it to a political talking point,” Erickson said. “Education has caught up in the vacuum of partisan politics, and we put kids in the middle of this.”

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13 questions with: US History teacher Mallory Sather

Scan this QR code to watch Sukirtha’s video with Coppell High School’s U.S. History teacher Mallory Sather.

Sukirtha Muthiah Business Manager @Suki_Muthiah

Coppell High School U.S. History teacher Mallory Sather always knew she wanted to teach, but after experiencing a significant injury during her freshman year of college at the University of North Texas, she made the last minute decision to switch her major from dance to history.

Originally from Amarillo, TX, Sather has found a home here in Coppell, where she completed her student teaching and is

now in her first year as a teacher.

Why do you teach history?

I teach U.S. history not only because I am super interested in it, of course what teacher isn’t interested in their subject, but I feel like this subject, particularly, and this part of history as well, lets me teach people how to be better human beings, learn some empathy and grow.

What made you want to teach at Coppell High School?

Ironically enough, I joined Coppell because of a professor I had in college that used to work in Coppell. When I was still taking education classes in college he recommended it as a district to work in, so I requested Coppell to student teach. I thought it sounded like an awesome place to be, and I was right.

What is your favorite memory of teaching?

As weird as it was, it was maybe the day last year when my students took the STAAR test. Since the test was over my subject, I wasn’t allowed to be in the classroom administering the test. But I got to see all my students pass through back and forth and seeing the look on their faces when I gave them a fist bump or a high five made me feel like I had done something right. Next to that would probably be an email I got at the end of the year last year from a student, just appreciating me and thanking me for

everything that I had done.

When was the moment that you realized you wanted to teach?

My students could tell you this too, I grew up dancing and I taught dance all throughout college. Whenever I first started teaching dance I was actually in high school myself, and I loved teaching and working with kids from that very moment on. But especially with my older classes that were middle school and high school aged, those were my favorite classes to teach so that’s made me want to teach high school specifically. As for teaching history, I actually wanted to teach dance at first and then I dealt with a pretty severe injury my freshman year of college and I had to switch majors, but it was the best decision I ever made and now I could not imagine teaching anything else.

What does your life outside of teaching usually look like?

I like to be a social butterfly and I am pretty extroverted.

I don’t do well with a lot of downtime, which is a good thing for a teacher, I guess.

I love to spend time with my friends and family. My sister actually lives in The Colony with her husband, so I spend a lot of time with them. I like to travel as well, and traveling is what got me interested in history.

Coppell High School U.S. History teacher Mallory Sather is beginning her first year of teaching at CHS. Watch The Sidekick Business Manager Sukirtha Muthiah’s video to learn more about Sather in a Vogue 73 Questions style interview. Kayla Nguyen

FLIPPING THE PAGE

Hester flipping to a new chapter in yearbook

Coppell High School Round-Up yearbook adviser Katrina Hester explains the senior page layout to senior managing editor Samita Alagashetty. Hester previously taught English for the past three years at Plano West High School, and the 2023-24 school year is her first year advising yearbook at CHS. Sabah Uddin

Rhea Choudhary Staff Writer @rhea_choud

In the intricate world of high school yearbook production, change is not always easy to digest. For the past several years, Coppell High School’s Round-Up yearbook has been a shining star in the realm of student publications.

However, as the 2023-24 school year commences, there’s a new face leading the program: Katrina Hester.

Hester steps into her role as yearbook adviser with 26 years of experience, a

passion for her craft, and a promise to infuse new life into this publication. An educator with a master’s degree in English, Hester’s journey has taken her teaching at North Henderson High School in North Carolina from 2003-06, Eastside High School in South Carolina from 2006-12, Riverside High School in South Carolina from 2012-19, Vines High School in Plano from 2019-20, and most recently, within the halls of Plano West High School from 2020-23.

“Needless to say, the transition for the yearbook staff having to switch from their

previous adviser, someone they knew well, to someone new can definitely take some adjustment,” Hester said. “Thus, one of my primary goals is to make this shift easier and to consider each student’s ideas, especially the seniors with leadership roles that have been in RoundUp for the past two years.”

It was in 2019 when her family moved to Coppell that she was driven by a desire to be a part of the school district where her two daughters attend. Tori Hester, her older daughter, is a sophomore, actively engaged in the Coppell Color Guard, and Alexis Hester attends Coppell Middle School East.

The transition from the yearbook staff being advised by Jenna Grinnan to Hester hasn’t been without its challenges.

Unexpected change is often met with apprehension when a publication as celebrated as the Round-Up yearbook is involved, but the yearbook team adjusts admirably to their new adviser.

“While it was a little hard at the beginning because we were all so close to Mrs. Grinnan, our staff is definitely starting to come together,” senior managing editor Samita Alagashetty said. “Mrs. Hester is passionate about making the book the best it can be, and she’s had a lot of experience in making yearbooks, so she brings a lot of new ideas to the table, while also knowing how to make a good book.”

The staff is changing design software from Layout Pro to Monarch, as Hester said it is a more advanced Adobe design software. This transition, though initially challenging, showcases Hester’s commitment to evolving and improving the yearbook’s overall quality.

“Mrs. Hester values our opinions, and I’m really glad that she has given lots of respect towards my role by never making a major change, without consulting me first, along with including me in all staff meetings that affect the way the yearbook is being designed,” senior ed-

itor-in-chief Samiksha Chemukula said.

“A beneficial aspect of having her as our adviser is I’ve been able to see our staff be more efficient and productive, in comparison to last year, due to how [Hester] structures our class time.”

With a total of 420 pages and 860 yearbooks already ordered one month into the 2023-24 school year, Hester’s ultimate goal is to reach at least half of the overall high school student body, 2,000 yearbooks sold out of 4,000 students.

“While I do miss teaching literature and still have a lot to learn at CHS, I really enjoy being the adviser for yearbook because it’s one of the rare school products sold to students that follows the saying ‘people are paying to buy my homework’ due to how much time and effort the yearbook staff puts into designing each page,” Hester said. “My vision, as the new adviser, is for the yearbook to keep up the well-earned reputation it has, along with the high school student body, as a whole, being able to gain more of an appreciation for this program.”

Hester aspires to lead the yearbook team to victory by winning a Columbia Scholastic Press Association Silver or Gold Crown, with her ultimate goal being winning the National Scholastic Press Association Pacemaker award. The staff will have the opportunity to attend JEA/ NSPA Fall/Spring National High School Journalism Conventions and the spring ILPC State Convention, enhancing their skills and ensuring that Round-Up continues to be a standout publication on both the state and national levels.

“As the yearbook team begins designing the 2023-24 yearbook, my overall hope is that I’m able to work with our staff to produce a high-quality publication,” Hester said. “I want to input each member’s valuable ideas, hopefully leading to another chapter of excellence in the history of Coppell High School’s Yearbook publication.”

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senior overalls Ainsley Dwyer Entertainment Editor @ainsleydwyer

Coppell High School senior Alex Cooper walks through the school doors wearing a pair of overalls she worked on over the summer.

“Alex” is spelled in cursive across the front with patterns of red, white and black flowing up and down the shape of the overalls. Soft blue, purple and pink cascade showcased in a tailored design across the back with patterns and fabric unique to her identity.

For every Coppell football game at Buddy Echols Field, senior girls wear their overalls to school to show their school spirit and CHS pride. Since the early 2000s, the tradition of wearing overalls has been carried on by senior girls at CHS. “Last year, I would always see the girls walking around wearing their overalls,” Cooper said. “I realized that it was a tradition that I wanted to be a part of.”

The front of the overalls follow a homogenous structure with “Coppell” pasted upon the left leg and “Cowboys” pasted on the right in Coppell’s signature red, white and black school colors. The only slight deviance is the name of the overall’s wearer.

It is the back of the overalls that lets creative freedom fly high.

In crafting overalls with a range of colors, fabrics, patches and paint, seniors simultaneously craft their individuality.

Upon the back of the left leg are the words

“Class of” with “2024” on the right.

“With the front, everyone has kind of the same look,” Cooper said. “But with the back, you can make it any color, kind of fabric or pattern and it makes it so much more specific to you and meaningful to what you stand for.”

The idea for the overalls sparked in the mid-1990s as a response to a joke about Coppell being ‘country.’ When overalls were first introduced to the CHS campus, however, they looked different from the ones we see today.

The overalls were the typical blue denim, not white, and were more flexibly designed the way each senior wanted. In comparison to the variety of fabric and patches used today, seniors typically exclusively used paint.

Still, overalls were a way for the seniors to express themselves.

“The overalls were not as crazy as they are now,” CHS 2001 graduate Erin Martin said. “We just painted them, and it was much simpler. By the time my sister was a senior in 2005, people had started going all out with the fabric and patches.”

In the past, senior overalls were not just a tradition continued on by the girls, senior boys were able to create their own overalls to show their school spirit.

“I remember a time before the tradition started,” AP English teacher Linda Moore said. “Though I don’t remember when girls started wearing them, I remember making my daughter’s overalls in 2009 because I have a memory of my fingers being burned by the hot glue gun while I was gluing on the patches.”

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Coppell High School seniors Arissa Fricano, Samantha Handshy and Ingrid Castro show school spirit through their overalls on Aug. 18. The tradition of senior overalls continues as a way for seniors to celebrate their last year of high school. Vibha Viswanath

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Lala takes on Boston as youngest member of prestigious marching band Namir Awan

Staff photographer @namir_awan

The Boston Crusaders, one of the best marching bands in the nation, expect tremendous results and commitment from the best talents in the United States.

Coppell High School senior Ansh Lala’s time with the Boston Crusaders changed his life in the marching and mellophone aspect and his winning mentality.

“I really had to figure out a lot of things that I didn’t have to before,” senior Coppell Band vice president Ansh Lala said.

“Being in Boston, I had to commit and not let the pressure get to me.”

His talent got him in, but according to Lala, he learned so much more over the summer. During his time with the Boston Crusaders, he met tal- e n t e d high school mus i cians, learned new movements, became a better leader, and improved his skills as a mellophone player.

“There is a certain standard that you need to play and act at,” Lala said. “Being in Boston was difficult, but it was a good reminder of all the hard work that I had put in.”

The Boston Crusaders is one of the most prestigious

marching bands in the world.

With exceptional talent, they travel all over the United States to compete against different teams in the summer.

“They are the best who expect the same out of everyone,” Coppell Head Band Director Kim Shuttlesworth said. “There is no exception for anyone out there, they want to win.”

The Crusaders made it all the way to the DCI World Championship finals in Indianapolis. They placed fourth in the finals indicating their talent and competitiveness.

As the head mellophone player of CHS, Lala not only has the responsibility to play solo during movements but also the responsibility to lead and help others out.

“He was always a quiet leader,” Shuttlesworth said. “He is a kind guy, everyone likes and respects him, he doesn’t want to do the wrong thing, and he really strives to make as little mistakes as possible.”

Even band players who do not know him so well feel Lala’s impact when playing and learning movements.

“When you have a title such as his, you tend to follow his movements,” junior flutist Karan Katiyar. “Even though I

Coppell High School senior Ansh Lala serves as vice president for Coppell High School Band. Lala traveled over 10,000 miles this summer, marching for The Boston Crusaders Drum & Bugle Corps and performing in more than 40 competitions. Sri Achanta don’t know him that well, I always see him locked in, ready to learn and ready to execute movements, and that makes me want to as well.”

Expectations were high going into the application process. Lala had to submit a video displaying his talents at the beginning of November. Then, he had to wait until December for the callback camps.

The objective of these camps is to display the player’s talents in person. Once the roster was made, the Crusaders held a few days of camp every month to prepare for the summer.

These consisted of winter and spring training camps, which helped unite all players and prepare movements for competition. However, this is an extreme load that many people can not handle.

“I was really worried for him,” Shut-

tlesworth said, “He was the youngest guy on the Crusaders, and I wanted to make sure that he was ready for the load.”

Lala also felt pressured due to living alone and being the youngest on the squad.

“I had to learn work-life balance, which was key to performing in school with the tough courses and the band,” Lala said.

Although there was much pressure, Lala grew a lot during the summer, preparing him for future competitions, teaching him self-accountability, and pushing himself in uncomfortable situations to lead underclassmen.

“This experience was definitely one of the best I’ve had,” Lala said. “I learned so much, and when I came back I was able to take up the role of being a leader immediately since camp had already started.”

Rodrigo entering a GUTS-y edge with sophomore album

Graphic by Sameeha Syed

Sahasra Chakilam News Editor @sahasrachak24

Being a teenage girl sometimes feels like a huge lump in your throat. That lump seconds before you cry. That lump when you’re red from embarrassment.

That lump when you’re so filled with rage, all you want to do is spill your guts.

Teenhood is a whirlpool of emotions and 20-year-old singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo dives into it in her new album, GUTS. Released Sept. 8, this marks Rodrigo’s sophomore album release.

After exploring themes of youthful heartbreak in her first album, SOUR, Rodrigo further expands on the notion of teenage experience, uncovering its rawness and rage in GUTS. She showcases this shift in substance from anguish to angst by transforming her debut pop-alternative style into a more rock, punkish sound.

Right off the bat, Rodrigo makes a punch of punk with the confessional second track and lead single “bad idea right?” in which she lies to her friends about rekindling one of her past flames.

Rodrigo’s vocal delivery reveals nuanced lyricism as she chats to listeners throughout the song about her blatant ignorance yet self-awareness. The 90s-like searing electric guitar and pulsating drumming carries her voice satisfyingly, making it a hook-laden single.

Although Rodrigo executes this punk/

rock approach well in the means of the overall album’s genre, the individual rock songs feel repetitive in production values, making them feel one-dimensional.

This is apparent when comparing “ballad of a homeschooled girl,” “get him back!” and “love is embarrassing.” Rodrigo belts with the same angst and similar production values of the high-strung guitar and polyrhythmic drums in all of them, making the songs difficult to differentiate from.

Moreover, Rodrigo incorporates analogous lyrical structures throughout the songs making the listening experience more repetitive than fresh. The songs cover pertinent teenage realities such as maintaining a social life, navigating tumultuous love and jealousy in a relationship, and those feel unheard when the music sounds the same in all of the songs.

In the other lead single “vampire,” Rodrigo takes the audience on a rollercoaster ride with her hard-hitting storytelling and even more impacting vocal performance. Delicately singing,“‘Cause I’ve made some real big mistakes / But you

make the worst one look fine” to resonantly verbalizing, “The way you sold me for parts / As you suck your teeth into me” feels truly vulnerable as Rodrigo reflects upon a toxic and advantageous dynamic.

Often artists sing about the cost of fame, blaming the world for it, but in the in-depth sixth track “making the bed,” Rodrigo juxtaposes this idea, blaming herself instead as it is the result of her achieving her dreams.

Rather than the frenetic instrumentals in other songs, the gentle playing of ivory keys in the raw seventh track “logical” contributes to Rodrigo’s poignant tone. As she pleads, “Cause if rain don’t pour and sun don’t shine / Then changing you is possible / No, love is never logical,” Rodrigo once again shines through with her vulnerability.

GUTS is a multifaceted piece of work, just like the mind of a teenage girl. Throughout the album, Rodrigo exceptionally suppresses that lump in her throat and truly spills her guts.

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Down the rabbit hole of rehearsals for fall play “Harvey”

The making of Coppell High School’s fall theatre production Anvita Bondada Staff Writer @anvita_bondada

With cast members rehearsing lines, crew members building sets and stage managers overseeing it all, “Harvey” rehearsals are in full swing.

“Harvey” is Coppell Theatre Company’s fall production from Oct. 6-8 in the Coppell High School Black Box. “Harvey” rehearsals are on a tight schedule of six weeks. Auditions took place on Aug. 21, and rehearsals are currently taking place through Oct. 5. Rehearsals often start with announcements and warmups, followed by individual character work and rehearsing lines.

“It’s challenging to manage because it requires that we have to memorize a lot in a very short amount of time, and juggle that with school too,” said junior Sanjana Sreemushta, who is cast as Veta Simmons. “I do think it’s better in the long run though because there won’t be an overlap with this production, and the musical later this year.”

“Harvey” is the tale of two siblings, Veta Simmons and Elwood Dowd, as well as Elwood’s imaginary best friend, a sixfoot rabbit named Harvey. Head director Lisa Stucker selected this play as it fits the cast’s personal strengths and opportunity for growth. Due to the play’s comedic nature, there are many opportunities for

improv, which is a major skill that the cast is working on this year.

“We pick a show based on what we think we can do, and what would be a challenge for us,” Stucker said. “I personally wanted them to focus on not only existing as their own character, but having their character react to what’s happening in the circumstances they’re in, and react to the other characters on stage, which you can do a lot of in ‘Harvey.’”

Sreemushta taps into her character by working off of the cast and crew around her. She focuses on her personal reactions to the other actors on stage, and cites the importance of knowing the cast the best that she can to aid in her artistic process.

Many of the cast think bonding with the other members of the production helps rehearsals go most effectively, and allows better communication with cast and crew.

“Everyone collectively understands how

Coppell High School junior Sean Pompey and New Tech High @ Coppell junior Sarvin Narang rehearse Coppell Theatre Company’s fall production “Harvey” in the Black Box Theatre on Monday. Rehearsals began on Aug. 28 and the show is set to be performed Oct. 6-7 at 7 p.m. and Oct. 8 at 2:30 p.m. in the CHS Black Box. Ainsley Dwyer.

difficult it is to learn lines, so we all help each other in ways such as by saying each other’s lines, so that really helps in the rehearsal process,” Sreemushta said.

Cast members rely on their peers to help in memorization, acting strategies and more. They believe creating everlasting bonds with the people they rehearse with accentuates their performance even more. Every rehearsal is filled with communal energy, laughter, and collaboration.

“Rehearsals are such an intimate place to bond with the people in the theater department,” New Tech High @ Coppell junior Sarvin Narang said. “It’s so cool being able to create something with everyone as a team.”

Behind the actors will be a set created by new leadership. All sets and backdrops will be designed by junior scenic designer Alizah Adil.

“The sets are going to look absolutely amazing. Our new set designers’ mockups and sketches look amazing, so I’m excited to see that,” said junior Ellie Reese, who is cast as Myrtle Mae Simmons.

Stucker thinks this cast wants to create a final production with a story and big picture that creates an enjoyable experience for the audience.

“I have a really solid group of students who all want to do really well in the role that they are in,” Stucker said. “Since they all have a common goal in mind, it motivates them to put in the work.”

Break in heat allows seniors to display creativity

Coppell High School seniors gather in the back parking lot to paint their senior parking spots and add their final touches over their base coat on Saturday, Sept. 9. The tradition allows seniors to express their creativity and make their mark for their last year at CHS. Wendy Le.

Coppell High School senior Keerthana Chennojwala paints the outline of the sunflower for her parking spot on Sept. 9.

Coppell High School senior Liberty McConnell stencils her name in rows on her parking spot on Sept. 9.

Coppell High School seniors design and decorate senior parking spots on Sept. 9.

Coppell High School seniors Ananya Balaji and Shreya Rastogi paint a parking spot together on Sept. 9.

Coppell High School seniors design and decorate senior parking spots on Sept. 9.

Coppell High School senior Keerthana Chennojwala paints the outline of a sunflower for her parking spot on Sept. 9.

Coppell High School senior Collette Skiles decorates her parking spot with wavy lines on Sept. 9.

Coppell High School senior Anusha Narway uses black paint to depict a queen of hearts on her parking spot on Sept. 9.

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Parrotheads continue to live on

Fans celebrate legacy of singer-song writer Jimmy Buffett Ainsley Dwyer Entertainment Editor @ainsleydwyer_

Coppell High School not tend to think of teacher’s lives outside of the classroom. But, teachers and staff

students do their

enjoy attending concerts as much as the students at CHS. Many of the staff are ‘parrotheads’ and enjoy attending the lively concerts by American singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett, who died on Sept. 1 after four years of fighting Merkel cell skin cancer at the age of 76. One of these parrotheads is business teacher Bruce Stewart.

“It wasn’t just a show he put on,” Stewart said. “It was the antics, the pre-show in the parking lot. It was food, it was music, it was drinks, it was all a big party with people there to see him.”

Most famously known for his songs “Margaritaville”, “Cheeseburgers In Paradise” and “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere,” Buffett totaled 30 studio albums with eight certified gold and nine certified platinum or multi platinum.

“I saw him about 10 times over the course

of the past 30 years,” Stewart said. “I believe his legacy will be passed on. In years to come, people will still be playing his music and talk about how cool he and his songwriting are.”

He was unique in his music style creating a brand of what is called “Island Escapism.” Buffett liked to call his music “drunken Caribbean rock ‘n’ roll.”

His music style combined country, rock, folk, calypso and pop music with coastal and tropical lyrical themes for a sound often called “gulf and western” or tropical rock.

“Jimmy painted pictures and short stories in all the songs he wrote,” country music singer-songwriter Kenny Chesney said to Rolling Stone. “He taught a lot of people about the poetry in just living, especially this kid from East Tennessee.”

Buffett is one of the highest-earned musicians of all time with an estimated net worth of $1 billion.

Buffett was heavily involved in charity work including Save the Manatee Club with former Florida Governor Bob Graham, in addition to performing many charity concerts for hurricane relief Hurricane Charley, Hurricane Frances, Hurricane Ivan, Hurricane Jeanne and Hurricane Harvey.

Though his passing means the end of his live shows, new albums and charity work, the lasti n g legacy of Jimmy B u ff e t t shall continue on for years. His impact on people will be remembered in Coppell.

American singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett died on Sept 1 after four years offighting merke‑l cell skin cancer at 76. Coppell High School teachers and staff remember the legacy Buffett is leaving behind through his music and charity. Photo courtesy of jimmybuffett.com

TUNE IN TO THE BEATS WITH THE TALK Check out our recent podcasts:

Meet The 2023-24 Sidekick Leadership Team The Sidekick 2023-24 leadership team members introduce themselves and discuss what they are looking forward to this year. They highlight the new projects that are being worked on, the new look for the paper and our focus on multimedia storytelling. Enjoy getting to know our members.

Senior Overalls Senior year is a year to participate in traditions at Coppell High School. Girls don the halls of CHS in their respective overalls every Friday of football season. Each overall is symbolic of the activities that the girls have participated in during their high school years, including clubs, hobbies and sports. In this episode, The Sidekick’s executive editor-in-chief Sri Achanta chats with three seniors to gain insight into the different ways they made their overalls and the meanings behind them.

A Guide to Freshmen Year The leap from middle school to high school can be intimidating as former eighth graders step into a new environment. The Sidekick’s podcast producer Wendy Le speaks to four Coppell High School seniors Varun Ravilla, Alena Truong, Prateek Malkoti and Arhan Lapsiwala in order to help students from Coppell High School Ninth Grade Campus navigate their first year of high school such as how to avoid burnout, find a balance between school and social life and offer additional tips and advice.

MOST POPULAR ALBUMS Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes

Songs You Know by Heart

American singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett died on Sept 1 after four years of fighting merkel cell skin cancer at 76. Coppell High School teachers and staff remember the legacy Buffett is leaving behind through his music and charity. Photo courtesy of jimmybuffett.com

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GAMES

Causes of burnout

How to sleep earlier

Across

Down

3. Where you move around while music plays 5. A clothing you wear to a special event for ladies 7. Something you listen to 9. The big dance in the beginning of the year

1. What you have when you’re thirsty 2. A clothing you wear to a special event for men 3. Festive things you use to fill a room with spirit 4. Something you put on your feet to make yourself taller 6. What you have when you’re hungry 8. To make you feel pretty

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Noonan navigating tennis program into new era Ava Johnson Staff Writer @avakjohnson4

From the sandy beaches of Corpus Christi to bustling College Station, Coppell tennis coach Alyssa Noonan has traveled across the state with her family for tennis tournaments. But ever since stumbling upon Coppell, Noonan has brought a sense of family to the Coppell tennis program.

Older brother Jay Noonan was the first member of her family to pick up a racket, but Coach Noonan followed closely in his footsteps. Throughout the years, he became a coach and mentor, teaching her everything he knew about the sport.

“I said we’re going to need to do this the right way or we’re not going to do it at all,” Jay Noonan said. “I taught her the grips, strategy and footwork and she was great. She was one of the hardest working kids that I’d ever had the privilege of coaching.”

Coach Noonan encountered a lot of success in her tennis career at George Ranch High School in Richmond, making the varsity tennis team all four years, attending the regional tournament all four years and placing third at regionals three years in a row.

“Tennis did a lot for me because my family and I went through some difficult times and always having the court to turn to was something that really helped me,” Coach Noonan said. “The sport has done so much for me in that way and helped me connect with other people. It’s always been a big blessing in my life.”

Aside from coaching tennis, Coach Noonan is also a professionally licensed chemist.

After graduating high school, Coach Noonan attended Texas Tech University

to study chemical engineering for a year, then transferred to Sam Houston State University and switched her major to chemistry. She obtained her minor in education which is when she fell in love with teaching chemistry.

Coach Noonan returned to George Ranch straight out of college and was asked to help coach the school’s tennis team after her first semester.

“Having the opportunity to make a positive impact on someone’s life is the reason why I’m in this,” Coach Noonan said.

“I love the technical side of tennis, but getting to actually be there for someone and mentor them through their years of high school and give them a great experience is what it’s all about.”

Coach Noonan spent seven years at George Ranch, then applied for the tennis head coaching position at Coppell High School, not expecting to get the job. The interview process started with Coppell ISD Athletics Director Kit Pehl.

“I ended up meeting Coach Pehl and a few other people here on campus and I just instantly felt connected to everyone I met,” Noonan said. “I loved where I was before too, so finding something super special up here was very impactful for me.

When the offer came in, I had to accept it because it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me to change my life and the kids in this program are making as big of an impact on me as I am on them.”

For the head tennis coach position, each candidate underwent a 30-45 minute screening with Pehl and then an in-person interview for hopes of getting the job.

“Between the screening and the in-person interview, the blend of competency as a coach and relationship with the kids was what set her apart,” Pehl said.

According to Noonan, the Coppell ten-

Coppell tennis coach Alyssa Noonan serves to JV1 tennis players during drills at morning practice on Aug. 29 at CHS Tennis Center. Noonan’s history with tennis influences her coaching style as she implements new ideas during her first year in the Coppell tennis program. Vibha Viswanath. nis program had a strong foundation before she arrived. The team already has implemented high intensity drills, focused practices and very competitive matches on their schedule, but she seeks to add more structure to the program.

“As time has gone on over the course of this fall, we’ve gotten grittier, tougher and we’re dealing with adversity better than we did early on and I would give her credit for that,” Pehl said.

Aside from the competitive aspect of tennis, Noonan carries memories of her family with her onto the court wherever she goes. Several of the drills that she runs during practice are the same ones that her brother used to run with her when they were children.

“The kids have had a really positive re-

sponse to the things that we’re bringing in and it’s really important to me that every player in the program feels very seen and like they belong here,” Noonan said. “So that’s at the root of all the decisions we’re making. We’re just trying to make sure that every player has the best possible experience here.”

Aside from just being a coach, Noonan makes it a priority to connect with each player in the program.

“Coach Noonan has done her best to try and build a connection with every single person, regardless of if they’re playing or not,” Coppell sophomore Gabby Rice said. “She gives everyone the equal chance to play. Even if you’re at the bottom of the roster, she still gives you a chance to fight your way to the top.”

FROM ONE PATEL TO ANOTHER

Patel paves way for younger brother in tennis program

Coppell junior tennis co-captain Shay Patel is following in the footsteps of his older brother, CHS 2022 graduate Vinay Patel, and paving his path in the program. In addition to earning multiple notable accolades, Patel brings a unique style and perspective to the team. Sukirtha Muthiah.

Rhea Choudhary Staff Writer @rhea_choud

Picture this: Then-Coppell freshman tennis prodigy Shay Patel earns a coveted spot on the varsity team while his older brother, Vinay Patel, not only holds the senior status but also is the team captain.

The court is their canvas and their dynamic partnership leaves an enduring mark within CHS tennis.

Siblings often share a special bond, one that can be both supportive and competitive. For the Patel brothers, Vinay and Shay, their shared passion for tennis not only strengthened their brotherly connec-

tion, but also elevated their game to new heights.

As a freshman in fall of 2021, Shay’s arrival on the CHS tennis scene was nothing short of exceptional. He didn’t just make the varsity team. He made a statement with his talent and determination. Shay’s rapid ascent through the ranks was impossible to ignore.

“Shay has always been very helpful and is able to lead groups effectively; he is definitely humble, but his competitiveness is shown on the court when he’s playing against our opponents,” said junior Ansh Aitha, a member of the Coppell tennis team. “Both of the Patel brothers’ personalities are extremely different; however,

their tennis careers are very similar, and their successfulness on the tennis courts has been displayed these past three years.”

What sets Shay apart from his older brother is not just his impressive playing style, but also his unique approach to the game. While Vinay was known for his powerful baseline game and strategic net play, Shay brings his own strengths to the court. His agility, precision and ability to read his opponents set him apart as a formidable player.

“I admire Shay’s ambition,” Vinay said.

“We would always do everything together.

With all the sports we played while growing up, eventually, we settled on tennis being the one. I would help him practice and coach him. When it comes to school and academics, I would tutor him, so our relationship has always been really close.

He’s always been the one more willing to go to practice and play more tournaments, which is essentially one of his best qualities.”

However, as all good things must come to an end, so did Vinay’s high school tennis career when he graduated in 2022.

Vinay had left behind a legacy as a fierce competitor and an inspirational leader. He set a high bar for the Patel name, and the question remained: Could Shay match his older brother’s achievements and continue the Patel legacy?

After Vinay’s graduation, Shay was faced with the challenge of forging his path without his older brother by his side.

Since he was originally forced into playing tennis because of his older brother, it was during this time that Shay began to realize just how much he loved the game of tennis.

His commitment to the sport paid off, currently holding the impressive rank of No. 3 on the varsity team with an 8.1

Universal Tennis Rating (UTR). Shay has acquired accolades, including the team’s Most Valuable Player, 2022-23 district championship and the Outstanding Coppell Singles award. However, Shay’s impact goes beyond the medals and awards; it’s his leadership and passion that make him a standout player.

“Shay is genuinely the kindest player I’ve met,” Coppell coach Alyssa Noonan said. “As it is my first year being the tennis coach at CHS, he makes my job much easier by helping the team with training for each weekly match over time and by showing me how hardworking he is and how he never gives up. Shay has a very good tennis IQ, which is shown by him earning the third spot on the ranking ladder among the 60 tennis players at CHS.” Of the many remarkable high school tennis players, Shay Patel’s story shines as a testament to determination and self-discovery. While he continues to honor his family’s legacy, he is also carving a unique path to success.

“The best advice I would give to anyone wanting to improve their tennis game is to practice as much as possible and to give it your all by showing up every day at practice and spending lots of time outside of required practice time, which I tried my best doing during my freshman and sophomore years, being an attribute I originally learned from Vinay,” Shay said. “As one of the team’s captains, I try my best to lead by example and to help anyone on our team who needs it.”

As the 2023-24 tennis season unfolds and Shay continues to make his mark on the court, there’s no doubt that he’s living up to the legacy his older brother left behind. However, Shay’s journey is far from over; it’s a path of determination and boundless potential.

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Nyah Rama CHS9 Editor @nyah_rama

As the sun sets over Buddy Echols Field, Coppell junior quarterback Edward Griffin likes to take a moment in the locker room to sit in quiet reflection. His mind churns as he listens to the booming beats of NLE Choppa and runs over the game plan.

He stands up and removes his earbuds to deliver a speech that will inspire his team and lead them in prayer, readying them for the uncertain night ahead. He does one last check to make sure he has his lucky socks, towel and undershirt on as Coppell coach Antonio Wiley teases him about his superstitions.

He runs out of the tunnel and is greeted by a crowd of adoring fans; fans who have watched him grow up from taking his first steps on a field as a 4-year-old playing flag football to now, leading his team as the starting quarterback for Coppell High School.

From the moment class of 2023 CHS graduate Jack Fishpaw graduated, Griffin has been preparing for the day he would start.

“It was during the fall practice when the coaches came to me and said, ‘Hey, you are going to take the first team reps from now on’,’” Griffin said. “I tried to prepare the whole offseason like I was going to be the starter, so when it happened it was kind of a confirmation of what I already believed.”

Griffin fought for the job and his coaches took notice. Griffin’s determination and kind spirit won him the role of starting quarterback.

“He is tough,” Wiley said. “He is really tough. He will stand in there and take a shot right under the chin and not blink and he is always walking around with a smile on his face. If you saw him you would say, ‘He is the quarterback?’

That’s just the type of kid he is; he is going to do everything you tell him to do, no if, ands or buts about it.”

Edward did not always start out as the quarterback. His journey into football started when he was 4, playing wide receiver on his flag football team.

“He would run 20 yards down the field, the coach would throw him the ball and he would catch it,” Edward’s father, Patrick Griffin said. “He had so much joy being on the field running around trying to pull flags, catching the ball and interacting with his teammates.

Even at that age, Edward took winning seriously.”

Throughout his football career, Edward would go on to play tackle on defense until becoming the quarterback at Coppell Middle School East. From that

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moment, Edward made a commitment to football that continues to this day.

“Edward was playing in sixth grade at Coppell Middle School East and by that time he had demonstrated commitment to his off field preparation including a stretching regimen, healthy eating habits, reading books on leadership, working out, watching game film and throwing routes outside of practice with his teammates,” Mr. Griffin said. “Edward’s development as a football player has been an intentional, self-motivated journey focused on being the best quarterback he can be in an effort to support his team’s success.”

Having played many positions, Edward has a special appreciation for quarterback.

“Throwing the ball is really fun,” Edward said. “I have been blessed to have that ability but also the leadership aspect of the quarterback position is really cool. It has a lot of impact and knowing that the team is going to perform the way that you perform is something that I enjoy, I like the pressure.”

Edward is not someone to brag about his accomplishments. He chooses to put in the hard work and let others take notice of the results.

“Edward never came home and told us, ‘I’m the starting quarterback,’” Edward’s mother, Adrianne Griffin, said.

“We found out the night of the first game when he took the field on the first possession. Edward believes that he needs to work hard each practice, be a leader and be prepared for each game; in essence his mindset is to earn the starting position each and every week.”

Edward carries that mindset to this day and earned respect from his teammates.

“He has the best work ethic on the team,” senior wide receiver Ian McKinnon said. “He is a true leader, he cares about everyone and does not put himself before anyone else.”

For Edward, there is no offseason. He is constantly putting in the work to take his game to the next level.

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“In season, watching film and knowing your opponent definitely helps because I don’t like to see stuff that I am unsure about or feel unprepared,” Edward said. “Out of season, I throw routes with receivers and try to get chemistry with them. Part of the fun of the game is the relationships with teammates in the locker room.”

Edward actively works to command the room, leading the team and bringing everyone together.

“His confidence has skyrocketed since I met him,” McKinnon said. “He is able to speak in front of the entire team and holds people accountable for their actions. Over the years, watching him develop has been

amazing to see, and he has become such a role model for anyone who wants to achieve greatness.”

The journey of an athlete can be somewhat of an odyssey and Edward knows it. He prioritizes both his athletic and academic career with hopes of playing at Notre Dame and partaking in their religious activities and academic program.

With his positive attitude and an optimistic mindset, Edward hopes to make it to the NFL one day.

“I want to keep playing for as long as I can, I really enjoy it,” Edward said. “However long I can keep on going, I am definitely going to. That is the dream.”

Coppell junior Edward Griffin is the Coppell High School varsity football starting quarterback for the 2023-24 school year. Griffin has played for CHS varsity football for two years and is leading the Cowboys in a currently undefeated season. Sri Achanta

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Youth movement overtakes volleyball team as it chases postseason berth Ava Johnson

Sports Assignment Editor @avakjohnson4

Last year, the Coppell volleyball team graduated 10 out of its 14 players on varsity, leaving behind four juniors to steer the program into its new season.

This year’s team is much younger with over half of the roster underclassmen new to the varsity level: two freshmen, five sophomores, two juniors and four seniors.

“In preseason [the younger players] were still kind of learning about varsity and all the things that we expect from them,” senior libero Kathryn McDonald said. “We set good goals in the offseason and that helped a lot with the adjustment, but it was a little rocky at first because there’s so many people that haven’t been on varsity.”

However, Coppell coach Robyn Ross intended for the preseason to be intense to prepare the players, especially the underclassmen, for the rigorous season.

“I’ve tried to tell the girls that the win-loss record in a preseason doesn’t mean anything,” Ross said. “We don’t have the luxury of having weak teams in our district – every team is strong.

Most of the teams that we played were ranked in the top 20-25 in the state. It was intentional that it would be hard mentally and physically because it will better prepare them for what they will see in district.”

As the team transitioned out of its preseason and into the bustling school

year, a struggle that became more prevalent to Ross is the lack of bonding time together on the court.

“A lot of times when you’re on a varsity team, those girls are playing club together, playing school ball together for years, [but] this mix of girls have very little playing time together,” Ross said. “So they’re learning each other that way and trying to figure out what that person’s tendencies are. And sometimes there’s not a ton in common between 14 and 18-year-olds, so our seniors are doing a great job of really trying to integrate these young ones into the family.”

According to Ross, another struggle the team faces this year is lack of height. All of the players on this year’s team are under six feet tall, much shorter than their counterparts across the net. Because of the smaller size of the team this year, the Coppell’s opponents have been able to hit through their blocks easier, putting more pressure on the Cowgirl’s defensive row.

“We are small compared to everyone that we will play, so the ball control piece is going to be huge for us,” Ross said. “Being able to get teams out of system with our good serving and to keep ourselves in system with our great ball control, passing and defense will make or break us this year.”

To adjust to the shift in height, the team has incorporated vertical training and game-like scenarios into its practices to increase the athletes’ explosiveness and endurance. One of the drills that Ross frequently runs includes

The Coppell volleyball team celebrates after winning a point against Flower Mound Marcus at CHS arena on Sept. 15. After the Coppell volleyball team graduated 10 seniors last year, the team is overcoming the struggles of having a younger team.

Sahasra Chakilam her hitting to the defensive specialists– McDonald, sophomore Molly Williams and junior Randee McCloud–without blockers in between, to prepare the players for missed blocks in the match.

Additionally, the Cowgirls are doing more competitive drills in practices to help younger players acclimate to the intense setting of being on a varsity team.

“At the beginning of the season, I feel like everybody was kind of laid back and didn’t want to be the one

to mess up,” McDonald said. “During practices now, some of the people that I’ve never really heard speak that much started screaming and wanting to win and that definitely translates onto the court.”

The Cowgirls continue to work through their regular season, each struggle becoming more of a strength after each practice and match.

“We’re doing well with what we have and we’re going to keep improving throughout the season,” Williams said.

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Going the extra mile Henze strides strides into new leadership position Sahasra Chakilam News Editor @sahasrachak24

In the dawn of the morning of a meet on grassy terrain, cross country runners assemble at the starting line in tandem, team camaraderie flowing from one another.

Seconds before the whistle blows, Coppell senior cross country runner Henry Henze looks around him and knows he is exactly where he is supposed to be.

Henze embarked on his cross country journey in seventh grade at Coppell Middle School West. However, rather than stopping at middle school, Henze continued the sport in ninth grade after receiving an email about it in the midst of COVID-19.

“I feel like starting cross country in middle school doesn’t count, because if you’re not doing football, you’re just doing that,” Henze said. “I didn’t try very hard, but regardless I ran. I decided to do cross country in ninth grade, because they met in the mornings and it didn’t seem dangerous to do during COVID-19.”

Not enjoying running as an activity due to its taxing nature, Henze found it hard to commit to the sport both physically and mentally during his freshman year. However in his sophomore year, he began to test the limits to see how far he could actually go in the sport.

“I realized in my sophomore year that I can actually do something with myself,” Henze said. “I realized that I was getting faster and as a team we could place in state. That’s when I started trying and the sport started getting more fun.”

A part of that breakthrough were Henze’s upperclassmen during his cross country experience. They inspired him to get out of his shell and showcase his potential.

“All the seniors helped me a lot,” Henze said. “I didn’t feel the need to do the entirety of my runs and in my freshman year I would just run to the woods, sit there and run back.

But in my sophomore year, the seniors really started to hype me up and got me into the whole

process of running. I definitely would not be the runner I am today if it wasn’t for them.”

One particular senior who Henze looked up to was CHS 2023 graduate and cross country runner Vedanth Bhattacharyya.

“I learned so much from him about running,” Henze said. “He was a great mentor and was like a second coach to me. When Vedant was about to leave he told me, ‘You know you’re going to have to do what I am doing now next year,’ and throughout his senior year, he prepared me to be one of the leaders.”

Bhattacharyya’s headship and guidance aided Henze in building himself as a leader for the team during his own senior year.

“He imp ro v e d a lot during his junior

year and has a lot of commitment to doing things right,” Bhattacharyya said. “In his freshman year, he was a good athlete, but he didn’t have the same kind of drive that he has now. I think our team not doing so well in his sophomore year changed him and was a big growth moment for Henze.”

Not being known as the most verbal person, Henze stepping into the new role of responsibility has propelled him to speak out.

“Henze is one of our best,” cross country coach Landon Wren said. “He has always been a good runner, but now he is learning how to adjust into that leadership role.

We’ve got a lot of young people on the team and Henze does a good job of leading by example. He is not a super vocal guy himself, but he is always up to

talking to young runners about what they need to be doing and how they could do it better and does it in a way that isn’t demeaning but rather positive.”

Henze knows what it’s like to be in the shoes of a freshman in cross country and uses that perspective to further instruct his peers to be future leaders as well. “ This past year, I have learned what it takes to be fast,” Henze said. “Using that, I’ve tried my best to help others become fast as well. It’s a realization that I have had that I need to step up and put out what I have learned to others.”

Henze’s Holy Grails

Favorite Shoes: Nike Streakflys

Favorite Meet: 2022 district meet and 2022 state meet

Favorite Health Tip: Drinking a gallon of water after every run

Coppell senior cross country runner Henry Henze has been participating in cross country since ninth grade. Henze has stepped into a new role of leadership in the cross country team for the 2023-24 school year. Rhea Choudhary

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