Volume 30 Issue 2

COPPELLSTUDENTMEDIA.COM

Social media security risks lurk beneath an emerging generation PAGES 12_13

A NEW AGE A NEW AGE

A NEW AGE A NEW AGE

> STORY BY ANDRÉS BEAR

VOLUME 30 • ISSUE 2

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

NOVEMBER 2018

W H AT ’ S I N S I D E

ON TIME ARRIVAL

PG. 5

N E W S This year’s updated shuttle schedule transports students to three secondary campuses.

LOOKING BACK

PG. 10

S T U D E N T L I F E Assistant principal Ryan Lam reminisces leaving home country during difficult times.

ALUMNI LEGACY

PG. 20

S P O R T S Former Sidekick editor Greg Tepper carries his love for journalism to Fox Sports and Texas Football Magazine.

2 AT A GLANCE

NOVEMBER

CH S H IGHLIGHT

FROM THE EDITOR

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he world today operates faster than ever.

I remember penning letters to my godsister as a kid, writing and rewriting with comical anxiety.

We lived on opposite sides of the world - me in suburban Dallas, her in Beijing - and I felt compelled to fill every mile between us with carefully considered words. At the time, neither of us owned phones, and apps such as Gmail and Skype were blocked in China.

Despite only being able to visit her every other summer with my grandparents and only exchanging letters in three-month segments, I felt extremely close to her. We poured ourselves into our letters, sharing our thoughts and dreams for the future.

Years later, WeChat, an influential Chinese messaging app, came into prominence and we switched platforms. Well, we tried to, anyway; as we grew older, we also grew further apart. Both the depth and frequency of our exchanges diminished over time, even with the added convenience of online messaging. We got busier, the world got faster, until eventually, we fell out of touch.

I came across an old box of our letters a few weeks ago. Rereading them, it occurred to me how easily we forsake things in today’s time and age - relationships, hobbies, commitments. Everything has become so accessible that they overwhelm us. All the world is an email, a text, an iTunes purchase away - so close that we find ourselves shying away from even reaching.

Other times, when it is too easy to do something, we dismiss its importance and diminish its urgency.

I called my godsister a few days ago. She now lives in Korea and is studying economics - a drastic change from when we last spoke years ago.

“You’re so pretty now,” she teased me. “I’ve been following you on Instagram, and you’ve gotten to be so beautiful.”

That’s the irony of technology and social media - it works to bring us closer together, yet isolates us at the same time. It’s important to remember these platforms for what they are: a tool to enhance our lives, not a distractor or stressor point, and certainly not a virtual replacement for what we already have.

As Thanksgiving approaches and we celebrate family and friendship, I encourage readers to slow down. It’s too easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of our frantic daily schedules and let our inboxes swallow us.

Reconnect with the people in your life in more meaningful ways. Instead of a quick text, consider making a call, or if distance permits, knocking at their door.

Otherwise, you can always pen them a letter.

Before, I used to see myself as fat. My skin was too dark, my hair too nappy, my nose was too oily. It was a very long process, but I finally woke up in the morning, and stopped being tired of looking at every single flaw on my body. It made me feel great. It made me feel like I could put on anything, and still say that I look beautiful, that I was going to have the greatest day of my life. Today I can look into my mirror, and just say ‘Hey, you look beautiful today. You’re going to rock everyone’s world when you get to school, girl. You’re going to look amazing, whether you are in pajamas or not.

M I K I YA H PA R K E R JUNIOR Photo by Laura Amador-Toro

UPCO MIN G EVEN TS

Kelly Wei

N O V. 2 Upperclassmen, get your spirit on at the SENIOR PEP RALLY.

N O V. 1 1 Remember to thank those who have served for the country for VETERANS DAY.

N O V. 1 9 - 2 3 Ready to feast? Be grateful for family time and turkey on THANKSGIVING BREAK.

N O V. 2 6 Stay in the know about what the city approves at the CISD BOARD MEETING.

DEC. 1 See the town illuminate with Christmas festivities at the CITY’S HOLIDAY PARADE AND TREE LIGHTING.

DEC. 10 Sing the merriments of the Renaissance with choir at the MADRIGALS PERFORMANCE BREAK.

EDITOR- IN-CHIEF

tiede

TEACHER OF THE ISSUE

ROOM E102 / ART AND DESIGN The Sidekick selected Coppell High School art and design teacher Cameron Tiede as the November Teacher of the Issue. Tiede has had a variety of experience in the fields of art and design and brings a lot to the table for his students.

HOW DID YOUR OWN PASSION FOR ART LEAD YOU TO TEACHING IT? Originally, when I was working for myself, I was back in California, and it just so happened that a couple different schools at that time were looking for part time teachers. I didn’t go looking for the jobs, they contacted me, and I just started teaching. It wasn’t a lot, it was just so I could get out [of the studio] and talk to people. I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. That’s sort of how I got into teaching, and as far as the art aspect, that’s what I’ve always done, so that was just sort of an obvious for me to be teaching art and design.

TWITTER @CHSCAMPUSNEWS

INSTAGRAM @THESIDEKICKCOPPELL

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE TEACHING ART AND DESIGN?

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OF

There are no right or wrong answers. There are certainly more effective and less effective works of art, but there are so many answers, especially in design and the way we can communicate to people. There are endless possibilities, so that’s something that really interests and excites me.

WHAT ARE SOME FUN FACTS ABOUT YOURSELF? Oh, there’s lots of projects that I’m excited about. I’ve got a lot of fun stuff planned for photography class, especially when we move into the second semester and the kids really start to dive into Photoshop and they can express themselves more creatively. I’m a big believer in having traditional physical media and digital media merge with each other.

FACEBOOK /SIDEKICKONLINE

news

ALL THE HUSTLE & BUSTLE

“Learn to get comfortable being uncomfortable.”

VAUGHN RETURNS AS ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL / 4

A decade of excellence CHS hosts Red Jacket reunion for first time

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Photo by Bailey Lai

P L A N N I N G I T O U T During KCBY’s third period class, seniors Vinny Vincenzo, Shania Khan and Misuni Khamankar discuss and watch videos to gain inspiration for their upcoming projects in adviser Irma Kennedy’s classroom. On Oct. 18, The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences named KCBY the Best Student Newscast in the nation.

KCBY-TV named nation’s top student newscast

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CLAIRE CLEMENTS EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR @cclements825

espite having a number of prestigious awards under their belt, Coppell High School’s student-run television station KCBY-TV was still met a pleasant surprise when the program was named Best Student Newscast in the nation on Oct. 18 by The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS).

The announcement was live streamed on from Emerson College in Los Angeles. KCBY represented the Texas national representative from the Lone Star EMMY chapter.

“It was eighth period and we all came to our KCBY room, and we pulled it up on the livestream, and it was just a giant huddle around the desk and as soon as the [television personality Tom Bergeron, who currently hosts ABC’s “Dancing With The Stars” who was reading [the winner] said KCB-, we all exploded and started jumping

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screaming,” KCBY senior program director Vinny Vincenzo said. “I was filled with so much joy because I knew all of that hard work finally paid off and we got just this nationally ranked award.”

The winning newscast is show 24 from the 2016-17 school year, which was produced by many now-graduated students. KCBY adviser Irma Lazos-Kennedy hopes her current students can not only be inspired by the award, but learn from the past.

“That group of students from [the] 2016-17 [school year] has set the bar high, so we need to make sure we are doing the right things, to tell stories about the people around us, and to be diligent and pay attention to the details when it comes to best practices for video production,” Lazos-Kennedy said.

KCBY is still hungry for more.

“Right now, our main goal is to get [NSPA Pacemaker] and get our show out there,” KCBY Español junior Mildred Padilla said.

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

NEHA DESARAJU STAFF WRITER @nehades_

he library buzzes with anticipation in preparation for the upcoming breakfast.

Students in black shirts mill around, chatting with friends, and the same black shirts covered a table nearby, along with frames of past graduation years. One picture has signatures floating around it.

For the first time, Coppell High School hosted a reunion for all current and former Red Jacket members since the organization was started 10 years ago by then-principal (now Coppell ISD Superintendent) Brad Hunt.

Invitees gathered in the library, where a slideshow of previous Red Jacket pictures was played on the screen, and comments of “Hey, look, that’s us!” could occasionally be heard. Breakfast was served, and a number of staff members and friends came to visit former students.

One former student was Kevin Rutledge, a 2010 CHS graduate and Baylor University alumni. He now works for Bell Helicopter in Fort Worth and was eager to see how CHS has changed since he attended.

Rutledge has stayed close with CHS AP US History teacher Kevin Casey over the years. Casey, who is aware of Rutledge’s schedule, invited him to return to the school for the memorable event.

Other staff members came to visit Rutledge as well, who seems to have maintained connections at CHS since leaving.

Rutledge had attended a football game at CHS two years ago but has not been inside the school in eight years. He planned to attend the pep rally after the breakfast.

“It’s cool to see how [the arena and football field] have changed, so I wish I had that when I was here,” Rutledge said.

Senior Dylan Griffin was also excited to meet Rutledge.

“It’s cool to see someone who was in my position and how their life went after high school,” Griffin said.

Although it has been many years since most of the former students who attended had graduated, the conversations were nothing if not nostalgic. Many current students were interested in learning in what CHS was like when they were only eight years old. The energy at the breakfast, which ended at 9 a.m., continued into the pep rally, where both current and former Red Jackets participated in Senior Night.

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

NEWS NOVEMBER

THE LATEST FROM CHS9

Vaughn returns to Coppell as assistant principal

Photo by Bren Flechtner H O M E S W E E T H O M E CHS9 assistant Principal Chase Vaughn on bus duty with students after school on Oct. 26. Vaughn has returned to Coppell ISD, and has worked at Coppell Middle School North in 2008 and Coppell High School in 2010 as a teacher and coach.

CHS9 administrator Chase Vaughn worked at Coppell Middle School North in 2008 and Coppell High School in 2010 as a social studies teacher and coach before working in three other districts: Lago Vista, Mesquite and Plano ISDs. He returns this year as an assistant principal at CHS9.

CHRISTINE ZACUAI EXECUTIVE NEWS EDITOR @chriszacuai

Q: What brings you back to work in Coppell?

V: It was just a great opportunity. I was an assistant principal at Plano before, and I’ve always loved Coppell. I’ve always loved the community and the

kids of Coppell and I still talk to some of my old students from when I first taught in Coppell, so it was just a good fit.

Q: Working in education, what have you learned about the environment and those within it?

V: In this field, you have to love people. What’s really crazy is that the more I get into it, the more I learned that people are complicated, and nothing is ever black and white. I guess what I’m trying to say is that there’s good in everybody - that’s what education should bE. Q: Looking back, what advice would you give to yourself in your first year of teaching?

V: If I could go back and tell myself something as a first year administrator or teacher, it would be: learn to get comfortable being uncomfortable, because there’s never been a decision I’ve made as an

administrator or as a teacher that was easy. And you have to be okay with that.

Q: What is the most challenging moment you’ve experienced in the school?

V: I would say student management can be challenging, and not because of having to discipline or anything like that. We don’t dull out discipline, and our end goal for every kid is to help.

Q: What is the most rewarding about having worked in education?

V: When I was a teacher, it was all the kids’ interactions every single day. But as an administrator, what is great is that although the kids are always at the forefront, I’ve really enjoyed forging strong relationships with teachers.

CHRISTINE ‘19 can be reached at cnz6920@g.coppellisd.com.

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Student of the Month program personalizes process

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ARMAN MERCHANT STAFF WRITER @arman_merch

TWITTER @CHSCAMPUSNEWS

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he creation of the new CHS9 campus introduced a unique program for the current students. Based off the Coppell High School Student of the Month program, the new CHS9 program takes a twist.

The CHS Students of the Month are nominated by teachers before selected by the administration, while the CHS9 campus lets individual teachers select and explain why they chose specific students.

With this new method of selecting a standout student every month, the program represents the basis of the CHS9 purpose.

“We are built on the words ‘Belong, Empower, and Challenge’,” CHS9 assistant principal Ashlee Graham said.

“We want these students to lead the future and send a positive message for the rest of the world.”

The student of the month is chosen by the whole staff through a google form, along with an anecdote on why the student possess the trait. The program also includes a different category of the many values the school is built around.

The student of September, CHS9 freshman Mihir Chaudhuri, was selected by his teachers for his excellent of communication. Having three different staff members voting for him, Chaudhuri was the only student with more than one vote.

“Mihir is an exceptional student and his ability

INSTAGRAM @THESIDEKICKCOPPELL

to be a leader is the reason I selected him,” CHS9 biology teacher Cathy Douglas said. “I’m glad he was selected with other teachers because he represents the excellence here at the campus.”

Being the first student to be selected in the process, Chaudhuri is excited for the different peers chosen after him.

“It felt great when they selected me to take the first award in the school’s history,” Chaudhuri said.

“It is an excellent program that the school createdbeing able to showcase various students for their excellence.”

Along with the support of the students at CHS9, the staff is also excited about the program moving forward.

“The process of selecting the students was great; we were able to let the rest of the school know what makes our students so special,” CHS9 language arts teacher Jan Han said. “Discussing with the different teachers the week lead up to announcing our winner is something I look forward to experiencing throughout the school year.”

Along with showcasing the student of the month, the campus also announces the runner-ups for the selection process.

“Candidates that were selected in the process also receive certificates and bracelets that say ‘Build Everyday Champions’ from me along with the principal,” Graham said. “This is the building blocks for our school and a great message to spread throughout the school.”

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

FACEBOOK /SIDEKICKONLINE

New shuttle system leads to transportation ease between different Coppell campuses

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KAREN LU STAFF WRITER @ _karenlu_

his year, students can leave class fully knowing their shuttle will be on-time and in the right location, hop on the bus and arrive calmly at their next class with time to spare.

But the system has not always been like this.

The 2018-2019 school year has seen changes to the way shuttles run between Coppell campuses during the school day. With frustrations due to poor communication between shuttles and students and the possibility of being more than half an hour late to class, the past shuttle system was causing issues that the new system hopes to solve.

This year, there are six shuttles running between the three Coppell campuses (Coppell High School, New Tech High@Coppell and CHS9) every period. These shuttles run both directions in the beginning and end of a class period, transporting students to and from all campuses simultaneously. The only exception to this would be during third and seventh period; students don’t move between CHS and CHS9 during this time, as the hour long lunch block in CHS9 conflicts with CHS’s schedule.

Compared to last year’s one shuttle for the entire day, the six shuttles that are constantly running every period has led to a drastic improvement for Coppell’s transportation during the school day.

“Before, they didn’t really have a solid schedule,” Clark said. “It was kind of a mess, and there were some days where the bus driver would be 10 minutes early or 45 minutes late. But now, [the bus] is usually reliable with coming on time.”

Another change is the establishment of the front of CHS as the set location for shuttles, which has contributed to the ease of transporting between campuses.

In previous years, communication for shuttle locations was confusing and unpredictable for band members and student athletes.

For example, the New Tech buses were

in the front loop while buses for swimmers were in the back, and situations with substitute drivers in wrong locations only led to further confusion. Now, all CHS shuttle buses are located in the front.

Not only is there a set location, but the new system also establishes a fixed time for students to leave their class to board the shuttle. “We know that as class goes on, activities are likely to fade,” CHS Principal Nicole Jund said. “Materials are put away, kids are getting their bags together, so if there is a part of class where it’s OK to miss instruction, it’s the very end, not the very beginning.”

However, despite the established time of arrival for students at the shuttles, students are often confused as to when to leave their class to get to the shuttle, leading to a late arrival at the next campus. CHS9 freshman Amy Li takes the shuttle every day as a member of the drumline at CHS, and has noticed this issue occur often.

“Sometimes, the kids don’t know when to leave class,” Li said. “They misjudge the time and give themselves too much leniency and end up getting to the shuttle late, and it’s always very inconvenient for the students and the driver to wait for students who arrive late.”

Potential drawbacks to the current shuttle system, such as those Li has noticed, have not been overlooked by the administration, as they are continuously assessing how they can better the transportation system.

“We will always evaluate how things are working,” Jund said. “That is the ebb and flow of education; if we aren’t evaluating our systems, then we aren’t doing our jobs. The feedback cycle is important both in the classroom and from a leadership perspective.”

Despite the possible issues of the new shuttle system, both the administration and the students view it as a more organized, efficient manner of transportation. With the six shuttles moving to and from CHS for numerous student activities, CHS is now the center of travel for New Tech and CHS9 students.

KAREN ‘20 can be reached at axm7800@g.coppellisd.com.

Photo by Bren Flechtner I M P R O V I N G T R A V E L The 2018-2019 school year has seen some changes to the way shuttles run between Coppell campuses during the school day. These six shuttles are running between the three Coppell campuses (Coppell High School, New Tech High@Coppell and CHS9.

NOVEMBER

NEWS

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C E L E B R AT I N G 1 0 Y E A R S

Sidekick sisters play key role in program’s rise to prominence

In celebration of Coppell Student Media’s 10 year anniversary as an award-winning news website, The Sidekick editor-in-chief Kelly Wei spotlights two past editors of the program in each 2018-2019 issue. The November Issue features sisters, 2015-2016 editor-inchief RACHEL BUIGAS-LOPEZ and 2012-2013 business manager ADDY BUIGAS-LOPEZ. Rachel is currently a junior at New York University, where she is creative director for the Washington Square News.

Addy, a graduate of Florida State University, is a middle school teacher in Tallahassee, Fla.

KELLY: What kind of a role did Coppell Student Media (CSM) play in your time on staff?

ADDY: During our time, CSM really started hitting its stride. The design editors before Rachel [was on staff] worked on branding and making sure it was productive, that it was entered into [Interscholastic League Press Conference] and other competitions. That was really our building stage. Rachel’s [senior year on staff] we became a Pacemaker* finalist for the website. Since I came before her, it was really just getting it together, getting the word out and people interested in it. I remember my year, we had just started doing the podcast. We tried to make it as “tech-y” as possible, so it wasn’t just the newspaper online.

RACHEL: Yeah. I was lucky because it was already pretty established [when I arrived on staff]. There were a lot less growing pains. My year, we were focusing more on making the site a little bit more attractive and professional. I’ve been on the website since I’ve been gone, and you guys have done an amazing job with adding extra sections and varying your content, which we were also trying to do. Maybe less successfully (laughing).

K: Thanks so much. That’s something really cool about the program - obviously, your goal is to improve year by year, but that wouldn’t be possible without all the work past staffs have put into it. Overall, The Sidekick and Coppell Student Media are pretty unique programs, especially in a high school, given how well they prepare its students for professional work.

There’s such an emphasis on communication, networking

and sourcing people. A lot of that work goes into building a really great website. What was something really rewarding about running an online website like Coppell Student Media?

A:: Like you said, our program is really unique. One of the reasons for that is because of [adviser Chase Wofford].

R:: He’s so great. We still have a group chat, the three of us.

A: He’s just such a wonderful adviser. He really shows he cares, and puts everything he has into the paper. It shows.

Wofford will do everything to help you out, and that has been so invaluable. I can’t even think about all the times throughout high school that Sidekick was the place I wanted to be. It was because of all the great things we were doing, but also because Wofford creates such a great environment.

R: The website has been a really great resource for me, because I still do newspaper here in college. A lot of people don’t know [how to use] WordPress or [School Newspapers Online].

Just knowing that platform was really helpful. Coppell Student Media is an environment where you can make mistakes and learn and grow from it. That’s the best part.

A: I agree. Coppell Student Media was what made me realize my passion for writing, and putting out something that a school and beyond can look at. *Pacemaker is a national student journalism award, issued by the National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA). *Student Newspapers Online (SNO) is a popular website builder platform for student news websites.

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THE SIDEKICK VIEW NOVEMBER

2018-2019

STAFF

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP Chase Wofford Staff Adviser Kelly Wei Editor-in-Chief Christine Zacuai Executive News Editor Nicholas Pranske Executive Sports Editor EDITORIAL LEADERSHIP Claire Clements Editorial Editor Anthony Cesario Entertainment Editor Sofia Guerrero Student Life Editor Bren Flechtner Photography Editor Pramika Kadari Copy Editor WRITERS Akif Abidi Laasya Achanta Anika Arutla Andrés Bear Shreya Beldona Neha Desaraju Ryan Dyke Natalie Gilliam Christie Hernandez Karen Lu Shravya Mahesh Nishant Medicharla

Emma Meehan Arman Merchant Sally Parampottil Nicolas Reyes Sydney Rowe Nolan Sanders Shivi Sharma Akansha Singh Umama Suriya Charlotte Vanyo Camila Villarreal Sarah Woo

THE SIDEKICK VIEW

Despite looming threats, history acts as mirror for ourselves

PHOTOGRAPHERS Stephanie Alvarez Camila Flores Laura Amador-Toro Lilly Gorman Neveah Jones Disha Kohli Gabby Nelson

Anthony Onalaju Rishitha Penmetsa Aubrey Phillips Mari Pletta Rishika Rakwal

DESIGNERS Kaylee Aguilar Carson Allen Gwynevere Bonacci Ryan Kim Bailey Lai

Bella Mora Jacob Nelson Sujeong Oh Olivia Palmer Shriya Vanparia

T H E S I D E K I C K 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.

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he long trail of human history has many things upon it: the bridges of innovation, the boulders of civilization and the rich soil of culture.

Naturally, it is also littered with human trash: the discarded wrappers of racism, the empty bottles of sexism and the used tissues of genocide all contribute to tainting the path. It is natural, for many of us, to want to clean the track off and keep history clean.

We cannot do that.

One might try to claim that we can. Recently, there was a revised portion of the Texas curriculum which had deleted William B. Travis’s letter.

While these changes are unlikely to pass, as the preliminary votes showed unanimous rejection of that part of the revision, it is important for us to note the underlying dangers in actions such as that.

After all, there is a certain allure to getting rid of the memories of people who do not deserve to be remembered, such as slave owners.

But we cannot because history is not a trail which can be altered to fit specific ideals. It is something to be studied, learned from and added to with improvements. Is that not the purpose of history class?

This brings in the debate of whether history is being taught in the correct manner. It’s easy to claim present methods place questionable figures on pedestals, hence the reason people wish to wholly remove them. The simple solution to this is to make sure what is taught to students is filtered free of opinions, rather than deleting the content entirely.

The way to a better history curriculum is finding

the difference between glorification and education two terms which seem to be continuously mixed up in today’s society.

Glorification is the product of subjective thinking, the result of applying personal values to a subject and, when in support of those values, placing it on a pedestal. In education, it is applying praising opinions to what should be a blank slate for conclusion and requiring students to accept the taught material without discussion.

Education, in contrast, is objective. It is the display of facts and events in a manner which allows students to decide for themselves who the heroes and villains are in the world. It is laying a basis of facts for children to apply concepts and ideas to, with the end goal of promoting individual thought and development.

Education is teaching students what happened at the Alamo, then allowing students to use their own critical thinking to decide for themselves if those men were heroic or reckless for their actions. Glorification is the current situation in Texas, which requires the teaching of the heroics of the men at the Alamo. Interestingly enough, the deletion of the word “heroic” was a part of the proposed curriculum revision that seems doomed to fail during November voting.

Schools should not remove parts of the past in attempts to be “politically correct,” but provide facts and foster discussion for the students to formulate their own opinions.

Deleting the garbage from history, trying to prevent people from seeing what had happened, would only result in more litter in the future.

Without a show of the consequences for specific actions, those actions will just repeat themselves.

Calling the litter “parts of one’s heritage” or giving the impression that littering is something to be proud of will only inspire others to do the same and there is no progress to be made.

Educating people about the truth of the effects the litter has will prevent it from happening again.

They will be able to see cause and effect relationships and choose the way they will go about the situation to ensure the future has no more littering, whether that be the implementation of new laws or a change in the general population’s attitude.

Only education, not deletion or glorification, will lead to a progressive human race.

History itself cannot be changed. What can be changed, however, is how we use the past to define our future. We can strip away all preconceptions and biases, examine the facts and decide after what we can take away from the event and how that can be applied to our future.

We do not have the power to delete the past, but we have the potential to create our future.

H AV E A N O P I N I O N ?

We are always happy to consider tips and guest columns from all community members. Email cwofford@coppellisd.com with your suggestions, feedback, stories or letters to our editors.

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).

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

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

TWITTER @CHSCAMPUSNEWS

INSTAGRAM @THESIDEKICKCOPPELL

FACEBOOK /SIDEKICKONLINE

opinions

NOVEMBER

WHAT WE THINK

“We should stop limiting ourselves before we even take steps to try and put our voice out there.”

PROTESTING: EFFECTIVE OR USELESS? / 8

Quitter does not always equal loser Clements looking back on a year without dance, finding new passion CLAIRE CLEMENTS EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR @cclements825

I

do not consider myself to be a spontaneous person.

Ranging from what socks I am going to wear today to what colleges I am going to apply for, I like to sit and think hard about something for an extended period of time before making a decision.

So it came as quite a shock to everyone I was close with, including myself, when, within an hour of the thought entering my mind, I quit dance in September 2017.

I had been dancing for 11 years. But I did not just dance, as dance was my life, quite literally. I cannot remember a time where I was not in the studio after school, either in my tap shoes, jazz shoes, ballet shoes or barefoot.

How could a decision to end something that had lasted so long be made so quickly?

Maybe the decision was not quite as quick as I thought. There were so many different reasons that had been becoming apparent to me in the last few months, and the moment when I seriously considered quitting was just the culmination of these events.

While some dance shows and movies exaggerate our eating lives, the pressure to remain skinny and fit is always there. The pressure ranged from watching only the skinniest dancers get shown off by the teacher to subtle comments dropped by our teachers about every dancer needing to have abs at this point in their career.

Everytime I ate anything, ranging from salad to ice cream, I felt guilty, felt I should not be eating it. Of course, I told myself I was being silly, but that feeling of guilt would always linger and essentially ruin the pleasure of eating.

Then there was the pain and injuries.

Any physical activity has pain, of course, but what I endured with my pointe shoes truly felt on another level. Not to mention that my nails, and feet in general, were destroyed by the shoes. Yes, you got used to the pain, but familiarity did not reattach toenails to feet.

And injuries? I will never forget how I felt when I dislocated my kneecap after smashing it into the floor. Of course, I still performed in recital, which was four days after this injury, because I could not let my friends or teachers down.

Not to mention the amount of stress and anxiety it caused. Dance helped me burn out the stress from school, but what could be done about the stress I received from dance?

Nothing. I was constantly worried if I would be good enough for my teacher, if I was jumping high enough, if they would call me out for mistakes in front of the entire class (as they so often did). All of this was caused by the need to compare myself to everyone else in the class.

However, at least all this pain and stress was only for short periods of time, right? Not really. If you were not in the studio, you were stretching, working out or even just thinking about dance. But the moments you were not in the studio were few and far between. I barely

had time for homework or studying, and after I joined The Sidekick, which took up a good portion of my time, it was a well-organized and timeefficient miracle that I was passing my classes, much less getting A’s.

Then there were the costs. Not only were the prices of classes high, pointe shoes cost $60 and upward (I went through a pair a month), my Nutcracker performances usually cost around $300 and my recital was generally $100 or more.

Keep in mind, both performances happened once a year, totalling roughly $400 on my performances alone. When I lived in Irving, the costs of dance included gas prices. It was truly a miracle that my parents did not have to work multiple jobs to accommodate this budget, along with other expenses.

The cherry on top of this sundae is that the toxic culture of dance.

However, such toxicity was not instigated by the students. As a matter of fact, I rarely heard or saw anything hateful or cruel happen between students, as the majority of us were friends with each other.

Toxicity was instigated by our teachers’ choices and our parents’ choices. The show “Dance Moms” is an extreme example of the existence of gossipy moms, and our teachers’ alltoo apparent favoritism could seriously damage self-esteem. And while we were all friends to each others’ faces, certain girls who did not meet the high standards of the dance world were gossiped about frequently.

All of this to say, it was not entirely bad. Not all teachers were toxic, and dance was not just this soul-draining plight every dancer had to face each day. Dance was dance: fun, emotional, a fantastic way to make friends that I still keep in touch with and if nothing else, a great workout.

However, there comes a point in which you start to drown in all the darkness and you cannot see the light anymore.

In a brief moment, in the studio, it came to me. I knew if I stayed in dance, I would be miserable until I quit. I would also be miserable if I quit, but only for a short period of time.

So I went home and told my mom to unenroll me from my classes and then I simply stopped going.

Initially, I was ecstatic. But then the initial excitement and newness of it wore off, and it was depressing. My old friends and teachers shamed me. I should not quit, they claimed.

I just needed to learn how to handle it, they claimed. Oh, everyone can get a little tired with dance at certain points, that does not mean you just give up, they claimed.

I also had so much energy and nowhere to put it. I genuinely could not sit still, and it would take hours for me to fall asleep. I also let my diet slip and was eating nothing but junk food, causing my skin to break out and my weight to increase at alarmingly fast rates.

Most of all, I missed dance and my dance friends. As tiring as dance was, it was a great way to relieve stress, and now I had nowhere to turn when I needed to get all of my emotions out.

But I adjusted. I learned where to expend my energy and time (writing a lot of Sidekick articles), learned how to manage my diet while still eating what I want and learned that, if I want to stay friends with my dance friends, I

7

had to force myself to schedule time to meet with them.

Joining dance is not something I will ever regret, regardless of its problems. I made so many memories that could never be tainted with sadness or toxicity or anything.

We live in a culture in which quitting something makes you a bad person, a loser.

While that is sometimes applicable, quitting something that harms you, physically or mentally, or something you simply cannot enjoy anymore, should not be something you need to feel ashamed about.

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

“We live in a culture in which quitting something makes you a bad person, a loser.”

Photo by Laura Amador-Toro

8 OPINIONS

NOVEMBER

Protesting is more than just effective, it is necessary

Violence creates protests, protests create violence PRO AND CON

YES CAMILA VILLARREAL STAFF WRITER @fliipthewriter

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rotests induce change. Three simple words can cause heated arguments at the dinner table. Headlines flash with immediate news of the Women’s March and the Time’s Up movement and everyone suddenly has an opinion about everything. At some point, the people deserve some facts.

Let’s take racism, for example. Right now, the modern anti-racism movement is Black Lives Matter, an organization intent on intervening between violence against black communities by law enforcement.

Fighting against oppression, racial inequality, biased political and social views... sound familiar? If the United States in the 1960s didn’t pop into your head, something is wrong.

Protests and uprisings that began because of these same reasons include the Sit-Ins, Birmingham and the March on Washington, just to name a few.

Congress passed the Civil Rights Act, Thurgood Marshall became the first African American to be confirmed as a Supreme Court justice and Negro History Week extended to Black History Month.

Social media is an easy way for any person to access the status of any march in seconds, and it serves as a good way to keep us politically informed in the most convenient way possible. Another example is the #MeToo movement. Whether you think it has strayed from its original path or you love and support the cause with all your being, this movement essentially dismantled Hollywood and put it back together again.

March For Our Lives is another extremely predominant torpedo of change that paved its way into the limelight this past year. It put the government on the spot about student safety in America and gun violence, which influenced thousands of schools across America to take extra precautions concerning the admittance of strangers into the building, including our own.

It also invigorated the debate about whether politicians should accept money from the National Rifle Association. March For Our Lives provided an overall awareness of gun violence and the consequences of not taking protective action the moment it is called for.

Protesting pushes modern society to keep debating new things. It brings up issues that we need to solve to better the situations of everyone who requires it. In these forms, it is effective. If not for protesting and misalignment amongst people in the world, would anyone ever have the drive to keep going?

Whether it be a disturbance in politics such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955 or a societal conversion such as the Suffrage Movement in 1848, protests do something. We need to acknowledge that sometimes chanting and holding up signs is the only way to get the government’s attention. We should stop limiting ourselves before we even take steps to try and put our voice out there.

NO RYA N D Y K E STAFF WRITER @ryandyke13

DOES PROTESTING I ACTUALLY WORK?

n theory, protesting or demonstration is a good idea. It is protected by the Constitution and can incite change, but reality is different from theory.

In reality, protesting is not a good idea to further a cause.

It is nearly impossible to control a protest because of the sheer amount of people with free wills of their own. Demonstrations are getting passionate people together in a crowd which can cause mob mentality and outrage.

There is the chance the protest can become violent. This makes the cause seem like it is a hate group and nobody enjoys supporting those. On the slight chance the protest works, it will most likely go unnoticed. Many media companies feed off anything interesting and people walking successfully is not newsworthy. Several things can go wrong which hurt the causes of both the right-wing and left-wing side in American politics.

The first example came when an alt-right protest was met with a counter protest by Antifa. It is unclear which side started the fight but an Antifa member who was a victim of the protest says the attack was unprovoked from the alt-right side.

The victim, Louise Rosealma, spoke out about what happened to her at the protest and the violence she had suffered. This caused Antifa to gain support because of how they were attacked.

With both these groups being unpopular, it is surprising to see how whenever something turns violent it has the opposite of the intended effect.

Likewise, if the protest had gone the other way, the alt-right would have gained support, which, like Antifa, is also a hate group.

The second example deals with the left movement when a cop was let off for shooting an unarmed black man. The issue was that the officer had shot someone he thought was reaching for a gun. The gun was found but only the officer’s DNA was found. This caused theories of the gun being planted.

Black Lives Matter had gathered outside the courthouse and marched downtown to the mayor’s house. The mob began to throw rocks at the residential building. The group was able to block the highway and injure four cops, one who was hospitalized with a hand injury. The protesters attacked the cops with water bottles and broke a squad car’s windows.

After this event, Black Lives Matter lost a lot of support from both sides because of how it attacked the mayor even though he had nothing to do with the trial. Some do not agree with Black Lives Matter’s methods.

With these groups, the public’s opinion is so decisive that every time something violent happens with the groups name attached, the group is seen more and more as a hate group or the enemy.

When you cannot control a group of people, it is not smart to get them to speak about something they are extremely passionate about.

CAMILA ’21 can be reached at cxv8266@g.coppellisd.com.

TWITTER @CHSCAMPUSNEWS

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

INSTAGRAM @THESIDEKICKCOPPELL

FACEBOOK /SIDEKICKONLINE

NOVEMBER

OPINIONS

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Teachers’ opinions develop future student participation in politics NICHOLAS PRANSKE EXECUTIVE SPORTS EDITOR @nick_pranske8

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s a teacher begins to talk about anything political — especially any current issue — half the students in the class look down at their desks in dramatic, irked despair and the other half perk up and listen intently. And while it is easy to resonate with either side of the class, it is important that teachers occasionally give their political opinions in class.

It is human nature to express one’s opinions.

Whether it be the choice of cafeteria lunch that day or the upcoming Senate election, people want to be heard.

Students — most of whom are under 18 and therefore barred from voting — are some of the most politically vocal individuals when it comes time for the real voters to do their thing, which I completely encourage. This sets the students up for a lifetime of political activism, which is how things change.

However, why is it frowned upon for teachers to do the same?

When a teacher incorporates his/her political views into the exact lesson they are teaching, I cannot help but give a little sly smile, as if to say, “sneaky, but I see what you did there.” If I happen to agree with said opinion, then I walk away with new information on that issue.

However, if I do not agree, I still know my new view on the topic: it is the opposite of what the teacher just said.

Either way, the teacher stirs something in my brain.

So if teachers’ sly inclusion of politics into a math lesson benefits the students, why are people still against it? The root of the problem goes back to the aforementioned human nature of wanting to express one’s opinion.

Part of this is that people want to express their opinion, not necessarily take others’ into the same consideration.

Nonetheless, as with all claims, there are outliers; there are people who have very open minds. But unfortunately, that is a rare specimen in the stubborn institute of high school.

Graphic by Ryan Kim P O L I T I C A L LY S P E A K I N G When a teacher gives his/her opinion in class, some students zone out, while others listen intently. The Sidekick’s Nicholas Pranske argues that teachers' opinions are beneficial to the students' future political involvement.

The moment a teacher expresses an opinion, students immediately look for a place to argue. While this is healthy to an extent, as it is beneficial to debate politics, it often becomes toxic. It can easily get out of hand, usually ending with the student thoroughly disliking the teacher.

For this reason, there is plenty of content with which to argue the other side. Teachers sometimes go too far, so as to ingrain outlandish beliefs in students, such as my former teacher who told us the Earth is flat. At this point, it seems the teacher is simply using his/her classes as an outlet to express personal beliefs.

The problem arises with the delivery of the teachers’ opinions. Being in a position of influence with respect to the students, what teachers say and teach have a substantial effect on students’ opinions. Thus, teachers often deliver their opinion as indisputable fact, leaving a narrow margin for differing ideas. So when teachers give personal opinions on a topic, they should keep it just that.

While students can sometimes get in debates with teachers, some of it could be party affiliation. Especially with the rise of political polarization, the parties and

their affiliates have never been more opposite. This is sometimes the reason that in-classroom opinions are so frowned upon. One realizes that the teacher sides with the party opposing him/her, and he/she instantly looks for something with which to disagree.

For this reason, among dozens of others, teachers try to stay away from giving their opinions in classrooms.

According to a 2017 study by Education Week magazine, 42 percent of teachers struggle to give their opinions in classrooms. Nevertheless, that opinion is valuable to the student, whether he/she realizes it or not and teachers should talk about it.

In the era of political division and radical ideals, teachers should bring a breath of fresh air to their students by providing their political opinions in a respectful manner that does not state their belief as fact. If teachers were to do that, and continue to do that, students would begin to develop their own opinions based on the given ones and be more politically active.

NICHOLAS ’20 can be reached at nep4594@g.coppellisd.com.

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SPOTLIGHT FEATURES

“I didn’t think I wanted to dance anymore, but what I found out last year is that I still had some of that passion in me.”

HANDSTANDS TO HIGH KICKS / 14

st dent life

Photo by Bailey Lai R E M E M B E R I N G T H E P A S T Coppell High School assistant principal Ryan Lam’s family photos share his story of being a Vietnamese refugee. Lam explains how these photos are the last memory his mother brought from Vietnam.

Leaving Vietnam as child begins Lam’s journey to Coppell assistant principal

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U M A M A S U R I YA STAFF WRITER @umisuriya

n the sparkling moonlight, a little boy and his parents flee from their beloved home country, having no idea where they would go next.

Coppell High School assistant principal Ryan Lam has a unique backstory many do not know. CHS associate principal Sean Bagley has worked with Lam for nearly a decade.

“The love he has for people, I think, has a lot to do about where he came from,” Bagley said. “He has a heart of gold and I think that where he came from has made him the person he is today.”

Some students were able to hear the story directly from Lam during their history classes. One of those students is CHS senior Siddharth Maskara.

“When you get away from somewhere like that, you don’t think about yourself as much,” Maskara said. “You’re thinking about yourself in the first place to get yourself out of there, but after that, you think about other people.

He’s an [assistant principal] so people always go to him.

Mr. Lam is very outgoing, and very easy to talk to, and that’s the reason why I think most people go to him for help.”

Lam’s journey began when Ho Chi Minh took over Lam’s birthplace Saigon, South Vietnam, and named it after himself. Under the control of Ho Chi Minh, many Vietnamese were forced to flee their home country, including Lam and his parents.

Leaving everything behind, Lam and his parents were three of about 1.5 million people who were forced to evacuate their childhood country to safety. Lam’s family and their forced adventure was from Vietnam to Singapore, and eventually to Iowa after his mother’s

Although many of these people were Vietnamese, Ho Chi Minh’s men only allowed those who knew how to speak Chinese to reach safety. Fortunately, Lam’s parents knew how to speak Chinese and were able to escape harm. Lam was only 18 months old during this time and was given a sleeping pill so he would not make noise.

Noise from him would have compromised the safety of the passengers.

“The fishing people would take all your stuff, so if you had luggage and clothes, they would take that away because they got paid to stow us away but they all wanted more,” Lam said. “They took everything, but my mother had a couple of pictures she kept in her pocket that they didn’t want and that’s all we had.”

Although Lam and his family had nothing valuable from Vietnam to remember of their journey, they still had a couple pictures that Lam still has as memories of his childhood.

“We are all important, we all have significance,” Lam said. “Everyone has their own stories. And some stories, of course, aren’t as glamorous as other stories but [it benefits] by just knowing that we have a history that puts us where we are.”

In the end, they all reached safety. But before that, they went through a lot: losing their properties, businesses and most importantly: their homes.

“Some stories, of course, aren’t as glamorous as other stories but [it benefits] by just knowing that we have a history that puts us where we are.”

R Y A N L A M ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

sister sponsored them to get a visa.

“When given the choice between life or death or living a life that’s not what you’re used to, you have to start figuring out: well, what’s the better choice?” Lam said. “And if it’s leaving a country where you were pretty much born in, raised in, and that’s all you know, you can imagine how frightful it can be to learn a new language, learning a new culture.”

TWITTER @CHSCAMPUSNEWS

INSTAGRAM @THESIDEKICKCOPPELL

UMAMA ‘20 can be reached at uis238@g.coppellisd.com.

FACEBOOK /SIDEKICKONLINE

NOVEMBER

STUDENT LIFE

Cross country athlete Mares discovers new passion in ballet following injury CAMILA VILLARREAL STAFF WRITER @fliipthewriter

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t was an unlucky series of injuries on the Coppell High School cross country team that began senior Andrew Mares’s journey to becoming a dancer. After one too many accidents, his mother encouraged him to drop the sport.

To kill time, Mares signed up for what he thought was a hip-hop class but instead turned out to be a ballet group. After one session, he discovered he had an affinity for dancing and came back for the next class.

“At first, going to the classes was really intimidating because I was still fairly new and I hadn’t made connections to anyone in the class, but then I realized that everyone there just wanted to help me grow as a

dancer,” Mares said.

Mares embraces the challenge of ballet and pursues perfection in his movements. Having started his dancing career as a sophomore in high school, he had much to catch up on, but with repetitive practice and refinement, Mares developed a skill for the fine art, and along with it, a passion.

“I love watching him dance,” said sophomore Tiffany Mares, Andrew’s sister. “The way he prances around is so fun to watch. You can really tell that Andrew loves to dance because he never felt like giving up at any point.”

Mares began dancing at blossoming studio in Carrollton called Motion, The Studio, where he learned ballet, jazz and contemporary dance. He later transitioned into Coppell’s very own Ballet Academy of Texas (BAT), where the placement process is a little different. Motion, The Studio assigns dancers to classes based on their age, whereas BAT requires a dancer to take an evaluation

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class before they are sorted into a group of their level.

“We’re always welcoming new dancers,” BAT ballet teacher Allison D’Auteuil-Whitfield said. “Andrew was very strong, but he was a little behind in his skills.”

Mares will be the lead toy soldier in the BAT’s annual production of “The Nutcracker” late November to early December at the Irving Arts Center. This will be Mares’ second year in the show; however, this time, he will get to perform alongside his sister, who was inspired to try dancing like her brother.

“Since Andrew was a kid, he danced to anything that came on,” said Toya Mares, Andrew’s mother. “He’s really come a long way from that.”

Mares’ life goal is to pursue a career in engineering, but Mares hopes to keep dancing in his life post-high school, and perhaps teach it too.

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

Photos by Bailey Lai E X P A N D I N G I N T E R E S T S Coppell High School senior Andrew Mares warms up before his lesson at The Ballet Academy of Texas. Mares has been preparing for his upcoming performance of “The Nutcracker” in late November at the Irving Arts Center.

FRIENDS SINCE Coppell High School seniors Genesis Agyemang and Cole Lindbeck met in the third grade at Pinkerton Elementary. They were both new students in the Gifted and Talented (GT) program.

“I like that she’s outgoing and funny, and she’s not afraid to tell me if I’m doing something wrong. She’s always there and she knows a lot about me, my history, family situations and my sister. In situations where drama happened, we would both give each other advice.”

C O L E L I N D B E C K SENIOR “Cole’s a good friend because even after I [switched middle schools], I came back and was like, ‘wow, I have no friends’, but Cole stayed my friend.

He will always be my friend. He was the friend that I could always rely on even though we hadn’t seen each other in a long time.”

G E N E S I S A G Y E M A N G SENIOR

12 CENTERSPREAD

NOVEMBER

NOVEMBER

STORY ANDRÉS BEAR PHOTOS BREN FLECHTNER, KELLY WEI

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here is one key factor that separates Generation Z - an age label generally agreed to apply to those born between 1995 and 2012 - from previous generations. Advanced technology has been in the lives of Gen Z individuals since the day they were born.

The Information Age describes and explains the rise of the high-tech global society we see today, manifesting itself in various forms.

At Coppell High School, students - all of whom belong in the Gen Z spectrum - carry virtual worlds in

their pockets and backpacks, in the forms of laptops, tablets and smartphones. On nearly every platform, social media is a profound presence.

Social media is a complicated issue with plenty of appeal - after all, it is an easy and reliable resource that simplifies, filters, and organizes our lives.

Apps such as Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat act as digital scrapbooks for its users to document what they please, from a friend’s night out to more secretive confessions, tucked away in “PT” (private Twitter) or “finsta” (fake Instagram) accounts, accessible only to close friends.

Parents are additionally able to use social media to keep track of their children’s ongoings in extracurriculars and events their kids are involved in, oblivious as they may be to what might be hidden from them.

In fact, in this new virtual world, there are more things we cannot see, than ones we can. There are

loopholes and trapdoors, and a rapidly emerging culture of recklessness - one that is perpetuated by the unprecedented ease of digital communication and the ability to stay anonymous while doing it. igrating from older social media, such as Facebook, to newer, more “hip” platforms, such as Instagram and Snapchat, has opened the doors for a slew of new issues to arise, the most prominent of which being a sense of anonymity that social media posts on these platforms create.

When a problem arises on campus, it is directed straight to the counselling team at CHS, including 10 - 12 grade counselor Cheryl Abreu.

“We have kids that might be having issues with each other,” Abreu said. “If it’s something we can put a stop to, a lot of the times kids will go home [after counseling] and someone will post something to a social media site. That escalates the problem again, it makes it worse.”

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Without an identity to easily attach to offensive comments and messages, users - particularly younger ones - are able to both digitally and psychologically wash their hands clean of moral responsibility. This enables students to act with less care, responsibility and restraint.

The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that 76 percent of American teens age 13-17 use Instagram and 75 percent of teens use Snapchat.

It is no surprise that students would publish stories on platforms with a large user base — one that is made out of the people they talk to every day at school. Students may additionally feel a sense of anonymity when they post questionable material.

Snapchat stories, for example, are a quick and easy way for teenagers to express their innermost feelings or emotions - no matter how revealing or potentially harmful they may be.

Furthermore, the instant nature of social media stories (timed photos with a deletion countdown) has created a modern form of instigation.

Once a story’s respective timer runs up, it is deleted off of the poster’s Instagram or Snapchat account.

The self-destructing factor of stories has created a safety net for students to say anything they want online. It is only if a student gets caught that they are sent on another trip to the counseling office.

“It’s easy for people to make mistakes [on social media],” CHS junior Camden Southwick said.

“Students post things they probably shouldn’t because they think ‘it’ll just be erased real soon,’ and they won’t have to worry about it later.”

These sorts of posts range from nudes - technically classified as child pornography for those underage to generally embarrassing and inappropriate content.

Drunken video clips, hallway fights and other poor decisions caught on camera have every capacity to

CENTERSPREAD

smear one’s academic and professional record.

These digital footprints do not disappear within 24 hours, as some applications may lead users to believe.

The information falls into the hands of counselors, internet sleuths and future employers. They are also stored in large databases by the companies who own these apps - forever.

The consequences that arise from decisions made online are not isolated to the digital world. They spill out into the real one. xamining older social media platforms provides a larger sample of user protection and its importance. Facebook, a Silicon Valley powerhouse, has had its walls torn down. Its issues have been exposed and students at CHS have responded.

Their response is visible with the trend of covering laptop webcams with tape. A disposable piece of tape, in the minds of teenagers CHS, can defend against

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FUTURE OF SOCIAL MEDIA RESTING IN PALMS OF TODAY’S YOUTH widespread privacy issues that have made headlines across the world.

“The scotch tape situation is somewhat silly, yet questionable,” CHS junior Sathvika Pallela said. “I would assume, for Macbook users at least, that when the laptop camera is in use, the webcam light is on.

Unless these internet criminals are able to hack past the mechanisms of the laptop, I don’t believe there is a high risk of someone spying through the users camera.”

Silly as taping one’s computer camera may sound, the issue of privacy is one that companies such as Facebook are currently dealing with. In the past few years, various tech companies have been exposed for having the privacy of their users breached.

In recent years, the now-defunct Cambridge Analytica, a British political consulting firm, was exposed for harvesting Facebook user data in hopes

TWITTER @CHSCAMPUSNEWS

of sniffing out American voters and potentially influencing their political behavior.

Gallup Analytics, a private research-based company known for its public opinion polls, conducted a poll on Facebook and Privacy. It found that 74 percent of Facebook users are at least “somewhat concerned” about their user privacy while using Facebook.

“Facebook has been very irresponsible with their data,” CHS junior Alexandra Ruiz said. “Facebook has put themselves in a difficult situation to get out of. Personally, I don’t use Facebook. I don’t think many high school students use Facebook. They might think it’s ‘going out of style’ or are deterred by the safety issues that have occured. They might not trust Facebook because of all the recent incidents.”

Another notable Zuckerberg scandal took place in 2016 when Russians paid for and supplied ads on Facebook targeting both sides of the 2016

INSTAGRAM @THESIDEKICKCOPPELL

U.S. Presidential Election. While the Russian’s true intentions were never revealed, their explicit involvement in American politics remains a point of concern.

The fear of personal data leaking, whether it be laptop camera feed or a student’s Facebook wall, represents the concept of technophobia. Fortunately, to parents, their children’s Facebook data might only boil down to simple things such as where their children ate out on a Friday night, not political affiliations.

Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan Fact Tank based in Washington D.C., found that the percentage of teenage Facebook users is currently at 51 percent, a drastic nosedive from their previous social media study in 2015 which had teenage Facebook users at 71 percent. The mishandling of data by professional adults has nonetheless bled into the daily lives of

FACEBOOK /SIDEKICKONLINE

Generation Z teenagers, puncturing the foundation of a social media platform from a generation past. ata-filled cracks of social media are the result of the extremities and consequences of technology. When Facebook first broke onto the scene in 2004, it caused massive ripples that would change the technology sphere as a whole.

It reigned supreme until social media platforms such as Instagram and Snapchat popped up.

Yet, these applications aren’t completely safe from the issues that plague Facebook. Recklessness with one’s personal information, oversharing and Generation Z’s mismanagement of their digital footprints, all fostered by a false sense of security that is built on supposed virtual anonymity and impermanence, are culprits. Newer social media applications may experience what Facebook is going through in a near future.

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To perhaps balance this threat out, Instagram has recently taken steps to improve the wellbeing of its large, young user base. Instagram introduced a page in its mobile app’s settings that displays how long a user spends on the platform. There are options to set daily “time limit” reminder and mute push notifications for a period of time.

Apple is also taking steps in the same direction.

It has launched a new settings tab in iOS 12 titled “Digital Health” in hopes of driving awareness to the screen time users indulges in a day-by-day basis. The program is a system-wide venture for Apple’s own mobile operating system. One of the features built in is called “Downtime” - when configured, it darkens specific apps on the homescreen in order to deter people away from them.

“Speaking as a parent, I have two kids in elementary school who would happily stay on an iPad

all day,” CHS campus technology manager Kristen Bickerstaff said. “I have both of my kids shared on my Apple account. [with Digital Health], I can turn their iPads on and off at will. I can also lock their iPads with a code. Digital Health gives a really good play by play of how they are using their technology and how long they use it for.”

Generation Z stands out as a canvas. The canvas started out as an image of youthful energy. As it hit a certain age, colors began to flow in. Each color had a name and a logo.

Social media and its effects on today’s youth run on a case by case. There is no easy answer when contending with the array of issues that come hand in hand with the power of social media. Statistics can only showcase the larger picture without taking into account the individualistic nature of today’s youth and the platforms it uses.

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STUDENT LIFE NOVEMBER

Handstands to high kicks Culler transitions from cheer to Lariettes

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AKANSHA SINGH STAFF WRITER @akanshas120

rom jazz to ballet to cheer, numerous forms of dancing have been part of Coppell High School senior Saige Culler’s life since she was four.

Culler is no stranger to trying different dance styles. This year, however, she made a unique transition between two CHS teams: cheerleading and Lariettes.

Culler was on the JV cheer team her freshman and sophomore years, but decided to take a break from dance her junior year.

“I loved everything about cheer, but I really just wanted to focus on my studies for a year,” Culler said.

It was then, during her junior year, that Culler first developed an interest in the Lariette team. Seeing the Lariettes perform seemed to open up a new world of opportunities to Culler.

“I remember going to pep rallies and watching the Lariettes perform,” Culler said. “I wanted to know how cheer differed from [Lariettes] dancing, and I wanted to give it a try.”

While both the cheerleading and the drill team styles share the artistic quality of dance and expression, certain aspects of the two dance styles can be quite different.

“Cheer’s dance style is more unique when compared to other dance styles,” assistant Lariette director Julie Stralow said. “They focus more on the sharpness and certain signature moves that they do, such as tumbling, that aren’t necessarily incorporated in drill team. Drill team falls more in line with jazz, hip hop, and high-kick styles,” Despite these stylistic differences, Culler believes she has had a smooth transition between the two teams; she attributes this to her background in dance and cheer.

“Saige is a great addition to the team. Dance-wise, she is amazing and able to use her background in cheerleading combined with her dance technique to nail the routines that are thrown at her,” Lariettes senior captain Addison Davis said.

Davis has been with the Lariettes since her sophomore year; she has gotten to know the different aspects of Lariette dancing and can identify certain traits of Culler’s that help her in different situations.

“During competition season, we will be able to showcase some of [Culler’s] techniques that she used in her cheerleading. However, in football season we see her athletic side, as well as her flexibility and strengths they she has from her cheer background,” Davis said.

Culler’s background was not always constant in terms of what dance style she practiced. She switched between practicing traditional and modern dance to cheer before, when she decided to focus on cheer in seventh grade and hone her skills in order to make the CHS cheer team. At the time, Culler believed she had a waning interest in traditional and modern dance styles and took up cheer as a result.

“The reason I quit [dance] initially is because I didn’t think I wanted to dance anymore, but what I found out last year is that I still had some of that passion in me,” Culler said. “I decided that dance was worth a try again.”

Stralow does not know of any student who has completed a transition from cheer to Lariettes before.

Nevertheless, she is excited to have Culler join the Lariettes, as she had known Culler as a dance student prior to her joining the Lariettes.

“I think that helped our relationship,” Stralow said.

“It was unexpected, but really exciting that she decided to change routes and come to the drill team.”

According to Stralow, Culler’s demeanor on the Lariettes is reflective of her resolve and the introspection she has undergone in the past year.

“Saige is reserved and focuses really well. She’s really intelligent… she approaches [the activity] a little more academically than some of the other girls,” Stralow said.

Culler does indeed see a deeper meaning in dance. To her, it is not just a pastime, but rather an activity that she can benefit and learn from. The Lariettes in particular

F I N A L T R A N S F O R M A T I O N Coppell High School senior Saige Culler performs with the Lariettes during the pep rally on Oct. 18. Culler was a cheerleader throughout her first two years of high school, but became a Lariette her senior year. Photo by Aubrey Phillips have helped Culler acquire a variety of new skills, from learning military-style kicks to important personal skills.

“Not only has [dance] affected me physically, but also mentally- I think I gained a lot of social skills out of the opportunity of doing Lariettes,” Culler said.

Overall, Culler is looking forward to her year with the Lariettes, which will be filled with new experiences and learning opportunities.

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“I’m glad I did cheer first, and then Lariettes, because there’s a lot of things that Lariettes do that cheerleaders don’t,” Culler said. “It’s awesome that I get to partake in more competitions, and do more dances and really become more integrated with pep rallies.”

AKANSHA ‘20 can be reached at axs8044@g.coppellisd.com.

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QUESTION & ANSWER

Grady joins CHS with hopes of spreading Spanish culture

NOVEMBER

STUDENT LIFE

15

STUDENT PROFILES CAMPUS LEADERS

L A T E S T A D D I T I O N Coppell High School Spanish teacher Linda Grady came to CHS from Trinity High School in Euless. She has enjoyed getting to know the faculty while teaching academically driven students. Photo by Rishitha Penmetsa S A L LY P A R A M P O T T I L STAFF WRITER @sparampottil Q: Why did you decide to teach at CHS? G: Just the opportunity to teach in [the] Spanish II and III levels and get the reputation. It was kind of exciting to try something new.

working with the team instead of being an island teacher, actually working as a unit to get things done [and] just getting used to that.

Q: Why do you love teaching Spanish?

G: I like being able to share the gifts and talents I have with students. I want them to be interested in the language and the people. There is a rich culture there, so I really want to share that and get them excited about it.

Q: What was your first day like?

G: It was nerve wracking, not knowing anybody, but [it] was exciting and the students were very nice. Everyone was very welcoming so it was a really nice day.

Q: If you could say one thing to yourself a year ago, what would it be?

G: Try to share that enthusiasm and excitement because this is new to them, so even if you’ve done it for the sixth time that day, it’s new to those kids.

Q: What struggles have you faced?

G: Understanding how to put things on Schoology, going back to the technology, having three different preps,

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

K AT H E R I N E O D U G U W A HOSA PRESIDENT

Q: Why did you join HOSA? K: I have always had an interest in the medical field.

I knew that I wanted to do something that would take me towards health care and this was it. In the years that I’ve been part of this club, I’ve gained a lot more than just the knowledge about the club and competitions.

GRACE HAO

NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY PRESIDENT Q: What are your goals and plans for the year?

G: Our goal and plan for the year is to help as many organizations as possible, to get the volunteers they need. We want to provide leadership and service to the community, while at the same time, teaching our students about character and scholarship.

MANASI KUNTE

ROUND-UP EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Q: What are some challenges you have faced as editor-in-chief?

M: I’ve had to make a few tough decisions, being strict is not something I am used to. My leadership style is more encouraging and [uses] positive reinforcement. I have learned that that’s not always what is necessary, sometimes you have to push people in order for them to get what needs to be done.

16

LOCAL EXPERIENCES

“The most important thing is that people need the information about our past, so that way you can go to the future.”

KALEIDOSCOPE / 18

arts & ent rtainment

Coppell High School tradition of excellence attracts Coronado to choir program

B

L A A S YA A C H A N TA STAFF WRITER @CHScampusnews

y using the techniques he learned from performing with multiple professional choirs in central Texas, Aaron Coronado hopes to inspire Coppell High School choir members to pursue their dreams.

Coronado comes from Austin where he used to be the director at Cedar Ridge High School and Manor Middle School. Now, he is directing multiple choirs at CHS under the guidance of head choir director, Bona Coogle.

“I know about the wonderful traditions at CHS,” Coronado said. “Coppell has always been

“That’s what we create in the choir room everyday — beauty.”

Aaron Coronado CHOIR DIRECTOR

on my radar and really it’s just the tradition of excellence that has brought me up here.”

As a singer himself, Coronado has participated in choir since elementary school and still performs outside of school.

“There are just so many wonderful things about choir,” Coronado said.

“I find it so edifying to be surrounded with people who can honestly have extremely d i f f e r e n t backgrounds than you but can come t o g e t h e r to make something beautiful. And I think that’s what we create in the choir room everyday — beauty. It’s what I really love.”

Coming from a middle school, Coronado appreciates the level of maturity high schoolers bring to the choir.

Students are not only reaching their end goals when it comes to their singing careers, but are also focused and engaged in whatever it is they might be doing — be it from practicing for their next rehearsal to going over their audition music for All-State Choir.

This year, to better facilitate the learning of these dedicated students, Coogle and Coronado have decided to co-teach every choir in the program.

“We are d o i n g everything we can to be

engaged with our students and we thought that two minds are better than one, and four ears are better than two,” Coronado said. “So, if both of us can be here, we both will be able to contribute to our students’ success – and that’s what we are going to do.”

So far, choir students have felt the impact of Coronado’s teaching in a positive way.

“Choir has always been one big happy family, but now with the addition of Mr. Coronado, it is even more,” said senior Arezue Shakeri, CHS choir president. “He brings so much vibrancy and energy to the choir room. He’s incredibly supportive of all of us. Not only in singing and our choir endeavors, but also outside of class. Mr. Coronado is one of a kind.”

Coronado has sang in a multitude of well recognized choirs including Chorus Austin Symphonic Choir, Chorus Austin Chamber Ensemble, Ars Longa Ensemble, Inversion Ensemble and St. Matt’s Schola Chorus and is well trained in Kodály, a famous approach to music education developed in Hungary.

“I know for a fact that [Coronado] is a great musician and he models alot for the learners,” Coogle said. “Having been trained in a similar style of teaching and having a similar background has helped us really well.”

Coronado hopes to raise the bar for choir students at Coppell and would love to see more students taking part in this amazing program.

“I’ve had a great time for the first few weeks here at Coppell,” Coronado said. “It’s a great community, there’s a wonderful faculty and I’m so glad to be here.”

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

A NEW VOICE Coppell High School choir director Aaron Coronado goes through warms-up with students during eighth period. Coronado moved from Austin and is now directing multiple choirs at CHS under the quidance of head choir director, Bona Coogle.

Photos by Disha Kohli TWITTER @CHSCAMPUSNEWS

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17 Flesher following aspirations for life in film NOVEMBER

F

ENTERTAINMENT

PRAMIKA KADARI COPY EDITIOR @pramika_kadari

rom filming weekly church services to creating award-winning content for Coppell High School’s student-run television station, CHS senior Landon Flesher weaves videography into every corner of his life.

Flesher’s interest in film sparked during his elementary school years, when he used to make short videos of his family on an inexpensive camera. After joining a media class at Coppell Middle School West, he began developing the video editing skills that today amaze everyone who sees his work.

“What got me interested [in videography] probably was watching movies and thinking, ‘how did they do that?’”

Flesher said. “I wanted to try it out, and I’ve wgotten hooked on it.”

After joining KCBY-TV his sophomore year, Flesher advanced to become communications director his junior year and eventually one of four program directors his senior year. “[Irma Kennedy], the KCBY teacher, has been a wonderful mentor,” said Sandy Flesher, Landon’s mother. “She’s helped him gain so much knowledge. KCBY has had a huge impact on his life, and I’m sure will help him become very successful in his future.”

Being a video intern at Fellowship Church, where he has volunteered since a young age, Flesher has access to high-quality equipment, as well as the opportunity to learn from professional videographers who work alongside him.

Flesher often aids New Tech High@Coppell senior Reese Bonneau by directing music videos for his songs, with their debut being “Throw It Up” which received nearly 5,000 views on YouTube. The video featured several CHS students; when it was released, many CHS teachers played it in their classrooms for students to watch.

Flesher edits nearly every day, with most of his pieces being created using Adobe Premiere Pro and Adobe After Effects. His wide array of work can be found on his website, landonflesherfilms.com, which is linked to his YouTube channel.

“Landon has always had this crazy work ethic,” senior KCBY program director Vinny Vincenzo said, “He’s always strived to be better at filming, better at editing, and he really does everything he can to improve in his skills.

He’s a very hardworking person.”

Because he has been relentlessly pursuing his passion for so long, Flesher’s films stand out from the plethora of other students’ videos at CHS. “His videos have a very specific touch to them,” senior KCBY program director Shania Khan said. “Everyone in KCBY knows when Landon edits a video. He uses very interesting music, [and] the way he places clips together and the way he films things is so unique.”

Although he has not made a final decision, Flesher is considering majoring in film and is particularly interested in the University of North Texas. Whether it be starting a video-making business or creating promotions for professional sports teams, he aspires for his future career to center around videography.

“UNT has a really good video program,” Flesher said.

“Also, it’s close to Coppell, and I like the football team

FILM FANATIC Coppell High School senior Landon Flesher takes video of the pep-rally on Oct. 19, in the CHS arena. Flesher has been a member of KCBY for the past three years of high school. Photo by Aubrey Phillips so I want to make videos for them. In the future, being a Dallas Cowboys videographer [as my job] would be one of my dreams.”

Flesher has already dedicated several years of his life to videography, and plans to do the same for the rest of his life.

“If you love videography, then do it,” Flesher said.

“Keep on trying to learn, try to make things no one’s done before.”

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

Let’s get down to business to analyze movies ANIKA ARUTLA STAFF WRITER @anikaarutla

O

ften times, we enter a movie theater, spend the next two hours engrossed in a film and after we leave, we push it to the back of our minds where it sits until eventually, it leaves our thoughts. There are some movies that are made to not be serious and provide a good laugh.

However, movies are made for much more than that, they are made to impact lives and that is usually forgotten because we fail to analyze them.

For example, my personal favorite movie of all time, Mulan, conveys a message that has had influenced my life in all aspects. To most people, Mulan is just another Disney princess and takes her father’s place in the war and in the end, she helps a group of male stereotypes win the war against the Huns.

Through my eyes, Mulan did much more than, as the emperor said, save China. Mulan battled an issue that ran generations deep: patriarchy. The movie skillfully shows Mulan embarking to prove how much trouble a woman could go through to be accepted in society, by having her transform into a male by cutting off her hair and feigning to be in pain when hit in the private parts.

Without completely being able to understand Mulan’s motivations or her circumstances, the movie would not have been half as memorable or impactful to my life.

Similarly, one of the most underrated movies, Anastasia, on the outside may seem like the tale of a long lost princess simply fulfilling her royal role because whenever a princess is mentioned, the entire movie is deemed feminine or childlike. The movie is based on the royal Russian family, the Romanovs, and one of its children, Anastasia, who escapes her family’s brutal execution. It begins with her getting kicked out of an orphanage and feeling completely clueless about who she is. Anastasia goes beyond the typical princess facade and explores iden-

tity and the depth behind feeling lost and alone.

Contrast to animated movies, live-action movies can also be interpreted in multiple ways. As a child, the infamous greek tale of Helen of Troy fascinated me beyond words. I was not allowed to watch Wolfgang Petersen’s masterpiece Troy until I was in middle school and it was well worth the wait.

Troy, which features actors such as Brad Pitt (Achilles), Eric Bana (Prince Hector), Orlando Bloom (Prince Paris), Diane Kruger (Helen of Troy) and Rose Byrne (Briseis) playing some of the most iconic characters in history, completely blew my mind. Until the movie, I thought of the characters as those in history textbooks, two-dimensional. Troy takes them and makes them realistic in all aspects.

The film has so much depth that every time I watch it – which has been at least a dozen times – I find a

completely new way to view it. The first time, it was pure romance. As I continued to analyze and understand the film, it became a movie about honor, pride and fighting for one’s country no matter the costs.

Although movies are made to entertain, analyzing them and recognizing all of the components only helps you appreciate the movie more and guides you to see it in a new light. Mulan could never have shaped a huge part of who I am if I saw her as a simple animated character; she means something to me because she is real. The possibilities are endless and the messages interpreted are due to your imagination, it is up to you whether or not you analyze to find out.

ANIKA’20 can be reached at asa7712@g.coppellisd.com

CINEMATIC IMPACT Movies can have a great impact personally such shaping one’s outlook on various issues. Staff writer Anika Arutla shares her opinion on movies such as Mulan, Anastasia and Troy and how they have impacted her. Graphic by Shriya Vanparia

18 ENTERTAINMENT

NOVEMBER

Bringing storytelling to big screen PRAMIKA KADARI COPY EDITOR @pramika_kadari

L

ast March, after I first watched the short television program “The End of The***World”, which is now my favorite TV show, it was all I could think about for weeks.

Between classes, I scoured through a multitude of critics’ reviews; during tests, scenes from the show flashed through my mind; while eating, my eyes were glued to interviews with the show creators.

And for the first time in my life, I wanted to study something other than only English.

Throughout my life, I have adored writing. But I have realized that more than specifically reading and crafting words, what I really cherish is storytelling, which cinema is just another form of. Not for a second did I consider not studying English; instead, I was contemplating adding film as a double-major. “The End of The***World” is beautiful beyond words; to create something that beautiful would be immensely fulfilling.

But as I started researching the movie industry, my newfound excitement began to fade as I learned more about it.

It is basically impossible for screenwriters to get their own scripts made into movies. You will never get to make the cinema you actually want to make. Success in film is all about who you know. Screenplays are sometimes changed so drastically throughout the movie-making process that it might barely be the writer’s own piece by the end.

These Internet statements dampened my passion for film before it could even develop. For several months, although I did not completely eliminate the idea of studying it, I convinced myself doing so was impractical.

One of my biggest fears was - and still is - how collaborative film is. I do not like depending on people,

and I would hate someone controlling how my creative project should or should not be. Also, I am afraid my characters will not feel like my own when they also belong to the movie’s other contributors.

But a few weeks ago, on YouTube, I stumbled across “My Heart Will Go On” by Celine Dion, a gorgeous soundtrack from the 1997 movie Titanic. The thumbnail photo is one of the most beautiful shots I have seen from any cinema -- a breathtaking scene during which the two main characters stand at the edge of the ship, looking out into the endless ocean, their eyes lit up with a euphoric sense of freedom.

I was intrigued. So intrigued that for the rest of the week I eagerly awaited Friday night when I would have time to rewatch the movie. I had seen Titanic when I was younger, but barely remembered the story, as I was too young to understand it well then.

By the end of my rewatch that Friday, I knew that I was wrong before, that I did want to study film. Had to.

Despite all the things I have read about the industry that scare me, I know I have to study cinema because of how fully my love for a film can consume me. After watching a fulfilling movie, my entire life feels richer, happier, more vibrant and inspired.

Both “The End of The***World” and Titanic model the kind of movies I want to make. Although I enjoy the science fiction and psychological thriller genres that offer mind-bending movies such as Inception, Donnie Darko and Shutter Island, the crux of my love for storytelling lies in characters and emotional impact -- two things that go hand in hand.

Rose DeWitt Bukater from Titanic as well as both

James and Alyssa from “The End of the***World” some of my all-time favorite characters. Even though our lives are drastically different, I relate to them. That is what makes a great character in the relatability aspect. Not surface level similarities, but common feelings in the core of our human souls.

The featured characters are all dynamic, popping off the screen with powerful character arcs.

Rose, who starts out as a suicidal victim of an abusive relationship, grows into someone who, moments after her lover’s death, drags her numb body through freezing water to call for a lifeboat and save herself. Alyssa, who hides in the bathroom to cry near the beginning of the show, opens up much more throughout the story as by the end she unapologetically tears up in front of her father and lover while telling the former, “You can’t just make people and then abandon them.” James goes from being a self-proclaimed emotionless psychopath to someone who sacrifices his life for his loved one and expresses, “I think I understand … what people mean to each other.”

I am currently planning a short film, and hope to collaborate with members of the Coppell High School theater department to bring it to life later this year.

Creative careers are risky. Having loved English all my life, I am used to not having a straight-cut plan for my future, but film is just that much more unpredictable.

Although I am not sure what the road there will be like, I am already looking forward to the day I step on set of my first feature film.

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

Cultural groups perform at Kaleidoscope NISHANT MEDICHARLA S TA F F W R I T E R @nishantnm1

T

he bangs of the drum, the aroma of the Mexican Elotes and the sun shining down allowed the Coppell community to enjoy an evening filled with excitement and delight during the event of Kaleidoscope.

On Oct. 20, Coppell hosted the event Kaleidoscope for its second year at Andy Brown Park East.

The event promotes different cultures throughout the world

through various types of dance, activities, crafts and foods.

There were also many performances ranging from Traditional African dance to Bollywood hip-hop.

But this year, there was a different performance that turned the attention of the audience to the main stage. A Traditional Mayan dance performed by the group Pakal, took place in front of the main stage.

Its skillful and meaningful steps amplified the rich and historic culture of the Mayans throughout the audience. Not only was its choreography mesmerizing, but its traditional costumes were different from those that one would see in other cultures.

Still, the steps that were being performed at Kaleidoscope had a deeper meaning to the Mayan culture.

“We were performing the New Fire Ceremony which represents the new cycle

of life,” Pakal performer Ricardo Alarcon said. “My partner [Coral Raygoza] portrayed Mother Earth and the four directions, my other partner [Marcos Ozuna] represented the person who keeps balance and harmony around Earth and I portrayed the Eagle who represents the sun.”

But for Ricardo Alarcon, it is more than just performing for various audiences, it is about learning from the past to build on to the future.

“The most important thing is that people need the information about our past, so that way you can go to the future,” Alarcon said. “It is like passing on knowledge from father to son. My grandfather used to do it, and now I do it. It is very important to preserve your culture, because it shows the basics of who you are as a human being. This is why Kaleidoscop is so important for that reason, because with every piece of it, you create something beautiful. As artists, it is so beautiful, because you can keep passing it on for generations, and it can go on forever.”

The Pakal Group was elated that it could showcase their culture through Kaleidoscope.

“This is the first time we are here, and it is amazing.

It is a beautiful day and we are really happy that Coppell gets to see our dance,” Alacron said.

Many attendees and volunteers were grateful that they could experience such a performance including Allies in Community coordinator Tasnim McCormick Benhalim.

“It’s important that we know about one another as Americans and that the diversity that we have brings a richness that cannot be replaced any other way,” Benhalim said. “It is the reason America is America and why we are great. Not because we are all the same, but because we are all different.”

UNIQUE CULTURES Ricardo Alarcon of Pakal performs Mayan steps during Kaleidoscope on Oct. 20.

Kaleidoscope was held to promote cultural diversity in Coppell. Photos by Disha Kohli

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

TWITTER @CHSCAMPUSNEWS

INSTAGRAM @THESIDEKICKCOPPELL

FACEBOOK /SIDEKICKONLINE

NOVEMBER

ENTERTAINMENT

19

ISSUE RECIPE FRESH OUT THE OVEN

Chicken and Stuffing Casserole • • • •

2 cups chicken, cooked, diced 1 14 ½-ounce can cream of chicken soup, condensed 2 cups chicken broth 1 8-ounce container stuffing cubes, Pepperidge Farms Herb Stuffing • 8 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

1. Combine melted butter and stuffing mix. Spread half into 9 x13 inch baking dish and spread out for crust. Place chicken evenly on top of stuffing crust.

2. Mix soup and broth in saucepan on the stove and heat until well combined. Pour onto chicken mixture.

3. Top with remaining stuffing mix and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Apple Cinnamon Buns Bread Pudding • 5 cups bread, cubed • 3 large eggs, slightly beaten • 2 pints ice cream (e.g. Ben & Jerry’s Cinnamon Buns Ice Cream) • 2 teaspoons brown sugar • ½ teaspoon salt • 1 large apple, peeled, cored and diced • ½ cup chocolate chips, mini • 1 teaspoon vanilla 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Take ice cream out of freezer to soften.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and butter 9×13 inch cake pan.

Layer bread cubes evenly in cake pan. Spread apples and chocolate chips evenly over bread cubes.

Stir eggs, salt, sugar and vanilla into softened ice cream and pour over bread crumbs.

Place pan in center of 350 degree oven and bake for 30 minutes or until bread pudding is dry in middle.

Bread is done when pudding is set and appears moist on top. Do not cook until dry.

6. Ready to eat warm, or cool, cover, label and refrigerate.

ANTHONY CESARIO ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR As the temperature cools down and autumn sets in, nothing is better than enjoying a comforting meal with friends and family. These two recipes are sure to please and make for a great start to the fall season.

Chicken and Stuffing Casserole Whether you are desperately craving that delicious Thanksgiving dinner or just in the mood for a nice home cooked meal, this chicken and stuffing casserole will be the star feature of any fall meal. It is creamy and tasty, and guests will definitely be asking for seconds.

Apple Cinnamon Buns Bread Pudding For a perfect end to your fall meal, try this apple cinnamon buns bread pudding, a particular favorite in my house. The apples, ice cream and chocolate chips create just the right balance of sweetness and melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness.

For a personal twist, substitute the Cinnamon Buns ice cream with whichever flavor tickles your taste buds.

R E S TA U R A N T R E V I E W

Sunny Street Cafe brightening up Coppell C H A R L O T T E VA N Y O STAFF WRITER @charlottevanyo

S

unny Street Cafe recently opened a new location in Coppell on Sept. 23. Specialising in breakfast, lunch and the beautiful combination of the two that is brunch, Sunny Street Cafe is open from 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

When I pulled up to Sunny Street Cafe, the first thing that caught my eye were the windows. Completely covering the front of the restaurant, the windows provide a warm, sunny and safe feeling throughout breakfast.

Everything is brightly and beautifully colored; one of my favorite features is a wall at the entrance covered in an adorable peach wallpaper — perfect for pictures.

I was not the only one with this thought either, for there are various props laid out for fun, photo booth-like pictures, including a paper mustache and an “I heart Sunny Street Cafe” sign.

My party of three was seated immediately in a booth towards the middle of the restaurant. Looking around, I notice shelves of succulents in the back of the restaurant, but most strikingly, I noticed I could watch as the chefs prepared my food. This gave me a sense of security

because I knew my food would be fresh and that the kitchen was sanitary.

I decided to go classic with “Our famous hearty breakfast”. I received two scrambled eggs, three pieces of bacon, hash browns and two plate-sized buttermilk pancakes that melted in my mouth. All of the food was delicious. Growing up with chickens in my backyard, I have never been a fan of eggs from anywhere but my own home, as there is nothing quite like fresh food.

However, Sunny Street’s eggs are not just bearable, but enjoyable. The bacon is a perfect blend between chewy and crunchy that I firmly believe both sides of the bacon stratosphere could come together and enjoy.

My friend Nico, who is also a staff writer for The Sidekick, placed a more interesting order, a “Breakfast Quesadilla” which was complete with scrambled egg, black bean and corn salsa, tomatoes, red onions and Jack cheese. I enjoyed the quesadilla, but was not a fan of the flavor the tomatoes added.

I adored Sunny Street Cafe and cannot wait to return. It will definitely be my place for all breakfastrelated meals moving forward. I was very impressed by its atmosphere, price – less than $30 for the three of us combined, including tip and tax- and delicious food.

CHARLOTTE ‘20 can be reached at chv8279@g.coppellisd.com

Photo by Bren Flechtner BREATHTAKING BRUNCH Our Famous Hearty Breakfast” is one of Sunny Street Cafe’s favorites on the menu. Sunny Street Cafe opened Sept. 24 and is located on 140 W Sandy Lake Rd.

20 GO FIGHT WIN

NOVEMBER SPORTS

“Being on the tennis team helped a lot because it gave me people to rely on.”

FEELING AT HOME / 22

sp rts

Tepper carries on journalism legacy

Former Sidekick sports editor finding success in professional world

“When I’m doing a show, I don’t put on an act.

I’m just me.”

GREG TEPPER

A L U M N I L E G A C Y Former sports editor of The Sidekick Greg Tepper (middle) leads a show on Fox Sports Southwest (FSSW) with his co-hosts Ken Purcell (left) and Ric Renner (right). Through his job at Dave Campbell’s Texas Football Magazine, Tepper hosts multiple shows about high school football. Courtesy photo

NICHOLAS PRANSKE EXECUTIVE SPORTS EDITOR @nick_pranske8

G

reg Tepper, former sports editor of The Sidekick, once wrote a story on noodling (the art of catching a catfish on one’s forearm). He also won an Emmy for sportscasting in August. He also wrote for The Dallas Morning News and for half a dozen other publications.

Since his time at Coppell High School, Tepper has done a lot of things and made a name for himself doing so.

Tepper graduated from CHS in 2004 and from the University of Missouri in 2008, majoring in newspaper journalism. From there he went to Tulsa World in Tulsa, Okla. for his first job out of college. He then went to The Dallas Morning News community paper, where he worked as a sports writer. In 2011, Tepper was named associate editor at Dave Campbell’s Texas Football Magazine, where he became the managing editor two years later. Since, he has both written for the magazine and co-hosts “Fox Football Friday Powered by DCTF” and “High School Scoreboard Live” on Fox Sports Southwest.

All of these jobs, of course, happened after his first newspaper experience on The Sidekick.

“I remember remarking how similar [my time on Sidekick] was to the real journalism world,” Tepper said.

“It helped me get a head start and feel more comfortable right away.”

His entire life, Tepper has been interested in sports.

Once he got to high school, he found an avenue through which to express his opinions on sports through the student-run newspaper. In The Sidekick newsroom, Tepper would frequently make bold predictions about the upcoming football game. Naturally, other staff members would challenge and debate with him, but the sports editor was not often wrong.

“Any time the rest of the staff could prove him wrong, that was always fun,” former Sidekick adviser James Rich said. “That is probably my fondest memory of that whole staff.”

In Rich’s eyes, Tepper was made to be in sports journalism. All the way back to his high school days, Tepper has had what it takes.

“From the very beginning, I told him that if he works hard and does his research, he would make it. And that’s what he did and continues to do,” Rich said. “He had his goals - where he wanted to be - and today, 15 or 16 years later, he’s seeing those dreams come to pass.”

In journalism - a field in which the same story is told by a dozen different news sources - a way to stand out is to develop a “voice” for oneself. In developing one’s own way of writing or broadcasting, he/she creates a identity by which to be recognized. Over the years, Tepper has

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developed his personal, light-hearted charm on camera.

“When I started doing high school football [broadcasting], I made a decision that ‘I’m just going to be me’,” Tepper said. “When I’m doing a show, I don’t put on an act. I’m just me and ‘me’ is somebody who makes dumb jokes. ‘Me’ is somebody who makes silly pop culture references... that’s who I am.”

Throughout his professional career, Tepper has used that personality to acquire different jobs and accomplishments. However, the biggest contributor to his success is his willingness to say “yeah, sure. Why not?”, as he put it.

Tepper began his broadcasting career in 2011 when he was asked to fill his predecessor’s role at Texas Football Magazine. And he greeted that request with the same aforementioned agreeance. Thus, the reign of broadcasting that would eventually lead to an Emmy was birthed with a “why not?”.

Through his high school days all the way up to his current job, Tepper has been ready to jump on any opportunity that comes his way. Hitting every challenge head-on with a slight smile on his lips and a quick-witted comment in the back of his mind, Tepper continues to carry on the legacy that originated at The Sidekick.

NICHOLAS ‘20 can be reached at nep4594@g.coppellisd.com.

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Stange following father’s footsteps to Kansas State

F O L L O W I N G F O O T S T E P S Coppell senior offensive lineman Trevor Stange is following in his father’s footsteps to play college football at Kansas State. Russ Stange played at Kansas State from 1987 to 1988. Photo by Bren Flechtner

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rom 1987 to 1988, Kansas State University left tackle Russ Stange put his heart and soul into football.

Having played from the age of 7, he had an early foundation that contributed to his total 18 year career in the sport.

30 years later, his son Trevor, a senior on the Coppell football team, verbally committed to Kansas State. He will also play as an offensive lineman, wearing the same number as his father.

“I am excited for him because it was my university, [and] now it is his university,” Russ said. “It’s [his] university, [he is] representing them. It holds a bond for me because I didn’t just go to school there, I contributed to the culture and the atmosphere at K-State.”

Trevor has played for the varsity football team since his freshman year, though his football career started much earlier. From kindergarten on, he has been devel-

oping his skills as a player, trying out different positions such as full back and tight end until finally entering high school as an offensive lineman.

“At first it started out as ‘my dad did it and I want to be like my dad’,” Trevor said. “He signed me up and I kept on playing and I fell in love with it.”

When Trevor was young, he would wear his dad’s old jersey around the house, the 64 printed in the large folds of the cloth on his small body. When he was put on varsity, he saw that 64 was available.

“I thought, ‘it was my dad’s number, why not make it my number too?’,” Trevor said.

The decision to commit to Kansas State came at the end of Trevor’s junior year. He had called his family together and announced he wanted to attend his father’s alma mater.

“It was always between Kansas State and Texas Tech and one day I was like, ‘you know what, Kansas State is home to me’ so I just committed,” Trevor said. “[I thought] ‘this is home’ and I wanted to get recruiting over with.”

After a childhood filled with visits to Kansas State and an overall adoration for the school, it seemed like a dream come true when they made Trevor an offer.

“It’s very rare for someone to say they were recruited by their dream school and actually mean it,” Trevor said.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better offer.”

With a strong high school record that lead to his SportsDay’s Class of 2019 Top Football Recruits ranking of 60, he hopes to continue growing as a player and a leader in college level football. During his time at Coppell, he made a lasting impression of himself.

Still, college holds a new set of challenges. “[Trevor has] learned a lot here with us, but when you get to the college level there is so much more,” offensive coordinator Jay Jones said. “There is so much more technique that you have time to do that you don’t always necessarily have time to do at high school level.”

Something that will not be a challenge, however, is maintaining the relationship he has with his father.

“People send their kids off to college everyday,” Russ said. “We’ll obviously talk a lot, I hope, and Facetime and [use] all that social media has [to offer].”

The upcoming years in Kansas have a lot to hold for Trevor. He will be following in his father’s footsteps, living up to a legacy.

“It feels like a little bit of weight on my shoulders, a little bit of expectation, but it’s a great feeling because people go, ‘oh, you’re related to him’,” Trevor said.

“There’s a history right there and I’m glad I get to be a part of it.”

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

Woodby pursues musical interests in church choir

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SYDNEY ROWE STAFF WRITER @syd218

rom receiving passes at Friday night football games to singing melodies at Sunday choir practice at church, Coppell High School senior Tanner Woodby has used these contrasting scenarios to shape him into the person he is today.

On Sept. 28, Woodby was voted 2018 Homecoming King by his senior peers. One thing people may not know about this year’s king is that he serves as a vice president of his church’s youth choir. Woodby practices singing from 3:30 to 6 p.m. every Sunday.

Woodby has been going to First Baptist Church of Lewisville since he was 1. He is involved with multiple groups within the church including the main church choir along with a select choir.

Terry Green is the church’s youth choir director and has seen Woodby grow up within the church community.

Green speaks nothing but high praise for Woodby’s personality and work ethic.

“I have known Tanner since he was born, I’ve watched him grow up,” Green said. “He is looked up to as someone who is very friendly, open and outgoing.”

Woodby has a penchant for music. He has been singing for over nine years, he first started in third grade at Town Center Elementary.

“Sometimes it’s easier to relay a message through music than you can by just speaking,” Woodby said. “If you asked me to either sing or speak in front of people, I would choose singing almost every time because it’s more captivating than just speaking words.”

Woodby recently taught himself how to play the guitar a year ago after observing how often it was used in his favorite genre of music.

In school, Woodby is a Red Jacket and a wide receiver for the football team. CHS senior Jordan LeBlanc is a close friend of Woodby’s who knows him on and off the football field. “[Woodby] has possibly the best work ethic I’ve ever seen,” LeBlanc said. “During practice he’s always focused on what needs to be done and always gives his best effort no matter what the situation is... from the second I heard that [he] was running for homecoming king, I knew he was going to win it. I even sat outside the locker room at halftime just to hear his name called and was one of the first people to congratulate him on it.”

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

O F F T H E F I E L D Coppell High School senior Tanner Woodby is recognized with his mother Robin Woodby, sister Emily Woodby and father Scott Woodby before the homecoming game on Sept. 28.

Woodby is a Red Jacket and a wide receiver and sings in the main choir at First Baptist Church of Lewisville. Photo by Bren Flechtner

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Suzuki finds home on CHS tennis team

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PRAMIKA KADARI COPY EDITOR @pramika_kadari

s Coppell High School junior Mihiro Suzuki stepped through CHS doors for the first time two years ago, he saw nothing but unfamiliar faces in the sea of students around him; he did not know a single person — until he joined the tennis team, and eventually became its No. 1 boys player.

After spending the first part of his life in Japan, Suzuki had relocated to Plano briefly before returning to Japan for several years, then finally settled in Coppell at the beginning of his sophomore year. Despite the fact that it was not his first time moving, the change was still difficult. “[Coppell] was a new environment for me, I didn’t know anybody, the school was huge, there were thousands of people unlike my old school [in Japan],” Suzuki said. “It’s just scary jumping into a new environment. But being on the tennis team helped a lot because it gave me people to rely on.”

Much of Suzuki’s time now is devoted to tennis, but keeping in touch with his culture is still important, which is why he attends a Japanese school every Saturday to learn the language and socialize with his Japanese friends.

Although he played tennis leisurely in Japan, Suzuki did not compete until enrolling at CHS. Now, most of his friends are tennis players, as he sees them every day and

shares a passion for the sport with them.

“I get along with the tennis team because they are such a family atmosphere,” Suzuki said. “I get to be close with everybody.”

The team aspect is not the only thing Suzuki loves about the sport. He enjoys the analytical side of it, playing not only his opponent’s body but also their mind.

“You have to think a lot [in tennis] it’s a lot of mental game, putting pressure on your opponent,” Suzuki said.

“Strategy is important. It’s not just hitting the ball hard, but where you want to hit it, how you want to hit it, how can you make them miss.”

Albeit he has not played competitively for as long as many others have, Suzuki has completely dedicated himself to the sport, to the point where he has little time for other extracurriculars. He practices every day without fail; if it is raining, he will use indoor courts or practice volleying inside. “[Mihiro is] very hardworking and committed, especially to tennis,” CHS tennis senior Justin Bohn said.

“His dedication to the sport [makes him a good player].

Tennis is a sport of practice, and if you’re able to put the time in, and the effort in, you’re going to be good at it and that’s what he does.”

The combination of his love for tennis and his desire to attend a good college pushes Suzuki to persevere each day.

“I’ve always loved tennis since I was a kid,” Suzuki said. “If doing something I love can help me simultaneously with my college admissions – that helps me work [even] harder at it.”

When he joined the team last year, he was Coppell’s

No. 7 boy, which did not come with as much pressure as being the No. 1, as he is now. Overall, the season has gone well for him, but the beginning of it was difficult due to the new levels of pressure.

“Now I understand more how to deal with the pressure of being No. 1,” Suzuki said. “People on the team don’t specifically pressure me, but obviously before matches I get nervous. [At first], I felt like everyone was watching me. But I found out that pressure is only made by how I make it. It’s something I control, not other people.”

Coppell won the district title for the third consecutive season. Especially when it advances into its playoff matches, stakes are high, which contributes to more pressure. Unfortunately, Coppell’s season ended earlier than desired when they lost Regional Quarters to Southlake on Oct. 22. “[Our mentality] has to change [in this part of the season],” CHS tennis coach Rich Foster said. “The early part of the season allows for mistakes. Once you pass district, you’re not allowed to lose. There’s less margin for error.

That’s what the rest of the season is for, getting us mentally tough so we can handle that pressure, knowing that at any point, it can come down to one person.”

Despite the loss, tennis is still one of the most enriching aspects of Suzuki’s life. Now, as he walks the halls of CHS each day, although an abundance of unfamiliar faces still surround him, he knows he has a home on the tennis team.

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

A S T E P F O R W A R D Coppell High School varsity tennis player junior Mihiro Suzuki and freshman Andreja Zrnic dive to hit the ball during their second set against Marcus High School on September 18. Suzuki moved to Coppell from Japan before his sophomore year of high school and has found a home on the tennis team. Photo by Disha Kohli

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Photo by Rishitha Penmetsa

Ultimate frisbee team takes new approach by minimizing roster

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ANIKA ARUTLA STAFF WRITER @anikaarutla

tanding on a field, the objective of an ultimate frisbee player is to pass the frisbee to their teammates without the interception of their opposing team and make it to the endzone. Even though only seven players are on the field, the effort behind the club requires many more players.

Although the Coppell ultimate frisbee team is less than 10 years old, it has gained a lot of support throughout the years. In fact, there have been years with almost 90 players on the team.

In contrast, from last year to this year, the number of coed players on the team has reduced from 40 to 15.

“We don’t have new players coming,” sophomore Ultimate Frisbee Club member Juliana Thompson said. “It’s benefiting in a way because we don’t have to go back and reteach basic fundamental stuff and start working on more advanced techniques.”

There are perks to having less players but the situation also creates backslides. With fewer players on the team, there is an insufficient amount of substitutes and the program’s representation at the school is reduced.

“We’re not getting a lot of new freshmen coming and keeping the same core going in,” senior Ultimate Frisbee Club member Jack Wilkinson said.

Having fewer players also restricts the amount of opportunities a player receives.

“The good thing about having a lot of people is that you can have more than one team,” Thompson said. “In past years, when we had up to 60 people, we had one team with just boys and one mixed team with girls and boys. This increases playing time for everybody.”

With the decline in players, there is an unusual increase in the number of coaches. Last year’s head coach, Jeff Jordan, stepped down this year, leaving the team with four different coaches who take turns going to practice. Among them is CHS IB Economics teacher Jared Stansel, who officially serves as a sponsor for the team.

Stansel began the ultimate frisbee program when asked by a student in 2011.

“Our coaches are not as consistent with being at practice, I’m going to have to attend a few practices,” Stansel said. “While it is nostalgic and I do enjoy being out there in the camaraderie of the team, it creates more stress on me and it’s just one more thing that I have to do.”

In addition to Stansel, Coppell resident Brett Sidebottom and former player Aaron Thompson also help coach the team.

Having multiple coaches has its advantages and its disadvantages.

“Having more coaches will give us a new insight because we’ll have a lot of new perspectives of how to play the game and not just what style,” Wilkinson said.

The sudden addition of coaches also offers an opportunity for the players to embrace leadership.

“At this moment we have four coaches, usually one or two at every practice, but what we’re looking at doing is just having the team captains lead the practice and coaches to offer guidance,” Thompson said.

ANIKA ‘20 can be reached at asa7712@g.coppellisd.com

G E T T I N G A C T I V E Coppell High School seniors Vinny Vincenzo, Luke Raetzman and Ethan Thompson practice throwing the frisbee between each other. Students meet after school at New Tech High@Coppell with the rest of the team in for practice. Photo by Rishitha Penmetsa

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