Daphne’s Dilemma: Impending independence prompts rethinking of parental love
By Daphne Chen I’m not the kind of person who usually tells her parents that she loves them. In fact, I’m not sure it happens in many Asian families at all – a cultural thing, I suppose, just like the way we don’t talk much during dinner or interact much during the day. I sometimes joke that I’ve spent more time nurturing my relationship with my biology textbook than with my parents. We have always fought far too often, something I’ve traced back to the introduction of piano lessons when I was in third grade, the beginning of an endless stream of increasing pressures to perform the best and solve the fastest. The fighting would…
Coppell honors National Merit Finalists
By Ashley Attanucci Staff Writer Last year, countless juniors took the PSAT/NMSQT, very well aware the grand opportunity the next couple hours could bring them. Each year the National Merit Scholarship Corporation awards hundreds of thousands of dollars to high school students who performed exceptionally well on their Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), taken junior year by over 1.5 million students across the nation. Since the Semi-finalist list was released, the faces of the 20 CHS seniors have been honored on the wall adjacent to Principal Hunt’s office. These students are Coppell’s National Merit Semi-finalists, meaning that they scored higher than commended on their PSAT: Annie Abraham, Suwetha Amsavelu, Paul Blazek, Ashwin Chandra,…
Hill to compete in Miss Texas, mother sees pageant repeat
By Daphne Chen Twenty-eight years ago, Vicki Graham stood on a stage with a dozen other women in evening gowns. She heard her name called – she had been voted Miss Texas USA’s 1981 Miss Amity (now known as Miss Congeniality). But looking to her left and right, Vicki realized that the stage was too narrow for her to pass. So she did what she had to. Putting her hands on the shoulders of the woman on the floor in front of her and gathering up her skirts, Vicki jumped four feet down in heels to receive her award. Twenty-eight years later, her daughter, senior Natalie Hill, might be repeating the scene when she goes…
Sister Wendy turns 80
By Henna Khan The most renown art-loving nun of all time truned 80 on her birthday, Feb. 25., and a celebration was indeed held in honor of her new age. Sister Wendy’s sister, Pamela, was not able to attend Wendy’s birthday party. The passport had not arrived, so she missed her flight. Sister Wendy Beckett, born Feb. 25 1930, is a South African-born British art expert, consecrated virgin and contemplative hermit who became an unlikely celebrity during the 1990s, presenting a series of acclaimed art history documentaries for the BBC. If you are a student enrolled in the Advenced Placement Art History course at Coppell High School, you are sure to be introduced to her…
Cheater, cheater, pumpkin eater: Why we cheat
By Daphne Chen Editor-in-Chief Every student and teacher knows the telltale signs. A yawn and a stretch. The ever-so-slight glance of eyes to the left and right. The glint of an iPhone held casually beneath the table, away from the prying eyes of teachers. It’s cheating. And to some, it’s also a survival technique. In the words of one sophomore student, “If you care about it enough, you cheat.” The Pressure In 2003, a survey conducted by UCLA’s Higher Education Research Institute found while the percent of high school students who maintained an A average in 1968 was 17.6 percent, that number had inflated to 46.6 percent in 2003. Essentially, students who make straight As…
CHS to introduce Career Academies for incoming freshmen
By Daphne Chen Starting with the Class of 2015, CHS will be introducing Career Academies in order to encourage freshmen who already have an interest in a certain career. The three academies are the Science, Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) Academy headed by science teacher Mike Yakubovsky, the Public Services Academy headed by science teacher Brenda Brinkman and the Emerging Media and Communications Academy (EMAC) headed by KCBY-TV director Irma Kennedy. This new model is part of the Strategic Planning process that began in October 2006 as part of an effort to create smaller learning communities within CHS. “We realized that you can’t just motivate kids,” CISD Superintendent Dr. Jeff Turner said at a Jan….
Senior Pope is Army strong
By Ashley Attanucci Staff Writer Imagine knowing exactly where you want to be in 20 years. Senior Chase Pope, who is already enlisted and committed, plans on dedicating the next 20 years of his life to the United States Army. Since childhood he has known that the army was the place for him, mainly influenced by his older brother already enlisted. Pope has spent one summer so far training at Ft. Leonard Wood, MO for training sessions that last five weeks, with the aspiration of leaving the army retired as a “I like everything about it; I just like the lifestyle and it’s the preferable job for me because it’s just so much fun,” Pope…
New EMT course to be offered next year
By Ashley Attanucci Staff Writer Beginning next year, Coppell High School will offer a new Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) dual credit course providing career minded seniors with an opportunity of a lifetime. With the cooperation of Brookhaven Community College and the Coppell Fire Department, students will be able to become certified EMTs upon high school graduation. In addition to daily training with a certified EMT on campus at CHS, students will be exposed to CareFlight helicopters, rotations at the Las Colinas Medical Center and ambulances, being on-call with the Coppell Fire Department. “For several years we’ve had an interest [in bringing this course to CHS], but we haven’t had the resources to do it,” Health…
Upcoming spring season brings music highlights
By Chris Nguyen Features Editor Is that March I see coming? Spring, the time of flowers blooming, and when music comes out of the cold, wintry rut? Well, considering the number of great new songs coming out in the past couple of weeks, I think so. Here are some of major highlights. The Radio Dept. “Heaven Can Wait” Breezy, quick-faced and Swedish? This is the ninth cloud of pop heaven. Broken Social Scene “World Sick” The huge Canadian band is back from a long hiatus with a roaring, huge anthem that you have come to expect with an added dose of awesomeness. She & Him “In the Sun” M. Ward and actress Zooey Deschanel are…
Chargers cut ties with all-time great
By Peter Sblendorio Staff Writer For the past nine years, LaDanian Tomlinson has been the undeniable face of the San Diego Chargers. In 2010, the Bolts will have to find a new franchise player. San Diego cut ties with the star running back earlier this week in a much expected move to slash payroll and move forward. While Tomlinson has not been the same back the past two years as he was in his prime, L.T. will immediately go down as arguably the best player to ever wear a San Diego uniform. Tomlinson was drafted by the Chargers fifth overall out of TCU in the 2001 NFL Draft. From his rookie year through the 2008…