Seniors Frances Ruiz, Katie Quill, Renne Rohani, Natalie Hill, Loren Hughes and Rebecca Fowler pose with their senior overalls. They are one of many members of The Sidekick that will be finishing their senior year and heading off to college. Photo courtesy Katie Quill.

Ashleigh Heaton
Entertainment Editor

“We still hear stories about old Sidekickers who graduated way long ago – I just wonder, once we’re gone, what will people say about us?”

These were the words of a rather nostalgic Allie Perison, senior and co-editor-in-chief of The Sidekick. Though it may not be clear which stories will be told the most, the 2010 senior members of The Sidekick will be revered for years to come.

One of the largest milestones this senior class  leaves behind is the newest branch of The Sidekick, www.coppellstudentmedia.com, escalating the high school paper into the modern journalistic world – on top of their work on the print edition of the paper, which has been recognized nationally for its professionalism and achievements. The real-world experience the paper has given them has helped shape their futures, even if it isn’t in the journalistic field.

“My favorite part of being on Sidekick is just, for lack of a better term, doing stuff – you get up, you go out and interview people, or you might be designing pages or doing something creative,” senior features editor Chris Nguyen said. “It’s the idea of doing something that I like – you put in an input, and there is an output for it other than a grade. It’s tangible, it’s physical.”

                 In addition to providing opportunities to develop their journalistic skills, the paper has also had an impact on the personal lives of these seniors – experiences which will carry them throughout their lives.

“I feel like I have a sense of purpose, as cheesy as that sounds,” centerspread editor senior Natalie Hill said. “The Sidekick prepares you for so much beyond high school – it gives you that personable experience.”

As editors, these seniors have gone above and beyond expectations – from skipping lunches and coming afterschool to finish page layout, to shifting through the endless amounts of articles begging to be edited, their blood, sweat, and tears have shaped the newspaper Coppell knows today. However, the connections they made along the way made their accomplishments that much sweeter.

“We all go through all the stress, all the low points, all the doubting, when at the same time, we have so much fun,” senior co-editor-in-chief Daphne Chen said. “It’s not like a regular classroom – we get to know each other better than just on a surface level, because we’ve been through stuff together. It goes beyond the writing.”

Another quality of these seniors is their endearing sense of humor, lovingly referred to as “shenanigans”. From sports editor senior Blake Seitz hiding his portfolio in the ceiling panels (only to forget which one he placed it above), to attempting to steal a giant stuffed koala bear from a certain CHS media department, to even keeping an end-of-year Copter tournament alive (in which members play an online helicopter game for the highest score), these members know how to mix work and play.

“No one understands our inside jokes or why Copter is this prevailing thing,” senior opinions editor Angela Almeida said. “To be on the paper, you have to have a certain degree of quirkiness. We’re all weird, but it’s functional – it’s in this dysfunction that we all make sense of it.”

For some seniors, such as Chen, Seitz, Perison, Hill and Almeida, The Sidekick has kept them together for four years – from journalism class freshman year to being senior editors together in 2010. However, some seniors joined the newspaper team later on, including senior photo editor Katie Quill. The experience has not only given her a niche in a big high school, but also a group of friends she will never forget.

“For me, coming in so late, the newspaper gave me a place to land,” Quill said. “I’m so proud of this paper and what photography has done for me. There are so many good things about it, and I feel so lucky because it kind of just fell into my lap.”

Though The Sidekick entails hours of work in regards to reporting, writing and, in the case of editors, page designing, it has also been a second home to these seniors, helping them navigate through the high school experience.

“When I think high school, I think of The Sidekick,” Perison said. “All these other classes came and went, but Sidekick was here four years – it was always here. I feel like it’s been a friend to me, in a sense – it’ been this consistent thing in my life, and it’s kind of weird to leave it behind because I feel like I’m leaving it just like I’m leaving my family and good friends.”

Though these seniors will be greatly missed, it has come time for them to spread their wings and fly off toward a bright future.

“There comes a time where you don’t want to see kids graduate, but there’s only so much you can do at a high school,” The Sidekick adviser Chase Wofford said. “It’s good to say, ‘OK, they’re ready to go and do bigger and better things.’ They’ve reached their potential here, so now it’s time to take it to the next level. I can’t thank them enough – it’s been fun. I’ll miss them.”

The achievements, personalities and antics of the senior class of 2010 will live on in the newsroom in room D115 – but the experience has also changed these seniors.

“There will be a D115-shaped hole in my heart whenever I leave CHS,” Seitz said.

As the school year comes to a close, the sounds of summer are beginning to fill the air. One of these such sounds is that of Coppell’s student bands, Amber Open Skies and The Brighter, who will be hosting an end-of-year concert and CD release party on June 3.

On top of the concert, Amber Open Skies will be releasing their debut album Songs for Sleeping, and The Brighter will be releasing their album Wo Won’t Let Go. The event will be held at Fat Daddy’s Sound Shack, and tickets are on pre-sale for $5 and will be avaiable at the door for $7. Doors open at 6 p.m., and the performance schedule will go as follows:

6:30 – 7:15pm – Jet Set
7:30 – 8:15pm – Zoo Time Politics
8:30 – 9:30pm – Amber Open Skies
10:00 – 11:00pm – The Brighter

At its core, the rules are simple: throw the Frisbee, catch the Frisbee, win the game. It is these rules that open up a world of intense competition and comradely known as Ultimate Frisbee – a game some Coppell High School seniors helped make the staple of intramural sports.

Ultimate Frisbee was first introduced to CHS in the fall of 2008, when the intramural program was formed. Though most students were reluctant to join the strange and unknown territory, a large group of junior students formed teams and signed up – giving Ultimate Frisbee the push it needed to get rolling.

Some of these teams still play today as nearly all-senior teams, such as the Monstars and Abusement Park. The same goes for the team headed by senior Chris Scoular, though the team’s name has fluctuated with the years – from Ewoks in Reebok, The Scrubs and, now, The Village People, this group of players has proven both its fierceness and its humor throughout its run.

“My team changed names a lot, but we basically have the same people,” Scoular said. “We have a lot of fun with it.”

Because of their experience, the senior teams have proven to be rather intimidating for other Ultimate Frisbee teams, as proven by Abusement Park’s two-season sweep of the championships.

“I think they [the seniors] are extremely fierce competition – they’re dangerous,” junior Weapons of Mass Seduction player Evan Hawman said. “When you’re playing man to man, you tag them, you watch them like hawks because they’ll eat you.”

But, competition aside, the true reason why intramurals is implemented is to allow people to bond in a place they would not otherwise. This sentiment has been upheld by these seniors, despite being prone to win.

“My favorite part is playing,” Scoular said. “I don’t really care if we win or lose, I just have a lot of fun playing. That’s the greatest, for me.”

To ensure Ultimate Frisbee’s survival after their departure from CHS, the seniors of Ultimate Frisbee have been reaching out to friends and family in order to gain involvement in the program. Based on the fact 12 teams are currently active in the program, their efforts can be counted as a huge success.

“We really spread awareness and involvement,” Scoular said. “We’ve got a lot of our little brothers and sisters and underclassmen friends in to it, which helps.”

On top of recruiting, these seniors have brought forth an awareness of Ultimate Frisbee through their pronounced love of the sport – from designing and wearing team shirts around the school to talking it up as if it was professional football, they have made sure everyone at CHS knows what Ultimate Frisbee is all about.

“I think they’ve definitely nurtured it [the intramural Ultimate Frisbee program] along,” Hawman said. “They’ve brought the interest, they’ve brought the passion, and they’ve just sort of encouraged everyone else to follow along.”

However, with senior year coming to its close, these senior players must leave CHS as well as their Frisbees behind – for now, at least.

“It’s going to be weird not playing Ultimate here [at CHS],” senior Monstars player Kevin Rutledge said. “I’m going to miss it a lot. I think I’ll try to play it in college, but it’s not going to be the same.”

For some reason, I am in AP Physics. Anyone who knows me knows that, when it comes to math, I kind of crash and burn on a regular basis. So anyone who knows me must also ask, “Why in the heck are you enrolled in one of the most difficult, math-intensive courses at the high school?”

GPA, my friends. GPA.

GPA has become the norm at competitive schools such as our own. Everyone is concerned about their rank, getting into college and getting ahead. In reality, GPA is statistic determining the boom or bust of a student, fuels the competitive fire. This has become a rat race for placement in the top 10 percent – a race leading to cutthroat cheating and unnecessary emphasis on upper-level courses.

And you know what? I hate it. I hate feeling like I am trapped by grades and rank and numbers that colleges are supposedly concerned about. I hate feeling like enrolling in a regular class has become the equivalent of admitting you’re a failure. I hate GPA.

That’s not to say that AP courses don’t deserve the extra GPA – yeah, they still are college-level and, therefore, much more intense. And yes, CHS has been identified countless times for its achievements through the Advanced Placement program. However, the pressure to enroll in these courses – especially if a student is not gifted or even interested in the subject – has gotten out-of hand.

It’s easy to pick out which students aren’t supposed to be enrolled in these higher-level classes, because they are the very ones that cheat their way to a passing grade. Since they aren’t at the same pace as they are expected to be in the class they’re in, they have to rely on others’ answers rather than genuine understanding to get the grade they want for a higher GPA. I know – I’ve been there.

And of course, everyone knows about the new drama GPA has made at the high school through the introduction of the IB program. When the updated class ranks came out, just about every AP student went in an uproar over their drastic rank shifts, blaming IB students (without much cause) for their setbacks due to the fact that all IB classes hold 6.0 weight on the GPA scale.

I saw IB kids being verbally harassed for their involvement in the program, sneered at and constantly put-down for something that was out of their control. It made me ashamed to be a part of such a venomous group of people. Granted, yes, I was angry at first as well – I had thought that, maybe, if I had been enrolled in IB, my rank wouldn’t have suffered like it did. But I had to stop myself and think: would I have been happy in the IB program?

No, I wouldn’t have. The organization and teaching methods of the program would not have translated well for me as a student, and I wouldn’t have been able to be involved in the courses and extracurriculars I love. It only took me a few days to calm down enough to see how stupid I was being.

It’s a number. I was getting genuinely upset over a few digits on the computer screen.

Recently, CHS held a series of GPA committee meetings to discuss the issue of GPA and rank as a whole at CHS. Students from different grades, programs and educational tracks were able to sit down with faculty members and administration and voice their opinion, circling around the topic and how to improve the tensions at the high school.

One of their proposed solutions? Abolishing class rank.

I’ll be the first to say that I would love this to be implemented at the high school: not only would it ease the tensions caused by the rank war, but it would also take away the pressure to exhaust a student to their very core with college-level classes. Southlake Carroll has done it. Highland Park has done it. Why shouldn’t Coppell do it, too?

And let me dispel this misconception to anyone weary of agreeing: I’m assuming you’re worried about what colleges will think if you have no class rank to attach to your application. However, colleges have reported that class rank isn’t a big factor in the admission process – if anything, the only reason a Coppell student should be concerned with class rank is if they want automatic acceptance to a certain Texas university. College admissions are more concerned with the student as a person: yeah, your grades should reflect an aptitude for learning, but they also want to see you living a life outside of school.

This would be a welcome change, not a hindering one.
High school is supposed to be about growing as a person, not learning how to claw our way through academic competition. How can we, as students, get comfortable in our skin if all we feel like is a number?

This week, Barnes and Noble has set up shop in one of the CHS choir rooms, F101, to sell required reading as well as “just for fun” books. The book fair will go until this Friday, May 21, and a percent of the proceeds will go toward Coppell High School.

Being a bit of a bookworm myself, I was able to puruse through the room earlier today and found some interesting reads. So on top of your summer reading, be sure to check out these jewels:

Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters by Jane Austen and Ben H. Winters: Following the success of the widely popular Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, this book takes the original text from Jane Austen’s classic and adds a few clammy twists and turns. And who doesn’t want to see the Dashwood girls battling a giant lobster?

Nightlight: A Parody by The Harvard Lampoon: Another parody has graced the book fair, and this one spoofs the Twilight phenomenon. It’s a shorter book, but its comedy is unfailing: Belle Goose moves to Switchblade, Oregon and immediately falls in love with the socially awkward Edwart Mullen, who she is convinced is a vampire. The problem? Edwart is repulsed by girls. Will she ever make him love her?

The Book of Awesome by Neil Pasricha: Based on the hit blog, this book takes the big and simple things into perspective. From popping bubble wrap to waking up and realizing it’s Saturday, Pasricha compiles one huge – how else to put it? – book of awesome.

This Tuesday, May 18, Mooyah will be hosting a fundraising event for the Coppell High School junior class. All the proceeds of the event will go toward the class of 2011’s prom funds.

The catch? The only way for your purchase to go toward the event, you have to place you receipt in the marked box by the register. So be sure after you order your burger and fries (which are delicious, of course) to get rid of your receipt in the right area so the class of 2011 can dance their way to an awesome senior prom.

This past Saturday night, May 8, Betty White proved that comedy never retires.

For those who have been living under a rock for the past few weeks, White was placed on Saturday Night Live due to a fan campaign on Facebook, begging for the 88 and a half year-old actress to host the late night comedy show. Though White has already been known as a humorous gal (due to her fame via “The Golden Girls”,) this show had me laughing harder than I would have ever imagined. Even though half the time I was worried that she might forget her lines or twist an ankle, the truth is that the woman is too talented for minor slip-ups, even in her old age: she performed almost flawlessly in every single sketch and, may I say, to a T.

Though SNL’s season finale is set for this Saturday, May 15 (with Alec Baldwin hosting for what feels like the hundredth time,) I’m not sure how they plan on topping Betty’s unforgettable performance. If SNL could crank out a few more of episodes of this quality, they wouldn’t have to worry about ratings ever again.

To catch up on the sketches, check out the clips on SNL’s webpage. Here’s a quick peek at what you missed:

This Saturday, May 1 marks the annual Free Comic Book Day, and Boomergang Comics in Lewisville is participating. Not only will the store being given out free comics (from a selected list and while supplies last), but they will also be placing discounts on graphic novels and boardgames throughout the store.

Okay, yeah, it sounds like the epitome of nerdiness, I know. But hear me out: even if you’re not a hugest fan of comic books, you should still consider coming out. On top of the cheap literature, Boomerang will also be offering face painting – and rumor has it that there will be a Star Wars invasion as well as a special appearance from the Dark Knight. (Still unconvinced? If anything, come for the free samples of Jimmy Johns’ awesome sandwiches.)

The whole philosophy behind the event is to bring people together and introduce people to the wonderful world of comics, so my suggestion would be to bring a group of friends and prepare yourself to nerd out. Boomergang Comics is located in the Super Target Shopping Center at 729 Hebron Parkway and is open from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m., so plan your day accordingly (especially for those of you who are taking the SAT.) For questions, you can call at 972-315-5291.

This weekend, the Coppell High School show choir, Vivace!, will be performing their spring show, “FAME”, on April 22 and 23 (this Thursday and Friday) at 7:00. The show will be held in the CHS auditorium and feature the amazing talents in the choir, from full-group numbers to solo acts and dances. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased from anyone in the program or at the door.

The choir also invites Vivace! alum to attend, as they will be asked to join them on stage for the final number, “Come Sail Away”, a tradition within the choir program.

Should you go see it? Yes. If the awesome music isn’t enough to entice you, then the adorable red-black-and-white Vivace! butler uniforms should do the trick. And what’s better than Coppell’s own version of “Glee”?

Video by Chloe Lanier
KCBY Broadcast

April is Autism Awareness Month, and Coppell High School is doing its part to raise awareness within the school.

But what is autism? Many misconceptions circle around the disorder and how it is spread – however, autism isn’t something that is contagious at all. As a genetic disease, there is no way to prevent a child from developing autism in their lifetime.

The disability appears within the first three years of a child’s life and affects a person’s ability to communicate effectively with others. As a spectrum disease, autism affects a person at varying degrees – it can range from very mild to extremely severe.

“Autism affects kids in different ways,” Special Education teacher Carol Jackson said. “There is a good chance that in a graduating class of 800 kids, eight of those kids could have autism.”

Some signs of autism development can be seen early on and include: lack or delay in spoken language, repetitive use of language and/or motor mannerisms (such as hand-flapping or twirling objects), little or no eye contact, lack of interest in peer relationships, lack of spontaneous or make-believe play and persistent fixation on parts of objects.

If found early on, autism can be treated to prevent the disability from progressing to an advanced state. Autism is the fastest growing developmental disability in the U.S., and there is currently no known cure for autism. However, programs such as the Autism Society, are constantly raising funds to help finds a cure.

The disorder affects a group of students at CHS – even though not all of them directly have the condition. P.E. Partners is a program allowing students effected with autism to interact with other high school student and build their social confidence through physical education classes. While it can be a challenge at times, the programs gives students the opportunity to grow closer to their fellow cowboys and cowgirls.

“It’s a challenge, but it’s definitely a treat,” senior and P.E. Partners participant Kim Dalrymple said.

Communication and social interaction are important for improving the lives of autistic persons, which is also facilitated through Special Education classes and clubs such as Circle of Friends. As a whole, CHS has the power to change the lives of autistic children by spreading awareness, supporting the cause and, most importantly, making an effort to include others through social interaction.