Coppell High School’s tradition of a Spain trip over sping break is continuing this year. Eleven students and Spanish teacher Janine Kay will be traveling to the country of Spain for a week-long adventure.

The group has been planning for over a year to visit the Spanish-speaking country to immerse themselves in a new culture, touring, tasting and most of all speaking Spanish.

They will leave tomorrow morning on a 14-hour flight and return Sunday just before the start of school.

Planned activities include visiting museums, monuments, walks and tours, shopping and eating at restaurants. The best part about the Spain trip, aside from a grand experience in a foreign country as a high school student, is the freedom for the students to choose their own activities. The schedule is supposed to stay flexible and fun, the only promise being lots of walking.

Anybody was allowed to be in the group to travel to Spain when sign-up started last year, whether they be a Spanish class student or not. In past years, the vacation has been memorable and lots of fun, as is expected with any occasion with Ms. Kay.

Safe, fun and educational traveling to all who are going!

If you know anything about me, if you’ve ever ridden in a car with me, you know I have one solitary obsession. For the past 7 years or so, give or take a few, I’ve memorized every word, every harmony, every drumbeat to The Format. Arizona natives Nate Ruess and Sam Means created their indie rock band in 2001 to break away from the cookie-cutter “format” of the current musicians. With 1960’s and 70’s pop influences, The Format, though still a seemingly unknown band, took rock music as I knew it by storm.

On February 4, 2008, however, life as I knew it ended, what I thought to be, forever. The Format had broken up. Any explanation that was given to the world was this salutary statement from Nate Ruess:

“We have just put out word that we will not be making a new Format album. Please understand this was a tough decision and we’re both upset about it. While we accept there will be false speculation as to why, understand that Sam and I remain extremely close and in fact are still passing the twin peaks box set back and forth in an attempt to figure out who REALLY killed laura palmer.”

“We also want to thank everyone with and within the Format, particularly Mike, Don, and Marko, whom without, none of this would have ever even been fully realized. We both suggest you support their musical talents and whatever they decide to do. And lastly we want to thank the fans who made this the best 5 years of our lives.”

For nearly two years now, along with mourning the loss of my beloved Format, I listened and relistened to their first release “Interventions and Lullabies” and “Dog Problems”. I’ve slowly come to accept that all good things must come to an end. I will forever regret not attending a concert when I had the chance, merely assuming that I would always have the opportunity.

It wasn’t until the holiday break that I had been revitalized. When one door closes, a window opens. Ruess, vocalist of The Format, has united with Jack Antonoff, lead of Steel Train, and Andrew Dost, ex-Anathallo to form a new band called Fun.

Though Fun lacks the chemistry that The Format and I once had, it’s completely refreshing. Most songs upbeat and entertaining, Ruess’ voice carries The Format’s charm and adds flair to his new band. I am newly obsessed with Fun, but The Format still holds a big part of my heart.

Fun will be touring with Jack’s Mannequin this season, opening at The House of Blues on February 17.

Staff Writter

We live in a place full of noise. Everywhere we go there is noise. Music, sound effects, voices, clicking, typing, ringing, banging, and booming. There is a whole world of sounds just waiting to be discovered. Lucky for us, we live 40 minutes away from one of the biggest towns in America, where there are constantly places to listen to the sounds that has already been discovered. Dallas is one of the top live music places in Texas, and there is always something to listen to. The following are shows coming to Dallas in the next few months and you have my word that they will all be worth your time and money.

1. Date: Feb. 10

Show: Howie Day

Venue:  House of Blues Dallas

Ticket Price: $20.00         

Songs You’ll Know: “Collide” and “Falling In Love”

2. Date: Feb. 17

Show: Jack’s Mannequin

Venue: House of Blues Dallas

Ticket Price: $23.00

Performing With: Fun and Vedera

3. Date: Feb. 25

Show:  Tegan and Sara

Venue: The Palladium Ballroom                

Ticket Price: $30.00

Songs Covered by Other Musicians: “Walking With a Ghost” – The White Stripes and “You Wouldn’t Like Me” – Motion City Soundtrack

 4. Date: Feb. 26

Show: The Rocket Summer        

Venue: The Granada Theater

Ticket Price: $15.00

Sounds Like: Dashboard Confessional, Bright Eyes  

5. Date: Mar. 7

Show: Brandi Carlile

Venue: House of Blues Dallas

Ticket Price: $20.00

My Favorite Songs : “Have You Ever” & “My Song”

I’ll see you there.

The much anticipated Spirit of Coppell Holiday Parade of Lights on Saturday, December 5 will begin at 6:30 p.m. at Samuel and follow down Parkway to Town Center Plaza where Coppellians will meet the lighting of Town Center.

This year’s parade theme is “wreaths and trees, ribbons and bows” so expect to see festively decorated floats and parade walkers who will be passing out glowing items and candy. The night is guaranteed to be brilliant and bright with each float required to have at least 200 lights. Before the parade, floats will be judged and first and second place winners will be selected. Santa Clause and Mrs. Clause will be atop last year’s first place winner’s float.

The celebration and lighting at Town Center is an annual tradition full of holiday cheer and jolly good fun and this year will include a snow area, performances, carolers, refreshments and a special appearance from Santa Clause. Festivities are to begin immediately after the parade.

All intersections along the route of the parade will be temporarily closed for safety and reopened as the parade passes. Parking is available at the Aquatic and Recreation Center as well as the north side of the Justice Center (click for directions).

Graphics Designer

How many times have you walked by a group of kids in a circle throwing a small bag around using only their feet? At Coppell High School, the game of hacky sack has earned a prestigious place as a fun and entertaining activity that everybody can partake in.

The game of hacky sack was invented in the 20^th century, but it has very ancient roots. One of the earliest known forms of hacky sacking was a game called ‘shuttlecock’ in Japan, around 600 AD.

Over the years, the precursors of hacky sack have taken various forms around the world. But the modern game that millions love was invented in the 1970s. More specifically, in 1972, John Stalberger and Mike Marshall invented the game. Unfortunately, Marshall would die of a heart attack three years later, but Stalberger would go on to make the hacky sack famous. The toy maker “Wham-O” would buy the rights to the foot bag and would soon become the trademark item of the company.

The game of hacky sack involves two or more people tossing a foot bag between each, other using their feet, without trying to drop the bag on the ground. In addition, tricks and creative stunts are used to add an extra amount of challenge to the game.

Today, hacky sacking is thought of as an underappreciated and undervalued sport that involves a skill that allows the students of Coppell High School to have a simple and easy way to kick back and relax.

“Hacky sacking is a fun activity and is a good way to relieve stress.” Sebas Manacera said.”

However, not all at CHS agree with Sebas’s view of the hacky sack. Associate Principal Mike Dominguez says that while hacky sacking is fun, it can be dangerous and hurt a by standard.

“I have no problem with it during lunch and outside the building”. Dominguez said.

In any case, hacky sacking is an enjoyable sport that is here to stay at CHS.

The alternative band, Jack’s Mannequin, is coming back to Dallas seven months after they opened for The Fray in July but this time the band will be the main entertainment of the night.

The opening band for them is Fun and Vedera. Fun is an inde pop band from New York who debuted their first album in Sept. 2008. Vedera is a rock band from Kansas City who got started in 2004.

The concert is on Wed. Feb. 17 starting at 6 pm.  Tickets go on sale on ticketmaster.com on Sat. Nov. 7 at 10 am.  Tickets start at $23.

Staff Writer

Every month I receive a fresh copy of the newest edition of Vogue magazine. Upon snatching it from my mailbox, I immediately run inside, jump onto my bed, turn on my bedside light and settle in for a fashion experience.

I’ll be honest, I don’t read it for the articles. The thrill of  immense inspiration that I get from the creative shoots and most importantly the outfits that Vogue is able to create is probably bordering on silly, but I don’t care. There are few things in this world that inspire me like Vogue magazine, and recently, I found the best way to express the creative rush that comes from reading it.

The answer, my fellow fashionistas, is Polyvore.com. The website was created essentially to allow creative people to express their love for fashion by creating “sets” of collages. The best part of Polyvore? The stuff that you make the collages out of are designer clothes.

Polyvore has an online catalogue of hundreds of designer clothing, jewelry, bags, accessories – you name it. You simply choose categories such as dresses or shoes and pick whichever designer you’d like and Polyvore will supply you with the shoes or dresses that designer has created for present and past seasons. It’s every art students dream.

In addition to designer clothing, Polyvore allows you to add music and your own pictures to your sets, allowing for the most creativity possible.

Polyvore is great if you have ever been inspired by fashion or want to inspire people with fashion. It’s also a fun and creative way to pass the time whenever Facebook starts to get boring. Plus, there’s the amount of inspiration that often comes from viewing exciting clothing for too long (well, if you’re like me anyways).

If you’d like to check Polyvore out, click here to be directed to their homepage and create your account today.