Congress’ new school lunch policy changes health standards

By Mary Whitfill Features Editor The Congress of the United States is currently pushing a bill that will keep pizza and french fries in school lunch lines and fight the attempts of the Obama administration to take unhealthy foods out of schools. The final version of a spending bill released Monday would override the school lunch standards proposed by the Agriculture Department (USDA) earlier this year. The proposed standards would have limited the use of potatoes and called for the use of more whole grains. The standards would have also defined that in order for tomato paste on pizza to be counted as a vegetable, one half of a cup must be used per serving….

Editorial: Students urged to cast vote in upcoming election

The United States of America is in the midst of precarious times. Unemployment is rampant and the economy is little more than a shriveled remnant of what it once was. The wealthy are getting wealthier, and the poor are getting poorer. It is in tremulous times such as these that the nation is truly in need of a strong leader to take command, to assuage the uneasy populace. Without bold and decisive individuals fronting America’s government, the future of the nation is an uncertain one. America needs Presidents who are painstaking in representing the wishes of the majority. However, it is the responsibility of American voters to select such a worthy candidate, someone we can…

We The People ensures voices will be heard

By Ben Cowlishaw Online Copy Editor The voting age for Americans is 18, and for most students at Coppell High School, that means for the time being they can’t have much of a say in our government. However, a movement by the Obama Administration ensures that everyone in America can let their voice be heard. We The People, a subset of whitehouse.gov, is a site where anyone can create and sign petitions by simply creating an account with their name, email address and city. Any petition that gathers at least 25,000 signatures within a month is promised to be reviewed and a response be made by the White House. For example, a petition for the…

Constitutional Amendment Election to be held Nov. 8

By Mary Whitfill Features Editor Ten propositions will go on the ballot tomorrow for the November Texas Constitutional Amendment Election. Registered Dallas County voters can report to their precinct polling location to cast their vote. Propositions up for election are as follows: Proposition Number 1 (SJR 14): SJR 14 would amend the constitution to authorize the legislature to provide the surviving spouse of a totally disabled veteran with exemption from property taxes on the couples home, so long as the surviving spouse has not remarried and the property remains their primary residence. Proposition Number 2 (SJR 4): SJR 4 would amend the constitution to authorize the Texas Water Development Board to issue bonds on a…

Students should keep close eye on upcoming presidential election

By Coleman Armes Staff Writer As I sat down and watched what I could of the Republican presidential candidates’ debate tonight before I had to get started on my homework I realized something very important. Many of this year’s seniors and juniors will be able to vote in the 2012 presidential election, and I know only a very few who even know the actual differences between Republicans and Democrats. It’s our chance to have a say in how our government is run; we shouldn’t just vote just to say we voted. We should vote because we stand for what our chosen candidate stands for. So I encourage you, if you don’t really know about the candidates, to start watching debates and keeping up…

Military regulation not democratic

By Mike Pankonien Staff Writer In a recent poll commissioned by The Family Research Council, a majority of American’s were found to be against letting congress set military policy (in particular “Don’t ask, don’t tell”) and would prefer the military itself decide its own affairs. Out of 2000 participants, only 23 percent believed congress should have the authority over the military to repeal “Don’t ask, don’t tell” compared to 59 percent who believe the power should lie with the military; this is a grave mistake. Since the adoption of our nation’s Constitution in 1787, Congress was granted the powers to “raise and support armies,” “provide and maintain a navy,” and to “make rules for the…