SPUR ends year on high note

Coleman Armes Staff Writer SPUR, or Supporting Peers and Utilizing Relationships, ended the year on a high note. Today’s SPUR focussed on Shattered Dreams showing the video used during the program plus additional footage. It really hit home and was able to show a summary of the show to the underclassmen who were unable to view it during the original program. The last SPUR of the year showed students that go to Coppell High School instead of random ones and allowed students to relate. This was much needed because SPUR or the the program formerly known as map has brought mixed opinions to students. Some argue that it is pointless and that people do not…

Students pursue interests at National High School Journalism Convention sessions

Thomas Hair Staff Writer Journalism is an incredibly diverse field, with numerous specialities ranging from television broadcasting to web page designing. At the 2011 JEA/NSPA Spring National High School Journalism Convention from Thursday April 14 to Saturday April, journalism students from all over the nation have the opportunity to attend a wide range of sessions covering every possible branch of journalism. The convention is being held at the Marriot Hotel in Anaheim, California. Today, hundreds of students checked into the hotel in preparation for the initiation of the sessions on Friday. Among this throng of aspiring journalists are the students from Coppell High School. Members of The Sidekick Newspaper, KCBY, and the Round Up Yearbook…

KCBY wins first place in national convention

Ashley Attanucci Web Manager Imagine 2,000 students running around a convention center, cameras and microphones in hand, curiously scoping the setting for an idea to base a winning video off of. This was the scene at the Rosen Plaza Hotel in Orlando, Fla, where 20 KCBY students attended the annual Student Television Network (STN) Convention, racing against top students from across the nation and a strict deadline. This year, for the first time in Coppell High School history, KCBY brought back first place bragging rights after winning first place in the Short Feature category. Seniors Keely Leonard and Allen McKlintock and junior Jordan Haggin made up the winning team. “It’s usually a pretty hard contest…

Students take control of finals with varying study habits

Mary Whitfill Features Editor Chris Reagen KCBY Finals week is known to bring caffeine binges, study sessions, large amounts of money spent to support the Starbucks franchise and the realization that high school isn’t always a walk in the park. With the additional stress and workload coming with the last week of the semester, many students are forced redesign their study habits and figure out a way to manage everything that is suddenly placed on their shoulders. As a student at CHS, I am no stranger to cram studying, late night essay writing and three hour class study sessions at Starbucks on a Sunday afternoon. I am used to watching my fellow students try to…

New Years Resolutions

By Chase Porter Video by Sophie Dasbach First off, happy New Year to all the readers out there; any New Years resolutions already falling through the cracks? Here are some tricks and tips to keep you on track for the resolutions of the New Year. The most popular resolutions for recent years has of course has been to lose weight, quit a bad habit, improve a career or grades and start volunteering more or donating money to charities. If you don’t have a resolution just yet, it is not too late to start. First, your going to want to set a goal for yourself- something that you think you can achieve. Then, give yourself a…

Annual Oak Fest returns to Coppell

Story by Mary Whitfill Features Editor Video by Tara Henry Coppell’s Oak Fest shines again this year as it drew hundreds of Coppell residents to Andy Brown Park for an evening of music, food and fun. The tradition is sure to carry on for years to come, connecting Coppell generations past, present and future. Local food vendors applied for a temporary food permit from the City of Coppell in order to set up a booth and sell their product to the hundreds of waiting connoisseurs. Setting up a booth at the event was not only a great way to help sustain the hungry visitors, but it also allowed for each company to promote their business…

KCBY’s New Studio

By Abby Drake Staff Writer Video By: Keely Leonard and Nick Jordan From the start KCBY only had four PCs and two old and heavy cameras to work with. Now, with the inclusion of new, advanced equipment, the talent of the staff is blended with impressive gear, taking KCBY to a whole new level. A generous Texas company, Texas Country Reporter, donated equipment that was no longer useful to them to KCBY last fall. In comparison to past gear, the new items are far more advanced and technical. What was once a small room home to a lonely couch in the back of the KCBY hallway is now filled from wall-to-wall with new soundboards, large…

Students and teachers ride with Cowboy Pride in annual Homecoming Parade

By Michelle Pitcher Opinions Editor Video by Wren Culp and Mason Adams. Footage courtesy of Adam Borel Coppell residents of all ages braved the heat on Thursday, Sept. 9, to take part in the annual Coppell High School Homecoming Parade. Many changes were made this year in order to improve safety as well as the overall experience for viewers and participants alike. Although the parade did not start until 6:15 p.m., floats began lining up in the Verizon parking lot at 5:00 to claim the coveted first spots in the parade line-up. While waiting, some organizations put the finishing touches on their floats, while others socialized and observed other entries. Morale was high amongst the…

KCBY lives up to reputation at competition

By Ellen Cameron Staff Writer The day before the glitz and glamour of the Academy Awards, a mimicry of this Hollywood flair unfolds in the ballroom of the Disneyland Hotel, as winners of the film contest are announced by well-coiffed professionals. This scene, however, is set by teens, in the Student Television Network Convention in Anaheim, Calif. on March 3-6. The award ceremony closed a weekend of film contests, in which Coppell High School’s own KCBY competed—and, in promotional announcement, placed second out of hundreds. Though the 21 staff members had a chance to hang out and bond on the flight to Orange County, as they were for the most part the only passengers, everything…

CHS teachers and students work together to ‘lose it’

By Mary Whitfill Staff Writer  Students are giving back to teachers and staff with a new KCBY reality show, CHS Biggest Losers. Students have volunteered to serve as personal trainers for any staff member who expresses interest in the free exercise service, giving athletic students the perfect chance to share what they love to do with the teachers they spend the day with. Each student volunteer has committed to 30 minutes per week, either before or after school. The activities will take place in the turf room, field house, track, weight room, gyms or in the stadium. Each workout place and time is to be determined by the student and staff member and will include…