Princesses promote poor values

By Kara Adkins Online Copy Editor With drool stains on his T-shirt and boogers running from his nose, I was rejected on my preschool playground by my first crush. In that gut-wrenching moment, I realized everything does not end in happily ever after. For the majority of my life, I searched for a Cinderella-type romance. I thought having high standards meant waiting to be chased, saved and swept off your feet by Prince Charming.  These ideas were put into my mind by none other than my preschool pastime: Disney. Aurora, otherwise known as Sleeping Beauty, spends the entire movie waiting to be rescued by a prince. Snow White’s goal is to have a prince take…

Writing about writing again

By Mary Whitfill Features Editor   I love the media. #unpopularopinion. I think the media is the only industry that works more than it does not. I think it is the most fulfilling profession of all time and I completely understand why so many people despise it. I think the media is a perfectly reasonable thing to hate. There are plenty of reasons that normal, sane people want to throw a shoe at media personalities every time they write another column or open their mouths, but there are an equal number of reasons as to why journalism is the most necessary field in the world. Journalism is a public dialogue. The people who work in…

Satire, comedy or news? Comedy Central programs provide alternative to mainstream media

Corrina Taylor Staff Writer When we tune into Comedy Central, we see shows such as The Colbert Report, The Daily Show and South Park. We turn these on to have a few laughs before bed, but we may not understand the significance of the shows and what they are saying The actual definition of satire is the use of irony, or sarcasm in exposing or denouncing, and it is on display on these Comedy Central  programs . The Colbert Report takes real political disputes and spins them into comedic skits for the viewers’ enjoyment. It uses satire to denounce the major conservative programs such as Fox News’s The O’Reilly Factor. The more liberal stance the…

Cowlishaw follows in fathers footsteps

By Ben Cowlishaw Online Copy Editor This is the time in students’ lives when we begin to discover our independence. We explore what inspires and intrigues us as we get closer to leaving our parents’ massive influence. It is an outdated cliché to continue the “family business”, but as most try as hard as they can to exploit the differences between them and their parents, I’ve realized that following in my father’s footsteps might be where I belong. Instead of dreading the thought of “turning into my parents,” I have found myself running headfirst into my father’s wake. My father, Tim Cowlishaw, a well respected journalist of The Dallas Morning News and nine year panelist…

Sidekick students to mentor fellow journalists in media convergence

Thomas Hair Staff Writer ANAHEIM, Calif. – For the hundreds of journalism students gathered at the Marriot Hotel for the JEA/NSPA National High School Journalism Convention, Friday was an extremely busy day. It was the first full day of sessions, where knowledgeable professionals mentor the aspiring students on all aspects of journalism. The sessions continue on Saturday, the final day of the convention. Over the past several years, The Sidekick has established itself as a frontrunner in the conversion of high school newspapers to the online realm. For the Sidekick students attending the Convention, Saturday will be a far more important day, the culmination of several days of preparation for the Convention. Sidekick students in…

Super Bowl XLV is more than a football game

Sammy Robben Staff Writer Video by: Katie Kennedy and Kiley Bratton To most, the Super Bowl is the just a football game, but Coppell High School media classes and Emerging Media and Communication (EMAC) students have learned that it is so much more. Super Bowl XLV Host Committee Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Tara Green, a Coppell resident, visited CHS on Oct. 29 to visit with students about what it took to get Super Bowl XLV to North Texas and how it will affect the region. The assembly helped students learn more about the media. “I thought it was a good idea for the teachers to bring a speaker in to teach us new…

Wade heads to Chapman to pursue dreams

By Gaby Moran Staff Writer Senior Natalie Wade’s dream after college is to become a coffee girl. Now, while that sounds like a job you do not need a degree in, being a coffee girl for an important producer is one of the first steps in order to become a major player in the media world down the road. “I realize when I tell people specifically that after college my goal is to be a coffee girl they get a little confused,” Wade said. “But in order to have a chance to be a part of that world, you have to start out on the very bottom and work your way up.” All through her…

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….

Welcome back Jack Black

By Wren Culp Staff Writer I love Jack Black. His hilarious way of using his size and charm to please the audience just tickles me to death. And my favorite animated Jack Black movie is coming back for a sequel. The 2008 comedy Kung Fu Panda really seemed to hit homes with audiences and critics alike. The movie received 89% positive reviews from Rotten Tomatoes, which takes top critics from all around the globe and compiles them together. And now in 2011 the sequel to the movie will hit movie theaters. Kung Fu Panda: The Kaboom of Doom is going to be released in 2011 by the same company who made its predecessor, Kung Fu…

Midnight Movie Musts

By Angela Almeida  Opinions Editor      Ever get jaded by the trite times of Coppell? If so, maybe the Friday and Saturday midnight movie showings at the Inwood Theatre in Dallas is the thing for you.     This week Jim Henson’s classic ‘The Dark Crystal’ is showing in the screening room. Arguably the supreme novelty at the Inwood, the screening room is complete with love sac sofas and bean bags. Tickets are $7.00 (luckily much cheaper than the overbearing prices of Grapevine Mills).    To see the list of movies for the following weeks visit here: http://www.landmarktheatres.com/market/Dallas/Dallas_frameset.htm     For those interested in seeing ‘The Dark Crystal’, the movie is a scintillating fantasy, complete with the battle between good…