Junior Jake Boaz holds up his Flow Check app on his iPhone. Flow Check is a hair rating app created by Boaz in just over six months. Photo by Rachel Bush.

The Apple iPhone has become an iconic part of American culture. The device is used by millions of people every day, including what oftentimes seems like the vast majority of CHS students.

For the past year, however, while most iPhone and iTouch users frittered away their time accumulating applications, junior Jake Boaz was hard at work constructing his own app – “Flow Check”.

With Flow Check, users can upload photos of their “flow” (hairstyle) from Facebook to be rated and commented on by others. Boaz’s app is complete with features such as a worldwide leaderboard and the ability to bookmark your favorite flows.

Flow Check was released to the Apple Store on Jan. 18. Flow Check is a free app, but its counterpart “Flow Check Pro” is one dollar and eliminates all advertisements present on the free app.

Perhaps the most entertaining aspect is scrolling through all of the submissions and rating their “flows” on a scale from one to 10. Other well-received elements of Boaz’s Flow Check are its integration with Facebook and its worldwide leaderboard.

“It’s cool how it interfaces with Facebook, how it pulls up all of your albums and you can pick your pictures from there,” Coppell parent Charley Hellmuth said. “I’m 37 and bald, so I don’t have very many pictures of me with hair any more, but I found one from seventh grade and I’m on the leaderboard now!”

Like any great invention, Flow Check began as a simple idea in Boaz’s head.

“At the end of last school year I noticed a lot of people around the hallways were obsessed with ‘flow’ and how their hair looked,” Boaz said. “I looked on the app store and noticed that there was really nothing that goes with rating hair or flow so I thought ‘there probably should be’.”

Boaz’s idea was a simple one, but it launched him into a harrowing seven-month process that would test his determination and vision. Boaz soon realized that it takes more than just a good idea to be successful; you have to be able to execute your idea efficiently as well.

With the assistance of his father, Boaz decided to outsource the development of Flow Check to freelance professionals in India. The foreign coders and programmers were a great asset to Flow Check’s development, but communicating with them also posed challenges.

Flow Check is an app where users can upload their "flow" and compare it to others' around the world. Graphic courtesy of Jake Boaz.

“When you’re working with developers, how you want it to look can be very different from how they picture it in their head, so you have to be very specific with color, outlook and everything,” Boaz said. “That process takes a long time because you have to get it very fine-tuned. I probably changed the app 40-50 times.”

Flow Check is a sophisticated application, and creating it took considerable financial support. However, Boaz is hopeful that Flow Check will be profitable despite the cost of producing it.

“I don’t really want to disclose the cost but the average cost of a normal app is $5,000 to $8,000,” Jake said. “This is a global market. If you spend $5,000 to $6,000 on an app and you have 20,000 users that buy it, you’ve already doubled your money.”

Though Flow Check is poised to rake in the profit, Boaz has gleaned equally valuable experience that will serve him well in the business world in the future.

“I had to write an entire terms and conditions by myself, I had to set up a company, I had to do a bank account that would route all my money through it, there was iAd Network – there were all sorts of things that were over my head,” Boaz said. “But you get through it, you understand it, and it’s actually helped me a lot in business today.

The entire process of creating Flow Check took Boaz a total of seven months, and countless hours on the phone with India or planning features for the app. Even after Apple initially barred Flow Check from the App Store, and even after some told him it was dumb, Boaz did not give up on his idea.

“I’m very proud of him because there were many times he could’ve given up on it, no question,” father Russell Boaz said. “I’m very proud of him for persevering through it. For his age, I think it’s a pretty great accomplishment.”

Though Flow Check has only been published a few weeks, word of it has caused buzz around Coppell. Thus far, Jake’s app has impressed users, earning 4.5-star rating on the App Store. The app has already been filled with dozens of uploaded “flows” and most users are thoroughly enjoying the experience.

“I thought it was pretty fun,” Hellmuth said. “Kids are going to love that and be posting funny pictures of themselves. I think it works out well.”

Boaz is optimistic that his app could be the next big thing. Everyone has hair, so Flow Check does have a very wide audience.

“I think it does have the potential [to get popular],” Jake said. “We’ve even had a few sales in China and Switzerland. I think it has potential because a universal thing is flow.”

Thus far, however, Flow Check hasn’t caught on very much outside of Coppell. Moving forward, Boaz and his father are planning on launching a viral marketing plan to expose the app to people all over the nation, or even the world.

“Now that we’ve got [Flow Check] done, we’ve got to launch a viral marketing plan,” Mr. Boaz said. “That’s the next step. We need to do it pretty quickly while there’s some buzz about the app.”

Today students in the EMAC classes are having a full day of reporting. Those that are a part of the academy will be found all around the school coming up with story ideas, writing scripts for interviews and completing stories, as well as posting other forms of media.

Students are on a strict deadline system that includes blogs, broadcasting scripts, a video due for editing and posting, and finally a 350 word feature story all due at separate times that are to be presented at the end of school today. Students are also in charge of updating a twitter account regarding what they are working on.

You can follow these students progress on the group twitter page, and, schedule permitting, can attend their presentation at the end of the day.

On Wednesday, CHS teacher Becky Richards was approached by Shalone Williams and Tami Martins. They asked if Richards’ second period Interior Design class would be interested in taking part in executing a 21st century blended learning virtual classroom that is to be constructed in CHS in the near future. Richards was honored for her students to be offered such an experience.

If the offer is carried through,which will be finally determined next week, this group of 21 students would be helping with details such as designing the classroom from top to bottom. They would help with backgrounds, lighting, technology, furniture, and spacing; there might even be a coffee kiosk.

Richards is hoping that the students get to carry though with the offer because it would allow them to in-vision and help build the perfect classroom, and it would be a grand learning experience for this class.

Staff Writer

Until the final second of the final game, last year’s Coppell Cowboys football season was a glorious one. Characterized by colossal victories and a District 7-5A title, last season cemented Coppell’s place as one of the elite football programs in the state.

Defensive Lineman William Udeh pushes through two Arlington Colts players. Photo by Rowan Khazendar.

Saying that there is pressure for this year’s team to succeed would be a massive understatement.

“The expectations are really high since the guys from last year really put us on the map,” sophomore defensive back Troy Parker said. “So everyone’s really looking up to that for us to keep our record up.”

But this year’s team is not the same as its predecessors. The Cowboys lost many starters and key players on both sides of the ball. As a result, this season’s team will by and large be a young and inexperienced one.

One could even go as far as to say that it is a rebuilding year for Coppell.

However, the Cowboys and their coaches are confident they have what it takes to achieve great things, and maybe even win a coveted state title, despite the relative inexperience.

“We do recognize that we lost seven starters on defense to graduation, so we’re pretty young on defense,” defensive coordinator Mike DeWitt said. “But we still have high expectations for the kids that have filled in and obviously we still want to win and get better every week.”

Although familiar faces such as Cam McDaniel [Notre Dame] and Bennett Okotcha [Oklahoma] have gone on to bigger and better things, the Cowboys are still loaded with playmakers, and new leaders have stepped up to the mantle.

The Coppell Cowboys have been training through long and rigorous practices in preparation for this years football season. Photo by Rachel Bush.

The team captains are Sam Rice, David Busby, Austin Buss, Jake Williams and Jake Larson. These seniors will play a pivotal role in guiding this young Cowboys team to the postseason.

Perhaps the most significant new playmaker is starting quarterback Jake Larson. With impressive running capabilities and height of 6-4, Larson is an intimidating figure at quarterback.

“[Larson] is a kid that’s been very eager for it to be his time,” head coach Joe McBride said. “He’s very committed to being a good quarterback and I know he interacts with the kids well. He just needs the experience, and should get better game to game.”

While certain players will carry the torch, the coaches have stressed that the key to success will be their ability to play as a team and have each player carry their own weight.

“We try to emphasize that it’s a team effort,” DeWitt said.  “You have to have 11 guys on the field playing together, not just 10. We try to sell that to the kids that it takes all 11, not one guy that’s more or less important.”

One thing is for sure: the Cowboys’ ability to play as a team will be tested this season. Coppell has returned to District 7-5A, which is considered by many to be the most difficult district in the state.

Every team in the district has the potential to make a great run, but the Cowboys are confident they can handle any opposition they face, even Coppell’s infamous rivals – Southlake Carroll being the most prominent.

“Southlake and Denton Guyer are tough but besides that, we feel like we can just dominate anybody we play,” senior Linebacker Patrick Hemphill said. “The mentality is to be savage, we play with no remorse.”

After securing victories over Mesquite Horn, Arlington and Jesuit in their first three games, the Cowboys appear every bit as dedicated to winning as they did last season. However, it takes more to win that sheer passion for winning. Fortunately for Coppell, the Cowboys have much more going for them than that.

They are ripe with weapons on the offensive side of the ball. Larson aside, seniors Jacob Logan and Luke Jenner have raised eyebrows with impressive performances early in the season, as has the promising young receiver corp.

But according to players and coaches I have spoken to, the Cowboys’ biggest advantages are with the big men on the line. As the old saying goes, the game is won in the trenches.

“The thing we have going for us is that we have a solid defensive line and a solid offensive line,” DeWitt said. “If you can be really great up front on both sides, then I think you’ve got a good chance.”

Despite all the promising aspects of this blossoming Cowboys squad, there are areas that need significant improvement – and McBride readily acknowledged it when asked whether Coppell is good enough to win a state title.

“Not [good enough] right now, but we’re an unfinished product,” McBride said. “I want to improve consistency all over from every position. I hope that weeks from now we’ll be a lot better and play at a very high level. And hopefully, by then we will be [good enough].”

In the meantime, the Cowboys are working diligently to ensure that this improvement takes place. Every day the team practices together in the grueling Texas heat to achieve the height of their potential. And for an outstanding program of tradition like Coppell, the skies are the limit.

“What makes this team special is the heart that we show,” Hemphill said. “We have a lot of young players, but we’ve all stepped up and shown that we’re ready to go.”

Dozens of high schools across North Texas participated in the Dallas Morning News Day and Competition on Tuesday April 19.

For the first time in its history, The Sidekick Newspaper was deemed the Best Overall Newspaper and its website, coppellstudentmedia.com, was awarded the title of Best Student Website.

Legacy High School received Honorable Mention in Best Website while The Eagle Angle of Allen and The Hawk Eye of Hebron received Honorable Mention in Best Paper.

The Sidekick also had an individual award winner, Divya Kumar, whose story won Best Editorial at the competition.

With so many schools involved in the competition, these are tremendous honors for The Sidekick and Coppell High School as a whole. 

Six staff members, as well as advisor Chase Wofford, were present at the competition to accept the awards. To all of our readers, thanks for your support, it is because of you that The Sidekick is able to be so successful.

This past weekend, the William T. Cozby Public Library held its first “Cozby Con”. The convention, which is similar to a smaller version of the bigger Comic-Con, was held to show the importance of using things like comic books to encourage kids to read.

The original Comic-Cons are fan conventions held in various places around the world such as London, San Diego and New York. Not only is it a great way to meet fellow fans of various comic franchises, these events play host to actor and director panels from movies, screenings of anime films, booths for comic-book merchants and tons of other fun and exciting things.

The bigger Comic-Con’s however, are missing a key element that the Cozby Con has, and that is to encourage literacy among children, especially boys. In a world where kids seem to be spending more and more time on the computer and less time focusing on their studies or reading a book, the Cozby Con is a good way to get children interested in improving their literacy.

Though comic books may not seem like the best source of literacy, an article published by the Canadian Council on Learning showed that boys are less inclined to read novels like girls, and prefer literary works that are fantasy or comic books. The article proved to be the basis for the Cozby Con event.

“Studies have shown that comics can be beneficial in encouraging children to start reading,” Cozby librarian Sarah Silverthorne said. “[The article] demonstrated the importance of comics books in developing literacy, especially for boys.”

Comic books have increasingly become popular pieces of literature since they came onto the scene more then 70 years ago. They’ve been made into TV shows, movies and have expanded from more than just the funny section of a newspaper or simply superhero comics. And it’s not only boys that they’ve become popular with either.

“I’ve been reading comic books since I was little and they’ve always been a fun and exciting form of literature to me,” senior Amanda Perkins said.

Unlike other novels, comics have pictures and illustrations that would attract the attention of kids from younger age groups. It’s not just words that kids are reading, it’s the pictures that come with it and ultimately what gives comic books their appeal to any audience.

“Comics give a real sense of movement and action to a story that you can’t always get with a normal novel, and the different art styles add a lot to the story,” senior Sung Bin Lee said.

The convention wasn’t just a showcase for comic books though, and those that attended were encouraged to dress up as their favorite superhero. The winners from the art contest were also announced, with the first place prize being a $25 gift card to Barnes and Noble.

Visitors were also treated to a comic read-a-thon, the showing of an anime feature, and the chance to purchase things like comics and art prints from local artists. Local comic book writer and artist, Taylor Lymbery, was also present as well as Justin Rojas and Joel Rodriguez from the anime entertainment company, Funimation, who have produced shows such as Dragon Ball Z and One Piece and whose headquarters are actually located in Flower Mound.

Cozby Con helped to show that reading could be fun and celebrated comics, manga and anime. It’s not just boys that were encouraged to read either, but for everyone to utilize what the library offers.

“We hope, with this convention, to encourage people of all ages to read and make use of their local library,” Silverthorne said.

Next time you’re in the mood for a the action packed pages of a comic book, or even just for a normal book to read, William T. Cozby is always there to cater to your literary needs.

VID00175

Staff Writer

On Wednesday, I traveled with seven other newspaper students to SMU in Dallas where we all attended Dallas Morning News Day. The event consisted of two sessions where we were able to choose different seminars to attend.

The journalists who spoke at the seminars were extremely inspiring. Coming home, I felt like I now had all of the tools to become a successful journalist, even if I haven’t decided whether or not I will always want to pursue it.

Jean-Jacques Taylor, a sports columnist for the Dallas Morning News, and his colleagues from the sports world gave the room of budding journalists, innumerable journalism tips. I learned three very important lessons from him.

1. Develop relationships with sources, talk to people and deserve respect.

I didn’t realize how much of good reporting is just talking and making connections, something most of us have been doing since our elementary school day. Keeping the source in mind and respecting them when they ask something to be cut from a story is one of the important ways to maintain good relationships and mutual respect.

1. Dabble in multiple areas

To be a journalist, you have to be knowledgeable about a variety of subjects, but specifically whatever beat, or topic, you cover for the paper. In college, they said said, it is important to branch out and learn about a variety of things that interest you so you can sound credible when you write about an issue.

1. Work hard

Taylor said that he once asked a mentor the best way to succeed in reporting. His mentor said, “Work hard.” Taylor said he was already working hard, but the mentor replied, “Work harder.” He credits this advice with his success.

After all of the things I have learned, I hope to be a better, better-rounded journalist, who can deserve respect from sources. Oh, and I’m going to start working a whole lot harder too.

To view Jean-Jacques Taylor’s blogs, visit: http://jacquestaylorblog.dallasnews.com/

Today I realized a sad truth. As I flipped through the news channels when I arrived home from school, an “important update on a recent story” appeared. My ears immediately perked up. As I watched expecting to hear something about the President or the economy, Tiger Woods appeared on the screen.

What was this “important update?” Merely information on Tiger Woods and the apology he made today. After rolling my eyes, I flipped to another news station only to find the same update. Frustrated, I thought surely not every news station considers this breaking news. Sure enough, every channel I flipped to had Tigers sorry face.

Has this really what the news has come to? I don’t know about you, but I really don’t care how sorry Tiger is. I am going to think he is a cheating scum bag either way.

I really hope that the rest of the world agrees when I ask that the media sticks to reporting news as opposed to celebrity gossip.

As the students at CHS know, there are classes at the school that only last one semester such as speech, advanced reading, P.E. classes, and many others that will be replaced by a different class at the end of the semester. Often this means going to classes where students don’t know many people and leaving behind friends in other classes. Lunch periods and core class periods are also subject to change as well.

“My lunch is changing and I’ve always thought that lunch is the hardest thing to change because it’s hard enough finding people to sit with on the first day, much less the middle of the year,” junior Megan Cooper said.

The switch from classes isn’t always all bad though. It opens up the opportunity to meet new people and learn something new. Though core classes can be hard to change out of, it can be a blessing to some if they were having trouble in the class before and can also mean the change from a required elective, to one that a student takes for fun.

“I’m really looking forward to switching from speech to creative writing because creative writing is a class I actually want to take instead of a class I’m required to take,” said Cooper.

Course changes aren’t the only things different about the new semester. Starting on Tuesday, January 19^th, students will be allowed to bring their laptops to school in order to use in class for school work. Students will have access to the internet through either their Mac or Windows laptop.

“It’s really cool that we’re able to use our laptops at school now. It’ll definitely help with homework and projects that require the use of a computer”, said junior Lauren Mulvihill.

The change was announced to students earlier in the week, and once students get back from the three day weekend, they may potentially be caring a little more than purses and backpacks through the halls of the school.  Students at New Tech are already allowed to use laptops during class, and this new privilege for the students at CHS will provide them with a more technological learning experience.

With only 50 students involved in the IB program, the students were split into partners by drawing names anonymously from a hat. Each partner group had to buy the other three presents worth $10 or less. The presents would then be placed under a Christmas tree in Mr. Vergiens room until given to its recipient.

The final gift exchange took place in the students’ Theory of Knowledge class, during their party. The gift givers were revealed, though students had been working on trying to guess who their partner was prior to the party.

“The whole thing was really fun because everyone was trying to figure out who their Secret Santa was, but we only found out on Tuesday,” junior Nick Bolton and IB participant said. 

Secret Santa was thought to be started by the only and only, Saint Nicholas who was a bishop and saint in Turkey. He was known for random acts of kindness by giving people presents anonymously. Thus, the idea for Secret Santa was born with Saint Nicholas as the original gift giver.

The tradition of Secret Santa is practiced not only in America, but also in Canada and the United Kingdom where it is known as Kris Kringle. Schools and work places have been known to celebrate and it’s a good way to spread holiday cheer without having to spend too much money. Usually small gifts are given so as not to go over the price range, but small gifts can me just as much to someone as a large gift.

Students received gifts such as teddy bears, figurines, and slippers. Many of the students involved in the program were seen walking around with little gift bags that were to be passed out or ones that had been given. Maybe the new tradition will spread throughout the school in future years for all students to enjoy.