Room D115, home to Coppell High School’s student-led newspaper The Sidekick, is constantly buzzing with energy as student journalists tackle their next deadline.
This productivity has paid off.
The Sidekick/Coppell Student Media was named a 2026 Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA) Crown finalist for High School Hybrid News on Wednesday.
A CSPA Crown Award is among the highest honors for student journalism. Finalists are announced annually and include newspapers, magazines, yearbooks and online publications. Judges evaluated newspapers printed during the 2024-25 school year. At the CSPA Spring Convention in March, The Sidekick will learn if it receives a Gold or Silver Crown.
Considerable effort went behind earning this recognition, along with a unified staff and a supportive adviser, Chase Wofford.
“We have an amazing adviser who gives us the opportunity to explore journalism professionally, and then also have a staff that is dedicated to their craft which is really beneficial,” 2024-25 editor-in-chief Sukirtha Muthiah said. “I don’t think it would be possible without that.”
Collaboration is key when it comes to publishing a newspaper, whether it be online or in print. The Sidekick staff works together to make both possible with editors, writers, designers, photographers and podcasters joining forces.
“With so many working parts, you need to have that open communication and that willingness to work with each other, listen to each other and grow with each other,” Muthiah said. “I think our staff models that in a really good way because we’re all there for the same goal of getting quality news out to our community.”
Much of The Sidekick’s effort is unseen by readers, and recognitions such as this allow students’ hard work to be commended.
“I get to see how hard the staff works, so I like it when people that don’t necessarily see the front end of the work see the final product and recognize that it’s quality work, just like I see everyday,” Wofford said.
Encouraged by the staff’s dedication, Wofford is adamant about supporting their endeavors with his role as adviser.
“The staff deserves someone who cares and someone who is going to put in the work to match theirs,” Wofford said.
Senior editor-in-chief Yug Talukdar thinks this recognition acknowledges what The Sidekick values, which includes being ethical and representing the Coppell community properly.
“The important thing is not the award itself, but the thing that it signifies to us, which is that we’re doing high quality work,” Talukdar said.
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