Club stands lined the main hall, displaying signs ranging from the Red Cross Club to Silver Spurs. In the main gym, massive trophies had been situated on tables advertising for various extracurricular activities.

And in classrooms, students stood in front of posters and art, explaining their classroom work to observers.

All of this had been part of the 2016 Coppell High School Spring Showcase, an opportunity for students to advertise their activities (both clubs and extracurriculars) and inform parents and incoming students about various classes.

Similar to last year, the school included the Learning Showcase, the Co-Curricular/Extra-Curricular Showcase, and the Clubs and Organizations Showcase in a come-and-go format. The Counselor Corner gave help to parents about topics such as ACT and SAT, and counsellors also gave a presentation on dual credit called “Nuts and Bolts”.

The Showcase is mostly student-led and student-centered. Teachers stay on the sidelines, and it is up to the students to promote their classes and activities to the best of their ability and display the results of their learning.

“I felt the showcase went very well,” CHS assistant principal and Showcase organizer Anthony Poullard said. “[The administration] is so lucky to have such talented learners on our campus and I am so thankful that that our community received a sample of the greatness that occurs in our classroom each day.”

During the Showcase, students get to discuss their personal experiences, their passions, and the results of their pursuits. This had been especially prominent for the numerous clubs.

“It’s really good to have this presence here, because it raises awareness of [the Harry Potter club] for incoming freshmen,” CHS junior and Harry Potter Club member Colleen Jones said. “Most people don’t listen to announcements, so the Showcase tells people that this club exists.”

Many rising freshmen and their parents also attended the Showcase, in order to be informed about the various choices available to them in the high school.

“The Spring Showcase has informed me about clubs, extracurriculars, electives, and gave me an idea of the time commitment needed,” eighth grader Ananya Cheedalla said. “This event is very helpful.”

Jasmine Sun

The Performance Showcase, a talent exhibit, had been excluded this time around, but one special event replaced it: an informational presentation for parents and students, from a guest lecturer in the Coppell Gifted Association. The presentation had been part of the CGA Speaker Series.

Held in the lecture hall at 6:30 p.m., the presentation, called, “Comprehensive Solutions for Complex Global Problems” had been presented by Eva Szalkai Csaky, the director of the Stephanie Hunt Institute for Engineering & Humanity at the Southern Methodist University.

Csaky discussed the use of engineering, business/finance and public policy in solving humanitarian problems. She stressed that solutions need to be tailored to teenagers, as they are old enough to have influence in their families, extended families, and communities, but are also open to ideas.

“I believe in the power of the teenage age group,” Csaky said. “I learned from my work in poor countries that when we want to change behavior, the most effective target is teenagers, because of their social contacts.”

Csaky also discussed some of the projects that SMU is doing in poor areas, and the importance of local communities adopting a leadership role in solving their problems, rather than intervention from nongovernmental organizations and charities.

“I am a firm believer that high school students are agents of change,” Csaky said. “I am trying to figure out formal initiatives that target this demographic.”