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The official student news site of Coppell High School

Coppell Student Media

The official student news site of Coppell High School

Coppell Student Media

The official student news site of Coppell High School

Coppell Student Media

“You are the average of the people you spend the most time with.” Hamza Zakir shares the story of how his time and the people he has met in The Sidekick have changed his life.

Almost as stubborn as a mule

Hamza Zakir, Editorial Page Editor May 21, 2026

“It is true that those we meet can change us, sometimes so profoundly that we are not the same afterwards, even unto our names.” - Yann Martel, Life of Pi “Hey,” I say with a sly, stupid smirk...

More than just student-led journalism, programs like The Sidekick newspaper can introduce someone to a new community. The Sidekick staff designer Shrika Elma reflects on her two-year experience in the newspaper program. Graphic by Shrika Elma

“The Sidekick never sleeps”

Shrika Elma, Staff Designer May 14, 2026

It began with a click. In sixth grade during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2021, I searched up my first name for some unexplainable reason and found myself staring at a response that read “Shrika Vurimi...

Under the vast expanse of Interstate 635, thousands of vehicles drive by every day. The Sidekick staff writer Ayaan Haque believes there is a story behind each and every person driving along the highway.

Stories passing under interstate 635

Ayaan Haque, Staff Writer May 14, 2026

Sometimes when I daydream, I am on the edge of an overpass I’ve crossed hundreds of times, watching the flow of Interstate 635 below.  Keeping with the realism of good ol’ Texas, it isn’t rainy,...

A passion for an enjoyable activity can easily lead to stress and burnout when done in large volumes. The Sidekick staff designer Tareni Moorty describes how her view of art changed due to the stress from grades and expectations that she began to associate with it. Graphic by Prakriti Srivats

The art of letting go

Tareni Moorty, Staff Designer May 14, 2026

The margins of my math worksheets were my canvas as I drew 50 differently sized cubes with my mechanical pencil.  A younger version of myself would have lit up with joy upon the prospect of spending...

The Sidekick staff photographer Tanvi Ravella went on her first solo trip without her family as she traveled to Austin from April 10-12 for the Interscholastic League Press Conference State Convention. Ravella shares her experiences throughout the trip and how it impacts her life. Photo by Ayesha Syed

Chapter 1: My first solo trip

Tanvi Ravella, Staff Photographer May 4, 2026

I always saw teenagers my age going out of town on trips or going to camps and wondered why I wasn’t able to experience the same. I entered my Sidekick class one day expecting the usual announcements,...

The Sidekick editorial page editor Hamza Zakir pays homage to his grandfather, Mohammed Z. Uddin, at his grave at Rolling Oaks Memorial Center in Coppell. Zakir remembers the story of his grandfather’s passing on April 4, 2025.

The slow clack of grief

Hamza Zakir, Editorial Page Editor April 30, 2026

“It’s cloudy outside,” I say. It’s a stupid thing to say. “...”  “...Yeah,” my uncle walks away. There’s nothing left to say. I’d rather stare out the window at the blank concrete...

The Sidekick sports photography editor/sports social media manager Naila Ali takes photos at the football game against Denton Guyer on Oct. 3 at Buddy Echols field. Ali reflects on her goals in life and her new path into sports media. Photo courtesy of Hcrew Pics

Retiring the stethoscope:

Naila Ali, sports photography editor/social media manager April 28, 2026

“I wanna be a pediatrician.” That is all I can remember since I could talk. That is what I said when someone asked the dreaded question: “What do you want to be when you grow up?”  For...

The Sidekick staff designer Shrika Elma possesses a wide imagination full of characters and ideas to implicate into her own stories. Elma reveals her experience with writing as she continues to improve through the years accompanied by an artistic approach starting in sixth grade. Photo illustration by Chloe Smith and Shrika Elma

Writing a journey of endless paths

Shrika Elma, Staff Designer April 2, 2026

For most of my life, I’ve enjoyed writing. Not writing essays. Not writing journalism (although I have gained an appreciation for it from my two years in The Sidekick). But writing fictional stories. You...

The Sidekick editor-in-chief Yug Talukdar inspects the LEGO sets he built. For Talukdar, LEGO holds a lasting place in his heart, serving as the foundation for the imagination shaping much of his childhood.

Letter from the Editor: Growing brick by brick

Yug Talukdar, Executive Editor-In-Chief March 30, 2026

Dinosaurs, castles, spaceships and stormtroopers inhabit containers and shelves throughout my household, scattered like remnants of some lost empire. They once stood proudly over my desk, covered the...

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