![Walking through the tunnel created by the cheerleaders and Celebrities, senior Frances Tran smiles as the soccer team is sent off during DEN for their playoff game against Rouse tonight. Tran said the wins against Smithson Valley and Alamo Heights gave the team a morale boost to take on the Raiders tonight. “I know we were not 100% confident in those games,” Tran said. “But, Rouse is a big opponent for sure. We’re definitely going into tonight with a lot of morale [because of the previous wins].”](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/frances-tran.jpg)
![Holding a bucket of materials in one hand and a roll of tape in another, anatomy and biology teacher Tyler Terry prepares for a lab. Terry said his proudest moments are when his students are happy to see him. “When I take my wife to a football game or something and a bunch of students want to say hi to me or they like to smile and wave and it just makes me feel good that the students are really kind and supportive of me,” Terry said. “[I’m also] proud when I see students perform really well in their extracurriculars because I can see how hard they’re working in my classes, [so] when I see that they’re also working so hard in other things. Like they’re winning band competitions or they’re getting awards for their theater productions, or I see them put on their choir shows, that’s like, wow, you guys are incredible.”](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Rags-6.png)
![Catching a ball, junior Alivia Robinson plays at the Cedar Park vs Glenn game. Having played since she was 5 years old, she is dedicated to softball and has committed to UTPB for softball. “When I got my offer it took me a very long time to decide where,” Robinson said. “Softball has always been my dream for college, and UTPB is my fit. When [I committed] I knew I was going to be loved and supported.”](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Lilly-Adams-3.13aliviaedit-901.jpg)
![Holding her dog, Nova, senior Ariana Balakrishnan poses for her senior pictures while Nova wears a bandana with her college decision. Balakrishnan applied to 18 colleges in total, but she decided on Columbia in the end. “Right before I clicked the button to open Columbia’s letter, I literally looked at the camera and go ‘This is just gonna really suck because I wanted it so bad,’ and I clicked it and all of a sudden you hear trumpets,” Balakrishnan said. “There’s a video that plays when you open it and I actually didn’t watch the video, I just watched the screen go black, because every day of December before ED [Early Decision] I would go on YouTube and watch the acceptance video to manifest it, so immediately when the screen went black, I started screaming and jumping up and down. And my parents in the video are like ‘What are you doing, where’s the letter,’ and I was just screaming ‘I got in, I got in.” I just started crying, and it just felt like everything in the world came together.”](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/ariana-2-300x217.jpg)
The Celebrities dance team is well known among students for its crowd-pleasing halftime routines and pep rally performances in the fall, but each spring brings with it a new spotlight for the talented group of young dancers. It is the time when stadium lights are replaced by stage lights, and kick routines are joined with jazz, hip-hop and lyrical performances. The Celebrities’ Stardust spring show is one that students, parents and dancers alike look forward to year after year. The annual show showcased many memorable performances and featured Cedar Parks very talented dancers.
This year’s show took place April 14 through 16 in the PAC. The theme of the show was “Celebrities in the City,” which gave way to urban motifs and a number of fun new routines.
“The performance [is my favorite part],” Ada Zhang, senior and co-captain, said. “That is where we get to show everyone what we work the hardest for.”
One special addition to this year’s show was the re-instatement of the guys’ dance. This previously popular aspect of the show was once again added to allow guys to take part and enjoy performing alongside the ladies. As Cedar Park was deprived of its annual seniors vs. juniors dance-off at the Crosstown Showdown pep-rally, the Celebrities worked hard to incorporate as many participants into the guys’ dance as possible.
“In past years, the guys’ dance was comprised of honor guards and the Celebrities’ boyfriends,” Zhang said. “So this year we tried our best to gather guys and each night we had more than the last!”
The dance allowed the boys to have a good time doing something they normally might not do, and the results were positive.
“[I joined the dance] because I thought it would be fun and a good way to help out the Celebrities,” Donelvan Thigpen, freshman, said. “[I enjoyed] getting to meet new people, and having fun on the stage.”
The guys’ dance was a huge success once more, winning over both the crowd and the Celebrities themselves.
“It was so good,” Zhang said. “The guys were very enthusiastic about being in our show. They did an awesome job adding flare to a simple dance we taught them.”
The entire show totaled nearly three hours of length and included other performers as well; including the Cedar Park Middle School Crimson Cadet dance team and, recent state champions, the Cedar Park High School Color Guard. Such a long and extensive performance takes skill and leadership to put together and execute seamlessly.
“As an officer, I have to help choreograph many dances and teach them to the team,” Zhang said. “For the most part they are attentive and eager to learn.”
The Celebrities have managed to dazzle the audience once more, and the experience is one that brings them all together as a team. Even as the 2011 football season looms nearer and the Celebrities turn down the stage lights to gear up for spirited fall routines, Cedar Park High School students and faculty are sure to be treated to yet another radiant production come spring 2012.
