![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)
Next Stop, Hogwarts
Harry Potter Club Welcomes Every Type of Fan
Club president senior Patrick Engle and junior Loree Morin posing with two other club members during their meeting after school on Monday, October 22nd. Morin joined the Harry Potter club at the beginning of this year. “Everyone really made me feel welcome [at] my first meeting,” Morin said. “My inner nerd cried with joy when I found out what the club’s activities were.”
November 6, 2018
Magical wands. A sorting hat. Potions and brooms. The Harry Potter Club has it all, including members who are loyal to their Hogwarts house. By bringing to life the magic found in the book series, Harry Potter Club provides an exciting environment for any student.
Consisting of every type of fan, the Harry Potter Club is not your average high school club. The club president, senior Patrick Engle, has been a member since the end of his freshman year, said that he believes the Harry Potter Club is quite a unique group.
“I would say that Harry Potter Club is unique in its desire for inclusion and fun,” Engle said. “We don’t have any dues, and people aren’t obligated to show up. We just try to provide a place where people can enjoy themselves.”
This year, Engle said that he is looking forward to the field trips that the club will take, as well as the creation of new activities and games.
“The two things I am most excited for are our club trip to Alamo Drafthouse, where we will watch the latest Fantastic Beasts move in November,” Engle said. “As well as the creation of Common Room, which is our study group.”
During meetings, the group enjoys activities and crafts inspired by “Harry Potter” themes and characters. These are frequently accompanied by arguments and rants about the book series. For freshman Emma Janysek, she said the best part about the meetings are games.
“I really love the ‘Harry Potter’ Pictionary that we play,” Janysek said. “The words are based on the ‘Harry Potter’ universe and it’s a fun challenge to try and draw them. And if you don’t know a word then the heads of the houses will explain it to you, so you are still able to participate.”
Janysek said that even newcomers who might not be fully familiar with the films and characters can find acceptance and enjoyment in this club.
“Harry Potter Club is an environment for all people,” Janysek said. “You don’t have to know anything from the ‘Harry Potter’ books or movies to have fun and enjoy the club. You can walk by our room and join in. It’s also a great way to relieve your stress from high school.”
Junior Loree Morin, who became a member this year, said that she felt accepted as soon as she joined the club.
“Everyone really made me feel welcome [at] my first meeting,” Morin said. “My inner nerd cried with joy when I found out what the club’s activities were.”
In the next few years, Janysek said that she hopes the club grows in numbers, so that more people will be able to experience all of the activities and meet the students who regularly attend the club.
“I would really love to see more people at the club,” Janysek said. “It’s so much fun and more people should experience the love that’s in the room.”
The Harry Potter Club meets every Monday after school in S109. For more information, see Mr. Babich.
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![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)
![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-901-600x400.jpg)
