![Holding up T-wolves, the tour group poses for a picture in the Chinese classroom. Sophomore Lydia Ou, junior Phu Trung and senior Yushan Pan gave a tour to Taiwanese diplomat Andrea Yang on Nov. 8. “I was so excited when I heard I would get to give the tour because it’s a big deal,” Ou said. “She’s from the US embassy for Taiwan, so she’s really important. I’m so privileged [to get this opportunity] and I’m so excited.” Photo by Skyler King](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Main-Taiwan.jpg)
![Students drew chalk art in honor of Veterans day. This is just one of many things the school does to show appreciation to veterans, and the art will remain in the courtyard as a reminder of all of the veterans who served their country. “On veteran’s day, I think it’s a great thing we do at school to honor people that served [who are] at our school or family members,” English teacher and cheer coach Nadira King said. “It makes me feel proud, and it makes me remember the [veterans].”](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Capture.png)
![Sucking in a breath of air, freshman Lily Pope competes in the 200 yard individual medley. On Oct. 25, the swim team competed in the AISD Swim Invitational. Overall, the girls team took second place and the boys team came in eleventh. “My favorite stroke is butterfly because I do the best in that stroke,” Pope said. “I feel like [butterfly] can test how [your ability] to convince yourself to keep going. The hardest part of swimming is convincing yourself to stay strong and keep pushing during a hard race [when] everything is tired.”](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/POPE-1200x804.jpg)
![Smiling at the camera, Author Ehigbor Okosun, members of Page Turners, and other students reflect on the author's visit. “I thought the visit was great,” Senior Amia De Leon said. “It was interesting talking to her and [getting to know] her process and her thoughts and books in general. But I think the reason it went well [was that] people got to ask questions. I'm glad that she said so much in response to the questions and it wasn't just one and done. [The author’s responses] felt very articulate.”](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Sebastian-5-1200x800.jpg)
![Standing in front of the field at a freshman football game, cheerleader freshman Jacob Gaudreau along with teammate freshman Bella Gibson pose for a photo during halftime of game. “[Cheer has] definitely given me a much more outgoing personality,” Gaudreau said. “I used to be very introverted, so it's definitely made me more extroverted towards people.”](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Ingrid-204-1200x800.jpg)
![Holding a wooden pizza toy, senior Taylor Peterson plays with small children in Bucaramanga, Colombia. During the summer, Peterson traveled to Colombia to help build an elementary school that only had two classrooms but five or six grades with one teacher. “We add[ed] two more classrooms,” Peterson said. “It’s kind of hard when you have two or three grades in one classroom and you only have one teacher. It’s very hard to actually get some beneficial learning. [The extra classrooms will give the students] a better quality of education because they’ll actually have a place specific for their learning.” Photo by Taylor Peterson](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Taylor-P.png)
![Swinging with his arm extended, senior Nolan Park hits the ball smoothly over the net and to the opponent’s side. Park is one of four varsity tennis captains and helped the team win district championships. “Winning district champs was a pretty awesome feeling,” Park said. “We had lost to Liberty Hill a couple of weeks before, but when we played them [again], we came out and really took care of business. We took them out and it was just a really awesome night.”](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Kassidy-419.jpg)
![Standing proud, varsity senior athletes Rafael Escobar, Griffin Jacobs, Jakob Martin, and juniors Jackson Springer and Jack Morris pose with their newly earned medals. The varsity team finished third out of 14 teams on Sept. 25. “The team's primary goal is to win the district championship,” head coach Cody Price said. "We're confident that with our action plan in place, we can accomplish this mission. [For the next tournament], our preparation involves assessing our strengths and weaknesses, celebrating milestones and creating individual development plans." Photo courtesy of Cody Price](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/golf.jpg)
![The cross country team poses for the camera after finishing the district meet. The varsity boys, JV boys and JV girls all placed third and the varsity girls placed fourth. “Coach put in the right training for us for this season, so I think we will be peaking this week and the next couple of weeks,” varsity runner and junior Nathan Kukla said. “The chances of making it to state are very high, but we don’t settle for the lowest and there is always going to be that chance, so [we] race for the best.”](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Heidi-831-1200x900.jpg)
Witches and Fishes
Theatre Presents Production ‘Big Fish’
With a smile on her face, junior Madi Cooper practices her music for theater’s musical “Big Fish.” The show will be Jan. 26 -28 at 7 p.m. in the PAC. “I love all the people in the theater department,” Cooper said. “I have never met a more determined and hard working group of people than those in theater, so many people are go-getters and achievers and it really helps our productions in the long term.”
January 6, 2023
As the curtain rises, the sound of pebbles skipping over a river fills the auditorium. A heartwarming sight of a father and son skipping rocks on the river fills the PAC stage as the actors perform.
Theatre’s production of “Big Fish,” the spring musical, will run Jan. 26 -28 at 7 p.m. in the PAC, with an additional matinee on Jan. 28 at 1:30 p.m.
“Big Fish” is a powerful, heartfelt, and emotional musical about the love between a father and his son, who grow to discover their own identities. The storyline shifts back and forth between the past and present. In the present day, Edward Bloom, played by junior Aidan Cox, is 60 years old and facing the end of his life while his son, Will, played by senior Brady Allen, is preparing to become a father as well. In the past, Edward is a teenager who meets a witch, played by junior Courtney McDanald, a mermaid, played by sophomore Pearl Bailey, and Sandra, the love of his life, played by junior Madison Cooper. Both storylines join together as Will uncovers the secrets his father never revealed.
“’Big Fish’ is the story of a father who exaggerates all of his life stories into extravagant fairy tales, and his son who is a realist trying to find the truth in his father’s past, as his father begins to pass,” Cooper said. “The story takes you on a journey through the fairy tales and real-world of his father and son, with the mom always there to guide their family to understanding.”
The Theatre Department has been working since July on memorizing lines and tech. According to senior Ryleigh Jordan, there are many technical elements to the show that enhance it.
“This show has a lot of different technical and performance elements that need to come together,” Jordan said. “It’s definitely been lots of work trying to spread out and share time between those different elements like the separate blocking, vocal, and choreography rehearsals as well as tech rehearsals, but everyone has been working really hard and I think in the end we’re all going to be really proud of the outcome. [There are] many cool technical elements that really make the story come to life. ”
Although it has been hard work memorizing lines and stressing about everything coming together, getting on that stage on opening night will be worth it, Cooper said.
“I love everything about ‘Big Fish,’ the costumes and set and fairy tales are so beautiful and the plot is just breathtaking,” Cooper said. “I love being a part of this story that so strongly brings people together and the beautiful relationship of the family that develops over the show is so magical to be a part of.”
Cooper said the actors have been working hard and are getting excited for the show to hit the stage.
“It’s really a lot hard work till you get to your goal, all through freshman and sophomore year I only had ensemble parts with a few minor speaking lines or one sentence song solos, but throughout rehearsals I really worked hard and worked on improving and that’s what directors look for, and that’s what led me to getting Sandra in ‘Big Fish,’” Cooper said. “A lot of being an actor is working in your own time to develop characters and memorize everything, etc. We’re a student-led program so our development is based solely on us, that’s why the actors really depend on each other to help us make improvements. It’s really cool to see different themes and plots develop by all the ensemble, and in turn it helps us develop our characters better.”
The theater department is a collection of individuals who have the same passion and love for expressing themselves, whether they’re in the spotlight or in the shadows running the behind-the-scene, according to Cooper.
“I love all the people in the theater department,” Cooper said. “I have never met a more determined and hard working group of people than those in theater, so many people are go-getters and achievers and it really helps our productions in the long term and in the end, you know you can always count on the people around you to help you out.”
Tickets will be available to purchase on the CPHS Theatre Booster website in the beginning or middle of January.
![Sucking in a breath of air, freshman Lily Pope competes in the 200 yard individual medley. On Oct. 25, the swim team competed in the AISD Swim Invitational. Overall, the girls team took second place and the boys team came in eleventh. “My favorite stroke is butterfly because I do the best in that stroke,” Pope said. “I feel like [butterfly] can test how [your ability] to convince yourself to keep going. The hardest part of swimming is convincing yourself to stay strong and keep pushing during a hard race [when] everything is tired.”](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/POPE-300x201.jpg)
