![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)
Austin is an eclectic city that thrives on events and festivals. Known for its music scene and thrilling community, the capitol city is a destination for big events and festivals of all kinds. The start of a new year has brought many different kinds of community events for people of all ages.
Carnaval Brasileiro is a giant festival that originated in Brazil and is now celebrated all over the world; Austin hosts one of the biggest celebrations outside of Brazil itself. People dress up in flamboyant costumes and dance to authentic Brazilian samba music and have a great time. This event takes place February 4 through 5at the Palmer Event Center; tickets are $38 in advance and $40 at the door. This is the perfect event to let loose with friends and have a ball.
The LIVESTRONG Austin marathon comes to Austin once a year to raise money for the Lance Armstrong Foundation which benefits people with cancer and even funds cancer research. The 26.2 mile course goes through some of Austin’s most charming and historic neighborhoods with 40 local, live bands cheering you on the whole way. This is a great way for family and friends to get outside and get active while, all for a great cause. You can register online at www.livestrong.org/AustinMarathon.
The Star of Texas Fair and Rodeo is held in Austin every year, its lasts for two weeks, from March 11 to March 26, at the Travis County Expo Center. This event features a wide range of things to do for adults and kids alike. They offer ProRodeo events, daily and nightly concerts, a live stock show and the largest carnival in the Austin area. Tickets are available at the admissions gate and prices vary depending on what you want to do. Parking is $10 per car and season tickets are available as well. This is a great family event or just something fun to do with friends, eat authentic carnival food and ride a carousel or two.
South By SouthWest (SXSW) is a internationally recognized event held annually in Austin. It’s a chance for noted film makers, musicians, and multimedia artists to come together for one enormous affair. Music, film and interactive events all have separate days and tickets; music normally lasts for six days, interactive for five and film for nine. SXSW tickets for these events can be purchased on their website, www.sxsw.com, but there are lots of non SXSW related events happening downtown at the same time as SXSW that are free and open to the general public.
Austin is a great place for family, friends and fun. There is always something happening and it’s almost impossible not to have a good time. Go to one of these events and a exciting experience is almost guaranteed.
