![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)
TED talks makes its way to Westlake
December 17, 2014
TEDxYouth@Austin is an independent organization that works toward inspiring the youth, according to the TEDxYouth@Austin website. This upcoming year, 2015, TEDxYouth@Austin is bringing TED talks to Westlake High School and everyone is invited.
“I am so excited for the event this year,” team member/ambassador sophomore Nika Torabi said. “I went to the event last year and realized that it’s different from normal TED talks in that the presentations are geared toward people from our generation so they tend to be more fun and exciting to listen to, and it’s something that we (teens) can relate to. This year going to be amazing year and I love the theme that we have to go along with the event, and I am so lucky to be a part of that.”
Each year TEDxYouth@Austin have different ideas and concepts that incorporate into the theme. Last year the theme for the event was Re:Solve, which talked about different ways people could resolve certain concepts that are in our world today. This year the theme is (in)visible.
“The theme (in)visible is based on the concept of leaders being either in the background of upfront,” Torabi said. “When you actually think about it, it’s such an unusual concept because you really look at it from a bigger picture. Should leaders be invisible/in the background, or should they be upfront and taking control with the world watching them.”
Along with Torabi’s perception of the theme, the website says the theme of (in)visible also adjoins to idea of delving into ideas that are unknown to people and philosophies that have not yet been thought up.
“I think TEDxYouth is an amazing organization that anyone should attend if they have the ability to do so,” Torabi said. “It’s something that can change your life or your outlook and perception in life can change.”
The event will take place at Westlake high school on Feb. 14, however the deadline to register is Dec. 31. According to Torabi, the way to sign up for the event is simple. You go to the website: http://tedxyouthaustin.com/ and click register and you simply fill out a form. While the speakers are not allowed to be revealed, according to the Torabi the talks are undoubtedly going to surprise. Plus registration is free and is open to anyone in any of the high schools around Austin.
![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)
