![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)
School, work, exams, college; many things take up students’ time and energy, and it can be difficult to find peace amid a busy day. To combat this busy lifestyle and create a calm environment for students interested in reading the Bible at school, junior Ashley Blair formed the Bible Study Club.
The Bible Study Club was created at the beginning of the school year, and Blair is both the president and the founder. At each meeting, the members of the club discuss two chapters of a book in the Bible, such as how it relates to their lives and what stands out to them, and then they close each meeting with prayer requests and a prayer. Mahler is the sponsor of the Bible Study Club, and they meet every Wednesday in her room 1213.
“I felt so honored to have been asked to provide a safe space for students to connect and build upon their faith—it was an easy yes,” Mahler said. “This club is a catalyst to creating a school culture on the foundation of purpose and positivity. Faith and religious involvement are correlated with well-being, a higher sense of happiness and overall life satisfaction. Through creating hope and optimism, this club can make a huge impact on the school and its students.” “I felt so honored to have been asked to provide a safe space for students to connect and build upon their faith—it was an easy yes. This club is a catalyst to creating a school culture on the foundation of purpose and positivity. Faith and religious involvement are correlated with well-being, a higher sense of happiness and overall life satisfaction. Through creating hope and optimism, this club can make a huge impact on the school and its students.” — Alexandra Mahler
Junior Amia De Leon is the vice president and historian of the Bible Study Club. Her job is to make sure the conversation is flowing and create Instagram posts and reminders for club meetings.
“This is a very low-stress Bible study, [so] if you are not able to read either one or both of the chapters that is okay, you are still welcome to join the club that week and add to the conversation if you can,” De Leon said. “We strive to be a judgment-free zone so if you are a new Christian or don’t understand the Bible that well that is absolutely fine.”
Blair said that the club is welcome to everyone, even non-Christians, and that students can find peace of mind by discussing God in the middle of their day.
“I want to see this club flourish, as well as the Christian community in general,” Blair said. “My main goal [in starting this club] was to establish a greater reach into the school community and to see this club continue even after I graduate next year. I know that [Fellowship of Christian Students] can be intimidating for some students, so creating the club would provide a smaller, more concise space for individuals to share their love for Christ.”
Junior Mia Trejo is a member of the Bible Study Club, and she said the club was eye-opening for her because she’s seen many different perspectives of other students when discussing the Bible.
“I would absolutely recommend this club,” Trejo said. “I think it’s a great opportunity that allows you to grow in your faith and connect with your peers. It allows students to break away during the hectic day of school and calms our minds while we dive deep into the gospel of the Lord. Students also benefit from it because it not only allows them to explore the scriptures in greater depth but also in an understandable way that relates to us as teenagers.”
Blair said that the Bible Study Club has benefitted her in many ways, and it can benefit other students as well.
“This club increases the Christian community connection at our school, and provides students a place to ask questions about the Bible, pray for one another, and give each other strong, Christian-centered advice,” Blair said. “It truly makes me joyous to see the impact that this club has on some students, and encourages me to keep Christ at the forefront of my life.”
