![After placing second in their respective LDEs at the Capital District contest in early November, freshman Jesus Jaramillo-Gallegos and freshman Wyatt Pickett will compete at the Area XII LDE contest in Georgetown on Nov. 23. Jaramillo-Gallegos is competing in Greenhand Spanish Creed Speaking, while Pickett’s LDE is Greenhand Creed Speaking. “Honestly, [I’m excited for] just traveling around, maybe meeting more people,” Jaramillo-Gallegos said. “And [I’m] nervous about probably just not being able to define my weak areas. I feel like I did decent for my first time ever doing this. I just think it’s fun.”](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Navy-and-Yellow-Simple-Group-Project-Presentation-1200x675.png)
![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)
![Sitting at a desk past the rows of books laid out for the Book Fair, senior Kimberley Walters assists people in purchasing books and finding titles. The Book Fair is taking place Dec. 16 through Dec. 20, and is an annual event during which students and faculty have the opportunity to go and purchase books and other trinkets in the library. Kimberley said she encourages all to go to the Book Fair, even if they think they don’t like to read. “If you make reading something that is fun for you and you find the things that you like to read, it will never be a chore,” Walters said. “So [the Book Fair is] a good opportunity to find something that will respark your want to read [like] when you were a child and you went to the book fair and you loved the ‘I survived’ books. Maybe you'll find your ‘I survived’ books of your high school experience, and it'll re-spark that kind of love for reading that may have died out.”](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Addie-L-47-1200x800.jpg)
![Smiling at the camera, sophomore Olivia Mahlmeister and seniors Samantha Jameson, Adhit Eswaramoorthi and Justin Khadavi celebrate completing first chamber in the Congress Meet. All four students advanced to the final chamber. “Out of the 20 kids in the final chamber, we had a seventh, ninth, 11th and 13th, and they took the top four to move on to state,” AP US History and Debate teacher Josh Marsh said. “[Even though] we didn't make state this year, all four of them moving on [and] placing is phenomenal.” Photo courtesy of Josh Marsh](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/2024-Regional-Congress-Team.jpg)
![Standing in front of a small audience, senior Kimberley Walters shares a social criticism poem titled “Pity the Nation” by Lawrence Felinghetti. Every month, sponsored by the poetry club, the library hosts a poetry reading. “I never thought I would be interested in [poetry readings] because I’m not the biggest poetry fan,” Walters said. “I think poetry is a very succinct way to express feelings and get a story across. Whereas lots of books have a span of a whole story, but it’s put in a lot of words. The power of poetry is that you can be so succinct within, and there’s a lot of power within the words that are used.”](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KIM-1200x800.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)
![Holding the Grand Nationals trophies, drum majors Helashi Wijayawardhana, Abigail Pettey and Eddy Kim pose for a photo. The BOA Grand Nationals competition took place in Indianapolis on Nov. 14-17. “My favorite thing was just looking back at the field, and I was like, ‘Oh, crap. I know all of their names, I know who all of them are’,” Wijayawardahana said. “It's just insane to me that I was able to make so many connections. [Being a drum major] taught me how to build relationships with people who I’m not really that similar to, and how to juggle a ton of things all together.”
Photo courtesy of CPHS Band SmugMug](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/AJC.GrandNatsFinals-169-1200x801.jpg)
![Delicately placing the string to form the shape of a cornucopia, seniors Haley Burton and Avery Nelson create the November arrangement for the Flower of the Month Club. This club is led by Advanced Floral Design Students and provides a monthly arrangement to community members who subscribe to receive them. “I think flower of the month club is a really impactful way to show your loved ones ‘hey I really care about you,’ or even if they’re just for yourself, they’re a little pick-me-up throughout the month that [say] ‘I’m doing ok, and these flowers make my day a little bit brighter,” Nelson said. “I like giving people flowers because people value the flowers more and they value themselves more.”](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Ava-Holmes-3-edit.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)
![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)
![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)
Days have been flying by and it’s all of a sudden the infamous Feb. 14. Valentine’s Day is known all too well, and the feelings regarding the holiday vary—depending on the relationship status of an individual. Whether you’re single or taken this year, there are many enjoyable activities the day provides, with or without love as the dominating theme. Some last-minute Valentine’s plans give the opportunity to fill the day with fun.
5 things to do with your boo
- Drive-in movies have lost their appeal as movie theaters began to sweep the world, but the fun of sitting in the back of a car trunk and eating convenient store food is unmatched. This Valentine’s, Blue Starlite Drive-in Movie Theatre is displaying a variety of different movies, from “The Notebook” to “The Princess Bride.” Prices vary depending on the amount of people, but the baseline is $55 for one car spot. Watching a movie under the stars in downtown Austin will for sure be a memorable experience, and a must-do at least once in a lifetime!
- Attempt to take up baking with your significant other and learn new recipes and possibly find a hidden talent. There are many fun recipes for Valentine’s like cookies, cake, truffles, macarons, and more. The best Valentine’s day desserts—based on critics’ opinions—have been compiled into a list of 72 recipes and how-tos. Whether or not the dessert is made successfully, cooking with a date leads to many conversations and laughs, which is perfect for the upcoming holiday.
- Watch the sunset together and experience some of Earth’s natural beauty. Additionally, this option is completely free but can provide memories for you and your other half. One of the best places to watch the sunset within the Cedar Park area is Sandy Creek park, located right off of Lime Creek Rd. Get cozy with blankets in the trunk of your car with your significant other and look out at the lake as the sun sets.
- Paint pictures of one another and have a permanent reminder of Valentine’s day. This fun activity will bring lots of laughter and is minimal cost, promoting quality time between you and your person. Specifically in the Cedar Park area, Michaels craft store is a great option for buying canvases, paint, and brushes all for under $20. Make a memorable art piece this Valentine’s, and use them for decoration, laughs, and more.
- Go to dinner and have a night out with your significant other. Being the most common go-to on Valentine’s, a nice dinner is always a great option. Treat yourself and your person to a night out downtown, and try a new spot. Some of the nicest spots in Austin include Perry’s, The Capital Grille, Roaring Fork, and more. Make the night memorable by going out to a place you usually wouldn’t.
Story continues below advertisement
5 things to do if it’s just you
- Plan a date night with friends and spend Valentine’s with the people that you love in your life. Get a group together and set out for dinner in all pink and red, celebrating the holiday with those who choose you! If you’re wanting to take it a step further, you could even set up photo ops with heart balloons, pink streamers, and red confetti. Visit Party City to see a wide variety of these decorations.
- Brighten someone else’s day by making them a card, bringing them flowers, or even spending time with them. There are many people that don’t have anyone to celebrate Valentine’s with, so make this year memorable by changing someone else’s day with a surprise. Family members, friends, co-workers, classmates, anyone’s day could be made better by you!
- Pamper yourself by having a spa day. This could include doing your nails, getting a massage, relaxing in the bath, and more. Light some candles and treat yourself! Woodhouse Spa is a great option to check out if you’re wanting a reset.
- Find a new hobby like doing a puzzle, learning to crochet, baking new foods, or taking up painting. If you’re looking for a unique hobby or are unsure of what to do, this list of 1,000 hobbies is worth checking out. Spend this Valentine’s making progress on yourself and learning how to do something you’ve always wanted to.
- Binge a new series and decompose by eating some take-out on the couch. Watch a show or movie that you’ve been putting off for a while! If you’re looking for bingeable options, Netflix has a variety of TV shows and movies to choose from.
