![On March 20, the theatre program performed their UIL One Act play Frankenstein. “I could barely believe what I heard after [it was] announced that we were advancing,” freshman Zack Williams said. “It was crazy. Being one of the only freshmen in the show and also [being] a lead definitely put pressure on my shoulders. I knew that the only thing I could do was my best, but that was until I started to think what if my best was not enough? I was feeling like I could never amount to being what [everyone else] thought I was. Although, after hearing that announcement, I realized that maybe I have something going for me after all.”
Photo courtesy of Cayden Bartolo](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Capture.png)
![Smiling for her senior photo, senior Ava Perrone will put away her flag as co-captain of the color guard. She is going to attend Austin Community College to pursue her passion for fashion design and hopes to design costumes for future color guards, or work in fashion marketing. “I think it’s [been] one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve ever had,” Perrone said. “It’s an experience that everyone should have, that family that you build and the community that you have. I’ll miss having my group together but I’m excited to go off and try new things.”
Photo courtesy of Tracy Perrone](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/avassedit.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.jpg)
![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)
Don’t worry, I’m not going to sit here and drill you about how “voting is fundamental to our democracy” or “let your voice be heard.” I mean, yes, both of those things are true and should be taken seriously, but I think you’ve heard enough about that.
Instead, I will be going through the process before you step into the booth and cast your ballot. While the general election in November is still months away, we already know the matchup for the Presidency: Incumbent Joe Biden v. Former President Donald Trump.
I will be among those voting for the first time, and while I have clocked numerous hours of research on how to register to vote and whatnot, I’ve never been sure how to truly make a choice. So, I decided to sit down with Rho Kappa member August Pritzlaff, who gave me quite a few options for how to go about this.
First of all, keep yourself informed on who’s running for what positions and what these positions entail. You will be voting for offices besides the president. There will be legislature positions open at both the state and federal levels, local officials, and even in some instances for State Governor. There are multiple organizations, such as The Austin-American Statesman, who are constantly releasing updated information on all of these details.
A common controversy is whether to vote for a candidate based on their policies or morals. This was an overarching theme for both the 2016 and 2020 elections. I already had my opinion on this, and Pritzlaff shared a similar thought. While it is entirely up to you, and it is very subjective, vote for the person who you believe will truly represent you, and is willing to actually help the community, and won’t just use their power to push their own political agenda.
But most importantly, follow your instinct. It doesn’t matter if it’s different from everyone else’s; that’s the point. Voting is supposed to allow your voice to be heard amongst the masses. You’d be doing yourself quite the disservice by voting for someone just because everyone else is. Do the research, figure out what you value in said candidate the most and follow your gut from there.
This is easier said than done, and it’s probably much more complex than this, but just do what you think is right.
