![Musical theatre class runs through “Footloose” during their dress rehearsal. Senior student director Mia Morneault says how much she’s enjoyed working with the cast and crew. “I am very proud of all the cast and crew who worked as hard on it as I have. A lot of people care about [this show],” Morneault said. “I have a lot of friends on the cast and on the crew, but I’ve also grown and gained friendships through the show, even as director where I may be a little more stricter than normal. And I am very grateful for everyone I’ve gotten to work with.”](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/DSC_0657-1200x800.jpg)
![Sitting in a line of artwork, senior art student Kaemon Kato’s painting titled “Right Side of History” is displayed for attendees of the district’s art showcase. Kato’s painting is a political piece inspired by a photo of elementary schoolers in the street protesting against ICE. “I think it's also symbolic because they're surrounded by snow, which can represent ICE, and they are still marching,” Kato said. “[The kids] are not stopping until equality or justice is served, which I think is really important to represent and show.” Photo by John Pinion](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-03-26-114740.png)
![Broadcast, yearbook and newspaper combined for 66 Interscholastic League Press Conference awards this year. Yearbook won 43, newspaper won 14 and broadcast took home nine. “I think [the ILPC awards] are a great way to give the kids some acknowledgement for all of their hard work,” newspaper and yearbook adviser Paige Hert said. “They typically spend the year covering everyone else’s big moments, so it’s really cool for them to be celebrated so many times and in so many different ways.”](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/edited-ILPC.jpg)
![Holding up the bi-district champions trophy, junior shortstop Hudson Cuevas cheers alongside his team. The varsity baseball team played in the bi-district round of playoffs against the Boerne Greyhounds April 30-May 2, where they won Game 1 6-4, lost Game 2 2-1 and won the last game 5-2, allowing them to advance to area. “Honestly, [my favorite] big moment that wasn't even part of my moment was Dom's grand slam,” Cuevas said. “That was a big game changer in Game 1 of round one that ultimately helped us win that game and even move on. It set the tone for the games after and has really impacted and sparked this whole playoff run.” Photo by Allie Tseng](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/allie-boerne00159-1200x800.jpg)
![After he takes the handoff, senior running back Trae Hill runs down the field in search of a first down. Hill rushed for three touchdowns in the 43-36 loss against Frisco Wakeland last Friday, but the Timberwolves were eliminated from playoff contention. “[I’m] just happy I got to experience the game with my brothers,” Hill said. “I’m going to remember how close and how enjoyable everything was with these guys. They are my brothers for life. Just waking up and grinding together, and proving the naysayers wrong [was my favorite part].”
Photo by Kyra Cox](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/trae-hill-wakeland.jpg)
The male protagonist runs through the airport, his feet pounding on the ground. Despite her small five-foot-three frame he can see her head weaving through the crowd, just out of reach. The overhead speakers call her flight and she lines up to board the plane. Just as she takes her seat and gives one last goodbye glance towards the city where she met the love of her life, a stranger slides into the seat next to her. He’s breathing heavily and she looks over at him in curiosity. Their eyes meet and they both know. They can’t live without each other.
This is the ending of many romance novels, and it is loved by authors because it’s a story wrap-up that leaves readers right on the edge of their seat, wondering if the promised “happily ever after” that comes from reading this genre will happen despite the impossible circumstances. Every year I read on average 36 romance novels and they all involve these “impossible circumstances.” Whether they are star-crossed lovers, friends, enemies, competing business partners, or two unlucky people that find themselves destined to be together, the couple in every book manages to end their story with a sky full of fireworks while they whisper to each other, “I love you.” However, not all these books are good books.
In my experience with most of the romance books I’ve read, I find myself hooked in the beginning, suffering through the middle, and ending up only mildly satisfied with the kiss at the end. But I don’t want to be mildly satisfied when I finish a book, I want to be grinning from ear to ear, blushing a little and celebrating the couple I just spent hours reading about. So what is a good romance book? The first key part of a romance novel, while it may seem obvious, is the two protagonists have to actually fall in love.
Sometimes you reach the end of a romance book and realize the two leading characters don’t know anything about each other. I mean I get the whole “love at first” sight thing, or “when you know you know.” My grandma proposed to my grandpa on the second date and they are still happily married after 50 years. My own parents met in January of 1997 and got engaged in that following April. But, for both my grandparents and my parents, they both had enough time to build their relationship and feel the chemistry. The time the two protagonists know each other doesn’t matter, but if there is no connection between them that I, as the reader, can feel, then the book is only getting a maximum of two stars from me.
Next, enemies to lovers is the only trope worth reading. I don’t want to spend hours reading about two friends that suddenly realize they have feelings for each other and now their world is going to end. Boring. Instead I want a prideful Elizabeth Bennet and a rude Mr. Darcy to transform into a dashing Westley and a beautiful Buttercup, who were willing to sacrifice anything for love like in the story of “The Princess Bride.” Lots of people prefer the trope created from “Romeo and Juliet,” where two star-crossed lovers will do anything to be with each other, but that’s way too dramatic for me. I’d much rather read witty banter between two sworn enemies that are falling for each other over hidden feelings and secret meetings.
If you’ve ever read a romance book or watched a romance movie, you’d know that this genre follows a very simple pattern. The two leads meet, spend time together, fall in love, then they fight and make up and their story ends with a kiss. The climax of these stories is when the fight occurs, which is always a misunderstanding that can easily be resolved if the two protagonists actually talked to each other about. But let me tell you, this fight can make or break a novel. Misunderstandings are what take the main couple from I like you to I love you because, according to every romance book, two people can’t realize that they can’t live without each other until they are torn apart. If this misunderstanding is quickly resolved, then the book feels like it’s missing a huge part of its story. People that read romance novels want to see the male protagonist running through the airport to stop the girl from boarding her flight; they want to see the two characters searching for each other and the moment when they decide to forgive each other after realizing they love each other.
I read romance books because I enjoy the fluctuation of emotions they make me feel. If a romance book isn’t full of undeniable chemistry, quirky main characters that claim to hate each other, and a very climatic fight, then it’s basically as exciting as the “It’s a Small World Ride” at Disney World. Super boring, very repetitive and also really annoying. If I’m reading a romance novel, then I want it to be a thrilling roller coaster ride that makes me grip the handles tight and triple check if my seat belts are buckled correctly. If you want to read romance novels but you don’t want to read a bad one, here are a couple of my favorites: “Cross My Heart” by Julie Wright, “Edenbrooke” by Julianne Donaldson, and “Listen to Your Heart” by Kasie West. Happy reading!
