![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)
Austin is full of quarks that help it stay true to the saying “Keep Austin Weird.” Around this time of year, it’s no different. Most everything between Guadelupe and Congress is covered in bright white twinkle lights, giant red velvet bows, round green wreaths and shiny gold tinsel. With students out of school, and parents off from work, families spend this time together enjoying all the sights and events the festive city has to offer.
A favorite Christmas tradition is The Nutcracker that can be seen here at Ballet Austin. Founded in 1956 by Barbra Carson, Ballet Austin Academy has quickly become one of the largest in the United States. Like most ballet academies, Ballet Austin has an annual performance of The Nutcracker. This has been a hallowed tradition for many years and this year marks the 46th productions. This “festive feast for the senses” includes skillful dancers, glorious costumes and magnificent sets with a different celebrity playing Mother Ginger in each performance.
One of the most popular Christmas events is the Trail of Lights. With over 300,000 lights, the 12 Days of Christmas and dozens of displays, this holiday trail is an extravaganza that is hard to miss. The Trail of Lights Festival has been an Austin tradition since 1965, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.
“The Trail of Lights is my favorite thing to do in Austin during the Holiday season.” Olivia Rhine, sophomore, said, “It’s really fun to go with friends and the lights are really pretty.”
Included in the Trail of Lights is the famous Zilker Tree around the old moonlight tower in the middle of Zilker Park. This famous tree stands 155 feet tall and is made of 39 strands of light bulbs, each strand with 81 multi-colored bulbs; that’s over 3,300 light bulbs. Zilker also hosts the Trail of Lights 5K where participants can run, walk or even stroll the 3.2 mile course through the park, while enjoying the light displays.
“I love going downtown with my family,” Brelle Daniel, junior, said. “We are not around each other a lot, so it’s nice to catch up. We love to walk around downtown and see the Christmas spirit.”
37th street in Downtown Austin is definitely a treat for the eyes. This street proves that funky yard art is not limited to South Austin with house after house decked out in elaborate lights and decorations. The displays range from the interesting and inspiring to the all out wacky. This crazy neighborhood has thousands of visitors show up each night for pleasurable viewing.
No matter what religion they practice, or holiday traditions they follow, everyone is sure to find something festive in Austin to enjoy with loved ones this holiday season.
