![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)
![Students drew chalk art in honor of Veterans day. This is just one of many things the school does to show appreciation to veterans, and the art will remain in the courtyard as a reminder of all of the veterans who served their country. “On veteran’s day, I think it’s a great thing we do at school to honor people that served [who are] at our school or family members,” English teacher and cheer coach Nadira King said. “It makes me feel proud, and it makes me remember the [veterans].”](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Capture.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)
![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)
![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)
![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)
![Standing proud, varsity senior athletes Rafael Escobar, Griffin Jacobs, Jakob Martin, and juniors Jackson Springer and Jack Morris pose with their newly earned medals. The varsity team finished third out of 14 teams on Sept. 25. “The team's primary goal is to win the district championship,” head coach Cody Price said. "We're confident that with our action plan in place, we can accomplish this mission. [For the next tournament], our preparation involves assessing our strengths and weaknesses, celebrating milestones and creating individual development plans." Photo courtesy of Cody Price](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/golf.jpg)
![The cross country team poses for the camera after finishing the district meet. The varsity boys, JV boys and JV girls all placed third and the varsity girls placed fourth. “Coach put in the right training for us for this season, so I think we will be peaking this week and the next couple of weeks,” varsity runner and junior Nathan Kukla said. “The chances of making it to state are very high, but we don’t settle for the lowest and there is always going to be that chance, so [we] race for the best.”](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Heidi-831-1200x900.jpg)
I was at my friend Kenzie’s house, sitting on her floor and cutting out watercolor pictures of flowers for Christmas cards we were putting together. It was nearly 3 p.m. on that late October day in 2022, we hadn’t eaten anything all day and our stomach rumbles started to mix in with the snips of our scissors. Finally, we acknowledged our hunger and hopped in my car, discussing where to dine that evening. Kenzie told me about her favorite restaurant, a place called CAVA. I agreed to the proposal, and we drove the six-minute drive to a meal that would change my life.
Now, many people like to compare CAVA to Chipotle, calling it a healthier-version of the popular Mexican restaurant chain. It is SO far from that. First of all, CAVA is Mediterranean. Secondly, CAVA will not detrimentally affect your gastrointestinal system the same way Chipotle will. Finally, and most importantly, the flavors and downright essence of CAVA are what will pull this restaurant to the top of my favorites list time and time again.
My first time ordering CAVA, I got extremely lucky and found my perfect recipe immediately. Others, my sister for example, are not so fortunate. It can take several visits to CAVA over the span of months before finding the perfect variation of ingredients that make your CAVA order truly personalized and exactly to your liking. To save you the trouble of such a debacle, I’ve laid out my order for you. Yes, it is a modern, more youthful rendition of the typical CAVA order, mostly because I don’t like hummus or lentils or most vegetables, but you can always try it my way, and then build off of it as you wish.
CAVA: KACEY’S WAY
Greens: Romaine (20 cal.)
If you would like, you can swap out my choice of romaine lettuce for SplendidGreens or another base, but I find that the iceberg lettuce does a wonderful job of adding crunch and feathery goodness in each bite I take.
Grains: Brown Rice (150 cal.)
I’ve never tried the Saffron Basmati Rice, but I would assume it would do the same trick as the warm and tender brown rice I treasure so much in my CAVA bowl. Be sure to also ask for the side pita. It’s free! Always get the side pita.
Dips + Spreads: Tzatziki 3x (35 cal.)
IMPORTANT! When ordering your dips, be sure to mention (perfectly articulating) that you want your Tzatziki to be on the SIDE. To avoid a fast-moving CAVA worker immediately dumping a scoop of Tzatziki in with my rice and lettuce before I can mention I wanted it on the side, I usually structure my request like this: “Could I have, on the side, three Tzatziki?” Feel free to use it.
I always get my Tzatziki on the side because I feel it often overrides the flavor of my bowl when mixed in with it, and because I like to dip my side pita in it.
Mains: Grilled Chicken (250 cal.)
This simple, yet perfected base is a staple to my CAVA order. I don’t even like chicken, but I have never once strayed from my choice of grilled chicken… except once. The Grilled Steak sounds amazing, but it’s not that good. Trust me.
Toppings: Fire Roasted Corn (45 cal.), Cabbage Slaw (35 cal.)
Adding in the corn and cabbage slaw does not only give bites of your bowl immense pops of flavor, but it also makes your bowl even more colorful than before. The bright yellow corn and deep purple of the cabbage makes for a photo-worthy meal.
These are my favorite toppings, but there are tons more to choose from. Go crazy! You can get as many toppings as you want at no extra charge, excluding avocado. That costs $2.55, but they give you the entire thing.
Dressing: Garlic Dressing 2x (180 cal.)
Possibly the most important part of the bowl is the dressing. I personally love CAVA’s garlic dressing and ask for extra every time I order. The subtle spice of the garlic in the sauce gives the overall flavor just a little bit of kick while seamlessly pulling the rest of the components of the bowl together. It’s one of their most popular dressings for a reason!
Drink: You choose!
When selecting a drink, there are many options available at CAVA. There is a soda fountain with sparkling water and some select carbonated beverages, but my favorite feature of the drinks section of CAVA is their homemade drink area. There, you can find in-house made lemonade, pineapple apple mint, blueberry lavender and cucumber mint lime drinks. Each is very refreshing, and great to wash down your meal with.
Still Hungry?
With CAVA’s generous serving sizes, it is near impossible to walk out of the restaurant with even a smidge of hunger. However, if you’re wanting something for the road or need a snack for later in the day, order yourself some of the classic pita chips. These chips are not your ordinary chips—instead, they are crispy versions of the pita breads sold in-store. They are warm, soft on the inside, and go perfectly with the extra tzatziki you’ll have left over from your bowl. I wouldn’t wish a life without CAVA’s pita chips on my worst enemy.
All in all, CAVA is the best Mediterranean restaurant I have ever dined at, and I know for a fact you will feel the same when you try it. If you end up trying CAVA: Kacey’s Way, fill out the poll below! I’d love to know how you liked it, and if you changed anything.
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