![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)
Students are now expected to remain in their DEN classes for the entirety of the free period after a new protocol was announced Feb. 23 by Associate Principal Tereasa Back.
The rule requires teachers to lock their doors at the start of DEN and not allow any students in or out of the classroom until 10:25 a.m., unless someone needs medical attention. Students are encouraged to schedule their restroom breaks before or after DEN. Any student who does not get to DEN on time at 9:50 a.m. will be moved to the cafeteria for DEN-tention, and students who arrive at school during DEN will be instructed to wait in the front office until the period is over.
If these new guidelines mean the school will let students keep DEN as a study hall, they should stay in place.
DEN, a 35-minute-long free period students are given, is used in many ways for a variety of purposes. Students use this time to work on homework, make up missed tests and sometimes catch up with friends. Lots of students use DEN to run “errands,” as well, whether that means picking up an assignment from a teacher, visiting with a student teacher or asking the librarian about a tech issue. This morning break is important for students because it allows them to have some freedom with how they spend a portion of their day at school. The unstructured time it offers can be a reliever from the highly-supervised routines most high schoolers follow on an hourly basis.
Since the implementation of the DEN protocol, students have shown unhappiness and even frustration with the rules being heavily enforced. Students were surprised to be sent to DEN-tention after being caught in the hallways after 9:50 a.m. and others did not expect the rules to be taken seriously by their teachers. Regardless, the regulations have been closely followed and transformed the laid-back nature of DEN into a stricter, more orderly one.
Although the new DEN guidelines are not ideal, they are the administration’s way of trying to keep the free period available to students. Due to the increased numbers of students vaping, using drugs, skipping class and hanging around in the hallways, DEN-tention was created to alleviate some of the carefree use of DEN time. Several other schools in the district have already eliminated their equivalent to DEN and if Cedar Park does as well, classes may have longer hours. Students should follow the new rules to show they are capable of using their free time responsibly, and maybe the administration will remove the DEN restrictions altogether.
In all, the DEN regulations are not perfect, but they should be tolerated by students to open up the possibility of them being removed and help keep DEN altogether.