![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)
Valentine’s day can be depressing if you’re single; however, there are solutions for the lonely-hearted. Dwelling on the obvious can lead to being unhappy on an otherwise uplifting day. There are many positive outlooks and activities available for single people on February 14.
Pursue your passion.
Whatever it is that you are passionate about in life (be it a particular hobby, travel, craft projects, charitable acts, etc.) use this day to make great strides by just doing that. This is also known as drowning yourself in productivity. As long as it’s something you are completely driven to succeed at, then you will still be having fun while accomplishing great things at the same time.
Cherish your friends.
Invite your single friends over and marvel over the fact that you don’t have to take time to impress anyone with your appearance. Your friends like you for you, not your new dress, heels, or lipstick that you’ll wear once. Laugh about all the memories you have made together and realize that this relationship will last longer than a couple of months. One awkward first date or boring hundredth date doesn’t measure up with spending time with really good friends.
Pamper yourself.
Spend Valentine’s Day doing exactly what YOU want to do. Having a day just for yourself is said to be therapeutic for some. Purchase that shirt that you were eyeing that was a little out of your price range. Get take-out from your favorite restaurant and treat yourself to a delicious meal (and have no guilt after finishing it). Do not answer your phone or door. Do nice things for yourself the entire day. Looking and feeling more refreshed will be the payoff for a day like this.
Acts of service.
Singles can spend Valentine’s Day in a meaningful way by spending time with the needy. Touching others’ lives can be more fulfilling than receiving gifts on Valentine’s Day. What better way to show your appreciation for others than to spend your time and money on others who truly are in need. Lending a helping hand will make you realize how many blessings you really do have in your single life.
