The student newspaper and broadcast of Cedar Park High School

The Wolfpack
Taking a breath as he raises his arm up and out of the water, sophomore Kaden Padilla swims the 500 freestyle at the UIL state meet on Feb. 21-22. Padilla placed 10th overall and second in the consolation final in the event, dropping two seconds. “My family was there, so being able to drop time for them was really special,” Padilla said. “It was awesome [finding out I advanced to the consolation finals]. I wasn’t expecting it, and I was very surprised. My parents being there definitely made me a lot happier knowing they got to see me swim in finals.” Photo by Skyler King.
Making Waves
March 7, 2025
Silhouetted by the morning sunrise, a crane moves into position to continue the construction of the math hall located in the upper left wing of the building. The construction to the English hall concluded at the beginning of the first semester. AP Language and Composition and English IV teacher Kristin Burke is now teaching in her renovated classroom in the main building, and she said she enjoys the changes that were made to the English hall. “Obviously new carpet and paint has been awesome,” Burke said. “Removing the bulky cabinets and built-in desks has given us more room, and the new tables facilitate collaboration among students and give them more table space to work.” Photo courtesy of Paige hert
About Time For a Makeover
February 10, 2025
Throwing the ball, sophomore shortstop and third baseman Hudson Cuevas completes a play to first base at the scrimmage against Round Rock on Feb. 4. Installation of new turf on the fields has relocatedthe team to practicing on the grass fields and at a batting cage center off of Lakeline called D-Bat. “Our players have attacked this challenge,” Head Coach Ben Huffman said. “We’re just having to shift locations from a day to day basis. [But], the boys come out and wherever and whatever we’re doing they just try to get better every day.” Photo by Alyssa Fox
New Faces Around The Bases
February 7, 2025
Pointing towards the screen, guest speaker Lauren Fryer begins to explains the meaning of the word "antisemistism". Antisemitism is one of the leading causes towards the Holocaust, and affects the lives of millions to this day. “I still care so much about education and I was aware of the Texas Holocaust Genocide and Antisemitary Advisory Commission through a friend, and thought that that really kind of related really well to me, as someone who cares about the rights of others and cares about education,” Fryer said. 
Holocaust Remembrance Week
February 6, 2025
A group of students sit with their phones in hand, TikTok's scrolling feed illuminating their faces. In an executive order signed on Jan. 20, United States President Donald Trump ordered the Department of Justice to refrain from enforcing an Act to control foreign-owned apps, such as TikTok, for 75 days. “Americans deserve to see our exciting Inauguration, as well as other events and conversations,” Trump said in a Truth Social post. “Without U.S. approval, there is no TikTok. With our approval, it is worth hundreds of billions of dollars - maybe trillions."
Time is “Tik”-ing
January 29, 2025
Taking a breath as he raises his arm up and out of the water, sophomore Kaden Padilla swims the 500 freestyle at the UIL state meet on Feb. 21-22. Padilla placed 10th overall and second in the consolation final in the event, dropping two seconds. “My family was there, so being able to drop time for them was really special,” Padilla said. “It was awesome [finding out I advanced to the consolation finals]. I wasn’t expecting it, and I was very surprised. My parents being there definitely made me a lot happier knowing they got to see me swim in finals.” Photo by Skyler King.
Making Waves
March 7, 2025
The 5A state runner up team poses on the podium at the state tournament on Feb. 15. In addition to earning a team medal, sophomore Nathan Reilly won his second state title in the 113-weight class, senior Max Brant placed third in the 126-weight class, sophomore Jett Mentel placed 4th in the 175-weight class and senior Nathaniel Rechtfertig placed 5th in the 144-weight class at the Berry Center in Cypress, Texas. “Watching Max hit 100 wins was really memorable,” Reilly said. “Along with hitting the podium for the second time.” Photo courtesy of Richard Eckley
Victory as a Family
March 7, 2025
“Companion” is a dark comedy ready to make you laugh, gasp and root for the non-human.
Betrayal, Love and Robots
February 28, 2025
Striking a pose that matches their character's personality, Soundwave prepares for their annual production of Princess Tea. This year's theme is “Mulan’s Camp of Courage.” “We thought this would be a really fun theme because all of us would get to play games with each other and spread the message to the kids that winning isn’t everything,” Ferguson said. “A lot of the time just being around your friends is where the magic actually happens.”Photo courtesy of CPHS Choir.
I’ll Make a Princess Out of You
February 28, 2025
Heart Eyes is a romantic thriller movie which released on Feb. 7 and was a great contrast to the regular horror movies in theaters. The movie was cliché and great fro a good laugh. I rank it a solid four out of five hearts and would recommended it to anyone looking for some violence and love. Graphic by Kasandra Reynoso.
Heartstrings and Horror
February 27, 2025
Senior Rushil Mehta, Junior Katie Liu, Senior Ashley Blair, Senior Anabelle Staples, Senior Jen Nguyen, teacher Amy Buffington, and Senior Kim Dao smile at the camera as they anticipate the upcoming HOSA competition. These students are working together in their Mental Health Campaign, and they have made various preparations for the competition. “We did lots of outreach activities, such as a gratitude jar for students on CPHS and Christmas stockings for children who have to stay at a hospital during the holiday season,” Liu said. “We hoped that it would alleviate anxiety in youth and help brighten their day.” Photo courtesy of Payton DeAngelis
HOSA: Hands-On Healthcare
February 7, 2025
Handing out business cards and putting up fliers, juniors Natalie Le (left) and Valerie Hall (right) promote their HOSA Community Awareness campaign “Backs on Track.” Working collaboratively with juniors Avani Eckert and Morgan Tran, the group is presenting their portfolio of this project at the HOSA Spring Leadership Conference on Feb. 7. “We chose to discuss back pain and posture because we felt the more common and popular ideas were already widely highlighted and we wanted to spread awareness to something less known,” Tran said. “Because this idea can reach a wide variety of audiences, we felt this topic would be appropriate and could easily be used to spread awareness to all of the community.” Photos courtesy of Valerie Hall
The Backs on Track Project
February 6, 2025
Smiling at the camera, sophomore Olivia Mahlmeister and seniors Samantha Jameson, Adhit Eswaramoorthi and Justin Khadavi celebrate completing first chamber in the Congress Meet. All four students advanced to the final chamber. “Out of the 20 kids in the final chamber, we had a seventh, ninth, 11th and 13th, and they took the top four to move on to state,” AP US History and Debate teacher Josh Marsh said. “[Even though] we didn't make state this year, all four of them moving on [and] placing is phenomenal.” Photo courtesy of Josh Marsh
Contesting in Congress
December 17, 2024
Standing in front of a small audience, senior Kimberley Walters shares a social criticism poem titled “Pity the Nation” by Lawrence Felinghetti. Every month, sponsored by the poetry club, the library hosts a poetry reading. “I never thought I would be interested in [poetry readings] because I’m not the biggest poetry fan,” Walters said. “I think poetry is a very succinct way to express feelings and get a story across. Whereas lots of books have a span of a whole story, but it’s put in a lot of words. The power of poetry is that you can be so succinct within, and there’s a lot of power within the words that are used.”
Green Eggs and Poetry
December 11, 2024
Pitch Black Strikes Back
December 6, 2024
Striking a pose that matches their character's personality, Soundwave prepares for their annual production of Princess Tea. This year's theme is “Mulan’s Camp of Courage.” “We thought this would be a really fun theme because all of us would get to play games with each other and spread the message to the kids that winning isn’t everything,” Ferguson said. “A lot of the time just being around your friends is where the magic actually happens.”Photo courtesy of CPHS Choir.
I’ll Make a Princess Out of You
February 28, 2025
On a double date, senior Amia De Leon and senior Kimberly Walters get to know their books during the Blind Date event in the library. The Page Turners Club set up an event in which students pick books that have been wrapped and only say what genre they are, that way they can pick out a book they wouldn’t have otherwise. "I have a lot of fun in page turners,” De Leon said. “Typically, Walters helps me with our slideshows and trivia, we’re taking some of our book members to a book festival in a couple of weeks and that will be very very exciting.” Photo by Sebastian Farias.
Swipe Right
February 25, 2025
Posing with their trophy, the varsity cheer team takes a picture following their sixth place performance at the Universal Cheerleading Associtation’s National High School Cheerleading Competition. This was the highest the team has placed in school history. “[Breaking the record] is like more than I could ask for, so I’m really proud of them,” Head Cheer Coach Nadira King said. “It’s so exciting because now they have the confidence and they’ve had a little taste of something good. I think that will be good for our future as a program.” Photo Courtesy of CPHS Cheer
Sunshine State Stars
February 21, 2025
While Edith Burgos is organizing the kitchen, Vanessa Romero is mixing and getting ready to cook. The two coworkers are ready to serve the hungry students waiting in line, and keep the kitchen organized and clean. "We all complete our weekly labors given to us." Romero said. "The job is very peaceful and easy, and we have an amazing work team." Photo by Sebastian Farias
Edith & Vanessa, Lunch Lady Duo
February 11, 2025
Silhouetted by the morning sunrise, a crane moves into position to continue the construction of the math hall located in the upper left wing of the building. The construction to the English hall concluded at the beginning of the first semester. AP Language and Composition and English IV teacher Kristin Burke is now teaching in her renovated classroom in the main building, and she said she enjoys the changes that were made to the English hall. “Obviously new carpet and paint has been awesome,” Burke said. “Removing the bulky cabinets and built-in desks has given us more room, and the new tables facilitate collaboration among students and give them more table space to work.” Photo courtesy of Paige hert
About Time For a Makeover
February 10, 2025
As the support team sits and poses for a photo in the cafeteria with the counseling team they eagerly wait to start their day. "We [all] seem to be a team, I get up every day and there's days where I don't want to go to work today, but I'm thankful that I have a job and I'm blessed to have what I have," Christopherson said. Photo Courtesy of Julie Weltens.
Heart of the Campus: The Fantastic Five
February 6, 2025
Officer Stephanie Cash is in her second year as an SRO at CPHS. “Seeing [students] grow over the years has been kind of cool,” Officer Cash said. “Freshmen that [are] all over the place and then in the next couple of years get a little more squared away and go to class and do work and start thinking about the future. Being a part of a student's growth is the best way to measure my success as an SRO.” Photo Courtesy of Cedar Park Police Department's PIO, Alicia Gallagher.
Securing the Future
February 4, 2025
Smiling at the camera, senior Nathan Rechtfertig reflects on how the NROTC scholarship program will affect his life in the future. Because he is a recipient of this scholarship, he will join the marines. “It means a lot [to receive this scholarship,” Rechtfertig said. “It’s very calming because a lot of the colleges I applied for are out of state which is expensive and this scholarship pays it off. And I want to serve so it gives me the ability to both go to school and then serve after.”
Nathan Rechtfertig – Future Marine
February 4, 2025
As the support team sits and poses for a photo in the cafeteria with the counseling team they eagerly wait to start their day. "We [all] seem to be a team, I get up every day and there's days where I don't want to go to work today, but I'm thankful that I have a job and I'm blessed to have what I have," Christopherson said. Photo Courtesy of Julie Weltens.
Half Dozen Heroes
January 27, 2025
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.”
Breaking Barriers
October 23, 2024
Taking a breath as he raises his arm up and out of the water, sophomore Kaden Padilla swims the 500 freestyle at the UIL state meet on Feb. 21-22. Padilla placed 10th overall and second in the consolation final in the event, dropping two seconds. “My family was there, so being able to drop time for them was really special,” Padilla said. “It was awesome [finding out I advanced to the consolation finals]. I wasn’t expecting it, and I was very surprised. My parents being there definitely made me a lot happier knowing they got to see me swim in finals.” Photo by Skyler King.
Making Waves
March 7, 2025
The 5A state runner up team poses on the podium at the state tournament on Feb. 15. In addition to earning a team medal, sophomore Nathan Reilly won his second state title in the 113-weight class, senior Max Brant placed third in the 126-weight class, sophomore Jett Mentel placed 4th in the 175-weight class and senior Nathaniel Rechtfertig placed 5th in the 144-weight class at the Berry Center in Cypress, Texas. “Watching Max hit 100 wins was really memorable,” Reilly said. “Along with hitting the podium for the second time.” Photo courtesy of Richard Eckley
Victory as a Family
March 7, 2025
Posing with their trophy, the varsity cheer team takes a picture following their sixth place performance at the Universal Cheerleading Associtation’s National High School Cheerleading Competition. This was the highest the team has placed in school history. “[Breaking the record] is like more than I could ask for, so I’m really proud of them,” Head Cheer Coach Nadira King said. “It’s so exciting because now they have the confidence and they’ve had a little taste of something good. I think that will be good for our future as a program.” Photo Courtesy of CPHS Cheer
Sunshine State Stars
February 21, 2025
Throwing the ball, sophomore shortstop and third baseman Hudson Cuevas completes a play to first base at the scrimmage against Round Rock on Feb. 4. Installation of new turf on the fields has relocatedthe team to practicing on the grass fields and at a batting cage center off of Lakeline called D-Bat. “Our players have attacked this challenge,” Head Coach Ben Huffman said. “We’re just having to shift locations from a day to day basis. [But], the boys come out and wherever and whatever we’re doing they just try to get better every day.” Photo by Alyssa Fox
New Faces Around The Bases
February 7, 2025
Taking a breath, senior Parker Huang cuts through the water while swimming the 100 breaststroke at the district meet on Jan. 23. Huang advanced to the regional meet in the 100 fly, 100 breast and 200 medley relay. “It’s been really exciting to see everyone make it [to regionals],” Huang said. “There’s been a lot more people who have been advancing than last year, so it’s really awesome to see that.” Photo by Skyler King
District Domination
February 3, 2025
Opening the lid of the In-N-Out container to get a taste of their vanilla milkshake, seniors Kacey Miller and Heidi Williams review the popular fast-food chain’s sweet treat. After trying a vanilla shake from several restaurants, the two decided that the best shakes in town belong to these places, in this order: In-N-Out, Whataburger, Chick-fil-A, Sonic and McDonald’s.
Shaking It Up
March 3, 2025
“Companion” is a dark comedy ready to make you laugh, gasp and root for the non-human.
Betrayal, Love and Robots
February 28, 2025
Heart Eyes is a romantic thriller movie which released on Feb. 7 and was a great contrast to the regular horror movies in theaters. The movie was cliché and great fro a good laugh. I rank it a solid four out of five hearts and would recommended it to anyone looking for some violence and love. Graphic by Kasandra Reynoso.
Heartstrings and Horror
February 27, 2025
Presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. Copyright © Golden Globes, LLC.
Golden Globes Awards 2025
February 21, 2025
The Spin off series Mario and Luigi are RPGs that take the 2D platforming formula of Super Mario Games and turn it into a top down platformer packed with action, comedy and a huge personality. They put the Mario cast in the most bizarre locations you could imagine and do really creative things with the concept of each game. Thumbnail by Sebastian Farias.
Mario and Luigi, Superstar Review
February 6, 2025
Opening the lid of the In-N-Out container to get a taste of their vanilla milkshake, seniors Kacey Miller and Heidi Williams review the popular fast-food chain’s sweet treat. After trying a vanilla shake from several restaurants, the two decided that the best shakes in town belong to these places, in this order: In-N-Out, Whataburger, Chick-fil-A, Sonic and McDonald’s.
Shaking It Up
March 3, 2025
Heart Eyes is a romantic thriller movie which released on Feb. 7 and was a great contrast to the regular horror movies in theaters. The movie was cliché and great fro a good laugh. I rank it a solid four out of five hearts and would recommended it to anyone looking for some violence and love. Graphic by Kasandra Reynoso.
Heartstrings and Horror
February 27, 2025
From setting up appointments at the fire station to squeezing five teenagers into a wheelbarrow, my experience recreating family pictures was a wild ride. Despite the challenges we faced, we completed our goal and the end result is 12 months of cuteness and nostalgia that will proudly hang from my wall for many months to come. Photo courtesy of Kaydence Wilkinson
Calendar Chaos
January 24, 2025
The national championship will be held Jan. 20 between Ohio State and Notre Dame, concluding the first ever 12 team College Football Playoff. The Buckeyes will most likely win but expect the Irish to put up a fight. Photo courtesy of @danxoneil on Flickr through Creative Commons.
On the Comeback
January 17, 2025
If you’re dealing with difficulties such as the loss of a loved one or traumatic event, counselor Sarah Cable has provided several resources that you can use for whatever problem you’re dealing with, and I’ve written about my own experiences and have given some advice on how to deal with grief. “The counselors are the student advocates," Cable said. “Oftentimes, we know the bigger picture and advocate for our students, don’t be afraid to come talk to us and ask us questions.” Illustration by Sebastian Farias
Dealing With Grief and Loss
January 8, 2025
Opening the lid of the In-N-Out container to get a taste of their vanilla milkshake, seniors Kacey Miller and Heidi Williams review the popular fast-food chain’s sweet treat. After trying a vanilla shake from several restaurants, the two decided that the best shakes in town belong to these places, in this order: In-N-Out, Whataburger, Chick-fil-A, Sonic and McDonald’s.
Shaking It Up
March 3, 2025
“Companion” is a dark comedy ready to make you laugh, gasp and root for the non-human.
Betrayal, Love and Robots
February 28, 2025
“Mufasa: The Lion King” was released Dec. 20, 2024, telling the story of a once great ruler of Pride Rock. Graphic by Ingrid Bonner.
His Life Before the Kingdom
February 26, 2025
The longest car wash in the world is located at a Buc-ee’s in Katy, Texas. My family had the opportunity to visit this car wash to see if it was really as cool as people online said it was.
Everything’s Bigger in Texas
February 25, 2025
Presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. Copyright © Golden Globes, LLC.
Golden Globes Awards 2025
February 21, 2025
PackCast hosts, senior Rania Adil and sophomore Kasanadra Reynoso review the 2025 Golden Globes Award Show.
2025 Golden Globes Review Podcast
February 21, 2025
PackChat senior hosts Kassidy and Kaydence Wilkinson discuss how students can save money on fast food.
Deal With It
February 21, 2025
PackCast hosts, senior Rania Adil and sophomore Kasanadra Reynoso review the 2025 Golden Globes Award Show.
Right or Wrong?
February 6, 2025
2024-2025 Fall Recap
December 19, 2024
Varsity Football Slideshow: 2024-25 Season
December 13, 2024
PackCast hosts, senior Rania Adil and sophomore Kasanadra Reynoso review the 2025 Golden Globes Award Show.
2025 Golden Globes Review Podcast
February 21, 2025
PackChat senior hosts Kassidy and Kaydence Wilkinson discuss how students can save money on fast food.
Deal With It
February 21, 2025
PackCast hosts, senior Rania Adil and sophomore Kasanadra Reynoso review the 2025 Golden Globes Award Show.
Right or Wrong?
February 6, 2025
Jonathan’s Corner
March 20, 2024
Graphic by Stef Rios, Wolfpack Editor '20-'21
The Packchat 2-14-2024
February 15, 2024
The student newspaper and broadcast of Cedar Park High School

The Wolfpack
The student newspaper and broadcast of Cedar Park High School

The Wolfpack
Smiling, the Destination Imagination team poses for a picture together. The team placed seventh at global finals in Kansas City, Missouri in May. “This is the second time I’ve gone to global finals, and it’s always such a great experience,” sophomore Aryana Jahadi said. “I’m really happy and super privileged to have been able to experience it twice now. Being able to do better than last time and get seventh was an amazing feeling.”

A Creative Crew

Skyler King, Reporter • September 19, 2024

Four years ago, sophomores Anjali Carl and Autumn Wallace were on the same Destination Imagination, or DI, team as fifth-graders. They won at regionals, but had their next competition canceled due to the...

Microphone in hand, sophomore Grayson Levee records his voice for his next song. Levee has put together seven different orchestral covers, his longest longest piece is a “Star Wars” tribute titled “The Force” lasting 7 minutes and 15 seconds. “During the school week, I don’t compose very much due to homework and other after school activities, but I would say I spend two to three hours each weekend working on composing mainly orchestral pieces, although sometimes I enjoy simplicity, so I write a piano piece,” Levee said.

Shooting for Superstar Status

Cason Johnson, Reporter • October 25, 2023

Silence fills the PAC, followed by anticipation. The first few notes echo behind closed curtains, steadily getting faster and faster. The curtains slowly open revealing the master behind the melody, sophomore...

Presenting in front of the class, senior Jaden Kolenbrander introduces students to his new chapter of Amnesty International Club. The club, started by Kolenbrander, will serve as a way for CPHS students to speak out and educate themselves about political issues and will hold meetings on the third Tuesday of each month in room 5009. “Anyone who is interested in increasing their involvement in the community and advocating for far-reaching issues that affect everyone [can join],” Kolenbrander said. “However, we also want to emphasize that anyone can become an advocate. It's a good opportunity for them to become more involved in their community and learn about the importance of human rights advocacy.”

New Club on the Block

Isa Morgan, Reporter • November 16, 2022

With human rights being at the forefront of politics, Amnesty International is encouraging students to research and learn more about the current social issues happening around them. The organization was...

Geography Club members use geographical clues to figure out the mystery location in order to win another round of the online game, Geoguessr. The club, created by junior Ryan Green, meets every other Thursday to learn more about the environments around them in a more laid-back environment free of stress. “The initial goal [of the club] is to get more people excited about geography because I guess it’s kind of like a stigma that Americans are bad at geography, which is kind of true,” Green said. “I just wanted more people to get excited about geography and if it wasn’t laid back, then it wouldn’t be as exciting and not as many people would show up.”

More Than Just Landscapes

Isa Morgan, Reporter • April 4, 2022

Stuck in the deserts of Africa, or Mexico, or maybe even Arizona, junior Ryan Green and a group of his close friends try their hardest to figure out where they’ve been randomly dropped off using nothing...

DECA teams pose with their medals at districts on Jan. 22, where 10 students advanced to the State Competition. This year Districts was held at Cedar Ridge high school and consisted of students from Leander, Round Rock, and Austin school districts presenting in either written or role play events. “I'm really excited, not just for my team but for our entire chapter,” junior Ariana Balakrishnan said. “It’s a really big deal for us. Sending most of our competitors to State, especially after our year off, is really exciting cause now we’re back in person we can finally experience it like normal we get to see people get to talk to new members from other chapters it’s so just exciting.”

No Sleep ‘Til State

Isa Morgan, Reporter • February 22, 2022

Faces are illuminated with the hue of computer screens, eyes are droopy on the brink of sleep despite the copious amounts of energy drinks consumed. It’s 2 a.m. and juniors Ariana Balakrishnan, Ainsley...

Demonstrating how to make plarn, junior Erin Nam provides club members with help and supplies. Timberwolves for the Environment have been making plarn since their first meeting, they also plan to make wreaths out of unused plastic in the future. "It's definitely fun [making plarn], but right now basically all of the members know what they're doing," said Nam. "We do it every club meeting."

A Step Back Into the Soil

Madison Shields, Reporter • September 30, 2021

Timberwolves for the Environment is taking a new turn this school year. Students who are interested in changing the world with their own hands should turn to the Environmental club. Activities like making...

Illustrated above is a painting depicting a howling T-Wolf in the library. The yearly artwork created by students is displayed in the library. "Art is something that moves me," Deruiter said. "During the club meetings my favorite art activities are acrylic pours, tiny paintings and free drawing."

Get With the Pack

Isaiah Prophet, Reporter • August 31, 2021

Finding a community to call one's own can be challenging no matter what grade. Students have always had the opportunity to explore their interests and discover new hobbies by joining numerous clubs available...

Book Worms Take the Lead

Book Worms Take the Lead

Morgan Kasel, Reporter • September 27, 2018

After an addition of over 20 new members, this year in Book Club could be one for the books. Apart from meeting new book lovers, this year's members get to share their favorite books with the whole...

Student Council meets every Wednesday during Den in Mr. Babich’s room (S109) to plan events and fundraisers, and discuss student issues.

StuCo Campaigns for Officer Positions

Jordy Peterson, Reporter • April 11, 2017

Student Council members have been campaigning for leadership positions for the past two weeks. Starting today, students can vote for the new class officers through Naviance, until Apr. 13. “Our goal...

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