The student newspaper and broadcast of Cedar Park High School

The Wolfpack

More than 50 students, all donned in red T shirts, pose for a group picture at the front grounds of the school, holding various signs and symbols. These students all engaged in a silent, peaceful protest regarding the Roe v. Wade and abortion situation as of now. “It felt kind of empowering,” senior Aleksae Watson said. “Because they were all there for the same thing. We all are aware that what’s going on isn’t right. I’d say it’s not appropriate. We all deserve our rights and our freedoms and it’s just being stripped from us.”
A Loud Silence
May 23, 2022
The senior awards and recognition is back during DEN Thursday, May 17 in the main gym.
Feeling ’22
May 18, 2022
Biology and AP Biology teacher Adam Babich sits at his desk, concentrating on his paperwork. Babich is one of the teachers who have been affected by teacher burnout, and feels teachers are not heard enough when it comes to their struggles. “The most stressful part about teaching is not having your voice heard,” Babich said. “At a campus level, I would march off to war for my administration team; Mr Sloan, everybody, they’re great and they’re supportive. The problem comes from the higher ups; a lot of what we deal with, whether it is pay raise, or budget issues, or standards or state testing, we can give our voice, but really, nothing ever comes of it. These are legislative bodies that do a lot of the decision making and we know that, at a government level, things move at a snail’s pace. If an issue shows up, it often takes a very long time to see any results from it. For example, they’re putting together a task force to figure out why teachers are leaving. When we looked at the first task force, there was maybe two teachers on it; everyone else were superintendents, or people who had not been in the classroom for 10 years. So, as teachers, we felt like this was a slap in the face. I’m not saying that all teachers feel this way, I’m saying some of us do, and this is what we’re feeling. It’s like we’re in the trenches, we’re asking for help and we get decisions made for us by people who aren’t in the classrooms.”
The Burnout
May 16, 2022
Smiling while forming hand signs, junior Klarah Sosa dances with her peers. For the lyrics uptown funk you up students make the shape of the y = 1/x and y = -1/x. I really gave it my all in class [for preparation]. It was really fun, Sosa said. I think it was really cool way to get kids hopes up to make sure they have a lot of confidence. It wasnt serious but a good mood booster for the day.
Funky Friday
April 8, 2022
The official 2022 student council election polls are now posted. The officers have been campaigning since March 14th and results will be counted over the weekend. I am excited about what directions this is sending our organization, Babich said. it really is a testimate to what I hope this organization will lead in the future.
Battle of the Ballot
April 1, 2022
Head of School Safety and Assistant Principal Vernon Rogers sits down for an interview discussing updated school safety measures across the school following concerns across the nation. I’m excited that we are getting a little more attention to those security measures to keep students and staff safe, especially here on campus, Rogers said. I have a lot of personal opinions, but I think my biggest thing that I will always go back to is if students and staff are safe here.
Better Safe Than Sorry
October 6, 2022
During DEN on Sept. 20, students who were already 18, or who will be turning 18 soon, filled out Voter Registration forms. Rho Kappa president and senior Ariana Balakrishnan helped oversee the voter registration event. “I think it’s really important for high schoolers, or anyone eligible to vote, to get started doing that process at a young age because it’s a part of our civic duties and you might as well start young, Balakrishnan said. It’s a right that everyone should be able to exercise and I’m really glad that Rho Kappa could bring this experience to the school.
Behind the Ballot: How to Register to Vote and Why It’s Important
October 5, 2022
From left to right, senior Skyler Ortiz, 2022 alumnus Kaylee York and seniors Tamara Eslava and Eliana Garza pose for a quick picture as they watch a movie screening at last years Austin Film Festival. At the festival, the students listened to screenwriters, watched film screenings and explored the venues scattered across Downtown Austin. “Our group of students got to see exclusive screenings of films in iconic theaters such as the Paramount, for free, all due to the scholarship that accepted us in, Ortiz said.
Flashback on Festival
October 4, 2022
The show choir, a class that mixes theatrical dance with singing, gathers together for a photo. This class, and others, are filled with new faces like freshmen Alexandra Moll and Charlotte Griffin who said they were ready and excited for their first year in a high school choir. “The choir community is so supportive, everyone is incredibly nice and enjoyable to be around, Moll said. I am most excited for the end of the year beach trip. To spend time with my friends during that time sounds like so much fun.”
More Than Just a Voice
October 3, 2022
The new Tech Theater teacher Zeph Kenna smiles in front of his desk during an interview. After teaching science in Coppell and working in community theaters, there’s a lot of excitement towards starting his new job, according to Kenna. “This is the first time that Ive been kind of involved in a large program like this,” Kenna said. “I used to be able to just kind of teach my class and go on my way. In this case, Im involved in something a lot bigger.”
Behind the Scenes of the Behind the Scenes
September 30, 2022
The show choir, a class that mixes theatrical dance with singing, gathers together for a photo. This class, and others, are filled with new faces like freshmen Alexandra Moll and Charlotte Griffin who said they were ready and excited for their first year in a high school choir. “The choir community is so supportive, everyone is incredibly nice and enjoyable to be around, Moll said. I am most excited for the end of the year beach trip. To spend time with my friends during that time sounds like so much fun.”
More Than Just a Voice
October 3, 2022
From left to right, seniors Aidan Johnson, Brady Allen, Cyrus Van Sickle, junior Braeden Fuller and senior Ryan Taylor pose for a picture at the first football game of the season. After posing for the quick picture, they grabbed water for the Celebrities. “I like being able to help the team with everything they need, Taylor said. “I think serving people brings a lot of joy into my life and so being able to do that for many people is awesome and being able to be close up with the team watching them perform is a whole new level of experience.”
Celebrities’ Helping Hands
September 28, 2022
Posing for the camera, seniors celebrate the start of their last year at this years senior sunrise. This year’s annual tradition was held on Aug. 22 in the Milburn park parking lot and came with complications and confusion that led to obstacles the Student Council had to overcome. “Planning events this year, I would say that it was stressful at first just coming in off of summer and not having done anything and then full on sprinting into the first events,” senior Ainsley Harlan said. “But I think we’ve gotten the hang of it. We’ve kind of gotten our feet under us and we have our group chat, it’s gotten a lot easier to communicate. It can be stressful at times, but I think more importantly it’s fun, I know that some of the people I’m planning it with, like Ariana [Balakrishnan], we have a lot of fun doing it and we enjoy what we’re doing. We like giving the student body a voice. Its kind of why we do what we do, is to tell the admins what the student body wants.”
Power of the People
September 15, 2022
The Medical Reserves Corp Partnership team poses as they win fourth place at the state conference in Galveston. Junior Claudia Shen said that even though her team didn’t place, she still benefited from learning about the medical field along the way. “We were confident that we would get top five, so we were excited even though we didn’t place because our hard work paid off,” Shen said.
Born to Care
May 24, 2022
Hitting their pose for their final performance, the celebrities dance team finishes out their season with their spring show, “Up, Up and Away.” The performance was held on May 6 and 7 in the PAC, which the team has been preparing for this show since the end of the end of football season in January. “It’s been difficult to process the fact that my life as a Celeb is finally over,” Kim said. “Now that the red curtain has closed, it’s finally settling in that my time wearing the glitter and the boots has expired. I’ve known that I would have to face the bittersweet ending at some point, but it’s definitely been harder than I thought it would be to let go of this team. In some ways I’m glad I have something that I will miss, because that means that this was worthwhile and valuable to me. More than anything, however, I just feel fortunate to have passed through such a respectable and enriching organization. The lessons and memories I’ve gained from Celebrities is something I will never take for granted.”
As the Curtain Closes
May 23, 2022
Head of School Safety and Assistant Principal Vernon Rogers sits down for an interview discussing updated school safety measures across the school following concerns across the nation. I’m excited that we are getting a little more attention to those security measures to keep students and staff safe, especially here on campus, Rogers said. I have a lot of personal opinions, but I think my biggest thing that I will always go back to is if students and staff are safe here.
Better Safe Than Sorry
October 6, 2022
During DEN on Sept. 20, students who were already 18, or who will be turning 18 soon, filled out Voter Registration forms. Rho Kappa president and senior Ariana Balakrishnan helped oversee the voter registration event. “I think it’s really important for high schoolers, or anyone eligible to vote, to get started doing that process at a young age because it’s a part of our civic duties and you might as well start young, Balakrishnan said. It’s a right that everyone should be able to exercise and I’m really glad that Rho Kappa could bring this experience to the school.
Behind the Ballot: How to Register to Vote and Why It’s Important
October 5, 2022
From left to right, senior Skyler Ortiz, 2022 alumnus Kaylee York and seniors Tamara Eslava and Eliana Garza pose for a quick picture as they watch a movie screening at last years Austin Film Festival. At the festival, the students listened to screenwriters, watched film screenings and explored the venues scattered across Downtown Austin. “Our group of students got to see exclusive screenings of films in iconic theaters such as the Paramount, for free, all due to the scholarship that accepted us in, Ortiz said.
Flashback on Festival
October 4, 2022
The show choir, a class that mixes theatrical dance with singing, gathers together for a photo. This class, and others, are filled with new faces like freshmen Alexandra Moll and Charlotte Griffin who said they were ready and excited for their first year in a high school choir. “The choir community is so supportive, everyone is incredibly nice and enjoyable to be around, Moll said. I am most excited for the end of the year beach trip. To spend time with my friends during that time sounds like so much fun.”
More Than Just a Voice
October 3, 2022
From left to right, seniors Aidan Johnson, Brady Allen, Cyrus Van Sickle, junior Braeden Fuller and senior Ryan Taylor pose for a picture at the first football game of the season. After posing for the quick picture, they grabbed water for the Celebrities. “I like being able to help the team with everything they need, Taylor said. “I think serving people brings a lot of joy into my life and so being able to do that for many people is awesome and being able to be close up with the team watching them perform is a whole new level of experience.”
Celebrities’ Helping Hands
September 28, 2022
The new Tech Theater teacher Zeph Kenna smiles in front of his desk during an interview. After teaching science in Coppell and working in community theaters, there’s a lot of excitement towards starting his new job, according to Kenna. “This is the first time that Ive been kind of involved in a large program like this,” Kenna said. “I used to be able to just kind of teach my class and go on my way. In this case, Im involved in something a lot bigger.”
Behind the Scenes of the Behind the Scenes
September 30, 2022
On Sept. 8, senior Kate Pape was given was recognized by the mayor of Cedar Park, Jim Penniman-Morin, for being the first female in the Cedar Park and Northshore district to earn the Eagle Scout rank. The mayor gave a speech at the Cedar Park City Hall and signed the award acknowledging the work she put in to achieve this goal in only three years, which is rarely done. “Scouts has made me more confident and comfortable when I’m in groups,” Pape said. “I am also more comfortable in taking the lead in the things that I do. It has also helped me with my independence, meaning I don’t mind doing things myself half the time.”
Once an Eagle, Always an Eagle
September 14, 2022
Smiling for her senior photos, Ally JohnPress celebrates her final year of high school at the 360 Bridge. This year, JohnPress served as editor-in-chief of the Wolfpack newspaper and worked to become a SNO Distinguished Site, which the staff achieved on Feb. 3. “Honestly, I worked tirelessly to achieve our SNO Distinguished Site award, and I could not have been happier when I got the notification on Twitter saying ‘Congratulations to the CPHS Wolfpack for achieving the SNO Distinguished Site award,’” JohnPress said. “When I knew I was going to be editor-in-chief, this was my absolute number one goal, and it is just so satisfying to be able to say we achieved national recognition. It was difficult and time-consuming work for the staff and I, and I am so proud that we were able to accomplish this.”
Letter From the Editor
May 25, 2022
Showing off his State medal, senior Tristan Hernandez poses with his ILPC Editor of the year award. Hernandez was a part of the yearbook staff for three years and served as editor-in-chief his senior year, as well as lead the UIL Journalism team as captain to win the State Championship on May 6. It was really nice to end my senior year by placing the highest and doing the best I have ever done, Hernandez said. I was also extremely excited to win the journalism team championship. Every member of the UIL Journalism team did so well, whether that be at an invitational or a UIL contest, and I’m so happy we did a full sweep of the District, Region and State Championships.
T-Dawg Takeover
May 25, 2022
Holding up her medals, senior Arina Gart finishes HOSA competition season. HOSA advanced to the state level this year. I’ve wanted to be in the medical field for forever,” Gart said. “But this year, since I was in practicum, I got a lot more experience. We also participated in the Medical Reserve Corps, so we partnered with them and we made first-aid kits for the visually impaired, and that experience made me realize it was something I really wanted to do in the future.
Say Yes to Everything
May 24, 2022
Senior and captain of the swim team Kamryn Kramer swims a lap at the first swim meet on Thursday. Amid the new experiences of leading the team and having a new swim coach with Les Greenwood, Kramer says she most enjoys the social aspect of swim. “Everyone’s best friends, Kramer said. I’m a captain of the swim team, and I love being a leader where everyone’s friends and being goofy and silly with them at the meets too. The [competitive aspect of] meets are really fun, getting up for each other.”
Dive In With Both Feet
September 29, 2022
Watching the eyes of the opposing player, sophomore Avery Nelson carefully waits for her to decide the play. The girl’s water polo team were seated second in their district at the beginning of their season. “[Being a goalie] is very stressful,” Nelson said. “[It] feels like all the pressure is on you because youre the last line of defense, when the offensive opponents are coming at you, you always have to be on your guard. And Its very tough mentally because you always beat yourself up.”
All Worth it
September 27, 2022
With the finish line in sight and a 15-second lead, junior Isabel Conde De Frankenberg pushes her way through the final stretch of the Cedar Park Invitational. Conde De Frankenberg would go on to win the varsity girls 5K race for the second year in a row. “It was a good turnout, it was really fun,” Conde De Frankenberg said. “I love our school course, it was good being able to run on there and represent your own course.”
Racing Into the Season
September 22, 2022
Holding out the ball, varsity quarterback and junior Ayden Arp hands the ball off to senior Tyree Nicholson. The team lost 7-24 to Round Rock on Sept. 9. “I think that once we get into district, it’ll be a whole different story,” Arp said. “We’ll have a lot more toughness when we have our district play.”
When the Going Gets Tough, the Toughness Gets Going
September 20, 2022
Senior Adam Vaughn pitches a fast ball towards the opposing team, hopeful for a strike. The team played a tournament against Cooper High School on March 25 with one win and one loss. “I’ve always been big into the weightroom and that has always come naturally,” Vaughn said. “But I have spent much more time on pitching and my hard work is definitely helping me become a better pitcher. Every player goes into games in practice with an intent of getting better at the game and becoming a better athlete.”
Pitch Perfect
May 12, 2022
“Me Time” starring Kevin Hart and Mark Wahlberg was released Aug. 26 on Netflix, and was the number one watched movie for several days. The movies is exciting with many funny and ridiculous scenes that left me laughing to myself.
Hart, Wahlberg Entertain in Netflix Original Movie
September 20, 2022
The movie “The Adam Project,” is available to watch on Netflix as a Netflix original film. The movie is filled with popular actors such as Ryan Reynolds, Mark Ruffalo, Zoe Saldaña and Jennifer Garner. The movie is an action filled adventure movie about the existence of time travel.
Future Me
April 25, 2022
South by Southwest is a city wide festival held here in Austin that showcases Music, Film and technology. This year, after a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19, South By Southwest was held from Mar. 11-20 and had venues spread around the city containing conferences, movie premieres, live music and many appearances from celebrities. “It was pretty cool,” junior Jack Polishook said. “I only did the free stuff because I didn’t have one of the passes but there was a lot of variety. There were cool art shows, there was a lot of cool music, there were a lot of people giving out free stuff, all of these companies giving out free things.”
Back and Better Than Ever
April 11, 2022
Monster High is back with the introduction of the new doll line, Haunt Couture, after a very long hiatus. Their last project was the Skullector line, featuring freak fabulous adaptations of classic horror icons such as Beetlejuice and Pennywise. I am so pleased to see that the franchise from my childhood is back with new modern renditions of the beloved main characters, and I can’t wait to see what the brand will do in the future.
The Ghouls are Back
March 8, 2022
At the end of march, choir presented a magical performance featuring many Disney princesses and their friends. This April, Anna and Elsa are coming back with the theatre department with Frozen jr. Come see this show to remember a well loved movie from our childhoods, Brant said. Its also a great show for kids and a chance for them to see their favorite Disney princesses.
A Freezing Spring
March 8, 2022
I competed in the 2022 Texas State Championships and ended up placing 1st in both the Individual and Pair divisions for 15-17 year olds.
Right Foot Turn, Left Foot Step
May 16, 2022
The film “Everything, Everywhere All at Once,” directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, was released on March 11 at Austin’s very own South by Southwest. The movie follows Evelyn Wang, a mother and wife, struggling with taxes as she continues to run her own laundromat sitting just below her familys small apartment. Through beautiful lighting, costuming and storytelling, I was left speechless and on the edge of my seat for the entirety of this perfectly put together movie.
Bagels and the Multiverse
April 25, 2022
Students annotate and thoroughly dissect poems, trying to find hidden meanings and values that are woven throughout. The Bridge is one of my favorite poems of all time, and Im so sad it didnt make it to the next round.
The Meaning of Words
April 12, 2022
The USWST settled their 6-year long fight about equal payment. This was a monumental and historical win for not only the soccer team, but for women across the globe working in fields filled with gender inequality.
Kicking Out Gender Inequality
March 28, 2022
In February, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton declared that gender-affirming treatment like hormone therapy for transgender individuals would constitute as child abuse and be pursued under the fullest extent of the law. According to Abbott, the ban is meant to protect children from harm, but according to modern medical consensus it will have the opposite effect. Much needs to be done to ensure that trans youth in Texas are supported.
A Ban Against Rights
March 25, 2022
“I’m Glad My Mom Died” by Jennette McCurdy is a transcendent memoir that is truly unlike any other book ever released. It provided an equal amount of laughs and tears while telling the life story of McCurdy. McCurdy takes her readers through the rocky road that was her childhood, some of the most developmental years of a person’s life. This memoir does a beautiful job of balancing all of the heartbreak and happiness felt by McCurdy throughout the book, ultimately making you agree with her book’s title.
You’re Glad Your Mom Died?
September 23, 2022
“Me Time” starring Kevin Hart and Mark Wahlberg was released Aug. 26 on Netflix, and was the number one watched movie for several days. The movies is exciting with many funny and ridiculous scenes that left me laughing to myself.
Hart, Wahlberg Entertain in Netflix Original Movie
September 20, 2022
The Paramount Plus exclusive “The Offer had its first episode release on April 28th and was directed by Dexter Fletcher. The 10 part series is a drama with semi-fact and semi-fiction aspects of the creation of the classic movie “The Godfather”. Throughout I watched the entire show at every chance I could get and would say it’s best enjoyed with a coke, ice cream and some extra cheddar flavor blasted goldfish.
The Answer
May 20, 2022
The newest Crumbl location has made it easy to pick up the weekly menu. The lineup for the first week of May is pictured: Pink Velvet Cupcake, Hazelnut Mudslide ft. Nutella, Mom’s Favorite and Mango Frozen Yogurt. My favorite out of them all would have to be the Pink Velvet Cupcake. The perfect cookie to frosting ratio easily placed it in my top five Crumbl cookies. The slight strawberry flavor gives the cookie a nice flavor profile overall, and the buttercream frosting creates the most perfect cookie.
What’s the Lineup?
May 13, 2022
The film “Everything, Everywhere All at Once,” directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, was released on March 11 at Austin’s very own South by Southwest. The movie follows Evelyn Wang, a mother and wife, struggling with taxes as she continues to run her own laundromat sitting just below her familys small apartment. Through beautiful lighting, costuming and storytelling, I was left speechless and on the edge of my seat for the entirety of this perfectly put together movie.
Bagels and the Multiverse
April 25, 2022
Reflecting on the Spotlight
Reflecting on the Spotlight
February 2, 2022
DECA Advances to State
DECA Advances to State
February 1, 2022
Native American Heritage Month
January 24, 2022
The Yerd Life: Back in School
The Yerd Life: Back in School
January 21, 2022
With pompoms in hand, sophomore Phoebe Solberg dances to Underneath the Tree in the Luminaries performance during the Holiday Show. The show was held on Dec. 2 in the PAC after a years hiatus due to COVID-19. My favorite part of the holiday show was getting to spend time with my friends and getting to see everyone else perform as well, Solberg said. I love being on Luminaries because I get to spend a lot of quality time with my friends and grow as a dancer.
2021 Fall Fine Arts Recap Slideshow
January 10, 2022
With pompoms in hand, sophomore Phoebe Solberg dances to Underneath the Tree in the Luminaries performance during the Holiday Show. The show was held on Dec. 2 in the PAC after a years hiatus due to COVID-19. My favorite part of the holiday show was getting to spend time with my friends and getting to see everyone else perform as well, Solberg said. I love being on Luminaries because I get to spend a lot of quality time with my friends and grow as a dancer.
2021 Fall Fine Arts Recap Slideshow
January 10, 2022
Coming off a tough non-district schedule and loss to Round Rock, varsity football won its first district game of the season against Georgetown 49-45. The game came down to the final minute, with the T-Wolves’ play cementing their lead. “Winning our first district game definitely helped us because we had just beat one of our toughest district opponents in a big way,” junior linebacker Isaac Barksdale said. “The mood was almost frustrated because it was that close of a game. But, it was also like ‘Okay, we know what we have to do, so let’s go do it.’
2021 Fall Sports Recap Slideshow
January 9, 2022
Striking a pose at halftime, Celebrities captain and senior Katie Kim performs in front of the crowd at the Homecoming game. Kim, who started on the Emeralds JV Dance Team as a freshman and has been a Celebrities member since her sophomore year, is in her final year of dancing on the high school team. “It was definitely an unforgettable experience,” Kim said. “Im so grateful to have been a part of it all for the past three years.”
2021 Homecoming Slideshow
October 20, 2021
Surrounded by a blanket of snow, Ryan Pribyla plays makes a snow angel while his older sister, sophomore Anna Pribyla takes pictures of him on Feb. 15. Anna said that the best part of the snow days was how pretty it was. “I loved going outside and taking pictures,” Anna said. “The worst part was not being able to drive anywhere. I had gotten my license the day before the snow and I had to wait a week before I could actually go anywhere because of the ice roads.”
Texas- A True Winter Wonderland
March 9, 2021
Looking to the side, senior Sydney Poulsen extends her leg while en pointe at the Celebrities holiday show on Dec. 13. This performance was the first time Poulsen had performed while en pointe in two years. It was fun to be able to perform en pointe again,” Poulsen said. “I also loved getting to wear my old tutu because they are super pretty. It was definitely difficult to perform because I had a tiny piece of marley and I [couldnt] travel as far as I normally would. Overall though, the variation went super well and I felt strong on pointe.
Celebrities Winter Show
February 1, 2021
Winners Train, Losers Complain
Winners Train, Losers Complain
February 28, 2022
Reflecting on the Spotlight
Reflecting on the Spotlight
February 2, 2022
DECA Advances to State
DECA Advances to State
February 1, 2022
The Yerd Life: Back in School
The Yerd Life: Back in School
January 21, 2022
Varsity Mixed Choir Selected for ACDA Competition
Varsity Mixed Choir Selected for ACDA Competition
March 1, 2021
The student newspaper and broadcast of Cedar Park High School

The Wolfpack

The student newspaper and broadcast of Cedar Park High School

The Wolfpack

Undeserved citizenship: an interview with Ms. McShane

Natalie Herzig • December 17, 2009

     During the first six weeks of school, Maureen McShane, government teacher, administered a United States Citizenship test to her AP students. Surprisingly, almost every one of her students failed...

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The student newspaper and broadcast of Cedar Park High School
Ms. McShane