VHS Student Media

The Voice staff will return in August with more stories covering academics, sports, fine arts, clubs, and student life. Thank you for reading and supporting The Voice all year.

2027 seniors can take their senior portrait over the summer with PhotoTexas. Photos must be taken by winter break.

Check out where students are headed over the summer. Visit VandegriftVoice.com.

Cheesy, comedy, comfort.

Those three words perfectly capture Lynn Painter’s over-the-top, smile-inducing novels.

Painter first gained popularity with her contemporary romance book “Better Than the Movies” in 2021, about hopeless romantic Liz Buxbaum and her bothersome neighbor, Wes Bennett. Following a classic enemies-to-lovers romance as Liz attempts to catch the eye of her crush Michael with Wes interfering, the book ends with the couple happily together. However, jumping to 2024, “Nothing Like the Movies,” Liz and Wes are no longer together after a tragic breakup. Pulling on heartstrings and another classic storyline following a second-chance relationship, Wes slowly regains Liz’s trust. The seemingly-predictable plots are embellished with outlandish turns, grand gestures when least expected and real emotional depth. It’s the perfect escape from reality without drifting too far.

Read .lee's full review at VandegriftVoice.com.

Austin has a heat problem. By mid-June, the temperature will reach 100 degrees on a near-daily basis, the pavement will radiate enough warmth to cook breakfast and every outdoor plan will come with an unspoken asterisk: “but only before 10 a.m. or after 7 p.m.“ And yet, somehow, summer remains the best time to visit. The city does not retreat indoors when the thermostat spikes. It adapts. It finds the water. It waits for sunset. It eats extremely well in the air conditioning and then heads back outside when the sky turns for sunset. For anyone staying in town this summer, here is the case for Austin in the heat and exactly how to make the most of it.

Start at the water. Lady Bird Lake sits in the center of downtown like a long, glassy corridor cutting through the skyline, and it is the central connector of Austin’s summer. The Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail wraps more than 10 miles around the lake’s perimeter, shaded by old-growth trees and dotted with overlooks where the downtown towers reflect off the surface. The stretch near Deep Eddy Community Garden offers easy parking and immediate access to both the trail and the water. Feel free to run, walk or just watch the paddleboarders glide by.

Read the rest of .kancharla's article at VandegriftVoice.com.

4 Students Place in Top 10 at UIL State Academic Meet

Connor McKenzie placed 4th in Biology and 6th overall in Science while Ankit Gupta finished 9th in Science.

Audryn Lee finished 5th in state for Editorial Writing and Copy Editing.

Juliet Kelley finished tied for 7th in Ready Writing.

Time change for next Thursday's senior class photo.

Before COVID, schools wouldn’t require students maintaining an average of a 95 or above in a chosen subject to take final exams. This forced students to strive for academic excellence the entire year. They studied so they could spare themselves from tedious cumulative tests that exhaust brainpower. This system effectively motivated students because they had a relieving reward to work towards. But after schools went back in session after the COVID pandemic, this system became discontinued, primarily to combat the major loss of learning during the crisis and strengthen academic standardization. Schools need to reinstate this system to incentivize teenagers to work well, reward accomplished students and alleviate mental health issues associated with schoolwork stress.

Read the rest of Celia's editorial at VandegriftVoice.com.
📷 Andy Barbour

Reward Excellence: Schools Should Exempt “A” Students From Finals

Before COVID, schools wouldn’t require students maintaining an average of a 95 or above in a chosen subject to take final exams. This forced students to strive for academic excellence the entire year. They studied so they could spare themselves from tedious cumulative tests that exhaust brainpower. This system effectively motivated students because they had a relieving reward to work towards. But after schools went back in session after the COVID pandemic, this system became discontinued, primarily to combat the major loss of learning during the crisis and strengthen academic standardization. Schools need to reinstate this system to incentivize teenagers to work well, reward accomplished students and alleviate mental health issues associated with schoolwork stress.

Read the rest of Celia's editorial at VandegriftVoice.com.
📷 Andy Barbour

Keona Branford places 7th in 6A Girls Triple Jump!