Winter break was a welcome respite from routine after the grueling first semester.The Featherduster asked students about what they did in their downtime.

“My family traveled to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Orlando. We were there for three days and it was really fun. The best part about it was the Butterbeer, which was very sweet and just delicious.”
—sophomore Arman Kemar

“I hung out with friends and had some band practices. I got an Epiphone Casino guitar, which was awesome. It’s the same model as [the one] John Lennon had in the ‘60s, and I really admire him.”
—senior Charles Bradbury

“My family went to New Jersey and stayed in New Brunswick, where we would take the train to New York. Mostly we visited my grandparents, who live [in New Jersey], but we also did some shopping in the city. I bought a cute winter cardigan with little reindeer on it, and I got a bass guitar from my parents. I’ve played guitar for a while and wanted to try something new, so I’m just learning [bass guitar] now.
—junior Jules Shelby

“Over the holidays I went to San Antonio to spend New Year’s with my family, hung out with friends and went to the Trail of Lights and the Chaparral Ice Center. I got nice leather boots and more stuff than I expected. I also worked on college applications and got a lot done, which was good.”
—senior Jazmin Ramos

“I went to my cousin’s house in North Austin. I got a brand new phone, an LG Samsung, which I’ve been using a lot. I was pretty surprised, and hadn’t had a phone before, so it’s exciting and I’ve been texting a lot. I also got a lot of cash.”
—freshman Jacob Cullen

“My break was lovely. I went to Cozumel, Mexico, where I scuba dived for the first time. I saw four barracudas and two huge lobsters. We also went to a drop-off area, like in Finding Nemo, and explored a cave area. That was the best part of the trip. I’m definitely going to get certified so I can go whenever I want. My family also went to Kerrville to see my grandparents. I got a 3DS with Animal Crossing and also clothes, which was cool. I’ve been playing Animal Crossing a little too much since then.”
—junior Reed Hildebrand