The Official Student News Site of Parkway West High

Pathfinder

The Official Student News Site of Parkway West High

Pathfinder

The Official Student News Site of Parkway West High

Pathfinder

For the first time in fashion history, thrift stores have become as essential to the middle class as they are to the impoverished communities they were designed to serve. The potential effects on lower-class communities are worrying. As thrift stores increase prices to meet resellers’ upcharges, the longtime, poorer buyers will be left feeling the effects: thrift store merchandise will not be as accessible or affordable to them. “It’s just going to separate the lower class from [the resources] they [need], and it will separate [the] middle and higher classes. It will make things a lot more difficult,” junior Kristen Skordos said.

Is it worth it?

Lauren Holcomb, Staff Writer April 5, 2023

Macklemore may have to update the lyrics to his 2012 hit single “Thrift Shop” soon because as we head into a new era of thrift stores, the line “But it was 99 cents (bag it)” now reads like a cruel...

Celebrities and music artists often break the media with their perceived “problematic” actions or statements.

When do you separate the art from the artist?

Katie Wallace, Staff Writer March 3, 2023

All too often, your favorite artist is in the news for all the wrong reasons. Whether it is alternative/indie artist Rex Orange County being charged with six counts of sexual assault or hip-hop and rap...

The battle of ingratiating Black history into the mainstream has been arduous, especially with the media’s capitalization on villainizing Black history. Underneath this vilification lies a history that is abundant in culture and has impacted America more than it is typically credited with. “Representation is [a] really big [deal], and people want to do things that they can see themselves being represented in. I think that a lot of African Americans — and a lot of students in general — don’t know how rich the history of Black [people] is in America,” senior and Black Student Union president Lauren McLeod said.

The vilification of Black history is exactly why we need it

Elizabeth Franklin, A&E/Opinions Editor February 28, 2023

In August 2022, as part of a new law that banned "sexually explicit" content in schools, nearly 300 books were pulled off the shelves in Missouri. Across the nation, schools and districts everywhere went...

In Convergence Journalism, junior Claire Creely works on a story for the Pathfinder. The student-run journalism staff seeks to cover stories that matter to our readers.

More to the story

Serena Liu and Katie Wallace February 27, 2023

In 1983, students in a Journalism II class at Hazelwood East High School wrote stories about teen pregnancy and divorce for their school newspaper, The Spectrum. But when their principal reviewed the issue,...

A woman points a camera at the viewer

Photography through a racial lens

Serena Liu, News Editor February 23, 2023
For many students, seeing people of color misrepresented through photography is disheartening. However, the effects also bleed into students’ daily lives. While occasional unflattering photos may be inevitable, some students of color have found that their skin tone has looked inaccurate or improperly exposed in their photos. These photos are put in the yearbook for everyone to see and look back on. 
Lawmakers in Missouri voted to update the dress code exclusively for women Jan. 11. The new bill requires women’s arms to be covered by a blazer, cardigan or knit blazer. “There’s a lot of cost to purchasing new clothes. If you must wear a long-sleeved blazer or something over a short-sleeved outfit, that is a huge cost to be considered; It requires women to change what’s already [in their wardrobe]. This bill requires female members to take an extra step because not all business-casual clothing for women is made in long sleeves,” social studies teacher Rachel Money said.

The battle between feminism and equality

Audrey Ghosh and Emily Early February 2, 2023

The Missouri House of Representatives recently updated its dress code in a 105-51 decision, requiring female legislators to cover their arms with a jacket, cardigan or knit blazer. Mainstream media quickly...

A pile of Advanced Placement (AP) study books sit on a library desk. When taking AP classes, many students sacrifice other areas of their lives to keep their grades up. “Its not the fact that I am taking an AP class. I am spending more time doing the work for school than I would spend time with friends and family,” senior Noah Schell said. “It is a sacrifice I made and realized after signing up for the classes. Over the years, I have devised a system of managing my time, which sometimes means I don’t get all of the work done.”

Balancing brain power: the need to prioritize mental health over AP classes

Pathfinder Editorial Board January 19, 2023

In 2022, 424 Parkway West students took 801 Advanced Placement (AP) examinations, meaning that most took two or more tests, and over a third of the student population enrolled in an AP class. Because course...

On Oct. 14, West High parents received an email that notified them of a potential safety concern from the Chesterfield Police Department. In the subsequent weeks, repeated incidents of a shooter being near or on school grounds have caused the area to be on high alert. “It’s unfortunate to think I am not alone in feeling numb. We have been exposed to so much violence towards schools,” social studies teacher Kevin Doherty said. “I feel shame it took something so close to home to really open up my eyes to the extent to which this barbarity has spread.”

Guns and schools: a deep dive into America’s broken system

Audrey Ghosh, Awards Coordinator January 11, 2023

Content warning: This article mentions gun violence, school shootings and death.   Just 20 miles away from Parkway West, teacher Jean Kuczka and 15-year-old Alexzandria Bell were killed in the...

Although society is reaching an all-time high for mental health awareness, celebrities are still facing heavy scrutiny about what they depict in their art, particularly surrounding mental health. Musical artist Taylor Swift received backlash for her display of body dysmorphia in her “Anti-Hero” music video. “There’s a difference between saying being fat is bad and saying you have [an] eating disorder that you’re constantly battling,” Swift fan @expiredthrills said on Twitter.

Taylor Swift silenced from “Speaking Now” about her experience with body dysmorphia

Elle Rotter, Deputy Conceptual Editor-in-Chief January 4, 2023

The camera pans across a bathroom wall as musical artist Taylor Swift looks down as she stands on the scale. Zooming in, we discover that the scale reads “FAT.” Fans and critics collectively booed...

School should be a safe space for all students regardless of race, religion, gender or sexuality. However, bullying and exclusion can turn productive learning environments into places of fear and distress. Finding a solution to this discrimination is imperative in ensuring every student has a positive learning environment and equal opportunity to succeed.

Capable, curious, caring, corrupted

Pathfinder Editorial Board December 31, 2022

Disclaimer: To protect student identity, certain sources have been given different names. We see the happy-go-lucky attitude daily in our classrooms: brightly colored posters plastered across the walls...

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