Elle Rotter, Awards Coordinator
Pronouns: she/her
I am a junior, and this is my third year on staff. I decided to join the Pathfinder my freshman to expand my writing knowledge and experience. Now, I look forward to working with my Pathfinder family and writing about others' experiences. I strive to do my best, so at the end of the day, even if I didn’t complete everything I wanted, I can still look back and say I tried my hardest. I love writing, photography, knitting and cooking. Along with working on the Pathfinder, I am also in the National Honor Society, Book Club and ASL Club. For me writing is a relaxer; I love being able to write and express myself, other peoples’ experiences and help inspire change.
![The prosecution team in the fifth hour Crime and Law mock trial plans for a cross-examination against a surprise witness during a two-minute recess. Senior Akshaya Mulakala, junior Jaxon Smith, senior Ryan Whorton and junior Parker Cummins gathered to come up with questions, hoping to discredit the witness and convince the jury that the defendant was guilty of second-degree murder. “I wanted to build a case by looking at [the] facts. [So,] it was cool to look at the details and build a case from that,” Whorton said. “The defendant [was] found guilty of manslaughter, but got a 10-year [sentence] which I still consider a success.”](https://PWestPathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/DSC_0125-900x600.jpg)
![Surrounded by a cooler, a basket and a piano bench, freshman Matt Willock holds a NASCAR tire filled with his school supplies. As a part of spirit week, students were encouraged on Wednesday to bring in “anything but a backpack,” to carry their belongings around in for the day.
“I feel like the whole NASCAR tire idea was like a statement of my personality. [My dad] was the one that originally kind of gave me the idea to do it. Its been sitting in my room for a little bit and we were looking for stuff to use,” Willock said. “I feel like since this was kind of the first time [for ‘anything but a backpack day’], we were working out whats good to bring, but I feel like if we do it next year, itll be a lot better. Therell be a lot more variety to what people bring.”](https://PWestPathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/DSC_3568-900x600.jpg)
![Principal Jeremy Mitchell sits in his homecoming float and waves to the students lined on the sidewalk for the homecoming parade. During homecoming week, he enjoyed getting to build connections with students. “I couldn’t have asked for anyone better to work for,” Athletic Director Brian Kessler said. “[He] pulled off homecoming, [when] nobody knew what it was going to look like. It happened, it was great, it was beautiful, and [students] loved it.”](https://PWestPathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/IMG_0579-900x600.jpg)
![During Ac lab time, sophomore Raj Jaladi plays a game of chess in the library. Jaladi joined the chess club before winter break and has learned different strategies from his peers and YouTube videos. “I think it challenges my intellectual ability and there is a lot to learn. A lot of games there is just an objective to [achieve] but in chess there are variations and it’s an endless ocean,” Jaladi said. “I’ve been playing a lot, maybe too much actually. I’ve made friends with a lot of people in the club and I learned a lot by playing against them.”](https://PWestPathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/DSC_0013-copy-900x681.jpg)
![During an experiment in his honors Force and Motion class, freshman Jacksen McNeal pushes the car across the table. Physics teacher Amy Van Matre-Woodward taught how to calculate velocity and used toy cars as practice for students. “I enjoyed this activity because it was a [creative] way to practice finding velocity. I [also] just liked playing with the cars,” McNeal said.](https://PWestPathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/POW121jpg-900x600.jpg)
![Sculpting a Day of the Dead project in Ceramics 1, sophomore Katie Wallace creates a mug out of her pinch pot. For the assignment, Wallace carved eyes, a nose and a mouth into her mug, and later painted it in bright colors to make it unique. “Getting to have social time, unwind and talk with my friends was my [favorite part of the] class,” Wallace said. “I also liked getting to hone my creativity and get my hands dirty.”](https://PWestPathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/DSC_0017-872x900.jpg)
![Juniors Olivia Davis and Zachary Schade dress up for Monday’s spirit theme: country versus country club. “[When I started] high school, I remember teachers always told us ‘[high school] goes by so fast, so participate in everything you can,’” Davis said. “I really wanted to and enjoyed participating because I didn’t want to miss out on another essential high school experience, especially since we never know what next year holds.”](https://PWestPathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/DSC_0013-478x900.jpg)
![Sophomores Emily Kerber, Abigail Wheeler, Andrew Martin and Annalise Schriber play Jenga on the last day of school. Between flying twislers and giggling friends, Kerber tried to ignore the distractions around her while pulling a block from the tower. “[My favorite part of being back to school] was being able to see everyone. In class, we where able to have fun but also be productive,” Kerber said. “I have mixed feelings about the school year ending.”](https://PWestPathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/DSC_0016-900x600.jpg)
![Sitting in her at-home office, Spanish teacher Sonya McGowin prepares to converse with her students. After teaching middle school students for 13 years, McGowin adjusted to teaching at a higher level. “It doesnt feel that different, except for the difference of virtual learning,” McGowin said. “High school students are more focused, [and] the course is more challenging.”](https://PWestPathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/McGowin-874x900.jpeg)
![Senior Braden Jensen sits on the stairs of his Jazz Choir classroom Nov. 19, his last day of in-person school for the semester. Jensen preferred in-person classes because it was easier for him to learn in a school setting, especially for choir. “Singing through a mask is pretty interesting because you had less air to breathe in and the sound that came out could be kind of muffled,” Jensen said. “[But] with [choir] it was much better to sing with each other in-person.”](https://PWestPathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/DSC_0006-1-900x600.jpg)
![After receiving feedback from her friends about what they wanted to see on the cover of the school planner, senior Maddy Truka combined her own ideas with friends to create it. Truka was to hoping to represent diversity in her design. “[Planners] help to just keep track of anything your teacher may assign that’s not listed up on the board like usual,” Truka said. “Also, class set up may be more difficult and there is definitely more work to do so it’s important that students are organized now more than ever.”](https://PWestPathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/IMG_4387-900x675.jpg)
![Quarantined at home, junior Drew Milholland scrolls through Instagram for inspiration and entertainment. Social media is what many students have used to distract themselves from boredom. [Not having social media] would severely impact the mental state of everyone, regardless of how much they use social media, Milholland said. Id be a million times more irritable and sick of quarantine if it werent for these apps that let me stay connected with the outside world.](https://PWestPathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/IMG-6058-1-900x767.jpg)
![Taking advantage of ASL Club time after school in ASL Club Sponsor Jessie Menchak’s room, freshman and ASL Club member Bella Neisius cuts out hand-shaped Valentines. Club members gathered together to cut out cards and make tissue paper flowers for Valentines. “I like learning new things about the Deaf community at West and [meeting] all the Deaf kids within [our school] and connecting with them,” Neisius said.](https://PWestPathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/DSC_0093-900x600.jpg)
