Rather than shopping, freshman Kalyn Neuwirth-Deutsch spent Black Friday painting windows in Ferguson and helping brighten the community after the riots on Nov. 24.
“We painted on one of the buildings that was burnt down in the riots and you could see the burn marks, but that didn’t stop me from wanting to help,” Neuwirth-Deutsch said.
Despite wanting nothing more to help, Neuwirth-Deutsch was not sure what she would find when she arrived in Ferguson.
“I was actually really nervous when I first went because of all the bad things I heard on the news; but when I got there I just saw all these families going about their normal day. I got a lot less nervous and scared. I was just really happy to be there,” Neuwirth-Deutsch said.
Neuwirth-Deutsch and her family saw none of the negative feelings that had been displayed in the news about the riots.
“We actually had people who were honking and telling us what a good job we were doing and asking if they could come help,” Neuwirth-Deutsch said.
The Neuwirth-Deutsch family spent the day in Ferguson and painted four boarded up window that had broken during the riots.
“We went to a flower shop and a beauty supply shop to paint. We were actually really excited to find the floral shop because we were happy we got to paint all these pretty flowers and put colors everywhere,” Neuwirth-Deutsch said.
While in Ferguson, Neuwirth-Deutsch discovered the stories of some of the shop owners.
“The lady who ran the floral shop had been working there for 42 years. She was really happy to see us there, brightening her day,” Neuwirth-Deutsch said.
Neuwirth-Deutsch’s favorite part of the experience was the owner’s reaction to their newly painted windows.
“We had been there for an hour or so painting that one window. When she came out she was overjoyed and happy to see all of the work that we did,” Neuwirth-Deutsch said.
Neuwirth-Deutsch encourages others to join in the effort to brighten up Ferguson.
“During the day there was nothing scary there. Everyone was just happy and going about their day. You can go with a group like I might go with my church; or you can go down like I did and paint different boards or even plants flowers somewhere. Just do something to brighten up the community,” Neuwirth-Deutsch said.
![Adding a tray of canned corn to the pile, junior Michael Collop assists in transporting donations for the Holiday Food Drive. The event, hosted schoolwide from Dec. 10-17, raised over 5,000 food items to deliver to the Parkway Food Pantry, helping several families in need. "[The drive] is a great thing for us to do because you're giving to those who are less fortunate, and it helps provide for people who can't provide for themselves. [The] competition is always fun, too. It was fun to be in [social studies teacher Jeff] Chazen’s class, because he always gets worked up over [the competition]. He made it exciting, and was always convincing us to turn in cans for the drive,” Collop said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/feature-photo-unsung-2.png)
![Principal John McCabe announces that Jeffrey Chazen has won Teacher of the Year. Chazen was discussing freedom of speech with his AP Government class when the door opened and administrators rushed in. “[I was] extremely happy and humbled, but mostly shock[ed]. I've been here longer than any other teacher, so I know most of the people on the list of Teachers of the Year, and they are amazing teachers themselves,” Chazen said. “It's just nice to be on the list with them, including [social studies teacher Kristen] Collins, who is the only other social studies teacher who has won Teacher of the Year. It was nice to bring something back to the social studies department.”](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/DSC_0021-1-2-1200x801.jpg)
![Striking a pose following their group dance, the 2024 Mr. Longhorn contestants welcome their audience to the show. Throughout the night, the nine competitors participated in an occupational section, skits for the talent portion and a fashion attire show before finalists were interviewed. “It's a fun time getting to hang out with my friends and doing [our] acts. I think I'm most excited for my performance with [seniors Bart Connors, Gavin Hamlin and Colin Hughes]. I like that I get to dance a little bit. I don't think I'm very good, but I'm gonna try my best to put on a show,” contestant and senior Henry Wild said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/DSC_9759-1200x798.jpg)
![Kicking off dress rehearsal, Mr. Longhorn contestant and senior Carson Hughes goes over the group routine alongside other competitors. With just two days of practice, all participants learned the entirety of their introductory dance, chose an occupation to embody and crafted skits for the show. “The best part of this [whole thing] was learning the dance and just practicing with the guys. We [have to] try not to laugh the whole time, but we're having a lot of fun,” Hughes said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/IMG_5112-1-e1732164157549-1200x812.jpg)
![Blending together a concoction for a science experiment, science teacher Joel Anderson scares his students by bringing excitement and thrill into his classroom for his annual Halloween show. It took about six weeks for Anderson to set up his classroom for the show. “It’s pure terror. I came up with this idea a couple decades ago to do something fun for Halloween. So I pretend to be this mad scientist [that creates] a Frankenstein-like creature [with the class], learning a little bit of science along the way and [then ending] with a laser show. It’s just for fun; entertainment value,” Anderson said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/DSC_0021.JPG_-1200x800.jpg)
![Standing with girls cross country team mascot Pump the pumpkin, senior Sydney Etchason laughs with her teammates. Before the team’s senior night, Etchason undertook an odyssey to recover the pumpkin, which had been stolen by boys cross country. “We went through practice, and then a little birdie told me that it was in [senior] Emmett [Vernon's] car. I [offered Vernon] $50 to give us our pumpkin back, and we got Pump back,” Etchason said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/DSC_0002-1-1200x800.jpg)
