![Picking up trash along a stream, sophomores Daniellie McLaurin and Natalie Huff participate in the annual Day of Service by supporting The Stream Cleaning Organization of St. Louis March 5. Students had the opportunity to go out in their communities and volunteer with their common ground classes. “It was such a great opportunity to go out and be able to serve the community. The best part was when we were all picking up trash; it was kind of like a competition,” Huff said. “It was a lot of fun, and I liked that we were able to do a lot of walking and [were able] to enjoy the outdoors.”](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/IMG_0581-900x675.jpg)
Picking up trash along a stream, sophomores Daniellie McLaurin and Natalie Huff participate in the annual Day of Service by supporting The Stream Cleaning Organization of St. Louis March 5. Students had the opportunity to go out in their communities and volunteer with their common ground classes. “It was such a great opportunity to go out and be able to serve the community. The best part was when we were all picking up trash; it was kind of like a competition,” Huff said. “It was a lot of fun, and I liked that we were able to do a lot of walking and [were able] to enjoy the outdoors.”
Photo of the week – March 2
![Putting in the work, junior Jannes Pöttker focuses on strengthening his back with TRX bands during Strength and Conditioning class. The class has helped many students like Pöttker enhance their athletic performance outside of school. “Right now I'm doing track and field, [and] I wanted to do sports during the school day and not just after. [Strength and Conditioning] is always [a] nice time with all the guys and I mean, you really get stronger,” Pöttker said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/8650edited-1-1200x800.jpg)
![Building the base, junior Zaid Aujaimy creates a zen garden in Ceramics on Feb. 25. Aujaimy learned about making plants and rocks out of clay and incorporated those into his garden. “The most significant lesson I learned in Ceramics was to be patient [and] gentle and [to] think about unique ways to approach things and use my resources. I enjoy [Ceramics] class because I can express my creativity. It's not like other classes where there's a specific way to do something. I can [go] about it however I want and make good art my own way,” Aujaimy said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/DSC1285-1200x799.jpg)
![Locked in on the roll, freshman Angel Olvera Galan watches the die land on the table during a Dungeons and Dragons Club meeting on Feb. 21 in the library. Olvera Galan joined the club halfway through first semester and has participated in the club since. “If we all can get along together to do such a thing as playing a game together, then it proves the community at West is so friendly to each other,” Olvera Galan said. “Dungeons and Dragons helps me feel connected because I can find other people who have similar interests to mine and we can all connect [about the game].”](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/0092edited-1200x800.jpg)
![Hearing the bridge creak, Latin teacher Tom Herpel winces as he carefully stacks another book on top of a popsicle stick bridge during Latin 3 on Feb. 7. Within groups, students were randomly assigned different hierarchical roles of Ancient Roman construction workers and attempted to build bridges for their Roman Engineering unit. “I created this activity to showcase how certain [Romans] on a construction site would not talk to each other because they were higher or lower in society, and that creates problems when trying to create a final product. So then, after [the students’] bridges were done, we tested how strong they were. We slowly put more and more books onto the bridge to see when the bridge would break. And believe it or not, that bridge got to the point where someone actually sat on it,” Herpel said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/IMG_5942-2-1200x800.jpg)
![High fives and smiles all around, senior Sadie Burgess and her partner junior Charlotte Putnam
compete in the Red Cross Club’s pickleball tournament fundraiser at Chicken n Pickle on Feb. 1. The fundraiser benefited those recently affected by the Los Angeles wildfires. “It felt good [supporting the cause], especially since [pickleball] was easy to pick up and fun. I would have spent that $20 probably at Target anyway, so it was good that I was giving it back to something better,” Burgess said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/pickleballpotwedited-1200x779.jpg)
![Reaching for the wall, sophomore Bella Lamb glides through the water in the 100-meter backstroke on Jan. 28 against Lutheran South High School. Lamb’s main event has been the 500-meter freestyle and she worked the most on pacing during practice. “I really wanted to go to state for my 500[-meter freestyle] and the state cut is six minutes. At the Kirkwood Invite, I went 5:47, so I currently have a state cut in the 500. And so [now] I'm working towards getting a lower time,” Lamb said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/swimeditedpotw-1200x799.jpg)
![Attempting to skate the puck between two Oakville defenders, senior Caden Lindley gets closed in. On Jan. 16, Lindley was honored before the game for senior night at Queeny Recreational Complex. “It was weird to be spotlighted as a senior since I’ve always looked up to other classes and didn’t realize how close my time as a senior was. [But,] it was definitely nice to play in honor of our class,” Lindley said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/IMG_2498-1200x966.jpg)
![Reading the answer on the back of the card, freshman Madi Bell quizzes her classmates. Social studies teacher Lara Boles prepared a board game activity to help her US and World History 2 students study for their final. “I liked this activity because the answers on the cards were also the answers on the test, so it helped prepare for what you would see on the final. I [also] enjoyed having some competition against my classmates to see who knew the terms the best and who could make it around the board first,” Bell said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/potwbell-1200x800.jpg)
![Eyes on the clay slab roller, social studies teacher Rachel Money learns how to use pottery equipment from sophomore Madeline Tipton during the “Teach a Teacher” AcLab event. Ceramics teacher Ashley Drissell hosted this event after receiving trinket dish pottery forms from a grant, which facilitated the process for teachers. “It was fun to take a break and be creative, [doing] something different with my day. It was really neat to get [teachers] into an art classroom with students [and] learning what they do in there,” Money said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/ceramicsedited-1200x801.jpg)
![Looking out into the audience, senior Jack Mullen solos “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” by Frank Sinatra at the annual winter choir concert on Dec. 10. Mullen volunteered to sing a solo to aid the transition between choir groups on stage. “I chose that song because I really like the crooner genre when it comes to holiday music. [That song] had all the element[s] of Michael bublé, Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby. Also, it's a simple melody, so I did vocal gymnastics when I could and made it my own,” Mullen said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/jackedited-1200x800.jpg)
About the Contributors
Jacob Stanton, Staff Writer
Grade: 10
Years on Staff: 2
What’s your coffee order? Pike roast with vanilla
What song describes you best? Legend by The Score
What is the one thing you cannot live without? I am a runner and trust me, comfortable shoes is a must-have.
Olivia Bradshaw, Staff Writer
Grade: 12
Years on Staff: 1 (oh, well)
What’s your coffee order? Hot: White Chocolate Mocha, with a little bit or coffee and extraaaaaaaa chocolate, and almond milk. Cold: Frappuccino (any chocolate creme flavor) with almond milk and extra java, or extremely sweetened flavored iced tea.
What song describes you best? Waving Through a Window (Sung by Ben Platt from the musical Dear Evan Hansen).
What is the one thing you cannot live without? Crtl Z (or Cmd Z on a Mac).