A farewell to Coach Bethany
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![Alongside club sponsors Andrea Horn and Tim Burkard, assistant principal Kate Piffel prompts a discussion at the first Black Student Union (BSU) meeting. She accepted suggestions for BSU from members like BSU Leader and junior Tanatswa Zirengani, who moved from Zimbabwe in 2021. “Moving here and transitioning into a new school [and] lifestyle, [BSU] became [a place] where I could be myself and talk about issues that I felt comfortable talking about back home. BSU [also] gave me the opportunity to venture into the post-high-school experience, telling me [some] things to expect,” Zirengani said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/DSC_0120-1-1200x800.jpg)
FeaturesThe voice of change -
FeaturesBeyond the net -
![Junior TJ Polack plays his saxophone solo at halftime for the 2024 marching band show, ‘Coloring Book.’ This year, Polack was one of two soloists in the marching band. “[Polack] is very hard on himself. [His saxophone solo] sounds amazing [and] everyone [cheers] for him; [still], somehow, he thinks it’s a bad performance and he's down. What he does is not easy. It takes a lot of confidence as a person [and] a lot of musical skill to be expressive, and he's doing an amazing job,” drum major and senior Dominic Perez said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/462488499_2973926416100522_5057718068659607183_n-1200x925.jpg)
FeaturesThe long run -
FeaturesBlending worlds together -
![Sophomore Isaiah Meese smiles after his Eagle Scout Ceremony. Meese has participated in the scouting program since first grade, learning new aspects of life and growing a community of a second family. “I almost didn’t do [boy scouting], but I'm glad I eventually did start doing it. I regret that I wasn't [working towards Eagle Scout during COVID]. It might not always seem like the most rewarding thing, but if you put your time into it, there's a good chance you'll get quite a lot out of it: friends, new activities and hobbies, or just more experience,” Meese said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/IMG_1004-1200x800.jpg)
FeaturesThe eagle’s flight -
![Junior Justin Lutz arranges his collection of basketball sports cards. Lutz started his first hand at entrepreneurship with an online store on eBay, dealing and trading in the sports card market. “I was already collecting sports cards [before], so I knew a lot of these players and I understood the market. I ventured into other sports, but I really stayed with the ones that I knew the most, [like] basketball. It’s really important to focus on what you know because it's so much easier than starting completely from scratch in a market that you don't understand. Find something that you're interested in," Lutz said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Untitled-design-2.png)
FeaturesGetting down to business -
FeaturesFresh faces: Welcoming new teachers to West -
![Standing in front of the American Sign Language program’s mural, junior Brooke Hoenecke signs with freshman Darren Young. Hoenecke began cadet teaching for ASL this year alongside working towards earning her seal of biliteracy. “I was in ASL class when I received the email [that I qualified for the seal]. I was jumping up and down with my teacher and the rest of the class. One of the reasons why I took cadet teaching this year was so that I could prepare for the Seal of Biliteracy and be immersed in ASL,” Hoenecke said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/hoenecke.jpeg)
FeaturesFluent in silence -
![With a keen eye for detail, senior Natalie Lashly writes her signature onto the senior hand wall. After some encouragement from her friends, Lashly applied to make the hand wall with her Lorax-inspired design. "I thought the [bright] colors would be fun. Our quote on the wall is 'Let us grow,’ based on the 'Let it grow' song [from the movie]. [I was hoping that the design would] make the cafeteria feel more exciting," Lashly said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/DSC_0099-1200x801.jpg)
FeaturesLet us grow -
![Walking onto the field, freshman Erastus Adewusi wears a pink jersey in remembrance of cancer awareness month. With the number seven on his jersey, Adewusi reflects on his life in Nigeria before moving to America. “I [used to wake up] at 5:30 a.m. and school would end at 5 p.m. [versus] now,” Adewusi said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/DSC_0029-1200x800.jpg)
FeaturesKickin’ it -
![Within the U.S., the busiest shopping period of the year is Cyber Week, the time from Thanksgiving through Black Friday and Cyber Monday. This year, shoppers spent $13.3 billion on Cyber Monday, which is a 7.3% year-over-year increase from 2023. “When I was younger, I would always be out with my mom getting Christmas gifts or just shopping in general. Now, as she has gotten older, I've noticed [that almost] every day, I'll open the front door and there's three packages that my mom has ordered. Part of that is she just doesn't always have the time to go to a store for 30 minutes to an hour, but the other part is when she gets bored, she has easy access to [shopping],” junior Grace Garetson said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/DSC_0249.JPG-1200x801.jpg)
ShowcaseSeason of giving, season of getting -
![Complex global supply chains supply the goods for everyday luxuries, such as the coffee at West High’s Blue Brew. Low tariffs enabled much of the prosperity of modern history. “Higher tariffs lead to higher costs. A tariff is a tax on an imported good, and someone has to pay for that tax, and typically that [will] end up impacting consumers,” economics teacher Rachel Money said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Flag-1.png)
ShowcaseSpread the wealth -
![Eyes glued to his sheet music, senior Andrew Gillies accompanies the Jazz Band as the pianist. During the annual Winter Jazz Concert, Gillies was chosen to improvise a solo during the song, “T.J. Boogie.” ¨I love concerts [because of] how the audience reacts, and just the stage lights [shining on me],¨ Gillies said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/DSC_3774-1200x801.jpg)
ShowcaseFrom practice to performance -
ShowcaseAnd the winner is… -
![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)
ShowcaseHaunting highlights -
![Senior Sally Peters stands in the history hallway, contemplating her choices in the 2024 United States and Missouri elections on Nov. 5. As a member of Diplomacy Club, Peters has discussed key candidates and issues in contemporary American politics. “[As students], we're starting to become adults. We're realizing how much the policies that are enforced and the laws that make it through the House and Senate are starting to affect us. [Opportunities such as] AP [U.S.Government] and Diplomacy Club [make elections feel] a lot more real,” Diplomacy Club vice president and senior Nidhisha Pejathaya said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Flag-1-1.png)
ShowcaseActivity across ages: Generational differences in political engagement -
ShowcaseBehind the lens -
ShowcaseLet’s talk politics -
ShowcaseFall favorites: Essentials for the perfect season -
ShowcaseKickoff to high school season -
![Holding the disc, senior Nathan Thompson waits for an opportunity to pass to senior Timmy Fry. Parkway United’s ultimate frisbee team is made up of students from each of the four Parkway schools. “The one thing I really like about ultimate [frisbee] is the community because it’s so different from any other sport I've been a part of. [My] national teammates are people who we play against in the regular season, so we see each other all the time. It's always fun hanging out with [them],” Thompson said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/C96A6823-1200x800.jpg)
SportsUltimate spirit -
![Senior Josie Grunzinger watches the football game intently from the sidelines on Oct. 18. Grunzinger stood out to the crowd as the only girl on the football team, encouraging other girls who want to play football to take a chance and go for a sport outside of their comfort zone. “If you think you could [play football] and you want to do it, just try it, because all it takes is to actually try it out,” Grunzinger said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Untitled-design-1200x675.png)
SportsKicking off -
SportsGolden boots, golden dreams -
![With her arms held high, junior Jenna Rickelman throws the ball across the pool during a girls water polo practice. With hours of practice after school and over the summer, Rickelman saw many improvements in her water polo skills. “When I look at [my] stats, I'm so much better than I was last year,” Rickelman said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Untitled-design-2-.png)
SportsBehind the net: Junior Jenna Rickelman’s journey on the girls water polo team -
![Putting on his helmet, catcher and senior Tommy Eschbach prepares to get in his primary stance. Despite losing 6-1 against Eureka on April 16, Eschbach didn’t let the tough loss affect his playing or mental health. “It's [so] easy to get caught up in the sport and what you're doing that [after] one bad game or a stretch of games it is hard to remind yourself that your worth as a person isn't directly related to your performance on the field,” Eschbach said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/DSC_0415-1-1-1200x800.jpg)
SportsCapturing the game: Varsity baseball through photos -
![Sports organizations have changed lives on and off the field, improving athletes’ muscle strength, reducing their risk of diseases and building energetic work capacity worldwide. However, many student-athletes struggle to balance schoolwork and athletic commitments, hoping to seek more understanding and support from their teachers and coaches. “To lessen mental strain student-athletes [face] and create a healthier, more comfortable lifestyle, there shouldn’t be any homework. I'm already [at school] for eight hours and [homework] creates a bigger load for student-athletes in AP or honors classes,” track and field sprinter and sophomore Lucy Penton said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/DSC_0095-1-e1713883278514-1200x847.jpg)
SportsHelp our student-athletes -
![At the Spring Pep Rally on March 8, boys varsity water poloist and junior Jack Brau stands with the boys water polo team. The group, hoping to include everyone — whether boy or girl, varsity or JV — cheered on the girls water polo team during the sports team runouts. “Even though we all play separate games and have different practices, we like to see ourselves as one big group who represent one water polo [team],” Brau said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/DSC_8810-1-1200x800.jpg)
SportsOur team, our sports -
SportsBallin’ Out -
![Looking for an open teammate, freshman Patrick May passes the ball across the court at the Nov. 28 game against Parkway Central. May started in the game against the Colts. ”Growing up, [my parents] always gave me a basketball, [and] we had a basketball hoop outside. I grew up playing [all the time], playing on the [driveway] and shooting hoops with my dad.” May said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/image2-1-1200x801.jpg)
SportsFresh court -
![Rising out of the water, girls swim and dive co-captain and senior Norah Rutkowski grasps a momentary breath of air as she swims the butterfly stroke. Last week, Rutkowski competed alongside seven of her teammates at the state swim meet, held at St. Peters RecPlex. “This year at state, I got [No. 1 in] the 100-yard [butterfly] and fourth [in] [the 200-yard [individual medley]. [Winning] was a relief because it was something I had been wanting to do again. Freshman year was weird because it was COVID-19, and my time was relatively slow for someone to win state in that event, so I wanted to prove I could do it again,” Rutkowski said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/image1-2-1200x789.jpg)
SportsWaves of wonder
About the Contributors
Drew Boone, Staff Writer
Pronouns: He/Him
I am a senior and this will be my fourth year on staff. I look forward to newspaper everyday because it allows me to work at my own pace while developing my journalism skills. While I can sometimes lack focus, the results of my work always end up meeting my standards. I spend most of my time outside of school going out with friends and discovering new things. The first thing I think about when I wake up in the morning is why did I set my alarm this early?
Tre Bell, Staff Writer
Pronouns: he/him
I am a senior, and this will be my fourth year on staff. At first, I wanted to do yearbook because it seemed like that's what everyone was doing, so I wanted to be with them. Klevens, however, told me she thought I would be a great writer and I took her word for it. Now, I am really glad I did. I think my friends love that I am always in a positive mood, that I always try to light up a room and that I am always there to be an ear for them when things aren’t going their way. I love hanging out with my friends. I also spend all of my time playing sports. I play football, basketball and run track, so I am always working out. I like actually listening to the lyrics of songs to understand what is being said; sometimes it’s very relatable. I hope I have a very fun and eventful senior year.
Alina Dunder • Apr 9, 2020 at 12:13 am
Oh my gosh, noooo! I had no idea he was leaving West! I guess with me as a senior, him and I both will be entering new chapters in our lives. I will always appreciate, Coach Bethany. He’s an amazing coach, and I know he will be amazing in whatever he takes on next. We’ll miss you, Coach!