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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

As seniors complete their final assignments, tests and work of the school year, they reflect on their time in Convergence Journalism.

Seniors signing off

Emily Early I began Convergence Journalism 1 as a freshman on a Zoom call. It feels like a lifetime ago. Sitting next to my mom in my dining room, I remember feeling so scared and so small in such a...

Envisioning a cathedral in his mind, senior Soren Frederick puts pencil to paper and practices a rough sketch in the drawing room. Frederick grew up surrounded by a family of artists who helped him realize his passion for drawing and painting as he matured. “My family [is] very much [an inspiration] for drawing and painting. [Art] didn’t start [in the family] with me; it started with my mom and my older sister, and my older brother is very good at drawing [too],” Frederick said.

“Reflections” of talent

Emily Early and Samir Shaik May 2, 2024

This spring, senior Soren Frederick was one of 34 artists whose work was selected to be featured at the Missouri Capitol for the Missouri Senate Student Arts Exhibit. Founded in 2014 by the Missouri Alliance...

Junior Amelia Geistler poses with her aunt, uncle and cousin. Moving through childhood, Geistler learned that having parents with a different appearance from her meant facing awkward, upsetting situations. “Something I faced [after] being adopted was that I was [treated] better when people discovered I had white parents. A childhood memory [is] when I went over to a friend's house for the first time and her parents seemed to be very passive-aggressive, but when they learned I was adopted by white parents, they gave me equal treatment and ‘love’ as their white daughter,” Geistler said.

A home across the Pacific

Audrey Ghosh, Opinions Editor May 1, 2024

When she was nine months old, junior Amelia Geistler flew across the Pacific Ocean to her new home in St. Louis. Originally born in China, Geistler was abandoned close to a fire station in the rural Chinese...

With the click of a button, senior Abbi VanValkenburgh snaps a shot of her twin sister, senior Alli VanValkenburgh. Abbi found her passion for photography during her freshman year, allowing her to expand her class knowledge into her current photography business. “Photography has taught me how to be patient with myself. I learned that sometimes I'll fail, and that's okay. I know that not every image will be perfect, but the ones that [are] keep me going,” Abbi said.

Capturing moments

Lia Emry, Staff Writer April 26, 2024

The world of photography first caught senior Abbi VanValkenburgh’s eye when she had a camera placed in her hand in fifth grade. Now, she is captaining her self-run photography business at just 18 years...

English teacher Leslie Lindsey smiles for a photo behind her desk. Growing up, Lindsey participated in many things outdoors, learning life skills that she still uses today. “I loved fishing and was never grossed out by it. I could get my hands dirty and spend time outside; even when it was cold, I didn't care. Fishing takes a lot of patience, and that is [now] a virtue of mine because I have great patience that translates into my classroom,” Lindsey said.

Flashback Friday: English teacher Leslie Lindsey

Sakenah Lajkem, Staff Writer April 12, 2024

  What school did you go to? [Parkway] Central for middle and high school. For elementary school, [I went to] Highcroft. How was your childhood home life? It was great. I have an older...

Each year, as temperatures start to rise, students await the coveted spring break, a week-long vacation taking place from March 16-24. Students and staff appreciated the respite from school and the sunny weather that came along with it. “I enjoyed traveling as a way to spend spring break [and] have a last trip with my family before college. I wish spring break was a little longer so I could have spent more time and not have a quick turnaround coming back to school,” senior Norah Rutkowski said.

Spring Break shenanigans, senior style

Audrey Ghosh, Opinions Editor April 4, 2024

Amidst the hectic whirlwind of school life, as students prepare for upcoming AP tests, finals and college, a week-long spring break offers a long-awaited and cherished hiatus for students to wind down...

Seniors Andrew Son (left), Tommy Eschbach (center) and Kaiden Kelley (right) laugh together while waiting for their robot, OverDriv6, to compete at the 2024 Missouri VEX State Championship. Although the competition was stiff, the trio managed to have a good time, content with their performance and teamwork. “We’re very good at recognizing small victories while in the face of adversity. If one of our subsystems failed or one of the parts of our robot broke, we'd spend half an hour or so fixing that. The next match, even if we lost, we'd still celebrate the fact that that adjustment we made ended up working and succeeding. Being able to celebrate minor victories was very good for our team chemistry and strength,” said Eschbach. (Photo by Mikalah Owens)

Graduating gears

Mikalah Owens, Staff Writer March 28, 2024

All four robotics teams competed at the 2024 Missouri VEX State Championship in Park Hills, Mo. While each individual team did well in competition — robotics team Blue Brains even earned a spot at the...

English teacher Diana Lurkins smiles in front of her classroom. Growing up, Lurkins endured family hardships, but despite her struggles, she had a positive outlook on life. “My parents divorced when I was 3 years old. They both remarried so I had four parents, which is extra love and extra support. It was great to have that additional love and support from all directions in my life,” Lurkins said.

Flashback Friday: English teacher Diana Lurkins

Sakenah Lajkem, Staff Writer March 8, 2024

What school did you go to? I went to Rose Acres Elementary School and then I switched to Incarnate Word Academy Private School for high school. They're both in the Pattonville district.    How...

Acting under the spotlight, junior Jack Mullen and freshman Joe McCurdy perform an emotional father-to-son scene from “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.” The cast members worked hard to master the accents of the characters of the original story, which takes place in England. “We started off with American accents and robotic lines and slowly morphed into a British wonderland full of different characters, accents, and cadences,” Mullen said. “It took a while and it was hard work, but the people around me are what helped.”

From page to stage: The Curious Incident comes to life

Keira Lang and Zoya Hasan March 4, 2024

From Feb. 23-24, the theater department produced and performed the adapted play, “The Curious Incident of The Dog in the Night-Time.” Based on the mystery novel by author Mark Haddon, the play follows...

Delivering an alto saxophone solo, junior Dominic Perez performs at the Jazz Concert on Dec. 4, 2023. Perez is surrounded by his peers in West’s Jazz Band. “I try to make it a priority to not let other people change who I am,” Perez said. “I try to just be myself and not worry about what other people think of me," Perez said.

A lifelong journey

Sage Kelly, Staff Writer February 27, 2024

Eyes closed, a musician woos the crowd with his polished alto saxophone. Each note flows to the next smoother than a serene brook, guiding in the direction of improvement. The crowd can feel the notes,...