- June 5On to the next
- May 22The fun in finance
- May 22Photo of the Week - May 22
- May 22Spring in action: A look into West's 2026 spring sports season
- May 21French en route
- May 19Sarah Johnson
- May 19Crime, class and consequence
- May 18Athletes of West - Alexander Berryhill
- May 15What Happens Next
- May 15An empty table
![“I currently teach Honors Biology and Human Anatomy and Physiology, [and] it’s my 21st year. I feel they are different from the other science classes because biology is the study of life and what makes us, so it’s pretty interesting. At school, there might be kids [who] go to the deep end on the first day, and [they] might fall to the bottom, but they stick with it. [I also coach] girls’ cross country, and [I’ve] learned a lot from [that] along with teaching. [I might get] somebody [who] can't run a lap around the track on day one, but they stick with it for four years, [so] they get faster and they get better. Teaching wise, I’m sure I’ve had impacts on kids [as they] grow into students and athletes. So [despite] all the drama at the end of the day, it’s about the kids, and [when they] come back and appreciate what [I’ve] done for them, it's a good feather in [my] cap.” -Charles Cutelli, Science](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/IMG_3981-1200x798.jpg)
![”[Tuba is] the path that I've led down. I remember I wanted to play french horn, but I wasn't really very good at it, so I switched to something with a bigger mouthpiece, and that helped me. I think [the music I listen to has] kept me pretty open as a person, and open to a lot of new perspectives. [Through] listening to a lot of different kinds of music, I can understand a lot of people. Music also calms me down a lot, so I think it's helped me be a better person. My faith has been driven a lot by music. I like listening to gospels as well. Like in church, we sing a lot of songs and listen to a lot of music, and I think it really connects with me. My original dream, when I grew up, was to have my own band, perform gigs and write music, and that still is my dream. I've been doing a lot of college searching, and I'm trying to find which major I'm going to choose. My ultimate goal is to have a band and play. I hope to one day make some gospel music to glorify God. That'd be really cool.” - Zac Card, 10](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/jackcard-1200x800.jpg)
![“I started playing [basketball] because I saw that my brothers were playing, and I found it fun; I started playing at age eight and have continued to play ever since. [Something] I enjoy [is] the back-and-forth competitiveness of basketball that I don't get when I play softball, as well as our team bonding activities because I think it helps with the chemistry throughout our group and in the real world. I also enjoy winning and all of the competitive aspects. [Basketball] has brought great memories and people into my life, and I enjoy spending most of my time with them and cherish the memories my team has created. Getting to go out and play with my very best friends every day is just the best gift a girl can get. A big thing that motivates me is how much time and effort my coaches put in. I just want to work hard because they work hard, while also making my parents proud at the same time. Sometimes, it’s not an easy task being able to balance school and athletics, but with the right mindset and focusing on the goals that I have set for myself, it’s achievable. In high-pressure situations, I just go back to playing my own game [and the basics within the game] rather than focusing on everything around me because I trust my training and my practice. [My advice for upcoming players] is to keep going and continue to practice. Nobody is perfect, there is always going to be something to improve or get better at. There is always going to be someone out there who is doing better than you, and if you want to be the best, you have to keep going and push yourself to be better, but most importantly just have fun in what you’re doing.” - Siena Snyder, 12](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/DSC0571-Enhanced-NR-Ella-McNeal-1-1-1200x798.jpg)
![“Debate makes you more open-minded because you’re forced to think from different [perspectives] and write both sides of every case. I think being open-minded is very important because if you don’t have an open mind, then you can’t progress as a person. I’ve grown [and] become more able to see more aspects of issues and the meanings behind them. Since I started, my speaking skills have [gotten] way better, and it feels like I can talk to people more comfortably. I love feeling like [my voice] has the power to convey my ideas to people and I make them think differently about [opposing viewpoints].” Sahana Solai, 9](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/unnamed-1.png)
![”The cello, I see it as an extension of myself. [When] I'm having a good day, I find it really easy to just sink into the music, [and] feel connected to the piece. If the piece I'm playing is happy, then I feel happy, and if the piece is slow paced or something sad, then I can feel that emotion. [Playing] forces me to be patient, and that has really improved the way I talk with other people, whether it's in an argument, or I'm trying to make a point. [To me], the most rewarding part is perfecting a piece, so that it's unique to you and no one else can replicate it.” - Isaah Kandula, 9](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/DSC_6652-Max-Chung-1200x798.jpeg)
![“[I play] football, basketball and volleyball. For the longest time, I’ve played basketball but I began taking interest in volleyball and football this [past] year. Being in three sports at West is fun and it’s nice to be a part of the school’s [community] but it also can become exhausting because I’m playing year round. Finding a [good] balance between school and extracurriculars is hard, [but] my grandparents are always motivating me to do my best. They all played sports when they were younger, so they definitely give me powerful advice and help me push past the hardships. I want to become a key part of my team and be significant towards winning as well as our success. I would like to perform well and practice not just when I’m with my team, but with myself [too].” - Aiden Faber, 10](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KaminskiL_AidenF1-Leila-Kaminski-1200x800.jpg)
![“[I think being a teacher comes] from a place of experience, where we all enjoyed high school. It had a meaningful impact on us, which was [the case] for me. I had a lot of good mentors in high school, and seeing the opportunity, the impact that they could make, I think [that was] what inspired me. [It] definitely goes back to one teacher in particular [that] I had in eighth grade, he was a huge role model for me, and somebody who I was so appreciative of what he did for me. I figured if I could do even a fraction of what he did I feel like I would be very fulfilled [in] myself, and so there's just that aspect of wanting to do something meaningful every day.” - Kaleb Schumer, English](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/IMG_9428-1200x800.jpeg)
![There are more than 20 open cardio machines at Crunch Fitness. I enjoyed the spacious environment at Crunch, a sentiment that was shared by sophomore Sanjana Daggubati. “[Going to] Crunch Fitness was the right decision because [it] feels more professional. Crunch’s workers are laid back, but not to the point where they don't care,” Daggubati said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/IMG_5242-1-300x225.jpg)
![The narrow lens contrasts with a diverse reality; whitewashing means altering or concealing something to make it more appealing to white people. The word “whitewashed” as it is used today has caused identity crises for thousands, if not millions, of students. “I have been called whitewashed before, and it feels very sad. [It’s] just hard because it makes me not know who I am. You don’t get a lot of backlash for [saying it], so I think it’s a throwaway term for people who aren’t affected by it. When you are the person [who] is being called whitewashed, over time, it builds up,” sophomore Raaga Golla said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/IMG_5740-1-300x200.jpg)
![Setting up the activity for his first meeting, Financial Literacy Club founder and sophomore Yash Bandiananthaiah writes on the whiteboard. For the first meeting, Bandiananthaiah created an interactive experience for members to immerse themselves in. “To me, the most important thing during a meeting is to make sure we are all engaged and participating, and [I do this by] always making sure we have a hands-on activity,” Bandiananthaiah said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/DSC5306-1200x798.jpg)
![Hand raised into the air, senior Lauren Anstrom watches as her graduation cap flies along with the caps of all her peers. Anstrom hopes to leave behind the legacy as someone who was kind, hardworking, and always supportive of others. “Tossing my graduation cap honestly felt surreal. In that moment, everything hit me at once with all the excitement, relief and a little sadness too. It felt really emotional [because] this was the end of such a big chapter of my life, but also exciting knowing that everyone was about to start a completely new journey,” Anstrom said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/DSC_3031-Enhanced-NR-2-1200x800.jpg)
![French teacher Blair Hopkins enters City Coffee & Creperie in Clayton, Mo. for breakfast with her Honors French 4 students and AP French 5 students. Both classes went on a field trip to a fair trade chocolate factory in St. Louis to begin their unit on Côte D’Ivoire, a major producer of cocoa beans. “My ideal school would just be the Magic School Bus — you would always learn about things by going someplace and learning hands-on, being able to see it yourself and asking people questions. I think [learning is] always so much more memorable if you can experience it firsthand,” Hopkins said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/DSC2795-1200x798.jpg)