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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

Junior Felicity Jackson volunteers to assist Nothing Bundt Cakes by handing out mini bundts and checking tickets off. She gained hours for National Honors Society in the process. “It’s nice to go through a [list] of things and check them off. It makes it makes you feel productive even though you're only checking things really fast.” Jackson said.

Get a taste of this!

Keira Lang and Zoya Hasan October 17, 2023

On Oct. 5, Taste of West returned for the first time in two years. The event was hosted in the main gym where students could purchase a $15 ticket to taste foods from different vendors around the St. Louis...

A Code Yellow occured during the first week of school on August 23. The school was put on lockdown and precautions were taken, such as getting the bomb squad to search the building. “You can't play anything cheap. You have to investigate everything. That's why we took the steps,” Building Officer Matt Paubel said.

The Code Yellow crisis

Keira Lang and Zoya Hasan September 19, 2023

On Wednesday, Aug. 23, a Code Yellow was triggered by a bomb threat from an anonymous caller. During this time, no one was able to enter or leave campus — everyone in the school was confined to their...

Prior to their State final round, A Team ran into Mo the mascot, smiling for a picture. With half of A Team graduating this year, senior Owen Arneson hopes that their State title will attract more people to the program. “No matter what you show up there to do, as long as you have a positive attitude and have a good time, [you’ll] be fine because you can compete as seriously or casually as you want,” Arneson said.

The road to victory: Scholar Bowl clinches their first-ever state title one buzz at a time

Triya Gudipati, Editor-in-Chief June 2, 2023

On May 6, seven West students traveled to the University of Missouri to compete in the MSHSAA Scholar Bowl State Championship. Ranging from freshmen to seniors, these members of the A-Team placed first...

Cafeteria staff members Edina Husic and Souria Benchabane smile and laugh as they wash the day's dishes.  Parkway School District partnered with Chartwells for food service needs.  “The camaraderie that we all have back there, it's like a big family. I think that's my favorite time for everybody,” West High chef Timothy Kennedy said.

Cafeteria confidential

Sophie McCarthy, Staff Writer May 30, 2023

Lunch. The time of day that many students look forward to but never seems to come quickly enough. The appeal is strong: food after a long class period, eating with your friends and those crispy french...

Juniors Sarah Reifschneider and Jojo Shank crouch down on a patch of soil in the Peace Garden. Shank uses her hands to dig into the soil and prepares to plant.

Native plants and student enthusiasm bring life back to the Peace Garden

Anna Claywell, Staff Writer May 11, 2023

Hands in the soil, shoveling and planting, students passionate about environmentalism helped to revitalize the Peace Garden. On May 3, the Environmental and Sunrise Clubs met to beautify the Peace Garden....

After being qualified for the VEX robotics world championship, members of the 5430 robotics team remain humble because of their drive to collaborate and express their ideas with each other. For sophomore and Blue Brains member Esther Young (center), being the newest addition of her team has allowed her to meet people that she shares interests with. It has also allowed her to meet some of the nicest people she has ever met. “Being on the team is very energizing. I know for a fact my team definitely wants to take home trophies, but we also wanted to be qualified for world. That basically just means performing super well — maybe an award,  but the experience is good too,” Young said.

Beyond the bots

Esta Kamau, Features/Humans of West Editor April 17, 2023

Gearing up all four robots in preparation for the big day, members of the robotics program boarded a 5 a.m. bus March 5 and set off for Jefferson City, Mo. Each team — the Blue Brains (5430A), END GAM3...

After hearing that the King of Hearts dance got canceled, Student Body President senior Esha Francis immediately turned her car around and returned to school in search of a solution. After staying in constant communication with the rest of the LoCo Executive Board, Francis met with Principal John McCabe to reinstate the dance. “This year, McCabe and our student council have been more in touch than in previous years. I feel like there's a greater trust there. He told us that he knows that we can do it and that we're capable. We've put things together last minute for our school before, and he knew that we could do it. McCabe and I have a good professional relationship, we have a better connection, and we're on the same page about a lot of things, so I don't always have to go to the local sponsors to get things done. It's great that I have a direct connection to him - we can get things done within a day,” Francis said.

Save the last dance

Triya Gudipati, Editor-in-Chief January 20, 2023

On Monday, Jan. 9, freshmen parents received an email from the administration notifying them that the King of Hearts (KOH) dance would be canceled. KOH, a biennial winter dance thrown by Longhorn Council...

Cutting into a celebratory cookie cake, the secretary of the Indian Club and junior Swati Kumar kicks off the first meeting. Club board members introduced themselves and reviewed what future meetings would look like. “[I am] excited to see how far we could take this club. Indian culture is overlooked many times, so being a part of educating and celebrating it with others [is] so fun,” Kumar said.

Calling all clubs!

Lily West, Staff Writer January 12, 2023

Whether you are building gingerbread houses with German Club, volunteering for NHS or playing sports with Leisure Club, there’s something for everyone. Clubs, while beneficial for college resumes, are...

Senior Khushi Chauhan and Sophomore Samir Shaik help each other pour a cup of chai. At Indian Club’s first meeting, they dived into the history of chai and how it became a part of Indian culture. “The meeting was chaotic, but we were prepared. We had a presentation, and in the end, everything came together. In America, where everything is so westernized, it’s important to connect back to your culture. I love planning these meetings for people to learn and enjoy,” said Chauhan.

Indian Club in Motion

Nidhi Pejathaya, Staff Writer January 5, 2023

Pulling up a slideshow and setting down a tray of samosas, junior and Indian Club founder Puneeta Ganga prepares to present their lesson on chai as people slowly pour into the room.  They spent their...

Parkway thanks community members for voting “Yes on S” with a yard sign.

Best for West: Prop S approved for Parkway

Addie Gleason and Emily Early December 1, 2022

Six schools without working fire sprinkler systems. Four run-down pools and locker rooms. Outdated security cameras. Prop S dollars will now address these issues. Proposition S, or “Prop S,” passed...