![Explaining how to request high school transcripts for the college application, college counselor Chris Lorenz leads a senior class meeting for English teacher Diana Lurkins’ AP Literature class. West High transitioned the counseling department to create a single college counselor, following in the footsteps of the other four Parkway high schools. “I love working with high school [students], coming of age, moving from being a child to an adult. I’m helping individuals through that transition, which encompasses an understanding of themselves and their passions are as they leave high school and go off to do bigger and better things,” Lorenz said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/lorenz-900x600.jpg)
![English teacher Erin Fluchel places Kurt Vonnegut’s “Slaughterhouse-Five” back on her bookshelf. While some staff members were concerned it might cause legal troubles because it contains a sketch of a naked woman’s chest, the district ultimately determined it was not offensive. “Some of these pieces are really powerful, important pieces of dystopian literature that deserve to stay. I think [the book] provides students with a different perspective that kids should be able to access,” Fluchel said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/BookBansFeaturePhoto-900x600.jpg)
![Juniors Ben Livak and Emily McClurg sit on the track after the fire alarm went off. Because class had not yet started, students gathered on the football field in groups with friends. “I had to make sure I grabbed all my stuff because I didn’t know what was gonna happen. Class hadn’t even started [when] we started heading outside,” Livak said. “[The process of being led back] was actually really smooth. I saw a little confusion with people trying to go different directions, but [teachers] got it under control.”](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/image1-900x675.jpg)
![Board member-elect Tiffany Mapp Franklin was recently voted onto the school board as a replacement for Kristy Klein Davis. Davis was offered a job transfer in Florida and had to resign from her position. “I have been asked to run for the past two years, and I was considering it, but I also [was involved] with other activities that took a lot of time, so it wasn’t an ideal moment to run. When this vacancy occurred, it seemed like it was at the right time,” Franklin said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/unnamed-5.png)
![Greeting students with a poem and a smile, junior Nicole Imral hands out one of many pocket-sized poems in her stack. Spread out near the school entrances, Imral and several other National English Honors Society (NEHS) members informed students and staff about the day and handed out poems. “I love poetry. I was excited about [Poem in Your Pocket Day] because it's fun to read a bunch of different poems you've never read before, especially short ones because it's easier to get through them,” Imral said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/DSC_0093.JPG_-1-900x600.jpg)
![Focused on providing exceptional service, sophomore Darsh Mahapatra carefully cleans the door of a customer’s car. Mahapatra has always believed his customers deserve nothing less than the best. “[If] they’re trusting us with their car and our service, then I am convinced that they deserve our 100 percent effort and beyond,” Mahapatra said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSC_0018-1200x800.jpg)
Students in high school often feel overwhelmed by schoolwork, extracurricular activities and sports — especially those who strive to excel...
“I've liked writing ever since I knew how to. I'm taking a creative writing class, so we write most of the time in that class, almost every...
![Senior Dhiya Prasanna examines a bottle of Tylenol. Prasanna has observed data in science labs and in real life. “[I] advise the public not to just look or search for information that supports your argument, but search for information that doesn't support it,” Prasanna said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSC_0073-2-1200x800.jpg)
When President Trump announced that the 2020 election was “totally rigged” or that there was “no inflation” during his first presidency,...