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
From the very first Homecoming in 1941 up to today, over 75 years later, earning the title of Homecoming royalty has been a popular dream for nearly every high school student participating in the festivities. At Parkway West, 10 students were nominated for this honor, with the four seniors serving as the finalists for the sought-after title of Homecoming Queen. "It's so much fun to be able to dress up, get cute photos with your friends and just be able to feel the love from the West Community," senior Gabbie Catlett said.

Meet the court

Triya Gudipati, Editor-in-Chief • September 28, 2024

  As Parkway West finds itself amidst Homecoming week chaos, the return of annual traditions has brought on spirit, competition and an infamous sense of unity that reverberates through the halls....

Dressed in West High’s signature red and Carolina blue jerseys, the eighth grade (left) and varsity (right) football teams take the field for their respective home openers. Varsity played on Aug. 30, and the eighth graders on Sept. 7. “Each year brings new excitement and a new challenge. Bringing everyone together to work to achieve one common goal is something that is exciting each and every year,” physical education teacher and varsity football head coach Jeff Duncan said. (Payton Dean and Nikhita Cherukuri)

Kickoff to high school season

Payton Dean, Staff Writer • September 26, 2024

Feet stomping. Hands clapping. Arms rolling. “Everybody rumble!” The fan favorite cheer, dubbed the ‘Longhorn Rumble,’ echoes through the air during a fall football weekend where the Longhorns...

Assistant varsity softball coach John Sloop and head coach Andrew Jett discuss plans for their first home game of the 2024-2025 season. After realizing that their tryout turnout was significantly lower than usual, Sloop pondered the reasons why they couldn’t create a JV team. “We lost seven players from last year, and we only had three new players come out this year. It goes through cycles in terms of new players refreshing,” Sloop said.

Play by play: Navigating challenges and opportunities in school sports

Ruthvi Tadakamalla, Sports/Newsletter Editor • September 20, 2024

Students at West High take pride in their extracurriculars, often showcasing their spirit on and off campus. However, this fall season, news of the recent discontinuation of junior varsity, freshmen or...

Losing Fridays and getting longer weekends sounds great, but this would definitely make school days longer. There would be closer due dates for assignments and tests and afterschool activities would run later. “I would be excited about four-day weeks because I could go home and rest on the weekend after a hard week with practices and games,” sophomore Wyatt Larsen said.

Quality versus quantity

Owen Ulmer, Staff Writer • May 16, 2024

Notoriously, school weeks have been Monday through Friday; kids are at school on the weekdays, and on the weekends they aren’t. But in February 2024, the Fox School District in Arnold, Mo. announced...

From April 24 to May 3, students in the Parkway West Spanish club sold woven bracelets called ‘Pulseras.’ Pieces were sold outside of the cafeteria by Spanish club members. “It's my way of giving back. It's just a cool project in general for students to be exposed to a nonprofit organization that's not in the U.S. and deals with other cultures and other countries,” Spanish club sponsor Dominique Navarro said.

Pulsera power: Spanish Club’s mission to make a difference

Keira Lang and Zoya Hasan • May 13, 2024

From April 24 to May 3, the Parkway West Spanish Club arranged a nonprofit event called The Pulsera Project. In Spanish, Pulsera directly translates to bracelet, and that’s precisely what the club offered...

Amazed at the hardware structure of quantum computer IBM Q, senior Jason Tsao searches the internet for a portable quantum computer during a quantum club meeting. To his surprise, Tsao was able to find small two-qubit retail quantum computers, called Gemini Mini for sale starting from $2500 sold by a Chinese company SpinQ. “I can’t wait for a larger qubit quantum computer to become available and affordable, so we can enjoy the high speeds of computing,” Tsao said.

The quantum computing revolution: Do students feel ready?

Raj Jaladi, Newsletter Editor/Data Analyst • May 8, 2024

At some point, most people experience their computers being slow or iPhones running out of space. A new way of computing called quantum computing may never run out of space and reach speeds 100 million...

On Apr. 27 at the Hilton DoubleTree Hotel in Chesterfield, Mo., seniors Lincoln Atkinson and Tristen Banks pose together after winning prom king and queen. Every year, junior and senior prom courts are celebrated for running for king and queen. “It’s a nervous feeling waiting to see who’ll be crowned, especially when Dr. McCabe walks right past you,” Banks said.

Your 2024 prom king and queen

Samari Sanders, Staff Writer • May 7, 2024

Luxury floor-length dresses and tuxedos cleared the walkway as junior and senior prom court nominees were announced to the stage. The audience cheered, clapped and screamed awaiting the coronation of the...

On April 28, the Empty Bowls Pottery Sale was held at the art show in Queeny Park. Selling an assortment of pots, plates, bowls and more, the sale hoped to raise money for the Parkway Food Pantry. Ashley Drissell is the Ceramics teacher and organizer of the Empty Bowls Pottery Sale. “I enjoy interacting with people and seeing children get excited about picking up and looking at pottery. It’s fun to see different people connecting with certain pieces,” Drissell said.

Empty bowls, full hearts

Yein Ahn, News Editor • May 2, 2024

On April 27-28, Parkway held its annual All-District Art Show at Queeny Park. Showcasing artwork from all Parkway schools, the art show invited families to gather and appreciate the creations of kindergarten...

Laughing with a group of friends, freshman Valarie Vang takes in the spirit of positivity week. Members of the longhorn council volunteered to work at the table, facilitating lots of excited students. ”I wrote a lot of notes because like I just want the people that I love to know that I love them and appreciate them for like being in my life. It was really fun,” Vang said.

Spreading sunshine

Ruthvi Tadakamalla, Sports/Newsletter Editor • April 29, 2024

Sometimes a small smile and a few kind words are all it takes to let a friend know they are loved. From Apr. 21- Apr. 25, students across West High have been spreading positivity with kind notes, neon...

Smiling with Parkway North seniors Sarah Ham and Alison Lam (second and third from right), eight West state qualifiers hold up the iconic DECA symbol. The program has connected over 7,000 high schoolers, giving students the opportunity to network and expand their social circle. “Getting along with people that might be different from you is the most important part of DECA. You learn things about people that you originally wouldn't talk to, and it's nice to know how to work with other people [as well as] make new friends in a different area,” junior Laya Krishnakumar said. Courtesy of Laya Krishnakumar

Entrepreneurial endeavors

Triya Gudipati, Editor-in-Chief • April 8, 2024

From March 3-5, 13 students traveled to Kansas City, Mo. to compete in the DECA State Conference. Throughout the days, competitors participated in events ranging from Hospitality and Lodging Management...

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