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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

In a hands-on activity, freshmen Claire LeDuc and Claire Folkins write curse tablets in Latin 2 . After learning about how Romans used wax tablets to write curses on gravestones of people who wronged them, the class tried to replicate them. “It taught me more in depth about how people used to live back in Rome,” LeDuc said.

Students bring a dead language to life

Fatema Rehmani, Conceptual Editor-in-Chief February 26, 2019

Reading the works of classical authors like Cicero and translating, Latin students focus on bringing back Roman history. Labeled as “dead” and thought of as ancient or a language of the past, Latin...

Sponsor and Junior Principal, Mario Pupillo poses with five students at a Gateway to Change conference. Over 80 students from across the Metropolitan area attend each conference and six of those 80 were chosen from West. “I like knowing what’s going on in our community and knowing how everybody is in contrast to each other and how we’re alike and different. It’s something I’ve never really seen before. [The conferences] opened my eyes,” freshman Connor Gusky said.

Gateway to Change teaches students about social, economic and community issues

Leah Schroeder, Managing Editor-in-Chief February 19, 2019

I can go shopping without someone assuming that I am shoplifting, or that I am dangerous in the store, or without being followed reads English teacher Kim Hanan-West to a room full of 80 students from...

Juniors Lily Stiegemeyer and Emma Caplinger and seniors Olivia Riemer and Hayden Sampson,  are carrying bags to the truck to load donations for St. Clair high school. Bags are being carried down and loaded onto a truck  to be taken to kids in need. “In the morning at 7am, we carried  the bags down to the main floor, and they were all heavy. Klevens asked some of the guys that were sitting in the Art Foyer  to help us carry down the bags do it went a lot faster.”Yearbook Editor -in-Chief, senior Olivia Riemer said.

Quill and Scroll Members capitalize on Marie Kondo’s “Tidying Up” to help other students

Tre Bell, Staff Writer February 15, 2019

Piles of garbage bags covered the floor of room 3000 for a week as Convergence Journalism students walked single file throughout the classroom to avoid falling over the clothing-filled stack. “Over...

Stopping on their way into lunch, students write letters for the students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Students were given the opportunity to write letters the week of Feb. 4-8. “The goal in doing this is to make the students at Parkland feel love and support as they’re approaching the one year anniversary of this difficult time,” senior Sophie Pellegrino said.

Students write letters to Marjory Stoneman Douglas students on the anniversary of the Parkland shooting

Claire Smout, AWARDS COORDINATOR February 12, 2019

Thursday will mark the one year anniversary of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, FL Feb. 14, 2018, a former student opened fire, claiming the lives of 17 students and staff...

Although the government is open temporarily for three weeks of negotiations over the budget, the shutdown was the longest in history, lasting 35 days. Many families with members who work for the government were affected by the two paychecks that were not paid during that time. “My mom is really good at managing money. She managed to make it work so we can buy groceries to eat dinner. Stuff that we don’t need, we just haven’t really been getting,” junior Lauren Ottensmeyer said. “The shutdown just made everything stressful, but we got through it slowly.”

Families deal with effects of government shutdown

Sabrina Bohn, Managing Editor-in-Chief February 8, 2019

After the longest government shutdown in United States history, government workers are still adjusting from the two paychecks that they missed during the 35-day period. “Initially, we just figured...

The Morgan-Hopkins family sits together for a group photo. The family of eight lost their home to a house fire Feb. 2.  "This makes you realize the little things in life that you don’t even realize you are blessed with, as simple as a toothbrush, a change of clothes, toiletries, food or personal and memorable belongings. Always appreciate what you have been given," alumna Madison Hopkins said.

Friends and family come together to support the Morgan-Hopkins family

Carly Anderson, Conceptual Editor-in-Chief February 6, 2019

Following a house fire at 3 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 2, the Morgan-Hopkins family was left without food, clothes or a place to stay. The family and their pets made it out safely, but are now in need of restaurant...

Gathering clips for their first assignment, seniors MJ Stricker, Matthew Showers and Carson Lolley film in the theatre. Students were tasked with creating a 30 second film inspired by the techniques filmmaker Lev Kuleshov. “I like having a simple task so I can be more creative in the filmmaking process,” Lolley said. “I’m excited to keep working on bigger and better projects throughout the semester.”

Cinematography and Screenwriting class debuts this semester

Susie Seidel, Convergence Media Editor January 24, 2019

After one year preparing and researching, theater department Head Amie Gossett began teaching a new fine art course titled Cinematography and Screenwriting. The idea for the class arose at a meeting...

Managing Editor-in-Chief Dani Fischer and Conceptual Editor-in-Chief Justin Cupps make sure the Pathfinder keeps pace with the best online newspapers in the nation. The Pathfinder has been nominated for a National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA) Pacemaker Award, which recognizes excellence in high school journalism programs. “We know our site is incredible and we know how much work we put into each story and all the things that go on behind the scenes. But, to have someone else with as much authority as NSPA see our site as one of the best is a completely different feeling,” Fischer said. “It validates all the hard work that has been put in.”

PWest Pathfinder nominated for its first ever NSPA Pacemaker Award

Maria Newton, FEATURES EDITOR January 22, 2019

The National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA) has named the Parkway West High School Pathfinder as one of 44 finalists for the Pacemaker Award for Online Newspapers. This award is given to school news...

The late alumna Mackenzie Naylor poses for a portrait while working with Local Ambition modeling. Mackenzie graduated in 2017. “With her award-winning smile, sparkling diamond blue eyes, witty dry humor, loyalty to a fault and calming ways it is easy to see why anyone who met Mackenzie instantly fell in love,” Mackenzie’s mother Janet Johnson said. “She was an old soul for such a young woman and a complete throwback which made you love her even more.”

Remembering alumna Mackenzie Naylor

Maria Newton, FEATURES EDITOR January 15, 2019

On Dec. 26 the community lost 2017 alumnus Mackenzie Naylor. Mackenzie was born Dec. 1, 1998, and was a prominent art student as well as a model for Local Ambition, who made their own memorial video...

Senior Noah Wright performs a kazoo solo at the Pwest for Flint benefit concert. The concert was held by the Honors Environmental Sustainability class to raise money for the victims of the Flint, Michigan water crisis. “Playing kazoo was a fun and unique way to spice up our music,” Wright said. “I wanted to contribute in whatever way I could to the people of Flint.”

Environmental Sustainability class puts on second successful benefit concert

Maria Newton, FEATURES EDITOR December 18, 2018

The tradition of altruism from the Honors Environmental Sustainability class lived on in the second annual benefit concert, Pwest for Flint. The city of Flint, Michigan is still without clean drinking...