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
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...

Sitting together in the front of the class, junior Katie Solodar and sophomore Arden Dickson discuss strategies to deal with mental illness at the second official meeting of Every Mind Matters. They created the club to give students a place to talk about their struggles and ask for help. “Our main goal is to give students a community where we can talk about mental health because a lot of times we don’t have a platform where we can talk about it safely,” Dickson said. “We really wanted to provide a better environment for students, and discussion based activities will help with that.”

Every Mind Matters creates space for honest mental health conversations

Sabrina Bohn, Managing Editor-in-Chief • December 17, 2018

The idea of a club where students can shed stigmas surrounding mental health and freely discuss mental illness began budding in junior Katie Solodar’s mind last year. With the help of sophomore Arden...

During theater mentor class, senior Miqueyla Lopez hugs senior Kathryn Kerckhoff. Lopez has participated in PE Mentor classes and cooking mentor classes, but this is her first time in the theater class. "I learned how to work with them in a different setting because in here, we worked on social skills a lot, unlike the other mentor classes where we worked on things like activeness and motor skills. It takes so much patience, but I loved spending quality time with them individually," Lopez said.

Student mentors help students with special needs host a winter play

Kenzi Sampson and Ella Roesch • December 13, 2018

Preparing for their first play in the Theatre Mentor class, students with special needs spent the semester with peer mentors creating two plays which they will perform Friday, Dec. 14. To help assist...

Medical marijuana comes in standard pill bottles like these. On November 6, voters across Missouri voted to pass Missouri Amendment 2, which legalized marijuana for medical use

Missouri residents vote to pass State Amendment 2

Zaven Nalbandian, STAFF WRITER • December 11, 2018

On Election Day in Missouri, voters from all across the state voted ‘yes’ on Missouri Constitutional Amendment 2, which legalized marijuana in Missouri for medical use. Known to many voters as "the...

Carrying boxes of food raised in the annual history canned food drive, seniors Bailey Silva and Chris Kastberg add to the growing pile of over 3,500 cans. “It’s really important to help other people who might have less than we do. Bringing in a few cans seems like a really small thing but it can add up and do a lot to help other people,” Silva said.

Wayland wins canned food drive for seventh consecutive year

Dani Fischer, MANAGING EDITOR-IN-CHIEF • December 8, 2018

Standing in the main foyer surrounded by 3,768 cans of food, social studies teachers Jeffrey Chazen and Annie Wayland direct students on how to stack the remaining cases. The next morning, volunteers from...

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