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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

A graphic with different parent's rights bills from around America laid over each other and the words "Education Legislation" in red.

Missouri Senate Bill 4 and what it means for our schools

Serena Liu, Editor-in-Chief June 2, 2023

Missouri Senate Bill 4 (SB4) passed the State Senate in March and is now in discussion at the House. The bill, sponsored by Senator Andrew Koenig of the 15th district — which includes Parkway West ...

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...

Tom Herpel uses his plan time to prepare for future Latin classes in which students learn grammar, literature, and culture. Herpel wanted to avoid jumping to conclusions about the upcoming changes to reduce teacher plan time. “I will not know the type of time crunch I will be under until I've experienced it. I might be able to get work done while I'm doing this other responsibility. I hesitate to make assumptions without having experienced it myself,” Herpel said.

Teachers speak out as Parkway School District implements a 190-minute reduction to teacher plan time

Ruthvi Tadakamalla, Sports/Newsletter Editor June 2, 2023

Think of everything a teacher needs to do to prepare for class. A student might come into class and start their work immediately, but a teacher needs to spend hours planning and preparing to ensure learning...

Smiling, freshman Sophia Nguyen poses with her artwork accepted into the Botanical Garden’s art exhibit. Nguyen scrapped and redid her artwork multiple times before settling on the final piece she submitted. “My art style is impacted by my friend and the styles of video games I like. I like their styles and try replicating them sometimes,” Nguyen said.

Botanical brushstrokes

Achyuta Ambal, Staff Writer June 1, 2023

In the middle of the Botanical Garden’s newest art exhibition stands two familiar pieces. Freshmen Sofia Nguyen and Madison Wilson’s works of art were selected for the exhibition over hundreds of submissions...

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...

Jogging on a treadmill, sophomore Emily Kate Beach works out at Planet Fitness. Beach plans to continue her fitness journey before basketball season. “I felt more productive and confident after going to the gym. Even a little workout was better than no workout,” Beach said.

Judgment-free, stress-free and fee-free

Cindy Phung, Editor-in-Chief May 26, 2023

Since 1949, Mental Health Awareness Month — occurring every May — acknowledges millions of Americans affected by mental illness. In 2021, the Center for Disease Control’s “Youth Risk Behavior Survey”...

DECA students (left) stand shoulder to shoulder, wearing their blazers. Meanwhile, band students (center) pose before “The Bean”and journalism students (right) show off an award from their conference in San Francisco. “It was a lot of fun because we were a small group, which meant we had a lot of say in decisions of where we eat and go to do stuff,” junior and DECA competitor Suraiya Saroar said. (graphic made by Claire Creely, photo by Kelly Kennedy [left], photo by Lacy Roberts [middle], and photo by Debra Klevens [right])

Conventions, competitions and clinics

Claire Creely, Staff Writer May 26, 2023

Over the past few weeks, students have traveled all over the country. Distributive Education Club of America (DECA) students went to Orlando, Fla. to compete in the DECA International Career Development...

Seniors Grace Fotheringham, Kelsea Wilson, Luisa DAquino Lazarini and Ibrahim Hacking pose together after attending Parkway’s Educators’ Signing Night. Students were encouraged to invite family, friends and teachers to watch. “Signing days are cute, and I never committed to a sport, so I never really thought I would have the opportunity. I’m excited that I [got] to be a part of a signing day for education. On signing night, it was wholesome to see everyone’s future plans and invite my family and teachers. It made me realize how important teaching is and how we need more teachers,” Wilson said.

Fueling the future of education

Lia Emry, Staff Writer May 19, 2023
When you think of signing day, you probably picture athletes committing to sports, but Spark! is changing that idea one student at a time.
Empowered and ready to equip peers with tools to make healthy choices, juniors Krish Bhagat, Kylie Secrest and Andre Neal, and sophomores Jacob Burch, Sienna Lorenz, Maddy Tarter and McKinlay Loveless, pose for a picture after training at Parkway's Welcome Center. Attendees are PATH (Parkway Peers Advocating for Total Health) heroes who received half a day of training for NOW n L8R, a program conducted by high school students to teach eighth-grade students the value of making healthy decisions. “During training, we sign a Code of Conduct and serve as role models among our peers, for younger students and in the community. We learn to teach the eighth graders to avoid harmful substances and make good decisions throughout their high school career,” Burch said.

Lethally Laced: How can students help stop the fentanyl crisis?

Raj Jaladi, Newsletter Editor/Data Analyst May 17, 2023

On April 11, the White House called on Congress to make a historic investment of $46.1 billion for National Drug Control Program (ONDCP) agencies to counter the rapidly growing fentanyl crisis through...

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....