Having a chronic illness feels like a rollercoaster. One minute everything is stable, and the next you are rapidly going downhill. Your body feels numb, and everything is throbbing and aching with every...
Will Gonsior, Opinions/A&E Editor
• December 5, 2024
The threat to trade
A “giant sucking sound” was Henry Ross Perot’s famous description of alleged job losses due to free trade policies, and many Americans now seem to be hearing one. Most now believe...
The shrill sound of the first bell rings out through the halls, announcing to students that they have five minutes until classes begin. Along with the usual groans of students, typical noises of feet shuffling...
On Nov. 5, Americans everywhere will head to the polls to cast their votes in the 2024 general election. This is a monumental day for the country as candidates are switched out, policies are altered, and...
A range of cultural icons stretching from Tupac Shakur to Greta Thunberg have commented on how younger generations are, in their eyes, more activist, more open to change and more willing to work to make...
Kamala or Trump. Democratic or Republican. Pro-choice or Pro-life. As campaigning for the 2024 presidential election reaches its end, society is left more polarized than ever before. With over 81% of citizens...
It’s no secret that high school is a stressful time. Between balancing classwork, clubs, sports and a social life, it’s easy for students to feel overwhelmed, and managing mental health amidst these...
The spread of English has its roots in 17th-century British colonialism and imperialism. As the language of the British Empire, history’s largest group of states, colonies and territories under one power,...
Will Gonsior, Opinions/A&E Editor
• September 20, 2024
Background
Students traversing the hallways of West High — with a hall pass, of course — are liable to see a new sight this school year. One of our school’s many subject wings will be packed with...
A fallen hero
As of April 27, U.S. intelligence has determined that Russian President Vladimir Putin probably didn’t order the Feb. 16 death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny —...
![Complex global supply chains supply the goods for everyday luxuries, such as the coffee at West High’s Blue Brew. Low tariffs enabled much of the prosperity of modern history. “Higher tariffs lead to higher costs. A tariff is a tax on an imported good, and someone has to pay for that tax, and typically that [will] end up impacting consumers,” economics teacher Rachel Money said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Flag-1.png)
![Despite the numerous health and ethical concerns of energy drinks, popular influencers still flood their social media platforms with numerous posts, and drinks sell out as energy drink companies continue dropping new flavors. The energy drink industry, worth an estimated $99 billion, has maintained a large growth rate, yet is no stranger to controversy. “[The] curiosity of teens needs to be considered. Showing them other alternatives that are safer — like a small cup of coffee — or having them research and discover on their own [would be safer,]" health teacher Jessica Wheeler said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/DSC0038-2-1200x800.jpg)
![Senior Sally Peters stands in the history hallway, contemplating her choices in the 2024 United States and Missouri elections on Nov. 5. As a member of Diplomacy Club, Peters has discussed key candidates and issues in contemporary American politics. “[As students], we're starting to become adults. We're realizing how much the policies that are enforced and the laws that make it through the House and Senate are starting to affect us. [Opportunities such as] AP [U.S.Government] and Diplomacy Club [make elections feel] a lot more real,” Diplomacy Club vice president and senior Nidhisha Pejathaya said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Flag-1-1.png)
![Mounting school pressure can leave many students overworked and overstressed. Schools must give students the necessary resources to help assuage student mental health issues and prevent the development of serious crises. “The biggest thing [schools] can do [to protect student mental health] is offer more time [to do work], like a study hall, or offer more support from teachers so that students don't feel stressed out and can get help in areas that they need,” senior Bhavya Gupta said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/unnamed-4.jpg)
![Eyes tracing his book, freshman Auggie Prsha works to translate a passage in Latin teacher Tom Herpel's classroom. Prsha decided to take Latin after hearing about the fun classroom activities, but he quickly began to see the effects of learning a foreign language in the world around him too. “Sometimes in English class, I can [recognize] some Latin words, and I notice Latin in other places [as well]. I enjoy the people [and] learning from Herpel,” Prsha said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/prsha.jpg)
![Senior Griffin Beno waits in the counseling hub. Students were allowed to visit counselors without an appointment on Aug. 15 and 16 to adjust their schedules, resulting in long wait times. “There [were] not as many [people at open hours last year], but I think that was because we didn't get the word out as well,” counselor Jen Wibbenmeyer said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Screenshot-2024-09-17-8.20.51-AM.png)
