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
Oftentimes, African American students face misjudgment from their peers based on age-old stereotypes surrounding their race. Because of this recurring issue, many Black students have shared a common experience of stereotypes, such as assumptions of their character based on their skin color. “I'm Black [and] I live in the county. [People] automatically assume, ‘Oh, she doesn't live in the city; she's whitewashed with some color.’ I [also] have hearing aids, and [people] assume because I'm a part of the Hard of Hearing group, [I’m] not aggressive or hostile. [Instead, I’m] approachable, the token character,” sophomore Mya Jenkins said.

Understanding Our Character: Why dismantling misconceptions of African Americans is crucial for Black individuals

Samari Sanders and Esta Kamau • August 24, 2023

Misunderstanding someone’s character allows people to misclassify them, whether with a positive or negative outlook. In African American history, the Black community has often been unaccepted in American...

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, Editor-In-Chief • 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...

Teens continue to go on with their day as shootings of others their age ensue nationwide.

In America we (dis)trust: the effects of guns on America’s youth

Elizabeth Franklin, Ashlyn Gillespie, and Lauren Holcomb • May 31, 2023

Ringing the wrong doorbell. Pulling into the wrong driveway. Opening the wrong car door. Dropping a basketball in the wrong backyard. Once seen as innocent mishaps, these actions may warrant a death sentence...

On March 27, five Parkway high schools received phone calls about active shooters in the buildings. After bringing panic to families and friends, these calls were discovered false, another swatting incident in the “trend” sweeping the nation. However, these threats have posed serious questions about keeping our schools safe in the modern age.

Swatting Speculation: how can we protect our schools from threats?

Pathfinder Editorial Board • April 28, 2023

They say it will never happen to us. Our fears are silenced; worries reassured. But they have scared us from turning our backs in an open room. A loud pop echoes through the halls but is never addressed....

Countless anti-LGBTQ+ attacks occur worldwide each year. Whether it’s a deadly shooting or hateful comments in the classroom, discrimination against LGBTQ+ people persists despite strong advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights.

Targeted for existing

Addie Gleason, Managing Editor-in-Chief • April 24, 2023

Slurs and hateful words are spray-painted across colorful pride murals. Articles flood news sites as another LGBTQ+ club shooting is announced. Books are pulled off of shelves, and inclusive movies cause...

Tilting their head patiently, senior Macy Ziegler gets their face painted in the library in preparation for the Spring Pep Rally. The library invited students to come in during lunch and paint each other’s faces West-themed for the event. “[The event] sounded fun. [Face painting] is a thing I haven't done since I was eight, and I had a friend who wanted to go, so I figured, why not? It's free,” Ziegler said. “I hung out in the library before school a lot last year with my friends, and I enjoyed it.”

Beyond Books

Ashlyn Gillespie, Deputy Managing Editor-in-Chief • April 21, 2023

In late March, Missouri’s House of Representatives motioned and approved to allocate $0 to public libraries in the next state-operating budget. Republican House Chairman Cody Smith proposed this $4.5...

The Biden administration’s approval of the Willow Project to begin production in Alaska has sparked an uproar of protest on social media within the past month. The green light for such a massive oil drilling project leaves many questioning whether environmental activism is being prioritized at the governmental level. “The Willow Project being approved puts a lot of uncertainty about [the] types of politicians we can trust,” sophomore Amelia Geistler said.

Willow, at what cost?

Risa Cidoni, Editor-in-Chief • April 14, 2023

In the past month, the name “Willow” has not been unfamiliar to many across the United States. From thousands of TikToks with the trending hashtag #Stop Willow to a social media petition that raised...

For the first time in fashion history, thrift stores have become as essential to the middle class as they are to the impoverished communities they were designed to serve. The potential effects on lower-class communities are worrying. As thrift stores increase prices to meet resellers’ upcharges, the longtime, poorer buyers will be left feeling the effects: thrift store merchandise will not be as accessible or affordable to them. “It’s just going to separate the lower class from [the resources] they [need], and it will separate [the] middle and higher classes. It will make things a lot more difficult,” junior Kristen Skordos said.

Is it worth it?

Lauren Holcomb, Staff Writer • April 5, 2023

Macklemore may have to update the lyrics to his 2012 hit single “Thrift Shop” soon because as we head into a new era of thrift stores, the line “But it was 99 cents (bag it)” now reads like a cruel...

Celebrities and music artists often break the media with their perceived “problematic” actions or statements.

When do you separate the art from the artist?

Katie Wallace, Staff Writer • March 3, 2023

All too often, your favorite artist is in the news for all the wrong reasons. Whether it is alternative/indie artist Rex Orange County being charged with six counts of sexual assault or hip-hop and rap...

The battle of ingratiating Black history into the mainstream has been arduous, especially with the media’s capitalization on villainizing Black history. Underneath this vilification lies a history that is abundant in culture and has impacted America more than it is typically credited with. “Representation is [a] really big [deal], and people want to do things that they can see themselves being represented in. I think that a lot of African Americans — and a lot of students in general — don’t know how rich the history of Black [people] is in America,” senior and Black Student Union president Lauren McLeod said.

The vilification of Black history is exactly why we need it

Elizabeth Franklin, Editor-in-Chief • February 28, 2023

In August 2022, as part of a new law that banned "sexually explicit" content in schools, nearly 300 books were pulled off the shelves in Missouri. Across the nation, schools and districts everywhere went...

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