In 1983, students in a Journalism II class at Hazelwood East High School wrote stories about teen pregnancy and divorce for their school newspaper, The Spectrum. But when their principal reviewed the issue,...
For many students, seeing people of color misrepresented through photography is disheartening. However, the effects also bleed into students’ daily lives. While occasional unflattering photos may be inevitable, some students of color have found that their skin tone has looked inaccurate or improperly exposed in their photos. These photos are put in the yearbook for everyone to see and look back on.
The Missouri House of Representatives recently updated its dress code in a 105-51 decision, requiring female legislators to cover their arms with a jacket, cardigan or knit blazer. Mainstream media quickly...
In 2022, 424 Parkway West students took 801 Advanced Placement (AP) examinations, meaning that most took two or more tests, and over a third of the student population enrolled in an AP class. Because course...
Content warning: This article mentions gun violence, school shootings and death.
Just 20 miles away from Parkway West, teacher Jean Kuczka and 15-year-old Alexzandria Bell were killed in the...
Elle Rotter, Deputy Conceptual Editor-in-Chief
• January 4, 2023
The camera pans across a bathroom wall as musical artist Taylor Swift looks down as she stands on the scale. Zooming in, we discover that the scale reads “FAT.” Fans and critics collectively booed...
Disclaimer: To protect student identity, certain sources have been given different names.
We see the happy-go-lucky attitude daily in our classrooms: brightly colored posters plastered across the walls...
Blinding lights flood packed stadiums, illuminating the world’s greatest soccer players. But, as billions of eyes were watching the long-awaited FIFA World Cup, Qatar’s human rights violations —...
Turn on the television. Somewhere, sometime, a man stands at a podium, blood-red tie plastered against his sweat-soaked suit, his forehead red and clammy from exertion. He jabs his finger into the audience,...
Blackface. "Spirit animals." Kimonos. In today’s day and age, cultural appropriation — the adoption of one aspect of a culture from another, often disrespecting the original culture — is something...
![Lawmakers in Missouri voted to update the dress code exclusively for women Jan. 11. The new bill requires women’s arms to be covered by a blazer, cardigan or knit blazer. “There’s a lot of cost to purchasing new clothes. If you must wear a long-sleeved blazer or something over a short-sleeved outfit, that is a huge cost to be considered; It requires women to change what’s already [in their wardrobe]. This bill requires female members to take an extra step because not all business-casual clothing for women is made in long sleeves,” social studies teacher Rachel Money said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/DSC_0015.png)
![Although society is reaching an all-time high for mental health awareness, celebrities are still facing heavy scrutiny about what they depict in their art, particularly surrounding mental health. Musical artist Taylor Swift received backlash for her display of body dysmorphia in her “Anti-Hero” music video. “There’s a difference between saying being fat is bad and saying you have [an] eating disorder that you’re constantly battling,” Swift fan @expiredthrills said on Twitter.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Taylor-Swift-Body-Dysmorphia-.jpg)
![In an intense game between Argentina and France, the entire world tuned in to watch the FIFA World Cup. But behind this tantalizing game remained questionable decisions FIFA got away with. “I love soccer so much, but I hate that it has to become a political thing,” varsity soccer player and junior Ava Relihan said. “Coming from the United States, where we do have so many rights, I don’t like [that] we’re hosting a global [event] in a place where so many rights are restricted.”](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Soccer-The-Life-or-death-game.jpg)
![Anti-Black bigotry is prevalent on the internet, and online platforms are some of the most significant factors in perpetuating this anti-Black discrimination. For example, anonymity on the internet emboldens people to say racist things online that they would not typically say in person. “[People] can have fake names and say what they want because you don’t know them, and they know you don’t know them. They’ll say pretty hurtful things about African-Americans, and they’ll use a lot of vulgar language about [us]. I believe you’re more likely to hear racism online than anywhere else,” junior Nylah Thompson said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/EA8EB3A6-DC66-4CC3-81CE-F6AFF36E0F92-900x600.png)
![Cultural appropriation is being called out in mass media and online, but the line between appropriation and appreciation can often be hard to identify. Recently, Asianfishing and Westernization have become more acknowledged by the media, but it’s important to understand exactly why they are harmful. “Cultural appropriation can give [people] the wrong concept of [certain] cultures. They’re seeing what the American media perceives these [cultures] to be, and a lot of times that’s not [what] it [is],” sophomore Anu Pidikiti said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Screenshot-2022-12-01-10.02.27-AM.jpg)