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
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...

In Convergence Journalism, junior Claire Creely works on a story for the Pathfinder. The student-run journalism staff seeks to cover stories that matter to our readers.

More to the story

Serena Liu and Katie Wallace • February 27, 2023

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,...

A woman points a camera at the viewer

Photography through a racial lens

Serena Liu, Editor-in-Chief • February 23, 2023
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. 
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.

The battle between feminism and equality

Audrey Ghosh and Emily Early • February 2, 2023

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...

A pile of Advanced Placement (AP) study books sit on a library desk. When taking AP classes, many students sacrifice other areas of their lives to keep their grades up. “It's not the fact that I am taking an AP class. I am spending more time doing the work for school than I would spend time with friends and family,” senior Noah Schell said. “It is a sacrifice I made and realized after signing up for the classes. Over the years, I have devised a system of managing my time, which sometimes means I don’t get all of the work done.”

Balancing brain power: the need to prioritize mental health over AP classes

Pathfinder Editorial Board • January 19, 2023

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...

On Oct. 14, West High parents received an email that notified them of a potential safety concern from the Chesterfield Police Department. In the subsequent weeks, repeated incidents of a shooter being near or on school grounds have caused the area to be on high alert. “It’s unfortunate to think I am not alone in feeling numb. We have been exposed to so much violence towards schools,” social studies teacher Kevin Doherty said. “I feel shame it took something so close to home to really open up my eyes to the extent to which this barbarity has spread.”

Guns and schools: a deep dive into America’s broken system

Audrey Ghosh, Opinions Editor • January 11, 2023

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...

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.

Taylor Swift silenced from “Speaking Now” about her experience with body dysmorphia

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...

School should be a safe space for all students regardless of race, religion, gender or sexuality. However, bullying and exclusion can turn productive learning environments into places of fear and distress. Finding a solution to this discrimination is imperative in ensuring every student has a positive learning environment and equal opportunity to succeed.

Capable, curious, caring, corrupted

Pathfinder Editorial Board • December 31, 2022

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...

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.”

A red card for FIFA

Audrey Ghosh, Anna Claywell, and Serena Liu • December 22, 2022

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 —...

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.

Digital discrimination: Black voices — and the suppression thereof — in digital spaces

Elizabeth Franklin, Editor-in-Chief • December 16, 2022

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,...

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