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
Between lights, smoke and a captive audience of students, science teacher Joel Anderson conducts his annual Halloween show in class on Oct. 31. Anderson has performed the Halloween show every year for 27 years, since he started teaching in 1999. “[My favorite part about the show] is getting students excited about it and seeing their level of anticipation. After the students see it, they realize that [I] put a lot of time and effort into it,” Anderson said. “They also end up learning because I sneak some chemistry into the [show] as well. So, it’s a whole bunch wrapped up in a 15 or 20-minute package. It’s really scary.”

Photo of the Week – October 31

Maura Lottes, Social Media Manager
November 1, 2025
Mid-air, junior Donovan Qualls leaps for the soccer ball during the varsity game against Ladue on Oct. 21. As the goalie, Qualls focused on keeping the ball away from the box and the back of the net. “[Being a goalie] is pretty tough. You have to be the commander of the team in your box, step up for your team, be loud, and have a lot of communication. Once you do it for a while, it gets fun. I really enjoy being the backbone of my team,” Qualls said.

Photo of the Week – October 24

Maura Lottes, Social Media Manager
October 29, 2025
Wind blowing through the tennis court, sophomore Maddie Mills serves, tying the score against Marquette at 5-5 on Oct. 8. Playing with a new partner, junior Bree Lang, the duo kept their game strong despite the harsh wind. “We [worked] well together; [Bree] is good at the net, and I’m good at my groundstrokes,” Mills said.

Photo of the Week – October 10

Maura Lottes, Social Media Manager
October 10, 2025
Taping over a tube filled with sucrose, sophomore Shree Nidhi Sikkal Kumar and her group mate, junior Bethany Liao test the osmosis of a potato. Sikkal Kumar took AP Biology this year after taking both Honors Biology and Honors Chemistry as a freshman and loving the classes. “I want to major in biomedical science and work in a medical lab (in the future),” Sikkal Kumar said.

Photo of the Week – October 3

Maura Lottes, Social Media Manager
October 3, 2025
Supported by juniors Aiden Faber and Patrick May, junior Bryce Sanders lifts 315 pounds on a hex bar during strength and conditioning training for the upcoming basketball season. Sanders trained throughout the offseason alongside Faber and May to build their team bond before the winter season. “I lift four times a week to get ready for basketball season. I [need to] get my legs ready to jump high all the time. Plus, I’m an upperclassman now, so I’m [excited for] the season this year,” Sanders said.

Photo of the Week – Sept. 26

Noor Hacking, Staff Writer
September 26, 2025
Breaking through the pre-game Homecoming banner alongside his team, senior Mason Freund, wearing number 15, runs ahead across the field. Freund stepped into the role as one of the quarterbacks for the game against McCluer North on Sept. 12. “I needed to be the leader, and I wanted to be the leader in this situation. It all has to work together to win. You can’t just have one good player to win. You’ve got to have all 11 pieces work together,” Freund said.

Photo of the Week – Sept. 19

Maura Lottes, Social Media Manager
September 19, 2025
Hugging senior Ella Wheeler, senior Jamaya Love beams after scoring a touchdown at the Powderpuff football game on Sept. 11, putting the seniors on the scoreboard with a score of 6-2 above the juniors. The seniors went on to capture the victory with a final score of 12-2. “I was actually gassed [at this moment]. I was so tired. But, everyone on the sideline, all my teammates and everybody in the stands were cheering,” Love said.

Photo of the Week – September 12

Maura Lottes, Social Media Manager
September 12, 2025
Grinning at the lab results, junior Devyn Baichly records the temperature of a liquid after mixing it with aluminum foil. With a passion for forensic science, Baichly enjoyed the copper sulfide lab and looked forward to the hands-on experiments in Honors Chemistry. “Since I was a kid, I’ve seen my dad [working] in labs. He’s one of my biggest supporters, and some of my fondest [childhood] memories are of him bringing home dry ice from work to experiment with me. A part of me is at ease when it comes to doing science labs — I tend to be more relaxed and focused on the moment,” Baichly said.

Photo of the Week – September 5

Maura Lottes, Social Media Manager
September 5, 2025
Hands kneading clay, junior principal Nancy Smith crafted a heart-shaped trinket dish while following instructions from sophomore Johnya Farrow. Ceramics “Teach a Teacher Day” took place Aug. 29, allowing students to bring in a faculty member and guide them through the class. “I did [Teach a Teacher Day] last year with some students, and it was fun participating with the kids. [Johnya] was so helpful and patient in teaching me. It made me see another side of a student who is very talented in her craft, and for her to show me how [to create ceramics] was awesome,” Smith said.

Photo of the Week – August 29

Maura Lottes, Social Media Manager
August 29, 2025
Raising her hands in the air, freshman Jillian Sternhagen follows Mr. Mooney’s lead during an activity Aug. 15 at freshman orientation. Surrounded by other freshmen, Sternhagen learned an “A O E day” chant to help remember their new weekly high school schedule. Students participated in several activities to get to know each other, the school and the upperclassmen. “We got to tour the school and learn where everything in our schedule is. The energy [at orientation] was fun; the leaders were peppy and got us excited,” Sternhagen said.

Photo of the Week – August 22

Maura Lottes, Social Media Manager
August 22, 2025
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