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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

Dressed in West High’s signature red and Carolina blue jerseys, the eighth grade (left) and varsity (right) football teams take the field for their respective home openers. Varsity played on Aug. 30, and the eighth graders on Sept. 7. “Each year brings new excitement and a new challenge. Bringing everyone together to work to achieve one common goal is something that is exciting each and every year,” physical education teacher and varsity football head coach Jeff Duncan said. (Payton Dean and Nikhita Cherukuri)

Kickoff to high school season

Payton Dean, Staff Writer September 26, 2024

Feet stomping. Hands clapping. Arms rolling. “Everybody rumble!” The fan favorite cheer, dubbed the ‘Longhorn Rumble,’ echoes through the air during a fall football weekend where the Longhorns...

On “The Joshua Tree,” U2 expressed their love for the ideals that founded the United States — and their disappointment with our country’s efforts to live up to those values. The album outlines the stark difference between America as popularly conceived and America in reality, reminding the country that we have a long way to go but delivering a hopeful message about our ability to get there.

The two Americas

Will Gonsior, Opinions/A&E Editor September 24, 2024

Political. Religious. Activist. “The Two Americas” renamed as a National Park. U2’s career-defining album “The Joshua Tree” has a message that transcends their music — but also music that transcends...

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.

Plan period alignment: Productive or disruptive?

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...

Assistant varsity softball coach John Sloop and head coach Andrew Jett discuss plans for their first home game of the 2024-2025 season. After realizing that their tryout turnout was significantly lower than usual, Sloop pondered the reasons why they couldn’t create a JV team. “We lost seven players from last year, and we only had three new players come out this year. It goes through cycles in terms of new players refreshing,” Sloop said.

Play by play: Navigating challenges and opportunities in school sports

Ruthvi Tadakamalla, Sports/Newsletter Editor September 20, 2024

Students at West High take pride in their extracurriculars, often showcasing their spirit on and off campus. However, this fall season, news of the recent discontinuation of junior varsity, freshmen or...

This year, West High welcomes seven new teachers from various backgrounds. Each teacher represents a valuable addition to the school staff.

Fresh faces: Welcoming new teachers to West

Yein Ahn, News Editor September 17, 2024

A new school year is underway: freshmen are adjusting to the exciting world of high school, sophomores have returned to the familiar routine, juniors are ready to be upperclassmen and seniors are counting...

Spreading paw-sitivity

Samir Shaik, Multimedia Editor-in-Chief September 16, 2024

Throughout the year, the Pathfinder has welcomed an excellent addition of new stories to our site. Certain stories have especially caught viewers’ and writers’ eyes: take a look at this year’s extraordinary articles in the 2023-2024 Pathfinder Wrapped.

2023-2024 Pathfinder Wrapped

Pathfinder Editorial Board May 30, 2024

All good things must eventually come to an end, and as the 2023-2024 school year finally draws its curtains closed, students reflect on all the memories that they forged this year. Likewise, it’s time...

Resting on a map of Gaza, surrounded by a littering of lyric cutouts from the recently released diss tracks from rappers Drake and Kendrick Lamar, sits a phone playing rapper Macklemore’s newest single “Hind’s Hall.” Dedicated to student protesters in the United States and current victims of the conflict in Gaza, the song addressed national leaders who ignore the current conflict as well as the public community in a message of resistance. “Art, in its purest form, is resistance. Art, in its purest form, is from the heart, and it connects with people. It brings people together. The day that I stop following my heart and talking about things in the world that matter is the day that I don’t need to be on stage anymore. Today is not that day,” Macklemore announced at a live concert in Wellington, New Zealand on March 13.

Music for a movement

Risa Cidoni, Editor-in-Chief May 29, 2024

Disclaimer: Some links in this article contain explicit lyrics or profanity.  The age of peak modern hip-hop controversy has begun.  Arguably, the most thrilling topic in music news amidst the...

The current map of Russia is superimposed over a map of the USSR, its past incarnation

Say his name

Will Gonsior, Opinions/A&E Editor May 28, 2024

  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 —...