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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

Holding pro-life and pro-choice signs, students advocate for their stances on abortion rights.

Missouri abortion bill strikes up controversy

Sabrina Bohn and Lydia Roseman May 19, 2019

Students took to social media to voice their opinions in light of the Missouri General Assembly passing H.B. 126, a bill restricting abortion that Governor Mike Parson is expected to sign into law within...

Looking out over the pool, JV coach Brian Welch and alumni Mitch Griffin celebrate a goal at the State water polo championship against St. Louis University High, May 11. The varsity team walked home with second place. “The game was so tight and every possession was heavily contested,” Welch said. “Every goal felt like a breath of air after being underwater in between goals.”

Photo of the week – May 13

Emma Caplinger, Arts and Entertainment Editor May 17, 2019

Winning second place at the Jump Star Horse Trials Sept. 27-28, freshman Benjamin Noonan and his horse jump over obstacles on a set course. Noonan rode for two hours that day in preparation for the first part of the competition. “I messed up my dressage score, I scored a 33.1, but you want to be anywhere in the low 20’s. For my next competition, I had to sit down and tell myself to relax once I started riding, so I don’t overthink and mess up this score,” Noonan said.

Freshman Benjamin Noonan leaps over the competition

Samantha Schultz, Convergent Media Writer May 15, 2019

Braiding his horses hair, freshmen Benjamin Noonan listens to classical music to calm his nerves and get his head into the game before the dressage, the first phase of the horseback riding competition....

Performing Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive” at Singer’s Choice May 7, senior Bella Meara smiles as she sings into the microphone. The performance Tuesday night was Meara’s final performance as a high school student. “Every day choir helps me sound so much better and wakes me up if I’m having a slow morning,” Meara said. “Performing is a skill everyone should have because it’s such a good way to express your thoughts and emotions. Everyone should try it at least once.”

Photo of the week – May 6

Emma Caplinger, Arts and Entertainment Editor May 10, 2019

Seniors Stephen Zhao, Andrew Li, Caleb Canatoy, Joaquin Rendon and Noah Wright work in teams to create tasty dishes for a cooking competition, judged by seniors Maria Newton and Harper Stewart. The boys, also including seniors Tony Galanti, Paul Gipkhin and Umer Mallick, raced against the clock and each other to avoid the losers’ punishment of having some hair waxed off. “Having a friendly competition drove me to try my hardest so that my friends could be impressed,” Li said.

Chopping the competition: senior boys compete in high-stakes cook-off

Maria Newton, FEATURES EDITOR May 8, 2019

The stove was hot and the kitchen began filling with smoke. Eight senior boys ran frantically about the small space in search of utensils and ingredients. Two senior girls, Maria Newton and Harper Stewart,...

Using balloons and newspaper to construct piñatas in Eileen Rodriguez-Kiser’s Spanish II class, sophomore Logan Wich and junior Ridwan Oyebamiji laugh as they glue together their project. The class has been exploring different types of birthday celebrations in Hispanic countries. “It was really cool to take a hands-on approach to learning Spanish,” Oyebamiji said. “Instead of just sitting at a desk, we were able to be immersed in the culture, which really deepens your understanding.”

Photo of the week – April 29

Emma Caplinger, Arts and Entertainment Editor May 3, 2019

Adding the final touches to the senior mural, senior Bailey Goughenour finishes painting the second design that her and senior Natalie Butler created. After the first design fell through, the artists came together to come up with the ‘Dream Big’ design. “It was just a lot of stress, and it was just really disappointing because we had been cleared. For him to come back and say it’s not anymore was just really sad and hurtful,” Goughenour said. “But after we were turned down, me and Natalie got together, and we were like, ‘what can we do to make this be good?’ We just started brainstorming, and we came up with a new design.”

Students redesign hand wall after controversy

Mary Hardy, Convergent Media Writer April 23, 2019

When seniors Natalie Butler and Bailey Goughenour found out that their design for the senior hand wall in the cafeteria had won over the hearts of 75% of the senior class, they were excited because they...

Standing in front of the Missouri capitol building, sophomore Ulaa Kuziez shows her support for Syrian refugees. Kuziez visited Jefferson City with the Council of American and Islamic Relations (CAIR). “There are definitely some negative aspects to standing out, being a Muslim immigrant in a majority white high school,” Kuziez said. “At times it can get a little uncomfortable or a little awkward, but I choose to be unapologetic about my identity and about being a Muslim, Syrian-American woman.”

Sophomore Ulaa Kuziez draws from Syrian heritage to fight for social justice

Lydia Roseman, News and Sports Editor April 23, 2019

With a new language, culture and lifestyle awaiting her in the United States, sophomore Ulaa Kuziez and her family immigrated from Damascus, Syria to Missouri when Kuziez was nine years old. “I...

Junior Caroline Judd attempts to follow an online weightlifting video. In the summer of 2020 Parkway is introducing a new online physical education course available to all students.

Parkway introduces online physical education course

Lydia Roseman, News and Sports Editor April 17, 2019

Students scale rock walls, dance to cultural music, toss frisbees, lift heavyweights and earn scuba certifications within the large assortment of physical education courses that Parkway offers. Adding...

Pausing to take a photo with her new friends, sophomore Megan Gordon smiles. Gordon shadowed students during her week in Uganda. “To see how they teach was so interesting, because the kids are so well-behaved. They teach in English, so I sat in and we learned about animals and their babies,” Gordon said. The teacher gave them an activity, then left the classroom for five minutes. Everybody was sitting in their seats doing the activity like perfect children. That never would have happened in the States.”

Mission Compassion: Sophomore Megan Gordon builds connections and knowledge through Ugandan mission trip

Kathryn McAuliffe, Managing Editor-in-Chief April 16, 2019

While most students spent their spring breaks relaxing on the beaches of Punta Cana, the Dominican Republic or skiing the slopes in Colorado, sophomore Megan Gordon volunteered in Kawete, Uganda through...