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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

Pumping his fist in the air, senior Harry Skordos cheers his teammates on during the senior vs faculty basketball game. The event benefited the Friends of Kids with Cancer organization, and children who are diagnosed were asked to attend the game and participate by playing games during halftime. “My favorite part of the event was helping the kids during halftime. It is always so rewarding to be with people like that because it makes you appreciate the small things in life,” Skordos said.

Photo of the week – Jan. 28

Bella Hatzigeorgiou, Convergent Media Writer February 1, 2019

Sophomore Emma Carter and freshman Paige Wehrmeister pose together after the Mehlville Women’s Invitational Dec. 21. The tournament was the first girls tournament that either one had been to; Carter took third place in the 167 pound weight class, and Wehrmeister took fifth in the 121 pound weight class.

#WrestleLikeAGirl: breaking boundaries and winning medals

Nell Jaskowiak, OPINIONS AND ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR February 1, 2019

This wrestling season, #WrestleLikeAGirl has trended across Missouri. Girls have turned out in record numbers for the sport, more than doubling the number that the Missouri State High School Activities...

Pathfinder editors sit in the journalism classroom before school recapping that week.

Censored: the Pathfinder and student press laws

Dani Fischer, MANAGING EDITOR-IN-CHIEF January 30, 2019

The sun is still rising and the parking lot is only beginning to fill as 12 students sit around a table in room 3000, animated as they debate the use of an oxford comma in a story from that week and plan...

Sitting criss-crossed in front of her concentration, senior Allani Gordon showcases her work at the Parkway West District Art Show on Thursday, Jan. 24. Throughout the semester, AP art students focus on one theme, or concentration, to guide their projects. “I chose decay and wanted to depict beauty within decomposition with a feminine touch,” Gordon said.

Photo of the week – Jan. 21

Caroline Judd, SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER January 25, 2019

Managing Editor-in-Chief Dani Fischer and Conceptual Editor-in-Chief Justin Cupps make sure the Pathfinder keeps pace with the best online newspapers in the nation. The Pathfinder has been nominated for a National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA) Pacemaker Award, which recognizes excellence in high school journalism programs. “We know our site is incredible and we know how much work we put into each story and all the things that go on behind the scenes. But, to have someone else with as much authority as NSPA see our site as one of the best is a completely different feeling,” Fischer said. “It validates all the hard work that has been put in.”

PWest Pathfinder nominated for its first ever NSPA Pacemaker Award

Maria Newton, FEATURES EDITOR January 22, 2019

The National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA) has named the Parkway West High School Pathfinder as one of 44 finalists for the Pacemaker Award for Online Newspapers. This award is given to school news...

The late alumna Mackenzie Naylor poses for a portrait while working with Local Ambition modeling. Mackenzie graduated in 2017. “With her award-winning smile, sparkling diamond blue eyes, witty dry humor, loyalty to a fault and calming ways it is easy to see why anyone who met Mackenzie instantly fell in love,” Mackenzie’s mother Janet Johnson said. “She was an old soul for such a young woman and a complete throwback which made you love her even more.”

Remembering alumna Mackenzie Naylor

Maria Newton, FEATURES EDITOR January 15, 2019

On Dec. 26 the community lost 2017 alumnus Mackenzie Naylor. Mackenzie was born Dec. 1, 1998, and was a prominent art student as well as a model for Local Ambition, who made their own memorial video...

Senior Shahzan Mian holds a strip of potassium over a bunsen burner. Mian has pursued accelerated math and science courses in order to follow a career in medicine. "I’ve worked so hard in high school and I’ve had the stress of the ACT and all of the standardized tests. If I can get the solid guarantee of getting into medical school, which is a very, very difficult thing to do, statistically, I won’t have to stress as much," Mian said.

From purposely tanking a placement exam to applying to medical programs

Fatema Rehmani, Conceptual Editor-in-Chief January 10, 2019

The test proctor announces that time has expired, marking the completion of another AP exam for senior Shahzan Mian. It's already his 12th such test over the past four years. With one eye on high school...

Laughing with art student and senior Kristin Priest, art teacher Peggy Dunsworth advises her Drawing 2 class on their final projects. Dunsworth has been teaching within the Parkway District for more than 31 years. “We get to the next level in our work by being inspired to make an artistic statement,” Dunsworth said. “I have been a learner since high school. I craved the critique and I always wanted suggestions.”

Art teacher Peggy Dunsworth draws her last stroke on high school education

Reese Berry, Convergent Media Writer January 4, 2019

After dedicating 31 years of service to the Parkway School District, art teacher Peggy Dunsworth is drawing an end to her career as a high school Painting and Drawing teacher. “Students have ideas...