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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

Delivering an alto saxophone solo, junior Dominic Perez performs at the Jazz Concert on Dec. 4, 2023. Perez is surrounded by his peers in West’s Jazz Band. “I try to make it a priority to not let other people change who I am,” Perez said. “I try to just be myself and not worry about what other people think of me," Perez said.

A lifelong journey

Sage Kelly, Features/News Editor February 27, 2024

Eyes closed, a musician woos the crowd with his polished alto saxophone. Each note flows to the next smoother than a serene brook, guiding in the direction of improvement. The crowd can feel the notes,...

Rising out of the water, girls swim and dive co-captain and senior Norah Rutkowski grasps a momentary breath of air as she swims the butterfly stroke. Last week, Rutkowski competed alongside seven of her teammates at the state swim meet, held at St. Peters RecPlex. “This year at state, I got [No. 1 in] the 100-yard [butterfly] and fourth [in] [the 200-yard [individual medley]. [Winning] was a relief because it was something I had been wanting to do again. Freshman year was weird because it was COVID-19, and my time was relatively slow for someone to win state in that event, so I wanted to prove I could do it again,” Rutkowski said.

Waves of wonder

Cindy Phung, Editor-in-Chief February 23, 2024

Over Feb. 15-16, girls swim and dive co-captain and senior Norah Rutkowski placed first in the state for the 100-yard butterfly — an admirable feat in and of itself. However, the accomplishment was not...

In 1976, President Gerald Ford officially recognized Black History Month as a national timeframe to honor the legacies and accomplishments of African Americans throughout United States history. However, Black history has influenced the world since far before Ford’s announcement, bringing modern society to the place it is today. “[Black excellence] is about the people that meant a lot to the world, [who] succeeded in life and really dedicated themselves to doing this for us. [Door decorating] shows how much we appreciate them and shows the world how we couldn’t do any of this without these people in our lives,” Black Student Union member and sophomore Nemo Moye said.

Opening the door to Black history

Risa Cidoni, Editor-in-Chief February 15, 2024

As the month of February begins, an important aspect of American culture is celebrated by millions across the nation. Black History Month marks an annual commemoration of African American achievement,...

St. Louis’ history of racial discrimination and segregation has widely contributed to current inequities. Most of the issues that plague St. Louis-area schools are intricately interwoven into each other and the system. “History has helped us to get to where we are and there are certain things that have happened and beliefs that people have that continue to perpetuate things that are occurring. When I say systemic, it's not just about the one problem. All of our problems, in my opinion, are rooted in things that are occurring throughout our organization, our policies and our procedures,” Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Dr. Cartelia Lucas said.

The price of unequal education

Elizabeth Franklin, Editor-in-Chief February 9, 2024

Almost 70 years ago, on May 17, 1954, the landmark case of Brown v. The Board of Education was decided by the United States Supreme Court, deeming Plessy v. Ferguson’s “separate but equal” notion...

A raised fist has been a staple piece for protests amongst the United States for decades. The forceful salute is intertwined with some of the most tumultuous events involving racism. A powerful medium that artists have used is music, which has been used to push back against the constant oppression that happens in society.

Honoring Black artists

Mikalah Owens, Staff Writer February 1, 2024

From jazz, blues, R&B and hip-hop, Black artists’ creativity and talent have heavily influenced the music industry. By bringing soul, rhythm and powerful storytelling to music, they broke racial...