![Two of Pathfinder’s most recent editorial accolades shine on display in journalism teacher Lindsey Katz’s room. Pathfinder was recognized as a SNO Distinguished Site on April 24. “Praise isn’t everything, but it feels so nice to see the hard work of our staff recognized. So much more than just writing words on a page occurs [in journalism], and I am so glad people see that. I love being surrounded by such talented writers, but also such great people,” editor-in-chief and junior Payton Dean said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/DSC_4941.jpg)
![Junior Bethany Liao and sophomore Srinidhi Sripada pass out poems at the front entrance on April 29. Sripada volunteered for the event as a member of the National English Honor Society. “I'm surprised by the [number] of people who were always excited about getting a poem,” Sripada said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/DSC_0826-1200x798.jpg)
While most students headed to class on April 17, 39 sophomores took a field trip to the High School Healthcare Career Fair at Mercy South instead. Although the program has changed its name and location...
![Reflecting on previous years, junior Bethany Liao looks at plaques in the Speech and Debate room. With her partner, senior Yein Ahn, Liao earned first place in Public Forum debate at the MSHAA Speech and Debate District Tournament on March 6 and 7. “I really want us to do good, and, even if we don't, I want it to be a memorable experience for [Ahn] because this is our last debate together,” Liao said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/DSC_3604-1200x800.jpg)
Sounds of binders clicking, gavels banging and pages flipping fill English teacher and Speech and Debate coach Cara Borgsmiller’s room. As April 24 approaches, speakers and debaters are continuing to...
![Setting up the activity for his first meeting, Financial Literacy Club founder and sophomore Yash Bandiananthaiah writes on the whiteboard. For the first meeting, Bandiananthaiah created an interactive experience for members to immerse themselves in. “To me, the most important thing during a meeting is to make sure we are all engaged and participating, and [I do this by] always making sure we have a hands-on activity,” Bandiananthaiah said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/DSC5306-1200x798.jpg)
![French teacher Blair Hopkins enters City Coffee & Creperie in Clayton, Mo. for breakfast with her Honors French 4 students and AP French 5 students. Both classes went on a field trip to a fair trade chocolate factory in St. Louis to begin their unit on Côte D’Ivoire, a major producer of cocoa beans. “My ideal school would just be the Magic School Bus — you would always learn about things by going someplace and learning hands-on, being able to see it yourself and asking people questions. I think [learning is] always so much more memorable if you can experience it firsthand,” Hopkins said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/DSC2795-1200x798.jpg)
Throughout the month of April, students enrolled in French 1, French 3, Honors French 4 and AP French 5 all went on separate field trips to enhance their learning and develop their cultural awareness....
Bus 100 rumbles to a stop at West High every afternoon, and students climb aboard, greeted by bus driver Nikki Wright. Although the bus may look ordinary from the outside, the inside of the bright yellow...
![Days out from annual Advanced Placement (AP) exams, a pencil lies snapped in half, surrounded by a variety of study materials, symbolic of the frustrations accompanying end-of-year exams. AP exams are scheduled to run May 4 - 15, 2026. “I am taking three AP exams this year, [and] I only took one last year. [Last year,] I made sure I got a good rest before my exams; [this week,] I’ve been taking notes on each chapter [from my textbooks],” sophomore Shree Sikkal Kumar said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/DSC9826-1200x798.jpg)
![From March 12 to 23, 38 Parkway School District Latin students and six chaperones journeyed across the Atlantic Ocean to visit Italy. Throughout the trip, students noticed an unusually high level of military presence at the sites they visited. “[It] seems like a lot of people are unhappy with our country’s current foreign affairs [and] foreign policy. I think that affects people's view [of] our country and our people as a whole. [We saw] signs [and] graffiti with anti-American sentiment. I think there's fear all over the world, and people don’t know what's going to happen next,” junior Jackson Stirling said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/march-feature-revised--1200x675.png)
![Students at West High and beyond have shown their commitment to act for change, rather than remaining as passive observers. Yet, along with student activism, the student journalists covering these controversial issues have faced censorship from the government and other institutions. Pathfinder continues to strive to report on difficult topics and provide a platform of information and conversation at Parkway West. Journalism adviser Lindsey Katz teaches about the First Amendment and the rights of student journalists as one of the lessons in Convergence Journalism 1. “Out of all the things we learn in journalism, the takeaway that I want journalists to walk away with the most is having a true understanding of their rights as citizens and their rights as student journalists. By studying the First Amendment, media law and students’ rights, [journalists can] build foundational knowledge of why we do what we do,” Katz said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/feb-2026-feature-1200x678.png)
![Justice. Domestic Tranquility. General welfare. Blessings of liberty. These key phrases have been redacted from this copy of the U.S. Constitution, reflecting the values lacking in the United States' Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). ICE’s behavior suggests that the values instilled in our nation have been stripped. “When you're implementing [immigration enforcement] on a mass scale at the speed it's happening [now], you're bound to see unjust, horrible things. The only way to solve that is to make the crackdowns less severe,” junior Alisha Yin said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/feature-image-jan-2026-1200x710.png)
![Takeout containers and boxes sit unused in the garage of senior Yein Ahn. Her family’s sushi restaurant, 153 Sushi, went out of business in March 2024. Like many restaurants, Ahn’s family experienced the struggle of the restaurant business amidst the lasting economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Business teacher Andy Croley has been teaching his classes about these modern challenges restaurants face trying to adapt to the rapidly changing economy and market. “[The food industry is] super competitive. There are restaurants everywhere you go, so they have to figure out what niche they're going to fill. Then, just like us as consumers, right now at home, where our prices are going, prices [for restaurants] are continuously going up as well. Inflation would definitely be a factor for people as well, because with inflation, [restaurants] are also seeing rising costs in their lease or their rent, electricity and all across the board,” Croley said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/DSC_0004-1200x800.jpeg)
On March 31, 2024, my family closed down 153 Sushi, the restaurant that we had owned for eight years. The business had survived the early years of operation, a five-year...
![Laughing, sophomore Julia Adams (right) takes time from her day to let loose and hang out with her friends. Adams, who has received lessons from Parkway’s Peers Advocating for Total Health (PATH) program, has maintained the status of being alcohol free. “Playing sports, [and] being surrounding myself with friends who encourage each other to [not drink] is [not only] helpful, [but] doing these activities is super fun and helps me reach a natural high,” Adams said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/DSC_0029-1200x800.jpg)
Every March, the National Institute on Drug Abuse promotes National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week. The...
From clothes to food, and even cars, the internet has completely changed the way people shop. Since the...
![The narrow lens contrasts with a diverse reality; whitewashing means altering or concealing something to make it more appealing to white people. The word “whitewashed” as it is used today has caused identity crises for thousands, if not millions, of students. “I have been called whitewashed before, and it feels very sad. [It’s] just hard because it makes me not know who I am. You don’t get a lot of backlash for [saying it], so I think it’s a throwaway term for people who aren’t affected by it. When you are the person [who] is being called whitewashed, over time, it builds up,” sophomore Raaga Golla said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/IMG_5740-1-1200x800.jpg)
When I was younger, my mom took my brother and me to an aquarium in Springfield, Mo. We were on our way...
I fall victim to the typical affliction of high school bookworms: never having time to read. With volunteer hours, mountains of homework and...
Gales whip across the barren moors as lightning splits a sky darkened by gray clouds. Rain pelts against the slate roof and narrow windows of...
Though 26 minutes sounds long for just one song, nothing shorter could honor past Pink Floyd band member Syd Barrett the way he deserves. In...
![In game months apart, senior Brett Ottensmeyer and junior Noor Hacking stand as quarterbacks in their respective games. Ottensmeyer was a four-year quarterback for the Longhorns; Hacking served as quarterback in the 2025 powderpuff game. “There are many challenges [to being a woman in sports]. People underestimate you and you have to work extra hard to get recognition. Sports are a big part of my life because I have played sports my entire life and have grown up [seeing] women set a high standard,” Hacking said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Untitled-1.jpg)
A ponytail swings back and forth in the air with each stride. Manicured nails reach high above. A hush falls over the crowd until the football...
The whistle blows, and senior Emma Stone dribbles the ball up the field. Dodging defender after defender, Stone works her way up to the goal....
![Stretching his arms and pushing through the water, captain of the varsity boys’ water polo team and senior Max Moore reaches for the ball during the game against Lafayette High School on April 14. The game also marked Senior Night, celebrating the seven seniors of the team. “It was a really close game the whole time, and we ended up winning six to five. I scored two goals. It's kind of sad [because this is my last season], but it's also a lot of fun,” Moore said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/MBS_7153-edited-1200x801.jpg)
On Tuesday, April 14, the varsity boys’ water polo team competed against Lafayette High School, celebrating the Class of 2026 for their Senior...
![Senior Natalia Gumpel crowdsurfs above her teammates during the pep rally as the girls’ soccer team is recognized. Gumpel is a two-year member of the girls’ varsity soccer team as an outside back. “[Pep rallies are important] because [they] bring a sense of unity to the school, and I think that’s important so you don’t feel so overwhelmed. High school is a part [of life] where there [are] a lot of things changing, so to feel that sense of community is good. A lot of [my teammates] are close friends, and we’ve grown closer through soccer,” Gumpel said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/DSC3584-2-1200x799.jpg)
![Carefully holding a young athlete's face, senior Elizabeth Knott works at the face painting station in Victory Village. The Victory Village, located in the North Gym, served as a space for athletes to engage in multiple independent tasks. “I like to volunteer [and] interact with all different kinds of people [and] helping them have a fun experience. There was a little boy who asked me if I could [draw] a character from a game he liked [and] I was able to look it up and draw that character for him,” Knott said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/DSC9290-1-Enhanced-NR-1-1200x799.jpg)
![Hand raised into the air, senior Lauren Anstrom watches as her graduation cap flies along with the caps of all her peers. Anstrom hopes to leave behind the legacy as someone who was kind, hardworking, and always supportive of others. “Tossing my graduation cap honestly felt surreal. In that moment, everything hit me at once with all the excitement, relief and a little sadness too. It felt really emotional [because] this was the end of such a big chapter of my life, but also exciting knowing that everyone was about to start a completely new journey,” Anstrom said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/DSC_3031-Enhanced-NR-2-1200x800.jpg)
![Among the shelves in the library, junior Zowie Hrabak searches for a book on April 22. Hrabak remained curious about topics like history and English. "I tried to look for things that I have no prior knowledge about. Anything that I could learn or gain from those things were interesting to me. I was most passionate about [exploring] humanity and society," Hrabak said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/DSC_0360-2-1200x798.jpg)
![Eyes on the crossbar, sophomore Harrison Hughes prepares for his 12-foot jump. Hughes is in his second year of track, and recently cleared 13 feet in pole vaulting. “I had some shin splints going on, so I was a little bit worried [about this jump]. I’ve been pressing well, so I’m feeling good about the season,” Hughes said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/DSC8099-1-1200x798.jpg)