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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

Standing in Lambert Airport, French students smile for a photo before their flight. On March 10, the group of students began their 12-day trip to France, accompanied by French teacher Blair Hopkins and Spanish teacher Dominique Navarro. “The trip went smoothly. I think everybody enjoyed all three parts of it: Paris, Nice and the family home stay. The feedback I’ve gotten from all [of] the students has been positive, including several people already trying to plan a trip back to France,” Hopkins said.
A très bon voyage
Sage Kelly, Staff Writer • April 17, 2025

From Paris to Nice and from Notre Dame to the Palace of Versailles, this group of 10 French students and two chaperones has seen it all. Beginning...

Freezing in their position, the Addams Family cast hits the “rigor mortis” pose after cast member and senior Jack Mullen, in character as Gomez Addams, calls out the stiff death move. For the past four months, the combined company of cast members, orchestra pit, crew and directors all worked to create the familial chemistry of the show. “I’m excited for [the audience] to see the numbers, the music, the scenes, but I also just love all the technical aspects of it. The whole spectacle, the costumes, makeup and the people that put in the work backstage in order to make the show successful on stage. I’m excited for people to see and appreciate that,” Mullen said.
Rigor mortis!
Esta Kamau, Features/Humans of West Editor • March 7, 2025

Snapping their fingers underneath the dim stage lights, the Addams family will make their stage debut on March 7 through March 9. “The Addams...

This is the first year that the Parkway West Science Olympiad team competed at regionals. Team member and junior Anish Jindal competed in several events including Chem Labs, Experimental Design and Geological Mapping, earning top five placements in several events. “Compared with some of the other academic competitions at West [that can be] difficult to figure out how to get better, [Science Olympiad] is a lot more inclusive, having a broad group of people with different specialties,” Jindal said.
The formula for victory
Yein Ahn, News Editor • March 5, 2025

From cracking forensic cases to engineering planes, the Parkway West Science Olympiad team put their science knowledge to the test on March 1...

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Hosting a meeting for Women’s History Month, co-president Bethany Liao converses with club members of Women in Healthcare. The event fostered discussions about women in medicine and included a third year medical student from Bosnia as a guest speaker. “Creating this club has been a net positive experience for everyone. After we present [or a guest speaker], we [also] usually have snacks for everyone and it gives people an opportunity to generally talk or discuss,” Liao said.
For women, by women: West High clubs that support women
Opal Kadam and Yusra Khan April 4, 2025

Women’s History Month, founded in 1987, occurs every March to celebrate women’s rights, activists and innovation. But before Women’s History...

With her hands by her side and her posture straight, freshman Sophia Stricker gets into position for her Irish tap dance routine. Stricker has been Irish dancing since she was a child, following her family’s Irish heritage. “Irish dancing originated from Irish folk dancing and over the years has become very competitive. Now it’s seen not just at parades during St. Patrick's Day but there's a whole competitive side to it, where dancers compete at qualifiers to get to the World Championship,” Stricker said.
Shamrock shuffle
Yein Ahn, News Editor • March 14, 2025

Originating in Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day is a celebration of Irish culture, history and heritage, widely known as a day of green costumes,...

Sophomore Trent Young and junior Jamaya Love rise to the stage and welcome the audience after superintendent Keith Marty introduces them. Principals John McCabe and Kate Piffel selected them to be emcees for the 2025 Spirit of Excellence ceremony. “It is an honor and a privilege to stand before you this evening. Each one of the recipients tonight has exceeded all academic expectations and should be celebrated,” Love said.
Living the dream
Sage Kelly, Staff Writer • March 6, 2025

On the floor of the stadium, a bubbling current floods into rows upon rows of chairs. Teachers and administrators lead their students to their...

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A discarded Starbucks gift card sits among crumpled tissues and trash in front of a Palestinian scarf, symbolizing the ongoing boycott against the company. The controversial ongoing war between Israel and Hamas saw support from various corporations, including Starbucks, which faced backlash after involving itself in a tweet by Starbucks Workers United expressing solidarity with Palestine. “If you continuously buy Starbucks knowing they don't align with your moral values, then you are going to be dehumanized to that. The point of the boycott is showing Starbucks that these groups of people are not with them,” junior Zoya Hasan said.
Starbucks: A brewing crisis
Yusra Khan, Staff Writer • March 13, 2025

A leadership shake-up On Sept. 9, 2024, Starbucks CEO Laxman Narashiman stepped down after only 17 months of leading, with former Chipotle boss...

As the digital age grows, so does the use of music streaming platforms which make music easier to access. But even with how popular many streaming platforms are, the payment of emerging artists who share their music has stayed below a liveable wage.
A digital age: Music streaming platforms are killing artists
Opal Kadam, Staff Writer • February 6, 2025

Apple Music. Deezer. Spotify. Tidal. YouTube Music. These are some of the most popular music streaming platforms in the 21st century, and rightfully...

Some of the most deadly instances of gun violence have occurred in schools, communities and other ‘safe spaces’ for students. These uncontrolled settings give way to the need for gun regulation, including background and mental health checks. “Gun control comes about with more laws, but there are a lot of guns out there that people could obtain illegally. What is a solution that would get the illegal guns off the street? We have yet to find [one],” social studies teacher Nancy Sachtlaben said.
Lives on the line: Gun violence’s impact on America
Ruthvi Tadakamalla, Sports/Newsletter Editor • January 24, 2025

On Nov. 23, as Christian Brothers College junior Colin Brown and his father drove home from a hockey game on Interstate 55, a stray bullet hit...

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Red, white and blue, the American flag holds the values of our democracy. The fight that we once endured has returned, as student journalists and senior correspondents across the country are losing their voices due to government control. “[Are] the White House and [the] government limiting free speech [and] freedom of the press? Yes [they are],” chief communications officer of the Parkway School District and former journalist Elisa Tomich said.
The fight for the first: Protecting journalists across the country

Thomas Jefferson once said, “Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost.” Jefferson’s...

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Sitting courtside and observing the game, basketball coach Rich Rogers tries to help his team win in any way he can. Rogers has coached all levels of basketball at Parkway West for over 57 years and still has maintained a constant level of dedication and focus throughout his career. “If you're going to play basketball, you have to be willing to work as hard as possible and be ready for things to go wrong,” Rogers said.
A legacy of leadership and excellence in sports
Owen Ulmer, Staff Writer • February 18, 2025

57 years ago, Parkway West opened, but there has been one constant figure in it other than the building: basketball coach Rich Rogers. Coaching...

Holding the disc, senior Nathan Thompson waits for an opportunity to pass to senior Timmy Fry. Parkway United’s ultimate frisbee team is made up of students from each of the four Parkway schools. “The one thing I really like about ultimate [frisbee] is the community because it’s so different from any other sport I've been a part of. [My] national teammates are people who we play against in the regular season, so we see each other all the time. It's always fun hanging out with [them],” Thompson said.
Ultimate spirit
Cindy Phung, Editor-in-Chief • December 11, 2024

Every year, on the first Saturday of December, ultimate frisbee players, or flying disc enthusiasts, around the globe come together to celebrate...

Senior Josie Grunzinger watches the football game intently from the sidelines on Oct. 18. Grunzinger stood out to the crowd as the only girl on the football team, encouraging other girls who want to play football to take a chance and go for a sport outside of their comfort zone. “If you think you could [play football] and you want to do it, just try it, because all it takes is to actually try it out,” Grunzinger said.
Kicking off
Ruthvi Tadakamalla, Sports/Newsletter Editor • October 31, 2024

Friday night lights sparkling bright, senior Josie Grunzinger lined up with the field goal. Her foot swung into the ball, sending it spiraling...

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A&E
Standing in front of a Buick Grand National Experimental, rapper Kendrick Lamar appears on the cover of his album “GNX.” The album references and builds upon Lamar’s spring 2024 rap battle against fellow rapper Drake and set the stage for Lamar’s performance at Super Bowl LIX.
The count of Compton
Will Gonsior, Opinions/A&E Editor • February 13, 2025

Reincarnated The story of titular protagonist Edmond Dantes in Alexander Dumas’ “The Count of Monte Cristo” may sound familiar. In Dumas’...

Sixpence None The Richer guitarist Matt Slocum met vocalist Leigh Nash in New Braunfels, Texas. Their new EP, “Rosemary Hill,” is named after the street Slocum grew up on and takes inspiration from his and Nash’s childhoods.
Return to roots
Will Gonsior, Opinions/A&E Editor • October 23, 2024

When guitarist and lyricist Matt Slocum, singer Leigh Nash, drummer Dale Baker and bassist Justin Cary named their Christian alt-rock band after...

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2025 Senior send-off map
2025 Senior send-off map
Cindy Phung and Risa Cidoni January 21, 2025

As 2025 begins, the last stages of the formative four-year journey through high school quickly approaches for the students in the Class of 2025....