Elizabeth Franklin, Opinions/A&E Editor
Pronouns: she/her
Grade: 11
Years on staff: 3
What was your favorite childhood TV show? Man, Barbie: Life in the Dreamhouse got me through some of my darkest times.
What is your favorite book? Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry will always be a classic to me.
What motivates you? I'd say that the future motivates me. I might not be totally happy with the way things are right now, but the beauty of the future is that anything can happen. Sure, aliens could invade the planet in twenty years, but I also might be very successful and presented with lots of new, great opportunities and experiences in twenty years, too. But I won't know the limits unless I try my best, and I think that motivates me more than anything else.
![The battle of ingratiating Black history into the mainstream has been arduous, especially with the media’s capitalization on villainizing Black history. Underneath this vilification lies a history that is abundant in culture and has impacted America more than it is typically credited with. “Representation is [a] really big [deal], and people want to do things that they can see themselves being represented in. I think that a lot of African Americans — and a lot of students in general — don’t know how rich the history of Black [people] is in America,” senior and Black Student Union president Lauren McLeod said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/vilificationofblackhistoryfeatured.png)
![Anti-Black bigotry is prevalent on the internet, and online platforms are some of the most significant factors in perpetuating this anti-Black discrimination. For example, anonymity on the internet emboldens people to say racist things online that they would not typically say in person. “[People] can have fake names and say what they want because you don’t know them, and they know you don’t know them. They’ll say pretty hurtful things about African-Americans, and they’ll use a lot of vulgar language about [us]. I believe you’re more likely to hear racism online than anywhere else,” junior Nylah Thompson said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/EA8EB3A6-DC66-4CC3-81CE-F6AFF36E0F92-900x600.png)
![Sitting on fellow contestants’ shoulders, senior Christian Fleming celebrates his victory. Fleming was crowned “Mr. Longhorn” after a display of his occupation, talent and formal attire. “I really wasn’t [expecting to win]. I was just excited to come out on top. All the guys did phenomenally,” Fleming said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/unnamed-11.png)
![This photo illustration is inspired by the copious political attack ads plastered over all news and local stations in the St. Louis Metro area. These commercials exploit current event issues by using the biggest concerns to attract attention. Marijuana is one [concern] in Missouri because they’re having a ballot issue. Illegal immigration and cutting taxes are the ones that Republicans use. The whole ‘[Republicans] being very right-wing and autocratic’ is [an issue ad] that you would see the Democrats doing. They’re all over the place depending on what the hot-button issue is, social studies department chair Jeffrey Chazen said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Cant-be-trusted-900x675.png)
![The poster for Parkway West Dramatics Companys performance of Silent Sky. Students in the cast and crew of the production rehearsed and worked for two months leading up to the performances. Everybody in the cast and crew is challenged in some way [during the play], and being able to see the final product of [hard work] and having the audience watch it is so cool, theatre department teacher and play director Amie Gossett said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Untitled-design-12-900x675.png)
![Board member-elect Tiffany Mapp Franklin was recently voted onto the school board as a replacement for Kristy Klein Davis. Davis was offered a job transfer in Florida and had to resign from her position. “I have been asked to run for the past two years, and I was considering it, but I also [was involved] with other activities that took a lot of time, so it wasn’t an ideal moment to run. When this vacancy occurred, it seemed like it was at the right time,” Franklin said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/unnamed-5.png)
![In a lacrosse game against Lafayette, junior Maddie Humme passes the ball to her teammate. Although the girls’ varsity lacrosse team lost the game April 26, the team maintained their unity and team spirit. “[This game] stuck out to me because we were really high-energy. We didn’t lose hope,” Humme said. “[My favorite part] was really getting to have a different experience each game.”](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/unnamed-14.jpg)
