Elle Rotter, Deputy Conceptual Editor-in-Chief
Pronouns: she/her
Grade: 12
Years on staff: 4
What was your favorite childhood TV show? My favorite childhood TV show was Liv and Maddie!
What is your favorite book? Currently... my favorite book is 'A Good Girls Guide to Murder,' however, my all time favorite book is probably 'Tell Me Three Things'
What motivates you? I am motivated by a lot of things: my family and friends, music, and literature.
![Moving and grooving, senior Jack Goedde dances with the other Mr. Longhorn contestants in their opening act. Seniors and Poms captains Kelsea Wilson and Cameron Chandler choreographed the dances performed throughout the night. “Being able to have a special event for all of the senior guys makes it more fun. All the guys were bad at dancing, including myself, which made us laugh. [Mr. Longhorn] gives us a memory for the rest of our lives.”](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Jack-G.jpeg)
![During a Crime and Law mock trial, senior Nadir Gheith acts as the defendant, Jack Percy who is on trial for the first-degree murder of Butch Burly. Officer Matthew Paubel removed Gheiths handcuffs at the start of the trial after escorting him to the pretend courtroom. “[The most challenging part of the mock trial] was seeing me lose because I hardly lose, and I needed to bounce back from that. [I lost] because the jury hates me. I don’t know what I did wrong, but they just didn’t like me,” Gheith said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/DSC_7588-900x600.jpg)
![At the end of the first act of the fall play ‘Silent Sky,’ Henrietta Leavitt played by senior Nicole [Blue] Schade, receives an important message from Williamina Fleming, played by junior Dana Zafarani. Schade described the script as beautiful and heartfelt and said that they have a lot to learn from their character. “I loved getting to help the audience see how beautiful this world is because that’s what Henrietta’s core belief was; she had so much wonder for the world. I related to that, and it was an honor to be the one to tell that story, and make the audience feel that same sense of wonder.”](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/DSC_8870-900x600.jpg)
![Sophomore Keyshon Brown and senior Sapir Zachary measure ingredients to make a sauce for their days dish: fettuccine alfredo. In the Culinary Mentor class, neurotypical students work with kids with various disabilities to learn cooking skills. “I thought [this class] would be enjoyable and a great opportunity to help kids develop skills they can carry on later in life. It hurts my heart to see how those kids can be treated. I always wanted to be their friend and make them laugh. More people need to be considerate and nice and be someone’s friend,” Zachary said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Sapir-900x600.jpg)
![Celebrating the 2021 Fall Pep Assembly, seniors Esha Franics and Maya Malhorta dress in spirit colors red, white and blue. The duo worked on planning the Homecoming assembly, parade and Powder Puff game. “Im more in charge of the parade and the floats. Esha is more in charge of the pep assembly and Powder Puff,” senior Maya Malhorta said. “There’s a lot of things to do behind the scenes, especially picking [main] theme and planning all of the spirit day themes, but it is a lot of fun. I picked disco [for the class theme] because I think it would be the most fun. I am disappointed the teachers didn’t get rock; I was hoping they would.”](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Esha-and-Maya-900x578.jpg)
![Checking in with the Parkway West Superfan, Activities Director Jeff Taggart talks with kids during lunch. Taggart looked forward to building connections with students and becoming a part of the school community. [I just want] to be involved, in the cafeteria, at lunchtime, at different sporting events or activities.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/DSC_5077-900x600.jpg)
![The prosecution team in the fifth hour Crime and Law mock trial plans for a cross-examination against a surprise witness during a two-minute recess. Senior Akshaya Mulakala, junior Jaxon Smith, senior Ryan Whorton and junior Parker Cummins gathered to come up with questions, hoping to discredit the witness and convince the jury that the defendant was guilty of second-degree murder. “I wanted to build a case by looking at [the] facts. [So,] it was cool to look at the details and build a case from that,” Whorton said. “The defendant [was] found guilty of manslaughter, but got a 10-year [sentence] which I still consider a success.”](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/DSC_0125-900x600.jpg)
![Surrounded by a cooler, a basket and a piano bench, freshman Matt Willock holds a NASCAR tire filled with his school supplies. As a part of spirit week, students were encouraged on Wednesday to bring in “anything but a backpack,” to carry their belongings around in for the day.
“I feel like the whole NASCAR tire idea was like a statement of my personality. [My dad] was the one that originally kind of gave me the idea to do it. Its been sitting in my room for a little bit and we were looking for stuff to use,” Willock said. “I feel like since this was kind of the first time [for ‘anything but a backpack day’], we were working out whats good to bring, but I feel like if we do it next year, itll be a lot better. Therell be a lot more variety to what people bring.”](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/DSC_3568-900x600.jpg)
![Principal Jeremy Mitchell sits in his homecoming float and waves to the students lined on the sidewalk for the homecoming parade. During homecoming week, he enjoyed getting to build connections with students. “I couldn’t have asked for anyone better to work for,” Athletic Director Brian Kessler said. “[He] pulled off homecoming, [when] nobody knew what it was going to look like. It happened, it was great, it was beautiful, and [students] loved it.”](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/IMG_0579-900x600.jpg)
![During Ac lab time, sophomore Raj Jaladi plays a game of chess in the library. Jaladi joined the chess club before winter break and has learned different strategies from his peers and YouTube videos. “I think it challenges my intellectual ability and there is a lot to learn. A lot of games there is just an objective to [achieve] but in chess there are variations and it’s an endless ocean,” Jaladi said. “I’ve been playing a lot, maybe too much actually. I’ve made friends with a lot of people in the club and I learned a lot by playing against them.”](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/DSC_0013-copy-900x681.jpg)
![During an experiment in his honors Force and Motion class, freshman Jacksen McNeal pushes the car across the table. Physics teacher Amy Van Matre-Woodward taught how to calculate velocity and used toy cars as practice for students. “I enjoyed this activity because it was a [creative] way to practice finding velocity. I [also] just liked playing with the cars,” McNeal said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/POW121jpg-900x600.jpg)
![Sculpting a Day of the Dead project in Ceramics 1, sophomore Katie Wallace creates a mug out of her pinch pot. For the assignment, Wallace carved eyes, a nose and a mouth into her mug, and later painted it in bright colors to make it unique. “Getting to have social time, unwind and talk with my friends was my [favorite part of the] class,” Wallace said. “I also liked getting to hone my creativity and get my hands dirty.”](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/DSC_0017-872x900.jpg)
![Juniors Olivia Davis and Zachary Schade dress up for Monday’s spirit theme: country versus country club. “[When I started] high school, I remember teachers always told us ‘[high school] goes by so fast, so participate in everything you can,’” Davis said. “I really wanted to and enjoyed participating because I didn’t want to miss out on another essential high school experience, especially since we never know what next year holds.”](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/DSC_0013-478x900.jpg)
![Sophomores Emily Kerber, Abigail Wheeler, Andrew Martin and Annalise Schriber play Jenga on the last day of school. Between flying twislers and giggling friends, Kerber tried to ignore the distractions around her while pulling a block from the tower. “[My favorite part of being back to school] was being able to see everyone. In class, we where able to have fun but also be productive,” Kerber said. “I have mixed feelings about the school year ending.”](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/DSC_0016-900x600.jpg)
