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
Kathryn McAuliffe

Kathryn McAuliffe, Managing Editor-in-Chief

She/her/hers

Grade: 12

Years on Staff: 4

What has been your favorite quarantine hobby? Completing at home dance workouts

Is a hot dog a sandwich? Of course

Who is someone that inspires you? Taylor Swift

All content by Kathryn McAuliffe
Gesturing to her board, business teacher Kelly Kennedy teaches her sixth hour Web Design class. In addition to Web Design, Kennedy teachers courses on Brand Marketing and Multimedia. “I loved the creativity involved with all my jobs. I am sure there were plenty of other things I did not like, but like with most things, the longer I am away from the industry, the more positive the memories become,’” Kennedy said.

The business of teaching

Kathryn McAuliffe, Managing Editor-in-Chief
May 18, 2021
Paraprofessional Chris Powers poses with one St. Luv’s treat bags and one treat.

New Vegan-nings

Kathryn McAuliffe and Jordan Scales
April 27, 2021
Carrying the ball forward, left defender and junior Ella Mercer dribbles away from Parkway Central seniors Kaylee Canoy and Brooke Taeckens. Mercer has played soccer since she was five years old and is a three-year member of the varsity team. “Soccer has always been a huge part of my life. I love using it as a way to de-stress and get exercise. No matter what I have going on outside of soccer, as soon as I’m on the field it disappears and I forget about it for an hour and a half,” Mercer said. “Soccer is both a mental and physical sport, you always have to be thinking about the next play, and where you need to be and where the next ball needs to go. I love getting to incorporate both the mental and physical aspect on the field.”

Photo of the Week – April 5

Kathryn McAuliffe, Managing Editor-in-Chief
April 9, 2021
Running extemp draw at the West Fall Classic, senior Kathryn McAuliffe volunteers for her Speech and Debate team. The club has pivoted to a virtual format, however aspects of competition and preparation have remained the same. “I've met some amazing people, learned a ridiculous amount of information about everything, and I've become a much better speaker too. Getting to compete and talk with such intelligent and motivated people motivates me to become a better speaker and citizen.”

[Photo] A glimpse into clubs during COVID-19

Elle Rotter, Deputy Conceptual Editor-in-Chief
March 11, 2021
Riots at Capitol Hill Jan. 6 prompted discussion among students and teachers.

A national tragedy: Students and teachers reflect on recent riots

Kathryn McAuliffe, Managing Editor-in-Chief
January 9, 2021

“illicit affairs” by Taylor Swift

Kathryn McAuliffe, Managing Editor-in-Chief
December 31, 2020
National Honors Society

National Honors Society

Kathryn McAuliffe, Managing Editor-in-Chief
December 18, 2020
National English Honors Society

National English Honors Society

Kathryn McAuliffe, Managing Editor-in-Chief
December 18, 2020
Taylor Swift performs onstage during the 2019 American Music Awards at Microsoft Theater on Nov. 24, 2019, in Los Angeles, Calif.

“evermore” reveals an ever-growing Taylor Swift

Kathryn McAuliffe, Managing Editor-in-Chief
December 16, 2020
Staying six feet apart, senior Laura Young collaborates with fellow teammates in order to run a smooth and efficient tournament. Young was part of the several students selected by Borgsmiller to go to the library and run the online tournament in-person. “While it made communication harder, it was really nice to be able to see my teammates, even from a distance,” Young said.

[Photo] Speech and Debate team host Parkway’s first online debate tournament

Thomas Bruns, Opinions/A&E editor
December 10, 2020
Participating in a sendoff for the girls varsity volleyball team Nov. 5, seniors Lexie Pilz and Leah Selm hold posters to cheer on their friends. Pilz attended both the sendoff and the State championship game. "It felt good to be able to support them through all this and watch them do such amazing things in their season," Pilz said. "They worked so hard for this, and I am beyond proud of my amazing friends and all they accomplished while dominating the court."

Photo of the Week–Nov. 2

Kathryn McAuliffe, Managing Editor-in-Chief
November 6, 2020
Adding her Chemistry textbook to the top of a stack, junior Katie Montgomery returns school supplies and books during the end of year locker clean out. Montgomery returned supplies on the first day students were allowed back inside the building since early March. “I’m glad West is taking the safety precautions seriously. It’s weird being back, but I’m glad everyone is staying safe,” Montgomery said.

Photo of the Week – May 18

Kathryn McAuliffe, Managing Editor-in-Chief
May 21, 2020
Missouri is asking state residents to practice social distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19. During these times, look to simple and helpful ways to make a change for others and yourself.

The Quaran-teen’s guide to social distancing

Kathryn McAuliffe, Managing Editor-in-Chief
March 22, 2020
Junior and cheerleader Tori Fischer hugs a Special Olympics athlete during the opening ceremony last year. Throughout the basketball tournament, cheerleaders encourage athletes from the side of the court. “Cheering for Special Olympics is honestly one of my favorite things I get to do during the school year,” Fischer said. “At normal games, we have to stay in formations and do planned cheers and people are so used to us that [it] doesn't get people excited. But at Special Olympics a lot of the athletes get excited when they hear us cheering for them and we can cheer them on in a totally relaxed and more personal way.”

[Photo] Changing our mindset towards Special Olympics

Pathfinder Editorial Board
March 5, 2020
The Pathfinder's most eligible bachelors pose, waiting for their dream date.

3. The Pathfinder: Bachelor Edition

Kathryn McAuliffe, Carly Anderson, and Susie Seidel
February 13, 2020
Delays in results were due to errors in the app used to report results.

The Iowa Caucus: What happened and what you need to know

Kathryn McAuliffe, Managing Editor-in-Chief
February 5, 2020

Step 4: Research Local Issues

Kathryn McAuliffe, Managing Editor-in-Chief
February 4, 2020

Step 3: Understand your primary

Kathryn McAuliffe, Managing Editor-in-Chief
February 4, 2020

Step 2: Research

Kathryn McAuliffe, Managing Editor-in-Chief
February 4, 2020

Step 1: Registration

Kathryn McAuliffe, Managing Editor-in-Chief
February 3, 2020
Today, the first Presidential nominating contest will take place in Iowa. Missouri’s election will follow, taking place March 10, a little over a month later. It’s time to prepare ourselves now so we can take action later.

The student’s guide to the 2020 election

Kathryn McAuliffe, Managing Editor-in-Chief
February 3, 2020
Photo illustration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. giving his "I have a Dream Speech."

Honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by educating yourself

Kathryn McAuliffe, Managing Editor-in-Chief
January 20, 2020

What should your 2020 New Years resolution be?

Kathryn McAuliffe, Managing Editor-in-Chief
December 31, 2019
Emma Watson, Saoirse Ronan, Eliza Scanlen and Florence Pugh as the March sisters in "Little Women."

Greta Gerwig creates a modern masterpiece with classic novel “Little Women”

Kathryn McAuliffe, Managing Editor-in-Chief
December 27, 2019
While making s'mores during her Balancing Chemical Equations lab, junior Kyra DeBauch roasts a marshmallow. Chemistry students learned how to balance chemical equations through a visual experiment of making s'mores. “Being able to [make s'mores] piece by piece really helped me understand the curriculum,” DeBauch said. “I really think all of the kids in the class liked it because we were able to see what we were learning.”

[Photo] Photo of the week- Dec. 10

Jacob Stanton, Staff Writer
December 13, 2019
A student reviews her planner and deals with impending stress.

A four day week for productivity

Kathryn McAuliffe, Managing Editor-in-Chief
December 5, 2019
Clearing her nasal passages, sickly senior Susie Seidel expels mucus in hopes of relieving her symptoms. Seidel is currently suffering from the ongoing plague, suspected to be Senioritis, impacting the senior class. “I had a quiz this morning so I came to school thinking I could muster enough strength to make it through the day,” Seidel said. “After I finished my quiz, I realized I was no match for the deadly disease and quickly left school so I wouldn’t infect others. I guess you could say I was caring, I removed myself from school to ensure the safety of others."

2. BREAKING: Rampant plague ravages senior class

Tyler Kinzy and Kathryn McAuliffe
November 1, 2019
Bending down to help build a fire, sophomore and sixth grade camp counselor Anna Newberry coaches her camper, Rachel Ferguson, in using a flint and steel Aug. 28 at Camp Lakewood. Newberry attended Camp Lakewood as a summer camper, sixth grader and now counselor. “This is my first year as a cabin leader, but I'd gone to summer camp five years before that. It was really fun to watch the girls start out as not super close friends because it was the beginning of the school year. They didn’t know each other, but they bonded a lot,” Newberry said.

Building a legacy: Sixth grade camp seeks donations to renovate building and create memories

Kathryn McAuliffe, Managing Editor-in-Chief
October 28, 2019
Examining his code, senior and CyberSecurity club Vice President Kesava Viswanadha works to secure images as preparation for the CyberPatriot competition. Viswanadha has been a member of Cyber Security club for three years. “We get to deal with real life scenarios and troubleshoot and aim to make types of operating systems cyber secure,” Viswanadha said. “It matters and is important because so many people today get scammed or trapped when they’re not cybersecure.”

CyberSecurity Club boots up for international competition

Kathryn McAuliffe, Managing Editor-in-Chief
October 25, 2019
A student holds up two cans of the popular beverage.

New vending machines spark controversy

Kathryn McAuliffe, Managing Editor-in-Chief
October 7, 2019
At the Sioux Passage cross country meet Sept. 21, junior Emily Sipp rounds a bend in the course. Sipp has been running since second grade when she began a track program through her church. “My favorite part is probably just [being with] the people that I get to run with daily. Outside the sport, we probably wouldn’t really all be friends. When you get to know each other, and push each other and work hard together, it's really fun to [share] that experience with other girls,” Sipp said.

Girls cross country travels cross-state to experience new course

Kathryn McAuliffe and Fatema Rehmani
September 27, 2019
Take this quiz to find out which book you should read next!

Quiz: Which book should you read next?

Kathryn McAuliffe, Managing Editor-in-Chief
September 16, 2019
On the campaign trail, alumnus Rigel Robinson speaks at a political fundraising event. Robinson’s key campaign issues include funding for public education and creating affordable housing. “Everything we do results in a compromise; that’s how governing works. If you don’t start dreaming big then you’re going to end up with an end result that is insufficient; that's just the way it is,” Robinson said.

Alumnus Rigel Robinson makes history as Berkeley, Calif.’s youngest city councilperson

Kathryn McAuliffe, Managing Editor-in-Chief
September 11, 2019
Working with a team of volunteers, junior Zoey Womick prepares to weigh and measure a painted turtle. Womick participated in an investigatory trip on painted turtles with other teens from St. Louis, all members of the Zoo ALIVE program. “I learned so much on the trip, but the coolest thing I learned is that the sex of a baby turtle is determined by the temperature at which the eggs are incubated,” Womick said.

Junior Zoey Womick brings life to the St. Louis Zoo through the ALIVE Program

Kathryn McAuliffe, Managing Editor-in-Chief
September 10, 2019
Making final adjustments during practice, junior Fatema Rehmani prepares for the Randy Pierce Winter Classic at Pattonville High School Dec. 7, 2018. Rehmani competed in Program Oral Interpretation, an event in which students incorporate various selections of literature into a 10 minute performance. “This year, I explored some different events in speech and debate, and I’m so grateful for all of the various experiences I’ve gained,” Rehmani said. “But I have noticed there are definitely expectations for certain events or debate in regards to whether it’s for guys or for girls, which is sometimes limiting and frustrating.”

[Photo] Sexism in speech and debate: competitive speakers’ fight for their voice

September 11, 2019
Before the first round of the tournament, junior Grace O’Connor rehearses her Program Oral Interpretation (POI) performance at the Randy Pierce Winter Classic at Pattonville High School Dec. 7, 2018. Competitors create a performance using various published works of prose, poetry and drama around a central theme. “It hurts when people don't listen to your piece because you spend so much time working on it, and you do really pour your heart into it,” O’Connor said. “When people dismiss it simply because of your gender, it's so heartbreaking and for a lot of people it's not worth it [to continue competing]. It's not worth the emotional labor and the aspects of just not being heard because of what you look like or what your gender is.”

[Photo] ‘Viewed as a mannequin’

September 13, 2019
Before the first round of the tournament, junior Grace O’Connor rehearses her Program Oral Interpretation (POI) performance at the Randy Pierce Winter Classic at Pattonville High School Dec. 7, 2018. Competitors create a performance using various published works of prose, poetry and drama around a central theme. “It hurts when people don't listen to your piece because you spend so much time working on it, and you do really pour your heart into it,” O’Connor said. “When people dismiss it simply because of your gender, it's so heartbreaking and for a lot of people it's not worth it [to continue competing]. It's not worth the emotional labor and the aspects of just not being heard because of what you look like or what your gender is.”

[Photo] ‘Viewed as a mannequin’

Tyler Kinzy, Managing Editor-in-Chief
September 13, 2019
Junior Laura Young refines her speech after receiving feedback from teammates. Young and her debate partner, junior Zoey Womick (not pictured), placed second in the Greater St. Louis Conference in Public Forum Debate for the 2018-19 season. “Being a girl in debate is sometimes intimidating because when you go up against really good teams that are two males or even just one guy, they oftentimes have more of a reputation than the really excellent all-girl teams do,” Young said. “A lot of events are also male-dominated, which is also extremely intimidating because they come off as very charismatic and have so much more of a reputation that it's just really scary to go up against them.”

[Photo] ‘They already trust the guy’

September 18, 2019

“Lover” will have you falling in love

Kathryn McAuliffe, Managing Editor-in-Chief
August 30, 2019
Students line up outside the counseling office during the second week of school, anxious for just a quick meeting to adjust their schedule.

We’ve got a situation…scheduling. It’s time to talk about solutions.

Susie Seidel and Kathryn McAuliffe
August 30, 2019
Selling an “I STAND WITH REFUGEES” wrist band to junior Jon Ma during second lunch, junior Sabrina Bohn and sophomore Ulaa Kuziez raise awareness for the Immigrant and Refugee Women’s Program. The feminist club voted earlier in the year to provide money to that group in order to expand their impact on the global community. “Last semester we had a group vote between three different charities. We had one that was a women's shelter that helped women who experienced domestic abuse, the Immigrant and Refugee Women’s program and another women's shelter with a different focus. The group members voted and decided on the Immigrant and Refugee program to bring awareness, not just in our community and school, but to a bigger world,” Bohn said. Photo by Kathryn McAuliffe

Raising hope: Feminist club fundraises for Immigrant and Refugee Women’s Program

Kathryn McAuliffe, Managing Editor-in-Chief
May 2, 2019
Pausing to take a photo with her new friends, sophomore Megan Gordon smiles. Gordon shadowed students during her week in Uganda. “To see how they teach was so interesting, because the kids are so well-behaved. They teach in English, so I sat in and we learned about animals and their babies,” Gordon said. The teacher gave them an activity, then left the classroom for five minutes. Everybody was sitting in their seats doing the activity like perfect children. That never would have happened in the States.”

Mission Compassion: Sophomore Megan Gordon builds connections and knowledge through Ugandan mission trip

Kathryn McAuliffe, Managing Editor-in-Chief
April 16, 2019
In a Boomalang session, junior Quinn Berry practices her Spanish skills. Berry, a Spanish three student, opted to participate in Boomalang. "Boomalang forces me to only speak Spanish with a Native speaker so it helps me in my speaking and listening tests which helps me overall in Spanish,” Berry said. “It gives me a chance to interact with other cultures while building my comprehension skills."

Saying Bonjour, Hola and Guten Tag: Modern and Classical Language Department offers crosscultural language opportunities

Kathryn McAuliffe, Managing Editor-in-Chief
April 10, 2019
During second lunch, junior Angie Jia works on homework. As the daughter of immigrants, Jia cares for issues surrounding civil liberties and social causes and chose laptop stickers that would represent her passions. “My ‘Immigrants Make America Great’ represents my parents, who I am and who I feel should be empowered in America: immigrants. I value protecting and preserving our environment over industry so I have an environmental awareness sticker too,” Jia said. “My ‘Believe Women' sticker I got around the time of the Brett Kavanaugh hearings because I strongly agreed with what Dr. Christine Blasely Ford was doing by empowering women and believing their stories.”

The story behind the stickers

Kathryn McAuliffe, Managing Editor-in-Chief
March 29, 2019

Patriot Act unleashes weapons of mass comedy

Kathryn McAuliffe, Managing Editor-in-Chief
March 1, 2019

The concept of woke should be put to rest

Kathryn McAuliffe, Managing Editor-in-Chief
January 29, 2019
In character, sophomore Reese Berry informs classmates in Kristen Collins’ fifth hour AP World class about Ivan the Terrible. On Thursday students participated in a speed dating activity to learn about historical figures highlighted in the course. “I made a love connection with Suleiman. We were going to take over the world because we were both terrible people, but had a lot of power,” Berry said.

[Photo] Photo of the week – Jan. 7

Caroline Judd, SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER
January 14, 2019
Sophomore Tyler Kinzy and senior Gokul Venkatachalam converse as they review a document. The two were inspired to pursue mental health activism after alumni Haran Kumar passed away June 15. "There were definitely some nerves when I first met Senator Schupp in person, especially with this being my first time getting involved in the political process," Kinzy said. "That uncertainty I felt quickly dissipated when I reminded myself how fortunate I am to be represented by such a great advocate for mental health initiatives."

[Photo] Senior Gokul Venkatachalam and sophomore Tyler Kinzy address mental health concerns at the state-level

November 18, 2018
Gokul:Tylerfeat

Juniors Rithvik Karthikeyan and Connor Olliff arrange trophies in the debate classroom after school Sept. 24. Olliff hopes that by replacing trophies with random objects, the team can best honor alumni Haran Kumar. "We’ve had to think about how we can better remember one of our graduates, and we want to hold [the tournament] in his honor," Olliff said. "We’re trying a lot harder to make it perfect this year so it’s in perfect remembrance of him."

Speech and debate team honors Haran Kumar through tournament

Kathryn McAuliffe, Managing Editor-in-Chief
October 2, 2018