- June 5On to the next
- May 22The fun in finance
- May 22Photo of the Week - May 22
- May 22Spring in action: A look into West's 2026 spring sports season
- May 21French en route
- May 19Sarah Johnson
- May 19Crime, class and consequence
- May 18Athletes of West - Alexander Berryhill
- May 15What Happens Next
- May 15An empty table
![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_4941-1200x800.jpg)
![Sprinting down the line, senior Neiyo Hagen completes his 100-meter run during the April 16 meet at Parkway Central High School. Hagen was part of the track and field team at his previous school and has since joined and competed with West’s varsity team. “I am going to miss being [part] of the track and field team, because even though I have been running for only two years, I have made a lot of friends,” Hagen said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/DSC8382-1200x798.jpg)
![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)
![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)
![Senior Michael Collop stands in the sun at Vlasis Park in Ballwin, Mo. Collop has earned each of the 142 merit badges currently offered by Scouting America, joining the estimated 650 other Scouts who have done the same. Out of roughly 130 million youth who have participated in Scouting, only 0.00077% have achieved this distinction. “The whole point of merit badges is to learn something from them and get a glimpse into every single career or every aspect of [Scouting]. I think I took something from each one of those merit badges that's [going to] be with me for the rest of my life,” Collop said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/DSC7392-1200x798.jpg)
![Senior Dashawn Horskins does “The Cha Cha Slide” alongside principal John McCabe and the senior class. To end the spring pep rally, McCabe called all grade levels to join him on the gym floor. “[My favorite memory from the pep rally was] when we all did the ‘Cha Cha Slide’ at the very end. McCabe called us to the court, and we all started [dancing] next to him. Something [I’ll] remember about this moment was my classmates [and me] just having fun together. It was sad [knowing this was my last pep rally] because a lot of the pep rallies I’ve been to have been fun,” Horskins said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/DSC7079-2-1200x799.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)
![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)
![During a student-led walkout on Feb. 10 protesting recent actions by ICE, senior Kamori Berry became emotional at the turnout of students. Berry assisted with the coordination and planning of the walkout in the days leading up to the event. “We didn't think a lot of people were going to [show up], and when we [got there], it just made me emotional [at] how many people [were] supporting what we were doing. I was really proud of the student body and what they were doing,” Berry said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/feature-revised-3-1200x804.jpg)
![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)
![Defending his opposition — the senior team — history teacher Ryan Newton jumps high to block an incoming shot. Newton’s involvement in West athletics encouraged him to play in the Senior vs. Faculty basketball game. “I just wanted to go play basketball and compete. [Playing] with the other teachers against the seniors was just a fun opportunity. [It was great] with 1200 people in the gym, a good environment and a back-and-forth game,” Newton said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/DSC_7287-2-1200x799.jpg)
![Reaching for a rebound, Principal John McCabe tries to lead the teachers to a comeback during the annual teachers vs. students basketball game Dec. 15. This year, in an effort to involve more students, the game was held during the winter pep rally. “[Parkway West] is a special place, with special kids and special teachers. Any time we all get together, it feels like everybody is connected. This school is great, and [although] I know that, not everybody does, and it’s a great feeling to be able to put that on display,” McCabe said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/DSC_7342-Enhanced-NR-2-1200x799.jpg)
![Helping a customer, print room assistant Gretchen Williams operates her booth at the West High Craft Fair from Oct. 25-26. This was Williams’ first time participating in the Craft Fair with her new craft shop, Gs Beaded Boutique. “People have always said, over the years, ‘you should open something.’ [I replied that] I would rather just make [my crafts as] gifts for people. I just started [the online store] up, and it's been okay. I'm always surprised [by] how many views I get and [the] people from different states buying things; somebody from Alaska bought something the other day.”](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/DSC0451-2-1200x799.jpg)
![Smiling in a sea of Longhorns, Fox 2 reporter Ty Hawkins joins junior Darren Young during the morning Oct. 3 pep rally. The last time West was featured in this segment was 2011. “[I hope people see this and think] if you come to [Parkway] West, you will have the time of your life because there are so many fun activities to do that make it feel like you belong here. I was surprised so many people attended, but it was a lot of fun,” Young said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Edited2-1200x798.jpg)
![Leading the senior team in a game of tug of war, senior Max Hurley pulls hard on the rope. Hurley is a member of the varsity football team and was interviewed by Fox 2 News about his hopes for the future. “We had fun. We had all the seniors lined up on one side versus the juniors and it was a lot of fun [to] compete with our other friends on the junior side. We eventually won,” Hurley said. “It felt good. Some of [the] stronger guys on the football team went up to the front [because] we felt that it was a strategy to help us win.”](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSC_4016-1200x799.jpg)
![Jersey on and energy up alongside teammates, senior Dashawn Horskins runs through a line of cheerleaders and Longhorn Line dancers across the football field at 6:30 a.m. Horskins wore his jersey to get in the spirit for the upcoming home football game against Lindbergh. “[It was] cool to be there early [in the] morning [and] see classmates,” Horskins said. “I tried to tell my team to get everybody [to] get louder.”](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSC_3757-Enhanced-NR-1200x799.jpg)
![Sophomore Izzy Macapanpan lines up with her Longhorn Line teammates to prepare for the camera on the football field. Macapanpan and the team were invited to perform at the pep rally. “I’ve been on the high school dance team since freshman year, but I’ve been dancing since I was three years old,” Macapanpan said. “All the girls are really nice, and we’ve all become really close this year. [Being on TV] was a big thing because the dance team had never really been featured on the news like we were today.”](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSC_3727-Enhanced-NR-1200x799.jpg)
![Dressed professionally in a suit and tie, sophomore Eric Thomas cheers with the crowd at the pep rally on Oct. 3. Thomas held up a Fox 2 News poster and celebrated his first time being on the news. “It was pretty interesting, because I've never seen a news crew in person before. Seeing their giant camera set up was pretty cool. The atmosphere was super energetic, which [was] definitely my favorite part, “ Thomas said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSC8175-Enhanced-NR-1200x799.jpg)
![Talking with Fox 2 News reporter Ty Hawkins, senior Shea O’Connell represent the varsity cheer team during a live interview. This is O’Connell’s last year cheering with the team. “It felt really amazing just knowing that my team trusted me enough to represent them. I enjoyed [being] able to share the bond between the cheer team because I've been cheering with some of these girls for for seven years and some of them for three years. I loved being able to do this with [my] amazing friends on the team,” O’Connell said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSC8157-Enhanced-NR-2-1200x921.jpg)
![Standing in front of the camera and next to Fox 2 News' Ty Hawkins, senior and varsity football player JaMont Brooks represents the varsity football team. As captain and outside linebacker, Brooks was one of four students selected to be interviewed live for the broadcast. “Overall, it was just a crazy experience being on the news. Even when I get older, I’ll tell my kids or grandkids I was on the news. My mom sent me a picture of me on the news [saying] ‘Oh my gosh, that’s my son.’ The Parkway West community felt amazing this morning. Everybody showed up at 6 [a.m.] and [will] show up 6 [p.m.] tonight too. Any time I go into a game, I go up there with the mentality that we’re going to try our best, and even the times we struggle, [I’ll] keep my head up,” Brooks said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSC8122-Enhanced-NR-1200x799.jpg)
![Gazing across the stage, sophomore Alexis Monteleone performs in the school theater. The Monteleone family’s band “Monte and the Machine” has been releasing music since 2012, but Alexis started her own solo career in 2024 with the release of her first single, Crying Skies. “My whole family is very musical, [and I especially] love writing [songs with them],” Monteleone said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC7463-1200x798.jpg)
![Senior Kamori Berry walks across the field during halftime at the Homecoming football game on Sept. 12. During the pep assembly earlier that day, she was pronounced Homecoming Queen. “I thought it was nice that the crowd [started] cheering right away. I know [my friends] were really excited for me, and my family was happy because typically non-white people don't win,” Berry said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC7046-Enhanced-NR-1200x798.jpg)
![”The cello, I see it as an extension of myself. [When] I'm having a good day, I find it really easy to just sink into the music, [and] feel connected to the piece. If the piece I'm playing is happy, then I feel happy, and if the piece is slow paced or something sad, then I can feel that emotion. [Playing] forces me to be patient, and that has really improved the way I talk with other people, whether it's in an argument, or I'm trying to make a point. [To me], the most rewarding part is perfecting a piece, so that it's unique to you and no one else can replicate it.” - Isaah Kandula, 9](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/DSC_6652-Max-Chung-1200x798.jpeg)
![Leading the varsity football team, no. 4 player and junior Billy Lipscomb runs on to the field through two lines of marching band members. Varsity played against Pattonville on Oct. 18, marking the last home game of the regular season. “[The game] went well. I felt like I could have done better, but we executed the win. So that's all we needed,” Lipscomb said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/DSC_0114-copy-1-1200x803.jpg)
![“Sports [can] teach you a lot of things, and playing on the team can teach you leadership. When you're working with a bunch of guys, you’ve got to know what's best for the team, and you've got to do whatever is best for the team. Commitment is a big part of sports. Some days, you don't want to show up to practice, [but] you have to do it because it's what's best for the team. You just [have] to be committed. You [gain] better relationships and you make a lot of friends when you play sports. You're spending at least two hours a day with those people, so you build really strong relationships with your teammates. If you put in the work, you're bound to get better.” - Henry Wild, 12](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/4edc5735-3dad-4150-ac6f-3ee8ba65d2b5-1200x803.jpg)