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
Building the base, junior Zaid Aujaimy creates a zen garden in Ceramics on Feb. 25. Aujaimy learned about making plants and rocks out of clay and incorporated those into his garden. “The most significant lesson I learned in Ceramics was to be patient [and] gentle and [to] think about unique ways to approach things and use my resources. I enjoy [Ceramics] class because I can express my creativity. It's not like other classes where there's a specific way to do something. I can [go] about it however I want and make good art my own way,” Aujaimy said.

Photo of the Week – February 28

Cindy Phung, Editor-in-Chief • February 28, 2025

Eyes on the clay slab roller, social studies teacher Rachel Money learns how to use pottery equipment from sophomore Madeline Tipton during the “Teach a Teacher” AcLab event. Ceramics teacher Ashley Drissell hosted this event after receiving trinket dish pottery forms from a grant, which facilitated the process for teachers. “It was fun to take a break and be creative, [doing] something different with my day. It was really neat to get [teachers] into an art classroom with students [and] learning what they do in there,” Money said.

Photo of the Week – December 20

Cindy Phung, Editor-in-Chief • December 20, 2024

On April 28, the Empty Bowls Pottery Sale was held at the art show in Queeny Park. Selling an assortment of pots, plates, bowls and more, the sale hoped to raise money for the Parkway Food Pantry. Ashley Drissell is the Ceramics teacher and organizer of the Empty Bowls Pottery Sale. “I enjoy interacting with people and seeing children get excited about picking up and looking at pottery. It’s fun to see different people connecting with certain pieces,” Drissell said.

Empty bowls, full hearts

Yein Ahn, Editor-In-Chief • May 2, 2024

On April 27-28, Parkway held its annual All-District Art Show at Queeny Park. Showcasing artwork from all Parkway schools, the art show invited families to gather and appreciate the creations of kindergarten...

Taking on the role of Jeffrey Dahmer, senior Andy Volz participates in Crime and Law’s speed dating with a serial killer. Students in the class received the background of a famous serial killer and took turns convincing students on why they should date them, not knowing who they are. “Speed dating with a serial killer was really fun,” Volz said. “It was hilarious to see people’s reactions to what you were saying. It also boosted my confidence talking to so many people trying to get them to date me.”

Best of West: Top five classes to take before graduating

Drew Boone, Staff Writer • March 16, 2022

With many unique and diverse classes to choose from every year, narrowing down the electives to take can be difficult. While many people choose electives based on their interests, the classes showcased...

Junior Darcie Morgan and senior Annie Zahoran work on teapots in their Ceramics II class. The requirements for the project included the use of slabs and the creation of a linoleum stamp to make a functional teapot. “[When doing ceramics], you have an original idea in your head, and then [when] you try it out, and it doesn't work out, you have to go back and revise,” Morgan said. “Originally, I was going to have different plugs on the teapot, but then I realized I didn't go with my design, so I changed it so it'd be more geometric.”

Ceramics students have a “clay-day” in Craft Alliance’s Tea Reflections

Sarah Boland, Staff Writer • February 1, 2022

Rolling slabs, cutting shapes and pressing in designs were all part of the process that came with the creation of teapots. Ceramics teacher Ashley Drissell selected junior Darcie Morgan and senior Annie...

Shaping a bowl with her feet, junior Gabi Badami competes in the "Clay Olympics." The class spent the hour participating in clay challenges. "I was excited because it was something I'll never get to do again," Badami said. "Plus it was just fun to be the center of attention."

Photo of the Week – Jan. 7

Michael Lolley, Staff Writer • January 7, 2022

The late alumna Mackenzie Naylor poses for a portrait while working with Local Ambition modeling. Mackenzie graduated in 2017. “With her award-winning smile, sparkling diamond blue eyes, witty dry humor, loyalty to a fault and calming ways it is easy to see why anyone who met Mackenzie instantly fell in love,” Mackenzie’s mother Janet Johnson said. “She was an old soul for such a young woman and a complete throwback which made you love her even more.”

Remembering alumna Mackenzie Naylor

Maria Newton, FEATURES EDITOR • January 15, 2019

On Dec. 26 the community lost 2017 alumnus Mackenzie Naylor. Mackenzie was born Dec. 1, 1998, and was a prominent art student as well as a model for Local Ambition, who made their own memorial video...

During Ceramics class junior Alex Rossi glazes his pot before it is fired.

Meet the man behind the wheels

Kristin Priest, STAFF WRITER • September 29, 2015
Meet junior Alex Rossi.

Ceramics students get their pieces into national exhibition

Sarah Burnham, Staff Writer • March 16, 2015
After a semester of molding, pressing, glazing and creating different sculptures in Ceramics class, senior Jack Thomas and junior Zarah Habibollah succeeded in getting their art into the National K-12 Ceramics Exhibition in Rhode Island, which ran through Mar. 27.