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
“My freshman year [was my hardest] because that was the first year of high school and it was when COVID-19 hit. It definitely [shook] things up, and it's also the year that my dad's illness basically took over my life and changed it beyond belief. My dad was immunocompromised, so I had to constantly focus on [questioning whether I was sick and if it were contagious]. It was a lot for anybody to handle, let alone a teenager. During that time, I didn't have my drivers license, [so] I couldn't escape it. I [was really] spending a lot of time outside playing golf and focusing on college even though I was that young. My main motivation is showing that I can be good at something but still do better. Leave it better than you found it. That's sort of been [my motto ever since] my dad passed away because it changed my perspective. Death doesn't seem so far; It seems so close. You want to make the most [out] of what you want to do in your life.” - Kylie Secrest, 12

Kylie Secrest

Laney Thomas, Yearbook Contributor • December 15, 2023

Senioritis: Masks, memories, milestones

Sakenah Lajkem and Serena Liu • November 20, 2023

Senior Sakenah Lajkem: Hi West. Senior Serena Liu: Welcome to “Senioritis,” where we do a lot of complaining.  Lajkem: When we’re not complaining, we dive into the ups and downs of our senior...

Tight end Travis Kelce helped carry the Chiefs to the Super Bowl by catching a touchdown in last year’s AFC Championship game. Kelce’s skills have opened up new opportunities for him this fall, such as dating Taylor Swift and starring in a new Pfizer ad. “If [Kelce] supports [vaccines], I think others will, people do tend to do what celebrities suggest,” English teacher Casey Holland said.

Taylor Swift fever

Will Gonsior, Opinions/A&E Editor • November 2, 2023

The new face of Pfizer We’ve emerged from a cruel Missouri summer into cardigan season, and Pfizer is urging everyone to do “two things at once:” get a COVID-19 booster vaccine and a flu shot...

A graphic of the 2022-23 Pathfinder senior staff.

Seniors signing off

Addie Gleason, Ashlyn Gillespie, Elle Rotter, Madi Michajliczenko, and Makinsey Drake • May 12, 2023

Addie Gleason I’ve been a shy person for just about as long as I can remember. While I always completed coursework on time, my teachers often commented that I rarely participated in class. This followed...

Fully running through “Pippin” for the first time, sophomore Jack Mullen performs the opening number alongside his castmates to kick off tech week. Having been diagnosed with COVID-19 one week before the show, theater teacher and Director Amie Gossett relied on her students to step up to help the show run smoothly in her absence. “As a whole, this has been a very collaborative experience for all the kids. They’ve learned to take responsibility [while] pushing themselves to keep the show going. [They learned] to believe themselves in stepping outside of their comfort zone and to push for what they want,” Gossett said.

Turmoil to triumph: the Parkway West Dramatics Company puts on a fiery show in “no time at all”

Triya Gudipati, Editor-in-Chief • March 9, 2023

From a COVID-19 diagnosis to a broken wrist, the weeks before “Pippin” brought confusion, chaos and worry to the show’s cast and crew. So, how did the theater department transform turmoil into triumph? “Pippin,”...

Sophomore Karthik Dulla decides his next move as he plays a game of chess against himself. Dulla learned to play chess in India since it was the only thing he could do to pass the time. “You don’t have to be smart to play chess, all you need to know is how all the pieces move, and then you can take a go at it,” Dulla said.

Pencil and paper: How sophomore Karthik Dulla taught himself through middle school

Nidhi Pejathaya, Staff Writer • November 3, 2022

When sophomore Karthik Dulla’s United States visa expired, he and his family returned to India in October 2021. They planned to stay for a few months while the U.S. approved a new visa. But, when the...

While taking a selfie, freshman Samir Shaik and his friends try on face masks. Skincare, a prominent part of South Korean culture, was focused on during the club meeting dedicated to the country. “[My friends and I] wanted to try something different in this club. They offered us facemasks and we were just like, ‘Of course we’d [try them]’. I had never tried a face mask and [neither had] some of my friends. So it was a mess trying to put them on, but it was so fun,” Shaik said. “I just love that this moment was captured in a photo.”

The ABCs of the ABC club

Emily Early, Editor-in-Chief • May 2, 2022

Anticipating the audience of their first club meeting, sophomores Suraiya Saroar and Serena Liu set up the Korean snacks on a table. Before long, a group of students filtered in the door. The bell rang,...

Students and staff face the decision: to mask or not to mask?

To mask or not to mask?

Brinda Ambal, Conceptual Editor-in-Chief • March 16, 2022

Wednesday, Feb. 16 the Parkway School District Board of Education voted in a 5-2 decision to recommend but not require masks for students and staff in grades K-12. In a community update published Feb....

It is crucial to consider the long-term effects of returning to “normal” on our society.

Should a return to normal really be our goal?

Pathfinder Editorial Board • February 25, 2022

Since the pandemic began in March 2020, we have all anxiously awaited a return to any semblance of normalcy. “Getting back to normal” is a phrase that has been exhausted in conversation, a goal that...

Spending their seventh hour in the cafeteria Jan. 6, juniors Matthew Feng, Sangarshan Kumar, Michael Feng, Govind Menon, Om Shinde, Samarth Samal and Bennett Christofferson join a Zoom with their teacher to get help with their assigned work. Their teacher assigned a packet with lecture notes, guided problems and self-check problems and opened a Zoom room during class hours to ensure students were supported. “For some people, school is the only place they feel safe. On the other hand, we’re also in the biggest COVID-19 spike [of cases] right now. Both sides have ups and downs,” Samal said. “I personally am fine with staying in school as long as it doesn't interfere with my learning too much because I'm vaccinated and I wear my mask properly. If I can cover the content by myself with my teacher available on Zoom, I'm flexible with any option.”

Staff scramble to keep school open amid COVID-19 surge

Brinda Ambal, Conceptual Editor-in-Chief • January 7, 2022

In the cafeteria during fifth hour Jan. 6, Principal Dr. Mitchell taught three classes simultaneously. Academic Support teachers left their classrooms to deliver lessons, substitutes rushed from class...

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