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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

On March 2, West High’s Robotics team competed in the state competition, in which the B team placed ninth and the A team qualified for the world championship. Senior Lillian Dwyer is a notebooker and strategist in robotics. “Robotics is one of the many STEM opportunities offered at West High that is an enjoyable experience for anyone looking to go into engineering or science. I highly recommend joining it, because outside of school, it is fun to talk and hang out with people who are also excited about STEM and willing to dedicate time and energy to work on engineering projects,” Dwyer said. (Photos are courtesy of Mikalah Owens)

STEM mayhem

Audrey Ghosh, Opinion's Editor March 25, 2024

STEM is a highly popular field, garnering interest from more than 75% of Gen Z students in the United States. Despite this large majority, only about a quarter are exposed to careers in STEM and real-world...

Experimenting with prototypes to create different types of motion, freshman Joseph Britt works on his automaton for engineering teacher Chris Donaldson's Intro to Engineering class. In the week leading up to spring break, Britt, along with junior Levi Ladd and sophomores Rick Biswas and David Meisinger, worked on their robotics project during class in anticipation of competing at the 2020 Vex Robotics World Championships, under the agreement that they would finish the class project over spring break. "I offered to build [the automaton] because I had the parts to build it, and it's important to keep busy. It can be fun to challenge yourself and do new things," Britt said. "I am planning on learning some new skills, like text coding, that I might use next year in robotics. If you don't always have something interesting to do, the time can just kind of blend together and you can get bored."

Photo of the week – March 23

Brinda Ambal, Staff Writer March 27, 2020

Alumnus Ed Alizadeh continues to make a difference in the community as the CEO of Geotechnology

Sarah Lashly, Copy Coach October 26, 2018

From overseeing and participating in the construction of the current Busch Stadium to public works projects in the City of Blue Springs, 1980 alumnus Ed Alizadeh has participated in many engineering and...

Technology and Engineering teacher Chris Donaldson helps senior Jack Fox during the Day of Code on December 6. Donaldson teaches three courses, all involving technology and engineering. “I am most excited to see students try new things, build skills and develop strengths they may not have previously realized they had," Donaldson said. "[I want] to build positive relationships with students and staff and to positively impact students’ attitudes toward STEM concepts, classes and career choices.”

Getting to know Technology and Engineering teacher Chris Donaldson

Gabby Leon, Staff Writer December 20, 2017

Pathfinder: What got you interested in teaching? Donaldson: "I had a few stand-out teachers in high school and college. What struck me is how they were able to take complex concepts, break them down...

A strong foundation for engineering

A strong foundation for engineering

Hannah Hoffmann, News Editor February 24, 2015

Freshman Jack Burraston works on a lathe to thin and break an aluminum rod for a project in Cliff Amen's Principles of Engineering class. "We are studying the strength of materials and how size and structure...

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Engineering