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
Seniors Zeina Daboul and Kayvon Rezaei give an impromptu performance of “A Doll’s House” by Henrik Ibsen in English teacher Andria Benmuvhar’s AP English Literature and Composition class. Benmuvhar’s sub plans instructed the class to audibly react to the dramatic final scene as two students read the parts aloud, but halfway through the scene Daboul and Rezaei decided to instead act. “I felt like the energy of the classroom really made me want to stand up and act it out face to face. The emotion in the play is based on [Nora and Torvald] interacting with each other, [so] it seemed more true to the play and a lot more fun,” Rezaei said. “[‘A Doll’s House’] is a very entertaining play so [when] we were told to audibly react to it, the whole class’s emotions were so authentic and raw. It made it more suiting for us to perform in a more authentic way toward each other.”

Photo of the Week – March 18

Brinda Ambal, Conceptual Editor-in-Chief • March 18, 2022

As part of Creative Writing, students publish short stories.

Aspiring authors: Creative Writing Students publish short stories

Madi Michajliczenko, Conceptual Editor-in-Chief • May 28, 2021

Usually in English classes, students are asked to write narratives, literary analyses and even research papers; however, students in English teacher Dan Barnes’ Creative Writing I and II get to create...

During third hour on Tuesday, junior Matt Givens reads on the football field during his English III class. Givens spent the time catching up on "The Great Gatsby" while enjoying the warm weather. “Mrs. Kerpash told us we’d be able to go outside because the weather was really nice and she bought footballs, frisbees and other fun things,” Givens said.

Photo of the Week- March 1

Ellie West, Staff Writer • March 5, 2021

Competing in a Great Gatsby themed Trivia Crack game, juniors Acadia Vance and Karen Trevor-Roberts respond to a question regarding chapter five in English III teacher Erin Fluchel’s class. The game, coded by senior Ronik Bhaskar, was created as a fun way to discuss and analyze the book. “It helped me study a lot and it was a lot of fun,” Trevor-Roberts said. “It was engaging because we got to write the questions, and playing the game helped us dive deeper into the book.”

Senior Ronik Bhaskar codes Trivia Crack game for Erin Fluchel’s English III class

Paige Matthys-Pearce, Staff Writer • April 2, 2020

Whiteboards shooting up, discussion clamoring and competition raging, juniors in English III teacher Erin Fluchel’s class play a Trivia Crack-inspired game coded by senior Ronik Bhaskar to discuss chapters...

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

In the movie (and book!) “Little Women,” Meg March declares that “it’s so dreadful to be poor!” It’s a widely understood fact that to be lacking makes one sad, but both movie-goers and classic...

Coding a robot to better understand the perspective of characters in the class novel, sophomores Taylor Burns and Fatimah Hussain feel frustration at their robot due to their “character” limitations. This lesson taught students real-world skills such as trial and error, working together and teamwork. “There were some people getting really frustrated because they couldn’t figure it out, but they kept trying, kept experimenting and those were the sort of life skills that work their way into lessons like these,” Honors English II teacher Erin Fluchel said.

Coding robots to understand point of view: English students bring technology into the classroom

Brinda Ambal, Conceptual Editor-in-Chief • September 20, 2019

Small white and blue spheres crawl around the library as students in Erin Fluchel and Casey Holland's Honors English II classes compete in a set of obstacles.  Students were responsible for coding...

Looking into a virtual reality headset, sophomore Dyani May takes a virtual tour of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in her English II class Sept. 17. This was English teacher Casey Holland’s first time using VR in his classroom and was pleased with his students’ reaction to the tour. “It was different and exciting and fun,” Holland said. “The kids thought it was neat. When we started off, they were taking pictures of each other with their phones, but as the material we were talking about got more in depth, you could hear them saying ‘Oh wow,’ and hear them having some really good conversations with one another.”

English II students explore the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum through virtual reality

Lydia Roseman, News and Sports Editor • September 17, 2019

No airfare, hotel, transportation or museum pass was necessary for students in English II to tour the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, in Washington, D.C. In fact, not a single school absence was...

Working on his novella before the approaching publishing date, senior Hayden Riehl hopes to grow both his understanding of the world around him and the world’s understanding of him. “I find writing for storytelling to be incredibly therapeutic, just from some of the stories that people have written in class that I've [seen],” Riehl said. “It was them literally working through a trauma that they've had in the past or something that they're trying to get their own heads wrapped around. Stories can do that. They can help you navigate a sea of your own thoughts.”

From students to published authors: Creative Writing 2 will host E-book release launch party at the Wolf Cafe

Brinda Ambal, Conceptual Editor-in-Chief • April 30, 2019

In a frenzy to finish before their deadline, the Creative Writing 2 class logs hours that will result in a published E-book on the Amazon Kindle Store. Amazon’s self-publishing program, Kindle Direct...

Staring ahead, sophomores Camila Angulo, senior Hira Khan, sophomore Ulaa Kuziez and senior Kinza Awais stand together at school. Although they feel mostly accepted at school, they face discrimination at times due to their religions and identity as immigrants. “It doesn’t happen as much at West, but I definitely get it sometimes where it doesn’t happen to my face. I’d rather have people say it to my face, so I can give them a chance to explain themselves, and I can have a chance to explain myself,” Khan said. “I’ve heard behind my back, whether I’m sitting in class, or just in the halls, that someone either will point out that I look different or has said something to me. I’ve definitely gotten a lot of terrorist jokes made at me.”

Seniors Kinza Awais and Hira Khan share students’ stories of immigration

Sabrina Bohn, Managing Editor-in-Chief • December 10, 2018

While most students would groan at the thought of an English project, seniors Kinza Awais and Hira Khan used the opportunity to address a topic they care about by creating a video raising awareness about...

Seniors Erin Puhan and Ann Truka attempt to staple an essay in their AP English Literature and Composition (AP Lit) class. AP Lit is the senior honors option English course. “I think English is very collaborative,” AP Lit teacher Andria Benmuvhar said. “You read together, you talk together, and, apparently, you staple essays together.”

Students facilitate the creation of a National English Honors Society chapter

Maria Newton, FEATURES EDITOR • May 17, 2018

For the first time ever, a National English Honors Society (NEHS) chapter is being created. Sophomore Gabe Davis is heading the task of establishing the chapter. The process began in February when...

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