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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

Acting under the spotlight, junior Jack Mullen and freshman Joe McCurdy perform an emotional father-to-son scene from “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.” The cast members worked hard to master the accents of the characters of the original story, which takes place in England. “We started off with American accents and robotic lines and slowly morphed into a British wonderland full of different characters, accents, and cadences,” Mullen said. “It took a while and it was hard work, but the people around me are what helped.”

From page to stage: The Curious Incident comes to life

Keira Lang and Zoya Hasan March 4, 2024

From Feb. 23-24, the theater department produced and performed the adapted play, “The Curious Incident of The Dog in the Night-Time.” Based on the mystery novel by author Mark Haddon, the play follows...

Holding his two smiling daughters in his arms, Principal John McCabe celebrates earning his doctorate degree. He attended Maryville University for two years and reached his goal of achieving a Doctor of Education: Educational Leadership degree after months upon months of hard work and long nights. “I'm not going to lie, I'm glad I have another night of my life back when I'm not at school till very late,” McCabe said. “I can spend more time with my family and with my friends [who] are here at [West]. I'm really happy about that.”

Principal prodigy: Now Dr. John McCabe

Keira Lang and Zoya Hasan January 30, 2024

Cutting through the loud and excited chatter of the bustling cafeteria, Principal John McCabe’s newly-awarded doctorate certification was announced to students during lunch on Dec. 8. While his degree...

Design Arts and Digital Design teacher Kristi Ponder stands in a room surrounded by many paintings that she has done. The room is large with lots of windows.

Earth conscious canvases

Aliza Schroeder, CJ1 Writer August 23, 2023

Rather than using expensive and brand new canvases from craft stores like Michaels or Hobby Lobby, Design Arts and Digital Design teacher Kristi Ponder uses a more sustainable option: thrifted canvases....

Sophomore Maddy Tarter and her family greet sophomore Charles Leleu at the airport in front of a welcome to St. Louis sign that features the Gateway Arch. Tarter and her sister hold a sign with French and American flags that reads: "Welcome to the USA Charles."

Coming to America (venant en Amérique)

Tyler Smith, CJ1 Writer June 1, 2023

Ever since sophomore Charles Leleu was born, all he has known has been his home in France. Now, he has to adjust to a whole new world in America.  Leleu began searching for a host family last year....

Senior Magnus Vierck and his girlfriend Hannah Pallos use plastic bottles to make bottle rockets.

Beyond the battle

Liam Woodson June 1, 2023

For a 17-year-old, senior Magnus Vierck has been through a lifetime’s worth of medical challenges. Almost 10 years after his cancer diagnosis, Vierck continues to face physical and emotional difficulties...

Freshman Sabrina Urdaneta and her friends pose in front of her house in Cuba. The house was where Urdaneta lived before she left for America, close to the city of Santiago de Cuba, Cuba. “All of the walls were rusty and the tiles were falling off. The floor was dirty, but in Cuba - where I lived - my house was considered a really nice house which is crazy to think about, coming to the United States and seeing what a house here looks like,” Urdaneta said.

Año nuevo, vida nueva

Elizabeth Franklin, Editor-in-Chief January 21, 2022

Most people in America would think a pink toothbrush printed with beaming, blushing Disney princesses on the side is nothing out of the ordinary. Most people wouldn’t think twice about seeing a new electric...

Senior Kayvon Rezaei poses with his Volvo after handwashing it. He initially thought washing cars was a daunting task but soon found enjoyment in the activity.  “I’ve never hand-washed my car before so this was a new experience,” Rezaei said, “I never thought about cleaning things such as the exhaust pipes or the wheels.”

School, sports and Swedish sedans

Joseph Denklau, Guest Writer October 25, 2021

The car glides down the road; the engine purrs quietly. The speaker system is blasting a song. The driver, senior Kayvon Rezaei, drifts into the parking lot, never hesitating, the car's smooth movements...

Junior Scotty Peterson finishes painting three of his brake calipers, a sky blue to match with his headlights. He was waiting for suspension upgrades to be fitted into the car, which makes the car more sensitive to steering inputs.  “I chose a bright blue because it seems unique,” Peterson said. “I wanted them to stand out while also being cohesive with the rest of the colors on the car.”

Junior Scott Peterson stays connected to his father through his passion for cars

Joseph Denklau, Staff Writer June 3, 2021

The sun is setting. Vroom, brab, brap. A car. Without warning, it flies into vision, a gray bullet amongst the red sky. It slides to the left, then the right, then the left and comes to a standstill. A...

Freshman and goalie Rachel Livak reaches out to save the ball from going in the net and prevents  a point for Ladue. Livak made the varsity team and has led the St. Louis area in saves with 213. “The most memorable part of my season was when they were telling us what teams were going to be on, I honestly kind of knew when I was told to go talk to Lovercheck and Herpel, but it was still an amazing feeling to know that I did it,” Livak said.

From softball catcher to lacrosse goalie, freshman Rachel Livak defends her rankings

Tre Bell, Staff Writer June 1, 2021

In her first year ever playing lacrosse, freshman Rachel Livak is leading the St. Louis area in goalie saves with 213. “I was convinced to play lacrosse by my parents, because I love to play sports...

Sitting in a circle of usable and broken skateboards, junior Ashton Beattie showcases his collection. Beattie has been skating since fourth grade and has kept every skateboard he owned. “I sometimes will sell my boards to people and make money off of it, but right now I am also thinking about making a table and chair out of them so that they don’t go to waste,” Beattie said.

The stories his skateboards could tell

Tre Bell, Staff Writer May 7, 2021

For junior Ashton Beattie, learning to ride a skateboard wasn’t a difficult decision. After watching his father at the skatepark as a kid, Beattie knew he wanted to learn to roll, jump and flip around...