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
Ice-cold water sits in a bucket waiting to be dumped on the next brave volunteer. For the #SpeakYourMIND Ice Bucket Challenge, people used a variety of vessels, including bowls, coolers and excavators to dump water on themselves. “Make sure you don't just use a bowl because that's lame. You need more water,” sophomore William Tanudyaya said.

Back with a splash

Cindy Phung, Editor-in-Chief • April 29, 2025

Across the nation, a trend of pouring a bucket of ice-cold water over people's heads has gone viral on Instagram. For context, the “Ice Bucket Challenge” originated over a decade ago in 2014 and was...

President-elect Donald Trump has big plans to change the American education system, promising to dismantle the Department of Education and to restrict federal funding toward schools teaching about critical race theory or gender identity. In our increasingly polarized nation, we need public schools to create educated citizens with critical thinking skills and uncensored history knowledge.“It's almost disgusting how both Democrats and Republicans have politicized getting an education on different cultures and races' history in America. If the schools have the resources and the teachers to be teaching these classes, then they should be strongly encouraged, if not required to be learning this information in a non-political way,” senior Gianna Lionelli said.

Now what?

Pathfinder Editorial Board • November 30, 2024

On Nov. 5, America made its decision. Former President Donald Trump was re-elected for his second term of presidency and, to little surprise, a majority of Missouri counties sided with this ending. The...

Voter registration is open for November’s presidential election through Oct. 9. On Oct. 2, students at West High were able to receive assistance with online registration in the library. “When I went into the library to [register to] vote, [librarian] Lauren Reusch made completing my registration very easy and clear. It’s important to learn about voting and it’s important that schools help with voter registration, because it can be confusing for first-time voters,” senior Gianna Lionelli said.

Countdown to Election Day

Risa Cidoni, Editor-in-Chief • October 3, 2024

The race to Election Day is hitting its final stages, with both presidential candidates gunning to sprint across the finish line for the most coveted title in U.S. politics. At this point in the game,...

Earlier in the year, chamber and concert girls stand in front of the crowd, ready to begin their show at Chesterfield Presbyterian Church. On Oct. 20, sophomore Gianna Lionelli and her fellow choir members gathered for their first concert of the year. “It's cool to perform on stage with other kids who are passionate about music because it's a way to foster creativity,” Lionelli said.

Victorious Vocals

Elle Rotter and Cindy Phung • March 15, 2023

Standing in a group patiently waiting to begin their performance, students from all grades twiddle their thumbs, warm up their voices and fidget with their hair in anticipation of their show. After the...

In Convergence Journalism, junior Claire Creely works on a story for the Pathfinder. The student-run journalism staff seeks to cover stories that matter to our readers.

More to the story

Serena Liu and Katie Wallace • February 27, 2023

In 1983, students in a Journalism II class at Hazelwood East High School wrote stories about teen pregnancy and divorce for their school newspaper, The Spectrum. But when their principal reviewed the issue,...

Gianna Lionelli

Gianna Lionelli

Risa Cidoni, Editor-in-Chief • November 21, 2022

“The best part of my year has been my German exchange student, Cecile. She’s made life much more enjoyable, [and] it’s a cool experience to have someone from a different culture and to learn about...

Racing to the ball, freshman Molly Bailey and her opponent swim without hesitation. Bailey joined water polo for the first time this year, and although the sport has proven to be difficult, she has persisted. “Water polo is a sport that has pushed me physically. At the start of the season, I asked myself why I was there and why I decided to sign up for it in the first place,” Bailey said. “But as the season progressed, something about the sport kept me wanting to play more and more. I love the people, the competition and the game.”

A new beginning for female water polo

Sabrina Urdaneta, Staff Writer • May 5, 2022

From 2018 to 2019, boy's water polo participation has risen by 8.8%, while girl's water polo participation across the country has seen an 18% increase. Team captains Taylor Johnson and Thalea Afentoullis...