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 Dec. 21, the day before students went on winter break, the Parkway School District put in place new signs displaying classroom room numbers. The signs were installed as a safety measure for first responders to locate emergencies around the school. “It makes it a lot easier and universal for people to understand the location of students and staff,” Sophomore Principal Jamaal Heavens said.

A path to safety

Samari Sanders, Staff Writer • January 5, 2024

On Dec. 21, the Parkway School District set up new classroom number signs that would be more visible to first responders. In previous years, room numbers were placed flat on the walls near each classroom,...

Oftentimes, African American students face misjudgment from their peers based on age-old stereotypes surrounding their race. Because of this recurring issue, many Black students have shared a common experience of stereotypes, such as assumptions of their character based on their skin color. “I'm Black [and] I live in the county. [People] automatically assume, ‘Oh, she doesn't live in the city; she's whitewashed with some color.’ I [also] have hearing aids, and [people] assume because I'm a part of the Hard of Hearing group, [I’m] not aggressive or hostile. [Instead, I’m] approachable, the token character,” sophomore Mya Jenkins said.

Understanding Our Character: Why dismantling misconceptions of African Americans is crucial for Black individuals

Samari Sanders and Esta Kamau • August 24, 2023

Misunderstanding someone’s character allows people to misclassify them, whether with a positive or negative outlook. In African American history, the Black community has often been unaccepted in American...

“My aunt is an educator. She was education assistant superintendent in a district in Illinois. So growing up not only her but my family in general, my parents and my dad always encouraged me to do different things and seek out the best path for myself but her and education-wise, I kind of mimicked her path when it came to grad school and pursuing my doctorate. She greatly influenced me with all of that. I regret not getting involved in more like clubs when I was in high school. I played sports for the most part. In my high school, you'd have to choose between one of the two. Originally, I always wanted to be in education administration. I wanted to be athletic director. When I first went to school, it was my first go. After being in school and going to grad school and seeing the job of some of the athletic directors and the amount of time they have to put in after school, for supervising activities and other things, changed my focus to the principal route. I found the principal route gives you an opportunity to have a more, more of a positive impact on a large number of students. Everybody doesn't play athletics or do activities. Everybody does go to school. So you have to figure out ways to best, you know, make students as successful as they can in this role,” Heavens said.

Jamaal Heavens, Principal

Lia Emry, Staff Writer • March 27, 2023

Anti-Black bigotry is prevalent on the internet, and online platforms are some of the most significant factors in perpetuating this anti-Black discrimination. For example, anonymity on the internet emboldens people to say racist things online that they would not typically say in person. “[People] can have fake names and say what they want because you don’t know them, and they know you don’t know them. They’ll say pretty hurtful things about African-Americans, and they’ll use a lot of vulgar language about [us]. I believe you’re more likely to hear racism online than anywhere else,” junior Nylah Thompson said.

Digital discrimination: Black voices — and the suppression thereof — in digital spaces

Elizabeth Franklin, Editor-in-Chief • December 16, 2022

Turn on the television. Somewhere, sometime, a man stands at a podium, blood-red tie plastered against his sweat-soaked suit, his forehead red and clammy from exertion. He jabs his finger into the audience,...

Senior Class Principal Jamaal Heavens works on his computer, preparing materials for seniors and adjusting to the school community.

Get to know Senior Class Principal Jamaal Heavens

Addie Gleason, Managing Editor-in-Chief • September 15, 2022

After previous Senior Class Principal Brionne Smith announced her move to Parkway South, the search began to hire a new principal. Heavens graduated from the University of Illinois in 2002 with a Bachelor...