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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

”High school so far has been fun. It's not as stressful and I'm not as nervous as I thought I would be. My favorite part about high school so far has been journalism. I like journalism because it gives you the freedom to use your strengths in different ways. I also enjoy algebra. Not a lot of people like math, but I find it really fun. I have a really good teacher and I think that helps a lot with liking a class. I play golf, soccer, and volleyball. Soccer probably [means the most] because I've played it for a very long time. [It is special] because I can relate to people in my family. My brother plays soccer, my dad used to play and it's fun for the whole family to go watch it or play it together. Something that's important to me is getting good grades because I want to go to college. I want to have the best grades that I can [have] so I can set myself up for success. As of right now, I want to be some sort of photographer. Right now I'm really into concert photography [because] it looks really fun. Photography is special to me because you just get to capture moments in time and you can share things that people don’t get to see.” - Laney Thomas,  9

Laney Thomas

Ramielle Sanna, CJ1 Writer December 1, 2023

DECA students (left) stand shoulder to shoulder, wearing their blazers. Meanwhile, band students (center) pose before “The Bean”and journalism students (right) show off an award from their conference in San Francisco. “It was a lot of fun because we were a small group, which meant we had a lot of say in decisions of where we eat and go to do stuff,” junior and DECA competitor Suraiya Saroar said. (graphic made by Claire Creely, photo by Kelly Kennedy [left], photo by Lacy Roberts [middle], and photo by Debra Klevens [right])

Conventions, competitions and clinics

Claire Creely, Staff Writer May 26, 2023

Over the past few weeks, students have traveled all over the country. Distributive Education Club of America (DECA) students went to Orlando, Fla. to compete in the DECA International Career Development...

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,...

Popping balloons as fast as she can, junior Sakenah Lajkem participates in a group bonding activity in her Convergence Journalism 1 class. Students were divided into groups where one student wore a onesie, and the balance of the group had five minutes to fill the suits with balloons. “Mrs. Klevens said there are a lot of different ways to do things,” Lajkem said. “I realized different groups have different strategies, which was surprising. [Freshman] Kennedy [Hodge] suggested that one person blow up the balloons and the other ties and the other stuffed the suit. [This activity taught me how to] problem solve and that there are many different ways to do things,” Lajkem said.

Photo of the Week – Jan 20

Elle Rotter, Deputy Conceptual Editor-in-Chief January 20, 2023

Journalists should not be targeted in conflicts; an attack on the freedom of the press is an attack on freedom and natural rights.

An attack on civilian journalists is an attack on free press

Pathfinder Editorial Board April 29, 2022

Chances are, journalists are not the first people that spring to mind when thinking of professions that put their lives on the line. However, with each passing year, being a journalist is becoming more...

Taking on the role of Jeffrey Dahmer, senior Andy Volz participates in Crime and Law’s speed dating with a serial killer. Students in the class received the background of a famous serial killer and took turns convincing students on why they should date them, not knowing who they are. “Speed dating with a serial killer was really fun,” Volz said. “It was hilarious to see people’s reactions to what you were saying. It also boosted my confidence talking to so many people trying to get them to date me.”

Best of West: Top five classes to take before graduating

Drew Boone, Staff Writer March 16, 2022

With many unique and diverse classes to choose from every year, narrowing down the electives to take can be difficult. While many people choose electives based on their interests, the classes showcased...

Starting at her grid paper, freshman Nola Becquette tries to recreate a spread from another school’s yearbook using Cheez Its, graham cracker, Airheads, Twizzlers, Hershey kisses and Kit Kats. After watching the Pica King video, students applied the skills they learned before getting on to computers to create their own designs. “I definitely got an understanding because before then I didn’t know how to [create a spread]. But now that I have more experience, I finally feel like I can get the hang of it,” Becquette said.

Photo of the Week – Jan. 28

Ashlyn Gillespie, Deputy Managing Editor-in-Chief January 28, 2022

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In Convergence Journalism class, sophomores Jordan Scales and Thomas Bruns watch the Inauguration Wednesday, Jan. 20. Despite it being President Joe Biden's inauguration, many viewers focused on Bernie Sanders' mittens. “When I heard about the inauguration I didn’t really care too much about it,” Scales said. “I didn’t have any favorite parts of it because I don’t really care about politics. Bernie Sanders' mittens looked pretty good though.”

Photo of the Week- Jan. 18

Ashlyn Gillespie, Deputy Managing Editor-in-Chief January 22, 2021