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
The varsity boys cross country team poses for a photo at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex in Memphis, Tenn. The Memphis Twilight Classic is the largest event the team attends. “[I enjoyed] hanging out with the team every day at practice,” Patten said. “I wanted to be the best I could for my team; I really wanted to help out.”

A race to remember

Ruthvi Tadakamalla, Editor-In-Chief • September 4, 2025

With the crack of the gun, 300 runners embarked upon a 5K loop at the City Auto Memphis Twilight XC Classic on Aug. 30, 2025. One of these runners, and the winner of it all, was senior Wade Patten. Inspired...

Junior TJ Polack plays his saxophone solo at halftime for the 2024 marching band show, ‘Coloring Book.’ This year, Polack was one of two soloists in the marching band. “[Polack] is very hard on himself. [His saxophone solo] sounds amazing [and] everyone [cheers] for him; [still], somehow, he thinks it’s a bad performance and he's down. What he does is not easy. It takes a lot of confidence as a person [and] a lot of musical skill to be expressive, and he's doing an amazing job,” drum major and senior Dominic Perez said. (Courtesy of Christina Block)

The long run

Sage Kelly, Features/News Editor • November 6, 2024

On Oct. 10, as the bustling crowd in the football stadium applauded, junior TJ Polack took his place on stage during halftime to deliver his solo. The applause died down as the 2024 marching band show...

Tom Herpel uses his plan time to prepare for future Latin classes in which students learn grammar, literature, and culture. Herpel wanted to avoid jumping to conclusions about the upcoming changes to reduce teacher plan time. “I will not know the type of time crunch I will be under until I've experienced it. I might be able to get work done while I'm doing this other responsibility. I hesitate to make assumptions without having experienced it myself,” Herpel said.

Teachers speak out as Parkway School District implements a 190-minute reduction to teacher plan time

Ruthvi Tadakamalla, Editor-In-Chief • June 2, 2023

Think of everything a teacher needs to do to prepare for class. A student might come into class and start their work immediately, but a teacher needs to spend hours planning and preparing to ensure learning...

“I was painfully shy as a middle school student and early in high school. I didn't like to ever participate in class. Luckily I don't think it impacted me long-term in any real way, and I was able to break out of my shell a little bit by my junior and senior year of high school. I regret not continuing to train and run competitively after high school. In my senior year of track, I was still improving, but as soon as that season ended, I stopped doing any serious training or running competitively. I never picked it up again, so I regret that I never reached my peak in running. My parents had the biggest impact on me for sure, but my high school cross-country coach probably influenced my career choice more than anybody. He was the first one who planted the idea of me working in education. I had such a good experience running high school cross country with him that I decided I wanted to work at a high school in the future, and he also made the first phone call to get me a foot in the door at West. I am proud that I decided to go into teaching even though it really did not come naturally to me. I have never been someone who liked to be the center of attention or had a lot to say, so teaching was not something I really ever saw myself doing. I knew I didn't want to work in an office, and I had a great experience in my own education and some great teachers and coaches who influenced me, so I decided that teaching was something I might be able to pursue. It was not easy, but I am proud that I tried it and have stuck with it. I am looking forward to biking the Katy Trail this summer, hopefully with a few fellow math teachers.” - Kevin John

Kevin John, Math

Lia Emry, Staff Writer • February 9, 2023

Preparing his team for the upcoming girls lacrosse season, coach Tom Herpel directs his players during the parent/ player game, not knowing the coronavirus would halt the season from begining. With all the varsity players returning, hopes were high for a winning season. “I was heartbroken. I knew how hard the girls worked over the past couple years to put themselves in a position to be so successful," Herpel said. "It was terrible to think about what could have been but never would be."

Coaches share the disappointment with student-athletes regarding canceled sport seasons

Cooper Walkoff, Convergent Media Writer • May 21, 2020

Student-athletes aren't the only ones who are disappointed with their seasons being cancelled due to the coronavirus. The coaches are equally frustrated about not being able to lead their teams during...