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
Sophomore Maryem Hidic signs up for an academic lab through Infinite Campus, a grading and scheduling software. Some students enjoyed selecting their responsive schedule in a method that was used school-wide last year. “I think it's more inconvenient now, because I can't change [my classes] the day of, if I have a big test coming and I forget about it, I can't change [my class],” sophomore Alisha Singh said.

New academic lab policy: helpful or harmful?

Ayeza Ahmad and Nimra Ali • 2 days ago

Kicking off the 2025-2026 school year, students were met with an unexpected change to the academic lab, a preset class period used for retakes, club meetings, or independent study. Now, instead of signing...

Senior Griffin Beno waits in the counseling hub. Students were allowed to visit counselors without an appointment on Aug. 15 and 16 to adjust their schedules, resulting in long wait times. “There [were] not as many [people at open hours last year], but I think that was because we didn't get the word out as well,” counselor Jen Wibbenmeyer said.

Plan period alignment: Productive or disruptive?

Will Gonsior, Opinions/A&E Editor • September 20, 2024

Background Students traversing the hallways of West High — with a hall pass, of course — are liable to see a new sight this school year. One of our school’s many subject wings will be packed with...

With a keen eye for detail, senior Natalie Lashly writes her signature onto the senior hand wall. After some encouragement from her friends, Lashly applied to make the hand wall with her Lorax-inspired design. "I thought the [bright] colors would be fun. Our quote on the wall is 'Let us grow,’ based on the 'Let it grow' song [from the movie]. [I was hoping that the design would] make the cafeteria feel more exciting," Lashly said.

Let us grow

Esta Kamau, Features/Humans of West Editor • May 18, 2024

Taking a step into the seniors’ next chapter in life, the class of 2024 winds down after four long and eventful years of high school, reminiscing their memories at graduation. One long-standing, memorable...

Losing Fridays and getting longer weekends sounds great, but this would definitely make school days longer. There would be closer due dates for assignments and tests and afterschool activities would run later. “I would be excited about four-day weeks because I could go home and rest on the weekend after a hard week with practices and games,” sophomore Wyatt Larsen said.

Quality versus quantity

Owen Ulmer, Staff Writer • May 16, 2024

Notoriously, school weeks have been Monday through Friday; kids are at school on the weekdays, and on the weekends they aren’t. But in February 2024, the Fox School District in Arnold, Mo. announced...

Passing out candy to her friends, sophomore Fiona Corell smiles in her spirit wear. Corell showed up to school in her Rudolph onesie so she could not only spread joy and spirit but also stay comfortable. “It was a lot of fun dressing up and spreading school spirit [because] it gives our school a chance to gain unity. It was a comfy outfit. It kept me warm all day, and it channeled the energy of Rudolph,” Corell said.

Holiday Cup: Behind the scenes

Audri Van Kirk and Roxie Schopp • January 9, 2024

Juniors Laith Alhamid and Brooke Hoenecke smile at the camera, sitting behind a red table in the cafeteria as they sell candy canes. A sign beside them advertises the Candy Cane Exchange.

‘Tis the season

Serena Liu and Ruthvi Tadakamalla • December 13, 2023
This week, Future Business Leaders of America is hosting their annual Candy Cane Exchange. For $1, students can purchase candy canes to be delivered to a recipient of their choice. Each candy cane can come with a complimentary note.
“It's nice having [my dad, senior principal Mario Pupillo] in the building, [but] It's kind of funny [because] everybody knows who he is. I [could be] walking to lunch [and see] him in the hallway. I stay after school and sit in [my dad’s] office and get most of my homework done between 2:30-4:30 p.m., [because I have] cheerleading [soon after]. [It’s good because] the workload and the amount of homework is a lot. I'm taking a few honors classes, but [they are] pretty manageable. I try not to procrastinate my homework [because] I would like to have all 'A's and 'B's. So, [going to my dad’s office after school] is really nice because I can get a lot of [homework] done before going to practice [by] having him here.” - Gabriella Pupillo, 9

Gabriella Pupillo

Sophie McCarthy, Staff Writer • October 23, 2023

“Bejeweled” bops: Parkway West’s favorite Taylor Swift songs that we know “All Too Well”

“Bejeweled” bops: Parkway West’s favorite Taylor Swift songs that we know “All Too Well”

Triya Gudipati, Editor-in-Chief • May 30, 2023

“I worked very hard in high school academically, athletically, and in extracurriculars. Having all of that come together and getting into my "reach" college was a pretty proud moment. All of that said, I am probably most proud of something much more simple: being nice to people. I learned compassion and empathy from my mom at a young age and the importance and power of just being nice always resonated. I had many teachers along the way [that got me into teaching]. I am thankful that I became an educator. I get to learn and grow through my job on a daily basis. I get to work with students, teachers, and parents to find ways to best support the students that are the future of our community. In those ways, my job is very fulfilling and rewarding,” - Mario Pupillo, Assistant Principal

Mario Pupillo, Principal

Lia Emry, Staff Writer • March 15, 2023

A pile of Advanced Placement (AP) study books sit on a library desk. When taking AP classes, many students sacrifice other areas of their lives to keep their grades up. “It's not the fact that I am taking an AP class. I am spending more time doing the work for school than I would spend time with friends and family,” senior Noah Schell said. “It is a sacrifice I made and realized after signing up for the classes. Over the years, I have devised a system of managing my time, which sometimes means I don’t get all of the work done.”

Balancing brain power: the need to prioritize mental health over AP classes

Pathfinder Editorial Board • January 19, 2023

In 2022, 424 Parkway West students took 801 Advanced Placement (AP) examinations, meaning that most took two or more tests, and over a third of the student population enrolled in an AP class. Because course...

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