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
Shifting global trade, President Donald Trump’s tariffs are raising concerns about economic stability for the U.S. and other countries alike. “[The tariffs are] going to pose a distinct challenge to the U.S. economy and a challenge to the global economy on the whole because it's going to greatly upset who trades with who and where resources and products are going to come from,” social studies teacher Melvin Trotier said.

The cost of ‘America First’

Yein Ahn, Editor-In-Chief • May 27, 2025

Check your receipts, the rising prices of groceries and clothes are no accident. Behind every price increase are President Donald Trump’s new tariffs, policies that are rewriting the rules of international...

A discarded Starbucks gift card sits among crumpled tissues and trash in front of a Palestinian scarf, symbolizing the ongoing boycott against the company. The controversial ongoing war between Israel and Hamas saw support from various corporations, including Starbucks, which faced backlash after involving itself in a tweet by Starbucks Workers United expressing solidarity with Palestine. “If you continuously buy Starbucks knowing they don't align with your moral values, then you are going to be dehumanized to that. The point of the boycott is showing Starbucks that these groups of people are not with them,” junior Zoya Hasan said.

Starbucks: A brewing crisis

Yusra Khan, Staff Writer • March 13, 2025

A leadership shake-up On Sept. 9, 2024, Starbucks CEO Laxman Narashiman stepped down after only 17 months of leading, with former Chipotle boss Brian Niccol taking his place. For some, this sudden resignation...

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...

This November, Artificial Intelligence's influence on social media could play a significant role in how voters view candidates. As voters become familiar with issues and candidates, they should also be aware of the potential impact of false information. ¨For me, voting time is very interesting and important because I get to hear what candidates have to say and what they will do to help our country,¨ junior Drake Haun said.

AI in politics

Owen Ulmer, Staff Writer • October 10, 2024

In November, an important decision for our country will occur. Either Republican candidate Donald Trump or Democratic candidate Kamala Harris will be elected to be the President of the United States for...

Across the United States, state Congresses have seen an uptick in bills aiming to further particular political ideologies in the classrooms, which raises concerns about the place of political battles within classrooms. In Dec. 2023, Francis Howell School District’s School Board in St. Charles County voted to pull two elective courses centered around Black history from the curriculum, later stating that the courses could possibly return if they adhered to the board’s definition of “politically neutral.” The case of Francis Howell School District and their rescinding of legitimate classes centered around topics of political interest is just another example of thinly-veiled censorship that has become increasingly popular throughout the country within the past half-decade.

Classrooms should not be political battlefields

Pathfinder Editorial Board • March 31, 2024

Parkway was recently placed in the hot seat when Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey sent a cease and desist accusing the district of religious discrimination. The letter claimed that Parkway prohibited...

The celebration of Women’s History Month, originating in 1987, marks an annual acknowledgement of women’s contributions to various fields of work. However, many female revolutionaries remain underrepresented in our history books, oftentimes overshadowed by male counterparts who could reach a greater audience because of their status. “Back then, women didn't have the voice that we do now, [but] their actions gave us the voice we have today to be able to speak up. Now, we share information to show how far we came from,” Black Student Union member and sophomore Jariyah McCalister said.

Hidden figures of history: Stories of sensational women left behind in the shadows of time

Risa Cidoni, Editor-in-Chief • March 31, 2024

Behind every great man is a great woman.  The saying is one we’ve heard countless times before. Rephrased and redefined repeatedly, the moral of the quote remains the same: a man who serves his accomplishments...

A student stands behind a peer and holds a cell phone displaying Tiktok's logo over the peer's eyes.

Twenty-first century weapon: TikTok behind the screen

Will Gonsior, Opinions/A&E Editor • February 8, 2024

In April, the Marquette Messenger published a fabulous piece arguing against a potential ban of the social media site TikTok. The article argued that economic benefits and freedom of expression should...

For the past three years, Parkway has administered high school finals after winter break, a practice that proves to be detrimental to the success as well as the mental health of students. With finals after break appearing to do more harm than good, the question of what changes can be made arises time and time again. “The pressure for finals is difficult, and to have that [pressure for] a few weeks because you're on [a] break can make you generally sad. It's a bummer in general. I wish [finals] were before break, so we [could] have a break to sleep, celebrate and not study. Everyone I've talked to about it is like 'yeah, finals sucks,' and I wish that wasn't a thing,” junior Meadow Kostial said.

Post-break panic

Zoya Hasan, Keira Lang, and Pathfinder Editorial Board • January 5, 2024

The problem Beginning in the 2020-21 school year, a new schedule — pushing back the academic year and shifting finals to after winter break — was adopted district-wide. From students to teachers,...

The Suicide Prevention Crisis Lifeline receives calls from across the country to help those in crisis. This year, school IDs included the lifeline number above the barcode. “Putting the numbers on the card is helpful to an extent. I personally never use my ID — I didn’t even notice there was a number on there for suicide prevention — and if I had to call the suicide hotline, I’d just search the number on my phone [rather] than look for the number on the card,” Mental Health Club president Rachel Bhagat said.

New school IDs feature Suicide Prevention Crisis Lifeline

Addie Gleason, Managing Editor-in-Chief • October 21, 2022

As school IDs were passed out Oct. 14 during AcLab, eyes fell upon a new line added above the barcodes. “Suicide Prevention Crisis Lifeline; Call or Text 988.” Noticing an increase in teen suicide...

Recent changes to Title XI of the Missouri Revised Statutes bring back questions about corporal punishment in schools. As a toddler, now-sophomore Sadie Burgess attended Eufaula, a school district with an opt-in corporal punishment system allowing parents to determine if teachers could physically discipline their children. “I don't agree with [corporal punishment]. It's a very harsh way to punish kids; some kids have behavioral issues that not everyone understands. Solving those issues with violence isn't the answer,” Burgess said.

Corporal punishment: What defines necessary?

Pathfinder Editorial Board • September 30, 2022

Years ago, corporal punishment was standard practice in classrooms worldwide. After a period of resentment against corporal punishment, a public school district in Missouri recently reinstated it, allowing...

  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. 2