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
Ice-cold water sits in a bucket waiting to be dumped on the next brave volunteer. For the #SpeakYourMIND Ice Bucket Challenge, people used a variety of vessels, including bowls, coolers and excavators to dump water on themselves. “Make sure you don't just use a bowl because that's lame. You need more water,” sophomore William Tanudyaya said.

Back with a splash

Cindy Phung, Editor-in-Chief • April 29, 2025

Across the nation, a trend of pouring a bucket of ice-cold water over people's heads has gone viral on Instagram. For context, the “Ice Bucket Challenge” originated over a decade ago in 2014 and was...

Mounting school pressure can leave many students overworked and overstressed. Schools must give students the necessary resources to help assuage student mental health issues and prevent the development of serious crises. “The biggest thing [schools] can do [to protect student mental health] is offer more time [to do work], like a study hall, or offer more support from teachers so that students don't feel stressed out and can get help in areas that they need,” senior Bhavya Gupta said.

Stressed without support

Pathfinder Editorial Board • September 30, 2024

It’s no secret that high school is a stressful time. Between balancing classwork, clubs, sports and a social life, it’s easy for students to feel overwhelmed, and managing mental health amidst these...

Sports organizations have changed lives on and off the field, improving athletes’ muscle strength, reducing their risk of diseases and building energetic work capacity worldwide. However, many student-athletes struggle to balance schoolwork and athletic commitments, hoping to seek more understanding and support from their teachers and coaches. “To lessen mental strain student-athletes [face] and create a healthier, more comfortable lifestyle, there shouldn’t be any homework. I'm already [at school] for eight hours and [homework] creates a bigger load for student-athletes in AP or honors classes,” track and field sprinter and sophomore Lucy Penton said.

Help our student-athletes

Samari Sanders, Staff Writer • April 25, 2024

Beep. Beep. Beep. The sound of an exasperating alarm clock. Time passes as you lay in bed, staring at the wall, dreading the long day ahead. Finally, you get up, make your bed, get dressed and head off...

Cultural and socioeconomic barriers prevent many Asian Americans from seeking help for mental health issues. Alumna and emeritus Mental Health Awareness Club President Rachel Bhagat, who has worked with many Asian immigrants and refugees, notices clear benefits of mental health care in daily life. “Seeking out mental health care is extremely important for everyone. Regularly seeing someone to talk to about your mental health helps prevent or makes it easier to navigate mentally stressful [or] harmful situations,” Bhagat said.

Silent pandemic

Serena Liu, Editor-in-Chief • November 10, 2023

Be strong. Act perfect. Stay silent.  These are all stereotypes that Asian Americans are commonly held to. While everyone has a unique experience with mental health, studies have shown that Asian...

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...

“I’m passionate about going to the gym, and I’ve been going since November of 2021. I started going to the gym since I would always see gym routines and videos on my Tik Tok For You Page, and one day I decided to try it out and ended up enjoying it. I started going more often with friends, which became entertaining, so I kept going. I have gotten a lot more confident in the gym because I try to work out after school almost every day or on days I don’t have work. Going to the gym has not only improved my mental health a lot more, but I can see a lot of improvement in my physical strength and appearance. I have also noticed that it’s made me happier and energized overall since seeing slow improvement within myself daily gives me satisfaction. I want to keep improving and working towards learning more exercises to help me once track and tennis season starts again.” - Karley Josef, 11

Karley Josef

Angie Ren, Staff Writer • May 9, 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...

A graphic created to visualize mental wellness. Students throughout the Parkway School District met with the Board of Education concerning mental health issues facing teens.

Is mental health getting the recognition it deserves?

Achyuta Ambal, Staff Writer • January 18, 2023

The clock ticked in deafening silence after Deputy Superintendent Tiffany Holman-Besse, a board member, made her opening statement. Fifteen participants mulled the question: “How does poor mental health...

Although society is reaching an all-time high for mental health awareness, celebrities are still facing heavy scrutiny about what they depict in their art, particularly surrounding mental health. Musical artist Taylor Swift received backlash for her display of body dysmorphia in her “Anti-Hero” music video. “There’s a difference between saying being fat is bad and saying you have [an] eating disorder that you’re constantly battling,” Swift fan @expiredthrills said on Twitter.

Taylor Swift silenced from “Speaking Now” about her experience with body dysmorphia

Elle Rotter, Deputy Conceptual Editor-in-Chief • January 4, 2023

The camera pans across a bathroom wall as musical artist Taylor Swift looks down as she stands on the scale. Zooming in, we discover that the scale reads “FAT.” Fans and critics collectively booed...

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...

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