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
2023 National Merit Finalists: Starting from top left, Bennett Christofferson, Jacob Rushing, Alan Song, Ethan DeLuca, Nathan Zhou, Joseph Britt, Katherine Evans, Nikita Bhaskar, Rohan Dagubatti, Noah Schell, Owen Arneson, Mitchell Harms, Allie Byergo, Shiv Sharma, Wilson Gao

Meet the 2023 National Merit Finalists

Raj Jaladi, Newsletter Editor/Data Analyst • April 11, 2023

Fifteen of Parkway's 28 seniors named as finalists in the 2023 National Merit Scholarship Program are from West.  The National Merit Scholarship Program (NMSP) is an academic competition for recognition...

14 students from Parkway West High School were nominated the Glory of Missouri awards.

Meet the glories of Missouri

Katie Wallace, Triya Gudipati, and Serena Liu • March 15, 2023

In the early 1920s, 14 virtues were engraved on the Missouri House Chamber walls: knowledge, liberty, equality, law, justice, fraternity, education, progress, honor, truth, virtue, temperance, enterprise...

Math and computer science teacher Jason Townsend explains how to graph algebraic equations in front of the class. Townsend teaches algebra, calculus, and computer science. "I love teaching calculus [because] calculus [is] more challenging [and] more interesting to me. Granted, if you're a good teacher, you find ways to make [all math] interesting for your students and you challenge yourself to do it differently all the time,” Townsend said.

Traveling, teaching, theater — oh, my!

Grace Loethen, Staff Writer • March 1, 2023

  Hidden in a nook on the first floor, math and computer science teacher Jason Townsend enthusiastically teaches his last year of classes before retirement. His booming voice resounds off the blue...

At the Ladue Invitational, debaters compete in a variety of events. Students that qualified for the tournament had the chance to receive awards for their events through teamwork. “There was always someone willing to help you grow as a debater, and getting into the community was always such a welcoming place. It solidified being a family when we started to spend so much time together on tournament weekends,” junior Serpil Kuccukaya said.

The Rookies vs. Veterans

Samari Sanders, Staff Writer • February 6, 2023

The National Speech and Debate Association is an American student debating organization where students can compete in competitions covering various topics. Whether they are senior novices or a sophomore...

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...