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
Since the Supreme Court’s repeal of the federal law protecting a women’s fundamental right to abortion, many states have begun to restrict access to or even ban abortion. On June 24th, 2022, Missouri was one of many states to move to ban abortion. “Missouri is giving fetuses more rights than humans who’ve been on this world for many years. If someone [wants] to have an abortion because of whatever [reason], it should be their choice. You don't know why they're in that position and you don't know why they need an abortion,” senior Mars Allendorph said.

Revoked: The life-or-death nature of abortion rights

Lauren Holcomb, Staff Writer • May 14, 2024

Disclaimer: This article mentions abortion, sexual assault, incest and abuse On Feb. 7, Missouri senators voted against an amendment that would allow the abortions in cases of rape and incest. This...

January 2024 marks over seven decades since the publishing of “The Bell Jar.” In those seven decades, the novel has opened the eyes of countless women to the unfair treatment they’ve faced, particularly being percieved as nothing more than mothers and the consequences that arise from that. “To my knowledge, [“The Bell Jar” was] one of the earliest novels that explores a woman's mental health and inner journey and allows her to go through struggles and make mistakes without vilifying [her]. She's ambitious yet flawed and unsure how to proceed, like [many] women at the beginning of the 1960s. My mom was born in 1950 and grew up hearing that if she wanted to work, she had three choices: nurse, secretary and teacher. It was a brave new world when she found out there were more options. But that also comes with fear and anxiety and the judgment of others. Sylvia represents that journey,” French teacher Blair Hopkins said.

Lifting the bell jar

Lauren Holcomb, Staff Writer • January 15, 2024

Disclaimer: This article mentions suicide and violence against women  January 14th, 1963: Sylvia Plath’s first and only novel was published in the United Kingdom, just one month before her tragic...

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...

On Oct. 14, West High parents received an email that notified them of a potential safety concern from the Chesterfield Police Department. In the subsequent weeks, repeated incidents of a shooter being near or on school grounds have caused the area to be on high alert. “It’s unfortunate to think I am not alone in feeling numb. We have been exposed to so much violence towards schools,” social studies teacher Kevin Doherty said. “I feel shame it took something so close to home to really open up my eyes to the extent to which this barbarity has spread.”

Guns and schools: a deep dive into America’s broken system

Audrey Ghosh, Opinions Editor • January 11, 2023

Content warning: This article mentions gun violence, school shootings and death.   Just 20 miles away from Parkway West, teacher Jean Kuczka and 15-year-old Alexzandria Bell were killed in the...

The idea of attending university following high school is so ingrained in our high schools, many do not receive a thorough explanation of alternate options.

Postsecondary pressures

Pathfinder Editorial Board • October 26, 2022

College.  With early action application deadlines quickly approaching, it’s safe to say that college is a pressing thought on many senior students’ minds. Years of preparation — career quizzes,...

Preparing to go to her job as a bagger at Schnucks, Davis puts on her face mask and gloves. While most students are staying home, Davis goes out each day as an essential worker.

The life of a teenage pandemic worker

Bri Davis, Staff Writer • April 20, 2020

I step outside of my house with my mask on, ready to go. Ready to go to the same place I’ve been going since quarantine started: Schnucks. It was a job that I applied for before this all started. I had...

Photo illustration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. giving his "I have a Dream Speech."

Honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by educating yourself

Kathryn McAuliffe, Managing Editor-in-Chief • January 20, 2020

On this day celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., you’ll no doubt find your social media streams flooded with his unmatched diction cast on pretty backgrounds, his words reduced to a mere Instagram...