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
Arms outstretched, senior drum major Dom Perez stands high above the ground while conducting the marching band during rehearsal. To improve his performance and gain confidence as a leader, Perez attended a specialized camp over the summer with drum majors around the country. “[Being the drum major,] has been the biggest step out of my comfort zone in my entire life. I'm constantly learning from the things I do and trying to be a better person, better leader [and] better musician every day. It's the very end of the season, and I've put so many hours into learning how to be a good leader and conductor, and all that has helped me have the best season I can. I feel like I've given it my absolute best all the way through,” Perez said.

Photo of the Week – October 18

Cindy Phung, Editor-in-Chief • October 18, 2024

Clapping to the beat, junior Maddy Tarter smiles while volunteering with Special Olympics in the gymnasium on Feb. 21. Special Olympics is an annual event in which high schoolers spend a day with athletes as they participate in activities such as basketball, face painting and hockey. “While we were walking around Victory Village, we went towards the DJ and made a dance circle. Eventually, all the students wanted to dance with each other,” Tarter said. “I definitely liked having the freedom to walk around and see everyone having fun, and also being able to interact with the athletes and buddies.”

Photo of the Week – February 23

Dana Zafarani, Photo of the Week Editor • February 23, 2024

Driving with basketball in hand, freshman Ella McNeal dodges her defender. The girls basketball team defeated Visitation Academy 51-36 on Jan. 25. “We did good at the beginning of the game, but then we got better as we understood their plays,” McNeal said. “I was definitely ready for the game. I just knew I had to come to play,” McNeal said.

Photo of the Week – January 26

Dana Zafarani, Photo of the Week Editor • January 26, 2024

Powering through a tunnel of kickboards, senior Abbi VanValkenburgh celebrates the girls swim and dive team senior night. The tradition highlights each senior’s journey through their high school career. “The sophomores and freshmen line up and they smack us in the back. After we run through the tunnel, we wait for our coach to announce our advice to the team along with our thank yous,” VanValkenburgh said. “My advice for the team was not to take the team for granted. We need to make sure we appreciate every moment because our team is so unique and special.”

Photo of the Week – January 19

Dana Zafarani, Photo of the Week Editor • January 19, 2024

Dedicating his full attention, senior Brandon Paul competes his way to become the first place winner of the Ceramics Olympics using mini hands. Every year, the advanced ceramics class holds this competition in place of the final as a fun activity. “This year, [ceramics teacher Ashley] Drissel got two of these mini potters' wheels and decided to make this year's events challenging. We used a mini hand on the mini wheel, which meant you didn’t actually have much of any control over what you're doing,” Paul said. “The best technique would have to be trying to pull back some of the individual rubber fingers to have more control over the clay as you form it into something that it doesn’t want to be. It was a very strange experience, but I won, so I think I pulled through in the end.”

Photo of the Week – January 12

Dana Zafarani, Photo of the Week Editor • January 12, 2024

During the Sip and Study event after school on Jan. 4, senior Lizzie Duenez enjoys a cup of hot chocolate while on a break. The Sip and Study event provided an opportunity for freshman students to get help from Link Crew leaders, like Duenez, while preparing for their finals. “My role was to help out with Spanish and other classes if the students needed it,” Duenez said. “I connected with the freshmen because I knew their struggles. I was once a freshman myself and I didn’t know anything. It was a chill and relaxing time, especially with hot chocolate."

Photo of the Week – January 5

Dana Zafarani, Photo of the Week Editor • January 5, 2024

Focused intensely on her artwork, junior Jayana Shead works on a mural on the wall outside the classroom. American Sign Language 3 students studied techniques and meanings behind deaf artists' work in their De'VIA art unit and collaborated on a mural outside the classroom. "Often times, there are misconceptions about the capabilities of deaf people, so by creating this we are able to help people understand more clearly what deaf people are capable of," Shead said. "This mural is important because it represents the struggles and common misconceptions of ASL, and working on something like this that will last on the wall for years makes me happy because it's something that people will get to see every time they pass the hallway."

Photo of the Week – December 22

Mya Rangel • December 22, 2023

Shock sweeping across her face, sophomore Layla Stranquist faces her fear alongside her cheerleading teammates. The team participated in a reptile show as a way to deepen connections. “I was so scared at first, but then I actually wanted to hold the snake. It was a very weird experience,” Stranquist said. “Our coaches wanted us to do something different for team bonding and this activity helped get us out of our comfort zone.”

Photo of the Week – December 15

Dana Zafarani, Photo of the Week Editor • December 15, 2023

Tearing through teams of junior Longhorn basketball players, senior Chase Haun takes the court on December 1. Elementary and middle school players joined the high school team on the floor before the game. “We were playing our rivals, Parkway South, and all the youngins were there supporting us.” Haun said. “A lot of the community was there rooting for us. This might have been the most packed crowd I have ever seen in my basketball career.”

Photo of the Week – December 8

Dana Zafarani, Photo of the Week Editor • December 8, 2023

Laughing as he assembles the foundation, junior Jack Brau works to build the Latin Colosseum. The team stepped into roles that varied from an architect to an unskilled worker to complete the task. “The skilled craftsmen would go to the architect and ask what are the next steps to the construction,” Brau said. “The most difficult part was going back and forth between the architects in order to get a better understanding of how the next piece is built, but we were having a great time.”

Photo of the Week – December 1

Dana Zafarani, Photo of the Week Editor • December 1, 2023

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