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
Eyes on the clay slab roller, social studies teacher Rachel Money learns how to use pottery equipment from sophomore Madeline Tipton during the “Teach a Teacher” AcLab event. Ceramics teacher Ashley Drissell hosted this event after receiving trinket dish pottery forms from a grant, which facilitated the process for teachers. “It was fun to take a break and be creative, [doing] something different with my day. It was really neat to get [teachers] into an art classroom with students [and] learning what they do in there,” Money said.

Photo of the Week – December 20

Cindy Phung, Editor-in-Chief • December 20, 2024

Looking out into the audience, senior Jack Mullen solos “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” by Frank Sinatra at the annual winter choir concert on Dec. 10. Mullen volunteered to sing a solo to aid the transition between choir groups on stage. “I chose that song because I really like the crooner genre when it comes to holiday music. [That song] had all the element[s] of Michael bublé, Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby. Also, it's a simple melody, so I did vocal gymnastics when I could and made it my own,” Mullen said.

Photo of the Week – December 13

Cindy Phung, Editor-in-Chief • December 13, 2024

As the entire gym watches, senior Siena Snyder shoots a free throw during the varsity girls basketball game against Parkway South on Dec. 3. Snyder has played basketball at a competitive level for four years now, and she originally joined the team because of the upperclassmen. “I handle pressure during games by trusting my teammates and my coach and just knowing that our game plan is going to work. My teammates are some of my best friends, and we should be able to make a really good run at playoffs," Snyder said.

Photo of the Week – December 6

Cindy Phung, Editor-in-Chief • December 6, 2024

Striking a final pose, seniors Bart Connors, Gavin Hamlin, Colin Hughes and Henry Wild parody The Barden Bellas’ Finals performance from “Pitch Perfect” during the talent portion of Mr. Longhorn. The group practiced at Wild’s house for hours to memorize the dance and song; it was difficult for Hughes in particular as he had never seen the movie before. “I was pretty nervous, and it didn't help when [Connors] didn't have his mic. I was standing out there for like 30 seconds; I didn't know what was going on, and then I looked back and he was not there. But, once I was performing, it was really fun. I ran up into the stands and high-fived people,” Hughes said.

Photo of the Week – November 22

Cindy Phung, Editor-in-Chief • November 22, 2024

Drawing her bow, junior Gracie McLeod performs with chamber orchestra at the annual fall orchestra concert. To prepare for the concert, McLeod spent time during AcLab and practiced together with the symphonic orchestra. “[The concert] was pretty exciting. It was the first concert of the year, and I was really excited to play ‘Just What I Needed’ because it's a well-known song. [But,] watching symphonic play was definitely my favorite part because they always play beautifully each time,” McLeod said.

Photo of the Week – November 15

Cindy Phung, Editor-in-Chief • November 15, 2024

Dropping his hotdog directly into the fire, senior Jake Boland bursts out laughing with his Adventure Pursuits classmates. As a team bonding exercise, they were tasked with building a fire using sticks collected the day prior. “We were having a good time grilling our hot dogs until mine got a little hot [and] snapped right into the fire. [I] had to go in there [with my] bare hands into the fire and save my wiener. I ate that wiener, [and] it was good. Then I tried to make a second hot dog, and that one fell directly into the fire, and I was not going in again,” Boland said.

Photo of the Week – November 1

Cindy Phung, Editor-in-Chief • November 1, 2024

Leading the varsity football team, no. 4 player and junior Billy Lipscomb runs on to the field through two lines of marching band members. Varsity played against Pattonville on Oct. 18, marking the last home game of the regular season. “[The game] went well. I felt like I could have done better, but we executed the win. So that's all we needed,” Lipscomb said.

Photo of the Week – October 25

Cindy Phung, Editor-in-Chief • October 25, 2024

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

Touching various chemicals to the flame of a Bunsen burner, junior Julia Kiffer discovers how electrons impact the color of fire. In this chemistry lab, Kiffer explored eight different chemicals as her lab partner junior Kate Hardy made observations on each flame’s color and duration. "[The lab] was a lot of fun. I like doing experiments [and seeing how] things happen. We were exciting electrons and depending on the chemical, the color of the fire was different. There was a teal green chemical that was super cool,” Kiffer said

Photo of the Week – October 11

Cindy Phung, Editor-in-Chief • October 11, 2024

Raising her club above her head after following through in her swing, senior Karry Nickel’s gaze follows her ball’s trajectory. On Oct. 1, the varsity girls’ golf team had their second-to-last tournament as well as their senior night, in which they celebrated Nickel with hand-drawn shirts, flowers, balloons and a cookie cake. “This is my first year on the golf team. I played golf when I was younger, so I decided to come back for my last year because I knew [it] was fun. [This tournament] was one of our last matches all playing together, and it was kind of sad. [But,] we got second place and I played pretty well. I parred the last two holes, so that was a highlight,” Nickel said.

Photo of the Week – October 4

Cindy Phung, Editor-in-Chief • October 4, 2024

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