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
Ready for the snap, senior Nicole Chocheva sets up to protect her quarterback as a part of the offensive line. Coming off of a win the previous year, the pressure was on to secure a back-to-back victory for the class of 2025. “I was scared because I didn't want to lose, but it was such a great experience. When we won, I was really excited, I was feeling hyped for myself and for the whole senior class — not only did we win Powderpuff, but we got those bragging rights. Fair and square,” Chocheva said.

Photo of the Week – September 27

Cindy Phung, Editor-in-Chief • September 30, 2024

Swinging his arms to maintain momentum, freshman Maxwell Rahm races at his first-ever meet, the 2024 Stan Nelson Invitational. At the meet, Rahm persevered and placed 10th overall. “My legs were really tired that race, and I didn't like my performance, but I am glad I medaled. We have a meet tomorrow and my main goal is to keep going, even [when] it's hard,” Rahm said.

Photo of the Week – September 20

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

Immersing himself in an astronomy experiment, junior Brady Moriarity discovers the various types of light present in his classroom. Just preceding the lab, he was introduced to the concept of light frequencies and the tools used to make them visible to the human eye. “I didn't know anything about light, so it was cool to see the different colors and bars of light. I like learning about space and astronomy; it's interesting how it's all pretty much endless,” Moriarity said.

Photo of the Week – September 13

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

Collecting drops of various chemicals, sophomore Avery Hermann prepares to catalyze a reaction in Honors Biology 1. To observe how heat can impact the germination of a seed, Hermann did background research on seven different liquids before experimenting with three of his options. “I liked seeing the chemical processes in person as opposed to videos or readings. It definitely amplified my learning experience [and] it was cool to [be able] to choose from the chemicals and hypothesize which [ones] worked best,” Hermann said.

Photo of the Week – September 6

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

Cheering front and center, senior Jacksen McNeal steps up to lead the student section during the first home football game of the season. As one of the seniors running the Parkway West superfan Instagram account, McNeal helped pick the tropical theme and promote the game online. “It was super fun having the microphone [and] leading the student section — I’ve been here for four years watching all the other seniors do it [and] now I’m a senior. Even though we didn't win, we were all hyped and supported the team,” McNeal said.

Photo of the Week – August 30

Cindy Phung, Editor-in-Chief • September 3, 2024

Raising his arms, sophomore Ryan Mues cheers loudly for West’s opening pep rally. During the grade level song competition, Mues stayed energetic despite not knowing the sophomores’ song. “I don’t listen to a lot of pop music, but I was really excited when we won. I was next to some of my friends, and we were just getting as loud as possible and trying to get hype. The school events are always a lot of fun, and I’m trying to get more involved [this year],” Mues said.

Photo of the Week – August 23

Cindy Phung, Editor-in-Chief • August 23, 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

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