Skip to Main Content
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

Behind the lens

Esta Kamau, Features/Humans of West Editor October 11, 2024

Throughout the year, the Pathfinder has welcomed an excellent addition of new stories to our site. Certain stories have especially caught viewers’ and writers’ eyes: take a look at this year’s extraordinary articles in the 2023-2024 Pathfinder Wrapped.

2023-2024 Pathfinder Wrapped

Pathfinder Editorial Board May 30, 2024

All good things must eventually come to an end, and as the 2023-2024 school year finally draws its curtains closed, students reflect on all the memories that they forged this year. Likewise, it’s time...

Working at the annual Folklife Festival, an event leader demonstrates the use of a four post box loom. Created in England during the 16th century, the four post box loom allowed weavers in the Northeastern colonies to weave fabric more efficiently than before, playing an essential role in the evolution of settler culture. “Walking around the festival, you could see how people actually lived in the past — what they'd do for fun, how they survived. It was really interesting to see how different it was from now. You could put yourself in the shoes of the people back then,” senior Jojo Shank said.

Bridging the past

Risa Cidoni, Editor-in-Chief November 3, 2023

Each year, the crisp autumn weather breezes by, carrying comforting traditions of the outdoors; Fright Fests, pumpkin patches and hayrides arrive annually, embracing the return of sweater weather. But...

Raising her drink for a cheer with sophomore Sally Peters, sophomore Alessia Taranda tries the Lemon Galaxy Flower Tea at the boba shop Hitea. As the popularity of classic milk-based boba tea grows, many people remain unaware of the additional variety of drinks that boba shops offer, such as fruit teas or smoothies. “My favorite place used to be Hitea because my sister and I always went together, but Hitea is expensive,” Taranda said. “My favorite drink at Hitea is the strawberry milk tea, but I'm lactose intolerant, so I don't get it very often. Instead, I'll usually get a strawberry smoothie. [This time], I tried the Lemon Galaxy Flower Tea, [which] is pretty good and cool to look at.”

Best of Boba

Risa Cidoni and Cindy Phung May 5, 2023

Bubble tea — more popularly known as boba, which originated in Taiwan in the 1980s — has become an increasingly trendy craze amongst today’s youth in America. While the term “boba” is commonly...

In Convergence Journalism, junior Claire Creely works on a story for the Pathfinder. The student-run journalism staff seeks to cover stories that matter to our readers.

More to the story

Serena Liu and Katie Wallace February 27, 2023

In 1983, students in a Journalism II class at Hazelwood East High School wrote stories about teen pregnancy and divorce for their school newspaper, The Spectrum. But when their principal reviewed the issue,...

Senior Khushi Chauhan and Sophomore Samir Shaik help each other pour a cup of chai. At Indian Club’s first meeting, they dived into the history of chai and how it became a part of Indian culture. “The meeting was chaotic, but we were prepared. We had a presentation, and in the end, everything came together. In America, where everything is so westernized, it’s important to connect back to your culture. I love planning these meetings for people to learn and enjoy,” said Chauhan.

Indian Club in Motion

Nidhi Pejathaya, Staff Writer January 5, 2023

Pulling up a slideshow and setting down a tray of samosas, junior and Indian Club founder Puneeta Ganga prepares to present their lesson on chai as people slowly pour into the room.  They spent their...

At the Springfield Expo Center, freshmen Shirah Ramaji and Samir Shaik pose with State medals. Ramaji and Shaik were partners in the Intro to Social Media Strategies category and were the only members of their club to make it to State. “It was a cool experience, and I got to share it with my good friend. I had a good time when I was there,” Shaik said.

Accidental Ac Lab encounter leads FBLA accolades

Brooke Hoenecke, CJ1 Writer May 11, 2022

Hoping to get help from business teacher Laura Strickland during AcLab, freshman Shirah Ramaji unknowingly walked into a Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) club meeting. FBLA is a program that helps...

Freshman Triya Gudipati poses for a photo at an Indian wedding. With Indians making up the largest foreign-born population in the United States, Gudipati finds it important to bond with others in her community. “The Indian community within St. Louis helps me form bonds with other people who have similar situations that I do,” Gudipati said.

Children of immigrant parents share their experiences

Leah Schroeder, Managing Editor-in-Chief May 6, 2022

As the 2:30 p.m. bell tolls, students rush out of classrooms and parking lots, eager to return home. Each student comes from the same school but arrives home to extremely different lives, from values to...