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
With constant pressures of school, extracurriculars, sports, and social events, teens have a mind that works so fast that each thought continues to pile up in their heads. Community awareness of how students feel during a school day is crucial to stabilizing their mental health. “I believe the main cause for mental health issues in schools is students feeling overworked, which leads to burnout. Schools should be aware of students' mental health to help them feel supported and not feel peer pressure from their surroundings,” sophomore Joe Wild said.

A young mind under pressure: The link between adolescent mental health and school shootings

Aminah Hilaly, Staff Writer • April 21, 2025

When an individual watches yet another school shooting recounted on the news, it causes heartache and sympathy. But the repercussions go much deeper when you are a high school student. As a student, watching...

On March 27, five Parkway high schools received phone calls about active shooters in the buildings. After bringing panic to families and friends, these calls were discovered false, another swatting incident in the “trend” sweeping the nation. However, these threats have posed serious questions about keeping our schools safe in the modern age.

Swatting Speculation: how can we protect our schools from threats?

Pathfinder Editorial Board • April 28, 2023

They say it will never happen to us. Our fears are silenced; worries reassured. But they have scared us from turning our backs in an open room. A loud pop echoes through the halls but is never addressed....

Visitors enter the building and check-in at the front desk. School policy required photo identification to be let in. “I'm beside myself this morning. What does someone like myself even do? We can vote the way we think we need to, and we can push people to make the right decisions, but the people above us that make the laws are going to have to stop just talking about it and do something; that is the bottom line,” mathematics and Computer Science teacher Jason Townsend said.

Community reflects on importance of school safety following a deadly shooting

Addie Gleason, Managing Editor-in-Chief • May 25, 2022

On May 24, 2022, an 18-year-old opened fire on Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. Nineteen students, two adults and the gunman were confirmed dead. Hospital workers are treating multiple other students...

On the anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting, April 20, 2018, a student holds a sign at a protest against gun violence in downtown St. Louis.

2/14/18: the day we failed to take action

Tyler Kinzy, Managing Editor-in-Chief • February 14, 2019

Exactly one year ago today, my parents, like millions across America, hugged their kids a little tighter when they returned home from school. Some 1,200 miles away, families in Parkland, Fla. would never...

Students practicing evading an armed intruder by building a barricade in their classroom.

Faculty responds to spike in mass shootings across United States

Irene Yannakakis, STAFF WRITER • February 15, 2018

Just 46 days into the 2018 calendar year, the school shooting in Parkland, Fla. yesterday marks the 29th mass shooting in the United States. English Teacher Kim Hanan-West fears that at some point,...