Senior Sakenah Lajkem: Hi West.
Senior Serena Liu: Welcome to “Senioritis,” where we do a lot of complaining.
Lajkem: When we’re not complaining, we dive into the ups and downs of our senior...
Aug. 9, 2022, 11:45 p.m., a siren sounds, and red and blue lights illuminate a car pulled over in a bank parking lot peppered with bullet holes. Minutes earlier, senior Henry Dittmar and his girlfriend...
Raj Jaladi, Newsletter Editor/Data Analyst
• April 21, 2023
The All-State Band is an annual tradition featuring the top musicians at the high school level in the state of Missouri. Over 1,200 students auditioned for the 105-member 2023 All-State Band. A journey...
![“I'm more than an athlete. My whole life, I've been known as a serious athlete. I want to do sports management and coaching [in the future] because of how I was influenced by others in the sports that I love. [Although], my life has been all about sports, I want to be known for more of my personality as I get older. My favorite experience is the team atmosphere and all the different experiences and knowledge I’ve gained. I've learned more general life lessons from sports than sitting in a classroom. I’ve learned how to step up and be a leader in the right way. I will forever be grateful for everything sports has taught me.” - Rachel Livak, 12](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/IMG_6612-1200x800.jpg)
![“I do cross country; I get a shirt [for running five hundred miles over the summer] and running those miles improves your endurance. I didn't think of the five hundred miles as, ‘I have to run five hundred miles.’ I [have the mindset that], six days a week, I have to run. [I] started [running] about four to five miles a day and was able to build up over the course of the summer. It's just that I had my goal; I wanted to be on varsity. I wanted to get the red legs this season, so I had my goal in mind. Red legs are a new set of warmups made up of a nicer jacket, thin hoodie, and red sweatpants, given to anyone who runs sub-18:15 in the 5k [race]. They have been a goal since I joined [the sport in] sophomore year. They are often a mark of being on varsity as well and can make you feel like you made it. I guess the same thing is true for motivating myself for school; I have my goal of keeping up my grades. Stay involved with something because it's good to have multiple [hobbies] going on. Make sure to decide what you want your focus to be. You can be involved in multiple things, but, if you want to focus on sports and school, make sure to keep it balanced. Enjoy your high school years. Have some passion in what you do.” - Ryan Smith, 12](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/488ACA7C-8DD7-4712-A89E-2DEAE7DACC49-1200x800.jpeg)
![Senior Henry Dittmar celebrates his 18th birthday in recovery from a drive-by shooting that left him seriously injured. During this birthday, Dittmar was still unable to walk from the effects of a bullet that ripped through his calf. "The most challenging part of this experience was being patient with everything," Dittmar said. "Building that patience was definitely the best thing for me, [because] I am definitely not a very patient person. I learned a lot about myself during this experience."](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Untitled-design-9-900x506.png)
![“[Senior night] was electrifying, to say the least. I had a lot of fun playing [lacrosse] and the senior night ceremonies were amazing. All of my friends, family and teammates were supporting me, which was great. My favorite thing about lacrosse is all of my teammates. We all get along really well. My favorite moment was beating Kirkwood this year and celebrating by doing the “I Wanna Rock Dance.” Being friends with Ali Rehman is what got me into lacrosse and I am very grateful for that.” - Nadir Gheith](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/unnamed.jpeg)
![Carefully arranging chemicals with a pipet, senior Grant Meert works to identify unknown solutions in an AP Chemistry lab. After completing the AP Chemistry exam, Meert’s class participated in a lab competition to celebrate the end of the course. “It was very fun. It allowed me to relax and have a good time after a full year of busting my butt in that class. It was both relaxing and intense because [the] score we submitted determined the amount of extra credit points we were given,” Meert said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/image1-1-900x600.jpg)
![Standing in front of a crowd, senior Molly Glisson performs one of her five solos in the Jazz Choir concert April 25. Glisson performed in the Jazz Choir all four years and enjoyed hanging out with her team members outside of school. “Jazz is such a special genre to sing, and I enjoy[ed] doing it a lot. Being able to sing such a fun style with such fun people [was] my favorite part of being in this group,” Glisson said. “[Being a senior brought] a sentimental feeling [to the show] just because I have been singing so long, and it’s coming to an end so fast. I’m sad but also thankful for the opportunities I have gained from being in this group and the people I have met.”](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/DSC_7440-copy.jpg)
