As Parkway West finds itself amidst Homecoming week chaos, the return of annual traditions has brought on spirit, competition and an infamous sense of unity that reverberates through the halls....
Make America Great Again. Finish the Job. Everyone’s Invited. Make America Normal Again. Declare Your Independence.
With the 2024 presidential election less than nine months away, campaigns and...
As the school year begins to wind down, warm temperatures, tanning, swimming and, most importantly, music has been on everyone’s minds. With break starting today, we asked members of the West community...
On May 6, seven West students traveled to the University of Missouri to compete in the MSHSAA Scholar Bowl State Championship. Ranging from freshmen to seniors, these members of the A-Team placed first...
![“[I play] football, basketball and volleyball. For the longest time, I’ve played basketball but I began taking interest in volleyball and football this [past] year. Being in three sports at West is fun and it’s nice to be a part of the school’s [community] but it also can become exhausting because I’m playing year round. Finding a [good] balance between school and extracurriculars is hard, [but] my grandparents are always motivating me to do my best. They all played sports when they were younger, so they definitely give me powerful advice and help me push past the hardships. I want to become a key part of my team and be significant towards winning as well as our success. I would like to perform well and practice not just when I’m with my team, but with myself [too].” - Aiden Faber, 10](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KaminskiL_AidenF1-Leila-Kaminski-1200x800.jpg)
![“Winning [the Scholastic Gold Key Regional Award for Writing] feels incredibly rewarding. I dedicated a lot of time to putting my feelings into my work, especially ‘Melanin’, which was about my experience with racism and feeling like an outcast because of my skin color [and] primarily due to living in a white/homogenous area. My memoir reflects upon a time in which I lived in a small town that had close to zero people who looked like me and how that affected my mental health, especially how I felt about how I looked. But then I moved to a larger, more diverse city where there were more people similar to me and I had this moment where I realized that my features are unique and beautiful. I feel like a lot of people of color can relate to the feeling of overcoming internalized racism. It's truly validating to see my efforts recognized by the Scholastic Writing Contest especially because it gives me a platform to share my voice. ” - Farrin Rahman, 10](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/KadamO_RahmanF3-Opal-Kadam-1-1200x800.jpg)
![“Hitting that ball hard is just pure satisfaction. I’m on the varsity tennis team, and it’s funny because I actually got pressured into joining, but we actually [had] a really good season. I’ve been playing for three years now. My favorite part is definitely going to other schools and meeting other girls. Tennis is really fun and it's a good stress reliever, but something that [stresses me out] is definitely tests [at school]. When things [start to] stress me out, I just tell myself that [I] can get there because everyone will move on and [will] get there [too].” Alisha Yin, 10](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/alishayin-copy-1200x800.jpg)
![“I’m the vice president of the Muslim Student Association (MSA), the co-president of the Women in Healthcare club, and [am also in] of ABC club, NHS first aid, the diplomacy club, and other volunteering activities [in my community.] My main goal in these clubs is to be actively engaged in the school and give back to the community. [Through these opportunities,] I’ve learned to be a better organizer and planner, especially with my roles in MSA and Women in Healthcare. I think these skills will be valuable towards the career path I choose. I’m particularly interested in the medical field, which is why I co-founded Women in Healthcare. As a freshman, I was the chief financial officer of the Muslim Student Association. This year, I’m the vice president. We’ve worked hard to improve the organization and make the club more fun and interactive for everyone. It’s been great to see the club grow, with a lot of new freshmen joining. Balancing all of these activities with my schoolwork can be challenging at times, but the whole team helps with the workload. A misconception others have about the MSA is that [there is minimum involvement.] One time I went to stamp the MSA flyers to get approved down at the office, and the woman was hesitant about it. She asked how many people actually come to our meetings, so I explained that we usually have 35 to 40 people. Parkway West includes lots of diversity and it [helps strengthen] our community.” – Yusra Khan, 10](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/1f5dbf90-8b69-452a-a610-22726c8a6ed9-1200x800.jpg)
![“This school year, I'm looking forward to really settling into West, because last year I was a freshman getting used to the environment, and now that I [am aware of] my surroundings, I know the opportunities that West provides me. I feel like getting more involved than I was last year and it's going to be [a] fun [experience] for me. [This year I am going to] join the diplomacy club and the spanish club. I'm excited to meet new people, try new things and see what those clubs are about. I [might] join volleyball again, because I had a lot of fun doing [it] last year. I'm also on the robotics team at West and I'm super excited, because last year I didn't have any past experience in robotics, but now I know the lay of the land and what I'm doing. [This year] I think my personal growth is my [biggest] motivator. I've always wanted to be a better person and just continue growing [in] this journey of self improvement and [through] joining these clubs. Discovering myself in high school really [helped to] push me, and that has been my motivator for a long time. I love the community here, [and] I love all the opportunities that the school has given me.”- Adam Thomas, 10](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/WunschA_ThomasA1-Anna-Wunsch-1200x800.jpg)
![Prior to their State final round, A Team ran into Mo the mascot, smiling for a picture. With half of A Team graduating this year, senior Owen Arneson hopes that their State title will attract more people to the program. “No matter what you show up there to do, as long as you have a positive attitude and have a good time, [you’ll] be fine because you can compete as seriously or casually as you want,” Arneson said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Its-MO-900x675.jpeg)
