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
“Debate makes you more open-minded because you’re forced to think from different [perspectives] and write both sides of every case. I think being open-minded is very important because if you don’t have an open mind, then you can’t progress as a person. I’ve grown [and] become more able to see more aspects of issues and the meanings behind them. Since I started, my speaking skills have [gotten] way better, and it feels like I can talk to people more comfortably. I love feeling like [my voice] has the power to convey my ideas to people and I make them think differently about [opposing viewpoints].” Sahana Solai, 9

Sahana Solai

Raaga Golla, Humans Of West Editor • March 12, 2025

“When I first started [Speech and Debate], I struggled with competing, finding time for it [and] managing my time. I focused so much on the competition aspect and trying to win tournaments, that I kept overlooking the parts like building connections with people, [and] making friends. I would stress myself out. I started planning my time for when I could do things. Practicing more helped, because the more I practiced, the better I got in competition. It didn't seem as scary or as hard as it was before. When I first started, the whole thing about debate is that you're not always going to win, and there's a lot of people that wish they were in your position just winning one time. It's best not to focus on that, and to focus on if you're improving from last time.” - Ryan Shabani, 11

Ryan Shabani

Yusra Khan, Staff Writer • December 16, 2024

“I'm very passionate about debating, [which is why] I am [a member of the] speech and debate team. I like how it offers opportunities to speak [from] viewpoints on different opinions with people outside of our group from other schools around our communities. I usually participate in public forum debates [and] the topic [we speak about] changes every month. One debate that I was most invested in [took place in] February; which was [about whether or not] the US federal government should ban all single use plastics. I feel like I spent the most time working on this case [than any other discussion], and I was determined to make it into finals. I hold competition very dear to me. I have only gone to two tournaments so far, but I've already made it into the finals. [Finals are important because], I think it really shows how much growth and [effort you’ve put in through the battle].” - Bethany Liao, 9

Bethany Liao

Emma Barton, CJ1 Writer • April 11, 2024

Senior Dana Zafarani poses in paint reading “Women, Life, Freedom” and “#BarayeAzadi” as a protest against the Iranian government. The experiences of Iranian women inspired Zafarani to assist in any effort to protect women’s rights. “The world should live in peace. Every woman deserves to be equal. Every woman deserves love [and] kindness,” Zafarani said.

Woman, Life, Freedom

Will Gonsior, Opinions/A&E Editor • November 14, 2023

An oppressive republic On Sept. 16, 2022, Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini passed away in custody of the Iranian government. Amini had been arrested three days earlier for improperly wearing her hijab. Although...

Speech and Debate

Speech and Debate

Tyler Kinzy, Managing Editor-in-Chief • December 22, 2020

When the average American hears the word debate, they likely think of election season shouting matches that seem to focus on soundbites more than substance. Competitive speech and debate, however, is a...

Staying six feet apart, senior Laura Young collaborates with fellow teammates in order to run a smooth and efficient tournament. Young was part of the several students selected by Borgsmiller to go to the library and run the online tournament in-person. “While it made communication harder, it was really nice to be able to see my teammates, even from a distance,” Young said.

Speech and Debate team host Parkway’s first online debate tournament

Thomas Bruns, Opinions/A&E editor • December 10, 2020

Switching from running around rooms, to managing Zooms, the debate team made history by hosting Eastern Missouri’s biggest debate tournament, Oct. 6-7. Led by head coach and debate teacher Cara Borgsmiller,...

Posing for the photo, alumnus Stuart Portman smiles for the camera. Portman has been working at the U.S. Senate for over six years. “It’s a really cool role because there’s only one of me, so I really focus my coursework and my studies on Medicaid and low-income insurance programs so that I could continue learning. It just so happened to have been to this path,” Portman said. “I've been in the Senate for about five years, and I’ve been in this role for two and a half.”

Alumnus Stuart Portman takes an unconventional path to work at the U.S. Senate

Ridwan Oyebamiji, Features Section Editor • January 30, 2020

Always showing a passion for health and politics, alumna Stuart Portman combined his interests to become an advisor at the U.S. Senate. Portman’s Journey After graduating high school in 2009, Portman...

Making final adjustments during practice, junior Fatema Rehmani prepares for the Randy Pierce Winter Classic at Pattonville High School Dec. 7, 2018. Rehmani competed in Program Oral Interpretation, an event in which students incorporate various selections of literature into a 10 minute performance. “This year, I explored some different events in speech and debate, and I’m so grateful for all of the various experiences I’ve gained,” Rehmani said. “But I have noticed there are definitely expectations for certain events or debate in regards to whether it’s for guys or for girls, which is sometimes limiting and frustrating.”

Sexism in speech and debate: competitive speakers’ fight for their voice

Tyler Kinzy, Managing Editor-in-Chief • September 11, 2019

It is the conversation that speech and debate coach Cara Borgsmiller is forced to have several times each season. “I talk openly about it, especially the first time they get a ballot that says something...

Seniors Gokul Venkatachalam, Kristina Humphrey and Luke Donovan pose with their plaques from the district tournament. Venkatachalam will go to nationals in the “Policy Debate” event and Humphrey and Donovan will compete in the “Duo Interpretation” event. “I’ve never been to the national tournament before,” Humphrey said. “I know it’s very competitive because you’re competing against a bunch of national qualifiers. I hope we can do well, and I doubt we’ll make the final stage, but we’re going to try as hard as we can.”

Debate team has emotional return to nationals

Peyton Gaskill, STAFF WRITER • May 14, 2019

After a successful districts tournament, the speech and debate team will send six students to compete in three different events at the national tournament in Dallas this June. The events of last year have...

During the awards ceremony of the 2019 Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) Speech and Debate tournament, seniors Luke Donovan and Kristina Humphrey await their names to be announced with their placement. Donavon and Humphrey qualified for state in the duet event and placed second overall in the tournament. “I stayed in speech and debate [for four years] because the team and people from other teams in the district are like my second family. While competition can be brutal, it’s worth it to be with the amazing people in Eastern Missouri,” Humphrey said. “Speech has made me grow as a person significantly. It has given me the opportunity to spread important messages through unique ways of conveying them.” Photo by Fatema Rehmani.

Debate team dominates districts tournaments

Fatema Rehmani, Conceptual Editor-in-Chief • April 4, 2019

The Speech and Debate team has been actively expressing themselves through speeches and performances since 1970. The team is sending seven competitors to the state tournament in Springfield, Mo. and six...

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