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

Teachers are fed up and searching for solutions

Ashlyn Gillespie, Deputy Managing Editor-in-Chief • January 14, 2022

According to the Addiction Center, phone addiction is as serious of a problem as any other addiction. This behavior has been named “nomophobia,” or the fear of being without a device. Because phones...

Freshman Skyler Gulino and freshman Molly Bailey converse and laugh at their second lunch. Now that she has been in person for three months, Bailey is feeling more a part of West than she did last year. “In eighth grade, I was [a part of] the virtual Parkway West (middle school campus) program. I hadn’t actually and physically been in person since about November of 2019, my seventh grade [year],” Bailey said.

Practicing patience: Freshman Molly Bailey’s take on staying positive

Ashlyn Gillespie and Ellie West • October 28, 2021

Seventh-grade Molly Bailey sits in the backseat of her family car, focused on her laptop. Her midterm finals stare back at her as the scenery of the Western U.S. zooms past. Boxes filled with clothes,...

After the French National Assembly proposed a ban on religious symbols for minors in public schools, young Muslim women in france started the hashtag “HANDS OFF MY HIJAB.” This hashtag has emassed over 70,000,000 retweets, and can be seen all over protest posters in France. It was started by Muslim model Rawdah Mohamed, which she has encouraged others to post in solidarity with Muslim women in France.

France targets the hijab: how does this affect us?

Sara Albarcha, Staff Writer • April 26, 2021

When three middle school girls refused to remove their headdresses in France in 1989 while at school, the government intervened, banning hijabs in public school. After three decades, France has continued...

Senior Vickey Karl practices her dance on the turf before the upcoming show “Hejira a Desert Diary.” The performance was held at Fox High School during their preliminary competition Sept. 28. “I am very glad that the whole process went well. I feel much better mentally, and I am also physically improving as well,” Karl said. “I am excited to now be a part of color guard, and I am glad that the whole thing is over. Now, I can just enjoy myself without having to worry about my health.”

Road to recovery: senior Vickey Karl pursues her passions after successful open-heart surgery

Jacob Stanton, Staff Writer • February 24, 2020

After being diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, also known as the thickening of the walls of the heart, senior Vickey Karl learned that she would need a very risky surgery to save her life. She...

Matthys-Pearce shows off a skill she’s been working on to take to the regional competition April 13. Visualization and repetition are tools Matthys-Pearce uses to help her pin down her skills during practice, along with keeping a positive attitude. “I have a script written out that I say of all my mental cues, so I don’t get in my head and worry. I do this in practice too, so it’s the same. I really work to keep it more consistent. I started it this year and have already seen a huge improvement in my consistency,” Matthys-Pearce said. “During the routine I tell myself to just breathe and enjoy it because you don’t get to do gymnastics all your life. It’s a very limited time, so you’ve just got to enjoy it.”

Freshman Paige Matthys-Pearce brings dedication and perseverance to Regionals

Brinda Ambal, Conceptual Editor-in-Chief • April 12, 2019

The gym is a blur of activity, a whirlwind of nerves, excitement and raw competition. In the midst of it all, standing proud in a pink and black sparkly leotard, is freshman Paige Matthys-Pearce: winner...

Senior Noah Wright makes a poster for the Youth Climate Strike on March 15. He has been an organizer for the walkout in St. Louis. "Climate change is a massive problem that must be addressed as soon as possible," Wright said. "I encourage all West students to get involved in their future and join us downtown."

Students organize a walkout combatting environmental apathy

Maria Newton, FEATURES EDITOR • March 14, 2019

A nation-wide walkout is being organized by students all over the nation, including senior Noah Wright, to pressure lawmakers to take action regarding climate change. “It is a call to action for...

Meeting her favorite band Waterparks, freshman Grace Eschbach takes full advantage of the VIP tickets her dad snatched up when they went on sale again. Waterparx decided to sell only ten more VIP passes before their concert after they sold out, and Eschbach and her father, as a result of quick thinking and collaboration, were able to buy the tickets. “It’s a surreal [experience] because [the artist is] a real person, and I can see them,” Eschbach said.

Freshman Grace Eschbach feeds passion for music through concert-going experiences

Brinda Ambal, Conceptual Editor-in-Chief • February 21, 2019

The lights suddenly turn off. The stadium settles into a bated silence. The countdown pops up on the vast display and freshman Grace Eschbach finds herself caught up in the wave of anticipation riding...

Using front page news and unbiased sources, sophomore Kathryn McAuliffe researches the topic of her next article for Balance the Ballot. Balance the Ballot is an organization run for kids and by kids to help educate them on current events, and McAuliffe has been writing for them since August. “I think information is so powerful. You want people to be prepared, especially in today's political climate where it's kind of need-to-know information. Having [it] available to students really enables us to better save the world,” McAuliffe said.

Sophomore Kathryn McAuliffe spreads power to peers through accessible knowledge

Brinda Ambal, Conceptual Editor-in-Chief • January 18, 2019

Passion for social justice and current events led sophomore Kathryn McAuliffe to write articles for Balance the Ballot, an Instagram account run by students, for students. “I really liked their message...

Junior Cheryl Ma and sophomore Gokul Venkatachalam performs a presentation with senior Brooke Ryan.

Junior Cheryl Ma and sophomore Gokul Venkatachalam prepare for FBLA Nationals

Wonsang Lee, Staff Writer • May 24, 2017

Junior Cheryl Ma and sophomore Gokul Venkatachalam’s summers will be spent going to an event only a few thousand students nationwide will attend: the FBLA National Leadership Conference. From June...

Juniors Joe Fuller, Jeff Arnell and Judson Martin lead a canga line at a Safe Drug Free sponsored middle school mixer on Jan. 20.

SADF leaders strengthen program by addressing integrity issues

Betsy Wait, MANAGING EDITOR-IN-CHIEF • April 18, 2016
On March 15, the lunch room was abuzz with rumors of hypocrisy in the Safe and Drug Free programs at West. A controversial exposé revealing that a minority of drug free leaders engaged in drug and alcohol use elicited strong emotions from students, teachers and administrators alike.
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