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
Posing outside Missouri State University, students take a group photo following the MSHSAA Speech and Debate State Tournament. The competition spanned two days, adding up to nearly 60 rounds between the team. “This was all of our first times at States, and that made this experience unique 一 no one knew what to expect. Getting one last tournament with this specific team and our seniors was sentimental, but I’m excited to get going again next season,” sophomore Aagi Gudipati said.

Voices of the herd

Triya Gudipati, Editor-in-Chief • May 13, 2025

From April 24-26, 15 students traveled to Missouri State University in Springfield, Mo., to compete in the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) Speech and Debate State Tournament....

The Glory of Missouri award recipients stand with their certificates after finding out which virtue they were chosen to represent. When discovering their virtues, some recipients were met with contented confirmation, while others, complete surprise. “I was not at all surprised to get Truth. I discussed that with some of the other people who were getting the awards as well, and that came up as something I might get. Being in journalism, [Fellowship of Christian Athletes and] Speech and Debate, there's a culture of really caring about truth as a principle that I've tried to contribute to as well. I was very glad; [Truth] was a great one to get,” senior Will Gonsior said.

Bringing glory to Missouri

Samir Shaik, Multimedia Editor-in-Chief • April 30, 2025

Throughout the year, the Pathfinder has welcomed an excellent addition of new stories to our site. Certain stories have especially caught viewers’ and writers’ eyes: take a look at this year’s extraordinary articles in the 2023-2024 Pathfinder Wrapped.

2023-2024 Pathfinder Wrapped

Pathfinder Editorial Board • May 30, 2024

All good things must eventually come to an end, and as the 2023-2024 school year finally draws its curtains closed, students reflect on all the memories that they forged this year. Likewise, it’s time...

Senior Michael Emerson exchanges ideas with junior Will Gonsoir in history class. They discussed immigration as the topic of their debate. “I really enjoyed the experience. I think it opened my mind to new ideas, and that’s what matters at the end of day,” Emerson said.

Pathfinder Debates: Immigration

Raj Jaladi, Newsletter Editor/Data Analyst • May 9, 2024

  Senior Raj Jaladi: Welcome to another episode of Pathfinder Debates, a series where we gather two different opposing views in a political debate. I'm Raj Jaladi, a senior here at Parkway...

“Bejeweled” bops: Parkway West’s favorite Taylor Swift songs that we know “All Too Well”

“Bejeweled” bops: Parkway West’s favorite Taylor Swift songs that we know “All Too Well”

Triya Gudipati, Editor-in-Chief • May 30, 2023

Working on their next articles, senior Elle Rotter, junior Elizabeth Franklin, junior Emily Early and senior Addie Gleason edit pieces for publishing during journalism class. As members of the Editorial Board, they meet once a week to discuss school happenings, the latest news, opinion trends and analytics to decide topics meaningful for readers. “As an editor, I typically see many stories through various stages, and it's amazing getting to work with so many talented writers. Our stories are typically in-depth, well-researched and well-written, and it's exciting to see that a writer's hard work paid off, especially when they receive a lot of engagement from the audience,” Opinions and A&E Editor Franklin said. “I'd love to see more interactivity within stories on the Pathfinder. I think the Pathfinder can, and should, be a trailblazer in the interactivity arena.”

Tuning in: Our readers, viewers, listeners

Raj Jaladi, Newsletter Editor/Data Analyst • April 14, 2023

Since its founding in 1968 as a student independent production, the Pathfinder has kept the West community up-to-date on current events and topics. In an attempt to learn about the readers of the Pathfinder,...

Beyond the Basics

Beyond the Basics

Grace Loethen, Staff Writer • March 7, 2023

From sports cards to stuffed animals, these students each collect something different and personal. So personal, they wouldn’t even sell them for money.

Senior Gael Crane and sophomore Will Gonsior write “the time is always right to do what is right” in German for their Black History Month door decoration. Gonsior took German because of his interest in the country’s culture and history. “Germany has a very rich history, and I love studying history. A lot of our culture and our ideas can be traced back to Germany, especially language,” Gonsior said.

German program comes to an end

Addie Gleason, Managing Editor-in-Chief • February 8, 2023

“Guten Morgen, Studenten!” German teacher Christie Staszcuk’s face fills the SMARTBoard screen as she Zooms in from Parkway Central, with the only four students in West’s combined AP German...