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

Putting stickers on guitars and equipment has been a popular style in the rock scene for decades. For female guitarists Nancy Wilson and Joan Jett, decorating their gear with stickers  helped promote their political and personal values.

Women who rock

Mikalah Owens, Staff Writer March 12, 2024

For decades, women did not attempt to enter the rock scene because it was nearly impossible for their talent to be recognized. Nobody took women seriously or gave them credit, and they were often sexualized...

Delivering an alto saxophone solo, junior Dominic Perez performs at the Jazz Concert on Dec. 4, 2023. Perez is surrounded by his peers in West’s Jazz Band. “I try to make it a priority to not let other people change who I am,” Perez said. “I try to just be myself and not worry about what other people think of me, Perez said.

A lifelong journey

Sage Kelly, Staff Writer February 27, 2024

Eyes closed, a musician woos the crowd with his polished alto saxophone. Each note flows to the next smoother than a serene brook, guiding in the direction of improvement. The crowd can feel the notes,...

No matter the form of music —  vinyls, cassettes, CDs and playlists — anti-love songs have been apparent for decades. Whatever the genre or the context of the source material, when artists choose to be open about the realities of their relationships, it leads to vulnerability in their writing, ultimately, making timeless tracks.

Love bites

Mikalah Owens, Staff Writer February 14, 2024

With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, classic love songs — and way too many Taylor Swift songs — are plastered everywhere. For people in a relationship, the hallmark holiday is a sentimental...

A raised fist has been a staple piece for protests amongst the United States for decades. The forceful salute is intertwined with some of the most tumultuous events involving racism. A powerful medium that artists have used is music, which has been used to push back against the constant oppression that happens in society.

Honoring Black artists

Mikalah Owens, Staff Writer February 1, 2024

From jazz, blues, R&B and hip-hop, Black artists’ creativity and talent have heavily influenced the music industry. By bringing soul, rhythm and powerful storytelling to music, they broke racial...

 Students’ favorite songs from the Korean, Bengali, Vietnamese, Russian, Tamil and Farsi languages.

Six MORE songs for your international playlist

Sravya Reddy Guda, Staff Writer January 29, 2024

Cultural diversity traces its roots across West High, featuring students fluent in Korean to Bengali to Farsi. There is no shortage of foreign customs in the halls that surround us. With that, welcome...

To showcase the diversity of West High, six students come forward to share parts of their own culture with the school by sharing their favorite songs in Hindi, Portuguese, Spanish, Turkish, Mandarin and Arabic.

Six songs for your international playlist

Sravya Reddy Guda, Staff January 12, 2024

From Portuguese to Hindi to Mandarin, our community is filled with countless languages, each with its own culture just waiting to be shared. Through this series, featuring six students at a time, members...

“The best thing that you can do for yourself is dress the way you want, talk the way you want, and be as social as you possibly can. Just be as happy, positive, and expressive as possible, love each other, and be confident about that. [A way I express myself is through] art. Im an artist in so many ways, I work with a bunch of different media. I write songs, I sing in a band, I play the bass, I just really love music. Every person is unique and can be an artist as long as they base their art around their experiences. [My art is about my] childhood, and social experiences [because] I know that can be a really big connector with people who have gone through things like that. I just really love being able to love [on] other people.” - Faith Kothe, 10

Faith Kothe

Britain O'Brien, CJ1 Writer November 30, 2023

”Sophomore year is going really well. I have gotten so many opportunities this year and [it has been] a big step up from last year. I didnt think that was possible. I [enjoy] playing guitar in [a] jazz band. It has led me to have more guitar [playing] skills. I get to learn how to play good riffs and get more familiar with the fretboard, which is something that I wasnt able to do by myself without a push. I love the guitar because all my idols play it, like Jimi Hendrix [and] anybody who has ever play[ed] guitar, like Rick Rubin. My band teacher has [pushed me] because I wasn’t familiar with any of the [chords] charts. I didnt even even know how to read music before this year, so that was pretty cool just to be forced into that and learn music theory. [Advice I have for new musicians is to] practice as hard as you can build up those calluses. Got to make it hurt and then you’ll be fine.” - Addison Smith, 10

Addison Smith

Emma Barton, CJ1 Writer November 27, 2023

“I’m originally from Milwaukee, Wis. I started out [working] at a retail music store. to pay the bills when I was still back in Milwaukee. I could play piano since I was six and taught myself the guitar and drums. In high school I was in a band, but then I started writing music seriously when I was in college. By the time I finished college, I had enough [music saved up] to make a CD. I went ahead and loaded a CD and started promoting it. [Later] I made another EP which is a shorter [version of a] CD. In the midst of moving to St. Louis, I built a recording studio. By the time I was in St. Louis, I was actually recording a lot of my own stuff, and then I started working with rappers for a while. I was trying to find [an] angle in the music [industry], so I experimented with different things. At the end of the day, I just kind of got burnt out, and I knew that retail didnt have a future for me. So my wife just suggested that I become a teacher. I thought I liked kids, I liked history, and I already had a history degree. I liked the lifestyle of a teacher, so I decided to give it a try and it was a good choice. ” - Aaron Bashirian, History

Aaron Bashirian, history

Isaiah Meese, CJ1 Writer November 20, 2023

Pearl Jam “Vs.” grunge

Mikalah Owens, Staff Writer November 17, 2023

Following the success of their debut album “Ten” in 1991, Pearl Jam released their sophomore album, “Vs.” two years later, on Oct. 19, 1993. Now, the band is releasing a re-issue of the album for...

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The Official Student News Site of Parkway West High
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