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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

Mikalah Owens

Mikalah Owens, Staff Writer

Pronouns: she/her

Grade: 12

Years on staff: 2

What is your favorite piece of literature? “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape” by Peter Hedges.

Who is your hero? That’s tough. I wanna say Henry Rollins since he’s gone through so much trauma and has overcome that and grown as a person; that’s really inspiring. Realistically, probably my Uncle.

If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be? I don’t know… probably fries or something.

All content by Mikalah Owens
Focusing on the goal, junior Sam Lair winds up to throw in the varsity baseball game against Eureka on April 16. Lair pitched during the game. Although the team lost 6-1 on April 16, they came back to win on April 17 at Eureka 8-4. “We lost pretty badly,” Lair said. “I wouldn’t really change anything because I pitched well and we went out and beat them the next day.”

[Photo] Photo of the Week – April 19

Dana Zafarani, Photo of the Week Editor
April 19, 2024
Seniors Andrew Son (left), Tommy Eschbach (center) and Kaiden Kelley (right) laugh together while waiting for their robot, OverDriv6, to compete at the 2024 Missouri VEX State Championship. Although the competition was stiff, the trio managed to have a good time, content with their performance and teamwork. “We’re very good at recognizing small victories while in the face of adversity. If one of our subsystems failed or one of the parts of our robot broke, we'd spend half an hour or so fixing that. The next match, even if we lost, we'd still celebrate the fact that that adjustment we made ended up working and succeeding. Being able to celebrate minor victories was very good for our team chemistry and strength,” said Eschbach. (Photo by Mikalah Owens)

Graduating gears

Mikalah Owens, Staff Writer
March 28, 2024
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
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
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
2023 was defined by female vocalists such as Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift and Paramore’s Hayley Williams as their diversity and talent amongst their respective genres topped the musical charts. Williams took to Instagram to show her gratitude for having owned the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Top 100 chart. “We know enough by now to know success doesn’t equal value. That being said, to experience the [No. 1] on this album, as this version of Paramore, is such a sweet and surreal moment to celebrate together,” Williams wrote.

A musical recap of 2023

Mikalah Owens, Staff Writer
December 19, 2023

Pearl Jam “Vs.” grunge

Mikalah Owens, Staff Writer
November 17, 2023

Nobody likes you when you’re 23

Mikalah Owens, Staff Writer
October 23, 2023
Part of the reason why vinyl records are still popular today is because original pressings of classic punk albums, like the Ramones’ “Rocket to Russia” or the Sex Pistols “Nevermind The Bollocks,” are considered collectable items. Besides being classic, essential punk albums in their own right, the pressings helped jumpstart the popularity of vinyl records in the ‘70s since it was the only form of media available to listen to these impactful records. Decades later, the iconic punk albums still stand as two of the most vital records for a vinyl collector.

Punk: Dead or alive?

Mikalah Owens, Staff Writer
September 28, 2023
Kayla Talton

Kayla Talton

Mikalah Owens, Staff Writer
November 18, 2022