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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

Singer-songwriter Gracie Abrams released her debut album “Good Riddance” Feb. 24 through Interscope Records. Leading up to the album’s debut, Abrams released three singles: “Difficult,” “Where do we go now?” and “Amelie.”

Singer-songwriter Gracie Abrams delivers an impressive debut album

Emily Early, Editor-in-Chief March 2, 2023

“You fell hard. I thought, ‘good riddance.’”  Filled with remorse, this brutally honest line is sung in the opening track of singer-songwriter Gracie Abrams’ new debut album, “Good Riddance.”...

The debate, the battle, the war, of which is better, between CDs and vinyl, is one that true music lovers will constantly be bombarded with. Frankly, it all comes down to whether or not listeners have the patience and willpower to get up every 20 to 25 minutes to be able to listen to the rest of the record they spent far too much money on. How music is being played, though, has evolved greatly over the years —the rise of new forms of playing music simply mirrored the increase of digital involvement in our day-to-day lives. But as Spotify and Apple Music race to the throne, CDs — and vinyl too! — are inching their way back into our lives. Who knows? Maybe standing outside windows holding boomboxes up high will make a return this Valentine’s Day.

14 hits 4 u

Kristen Skordos, Staff Writer February 14, 2023

Ah, Valentine’s Day: quite possibly the most awkward yet the most adorable day of the year. How can so many people either spend the day being forced to express their love through the “perfect” gift...

Eyes and ruler fixed towards the screen, social studies teacher Aaron Bashirian points to his Smartboard and explains the history behind his barn. Having learned the ropes of carpentry, Bashirian made structural changes to the barn by himself over the past three years. “It’s not your normal barn, but it’s cool, though. It’s got quite a bit of history to it,” Bashirian said. “It used to be a carriage house; you can see where they used to keep the horse. There’s still a grain [and] hay shoot [too]. They parked Model T-style cars [that created] all these oil slicks on the floor where they leaked. You can see that there’s a lot of history in there. I love it, [it’s a] perfect building for a history guy. ”

From shack to studio

Kristen Skordos, Staff Writer January 17, 2023

Too much time spent without music often kills the desire to play, but social studies teacher Aaron Bashirian did not lose interest. Instead, the rockstar-gone-teacher stayed in touch with his desire to...

A graphic portraying “Pathfinder Wrapped 2022.” After collecting our staff’s favorite genres, artists and hits of the year, here are our highest-ranked picks.

Pathfinder Wrapped 2022

Emily Early, Editor-in-Chief December 21, 2022

Welcome to Pathfinder Wrapped 2022.  Like Spotify Wrapped — and other streaming platforms’ versions — the Pathfinder is revisiting our year in music. And we were quite the listeners. Our staff...

Playing an acoustic guitar, freshman Noelle McSpadden sits just outside of her music classroom. McSpadden was inspired to play guitar to add to her songwriting. “[Guitar class] makes songwriting much easier for me. I feel good about my music because I can actually play with a guitar [to back it up],” McSpadden said.

Freshman Noelle McSpadden finds herself through her lyrics

Emily Early, Editor-in-Chief December 13, 2022

Pen travels across the paper. Guitar strings strum. Chords travel across the room in sound waves, crafting into rhythms and lyrical melodies. A new song joins the collection of 450 other songs written...

Checking the thermometer, sophomore Disa Tiemeier makes sugar glass while experimenting in the kitchen. Tiemeier relied on baking to cope with xyr Functional Neurological Disorder (FND). “I bake or nap to take breaks because pulling myself out of a [situation] is helpful. I've been baking my entire life, and I enjoy anything [culinary] altogether,” Tiemeier said.

Living with Functional Neurological Disorder: Sophomore Disa Tiemeier adapts to xyr ever-changing “normal”

Triya Gudipati, Editor-in-Chief November 10, 2022

Since developing tics in January 2020, sophomore Disa Tiemeier has learned to cope with xyr condition as a student, peer and person. As the tics increased in frequency and intensity, Tiemeier visited...

Junior Mikalah Owens writes Beastie Boys’ “Rhymin’ & Stealin’” on English teacher Kaleb Schumer’s classroom whiteboard.

Song of the [Green] Day

Kristen Skordos, Staff Writer November 7, 2022

From Beethoven to The Beatles, music is a part of our nature; it connects us. But what about within the school walls, where more and more students rely on music and AirPods to get them through class? For...

As summer and an iconic era in pop culture history both end, the Pathfinder staff compiled a playlist of our top songs heading into fall.

Top hits: The publication staff’s favorite songs leading into fall

Triya Gudipati, Editor-in-Chief September 28, 2022

From the announcement of Taylor Swift’s 10th album “Midnights” to the revival of Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” on the charts in the aftermath of Stranger Things, the summer of 2022 was...

“I say to students, music is unique in that the moment after you make the music, it instantly disappears. The only thing that remains after the music is gone is the change in people from the music-making process. We are in the business of changing people and improving people,” Parrish said.

Choir teacher Brian Parrish finishes his last year at West with a perfect score

Jordan Scales, Staff Writer June 3, 2022

After 10 years at West, choir teacher Brian Parrish will be transferring to Clayton High School. In Parrish’s last year at West, he and the choirs achieved a perfect exemplary score at the 2021-2022...

Hair flipping senior Connor Leib plays in a two-hour show with his band Good Question. The performance occurred at Earth Surf– a skatepark located in Chesterfield, Mo. “Playing in a skate park is very loud and [echoey], but it brings out a very punk underground and grimy vibe that’s cool. And it kinda brings out [an angsty feeling] so much that after our [show] I kicked over my drums and broke my high hat stand,” Leib said.

All thanks to the bug

Kristen Skordos, Staff Writer February 17, 2022

At age 13, after listening to “Lithium” by Nirvana, senior Connor Leib had his whole life figured out, becoming involved with music, all thanks to the bug.  “The bug is about the feeling that...