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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

Amid major global conflicts, anonymous social media critics hone in on celebrities, especially female celebrities, every move. Taylor Swift's latest album release and accompanying press tour displayed the uncontrollable growth of cancel culture and the comfort anonymity on social media has created.  “[Cancel culture] can be very effective when [it’s used to] speak out against a [person] or a corporation where [you] use your voice or your dollar as a way to send a message about what we accept as a society. [However,] we've really blurred this line where we expect [everyone] to cater to have a belief about every issue. Not one person is going to believe every single thing that you believe as strongly as you believe it," English teacher Michelle Kerpash said.

The price of stardom

Payton Dean, Opinions Editor November 21, 2025

“Everybody's cutthroat in the comments/Every single hot take is cold as ice.” These lyrics are featured on one of the world-renowned singer-songwriter Taylor Swift’s new songs, “Eldest Daughter.”...

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 stadium full of Chiefs fans with the words "Run it back."

They ran it back

Will Gonsior, Opinions/A&E Editor February 13, 2024

A game for the ages America saw a thriller on Feb. 11 as the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in Super Bowl LVIII, a game that featured two Super Bowl-record field goals, as...

Climate change is a horrible problem, one that will eventually affect almost everyone and destroy the health of the planet. It’s far too nuanced of an issue to put all of the blame on one specific person, but some people are acting irresponsibly and with no regard for the environment. Singer-songwriter Taylor Swift is one of these people. “I think a lot of students may not realize the negative impacts that Swift may have on things like the environment. Really, I think it's about awareness. People may not be aware of how much fuel it takes to travel for tours like the Eras tour. Or, how many people travel on the tour? Still, I don't know if even being aware of those numbers would change the minds of dedicated Swift fans,” Convergence Journalism teacher Lindsey Katz said.

We can’t shake off climate change

Lauren Holcomb, Staff Writer November 2, 2023

At only 33, singer-songwriter Taylor Swift is already a veteran of the music industry, and the awards she’s won for it reflect this. She claims the title of most-streamed female artist on Spotify in...

Tight end Travis Kelce helped carry the Chiefs to the Super Bowl by catching a touchdown in last year’s AFC Championship game. Kelce’s skills have opened up new opportunities for him this fall, such as dating Taylor Swift and starring in a new Pfizer ad. “If [Kelce] supports [vaccines], I think others will, people do tend to do what celebrities suggest,” English teacher Casey Holland said.

Taylor Swift fever

Will Gonsior, Opinions/A&E Editor November 2, 2023

The new face of Pfizer We’ve emerged from a cruel Missouri summer into cardigan season, and Pfizer is urging everyone to do “two things at once:” get a COVID-19 booster vaccine and a flu shot...