Dillon Stoneking, Opinion Editor
Clear blue skies over pearly white beaches, the ocean gently lapping against the shore asking for visitors to jump in and cool off; that screams summer. Wrestling in thick brown mud and taking the wrong bus in an unknown country, not so much. However, for Dillon Stoneking, senior, this was exactly his summer. There were no family vacations or hours to spend video gaming. Instead, Stoneking made the 4,000 mile journey to Costa Rica to experience the culture of the Spanish speaking country.
Adjusting to different currency and two host families was all in good times for Stoneking who took the curveball and turned it into a home run. Although most would panic in taking the wrong bus and winding up three cities away from their goal, that was a highlight for Stoneking who enjoyed seeing the different part of the town. Stoneking loved the freedom of his trip, but it doesn’t compare to the freedom he feels when he writes.
“I love doing whatever I want,” Stoneking said. Although he enjoys Spanish, journalism is his true passion.
“I love writing and I love the media,” Stoneking said. Being a senior, Stoneking is on the hunt for colleges and journalism is definitely a priority, for he hopes to major in it. Stoneking looks at journalism as a class during the day where he can be free and expressive.
“It gives you real world experience,” Stoneking said. Unlike other classes, he loves the pressure of deadlines, much like he would experience in a real job, and he enjoys the reality it brings. Stoneking is busy wrapping up his final year in West Linn and is trying to squeeze the most out of his high school experience. However, when Stoneking does find those rare moments to sit back and relax, he spends his time running or re-watching the “Harry Potter” or “Star Wars” series.
“It’s a really close call but the Harry Potter movies are barely better than the books,” Stoneking said. He enjoys being able to see the characters he envisioned come to life and definitely thinks the actors played their roles perfectly. Stoneking hopes to bring that same visual out through his writing. He’s not sure where he will go with journalism but Stoneking can’t wait to find out.
![At the bottom of the third inning, the Lions are still scoreless. Rowe stands at home plate, preparing to bat, while Vandenbrink stands off to the side as the next batter up. Despite having the bases loaded, the team was unable to score any runs. “It’s just the beginning of the season. We’re just going to be playing out best by June, [and] that’s where champions are,” Rowe said.](https://wlhsnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/IMG_3077-1200x900.jpg)
![All smiles. The group poses for a photo with last year’s book, “This is Our House,” along with their award for third Best in Show. Meikle, who was an Editor-in-Chief for the yearbook last year as well, holds both and stands at the center of the group. “That was an amazing feeling, going and grabbing the third place award,” Meikle said. “All of it paid off. I cried so much over that book, being able to receive [the award] was one of the highlights of my high school career, it was like the coolest thing ever.”](https://wlhsnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/8bookpose_philly-1200x800.jpg)
