Lauren Sexton, Features Editor
Lauren Sexton, senior, has been learning about and pursuing journalism for almost four years. Assuming the role of Features Editor, she is a member of the Awards Committee and enjoys writing features as well as creating interactive graphics. When she is not editing articles or reading a book, she is undoubtedly doing laps in a pool—for over 10 years, she has been a competitive swimmer and is committed to Washington State University to continue her academic and athletic career. For more information on her background in journalism and swimming, visit her website.
![MORE THAN A GAME. With two diving catches in the outfield, the Lions showed up defensively, aiding in their victory over the Pacers. One catch was made by Atwood, and the other by McGraw. Throughout the game, the Lions knew that it wasn’t just about their victory today. “I think [playing for cancer] makes it bigger than just a game,” McGraw said. “Knowing that you have a bigger impact in this world than just who you are as one person.”](https://wlhsnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/I70A1454-1-1200x800.jpg)
![Students in the National Art Honor Society work on the Mount Hood mural on the window of SouthLake Church. The students brought a variety of paints and mixed their own custom colors. “Instead of brushstrokes, we’re doing more dabbing, because it gives [a] better impression of tree foliage, rather than looking like actual brush strokes, because if we’re painting trees, we need it to look like trees,” Crawford said.](https://wlhsnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_2397-1200x900.jpg)
![The wall facing the bar is lined with 44 taps of craft beer and cider. To make the cider, Toney Chay and other employees must graft the trees located on Queen Orchard’s land. This technique is used to create a desired rootstock, involving the combination of qualities from different trees. “You can’t just plant a tree from a seed, or else you’re going to get a different hybrid of a tree,” Chay said. “It’s a whole process, but [for Ale & Cider] I went to all these different apple orchards inside Oregon, and I got these cider-specific apples to then graft them all together.”](https://wlhsnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/image-22-1200x800.jpeg)
![Tracking time. Created in Peru, earrings and jewelry are made of sterling silver and real butterfly wings. Community members track a butterfly’s life cycle to precisely know when it has been completed and when to carefully collect the wings. No butterflies are harmed in this process and purchases go to supporting habitat preservations in the Amazon rainforest. “Everything you see in [the shop] is not something that you’re going to find on Amazon or in Walmart or Target,” May said. “They are handcrafted unique items and there's a story and person behind every single thing.”](https://wlhsnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/unnamed-13-1200x800.jpg)
![Tastes from around the world. World of HeARTs sells several food items including ground coffee from countries such as Ethiopia, Colombia, and Peru, various flavors of tea pouches, olive oil from Palestine, dried fruit, and cashews from West Africa. The tags below the items go more in-depth on their background and makers. “When connecting with new [sellers], it's the decision of what our customers in West Linn want and what we can bring to them,” May said.](https://wlhsnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/unnamed-17-1200x800.jpg)
