![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)
Victoria Guerchon, senior
Favorite item of clothing:
“Fuzzy Halloween socks with ghosts on them or yoga pants.”
Favorite food:
“Barbecue or French fries with honey mustard.”
Favorite place in West Linn:
“All of it. Or the river.”
Favorite quotation:
“It’s either ‘live and let live,’ ‘if you live to be 100, I hope I live to be 100 minus one day, so I never have to live without you’ from Winnie the Pooh or ‘to the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world.’”
What do you want to do when you are grown up?
“I have no idea—either a teacher because I love kids, a chef or a ballerina. We will just have to wait and see.”
Celebrity crush:
“James Franco, Nick Jonas or Taylor Lautner. I can’t choose. Or that guy from Footloose he’s a babe—Kenny Wormald.”
Things you do outside of school:
“Cheer, dance, ice skate, spend time with family and friends, and I love being outdoors.”
Who inspires you?
“My mommy and daddy.”
Weirdest dream:
“Once I had this dream that I was giving someone a tattoo, but they were a cardboard cutout person. Their mom walked in and had red eyes and was going to attack them, but then the eyes turned to hearts and she brought in cookies. Then my sister turned into a waffle and turned everything purple, and I woke up on the ground. I was concerned.”
Elijah Eaton, senior
Favorite clothing item:
“Cozy socks.”
Favorite food:
“Sushi. Not the weird kind—the American kind.”
Favorite place in West Linn:
“Camassia. It’s really pretty back there.”
Future career:
“I’m not sure yet. I want to help people somehow—maybe something in the medical field.”
Celebrity crush:
“Kim K.[Kardashian]”
Things you do outside of school:
“I watch movies with my grandma.”
Inspiration:
“The founder of Africa New Life is my biggest inspiration. He came here and was a guest speaker at my church, and you could tell he’d been through a lot.”
Weirdest dream:
“We were playing Lakeridge and we went to their pregame. They were all wearing West Linn jerseys.”
Grace Vial, junior
Favorite food:
“Barbecue chicken quesadillas.”
Favorite place in West Linn:
“The docks”
Favorite quotation:
“Laugh, life is hilarious.”
Future:
“I don’t know, but I love dancing.”
Celebrity crush:
“Brendan Speakman.”
Things you do outside of school:
“ I play soccer, go to movies, shop, hang with friends, dance, go to Dutch often, and sleep a lot.”
Who inspires you?
“My cousin, Shan.”
Weirdest dream:
“I don’t know. I’ve had many. But, one time, when I was in love with Hayden Soyk in fifth grade, I had a dream that I had to save him from a fire and then we cuddled on an alligator bean bag chair and watched movies in an arcade. But no one was there, it was just us two.”
Zachary Nelson, junior
Reaction to winning homecoming:
“I fainted. I was too overwhelmed.”
Favorite item of clothing:
“Blue backpack.”
Favorite food:
“#FattestSubwaySandwichEver.”
Favorite place in West Linn:
“That one little street, you know.”
Favorite quotation:
“They say it don’t be like it is, but it do.”
Future:
“I want to become an identity thief.”
Celebrity crush:
“Miss Stroup.”
Things you do outside of school:
“Blow things up with my mind.”
Who inspires you?
“Voldemort.”
Mackenzie Baker, sophomore
Reaction to winning Homecoming:
“I was super excited, especially because I got to buy new shoes and hang out with Jacob.”
Favorite item of clothing:
“A really good pair of jeans.”
Favorite food:
“Peanut butter and bacon sandwich with white bread.”
Favorite place in West Linn:
“Wherever there are friends and family.”
Favorite quotation:
“Nothing is impossible. The word itself says ‘I’m possible!’” —Audrey Hepburn
Future:
“I want to be a missionary or a third grade teacher, and be a mom.”
Celebrity crush:
“Ryan Gosling or Ryan Reynolds.”
Things you do outside of school:
“I play softball and soccer, go to lots of Young Life and church things and hang out with family and friends.”
Inspiration:
“Both my parents are awesome and inspire me.”
Weirdest dream:
“This one time I was being chased in a grocery store while these old ladies threw socks at me. It was odd.”
Jacob Arrigotti, sophomore
Reaction to winning Homecoming:
“I was super surprised. I didn’t know that a lot of people knew who I was, plus I thought one of the other male nominees was going to win.”
Favorite item of clothing:
“My Cat in the Hat footie pajamas because they are snazzy.”
Favorite food:
“Hot Pockets.”
Favorite place in West Linn:
“In West Linn in general, my favorite place would be my house because I can sing as loud and as horrible as I want to without being judged. In West Linn High School, my favorite place is Mr. Flynn’s class because he is my BFFL and he gives me sesame street stickers.”
Favorite quotation:
“We are all a little weird and life’s a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love.” — Dr. Seuss
Future:
“I think having my own radio show would be pretty awesome, since I think it would be rad to make money by just talking about stuff. If that doesn’t work out, I want to do something in psychology because I find that sort of stuff interesting.”
Celebrity crush:
“Elmo.”
Things you do outside of school:
“Color in my coloring book, procrastinate, nap, FaceBook stalk people and sing.”
Who inspires me:
“Dr. Seuss. Not only are his books the best things in the whole entire universe, but he teaches super important lessons to kids by using his huge imagination, which I respect. Also, Ingrid Michaelson, because her music blows my mind.”
Weirdest dream:
“One time I had a dream where I actually had friends. It was probably the worst dream of my life.”
Courteney Landis, freshman
Reaction to winning Homecoming:
“I was happy and excited, but I was also really nervous. I didn’t know what Homecoming was like here.”
Favorite food:
“I like sushi, especially California rolls.”
Favorite place in West Linn:
“Willamette docks.”
Favorite quotation:
“I’ve always believed that if you put in the work, the results will come. I don’t do things half-heartedly. Because I know if I do, then I can expect half-hearted results.” –Michael Jordan
Future:
“I want to go to the Olympics. Then I want to retire and be a sports trainer, and marry an National Football League quarterback. Someone hot like Tom Brady.”
Celebrity crush:
“Zac Effron.”
Things you do outside of school:
“I play soccer and basketball, and I like to hang out with my friends.”
Inspiration:
“My mom.”
Liam Eddy, freshman
Reaction to winning Homecoming:
“I wasn’t really surprised, but it was kind of cool. A lot of people had already told me that they had voted for me and that I was going to win, so I already knew that I would.”
Favorite item of clothing:
“A black jacket.”
Favorite food:
“I have no favorites. I’m a bottomless pit. My nickname used to be recycling bin.”
Favorite place in West Linn:
“I would have to say the football field because I like playing and I’m on the freshman team.”
Favorite quotation:
“Silence! I kill you!” –Jeff Dunham
Future:
“I want to be a professional snowboarder.”
Celebrity crush:
“Emma Watson.”
Things you do outside of school:
“I snowboard, play guitar, video games, TV, Facebook and annoy the crap out of my sister.”
Inspiration:
“Sean White and Anthony Mathes.”
Weirdest dream:
“I was going to this place, kind of like an area to swim, and I ended up in this office. This chick came in and called security and I had to run from them.”
