-Isms: Views on life in rural America

By the time this edition lands in your mailbox, I imagine our office will be a bit quieter.

Our summer reporters either will have returned to high school or be headed to Wayne for college. Both will be seniors at their respective schools.

It has been a joy working with Faith King and Erin Schwager this summer.

Erin joined the paper the day before our first edition debuted in 2019. She had recently graduated high school and was leaving soon for her first year at Wayne. She’s written stories for us (or weeded vinyl for T-shirt orders), as time permits, ever since. We’re working on a plan that will allow her to continue to share stories with our readers throughout the fall. She’ll be student teaching during second semester, so she’ll take a break from writing. Hopefully, she will be able to contribute stories next summer.

I’ve noticed a lot of growth in Erin’s writing. She’s developing her own style and voice, important elements of feature writing. She’s proven to be a top-notch researcher, too.

Earlier today, I was flipping through past editions, trying to pick her “best of the best.” It’s tough to choose. Each article highlighted information we, as readers, could utilize or recorded a specific moment in time. The three-part series spotlighting independent business owners is well-written and gives credence to one of our office themes: the importance of shopping and being local.

My favorite piece is Ironman Alaska, where Erin tells the story of Randi Strunk’s preparation for a triathlon. The surprise or rest-of-the-story ending is powerful.

Faith began working for SAM 15 months ago. Her list of job duties is varied: reporter, photographer, website builder and social media manager. Throughout the school year, she’s responsible for posting the E-edition and schedules some social media content.

This summer, she designed the Sidebar’s digital presence, completing the shop’s website, complete with a full list of inventory. She also creates content for the sidebar online, primarily on TikTok. Check it out or stop by for a visit.

Faith will continue office hours on Wednesdays during the school year. We’re hoping she’ll spend time with us again next summer, before blazing a trail at college and eventually, law school.

This much I know: Office time, without them around on a daily basis, is going to be an adjustment. We’ve become each others’ sounding boards, expressed frustrations at times and giggled way more than we should. We’ve learned to listen more, talk less and research before drawing conclusions. We’ve organized and prioritized. We’ve experienced success on several levels and have learned valuable lessons when things don’t follow a plan.

Have a great senior year, Faith and Erin. Study hard, have fun, set goals and don’t be afraid to reach beyond the stars to make dreams come true.