Wrenshall news

Monday is Martin Luther King Jr. Day and one of the ways I try and honor his legacy is to try something new and push myself to leave my comfort zone. Given the divisive nature of our national politics I am hoping to use the holiday to have a conversation with someone that I might not normally engage with. The national organization Story Corps has started a similar initiative that they are calling “One Small Step.”

Story Corps has spent the last 15 years preserving and sharing humanity’s stories in order to build connections between people. This is how they describe the project on their website: “With One Small Step, we are seeking to counteract intensifying political divides, by facilitating and recording conversations that enable people who disagree to listen to each other with respect … To remind us that we have more in common than divides us and that treating those with whom we disagree with decency and respect is essential to a functioning democracy.”

They offer some effective questions that get beyond singular candidates and issues and open up the conversation to focus on what might connect people rather than drive them apart:

Describe an experience that shaped your politics.

How did your childhood shape your view of the world today?

Can you talk about a time you experienced doubt over your beliefs?

Is there someone with whom you disagree but still respect?

When you think about the future, what are you most scared of?

Wrenshall students don’t need the excuse of a national holiday to leave their comfort zone.

Five students from Wrenshall competed in the regional Business Professionals of America event at Itasca Community College in Grand Rapids Jan. 10. The organization is dedicated to developing and empowering student leaders to discover their passion and change the world by creating unmatched opportunities in learning, professional growth and service. The students compete in a range of events from objective tests to judged presentations. Four students will represent Wrenshall at the state competition in the beginning of March.

Wrenshall student Reece Prouty is starring in the Duluth Playhouse’s rendition of “Frozen JR” The show runs through Jan. 26 so there is still a chance to see the stage version of this favorite and enjoy the talents of a Wrenshall student while you’re at it.

If you have a Wrenshall related story, let me know. 218-310-4703 or annes

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