Time flies working at the World-Spectator
A fun and busy summer at the newspaper
August 26, 2024, 10:15 am
Ashley Bochek
Working at the Spectator this summer has been exciting and thrilling throughout these past four months of reporting the latest news flowing around town. Growing up in Moosomin, I swear the town has never been this busy. I noticed this summer that Main Street has been consistently busy, it’s almost like no one decided to go on trips this summer or new faces were exploring town. Either way, it was a busy summer for me and the town. Every day and every week felt like it was flying by and days became shorter. I have enjoyed working at the World-Spectator and having a job that keeps me busy.
Heading back to university
I am attending the University of Regina in the fall for Business Administration. I am going into my second year of university. I was originally in the Faculty of Education, but learned aspects of business and community support from working at the World-Spectator that has influenced me to learn more about business, entrepreneurship, and communications, which are so heavily weighted in our economic and daily lives. I am excited to try something new and connect teachings at university to the experience I have had working at a small local business.
I have never seen myself interested in business school because before working at the World-Spectator it didn’t interest me, but since working at the paper I have learned the ins and outs of a small business and the feasibility of a newspaper company in a small town. I have seen the hardworking late nights or long days in the office in order to serve the community with a factual and important paper every week. I have also seen the respect in return from the community, proving local businesses are this community’s core. Without our local businesses, our community wouldn’t be flourishing the way it is now. I have now experienced a fraction of business and it only makes me want to learn and experience more.
Seeing Moosomin in a new light
This summer I have seen Moosomin continue to grow and the stories I have had the opportunity of reporting or simply just being there to listen, were exciting for me, but most importantly exciting for our community.
I am so grateful for the opportunities I have been given to report important projects happening in town, and it was thrilling to know I was covering each story that was a stepping stone toward the future of my hometown.
It has been exciting to see the town’s progress I have seen since working at the Spectator compared to growing up and having very little connection to my hometown. While working at the World-Spectator, I have learned the importance of working together between different community groups to accomplish goals toward growth, and to accomplish the common goal of expanding our community. I have also learned that Moosomin is a great place to live, work, and raise a family it offers all the services a small town needs and a big city has too many of.
In high school, I thought I didn’t want to live in Moosomin any longer because I had outgrown it, but working at the World-Spectator has taught me that there are great people, businesses, and community leaders accomplishing big steps for this community and I see the growth they’re working toward.
So really, I was outgrowing high school and not seeing the advantageous and easy living that is here in Moosomin because I wasn’t involved, I was uninterested in our community’s growth, and unaware of the interesting stories happening here.
I get to be a part of the future milestones by seeing local innovative people build toward a greater community and I could not thank the World-Spectator enough for allowing me to see our town evolve at the forefront.
Looking back at my time these past four months at the Spectator, I have interviewed government officials, and I have reported on many fundraisers and many donations. Each and every story has led me toward new and exciting experiences that I just wouldn’t have had working anywhere else.
New experiences
I was on the first jet taking off from the Moosomin Airport and if that isn’t being a part of history I don’t know what is! I couldn’t stop smiling the entire time from Moosomin to Virden, so smiling for only a 10-minute airplane ride, but still an absolutely amazing experience that I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to be a part of if it weren’t for being at the World-Spectator. I have also made Blizzards after interviewing Moosomin Dairy Queen on Miracle Treat Day and the amazing cause it supports and I almost forgot, I decorated Smile Cookies for Tim Hortons back in May to raise money for the new day care.
All the stories I have been a part of this summer have blown me away with the amount of support this community has for the newspaper. I get to be a part of each and every one of your stories because you want to share them with the World-Spectator.
Great to be part of so many events
I have written many stories for the paper this summer and I enjoyed each and every single one of them, but I have also been given opportunities to take pictures for exciting events in Moosomin or around our area including the Maryfield Fair that my family attended with me, Elkhorn Western Weekend, and I sadly missed our Chamber of Commerce parade that I so wish I could have been home for—especially since Candyland was an idea that I was so excited to tell Kevin about, and even more excited to see the floats.
Having fun while working
I have also been able to travel for sales trips to Clear Lake with Su where we enjoyed the beautiful lake and warm weather, then Virden, and Minot. I have been on many sales trips, but this summer were some of my favourites from my Uncle Ryan being my chauffeur in his red Corvette all day in Virden, to my mom driving me around Minot and visiting businesses all while enjoying our mother-daughter time and our long-overdue girls trip since figure skating competitions are no longer demanding them.
I also was a tour guide when people visited the World-Spectator, including my little brother Brett, who came to the World-Spectator for a school project. He was most excited to see his pictures in the paper the following week after his visit and I enjoyed spending the afternoon with him at work.
So thankful
I enjoyed the busy environment working at the World-Spectator again this summer, and loved that every day was different and more exciting from the last. I have been so fortunate to experience so many community milestones in our area that I would have never known I was missing out on.
I am so lucky! I have been a part of so many amazing stories that I get to tell, but my favourite part is I get to listen first and hear the thoughts and feelings behind the story.
This community is lucky because it is full of great people with amazing stories to tell and I am so grateful I get to be a part of the stories, and each step toward making this community greater.
I cannot wait to continue to see Moosomin develop. I believe Moosomin is lucky to have such amazing people and business owners who are determined to see Moosomin economically grow, and I am thankful to watch it from the sidelines and write a story for all of you to remember and look back on one day!
Ashley Bochek is a World-Spectator employee and a university student.
