I’mMadeline, but my friends call me ‘Mads’

Iam the newest staff writer for Shoreview Press and The Lowdown.

I graduated from the University of St. Thomas in May with a degree in English-Creative Writing and a minor in communications.

Madeline’s

Madeline Dolby

At St. Thomas, I juggled both academics and being on the track team all four years. As a junior, I spent the whole year designing and editing the student literary newspaper— The Summit Avenue Review— with nine other fellow students. My next great adventure is graduate school, where I am studying creative writing, editing and publishing.

But first, how did I get here?

I grew up in Wyoming– the city, not the state. It is a quiet, small town just about an hour North of the Twin Cities. My family has lived in the same house since before I was born. We have never moved, nor do I think we ever will. I lived

• Limited to 350 words.

• Submissions must Include a full name, address and daytime phone number for verification.

• Letter writers must live, work or have another connection to Press Publications coverage area.

• Letter writers are limited to six letters per year the typical small-town life. I went to elementary school two miles down the road from my house, I played with my older sister and the kids who lived next door, and my favorite place to hang out was the Dairy Queen which was a quick bike ride away from where I lived.

My childhood was consumed with ice cream, friends, school and sports. I did gymnastics from the ages of four to fifteen. From the age of eleven, I spent twentyfour hours at practice each week perfecting my salute and pointing my toes until my feet hurt. When I turned thirteen, my focus started to shift from gymnastics to track. I did both sports until I was fifteen when I ultimately had to pick between them. Track won by a landslide. I attended Forest Lake High School where I graduated in 2019. In my four years on the track team, I gained multiple All-Conference and All-State titles and walked away with two school records.

After I graduated from college, I spent my first month of summer reading ten books, moving out of my college apartment, and trying to learn how to golf. At the beginning of July, I joined the Press Publications team to grow as a writer. They are the perfect fit for me. Everyone is passionate about what they do, and it reflects in their work. I am at my desk from Monday to Friday and spend my weekends sitting on my front porch trying to finish yet another book on my never-ending “to-be-read” list or visiting my friends in the cities.

I have always had a passion for storytelling and writing. It has been something I have enjoyed since I was in elementary school. During my free time, instead of messing around with the cute boys in my sixth-grade class, I would sit in the reading corner trying to finish a book before time was up. My diary was filled with poorly written stories. It still is. But I know that these experiences I have had growing up, in college and at Press Publications will be invaluable to me, wherever I end up.

WHITE BEAR PRESS | LETTER GUIDELINES

and at least four weeks must lapse between publication. Exceptions may be made for rebuttal letters.

• Due to space limitations, letters that don’t address local issues are not guaranteed publication.

• Repeat letters by the same writer about the same subject matter will not be published.

• Submissions containing libelous or derogatory statements will not be published.

• Submissions containing facts not previously published in the Press must be accompanied by factual verification.

• All letters are subject to editing.

• Deadline is 5 p. m. , Thursday of the week prior to publication.

• To submit a letter, e-mail it to whitebearnews@ presspubs.com, fax it to 651-429-1242 or mail or deliver it to Press Publications, 4779 Bloom Ave., White Bear Lake, MN 55110.

Response to letters

In response to DiCesare’s letter (July 19), Paslawski did not explicitly identify herself as a conservative, a theist, or as someone against COVID-19 vaccines. In order to illustrate the logical inconsistencies of Raeker’s letter (July 5) Paslawski plays devil’s advocate until the end when she identifies herself as pro-life. Both DiCesare and Raeker try to peddle the idea that being pro-life is synonymous with being both a theist and a conservative, but this is increasingly misleading. Likewise, Paslawski’s example about COVID-19 indeed fit the bill of the government telling us what to do with our bodies, motives aside.

The crux of the issue in this thread has been whether human life has inherent value or not. DiCesare and Raeker both suggest that it doesn’t, but what premises led them to this conclusion, and where are the logical parameters to keep vulnerable groups (ethnic minorities, disabled, females) from being singled out as unworthy of life?

DiCesare’s conclusion that abortion only affects a few people is completely wrong. We’re all connected whether we like it or not. To the unborn life that abortion is imposed upon (and to all those people who otherwise would have seen, met, befriended this person, married them, etc.) the abortion made all the difference in the world. Likewise for the parents,who are now on a different timeline and trajectory, physically and psychologically.

What sort of concept of the common good could we possibly deduce and what type of culture would develop from an ideology that doesn’t stand up for the weak, or has an increasingly exclusive idea of who’s worthy of the state’s protection? Any true concept of justice is not compatible with this ‘might makes right,’ ‘ends justify the means’ mentality.

Surely we are made for more than just the worship of big business and big government. If a single person being aborted doesn’t matter how could multiple people dying from COVID-19 matter? Our lives are not purely utilitarian. Life is a gift, no one should need to plead their case for existing.

Student News

The following students graduated from a college or university in spring 2023:

• North Dakota State University: Ashley Fettinger of White Bear Lake, Bachelor of Science, electrical engineering, summa cum laude; Adam Bear of White Bear Township, Bachelor of Business Administration, cum laude; Erika Townley, Bachelor of Arts, marketing.

• University of Vermont: Elizabeth Tuttle of Pine Springs, Bachelors in health and society, cum laude.

• University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse: Gabrielle Potthoff of White Bear Lake, Master of Science, student affairs administration.

• University of Wisconsin-Madison: Lex Waldoch of Dellwood, Bachelor of Science, computer sciences; Jacob Arlandson of Birchwood, Bachelor of Science, mechanical engineering; Matt Anderson of Mahtomedi, Bachelor of Arts, journalism;

Church Brief

Don’t miss well-known musicians, music at annual concert series

The 3rd annual Music on the Lawn outdoor concert series at White Bear Lake United Methodist Church will kick-off August 20 with a tribute to rock & roll greatest duos. The local Super Duos band will perform a tribute to rock’s greatest duos, including Hall & Oates, The Righteous Brothers, Simon & Garfunkel, and more.

The free, family-friendly concerts are open to the general public and feature local musicians and weave in the sacred with the secular.