Excuse me sir, please hold the big, scary microphone closer to your mouth

Hauling around her 50-pound backpack and clunky, black voice recorder that almost resembles a taser, Lake Voice's editor in chief, Aloysia Power, rode around on the downtown and West Duluth buses trying to get to know Duluth's bus riding folk. Turns out, nobody really wants to talk when they're on the bus – especially when there's a big, scary recorder in their face. Rejection after rejection, Aloysia said she almost gave up trying to interview these Duluth bus riders. It was just too awkward for her to be stuck sitting on the same bus with people who not only didn't want to talk with her, but with each other. Why was everyone so shy and afraid of a little interaction?

After switching buses, however, she finally made eye contact with an older West Duluth man in the back of the bus and they talked about why bus riders don't want anything to do with each other.

With the help of this man's realistic insight, Aloysia got off the bus with some new ideas in her head – inspirational ideas that she thinks can maybe change Duluth for the better. Can one five minute conversation at a time really bring Duluth together?

Click on her podcast below to find out.

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