From the Deputy Publisher: Rising Writers 

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• Gillian English ©️ Seven Days
• Seven Days interns Abigail Sylvor Greenberg (left) and Katie Futterman

When Seven Days reporters fanned out to cover the flooding over the past two weeks, two 21-year-old interns — both from New York City — were part of the crew.

News team intern Katie Futterman, a rising senior history major at Middlebury College, was the first Seven Days reporter assigned to document the impending deluge. She interned last summer at the Addison County Independent and will serve as the managing editor of Middlebury's student newspaper, the Campus, in the fall. On July 10, she visited Burlington's Intervale, where farmers were frantically harvesting crops, racing to stay ahead of the raging Winooski River.

Despite the desperate circumstances, "Monday was really cheery," she recalled afterward. Most people seemed happy to see her, though she had some trouble keeping up with workers in the fields in her dress and Teva sandals.

Katie wore boots when she returned the next day as floodwaters inundated the fields. The mood was somber by then. It was harder for her to approach farmers, who were dealing with devastating losses. Some declined to be interviewed. But she recognized the need to convey to readers the extent of the damage.

Katie said she learned the importance of pushing herself outside her comfort zone. "You kind of have to be uncomfortable to get good stories," she said.

Abigail Sylvor Greenberg, a rising junior English major at Yale University who last year edited the Yale Daily News Magazine, is wrapping up eight weeks on Seven Days' culture team. Her assignments there ranged from a "True 802" about the centennial of the Vermont state flag to a food feature praising the pizza at Centennial Field ballgames. She also penned spotlights and listings for the upcoming Seven Daysies magazine, All the Best, which showcases our readers' picks. It drops next week. "I loved going into establishments that won Daysies and being incognito," she said.

Abigail drew attention, however, for her second byline — an album review of James Kochalka Superstar's James and Gravy. She dubbed it "a charming EP of stripped-down love songs" but also threw some shade at Vermont's former cartoonist laureate. For example: "He sounds his age, bellowing with a mature voice that gets tired when it strains for high notes or holds syllables. There's something sad about listening to an old person speak in the idiom of a young person."

The review prompted a furious screed about Abigail's "ageism" from a local artist who asked us not to publish her rant. "Who the fuck does this writer think they are?" she fumed.

We stand behind Abigail's unflinching and entertaining honesty, a hallmark of cultural criticism. As culture coeditor Dan Bolles noted, "An angry letter to the editor is a rite of passage for any good music critic."

Kochalka himself was more sanguine in his Twitter response to the review, calling Abigail's description of the recording — "all James, not much gravy" — "such an adorable burn!"

When the entire editorial team pivoted to flood coverage, Abigail did, too. News editor Matthew Roy sent her to Waterbury on July 12, where she spoke with residents and volunteers pumping out basements and serving free meals. "It was intense," she said.

Later that day she visited nearby Waitsfield, where residents marveled at the miracle of being spared. "It's so crazy how random environmental factors can determine whether you're having the worst day of your life or just another Wednesday," she said afterward.

Seven Days doesn't often work with interns. It takes work on both sides to ensure the experience is mutually beneficial. But this summer, these two student journalists have been essential to our team. Abigail's stint ends this week, on July 28; Katie's last day is August 18.

Covering a natural disaster wasn't something either of them expected to do, but they both learned a lot and appreciated the opportunity to put their skills to use in a crisis.

Said Abigail: "In the end, I found the experience really meaningful. I want to do more reporting like that."

That bodes well for the future of journalism.

Publisher Paula Routly returns next week.