November 22, 2022
Strangers or new friends? Sidny Zink (left) and Karen Pontius at KSUT for their One Small Step conversation, in a photo taken August, 2022.

A Conservative and liberal get to know each other in a One Small Step conversation

Four Corners Public Radio | By KSUT Staff

Karen Pontius and Sidny Zink didn't know each other when they met at the KSUT studios last August for a One Small Step conversation. Zink grew up in Nebraska and is a retired certified public accountant. Pontius was raised in Los Angeles and is a retired air traffic controller.

One Small Step pairs strangers with opposing beliefs for a conversation focused not on politics, but on getting to know one another.

The two women begin the conversation by identifying the differences in their politics. Zink calls herself a conservative and is a longtime Republican. Pontius is a proud “Berniecrat” and supporter of Democratic Socialism.

But they soon find a shared history as women who worked in male-dominated professions. They trace the roots of their different perspectives to where they grew up. And they both share the feeling that their political beliefs are misunderstood.

Sidny and Karen’s conversation were edited for broadcast. Listen to the unedited conversation.

KSUT is part of a group of six public radio stations partnering with StoryCorps to host One Small Step.

StoryCorps’ One Small Step station hubs is made possible by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Tags