Behind the Byline: A look at Alison Matas’ desk

Besides writing for About magazine, I’m also a reporter for The Canton Repository, where I cover Johnson Controls Hall of Fame Village/the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Strengthening Stark and other economic development projects in the county.

I have been the recipient of some good-natured teasing for having a super-minimalist desk, but it works for who I am.

Here’s a look at what’s on my desk.

(From left to right)

1. Newspapers (not pictured): When I write a story for the newspaper I’m really proud of, I keep a print copy. So this is a stack of my best stuff since I was hired in 2013.

2. Bingo board: Some of my co-workers printed out two copies of a “This-City’s-Makin’-A-Comeback” bingo board and gave one to me as a joke. It’s extremely on-point. Also, if anyone in Canton is interested in developing a vibrant kickball scene or opening an ice cream shop with wacky flavors, that would help get us to bingo.

3. “Virginia Woolf:” This is a flyer from an Avenue Arts show I was in during the summer. My character (Honey) was a big challenge for me and ended up being one of my all-time favorite characters I’ve ever played. I had a lot of fun.

4. Photo: That’s me with my best friend, Jill. We met during a production of “Hello, Dolly!” at Carnation City Players in Alliance four years ago, and this is a picture of us in the lobby of that theater after a different show.

5. Kent pin: If you read last month’s issue, you know how much love I have for my hometown and this won’t surprise you. If you didn’t, Kent is where I grew up, and it’s a super-cool place.

6. Dog print-out: One of our former editorial assistants printed this out for me. I am seldom seen without a blanket in my office, regardless of the season.

7. Leadership plaque: I graduated from Leadership Stark County in June (shout-out to the 32nd class, which, obviously, was the best class). Each of us received a plaque with words on it that our classmates used to describe us. Going through the signature leadership program was one of the best experiences I’ve had while living in Stark County, and I would highly recommend it.

8. Framed photo: That’s my “little” sister Carly and me. (She’s only two years younger and is fully an adult and has been for years, but she will always be my little sister in my heart.) She’s the funniest, smartest person you ever will meet and one of my absolute most-favorite humans.

9. Phone: Our work phones are older than I am. I know this because I saw the manual for my phone once, and it was from 1985. People often don’t believe us when we tell them we don’t have caller ID. But it makes answering an exciting gamble—Is it one of the sports guys pranking you (a real-life scenario)? Is it an angry reader? Is it your boss? Is it the person you actually called?

10. Strengths Post-It: These are my results from the Clifton StrengthsFinder, which we took as part of my leadership class. I really love the idea that you should focus on what you’re good at, and I felt very seen when I saw the results from my test. My top two are discipline—enjoying routine and structure—and competition.