With every semester, the Downtown Devil grows and develops in new ways. We see changes in the managing board, editors, staff reporters, photographers and top positions. We face new editorial decisions and some individual challenges, good and bad, that teach us important lessons as an organization. This semester, we transferred all our blogs onto the main website to run as columns and replaced our banner. We’ve been working to expand the diversity of our coverage so we can truly speak to the entire community of downtown Phoenix.
One thing that has not changed in all the years of the Downtown Devil is our devotion to sharing what’s important with the whole of the downtown Phoenix community. We’ve worked hard to go in-depth and explore the issues and stories here.
That’s why, to finish out our regular publishing for this semester, we’d like to share our highlights of the semester — stories from our different sections, photos in hard and feature news and a pick from our editor-in-chief as well.
Downtown Devil Highlights of the Semester
MAN-CAT band, featuring recycled music and feline face masks, to release first album
Downtown Phoenix is filled with weird bands — and then there’s MAN-CAT. Part rock band, part pop-music philosophizers and part performance art collective, the feline-masked threesome are fascinating downtown figures. When I heard that their first full-length album was due to debut, I knew the time for a profile had come. I got to tell the reporter and photographer to, “Go crazy; I trust you,” which doesn’t happen often. I love how this offbeat, GIF-driven profile turned out.
–Arts & Entertainment Editor Alexandra Scoville
A residential tower will be built on Central Station site, given a break on property taxes
This story is a follow-up to our story about GPLET earlier this year. It takes a much narrower angle and demonstrates that the city of Phoenix approved the Central Station project with knowledge that it would impact surrounding property taxes. This is one of the hidden issues of downtown and is critically important.
–Business Editor Travis Arbon
Yovani Flores gives artistic voice to minority women in the community
One thing that made this story a standout for me was the devotion of the reporter, Becky Brisley, to write a strong, moving profile piece. She went through numerous drafts with me, communicating with me consistently throughout the drafting process and working hard to make sure this story would be excellent — and, in my opinion, she delivered. On top of that, this profile shows positive steps the Downtown Devil has taken toward highlighting more marginalized communities, such as queer women of color, and the extremely important work they’re doing in downtown Phoenix.
–Features and Columns Editor Molly Bilker
A nonprofit group leaves humanitarian aid along immigrant trails in the U.S. from Mexico
If I had to choose one article as the best community story, it’s this one, an incredible collaboration of Sarah Jarvis’ reporting and Courtney Pedroza’s photography that highlights a story of vital national significance. I’ve spoken to multiple people who have praised this story for its writing and visuals, and the humanitarian project of No More Deaths is a perfect example of what the Downtown Devil looks to highlight in community stories. This semester, I’ve been incredibly proud of the work that students have done to bring both breaking news and in-depth information to the community. We reported on crazy heavy rainfall we experienced earlier this year, the legal recognition of same-sex marriages and the disputes over FAA flight patterns, and equally well, we profiled activists, publishers, poets and organizers who do their parts to transform Phoenix and its community.
–Community Editor Brandon Kutzler
Slide show: Same-sex marriage legal in Arizona
I am impressed by and proud of the Downtown Devil’s photo coverage of the first same-sex marriages in Arizona. The emotion captured in these photos astounds me. We had photographers such as Alexandra Scoville, who took the photo at left, at the Maricopa County Clerk’s Office and court buildings all afternoon to photograph the cheerful moments as they happened. Our talented and ready-to-report photographers were able to capture of some of the first same-sex weddings in Arizona.
–Photo Editor Amanda LaCasse
Bioscience High School ranks in worldwide ‘Most Amazing High School Campuses’ list
The story on Bioscience High School being named one of the most amazing high school campuses in the world was a definite highlight for me. I came across the idea while browsing through Bioscience’s website, and it was one of the first stories I pitched as an editor. The reporter did a fantastic job and the story got a lot of attention after it was published. I’m so proud that Downtown Devil was the first to write about this huge honor.
–Education Editor Sophia Kunthara
New shipping-container galleries set up downtown, progressing mobile art movement
This article was beautifully written, with an awesome blend of almost poetic tone that still retained professional diction overall. The transitions were smooth. The eye-catching panorama of the Hot Box Gallery was a great aspect of the piece as well.
–Arts & Entertainment Editor Becky Brisley
Local baker brings passion, experience and doughnuts to restaurant menu development
You don’t often think of the person who created a restaurant menu. Their history, their inspirations, their trials and errors. That’s why I’m happy we published Faith Miller’s story on Casey Hopkins-Johnson, the bright mind behind the menu for the new Welcome Chicken+Donuts restaurant. It’s a colorful portrait filled with clarity and imagery. The photo is also one of the best Downtown Devil has run. Most importantly, it shines a light on something you would never think about, and that’s something Downtown Devil strives to do every day. It doesn’t hurt that the restaurant is delicious.
–Editor-in-Chief Miguel Otarola
I’ll be honest and transparent — I took this photo and I love it. I didn’t ask Casey Hopkins-Johnson to hold a doughnut up to her face when I was taking her portrait; she decided she wanted to pose in this fashion, and then she did it. The best portraits for feature stories are captured when the subject is in his or her natural habitat, doing whatever he or she prefers to do. In this case, the doughnut suggests a joyful and playful nature and is slightly out of focus to draw attention to her eyes.
–Photo Editor Amanda LaCasse
Devil’s Advocate: Bicycling can be fearful on the Phoenix streets — what can we do?
In my opinion, this is the kind of piece all our columns should aspire to be. This post by Miguel Otarola combined the perfect amount of voice and opinion with a variety of facts and sources to illuminate his point. It was both funny and serious, and it highlighted a large number of different questions about the safety and feasibility of bicycling in downtown Phoenix. Part of the purpose of columns is to inspire critique and conversation, and this column showed just how well we can do that while still using sources and facts.
–Features and Columns Editor Molly Bilker
Contact us at the Downtown Devil at news@downtowndevil.com
