Farewells

Today I moderated my final Downtown Devil Discussion. Begun the Fall of my freshman year, this panel discussion series has been highly formative for me as a student, downtown Phoenix resident, and burgeoning member of the community.

The first DDD was arguably my first downtown-centric public event. I was invited by my RCSL at the time, Dustin Volz, who was attempting to woo me into joining Downtown Devil, the student-run news publication he and a few others had founded to serve the downtown Phoenix community and its then-new student population. He knew I had a keen interest in downtown Phoenix, and thought I would find it of interest.

Fast-forward a few months and I was co-writing an Innovation Challenge proposal with Dustin and a few others to fund an extension of the Discussion series in the form of a magazine (unsuccessful). Fast-forward again and I was the Director of Community Initiatives for the Downtown Devil. Fast-forward yet again and I was moderating the very Discussion I had been invited to attend one year earlier. And now, after three semesters at the helm of the event, I have given up my role to focus on my thesis, and the many other jobs I have gained in the meantime.

The Downtown Devil Discussions were created as an extension of an innovative hyper-local news publication, aiming to keep its finger on the pulse of downtown Phoenix as it grew and evolved. From attending, moderating, organizing, and promoting these events, I created a niche for myself  and the publication in the community--bringing together diverse interests to discuss critical issues facing the area. Over the semesters the events have covered ASU/community interactions, small-businesses and entrepreneurship, transportation, sustainability, arts and culture, gentrification, and much more. And (if I may brag), I still haven't seen an event like it in town.

While I am sad to step down from the organization, it is a pleasure to have helped birth something which truly has contributed to the city I love so much.