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Monday, November 23, 2020 | Vo l u m e 1 2 5 | I s s u e 1 6
The Independent Student Voice of UNM since 1895
Bella Davis graduates after disrupting New Mexico journalism status quo By Shelby Kleinhans @BirdsNotReal99
Shelby Kleinhans / Daily Lobo / @BirdsNotReal99
Bella Davis graduates fall 2020 with a degree in journalism.
Through a year of pandemic, protests about racial injustice and divisive politics, Bella Davis made it to graduation, leaving behind a massive legacy of reporting in her wake. With a major in journalism and a minor in international studies, Davis is also ending her time as a senior reporter for the Daily Lobo. Davis pursued writing throughout high school but wasn’t sure which path was best for her when she began studying at the University of New Mexico. By the end of her sophomore year, she applied to work for the honors literary magazine Scribendi and was accepted — much to Davis’ surprise. She continued to realize her full potential by becoming the editor in chief for Limina: UNM Nonfiction Review during her junior year. But something was still missing. Davis candidly expressed the discouragement she felt after years of classes in the communication and journalism department. In those spaces, she was confronted by professors who told her that
“in order to be a good reporter, (you) have to be objective and have to remain neutral.” “I’m angry about a lot of stuff, and journalism is a way to confront those things that are so unjust,” Davis said. “Capitalism and white supremacy are not natural systems — they were made, so they can be unmade, and journalism should have a role in that.” Davis found that her pursuit of social justice issues and fighting inequity led her directly to the doorstep of the Daily Lobo. Last March, she approached former Editor-in-Chief Justin Garcia about a piece she wanted to pen about the impact the closure of Student Health and Counseling would have on students for the rest of the spring semester. “Like a lot of people, I kind of just fell into it and fell in love with it,” Davis said about the Lobo. Likewise, the Lobo fell in love with Davis and the wholly unique way that she covered stories, unlike any other news outlet in the city of Albuquerque. Current Editor-in-Chief Alex McCausland spoke about how impressed he was with Davis’ first few articles covering the
protests sparked by the death of George Floyd in May. But what stood out to him the most was Davis’ coverage of the Albuquerque Police Department’s shooting of Max Mitnik which emphasized “specific moments in the body cam footage that highlighted the emotions and experiences of people involved in the situation, instead of just reporting on it like it was a news story.” Daily Lobo copy editor Andrew Gunn recalled his rapid-pace introduction to Davis on the streets of Albuquerque, where the two dodged rounds of sponge grenades and tear gas deployed by riot police at a George Floyd protest in May. Gunn was impressed by her refusal to leave long after other news stations had left the fray and said Davis has “courage, tenacity and a desire to tell the whole story.” “Lots of people were yearning for the type of coverage that (Davis) provides, and I think she came to understand that over time and was more emboldened to express herself freely. To me, that's what journalism is about,” McCausland said.
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UNM graduate Victoria Knight steps into the unknown with an open heart By Megan Gleason @fabflutist2716 Balancing three degrees, along with a multitude of extracurricular activities, University of New Mexico fall 2020 graduate Victoria Knight is ready to enter the world with an open heart for new possibilities. Knight is graduating a semester early with a liberal arts major and mathematics and honors minors. Unlike many other graduates, Knight still has her options open for possibilities of the future after school, considering various positions including mechanics. Throughout her time at UNM, Knight said she wanted to settle into the person she was going to be for the rest of her life and really find her own personality, especially after being raised in a military family where they never
stayed in one place for too long. “I really struggled trying to decide what it was that I wanted to become, not necessarily in terms of a job or academically, but in terms of what kind of person I thought I wanted to be,” Knight said. “And I’m still struggling because there is no one answer.” As founder of the Honors College Pathmaker Program, Knight devoted much of her time to the Honors College and the Honors Student Association (HSA), where she served as president for a year and a half. She also received an outstanding honors freshman award and presented at both the 2018 Western Regional Honors Conference and the 2019 National CollegiateHonors Conference. Knight reflected on the car rides spent with friends in the HSA and said those were some of the most memorable experi-
ences in her time at school. “When I think about Victoria, I just think about the way that she greets absolutely everyone ... like she’s never been happier in her life to see them,” close friend Emerald Goranson said. Friends weren’t the only ones helping Knight get through school, as she also lauded her advisors at the liberal arts college, specifically Nancy Diodati-Miller. “I went into her office crying a whole bunch of times, and every time, she would sit down and talk with me and I would just feel so much better after I would talk to her,” Knight said. “I would feel like the world wasn’t ending, which is dramatic, I know, but that’s a part of my personality.” In addition, Knight served as the ASUNM speaker of joint
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Liam DeBonis / Daily Lobo / @LiamDebonis
Victoria Knight graduates fall 2020 with a degree in liberal arts.