Sydney Davis

Junior Sydney Davis is the driving force behind LHStoday.org, Liberty’s student-run news website. As the Editor-in-Chief, Davis oversees the website’s content, ensuring that the stories published reflect the diverse perspectives of the student body. She also helps co-run the online news class, where she guides her peers and encourages them to develop their journalistic skills.

According to Davis, student news is more than just a source of information; it’s a way to give voice to students’ stories and events that might otherwise go unheard. 

“Student news is very impactful in other’s daily lives,” she explains. “Though most news is now spread by word of mouth, having a news site to go to is just as helpful, documenting people’s stories and events.”

Davis’ dedication and hard work have paid off, as LHStoday has achieved national recognition under her leadership. The website has recently been named a SNO Distinguished Site for the 5th consecutive year, and it placed 8th in the country at the National Scholastic Press Association’s Best of Show awards last fall.

“While it should be obvious, I have found that when you nitpick and confine others to fit different standards, their work quality is greatly reduced,” Davis remarks. “The success of those around me is also tied directly to my attitude. If I start taking out all of my actions onto others, like projecting my feelings onto them, they wouldn’t want to be around me anymore. Listening to what they have to say has also bettered my leading, as well as my learning and understanding.”

Davis herself is following in the footsteps of influential student leaders at Liberty, including Sruthi Ramesh, a class of 2022 graduate and previous Editor-in-Chief of LHStoday. Ramesh has been a prominent source of inspiration for Davis. She says that Ramesh has been “nothing but supportive,” even after graduating and attending Mizzou.

”Recently she has been complimenting my work on the website. Sometimes she sends me scholarships and photo contests to enter.” Davis expresses, “Just today she congratulated me for achieving the Distinguished Sites award with messages telling me that she was proud of me.”

According to Davis, celebrating and recognizing the contributions of women in leadership is incredibly important. She finds inspiration in the work of women like Susan B. Anthony and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who advocated and supported women’s voices, and believes that their uplifting messages have helped women today continue to have a platform. As Davis puts it, “To those who don’t understand/appreciate the significance of Women’s History Month, I would like to get across the point that women are important in society. I can guarantee that most items you use in your daily life were invented by women.”

Davis also notes, “The Ford ad where the company chose to create a car using only parts made by men was incredibly interesting.”