What does it mean to be in this list of top ten articles? Is it based on page views? No. Is it based on the editor’s personal favourite article? Also no. This list of articles was chosen collaboratively by the 2021/22 culture section to celebrate the pieces that moved us this year.
So, in no particular order, here are the top ten culture pieces of 2021/22.
55 years after the destruction of Hogan’s Alley, the Vancouver Black Library is making a place for Black joy by Tova Gaster
"'The idea of a library being somewhere that's for anybody to feel welcomed and comfortable and invited translates to a utopian community space,' said third-year UBC student Maya Preshyon. As a social work student and longtime arts community organiser, Preshyon talked to The Ubyssey about her vision for a Vancouver Black Library (VBL) with enthusiastic optimism — backed up by the detailed plans to make the project a reality."
Ubyssey’s Culture collections of spring haikus by Ubyssey culture
"It's officially spring! Flowers are blooming, birds are chirping and we are writing poetry. Why not take a few minutes to sit back, relax and read through Ubyssey culture's collection of spring haikus?"
From the Cult: Presidential interviews by Kaila Johnson and David Collings
"If you want to know more about the platforms and debate records of the students running for AMS president, you’ve come to the wrong place. The Ubyssey’s news section has all the cold, hard facts you could ever need, but what about what you want? We’re asking the real questions, the stuff students really care about, like what a candidate’s favourite podcast is and whether or not pineapple is permissible on pizza."
Twelve Days of Completely Secular Yuletide: 8 femmes is a wild French-language fever dream by Shane Atienza
"Although there are certainly some Agatha Christie-esque elements of melodrama and intrigue in 8 femmes, what made this film stand out for me was [François] Ozon's intriguing genre-mixing. Each of the female characters has a scene in which they randomly burst into song, complete with her co-stars humming, jiving or awkwardly swaying in the background. (Trust me, this was not High School Musical or West Side Story; it was more like drama class skit night crossed with a murder mystery party.)"
‘It’s okay for you to just unmatch’: Artivism event centres online dating while Queer and BIPOC by Kaila Johnson
"'When we think about all the times that we accept crumbs because somebody has objectified us for our race, often because of our gender, it becomes an opportunity to really see how low our bar is, and where we actually want it to be,' said sex and pleasure educator, Luna Matatas."
Embracing representation in the ‘Who we are’ film series by Manya Malhotra
Content warning: This article contains mention of the residential school system, domestic abuse and sexual abuse.
"The intent behind the series was to celebrate Indigenous voices and authentic storytelling by shifting the narrative away from stories of trauma and suffering that usually dominate films centered around the Indigenous community.
'We are much more than our past, we are our resiliency and we are not steeped in trauma-based narratives,' [Rylan] Friday said in an interview with The Ubyssey."
Book review: Suzanne Simard’s Finding the Mother Tree provides a spark to a potential revolution by Ryan Regier
"Simard takes you through the science as she recounts more and more about just how complex trees are. For example, she walks you through the evidence that trees recognize their 'children' growing around them. They will 'raise' them by providing food and information. This is where the title of her book comes in; her use of the ‘Mother Tree’ is the perfect way to summarize the feminist and humanizing nature of her work."
Decolonize the Chan: Elisapie blends languages, genres and emotions by David Collings
"By the time Elisapie began to talk, in a brief moment between songs, about her hopes that her music could play a small role in recovery after two long pandemic years, I was thoroughly convinced that she was right."
Driving down unfamiliar roads by Kyla Flynn
"If you’re looking for an inspiring piece of self-reflection, an optimistic ode to the good which we still have left or yearning for a peppy display of rise-and-shine attitude, this is not where you’re going to find it."
Scary Spooky Story: Haunted love by Tianne Jensen-DesJardins
"And then with a gentleness I’d never known when I was alive, I reached out and wiped a tear from her face. It takes a lot out of a ghost to cause something to happen, and it would be years before I’d gathered the energy to do it again, but I had to let her know that I was here.
I had to let my sister know that I hadn’t left her. Not on purpose."