best of – The Tempest

2019 was a year. While in the grand scheme of human history it probably won’t register as particularly significant, it was a year where womxn and femmes, and basically anyone who isn’t a cishet white man, started to find words to speak their truth. We talked about deeply traumatic experiences. We shared pain. But we also shared resiliency. So in no particular order, these are the Life Editor’s top picks for 2019.

1. “I couldn’t speak about my assault for years, until now” by Izza Malik

I couldn’t speak about my assault for years, until now

We all know assault sucks, but to describe it and confront it in writing? That’s something special.

2. “We’re all the victims in a world of school shootings” by Meg Leach

We’re all the victims in a world of school shootings

In an America where shootings seem to happen every other day, a deep and personal narrative describing the effects of such happens is so important. Even if you haven’t been directly involved in a shooting, the PTSD hits us all in its own way.

3. “My neighborhood believes in walls and privacy, but I was surprised how much I enjoyed a week without a wall” by Erin De Kock

My neighborhood believes in walls and privacy, but I was surprised how much I enjoyed a week without a wall

Walls are made for privacy but are they hurting human compassion and sympathy? During one week without a wall in the suburbs of Johannesburg, this author discovered an entirely new side to her neighborhood. But at the end of that week, the wall went back up and the camaraderie faded. Is privacy worth it?

4. “I wish people talked more about this depression symptom” by Anushka Singh

I wish people talked more about this depression symptom

Brain fog is a real and horrific effect of depression that doesn’t nearly get enough attention. Brain fog refers to a cluster of symptoms that affect thinking, memory and recollection. Moreover, it affects more than just those with depression. Understanding each other is the first step to making this world a better and more accepting place.

5. “What I didn’t know about life after graduation” by Amanda DiBenedetto

What I didn’t know about life after graduation

Moving from the freeform setup of college into the abyss of the unknown is terrifying for everyone. We think the real world will offer the same freedom but, instead, we take any and all jobs that will pay the rent and offers health insurance.

6. “Here’s why I’m done helping you with your white guilt” by Neha Maqsood

Here’s why I’m done helping you with your white guilt

It is not up to women of color to make you feel better about your inherent racism. The everyday turmoil of microaggressions and stress placed on the shoulders of POC is simply unfair and exhausting.

7. “I lost my faith in religion. Now I have to tell my Muslim parents” by Anonymous

I lost my faith in religion. Now I have to tell my Muslim parents

Something changed in this author’s faith over time. Slowly, she began to listen to music, dance and lose her passion for Islam. Is she still Muslim? Why couldn’t she connect?

Life is nuts but when we share our experiences the world gets a little closer and we understand each other a little better. Cheers to 2019!

Trying to boil 2016 down to a few words, or even a few sentences, is a challenge.

When I first sat down to choose the four articles that best summed up the year, I wasn’t sure what angle I wanted to take. Oxford Dictionary’s Word of the Year is “Post-Truth” – and while I’m inclined to agree with the choice, the News Section covers more than just divisive politics.

Looking back on some of this year’s biggest headlines, I can’t help but re-live the roller coaster of emotions associated with them. We stood in solidarity with our black brothers and sisters, criticized the judicial system when Brock Turner got off easy, and mourned the victims of the Pulse nightclub massacre. We bit our nails as the events of Brexit unfolded, watched incredulously as Donald Trump won the American presidency, and stood at the front lines of the Dakota Access Pipeline protests. Our hearts broke as the crisis in Syria reached unprecedented levels, and several terror attacks across Europe incited new waves of anti-immigrant and Islamophobic rhetoric.

2016 was filled with events that were so shocking, we almost couldn’t believe they happened.

But amidst the heartbreak, we’ve had some serious gains. We’ve doubled our writer’s network and now feature voices from over 20 countries. Every email, pitch, and article is a gain in my eyes. It means we’re still fighting.

The launch of the Science vertical, Tech + Money vertical and The Week in Review series brought in a whole new twist to how we reported news. And we promise, there’s more to come.

So without further ado, here’s the #BestofTheTempest16 for News and Society.

1. My deep dark secret about the pledge of allegiance

Race relations were at the forefront of most of identity politics reporting this year. Cecilia Nowell, Editorial Fellow, tackles Colin Kaepernick and race relations in America as she describes her complicated relationship with the Pledge of Allegiance: “I had, after all, grown up in a country where presidents proclaimed ‘God bless America’ and bumper-stickers exclaimed ‘God bless our troops!’ Believing in God was half of being an American. But what was I if I didn’t?”

This honest narrative gets us all to think about how we practice our patriotism.

2. Dear rapists, I don’t give a f*ck about your future

Sexual violence is no joke – and young females are especially vulnerable. We saw extensive dialogue taking place throughout Brock Turner’s highly publicized trial – and the nation’s collective dismay when he got let off easy. The horrifying reality of this year’s rape statistics has shown us there’s a lot of work to be done.

Chelsea Hensley spares no feelings in this powerful open letter: “I’ll never forget or forgive that you are a rapist. I wish nothing but bad things on you.”

3. How “Funk Your Turban” can change the conversation about Sikhs

Mansharn Toor gets honest with us as she describes her struggles as a Sikh woman in Canada. Toor’s experiences relatable on many levels: “Since [9/11], being a brown skinned individual in a dominantly white country meant that with many interactions with the Western world I would be racialized.”

Toor shares with us a secret she’s never told before and stresses the need for increased dialogue, while simultaneously debunking myths surrounding the turban.

4. I always thought politics were too much for me to handle

It would be an understatement to say that politics were at the forefront of media this year. Editorial Fellow Ryanne Berry sums up the millennial experience in this honest description on her journey to “becoming political.”

Once she started engaging with politics, she realized how important it was to discern the “difference between internet slacktivism and actually being ‘political,'” especially with the rapid advent of social media.

Here’s to the New Year!