End of the year review: 10 of our best Arts and Culture stories

Reflecting on the year’s most popular, most important, and most memorable stories

Taylor DeGuzman / Arts and Culture Editor / The USD Vista

This year, the USD community turned to beautiful stories of diversity, stories of hope, stories that highlighted the beauty of San Diego, and stories that captured the arts and culture of USD to bask in moments of joy, however fleeting. The Arts and Culture section of The USD Vista offered readers an escape — whether that be an escape through online dating culture, delicious food and drinks, gorgeous sights and surroundings, tips and tricks for how to navigate life, and more. With the end of the school year and the last issue of The USD Vista drawing near, here are 10 of our best Arts and Culture stories for the year 2020-2021.

“The land was already beautiful before”: A Look Into the History Beneath USD’s Surface 

This story illuminates the history and significance of the land beneath USD — a story that often goes unnoticed or recognized to the USD community. The creation story of USD often paints the narrative that our campus was built on unused land, but the truth is that thousands of years of habitation, history, and life resided here, long before USD was born. 

Crush culture during COVID-19: Pinning your Zoom crush 

A year of online classes forced students to find unconventional ways to shoot their shot at their crushes; oftentimes, individuals pinned their Zoom crush in an attempt to distract themselves from lecture. Without in-person interactions and the ability to dress and impress a crush, the culture around crushing and finding the “one” drastically changed. 

The Bachelorettes and Bachelors of USD 

The saying goes: “There are plenty of fish in the sea.” And with that being said, a lot of people at USD are quite the catch. Some of USD’s most sought after bachelorettes and bachelors were featured — and as a result, some bachelorettes and bachelors received a few DMs from secret admirers. 

What makes you proud to be Asian American/Pacific Islander? 

To combat the hate, racism, and prejudice in the world, especially the heightened fear amongst the Asian American and Pacific Islander community amidst anti-asian hate crimes, stories of love and stories of pride from the USD community remind others all the reasons why one should be proud to be AAPI. 

The culture of new year’s resolutions 

“It’s a time to reminisce on the past while dreaming about and planning for the future.” USD students came together to reflect on a year of uncertainty and how they planned to move forward and create a year that looked different than last. 

Best and worst dates of USD 

“The worst date I ever went on was at Raising Cane’s in Honolulu. I’m pretty sure she just wanted a free meal and a ride home. We never talked again.” We’ve all experienced the good, the bad, and the ugly when it comes to memorable dating experiences. Sometimes, the worst dates are the funniest memories looking back. 

Time to zoom away from Zoom: Coronado 

With students’ screen time increasing by the minute, 10-hour Zoom days feel almost routine. However, when you live in one of the most beautiful cities in the world, a mini picturesque getaway to a small island “away from the real world” is more than possible. 

5 good outcomes of the worst year ever: why 2020 wasn’t all bad 

Despite 2020 being one of the most unforgettable years (and not in a good way), there was still some good that came out of the bad; whether that be a win for the environment, resources for mental health, or TikTok not getting banned, the year created small moments for individuals to feel at least some sunshine throughout the fog. 

#FreeBritney: USD students help the movement gain momentum 

This story put a spotlight on the “Free Britney” movement — a movement centered around Britney Spears’ conservatorship, by which her father controls her finances and namely, everyday life. An incredibly important and eye opening story, this piece highlights the late 90s mental health stigma that painted women in the limelight as crazy. 

How to be (lowkey) TikTok famous

USD may be small, but some of the stars and influencers that come from our school are far from it. One USD student featured has over 150k followers on TikTok. If one person from USD can become TikTok famous, anyone can.