This year was a hectic one for the world and UBC was no exception. The university saw a quick end to a rookie president's tenure, followed by the election of a new one, bringing with him a cult of personality. The T-Birds were once again split between utter dominance of their categories and... underwhelming. Profs' research impacted the world, art exhibits made us reflect on it and student politicians never failed to bring the drama.

Without further ado, here are — in our opinion — the stories that made UBC in 2016:

January

The answer for Gupta's resignation lies in a leadership crisis

Leaked documents told the full story of Arvind Gupta's resignation after he unexpectedly quit in August 2015. Here's a timeline of his fall from grace.

February

Rainbow flag burned down during OUTweek

The burning was immediately followed by an outpouring of support from the UBC and greater Vancouver community. Brooklyn Marie Fink, a trans woman who said that “LGBT politics have ruined [her] life,” eventually confessed to the crime. She was charged in April.

AMS elections

Ava Nasiri (pictured) took the presidency, while Chris Scott, Samantha So, Kathleen Simpson and Louis Retief rounded out the rest of the newly-elected executives. Elections season is so much fun, we even made a podcast about it!

March

What does science have to say about abortions?

Anti-abortion protests always cause a stir, to say the least, so our science editor put together a helpful piece about some myths surrounding the procedure.

Women’s rugby wins National University Sevens championship

The team went 0-3-1 in Canada West’s fifteens league play earlier in the season, but flourished in the game of sevens.

April

New bill may make sexual assault policy mandatory

Bill 23 — which was passed in May — gives universities one year to establish a policy on sexual assault, something UBC has been working on since, releasing their first draft in June and receiving feedback from the university community.

May

Unceded Territories at MOA is powerful and political

Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun's exhibit was a powerful demonstration of an artist's thriving legacy and influence. 

UBC eSports are North America's collegiate champions, again

The university's oft-overlooked powerhouse sports team dominated the uLoL Campus series, taking home $180,000 in scholarship prize money.

June

Santa Ono named UBC's 15th president

“I will work hard every day on behalf of this great university, the province and the country,” said Ono. “Thank you for making it possible for this Vancouver boy to return home.”

Steven Galloway fired after “irreparable breach of trust”

After spending almost eight months suspended with pay, Steven Galloway was finally fired. This kicked off a controversy which has not settled down since, including Canadian authors signing a letter demanding UBC follow “due process,” and Galloway and the student who accused him of sexual assault each giving their sides of the story.

AMS found guilty of unfair labour practices

The decision from the BC Labour Relations Board came after a manager in the AMS's Catering and Conference department texted an employee to vote against unionization.

Three Thunderbirds drafted by the MLB

Curtis Taylor got the nod from the the Arizona Diamondbacks, while Alex Webb and Bruce Yari were scooped up by the Cincinnati Reds in a huge day for T-Bird baseball.

UBC student discovers four new planets that NASA missed

Michelle Kunimoto became one of the world's youngest people to discover a planet outside our solar system with her discovery of four — count 'em, four — new planets, by examining weaker signals that NASA passed over.

July

Record number of UBC athletes heading to Rio

Twenty-nine student athletes from our university competed in the summer Olympic games. How cool is that?

UBC research finds you can change racial bias in older children

“If we want to start having a conversation about reducing implicit racial bias in adults, we need to intervene in the minds of children when prejudice first starts to take root,” said lead author Antonya Gonzalez.

BC physicians not providing minimum treatment for half of patients with depression

A UBC study says half of patients in the province diagnosed with depression who seek help from a physician are receiving inadequate care, and the other half are receiving the minimum adequate treatment.

August

Review finds UBC security “over-promises and under-delivers” on safety

“There was a lack of clarity concerning the importance of safety on the campus, who was undertaking the security function and how it was being undertaken, what role the Campus Security department was fulfilling … and many other issues.” Our news editor took a deeper look into security at UBC.

Words of wisdom for first-years: sex, love and relationships

The esteemed panel of experts we interviewed for our Guide to UBC had a lot to say about the most difficult part of university: navigating the tangled web of hormones, feelings and terror that make up relationships.

September

Gears and Queers seeks to make the engineering community more accepting

We sat down with club founder Jessica Hohner to ask her a few questions about G&Q, an exciting new social club with great potential to affect change on campus.

October

Second AMS restructuring cuts over 24 years of managerial experience

The AMS already went through a restructuring last year after a rigorous review process. Last year's president says they got it done in one go, while this year's says that “phase two” is all part of the plan.

The long and rivalrous eSports history between UBC and SFU

Drama. Intrigue. Cheating. eSports.

A recap of Matt Hewitt's one-day contract with the Canucks

Thunderbird goalie Matt Hewitt was called up to the big leagues to back up Jacob Markstrom after Ryan Miller was suddenly unable to play. He didn't see the ice, but it's an experience he'll never forget.

Q and A: Physicians' role in the opioid epidemic

One of our reporters sat down with Dr. Ian Scott, the director of UBC’s Centre for Health Education Scholarship and a practicing family physician.

From class to stage: The journey of eight students to success at the Fringe Festival

The members of UBC’s BFA Acting program studied in close quarters for three years, sometimes spending 10 hours a day, six days a week together in an effort to perfect their craft.

November

Tip of the iceberg

We go deep into the best forms of contraception available to students.

Heartbreak in Nova Scotia: Women’s soccer loses 2-1 to Laval in U Sport final

UBC women’s soccer missed out on a national championship repeat after a tough 2-1 loss against Laval Rouge et Or on Sunday, November 13.

Beckett 16 is about the legacy of UBC theatre as much as it is about Samuel Beckett

Beckett 16 is a group of people whose annual performances amount to a deeply personal labour of passion, rather than a simple rendition.

Women's hockey is firing on all cylinders

The T-Birds are currently on a 14-game win streak. ’Nuff said.

December

Thunderbirds sweep Canada West swimming titles

Another year, another dominant performance by UBC swimmers.

The UBC rowing program is at the top of its game

Head coach Mike Pearce said he wants his team to be the best in the country — and they're getting there.

UBC women's field hockey are six-time national champions

The team now has 18 championship titles and is tied with the women’s swim team for the most national championships of all Thunderbirds teams.

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