2015 in Review: The Most Popular Articles of the Year
With the start of this year Synapse set out to some ambitious goals to highlight the depth and breadth of our student body. Reporting back on how we did in the first academic quarter of 2015 (and my first quarter as editor-in-chief), I’m pleased to report that many of our most widely read pieces are also the pieces I’m most proud of. Without further ado, I’d like to present the most-read pieces of 2015, analyzed through the lens of google analytics.
1) UCSF Chancellor Sued Over Warrior's Arena: Over 3,500 pageviews!
Although technically this was published just after we returned from break, with over 3,500 pageviews, I couldn’t resist highlighting Maxwell Coyle’s excellent work. He did a beautiful job of balancing both sides of a controversial story with a nuanced approach to a complicated issue.
2) Is Banning Sugary Drinks Worthwhile? 686 pageviews
As part of an effort to promote the consumption of healthy foods, UCSF removed all sugar-sweetened beverages from the cafeterias and vending machines. First year medical student Manu Venkat explored the pros and cons of this ban.
3) Are UCSF Students Going Hungry?: 595 pageviews
With rising costs of living in San Francisco, living in the city on student budget has gotten even harder. To combat potential shortfalls in the student budget UCSF launched a food security program allowing students in need to get grocery money. First year medical student Matthew Crimp explored the issue of what it means to be in need of this additional aid, and why students might or might not want to take advantage of such assistance.
4) Four Tips for Staying Happy and Sane: 508 pageviews
One of our first pieces of the quarter remained one of the most read. Here we kicked off the year by giving our readers from advice for maintaining work life balance even with the rigorous academic schedules typical of a UCSF student.
5) Students Demand More Say in Tuition Increases: 463 pageviews
Every year, the UC system hikes up tuition. Every year, students protest, particularly with the high cost of living in San Francisco. This year, the period of time that students had to give feedback about proposed increases ended up only being a few days. Matt Crimp covered the objections students had to not getting a fair chance to speak their piece.
6) Prescription Drugs: Going beyond the Price Tag: 403 pageviews
During the Martin Shkreli uproar, another piece from Manu Venkat covered the nuances and intricacies of drug pricing to give our readers some additional insight into the prescription drug market.
7) and 9) Apparently, sleep-deprived students like our caffeine, preferably in coffee form. Our food and culture reporter, Annie Chang, delivered pieces on both the Best Coffee Near Parnassus and in SF with 373 and 318 pageviews, respectively.
8) Thrifty Housing Solutions: 352 pageviews
With the housing crisis ever on student’s minds, Nicole Croom explored some creative solutions for students to save money on housing.
2016 is already off to a great start, and we have more exciting pieces in the works. This quarter, we’ll be expanding the Diversity Spotlight column, and continuing our ever-popular Humans of UCSF series to continue the conversation on campus diversity. We will also be ramping up coverage of campus life and climate to bring information on the issues you care about to you.
