Cierra Lemott 
The year 2022 has been a roller coaster ride, but luckily it’s coming to an end and we’re bringing in 2023. From new subvariants and vaccine boosters, to shocking celebrity deaths, to long-awaiting music drops, 2022 was full of moments that were good, bad, and ugly.
January
The Good
- A New Year with New Opportunities
A new year is always a sign of things positive. Making it to a new year means making it to see and learn new things while improving and becoming a better version of yourself. We were more prepared when it came to taking precautions against COVID-19 and just overall in a better place than we were last year.
The Bad & The Ugly
- Carjacking on the Rise in the Midwest
Starting back in 2021 in Milwaukee, carjackings started to increase. The city was even named the eighth worst city in the United States for vehicle thefts according to WPR. These carjacking began to spread throughout the entire Midwest, including Chicago, where those with Kias were most susceptible to vehicle thefts by a group called the “Kia Boys.”
February
The Good
- Super Bowl Halftime Show with Dr. Dre and Crew
When Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar hit the stage for this year’s Super Bowl LVI halftime show, it left everyone singing along and dancing to their hits. Parents and kids alike all enjoyed the iconic performance.
- Bel-Air Premiered
Who doesn’t love a good spinoff? “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” is an iconic show and making a spinoff just seemed right.
- The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder Premiered
Like I said, we love a good spinoff, especially for shows from childhood. In addition to having the characters from the original series, there were some new faces added to the bunch.
- Lightfoot Drops COVID-19 Mandates
A sign of us getting a few steps closer to a semi-normal world again. Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced in late February that COVID-19 mandates would be going bye-bye.
The Bad & The Ugly
- Russia Invaded Ukraine
Though there has been war between the two nations since 2014, Russia invaded Ukraine via military invasion.
- Brittney Griner Detained in Russia
This was one of the most twist and turn-filled stories of the year. From being detained to all of the other things that happened since mid-February, this story about Brittney Griner was a roller coaster ride. Luckily, she was released in the later part of the year, but I’ll talk about that more later.
March
The Good
- President Biden Signs Emmett Till Antilynching Act
Though this is something that should’ve been done long before 2022, a bill was signed into law by President Biden that makes lynching a federal hate crime. This is a step in a positive direction for the nation.
The Bad & The Ugly
- Will Smith Slaps Chris Rock During the Oscars
This was one of the most shocking and jaw-dropping moments of the year. The slap Smith gave Rock caught everyone by complete surprise.
April
The Good
- Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson becomes a member of the Supreme Court
We love seeing a Black woman making history! Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson was confirmed to the Supreme Court making her the first Black woman as a Supreme Court judge.
- Fauci Says We’re “Out of the Pandemic Phase”
Defining the phase as a “transitional phase,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Biden’s Chief Medical Advisor, said that we were “out of the pandemic phase” of COVID-19.
The Bad & The Ugly
- Netflix Increases Subscription Price
As if the world wasn’t going through enough, Netflix decided to up their prices. Not only do they increase the prices, but they expect for people to not share their account information with others.
May
The Good
- Rihanna’s Baby was Born
Following seeing all of the looks the businesswoman rocked during her pregnancy, Rihanna finally had her baby. She and A$AP Rocky, like many other celebrities, decided to keep their baby’s face off the internet until they were ready to show off their bundle of joy.
The Bad & The Ugly
- Monkeypox Hits the States
As if COVID-19 and all the different variants weren’t enough to deal with, we got Monkeypox thrown into the mix. There was an outbreak that infected people across the world, including in the United States.
- The US Reached 1 million COVID-19 deaths
The news that the US reached a million COVID-19 deaths was overwhelming to take in but necessary to show us just how deadly the virus can be.
June
The Good
- Lil Baby Documentary Premiered
Being with True Star, I got the opportunity to see the Lil Baby documentary a little before its official release. Untrapped: The Story of Lil Baby made me look at the rapper in a different way than I did previously. Seeing the way people thought so highly of him was interesting. Seeing this documentary was one of the highlights of my summer.
- Drake dropped Honestly, Nevermind
Though the album received mixed reviews and caused a little controversy, it definitely had some bops that I constantly hear in playlists and on the radio.
- Summer Smash Broke Attendance Record
It’s always nice to see something positive happening in the city and this was one of those things. To see how music and having fun can bring so many people together is amazing.
The Bad & The Ugly
- Roe vs. Wade Overturned
This set the country back instead of propelling it forward. Roe vs. Wade being overturned means that women in certain states don’t have the rights to their own bodies when it comes to receiving abortions. This disappointed many across the world, especially those in states that banned this necessary form of care for women.
How’d you feel about the first half of the year? Doesn’t it seem like these things happened so long ago? Make sure to tune in for part two of the 2022 recap!
By Cierra Lemott, Junior, Columbia College Chicago
Instagram: @cece.kodak / @kodakscamera
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