2022: The Year in Pictures
July 2 – People crowded the streets of downtown Denver after it was announced June 24 that the Supreme Court had overturned Roe v. Wade. Colorado’s government is Democratic enough that it is unlikely we will lose abortion privileges, but surrounding states will largely face abortion restrictions and bans. I attended three protests, and despite the anger at the situation, the energy was hopeful that we could still fight back. – Editor-in-Chief Carly Philpott
December 31, 2022
This year began in the wake of one of Colorado’s biggest infernos ever. Over 1,000 structures were destroyed in the Marshall Fire at the end of 2021, and the entire state felt the effects.
Shortly after, the Russo-Ukrainian War escalated with unprecedented Russian strikes against major Ukrainian cities. The war would go on to dominate world news for the remainder of the year, with Russia accused of war crimes, and Ukraine eventually pushing back successfully later in the year.
Queen Elizabeth II died on Sept. 8, and an outbreak of monkeypox in Europe and the U.S. had some fearing the next pandemic. Fatal crowd crushes occurred in Indonesia and South Korea as crowds resurged after COVID protocols loosened. Rapper Ye, known frequently as Kanye West, contributed to a rise of antisemitism worldwide. And Pakistan, Florida, and Cuba prominently felt the effects of climate change via devastating storm systems and flooding. Most recently, a blizzard dumped several feet of snow on Buffalo, New York, killing dozens of people.
But among the devastating events of 2022, there were bright lights, too. A man’s gift to his wife became one of the most played online games in the world (Wordle). The Winter Olympics united countries in Beijing in February. NASA successfully tested an asteroid defense system, shooting a probe at an asteroid and altering its orbit, which could potentially protect Earth from future asteroid threats. And they launched the unmanned Artemis I in the first of many new moon explorations.
Some of the world’s major governments saw important transitions in power: Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro lost to former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, while Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu regained power. King Charles III took over from Queen Elizabeth in the United Kingdom, while in the U.S., Democrats lost the House of Representatives and gained a seat in the Senate in November’s midterm elections.
2022 saw pain and joy in nations across the globe. Here are some moments captured by our staff.
![In a recent surge of antisemitism nationally, many have pointed towards social media and pop culture as a source of hate. “Many far-right people have gone on [X] and started just blasting all their beliefs, Sophomore Scott Weiner said.](https://unionstreetjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/antisemitism-popculture-2-600x338.jpg)
![Students perceive each other in highly critical ways.
This is only magnified when the person being observed is transgender. Sophomore Aram Bazarian sat with a trans pride flag for our cover in an all too familiar position. As a trans person at Creek, Bazarian often feels isolated from students around him, not only because of his identity, but also because of the possible hate he could experience for being himself. “Some [students] have never met a trans person before,” senior Karter LaBarre said. “So I sometimes have some educating to do.” Educating their peers is the tip of the iceberg for these trans students. Name-changes, basic respect, and deadnaming are all part of the trans experience.](https://unionstreetjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/USJOpt5Edit-367x475.jpg)
