The Daily Illini: Year In Review 2022

THEDI

Year in review: Turbulent ’22

HEATHER ROBINSON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

A lot happened this year.

For better or for worse, it’s hard to keep track of all of the dynamic moments that defined 2022. Looking back, everything seems to blur togeth er, but in the chaos of it all, one thing remained consistent.

Our staff at The Daily Illini was there behind each breaking story.

Dedicated to keeping both the cam pus and Champaign-Urbana commu nities informed, our staff often chose reporting over sleep — rushing to crime scenes in late-night hours and racing against time to relay the news. But the work was rewarding, too. Our staff also had the opportunity to report on so many stories that touched the community.

In this special edition, we will take you back through some of C-U’s most defining moments of 2022 — moments that divided the community and brought it together alike.

How to contact us

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Letters to the editor: Letters are limited to 300 words. Contributions must include the author’s name, address and phone number. University students must in clude their year in school and college.

Corrections: When we make a mistake, we will correct it in this place. We strive for accuracy, so if you see an error, please contact Editor-in-Chief Heath er Robinson at (217) 337-8365 or email editor@dailyillini.com.

The DI’s top news stories of 2022

Red Lion altercation

At around 2 a.m. on March 5, a patron at The Red Lion had an altercation with a bar employee after she was escorted out of the establishment. A video of the altercation circulated widely on social media.

Sarena Abdallah, senior in AHS who witnessed the altercation, said she saw a bouncer “pulling this girl outside by her arm.”

“He basically was dragging her by her arm, swung her over his shoulder and then violently threw her down,” Abdallah said. “Like WWE, (he) smacked her to the ground. So that’s when I was super alerted. I was like ‘What the hell?’”

Roe v. Wade overturned

The U.S. Supreme Court held on June 24 that the right to an abortion is not protected under the U.S. Constitution, overturning two of its prior prec edents — Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey.

Emma Darbro, sophomore in LAS and co-president of the University’s Planned Parenthood Generation Action, said that while the ruling was expect ed, the news was still “a hard pill to swallow.”

“It’s a sad day in America that we lose our right to bodily autonomy, and I don’t think I would have ever imagined that I would see that day,” Darbro said. “I was in therapy when I heard, and I started cursing in the doctor’s office.”

UGL closes

The Undergraduate Library closed at the end of the Spring 2022 semes ter for renovations to transform it into a new “special collections facil ity” for the University’s archives and collection of rare books and manu scripts. This led to the reemergence of concerns regarding Undergraduate Library services and spaces.

According to Ralph Mathisen, professor in LAS, the idea to close the UGL originated in the fall of 2018 as part of a plan to renovate the stacks in the Main Library.

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Scott Hall vandalism

The first three floors of Scott Hall were vandalized on Sept. 15 between the hours of 5 and 6 a.m., causing up to $10,000 worth of property dam age, according to court documents.

18-year-old University student and Scott Hall resident, William Turk, was arrested for criminal damage to state-supported property in connec tion with the incident, according to Pat Wade, a spokesperson for the Uni versity of Illinois Police Department.

“Officers observed that as many as 23 exit signs had been pulled from the ceiling, exposing wires and damaging ceiling tiles,” Wade said. “Addition ally, six fire extinguishers were missing from their designated locations.”

Matt Walsh visit sparks controversy

The University branch of the Young Americans for Freedom hosted a screening of right-wing political commentator Matt Walsh’s documen tary “What is a Woman” along with a Q&A session with Walsh on Oct. 6. The event sparked controversy on campus, with students from the Campus Union for Trans Equality and Support and others who opposed Walsh’s visit gathering in front of Gregory Hall to protest with signs, flags and chants.

Emily Goodman, freshman in Engineering and one of the protestors at the event, called Walsh’s documentary “transphobic.” Goodman car ried a sign that read “transitioning saves lives.”

Gov. Pritzker speaks at Illini Union

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker’s campaign bus stopped in Champaign for a rally at the Illini Union on Aug. 26. Students, faculty and community members crowded into the Illini Union Ballroom to hear a lineup of political speakers encourage listeners in the lead-up to November’s election.

Ben Rinker, senior in LAS and president of the Illini Democrats, helped orga nize the event. Rinker said he has been satisfied with Pritzker’s term as Governor.

“I would rank (Pritzker) as one of the most effective governors in the country, between balancing our budget, protecting access to abortion and doing a decent job handling the COVID-19 crisis,” Rinker said.

UHS experiences several lockdowns due to threats

Urbana High School went into several lockdowns throughout the first two weeks of November after the school received threats of violence on Nov. 7, Nov. 9, Nov. 16 and Nov. 18.

On Nov. 22, a 16-year-old was arrested in Chicago by FBI agents, Urbana police detectives and officers from the Chicago Police Department in connec tion with the threats, according to an Urbana Police Department press release.

“The most frustrating part about the lockdown (on Nov. 16) was that we didn’t know exactly what was going on,” UHS senior Kelenna Onyemere said. “I was in P.E., and we had to turn off the lights and stop the class. At first, we thought there was someone in the school with a gun.”

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Celebrities who visited campus in 2022

By Features Staff Steve Burns :

The American actor and TV host famous for his work on the hit Nickelodeon program “Blue’s Clues,” attended the Illini Union as a guest speaker. The packed Union hall had costumed students and fans excited to hear from the TV star who stood as an iconic piece of many Gen Z childhoods.

Yung Gravy:

All aboard the gravy train! Next stop: Champaign. State Farm Cen ter, usually home to the Illini basket ball team, became home to a differ ent type of player for April’s Spring Jam — Minnesota rapper and selfproclaimed MILF-connoisseur Yung Gravy. The rapper is known for songs such as “Gravy Train,” “Mr. Clean” and “oops!”

Stanley Hudson and Meredith Palmer:

Students and fans alike gathered at Foellinger Auditorium to see two of Michael Scott’s employees from “The Office”: Stanley Hudson and Meredith Palmer.

Neon Trees:

As a new addition to the Universi ty’s Homecoming Week celebrations, Utah rock band Neon Trees illumi nated State Farm Center with a col orful concert.

Ludacris:

Local residents and students alike gathered at State Farm Center to attend the “Ludacris is Coming Home” concert which was held during Home coming Week.

John Quiñones:

ABC news correspondent and “What

LOGAN HODSON THE DAILY ILLINI Rapper Ludacris performs at State Farm Center on Oct. 15 for the “Ludacris is Coming Home” Homecoming concert.

Would You Do?” show host, John Qui ñones, visited the Illini Union to share his story and answer questions from students and fans of the show. features@dailyillini.com

CADEN BARGOWSKI THE DAILY ILLINI John Quiñones, ABC news correspondent and “What Would You Do?” host, speaks at the Illini Union on Nov. 17.

The year in features

JANUARY

Black Greek life

By Dara Stack Staff Writer

Until 1945, Black students were not permitted to live on campus. However, by creating their own housing through Greek life, they could. The Gamma Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha — the first Greek-letter organization for Afri can American women — was officially char tered at the University of Illinois on Feb. 12, 1914, marking the beginning of Black Greek life on campus.

FEBRUARY

Social media and body image

By Cecilia Milmoe Features Editor

As social media usage continues to increase, more people find themselves regularly scroll ing through apps like TikTok and Instagram. However, many students have found that these apps can have negative impacts on their body image and self-esteem. Students explained the impact these sites have had on them, and pro fessionals discussed how to combat the nega tive impact of social media on body image.

MARCH Students observe Ramadan

By Fizza Hassan Staff Writer

Muslim students welcomed Ramadan, the ninth month of the Lunar Islamic calendar and the most sacred time in Islamic culture. For 30 days, Muslims fast from dawn to dusk, participate in prayer and reflect with their community. Muslim students discussed how they planned to manage their semester work load with Ramadan while also maintaining a healthy work/study balance.

JULY Advice your mom won’t give

By Gwyn Skiles Staff Writer

Many students will leave for college with imparted wisdom from their parents. How ever, there are many situations that parents can’t prepare their kids for. From advice on how to discover yourself to how to be courteous to your neighbors in the dorms, there are plenty of things you can only learn from other students.

AUGUST Swifties Night (Ava’s Version)

By Faith Allendorf and Sarah Bond Managing Editor for Reporting and Staff Writer

Junior and Phi Mu sister Ava Shaw was one of the main organizers behind the first Swifties Night at Joe’s Brewery in March. Unfortunate ly, after a battle with a heart condition, Shaw didn’t make it to see her and her friends’ cre ation for the second time. Memories of Shaw filled the August Swifties Night as friends dedicated the event to the late fearless fighter.

SEPTEMBER Grainger aerospace

By Conor Blount Staff Writer

Known for its top-ranked engineering pro grams, the University is recognized as one of the premier research institutions in the nation. The University alums who helped cre ate YouTube and PayPal have become household names among students. However, not many know about the Grainger researchers leading space missions on campus. These less er-known innovations touch people’s lives and may lead to the next big thing.

APRIL

Yung Gravy at Spring Jam

By Matt Troher and Nicole Littlefield Assistant Features Editor and Assistant Copy Chief

The University’s annual Spring Jam concert series continued this year with a visit from Yung Gravy. The Minnesotan rapper with a flair for showmanship and an affinity for older women graced campus with his pres ence, performing some of his most beloved songs such as “1 Thot 2 Thot Red Thot Blue Thot,” and “oops!” Despite a last-minute venue switch to the State Farm Center due to inclement weather, hundreds of students attended the free concert and took a prover bial ride on the gravy train.

OCTOBER

Pinto Bean obituary

By Lillie Salas Staff Writer

A legacy recognized during Illini football’s Homecoming Game belongs to Pinto Bean, a beloved squirrel who frequented the Univer sity campus. Known among students as an unofficial mascot, Pinto Bean used to brighten onlookers’ days. The passing of the popu lar star devastated many, and the impact of Pinto Bean remains to those remembering.

MAY UI black hole research

By Rebecca Oriza Staff Writer

For the first time, scientists were able to cap ture the image of Sagittarius A* — the super massive black hole at the center of the galaxy. Among the hundreds of dedicated scientists involved in this monumental event were pro fessors and graduate students from the Uni versity of Illinois. Team members from the University helped to devise interpretations of the imaging, among other things.

JUNE Juneteenth on campus

By Cecilia Milmoe and Matt Troher Features Editor and Assistant Features Editor

In 2021, President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth Nation al Independence Day Act into law, designating Juneteenth as a federal holiday. Although this was the first year the Uni versity observed Juneteenth — a holiday commemorating the emancipation of enslaved Afri can Americans — the holiday has been observed by mem bers of the Champaign-Urba na community for decades prior. The holiday serves as a time to reflect on Black histo ry, and the role Black organiz ers have had in shaping both the University and the wider C-U community.

NOVEMBER

Thoughts on abortion

By Yuzhu Liu Assistant Features Editor

For many people, abortion access was one of the biggest issues at stake in this year’s midterm elections. Despite Illinois’ current abortion legislation, many were worried that losing it could be only one election away. Students and locals said the overturning of Roe v. Wade largely impacted the way they voted.

DECEMBER Students graduating early

By Lena Brockway Contributing Writer

With the fall semester coming to an end, some seniors are expecting to finish their four-year undergraduate education on an earlier sched ule. Early graduates reflected on their college experience and offered advice to current students. With an untraditional graduation, these wintertime graduates are looking forward to the post-graduation world.

2022:

By The Daily Illini Editorial Board

The year of 2022 has been eventful, and that’s putting it lightly.

As the first year since 2020 where milestones stopped feeling “unprec edented,” 2022 marked the return of some normalcy to our lives as we con tinue to phase out of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Following the surge of the Omi cron variant in January, the Univer sity started to roll back restrictions in February when it announced that masks would no longer be required indoors in non-instructional facili ties such as residence halls and rec reational centers. By the time stu dents returned to campus in August, masks were only mandatory in health care facilities and testing sites and the number of testing centers open on campus decreased significantly.

These lax policies led to record increases in COVID-19 positivity rates on campus for the first few weeks of the fall semester, jeopar dizing many immunocompromised students’ safety.

Since then, positivity rates have decreased, thanks to the expanded distribution of at-home antigen tests and the CRCE testing site reopening. Though we can’t say the pandemic is officially over yet, 2022 brings us closer to reaching that light at the end of the tunnel.

In March, Illinois men’s basketball won the Big Ten title, followed by Illinois men’s golf snatching the title in May. This fall semester, Illinois football displayed a massive improve ment and ended the regular season with a record of 8-4 and will be in a bowl game for the second time since 2014.

Globally, 2022 also saw devastat ing loss — namely through wars and humanitarian disasters. In a move that shocked much of the world, Putin launched an all-out military invasion of Ukraine in February after reject ing Ukraine’s sovereignty.

The conflict still continues and has resulted in overwhelming casualties, with over 100,000 troops on both sides either dead or wounded, according to recent estimates. The invasion also

led to the killing and displacement of many Ukrainian civilians and Russia is accused of committing numerous war crimes in Ukraine.

Other conflicts have seen less cov erage by the media, including the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia’s brutalities against Yemen, Chi na’s genocide of Uyghur Muslims and Iran’s oppression of women’s rights protests following Mahsa Amini’s death in September.

One such conflict that came to an end this year was the Tigray War in Ethiopia after a deal was negotiated in November, concluding two years of brutal warfare and starvation of civilians.

Many notable figures also passed away this year, including Queen Eliz abeth II, Shinzo Abe, Sidney Poiti

er, Olivia Newton-John and rapper Takeoff. At the University, beloved squirrel Pinto Bean passed away in October and left a void in many stu dents’ hearts.

It was also a historical year for leg islation in America.

In June, the Supreme Court issued its landmark decision, Dobbs v. Jack son Women’s Health Organization, which ruled that abortions are not protected under the Constitution and overruled Roe v. Wade, which had been the precedent for abortion rights in America since 1973. A few days later, Ketanji Brown Jackson was sworn into the Supreme Court as the first Black female Supreme Court Justice in U.S. history.

In November, the Respect for Mar riage Bill, which federally recognizes

same-sex and interracial marriages, passed the Senate and is on the way to the House, where it will land on President Biden’s desk if passed.

The year of 2022 had its ups and downs, but it showcased a definitive improvement compared to the last two years as we return to normal cy. This is not to say that 2022 has been a stellar year, however, which is why the Daily Illini Editorial Board gives 2022 a rating of 2.5 stars out of 5 stars. Not the best, but we have definitely seen worse. It was a monu mental year where the ups and downs balanced out for an average score.

The Daily Illini Editorial Board can only hope for more normalcy as we look forward to welcoming 2023.

It’s time for 2022 to wrap up and leave.

MEILIN WANG THE DAILY ILLINI

__ es Salaam

“Modern Love” singer David

Utopian

School sessions

Certain college members

Pitched well?

Managed somehow

Hannah of “Roxanne”

Laurence who played Pops on “Black-ish”

Scalawag

Teach privately

Home of Brigham Young University

Caress, e.g.

Crude cartel

Mars rover org.

With skepticism

Food drive donation, often 63 Sashimi condiment

Singer Green and politician Gore

Decimal base

Mtn. stat

Downfall

Christmas candle scent

“Moonstruck” Oscar winner

Half dodeca-

Smart __

Burglar

Water color

Sport with an oval ball

pickles

Twin of Artemis

Typical open mic performance

Last runner in a relay race

Some Caltech grads

By Sports Staff

The coaches who did the mostest

The 2022 spring season saw Illinois improve to 16-9 overall and 8-3 in the conference. While Clark and the Illini have improved, the exciting part is that they haven’t reached their peak with the squad he has built.

Clark has made Illinois women’s ten nis a strong force in the Big Ten this past year, and he is on track to make the program nationally feared with the progress he’s made.

Evan Clark (women’s tennis)

Complacency is a dangerous issue that can come back to haunt a sports program of any caliber. In order to craft a winning culture built on achievement, the team requires a leader to set the tone for the team and everyone involved.

Evan Clark has been that leader for Illinois women’s tennis this past year. Coming off a mixed 2021 season where the team finished 9-9 overall, Clark has shown his ability in the recruiting pro cess to bring in talented players who are capable of bringing home silverware.

Bret Bielema (football)

While many Illini football fans will look at the previous season from a “What if” lens, the turnaround in cul ture and on-field successes have been

nothing short of impressive.

In his second year at the helm, Bielema has inherited a team and ele vated the stars within it to a whole new level. With a nationally-ranked defense, the nation-leading rusher in the back field and a school record 19 All-Big Ten honorees, Bielema has created a respected program in Champaign.

Illinois ended the regular season 8-4, highlighted by wins over Iowa, Wiscon sin and Minnesota en route to a six-game win streak. Given more time to develop a program and recruit players, the team is destined to evolve and continue see ing success. Bielema is a large reason for this cultural turnaround.

Brad Underwood (men’s basketball)

Brad Underwood is entering his sixth season at the helm of Illinois men’s bas ketball. After one of the most success ful seasons in Illinois’ history in 2021, Underwood managed to reach similar heights just one year later, and without

his most dangerous weapon.

Off the back of a 2021 Big Ten tour nament win, All-American guard Ayo Dosunmu left Illinois for the NBA, which could have been detrimental if not for Underwood’s expert recruiting.

Bringing in transfers from all over, Underwood brought his team to anoth er Big Ten Championship.

After this success, Underwood found talent in the transfer portal after returning just five guys from the 2021–22 lineup. Just eight games into the new season, the Illini found themselves in the rankings with a top 10 win under their belts already. Underwood has put a stamp on this program and has set it up to be just as good in the next season.

Athletes of the year

Chase Brown

Chase Brown’s contribution to Illinois football will be felt for gen erations to come. A Heisman can didate until the team hit a rough patch, Brown’s regular season was spectacular.

The Canadian led all Power Five rushers in total yards for the entire season and ended as the second highest rusher in all of college foot ball. He ran for 100+ yards in 10 of his 12 games in 2022 and averaged 5.01 yards per carry. These perfor mances were good for recognition as a Doak Walker finalist (top three running backs in the country) — the first in Illinois history.

While there were many other can didates for men’s athlete of the year, Brown’s performance this season will have a lasting impact on Illini football. He is a large part in the way Bret Bielema has built his pro gram to succeed in the future. He was truly irreplaceable.

Olivia Howell

Olivia Howell was unanimously chosen by our staff as the number one athlete to grace this campus over the past year. For anyone unfamiliar, Howell is a distance runner for track & field and women’s cross country who had an incredible and recordsetting year.

Starting off indoors in the 2022 track & field season, Howell earned fifth place in the mile at NCAA Indoor Championships. She became an All-American in this event after finishing with a time of 4:36.86. Three months later, she placed ninth at the out door NCAA championships in the 1500m with a time of 4:12.22. Incredible times, but she wasn’t done then.

In the women’s cross country season this fall, she earned another trip to the NCAA championships after winning two of four regular season meets and placed first at the NCAA Regional meet with a time of 20:02.9 in the women’s 6K.

After a year of incredible placings and record-setting course times, Howell was an All-American in both of the events she ran in track & field and she placed at the NCAA championships in cross country.

Talent breaking out on this campus before our very eyes doesn’t happen nearly as often as it did in 2022

DANIEL ZHOU THE DAILY ILLINI

Junior running back Chase Brown (2) celebrates his touchdown against Purdue on Nov. 12 with a Heisman Trophy pose.

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Senior Olivia Howell slows down towards the finish line during the Illini Invite for track & field on Apr. 23.

buzz wrapped 2022

Localpalooza Lollapalooza

Kangaroo Court

Local band Kangaroo Court released their very first single, “Something’s Gotta Give.” After establishing themselves as a musical act in C-U since 2021, the band has quickly garnered the interest of students and locals, building a fan base with many performances around the community.

Great Coverup

The Great Cover Up, a three-decade-long music event brought together by Ward Gollings and held by Rose Bowl Tavern, returned yet again to fundraise money this time for Girls Rock! C-U and other local charities. 2022 marked the first year that the Rose Bowl Tavern hosted the charitable event with Gollings who joined as an artist too.

Pygmalion

Pygmalion is 18 years old in 2022 and has transformed into a new kind of festival. While Pygmalion has served as an event for nationally touring artists, organizers have expanded their reach to authors, social media personalitievws and others. Pygmalion is now an “event of discovery” as well as a “cultural” festival for C-U.

Opening Day

Lollapalooza begins and the first day brought artists across nine different stages. Fans were presented with the year’s artists and surprises from singers during their performances. The day finished off with a strong performance from well-known band Metallica alongside a colorful show of fireworks.

Closing Day

The last day of Lollapalooza might have made it sad to say goodbye to the artists and people that had come together to celebrate, but there was nothing sad about the last performances. Artists J-hope, Bad Bunny, Djo and more were joined by final act Green Day in the most memorable night of the entire festival.

Culinary Tour

Music isn’t the only thing that can be found at Chicago’s famous Lollapalooza festival. More than 40 restaurant owners in Chicago gave festival goers a taste of the city in their own little food tour, adding to the fun of the event and garnering fans for what Chicago has to offer.

COVID-19

Lollapalooza attendees worried about the safety of the festival after the event provided little to no safety protocols. Those who participated in the event were concerned about the spread of COVID-19 after spending hours in the large crowd with lack of sanitation in bathrooms. With Chicago being a high-risk city to contract COVID-19, festival goers are rethinking the way Lollapalooza is held.

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PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ROSE BOWL TAVERN FACEBOOK

PHOTO COURTESY OF KANGAROO COURT

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