A Rebound Year

2022 seemed to have been the first “normal” year since the Covid-19 pandemic truly began back in March 2020. A major war escalated, gas prices continued to ramp up, and we lost many notable people. In this article, we’ll cover some of the most significant events from the previous year.

The second half of February had many at home and at St. Eds keeping a close eye on the news, and early on the 24th, Russia had invaded Ukraine’s eastern border. The war, starting in 2014 but greatly escalating in 2022, remains ongoing with no near end in sight. Many across the Earth have protested against the war on social media and during sporting events. Shortly after Russia’s invasion, the country was banned from participating in the 2022 World Cup. 

2022 also brought near the end of the Covid-19 pandemic. On September 18, United States President Joe Biden declared that the pandemic was “officially over”, however, many health officials believe that was a premature statement. Despite much of the everyday American’s lives becoming more “normal”, Covid-19 still is present and affecting many people globally. China was in strict Covid lockdown this past year, after the virus spread throughout the country, leaving many people trapped inside their homes. Even certain cities in China dealt with numerous suicides as a result of the severe governmental restrictions. 

Covid-19 was not the only virus that caused fear throughout the world. Monkeypox began to be reported in May and started spreading. By the end of 2022, nearly 30,000 cases of monkeypox had been confirmed in the United States, thankfully very few people have died from the virus.

Climate change awareness and fears arose in 2022, and on February 28, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a statement saying that the effects of climate change are nearly “irreversible” if we do not act upon them very soon as an entire planet. A sign of the significance of climate change in 2022 was the historic European heatwave in July and August which caused wildfires, as well as over 50,000 deaths. 

King Charles III became the King of England after the passing of Queen Elizabeth on September 8th. Following the Queen’s passing, England held a 10-day mourning period leading to the funeral, and during this time many sporting events and other activities were canceled or postponed across the country. Charles became the 62nd monarch in the country’s history.

Sports returned to mostly normal season schedules. Matthew Stafford and the LA Rams won the Super Bowl over Joe Burrows’ Bengals and the Warriors won their fourth NBA championship in eight seasons. Real Madrid won the UEFA champions league, and Argentina won their third-ever World Cup. LAFC also won the MLS Cup, after Gareth Bale tied the game late against Philadelphia to send it to penalties. In the NHL, the Colorado Avalanche won their third-ever Stanley Cup, defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games. And the MLB champion Houston Astros took down the Philadelphia Phillies to win the World Series. Major League Baseball, however, dealt with other problems leading up to the season, and was in a lockout until March 10, due to complications with the commissioner and the players union. This ultimately led to a shortened spring training and a compressed regular season schedule. St. Eds also saw championships in 2022, with the wrestling team winning two state championships, and football taking home their sixth-ever state championship victory and their second straight defeat of the Springfield Wildcats in the title game.

So was 2022 a good year? For the most part, yes. A lot of activities returned to normal after nearly two years of a pandemic. Sports were entertaining and loaded with big named players winning championships. Other notable sports figures retired such as tennis legends Serena Williams and Roger Federer, as well as MLB star Albert Pujols. There were absolutely downsides to 2022 and worldwide issues that must be addressed to ensure a safe, healthy, and peaceful planet Earth. Hopefully, 2022 will serve as a step in the right direction, and here’s to an excellent 2023.