Taking a look back on photos of 2023

Accompanied by beating drums, Lion Dancers get a momentary escape from the falling snow in Argyle during the celebration.
Accompanied by beating drums, Lion Dancers get a momentary escape from the falling snow in Argyle during the celebration.
Sam Tucker

The ongoing part-time faculty union strike dominated the fall semester, but there were other big and small moments throughout 2023. Columbia Chronicle photojournalists spent the year documenting protests, the inaugural NASCAR race, concerts and the general rhythm of the campus.

The year started with our coverage of Lunar New Year and organized protests in response to the killing of Tyre Nichols in Memphis. Later in the spring, Brandon Johnson was elected mayor of Chicago.

Also in the spring, we launched La Crónica, our Spanish section. One of the highlights was our coverage of Mexican Independence Day.

During the summer, the Chronicle covered the inaugural NASCAR race hosted in Chicago, the SAG-AFTRA strike and the Lollapalooza, Pitchfork and Sueños music festivals.

The Chronicle celebrated its 50th anniversary with a special print issue commemorating the 50th anniversary of hip-hop and ended the semester reporting on the Columbia College Faculty Union strike, which has become the longest adjunct strike in U.S. history.

Featured in this gallery are some of the highlights of the year. They are in chronological order.