The 20/20 Experience: Impact of COVID-19 on the Cal State LA Campus Community

The Cal State LA University Library Special Collections and Archives is excited to present The 20/20 Experience: Impact of COVID-19 on the Cal State LA Campus Community, a student-curated online exhibition featuring the Pandemic Diaries Project. The project aims to create an archive of digital diaries that capture the narratives and life experiences of our campus community during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

This exhibit focuses on the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Cal State LA student body. It showcases a timeline of past health crises on campus from the University Times, artifacts of current events in the greater Los Angeles community, and direct quotes from students enrolled in Spring and Fall 2020. Core topics include the shifting expectations of virtual education, racial and social inequality, economic impact and job loss, mental and physical health, and changes in family dynamics. The 20/20 Experience concludes with examples of student resilience, projects documenting COVID-19 at Cal State LA from various angles, and resources regarding the virus itself.

We hope that by sharing our collective stories in this exhibit, Cal State LA can experience an important moment of healing, empowerment, and unity at a time when we feel distant from one another.