Purpose of the Exhibit

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 larger Los Angeles community, and direct quotes from students enrolled in Spring and Fall 2020. Core topics include the shifting expectations of a virtual education, racial and social inequality, economic impacts 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 perspectives, 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 we feel distant from one another.

Process of Selecting Materials

In Spring 2020, Special Collections and Archives student curators, Bryce Van Ross, Jocelyn Acosta, Cyrene Cruz, and Sae Hee "Keshy" Jeong developed this exhibit through centering the Cal State LA student experience drawing from the Pandemic Diaries Project. The Pandemic Diaries Project, organized by the University Library Special Collections and Archives, aims to create an archive of digital diaries that captures the narratives and experiences of our campus community during the COVID-19 pandemic. The student curators reviewed over 100 diaries that inspired the themes reflected in the exhibit.

Other materials used throughout the exhibit feature the College/University Times Collection, Pictures of Our Past Collection, campus news releases and announcements, and campus community photographs. 

Harmful Language

Please be advised that some items in this exhibit may feature harmful, triggering, and hurtful language. We recognize this may be problematic for some users and have done our best to minimize these occurrences as well as avoid using offensive or harmful terms in their descriptions. However, we have allowed for a small number of items featuring this language to be present for the sake of historical accuracy and to document the current issues and social context.

Copyright, Privacy, & Ethics

The students curators evaluated the copyright, privacy, and ethical concerns for each item featured in this exhibit. They took into consideration the sensitive nature of the student stories featured in the pandemic diaries and the serious challenges that COVID-19 pandemic presents for the campus community. Although participants submitted and donated their diary to Cal State LA Special Collections and Archives, the student curators continued to contact each participant to secure permissions to feature their diary in the exhibit. 

Every precaution was taken in an attempt to find a balance between making items available for the purposes of education while protecting the rights and privacy of those featured.

If you feel your rights have been infringed upon and wish to remove an item from this exhibit, please contact SpecialCollections@calstatela.edu.