As it became clear how widespread, long-lasting, and impactful the COVID-19 pandemic would be, Terp staff planning the Fall 2020 issue in May sought to document how the University of Maryland community was dealing with an unprecedented public health crisis. Through a series of interviews with students, faculty, and staff, “Portraits of a Pandemic” catalogued the difficulties of walking a police beat, planning a wedding, returning from a foreign country, and continuing an athletic career when even normal activities would incur the greatest of risks. We also included stories of personal and economic loss, of community members who were moving forward in grief over a lost loved one or the potential collapse of their dream business. And as it became clear that the virus would exacerbate existing racial and social disparities, “Portraits” also noted how the fight for equality could not afford to stand still—even for a deadly disease.
From the Judges
Easily replicated at other institutions, this feature of featurettes sets the bar high when it comes to an anthology of vignettes of different people's experiences during the pandemic. Superior editing keeps it from feeling overly disparate or disconnected.
