Finals week of the Winter 2020 Quarter marked the beginning of a year impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. A year later, we trace the course by which the pandemic unfolded at UC Santa Barbara and the lives it altered.
A student holding a N95 mask against her face at the lunar new year celebration hosted by the Chinese Students and Scholars Association, Jan. 25, 2020. Although it was months before the pandemic significantly impacted the United States, the Chinese community was alarmed by the severity of the virus in their home country. (Sicheng Wang / Daily Nexus)
With xenophobic sentiments rising across the nation, the Pan Asian Network at UC Santa Barbara hosted a informal seminar at the MultiCultural Center to debunk rumors and educate the campus community on the prevention of the virus, Feburary 6, 2020. (Sicheng Wang / Daily Nexus)
As the virus spread to Santa Barbara, residents and businesses took preventive measures. At an Albertsons store in Goleta, masking requirements and acrylic shields were put in place, April 22, 2020. (Sicheng Wang / Daily Nexus)
Two international Gauchos en route to their homes slept on the bench of Incheon Airport, Seoul, while waiting for a connecting flight. The strained capacity of air travel during a global pandemic and frequently changing entry regulations by countries presented a major challenge for international students (April 2020). (Courtesy of Fei Zhan)
Notice stating that only one person is allowed at a time in the elevator, Santa Catalina Hall, April 2020. (Sicheng Wang / Daily Nexus)
Meals were distributed to students who remained in campus housing for the Spring 2020 Quarter (April 2020). (Sicheng Wang / Daily Nexus)
The pandemic paralleled a wave of activism against systemic racism in the United States. Activists incorporated techniques for maintaining social distancing while rallying. Pictured here is a protestor wearing nitrile gloves and holding his fist, May 31, 2020. (Sicheng Wang / Daily Nexus)
The coronavirus pandemic and racial issues are two parallel themes that defined American politics and civic life in the last year. With the recent killings of Asian people in Atlanta, which drew attention to Anti-Asian sentiments that have increased since the beginning of the pandemic, it appears the two have only become more intertwined (May 31, 2020). (Sicheng Wang / Daily Nexus)
Will Ge, who graduated in summer 2020 with a B.S. in physics, viewed the message delivered by the chancellor while wearing graduation attire, June 13, 2020. The class of 2020 experienced a completely remote graduation celebration. (Sicheng Wang / Daily Nexus)
A man passed the main entrance of the library building as a graduate posed for a photo, June 27, 2020. After a year, it remains closed to most of the community. (Sicheng Wang / Daily Nexus)
In the Fall 2020 Quarter, few courses retained an in-person format. Among them was the machine shop class of the mechanical engineering department, in which students are introduced to the usage of shop equipment. Sean Linley (middle), the shop superintendent, instructed a section of two students that shrunk significantly in size compared to pre-pandemic times, October 16, 2020. (Sicheng Wang / Daily Nexus)
As the campus opened in limited capacity for research activities and in-person instructions, The Arbor remained open — despite being without some of its beloved snacks and Subway (October 2, 2020). (Sicheng Wang / Daily Nexus)
The summer and autumn of 2020 saw a gradual return of some businesses that have been closed for months. Pedestrians walked past Fiesta 5 Theater in downtown Santa Barbara, October 2020. (Kaiyi Yang / Daily Nexus)
With the reopening of businesses,bustling crowds returned to State Street, which has been partially converted to a promenade, October 2020. (Kaiyi Yang / Daily Nexus)
During the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election, a notice mandating social distancing was posted next to an American flag on display on a screen wall of Santa Catalina Hall, November 4, 2020. (Sicheng Wang / Daily Nexus)
Alex, an employee of the Woodstock’s Pizza in Isla Vista, cleaned the outdoor tables and benches after the day’s business ended, Nov. 22, 2020. On that night a stay-at-home order was in effect, requiring all restaurants to terminate dine-in services by 10 p.m. (Sicheng Wang / Daily Nexus)
The beginning of 2021 saw the county recovering from a deadly winter surge of the virus, and the returning of some students to university-owned housing. The school provided services that could be accessed outdoors or by scanning QR codes to help contain the spread of the virus (January 17, 2021). (Sophia Ramos / Daily Nexus)
Students living near the campus have always utilized its outdoor spaces for studying, keeping the campus alive in the time of remote learning (Feburary 22, 2021). (Sophia Ramos / Daily Nexus)
Vehicles lined up in the parking lot of the Cottage Health facility in Goleta for drive-through vaccination, March 13, 2021. (Sicheng Wang / Daily Nexus)
