Oral Histories: SBU During COVID-19

Since last fall, SBU Libraries has been compiling memories and accounts of the pandemic and the era we are all living through. “Documenting COVID-19: Stony Brook University Experiences” is a digital archive of images, written accounts, and other items that help preserve our individual and collective reactions to this time in history.

One aspect of the project is a growing collection of oral history interviews with members of the Stony Brook community. Conducted by SBU librarians, these interviews feature students, faculty, administrators, and staff talking about how COVID affected their lives.

Tobias Bischof, coach of the women’s soccer team, recounts how the team scattered to separate parts of the world during lockdown and worked to stay connected. In his own life, Bischof and his wife saw the birth of their daughter, Lilli, during the pandemic.

Excerpt of an oral history interview with women’s soccer coach Tobias Bischof.

Valentina Marzulli, a sophomore in spring 2020, faced moving out of Langmuir College to her home in Queens – not knowing how it would all turn out.

Excerpt of an oral history interview with student Valentina Marzulli.

Dr. Shyam Sharma is an Associate Professor and Graduate Program Director in the Program in Writing and Rhetoric. As classes moved online after the spring break, he worked to adjust to the new environment and to keep his students engaged.

Excerpt of an oral history interview with Dr. Shyam Sharma.

You can listen to the full interviews through the “Documenting COVID-19” site as well as read the interview transcripts. We will be uploading more in the coming weeks, including stories of how the university handled the need to move people off campus, to coordinate a huge influx of donations, and to address the growing number of cases at the hospital.

To learn more about the project and the ways you can contribute, visit this site.

Chris Kretz

Chris Kretz

Head of Academic Engagement at Stony Brook University Libraries
Chris is the Head of Academic Engagement.
email: chris.kretz@stonybrook.edu
Chris Kretz

Latest posts by Chris Kretz (see all)

Posted in About Us, COVID-19, Digital Collections, Library Outreach, Special Collections & University Archives