Final Project – Self-Directed

“Class of 2020”

This series is an ode to what my last semester at Stony Brook University was supposed to be, before my world was impacted by COVID-19. I’ve noticed that a lot of COVID-19-related media has a very serious mood, so I wanted to do something different by portraying my experience through colorful images and attempt a lighthearted approach to something that’s actually kinda sad. By doing this, I hoped to illustrate a feeling of playfulness and joy that I would have experienced on campus with my friends. I tried to document notable objects or events that I anticipated to take place during my last few weeks as a senior but instead in the context of the atmosphere I’m living in right now. This subject is important to me because I’ve put a lot of hard work, time, and money over the past 4 years into my schooling, and it felt like this past semester was supposed to be relaxing and freeing, a time to make lasting memories before I made my way into the workforce or graduate school. Not only that, but for the past two years I’ve taken graduation pictures for seniors and attended the last two CEAS commencements, so I’ve been able to closely witness the timeline of events to celebrate all of the successes that graduating students have achieved. It’s disappointing to not be able to take part in something I’ve been waiting for and envisioned myself doing, but instead of wallowing around in self-pity, this series was a way for me to share (and even poke fun at) my own timeline of events as a graduating senior.

“8 AM Lecture”