Domino Morris, Grade 11
UWC Costa Rica
The gate leading into the UWC Costa Rica campus is intimidating, but it opens into a new world. The campus is a coronavirus-free oasis allowing students to forget about the world’s current problems until teachers expect us to solve them. At first, the campus feels like a giant maze with dirt paths stretching across the grass and stone tables placed at every corner. After a few days of learning how to navigate, it shrinks into a bubble that we yearn to leave.
Once past the gate and the guards’ temperature check gun, students walk down the street through the campus. At the opposite end are the dorm residences. Each residence acts like a real home with a messy kitchen and a caring residence mom next door. They also have reputations, but they date back to generations before, so they aren’t all applicable anymore.
My favourite part of campus is the football field because it provides millions of opportunities to achieve the balance of the infamous “three s’s - sleep, study, and socialize.” The field allows everyone to find their own space to either stargaze at night, fight with water balloons, play with Boris’s dog, sleep wrapped up in blankets, or lay down in the grass reading a book.
My most memorable moment on the field was a sleepless night that turned into watching the sunrise from the football field in the morning: the perfect end to an unforgettable night. It was starting to get late when I ran into some people playing games in the cafeteria, so my friends and I stopped to talk with them. The cafeteria is located at the centre of campus, so it’s a perfect place to find others. I stayed while my friends went to sleep, and time passed so quickly that I only realized how late, or early, it was at three in the morning. Although it sounds unreasonable, it shows well how much time I spent off my phone and living in the moment. This was unprecedented for me because, although I hate to admit it, I have a habit of pointlessly checking my phone. At that moment, everyone committed to watching the sunrise because after such a long night, waiting two hours seemed easy. I agreed because I was gaining energy by being around such entertaining people, and I told myself, as my friends at home would say, “think of the memories.”
The two hours also passed by quickly as we spent the time talking and enjoying the serenity of the night. At around five in the morning, we made our way towards the football field after stopping in our residences to collect blankets and face masks. We sat together on the field, watching the sky become colourful and bright as the sun rose past the classrooms in front of us. In the meantime, we started the wholesome activities we had planned. We put on each other’s face masks, which turned slightly chaotic because we couldn’t stop laughing and smiling long enough to apply them professionally. Although I missed out on some sleep, I made incredible new friends.
This was a turning point in my experience at UWC because I truly felt a sense of community and belonging with people I hadn’t talked to before. It also assured me that despite all the changes the school has gone through due to the coronavirus, it is the people that make the place home.
Once past the gate and the guards’ temperature check gun, students walk down the street through the campus. At the opposite end are the dorm residences. Each residence acts like a real home with a messy kitchen and a caring residence mom next door. They also have reputations, but they date back to generations before, so they aren’t all applicable anymore.
My favourite part of campus is the football field because it provides millions of opportunities to achieve the balance of the infamous “three s’s - sleep, study, and socialize.” The field allows everyone to find their own space to either stargaze at night, fight with water balloons, play with Boris’s dog, sleep wrapped up in blankets, or lay down in the grass reading a book.
My most memorable moment on the field was a sleepless night that turned into watching the sunrise from the football field in the morning: the perfect end to an unforgettable night. It was starting to get late when I ran into some people playing games in the cafeteria, so my friends and I stopped to talk with them. The cafeteria is located at the centre of campus, so it’s a perfect place to find others. I stayed while my friends went to sleep, and time passed so quickly that I only realized how late, or early, it was at three in the morning. Although it sounds unreasonable, it shows well how much time I spent off my phone and living in the moment. This was unprecedented for me because, although I hate to admit it, I have a habit of pointlessly checking my phone. At that moment, everyone committed to watching the sunrise because after such a long night, waiting two hours seemed easy. I agreed because I was gaining energy by being around such entertaining people, and I told myself, as my friends at home would say, “think of the memories.”
The two hours also passed by quickly as we spent the time talking and enjoying the serenity of the night. At around five in the morning, we made our way towards the football field after stopping in our residences to collect blankets and face masks. We sat together on the field, watching the sky become colourful and bright as the sun rose past the classrooms in front of us. In the meantime, we started the wholesome activities we had planned. We put on each other’s face masks, which turned slightly chaotic because we couldn’t stop laughing and smiling long enough to apply them professionally. Although I missed out on some sleep, I made incredible new friends.
This was a turning point in my experience at UWC because I truly felt a sense of community and belonging with people I hadn’t talked to before. It also assured me that despite all the changes the school has gone through due to the coronavirus, it is the people that make the place home.
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