Ruel Domi, Grade 11
UWC Maastricht
28th of April. Time,12:41 AM. I am currently working on my Math IA, while the dutch rain pouring outside is starting to bring back memories of this year. I can remember myself when I first arrived at school. My dream: part of the great UWC movement and study in one of the most prestigious high-schools in the world. We saw DP1s and DP2s leaving. The goodbye was heartbreaking, especially for some DP2s. They were already thinking about their IB exams, But it was not meant to happen that way. The reactions to the last goodbye showed that for most of the DP2s this was very premature.
A lot of DP1s were heartbroken too. They were expecting to give their DP2 peers a proper goodbye with the traditional tunnel after the grad party. Even though it did not happen in the usual way, tunnels were still done for people who were leaving, a sign that our community, its values, and its tradition were not taken down by Coronavirus. On a personal level, I felt heartbroken too. In 3 weeks, I lost three roommates and plenty of other friends who headed back. The last day was full of tears but also promises and hopes, especially for the DP1s. On my side, I did not appear to cry, but deep down, my spirit was crying. Throughout or over the next few weeks you could see people leaving. At that moment my metaphors started kicking in. For a moment, the whole UWC movement looked like it temporarily collapsed. The situation in other UWCs was even more fragile. In contrast to UWC Maastricht, UWCs, Mostar, New Mexico, and others had announced that the campus would be closed until the next term, directly meaning that the DP1s and DP2s would be separated and would if you want to use probably, it’s better to put it here, in my opinion not see each other for the rest of their lives.
In the following weeks, everything started closing, and to make matters even weirder, it was announced that the IB exams were cancelled and the DP2s were de-facto getting a free diploma. From that moment, things started getting better. The community got stronger, t activities on campus restarted n, and people were enjoying quarantine. In contrast to other UWCs, it looked like UWC Maastricht was recovering from the corona block. For over a month, the sun was shining again, and people started spending time with each other, bonding and enjoying themselves. I quarantine more quality time with my best friends, more time to finish important IB assignments that were supposed to be, more physical activity, and more reflection. Reflection, I would say, has been probably the most time of my whole quarantine experience. I found time to look deep inside myself and ask: What went right? What went wrong? What could I have done better? What should I do more?
I believe that this experience, hurtful in the short term, happened for a reason. Quarantine should be a period in which we understand who we truly are and how we can be better people. It should serve as a precious time to do assignments that would not have been possible with a regular school schedule, especially for the upcoming DP2s. No-one would have thought that this would happen, but hey, everything happens for a reason. Let’s look again into quarantine and instead of complaining how we can’t go out, make the most out of this period and optimize it to its best.
A lot of DP1s were heartbroken too. They were expecting to give their DP2 peers a proper goodbye with the traditional tunnel after the grad party. Even though it did not happen in the usual way, tunnels were still done for people who were leaving, a sign that our community, its values, and its tradition were not taken down by Coronavirus. On a personal level, I felt heartbroken too. In 3 weeks, I lost three roommates and plenty of other friends who headed back. The last day was full of tears but also promises and hopes, especially for the DP1s. On my side, I did not appear to cry, but deep down, my spirit was crying. Throughout or over the next few weeks you could see people leaving. At that moment my metaphors started kicking in. For a moment, the whole UWC movement looked like it temporarily collapsed. The situation in other UWCs was even more fragile. In contrast to UWC Maastricht, UWCs, Mostar, New Mexico, and others had announced that the campus would be closed until the next term, directly meaning that the DP1s and DP2s would be separated and would if you want to use probably, it’s better to put it here, in my opinion not see each other for the rest of their lives.
In the following weeks, everything started closing, and to make matters even weirder, it was announced that the IB exams were cancelled and the DP2s were de-facto getting a free diploma. From that moment, things started getting better. The community got stronger, t activities on campus restarted n, and people were enjoying quarantine. In contrast to other UWCs, it looked like UWC Maastricht was recovering from the corona block. For over a month, the sun was shining again, and people started spending time with each other, bonding and enjoying themselves. I quarantine more quality time with my best friends, more time to finish important IB assignments that were supposed to be, more physical activity, and more reflection. Reflection, I would say, has been probably the most time of my whole quarantine experience. I found time to look deep inside myself and ask: What went right? What went wrong? What could I have done better? What should I do more?
I believe that this experience, hurtful in the short term, happened for a reason. Quarantine should be a period in which we understand who we truly are and how we can be better people. It should serve as a precious time to do assignments that would not have been possible with a regular school schedule, especially for the upcoming DP2s. No-one would have thought that this would happen, but hey, everything happens for a reason. Let’s look again into quarantine and instead of complaining how we can’t go out, make the most out of this period and optimize it to its best.
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