More than two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, tremendous changes have taken place. How do people at UIC cope with the hurdles brought by the pandemic? What are their pains and gains during the combat against it? What would they tell themselves if there was a time machine that could bring them back to 2019? More importantly, what do they think of the future?
In this article, questions will be answered by individual stories where you can find love, courage and inspiration.
Chen Sirong: Be strong and keep calm
Chen Sirong is a first-year student from Media and Communication Studies (MCOM) Programme at UIC. She volunteered for epidemic prevention in Guangzhou after taking the National College Entrance Exam.
Sirong assisted in mass nucleic acid testing and vaccination. It was the height of summer during her service time. Under the scorching sun, she had to put on a protective suit and other equipment before working. As a result, her sweats kept flooding, and she was exhausted at the end of the day.
Chen Sirong volunteers at a mass nucleic acid testing station
Sirong said that this experience made her comprehend the hardship encountered by medical staff and cherish more the results of the current epidemic prevention efforts. She also suggested that college students should take the responsibility to help with the epidemic prevention.
In the past two years, Sirong’s plans have been significantly affected. If she could go back to 2019, when no mask and no health QR code were needed, she would be out to see the world more often. Even though, she still believed that everything would be back to normal someday, and one should keep calm and carry on.
Ma Yuhan: Love will keep us alive
Ma Yuhan is a third-year student from Cinema and Television (CTV) Programme at UIC. Yuhan was spending the second semester of the first year in college when the pandemic hit the world.
During that time, Yuhan’s learning activities were forced to be moved online. Therefore, Yuhan got a chance to spend more time with family, an opportunity for them to get closer and understand each other better.
Ma Yuhan’s father volunteers in an epidemic prevention mission
Yuhan’s family contributed to the epidemic prevention as well. As a member of CPC, Yuhan’s father volunteered to combat the novel coronavirus in Changchun. Although concerned about his safety, Yuhan was impressed by his selflessness and tenacity.
Yuhan hoped the pandemic could end sooner so that the front workers could go home and reunite with their families. Here was the message for the “2019-version” of Yuhan: “The road ahead is long and winding, but please keep going. All your dreams will come true as an award for your perseverance. Love will always conquer frustration.”
Luo Duoer: Look forward, and there will be hope
Luo Duoer is a second-year student from Media and Communication Studies (MCOM) Programme, and she was in the last winter break of her high school when the pandemic struck her life.
Duoer was frustrated by the sudden change of life at that time. In 2020, the National College Entrance Exam was postponed, and everyone at the examination site wore their masks. They had to deal with the pressure brought by the virus and the stress of studying. Fortunately, Duoer managed to enter UIC after the Exam.
Luo Duoer’s equipment for online courses
If back in 2019, she wanted to be more self-disciplined when studying at home. As for the future, she wished herself happy, sincere and able to protect her loved ones.
Zhong Menglan: Adjust to new normal
Zhong Menglan is a first-year student from Media and Communication Studies (MCOM) Programme. During the winter vacation in 2020, she participated in a charity sale held by a middle school in Guangzhou.
However, the sale was called to terminate earlier than the plan due to the pandemic. Despite the sudden schedule change, she and her team still stuck to the end, raising funds as much as they could to help children in the rural areas. When they finally finished packing up the stall, it was already midnight.
Zhong Menglan and her team at the charity sale
In the last two years of high school, most of Menglan’s courses were taken online. Unable to meet teachers and classmates in person, she had to rely on herself when facing problems. Luckily, she and her classmates were back to school when the number of COVID cases dropped low. She preferred having offline classes for better communication with teachers could bring her a better mood.
Now she has learned to reconcile herself to the situation, and she is exploring new ways to adjust herself to the new normal.
Peng Zigui: A chance to be a better self
Peng Zigui is a fourth-year student from Environmental Science (ENVS) Programme. Restricted by the pandemic, she had not visited her grandparents in her hometown for more than two years. Although unable to travel, Zigui utilised her time by learning photography.
Peng Zigui takes pictures with her new camera
At first, she took pictures with her phone and gradually received praise from others. Then she bought herself her first camera and was invited to photograph club activities, lectures, performances at school and her friends.
If time could be turned back to 2019, she would remind herself to spend more time with her family. She hoped to stay curious and be a better self when looking ahead.
Dr Renata Wojtczak: It’s good to be back again
Dr Renata Wojtczak is an Assistant Professor from Public Relations and Advertising (PRA) Programme. She failed to return to China from Poland at the beginning of the pandemic.
Consequently, she had to teach online for one-and-a-half semesters regardless of the seven-hour time difference. If a class is arranged in the morning in China, it will be midnight in Poland.
Therefore, she had to get up at 3 am to teach most of the time, and classes would end at around 5 am. Failing to fall asleep, she would take a walk in the city to enjoy the undisturbed quietness.
Dr Renata Wojtczak
Dr Wojtczak said she liked interacting with students, but online courses made it difficult. Although learning materials can be shared instantly via the Internet, she is still a fan of offline teaching.
Now she is back on campus again, and communicating with students in person means more to her.
Dr Kuo Yi-Lung: Creativity is key to “New Normal”
Dr Kuo Yi-Lung is Director of the Centre for Teaching and Learning and an Associate Professor of the Applied Psychology (APSY) Programme. On his trip back to Taiwan in January 2020, he didn’t expect the world would be changed so dramatically.
A new phrase, New Normal, has gone viral since the pandemic swept the world. To Dr Kuo, the “New” stands for innovation in teaching, especially teaching modes.
Dr Kuo Yi-Lung becomes used to online teaching and lecturing
He had to discover the best online teaching platform to provide students with outstanding learning experience on short notice. So many issues were to consider that he had to invest more time in class planning.
Dr Kuo expressed that teaching in the “New Normal” required more creativity, so he had to adopt novel ways to attract students for better engagement.
Despite the uncertainties brought by the pandemic, he believed that a “Carpe Diem” mindset and creativity were crucial for tackling challenges ahead.
From MPRO
Reporter: Wang Qianhan
Photos provided by the interviewees
Editors: Deen He, Cecilia Yu
