By Programme Manager, dr. Jaap Kamphuis

The game has changed
We should not think lightly about the impact of the current situation on everyone’s lives. Even as I am writing, with soothing piano music in the background, I feel that my stress level is higher than normal, my heart is beating just that few extra beats per minute. All around me I hear about fatigued people, staring all day at their screens, trying to make the best out of this situation.

It is often in times of stress, that our solidarity and sense of community is put to the test. Will we be able to practice now what we preached when circumstances were better? I believe that even though the game may have changed, the rules have not. If anything, they have become more necessary.

How free are we?
Most of us are at peace with the government restrictions, keeping us at home. At home we want to be free. I would like to remind everyone, though, that even from home, you have an impact on others. This is especially true for the online interaction that is now our main source of interpersonal contact. The university has published a Code of Conduct for remote teaching which is basically a guide for online etiquette. I would encourage everyone to read it.

However, as a programme we can go a bit further in what we expect than a university can. We can try to make space for each other and respect each other’s need for stability and reassurance.

What can we do?
We are grateful for the way our students have adapted to the situation and hear no complaints about online behaviour this week. There were a few instances of online trolling during the first week, but that has stopped and our second week of remote teaching has already going more smoothly. But this situation remains exceptional, and we cannot continue as if everything is the same as before, only now via a screen. We do miss ‘real’ interaction, and the most important thing we can do is to see the people behind their cameras for the human beings they are. To create a space, even online, where we can share our burdens and feel free enough to let each other know when we feel our burden has become unbearable. Let’s live by our motto Volo ut sis: ‘I want you to be’. Let love rule.

Let’s get real
So that I don’t simply end this on a high note about solidarity and love, I have an assignment for all of us. Think of someone with whom you interacted on a regular basis before the Corona crisis, but with whom you have not had any contact since. Get in touch with that person and ask how they are doing. And if you want to spread your love faster than the virus is spreading now: contact two people!