Spring 2020 in Review Part 1: Business as Usual

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"Self-reflection is the school of wisdom" -Baltasar Gracian, Spanish Prose Writer and Philosopher. 

Welcome back or welcome to Adventures at Franklin! Another semester has come and gone, and I think it is very important to reflect on the happenings and some of the great events that transpired this spring. This semester has been the most different semester from my 6 semesters. FUS, like most places in the world during 2020, has been divided into 2 parts: life pre-pandemic and life during the pandemic. Therefore, I find it only fitting to write and split my review of Spring 2020 the same way. Here is my review of the first part of the semester at FUS.

Weeks 1 and 2: January 20 - February 2
In all honesty, there was nothing too special about the week; just the standard start to the semester, everyone getting use to their classes and new semester schedules, meaning not too many things going on.
The second week was more eventful, with a few events happening such as:

  • January 29, Film Screening: Balloon. "A German thriller that deals with the crossing of the inner German border of the families Strelzyk and Wetzel from the GDR to West Germany with a homemade hot-air balloon".



  • February 1st, Ski Trip to Andermatt! I haven't got any photos of this :(


Weeks 3 and 4: February 3 - February 16
These weeks were significantly busier. The semester's initial "feeling out" process was just about over, but classwork is not too overwhelming yet. This means that many events and activities started to occur. 
  • February 7-9, St Moritz Ski Camp!





  • February 14, Parasite Screening! Great initiative by the Film Club to screen one of the best movies I've seen in a while, right after its accomplishments at the Academy Awards

  • February 15, Ice Skating!


  • February 15, Cheese-making Activity! Futsal Tournament!






Weeks 5: February 17 - February 23
This is the point in the semester where classwork begins to intensify. Nonetheless, things were still happening on campus. 
  • February 18, FUS Spring Blood Drive: This is a great Franklin tradition, donating blood to those who need some!
  • Also February 18, Stargazing! This first time event was a pretty cool idea! Stargazing in a favorite past time of mine, and in Switzerland we get to do lots of it :) 
  • Also February 18! (Wow what a busy day). This event is much more personal to me, but this was the day I published my first post on this blog :) Check it out here: http://adventuresatfranklin.fus.edu/2020/02/the-adventures-return.html
  • February 20, Basketball Match! Pretty cool seeing Franklin set up its very own basketball team, good job team! 
  • February 23: Following the outbreak of COVID-19 in Lombardy, Franklin announces that classes for Monday February 24 are cancelled. 
And that is where I leave this post. Up to the the end of week 5, it seemed like a regular FUS semester. It was business as usual. Life was getting pretty busy, having to juggle a social life, schoolwork, going to school events/activities, potential travelling/trips... but that's life at Franklin :D 

In my next post (set for release this weekend), I'll look at the 2nd half of the semester: life during the pandemic. That's all for now :) 

A presto,
Asa

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