2020 has been arguably one of the weirdest years, ever. So how does the next generation feel about life amid a pandemic? What do the kids have to say? Today, XPRIZE is checking in with two of our resident youth voices, brothers Andrew and Derek E., about their 2020 pandemic year experience.
You went from going to school at school, to going to school at home. What do you like about at home learning? What do you miss about going to school?
We miss the atmosphere of being with others, conversing, and making new friends. Since one of us has just started a new school, making new friends online was more challenging.
What are some creative ideas or activities you’ve had to come up with to keep you busy and having fun at home?
Even before Lockdown (it probably deserves a capital “L” at this point”), we have always enjoyed making up our own games and being silly! We make competitions for each other, like, “who can make the other person laugh the most in 30 seconds”, play pretend, and things of the sort. Completely absurd! But this childishness is fun and crazy in a good way, because that’s what life really is: One big jazz.
What do you understand about COVID-19 and how it is changing our lives?
Well, obviously COVID-19 has reshaped how we interact with people we are meeting for the first time. It is awkward that when you first meet someone it is most likely going to be over Zoom. The coronavirus has been impacting many families in a devastating way, as people are dying everyday to their sickness. It is important that we wear masks, so we can slow the spread until COVID-19 is gone.
What are you most excited to do once the pandemic is over?
Go outside more, and connect with friends to catch up on lost time. Really all of the connections we have made will need to be further strengthened as we slowly transition into a more physical environment rather than a digital environment.
Derek - We know you like poetry and are a great writer! Could you share your favorite poem with us?
Thank you for your compliment! I myself must say that I’m nowhere near an experienced poet, but I do definitely enjoy literature and other prose. Some Taoist literature I have been reading has been inspiring to me, and I would encourage anyone to read the Tao Te Ching if they have the opportunity, and one of my favorite “poems” is this:
“Heaven and earth last forever / Why do heaven and earth last forever? / They are unborn, / So ever living. / The wise stay behind, and are thus ahead. / They are detached, thus at one with all. / Through selfless action, they attain fulfillment.”
-Tao Te Ching, Chapter 7
Andrew – As another amazing writer, what’s been your favorite school project this year and why?
Thank you! My favorite school project was my English project about a theme in a book we were reading, The Wild Things. The theme I chose was about “unity” and how people who come together can do extraordinary things. I related my project to the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War, and how the world could defend the native Artsakhi citizens from Azerbaijan’s ethnic cleansing operation.
Andrew and Derek E. are two of our Youth Advisors for XPRIZE Connect, a learning initiative that democratizes access to learning through technology, empowering the next generation of innovators to follow their interests and develop skills for the oncoming, fully digital world.