Six IE students told The Stork whether or not they support the Covid-19 restrictions in Madrid. Allan Rabinovich, a third-year international relations student, was the only one who said no. He states that āthe government should have no power to reduce the civil liberties of each individual citizenā. Also, he says the restrictions complicate the party life heās grown accustomed to after two years in Madrid.Ā
The other students disagree. Kathryn Walton, a student from England, says that āeven though the curfew isnāt exactly ideal for studentsā, it benefits the greater good. This is the sentiment that Lukas Koppermann and Philippine Laroye, also third-year students, hold. They support the restrictions not because they worry about themselves getting sick, since they’re young and healthy, but because they donāt want to spread the virus to others. Philippine says that while she doesnāt know anyone personally whoās caught the virus, āthe last thing [she wants] is to put someone in dangerā, so she follows all the measures. Lukas does know several people who have had it, and he wants to ensure that he does āwhat is necessary in order to protect othersā.
One student, a Spanish native, says that their whole life has changed both because of the restrictions and Covid-19 āin generalā. They also know people who have had or currently have Covid-19. This changed their perspective, because when you know people who have suffered, they say, āthe feeling of social responsibility and of being more careful with everything you do increasesā. Again, Allan dissents. He argues that āeveryoneā has had Covid-19. If you havenāt, then you must be āanti-social.” Being anti-social, he argues, is actually a ābad thing”, despite what governments and media have convinced us. So, he says he doesnāt respect the restrictions: āBeing sick isnāt dangerousā, Allan claims. āItās naturalā.
Another student, who prefers to remain anonymous, says that āCovid-19 has been so politicizedā that restrictions arenāt strong enough to ācurb the surge of infectionsā. This makes sense: weāve all seen the virus become a political weapon. Whether itās the masks, or the vaccine, or each governmentās use of lockdowns, politics manipulates the pandemic. Conversely, others, like Allan, believe governments and the media have made the population ābrainwashed and scaredā.Ā
Thereās also the issue of how to act as an individual. We can still dine inside, go to bars before curfew, and attend class in person. Kathryn says that the main thing sheās changed in her life is going out at night. This is fine for her, because āwe can meet friends and socialise easily throughout the dayā. Habits like masks and hand-washing have become so ingrained in Philippineās day-to-day that they āare no longer a disruptionā. Lukas is a little less social and goes home a bit earlier. Otherwise, he doesnāt feel a huge impact on his life. One student, the Spaniard, says they now āavoid public transportā because of how hard it is to social-distance. Others, like the anonymous student mentioned just above, ādonāt even entertain the possibility of eating at an indoor restaurantā and have switched to all-online classes.
Still, almost everyone thinks IE is doing what it can to protect students who attend in-person classes. However, not all of them are comfortable enough to make an appearance on campus. Other students, like Allan, just like āexploiting the option of having class from the comfort of [their] bedā.
Overall, it seems like IE students support the restrictions. They accept the minor inconveniences that they’ve had in their lives. They want to protect those who are more vulnerable. No matter what, I think most would agree with Philippineās statement that āit is…up to all of us to do the right thingā. Although, maybe we have different ideas of what the right thing actually is right now.
Photo: BARBARA KOLLMEYER/MARKETWATCH