The measures to combat the coronavirus and to prevent the spread of all its variants largely dictated daily routine on the university’s campus. The arrival of vaccines led to the relaxation of the corona measures and allowed the university to reopen its campus and buildings for students and staff members. Researchers were able to continue with their work without facing too many restrictions, and students came back to campus to physically attend lectures again and to experience shared exam anxiety. Cafés, canteens and association rooms gradually came back to life, even though certain restrictions were still in place, and despite the fact that people continued to wear face masks in the corridors and public spaces for a long time.

Now that the more infectious Omicron variant has emerged and the potential consequences remain unclear, many activities were postponed again and sometimes simply cancelled at the close of the year. In the end, the thing we all feared – the closure of schools and higher education institutions – turned out to be unavoidable, and it remains uncertain how long this will continue in the new year. It puts the entire organization under enormous stress.

Many staff members, including Cursor’s editorial staff, mostly meet and work from home again. And during interviews, we see that students, researchers and scientists also talk to us from their homes. The sight of underwear hanging from a drying rack or of children barging into a room and disrupting an interview isn’t that funny anymore. Having to meet online feels like a bad recurring dream.