“It all began two years ago with orientation days”
After months of preparation by a voluntary graduation planning committee and with the indispensable support of Esther Muschelknautz, September 28th finally arrived. From six pm and onwards, professors, MEG fellows, families, friends, and beloved ones poured into Freiburg’s Peterhofkeller to celebrate this special day with MEG13: their day of graduation. Matteo and Charlotte guided the 120 shiny faces (aka guests) through a colourful programme of speeches, games and cultural highlights.
Throughout the evening, Kate and Miriam disclosed the graduates’ last secrets in a competitive game show. Guests got to know MEG13’s diverse backgrounds, from divemasters, dungeon masters, and cooking masters, to master of disasters. Worried family members learned about a myriad of potential pathways for their graduates: from Meggies making big business, to Meggies turning to politics, living completely off the grid, or becoming a boyband leader (looking forward to the release of the first album!).
Two years of studying compressed into two hours of performances revealed an interesting mosaic of reflections:
Rafaella, MEG13 student representative, pointed out what being a Meggie meant to her in her speech: “it’s understanding that not the world, but people are complex, and only when one understands that one is not better than the other when achieving a common goal, they can then work together with each other’s strengths, and attain grand change.” She expressed her gratitude for having studied with “so many overachievers, intelligent, aware, beautiful, critical, thirsty to learn and do their best, and simply nice people”.
Fafali, in a special spoken word poem dedicated to his fellow graduates, reflected: “Our stories are made of brothers and sisters, sons and daughters who have left home with promises of catching dreams that were salvaged from the palms of time. [..] We all want to become founders, founders of what lies hidden somewhere between midnight and the next horizon, unraveling, surviving and arriving with the new. [..] But the best part is being friends with several humans who have forged friendships amidst differences like the ring of power from the fires of Mordor. Humans who found love in the eyes of each other and pain in the journey of coexisting. [...] We would leave here, living and hoping that someone would make us feel one day again exactly how we felt in these moments we have shared!”.
Anna revealed what being both Meggie and parent at the same time felt like – and why all MEG13s, whether reproductive or productive in the future, will grow into wonderful coconut trees. And Frank and Charlotte invited the crowd to sing along to a MEG13 song, diving together into memories on how “all began two years ago with orientation days”.
Finally, all graduates received a self-made certificate to acknowledge their achievements, handed over by Heiner Schanz, Michael Pregernig, Esther Muschelknautz and Seirra Römmermann. Not to forget the paper crowns which every graduate received, to humorously recall that, as the MEG professors had often emphasized, a Master’s degree is “the coronation of higher academic education”. Afterwards, the shiny faces were guided towards the buffet, where a range of culinary specialities, prepared by MEG13s themselves, as well as some delicious MEG beer were offered. Later Nicholas from MEG12 tuned the crowd into a festive mood with some exquisite beats – and the graduates received serious dance competition by the newly arrived MEG15's. Needless to say: the party only got started!
And now, you might curiously ask, what happened after this night of high spirits? Some left the country just the next day for holidays, family reunions or in search of a new horizon. Some are about to start a Ph.D. position, an internship, a new job. Some finally have time to work on their Master's thesis.
And many, many wonder how two years of studying could pass by so fast, looking back at shared moments with mixed feelings. Maybe they have a MEG13-song line stuck in their heads: “in the end, what have we learned that is meant to stay? It’s insights from the friends we made along our way”.
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Text: Charlotte Gengenbach / Photo and video: Thomas Hermanns
