Tiara Ananda Kartika
Without a doubt, the pandemic has changed the way the world works. It is quite strange to remember how a few months ago, I was drafting my LRP in an eatery together with my friends, so blissfully unaware of what was about to hit us: a (currently) two-year long work from home situation. Now, I am cooped up in the comfort of my own home, meeting with friends once in a while through my screen. When the pandemic began last year, I had expected that it would soon pass and everything would go back to normal in no time. But I was proven wrong: the new semester began and ended with the pandemic still raging on in full force. That was when I realized that I might very well be competing in the 2021 Vis Moot Competition virtually.
The revelation disappointed me greatly since I had many expectations for my first competition. I have heard a lot of stories from my seniors, especially about their experiences competing in Hongkong. It was hard to swallow that I would not be able to gain the same experience as they had. I was not the only one feeling discouraged about the situation. My teammates were also understandably upset. Nevertheless, all of us decided that we would work hard for the competition regardless of the virtual setting. And so, we picked up ourselves and began drafting our memoranda.
The first thing that I realized about the drafting process was that it was very lonely. Prior to the pandemic, we would have been sitting at the same table, discussing our arguments together. We would have been able to interact with one another, strike up a joke in the middle, and get back to work. All of these joyful moments in which we can build camaraderie was made impossible by the pandemic. Thankfully, we were still able to meet through Google Meet; albeit with numerous connection and technical problems. Our online meetings might very well be the saving grace amidst working, attending classes, and mooting in isolation.
Time flew by and the real challenge arrived as the Indonesian Pre-Moot was lurking around the corner. To be frank, the team felt underprepared for the Indonesian Pre-Moot. We had difficulties when preparing our oral arguments, and the practice sessions were constantly disrupted by technical issues. Being disconnected or having audio problems became a daily occurrence and we had to accept them as the shortcomings of practicing online. Coupled with having final exams merely a few days before the Indonesian Pre-Moot, everything was hectic.
Ending the Pre-Moot in fourth place was disheartening, but we believed that our journey was far from ending. We pushed ourselves even more, eager to prove ourselves. It was on the second day of March that we finally gathered to quarantine in one house. Being able to see one another face-to-face somehow lifted off some of the team’s prolonged burn-out from working separately. Even so, it was a few weeks before the real competition began. We spent restless days together, preparing everything we could for the competition. We had our student coaches visiting us every so often; checking our progress and directly guiding us on our practices. We also had our practices with our alumni, and advisors, who immensely helped us in our preparations.
Tiara Ananda Kartika is a first-year law student at the Law Faculty of Universitas Katolik Parahyangan and member of Parahyangan International Law Society. She has participated in the 2021 Willem C. Vis East and West, and finished as the Quarterfinalist in the International Round.