A TALK WITH NGUYỄN TRẦN NGUYÊN HÀ (LITERATURE 22 - 25) ON A MOMENTOUS FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL
A new school year has arrived and with it, nostalgia and anxiety followed. After a year without an opening ceremony due to the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, in the school year 2022 - 2023, the students of Hanoi - Amsterdam High School for the Gifted once again rejoiced in the shared enthusiasm for a new and successful school year. A conversation with Nguyễn Trần Nguyên Hà—who had the highest score for Literature honors class in high school entrance tests—will shed light on our students' thoughts during the previous first day of school.
Reporter: What are the three adjectives that can accurately describe what you were feeling on your first day at high school Ams?
Nguyên Hà: Personally, my three adjectives would be nervous, proud, and nostalgic. Nervous to the point where I couldn't sleep last night, proud because I can now wear the uniform of Hanoi - Amsterdam High School, and nostalgic because I am now able to return to Ams, my second home.
Reporter: As an Amser who has spent four years at this school, with this year being the fifth, for you, how is this year's opening ceremony different from that of previous years?
Nguyên Hà: This year's opening ceremony is special to me, as it is the first ceremony since the Covid-19 pandemic. Last year's ceremony was held online, so we did not get to have shared photos or meet each other. It’s different this year. I’ve met and made new friends, taken some amazing anniversary photos and met my old Secondary School teachers and friends. To add on to that, this year’s Flag Day was also done on the same day as the first day of school, so Ams has become even more lively than before. All of this makes this ceremony special to me.
Nguyên Hà (to the right) in a photo with her friend in the Opening Ceremony
Reporter: As a student studying at Hanoi - Amsterdam from Secondary all the way to High School, how has Hanoi - Amsterdam changed compared to previous years in your opinion?
Nguyên Hà: To me, Ams has changed a lot. The enforcement of rules is a lot stricter now, with the student council patrolling to ensure that everyone is wearing uniform and not dyeing their hair. On other notes, the infrastructure has been improved with a new rose garden. The well in building K has new trees planted, and the biology garden has been trimmed nicely, though I remember the plants growing here being way lusher and greener back then.
Reporter: Another school year is coming. What do you have to say to your teachers, friends and yourself this new year?
Nguyên Hà: I hope that I will have the most memorable 1000 days of being a Literature student; hope that my classmates will love and care for each other and experience our unforgettable first season of NHAT together. I also hope to build lasting memories with my teachers - the people who will be by my side for the next three years. As for myself, I wish to spend my three years together with Ams, a place where I hope to learn more new things, become more mature and find my way through the future.
10 Literature 2022 - 2025, in the Opening Ceremony
Reporter: Thank you, Nguyễn Trần Nguyên Hà, for this enlightening conversation. We hope that you'll have a 2022-2023 school year filled with joy, laughter, and incredible memories with your friends, teachers at the beloved Hanoi - Amsterdam High School!
Translator: Phan Khánh An - English 1 2225
Image: Self-provided
