Guardian Angel

If Concord students ever ran out of career options, I think being a part of a top secret ‘mission impossible’ definitely makes the top of the contingency plan. Hushed whispers fill the corridors as several crucial items (usually varying from a pack of Haribos to an upgrade of a fluffy plush doll) are passed down from a range of different hands. Poker faces permanently installed on familiar faces. Sealed envelopes placed in hidden corners. Coded messages just waiting to be encrypted.

“Code red: the eagle has flown!”

“Hide! He’s here!”

“Make sure no one sees you! Hurry!”

Speed, agility and great strength are strongly required for this top-notch activity.

No, the Hunger Games does not occur here in Shrewsbury (although we do have our daily share of it running to the dining hall). However, we have a great substitute for it: Guardian Angel. If you have enough courage, you can volunteer yourself to take part in this game. The week after your courageous act, the prefects will assign you your target, I mean, your ward, who you should take excellent care of for a whole week. Each volunteer will also be assigned to a guardian angel. The rules are simple: pay your ward a lot of attention, love him or her in anyway you can but keep your identity a secret. The last rule proves to be the most enjoyable and challenging rule to obey. Of course, anonymity is top priority in this game.

Some students may get their best friends as their wards or maybe even the boy in their History class or the girl who lives downstairs. For some, they may not even have a single clue on who their ward is. They would have to stalk their ward’s Facebook profile and the rather obvious student handbook to obtain all the crucial information. It’s like being stuck in the unrequited love phase – loving from a distance. But everybody knows that the chase is one of the best part.

This year’s guardian angels tend to give it all or nothing. Wards are presented homemade cupcakes for breakfast. Cute personalized drawings are slipped into wards’ bags. Motivational and inspirational messages signed onto every gift. Lots of food is given – yes, this is definitely the season to be jolly. Some guardian angels take the game to the next step: from dedicating a poem to their ward on Wednesday’s assembly, posting a public declaration of appreciation for their ward and even a flash mob for them during tea time.

Guardian angel is nothing more than a simple game but it benefits everyone in one way or another. This game helps us get to know other people better and enables us to build new friendships. The random acts of kindness also lighten our days as we watch people’s joy when receiving their gifts or when we receive gifts too. With our summer exams coming soon, it is easy to forget the simple things under all the stress and pressure. Thus, this game also helps us remind ourselves to appreciate the people around us who are there for us and reminds us to not always take, but also to give.

Astrid Suryandari 6.1