Geneva Class Trip (Year 11+12)

04.11.2022 CJD International School CJD Braunschweig « zur Übersicht

Day 1 Red Cross Museum and the Benefits of a Class Trip Written by Yasally

Visiting the Red Cross Museum was, to be honest, probably the most surprising experience on this trip for some of us. On the one hand, it was truly inspiring to see how creative individual prisoners were during their time in prison, creating impressive works of art. In addition, the Red Cross highlighted how volunteers came together in crisis situations to help not only their loved ones, but also strangers from around the world.  Their commitment and contribution was based on their selflessness, and it was so monumental to be reminded of what individuals can accomplish when they cooperate with each other. I'm sure the exhibitions made a deep impression on everyone and really helped us think about our own actions and what we can accomplish and change if we put our minds to it.

Most memorable was the last day, when a small group of us hiked to France before participating in an incredible CERN tour. On the last night, we found a nice Thai restaurant where we had dinner together one last time and then got ice cream. Afterwards we were able to check out the nightlife of Geneva with its incredible colorful water fountain.

Day 2 Hike up Mont Aiguille written by Guilherme

2087 meters of altitude and three and a half hours of steep mountain trails and dense vegetation lead us through a path where we have to go step by step. Despite the inevitable challenges, the peaks of the mountain are a real feast for the eyes of the beauty of the Alps.   Day 1 or Day 2 - The Botanical Garden in Geneva written by Sabrina A few of us visited the botanical garden in Geneva, a huge park with a variety of plants. It was very beautiful and fascinating to see exotic plants and to witness dozens of different plant species growing together in harmony. The best part, however, were the sheep and goats that kept bleating at us.  

Day 3 - A tour of CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research) written by Christoph

When the day finally came for us to visit CERN, the excitement was evident in everyone. As the streetcar pulled into CERN, we were immediately surrounded by impressive buildings and construction sites. You could sense that you were in one of the world's largest centers for scientific research. The time had come, the guided tour began. After receiving our badges, we were led into the "s'cool lab," again surrounded by complex machinery in all directions.

Although we knew we would be building our own cloud chamber, it was a pleasant surprise to find that we would also be exploring superconductors. It was a truly fascinating experience to see how the magnet was held in place, hovering above the superconductor, yet free to spin. The superconductors were cooled with liquid nitrogen, which at 77 K is extremely cold. A personal highlight was when the liquid nitrogen hit the table - surprisingly, the droplets seemed to float above the table. Even in such seamless scenarios, we learned something about physics (in this case, the Leidenfrost effect).

Finally, we watched spellbound as a superconducting train gently floated over a magnetic track. The excited and fascinated faces when we told about our experiences at CERN best describe the most amazing experience we had.