Lectures

Monday 3rd:

All lectures will be held online and Faculties, Institutes, Centers and Schools (FICS) shall organize the delivery of all their remaining lectures including practical lectures and direct their respective students population about what to expect in the following weeks before the exams.

Tuesday 4th onward:

Lectures that have more than 20 students are advised to be moved online. Meanwhile, each (FICS) has the liberty to organize small lectures with less than 20 students in person or online. In case of students or lecturers being in quarantine, the lecture will be switched online in order not to disturb the teaching schedule. However, Practical sessions that involve fieldwork, laboratory work, and placement, etc. shall continue to be held in person whenever it is possible.

End of semester examination

The University of Malta emergency team seemed to relay the responsibility of deciding whether the exams are online or in-person to the respective (FICS). They only indicate that students who miss the exams due to quarantine should be provided with an opportunity for another sit or alternative method of examination on a date that is approximately three weeks from the main sitting. Further information should be sent to the students soon.

1600 Students sign a petition

At the same time, a petition that has been circulating between University of Malta students and parents has reached 1600 signature. The petition started before the email from the emergency team had been sent but it still got 800 new signatures since the email has been sent. The petition asked to switch all lectures and examinations into online settings for the sake of both students’ and lecturers’ health.

To reach this number of signatures in a such short period is a clear indication of what the students think and want from the different FICS and University of Malta administration. This stand is supported by a number of organizations that included both KSU and Moviment Graffitti with the latter stating:

Studenti Graffitti, the student wing of Moviment Graffitti, supports KSU in a call to move exams online. The University’s policy, which states that students in quarantine cannot sit for exams in January, is both unfair and illogical when a safer option is available

The situation is still on going with further update coming our way in the upcoming days. The Third Eye shall continue to cover the students voices and any updates that we get from University of Malta.

You can find a link to the petition here!

For past articles about the current situation click here!

The post Students don’t take University indecisiveness laying down appeared first on The Third Eye.

Written By Waleed Alhweeshel

With the pressure of the Exams season looming over the student’s mind and mental health; the rise in Covid cases and the uncertainty of the future seems to further pressurize students and raise dissatisfaction between many student populations in their respective Academic fields towards their faculties.

This pushed some students to take matters into their own hands and went to social media like what happened to the Masters Students in FEMA which lead to the ignition of conversation between their respective student organization and FEMA to reconsider their decision to shift into Physical examination with no chance of online examination for those quarantined and only provide them with an option to take their exam in September.

This sparked a wave of voicing over dissatisfaction with University of Malta’s lack of planning for the examination period from different Faculty-based-organizations which included ‘GhsL’ with their president Martina Cassar commenting on a post made public on Facebook on the 16th of December

Law Organization have been struggling to get some concrete answers from faculty for weeks

Till this day with exam being less than a month away, faculty or registrar have NO CLUE what would be the contingency plan should a student be in quarantine for an exam

Other Law Student Organizations came out with their own statement about the situation requesting more clarification from their faculty side.

Other Faculty-based organizations – for example MMSA – are dealing with a similar situation in their own faculty but opted to deal with the situation internally with their own students’ population and faculty administration

After all these incidents within the university of Malta the KSU came out with a statement Today updating the student body about what is happening and clarifying where they stand in the whole situation:

KSU was informed that discussion were still ongoing and that mitigation measures will be placed to deal with the arising situation and FAQs are to be released soon

They went on to clarify the current policy:

The current policy seems to be that should a student be in mandatory quarantine whilst scheduled for an exam, they would have to sit for the exam as a first sit in September. However, having a substantial number of students doing so is not logistically possible for the University, as confirmed by the Office of the Registrar. For students in their final year of studies, doing a first sit exam in September is unfair and illogical

The KSU Urged the University of Malta to reconsider the direction given regarding the situation and pushed for switching of examination into online setting putting into consideration each unit requirement

KSU is of the firm belief that the only visible solution for the upcoming January session would be to have examinations shifted online where feasible, while taking the requirements of each unit into consideration

The situation is still on going. The uncertainty persists, but with a growing number of students, organizations, and KSU releasing statements about the situation, one can hope that University of Malta comes out with a clear and comprehensive plan as soon as possible to help put students minds at ease to deal with their exams without jeopardizing their future or questioning their own safety and the safety of their loved ones.

For the full statement by KSU click here

For past article about the situation click here

The post KSU Pushes For Online Exams appeared first on The Third Eye.

The recently updated regulations regarding the ‘P-R’ ( person-remote) mode of learning as well as graduation ceremonies have added more fuel to the fire. Why?

After reading about the ‘post-covid university experience’, you may understand a little bit better…

“Will University lectures be held in Person or Remotely?”

Short answer: a blend of both! Following the University of Malta Senate meeting held yesterday, 23rd September 2021, it was announced that students would be returning to the Msida campus next Monday, 27th September 2021. According to the University, the most ideal way to obtain this would be to adopt a ‘P-R’ mode of learning.

This mode of learning will ensure that the Covid-19 health and safety regulations are adhered to. It is also designed to ensure the wellbeing of students and faculty members alike is maintained.

“What Will the P-R Mode of Learning Look like?”

This mode of learning will be adopted for large cohorts, much like the Department of Psychology. It will be organised as follows:

• Large groups of students will be sub-divided into smaller ones in order to fit University’s lecture rooms, keeping classes at a maximum of 60 students.
• The groups will alternate weekly between attending lectures physically and remotely.
• Remote participation will occur via recorded sessions on Zoom or following the lecture synchronously as observers.
• Participation on campus will resume normalcy, with the addition of wearing a mask and maintaining physical distance at all times (obviously!)

What will this mode of learning actually look like?

An email written by Dr. Gottfried Catania, Head of the Faculty of Social Wellbeing and the Department of Psychology was addressed to the students earlier today discussing updates regarding these recent developments. The email includes the following statement:

This is far from ideal. Students are rather upset with this arrangement, especially since they have found out about it 3 days before starting University.

Betapsi Malta‘s statement, released shortly after the email highlights this:

We are very happy to share this announcement [ regarding lectures being held physically], however, we are disappointed by the fact that Psychology lectures will start this Monday, and this decision has only been confirmed to the Department now – less than one working day in advance – especially considering that the three months of summer should have been enough to prepare for these circumstances, which at this point no longer remain unforeseeable.

A lot is said about mental health, being a very common buzzword in the media, yet students being kept hanging like this – a working day before lectures were set to begin – completely disregards their mental health. We believe we deserve better.

A couple of Psychology Students ( who opted to remain anonymous) decided to share their thoughts on the matter:

This system might create further issues in an individuals’ personal life away from university surrounding planning, transport, other life projects and building social connections with other students.

Being classified into separate groups according to surnames stops you from getting to know your class as a whole, and only reduces the quality of education even further for the half observing from behind a screen.

Betapsi Malta noted that despite these conditions, we should still maintain decorum with lecturers:

In the meantime, we would like to invite students to, as always, be very understanding with their lecturers. Lecturers, just like us students, have been informed of this confirmed decision now, and like us need some time to adapt to this new way of lecturing. Having half of the class with you in a lecture hall and the other half online must be no easy task, and so we would like students to show their full support to the lecturers, who are trying their utmost to give us a normal university experience.

A ‘Post-Covid’ Graduation Celebration!

No university experience is complete without a graduation ceremony. Following the pandemic, the graduation ceremonies for 2020 and 2021 graduates had to be put on hold. The University of Malta announced that these ceremonies will be held in the upcoming months.

The undergraduate ceremonies for both 2020 and 2021 graduates will be held throughout the months of November and December 2021, whilst postgraduate ceremonies will be held in March and April 2022.

Unlike previous years however, graduation ceremonies will not be celebrated in the usual Sir Temi Zammit Hall. Instead, they will be held at the University of Malta Sports Complex. In its statement, the University also explained that although guests will be invited to attend, they will be following a live stream of the ceremony in a separate tent to ensure Covid-19 measures are followed.

The University Graduates’ Lens

The Third Eye reached out to recent graduates to gain some insight on how they feel about this. The following responses demonstrates the difficulty of this situation:

Vera gravi how they handled it. We had the option to do graduations last year in these exact same conditions but instead of doing it last year for us they postponed to this year to have a graduation with double the number of people by adding both years together!

Another student shared her (rather heart wrenching) perspective on the upcoming graduation ceremonies:

It feels like I’ve been cheated again. I’m the first person in my family to graduate. And now my family is going to have to see all the hard work that they had to go through to allow me to go to university, through a screen. This is despite the fact that events of 100+ people are currently happening. I wanna cry about this like I’m so pissed off.

We’re second rate citizens, all they care about is that we contribute to the economy. Marking an accomplishment is nothing to celebrate, just go on and be robots contributing to GDP!

Watch this space for updates!

More Campus News here.

The post Welcome to the ‘Post-Covid’ University Experience! appeared first on The Third Eye.

BY JEF PRESS SUBCOM MEMBER AND UNIVERISTY OF OXFORD STUDENT JACOB GRECH

This Europe day, May 9th, a long-awaited component of a programme for European Union will begin: the Conference on the Future of Europe. Initially the brainchild of a number of national leaders, notably France’s Emmanuel Macron, COVID-19 has delayed the conference, which was due to start in mid-2020. Now, however, this is set to go ahead as a discussion form with the aim of encouraging EU citizens and residents to articulate their visions for the future trajectory of the European project over the next years and decades. The end date has been tentatively placed as the spring of 2022.

Last month, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, together with Parliament President Sassoli and Portugal’s Socialist Prime Minister António Costa, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the Council, addressed the Parliament to lay out why the conference is necessary and how they envisage it working.

A ‘Post-Covid’ Europe

A common feature of their respective remarks was the argument that the COVID-19 pandemic offers both an opportunity and a challenge to instigate a different approach to pan-European politics. Sassoli spoke in terms of a need to effect a “renewal of the democratic pact” and forge a “new European social contract”. Costa declared the conference to be a “sign of hope” in the midst of multiple crises. He was unambiguous in illustrating the scope of these: from the thousands of companies facing bankruptcy due to uncertainty to climate change. Health, public indebtedness, youth unemployment, migration, terrorism: the issues that, according to Eurobarometer studies, Europeans most care about, are rightly to be front and centre.

Diversifying Europe

Secondly, there was a shared conviction that this project must entail a bottom-up approach that involves as many stakeholders across the breadth and diversity of the European Union as is possible. Von der Leyen frankly acknowledged the limitations of previous attempts to reach out to the hundreds of millions of Europeans alienated from the institutions, that the conference had to “go beyond Brussels” and reach “the silent majority.” These turns of phrase are employed so frequently – one could easily imagine someone like Marine le Pen using them in a speech – that it is often wise to remain wary of them. What von der Leyen seems to have in mind is a Europe that embraces the full “creativity and diversity” of its citizens. A Europe that leaves no one behind. Naturally easier said than done. How can a project achieve both coherence and dynamism, such as a grassroots-led project would entail?

What Will the Conference on the Future of Europe look like?

To launch this conference in 2021 offers one clear advantage: the recently-approved €1.8 trillion EU budget for the next six years presents a framework through which the debate may be structured. Indeed, as it stands, the plan is for eight categories – climate change, health, jobs and economy, EU in the world, freedom and rights, digital, EU democracy – with leeway for other topics proposed by citizens along the way. So, what will the Conference on the Future of Europe look like? The released joint statement outlined that there will be a “multitude of conference-events,” panels and debates on the range of issues mentioned above.

There is certainly reason for federalists to be optimistic. As Prime Minister Costa pointed out, surveys demonstrate that levels of support for EU membership amongst the populations of the 27 states are higher than ever. However, there are multiple sceptical voices out there, and the conference has not gone without criticism from any quarter.

A group of 12 member states, including Malta, have joined together to draft a position paper ahead of the conference’s commencement. They stress the common significance of topics such as the rule of law, the digital transition, the economic recovery, climate and migration. However, they make it clear that the conference “should not create legal obligations” for member-states above and beyond those of existing legislative processes.

How to Make it Work?

A lot rests on the commitment to a bottom-up, grassroots-led approach being translated into reality. The model of successful citizen’s assemblies as utilised in France and Ireland in the last few years to tackle a range of contentious policy questions has demonstrated that this is not a pipe dream in the 21st century. There are fora that may yet create the incentives that lead participants to appreciate their common interests and work to solve problems.

Beyond the structure of the debate, it is essential that there is clear and prompt follow-up from European institutions and national governments. If the Conference fails to deliver in this regard, it could just as easily contribute further to the erosion of citizen’s faith in institutionalised politics to deliver solutions.

Who Will be Leading the Conference?

The conference’s intended scope of combating hierarchies and inequalities between politicians and citizens is an admirable one. That is not to say that it will not require organisational leadership. So far, the plan is for a “joint presidency” consisting of von der Leyen, Sassoli and a representative of the incumbent Council presidency, together with an “Executive Board” with three representatives from each institution and additional observers. Disputes have arisen as to who should form part of this leadership team, exposing the fault lines between European parties and member-states.

Indeed, perhaps as significant a division as that between professional politicians and citizens is a perceived inequality of treatment between member-states. There have long been complaints that the EU possesses a tiered system and provides some countries undue advantages, whether in economic oversight or personnel allocation. The Greek financial crisis brought these arguments to fore in the last decade, and since, albeit for different reasons, the governing politicians of Poland and Hungary in particular have built their careers on resistance to domination and imposition by Brussels.

At a Crossroad…

The European project in 2021 finds itself at a crossroads. On the one hand, the first stage of Brexit has finally been concluded – although on questions ranging from Irish unity to the future trade relationship, much remains to be discussed – and support for membership across the remaining 27 countries is the highest it has ever been. On the other, the divisions between and within member-states are clear for all to see. From migration to taxation policies to vaccine procurement, national governments have rejected attempts to craft a common framework in recent times.

The challenge for federalists is to find a way to overcome the individualism and nationalism that has rendered politics at a European level more often than not a forum in which purely national-focused politicians are able to claim legitimacy or rile up their bases against globalists. On the face of it, the von der Leyen presidency itself did not begin on the brightest of notes – the spitzenkandidat system that brought Jean-Claude Juncker to the Berlaymont in 2014 was repudiated and the archetypal image of backroom deals between national leaders was reintroduced.

Since then, however, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought a fundamentally new character to politics in Europe, one fraught with dangers (increased state surveillance, the erosion of civil liberties, increasing economic inequality) but also marked by a broader awareness than before that structural change is required. Picking up, at least rhetorically, on the policy proposals of U.S. progressives such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, von der Leyen has committed to the development of a European Green Deal.

” Europe Must Democratise if it is to Survive”

Beyond the institutions, Pan-European politics is changing. From the left, former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis and Croation philosopher Srećko Horvat have launched DiEM25, a pan-European political movement to push for a radical transformation of the EU institutions, with a particular focus on reform of the Eurozone and fiscal regulation. ‘Europe must democratise if it is to survive’ is their slogan. Just last month, the federalist Volt party entered its first national parliament in the Dutch general election, having won a seat in the European Parliament in 2019. Beyond the European Union, newly-reinstated Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti has called for a ‘European Marshall Plan’ to redress historic inequalities and accelerate the integration of the Western Balkans.

A lot is at stake in the Conference on the Future of Europe. Many questions remain. Can the institutions demonstrate that they really are open-minded? Will citizens disenfranchised from European politics take any notice to the overtures made to them? Will proposals from the grassroots be taken seriously, and will at least some of them be implemented? Nevertheless, it remains an initiative that federalists should follow closely and engage with – the challenge is to render it not a conclusion, but a beginning.

What Lies Beyond the Pandemic for Europe? Find out here!

The post The Conference on the Future of Europe: A Special Europe Day Analysis | JEF Malta appeared first on The Third Eye.

After a post that was made by Jeremy Grech, a performing artist, numerous artists and performers have come forward to express their concerns on the matter. Artists have been put to the sidelines with no indication or direction of what is the next step for them.

This pandemic has brought to light many things and it has also uncovered the harsh reality of it all. Individuals that hold job titles that are considered “non-essential” are left confused as to when they are able to return to work.

The arts and entertainment sector have been given the cold shoulder and many students and artists around the island have expressed their concerns and opinions on the matter. Arts is a sector that is not respected enough and not highly regarded. It is seen as extra and maybe even irrelevant in both economic and social terms.

But, at the end of the day…

If it weren’t for that stand-up comedian that made you laugh on a bad day, that moving performance that changed your perspective on a topic, and that graceful dancer that left you mesmerised, our spirits would be lower than ever. It is the arts that are able to pick us when we are spiralling to a dark place and sometimes, a little laughter is all we need.

It is a well-known fact that the arts in Malta are obviously not held in the highest of regard, why? It is not seen as a profession… it’s just a hobby.

Jeremy Grech, Performing Artist

While certain aspects of the sector were allowed to operate under strict conditions, everything came to a halt last March. Even though it resulted that arts education facilities have next to zero transmission within theatre audiences, casts, or schools, there is still no indication as to what the next step forward is. I reached out to USPA (University Students of Performing Arts Association), to get their insight on the matter.

Despite that discipline and responsibility, the sector seemed to have been totally ignored while planning the exit plan, with authorities meeting to consult with associations, workers, and other stakeholders only after the fact.

Alex Weenink, USPA Public Relations Officer

It is a passion but it is also a job…

Students, current and aspiring art workers, and even theatre enthusiasts are disheartened to see that this art sector is given no importance to society. Weenink, carried on saying;

If governmental bodies act in this way, it is then no surprise to see the same line of thinking drip down into the general population, leading to a notion of ‘freebie culture’ where people expect artistic content to be entirely free for their enjoyment and use, and that art workers are only hobbyists or second class citizens.

Art workers are losing their jobs and as a result, are forced to work in completely different sectors to make ends meet. It is important to note that artists and performers are not paid for rehearsals, they go through blood, sweat, and tears because they love what they do. And they want to show that they love what they do to the rest of us.

However, when you see your work being unappreciated and the authorities not taking into consideration the work that goes behind the scenes, it is only natural for one to be discouraged.

Another issue is that we are not paid for rehearsals. So why should we start working on something that might be cancelled the week before? After all that hard work we won’t earn anything as our payday is show day.

Jeremy Grech, Performing Artist

The public spoke out

We asked what the audience thinks about the authorities not addressing the situation and students from different backgrounds have put forward their opinion on the issue;

They’ll never address it because God forbid the artists get paid.

There’s been little acknowledgement and supports of the arts and limited opportunities for revival.

The arts are not being addressed. This acts as a big disservice to such creative and hard-working people.

Fighting through the pandemic

Weenink praised the art students that have shown real resilience, perseverance and creativity, despite the lack of motivation one may feel in this dire situation. However, he stated what a total disservice it is that the Arts sector is still considered as an “extracurricular” when performing arts education provides you with essential twenty-first-century life skills that we may take for granted.

While artists and performers deserve a big round of applause for still pushing through the pandemic, despite the challenges they have faced, it is high time that the arts sector is taken more seriously here in Malta.

And as Grech stated in his post, this is not a call for help, this is a call for arts!

The post Standing up for the arts | Artists speak out appeared first on The Third Eye.

Written by Michaela Abela

With the arrival of the COVID-19 vaccines in Malta, came the need for trained individuals to distribute them to the population. With the hands of most medical professionals being full with the ongoing pandemic, the health authorities turned to medical students to help out. As always, the Malta Medical Students’ Association (MMSA) with great responsibility, keenly accepted this request and quickly gathered and is coordinating about 170 medical students who were very eager to help out with this vaccination process.

Medical students across all 5 years, are currently volunteering at vaccination hubs at the University of Malta, MCAST, SCSA St. Venera, Naxxar and Aurora Gozo.  Here, the students are under the guidance and supervision of various medical professionals and entrusted with various roles including the preparation and administration of the vaccines and vetting of patients. Students have the knowledge to answer questions posed to them by the public, debunk some myths and give reassurance about the safety of vaccines.

Vaccination Process

In preparation, students were given access to an online training course to provide them with more information regarding the vaccine, its preparation and administration. This was  then further strengthened with in person training and supervision to ensure everyone is sufficiently trained to safely administer the vaccine.

For some time, a number of preclinical medical students were also helping out at Mater Dei hospital with some administrative work and in other areas as required.

Sharing Experiences

Coordinating such voluntary opportunities takes lots of time and effort to organise and carry out, however, we are very grateful for them and are always more than happy to support the health authorities in any way, wherever possible. The response from students for such opportunities is always overwhelming so we asked two students to tell us all about their experience.

Sam Fleri Soler- 4th Year

After my great experience last year at the COVID Helpline, which was equally as fun and fulfilling, as the new opportunity to volunteer at the vaccine hubs was announced, I definitely did not think twice before signing up. Prior to starting, we were given access to online training which thoroughly explained how to prepare and administer the vaccines, which was then strengthened by training given by experienced tutors during our first shift. This opportunity has been very satisfying since we are directly involved in the whole vaccination drive and are helping hundreds of people per day to become vaccinated. Besides this, it has helped me to further improve my communication skills, practical skills and especially my ‘bedside manners’ when dealing with people who are afraid of needles or debunking myths that people have read online and putting their minds at rest. All in all it has been an invaluable experience so far and I am looking forward to the shifts to come.

Gerard Zammit Young – 1st year

After MMSA introduced us to an opportunity to volunteer, I felt a sense of duty to help out. From helping with administrative work behind the scenes, to administering the vaccines myself on the frontline, I feel that this opportunity has taught me valuable lessons in working in a clinical environment. With the training given and constant supervision provided during the vaccination process, as well as the buddy system introduced, I felt quite prepared to give the vaccine. As a pre-clinical student, the chance to come in contact with patients at such an early stage has greatly improved my communication and people-oriented skills, all while fulfilling a duty to help out during this once in a lifetime situation.

Concluding Words

MMSA has been helping out through such voluntary opportunities since the beginning of the pandemic in Malta. Over the past year, we helped out at the 111 helpline, 112 control room at Mater Dei, Situation Monitoring at MDH and also at swabbing centres.
(Michaela Abela, Jonathan George Grima and Gerard Zammit Young are coordinating the vaccination voluntary opportunity for medical students.)

More on MMSA’s COVID-19 Volunteering Experience here!

(Photo courtesy of MMSA)

The post Medical Students Help out with COVID-19 Vaccinations | MMSA appeared first on The Third Eye.

Student Organisations Events

Warrant Revision Session

Junior Chameber of Advocates are excited to announce their first ever edition of Warrant Revision. During this event, invited guest speakers Dr Adrian Camilleri, Dr Stephen Tonna Lowell and Dr Michael Camilleri will deal with a variety of questions, particularly concerning Civil law, Criminal law and Constitutional law. 

You can register by clicking here!

• Date: 13th January
• Time: 4:00pm
• Venue: Online

Deep-Talking Discrimination

Betapsi is up with another deep talks event, where this time we will be discussing sexism, homophobia, ableism, racism, transphobia and ageism, as portrayed in the media. Entrance is free and completely online but make sure to book here!

• Date: 13th January
• Time: 8:00pm
• Venue: Online

Betapsi’s Car Bingo Trivia Night!

All of us know what Bingo is but what about a car bingo? Join Betapsi this Sunday, where in teams of 4, socially distanced from the comfort of their own car, participants will be competing in three consecutive rounds of bingo, derived from trivia questions that will test your knowledge in culture, movies, music, sports, science, history and many more!

Apply here!

• Date: 17th January
• Time: 7:00pm
• Venue: Ta’ Qali

Betapsi’s Therapy Campaign

Betapsi announces their first ever Therapy Campaign! Through this initiative, they aim to raise more awareness on the subject of therapy by delving into its diverse branches and investigating how they can be beneficial in different aspects of our lives.

• Date: 18th January till 26th January
• Time: 8:00am till 2:00pm
• Venue: Online

The Official SDM Hike

An afternoon hike filled with activities! Contact any SDM member to book your place.

• Date: 22nd January
• Time: 4:00pm
• Venue: Triq tas-Silf, Marsaxlokk (Pick up will be from Valletta)

MUHS Tours of the Metropolitan Cathedral Archive in Mdina.

MUHS are happy to present three tours of the incredible Metropolitan Cathedral Archive situated in Mdina. Booking is first come first served basis so make sure to grab a spot by sending an email on; muhs1963@gmail.com.

• Date: 30th January
• Time: 9:00am till 11:15am
• Venue: Mdina Cathedral Museum

Other events going around the island

Candlelight Yoga

Relax and stretch while feeling cosy in a candlelit atmosphere!  The class will be a mix of slow Vinyasa and Flexibility Yoga. The maximum number is that of 7 so make sure to book beforehand! The cost is that of €10 per class or €40 for 5 classes.

• Date: 12th January till 23rd February
• Time: 6:45pm till 7:45pm
• Venue: HOLM Boutique & SPA St Julians

Faith.

Taking the underlying themes of tradition, family, religion and politics, Faith, curated by Daniel Azzopardi, is an exhibition comprised of a unique photographic archive taken over the past 27 years by the English-Maltese photographer Amelia Troubridge.

• Date: 12th January till 31st January
• Time: 9:00am till 9:00pm
• Venue: St James Cavalier, Centre for Creativity

Dehumaneation

Dehumaneation is an exhibition that will combine paintings by Shaun Grech, film, an installation, narratives, and critical debate to explore these complex concepts. This project is unashamedly political and seeks to open a space for active critical reflection and debate on a range of thorny issues while envisioning sites of critical resistance within the artistic space.

• Date: 15th January till 28th February
• Time: 9:00am till 9:00pm
• Venue: St James Cavalier, Centre for Creativity

VOID CAST

VOID will be presenting weekly series featuring online live stream sessions where they will introduce a various genre of music in Liquid Club Malta. This allows locals to express themselves through music.

• Date: 16th January till 4th September
• Time: 7:30pm till 8:30pm
• Venue: Online / Liquid Club Malta

Slow Down Sunday

Unwind every Sunday by gathering in the field and feel one with nature with Biome Munch! Get to stretch, harvest, brew and learn various different topics ranging from food preservation to herbalism and more!

The event costs €15 per person and no previous experience is required!

• Date: 17th January
• Time: 10am till 12:45pm
• Venue: Biome Munch

Bidla │ Preview Screening

Bidla is a music documentary film by Amanda Eke. It explores the music fusion of Għana – traditional Maltese Folk Music and Hip-Hop on the Mediterranean Island of Malta through the lens of Hip-Hop artists and cultural anthropologists.

The cost is that €7 per person, and €6 for any Cinema Club Member (apply here!)

• Date: 17th January
• Time: 6:30pm till 7:00pm
• Venue: Spazju Kreattiv Cinema

Movie Nights at the Main Hall

Every month, the Ivy House Team will have a different theme to provide fun, education, diversity and culture to the community! Stay tuned on their socials to catch this month’s programme!

• Date: 17th January
• Time: 6:00pm
• Venue: Ivy House Malta

SPRING v1.1

The SPRING programme is the result of years of experience collaborating with artists and collectives. This helps bring emerging artists and collectives by dedicating physical spaces, time to engage in critical discussions, guiding curatorial process, project development, sales of artworks, marketing and internationalisation. Three artists; Noura Abdelhafidh, Stephania Micallef and Stefan Spiteri, will be showcasing their work at The Mill.

• Date: 21st January till 8th February
• Time: 5pm till 7pm
• Venue: Gabriel Caruana Foundation, The Mill

Homebody

Maria Borg will debut the MUŻA 2021 programme with her first solo exhibition titled ‘Homebody’.

“This exhibition focuses on painting objects. The paintings obsess over texture; the softness of the fabric and the heaviness of the body that inhabited them. They tease by evoking a presence that interacted with the subject that is no longer there. This absence lends the objects a heavy aura which suggests that they will be around for much longer than we will.”

• Date: 22nd January till 21st February
• Time: 7:00pm till 9:00pm
• Venue: TBA (Check their socials for more updates)

‘Till Dawn’ Photography Exhibition Opening

An photography exhibition you surely do not want to miss! Great artworks ranging from night photos, tapas and music, by one of the best DJ’s in Malta, Mar Escalda.

• Date: 23rd January
• Time: 7:00pm till 11:00pm
• Venue: Ivy House Malta

Sunshine Animal Sanctuary Open Day

Another sanctuary is opening up and get the chance to meet the lovely animals residing there already! Like all other sanctuaries, the volunteers and animals depend on you for donations so please contribute as much as you can! Vegan cakes, soft drinks and tea/coffee will be available!

• Date: 31st January
• Time: 12:00pm till 4:00pm
• Venue: Sunshine Animal Sanctuary Malta, Marsascala

The post What is happening in January? appeared first on The Third Eye.

Written by Karen Louise Stoner

Laundering is essential to stop our clothes from becoming vehicles of infection transmission. Textiles are used throughout a hospital setting. Be it as a uniform for practioners, bedding, patient gowns, towels, and many other uses. It goes without saying that with exposure on the daily to different pathogens, textiles become contaminated.

Cause of infectious disease to healthcare professions lead by the hospital environment is the third leading cause of spread. According to a scientific review of 1,022 outbreak investigations throughout hospitals. this includes hospital linen and healthcare worker uniforms.

In the midst of a pandemic, healthcare professionals have a duty, to take extra caution not to further spread infection. Having such close contact with patients, the Faculty of Health Science and allied health care workers are all taking extra precaution to protect their uniforms. They keep them solely for their place of work for their protection, the patient’s and the community. However, there are other infectious diseases that they are protecting the community from, not just COVID-19!

How is Infection Spread?

Healthcare workers come into contact with blood, skin, urine, and many other bodily fluids and tissues. These substances contain a high number of microorganisms which inevitably contaminate such textiles due to the nature of close contact.

In studies by Fijan et al., (2005), Perry et al., (2001), Hota et al., (2004), after laundering hospital worker uniforms, traces of surviving microorganisms were still found including MRSA and Acinetobacter baumannii, and many more.

MRSA

MRSA is one of the most commonly spread microorganisms through clothing. It is a branch of staph bacteria, resistant to many antibiotics making the spread difficult to control and infection difficult to treat. It is spread by skin to skin contact and touching contaminating objects. Thus, making it easy to transmit via clothing.

How to Launder Potentially Infectious Textiles

Detergent and laundry additive can be used for effective laundry procedures. The water temperature should be the warmest that the textile’s instructions allow for (never below 60˚C.) If HCPs wash their uniforms at home, Riley et al. recommends washing uniforms separately from other clothing items and after every shift. You can minimize further spread of infections by always carrying out proper hand hygiene, another vehicle for the fast transmission of infection.

Conclusion

Whilst all healthcare workers wear their uniforms with pride, it is essentially a protective barrier to all the aforementioned microorganisms. The pride that a uniform can bring to a job should be mirrored both in the way that the HCP works and the way they act responsibly in the community.  Nosocomial infections (hospital acquired infections) take up a permanent residency in the hospital. It is up to the dutiful healthcare worker to diminish all risks to the best of their ability for them, for me, for you.  

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Back on 10th October KSU held a meeting with student representatives and organisations to come to decision about whether graduation ceremonies should be held in November or March. 80% of the students present voted in favour of the ceremonies to happen in March.

Earlier today, The Third Eye received complaints from multiple graduating students from a number of different faculties and courses about the fact that they were not consulted when it came to this decision. Said students, confirmed that no one had posted in their course groups or sent emails notifying them that a decision was being taken.

Students expressed their frustration that they were not included in the decision-making process. Graduation ceremonies are a momentous occasion for most students, and many students that approached us said that: “[they] would have at least liked to know that a decision was being taken on [their] behalf.” Another student lamented that they “would have obviously wanted to have their say if they were contacted.”

“It would have been more ideal had the student organisations consulted with the students they represent regarding an event which affects them directly,” another student added.

We brought these complaints to the attention of the KSU President.

He replied that students should be aware of the responsibility they have when voting for their student representatives and respective organisations. These same organisations and representatives have the responsibility and duty to vote and speak on behalf of the student body which they represent, especially when urgent decisions need to be made, similar to what happened in this situation.

The following were the details that KSU presented to the students that voted:

Currently following consultation with public health authorities, [for November] UM is proposing a ceremony where graduates are socially distanced in a hall 100 at a time, with no parents/guardians etc. Graduates will not be able to go up for their diploma, but their name will be called, they’ll rise and be declared a graduate. They will find their diploma on their seat when they graduate.

Further to this decision, KSU President Matthew Xuereb added that “It is KE/KPS’s belief that this reduces the prestige of such a momentous occasion in one’s life.”

With regards to the ceremonies happening in March (now probably April/May), Xuereb added: “It is important to note, that if graduations are postponed whoever requires their diploma, will still be able to obtain it by November from UM.“

With the decision for the date of the ceremonies close to confirmed, graduating students will most likely have to comply with the decisions of their student representatives and organisations.

The post Graduations most likely to be held in April/May 2021 appeared first on The Third Eye.

Written by Kaz Louise Stoner

Sports, whether professional or amateur, is an essential part of each and every person’s lifestyle.

Whether observing from a television screen or being an active participant of a team or individual sport, it serves as a stress relief to many people.

With social distancing as the new norm and human to human contact advised to be avoided, an aura of uncertainty was put around the world of sports. We could no longer endure lazy sofa Sunday’s watching the football, or head down to the pub with our friends to grab a beer and support our favourite teams. Whilst a major source of entertainment was removed from us all, the impact this has had on athletes worldwide is un-ignorable.

Training and Games

During the months where sporting activities were halted, most teams or associations were found mid-league or competitive season. It was peak training season with crucial games left to be played or competed against. Although many associations continued with training from home via resources such as Zoom, the conditioning athletes have spent years working on to develop was decreased. Participants in team sports were left without a team to practice drills and techniques with and the face to face corrections a coach can offer was now eliminated. 

Since returning to sport, teams have adopted measures to ensure the safety of their players. The UM Futsal team takes each member’s temperature before entering the training session, supplies sanitiser, and regulates mask use when not training/ playing, and organising random swabbing for the players. However, players are still faced with anxiety about the safety of their opposing teams. 

Crowds

New regulations impose that games are now to be played behind closed doors. This means that fans are unable to support their favourite teams and offer cheers of endearment/ encouragement. Whilst a necessary evil, this can have a large impact on the performance of the athlete and team as whole. Spectators do not simply just watch. Rather, they are actively part of the experience. A research paper from Argentina using data from 1320 different games states that having fans at matches increases the likelihood of a win by 20%. With this eliminated, athletes must look within to match their fans’ enthusiasm, which is often a difficult task. 

Uncertainties

With a record-breaking week of COVID-19 cases, the world of sports is once again left up in the air. Of course, as with anything, there is a risk to contact sports. However, within the media, sports have been put on a pedestal and under attack numerous times as being too dangerous at this time. A big question mark looms over the world of sports. Athletes are training and oftentimes questioning what for? Will the league really persist? Will I really be able to travel for my competition? Will I ever be able to regain the training that I lost if we keep stopping? These loaded questions are truly impacting the mental health of the athletes and subsequently affecting their performance. The Association for Applied Sport Psychology published that athletes are experiencing an emotional rollercoaster during this time due to the ever changing influxes of information, uncertainties and changes in daily routines, their health, and the health of others. 

International opportunities

Whilst sports is an ever-expanding industry in Malta, opportunities are limited and it is every athlete’s dream to play or perform abroad. Many clubs and associations have provided teams with this experience in the past. However, since travel is difficult right now with Malta being on the red-list of many other countries, there is a void of this fulfillment in the careers of many. Even if competitions are planned abroad, with the current state of things, there is no guarantee these will go on as planned. Most opportunities (with two of the largest being the Tokyo Olympic Games and the Wimbledon Tennis Tournament) are cancelled or postponed. These events have been the targets and aims of some athletes’ training for years and the pandemic has caused them to miss the opportunity of a lifetime.

Livelihood

Fundamentally, for aspiring athletes, sports is not just a hobby. Sports is a passion, a lifestyle, and essentially; a career.  Athletes, coaching staff, team managers, referees, and many others have been affected by the pandemic, as previously mentioned, impacting their physical and mental wellbeing. Besides this, however, it has also caused an impact on financial income. As stated by the International Society of Sports Psychology, the effect of the pandemic on the sporting world “potentially involves a loss of identity, motivation and meaning”. 

The post The Sports Industry during COVID-19 | UoM Futsal appeared first on The Third Eye.