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.

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Written by Nikos Chircop

Given the fact that we are in the midst of pandemic- the crises with COVID-19 cases, vaccine supply, and the economic fallout, it may be difficult to imagine the 2020s as anything but a decade of post-pandemic stagnation for the West. But there is plenty of pinnacle events going on around the world and actions to be taken that prove otherwise!

If we take a quick glance at the sentiments rumbling from the American election results and ground breaking American Rescue Plan. Or on our side of the pond with the European Green Deal, the launching of a new Conference on the Future of Europe, not to mention the strong performance of progressive voices in the German lander elections in the Rhineland, and Baden-Württemberg. The twenties have the potential to be a decade of immeasurable progress characterised by a new consensus of social wellbeing with an environmentalist core.

Post-Pandemic Interventions

If the pandemic has not thought us anything, it has proven the fact that when push comes to shove it was not ‘free’ market that prevented what could have been the most cataclysmic plunge in living standards, but determined, decisive government intervention that cushioned and protected citizens from the brunt of the virus’ fallout. Had we left things to the ‘invisible hand’ so many people would have died in a way John Maynard Keynes would have never foreseen at the time of his writing. We have come to a point where even the British Tory Government has scrapped the Cameron era reforms of the National Health Service, in favour of direct accountability for political representatives.

In recognition of government’s key role in the coordination and spearheading of societal goals and the maintenance and strengthening of human security, the time is now for citizens to engage and pressure government to wield its power for the benefit of all. If we can create not just one, but a number of different vaccines in less than a year, then look what we can do to fight climate change! Determined, accountable government can spearhead efforts with its partners in academia, civil society, and the private sector to reboot the system that works; liberal democracy – with heightened personal liberty, and bolstered democracy.

For a Greener Future

To live in liberty means to have the right to a voice through direct channels of expression and to be truly represented through systems of proportional representation. But these grander goals are frivolous without having the right to a dignified life; a roof over your head, a welfare system that makes plight impossible, the right to breath clean air and live in a pleasant green community. This societal mission is not one that can just be financed by post-pandemic stimulus promised to date, but can indeed be possible with the fruits of the determined mission towards building a robust green economy. A green economy which will give businesses unprecedented space for growth and innovation to reach carbon neutrality. Not to mention the end of an unpredictable energy market thanks to the eventual ushering in of an era of stable, consistent, renewable energy generation and storage.

Conference on the Future of Europe

On the 5^th of March, the Council of Ministers declared that the Conference on the Future of Europe will soon be commencing. They claim that it shall be “a citizens-focused, bottom-up exercise for Europeans to have their say on what they expect from the European Union”. It is up to us to make sure that that pledge is kept. It is up to us to aspire for a society that truly offers dignity for all. To offer a fighting chance for every child in the Union to live a life in pursuit of their own happiness, in spite of their socio-economic circumstance. We can be the makers of the Roaring Twenties in a United Europe.

Here’s another piece by JEF’S Nikos Chircop!

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Throughout the past five months that COVID-19 has been active in Malta, several digital activists have kept their pages online in full swing to voice the causes they believe in. Starting a Facebook page and saying you’re an activist may be easy enough. However, staying active and making your voice heard online is easier said than done. These five pages show how digital activism can be effective, even if in the middle of a pandemic.

Jimpurtana

A coupling of Betapsi alumni who fell in love with activism and want to end the stigma surrounding politics. They started their platform to endorse an open-minded perspective on politics, and look down on partisan politics.

Young Progressive Beings

Self-proclaimed “young, radical beings who want to challenge the status quo”. YPB are a group of youths who were frustrated with the bi-partisan media channels available. So, they created a platform for themselves to fight for social progress, starting with reproductive justice.

Bejn Żewġt Imħuħ

A new organisation that popped up over quarantine aimed at promoting “conservative ideals of liberty, life and culture, within the nation state”. They are an independent organisation wanting to encourage youths use their voice and engage in politics, without having to pick either side.

Dear Decision Makers

Unlike the above mentioned pages, this is an off-shoot of two other organisations in the form of a pro-choice campaign. The page aims to tell the story of the impact of the complete ban on abortion in Malta.

ADŻ Green Youth Malta

Perhaps, one of the older organisations, this page is the ‘youth wing’ better well-known political party, Alternattiva Demokratika. It actively works to push forward especially environmental and social causes and brings youth directly into the political sphere.

The post 5 Youth Activists that have popped up over the pandemic appeared first on The Third Eye.

Written by Jessica Bonnici

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit home, the Malta Medical Students’ Association received a number of requests from the health authorities to help out in various areas, both inside and outside Mater Dei Hospital.

MMSA accepted all these requests willingly and whole-heartedly as we felt it was our duty as medical students to contribute to this world-wide fight.

The response received from our medical students when these volunteering opportunities were shared with them was truly overwhelming and we asked some of them to share their volunteering experiences.

111 Helpline

Around 150 medical students here acted as 2^nd line callers. They would receive details of people with a medical query, call them back and take a proper history. Then, after discussing with doctors, they would inform the person whether or not to go for a swabbing test and advise accordingly.

Once MMSA informed us of the possibility to volunteer at the helpline, I immediately signed up and offered to work as much as possible. I volunteered for many hours at the call centre and I even did a couple of night shifts. This experience gave me an opportunity to improve my communication and history taking skills, all while getting great satisfaction of helping out during such difficult times

Samuel Fleri Soler, 3^rd year

When MMSA contacted us with an opportunity to volunteer and help out, applying was one of the easiest decisions I’ve ever made. From helping confused citizens to talking to those who are lonely, I got the opportunity to not only help others but to help myself as it got my mind off the negativity of the situation

Julia Zahra, 3^rd year

112 Control Room at the Emergency Department

Here around 45 4^th year medical students helped answer emergency calls in the 112 control room. Medical students assist the nurses who take these calls and are asked to input the data given by the caller into the 112 system and dispatch an ambulance according to severity – blue, orange, or red codes.

“The moment University announced it will be closing its door for the foreseeable future, I instantly felt a sense of claustrophobia and helplessness since as a fourth-year medical student, there was not much I could do to help but stay at home. Therefore, when there was a call for volunteers, I did not think twice before signing up.”

Martina Spiteri Bailey, 4^th year

“I chose to volunteer as I felt that my contribution to society as a medical student during a pandemic was a once in a lifetime opportunity. This experience taught me that in such difficult times it is essential to remember about the people who have other conditions and other needs.”

Rachel Hammett, 4^th year

Situation Monitoring

The role here is to daily update a live dashboard used at Mater Dei Hospital with new data received regarding the number of swabs carried out, and which of these were positive on each particular day.

“As preclinical (second year) medical students, we chose to volunteer as we felt that it was our duty to help the health care system during the COVID-19 pandemic in any way we could. Our role was to set up an efficient Excel template, as well as a step by step set of instructions which other volunteers can use to help us analyse the new data received and update this dashboard.”

Elizabeth Grech & Katya Bartolo, 2^nd years

Gozo Swabbing Centre

Medical students here undertake administrative roles and sometimes assist in the actual swabbing wearing the required PPE, under the guidance of doctors.

“When the COVID-19 outbreak arrived in Malta, a sense of frustration began building inside of me as I thought of the hundreds of healthcare workers on the frontline whilst self-isolating within the comfort of my home. The opening of the swabbing centre in Gozo gave me and fellow Gozitan medical students Elyse Mercieca and Matthew Tabone the opportunity to humbly offer our contribution in this fight. It felt immensely gratifying to give something back in these challenging times as part of a dedicated team working towards a common goal.”

Peter Sciberras, 3^rd year

Something a little different from what has been described above, and which surely shouldn’t go unnoticed, is The Diacono Family Project initiated and run by one of our own, Michael Azzopardi.

“Considering I come from a family of chefs, and my grandmother is an incredible inspiration, I decided to channel her passion for cooking. I started contacting family and friends and before I knew it I had a bunch of talented home cooks and professional chefs ready to prepare hundreds of meals in an instant. I set up a schedule where I would pick meals up and deliver them to Mater Dei hospital 3 times a week. I never expected to grow so fast, but over the span of 3 weeks we managed to deliver over 450 meals to healthcare workers. A big thank you to my family, friends, AMC, Victory Butcher, Manouche, Father Claude Portelli and most of all my amazing grandmother, who continues to cook and inspire at the age of 92.”

Michael Azzopardi, 4^th year

Although each and every one of the volunteering opportunities requires time and effort, both to plan and to actively carry out, as a medical students’ association we were and still are more than happy to offer our contribution and support to the health authorities in any way that we can.

Here, we would like to take the opportunity to thank them for giving us such opportunities as well as thank all the healthcare workers for their admirable commitment and courage in the fight against COVID-19.

cover image: source

The post Students talk about their COVID-19 volunteering experiences | MMSA appeared first on The Third Eye.

Written by Robert Pisani and Amy Xuereb

In a world where our lives have come to a halt due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, a spotlight is shone onto those who have kept on going selflessly, even in these trying times. Without a doubt, a big round of applause goes to all the frontliners who are doing their utmost to keep us safe.

Additionally, there are several other entities that strive endlessly for the best of each and every country. Below are some of the various organisations that are helping during this pandemic and to whom we can also donate to or volunteer with.

If you are feeling rather helpless in this situation, and want to lend a helping hand, the entities below as well as several others, will more than benefit from a donation.

Caritas Malta

This foundation aims to provide assistance to poor and vulnerable individuals. A loss or reduction in income during the pandemic may further aggravate poverty, leading to an inability to purchase food and/or maintain accommodation. This foundation provides shelters and temporary housing for the homeless, as well as assisting individuals with halting substance abuse. Moreover, it provides support for individuals who have no family or those who suffer from psychological conditions. This is especially relevant during this period, since isolation may be heightened due to the pandemic. Donating can be done directly through their website and is always welcome, to assist as many individuals as possible.

Foodbank Lifeline Foundation

The Foodbank Lifeline Foundation was founded with the purpose of providing food items to individuals struggling to find the money for food. Currently, the local foundation supports an average of 80 families per week. Food costs may be in the excess of €4000 each week; therefore additional assistance in the form of food donations is always welcome. A referral to this foundation is required in order to receive this service and may include individuals such as oncology patients or the elderly. This is especially relevant during the COVID-19 pandemic, where isolated individuals or those with a reduced income may benefit from such services. The foundation aims to continue providing this service with a wider scope, in order to assist as many individuals as possible. Donating can be done directly through their site.

Hospice Malta

Despite the circumstances, the hospice team is continuously assessing and giving advice to terminally ill patients as well as their relatives through constant communication. Professionals aiding in this include nurses, doctors, physiotherapists, psychologists, social workers, and complementary therapists. Additionally, the Hospice Facebook page has also put up some videos including physiotherapy exercise sessions as well as “Do it Yourself at Home Sessions”. Donations for Hospice Malta can be done in several ways, click here for more guidance.

Invisible Hands

A group of 265 young volunteers helping both the elderly and those in need during this crisis. Be it their groceries, medicines, food, and any other necessity, the aim of “Invisible Hands” is to keep the vulnerable at home. One simply needs to fill out a form including locality as well as contact number. Such a great initiative – Well done! Click here to become a volunteer.

Karl Vella Foundation (KVF)

Children in families disrupted by disease may become emotionally distressed, and is a frequently overlooked issue, with the acute management of a disease typically given more significance. During the COVID-19 pandemic, other illnesses such as cancer and organ failure are still present, with numerous families dealing with such illness during this period. Therefore, children may experience psychological distress, due to a combination of both isolation and witnessing family members affected with the illness.

The KVF offers psychological counseling for children between the ages of five to seventeen years when a family member is undergoing treatment for a disease or is hospitalised. Several professionals work with the affected children, such as teachers and psychologists, in order to assist the child and reduce anxiety. Details for donating to the KVF may be found on their website and performed either through mobile messaging or bank transfer.

Refugee Services

Like many others, refugees and migrants have been hard hit by the economic fallout of the pandemic, meaning that those who were already struggling to survive have to deal with a further blow. The Jesuit Refugee Service in Malta is doing all it can to safeguard immigrants by fighting for their rights, supporting them financially, helping with medications, accommodation costs, necessities, and so on.

In these trying times, these services particularly shine. Thanks to them, people of all backgrounds and attitudes can mix together in an unrestricted meeting-place, and find providence such as shelter and hospitality. For more information on how to donate, you can simply click here.

Smiling with Jerome

A foundation so close to many. Their work is admirable, having a mission to provide support and assistance to those passing through difficult times, especially those diagnosed with cancer. They are currently also working hard for a young adult ward at Sir Anthony Mamo oncology centre as well as delivering chemo bags of hope to cancer patients, amongst so many other initiatives.

If you would like to end your day positively,  knowing that you have done a good deed, feel free to donate, volunteer, sponsor, or either pledge this foundation.

The Malta Trust Foundation

This foundation was established to support disadvantaged young people, aiming for a brighter future through empowerment and psychosocial initiatives. It has successfully donated around 20,000 masks to the government; general practitioners; and non-governmental organisations, in order to aid curb the spread of this pandemic. These masks are a mix of surgical and KF94 masks that can filter out 94% of particulate matter, providing protection against droplets.

 St Jeanne Antide Foundation (SJAF)

This foundation is a social purpose non-governmental organisation. Practitioners and volunteers at the Foundation work hand-in-hand to support very vulnerable individuals and families who are suffering due to very difficult life circumstances and those who are sliding into poverty and are socially excluded. The range of services offered to vulnerable families are free of charge. In order to make a donation, click here.

World Health Organisation (WHO)

The WHO is a global initiative that aims to implement the most recent practices and policies; primarily done through research and reporting. This, therefore, allows healthcare facilities worldwide to access and maintain a high standard of practice. The organization focuses on both non-communicable diseases, such as cancer and communicable diseases, such as influenza and COVID-19.

As such, the WHO is integral in the management of the COVID-19 pandemic. This organisation performs and gathers research into SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes COVID-19. This most importantly involves determining appropriate drug therapies and management of complications. In addition, it provides global situation reports as well as updates for the public and healthcare professionals. Therefore, monetary donations are essential for continuing this initiative, especially during this period. Individuals can donate through the WHO website directly, with donations accepted from anywhere in the world.

Other foundations

• Blood Bank
• Lend a Hand
• Mission Fund
• Malta Society for the Protection and Care of Animals
• Puttinu Cares
• Id-Dar tal-Providenza
• Peace Lab
• Malta Red Cross
• Victory Kitchen
• Richmond Foundation

In conclusion, several local and foreign organisations play a key role both in the immediate management of the pandemic and following its resolution. Donating to such organisations in any capacity may aid their day-to-day running, as well as extend their capacity to assist individuals.

cover image: source

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