Equal access for all students

Given that foreign and Gozitan students often go home during the weekends and holiday periods, they are at more of a disadvantage being that they’re unable to make use of the computer labs.

Among the software that is needed, students must also purchase equipment such as DSLR cameras for particular study units, with no additional stipend being given.

MKSA and SACES assert that any student making use of Adobe Software in order to pursue their course and education should have free access.

SACES emphasises the fact that softwares such as Adobe are relied on by students and advocates for all to receive free access to Adobe Software. They refer to “creative and academic potential” of students at the university being negatively impacted through the “unequal access” to needed resources.

Adobe products are labelled as “vital” and maintaining clear communication about changes to the availabilities of the resources is a must. According to SACES, these measures will ensure that various educational needs are met, across different areas of study.

Petition to show support

In a statement given by Kris Bajada, student representative on the University of Malta Council, supporting the petition is a priority in order to ensure “students receive what they require” and “rightfully deserve”. The need to unite and support student struggles is highlighted as it’s pointed out that one student’s struggles can impact all those at university.

Bajada states that university students form a “community of learners” who try to get the most out of the resources offered to students. Providing free access to Adobe Software will strengthen those resources.

The statement mentions that being able to attain the objective of access to Adobe Software will serve as an impactful message which directly proves that unity leads to achievements.

All students are encouraged to support the petition to show that this is not only a want, but a necessity.

The post Appeal for students’ free use of Adobe Software appeared first on The Third Eye.

The below individuals were elected in their respective roles:

• President: Kathryn Vella, with 130 votes
• Vice-President: Carla Cardona, with 117 votes
• Secretary General: Julian Vella, with 107 votes
• Treasurer: Karl Sammut, with 100 votes
• Social Policy Officer: Paula Scerri, with 80 votes
• Public Relations: Federica Formosa, with 107 votes
• Public Relations: Lara Grech, with 102 votes
• Events Coordinator: Andrea Azzopardi, with 119 votes
• Events Coordinator: Julian Cassar, with 85 votes

Presidential Comment

Following the fruitful year of the previous executive team, a new team is now eager to carry on supporting the fundamental principle of being students for students. Our fundamental objective is to maintain the excellent standards that SACES has consistently been able to offer.

Kathryn Vella

The Third Eye wishes the new executive the best of luck for their upcoming term!

The post Kathryn Vella Elected As SACES President appeared first on The Third Eye.

Meet The Team

David Debattista – President
Katia Gatt – Vice-President
Carla Cardona – Secretary General
Abigail Debono – Social Policy Officer
Daniel Agius – Treasurer
Alexia Ellul – Public Relations
Len Abela Vassallo – Public Relations
Matthew Micallef – Events Coordinator
Jake Sant – Events Coordinator

Presidential Comment

This new team is ready to carry on the work of previous years, while maintaining SACES’s traditions developed during its 47-year history and strive to effectively represent our student’s views.

The Third Eye wishes the new SACES executive a fruitful year ahead!

The post Out With The Old, In With The New | SACES appeared first on The Third Eye.

The event took place at the Mdina Cathedral Museum and hosted 5 esteemed speakers including, Prof Alex Torpiano, Dr Konrad Xuereb, Mr Joseph Gauci, Steve Zammit Lupi and Dr Samuel Azzopardi. This was SACES’ 5^th edition of STRIP and throughout this panel we got to listen to the discourse between the 5 panelists as they tackle the issue at hand, applying their different backgrounds in the field and sharing their knowledge with the audience.

Does enriching one means sacrificing the other?

Prof Alex Torpiano kicked off the debate by elaborating on the concept of the “Doughnut Economy”. He explained that the doughnut model is made up of an upper circle and a lower circle. The upper circle is the limit which is the use of resources whereas the lower circle is where the social injustice lies, where people are deprived. Ideally, as a society, we operate between these two limits and if we do, the conflict between economy and environment does not arise.

Mr Joseph Gauci continued by agreeing with Prof Torpiano and stated that as a country, we are heavily dependent on the construction industry because over the years we created this sort of perception that buildings will sustain themselves, that they will create growth in themselves. Our society moved from building to provide a shelter and building what is necessary, into an investment tool. It has become an endless vicious cycle that we are falling victims to.

“Before we used to build to provide accommodation, now we build to provide a business”

Prof Alex Torpiano

Steve Zammit Lupi added by saying that there should be cooperation and not conflict because at the end of the day; the environment can thrive without the economy but the economy cannot thrive without the environment. The economy depends on the world’s natural resources to thrive.

Infrastructure and the cars’ potential in Malta

The debate moved on to the topic of infrastructure and the usage of vehicles in Malta. Dr Samuel Azzopardi talked about how in Malta, one cannot simply walk on pavements without being interrupted. Our island has become so fixated on creating roads catered towards cars, that we have forgotten that pedestrians still need pavements to walk from one place to another.

He also believes that as a country, we have cars that we cannot use to their full potential and Dr Konrad Xuerab added by saying that we should shift away from a car-based society. The more you widen the road, the higher the demand will be and it is because of this that more cars are being registered in Malta. Dr Xuereb stated that no alternative is being offered for citizens and that is why we turn to cars for travelling. He believes that once an alternative is proposed and available, a shift will take place.

Roads are being made in order to accommodate us drivers. We remove the trees because we ruin the roads for the cars. Walks are no longer pleasant because there is no shade and the scorching sun or the heavy rain is directly on us. COVID-19 has made us realise how needed a walk in your village is but it is difficult to enjoy this when you have car noises ringing in your ears and emissions up your nose.

Steve Zammit Lupi suggested that politicians should be offered a crash course on urban planning. Zammit Lupi did not beat around the bush and said that the current education system on urban planning and infrastructure is lacking immensely.

 “The amount of non-sense, no disrespect to them, that politicians state on urban planning, on parking, on mobility in general, we almost do not realise the consequences of what we say. If I am not competent in health, I wouldn’t dare share my opinion on COVID restrictions because it is not my field of understanding”

Steve Zammit Lupi

“I think this partial lockdown has changed the way we behave. It has made people appreciate more their surroundings and open spaces, more than before. We now have different priorities.”

Mr Joseph Gauci

To end the debate, Zammit Lupi stated how politicians are talking about going back to normality, however, he wishes we go to a new normal. Let us all look forward to a better and improved society!

Check out last year’s debate here!

The post Paving a path for the environment and economy | SACES debate appeared first on The Third Eye.

The list of the new team for the term 2020/21 goes as follows:

• President – Gabriel Bonavia
• Vice President – Luigi Mugliett
• Treasurer – Isaiah Riolo
• Secretary General – Kathryn Vella
• International Officer – Nick Borg
• Public Relations Officer – Len Abela Vassallo and Federica Formosa
• Events Coordinator – David Debattista and Rebekah Grixti

Having been elected as president, Gabriel Bonavia shared his thoughts with The Third Eye on his new role;

As the newly elected president of the organisation, I would like to thank the previous executive for all the hard work despite the difficult circumstances faced throughout the past year. Even though the year was a tough one, the team managed to host some unforgettable events, provide opportunities for the students, as well as instill an energy like no other within the faculty. The appointed team is very eager to work in order to continue building on the foundations that have been established over the last couple of years as well as strive to keep up the exceptional standards that SACES has consistently provided. 

Gabriel Bonavia

The Third Eye would like to congratulate the new team and wish them luck for the term!

The post Gabriel Bonavia to lead SACES for 20/21 appeared first on The Third Eye.

It gives students; from Diploma to Masters and Doctorate levels, an important platform for “their work and research to be transformed into a resource for our island’s policymakers and planners.”

Craig Bonello, SACES’ current President told us, “The expo serves to show the public that students graduating from the course are capable of producing fantastic architecture which heavily contrasts the current state of the industry.” (I guess this means we should be expecting some wonderfully drastic architectural changes from our freshly graduates in the years to come!)

Showcasing student’s work beyond campus grounds helps to extend the Faculty’s reach beyond their little bubble. Craig carried on telling The Third Eye, “we are rather cut off from the rest of campus, and seeing how we are in the course together for 6 years it’s only natural that we tend to gravitate towards each other. However, this means that a lot of the public isn’t really aware of what we do as a Faculty, and I feel that the Expo really helps to shift the publics perception of the profession.”

So, think of the Architecture Student Expo as an ice breaker for the entire student body and an eye opener for the general public on the topic. But, the motives of this expo exceed the basic showcasing of students’ ideas, works and innovations according to Craig. It is also sending out a message to stakeholders in the industry, particularly developers and investor, that “there is more than just the basic contemporary cereal box design that we’re seeing dominate our streetscapes. The expo is an outlet to display that the problems with our current construction industry is not based on our capabilities but due to the lack of resources and old mentality that dominates the industry”, Craig continued to tell us.

Like all other things, the pandemic had a huge impact on the way the expo was done this year. In contrast to last years event, sadly SACES was unable to host an opening night. This was a pity, as it would have been nice to have a large-scale event with all professionals in the field under one roof. However, the situation is what it is, so they had to limit the number of people inside the exhibition space at all times to reduce the chances of transmission. This year they also developed a website with all the works available digitally, which in certain ways worked out better for the Faculty, as it really increased the public’s access to the exhibition.

Craig left us with a comment for the student community, regarding the current climate of rampant development in Malta:

“I think that the most important thing is to be sensitive to what is happening around us. It’s important to notice things, question them and speak out. An active student community is always beneficial and could really challenge decision makers. Apathy is the enemy of change, and if we want change it has to start from us.”

Feel free to check out their virtual expo from here!

The post The Architecture Student Expo: A Surpassing Showcase appeared first on The Third Eye.

SACES held their 4^th annual debate this Wednesday: STRIP // The Maltese Identity. The event took place at Fortress Builders in Valletta and hosted 7 esteemed speakers including, Prof. Godfrey Baldacchino, Dr. Irina Miodragovic Vella, Prof. Alex Torpiano, Architect Konrad Buhagiar, Dr. Shirley Cefai, Dr. Rachael Marie Scicluna and Mr. Joseph Magro Conti.

The experts present differed vastly in their definition of Maltese identity.

Mr. Magro Conti prioritized the vernacular as being intrinsically Maltese as it represented how previous generations made do with the building materials they had. However Dr. Cefai and Dr. Sciculna emphasised how all the foreign influence we have endured is part of the Maltese identity because identity is always shifting and changing. Dr. Miodragovic Vella continued:

Any foreign influence depended on our local resources mainly stone … The Maltese never copy-pasted from abroad but adapted these influences into Malta context

Prof. Torpiano diverged completely, claiming that he is unsure what our identity it is.

He outlined the only common feature in all our architecture to be stone, anything that arrived here became Maltese because of this.

Continuing on the aspect of foreign influence and events of colonialism, Dr. Cefai claimed that we did not inherit anything from foreigners, rather we developed it. Prof. Torpiano said that we should not continue to treat colonialism as an imposition.

It is an evolution where we adapt everything to our technologies, mindsets and resources

Prof. Torpiano

Dr. Miodragovic Vella and Dr. Sciculna said that the foreign influence is not the threat to our identity, rather it is our wastefulness of our own resources and qualities. There is an ultimate disrespect for stone and quarries supply will only last till 2036, said Dr. Miodragovic Vella.

We need to stop using concrete as a solution for everything and look at the resources we have

Dr. Miodragovic Vella

Tropiano argued that concrete is not the issue as it has been around since Roman times. “A 20-story building in stone is no more Maltese than a 20-story building in concrete,” he said. At this rate we need to find a new material to model in a Maltese way, Dr. Miodragovic continued in agreement.

The debate then ended on a political note

“Our architecture represents our values … unfortunately our values today are about making money” – Prof. Torpiano

Unregulated building is fragmenting our social structure, said Dr. Scicluna. We need a government that takes architecture seriously and is socially responsible.  

We as people also need to be educated about our rights to appropriate architecture as well, said Dr. Scicluna, particularly open spaces. “The notion of open public spaces in Malta is non-existent,” said Dr. Miodragovic.

The post Concrete is not the solution | SACES debate the Maltese identity appeared first on The Third Eye.