Beyond the Walls #4

Three Simple & Unusual THings to Do During Quarantine

Upasana

1. Sleep: This is a basic one most people do but you can sleep. Sleeping doesn’t require any effort and is great for your health. Being bored can make us tired too.

2. Journaling: If you’re not in the mood to play games and you want to try something different, creative writing and journaling is the way to go. You can express yourself through writing about whatever’s on your mind.

3. Write a postcard: Write a postcard to someone special. Show them where you are and write something meaningful to them, or something about where you are. If you can’t see your friends or some family members try writing postcards to let them know you care.

These were three unusual things to do while on quarantine, try making the most out of your quarantine and don’t forget to wash your hands and stay safe.

Wash your hands!

Nba gets suspended

Is quarantine a cure for the environment?

New Delhi, before and after quarantine.

Venice canals after quarantine.

Fish returning to cleaner waters

Sofi A.

Currently, most people around the world are either practicing social distancing or self quarantine/isolating due to the recent outbreak of the coronavirus, otherwise known as COVID-19. This in effect is helping solve another concern, the environmental crisis.

The outbreak of COVID-19 first began in December of 2019. Scientists believe it’s epicenter was a wet-market in Wuhan, China. The virus then quickly spread to other regions in China, and eventually to other countries, becoming a global pandemic because of its high infection rate.

At the same time, there has been another issue that has been a growing problem: the environmental crisis. Due to human resource consumption, production, and pollution, our Earth has been struggling to sustain us. Things like the Polar Ice Caps and numerous animal habitats around the world are being diminished or destroyed.

Luckily, because of the self-quarantine and social distancing rules being placed on us, there have been many positive changes in our environment.

So far, one of the positive effects of social distancing has been a significant decrease in air pollution in places like China, as seen by satellite imagery. NASA and ESA (European Space Agency) have released images from the Sentinel-5P Satellite, showing the decrease in air pollutants like nitrogen dioxide in China over the past weeks.

Additionally, there have been cleaner and clearer waters in Venice, Italy, which like China, has also been heavily affected by COVID.

One of the reasons that Venice is popular is because of its water canals, which are usually full of people. However, since Italy has had thousands of COVID 19 cases, the country has gone on lock down. Residents are now obliged to stay at home and practice social distancing, giving the water canals that were once crowded and polluted time to recover.

Multiple people have shared meaningful photos of the newly clean waters and the sea life that has reclaimed them. Individuals have been stunned at how healthy the waters have become.

In conclusion, the coronavirus outbreak has certainly changed life for everyone, causing panic as well as fear. However, in spite of it all, the power of staying at home and therefore decreasing our opportunities to create pollution, destroy habitats, and endanger our survival sheds some light on the change that needs to happen. After all, when the COVID-19 pandemic is finally over, we’ll still have another major issue to deal with.

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5 tips for success in distance learning

Rudy S.

Distance learning can be challenging. Classes are only 30 minutes long and teachers are not always readily available. Other problems such as poor wifi, annoying younger siblings and constant distractions such as notifications from your phone or other devices can add to the frustration. However, even though Distance Learning is definitely harder than normal school, there are ways to remove distractions and make it easier.

1. Maintain a clean workspace.

Maintaining a clean workspace is vital to removing distractions. Clean workspaces are also better organized so you waste less time trying to find what you need. Organizing your workspace should only take a few minutes, but it is extremely helpful for getting work done quicker.

2. Put your phone where it won’t be a distraction.

In MS, most people have a phone, so this is very relevant. Phones can be a major distraction and may prevent you from getting your work done. By putting your phone where it’s not a distraction during school hours, you remove the urge to check your phone every time it rings with a notification, enabling you to work more efficiently and finish your work faster.

3. Charge your computer the night before.

When you charge your computer the night before, you don’t have to worry about running it out of battery during school hours. Even though you can charge it during class, the wire can be slightly annoying, so it’s best to just charge your computer the night before so you don’t need to worry about its battery percentage.

4. Ask your teachers and family for help.

Teachers are there to help you during class time or tutorials, and you can send them an email after school if you have a question. You also have a family, so if you need something or don’t understand something, ask them and they can most likely help you.

5. Don’t procrastinate.

Procrastinating is the worst thing you can do to yourself during distance learning. By putting things off till later, you will have to cram your work into a short amount of time, and often the quality of your work is worse when you procrastinate. Procrastinating can also cause unnecessary stress, as you then have to finish a lot of work in a short amount of time, which wouldn’t be the case if you didn’t procrastinate.

*NOTE: AS OF APRIL 26: QUARANTINE LASTS UNTIL MAY 15*

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'Ghosts' try to scare people off indonesian streets during COVID

2 volunteers seen sitting on a bench fully shrouded

Ken K.

The “Pocong” or “Pochong” is an Indonesian folklore of a ghost that haunts graveyards, wearing the remains of a burial shroud tied at the head and feet. Volunteers in Kepuh village in Sukoharjo told the journalists that they have been doing "surprise patrols" every few days since April. But the plan then backfired when they became a social media sensation which caused an increase in people venturing out of their homes to see the ghosts.

"First of all, we want to be different. Secondly, to create a deterrent effect because 'Pocong' is spooky and scary," said the head of the youth volunteer group, Anjar Pancaningtyas, "Since we set up the pocong roadblock, the environment of the village has been obeying the lockdown rules".

The ghosts are not very agile and must bunny hop around to get to places. But they are proving to be very effective in keeping citizens of the village inside their homes. A resident of the village, Karno Supadmo said, "Since the Pocong appeared, parents and children have not left their homes, and people will not gather or stay on the streets after evening prayers."

Indonesian President Joko Widodo has not yet declared a national lockdown (as of April 14, 2020), and many fear that the healthcare systems might be overwhelmed if nothing is done in the coming days.

"Residents still lack awareness about how to curb the spread of COVID-19 disease," the head of Kepuh village told journalists.

Indonesia is not the only country that has been faced with unusual measures to control the virus. In India, police officers have been seen wearing virus shaped helmets on the streets in order to spread awareness of the matter at hand.

Opinion: How Effective is Distance Learning?

Internet issues can exacerbate Distance Learning difficulties.

Daniel B.

As an 8th grader during this unexpected pandemic, I know the reality of having to work on assignments at home and how difficult the situation really is for students. The coronavirus has forced almost all schools to shut down and students must complete assignments only while their only interactions with teachers are Zoom calls and emails.

Although working from home and limited interactions with teachers sound like disadvantages or problems, the reality is that distance learning is as effective as you want it to be. What I mean by this is that if you want to focus and get your work get done, then it won’t be hard. You’ll can finish all your work on time or even ahead of schedule. However, if you want to procrastinate or put yourself in situations to fail, it will be hard for you to do your work.

In my opinion, distance learning has advantages and disadvantages, there are fewer interactions with teachers meaning students have to manage their own time correctly and make sure to get their work done, but it’s also more independent and you can work at your own pace and you don’t have to rush work. But I think the most important thing is how much effort you put in. The only thing that decides how effective you are is yourself.

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Distance Learning vs. Regular Learning

Alejandro

ISM students have been doing Distance Learning for almost one month now, and it’s time to answer the big question: What do students prefer more, Distance Learning or Normal Learning?

The following data is from a Grade 7 and 8 journalism class. The sample size is 11 students. According to students in this course, 81.1% would rather learn at school than at home.

Here is what some people had to say:

“It is a lot easier to learn when you are face-to-face and you can easily ask questions and clarify with your teachers.”

“I can see my friends and it's easier to understand.”

“Distance Learning is a nice change of pace, but in the long run, it's pretty bad.”

“Distance Learning is very tiring. You have to stare at the computer for almost the whole day...it makes my eyes hurt so much. Also, I am starting to have headaches.”

“I feel like 30 minutes is not enough for one class, especially when there is a Zoom call.”

“I like regular learning more because you can actually be with your friends and teachers and it's much easier to communicate to them.”

“There's no motivation to work and sometimes it's harder since there is no one to teach you personally.”

There are several different reasons why most people enjoy regular learning. Some of the most common ones are not being able to see their friends and teachers, being on the computer all day, and it being not as easy to understand a topic.

There were also more complex comments. Some said that at first distance learning was a nice change, but after a couple weeks it got extremely repetitive and boring. Other acknowledged how when you're at home there’s no motivation since there's no teacher around.

Although regular learning is clearly more preferred than Distance Learning, there were still people who preferred Distance Learning. Here's what they had to say:

“There's more freedom to how and when I want to do things. I feel like I'm still learning, but more in the way that I want.”

“[I prefer Distance Learning] because I don't have to walk to school, and school is shorter.”

Since only 18.2% of the surveyed people believed that Distance Learning was better and more effective than regular learning ,there were only 2 answers that helped justify their reasoning. The overall message we can learn from this is that Distance Learning was a nice little change, but in the long run it can get extremely repetitive and boring.

What do YOU think? TAKE THE SURVEY HERE.

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palm oil: Environmental crisis or economic opportunity?

Chiara M.

Palm oil is a natural resource found and extracted from the palm oil tree fruits. These trees originated in Africa, although they quickly spread to Southeast Asia. The palm oil cultivation process has led to several environmental problems in recent years. However, palm oil has also been a useful resource in that it has helped many communities develop.

Firstly, palm oil has caused high rates of deforestation patterns in certain countries. In 2015, over 62,000 square miles of land were used around the world to make space for the high demand of palm oil plantations, according to Take Part. Putting that into perspective, that is four times the size of Switzerland. In Indonesia, which supplies half of the world’s demand for palm oil, the fires created to make space for palm oil plantations in 2015 were so big, they could be seen from space.

In addition, palm oil has caused an increased risk in animal extinction. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has seen links between the increasing rates of endangered animals (such as orangutans, gibbons and tigers) and the expansion of palm oil cultivation.

Palm oil is also an unsustainable product. Like most natural resources, palm oil has limited supply as it will not be around forever. If the high demand keeps up, palm oil is expected to run out. The amount of deforestation and animal extinction created by palm oil plantations is putting animals and forests at risk of disappearing forever.

Even though palm oil could be the cause of some animal species dying, the palm oil industry has created job opportunities for those in need. The cultivation of palm oil allows farmers to have a stable salary and earn enough regular income, as they can replant every 15 days. In developing countries where palm oil is cultivated, the palm oil industry has opened opportunities for people who need work. For example, IFAD which is a UN agricultural organization, collaborated with a palm oil company in Uganda to ensure that more people can work in rural areas of the country. According to the former IFAD director of the project, “The palm oil cultivation was in the poorest area of Uganda where, after the project began, the living conditions of the farmers were improved drastically. Also, throughout the process we managed to control both the environmental and social aspects of the crop.”

At the same time, palm oil is a resource that is in high demand, as it is an ingredient in many products. For example, palm oil is found in products ranging from Nutella, to deodorant, to gasoline. In fact, palm oil is found in almost 50% of all packaged goods. Not only does palm oil make some food products taste better, it also creates a longer shelf life for a product.

Lastly, even though it is not a sustainable product, palm oil uses less terrain to cultivate the same amount of product as any other oil. For example, it would take 10 times more land to cultivate the same amount of soy and sunflower oil as it does to cultivate palm oil.

Overall, palm oil has both built communities and challenged the environment. This natural vegetable oil has socially benefited us, yet at the same time, it has created risks to our environment. Palm oil is a basic source of food and livelihood for both producers and consumers. That's why it must both continue to grow, and be controlled. Doing both at the same time is a challenge that we have yet to solve.

A Note to My Future Self-My Life in Quarantine

Siva

On March 14, something happened to change the course of the school year indefinitely. COVID-19--that's what happened. The seemingly slightly harmful virus quickly turned into a pandemic that has taken the world by storm. It is also changing our plans for summer break. Thankfully, ISM is prepared and has a well planned system wherein even without physical classrooms, students can continue to learn. Here’s what it is like.

At 9:00am, first period starts. It runs for 30 minutes then there is a 15 minute break. This cycle repeats four more times. Lunch break then goes from 11:45-12:45. After lunch is one more period followed by a break, then either Advisory or Tutorials, except for Wednesdays. On Wednesday, there are only four periods instead of five, the last one being from 11:15-11:45. Lunch break on Wednesdays is followed by Advisory. Advisory is hosted on a program called Zoom. Similar to Skype, it has special features which make it more suitable for school use. Zoom has tools like the raise hand feature, and Zoom allows teachers to mute students in order to control the noise levels during the call.

The entire daily schedule only lasts from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Therefore, students are left with lots of free time which allows them to catch up on reading, encourages them to discover new interests within the borders of the internet, or have fun and play video games.

Since students are not allowed to leave their houses, people are having a hard time staying active. This is what the 15 minute breaks are for. The breaks are meant to encourage students to go outside, get some Vitamin D, and stay active before the next class starts. The PE department asks students to fill in a spreadsheet which lets them track how active each student has been. The sheet contains rows where you can record the amount of push-ups or squats, for example, they students done each day. Teachers have been more lenient to trust that students are keeping up with their work, and honors systems have been implemented for tests hosted on Google forms.

Until the lockdown is confirmed over, students will be kept home in their rooms doing online learning. In this time of crisis, it is crucial to keep morale high and maintain positive emotions. There’s no telling when we’ll go back to regular school. This is a time where people have to connect with and learn about the world virtually. Hopefully, the people who have persevered through all this will look back and think, “That wasn’t that bad.”

How distance learning affects students' lives

Juliana S.

With the current COVID-19 pandemic, President Duterte has placed the entire island chain of Luzon on ‘enhanced’ community quarantine (ECQ). This includes staying home at all times and observing social distancing with one another. As a way to keep up with schoolwork during this lockdown, ISM has moved to Distance Learning. In Distance Learning, students are expected to follow schedules and to complete work assigned by their teachers. The schedule runs from 9am to 3pm, with the same blocks each day from your regular schedule. Another thing about distance learning is that students are scheduled to join Zoom meetings with their teachers at given times; this is so that students and teachers can still be socially connected with one another during this time. This new form of learning has taken over our lives and we are all interesting in understanding how it’s affecting its students.

1. Students are now more prone to procrastination.

“Now that we’ve transferred to online learning, I don’t feel as productive when I am in school because being at home makes me feel like I don’t have any work to do,” said one 8th grade student. Students are more prone to procrastination and laziness, since they are at in the comfort of their own home. Being inside has been making people feel as if they have more time to do work than they actually do. They overestimate the amount of time they have to complete assignments, which leads to procrastination.

2. Students’ screen time has increased.

“Distance learning has meant I use my laptop more often, which ups my screen time." Online learning has caused students to use their devices more often and take hand-written notes less often. According to SciencesPo.com, students who take notes on their computers are most likely to get distracted by the other activities they have easy access to through their computers, such as surfing the net and going on social media.

3. Students get less social time.

Though students are still able to communicate via email, text and call, they are unable to get much needed daily social time with their friends, teachers, and peers. “Online learning has made me forget that I can talk to people after school, since I normally socialize or reach out in real life rather than online."

4. Students get more flexible work hours.

ISM teachers have tried their best to make distance learning as flexible as possible so students can work at their own pace and at their own time. This gives students the opportunity to manage their time wisely and to become more self-motivated to do their work. “You get more freedom with distance learning because teachers have been considerate with deadlines, especially to those who have trouble with their laptops or internet connection."

Every student has had different experiences with the new Distance Learning program. Though there are some things that could be improved, ISM has done its best to make this new program adjustable for students as much as possible. As we continue to adjust to this new way of learning, we remind ourselves that we are fortunate enough to still be receiving an education during this difficult time.

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