Living with the pandemic

HOW TO COPE UP WITH ONLINE CLASSES?

Samaira Guleria, X A, Carmel Convent School, Chandigarh

Until Fall of 2020 most schools are going to be have online classes. For some this will be an easy transition but for many others it’s going to be really difficult. So I thought to compile 6 helpful tips for taking online classes.

1. Know every deadline: Without a teacher reminding you in class, it’s easy to lose track of deadlines and test days. So, get an academic planner and write down every deadline and keep it updated as things change. For online classes it’s also important to know the exact time things are due and that tests will take place.
2. Don’t let yourself believe it’s “just an online class”: Even if your class truly is easier when it's online it's still an opportunity to learn and it may also filter into future classes. For example, maybe this is an online trigonometry class and all the quizzes are multiple choice and the answers are on quizlet. Cool but what happens when you get to calculus and you don’t understand trig?
3. Create a good study space:  Obviously your bed is not a good study space. I understand that not everyone is able to have a desk in their room and you have to make what you have work. If this is the case for you then make sure to make your bed and try to keep it as “decluttered” as possible. For those who have a desk clear off the desk of anything non-academic and get it organised. Make sure you have any supplies you will need easily accessible. Get your chargers for your laptop and phone plugged in and find the best way to keep the cords out of your way.
5. Turn off your phone during studying: Either turn off your phone or at least put it on 'do not disturb' mode. Not only does your focus get disturbed every time your phone buzzes but it’s also so easy to fall down a social media hole and miss half the class or not get your assignment in on time.
6. Participate in your class: Participating in class has 2 benefits:  A: helps you stay engaged. Participating keeps you engaged with the class which keeps your brain from losing attention. It’s incredibly easy to kind of “drift away” during an online lecture so participating in the question asking/answering will help keep you engaged and focused.  B: can help your grade. I would say about half of my online classes has participation credit that you needed to get but even if your class doesn’t have it your teacher will notice if you are participating or not! Staying on a teacher’s good side is easy in an online class, just ask a few questions or answer their questions!
7. If you’re not “tech savvy”, find someone who is: I am decently tech savvy but when sites start crashing or I can’t get the internet back on after trying the basic things then I have to ask for help. This is your education on the line and sometimes online classes can lead to strange technology questions that not every one will know so ask for help!

Domestic violence — Lockdown's forgotten agenda  

Ghazalpreet Kaur, XII(Commerce), Indus Public School, Kharar

We all know that domestic violence is a social ill that is increasing day-by-day. Recently, the UN Secretary General appealed to governments across the world to pay attention to and prevent a "horrifying global surge in domestic violence" over the past few weeks amid lockdown imposed by several countries to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. Fueled by mandatory stay-at-home rules, social distancing, economic uncertainties and anxieties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, instances of domestic violence has increased globally. 

   In India, the National Commission for Women (NCW) has also flagged the issue of a spike caused of domestic violence during lockdown. Domestic Violence may include acts of physical, sexual, emotional violence and other forms of harassment. The main causes  pointed out by NCW include patriarchy, societal influences, economic causes, socio-cultural and Individual factors.

   The National Family Health Survey-4(2015-16)(NFHS-4) suggest that 30% women in India in the age group of 15-49 have experienced physical violence at some point of life in their parental or marital homes. The another report of NFHS suggests that among married women experiencing physical, sexual or emotional violence, an alarming 83% claimed that their husbands were the main perpetrators. 

  An increase in the number of such cases has been reported during the lockdown. The NCW has recorded 291 complaints of domestic violence in March 2020, double of those reported before the lockdown. The cases of domestic violence are high in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana and Punjab. The main reason for rise in domestic violence has been seen as the presence of men are at home and taking out their frustrations on women. Women are also confined within the four-walls of the house and can not share their grief with anyone.

  Governments all around the globe, need to address the upsurge in domestic violence immediately. In this context the state governments need to set up helplines that remain open during and after lockdown. The media can sensitise the public against gender-based violence and encourage the equitable sharing of domestic tasks at home because it is found that men refuse to participate in domestic work.

   Finally, the perpetrators of domestic violence must be brought to book and repeated offenders must be dealt with strictly as per the provisions of law.

CORONAVIRUS HAS ITS POSITIVES, NATURALLY!

Harleen Kaur, VIII, Garden Valley International Senior Secondary School, Morinda

From Cleaner air to liberated wildlife, the global corona virus lockdown is having various positive effects. We are encouraged to self-isolate and stay indoors to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, outside the natural environment has been benefiting from our absence.

IMPROVED AIR QUALITY

One of the positive impacts of the lockdown is cleaner air. Major cities around the world such as London, New Delhi, Seoul, Wuhan have experienced a significant decrease in air pollution levels, as people have been using public transport and vehicles less; the restrictions have encouraged people to spend more time at home.

WILDLIFE

Another impact of restricted movement of humans is that large numbers birds and animals, ranging from peacocks to mountain goats to deer, have been spotted very close to the human habitations as noise pollution has reduced greatly, due to less people in streets.

ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS

There have been several environmental benefits such as increased visibility and clear water. For example, the water in the Ganga River is clear and bluer than before since the city went under  corona virus lockdown.

INDIVIDUAL BENEFITS

Over all, lockdown has many benefits. Not only on the environment but also on us. It may seem very overwhelming at first as life has changed drastically as we know it. There is more time than before to pursue new hobbies such as learning a new language or skill that you may not have had the time to do before or exercising more often.