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Should schools implement ‘Academic Freeze’?

Many people have claimed that the Mayans wrongly predicted the 2012 disaster. In 2020, you would witness every type of catastrophe every month. Firstly, you have the Australian bushfire, which has terminated a significant amount of wildlives. In January, devastating floods destroyed Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta, and some neighboring areas. Then, the snow in Antarctica has turned green due to global warming and massive algae bloom. Recently, a vast explosion rocked Lebanon’s capital city, which created a shock wave that severely damaged roads and buildings, shattering glass for miles. And the list of disasters goes on and on.

The ultimate disaster is when the COVID-19 pandemic took the world by surprise. Globally, everything has stopped. Simultaneously, the outbreaks steered the delaying of a multitude of projects. Even workplaces and schools have shut down their activities. The world seems to have ground to a halt because of the novel coronavirus. While countries are at different points in their COVID-19 infection rates worldwide, there are currently more than 1.2 billion children in 186 countries affected by school closures due to the pandemic.

With all the disasters happening, you would expect that the country would implement an academic freeze. Many of us have reckoned that ‘academic freeze’ is ideal because the pandemic is hazardous to not only our mental health but also our financial status. Furthermore, the implementation of online classes would intensify the digital divide in our country. Another factor to consider is the availability of internet access in the country as the average internet speed is only up to 15mbps. Unless the government subsidizes the internet connection in the country, at the same time, improves the speed and coverage, online learning could be possible.

I am in a tug-of-war relationship with the idea of ‘academic freeze’. Yes, it could be a fair way to treat all students without leaving the under-privileged behind. However, it could increase the unemployment rate in the country as the professors and other faculty members do not have a job for the time being. If the ‘academic freeze were to be successfully implemented, how would the professors and faculty members survive? Even if there was help provided by the university, I do not think it is sufficient for them to finance their living.  

My opinion may sound like I am siding with a private educational institution whose capitalist ideals still prevail during this dreadful time. Although, I am assessing the side of academic and non-academic employees. I think schools should continue their enrollment processes. With the continuation of learning, academic and non-academic employees could still earn remuneration and expedite the graduation process for people who are desperate to work. 

Nevertheless, educational institutions should not take advantage of students in times of crisis. Many universities either maintain the normal or even hike the tuition fees without justifying the reasons for the actions. The issue exacerbates when online learning is conducted in a low-quality manner and inaccessible for many students, especially the ones who live in rural areas. Due to this, numerous students have expressed that if the cases continue to rise as it has been in the past weeks since the start of the General Community Quarantine, then what more should we expect when we return to physical classes? 

I am appalled by the fact that the same schools that preach about ‘education is a birthright’ are the same schools that leech money out of their students. What I can say is that this ‘leech’ does not discriminate against any class of students. Rich or poor, you would still be taken advantage of from them. Even if the rich can still proceed with their educational journey, the underprivileged may take a break from studying. Consequently, the fresh-graduate can finally search for a decent profession while the poor are working on a minimum wage job to survive. If the situation persisted, it could broaden the gap between the rich and the poor. Regardless, no students should be exploited by schools for their benefit.

Public or private agencies, companies, and institutions that are economically devastated can exhort graduating students to seek for a job if an ‘academic freeze’ is implemented. Through this effort, it could uplift local businesses, given that they should be lenient in tendering their academic requirements for employment. Besides, public-private partnership or government-business coordination can incentivize school employees and contractual workers with a possible loan with no interest agreement. This scheme may excite their spirit of teaching. As a result, they could sustain and enhance their values and productivity to impart quality education to their students during the post-pandemic.

By resuming the classes early, it will only precipitate a financial crisis to families who were previously burdened with other factors of the pandemic, on top of providing tuition and allowances for the students. The ‘new normal’ that is administered by the government appears to prioritize well-off students, and abandon the welfare of the indigents. The country should dedicate the period of the ‘academic freeze’ to concocting a vaccine for the virus and conduct an effective and efficient mass testing to the citizens in the Philippines. Even so, a collective and responsive team should assuage the aftermath of the widespread disease.

Since the underprivileged students are the most vulnerable people of this disfigured system, an “academic freeze” is the most plausible recourse that caters to students, teachers, and school administrators. It enables them to amalgamate with our front liners in reducing the devastating effects of COVID-19. Besides, they could assist the local governments in promoting safety procedures through various forms of media. Lastly, the pause of academic enrolment can contribute to the recovery of our country’s economy by spearheading inclusive socio-economic volunteer mobilization programs.

We, as citizens, should not romanticize underprivileged Filipino academic resilience. In reality, most of them are in desperation of enduring hostile work environments to earn a living wage and starve themselves to settle their tuition fees. So, they are willing to sacrifice their future lives because the educational system never sides with less fortunate people.  

Universities should remember that no students should be left behind. If your motto states that ‘education is a birthright’, then you should practice what you preach.

[lipsygleni]

CAN TRANS PLAY COUNTER STRIKE?

My YouTube video entitled ‘Transgender playing Counter Strike’ is all about me playing a video game called ‘Counter Strike’ with my friends.

‘Counter Strike’ is a game that places you as a tactical shooter that leads you to a terroristic battle. Its unforgiving nature exists as your character could be assasinated when you are in a vulnerable position of the battle.

Since my friends and I are extremely feminine, I thought it would be hilarious to play a game that was contrasting to our personalities. So, we decided to play the game as a group and filmed our reactions. From my friends panicking away from assassins, to us reprimanding each other for consistently being ‘killed’, our reactions did not disappoint at all. Honestly, I could watch the video everyday and still be hysterically laughing.

In the video, we played in different settings. At first, we played in an office type of setting. My friends seem to have no problem in navigating themselves to the designated place, while I would often die in the first 5 seconds of the video. It was obvious that I was the bad omen in the team because I would always be killed. My friends were even surprised that it was possible to die within that span of time. After that, they would sarcastically say “‘Wow professional player passing by!” to imply that I was an extremely bad player. 

When transferred to the next setting, I was able to redeem myself. In one of the rounds, I became the MVP, which means that my performance was the best out of all the players. In that round, our group was supposed to transfer a hostage to a designated area. As the last person alive in my group, I was able to transport the hostage to the area without being harmed by the enemies. The faces that my friends made after I became the MVP was exceptionally hilarious.

Overall, I enjoyed the experience playing with them! The incredible experience has led me to produce a wholesome YouTube video.  

What have I learned in this video?

Firstly, I have learned to effectively communicate with other team members. Instead of complaining about my death, I disclosed the locations of the enemies and the damage I dealt with. For instance, I would say “dino97(enemy player) is heading towards your left” to alert my teammates of their vicinity. This is especially applicable if my teammate is in a clutch situation in order to lead us to victory

Secondly, avoiding toxicity is a way to promote healthy relationships within my teammates. It is true that nobody is fond of a rude teammate. We need to understand the boundaries between constructive criticisms and direct anger when we want to be critical about a teammate’s playstyle. When arguments break out, it creates a bad team environment that no one benefits from. For instance, my teammates would respectfully instruct me to hide somewhere that is discreet to minimize my death rate.

Lastly, learning from my mistakes is crucial in this game. Whenever I messed up, I would try to discuss with my friends on a better strategy to avoid the same mistake again. As the game progressed, it was apparent that the enemies would often exploit my poor-decision making. However, I would learn from that and opt for a different strategy in leading my team to victory.

[lipsygleni]

Fake Health NEWS!

Check https://www.doh.gov.ph/ for authenticity of the COVID-19 news!

That is some good photoshop there!

Vaccine protects! Not attacks!

[lipsygleni]

Fake News in our Filipino Education

These news are so false I don’t even think I need to check its authenticity!

Fake news on the removal of K to 12 education system

There is no such thing as Grade 13.

We obviously do have homeworks!

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Fake News in the during the Phillipines 2019 Sea Game

I’m not much of a sports fan, but I do know how to fact check! Fact check your news before believe them!

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Fake News in the Filipino entertainment industry

I’m surprised that people have so much time to fabricate news that are untrue! Can’t we focus on other things? Like you know? Checking your facts before posting any? #annoyed #NoToFakeNews

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Fake News in the Filipino politics

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[lipsygleni]

THINK BEFORE YOU CLICK

Before we proceed with the importance of fact-checking, let me take all you of back to the history of fake news. We update ourselves with the latest news and trends through social media. In the 17th century, the British locals visited their local bars to get themselves notified with announcements and stories. False rumors also paved their way to the public ears due to their open forums. Therefore, King Charles II issued a proclamation to halt the spreading of false news. In 1795, Condorcet, a French philosopher, released a text that expressed his belief of free press. In his text, he stated that an open discussion and debate could establish when a press or media is unimpeded by any sort of censorship. Through the dissemination of free ideas, the philosopher believes that the authenticity and logicality would eventually prevail. However, some people took this as an opportunity to circulate falsehoods and propagandas. Propagandas are a form of fake news that influence ideas and perceptions of people. They were also the main reason some countries were colonized by outsiders. During the British Occupation in Malaysia, newspapers and pamphlets played a huge role in informing the public. Since the Japanese Empire promised independence for the country, propagandas and lies were circulated to convince the locals. The spread of the propagandas allowed the Japanese to easily occupy Malaysia. And these are only a few instances in history that illustrate the disasters caused by fake news. Hence, verifying facts should be prioritized before your posts are publicized. According to a marketing expert, fact-checking is vital in every industry. Even if you are writing an article, advertising a product and reporting a news story, verifying your facts should be your prime concern. Invalid facts in your content could lead to loss of consumers’ trust, an online retaliation and legal repercussions. In a political perspective, information accuracy plays an important role in choosing leaders wisely. The facts on the political candidates that are announced to the public should be subjected to scrutiny. With this, it could curate an honest and a non-partisan society, which eventually reduce discrimination among them. For instance, Africa Check in Nigeria is a fact-checking organisation that promotes accuracy in governmental and public debates and claims. How to check your facts? 1. Don’t merely read the headlines. Read the stories too. You’d be surprised that some headlines are not parallel with the stories, 2. Do your own research. Search for 2-3 independent posts that are similar with the stories. 3. Ensure that your sites are credible. Example of reliable sites are from established organisations and experts of the field of the news. #SayYEStoFACTS #PauseBeforePost