TUAIRIM
February 09 2021
27
Cause for cautious optimism as we move further into Covid unknown By Darragh Nolan It’s been a tough year. After a horrific 2020, it pains me to say that again just over a month into its evil twin, 2021. The Covid-19 death toll has crept over 3,000 and worldwide cases of the virus have surged past 100 million. It’s hard to gauge whether this year will be better than the last. We had moments of respite in 2020. January and February were the final months of normalcy. The more open summer months weren’t the worst considering what we went through before and since. Up to now 2021 has been lived entirely under restrictions. Level 5 will remain until at least March 5th and even if we don’t exit it then, we’ll still be
working from home, staying apart, and wearing our masks. We are in the midst of the unknown. There is no expiry date for the pandemic. At times it can feel like this is never-ending. It’s coming up on a full calendar year since Ireland’s Covid Judgement Day. On March 12th , 2020, the first semblance of restrictions came in and since then we’ve been coming in and out of periods of restrictions in rollercoaster-like fashion. This isn’t the new normal anymore. It’s just normal. My mother mentioned recently that one thing that had made lockdown life harder of late was the loss of the “novelty” of it. I agree, insofar as such hardship can hold “novelty”.
While vaccines give hope, some remnants of the pandemic like social distancing may be here for the long term
How will Covid-19 effect college in the long term?
Many of us have adjusted. Students are coping, as much as one can cope under the stress of maintaining something resembling a life amidst a pandemic. We continue working as the walls seemingly fall down around us. Although we may be better equipped for the dayto-day of life under lockdown, that experience comes at a price. The public is becoming increasingly fed-up with this way of living. So-called “Covid-fatigue” is setting in, so much so that the European Union is calling on member states to vaccinate their populations as quickly as possible in order to avoid it taking hold. Some will understandably see no way out of this calamity. Others may have wistful notions of a summer abroad. Both outlooks are too extreme one way or another. But hope is the best thing we can clutch on to at the moment so long as it’s accompanied by a healthy dose of realism. Everyone is tired. Physically, mentally, and emotionally. But there is a much brighter side to the bleak reality we find ourselves trapped in. Covid19 vaccinations are being administered the world over. Countries like New Zealand have shown us that there is a route out of the pandemic, even if the one we take is vastly different. Restrictions are working and case numbers continue to fall. Well over 300,000 people on the island
of Ireland having received a vaccine dose. In time that number will be high enough that the government and NPHET begin to plot a course out of the mess we’re in for good. There’s no use clinging on to thoughts of a grand re-opening after March 5th when Level 5 restrictions are set to expire. We may have to rule out another year of summer plans. For now we wait as the effort we make today promises a better tomorrow. I won’t make any predictions as to when we’ll get back to something resembling normality. One of the many lessons this pandemic has taught us is that nothing in life is guaranteed. We could well be reuniting face-to-face come September. There is also a possibility we’ll have to continue with college through our computer screens. My mind keeps drifting back to an NUIG Confessions tweet from around the time of the first lockdown last spring. The sentiment was that by Christmas 2020, we’d all be back together again reminiscing over the distant memory of the pandemic. A wayward guess to say the least. Not only is the pandemic not in the rear-view yet, but it’s still firmly visible down the road for a long while yet. There is reason to be hopeful. We will get there. The question of when that will be is one the virus, our leaders and society have yet to answer.
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Covid and Lockdowns – Students in Continued Crisis By Rebecca Von Beaumont If you had asked me what college life would entail two years ago, I would have answered the same as everybody else: parties on a Tuesday night, labs on a Thursday morning, deciding which lectures were so full of people they could do with a cheeky skip, working at the weekends to fill the cupboards on the weekdays. Through tales and promises passed down through generations we built a mental frame of our college life to be. Through them, we really identified the three building blocks of college life: the academic side, the social side, and the financial side. The same question now applies to circle out the huge problems we are facing as students. These problems, I find, are often downplayed by use of comparison, and dampened in an effort to ‘get on with things.’ The issue here is that they should not be downplayed. Arguably the most important element of going to college is the academic purpose. For the majority of modules undertaken in NUI Galway and other third level institutions in Ireland, lectures are no longer held in a lecture hall but via video link. This simple switch cuts out many levels of learning help, from discussing with fellow students to directly asking your lecturer a question and having them see your response. The current way of learning does not suit everyone. After all, there are lots that opt for a degree achieved solely online, but those of us in a third level institution such as NUIG did not and have also paid accordingly. The quality of education nationwide has been largely infringed upon, and it seems to me that this will continue into the long term, quite probably leading to weaker learning on the whole, and eventually fewer traditional third level enrollments. Thus, we are brought onto the financial side of obtaining your college degree, which is the focus for many people, particularly now. With unemployment
on the rise, students who would have had the financial backing of their parents are now finding themselves coming up short financially. It can only be assumed that this will carry on and perhaps even worsen with the strain of longer and harsher lockdowns. Added to this are the inconsistent and unstable jobs in the hospitality sectors which many students would work in part-time. Such income is now unstable at best. Struggles with sourcing and renting accommodation are now coupled with the unpredictability of on-campus learning and social activities and leads to deposit and rent losses for all of those involved. More people may withdraw from the market as renting becomes a less than ideal option. Lastly, a vital part of everyone’s life regardless of age, is the social and personal aspect. Humans are social creatures who need family, friends, and even acquaintances. College was one of the main places to expand your social circles, from sport and events to just attending the lectures themselves. In college life void of this, people are stripped of opportunities to get that much needed human contact. Of all the aspects of college life, this is perhaps the one that will sting the most going forward, as socialization is reduced to a bare minimum and those just starting out on adulthood have virtually no opportunity to grow socially. The future impact of this, which can already be heavily felt, is simply an unhappier people. With these elements considered, we are heading for a problematic future, with many struggling to stay afloat amid financial and academic difficulties, and further dragged down by the weight of unavoidable loneliness. While this can be considered a bleak view, I would say it is one that is realistic, and unfortunately strays far away from the rosy ideals many of us had growing up. If you ask me what college life will be like in the future, I would tell you that I hope it’s nothing like it is today.
Flourless Vegan Cookies Makes approx 20
INGREDIENTS Coconut Oil (Cold) Caster Sugar Brown Sugar Coconut Milk Vanilla Essences Ground Almonds Baking Powder Chopped Almonds Vegan Chocolate
QUANTITY 125 grams 100 grams 150 grams 125 millilitres 1 teaspoon 300 grams 1 teaspoon 100 grams 150 grams
EQUIPMENT NEEDED Electric Mixer Bowl Baking Tray Small Baking Tray Large Measuring Jug Spatula Rubber/Silicone Baking Paper Spoon Dessert/Soup Fridge/Freezer Oven Weighting Scales
METHOD • Place Coconut Oil (Cold), Caster Sugar & Brown Sugar in bowl in whisk until combined. Add Coconut Milk with Vanilla Essences and whisk until smooth. • Tip in Ground Almonds and Baking Powder and mix. • Once all is combined to a thick batter consistence tip in Chopped Almonds & Vegan Chocolate Chips and whisk until mixed. • Line the Baking Tray Small with Baking Paper, using the Spatula and Spoon measure out 20 balls of cookie dough approx 50 grams each. • Cover the cookie dough with another sheet of Baking Paper and place in freezer for about 2 hours or in fridge for 5/6 hours or over night until cookie dough is nice and firm. • Preheat the oven to 160°c. • Line Baking Tray Large with Baking Paper and place cookie dough on the tray with about 4 centimeter between each cookie dough ball. • Bake in the oven for approx 15/16 minutes turning the tray once. • Cookies are ready once light golden colour and soft in the middle. • Take out of the oven and leave to cool. TIP Cookie dough can be made in advance and frozen in an airtight container or zip lock bag. When needed take out and cook.