Life in lockdown

lauren speirs

I think everyone had high hopes for 2020, or at least I know I did. Back in March, when we were all sent home, it seemed as if COVID whilst terrible, would be a temporary setback, hopefully, nothing more than a brief intermission into what would eventuate into an otherwise incredible year. Whilst the situation wasn't great, everyone seemed to be in the same boat. We all stayed home, we all got bored, we all baked and painted, even took our dogs on multiple walks. Now, however, things are different.

I will be honest; anyone who is friends with me will know how I never stop talking about the positives of Melbourne life. Not only is it totally acceptable to wear all black all year round, but the coffee and the footy (AFL obviously), are just some of my favourite selling points. Living at home during this semester was going great. Restrictions were lifted, I was able to meet with old friends to go on walks, and my placement was looking awesome. We all thought we were doing everything right, yet our numbers started rising, more and more people started getting sick. Victorians were beginning to get worried; our Premier was trying to get things under control, yet it seemed as if nothing was going to work. The real bummer for us this time was that whilst we were regressing into a situation worse than before, everyone else was luckily able to continue on with life as normal.

Every day my family and I would listen to the daily broadcast, to hear the new numbers, to see what restrictions were changing, to try and figure out if I would even be going onto placement. My Mum is a primary teacher, and I saw how closely she would listen to the news, wanting to make sure she would be ready and prepared to give her students the best education that she could give, considering the situation. My little sister in Year 11, just trying to figure out how her VCE subject and the rest of her classes and exams would work. My Dad, trying to see if his business would still be essential.

I was listening closely too, slowly starting to panic. My teaching placement was looking like it was about to fall through. While it would be an inconvenience for me, I could reschedule it next year. I immediately started thinking about my friends, who are meant to graduate this year. We were all stressed, confused, and there was no clear outline of what was going to happen. Things only seemed to go from better to worse when they announced the immediate closure of the North Melbourne public housing towers. People were locked down within hours with no access available to things we all take for granted, exercise, food shopping or even religiously appropriate food. The unfolding situation in Melbourne has led to some difficult and controversial decisions in the hopes of fixing the situation. All of us Avondale students were confused, anxious and had no idea about what the future would hold. I know I spent many nights in prayer, trying to get the reassurance that only God can give. Thankfully for me, I was able to get out in time and God willing to have another placement and accommodation arranged. However, I am a lucky one; there are many people stuck in Melbourne who are struggling and anxious. Everything that’s happening right now has got a lot of people feeling uncomfortable, and on edge, so please keep everyone in your prayers!

Hopefully, Semester Two will be a fresh new start for all of us and a great finish to this chaotic year!

“People were locked down within hours with no access available to things we all take for granted, exercise, food shopping or even religiously appropriate food.”

The Good News!

Sally-mae herford

College Grad Designs Ramen Packaging That Dissolves in Hot Water to Eliminate Plastic

Inspired by countless nights spent studying in school, an eco-conscious college grad has come up with an ingenious replacement for the single-use plastics used to package instant ramen noodles. Holly Grounds created a biofilm that is thick enough to keep the noodles from getting stale, it melts into ramen broth precisely one minute after coming into contact with boiling water.

Teachers Visit a Bridge Every day to Create a Classroom for Children of Migrant Workers Stuck in India’s Lockdown

Under a bridge in the coastal state of Kerala, a heartening sight awaits those who are passing by in Kochi. Underneath the Bolgatty-Vallarpadam bridge, teachers can be found engrossed with students of all ages, deep in study. Ten children of migrant laborers had been living under the bridge with their families. Now that temporary ‘home’ is doubling up as a classroom, thanks to the dedicated teachers of St. John Bosco’s UP School.

Wild Bison Are Returning to England’s Forests for the First Time in 6,000 Years

A relative of the iconic beast that roams the American Great Plains is going to be released in an ancient forest in Kent, England—where they haven’t resided for 6,000 years. But the four animals won’t be arriving by way of South Dakota or Wyoming because Europe has their own subspecies—the European wood bison. The project is slated to begin in Spring of 2022 when a single male Bison bonasus and three females arriving from Poland and the Netherlands will be allowed to roam and reproduce naturally in the remaining wilds of Britain—and it is hoped that their presence will ignite a chain reaction throughout the forest.

5-Year-old Walks on New Prosthetic Limbs Raising $1Million for Hospital That Saved Him

A little boy in Britain has raised over $1 million for the National Health Service hospital to thank them for saving his life when he was a baby. For the fundraiser, 5-year-old Tony Hudgell propelled himself around the local park on his prosthetic legs using crutches. Originally meant to drum up a modest £500 ($550), thousands of generous strangers heard about his inspiring laps and donated money for London Evelina Hospital. Hobbling a total of 6 miles until the end of June, donations poured in— equalling about $100,000 for every kilometre—and every kilometre became easier for the boy whose artificial limbs were brand new.

Young Scientists Make Eco-Friendly Industrial Cleaners from Yeast, Transforming Chemical Industry

Solugen’s mission is to decarbonize the chemicals industry—and their secret weapon comes from nature’s biology. For several years now, the Houston-based chemical engineering start-up has been making hydrogen peroxide out of a yeast enzyme and have used this eco-friendly product to create cost-competitive replacements for heavy-duty chemicals used in treating oil-drilling wastewater, spas, pools, and plumbing. Emerging on the Forbes magazine’s Next Billion-Dollar Start-up list, the company has also retooled to make (and donate) hand sanitizer during COVID-19; and their fantastic natural cleaning wipes, an early product for them, was spun-off into a company that sold for millions.

If you happen to hear some good news or have some good news happen to you or someone close to you, we’d love to hear it! Get in touch with Chris McClelland on Facebook and we’ll be happy to share it with our readers in the next issue.