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File
issue 29// vol 46 opinions // no. 15
Students should prioritize wellness
over education during the pandemic
» Health comes first regardless of what some institutions may encourage
EG Manilag
Staff Writer
lobally, the coronavirus is still
a pressing issue and vaccine
formulation is still in progress. During
this unprecedented situation, people are
encouraged to stay in the safety of their
homes. Schools have been shutdown
as well and have been transferred to an
unchartered dimension: the internet. This
means that school and some flexible jobs
will ultimately be done from home. But is
this a good thing for students? And having
this situation in mind, should students
concentrate more on building wellness or
continuing education?
According to CBC News, mental
health issues and other concerns have
increased due to coronavirus. In an online
survey from the Angus Reid Institute, 44
percent of Canadians describe their mental
health with the term worried. Others say
they are anxious (41 percent),and some
say they are grateful (34 percent). The rest
describe their emotional state with bored,
optimistic, depressed, normal, untroubled,
numb, and pessimistic. Most of this has to
do with self-isolation and social distancing.
For students, studying at home is likely to
bea struggle rather than smooth sailing.
A commentator in the New York Times’
student opinion blog stated, “although we
do have online school now, it is not the
same. Working from home is worse as I
don't care to admit, my work habits from
For whom the bill tolls
» Are millennials the crises generation?
Matthew Fraser
Opinions Editor
hey called those born between 1901 and
1927 the greatest generation. They were
renowned for their bravery, innovation,
and nation-building ambition; they fought
the wars that made modern life possible,
they begot the creations that would lead to
our current technological state, and they
laid the foundations that our modern arts
and philosophies arose from. Years have
become decades and we are now in the
midst of the millennial comeuppance.
All around the world those born
between 1981 and 1997 are slowly and
steadily rising to the tops of governmental
and corporate hierarchies. Yet, that which
we have seen on our way to the top has
been markedly different than our parents;
we have experienced a global recession, a
rare global pandemic, and we will probably
live through a second global recession.
We were privy to the dual terrors of mass
violence and climate change and now,
while mired in bad habits, face an internal
sickness of faulty mind states. If the
greatest generation has come and gone, we
may be the crises generation.
The 2008 financial crisis buckled
America and shattered the veneer of
prosperity that covered globalization.
Banks went under, stock markets crashed
and people watched their lifetime savings
vanish into thin air; for many between the
ages of 1 and 18 (in 2008) these were times
of adult panic that didn’t make sense. How
could a bank fail and it drag the rest of the
world into such a perilous position?
Eleven years later the internet was
teeming with bat soup and sickness
memes, but when Italy and Spain began to
see their daily deaths counts exceed 500 all
jokes had to stop. Though we are not yet
out of the virus’ insidious grip, economists
predict a second global recession to follow
the frightening human loss. Around the
world countries have slowed considerably
or stopped, while here in Canada we can
watch our government hemorrhage money
to keep the country afloat. It will come as
a shock to many a millennial when the bill
comes as we plan for homeownership and
meagre retirements; all that was promised
to old age has vanished for the youth today.
The greatest generation faced war but we
have watched the world crumble thrice
before our very eyes.
Violence has been the ordering factor
of our generation. Not the violence of war
or revolution (though both of those are
prevalent) but the violence of heartless
terror. Millennials came as Columbine
imprinted itself on the North American
world. Thereafter, 9/1 was our Berlin Wall;
the day after which nothing could be the
same. Certainly, there has been war but
few, if any, could have predicted fighting
home are not the best. I am easily able to
procrastinate at home and having class
in bed is not the best idea. Plus, I can no
longer get the one on one help teachers
provide if needed.” The same is true for
workers. Geeta Malhotra, a techie based in
Bengaluru, believes that this situation has
not only made her home a stressful place,
it has also made her restless: “I am eating
whenever I want. Sometimes two meals a
day, sometimes four times a day. The little
walking I used to do has also stopped. I
have put on four kgs of weight since the
lockdown and I am having trouble sleeping
at night so much that I have been sleeping
for less than four hours,” she said.
Another thing to keep in mind is the
notion that a weakened immune system
allows for easy infection. We know that
students are one of the most vulnerable
groups in terms of experiencing high levels
of stress. There is no doubt that stress
increases the chances of being sick—
emotionally, mentally, or physically.
Nevertheless, there is still this idea
that education requires total attention
from its students, with or without the
pandemic. This is especially true for
students who are graduating or preparing
to take board and licensure exams—
studying is still key. Although exams
and other academic endeavours are
important, we should consider the present
NV
in a war that is as old or older than them.
Then we watched the slow-rolling doom of
global warming and its promise of species-
existential obliteration, if not all. Forests
became grazing lands and oceans became
plastic fields and oil slicks, all while we
struggled with calculus and high-school
drama—aware of the news cycle but
oblivious to the actual day this world would
become ours.
There has been much debate
regarding the prevalence of anxiety and
depression amongst millennials. Some
say it’s the lack of religiosity and the
increased expectance towards sin, while
others say that these feelings are not new
but have been present and unspoken in
every previous generation. Nonetheless it
has been coupled with an unceasing rage
to change and reimagine the world; yet in
my eyes, this struggle for change is poorly
thought-out and often irrational after
further inspection. The future leaders who
a FAW
scenario. This semester should not see a
prioritization of grades—the focus should
be on the wellness of students. Although
maintaining a healthy lifestyle is our
individual responsibility, there are people,
places, and rules that make our health
better or worse. Everyone faces a different
situation in life—some have it worse and
some have it better.
In this unprecedented situation, |
think it’s best to be utilitarian and think
about the greatest good for the greatest
number. In the Philippines, a “mass
promotion” policy has been implemented
for students amid the pandemic, and
according to the country’s higher education
agency—Commission on Higher Education
(CHED)—it’s up to the universities and
colleges to decide whether to pass all
students or not. Some parts of the global
south are active in their adaptation. Having
said that, if poorer countries have made
utilitarian acts to lessen the impact of
coronavirus, then maybe countries in the
global north can do more with these ideas.
Ideas like reducing the list of requirements
in the course syllabus and being flexible in
grading and making schedules. As long as
this pandemic is around, I will always argue
that it is generally reasonable to have bad
marks. I can't stress this enough: it’s better
to have good health and bad marks than
bad health and good marks.
ol fran
surround us and appear in the media shout
for a change that they cannot articulate.
Worse still, the rush for change disappears
when they must implement it amongst
themselves. Ours is a generation that
rightly sees problems while attempting
only the facsimile and shoddy fixes. Occupy
Wall street slipped into nothing 10 years
before Greta Thunberg would demand
change while obstinately declaring she was
not there to provide answers.
Soon, if not already, the crises
generation will become the stewards of the
world at large. We will shape governance
and global relations, we will preside over
the workings of every corporation, and we
will be both the victims and beneficiaries
of the history that preceded us. We can
only hope that history has engrained
temperance and inner strength while
pandemics and recessions have made the
necessities of prudence clear.
Students should prioritize wellness
over education during the pandemic
» Health comes first regardless of what some institutions may encourage
EG Manilag
Staff Writer
lobally, the coronavirus is still
a pressing issue and vaccine
formulation is still in progress. During
this unprecedented situation, people are
encouraged to stay in the safety of their
homes. Schools have been shutdown
as well and have been transferred to an
unchartered dimension: the internet. This
means that school and some flexible jobs
will ultimately be done from home. But is
this a good thing for students? And having
this situation in mind, should students
concentrate more on building wellness or
continuing education?
According to CBC News, mental
health issues and other concerns have
increased due to coronavirus. In an online
survey from the Angus Reid Institute, 44
percent of Canadians describe their mental
health with the term worried. Others say
they are anxious (41 percent),and some
say they are grateful (34 percent). The rest
describe their emotional state with bored,
optimistic, depressed, normal, untroubled,
numb, and pessimistic. Most of this has to
do with self-isolation and social distancing.
For students, studying at home is likely to
bea struggle rather than smooth sailing.
A commentator in the New York Times’
student opinion blog stated, “although we
do have online school now, it is not the
same. Working from home is worse as I
don't care to admit, my work habits from
For whom the bill tolls
» Are millennials the crises generation?
Matthew Fraser
Opinions Editor
hey called those born between 1901 and
1927 the greatest generation. They were
renowned for their bravery, innovation,
and nation-building ambition; they fought
the wars that made modern life possible,
they begot the creations that would lead to
our current technological state, and they
laid the foundations that our modern arts
and philosophies arose from. Years have
become decades and we are now in the
midst of the millennial comeuppance.
All around the world those born
between 1981 and 1997 are slowly and
steadily rising to the tops of governmental
and corporate hierarchies. Yet, that which
we have seen on our way to the top has
been markedly different than our parents;
we have experienced a global recession, a
rare global pandemic, and we will probably
live through a second global recession.
We were privy to the dual terrors of mass
violence and climate change and now,
while mired in bad habits, face an internal
sickness of faulty mind states. If the
greatest generation has come and gone, we
may be the crises generation.
The 2008 financial crisis buckled
America and shattered the veneer of
prosperity that covered globalization.
Banks went under, stock markets crashed
and people watched their lifetime savings
vanish into thin air; for many between the
ages of 1 and 18 (in 2008) these were times
of adult panic that didn’t make sense. How
could a bank fail and it drag the rest of the
world into such a perilous position?
Eleven years later the internet was
teeming with bat soup and sickness
memes, but when Italy and Spain began to
see their daily deaths counts exceed 500 all
jokes had to stop. Though we are not yet
out of the virus’ insidious grip, economists
predict a second global recession to follow
the frightening human loss. Around the
world countries have slowed considerably
or stopped, while here in Canada we can
watch our government hemorrhage money
to keep the country afloat. It will come as
a shock to many a millennial when the bill
comes as we plan for homeownership and
meagre retirements; all that was promised
to old age has vanished for the youth today.
The greatest generation faced war but we
have watched the world crumble thrice
before our very eyes.
Violence has been the ordering factor
of our generation. Not the violence of war
or revolution (though both of those are
prevalent) but the violence of heartless
terror. Millennials came as Columbine
imprinted itself on the North American
world. Thereafter, 9/1 was our Berlin Wall;
the day after which nothing could be the
same. Certainly, there has been war but
few, if any, could have predicted fighting
home are not the best. I am easily able to
procrastinate at home and having class
in bed is not the best idea. Plus, I can no
longer get the one on one help teachers
provide if needed.” The same is true for
workers. Geeta Malhotra, a techie based in
Bengaluru, believes that this situation has
not only made her home a stressful place,
it has also made her restless: “I am eating
whenever I want. Sometimes two meals a
day, sometimes four times a day. The little
walking I used to do has also stopped. I
have put on four kgs of weight since the
lockdown and I am having trouble sleeping
at night so much that I have been sleeping
for less than four hours,” she said.
Another thing to keep in mind is the
notion that a weakened immune system
allows for easy infection. We know that
students are one of the most vulnerable
groups in terms of experiencing high levels
of stress. There is no doubt that stress
increases the chances of being sick—
emotionally, mentally, or physically.
Nevertheless, there is still this idea
that education requires total attention
from its students, with or without the
pandemic. This is especially true for
students who are graduating or preparing
to take board and licensure exams—
studying is still key. Although exams
and other academic endeavours are
important, we should consider the present
NV
in a war that is as old or older than them.
Then we watched the slow-rolling doom of
global warming and its promise of species-
existential obliteration, if not all. Forests
became grazing lands and oceans became
plastic fields and oil slicks, all while we
struggled with calculus and high-school
drama—aware of the news cycle but
oblivious to the actual day this world would
become ours.
There has been much debate
regarding the prevalence of anxiety and
depression amongst millennials. Some
say it’s the lack of religiosity and the
increased expectance towards sin, while
others say that these feelings are not new
but have been present and unspoken in
every previous generation. Nonetheless it
has been coupled with an unceasing rage
to change and reimagine the world; yet in
my eyes, this struggle for change is poorly
thought-out and often irrational after
further inspection. The future leaders who
a FAW
scenario. This semester should not see a
prioritization of grades—the focus should
be on the wellness of students. Although
maintaining a healthy lifestyle is our
individual responsibility, there are people,
places, and rules that make our health
better or worse. Everyone faces a different
situation in life—some have it worse and
some have it better.
In this unprecedented situation, |
think it’s best to be utilitarian and think
about the greatest good for the greatest
number. In the Philippines, a “mass
promotion” policy has been implemented
for students amid the pandemic, and
according to the country’s higher education
agency—Commission on Higher Education
(CHED)—it’s up to the universities and
colleges to decide whether to pass all
students or not. Some parts of the global
south are active in their adaptation. Having
said that, if poorer countries have made
utilitarian acts to lessen the impact of
coronavirus, then maybe countries in the
global north can do more with these ideas.
Ideas like reducing the list of requirements
in the course syllabus and being flexible in
grading and making schedules. As long as
this pandemic is around, I will always argue
that it is generally reasonable to have bad
marks. I can't stress this enough: it’s better
to have good health and bad marks than
bad health and good marks.
ol fran
surround us and appear in the media shout
for a change that they cannot articulate.
Worse still, the rush for change disappears
when they must implement it amongst
themselves. Ours is a generation that
rightly sees problems while attempting
only the facsimile and shoddy fixes. Occupy
Wall street slipped into nothing 10 years
before Greta Thunberg would demand
change while obstinately declaring she was
not there to provide answers.
Soon, if not already, the crises
generation will become the stewards of the
world at large. We will shape governance
and global relations, we will preside over
the workings of every corporation, and we
will be both the victims and beneficiaries
of the history that preceded us. We can
only hope that history has engrained
temperance and inner strength while
pandemics and recessions have made the
necessities of prudence clear.
Edited Text
issue 29// vol 46 opinions // no. 15
Students should prioritize wellness
over education during the pandemic
» Health comes first regardless of what some institutions may encourage
EG Manilag
Staff Writer
lobally, the coronavirus is still
a pressing issue and vaccine
formulation is still in progress. During
this unprecedented situation, people are
encouraged to stay in the safety of their
homes. Schools have been shutdown
as well and have been transferred to an
unchartered dimension: the internet. This
means that school and some flexible jobs
will ultimately be done from home. But is
this a good thing for students? And having
this situation in mind, should students
concentrate more on building wellness or
continuing education?
According to CBC News, mental
health issues and other concerns have
increased due to coronavirus. In an online
survey from the Angus Reid Institute, 44
percent of Canadians describe their mental
health with the term worried. Others say
they are anxious (41 percent),and some
say they are grateful (34 percent). The rest
describe their emotional state with bored,
optimistic, depressed, normal, untroubled,
numb, and pessimistic. Most of this has to
do with self-isolation and social distancing.
For students, studying at home is likely to
bea struggle rather than smooth sailing.
A commentator in the New York Times’
student opinion blog stated, “although we
do have online school now, it is not the
same. Working from home is worse as I
don't care to admit, my work habits from
For whom the bill tolls
» Are millennials the crises generation?
Matthew Fraser
Opinions Editor
hey called those born between 1901 and
1927 the greatest generation. They were
renowned for their bravery, innovation,
and nation-building ambition; they fought
the wars that made modern life possible,
they begot the creations that would lead to
our current technological state, and they
laid the foundations that our modern arts
and philosophies arose from. Years have
become decades and we are now in the
midst of the millennial comeuppance.
All around the world those born
between 1981 and 1997 are slowly and
steadily rising to the tops of governmental
and corporate hierarchies. Yet, that which
we have seen on our way to the top has
been markedly different than our parents;
we have experienced a global recession, a
rare global pandemic, and we will probably
live through a second global recession.
We were privy to the dual terrors of mass
violence and climate change and now,
while mired in bad habits, face an internal
sickness of faulty mind states. If the
greatest generation has come and gone, we
may be the crises generation.
The 2008 financial crisis buckled
America and shattered the veneer of
prosperity that covered globalization.
Banks went under, stock markets crashed
and people watched their lifetime savings
vanish into thin air; for many between the
ages of 1 and 18 (in 2008) these were times
of adult panic that didn’t make sense. How
could a bank fail and it drag the rest of the
world into such a perilous position?
Eleven years later the internet was
teeming with bat soup and sickness
memes, but when Italy and Spain began to
see their daily deaths counts exceed 500 all
jokes had to stop. Though we are not yet
out of the virus’ insidious grip, economists
predict a second global recession to follow
the frightening human loss. Around the
world countries have slowed considerably
or stopped, while here in Canada we can
watch our government hemorrhage money
to keep the country afloat. It will come as
a shock to many a millennial when the bill
comes as we plan for homeownership and
meagre retirements; all that was promised
to old age has vanished for the youth today.
The greatest generation faced war but we
have watched the world crumble thrice
before our very eyes.
Violence has been the ordering factor
of our generation. Not the violence of war
or revolution (though both of those are
prevalent) but the violence of heartless
terror. Millennials came as Columbine
imprinted itself on the North American
world. Thereafter, 9/1 was our Berlin Wall;
the day after which nothing could be the
same. Certainly, there has been war but
few, if any, could have predicted fighting
home are not the best. I am easily able to
procrastinate at home and having class
in bed is not the best idea. Plus, I can no
longer get the one on one help teachers
provide if needed.” The same is true for
workers. Geeta Malhotra, a techie based in
Bengaluru, believes that this situation has
not only made her home a stressful place,
it has also made her restless: “I am eating
whenever I want. Sometimes two meals a
day, sometimes four times a day. The little
walking I used to do has also stopped. I
have put on four kgs of weight since the
lockdown and I am having trouble sleeping
at night so much that I have been sleeping
for less than four hours,” she said.
Another thing to keep in mind is the
notion that a weakened immune system
allows for easy infection. We know that
students are one of the most vulnerable
groups in terms of experiencing high levels
of stress. There is no doubt that stress
increases the chances of being sick—
emotionally, mentally, or physically.
Nevertheless, there is still this idea
that education requires total attention
from its students, with or without the
pandemic. This is especially true for
students who are graduating or preparing
to take board and licensure exams—
studying is still key. Although exams
and other academic endeavours are
important, we should consider the present
NV
in a war that is as old or older than them.
Then we watched the slow-rolling doom of
global warming and its promise of species-
existential obliteration, if not all. Forests
became grazing lands and oceans became
plastic fields and oil slicks, all while we
struggled with calculus and high-school
drama—aware of the news cycle but
oblivious to the actual day this world would
become ours.
There has been much debate
regarding the prevalence of anxiety and
depression amongst millennials. Some
say it’s the lack of religiosity and the
increased expectance towards sin, while
others say that these feelings are not new
but have been present and unspoken in
every previous generation. Nonetheless it
has been coupled with an unceasing rage
to change and reimagine the world; yet in
my eyes, this struggle for change is poorly
thought-out and often irrational after
further inspection. The future leaders who
a FAW
scenario. This semester should not see a
prioritization of grades—the focus should
be on the wellness of students. Although
maintaining a healthy lifestyle is our
individual responsibility, there are people,
places, and rules that make our health
better or worse. Everyone faces a different
situation in life—some have it worse and
some have it better.
In this unprecedented situation, |
think it’s best to be utilitarian and think
about the greatest good for the greatest
number. In the Philippines, a “mass
promotion” policy has been implemented
for students amid the pandemic, and
according to the country’s higher education
agency—Commission on Higher Education
(CHED)—it’s up to the universities and
colleges to decide whether to pass all
students or not. Some parts of the global
south are active in their adaptation. Having
said that, if poorer countries have made
utilitarian acts to lessen the impact of
coronavirus, then maybe countries in the
global north can do more with these ideas.
Ideas like reducing the list of requirements
in the course syllabus and being flexible in
grading and making schedules. As long as
this pandemic is around, I will always argue
that it is generally reasonable to have bad
marks. I can't stress this enough: it’s better
to have good health and bad marks than
bad health and good marks.
ol fran
surround us and appear in the media shout
for a change that they cannot articulate.
Worse still, the rush for change disappears
when they must implement it amongst
themselves. Ours is a generation that
rightly sees problems while attempting
only the facsimile and shoddy fixes. Occupy
Wall street slipped into nothing 10 years
before Greta Thunberg would demand
change while obstinately declaring she was
not there to provide answers.
Soon, if not already, the crises
generation will become the stewards of the
world at large. We will shape governance
and global relations, we will preside over
the workings of every corporation, and we
will be both the victims and beneficiaries
of the history that preceded us. We can
only hope that history has engrained
temperance and inner strength while
pandemics and recessions have made the
necessities of prudence clear.
Students should prioritize wellness
over education during the pandemic
» Health comes first regardless of what some institutions may encourage
EG Manilag
Staff Writer
lobally, the coronavirus is still
a pressing issue and vaccine
formulation is still in progress. During
this unprecedented situation, people are
encouraged to stay in the safety of their
homes. Schools have been shutdown
as well and have been transferred to an
unchartered dimension: the internet. This
means that school and some flexible jobs
will ultimately be done from home. But is
this a good thing for students? And having
this situation in mind, should students
concentrate more on building wellness or
continuing education?
According to CBC News, mental
health issues and other concerns have
increased due to coronavirus. In an online
survey from the Angus Reid Institute, 44
percent of Canadians describe their mental
health with the term worried. Others say
they are anxious (41 percent),and some
say they are grateful (34 percent). The rest
describe their emotional state with bored,
optimistic, depressed, normal, untroubled,
numb, and pessimistic. Most of this has to
do with self-isolation and social distancing.
For students, studying at home is likely to
bea struggle rather than smooth sailing.
A commentator in the New York Times’
student opinion blog stated, “although we
do have online school now, it is not the
same. Working from home is worse as I
don't care to admit, my work habits from
For whom the bill tolls
» Are millennials the crises generation?
Matthew Fraser
Opinions Editor
hey called those born between 1901 and
1927 the greatest generation. They were
renowned for their bravery, innovation,
and nation-building ambition; they fought
the wars that made modern life possible,
they begot the creations that would lead to
our current technological state, and they
laid the foundations that our modern arts
and philosophies arose from. Years have
become decades and we are now in the
midst of the millennial comeuppance.
All around the world those born
between 1981 and 1997 are slowly and
steadily rising to the tops of governmental
and corporate hierarchies. Yet, that which
we have seen on our way to the top has
been markedly different than our parents;
we have experienced a global recession, a
rare global pandemic, and we will probably
live through a second global recession.
We were privy to the dual terrors of mass
violence and climate change and now,
while mired in bad habits, face an internal
sickness of faulty mind states. If the
greatest generation has come and gone, we
may be the crises generation.
The 2008 financial crisis buckled
America and shattered the veneer of
prosperity that covered globalization.
Banks went under, stock markets crashed
and people watched their lifetime savings
vanish into thin air; for many between the
ages of 1 and 18 (in 2008) these were times
of adult panic that didn’t make sense. How
could a bank fail and it drag the rest of the
world into such a perilous position?
Eleven years later the internet was
teeming with bat soup and sickness
memes, but when Italy and Spain began to
see their daily deaths counts exceed 500 all
jokes had to stop. Though we are not yet
out of the virus’ insidious grip, economists
predict a second global recession to follow
the frightening human loss. Around the
world countries have slowed considerably
or stopped, while here in Canada we can
watch our government hemorrhage money
to keep the country afloat. It will come as
a shock to many a millennial when the bill
comes as we plan for homeownership and
meagre retirements; all that was promised
to old age has vanished for the youth today.
The greatest generation faced war but we
have watched the world crumble thrice
before our very eyes.
Violence has been the ordering factor
of our generation. Not the violence of war
or revolution (though both of those are
prevalent) but the violence of heartless
terror. Millennials came as Columbine
imprinted itself on the North American
world. Thereafter, 9/1 was our Berlin Wall;
the day after which nothing could be the
same. Certainly, there has been war but
few, if any, could have predicted fighting
home are not the best. I am easily able to
procrastinate at home and having class
in bed is not the best idea. Plus, I can no
longer get the one on one help teachers
provide if needed.” The same is true for
workers. Geeta Malhotra, a techie based in
Bengaluru, believes that this situation has
not only made her home a stressful place,
it has also made her restless: “I am eating
whenever I want. Sometimes two meals a
day, sometimes four times a day. The little
walking I used to do has also stopped. I
have put on four kgs of weight since the
lockdown and I am having trouble sleeping
at night so much that I have been sleeping
for less than four hours,” she said.
Another thing to keep in mind is the
notion that a weakened immune system
allows for easy infection. We know that
students are one of the most vulnerable
groups in terms of experiencing high levels
of stress. There is no doubt that stress
increases the chances of being sick—
emotionally, mentally, or physically.
Nevertheless, there is still this idea
that education requires total attention
from its students, with or without the
pandemic. This is especially true for
students who are graduating or preparing
to take board and licensure exams—
studying is still key. Although exams
and other academic endeavours are
important, we should consider the present
NV
in a war that is as old or older than them.
Then we watched the slow-rolling doom of
global warming and its promise of species-
existential obliteration, if not all. Forests
became grazing lands and oceans became
plastic fields and oil slicks, all while we
struggled with calculus and high-school
drama—aware of the news cycle but
oblivious to the actual day this world would
become ours.
There has been much debate
regarding the prevalence of anxiety and
depression amongst millennials. Some
say it’s the lack of religiosity and the
increased expectance towards sin, while
others say that these feelings are not new
but have been present and unspoken in
every previous generation. Nonetheless it
has been coupled with an unceasing rage
to change and reimagine the world; yet in
my eyes, this struggle for change is poorly
thought-out and often irrational after
further inspection. The future leaders who
a FAW
scenario. This semester should not see a
prioritization of grades—the focus should
be on the wellness of students. Although
maintaining a healthy lifestyle is our
individual responsibility, there are people,
places, and rules that make our health
better or worse. Everyone faces a different
situation in life—some have it worse and
some have it better.
In this unprecedented situation, |
think it’s best to be utilitarian and think
about the greatest good for the greatest
number. In the Philippines, a “mass
promotion” policy has been implemented
for students amid the pandemic, and
according to the country’s higher education
agency—Commission on Higher Education
(CHED)—it’s up to the universities and
colleges to decide whether to pass all
students or not. Some parts of the global
south are active in their adaptation. Having
said that, if poorer countries have made
utilitarian acts to lessen the impact of
coronavirus, then maybe countries in the
global north can do more with these ideas.
Ideas like reducing the list of requirements
in the course syllabus and being flexible in
grading and making schedules. As long as
this pandemic is around, I will always argue
that it is generally reasonable to have bad
marks. I can't stress this enough: it’s better
to have good health and bad marks than
bad health and good marks.
ol fran
surround us and appear in the media shout
for a change that they cannot articulate.
Worse still, the rush for change disappears
when they must implement it amongst
themselves. Ours is a generation that
rightly sees problems while attempting
only the facsimile and shoddy fixes. Occupy
Wall street slipped into nothing 10 years
before Greta Thunberg would demand
change while obstinately declaring she was
not there to provide answers.
Soon, if not already, the crises
generation will become the stewards of the
world at large. We will shape governance
and global relations, we will preside over
the workings of every corporation, and we
will be both the victims and beneficiaries
of the history that preceded us. We can
only hope that history has engrained
temperance and inner strength while
pandemics and recessions have made the
necessities of prudence clear.
Students should prioritize wellness
over education during the pandemic
» Health comes first regardless of what some institutions may encourage
EG Manilag
Staff Writer
lobally, the coronavirus is still
a pressing issue and vaccine
formulation is still in progress. During
this unprecedented situation, people are
encouraged to stay in the safety of their
homes. Schools have been shutdown
as well and have been transferred to an
unchartered dimension: the internet. This
means that school and some flexible jobs
will ultimately be done from home. But is
this a good thing for students? And having
this situation in mind, should students
concentrate more on building wellness or
continuing education?
According to CBC News, mental
health issues and other concerns have
increased due to coronavirus. In an online
survey from the Angus Reid Institute, 44
percent of Canadians describe their mental
health with the term worried. Others say
they are anxious (41 percent),and some
say they are grateful (34 percent). The rest
describe their emotional state with bored,
optimistic, depressed, normal, untroubled,
numb, and pessimistic. Most of this has to
do with self-isolation and social distancing.
For students, studying at home is likely to
bea struggle rather than smooth sailing.
A commentator in the New York Times’
student opinion blog stated, “although we
do have online school now, it is not the
same. Working from home is worse as I
don't care to admit, my work habits from
For whom the bill tolls
» Are millennials the crises generation?
Matthew Fraser
Opinions Editor
hey called those born between 1901 and
1927 the greatest generation. They were
renowned for their bravery, innovation,
and nation-building ambition; they fought
the wars that made modern life possible,
they begot the creations that would lead to
our current technological state, and they
laid the foundations that our modern arts
and philosophies arose from. Years have
become decades and we are now in the
midst of the millennial comeuppance.
All around the world those born
between 1981 and 1997 are slowly and
steadily rising to the tops of governmental
and corporate hierarchies. Yet, that which
we have seen on our way to the top has
been markedly different than our parents;
we have experienced a global recession, a
rare global pandemic, and we will probably
live through a second global recession.
We were privy to the dual terrors of mass
violence and climate change and now,
while mired in bad habits, face an internal
sickness of faulty mind states. If the
greatest generation has come and gone, we
may be the crises generation.
The 2008 financial crisis buckled
America and shattered the veneer of
prosperity that covered globalization.
Banks went under, stock markets crashed
and people watched their lifetime savings
vanish into thin air; for many between the
ages of 1 and 18 (in 2008) these were times
of adult panic that didn’t make sense. How
could a bank fail and it drag the rest of the
world into such a perilous position?
Eleven years later the internet was
teeming with bat soup and sickness
memes, but when Italy and Spain began to
see their daily deaths counts exceed 500 all
jokes had to stop. Though we are not yet
out of the virus’ insidious grip, economists
predict a second global recession to follow
the frightening human loss. Around the
world countries have slowed considerably
or stopped, while here in Canada we can
watch our government hemorrhage money
to keep the country afloat. It will come as
a shock to many a millennial when the bill
comes as we plan for homeownership and
meagre retirements; all that was promised
to old age has vanished for the youth today.
The greatest generation faced war but we
have watched the world crumble thrice
before our very eyes.
Violence has been the ordering factor
of our generation. Not the violence of war
or revolution (though both of those are
prevalent) but the violence of heartless
terror. Millennials came as Columbine
imprinted itself on the North American
world. Thereafter, 9/1 was our Berlin Wall;
the day after which nothing could be the
same. Certainly, there has been war but
few, if any, could have predicted fighting
home are not the best. I am easily able to
procrastinate at home and having class
in bed is not the best idea. Plus, I can no
longer get the one on one help teachers
provide if needed.” The same is true for
workers. Geeta Malhotra, a techie based in
Bengaluru, believes that this situation has
not only made her home a stressful place,
it has also made her restless: “I am eating
whenever I want. Sometimes two meals a
day, sometimes four times a day. The little
walking I used to do has also stopped. I
have put on four kgs of weight since the
lockdown and I am having trouble sleeping
at night so much that I have been sleeping
for less than four hours,” she said.
Another thing to keep in mind is the
notion that a weakened immune system
allows for easy infection. We know that
students are one of the most vulnerable
groups in terms of experiencing high levels
of stress. There is no doubt that stress
increases the chances of being sick—
emotionally, mentally, or physically.
Nevertheless, there is still this idea
that education requires total attention
from its students, with or without the
pandemic. This is especially true for
students who are graduating or preparing
to take board and licensure exams—
studying is still key. Although exams
and other academic endeavours are
important, we should consider the present
NV
in a war that is as old or older than them.
Then we watched the slow-rolling doom of
global warming and its promise of species-
existential obliteration, if not all. Forests
became grazing lands and oceans became
plastic fields and oil slicks, all while we
struggled with calculus and high-school
drama—aware of the news cycle but
oblivious to the actual day this world would
become ours.
There has been much debate
regarding the prevalence of anxiety and
depression amongst millennials. Some
say it’s the lack of religiosity and the
increased expectance towards sin, while
others say that these feelings are not new
but have been present and unspoken in
every previous generation. Nonetheless it
has been coupled with an unceasing rage
to change and reimagine the world; yet in
my eyes, this struggle for change is poorly
thought-out and often irrational after
further inspection. The future leaders who
a FAW
scenario. This semester should not see a
prioritization of grades—the focus should
be on the wellness of students. Although
maintaining a healthy lifestyle is our
individual responsibility, there are people,
places, and rules that make our health
better or worse. Everyone faces a different
situation in life—some have it worse and
some have it better.
In this unprecedented situation, |
think it’s best to be utilitarian and think
about the greatest good for the greatest
number. In the Philippines, a “mass
promotion” policy has been implemented
for students amid the pandemic, and
according to the country’s higher education
agency—Commission on Higher Education
(CHED)—it’s up to the universities and
colleges to decide whether to pass all
students or not. Some parts of the global
south are active in their adaptation. Having
said that, if poorer countries have made
utilitarian acts to lessen the impact of
coronavirus, then maybe countries in the
global north can do more with these ideas.
Ideas like reducing the list of requirements
in the course syllabus and being flexible in
grading and making schedules. As long as
this pandemic is around, I will always argue
that it is generally reasonable to have bad
marks. I can't stress this enough: it’s better
to have good health and bad marks than
bad health and good marks.
ol fran
surround us and appear in the media shout
for a change that they cannot articulate.
Worse still, the rush for change disappears
when they must implement it amongst
themselves. Ours is a generation that
rightly sees problems while attempting
only the facsimile and shoddy fixes. Occupy
Wall street slipped into nothing 10 years
before Greta Thunberg would demand
change while obstinately declaring she was
not there to provide answers.
Soon, if not already, the crises
generation will become the stewards of the
world at large. We will shape governance
and global relations, we will preside over
the workings of every corporation, and we
will be both the victims and beneficiaries
of the history that preceded us. We can
only hope that history has engrained
temperance and inner strength while
pandemics and recessions have made the
necessities of prudence clear.
Students should prioritize wellness
over education during the pandemic
» Health comes first regardless of what some institutions may encourage
EG Manilag
Staff Writer
lobally, the coronavirus is still
a pressing issue and vaccine
formulation is still in progress. During
this unprecedented situation, people are
encouraged to stay in the safety of their
homes. Schools have been shutdown
as well and have been transferred to an
unchartered dimension: the internet. This
means that school and some flexible jobs
will ultimately be done from home. But is
this a good thing for students? And having
this situation in mind, should students
concentrate more on building wellness or
continuing education?
According to CBC News, mental
health issues and other concerns have
increased due to coronavirus. In an online
survey from the Angus Reid Institute, 44
percent of Canadians describe their mental
health with the term worried. Others say
they are anxious (41 percent),and some
say they are grateful (34 percent). The rest
describe their emotional state with bored,
optimistic, depressed, normal, untroubled,
numb, and pessimistic. Most of this has to
do with self-isolation and social distancing.
For students, studying at home is likely to
bea struggle rather than smooth sailing.
A commentator in the New York Times’
student opinion blog stated, “although we
do have online school now, it is not the
same. Working from home is worse as I
don't care to admit, my work habits from
For whom the bill tolls
» Are millennials the crises generation?
Matthew Fraser
Opinions Editor
hey called those born between 1901 and
1927 the greatest generation. They were
renowned for their bravery, innovation,
and nation-building ambition; they fought
the wars that made modern life possible,
they begot the creations that would lead to
our current technological state, and they
laid the foundations that our modern arts
and philosophies arose from. Years have
become decades and we are now in the
midst of the millennial comeuppance.
All around the world those born
between 1981 and 1997 are slowly and
steadily rising to the tops of governmental
and corporate hierarchies. Yet, that which
we have seen on our way to the top has
been markedly different than our parents;
we have experienced a global recession, a
rare global pandemic, and we will probably
live through a second global recession.
We were privy to the dual terrors of mass
violence and climate change and now,
while mired in bad habits, face an internal
sickness of faulty mind states. If the
greatest generation has come and gone, we
may be the crises generation.
The 2008 financial crisis buckled
America and shattered the veneer of
prosperity that covered globalization.
Banks went under, stock markets crashed
and people watched their lifetime savings
vanish into thin air; for many between the
ages of 1 and 18 (in 2008) these were times
of adult panic that didn’t make sense. How
could a bank fail and it drag the rest of the
world into such a perilous position?
Eleven years later the internet was
teeming with bat soup and sickness
memes, but when Italy and Spain began to
see their daily deaths counts exceed 500 all
jokes had to stop. Though we are not yet
out of the virus’ insidious grip, economists
predict a second global recession to follow
the frightening human loss. Around the
world countries have slowed considerably
or stopped, while here in Canada we can
watch our government hemorrhage money
to keep the country afloat. It will come as
a shock to many a millennial when the bill
comes as we plan for homeownership and
meagre retirements; all that was promised
to old age has vanished for the youth today.
The greatest generation faced war but we
have watched the world crumble thrice
before our very eyes.
Violence has been the ordering factor
of our generation. Not the violence of war
or revolution (though both of those are
prevalent) but the violence of heartless
terror. Millennials came as Columbine
imprinted itself on the North American
world. Thereafter, 9/1 was our Berlin Wall;
the day after which nothing could be the
same. Certainly, there has been war but
few, if any, could have predicted fighting
home are not the best. I am easily able to
procrastinate at home and having class
in bed is not the best idea. Plus, I can no
longer get the one on one help teachers
provide if needed.” The same is true for
workers. Geeta Malhotra, a techie based in
Bengaluru, believes that this situation has
not only made her home a stressful place,
it has also made her restless: “I am eating
whenever I want. Sometimes two meals a
day, sometimes four times a day. The little
walking I used to do has also stopped. I
have put on four kgs of weight since the
lockdown and I am having trouble sleeping
at night so much that I have been sleeping
for less than four hours,” she said.
Another thing to keep in mind is the
notion that a weakened immune system
allows for easy infection. We know that
students are one of the most vulnerable
groups in terms of experiencing high levels
of stress. There is no doubt that stress
increases the chances of being sick—
emotionally, mentally, or physically.
Nevertheless, there is still this idea
that education requires total attention
from its students, with or without the
pandemic. This is especially true for
students who are graduating or preparing
to take board and licensure exams—
studying is still key. Although exams
and other academic endeavours are
important, we should consider the present
NV
in a war that is as old or older than them.
Then we watched the slow-rolling doom of
global warming and its promise of species-
existential obliteration, if not all. Forests
became grazing lands and oceans became
plastic fields and oil slicks, all while we
struggled with calculus and high-school
drama—aware of the news cycle but
oblivious to the actual day this world would
become ours.
There has been much debate
regarding the prevalence of anxiety and
depression amongst millennials. Some
say it’s the lack of religiosity and the
increased expectance towards sin, while
others say that these feelings are not new
but have been present and unspoken in
every previous generation. Nonetheless it
has been coupled with an unceasing rage
to change and reimagine the world; yet in
my eyes, this struggle for change is poorly
thought-out and often irrational after
further inspection. The future leaders who
a FAW
scenario. This semester should not see a
prioritization of grades—the focus should
be on the wellness of students. Although
maintaining a healthy lifestyle is our
individual responsibility, there are people,
places, and rules that make our health
better or worse. Everyone faces a different
situation in life—some have it worse and
some have it better.
In this unprecedented situation, |
think it’s best to be utilitarian and think
about the greatest good for the greatest
number. In the Philippines, a “mass
promotion” policy has been implemented
for students amid the pandemic, and
according to the country’s higher education
agency—Commission on Higher Education
(CHED)—it’s up to the universities and
colleges to decide whether to pass all
students or not. Some parts of the global
south are active in their adaptation. Having
said that, if poorer countries have made
utilitarian acts to lessen the impact of
coronavirus, then maybe countries in the
global north can do more with these ideas.
Ideas like reducing the list of requirements
in the course syllabus and being flexible in
grading and making schedules. As long as
this pandemic is around, I will always argue
that it is generally reasonable to have bad
marks. I can't stress this enough: it’s better
to have good health and bad marks than
bad health and good marks.
ol fran
surround us and appear in the media shout
for a change that they cannot articulate.
Worse still, the rush for change disappears
when they must implement it amongst
themselves. Ours is a generation that
rightly sees problems while attempting
only the facsimile and shoddy fixes. Occupy
Wall street slipped into nothing 10 years
before Greta Thunberg would demand
change while obstinately declaring she was
not there to provide answers.
Soon, if not already, the crises
generation will become the stewards of the
world at large. We will shape governance
and global relations, we will preside over
the workings of every corporation, and we
will be both the victims and beneficiaries
of the history that preceded us. We can
only hope that history has engrained
temperance and inner strength while
pandemics and recessions have made the
necessities of prudence clear.