Constant uncertainty

Sometimes the best thing for us is to disconnect from the news and connect to our surroundings

As I sit down to write this, the first words on my mind are, “here we are again.” Roughly two years ago, the whole world was talking about a virus which ended up being declared a pandemic by the WHO.

One Friday afternoon, we got an email from the university administration stating that we were moving online for the next little while to avoid a contagion. That was two years ago, and the university is still not completely back to in-person teaching and research for many of us. We have had two, maybe three shots of a vaccine. We have worn a mask everywhere and missed

out on untold social opportunities. Every month, we express the ardent hope that things will start getting better soon. So far, our hopes have not really been met with unequivocally positive changes.

As of last week, it seems we only just survived a pandemic, a near coup in a neighboring country, and substantial economic downturns, only to witness the Third World War. What makes it worse is that this time nuclear warheads are in the equation.

People tend to have very different levels of reaction to the world around them. For

someone like me, with an already fragile mental state, the last two years have been very hard. Most days have been a tug of war between “let me try to do the best I can under the circumstances”, and “what is the point, we are all doomed.” This may sound fatalistic, but the fact is this is not the world I thought I would be living in five years ago. The world I wish to live and make a life in seems to get further from reach with every passing day.

When the pandemic first broke out, I was one of the many that got addicted to doom-scrolling on my phone to see the number of cases, deaths, hospitalizations, etc. Looking back, maybe we all did that because in circumstances that seemed so far beyond our control, this act of being constantly plugged into the information worse than a global pandemic. Perhaps, now, the direct threat to our persons is limited, so far away from the actual warzone. There is the sense of impending doom, potentially in the form of a recession and a rise in prices of things at a time when we are already struggling with finances. There is the toll on our conscience when we see news reports of innocent people who lost their homes in this invasion and of children too young to even comprehend how they are being wronged by the world. Lastly, there is the ultimate fear – that a maniac with little to no regard for human life, and

obsessed with his own inflated ego, may well resort to something the world has been trying to avoid since the 1950s.

If you are reading this and you also feel this way, I firstly want to acknowledge that your feelings are valid. You are right to feel desolate and forlorn, in a world that has already failed you so many times and is set to do so at least one more time in the future. However, since the world is not coming to save us, we must take care of ourselves. None of us know what is ahead but, at this moment, take care of yourself. Focus on the things that are in your control, whether that is making a little progress on some homework, reading a couple of pages of a book that is still on your TBR list, or just going for a walk. I am not saying this as some detached ivory tower egghead. I am telling you the things that worked for me. In a world where there are many things that I am deeply concerned about but can do nothing to influence, I make a conscious effort to focus on those things I can influence; even if it feels like there is no such thing, there is always one. We can always choose how we respond to the circumstances and what we give our energy to.

So, unplug from the screen for a bit. Turn off your devices altogether. I wish I could say that the world will still be there when you are ready to return to it, but to be perfectly honest, I cannot say that with confidence. What I can and will say,

“This may sound fatalistic, but the fact is this is not the world I thought I would be living in five years ago. The world I wish to live and make a life in seems to get further from reach with every passing day.

– Hammad Ali

gave us an illusion of control. Thankfully, I was able to recognize how this, and social media in general, was wreaking havoc on my state of mind. I should have done something far more drastic like deleting all my social media accounts. But living away from home, with my childhood friends in three different continents, that approach seemed unsustainable. Instead, what I did was turn off all push notifications on my phone and begin to spend more time away from screens, reading an old-fashioned paper book, and of course working on my classes. I often fell off the wagon, but I can say without any hesitation that the times when I was able to live by this structure, I felt better.

Two years later, there is another challenge to all our well-beings. In many ways, a war in a different part of the world is far though, is that there is not much we can do right now to change the world out there; we may just have to settle with changing ourselves.

Take care of yourself. Make a little progress on your to-do list, call a friend, watch a show, and laugh a little. With any luck, we will be on the other side of all this. Even if not, it would be far better to spend our times creating, doing, and cherishing life. Excuse me for sounding morbid, but if these really are our last few weeks on this Earth, I would rather read some books and not scroll the monstrosity Zuckerberg built. I hope and wish that you do the same.

hammad ali staff writer

Freddy Kearney via Unsplash

Don’t know what good that microphone is going to do being held way down there.

Mixed masking reviews

Some students are happy, others are confused, and all are hoping for better days

Anton via Unsplash If it doesn’t look like Regina Transit seat material, I don’t want it.

On February 28, after much anticipation, the mask mandate was lifted by the Saskatchewan provincial government. It had previously been lifted on July 11, 2021, before it was reinstated two short months later on September 17. This time, Scott Moe seems set on keeping the province mask-free.

The University of Regina, meanwhile, has announced they will be keeping those who set foot on campus in masks for a while longer: “As we return to in-person teaching and learning and an increased presence of students, faculty, and staff on our campuses, the University of Regina is working to ensure the health and safety of our university community by continuing to require masks in shared, indoor spaces and by updating our mask-use requirements for people coming to campus.” They further stated that, as per the signs that have popped up around campus, non-medicinal masks such as cloth masks and face shields will continue to not be acceptable, and that masks must still be worn to ensure that they cover the mouth, nose, and chin.

These restrictions are expected to stay in place until May, as during the Spring/ Summer semester the university is committing to having “full in-person operations and activities taking place without requirements around vaccination, testing, or masking.” With masks required for the duration of Winter 2022 and set to be off for good in Spring/Summer and Fall semesters, the response of students around campus has certainly been mixed.

“I don’t think it makes much sense,” said Mason Hausermann, a fourth-year Arts student. “I don’t see why the rest of the province takes the masks off and the University is making us still wear them. I think it’s gone on for long enough and the whole thing is just a bit odd.”

Olivia Christianson, a first-year Arts student, is more welcoming of the University’s policy: “I think the province was too hasty with how they lifted the restrictions. It puts people, like the immunocompromised and elderly, at risk when other people aren’t required to have the vaccine or wear a mask. I think the university is being smart by keeping the masks on a while longer.”

As a first-year student that came to the University of Regina during the COVID-19 pandemic, this is Christianson’s first time taking classes in person. “The way things are right now, I don’t think I’d be comfortable around other students if we weren’t all wearing masks. I’ve had COVID and I wouldn’t wish it on any of them, so I think it’s important that we consider not only the safety of ourselves but of our fellow people too.”

Meanwhile, as a fourth-year student, Hausermann’s perspective may be a result of his experience with normal on-campus operations and how different they were to the current model of education he and other students are forced to experience. “I’m graduating this semester and it’s just a shame that I’ve got to keep a mask on for my last semester after almost two years of online classes. I really hope their opening plan for next semester doesn’t fall through, because this is getting tiring.”

As on-campus traffic increases and students interact with each other once again, we’re nearing the end of these difficult times. The question remains, though: will these restrictions stay lifted, or will history repeat itself and force students back into masks and Zoom classes? Only time will tell, but for now I remain cautiously optimistic.

amir said contributor

Planning for the future

Tips for smoothly sailing through course registration season

Course registration time can be extremely stressful for many students. You are faced with thinking about the trajectory of your degree and how things are going. You must consider when you are thinking of graduating and whether you have everything sorted out. One thing about being in my last year of university is the fact that I can register much earlier than others. My trick is to always plan out classes prior to course registration dates, especially if you are new to university. Planning allows you to register in a more efficient manner. It is better to have an idea of what you want your schedule to look like and how many classes you need to take, whether you will be applying for grants, and which classes you want to take. In my opinion, I prefer to focus on important classes that are not always available year-round. If you have language requirements, it is better to start them as early as you can since language classes are not always available every semester.

I like to spend as much time as I can working on my schedule so that when it is time to register, it usually takes me five minutes. It is important for students to understand that advisers are there to help you if you are having a difficult time registering for classes or determining what you should be taking.

Like many other students, I unfortunately must take summer classes. My schedule for the summer is quite messy, but I have no choice. I desperately need the class that I have signed up for. I also don’t get to have a break this summer between internships, my classes, and life in general. I am honestly dreading it all. The only thing I can do is plan so that the stress does not get to me, although it is easier said than done. I rarely drop the classes I have registered for. Since starting university, I have only dropped maybe 3-4 classes in total. Dropping for me is a last resort for when I truly have no other options and I have done everything that I possibly could to continue the class.

I prefer to register for classes as soon as I can rather than waiting. Classes can fill up extremely fast, and too many of us have been through the misery of waiting an entire year just for one class to be available (I know I certainly have). It’s not a good feeling, and it makes you feel as though you’re in a situation where you’re not moving forward, and you’re just stuck. I would not wish that feeling on my worst enemy.

Sometimes you can try your best to plan, but stress is bound to happen when going through the process. The important thing is to ensure you are building a strong foundation that allows you to manage that stress in an efficient manner. Everyone is different, and that is okay. We all have our own ways of tackling stress. What works for someone else may not work for you, and what works for you may not work for someone else – that is just how life is. The same can be said about how you progress through your degree; the speed you go may not be the same as others in your program. Ultimately, as students, it is important to remember to be proud of our growth. We’re still figuring things out and there is no shame in that. The older you get, the wiser you become – and the more you know better, the more you can do better.

amina salah staff writer

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editors: safal gangwani, rooky jegede graphics@carillonregina.com the carillon | mar 10 -mar 16, 2022