We are facing an unprecedented disruption of life as we know it, with the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to plague our society. In these turbulent times, The Casual Observer has decided to interview the heads of clubs and societies here at NPSi to find out how they’re coping with the waves of uncertainty and anxiety that have accompanied this crisis, and if they’ve decided to sink or swim.

1. Could you please tell who you are, which club you represent and what your club does?

PS: I’m Tarunyaa and I represent the Physics Society! Our purpose is to both learn and teach physics in a fun manner. We believe that the answers to the mysteries of the universe lie in this very science. What was before the Big Bang? How does an electron exist when not being observed? We don’t know the answers to these questions. but, we will attempt to find them anyways.

THS: Hi, I am Srinjana and I represent The Humanitarian Society. I think the best way to characterise my club would be to call it a platform which aims to inform others and provide others with the opportunity to support social causes through dialogue and action. All we really hope to provide is a bit of motivation and help so we can be a place where passionate people come together to bring about change! 

TMC: Hi! I am Kuhu and I represent The Med Club ! The meaning of medicine for me, goes way beyond a field of study or a profession, and each aspect of it intrigues me. Through the Med Club, we aim to bring together all the members through their shared love for the field of medicine and help them gain a wider perspective of this very field, by conducting events, raising awareness, and providing opportunities. 

SEA: Hey! I’m Richelle, and I along with Sahana, represent the ‘Student Environmental Activists’. I’m passionate about studying and conserving the environment, as to me, we were created for a purpose and if looking after our home isn’t what you’re here for, rest in peace bro! Our club brings together passionate people, working collaboratively, who are interested in creating a positive difference to our planet through education and gradual implementation. 

2. Who does your club aim to reach out to?

THS: Mainly high schoolers, as they tend to be a bit more receptive to certain issues compared to younger students, but considering the ethos of our club, our reach is really just anybody accessible to us. 

TMC: Primarily the students and teachers of NPSi! We also hope to establish ourselves by conveying our message to other schools in Singapore, and through volunteering opportunities, reach out to those in need.

3. What role do you think the school plays with respect to your club?

PS: Our club began at school, and without Mr. Bhatt’s help, our club would have probably died early on, like a main-sequence star slowly fizzling out to form a white dwarf. Through him and the school, we got our most precious resources: the Celestron telescope and the untapped interest of thousands of kids.

SEA: For us, the school enables a safe space for discussion and a platform to implement the changes- through recycling bins around the campus, reducing food leftovers by composting, or environmentally oriented events reiterating the importance of coming together to solve the environmental crisis.

4. What have you done/plan to do to continue club activities during COVID-19?

PS: We have no intention of letting our club become a white dwarf, hence, we began filming podcasts! We have our own episodic series called “Into the Unknown.”, and under the STEMdemic week in collaboration with TMC , we hope to bring interactive learning and physics jokes to your screens. Anyways, technology is quite tangible and we will not let a virus curb our enthusiasm! 

 THS: A week ago, we partnered up with NLB to start an online volunteering program. We began disseminating information regarding the pandemic and trying to raise spirits. As a club, we plan on continuing this and bringing similar opportunities closer to other students. I mean what better way to pass qUarAntINe bORedOm than to become informed and help people in times of need?  (P.S: if you want to help out, stay tuned for our website release!) 

TMC: Being the Med Club, we have been active about the COVID-19 situation – ensuring we spread the news and daily statistics through our Instagram account, keeping the public informed. Furthermore, in collaboration with the PS, we have started the series of STEMdemic months where both clubs release weekly podcasts about controversial and intriguing issues in their respective fields. We are also busy making preparations for our upcoming large scale event for which details will be out soon! 

SEA: As much of a challenge COVID-19 has posed in our planned activities, it has opened avenues for online campaigning. Starting the campaign  “Honouring our Health Heroes” on Instagram, we encouraged young adults to reflect and express gratitude. Additionally, our meme competition “The Climate Comedy of Errors” aims to use satire as a means of critically analyzing humanity’s mistakes, to create student interaction and spread positivity. 

5. Has COVID-19 made your club stronger, and if so, how?

PS: Our club was hurt because we could no longer have our trademark outreach events, attend physics lectures or hold our prospective mega-event. However, we discovered that online interfaces enabled us to grow a larger audience on the net. Our club members also learnt a lot about the topics they researched for the podcasts. So, yes, I would say our club did grow stronger.

THS: Frankly speaking, these are really trying times. We had planned to hold a Climate Action workshop partnered with the National Youth Council, which was indefinitely postponed. We were really disappointed, but it taught us perseverance, and that together, we could find other opportunities to further our aim! It showed the team that life has ups and downs, and after all, we lose some, we gain some.

TMC: We feared that our club wouldn’t be able to remain active in the midst of this crisis. However, we discovered the effectiveness of utilising online mediums and spent countless hours figuring out what activities to conduct and how. COVID-19 has given our club a kind of inner strength, as we work in the midst of a world pandemic to achieve our goals. After all, we are children of Indian parents 🙂

SEA: Well, yes and no! In terms of team chemistry, we’ve grown so much stronger as although we do miss the face to face interactions, Skype calls allow us to take our time with discussions and enable some sense of bonding beyond work purposes. COVID-19 in some way killed our spirits as we had quite a few plans, but it also challenged us to create alternatives. After all, we still have technology and an audience to create change! 

After listening to their answers, we saw that most clubs adopted a glass half full outlook to the crisis. COVID-19 seems to have brought out a whole new side of clubs, and in a broader sense, of society as a whole. While some plans came crashing down, perseverance and dedication rose up, pushing clubs to pull through, and innovate to continue to serve their purpose through tough times. Through technology, commitment to a cause, and the will to do good for the society, our NPSI clubs continue to strive. 

As for the question of whether they sank or swam, we’d say that these clubs have followed the advice of a questionable inspiring role model, who told us that when life gets us down, we should “Just keep swimming!”.

By Gauri Kanodia, Edited by Samud Shetty