Undefeated … by COVID-19!
SITizens continue to learn, play, and work – pandemic or not! They made the shift to full Home Based Learning, had their exams and played the Inter Cluster Games 2020 – E-Sports League online. One SITizen even started a home-cooked food delivery business when she could no longer go to New York for her one-year internship.
Life Goes On, as Learning and Exams Go Online!
With the shift to full Home-Based Learning (HBL), SIT acquired licensees for learning tools such as Zoom, and organised training workshops to familiarise faculty with these tools and how best to engage students through online learning. Laptops were loaned to students so that none was left behind in the transition. Students placed on a Leave of Absence (LOA) or under Quarantine Orders (QO) were supported with alternative learning plans. SIT also saw the implementation of full HBL for the trimester (started 18 May), which is a first for the university.
SITizens were given an extension of the recess break as all physical proctored examinations were converted to online examinations. Technical helpdesk hotlines were set up to provide support to students in the event of glitches during the examinations, and security measures were put in place. SIT actively identified students in need and delivered more than 110 laptops and 80 Data SIM cards to them islandwide.
SITizens put their game faces on for first-ever E-Sports League
SITizens may not be able to gather in a traditional setting for the Inter-Cluster Games 2020 but it did not stop them from coming together online to play for the championship title at the inaugural e-Inter-Cluster Games – the E-Sports League. They formed teams to represent their Clusters in DOTA 2 and CounterStrike:GO, and also added more points to the tally table by taking part in the Push-Up Challenge.
The Infocomm Technology Cluster emerged champions while the Health and Social Sciences Cluster and Engineering Cluster were the first runner-up and second runner-up respectively.
Whipping up a storm, COVID-19 or not
Chef-in-training Shanice Lim, from CIA’s Bachelor of Business Administration in Food Business Management (Culinary Arts) degree programme at SIT, started Two Hands Two Hands, a home-cooked food delivery business, after her plans of an one-year internship at a Michelin-starred restaurant in New York City fell through, and she was unsuccessful in finding a position in any restaurant kitchen locally.
Lim was featured by Channel News Asia website for her initiative. She feels very honoured and humbled, she says, adding, “I started the business as a way to survive the pandemic and to keep the hawker culture going, when I heard that hawkers were losing business during this period.”
What the graduate-to-be learnt in school such as costings, marketing, and managing a business were all put into good use for her side business. Lim says the COVID-19 pandemic has also taught her something, “I learnt that I can’t beat myself up and I should try my best to look on the bright side. There are still opportunities if I look for them.”
Lim has now secured an internship as a chef-in-training at The Masses, serving up French cuisine with Asian influences while running Two Hands Two Woks on the side. Watch out for slots opening here to place an order for some local grub!
