NSMQ Trolling and OngaCookArt

We live in a society where a current loss after many previous victories is considered a total loss. A place where the efforts of the hands and feet mean nothing until the head wears the crown.

Before embarking on it, I am a former student of none of the finalist schools in the 2019 National Science and Mathematics Quiz (NSMQ). And my alma mater, the Koforidua Technical High School, was eliminated earlier, but we expect a better return in future participations. My article therefore focuses solely on the word "trolls" adopted in social media, on the approach taken by NSMQ and on how we subconsciously underestimate other disciplines that are not directly badociated with majors in mathematics and mathematics. sciences (biology, physics, chemistry). In addition, each subject of study has some traces of mathematics and science: it is called pressure cooking in the fields of home economics (related to physics) or the use of the angle of view in Mosaic Arts (related to mathematics). Why then do we despise other disciplines of study?

The term "hanging out" in social media is an Internet slang that expresses how people start to quarrel or annoy people to distract and sow discord through scaling posts to provoke harbadment or amusement (Wikipedia ). If you still want to discuss the difference between "fun and excitement" and "trolling and mockery", wait until you are guided. While a "previous accomplice" is always better than a "non-performer", ironically, the non-performers make fun of it the most.

Clearly, no sensible person is opposed to the celebration of victory, especially that resulting from diligence, resilience and intense competition. But when mockery is misinterpreted as humor, we should be shrewd enough to make the change and ensure that the energy of inspiration is not siphoned off by the so-called joy and excitement. Trolls usually start out as fun and exciting; however, its undesirable effects cancel out and betray its intention. Especially for competitions like the NSMQ, trolling:

• Suddenly, everything you have done in the past means nothing.
• You make fun of yourself to compete in the first place.
• We make fun of you for daring to participate in the final phase.
• You make fun of yourself for what you believe when the sentence does not work.
• We are making fun of you for not being able to advance the previous achievements in the present time.
• The only thing that matters is who has the crown; those who are not are not even considered at all.
• Subtly, we are pushing people to fear a beginning: "If I fail, will I be monitored?" Will be the question that preoccupies beginners – whether in the academic, professional or professional fields.

I am concerned about the seeds of envy, biased alliances and opportunistic tendencies that this so-called trolling breeds in this generation, especially among young people. If this so-called humor and excitement are not properly defined as taunts, we will all wake up one day and realize that the people we call "friends" and "supporters" have always been opportunistic (much a moment , unconsciously). In fact, people will not even realize that they shouted "friend" as long as the winning seat was maintained. In doing so, the weak and non-practicing will always be satisfied with the fun of the trolls instead of carefully badyzing the losses of others to learn and improve. As my wife said, "we will not realize that our favorite friends are those who call us" champions "for having scored 100/100 in the past, but we are totally unsuccessful for scoring 99/100 at present. "

I am convinced that one of the factors that caused some rival schools to lose their self-confidence is the way in which they clearly state a winning conviction that does not materialize as expected from the start, thus losing confidence in itself for continue to support inspiration. In this respect, I am not talking only about the quiz but about society in general. As a friend says, "society does not care about second or third place". Yet, in our country, the best students whose schools have never competed in the NSMQ do not talk about going to the finals to win a second or third place.

In fact, as big as our country, how many NSMQ candidates can occupy all the seats of leadership and societal influence? What about the carpenter, the bricklayer, the caterer, the craftsman, the designer, the bar, the steel, among others who did not never did high school? Do not even talk about his school competing in a quiz. I do not say in any way that those whose schools compete with each other do not perform well. Many congratulations to all the participating institutions, especially the finalists and finally the winners. Making such heights is worth being praised and deserves to be imitated.

However, how can we conclude that a school is "the best" because it goes for the NSMQ and wins? What about the many institutions that do not offer most science and math?

I have seen people hanging out at Archbishop Porter Girls' High School for winning the inaugural edition of the OngaCookArt Challenge that took place at about the same time as the NSMQ, such as if we said that people do not eat and drink before and even during the quiz. !

We are walking on very dangerous terrain with these trolls. If we do not kill this humor-colored snake called trolling, we hang it around the neck for its beauty and reward ourselves with surprising bites whose venom can stifle the confidence and success of future generations! If we do not repress the so-called trolls, we will have a moment when we will not be bold enough to succeed and bold enough to fail. We will see failure as an abomination (what it is) but not as a better preparation for a glorious return.

In addition, I would like to propose the adoption of a more practical NSMQ approach. Our high schools have many challenges, one way or another. We can inculcate the implementation of projects to make theories more useful for our economy. In this quiz, we see bright minds who can remember theories but apply them badly to everyday life. And if the problem of the day, for example, was a question about how to design a more effective way to get water from an institution hit by the crisis of the day, then it would be a good idea. water using the mechanical branch of physics? We should applaud the efforts of the organizers of this august program. We can not imagine the many people who overcame the fear of studying science and mathematics through the NSMQ. Through this initiative, our country is fortunate to have many professionals with science and mathematics backgrounds. But much more can be done. The OngaCookArt contest is a good example of how theoretical learning can be exploited in practice.

And if in the future we had quizzes and national projects for topics in business, agriculture and the arts? Can we find out how many dietitians, nutritionists, chefs and food processing engineers can be produced if attention and support are given to practical quizzes like OngaCookArt? In doing so, would not we open up the nation and our parents to many other careers besides those of doctor, nurse and pharmacist (the major careers known to majors in science)? And would not we have doctors and medical nurses who are so enterprising?

And for those who unscrupulously defend chauvinism and misogyny against participating girls 'schools, such as a post that I saw where it was claimed that our girls' schools would never go to the finals to prepare a winning trophy, wait until all your children are girls! And if this never happens, wait until you have to submit to female intelligence if, indeed, intelligence is badociated with gender!

Well, it does not look like the trolls, the trolls of the NSMQ, can end soon. Even in this case, each student must see a troll as a scalpel to heal the wounded society, but not as a retaliatory dagger to kill even more dreams, hopes and powerful aspirations. I am not saying that we should not let people know where they are wrong to correct them, but in doing so we should be motivated to help them get back on their feet for greater feats.

Yes, we are very aware of the competitors' strategy to make their opponents feel inferior. but I do not think that the NSMQ has been reduced to a hostile competition for the reproduction of enemies rather than a common platform to inspire a healthy competition for the search for solutions and the construction of new ones. ;a nation.

Andrew Osei Agyapong is a writer and president of SoundLife Group, a life coaching network that empowers youth in guidance, counseling, public speaking and temperament management. You can reach him on [email protected]