"VIS has taken measures to fully support ETH's strategy"

How has working from home changed your daily life?
Normally, I would be stuck in various meeting rooms, manage the VIS board, attend lectures and meet with my Bachelor's thesis supervisor. Furthermore, I would be able to go to the gym or attend social events in the evening. Under the special circumstances, I'm staying at my parents' place and writing my Bachelor's thesis. On top of that, I am also managing our VIS board remotely. Fortunately, we can still manage to write e-mails and to communicate via Zoom and Slack.

What is your BA thesis about? Who is your supervisor?
I'm implementing a design-based system for WhatsApp notifications that reduces the perceived disruption of users and improves the user experience without relying on machine learning algorithms. So basically, I'm designing a notification management system for WhatsApp notifications, which resulted in a smartphone-application for Android phones at the Advanced Interactive Technologies (AIT) Lab. My supervisors are Christoph Gebhardt and Prof. Otmar Hilliges. I am very grateful for their support during this difficult period.

How do you spend your leisure time these days?
I started playing the piano again, I occasionally play table tennis with my dad and keep in touch with my friends via WhatsApp, Zoom and phone calls.

Has the coronavirus had any positive influences on your life?
Yes, I received a Zoom Pro Account. No, in all seriousness, I get to spend more time with my parents and enjoy their delicious Chinese food, such as dumplings and Peking duck, my favourite dish.

What have you experienced regarding online lectures and exercise groups?
I have attended some online lectures and I have to admit that they are far better conceptualised than I expected. It is admirable how all our lecturers are able to fully adapt to the given circumstances and make the best out of it. As a teaching assistant for "Anwendungsnahes Programmieren" by Lukas Fässler and Markus Dahinden, I have received quite a lot of feedback from the students. The general feedback is very positive. Our students have reported that it doesn't feel very different than usual, since this format still has the personal touch.

How is the general mood amongst D-INFK students?
This is a very hard question, which is very personal to each and every student. But as far as I can sense, a lot of the students feel a bit empty but optimistic in general – like myself. But we are very thankful for the regular updates with which ETH provides us. Since this is a totally new situation for all of us, I strongly believe that the students also understand the difficulty of the situation.

Which measures has VIS taken due to the Coronavirus?
Unfortunately, we had to cancel the Kontaktparty on short notice due to measures of precaution by ETH. After almost one year of preparation, the cancellation of the event just a few minutes before the start of the setup was a bitter blow to us. We also felt very sorry for the students who were hoping to find a job, an internship or a topic for their Master's thesis. In hindsight, cancelling the event was definitely the right decision. Furthermore, VIS has taken measures to fully support ETH's coronavirus strategy. To reduce the number of students in the CAB, we have decided, in joint consultation with AMIV and VMP, to close the student lounge in the CAB until further notice. We also had to cancel the oVIS presence over noon during weekdays and switched off our beloved coffee machines. With a heavy heart, we cancelled all physical events until the end of the semester, for the sake of social distancing.

What is VIS doing to support the D-INFK student body these days?
We will continuously provide students with our .

What are the main questions from the students' side that are yet unanswered?
Mainly questions about the exams. When will they take place? In which format? But we are sure that ETH is working non-stop on this topic and will soon provide us with updates.

Do you, as the current VIS president, have a message to the D-INFK students?
Please take your social responsibility seriously and follow the recommendations by the federal council and ETH. Your actions are not only affecting you, but everybody else too. Be sure that VIS will keep doing its best to support you during this difficult situation. And: study hard, stay healthy, stay sane!