2015: Edition 8
15
student observers called for the SRC to be disbanded 11 August 2015 VOLUME 74: EDITION8 varsitynewspaper.co.za @varsitynews varsitynewspaper IN THIS ISSUE VARSITY, the official student newspaper since 1942, is committed to the principles of equality and democracy. Transform Humanities PAGE 3 Hotseat App PAGE 2 American in Africa PAGE 6 UCT Bureaucracy CENTRE Silent Disco PAGE 11 Punting PAGE 14 THE OFFICIAL STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN Aisha Abdool Karim and Robyn Ausmeier O n Thursday, August 6th, at the sitting of Student Parliament, questions were raised about the functioning of the SRC and their ability to represent the interests of the students. The issue was raised when Khutso Modiselle, Secretary- General of the SRC, failed to produce the organisational report that was scheduled to be presented at the sitting. Following this, it was revealed that she has not been active in the SRC for the past month. At Student Parliament it was also revealed, and confirmed by SRC President Ramabina Mahapa, that Mmamalema Molepo, Alex Hotz and Sechaba Nkitseng are no longer a part of the leadership body. Both Molepo and Hotz, Chair of Sport and Recreation, and Day Students respectively, cited personal reasons and discontent with the actions of the SRC for their resignations. Nkitseng, Chair of Labour and Services, was dismissed by the Election Commission after failing to meet SRC requirements. Avishek Dusoye was reinstated following Molepo’s resignation. Two motions were raised at Student Parliament with regard to the status of Zizipho Pae in the SRC. A decision was taken to expel Pae from the SRC on July 21st in response to homophobic comments made by Pae during the vacation period. However, Vice Chancellor Dr Max Price asked that the SRC “accept that Ms Pae is and remains an elected member of the 2014/2015 Students’ Representative Council”. Price’s direct intervention in the matter, as well as the SRC Constitution, mean that the SRC must reinstate Pae. Given the limitations of the SRC Constitution, also apparent earlier this year during a reshuffling of SRC portfolios, the SRC will be reviewing and amending its constitution. The first motion proposed at Student Parliament was that Pae be Reviewing the SRC taken out of the executive structure in the SRC and reshuffled into another position. This motion was dismissed after discussion and a new motion was presented – that a vote of no confidence be taken against Pae. The result of this vote, taken by members of Student Parliament, showed a majority voting in favour of no confidence. However, this was not the two- thirds majority needed to bind the SRC into action. During the sitting of Student Parliament, student observers called for the SRC to be disbanded, stating that they did not feel the SRC was a true reflection of what students had voted for. One student suggested that they make an ad-hoc committee with heads of societies in place of the current SRC. In a separate interview, Mahapa stated that disbanding would not be a viable solution, as the SRC still performs a number of functions, including sitting on committees and consulting with students. The SRC was scheduled to have a strategic planning session during the vacation to lay out their plans for the second semester; however, this meeting did not occur. According to Mahapa, the meeting was cancelled due to tensions within the SRC owing to Pae’s comments, and also because a number of SRC members were unable to attend. Mahapa stated that there are plans for the SRC to set aside a weekend to outline programmes for the second semester. Modiselle’s failure to produce an organisational report is not uncommon and a ‘DP List’ was produced at the last Student Parliament, which showed that the majority of the SRC was unable to submit their required reports on time, or at all. In terms of financial documentation, there were also errors in how SRC members structured their spending reports, which left large amounts of money unaccounted for. This year, the SRC did not present an overview of the budget at the beginning of the year, and has instead allocated funds on a case-by-case basis. Mahapa noted that this is a potentially problematic way of organising funds as it is more difficult to hold people accountable, but they are looking to resolve this through the establishment of a financial policy that will provide a guideline for the SRC’s handling and administration of cash. According to Mahapa, there were plans to draw up a budget when the SRC took office; however, many members did not submit their proposed budgets as they did not know the estimated costs of events. An SRC Performance Review is currently underway, led by an independent task team headed by Keenan Hendrickse, Speaker of Student Parliament. The decision to establish a review committee arose after a number of SRC members failed to submit feedback reports during the previous sitting of Student Parliament. The review began during vacation, on July 16th and 17th, when the panel met to review all current members of the SRC. The aim of the review is to provide a means with which to hold the SRC accountable as well as to recommend revisions to the SRC Constitution to avoid similar problems arising in the future. The findings of the report will then be presented on September 10th at a special sitting of Student Parliament. majority of the SRC was unable to submit their required reports on time, or at all Image: Morema Molotsi
description
VARSITY is the official student newspaper of the University of Cape Town, since 1942.
Transcript of 2015: Edition 8
student observers called for the SRC to be disbanded
11 August 2015 VOLUME 74: EDITION8 varsitynewspaper.co.za @varsitynews varsitynewspaper8 varsitynewspaper.co.za @varsitynews varsitynewspaper8 varsitynewspaper.co.za @varsitynews varsitynewspaper
IN THIS ISSUE
VARSITY, the o� cial student newspaper since 1942, is committed to the principles of equality and democracy.
Transform Humanities PAGE 3
Hotseat App PAGE 2
American in Africa PAGE 6
UCT Bureaucracy CENTRE
Silent Disco PAGE 11
Punting PAGE 14
THE OFFICIAL STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN
Aisha Abdool Karim and Robyn Ausmeier
On Thursday, August 6th, at the sitting of Student
Parliament, questions were raised about the functioning of the SRC and their ability to represent the interests of the students.
The issue was raised when Khutso Modiselle, Secretary-General of the SRC, failed to produce the organisational report that was scheduled to be presented at the sitting. Following this, it was revealed that she has not been active in the SRC for the past month.
At Student Parliament it was also revealed, and confirmed by SRC President Ramabina Mahapa, that Mmamalema Molepo, Alex Hotz and Sechaba Nkitseng are no longer a part of the leadership body. Both Molepo and Hotz, Chair of Sport and Recreation, and Day Students respectively, cited personal reasons and discontent with the actions of the SRC for their resignations.
Nkitseng, Chair of Labour and Services, was dismissed by the Election Commission after failing to meet SRC requirements. Avishek Dusoye was reinstated following Molepo’s resignation.
Two motions were raised at Student Parliament with regard to the status of Zizipho Pae in the SRC. A decision was taken to expel Pae from the SRC on July 21st in response to homophobic comments made by Pae during the vacation period.
However, Vice Chancellor Dr Max Price asked that the SRC “accept that Ms Pae is and remains an elected member of the 2014/2015 Students’ Representative Council”. Price’s direct intervention in the matter, as well as the SRC Constitution, mean that the SRC must reinstate Pae.
Given the limitations of the SRC Constitution, also apparent earlier this year during a reshuffling of SRC portfolios, the SRC will be reviewing and amending its constitution.
The first motion proposed at Student Parliament was that Pae be
Reviewing the SRC
taken out of the executive structure in the SRC and reshuffled into another position. This motion was dismissed after discussion and a new motion was presented – that a vote of no confidence be taken against Pae. The result of this vote, taken by members of Student Parliament, showed a majority voting in favour of no confidence. However, this was not the two-thirds majority needed to bind the SRC into action.
During the sitting of Student Parliament, student observers called for the SRC to be disbanded, stating that they did not feel the SRC was a true reflection of what students had voted for.
One student suggested that they make an ad-hoc committee with heads of societies in place of the current SRC.
In a separate interview, Mahapa stated that disbanding would not be a viable solution, as the SRC still performs a number of functions, including sitting on committees and consulting with students. The SRC was scheduled to have a strategic planning session during the vacation to lay out their plans for the second semester; however, this meeting did not occur. According to Mahapa, the meeting was cancelled due to tensions within the SRC owing to
Pae’s comments, and also because a number of SRC members were unable to attend.
Mahapa stated that there are plans for the SRC to set aside a weekend to outline programmes for the second semester.
Modiselle’s failure to produce an organisational report is not uncommon and a ‘DP List’ was produced at the last Student Parliament, which showed that the majority of the SRC was unable to submit their required reports on time, or at all.
In terms of financial documentation, there were also errors in how SRC members structured their spending reports, which left large amounts of money unaccounted for.
This year, the SRC did not present an overview of the budget at the beginning of the year, and has instead allocated funds on a case-by-case basis. Mahapa noted that this is a potentially problematic way of organising funds as it is more difficult to
hold people accountable, but they are looking to resolve this through the establishment of a financial policy that will provide a guideline for the SRC’s handling and administration of cash.
According to Mahapa, there were plans to draw up a budget when the SRC took office; however, many members did not submit their proposed budgets as they did not know the estimated costs of events.
An SRC Performance Review is currently underway, led by an independent task team headed by Keenan Hendrickse, Speaker of Student Parliament. The decision to establish a review committee arose after a number of SRC members failed to submit feedback reports during the previous sitting of Student Parliament.
The review began during vacation, on July 16th and 17th, when the panel met to review all current members of the SRC. The aim of the review is to provide a means with which to hold the SRC accountable as well as to recommend revisions to the SRC Constitution to avoid similar problems arising in the future.
The findings of the report will then be presented on September 10th at a special sitting of Student Parliament.
majority of the SRC was unable to submit their
required reports on time, or at all
Image: Morema Molotsi
specifically tailored for students
access to mathematics help at any time of the
day
2 v74 e8 – 11 august 2015 News
News Bites
Nikhil Gilbert
The Math Hotseat application is a new study resource designed by the
UCT Mathematics hotseat team. The app allows students to enter complex maths functions and receive a detailed step by step output based on the type of problem. It is particularly useful for first-year maths concepts – namely function analysis, differentiation, integrals and statistics.
Tutors developed the app in order to address the Frequently Asked Questions students have about university mathematics quickly. The aim is therefore to help students who are struggling with the subject to understand difficult problems in a simplified manner.
Although it is not the first of its kind, the information and capabilities of the app are specifically tailored for students. The solutions are designed in such a way that the answer is specifically generated in the format and notations in which formal mathematics expects students to present their information. Furthermore, the app uses computational intelligence algorithms that enable the application to interpret detailed user inputs accurately.
As described by one of the developers, “It is like a textbook with any solution for an infinite set of problems”.
Through its digital form, the app is designed to be convenient for learners
UCT’s Mobile Hotseat
who have smart phones as it allows them to clarify maths problems using their phones. This enables the tutors at the hotseat to spend more time on uniquely difficult questions rather than the simple set of skill building exercises that are common to most mathematically inclined courses of study.
The application was not designed as a method of swatting, or a tool for study on its own as users will require a basic understanding of maths to grasp the logic behind the solutions presented. It was instead created with the intention of complimenting what is covered in
lectures and acting as a study tool for tests and exams.
The app was also made so that students who cannot attend the hotseat in the given times still have access to mathematics help at any time of the day.
Hotseats for subjects like mathematics and statistics are often overcrowded, especially before term
tests, making it difficult for all students to get the attention they need. Tutors are required to spend a significant amount of time helping students through solutions to simple maths problems, which can now be obtained using the app.
Math Hotseat has experienced over 1600 downloads globally and has a 97% five star rating on Google Play, accompanied with positive written reviews. One user commented, “Super clever app and the graphing function is great”, while another stated, “This is a maths tool that everyone should have”.
Courtney Hope and Gape Masole
Japan marks 70th anniversary of atomic bombing HIROSHIMA – Thursday, August 6th marked the 70th anniversary of the world’s first ever atomic bombing on Hiroshima. Thousands gathered at the exact time that the bomb was dropped in 1945 for a moment of silence. Many attendees reiterated the need for peace, following Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s promotion of a security bill that would deploy Japanese soldiers for the first time since World War II.
-AL JAZEERA
Uganda finds bride price refund practice unconstitutional UGANDA – Uganda’s Supreme Court ruled the ‘bride price refund’ to be unconstitutional on Thursday, August 6th. The practice required women to ‘refund’ their husbands in the event of a divorce, with the court arguing that this trapped women in unhappy marriages. The practice of refunding was outlawed as it put women in a “marketplace”, although judges rejected the claim that the bride price itself is unconstitutional.
-BBC NEWS
AMCU rejects pay offer South Africa – The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) rejected a wage proposal initiated by the top gold mines in South Africa (AngloGold, Harmony and Sibanye) on Sunday, August 2nd. A mass meeting was held by union members on June 30th during which the decision was made to reject the final wage offer. This offer by the producers was conditional on all four unions – AMCU, the NUM, Solidarity and United Association of SA – accepting them.
- Business Day
Liberty holdings investment plan South Africa - South Africa’s fourth largest insurer has taken the initiative to invest $80 million in two unnamed Nigerian deals by the year-end. This investment is part of a five-year plan that seeks to expand further into sub-Saharan Africa. Liberty aims to increase the number of people who can invest in insurance to protect their wealth.
-Reuters
The woman who cries ‘crystals’Brazil - Nursery school teacher Laura Ponce suffers from a rare eye condition that caused her to produce white plaques every time she blinks. This condition first started when she was 15 and for the last 20 years she has suffered from periods were she removes up to 30 crystals per day. Doctors believe that her condition is due to too much protein keratin in her eyes.
-Mail Online
Adam Kleinschmidt
On July 19th, music producer and entrepreneur Samuel DuBose was shot and killed by a police officer, Ray Tensing, in Cincinatti, Ohio. The event was captured on Tensing’s body camera footage.
According to the police, DuBose had a missing licence plate and was evading arrest. However, details of the video footage showed that DuBose did not act in an aggravating manner towards the law enforcement officers.
Officer Tensing was charged with murder and voluntary manslaughter on July 29th. He was also dismissed from the police department.
On July 17th, Eric Garner, a retired horticulturalist in New York City, was placed in a chokehold by a plainclothes police officer which led to his death by strangulation. Garner, shortly before the officer had attempted to arrest him, had broken up a fight in the area. Despite Garner stating that he could not breathe during the arrest, the police failed to assist him or resuscitate him when he passed out. He was declared dead shortly after arriving at hospital a few hours after he was arrested.
The officer, after a court case, was not indicted, but an out-of-court settlement with the City of New York ensured that Garner’s family would be
Police Misconduct in America
paid $5.9 million. On July 13th, an arrest after a minor
traffic violation led to the death of Sandra Bland, an advocacy volunteer in Illinois. Footage from the police car camera shows that the officer, Brian Encinia, forced her out of her car with his handgun. Encinia demanded that Bland get out of the car without stating why she had been pulled over.
After Bland questioned his actions he then attempted to physically remove her from the vehicle. Following this Bland was arrested and taken to the local jail. In the morning, she was
found hanged in her cell,with the police claiming it was suicide.
The above incidents come after a series of racialised assaults by police in America. Two other notable attacks which occurred this year include the beating of Freddie Gray on April 12th, and the shooting of Walter Scott on April 4th. These also follow the aftermath of the Ferguson riots of August 2014 – which were sparked by the fatal shooting of an African American youth by a white police officer.
In all cases there have been
accusations of misconduct made against the American law enforcement system. Protesters have called out state and federal government for their lack of response to the ongoing divide between the police and people of colour in America.
Organisations such as Black Lives Matter have called for an independent review and inquest into the conduct of police departments across the country. Black Lives Matter has also demanded that justice be served for African Americans killed as a result of police violence.
Image: Ivan Bandura
Image: Megon venter
calls for buildings to be renamed and artwork to
be replaced
an interactive forum to highlight issues [and] propose ... solutions
3v74 e8 - 11 august 2015News
Aisha Abdool Karim with information by Shannon Bernhardt
The annual election process for faculty councils has begun,
with nominations for faculty council positions closing on Friday, August 7th.
The nomination process is open to any student who has registered for one semester within their faculty and requires signatures from at least 12 students, a campaign manager, a campaign team and support from the faculty through the signature from a curriculum advisor.
Once the nomination process has been completed, candidates then campaign for five days, starting on August 17th, with voting opening in the last three days. Candidates may campaign individually or in groups, however the campaign budget is restricted to a maximum of R240 per person and no one outside of the University community may assist with the campaign.
Candidates are also prohibited from offering any kind of incentives for students to vote, defaming another
Faculty Council Elections: A Step-by-Step Processcandidate and threatening a voter. Campaigning continues until the end of the voting period, which runs from August 19th to August 21st, however candidates are not allowed to address voters once they are at a voting station.
During this voting period candidates are also expected to participate in a question and answer session. Students are only allowed to vote within their registered faculty and may cast either a paper or online ballot. Paper ballots must be cast at voting stations while online ballots are cast through the eBallot system.
The number of votes varies according to each faculty, as it is dependent on the number of portfolios within that faculty council, however students are not required to use all their votes and may cast less than the maximum number.
The UCT Elections Committee supervises the election process and is an independent body comprised of both students and staff of the University. The day-to-day running of the election is overseen by the Elections Operations Office, which is led by Ms Edwina Brooks, Chief Electoral Officer.
The candidates that receive the highest number of votes then hold a
constituting meeting. The number of candidates elected will once again vary according to portfolios available within each faculty.
The constituting meeting is where candidates will be voted into their
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portfolio and assume their position on the faculty council. This meeting must take place within ten days of the elections results being announced.
For more information access the UCT SRC & Faculty Council Elections
Facebook pages, as well as the @UCTSRCElections Twitter account. You can also contact the Election Operations Office at [email protected] and the Chief Electoral Officer at [email protected]
Yogi Shoba and Robyn Ausmeier
On Thursday, August 6th, the UCT Faculty of Humanities
held an assembly in Jameson Hall to discuss issues of transformation within the faculty and the university as a whole. Tutorials and lectures were postponed for the duration of the assembly to allow students and staff to attend.
The gathering was an interactive forum to highlight issues as well as propose concrete solutions. The meeting was chaired by the Dean of the Humanities faculty, Professor Sakhela Buhlungu and co-chaired by Professor Lungisile Ntsebeza from the Department of Sociology, Associate Professor Jane Bennett from the African Gender Institute and Speaker of Student Parliament, Keenan Hendrickse.
The assembly was divided into three topics of discussion; namely, transformation of teaching and learning, transforming staff and students and transforming institutional symbols.
According to Professor Buhlungu, the idea of a faculty assembly came about after widespread protest action on campus which “united but also threatened to pull the UCT community apart.” All grievances and solutions were recorded and documented by a team of Humanities staff and students.
To start off the interaction, the floor was opened for discussion surrounding the transformation of teaching and learning. The Department of Sociology brought forward issues of gender, race and identity in a divided society and suggested active staff training and development in this regard. It was encouraged that there be more student input into course material.
The Humanities Student
Discussing Transformation in the HumanitiesCouncil (HSC) highlighted that course material is taught through a Westernised perspective and according to HSC Chair of Social Sciences, Lauren Gildenhuys, this causes an othering of the African continent.
“As African students, we are unable to see our agency in the curriculum,” commented one student.
In response to calls for a more Afrocentric curriculum and complaints around the exclusive availability of the African Studies major at postgraduate level, Professor Ntsebeza announced that African Studies will be offered as a course at undergraduate level from 2017.
Further concerns were raised regarding issues of stigma directed at students in the Extended Degree programme. Students said that they felt judged for being a part of the programme and that there was a racial stereotyping attached to it. In response the Education Development Unit (EDU) explained that the programme is directed at redress category students, therefore the majority are black students and that transformation in the unit must go through government structures.
Other issues specific to the Humanities faculty were raised at the assembly. Student speakers noted that although Humanities is the biggest faculty, it is underrepresented at career expos. They also suggested that the Faculty of Humanities can play a crucial role as the pioneers of transformation, and that there should be more
interaction between departments and faculties.
Students and staff from satellite campuses spoke out about the need for engagement between the campuses, stating that they felt neglected by management. A student from the Drama Department said they had been addressing transformation in their performance pieces, but had not found support from University members.
It was also mentioned that the
College of Music has submitted a proposal for a new graduation song to replace Gaudeamus Igitur.
For the final topic, looking at institutional symbols in the university, speakers discussed how students and staff interact with the spaces around them and who is made to feel welcome in these spaces. Members from Rhodes Must Fall said they will be organising campus tours in order for students to be educated about their campus.
Furthermore, there were calls for buildings to be renamed and artwork to be replaced. One student pointed out that the four main paintings in Jameson Hall were of white men. This raised the point of whose histories and identities are being reflected by the University.
To close off the faculty assembly, Professor Buhlungu addressed the audience. He encouraged staff and students to give further suggestions so they could compile a comprehensive report.
He also noted that it is time to start acting and that while in the past they had questioned the system, it was now time to interrogate the institution. “This is the beginning of the process,” said Buhlungu.
Image: Megon venter
stigma directed at students in the Extended
Degree programme
Image: shannon Bernhardt
4 v74 e8 - 11 august 2015 editorial
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2015 Collective
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Dangerous Intersections of Privilege Parusha NaidooEditor-in-chief
Tuesday, August 11th,
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Savoia
How to Fall in LoveIf you’re a watcher of The Big Bang Theory you may have recently seen the episode about 36 questions two people can ask each other in order to make them fall in love. As a hopeless romantic, this sounded wonderful and I quickly popped online during the episode to find this questionnaire.
I may be romantic, but I’m also a student, so in the interest of science (and love) I then devised an experiment. I got two friends of mine to do the questionnaire together and I did it with my significant other. The results were
quite interesting. The ‘friends’ couple seemed to
enjoy each other’s company, and certainly learned more about the other person, but unfortunately the ‘in love’ status was not achieved.
On my side, however, my ‘in love’ status was already existent, so instead I was looking to see if the questionnaire was of any use to those in an already existing relationship.
While we didn’t manage to get through all the questions, I found the experience extremely
enlightening and a lot more upbeat than I would expect that of two strangers to be. We were able to fill in each other’s blind spots and make jokes that might otherwise have been totally inappropriate when talking to someone you’ve just met.
Fortunately, my experiment is not over. I still want to see if two people can fall in love as a result of answering these 36 questions to each other. The URL is 36questionsinlove.com; so grab a stranger, get asking and let me know how it went. You never know, your true love may be the person sitting right next you sipping a Frigo coffee. Or not. But you’ll never know if you don’t try.
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Two weeks ago my friend and I decided to do a few
laps around UCT’s cricket oval. A rowdy group of students sitting on the stands caught my eye, but as an open space for all UCT students I thought little of the display.
As I neared them, I watched as they shouted loudly, taunting a man that was jogging in front of
us while they guzzled Carling Black Label. I felt a deep sense of unease and fear as we approached and a few minutes later they began making a noise as if to mockingly cheer us on while blatantly laughing and ridiculing us.
And in that moment I felt sub-human. I felt my dignity being stripped away from me. I felt ashamed. For a spilt second I thought of what UCT must have been like at a time when people like me did not belong here, when people like me were made to feel like outsiders. And in that moment I realised that people like me still don’t belong here because my peers were still able to fill me with shame, fear and unease simply for occupying same space as them.
It was also in that moment that I stopped and turned around to engage with my peers. My request to them was simple, “Please be more conscious of your actions and how that might be impacting the people on this field.”
I received looks of disbelief, disgust, contempt and indifference. They held that unmistakable air of
hailing from fathers and forefathers that belong to the old boys club – an air that legitimised overt disrespect and condescension in the name of supposed superiority. And as we left they applauded us as if to exert their unsaid occupation and ownership of the field.
This is not a story of a group of white men being racist, nor is it a story of the white women that were with them being complicit and it is not a story that is unique to me as a person that identifies as a black woman. It is a story of the cis-gendered, white, middle class and able-bodied heterosexual male and how the intersection of these facets translates into in a deadly combination of privilege and the entitlement.
It is the entitlement to drink Carling Black label while taunting
those around you for ‘fun’. It is the entitlement to stand on the balcony of a club and urinate on Michelle Puis Nomgcana, a 41 year old taxi driver or to assault Delia Adonis, a 52 year old mother who works as a cleaner. I am aware that in no way was my experience anything like that of on Michelle Puis Nomgcana or Delia Adonis.
Essentially, our society is structured to ensure that your level of privilege is determined by your race, gender and class so we don’t question the problems with pathological white masculinity. Instead our newspapers are filled with the destructiveness of gang violence committed by coloured men on the Cape Flats and rape by black men in the townships. Headlines rarely investigate the destructive structures that perpetuate patriarchy and racial superiority, allowing for my peers’ behaviour to be excused.
As we embark on this month supposedly dedicated to women, let’s question how we can rear men and specifically white men to not play into their structural privilege.
in that moment I felt sub-human
5v74 e8–11 august 2015Opinions
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Letters to the editor need to be kept to a maximumof 300 words and can be sent to:
wArticulateYogi ShobaOpinions Editor
Phenomenal woman, That’s you
Women are limitless
Women don’t have to look or act like men
leads to the reductive, sexist messages that are
sent out
Nkhensani Manabe
I don’t celebrate Women’s Day. I will take the day off, but don’t expect to see me enjoying the myriad of advertising campaigns and retail “special offers” that spring up all over the place. Much like Christmas, which the media starts making noise about as early as October, Women’s Day has had the sap squeezed out of it by commercialism.
The women who made that landmark march to the Union Buildings in 1956 had no way of knowing that their noble work would one day be buried under fanfare, or lost behind numerous missteps on the path to equality.
What I have realised is that Women’s Day is not about acknowledging the completion of the equality project, or about resting on rickety laurels. Instead, it is an annual reminder that the quest for the full recognition of women’s rights is ongoing.
It seems that the government, at least at the provincial level, is recognising this. In a move which makes up for the Department of Women’s past blunders, Minister Susan Shabangu unveiled a special Women’s Month programme in Johannesburg. It will see a select task team of women working together with the Department to affect change. While this is definitely promising news, I will reserve my praises until I see results.
Women’s Month and all its busy-ness will leave a bad taste in my mouth for as long as we live in a patriarchal society.
Patriarchy insists on (among other things) privileging the man and his needs and ideas, while disregarding and marginalising the woman and hers. This leads to the reductive, sexist messages that are sent out to and about women during Women’s Month. The “initiatives” which are signified by a colour (pink),
The Real Message: Women’s Month
or those which wilfully ignore the nuanced experiences of womanhood by putting a doek or a pair of heels at the centre of their “empowerment” monologue are not useful to women.
They keep the conversation about the rights of women and their ability to participate meaningfully in society stagnant. While companies rush to give out makeovers and media outlets dole out mindless adverts, women are not making progress. Women’s Month has turned into a 31-day public relations project that screams “Look at us! Isn’t our effort to acknowledge these poor women just so commendable?” It is as if everything that is wrong with media and government’s messaging on women’s issues is compounded and amplified – and that is disheartening.
What can be done to change the face of Women’s Month? There is no single answer, but I believe it is best to start with listening. Instead of being dictated to,
women need to be allowed to speak.
Women need to know that there is a space for them to talk about their struggles, priorities and aspirations. Whether it is peer education groups at school level, support networks in the workplace, or committees at government level, women need allies.
Allies do not patronise or take pity on women. They are collaborators, willing to work towards creating an environment in which women are able to take control of their own lives. This Women’s Month, I would hope to see strides being made towards a South Africa that values its women as more than just tokens in public relations projects.
In 1903 Marie Curie was co-awarded the Nobel Prize
for Physics after discovering Polonium and Radium. In 1969, software engineer, Margaret Hamilton developed on-board flight software which saved the Apollo moon landing. In 2004, media tycoon Oprah Winfrey became the first female to reach billionaire status; her current net worth is three billion dollars.
These women broke the stereotypes of what women can do and in 2015 Isis Anchalee, a software engineer, is breaking the stereotypes of who women can be.
Anchalee is an employee at OneLogin (a cloud-based identity solution company). After participating in the company’s recruitment campaign, sexist remarks were made on Facebook regarding her ‘overly-attractive’ appearance in the advertisement. One comment highlighted that Anchalee dressed in a black company tank top with long brown wavy hair and a pair of glasses contributed to ‘weird haphazard branding’ and that this is not what female software engineers look like. Another comment stated that her gentle smile would fail to attract female recruits as it looked more like a ‘sexy smirk’.
Anchalee launched the #ILookLikeAnEngineer Twitter campaign in reaction to sexism in the tech industry. Scores of diverse and successful women have tweeted images and inspirational messages. Flight controllers, App developers, tech CEOs and engineers for brand giants such as Microsoft, Apple and even NASA all shared the hashtag.
The campaign displays that women don’t have to look or act like men to work in a male-dominated industry. These women are mothers, fashion enthusiasts, they cook and bake in their spare time and yes, they love furry animals. They are diverse individuals with unique tastes, appearances and sexual orientations.
For a long time negative
#ILookLikeanEngineerconnotations have been imposed on femininity. Showing feminine traits is equated with being weak, unintelligent, materialistic and shallow. The sad part is that many women believe these labels and view their femininity as a curse rather than a unique attribute they need to actively own.
Let’s take for example, the female suit. For many it’s a marker of strength and professionalism but to me it appears to be female mimicry of prized male attributes. The female suit looks more like a mask allowing the othered female to blend into male territory undetected. The suit boxes her body and hides her ‘distracting’ assets to make her more acceptable in the workplace.
Steps have been taken to feminise the female suit but revolutionising work wear won’t necessarily revolutionise the work environment.
In my view, the fight for professional equality doesn’t begin with changing the mind-sets of men but by changing those of women. Women shouldn’t be trying to prove that they can ‘play with the big boys’ but rather that they can create their own game. Women should be trying to bring a feminine edge to male-dominated industries, but that can only happen when women begin to appreciate who and what they are. Equality isn’t about being the same; it’s about respecting and appreciating one another’s differences. So it’s ok to be a blonde female Actuarial Science student who shops at Cotton On and collects nail polish; it’s ok to be a black Computer Science lecturer who buys Nine-West bags and is a queen in the kitchen; hec, it’s ok to be an Asian transgender female who knits scarves as a hobby and volunteers at the SPCA.
It’s ok to be the woman that you are despite the stigmas that society may place on you. Women are limitless, women are special, women are women, and shall never be men. In the edited words of Maya Angelou “It’s in the click of your heels, The bend of your hair, the palm of your hand, The need for your care. ’Cause you’re a woman, Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, That’s you.”
Image: Pixabay - pixabay.com
Weighing in on the essence of a month dedicated to Women and how it has become distorted through commodification and bad PR
Women’s Day has had the sap squeezed
out of it
privileging the man and his needs and ideas
Allies do not patronise or take pity on women
6 v74 e8–11 august 2015 Opinions
Before you think I’m horrendously cynical
All-African solutions can work
Democracy cannot just mean gaining the right
to vote
Belle Miller
Ah yes, Election Season: the merry time of year when you receive constant bombardment from a few stock characters which grace UCT’s halls year after year: the Bill, the Margaret, the Ned, and the Regina. Now these nicknames seem rather unfamiliar; however, they’re much closer to home than you’d ever expect.
Take charming, witty Bill for instance. His campaign may incorporate a catchy reference from the latest Game of Thrones season or a line from Kendrick Lamar’s latest album, like his adulterous predecessor who used Fleetwood Mac’s “Go Your Own Way” in 1992. He’s “in with the kids” as I believe the youths are calling it. He’s charismatic, his campaign flashy and likable. You can’t dislike him, no matter how hard you try, or how many times he denies “having sexual relations with that woman.” All in all, he’s trying to stay relevant to “koppel a vote.”
Now for Margaret: the tough cookie of the lot, in my opinion. She’s feisty, a real go-getter. With a no-nonsense attitude, she is full of ideas about different types of reforms, some of which will put a dampener on some people’s spirits. In the end,
This Is Who You Vote For however, she’ll go down as the villain in pearls who implemented decent reforms and guided the student body through some sort of crisis. This lady is not for turning.
Which brings us to Ned: despite their initial campaign (which is warm, and promotes “wholesome” ideals), Ned will manage to offend people somewhere along the line. In some form or fashion, Ned will inevitably put his foot in his mouth, and be off with an “Okayley Dokely!”
And last but not least, every batch of candidates has its Regina. Regina is flawless, conniving to say the least, and she’ll throw you under the bus should she need to do so. If she punches you in the face, don’t worry: it’ll be awesome. She’s the kind of girl to do commercials in a foreign nation (like Japan), and despite her flashy and popular image, she’s actually a backstabbing “mean girl.” In essence, she’s cold, and will stop at nothing to get what she wants.
Before you think I’m horrendously cynical, I am the first to acknowledge that among these questionable persons, there are the few – the very select few – candidates who are actually good. Some even make it into power. Yeah, yeah, I’m rolling my eyes too.
Aidan Buys
“Nobody should be President for life,” proclaimed Barack
Obama in a speech at the Headquarters of the African Union that concluded his four-day tour to Kenya and Ethiopia.
During his tour, Obama discussed a myriad of social issues, such as LGBT+ and women’s rights that continue to be a challenge in African nations. But the most discussed issue in this speech was the state of democracy in Africa; hence the critical remark which
An American in Africawas directed to long-serving presidents such as Robert Mugabe, Paul Biya and Jose Eduardo dos Santos. Presidential terms in Africa are not the only concern. Other leaders have attempted to tamper with their constitutions to justify extending their term limits. In the last year, the leaders of Burkina Faso, Burundi, and Rwanda have mounted challenges to their respective constitutions.
Obama is clearly inviting African leaders to accept
democratic norms, but should this be achieved with the help of other nations, or should Africa develop democracy in its own context and on its own terms? It should be a combination of both.
Experience has taught us that military assistance is a poor form of international help. The Western-led Coalition that bombed Gaddafi’s forces in Libya in 2011 was largely done to allow a democratic regime to emerge. Libya has since been marred by
factions vying for power. In terms of economic
assistance, aid is an effective form to foster democratic development, but draconian loans from the International Monetary Fund do not nurture the development of democracy.
Democracy cannot just mean gaining the right to vote, as Obama explained: “When journalists are put behind bars... you have democracy in name, but not in substance.” This is where Africa could be receiving help from other nations – to help build institutions and a strong civil society. Both must be established as they will mitigate leaders from having a grotesquely long monopoly on power.
Importantly, when the ‘Asian Tigers’ were initially developing, none were democratic. But growth was effective and poverty was diminished because good institutions were put in place that assured a helpful environment for economic activity. Thus, good economic policies and the rooting out of corruption are a means to kick-start the development of democracy in Africa.
It should be noted that regions of the world will have a unique
history concerning political developments, and as such, African countries should not be expected to develop along the same lines as mature democracies.
Even so, this should not lead African leaders to the conclusion that democracy is exclusively Western; and states should not be stymied in experimenting with the implementation of democracy.
In this regard, the African Union has an important role to play. As an organisation, it is crucial for the development of democracy, for it holds member states to account when they transgress rules.
But, the reluctance of South Africa and the AU to arrest Sudanese President Omar-al Bashir is a setback, and the organisation is chaired by a known dictator. Despite the failings of the AU and the more influential nations in Africa, we need to find a balance between the influence of external powers and local or regional powers.
All-African solutions can work, but so can international assistance programmes: the trick is to define the correct context for each, and in what strength each is required, to produce the ultimate social, economic, and political stability.
Image: flickr-us army africa
Image: flickr.com/us army africa
the very select few – candidates who are
actually good
Claudia Harrison
You may have realized by now that Jammie steps serve a dual function: both staircase and fashion show ramp. Here you will witness a sea of Nike trainers and the latest outfits from Cotton On, or sports luxe type brands if the wearer is so inclined. However, this brand-name consumerism is not particular to clothing alone - it can be seen in all facets of modern student life.
Consumerism has become such an integral part of our lives, yet we still plead poverty and use phrases like “the student budget struggle.” If you are struggling so much, how do you manage to take a cab from res to campus everyday? We are guilty of having champagne taste on a beer budget. Many students feel the need to be seen living lavish lives, when it is not within their means. This practice has negative results, including not having money for essential things (such as fees) and accumulating debt. It is distressing that there are students who are going into debt for necessities while spending their available funds on luxuries.
I too can attest to being enticed by brand-name consumerism. The outfits are cute and I would take being driven over taking the train any day. However, it is critical that we have our priorities in order. It is more important to make sure that our basic needs are fulfilled before we think of buying unnecessary items. This sounds easy in theory, but can prove difficult in reality. If
one has become used to a certain standard of living, then adjusting to a more conservative lifestyle can take a lot of getting used to.
While saying all of the above, I do realize that it may not be correct of me to impose my perception of priorities on others. This is true, but if people choose to have a certain set of priorities, then they must be prepared to live with the consequences. For example, if you choose to spend your last bit of money on a night at St Yves, then you cannot complain to me about not having enough money for textbooks.
You may think that I am being too harsh, but hear me out. Education is a gift. It is the best thing that anyone
can give you as it opens the world to you. As with anything of value, it requires sacrifices. For many, the biggest of these are financial. This means that your fees and textbooks should be your priority expenses before socializing. Of course, you should treat yourself occasionally, but moderation is key.
As students, we should use the opportunity given to us by the university when they accepted us. Of course there is a social aspect of being at UCT that adds to the experience, but this should not be done in excess. If you work hard now, then once you graduate you can order the most expensive bottle, which your ex-classmates will serve to you at the bar.
Image: Morema Moloisi
Overdressed and Underprivileged
students to think di� erently about their
drinking habits
Fight those that force your oppression
O� ence is a � uid entity
Excess consumption will have serious
rami� cations
Getting drunk [has] been accepted as a norm
7V74 E8 - 11 AUGUST 2015Opinions
Grant O’Beirne
Students and drinking go together like Gordon’s Gin
and tonic water, and have done for as long as Johnnie has been walking. Drinking has become a massive part of student recreation and is seemingly doing nothing but becoming more and more popular.
Drinking has become inseparable from youth culture all around the world and UCT is certainly no exception. Proof is readily available in Claremont on Thursday nights where sober students are an almost non-existent minority. It is a given in today’s society that students drink and those who do not are seen as an anomaly. Drinking and getting drunk have been accepted as a norm nowadays and it’s easy to see why. Advertisements for alcoholic beverages are everywhere: I cannot remember the last time I saw a movie in the cinema without being encouraged to buy a brand of alcohol through clever marketing. Even our nation’s cricket team encourages us to drink Castle Lager! It is easy to see why students drink, but is drinking and the culture that surrounds it a problem or is it just some harmless fun?
Many would argue that drinking is just a part of being young and that getting drunk is simply an enjoyable leisure activity, and they are right, to an extent. Drinking in moderation, which is characterised as one drink per day for women and men over 65, and two drinks for men under the age of 65, is certainly not a problem. Moderate drinking has even been linked to health benefits such as a reduced risk of developing diabetes and gallstones.
The problem starts when
Carpe Cervisi
people begin to drink heavily, which the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) defines as consuming five or more drinks on the same occasion five days out of 30. Heavy drinking has been linked to nerve damage, depression, and increased risk of dementia and high blood pressure. In addition, alcohol consumption often affects people’s health far more drastically as a result of reckless behaviour undertaken whilst under the influence.
According to statistics released in 2012 by the World Health Organisation (WHO), 65% of road accidents in South Africa are linked to alcohol abuse. The health risks are known but drinking is still hugely popular and it seems that nothing short of prohibition could curb student drinking habits.
Drinking has become a part of everything that the youth enjoys. Clubs are unbearable without alcohol and many find social interaction far easier when under the influence of alcohol, which has made it an integral part of the lives of people between the ages of 18 and 24.
Drinking has become popular seemingly through the constant advertising that we are subjected to as well as overwhelming peer-pressure. Any event that attracts young people is sponsored by some company that sells alcoholic beverages, and logos have become infused into the everyday life of the modern student. Drinking among students is not likely to go away any time soon and will continue to have a somewhat negative impact unless our ideas are changed. Drinking does not have to be a negative and dangerous activity but it is made so by over-indulgence.
I believe that if the media presented a less glamorous view of alcohol it would force students to think differently about their drinking habits and realise that excess consumption will have serious ramifications in later life. A new message needs to be spread, not discouraging the drinking of alcohol entirely, but promoting it in a responsible andmoderate manner.
What Did You Just Call Me?Adam Kleinschmidt
The word claws itself out of your throat, the o� ense spewing aggressively out. � at old lesson your parents taught you long ago – “what’s said can’t be unsaid” – is as true as it always has been. � e look of revulsion, terror and anger sprawls over the face of your victim. “B****.”
I’m grateful for the natural codes of conduct most respectable media providers use when dealing with gratuitous language or explicit content. A� er all, o� ence is a � uid entity that is so subjective in its delivery of harm. It comes in so many forms, from the words you utter to the looks you deign to give others.
So when I say that the aforementioned word – one of many that have taken on a new de nition – is more than just rude, I’m not just saying it as a dramatic exaggeration. Consider who the victim is. Aside from the personal problem of calling anyone an o� ensive word, it’s also a word that is gendered. Would you honestly call a man that word and expect the same reaction? It goes beyond the concept of insults being based on prejudice. We all know the racist terms, the words that attack the LGBT+ community, and the phrases we utter against those with disabilities or impediments.
� e question is: are we aware of how they play into our social
dialogue? “Dude, I’m not gonna do that maths tut cos it’s so f**king gay,” is a phrase I heard someone drawl the other day as I trudged along Jammie Plaza. He could just have easily used the term “retarded” to describe his coursework, and would have been just as o� ensive.
Sometimes, it isn’t even as blatant as this. � e implicit prejudices in our diction show o� our prejudices, and thus our fears. Hatred is born from the � ames of fear, sparking our minds to prejudicial activities. � at time you crossed the road because you didn’t feel safe walking next to that person. � at time you talked down to the waitress serving you because she clearly just didn’t understand you. � at time you hated on that club because of all the non-hetero identities on display. So what happens when you try to own a word? Call your best friends “sluts,” your boyfriend your “*****” and your Toyota Corolla “Little B****,” and you’ve emancipated yourself?
Is this really a rational choice to make: accepting an o� ensive term as a part of your identity? One argument supporting this is the idea that by engaging with the force oppressing you and by owning what they use against you, you nullify their grip on you. Fair enough, but in many cases you’re also failing to understand the struggle many before you have endured. By calling a woman a “b****” as an a� ectionate term, you’re also laughing at years of patriarchal abuse and female disenfranchisement. By calling something “gay” or “retarded” in a negative manner, you’re spitting on the legacy of hardship homosexuals and those with disabilities have endured for decades.
However, I do concede that you need to remove the weapon of an oppressing force. You can’t form a resolution to con� ict if you’re on your knees. However, it also isn’t right to try and strike back at your oppressor in a way that makes you the oppressing force. � e terrible irony in that happening isn’t something you should aim for.
Why not educate your oppressor? Impress upon them in a forceful way that persuades them to engage with your lived experiences.
Use your hardship as a form of self-expression and self-actualisation to show what you are, who you are, and how you’re never gonna back down.
Write about your hatred for the aggressive patriarchy, and become a published writer. Paint about that homophobic attack, and be celebrated as an icon of your generation. Build an organisation from the ground that frees those with learning issues, and become a visionary for a new era or hope. Fight those that force your oppression and refuse to free you from the shackles of your mind. Refuse to accept the o� ensive words of your struggle and put them down every time. Call people out on their implicit prejudices and educate the world around you.
As the individual and as part of a collective, you’re better than prejudice.
Image: Morema Moloisi
Student Representative CouncilExecutive Committee
President
Vice-President (external)
Vice-President (internal)
Secretary-General
Deputy Secretary-General
Treasurer
Undergraduate Academic Coordinator
Postgraduate Academic Coordinator
Eight of the 17 positions make up the executive structure. The Executive is responsible for convening meetings, administration and any urgent matters
SRC Standing Committees
These committees are substructures to the 17 SRC positions and are headed by SRC members. The committees are made up of students who function in accordance with specified duties.
SRC Sub-CouncilsSub-councils are expected to represent students in seven areas.
Representation is done through sub-councils in faculties for undergrad and post grad, residences, off-campus students, societies, development agencies and sports.
Student ParliamentThis is made up of the SRC and SRC Sub-Councils and a managing
committee that oversees and convenes student parliament. The main aim of this structure is to ensure accountability and transparency of the SRC, Standing Committees and Sub-Councils. SRC is bound to any decisions made by Student Parliament when there is a two-thirds majority vote.
Undergraduate and Postgraduate faculty committees
Each faculty has two student councils, one for undergraduate students and one for postgraduate students. Student councils are expected to provide for the academic and other needs of students within the faculty as well as be the link between students and the Dean(s) of the faculty.
Residence House committees Each residence has a house committee of students who are responsible
for representing students that reside within the residence. The positions in the committee generally include head student, secretary, academic, health, safety and security, and treasurer. The duties and functions of each house committee are outlined in the Residence’s constitution.
Day House committeesThis committee oversees the Day House available to students on
campus. A Day House must have at least 100 members and its committee must function in accordance to its own constitution as well as provide sports, social and academic support to students in that particular Day House. UCT currently has the Abigail Mlotchwa Day House and Ikhaya Day House.
SocietiesThere are over a hundred societies registered at UCT, each following
into categories of politics, cultural/national, faith, academic and other special interests. In order to be officially recognised as a society, it must be registered by the SRC and the Student Societies and Organisations Committee and have a minimum of 25 members.
Sport CodesRegistered with the SRC, a Sports Code is student run and must be
recognised by the Sports Council as well as affiliated to SASSU-UCT. It must have at least 30 members and must ensure that the sporting needs of members are met. There are over 40 sports clubs at UCT that range from archery, hiking and martial arts to soccer, cricket and waterpolo.
Development Agencies These are structures that are registered with the SRC and the
Student Societies and Organisations Committee. UCT currently has six development agencies: SHAWCO, Ubunye, RAG, GCI, UCT Radio and VARSITY Newspaper. Each development agency is expected to be inclusive and representative of UCT students and is supervised by student volunteers. Through the SRC they are accountable to the student body and mandated to create and implement programmes that are of benefit to the general community.
Authorities and Members of UCTThe Chancellor
The Chancellor is the title head of the University and is elected by convocation. Office is held for 10 years.
The CouncilThe Council is responsible for the governance
of the University, but not in academic matters. This falls to the Senate. Office is held for four
Vice-Chancellor
Vice-Chancellor
Deputy Vice-Chancellors
Deputy Vice-chancellors
Chairperson
Deputy Chairperson
VariousElectees
The Institutional Forum
This forum was established in terms of the Higher Education Act, 1997. Its role is to advise the Council on matters regarding the act.
The SenateThe Senate controls academic matters. Each
faculty has their own Dean and Deputy Deans within the Senate
CHED
Commerce
EBE
Health Sciences
Humanities
Law
Science
Administrative and support departments
Office of the Vice Chancellor
Centre for Higher Education Development
Communications and Marketing Department
Department of Student Affairs
Development and Alumni Department
Faculty Offices
Finance Department
Human Resource Department
Information & Communication Technology Services
International Academic Programmes Office
Institutional Planning Department
Office of the Ombud
Office of the Registrar
Property and Services
University Library
Compiled by Michaela Findeis, Parusha Naidoo and Adam Kleinschmidt
virtual reality is revolutionising areas
like medicine
shift in the kinds of realities that audiences
are drawn to
the ‘realities’ we are exposed to are
often sensational
obsessed with watching how real people live
and behave
10 v74 e8– 11 august 2015 Features
Boitumelo Dikoko
Back in 1965, Gordan Moore, co-founder of Intel, predicted
that computing power will double every year. This is very much evident as your smartphone is much more powerful than the computers used to get the first man to the moon. This increase in computing power has given birth to some great gadgets that you can get your hands on.
The Oculus Rift is a virtual reality headset that allows you access to the virtual world. This device has been used to play games and in simulation training and design. From only R8 735 each, we can escape the Cape Town winter and enjoy lectures from the comfort of our homes.
Many times when one thinks of virtual reality, we think of games and fun, but virtual reality is revolutionising areas like medicine, therapy, and military training. Stanford University School of Medicine uses virtual reality as an aid to the education of their medics. They call it
Emma Strumpman
We might not be willing to admit it, but many of us are addicted to reality TV in some way or another. After a long day of lectures and pigeon-evading, what better way to switch off than by switching on your series of choice and mindlessly delving into the supposed ‘reality’ of other people? Our fascination is not without reason: in most cases, their daily lives are far more dramatic, debaucherous and superficial than our own.
Who could forget Kim Kardashian’s ugly-cry over the diamond earrings she lost in Bora Bora’s perfectly blue ocean? Yet, E! Entertainment’s highly anticipated I Am Cait, which premiered on US screens on July 26th, and which chronicles Caitlyn Jenner’s experiences following her gender transition, seems to mark a significant shift in the kinds of realities to which audiences are drawn.
The concept of reality TV began with Allen Fant’s Candid Camera (1948) and progressed to An American Family (1973), which documented the daily life of an upper middle-class American
Techwise: All About Technology Wisdom
Changing Your Reality family. Number 28, where seven random students were put in a house in Amsterdam and their reactions to each other filmed, soon followed and it spurned several successful shows like The Osbournes and the infamous Big Brother.
Audiences are obsessed with watching how real people live and behave around each other. However, to keep us entertained, the ‘realities’ we are exposed to are often sensational and, let’s face it, fictional. Yet, I Am Cait is referred to on E! Online as a “landmark docu-series”, and this description is relevant for a network that is associated with the likes of Rich Kids of Beverly Hills. Instead of merely focusing on the typical and shallow tropes of excessive money, celebrity, and the drama that inevitably ensues, the show is unique as it documents life in the transgender community (albeit from a privileged celebrity perspective), which is heavily underrepresented by mainstream television and media in general.
E! Entertainment, however, is not the only network to broadcast reality shows centred on the lives of members of minority groups – with
shows like My Giant Life and My 600lb Life’(to name a few), TLC may be at the forefront of this movement.
We seem to be more curious about the realities of people who are unique and diverse, whose lives we
might not know very much about and whose real stories many might benefit from seeing. My 600lb Life’ which documents the detrimental effects of obesity on one’s physical and emotional health, and My Giant Life, which follows the daily struggles faced by young women over 6.6 ft tall, together with I Am Cait, could be considered examples of more serious reality programming. These shows educate audiences about the lives of real people within minority groups
and could create a more accepting society. Plus, the protagonists have enough personality and drama in their lives to keep us coming back for more, without the trashiness. Sure, these shows might not be perfect, but their demerits are a whole other discussion. In the mean time, in a trailer for I Am Cait, Caitlyn’s mother describes the power of these shows quite succinctly: “The more people have acceptance, the more the stigma goes away”.
simulation-based training and the technique allows for maximum scholarly success.
The GoPro has revolutionised the way that we record videos. This is an HD action camera, designed for recording extreme-action videos. You are now able to take videos of a day at
extreme UCT, starting from only R2 000. There are many attachments for these devices, like the selfie stick, so you can also share your ‘motion’ selfies in HD.
This all sounds great, but as we all know, we need electricity to operate the devices, and our current energy situation might just hinder
technological development. A South African ‘alumni’, Elon Musk, co-founded Tesla motors in pursuit of designing and manufacturing an efficient electrical vehicle. The Tesla Model S was very successful in achieving the desired goal and with that, they developed Power Wall, which is a battery pack unit
that can be connected to your supply. These units can be charged with renewable energy sources like solar energy or be charged on the grid, with an efficiency level of 92%. Even though one of these units goes for R35 000, I think that this could be a possible solution to the current energy crisis in our country.
Image: Nicole arends
Image: Nicole arends
silence is golden in this event
the luxury of adjusting the volume
You tend to leave cyber footprints
Spam is unsolicited email
Spammers don’t need to do much to
find addresses
your favourite hangover remedy almost
went extinct
its success is owed to some clever marketing
11v74 e8 - 11 august 2015Features
Palesa Masina
As soldiers of the UCT struggle, heightened levels
of stress and fatigue form the by-product of a typical week endured in this institution (it’s only week four). Being that we’re young, I know how much good a fantastic night out dancing and interacting with your mates can do. You know, mandatory stress control.
The idea becomes less appealing as we are faced with the reality of the deafening, one-genre-all-night music drowning our conversations, not forgetting the moments when the DJ disappoints us to the point
Shannon Krausey
Bigger than juicing, cupcakes, and yes, even kale, bacon is literally (yes, literally) the world’s biggest food trend since sliced bread. With bacon-dedicated restaurants like Cape Town’s Bacon on Bree, this year’s bacon fest selling out months in advance, and wacky products ranging from the tempting (bacon cupcakes) to the slightly concerning (bacon-flavoured lube), it has become apparent that bacon is not only a trend, but an obsession and a full-blown pop culture phenomenon.
So, how did bacon go from humble breakfast food to king of the internet and resident on almost every menu? A large part of its success is owed to some clever marketing by the American pork industry. In 1980s America, a lot of people were health-obsessed and terrified of eating fat. This fat phobia caused such a massive drop in bacon sales that American companies started donating pork bellies (where
The Bacon Boom How bacon went from humble breakfast food to pop culture phenomenon
American bacon comes from) to foreign countries as food aid. Desperate to save their bacon, US pork companies made deals with big fast food chains. The pork producers found ways to pre-cook bacon to minimise preparation time and mess in the fast food kitchens. This caught on with companies such as Hardee’s and Burger King, and they included more and more bacon on their menus.
By 2000, bacon was a hit with consumers and it had spread its way up the restaurant chain and throughout the food industry. Everybody from gourmet chefs to baking bloggers joined in on the obsession. But how did the bacon mania reach us here in South Africa? It’s simple: the internet. A few weeks ago, it was almost impossible to scroll through your newsfeed without seeing that video of a bacon-wrapped grilled cheese, and who didn’t read about that seaweed that tastes like bacon? Websites like Buzzfeed and The Huffington Post
churn out more and more bacon articles, because they know bacon is something almost everybody loves, and almost everybody wants to read about. In turn, we read dozens of articles celebrating it, and become increasingly bacon-obsessed. Yet all of this is possible only through the sheer deliciousness of bacon.
Most of bacon’s appeal comes from something called the Maillard Reaction, which happens when bacon is cooked. Sugars and amino acids combine under a high heat, which releases molecules that create a caramelised, nutty aroma that is almost irresistible to humans. So next time you savour bacon, whether
extra crispy or maple-glazed, in a burger or atop a cupcake, you can wipe away a tear as you consider the fact that your favourite hangover remedy almost went extinct. Or you could just act pretentious and explain the Maillard Rection before shouting, “science, b*tch!” Your choice.
Dawn of the Silent Disco in Cape TownNadia Ghumra
The internet can be a wonderful place to find answers to anything. However, sometimes it can be a pain, because as you browse through it, you tend to leave cyber footprints that lurkers are looking out for. You can usually tell that these shady detectives have found you by looking at your dreaded Spam, or Junk Mail, folder.
Spam is unsolicited email, which means that the receiver did not sign up for or request these messages. Typically, the senders of spam emails are anonymous and do not supply an option to prohibit future messages. Spam usually encompasses mail such as chain letters, messages with virus-laden attachments or hoaxes. You may be familiar with the ones that include links or opportunities to find the perfect Russian bride or cancel your credit card debt instantly.
Although there are legitimate marketers that are attempting to sell real products, what about the creepy ones that would make your mom doubt your innocence? How did the agency even know you were looking for a Russian bride? For starters, spammers try and guess usernames, which is pretty simple if you think about it. For example, when signing up, most of the time it’ll take at least three tries to come up with a username because the previous ones you thought of were already taken. So if this is the case, spammers don’t need to do much to find addresses to spam.
You’ll also find that accounts such as Yahoo or Hotmail receive a lot of spam, and that’s because there
of sitting in the club (becoming one with the furniture), coupled with frequent visits to the bar. Even our crowd favourite alternative, house parties, faces the ever present wrath of the police or neighbourhood noise watch come 11pm. Nightlife as we know it seems to be plagued with 99 problems, but the Silent Disco has come all the way from Europe to solve each one.
Silent Disco has rid Europe of its old grievances, such as noise pollution, together with club overcrowding in European nightlife. Coming straight from Glastonbury, the Silent Disco experience has found a home in our beloved Cape Town, at Octopus Garden Restaurant & Wine Bar.
Consisting of your traditional disco experience, the Silent Disco includes the slight plot twist of delivering music to its guests through wireless headphones, as opposed to
using those loud boom box speaker systems (that keep getting us into trouble with the law).
This is how it works: Music is broadcast via a radio transmitter. The signal is picked up by wireless headphone receivers, which can switch between different options (DJs) playing simultaneously in the separate channels. As the partygoer, all you have to do is fork out a harmless R70 payment to hire out a set of headphones with which you dance the night away.
The Silent Disco sounds a little creepy for about two seconds as you come to terms with the fact that those without headphones will be given the impression that everybody in the room is dancing to nothing at all. Let me tell you, though, that silence is golden in this event. This offers you the luxury of adjusting the volume in order to chat with your friends. Finally, a way for the conversation to go beyond the “hello”s and the “I can’t hear you”s! The wireless system gives you the mobility and freedom to dance beyond just the typical dancefloor perimeters, from the bar to the bathroom. Laughing with (and at) your friends as you guess the tunes they’re moving to, will have you dancing past those bedtime and noise curfews!
Spam: No Thank You Ma’amare millions of users who share this common domain. Again, this makes it easy for spammers to source addresses. In order to avoid being spammed this way, try out a long and difficult address, or perhaps just stick to your myUCT address.
Spammers also find addresses through searches on the web. They use harvesting robots that look for the @ symbol followed by a top level domain on web pages likely to have loads of addresses. Their favourites include chat rooms or forums, and blogs. To dodge spambots, if you’re a tech genius, you can try encoding your address, or otherwise just use a disposable one.
So why would spammers go through all this trouble just to send mail that probably won’t get read? The main reason is that it’s basically free so even the slightest chance that some unknowing web surfer will click on the message is a win for them. By relying on the one in a million person that will open or reply to spam, it not only legitimises the address (which means that spam will continue being sent to it), but also encourages spammers to keep trying to find more people like that. Hence, the best way to stop spam is to completely ignore it, and keep reminding your grandma to do the same.
Image: Nicole arends
Image: flickr.com/BobfHestand
It is vital to understand the implications
Cocaine is a naturally occurring alkaloid
most users will quickly develop a tolerance
staying anonymous... is as simple as checking
privacy settings.
12 v74 e8 – 11 August 2015 Features
Lebo Maragelo
UCT- or should I say ‘UNI’- Just Kidding has revamped
its brand, and even though several people are unhappy with the recent name change, one must admit that UCT Just Kidding is becoming a force to be reckoned with. The social media group initially, started by Hillary Chipunza, Vykta Wakandigara and Manenga Mungandi (also the creator of Campus Mate) is breaking boundaries and is fast becoming more than a pastime. The trio recently decided to give their increasingly growing brand a face lift, which included an app, new website and - of course - the controversial name change.
After receiving too much criticism from their UCT fan base, the boys decided to return to their roots and keep the much-loved
Alexandre Findlay
Whether you view the drug as casual or careless, chances are you’ve heard of it... but do you know anything more than the name? Once used as a medical ‘wonder drug’, cocaine has become the party drug of the hour. Ever heard that coke allows you to party for hours with no negative effects? The rumours sound too good to be true, and they are.
Cocaine is a naturally occurring alkaloid found in the leaves of the cocoa plant. A variety of methods are used to convert cocoa leaves into the infamous street drug, all of which include the addition of harmful substances. In simple terms, cocaine is synthesised from dried cocoa leaves using either the solvent or acid extraction method. Both methods result in the cocaine being transferred from the leaves into a liquid, which is then made into a paste. This paste is further synthesized by the addition of various other substances to make it into the street-level cocaine
Nicole Arends
Social Media – a term defined by Urban Dictionary as “an electronic second life” – lives up to the name. Social media is indefinitely social and the term “less is more” has become a rather far-fetched anomaly, with people sharing everything from their outfit of the day to their salad of the day online. But, as strange as it may seem, it is in fact possible to be like OT Genasis and “get it on the low low”.
We have all become familiar with the beast that has been ripping apart friendships, chucking poor souls into the friendzone and ruining the lives of people trying to ignore their crazy exes. Yes, it’s the Whatsapp blue tick, which indicates that you have read a message. Android users can combat this beast going to the “privacy” tab under “Account Security” and unchecking the block reading “read receipts”. Sadly, this will also mean that you won’t be able to see when other people have read your messages but unfortunately, you have to cut your losses sometimes.
There are some apps which specialise in anonymity. Right on our doorstep we’ve got the ever popular “UCT Ikeys Crushes” and “UCT Confessions” which allows UCT students to anonymously post anything that their heart desires
UCT Just Kidding Gets a Makeover UCT Just Kidding name. The minor backlash, however, has not stopped them from expanding and growing their fan base across the country.
The new website (www.uctjk.com) includes hilarious and informative articles, upcoming events, confessions by students (from a variety of universities including UCT, Wits, Stellies, and Rhodes), a talent section where anyone can post a video of themselves doing insanely cool things, as well as the funny and embarrassing, yet relatable, memes we have come to love from the Just Kidding crew. The App, on the other hand, needs no further description than: “it is all of UCT Just Kidding in one app.”
This multi-faceted crew definitely deserves some kind of credit. Despite being full-time students in demanding degrees, they are able to diligently manage several social media accounts as well as effortlessly bring us high
quality videos and memes that keep us entertained through those many study breaks with which we love rewarding ourselves.
UCT Just Kidding is breaking barriers in ways that I don’t think even they realise. They are, through their realistic depiction of student life, giving universities which can often be intimidating, a new life and spark. Because of Just Kidding, it almost feels okay to get lost on campus, take the wrong Jammie or shout out the wrong answer in class.
This social media group helps us remember the one thing we easily forget in overwhelming institutions such as UCT; that is, we are not alone! Their ability to make us laugh at ourselves and breathe a whole lot easier should not be taken lightly, because sometimes laughter is all we need to keep from breaking down. So, here’s to procrastinating together and supporting UCT Just Kidding - our very own future social media mogul.
Cocaine: Do You Know Enough? that can be snorted, injected or smoked.
To make cocaine powder, the cocoa leaf paste is dissolved in a mixture of water and hydrochloric acid. Salt is then added to filter the mixture, followed by the addition of ammonia, which causes the solid cocaine powder to separate from the mixture. In order to inject cocaine, this powder is mixed with water so that the substance can be pushed directly into the vein. Crack cocaine is made by converting cocaine powder into a solid form. This is typically done by cooking the powder with sodium bicarbonate or ammonia.
Cocaine users describe the high as a feeling of extreme and heightened euphoria. However, after a period ranging from 30 minutes to two hours, this high is replaced by a feeling of intense depression. Coke has a variety of effects on your body, both mentally and physically, such as trouble eating and sleeping, increased heart rate, muscle spasms, paranoia, hallucinations, anxiety, and hostile behaviour. There is also
a constant risk that addicts may die due to stroke, heart attack, seizure, respiratory failure or bleeding in the brain.
There is no way of knowing whether someone will become dependent on cocaine or not, which is why it is impossible to try it out in a ‘safe’ way. Unbeknown to many people, most users will quickly develop a tolerance to the drug. This means that they will have to take higher doses more often to generate the same high. The brain starts to adapt to cocaine usage, which causes the person to become less sensitive to both natural euphoria triggers as well as the drug itself. This means that the addict will need to use more and more of the drug to feel themselves.
It’s impossible to know the intricacies of a substance when all you know is its name. It’s time we all make an effort to research and understand before we blindly follow the rumours. Trying it once carries risks, and it is vital to understand the implications of experimental drug use, infamous on university campuses.
IncognitoTips and tricks for staying anonymous on social media
on Facebook. Getting in touch with “that girl that was standing at budget rolls today getting a Jive” has never been easier.
“Whisper” is another application available for Android and iOS users. It specialises in anonymous confessions while “Ask.fm” allows you to ask users questions anonymously. ‘Incognito’ is the classic trick for staying anonymous and is a mode available on Internet browsers such as Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. It allows you to browse the internet without storing internet cookies or internet history. The cookie monster may not be impressed, but you certainly will be!
Sometimes staying anonymous on social media is as simple as checking privacy settings. Facebook, for example, can allow you to edit your privacy settings so that posts and pictures are viewed by only your friends. If you really want to remain anonymous, there is an option which allows your posts to be viewed only by you so that you can freely browse Facebook and check if your crush has changed their profile picture, while remaining completely undercover.
Instagram also has the option to change your profile to “private” and Twitter has a “protect my tweets” option.
Sadly, it isn’t all fun and games. Cyber-bullying and personal defamation are some of the unfortunate consequences that have emerged from anonymous social media. So now that you have the super powers of social media anonymity, remember that with great power comes great responsibility.
Happy browsing!
Image: Nicole Arends
Image: Nicole Arends
“an electronic second life”
some apps... specialise in anonymity
13V74 E8 - 11 AUGUST 2015Advertisement
14 v74 e8 – 11 august 2015
Many learnt to stand in their first session
it provided the children with a safe environment
in which to learn and grow
our punt began to veer off into the sides of
the lagoon
Punting is essentially a kind of
shallow-water boating
We couldn’t seem to keep the punt straight!
From the Bench
sport
Hello and welcome to this week’s edition of ‘From the Bench’.
My name is Catherine Fulton and I am the Deputy Sports Editor here at VARSITY. I have come up with a new addition to the sports section that will hopefully be useful and apply to all of you who are interested in health and fitness. Many of us don’t always have time to buy magazines or search for all those need-to-know tips and fun and easy DIY projects, so for all of you fitness fanatics out there I have decided to create a small column dedicated to fun and easy health and fitness guides.
It will be a range of all sorts of tidbits that appeal to everyone, ranging from making your own sports drink and smoothies, 30-day challenges that don’t require any gym equipment, tips and facts on what foods to eat and even ways to improve flexibility.
Watch out for ‘Fitness Fanatic’ in the next edition, where you will get to meet our inspiring UCT Zumba instructor, Phenyo Nkgongwana, and learn all about her fitness blog, Infinitely Black. If you are up for the challenge of contributing or want to share your tips, tricks, or stories, drop me an email on [email protected].
So long, and happy reading!
Raquel Flynn
The UCT Underwater Club, along with the Save Our Seas Foundation,
has been running a Marine Explorers Programme for three years that has seen a total of 72 children learn how to snorkel, surf or acquire both skills.
This year the club has been working with children from Capricorn Primary School and has inspired 24 learners to interact with and learn about the ocean.
The first group of 12 learnt how to snorkel and surf over a 12 week period. This was an amazing experience for both the children and the adults helping out in the programme as it provided the children with a safe environment in which to learn and grow, while allowing the adults to make a difference in lives with which they otherwise would have never have interacted.
The second group of 12 unfortunately only learnt to surf due to limited time. They were just as enthusiastic as the first group when
The Underwater Club Marine Explorers Programme
it came to the water and enjoyed every session that we had while out at Muizenberg. Many learnt to stand in their first session, which was particularly rewarding for them.
During the June school holidays the team from the Save Our Seas Foundation, as well as three formidable
UCT volunteers, took the 24 children from Capricorn Primary School on a camp to Soetwater where they learnt the value of protecting the ocean and how they can make an impact on it.
The camp provided a platform for the children to learn about marine conservation and develop a love
for the ocean. The Underwater Club hopes that
through this programme we are able to give children opportunities to become educated and inspired, allowing them to better the future for both themselves and the communities in which they live.
Image: Raquel Flynn
Anthea van den Bergh
Most people crumple their eyebrows when they hear the word ‘punting’, thinking, “What in the world is that?” Punting is essentially a kind of shallow-water boating which consists of a long canoe, called a punt, one paddle and a long metal pole.
The punt normally holds about six people, including the punter. The punt moves along as the punter pushes the metal pole into the water and onto the river bed and pushes backwards. The others sit and enjoy the ride, apart from the person with the paddle, who steers when needed.
It seems simple enough; however, my friends and I tried punting during the June holiday and soon found out that it was not exactly the easy, leisurely activity it’s publicised to be.
We arrived at the lagoon in the late afternoon. Our group was quite large and only a few of us knew how to punt. Jonathan was one of these knowing members who had told us
My First Time Punting that all we had to do was “press down and push back.”
He, along with his other knowledgeable punters, then proceeded to get into a punt and move out into the lagoon, leaving us feeling very secure that we could do this ‘punting thing’. Soon after setting off into the lagoon, my friends and I realised that not only was punting a little more difficult than was advertised, but also that we were missing our paddle. We didn’t think too much about the paddle at the time.
Kika was the first to try punting, but when our punt began to veer off
Image: Mari Mombers
into the sides of the lagoon, we came to understand the importance of our missing paddle. We couldn’t seem to keep the punt straight!
Our entire trip to the small restaurant at the end of the lagoon was basically one of ‘zig-zags’ from one side of the lagoon to the other.
Kika, who established herself as the best punter of the group, ended up being our designated captain for most of the trip, and decided to invent her own form of punting as our instructions of “press down and push back” were clearly not working.
Kika took hold of the pole
horizontally and used it to row as if it was a large paddle. The other punters on the lagoon found this very funny, but what else could we do? After reaching the restaurant we soon turned back – but not before we stole the paddle out of another punt! A lifesaving move for us.
24 countries taking part in three
different divisions
15v74 e8 - 11 August 2015sport
Sports Bites Thulie Mayaba
Last month, UCT’s Ultimate Frisbee team sent 13 of its
first team players to the World U23 Ultimate championships in London for the championship’s third year running.
The competition is a huge event which comprises of 24 countries taking part in three different divisions: Open, Women and Mixed. The SA Wild Dogs were the only South African team and represented in the Mixed division.
The 13 players from UCT formed the majority of the South African U23 team, the Wild Dogs. The rest of the team consisted of players from Gauteng, Kwa-Zulu Natal, the Eastern Cape and Limpopo. For many of the Wild Dogs this was their first international Ultimate tournament and they were nervous about what to expect from the competition.
The Wild Dogs placed 11th out of the 12 teams in the Mixed division. They were the first team of their age group to ever represent South Africa. The Wild Dogs started off the week with a warm up game against Germany, beating them
The World U23 Ultimate Frisbee Championships
8-4. A number of different styles of Ultimate were played, from teams with quick offence, to teams with very tight defensive structures.
The Wild Dogs were up against some extremely skilful teams, yet our players remained unperturbed and took the challenges in their stride. The Wild Dogs finished strong, surprising themselves and the competition, by winning six of their ten games, and claiming 6th place overall.
The World U23 Ultimate
Championships and other international disc sports are run by WFDF (World Flying Disc Federation), who have now been fully recognised by the IOC (International Olympic Committee). According to IO Magazine, this means more visibility and funding for Ultimate as a sport now that it has finally been officially recognised.
However, there needs to be a more intense focus on youth development for the sport. This would allow teams such as the Wild Dogs to continue to
compete with the best in the World. UCT Ultimate is very proud of the
achievements of the Wild Dogs. These 13 students also hope to represent UCT at the Rocktober National championship in Johannesburg this October.
The competition was a great way to show the world what Ultimate Frisbee is all about, and created a great opportunity for our first team players to make not only new friends, but new memories.
Gareth Elfick
The Home of Golf at the St Andrews Links in Scotland is on the bucket list of all golfers around the world.
Few are lucky enough to visit St Andrews and even fewer get to play there, let alone competitively a day after the Open. However, I found myself among the lucky ones when I was given the opportunity to represent the University of Cape Town in the Boyd Quaich Memorial Tournament this year.
The tournament is hosted each year by the University of St Andrews at the St Andrews Links. Consisting of a field of 72 students from around the world, the calibre of golf is extremely high.
There were five South Africans in the field this year, but I was the only player from UCT. Despite representing the UCT golf team for the past four years and currently holding the position as Chairperson of the golf club (and club champion), nothing prepared me for the honour of representing the University on the hallowed links.
It is a rare opportunity to play a major championship course a mere 24 hours after the Open is concluded, which made the event all the more special. Furthermore, there was added pressure due to the fact that the field is cut to just 30 players after two rounds. In this case, there was extra motivation as making the cut meant I would get to play the Old Course for a second time.
Teeing off on the first tee box on the Old Course was definitely the most nerve-wracking thing I’ve ever done. My dad (my caddie for the week) was so nervous that he
Competing at the Home of Golfcouldn’t hold the camera still while watching from the side.
After making good contact on the first shot and par on the first hole, I settled down and successfully navigated the course. A birdie on the 36th hole the following day saw me comfortably make the cut by two strokes. I was both relieved and overwhelmed that the golf I had played was good enough to make the cut in such a prestigious tournament.
The third round was played that same day around the New Course. Still in a good position of 20th overall, I was looking forward to the following day where I would get to experience the Old Course under a little less pressure.
A final round of 77 in the strongest
wind meant I finished with a total of +14 over par. This placed me in 19th position overall and the second highest placed South African.
This once in a lifetime experience is one I will never forget. I am so grateful that I was given this opportunity.
It is a privilege to represent UCT through sport and even more so on an international stage. This would not have been possible without the support of my family and caddie (Dad Cad). It was a dream come true to play at the Home of Golf.
Dean Horwitz and Catherine Fulton USSA Squash Tournament At the recent USSA Squash tournament the UCT 1st team placed 6th overall while the UCT 2nd team placed 13th. In the B-section, the UCT 2nd team managed to beat the University of Limpopo and Free State on their way to finishing 5th. UCT’s top performing male, Luke Stevens, won six out of his eight games and was awarded the most improved player of the tournament while overall UCT won the Mike Gardiner Spirit Award.
USSA cycling Competition was fierce at the recent USSA cycling competition where both the men’s and women’s teams finished in 3rd place. The men’s team missed 2nd place by a mere 22 seconds in the overall category. In the individual road race Jonathan Adams was the best placed UCT student in 12th position, while Wayde Finich was the best placed male in the mountain bike race. In the Women’s road race Celeste Renaud was the best placed UCT student in 4th place.
USSA Badminton In the team placings UCT finished 4th in the A-section. The team also celebrated several individual honours in both singles and doubles. In the men’s singles Kyle Jacobs was graded 2nd in the A-section and 2nd overall for the tournament. In addition, he was chosen for the USSA badminton squad. In men’s doubles Kyle Jacobs and Wing Cham Yu were placed 3rd in the open tournament. In the women’s doubles Khushboo Jhugroo and Melinda Cser placed 1st in the ladies’ consolation event.
Bonus point start for post-vac Ikeys The UCT Ikey Tigers are back from the winter vacation and are looking in fine form to finish off the season strong. The team has played three games against St George’s and Hamiltons at home and Belhar away. All three fixtures provided extremely tough tests for the Tigers but consistent performances from both the team and individuals secured three bonus victories and ensured that the tigers got the 2nd half of the season off to the best start possible.
The South African Taekwon-Do Championships Three UCT students represented the Western Cape at the national Taekwon-Do Championships and came home with several medals. Bilo Lwabona won a gold in heavyweight sparring, a gold in patterns and a silver in power breaking, all at a senior intermediate level. Also at senior intermediate level Daniel Kusza came home with a silver in light heavyweight sparring and Matthew Esof competed in the special techniques and patterns division at a senior advanced level .
Western Province Gymnastics Several UCT gymnasts competed at the recent district trials, bringing home medals across the board. In the women’s artistic gymnastics Laura Graham and Camilla Koker won gold medals while Ashlyn Wrigly and Paula Barrow won silver. Charlie Martinson and Kahla Hackner won bronze medals. In addition Camilla and Paula qualified for the Western Cape team. In men’s artistic gymnastics Richard Wilson, Kieron van der Laar, and Jon de Bruijn won gold medals, while Ruben de Gardinier and Ahren Posthumus won Bronze medals.
Image: gareth elfick
Image: Nicole McComb
The 3rd UCT Closed Racketlon The 3rd UCT Closed Racketlon championships will take place on Sunday, August 25th, and all staff and students are invited to enter and display their skills in the ultimate annual racket championship.
currently studying Business Science and
Finance
“Either you run the day, or the day runs you.”
He is motivated and driven to live his life to
the fullest.
SportportVARSITY
What to WatchAugust 12th - UCT A Rugby vs Primrose (UCT A
Rugby Field 9pm) August 13th– UCT Men’s 1st Waterpolo vs UCT 2A
(Wynberg 8pm) August 14th – Proteas vs. New Zealand 1st T20
(Supersport 6pm)
Megan Thomas
An ordinary day in the life of a UCT student can range between
attending lectures, deciding how to spend a meal voucher and � nishing tutorials. However, amidst the mundane there are students juggling far more than just their text books.
Shane Fourie, 20 years old, is currently studying Business Science and Finance. He is also playing for the UCT waterpolo’s 1st team, the Western Province Men’s waterpolo team, the SA U20 waterpolo team and for a time played on the UCT U20A Varsity Cup rugby side.
Fourie � nds that keeping busy with both sports and varsity stops him from wasting time. He says, “Either you run the day, or the day runs you.”
Staying active and involved means that he’s constantly interacting with new people through these sports.
For now, Fourie has stopped playing rugby to focus on his waterpolo career. In ten years’ time, he sees himself working in the surf industry whilst continuing to play waterpolo.
He does not see his passion for sur� ng being compromised by his career though, and says he will always � nd time to surf even if it involves missing a couple of waterpolo
Not Just a Student practices every now and again.
He hopes that in ten years he will be on the national men’s waterpolo side, as well as being able to get home early enough to go for a surf with his dog.
Fourie’s water polo captain, Chris Baker, had this to say about him: “He is the type of player who has the ability to change the entire course of a match on his own and is always ready with a joke or a chirp to bring smiles to the team.” He added that at the same time he has a clear distinction between the times to be serious and when to have a laugh.
His teammates have described him as hardworking, determined and self-assured, letting nobody tell him that his dreams aren’t achievable. He is motivated and driven to live his life to the fullest.
Zuko Thando Madodonke
In this edition we take a look at some of the Northern Hemisphere teams, namely England, Ireland, and Wales. � e conditions have been a big talking point and these teams will be well suited to thrive in what will virtually be a home game every time they run out.
England
Forward to watch – Courtney Lawes
Tall, abrasive and renowned for being a big hit specialist, Lawes will be crucial for the home team this year. He is an excellent lineout option and carries the ball well compared to other international locks.
Back to watch – Mike Brown On the counter attack Mike
Brown is devastating. He has shown us glimpses of his abilities in the end of year tours where he has been an instrumental part of the England team that dispatched Australia. While his kicking isn’t the greatest his defense is fairly solid.
Rugby World Cup 2015, Who to Watch Part TwoIreland
Forward to watch – Jamie Heaslip
Heaslip has had a good run this year in the Six Nations and was the team’s key performer, despite not playing in the � nal game. Looking back over the past four years it’s safe to assume that Heaslip has silenced his critics with strong performances in the British and Irish Lions tour of Australia and in the green of Ireland.
Back to watch- Jonathan Sexton
Jonathan Sexton is class personi� ed. His ability to read the game and kick at the right moments is second probably only to Dan Carter. Sexton doesn’t just kick well; he takes it up to the heat with a certain swagger. He can slot drop goals from 50+ meters and has proven to be a reliable option for pressure kicks.
Wales
Forward to watch – Sam Warburton
� e Welsh skipper is the glue that
binds his team together. Being an open side � anker, Warburton wears that tag proudly. At the breakdown he has the right mixture of ensuring turnovers and slowing down the attacking ball. He is no slacker on defense either, making some crucial tackles for his country.
Back to watch – Leigh Halfpenny
As far as goal kicking is concerned, Leigh Halfpenny is Mr Consistent. It’s almost become a rarity to see him miss a kick. � is will be very valuable as many World Cups have been won or lost by a single kick. Halfpenny is also deceptive on attack as he
accelerates through gaps quickly.
� ese teams are still preparing themselves for the global showcase and, bar one or two injuries, all these players should make it to the global spectacle which begins on September 18th.
Ed: Who are your picks for the teams and players to watch for the Rugby World Cup 2015? Let us know by emailing [email protected] and we will feature a selection of comments each week.
Image: wikipedia.com/Gareth Owen
Image: Lisa Anderson-Morsead
He hopes...to get home early enough to go for a
surf with his dog.
