est. 2015 Edition 1 June 2015
What’s behind the ink? the stories behind students ink - Page 6 Tunnels capturing hearts Behind the scenes of the popular electronic festival - PAGE 2
Body modifications and empowerment in society - page 9
Dominating lives in 50 Shades How the ‘50 Shades of Grey’ phenominon has taken over the world and their bedrooms - PAGE 3 Photo credit: emma-bailey.co.uk
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News Story
June 2015
Tunnels capturing hearts Ashleigh Dean
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riday was welcomed by rhythmic beats and the radiant energies of Rhodes students celebrating the end of the week at the Tunnels events on 7 March 2015, hosted by Pelt Events at the historical Three Chimneys Farm. “We're back with an awesome collaboration between two of Eastern Capes' finest and longest running outdoor event organizations,” Pelt Events stated on the event’s Facebook page, Tunnel Vision Festival. Opening at 6pm on Friday 6 March, Pelt organised for all 23 hours of the event to be filled with the sounds of some of the finest in the Eastern Cape, including DJs such as Awehwolf, Von Dirty and Clinixx. With tickets costing R50 for pre-sold and R100 at the gate, people streamed in to savour the night’s festivities. Rhodes student and Tunnels enthusiast, Yasthiel Devraj, affirmed that “[the] projections and music were
Above: Athi Makitshi expressing her love for Tunnels and Mother Nature. Right: Yasthiel Devraj reminising about the Tunnels experience. Photo credits: Ashleigh Dean
incredible, if generally chaotic,” referring to the projections on the chimneys. Another student enthusiast, Athi Makitshi, echoed this sentiment and stated that her experience at Tunnels was “ethereal”. However, the event was not entirely to Devraj’s liking. “I was disappointed that the actual tunnel and bunker weren’t
used,” he stated, referring to the former brick oven that gave the event its name. Despite this, Devraj still found the outdoor dance floor to be “a great experience.” Should you be participating in a Tunnels visit in the near future, both Devraj and Makitshi recommend being with friends that you feel comfortable with, while Makitshi also endorsed cosy clothing and snacks. Devraj acknowledges the reality of the drug culture and recommends “[making] sure you know what it is, what it does, and if it’s safe”, to anyone planning on using substances. Tunnels is often the highlight of the students’ social adventures, as encompassed by Makitshi’s description of her experience: “It was a near perfect combination of geography, music, people, energy, and stimulants that [creates] such a synergistic atmosphere that you can’t help wbeing enveloped by.”
Student transfers universities following abuse Khinali Bagwandeen
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hodes University student Shannon Qwency* filed a report against her partner to the local Grahamstown police station on the basis of psychological abuse on Friday 6 March. The couple became romantically involved after they both commenced their studies at Rhodes University in early 2013. Qwency, 21, has reported being abused by her boyfriend for over year. This was not long after he had become dependent on recreational drugs. “It wasn’t long after his addiction that he started to become untrusting of me and as a result, it began with a few pushes and ended up into serious fist fights and sometimes forceful sex”, the fourth year pharmacy student said. Qwency continued to explain that she was too scared to leave the relationship. Every time she attempted to leave, she was faced with harassment and death threats. The boyfriend, who requested to remain anonymous, will be joining a rehabilitation facility at the end of the term. After the violence was reported, he was charged and
“Old School” brought back to life Devon Pastoll
C Above: Abuse silently becoming a problem for students. Photo credit: galleryhip.com
a restraining order was filed against him. Qwency has plans to leave the university and transfer to another undisclosed institution. The Grahamstown police station is required to keep all information about the report confidential on the request by the parents of both students. According to statistics based between the years 2012 to 2014, one of every four women in South Africa are being abused in a relationship, most of whom have never reported it out of fear and/or embarrassment. Abuse that stems from the abuse of drugs at the univer-
sity has increased over the years. Qwency describes that she is not alone in her experience with this nature of mistreatment, her friends and some acquaintances have also been victims as their boyfriends are frequent drug abusers. *student wishes to remain anoymous
Contact the Counselling Centre for assistance with abuse: (046) 603 7070 or counsellingcentre@ ru.ac.za.
hris Hani House and Thomas Pringle House residences hosted a party on Friday 13 March in order to raise funds for the Give 5 campaign. The residences released a promotional video on social media in order to promote the upcoming party. The Miriam Makeba residences collaborated for an ‘Old School’ themed party which was held in Chris Hani residence. On March 6, a trailer of the promotional video was released, and two days later the full video was published. The video consisted of flash forward footage of the party, envisioning an entertaining evening for the Rhodes students, with free punch and musical acts such as DJs Willy D, Von Dirty and Ms. Jones. Thomas Pringle’s entertainment representative, Carey Moraladi, alongside Chris Hani’s subwarden, Joseph Minde, was the drive behind the video. Carey and Joseph were the directors of
the video project since they are both television students. When asked about the teaser trailer, Carey commented saying, “The teaser trailer was just so that we could get the audience curious about what was coming.” The video consisted of a variety of students that reside in the two residences. A lot of the video’s elements represent the energy which Rhodes students are widely known for. The two ‘stars’ of the video are first years Kirsten Africa and Jodie Pather of Thomas Pringle, recruited by Moraladi. The teaser is of the two students looking into a room in Chris Hani with the caption, “What’s behind Door One?” When asked about the video’s success around campus, Pather stated with a laugh: “I feel like I’m repping Pringle!” Taryn Holden, also included in the video, said that it was for a good cause and so everyone was excited to take part in the video.
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Feature
June 2015
Dominating our lives in 50 Shades Khinali Bagwandeen
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y heart pounds and my palms begin to perspire. I cannot explain what I am feeling, but I know that I do not want it to stop. Are we not all anticipating the day that we are in a building surrounded by beautiful women, waiting for a brilliant selfmade billionaire: successful, charming, and breathtakingly handsome? One that possesses incomparable skills and excels in almost anything he sets his sights on. Most specifically: women. He is a trained pilot and flies his own helicopter; he is an astounding pianist; and he speaks fluent French. But it is not this flawlessness that draws us into our every imaginative breath of Mr Christian Grey. It is his secret unanswered obsession with control and his vague and
“Mr. Grey will see you now” agonising scarred life that we all yearn for as we turn yet another page, enticed. Enter Anastasia Steele, the woman we wish to be: sharing a torturous yet deliciously romantic and sensual relationship with the beautiful Mr Grey. In a world where sex is for behind the scenes, rope was used to hang yourself in the midst of your agony, and a thrashing was something you received on your bottom from your mother as punishment arrives E.L. James’ bestselling erotic novel, Fifty Shades of Grey. Sparking the attention of women and girls all over the world, the trilogy sold over 100 million copies worldwide after initially being published in 2011.
Sexual and emotional abuse is inescapable in the novel, due to its presence in every encounter between the protagonists. But as women who have joined this worldwide phenomenon, not many of us have perceived it this way. Through the taboo domination and BDSM being strapped onto our wrists us by E.L James, all we see is a charismatic, suave and attractively controlling man, increasingly drawing us into this image of the ‘perfect man’. Someone who has had females ranging from sixteen to sixty swooning over the pursuit to find ‘their’ Christian Grey. Last I remember, Prince Charming was the man who knocked on your door, caressing your lips and holding your hand as if you were their entire world personified, and loving you like you were a princess. Never would I have imagined a world where women want to be tied to a ceiling in a ‘play room’ or bent over the knee to be slapped on the bottom, all for the pleasure of a beautiful man. Rhodes University Literature student, Carmel Oosthuizen, has been an avid reader of female erotica and she has some fascinating views. “I’ll admit, when the series of books was first published, I also wanted my own Mr Grey. But once you read into the book a few times, you begin to realise it is not the way that he treats Anastasia that draws us women to him, and maybe it isn’t even the sex. In fact, it’s the abnormality of a relationship that works in such a different dynamic that makes women think: “Yes, I want this,” she said. Bondage, Domination, Sadism and Masochism (BDSM) is taboo for a reason. The social implications of the abuse
Airing ones dirty laundry along with the infamous 50 Shades of Grey novel by E. L. James. Photo credit: Khinali Bagwandeen disempowers women, despite women struggling for years to gain equality with men. “I exercise control in all things, Miss Steele,” Mr Grey says in the first novel. Men have now been informed that this is what we want. Those in defence of this claim that dominance in the bedroom is not disempowerment, but what seems to be forgotten is that this isn’t all Christian is about. Christian, the apparent love interest, aggressively stalks Ana. He tracks her location through her phone: “No place to run. I would find you. I can track your cell phone—remember?” He controls her behaviour, her eating habits, and dictates who
she is allowed to spend her time with, isolating her from friends and family. He belittles her, threatens her, and blames her. I posed the question to another Rhodes student who I saw reading the book. Without mentioning this description as being from the book, I asked how she would feel if this was her boyfriend. “I would pack my bags and leave,” she bursts out laughing, and added “there is no way [she] will stick around to be on a leash”. My next question inquired as to her thoughts on Christian Grey: “Oh wow, what a man. He is manly and magnetic and he takes care of Anastasia as if she was his everything.” Her response was not surprising.
As women of the ‘50 Shades generation’, this is how we have been brainwashed into a new type of normality which may oppose everything we have lived our lives upon as females. Admittedly, swooning over a talented, sexy and controlling billionaire comes naturally to most of us. If Grey were to tell me to finish my dinner, I would not think twice. The novel has now been adapted into a motion picture and was released on Valentine’s Day. Although it is incomparable, it still made millions. The sequel to the movie has been shifted to be released in 2017 due to the controversy surrounding the novel.
Bow down: aKing is coming to town Kayleigh Perumal
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he lone, bruised and bloody eye that glowers out from the CD cover of aKing’s recent release, Morning After, reflects the haunting and sincere nature of their music. There is something terribly compassionate in the emotion in the glittering blue iris. The Cape Town based pop-rock band debuted with their album Dutch Courage in February 2008, and have witnessed an increase in popularity since then. The album received third place for Best Album in the March 2009 issue of FHM. The group was only superseded by AC/DC and Metallica, who claimed first and second places respectively. Members from the hard rock Afrikaans band Fokofpolisiekar,
Hunter Kennedy and Jaco Venter, unite with Laudo Liebenberg and Hennie van Halen to deliver a softer and more intense sound. Although all the members are Afrikaans, every song released thus far has been English. After aKing was born, they incurred a vast fanbase who regularly worship at the band’s powerful lyrical altar. Their next two albums, Against All Odds (2009) and The RedBlooded Years (2011), boosted the band’s popularity to even greater heights. Influenced by singer Bruce Springsteen and the American group the Foo Fighters, aKing have lived up to their role models by producing music of a similar calibre. The first track on Morning After,
Prey to the Birds flows through your veins, with the words solidifying through your blood. The music pours through your ears like liquid sound. “I really want to take you home, keep your head when your eyes roll”, lead singer, Laudo Liebenberg croons in the chorus. The Rhodes University Chamber Choir (RUCC), in an attempt to raise funds for their tour to the USA, have co-ordinated and organised for aKing to perform at the 1820s Settlers’ Monument on the 31 of July. Tickets for this event were only R100. In 2014, the band received a South African Music Award (SAMA) for Best Rock Album. In 2015, they performed at Splashy Fen, one of SA’s biggest music festivals. If you
aKing during the launch of their second album throughout South Africa. Photo credit: adriaanlouw.blogspot.com enjoy music from All Time Low, One Republic, Gangs of Ballet or Coldplay, then aKing should definitely be added to your playlist.
So if you revere and admire the godly genre of rock n roll, come bow down and listen to songs that praise the soul.
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Feature
June 2015
My purple blood turned green Devon Pastoll “May the roof above us never fall in and may we friends beneath it never fall out.”
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n December, we celebrate Christmas and New Year’s. In April, we celebrate Easter. October, we have Halloween; and in March, we have Saint Patrick’s Day. The day has become a global celebration, despite its distinctly Irish origins. In South Africa, the holiday is not widely celebrated. However, here in Grahamstown it is revered in the true Rhodent fashion. The 17 of March has become an important day in many people’s lives. Thoughts of Saint Patrick’s Day conjure images of leprechauns with their pot of gold, parades, shamrocks and rowdy groups of students dressed in green downing/puking green beer. The last image might not be entirely pleasant. However, it is a true example of how many people – especially students – celebrate this holiday. Countless
students at Rhodes University have been more than willing to jump on the green bandwagon and celebrate dear ol’ Saint Paddy. The vital question is whether people actually understand the symbolism of this day, and if not, why are they celebrating it? Saint Patrick’s Day began as a religious day of feasting that soon became an international festival. Saint Patrick is the patron saint and national apostle of Ireland. His importance stems from his introduction of Christianity to Ireland during the fifth century. He was born in England around 385 AD, and was captured at the age of 14 to be taken to Ireland to spend over six years as a slave. He returned to Ireland as a missionary to spread his religious beliefs among the Celtic pagans. He is also well known for driving out the snakes from Ireland. This represents Saint Patrick driving away Pagan beliefs and practices. Celebrating Saint Patrick’s Day originated in the United States of America rather than Ireland. 17 March was chosen, as it is believed that it is Patrick’s birthdate. The symbols
associated with the holiday originated in Ireland. The shamrock and the green clover worn by many is believed to be used by Saint Patrick during his missionary years to describe the Holy Trinity to congregations. It is currently the national emblem of Ireland, as well as a
A Rhodent showing his St. Patrick’s pride. Photo credit: Devon Pastoll symbol of good luck. The colour green did not always represent Saint Patrick; it was originally blue. Ireland’s reputation as the Emerald Isle allowed green to be adopted, and the act of wearing green increased in popularity amongst its citizens.
At Rhodes University, students have been known to adopt all of these traditions during Saint Patrick’s Day festivities. They can be seen parading campus dressed in green and Irish memorabilia. Rhodent ‘gees’ increases because of Saint Patrick’s most popular tradition: drinking. Ireland is notorious for its excessive consumers of alcohol. This reputation, in a way, is mimicked across the globe on Saint Paddy’s day. With famous Irish stouts, such as Guinness, and a variety of other alcohol being dyed green, drinking becomes an important part of celebrating amongst students. Local pubs in Grahamstown, such as The Rat and Parrot, are known for sparing no expense in their celebrations of Saint Patrick, with copious amounts of decorations and green themed specials. It has been the main hub of celebrations on this day for the past few years. The most concerning aspect of these celebrations is the reasoning behind most of Rhodes students’ need to celebrate this day. A variety of students were asked “Why do Rhodes students celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day?”
The majority of answers were in agreement: for the sake of partying. Second year student Lili Barras-Hargan said, “It’s just an excuse to dress up in green, wear face paint, get plastered and have fun.” “The reason Rhodents celebrate it is the same reason the rest of the world celebrates it. It has become a day which we celebrate drinking and wearing green,” third year student Aiden Rolfe added. While they are all aware that drinking is the primary reason, it has been acknowledged amongst students that they are unaware of the true meaning of the day. “I think the only people who truly know the meaning of the holiday and celebrate it for what it is are the Irish students,” stated second year student Demi Drew. The Rhodent culture has become infamous for its drinking habits. On days like Saint Patrick, danger levels increase amongst students due to the consumption of alcohol. And while the celebrations increase each year, the true meaning is lost in translation. Students should take it upon themselves to learn the symbolism of this day before choosing to celebrate.
37 on New: A night amongst Mon-sters Ashleigh Dean
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onversations continue to flow around me as I lose focus for a moment, gazing at the worn, grimy wooden table in front of me. I can discern the phantom of a tiny mountain of fine white dust, its outline visible only to those who know what to look for. Graffiti masterpieces stare down at me from the walls in bursts of colour. I take another delicate sip of my drink, tasting the artificial sweetness as it rolls over my tongue and down my throat. Wisps of smoke gently float past me, bringing with them the distinct scents of tobacco and marijuana as the crackles of a nearby bonfire are heard. Earlier that evening, the festivities had commenced with eight of us gathering en masse in my boyfriend’s lounge. All of us squeezed into the shabby couches, boozing together like a true little family. The rest conversed, planning their quests to find their substance of choice for the occasion. Feeling the vibrations of the bass through my chest, I managed to unwind for the first time since Monday morning. I rested my head in my little niche on his shoulder, content. Less than an hour later, I found myself stumbling slightly down a narrow alleyway with darkness seeming to press on my eyeballs. After an eternity of
unsure steps on very solid concrete, I was reassured when my ears were graced with a friendly greeting. I relinquished my cash, freshly withdrawn from my account enroute, and was granted entry into a chaotic wonderland. The darkness was pierced by
Table’, I headed off on my voyage to get another drink. Much later I find myself on the dancefloor, surrounded by a grey and purple haze of smoke and a cacophony of sound assaulting my senses. Additionally, I am in the midst of self-named ‘stomp-
small lasers of light to pierce the air at seemingly irregular intervals. Only seemingly irregular, however, as this man is closely following his own inner beat, timed to match that of the earth and Mother Nature herself. I always find that my thought
Psychedelic mushrooms are one of the most popular choices of consciousness-altering substances amongst party-goers in Grahamstown. Photo credit: Instagram. lights and clouded by smoke, and swanning around on my little buzz, I made my way to an empty table and claimed it as my own, pioneer style. Once my friends had arrived and settled, thus cementing our ownership of ‘The
ers’, mindlessly bouncing along to the hard and fast psytrance being blasted out of the speakers. A man with sharply square spectacles and a magnificently majestic moustache is manning the visual projections, allowing
processes tend to develop in one of two ways when I find myself in social situations like these: I can either mindlessly enjoy the flow of the evening, surrounded by friends and feeling like I’ve returned home; or I can get lost
in my thought loops about how depressingly mindless the whole saga is, no matter who I have around me. I am and always have been hyperaware of the sheer amount and variety of drugs ingested in this venue. From alcohol to nicotine to jazz cigarettes to Ritalin to LSD to magic mushrooms to MDMA (along with many MD analogues and a host of other research chemicals) to 5-MeO-MiPT to cocaine to methcathinone to speed to the occasional meth, I would say; along with a host of sedatives, painkillers, and sleeping pills. I am watching all of these humans with incandescent futures wasting their lives away to stem various forms of pain or mere boredom. Both thought processes also usually result in me analysing these people around me, and I come to the same conclusion every time: these are broken people, attempting to find a home or some kind of comfort. And then the analysis turns inward. These nights consistently end with the same routine. We depart for our voyage home, stopping only at BP for a small feast of snacks, before returning to the same lounge where the night began. Conversations are spiked with fatigue and bongs are ripped before we all withdraw to our various nests. Ensconced in a warm embrace, we slip into unconsciousness, home at last.
June 2015
Profile
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Drugs, tattoos, anarchy: A sketch Ashleigh Dean he delicate rustling of the paper fades into the background as the movement of his fingers, accustomed to this ritual, becomes increasingly mesmerising. With the surety affiliated only with practice, the minute fibres are snugly encompassed by the paper blade. The tip is twisted with a flourish and the ritual is complete. Almost. After a few clicks of the lighter, the flame bursts into life and begins to lick the apex of this impeccable ‘jazz cigarette’. Gruntled with his chef d’oeuvre, he reclines and inhales, content. The atypical ‘stoner’, there is an underlying incentive to every substance he has procured and tested. As an adolescent, he surmounted the abyss of depression, as well as the torment of the withdrawals from antidepressants. A feat, he states, was partly aided by cannabis. As elated as a pothead in Amsterdam, he continues to recount his adventures with a myriad of substances. He reveals that he “…wished to explore other states of altered perception in order to make sense of the reality [he] was confronted with every day”, citing curiosity as his primary motivation. “Once I was in a stable frame of mind, I decided to try acid.” Essentially unaltered, his prevailing motivations to experiment with substances stem from a desire for introspection, as well as a medium to analyse himself and identify the areas in which he must evolve. However, his areas of expertise extend far beyond his comprehensive knowledge of substances. Discovering bliss through creation, he is skilled in both writing and sketching. With an exceptional finesse in crafting poetry and short stories and an assured idiosyncrasy of rebellion and controversy, he states, “I like creating something that can offend and disgust people and make them think, using the styles and structures of the English language”. Having maintained a blog for his work, writing has supplied him with an outlet in which to express and archive the fascinating workings of his mind. Despite this, the exploration of another avenue of expression (originating as a diversion and distraction from classes) has diverted much of his attention from writing: sketching. Emphasising his appreciation of creation, he describes one of his favoured art forms as “things that are both abstract and geometric, just dipped in acid”. With his ubiquitous sense of creativity, he has also delved into another form of art, immortalising various symbolic masterpieces in his skin. These include testaments to his exploration of substances, such as a pair of chemical structures. These symbolise the roots of his euphoria: dopamine and serotonin. He explains that “technically, they’re the only things that can make you experience the emotional state known as happiness”. The skin of his forearm bears a figure designed to represent his psychonautic expeditions through the realms of various psychedelics, with the Latin phrase ‘Dum Spiro Spero’ inscribed across his skin.
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Expressing himself through creativity, he favours drawing psychedelic renditions of abstract and geometric pieces. Photo: Ashleigh Dean. Translated to ‘While I breathe, I hope’, the tattoo symbolises the anguish overcome with the aid of psychedelic substances. With a reverence for American and Gonzo journalist (and known drug user) Hunter S. Thompson, the Gonzo fist (embodying the ideals of the late journalist and the journalistic style) is also on his skin. A fervent anarchist, he states that “I don’t believe in the authority the state can hold over individual freedom. I feel that we need to work towards a society that supports personal autonomy to its fullest extent, and above all, protects our cognitive liberty to explore the nature of our consciousness”. These political views and beliefs, as well as the assertive emphasis placed on liberty and autonomy, share certain parallels with those of Hunter S. Thompson. Nurturing a love and appreciation of books paramount to his love of cannabis, he is thoroughly well-read. Apart from the above, however, one of his most fascinating eccentricities is his reticent, yet brilliant, intelligence. While much of his time is squandered, his eloquence and capability to swiftly express the complex perceptions and concepts of his mind are always astounding, alluring, and often unanticipated. Straining slightly, he grasps an ashtray already brimming with cigarette butts and ash. He puts out his jazz cigarette, and reclines again, content. He converses with his companions: those who have no understanding of the depths of his mind, as he has carefully constructed. Brilliance aside, he prefers to develop friendships and relationships based on character alone. The boundless depths of his mind will always remain an enigma. Even to those closest to him.
With a finesse exclusive only to practice, rolling jazz cigarettes has become a ritual for these fingers. Photo: Ashleigh Dean.
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Photo story
What’s behind the ink?
“I went through a stage in high school where my parents and I weren’t really close and we didn’t get along. Then I came to university and I realized how much they care about me and everything they have done for me. I started to realize how important they are, and that it was me who was pushing them away. During my vac in December last year I had a really good time with my family. We bonded - also I really wanted a tattoo, so… I went through a stage where literally family was everything and I came across this saying. I spoke to my sisters and came to the conclusion that I wanted to put something that showed how much family means to me.”
- Aiden Connolly
June 2015
Simply Alt. appreciates a good story. So we have given a few students of Rhodes University the opportunity to tell us the stories behind their ink.
Photographs by Devon Pastoll
“The feather represents freedom. And the fearless is that I had a rough upbringing with my mom, and it was like my motto to get through life. But particularly the day I moved because I had called lawyers and everything and I had realised
“The first one is to remind me to always keep faith within life and within myself. “
- Meshalini Govender year is the year I’m going to lose the weight and I got the tattoo. The reason it’s mountains is because I love travelling. For me mountains are a good thing but also they can be a bad thing. That’s the whole idea of it, you know? It’s when you have problems you have to overcome these problems, those are the mountains. Also when you get to the top of the mountain then there’s something beautiful you can look
down on. And the reason it’s three is because I seem to thinks everything happens in threes. Good things for me always happen in threes, the bad things too. But that means there’s an end, after three I know I’m good and I can start fresh.”
- Lili Barras-Hargan
- McKenzie Parker* *student wishes to remain anonymous.
Part two to follow in next edition
“I thought getting a tattoo would make me feel like I’ve gotten over first year. I’m here now in second year and I’m more mature. When I got the tattoo I was going through some stuff, like family things. I put on a lot of weight in first year and it was quite a problem. I didn’t see my family the whole year so I went home 12kgs overweight and I was a different person; both emotionally and physically. So I came back and decided this
that nobody knew how fast it was going to go. And then just before I called the police my dad had said to me, “If you’re going to move, you can’t be scared.” So I said to him, “Dad, I’m fearless.””
“The second one is because I really like geometric stuff including all of the triangles and such. I chose an arrow because they only forward in life no matter how hard you pull back.”
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June 2015 25 May 2015
“The astronaut and serotonin molecule on my forearm symbolise the emergence from a difficult period in my life. Having struggled with major depression and anxiety throughout high school, the molecule serves as a reminder that much of our direct experience of reality is mediated by the presence (or rather, lack thereof )
of neurotransmitters in our brains. The astronaut ascending from this molecule reflects a wanderlust about the structure and true nature of the universe in which we exist. The inscription reads ‘Dum Spiro Spero’, which translates from Latin as ‘While I breathe, I hope’: an insight I found fundamental in overcoming the
suicidal ideations that dominated much of my adolescence. As a result, I committed to the tattoo close to the end of matric. I was acutely aware that, given my condition, I would no doubt encounter significant depressive episodes throughout my life.”
I have wanted to get a tattoo since I was sixteen years old. Both my parents have tattoos and
the idea of inking myself for life always appealed to me. I found this quote by an author called
Morrie Schwartz, and it was the first time a tattoo really resonated with me. I believe that without love, whatever the form, we cannot live a happy life. Birds cannot fly with broken wings, just as we cannot go through life without some semblance of love. I got my tattoo at the beginning of this year, and I paid for it myself, which I am very proud of. I have never regretted my decision; I love my tattoo and I love what it resembles.
“Why did I want to get the tattoo? Well, Africa specifically because Africa is home. It’s where my passion is. I love Africa. And also what I would like to do essentially is because there is so much need in Africa. That’s sort of what I want to do with my
degree, is address the need. And so I suppose it’s pushing me towards that: it’s a reminder. Despite having to look into a mirror to see it, I know it’s there to remind myself of the ultimate goal.”
My first tattoo was the cat because for no other reason than I like cats. It’s mainly about the art because the design gripped me. My second one is the owl with the skull. I chose the owl because my gran loves owls and she’s got so many owl ornaments, so that’s
for her. I included the skull because I’m artsy and so it would make sure the owl isn’t generic. The third tattoo is a bird flying over a geometric background. I just like birds they’re like freedom you know?
- Belinda Campbell
- Yasthiel Devraj
- Demi Drew
- Tyler Bloomhill
Before investing in some ink, ensure that you have thought the process through thoroughly. Always research tattoo artists and their portfolios before selecting an artist.
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Profile
The painted lady Khinali Bagwandeen azing at her reflection, she scrutinises her embellished body piece by piece. Her conscious is formed by something mysterious. She wanders until she tumbles from the edge of the world and into the next. A woman with eyes that speak a thousand words and tattoos that can speak a thousand more, she tells a story that has never been told before. Tamzon Kellner is eccentric. A music student in her third year at Rhodes University, she is a woman of few words with a body bedecked in modifications. Her distinctive style, husky voice and hair self-cut to perfection are all that is visible. But hiding beneath her clothing, perfectly covered, lay words of strength, tenacity, wisdom and love. This light-eyed woman has experienced more than most students, but she contains it all to herself and her tattoos. Having grown up as a triplet in the humid city of Durban, she was always seen as one third of a whole. She nurtures an extraordinary love with her siblings, and despite being the youngest of the set, she admits to protectsing them as if she was the eldest. However, she has always felt that she wanted
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to be her own person. Kellner started at Rhodes University intending to study pharmacy, but the love for her guitar and piano outweighed this. “I knew somewhere deep down that I wanted to spend the rest of my life surrounded by music, not chemistry. My first love has always been my guitar,” explained Tamzon with a slight smile. The young woman has overcome so much in a short space of time. She explains that her first tattoo of her collection of 26 is in memory of her late father, who passed away during her matric year due to cancer. She describes losing him to be the one thing that changed her heart forever. According to her siblings, Tamzon was his favourite. Kellner uses the art of tattoos as a form of motivation and drive. She therefore tattoos a part of her body to commemorate every hardship. Despite the number of tattoos, Kellner only ever exposes two: the tattoo in the memory of her father, and the tattoo that she got on the day that she found out her mother’s cancer had disappeared. “This tattoo reads ‘faith’, and most people laugh because it seems like something I got from the book at the tattoo parlour. The meaning
is as personal as every other piece of art on my body.” The rest of the tattoos have intimate meanings that Kellner is not yet willing to share with the world. A tattoo of a broken heart alongside a regular heart can be spotted on the side of her ankle. When asked about her relationship status, or anyone has her heart in their hands right now, she explains that allowing someone close enough to love is not what she is currently aiming for. She is well travelled and has visited countries such as France, India, America and Brazil. Within each country, she has created a bond with its history and culture. Four of her tattoos were done overseas, and she describes all of her travels as a part of her spiritual journey to find peace of mind. Kellner’s inner rebel is apparent when she confesses that her mother found out about her shift in degrees only a year and a half into her studies. “It was scary telling my mother and siblings what I had chosen to do with my life. At first I thought it was selfish, knowing how much the family had been through, but I knew it was what I wanted and sometimes being selfish is good,” she says, justifying her decision with the slightest hint of a tear in her eyes. Kellner’s future plans consist of adding art to her body until every inch is filled with what is meaningful to her. Apart from this, she wishes to pursue her career in music, together with helping young teenagers to find themselves through their music in the midst of pleasing their families and love ones. She also wants to travel the globe. She hopes that she can touch the lives of those around her, but first, she feels the need to step out of her unusual comfort zone.
Loving words in memory of Kellner’s late father. It is one of only two tattoos whose meanings she is willing to share with the world. Photo credit: Khinali Bagwandeen
June 2015
Editorial
June 2015
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Body modifications and empowerment Ashleigh Dean
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ody modifications, perceived negatively by previous generations despite widespread historical practice across cultures, are beginning to increasingly gain acceptance in contemporary society. People were once denied employment due to visible tattoos, piercings outside of the earlobe area, and evidently dyed hair. However, the myriad of body modifications is gradually becoming acceptable. This in turn allows viable modes of employment for a wider range of people. Many people have argued that modifications such as tattoos and piercings are mere fashion accessories, gaining popularity in accordance with various trends. Despite this, people such as Silke Wohlrab, Jutta Stahl and Peter Kappeler have echoed our sentiments that as a result of “the permanence, the pain involved as well as the considerable amount of time needed for planning and after-care … [body modifications] impose a greater value to them than being simple accessories”. Wohlrab, Stahl and Kappeler continue to state that “body [modifications] might enable traumatized individuals to handle personal experiences.” An example of this would be the innumerable tattoos of semicolons. The semi-colon indicates a sentence that could have been ended but, due to the writer’s decision to continue, was not. It has
thus become a symbol opposing suicide, depression, and self-harm, due to the relevance of its purpose in punctuation. It is also becoming more apparent and widely accepted that body modifications are an authentic and valid form of selfexpression, as well as a form of empowerment. We believe that many of these modifications are as unique as the fingerprints on the body they share, and are used as a medium in order to express this individuality. We assert that many tattoos symbolise a specific period or aspect of a person’s life, and are thus profoundly significant and specific to the skin that they occupy. Piercings and coloured hair are also a deeply personal medium of self-expression, and require planning and thought. While body modifications are often an elegantly exquisite form of expression, it is vital to thoroughly plan them, as well as to ensure that all health and safety regulations are considered and systematically followed. It is evident that body modifications are not as taboo as they once were; nor do they continue to be for sailors, prisoners, and tribes. Employment is no longer impossible for people who decide to engage in these forms of self-expression, and the validity of the symbolism is increasingly considered a testament to one’s idiosyncrasies.
Photo credit: deathbulge.com
An old-time inked society
The body as a canvas
Devon Pastoll
Khinali Bagwandeen
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alking down the main street of any town or city, it is not surprising that you will discover a person with a tattoo. It is one of the world’s oldest forms of art and self-expression; and it overflows with meaning from cultures from across the globe. Although tattooing dates back thousands of years, a prominent question of whether they are truly accepted in Western culture and in the workplace remains. Over the past 50 years, tattoos have progressed from a somewhat taboo item to an icon in mainstream culture. Using American culture as an example, tattoos were perceived as unsavoury in the mid-twentieth century. Tattoo bearers were once commonly perceived as prisoners, rowdy sailors and members of motorcycle gangs, but never as members of upper social classes. Currently, this mindset seems to remain in many older generations. Typing “Are tattoos negatively stereotyped?” on Google results in a startling amount of views opposing tattoos. And while anonymous comments on the Internet should seldom be taken seriously, the sheer number is alarming. Many of
Split personality: Tattoos do not affect one’s professionalism. Photo credit: deathbulge.com the commenters stated that they associate tattoos with the uneducated and lower class, and consider tattooed people as unworthy to be part of the
professional world. Others oppose the perception of tattoos as a form of self-expression, and think that they are rather an outward expression of a craving for attention and adoration. During the past decade, mainstream culture has aided the development of the hype around tattoos. Factors such as the Internet and social media have influenced society to become increasingly open-minded toward the notion of tattoos. Ideas for tattoos continue to be one of the most researched topics. Celebrities have also had a massive impact on the tattoo market, due to the extreme visibility of celebrities in society. As such, they are able to display their body art without backlash. Despite the multitude of people opposed to the idea of tattoos, there are no legal restrictions to having one. It is one of humanity’s basic rights to freedom of expression, as homo sapiens are considered to be the only species that deliberately alters aspects of their appearance. So if people are allowed to dye or cut their hair, or wear a variety of clothing each day, it is clear that there should not be a problem with tattoos.
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e believe that, similar to beauty, the symbolism of a tattoo lies in the eyes and mind of the beholder. Whether it be a tattoo on a spontaneous whim or a tattoo that represents a special meaning, there are numerous people who find skin art offensive. Many tattoobearers react by questioning the relevance that their body modifications hold to others, but contemporary society allows others to delve into decisions that do not concern them. We assert that it is the narrowmindedness of people that causes them to discriminate. While everyone is entitled to an opinion, an opinion of which you hold little experience with can be perceived as irrelevant. A recent graduate of a Durban culinary school was surprised to view her class yearbook and discover that the tattoo on her arm had been airbrushed out. When she questioned this, she was informed that it may appear to be offensive if customers saw this, although she was never requested to conceal it during working hours. It is evident that the school had chosen
to represent her inaccurately, which simultaneously leaves little room for self-expression. There will always remain a handful of professions which skin art is suited for, and there will be also always be those which frown upon it. We perceive this to be accurate in numerous communities, cultures, religions and areas. There will always be people who disagree with tattoos as a form of self-expression. We are aware that there are several beautiful forms of self-expression which are disapproved of. Despite this, skin art has become increasingly popular over the years. There is reason to believe that within the next few years, the main issue preventing someone from getting ‘inked’ would be the fear of ink poisoning or needles. However, no matter what decision is made, it will be a issue in another’s reality. This is why we believe that it is essential to understand that self-expression and body modifications are intended for the self, and no other individual has the right to discriminate.
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Opinion
June 2015
The wrong side of the wheel Khinali Bagwandeen
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ex drives, whether we like it or not, are something we all possess. Some more heightened than others, some more explored than others, and some on the more minimalistic point of the scale. However, males manage to express their sex drive in a myriad of ways while avoiding recourse, while women are subject to discrimination if they assume similar roles to men. The sex drive of a male, however, often happens to be the scapegoat of rape and disrespect towards women. It is also seen as the reason why men are perceived to masturbate more, look at porn more, cheat on their partners and maintain multiple partners. Nonetheless, the notion that women have less rapacious sex drives is a toxic myth often perpetuated. Regardless of the fact that women are portrayed in the media as sex objects with impossible to attain beauty ideals, the concept that women essentially crave and need sex as much as or more than males is illogical to many. Three of five female students believe that their sex drives can be considered ‘abnormal’.
Misunderstandings and lack of education on the female libidos result in widespread frustration. Picture credit: newspapergiant.com ‘Abnormal’, because they may be the person initiating sex more frequently. If their libidos are known, there is often no escape from demeaning and degrading insults and slurs. Dare
they maintain multiple partners or cheat to ‘cure’ their sex drive. Women want sex as much as men, but this is often hidden as the alternative is to be the subject of unreasonable discrimination.
Despite feminism’s increase in popularity over the years and has achievement of a significant sense of equality, the stigma of women and sex drives remains. Women are also expected to ‘respect
themselves’ by abstaining from sexual activity until marriage. Unfortunately, contemporary society dictates that men can continue to behave differently without ramifications. While males are not wholly exempt from unreasonable insults and slurs, women are more prone to experiencing ramifications of their actions. Science proves that there is no notable difference in the libidos of men and women. In Heterosexual Intercourse, Dr D. Baldwin states that men and women share more similarities than differences in sex drive. In fact, women have a higher psychological sex drive than physical. Thus, women can think about sex more frequently than men, but men physically respond to theirs more. Society requires increased and improved education on female libidos, and males need to be taught to comprehend that other people also need sex. Likewise, females must realise that it is acceptable to be open about sex and to enjoy it. People must also recognize that people are not all the same, and libidos differ from person to person.
Body modifications as public property Ashleigh Dean
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ody modifications are accompanied by a history of controversy extending as far back as their societal practice. As a result, they are characterised by a degree of novelty in contemporary society. This is often reflected in the reactions of the public upon encountering a modified body. Autonomy is a widely established and endorsed concept. Despite this, one’s rationality and ability to function at a basic level is continuously questioned by a multitude of people, from strangers to varying levels of acquaintances. As a result, the unsolicited physical contact and deeply invasive questions and comments accurately outline the public nature of body modifications, despite their inherently personal significance. Natalie Murfin, a student with dreadlocks, a lip ring, and tattoos, elaborates on this significance, stating: “As many people wear certain clothing or speak with certain diction that they believe to suit them as individuals, my visible [modifications] are personal additions to myself.” Furthermore, body modifications allow for a certain degree of objectification, as the entirety of a personality is persistently reduced to its physical alterations. A myriad of Rhodents have
Picture credit: kateordie.com experienced their visible body modifications rendering their bodies to be perceived as public property. Murfin states that she experiences these incidents weekly. She affirms that they initially left her feeling “incredibly self-conscious and upset, as if somebody has forced their way into my personal choices in an effort to obstruct my freedom”. Another tattooed student, Yasthiel Devraj, echoes her sentiment, stating that “[the incidents] left me feeling pretty annoyed and violated”. He continues to express that he continues to be “confused about
how someone can think that it’s okay to invade your personal space because of something on your body”. There is an additional sexist stigma attached to body modifications. Caileigh Ramsay, a student who has had coloured hair and various facial piercings, has experienced harassment similar to Murfin’s due to her body modifications. Murfin recounts being asked how she “[satisfies] a man with that thing”, while Ramsay tells of countless similar experiences resulting from her piercings and hair. These include various male friends and
strangers frequently informing her that her tongue ring looked “slutty, trashy and cheap”, and “[inquiring] as to what kind of sexual tasks I was obviously willing to perform on them or anyone because of the stud in my tongue”. Moreover, she was often advised to purchase a vibrating tongue stud. Incidents of this nature portray the duality of the issues arising from body modifications: not only is one’s body perceived as public property, but females further experience sexual harassment. Additionally, these three students concur that the
encroachment on their personal space is most unwelcome, and should not be accepted or entertained by society. As Murfin asserts, “My modifications make my body public property as much as anybody’s choice in shoes would make their body public property: that is, not at all.” Apart from the irregularities in the experiences of males and females, the widespread harassment induced by visible body modifications continues to manifest itself with considerable consistency. This is much to the dismay of those who engage in its practices.
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Profile
June 2015
The professional student
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Kayleigh Perumal en Coetzee* runs his hand through his dishevelled blonde hair. His enigmatic blue eyes gaze intently into space as he recalls the negative impact that marijuana has had on his academic career. His arms flex, the muscles rippling slightly as he stretches on the couch in his new flat. There are intricate scars embedded on the inside of his left arm, but it is obvious that they are self-inflicted. Everything about him screams ‘messed up’, but his courtesy and intellectual speech contrast this beautifully. The rolling paper, nail scissors, tobacco, and other bits of his equipment lie scattered across the battered suitcase that serves as his coffee table. The Grahamstowndweller has a gentle yet simultaneously rugged demeanour. Coetzee has lived here for about a decade. “It can get boring. I have to leave at least once a year otherwise it becomes insidious,” he concedes. His pale hands seem red and bruised at the knuckles, but as he calmly begins the rolling process, they are steady and sure. His dress oozes informality. The faded black jeans and battered boots are almost emblematic of his difficult past. “I was being bullied all the time at school, so when someone offered to sell me weed, I bought it. I was having a weird experience with pain and pleasure at the time, and the drug seemed to take away that pain temporarily,” he confesses. Coetzee recalls how intense the substance abuse got when he came to Rhodes: how he continuously skipped
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Editor-in-Chief Ashleigh Dean
Deputy Editor Kayleigh Perumal Chief Designer Devon Pastoll “Why spend the best three years of your life here when you can spend six?” Photo credit: Kayleigh Perumal lectures just to sit alone in his residence room getting high as an act of escapism. “I wouldn’t accept that I was having an identity crisis,” he said. “The weed became my medicine but I began to get bad grades. I lost a lot of friends and hurt many people. I guess I just got very lazy and stopped working.” The 23-year-old Humanities student has failed at least one subject every year he has attended Rhodes University. Studies have shown that persistent use of cannabis has adverse effects on the brain’s memory, learning and impulse control. Other ramifications include mild euphoria, pain relief, and in rare instances, delusions or hallucinations. Coetzee is aware of these consequences, but admits that he has become reliant on the drug. “If I had worked harder, I’d be out of here by now but
then I would have never met the love of my life. I don’t think I was ready to go out into the world,” he said without a trace of regret on his serene face. The “professional student”, as he jokingly refers to himself, confesses that his other extramural activities include hiking, rock climbing, writing, and spending time with his friends. Despite his addiction to weed and the surface association this has with ‘raves’ and clubbing, Coetzee states that he does not really go out much. “The partying is a bit much here. I prefer to talk to people, to listen to good music, drink wine and get stoned,” he states. Coetzee is currently making up a few credits, and will hopefully complete his undergraduate degree at the end of the year. He used to dream of joining the military or police force, but upon further reflection, realised that he would rather become an academic.
Chief Photographer Khinali Bagwandeen Contributing Writers
Ashleigh Dean
Kayleigh Perumal
Khinali Bagwandeen
Roxanne Brown
Devon Pastoll
He has obscure plans of travelling to Korea to teach English in the next few years, but other than that, he seems content with the life that he leads. “I’m loved and I’m free. Everything has worked out well for me. I feel positive,” he says. The snipping of weed seeds and stalks in a small shot glass echoes loudly across the quiet room. He deftly measures some of the tobacco onto the prepared rolling paper. His fingers gracefully and evenly smooth out the
paper and he carefully rolls the joint, the art so familiar to him that it has become a ritual. His tongue sweeps across the edge of the paper and seals it as though it were a kiss to a lover. The flicker of the lighter burns hauntingly in the dimly lit room, and Coetzee takes a pull like he is breathing in a breath from depths the sober cannot comprehend, and exhales. The pungent smoke curves in curlicues of relief. *student wishes to remain anonymous.
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Feature
June 2015
Twenty-one, over and under
Roxanne Brown
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he Rat and Parrot Pub and Restaurant recently celebrated their 21st birthday with Rhodents and their regulars; resulting in a great night for most, and a bit of a rough one for others. The local hangout for many – both locals and students alike – hosted their big 21st birthday on Wednesday 4 March. The event saw hundreds of regulars and newbies joining in to celebrate with the establishment. One patron, a third year Journalism student at Rhodes University, stated that she went out not because she wanted to, but because her fear of missing out (FOMO) was simply too strong to miss this massive night. She felt that the Rat had set up a great environment with décor and music to match. The only thing that was lacking was airconditioning, but the cheap wine allegedly helped to dull the need
“Her fear of missing out (FOMO) was simply too strong to miss this massive night” for it. Another patron, who also happens to be an employee of The Rat fortunate enough not to have to work on the night, stated that the night was an absolute mess in terms of drinks that were had and tactical chunders that were made. However, she stated that she would definitely label the night a colossal success for both the business and its customers. A fourth year student and junior manager at The Rat stated that the night was not as well-
staffed as he would have liked. Despite this, he asserted that the night was great. Although there were a lot of stressful elements, The Rat did what it could with what it had. Thus far, nobody has had anything negative to say about the event. When asked whether they had been abused either verbally or physically behind the bar, both affirmed that they had. This was shortly followed by a request for patrons to bear in mind that bartenders are only human, and cannot serve more than one person at a time. All in all, The Rat’s 21st birthday was well celebrated, with an incredible environment of supporters of the bar and drink specials to get everybody to their preferred level of inebriation. Their Facebook site warns students not to settle down too soon, because the festivities have only just begun.
The Rat and Parrot in Grahamstown prepares for a busy night that is their 21st birthday celebration. Photo credit: placesuncovered.co.za
Academics or debauchery: the versatile little pills Ashleigh Dean
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he seemingly innocent little pill is placed on the worn counter top, its bright white contrasting with the warm honey tones of the wood. Without prior warning, a credit card is placed over it and a fist slams down, crushing the pill into a fine dust. The plastic of the card cuts and arranges the white powder into organised little lines, reminiscent of the way soldiers stand in rows. The accompanying banknote appears, rolled up snugly into its tube. It is brought to a nostril, facing a finger holding the other nostril, and it begins to vacuum up every last little speck of white dust. Clouded with self-disgust and immediate regret, she straightens and places the note back into her purse. Sighing, she returns to the revellers outside, brushing the raw underside of her nostril along the way. Despite the nightmares that this practice gives parents, it is familiar to many. Typically prescribed to Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) students, Ritalin is notorious for being misused for studies and recreational purposes, especially amongst students. With demand for the drug spiking during especially stressful periods like exams and ‘hell weeks’ - as well as during the festivities of a night out - a Rhodes University student asserts that many students choose to sell a portion of their Ritalin prescriptions. “Ritalin’s almost like ‘kiddycoke’; it’s cheap and readily available: every second student here has a prescription. On a
10mg Methylphenidate HCI-Douglas pills. The black market for Ritalin thrives in Grahamstown. Photo credit: Ashleigh Dean night out, a lot of people do lines to get themselves going or to keep going when it gets late, so there’s always a demand,” says Yasthiel Devraj knowledgably. “When you’re too drunk, a line could possibly sort you out, but it’s a fine line: that combination can get you seriously messed up.” Another Rhodes student, David Taylor, discusses the practice of buying Ritalin for academics, stating that there are stages in varsity where the work feels overwhelming. He says that “[due] to the social acceptance of ‘Rit’, it’s become a way out for students to cope with the struggles of the heavy workload. It can be easily bought, even if you don’t have a prescription, so it’s become widely used. Some people also use it as a crutch.” This is when addiction becomes
a distinct possibility. Universities are renowned for the liberty they allow their students, often for the first time in the student’s life. Upon the completion of high school, many students migrate to various locations across the country and revel in their newfound freedoms, as they are often living without their parents. The celebration of this freedom is usually in the form of debaucherous nights out, as well as the experimentation with and exploration of drugs and sex. While this freedom may be positive for many students, it can also be too much for other students to handle, resulting in the abuse and excessive use of a variety of substances. It also results in addiction. “Experimenting with drugs can
allow people to discover things about themselves that they wouldn’t have otherwise known. This kind of introspection can be extremely valuable; however, students also have a responsibility to experiment in moderation and ensure that these activities do not disrupt (and, if possible, aid) their studies,” Devraj stated. Caileigh Ramsay, a Rhodes University student with experience of addiction, only began to use it recreationally when she enrolled at Rhodes. After a period of sleep deprivation, avoiding food, and drug psychosis in her residence room, she was institutionalised. “The crazy thing is, it hasn’t just been me. You see so many kids coming in. You can see they start to do Ritalin, then they start
to do a bit too much, and then they start to do way too much, and then they end up completely frying out. And it happens every single year; not just to one crazy person; but to a lot of people.” She also outlines the similarities between methamphetamine, the harder, illegal drug, and methylphenidate, more commonly known as Ritalin. “In terms of addictive qualities, it is a psychological thing. There’s a difference between prescription meth drugs and a dirty meth drug.” However, Ramsay does believe that Ritalin can be used responsibly without spiralling into addictive tendencies: “It’s also very much just the manner in which you’re using it, and your intentions for using it.” Ritalin is classified as a Schedule Six drug, making it legal with a prescription and perceived as a pharmaceutical. Despite this, methylphenidate is still a drug like any other, as its pharmacology is not affected by social perceptions or understanding. Its addictive potential is not unlike that of stimulants such as methamphetamine and methamphetamine-based drugs, such as methcathinone, more commonly known as ‘cat’. Ritalin continues to be prescribed to treat disorders such as ADD and ADHD, and many students use the substance to aid their academic work. However, it is important to remember that abuse of the schedule six drug can result in real permanently damaging consequences.