7 May 2012 Issue 10 Year 74

Perdeby Tuks se amptelike studentekoerant / Official Tuks student newspaper / Kuranta ya baithuti ya semmušo ya Tuks

7May2012

UP reassesses res security

Pssst... is back!

P5

P4

year74issue10

Pssst...

Serrie article

Boo! interview

P7

P8

Serrie: Boekenhout and Madelief triumph

Madelief

Boekenhout

Erika

Boekenhout

Erika

Taaibos

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Perdeby

If she had said Ringo Starr, I might have been okay with it

From the Editor

www.perdeby.co.za perdeby@up.ac.za m.perdeby.co.za @perdebynews Tel: (012) 420 6600 Editorial Editor-In-Chief: Carel Willemse carel.willemse@up.ac.za @Ed_in_Chief Editor: Beyers ‘Anarchist’ de Vos perdeby@up.ac.za @perdebyeditor News: Margeaux Erasmus news@perdeby.co.za @MargeauxErasmus Features: Meagan Dill features@perdeby.co.za @meagandill Entertainment: Nadine Laggar entertainment@perdeby.co.za @Alula273 Sport: Carlo Cock sport@perdeby.co.za @CarloRP

Look, I don’t want to get all judgy about what defines good music (Radiohead) and bad music (Justin Bieber) and I’m not here to dictate what anyone should enjoy or appreciate. But a few weeks ago I heard about some girl who had asked the following question: “Who is Paul McCartney?”

Who is Paul McCartney? Why don’t you just drop out right now? The Beatles are only the most influential musical act of the twentieth century, who recorded some of the greatest albums ever recorded, who are one of the biggest pop-culture phenomena of all time. And this isn’t according to me, this is according to everyone. Everyone.

Every single post-Beatles artist worth mentioning will no doubt list them as an influence. And she

Layout: JP Nathrass @JPNathrass Visuals: Brad Donald @Brad3rs

Teams

I’ve been accused of using the Top Ten to corrupt innocent varsity students pretty much ever since I started writing it. Because students are children who can’t think for themselves, of course, and by using my sneaky, sneaky writing I can gain ultimate power over their decisions and contaminate their innocence. So I’ve decided to make it easy for you: the top ten things you need in order to absolutely ensure your moral destruction.

1.

Layout Nolwazi Bengu Yannick Pousson Meghan van Rooyen 2.

Copy Louis Fourie India Goncalves Jaco Kotze Nolwazi Mngadi Saneze Tshayana Lizette van Niekerk Marié van Wyk Nadine Wubbeling Yuan-Chih Yen Advertising Sales Tel: 012 420 6600 Cell: 083 318 9738 carel.willemse@up.ac.za Copyright Perdeby is printed by Paarlmedia. All rights reserved. Contributions are welcome. All due care will be taken with materials submitted, but Perdeby and printers cannot be held responsible for loss or damage. The Editor reserves the right to edit, amend or alter in any way deemed nescessary. Perdeby cannot be responsible for unsolicited material.

The opinions expressed in Perdeby are not necessarily those of the editors and printers of Perdeby.

doesn’t know who Paul McCartney is? (I bet she knows who the Kardashians are.) It’s enough to make me lose faith in the world. This might be the music snob in me speaking, or the tiny hipster trying to get out, but come on: it’s Paul McCartney. Paul McCartney is the opposite of obscure or cultish: he’s Paul Mc-frikken-Cartney!

Look how upset I am, I used an exclamation mark.

I never use exclamation marks. Clearly, this girl needs to be punished somehow. Or at the very least be introduced to Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club.

Speaking of lonely hearts, I have received countless angry messages about the fact that Pssst… has been missing from the paper for the last two weeks. Of course, none of us know where Pssst… actually comes from. It just appears in our mailbox every week like it’s done for the last 50 years in some guise or other. So if it wants to go on a two week holiday, who am I to argue? But I’m happy to say all your gossip needs will once again be fulfilled this week.

It is interesting though, this whole Pssst… thing. It’s one of the great paradoxes I still struggle to come to terms with. People get so angry about what Pssst… says. I’ve heard of whole residences banning Perdeby from their halls because they were so irritated about this one little column in the paper. There was even a black market Perdeby trade in one res because of the bad stuff that would happen if the HK caught anyone with a copy (I’m unclear as to what “bad stuff” is exactly. How much power the HK actually has still eludes me).

And Pssst… is the one piece of evidence people 4.

Web: Marissa Gravett webeditor@perdeby.co.za @perdebynews Copy: Hayley Tetley @Hayley_Tet

Editorial

7 Mei ‘12

3.

An education. Everybody knows that universities are hotbeds of liberal thinking and ideas that will you force you off the straight and narrow and onto a path leading directly into the corrupt underbelly of society.

Vodka. It all starts with vodka, of course.

You can’t possibly be debauched without being so drunk that you can’t find your face. So go ahead, take that first sip.

Cigarettes. The next step is smoking.

Smoking is essential if you plan on rebelling against the moral fibre of society.

Condoms. Now, kids, you’re not really a beacon of immorality if you aren’t having all the dirty sex with all the dirty people.

5. Rock and roll. The devil’s music is a fundamental part of being a bad person.

As we all know, blasting Marylyn Manson makes you the one of the world’s worst criminals. Might as well embrace it.

6. Drugs. Alcohol and sex can only lead you down one path, of course. There’s no way that you could possibly avoid smoking crack now. It’s just too late.

7. Sundays. Apparently, if you do all of these naughty things on a Sunday, it’s worse.

Because immorality has a schedule too, I suppose.

8. Clubs. Dens of sin, they are. Everybody knows that you can’t just go out and have a good time. No, no, clubs lure you into their webs of sniffing-coke-off-toilet-seats depravity.

9. Piercings and tattoos. The more holes and/ or ink you have on your body, the easier it is for evil to gain access to your brain and cause the collapse of your moral centre from the inside. Duh. 10. The Anarchist Cookbook. Of course, because you’re drinking and smoking and being slutty, you’re naturally also politically radical. So why not learn how to build a bomb. Never know when you’ll need to blow something up.

use when they want to accuse me of running a gossip rag (I still chuckle because this one time someone told me Perdeby was like the Daily Sun).

But then on the other hand: Pssst... is the only reason some people will read Perdeby. They are interested only in the gossip Pssst… has managed to dig up, and nothing else. I’ve never understood how people can get angry about being mentioned in Pssst… when they are the very people keeping it going by reading it every week?

Man, people are weird. Personally I find Pssst… tedious and silly. But I must give the people what they want, mustn’t I? Anyway, onward: last week was all about Serrie, so read out review of that on page 7. This was the first year I wasn’t there myself but by all accounts it went well. Stuku did a good job, as usual; even though they weren’t very nice to the journalist covering the event. We also have a bumper entertainment section for you this week, so check that out. Our interview with Chris Chameleon in particular is a great piece. We also tackle this whole e-tolling saga: view our original video, where we ask students what they think about it all, online. And, of course, go look on page 5 to satisfy that burning desire you have to find out what the Erika first years did that one time in the Square or whatever information it is that Pssst… has that you people want so desperately.

Seriously though: Who is Paul McCartney? Go educate yourself.

I am the eggman, Beyers

News

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7 May ‘12

E-toll project put on hold STEPHANIE VAN DER PLANK

The proposed Gauteng e-toll project has been a contentious topic for the past few months.

It has triggered widespread resistance from organisations such as Cosatu, the DA, the Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance (OUTA) and from the general public.

The Daily Maverick quoted OUTA as saying, “Never in the history of our democracy has there been such a strong, unified outrage at an action taken by the authorities.”

OUTA’s law suit against SANRAL has resulted in an interdict against the levying and collecting of tolls. The North Gauteng High Court granted an urgent interdict to halt the R20 billion e-toll project on Saturday 28 April. In his judgement, Judge Bill Prinsloo said, “People are held captive by the toll roads.”

Now, after being postponed five times, the e-toll project will be put on hold until a court review is completed, which, lawyers say, could take until the end of the year.

Deputy Transport Minister, Jeremy Cronin, told SABC radio, “If we could rewind the clock, we would not have recommended this specific project … The problem is, of course, that we have now spent R20 billion on this project and the question is: how do we pay for this? One way or another, the public is going to have to pay for it.”

OUTA’s bid to stop the project is based on alleged violations of the Consumer Protection Act, insufficient public consultation and a lack of consideration of alternative forms of funding.

Despite the interdict on the project, resistance is still running high. At the Worker’s Day celebrations on Tuesday 1 May, News24 quoted Cosatu, saying, “Our

SDAP assists students facing disciplinary action MAXINE TWADDLE Students who face disciplinary action by the University of Pretoria will be able to seek the assistance of the Student Disciplinary Advisory Panel (SDAP).

According to Jordan Griffiths, who holds the Student Representative Council portfolio for Justice and Constitution, the SDAP is “a body aimed at protecting the interests of accused students” .

Griffiths told Perdeby that he is in the process of establishing the SDAP as a service provider in terms of the Constitution for Student Governance.

The SDAP will thus become an authorised university structure under the control of the SRC. According to Griffiths, the SDAP will prove invaluable to UP students. Staffed by students of the Faculty of Law, the SDAP will ensure that the rights of students facing disciplinary action are upheld. The law students who are consulted may not represent the student in his or her hearing, but will advise the student on what to expect. Students will therefore be able to prepare themselves adequately for any disciplinary action taken against them.

The SDAP will differ from the Constitutional Tribunal, in that it only prepares students for disciplinary procedures.

The Constitutional Tribunal, on the other hand, is directly involved in the proceedings.

Thus, any interaction on their part with a student would be a conflict of interest.

Wesley Timm, Chief Justice of the Constitutional Tribunal, explained that the Constitutional Tribunal’s role in a disciplinary procedure is to make “the committee [see] the matter from a student’s perspective, making

it easier for a student to put his point across.”

Timm told Perdeby that he is happy with the work of the SDAP leadership, and is pleased that it has the support of the SRC. Although beneficial to students, the SDAP will only work to the best of its potential when it is incorporated as a service provider, said SDAP Director, Prosper Nkala.

Nkala told Perdeby that there have been “fears of the SDAP causing legal liability to the university.” Nkala continued that the duties of the SDAP have been clearly defined, and thus cannot interfere with disciplinary proceedings.

The current disciplinary procedure at the university allows for the accused student to be assisted by a parent or legal guardian.

If the university appoints a third person to pursue charges against the student, the student is allowed legal representation, but not at UP’s expense.

In a disciplinary hearing, students are allowed to defend themselves after the charges against them have been explained.

The hearing is presided over by the Disciplinary Committee (DC) which consists of UP’s legal representative, an academic staff member of the university, and a representative of the Constitutional Tribunal.

The members of the DC vote to decide the verdict of the hearing. If the vote is not unanimous, the majority’s decision applies.

If the votes are equal, the Chairperson of the DC casts the deciding vote.

According to UP’s rules and regulations, students may face disciplinary action for plagiarism, any form of discrimination, bringing the name of the university into disrepute, damaging UP property, and using illegal substances on campus.

campaign goes on until these tolls have finally been scrapped.” Spokesperson Patrick Craven said in the Worker’s Day statement that the postponement was a “direct product of the worker’s power and sacrifices. We call upon government rather to prioritise. We also take issue with the existing toll-gates whose prices are forever on the rise.”

SANRAL has not responded to the ruling.

The Department of Transport has said, “We respect the decision … We will study the ruling thoroughly and decide on the next course of action.”

To see students’ views on the e-tolling saga, see our video online at perdeby.co.za or visit pPerdeby7410g.

Photo: Eleanor Harding

Here are some facts about the e-tolling system as it currently stands: • •

• •

• •

There are 42 gantries around Gauteng.

Tolling of 185km of the N1, N3, N12 and R21 around Johannesburg and Tshwane was expected to start on 30 April.

The discounted rate per kilometre (for those who have registered for an e-tag) is 30c.

SANRAL previously set a 58c per kilometre fee for those without an e-tag.

However, non-registered vehicles will pay a punitive rate of R1,75 – nearly six times higher than the discounted rate. This new rate has been introduced without ever having been discussed with the public.

At present, about 320,000 e-tags have been bought, roughly translating to 10% of the cars on the province’s roads.

In February, Finance Minister, Pravin Gordhan, announced that the toll fees would be capped at R550 a month.

Car accident leaves UP students in ICU

MARGEAUX ERASMUS Two UP students were involved in a car accident in Lynnwood road near the university’s main entrance on Friday.

Jarred Thain and Michael Wood, both second-year BSc Landscape Architecture students are currently in hospital according to a close friend of theirs who wishes to remain anonymous.

The friend told Perdeby that both students are currently in ICU. Thain, who was in the driver’s seat, is in a coma and Wood, who was in the passenger seat, is recovering after undergoing emergency surgery on Friday night. Wood is in a stable condition.

According to eyewitnesses on the scene Thain and Wood were driving down

Lynnwood road when they were hit by a speeding car from behind. The impact sent the car over the cement island in the middle of the road into oncoming traffic, where a UTi truck hit their car on the passenger side.

Brooklyn SAPS and the university have so far been unable to give comment on the accident.

Friends of Wood and Thain asked if people would start a prayer chain for the two students. “I really just want them to be prayed for as much as possible,” a friend of the two told Perdeby.

To leave messages for the two students visit our Facebook page or go to pPerdeby7410i.

Photo: Melissa Kemp

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7 Mei ‘12

News

UP re-assesses res security

AMY-MAE CAMPBELL A series of break-ins and thefts in and around the Hatfield residences have raised serious safety concerns over the past month. As a result, new safety measures are being implemented by TuksRes. An electronic security report sent out by Campus Security Services to residences on Monday 16 April listed four incidents of theft at various residences over the two weekends before, where the total cost of stolen property amounted to R19 500. According to this report, Asterhof, Mopanie, Maroela and Taaibos were among the targeted residences, and a student card was stolen and used to gain access Asterhof.

The week before the April recess, there were two break-

Trespassers in Mopanie

ins within two days at Nerina. According to Nerina Social and Semivoog HK Tilana Meyer, a man was seen inside the residence but was not confronted. Two rooms were targeted, Meyer’s room being one of them, and in both incidents the padlocks were removed from the doors and electronics were stolen.

Campus Security and the SAPS are currently investigating all the abovementioned incidents and several arrests have been made.

In response to these incidents, Katjiepiering recently introduced a temporary system where the HKs issued no night code for a week, forcing the girls to be in by midnight, in an attempt to control who entered the building. “Keeping the doors closed at all times and the exposure of the night

code has been an on-going problem,” explained Katjiepiering Primaria Tailei McCullough.

However, this caused a stir among certain residents at Katjiepiering. A fifth-year international student and resident at Katjiepiering, who prefers to remain anonymous, claimed to have been locked out once, because she could not get hold of a HK for the code. “[H]ow is this a solution to safety?” she said.

Director of Residence Affairs and Accommodation, Prof.

Roelf Visser, explained that TuksRes and Security Services are already implementing new safety measures and aim to replace all code doors with normal swipe doors, to prevent this situation from occurring again.

At Jasmyn, this change has already been made and cameras have been ordered for the electric gates where cars enter and where deliveries are made to Asterhof and Nerina.

Soon each room will be equipped with a new door-lock, each window will be burglar-barred, and a laptop safe will come standard with the facilities to deter theft from the inside.

Prof. Visser added that each residence evacuates once during the year to accommodate guests. The other residences are then locked-up and the few girls that stay in over the holiday all move into one residence during that time as it is easier to manage.

However, this past April holiday, all the residences were open. He believes that this was an opportunity for trespassers to gain easy access to the residences as each one was fairly quiet and there was a constant influx of visitors, which made it difficult to spot strangers.

Another safety alternative is to limit the entrances at each ladies residence, in order to have more control over the premises. A 24-hour guard will be appointed at each entrance, with camera-surveillance, and might request an ID for firsttime visitors during open nights, added Prof. Visser.

He emphasised that if the number of break-ins and thefts in residences does not subside, security will have no choice but to place cameras in the corridors.

“Everyone must be more aware of strangers. Make sure that code doors are functional and report faulty ones,” said Prof.

Visser.

Residences can contact Prof. Visser with any safety requests or suggestions and he will ensure that they are properly implemented.

Photo: Mellisa Kemp

Red Bull gets wings

FRANCOIS VAN DER WESTHUIZEN A 40-year-old man was found trespassing in the Mopanie residence on 21 April.

A Mopanie resident explained that he saw the man trying to gain access to a locked room and that the man stopped when he noticed the student watching him. The man was arrested shortly thereafter and found guilty of trespassing.

Similarly, another man was found sleeping in one of Mopanie’s bathrooms on 25 April. This man was a former UP student and was arrested on charges of trespassing.

The motive behind the trespassing is unclear and is being investigated.

Colin Fouché, Director of Security Services, is adamant that the access control systems at the residences are effective and secure, despite these incidents.

Fouché said that most trespassing incidents are the result of negligence. He said, “A residence is like a family. Like they believe in their traditions, they need to protect their family as well by showing collective responsibility.”

Mopanie Chairperson, Danie Ungerer, said, “I feel that it is the responsibility of the students to ensure that they don’t allow someone into the residence.” He believes the security systems are effective and that incidents were caused by the residents.

Fouché gave the following safety tips to residents: “Firstly, your student card is your key and it represents you as a student. If a student’s card is lost and the student does not report it, somebody else takes over the identity of that student.” Fouché urged students to immediately report lost student cards. “Secondly, if a stranger asks you to open the gate for them, do not blindly open the gate but rather report it to the HK or house father/mother or even to security.”

Fouché explained that students create opportunities for criminals to commit crime when they open doors for strangers, and thus students foster and assist crime indirectly.

MAXINE TWADDLE Approximately 2 000 cans of Red Bull were dropped from a helicopter over Hatfield Campus on Tuesday 24 April.

The Red Bull Airdrop, which was organised as part of an advertising campaign, took place at 04:00. According to Neo Moela, a Red Bull representative, the turnout that early was surprisingly good.

Red Bull cans were dropped over 400 campuses all over the world. The airdrop spanned 55 countries and more than 800 000 cans were dropped worldwide.

The largest stunt of its kind in history, the campaign aimed to supply university students with cans of Red Bull before exams. Moela told Perdeby that Red Bull wanted “to give

wings to millions of students around the world, at the same time.”

The campaign began in 2010 at the University of NebraskaLincoln, in America. Marketing firm, Archrival, was approached by Red Bull to come up with this innovative way of marketing the product.

The University of Pretoria was chosen along with the University of the Western Cape, the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, the University of the Witwatersrand, and the Mangosuthu University of Technology to represent South Africa.

See more photos of the Red Bull Airdrop at pPerdeby7410h.

Photo: Provided

Fun & Games

Pssst...

Pssst… hears it’s been sorely missed while on a little hiatus.

Well, Pssst… is back. And just in time for Serrie season.

Congrats to Madelief and Boekenhout and the other top performers. But as usual, there were a few reses that left a little to be desired. Like Kiaat, who decided that this year they’d be almost as slutty as Vividus ladies and try and sex their way into the final. It worked for the ladies (that lap dance probably didn’t hurt) but unfortunately the men of Kiaat have yet to learn the art of seduction. Here’s a hint: shave. Pssst... has been observing Kiaat’s crazy sexual acts lately and come to the conclusion that the men are definitely frustrated. The Kiaat house recently exposed themselves to Inca during one of the girls’ Serrie practices and proceeded to run around the rest of Groenkloof

5

7 May ‘12 campus in a free-for-all show. Pssst… was there and wasn’t very impressed. Maybe learn a lesson from guys at Mopanie, whose jock run should have taught you one thing: stuffing your underwear works. As for the Vividus dames: Pssst... sees it’s true what they say – sex sells, that is, it sells if you don’t look like butch Scottish people. If all else fails at varsity you know there’s a spot waiting for you at Flamingos. Pssst… hears Magrietjie, who put in a valiant effort on Saturday, were going around breaking Madelief HK boards after losing. What happened to all the pink happiness, girls? Or did you confuse it with that bottle of tequila in Herr Gunthers? That’s right, Pssst… saw you.

Is dit net Pssst… of word Klaradyn net slegter in elke jaar se Serrie? Dit is dalk `n goeie idee om die wyn eenkant te sit en te konsentreer op julle ritme, meisies. Gepraat van verlore ritme, Vividus mans was `n paar jaar gelede ongelooflik. Hierdie jaar was dit net ongelooklik hoe verveeld Pssst… was tydens hulle opvoering. While Pssst... wanted to see less of Vividus men, Pssst… had the misfortune of seeing a bit too much of Inca, yet again. It was a case of déja vu for Pssst... seeing as the girls’ red hot-pants made a reappearance this year. Just a pity the girls

weren’t as good as last year. At least their outfits were far better than Zinnia’s. We still don’t get it Zinnia? Did you think that would get you anywhere? As for Lilium… wow, Pssst... has nothing to say to you, nothing except for: that was legitimately awful. In other news, Mopanie might be good at everything they do but maths is definitely not one of them. Pssst... saw how the men behind the bar at Mopanie’s Oesdag struggled with giving people their correct change. As if their lack of maths skills isn’t bad enough, Pssst... thinks the Peppies’ surveillance skills could do with a bit of work too. This after a bottle of booze or five mysteriously disappeared off their counter with Mopanie being none the wiser. And this while res security is already under scrutiny. Pssst… also hears the race for HK is heating up in some of the reses after one Magrietjie candidate was overheard trying to convince a few first years to vote for her over a glass or nine of wine. Come now, surely bribery isn’t the way to go? It will definitely give Pssst… months of entertainment to look forward to though. Keep the tips coming ladies and gents: m.perdeby. co.za. Over and out.

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7 Mei ‘12

Features

Suicide: are students at greater risk?

BERND FISCHER Tragedy struck last year when Tuks student Duncan Allan committed suicide. Concerns about suicide were once again highlighted when Eye Witness News recently reported that a former Tuks LLB student, Chantelle Stockel, allegedly tried to commit suicide after failing to obtain her degree.

Studies show that about 23 people commit suicide daily in South Africa. This is according to Professor Lourens Schlebusch, a leading suicidologist from the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal. With suicide reported as the second leading cause of death in people between the ages of 15 and 24, it is evident that university students are at risk.

According to Dr Benedetto Saraceno, director of the Department

of Mental Health for the World Health Organization (WHO), underlying mental disorders are present in over 90% of suicide victims. Depression remains the leading risk factor associated with suicide, followed by chronic and acute substance abuse. A study by the University of Michigan shows that most mental disorders start during or shortly before the average age of university students.

The problems associated with psychiatric illness are worsened by common stressors – such as irregular sleep, changes in personal relationships and academic pressure – experienced by students at tertiary institutions.

There are, however, other risk factors which could increase the potential for suicide. In Psychology of Addictive Behaviours, published by Chungbuk National University in China, it is reported that a lack of social support, feelings of loneliness and living alone are common predictors of suicide attempts. The Journal of Addictive Diseases reports that 50% of suicides are somehow related to substance abuse, with 25% of suicides committed by drug addicts and alcoholics. This is alarming evidence when one considers the drinking and drug culture that is often rife at university.

Perdeby spoke to Dessy Tzoneva, Press Liaison Officer of the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG). Tzoneva cites academic problems, family pressure related to career choices, financial problems, relationship problems, social status anxiety, lack of self-confidence in academic performance and worrying about or struggling to find job opportunities as possible reasons for why university students might consider suicide. Tzoneva reiterates the fact that substance abuse exacerbates the issue and is generally linked to suicide.

Committed out of despair, suicide is sadly often seen as the only way out for troubled university students. In April, Anna University in India was faced with its third suicide in one month. Police confirm that the latest victim, an engineering student, could not cope with the academic pressure.

“Some students come from homes where they feel they are constantly [pressurised] to achieve and make excellence a norm,” says Nancy Nkoko, a second-year BSocSci in Industrial Sociology and Labour Studies student at Tuks. Students with financial difficulties are also more likely to commit suicide – these students might be on scholarships where they feel burdened to perform in order to avoid disappointing their families.

In 2005, a day before her mid-year exam, a fourth-year medical student at Tuks committed suicide. This prompted an investigation by three final-year medical students to determine whether medical students were at a higher risk for depression, and therefore suicide, in comparison to students studying other degrees. The report showed

that the frequency of diagnosed mental disorders, use of medication and suicide attempts did not differ greatly.

Even though Student Support on Hatfield campus is available for student counselling, Perdeby’s investigations found that many students are unaware of support services offered by the university.

Most of the students that are aware of these services are still unwilling to use them. In addition, the same report showed that suicide in Pretoria by those aged between 21 and 24 accounted for 8,4% of suicides in the city.

Despite the support services offered by universities, suicide clearly continues to be an issue. SADAG maintains that there is not enough focus on suicide at university level. This is an immense concern considering that universities are well positioned to promote mental health among the youth. “We get many calls from university students who feel alone and weighed down by the pressure, and who are fast losing hope that their dream lives will happen. We need to educate students and faculty members at varsities and colleges so that we can prevent suicide at these institutions,” says Cassey Chambers, SADAG’s operations director. “We would like to urge all universities to put articles and ads in their student newspapers regularly, to create awareness and provide toll-free numbers for oncampus counselling centres.”

In a collaborative effort between SADAG and Facebook, individuals can now report suicidal behaviour they observe in their friends. Once reported (anonymously), an email is sent to the user believed to be suicidal with resources and information about SADAG. “We have to work together to provide information and resources to people in crisis,” says SADAG’s founder Zane Wilson.

“That’s why being part of the Facebook initiative is so valuable.”

Signs that a student might be suicidal include loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities, talking about suicide, missing university, irregular eating and sleeping patterns, withdrawn behaviour and a change in personality. Family and friends are reminded to look out for these signs. If you suspect someone is suicidal, remember to approach the matter in a sensitive way.

A 2006 report by the WHO reveals that more people die annually by suicide than those murdered or killed in war, with a suicide taking place somewhere in the world every 40 seconds. With university students particularly prone to suicide, awareness about depression and suicide are crucial if universities are to win the war against this issue.

The University of Pretoria’s Student Support can be found at the Student Affairs Building, Room 2-13, on Hatfield campus. In addition to services provided by Student Support, students may also make use of the toll-free crisis line: 0800 006 428.

Behind the screens: cyberstalking explored LUSANDA FUTSHANE

Imagine a world without the internet. You would have to pick up the phone to book a plane ticket or to see how your friend with incurable wanderlust is doing in Micronesia. You would actually have to go to lectures and take down notes instead of relying on downloading slides from ClickUP. Love letters would still be conventional.

Professional bloggers would be poor.

The internet is an important invention and the world is grateful for how it has made many of life’s pleasures easier to achieve. But what it has also done is place some of life’s horrors just a mouse click away. There are the big ones: child pornography, identity theft and suicide clubs. Then there is the age-old taboo of stalking that has evolved into “cyberstalking”. When the physical threat of danger is taken away and the culprit is a great distance outside of the restraining order zone, does stalking become more acceptable?

Amy Kroon, a first-year student studying BSc Biological Science, says no. “It’s still wrong. Keeping tabs on someone’s life without them knowing is shady whether you’re doing it in real life or not.”

She says that she does not have a Facebook or Twitter account because they are just tools for strangers to know intimate details about her. “There’s so much that you don’t know about that goes on [on Facebook], it’s just safer to stay away.”

Facebook seems to be the main channel for cyberstalking. Since its introduction almost a decade ago, Facebook has been chided multiple times in the media about its privacy issues. Over the years this has improved, mostly prompted by highly publicised court cases that originated on Facebook. Facebook users can now block other users from viewing content on their pages. You can also choose what content you want to share and whether you want to share it with just your Facebook friends or with anyone who searches for your name.

Despite all of this, stalking still continues on Facebook. People can easily create fake accounts that they can use to gain access to other people’s profiles.

“Online stalking is harmless,” says Katlego Nkoana, a secondyear industrial engineering student. “I stalk boys that I like just to know more about them. I don’t want to hurt them or anything and I’m not some sort of sicko.” The problem is that sometimes cyberstalking can escalate and turn into something more threatening.

Two months ago, Beeld reported a case of one Tuks student harassing another on Facebook. John Honiball ended up getting a court order against fellow medical student Gregory Bonarius.

Honiball was quoted as saying that Bonarius’s behaviour was unnatural and that his patience had run out.

In the UK, under the Malicious Communications Act of 1998, cyberstalking is considered a criminal offence. But such a law can only be policed when the stalking has become aggressive or obvious, and cyberstalking usually leaves no evidence. In South Africa there is no law against cyberstalking. The only means of control is to get a court order that prevents the offender from contacting the target in any way. Usually, when an incident of cyberstalking is reported, it has already escalated into physical stalking and the offences reported are assault or trespassing. Cases like this show that even though cyberstalking may appear harmless, it can lead to dangerous situations if the intentions are malicious.

Still, many people maintain that cyberstalking is harmless and that people who use it to harass other people would have found a way to harass them without the help of the internet. “It depends on why you’re doing it,” explains Thato Molati, a second-year student studying psychology. “If you’re just doing it to check up on your ex or something then it’s fine. But people who do creepy things

when stalking others over the internet are creepy in real life as well.

Cyberstalking doesn’t create any psychological problem that wasn’t already there in the first place.” She says she is not sure whether or not cyberstalking should be made illegal in South Africa.

We are the generation who measures our success by the number of Facebook friends we have or how many people follow us on Twitter.

Then we willingly surrender details about ourselves to hundreds or even thousands of people. We tell them about our love lives, we “check in” wherever we go and upload pictures from our vacations, our appendectomy surgeries and our stints in rehab. We tweet what we are doing and with whom and how we feel about it. It is true that the internet has made it easier for people to keep tabs on each other, but could it be that we have let it?

What are your thoughts on cyberstalking? Tweet @perdebynews or @LooRadley.

Photo: Eleanor Harding

Entertainment

7

7 May ‘12

Boekenhout and Madelief triumph at Serrie

Madelief

MELINA MELETAKOS

Sonop

Boekenhout stole the show at this year’s Serrie, the biggest cultural event on the University of Pretoria’s calendar. The residence triumphed in the men’s category and was also crowned the overall winners of the competition, while Madelief succeeded in coming first in the women’s category.

Boekenhout’s unique Titanic Engine Workers theme saw them doing a brilliantly synchronized routine which was coupled with loud, fervent singing. They cinched the position of favourites after ending with the Titanic theme song “My Heart Will Go On”, which saw members of the audience waving their glowing phones in the dark. Boekenhout’s Serrie coach, Zane Groenewald, said, “We worked very hard.

The guys wanted it; we really needed this in res.

We got off to a bad start this year. This is a big thing for us.”

Madelief wowed audiences with their MMA Cage Fighters theme. Making excellent use of flashing lights and props such as a cage, Madelief’s impressive acrobatics saw them end their performance to numerous standing ovations.

With an incredibly high standard maintained throughout the performances, other stand-out residences were runners-up Margrietjie with

Boekenhout

their Twin Towers Rebuilt theme and their inventive use of props like scaffolding and power tools, as well as a dancing Statue of Liberty and a bomb-strapped terrorist. Second place in the men’s category went to Sonop, whose routine was a crowd pleaser with their Streets of London theme. A stand-out feature of the performance was the Sonop band.

Miss South Africa 2011, Melinda Bam, one of the judges, said, “I think it [winning] is a combination between having an intriguing musical performance, having the right props and the right theme. It’s a combination of all the different components; it can’t be just the wow factor at the end of the show. It has to be consistently wow.”

Organized by Student Culture (Stuku), Serrie was a sold out show. Chairman of Stuku, JC de Jager, said that the results were fair and that everything went smoothly backstage and behind the scenes. “I think that every single year [it’s] not only the standard [that goes] up, but the whole layout of Serrie changes, it takes on a new form. I can’t wait to see what’s going to come up next year,” he said.

At the time of going to print, Madelief was unavailable for comment.

Photos: Eleanor Harding & Hendro van der Merwe

Asterhof

Vividus Ladies

Magrietjie

Olienhout

Klaradyn

Taaibos

8

7 Mei ‘12

Entertainment

Boo!: Anything but frightful MELISSA PARSONS Upon their return from a tour in the Netherlands, Boo! made a quick stop in Pretoria to wow the capital city with their Monki Punk. Perdeby spoke to Boo!’s frontman Chris Chameleon about touring, a book in progress and a new album on the way.

You’ve created your own unique genre called Monki Punk.

How did the substitution of guitar with brass and keyboard come about?

In the beginning of October 1997, Ampie, Leon and I decided we were going to form a band. We started auditioning for guitarists and we found a couple of guitarists but [he] had to be skinny (this was an absolute must) and all the good guitarists were fat. Then we had to gig as well because we had no money.

We supported Sons of Trout on 31 October 1997 – that was our first gig. By then we hadn’t found a guitarist so we thought, “Oh, we’ll just go on without a guitar”, and the night went down a storm. It was fabulous. Then we were like, “Oh, maybe we don’t need a guitar”, and I started adapting my playing to make it a little less traditional bass.

You are a widely recognised Afrikaans musician. How difficult was the transition from writing for Boo! to writing for an Afrikaans audience?

I’m Afrikaans speaking – it’s my first language. It’s like, tonight you go to a gig and you hang out with your friends and you drink and you party and you laugh at silly, dirty jokes and tomorrow you sit at the Sunday afternoon table with grandma and grandpa and you’re the sweetest little girl and it takes nothing from you. It’s not that you’re being dishonest. You have these different sides that you show to people and it’s like that.

It’s totally natural. You’re a different person in front of your boyfriend than you are in front of your boss, than you are in front of your mom, than you are in front of your friends and it’s just natural.

How would you say your sound has developed from Boo!’s formation in 1997 to The Three of Us, your latest album?

Well, The Three of Us is indeed a little different but if you listen to all the Boo! albums, you will notice that they too are very different from each other. There’s a huge difference between Seventies, Eighties, Nineties, Naughties and Pineapple Flava and an even bigger difference between either one of those and TNTLC or The Three Buddhists. [The Three Buddhists] was this far-out project that we did and we did a lot of interesting studio work on it and then a live studio recording as well. So we were always changing but there being a seven year hiatus between TNTLC, which was an album that we recorded in 2003, and The Three of Us, you missed out on all the potential albums that could have been made to arrive at that sound. You know, any band [that] stays the same is either dead or lying. Like, you change. If you don’t look in the mirror for a year you’ll be surprised at what you look like a year later. It’s the same for me. I think it’s a good thing for music to change. Music is an organic thing. As a creator of music, you’re representing these changes in your personality and your life. Musically, what that means, I can’t tell. I don’t know much about music.

Boo! has performed in Bloemfontein, Cape Town and now Pretoria since returning from a tour in the Netherlands.

How different are South African audiences from foreign audiences?

Every audience is different. There’s a difference between a Cape Town audience and a Pretoria audience. Internationally, with Boo! we’ve played in 17 countries, often, it’s not like you only went there once. A few countries we only played once, like Hungary and the Czech Republic. But then, you know, Italy, Croatia, Spain, France, Germany, those are places that we’ve played in frequently. They are all different. Holland and Belgium together are smaller than the North West Province and they are completely different. Belgian audiences will suck you dry because they give you nothing. They are an incredibly reserved audience and you get off stage thinking they hated you but then they come to you and say, “Wow! That was really cool.” The Swiss are even worse: it’s like playing to a dry sponge. But then your Dutch audience is very jovial, very outgoing, very loud, friendly and extroverted. The American audience needs to be tickled into action. The English audience, the less respect you give it the better. We did this one tour in England where both the first and the last gig were in Oxford and the first gig was a nightmare, but I was being too polite. Then after that we kind of figured out the English a bit and went back and I got up there saying, “Well, you know f**k all you. Don’t mind me. We’re just here, we’re just wallpaper.” We had them eating out of our hands by the end of the third song. It’s weird. I think it’s that class system, you know? If you’re nice it means you’re nobody.

Do your ever feel pressurised to convert to a more mainstream sound to gain a larger fan base?

Hell no. You know Boo! was a full-time job between 1997 and 2004. It’s a horrible thing to have that pressure put on your passion, with all due respect to most occupations. But I think with many occupations, people do it because they’re good at it or that’s where they’ve found their niche but they’re not necessarily

“Expectation is the mother of disappointment.

Don’t expect anything. Just enjoy it.” completely passionate about what they do. Not every person that works in a bank wants to do that all the time. Generally, if people end up in music, you can pretty much tell that music is a thing in their lives that really gives meaning and it’s terrible to have that pressure put on your passion and your love. That pressure is eventually what hurt the band. That forced it into a seven-year or six-year hiatus. Now, we all have our own thing going, other things. Boo! has now become something where, if five people show up tonight, great. We’re going to give them our best show.

What [this attitude has] done is it’s also taken the pressure off how it should sound. I think with the next album, you’re going to hear that rather acutely because now you don’t even make money from selling CDs, so there really is no reason to record and create a sound and care about what the … I hate using the word “product” but really this is what you’re doing – if you’re taking money for something, it is a product, whether you want to admit to it or not, that’s what it is. It being a product, you always consider the customer. But I think Boo! has come to that point where we just do whatever tickles our fancy and don’t care.

That’s why I am very excited about the album we’re working on at the moment.

You’ve recently released your fourth single “Make Me an Offer”. Can we expect a new music video to follow soon?

No, I don’t think there will be one for “Make Me an Offer”. It depends on the performance of the single.

What do you think the secret is to BOO!’s longevity?

You know, you go to London and you see a guy like Eric Clapton or Sting playing and they’re playing [to a] modest audience. It’s full, it’s great but it’s not a stadium. It’s 2 000, 3 000 or maybe 5 000 people but not 50 000. Not the way it used to be. When you do those sorts of things you realise what the reality of our business is, especially music. If you’re not going to grow

with your audience, it’s going to be very sad. There’s nothing sadder than a 60-year-old guy who’s been rocking since he was 18 and who’s still doing it for the 18-year-olds. You know, just move on guy. It’s sad. That’s why I’ve changed my dress code a bit. Ten years ago, I was a hot chick, now I’m a “tannie”. It’s the unisex thing and the androgynous look.

You’ve been asked on your fans’ question page if you’d write a book on all of Boo!’s albums and you replied that you would start applying yourself. Have you?

Yes, I started with one of my solo albums. I’m doing it album by album, one album at a time and the Boo! story will probably all go into one book. That will probably happen later and I’ll tell you now why. A lot of the people who like what I do find a certain safety in my ability to present myself as a decent human being, which I am. But a lot of people can’t distinguish what is commonly viewed as a decent human being from the past of this human being or the alternative side of this human being. When I tell the Boo! story, I want to be honest. I don’t want to have to present it with parsley and slices of lemon to make it look nice.

I want to get out there and tell it the way it is and that is a tale of sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll. Interestingly, in Boo!’s music, there was never sex, drugs [nor] degrading comments about the sexes. There was none of that. It was wholesome although the presentation freaked a lot of people out. Like the other night when we played in Bloemfontein. The venue [could] only take 170 people and it was full and it was seated and most of [the audience] were my age and older. I am 40 now. They were sitting back and saying “D**m why did I miss out on that, you know?” and I was like, “Ja, you should give things a chance.” And they’re like, “But it’s so benign”, and I’m like “Yeah, it is.”

If you guys could go back to one particular gig and play it again, which gig would you choose and why?

Do I have to? Because I’d rather not but if a fairy godmother says she’ll turn me into a frog, then it will be … you know what, any decent Monki Punker who claims to remember any of his previous gigs didn’t really play them.

Chris, you wrote the song “Minutes to Midnight” at the request of the Leadership for Conservation in Africa organisation’s request. The funds produced from the single will benefit the 20/20 Vision campaign. How does it feel to know that your music has reached the level where it can create change?

I believe my music has always made a difference. Like I said earlier, it’s always been very benign. Most of the stuff I write about love, I try not to fall into the whole smelchy thing but love doesn’t necessarily mean smelchy. It’s universal inspiration for artists, composers, sculptors and painters and my work has always been benign, my work has always been positive, even in my dark stuff. I use dark to set it up for light, you know, and shine that little spotlight. I mean, it’s always made a difference.

This was just one particular cause.

Do you know about the gin trap guys that are on my case?

I’m playing a gig next week in Prince Albert and it’s a nominee for Town of the Year. Gin traps really cause a lot of damage to animals. It bites animals’ legs off and it mutilates them. Some lobby group has gotten hold of the fact that I’m playing there and have now told their 60 000 followers to mail me and tell me to cancel my gig in that town. So this week my mailbox has been completely inundated with requests [from] as far as Canada and the U.S. and Germany and of course all over South Africa telling me, “You must cancel your gig.” Obviously, I formulated a standard reply to say to them that if I’m going to have to cancel a gig because I don’t agree with what’s happening in the town, you have to petition the government to allow that, don’t come to me. If I have to cancel gigs on the basis of what happens in those towns, I can’t play in Pretoria because there’s a lot of stuff going on around here. What about the corruption? What about the police? This whole R500-million scam renting a building, that’s taking money away from what could have fed and educated children and education is the biggest problem in this country. I will find a very good reason not to play anywhere. I got hold of the letter that motivated all these people, that was sent to all these people that are now petitioning me. It said “This artist makes a lot of publicity out of his conservation efforts”. Putting it in a way as if I’m into conservation to get exposure, which I thought was terribly mean. But the saddest thing about that is not the mean misrepresentation of my views. It’s rather that good people should stick together. You shouldn’t alienate people because the thing that drives [me] is no different from the thing that drives someone to fly into a building. It’s the same “do as I say if you believe what I do or I will f**k you up” [attitude] which I think is terrible. That was just my little rant.

(See the “Minutes to Midnight” video @pPerdeby7410a or on the web.)

What can we expect from Boo! in 2012?

Expectation is the mother of disappointment. Don’t expect anything. Just enjoy it.

Photo: Bonita Lubbe

Entertainment

9

7 May ‘12

Tupac resurrected at Coachella MELINA MELETAKOS

Rap legend Tupac was brought back from the dead to perform with Snoop Dogg and Dr Dre at Californian music festival, Coachella. “What the f**k is up, Coachella?” A hologram of the rapper, who was murdered in 1996, asked the stunned audience as he materialised on stage. This eerie “resurrection” of Tupac cost about $400 000 and took four months to perfect.

An article in the Washington Post explains that while it is commonly referred to as a hologram, the performance was actually a 2-D projection. A 9m x 4m screen was lowered onto the stage right before the image of the deceased superstar appeared. His image was projected from above onto a reflective surface which then reflected onto a huge screen. The screen was angled in such a way that it was invisible to the audience.

The performance was put together by rap veteran Dr Dre, James Cameron’s Digital Domain and two imaging companies.

They used old footage of Tupac’s performances to create an animation that was disturbingly life-like because it incorporated some of his characteristic movements.

Dead singers have been brought back to life with the help of holograms before, but this was the first time that a hologram featured a unique performance by a deceased artist.

Is this the future of posthumous performances? Dr Dre seems to think so. Speaking to MTV News, he said that he hopes artists like Jimi Hendrix and Marvin Gaye can also be “resurrected”. He plans on continuing his work with holograms and hopes that they will eventually be performed in 360 degrees. There has also been talk that Tupac’s image will embark on a tour but nothing has been confirmed yet.

Writer Gil Kaufmann says that Tupac’s hologram could set a trend for future performances. On the other hand, while they are still a novelty, holograms risk becoming a worn-out trend. “For example, if Paul McCartney announced a tour with a virtual John Lennon, Beatles fans would likely see that as being in bad taste and not show up,” said Kaufmann.

See the the Tupac hologram @ pPerdeby7410d or on the web.

Image: www.thefader.com

Jack White: armed and going solo MELINA MELETAKOS

Jack White creates music that overflows with drama. It started with The White Stripes, then The Raconteurs and, most recently, the supergroup Dead Weather. Now, he’s going it alone with Blunderbuss, his highly-anticipated debut solo album.

With allusions to White’s recent divorce, Blunderbuss is an album about the collapse of a relationship. White lets it all out in an unrestrained, angry and sometimes harrowing way with lyrics such as “I won’t let love disrupt, corrupt, or interrupt me anymore” on the track “Love Interruption”. The song is a slow and simple acoustic duet with Ghanaian-born singer Ruby Amanfu and stands out as a raw and emotional catharsis of White’s experience.

While White is famous for his mastery of the guitar, Blunderbuss sees the instrument sharing centre stage with the piano in tracks such as “Weep Themselves to Sleep”. The song’s lavish piano pieces and hypnotic guitar distortions couple perfectly with White’s signature crooning.

With a sound reminiscent of The Beatles, “On and On and On” is another laid-back, serene tune. It begins with a tragic but

beautiful violin solo and is peppered with heartrending, slow piano pieces.

“I’m Shakin’” is an energetic cover of the R&B classic by Little Willie John. Frequent bursts of song from the background chorus add a lovely touch.

With its dominating guitar riffs, “Sixteen Saltines” screams The White Stripes and will please fans that are still mourning the breakup of the iconic band.

“Take Me With You When You Go” is the exquisite grand finale to Blunderbuss, with its extensive use of the violin and piano. It speeds up halfway through the song with the introduction of a majestic guitar riff. The track is easily the most interesting because it sounds as though several songs were cleverly woven together to form one mind-blowing tune.

Like its creator, Blunderbuss is enigmatic, unadulterated and a little bit odd. It is Jack White at his best.

See the “Weep Themselves to Sleep” music video @ pPerdeby7410c or on the web.

RATING: 8/10

Image: www.musicthatisntbad.org

New South African blues band launch debut album NATANYA SPIES It is always refreshing to come across new, young artists in South Africa who represent a unique approach, totally separate from the mainstream clichés that dominate radio stations.

Canadian-born artist Natasha Meister brings forth her singing and songwriting talent in her first album Half Way, released on 20 April in Cape Town.

The Natasha Meister Band, consisting of bass guitarist Roger Bashew (who produced the album) and drummer Paul Tizzard, brings blues back to the South African music scene.

Inspired by the work of Stevie Wonder, B.B. King and Aretha Franklin, the band established their image by participating in many shows across the country, including Splashy Fen, Cape Acoustic, Table Mountain Blues Summit and Synergy Live.

The album’s 11 tracks speak of love and loneliness and were all written and composed by 20-year-old Meister. The passionate tone in her songs showcases her potential as a vocalist and her own lyrics make the album innovative and personal, while her electric and acoustic guitar capability enhances her musical credibility.

A combination of blues, funk and soul dominate Half Way

and brings a melancholic tone to the majority of the songs. The more lively songs have a jazz influence, lending the album some variety.

As Half Way progresses, there’s a slight change of pace in the songs. The album starts and ends solidly but the middle is a little mediocre.

The track “Too Little Too Late” stands out because of its engaging lyrics. “Good Thang” is one of the more fast-paced songs and has an incredible guitar solo. The distinguishing tunes of “Winter Storm” and “You’re So Good for Me” make the songs more memorable than the rest.

Be on the lookout for Meister’s forthcoming music video for “Safe in the Silence” which is being shot in Cape Town. The Natasha Meister Band has produced a debut album filled with soulful vocals and rousing instrumentals. Although improvement is essential, they have made a noteworthy and respectable first attempt.

RATING: 6/10 Image: www.whatsonincapetown.com

10

7 Mei ‘12

Entertainment

The Lumineers: revelling in nostalgia MELINA MELETAKOS A nostalgic yearning for the simple and the uncluttered sounds of yesteryear has been at the heart of the recent roots revival. This nod to the past has seen bands like Mumford & Sons and Fleet Foxes enjoy immense popularity. Cue The Lumineers, an infectious folk band from Colorado who recently released their self-titled debut album. With a rustic charm and the extensive use of acoustic instruments, The Lumineers offer a timeless collection of songs.

The album kicks off with “Flowers in Your Hair”, a short acoustic ditty which begins with the lonely sound of lead singer Wesley Schultz’s slightly raspy voice and a single guitar. But it becomes a real foot-stomping tune when it gains momentum with the addition of percussion halfway through the song.

“Classy Girls” is unusual in that there is a bit of bar banter in the background of the song. It too has a majestic build-up, with the recurring use of hand-clapping.

The Lumineers’s most popular song, “Ho Hey”, tells a poignant tale of lost love.

Punctuated by frequent “ho heys” and with the addition of a mandolin after the first chorus, “Ho Hey” proves to be incredibly catchy.

The strongest track on the album, “Slow It Down”, is also the simplest. Schultz’s pained vocals confront you with the same raw emotion that you would get from Jeff Buckley’s rendition of the iconic “Hallelujah”. With lyrics like “I feel a filth in my bones, wash my hands till it’s gone”, the song is placed perfectly in the middle of the album.

“Stubborn Love” opens with a beautiful

violin solo that gives the track a bit of a Celtic feel. This song delivers one of the best lines on the album: “It’s better to feel pain than nothing at all; the opposite of love is indifference.”

The Lumineers strike the perfect balance between making the folk genre accessible to people who aren’t very familiar with the genre while also pleasing established folk fans. Perhaps the greatest thing about this flawless trio is that their music leaves you with a big, goofy grin pasted across your face.

To evoke such joy in a listener is easily one of the best qualities music can possess.

See the “Flowers in Your Hair” music video @ pPerdeby7410f or on the web.

RATING: 9/10

Image: www.themuseinmusic.com

Songs from The Dandy Warhols odditorium MELISSA PARSONS The ninth offering from the Portland-based band The Dandy Warhols is like something out of a dream. The 11 songs that make up The Machine will put the listener into a trance, induced by Courtney Taylor-Taylor’s husky tones. The album was recorded in the band’s own recording studio, The Odditorium, and the final product certainly has an oddity about it.

“Sad Vacation” opens the album with a repetitive but addictive melody. The lyrics are simple but the guitar riffs are reminiscent of Muse. “Enjoy Yourself” introduces the blasé attitude carried throughout the album. The song is carefree but the beat is nothing new.

Clichéd lyrics such as “Too cool for rules man, too cool for school” dim the originality present in the first two tracks, while the mosquito sound starting off “Well They’re Gone” will have many listeners reaching for the skip button.

The highlight of the album is “Rest Your Head”. The catchy riff that introduces the song will grab listeners’ attention and keep it until the end. “Don’t Shoot She Cried” is

haunting, but not in a good way. The song starts promisingly but then what sounds like a children’s graveyard choir enters the mix and it becomes difficult to shake off the goosebumps. The harmonica in the background adds a fresh spin to this otherwise disappointing song. “Slide” ends the album on a relaxed note. It is perfect background music for those afternoons spent lying on the grass.

The Machine has a more computergenerated sound than previous albums by this grunge-pop group. Nevertheless, each song delivers a convincing example of the alternative image The Dandy Warhols seem to want to project. Packed with a variety of seldom-heard sounds, there is a song for everyone in The Machine. The album is an acquired taste, but there is no doubt that listeners will soon be lapping up its uniqueness.

RATING: 7/10 Image: www.consequenceofsound.net

Hope shines through in a million colours NATANYA SPIES The turbulent era of national turmoil continues to be a popular theme in South Africa’s film industry. A Million Colours is a romantic action-adventure film that portrays tragic struggles in Soweto in the midst of Apartheid. The film is based on the true story of actors Muntu Ndebele (Wandile Molebatsi) and Norman Knox (Jason Hartman) who starred in e’Lollipop, the 1976 film about a friendship between children of two different races.

Directed by Peter Bishai, A Million Colours outlines the lives of these two young boys from their days as young actors to the way racial barriers damaged their lives and friendship. Its main focus is Muntu’s transformation from a young, well-known actor to a man on a quest to save his beloved Sabela (Masello Motana) from her arranged marriage to a Zulu chief. Muntu becomes a devious thief and eventually begins to decay in one of the city’s notorious drug dens.

On the other hand, Norman’s attitude towards segregation is altered when he joins the army and betrays Muntu. But as the movie progresses, he realises the value of friendship and, with a guilty conscience to assuage, spends his life showing e’Lollipop to various villages throughout the country.

A number of bloody and violent scenes

portray events such as the Soweto uprising, the Church Street bombing and general unrest in the townships.

The film includes manifold perspectives by also focusing on the frustrations of the white men who were forced into the army by the government.

Because the film spans across 30 years, the rapid pace and frequent change of scene becomes overwhelming. It might have had more impact if it concentrated on the details of a few issues rather than forcing a wide range of topics into a short time frame.

The script tends to come across as shallow demeaning the passionate themes of the film.

A Million Colours touches on many significant events in South Africa’s history, making it a decent movie for those who are longing to learn about what life was like during Apartheid South Africa. The ending contains some redemption among the characters and is especially touching. Overall, the theme of the film reveals that political and social turmoil cannot hinder the endurance of love and friendship.

See the trailer @ pPerdeby7410e or on the web.

RATING: 5/10

Image: www.themovienetwork.ca

Sport

7 May ‘12

11

Tuks performs well at USSA Champs

ZENNA MULLER The USSA Student Championships were held at the University of Johannesburg on 27 and 28 April, where students and other top athletes competed for another chance at joining the South African Olympic Squad.

The track and field championships were held on Kingsway campus in Westdene. Athletes competed at one of just three IAAF-registered tracks in South Africa. UJ athletics manager,

Thabiso Moletsane, said, “It’s actually the fastest track in the country at the moment, so we’re expecting some good performances.” The various athletes had to qualify in four rounds to make it to the finals.

On the first day, long-jump athlete Mpho Maputha came in third place with a distance of 7.66m. Hannes Dreyer came second in the final men’s 100m race. Claudia Viljoen ran gold in the 100m hurdles with a time of 13.65 seconds.

Anneri Ebersohn came first in the women’s

400m with a time of 54.10 seconds. Cherese Jones came second to Pukke’s Tsholofelo Thipe in the women’s 100m finals. Sonia Smuts won the women’s shot put with a distance of 14.94m.

On the second day, teammates PC Beneke and Le Roux Hamman placed first and second in the men’s 400m hurdles with a time of 50.67 and 51.14 seconds respectively.

Anneri Ebersohn came second with a time of 57.11seconds to Maties’ Janet Lawless’s 56.96 seconds. Monja Goosen placed third in the final

women’s long jump with a distance of 6.08m.

The Tuks 4x400m men’s team came in first with a time of 3:07.73 seconds. Tuks’s 4x400m team also came in first place with a time of 3:47.60 seconds. Electronic timing malfunctioning denied two 200m sprinters, Thuso Mpuang and Simon Magakwe, the chance to set new personal best times. Athletes have until 30 June to qualify for the Olympics.

Photos: Jaco Joubert

TuksBodybuiding off to good start NATALIE THOMPSON The TuksBodybuilding club is a new addition under the TuksSport umbrella. Bodybuilding is a rapidly growing sport and the club at Tuks is home to several bodybuilders who have made their presence felt at numerous national competitions.

The first competition for TuksBodybuilding in 2012 took place on 28 April at Pretoria City Hall. Three competitors from the Tuks club took part in the BBSA/IFBB Gauteng North open and novice show. In the u/23 over 75 kilogram category, Jean de Vos and Heno Jones were placed fifth and sixth respectively.

The pre-judging round took place in the morning and Braam Smith, TuksBodybuilding student representative, told Perdeby that the competitors’ places were already determined in this round and the main show that took place later in the day was more for the spectators’ enjoyment. During the pre-judging round, competitors are required to line up on stage six at a time and then perform four “quarter turns” which allow the judges to focus on each side of the body. The competitors are also required to perform seven competition poses, for example, the “best-side tricep pose”, which highlight certain areas of the body.

Heno Jones told Perdeby that he has been preparing for the competition for two years and has been on a pre-competition diet for the last four months. According to Jones, all the competitors were well prepared and the competition was stiff.

Smith said that the preparation for shows is very meticulous as the judges are essentially scrutinizing the competitors’ bodies and any flaws cause a deduction of marks. Therefore, alongside the building up of physique, competitors have to remove all body hair and apply a thorough tan. Smith explained that the tanning bends light around the muscle, which

highlights the muscles and their crosscuts.

Smith said that there are only five or six shows a year in which the club competes and considering the time it takes to prepare for a single show, most bodybuilders will only compete in three shows every year.

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Tuks wins Cricket Club Champs KEVIN VAN DER LIST The Assupol Tuks 1 cricket side ended an impressive season when they beat Steinhoff Maties by six wickets in the National Club Championship final on 28 April at SuperSport Park.

“It’s a great feeling and I am very proud of all the players and staff that played a part in it. It is not often that you can say you are the best club in the country. I think this success can largely be accredited to coach Pierre de Bruyn. Since he started he has completely turned the club into a professionally run unit,” said Tuks1 captain Maurice Aronstam.

The tournament brought together the best club teams across the country for a week of the toughest competition club cricket has to offer.

The men from Pretoria went into the Club Champs with a lot of confidence, having won the Premier League, the intervarsity against the University of Johannesburg and the Knock Out Cup competitions earlier this year.

Tuks’s build-up in the week before Saturday’s final was impressive, considering the tough opposition. Despite being placed in the tougher of the two groups, Tuks edged out wins in all five of their round-robin games, going into the final as favourites.

The final seemed smooth sailing in the end for the men from Pretoria, but there were some nervous moments. Solid individual performances by Aronstam and Francious le Clus ensured that Tuks won the Club Champs title.

Aronstam and his bowlers restricted Maties to 217/8 in the allotted 50 overs. Maties won the toss and elected to bat and the decision seemed to pay off when Omphile Ramela opened his scoring account.

The left-handed Ramela gave Maties the desired start. He played aggressive cricket and bashed the ball around the park. Although

Tuks’s first change bowler, Gerhard Linde, removed Ramela’s opening partner and captain Henno Jordaan for nine runs, Ramela continued to score with ease. After 10 overs, Maties were 63/1.

Tuks managed to stem the rapid rate of scoring after the 10th over by introducing spin for the next 34 overs. Ramela kept the score board ticking but continued to lose partners at the other end. Maties’s scoring rate dropped after the introduction of spin. Tuks employed four spinners and they undid the hard work done earlier in the innings by Ramela. The Tuks spinners put the brakes on Maties’s plan to post a mammoth score at the end of the innings.

Ramela’s sterling batting performance came to an end in the 46th over. Aronstam trapped him in front, dismissing the opener for a well-played 96 off 129 deliveries. This was Aronstam’s third wicket of the match. The captain ended a good bowling performance with four wickets for 19 runs in his 10 overs.

Tuks’s batsmen fancied their chances, only having to chase 218 at 4.3 runs to the over. Things did not start well for Tuks when Aronstam was dismissed in the first over for a duck by opening bowler Faan Fourie. The situation worsened for Tuks when Nathan Roberts struck for Maties in the second over of the game. Ernest Kemm lost his wicket playing

a rash shot and was caught at mid wicket for one run. With the score at 2/2 Tuks needed a period of consolidation. That is exactly what Le Clus and Douglas Hewitt brought to the crease. The pair put on a match, winning 186 runs for the third wicket. This partnership was characterised by risk-free cricket, continual rotation of the strike and the odd boundary.

Once the partnership was broken, Tuks lost another quick wicket, that of Theunis de Bruyn.

However, Graeme van Buuren and Le Clus took their team home for the win. Le Clus top scored with 103 and was named the Man of the Match.

Photo: Lee Waren - Gallo Images

Tuks stars to play for Springbok teams

KATLEGO PHEEHA Tuks rugby players that impressed in the Varsity Cup have been called up to wear the green and gold for the Springboks.

Fullback Clayton Blommetjies, named Backline Player of the Year in the Varsity Cup, has been called up to the Springbok Sevens team following the flurry of injuries suffered by the “Blitz Bokke”. Cecil Afrika and Paul Delport are both unavailable after suffering

knee injuries in Hong Kong and Japan.

Blommetjies will therefore occupy the fly-half and wing positions to fill the gaps left by Afrika and Delport. Tighthead prop Okkie Kruger, another Tuks player, has also been called back to the team as a replacement for Boom Prinsloo.

He previously played for the Springbok Sevens side during the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India.

“The newcomers all adapted very quickly and I am looking forward to seeing them play.

The UK events will be tough because there have been so many tournament winners already this season,” said Springbok Sevens coach Paul Treu. Other Varsity Cup players who have been called up to the team are Shimlas winger Jamba Ulengo and Ryan Nell from Maties. The team will next play in Glasgow, Scotland in the final stage of the HSBC Sevens World Series to be held on 5 and 6 May. This makes it three Tuks players who have represented the “Blitz Bokke” this year, the first of which was William Small-

Smith who was called into the team prior to the Hong Kong leg of the World Series.

The Springbok Sevens, however, is not the only Springbok team to call on the services of Tuks players. Tuks u/20 players Travis Ismaiel and captain Marvin Orrie were called up to represent the “Baby Boks” (South Africa’s u/20 national rugby side). “It was a lot of fun and obviously a great honour. The game is played at much higher intensity than varsity rugby and the opposition is much more organised but otherwise it’s basically the same,” Ismaiel told Perdeby.

Team coach Dawie Theron has been optimistic about the recruitment of Varsity Cup players into the team. “We have been working very hard on our structure and our systems and the players have a good understanding of what the coaches want from them. The selection of these young players is in line with our strategic plan and player development programme, which is also aimed at giving them exposure at international level,” said Theron on Varsitycup. co.za.

It has been a good year for TuksRugby. The Tuks 1 team won the Varsity Cup after years of disappointment and is doing well in the Carlton Cup. Several of the university’s players are being recruited by national sides and Tuks also has some players representing the Blue Bulls in the Vodacom Cup. Tuks is inching ever closer to being one of the biggest rugby clubs in South Africa, and is a good stepping stone for rugby players looking to play professionally.

Photos: Jaco Joubert & Marius Veldhuyzen van Zaten

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