Perdeby Tuks se amptelike studentekoerant / Official Tuks student newspaper / Kuranta ya baithuti ya semmušo ya Tuks
20May2013
Know your constitution
Make love, not Warcraft
year75issue13
Salt and wine: a chance at strange gourmet
P3 P7 P8 IDAHO Peace March P3
Mixed results for TuksHockey
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Shortstraw P9 Photos: Reinhard Nell
Photo: Hendro van der Merwe
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Editorial
20 Mei ‘13
Perdeby
Not everyone gets journalism
www.perdeby.co.za perdeby@up.ac.za m.perdeby.co.za @perdebynews Tel: (012) 420 6600
Editorial Editor-In-Chief Carel Willemse
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Editor Margeaux Erasmus
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News Danielle Petterson
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Features Bernd Fischer
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This week I rediscovered my passion for journalism. There is something about writing articles that invigorates the soul. You have to do background research about the story, conduct interviews and run around like a lunatic trying to get everything done on time. The journalist’s usual bread and butter. What I truly love about reporting is that it
From the Editor
allows you to reignite your passion. Rekindle the flame. Start the engine – whatever you’re going to call it. It reawakens the passion that lectures and courses have managed to extinguish. That is probably why I’m such a believer in trying out for a job that allows you to do what you’re studying for. It is only when you’re knee-deep in the everyday activities of a job that you really find out whether you enjoy it or not. And yes, money plays a factor and CareerCast.com ranking your job as the worst in the world can dampen your spirits somewhat, but if you’re at least burning for what you want to do, then you can, possibly, survive all of that. Granted, there are times when I wonder why certain people seem to believe that this is the career for them. Perhaps that is a bit harsh – I’ll rather say that sometimes I marvel at what other student publications think is okay to publish. Now I don’t believe that Perdeby is perfect. What is that saying about rocks and glass houses? But I do like to believe that we do our best to bring you factual news. Not only ramblings of what we think reality is. You’ll only ever find that in this clearly marked opinion page. I read another student paper this week.
They wrote about Tuks’s Varsity Cup win. The article was printed under Sport but didn’t really contain any facts. It seemed to be based on hearsay and basically called our rugby team a bunch of lucky cheats. Another student paper wrote about a campaign held at Tuks but failed to do any proper reporting on it. Apparently, press releases are all that is needed for an article these days. These are slip-ups that I hope will never happen in our paper. If you feel that they are happening here, let me know. I might be embarrassed and wish the ground would swallow me whole, but once I’ve got over the initial anger/anguish and had a chai latte I should be okay and be ready to change things for the better. So take a look at our paper this week. We have an interview with Shortstraw on page 9 as well as a Come Dine with Me experience on page 8. And if you haven’t seen our new website yet, ‘tis the time. We are moving to a new server at the moment because our site is getting so many hits that the server crashes. I like to think of that as a good thing. Study BA, marry CA, Margeaux
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News
Know your new constitution MARGEAUX ERASMUS Perdeby has reported on the rewriting of the constitution and the postponement of the SRC elections since the end of last year. Perdeby decided compare the draft of the new constitution to the old one to make sense of the whole situation. Last year, the drafting of the new SRC constitution was rejected by the University Council. Dr Matete Madiba, director of Student Affairs, said in a press release that the drafting of the new constitution, “Follows the suspension of the process last year, when there were disagreements about the proposed changes to the SRC constitution. A Temporary Student Council (TSC) was appointed to fulfil the duties of the SRC until the new constitution [is] finalised.” A steering committee (Steerco) was appointed to facilitate the writing of the new constitution. They presented their draft to the student body on 7 May in a public meeting and made it available on clickUP. The biggest change made to the constitution is how the SRC is voted into office. In the past students voted on two ballots. One for faculty constituencies, the other for society constituencies. These votes determined who would be part of Student Parliament, and Student Parliament voted individuals into the
SRC. In the draft of the new constitution, this is no longer the case. “The most dramatic change is that students will now contest as individuals [...] Students will now vote directly for the individuals they want to see on the SRC,” Jordan Griffiths, TSC president told Perdeby. Student Parliament was a structure that held the SRC accountable. Now that Student Parliament has been dissolved, a Student Leadership Forum (SLF) will be formed. The Student Leadership Forum will be made up of elected leaders from various structures of student formations. This structure will meet quarterly to receive the SRC’s action plans and evaluate the SRC’s performance against those plans. The SLF will hold the SRC to account and may recommend amendments to the SRC’s action plans. Members of the SLF may also question the SRC’s performance and may take these queries to student affairs. Griffiths told Perdeby that the SLF will be different from Student Parliament because it will not vote in the SRC and it will only meet quarterly and not monthly as Student Parliament did. He said that, “The SRC will report back to the SLF on its activities as it did with the Student Parliament.” He added that, “The Student Parliament had the ability to call a vote of no confidence in an SRC member to remove them, but the SLF does not.” Griffiths told Perdeby that, “Personally, I
Old constitution Draft of the new constitution Student Parliament votes individuals into the The student body votes individuals into the SRC. SRC. 18- or 21-member SRC. 18-member SRC 11 members will be voted in by the student body, while 7 other positions are ex-officio portfolios which will be nominated by substructures of the SRC. Set portfolios: President, Vice-President, Set portfolios: The four executive portfolios Secretary-General; Treasurer-General. Other as usual along with 7 other set portfolios portfolios are decided on after the SRC is in (Facilities, Safety & Security; Marketing, office. Media & Communications; Study Finance; Postgraduate & International Student Affairs; Day Student & External Campus Affairs; Societies and Student Access and Success) Each of these is defined in the constitution. Student Parliament. Student Leadership Forum. Ballot voting on the different campuses. Electronic voting on clickUP. Candidates can stand for a society, club or Candidates stand as individuals separate from constituency. a society, club or constituency.
feel the new constitution is better because it has addressed the ineffective Student Parliament of last year by removing it and creating a structure which isn’t as fixed as the Student Parliament. The new constitution also addresses the role of Rag, Stuku and [Student] Sport as service providers and ensures that they will properly operate under the umbrella of the SRC.” Beni Letebele, the facilitator for the Student Leadership Constitution, told Perdeby that the new constitution tries to broaden student participation. “It focuses more on student leadership and, therefore, creates more opportunity for students, in whatever leadership role they are in, to be part of the pinnacle of student governance,” he said. Griffiths said that, “The highly politicised atmosphere during elections has put students off as they don’t like seeing national politics being played out on campus, but the opposite is true in that students are often drawn to vote if they see major political players taking part.” Campaigning is another part of the constitution that has been changed. “The rules regarding campaigning in the current constitution are still being debated but they must seek to allow candidates the freedom to run public campaigns which get students to feel a part of the election and encourage them to vote,” Griffiths said. He added that the key to student participation is an atmosphere in which active campaigning is encouraged. Dr Madiba said that, “During the campaigning period, there will be every attempt made by DSA [Department of Student Affairs] to support candidates on an equal basis and arrange the forums for debate and engagement.” She said that there may be restrictions placed on the type or quantity of media that candidates may use, to make for an equitable process. “These restrictions will be announced and amended by DSA at the start of the election period,” Dr Madiba said. Letebele said that the new constitution gives students more opportunities to decide who leads them and to influence the SRC. “It’s not just [about] being involved in voting, it’s about being involved in shaping the SRC and constitution,” Letebele said. Students are encouraged to read the new constitution and to get involved in the writing of it. Steerco is currently busy with its review process and requests for amendments can be sent to them in a written submission via clickUP.
Tuks marches against homophobia
BOIPELO BOIKHUTSO Tuks’s Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) society, Up and Out, held a peaceful march against homophobia last Friday. The march was held on International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia to promote awareness of homophobia. According to Up and Out treasurer Thyler Cardinal von Widdern, people still get bullied on campus
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20 May ‘13
because of homophobia and the march was to show that they do not tolerate it. Before the march started, the executive members of the society handed supporters and society members white balloons and posters with messages against homophobia on them. According to Up and Out Chairperson Nazo Tunzi, the balloons symbolise the lives that have been lost because of hate crimes and the pain that they have gone through.
Students joined the march as it progressed. Most of the marchers wore white to symbolise lives that have been lost. Von Widdern emphasised that everyone, even students who were not part of the society, was welcome to join the march. “Straight people are also allowed, we are all human,” he said. The march was escorted by security guards for safety reasons. This was a silent march and some of the participants had tape over their mouths to symbolise the silence of people who do not come out of the closet because of homophobia. At the end of the march the students gathered outside the CSA, bowed their heads and had a moment of silence to “show respect to people all over the world who experience homophobic attacks because of their sexual preferences,” Tunzi said. Thereafter the balloons, which had individual messages written on them, were released into the air. Third-year BCom Internal Auditing student Thabo Mangoenyane said, “Today’s peace march was special to me because it commemorates a day upon which our identity was given a shot at survival.” He added ,that “It also gave me bittersweet emotions because not only do we celebrate who we are, but also remember those who have suffered injustices at the hands of the social ills known as homophobia and transphobia.” Photo: Reinhard Nell
RES BITES MARISSA BRITS Tuks Naledi Tuks Naledi visited the Viva Foundation in Mamelodi on 18 May. Their visit involved the cleaning up of the river, improving the vegetable garden and interacting with the children who attend the Viva Foundation’s school. The Viva Foundation’s role includes the transformation of poor areas into communities and the creation of employment opportunities. According to Tuks Naledi Rag HK Nomtha Gobe, the river cleanup will have an effect on the whole community because the river flows through the village. Gobe said, “We chose this project because we want to make our difference in going green and bringing a safe environment to people who live here.” Maroela Maroela, in collaboration with TuksRag, helped restore the infrastructure of the Kruisweg Koffiehuis on 18 May. The students fixed windows, sanded and varnished the wooden floors and installed proper lighting at the coffee house. The establishment takes care of the homeless. They give the homeless a place to bath and study the Bible. They also offer skills programmes and provide rehabilitation where needed. Maroela Rag HK Hanno van Zyl said, “We are getting involved because Kruisweg is doing a great deal of good in the city and they only rely on donations to run all their projects.” Van Zyl said that through their contribution they show their support for Kruisweg and get a chance to help the less fortunate. Mopanie Mopanie continued with their long-term Rag project at the Bethlehem informal settlement on 18 May. The informal settlement is situated in Hercules, Pretoria West. The settlement consists of approximately 50 families that are currently living in 26 Wendy houses. There is a lack of infrastructure and sanitation and the families only receive two meals a day from a central soup kitchen. The aim of the project is to improve infrastructure needs. The first visit took place on 1 May when students gave mealies to the residents and consulted with residents to find out what the major challenges were. The aim of the project is to improve the livelihood of the residents. Rag HK Ignus Storm said, “We feel we, as a residence, can greatly contribute towards this project and hope to raise awareness for other places like Bethlehem in Pretoria West.”
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20 Mei ‘13
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20 May ‘13
UP disappointed in low use of evening bus service
STAFF REPORTER UP is disappointed with the number of students making use of the evening bus service. According to UP’s Department of Transport Services, the service usage in April was “disappointingly low” at 22%. Usage increased in the first week of May to 32%, possibly due to the upcoming exams. The evening bus service which runs to Sunnyside and Arcadia was launched on 3 April 2013. This follows the trial bus service that started on 30 October last year. The trial service, which was funded by the 2012 SRC, was a free service to students. The idea was to offer students who lived in Arcadia and Sunnyside the opportunity to study at the library until late in the evening during the exams. Approximately
74% of students used the service during final exams. TSC President Jordan Griffiths said that the real test will be to see how service usage changes during exams, making it hard to comapare until the end of June. In March the TSC approached the UP Executive to implement the bus service on a permanent basis. The proposal was approved on the condition that the university subsidise the majority of the costs with students paying R5 per trip. Griffiths said that students have to pay for the bus because the TSC does not have the
funds to pay for it. “We would also like to run the bus for as long as possible and possibly even the whole year if we can,” Griffths said. “The university has agreed to take on all the costs on the condition that we also work to introduce a rate for the students who use it in order to test how much the bus service would actually be used.” Jabulani Mphake, a second-year BA Languages student, said, “I don’t get why we have to pay because we are students, but if R5 is what it takes to be safe, then so be it.”
“The real test will be to see how service usage changes during exams ... ”
Second-year financial management student, Jane Radimo, said, “I am really relieved that there is an evening bus because I almost got robbed last year walking to my flat in Arcadia.” Approximately 646 students made use of the bus service from 3 to 30 April and from 3 April to 6 May and 675 tickets were sold. Griffths told Perdeby that the TSC needs more than one month’s worth of statistics before lobbying for the bus service to be made permanent. According to the transport services department, the utilisation of the service will be monitored until the end of July when the university will decide whether to continue with it.
Tuks students climb the political ladder MARGEAUX ERASMUS
A few students at the University of Pretoria who were involved with political societies on campus have made their way into regional and national structures. Here is Perdeby’s exclusive interview with three of these individuals. * These are shortened interviews. The full ones can be found online.
Lesego Kekae, Congress of the People (COPE) Youth Movement Tshwane secretary
What are you studying at Tuks? Industrial sociology and labour studies (third year). How did you get involved with politics? I’m a township girl. I went to school in the township. And then I got the opportunity to study at the University of Pretoria. And when I came here I realised that this university is so diverse. And for the political side of it, I always heard students who I lived with in first year tell me how unhappy they are with the university. I thought the best way to know what was going on at this university was to get involved. And I’ve always had this mentality. Getting involved with politics doesn’t mean that you have to be on the opposition side or on the ruling party. Just as long as you are involved in politics, you can make a difference. Will your new position affect or help students at Tuks in any way? The Cope Student Movement (Cope SM) is a
branch together with the Cope Youth Movement (Cope YM). So whenever Cope SM tries to pursue a certain goal, we take part in it. For example, with elections they will tell us what they need [and then we] help them. I’m a student myself within this university and people know me. They can come to me with any problems that they have and I have the power to influence the Cope SM to take action. What are you hoping to achieve as secretary of the COPE Youth Movement in Gauteng? At the moment our mother body is not functioning very well. And I can tell you that the little role I have is a very powerful role to play, not only in the Cope Youth Movement but in the Gauteng province. We can either decide to destroy the party or to build it. And what I’m hoping to achieve is to build an alternative whereby the citizens of this country and the inhabitants of the Gauteng province can benefit from it. How will you get students to be more involved in politics and voting? Now that elections are coming up next year, Cope YM is not really active on campuses, but it works with the student movement. So we are planning to hold a voters’ campaign which will be taken over by the student movement. We are trying to enlighten people about the importance of their vote. Students are afraid to come out with or to even voice their complaints because they don’t want to be labelled. I ask the youth to take part in politics. If you don’t take part in politics you can be governed by a person who is your sub-ordinate, because you do not even want to go to vote. I’m really emphasising the issue of the power of your vote. Photo: Reinhard Nell
Thorne Godinho, Democratic Alliance (DA) Youth media and publicity chair
What are you studying at Tuks? LLB (third year). How did you get involved in politics? [When I initially got involved in student politics] I was very nerdish and I googled all of the political parties in South Africa. I knew I was a liberal, that was an important thing, and I was most interested in the Independent Democrats (ID) and the DA. The DA had structures in Gauteng and in Pretoria and the ID didn’t. So I contacted the DA and I immediately got a response. I got a group of my friends together and we all signed up to join the DA. When I first got involved in student politics it was all about bringing the DA’s message to the university, but I know now that there is a greater fight to help students. I am keenly aware that students deserve better. Will your new position affect or help students at Tuks in any way? I think it’s a great opportunity because [I’m aware of] the problems facing students. It’s great to have someone on the DA Youth executive
Barend Taute, AfriForum Youth deputy president
What are you studying at Tuks? Industrial engineering (fourth year). How did you get involved in politics? It’s always been my dream to make a
difference in the world through politics. As a Tuks student I felt that the best forum to get involved in politics was through AfriForum Youth. It was also the society closest to my values. Will your new position affect or help students at Tuks in any way? It will definitely help. I think the perspective and influence you have on the national level always helps. What are you hoping to achieve as deputy president of AfriForum Youth? Some of the branches in AfriForum are still relatively new. So I would really like to see all
the AfriForum branches become independent. Also, I’d like to see us moving forward one step this year in abolishing racial classification somewhere, on Tuks or on any other campus. We plan on doing that with campaign after campaign, pressure, media and lawsuits. At the moment we are working on the BEE Youth campaign, and then we have another controversial action or campaign set up for [the] second semester. But I can’t say what we are going to do yet. But it’s going to be fun, with the purpose to abolish racial classification. How will you get students to be more involved in politics and voting?
who is a student, who is on the ground, that can ensure that the issues we face can get out there. What are you hoping to achieve as DA Youth media and publicity chair? As an organisation we must not be afraid to speak on political issues. We should be driving an unapologetic liberal message. We need to ensure that we differentiate ourselves from other organisations. There is a quote from Helen Suzman where she says, “I hate bullies, and I believe in simple justice.” If I can bring that forward in this position, if we can fight bullies and fight for this belief in simple justice, then that is what I would like to achieve. How will you get students to be more involved in politics and voting? I think that one of the big issues, especially at university, is that once students get to university it is like they’ve reached the first hurdle in life. The next one is to get a job. For some people studying and getting good marks is the most important thing in a country where government just doesn’t ensure that jobs are created and where education isn’t readily available to people. So once they’re in this kind of environment I think they don’t want to get involved in these other things. Students don’t realise that maybe the problems they had before can be solved by politics. That’s the first part of the question. The second part is that politics isn’t sexy [and it] isn’t interesting. You need to be talking about real issues. We [the DA Youth] are going to be doing some really interesting and, I think, risqué things in the future. I think that is how we will get students and young people to pay attention. We need to ensure that there are young people who are promoting interesting politics, sexy politics. Photo: Naomi Karp
I think that we at AfriForum don’t really need to get more students involved because we have a group of 40 active students every year. In terms of the SRC elections, the whole thing is a mental shift. It depends on people actually knowing that they can stand up for themselves and for their own rights. And that they have a say in their future. And that is one thing that AfriForum is trying to teach to students at Tuks. That they can actually determine their own future. And that they need to participate in politics. Students don’t participate in elections because of apathy or a lack of belonging. Some of them don’t know where to fit in or they don’t agree with any of the organisations. Sometimes it is also just a lack of responsibility. They don’t really care what happens. Photo: Kobus Barnard
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Features
20 Mei ‘13
SHAWNA-LEZE MEIRING Students who are in a lecture that lasts 50 minutes can be compared to a hamster running on a wheel trying to generate enough energy to switch on a light bulb. In the beginning, the hamster is enthusiastic, full of energy and the light shines brightly. Soon, however, the light starts to dim and eventually disappears. This week, Perdeby investigates just how long a student’s attention can last before it wanders away and diminishes as class goes on. At UP, lectures are on average 50 minutes long, but some students have practicals and double periods which can easily last a few hours. Washington University in St Louis found that the quality of a student’s attention in class depends on the time of day and a student’s motivation, emotions and interest. The belief that a student’s attention span is about 10 to 15 minutes long has frequently been put forward in various articles and books on teaching. However, a study by Karen Wilson and James Korn of St Louis University found that there is no evidence to support this belief. Wilson and Korn said that this idea was based on imprecise studies on attention. When, for example, one study found that student’s note-taking generally decreased over the duration of the lecture, researchers interpreted this as evidence of decreased attention. They did not, however, find any direct evidence of a consistent 10 to 15 minute attention span. When Johnstone and Percival from the Centre for Science Education at the University of Glasgow did a study in 1976, they recorded perceived breaks in attention. Attention lapses were recorded in the initial settling-in stage and near the end of the class and as frequently as every three to four minutes. Washington University states that it is uncertain whether observers can accurately measure students’ attention spans in class. What does seem certain is that a student’s attention declines during a lecture. A 2010 study done at The Catholic University of America by a number of researchers, including Diane Bunce, a professor in chemistry, involved the use of clickers. Students were asked to press their clickers whenever they felt their attention had wandered in the lecture. This study’s focus was predominantly
Attention:
bright, dimming, gone?
on the duration of attention lapses. The students who participated were asked to press one button to indicate attention lapses of one minute or less, another button to indicate a lapse of two to three minutes and a third to indicate a lapse of five minutes or more. Three main findings were shown in this study.
The report stated that the most frequent length of attention lapse was one minute or less. If it is true that students typically have a 10 to 15 minute attention span, then a pattern of reported lapses every 10 minutes would be expected, but the second finding shows differently. The report shows the first attention lapse occurs just 30 seconds into
a lecture. The next attention lapse occurs 4.5 to 5.5 minutes into the lecture with lapses occurring every two minutes towards the end of the lecture. The third finding of this study shows a relationship between the timing of active learning and the pattern of reported lapses in attention. Bunce found that there were fewer lapses in attention when lecturers engaged in active learning, like demonstrations and the asking of questions. Therefore, active learning could be the key to keeping students’ attention for longer. Perdeby asked students how they feel about their attention span in class and if there are any factors (such as time of day and/or subject) that influence their attention span. “Yes, my attention diminishes as the lecture progresses. It depends very much on the subject, because interesting subjects hold my attention better. I would say my attention is best mid-morning,” says first-year BIS Publishing student Kirstin Sprenger de Rover. Benda Ueckermann, another first-year publishing student, says she struggles to focus on certain days like Friday. “I just can’t concentrate on a Friday. I do try to pay attention in every subject because I think they’re all important.” Devin Johnson, a third-year mechanical engineering student, says his attention wanders in class especially when “There [are] other important things to do, like preparing for engineering week [and] I contemplate whether I shouldn’t be studying [instead of being in class].” Michelle Elliott, also a third-year mechanical engineering student, explains that “If classes are engaging, then my attention doesn’t wander. When the lecturer is well prepared and makes the lesson interesting then my attention doesn’t stray. If I can see the practical value of my subjects in real life, it makes the concepts easier to understand.” Active learning in class might bore students but it could lead to more attentive behaviour. The magic words to grab a student’s attention often include something along the lines of “This assignment counts half of your semester mark.” Since there are a number of factors involved, there seems to be no definite calculation of a person’s attention span. However, being aware of how often attention wanders can help students direct their thoughts to the work at hand instead of just giving their imagination the power to roam free.
Photos: Reinhard Nell
TAG IT...TO WIN IT 1
Hatfield Plaza is holding a TAG IT…TO WIN IT competition throughout the month of May. This week’s winners:
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The Tag It...To Win It competition has announced that Raesetja Masedi, photo 1, is the first winner of the R1000 shopping voucher. Perdeby is holding its own competition. All you have to do is tell us which picture (1, 2 or 3) you prefer. The first two voters will receive a prize. Email your answer to perdeby@up.ac.za. To enter the Hatfield Plaza competition, take a photo of yourself at their photo booths with an item that you have bought at one of their stores. Take a photo and tag your “must-have” winter buy in the picture. Hatfield Plaza is giving away weekly prizes.
Vote for the best tagged photograph on Facebook.
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Features
20 May ‘13
Make love, not Warcraft
DESRÉ BARNARD Have you ever played an online game only to realise that five hours have passed while you were waiting for crops to grow or for lives to regenerate so that you can line up and crush more candy? Have you sat until your eyes water and your hands cramp trying over and over again to kill that sneaky camper who is tucked safely out of sight in a corner? Whether it is massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) or simple puzzle games, online gaming has become something that players need to keep in check. Most of the games people play on sites like Facebook are generally harmless ways to while away the time at work between lunch and home time, but sometimes these games begin to consume the lives of their players. Psychologist and chat-show host Dr Phil had a guest on his show in 2010 who was addicted to Farmville, a popular farming simulation game on Facebook. It got to the point that Theresa was spending the majority of the day behind the computer, unplugging the internet so that her daughters wouldn’t try to use the computer and, as soon as they left, she would plug it back in and tend to her farm. Dr Phil’s suggestion was simple: get off Facebook and
start a real garden. While that stands to reason, MMORPGs are a little trickier. In February 2012, an 18-yearold, only identified by his surname Chuang, was found dead facing the computer in an internet café. He had played Diablo III for 40 consecutive hours. That sounds a lot like a death that would be featured on the TV programme 1000 Ways to Die, so before you set fire to your console or deactivate your Facebook account, consider whether the games that you are playing are interfering with your social life, home life or your academics. You should also take into consideration how many hours you spend playing a game and whether you can stop at any time. First-person shooter (FPS) game Call of Duty is at the centre of recent controversy. Noah Crooks, now 14, is standing trial for the attempted rape and murder of his mother in 2012. Reports indicate that Crooks’s mother took away his copy of Call of Duty because he got bad marks at school. It probably takes a special kind of psychopath to do this sort of thing, one with many underlying problems. However, make sure that, if you’ve been playing a game for so long that you haven’t showered for a few days or that you’ve lost your significant other as a result of your addiction,
you go outside and remind yourself what fresh air smells like. It’s not all doom and gloom and the positives of online gaming can also be argued. When played in moderation, games have a relaxing effect, which some researchers argue can raise productivity. Video games can also help in the learning and development of logic skills, much like the ball you had as a child that required you to fit the different shapes into their corresponding holes. Games like Words With Friends, the digital copycat version of Scrabble, connects you with either your own Facebook friends, or total randoms, in a battle of words. MMORPGs and FPS games do the same and connect you to total strangers, if you have a stable internet connection and enough data. In games like Battlefield 3, players are thrown into a war zone that many argue may improve your reaction time as well as hand-eye coordination. World of Warcraft (WoW), a MMORPG, is a game in which players are immersed in a fantasy world where they go on quests and improve their different classes of characters, like orcs, goblins and night elves, with various upgrades, as well as improve their weapons, armour, special abilities and spells. WoW currently has approximately eight million subscribers and, in what might be understood
7 as an indication of its addictiveness, WoW comes with a built-in feature that allows parents to limit the number of hours of playtime. In his 2006 study “The psychology of massively multi-user online role-playing games: motivations, emotional investment, relationships and problematic usage”, Nicholas Yee suggests that an advantage of role-playing games might be psychological – players create an avatar and are able to live vicariously through their characters and develop meaningful relationships with like-minded individuals. It is easy to see where this may become a problem. Fisoun and others argue in their 2011 study “Internet addiction in the island of Hippocrates: the associations between internet abuse and adolescent off-line behaviours” that players may begin to develop antisocial and aggressive behaviour and may well begin to blur the line between pixels and people. Video-gaming addiction has yet to be declared an actual addiction in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and the American Medical Association is divided on whether it should be declared an addiction. However, some scholars, such as Grüsser and others in their 2007 article “Excessive computer game playing: evidence for addiction and aggression?” suggest that the effects and symptoms of a gaming addiction are akin to those experienced by other psychological addictions, like gambling and impulse control disorder. The sheer size of the gaming industry is enough to make you realise that the effects can be far-reaching. Market research firm DFC Intelligence estimates that the worldwide video game industry is poised to reach a worth of $70.1 billion by 2015, which is about a fifth of South Africa’s estimated gross domestic product for this year. Many countries, like China and America, have set up treatment centres for the possible increase in gaming addiction, and there is even a 12-step programme to curb your possible addiction through On-Line Gamers Anonymous. So whether you are developing a character, developing better reaction time or developing a farm, remind yourself that there are people out there that care about you. Real people. Be sure to check yourself before you wreck yourself. Image: Oan de Waal
Stress management with the aid of Internet?
ANLERIE DE WET Students are no strangers to stress. We’re used to having to write two tests on one day with an assignment due the next day. This kind of life that consists of deadlines and sleepless nights can allow stress to eat at us and our personal and social lives. But fear not, for our friend the Internet has done it again. Programmers have found a way to connect the Internet with stress management and, therefore, lessening the load. A study done in April by Cleveland Clinic researchers has found that online platforms called Internet-based stress management (ISM) programs can effectively reduce stress levels for a sustainable period. Dr Rick Nauert, a
senior news editor for PsychCentral.com, says that “improving access, enhancing quality and lowering the costs of health care services is a central tenet to health care reform” and that these programs can finally allow the medical field to achieve these goals. Chronic stress has been classified as a major social concern that increases health risks and chronic diseases. Compared to smoking, stress affects your health more negatively when it comes to blood pressure problems, diabetes and obesity. As reported in Annals of Behavioral Medicine, ISM programs are so effective in stress reduction that it is “comparable to face-to-face stress management”. In this study, researchers used what is known as the Stress
Free Now program to evaluate 300 participants (from a chosen company) before, during and after completing an eight-week ISM program. ISM participants received relaxation and meditation exercises including guided imagery via the internet. Participants underwent stress assessments at the beginning and end of the program and received online relaxation practice materials, coping strategies for stressors and daily inspirational topics to help participants continue their meditation and relaxation techniques. While some participated in the ISM method, others were placed in a controlled group and were also under constant evaluation. In these control groups, the participants received faceto-face stress management programs, which include exercise, massage therapy, acupuncture and diet modifications. Before the start of the study, all participants’ stress levels were measured using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), which was on average a staggering 23.05 (normal stress levels for men are 12.1 and for women 13.7). The results of both the control groups demonstrated that each participant’s stress score had decreased by at least 4.04 if they meditated once per week, but those who meditated five times per week decreased their stress score by 6.12. Another study done by the Department of Psychology at Uppsala University in Sweden used the same method as the Cleveland Clinic, but they also used the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale along with the PSS. Although this study found improvements in both groups, the self-help ISM program’s improvement was greater. Another difference that was picked up by the researchers of this study was that people are not particularly motivated to continue with
the ISM programs. The 300 participants in the Cleveland Clinic study were ordered by their companies to take part in the study, whereas Uppsala University had voluntary participants. Out of 85 Uppsala volunteers, 26% dropped out of the study. Their report concluded that the “differential dropout rates and compliance need to be monitored in future studies”, but still found a positive result that “the Internet can be used to provide stress management techniques and result in stress relief”. Dr Madeleine Nolte, head of Tuks Student Support told Perdeby that ISM programs are a “good step forward” for stress management. Nolte believes that Tuks will develop its own ISM program in the near future, but the matter requires a lot of funding and collaboration with the IT Department. The Wellness Institute of Cleveland Clinic assured ISM programs have been updated according to the results of these studies. Both studies reported they had great success with ISM programs, but that other methods should not be ruled out. Nolte agrees that other methods should still be used because “One size doesn’t fit all. All students have different needs and different levels of stress and should be individually assessed.” Although this program costs less than traditional methods, it is inaccessible to those without access to the Internet. For Tuks students, psychological consultation is freely available at Student Support. Knowing that there are more options to control and lessen stress may leave us with one less thing to stress about.
Photo: Hendro van der Merwe
8
20 Mei ‘13
Reviews
Entertainment
Salt and wine: a chance at strange gourmet
MAXINE TWADDLE “You’re going to get a very strange plate of food tonight.” Chatter stopped, wine glasses were put down and chairs were pushed back. Did chef Craig Cormack really just announce to 90 dinner guests (who had paid around R200 for their tickets) that they were going to eat “strange” food? According to Cormack, what makes the meal he had prepared unusual was the extraordinary amount of salt he had used in preparing it. While most chefs and sommeliers (those people at restaurants who know exactly what wine you should be drinking with your steak) tend to shy away from recommending wine with very seasoned dishes, Cormack explained that the saltier the food is, the more flavoursome the wine paired with it will be. With all expectations of haute cuisine gone (a relief, since copious amounts of red wine and foie gras do not a pleasant morning after make), Perdeby could relax at the beautifully set table, casually observe the other diners and wait for the first course, repeating the mantra “What would Dave Lamb say?” There were very few young diners among the guests. Students and alcohol go well together. Student budgets and a three-course meal where each course is accompanied by a glass (or two or three) of a different wine go less well together, it seems. The Eat @ UP restaurant, which hosted the event, was staffed by fourth-year consumer studies students. Jessica McKenzie and Anastasiya Meyer organised and managed the evening as part of their fourth-year project. Before the meal started, guests were taken to the restaurant’s
terrace, where they were served a 2012 Fleur du Cap Chenin Blanc with popcorn and cheese straws. If you’re sceptical about how well chenin blanc and popcorn go together, you will be pleasantly surprised when you try it. The popcorn, seasoned with volcanic salt, brought out the wine’s lime flavour. Next time you go to movies, forgo the Coke and take a bottle of this. Just be sneaky because Perdeby accepts no responsibility for your getting thrown out of the cinema. When it became too cold to stand outside, guests were ushered to their tables. Each table sat between two and four guests, making it intimate for those who were there with partners and awkward for those who weren’t. The first course was pork belly with pickled vegetables. Although it doesn’t exactly sound appetising, it was delicious. Cormack explained that the vegetables had been pickled in a brine solution for 24 hours, allowing the flavour to be locked in without affecting the vegetables’ texture. The pork had been cooking in salt for 38 hours. The starter was paired with a 2011 Fleur du Cap Merlot. Perdeby tried not to look silly while following winemaker Christoff de Wet’s instructions to gaze into the glass and absorb the smell and taste of the wine. Even though it felt like we had formed an uncomfortable emotional attachment to the merlot, we’re glad we obeyed De Wet. The unusual pairing enhanced the red berry flavours of the wine. Cormack warned guests that, “If you drink the wrong wine with the wrong food, it will taste like paint thinner.” With that piece of advice noted, we began the main course.
The 2012 Fleur du Cap Chardonnay matched the dish of chicken cured with salt perfectly, but the course in itself was rather underwhelming. This would be the part in Come Dine With Me where the host is in the kitchen fantasising about the ten he’s going to get and the guests are in the dining room envisioning giving it a five. Perdeby was very nervous about the potash honey cake that was served for dessert. We had never heard of it before, Google had never heard of it before and not even our Martha Stewart-like grandmothers had ever heard of it before. The wine (a Fleur du Cap Noble Late Harvest) served with dessert immediately put us at ease. Nothing bad can happen when the wine is that delicious. People without a (very) sweet tooth probably would not have enjoyed the combined sweetness of the wine with the cake (as it turns out, it’s normal cake with honey and salt) but we couldn’t get enough and ate it embarrassingly quickly. By the end of the evening, we could have done with a Come Dine With Me car to drive us home. If we had been sitting in the back seat with our scorecards, this is what we would have given the night: Starter (salted pork belly and pickled vegetables, paired with merlot): 8/10 Main course (roasted chicken baked in Khoisan salt, paired with chardonnay): 6/10 Dessert (potash cake and spicy syrup and vanilla ice cream, paired with the noble late harvest): 8/10 Overall: 7.5/10 Photos: Brad Donald
Entertainment
9
20 May ‘13
SHORTSTRAW: GOOD MORNING, SUCCESS Review
Interview
MELINA MELETAKOS
MELINA MELETAKOS Just over a year ago, quirky indie-kwela quipsters Shortstraw were the little-known band that was playing the opening slot on a bill, only really known for their spoof song that pays a hilarious homage to actor Keanu Reeves and for dropping the deplorable f-bomb in the chorus of “LYSAGFY”. Fast-forward a bit and the picture looks quite different. First they nabbed the coveted award for best indie band at this year’s MK Awards after going head to head with local genre heavyweights like The Plastics and Ashtray Electric. Then they opened for Brighton rockers The Kooks, a night that turned out to be an icy battle of the elements under a bridge in downtown Jo’burg, easily the perfect setting to mark this pinnacle in their careers. Most recently, and perhaps most importantly, Shortstraw have released their follow-up album, Good Morning, Sunshine. Not unlike their debut album, You’re Underfed, I’m Wonderful, it presents a collection of boogie-inducing beats that make any crowd jive joyously as they sing along to the bodacious hooks and choruses. What they have done differently is up the afro-influence ante by making the distinctive skiffle-like beat that characterises kwela music prominent throughout the album. “We’ve made a concerted effort to take an influence for this new one, which was the kind of afro vibe, and that strung together some of the songs that weren’t necessarily influenced by that,” says frontman Alastair Thomas. Good Morning, Sunshine was written collaboratively by the whole band, a process lead guitarist Tom Revington also credits in giving the album its dance sensibility. “Songs would start and finish in the band room,” he explains. “If all five of us are contributing to a song, there’s a good chance it’s going to be loud,” bassist Russel Grant adds. By December last year, Shortstraw had about half the tracks for their second offering. To write the remainder, they went to Verkykerskop in the Free State, which allowed them the time to focus solely on making music. “It was about getting out of Johannesburg, which I think was very important because otherwise we would have been quite distracted,” says Russel of the reasons behind their platteland getaway. “We would have been together [on tour] regardless, but it was
nice to be in a creative space with creative people,” says Alastair. But did the Shortstraw boys feel pressure to get the writing of the album done in a mere week? “We knew we wanted to organise this whole tour and have the album ready, so we kind of worked backwards from that deadline,” says synth and keyboard player Gad de Combes. Without that pressure, he says, it all came easily. There was a great moment during that week in Verkykerskop, says Tom, when the band was narrowing down the tracks for the album. “I remember looking at the list and thinking, we’ve got a good selection. It’s not like we’re struggling to fill up an album. We’re struggling to choose which ones to put in, which is cool. It’s a good space to be in,” he explains. For Russel, the great moment was during the week that Good Morning, Sunshine had to be ready and everyone in the band was ecstatic with the final product. “I think if we had problems, we would’ve delayed things and really made a point to change it, but it just worked out that we were all happy at the right time,” he says. While Good Morning, Sunshine still offers the witty lyrics that characterise Shortstraw’s sound, some of the tracks on the album suggest that the band has grown into a more mature sense of humour. “We’ve been writing songs for quite a while now. I think it’s just a natural progression,” says Alastair. “The more you do anything ...” “... the more refined it gets,” says Russel, completing his sentence. Gad wants to clear something up. “Look, there are still things that make us laugh on the new album ...” “But it’s not as much toilet humour,” says Alastair, his bandmates laughing. Another thing they all agree on is that the process of creating their second album has brought Shortstraw closer together something evident as they complete each other’s sentences. “I spend more time with these guys than I do with anyone else,” explains Alastair. Says Russel: “I spend three, four times a week with them when I’m not working, so these dudes become your ...” “... bros,” says Alastair. “Your besties,” agrees Russel, provoking yet another explosion of laughter.
“Woooo, woooo, you’re such a bitch in the morning,” sings Shortstraw frontman Alastair Thomas, launching a sputter of insults on “Good Morning, Sunshine”, the title track of their second offering. Similar to their debut album, You’re Underfed, I’m Wonderful, it’s a collection of songs that conjure hair-whipping, hipthrusting, booty-jiggling jiving that is so wrong that it’s right. Why? Simple. It’s practically impossible not to. But don’t make a mistake in thinking Shortstraw’s sound has remained stagnant this time around. While Good Morning, Sunshine may still be doused with droll lyrics, it also reveals more introspective wordsmithing, the type that only sinks in later when you find yourself belting songs out in tedious traffic or when you’re elbow-deep in a sink of grimy dishes. “Couch Potato” lambasts a generation of square-eyed youth who spend their lives in front of the TV, while “Cold Shoulder” admits that “There’s a wounded soldier to mend / So hold me closer tonight.” And then there’s “LCBSS”, with its contrite chorus: “Sorry for everything / Sorry for everything else too / Sorry for the disappointment / Sorry for the fact that you’re alone / Life can be so s****y sometimes / I can be so s****y sometimes.” Shortstraw is well aware of the value of putting swear words in the chorus of a song. People sing louder, as if collective cussing somehow gives the proverbial middle finger to everything that irks them in life: the neighbour’s podgy pooch that yelps at all hours, the ever-increasing petrol price, the fact that the Guptas landed their plane where they weren’t supposed to. The familiar punch of fun is supplied by tracks like “127 Hours”, a song about that awkward moment when you see someone for the first time after some one-night loving. “Mo Money”, a collaboration with rapper Zubz, is a hedonistic celebration of hitting the bar with an inhibition-less girl (“Now fill up your cup, it’s getting empty / You’re getting drunk, I’m getting thirsty”), while “Gimme My Fix (It’s Only Recreational)” is a song about how a person can be addictive (“Snap back, heart attack / You’re just like a ticket to the sun”). “The Wedding Blues” is, perhaps, a song that finds itself somewhere in the middle, featuring Desmond & The Tutus frontman Shane Durrant as the best man rapping an embarrassing speech. It pokes fun at the convention of getting married, while at the same time pleading for you not to take it too seriously. Does Shortstraw completely manage to translate their live energy, made all the more palpable by guitarist Tom Revington, into their recorded material? Not entirely, but this is only in praise of their live performances, which have morphed into highoctane spectaculars that prove that Shortstraw is a band to keep a beady eye on. RATING: 8/10
Photos: Hendro van der Merwe
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10
20 Mei ‘13
Fun & Games
Sudoku Last edition’s solution:
Pssst...
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It’s ontheffing season and the residences are keeping Pssst... entertained while they release their first years into the big bad world of the Square. The first years are wasting no time in embarrassing themselves, losing their dignity faster than Pssst... can say “DropZone”. The Klaradyn first years celebrated their new-found freedom in style. Pssst... hears that a few of the Welpies obviously got bored of the Square and decided to swop Oxfords for a police cell. Nothing says classy like being arrested for being drunk in public, right? Speaking of lacking class, Pssst... understands the pressure a few litres of alcohol puts on the body but Pssst... doesn’t think that the Inca girls could have been desperate enough to answer the call of nature in the res dustbins. Pity the Lilium girls won’t be able to join in on all the self-humiliation. Pssst... hears that 12 first years were caught at
the Square before their ontheffing. Pssst... cannot understand why their HK is so angry. Weren’t the girls just upholding res tradition? Speaking of tradition, Kiaat still finds it necessary to show how strong they are by beating up the smallest Kollege boy they could find. That display of aggression obviously wasn’t enough for Kiaat. Pssst... hears they went and took out their frustrations on an innocent Sonop boy. Thinking of becoming diplomats, boys? Taaibos aren’t experiencing the same problem of too-high testosterone levels. Pssst... isn’t sure if the Taaibos fundraiser the other day was a carwash or an excuse for the boys to chase each other around semi-naked. Send Pssst... tips to perdeby@up.ac.za or m.perdeby.co.za.
Perdeby’s Daily Roundup Get your local and international news, entertainment and sport updates at perdeby.co.za. Perdeby’s Daily Roundup is published around 19:00 on weekdays. Illustration: Modeste Goutondji
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Student Disciplinary Advisory Panel The Student Disciplinary Advisory Panel (SDAP) is a panel of law students who is available to assist all UP students facing a disciplinary hearing. A UP student may be called to a disciplinary hearing if there are reasonable grounds to suspect that the student has contravened the Disciplinary Code: Students. Academic misconduct (including, but not limited to plagiarism, fraud, forging of medical certificates and other documents, being in possession of unauthorised material during tests/examinations or any other form of dishonesty during a test or examination) is the most common transgression referred to the Disciplinary Committee for investigation. For the definition of misconduct, please consult page 33 of the University of Pretoria’s General Regulations and Rules 2013. The instructions regarding examinations, tests and other academic assignments on page 40 of this document are of
particular importance too. The University of Pretoria takes these matters very seriously. Students should take note that if they are found guilty of academic misconduct, they may, among others, forfeit their credits for a module and/or be expelled from the University for a period of at least one year. The SDAP is available to assist any UP student during a disciplinary hearing. The SDAP will explain the procedural steps followed during a disciplinary hearing, as well as the formalities and the various legal principles applicable during a disciplinary hearing. If you have any queries regarding disciplinary matters, please contact the SDAP’s director, Adam Civin, on 084 232 6007 for an appointment, or approach the SDAP during consultation hours in Room 2-24, Roosmaryn Building, Hatfield Campus.
Die Studente- Dissiplinêre Adviespaneel (SDAP) is ’n paneel van regstudente wat beskikbaar is om enige UP-student by te staan wat ’n dissiplinêre verhoor moet bywoon ’n UP-student kan ontbied word vir ’n dissiplinêre verhoor indien daar redelike gronde is om te vermoed dat die student die Dissiplinêre Kode: Studente oortree het. Akademiese wangedrag (insluitende, maar nie beperk tot plagiaat, bedrog, vervalsing van mediese sertifikate en ander dokumente, besit van ongemagtigde materiaal tydens toetse/eksamens of enige ander vorm van oneerlikheid tydens ’n toets of eksamen) is die algemeenste oortreding wat vir ondersoek na die Dissiplinêre Komitee verwys word. Vir ’n omskrywing van wangedrag, raadpleeg asseblief bladsy 33 van die Universiteit van Pretoria se Algemene Regulasies en Reëls 2013. Die instruksies ten aansien van eksamens, toetse en ander akademiese opdragte op bladsy
41 van hierdie dokument is ook van besondere belang. Die Universiteit van Pretoria beskou hierdie aangeleenthede in ’n baie ernstige lig. As ’n student aan akademiese wangedrag skuldig bevind sou word, kan hy/sy onder meer sy/haar krediete vir ’n module verbeur en/of uit die Universiteit geskors word vir ’n tydperk van minstens een jaar. Die SDAP is beskikbaar om enige UP-student tydens ’n dissiplinêre verhoor by te staan. Die SDAP sal die prosedurele stappe verduidelik wat tydens ’n dissiplinêre verhoor gevolg word, asook die formaliteite en verskillende regsbeginsels wat tydens ’n dissiplinêre verhoor van toepassing is. Indien u enige navrae oor dissiplinêre aangeleenthede het, raadpleeg asseblief die direkteur van die SDAP, Adam Civin, by 084 232 6007 vir ’n afspraak, of nader die SDAP tydens konsultasie-ure in Kamer 2-24, Roosmaryn Gebou, Hatfield Kampus.
Sport
11
20 May ‘13
Brittain shows strength in cycling
TuksJudo win 24 gold medals GABRIELLA FERREIRA
PHILIP STOFBERG AND MAXINE TWADDLE Olympic gold medallist Matthew Brittain is taking a break from rowing and focusing on competitive cycling instead. The High Performance Centre-sponsored athlete was advised by his doctor to stop rowing for a while to aid the recovery of a serious back injury. Brittain explained that he chose to participate in cycling because “Mountain biking is apparently a good form of rehabilitation and I have to admit that I am thoroughly enjoying myself at the moment.” Brittain has had a good start to his cycling career, having participated in three of South Africa’s foremost mountain biking races. Brittain rode the Absa Cape Epic with his rowing teammate James Thompson. The pair finished 33rd overall in the competition, which attracts top mountain bikers from all over the world. Professional mountain biker Rob Dormehl was Brittain’s partner in the nine-day joBerg2c tour. The race, which starts
in Johannesburg and ends near Durban, is 900km long. Only about 10km of this distance is covered on tar roads, making it a gruelling mountain bike race. Brittain and Dormehl rode for the Avis Van Rental team and finished sixth behind renowned South African cyclists. Brittain achieved his first podium finish in the Burry Stander MTB Series on 11 May. As a result of Brittain’s success, sports nutrition brand USN has announced that it will sponsor him for the rest of the season. Despite his success in mountain biking, Brittain will return to rowing next year. “The moment I get the go ahead from my doctor I will be back on the water, working hard to see if I can be part of the team that will be competing in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. Then I will only do mountain biking as cross training,” he said. Brittain was a member of the men’s coxless four team that won gold at the 2012 London Olympics.
TuksJudo took part in the South African National Judo trials between 3 and 4 May in Johannesburg. The team won a total of 24 gold medals across three divisions, participating in u/17, over-20 and senior events. In the u/17 division, Sheldon Kachelhoffer, Desire Black, Christiaan Boshoff, Courtney Read, Devan Cook, Francois Strydom, Bea Meiring, Marli Meiring and Jessica Botha were all awarded gold medals for their performances. Winners in the over-20 division include Matthew Chase, Dale Whittaker, Sinothando Mva and Ruan-Tobie Snyman. Nine senior competitors won gold medals for Tuks. DJ la Grange, Vaughn du Preez, Jacques van Zyl, Matthew Chase, Zack Piontek, Marlon August, Ruan-Tobie Snyman, Danica Bruwer and Sinothando Mva were all winners in their respective classes. Michaela Whitebooi put on a commendable performance. She received gold medals in both the u/17 and over-20 divisions. Coach Nikola Filipov was commended for his work with the team. Spectators chanted “Tuks of Niks” at the end of the trials. Several Tuks athletes have been chosen to represent South Africa this year. Kachelhoffer, Boshoff, Whitebooi, Read and Black have been selected to the South African squad for the u/17 Africa Championships in Algeria in June and the World Championships in America in August. Whitebooi will also represent South Africa in the u/20 division at the World Champions in Slovenia. She will join Chase, Whitaker, Mva and Snyman in the team. Six Tuks athletes, inclduing Mva and Snyman, will participate in the Senior Africa Championships in Mozambique in April and the Brazilian leg of the World Championships. Le Grange, Van Zyl, August and Piontek are also in the team. TuksJudo’s next appearance in a national competition will be at the South African Open Championships in Port Elizabeth between 30 June and 6 July.
Image: www.mypr.co.za
Mixed results for TuksHockey BRIAN KIAUTHA
TuksHockey’s women’s first team lost to the University of Free State (Kovsies), beat the University of Witwatersrand (Wits) and drew to North-West University (NWU-Pukke) in the Varsity Sports South Africa tournament held from 11-13 May. The Tuks team went into the weekend unbeaten after beating the University of Johannesburg (UJ), the University of Cape Town (UCT) and drawing with Stellenbosch University (Maties) earlier in the hockey season. Tuks had drawn to Kovsies and NWU-Pukke in pre-season matches. On Saturday 11 May Tuks faced Kovsies in what was seen as the biggest match of the day. Tuks started the game well and were able to withstand pressure from the home side. In the second period, Kovsies’ Izelle Lategan scored a goal off a penalty corner to put her side 1-0 ahead. Tuks continued to apply pressure to their opponents but Lategan was able to score her second goal of the game. The game ended 2-0. On Sunday Tuks played against Wits in a Gauteng derby. Kate Koenig scored Tuks’ first point in the seventh minute of the first period. With five minutes left in the first period, Jenna Shuker scored from a Tuks penalty corner to extend the lead to 2-0. Taryn Moses and Lilian du Plessis scored in the second period. Du Plessis scored again to make the score 5-0 with eight minutes of the game remaining. Wits came close to scoring after they were given a penalty corner with three minutes remaining, but Tuks defended their corner well. Tuks came back from a goal down to draw 1-1 to NWU-Pukke on Monday. NWU-Pukke scored early in the game and continued to dominate. Tuks were given a penalty after NWU-Pukke’s Stephanie Baxter was given a green card for a reckless tackle, but did not convert it. Later in the game Koenig set up a goal for Janie Porteous to level the score at 1-1. Tuks were placed fourth on Varsity Sport’s South Africa hockey log with 15 points after the tournament. Image: www.varsitysportssa.com
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Spec-Savers Hatfield Shop 29, Hatfield plaza Burnette Street Hatfield 0123622887
Sport
Spec-Savers Hillcrest Shop 13, Hillcrest Boulevard Cnr of Duxbury and Lynnwood str. Hillcrest 0123623144
Vividus Ladies lead hockey league
PHILIP STOFBERG Last Thursday the ladies’ residences braved the cold to play in the last round of hockey matches before the res league takes a break
for exams and the holidays. After this break, there will be one more week of regulation matches before the finals, which will be played in August. Vividus Ladies and Curlitzia took to the field
Played Vividus 10 Onderstepoort 10 Madelief 9 Curlitzia 11 House Physio 10 Magrietjie 10 Erika 11 Asterhof 10 Klaradyn 10 Lilium 10 Katjiepiering 9 Zinnia 9
Wins 8 8 5 6 6 4 4 3 3 2 1 0
Draws 2 0 4 1 0 3 2 4 2 2 1 1
Losses 0 2 0 4 4 3 5 3 5 6 7 8
GD 18 14 12 7 -11 4 2 1 0 -14 -17 -20
Points 26 24 19 24 18 15 14 13 11 8 4 1
Rugby: Olienhout beat Vividus KHUMO MEKGWE Olienhout’s first team beat Vividus Men’s first team 16-19 in the seventh round of koshuisrugby. Olienhout dominated territory from the beginning of the game. Ant Artemides scored a penalty just six minutes into the game to give Olienhout a 3-0 lead. A few minutes later, Olienhout were given another penalty but scrumhalf Shandon Carter did not convert it. Although Olienhout continued to apply pressure and dominate possession, Vividus scored the game’s first try in the 25th minute. Vividus hooker Theunis Potgieter created the opportunity for flyhalf Ruan Liebisch to run the ball deep and allow Werner Fourie to score the try. Potgieter converted the try to give Vividus a 7-3 lead. Olienhout scored a try four minutes later, after
for the first of the night’s matches. Neither team managed to score in the first half, but Vividus took the lead with a goal early in the second half. The match ended 1-0 after Curlitzia failed to equalise.
Photos: Paul dos Santos
FIRST DIVISION WOMEN’S LOG
PREMIER WOMEN’S LOG Team
Lilium and Asterhof were up next in what turned out to be a nail-biting match. After players from both teams were sent off for minor infringements, Asterhof managed to score on the stroke of half time. After keeping Lilium at bay for the entire second half, Asterhof’s defence lapsed to give Lilium a penalty seconds before the final whistle. The striker from Lilium managed to equalise for the match to end in a one-all draw. Klaradyn and Katjiepiering gave the crowd an entertaining match with numerous short corners and attacking play. The first few penalties were unsuccessful for both teams and Klaradyn managed to score in the second half. Klaradyn scored again shortly after to extend their lead to 2-0. The final two matches saw Magrietjie beat House Physio 2-0 and Madelief beat House Zinnia a 1-0. In the night’s first division matches, BCur (a team of nursing students) beat Law House 1-0, Nerina grabbed a 3-1 victory over TuksVillage and House Radiography beat Asterhof’s second team 3-2.
several scrums near the goal line. The try was not converted and the match went into half time with an 8-7 scoreline. Potgieter converted a penalty early in the second half to extend Vividus’ lead to 10-8. Shortly afterwards, Vividus left-wing Gert Botha received a yellow card. Olienhout capitalised on the one-man advantage to score their second try. Carter missed the conversion, giving Olienhout a 13-10 lead. Potgieter scored the first of a series of penalties soon after the try, taking the score to 13-13. Both Potgieter and Carter converted penalties in the last 20 minutes of the game to make the score 16-16. Artemides converted a drop kick to secure the win for Olienhout. Photo: Tahnee Otto
Team Nerina Zeus OPVSC Jasmyn TuksVillage House Radiography NAT House Asterhof Law House BCur EBIT Jakarandia Luminous
Played 11 10 9 10 11
Wins 11 8 7 7 5
Draws 0 1 1 0 4
Losses 0 1 1 3 2
GD 41 19 20 14 4
Points 33 25 22 21 19
11
5
2
4
1
17
9 11 11 11 11 9 9
4 3 3 3 2 1 0
1 2 2 1 2 0 0
4 6 6 7 7 8 9
2 -3 -22 -11 -18 -17 -28
13 11 11 10 8 3 0
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