Perdeby Tuks se amptelike studentekoerant / Official Tuks student newspaper / Kuranta ya baithuti ya semmušo ya Tuks
Akkomodasie / Accommodation in HATFIELD 2012 Alle verbly is binne loop afstand vanaf Kampus All accommodation is walking distance from Campus Vir meer inligting skakel ons kantoor by: For more information, contact our office at: 012 342 2001 3rd Floor, 347 Hilda st C/o Arcadia & Hilda street HATFIELD
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Racism on campus
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The date rape drug
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Desmond and the Tutus interview
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AMY-MAE CAMPBELL The Miss Tuks Rag Queen Crowning for 2012 took place in the Rembrandt Hall on LC De Villiers last Thursday, where 22-yearold mining engineering student, Mudinda Denga, captured the admiration of the crowd and won the title. Denga told Perdeby that she wasn’t shocked that she won because she knew what she wanted from the beginning and took the right steps in order to reach her goal. She also hopes to inspire people throughout her reign as Rag queen. “In society people are often taught to be cynical and I want these people to have hope and rise above their circumstances,” Denga explained. Leanda Els was the second princess and Cecile Brits was voted first princess. Both were satisfied with the results and were very confident that Denga would represent UP successfully, “She deserves to win. She is hard-working and has a good spirit. I’m looking forward to us working together,” Brits said. “She is beautiful, has a warm personality and is very down to earth,” Els added. There were eight judges, among them Anneline Kriel, who won the title in 1973 and went on to become Miss World in 1974. According to Kriel, “Confidence shows that someone is at ease
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with them self and [also has] a natural beauty and smile.” These were key qualities she was looking for in the new Rag queen. Hannon Bothma, owner of Hannon cosmetics, was also on the judge’s panel and described the ideal winner as a lady who is feminine and a good spokesperson for the university. “You must represent yourself at your best,” Hannon said. The top 18 debutantes were not only judged on their appearance, but also on a talent-showcase. This category enabled the debutantes to be creative and talents ranged from pole dancing and cabaret to public speaking. Local music sensations December Streets and 2010 SA Idol’s finalist Lloyd Cele entertained the audience while the top eight ladies were being selected. Three debutantes were also awarded the titles: Miss Congeniality (Angelica Lamprecht), Miss Photogenic (Jessica-Lee Bothma) and Miss Executive (Bianca Swanepoel). The event was organised by Tuks Rag as the final part of their debutante programme which started in August last year. Denga also walked away with an Audi A1 and a R5000 Hannon hamper. Photos: EYEscape
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Editorial
27 Februarie ‘12
Perdeby
How a Zoo cookie can solve your existential crisis
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 de Vos perdeby@up.ac.za @perdebyeditor
at best a knock-knock joke: at least, it is when you’re a BA kid. What’s the difference between a BA student and a pizza, after all? Nevertheless, in the middle of what soon became the kind of week that ends in a lot of swearing and a massive hangover, there was one tiny moment of calm. A friend and I sat on the floor of my room and ate Zoo cookies, while a storm raged outside (do you see what Shakespeare is doing to me? I’m starting to see nature as a mirror of my psychological state of mins. Eish) Anyway, I don’t want to turn Zoo cookies into some great metaphor for enjoying the small things in life, for finding pleasure in humble, everyday things like baked goods, but I am left with no choice. Zoo cookies just inspire happiness. No one, no matter how bad their day was, can eat a Zoo cookie and not instantly revert to the mentality of a small child without a care in the world. Zoo cookies are the answer to all questions. Fail an exam? Break up with your boyfriend? Get kicked out of your flat because your roommate was secretly cooking meth? Suddenly realise that the universe has no meaning and life has no point? Eat a Zoo cookie and none of that seems to matter anymore. Of course, much like the Oreo, there is a proper procedure involved when
Features: Meagan Dill features@perdeby.co.za @meagandill
Last week was a rough week. There were fights with landladies, disobedient cats and hyperintense, quasi-religious lectures on TS Eliot that triggered several existential crises within an hour. I’m only three weeks into my honours degree and I am beginning to realise that it’s probably not a joke. At least, if it is a joke, it’s quite a long complicated one, with several punch lines and a twist at the end. Unlike undergrad, which is
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I have never understood war
News: Kirsti Buick news@perdeby.co.za @kirsti_buick
From the Editor-in-Chief
Sport: Carlo Cock sport@perdeby.co.za @CarloRP Web: Marissa Gravett webeditor@perdeby.co.za @perdebynews Copy: Hayley Tetley @Hayley_Tet Layout: JP Nathrass @JPNathrass Visuals: Desré Barnard @DesreBarnard
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I have never understood war. I am fascinated by the history of war and all of the intricate processes that lead to war, the ideologies that fuel war and the deals that fund war. I understand the capitalistic reasoning and gains for a select group of people but what I fail to comprehend is how people are willing to kill others, whom they have never met, on behalf of someone else. Let’s be perfectly honest, the authorities commissioning the war sit comfortably, far away from the frontlines, while others are killed and die on their behalf. Isn’t this a strange concept to fathom? I guess what it boils down to is personal conviction. We all have our beliefs, even though it might be imprinted on us via dominant ideological propaganda. Some people are willing to go further, do more, in order to stand up for
their beliefs. Sometimes there might be hidden agendas behind their reasoning but sometimes the sentiment is true and pure. Take for example Julius Malema’s economic freedom march that took place at the end of last year. Walking from Beyers Naudé Square in Johannesburg to the Union Buildings in Pretoria is not a small feat. It is almost a Comrades Marathon distance. Like I said earlier there might have been ulterior motives for Mr Malema in his walk but for a lot of the people walking with him it was a desperate attempt to focus attention on their helpless situation. It might have been a case of the blind leading the blind but the fact of the matter is those marchers conviction of beliefs had them walk such a great distance. The point that I am trying to reach here is that we have to start opening our eyes to the world around us. It is fine to have strong principles but what we need to do is question the authenticity, roots and motives behind the ideology that we hold so dearly close. There might be no arguing the validity of your beliefs but be careful of the person preaching the dogma. Some people preaching communism in South Africa are the biggest capitalists. Some religious factions are the greatest hypocrites. Some revolutionaries are fascist. History has a tendency to repeat itself. Open your eyes and think for yourself.
From the Editor
eating a Zoo cookie. If you don’t eat it properly, it won’t work and your life will continue to be empty, meaningless and lonely, the dark abyss just meters away (excuse the dramatic turn of phrases, I’ve been reading literature and that is an unavoidable side-effect). Anyway, back to reality. We have a great edition for you guys this week. There were rumours of a naked guy on campus, who is still avoiding all my attempts to get hold of him. If you’re out there, please make contact. I promise I won’t call the cops. I just want to know what it is that makes you feel the need to expose yourself to strangers. There were two streakers at last week’s Varsity Cup game (one of which might very well be the very same naked dude terrorising campus) as well, so nudity seemed to be a theme of the week. You can see photos of these charming gentlemen on page 11. There are other articles I urge you to read: our debate page on racism on campus, my own article on date rape drugs as well as our interview with Desmond and the Tutus. Enjoy. Stranger danger is not a myth, kids Beyers PS Tweet me things @Perdebyeditor. I would love to hear from you.
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Carel Willemse Editor-in-Chief
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.
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Discussion
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27 February ‘12
racism. Because so-called white students [are] deliberately left out because of the colour of their skin in placement of residences and certain degrees, although their academic points are good enough. Look in student parliament last year. Parties are so-called non-racial parties, but they want to implement race quotas more radically. So according to me, there is more racism now than ever before. Francois Cloete, VF+ Chairperson I wish people would stop caring so much about the colour of everyone else’s skin. I think South Africans are too sensitive about racism, and are quick to use it as an excuse for someone else’s behaviour. At Tuks, it is no different. A lot of the time, I think people imagine that others are simply being racist towards them. Anonymous
The great debate:
We ask students about racism on campus COMPILED BY KIRSTI BUICK AND MARGEAUX ERASMUS I am an international student and last year was when I experienced a not-so-very-“Rainbow Nation” side of South Africa. When I joined Tuks, I never knew how far and rather complicated these so called “traditions” were going to be. I did not know a single word of Afrikaans when I entered res, my HK expected me to learn an entire song in less than five minutes, and I remember someone saying, “Arrgh nee man, it’s not that hard.” So other girls like me, with little or maybe no background in Afrikaans, sang these songs with our heads bowed down so people wouldn’t notice. Another shocking thing I witnessed in res was how an African and a white girl do not share double rooms. Why did I receive a form that [asked whether] I was comfortable in sharing a room with another race? As hidden as it may be, does this not show trails of racism? The issue that really puzzles me is the whole 60-40 ratio in a residence. Is it wrong if 50% of the house has non-white habitants? Is the university going to suffer a loss? Are they not getting the same amount of money? Where exactly is the harm with a 50-50 ratio? Is it because we may encounter a 10% decrease in the amount of Afrikaans being spoken in the lifts? This is where reality hits you. A rather recent event starts off like this: My friend and I are walking down the corridor. A first year approaches us, and as tradition, any first year must always greet her seniors. No matter how many times you see her during the day, you always greet her. Period. The first year greets my friend, gives me a look and walks off. My friend and the first year have nothing but one similarity: the melanin levels in their body. I asked myself, “Was I invisible? Was she temporarily blind?” If that’s not racism, I don’t know what is. Is this what home away from home is supposed to feel like? Anonymous I wouldn’t exactly call it “racism” but there is definitely racial segregation at Tuks. The majority of Tukkies, even though they interact with each other in class, hang out with people of their own race. You’ll often see groups of whites, blacks, Indians, Chinese, and occasionally a mixture during break time. Why this is so I do not know. It could be due to language barriers as some people prefer speaking in their home language and not English, it could be that they are more comfortable being around people of the same culture or ultimately it could be racism. Anonymous Yes, there is racism at Tuks. Cope@Tuks has always believed that until there is a 50/50 quota in this university, there will never be equality. Racism at Tuks is subtle but present and is a reflection of a society where one race still feels superior to the others. Tuks’s policies endorse this where white students in an Afrikaans class always enjoy favour over English classes. Cope@Tuks realises that being a black student is challenging in this institution, where black students on a continual basis are reminded that they have to perform harder than their white counterparts to have their interests attended
to. Some first-year classes are available in Afrikaans but none are available in any of the other ethnic languages. Who benefits? White students. 60% of students, some who stay in and around Pretoria (and can afford private accommodation) are placed into res yearly. Black students (Indians, Coloureds, Africans and Asians) have to compete among each other to make up the remaining 40%. A white student then has a better chance to get into residence than a black student. In conclusion, racism at Tuks has come in the form of “preservation of culture”, where only a certain group’s culture is being “preserved” and only those belonging to it enjoy the benefits. Thabo Mdlalose, Cope@Tuks Deputy Chairperson Whether racism exists at this university is a question that might yield responses that vary from student to student based on their personal experiences, but we as the Pan Africanist Student Movement of Azania (PASMA) believe that racism at Tuks manifests itself on a policy level. For instance, the admission policy of the university is 60% white and 40% black – by black they mean Africans, Coloureds, Indians and Chinese – while the demographics of the country are 80% black and 20% white. We therefore say that the admission policy should reflect the demographics of the country. On an interpersonal level, racism at Tuks still appears dormant on the surface but beneath the surface lurks greater nastiness. We often experience and witness black and white fights at Hatfield Square. Therefore, if asked whether there is racism at Tuks, the answer would be an unequivocal yes. Phillemon Pooe, PASMA Treasurer One must bear in mind that racism impacts many groups of our student community. We feel that the use of the word “racism” is often used as a buzzword for any behaviour we do not agree with. As a whole we feel that racial groups at the University of Pretoria have a good relationship and understanding of each other. We are, however, of the opinion that there exist practices that discriminate against certain students. A recent example AfriForum Youth tackled regarding discrimination was the campaign we launched against the unfair way in which prospective students are admitted to study veterinary sciences at the University of Pretoria. Unfortunately, many white students were barred from studying veterinary sciences due to the way students were grouped according to their racial profile and not according to their academic merits. Redress policies that are to the detriment of other societies or individuals have a negative effect on the harmony between racial groups. Even “positive discrimination” has a negative effect. Racism is a term that is used far too easily in today’s society and a clear line should be drawn between stereotyping, difference in opinions and skewed perceptions and what racism really is, which is hate for another cultural group. With this definition, we are of the opinion that UP is fortunate and has healthy racial relations. Liza-Mari Coetzee, AfriForum Youth UP Chairperson I think there is because race quotas [are] also a form of
Yes, there is racism at the University of Pretoria. Most of it is institutionalised racism. The University of Pretoria has done little to nothing in transforming the university and its management. The Department of Higher Education is still also to blame for the continued institutionalised racism. How the university has been able to carry on with institutionalised racism is mostly as a result of “institutional autonomy”. There are many instances where the working-class child is black and he/she has a hard time adapting to the university because it still upholds its tradition of being a Broederbond university, where only one culture is held above the rest and in most cases black students are subject to these. The university can claim cosmetically that they have transformed, it’s unfortunate that this transformation in the staff is only visible at the CSC but not top management as in most cases it still remains lily white. The absurd quota system that is still being used at the residences is absurd. The res cultures enhance racism as only the whites from an Afrikaans background seem to enjoy and understand the cultures more than people from other backgrounds. The fact that you still have a residence system that does not allow white and black people to share a room, where you still have a system in the residences when a room is reserved for a “white” student, it can’t be occupied by a “black” student even if the “black” student is number one on the waiting list. In student parliament last year, the issue was raised about some of the female residences that have whites sleeping on one side of the corridor and blacks on the other. [It] is blatant that the university is still promoting separating the races. The other issue is the fact that in the alumni body, there has been a blatant exclusion of blacks from the alumni body of the university, only a certain Broederbond made up of AfriForum and VF+ members. This again is an issue that the university has failed to address and that is why the Higher Education and Transformation Network has even gone to the Mail and Guardian about this issue. The universities population does not represent the true demographics of the country. Eighteen years after democracy, this is a serious cause for concern. Tokologo Ngakane, SASCO Chairperson Do I believe Tuks is racist? No, I don’t. I believe the university is attempting to find some balance in our very complicated society and that they end up going from one extreme side of the spectrum to the next. Societies at Tuks then attempt to get cheap publicity by labelling the university racist. One of our core issues at DASO is moving away from the racial politics. When organisations decide to turn every issue into a race one, it stirs up feelings of division and divides students across racial boundaries when we should in fact be trying to unite students. Unfortunately we live in a society where it appears that people go out of their way to keep us separated. Unfortunately, these organisations often misinterpret the university’s weak attempts at transformation as racism. If organisations at Tuks keep trying to play the race card at every turn, they will hinder us as the youth from moving forward. Jordan Griffiths, DASO Chairperson As we had not experienced racism in Vividus Men, we cannot comment. Stefan Ras, Vividus Men Chairman Problem identification is the first step towards solving the problem. It is an irrefutable fact that racism has found root in our institution. I was once a victim of that. Turning a blind eye on it will be to the detriment of our students. This problem is not only horizontally between the students but also vertically what happens in DC particularly the investigation process and not to mention the sentencing. Stats can corroborate this. I call upon management to start a dialogue that would speak to these issues and I believe that we can find common ground in making Tuks a better institution for all. Andrew Masombuka, Xayata
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News
27 Februarie ‘12
Racism rears its head at UKZN OP upgraded DANIELLE PETTERSON
The University of Kwa-Zulu Natal has launched an investigation after a student threatened violence against white and Indian students on Facebook. A student using the names of Siyanda Myende and Shle Shlobo has reportedly written: “Indians will never understand black people because there are too many racial differences. We are born to kill and tomorrow we will wipe out all the Indians on campus. Don’t show up because you will go straight to heaven.” And: “For whites we have already started with T Blanch so we are continuing from there tomorrow this is our country we don’t need whites and Indians at UKZN”. The student later apologised saying, “I was wrong, I am sorry for that human error. I will be quiet until the sun sets.” This did little to placate students who had been angered by the messages, especially those threatened by the comments.
Vikarshan Goobiah replied: “Siyanda, u shall bare the fruits of ur unkind words. such remarks cannot b tolerated and in my opinion u should not b included in any university if thats the way your mind works and thinks. we Indians may b the Minority but we have every single right as you do. in the laws eyes we no different from any other race group, so your hate speech has only done harm to you and your fellow followers and not to us.” [sic] UKZN’s Executive Director of Corporate Relations, Nomonde Mbadi, says university management is disgusted by the comments and warned that any student that behaves in a racist manner will be dealt with. The comments emerged after violent protests took place on UKZN’s Westville campus over student housing and financial aid. Several students were arrested for public violence resulting in the university obtaining a court interdict prohibiting students from protesting on the campus. At the time of going to print lectures at the Westville campus had been suspended until further notice.
“Indians will never understand black people because there are too many racial differences. We are born to kill and tomorrow we will wipe out all the Indians on campus.”
My Res Tweets takes flight FRANCOIS VAN DER WESTHUIZEN Alwyn Strydom, an IT Multimedia honours student, has created a website to serve as a Tuks information hub, where all residences and students can tweet and share information on events. “Because Tuks is such a big institution, it’s not easy to find everything that you are looking for,” says Strydom. “Sometimes you will hear about an event when it has already passed.” With My Res Tweets, both a website and a Twitter account, Strydom aims to solve this problem. By logging on to the website, students can ask Big Bird – Strydom’s online alter ego – what’s happening on and around campus. Big Bird will also inform students of the newest trends, the latest specials, the news on campus and the next big party.
NYAMEKA MBETE The University of Pretoria is seeking to expand the number of students it can accommodate in its veterinary science degree. On 22 February, the University of Pretoria officially opened a new residence on the Onderstepoort campus. This is the first step of the university’s plan to expand the Faculty of Veterinary Science. The residence consists of 18 units, each with eight single rooms, shared bathrooms, a lounge and a fully equipped kitchen for undergraduate students. There are also six units for graduate students, each with eight single rooms, a common lounge and a fully equipped kitchen. The residence also boasts three cluster houses for guests, a fully equipped centre for post-graduate students, a study area, a kiosk (complete with farm-fresh food), a gym and ablution facilities for the sports fields. The project also included the upgrading and refurbishment of existing facilities, such as the dining hall, club house, staff quarters, roads and security. The construction of the new accommodation began in May 2010 and amounted to approximately R 90 million. The new accommodation is part of a project to expand and upgrade the BVSc programme in a bid to address the current shortage of veterinarians in South Africa. The university seeks to increase the students in the department by a third by 2013.
“I want this to be the site that you can visit when you want to know where to eat tonight. If anyone is confused, they can turn to my site and get all the information they want.” Strydom wants the site to be a “one-stop for students”. The faculty houses have already become involved, posting regular updates for their students. Strydom also wants to link businesses in Hatfield with students. He does this by providing space for advertisements on the website. Since there are a lot of options, he wants to introduce the most student-friendly businesses to Tuks students. “Students can see where to cut their hair, where the cheapest carwash is and where to buy the best flowers for your girlfriend,” says Strydom. Since starting the account in November 2011, My Res Tweets has obtained almost 4 000 followers on Twitter. Students can follow My Res Tweets on Twitter (@ MyResTweets) or visit the website at www.myrestweets.co.za.
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Fun & Games
Pssst... Pssst... can’t get enough of inter-res feuds and this week there were quite a few gossip-worthy incidents making our tongues wag. Pssst... can see why Mopanie is so scared of Maroela. A group of Mopanie boys drunkenly started an argument with a few Maroela boys at a local fast-food joint and when the Maroela boys returned with reinforcements, the Mopanie boys were nowhere to be seen. Pssst... doesn’t blame Mopanie: the Maroela Boksaand proved that those manne are practically breeding a clone army. Speaking of Boksaand, Pssst... hears the judges found it quite difficult to choose a winner when a set of twins took one another on. It is quite nice to see that Maroela still has brotherly love even amongst all the violence. Carrying on Mopanie’s humiliation, Pssst... hears the Mopanie boys recently got dissed by the Madelief Knolle when the boys went to serenade them. In their reciprocating serenade song, the Knolle seemed to be
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27 February ‘12 singing to Olympus instead. Pssst... would love to know what Madelief had on their minds. Perhaps the Mopanie guys need to learn how to play doctor. Pssst… understands the second fight of the week proved tough for Taaibos, when their first years got into a fight with Kollege boys and Kollege won the fight. Taaibos needs to teach their first years how to fight, apparently. Although, Pssst… hears a Taaibos first year was having some fun with a Curlitzia HK. She should be ashamed of herself. He should be proud. Pssst… hoor dit is toe al die tyd Lilium wat Kiaat se vlag gesteel het. Een Lilium meisie se woorde toe sy dit hoor: “Is Kiaat gay of iets?” Pssst... is surprised to see rebellious Kollege joining in on the rugby fever. At a recent Varsity Cup match, a Kollege boy tackled two Potch supporters and stole one of their flags. All Pssst... has to say is go Kollege. A Boekenhout Yster was spotted on Groenkloof campus for a breakfast date with an Inca first-year … after staying the night. Die eerste jaars vat maar kanse, maar Pssst... kan nie wag om te sien wat hulle die week aanvang nie. Onthou om tips na m.perdeby.co.za te stuur.
Sudoku
Perdeby.co.za Entertainment: Unfortunately we didn’t have enough space to print the whole Desmond and the Tutus interview, but you can read the whole one online. They were awesome.
you have a response to this issue, tweet @ perdebynews. We also have video on the issue on our YouTube channel, YouTube.com/ perdebynewspaper.
Sport: Read our Varsity Cup preview of tonight’s game. And then read our coverage of it online tomorrow, hot off the presses. You can also follow the game on Twitter, where we’ll be tweeting live and go check out all our photos from all the games on Facebook. Sport: Check out our coverage of yesterday’s cricket on the web today. Sport: we also have an article on last week’s Res League Basketball games exclusively online. Debate: we asked you if you thought racism was prevalent on campus this week. If
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27 Februarie ‘12
Features
Colour complex: intra-racism in the black community LUSANDA FUTSHANE “When I was growing up, people used to whisper that dark-skinned black people were poor. I believed it until I was about ten years old. Even today I might secretly assume that about certain dark-skinned black people.” Twenty years ago, that statement wouldn’t have shocked you if you had overheard it on the streets. But what happens when it is said today, at this very university, by a black student, in a lecture hall populated with students from a number of different races? Tshepo Tsiu is a second-year IT student who openly admits that most people in the black community, including himself, are guilty of discriminating against each other based on the darkness of their skin. “Intra-racism” or “colourism” is what it has been unofficially called and it is reportedly also prevalent in India and America. Having survived this country’s history, could the black South African society still be suffering from the inside? One obvious question is why a particular race, anywhere in the world, would subject itself to this. Jonathan Hyslop, a professor of sociology at Tuks, suggests that a number of influences could have led to this phenomenon. “Where it’s been studied more is in the AfricanAmerican community. There it is relatively clear because of the history of slavery. When you’re dealing with our country’s situation, it’s a bit more ideological than historical ... there are certain kinds of physical appearances that have greater prestige.” He adds that black people might still be insecure about their appearance because of the way they were treated in the past. “It does seem to me that given the historical trauma the country’s been through, it would be surprising if there weren’t some sort of psychological effect,” he says. Today, terms like “darkie” and “yellowbone” are used to describe the different shades of black people. The stereotype is that light-
skinned black people are more attractive, smarter and more likely to succeed. Darker people are seen as less attractive and generally inferior to other light-skinned black people. The phenomenon of intra-racism is not readily discussed in the black community even though it seems to affect aspects of their lives, such as who they befriend and who they date. Lesego Madipa, a first-year student studying BSc Biological Sciences, says that he would not call himself intra-racist even though he wouldn’t date a girl darker than he is. “I have nothing against dark-skinned girls, I just don’t find them attractive. The same way I don’t find other guys attractive – it’s just
never gonna happen.” He says that he doesn’t treat dark-skinned people any differently than light-skinned people but he wouldn’t like to have a dark-skinned child for fear of the way the child would be perceived by the local black community. In the recent past, the media has been criticised for contributing to this phenomenon by promoting the concept of “Western beauty”. Late last year, former South African kwaito star Mshoza was thrust back into the spotlight when she revealed that she had bleached her skin because she thought that it would make her more attractive. On an international scale, RnB sensation Beyoncé is constantly under
reproach for gradually appearing lighter in her print advertisements for cosmetic giant L’Oreal. Many believe that black poeple, especially black girls, don’t have enough role models who make being black something to be proud of. Second-year BCom Law student Catherine Molefe does not blame black people for putting so much value on skin tone within their own race. “Sometimes I feel like beauty is a white thing and the world didn’t include black people in its definition,” she says. The psychological effects of intra-racism are said to be quite serious. Molefe says that she grew up as the only dark-skinned child in a family of light-skinned people and that she witnessed first-hand how her siblings received more attention and kindness from the rest of her family. “I’ve always been told that I was pretty for a dark-skinned girl, never just pretty.” She remembers how she grew up with a low selfesteem and no confidence in her own ethnicity. Even though that was years ago, she believes that discrimination among black people is still a reality that is not being properly addressed. No one likes to think of himself or herself as superficial, shallow or bigoted. We’d all like to believe that we’re progressive and accepting individuals who believe in inner beauty and the value of a person’s character. However, it seems that in this country the shock waves of the past are still being felt in the generation that is supposed to be free of bias and discrimination. Racism, what we thought was our biggest worry, seems to have spawned a myriad of murkier side effects. When the same race that successfully fought for freedom has apparently turned on itself, has it really won? What are your thoughts on intra-racism in South Africa? Tweet @perdebynews or @ LooRadley. Photo: Brad Donald
New digest may change the way psychology functions BERND FISCHER
Just when you’ve finally come to the conclusion that you are not insane after all (despite what family and friends might say), medical professionals around the world would urge you to think again. If a number of psychologists get their way, the latest version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) will change the face of modern psychology as we know it. Perdeby investigates the most controversial amendments that may feature in the new edition of this medical Bible. The DSM, which is published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA), is used around the world by medical professionals, psychologists, researchers and even health insurance companies to classify and diagnose mental illness. The manual has undergone various changes since its first publication in 1952. Over the years, an increasing number of mental disorders have progressively made it into the manual, with many being removed as well. The most famous case of this is the removal of homosexuality from the DSM in 1986. The DSM has been applauded for its attempts to standardise psychiatric criteria. The planned fifth edition (DSM-5) is due for publication in May 2013. However, the fifth edition has received more criticism than praise. The first draft, only recently revealed, has already caused uproar in the medical world for the risks it will pose. Changes include the creation of a new category for “behavioural addictions”, with gambling as the only disorder in this group. Internet addiction was also considered for this category but there was insufficient evidence to prove that it could be categorised as a mental illness. “Hypersexual disorders” was also suggested as a new category. An individual is diagnosed with the disorder if he or she masturbates excessively and responds to stress or feelings of sadness by watching pornography
or performing any other similar sexual activity. In order to be diagnosed with hypersexual disorder, the abovementioned behaviours must persist for six months or more, interfere with daily life activities and the individual must have tried numerous times to quit the behaviour. There should also be evidence to prove that the disorder was not caused by medication or recreational drugs. It is stressed that this disorder is not to be confused with sexual addiction – a proposal was made to include it which the APA rejected because it did not want to categorise sexual addiction with substance
addiction. A call to change the definition of depression is one of the most controversial aspects of the new edition including the reassessment of bereavement. News-Medical.net reports that under DSM-5, grief following the loss of a loved one will be considered a symptom of depression. “At the moment, depression is not diagnosed in the two months after [the] loss of a loved one,” says Randolph Nesse, a psychiatrist from the University of Michigan. “The result of this proposed change would be that people experiencing normal grief will receive diagnosis
of major depression. Doing this would increase consistency in diagnosing depression, but at the cost of common sense. It is clear that bereavement is not a mental disorder.” There is also a political and scientific storm brewing over the inclusion of sex-related diagnoses such as paraphilias (better known as sexual fetishes). Critics argue that sex offenders and rapists may exploit the law by providing an excuse for their behaviour, resulting in reduced jail sentences or “treatment” for their condition instead. Shy or defiant children are also at risk of being unfairly labelled. The proposal to include what is currently known as “oppositional defiant disorder” could result in many parents diagnosing their withdrawn or disobedient children as mentally ill. There is a strong belief among critics of DSM-5 that the creation of more diagnostic categories is due to the fact that there is financial incentive for pharmaceutical companies. This conflict of interest stems from what has come to be known as the “medicalisation of society”. In this type of society, all human problems are treated as medical conditions leading to people buying medication they don’t need. Critics maintain that it is obvious that this expansion of categories has financial motives. Science in Africa reports that one in five South Africans suffer from some kind of mental disorder, with an increase noted among university students. There is no doubt that the DSM-5 will have an impact on South Africans. Evidence suggests that the introduction of the DSM-5 may cause more harm than good in a society already plagued by disorders. A manual meant to help genuinely ill people could be undermined by false epidemics. Perhaps we should ask ourselves, as a society, whether we should support this kind of change in psychology.
Illustration: Ezelle van der Heever
Features
7
27 February ‘12
Date rape: a case of drinking and forgetting BEYERS DE VOS Meet Thandi. Thandi went to a braai, had a few drinks, passed out and went home the next morning feeling fine, but not remembering much. Then her friends showed her a video of the previous night: three men were raping her as she slept. They had drugged her. Meet Claire. Claire was at a house-party when she started feeling woozy. She stumbled into the garden, where she vomited blood and had to be rushed to hospital. She had been drugged. Meet Chris. Chris’s girlfriend spiked his drink with a mixture of rohypnol and Viagra. She and her friends proceeded to rape him. He reported it to the police the next morning. A charge of sexual assault was laid. Meet Hannah. Hannah went to the Square one night, intent on getting plastered. She woke up naked the next morning in a flat she didn’t recognise, next to a man she didn’t know. She couldn’t remember much from the night before. She panicked, and reported it as a date rape. But her blood tests showed she had no drugs in her system. No charges were pressed. It’s a Friday night. You’ve just had the longest week of your life: you wrote four tests and your boyfriend broke up with you and your parents still don’t understand you and you fought with your best friend and you really need to party. You head for the Square. It’s going to be a good night. You’re going to get crazy drunk ... The next morning you wake up disoriented, hungover, regretting those last three tequila shots. Something isn’t right. This isn’t your room and you don’t recognise any of these people and who is this guy sleeping next to you and why are you both naked and why can’t you remember anything? “It’s a very big crisis,” says Dr Madeleine Nolte, the Head of Student Support, when Perdeby interviewed her about the date rape phenomenon seemingly prevalent on campuses around South Africa. “In the last 20 years there has been a significant rise in the amount of cases I’ve seen,” adds her colleague, Dr Tim Laurens, a toxicologist at UP, who runs a forensic toxicology lab where students can have themselves tested if they fear they have ingested a date rape drug. Nolte and Laurens work closely together in date rape cases, along with campus security and the police. The most commonly used date rape drugs are Rohypnol (roofies), a prescription drug and GHB, which Laurens notes can be easily manufactured at home. However, the most common date rape drug remains alcohol. In both a UK study and Australian study done on patients that were admitted to hospital claiming to have been drugged, more that 75% of patients were, like Hannah, simply drunk. Both studies note that alcohol remains a popular date rape drug because victims ingest it willingly. Laurens agrees that the South African situation is the same. “In 80% of cases, this is what happens¸” he explains. He blames a binge-drinking student culture. He tells Perdeby that date rape drugs and binge drinking both suppress memory. The implication of this
is that a person can be conscious, can be compliant, but incapable of remembering an event. Rapists, Laurens notes, can use this to their advantage when they drug someone who has also already had too much to drink, will not be able to feel the effects of the drugs and therefore be vulnerable. This amnesia is also what makes cases like this so hard to prosecute. Nolte and Laurens, however, don’t downplay the critical rise in the number of cases where a date rape drug was, in fact, used. They urge students to report any incidents of date rape to police (campus security is willing to assist students to go to the police and report crimes like this), or contact student support immediately. The important thing is to get your blood tested, which the UP forensic toxicology lab will do for free (get tested within 5 days after the rape), because this is the most important evidence in cases of date rape. After this, student support offers a wide variety of counselling and trauma services. Nolte stresses that students have access to free, high quality care. Nolte tell Perdeby about cases where students suppressed events like this for years and finally balk under the pressure: their emotional and academic well-being crumbles. “Get help immediately,” she says. There are various basic precautions students can take: do not accept any drinks from strangers. If someone wants to buy you a drink, go to the bar with them. Always make sure that you can
see exactly what the bartender is putting in your drink. Usually, if someone has added something to your drink, there should be a slight change in colour or a saltier taste (GHB especially has a very salty flavour). If you start feeling unnaturally lightheaded – drunker than you should be feeling, in other words – or feeling sick without explanation, find your friends. Fast. Rohypnol is now also modified to fizz when it is added to a drink in an attempt to alert the victim that their drink has been spiked. But Laurens cites Rohypnol generics as just as effective as the real deal, without the built in alarm system. Meet Sarah. Sarah was in out when she starting feeling woozy and nauseous. She has only has one drink. She dumped her drink, found her friends and called security. She identified the man that had bought her drink. He was arrested after the police found him in possession of roofies. Sarah slept soundly that night. If you are in trouble these are the numbers to call: 012 420 2333 (office hours) 012 420 2310 (after hours) Photo: Marius Veldhuyzen van Zaten
[Ed’s note: all the incidents described above are based on news reports and case studies of real events. Names have been changed.]
Drink slim en bly slim MIGNON PEENS Het jy al ooit gehoor dat studente hulself vet drink? Navorsers beweer dat die menslike liggaam vloeistof-kalorieë nie op dieselfde manier as vastekos-kalorieë opneem nie. Boonop maak vloeistof-kalorieë jou ook nie eens versadig nie. Glo dit of nie, maar daar is `n bose sy aan die meeste van jou geliefde blikkies gaskoeldrank, brousels, cocktails en drankies – suiker. Dit sluit alles van Cream Soda tot Coca-Cola, wat studente so graag met hul alkohol meng, in. Oxfords se “roomys in `n glas”, jou gunsteling Long Island Ice Tea, `n yskoue Black Label en Jägerbombs, onder andere, is uit die aard van die saak, meer soet as wat dit stout is. Aan die een kant sê Dr. David Ludwig, `n geneesheer van Harvard, dat versoete alkoholiese en alkoholvrye gaskoeldrank direk verband hou met gewigstoename, maar aan die ander kant is daar talle studies wat nie vetsug met gaskoeldrank vereenselwig nie. Die beroemde “eerstejaarsindroom” is sekerlik al `n afgesaagde konsep en almal is vinnig om McDonald’s burgers die sondebok te maak – veral omdat dit dikwels in die middel van die nag geniet word. Dit is egter die suiker in drank wat jou kalorie-inname deur die dak laat skiet en jou eetlus in die eerste plek te voorskyn bring. Perdeby het ondersoek ingestel. `n Suikerbos in jou brousel Bier: dit is een van die wêreld se gewildste drankies, maar volgens Men’s Health is dit `n sinoniem vir maagvet. Oor die algemeen het `n bottel bier min of meer 120 kalorieë. Een bottel bier is gelykstaande aan `n sjokoladekoekie, terwyl vier bottels gelykstaande is aan `n Big Mac hamburger. Waarom maak bier so vet en hoe kan mens dit drink én die kilo’s vermy? Volgens die New England Journal of Medicine is matige inname van een tot twee bottels bier per dag heeltemal aanvaarbaar en as jy 20 tot 30 minute op die dansvloer spandeer, hoef jy nie oor `n bierpens te bekommer nie. Indien jy beplan om meer as dit te drink gaan jy maar moet sweet op die dansvloer – en nee, ongelukkig kan jy nie tydens die week niks drink en dan 10 tot 12
bottels oor die naweek inhaal nie. Nagereg in `n glas Wees maar versigtig vir romerige, melkerige drankies soos White Russians, Mai Tais, Pina Coladas en enige shooters wat Amarula en room as `n bestanddeel het. Jy kan net sowel `n Milky Bar of `n roomys eet en `n shooter skoon alkohol sluk. Dan is daar sjokoladestukkies gemeng met geklopte room bo-op `n koppie koffie, met `n winskopie van “koop-een-kry-een-gratis”, met `n skrikwekkende 680 kalorieë per koppie. Wat van water? Die meeste mense verkies koeldrank bo water, maar min mense besef die hoeveelheid ekstra kalorieë wat hulle inneem. Women’s Health reken as mens koeldrank uitsny sal dit wondere verrig indien jy `n paar kilo’s wil afskud – sonder enige addisionele oefening. `n Paar drankies wat mens maar in matigheid moet drink is Slush Puppies met `n skokkende 210 kalorieë elk, CocaCola met 160 kalorieë per blikkie (mik maar vir Coke Light of Coke Zero al voldoen dit nie heeltemal aan jou smaakvereistes nie). Vrugtesap (veral lemoensap) mag dalk gesond wees, maar is propvol vrugtesuiker en het `n verbasende 170 kalorieë per glas. Vrugtesuiker is wel gesonder is as gewone suiker, maar probeer maar steeds jou gunsteling vrugtesap te verdun deur dit met water of sodawater te meng. Powerade is mos goed vir atlete, so dit is sekerlik mos goed vir enige iemand? Dit is egter nie hoe die saak staan wat kalorieë en suiker betref nie. Mens moet ook versigtig wees vir likeurs en shooters wat Red Bull bevat. Hardehout-alkohol, soos rum, vodka, whiskey, brandewyn, tequila en gin het heel verbasend meer kalorieë as wyn, so meng sterk drank maar liefs met kalorievrye keuses. Mens drink darem gewoonlik minder sopies sterk drank as wyn. Hou net die volgende gevaar in gedagte: wanneer jy te veel inhet, voel jy `n veer oor wat en hoeveel daarvan jy drink. So, of jy nou `n drumpelvretende kuiergat is wat wil boer in `n dronkaard se gekkeparadys of nie, jy kan die vet mis drink deur strategies en slim te beplan aan wat jy drink.
Photo: Marius Veldhuyzen van Zaten
8
27 Februarie ‘12
Entertainment
Desmond & the Tutus: big in Japan MELINA MELETAKOS
With their light-hearted lyrics and some of the wildest dance moves in the local music industry, Desmond & the Tutus reminded their audience at Arcade Empire why, seven years after getting together, they are still incredibly popular. Perdeby caught up with the band to talk about their much-anticipated upcoming album, being Twitter buddies with The Parlotones and longing for their hometown, Pretoria. You’ve just finished recording your second album. When can we expect to get our hands on it? Shane: 8 May. Craig: No, end May. Shane: End May. Beginning of May, hey? Craig: Ja, beginning of May. Doug: Winter. The beginning of winter. Shane: Definitely after May. Soon? Shane: I wouldn’t say soon. I would say earliest May. Has the new album got a title yet? Shane: Are we telling people that? No, we’re not telling people. Craig: We haven’t decided on it. We’re very close to deciding on it but we haven’t got a final title yet. How do you think your new album differs from your first one, Tuckshop? Craig: I think the sound is a lot better. We got a cool producer (Eric Broucek), a really nice producer who’s produced and mixed some of our favourite bands’ music and so he worked on the songs with us. So, the album is a lot less indulgent and the songs are a lot more concise than the last album. Why have you waited so long to release a follow-up album? Craig: Initially, we wanted to release it last year but then the end of last year came around so quickly and we didn’t have an album. I don’t know, I think it has been four years since that first release. Shane: I don’t feel like it’s been too long, you know. Our priorities aren’t to release an album every year and [to] keep selling albums. That’s not what we do. I don’t think having an album is such a vital part of being in a band. For us it’s about doing gigs, hanging out … Are there any music videos in the pipeline for Desmond & the Tutus? Shane: Ja, in the pipeline but we haven’t shot any of them yet. Craig: Ja, we’ve got a few music videos and a sort of weird promo video and we’ll see about that (laughs). But ja, something super different. Weird in what way? Shane: Every way. Doug: Name an example of something that’s weird. Shane: Give us two things that are weird to you and we’ll tell you kind of where this thing is in comparison to those things. Platypuses and Salad Fingers. Shane: Okay, combine those two things and times it by 250 million and there you go. Doug: I don’t even think it’s very funny, it’s just very strange. Shane: We thought it was going to be funny but it’s actually just been more disturbing. Craig: But it’s cool. I’m very sure no one’s ever done what we did. When are we going to see this video? Shane:[In] about two weeks’ time. Ja, it’s strange. It’s like an ad for our music. You’re opening for Two Door Cinema Club next month. How did that come about? Craig: We did a party last year sponsored by 5 Gum and it was very, very good. It was like very full and they liked us so they asked us to open for Two Door in Joburg.
With the exception of Nic, you’re all based in Johannesburg now. What do you miss the most about Pretoria? Craig: I only moved to Joburg last year and I studied in Pretoria so I like [it] a lot. We all grew up here. Doug: I can’t put my finger on what I miss about Pretoria. Shane: Ja, that’s how I feel. I left after school so Pretoria to me is like my childhood, you know? I’ve never lived as an adult in Pretoria. Doug: Whenever I come to Pretoria and it’s, like, sunset in summer, it’s like hot and hectic and I’m driving back to Joburg – I always get a sense of longing. It’s like Pretoria, but what the eff I miss about it, I don’t know. Shane: The simple life. You guys recently signed to Sony Music Africa. Why did you decide to shift to a major record label? Shane: It wasn’t really a decision, it was kinda like … I guess it was a decision but we didn’t feel like it was a huge, life-changing decision, you know? The guy we’re in touch with there is really switched on and he’s got some really great ideas. And for us, we’ve been going for a long time. We’re not students anymore and stuff so we kind of got to make a call about our band and our career, so this is kind of like a shot for us to try and make a career out of this music industry, like a long-term thing. Has that been a difficult shift in terms of maintaining creative control over your music? Craig: No, they let us do whatever we want. Doug: I think this video is going to prove just how much we can push it. Shane: They actually haven’t had anything to say about it. They haven’t had any input. They said, “Well, we know what you guys have been doing for the last however many years and so just keep doing it,” which has been cool. They haven’t given us any input on artwork or songs or anything. I think it would be a different story if we were coming up with 18-minute-long crowd rock anthems, you know? You’ve said that the dance/DJ/remix scene really helped put your music on the map overseas. How is that so? Shane: A good friend of ours, when we started out in Joburg, is
a DJ and he remixed one of our songs and with some weird turn of events that song went really big in the dance scene in Europe and what have you. Any kind of international success we’ve had, honestly, we can trace back to Paul’s (King of Town, Paul Holden) remix. He did a remix and it got released in France and it went quite big and then some Japanese people got hold of us and released some more of our stuff. We got to tour around in a bunch of places. It wouldn’t have happened without Paul’s remix. You toured Japan extensively in 2010. What was the response to your music – are you officially “big in Japan”? Shane: I wouldn’t say “big in Japan” compared to other things that are big in Japan. Craig: But it was cool. Shane: There were people singing along and there were full shows. Did the Japanese understand what you were singing? Shane: Not really. But in the bigger cities their English is a bit better but mostly no one can speak English. Craig: That was definitely one of the best parts of our career so far. Doug: I think it is the best part. Shane: Ja, it was super fun. It’s a completely different culture as well. You know like Europe, we’re all the same just with different accents but in Japan the people are completely different, the culture is totally different. You dressed up as The Parlotones for Halloween. Did this elicit any response from the band? Doug: It actually did. They were amped. Shane: We’re Twitter buddies. We tweeted each other. They sent us a tweet after the gig saying, “I hear Desmond & the Tutus [are] looking stylish these days.” It was pretty sharp. Craig: Then what did you say? You said, “Oh ja, we’re getting tons more chicks as well.” Shane: We’ve ragged them before saying, “Yo, Parlotones, how do we get our own KFC box meals?” But they seem like cool guys. They don’t take themselves too seriously. I’ve never met any of them in real life.
MAGDALEEN SNYMAN
in boeke hou, sal dalk nie aanklank by die boek vind nie. Die hoofstukke hoef nie in enige spesifieke volgorde gelees te word nie en aan die einde van die boek is daar nie een groot oorheersende boodskap nie, maar eerder `n hele paar kleiner boodskappe. Die boek onthul nie enige iets oor Degeneres wat mens nie reeds weet nie, maar beeld haar eerder uit as `n doodgewone mens met `n buitengewone sin vir humor. Degeneres kan daarmee spog dat daar iets vir almal in die boek is: daar is spesifieke hoofstukke wat jy vir kinders kan lees en ander wat `n meer volwasse blik op feëverhale gee. Daar is selfs een hoofstuk wat net uit inkleurprente bestaan en `n ander hoofstuk (in die audiobook-weergawe) waar Degeneres snaakse geluide maak. Seriously… I’m kidding is die perfekte manier om te ontspan en daar gaan beslis dele wees wat jy hardop vir jou vriende sal wil lees. Dit sal jou baie laat lag, maar daar is ook `n paar wyshede wat tussen die lyne opgesluit is.
Photo: JP Nathrass
Snaaks, snaakser, Ellen Degeneres Aanhangers van Ellen Degeneres, beroemde komediant, TVpersoonlikheid en Emmy-wenner, het rede om breed te glimlag. Haar derde boek, Seriously… I’m kidding, het aan die einde van 2011 verskyn. Degeneres skryf in `n gemaklike en vloeiende styl, wat die boek perfek maak vir studente wat aan die einde van `n lang dag moeg is om akademiese taal te ontsyfer. Dit voel asof `n goeie vriendin, eerder as `n bekende, haar gedagtes met jou deel. Die staaltjies is glad nie pretensieus nie en Degeneres spot graag met haarself. Met hoofstukke soos “How to be a supermodel”, wat jou leer om te loop soos `n perd wat waterplassies vermy en “The Secret of Life”, `n hoofstuk wat uit `n enkele woord bestaan, is dié boek ongewoon – veral in vergelyking met ander beroemdes s’n. Degeneres deel alledaagse dinge met die leser, maar op `n skreeusnaakse manier. Mense wat van `n georganiseerde, chronologiese sisteem
Image: blogs.roanoke.com
Entertainment
27 February ‘12
Van Halen creates a different kind of truth
JP NATHRASS After fourteen years of silence, Van Halen is back and still rocking as hard as ever. A Different Kind of Truth sees the return of David Lee Roth as front man along with Alex Van Halen, brother Eddie Van Halen with Eddie’s son and new bassist, Wolfgang Van Halen. According to Roth, A Different Kind of Truth can be seen as a collaboration between Van Halen’s past and their present. For example, the incorporation of “Blood and Fire” featured as an instrumental in the 1984 film The Wild Life. The first single off the album, “Tattoo”, went straight to the top of
the Billboard Hard Rock Singles Chart after its release. This might be the indicator of the mark the album is set to leave in rock ‘n’ roll history since this is, surprisingly enough, the most disappointing song on the album. One almost gets a sense that this song was only included to draw the mainstream music world’s attention. “Honeybabysweetiedoll” opens with a bizarre assortment of guitar feedback and a distorted bass line before showcasing the band’s talent. Eddie Van Halen shreds like only he can throughout the song, while Roth lays down lyrics that speak of a dysfunctional love: “Honeybaby my hearts aflame, I’m all up and you’re to blame.” Through all of this, Wolfgang and Alex don’t miss a single beat and help to create a sinister-sounding song that you want to put on repeat while driving at breakneck speeds on a highway. “Stay Frosty” brings the sounds of country music and rhythm and blues together. The tongue-in-cheek lyrics comment on religions and how ridiculous some of the beliefs and practices of these groups seem to the old school rockers: “You want to be a monk, you have to cook a lot of rice” – in other words, not for the easily offended. The track also addresses the journey people make to find the answers to their questions but, more often than not, never find them. “Bullethead” feels like a two-minute thirty-second crash course in Van Halen music. It’s balls to the walls from the first note and before you know it, it’s all over, leaving the listener disorientated. This is Van Halen at their best and reiterates their right to the rock ‘n’ roll throne. A Different Kind of Truth serves as proof that old school rock is not dead – bands do not need a host of electronic sounds and strange gimmicks to keep the spirit of rock alive. RATING: 7/10
9
Perdeby EVENTS GUIDE
Music: • Leap Year Celebration with DJ Fresh, Rhapsody’s Centurion, 29 February. • PH Fat EP Launch, Arcade Empire, 1 March, R40. • Borderline presents NEOROTICA featuring The Frown, Yesterday’s Pupil and more, including an art exhibition, Mocha Rock Lounge, 2 March, R50. • Josie Field (unplugged), Arcade Empire, 2 March, R30. • Alan! Let’s Move On, The Olympic and Sonday-Skool Helde, Arcade Empire, 3 March, R20. Theatre: • Big Top Rock, The Barnyard Theatre Menlyn, running till 11 March, R145. • Twenty-seven, Atterbury Theatre, 2 March, R127. • The Phantom of the Opera, running until 6 May. Tickets: R125-R425. Comedy: • Comedy Night, FTV Brooklyn, 29 February, R50. Other: • Drumming circle and dinner, Moyo Fountains, 2 March.
Image: wwww.rollingstone.com
My week with a two dimensional icon NADINE LAGGAR
Set in 1956 England, My Week with Marilyn is based on British filmmaker Colin Clark’s encounter with Marilyn Monroe (Michelle Williams), which he published as The Prince and the Showgirl and Me in 2000. Contrary to the original trailer for The Price and the Showgirl, which states that it was “[Marilyn Monroe’s] happiest role”, this film, based on Clark’s account, offers a glimpse into the mercurial and insecure woman behind the seductive and curvaceous icon that was Marilyn Monroe. Clark, portrayed by Eddie Redmayner, is a 23-year-old trying to make it in the film industry. He lands a job as third assistant-director to Laurence Olivier (Kenneth Branagh), director and lead actor in The Prince and the Showgirl. Things heat up as egos clash during filming with Monroe constantly testing Olivier’s patience with her lack of punctuality, spontaneous excursions and erratic crises. Olivier himself is pompous and temperamental, a short fuse ignited by (among other things) Monroe’s youth and vitality on screen inadvertently forcing him to come to terms with his own age and the decline of his acting career. This is in addition to the tension created by Monroe’s failure to understand her role and Olivier’s failure to understand Monroe’s method-acting techniques. It sounds like the plot of what could be an insightful narrative but Clark’s account is overtly biased, which makes many of the characters appear flat and inconsequential. One such character is Lucy (Emma Watson), whom Clark courts briefly. You’re not entirely sure why this is even included, besides providing an obvious contrast between Lucy (the average girl) and Monroe (the femme fatale). Perhaps it also serves to arouse the audience’s sympathy for Clark, even though he ditched Lucy to pander to a capricious Monroe. But all is not lost. Williams, nominated for an Academy Award for her role, gives a superb performance which makes all the film’s shortcomings almost worth it. Almost, because Monroe is clearly a
creation of an infatuated Clark. You are aware that Monroe is almost always on some type of pill, while she also mentions that she’s pregnant with her new husband, Arthur Miller’s (Dougray Scott), child. This is never confirmed but is rather disappointedly flitted over amid Monroe’s constant references to barely-there parents and growing up in foster homes – a shaky foundation on which to base Williams’s brilliant portrayal of Monroe’s vivacity in front of the
cameras and her overwhelming insecurity behind them. Still, Williams and Branagh (nominated for Best Supporting Actor) ensure that the film remains enjoyable with a period specific and well-designed wardrobe – though it’d have to do much more to cover the insubstantial script. RATING: 6/10
Image: www.rogerogreen.com
Chronicle: a new angle on the found-footage genre NADINE LAGGAR
The found-footage film genre: it’s enough to make you chew your own arm off. There’s an expectation of nauseatingly blurry shots that will most probably reintroduce you to your first handful of popcorn. However, director Josh Trank (his first feature film) grabs your attention from the very first scene. The surprises keep on coming until the credits start to roll and you leave the cinema – vomit-free. Andrew (Dane DeHaan) is the generic high school outcast who decides to chronicle his life using a video camera. He’s pale, regularly bullied and generally weird, with an abusive father and a dying mother. He gets a ride to school with his much more popular and seemingly shallow cousin Matt (Alex Russel), who is Andrew’s only link to the preppy high school milieu he observes and is constantly attacked by. At a party one night, Andrew is asked to film a discovery made by Matt and Steve (the hugely popular football star with a blossoming career in politics, played by Michael B. Jordan). The boys explore a hole in the middle of the forest and come out of their experience, with a large and alien crystalline structure, having developed telekinetic powers. With their new found skills and an unlikely friendship, the trio strengthen their abilities and discover new ones – a journey that offers comic relief but ultimately leads to
death, despair and a moral reckoning. Yes, you’ve heard many versions of this plot before but it’s Trank’s use of amazingly fluid and interesting camera angles (Andrew learns to telekinetically manipulate his camera so all characters are largely incorporated into most scenes) with the integration of other video cameras, iPhones and security footage – largely made use of in the finale – that address the dynamics of social media and the polemic of being under constant surveillance in modern society. This is despite the intelligent and harrowing character development which inverts all the generic qualities of the film, especially in terms of Andrew, whose character is exceptionally dark. He’s certainly no Peter Parker – more like a psychopath who’s developed superpowers. This is one protagonist it is difficult to feel sympathy for because he’s just too damn scary. The film does wane in the finale and you wish Trank could have kept it going smoothly for a little longer. The rest of the film more than makes up for this clumsy ending. On a side note: the majority of Chronicle was filmed in Cape Town. Do yourself a favour and book your ticket now. RATING: 8/10
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27 February ‘12
AmaTuks suffer first defeat of NFD season
CARLO COCK AmaTuks suffered their first defeat of the National First Division (NFD) season on 22 February when they lost 0-2 to Chippa United at Absa Tuks Stadium. AmaTuks, who went into the game five points clear at the top of the NFD log and who had gone an impressive seventeen games unbeaten since the start of the season, saw their seemingly unstoppable charge toward the NFD title brought to an abrupt halt by the Cape Town side. AmaTuks made a vibrant start to the game and had an early chance in the third minute, when they were awarded a free kick, only for Sibusiso Themba to over-hit his cross. Then minutes later, Themba helped create another opportunity with his through ball reaching Aubrey Ngoma. Ngoma’s cross was inch-perfect
but striker Chibuzor Ngwogbo’s header went wide of the target. Chippa United, despite being backed by boisterous away support, seemed unsettled in the opening minutes and AmaTuks were eager to take advantage. First, Philani Khwela delivered a dangerous cross that was well cleared by the Chippa United goalkeeper in the eighth minute, then six minutes later, Khwela set up Nqobile Mpala with a great cross but the striker’s header was off target. It was to be a night of missed chances for Mpala and his strikepartner, Ngwogbo, who was denied a goal after an excellent interception by the Chippa United keeper from Ngoma’s cross in the 18th minute. The visitors settled into the game at around the half-hour mark and had a chance to take the lead. Petrus Ngebo latched on to a
well-measured through ball to put him in behind the AmaTuks defence, but was slow to get his shot away and was swiftly tackled by AmaTuks’s keeper, Siya Mngoma. Chippa United had another chance during the 34th minute when William Twala’s cross found Vusumuzi Mbuyani but Mngoma made another good save. Although AmaTuks played good possession football, it was the visitors who were creating better chances. Chippa United were denied the opening goal during the 36th minute thanks to a fantastic goal-line clearance from Siyabonga Shoyisa which was followed by a great reflex save from Mngoma. The second half started with the scores still level at 0-0 and Steve Barker, who had been unusually animated on the touch-line in the first half, resisted the temptation to make any substitutions as he had done at half time in AmaTuks’s previous game. The decision looked, at first, to be a good one as AmaTuks began the second half well. Mpala had the first scoring opportunity with another header, again going well wide of the goal. During the 60th minute, Chippa United forward Ngebo was booked for simulation after attempting to get Shoyisa sent off with a dive. Ironically, it was Ngebo who saw red five minutes later after a deliberate handball led to his second yellow card. With the visitors down to ten men, AmaTuks tried to make their advantage count but poor finishing was to be their undoing. Mpala missed another header and then Ngwogbo was unlucky not to score with his near-post header from Ngoma’s free kick. In an effort to get the opening goal, Barker brought on Lucky Mzizi, who had been instrumental in the draw against Black Aces, and Christopher Flandorp for Themba and Khwela during the 72nd minute. The change did not work as Chippa United took the lead during the 75th minute after a great early cross form Mfundo Shumana and a good finish from Joshua Sauls. The striker controlled the high ball with aplomb before coolly slotting the ball past Mngoma. AmaTuks were not about to surrender their unbeaten record without a fight and created several chances to draw level. First Mzizi set Mpala up with a good cross but the striker produced yet another glaring miss. Then Ngoma crossed to Mpala for what looked a sure-fire goal, but the striker missed again. As AmaTuks surged forward in desperate search of an equaliser, they left gaps at the back and were duly punished when Chippa United scored their second goal during the 90th minute. After some good hold-up play and a lay-off from Sauls, Andile Mbenyane blasted home the goal that sealed the win. Despite the defeat AmaTuks remain top of the NFD log and will go into their next home game against Witbank Spurs on 18 March looking to get their promotion campaign back on track.
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Photo: Kobus Barnard
Varsity Cup game visited by two streakers
Photos: Marius Veldhuyzen van Zaten
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Tuks beat Pukke to stay on top
KEVIN VAN DER LIST FNB Tuks asserted their dominance in the Varsity Cup for the third consecutive week by claiming a convincing 40-20 win against NWU-Pukke in front of a packed crowd at Tuks Rugby Stadium on 20 February. “I think we were very clinical tonight and it was a great team performance,” said Tuks 1 fly half Wesley Dunlop. Tuks scored five tries in the game and Dunlop put in a faultless performance with the boot. Pukke scored three tries in the
match. Tuks secured themselves a bonus point and retained the top spot on the log. According to Tuks 1 captain Jono Ross he knew the game would be physical and he was determined to match up to that. “We knew Pukke would be strong upfront and we would have to match up physically and I think we did that well tonight. All credit to the boys,” he said. Tuks’s aggressive game plan served them well. The forwards ran hard and continually placed pressure on Pukke which forced the visitors into errors, disrupting their play. This
allowed Tuks to set the tone for the game. “The boys pitched up with the right attitude and urgency and that’s what was needed,” said Dunlop. The game got off to a quick start when Tuks scored the first try of the game. Tuks flank, Jacques Verwey crossed the try line in the second minute, following a maul from a Tuks line out. Pukke speedily responded with their first try three minutes later when winger Andrew van Wyk went over the try line. At this stage, it looked as if the game would be tightly contested all the way through.
After Pukke’s penalty in the 18th minute, their play slowed down. They were unable to make any significant runs or attempts at putting points on the board. Tuks had a few scoring opportunities but were unable to capitalise on them due to mistakes. Tuks was rewarded with another scoring opportunity that came off some good ball when Dabeon Draghoender straightened his five-metre run to evade a tackle during the 30th minute. Man of the match, Clayton Blommetjies, showed his class again as he has done all season. He was involved in Tuks’s third try when he made a dash for the try line, offloading to Jacques Momberg, who went over for the try. Fifty-three minutes into the game, Pukke crossed the line which was referred to the TMO. The try was awarded and Pukke seemed to be inching themselves back into the game. The joint work from Dunlop and Blommetjies provided Tuks with the next try and possibly the try of Tuks’s campaign thus far. Dunlop launched a cross kick into the corner of the Pukke goal area where Blommetjies timed his jump to perfection, snatched the ball out of the air and scored, despite two Pukke defenders surrounding him. Blommetjies said that the move was not really called for but that his team mates trust him under the high ball. The teams each scored another two tries by the end of the game with Pukke restoring a degree of pride with their last try. Tuks’s next clash will be against Maties on 27 February, away from home. Ross and his team are not getting complacent. “This is still a long competition and we still hope to peak at the right times. So we will take it game by game.” Tuks will look to continue their good form with a win over rivals, Maties, in what looks set to be Tuks’s toughest challenge yet. Photo: Kobus Barnard
Tuks judoka to fight in London 2012 KATLEGO PHEEHA Jacques van Zyl, regarded by many experts as the greatest judoka in South African history, has qualified to fight for his country at the 2012 Olympics in London. For those who follow martial arts in South Africa, Van Zyl is a household name. He is ranked number 29 in the world, number one in the country, and is expected to be one of the athletes who will redeem the country’s name after South Africa came back from the 2008 Beijing Olympics having won only one medal – the worst-ever performance by a South African team at the Olympics. Van Zyl has a long and very impressive list of accomplishments. He won his first medal in 2004 at the u/17 International Tournament held in Germany when he got third position. He became a South African cult hero in the martial arts fraternity in April 2011, when he became only the second South African judoka in history to win a gold medal at the Senior African Championship held in Dakar, Senegal when he beat an opponent ranked 13 places higher than him. “In the past I was kind of overawed at just making it that far. This time round there was no question. Losing was not an option. The key to my success was confidence. I wasn’t going to be happy with merely saying ‘I was there’. I didn’t want the
crumbs. I wanted to win,” said Van Zyl. He also went on to win a silver medal at the All Africa Games in September 2011. Van Zyl currently trains at Tuks’s High
Performance Centre, under the guidance of Bulgarian international coach, Nikola Filipov, but it was his nine-month training scholarship at Japan’s University of Tokai that really
matured him as a judoka and harnessed his talent. “It was tough being away from home because I had to leave my friends, my girlfriend, and my mom’s cooking behind,” he said. “I didn’t pick up a great deal of Japanese, but I learnt so much about judo. I absorbed not only technique and skill, but also the culture of respect and discipline that feeds into the sport.” The weight of the nation’s expectation will be on the 21-year-old’s shoulders, as one of the athletes going to the Olympic Games who is expected to win a medal for South Africa. The president of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC), Gideon Sam, referred to Van Zyl when he declared that the medal target for South Africa was 12. Whether Van Zyl will be able to replicate his form on the grand world stage remains to be seen. He will be going up against 385 other athletes in 14 medal events, and some of those athletes will be older and far more experienced than he is. It will by far be his toughest challenge yet, but it is without question he will have the support of his coaches, loved ones, and his countrymen behind him when the judo events kick off in London on 28 July.
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