Student Newspaper

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Rhodes Staff take a stand against wages.

Hitler Youth reincarnated at Stellies

NWU-Pukke bring trophy home to Potch

The Lowdown 15th May 2017 - Edition 1

A newspaper for the students by the students.

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FORT HARE EAST LONDON STUDENTS VOW TO CONTINUE PROTESTING UNTIL DEMANDS MET

Student take am agressive stand at Fort Hare East London, after management refuses to listen. Photo: sourced.

BY YOLANDA PALEZWENI

D

isgruntled students at the University of Fort Hare’s East London Campus on Wednesday vowed to shut down the campus and continue with their now week-long protest claiming that the institution’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Sakhela Buhlungu, had refused to address them.

The students said that they had invited the Vice Chancellor to give feedback on how the institution would resolve their grievances at a student mass meeting held on campus on Monday afternoon.

A list of grievances was handed to the management on Thursday last week and students have not been attending classes since then.

“We handed over the Memorandum to the management and they accepted it indicating that some of the things stated were new to them and they promised to deliberate on them,” Pan Africanist Student Movement of Azania (PASMA) Branch Chairperson, Zukisani Nyewe, told RNEWS. The students are demanding that the university implements a bus shuttle service to transport students to and from the campus claim-

ing that they fall victim to crime every day.

They are also demanding that the university provides residence as more than 250 students are still without accommodation. Another demand is that the 8 percent tuition fee increment implemented this year be scrapped off.

A meeting was held between the Student Representative Council (SRC) and management last week Friday to map a way forward. However, the students decided to continue with their protest until the solutions are implemented.

“We’ve been having mass meet-

ings and we are not interested in the Vice Chancellor’s response to our grievances, but the implementation of resolutions to our demands, until then we’ll continue with the strike,” said one student, who spoke to RNEWS on condition of anonymity.

Again on Tuesday, the SRC had a meeting with management where the Vice Chancellor reportedly responded to the students’ list of grievances.

“We sat in a meeting with the Vice Chancellor and he refused to address the students and he told us relay his feedback to them. It

was then decided by the students to embark on a strike until Professor Buhlungu reconsiders his decision [and comes and addresses the students himself],” said SRC Leader at the East London Campus, Sonwabiso Mamkeli. He added that, the protest will continue until Professor Buhlungu addresses the student sand all their demands are met and the resolutions are implemented.

Students, however, were observed looting and disrupting traffic in the streets of Quigney, East London, with burning tires. Local police have been monitoring the protest and quickly contained the situation.

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NEWS

The Lowdown

15th May 2017

Rhodes Staff protest against wages

BY BENJAMIN DE LA FONTAINE

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he Barratt lecture hall is full on a Tuesday afternoon – not with students, but with Rhodes University staff.

Most wear civvies, here and there punctuated by bright red NEHAWU shirts. Some wear the grey overalls of grounds keepers, emblazoned with the letters “RU”.

Someone begins pounding a table. A song rises up. The people rise up as well, join in with clapping and stomping. “Asisosebenza,” they sing. “We will not work, we are tired. They do not pay us enough.”

These are the people who mop the floors of residences, clean the toilets, keep students safe at night, fill students’ stomachs three times a day, and fix whatever breaks. They are also Rhodes University’s lowest-paid staff.

According to Ma Ntuthu, spokeswoman for NEHAWU (National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union) at the university, the lowest monthly salaries average at around R6000. Most of these men and women are middleaged; many have children, and at the same time are supporting extended families.

The current yearly inflation rate in South Africa is pegged at 6.1 percent, down from 6.5 percent in February. It has been higher – at the end of last year inflation peaked at almost 7 percent – but for the last three years the university administration has raised salaries for staff across the board by around 6 percent to compensate for this increase in the price of consumer goods without eliciting strike action (although not without complaint).

Currently, the standing salary increase offer by Rhodes University is also 6 percent. At Tuesday’s meeting, however, the announcement is met with indignant hollering and bellows of anger. Wednesday’s march is the result of a call for a “total shutdown” of the university’s non-academic services.

Rhodes University Staff take a stand and protest outside the Administration building. Photo: Sourced.

Those at the bottom will not accept the offer that’s on the table. Call it resolve or sheer stubbornness, but they are willing to fight for as little as 0.5 percent. A speaker for the union names it “our bread and butter issue”.

In April ViceChancellor Mabizela called the 5 percent offer “a bitter pill to swallow”.

As of this week, the proposed salary increase is back to 6 percent – but the damage has already been done. The current demand by NEHAWU is officially set at 7.5 percent, down from the initial 8 percent. However, the sentiment generally expressed by staff members is that they would settle for a

“ We will not work,

we are tired. They do not pay us

”

compromise of no less than 6.5 percent.

One of the stated goals of NEHAWU is class-consciousness. To its leaders and members, this means “worker solidarity” or a workingclass identity. To the rest of us, it is a reminder that class divisions still exist, based on old systems that some of us have been too quick to forget. Not only do the people on strikes and goslows not see themselves as academics, but they do not see themselves as being equal to academic staff.

The simple fact is that, legally, they are not. Legally, working staff have fewer rights than those in academic positions who are paid significantly more, and can be punished with greater impunity. Unlike professors and lecturers, dining hall staff have to punch in their time cards in the

UPDATE: Two students missing at Strand beach

morning or face potential punitive action – meaning hearings, suspension of pay, and even suspension of employment. That is the reason for the recent go-slows, and the reason staff members do not simply refuse to show up for work – they fear the system, even if they not afraid to challenge it. The system has been pitted against them from the start, not out of a philosophy of contempt but of callousness, the idea that the most vulnerable are simply not worth protecting. Virtually the only security offered to them is through unions like NEHAWU. The question is, why must this be the case? Would it not have been possible to lower salary increases for the few people in the most lucrative positions in order to avoid short-changing the hundreds that are just scraping by

each month? Was this prospect too audacious to even consider?

“Those people with twomillion-rand salaries, they don’t care,” says a NEHAWU member.

“One percent? They’re like, meh.

But that’s how it works; the people on top pass down the pain to the people at the bottom.”

The strikes and go-slows will not last forever. Movements and institutions are made up of people, and people, no matter how determined they may be at first, eventually tire out and give in. It is only a question of who will give in first.

Before then, we should consider whether this fight belongs only to those in workers’ unions, or to everyone who places value in the idea of a democratic nation.

BY JODY DAVISON

stricted nor was a warning given to safeguard that people did not swim in that specific area.”

Yesterday Craig Lambinon from the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) told EWN that ” NSRI Gordon’s Bay emergency services and lifeguards from Strand Life Saving Club searched extensively yesterday [Saturday] for two males that are missing, aged 19 and 20, from the University of the Western Cape.”

The families of the students have been informed and a missing person’s report was opened at the Strand Police Station. One of the students is a second year law student at UWC and the other a first year student from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT).

Unfortunately the bodies of both young men (from Venda), secondyear UWC Law student Aluwani Hadzhi and first-year CPUT Mechanical Engineering student Mulweli Nevhutalo, were recovered on Tuesday and Wednesday of last week at Macassar Beach.

O

n Saturday, four students from the University of the Western Cape (UWC) were swept out to sea at Strand beach.

The Students’ Christian Organisation (SCO) planned the beach outing. Yesterday SCO released a statement explaining that once they noticed SCO members were in trouble, they notified the lifeguards on duty. The two female students were rescued and the two male students are yet to be found.

The search for the remaining students was postponed due to rough sea conditions, strong winds and poor water visibility but continued yesterday morning . As of this morning there has been no news that the students were found.

According to news reports the students were swimming in a noswimming zone which is known to have big waves and strong rip currents. However, in SCO’s statement it was also noted that “the area was not demarcated to be a non-swimming area as some reports claim.

The swimming area was not re-

NEWS

The Lowdown

15th May 2017

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Hitler Youth reincarnated at Stellenbosch University

BY WENDELL ROELF

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hree Stellenbosch students were suspended on Thursday on suspicion of putting up Nazi-inspired posters at the university, at a time of growing tension in race relations.

Stellenbosch University said the images, which copied Nazi youth movement posters without their swastika flags, contained “highly offensive references to Nazi propaganda and Neo-Nazism” and were in breach of the university’s policies on harassment and discrimination.

The posters for an “Anglo-Afrikaner student” event appeared on Tuesday and were taken down on Wednesday. Under the motto “Fight for Stellenbosch” in English and Afrikaans, one series showed a blond brown-shirted man and another a young woman with long blond braids.

“I have decided to suspend the three students suspected of misconduct while disciplinary proceedings are ongoing,” said Wim de Villiers, rector and vice chancellor at the university, who has described the posters as “deliberate mischief-making”.

Scores of mainly black students and some academics held a meeting on Thursday to condemn the posters publicly, a member of the apolitical Student Representative Council said. “Racism is still very much alive, and the posters just showed us once again,” said Council Spokesman Kamva Somdyala.

Two years ago, the same university was rocked by protests by black students against teaching in Afri-

kaans, a language widely identified with apartheid.

The campus is moving away from its whites-only roots, and its racial composition today better reflects the country’s mixed demographics.

Black, coloured and Asian students make up around a third of the uni-

versity’s population compared to only a few black students in 1990.

It teaches in English and Afrikaans.

With racial tensions rising in South Africa in recent months, the university wishes to make an example of these three students. Their trial is set to start in June.

UP lecturer killed in alleged gun fight Student accidentally receives

BY VIRGINIA KEPPLER

D

r. Frikkie Liebenberg, who was a lecturer at the University of Pretoria (UP), was shot dead after an alleged gun fight with attackers. The incident happened on his farm in Bronkhorstspruit, east of Pretoria, in what looks like a gunfight between him and his attackers.

The 55-year old senior lecturer, in agricultural economics, was living alone on his farm. He was also alone at the time of the shooting.

National Police spokesperson Colonel Lungelo Dlamini said initial investigations indicate that he was attacked by unknown persons.

“He was shot through the window in the upper body. It appears to be

a gun fight between him and his attackers. A weapon was found next to his body,” Dlamini said.

According to Dlamini, it seems the attackers did not enter the house. He said Liebenberg was found by farm workers on Saturday morning. “The farm workers said seems that nothing was stolen from the house.

UP spokesperson Rikus Delport said everybody at the university was in total shock at the news of Liebenberg’s murder. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends,” Delport said.

“The motive for the murder is unknown,” Dlamini said. He confirmed that the police have opened a murder case and are looking for Liebenberg’s attackers.

Explosions in chemistry labs at UFS

BY TAMMY FRAY

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esterday, classes and lecture halls surrounding the chemistry labs at the University of the Free State (UFS) were evacuated as smoke and three explosions occurred underground on the northern side of the campus.

According to a statement released by university management later in the day, tests showed that the explosions happened in the storm water drains and were possibly caused by a chemical substance closely resembling paint thinners.

As a precautionary measure, students in classes around that area were removed by campus security by firefighters from Mangaung Fire and Rescue.

Third year media studies and journalism student, Teboho Mpholo, was attending an English lecture when a female staff member ran into the room and told everyone that there was a fire. Mpholo says that she and her fellow classmates were rushed out of the classroom and gathered into a group outside where they were ushered out of the way by campus security. Mpholo

said, “When I heard the explosions I got scared because I could not even see what was happening. There was no sign of anything just smoke, it was very confusing.”

No one sustained any injuries.

University management has reassured students that the situation was well monitored and controlled by the Mangaung Fire and Rescue department. The university also stated that the incident is unlikely to happen again because the drains were flushed and the storm water drains are separate from the sewage and other draining systems.

R14m deposit from NSFAS

BY JENNI EVANS

A

Walter Sisulu University student who accidentally received a whopping R14m pay-out from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme has already spent about half a million of it, the university confirmed on Tuesday. ''I can confirm that she received R14m into her Intellicard account,'' said university spokesperson Yonela Tukwayo. ''I can also confirm that the student is liable for every cent,'' said Tukwayo. She explained that the company which facilitates the student payments, should have detected the blunder immediately after it was made earlier this year.

Tukwayo said the student had reported it to the university, but had allegedly spent R500 000 of it in the past five months.

Pan Africanist Student Movement of Azania (Pasma) academic officer Lwando September con-

firmed that the student concerned was a secretary general for the East London branch of the movement, but said she would not be conducting interviews. However he verified that a Facebook post by the student over the incident was legitimate.

In the post she admits receiving the money, and said it has been reversed. ''The answer is simple NSFAS made a mistake and allocated more money in a wrong account and that account happened to be mine,'' she wrote. ''So I am not denying anything, the money was indeed loaded on the 1 June and reversed on the 13 August.''

She questioned why her shortlived good fortune was made public and felt the Student Representative Council did not have her back.

The university will be conducting its own forensic investigation on the matter.

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The Lowdown

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

15th May 2017

North Korea sentences US student to 15 years

BY STAFF REPORTER

N

orth Korea’s supreme court sentenced American student Otto Warmbier, who was arrested while visiting the country, to 15 years of hard labour on Wednesday for crimes against the state, a punishment Washington condemned as politically motivated.

The US State Department called the sentence “unduly harsh” and White House spokesman Josh Earnest said it was “increasingly clear” that North Korea sought to use US citizens as pawns to pursue a political agenda.

Warmbier, a 21-year-old University of Virginia student, was detained in January for trying to steal an item bearing a propaganda slogan from his hotel in Pyongyang, North Korean media said previously.

“The accused confessed to the serious offense against the DPRK he had committed, pursuant to the US government’s hostile policy toward it, in a bid to impair the unity of its people after entering it as a tourist,” the state-controlled KCNA news agency reported, using the acronym for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

The United States has no diplomatic relations with North Korea, a country with which it remains technically at war after the 1950-53 Korean War ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty.

Human Rights Watch also condemned the sentence. “North Korea’s sentencing of Otto Warmbier to 15 years hard labour for a collegestyle prank is outrageous and shocking, and should not be permitted to stand,” Phil Robertson, deputy di-

US student gets 15 years of hard labor in North Korea for stealing sign. Attribute: theguardian.

rector of HRW’s Asia division, said in an emailed statement.

Warmbier’s defence attorney said the gravity of his crime was such that he would not be able to pay even with his death, but proposed to the court a sentence reduced from the prosecution’s request of a life sentence, KCNA said.

Last month, Warmbier told a media conference in Pyongyang that

his crime was “very severe and preplanned.”

Warmbier’s parents could not immediately be reached.

A spokesman for the University of Virginia said the school was in touch with Warmbier’s family, but declined further comment. Warmbier majors in economics with a minor in global sustainability, according to his social media profiles.

North Korea has a long history of detaining foreigners and has used jailed Americans in the past to extract high-profile visits from the United States. In 2014, North Korea released three detained Americans.

Ohio Governor John Kasich, who is also a Republican presidential candidate, called on North Korea to release Warmbier, saying his detention was completely unjustified.

Lecturer sues University after unfair dismisal

Former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, who had previously travelled to North Korea, met the North’s ambassador to the United Nations on Tuesday to press for Warmbier’s release, the New York Times reported.

“I urged the humanitarian release of Otto, and they agreed to convey our request,” Richardson was quoted as saying.

Shooting at CSU

BY SAHARA REPORTERS

A

lecturer at the University of Ibadan, Doyin Odebowale, has sued the university for sacking him after he refused to apologize to academic colleagues he accused of aiding and abetting plagiarism at the university.

Mr. Odebowale, a PhD holder who is popular known as High Priest, filed a lawsuit before Justice F.I. Kola Olalere of the National Industrial Court in Ibadan to challenge his dismissal from service.

The suit urges the court to set aside a decision of the Governing Council of the university taken on 1 December 2016, to sack him.

In an ex parte motion brought before the court, Mr. Odebowale is seeking an interim injunction restraining the Governing Council of the University from going ahead to implement decisions that may affect him negatively. However, Justice Olalere declined the ex parte motion, asking the applicant to put the defendants on notice. The judge also adjourned the case till 27 March for hearing of the application.

The lecturer’s counsel, Femi Aborisade, informed the court that his client lives in the university with his family. He also disclosed that the applicant had been teaching since 1996.

Justice Olalere took time to address journalists in the courtroom, urging them to report the proceedings in the case accurately.

He stated that he was not averse to the presence of journalists in the

BY BREAKING NEWS STAFF

A

Attribute: Sahara Reporters. Doyin Odebowale, who is suing the University of Ibadan for unfair dismissal.

case filed by the lecturer, but cautioned that the reporting must be accurate.

In a lighter note, Mr. Aborisade informed the court that the appli-

cant was not only a PhD holder in classics but also a lawyer. He told the court cheerfully, “Today is the 14th anniversary of his call to the bar.”

Mr. Odebowale told our correspondent that the application had already been served on the defendants, and filed in court, as instructed by the presiding judge.

Central State University student was shot in a university dorm after a robbery was reported, according to police scanner traffic.

Three incidents happened on campus Monday night, including the robbery, the shooting and an assault on a police officer.

Police are working to confirm if the robbery and shooting, which happened in the same dorm building, are connected. The female student shot was taken to Miami Valley Hospital where she was listed in stable condition.

The incidents prompted a lockdown on campus, which was lifted at 11.47 pm.

No arrests have been made in relation to the shooting or robbery, however Darion Jones was arrested at 10.33 pm. at 1400 Brush Row Road, for assault on a police officer about 90 minutes after the lockdown order was issued.

The incident remains under investigation by the Greene County Sheriff’s Office and campus police.

BUSINESS

The Lowdown

15th May 2017

5

Is there anything ‘Junkier’ Than Status?

BY LEAGO MAMABOLO & GEOFFREY SHEIN

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outh Africa’s president, Jacob Zuma, can be said to be a man who has weathered many storms- and not the good kind, if storms can be said to be any good.

Zuma’s 2006 rape trial recently resurfaced in 2016 under the hashtags #RememberKhwezi and #1in3. He has faced scandals involving alleged poisoning by his second wife, arms deal fraud in 2005 with Schabir Shaik, the switching of three finance ministers in one week and his relation to the infamous and influential Gupta family.

The latest in a line of scandals, occurred at the end of March, as South Africa witnessed Zuma call for a literal ‘groundbreaking’ cabinet reshuffle which resulted in the clearance of up to 20 ministers.

A ‘cabinet reshuffle’ can be defined as the rotation and repositioning of ministers by the head of state.

This reshuffle in particular can be deemed to be unprecedented.

This is due to the fact that former Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan has been replaced by Malusi Gigaba, former home affairs minister.

Another reason being the fact that Minister of Social Development, Bathabile Dlamini, has managed to maintain her spot in cabinet despite her blatant incompetence in the recent SASSA scandal.

Zuma states that the reason behind the reshuffle is to improve ef-

ficiency and effectiveness within government as well as to introduce women and younger members of parliament to enhance the system.

Inevitably the markets are not pleased, which has consequentially reduced the country to a junk status by Standard and Poor as well as Fitch. “Junk status” is the colloquial term for the speculative status of the country’s government bonds and foreign investment outlook.

This means that South Africa is a risky country to lend money to or invest capital in. This status covers investment grade, government bonds and foreign investment.

The confirmation to “junk status” means that the risk on government issued bonds has increased as the ability to honours these bonds is insecure.

The impact of this is that interest on borrowing will increase, funding projects outside of the tax revenue will become more expensive and funding for infrastructure and social programmes will have to decrease as the price of these things increase.

This means food, petrol, taxes, loans and transport prices will rise and credit ratings will potentially be reduced as a result of the government paying more to borrow money from high-risk investors, never mind accounting for public goods and services.

For students, this means that interest rates on credit loans will increase. So student loans’ interest and any other short to long-term

Havoc erupts after Minister Pravin Gordhan is fired

BY GEOFFREY SHEIN

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resident Jacob Zuma fired Minister Pravin Gordhan last night. Zuma held an emergency meeting at his residential home where he announced the reshuffling of his cabinet along with the ousting of several ministers.

This political reshuffling has removed the stalwart guardian of treasury: Pravin Gordhan. Now exminister, Pravin Gordhan was the last barrier to Zuma’s rumoured state capture plans. Zuma has ousted Gordhan against the advice of senior ANC leaders; big business; his allies in Cosatu (Congress of South African Trade Unions); the SACP (South African Communist Party); and investors.

This marks a turning point for both the ANC and the country as a whole. His replacement, exMinister of Home Affairs Malusi Gigaba has been widely seen as a final successful attempt at Zuma gaining influence into the treasury.

Minister of Finance Malusi Gigaba has long been a loyal Zuma follower and his placement exhibits complete overarching political control of the Treasury. Zuma finally has a compliant follower in charge of the fiscus and this is dangerous to the markets and potential investors.

The economic effects of the firing of Gordhan means a potential downgrade is expected in the following weeks. Meaning borrowing will become far more expensive and the fiscus will have to rely on debt to fund social programmes. The poor will be hardest hit by the reshuffle and market effects.

The rand has – at the time of

writing – extended its decline following the announcement of the cabinet reshuffle. The markets have long respected Gordhan for doing an almost impossible job, holding South Africa from drowning. With his dismissal, the raised eyebrows looking at South Africa have turned into frowns and the treasury’s credibility is lost.

In response to the Cabinet reshuffle, various ANC spokesmen and spokeswomen have come out to defend President Zuma’s actions as constitutionally valid and within the powers of the executive branch.

While it is true the President may reshuffle cabinet members it is not the formal requirements under scrutiny, it is substantive in the effects and timing of the Presidential prerogative is going to damage the country. The ANC is a divided party on the Gordhan matter, which is clear from senior members’ expressions and public statements. While hypocrisy is a sin is forgivable in politics, the ANC communications branch must be careful to hide Zuma behind a Constitution he has been in breach of.

South Africa is going to become an expensive place to live in. With the poor and middle class being the ones hardest hit by the market effects of Zuma’s rash actions, we as the electorate should hope the ANC leadership returns to their 1994 ethos of the ‘people’s party’ rather than a party for and in their own interests.

As Advocate Thuli Madonsela tweeted, “It is said that businesses that die are murdered by their own leaders. The same applies to organisations and democracies.”

loans will become more expensive once the reserve bank increases the interest rate.

The cost of living will become more expensive as people see their disposable income decreasing because of higher loan repayments.

In essence, only people who have assets and earn interest on those as-

sets will continue to grow.

Above the mayhem is the issue of blackness countering whiteness for being selective about their activism.

The 3 April #BlackMonday initiative and the 7 April #SaveSA marches saw great contention throughout the country about the intentions and methods of protest,

which many have seen as hypocritical on the part of civil society.

Therefore it may be great status appeal for those in power who have laid their loyalties at the president’s feet but what’s junkier than their status for the citizens?

Rhodes University in serious financial crisis

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rahamstown’s Rhodes University laid bare its financial crisis as a result of declining government subsidies and a combination of pressures.

The office of the Vice-Chancellor, Sizwe Mabizela, sent a toplist communique to staff earlier this week explaining that the university was under financial strain and was facing critical financial choices.

Mabizela said the situation was due to the fact that over the past two years, the higher education sector in the country had been grappling with the serious impact of declining subsidies and a combination of other financial pressures.

Mabizela said the financial challenge of the university was compounded by a high ratio of staff costs, heavy reliance on student fees and significant maintenance backlogs that can no longer be deferred.

Also exacerbating the financial situation at the university was the wage negotiations with organised labour that have deadlocked following a rejection by the unions of a five percent revised salary offer.

Mabizela said, in the communique, that the university accepted that five percent was a minimal in-

crease, but the offer reflected the current financial situation, adding that the institution continued to engage in good faith and with complete transparency.

“An increase of five percent is a bitter pill to swallow in the face of biting inflation. This we accept.

We, however, engage in good faith and with complete transparency. We opened the books for scrutiny. The offer reflects our current financial situation,” Mabizela said.

“A single percentage increase in the remuneration bill is equivalent to R4 million. The current offer thus translates into an additional R20 million in salaries. We cannot increase this budget further without placing the future of this university and the academic project in serious jeopardy.”

Unlike many other universities, Rhodes University has not outsourced its support services apart from additional security services and some external contracting.

Mabizela said the university had to realise savings of just under R10 million in the 2017 financial year and an additional R28 million in 2018 in order to remain viable.

He said the management of the

university has been working on a turnaround plan and Council further engaged with the proposals at its recent meeting.

As a result, Mabizela said the university would be implementing some measures as part of financial risk mitigation in the short term.

These measures include reviewing the academic size, harnessing alternative sources of income, banning year-end functions paid from university funds, and ensuring that all travel, accommodation and catering costs are motivated and approved by line managers.

A partial moratorium on the filling of support staff vacancies and the re-grading of support staff posts has also been put in place, and another moratorium placed on nonessential consultancy contracts.

“The challenges which face us at the moment present us with an opportunity to reimagine our place and purpose as an institution of higher learning in the context of our developing nation,” Mabizela said.

“We need to appreciate the interrelated factors which must inform our choices and prioritise the academic project which is the reason for our existence in the first place.”

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Arts & Entertainment

The Lowdown

15th May 2017

Up and coming...

What’s up with Kendrick Lamar’s "DAMN." cover?

BY CHERISE JOHNSON

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hen Kendrick Lamar shared the cover art for his highly-anticipated album DAMN. this week, it caused a flurry of confusion. This is because it didn’t quite fit the mold of what consumers are used to seeing as “quality” cover art.

However, that was the absolute intention of one of the creators, Vlad Sepetov. He set to go against the grain of what his teachers taught him. “I wanted to make something loud and abrasive,” he explained in a series of tweets.

Sepetov has a lot to be proud about. He was one of the creative minds behind the artwork of Kendrick’s last album, To Pimp A Butterfly, which was set in a time

where the black revolution saw a West Coast-style turn up on the White House lawn. The depiction set against a monochrome, blackand-white vintage Polaroid was artsy enough to spark discussions of meaning and its harmonius matching with the theme of Dot’s 2014 album.

DAMN. brings out a different emotion with the parental advisory sticker as a bold, prominent fixture This doesn’t mean that it was safe from becoming an amusing meme.

Regardless of whether people are feeling the DAMN. artwork or not, the project drops on 14 April. It has features from U2, Rihanna and Zacari, while production is being handled by Teddy Walton, Mike WiLL Made-It, The Alchemist and 9th Wonder, among others.

Natsy C at Metro FM Awards

Opposite The Other’s latest single

BY EL BROIDE

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Photo Attribute: Activate. Nasty C at Metro FM Awards.

BY EMMA HANLY

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he 16th annual Metro FM Awards was held at the Durban ICC on Saturday. Local rapper – Nasty C – went home as the night’s biggest winner with an impressive total of four awards, including: Best New Artist, Best Male, Best Hip Hop and Song of The Year. The most coveted award – Song of The Year – was decided by the fans, with voting lines open for the category. (Nasty C’s lyrics, “Am I ever gonna quit? Hell Naw” were trending on Twitter on the evening of the event.)

The Listeners Choice Award was given to Amanda Black, who was also awarded Best R&B Single for ‘Separate’. Babes Wodumo was nominated for four categories this year, but unfortunately walked away empty-handed. Other award winners included Du Boiz for Best Music Video with ‘Dope Dreams’, Ricky Rick for Best Hit Single with ‘Sidlukotini’ and Vee Mampeezy with ‘I Do’.

Hosts of the evening, Pearl Modiadie and Amon Mokoena, announced that R100 000 in prize money would be given to each winner of the various categories.

After such a successful night, South Africa will surely be keeping an eye on him.

We are Charlie: a Pretoria trio that’s fun and carefree – just like their music The incredibly talented Pretoria-based band have a fresh, upbeat sound that is hard to ignore. In an interview with The South African, the trio told us a little bit about themselves, their music, and the very strange origin behind the name.

BY JENNIFER MOYES

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f Vampire Weekend and Desmond and The Tutus had a child, We are Charlie would be the result.

Lead singer Dylan Christie met Drummer Wesley Reinecke at school and after a jam session together they became “musical soulmates”.

They met guitarist Rowan van Eeden shortly after.

The name We are Charlie comes from an anecdote borrowed from their manager Klaas, the nickname of a hubbly bubbly. “It’s just a name”, they say laughing. The name was created years before and has no reference to the recent Je Suis Charlie movement.

They have multiple influences — drummer Wesley cites Incubus, Kings of Leon and Deftones, guitarist Rowan cites Linkin Park and Nirvana and lead singer is influenced by the likes of Modest Mouse, Cage The Elephant and the Kooks.

The blend of different influences has no effect on the flow of the sound – it just works. And others are starting to take notice of that too. Despite their advanced sound, the members are 19 and 20 respectively.

In 2014 they went on the Puma Happy Holiday Tour alongside some of South Africa’s hottest talent, as well as playing the festival Park Acoustics twice. They are going to tour for the first time around

South Africa in February and would love to tour internationally one day.

With all the hype picking up around their music, the highlight has been meeting all the bands they have all looked up to, including the chance to drink beers with the members of A-King.

They are humble and stay true to their own ideas, stating that when trying to make it in music, the worst mistake is to try to please other people.

They’ve managed to create a great sound while staying true to their ideas. It’s the kind of sound you need to put you in a good mood and get you dancing – the perfect pick-me-up for a cold, homesick saffa.

ne of our favourite things to do is listen to some upand-coming local bands. We truly believe that the local music industry has a lot to offer.

One band that has recently reiterated this notion is Opposite The Other, who’s new single Stutter Love has been on repeat. The Cape Town-based band has gained a huge following and it seems their career is officially taking off.

Opposite The Other formed last year and have become a viral sensation of sorts. Through posting videos to YouTube, their channel has accumulated over 800 000 views and over 14 000 subscribers.

Now, their new single Stutter Love is scheduled to take the country by storm. The song is a beautiful blend of pop and rock and a fantastic piece of poetry. The lyrics are full of emotion and meaning and it’s something that has really attracted us to the band.

Vocally, frontman Samuel Burger reminds us a lot of Coldplay’s Chris Martin and the band is clearly inspired by them. The song is a perfect introduction to the band but we hope that they don’t land up mimicking Coldplay on their next release.

“All we want to do as a band is be honest because when we’re honest with ourselves, we’re able to do what we’re supposed to do,” Samuel says. Well, we’re intrigued!

Welcome to the scene, lads. Remember to support local music and buy this song on iTunes.

Lifestyle

The Lowdown

8 tips to deal with exam stress

15th May 2017

Relationships at University: can they work?

BY GERI SCOTT

A

S

tressed out about exams?

Stress can show itself in many ways. Some of the common signs include: your heart racing, stomach cramps, trouble sleeping, losing your appetite or overeating.

Here’s some tips to help you to deal with the stress.

1. Start studying early Start studying as soon as your teacher announces the exam. Even before that, read over your notes after each class to make sure you understand them, and put the notes in your own words.

You can prepare even more by thinking of questions that your teacher might ask on an exam. Write the questions down and answer them after your class is finished.

This will make studying easier.

2. Manage your time Cramming all night doesn’t usually work. Plan your study time ahead so you’ll feel confident for the exam.

Plan to have enough time to study for about 50 minutes at a time with five or 10-minute breaks inbetween.

Study so you understand the material and not just to memorize it.

Plan to study in a place where you can concentrate without dis-

tractions.

3. Be healthy Studies show that taking the time to get some exercise and eating healthy improves performance on exams, so get out and get moving. When we’re stressed we sometimes want to eat junk food but eating healthy will actually make you feel better.

Also, get enough sleep - especially in the days before your exam. Good sleep helps you remember what you learned.

4. Practice, practice, practice Ask your teacher for a practice test.

If there isn’t one, make your own.

Answer the questions with friends and grade each other’s work.

5. Chill out, try these relaxation techniques Think about the stress you’re feeling and write down your stressful thoughts. Whenever a stressful thought pops into your head, replace it with a positive one. For example, replace “I’m going to fail this exam” with “I’m going to study early so I can ace this exam.”

You may want to practice deep breathing. Take a few deep breaths, breathing from deep within your abdomen and not just your chest. Let

them slowly out. This will get more air into your lungs and will help you relax.

6. Visualize success This one might seem a little out there, but sometimes it helps to imagine success. Think of yourself writing the exam and knowing the answers. When you imagine yourself being successful, you’re more likely to succeed. But don’t just visualize studying - you actually have to do it!

7. Talk to someone If you find that you’re still stressed, talk to someone you trust, whether it’s a parent, teacher, school counsellor or friend. They will help you put things in perspective.

8. Taking the exam Scan each page of the exam before starting to make sure you have all the questions. This will also help you decide how much time you’ll need to complete it.

Read all the instructions on the exam. Do the questions you can answer first to make sure you get the marks for them.

Pace yourself. Stay until the end of the exam in case you remember an answer. Go back, review your answers, and remember to breathe!

7

pparently, one-third of us will meet our future husband or wife right here on campus. You could have headed off to university as a single pringle from the start, or you could have decided that long distance just wasn’t working for you and your love. However you ended up in singledom, have no fear! There definitely is not any lack of opportunity to meet somebody at university.

On your course and in societies you’re surrounded by people with similar interests, and the romantic magic of the LCR definitely aids with any awkward ice breakers. But is having a relationship during university really such a good idea? And if it is, will it survive in the “real world”?

A degree definitely takes a lot out of you. Between socializing, sporting events, nights out and the occasional library session, it’s easy to understand why a relationship may not fit into the time constraints of the average, busy student. However, whilst some of us may cower away from the prospect of being tied down to something, others might relish in the opportunity to share their university experience with somebody else. Even if you are one of the former, it is more than likely that you will have some kind of relationship at university, even if it only lasts one night – and possibly an awkward morning after.

A relationship of a more committed nature face plenty of hurdles at university. These could include the secret smugness when you finish the year with a better grade than your partner, or the not-so-secret

jealousy if you don’t. However, further problems may be faced when your relationship leaves the cloistered, cushioned surroundings of campus life and carries over into the world outside of university. Relationships that appear rock-solid for one, two, or even three years, will encounter a complete overhaul when the lecture theatre is swapped for the workplace.

The stresses of finding a career will be made slightly more strenuous when paired with relationship issues. At this point, many university couples may be forced to make the decision of whether to move in together, or move on without each other.

This choice will have a massive influence on any possible future opportunities.

But this isn’t to say that all relationships cannot work during study or after graduation. After all, you have still met somebody who you have loved and who has been there for you through all the trials and tribulations of university life. Alongside this, research shows that we are more attracted to those who are most like ourselves, and who have similar interests to ourselves.

If this doesn’t sway you, then don’t forget the many examples of couples who met at university and are still going strong today. The key is being able to balance your relationship, social life and deadlines equally. If you keep a positive outlook, and work at your relationship, you’ll find that the love that you developed over post-LCR hangovers and allnighters in the Library will stay strong even when you’ve left the concrete campus behind you.

Too cold to leave the house for gym? 5 exercises to do at home this winter

BY RACHAEL LAYZELL

D

oes the cold weather make you curl up into a ball of self-denial when it’s time for crunches? The thought of exercising during winter is not appealing, but what if there was an easier way?

Here are five easy exercises to do at home.

1. Crunches: Start the routine off with core exercises. Begin by lying on your back, knees bent and legs flat on the ground, apart. Place your hands behind your head, and gently pull the abdominals inward.

Lift your head, neck and shoulders off the floor by curling forward.

Hold the position for a while, and then slowly lower yourself back down. Repeat 10 times.

2. Push ups: Lower your body into a plank position, and place your hands on the ground underneath your shoulders. Lower your body while keeping the back flat, until your chest touches the floor. Push back up, and repeat 10 times.

3. Lunges: Take a big step forward with your left leg, and bend both knees to lower yourself into the lunge. Both legs should bend at a 90-degree angle, while keeping your back straight. Return to standing position and repeat with your right leg. Ten lunges should do the trick.

4. Burpees: If you are still not feeling warm at this time, this exercise will get you fired up. Stand with your legs apart. Bend both knees, swing arms back and jump as high as possible. When landing, bend your knees immediately, placing your hands on the floor in front of you, and jump-pushing your feet backwards to end in a plank position. Perform a push up, and then jump back up. Repeat for one minute.

5. Squat jumps: Stand with your legs apart, while pushing your abdominal area backwards and bending the knees to lower into the squat. Do this exercise for one minute, and rest.

8

Food

The Lowdown

15th May 2017

HEALTHY EATING ON A LIMITED BUDGET: A Student’s Guide...

Shopping tips for nutritional diets:

S

adly, food prices are constantly increasing as a result of inflation. When dealing with a tight budget, it is easy to grab the cheapest food on the shelf. But one must remember nutrition.

Unfortunately cheaper food options often have a higher energy density (kilojoule content) due to a high fat content and a lower nutrient content (e.g. vitamins and minerals), whereas foods such as fruit and vegetables with a higher nutrient content, are often more expensive.

However, in order to get more value for money when you go food shopping, here are some tips to make your food rand go further: 1. Compile a shopping list before you go shopping and stick to it. Be wary of impulsive buying as you end up spending more than you planned to.

2. Specials are not always what

they seem. Get to know regular prices in order to judge whether a special is in fact a rand saver.

3. When shopping, the secret is to stretch and bend. The more expensive items are often placed at eye level on supermarket shelves.

4. Do not do your shopping on an empty stomach as you are then more likely to buy unnecessary expensive luxuries such as chocolates, chips and soft drinks.

5. Self-select your fruit and vegetables as they are cheaper per kilogram than pre-packaged options.

6. Fruit is generally more expensive than vegetables. If you don’t like fruit, eat more vegetables or visa versa.

7. Most people throw away carrot and beetroot tops and the outer leaves of broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower. Don’t. They are nutritious and tasty and are ideal for adding to soups and stews.

Some recipe ideas for budget meals: Pilchard Pie

Bean & Lentil Soup

Ingredients:

Ingredients:

• •

• •

•

1 can pilchards in tomato sauce (425g) 2 cups of flour 3 level teaspoons of baking powder Pinch of salt 4 table spoons/50g margarine ½ cup milk

Fish Cakes

• • •

Ingredients:

Method:

• • • • • • • • • • •

1 large onion, chopped Oil for browning the onions 2 large tomatoes, cut into small cubes 1 tin (425g) of pilchards in tomato sauce, mashed 4 table spoons of chopped parsley or spinach 1 table spoon of chutney (optional) Salt and pepper to taste 2 eggs, slightly beaten 1 cup of cake flour 3 slices of brown bread, crusts removed and cut into small cubes 1½ cups oil for shallow frying

Method:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

Brown the onions in a little oil until tender.

Add the tomatoes and allow to cook at a low heat to get rid of the water in the mixture.

Add pilchards, parsley/ spinach and chutney and flavour with salt and pepper to taste.

Add the eggs and flour bit by bit by alternating the addition of eggs and flour and mix well.

Fry the bread cubes in oil until golden brown.

Drain off excess oil on kitchen paper and mix with the fish mixture.

Heat the oil for frying the fish cakes in a pan.

Scoop spoon fulls of the mixture into the pan and fry until brown on both sides and cooked on the inside.

This recipe yields 6-8 fish cakes, and can be served with mashed potatoes and salad.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Empty the pilchards into an oven proof dish.

Mix the flour, baking powder and salt together and rub in the margarine to form a soft dough with the milk.

Place the dough on a chopping board or work surface that is lightly sprinkled with flour and roll or lightly press with your fingertips until the dough is just over a centimetre thick.

Press out circles with a glass dipped in flour so that the circles are about 4 cm in diameter.

Place the circles on top of the pilchards.

Bake the pie at in an oven at 200° Celsius for about 25 minutes

Bean Meat Balls Ingredients:

• • • • • •

1½ cups of brown beans, mashed (you can buy canned beans or cook your own) 1 table spoon of cake flour ½ cup of bread crumbs 1 teaspoon Marmite 1 onion, chopped pinch of mixed herbs 2 table spoons of margarine, melted

•

• • • • •

4.

Mix all the ingredients.

Shape into meat balls.

Bake until brown at 180° Celsius.

Serve with tomato sauce.

2 cups of uncooked beans and lentils 4-in-1 soup mix 2 medium potatoes or any other vegetables 1 medium onion 1 large tomato 1 beef stock cube salt and pepper to taste 1 tablespoon flour

Method:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Soak the beans overnight.

Lentils or 4-in-1 soup mix does not require soaking.

Drain the beans from the soaking water.

Cook beans and lentils in fresh water for 40 minutes.

Add the other ingredients and cook for another 20 minutes.

Thicken with the flour and cook until done.

Best served piping hot with brown bread or bread rolls.

Potato & Cheese Cakes Ingredients:

• • • • • •

3 large potatoes ½ cup of grated cheese (50100g) ½ cup bread crumbs ½ cup dry mustard OR 1 table spoon of chopped onions salt and pepper to taste ½ cup milk, if necessary oil for frying

Method:

1.

2.

Method:

1.

2.

3.

10 affordable foods to keep you healthy this winter

3.

4.

Boil the potatoes after peeling with a vegetable peeler or brushing with a sturdy brush under running water.

Drain when soft and mash with a fork. Then add the other ingredients and mix.

Heat the oil for frying the vegetable cakes in a pan.

Scoop spoon fulls of the mixture into the pan and fry quickly on both sides.

BY RACHAEL LAYZELL

W

inter is not only accompanied by the drop in temperatures, but also in healthy eating. However, certain foods can help keep the colds and flu at bay. Here are 10 fruit and vegetables to boost your health during winter.

1. Pomegranate keeps your heart healthy. This fruit is rich in antioxidants, and helps improve blood flow.

It also makes for a tasty juice when blended.

2. Dark leafy greens, such as cabbage and spinach, are particularly rich in vitamins A, C and K. They help with eyesight, nutrient enhancement and blood clotting.

These vegetables also thrive in the cold weather.

3. Citrus fruits, such as oranges, lemons and grapefruit, add zest to the imminent cold. They are packed with vitamin C – one orange can give you up to 100% of your average intake.

4. Potatoes are the best immunity boosters, as they contain vitamins

C and B6, which help with metabolism. They also keep you healthy and help with weight loss.

5. Butternuts are rich in vitamins A and C, and can be served in a variety of ways – as a side vegetable or soup.

6. Eggs are healthy and rich in protein.

7. Lentils contain numerous vitamins, and can help lower cholesterol levels. A great dish to make with this vegetable would be a lentil curry.

8. Avocados are nutritious, and loaded with many health benefits.

Not only do they taste good, but can also add to meals in many forms, such as in salads or on toasted bread for breakfast.

9. Oatmeal is a healthy way to start your day, and contains calcium and potassium, which help to reduce blood pressure. Throw in some fruit for added flavour.

10. Vegetable soup is a good way to combine some of the above into a delicious blend of flavours and vitamins. Not only is it tasty and good for your health, it also keeps you content and warm.

Environment

The Lowdown

15th May 2017

9

Climate change: Even the vegetarians are guilty

BY JOMIRO EMING

U

p until now, this is what we’ve been told: the Meat consumption takes a hefty toll on the environment, bulldozing thousands of hectares of fertile land for livestock, and causing a detrimental amount of methane gas to be released into the atmosphere.

According to studies, where statistics may vary from one to the other, one kilogram of beef takes 18 000 litres of water from calf to butcher, and the largest source of smogmaking gas are not trucks, cars, or steam-engines, but cows. Where becoming a vegetarian or vegan has been advocated as the environmentalist’s diet, both vegetarians and vegans are in fact as much of an ecological criminal as meat-eaters are, and here’s why.

Yes, the commercial meatproduction market is a massively flawed one, and causes an extensive amount of damage to the environment. According to Peta, the caloric intake of the world’s cattle in equal to 8,7 billion humans, and around 80% of America’s corn is fed to cattle. At surface-value, cutting-out meat from our diets seems to be an almost undeniably beneficial move for saving our environments.

However, here’s the revelation: vegetables need land as well. In order to meet world corn demands, for example, mass amounts of land need to be cleared, so even if one is planting a field of corn, it probably used to be a biodiverse marshland, home to thousands of species. This rich natural phenomenon, however, was flattened and replaced by food for vegetarians.

Studies have also pointed to some flawed assumptions, and one in particular by Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) made some interesting findings. Food waste causes environmental costs due to largely incorrect disposal, and of the food wasted by restaurants and homes, 40% is plant-based while only 30% is meat-based. This means that, regardless of the diet, people are guilty for polluting the environment with their food either way.

CMU’s research has also found that lettuce emits three-times more in carbon emissions than a pig does, and in order to reach one’s daily recommended caloric intake without meat, requires a lot more vegetables, legumes, fruits, grains, etc. In other words, vegetarians often eat far more produce than meat-eaters, and thus carry similar carbon-footprints.

However, this is not to say all vegetables or all meat products are better or worse than the other. CMU has clarified that the agricultural impact on the environment is not a simple one, but lumping all vegetables together and saying they’re better then all meat products achieves very little, if anything at all.

Ethical diets are another consideration, as not everyone becomes a vegetarian or vegan purely to “go green.” Some people are also unable to give up meat or dairy products for health reasons.

With all of this in mind, it becomes pertinent to stress that one’s diet is not what’s important. In order to eat for the environment, one needs to critically examine where one’s food comes from, rather than what one’s food is. If you’re buying from factory farms – be it meat or grain or vegetable – you are buying into a mass-produced system of environmental destruction. Buying local or organic are both great solutions, but it really boils down to being aware of where your food comes from.

So whether you’re a veggie or a meat-freak, it’s OK. Just check the labels, and each meal you have could be one meal closer to a greener, healthier planet.

An inconvenient truth

BY ZACH PHILLIPS

F

or lovers of both Mary Jane and Mother Earth, the tragedy of global warming has rendered their affections incompatible, even hypocritical.

Today’s unprecedented rate of CO2 emissions is one of the greatest concerns for environmentalist.

Most artificially produced carbon dioxide gas enters the atmosphere through the burning of fossil fuels, waste and wood. And further down the list: burning of marijuana.

Each and every drag contributes to atmospheric CO2 emissions, and drives the knife a little deeper into the heart of our environment.

When talking to a well-known Cannabis connoisseur and environmental activist - who asked that I use the pseudonym “Geff Jibson” to shadow his real identity - he responded, “That sucks, man. That really stresses me out. I love the earth, because it’s so natural and stuff. But weed is natural, too. And it’s fuckin’ awsome. You know what I mean? What would Bob Marley do? This is so hard, man. Real hard.

I need a joint. Wanna’ smoke?”

Once I reminded Geff that smoking his joint, however cathartic it might be, would probably kill a whale, he conceded his marijuana cigarette and decided that he would just have to start eating more brownies.

Unfortunately, Geff’s proposed alternative to smoking marijuana would still aggravate the problem of CO2 emissions, albeit to a lesser extent. All plants, including marijuana plants, sequester carbon dioxide into the earth, converting it from its gaseous phase into harmless bio-

mass. Every time a marijuana plant is damaged - an unavoidable result of cultivating it for its narcotic uses - less CO2 is sequestered from the atmosphere. Thus, even eating pot brownies leads to the “deforestation” of marijuana plants and an increase of greenhouse gasses.

Indeed, all aspects of the “Pot Warming” disaster have been ignored by politicians, the media and even conservation organizations for quite some time. There are hints of change, however. There is a rumor, for instance, that Al Gore is working on a documentary, “An Inconvenienter Truth, Dude,” that will bring the issue international attention.

In our purportedly “progressive” community, ignorance of the effects of marijuana use on the environment is widespread. This was illustrated in Isla Vista during the past week with the nearly contemporaneous celebrations of Earth Day, 4/20 and the Joint Rolling Contest - events that attracted many of the same people.

Hopefully, people who get high and simultaneously advocate the conservation of the environment will begin to question the spurious harmony between their actions and their beliefs. Supporters of both the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws and the Environmental Affairs Board will have to make a tough decision and pledge their allegiance to either one or the other. Like Geff, they will probably ask themselves, “What would Bob Marley do?” and then go get stoned and listen to “No Woman No Cry,” and forget about whatever they were thinking about earlier. But all the while, the earth will be crying.

Think before throwing away last night’s bottles SAB: Packaging, Reuse and Recycling

BY STAFF REPORTER

T

he quality of SAB products is reliant on the quality of our packaging and raw materials. To ensure our consumers are always satisfied with the end product, there are strict measures put in place during the packaging process. However, we’re not only looking to better the needs of our consumers, we’re also invested in bettering the state of the environment.

The first port of call where we can positively impact the effects on the environment is to use reusable packaging. We’re fortunate that our products are packaged in glass bottles, so recycling them is easy. Most bottles are returnable so we can save money and raw materials by reusing them. This in turn reduces the heavy burden that has been placed on the planet in terms of the volume of waste that is gener-

ated.

The SAB glass recycling initiatives allow us to be active partners in The Glass Recycling Company.

In terms of our soft drinks, ABI – our soft drinks division – assists with large-scale funding of PETCO, South Africa’s Polyethylene Terephtalate (PET) recycling company.

These are just a few numbers that can give you an idea of the positive impact our SAB glass recycling and reusable packaging initiatives are having on the planet.

Only 10% of total litter is made up of beverage containers, but we’re still active in reducing this figure.

More than 80% of beer sold by SAB is contained in reusable packaging.

We’re actively trying to reduce the amount of transit packaging used. We’ve redesigned certain packaging to make it lighter, which uses 10% less raw materials to produce How are you doing your bit for the environment? We hope that you’ll start by recycling all your SAB bottles and cans.

10

Travel

The Lowdown

15th May 2017

Looking for a change?

Study abroad in China

I

nternational students should find increasing levels of investment in tertiary education to be a compelling reason to study in China.

In 2012, China reached its target of spending 4 percent of GDP on education, and it is currently investing US$250 billion a year in “human capital” (source: New York Times), which includes the subsidy of education for young people moving from

rural to urban areas, in an effort to lessen the gap between the educated elite and rural laborers.

The number of colleges and universities in China has doubled in the last decade to 2,409. The country’s current five-year plan, which extends to 2015, focuses on many development priorities that are appealing to western college graduates. And many Chinese universities are focusing on developing technolo-

gies that increase competitiveness with the West.

Key initiatives include Project 211, which aims to bring 100 Chinese universities up to a world-class standard, and Project 985, which aims to create an even more elite group of universities. Project 985 has resulted in the creation of the C9 league, which has ambitions of becoming something like the US Ivy League.

The Top 6 Reasons to Study in China I n recent years many countries across the world have seen an increasingly strong demand to study in China. In 2010 alone, the number of students from over 180 countries who came to study for degree and non-degree courses was more than 256,000.

You may wonder why China is so attractive to those who want to study abroad; here are a few reasons: 1. Affordable Study Costs Compared to some European countries, America, Japan, South Korea and other Asian countries, the cost of studying in China is much more reasonable. The tuition for English taught MBBS, Business and Engineering course etc. is only about R28 000 to R56 000 a year.

You can live a content life with a small budget in China. In cities like Beijing or Shanghai, a rent for a small apartment is at least R2500 to R4000. In small cities and towns, housing prices are much lower, for example, a rent for an apartment with two beds could be around R1000 per month in cities such as Qingdao, Dalian, Nanjing, Changsha, Weifang and so on.

A meal at a local restaurant for one person could cost as little as

R25 to R40 rands. Transport is also cheap, as taking a bus usually costs about R2, and a subway ticket in Shanghai and Beijing is about R4.

2. Travel and Discovery Located in the east of the world, China is a country with a long history and splendid civilization. Studying in China is a way for you to fully enrich yourself in the culture and mysteries of this country. Here you will start a journey of brand-new exploration: experience its unique mix of ancient and modern civilization, enjoy its scenic beauty, study its profound culture, and make friends with students from all over the world.

The highly-diversified terrain of China takes you from bustling cities full of colorful nightlife to isolated mountain-top Ming-Dynasty villages. It’s not just a museum of imperial relics, the booming development has left China’s coastline glittering with some of the world’s most modern cities with a forward-thinking dynamism.

It is convenient and affordable to travel around China owing to the well-developed transportation system. It boasts the world’s most completed railway system and the modern bullet train which can reach

up to 300 km per hour.

3. Immersed in Chinese Culture The incomparably varied quintessence of Chinese culture will open a window for you to learn more about the world we live in.

What’s more, China is a multiethnic state with 56 nationalities.

Each of the minorities has its own tradition, religion and custom. By communicating with Chinese people here, you will find your life is continuously replenished by various cultures and wonderful stories.

4. High-quality Education China is seeking to promote the development of first-class universities, and the Chinese government has heavily invested itself in education. There are around 6,000 tertiary education institutes in China which are allowed to admit international students, with 160 of these institutes are authorized to hand over Chinese government scholarships.

Universities offer both degree and non-degree programmes. Some include Chinese features, such as Mandarin, while others include subjects such as MBBS, Business, and Engineering.

In particular, for those foreign students who want to gain some

training on Chinese language, almost all the universities set up Language and Culture programs to help them learn Chinese.

In addition, a lot of universities offer Bachelor’s, Master’s or Doctoral Degree programmes taught in English for those who are not fluent in Chinese.

The official educational certificates awarded by Chinese universities are internationally recognized.

Bilateral recognition agreement has been reached between Chinese government and a great many of countries, including the USA, Britain, France, Japan and 65 other countries and regions. Therefore, it is completely safe to study in China under the protection and support of the official authorization.

5. Promising Job Opportunities China is the world’s second largest economy, after the United States. It is the world’s fastest-growing major economy, with average growth rates of 10% during the past 30 years.

China is also the largest exporter and second largest importer of goods in the world.

There is no doubt that China’s increasing influence as a global economic power will benefit all stu-

dents who study there. Huge demands of Chinese domestic market, numerous world’s top companies such as General Electric, Exxon Mobil, Volkswagen and Siemens etc. have made a strategic move to conduct business in China.

Studying in China will offer you a chance to join these international groups and find yourself in the global work market.

6. Studying in China safely China is a nation of hospitality and warm-hearted people. As was written in the Analects of Confucius ‘isn’t it a great joy to have friends from afar’. Foreigners who come to China always find them being welcomed by the local neighbours.

Being one of the permanent members of the United Nations, the Chinese government has constantly appealed its moderate foreign policy which has reached a consensus among numerous countries. As an activate of world peace., China has actively developed good-neighbouring relations of friendship with the surrounding countries and become one of the safest countries for studying abroad.

All in all, the vastness and complexity of China makes it an enthralling place to study.

Technology

The Lowdown

15th May 2017

11

The impact of social media on student life

BY ABHISKEH KARADKAR

T

oday’s world is a global village. Everyone is connected to one another in this vast network generated by the Internet.

In the past, the communicating and free sharing of thoughts among people were restricted by long distance, nationality and/or religion.

But now, even these barriers cannot stop the flow of information and knowledge. The new world of social networking allows free sharing of thoughts. So how do these networks affect our education? How do they influence the lives of students?

Humans are social animals. We always like to remain in some group or another, and we prefer to follow what this group does. Even our selfesteem comes after this social dependence. This is the main reason billions of people use social networking to stay connected, make friends and satisfy their social needs.

As of 2015 the world’s largest social networking company, Facebook, has 1,49 billion active users, and the number of users is increasing every year. One of the most interesting things to look at is the increasing number of student users on such social networking sites. As per the survey conducted by Pew Research Centre, 72% of high school and 78 % of college students spend time on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.

These numbers indicate how much the student community is involved in this virtual world of social networking.

Students enjoy socializing, as social networks provide them the freedom to do whatever they want — to upload what they want and talk to

whom they want. They like to make new friends and comment on the lives of different people. Students can create other online identities that the real world does not allow.

Never before has it been so easy for young minds to create a digital image of their actions through such a spontaneous medium.

But there is a darker side that has gained the attention of many parents, and even eminent psychologists, all over the world. One of the biggest problems is the identity crisis constant social networking produces. Many psychologists are worried about the identity crisis that our present generation may face today. The lives of people, especially students, are largely influenced by what is posted by other people on their profiles. The habits that students learn are decided more by what their friends do and less by the teachings of parents or professors.

Students have become prone to frequent fluctuations in mood and self-control. If one of a student’s friends posted about his or her present relationship with someone, then other friends are pressed to do the same thing. Actions that attract more public attention hold more value, even despite some of them being immoral or illegal.

Many students are worried about their looks, and so they always try to upload nicer pictures than their friends. A recent survey has stated that whenever someone uploads a profile picture, it immediately affects the moods of friends. It often produces stress, anxiety or fear about their identities as people.

Consistently thinking in this way can sometimes lead to depression.

The most important things in a student’s life should be studying, learning good habits and gaining knowledge to become a person with moral character. But today, as is seen in various studies, this optimal learning process is seriously jeopardized by students becoming entrapped by the ploys of social networking. Students neglect their studies by spending time on social networking websites rather than studying or interacting with people in person. Actively and frequently participating in social networking can negatively affect their grades or hamper their journeys to their future careers.

Getting too involved in social media can lead to an addiction that inculcates bad habits. Students prefer to chat with friends for hours, and this leads to a waste of time that

Using your phone during lectures can have negative effects on your studies

BY KERRY PROVENZANO

I

t’s 7am. We fumble for our phones to turn off the alarm. As we squint to focus on the time, no sooner have we realised we had to be up five minutes ago, have we opened Twitter to digest our early morning feed.

For students, this is a common occurrence and the scrolling may continue on the way to university, while we await the lecturer’s arrival and, if you’re tactful enough, during the lecture itself. But is our continual use of the internet a problem?

Surely, if anything, it’s helping us stay up to date with what’s going on in the world? Let’s take a moment to put our phones down, take a breath and ask the dreaded question: Am I spending too much time online?

Our primary concern should be whether all that seemingly innocent scrolling has any impact on our studying. Duncan Jones, a lecturer at the University of Northampton, believes that “If [students] are using mobiles or tablets to make notes or to copy links, it isn’t a problem.

If they’re texting or emailing, it will have a significant impact on their studies which will be demonstrated when assignments don’t meet the

criteria or the skills taught aren’t used.”

So if student concentration can be affected by phone usage, the only seemingly possible solution would be to ban phones during lectures and seminars, but is that really fair? Duncan continues by saying: “I’d like to see it but it would need to be applied across all courses and modules. In terms of the impact, it might mean greater levels of concentration but some will probably just find another distraction.”

It seems if you find yourself easily distracted during lectures, perhaps spending time on your phone isn’t really the problem and it actually lies in the ability to concentrate.

Take a well-focused student, however, and give them a small mobile device and internet access and concentration levels could quickly drop.

Esther Sakala, multimedia journalism student at the University of Northampton, says seeing other students on their phones can often get frustrating: “It drives me insane when students turn up and spend the entire time scrolling away and sending Snapchats. I like checking my Instagram and Twitter, but I know when enough is enough. I think the key is self-discipline and

understanding that checking your phone here and there isn’t a problem, but if you’re on your phone for the majority of the lecture, you might as well not be there at all.”

From this issue arises the notion of distracting others – the idea that if the person next to you is immersed in their Facebook feed, not only are you going to be distracted, but you may be more likely to check your notifications too.

Shauna Murray is a marketing student at Birmingham City University and often uses her phone during lectures, but she doesn’t think it’s a problem. “I do use my phone but that’s only because I’m in a large lecture hall. Doing it in a seminar would be rude. I can’t see it having a significant impact on my level of understanding though because I take down all the appropriate notes.

If I thought using my phone would impact my degree I wouldn’t do it.

But it’s interesting to hear what the others have said, so I might turn my phone off in my next lecture and see how it goes.”

So, where is your phone during a lecture? Tucked away in your bag?

On the table in case anyone texts you? Or is it on your lap while you’re busy opening Snapchats?

could have been used for studying, playing or learning new skills. It is often said that a long-term friendship or relationship is developed when people meet each other, spend time and share their experiences.

But this virtual way of communicating with each other does not lead to a natural, friendly experience and hence cannot produce a healthy relationship with those friends. Also, these relationships tend to terminate easily due to a lack of personal contact.

The system generates a competition to make as many new friends as possible and the so-called “social quotient” of a person is decided by how many friends they have and not on how good-natured and congenial the person really is. Often, students who are not old enough to accurately analyze the world “like” or com-

ment on social or political issues, and this leads sometimes to serious controversies.

Considering all of the above pros and cons, it is necessary to develop certain regulations over the use of such social networking sites, especially for high school and college students. But still, students should get the choice to spend time socializing in an effective way. It should not hamper their school or college performance, and it should be kept in mind that social networking sites create virtual worlds that drastically differ from reality.

Students should develop the cognitive and intuitive ability to analyze how much time they want to spend on social media. It is left up to the students to decide what really matters in their life and how much of this virtual life is real.

My Study Life: the ultimate planner

M

y Study Life is a cross-platform planner for students, teachers and lecturers designed to make your study life easier to manage. My Study Life allows you to store your classes, homework and exams in the cloud making it available on any device, wherever you are.

Unlike a paper planner or school diary, My Study Life integrates all areas of your academic life - see homework due and overdue for classes, classes which conflict with your exams and even add revision tasks for a specific exam - all in a free, easy to use application. Far from your standard calendar, My Study Life is optimized to work for your school life right from the start with support for week and day rotation schedules. Add your classes and view them in a beautiful, instantly identifiable, familiar week view.

My Study Life seamlessly syncs your data between devices, allowing you to use the app even when

offline. You can add a task on the move from your phone or tablet and it will be instantly available on the web app.

With My Study Life you can...

Track your tasks - homework, assignments, reminders and revision.

Store your tasks with ease in the cloud, accessible anywhere.

Store exams - keep those all important exams alongside your classes and revision tasks.

Manage your classes - your paper planner, turbocharged. Supporting day and week rotation timetables, advanced academic year/term support and integration into tasks you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it.

Get notified - reminders for unfinished tasks, upcoming exams and classes before they even start.

Share - My Study Life allows teachers to create and share their timetable securely with students in the same school (currently in private beta).

12

SPORTS

The Lowdown

15th May 2017

NWU-Pukke bring trophy home to Potch

BY RAYNIQUE MEYER & WOUTER PIENAAR

A

fter two years of heartache it is the Pukke boys’ turn to lift the elusive Varsity Cricket trophy, after they defeated Tuks by four wickets on Saturday evening at Senwes Park. Captain of the NWU-Pukke, Wihan Lubbe, was overjoyed as his team celebrated a famous victory on their home soil.

UP-Tuks won the toss and were elected to bat first with the intension to put pressure on NWUPukke. NWU-Pukke got the early breakthrough in the third over when captain Wihan Lubbe took a superb catch to dismiss Donavon Ferreira for five, leaving Tuks on 11/1 after 2,1 overs.

The NWU-Pukke bowlers kept it tight in the first six overs of the mandatory power play as UP-Tuks only managed 38/1. A Janneman Malan bullet throw ensured the second wicket for NWU-Pukke, as Tony De Zorzi was sent back to the changing room adding just one to the scoreboard.

A quick dismissal left UP-Tuks 43/3 as Ruan Haasbroek caught and bowled Pillay for 24, and NWUPukke were in the driving seat early on. Up-Tuks were struggling for boundaries as wickets dried up the runs, leaving them 59/3 after 10 overs.

Haasbroek was in the action once again, but this time on the boundary rope with a catch to remove Migael Pretorius for 12. A few seconds

Attribute:VarsitySports. Pukke boys celebrating.

later Lubbe struck when he got the big wicket of UP-Tuks’ Kaber (12) which left the visitors at 68/5 after 12,1 overs.

It was six of the best when Lubbe had Blake Schraader out LBW for a duck. The safe hands of Malan kept NWU-Pukke in control, handing Lubbe his third wicket of the match.

He was 74/7 and UP-Tuks needed their tail-enders to show some fight.

A quick stumping by wicketkeeper Edrich Lubbe secured the eighth wicket as Dylan Matthews joined the bowling party. Brilliant bowling

in the Powerplay Plus over by JP le Roux gave NWU-Pukke the momentum to restrict UP-Tuks to a score of 116/8.

Pukke stepped in to chase 117 for victory, but UP-Tuks claimed a crucial wicket of Janneman Malan (4) to give them a bit of hope against the stiff challenge.

It was Schraader who then had the main man from NWU-Pukke, Wihan Lubbe (19) as he departed from the field disappointed to leave his side on 35/2 after ,.6 overs.

The dismissal of Shane Dadswell

(8) and Marques Ackerman (29) put the crowd on edge as NWU-Pukke needed 34 from 40 balls to win.

Pressure got the better of NWUPukke, with two unnecessary wickets of Ruan Haasbroek (10) and Lesego Senokwane (0) as the home side need 29 runs to win of six overs.

Edrich Lubbe (20*) and Jovaun van Wyngaardt (12*) ended the match for NWU-Pukke as they claimed victory over UP-Tuks by four wickets with seven balls to spare in a nervy finish.

Pukke became the first team to

defeat Tuks in a final and lift the Varsity Cricket trophy. Their victory also means that they will represent South Africa at the Red Bull Campus Cricket World Championships in Sri Lanka later this year.

Steers Best Batsman of the Match was Marques Ackerman (NWU-Pukke). FNB Best Bowler of the Match and Samsung Player of the Match was Wihan Lubbe (NWU-Pukke)

Maties shine in Stage One of Varsity MTB Challenge The men and women from the University of Stellenbosch took full advantage of the fact that Varsity MTB Challenge is taking place in their backyard, finishing Stage One in first place, for both the Varsity Sports MTB men’s and women’s classifications, in Franschhoek on Saturday morning.

T

he stage began at 8am, at Nederburg wine farm, in perfect race conditions. The five Varsity Sports teams took up their positions at the front of the grid, as Varsity MTB MC, Doug Bird, signalled for the inaugural race to begin.

The young Maties, UCT, NMMU, Pukke and Tuks teams led the pack at the start, but would see stiff competition from alumni riders representing their former universities throughout the stage.

In what may be one of the toughest starts to an MTB race in South Africa, riders faced a steep climb in the first 10km of the 53km stage.

The route began with a contoured jeep track heading towards Wellington, with riders climbing as high as 755m above sea level.

After the initial climb, Dominic Calitz broke away from the leading pack and would ultimately finish

the stage solo, coming in first with a time of 2:22.41.

“Firstly, thank you to the organisers for such a fantastic route. It was excellently marked out and not once did I get lost,” said Calitz.

“The first 10km was a group of 10 riders and I broke away from the group halfway up the first climb. I kept it constant, I kept the pace and the rest I did on my own.”

Calitz was closely followed by Maties’ Varsity Sports MTB team, who came in with a time of 2:29.15, thanks to Carl van Wyk and Ian Lategan. The stage ended with a deceptively tough final 7km. With challenging jeep track and loose terrain, it was a tricky end to the first day for the riders.

“It was very rocky,” said Calitz, commenting on the final section of

the stage. “I would say the first half was not as rocky as the second half.

The first half had smoother trails; the last half was hard on the legs.”

Calitz went as far as to say that he should have opted for a soft tail with all the loose rocks, rather than a hard tail when selecting his bike, when asked by MC Doug Bird whether he had made a wise selection of bike.

Riders will have an afternoon to kick back, nurse the wounds and ice the bruises before Stage Two kicks off at La Paris on Sunday morning.

Results of Varsity MTB Challenge: First rider: Men: Dominic Calitz (2.22.41)

Women: Mariske Strauss (2:53.48)

Varsity Sports MTB: Men: 1. Maties (2:29.15) 2. UCT (2:33.10) 3. Tuks (2:33.13) 4. NMMU (2:52.53) 5. Pukke (2:59.57) Women: 1. Maties (2:53.48)

SPORTS

The Lowdown

15th May 2017

13

Penalty shootout results in an unbeaten season for Maties

BY ANDRE HUISAMEN

I

t was set out to be the match of the weekend as Maties and Pukke went head to head in the final match of the first weekend of Varsity Hockey, played on Monday night at the Maties Astro in Stellenbosch.

Both sides were unbeaten heading into the game and it was evident why they were the two best sides over the past four days, as the match ended 0-0 after the 60 minutes.

Tight defence by both sides meant the game had to be decided in penalty shootouts as fans watched

on anxiously.

Maties won the toss and decided to go first. Tarryn Glasby started strong for Maties as she tucked away her chance, before Miecke Flemming missed her opportunity for Pukke.

Captain, Heather McEwan made it two for Maties as she calmly slotted home her goal. Pukke put themselves under immense pressure when Dunelle van Taak spilled her chance to make it 2-0 to Maties after two rounds.

The tides started to change when first Stephanie Botha and second Paige Phillips failed to score for Maties, while Charne Maddocks and

Anneke Beukman converted for Pukke to put them right back in the contest with one round to go.

Georgia Grobler proved why she was one of the star performers of the weekend when she scored excellently for Maties, which meant Pukke vice-captain, Jocelle Deysel, had to score to keep Pukke in the match. Maties goalkeeper, Nicole Le Fleur became a heroine in the following moments as she superbly saved Deysel’s shot to win the match for Maties 3-2 on shootouts.

Maties ended the weekend off undefeated before heading to Potchefstroom for this coming weekend’s round of Varsity Hockey.

Varsity Athletics’ finest get set to thrill in Potchestroom

Mugg & Bean Star Saver: Nicole Le Fleur (Maties) FNB Player of the Match: Jessica de Bruyn-Smith (Pukke) Teams Maties: 1 Nicole Le Fleur (GK), 2 Lenta Cullinan, 4 Stephanie Botha, 6 Heather McEwan ©, 8 Paige Phillips, 9 Sandiswe Tabata, 10 Tarryn Glasby, 12 Natahsa Rootenberg, 14 Georgia Grobler, 17 Page Alcock, 20 Minke van Heerden Subs: 5 Simone Strydom, 7 Lida Kotze, 11 Danielle Kirsten, 16 Aimee Pote, 19 Alegra Dijkstra, 21 Polly Mashau, 24 Kirsten Block (GK) Pukke: 1 Marine Kock (GK), 2 Jocelle Deysel ©, 5 Jessica de BruynSmith ©, 8 Lindi Anker, 10 Lerato Mahlangu, 11 Lori Hyde, 12 Carli Rheeder, 13 Courtney du Preez, 15 Dunelle van Taak, 17 Elmien Marais, 19 Charne Maddocks Subs: 3 Hope Nkosi, 7 Miecke Flemming, 9 Carli Pretorius, 16 Jamie Flowers, 18 Kerrin Klaaste (GK), 20 Meeghan Klomp, 21 Anneke Beukman

Varsity Cup round 8 wrap up

E

ight months ago we witnessed Wayde van Niekerk and Akani Simbine shine on the grandest stage in Rio, introducing themselves to the world in some style. Simbine finished fifth in the men’s 100m, just 0.03 seconds off a bronze medal. Van Niekerk broke a 17-year-old Olympic record to win the 400m in 43.03.

Not long before that, we had seen these raw talents announcing themselves to South Africa at Varsity Athletics, as the young student athletes honed their skills, shaving seconds off their times and maturing on the track meeting after meeting.

Van Niekerk and Simbine have come of age. They are Olympians at the top of their game. And tonight in Potchefstroom the stands will be packed as spectators are treated to a

UJ 28-23 Wits - FULL TIME Attribute: Varsity Sport. Wade van Niekerk takes the lead in the 400m. meeting of Olympic standards in the South Africa in the 100m and 200m ASA Senior Championships. If there events, alongside rising stars and was any doubting the magnitude of 2017 Varsity Athletics champions, the event, the world’s fastest man Gift Leotlela and Thando Roto. Not put them to bed. forgetting Caster Semenya, these Simbine will duel Van Niekerk for five world class athletes are set to the bragging rights of fastest man in thrill on Friday night as Potchef-

CUT 44-73 Maties - FULL TIME UP-Tuks 51-23 UCT - FULL TIME Madibaz 23-7 Shimlas - FULL TIME