photographer Asher Adams | model Nqobile Kheswa
IN THIS ISSUE 008
Hello & Goodbye
038
Tradition
058
Sport
068
Fashion
084
Trending
096
Four-One-One
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR For many of us, this term has felt like an appropriate trial run for the turbulence adulthood will bring, as we've had to deal with contentious issues coming from left, right, and centre. As I’m sitting and writing this letter, we are faced with uncertain and challenging times. The rapid spread of the coronavirus has caused havoc in every form. Unfortunately, things are going to get worse before they get better, but it is important to remember that this too will pass. Early on in this term, I was fortunate enough to attend a Toastmasters evening and witnessed a speech about ‘wholesome FOMO’ , which pretty much moulded the way I approached this term. As you probably know, FOMO is a term usually used when discussing exclusion from social gatherings. In this case, though, it was about missing out on high school experiences . The further a person gets into their high school career, the more inclined they are to get involved in school activities, in fear that soon we'll all be shoved into the harsh realities of the adult world. To my fellow Gr 11s, I’m sure I’m not alone in this feeling, as matric is just around the corner. Whether this amateur psychoanalytical theory has any merit whatsoever, it doesn’t matter. We make the most of our opportunities, turn to the Nike slogan for guidance, and we Just. Do. It.
Charloot tings
Issue 19 of the Blue Thread provides you with some ‘quarantine reading material’ with plenty of new teachers to ‘nosy’, a revival of the Blue Tech section, a 2020 fashion trend forecast and if you made a fool of yourself at Interhouse Drama, you can always lick your wounds by reading the best and brightest Grade 8 orientation test answers, they’re bound to invoke a smile. At this stage, the ‘holidays’ seem destined to be longer than usual, so ensure to make the most of your time off by remembering to check up on each other and by keeping the caring energy going. Ciao for now! Your Editor in Chief,
blue thread bids farewell
MARVELOUS MACKENZIE If you know Mrs Mackenzie you’ll know that she is always singing, always smiling and always muttering her signature, ‘liewe seks.’ And if you think your Instagram game is strong then you haven’t seen Mack’s feed — even her dog’s account is beyond trendy. Mrs Mackenzie has been with the Blue Thread since the beginning and has unfortunately decided to leave the magazine. One of the many lessons she taught me is to ‘do now, apologise afterwards.’ I think this perfectly encapsulates her unapologetic spirit and how she is never afraid to speak her mind and boldly be herself. In honour of her departure, we’ve made contact with some of the past leaders of the Blue Thread to share their experience working with Mack. You’ll find that boldness, creativity and passion, are all words repeated throughout the quotes and I can vouch that many learners can agree on this. Thank you Mrs Mackenzie for everything you’ve done for the Blue Thread, you will be thoroughly missed.
“Working with Mrs Mackenzie was probably one of the highlights of my matric year. She had the ability to make her students feel very capable and inspired, to be the best they can be. My time with the Blue Thread and Mrs Mackenzie was an unforgettable experience and I will forever cherish those times.” - Belinda Naude, class of 2016
“Toe ons laat aand deadlines te maak positiwiteit en ento daardeur gebring h vir die tydskrif is w - Nieke Prinsl
de gewerk het om k, was dit Juf. Mack se oesiasme was wat ons het. Haar liefde en passie werklikwaar aansteeklik.� oo, class of 2016
“ Ek het altyd gesê dat Juf. Mackenzie is die perfekte kombinasie tussen ‘n beste vriend, ‘n ma en iemand vir wie jy baie respekteer. Sy is iemand wat ‘n baie sterk idee het, van hoe sy wil hê iets moet wees. Sy sal jou definitief altyd motiveer om jou eie kreatiwitiet toe te pas op die magazine. Sy was die ‘mind, body and spirit’ wat agter die magazine was, en sy het alles saamgebring. Ek dink sy is iemand wat vir my baie geleer het en baie meer my kreatiewe kant laat explore het. Sy is die embodiment van die magazine, en ek het my tyd saam met haar flippen baie geniet.” - Charl Wiehahn, class of 2017
“Sy was di aand, altyd Sy het prob ‘onthou ne kreatiewe m saam met van skool g bereik en e - Chant
“Mrs Mackenzie, what a woman! I don’t even know where to begin when I think back to my time as Editor of the Blue Thread. Her constant upbeat energy and enthusiasm is what kept us going and inspired us to keep doing more. Thank you Mrs Mackenzie, for all that you have inspired in me.” - Arvida Lincoln, class of 2016
“ Before signing up to the magazine, I had no interest in taking my photography skills further. Then Mrs Mackenzie saw my photographs on Instagram and convinced me to sign up and I haven't looked back since. This magazine simply would not be where it is today, if she was not there acting as the backbone and guiding us into the right direction.” - Liam Davies, class of 2019
writer Charlotte Lay | photographer Mingeon Marais | designer Charlotte Lay
e entertainment op die hele Blue Thread elke d met haar spot gedryf, altyd met haar skinder. beer om fun te maak in alles, sy het altyd gesê et, kritiek is goeie kritiek.’ Sy is ‘n baie bold en mens, sy het baie gegroei en ek voel dat sy ons gegroei het. Sy hou van die kinders, sy hou gees en sy wil net altyd beter en beter en beter ek dink dat dit een van haar sterkste punte is.” tal Pretorius, class of 2017
Als is maanskyn en Ro-hwer vir Parel Vallei se nuutste wetenskaponnie Ontmoet die joviale mejuffrou Karen Rohwer wat meer aanbied as net fisiese wetenskappe en wiskunde. Net soos enige atoom se kern, is haar hart altyd positief en haar glimlag aansteeklik en haar leerders leer terselfdertyd oor die chemie van materie en die fisika van lewe in haar klaskamer. Juffrou Rohwer het in Somerset-Wes grootgeword en in Beaumont en Parel Vallei skoolgegaan voordat sy in Stellenbosch haar tersïere studies voltooi het. Ons as Parel Valleiers voel geëerd om die eerste skool te wees waar Juffrou Rohwer by klas gee. Sy was reeds laas jaar vir ses maande hier en toe daar ‘n pos beskikbaar was, het sy dit met albei hande aangegryp. Sy geniet haar twee vakke geweldig baie omdat albei gesentreerd is rondom probleemoplossing wat baie logika en praktiese denke verg. Sy is besonders verbeeldingryk en geniet dit om haar kennis te gebruik om te verstaan wat moontlik kan wees en nie kan wees nie. So indien jy opsoek is na ‘n oplossing vir enige probleem, is Juffrou Rohwer die persoon om te kontak!
Wat vrye tyd aan betref, geniet Juffrou Rohwer dit om tyd saam met haar gesin en familie deur te bring sowel as om ‘n potjie tennis te speel, musiek te maak en om op opwindende staptogte saam met haar vriende te gaan, altyd opsoek na ‘n nuwe avontuur. Juffrou Rohwer sê dat haar grootste uitdaging is om haar leerders te motiveer om hard te werk. “Ek hoop dat my passie en plesier in die vak hulle sal bereik en hulle sal aanmoedig om hul eie genot daarin te vind” so motiveer sy om leerders te kry om op hul beurt, harder te werk en meer kennis op te doen. Rohwer-raad is sy altyd gereed om te gee en die raad wat sy aan Parel Vallei se leerders toedien is van baie waarde. “Probeer altyd en gee te alle tye jou beste, leer uit jou foute en streef daarna om elke dag jouself te verbeter.” Sy staan by haar stelling dat jou optrede en mentaliteit neem jou ver in die lewe so probeer om eg te wees en om goeie dinge te doen! Juffrou Rohwer, ons hoop Juffrou geniet die PV avontuur vorentoe.
writer Hanna van Zyl | photographer Asher Adams | designer Diana Millard
writer Amealia van Heerden | photographer Asher Adams | designer Diana Millard
In sy twaalfde jaar van onderrig is Meneer van Rensburg glad nie ‘n vreemdeling aan die ellendes en probleme van tieners nie. Parel Vallei se nuwe Geskiedenis onderwyser en seuns hokkie-afrigter is al lank in die spel en só weet ons dat ons begrip van die verlede in goeie hande is. Hy het sy onderwysloopbaan by Bishops Diocesan Kollege begin as ‘n inwonende onderwyser en was ook ‘n onderwyser by Pearson en Paul Roos. Meneer het in hierdie tyd Geografie, Geskiedenis en ‘n klein bietjie Engels gegee. Al is Meneer van Rensburg van ‘n jong ouderdom af baie passievol oor geskiedenis, sê hy dat sy ware sukses rondom die sportveld plaasvind, spesifiek met hokkie, alhoewel meneer in die verlede golf en krieket ook afgerig het. Toe meneer gevra was waar sy passie vir hokkie ontstaan het, het hy verklap dat hy nog altyd goed was met hokkie en skryf sy liefde vir hokkie toe aan sy reeds sportiewe gesin. Hokkie is Meneer van Rensburg se tweede natuur en dit was nog altyd deel van hom.
Soos voorheen genoem, het Meneer van Rensburg by Paul Roos en Bishops skoolgegee. Op die vraag van die verskil tussen net vir seuns skoolgee en ook meisies in die klas te hê, het meneer met geheime verligting erken dat om dames in die klas te hê die speelveld gelyk maak. Meisies is meer gedisiplineerd, volgens meneer, en het ‘n gevoel van volwassenheid wat klastyd net so effens meer gerieflik maak. In sy vrye tyd, bevorder meneer sy gholfboffin status of hy sal wynplase in ons omgewing besoek met sy vrou. Meneer van Rensburg het ‘n leë skilderseil wat hy sonder twyfel met baie sukses en goeie herinneringe gaan verf, en hy wil begin deur om die seuns hokkie in die top tien te kry. Met ‘n paar laaste wyse woorde vanaf meneer, sluit ons af: “Wat jy in sit, kry jy uit.”
Juffrou Barnardo — die juffrou wie se syfers altyd klop!
Ek het die voorreg gehad om Parel Vallei se nuutste Besigheidstudies-onderwyseres beter te leer ken en ‘n klein kykie gekry van wie Juffrou Barnardo binne én buite haar klaskamer is. Hierdie is haar tweede jaar van klasgee, sy was voorheen by Hoërskool Brackenfell, en sy bied Besigheidstudies en EBW aan. Sy vind plesier in haar vakgebied en glo dat jy dit maklik in die werklike lewe kan toepas. Sy is mal oor die opwinding van die veranderende sakewêreld en die ekonomie hou haar altyd op haar tone. Juffrou Barnardo het grootgeword op ‘n plaas net buite Hartbeespoort en was ‘n getroue leerling aan hierdie einste dorp se hoërskool. Haar ouma was ‘n onderwyseres en dus het sy altyd geweet dat haar toekoms skoolgee inhou en dat die passie vir onderwys dik deur haar gene loop. Nietemin, is sy vreeslik lief vir bak en brou, indien onderwys nie ‘n keuse was nie, sou sy haar eie koffiewinkel wou oopmaak en
tuisgebakte lekkernye verkoop. Gelukkig geniet sy Parel Vallei reeds te veel, maar ongelukkig sal ons nie in die nabye toekoms ‘n groot stuk koek by Barnardo se Bakkery kan geniet nie. Juffrou Barnardo is vreeslik in haar skik met die Parel Vallei leerders se maniere en sy beveel aan dat hulle elke oomblik van hul skoollewe moet koester en geniet. Sy beklemtoon sterk dat die studente minder moet stres en dat hulle moet onthou om jonkwees te geniet terwyl hulle kan. As sy nie besig is om vraestelle op te stel nie, is sy dol daaroor om saam met haar man strand toe te gaan, fiets te ry en uitdagende staproetes aan te pak. Sy deel ons almal se liefde vir die komieklike TVreeks, Friends, en sy is beenaf oor ‘n heerlike draairoomys— veral in Mosambiek. Juffrou Barnardo wandel deur die lewe met ‘n huppel in haar stap en vind plesier in elke dag. As sy so goed kan bak soos wat sy klasgee, hoop ek vir ons almal se part dat Barnardo se Bakkery eendag ‘n werklikheid sal word.
writer Hanna van Zyl | photographer Asher Adams | designer Diana Millard
writer Lienke Frylinck | photographer Asher Adams | designer Diana Millard
Gegrond in Respek en Geluk. Pas getroud en nuut in die Parel Vallei familie gee ons ‘n Blue Thread welkom aan Mnr Fourie. Hy sal gereeld in die gange gesien word en is reeds ‘n bekende gesig vir die graad agts en neges tydens hul EBW en Tegnologie periodes.
Mnr Fourie is nie net ‘n sportliefhebber nie, maar sport is ook sy stokpertjie. Om spesifiek te wees; Rugby. Hy is mal daaroor om rugby te speel en om rugby te kyk, “enigeiets wat met rugby te doen het.” Seuns, as julle in Mnr Fourie se goeie boekies wil kom, weet julle wat om te doen!
Hoe het die meneer by Parel Vallei opgeindig? Dit is alles te danke aan Juffrou Fourie! Voorheen bekend as Juffrou Laubscer. Die twee is einde verlede jaar in die eg verbind en het ‘n klein probleempie in die gesig gestaar; een van hulle moes skuif. Gelukkig het Juffrou Fourie se gesig nie in die Blue Thread se “Totsiens aan:” artikel verskyn nie en gevolglik het ons ‘n nuwe bate aan Parel Vallei verwelkom.
Tussen al die tonne vakke wat die Mnr al aan gebied het, sê hy dat sy gunsteling vakke EBW en Wiskunde geletertheid is. As julle ooit ‘n vragie oor Besigheids of tot Lanbou Tegnologie het, vra gerus vir Mnr Fourie. Die verandering wat Mnr Fourie in die wêreld wil bring is een wat ooreenstem met Parel Vallei se trots; hy wil sien hoe jong seuns in manne verander met ruggraad. Hy wil sien hoe jong mans vroue respekteer en hoe hulle verantwoordelikheid neem vir hulle aksies. “Dit begin by ordentlik groet. In die oë kyk wanner hulle met mense praat. Dit begin by ons jong leerders.” Laastens het ons as Parel Vallei leerders ‘n goeie indruk gemaak op Mnr Fourie. Sy eerste kwartaal ervaring was baie gerieflik en ons het hom gemotiveer om by meer goed betrokke te raak in die toekoms.
Mnr Fourie wou sedert kleintyd ‘n onderwyser word. Hy het groot geword op Callidon en het tydens sy skool jare ‘n rolmodel onderwyser gehad wat hom geïnspireer het. Hy wou en wil ‘n verkil in kinders se lewens maak. Mnr Fourie sê: “Dit gaan oor die kind.” Boonop dit, is Mnr Fourie baie lief vir sport en afrig, “Dit is goed om te sien hoe ‘n kind ontwikkel. Dit is ‘n groot beloning.”
Hou julle oë oop vir dié meneer! Hy is een wat ‘n verskil gaan maak!
Mr Pitout is back and is ready to do this whole high school thing all over again. “There is no place like home.” These iconic words from The Wizard of Oz have definitely been applied in Mr Pitout’s life so it only seems fitting that he starred in this musical too. Mr Pitout matriculated from PV in 2008 and has been coaching girl’s hockey at PV for the last ten years, so he never really left, but this year he decided to make his place in the PV family official. Moving from being a Grade 6 educator at Beaumont Primary School to being the Head of Sports at Parel Vallei may seem like a daunting task and a leap just as big as moving from primary school to high school when you are a student, but if you have survived it once, why not do it again? In fact, one of the reasons he decided to come to PV was because it is familiar to him and his position allows him to be involved with things that he enjoys, like sport, culture, school and yes, children. Mr Pitout is taking over from Mrs Kets, who has moved on to a better place, i.e. the Head of all extra-murals in the school and his goals for this year include running the sports department smoothly and making sure that everything stays on track. He wants to build relationships with all the sporting codes in the school, as well as, the staff at PV. He strives to let sport reach new heights and empower those around him.
He has to manage all the sporting codes, the coaches, the fixtures, tournaments and many more, but he is most certainly not a one trick pony. He has many cultural passions, has been in countless productions and has played many roles, including a drag queen, so we might see him wondering into the cultural side of things. For those of you who have experienced déjà vu upon seeing Mr Pitout at PV, don’t worry, the feeling is mutual. He says that he feels a bit terrified and satisfied to see some of his old students. He says that it is awesome to see the mature versions of what he knew and is proud that they have made it this far. Mr Pitout should almost be immune to that déjà vu feeling considering that he is now working alongside some of his old teachers, which he also did at Beaumont, but he says that he is treated with equal respect alongside all the educators. The student has indeed become one of the masters. Being the head of anything could be anyone’s worst nightmare, but it’s more of a dream come true for Mr Pitout, as it allows him to do something he is passionate about while coming one step closer to where he eventually wants to be. It’s important to try to reach your goals and scoring some on the astro couldn’t hurt either.
writer Nerise Malan | photographer Asher Adams | designer Diana Millard
writer Hannah McCreath & Josh Fittt | photographer Asher Adams | designer Diana Millard
Welcome Karin van Rooyen, our new front office secretary! “Always be nice to secretaries, they are the real gatekeepers of the world.” Therefore, we are so very excited to give a warm, typical PV welcome, to Mrs Karin van Rooyen, our vibrant, new front office secretary. Karin used to work at one of our local primary schools, Somerset West Primary. She not only worked as a secretary there for ten consecutive years, she also went to school there; what dedication! There was so much to love about her old job; she loved her colleagues, the smaller school, the closeness of it, the smaller kids, everyone was little more friendly and dependant. However; now she has made this huge change and for the better, she chose PV for the hopes of something bigger and better, a high school and she is ready to face the challenge. There are many hopes she has for PV and she hopes to grow with the school, hopefully until retirement.
A bit more about Karin van Rooyen. Karin is married with children. Two daughters; one attending University and the other in Grade nine. She also loves Mr Price Home, she likes the variety and keeping up with the trends; “I like to see the changes and upcycle
furniture.” We’re very excited to see if our front lobby might have some inspiring new décor inquiries. She also loves to listen to Gospel music and her favourite band is Hillsong. Karin’s least favourite colour is yellow; we definitely know we won’t see this colour appearing in those décor inquiries. She feels it is very jarring and aggressive. This is especially true with this summer’s jarring and aggressive yellow flare, speak of the seven deadly Suns, wear sunscreen kids.
Karin’s favourite go to outfit is the minimalist inspired, jeans, tea-shirt and bare foot trend. “It’s comfortable and I like to keep it simple”. “Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off.” — Coco Chanel. Simple is class, keep it like Karin and Coco. Karin’s memorable philosophy to life is as follows; Live according to “Let go and Let God.” When anxious or things are going wrong. Let God take control. As they say, secretaries are the gatekeepers to the world and we are very excited to have Karin be the new face of Parel Vallei’s front office.
She teaches mathematics to Grade 8 – 10. Her register class is Room 807, but she teaches in different classes each lesson. Mrs Spangenberg started her teaching career in 2010 at Alma Mater, Mpumalanga. During this time, she was getting her degree through Unisa. At the end of 2017, she moved with her husband to the Western Cape and worked at HTS Bellville from April 2018 until the end of 2019. And then, as you all know, she started working at Parel Vallei at the beginning of 2020. She says that God chose for her to come to PV and that it is one of the most welcoming schools she has ever worked at and is loving every second of it. She tells me that she especially loves how much passion goes into every aspect of the school and how it runs like a well-oiled machine. Mrs Spangenberg’s biggest role model was her mother, who was also a teacher, and that is what inspired her to go into teaching. She says that it is in her blood and that it is a way for her to honour her mother. In her free time, Mrs Spangenberg enjoys reading (Her favourite book series being Sherlock Holmes), running and drinking coffee. Although, her favourite pastime is spending time with her 2year old daughter. She says she enjoys books and being
outdoors more than watching movies or bingeing a Netflix series. Her favourite food is peanut butter and that her Grade 9’s (Grade 9e5) already figured that out. She says that something that continually inspires her are people who are always joyful and optimistic. These people know where their true source of joy is and they spread positivity and light wherever they go, which I think we can all agree is quite inspiring. Mrs Spangenberg’s long-term career goal is to become the mathematics Head of Department and to write workbooks and/or textbooks for Grade 8 to Matric. She wants to help students overcome their anxiety towards math and to excel in the subject. I had asked Mrs Spangenberg if she had any words of wisdom to share, a life lesson that she thought everyone should know. She told me that what she had learnt from her own experiences is that you must never underestimate your abilities and to have confidence and faith in yourself.
writer Megan Le Roux | photographer Asher Adams | designer Diana Millard
GRADE 8 ORIENTATION It was a fresh summer morning. A fresh start with fresh faces, each as nervous and excited as the next. You can’t help but go down memory lane as you see them lining up next to the tennis courts for the first time in the uniforms their moms promised they’ll grow into – eventually. They waved their parents good-bye and so began some of the best, busiest, funniest and craziest years of their lives. Accompanied by their brakkies, we were ready for a safari, or the jungle, if you will. The four days of orientation passed in a fun-filled blur. From learning their grade 8 dance and singing our school song with pride, to touring the grounds and taking their crucial-for-survival orientation test – 100% pass rate, don’t worry – these kiddos were fully equipped for the Bulldog life. All the while, they had to be ready to provide some shade for the prefects at ‘tent’, drop to the ground at ‘roadkill’ and raise their brakkies simba-style at ‘Aaaaah savenyyaaaa’. Hoards of Grade 8s arrived early that Friday, packed and ready for the final step of their training; The Orientation Camp. Buses were loaded, snacks
were had and off we went. The Lead for Life team took the reigns, with the help from the prefects, and made sure the grade 8s connected with each other, learnt new skills and had a great time while doing it. Between tie-dying t-shirts, playing games and hearing the prefects singing random songs during breakfast – note to self: we probably shouldn’t start a band – the camp was a great way to kick off the start of their high school careers, in spite of all the bee incidents, yeouch. Monday came the Blazer Ceremony and with it the pride of seeing the Brakkies be welcomed into the fullyfledged bulldog family. Some prefects almost cut their Brakkies’ ears off, during the knighting but I won’t say whooo. Protip: Don’t forget to use the flat side of the sword when knighting 14-year-olds! And so it came to an end. The 263 grade 8s each rang the bell, signifying the start of their journey and we were thankful that the neighbours were nice enough to let them, without placing any noise complaints.
writer Annegrethe Scholtz | photographer Kelly Holmes & | designer Danielle Kleyn
shell physical inescapable no way out but born in the only image another one sees inescapable that is not me this shell is not mine but its my label, my identity but it isnt it’s physical look beyond, i dare you look into my person my vulnerability gives me hope i cannot break this shell i am pinned to its corners inescapable physical curse - Claire Chase
Orientation Tests Hushed silence, nervous glancing, confused scribbling and prefects peering from behind your shoulder. We’ve all been there — orientation camp, meeting your prefect mentor, receiving your blazer, and of course writing the grade 8 tests. Some of us probably studied our little grade 8 hearts out for this test, and the rest were well reassured to not stress from older family members and friends. This year, we gave out two different tests randomly to the grade 8s and did not tell them that they were not all writing the same test. Of course this made for a funny situation, especially when half of the grade 8s were screaming “I’m a VSCO girl,
sksksksksk” and the rest having no idea what was happening, seeing that it was not in their test. This situation was shortlived before the “phone incident” — I am sure we remember that very well. For the grade 8s reading this, don’t be embarrassed about your answers, we’ve all gone through orientation. You can watch out for this year’s matrics’ grade 8 test answers in our issue at the end of the year. So here are the best — and funniest— questions and answers, spelling mistakes and all.
writer Danielle kleyn | photographer Kelly Holmes | designer Danielle Kleyn
What is Mr Schenck’s house’s name? Abadeen The office Die plaas huis
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Kristin Mahncke Sophie Schwarzloh Johan de Vries / Andries Wie het die skoolwapen ontwerp?
The princible - Sarah Pardoe
List the three couples on the learner council. Josh + Danielle Kali homes + Ben van der water Kelly + Ryan, Patricia + Evan
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Kristin Mahncke Johan de Vries/Andries Lisa JvR
Noem ‘n skoolklub en die onderwyser wat in beheer is daarvan. Film Club: Mrs Duvenage Ocepela: Mr Fredwicks Bluethread: Markus Dempsey
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Jonothan Greybe Samuel Rodenbach Arno Jacobs
If Winston jumps diagonally at a maximum vertical displacement of 5 m and his paws touch the walls at an angle of 90 degrees with a force of 2020 N, what will the force be that the wall exerts on Winston? Use Boyle’s Law and show all calculations. Round your answer off to a minimum of 2 decimal places. I don’t know what nutins are, soz
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George Reed
Give the name of the following staff member (referring to Mr Spijkers). Mr Spinjikie Mr Gose Mr Speikas Mr Sijiek Mnr Spiks Spijukels Uncle Darrel Mr sprayker Mr Sijierk Mnr Spitjek Mr Spijiange
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Kristin Mahncke Daniel Silver Blayze Morris Christine Cockett Lisa JvR Sibulele Aeron Osmond Rona Kirstein Luke Ramasami Jean Conradie Chris Rowe
Wie was die naaswenner van Miss PV 2019? A B C D
Markus Dempsey Anke Tough Kelly Holmes Kate Spade -
Zoë Boonzaaier
Gee die naam en van (NIE bynaam NIE) van die volgende prefek. *met ‘n foto van die prefekte* Pritrisha Patigoto
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Chris Rowe
Give a summary of the RCL portfolio’s description of the summary of their description. RCL stands for Reel Cool Leaders of the portfolio and that they sort out important documents. George Reed
Memory’s quote states that: “Cheese is just a loaf of milk.” Is cheese a loaf of milk? Would this thus define cheese as milk? Is milk cheese? Is cheese cheese? Comment on the quote from a linguistic and philosophical view, focusing on the validity of our reality. If cheese is just a solid loaf of milk, then that is overlooking the development and change that the cheese had to go through in order to achieve its new form. Does that mean that the cheese’s struggles have not been acknowledged? No matter how much we all strive to become cheese, we will always just be loaves of milk. Miku Lanne Kaas is ‘n loaf of milk, maar kaas is nie melk nie, want melk is nie die enigste bestandeel nie en as jy regtig vir die kaas vra hoe hy voel gaan hy sȇ hy’s ‘n loaf, want almal wil iets wees so kom ons laat maar die kaas ‘n loaf wees. Amelié Eagar You see, it’s a very complicated question but I think I have the answer. Yes, cheese is a loaf of milk. Cheese is actually just mouldy milk. Milk is the “before” product of cheese. Yes, cheese is cheese and thus life means everything and nothing at the same time. Joani Frehse
Memory se leuse vertel ons baie van die soiciale wereld waar in ons woon. Ons het hierdie verbeelding dat ryk mense is anders in ‘n manier maar eintlik is hulle dieselfde ding soos kaas en melk wat eintlik dieselfde is. Arno Jacobs It’s like calling a boy a man. At that moment he is not a man, but soon he will be. They are both the same species, just at a different time in their life cycle. Hubertus vd Merwe
In watter toonsoort is die skoollied geskryf?
Passievol en met gees en trots Marko Karsten
Write a descriptive essay of 80 words on your brakkie’s personality. What do they like? How do they react under stress? Refer to the Jungian Personality types and Four Temperaments Personality theory. My brakkie is an evil, heartless creature that seeks destruction. They like oreos. Despite their hatred of humanity, they are a mediator between their friends. Miku Lanne My brakkie het ‘n outgoing besige persoonlikheid, want hy moet opmaak vir sy looks. My brakkie sal dadelik weghardloop en gaan eet in ‘n stresvolle situasies. Hy is ‘n ekstrovert, maar onmenslik awkward. Amelié Eagar He’s dead -
Joani Frehse
Which one is correct?
A B C D
The parts are equal to the sum of its whole The whole is greater than the sum of its parts The whole is greater than the parts of its sum The whole is equal to the sum of its whole -
The majority of grade 8s
When you reach this question, stand up and shout Kyle Slater’s quote : “Imma VSCO girl. Sksksksksksk.” Points will be awarded according to the volume and passion of your shout.
Give the quote of Danielle Kleyn I’m not Kleyn, I’m groot 3,14159265358979323 3, 14529386489346 Um pi, ek gaan nie dit uitskryf nie
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Samuel Rodenbach Amé Engelbrecht George Reed Amelié Eagar
Who is the prettiest girl and boy on the learner council ? The one marking my paper Everyone is pretty
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Rona Kirstein Sophie Schwarzloh
Skryf ‘n beskrywende opstel van 80 woorde oor Joshua Burger se spiere en prinsagtige gesig. Daai “massive” spiere van hom is so mooi, ek wens hy was my held met daai prinsagtige gesig van hom. Dis daai oefening wat hom so laat groot spiere kry en al daai gesig spiere lyk soos Romeo. Marthinus JvR Siesa, nah uh Amelié Eagar
Joshua Burger has big muscles. His muscles look as if they were sculpted by angles. His muscles could crack a diamond. Muscles so big that he makes hulk look weak. His face is so great. He isn’t just handsome he is a natural tressure. Has a sharp jawline. Eyes that could make any girl fall for him. Joshua Burger has a face like no other. He is to good to be true. Strong handsome, his muscels … Arouna Joshua Burger’s is very handsome and his face is as hard as rock. His mucles is like the rock is will only take about 800 punches from a kangaroo I see him lift weights night and day every day of the month. He is like Medusa when you stare into his eyes you will start to freeze and druel. Zian Theron
photographer AsherAdams & Adam Fredericks | designer Danielle Kleyn
MERCI
Ã
VOUS
French Exchange
“For those of you with wanderlust, the Rotary youth exchange program might be for you.“
The day of my 6 week long departure, I sat staring at my suitcase and realised it’s a bad idea to get packing the day you need to leave, but hey, everything worked out. With a heavy heart I said good-bye to my family and went through the gates of the airport. There was no turning back. I was actually doing this. There’s a certain beauty to airports. All the bustling people, the endless possibilities, the
connections you make, the intense hope that you read the signs correctly and should indeed be going to gate 31. I had a connecting flight to Paris from Doha and realised too late that we didn’t consider the time difference when we booked the ticket. Those 27 minutes to get to my gate did, however, make my, ‘dramatically run through airport’ dreams come true. Eighteen hours later, I found myself in Paris. All the signs were in French, the people had a natural sense of style and a nervous yet excited feeling came over me. My host family welcomed me with open arms, or rather les bises— kisses on the cheeks— as hugs are too personal upon meeting people for the first time in France.
writer Annegrethe Scholtz | photographer Annegrethe Scholtz | designer Caitlin Schoeman
It’s impossible to condense 6 weeks’ worth of adventures into an odd page or two’s article so I’ll break it down for you: the highlights and the lowlights. I really enjoyed school there, in spite of some days starting at 8:00 and only ending at 17:00. I didn’t have to do work in any of the classes, unless I wanted to, which gave me the freedom to go to classes with different friends and see everything their school had to offer. I met so many incredible people. I miss you guys lots! I’ll never forget the day I found out there was another South African student in the same school as me. We hugged as if we were long lost sisters and became friends immediately. You’ll notice that you have an instant connection with other exchange students, maybe it’s the fact that you’re sharing the same experience or that you can speak English with them, either way the relation— and break from speaking a foreign language— is appreciated. I visited unbelievable places; the castles of the Chateaux de la Loire valley, Brugge— nicknamed ‘Venice of the North’, Brussels— right next
door to France in Belgium, Lille— a few mètro stops away from Sainghin en Mélantois, where I lived and of course, Paris. The Eiffel Tower is as beautiful as they say and there is an unmatched romance in the old French-architecture and breath-taking landmarks of the city. People, Disneyland Paris is absolutely maaagical! The place is so extra, everything is tastefully themed, decorated and sprinkled with pixie dust. A bus full of excited exchange students, myself included, explored the magnificent world created in the park and made friendships that won’t easily fade away.
For those of you with wanderlust, the Rotary youth exchange program might be for you. Students from America, India, Argentina, Australia, South Korea, Botswana, Canada and all kinds of crazy places were brought into one place to celebrate the love of the unknown. One of my favourite things about the exchange was everything being new and exciting, even normal things like driving were made interesting by being on the wrong side—or I suppose you could say right side— of the road.
Fun fact, the stereotypes about cheese and baguettes in France are true. We had cheese and baguettes every, single, day. Once, we went to a restaurant and I accidentally ordered a full wheel of Camembert cheese, which, to them, could be considered a regular meal. It was insane. Amongst the insanity, I also tried escargots— snails. They’re alright but the best French cuisine is their deserts; chocolate éclairs, macarons, crѐme brûlée, tarte tatin, île flottante, the list goes on. My last day in Sainghin en Mélantois was bitter-sweet. I was sad to be saying goodbye to my second family but happy to be seeing my own soon. There were tears and hugs all-round, promises to meet again and an indescribable appreciation for those that took care of me, accepted me and watched me grow in this journey. To all the friends I made along the way, merci à vous. P.S the best views are from airplane windows.
ABENTEUER German Exchange
Twelve hour flights, three countries and accidental family acquisition were a few of the aspects of 2019/2020’s German Exchange program, which lasted from 10 December 2019 to 5 January 2020. So many memories, so many stories and so many friendships were forged in this exchange. I can’t show you the memories or friendships, but the stories I can tell.
After a few hours of sobbing mothers and injury-inducing hugs at the Cape Town International Airport, nineteen students and two teachers were finally on their way to Istanbul, Turkey, where the first part of the exchange took place. Although we were only in Istanbul for a few hours, they were some of the most enlightening few hours of my life. We saw the Blue Mosque—Sultan Ahmed Mosque— the Hagia Sophia Museum, which is one of the Seven Wonders of the World, and many more of the incredible sights Istanbul has to offer. Small roads, tiny houses and Evil Eye charms graced us wherever we walked.
“A f t e r a f e w h o u r s of sobbing mothers and injury-inducing hugs at the C a p e Tow n International Airport, nineteen students and two teachers were finally on their w a y. ”
writer Amelia van Heerden | photographer Mari Diedricks | designer Jada Ward
Then we were on our way to Germany. Arriving in the small, eight hundred-year-old town, Memmingen, was surreal. Our host families stood there, waiting for us in the -3°C weather with a large sign, welcoming us into their homes and cultures. Our hosts greeted us with open arms and open hearts, all of them so willing to share their lives with children they didn’t even know. This was where the accidental family acquisition comes into play. The truth of the matter is, we fell in love. We fell in love with the families that took us in and the friends we made. We quickly became more than just hosts and exchange partners; we became a real family. The German hosts took us to Munich, ice skating and my all time favourite, skiing in the Alps. The sights were magnificent and absolutely breathtaking. The images of the vast expanse of snowcovered mountains laid out before me will forever be seared into my mind. The experience of that trip is
unforgettable. We also went to school since the German holidays are quite different to ours. If you think Physics is difficult in English then just wait until you have to do it in German; it was a special kind of torture. Finally, it was time to say goodbye to our hosts. Tearyeyed and broken-hearted, we boarded the bus and waved as our hosts disappeared in the distance. The moment was bitter-sweet. We were on our way to a new adventure, but a piece of each of us will always stay in Memmingen. To Prague we went and there we explored. Czechia was a flurry of busses, trams, trains and odd little towns. Churches, human bone decorations, Lego shops and Harry Potter Escape Rooms adorned our trip. Our New Years consisted of a fireworklit sky and an Old Folklore evening. Then on the 1st of January 2020 we were on a bus to Berlin. Berlin was stunning and historically rich. We went to the Berlin TV
Tower, parts of the Berlin Wall, Potsdam, Schloss Sanssouci Palace, Madame Tussauds Wax Museum and Check Point Charlie. Ms Franken and Mrs Burger were eager to take us wherever they could and filled our trip with enriching bits of information about the many places we visited. With the equal sense of childlike excitement they held, no one ever felt too embarrassed to confide in them. We owe many, many thanks to these wonderful teachers. All good things must come to an end, unfortunately. Our trip was over and it was time to return home. With a sting in our tails, but notably full hearts, we boarded all our necessary flights and before long we were back home. Although Germany was amazing and breathtaking, Table Mountain had never looked so beautiful than in that moment from out of the airplane window.
photographer Kelly Holmes | designer Danielle kleyn
BLUE THREAD BASH
photographer Semicka Groves & Asher Adams | designer Charlotte Lay & Danielle Kleyn
photographers Carlton Kok & Asher Adams | Creative director Natasha Schmidt | designer Natasha Schmidt
Back to the 70s. A decade filled with flamboyant flares and an expression of one’s true self. Fighting gender-based dress codes and pairing things which never made sense before, caused the 70s to be a decade of exploration in unconventional mods. Continuing the trend from the 1960s in evoking individual style, ostentatious outfits emerged in disco jumpsuits, flaring flappers, platforms and bellbottoms. As the 1970s gave tribute to the Flappers of the 1920s, we as a generation, living out our own 20s in the 21st century, are giving tribute to the 70s as an iconic era of fashion. In the dark halls of Parel Vallei, the afterhours photoshoot commended the 70s through a group of people, basking in the colours of LEDs, wearable fabrics being boastfully displayed with such predilection and intensity. Salute, the 70s!
DantÉ JACOBS BEN TE WATER DANIëL SANDENBERG LIENKE FRYLINCK
TRENDS TO GET INTO FOR
Make way for a new decade and some exciting old trends. I think we’re all a little confused, if you even care, that is, as to the trends of 2020. That is because everyone wants to bring everything back from the dead in 2020. And yes, what I mean by that is that disco, formerly thought to be deceased, has risen from it’s bedazzled grave in—nearly— all its former glory. But more on that after the obituary. Certain things are best left in the previous decade. I would like to pronounce athleisure officially dead, with the exception of biker shorts. They were also thought to have stayed in 2019, however current trends in France say otherwise. This information has been delivered directly from the embodiment of fashion itself, the wry and relatable queen of fashion, Alexa Chung.
writer Natasha Schmidt | designer Brigit Burger
Tiny, sharp sunglasses are also a thing of the past. While large framed glasses made a chic return in 2019, 2020 will be the year of, believe it or not, wraparound sunglasses. We have seen these sunglasses worn ironically in recent months but whether this trend will catch on properly has yet to be determined. Next, and quite surprisingly, unnecessarily large purses have taken over, the likes of which we’ve never seen before in modern day fashion. I think we can all expect a large purse meme format to follow up this trend, so stay tuned. Having mentioned the revival of many different trends earlier, and if MTV’s predictions are to be believed, then I think we should all be excited for the return of the roaring twenties, as well as, the rapid spreading of disco fever.
The reincarnation of the 20s is only fitting, as such an innovative decade in fashion deserves to be paid a tribute. Here’s to hoping this trend caries on in different and unexpected ways throughout the 20s of our very own 21st century. For inspiration on how to implement this trend, look to the original style icons such as Josephine Baker, Louise Brooks and Zelda Fitzgerald. This trend hasn’t yet caught the attention of the masses, so why not be a trailblazer. I, for one, am not going to miss the opportunity to bring back 1920s lingo such as “Bee’s Knees”, “Big Cheese” (an important person) and “Spiffy” and I pretentiously “cut a rug” (dance) to all my old records. For inspiration on how to implement the return of the 70s and the rebirth of disco, look to celebrities such as Dua Lippa, Harry Styles and Lady Gaga. It is worth mentioning that both this trend and the bold eye-makeup trend that go somewhat hand-in-hand, have Euphoria to thank. This new series, starring Zendaya and Jacob Elordi, has influenced many trends of 2020. With a special mention going to long, matching gloves (AKA Kendal Jenner), platinum blonde, silk and monochrome, these are most likely to be the predominant trends of 2020. But who really knows what this year might bring. I hear something about Greta Thunberg plats making an appearance, so here’s to hoping…
@TAGHITI As a firm believer that the 70s is making its long awaited come back this year, I am loving Taghiti Gericke’s 70s surfer aesthetic. Her feed is a fusion of bohemian and hippie style that is characterised by events such as Woodstock of ‘69. “Born and raised in the Wilderness”, Taghiti is from Wilderness on the Garden Route, proving that there really is no comparison to the natural beauty of South Africa.
YOUTUBE
YES THEORY With videos about all the things you didn't know you wanted to try, to all the things you wouldn't even have thought to do, Yes Theory follows a crazy group of YouTubers as they film themselves doing unimaginable things around the world. The only rule of the game? Just say “Yes”. There’s something very Carpé Diem about this channel that I think we could all draw inspiration from.
writer Natasha Schmidt | designer Benjamin Kleyn
ALBUM
FINE LINE The Rolling Stones summarise this album as “retro-rock with a sensitive touch” and I couldn’t agree more. This is the first album that I’ve listened to in a long time where I felt something profoundly raw after listening to it from start to finish. In this sense, I could compare it to Igor by Tyler, The Creator but I won’t do it the injustice of comparing it. All I can tell you is to go forth and give it a listen.
APP
BANDSINTOWN This app is for any and all music lovers out there. This app is so useful because it let’s you choose all the artists that you like, gives you suggestions for other similar artists, and then notifies you when they have a concert near you. Just about any South African and international musician you can think of, Afrikaans or English, should be on this app. You’re welcome.
writer Pia Cloete | photographer Connor Perfett | designer Pia Cloete
RESTAURANT REVIEW
COFFEE CONNOISSEURS UNITE Tucked away in a corner not too far from Pet World in Melcksloot Village, sits Snobs Coffee Roastery. With comfy couches and the smell of coffee constantly hanging in the air, Snobs is the perfect hang out for all coffee-lovers. With a wide selection of coffees imported from all over the world, Snobs takes pride in every brew and specialises in exotic flavours like hazelnut and cinnamon. Since they are a coffee roastary, their food items are limited, but you know what they say— small menu, big flavour— and with dishes like savoury pancakes and a variety of sweet treats ranging from R25 to R55, Snobs is a great place for a first date or a mid-morning snack. Inside, you are greeted by rustic décor, including Hessian coffee bags and vintage posters. For seating, you can choose between lounging on a low couch; held comfortably by a wingback chair or sitting up tall at their ‘Coffee Bar’. With games for entertaining younger patrons, Snobs is a welcoming, family-friendly spot that just so happens to make their own blend of coffee.
Mon – Fri: 8am to 5pm Closed Saturday Sunday: 10am to 12:30pm Website: www.snobscoffee.co.za
BOOK REVIEW
BLUE HORIZON Jim sprang back on to the truck of the violently rocking wagon, and stared across at Manatasee. She saw him and pointed her assegai at his face. Then he saw the length of slow-match had been exposed across the last yard of trampled earth below the mound on which the queen stood. The swift flame shot along it, leaving the fuse blackened and twisted as it burned. Jim clenched his jaws and waited for the explosion. Blue horizon truly meets one’s expectations when thinking of a holiday book. One you can enjoy next to the campfire, marveling over the intricate nuances and exciting twist this banger of a book has in store for you.
Smith truly encompasses the element of homely comfort and the daunting mystery of the unknown. This book is a true definition of what an adventure story is. With intense fight scenes, beautifully illustrated with words, it is full of courage, joy, failure and victory.
The story follows young Jim and his escapades with his friends during the initial start of the ’Groot Trek’. Jim is now a man and seeks to prove that to his father and to himself. Jim and his band face countless enemies that want nothing more than their ultimate annihilation. But little do they know, behind every move their enemies make, there is a mastermind wanting to end them once and for all. Follow them and experience every high and every low alongside them. With amazing insight into that fantastic period of history, this is a definite mustread that will leave you wanting more after every chapter, every page and every word.
writer Christian KotzĂŠ | photographer Adriana van der Spuy | designer Benjamin Kleyn
writer Anke Tough | designer Jandre Erasmus
MOVIE REVIEW
KNIVES OUT Despite the corrupt Thrombey-family and all it’s twisted lies that get told, private detective, Benoit Blanc — played by Daniel Craig — is able to solve a cloak-and-dagger murder! Wow, Knives Out really had me sitting on the edge of my cinema-seat, straight through the film. There was not a single dull moment and the entire film consisted of a lie being dug up and leading to another, that needs to be dug up, too. It was a classic ‘Keeping up with the Thrombey’s’ scenario. I thoroughly enjoyed this film and all the daunting moments that came with it. The whole Thrombey-family seems to have perfect relationships and special bonds, and they all act as if to know about the events in each one’s private life. But when Harlan Thrombey— played by Christopher Plummer—
‘commits suicide’, his truly wealthlusting family is questioned and put to the test; is this really a suicide, or do you “suspect foul play”? Harlan’s nurse, Marta Cabrara —the lead role, played by Ana de Armas— automatically also gets dragged into this family-pickle and is left to figure her own way out of this mysterious puzzle. Be prepared to witness the most epic plot-twist of the century! Directed by Rian Johnson, this tense and absorbing film was nominated for the Best Original Screenplay at this year’s 92nd Academy Awards ceremony and thus, left a huge impact on and in the Drama and Thriller film-categories. I highly recommend this film to anyone with the craving for adventure and disruptiveness; a ‘must-watch’ movie to tick off the list!
Politics
THE AUSTRALIA FIRES CAUSED THE CORONAVIRUS?! Well, not exactly. All right, maybe not at all,
informed opinion about any current
but I did capture your attention, right? Just
matter. Each new headline and Buzzfeed
to clarify: There is absolutely no correlation
Instagram post makes a fresh attempt to
between the wildfires and the spreading
capture your attention with increasingly
Coronavirus. It might seem laughable that I
intriguing plights. It becomes
have to make that statement in the first
understandably difficult to navigate the
place, but in the year 2020, anything seems
waters of current affairs and politics,
possible.
especially when a headline such as “Global interest in Coronavirus spreads rapidly” can
We are three months into 2020 and
quickly turn into “Coronavirus spreads
distressing reports regarding not only
rapidly over the globe”, which is then
Australia but the state of the world as a
upgraded to “Coronavirus can kill us all by
whole are inescapable. From a threat of
2023”. It may seem that factual leaps such
war to the Coronavirus to ecological
as those require a special kind of logical
disasters, there seems to be new
gymnastics, but the epidemic of
adversities to address every other day.
sensationalist articles crowding the
Amongst this state of pandemonium, it can
internet is more widespread than we might
be difficult to focus on and develop an
think.
writer Lienke Norval | designer Natasha Shmidt
A good example is the recent
lie to get clicks and attention, can have
popularisation of the idea that the
worse consequences than a few people
Australian bushfires were the product of
that have their facts wrong. Lies in the
malicious acts of arson. Articles and
media can lead to widespread panic, the
reports regarding the matter originally
discrediting of honest people or even
surfaced under the Twitter tag
skewed voting results.
#ArsonEmergency. It quickly gained
popularity by claiming that the bushfires
That being said, when every single article
were not at all connected to the effects of
and post is claiming to know something
climate change, as many scientists were
new or interesting about a subject, the
stating, but instead framed the culprits as
battle to break the most sensational story
criminals who deliberately set the
becomes understandable. To what lengths
bushveld on fire. After journalistic
would a writer go to stand out in the
investigation, it surfaced that many of
crowd of blogs and websites that all claim
these articles were posted by bot or troll
to be credible news sources? When vying
accounts. However, this was only brought
for the attention of the masses, a measure
to light after international celebrities such
of theatre seems to be the best tool.
as President Trump had retweeted the fraudulent posts and caused the
However, the barrage of false news
misinformation to become widely
stories we are faced with might just be
accepted as fact. Of course, to Trump’s
the flashing warning lights that we need.
audience, it is much easier to blame the
Have we grown so detached from the
recent disasters on the actions of a few
world around us, that the truth no longer
irresponsible individuals, rather than look
interests us? Perhaps the outbreak of
at the possible connection to global
deceptive Instagram posts and headlines
warming.
competing for reposts, clicks and likes are a signal that we should indeed be paying
This is only one instance where
more attention to our surroundings. Once
misinformation in the news had greater
we start addressing reality, then maybe
repercussions than expected. Articles that
our media sources will do the same.
are not adequately researched or simply
BLUE TECH
EXCRUCIATING EARWORMS An explanation on why “I want it that way” by The Backstreet Boys has been stuck in your head since you were in Pick’nPay last week. Catchy songs and melodies have a way of lodging themselves in our brains, playing over and over and then disappearing without reason. Even a die-hard Queen B fan is bound to get annoyed the millionth time “Single Ladies” screeches through their brains. Having a song stuck in your head can be extremely irritating. Why are these songs so difficult to get rid of? How can I get rid of them? What are they? Many scientists and psychologists have been researching to try and understand the phenomenon that is commonly known as ‘earworms’. Don’t be alarmed though, as they aren’t real bugs crawling in your ears as the word suggests, but merely a term used for Involuntary Musical Imagery (INMI) because they are linked to other involuntary thoughts. Centuries old references also call it ‘The Piper’s Maggot’.
Earworms occur when your brain is relaxed or doing simple repetitive tasks such as brushing your teeth; the earworms we get then tend to
be a song with the same tempo and beat as the moving of your toothbrush. If you listen to popular radio music, you'll probably get a Taylor Swift song stuck in your head, but you can’t get a Purple Haze earworm if you’ve never heard Jimi Hendrix play guitar. This is why earworms tend to be songs you know or like, as you listen to them more often. A song like Jingle Bells are more likely to get stuck in your head around the holidays than any other time in the year. Earworms are proven to be dependent on your personality, musical taste, memories and the people who surround you. Earworms are extremely common, as more than ninety percent of people report experiencing them at least once a week. These songs are most often ones that have lyrics, as opposed to being instrumental, yet specific tunes and riffs can get stuck as well. Live music is the most common music to get stuck in your head because it includes both visual elements and connects to your memories. Recalling a specific memory can recall a song connected to that memory and visa versa.
writer Anya Marx | photographer Adam Fredericks | designer Charlotte Lay
When do we get them and how do they work? In the last five or so years researchers have realised earworms are a good place to start studying the brain and how it works, as they are a little more concrete and therefore easier to study than other kinds of spontaneous thoughts. Scientists and psychologists had to figure out how widespread earworms are, how and why they happen and whether some people get them more often than others. After conducting information and statistical analysis of hundreds of earworm submissions, music psychologist Kelly Jakubowski concluded that there are three key features that make songs turn into earworms, namely a familiar melody set, being up-tempo and having a catchy or unique interval pattern. All these features can be found in popular radio hits. They tend to get stuck in your head the easiest, especially those who are often repeatedly played. Songs often used in films, shows or viral videos have a strong chance of becoming earworms, as they are frequently repeated and a wide array of people hear them. How do I get rid of them? Although some people believe in various hacks, like chewing gum, to get songs out of your head, there are two main ways of getting rid of ear worms namely distraction and engagement.
It’s been proven that the best way to get rid of a bad habit is to replace it with a good one; the same goes with earworms. Engaging with the earworm by thinking of or listening to a
different song than the one in your head could take away your earworm. A different approach would be to distract yourself from the earworm. A group or researchers from the Western Washington University had an interesting solution to the earworm problem. In an experiment they conducted in 2012, they played popular songs to people and then followed it by giving them puzzles to complete. Half of the players received Sudoku and the others received crossword puzzles. All the puzzles were of varying degrees of difficulty. While solving these puzzles, some people reported the songs had popped back into their heads. Their conclusion was that the easy puzzles weren’t distracting enough to keep the earworms away, but neither were the difficult ones as they couldn’t keep the attention of the players, and their brains started focusing on the songs again. The moderate levelled ones, however, seemed to hit the sweet spot.
The researchers also found that the word puzzles worked better than the number puzzles – a reaction that several earworm studies have picked up on. This is because your brain uses the same parts to do crossword puzzles, as it does to remember songs, however, it uses a completely different part to do Maths. So the next time you hear Rick Astley constantly telling you how he’ll “never give you up”, try filling in a Huisgenoot crossword puzzle.
writer Katya van Drimmelen | photographer Kelly Holmes | designer Diana Millard
what a man gotta do Sunday best Mejuffrou Sonneblom Her vacation Break my stride Your mind is a picture Fado Say so Blinding lights Adore you Death bed Sugar Daarsy boys Ohana cafĂŠ You should be sad Slow dances Move to San Francisco If I were you Cold feet No time to die Borderline
Jonas brothers surfaces die heuwels fantasties goth babe Matthew wilder Sean Koch Milky Chance Doja cat the Weeknd Harry Styles Powfu ft beabadoobee Brockhampton Francois van Coke ft Hunter Kennedy spoegwolf Halsey Winnetka Bowling League circa waves claud loud luxury Billie Eilish tame impala
Are you lost ma’am? Because heaven is a long way from here.
You spend so much time in my mind, I should charge you rent.
You must be a high test score. Because I want to take you home and show you to my mother. Well, here I am. What were your other two wishes?
writer Christian Kotzé & Anya Marx | designer Jandré Erasmus
From the cheesy but classic pick up line, “I seem to have lost my number, can I have yours?” to the boring and overused line “did it hurt when you fell from heaven?” people use all sorts of pick up lines. But do they work?
A lovely step-by-step for those daring enough to attempt to create their own pick up lines— because the pick up lines on Howtogetagirl123.com just aren't good enough, huh?
Jonathan Bennett, who runs The Popular Man blog, claims that people often react negatively and guarded when pick up lines are used on them, thinking “oh no, not again” because usually pick up lines are boring, overused or badly delivered.
The way that pick up lines are created is not by filtering content through an elaborate set of rules and having pick up lines come out the other end, but by starting with one tiny idea, even just a word, and building on it.
When it comes to hitting on someone, oneline pick up lines can either be a success or a total flop. They’re usually either funny and sweet or degrading and too forward. So should one rather go for a lively conversation or an elaborate gesture?
You take one boring sentence and turn it into one interesting sentence, then into a funny sentence, then into a punchline, then you add a setup to get there, until finally you have something that resembles a pick up line.
Thankfully, there are professional pick up artists out there to answer that age old question. When pick up lines are delivered in a way that “comes across as non-threatening and not for the sake of taking someone home, they do work” says Stef Safran, relationship coach and owner of Stef and the City.
And that brings us to the first goal of comedy writing, which is going from literally nothing to something that's funny, and that means starting with the simplest possible form of a pick up line which is a setup — to establish a premise — and a punchline that breaks the audience's expectations.
Relationship expert April Masini says that good lines “get the conversation going and can be the deal maker or breaker for a date. The line sets the tone for the rest of the conversation.” Pick up lines are not just about throwing something out and expecting a miraculous connection.
You would however still need the three C’s: confidence, connection and compliments to help you deliver your pick up line.
writer Lienke Frylinck | graphics Jandré Erasmus | designer Charlotte Lay & Danielle Kleyn
HOW TO SURVIVE THE HEAT Trust me, the Niagara falls is running down my back. The unsurvivable heat is a factor we have all been through this term. Some have had it worse than others but here we are, alive. Each year Global Warming adds to our suffering, but they always say: Improvise Adapt Overcome I have asked people all over the school, from the blazer formation participants to the drama teachers, how to survive the unbearable heat. I have received old wives tales and credible answers, but here are the best improvising tactics that I gathered: Water, H20, ice juices, the liquid that sustains all life forms on earth, is incredibly important. Drink water or, better yet, cover yourself with it. The Life Science teachers will be more than happy to explain to you why hydration is a key factor in surviving the heat— or just ask Mr Google. Apparently stealing water is also a very common answer, but I will definitely not recommend that. Similarly ice blocks and JC’s were also added to the equation. They cool you down from the inside-out. As a bonus the JC’s taste really delicious and they are cheap.
Secondly students say, “Just don’t go outside.” Inspecting this closer, it is actually a very smart idea. Inside there is not an excruciatingly warm sun beaming down on you and if you know where to find it, there are air-cons. The musicians have dominated the coolest corner in the school; the music block. Thirdly, we have the typical Gen-Z generation reply “Just don’t.” I would not recommend this at all because it goes directly against Nike’s slogan. Adapting to the heat is tricky or unreachable. With temperatures rising each year, our bodies have to re-adapt. A few tips to help your body adapt to the heat are; wearing lightweight clothing, or walking around in your swimming costume, performing in small bursts of energy and preparing yourself mentally. Yes, preparing yourself mentally is a tip. Even though it seems pointless to ‘perform in small bursts of energy’ it helps your body to adapt to the heat, since it forces you to cool down. So sadly, “it’s too hot to do PE” is not a valid excuse anymore. Overcoming the situation will never be an option. We are humans, we sweat and we over-heat. Thankfully, there will never be anything in the way to stop us from trying to survive the excruciating heat each new year brings.
Slugs are just...homeless snails… -Technology Class
TikToks are social currency. -Outside consumers class Are they sharing one brain cell between them? -Gr 11 Quad
Grade 8: One day when I'm matric and I'm a big shot, I'm going to walk down the halls singing the Barney song. -Lines
Girl 1: Do you think you'll ever fall in love? Girl 2: I can’t even fall asleep.. -Sports Bathroom
The colour of the sun is ouch. - Matric lawn
Vry en Vergeet - Gr 11 quad
You can have your pasta but not your evening. -Register Class
Prefect : Don’t ma friends guys. Gr 8: *turns to frie promise I’m not to -Field
Seun 1: Hoe het jy so baie energie? Seun 2: My bloed stroom is 90% koffie. Seun 3: Jy bedoel jou koffie stroom is 10% bloe - Lewenswetenskappe klas
ake toxic
photographer Mari Diedricks | designer Jandre Erasmus
And I thought drama was only a subject. -Forum
We only sing in the mornings. At break, we cry. -Lines I need to find her, she has my potato! -Consumers class
end* I oxic..
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Bing bong the bells gone. -Forum
We take our sneezes very seriously. -English Class
Ma’am: I'm going to write a book of all the reasons you need to keep quiET. Kid: Maybe you can call it Silence of The Ma’ams… -English Class
OUR CARTOON
SALGUEIRO STRIKES AGAIN
cartoonist Nicole Salgueiro | designer Benjamin Kleyn
OUR COVER MODEL
Nqobile Kheswa “If you hear somebody saying Zulu followed by a very distinct woooh, that’s probably me.” Nqobile Kheswa, who is in the matric class of 2020, is our cover model for this term. She embodies the vibrance, the passion and the playfulness of this issue. As she says herself, her wokeness and consciousness is one of her biggest passions. She is especially proud of her Zulu heritage and is culturally woke, as well as being outspoken on topics of prevalent social issues such as the South African brain drain— AKA #imstaying—and the harmful effects of fast fashion. She describes her personal style as being elegant and classy, and she maintains a timeless style by avoiding fast fashion retailers and online stores in favour of vintage and thrift shops.
Nqobile may be sceptical about the biker shorts trend and its recent resurgence, but she’s all for the rebirth of the 70s disco style this year because with it comes exciting and innovative new ways of incorporating a pop of colour in outfits. It also causes us to recycle clothing by reusing clothing from our parents and buying from thrift shops. Recycling trends means decreasing the effects of fast fashion. Nqobile’s biggest fashion don’t for us to all take note of this coming year is this: Don’t be afraid.
writer Natasha Schmidt | photographer Asher Adams
CHARLOTTE LAY – Editor in Chief DANIELLE KLEYN – Head of Design NATASHA SCHMIDT – Creative Director CARLTON KOK – Graphic Designer ASHER ADAMS – Head of Photography KATYA VAN DRIMMELEN – Sub Editor ANNEGRETHE SCHOLTZ – Sub Editor
ADRIANA VAN DER SPUY – Photographer GINA TOUGH – Photographer
ADAM FREDERICKS – Photographer CONNOR PERFETT – Photographer ANGELA SCOTT– Photographer KELLY HOLMES – Photographer SEMICKA GROVES – Photographer AMELIA VAN HEERDEN – Writer ANASTASIA SUROGINA – Writer ANYA MARX – Writer ANKE TOUGH – Writer CHRISTIAN KOTZÈ – Writer ELIZMA VAN GEEST – Writer HANNA VAN ZYL – Writer HANNAH MCCREATH – Writer JOSHUA FITT – Writer MEGAN LE ROUX – Writer LIENKE FRYLINCK – Writer LIENKE NORVAL – Writer NERISE MALAN – Writer PIA CLOETE – Writer
ROSALIND MITCHELL – Writer DIANA MILLARD – Designer JADA WARD – Designer JANDRÉ ERASMUS – Designer PIA CLOETE – Designer BRIGIT BURGER – Designer BENJAMIN KLEYN – Designer CAITLIN SCHOEMAN – Designer NICOLE ANDRE SALGUEIRO – Cartoonist TATJANA FRAUENKNECHT – Admin DANIЁL SANDENBERG – model DANTÉ JACOBS– model BEN TE WATER – model LIENKE FRYLINCK – model