2014: Edition 11

Varsity

SINCE

1942

THE OFFICIAL STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN

30 September 2014

VOLUME 73: EDITION 11

varsitynewspaper.co.za

@varsitynews

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A DASO dominated SRC

Image: E10 - N - SRC 2015 Candidates - P - [UCT SRC]

Laurie Scarborough he 2015 Student Representative Council (SRC) elections took place across UCT campus from September 15th to September 19th. Thirty candidates ran for 17 seats on the SRC with the two SASCO candidates dropping out of the race shortly after voting started.

Paper ballot votes were counted on September 20th. In order for the SRC to be properly constituted, at least one quarter of undergraduate, honours and post-graduate diploma students are required to vote. It was unclear whether this requirement would be met during the vote-counting, however, after the final votes were tallied, 29% of these students voted. The total number of votes across all students was 5738, almost 1000 less than last year.

After the vote count, the 2015 SRC will be DASO dominated with all 10 DASO candidates being elected, making the 2015 SRC almost 60% DASO. Only three of the 11 Aluta candidates were elected, while all three independent candidates and one BLVCK candidate were elected. None of the SASCO, IRIS or Direct Democracy candidates w

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ere elected.

This DASO majority could potentially have an impact on the constituting of the 2015 SRC and the allocation of portfolios. The 17 portfolios of the SRC are assigned based on an internal vote of the SRC. “It honestly worries me, I wish not to be pessimistic. But I do fear for some students and how well they will be represented,” says Nomsa Makgabenyana, current SRC International Students Coordinator.

She further commented that the dominance of a single party within the SRC could possibly create a council which is not representative of the diversity of UCT students and their views.

DASO could then have complete control regarding portfolio allocations.

This could result in them selecting their own candidates first for preferred portfolios, leaving the independent, Aluta and BLVCK candidates to have the left-over portfolios.

Jessica Breakey, the current SRC Transformation Coordinator, says, “[The constituting meeting] is also important for team dynamics. People who don’t get their desired portfolios may be very upset and not work well in the team or in their portfolio.”

The most influential portfolios, with regards to the actions of the SRC, are the three presidential seats – President, Vice-President Internal and VicePresident External.

However, even if DASO candidates do not assume these positions, their majority on the council means they will have considerable influence within the 2015 SRC. The SRC could be adversely affected as most votes, debates and issues that take place in the SRC for the year could be automatically dominated by the DASO candidates.

If the DASO candidates vote en masse, on behalf of their own constituency, and not on behalf of the students, loopholes will be created in terms of accountability and transparency. This DASO majority is comparable to the National Assembly, which has just over a 60% ANC majority.

A UCT Faculty Council Chairperson adds, “DASO has gained complete control over the structure of the incoming SRC.” Another source of concern on the matter is that the DASO candidates have apparently signed contracts that “bind them to DASO’s agenda, not permitting opposing stances of DASO,” says the Faculty Council Chairperson.

These contracts, have been put into effect as of this year because “DASO members of the 2013 SRC took stances which opposed DASO’s, splitting its representative cohort and its effect”.

In this “crucial” time for student governance in which we battle contentious issues such as the new Admission Policy or the new NSFAS conditions for financial aid, “Student governance cannot afford a step backwards. Not now.”

There have also been questions raised around campaign expenditure. Each candidate who ran for SRC was allowed a maximum budget of R660 and was given 100 posters and 100 pamphlets.

All of the DASO candidates, and one elected independent candidate, Zizipho Pae, failed to meet the requirements for the campaign as they did not submit their actual expenditure by the end of voting. This could result in sanctions being imposed upon candidates, which the Election Commission is currently still deliberating over. Sanctions could likely include a fine and community service.

Only three elected candidates submitted their expenditure reports and receipts on time, thus meeting the requirements. These were: Oyama Botha, Ramabina Mahapa, and John

Rammutla – all three of which are Aluta candidates.

The elected candidates will now undergo handover and will prepare for their take over on November 1st.

The elected candidates are as follows, with provisional vote counts indicated in brackets: Zizipho Pae (2507) – Independent, Oyama Botha (1958) – Aluta, Sean Woodgate (1906) – DASO, John Rammutla (1864) – Aluta, Greg Keal (1806) – DASO, Jessica Pollock (1770) – DASO; Ramabina Mahapa (1665) – Aluta; Thato Pule (1461) – BLVCK; Baz Pinini (1437) – DASO; Sechaba Nkitseng (1331) - Independent ; Alex Lansdowne (1264) – DASO; Nicole Mirkin (1247) – DASO; Ndondo Nzama (1233) – DASO; Jonathan Yankelowitz (1213) -DASO ; Avishek Dusoye (1209) – Independent; Simeon Brown (1199) – DASO; and William Cahill (1197) – DASO. The constituting meeting is an open meeting which will take place this week, and students are able to observe this sitting. The date for the constituting meeting can only be set after the spending reports are submitted and approved. At the time of printing, the date of the constituting meeting was not yet set.

IN THIS ISSUE

Image: wikipedia.org/Jonathunder

Nashua printing

PAGE 2

Singled-out

PAGE 4

SRC reports

CENTRE

UCT Tribunal

PAGE 10

Fashion in sport

VARSITY, the official student newspaper since 1942, is committed to the principles of equality and democracy.

PAGE 16

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news

v73 e11 – 30 September 2014

News Bites Hong Kong police remove protestors

Scotland votes “NO” for independence

Hong Kong – Pro-democracy protestors were removed from the main government compound by police on September 26th. Police cleared the area following clashes the previous night, which involved the use of pepper spray on the protestors. Nearly 30 people were injured in the clashes and 13 people were arrested.

The activists were opposed to Beijing’s decisions to rule out democratic elections in 2017.

– BBC News

Smuggler caught with 51 turtles

Detroit – Kai Xu, a Canadian man, was caught at the DetroitWindsor Tunnel by border agents with over 50 live turtles strapped to his body. Xu was charged with smuggling, illegal trade and exporting on September 24th. A hearing on the issue was scheduled on September 25th in Detroit federal court. Xu does not have a lawyer defending him at present.

– Associated Press

IS damaged by air strikes

Syria – The US armed forces chief said that IS militants are being damaged by the air strikes in Syria. General Martin Dempsey said that a political solution and a ground campaign were needed in addition to air power. Dempsey said that the strikes in Syria disrupted the actions of IS. The UK agreed to join the air strikes against IS on September 26th.

– BBC News

Outbreak of unknown respiratory illness

United States – A respiratory illness broke out in the Midwest and has spread to 38 states across the US. The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed 226 cases of infections with entrovirus 68 on September 25th. Thus far no deaths have been reported and only one case has involved an adult, the rest of those infected are children.

– New York Times

Zimbabwe looks to South Africa for loans

Zimbabwe – The International Monetary Fund (IMF) declined any more loans to Zimbabwe until their debt of $140 million is repaid.

Zimbabwe is now asking South Africa for affordable loans in order to rebuild damaged infrastructure, such as National Railways. Finance Minister Patrick Chimasa said that the loans would help Zimbabwe to industrialise which would stop the flow of refugees into South Africa.

– Independent Online

Aisha Abdool Karim

Image: flickr.com/MàrtainnMacDhòmhnaill

Robyn Ausmeier n September 18th, in a nationwide referendum, Scotland voted against independence from the United Kingdom (UK).

There was a substantial voter turnout with around 85% of the population taking part in the referendum. The decision was finalised with a vote of 55% to 45% in favour of the union over independence.

After the results were announced, a resolution drafting a plan of action for Scotland was signed by the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition.

This proposal included plans for a New Scotland Bill, which is to be completed by January 2015 and will

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outline a way forward for Scotland and the UK. Former UK Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, addressed the public on Saturday, September 20th, with a speech on the future of Scotland post-referendum. He presented a strategy for a united Scotland and vowed that further power would be delegated to the Scottish administration. Brown, who was a leading spokesman against independence, reassured voters that the promises made during campaigning would be upheld. He remarked that it was “time for Scotland to unite and see if it can find common purpose and move from the battle ground to the common ground”.

Following the referendum, Alex Salmond declared that he will resign

as First Minister of Scotland and leader of the Scottish National Party.

Salmond actively supported the Yes Scotland movement and, despite the loss, he assured supporters that the dream of independence would not die. Salmond discussed his resignation in an address on Friday, September 19th. He stated that it is the right time for someone else to take over, but reassured citizens that “[t]he party, parliament and country would benefit from new leadership”.

Salmond has been First Minister since May 2007.

The Yes Scotland campaign represented all groups and individuals in favour of the “Yes” vote, and rallied together support for Scottish independence. The main advocates for the liberation of Scotland came from the working-

class. This was reflected in the cities that voted “Yes” such as Glasgow, Dundee and North Lanarkshire, which have a large working-class population. Additionally, the youth also provided a large support base for independence.

In a post-referendum poll by Lord Ashcroft, a British politician and businessman, he concluded that 71% of 16 and 17 year olds voted for independence. In contrast, approximately 27% of citizens over 65 years of age voted “Yes” for an independent Scotland.

The organisation Better Together advocated for the continuation of the union and stood in direct opposition to Yes Scotland. This campaign was supported by three major political parties, namely the Scottish Labour, the Scottish Conservative Party and the Scottish Liberal Democrats.

Following the referendum, Better Together decided that they would not disband, as they had previously planned to do. Leaders of the organisation spoke at a press conference on Friday, September 19th, stating their plans for the future of Scotland. They emphasised the need to work together and to enable all those living in the UK to embrace their British identity.

Alistair Darling, co-founder of Better Together, commented, “Now that Better Together has won an important victory in avoiding the mistakes of the future, [the organisation] can seek to redress the mistakes of the past.”

Nashua mobile printing on campus Aisha Abdool Karim The Campus Copy and Print (CCP) service team has been expanding the services offered to students to enable greater use of cell phones.

The new services include mobile printing, web deposits, CCP Dashboard and a Doc Q Manager.

This means that students are now able to print documents from their iPhone, iPad, Android, Blackberry, Nook and Kindle devices. It also allows students to upload credits onto your student card online, change your user pin, manage your print jobs and electronically send multiple documents to copy rooms across campus.

The aim of this new printing system is to avoid students waiting in queues and searching for printers on campus. Mobile printing is now accessible either through the “Web Services” tab on the CCP website (www.ccp.uct.ac.za) or through the “PrinterOn” app. Either of these options will link you to any Nashua printer, Black and White or Colour, on campus, as they are all linked to

the Equitrac system.

The Nashua printers are not new to campus and UCT signed a contract with the company in December last year. However, not a lot of students are aware of the additional options that the Nashua printers offer students.

There is also an Electronic Web Deposit which can be used to load printing credits onto your student card by using your credit or debit card. Furthermore, certain printers are able to scan documents directly to your personal e-mail account at no cost.

For students who need to print from a long distance there is an option to print documents through a web browser from any location and then the documents will be released to the printer when you are back on campus.

Nashua and ICTS are also holding monthly meetings with faculty representatives and a SRC member to ensure that there are no problems with the new system and it continues to run smoothly.

- See more at: http://www.ccp. uct.ac.za/#sthash.8boBFVfT.dpuf

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opinions Parusha Naidoo & Vikash Gajjar

ow do you measure a year?

This column has been one of the hardest to write. And that is no small feat. Just ask Katy and Jena, who sit with me on a Sunday during

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our final edits. Sometimes I’ve written my column half an hour before we’ve gone to print. But this one has taken me hours and hours. In fact, it’s taken the whole year.

I really don’t know how to sum up my VARSITY experience. There isn’t one single way to do it. I could spend hours telling you about the slow and painful death of my sanity, the many moments I have restrained myself from throwing people off our fifth-floor balcony, the times I have almost cried with frustration, anger, and/or exhaustion, the bridges burnt, the long Sundays spent in the office having happy visions of sending a sledge hammer through the computer screens. All of them.

One at a time.

But I could also tell you about the

countless times I have rolled onto the office floor from laughing too much, the friendships made, the lessons learnt, the times I’ve defiantly spat in the face of challenge (who needs sleep, or food, or a life?) and dealt with difficulties by slamming things really hard (phones, doors, files, keyboards, whatever) and sending someone a Nicki Minaj face (because pictures speak 1000 words, but a Nicki face says it all).

Thanks to my team, affectionately known as Team-V, for your dedication and hard work. Thanks too, for helping me dodge some bullets. Actually some of them weren’t so much bullets but cannonballs. One could even say Bludgers, if one were into Harry Potter at all (as one should be).

In any case, there were days when I heard the clean whistling of dangerously heavy flying spheres

Okay, thank you, bye

opinions@varsitynewspaper.co.za

Katy Scott Deputy Editor

For those of you that don’t know, things are a changing at VARSITY. That stunning Indian chic from page 5 is the new Editor-in-Chief. The lovely lady beneath me (our trusty copy-ed) has been bumped up to fill this column space as the new Deputy Editor. And as for me, well I’ll be on my way now.

So I wrote a poem. (Sorry.) This one goes out to my biggest fan.

“I guess this is goodbye, mum. And a huge thank you.

For reading every single column, even

when my writing was poo.

For enduring the pain of my birth (apparently it’s like fracturing 20 bones) To dealing with my first-world problems, my whines and my groans.

It’s the way I don’t even need to ask, Don’t worry, mum’s done it, whatever the task.

It’s the hours of laughter at the silliest stuff And the way that she’s there when things get tough.

at my ears, only to see them diverted and fly right on by. I could not have survived this year without you.

To my Senior Editorial, I will always be grateful for your constant support and advice, the fact that you never let my fading sanity affect your opinion of me, and for your endless and immeasurable talent. I am proud to have worked alongside each of you.

To Parusha and her team of Pandas: I wish you luck. May you never feel the need to slam anything in a retaliatory fit of vengeance.

May you always remain as sane as when you first walked through the red door of lunacy. I mean fun.

Red door of fun. Obviously.

And now, it is my final curtain call so I’ll take my bow.

Exit, stage right.

It’s all the nightmares that brought me to her bed, It’s how there’s not a thing of mine she hasn’t read.

It’s the warmth of home in her hug and her kiss, It’s every crappy dancing recital that she’d never miss.

It’s her scones, cinnamon buns and lemon meringue tart, It’s her kindness her humour and her big heart.

So here it is, my last column done, Now get off your ass and go call your mum.”

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v73 e11 - 30 september 2014

4

opinions

v73 e11 - 30 september 2014

The Lady Doth Protest

Singled-out

Parusha Naidoo

Opinions Editor

Unofficial languages lost in translation indicative of the vastly different experiences we face as individuals in the country we live in and at the institution we work at or attend. It also means that words we say and write are judged before they are even heard.

Our perceptions of reality differ so greatly in South Africa that we unknowingly imposed our experiences on the messages presented to us, resulting in a diverse range of interpretations for one message. Like a filter, we see through different lenses: rich, poor, black, white, girl, boy, tweet by an enraged UCT master, servant. student read: “We'll never Our democratic realities are learn that The Varsity ain't disconnected, allowing us to walk loyal. First Qamran and now past the people that play an integral coloured women chattering with part in our institution without thick accents like excited girls”. acknowledging their presence or The tweet was in response to contributions. Do you know the an article published in edition name of Jammie driver that safely ten of VARSITY. Attempting transports you from Tugwell to to understand Upper Campus the student’s every day? Have anger, I read the greeted we see through different you article again. the Supercare lenses: rich, poor, I was worker who confused since throws away black, white a controversial your coffee cup article that and mops the was previously published about floors of Molly Blackburn? Have people’s racial preferences in you thanked the CPS guard who dating was equated to a piece patrols Leslie Social after hours to that dealt with the personal ensure your safety? experiences of a woman who Our student lives exist in a worked at UCT. Somewhere world where people are seen as along the line the essence of an transitory actors that are merely article was lost on an audience present to do the type of work we and VARSITY was worked into a will never have to do ourselves. pop culture reference to a Chris Invisible to most of us, we forget Brown song. to realise that they too come from We often base our judgements worlds vastly different to ours at face value instead of and that they too face struggles examining deeper meanings and and frustrations. insensitivities that are present.

VARSITY should be loyal to What was heard: coloured female breaking down the languages of who talks like a girl. What was race and privilege, but how this said: a woman who knows a vastly is perceived by readers cannot be different South Africa to the one controlled. In a country where we may experience daily. the obstacles and challenges of We may speak to each other large segments of our population in English or one of the other go largely unnoticed or are 11 official languages, but our blatantly ignored by mainstream real lines of communication are media, there is a role for students characterised by the unofficial to document our disjointed languages of race, privilege and democratic experiences. Not gender. If my language differs simply a newspaper for the student from yours, my message is not body, a voice and a face should delivered or is heard incorrectly. be given to the struggles of each This is not a justification for stakeholder that makes up our the lack of understanding we University ranging from worker have towards each other but it is to student.

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Disclaimer The VARSITY Opinions section is a vehicle for expression on any topic by members of the university community or other interested parties. The opinions within this section are not necessarily those of the VARSITY Collective or its advertisers.

Letters to the Editor need to be kept to a maximum of 300 words and can be sent to:

opinions@varsitynewspaper.co.za

Image: Amina Ebrahim

Yogi Shoba I love it when my mother complains.

I take it as an opportunity to dispense shocking news to her. Once, while chopping onions, she’d fallen into yet another rant about my “insensitive” father. “He called me fat!” she said, “Fat! Zulu men are so insensitive.”

She turns to me, “Do me a favour, and marry a white man.” There was a short pause. I smiled.

“Oh don’t worry,” I replied “I don’t plan on getting married.” The chopping ceased. I’m not entirely sure if the tears I noticed were a result of the chopped onions or the shattering news that I’d be an eternal spinster or, worse still, live a life of debauchery.

I Ieft the kitchen immediately, believing I’d caused her enough harm.

Her reaction should have come as no surprise, however. This is the same woman who contorts her face each time she sees a couple older than forty

holding hands, with neither wearing a wedding band.

According to psychologist Dr Bella DePaulo, this form of discrimination has a name. It’s called singlism. It would be a dream to conjure this up but fact is stranger than fiction. Singlism is on par with sexism and racism in its severity so yes, there is more to being single than bench-warming on Valentine’s Day.

Singlism is on par with sexism and racism

Singlism is not a synonym for singlehood; it refers to the discrimination against or unfair treatment of people who are not married. A study conducted by the University of Texas revealed that despite its role in complicating taxes

and mortgage bonds, singlism is most prevalent in the workplace. As a result of being single, men and women are expected to work harder by virtue of not having a spouse or children to care for.

Single colleagues may be sidelined for raises and promotions while their married counterparts reap benefits from walking down the aisle.

In America, marriage could increase a male’s earning potential by 27%, which warps the notion of earning one’s portion.

This puts people like me in a dire position. With dreams of professional success outrunning those of marital bliss it seems my future adopted Cambodians and I will have to allow someone deserving of a better pay cheque to inhabit our dream home.

Don’t, however, think that singlism is exclusively linked to the older individual. With numerous blogs on the internet and articles in magazines trying to convince the youth that singlehood is a good thing, there is obviously a counter discourse that is emerging against the already ingrained stigma attached to being alone.

Despite being once called a “pessimistic snob”, a “misguided feminist” and my mother trying to make me reconsider my choice to remain unwed, I believe this stigma is nonsensical. There is nothing wrong with appreciating one’s independence without being looked down upon or side-lined for not playing the field or for doing so seasonally.

With a 28% increase in the South African divorce rate as a result of adultery and unrealistic expectations, it seems to me that marriage isn’t the favourable bliss it’s depicted to be.

Therefore, firstly, I’d like to apologise to my mother for not bringing home a white man and, secondly, admit that I may be marriage-ist, but fret not mother; I’ll ensure you’re complaining before I tell you.

“Limits of my language, limits of my world” On unpopular opinion and the entitlement thereof

Vikash Gajjar I recently found myself in an appallingly pensive mood as I flirted with my flat white at a cosy coffee shop on Kloof. My mind, in its wistful state, began reflecting on the nine months gone by. As I mused on the socio-political events of the past year, I came to an awfully disturbing conclusion that, within South Africa, political discourse and social activity is failing dismally.

Not too long ago the EFF caused havoc within the National Assembly when EFF Commander-in-Chief Julius Malema went for the jugular, demanding to know when President Zuma was going to “pay back the money” for the security upgrades at his Nkandla home. Zuma nonchalantly evaded the question – but a heated debate ensued between EFF MP Floyd Shivambu and Speaker of the National Assembly, Baleka Mbete, that the President properly answer the question posed to him.

In no time, EFF MPs were continuously chanting, “pay back

the money”, much to the horror of opposition MPs and the delight of the nation. Infuriated and losing control of her Assembly, Mbete had no choice but to suspend the day’s sitting.

I reminisce the activities that had transpired within the walls of government. At face value, they were ludicrous. We all knew that the EFF would win a seat or two within the Assembly and that chaos would ensue as soon as they took their oaths, but never had I imagined that the National Assembly would become a stage for those prone to dramatics. If the National Assembly is a representation of the South African populace, what have we then become?

Perhaps we, as South Africans, have allowed public discourse to destruct – where outrage and offense now result in victory. The fact that your average citizen is now paying attention to goings-on in the theatre of the absurd on Parliament Street is testament enough that we have chosen the path that leads to a homogenous world in which only “safe opinions” matter.

I lament what society has become – a collective of people attempting

to holler louder than the next.

The informed and well-worded opinion is forgotten instantly.

Sensationalism rules the frontier.

And this is something that needs to be guarded against. It takes wellinformed opinions, both popular and otherwise, to catapult a nation forward in the right direction, not a bunch of chauvinistic vessels attempting to crank up the volume at every rally.

If we cannot see the worth of informed opinion, robust discourse and intense debate, we are limiting the development of our world, our country, our South Africa. If we see value and victory in outrage and offense, then we are to be pitied.

The aptness of Ludwig Wittgenstein’s words become apparent: “the limits of [our] language [really are] the limits of [our] world”. Not everyone is entitled to an opinion, but everyone is entitled to opinions that they’re able to argue for, and that haven’t been defeated by better arguments. Use your talents wisely and the tools at your disposal to further discussions and debates.

And make use of the media while it is still free.

opinions

V73 E11 – 30 SEPTEMBER 2014

5

An open letter to my fellow white UCT students Why is “black” a swearword to white South Africans?

Jordan Pfotenhauer think it’s necessary to open with a few disclaimers.

Firstly, please don’t respond to this with comments like #notallwhitepeople. That’s not the point, and not what I’m saying.

Your persecution complex is unbecoming. Secondly, I’m not a hypocrite. I’m aware that I have done many of the things I criticise in this article. This is a letter to myself just as much as it is to all of you. Finally, I have no intention of speaking on behalf of people of colour in this article. If that’s the tone that comes across, I apologise deeply. I have tried my best for that not to be the case. Right.

The other day, whilst listening to some SRC candidates deliver their manifestos, I noticed something that troubled me but which I’ve come to expect.

In response to a candidate speaking passionately about racial issues and her experience as a black person at UCT, several white students looked very uncomfortable. I knew why. To us, talking about race in such an open way is “outdated”, something taboo in the “New South Africa”.

[FUN GAME: watch a white person try to describe the difference between two individuals whose only real distinguishing factor is their race.

“Um, they were both women….. and tall……one was wearing a hat I think?”]

Race has become a no-go topic to white people. At a cursory

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glance, this seems marvellous because, in our society, to be colourblind is to be a prejudicefree saint. This is wrong. To be colourblind is to be ignorant.

Sorry, white person who “really doesn’t see race at all” and who expects my envy and adoration because of this. I’m calling your bluff.

What you don’t realise is that when you say, “race doesn’t matter” or “I wish people would stop being so racial”, you’re oversimplifying an issue that desperately needs discussing. (Also, if a white person could explain to me what “being racial” even means – that would be pleasant. Thanks.)

When you accuse someone of “playing the race card” when they attempt to discuss their oppression, you’re being an active agent in said oppression. And when you commit the worst transgression of the lot, and try to tell me, “apartheid is over.

We need to move on” I want to cry because apartheid is over but racial inequality sure as hell isn’t.

Moreover, as a white person it’s a lot easier for you to say things like that. It’s easy to say race doesn’t matter when your race is the one dominant in the media.

It’s easy to say race doesn’t matter when the statue that’s the arguable centerpiece of Upper Campus doesn’t commemorate and celebrate someone who oppressed your people for decades.

It’s easy to say race doesn’t matter when a significant factor in your parent’s success was the fact that they were white under apartheid.

(This is something white people really don’t like admitting. To put matters straight – I’m not saying

your parents didn’t work hard.

Unfortunately, however, if they’d worked as hard with dark skin they wouldn’t be nearly as successful.)

But it’s not about race anymore though, is it? It’s about class now, you protest. That may be true, but how many black people went to your swanky high school? How many white people live in Khayelitsha? In South Africa, race is class, certainly in the vast majority of cases. The more we ignore that fact, the more idiotic we look. In doing so, we also ignore the fact that the rich black UCT student still suffers.

She’s still put in a box synonymous with her race. Her achievements, no matter how deserved, are always scrutinised with doubt. “Did she make it to UCT because she’s smart?” people ask, “or is she just another lazy freeloader, benefiting from an admissions policy that keeps our deserving white friends

out and puts people like her in their place?”

[The careful reader will notice the lack of any racial identifiers in this accusation. That’s the point I’m trying to make. You don’t have to say “black” for something to be racist, and not saying it usually compounds the problem.]

The unfortunate reality is that, because a white guy is writing this, it’s probably going to gain a lot more traction than if a person of colour did. That’s because, if a black person were to write this, they’d be put in a box. That box would be given an inescapable label, something like “angry, bitter black person”, and statements like the ones previously mentioned would be thrown at it. As a white person writing this, I’m like a Woolworths meal to you. Palatable.

That being said, you’re probably feeling quite attacked right now.

Which is good. If that’s what it takes for you to finally become cognizant of your privilege then that’s great and I’ve succeeded.

But what now? Well, the bad news is that you can’t change the fact that you have privilege. What you can do, however, is use that privilege advantageously. Speak out when a white friend says something racist. Be constantly vigilant of your inner biases. Only when we realise that racism is a living, breathing monster within us can we actually start to fight it.

We need to start discussing race without euphemisms, without ignorance and without sugarcoating difficult issues.

Denying that it’s a complex, multi-faceted issue does nobody any favours, least of all ourselves.

Originally published on bonfire.com

Blackface is whiteness at work

Images: youtube.com/eNCAnews

Stuart Thembisile Lewis After seeing a(nother) picture of white South African students dressed up in blackface on my Facebook feed, I’ll admit I lost it a bit. By “a bit”, of course, I mean I was apoplectic with boiling seas of rage. We, as white folk, need to stop doing stuff like this.

Firstly, all the disclaimers in Jordan’s article apply here too. I am a white man and so everything I have to say, down to the very fact that I am allowed to say it, comes dripping with privilege.

Now, let’s have a chat about race. Oh, you mean that thing that we made up to justify slavery, colonialism and capitalism? Yes, that one.

Here’s the thing – race is a long-lasting social construct. Any Humanities student can tell you that. Your skin colour – I can’t believe I have to reiterate this – does not determine your value as a human being.

But despite the fact that we literally pulled it out the ends of our thumbs, the idea of “race” still exists. People are still socialised to

behave a certain way because of the racial demographic that they’ve been told they fall into.

This is still today’s reality. Our present is determined by our past history of centuries of colonialism and apartheid and other ridiculous forms of segregation. We’re not going to erase that any time soon.

This particular global history also means that white people and whiteness are rewarded over blackness.

Okay, but now onto the issue at hand. The history of blackface is particularly troubling, but it boils down to this: white people didn’t want black actors to be a thing so instead they dressed up white actors as black characters. These characters also tended to be one-dimensional racial stereotypes and caricatures like “the happy slave”.

So when you dress up as a black person and put on black make-up – or in this case, shoe polish – you are emulating this history. Now, besides the fact that the theme of the party these guys went to was “Twins” and the Williams sisters are not, in fact, twins, did they really need the black make-up? Do you know how many

other sisters play pro tennis and are instantly recognisable pop culture symbols? None.

I get that being offensive was not their intention, but that’s almost entirely irrelevant. The impact of your actions trumps the intention behind them. I can intend to just pull out of a parking bay, but if I run over a pedestrian that I couldn’t see in the process, no one would contend that their death was the most important part of the scenario.

Burman and Bartlett are only a symptom of a much larger societal illness. They are articulating the whiteness that pervades society and which allows for people like me to take on all the exciting, “interesting” parts of blackness, without ever having to live through all the macro and micro aggressions that black people have to live through because of their race.

What blackface does is reduce a whole person’s experience and life to the token characteristic of their skin colour.

Stuart is the Deputy Editor of Oppidan Press, a student newspaper of Rhodes University.

6

opinions

v73 e11 – 30 september 2014

Who narrates the reality of students?

The “Student Gauging Council”

Rekgotsofetse Chikane

Image: Amina Ebrahim

Dean Horwitz n an institution like UCT where there are diverse student views and different student realities it is important to analyse who narrates these realities and who tells these stories on a daily basis.

It is also important to consider who formulates ideas, who starts the discourse around student issues and how inclusive this discourse is.

It is important to consider who is speaking on behalf of students on a university policy level. For a Master’s student like me, it is difficult to understand why many students’ realities are overlooked and why so many choose to remain silent in the face of this.

From an outside perspective it is very easy to see how the views of the majority of the students could get lost in the bureaucratic system that is UCT. Every year around this time we vote in the student leadership, who are chosen as our representatives and our voices on a range of issues, from policy to the way we are taught.

With increasing levels of apathy among students, we have

I

to question whether the majority of students are actually seeking out the resources to inform themselves around policy and leadership or merely getting by, getting a degree and moving on. Furthermore, I would argue that students are extremely individualistic and not concerned about the well-being of the UCT student community.

Sadly, many students only raise their interest in policy and leadership when it directly affects them or when they are in a crisis.

At a university like UCT with students and academics from all over South Africa and the world, you would expect there to be an extremely high level of discourse on a diverse range of topics expressing a diverse range of views. However, when it comes to the expression of views and the selection of leadership, many people are too afraid to take a stand publicly and express their viewpoints.

There is a lack of public discourse around student leadership and this has been a constant cause of frustration for me. When it comes to election time students form alliances or join politically affiliated bodies who all present a unified set of manifesto ideas, often taken from their mother party’s manifesto. In

addition to offering us few unique student solutions to student problems, these manifestos do not cater for the actual needs of the student body. This leaves us with little option of interrogation and even fewer options in the form of unique solutions to some of the toughest student problems.

Even more concerning is the fact that there is no outcry from students over the lack of diversity in views amongst our leadership.

There are no student voices calling for greater accountability from our leaders and there are no student voices calling for a better process of electing these leaders. Considering the central role the UCT student body played in the struggle against apartheid the silence of today’s students is deafening.

Many people bemoan the fact that at UCT it often feels like we deal with the same problems every year – and the truth is that we do. With each change in leadership old problems are rehashed and attempts at solving them are made. However, until we have innovative, independent student leaders with unique solutions we will never have a truly diverse UCT.

The Student Representative Council (SRC) should ideally function as a well-oiled train. It should move the opinions of students from one university committee to the next, successfully representing our views to the upper echelons of UCT’S management.

But to what extent do they adequately represent students, and when do their own views take preference?

For representatives belonging to political parties it is easier to aggregate their views. However, with independent SRC members, ascertaining the balance in this dynamic becomes almost impossible. In some ludicrous cases, politically affiliated candidates may foolishly assert that they are still independent.

Where does this leave the student body in voicing their views?

You may underestimate the impact of decisions made by SRC members. It should be acknowledged that the implementation of a 24hour library or the prevention of fees increasing by 15% per annum (as is often proposed) is not out of the benevolence of UCT’s management, but because SRC members negotiate on your behalf.

Those who find themselves in student governance are often forced to make off-the-cuff decisions when asked, “What do students think?”

While on the SRC I was forced to answer this question with a maximum of two seconds to decide how 26 000 people felt about a particular issue.

Ideally, in this situation student representatives should frame their views within the context of the entire student body. Instead, SRC members generally frame the student context within their views.

The question then becomes whether

the SRC represents our views or their own views. It is often the latter, resulting in many students not regarding the SRC as a valuable mechanism for engagement. It is also the reason that students utilise the SRC in a reactive manner when they face crisis situations, rather than proactively to avoid crises through the SRC. Sometimes the SRC will consciously decide to ignore segments of the student population because of their own or their constituency’s perspectives. A case in point would be the IsraeliPalestinian conflict, in which many previous SRCs chose not to take a stance, angering large segments of the University. This year, however, a stance was taken, but groups of students still felt misrepresented.

Some may argue that Student Assembly holds the SRC accountable and ensures representation. This is a far-fetched notion, given the poor knowledge on and interest in Student Assembly by students.

Those who view Student Assembly as an effective tool have clearly never attended a sitting. It has become inept at holding the SRC accountable because of the limits placed on its power, merely making recommendations to the SRC but hardly ever binding their decisions.

Our only chance to engage with the SRC as a student body happens once a year during interrogations and campaigning. The operation of UCT’s SRCs can be described as a runaway train that fails to stop at all stations to gather student views before departing again.

Every now and again some of us will try and jump on when the train slows down. More often than not we fall off, or some of us don’t even bother trying to catch the train.

This kamikaze approach has no end in sight and the only real ending is one that leaves our Student Representative Council as more of a “Student Gauging Council”.

No king, so shoot the messenger?

Adam Kleinschmidt Behind every news broadcast and article is a journalist doing their job as a messenger, bringing all current and ongoing events in the world into view. Even at a small newspaper like VARSITY, the writer puts pen to paper – or fingers to keyboard – to assemble the newsworthy topics of the day.

compromises the quality of the news... and analysis This turns on its head, however, when the process of news capturing is hindered or altogether halted.

Perfect examples of this include the detention of four Al-Jazeera journalists and the beheading of

A look behind the news desk

photojournalist James Foley, to name but a few of the continual persecutions the press face across the world.

Through this violent treatment, the nature of current affairs broadcasting is put under severe pressure. This, in turn, compromises the quality of the news and the ability of news agencies to present objective and comprehensive reporting, discourse and analysis.

The root of this aggression stems from the continually degrading relationship between the press and the powers that be. Many nations – particularly those with repressive governments – tend towards suppression of the media to prevent their actions from being beamed across the world. It has been known for a stray news blast to cause irreparable damage to many a government.

Thus, when faced with a journalist who is investigating a particularly contentious issue, a government or organisation with sufficient power will behave like the schoolyard bully: dogmatic, aggressive and ignorant of the greater consequences.

process of news capturing is hindered or altogether halted Now, as far as I know, there aren’t crowds of belligerent students campaigning for VASITY to eject writers into their merciless grasps.

However, the issue at UCT is something a little more complex: do UCT students actually value the presence of an independent student newspaper written by students

for students?

The short answer: not really.

Yes, you as the reader are probably objecting to this, because you’ve read every issue since February, but the greater population largely ignores the fortnightly issue as though it were just another event poster on a noticeboard. This is largely a result of student apathy towards news in general, but the issue does go further.

Upon hearing of a pertinent and controversial issue – the Black Face scandal at Stellenbosch or the Scottish independence referendum – students will immediately whip out opinions by the dozen, much like they do during election time.

The same applies to the ticking page feeds and tweets students avidly click continuously: unless it excites your revulsion, horror or perverse fascinations, chances are the

snippets of information will pass by.

The nature of “news” and “current affairs” has changed form in recent years. With the rise of worldwide connectivity thanks to the Internet, information is free, unfair and everywhere. Thus the expectation is for a media house to be relevant, concise and important, something social media seems to do in style.

This brings the existence of VARSITY into question. Why have print or online versions of a newspaper when you can turn to News24 or The Daily Maverick? My answer: because of the relevance of both the medium and message of VARSITY. It is written by UCT students for UCT students. No other publication offers this scope of interest, involvement and pertinence in the intellectual potjiekos that is UCT. VARSITY is the sounding board for students, so surely it deserves more recognition than the occasional click on a screen?

vox pop

V73 E11 - 30 SEPTEMBER 2014

7

UCT students weigh in on outgoing SRC VARSITY spent some time gathering the opinions of UCT students. Here is what they had to say about this year’s SRC. This VARSITY Vox Pop page is a vehicle for expression by members of the university community. The opinions of the page are not necessarily those of the VARSITY Collective or its advertisers. We do hope you enjoy these comments.

Caleb McKeller Undergraduate Chair of Academics “Caleb was really humble and approachable but when he got into SRC he disappeared and he was not visible. I don’t think he gave much into the portfolio as he could’ve.”

“The academic portfolios are quite significant but the Academic Activism Week was not as strong as last year and he didn’t do it enough in the portfolio.”

“I approached him for assistance in a faculty related proposal that need his input but he wasn’t very helpful at all.”

Mangi Gondwe President

Ath’enkosi Sopitshi Postgraduate Chair of Acedemics

Ramabina Mahapa Labour & Services Coordinator

“She was hard to get a hold of.”

“I think she made the SRC more visible than last year.”

“There was a lack of transparency, I didn’t know what was happening with Fedics.”

“I’ve heard she’s very present and around on campus.”

“I think the Fedics movement was a good plan.”

“She did a lot of important things like changes to the application form.”

“I’m an undergrad student so I think that’s why I’ve never heard of her.”

“I assume she’s done a good job because I haven’t heard any scandals about her.”

“She seems nice.”

“Since April she has been working on a newsletter.”

“I don’t really know who he is. Never seen the dude around.”

“Before him campaigning for the next SRC, I’ve hadn’t heard of him. He said he did some pretty epic stuff though.”

“So, I don’t know what his portfolio entails, so I can’t hold him accountable for what he’s done because he hasn’t interacted with me.”

“His all-round proffessionalism and willingness to engage with important issues in public forums is ... very positive.”

Lwazi Somya Vice-President External

Alex Procter Day Students Coordinator

Lungisa Ntobela Residences Coordinator

“What he did on campus was non-existent. We did not see him at all; he has just been a loud mouth. There’s no action with this man and I cannot support him.”

“I know him by face and his campaigning was visible. But to be honest I don’t quite know what he did after he got his position.”

“I’ve seen her name on a poster.”

“I know that the Ikhaya committee members greatly appreciate the work that she’s done laying the foundations for more development of the Day House, but beyond that…”

“Does she still have blue hair?”

“I’m part of Ikhaya, and I’ve never heard of her before.”

Ben Mendelson Vice-President Internal Affairs

Chang Jung Entertainment and Fundraising Coordinator

“I know he was busy a lot, but to be honest I don’t know what he did this year. I don’t think he’s brought about any change.”

“I’ve never seen him – or any of these other people [referring to the poster of the SRC] – in my life.”

“Lungisa, if the Residence Students’ Council is your brainchild, it’s been going well. There are a lot of activities available for people in res – and if that’s all because of you, it’s awesome, bro. Good job!”

“People often forget that Ben’s a person and harp on about the fact that he didn’t bend over backwards as an SRC member.

He did his job, and he did it well.”

“A bit condescending at times.”

“He has been a helpful leader and very good at his job.”

“His brutishness does it for me!”

Keenan Hendrickse Secretary General “He cares very deeply about student governance, works very hard, is very professional, and does an all-round good job.”

“He could have delegated more.”

“He was head boy of my school. Nothing’s changed!”

“He’s that one that talks slow and wears a bowtie.”

Kgabo Senyatsi Societies Coordinator “The was no move from the SRC to be more involved in societies.”

“I’ve never had any feedback from him.”

“I felt like his inexperience meant there was a lack of results.”

“He’s a very enthusiastic and happy person.”

“He continued the Societies Executive Forum.”

Thandani Mlambo Treasurer General “Last I heard of him was when he campaigned for SRC.” “He’s quite helpful with financial aid and stuff.”

“He did a lot for us on Med Campus.”

“Prompt and always willing to help.”

“I believe he slept more in his office then he did at home. Now that is commitment.”

“Oh yeah, he was the only Korean that ran last year – I remember voting for him.”

“Not too sure who he is, or actually anyone on the SRC. I don’t really pay attention to that kind of stuff.”

Fowia Davids Deputy Secretary General “Fowzia should be commended for her efficient use of social media to communicate and rely information to students.”

“Worked with her on media and advertising of our events and vice versa. She is very responsive and available. Superb job!”

“She is the small short one, hey?”

Nomsa Makgabenyana SRC International Students’ Coordinator “I think Nomsa has done a reasonable job but I’m not so sure as to the specific projects she has done.”

“I think a lot has been done to integrate international students in UCT and if that’s due to Nomsa, then kudos to her. “ “I heard that she wasn’t doing a good job and there was a negative response to her but she was really present in terms of her campaigning and everyone knew who she was but I didn’t see anything from her this year.”

Carey Deane McIntosh Health, Safety and Environment Coordinator “I enjoyed the health week that SRC had this year and I’m guessing she was responsible for it so she must have done a great job.”

“She was present at SRC events. I think she was a team player and she seemed approachable.”

“Wasn’t she the cheerleader?”

Fezile Nqiwa Sports and recreation Coordinator “I think that is unprofessional to lie in order to make yourself look better.”

“I have very little interaction with sports on UCT campus on the whole, and as a result the Sports Rep on the SRC is not of great importance to me, so I haven’t had any interaction with his work at all.”

“Doesn’t seem to believe in email.”

Jessica Breakey Transformation Coordinator “I like what she did with the gender neutral bathrooms.”

“She did a lot for transformation and she was in the public eye.”

“She did a really good job and I’ve heard a lot about her.”

“I think because of her transformation is a growing portfolio.”

“She was very innovative and brought functional changes to campus.”

The SRC Report Card is an annual VARSITY project that is conducted to assess the performance of each year’s outgoing SRC. The Report Card is conducted in an open and inclusive manner. All information presented in these reports has been sourced from the SRC members themselves.

The grades are based largely on peer review, with reasonable adjustments made by the VARSITY team, based on interviews with all SRC members. VARSITY reserves the right to summarise and comment on the information provided by the SRC members and external sources, which resulted in the grades. Every effort was made to remain fair and objective in conducting this process.

Letter from the Editor

In the interest of full disclosure, I decided to write about my experience organising this SRC Report Card Evaluation. This is an annual VARSITY project, which in past years has been met with either understanding or resentment from the SRC. While I understand that nobody likes to be put under a microscope, the SRC are our elected representatives, and we reserve the right to hold them accountable.

At the beginning of this year I wanted to change the SRC Report Card Process with more transparency between the SRC and VARSITY in our evaluation process. The aim was for them to firstly understand how much work we put into this, and secondly so that they would know they were being fairly evaluated.

VARSITY sent out an email to the SRC in mid-August that summarised our process, and set out the deadlines that were expected of the SRC members. We informed them that they would need to submit a document by early September that summarised their portfolio objectives, their achievements and failures, as well as a self- and peer-review.

Each SRC member would then have a oneon-one interview with a VARSITY writer where they could respond to anonymous peer review comments and disclose to us any extra information in a confidential space.

Four days before the deadline, I received notice that the SRC objected to our process and that they would not cooperate with us unless we made some adjustments. I met with

SRC Report Card 2014

the SRC Presidency and explained what is and isn’t appropriate for us to include them in, but agreed that in addition to what had already been set out, VARSITY would sit in on a peer review meeting with all SRC members.

Their deadline was pushed forward.

Due to administrative challenges on behalf of the SRC, this peer review was organised very close to our final deadline, which was extremely inconvenient for us. The SRC was given incorrect instructions on behalf of the presidency (whether this was intentional or not is unclear), my words were miscommunicated, and our instructions to SRC members continued to not be met, despite persistent effort from VARSITY, and several deadline extensions.

Nommangaliso Gondwe: President

B

Nommangaliso Gondwe assumed her role with enthusiasm and a detailed vision of what she wanted to achieve. As President, Mangi oversaw all of the SRC portfolios and assisted in various projects. Most notable amongst her objectives are the fees proposal for a R400 debt increase, online venue bookings for societies, facilitating the process of negotiating for the catering contract going to tender, and finalising the 1st National Student Rights Charter. Her work on numerous sub-committees also added to her contributions to the SRC. Her peers commended her skills as a team leader however, felt she lacked the ability to delegate tasks and discipline other members of the SRC. Overall, Mangi was ambitious in what she wanted to achieve but was unable to achieve all of her objectives, yet she fulfilled all of her duties as SRC President and contributed to numerous projects.

Lwazi Somya (SASCO): Vice-President External

D

D

A

Fowzia Davids (SASCO): Deputy Secretary General

A+

A Caleb McKeller (DASO): Undergraduate Academics

C

D

B

Chang’s main objectives this year was to raise funds for the Crisis and Bail-Out Fund through various activations and events held on campus. As a result, the 2014 SRC was able to raised more money than the past two-years. The money raised was used to help 15 students academically as well as assisted 10 students who were in financial need. He also ensured that Jammie Thursday took place on satellite campuses - Medical and Middle Madness, as well as a small activation on Hiddingh campus. In the second semester, Chang took it upon himself to write a new policy for the Bail Out Fund, owing to the fact that the previous policy was irrelevant and outdated. Also being Korean, he hosted a candle light memorial for the South Korean Ferry tragedy that happened earlier this year.

Ramabina has been a vocal member of the SRC during his tenure as the Labour and Services Coordinator. His efforts at policy level – most notably the Admissions Policy and Fedics contract – are commendable, which can be attributed to his thorough understanding of high-level policy and institutional culture. In committee meetings, Ramabina is a well-read attendee, often holding management to account in an eloquent but aggressive manner. Amongst his achievements are the Workers’ Appreciation Day, and the acceptance of the proposal for a 24hour study area at Medical Campus; however, he was unable to implement his campaign Born To Employ.

A

Ath’enkosi’s role as Postgraduate Chair included being a member of the University Student Affairs Committee, the Postgraduate Studies Funding Committee, the Library Working Group, the Board for Graduate Studies and the Quality Enhancement Project. Unfortunately, Ath’enkosi was unable to meet with VARSITY for an interview, but her list of achievements remains impressive. Her objectives included providing structure for this relatively new portfolio; improving postgraduate funding opportunities for vulnerable postgraduate students; increasing awareness of postgraduate opportunities among undergraduate students; and improving awareness of career opportunities and networking. Ath’enkosi’s highlight was assisting students through consultations. However, by assisting faculty councils on her own, much of Ath’enkosi’s work went unnoticed. Despite this, she managed to remain a valuable SRC member throughout her term.

Jessica Breakey (BLVCK): Transformation Coordinator

A+

D

A

D

Alexandria came late to the SRC, only starting her term at the end of May of this year following the dismissal of the previous Day Students Coordinator. Coming in to very little foundation within her portfolio, Alexandria attempted to form a Day Students Sub-Council, but it was soon deemed unfeasible due to the lack of response from potential members, and looming leadership changeovers. She decided to take on one main project due to her short term in office, which was the formation of a website called Digs Connect. This is still going through the necessary red tape, and she hopes to continue it to completion even after the end of her SRC term. Alexandria was noted for her supportiveness towards other SRC members, and her involvement in the team.

Nomsa Makgabenyana (Independent): SRC International Students’ Coordinator

C

Nomsa’s conduct as an SRC member has been integral in providing valuable insight at meetings and a positive working environment. There was room for improvement in the branding and development of the portfolio and greater networking was needed with the international student community. Despite this, Nomsa emphasised that her main focus was on sustainable goals through policy improvement. Her portfolio activities included the I Am International campaign and creating a relationship between students and IAPO. Her biggest achievement was ensuring that the bailout fund policy was returned to its sole function of catering for international students. Both Nomsa and her portfolio carried great potential, however, team dynamics within the SRC and bureaucratic systems prevented the optimising of her portfolio.

Lungisa Ntobela (BLVCK): Residences Coordinator Lungisa has been a present SRC member on residence campuses as Residences Coordinator. Bringing previous residence council experience to his portfolio, he understood students’ dissatisfaction with the catering provider, thereby demanding that a tendering process be opened, which resulted in the elimination of Fedics. Although Lungisa did not introduce a new policy, his dedication to resident students as well as the SRC is commendable. He was present at almost all SRC meetings and has done his utmost best to be available at the mobile SRC office.

Lungisa often worked alone, resulting in many SRC members feeling detached from the residence sector.

B

Kgabo had a slow start to his portfolio given his inexperience with the position and what it entailed. With no previous involvment in a society structure, he was unfamiliar with the processes and management of societies. He managed to fulfil some of his objectives such as assisting with societies on Jammie Plaza during O-week and a successful monitoring phase of new societies. However, he was unable to successfully implement the cluster system approach within the Societies Council. He struggled to find speakers for the Born to Employ campaign resulting in its cancellation and the Transformation Fund is still underway. Whilst his work within his portfolio may have been unsuccessful and poorly communicated to the SRC and student body, Senyatsi was a good addition to the team. Many of his peers commended his contributions to SRC meetings and said he was a great help to them within their projects.

Designed by: Michaela Findeis; Compilerd by: Katy Scott, Vikash Gajjar, Clare Garrard, Jena Ascough, Parusha Naidoo, Aisha Abdool Karim, Laurie Scarborough, Krysia Gaweda.

Carey has performed as both a team player and leader through her support for fellow SRC members. Beginning with minimal experience of the University’s governance structures, Carey focused on creating a solid working relationship with relevant societies, development agencies and her sub-committee. She has concentrated on four key strategies: UCT smoking policy survey, the UCT toilet paper dispenser drive, creating SRC Health Packs and Emergency Contacts Cards and the forming of a Safety Forum. Other highlights of her term was the Know Your Status campaign and the SRC Health Week which involved a dietician speaker, sexologist, HIV testing, a yoga class and a sandwich making drive. Overall, Carey’s term was successful and her passion for student health saw the transformation of her portfolio.

Alexandria Procter (Independent): Day Students Coordinator

Jessica exceeded the requirements for her portfolio and aimed to push the boundaries of transformation. Her work to redefine transformation in order to include gender, sexuality, and identity was visible to the student body and the rest of the SRC. Breakey’s most notable campaigns and projects were the Gender Neutral Toilet, #itooamUCT and the 20 years of democracy celebration.

However, she was also involved in numerous other projects and policy changes such as drafting the new Transformation Charter and pushing for the inclusion of disability in the admissions policy. She worked closely with the SRC to communicate her vision for the transformation portfolio and was able to create dialogue amongst students. Breakey worked consistently throughout the year on projects and should be commended on the effort she put into her portfolio.

Kgabo Senyatsi (BLVCK): Societies Coordinator

Keenan Hendrickse (Independent): Secretary General Keenan went above and beyond his roles and responsibilities this year. His performance of duties stipulated in Schedule C was excellent and he was always available to assist and support other SRC members. Keenan efficiently convened SRC meetings, compiled the Organizational Report for Student Assembly, and ensured that all other SRC administrative needs were met. He also sat on many committees, sub-committees, sub-councils, and working groups, thus contributing to many areas of student life.

His only weakness perhaps was that he did not ask for help and may have taken on too much at times.

Fezile did not respond to emails to set up an interview for report cards, thus his input on this regard could not be considered. He started off the year with the customary O-Week Sports showcase.

He was slow to set up the Sports Council at the beginning of this year, but fulfilled his duties as Sports and Recreation Coordinator.

Fezile advocated for the implementation of an Elite admissions policy to cater to those who excel at sports or other extracurricular activities, and expanded the 2nd SADC Sports tournament to include basketball and netball. Along with the Treasurer General, he liaised with Student Housing to set up a new gym at Obz Square, which is set to open on 1st of February 2015. He was noted as a great team player, but more was desired in terms of consistency and fostering a spirit of teamwork within the SRC.

Ath’enkosi Sopitshi (BLVCK): Postgraduate Academics

Ramabina Mahapa (SASCO): Labour & Services Coordinator

Fowzia went above and beyond her call of duty this year.

Her work ethic, contribution and dedication to the SRC and its members were commendable and therfore must be acknowledged. Not only did she meet the majority of her objectives by the end of first semester, she ensured that the SRC was constantly visible throughout the year as well as held a high media presence. In addition, Fowzia created the Freshers Guide Magazine, as well as campaigned SRC Mobile Office Sessions throughout the year on various campuses. Other campaigns ran

by Fowzia included the C3 Campaign, #KNOWYOURSRC and SRC Make My Morning.

Caleb’s contributions to the SRC this year included laying the ground work for a textbook loaning system for UCT students as well as attempting to get standardised Class Representative documents across all faculties. In the beginning of the year Caleb spent a lot of time working with students to ensure they had fair representation on the Readmissions Appeals Committee and with this he helped a student be readmitted into UCT after being academically excluded. He should be commended for the time he spent giving many student consultations. He struggled at times to contribute fully to his SRC commitments due to his enormous workload as a law student. His peers on the SRC commended him for being the voice of reason and rationality in SRC meetings.

Fezile Nqiwa (SASCO): Sports and Creation Coordinator

Lwazi refused to comply with the VASRITY report card process.

He voiced objections against our evaluation methodology, and did not submit a report that was requested from him outlining his objectives and accomplishments for this year. Therefore, there is little that can be said about his achievements in the SRC. His peers on the SRC voiced many concerns about his work on the SRC this year, saying that he failed to give needed support to the President, did not fulfil his outlined SRC roles and responsibilities, but worked productively outside of his portfolio.

He convened the SRC constitutional committee late, however, and many SRC members highlighted his misconduct and disregard for the team.

Chang Jung (DASO): Entertainment and Fundraising Coordinator

Ben Mendelson (DASO): Vice-President Internal Ben struggled to provide support as a Vice-President this year on account of his time-consuming LLB degree. He did however, draft the SRC Disciplinary Document, maintain an advantageous relationship between the SRC and the Development Agencies and make plans for the STRIVE Document to be passed in the next year. He oversaw a number of SRC disciplinary matters as well as the GCI’s Development Agency Application. He has been criticised by SRC members for not contributing enough to the team, for underperforming and for not effectively resolving disciplinary issues. However, where action needed to be taken Ben did consistently take action.

On the morning of the peer review, it was cancelled, leaving us once again, with not much to work with. I decided that it was time to stop holding doors open.

I emailed the SRC myself (to avoid further miscommunication) to say that their final deadline was in 12 hours, reminding them that their original deadline was 10 days earlier. I decided you should know who submitted late, as this is telling in itself; Keenan Hendrickse, Fezile Nqiwa, Lungisa Ntobela, and Lwazi Somya.

I decided further to include a vox pop, so that your voices could be heard.

In closing, I’d like to reiterate the importance of transparency, accountability, simple good communication, and of respecting other people’s time.

Carey Deane McIntosh (DASO): SRC Health, Safety and Environment Coordinator

Thandani Mlambo (SASCO): Treasurer

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Thandani was able to fulfilled his obligations throughout the year, despite being a second-year medical student. The committees which he was part of included the University Finance Committee, Undergraduate Studies Funding, the Undergraduate Appeals Committee and the Catering Tender Adjudication Committee. His personal objectives as Treasurer included: helping students in financial need, efficiently managing the SRC funds, increasing the incorporation of satellite campuses, which he managed to achieve with Medical Campus, making SRC and UCT finances public, and addressing public comment about fees. He managed to successfully meet these objectives through consultations and representation at Student Assembly.

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V73 E11 - 30 SEPTEMBER 2014

UCT Student Tribunal What you need to know

Laurie Scarborough The University Student Discipline Tribunal (USDT) is UCT’s formal structure to address offences committed by students of the University. Not many people are aware of the USDT process, so VARSITY took up the challenge and did some research.

The first thing you should know is that Handbook 3 (which is available on the UCT website) is a 150-page document which outlines all general rules and policies of the University for all staff and students. This handbook guides all conduct on campus, and any contravention of these rules can be brought before the USDT. Outlined at the bottom of this page is the core process for how a case with the USDT is handled from start to finish. As you will see the process starts with an allegation. This can be brought forward by anyone who can provide evidence that an offence took place. Reports can be filed through Campus Protection Services (CPS), the Discrimination and Harassment Office (DISCHO), or can be brought straight to the Legal Counsellor of the Registrar’s Secretariat, Anne Isaac, who works for the USDT in the Bremner Building.

These reports cannot come confidentially if the testimony is required for the trial. This can sometimes prevent students from coming forward with a report, for fear of their safety, but this is unavoidable.

Even in criminal law cases, witnesses cannot remain anonymous.

Once a case is brought forward the University will investigate the evidence. CPS will be involved in the investigation, witnesses may be contacted, video evidence may be requested from campus CCTV monitors, documentation is collected and a case is drafted by Isaac. This is sent to the accused student, who is summoned to a pre-hearing.

All students being charged are allowed representation by any UCT student or staff member or from a student from the School of Legal Practice. Should students wish to have professional legal representation, they must apply and motivate to a proctor why this is necessary. The proctor will decide whether to grant or dismiss the application for legal representation.

After the pre-hearing, where the defendant declares their plea (guilty or not guilty), and witnesses and evidence are finalised, a trial takes place. At the trial, there are three panellists who sit on the Tribunal. The first is a proctor, who is either a legally qualified staff member from the Law Faculty, or other suitable staff, such as members of Human Resources who have appropriate training and experience in disciplinary matters. There is a pool of about proctors.

The second panellist is a UCT staff member who volunteers to sit on the Tribunal, and is approved by the Vice-Chancellor. These are staff members from across all sections and departments of campus and represent a diverse group of interests. There are sixteen staff members who can sit on Tribunal.

Lastly, there is a student panellist.

These students are selected by the UCT SRC each year, based on previous and present leadership experience.

Students are expected to motivate why they should be selected by the SRC and six students are selected based on these motivations, leadership and student governance experience, degree of study with an advantage given to law students, says Keenan Hendrickse of the 2014 SRC. Students are an important part of the Tribunal panel as they can represent and voice the concerns and experience of a UCT student. Panellists on the Student Tribunal are all volunteers and do not receive monetary compensation for their contribution to USDT. After hearing the evidence of a case, the panel will deliberate and discuss the case and then a verdict is decided with a vote. A two-thirds majority will decide the verdict: guilty or not-guilty.

When deciding on a verdict, the evidence must be proved by the university on a balance of probability.

This means that the University must prove that it is more likely than not that the accused student did commit the offence. This is in contrast to legal trials, which require liability to be prove beyond reasonable doubt. This means that the State must prove that their version of what occurred is the only reasonable version of the facts, without any doubt.

Once a verdict is decided, the sentencing is deliberated. When deciding on a sentence, which is the punishment that a convicted student will receive, mitigating and aggravating factors are considered.

Stefanie Busch, a UCT Law Student

explains that mitigating factors are “information […] regarding the accused or the circumstances of the offence that might result in a lesser sentence”. Examples of mitigating factors are the presence of remorse, whether the offence was provoked, the academic level of the student, emotional and psychological factors, or the presence of a learning disorder.

Conversely, aggravating factors are circumstances that could result in a harsher sentence. Busch says that a previous conviction is a major aggravating factor because “the offender is taken to display a disregard for the law”. She continues, “The seriousness of the particular offence is a very important factor, as well as the amount of harm (mostly physical) that was done.”

These factors are discussed by the panel in relation to an appropriate sentence, and the final sentence is decided by the proctor. There is a set of guidelines for recommended sentencing which can be useful to proctors, and Isaac also proposes a sentence to the proctor which he or she considers.

Sentencing can range from a R100-R5000 fine, 5-300 hours of community service, suspension, expulsion and a number of other sanctions, depending on the severity and nature of the offence, and the mitigating and aggravating factors.

Sentences are often designed to be both punitive and rehabilitative, giving students a time of reflection over their offence as well as being a punishment, thus discouraging them from further offences.

Comparing cases

The charges, verdict and sentencing of these cases are displayed on public noticeboards around campus while keeping the names of the convicted students confidential. A student’s academic transcript will also indicate their disciplinary misconduct. The process, from start to finish, can take from one week to three months, depending on the administrative challenges involved in each case.

Many people at UCT have questioned the fairness of the UCT Student Tribunal System, saying that sentencing is seemingly inconsistent.

Some argue that sentences are too lenient; others say they are too strict. Isaac, who worked as a Public Prosecutor for 11 years, defends the UCT process, saying, “You’re not going to have people being happy about sentencing. But that is the nature of hearings.”

“We don’t just take matters to the Tribunal just because someone reported it. We look at if there’s a case to forward.” She continues, “The matter is going before an independent, diverse panel.”

Furthermore, a student is permitted to appeal a verdict while the Tribunal cannot.

Busch adds that it is important to have a Tribunal system at a University.

“It is vital that the University itself can conduct disciplinary hearings in regards to the actions of its students.

Most importantly, it also protects the interests of the students, who will be able to have a ‘fair trial’, instead of merely being suspended or expelled without any due process being followed.”

Two hypothetical cases showing the impact of mitigating and aggravating factors on sentencing Charge: Academic Dishonesty (RCS2.1) – Plagiarism Mitigating factors: • The student is in first year.

• There is considerable pressure from the parents to achieve.

• There are no previous convictions.

Aggravating factors: • None Sentence: • 40 hours of community service to be done over 6 months in the university archives • Warning A report is brought forward to the USDT on an alleged offence. Supporting documents and evidence are submitted with a full account of the facts.

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If there is sufficient evidence, a case is opened with the USDT and PeopleSoft is adjusted for the accused student to inductee that there is a pending case against them.

Charge: Academic Dishonesty (RCS2.1) – Plagiarism Mitigating factors: • There are no previous convictions.

• The student was suffering from depression.

Aggravating factors: • The student is a PhD student, and thus knows the seriousness of plagiarism.

• Plagiarism in a Doctoral thesis could put UCT into disrepute.

Sentence: • Expulsion from UCT • No degree granted

Anne Isaac formulates the charges and drafts a document which lists the contravened rules from the UCT Handbook 3 or any other institutional or policy rules that may have been contravened.

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These charges are sent to the student with a summons for a pre-hearing. The student is also given Handbook 3 and the guidelines for sentencing and representation.

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The Student Tribunal Disciplinary Procedure The proctor decides the sentencing for guilty verdicts based on mitigating and aggravating factors, the severity of the crime and several other factors.

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The Tribunal panel deliberates the verdict and vote on this matter, with a majority vote making the final verdict.

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A Tribunal hearing then takes place where witnesses are called, evidence is presented by the University and the defendant, and the student can speak on their own behalf if they choose.

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At the pre-hearing, the student declares their plea and queries are raised. The proctor ensures that the student understands the charges and the rules.

4 If the student wants representation for the proceedings, this must be arranged before the pre-hearing can take place. Students can also apply for formal legal representation.

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The big move: Res to digs Beneath the Woodstock Pavement

Image: Morema Moloisi

Shannon Krausey es has been fun and all, but you’re tired of scheduling your laundry slots two weeks in advance, finding clumps of hair in the showers has become a bit of a pain and the thought of another Fedics meal makes your stomach crawl. You need to move out.

Moving into a digs or flat can be a bit of a schlep – but fear not. Here are some tips from someone who has already made the move.

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1. Find the right roommate/s.

Choosing to live with your best friend without giving it a second thought could be a big mistake. Rather move in with someone who does a different course to you, or who has a different group of friends. Seeing each other 24/7 could lead you to drive each other crazy. Also, it’s a huge bonus if your future roomie is a neat freak.

There is nothing worse than someone who leaves their dirty dishes stacked up and mouldering for days.

2. Find the right place. You need to decide what kind of environment

suits you. A digs is always a lot of fun, but it can be irritating when you’re trying to study for a test and there’s a rowdy predrinks going on in the next room. A flat is better for people who appreciate the quiet, or who like having their own space. Another good idea is trying to find somewhere that’s furnished. It saves you the hassle of having to buy furniture and stressing about where to put it all when you move out. Join the mailing lists at local estate agents to find out when new accommodation becomes available.

3. Store your stuff properly.

Instead of digging around the back of a Pick ‘n Pay, try to find some sturdy cardboard boxes or reusable bags. Don’t put all your books or heavy items into one box or it will be a nightmare to carry. You’ll thank yourself at the beginning of next year when you don’t have to lug around heavy boxes with tears in them. Also, try to be one of the last people to put your stuff in the storage room so that you can retrieve your stuff easily next year. You don’t want to have to dig it out from underneath somebody else’s.

4. Make yourself at home. As soon as you move into your new place, unpack. If you put it off, you’ll just end up living out of boxes for the entire first semester (or until your mom comes to visit and freaks out).

Also, decorate your room. You’ll feel so much better in a personalised room than you did staring at those awful curtains in res.

Mitch Prinsloo

You’re treading down Albert Road in a new pair of hand-painted Vans, happily cradling your latest haul from that vegan chocolate shop. You’re content, sheltering every dozen metres or so in fashionable co-operatives, possibly purchasing refreshments found in a vintage glass bottle.

But something still twinges at your sense of cultural embellishment.

Maybe it’s the rusted scrap dealer sign promising suspiciously good rates for suspiciously small amounts of metal.

Maybe it’s the kid asking for your money and attention through some odd rehash of an 80s pop hit. Maybe you can feel something groaning beneath the artsy lustre, begging your understanding of why this neighbourhood has become what it is.

Welcome to Woodstock, land of both upscale design and dilapidated industry. Originally situated about two kilometres east of the metro of Cape Town itself, the 1800s found families settling on land first broken by Pieter van Papendorp in 1788. The area between Albert and Main Road took on his name and from a collection of freeholds the settlement of Papendorp was born.

The sea side of Albert Road, Papendorp’s homestead, is the exact location of the capitulation of Dutch rule in the Cape. The “Treaty Tree”, still stands on the corner of modern Spring and Treaty Roads.

After a brief stint under the name “New Brighton” after British

reoccupation, the district merged with the neighbouring village of Salt River.

In 1881, a resident’s meeting was called in the Woodstock Hotel, a cherished watering hole for local fishermen, and the motion to name the new municipality was tabled. The fishermen, well-oiled and possibly not seaworthy by this stage of the evening, proposed that it be named in honour of their favoured liquor provider. Since they vastly outnumbered the rest of the meeting, the motion was passed.

This area grew exponentially. The old estates were subdivided, creating the tightly packed residences that occupy a large portion of the modern neighbourhood.

Woodstock Beach (yes, as in one with sand and cold Atlantic water) was the site of many spectacular shipwrecks during this period, although the area remained a popular seaside village until land reclamation created the Cape Town foreshore in the 1950s. You can still find the old shoreline marker in Beach Road.

The loss of the beach and the rise of industry created much of Woodstock as we know it today.

Much of lower Woodstock slowly drifted into disrepair, and with it came an increase in crime and drug use, although the refurbishment of locations such as Roodebloem Road and The Old Biscuit Mill are arguably improving matters.

But however you look at it, the streets you walk in Woodstock today are positively pulsing with the energy of a long past and, one hopes, a brightening future.

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Pole dancing: sex or sport?

In two short years Hedwig transitioned from a timid UCT student to an award-winning pole dancer

Katy Scott n 2012, Hedwig Taylor was procrastinating from her course work when she stumbled across a pole dancing video on YouTube.

Intrigued, she googled a pole dancing studio in Cape Town and vowed to go try it out. But it took half a year before she went to her first class. Coming from quite a traditional background, she was highly conscious of all the stereotypes surrounding the pole dance profession.

“Eventually I plucked up the courage to go along with a friend.”

Her first class simply consisted of spinning around on a pole, but afterwards her muscles were shaking so hard that she had to change gears with both hands when driving home.

But she was hooked. “I signed up for a contract immediately at Pole Dance Cape Town.” There was nothing “sexy” about it, she explains. “It felt a bit like gymnastics or aerobics… I saw it as a sport, I didn’t see it as this sleazy thing.” The class was not filled with strippers, just everyday girls who wanted to “add flavor to their lives”.

“I learnt that it doesn’t make you a stripper if you can lift your body weight on a pole.” But it is difficult getting people to see that it is a form of art. There is a massive divide between the acrobatic-orientated camp in the United Kingdom who is

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pushing to standardise pole dancing and make it an Olympic sport, and the Australian camp who is trying to retain the exoticness of the sport.

Hedwig places herself in the middle. “I absolutely love the arty side and that’s what drew me to it.”

Classically trained, she opts for more balletic, fluid-like movements when she dances. “But I also love the sexy side, ” she adds with a slight smile.

“There’s a lot more freedom for creativity… sensual exotic pole really brings out your unique flavor.”

But it is difficult to defy the stereotype when you are wearing next to nothing, she explains. “You need so much skin to grip the pole, and the more advanced you get, the less you have to wear!”

Her and her partner, Kathy Lee won Gold in the duet section in Miss Pole Dance SA in 2013. In February this year Kathy opened up her own studio, The Pole Project where Hedwig is now a Senior Instructor.

“I teach seven to nine classes a week and train three times a week.”

The pair placed second in the National Pole Sports Competition in June which qualified them to compete in the World Pole Sports Competition in London this year. Unfortunately a wrist injury prevented them from competing.

When it comes to injuries, the pain is insane. “It’s not for sissies… you’re gripping with your skin, you’re going to get bruised.” Your skin

Image: Lorna Rae Daniel does get used to it however, as the stronger your muscles get, the less you are using your skin, she explains.

“I have to supplement I take extra MSN and Glutemine because my joints take a lot of strain.”

And the biggest change that she’s seen in herself? Confidence. “I never

had trouble with body weight, but I was very shy. But with pole you have to overcome so many mental barriers… every time you achieve something, it’s such a massive sense of self worth. Pole is great for measuring your progress because you can see your improvement.”

As an instructor she sees women of all shapes and sizes in her classes.

Nearly all of them walk out feeling confident, beautiful and comfortable in themselves. “The most amazing thing is being able to help other women feel how I feel, because I feel amazing!”

Remeber them? Roller derby superstar Ali Findlay tracks down some of music’s most

popular artists that have faded into distant memories In 2003 we were all dancing away to “Shut Up” and “Let’s Get It Started”, singing along loudly to The Black Eyed Peas on our MP3 players. They were one of the most popular bands of the 2000s. Now, as we’re nearing the end of 2014, The Black Eyed Peas have hardly been seen or heard for three years. Did they break up?

Where did they go?

It turns out that in 2011 the band announced that they were taking an indefinite hiatus. This doesn’t mean that they have broken up; it means they have taken a break as a group and they haven’t specified for how long this break will be.

During this time all four artists have been pursuing their solo careers: Fergie is set to release her second studio album in 2015 and will.i.am. released his new song, “Birthday”, in July of this year. It is rumoured that The Black Eyed Peas are in the process of creating their seventh studio album.

Gwen Stefani’s “The Sweet Escape” is ridiculously catchy, along with her 2004 hit “Hollaback Girl”. What happened to good old Gwen with her braces, platinum blonde hair and sneakers? Stefani was actually in a band known as No Doubt from 1986 to 2004, when she left the group to work on her solo career. From

2004 to 2008, she released her most popular solo albums and singles.

From 2008, Stefani re-joined No Doubt and they worked on projects until 2013 when it was announced that they were taking another hiatus.

That’s why we haven’t heard from Gwen in so long; she’s been working with her band. In September of this year, Stefani told MTV News that she is busy working on both a solo album and a No Doubt album, so we’ll be hearing much more Gwen in the not-so-distant future.

You have to remember Green Day’s “American Idiot”. It was an anthem of the 2000s. But what happened to them? Where did the black guyliner, spikey gelled hair and punk style run off to? Turns out Green Day is still very much alive, and they have been since the “American Idiot” days. They released a trilogy of albums in 2012 titled ¡Uno!, ¡Dos!, and ¡Tré!. In 2013 a documentary about the making of the trilogy was released under the name ¡Cuatro!. The band also began a tour in 2013, which broke the Emirates Stadium attendance record with 60 000 tickets sold. Even with this many projects, the band has not managed to retain their “American Idiot” popularity and success. Who knows, maybe a comeback is only months away.

It’s nothing like Whip It. It’s better.

Busang Senne I heard it before I felt it. One miscalculated toe stop later and my ass was kissing the shiny surface of the basketball court. The first thing I do when I’m in a situation straight from a teen sitcom in which the gawky brace-faced girl falls on her butt in front of the whole gym class? I nervously giggle. But giggles are not welcome here. Neither are winces, audible gasps of pain, and especially not crying. Unless, like my coach told us, you break your ankle in a scrimmage. But even then, roller derby girl tears are as rare as unicorns and, as I start my road to glitter, glory and plumcoloured bruises, I learn a few things of the underground sport about to explode.

Roller derby? As in the female bloodbath sport of fury and rollerskates? The one with two teams made of jammers and blockers, lapping members of the opposing team to score points in an arena?

Yes, that’s the one. I’m not one for

organised sports – aside from the obvious benefits of learning to work as a team, gaining confidence and motivation, and getting to work off McFlurry’s, the mob-mentality and blind competiveness have always put me off. Somehow “x” managed to convince me (it didn’t take that much convincing; Whip It is awesome) and because of my past life as a figure skater (see The Fallen Ice Princess), roller-skating around her parking lot for a practice round was as easy as being on the ice again.

That Tuesday I was in Sunningdale Sports Centre in Table View where the Cape Town Roller Girls have practice. All I had to do was wow them with my sick skater skills and I’d be on a team, right? Wrong.

What Whip It conveniently forgot to mention was that it’s not that easy. In fact I can’t remember the last time I pushed so hard, tested my wills as far as my sanity would allow and hurt muscles I didn’t even know existed.

Last week I did an assessment after three practices to advance to the next level and passed from “Wreckies” to “Fresh Meat”. There

are two more levels to brave, with even more intense assessments (27 laps around the court in 5 minutes.

I did 20 in 5 minutes and literally thought my lunch would come up) until you can be entered into a team’s bouting roster. Even then, the stamina and the skill are fierce: from transitions to Tomahawks (toe stops that make you do a hard-core skidding motion) to cross overs and skating backwards. That’s only what I’ve learned in three weeks. There’s much, much more to learn and we haven’t even begun the contact side of things or the rules yet.

It’s not a sport for the faint-hearted and to show us just how it’s done, we get to see the women who are actually on teams practice as well: speeding past on multi-coloured skates, bitch-face on level 3000, push-ups, crunches, jumps, pushing themselves to the limit, all looking like bad-asses. Not to mention they raise funds themselves too, through raffles and events like Friday Night Roller Derby, where teams play against one another.

But what’s really cool to watch is the principles on which roller derby started, a sisterhood of fearless females who refused to conform to the norms of their gender. It’s a community of hard-working nononsense camaraderie. Want to know about my derby adventures?

Not to fear, come next year it’s all I’ll be talking about.

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Sport

v73 e11 – 30 september 2014

Sports Bites Cricket South Africa extend Domingo’s contract Russel Dominigo has had his contract as South African national cricket coach extended.

Cricket South Africa chief executive Haroon Lorgart announced the news on 13 September, saying that they wanted to “take the way the uncertainty” ahead of next year’s World Cup. He also spoke of their satisfaction at the work of Dominigo.

-Supersport

Al Ain’s Asamoah Gyan denies murdering Ghanaian rapper in alleged human sacrifice

Asmoah Gyan, who plays his club football in the UAE with Al Ain, has denied reports linking him to the alleged ritual sacrifice of his friend, the Ghanaian rapper Castro. Widespread rumours in Ghana have claimed Gyan was directly involved in the disappearance of Castro, real name Theophilus Tagoe, and his girlfriend, Janet Bandu. The trio were part of a group holidaying at a resort in Ada, Ghana back in July when both Castro and Bandu went missing after going out on jet skis. They both were presumed drowned.

-Middle East Football Matters

Schumacher’s son set for F1 pursuit Mick Schumacher, the 15-yearold son of seven-times Formula One World Champion Michael, appears primed to follow in his father’s racing footsteps after he was crowned World Karting Vice-Champion on Sunday 21st September. ‘Of course I am proud of such an important result,’ Schumacher Jnr said before tellingly adding: ‘But it is also clear that it is my goal to be world champion. This is only the beginning of my career.’

-Daily Mail

Different era different player?

Dean Horwitz

ne of the most popular sporting questions asked around braais and at bars across South Africa and the world revolves around whether your favourite sportsman or woman is the greatest of their era or the greatest ever. This question, whether it involves Sebastian Vettel and Michael Schumacher, Lebron and Jordan or even Woods and Nicklaus is one that causes many a sporting argument but is very hard to settle.

At any given time there are several sportsmen and women who are considered to be at the top of their respective sports. These athletes are considered to be the best in that sport based on several different factors but all of them share the x-factor that pushed them right to the top of their discipline. Using either a quantitative method like statistics or a qualitative method like the opinions of experts and analysts it is usually quite easy to make up a list of the top five sportsmen and women in any field.

The waters start getting murky when we seek an answer to the question of who is greatest sportsman or woman currently playing their sport on an active basis. This question needs to account for several different factors including the level of difficulty of the sport, the level at which the player is playing, the player’s individual skill as opposed to that of his/her teammates and many other factors that are often brought

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Dean Horwitz and Fanie Van Zijl

in. The equation becomes equally more difficult when you throw in someone from a team sport versus someone from an individual sport in an attempt to the find the world’s greatest.

The murkiest waters of sporting comparisons belong to those of comparisons between players from different eras. So often people attempt to compare not only crosssports but also cross-eras and it usually lands up becoming a contest of whomever the writer or arguer

favours more. On a quantitative level it is almost impossible to compare statistics from one generation to the next. On the one hand the modern game seems harder due to more competition, stronger opponents, higher pressure to perform and hugely unattainable records and goals. On the other hand the modern game is boosted by modern technologies, more money, better equipment and much greater reward which pushes players to excel.

On a qualitative level, for every analyst, journalist or sports commentator that will argue that someone from the past is better than someone from the present, you will find someone who argues the reverse. Interviews with people from sport eras gone by will reminisce about the players and how

they played in a simpler time not driven by greed and money and how they performed without any fancy equipment or technology. In the same light doing an interview with a modern day sports fanatic will lead you down a similar path as they attempt to persuade you that today’s athletes are the true greats.

As sports fans we so often get caught up in comparisons across impossible barriers in an attempt to prove that our favourite sports star is the best ever that we forget to take a moment to appreciate the men and women who make sports so incredible to watch.

These modern and past gladiators have climbed to the peak of their respective sports and its time we appreciated them for merely being great.

subjected to such a great deal of violence that it becomes part of their everyday life. Owing to the fact that so many sportsmen come from poor environments it is easy to say that they get overwhelmed by all their money and fame. Often spending money like it grows on trees, which is almost the case for the most high profile of sportsmen.

An infamous case of violence by a sportsperson was when Manchester United footballer Eric Cantona kicked a supporter who had been taunting him. The incident earned him a nine month match ban. It begs the question, what was he thinking when he did it? Surely he knew that there would be serious implications, but it seems that in the heat of the moment he could not think rationally.

Branislav Ivanovic, earned him a nine match ban.

And as for Mike Tyson, he is perhaps the most notorious sporting bad boy of all time. He shockingly bit Evander Holyfield’s ear off during a world title bout.

In the case of Tyson, it looks like he is an inherently violent person. Coming from a rough background, where all sorts of violence and criminal acts took place, Tyson looked certain to go down the gang route, becoming a full time thug. His career in boxing largely got him off the streets and into luxury.

Cricketer Andrew Symonds ruthlessly took down a streaker during a match for Australia.

However, that it is not what has made him so notorious though; perhaps it is just an apt reflection

of his personality. However his ill reputation is down to all the numerous cases of poor professionalism, many of them relating to his heavy and frequent drinking, as he allegedly skipped a team meeting to go to a bar.

It is interesting that many cricketers have such a bad reputation; after all it is often called a gentleman’s game. But that is clearly not the case with much of the modern breed of cricketers.

Aside from Symonds, there is his compatriot David Warner and South African Herschelle Gibbs, whose controversial autobiography exposed the unpleasant and unprofessional side of South African cricket. This put him firmly near the top of South African sport’s ladder of bad boys behind, of course, the blade runner.

The waters start getting murky when we seek an answer to the question of who is greatest

Bad boys in sport

Image: flickr.com/Keith Allison

Asian Games: Qatar women’s team pull out over hijab ban The Qatar women’s basketball team has withdrawn from the Asian Games in South Korea after being denied permission to wear the hijab during games.

The players were asked to remove the Islamic head scarf before taking on Mongolia but refused and forfeited. World basketball regulations list headgear and hair accessories among the items that are prohibited on court.

Qatari player Amal Mohamed A Mohamed said they had been assured before they travelled to the Games in Incheon that they would be able to wear the hijab.

-BBC.co.uk

Images (left to right): commons.wikimedia.org/Ludovic Péron & flickr.com/World Economic Forum

Fanie van Zijl Mike Tyson, footballer Luis Suarez and cricketer Andrew Symonds all have one thing in common: they are all known for their bad behaviour off, and sometimes on, the pitch.

Ranging from acts of violence to alcoholism, some sportsmen just cannot stay away from the back, or even front, pages for all the wrong reasons.

Why does this happen so frequently? Many sportsmen come from lower class backgrounds, where they are often poor and are

… are subjected to such a great deal of violence that it becomes part of their everyday life Or the case of Luis Suarez and the infamous bite on Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini during the 2014 FIFA World Cup. It was an act of pure stupidity; he had already been in trouble for two earlier bites the second of which, on Chelsea’s

Sport

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The bold and the uglyful Sports is a huge form of entertainment as we all know. And that entertainment is not limited to field action.

Field wear plays a massive role too. With Joan Rivers no longer around, Varsity STYLE Editor in Chief, Daniël Geldenhuys reviews the good, the bad, and the utterly strange of global sport kits from a fashion perspective.

For more fashion fun, be sure to check out Varsity STYLE on October 1st at: varsitynewspaper.co.za

Mark Nandi and Daniël Geldenhuys

Saunier Duval 2008 cycling team

Image: wikipedia.org/ Saunier Duval 2008 cycling team

Until now, nobody thought it was possible for men to have camel toes. Also, can somebody please check the designer’s criminal record for possible sex offender charges?

Image: wikipedia.org/UCLA football team

UCLA Football Team You didn’t have to take the whole “going for gold” thing that seriously, did you? Then again, why not? (These guys must have really loved Rocky Horror.) The only question: how many carats are those shorts?

Image: wikimedia.org/ stade francais french rugby team

Stade Francais Rugby It’s clear that the French Rugby guys are making a feminist statement.

The most masculine guys can pull off pink, right? Maybe they’re really big Emma Watson fans. #HeForShe. I’m sure people who have more sporting knowledge than I do will understand why these pink shirts have the word “Orange” written on them… to me it just looks like some sort of hipster statement.

Image: wikipedia.org/Kansas Jayhawks men’s basketball

Argyle Armada cycling This helmet has a distinct Alexander McQueen Spring 2010 vibe about it. It’s also very Majin Buu or Dragon Ball Z (remember those days?). But then there’s that geometric print that reminds me of something my grandfather would probably wear. McQueen, Majin Buu, and grandpa? As Chef Reuben Riffel would say, “This just doesn’t go.”

Image: flickr.com/fallingbullets

Kansas Jayhawks Basketball Oh no. This is like basketball that went to the circus. This outfit is missing so much: fabric, more fabric, and dignity.

And more fabric. Oh, and more fabric.

Sport VARSITY

FIXTURES WP Cricket League

Fish River Canoe Marathon

October 4th

October 10th - 11th CRADOCK

Where is the gender in sport? is a women’s sport, despite the fact that there are a number of male netball players.

The mention of sport commonly invokes images of macho rugby men, high-profile soccer stars and men shouting in bars, not women athletes or female sporting teams.

This is undoubtedly a one-sided view to adopt, and yet it is often the dominant one. When someone talks about the Soccer or Rugby World Cup there is no question about whether they are referring to the men’s or women’s tournament. If a person asks you about yesterday’s game you immediately assume that they are talking about men’s sport.

This is not the fault of any individual or particular group, but rather a universal issue that has become ingrained in society. The simple truth is that men’s sport sells, and we live in a society whose actions are largely influenced by money. So what is the solution?

The simple truth is that men’s sport sells

Image: Michael Currin

Robyn Ausmeier Whether we like it or not, sport is a clearly gendered area. Masculinity and sport are closely linked and there is an assumption that all men enjoy watching and playing sport,

while a different set of expectations exist for women. Women’s sport has a tendency to be overlooked or neglected, and it is very seldom (if ever) that a women’s sporting event gains the same support as the men’s.

Stereotypes around gender and sport can be restricting for all involved and come with certain implications.

There are prevailing ideas around which sports are for men and which are for women.

It is a common belief that sports such as rugby and soccer are for men, and people often respond with surprise when I mention playing women’s soccer. There is also a widespread view that netball

I was asked to consider the idea of a mixed male and female sports team, and whether this would work.

At first, I wasn’t too sure about my views around this. After talking to a few people and asking around, I realised that the problem would not

be simply solved by creating a mixed team. There are no easy answers and as with all questions around gender, there are very different ideas about how to approach the matter.

I was asked to consider the idea of a mixed male and female sports team The main issue at hand is that female sports do not gain the same recognition, and that women athletes are commonly undervalued. Before labelling teams as equal, women’s sport needs to be acknowledged in its own right. There are numerous successful and capable women athletes who remain unnoticed.

Women’s sports are also given far less funding and publicity, which makes it difficult for changes to be brought about. Without the proper opportunities given to men and women, there is no real way to even the playing field (pun intended).

Sport is something which, as we are taught from a young age, benefits all people. These benefits do not apply to a particular gender or group and should be encouraged for everyone. One of the best things about sport is that it has the ability to bring people together. Despite this unifying factor, varying divides still exist. In my view, it is only through a change in attitude and perception that these divisions can be removed.

Ju-Jitsu Club clothing donation drive Muya Koloko

he Kodokwan Ju-Jitsu Club the first club under the South African Ju-Jitsu Association (SAJJA).

Its logo depicts three arms holding each to form a triangle, and the club motto reads "thrice armed is he who Kodokwan Ju-Jitsu knows" meaning that one would always have an advantage in any situation if they knew the Ju-Jitsu taught at the club.

Also part of the logo is the saying "Protect the Weak" demonstrating that in learning Ju-Jitsu one should always look to defend those who cannot defend themselves.

Over the years UCT Ju-Jitsu

T

weak doesn’t always mean lacking strength…

has tried to live up to this by being socially responsive through holding self-defence workshops for students and the greater public. Another

workshop was the hosting of a mountain biking group in response to robberies on bike trails, and working with an orphanage to provide children with a series of outings and to a Ju-Jitsu demonstration.

While giving a lesson myself I gave thought to what protecting the weak meant. Reffering to the weak doesn't always mean lacking strength, but rather a lack of resources that leaves people vulnerable. This sparked the thought of some homeless people I've encountered that are in need of clothing so they could look presentable when applying for a job.

Through consultation with the UCT Ju-Jitsu committee it was decided that we should have a donation drive.

As we don't always have a heavy surplus of members, we pondered how to make an impact with the members we have. From there the spark ignited: when we do a technique we are always aware of how moves fit (or dovetail) with that move. We always have our principle move, a move that builds into it, a move that follows on from it, and a move that is there in reserve in case the primary move fails (and so

three moves dovetail with a given technique usually).

we are always aware of how moves fit

When we execute hold downs, they usually have three points of control, i.e. there are three points of the person executing the move on the ground. Thrice armed is (s)he who Ju-Jitsu knows.

"Let's use the most common number in what we do as part of the donation" became the call. We therefore each pledged to donate a minimum of three items of clothing, and then asked our members to do the same.

We further agreed that while three was the minimum, members could donate anything over that provided it was a multiple of three. Through doing so while holding the drive over three weeks, we have accumulated a hefty load of clothes that are being donated to SHAWCOs Rags 2 Riches campaign.

“ New elegant Bar/ Restaurant opening in Mouille Point. We are looking for seasonal Waiters, Waitresses and Hostesses. Applicant must have experience in similar environment. Please mail your CV and a recent picture of yourself to the mail below. Please note that if you do not hear from us within 7 days, consider your application unsuccessful."